T h e to m b i s e m p t y n o w w h a t?

Transcription

1 May 2017 [ on-line edition ] T h e to m b i s e m p t y n o w w h a t? We sing Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! on Easter morning. Then what? I wonder how the truth we sing inside the walls of the church becomes embodied in our everyday lives? Alleluia or Hallelujah comes from an ancient Hebrew worship service. In the 4 th century, St. Jerome wrote that the very ceilings of the houses of worship were o en shaken with the reverbera ng Hallelujahs when believers sang their praises to God (according to Osbeck in 101 Hymn Stories). Of course he s also quoted as no ng: You could not go into the fields but that you hear the ploughman s hallelujahs, the mower s hymns, the vinedresser s chant of the Psalms of David. (In Primi ve Chris anity) That was a long me ago, when faith was the soundtrack of our days. Nowadays, how do we overhear ourselves proclaiming our faith? How do we keep faith on our lips for others to hear? The world finds itself in the midst of death oppression, violence, greed, despair and it needs to hear from those of us who have made it through the crucifixion and the empty tomb and now celebrate resurrec on on the other side. They need to hear the hum of hope. They need to be surprised by the melodies of new life in the fields of our current contexts business, educa on, neighborhoods. Last month, I shared Robert Jones obituary for White Chris an America (WCA) the grieving is well underway for our 240-year old beloved religious tradi on that was a cultural force. But now, its descendants must learn how to live again when the church, as we ve known it, no longer exists. We must find a way for faith to echo throughout ever corner of our lives. The community of faith will no doubt look very different for us as the descendants of that church. Not a lot is known about how it will look. We are headed beyond the safety of the sidewalk paved for us by others. We re stepping carefully, risking our way forward. There s a lot of uncertainty. As the Lay Leadership team works to call leaders for the next year, it some mes feels like we re trying to staff the old model of WCA even as we recognize it s no more. So we keep praying ourselves open to the spirit s movement amongst us. We keep listening for the sounds of Alleluias. We commit ourselves again to being those whose lives sing to being the body of Christ for the world. For as Steve Garnaas-Holmes writes: this is why Jesus was raised not in his body but ours. (See his en re poem on the back page) Shalom, Kelly

2 2 T M M Special health concerns: Be y E, Bob F, knee replacement, Janet G, radia on treatment began 4/26, John M, rotator cuff surgery, Barbara M s brother-in-law, Jim, Jeff J & Phyllis R. May 6 Pat James & Diane McIntosh May 11 Erin & Eddie Sanchez Edie Buckley - East Village Marilyn Burns -LifeCare, Wilbraham Dottie Barnes - Birch Manor, Chicopee Dot Buzelle - Redstone Janet Gagnon - E.L. Skilled Nursing Joan Kearns Wells Country Village, Vernon CT Ruby Waide - Orchard Valley, Wilbr. Paul Willer - Reeds Landing Jesus said to visit the sick, care for the widow, the refugee, the orphan, for by doing so, you do so to him. Make time to visit these people (drop by for no more than 15 minutes). Listen if they need an ear. If they're too tired to talk tell them something about what s going on in your life. Thank them for spending time with you & tell them the church continues to hold them in prayer. Let them get on with their day. Hi All, I miss you all so much and think of you o en. I have learned a new cra, book folding. I hope you all had a very Happy Easter! Fondly, Eileen Brogan Dear ELUMC & Theda Thank you for your nice Easter card. I really smiled. I love surprises and your smile card is wonderful. Happy Easter, Ruby Waide A BIG THANKS to soup makers, bread bakers, and all who par cipated in the Mission Shares markets so far this year. Together we've raised nearly $300 for the cause. The marketplace will resume again on the second Sunday of the month starting in October. Meanwhile, there are more ways to help support church mission work. These include purchasing photo notecards (made by Theda Cornbower and available upstairs in the social hall), making a contribu on to Mission Shares through ELUMC, and/ or simply collec ng loose change for the fund. Again, thanks for your con nued generosity! Vance Gagnon Spring is all about fresh greens. Neil Pomeroy has a farm at 244 Hampden Road with great greens and vegetables. And we know from his help with our Farm series years ago that he grows food naturally, using the best organic methods. You can buy a farm share (scan cvalleycsa.org) or drop by his farm stand. Buy local. A wide range of flavors are available in a variety of sizes including cupcakes. Best of all, sales benefit mission shares. Please see Vance Gagnon for more details. Thank you! N?

