Banks Teller MARCH/APRIL 2018 Banks Community United Metodist Curc E-mail: our-curc@bcumc.net Web site: www.bankscommunityumc.org Pastor s email: revmargot@gmail.com 42451 NW Depot St. Banks, OR 97106 Spring is upon us! As I write today, te temperature is 25 F. Cars and ouses are covered wit frost. Wen it comes to weater, we take wat we get. Wat s to be done? To fret about te weater is foolis. In oter matters, I tend to be impatient. Wen someting in my life, or in te lives of tose I care for needs to be fixed, I want it all to be put rigt immediately. If not sooner. Wen it comes to te journey of a Jesus-follower, God calls most often for patient endurance troug many turns and bends in te road. As we enter te Season of Lent (meaning Spring), it is good to see te process of ealing, strengtening of fait and maturity in te Lord as a very long journey. We tend to tink of salvation as a one-time event. So also, we anticipate tat te prayer for ealing will be answered rigt away. Scripture teaces tat te life of fait is not an instant fix, but a slow journey, like tat of Abraam, Jacob or Josep (in Parao s court). God invites us to walk wit Him into te ealing and woleness we desire. We are esitant to bring before te Lord te parts of ourselves we are asamed of or afraid of. God takes us in our entirety body, mind and spirit. God loves us in tis way as well our wole self. In a psalm attributed to Moses we find: For a tousand years in Your sigt Are like yesterday wen it passes by, Or as a watc in te nigt. (Psalm 90:4 NASB) As we enter te Season of Lent, my ope for us is tat we will take time, be patient and prayerfully depend completely upon te Lord. We ave no reason to fear going before God wit te broken parts (Continued on page 3.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Marc 03/01 Leslee Sipp 03/09 Andy Habous 03/28 Katy Douglas 03/28 Gail Habous April 04/02 Fred Van Dyke 04/03 Claire McGinnis 04/10 Nancy Danielson 04/11 Mary Mock 04/14 Jack Boswell 04/23 Linda Wygle 04/26 Dave Bernel CALENDAR FOR MARCH/APRIL: 03/04 ~ Firefigter Pancake Breakfast at te Fire Station. 9-1. 03/11 ~ Dayligt Savings Starts 03/11 ~ Celebrating St. Patrick s Day. Potluck. Bring your favorite potato casseroles, salads and desserts. Rigt after curc. 03/25 ~ Palm Sunday 03/27 ~ Spring Cleaning of te curc. 03/29 ~ 7 PM: Holy Tursday Service wit Holy Communion at te CUMC fellowsip all, 1095 Sout Beec, Cornelius. Two kinds of soup will be served. We are asking for breads, ceeses and desserts/fruit to be brougt potluck style by tose wo attend. 03/30 ~ Good Friday MONDAYS: 7:00 PM: Adult Bible Study - at Leola Stigleman s ome. WEDNESDAYS: 9:30 AM: OGC a retired guys fellowsip meets at te Trailead Café. 10:00 AM: Women s Bible Study at Dianne Harrang s ome. FOOD OF THE MONTH Te Food of te Mont program as added greatly to our supply of items tat go into our Cristmas food boxes and we tank you. We ope you enjoy bringing in te listed foods eac mont to elp build up our supply. For tis year te items and monts of collection are as follows: Marc canned fruit April jello May pork and beans June tuna July refried beans August diced tomatoes September earty soups October stove top stuffing cicken November/December cicken brot 04/01 ~ Easter Sunday - Worsip Service at BCUMC at 11:00 AM SUNDAYS: 10:00 AM: Coir Practice 2
Love, (Continued from page 1.) of ourselves. Our Creator knows us better tan we do. Jesus knows our struggles. Now is te time to courageously bring tem before God s trone. As we do, we will experience more and more te wonder of His never-ending mercy and super-abundant grace. Yours in Crist, Margot EMERGENCY KITS Te Women s Fellowsip is collecting emergency kits tat include tings like toot bruses, toot paste, and soap, wasclots, etc. for te Caplains in Forest Grove to give to people experiencing a catastropic event, suc as fire, tat destroys teir ome. To date we ave 53 completed gallon size bags wit: tootpaste, tootbrus, and soap, lotion, comb, Kleenex packets and wasclots. Speak wit Sally or Leola if you d like to donate items to tis wonderful cause. SPRING CLEANING te Sanctuary candeliers, wipe off te construction dust from te walls, doors and furniture in te Family Room and Fellowsip Hall. Te ladies can clean and sort teir backroom storage area, te coir room closets can be cleaned out, items can be moved into te new kitcen storage areas, and kitcen drawers need wiping out. If you coose to work outside you may do so. Windows need cleaning and if te weater permits, we could do some exterior painting. Tese are just a few of te tings tat can be done; we re sure we can find more tat needs doing if we need to. As you can see, tere is a lot to do and everyone of any age is welcome to assist, te more te merrier. Lunc will be served. Save te date of Marc 27 and come ave some fun wile working alongside oters. If you can t work on tis date, anoter day may work better for you; let a Trustee know. Your Trustees, Andy, Arne, Ellen, Gail at Te Trustees will be aving a day for removing te grit and grime tat as built up over te last couple of years in our curc buildings. Tuesday, Marc 27, starting 9:30, (or wenever you arrive), we will knock down cobwebs from 3 Many tanks to all of you wo elped make our 50t Anniversary so special. It was just perfect. Ed and Leslee
