News of New Hope. To the Uttermost MARCH Sunday Schedule

Transcription

1 News of New Hope I f there is one Psalm that sets the tone for Holy Week, then Psalm 31 seems quite fitting. Whoever is praying these words takes us on a downward journey. I am in distress. My eyes waste away from grief. My life is spent with sorrow. My strength fails because of misery. My bones waste away. I am the scorn of all my adversaries. I am a horror to my neighbors. I am an object of dread to my acquaintances. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead. I have become like a broken vessel. There is INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Celebrations 2 Team Reports 3 Stewardship 4 Ministry Feature: Spiritual Gifts 5 6 Prayers 7 Sports 8 Pastor s Ten 10 Pastor s Pen 12 New Hope United Methodist Church 200 E New Hope Road Goldsboro, NC To the Uttermost A Meditation Honoring Holy Week March 26 th March 31 st Psalm 31:9-16, Isaiah 50:4-9, Mark 14:32-36 Sunday Schedule Brookdale Service 10:00 Sunday School 11:00 Morning Worship Nursery for ages 4 and under; (Children s Church pending a volunteer) terror all around as they plot to take my life. Any one of these afflictions is enough to drive a heart to despair. The turning point in the prayer is in verse 14, and it is signaled with a single word, Nevertheless. After all these reasons to give up or give in, the person who is praying this exclaims, Nevertheless, I trust you. In the end, before collapsing into despair, bitterness, or hopelessness, there is a commitment to go with God to the (Continued on page 2) Altar of the Heart : Bible Study Wednesday Mornings Feb. 14- March 28 10:00 11:00 Scout Schedule Monday: Pack 6:30 Tuesday: Troop 7 Thursday: Venture 7 MARCH 2018 Mar 1-2: Mom s Morning Out 9-1 Mar 6-9: Mom s Morning Out 9-1 Mar 7: "Altar of the Heart Bible 10 Mar 8: Church Council 7 pm Mar 10: Upward Soccer games 10 Mar 13-16: Mom s Morning Out 9-1 Mar 14: "Altar of the Heart Bible 10 Mar 19: Upward 10 Mar 20-23: Mom s Morning Out 9-1 Mar 21: "Altar of the Heart Bible 10 Mar 24: Upward 10 Mar 25: Palm Sunday Mar 25; Kids Easter Painting 2 pm RSVP Required Mar 27-30: Mom s Morning Out 9-1 Mar 28: "Altar of the Heart Bible 10 Mar 29: Maundy Thursday St. 7 PM Mar 30: Good Friday St. 7 PM Apr 1: Easter Sunrise 7 AM Apr 1: Worship Service begins at 10:30 AM For full calendar visit

2 (Continued from page 1) uttermost. Verse 15 continues with this mentality. My times are in your hands. When we are going through trouble, the temptation is to think our lives are shaped by bad luck, misfortune, or meaningless chaos. The Psalmist entrusts his future into the redeeming hands of His Lord. If there is a prophetic passage that sets the tone for Holy Week, then Isaiah 50:4-9 echoes the perspective of Psalm 31. The prophet proclaims, I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from insult. The turning point in this passage comes with the word, Therefore. Even after March Birthdays 3/1 Frankie Sutton, Jr. 3/4 Linda Heil 3/5 Jenny Lewis 3/7 Debra Young 3/8 Greg Forrester 3/9 Malaya Goodrich 3/9 Brianna Sutton 3/17 Adam Piwowarski 3/19 Grant Forrester 3/19 Linda Tozier 3/20 Lindsay Krochta 3/22 Benjamin Merritt 3/24 Conner Piwowarski 3/27 Nancy McNeill 3/30 Bob Boyette the affliction, the prophet announces, The Lord God helps me; therefore I have set my face like flint. Here is a perspective that could easily look to the future with a sense of dread. We are tempted in cases like this to maintain our faith but to do so with gritted teeth. Serving God is like rolling a giant stone uphill. It's continued out of a sense of duty, but there's no real confidence or expectation that our commitment will prevail. Once again, the mentality is to entrust the future into the redeeming hands of the Lord. He who vindicates me is near. If God is for us then who can be against us? Despite appearances, God is in control. If there is a Gospel passage that sets the tone for Holy Week, then Mark 14:32-36 echoes the perspective of Psalm 31 and Isaiah March Anniversaries 3/6 Cindy & Josh Price Nevertheless Therefore 50. Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane and took with him Peter, James, and John. The passage is careful to describe Jesus' emotions as distressed and agitated. With intense grief, Jesus threw Himself to the ground and prayed if it were possible remove this cup from me. The turning point in the prayer comes again with a single word, Yet. Despite the pain Jesus was going through, He contends, Yet, not my will, but yours be done. Often in our spiritual lives, we tend to take our guidance from our feelings. If Jesus relied on feelings, the outcome of the story would have ended differently. There is great pain ahead, but Jesus doesn't view His destiny as fated. He trusts that with God all things are possible. And so it is in our lives. There will come moments when despite our circumstances, we must press forward with Jesus, Nevertheless. We must Therefore set our faces like flint. In spite of our preferences, Yet not my will but yours be done. Three words Nevertheless Therefore and Yet that are simple enough for children to repeat, but powerful enough to triumph over evil. Yet Page 2 March 2018

