Our Mission To transform people, creating disciples of Christ who are devoted to living in a biblically-functioning community.

Transcription

1 Our Mission To transform people, creating disciples of Christ who are devoted to living in a biblically-functioning community. Greetings sisters & brothers in Christ Jesus, Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) It's hard to believe how fast our year is moving. It seems like yesterday we were having our New Year's dinner at the Homestead restaurant. As we travel through this year we are now at the Easter season. A season we tend to commercialize with new outfits, a bunny, candy, and colored eggs. While there's nothing wrong with celebrating Easter, I pray we never forget the real reason to celebrate Easter. Our Lord and Savior was willing to be crucified to give us "new life". The Bible records the process of death by crucifixion in just a few simple words. How often we take for granted the pain and suffering Jesus endured when He died on the cross for you and me. (As harsh as this reading may seem, I pray you read it through so we no longer minimize the pain and suffering our Lord went through for us.) A medical doctor once gave a detailed description of what happens to a body when someone is crucified : "The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted Man is quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The roman soldier feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He then drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail into the wrist and deep in the wood. Quickly the soldier moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the Victim's arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The Victim is now crucified. As He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrist, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain--the nails in the wrist are putting pressure on the median nerves. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid the stretching torment, He places the full weight on the nail through His feet. Again He feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of His feet. As His arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise Himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream. Spasmodically He is able push to Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. Hours of this...pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium (a serous membrane that surrounds the heart allowing it to contract) slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. It is now almost over---the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level---the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues---the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues...finally He can allow His body to die." And some still say "He doesn't understand our pains and doesn't love us."... May we remember this Easter what sacrifice He made. Thank You Jesus for the price You paid for our sins through Your painful death on the cross. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) Happy Easter & GOD bless each of you, Pastor "D"

2 2 Dorothy Baumgardner David Butler Brooke Fishel Rod Lowry Margaret Santichen Emma Cope Becky Beri Katie Beckner Delaney Baumgardner Danielle Cramer Frank Matlin Isabella Cope Grayson Novak Brinnah Porada Paula Saylor Stacey Fondelier Jamil Hassan Greg Novak Ann Saccol Karen Kissinger Alan Gregg Christopher Tressler Ashley Eppley Tom and Wendy Stewart 9 Tim and Pam Bender 22 John and Heather Shaffer 30 For the month of April, we will be collecting cereal (both hot and cold) for the Forest Hills Food Pantry. Thank you for your contributions to the Forest Hills Food Pantry. April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 Dorothy Baumgardner and Tracy Helsel Chuck and Becky Rusnak Sunrise Mike and Donna Williams 10:30 John and Heather Shaffer Sally Layton and Dorothy Findley Sunshine Caregiver s News We have two birthdays this month: Marietta Lowry and Ann Saccol, Let s help them celebrate their special day by sending them a card. Thank you. Sunshine Caregivers Marietta Lowry (April 14) Ann Saccol (April 24) Arbutus Manor Richland Towers 207 Ottawa Street Room 209 Johnstown, PA Theatre Drive Johnstown, PA

3 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday am 6:30 pm :30 am 9 am 14 6 am 15 6 pm am am 6:30 pm 10:30 am First UMC 12 pm am 7 am 10:30 am 28 7 am :30 am 3

4 4 Elton Zion Sunday School Beginners Class Jesus: God's Son April 7 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (John 9) April 14 A Crowd Welcomes Jesus (Matthew 21) April 21 No Sunday School - Easter - Jesus Is Alive! (Matthew 28) April 28 The Church Follows Jesus (Acts 2,4) This months Bible Memory verse is: "You are...the Son of...god." (Matthew 16:16) The Johnstown District is looking for lay people to serve on the District committees. If anyone would like to volunteer for the District committees, please see Pastor D. What Easter does Jesus resurrection from the dead is life-changing and life-giving for his followers. But, as Henry Knox Sherrill notes, Easter s joyful news does not change the contemporary world. On earth, we still must deal with sin, pain, death and brokenness. And still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice, Sherrill adds. What Easter does, though, is provide Christians with the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline and make the sacrifice. By defeating the grave, Jesus empowers us to bear our worldly troubles with joy, peace and hope. His resurrection assures us that trials, tears and suffering are only temporary, while eternal victory and life with Jesus are permanent. 4