3 T M M 3 The Reconciling Team invites members of the church to march with us in the Pride Parade in Northampton on May 6th at noon. This is a family friendly event, so children are more than welcome. The parade route is a li le over a mile and is rela vely flat. Depending on how many people are interested, we will determine if we will meet at the site or at the church. If people are interested or would like more informa on, please contact Vera Denyko.. V B S J :00-8:00 pm Discover the quali es that make us truly heroic in God. Help Wanted: Group Leaders/Helpers, Nursery Attendants, Security, Photographers, Registration Helpers, Bible Story Cast Members, and more! For more informa on contact: Laura Kinney at meanielk21@yahoo.com or Registra on is open for children ages 3-11 at: h p://2017.cokesburyvbs.com/elumc2017/ Kick-off Planning Event May 3, 7 The Hutchinsons May 13, :00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Along with the crafts, we will have snacks and a grilled menu for sale. Come and join us for a great day of fellowship! Volunteers needed for Friday night set-up, Saturday greeters & Saturday clean up. Sign up sheet on bulleting board or contact Scott. Joint Service June 11 with St. Marks Episcopal Church & the Congrega onal UCC with Picnic & Softball game to follow at the town field. Sign up for so ball with Gary Conz or at the church office. Come join us for the weekend, 1 night or 1 day. No Tent? No problem we ve got plenty. The campground has a pool, wading pool, playground, horseshoe pit, etc All Ages Welcome! For more informa on please contact Rick Hutchinson. M

4 4 T M M H E The Children s choir rockin to the closing hymn, Day of Arising. A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers reminded us of the importance of Jesus stories to make us float, shout out, reach out to others, escape trials, and imagine something en rely new. On Easter Saturday, the town congrega ons came together to light the new fire. Check out the ELUMC Facebook page for our runner Joan McGowan. S M The Singles group celebrated St. Patrick s Day at their March mee ng with corned beef and all the fixins. At the April mee ng, the group decided to change their name to Singles and More since the mee ngs and pot luck dinners are open to all. Last month, since the Singles mee ng was right before the Trustee mee ng, Fred Gagnon, Pastor Kelly, Paul Kinney and Carol Johnston joined the group. The next potluck dinner will take place on Tuesday, May 9 th at 6:00 p.m. All are invited to come join the Singles and More group for food, fun, and conversa on.

5 T M M 5 L L Thanks to all who were able to come to the Ladies Luncheon on Tuesday, April 18. Pa y Ryan would like to personally thank Laurie & Gary Conz, Kaitlin Leveille, Liz Gelinas & Pastor Kelly for providing and serving the luncheon, and a special thanks to Jim Harris for providing the music. Save the date for our next Ladies Luncheon, April 25, 2018 at 11:00 am. Everyone enjoyed ge ng together and sharing a great meal. Clockwise from right: Marilyn Richards, Ruth Owen, Carol Derouin, Diane Ferguson, Edie Buckley. & Julie Dunlop Louise House, Diane Ferguson, Marilyn & Barbara Burns. Kids helped serve the ladies: Caroline C., Reese L., Theodore & Ivy G. Carol Johnston, Marilyn Richards and Ruth Owen. Theodore helps Pa y Ryan serve lunch to Theda Cornbower and Dot Photos by Kelly Turney