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Soebox Update As we continue walking our way troug 2018 we can feel proud and blessed at wat was accomplised back in November, 2017, all in te name of Jesus Crist and wit His elp. Your contribution of soeboxes for Operation Cristmas Cild elped make up te total of 26,062 boxes received trougout te Portland and NW Oregon region, adding to te worldwide total of 11,012,840 soeboxes given to bless cildren around te world and give tem te opportunity to ear te Gospel message troug Te Greatest Journey Bible course. Wit te snowball effect, we know te impact of our soeboxes is more tan 11 million. Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, friends, neigbors can also be te recipient of te love and ope of one simple soebox. Altoug collection week as come and gone our job is not done. It is time to pray for tese boxes as many are still in te process of being anded out, and pray for te cildren wo will receive tose boxes. Te destination for boxes from te Nortwest may be Peru, Pilippines, Indonesia, or Malawi. Now it is time to prepare for tis year s collection. Last year te Banks Dropoff Location received 877 soeboxes, almost 100 fewer boxes tan te previous year. Our goal for tis year is 1200! Your participation of providing love troug te gift of a soebox is greatly appreciated and we ope to receive your soeboxes filled wit fun gifts, love and 4 ope tis coming November. Andy & Gail, Your Drop-off Location coordinators LENT We are now in te season of Lent, a season of preparation wen we observe a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial and spiritual discipline. Weter you decide to increase your Bible reading and prayer time, or fast from certain types of luxuries, tese 6 weeks from As Wednesday to Easter Sunday are a time for self-examination and reflection. As in years past we ave received your Lenten/Self-denial offerings and given tem to a variety of missions, ere and abroad. Tis year your offerings will be given to Lucky to Serve, an organization based in Nort Plains tat provides all te Cristmas gifts tat accompany our Cristmas food boxes. Brenda Bottema started Lucky to Serve in memory of er usband, Lucky, after is unexpected deat. He was a very giving man always ready to serve tose in need. If you wis to give a self-denial offering, you may put it in one of te Cristmas-wrapped boxes provided, or in any container or envelope of your coice. We will collect tese offerings on Easter Sunday, April 1 st. Many will be blessed by your generosity.
Quilt of Holes My gaze dropped to te ground in same. I adn t ad all te eartly fortunes. I ad love in my life, and laugter.. But tere ad also been trials of illness, and wealt, and false accusations tat took from me my world, as I knew it. I ad to stop & start over many times. I often struggled wit te temptation to quit, only someow mustering te strengt to pick up and begin again. As I faced my Maker at te last judgment, I knelt before te Lord along wit all te oter souls. Before eac of us laid our lives like te squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before eac of us sewing our quilt squares togeter into a tapestry tat is our life. I spent many nigts on my knees in prayer, asking for elp and guidance in my life. I But as my angel took eac piece of clot off te pile, I noticed ow ragged and empty eac ad often been eld up to ridicule, wic I of my squares was. Tey were filled wit giant endured painfully, eac time offering it up oles. Eac square was labeled wit a part of to te Fater in opes tat I would not melt my life tat ad been difficult, te callenges witin my skin beneat te judgmental gaze and temptations I was faced wit in every day of tose wo unfairly judged me. life.. I saw ardsips tat I endured, wic And now, I ad to face te trut. My life was were te largest oles of all. wat it was, and I ad to accept it for wat it was. I glanced around me. Nobody else ad suc squares. Oter tan a tiny ole ere and I rose and slowly lifted te combined squares tere, te oter tapestries were filled wit of my life to te ligt. ric color and te brigt ues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was An awe-filled gasp filled te air. I gazed diseartened. around at te oters wo stared at me wit wide eyes. My angel was sewing te ragged pieces of clot togeter, treadbare and empty, like Ten, I looked upon te tapestry before me. binding air. Ligt flooded te many oles, creating an Finally te time came wen eac life was to be image, te face of Crist. Ten our Lord displayed, eld up to te ligt, te scrutiny of stood before me, wit warmt and love in His eyes He said, Every time you gave over your trut. Te oters rose; eac in turn, olding life to Me, it became My life, My ardsips, up teir tapestries. So filled teir lives ad been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded and My struggles. for me to rise. Eac point of ligt in your life is wen you 5 (Continued on page 6.)
