Phillips UMC Connection 1 Phillips United Methodist Church Connection. A bimonthly newsletter for members and friends July/August 2015 Issue #4

Transcription

1 Phillips UMC Connection 1 Phillips United Methodist Church Connection A bimonthly newsletter for members and friends / 2015 Issue #4 Pastor Loretta Waughtal Office: 115 Center Avenue Phillips, WI Church: Parsonage: Cell: lewaughtal@msn.com Upcoming Events Pastor s Sabbath Every Friday Collection for Food Pantry First Sunday of month 6 PPRC meeting, 6 pm 8 Tears of Love Ministry, grief support presentation at St. John s Lutheran Church, 7 p.m. 9 Worship at Pleasant View, 10:15 a.m. and Regency, 11 a.m. 19 Ad Council, after worship Ecumenical VBS 25 Welcome celebration for new District Superintendent, Forrest Wells, Stevens Point, 10 a.m. 3-7 VIM trip to UM Children s Services and Transitional Living Program in Milwaukee 18 Circuit Meeting, Rhinelander, 1 pm Continuing the Conversation 26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go over to this chariot and join it. 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, Do you understand what you are reading? Acts 8:26-30 NRSV We are well into summer, as I write this letter it is nearly time to turn the calendar page from June to. I find summer tends to put me in a contemplative mood as I get outside more, try to plant something new (this year I am attempting to grow an herb garden outside the parsonage), and watch life grow and change. It is also a time when I refocus my prayer life (yes, even pastors can lose focus from time to time). One of my favorite ways to get refocused in prayer is to pray the Scriptures. Praying the Scriptures is like reading a love letter from a dearly beloved person. When you get a letter from a person who has a special place in your heart, you don t just skim it and quickly set it aside, you savor it, you try to enter that person s presence through the page. When praying the Scripture you don t have to worry about getting it right in terms of form, or language, or even the amount of time spent praying. Think about it, how can there be a right or a wrong way to express our love for God? As we honestly spend time with God, God will help us find expressions for our love as we practice praying Scripture and living into our time with God. When praying the Scriptures, listen for what God has to say to you personally through the text and allow it to shape what you want to say to God. Using the above passage from Acts 8:26-30 as an example you might find two prayers speaking to you. In the story, Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch as he responds to a prompting by the Holy Spirit. You might ask yourself, what prompting have I sensed recently that suggested I go to someone or some place or undertake some activity that I had not thought of? As the story continues, Philip reveals that the scroll the eunuch holds tells him his own future as a baptized Christian. The prayer might continued on page 3

2 Phillips UMC Connection 2 Trustees Update So far in 2015 the trustees have been active. We have been working on getting the kitchen counters installed and a cost estimate on the church bell tower. We hope to have the counters completed very soon and the bell tower this fall, if we have enough funds to do it. We had a very successful work day in May and thanks to out to all those who participated. A door was installed in the basement, flower beds were weeded, flowers were planted and transplanted, the downstairs storage areas were cleaned out, the kitchen was purged of unneeded items, and gutters were cleaned on the parsonage. Due to poor weather planned painting was not completed but hopefully will be completed this summer as weather permits. Other plans are to install a low voltage lighting system for the back door entrance area and ramp. The city of Phillips will be working on Beebe and Center Streets sewer and water and there are hopes that we can install new connectors to the church and parsonage at the same time. Anyone want to help with this funding? Have a great summer. Dave Olson, trustee chair Vacation Bible School in Phillips This year s Vacation Bible School theme is SCUBA: Super Cool Undersea Bible Adventure. Each day will focus on a different Bible point. SCUBA focuses on one key biblical concept that is reinforced each day through stories, songs, hands-on activities and Bible verses. Each day kids will learn something new about how we can have a relationship with God. Day 1: Believe in God. Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal. Day 2: Obey God. Jonah disobeys God. Day 3: Trust God. Jesus calms the storm. Day 4: Love God and Share God s Love. Jesus appears to his followers as they fish. On Thursday we will go to the nursing home and perform the songs we learned during the week. The ecumenical VBS will run from 20 through 23 at St. Therese Catholic Church, 8 11:30 a.m. Registration fee is $5 per child for the community service project. This year proceeds will go toward purchasing toys for children in need. Kyrstin Gabay is the contact person from our church if you have questions. Registration forms are in the church study. Grief Support Offered at St. John s Dennis Miller from Tears of Love Ministry in Eau Claire will share his personal story of grief through the death of his daughter. As he shares his story he will also share the faith that has given him strength. A time of fellowship will follow. This presentation will take place at St. John s Lutheran Church at 7 p.m. Worship at Phillips Scripture Readers 5 Greg Potter, Tim Cress 12 Jake Lemke, Josh Lemke 19 Steve Willett, Gail Redmond 26 Brent Edwards, Steve Japuntich 2 Amy & Jed Miller 9 Julie Olson, Myron Hrad 16 Michelle Edwards, Ben Edwards 23 Joel Nyberg, Carolyn Mealman 30 Amanda Kadlecek, Annette Gernaey Ushers/Greeters 5: Gary & Deb Kadlecek 12: Gary & Deb Kadlecek 19: Kathy Schilling 26: Barb Mabie & Bette Thorpe Aug. 2: open Aug. 9: open Aug. 16: open Aug. 23: Sally Huml Aug. 30: Barb Mabie & Bette Thorpe Altar Committee Duane & Sherry Barnet Kathy Schilling

