A Spiritual Tidying Up

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1 March 2019 Loch Raven United Methodist Church The Wesley Fast This year during Lent, Loch Raven UMC will engage in an optional fast. In honor of that, I have included an insert from that describes The Wesley Fast. (See article on page 10). Please note that this is an optional fast and please consult your doctor before starting any fast. Grace & Peace, Pastor George A Spiritual Tidying Up Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has become an international phenomenon. Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant and the author of four books. Her Netflix series focuses on how she helps people declutter their homes. When organizing clothes, Kondo has her clients empty their closets and dump all their clothes onto the bed. Looking at the seemingly mountainous load of clothing the client is asked to pick up each piece of clothing and to decide if this piece of clothing brings them joy. If so, the item is kept and put aside for folding, if not the item is thanked for its service and put in a pile to be donated. It is not that the items being donated are no longer good, many are brand new with tags on them, but if they do not bring joy they are not right for who the person is now. In many ways Tidying Up with Marie Kondo is similar to Lent. Lent is not about punitive self-denial but seeks to clear out spiritual space that will be filled with the newness that God brings. In Sarah Parsons book, A Clearing Season, she writes, Lent is not all about penitence or misdeeds or guilt. It is a time of introspection, true, but its ultimate purpose lies beyond penitence. In essence, Lent serves as our annual invitation to come closer to God. It provides a time to look at our lives and ourselves, not so we may criticize ourselves more harshly but so we can identify the obstructions that keep us from God. These are the things that we have allowed to fill up the cupboards of our souls. Things that are not needed and do not allow us the opportunity to experience the newness that God has for us. Revelation 21:5 tells us, Behold, I make all things new. However, for us to experience that newness, we must clean out all of the junk that is unnecessarily taking up room in our hearts and minds. Therefore, during the season of Lent, Loch Raven will offer the opportunity to participate in two different fasts, a physical (Continued on page 9) Inside This Issue... Food Bank We re Growing Page 2 Flowering of the Cross Page 3 Inclement Weather Closure Policy Page 8 Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs Page 9

2 March 2019 The Spire The Spire is published monthly (except July and August) by Loch Raven United Methodist Church, 6622 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD All signed articles, letters, announcements, and other information of interest are welcomed and considered for publication. The deadline for the April issue is Sunday, March 10, at 11:00 a.m. Electronic Submission: You may send articles by to: or place articles in the Church Office s newsletter box. Editor - Nancy Williams Lead Pastor Rev. George Winkfield Pastor of Congregational Care Rev. Wayne Harting Administrative Secretary: Myra Wagner Church Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: Fax: Office@LRUMC.org Change of Name/Address - Call, mail or church office or leave in mailbox in hallway outside the church office. Website: Visit us on FACEBOOK. Food Bank We re Growing! Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you Then the King will say, I m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me you did it to me. Matthew 25: (The Message) The Loch Raven United Methodist Marty Marvel Food Pantry officially opened on Tuesday, November 6. Since then, our visitors have increased steadily. So far this year, we have served: Date: 1/3/19 1/15/19 2/5/19 Visitors: Adults Served: Children Served: Total Served: Number Disabled: Number of Veterans: 1 2 Number Homeless: 1 Number Unemployed: Number on Social Security: Number of individuals served since inception (11/6/18): 216 One of our visitors wrote the following Thank You after a recent visit: What would I do without you! I wanted to thank you guys. This pantry helped me a lot with my last visit. It was my first. Everyone was so pleasant and helpful. Thank God for people like you. Please continue to pray for us and spread the word that our pantry is open to all including church members who need help in putting food on their table. The pantry is open the first and third Tuesday of each month from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. March dates are the 5 th and 19 th. If you would like to join our crew or have any questions, see Merrill Harrison ( ). 2

