Easter Greetings to You in the Name of Jesus, our Resurrected Lord!

Transcription

1 May 2014 Vol. 80 No. 4 Trinity United Methodist Church Merchantville, NJ Easter Greetings to You in the Name of Jesus, our Resurrected Lord! Easter Greetings? Yes, although Easter day has been celebrated we are still in the church s season of Easter. The Easter season is framed by the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Easter season is a period of eight Sundays comprising fifty days, and often is described as the Great Fifty Days. It is a time for us to celebrate the mystery of the risen presence of Christ. In that spirit our altar cloths remain white throughout the season. But why does the church need to make a 50 day celebration out of it? Well, the resurrection of Jesus is the very cornerstone of Christian doctrine and experience. It forms the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection, Jesus would just have been another rabbi and failed Messiah. A good case can be made that the belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus caused the rapid spread of Christianity, because the resurrection vindicated Jesus' teachings and personal claims. The power and the mystery of the resurrection are just as important today. If, Christ is not alive and risen, Christianity is just another philosophy, and the apostle Paul states our worship is in vain. For these reasons we celebrate the resurrection specifically for 50 days with enthusiasm. Remember, too, that throughout the whole year every Sunday is a feast of the resurrection, and a kind of "mini - Easter." Consider... how might your life reflect a celebration of the risen Lord? It s worth meditating over and living out consistently. On Sunday May 4 th, we will reflect on the Resurrection in a special way as we celebrate communion at a banquet table set up in our Chapel area. We will recognize the presence of the risen Lord in our midst in the Holy Meal and look to the day when we will all share a banquet with Jesus in eternity.

2 Special Offering On Sunday, May 11th we will be taking a special offering for the Methodist Homes of New Jersey Fellowship Fund as is our custom. As you may know the Fellowship Fund enables residents of the homes to remain there when their money runs out. As residents live longer lives, the demand on the Fellowship Fund increases. Karen Hoffman Collingswood Manor Ambassador Morning Bible Study group will meet on Thursday, May 1st at 9:30am. We will be viewing a video and finishing our discussion on Mary Baker Eddie, the founder of the Christian Science movement. All women are invited to join us. Women Serving Together will meet for their monthly breakfast meeting on Saturday, May 17th at 8:30 am at the Pennsauken Country Club. WST Evening Group will meet on Monday, May 19th to resume our study with the series Following Jesus: Steps to a Passionate Faith. All women are welcome are welcome to join us. Choir News As you all know by now, Sean McGrellis s last day as our Music Director was on April 27th. We are proud to announce that Rocío Rosie Castañeda Villafañe will take over the position beginning in May. We would like to send a special invitation to veterans & first responders to come to our Memorial Sunday worship service on May 25th at 10:45 as we honor all those who served our communities and country. Be sure to join us on Sunday, May 4th for a Resurrection Celebration HAVE FUN! Heavenly Banqueting Table Holy Communion will be served in the Chapel Champion Youth Outreach Hip-Hop Hop Dance Class Build Confidence! There s still time to sign up! Classes meet in Weller Hall on Mondays thru June 16th. Ages :30-6:10 p.m. Ages 8-9.6:15-6:55 p.m. Ages :00-7:40 p.m. Develop Creative Expression! Class fees are $8 per lesson paid weekly. There is an $8 registration fee paid once per quarter. Children must wear comfortable clothing, shorts or sweat pants with a t-shirt and tennis shoes. Please register 20 minutes before your class time with the instructor. The last day to sign up is May 5th. Champion Youth is also offering classes in Art and Cheerleading at Pennsauken UMC. Please see the bulletin board in the chapel or call the church office for more information.