3 Church Council The Church Council and Finance Committee met on February 8 at 7 pm. This is meeting is open to anyone who is interested in learning about the leadership of the church. It is especially helpful to anyone considering volunteering to serve on a committee or leadership roll. As required by the Book of Discipline, the first item of business in this calendar year was the election of the co-chair and secretary of the Church Council. Mike Smith and Doris Offield were elected to service in the respective roles. The end-of-the-year financial report was presented indicating that the church had met the expected goals for the conference fair share as well as ending the year with a budgeted balance of $7,452. This column includes reports that are not covered in the individual team articles. Doris Offield has agreed to fill the vacancy as Acolyte Coordinator and Susan Filion has agreed to serve as Sunday School Superintendent, replacing Iris Cox. Linda Heil was introduced as the new Ministries Coordinator. She provided an overview on the MERCI Center and the Wayne Pregnancy Center.. ~Doris Offield, Council Secretary MARCH 25 News of NHUM Men and Trustees New Hope United Methodist Men & Trustees have been working on the following items: 1) Mike Acree supplied top soil material and recruited volunteers to help fill holes throughout & around the Upward Field. The remaining fill will be transported to the Parsonage and used to fill in the low areas where trees were removed. 2) John Potter (Manager) and his team completed the challenging task of taking orders and delivering the 2018 New Hope UMC Community Birthday and Anniversary Calendars. 3) Standard light bulbs within the Sanctuary were replaced with LED bulbs. This will greatly reduce the electric bill. 4) Capital Improvement Funds have been used to replace a HVAC condenser unit for the Fellowship Hall and install programmable thermostats in the Sanctuary. This will be another way to lower our electric and fuel cost. Note: Addition LED lights will be installed as funds become available. We would like to thank everyone for their patience they displayed during the extremely cold weather that we have experienced the last couple of months. Interior & cabinet doors had to be propped open and heat turned up to ensure pipes didn t freeze. We were blessed that the one pipe that did freeze and break we were in the building. During Scout Sunday this year we celebrated the 50th year of Sponsorship for the Boy Scouts being Chartered with NHUMC! We are so Blessed - Let the Spirit continue to Soar! The Lord God is our Great Scoutmaster who provides all our needs. Amen. Larry Filion ~Trustee Chair and Interim UMM President New Hope Women The Women's Group, as well as the church are mourning the loss of our Vice President and dear friend, Margaret Wells. We would like to thank all the folks that donated food, time and love to provide a meal for the family after the service. Her daughter, Virginia would like to pass on a big thank you for all the love, support and prayers for their family during this time. The love has been felt and so much appreciated. The meeting for February 20th was cancelled due to illnesses, hospitalizations, and traveling. Our business was conducted by . The next meeting will be in April. ~Doris Offield, President; Cathy Short, Secretary A Note From the Keys and Bells The Chancel Choir is preparing a beautiful cantata for Easter. The Ringers of New Hope are also working on beautiful selections with new malleting techniques. We are excited to ring these new pieces that will bless your heart and glorify the Lord. (Continued on page 4) Page 3 Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. March 2018