3 The Spire March 2019 Flowering of the Cross By: Judy Zahren On Easter Sunday morning some churches incorporate a ceremony called the flowering of the cross into their worship service. Members of the congregation bring flowers or greenery to church. A bare wooden cross may be dotted with pinholes, covered with chicken wire or strung with vines. This may be inside the church or outside on the lawn. At some point during or immediately following the service worshipers are invited to approach the barren cross and twine a flower around one of the wires or vines, or to place a blossom in one of the pinholes. The congregation continues to decorate the cross until flowers cover it completely. The flowering of the cross represents the transition from Good Friday to Easter, from meditation on Jesus' death to joyful celebration of his resurrection. The ceremony transforms a barren cross, a reminder of Jesus' death, into an Easter symbol. Covered with fresh, living flowers, the cross serves not only as an emblem of Jesus' resurrection, but also of the continuing presence of Christ among today's Christians. You may bring flowers from your home Easter morning, or, if you do not have flowers to contribute, there will be flowers provided by the Altar Guild. Families, or individuals, may wish to have a photo taken with the cross as a remembrance of Jesus' Easter resurrection. Fast and Feast Arthur Lichtenberg, when president of the Episcopal Church, quoted this Lenten advice. Fast from criticism, and feast on praise. Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy. Fast from ill-temper, and feast on peace. Fast from resentment, and feast on contentment. Fast from jealousy, and feast on love. Fast from pride, and feast on humility. Fast from selfishness, and feast on service. Fast from fear, and feast on faith. The SourceBook of Wit and Wisdom Upcoming and Ongoing Mission Opportunities Marty Marvel Food Pantry 11:00 am to 1:00 pm 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. March dates are the 5th and 19th. Manna House Breakfast Club May 18, July 13 and Oct. 12 If you would like to volunteer to help prepare or serve breakfast, contact Linda Cole: To help better serve foodstarved individuals in our community, we will be collecting specific, non-perishable food items monthly for ACTC. Watch the Sunday Worship Bulletin for the most critical need. Collection of hotel-size toiletries for Essex UMC. There is a box for the items on the hospitality desk. This is an on-going collection. Sandwich making for Essex UMC is the 3rd or 4th Tuesday of every month. 3

4 March 2019 In Touch Ministry Special Prayer Requests Please refer to insert in Sunday bulletins for up-to-date information. Stay in Touch with some of our members who are not able to regularly attend church. Contact the church office for up-to-date information. March Birthdays 1 Franklin Aidoo Stan Kriel 2 Brianna Lee 4 Eddie DePrine, Jr. 7 Shannon Larrimore 10 Peggy Kelly 11 Michaela Jones Heather Marsalek 12 Jason Myers 14 Norma Jones Morgan Buszczak 16 Karen Seets 17 Matthew Price 19 Robert Weaver 20 Phil Scott 24 Tim Price 30 Dave Jackson Robert Cullum Irene McCrea April Eshelman The Spire UMC Lectionary Calendar March, 2019 Woman s History Month March 3 Transfiguration Sunday Church Color: White Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99 (UMH 819) 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:2-36 (37-43a) March 6 Ash Wednesday Church Color: Purple Joel 2:1-2, Psalm 51:1-17 (UMH 785) 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, March 10 First Sunday in Lent Daylight Saving Time Begins at 2:00 AM Church Color: Purple Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 (UMH 810) Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 March 17 Second Sunday in Lent Church Color: Purple Genesis 15:1-12, Psalm 27 (UMH 758) Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35 March 24 Third Sunday in Lent Church Color: Purple Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 (UMH 788) 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 March 31 Fourth Sunday in Lent UMCOR Sunday Church Color: Purple Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 (UMH 766) 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Daylight Savings Time Begins Sunday, March 10 4

5 The Spire March 2019 EASTER FLOWERS If you would like to place a lovely plant in the Sanctuary for Easter Sunday in memory of and/or in honor of a loved one, please fill in the form below and place in the offering plate or return to the Church office. FIRM DEADLINE Sunday, April 7. All orders must be accompanied by full payment. NAME: PHONE: Type of Plants: LILIES ($14.00): 4-6 Blooms on single stem TULIPS ($13.99): PINK RED YELLOW LILIES ($17.50): 8-10 Blooms on 2 stems AZALEAS ($17.50): PINK WHITE HYDRANGEAS ($22.75): PINK BLUE RED IN MEMORY OF: IN HONOR OF: OTHER: PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: I WILL PICK UP THE PLANT AFTER THE 10 AM EASTER SERVICE I WILL DONATE THE PLANT TO THE CHURCH FOR A HOMEBOUND MEMBER 5

