We recently announced scholarship recipients for the 2019-2020 academic year. Next year’s applications are already available on the downloads page of the church’s website. Next year’s applications must be completed in full and submitted to the church office or the AHS Counselors’ office by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 8, 2020, to be eligible for consideration. If you’re going to submit your application before March 2020, I would encourage you to do so via an email to office@abilenefirstumc.org so that you have a record of your submission. I would also advise you to double check if you don’t receive a reply confirming that your application was received.
Movie Recommendation
“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits. Fanatics will never learn that though it be written in letters of gold across the sky. It is the prohibition that makes anything precious.” — Mark Twain [1]
The quote above is how the movie Prohibition begins. It’s the documentary that I recommended yesterday. I forgot to mention that if you have a Netflix subscription, you already have access to it.
[1] Prohibition. Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novac. Florentine Films and WETA, 2011.
2019-2020 Scholarships
Last Tuesday, April 23, 2019, the scholarship committee met and award the following scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year:
First-Time Applicants — United Methodist
Audrey Unruh — $750
Brenna Riffel — $750
Grace Griffith — $750
Sydney Burton — $750
First-Time Applicants — Non-United Methodist
Trey Hoerner — $500
Prior Recipients — United Methodist
Alexandria Walters — $500
Jaden Walters — $500
Kyler Schardein — $500
Rae Schwarting — $500
Tucker Robinson — $500
Voices: Seeing Blessings
Kate Morehead names complaining and lamenting how busy her job and her three small boys keep her as personal temptations. And then later she makes this point:
“If only I could see that my job and my children are blessings from God and not busyness to overcome, I could enjoy my life in deeper way.” — Kate Moorehead [1]
I need to remember that.
[1] Kate Moorehead, Get Over Yourself; God’s Here! (Wichita, Kansas: St. Mark’s Press, 2009), 10.
Voices: Our Job is to Love
“Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy.”
― Attributed to Thomas Merton
The Paschal Sermon of John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom (349-407) was a famous preacher, doctor of the church, and archbishop of Constantinople. His last name means “golden tongued/mouthed,” which referred to his preaching ability and not his lifestyle, which was ascetic. This sermon is still proclaimed in Orthodox Churches around the world every Easter.
If anyone is devout and a lover of God,
let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.
If anyone is a grateful servant,
let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.
If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting,
let them now receive recompense.If anyone has labored from the first hour,
let them today receive the just reward.
If anyone has come at the third hour,
with thanksgiving let them feast.
If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour,
let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss.
If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour,
let them draw near without hesitation.
If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour,
let them not fear on account of tardiness. [Matthew 20:1-16]For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first;
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
just as to him who has labored from the first.
He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first;
to the one He gives, and to the other He is gracious.
He both honors the work and praises the intention.Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord,
and, whether first or last, receive your reward.
O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy!
O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!
The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you!
The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry!Let all partake of the feast of faith.
Let all receive the riches of goodness.
Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s death has set us free.
He that was taken by death has annihilated it!He descended into Hades and took Hades captive!
He embittered it when it tasted His flesh!
And anticipating this, Isaiah exclaimed: “Hades was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions”.It was embittered, for it was abolished!
It was embittered, for it was mocked!
It was embittered, for it was purged!
It was embittered, for it was despoiled!
It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!
It took a body and came upon God!
It took earth and encountered Ηeaven!
It took what it saw, but crumbled before what it had not seen!
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!
For Christ, being raised from the dead,
has become the firstfruits of them that have slept.
To Him be glory and might unto the ages of ages.Amen. [1]
[1] “Paschal Homily,” Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation, July 5, 2018), http://bit.ly/2PwaWoF. I’m sharing the Wikipedia version because it appears to be an accurate, yet inclusive translation of the ancient text and because it’s available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Voices: On the Seventh Day God Rested
This Holy Saturday, I want to share this poem by N. T. Wright:
On the seventh day God rested
in the darkness of the tomb;
Having finished on the sixth day
all his work of joy and doom.
Now the word had fallen silent,
and the water had run dry,
The bread had all been scattered,
and the light had left the sky.
The flock had lost its shepherd,
and the seed was sadly sown,
The courtiers had betrayed their king,
and nailed him to his throne.
O Sabbath rest by Calvary,
O calm of tomb below,
Where the grave-clothes and the spices
cradle him we did not know!
Rest you well, beloved Jesus,
Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King,
In the brooding of the Spirit,
in the darkness of the spring.
— N. T. Wright [1]
[1] N. T. Wright, The Challenge of Easter (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2009), 33-34.
Updating the Contacts Directory
We’re updating the paper contacts directory that we put out in 2017. There are four options for four different kinds of people:
- For those whose names and contact information are already in the directory and the information hasn’t changed you don’t need to do anything.
- For those whose names and contact information are already in the directory, but the information has changed, we need you to fill out a new form (on the back of the attendance insert). Only the information on the new form will be published.
- For those whose names and contact information are not in the directory, but want to be included this time, we need you to fill out a form (on the back of the attendance insert).
- For those who don’t want to be in the directory, you don’t need to do anything, but you will also not receive a copy of the directory.
A Public Reminder to Myself
Last night’s Tenebrae service was powerful and moving as it always is, but I need to make a note to myself (and hopefully, because it’s public, other people will remind me). That note: And Can It Be That I Should Gain doesn’t work even when sung to the familiar tune of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross because it’s just too long.
Funeral Service for Ruth Dieter
There will be a Service of Death and Resurrection for Ruth Dieter tomorrow (Friday, April 19, 2019) at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Interment will follow in the Abilene Cemetery. Jenny and I will preside. There will be no visitation and no funeral dinner.
Voices: Conflict Can Be Good
Many of you joined me in using the Lenten Devotional book titled Get Over Yourself, God’s Here by Kate Moorhead. One of the passages I most needed to read was the one in which she was commenting on Jesus’ cleansing of the temple and wrote: “Conflict can be holy. Conflict is not bad; it is an agent of change.”
Easter Sunday Breakfast
You are invited to an All-Church Easter Breakfast on Sunday, April 21, in Wright Hall during the education hour (9:20-10:20 a.m.). Celebrate the Resurrection with food, fellowship and special entertainment from our youth. Please bring a favorite breakfast dish. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids following breakfast at 10:15 a.m. Children should meet in Wright Fellowship Hall.