THE CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 7, 2019 MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP FEBRUARY 1, 2019

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1 MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP FEBRUARY 1, 2019 Dear Beloved in Christ: Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the past few months, everywhere I go I am asked: What will happen on Feb. 27, 2019? Will there be one United Methodist Church? What can we do? These questions are followed by more questions: questions that may be coming out of concern, fear, anxiety, sadness, or anger. In the midst of all these emotions, the gospel lectionary for Feb. 17, the Sunday before the start of the 2019 Special Session of General Conference, and Sunday, Feb. 24, during General Conference, are excerpts from Jesus' Sermon on the Plain (known in Matthew as the Sermon on the Mount). In this great sermon, Jesus does not speak about the institutional church or ecclesiastical hierarchies; he talks about the vital markers of our Christian discipleship. Those markers need to be our main focus as individual Christians. When that is our focus, our question on Feb. 27 will be: What kind of Christian witness have our delegates, presiding officers, and all those entrusted with the work of General Conference demonstrated, first to God, and then to the world? (keeping in mind that half the audience especially children, youth and young adults will view the process through social media.) When someone asked me what I thought after I first saw the movie Gandhi, I said I felt like I had gone to a spiritual convention. What I meant was that I recognized Jesus' teaching in Gandhi's life story. In my opinion, though Gandhi was not Christian, it is clear he had not only read the Sermon on the Mount but had internalized it and tried to live by it. What a witness for the glory of God! On Feb. 27, perhaps the questions we should be asking are not those coming from pride, fear, or judgment, but rather about whether we have been faithful to God through our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Have our decisions enabled or inspired others to become disciples of Jesus Christ? Have we listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit? Have we demonstrated our discipleship through our actions and how we treated one another in the midst of our Christian conferencing? Interestingly, on March 3, when the delegates and attendees of General Conference return to their churches to share what happened with their congregations especially the children, youth and young adults the gospel reading is about the transfiguration of Jesus. In the transfiguration story, three beloved disciples of Jesus Christ had their own theological, missional, and secular outlooks when the voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (Luke 9:35). During our days in St. Louis, my prayer is that the 864 delegates will listen intently to what God is saying to them. Before casting their votes, I pray they will prayerfully listen, not just to the articulate speeches, but to the stories of those children of God who will be most affected by their decisions. It is my earnest prayer and greatest hope that in the midst of all our fears and anxieties, God will pour upon General Conference new and fresh winds of the Holy Spirit, filled with the love of Christ, so that to God be the glory, and the 2019 Special Session of General Conference will enable us to make more disciples for Jesus Christ. In Christ's love, Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar Page 1

2 CONCERNS AND CELEBRATIONS DATES TO KEEP IN MIND February 6, 13, 20 and 27: Adult Formation - From the Wisdom of the Enneagram to the Formation of the True Self February 10: Outreach Discussion and Film Beyond the Wall Guest Preacher Louie Diaz February 17: Kids Bags Assembly February 18: President s Day Office Closed No Chronicle this week. February 20: Health Ministries Cancer Support Group Page 2

3 ANNOUNCEMENTS Food Health and Safety for Children, Families and Staff When events with food are held, we ask for your assistance in keeping children and adults safe while in the building. Sunny Hill has life threatening food allergies within our community, and we are sure within the Church community as well. The kitchen is peanut-free, tree nut-free, coconut-free, free from being processed on the same equipment or made within a facility that uses these items. It is imperative that food safety rules are followed as we strive to keep our children, families, and staff safe from reactions. LEARN THE MAGNIFIC MOMENT: Super Bowl Recap: Thank you those who came to Concord for our first-ever SUMC Family Super Bowl Party. The game was tense, the food was great, the company was pleasant, and the outcome was favorable, so it was a good night. We also had a brief discussion before the game about ideas for new family ministry and fellowship activities we could possibly offer. We heard some nice suggestions and instructive feedback, and we hope to turn those into new formational opportunities soon. Keep an eye out! Sunday School: In Sunday School last week, the children learned through crafts and activities about the instruction in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. This verse is known as the Shema, and it is one of the simplest ways to articulate the Jewish and Christian faith. This is why Moses then said of these words that parents should recite them to your children and talk about them in your home. This brings up two important questions. The first is sort of rhetorical; the second is definitely not. How easy or hard is it to talk to our children about God? How could the Church staff and teachers help you to teach your family about the Christian faith? Page 3