4 We all appreciate your love and support. Please pray about how you can become part of the Music/Media Ministry at New Hope. Love and Blessings, ~Hope Porter, Director of Music Ministries Stewards of God s Gifts Children s Ministry Have you noticed the valentines which are displayed on the glass door leading to the narthex? As Valentine Day is a day for celebrating love, Ms. Becky printed verses from the Bible which reflect God s love for us. Ms. Sharon helped us glue lace, flowers, bows and lots of glitter on our creations! We love glue and glitter! We added another clothespin on our coat hanger this past Sunday as we began the study of Judges, but before we left Joshua, we made a magnet to put on our fridge. This magnet is our quote from Joshua. Do you know what it is? Hint: the magnets are shaped like houses, We love to increase our biblical knowledge and share it with our families. ~Becky Davis & Sharon Mumford, Teachers January February 2018 Operating budget Total income $24, Expenses to date $31, Balance -$ 7, Special income/offerings this month Capital improvements $ Charitable Insurance $ Dan Kester Memorial $50.00 Lucille Bagley Memorial $ Parsonage $50.00 Upward $4, Margaret Wells Memorial $75.00 ZOE Ministry $85.00 If you would like to be contacted in the event something comes up unexpectedly or last minute we use the prayer chain call roster and the Yahoo Group to reach out. If you are not on these or do not check these, Prayer Team the link in our armor is weakened. We are asking you to review the phone list (many do not have ) if you Have you ever seen a prayer chain or a chain link fence or a military recall roster? What do they have in common, you might ask. All three of these things are great resources and wonderful tools. The drawback is when a link is broken, the entire tool needs to be thrown out and then we must regroup. There are two ways to keep informed of the want to be contacted please add your name. Let us know if you would like to be at the top--readily available to pass on information immediately, or at the bottom--work, traveling, or other reasons that you are unable to pass information on quickly. If you are on the list and the person you are to call does not answer, leave a message and call the next person. This process insures needs for prayer and for celebration the information gets passed along in a timely manner. announcements. One is the called NHUMC group. To join this, fill in the last page of the Sunday bulletin to include your name and and turn it into the offering plate or office. Follow the directions when you receive the notification from Yahoo Groups. The second option is the phone prayer chain. The list is available in the narthex. For corrections or to Did you know, once you are in the Yahoo Group you will also be able to send out a notice immediately upon hearing information, a need, or a prayer concern? However if you do add something to the Group , the only way it can get on the phone roster is to make that call to Greg or Doris to begin the calling chain. ~Greg Forrester, Chair Doris Offield, Co-chair be added, fill in the last page of the Sunday bulletin and turn it to the office or in the offering plate. Page 4

5 Gifted and Highly Favored Words That Make Worlds Romans 12:6-8, I Corinthians 12:4-11 Installment Three: {The Gift of Teaching} Live and let live. Eat, drink, and be merry. If it feels good do it. These are points of view that have existed for centuries. For those who take the position, All opinions are equal, Scripture offers a refreshing point of view. According to the Bible, not all positions are equal. Some are dreadfully distorted. What makes a position even more dangerous is when it is seductive. It may sound close to the truth, but it deviates from what is right and wholesome. One might say the entire Bible begins with the starting point that humans are in desperate need of guidance. Even if we are converted, the heart needs continual direction. There's no way to live without following something. The only question is not whether we will follow something but what we will follow. Culture announces that we should follow our feelings. Maybe we should follow public opinion. Perhaps we should emulate what celebrity figures advise. It's impossible to look to the left or right and locate dependable clarification. Sometimes what is legal is not always what is moral and what is moral is not always what is legal. Much of the New Testament was composed by Paul and its certainly not a coincidence that most of what he wrote was authored from inside prison cells. What he was affirming was declared criminal. Much of what he critiques as off-limits for the believer was culturally celebrated. We come now to the gift of teaching. Examine Paul's letters, and it is clear that no matter who the document was written to the Galatians, the Corinthians, or Philemon, we find that Paul is navigating issues that require correction and careful instruction. When I was in education, students would often ask about some complicated moral issue. What do you believe about this? The expectation was to serve it up in a few words. If life were this simple, the Bible would have been much smaller. We'd only need a few sentences to get us by. Paul's culture wasn't different from ours. Both the Greeks and Romans prided themselves on open-mindedness and moral license. If a person had an idea, it didn't matter how far fetched, then come on down to the portico, and tell us about it. We'll listen to it and then take a vote to see how many people consider the idea worthy of revisiting again in the future. Such a context is an environment that doesn't breed clarity, but confusion. Paul's letters take on the complicated landscape and provide a nuanced evaluation to guide the devoted seeker from out of the dark forest and into a refuge of understanding. The teacher is celebrated as a kind of navigator who steers the rudderless ship from out of the turbulent waves and into a destination of stability. Teaching is a compass for those who have been like rats in mazes, aimless, blind, and weary. A friend of mine visited Israel. His desire was to explore the wilderness where Jesus' experienced the temptations. As he made inquiries about launching into this quest, he was advised not to strike out alone. If he was entering into difficult territory, then he'd better not risk taking a single step without a guide leading the way. In this world, there are better accounts and worse accounts of what life is all about. Nowhere does Paul endorse a variety of opinion as some admirable virtue to uphold. For him, it's too easy to end up misdirected. In the same way, Paul was inspired to write his teaching letters; the Holy Spirit inspires us both to translate and proclaim these truths for our audience. Healing happens when we move out of darkness into radiant light. ~Steve Wellman, Pastor March 2018 Page 5

