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The Lex Pres Summer worship schedule will begin on June 6 with worship beginning at 10AM.

During the Summer months there will be no children's Sunday School.

A.S.K. and Koinonia classes will continue to meet at 8:45AM on Zoom.

Worship Schedule

July 4, 2021

Sermon: A King Is Annointed

Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

New Testament Reading: Mark 6:1-13

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Assisting Pastor: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle


July 11, 2021

Sermon: Ark of the Covenant

Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

New Testament Reading: Mark 6:14-29

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Assisting Pastor: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle


July 18, 2021

Sermon: The Covenant

Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 6:30-34, 53-56

New Testament Reading: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome

Worship Assistant: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle


July 25, 2021

Sermon: Compassion

New Testament Reading: Mark 6:31-44

Preacher: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle

Worship Assistant: Youth



Please check our weekly newsletter for more information on worship services.

Notes from June 1 Session Meeting

Call to Worship: Opened the meeting with a Responsive Call to Worship and a unison Prayer of Adoration. Rev. Groome read a scripture and shared reflections after a time of silence.

Congregational and Sessional Data: Current Membership-371 (one transfer in and one transfer out). No congregational baptisms, births, deaths, or weddings. One transfer approved: Reed Belden to Oxford Presbyterian Church. Four thank you notes received and two letters from clerks regarding transfers. Reviewed, discussed, and approved the LexPres Summary Report Envisioning Our Future. Poppy Orendorf reported on the recent Presbytery meeting. Hardin Marion asked session chairs to consider doing a Life of the Church Report to keep the congregation informed about session committee work.

Administrative Committee: No plan to make changes in the budget at this time. There will need to be adjustments to fund sanctuary improvements, AC repair, and Lee Hartman contract on the sound system upgrades. Tom Groome’s contract will need a vote to be extended in the July meeting.

Christian Education: The Children’s Subcommittee is recruiting teachers and members for their committee. Four Bibles were distributed in worship on 5/16 and four delivered to students at their homes. It was approved that if there is rain during the three days of VBS, the group will use Dunlap Auditorium. Youth and Adult Subcommittees had no reports. Campus Ministry Subcommittee awarded $9,600 in grants to 14 LPC college students and high school seniors. Total includes $8,200 from Scholarship Fund Endowment in 2021, $1,400 carried over from 2020, and a generous personal contribution from an anonymous donor and from members of the subcommittee.

Communications: Let Kelly-Ann know if your committee has specific needs as we ready to send out a Time and Talent survey. Updates for committee website information need to go to Maggie. Property and Communications recommended to move the IT subcommittee from Communications to Property. The change was approved.

Nominating: The committee continues to recruit members for the 2024 Session Class.

Property: Icemaker repaired in main kitchen. New tech desk for sanctuary IT support necessitated moving two large and two small pews. Vines on adjoining property were troublesome. The neighbor and Property committee members worked on removing them. Approved use of Dunlap for VBS in the event of rain. Flowers were placed at the Main Street doors. Waiting for an assessment of the stucco and paint on the Nelson Street side of the sanctuary. Approved the movement of IT subcommittee to Property. Boxwoods were trimmed. Bricks were treated leading to the connector doors. Fiber Optic cable installed in the sanctuary.

Worship: Presented and session approved the changes for in-person worship beginning June 6.

The Major Report of the Property Committee was presented by Doug Caldwell for Skip Hess, Chair.

The meeting was adjourned after a Charge and Benediction by Rev. Groome.

Mary Atthowe, Clerk of Session  

Baked Ziti

Here is a fairly traditional Ziti recipe with a few changes. This recipe yields 12 servings so it’s perfect for a dinner party. No dinner parties, instead of using a large lasagna dish, use several smaller dishes and freeze them.

 

INGREDIENTS:

         2 - Tablespoons Olive Oil      1 - Lg. Onion Finely Diced

         1 - Lb. Italian Sausage            3 - Cloves Minced Garlic

         1 - Lb. Ground Beef                3 - Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

         1 - Cup Ricotta Cheese*         1 - 1 Lb. Box Ziti

         1 - 28 oz Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes

         1 - 28 oz Can Tomato Puree

         1 ½ - Lbs. Grated Mozzarella Cheese

         ½ - Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Kosher Salt & Ground Pepper

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

       In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add Ziti and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Do not over cook the Ziti because it will continue cooking in the oven. Retain 1 cup of the pasta water. Pour into a colander, shake and allow to cool and drain. Do not rinse.

