YOU ARE INVITED.
PUMC will have its annual HOMECOMING CELEBRATION on Sunday, October 9, 2011. Worship Worship is at 11:00 a.m. with a potluck lunch to follow.
Pastor Emeritus VonDell Mooney will deliver the message.
Join us for this special time of worship and remembrance!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sermon from Sunday, September 25, 2011
I am going to try to post some of my sermons here in written form. I don't know if they will fit, and I don't know if anyone will read them, but I'll give it a shot.
Remember that the delivered version of the sermon will always be slightly different than the written version.
here goes.
OBEDIENCE
copyright Keith D. Coker, all rights reserved, September 25, 2011.
Today’s gospel lesson can be divided into 2 distinct parts. The first is the conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders, and the second is the Parable of the Two Sons. In the first part there is a confrontation between Jesus and the leaders of the Temple. There are other confrontations like this one in Matthew, but this one is special because it the last confrontation before Jesus’ arrest, and it takes place on the Temple grounds.
Within the gospel itself, we have leap-frogged over the triumphal entry of Palm Sunday and are now on Monday of Holy Week. This confrontation continues on through the end of chapter 21, through 22, 23, 24 and 25. It’s not clear whether or not the confrontation continues into Tuesday, but there is certainly enough material for it to have done so. Just before this passage, Jesus has driven the moneychangers out of the Temple and had some words with the authorities. The next day, Jesus goes back to the Temple and this confrontation begins. As we will see over the next 5 Sundays, Jesus tell the authorities exactly what he thinks of them. He uses 3 parables, but at the end of the confrontation, he really lets them have it, with a string of 7 "woe to you" sayings directed at the scribes and Pharisees. Matthew makes it a point to paint the authorities as villains, and having failed to trap Jesus into taking an unpopular position or declaring himself Messiah, you can almost see the authorities twirling their black mustaches and spitting "Curses. Foiled Again." And we have little doubt as to their character or that they intend to do Jesus harm.
But today we are at the beginning of the confrontation, setting the stage for the rest. They start by asking Jesus a question designed to either have Jesus proclaim himself as Messiah, which he has come close to doing in deed and word, or to force him to back down and stop stirring up trouble.
They ask him on what or whose authority Jesus says and does the things that does,1 and "Who gave you this authority"2 in particular they were probably pointing to the previous day when he was healing the lame and blind in the Temple courts after cleansing the Temple.3 The traditional ordination of a rabbi included the laying on of hands (called Semikhah) by the teacher to the pupil who was being ordained. This was a grant of authority from one rabbi to another.4
In cleansing the Temple, Jesus had acted like a prophet. They must have also been concerned that he might claim that title as well.5
It’s like asking "what are your credentials?"6 They imply that Jesus either has none or will tell them who his teachers were or will refuse to divulge who has taught him to say these things. Jesus says he will only answer their question if they answer his. He is avoiding answering directly because it is not yet time. If he claims the title Messiah, he knows he will be arrested, and he knows that there are still some things left to be taught to the disciples. So it is not yet time.
His question to them is one he knows they CANNOT answer.7 To us, looking at this scripture from this side of the passion and the resurrection, we can see that this is foreshadowing his trial before the Sanhedrin8 which will happen in a mere 3 or so days. The conflict between Jesus and all the religious authorities was now out in the open. They may have hoped Jesus would claim the throne, and the Romans would step in. They may have hoped he would claim the title Messiah, so they could stone him as a blasphemer.9 They may think they already know what Jesus’ answer would be, and they want him to commit to something they can prosecute him for. After the end of this confrontation at the end of chapter 25, the next time Jesus will meet with the authorities is when he is on trial.10
That’s still in the future in this passage. So, meanwhile, Jesus, following
good rabbinical method,11 answers their question with one of his own. He wants them to say what authority they say John the Baptist acted with. They are trapped and they know it. They cannot endorse John’s ministry as having come from God, because that would also validate Jesus’ ministry which was so closely connected to John’s. They cannot condemn John because even after his death, he is still favored by the crowds, who would then turn on the authorities.12 They could have tried to praise John and distinguish him from Jesus, but they really did not want to get into the subject of John’s ministry at all.