3 Phillips UMC Connection 3 Conversation continued be to discover what has God already given you to help you deal with the questions of your heart? What power, what insight, what relationships do you already possess? As you settle into the passage, let it speak to you and try to listen to the words and beyond the words to something that is coming to you from God s heart. Scripture can give you metaphors to express what you had not known how to express before, it can give shape to your prayers. As you begin praying the Scriptures, you might find lectio divina (divine reading), a helpful four-step process in leading you into a habit of praying the Scriptures. First, read the text several times, listening for an attention-getting word, phrase or image. Next, meditate or reflect on the word, phrase, or image, really trying to squeeze every bit of insight and meaning out of the text. Third, allow the word or phrase to shape the direction of your prayer maybe praying for someone else, maybe praying for yourself, maybe just listening in the stillness of God anything prompted by what you have experienced in the Scripture reading. Finally, contemplate. Simply let go of any effort to do anything but to rest in God s presence, to be quiet. Don t think of lectio divina as a rigidly inflexible process, it s very flexible. We can be quite serious about spending time with God in prayer, but in lectio divina there is a certain relaxing of our effort to do something. It is like we are being led; the word or phrase that surfaces leads us into prayer. I personally find it helpful to have a simple notebook handy to begin writing my thoughts and let them flow into prayer. I know other people who like to sketch images from their time with God and let that lead them in their prayer. There are as many possibilities as there are people. If you wonder where to begin, a favorite, meaningful passage is a good place to start. Approach it in a new way. The familiar is both wonderfully familiar and familiar in a way that can prevent you from seeing the depth. Spend some time with it in a different way; maybe take your Bible outside in the midst of God s wondrous creation or to a public place in the midst of every day life. Another way is to begin with Psalm 1 and slowly pray through the psalms. The psalms are our human prayers to God at the same time they are God s words to us. Others might choose a favorite book of the Bible or follow along with the annual lectionary. You can find the lectionary passages on the wall calendar in the church study. Whatever the Scripture, take small portions, not more than 10 verses. One of the keys to praying the Scriptures is not to stuff yourself with them, but to savor them, taking small bites. When beginning this venture be realistic about the time available. Quaker theologian, Douglas Steere advises, pray as you can, not as you cannot. For example, a parent with young children should not try to set aside an hour at 7 a.m. Look at your life and commitments, that is your actual rule of life. Your prayer should honor that. Maybe it s 10 minutes. While you chew your breakfast cereal or your toast, chew on a psalm. It s not multi-tasking; it s uniting the spiritual with the physical. God can take a small offering and turn it into abundance. You may find yourself desiring to offer more and finding ways to give it. You might find a way over time to spend a half hour savoring Scripture in prayer. This is a practice that should nourish us and not drain us. The key is to place ourselves in an inner posture where we can hear God tell us again and again how much God loves us. I hope you will join me in refocusing your prayer life and share your experience with me. God bless you as you seek to know and love God fully! Pastor Loretta