6 6 T M M F H - L F Every Wednesday, people men, women, and children receive a hot lunch at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Springfield. Some are homeless, most are families trying to make ends meet. Today, April 19th, the hungry people who gathered received mac-n-cheese with ham and broccoli, salad and bread delivered by Vance Gagnon a er it was lovingly prepared upstairs by a small crew including Vance, Fred, Denise and her 10-year old grandson (youth and children are welcome and can be ever so helpful Denise says). EVERY 3rd Wednesday of the month, ELUMC is responsible for providing that meal. At 8:30ish a group gathers in our kitchen to cook up whatever recipe Denise Forgue has planned. The Open Pantry staff, the organiza on who organizes the Loaves and Fishes meals, tells us that our meals are a hit and some of their favorites are our chicken cacciatore, lasagna, lazy tacos, and shepherds pie. The mac-n-cheese recipe for today was an easier to fix meal when the volunteer crew is too small to chop and prep the other favorites. This ministry has been happening for many years under different names Our Place, Loaves & Fishes, Open Pantry at various downtown loca ons. Years ago Pat Kipetz ran the crew and it included folks like Joyce Horner, Ray Klemme, and Edie Buckley. More recently, it s included Louise House, Pa y Ryan, John & Carol Dunlop, Vern and Theda Cornbower, and John Cochran. It o en includes friends of members and friends of friends it s a great way to make the world a slightly be er, more compassionate place. And lots of folks want to help out whether they belong to another church or to any faith community. We ve always had a good crew of cooks led by a mighty leader who did the heavy li ing of planning and shopping with another group of volunteers from an Accoun ng firm who met us at the dinning room to assist us in serving our yummy eats. But now, many of our regulars are no more and the Accoun ng firm is no longer available, so we need help to be able to provide this vital meal. Here s how you can help. Summer is coming and it s a great me for those who usually work on Wednesdays to get involved. of the month, meet the crew from 8:30-11 to chop, prep, cook, li, and package the meal for travel. IF you re short on me but don t mind cleaning show up at 10:30-11:00 to help wash the pans and return the kitchen to its pristine condi on. you can help transport and serve the meal from 11-1 (or just meet at the Cathedral at noon to serve). It s a very organized, quick system to provide meals and it takes less than an hour to feed everyone. IF you don t have me on one Wednesday morning a month, how about buying pasta for the meal? They use 20lbs of Rigatoni/ Ziti every month they request name brand pasta with lines on them rather than generic brands that don t hold up to baking like Walmart or other store brands that just get mushy. Or you can be a shopper of meats. The Cornbowers o en bought the chicken at Arnolds and with their upcoming move back to Pennsylvania, there s an opening for a meat buyer. IF you can t be a buyer, you can s ll help with a dona on toward the food. Put Loaves & Fishes on your giving envelope or on the memo line of check. Let Denise Forgue know of your interest and she ll get you started ( or mems5luvs@gmail.com) It s a very small me commitment with a very big pay off.

