“Ever-Changing to Remain the Same”
Sermon for October 26, 2008
24th Sunday After Pentecost
Reformation Sunday
Matthew 22:34-40
November Newsletter
From the Pastor… November: A Month Full of Opportunities.
Wow! It seems like 2008 has flown bye and if November is like the rest of the year we had better be careful to take advantage of our opportunities before they all slip away. Here are just a few things I would like to call to your attention. Please take the time to read these carefully and mark them on your calendars.
Saturday November 1st: 8am-3pm, The 27th Annual Pleasant Grove Quilter’s Bazaar and Quilt Show. Vendor spaces $10. Donations of any homemade baked goods will be greatly appreciated. Donation tickets of $1 are already available for the quilt that will be given away. Please make plans to be there. There will also be a “freebee” stamping/scrap booking night with Katie Burke for a donation to support the Quilters Bazaar.
Sunday November 2nd: All Saints Sunday. Please provide the names of any persons who have gone on to glory in the past year that you would like remembered in this Service of Word and Table. Please have this information to me by November 1st.
Tuesday November 4th. Don’t forget to vote!
November 16th: Bible Sunday: “The word of God for the people of God”. You might have noticed a few of my favorite Bibles on the Altar Table over the past few weeks. I invite you to bring your Family Bibles to add to this display in the coming weeks. For Bible Sunday, please bring your favorite Bible(s) and a couple of friends for this celebration of God’s gift of Holy Scripture. We will have a time for the blessing of our Bibles and the presentation of new Bibles to any who do not have one. If you know someone who would like a free New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible or a Children’s NRSV Bible courtesy of Pleasant Grove, please let me know by November 9th so that we can have them delivered and possibly imprinted. Sooner is better. We are also looking for Sunday School Classes that are interested in sponsoring and participating in this service. There are a few informational pamphlets about the Bible located in the News Rack in the Narthex for you to read and return.
Sunday November 23rd. Christ the King Sunday marks the end of Common Time and is a traditional day for receiving new church members. If you have been feeling God’s call to unite with PGUMC, please consider this Sunday as a great opportunity to do so. Exploring Membership Classes are being offered on Wednesday Evenings (Nov. 5, 12 and 19) at 6 pm with a viewing of the short and amusing film “Clay Ride” on November 5th. All who desire to unite with us on this wonderful day of celebration need to contact John no later than November 16th.
Sunday November 23rd.. Hanging of the Greens. This is the service when we decorated the church for Advent and Christmas. There will be music and singing and lots of fun for all. You are welcome to bring fresh cut greens (holly, ivy, mistletoe and evergreen boughs) and one tree ornament (handmade is preferred). The Hanging of the Greens will begin at 6:30 with light seasonal refreshments to follow (including John’s famous “Hot Apple Cider”).
Sunday November 30th. The First Sunday in Advent and Combined “Camp Meeting” Worship Service. To mark the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the Christian New Year we will be hosting Union Springs, Hopewell and Whitesville United Methodist Churches in a huge celebration of witness and service. There will be two special collections on this day in support of missions. The Golden Cross offering will be used to support LaGrange Personal Aid and the Food Closet as well as other local missions and benevolences. The Nothing But Nets offering will support the ongoing joint ministry of The United Methodist Church and the NBA toward the prevention and eradication of Malaria. A $10 donation to Nothing But Nets is sufficient to purchase, deliver and install a mosquito net large enough to protect a family of four!
Following the 11:00 worship service there will be a Fellowship Thanksgiving Dinner in the Fellowship Hall. While details on the meal itself will be forth coming, you are encouraged to bring caned goods and personal hygiene products for needy families. Any offerings collected at this meal will go toward the Golden Cross offering.
Immediately after lunch pleas plan to stay for the “Talent Show: Take Two”! Last time you witnessed breathtaking musical performances, heard profound poetry and sidesplitting humor and of course you saw the better part of a lumberyard dramatically chopped, kicked and smashed to pieces!!! What unique and fascinating displays of talent will we see this time? Only you know, sign-up today. I can tell you that there will be a “free throw” competition that will have the NBA trembling in fright. Any offerings collected at the “Talent Show” will benefit Nothing But Nets.
Other Miscellaneous Opportunities and Desperate Cries for Help!
1. We have a glorious new Advent Wreath and need five families to volunteer to lead the lighting of each of the candles on the Sundays of Advent and Christmas Eve.
