FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OF WOODBURY HEIGHTS
Welcome!
335 Elm Ave.
Woodbury Heights, N.J., 08097
Church telephone: (856) 845-0139
Office hours: 9 a.m. to noon, Tues.-Fri.
Email: RevJS@comcast.net
or whpresby@comcast.net
Sunday School: Weekly at 9:30 a.m.
Worship: 11 a.m.
"Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I will be in the midst."
Matthew 18:20
Rev. Shedwick welcomes an infant into our church family.
Photo: Barrie Dawson
Notices of upcoming events and meetings of interest to our congregation often appear on the West Jersey Presbytery's website. To access it, click the link.
Piston Diner coupons
A word about the Las Vegas massacre from Rev. Shedwick
What happens in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas. We share in the pain, grief and outrage over Sunday night's massacre there.
Theologian Jürgen Moltmann spoke of “God’s terrible silence.” And sometimes it seems as if He is silent. But He is not. We hear Him in the power of the victimized and scarred and beaten body on the cross. For Jesus in that moment, more than any other moment, says to us,“I am with you. I understand. I know your pain.” In times like these, we must turn to God and place our souls in His hands; we must seek His presence and His strength; and we can look for His light to shine, even in our darkness. He is where healing begins.
So, what do we do? Is there some way we can help?
We can pray. Pray for the families of those who were senselessly murdered. Pray for those who were injured and their families. Pray for the doctors and nurses and medical staff treating the injured. Pray for the authorities as they do their best to put the pieces together.
Write to your congressmen and senators. I am not blaming the NRA. I am blaming myself for not standing up for sensible gun-control legislation, for not saying that the right of innocent people to live supersedes the right to own military-style assault weapons.
The authorities in Las Vegas have stated that they need blood donations. Our church is having a blood drive Oct. 10 from 2 to 7 p.m. Since the Red Cross is a network across the country, donations at our church will help in Las Vegas.
When you see a police officer or a fireman or an EMT, or any other first responder, thank them. The real heroes in our nation are not the guys who score touchdowns or hit home runs; they are the men and women who risk their lives each day to protect us. Hug your friends and family members a little tighter each day. Life is fragile; we never know what may happen to those we love.
My wife said that we should wake up to the invisible people around us – the homeless guy at the mall; the woman walking down the street talking to herself; the teenager on the verge of tears. We can’t ignore those whom the world seems to ignore.
And finally, be a little nicer. Respect, politeness and common courtesy seem to have gone out the window. Treat the people around you with dignity. It goes a long way toward building a better society. May God bless each of us as we do something to be on the side of healing!
