UMW Day of Giving

Join us in celebrating the 150th anniversary of United Methodist Women with a special Day of Giving on Saturday March 23, 2019

Let us honor our foremothers by giving to the Legacy Fund to ensure United Methodist Women can continue serving women, children and youth around the world for the next 150 years. Generous donors have already committed to matching a portion of our gifts received on the Day of Giving.  Together, we are building our legacy!

TO GIVE

+Go Online unitedmethodistwomen.org/legacyfund

+Call 800-278-7771, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday and Saturday March 23

+Text 41444 and enter Legacy150 in the message area.

+Write a Check

United Methodist Women
Attn: Development, Legacy Fund
475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10115
Write “Day of Giving” in the memo section.

 Legacy Story: The Work of Mary McLeod Bethune

 Read her story at www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/news/education-and-equality-mary-mcleod-bethune

WJ continues being ‘A home for all’ following GC2019

In a manner emblematic of the Western Jurisdiction, the 2019 leadership team meeting March 14 was dedicated to conversation and dialog about General Conference. Members and guests listened and joined together in the conversation. Worship centered around passages from Job and Matthew with themes of lament, hope, and responding. Considering Matthew 9:16-17 attendees reflected on the possibility of being able to move the church forward with its existing structure. Can new wine be put in old wineskins?

Those gathered shared hopes for building “new wineskins” that could support both existing commitments to global mission, strong ethnic ministries, and truly inclusive church. Participants also received a sobering whitepaper presented by the Rev. Jeremy Smith detailing some of the opportunities and challenges that need to be considered as leaders consider their next steps in responding to the current state of the Church.

Read more at this link.

This week @ Stevi UMC

Monday:
1:00 pm, Bible Study @ The Living Center
7:00 pm, Living Clean
7:00 pm, Trustees

Tuesday:
7:00 pm, Choir  

Wednesday:

8:00 am, WIC

Thursday:
6:00 pm, Shepherding
7:00 pm, Ad Council

Saturday: 150th Anniversary of the UMW

Sunday:
10:15 am, Praise singing

10:30 am, Worship

11:30 am, Fellowship
11:45 am, Chimes

Scripture lesson for March 24

Rennes le Chateau

The scripture lesson for next Sunday is Luke 10:38-42.

Second Sunday in Lent

"The thaw" has begun in the Valley with the mounds of snow becoming a tad smaller each day. This morning the shared "The Lord Will Be My Shepherd." Pastor Charles' sermon was based on Psalm 23.

Thanks today to: Ava & Hazen (Acolytes), Brenda Bolton (Choir), Angela Haugo (Fellowship), Donna Lewis and Sara Malo (Flowers), Cammie Edgar & Mary Nelson (Greeters), Kendra Ruff (Holy Moly), Bev Schneider (Liturgist), Paul Ludington (Praise music), Amanda Hermes (Nursery), Julie Ludington (Piano), Cammie Edgar (Power point), Don Nelson & Kathy Wood (Offering counters), and Belinda Alkula (Video).

A Modern Reworking of St. Patrick’s Breastplate

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Dublin

St. Patrick’s Lorica, more commonly referred to as St. Patrick’s Breastplate, is an ancient Christian incantation  attributed to Patrick of Ireland, the  Romano-British missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland in the second half of the 5th century. As they are prone to do, scholars debate whether the historical Patrick actually wrote the Breastplate with some dating its creation to the 8th century.

Patrick would become the country’s most famous patron saint. In popular folklore, he taught the pagan Irish about the Trinity with a shamrock, grew trees from his walking stick, and magically banished snakes from Ireland. The date of Saint Patrick’s death became a widely celebrated holiday, a day of Irish pride, and occasion for drinking beer with unhealthy amounts of green dye.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate has found its way into Christian practice in a variety of shapes and forms. A number of translations can be found with a quick internet search.  In some, portions of the Lorica that are incomprehensible, or even offensive to some today, are left out without mention.

What follows isn’t an attempt to faithfully transcribe the author’s original intent. Some of that is lost to the ages and most certainly burdened with the baggage of primitive belief and druidic superstition. Instead, while seeking to be appropriately referential (and reverential), this reworking seeks to provide a prayer that can be understood within a modern context. I hope you find it helpful.

Read more at After.Church

Prayer Chair - Second Sunday in Lent

Why should the children of a King

                          Go mourning all their days?                   

Great Comforter, descend and bring 

The tokens of thy grace.

Dost thou not dwell in all thy saints, 

And seal the heirs of heaven?
When with thou banish my complaints, 

And show my sins forgiven?

Assure my conscience of her part 

In the Redeemer’s blood:
And bear thy witness with my heart, 

That I am born of God.

Thou art the earnest of his love, 

The pledge of joys to come;
May thy blest wings, celestial Dove, 

Safely convey me home.

The Methodist Pocket Hymn-Book. 45th ed., Abraham Paul, 1818. Page 36, No. 31