We have several special services coming up. Thursday evening (April 2, 2015) we’ll have a service of Holy Communion and Tenebrae at 7:30 pm. Friday (April 3, 2015) we’ll join the Ministerial Alliance in the Good Friday Cross Carrying, beginning at First Baptist Church at 5:30 pm and ending at First United Methodist Church at approximately 6:30 pm (with a stop at First Christian Church in-between). Easter Sunday morning (April 5, 2015) we’ll have services at 8:15 am and 10:30 am with a pot-luck breakfast in-between. Both Easter morning services will include Holy Communion, a choir anthem, special music with Lori Mitchell, and conclude with the Hallelujah Chorus.
Mission Projects Thank You
Last Friday and Saturday, First United Methodist Church has two mission projects in less than 24 hours. We want to thank all the volunteers who went to the Salina Rescue Mission on Friday to prepare the evening meal and those who did exterior work on the Hope House Saturday morning.
The Way of the Cross — Corrected
The Abilene Area Ministerial Alliance is again sponsoring a Good Friday service of “The Way of the Cross.” Good Friday falls on April 13, 2015 April 3, 2015 and the service will begin at First Baptist Church at 5:30 pm. From there we’ll process up Buckeye carrying an eight foot cross to 1st Christian Church and from there to First United Methodist Church. There will be a very brief worship service at each of the three churches and we should be done by 6:30 pm.
Originally, I accidentally put the date down as April 13 not April 3. You can probably chalk this up to wishful thinking that I had another week to prepare for Easter. A hat tip to Will Burton for catching the mistake.
Hope House Work Day
The Outreach Committee is hosting a workday at the Hope House (605 S. Cedar) from 8 am to 12 pm this Saturday (March 28, 2015). We will be working outside (including removing storm windows and doing some trim painting). Please bring scrapers, small paint brushes, screw drivers, step ladders, rags, etc. Paint and other materials will be furnished.
Online Giving Now Available
The Abilene First UMC online giving page has been launched. This secure page has options for viewing on a mobile device and is hosted by Vanco Services. Donations can be made through a checking account or a savings account. (Let us know if you’re interested in giving through a credit or debit card. If there is enough interest we’ll consider expanding the range of payment options) Donations can be set up on either a one time or a reoccurring basis.
We will continue to accept cash and checks on Sunday morning and regular direct EFT contributions through the church office. We are simply hoping to provide online giving opportunities to those who prefer them. You can learn more about online and EFT contributions on the “Giving” page of the church’s website.
All-Church Potluck This Sunday
A reminder: an all-church potluck has been scheduled for Sunday, March 29, 2015 following the 10:30 worship service. Since it’s a potluck, most of the food will take care of itself, but let us know if you’re interested in helping with drinks, clean-up, etc.
Salina Rescue Mission Volunteers Needed
Abilene First UMC has the responsibility of helping prepare and serve the evening meal at the Salina Rescue Mission on the fourth Friday of every month. This Friday (March 27, 2015) is our Friday. If you would like to volunteer let Jenny or me know. You can contact us via email, text, or phone call.
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
Next Sunday is Palm/Passion Sunday which mean’s I’m preaching on Jesus’ passion and death. One of the main ways his death has been understood is sometimes called “penal substitution.” A simplified version of which might be categorized as follows: 1. God is angry about human sin. 2. God’s righteousness demands that we be punished for our sin. 3. Jesus stepped in, received our punishment, and died in our place; 4. God is satisfied (or at least mollified) and we are spared.
I’ve never found the above to be a satisfying explanation of how Jesus’ death brought about our salvation (for starters it portrays God the Father as an unjust tyrant and undermines the unity of the Trinity), but it only recently occurred to me that I’ve can’t remember ever coming across this in the Bible. Sure, there are passages that say that Jesus died for our sins and that Jesus died for us, but those statements don’t necessarily mean that he died in our place as our substitute. I can’t think of a Bible passage that says Jesus died in our place. Can you think of one? First person to contact me citing chapter and verse of a solid, reliable translation wins dinner with Jenny, Liz, and I at the Brookville Hotel.
Voice of the Day: Mitch McVicker
Mitch McVicker gave us a great concert two Wednesdays ago (March 11, 2015). Several of the things he said that night have stuck with me. Here’s one of them:
“We need to stop judging people, we need to stop judging people who sin, we need to stop judging people who sin differently than we do.” — Mitch McVicker
I think it’s that last group of people, those who sin differently than we do, that we have the most trouble not judging. May God help us to judge not, that we may not be judged.
Holy Thursday Service
This year’s Holy (Maundy) Thursday Service will be at 7:30 pm. It will be a service of Tenebrae and will include Holy Communion. This service will be held the Thursday before Easter, April 2, 2015.
Youth Spring Fling
This Wednesday, March 18, 2015 the youth will have their annual “Spring Fling” in Peatling Hall beginning at 6 pm (the normal youth meeting time). For additional information, please contact Wendy Robinson at wendy@abilenefirstumc.org.
Correction, Erik Graefe to Preach
Jenny and I are taking a Sunday off on March 22, 2015. Tim Johnson Erik Graefe will be filling the pulpit at both 8:15 and 10:30 am. Jenny, Liz, and I will be back that evening for confirmation, but we will be out of town for spring break the week before.