4 Greetings from the SUMC Youth! Last Sunday, our Youth Sunday Speaker, Anthony Vert, encouraged us all to get our hands dirty in ministry. The message for us was that if we re afraid to step out of our comfort zones, we will not grow, and nothing gets built. We would like to reiterate that message and encourage everyone at Sudbury UMC to get involved in a new mission or ministry area. There are lots of examples you can go to Pastor Cho-Kim s Wednesday night seminar, sing for a few weeks in the choir, or sign up to be a Sunday morning liturgist (to name a few). We would also like to remind you that there are lots of ministry opportunities offered to this congregation by the youth group! You can be a Sunday night leader! You can chaperone a trip! You can help lead an outreach activity! You can provide dinner at a Sunday evening youth meeting (sign up for that here, by the way - new dates have been added)! You can do other things too we re not sure; check with Zack about it. The point is, the Church is a people; a community, and as Anthony told us, great things happen when the Church steps out of our collective comfort zone in the name of Christ. Let s do great things, Church. Keep the Faith Adult Formation From the Wisdom of the Enneagram to the Formation of the True Self When health of the Rev. Dr. Hakyung Cho-Kim, Sudbury UMC s director of Adult Formation, improves, she will offer a winter series that begins with the wisdom of the widely known Enneagram and moves toward more active cooperation with the Holy Spirit as God s agent of change in our lives. These meetings are expected to take place on Wednesdays in February at 7:00 p.m. in the O Reilly Room. Part One: February 6 - The Enneagram as a roadmap for the transformation of personality The Triadic Self Identifying Our Personality Types The Basic Fears of the Types Lost Childhood Message and Healing of Inner Child Self-realization and Transformation Part Two: February 13 - The Enneagram identifies deficits in early development The wastefulness of ego inflation and the compulsive aspects of personality types The ego s master emotions: anger, shame, and fear The Instinctive, Feeling, and Thinking Intelligence Centers (Triads) Transcending personality types with our habits, attitudes, and worldviews Part Three: February 20 - Transcending the ego-driven personality Recovering the original harmony of the three intelligence centers (the Triads) Healing anger by receiving and giving forgiveness for Instinctive Type persons Healing shame by God-given self-worth for wholeness in Feeling Type persons Healing fear by trusting God s providence for wellness in Thinking Type persons Page 4

5 Part Four: February 27 - Recovering the True Triadic Self through Formation Empowerment comes from spiritual practices and formation by the Holy Spirit Spiritual practices include prayer, Bible Study, spiritual reading, worship, works of mercy, works of justice, spiritual direction, incarnating the love of Christ as an apostle. Achieving balance through the daily practice of the acts of piety and acts of mercy Growing to trust in God a Provider, Guide, Protector, Host, and Vindicator The Upper Room The newest Upper Room booklets are available in the narthex. Help yourself to a free copy for daily devotional readings. Or access it online by clicking: Try starting your day by spending time with God it might make a world of difference by setting the right tone for the hours to come! Join the Thursday Bible Study Sudbury UMC s Thursday Bible study group always welcomes new participants. Meetings take place at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays at the Panera Bread located at 21 Andrew Avenue in Wayland s Town Center, just two miles from Sudbury UMC! Each week s focus text is the next Sunday s preaching passage. Remember to bring your Bible and a few bucks for something warm or cool to sip. We will look ahead to the passages being preached during worship on: Feb. 10 Daniel 4:1-14, Feb. 17: I Corinthians 15:12-20 CONNECT Feb. 24: Luke 6:27-38 Outreach Commission Is Thrilled to Introduce Louie Diaz on Sunday, February 10 Louie knows the desperate isolation of prison. He understands how it feels to walk in the "living grave yard" where you become lost and forgotten behind the wall. He knows the pain of a prison stigma, the challenge of reintegrating into a society that defines you by your past deeds and offers little assistance to someone whose past bad choices shadow you like a storm cloud. A "preacher's kid gone wrong," Louie fell in with a tough crowd and stumbled down a path which ultimately landed him in prison. Thankfully, as he hit rock bottom, God reached his heart and Louie allowed the seed of hope and divine inspiration to grow. He realized that if he continued to do what he had always done, he would continue to get what he had always gotten. So Louie decided to change. With God's help, Louie s life was transformed. Since his release, he has also become a powerful force for turning around the lives of others. Louie has served as Assistant Director for the Center for Addictive Behavior in Tewksbury; worked as a mental health counselor for the Holy Family Hospital in Methuen; served as a counselor and Assistant Clinical Director for AdCare Criminal Justice Services; and headed up Lowell's nationally renowned UTEC, Street Outreach and Gang Peacemaking division. Page 5