2. We need volunteers to serve as liturgist each Sunday in Advent. The Scripture Lessons for each Sunday are already available. This is a great way to get involved in the Worship Service!
3. We need a bold and fearless person to help lead the congregational singing for the months of November and December. It would be great to have a different Worship Leader each week.
4. We need a videographer to record each of the services during Advent and Epiphany. Someone with a digital camera is preferred, as these services will need to be edited on a computer and burned to DVD. John will be selecting the best of these services for submission to the Board of Ordained Ministry for his Full-Connection Interview. If necessary a camera can be provided.
5. Musicians and singers are needed for special music during the Advent/Christmas. I am also interested in forming a “Praise Team” for the purposes of offering a little something extra during this time of celebration and preparation. Some rehearsal time and a deep commitment to bringing an offering of excellence are necessary.
See what I mean, I’m excited already! We need everyone to get involved to make the most of the coming opportunities. Together we can make the month of November and beyond a time to remember. Together we can make PGUMC the beacon it was meant to be.
In Christ,
John
Advent is Coming Soon
November 30th marks the beginning of the Season of Advent.
I am looking for:
1. Five Families to light the Advent Wreath (1 family each week and Christmas Eve).
2. Volunteers for Special Music.
3. Lists of your favorite Advent Hymns.
4. Poems, Prayers, Essays, drawings or music about Advent themes.
God Bless,
John
October 2008 Newsletter
From the Pastor…
12 Reasons Why A Local Pastor Stopped Attending Sports Events
(anonymous)
1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
2. The people with whom I had to sit didn’t seem very friendly.
3. The seats were very hard.
4. The coach never comes to visit me.
5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
6. I was sitting with some hypocrites-they came only to see what others were wearing.
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games were scheduled when I want to do other things.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports once, I feel I know more than the coaches, anyhow.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
In the coming months I would like to feature some of your talents and questions in the newsletter. Please feel free to send me any submissions that you may have. The focus for November will be expectation and anticipation.
In Christ,
John
“STEWARDSHIP 5: YOU CAN DO SOMETHING”
Evening Sermon For September 28, 2008
Phil. 2:1-13
“Stewardship 4: Time for Action”
Sermon for September 28, 2008
20th Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 21:23-32
“Leadership According to Moe”
Sermon for September 21, 2008
19th Sunday After Pentecost
Exodus 16:2-15
Ralph Duraski
“Stewardship 2: Keeping Score”
Sermon For September 14, 2008
18th Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 18:21-35
September 2008 Newsletter
From the Pastor… “Stewardship: Letting Our Light Shine in 2009!”
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 14-16 NRSV
In the coming weeks we will be preparing for Church Conference and there is a lot of hard work and difficult discussions to be made that will effect Pleasant Grove for the coming year and beyond. Before we gather with several other congregations in celebration of the work of the Church, we will have to prepare a plan for 2009.
But before we busy ourselves working on a new budget, nominations, ministry goals, and the countless other reports and tasks, I want to thank you for all the hard work that has already gone into making 2008 a great year for Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church! Even with several months left on the calendar we have had an incredible and record year.
In order to meet the challenges of the coming days we must build on the successes of today and draw on the richness of our history as a people called by God to make a difference in the lives of those who are desperate to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ presented in a way that speaks to their needs in their current location.
Toward this goal, many of you have been tireless and sacrificial in the sharing of your time, energies, and financial support to make our current situation a reality. For all that you have done, are doing, and will continue to do for the glory of God: I thank you!
Others might wish to examine your current stewardship and consider taking a step toward following the examples so humbly modeled in our midst and those expressed in Scripture as the standard for Christian Stewardship. In Matthew 22: 37-39 Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Some may wish to consider joining in the ministries of Pleasant Grove at a deeper level or even for the first time. Maybe you have considered serving on a committee, becoming active in Sunday School or Bible Study, attending worship regularly, or beginning to tithe or even taking a step toward tithing. Consider this as an invitation to do so today. Matthew 6: 19-21 reminds us of Jesus words saying, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
As members of this congregation of The United Methodist Church we have all promised to support the ministries of the Church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. God has honored our efforts and sacrifice over the past months and years and is providing us with opportunities to expand our ministries beyond the worship hour on Sunday morning into the larger community and the world!
