JUNE Newsletter of St. James United Methodist Church. 439 Greene Street, Augusta, GA The Rev. Thurman Norville, Pastor

Transcription

1 JUNE Newsletter of St. James United Methodist Church 439 Greene Street, Augusta, GA The Rev. Thurman Norville, Pastor

2 From Pastor Thurman Robin Knowles Wallace in her book, The Christian Year: A Guide for Worship and Preaching, clarifies why we as Christians celebrate a Christian Year. By establishing a Christian calendar and structuring worship around the Christian calendar we as Christians can fully experience God s past promise, and fully appreciate the present promises according to Knowles. First and foremost, the Holy Bible is a love story from the beginning to the end. Only selecting parts of the Bible to read does not reveal God s plan of salvation to humankind. If we only read Genesis, and learn about creation, but fail to read the resurrection story as revealed in the New Testament Gospels, we miss the between. To fully understand God s covenant with humankind we must experience the writing of the prophets, and the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Likewise, as Knowles states, in following the Christian Calendar, we as Christians celebrate promises made and kept God and hopes given to us by God of mercy, truth, justice and love. Following the liturgical calendar or Christian calendar helps us celebrate the complete story of God s time and love through the reading all Scriptural passages, those from the Old Testament and also the New Testament. So what if we only attend church on Christmas and Easter? While these dates are very important days in the Christian calendar and life of the Church, the worshiper cannot fully comprehend God s promise and covenant relationship with his creation as revealed in all the Scriptures because we miss the between. Secondly, to expound on the first, each Sunday of the Christian calendar, if properly observed, follows a common lectionary of Scriptural texts. These texts relate to common patterns of Biblical events and proclamations. Granted the Bible does not lay out for humankind a calendar to follow, but understanding God s actions through time from the beginning of creation to the sending of the Holy Spirit, has implied structure. As an example, we know Sunday is the day we designate as a day of rest and worship. Perhaps we substitute Saturday for Sunday as a day set aside to worship. Regardless of the day of the week chosen, we specifically set aside a day to pause from work and worship the LORD. This is Biblical. Do you know where this tradition is directed? The Bible as mentioned does not lay out a specific calendar, however the Jews followed a calendar of specific days for commemorating historical events in the life of their faith. These historical events were observed on an annual basis. These days are marked in Scripture as festivals, such as Passover and Pentecost. So having a calendar is important to structure worship and the observation of important Christian events. Thirdly, to highlight the second even more, the Christian year follows two Christ-centered cycles. These cycles are the Paschal Cycle, which observes the death and resurrection of Christ, and the Incarnational Cycle, which celebrates and observes the birth and sanctifying of human life. Within the denomination of Methodism, our Book of Worship is structured to follow the aforementioned cycles in terms familiar to us. These are Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter-Pentecost. Knowles specifically reinforces the ideas that Christmas, Epiphany and Advent should be a time in the church where we celebrate and experience God s incarnation through Christ, and how much God loved the world he created. This period is filled with great joy and expectation for the coming of God s flesh incarnate. Likewise, Knowles insists we should also celebrate the period of Triduum. This time period encompasses Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. While Christmas and Easter are important, they are surrounded by the book ends of Ordinary time. Ordinary Time falls after the Epiphany and after Pentecost. During this time, we should experience God s call to us to be missional in sharing the Gospel to our communities through the world. So what does all this mean? Planning worship in our lives is very important so we can experience completely, God s love story. Following the Christian Calendar and the lectionary can strengthen our understanding of God s love. Worship is not just about Sunday or Christmas or Easter. Worship is also about specific days related to Holy Week, and the entire season of Lent. We are strengthened in faith by experiencing all the days that tell the whole story. Now take the test. Write each word listed below, and give a brief description of the word and significance of the term. Establish a secular calendar date that is associated with the Christian Calendar date. Are any Christian calendar dates missing? If so, which ones? Are the Christian terms listed in the correct chronological order? After completing the test, ask yourself which calendar events in the life of the church have you observed? Have you attended services of worship that correspond with each term? Dates: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Ordinary Time, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Eastertide, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Ordinary Time, Christ the King, Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration Sunday, Kingdomtide. Also bonus question, does your Christian calendar conflict with your secular calendar? More importantly are we doing secular things on Christian calendar dates?

3 The White Oak United Methodist Camp Ground was established in 1820 for the purpose of the Augusta District United Methodist Church Camp Meetings. United Methodists have worshipped there for over 200 years. Bishop Asbury, during his travels through Georgia, is said to have preached to a crowd of more than 8,000 people during the summer of Summer camp meeting is held the last full week in June, featuring an 11:00 a.m. service with a local preacher and a 7:30 p.m. service with a visiting preacher. Special music is provided by the visiting song leader and area church choirs. The campground is located on Hwy. 223 (White Oak Rd), 5 miles West of Pumpkin Center (Harlem I-20 Exit) or 5 miles East of Thomson. Generations of St. James parishioners have worshipped in the tabernacle, built in Photos by Jim Blaylock/Morris News Service Website: or check it out on Facebook.