6 Louie is featured in the award-winning documentary Beyond the Wall. He was honored with inclusion in the 2014 edition of The Latino American Who's Who. Louie has agreed to stay with us after the service as we screen Beyond the Wall in Davison Chapel. The Outreach Commission will serve a light lunch and Louie will field questions and discussion following the film which is one hour and 17 minutes long. Please plan to join us on February 10th for this powerfully moving presentation!! Kid s Bags for Open Table: Please join us right after the church service on Sunday, February 17 th, in Hawes Hall as we decorate and fill 100 "Kids Bags" destined for Open Table's Food Pantry in Maynard. The filled bags will then be given out to children of Open Table patrons during school vacation week. Magic Years on February 14 Funding the Future and Gift Planning Opportunities Gary Melville is the Director of Development for The United Methodist Foundation of New England. After lunch on Thursday, February 14, Gary will use three case studies to explore how we can make gifts to family while providing a legacy gift that benefits the ministries and institutions that have brought meaning to our lives. He will share the traditional and most current techniques and methods employed to maximize the use of our assets to both protect and secure the family inheritance and the legacy gifts to charity. His topics will include Charitable IRA Rollovers, Bequests, Donor Directed Funds, and Life Income Gift Plans. Gary is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP); he is a financial planner with over 26 years experience and has worked with the UM Foundation for 19 years. He lives in Methuen, MA, with his wife Carol. They have two sons, Joel and Jared. Joel is married to Elizabeth, and they have two children; Claire and Benjamin. Gary is a member of the Planned Giving Group of New England and the Northeast Ecumenical Stewardship Council. He is active in the Cursillo community and prison ministry. All seniors are encouraged to attend. Contact Rev. Cho-Kim at pastorchokim@sudbury-umc.org or at (ext. 207), to sign-up for lunch. The Triumphant Return of Lenten Devotional Writing Hi all! Rob Hammerton here, cutting to the chase: it's the Return of the Lenten Devotional Booklet! Maybe the thing I like best about my church-musician work here at SUMC is: we hardly spend any money on hiring musicians from the "outside world." Any singers or instrumentalists that you see and hear up here come from amongst our congregation. Once or twice, Pastor Joel has suggested to me that the offering of our gifts to God through the work of our own hands, has actual real-live theological grounding! And we thought we were just saving a buck or two. In that spirit, I'd like to invite you to join me in bringing back a tradition: for many years, SUMC produced a booklet full of Lenten devotions -- short written pieces that can be part of our Lenten preparation for the resurrection of Christ. We went in a different direction last year, and went away from this tradition -- with a range of feedback. So - - dancing carefully around the idea of "we've always done it this way"... and "you don't know what you've Page 6

