Sunday, July 25

Patrick is just back from a week at camp with 125 district youth. He said he was exhausted, but seemed energized as he was there 100% with another great service.

Good sermon (the prodigal son), good music, good prayers.

The service closed with a favorite hymn, "Let There Be Peace On Earth" (google the words if you aren't familiar with it) and the benediction: "Dance the dance of salvation, experience the joy of the Lord in new ways, and share that joy with others." (Probably not a direct quote but the way I remember it).

Thanks Patrick for your amazing service and leadership.

Thanks Janie for playing the piano every Sunday, whether you feel good or not.

Thanks Herwannah for always leading the choir with a positive and joyful attitude (and so much more).

And a final thank you to the congregation for coming to worship regardless of circumstances. You are a blessing.

Celebrating Birthdays

Shown here: Patsy, Harold and Beth with Daryl standing behind them struggling to hold the church bank that is weighted down with the combined birthday money of all three.

Every Sunday, between church and Sunday School, we do a birthday celebration. People with birthdays near that Sunday put a penny for every year they've been alive in the bank. I believe it was Roy Stoll who came up with the idea to put a dollar in for every year when your birthday falls on a Sunday. I did that one year and the treasurers (one of them being Harold) asked me, "Is this a mistake? This is hard to believe." I had to ask for clarification, "Do you think I'm not that old or that I don't have that much money?"

Luke 10:38-42

This is one of my favorite scriptures and was the inspiration for Sunday’s sermon, “A Messy World.” You can plan and plan and plan (like Martha) but things don’t always turn out the way we plan. If you’re like Mary and have discovered the One Important Thing, then when plans go awry, it doesn’t matter. You still have your joy and your focus.

Mary and Martha: two sisters, two personalities, both serving the Lord. Martha had their home warm and welcoming for Jesus when he arrived. I wonder if Mary helped her. Jesus entered their house and Mary sat down with him. She spent time with him. Martha carried on preparing the meal without the help of her sister. Martha got annoyed. I know the feeling.

Jesus appreciated Mary’s presence and her attention to what he had to say. That’s why he came to see them, to be with them. He wasn’t really upset with Martha when she asked for Mary’s help. THE MESSAGE puts it this way, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.” This is the Jesus I know. When I’m doing something that does not please him, he doesn’t turn me into a pillar of salt but gently turns me in the right direction. And he’s very patient.

I used to wonder what they would’ve eaten if Martha hadn’t busied herself getting the meal ready. But the dinner isn’t important. The fact that Jesus is at their house is important. And it’s the same with any visitor. People don’t come over to eat your food and inspect your house, they come to see you and spend time with you. If Martha didn’t get a meal prepared, Jesus could have multiplied whatever they had on hand and turned water into wine.

Martha missed out on being with Jesus. Jesus was in her house and she chose to work instead. There’s a lesson here for us. We need to be in the presence of our Lord and not be worried and bothered about so many unimportant things. Easier said than done.

A Baptism

Today's service was special, it ended with a baptism. Tami joined the church by profession of faith and was baptized. Our church greets a new member with hugs, from everyone. We like an excuse to hug.

We all joined together in the professing the Christian faith found on page 35 of the UM Hymnal. It is worth reprinting here.

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting."

Amen.

Church, July 11, 2010

Rain was a joy mentioned today at church. Patrick said, "The Holy Spirit falls on us daily like a gentle rain falling on the thirsty earth."

The children's sermon and the "big" sermon were about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus answered the question, "Who is my neighbor?" I couldn't believe that Patrick never mentioned the neighbor of all neighbors, Mr. Rogers. I'm sure Jesus was thinking about Mr. Rogers when he was explaining neighborliness to the "lawyer." But it would have confused the issue, having to explain television and all, so he just went with the Samaritan example. That worked out well too.

I think it would be wonderful to hear what you enjoyed about church today, whether you go to IUMC or somewhere else. Leave us a comment. THANKS!

Oklahoma Conference

I saw this picture of our Bishop on the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church web site and it made me feel good. I wanted to share the picture with you so I sent an email and got permission to post it on our church blog.

I hope his smiling face puts a smile on your face too. You can read more about Bishop Robert E Hayes and lots of other things too on our Conference web site. Check it out!