3 MAY BIRTHDAYS 1 st Eurdine Moulier Beth Vasta 3 rd Brittany Whitehead Jackie Whitehead 4 th Kristen Curcio Curtis Weller 9 th Becca Harris 10 th Sandra Day Tony Stagliano 11 th Aiyanah Edwards 12 th Kyle Perkins George Reinas 13 th Frank Korhammer 15 th Merri Gordy 18 th Courtney Bird John Perkins 19 th Mike O Shea 20 th Elizabeth Hodosheff Dottie Landolt 22 nd Mesoma Ezeiruaku 25 th Cora Assenheimer 26 th Patricia Johnston Janice Matthews Stephen Torok 27 th Helen Carrell 29 th Charles Holliday II Barbara Shiley 31 st Pastor Walt Vacation Bible UMC Mon. Aug. 11th Fri. Aug. 15th Pre-registration is greatly appreciated!!! Participants: Pre-K thru 6th graders. Volunteers: Youth (7th graders) thru adults. Donations: White flat sheets Please contact Cyndi Holshue at or cynshue@comcast.net to volunteer and for further information. 3 rd Melissa & Bill Gray 7 th Jeff & Julia Massey MAY ANNIVERSARIES 12 th Diane & Robert Deeds 14 th Philip & Carol Swanson 19 th John & May Smiley 29 th Elaine & Charles Coward To Susan & Bob Summers who celebrated their 20th anniversary on April 16th. June 8th Farewell We will be saying goodbye to our D.S. this year. He has served the Gateway South District well these past 3 years and accomplished many new things. Save the date of June 8th at 5 PM at Haddonfield UMC for Rev. Bob Costello's Farewell. Join with us as we show our appreciation for him. As the date gets closer the Superintendency Committee will provide more details. District News Youth Fun Night ~ Easter Egg Hunt at Pennsauken UMC May 10, 2014 ~ 5:00pm 7:00pm in Wesley Hall The Easter Bunny really got lost and has still been out hopping around! Come see what he has hidden for our youth! The egg stra-special news is that he will also bring a special Mother s Day craft project for the kids to work on!

4 Beat Sugar Cravings Refined carbohydrates trigger the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, leaving you wanting more, more, more! If you are stuck in the sugar addiction cycle, here are some ways to break free and feel great again: 1) Stabilize Your Blood Sugar Cravings may come on because you did not eat enough protein, vegetables or healthy fats at meals. Eat small amounts of protein and healthy fats with each meal. Increase the volume of your meals by adding LOTS of vegetables and a little bit of fruit. 2) Stop eating Sugar Cold Turkey The more sugar you eat the more you crave. Within a couple of days the cravings start to disappear. Take out the all bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, most grains, white rice, white flour, soda/diet soda, sugar and artificial sweeteners out of your diet. During a craving look for a healthy sweet substitute. Try a piece of dark chocolate. Pair 1-2 squares of dark chocolate with 5-10 nuts. The protein and healthy fat will help you stay satiated longer than the dark chocolate alone. Use stevia as a way to get over the hump. 3) Address Your Triggers Head-On Stop letting your brain get hijacked by unresolved emotional issues that you treat with food. Calm your brain s emotion centers by: Talking it gets the issues out of your head. Journaling (rather than eating) when you re upset. Writing down 5 things you are grateful for every day. Don t believe every thought that goes through your head, especially if it s negative. 4) Calm Anxiety Limit use of technology it wears out your pleasure centers. Using relaxation techniques (listen to music, meditate, practice yoga, take a walk) 5) Before You Reach for Food, Use H.A.L.T. Ask yourself, am I: Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? Hungry: If you are hungry, ask yourself: Would I eat an apple right now? Yes = truly hungry No, I want cookies = sugar craving Angry: Instead of eating take a walk. Lonely: Instead of eating call a friend. Tired: Instead of eating take a nap Barbara Wilson, RD, CDE

5 Sunday School 9:30am The Tidings A periodic publication of Trinity United Methodist Church Office hours Tues. - Fri. 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (856) Fax: (856) office@gotrinity.org Website: Visit us on Facebook Worship time 10:45am Trinity United Methodist Church 36 W. Maple Ave. Merchantville, NJ 08109