6 Wisdom For Truth 7 Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? (I Kings 3:7-9, NIV) 24 Then the king said, Bring me a sword. So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: Cut the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other. 26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don t kill him. But the other said, Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two! 27 Then the king gave his ruling: Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him, she is his mother. 28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. (I Kings 3:24-28, NIV) an I tell the truth from a lie? My quick answer used to be certainly, until I was caught twice, in the C sharing of fake news on social media. A quick fact check would have saved embarrassment. So now I am slow to share anything from the internet. Bottom line, I wanted the news to be true, because it was aligned to my own values. So the fake news writers caught me: hook, line and sinker! The truth is, I needed more help than I realized in discerning what is true. We live in a culture where truth is shaped for special interests. Public relations professionals routinely ply their trade by putting a spin on the facts, to create a favored image. The practice has seeped into the every day affairs of our own communities, making it difficult to trust anyone at face value. In the Book of First Kings we read that Solomon had a rocky start in establishing his kingship. He also did not know who he could trust. The experience humbled him sufficiently to realize that he could not lead the nation without God s help. When God offered that help, Solomon asked for a discerning heart, a gift that would enable him rightly serve the nation. We can learn a lesson from Solomon s prayer and God s provision. The writer of the Book of James reminds us, If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5, NIV) Wisdom can be sought from God and He has promised to provide wisdom, as we ask Him for it. A crowning example of wisdom in action occurred when two woman came to Solomon to demand rights to the same baby. Only one of them was telling the truth; only one could be this child s true mother. They both sounded convincing. We all know that the best lies contain some element of truth. The only way to find the real mother was to discern the motives behind their testimonies. The offer to split the baby brought two contrasting reactions. When the first mother cried out in desperation, Give her the living baby, it was the cry of an authentic mother s heart. The truth can be distorted in the short run, but character remains difficult, if not impossible, to hide. In these days when opinions seem to matter more than truth, our present culture would resonate with the infamous question of Pontius Pilate, What is truth? The truth can be found among those whose hearts are right with God. We need wisdom today to discern right from wrong. We have both the opportunity and need to ask our God for this discernment. If we do, those around us will see a sound judgement within us that could only come from God. ~Chaplin Al Thompson Page 6 March 2018

