WESLEY MESSENGER. Worship Schedule. September 2017

Transcription

1 WESLEY MESSENGER September 2017 Wesley United Methodist Church 40 West Main Street, Strasburg PA Church address: Web: Volume 9, Issue 9 Worship Schedule Inside this issue: 9:00 am Blended Worship 10:00 am Holy Grounds Fellowship 10:30 am Sunday School Worship Schedule Worship 1 3, 4 Ponderings 2 Missions 4 Friends at Home 5 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday Office Phone: Rev. David Alderson - Pastor Kim Badman - Organist/ Choir Director Holly Miller - Secretary Sunday, September 3 13th Sunday after Pentecost I Am A Church Member Series I Will Lead My Family/Community to be Healthy Church Members Holy Communion Sunday, September 10 14th Sunday after Pentecost Creation by the Word John 1:1-5 Genesis 1:1-2:4a Sunday, September 17 15th Sunday after Pentecost Binding of Isaac Genesis 21:1-3 and Gen. 22:1-14 John 1:29 Sunday, September 24 16th Sunday after Pentecost Jacob s Dream Genesis 27:1-4, and Gen. 28:10-17 John 1:50-51 O u r M i s s i o n : W O R S H I P G O D ; S E RV E G O D ; W I T N E S S f o r G O D ; b y t h e P O W E R o f G O D t h r o u g h t h e H O LY S P I R I T.

2 Pastor s Ponderings In light of the recent events that transpired in Charlottesville I wanted to share a letter written by Bishop Bruce Ough, president of the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops: My shock, dismay and grief over the clashes between white supremacy advocates and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, continue to grow. I grieve for the lives lost, and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, the families of the two state troopers killed while monitoring the Charlottesville demonstration from the air, and for the healing of all the injured. I am shocked by the blatant resurgence of white nationalism, neo-nazism and racially motivated domestic terrorism in the United States. I am dismayed (and frightened) by the animosity, division, extremism and evil that is spiraling out of control in the U.S. Let there be no excuses or political justification for the evil that was on full display in Charlottesville last Saturday. Nor, let us forget that many such displays of white supremacy, racism and hatred go un-reported or under-reported in many places. White supremacist and neo-nazi ideologies are abhorrent and entirely inconsistent with the Christian faith. Jesus called his followers to love your neighbor. It is clear this key spiritual imperative means all neighbors without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. And, Paul taught that enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions and factions are among many works of the flesh that are antithetical to the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5: 19-23) These works of the Spirit lead to peace-making and the kingdom of God. The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church are a clarion call and powerful witness in times such as these. We affirm that no identity or culture has more legitimacy than any other. We call the Church to challenge any hierarchy of cultures or identities. (Para. 161A, The Nurturing Community, page 110, 2016 Book of Discipline). And, from Para. 162A The Social Community, page 120: Racism, manifested as sin, plagues and hinders our relationship with Christ, inasmuch as it is antithetical to the gospel itself Therefore, we recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons We commit as the Church to move beyond symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access. Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed a similar sentiment when he challenged the United States to transform the thin paper of the Declaration of Independence that affirms the self-evident truth that all men are created equal, are endowed with certain inalienable rights into thick action. I pray that the shock, dismay and grief of Charlottesville will be a turning point for the U.S. and even our global United Methodist church. We share collective responsibility to turn our thin words into thick action. We share collective responsibility to break our silence. We share collective responsibility to restore health to the communities and relationship out of which extremism, hatred and racism grow. We share collective responsibility, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and religious views respect each other. We share responsibility to articulate the vision of the Beloved Community where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity. This collective responsibility begins by each of us examining our own hearts for the prejudice that contributes to attitudes of supremacy or hatred, or to violence, or silence or fear. Peacemaking and reconciliation always begins within. This is the moment for The United Methodist Church and all peoples of faith to be bold in our witness against racism and white supremacy. The vision of the Beloved Community lies not behind us, but before us. I urge us to pray for the Holy Spirit to break through and work through The United Methodist Church to heal our broken world and make tangible, visible the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President Council of Bishops The United Methodist Church 2