6 March 2019 The Spire Missions In Action: Your Dollars in Action You may not be able to serve on the mission field, but the giving of your tithes, offerings, talents and service are just as important. Your mission dollars support a number of worthwhile projects locally, nationally, and internationally. Here are some of the many projects you help support: Local Missions Abbottston Elementary Assistance Center of Towson Churches Board of Child Care Auxiliary Breakfast Club (Manna House) Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity Deaf Interfaith Camp Food Bank Halstead Academy Healthcare for the Homeless Manna House Table of Grace & Sandwiches National Ministries Society of St. Andrew The Samaritan Women International Missions (including U.S.) Heifer International Lifewater Canada Ludhiana Medical College N.E. Zaire Dispensary Program Warne Baby Fold In addition, the Missions Committee also sponsors the following monthly activities which you so generously support through your gifts, time, and prayers: February or March Blanket Sunday April Food Drive for the ACTC June August Collection for Christian Blind Mission November Samaritan s Purse Shoeboxes ACTC Thanksgiving Baskets December Angels for Abbottston Elementary School and Halstead Academy Every Month Sandwiches for Essex UMC Toiletries for Essex UMC ACTC Food Collection Quarterly Manna House Breakfast Club and other events as needs arise. 6

7 The Spire March 2019 Loch Raven s Showcase SAVE THE DATE, JUNE 8, for the Loch Raven UMC Talent Showcase. The free family-friendly program will begin at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at Loch Raven UMC. This program is open to church members and the community. Auditions will be held Saturday, May 11, beginning at 10:00 a.m. To sign up to audition, contact Judy Zahren by jzahren@comcast.net or phone: Auditions will assist with screening acts and planning the flow of the program. All are welcome! You won t want to miss this event! There will be surprise guest artists as well as performances by the Loch Raven Chancel, Handbell, and Children s Choirs. Stay tuned for more details at a later date! Missions Thank You Messages Christian Blind Mission Thank you for sending love with your check and sending Jesus love to people who need it most those living in poverty with disability. That means it could be the one that helps a child get back on his or her feet and walk. And not only will your gift restore ability helping someone go to school, to work, or into his or her community the gift you ve given is also a way to say, I love you, I care about you. You ve shown them that you love them and God loves them so much that He was willing to send His Son to save them. So thank you, friend, for showing Jesus love to a child, parent, or grandparent who felt like they were forgotten. Thank you for telling them they have value and for giving them a chance at a new life. Halstead Academy Thank you for your generous gift. We are most grateful for your willingness to support our school in this capacity. I will ensure that we are good stewards in using this money wisely to meet the needs of our families. I am very grateful for your willingness to adopt our school and support our students in their effort to be successful in their learning this school year. The Samaritan Women We thank Loch Raven United Methodist Church for your gracious and thoughtful support of the Samaritan Women in Guided by our Christian faith, together we are advancing quality care for sexually-exploited persons through transformative care programs, collaborative research, and shelter mentorship. We thank you for being integral to our success and her healing. You are a blessing to this ministry. 7

8 March 2019 Loch Raven United Methodist Church Inclement Weather Closure Policy In the interest of the safety and well-being of our Church Members (and other parties using our church facilities), we have decided upon the following guidelines during periods of inclement weather. Loch Raven United Methodist Church will follow the Inclement Weather Policy of the Baltimore County Public School System for activities held at the church during the week and Saturdays. In the event that BCPS announces early dismissal, all afternoon and evening activities at the church will be cancelled. If BCPS schools are closed, all activities at the church will be cancelled. The decision for weekend activities will be made by the Pastor and publicized on the phone answering service as well as the church website. In the event the weather pattern changes after cancellation or early dismissal is declared by BCPS, it will be at the sole discretion of each individual group leader, for example Adrian Palazzi, Chair of the Trustees, to decide if the scheduled meeting can and will be held. The leader has the full responsibility to contact each and every person on their team by and/or telephone notifying them of the decision to hold the activity and emphasizing to each person that if they have any safety concerns about making their way to the church that is an acceptable reason for not attending. The Spire United Methodist Women March Schedule Women in Christ Circle Monday, March 4 7:30 p.m. Room 202 Study: When Faith Is All You Have Lesson 8: When Faith Faces Death Study Leader: Cheryl Devotions: Cheryl Hostess: Leslie Phyllis Downes Circle Tuesday, March 5 10 am Room 202 Study: Meaningful Living Last Chapter, #13 GENERAL MEETING Sunday, March 3 Covered Dish Luncheon Program: To Be Announced Respectfully submitted, Adrian Palazzi Chair, LRUMC Trustees Sunday, March 17 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 PM Fellowship Hall Ash Wednesday Worship Service Wednesday, March 6, 7 PM Sanctuary 8

