Pastor Jack's Weekly Chimings Message
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Weekly Inspirational Message & Church Happenings for the Upcoming Week
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Happy Holy Week, Friends! It is an early edition of Chimings this week as we move ever closer to the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter! Today I was reading Mark's gospel and found these thoughts...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30 NIV) "I love you." These three small, but precious words, never fall on deaf ears. It is the most heavenly sound a parent can hear from their child -- and the sweetest sacrifice we can offer our Heavenly Father. Yet sometimes it's difficult to find the right words to tell our Savior how much we love him. But when all other words fail, these three short simple words are enough. We can demonstrate love in many different ways -- through giving, good deeds, acts of kindness, encouraging words. We can praise the Lord through singing, dancing, and clapping our hands or by approaching him reverently in worship -- bowing low or raising our hands. But of all the ways we show God our adoration, nothing is sweeter than the spontaneous utterance of "I Love You, Lord" any time throughout the day. Don't forget to remind the Lord how much you love Him today. So when you're driving your car or working in the kitchen or lying in bed or exercising, join me in praying, "I Love You, Lord"! +++ Holy Week Worship plans...
+++ After worship you are invited to take your Easter mums home to continue to brighten your Resurrection celebrations at home. Thanks to all who helped us beautify our Altar! +++ Please bring your Lenten Self Denial boxes back on Sunday, along with any remaining personal care items for our friends at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse. We continue to change the world through our mission work! +++ Our monthly Meal Ministry for Shut-ins is happening on Sunday, April 7th! Deliveries will be made after worship next Sunday. Thanks to all who are working in this important ministry. +++ Don't forget Immanuel's upcoming Spring Craft Show taking place on April 12 and 13 to benefit missions. There will be some beautiful crafts available for sale and you will want to be here for this great event as we celebrate the artistic talents of our area's crafters! Make this day a great day and remember to always pray, "I Love You, Lord"! Pastor Jack As we approach Palm Sunday this weekend, I read these words in Deuteronomy...
"The Lord shall command a blessing on .... everything you put your hand to." (Deuteronomy 28:8 NIV) When we set out to work each day, we never know exactly how the Lord will use us. Even as we perform the most mundane tasks, we can bring a measure of excellence and grace to everything we set our hands to. Even as we undertake the most challenging responsibilities, we can lean on God for special insight, skill, and courage. Most of us would admit that without God's grace we wouldn't have the patience required to do those tedious jobs like folding laundry, filing reports, or balancing our checkbooks. And without God's grace, we would never have made that deadline or succeeded in delivering such a winning presentation. As believers, we can start each day assured that God is with us, prospering all we set our hands to. If we are acknowledging the Lord in all we do, trusting in Him, and not leaning on our own understanding, we will not be ashamed or disappointed -- the Lord will bless our work. So join me in praying, Bless the work of my hands, O Lord, when you have a huge responsibility to fulfill or you are tempted to procrastinate out of fear or dread, or when you are lacking in confidence. +++ When we gather for worship on Sunday at both 8:30am and 10:00am we will be celebrating Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. And we will continue our worship series, Guided to the Cross. Sunday's installment is Guided to Humility and I will be looking at the Palm Sunday parade as Jesus shows us how to live in humility. I hope to "see you" in worship! We will, of course, be "live-streaming" at 10:00am on the church's Facebook page and then "uploading" the completed worship service to our YouTube channel. So, whether you are here in our beautiful Sanctuary, or joining us from afar, you are an important part of our worshipping community! And if you're here in person, you might even have the chance to join the Palm Sunday parade! +++ Sunday is also your last opportunity to order flowers for