~~~ APRIL 2018 ~~~ First UMC s Mission Statement To love God and neighbor and be a voice of hope. VISIT US AT CHURCH

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1 First United Methodist Church 144 Cedar Street, Corning, NY (office) / (fax) ~~~ APRIL 2018 ~~~ fumchurch@stny.rr.com Web Site: Com. Center: First UMC s Mission Statement To love God and neighbor and be a voice of hope. VISIT US AT CHURCH Sunday Worship 10:00 AM Sunday School during worship Adult Forum after worship Office Hours: Monday Thursday 1:00 4:00 PM Please note that the office is closed one afternoon a week. It is usually Friday, but can vary from week to week OUR STAFF: Pastor: Rev. Constance Seifert Organist: Amy Smaldone Administrative Assistant: Kathy Scudder Treasurer: Cheryl Howitt Custodian: Mel McLaughlin

2 1 A Starfish Parable (based on The Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley) A young girl went for a walk on the beach after a terrible storm. There were thousands of starfish stranded with no way to get back to the sea. It was inevitable that they would die. Except that this young girl started picking them up, one at a time, and hurling them back into the sea where they needed to be in order to stay alive. Other people were hanging out on this beach. They watched the girl s efforts with amusement. One adult finally confronted her. Young lady, can t you see how many starfish there are on this beach? Literally thousands! You cannot save them all. You can t begin to make a difference. She sighed and looked at the endless beach filled with dying starfish. Then she bent over, picked up another one and hurled it into the sea, saying, I made a difference to that one! Other people heard her response and one by one, others began to follow her example. Before the sun could cause a single starfish to die, they had all been hurled back into the sea where they needed to be in order to stay alive. The problems of this world can seem overwhelming and impossible to solve - like facing the dilemma of the thousands of starfish dying on the beach. It is also easy to feel alone in this world, even when surrounded by people - like the young girl must have felt when she first surveyed the starfish filled beach. And this story makes it sound simple to solve the impossible and to create a supportive, constructive community where all can stay alive. Some days it is simple and everything falls together for a happy ending like the parable above. But not every day. It is good to remember that simplistic potential on days when problems are overwhelming and impossible; at times when we do feel abandoned and alone. If nature abhors a vacuum, Christ abhors a vagueness. If God is love, Christ is love for this one person, this one place, this one time-bound and time-ravaged self. Christian Wiman, My Bright Abyss I always wonder about whether or not it is wise for Jesus to go off to rescue 1 lost lamb while leaving the 99 to fend for themselves. But then I remember being like that lost lamb and how grateful I felt when someone rescued me and carried me back to rejoin the flock. I have had days of dying helplessly on the beach of life, and someone saw my dilemma and did something that hurled me back into the sea of a loving community where I needed to be in order to stay alive. If we want to make a difference, it is probably not going to be that hard to find something simple that we can do. If we want to make the world a friendlier, more life-affirming place to be, it is probably not going to take a lot of time to do something that matters to someone. A smile and a hello, a hug and time spent together, a meal prepared and shared, all sorts of simple ways to notice the lost lambs and dying starfish of our world - to let others help us when we are the lost and dying. Let s focus on the now and do something, instead of worrying about the things we can t change or obsessing over what might happen! Let s respond to the particular details of the people around us and do something, instead of worrying we might do the wrong thing. Let s speak to one individual at a time (this might even mean talking to ourselves in a mirror) in a way that affirms that they/we are worthwhile, in words and deeds that confirm they/we are not alone. Shalom, Pastor Connie

3 MEMBER NEWS 2 April Birthdays 4/3 Joanne Jones 4/5 Ryan Beall 4/10 David Arkin 4/12 Carol Allan 4/14 Hope Corneau 4/20 Deborah Beall 4/20 Bruce Peffley 4/21 Chuck Baldwin 4/26 Krysta Bernhardt 4/26 Elaina Finger 4/27 Jonathan Howitt Easter Celebration April 1, 10:00 Worship Service Anniversaries 4/10 Clint & Lois Janes EASTER FLOWERS The church is asking that those wanting to provide Easter flowers for the altar, to please order the flowers themselves through a florist of your choice. In the past the types of flowers that have been placed on the altar include lilies, tulips and hyacinths. The plants will need to be delivered to the church by Thursday, March 29. If using House of Flowers in Corning, they have a key and can deliver on Holy Saturday. Please fill out the form below and return to the office by March 26. I will be ordering an Easter plant for the altar. Your Name & Phone In Honor Of In Memory Of

4 EVENTS HERE & AROUND TOWN 3 RELIGION & SCIENCE This FORUM is open to people of all denominations, all faiths, and no faith, who are interested in the interplay of science and religion and in their impact on our lives, our environment, and the world's problems. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month, October through June, 7:00-8:30pm, in the church library. The next Religion & Science forum will be held on April rd ANNUAL ETHNIC POTLUCK Wednesday, April 18 th Brief Meeting at 5:00; Dinner at 5:30 First United Methodist Church This will be our third annual Ethnic Potluck Dinner at First United Methodist Church. We will be doing the Ethnic Potluck in place of Munch & Mingle this month. Bring a dish to pass an ethnic choice would be great and please have the ingredients listed. Plan to stay after the meal for a rollicking round of Interfaith Jeopardy hosted by Imam Zaman. Please let us know how many will be coming by Monday, April 16th. That way we will know how many tables and chairs need to be set up. Reservations may be made by leaving a message at the church, or sending an message to the church at fumchurch@stny.rr.com. VALLEY FOLK CONCERTS Matthew Byrne Sunday April 22, at 2 PM Matthew Byrne s music has traveled well beyond the rugged shores of this Newfoundland home since his 2010 debut CD, Ballads. His second, Hearts & Heroes (2015) won Traditional Recording of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, establishing him as one of Canada s most authentic and vital traditional voices. His third CD, Horizon Lines (2017) is a collection of unique traditional songs from both sides of the Atlantic, exploring his musical lineage. Born into a family of Newfoundland music makers, he knows how to weave a great story with a beautiful melody and he supports this tradition with powerful vocals, polished guitar work, and a presence that fills the room. His repertoire transcends time and place and his live performance reminds us how satisfying traditional songs can be when stripped down to their basic elements. Brian Peters Saturday May 5, at 7:30 PM Brian Peters is a compelling singer, a first-rate squeeze- box player and skilled guitarist. He is one of England s best Anglo-concertina players and is just as good on melodeon, while he s also internationally known as a leading performer of the great Child ballads. Although best known for traditional folk songs and lively English dance music, Brian s act is full of variety, delivered with energy and dry humour. A singer, guitarist and melodeon player of rare ability. one of the very best performers in the field of English traditional song and music. --Dirty Linen (USA)

5 4 The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed by Bart D. Ehrman, Ph. D., Chapel Hill, NC I used this book when we studied Judas as part of Lent - but I can t remember which year that was. Judas remains one of the most intriguing characters in Jesus story. In the Gospel of Mark which we have focused on this year, no reason is given for his betrayal. Judas goes to the Jewish authorities after Jesus is anointed by the unnamed woman at the house of Simon the Leper. He takes no money. And, not a word is said about what happens to him after the betrayal. He simply disappears. All we have to understand who Judas was are Jesus words of warning at the Last Supper. My version of those words: One of you will betray me tonight. He will wish he had never been born. (Mark 14:18-20) The lost Gospel of Judas gives a different version of events. Judas is Jesus trusted confidant. Everything he does, including the betrayal, is done with Jesus knowledge and blessing. It is a Gnostic gospel and understands our world much differently than our biblical gospels. An overview of this curious gospel is included in this book. You ll meet a very different Jesus and Judas. Dr. Ehrman spends all of Chapters Nine and Ten answering the question, Who Was Judas Iscariot? We do not have any eyewitness accounts to Judas s activities. Our earliest Christian source, the apostle Paul, never mentions Judas. The Gospels of the New Testament are therefore our earliest accounts. Usually, in the Bible, a person s name gives a hint about who they are, where they come from. Poor people did not have last names and common first names like Mary would have made individual identification impossible without a label. Mary Magdalene means Mary came from the town of Magdala. Mary the mother of Jesus gives another Mary an obvious and unique identity. There are many theories about what Iscariot might mean but nothing conclusive. So who was Judas Iscariot? Judas was referred to as one of the twelve meaning someone chosen and called by Jesus himself. The number 12 was symbolic - the 12 original tribes of Israel who made up the original Kingdom of Israel. Judas is by all accounts one of the twelve. Therefore he and Jesus had to have had something in common. Ehrman takes a closer look at who Jesus was in order to ferret out some speculative details about who Judas was. For nearly a century now, the majority of critical scholars working in this field have maintained that the best way to understand the historical Jesus is to situate him within the Jewish context of his own time, and to see him as a Jewish apocalyptic prophet. Jewish apocalypticists maintained that there were two forces at work in this world, the forces of good aligned with God and the forces of evil aligned with his personal enemy, Satan....If critical scholars are right that Jesus was a Jewish apocalypticists, then he, like other Jews of his time and place, maintained that the end was imminent, the forces of evil were soon to be overthrown, and God would soon set up a good Kingdom on earth. Would Jesus be the King of this Kingdom? Who would the leaders of this new Kingdom? None other than the 12? Well, that was the original thinking. For more intriguing, thought provoking details, read the book. For Dr. Ehrman s latest work, check out this interview:

6 VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE Below is a list of those scheduled to help with Sunday morning ministries. If you are interested and able to help out in any of these ministries, please contact the church office. If you would like to donate the flowers or bulletins, please contact the church office. LITURGIST USHERS FINANCIAL RECORDERS FLOWERS BULLETINS 1 st Dianne Roe Judy Pittman No Counters Easter Plants 8 th Jerry Wright Ray Leinen 1. Cheryl Howitt 2. Anne Leinen 15 th Cheryl Howitt John Helfinstine 1. Judy Pittman 2. Cheryl Howitt 22 nd Jan Harve George Beall 1. Hope Corneau 2. Kate Gerwig 29 th Elaina Finger Ray Leinen 1. Anne Leinen 2. Cheryl Howitt

7 APRIL 2018 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 Food Pantry :00 Easter Worship 6:30 Boy Scout Comm, CL 7:00 Chapter, PO 3:00 Cheerleader Banquet, G :00 Jerulli Recital, :00 Blue & Gold Banquet, G/CL/K Dance, 3 rd Fl 23 12:00 Hope Cem. Assoc. L 7:00 Religion & Science Forum, L :00 MOW, CL :00 STIC, CL 5:30 Ethnic Potluck Supper, CL 6:30Trustees, L 6:30 Finance, PO :00 Jerulli Recital, Valley Folk Concert, S 29 Newsletter Deadline 30 S = Sanctuary L = Library CL = Cheney Lounge PO = Pastor Office