4 Celebrating 160 Years: A MONTHLY HISTORICAL SERIES BY BILL KIRBY Reynard A. Toole It is appropriate that the late Reynard A. Toole Sr. could celebrate his birthday on Veterans Day. He was a veteran of many efforts at Christian service and charity, and his church and community were better for it. Before his death in 1983, the North Augustan had been a member for more than 70 years, and spent almost 40 of those on the administrative board. When he turned 90 in 1979, St. James turned out for R.A. Toole Day, singing his praises and honoring a man with such a lengthy record of stewardship. There was much to commend. For decades the North Augusta resident and Augusta businessman was a leader around town. Toole was one of the founders of the Augusta Rescue Mission, and a longtime member of the Augusta Exchange Club and recipient of its Golden Deeds Award. He was also a well-known advocate for Gideons International, leading numerous efforts to share the Word of God by providing Bibles to those who had none. A respected businessman, Toole retired as founder of Augusta s Toole Supply Co., on Skyview Drive where he enjoyed business success. But it was not always easy. Born on a farm in 1889 in the Talatha Community near today s New Ellenton, he lost his father at age 10. Eventually his mother sold the farm and the family moved closer to North Augusta. Toole and his brother attended a one-room school, but had to leave school to work, using mules and a wagon from the family s old farm to haul sand for mortar for area contractors. An aunt saw a better future for her slightly-built nephew and urged him to attend business college in Augusta. When he graduated, he got a job in the office of the purchasing agent for Georgia Railroad. When the office moved during World War I, Toole stayed, getting a job at Lombard Iron and Supply Works. He mastered the supply business and eventually started his own after World War II with three employees on D Antignac Street, growing it tenfold by the late 1970s. As active as he was in his community, R.A. Toole was just as busy at St. James, spending almost four decades on the church board and serving as an effective steward of St. James finances. He was also generous in his gifts. In 1972 he paid to have the historical and member records of the church put on microfilm to be kept at both Augusta College and Methodist offices in Atlanta. This would overcome what had been a century of church records being lost to fire and flood. In 1976 he dedicated the transom window over the sanctuary s east side door to his late wife. In 1977 he presented a portrait of the Rev. Dr. Richard Wilkinson, St. James pastor from When he died, R.A. Toole s honorary pallbearers were members of the St. James administrative board, members of the Augusta Exchange Club and the board of the Augusta Rescue Mission. Reynard A. Toole was just one of the many devoted St. James members through the years who lived across the river in North Augusta, showing that cities and states may have boundaries, but there no limits on doing the Lord s work.

5 Do you sing lustily and with good courage on Sunday mornings? NO? Then obviously you re not following the directions. See page vii in your United Methodist Hymnal for John Wesley s instructions.

6 St. James has 217 members on the roll--quite a few of whom are unknown to the office, and for whom we have no address or contact information. Do you know the whereabouts of any of these folks? If so, please let us know: Family Members: If you have adult children or relatives who were once active at St. James but are now living away, or who may have become affiliated with another United Methodist Church or even another denomination, please help us by updating their information with us. Thanks! Cheatham, Louise Coburn, Emil Coburn, Emily Coburn, Wanda E. Coburn, Michelle Dicks, William Matthew Dimas, Gregorio Edrington, Lindsay Elrod, Fall Haney, Brian Holland, Paulette Keith, Jeffery Brian Keith, Kelly Dianne Keith, Marciella Keith, William Howard Kemp, Dorothy Nowell, Robert Nisbet, Carol Pancholy, Ajay Reed, Leslie J. Rogers, Walter Sanders, Donna Smith, Cosby Ford Smith, Sandra Smith, Scott Stokely, Edie Swadley, Helen Tinch, Tamera Tucker, William Taplin Williams, Choen Williams, Susan Young, Charles Gary Wayne Melton, Sr., 6-9 Marilyn Grau, 6-12 Devin Powell, 6-12 Karen Melton, 6-18 Kyle Melton, 6-22 Andrea Spano, 6-24 Matthew Dodgen, 6-25 Michael Izlar, 6-25 Michael & Teresa Layman, 6-3 Jim & Anne Barton, 6-8 Happy Anniversary Through May 24, gifts have been made to the church in loving memory of FRANCES GOODWIN by Allen and Holly Perry Rentz Joan Harwood Beth and Michael Marshall and Barbara Flom

7 Between May 1-24, Raymond s Kitchen & Closet provided snack packs for 35 and clothing for 4 persons. A prayer group is being formed to pray during the week for our families, church families, and our friends. If you would like to serve on this prayer group please call Melvis Reeves at for more information.. SUMMER BREAKS Reminder: Thurman Norville and Chip Melton will be in Athens, GA on Monday & Tuesday, June 6-7, attending the North Georgia UMC Annual Conference. Tuesday Morning Bible Study will not meet June through August. Griffin Circle meets June 28, but is on summer vacation July and August.

8 St. James United Methodist Church The Fellowship of the Friendly 439 Greene Street Augusta, GA The Rev. Thurman Norville, Jr. Pastor Marilyn Grau Administrative Assistant Walter Harwood III Organist Raymond Hookfin Sexton www:stjamesaugusta.com Sundays Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Tuesdays Bible Study Fourth Tuesday Griffin Circle Men s Club 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m.