There are some who have not yet joined Pleasant Grove as full members. Now is a perfect time to make PGUMC your church home! As I am sure you have noticed by now, God is at work in our church! We believe that you have been called to link arms with us as fellow members of this congregation. We are convinced that your presence in our lives is an answer to prayer and the key to our ongoing and future success. On November 23rd we will be receiving new members by baptism, profession of faith, and transfer of church membership in celebration of Christ the King Sunday. If you feel God is calling you to be a part of this wonderful church family, we stand ready to joyfully receive you. If you would like to enter into a season of prayer and conversation with me about membership I invite you to contact me at your earliest convince. I am here for you and welcome any questions.
There may be someone reading this who wishes to rekindle their relationship with this congregation or renew your covenant with God. To you I say there is no better time than now and there is no better place than right here. In imitation of our loving Lord, our hearts, our minds and our doors are open to you.
For all of us this is a time for joyfully counting our blessings, offering witness to the goodness of God, and looking forward with joyful anticipation to the great things that just yesterday seemed so distant but now, through the grace of God and all of our hard work, are as near as tomorrow! Together we can “Let Our Light Shine in 2009!”
In Christ,
John
June 2008 ” From the Pastor…”
“Church Growth Part Three: Paying Attention”
While we continue to explore the things that prepare us to enter into a season of growth, I pause to remind us of a simple truth: It is God who will spark and drive any renewal among God’s people. We are responsible to make ourselves fully prepared and available but the prerogative as to “when” and “how” is that of the Holy Spirit alone.
The good news for us is that God is active in all places at all times. The Holy Spirit is busy in the hearts, minds and circumstances of all people everywhere. Our task is not to force, direct, or manipulate the activity of the Spirit, but to witness, celebrate and join into the ongoing work of God in our midst. The not so good news is that we do not always notice, appreciate, or respond, as we should.
How are we to notice and discern this activity in order to be faithful in our response? Pay attention. It is possible that God has been speaking to us and we have been unable or unwilling to listen, understand or respond. This is something that we can learn to do better as a community of faith. While we need to learn to pay attention and listen for God in all aspects of our lives, it only makes sense that we should begin in the times and places were we gather expecting to hear from God, worship.
For some of us Sunday morning just comes around each week and worship is just something that we take as it comes. But what would it mean for us if we really believed that God not only has a word for us on any given Sunday but also is actively using a variety of mediums to convey that message? What does it mean for us to pay attention on Sunday morning?
Preparation: Inspiring worship rarely happens in a spiritual vacuum. Take time during the week to read and meditate on the Scripture Lessons for the coming week (these are listed in the bulletin each week) allowing them to begin to work within your heart and mind. Pray for the Sunday Service and for those who are preparing to lead and participate in it, Ask God for guidance, insight and strength that they might faithfully plan and lead worship in a way that is consistent with Scripture and speaks to our experience. Even better, offer a prayer and then go find a way to help them (Lectionary Bible Study, Choir Practice, Worship Planning Meetings).
Make Space for God: We all come together from somewhere else and we all leave with somewhere else to go. Take a moment before the service to become centered and quiet letting all those other things go. We simply cannot pay attention if we are mentally somewhere else. Have a sense of holy expectation, come expecting to hear a word from God. Come expecting to see evidence of God’s presence and activity in the congregation.
Take a Closer Look: Most worship services are not like pearls on a string, isolated individual unrelated events strung together. Each portion of the service is intended to blend into the larger whole. Usually there is a single theme for each service based on the Scripture Lessons and the Liturgical Season. There is a reason why we are singing these hymns and saying these prayers… Look for the ways to see the larger theme and direction of the service and be ready to move along the order of worship as smoothly as possible as the service progresses.
Dig Deeper: What did the hymns, prayers, creeds and sermon say to us today? God does not stop speaking at noon. Spend some time discussing and reflecting throughout the week. Look around and see if you can spot the Gospel lived out in all the ordinary business and tasks of life. Bring Sunday Morning into conversation with the rest of the week.
As we learn to pay attention and attune our ears to God’s voice we might discover that God is not nearly as silent or elusive as we once thought. We might come to understand some of the ways that God has already been at work within us, with us and through us. By looking for God’s fingerprints on Sunday mornings and throughout the week we will be in a better position to witness, celebrate and join into the ongoing work of God in building up a people of God for the transformation of the world.
In Christ,
John