If they could have understood who John was and what he stood for, they would also have been able to see who Jesus was.13 By asking the question about John, Jesus makes his claim to Messiahship without actually having to speak it, by connecting himself to John.14
By refusing to answer Jesus’ question, the authorities had failed to carry out one of the chief duties of the Sanhedrin, which was to distinguish between true and false prophets.15 Since they will not do their duty, Jesus rebuffs their question, implying that his authority was from God, and that was the credential that trumped all others.16
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
Jesus then punctuates this encounter with the Parable of the Two Sons. This is one of the parables that is only found in Matthew.17 In this parable, Jesus issues a direct challenge to the Pharisees and their formalism and the Sadducees and their alleged devotion to the law.18 The end is a provocative accusation:
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
Jesus is saying to them. Those people that you look down on, that you think are the lowest of the low–those people are more righteous than you, the leaders of the Temple!
One thing that probably set them off was that Jesus had touched on an old parable that the rabbis told about God offering a field (the Torah) to all nations. Only the Israelites are willing to promise to tend the field. Eventually, they allow the field to grow up uncultivated. But the field still belongs to the Israelites because the rabbis said that it was better to make the commitment19 and fail than to not be willing to make the commitment in the first place.
By reversing the old parable into a new one, Jesus was telling them that they had it all wrong. He had turned their perspective inside-out, and they had agreed with him. They did not understand the point, that righteous actions count more than righteous words, even if the doers do not realize that they are doing the will of God.20 As Jesus said, the Temple leaders were the son who said he would work but did not, and the sinners were the son who said he would not work but did.
Barclay points out that neither son is perfect, the first is respectful but disobedient, the second was obedient but disrespectful. Here the one who actually obeyed was better than the other, but the perfect child would have agreed to work and actually done it in gracious obedience.21
What is all of this to us? How do we fit into the picture? Who are we in this parable and this confrontation? This is an exemplary behavior parable, not a kingdom parable.
I was tempted to make the theme of this sermon "How are we the Pharisees in this scripture?" But that was a little obvious.22 In going over this scripture, I decided that there was a broader theme here that deserved some attention. That theme is the identity of Jesus and how we respond to it.
Jesus’ response question is asking the leaders to define who they say John the Baptist was. And in so doing they will be defining Jesus because the crowds regarded Jesus and John as being connected. The authorities had asked Jesus "Who are you?" And he had turned it on them, and like his question to Peter back in chapter 12, he implies, "Who do you say that I am?"
The Temple leaders were torn. They could not endorse John without endorsing Jesus. They can’t denounce John because he still holds the allegiance of the crowds. They think they know that Jesus is a blasphemer and a trouble-maker, but they are still afraid to accuse him in public. Not knowing what to do, they do nothing. They don’t agitate the public and they are the ones who "back-off." When they back off, that opens the door for Jesus to tell the additional parables and declare the "Woes." He is pointing out to them and all those listening that they are not doing the will of God, and to go home and that they really do not understand what obedience to God really means.
What authority do WE ascribe to Jesus? It would be unusual in this time for someone to say Jesus acted with EVIL authority. We either say that he has the authority of heaven or only his own authority as a human being. That is the question we touched on back in chapter 16, and here it is again.
We answer this question every day of our lives with our thoughts, words and actions. Each one of our lives is therefore a different answer to the question Jesus poses. That question bubbles to the surface at various times in our lives, and we ask ourselves, "What do I believe about this man called Jesus? How he lived and died and did he rise again? Is he the Messiah, the Son of the Living God as Peter proclaimed?
The old parable about the field that the Israelites agreed to tend teaches that intent is more important than action. Jesus’ Parable of the 2 Sons teaches that actions are more important than intent–that actions speak louder than words.
One of the things that I find most attractive about the Methodist version of Christianity is the belief that we should act out our faith in actions. We say we believe, but are we willing to actually do those things that evidence faith, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, ministering to the imprisoned, all those things that Jesus did and told us to do?
There are some believers, maybe even one or two right here in this room, whose faith is so rock solid, that they never doubt their beliefs or question their own faith. This sort of Christian has a gift that will see them through many bad times. But most of us, at one time or another, do question our faith, either in a moment of personal crisis, or in just exploring faith itself.