our Easter altar! Just stop at the table in the Narthex and place your order in memory or in honor of your loved ones! And wait until you see how beautiful the Altar will look on Resurrection Day! +++ Next week we worship on Thursday night, Maundy Thursday, at 7:00pm in the Sanctuary. You will want to be a part of this "Service of Nails" with us next Thursday night, March 28th! +++ On Good Friday afternoon, March 29th, the Sanctuary will be open for your personal time of silence and reflection from 12:00noon - 3:00pm. Feel free to stop in when you can and spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation of all that Jesus did for us on Good Friday. +++ Next Sunday, March 31st is our Resurrection Day celebration! We will gather at both 8:30am and 10:00am for this special day of worship and celebration of the Resurrection! Please remember to return your Lenten Self Denial boxes on Easter to help us feed hungry people in Syracuse through the feeding program at our sister congregation, University United Methodist Church. You also still have time to add some personal care products to our collection table in the Narthex. We are collecting toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, lotions and bar soap to help these folks, as well! Thanks for your generosity in helping those less fortunate than ourselves here in Syracuse. Make this day a great day and remember to pray each day, Bless the work of my hands, O Lord. Pastor Jack This Friday my reading takes me to Paul's letter to the Romans where I read these words... "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3 NIV) Days turn into weeks -- weeks into months -- and months into years. We hardly notice the change that takes place in ourselves as time passes by. Are we growing? Are we being transformed into the person God designed us to be? How do our lifestyles and habits measure up? Have we stepped back and taken stock of how far we have come on our spiritual journey? Perspective is the process of not only recognizing where we are in relation to where we are going, but also how we measure up to Christ, the hope of glory in us. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to be circumspect. That means being self-aware, to see ourselves objectively, to judge ourselves. Many of us are too busy to stop and consider ourselves deeply. Take an opportunity for that deep rest and reflection. Remember to take time to reflect and be mindful. So when your priorities feel out of place or weeks go by without any rest, or when you're feeling disconnected stop and think and then pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Amen. +++ This Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Lent and as we continue being Guided to the Cross, I will be speaking about being Guided to Perseverance. We'll be looking at John's Gospel account as we see Jesus' perseverance. And I'm thinking about what true perseverance really requires. We will worship at both 8:30am and 10:00am and our Facebook "live-stream" begins on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am! And, of course, we will then "upload" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when completed. We've got some great special music planned this week and at 10:00am we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Join us as little Jack and his family are welcomed and celebrated here in God's family! +++ We continue taking Easter flower orders to decorate the Sanctuary on Resurrection Day! See Julie or Lois at the table in the Narthex to place your orders. +++ This coming week we will gather with our friends at Camillus Ridge Terrace for worship on Wednesday 3/20 at 11:00am and then at Summerfield Village on Thursday 3/21 at 1:00pm. You're invited to worship with us at either of these stops! +++ Our Lenten Study on being Guided to the Cross continues on Wednesday at 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. Join us if you can for this wonderful time of study and learning! +++ We continue to gather personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, lotions, shampoo, etc.) for our friends at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse. Just put your donations on the table in the Narthex, please. And keep filling your Lenten Self Denial coin box to help us feed hungry people at our sister congregation! +++ Our Holy Week schedule is:
+++ Mark your calendars...
Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Pastor Jack This morning I read, once again, these great words from Paul to the church in Corinth...