7 T M M 7 We are honoring and remembering our Moms this Mother s Day with a dona on to RMN (Reconciling Ministries Network) - RMN has been giving voice to parents working for the rights of their children for over 20 years through the Parents Reconciling Network. The charged quality of her voice stays with me still. Sitting across the table from me was a mother with a story of pain, anger and heartbreak. She told of ten agonizing years separated from her gay son as she tried to follow the church s teaching about homosexuality. She was advised by one pastor to turn her back on her son and his sin un l he repented. Another told her to love the sinner but hate the sin. She tried to hate one while loving the other but it got all mixed up she said. Her son, always a deeply religious boy growing up, le the church and struggled alone with how to be spiritual without family or church community. This pained her deeply. In the end, she felt cut off from her son, her church and her God. That is, un l she found a welcoming congrega on-a place where she was encouraged to read the Scriptures for herself, allowed to prayerfully seek God s answers for her life through Bible study and living in community with others, and offered safe space to journey together with her son to seek God s truth and accept God s grace. Her joy at having found such a place was overwhelming. It brought her and her son closer to God, closer to each other, and closer to her church community. -Kelly Turney in Shaping Sanctuary Spring Series May 7 - Bread for the journey / holy communion May 14 - Mothers Day - Risky Iden ty / Kim Ketcham preaching with Vera Denyko celebra on of all those who mother. Mother's Day offering for Reconciling Ministries Network honors all mothering types who create safe spaces for their children May 21 - Untamed Faith / Education & Choir Celebration May 28 - Three-legged race Jun. 4 - Pentecost / Music Educa on Workshop & Carrington Scholarship Luncheon Jun Joint Congrega on Church at the Rotary with St. Mark's Episcopal / So ball game for Wesley Trophy following Summer worship series: Country Roads guitars, rural wisdom & a God who will goose you. In June, we'll journey with Tex Sample into honkytonks, heartaches, and the earthy spirituality of those who find God in the ordinary and seamy. Send in your favorite country song of faithful living and we'll play it during worship. July 2 - Hero central where the sidewalk ends join us for unpaved adventures into the unexpected life of discipleship July 9 - David Calhoun, District Superintendent preaching July At Partridge Hollow Campground All-Church Camping Adventure with Sunday morning worship around the campfire. July 16 - Tom & Joan McGowan preaching in the sanctuary. In August - our services move to the evening on the front lawn; bring your own lawn chair.

8 East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2 East Longmeadow, MA a reconciling congrega on Address Service Requested T SAFE SANCTUARIES. THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE 10:00 a.m. Worship & Church School (pre-schoolers through Grade 5) Professional child care is provided for Cribs & Creepers / Toddlers & Twos. 11:15 a.m. Fellowship Time For the on-line church calendar follow this link: The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. This is why Jesus has been raised from the dead: to give us his Spirit. This is how Jesus has been raised from the dead: not in his own body now but ours: we, the Body of the risen Christ. God now sends us as Jesus, to forgive. When we forgive, all are set free. When we retain sins we are stuck with them, the burden ours as much as theirs. But we are Spirit, sent to be free, and to set free. Breathe in all judgment. Breathe out God's grace. God breathes us into the world, grace-filled and free. Breathe deeply, and go. Steve Garnaas-Holmes Father s Day June 18, 2017 In honor or memory of our fathers and other important men in our lives this coming Fathers' Day, our church will be raising funds to support the Pioneer Valley Free Health Service a clinic founded in our Fellowship Hall and that continues to be fathered by several of our members including Bill Johnston, Paul Kinney, Vance Gagnon and Steve & Diane Chandler. Please fill out this form and return it with your donation of $10 to the church office by June 12. Checks should be made payable to ELUMC with PVFHS written on the memo line. This gift to PVFHS is given by: In Honor of

9 S S D E F Submi ed by Kelly Greene During our youth Sunday school class, Olivia thought that a drive to help the Epilepsy Foundaon would be a great idea. The Epilepsy Foundation works with Savers to help families with Epilepsy in New England. They specifically need all types of clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Bedding & Linens, Towels, Curtains, Books, and DVDs & CDs. However, they will take most anything. We will collect until May 21 st with a pick up scheduled during that week. So please keep the Epilepsy Founda on in your mind during your spring cleaning If you have any ques ons about the drive or what the Epilepsy Founda on will accept, please contact Kelly Greene. S S ELUMC Submi ed by Kelly Greene Pastor Kelly and I were cha ng at Tom McGowan s honoree dinner (not during his speech, of course), and decided that we would try a oneroom summer Sunday school for grades preschool-5th. There may be more play than learning since it is a er all, summer. We hope that you will bring your children to our one-room Sunday school that will start on June 4 th and con nue un l July 30 th (with the exception of Recognition Sunday). We are not sure about August yet, but will certainly let you know as we get closer to the end of the summer.