           In a large, deep frying pan, add the olive oil, ground beef, and Italian Sausage. Cook until no longer pink. Remove from pan. In the pan, add the onions and garlic. Cook until onions are opaque, approximately 5 minutes. 

           In a very large pot, add the meat, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Add whole peeled tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the tomato puree and 1 half to 1 cup of the pasta water depending on the thickness of the sauce. Bring to a boil. Retain 1 cup of the sauce to put on the bottom of the lasagna dish.

           Add the Ziti to the pot and gently stir. Stir in the ricotta cheese.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

           Spray a large lasagna dish with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the dish with 1 cup of the sauce. Add about ½ of the Ziti mixture. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the Ziti. Add the remainder of the Ziti. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan Cheese on the top. Sprinkle the top with the Mozzarella cheese.

 

           Cover with aluminum foil which you have sprayed with PAM and make sure that the foil does not touch the pasta. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbling.  Remove foil and sprinkle with additional Mozzarella cheese. Return to oven a cook just until the cheese turns golden brown.  

            

           Baked Ziti stays hot for a long time, so it is great for picnics! Serve with a toss salad and you have a perfect meal!

*If you want a creamier sauce, use ½ cup Ricotta and ½ cup sour cream.

 

Notes: The baked Ziti freezes really well. Put into whatever dish(s) you want and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before freezing. This helps to eliminate freezer burn.

 

For those of you who want to know the brands I use, here they are:

           Ziti - Barilla (1 lb box)                     Tomato Puree - Cento

           Whole Tomatoes - Hunts garlic-olive oil & basil

           Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

           Fresh Mozzarella Cheese pinched into pieces

           Lowry or McCormick - Italian Seasoning

           

I hope you will enjoy this recipe. Happy summer!

Skip Hess, Director of Culinary Ministries

Church-Wide Events

Post-Worship Brunch

We will be having our monthly Brunch on July 18, 2021 immediately following worship. You will be able to register on Realm or by calling the Church office. More details to come!

Children's Ministry

Faith Villagers (all ages through 5th grade) are invited to enjoy these outdoor events.

Youth Ministry

Youth Group outing on July 25th

More details to come!

News from our College Students

Keely Doyle

Keely returns as a senior to Emory and Henry this fall, where she continues to excel in class and in volleyball. She is a biology major with a chemistry minor, and plans to seek a masters in genetic counseling.


John Elrod

John is attending Boston College and is pursuing a degree in economics. This summer, he is working in Boston as an intern at an affordable housing non-profit.

Perry Hammond

Perry is entering his fourth year in Eastern Virginia Medical School. He has now completed rotations in many medical specialties in the past year, and he "was blessed . . . to continue my medical education during a global pandemic, but also to directly care for patients in the hospital." In March 2022, he will be moving into a first-year residency program in Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat), and will train in surgery in the head and neck region. He notes that his interest in this area stems from his commitment to the disadvantaged patient population, which "experiences head and neck cancer at higher rates."  


Mallory Keeley

Mallory will be back at Washington and Lee this fall, and she sends thanks to our congregation for the help with education expenses during her years there.


Claire Moreschi

Claire will be a senior at College of Wooster. She hopes to enter a career in theatre arts as a professional stage manager. She is working this summer as an intern at the American Shakespeare Center.


Lily Moreschi

Lily will be starting her second year at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She plans to pursue a double major in Quantitative Economics and Management and Dance. She plans to work in fine arts management or public relations.


Robert Schwartz

Robert is a rising sophomore at Bucknell University, and he will declare a major in biochemistry. He hopes to go on to medical school after his undergraduate education is complete. In addition, Robert has been working with the coaching staff of the university football team and will be the team's video coordinator in 2021. Clearly, Robert is one of our most well rounded scholarship recipients. Who knows what career path he will choose? We may see him someday on ESPN!  

Kevin Squire

Kevin will attend Lynchburg College this fall. He plans on a career as an ER or Trauma Nurse.

Parker Woody 

Parker will attend New River Community College this fall and then transfer to Virginia Tech. He hopes to major in sports media and analytics, with a career in sports management or media relations.


Sophia Youngdahl

Sophia will return to Grinnell College in Iowa. This summer, she is working as an instructor and counselor in French for the Virginia Governor's School Foreign Language program.