7 got till it's gone"... I'd love to engineer a return to Lenten writing that comes from home-grown talent -- from within the SUMC congregation. And in the spirit of "old wine in new bottles", perhaps: we'll print up a few physical copies of the writings, for those like me who still like to turn physical pages -- but our chief means of distribution will catapult us into the 21st century: it'll be an online blog. Every day, a new Lenten devotion will be posted. "Don't forget to like and subscribe!" Don't think you're a Bigshot Writer? No need. We'll have multiple "prompts," based on Pastor Joel's thematic material for the Lenten season, that will inspire some thoughts. All you have to do is a little thinking... and then record the results using, you know, *words*! It's painless, I promise. I'll happily send you those materials when they're ready (i.e. very soon). Ideally, all I need are forty-six people (40 days plus six Sundays). Interested? Drop me an (rhammerton@earthlink.net) or I'll see you at coffee hour! A Cappella Singers! The SUMC A Cappella singers will resume on Wednesday evenings through the month of February. We will start with an optional pot luck meal in Hawes Hall, and then we ll sing from 7:00 till about 7:45 p.m. Group singers of all abilities are welcome if you have never sung with others before, this is your chance to try it out. Extra bonus: you don t need to read music, though we will introduce you to it. Here is the online signup so I can begin to organize the particulars: Stephen Ministers Offer a Listening Ear Sudbury UMC has thirteen active Stephen Ministers (caregivers). Ten are currently available to offer their support. They can walk with those needing kindness, a listening ear and distinctively Christian care-giving. If you know a friend including yourself who might benefit from a caring relationship, you can speak to Pastor Joel, Lori Granger or Richard Smith. And every Sunday morning, one Stephen Minister is available after worship in the O Reilly room. They are there to listen to your concerns and pray with you. Special Session to Vote on United Methodist Inclusion The Council of Bishops has called a Special Session of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church to be held February in St. Louis, Missouri. The purpose will be to receive and act on a report from the Commission on a Way Forward based on the recommendations of the Council of Bishops. After 47 years of struggle for full LGBTQ inclusion in The United Methodist Church we have reached a threat of schism. The United Methodist denomination called for the creation of a Commission to recommend a way forward. Bishops nominated and selected 32 members to serve on the Commission, focusing on a diverse body that represents our global church. The statements that appear in our United Methodist Book of Discipline (church law) that have created a lack of inclusion are as follows: Incompatibility with Christian teaching (first added in 1972) Page 7

8 Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God s grace is available to all. USE OF CHURCH MONEY (FIRST ADDED IN 1976) The council (on Finance and Administration) shall be responsible for ensuring that no board, agency, committee, commission, or council shall give United Methodist funds to any gay caucus or group, or otherwise use such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality. ORDINATION OF PRACTICING HOMOSEXUALS (FIRST ADDED IN 1984) Since the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church. HOMOSEXUAL UNIONS (FIRST ADDED IN 1996; RULED TO BE ENFORCEABLE AS CHURCH LAW IN 1998) Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches. On March 21, 2004, a Sudbury United Methodist all-church conference was held to allow all members to vote whether to register our Reconciling and Welcoming Statement and become part of the Reconciling Ministries Network as a form of public witness regarding sexual orientation. It was voted by a simple majority that we should register, connecting with other United Methodist churches and ministries to carry out our common mission of inclusiveness. Social Justice Commission GIVE The 2019 Flower Calendar Is Posted! Support the Pease Family s Trip to India If you d like to place flowers on the altar in honor or memory of a loved one, the flower calendar is now posted near the church office door. Select a date, perhaps an anniversary, birthday, or just a date you d like to honor someone special, and we ll take care of the rest. The cost is $ Enhance our worship by giving this gift to God. Questions contact Wanda Doughty at or Wanda Doughty. Wendy Pease and her teenage boys are going to India on a People to People tour over February school vacation. The tour is run by a member of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church who supports a Dalit (untouchable caste) village. As part of the outreach, visitors on the tour are encouraged to bring the following items to donate to the village. In addition, if you would like to make an offering, you can make the check out to SUMC and put INDIA on the memo line. All donations go directly to those in need. Collections can be donated in the box outside of the O Reilly Room at SUMC. Items needed are: Soap, Deodorant, Shampoo, Sanitary Napkins (Badly Needed), Band Aids, Blankets (Needed), Plastic Rain Ponchos/Capes (lightweight & foldable), pencils, pens, crayons, blank writing pads, book bags, any small travel toiletries Page 8