To some degree, if our faith is never tested by crisis or inquiry, it can never grow. Growth can only happen when our faith has to stretch itself to get us through a situation or problem that it has not had to face before. The sudden death of a loved one. A tragedy in our community, an issue that we just can’t seem to get a Christian handle on, a personal illness or maybe a financial crisis. Any of these things can bring frustration or confusion into our lives that make ask questions like "Why is God allowing this to happen?" Or "Is God really looking out for us?" "Does God even really exist?’ Or "Is my faith in Jesus useless?"
When those questions confront us in crisis, it is tempting to just throw the whole religion thing out and attempt to get through it on our own, without any help from "out there." To accept the cold comfort of Scientism–believing only those things that we can sense and measure–cutting God out of the equation altogether. Relegating Jesus to the pile of good but merely human ethical teachers of history. But it is those times that we need our faith most, when we need to know more than ever that God exists, that God cares, that God acts and that Jesus was more than a teacher or a prophet, that he can even today strengthen us and get us through those tough times of life.
Those are the time when faith is stretched. Sometimes, faith’s elasticity is gone, and it breaks under the strain, and we are left with only ourselves to rely on. The lack of elasticity, of stretchability in our faith is sometimes a choice that we ourselves make. We choose how far our faith can stretch. We choose the situations from which our faith can carry us. To some degree, faith is a gift that we do or do not have. But sometimes it is a choice that we make–to believe in spite of the what is happening around us or to us, or to give up on faith and tackle our problems on our own. This begs the question, am I saying that any time faith fails, is ti the fault of the believer who let go?
No. I am not willing to say that this is the case every time. I don’t know some people’s faith fails, when others persevere. But I am willing to say that some times, we set the limits of our own faith. We decide how far we are willing to believe. And the a really good way to stretch that faith is to act it out, especially when we are feeling like our faith is not good enough to face the crisis at hand.
When our faith is weakest is a time when we should be looking around for something we can do to act out the faith we think we are losing. There is nothing like helping others to remind us of what love is, of what the essence of God is, about what Jesus was continually telling us is pleasing to God. To do justice and love mercy, to love our neighbor, and to act on that love is to see God in those we serve, those we serve with and in ourselves.
So you can’t fund a wing at the hospital, or build a wheelchair ramp, or visit someone in jail, can you spend a day at an agency that serves the poor? Can you make a telephone call to someone you know could use cheering up, if nothing else, cna you pray for them or with them? Can you tell them where to go to get help or tell someone who can help them where to contact them to provide a service.
I also do not believe that the only meaning in suffering is opportunity for spiritual growth. I don’t know why all the bad and evil things happen in the world, but I do know that a crisis, on top of whatever else it is, is an opportunity for spiritual growth. That doesn’t make tragedy pleasant. It may not be much comfort at all. But if in the midst of our own suffering, we can reach out to others, then we can experience the love of God first hand, and that experience will strengthen your faith in most situations.
Some times, we decide how far our faith will go. The challenge is to stick with faith, even when it doesn’t seem to be working, in spite of adversity, tragedy and doubt. And to do so by acting out that faith, as Jesus taught, as Wesley encouraged.
SUMMATION
In this section of Matthew, Jesus and the Temple authorities have their last confrontation before Jesus’ arrest. The leaders want to know who Jesus claims to be. Jesus turns the question back on them: "Who do you say that I am?" and he challenges them with the Parable of the Two Sons.
The question for us today is the same" "Who do we say that Jesus is" We answer that question in our faith more with our deeds than our words. The question can come to us at a time when it calls our faith into question. Then, we can decide the limit of our faith. We can set our own boundaries. A new questioning. A time of stress and crisis. Has that ever happened to you? I think we all have or will. We will again and again as we go through life. How will we respond? Let’s all choose to respond with faith, a faith that is rooted in loving actions towards others.
AMEN.
Remember that the delivered version of the sermon will always be slightly different than the written version.
here goes.
OBEDIENCE
copyright Keith D. Coker, all rights reserved, September 25, 2011.
