Month: November 2018

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Christmas Poinsettias

This year we’re doing something different for Poinsettias. In the past, we’ve encouraged everyone to bring a poinsettia, but this year the church has placed an order for 30 white* poinsettias from the Abilene High School (AHS) Horticulture Club. You can sponsor one (or more) in memory or honor of someone for just $10.00. Just make the check payable to the church and write “Poinsettias” in the memo line. We’ll have a sign-up sheet in the narthex so that you can let us know of whom your poinsettia is in memory or honor.

This project is a great way to remember or honor a loved one while supporting AHS students in the first year of a new endeavor. They also have poinsettia’s available to purchase. There is a poster in the narthex with further details.

*We’ve gone with white to match the sanctuary decorations.

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Voices: Stan Lee

“There is only One in the universe who is All-Powerful, and his only weapon is … Love.” — Stan Lee, Co-Creator of Marvel Comics [1]

[1] Juan Cole, “Remembering Stan Lee,” Informed Comment, November 13, 2018, accessed November 13, 2018, https://bit.ly/2QGVQfM.

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Tomorrow’s Sermon

Tomorrow, Sunday, November 11, 2018, I’ll be preaching on Ruth 2:1-16. I’m trying something different, I plan to look at Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi and see what we can glean about living with khesed (which I’ll explain tomorrow) in our time from their ancient examples.

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Care Packages for College Students

This year the youth will once again pack and mail care packages to college students. If you have a college student and haven’t done so already, please get the address information to Wendy Robinson. Care packages will be prepared on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

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Voices: The Luxury of a Simple Faith

“God has not given us the luxury of living in a simple time with a simple faith.”
—Bishop Ken Carter, Florida Conference United Methodist Church [1]

This is a hard, often unwelcome saying, but a true one nonetheless. We must study the Bible carefully, think deliberately, pray without ceasing, and rely upon the Holy Spirit to discern the will and ways of God in our time.

[1] Linda Bloom, Kathy L. Gilbert, and Sam Hodges, “Court Asked to Rule on Validity of Plans,” United Methodist News Service, October 23, 2018, accessed November 07, 2018, https://bit.ly/2SX96hw.

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Voices: A Prophet Isn’t a Fortune-Teller

Biblically speaking, a prophet isn’t a fortune-teller or soothsayer who predicts the future, but rather a truth-teller who sees things as they really are—past, present, and future—and who challenges their community to both accept that reality and imagine a better one. — Rachel Held Evans [1]

Prophets sometimes told the future, but always they told the truth.

[1] Rachel Held Evans, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2018), Kindle, 119.