7 Prayer Ministry Prayer for Healing Andrew Short Bert Allen Betty Acree Bob & Martha Davies Cathy Short Charles Conwell Charlotte Bridgers Cole Jacobs Erika McKenzie (Susan s sister) Fairy Crumley Greg Forrester Grover Owens Hal Forrester Iris Cox Jane Fields Jo Sutton Linda Heil s mom Lucy Underhill Nancy McNeill Randy Tyndall Ray & Rose Hicks Rick Pridgen Steve Heil s brother Phil Prayers of Bereavement Family & friends of Margaret Wells Prayer for Thanksgiving Birth of Nora Jane Offield (Parents: Robin & Lance, Grandparents: Doris & Dewey, & Mike Smith) Pastor Steve Wellman & family The New Hope church family Upward Sports Ministry New Hope s Scouting Ministry Ringers of NH & Chancel Choir Prayer for Intercession Billy & Mary Sanders family in the loss of their home, car, and fur babies in a fire in February Members of our armed forces Andrew Ayres Logan Turner Pvt. Joseph Wilson Sunday School ministry Youth & Young Adult Ministry ZOE Ministry prayer requests to nhumc@yahoogroups.com or call and leave the request with the secretary. News of New Hope The News of New Hope is published by New Hope United Methodist Church for members, visitors, and others interested in the activities and mission of the church. For submissions of articles, announcements, or interviews, you may editor@gotnewhope.org or drop them by the church office. Church: Staff: Diane Kester, Editor Paige Rouse, Associate Editor Doris Offield, Church Council Secretary Vacant, Sports Editor Scout Reporter, Chris Chase Janice Rouse, Church Secretary Everyone, Contributors Websites: and (District Website) March 2018 Page 7

8 Winter/Spring Sports Dirt has been spread on the sports field to fill in ruts created from the harsh winter weather. We are partnering with Spring Creek Baptist Church again this year. Volunteers are needed as coaches, referees, devotion leaders, concession stand workers, and greeters to support the program. Practices are now under way with the opening games scheduled to begin on March 10th. See you there! Boy Scouts in the News Troop 8 Troop 8 was climbing high this last month. We had a lock-in at the Triangle Rock Club in Fayetteville. After many pizza slices, soda and a cake, we climbed the walls and repelled into the wee hours of the night. We had a great time. We are working hard to prepare for The Virginia Creeper Trail, a long bike trail in the mountains of Virginia, in April. Crew 8 The crew is back and rapidly restarting. We had a very successful fundraising drive for the Animal Shelter in Goldsboro back in January. In late January, we have participated in Venture Shoot, at Camp Tuscarora's Shooting Range. There we shot.22s and shotguns and a variety of pistols. In February, we had a great camp-out at Camp T and did a great service project despite the rain showers. The next weekend, we joined Crew 3006 for an informal shooting day. Painting Party! March 25th 2 pm Kids' Easter painting party will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday March 25 at 2 pm. Local artist Christy Thompson will help the children paint an Easter scene. Fee: $25 per child. Fees are covered for the first ten kids that sign up. All kids 8 years old and up are invited, even if they don't attend New Hope. RSVPs required to be assured we have enough supplies. Contact Paige Rouse: paigerrouse@yahoo.com (note there are 2 R s) or at church. Children are encouraged to bring their paintings on Easter Sunday to share at the worship service. Page 8 March 2018

9 Coming Events 2018 March 3-10 Upward Soccer Begins 3-11 Daylight Saving Time Begins 3-25 Palm Sunday 3-25 Kid s Painting Party 3-25 Possible trip 3-29 Maundy Thursday Combined St. Luke 3-30 Good Friday Combined St. Joseph 3-31 No Upward Games Easter Weekend April 4-01 Easter Sunrise 7: Easter Cantata 10: Chicken Plucking Fund Raiser Begins Spring revival 7-8 May 5-02 Goldsboro Disability Walk 5-05 Final Upward Soccer Games 5-12 Upward Celebration Day 5-13 Ascension Sunday 5-13 Mother's Day 5-20 Pentecost Sunday 5-27 Trinity/Memorial (Chicken Plucking Ends) June 6-10 Graduate Sunday 6-14 Annual Conference Begins 6-16 Annual Conference Ends 6-17 Father's Day 6-18 VBS Begins 6-22 VBS Ends July 7-01 Independence Sunday August 8-05 New Hope Birthday Celebration Introducing Ratio Christi Hello New Hope Church! The Forresters are back this month with another life that our good God has impacted through the ministry my wife and I are apart of at UNCW! This young man s name is Martin. He has been attending regularly since the beginning of Summer last year. Martin is 29 years old and has special needs. He has been a part of other campus ministries in the past and has been asked to leave because of a deficiency in social and cognitive skills. Martin is a sweet man who has a genuine heart for God and for people. He often sits with either Tom (a co-leader) or myself. His mind is often blown at what he learns at our weekly meetings. For example, our most recent meeting was on the validity/reliability of the New Testament. We went through all the facts and arguments to defend the New Testament, like textual criticism and archaeology. Martin s eyes were wide and shining as we glorified the Word of God. He would often, in his overwhelming excitement, turn to either me or Tom while using his quiet voice and tell us how awesome it all was. He would ask us questions and want certain things clarified. I see the power of God working in Martin s life as he continues to learn about our Creator, ways to defend his faith, and what life is like with special needs. He has found a home in Ratio Christi and we are so blessed to know him and to be walking with him. Please pray God would continue to open his eyes to more and more of His truth. Then, pray our eyes as a staff and community would continue to be opened more and more to how to love and live with someone who has special needs. God is so good, and worthy to be praised. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36. ~Grant and Lexi Forrester March 2018 Page 9