Today’s gospel lesson can be divided into 2 distinct parts. The first is the conversation between Jesus and the religious leaders, and the second is the Parable of the Two Sons. In the first part there is a confrontation between Jesus and the leaders of the Temple. There are other confrontations like this one in Matthew, but this one is special because it the last confrontation before Jesus’ arrest, and it takes place on the Temple grounds.
Within the gospel itself, we have leap-frogged over the triumphal entry of Palm Sunday and are now on Monday of Holy Week. This confrontation continues on through the end of chapter 21, through 22, 23, 24 and 25. It’s not clear whether or not the confrontation continues into Tuesday, but there is certainly enough material for it to have done so. Just before this passage, Jesus has driven the moneychangers out of the Temple and had some words with the authorities. The next day, Jesus goes back to the Temple and this confrontation begins. As we will see over the next 5 Sundays, Jesus tell the authorities exactly what he thinks of them. He uses 3 parables, but at the end of the confrontation, he really lets them have it, with a string of 7 "woe to you" sayings directed at the scribes and Pharisees. Matthew makes it a point to paint the authorities as villains, and having failed to trap Jesus into taking an unpopular position or declaring himself Messiah, you can almost see the authorities twirling their black mustaches and spitting "Curses. Foiled Again." And we have little doubt as to their character or that they intend to do Jesus harm.
But today we are at the beginning of the confrontation, setting the stage for the rest. They start by asking Jesus a question designed to either have Jesus proclaim himself as Messiah, which he has come close to doing in deed and word, or to force him to back down and stop stirring up trouble.
They ask him on what or whose authority Jesus says and does the things that does,1 and "Who gave you this authority"2 in particular they were probably pointing to the previous day when he was healing the lame and blind in the Temple courts after cleansing the Temple.3 The traditional ordination of a rabbi included the laying on of hands (called Semikhah) by the teacher to the pupil who was being ordained. This was a grant of authority from one rabbi to another.4
In cleansing the Temple, Jesus had acted like a prophet. They must have also been concerned that he might claim that title as well.5
It’s like asking "what are your credentials?"6 They imply that Jesus either has none or will tell them who his teachers were or will refuse to divulge who has taught him to say these things. Jesus says he will only answer their question if they answer his. He is avoiding answering directly because it is not yet time. If he claims the title Messiah, he knows he will be arrested, and he knows that there are still some things left to be taught to the disciples. So it is not yet time.
His question to them is one he knows they CANNOT answer.7 To us, looking at this scripture from this side of the passion and the resurrection, we can see that this is foreshadowing his trial before the Sanhedrin8 which will happen in a mere 3 or so days. The conflict between Jesus and all the religious authorities was now out in the open. They may have hoped Jesus would claim the throne, and the Romans would step in. They may have hoped he would claim the title Messiah, so they could stone him as a blasphemer.9 They may think they already know what Jesus’ answer would be, and they want him to commit to something they can prosecute him for. After the end of this confrontation at the end of chapter 25, the next time Jesus will meet with the authorities is when he is on trial.10
good rabbinical method,11 answers their question with one of his own. He wants them to say what authority they say John the Baptist acted with. They are trapped and they know it. They cannot endorse John’s ministry as having come from God, because that would also validate Jesus’ ministry which was so closely connected to John’s. They cannot condemn John because even after his death, he is still favored by the crowds, who would then turn on the authorities.12 They could have tried to praise John and distinguish him from Jesus, but they really did not want to get into the subject of John’s ministry at all.
If they could have understood who John was and what he stood for, they would also have been able to see who Jesus was.13 By asking the question about John, Jesus makes his claim to Messiahship without actually having to speak it, by connecting himself to John.14
By refusing to answer Jesus’ question, the authorities had failed to carry out one of the chief duties of the Sanhedrin, which was to distinguish between true and false prophets.15 Since they will not do their duty, Jesus rebuffs their question, implying that his authority was from God, and that was the credential that trumped all others.16
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
Jesus then punctuates this encounter with the Parable of the Two Sons. This is one of the parables that is only found in Matthew.17 In this parable, Jesus issues a direct challenge to the Pharisees and their formalism and the Sadducees and their alleged devotion to the law.18 The end is a provocative accusation:
"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
Jesus is saying to them. Those people that you look down on, that you think are the lowest of the low–those people are more righteous than you, the leaders of the Temple!