Adult Ministry

The Adult Education Committee is organizing viewing sessions for recent, pertinent films during the summer and early fall. The first of these is Nomadland, the critically acclaimed movie released earlier this year.

Nomadland will be available for viewing via Zoom on Wednesday, July 21st (details to follow). The next evening, Thursday, July 22nd, at 5:45PM, there will be a Thantastic Thursday dinner at the church followed by a discussion of the film.

Although not specifically Christian, Nomadland is a film about exploration, healing, and redemption. It is the story of Fern and her nomadic journey over the period of a year or two. The journey and lifestyle of Fern and her fellow travelers is one which is probably foreign or even unknown to many of us, but is one from which we can all learn and grow in our Christian journey.


Neely Young

Chair, Thantastic Thursday Sub-Committee 


The Zoom link will be shared prior to the event on Realm.

Sign up for the Thantastic Thursday meal and discussion will be available through the church office and Realm. Dinner is $8/person or $20/family.

You can pay online or at the door.

The Reopening of the "New and Improved"

Noel Library

Although the Noel Library, named for Jo Noel in honor of her sixteen years’ service as librarian during the 1970s and 1980s, has been a mainstay of the LexPres Parlor for decades, we are proud to announce its “post-pandemic” reopening and encourage members of the congregation to check it out! The library’s “new and improved” look is a result of the hard work and expertise of Fred Marmorstein, who has devoted many hours to redesigning and reorganizing the library’s collection. The books are now shelved and labeled by subject, ranging clockwise from Bibles and dictionaries to interpretations, commentary, and analysis to devotionals and hymnals. The library also contains an impressive number of general “religion” titles, filed alphabetically by author, as well as Illustrated Bibles.  As you enter the parlor, the shelf on your left contains a wide selection of fiction books, filed alphabetically by author, and on the top of that shelf is a new category of books highlighting persons of color and issues of race. This last category includes the following collection of titles (listed as appearing on the shelf), which were recently purchased by the Adult Education Subcommittee:


The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Hate U Give THUG by Angie Thomas

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Home by Toni Morrison


The ultimate goal for this latest offering of books is to have a collection that represents both a diversity of cultures and a diversity of thought-provoking content, and members are encouraged to propose new titles for consideration to Kelly-Ann Rayle and Sheila Colon, Chairperson of the Adult Education Committee.

Everyone is welcome to check out books from the library, which is operated on an honor system including a sign-out and sign-in sheet, with a basket for easy return of books for reshelving by the church staff. Please come for a visit, and we think you will want to linger!

Rafiki Report

The local monthly Rafiki Prayer meeting typically begins with praise and adoration for who God is. From there the leader delivers prayers of thanksgiving and petition. Between the pandemic, which is still raging in Africa, Summer vacations and the upheavals in the governments of many of the countries where Rafiki villages are located, there was much about where to pray in June. The following are a sample of the prayers offered:

Thanksgiving:

For eight long term missionaries who have signed up to spend at least two years in Africa.

For a widow in Kenya who was able to buy a house from her landlord with the income from the sale of products through Rafiki.

For Jane Hoadley who will be going to Tanzania in January to serve as a missionary for three months.

Prayer Requests

For peace, stability, and accountability in each country, particularly for those with upcoming elections.

For the Ethiopian government to change its policy of secular education in all schools and to allow private and church schools the freedom to teach the Bible.

For more qualified teachers who can be godly examples for students.

For protection, wisdom, and courage for those young adults who are graduating and transitioning to independent living.

For more qualified national workers.

The Rafiki Home Office in Eustis, Florida stays in close contact with the Rafiki villages located in ten African countries. This means the prayers can be direct and specific. The ministry was founded on prayer and prayer continues to give guidance for the many decisions that are made.


It is a privilege for Lexington Presbyterian Church to be a part of the Rafiki mission through prayer, participation, and financial support.

Rafiki Online Giving

Summer of Song: A Concert Series

Summer of Song: A Concert Series is brought to you by the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, and was created as a way to thank Giving Catalog supporters for their generosity. Music has been missed by so many during the pandemic, with church choirs quieted and live music venues closed. This new series will celebrate the ways song brings us together as people of faith. 

The second concert of the series will be July 21st at 7 p.m. EST. and will feature The Stillman College Concert Choir, under the direction of Jocqueline K. Richardson.

Join the Concert

Lexington Presbyterian Church

120 South Main Street

Lexington, VA 24450

Phone: 540-463-3873



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