The photo (above) that was featured in today’s worship slides was taken by Flickr user Pacheco from North Lake, California. We used it under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License (CC BY-ND 2.0). A larger version can be found here.
Link: http://bit.ly/2MBCbLb
In last Sunday’s Stewardship Moment, I referenced expensive golf clubs (I also referred the expense of one of my own hobbies). I was sorry to hear that someone felt that I was looking directly at them. If I was, I don’t remember doing so and didn’t intend to do so. I bring this up to make a more significant point. If there’s something that I think needs to be said to you individually, I’ll say it to you personally. As far as I can remember, I’ve never singled out an individual for criticism from the pulpit, and I believe that doing so would be an abuse of power. That said, it may sometimes be the case that something I say hits home for you. If so, I would encourage you to follow Christian tradition and blame that on attribute that to the Holy Spirit. In my life, the Spirit does that kind of thing on an annoyingly regular basis.
We have a big day in worship tomorrow (Sunday, August 19, 2018). We’ll be blessing students and backpacks as well as teachers and administrators. We’ll also be taking time for the presentation of Bibles.
This coming Sunday (August 5, 2018), we’ll be celebrating Camp Sunday. We’ll have messages from our campers and we’re encouraging everyone to dress in camp gear (John and I will be wearing Camp Horizon t-shirts). If you prefer, you can observe our traditional “Fair Sunday” and come in western wear. (Either way, we know that this will be just another Sunday for some of you—and we’re fine with that.)
Tomorrow at both worship services, Chelsea Shrack, the campus minister at K-State Wesley, will be bringing the message. We will also be taking up a special offering for K-State Wesley during our offering time. We invite you to join us as we hear what is happening at our United Methodist Campus Ministry at K-State!
Jenny and I are excited to be hosting Chelsea Shrack of K-State Wesley this coming Sunday. In addition to Chelsea’s telling of the story of K-State Wesley, we’ll have special music, in the form of trumpet duets, from Chuck Brussow and David Carlson.
Jenny and I will be away at Annual Conference tomorrow and so there will be no Wednesday Evening communion tomorrow (June 13, 2018). We’re looking forward to celebrating the sacrament with you the Wednesday after that.
Jenny and I were on vacation yesterday, but we streamed a service from a large United Methodist Church at 7:30 a.m. and then we streamed the 10:30 service from Abilene First UMC. As you might have expected, the stream from the large church had better production values, but when we watched the service that you all were in we could see the people sitting near the front of the sanctuary and we could hear the congregation singing. It felt much more like we were right there with you. That was great and more than made up for the image not being quite as sharp. My thanks to whoever started the camera.
Jenny and I are on vacation and will be gone tomorrow (June 3, 2018), but Amanda Cormack will be filling in.
Below is a list of the members of First United Methodist Church who have died since our last All Saints Service on May 28, 2017. We’ll be remembering and honoring them this coming Sunday (May 27, 2018). Please check the list and let me know of any additions or corrections that need to be made.
Irene P. Meyer, June 22, 2017
Richard Ray Danner, July 19, 2017
Joseph E. Couture, August 28, 2017
Saundra “Sandy” F. Heroneme, September 7, 2017
Marilyn Joan Holmes, September 21, 2017
Jon Dale Thayer, October 26, 2017
Shirley Reynolds, October 28, 2017
Don Hunt, October 31, 2017
Melvin G. Cox, October 31, 2017
Gerald E. Everett, November 23, 2017
Laurine S. Atkinson, December 16, 2017
Mary J. Hamill, February 7, 2018
Jill Royer, February 12, 2018
Mary “Maxine” Fiedler, February 17, 2018
Clarice Emig, May 10, 2018
Shane Claiborne has an excellent, succinct explanation for today’s celebration of Pentecost:
This past weekend Christians around the world celebrated one of our holiest holidays: Pentecost. Pentecost, meaning “50 days,” is celebrated seven weeks after Easter (hence the 50), and marks the birthday of the Church when the Holy Spirit is said to have fallen on the early Christian community like fire from the heavens (for this reason lots of Christians wear red and decorate in pyro-colors, and it’s also where the fiery Pentecostal movement draws its name).
Link: http://bit.ly/2IC5Y5k
Shane Claiborne, “Not Just Another Manic Monday: Pentecost And The Reconciliation Of Humanity,” The Huffington Post, August 13, 2011, accessed May 21, 2018, http://bit.ly/2IC5Y5k.
We’ll be celebrating the Ascension this Sunday (May 13, 2018). I’m formulating a sermon with four questions I’m going to try my best to answer. They are:
Hope to see you there.