10 Lenten Worship The sermon series continuing through Lent is entitled, Sweetness to the Soul: The Encouragement of Our Salvation. Each week through the Lenten season we will explore the way Christ's sacrifice on our behalf provides uplift and renewal for the areas of our life that need it most. This series runs through Sunday, March 25 th, Palm Sunday. Lenten Study The Lenten study series for the Wednesday morning group is entitled, The Medicine Of Mercy. Each week through the Lenten season we will explore the way our greatest gift isn't so much of what we give up over the next 40 days, but how we practice the presence of God. These are perspectives that we will hopefully carry with us long after the Lenten season is complete. This series runs through Wednesday, March 28 th. Lenten Argus Series The Lenten series for the Friday edition of the Argus is entitled Carried By the Currents: The Healing Prayers of Lent. Each week of this series will examine Lenten related Psalms. In these prayers are currents that reach back to the earliest Saints. It is empowering to discover that in these words are the same prayers Jesus Himself lifted up. This series runs through Friday, March 30 th. Easter Painting Party for Kids This event will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday March 25 at 2 pm. Local artist Christy Thompson will help the children paint an Easter scene. Fees are covered for the first ten kids that sign up... All kids 8 years old and up are invited, even if they don't attend New Hope. RSVPs required to be assured we have enough supplies. Contact Paige Rouse Special Lenten Combined Congregation Services For the fourth consecutive year, we will gather as combined congregations for special Lenten services. The congregations participating are New Hope, Daniels, St Luke, St. Joseph, and Saulston. St. Luke will host the Maundy Thursday service on March 29 th and St. Joseph will host Good Friday on March 30 th. Both services are from 7:00-8:00. Upward Soccer 2018 The new season for Upward soccer will launch on Saturday, March 10 th. Please consider volunteering as much help is needed and appreciated on game days. The Upward year will conclude with our annual extravaganza on Saturday, May 12 th. We will once again showcase a giant water slide, bouncy house, dunking booth, face painting, and free food for our guests. Awards for all players will be presented. VBS 2018 This year's VBS is set for Monday, June 18 th through Thursday, June 21 st. Just as last year, the VBS is a 3-day program and will conclude on the 4 th night with a celebration and participation awards. Each One to Reach One Our next Each One To Reach One mission is set for Easter Sunday, April 1 st. Let's strive to invite at least one to attend our special Easter celebration at 10:30. Also, on Easter morning is our special sunrise service at John McNeil's beginning at 7:00 AM following with a breakfast at Joe and Anne Kosuda's. Combined Spring Revival Daniels, St. Luke, and New Hope are participating in a Combined Spring Revival from Sunday, April 22 nd through Wednesday, April 25 th. Each of these services are from 7:00-8:00. The participating congregations will take turns over the course of the week hosting these services. New Hope will handle the service on Tuesday, April 24 th and will provide the music and the preaching. All three churches will share in the music on the concluding night, Wednesday, April 25 th. MERCI Center Opportunities Please remember the opportunities to serve at the MERCI Center. Volunteers are needed the first Saturday of each month and the third Thursday of each month. The service sessions are from 9:00-2:00. Address: 676 Community Dr, Goldsboro, NC Contact cell phone: (910) Page 10 March 2018