5 5 Elton Zion Sunday School Primary and Intermediate Anchor Point Jesus shows us how to love each other Bible Verse Hosanna in the Highest Apr. 7 Jesus shows love in the Garden Matthew 26:31-58 Apr. 14 Hosanna! Matthew 21:1-11 Apr. 21 Easter Children remain in the sanctuary Apr. 28 The Road to Emmaus Luke 24 :

6 6 Ministerial of Forest Hills Lenten Services April 7 April 14 Mt. Hope Bethel-Salix April Elton Zion UMC Palm Sunday Men s Prayer breakfast at 6:00 am. April 19 Good Friday Cross Walk at Sidman at 9:00 am. Services at First United Methodist Church at 12:00 pm Easter Egg Hunt the Easter Egg hunt will be on Saturday, April 20 beginning at 10:00 am. Haley is looking for volunteers to help with the children at the egg hunt. Youth is encouraged to participate. FIRST UMC SOUTH FORK TURKEY DINNER Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 4-6 pm. Cost is $10 for adults, $4 for ages 4 to 10, and free for ages 3 and under. ANNUAL WOMEN S DINNER - ATTENTION ALL WOMEN! The annual Women s Dinner will be held on Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m. in the social hall. Please make plans to attend this annual dinner that is prepared and served by the men of the church. There is no charge for this dinner but a free will offering will be taken. The entrees will be your choice of chicken cordon bleu or roast beef. There will also be chicken nuggets for the children The entertainment will be presented by Linda Biery, who is employed by Summer s Best Two Weeks camp in Somerset County. Linda will entertain with music and ministry. It is sure to be a very enjoyable evening. A sign-up sheet will be passed through the sanctuary during worship services or will be available at the rear of the church. If you need to make reservations by phone call Dick Trent at Deadline for reservations is Tuesday, April 30. 6

7 MEMBERSHIP RECORDS 7 We do not have any contact information for the following persons that are listed on our membership rolls. If anyone has addresses or phone numbers for any of these names, please contact Pastor Daryl or a member of the membership committee Dick Trent ( ), Shirley Leipchack ( ) Patty Hasse ( ) or Tom Fondelier ( ) Allison, Sharon Gettig, Joe Rhoads, Thomas Sukenik, Emily Balzar, Kay (Diagastino) Hagins, Pamela Jo Romani, Bob and Judy Swenson, Gloria Berkey, Lloyd Jimick, Sharon Jim Gregory Taylor, Georgine Chaney, Caryn Leventry, Barry Bobbi Jo Gregory Urban, Beth Conroy, Glenda Leventry, Granite Schmidt, Pamela Wallace, Cari Custer, Brian Leventry, Jerry Stone, John Watkins, Patricia Cutshall, Jennifer Marsh, Beth Stone, Molly Wilkins, Finondra Cutshall, Lynn Miller, Leona Stull, Sharon Witherow, Carolyn Davis, Amy Naughton, Mary Stull, Sondra Dennison, Michael Papinchak, Judith Sukenik, Ben Meanings in the meal Jesus instituted Communion while celebrating the Jewish Passover with his disciples. The meal s ritual foods hold meaning for Christians, too, because our faith story is interwoven with that of Judaism. Matzoh: This unraised bread recalls the Israelites hasty departure from oppression in Egypt. Jesus used the Passover bread to symbolize his body, which delivers us from bondage to sin and death. Salt water: It symbolizes the tears of the Hebrews and of all who suffer in any time and place. Christians believe that in Jesus, God embraced human suffering so we need never face it alone. Parsley: Dipped in the salt water, this green, leafy vegetable represents the Hebrews rebirth out of sorrow into the joy of freedom. Easter s celebration of resurrection proclaims a coming day when God will wipe every tear from [our] eyes [and] there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4, NIV). Shankbone: A lamb slaughtered for each Hebrew household meant life for those within. The meat strengthened them for the escape journey, and the blood, swabbed on their doorframe, signaled for Death to pass over. Jesus used wine at the Passover meal to symbolize his blood of the Lamb of God which he would shed for our salvation. Egg: For Jews celebrating Passover, an egg symbolizes memory of the Exodus and renewal of faith. For Christians at Easter, eggs especially open, empty ones call to mind Jesus empty tomb, renewal and abundant life. 7

8 8 E lton Zion United Methodist Church PO Box 96 Elton, PA Phone: Our relationship with Jesus doesn t begin in heaven it begins right here on earth and is continued into heaven 8