(Continued from page 5.) stepped aside and let Me sine troug, until tere was more of Me tan tere was of you. May all our quilts be treadbare and worn, allowing Crist to sine troug! God determines wo walks into your life... it s up to you to decide wo you let walk away, wo you let stay, and wo you refuse to let go. Wen tere is noting left but God, tat is wen you find out tat God is all you need. I LOVE YOU MORE By Heater Spears Kallus A little girl ran to er mom, exclaiming, Mom, I love you! Se ugged er tigt wit all er migt and said, I REALLY do! Te mom knelt down and eld er cild. Se sang, I love you MORE! Impossible! te girl replied, Love YOU a billion four! I love you more tan all my toys, my games, and even candy! I love you more tan my stuffed bears - more tan my favorite, Sandy. I love you so, eac day and nigt, se yawned wit a sig. Te mom picked up er precious angel - sat er on er lap. Se rocked er in te rocking cair, so tey could take a nap. Wit eac rock, back and fort, se smelled er cild s sweet air. Se eld er close, eard er breate, and felt te loving care. As te cild drifted off, se wispered, Mom, I love you. Te mom responded wit a kiss, Sweeteart, I love you, too. Te mom ten prayed, Tank you for tis cild You gave to me. Do I deserve a love like ours? It s so deep you see. How blessed I feel to ave suc a special gift as tis. You ve given me so muc, Lord. I love to reminisce. Te Lord assured, Dear daugter - my cildren, I adore. Actually, if you want to know... I love you to te stars and moon and planets in te sky. 6 I m te One wo loves you MORE.
Monday, February 12, 2018 Dear Friends, On bealf of te entire Council of Bisops of Te United Metodist Curc, I greet you as we enter te Lenten Season a season of reflection and preparation for te celebration of Jesus triumpant resurrection on Easter. Te pattern of our Lenten journey was set by Jesus during is 40 days of solitude, fasting, prayer and testing in te Judean desert. Tis was an essential period of preparation for Jesus public ministry. But, te goal of our Lenten journey was revealed by Jesus wen e first foretold is disciples of is deat and resurrection. Mark s Gospel as Jesus saying: If any want to become my followers, let tem deny temselves and take up teir cross and follow me. For tose wo want to save teir life will lose it, and tose wo lose teir life for my sake, and for te sake of te gospel, will save it. (Mark 8:34-35) Wat does it mean to lose one s life for te sake of te gospel? It means to live te same purposeful life Jesus lived. It means to deny our preferences for te sake of Jesus kingdom purposes. It means to set aside our self-interest so tat oters may ave a more abundant life. It means we are saved in order to participate in te salvation of oters. It means our earts 7 will break for te very situations tat break te eart of God. Our beloved United Metodist Curc is in a season of Lent. We are in an intense season of prayer, discernment and exploring wat it means to lose one s life for te sake of te gospel. Te Commission on a Way Forward and te Council of Bisops ave entered a critical time of reflection, prayer and fasting as we seek to listen deeply and expectantly to te Holy Spirit. We are confident God s Spirit will guide te Commission and te Council in discerning were God is leading our curc and ow, troug Crist s grace, we will continue to do ministry and make disciples trougout te world. We invite all United Metodists to join us in tis Lenten reflection by focusing on te mission tat Jesus Crist gave us at te end of is eartly ministry after e triumpantly overcame sin, atred and deat to give birt to a curc grounded in te new covenant of love. Please join us in tese Lenten disciplines of surrendering our lives to te way of te cross. Take at least 30 minutes every day in Lent to pray, offering God your requests, prayers, intercessions and tanksgiving. Pray for te members of te Commission on a Way Forward. Pray for your bisops. Pray for te curc and pray for te wole world. 1 Jon 5:14-15 reminds tat we sould ave bold confidence tat if we ask anyting according to God s will, God ears us. And if we know tat God ears us - watever we ask - we know tat we ave wat we asked of God. (Continued on page 8.)
(Continued from page 7.) Take time to fast, weter it is from food or from some activity. Take te example of Jesus wo witdrew to te desert to fast from food and pray for 40 days before starting is public ministry. Our fasting brings us closer to God and enances our prayers. In watever we decide to do, we must remember as Romans 14:17 tells us: For te kingdom of God is not food and drink but rigteousness and peace and joy in te Holy Spirit. Take time to reflect on your spiritual gifts and resources tat God as blessed you wit and sare tem wit oters. Donate your time or money saved by fasting to your local curc for missions and ministries tat benefit your local community directly. Offer your service for acts of compassion and advocacy. Take te example of te first Cristians wo were togeter and ad all tings in common; tey would sell teir possessions and goods and distribute te proceeds to all, as any ad need. (Acts 2:44-45) During tis Lenten season, let us continue to live out our mission of making disciples of Jesus Crist for te transformation of te world. Togeter, let us lose our lives for te sake of te Gospel. By doing so, we will onor te Lord s Prayer tat te kingdom come on eart as it is in eaven and tereby glorify God. Bisop Bruce R. Oug, President Council of Bisops Te United Metodist Curc Media Contact: Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga Director of Communications Council of Bisops Te United Metodist Curc mmulenga@umc-cob.org 202-748-5172 PASTOR MARGOT S OFFICE HOURS Banks Community UMC Tuesday - 10:00 a.m. - noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Tursday - 10:00 a.m. - noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Cornelius UMC Monday - 10:00 a.m. - noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. - noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (At all ours, and any day Sunday troug Tursday, please use er cell pone number.) Se is also available for urgent or emergency matters at all times via cell. BANKS TELLER All submissions to te Banks Teller are DUE BY THE 15TH OF THE MONTH preceding te mont you wis it to run. Te Banks Teller is publised every two monts. 8