11 (Continued from page 12) Statistics show that many who experience disappointment don't reach for God in the dark, but they retreat. The heart feels too confused and too shell-shocked to maintain devotion. Lamentations 3 reminds us that devotion isn't based on the heart's natural pull. There will be times when we don't experience an attraction to maintain our spiritual walk. Let's not minimize for an instant the devastation of the disciples. In such moments it is indeed a temptation to remain incapacitated until gravity pulls us back into movement. If we refuse to move until then, we're making a tremendous mistake. Lamentations demonstrates that devotion sometimes requires discipline to navigate through moments of uncertainty. We don't have all the answers but 3:22 can still affirm, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning: great is your faithfulness. How often we sing the inspiring words to that hymn, Great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see. We assume these words are referring to good times, mountaintop moments when the blessings of God are obvious to for anyone. If this is our assumption, it's incorrect. This hymn is about the divine favor that isn't easy for us to see. Are we to conclude the person praying Lamentations 3 had snapped out of his grief and was suddenly magnetically pulled to lift up praise? Reading it this way would minimize grief far too easy. No, this prayer isn't about anyone following their natural gravity of desire. These words are lifted up as a discipline of devotion. Even if they are still confused, even if they are still shell-shocked, even if they are still in the dark, they will continue to reach for the only hand of hope that is available. There is no advantage to retreat into lonely bitterness. The Lord is my portion, and I will hope in Him. We don't know when our release will arrive. While we wait, we maintain our walk with God and honor His unceasing mercy until our full healing comes. Robin and Lance Offield would like to thank everyone for the love, gifts, and prayers for them and Nora Jane Offield. Even though Nora had to arrive early, she is healthy and beautiful, one of God's little miracles. Virginia Combs would like to extent a very warm thank you for all the love and prayers extended to her mother during the hospitalization and illness. Margaret cherished each visit. Margaret Wells loved her church family and was speaking fondly of them right up to the end. The family would also like to thank everyone for the love and support shown to them during this time. Thanks to the Women of New Hope for hosting the meal after the service. Please let the Women's Group as well as all the other cooks and volunteers know that the food was wonderful and appreciated. Mom always said the church folks were loving and supportive. Thank you for proving her right. Please extend to everyone our thanks. Enduring By L. A. Jones, 2018 Lord, I ve called on You so much lately, and my faith has been greatly tested by the pain that I endure. But I know that You are with me, and You hear me when I cry. In my heart, I know You see me, but I have to ask You why? The pain is always with me and I ask for just a touch from Your healing hand. I m pleading for it so very, very much. Last night I called Your name, asking You to ease my pain and you answered right away. Lord, I thank you every day. Thank you Lord for all Your mercy and Your kindness and your grace. For without You, I am nothing. This is why I seek Your face. Page 11

12 Pastor s Pen by Steve Wellman The Discipline of Devotion {A Meditation Honoring Holy Saturday, March 31 st, Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24} Holy Week for most churches is represented by a Good Friday service and sometimes a Maundy Thursday service. The majority of churches have dropped back to only one service. Some don't recognize Holy Week at all, and most have never heard of Holy Saturday, much less acknowledge it. This is a shame because for centuries Holy Saturday was seen as the vital bridge between Good Friday and Easter morning. If Maundy Thursday honors the Last Supper and Good Friday honors Jesus on the cross, then what does Holy Saturday honor? One might say that Holy Saturday represents the entirety of our lives. It is the in-between time. On the one side is the work of Jesus and on the other side is the anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face again. The middle part involves waiting. Have you ever wondered what the disciples were doing on the Saturday before Easter? Consider that for them this was the Sabbath. This was their sacred day of rest set aside for prayer, meditation, and quiet reflection. What kind of prayer in the Old Testament would the disciples have looked to for guidance and direction? Lamentations 3 is a passage often read on Holy Saturday. Listen to the words of this prayer. I've been brought into darkness without any light. I am besieged with tribulation. I am walled about so that I cannot escape. My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. This prayer captures the mentality of traumatized grief. It reaches for God in the darkness. (Continued on page 11) The News of New Hope New Hope United Methodist Church 200 East New Hope Road Goldsboro, NC Pastor: Rev. Stephen M. Wellman Music Director: Hope Porter Secretary: Janice Rouse: janice0315@gmail.com Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 am - 1 pm One to the Power of One. NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID GOLDSBORO, NC PERMIT 401 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Give this year to Jesus as a gift: March-the gift of teaching.