4 Phillips UMC Connection 4 Stewardship News Giving is a form of praise. Praise God s glorious name; bring an offering and come into his Temple. Psalm 96:8 It s summer time and the ice cream carts are starting to make their rounds. In some places the vendors are on motorized carts, others use push carts and some ride bikes. All of them are eventually surrounded by excited patrons of all ages looking for a cool treat. Is ice cream a need or a want? That is the question late at night when I want something cool and sweet, but it s the last thing I need! Ice cream isn t the only temptation we face as summer begins to emerge. Vacations, graduations, family reunions, picnics with family and friends all call for extra travel and special food items. With these pressures and temptations we may be wondering how we can be faithful stewards, especially in these tough economic times. Each of us has to answer this question in our own way. What is God calling us to give? Praising God is something we all NEED to do as Christians to feed our souls. We need to continue praising God through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness even as the temptations of summer abound. As you consider your gifts, choose an amount to dedicate in praise to God that allows you to feel at peace. Choose a regular amount of 1%, 3%, 5%, 8%, or 10% and offer that gift first, before you buy extra treats this summer. If you re preparing for a vacation this summer, even if you re staying a lot closer to home than usual, consider this: It s a lot easier to send your offering to the church before you go on vacation than to come up with two Sundays worth when you get back. If you give it to God first to say thank you for the opportunity to go on vacation, you ll have a sense of the peace that comes from following the Great Commandment Jesus gave that we should love God FIRST with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. Announcing: Stewardship Training Events co-sponsored by the Foundation STEWARDSHIP MATTERS: Inspiring Kingdom Investors to Give Toward the Mission on Friday, 17 th at Trinity Church Beaver Dam, 9:30 am 4 pm Led by Jason Moore and Jean Nicholas Register at STEWARDSHIP RETREAT Pine Lake Camp, MID-YEAR MINI RETREAT Wausau First, October 24 Visit the United Methodist Foundation website for a preview, and for the registration link. For more information, call us at or An Attitude of Gratitude Being grateful is a way to control toxic stress. Try something for the next month: Either journal or share verbally with another person what you are grateful for each day and end your day with a prayer of gratitude. When we end our day with a focus on our gratitude, we tend to sleep better, with more REM cycles (Rapid Eye Movement) and less unwanted wake ups. A good night s sleep is essential to good health, and good health is important for a good life. It is said that even on a bad day there is something good. However, we need to get rid of the ANTS (automatic negative thoughts) to see the good. Finding a way to share our gratitude helps us remove the ANTS from our brain, giving us greater power over our fears, anxieties, bitterness and insomnia. It helps us build enthusiasm and more joyful, positive relationships. Intentionally focusing on our gratitude helps us to see the hidden gift even in the hard times. The Serenity Prayer can also help on sleepless nights: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Wisconsin UM Foundation 750 Windsor St. Suite 305, Sun Prairie WI Local:(608) , Toll Free:(888) , Fax:(608) wumf@wumf.org

5 Phillips UMC Connection 5 Remember to pick up your Upper Room devotional. There is a donation box next to the devotionals to help cover the cost. Requested donation is $.50 for regular and $1 for large print edition to help cover the cost of the subscription. Happy Birthday! 1 Paul Heidenreich Jim Koci 3 Tyler Lemke 6 Cody Lind 10 Mataya Eckert 12 Allen Nyberg 13 Carolyn Mealman 14 Colton Caldwell 17 Tim Waughtal 20 Sherry Barnet 23 Annabelle Cress 27 Bette Thorpe 28 Gail Redmond 29 Kirsten Olson Tiffany Potter 3 Tanner Miller 6 Gretchen Podhora 10 Marilyn Hamilton Jody Podmolik Greg Potter 17 Addie Gabay 23 Joel Nyberg 24 Nick Gabay 30 Amy Miller Happy Anniversary! 16 Jim & Holly Koci 24 Allen & Jeanne Nyberg 6 Dave & Julie Olson 12 Dennis & Vicki Lemke 17 Tom & Alice Balsis 25 David & Donna Lind Newsletter Deadline Our next newsletter will come out the first part of September. Please submit your committee reports and other news to Pastor L by Aug. 23. You can leave your news items in the church office newsletter mail slot, mail it to 141 Center Ave., Phillips, WI 54555, or lewaughtal@msn.com. You participation is needed for the newsletter to be really useful Waters of Life As a geyser gushes forth, so we are born into life. As a bubbly, rippling rivulet, so we are carefree youngsters, going upstream. As we immerse ourselves in a sea of studies, so we gain in knowledge. As a babbling brook rushing to a river, so our feet carry us blindly over rocks on our way to be free. As we navigate the rapids of a mountain stream, so we find a mate, children, family, a mission. As the ebbs and flows of the oceans, so are the joys of success and sorrows of defeat. As the cascading torrents of a waterfall, so our celebrations, anniversaries, reunions overflow. As the steady drumbeat of raindrops on the roof, so we pass mid-life and head downstream. As a calm mirrored lake, so we reflect our memories and many blessings. As a geyser disappears within the Earth, so our bodies return to dust. Carolyn Mealman

6 Phillips United Methodist Church Phillips UMC Connection Center Avenue Phillips, WI Mission News Support Our Missionary Don t forget about our little white mission church sitting in the back of the sanctuary. The church has a picture of Paul Webster and Andrew, taken the day of their visit to us a couple of years ago as they updated us on their mission work. The church also has a reminder on it that, as a church, we have committed to help support the mission work of Paul in Africa. If we will all put $5 in the church bank during the month of our birthday it will go a long way in helping to meet our obligation to Rev. Webster. If you would like to read more about Paul s ministry you can access his newsletters on the Wisconsin Conference Web site at: then look under the Missions tab; or you can like his Facebook page. Paul has recently posted a video to the Facebook page that gives you a tour of the agriculture center. Some images from Mujila Falls Agricultural Centre Facebook page