A Service of Death and Resurrection for Barbara L. Craig will be held Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 10:00 am in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church. Jenny and I will preside. Burial will be at the Mount Hope Cemetery, south of Enterprise, KS.
Another Day, Another McVicker Video
Mitch McVicker will be returning to Abilene First United Methodist Church on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 7 pm. Along with Rich Mullins, he won GMA’s Dove Award for the song My Deliverer. For those of you have not heard him, his sound might best be described as “deep-lyriced, folk-rock.” His new album is called The Gray (When Black & White Fade). In lieu of a charge for admission, there will be a free-will offering to help the church fulfill its commitment to the Hope House.
You can watch the official music video of his song, My Salvation, below.
Saved By Grace Through Faith
This Sunday I’ll be preaching on Ephesians 2.1-10 with a particular focus on verse 8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Zeroing in even further, I plan to focus on the meaning of grace, faith, and salvation.
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Today (March 7, 2015) is the 50th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” when civil rights protesters
marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Congressman John Lewis was one of the leaders of that march. Today he gave a speech in commemoration of the march’s anniversary. I wanted to share part of that speech with you:
“My beloved brothers and sisters, members of the American family on this day. We as a nation have a great deal to be thankful for. Jimmy Lee Jackson, … who’s death inspired the Selma march along with so many others, did not make it to see this day. But you and I are here, we can bear witness to the distance we have come and the progress we have made in 50 years and we must use this moment to recommit ourselves to do all we can to finish the work. There is still work left to be done. Get out there and push and pull until we redeem the soul of America.”
We tend to think of the redemption of souls as the Lord’s work, but as a Methodist, I also believe that we have a part to play in our salvation. As Augustine of Hippo said, “God who made us without ourselves will not save us without ourselves.” Or if you prefer, as the Apostle Paul said in one of John Wesley’s favorite scriptures: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
As Christians, we are not called to love America uncritically, the way a young child loves their parents, but rather we are to love our country despite it’s flaws, the way an adult child loves their parents. We are called to appreciate it’s good points; to delight in what is good, and right, and true, but also to recognize that improvement is still possible and seek to make things better. Loving America as a grown-up, loving America as a Christian, means working to redeem her soul.
Funeral Service for Thomas Bell
A Memorial Service of Death and Resurrection for Thomas Bell will be held Friday, March 6, 2015 at 2 pm in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church. Refreshments for everyone in attendance will follow.
Daylight Savings Time Begins This Sunday
Daylight Savings Time Begins this Sunday (March 8, 2014). Don’t forget to move your clocks forward (spring forward/fall back) one hour.
I Want Jesus to Walk With Me
The following was received from Clark Williamson, Director of Music Ministries and lightly edited:
On Sunday, March 8, 2015, our John Wesley Bell Choir will play Tammy Waldrop’s arrangement of “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”. The ringers use both handbells and hand chimes during this prelude. The music creates a very rhythmic and soulful setting of a popular spiritual based on the hymn tune “Sojourner.” Special effects heard during the piece include: bells struck with mallets, thumb damps, gyros, shakes, vibrato, and martellato (bumping the bell against the cushion). This song is found in The United Methodist Hymnal on page 521. The mood and theme of the spiritual is quite a plaintive plea for change, for redemption, and relates very well for the preparatory season of Lent. Here are some of the lyrics of the text:
“I want Jesus to walk with me.
I want Jesus to walk with me.
All around my pilgrim journey,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.
In my trials, Lord walk with me.
When my heart is almost breaking,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.
When I’m troubled, Lord walk with me.
When my head is bowed in sorrow,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.”
Youth News
The following announcements were received from Wendy Robinson:
Thank you for all the contributions to this year’s Caring Bowl. The winner was the Seahawks, 29-7. They received 32 points in favor of with non-perishable items and 3 points against with paper goods which equals 29 points. The Patriots had 20 points in favor of with non-perishable items and 13 points against with paper goods which equals 7 points. Thanks for playing and helping our area food bank!
The 2015 Confirmands will meet Sunday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 22nd, in the youth room from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
There will be no Power and Light on Wednesday, March 18th. Have a great Spring Break! The youth, however, will have their Spring Fling on March 18th at 6:00 p.m. There will be plenty of games, food and fun!
Youth movie night is scheduled for Sunday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. Bring you favorite snacks and drink. The movie will be announced at a later date.
Hey, kids! Palm Sunday is March 29th. Please come help with the waving of the palms. Also, the youth will be hosting their annual Easter breakfast potluck on Easter Sunday, April 5th, during the Sunday School hour.