3 worship Karen Bender, Chair-Worship Kim Badman, Organist/Choir Director Becky Perry, Altar Guild September Altar Flowers The entire month of September is open for those who wish to place altar flowers in celebration, in memory of a loved one, or to the glory of God! Sign-up is in Epworth. Stewardship of Attendance 9:00 am July August August Men, if you desire fellowship, a good breakfast and a deepening prayer life, if you want to serve by listening to the Lord, join your fellow disciples at our Men s Prayer Breakfast at Hershey Farms Restaurant on Saturday, September 23, at 7 a.m. Please call the church office or talk to Pete Kingsley or Barry Buller by Thursday, Sept. 21, so we know how many to plan for! Come Break Bread with Us & Bring a Friend! As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens Another. - Proverbs 27:17 August SEPTEMBER LAY READER SCHEDULE DATE September 3 September 10 September 17 September 24 BLENDED WORSHIP Bob Marshall John Lewis Karen Bender Bill Hawes When God began to create the heavens and the earth the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God s wind swept over the waters God said, Let there be light. And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light Day and the darkness Night. Mondays: Tuesdays: Pastor s Hours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Office) 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Meetings) 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office) Wednesdays: Visitations and Sermon Prep No Drop-in Hours Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office) Fridays: - OFF - There was evening and there was morning: the first day. Genesis 1:1-5 (CEB) 3

4 Let us worship together In September, we will complete our exploration of what it means to be a church member. We have attempted to break down the stereotypical responses (negative and positive), and have tried to come to a better understanding of why we should be members within the local church. We are planning to bring in new members during this time. If you are not a church member and want to consider becoming one, please see Pastor Dave. If your church membership is with another UM church or different denomination, Pastor Dave can easily transfer your membership to Wesley. Following the completion of our I Am A Church Member series, we will move into the Book of Genesis, where we will study and learn about our Creator as we ask questions of some of the more complicated stories in Scripture. Here we can learn what it means to worship and serve God. missions Chair - Carol Rice Lynda Houck, Pastor Dave Alderson Youth Night Out! Admin Board has given its approval for the church to open up the pole barn for the youth of Strasburg and the surrounding community (5th through 12th grades) on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. If you would like to serve as a volunteer for Youth Night Out or would like to know more, please contact Pete Kingsley ( ). All volunteers are required to have their Safe Sanctuary clearance. John 15:12: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. * * * Pennies for Missions Pennies for Missions is your opportunity to do something simple and make a difference. Pick up a soup can on the counter in the Epworth Room. Then at home, for every meal you eat, place two pennies in your soup can. On the last Sunday of each month, look for the basket marked Pennies for Missions and place your pennies there. All pennies collected are used to support Wesley UMC mission projects. Next Pennies for Missions collection is Sunday, September 24. 4

5 Share the Bounty of September with Wesley s At-Home Friends! Robbie Golston 433 South Kinzer Avenue 46 VSA New Holland, PA Robbie s Birthday: October 29 June Good 2001 Harrisburg Pike Apt B246 Lancaster,PA June s Birthday: July 14 Jerre Groff Oakleaf Manor, Room B Wabank Road Millersville, PA Jerre s Birthday: May 29 Eva Kohlmaier c/o Donna Bitterman 44 Denlinger Avenue Strasburg, PA Eva s Birthday: May 20 The World s Creation: A Meditation on Genesis 1:1-5 Silently read Genesis 1:1-5, paying attention to each word or phrase. Pause for a moment of quiet, then read it again, this time using your imagination about the appearance of light on the first day of creation. What color is the light? How does it appear? What does it reveal? Offer a prayer for a person or circumstance you know about where God s good light is needed this day. This meditation comes from Covenant Meditations. Blake E. Nicholson, Jr Harrisburg Pike # ML415 Lancaster PA Phone: (717) Blake s Birthday: January 10, 1923 Melvin Rosier The Glen at Willow Valley, Room Willow Valley Square Lancaster PA Phone: (717) Mel s Birthday: August 9 John & Evie Sigman Happy Birthday, John! 2001 Harrisburg Pike Happy Birthday, Evie! EW381 Lancaster, PA John s Birthday: September 21 Evie s Birthday: September 12 If you know of a church member in need, please notify the church office to inform the pastor and enable the Body of Christ to support that member with prayer, visits, meals and the light of Christ. May we be His hands! Join other praying mothers at the LS Mom Prayer Group. Moms of elementary age students will meet the first and third Tuesday of the Month, beginning September 5 through May, at Lampeter Church of the Brethren from 9:15 to 10:15 am. Moms of middle/high school students meet every Monday at Lampeter Church of the Brethren from 9:15 to 10:15 am. Hope to see you there! 5