""Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all."    -Emily Dickinson

"If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well."    -An unnamed woman in Mark 5:28

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Being a person of faith, a follower of Jesus Christ, means being a person of hope. As I read through our scripture readings for this Sunday, I'm struck by the incredible display of faith and hope that I see in them. Our Old Testament text, Micah 6:6-8 is one of the best-known passages in all of scripture. It is a call to be faithful, not through displays of sacrifice, but by practicing holy virtues like justice, kindness, and mercy. There's a reason these verses are so popular!

Our New Testament reading comes from Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26. In it, Matthew is "sandwiching" a few different stories together, and in this case, the stories he tells are stories of despair. A man's daughter lies dying with no hope of recovery. A woman suffers from a persistent illness that has crippled her for years. Yet, when Jesus walks by, there is hope. 

I encourage you to make time to reflect on these readings in advance and search for the connections between them and your own life. As you do so, remember that times of despair and hopelessness are temporary. Perhaps those moments in which we feel that they will never end are also the moments when Jesus walks by... and suddenly there is hope.

Remember as well that we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord's Supper together on Sunday. For all who are worshiping virtually, I encourage you to have something bread-like and something juice-like on hand so that you may partake together. For all who will attend in person, we will celebrate communion by intinction. No matter how the elements will be served, the bread and cup are visible symbols of God's grace, and reminders of Jesus' own mercy that surrounds us as we gather around the table together. 

May God bless you with a persistent faith and unshakable hope as your journey in Christ's name. See you on Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

Lee

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June 2026 Lectionary Readings

June 7

Genesis 12:1–9 | Psalm 33:1–12

Romans 4:13–25 | Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26

June 14

Genesis 18:1–15; 21:1–7 | Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19

Romans 5:1–8 | Matthew 9:35–10:8

June 21

Genesis 21:8–21 | Psalm 86:1–10, 16–17

Romans 6:1–11 | Matthew 10:24–39

June 28

Genesis 22:1–14 | Psalm 13

Romans 6:12–23 | Matthew 10:40–42

Center Point was established in 1967 by First Presbyterian and 3 other local churches to provide release-time education classes to public school students. It was created with the purpose of providing off-site religion classes to public school students but has slowly transformed into a successful and diverse student-and-family-centered non-profit with services that include counseling, life skills education, and mentoring. Center Point envisions a community where all students and families have educational and mental health resources they need to be successful. Their purpose is to enhance, strengthen, and change lives. You can support their ministry by signing up to be a Mentor or participating in their big fundraiser, Dancing for a Cause, held on August 22nd, 2026, by sponsoring a dancer. For more information go to their website at www.centerpointga.org

Gina Miller would like to express her sincere gratitude for the many cards, prayers, kind words, and expressions of love shared following the passing of her husband, Fletcher Miller. She is deeply thankful for the compassion, support, and care shown by her FPC family during this difficult time.