One thing that probably set them off was that Jesus had touched on an old parable that the rabbis told about God offering a field (the Torah) to all nations. Only the Israelites are willing to promise to tend the field. Eventually, they allow the field to grow up uncultivated. But the field still belongs to the Israelites because the rabbis said that it was better to make the commitment19 and fail than to not be willing to make the commitment in the first place.
By reversing the old parable into a new one, Jesus was telling them that they had it all wrong. He had turned their perspective inside-out, and they had agreed with him. They did not understand the point, that righteous actions count more than righteous words, even if the doers do not realize that they are doing the will of God.20 As Jesus said, the Temple leaders were the son who said he would work but did not, and the sinners were the son who said he would not work but did.
Barclay points out that neither son is perfect, the first is respectful but disobedient, the second was obedient but disrespectful. Here the one who actually obeyed was better than the other, but the perfect child would have agreed to work and actually done it in gracious obedience.21
What is all of this to us? How do we fit into the picture? Who are we in this parable and this confrontation? This is an exemplary behavior parable, not a kingdom parable.
I was tempted to make the theme of this sermon "How are we the Pharisees in this scripture?" But that was a little obvious.22 In going over this scripture, I decided that there was a broader theme here that deserved some attention. That theme is the identity of Jesus and how we respond to it.
Jesus’ response question is asking the leaders to define who they say John the Baptist was. And in so doing they will be defining Jesus because the crowds regarded Jesus and John as being connected. The authorities had asked Jesus "Who are you?" And he had turned it on them, and like his question to Peter back in chapter 12, he implies, "Who do you say that I am?"
The Temple leaders were torn. They could not endorse John without endorsing Jesus. They can’t denounce John because he still holds the allegiance of the crowds. They think they know that Jesus is a blasphemer and a trouble-maker, but they are still afraid to accuse him in public. Not knowing what to do, they do nothing. They don’t agitate the public and they are the ones who "back-off." When they back off, that opens the door for Jesus to tell the additional parables and declare the "Woes." He is pointing out to them and all those listening that they are not doing the will of God, and to go home and that they really do not understand what obedience to God really means.
What authority do WE ascribe to Jesus? It would be unusual in this time for someone to say Jesus acted with EVIL authority. We either say that he has the authority of heaven or only his own authority as a human being. That is the question we touched on back in chapter 16, and here it is again.
We answer this question every day of our lives with our thoughts, words and actions. Each one of our lives is therefore a different answer to the question Jesus poses. That question bubbles to the surface at various times in our lives, and we ask ourselves, "What do I believe about this man called Jesus? How he lived and died and did he rise again? Is he the Messiah, the Son of the Living God as Peter proclaimed?
The old parable about the field that the Israelites agreed to tend teaches that intent is more important than action. Jesus’ Parable of the 2 Sons teaches that actions are more important than intent–that actions speak louder than words.
One of the things that I find most attractive about the Methodist version of Christianity is the belief that we should act out our faith in actions. We say we believe, but are we willing to actually do those things that evidence faith, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, ministering to the imprisoned, all those things that Jesus did and told us to do?
There are some believers, maybe even one or two right here in this room, whose faith is so rock solid, that they never doubt their beliefs or question their own faith. This sort of Christian has a gift that will see them through many bad times. But most of us, at one time or another, do question our faith, either in a moment of personal crisis, or in just exploring faith itself.
To some degree, if our faith is never tested by crisis or inquiry, it can never grow. Growth can only happen when our faith has to stretch itself to get us through a situation or problem that it has not had to face before. The sudden death of a loved one. A tragedy in our community, an issue that we just can’t seem to get a Christian handle on, a personal illness or maybe a financial crisis. Any of these things can bring frustration or confusion into our lives that make ask questions like "Why is God allowing this to happen?" Or "Is God really looking out for us?" "Does God even really exist?’ Or "Is my faith in Jesus useless?"