9 Deadline for donations: Sunday February 10, THANK YOU! Urgent Food Pantry Needs Many of the food pantries in our area are in urgent need of the following: Canned fruit, vegetables, soup, pasta meals, hash, beef stew, tuna, and ham. Pudding and Jell-O mixes, instant and ground coffee, cocoa, tea bags, white rice, instant potatoes and stuffing mix. Mac & cheese, pancake mix, syrup. Sugar, flour, and sugar substitutes. Canned or jarred spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, jelly, jam, peanut butter. Laundry detergent, shampoo, deodorant, bar soap, mouthwash, feminine care products, paper towels, toilet paper and wipes. If possible, please pick up any of the above items on your next shopping trip and deliver them to the cart in the narthex. Thanks! COMMUNITY Fresh Start Furniture Bank Furnishing Hope Fresh Start Furniture Bank has moved to 16 Brent Drive in Hudson. If you spent your weekend watching "Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo, say "thank you and goodbye" to those items that do not give you joy and bring them to us. We can guarantee you they will spark joy in our clients! Hours for donations: Tuesday & Thursday 10:00-12:00 Saturday 9:00-12:00 MetroWest Free Medical Program Seeking Volunteers On Tuesday evenings, the MetroWest Free Medical Clinic provides healthcare services for people without insurance. Approximately 35 patients are seen on average, using the sanctuary at Congregation Beth El as the clinic site. Volunteers are needed to put medical supplies and equipment away in a shed. Screens, exam tables, buckets of medical supplies, tables and chairs must be moved. With 20 volunteers, this can be done in 30 minutes. Interested? Contact Kim Prendergast at kim.prendergast@gmail.com. Page 9

10 Drivers Needed for Meals on Wheels Our drivers deliver 3,000 healthy meals, every weekday, to elders and adults living with disabilities. They may deliver the only meal of the day to homebound clients while providing critical social contact a safety check. Today additional drivers are needed to meet the increasing demand for home delivered meals in our service are that includes 11 cities and towns. If you are interested in giving back to your community through this part-time job, apply today! Please call Sara at ext. 689 or visit our website Household Goods Needs Important items are in short supply; Can you Help? We are so thankful for all the wonderful goods donations we receive, but unfortunately, we are running very short on certain high demand items: Pots, Pans, Kitchen Utensils and silverware Queen size bedding (mattress pads, sheets, blankets, and comforters) Bring us items during our regular drop off hours (Tues., Thurs, Sat 9-noon) Host a drive to make kitchen starter sets. Contact Sharon Martens for more information. Choose items from our Amazon Wish List. It always has links to great deals on our current needs. Shopping on Amazon? Please go to Smile.Amazon.com and designate Household Goods to donate a portion of what you spend through the Amazon Smile Program. Page 10

11 Sudbury United Methodist Church 251 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA Phones: (978) or (978) Fax: (978) Church Office: Website: Church Staff Lead Pastor: The Rev. Joel Guillemette Director of Adult Formation: The Rev. Dr. H. Cho-Kim Youth & Children s Ministries Director: Zachary Moser Music Director/Organist: Kevin Murphy, AAGO Sanctuary Choir Director: Rob Hammerton Business Manager: Michael Greb Office Administrator: Shetal Kaye Sexton: Joe Picorelli pastorjoel@sudbury-umc.org pastorchokim@sudbury-umc.org zack@sudbury-umc.org kevin@sudbury-umc.org rob@sudbury-umc.org michael@sudbury-umc.org sumc@sudbury-umc.org joe@sudbury-umc.org We are a Stephen Ministry Congregation We are a Reconciling and Welcoming Congregation Page 11

12 The Chronicle February 7, 2018 Sudbury United Methodist Church, 251 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA Phones: (978) and (978) Fax: (978) Church Office: Website: Church Staff Lead Pastor: The Rev. Joel Guillemette Director of Adult Formation: The Rev. Dr. H. Cho-Kim Youth & Children s Ministries Director: Zack Moser Music Director/Organist: Kevin Murphy, AAGO Sanctuary Choir Director: Rob Hammerton Business Manager: Mike Greb Office Administrator: Shetal Kaye Sexton: Joe Picorelli pastorjoel@sudbury-umc.org pastorchokim@sudbury-umc.org zack@sudbury-umc.org kevin@sudbury-umc.org rob@sudbury-umc.org michael@sudbury-umc.org sumc@sudbury-umc.org joe@sudbury-umc.org CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED We are a Stephen Ministry Congregation We are a Reconciling & Welcoming Congregation