9 The Spire March 2019 A Spiritual Tidying Up (Continued from page 1) fast and a 40-day fast from wrong thinking. These opportunities are not to punish ourselves but instead to rest our spirits and to clear out space for the newness that God has for us. Lent is a time to take stock, to realize that we need to spend more time with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and reading scripture, or to spend more time listening, less time on technology, or less time worrying about things we can t change. Lent is a time for spiritual tidying up that can lead to new growth in God. Grace & Peace, Pastor George Membership Updates Address Change: John Davis, Jr. Room # change to 458 Albertha Sinkler Gregory Sinkler Deaths: Minnie Webster January 31, 2019 Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs Individually Wrapped Easter Eggs $12.00 per dozen Vanilla Cream, Chocolate Cream, Coconut Cream, Peanut Butter Deadline for ordering: Sunday, March 31 Pick-up order: Sunday, April 7, 9 AM 12:00 PM Payment due when placing order checks payable to: Loch Raven United Methodist Women Submit order(s) with payment via the offering plate, Church Office or give to Nancy Gillotti Name: Phone Number: # dozen Vanilla Cream (dark chocolate) # dozen Peanut Butter (dark chocolate) # dozen Coconut Cream (dark chocolate) # dozen Peanut Butter (milk chocolate) # dozen Chocolate Cream (dark chocolate) # dozen Assorted (three of each kind) TOTAL AMOUNT DUE: $ 9

10 March 2019 The Spire The Wesley Fast What is fasting? In a general sense, fasting can mean a number of things: abstaining from food and drink, abstaining from food only, or abstaining from certain foods for a limited period of time. In the Christian sense, fasting is abstaining from food as a spiritual discipline. Most Christians accompany fasting with prayer. Many Christians view fasting as a way to intensify prayer and increase its effectiveness. Some believe that by denying our physical hunger for a time, our spiritual sensitivity is heightened or enhanced. Essentially, fasting makes prayer more powerful, and can also help us hear God's voice more clearly. What is the Wesley fast? For a portion of John Wesley's ministry, he advocated fasting on both Wednesday and Friday each week as a regular spiritual discipline. It's fairly well known that Wesley would not ordain anyone to the Methodist ministry who was unwilling to fast those days. But as time passed, Wesley fasted mostly on Fridays, which was the Anglican norm. (Actually, as early as August 1739, he advocated Friday fasting for Methodists in his journal, according to the Anglican rule.) Wesley usually began a Friday fast at sundown on Thursday. This was in continuity with Jewish and early Christian tradition, which both marked the beginning of the day at sundown, not midnight. Wesley typically ended his fast at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Guidelines for observing the Wesley Fast Be flexible and listen to the Holy Spirit. Don't get so caught up with the act of fasting itself that you forget why you're doing it in the first place. Decide whether you're going to do a complete fast (water only), a no-solid-food fast that allows milk, juice, coffee and tea, a no-meat fast, or some other kind of fast. There are no fixed rules here but it's always good to try to keep the fast you set out to do. Some fasts are more difficult than others, and there will be times you may feel led to switch things up. Plan on Friday as your regular fasting day but use Wednesday and other days for additional fasting when you feel called to a time of deeper and more intense prayer. Remember, there's nothing "magic" about Friday. It's simply a historical day for fasting in many Christian traditions, largely because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. If for some reason another day of the week makes more sense for you, then fast on that day. Only fast for more than one consecutive day after you've consulted with your doctor and only if you're sure you're physically able to handle it. Make sure you drink plenty of water while fasting, no matter what kind of fast you choose. The default Wesley Fast is observed from sundown Thursday until 3:00 Friday afternoon. Some Christians go until sundown on Friday. Do whichever you feel led to do in any given week. Remember, there will be times when it makes sense to skip your Friday fast or move it to another day of the week. For example, if you have an opportunity to have lunch on a Friday with someone you've been wanting to connect with for a while, don't feel compelled to create an awkward situation by sticking to your fast. Just change your fast day that week. Guideline #1 applies here. 10