When those questions confront us in crisis, it is tempting to just throw the whole religion thing out and attempt to get through it on our own, without any help from "out there." To accept the cold comfort of Scientism–believing only those things that we can sense and measure–cutting God out of the equation altogether. Relegating Jesus to the pile of good but merely human ethical teachers of history. But it is those times that we need our faith most, when we need to know more than ever that God exists, that God cares, that God acts and that Jesus was more than a teacher or a prophet, that he can even today strengthen us and get us through those tough times of life.
Those are the time when faith is stretched. Sometimes, faith’s elasticity is gone, and it breaks under the strain, and we are left with only ourselves to rely on. The lack of elasticity, of stretchability in our faith is sometimes a choice that we ourselves make. We choose how far our faith can stretch. We choose the situations from which our faith can carry us. To some degree, faith is a gift that we do or do not have. But sometimes it is a choice that we make–to believe in spite of the what is happening around us or to us, or to give up on faith and tackle our problems on our own. This begs the question, am I saying that any time faith fails, is ti the fault of the believer who let go?
No. I am not willing to say that this is the case every time. I don’t know some people’s faith fails, when others persevere. But I am willing to say that some times, we set the limits of our own faith. We decide how far we are willing to believe. And the a really good way to stretch that faith is to act it out, especially when we are feeling like our faith is not good enough to face the crisis at hand.
When our faith is weakest is a time when we should be looking around for something we can do to act out the faith we think we are losing. There is nothing like helping others to remind us of what love is, of what the essence of God is, about what Jesus was continually telling us is pleasing to God. To do justice and love mercy, to love our neighbor, and to act on that love is to see God in those we serve, those we serve with and in ourselves.
So you can’t fund a wing at the hospital, or build a wheelchair ramp, or visit someone in jail, can you spend a day at an agency that serves the poor? Can you make a telephone call to someone you know could use cheering up, if nothing else, cna you pray for them or with them? Can you tell them where to go to get help or tell someone who can help them where to contact them to provide a service.
I also do not believe that the only meaning in suffering is opportunity for spiritual growth. I don’t know why all the bad and evil things happen in the world, but I do know that a crisis, on top of whatever else it is, is an opportunity for spiritual growth. That doesn’t make tragedy pleasant. It may not be much comfort at all. But if in the midst of our own suffering, we can reach out to others, then we can experience the love of God first hand, and that experience will strengthen your faith in most situations.
Some times, we decide how far our faith will go. The challenge is to stick with faith, even when it doesn’t seem to be working, in spite of adversity, tragedy and doubt. And to do so by acting out that faith, as Jesus taught, as Wesley encouraged.
SUMMATION
In this section of Matthew, Jesus and the Temple authorities have their last confrontation before Jesus’ arrest. The leaders want to know who Jesus claims to be. Jesus turns the question back on them: "Who do you say that I am?" and he challenges them with the Parable of the Two Sons.
The question for us today is the same" "Who do we say that Jesus is" We answer that question in our faith more with our deeds than our words. The question can come to us at a time when it calls our faith into question. Then, we can decide the limit of our faith. We can set our own boundaries. A new questioning. A time of stress and crisis. Has that ever happened to you? I think we all have or will. We will again and again as we go through life. How will we respond? Let’s all choose to respond with faith, a faith that is rooted in loving actions towards others.
AMEN.
Hi, all. My name is Keith Coker and I am the new pastor at Plummerville United Methodist Church. Sunday worship is still at 11:00 a.m., and I hope you will take time to come join us some Sunday. How about this week? We have some new events coming up that I will be sharing details of with you here, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Voncille Kissire funeral
All,
We had planned to host a church-wide breakfast this coming Saturday morning. We found out early this week that Voncille Kissire passed away. She had moved to Virginia to be near her family; she was a long time member of Plummerville UMC. The funeral is planned for Saturday afternoon. We will postpone the church-wide breakfast until a future date.
The Voncille Kissire funeral will be this Saturday at Plummerville UMC. We plan for lunch to be served at 1:00 and for the funeral to take place at 3:30. Church members are encouraged to bring a dish and assist in the lunch.
Please keep the Kissire/James family in your prayers.
Please share this information with others who might not see this email.
Grace and Peace,
Dane
We had planned to host a church-wide breakfast this coming Saturday morning. We found out early this week that Voncille Kissire passed away. She had moved to Virginia to be near her family; she was a long time member of Plummerville UMC. The funeral is planned for Saturday afternoon. We will postpone the church-wide breakfast until a future date.
The Voncille Kissire funeral will be this Saturday at Plummerville UMC. We plan for lunch to be served at 1:00 and for the funeral to take place at 3:30. Church members are encouraged to bring a dish and assist in the lunch.
Please keep the Kissire/James family in your prayers.
Please share this information with others who might not see this email.
Grace and Peace,
Dane
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Disaster Relief Buckets
Due to the recent weather related disasters in Arkansas our church is preparing relief buckets. The Arkansas Rice Depot, a long time partner of the ARUMC, collects the buckets and distributes them to needed areas. The buckets are designed to assist in cleanup efforts.
We strongly encourage everyone in the church to prepare a bucket or two or three. Making financial donations is obviously appreciated, but often people experiencing these types of disasters need supplies, not cash. If you are able, please consider participating. This is an obvious way to extend the Love and Grace of Christ to our sisters and brothers in need across the state.
Your prepared bucket is due back SUNDAY 5/15/11. We need to collect these quickly so they can be distributed quickly!
Contents:
5 gallon bucket with lid
1 Scrub Brush
5 Scouring Pads
18 Cleaning Towels (reusable)
7 sponges, assorted sizes
Laundry Detergent 50 oz.
Household Cleaner 12 oz.
Disinfectant Dish Soap 28 oz.
50 Clothespins
Clothesline 100 ft. x 3/16”
Dust Masks 5 pack
Latex Gloves 2 pair pack
Work Gloves 1 pair
Trash Bags 45 gal 24 bag roll
Insect Spray, 14 oz.
Air Freshener, 9 oz.
How many buckets will we collect?...25?...35?...50?!
Questions? Call Bro. Dane @ 870-613-2889
We strongly encourage everyone in the church to prepare a bucket or two or three. Making financial donations is obviously appreciated, but often people experiencing these types of disasters need supplies, not cash. If you are able, please consider participating. This is an obvious way to extend the Love and Grace of Christ to our sisters and brothers in need across the state.
Your prepared bucket is due back SUNDAY 5/15/11. We need to collect these quickly so they can be distributed quickly!
Contents:
5 gallon bucket with lid
1 Scrub Brush
5 Scouring Pads
18 Cleaning Towels (reusable)
7 sponges, assorted sizes
Laundry Detergent 50 oz.
Household Cleaner 12 oz.
Disinfectant Dish Soap 28 oz.
50 Clothespins
Clothesline 100 ft. x 3/16”
Dust Masks 5 pack
Latex Gloves 2 pair pack
Work Gloves 1 pair
Trash Bags 45 gal 24 bag roll
Insect Spray, 14 oz.
Air Freshener, 9 oz.
How many buckets will we collect?...25?...35?...50?!
Questions? Call Bro. Dane @ 870-613-2889
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
ARUMC Disaster Response
Please continue to keep the families in Arkansas and across the South that have lost loved ones, homes, and employment during the past weeks and days. Here is how you can help:
PROVIDE: In Vilonia, there is an urgent need for tarps of all sizes and cleaning (fllood) buckets, health kits and supplies at the donation center in Vilonia. Flood buckets or items may be sent/delivered to the Arkansas Rice Depot (ARD), 3801 W. 65th Street, Little Rock, AR 72209 or contact your district disaster coordinator for local drop off points. Additional items: Pillows, towels, wash rags, mops, brooms, ziploc bags, paper grocery bags, smaller boxes, canned meat, pots & pans.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Easter Services
Please join us for a Holy Thursday and Passion Story Service of Worship and Communion. This should be a service of contemplation and reflection before the celebration of the Easter resurrection. Please join us! Thursday, April 21, 6:00 pm.Our Worship will continue on Easter morning with a Sunrise Service set for 7am. This will be a service of prayer and meditation. Come worship God as Easter Morning unfolds.
Our regular worship service is Sunday Morning at 11am. Experience the hope and joy of Easter Morning!
We encourage you to join us for worship during this Easter Season. We anticipate God revealing himself to us through the Resurrection of his Son.
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