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV) We've always been told that preparation is the ultimate key to success. We know that champions are those who are better prepared than their opponents. Victories are won through training and preparation. And there is no better way to take advantage of opportunities that come your way than to be prepared for them. Paul tells Timothy, "Who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences will ... be fit and ready for any good work" (2 Timothy 2:21 AMP). Preparation requires self-discipline. As a soldier preparing for war, or an athlete for competition, we must set ourselves apart and press forward. (See Philippians 3:14.) How do we do that you ask? Through studying the Word of truth that transforms us. There is no better preparation than being fully grounded on the foundation of the Truth. So when you're waiting for a breakthrough, or making plans for the future or seeking your calling and purpose try joining me in praying, Prepare me for every good work, O Lord. +++ Assuming that you remember to turn your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night, we will see you for worship at 8:30am and 10:00am on Sunday morning! This week we arrive at the 4th Sunday of Lent and my message is "Guided to Trust". How does Jesus teach us to trust from the cross of his crucifixion? And how can we learn to be more trusting individuals? Join us on Sunday morning as I try to figure this out! Our worship is "live streamed" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "uploaded" to our YouTube channel when completed. This week I'll be asking those worshipping from home to tell us when it is that you are participating in worship and where you are located as you worship. Let's see what kind of responses we get to those questions! +++ On Sunday we also celebrate UMCOR Sunday with a special church-wide offering to support the important work of our United Methodist Committee On Relief. UMCOR is always one of the first critical responders at the scene of disasters throughout the world and this is our chance to help in that life-changing work. Look for the special offering envelopes as you enter the Sanctuary on Sunday and thanks for your generosity. +++ Following the 10:00am worship on Sunday, we will enjoy another terrific Second Sunday Luncheon offered by our Fellowship Team. We will enjoy a great meal and fellowship in the Fellowship Hall! +++ Our SPRC and Finance Teams will meet on Tuesday night at 6:00pm and then our Administrative Council will meet at 6:45pm. Members please make sure you're with us for these important meetings. +++ Fundraising continues for our new, electronic church sign! We are about 50% of the way to meeting our needs and the sign should be installed in the next month or so. If you haven't yet had the chance... this would be a great time to help us reach our goal! Just place your contributions in the small wooden church on the table in the Narthex. And wait until you see the additional ministry we will do with this new ministry tool! Thanks! +++ We have one of the large salt flower pots that needs adoption for the coming summer! If you'd like to take on this ministry, as an individual or family, please speak to Sandy Van Epps! The first person who talks to her will be the winner to serve in this way! +++ We continue to support the feeding ministry at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse with our Lenten mission emphasis. All the proceeds of our Lenten Self Denial coin boxes will be used by our sister church to help feed hungry people in Syracuse. We are also collecting personal care items (tooth brushes, tooth paste, bar soap, lotions, shampoo, etc.) on the table in the Narthex for their use. Thanks for your generosity! Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Prepare me for every good work, O Lord. Pastor Jack Happy March! As another new month begins, I read these words from Paul's second letter to Timothy...
"If we are not faithful, he remains faithful, because he cannot be false to himself." (2 Timothy 2:13 TEV) Our hearts are often heavy with the burdens and cares of this world. Yes...when we go to the Lord with our needs, a little voice prattles on in the background about how we have reaped what we've sown, taken God's goodness for granted, fallen short in what we've been called to do, or failed to pull our weight in the Kingdom. We can think of a dozen reasons why we don't deserve God's blessing. Giving what is not deserved, loving unreservedly, and being unconditionally, is the very nature of God's grace. God offers salvation to the sinner, strength to the weak, sight to the blind -- yet none of us deserve it! Though we can never earn God's blessing, we know God's grace and mercy are always greater than our shortcomings. God is always faithful! So when you're not sure if God is really hearing your prayers and your life seems to be falling apart, or you just don't feel worthy.....remind yourself to pray... You are always faithful, Father. +++ We gather for worship on Sunday at both 8:30am and 10:00am. On this Third Sunday of Lent, we will talk about being "Guided to Peace". What does real peace look and feel like? And how can we learn real peace from Jesus on the cross? Join me on Sunday as we talk about these important questions. Our worship will be "live-streamed" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "uploaded" to our YouTube channel when the worship is completed. We are continuing to work on our audio levels as we break in new equipment.... So thanks for your patience and grace as we make these adjustments. +++ Don't forget to pick up your Lenten Self Denial coin boxes that will be used to support the feeding ministry at University UMC in Syracuse. As this sister church reaches out to feed hundreds of people each week, we have the blessing to be part of that exciting ministry. Coin boxes should be returned on Resurrection Sunday, March 31st! NEW THIS WEEK... the ministry at University UMC could always use personal care items (toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, bar soap, lotions, etc.). If you are shopping this week, then look for the box on the table in the Narthex to deposit these items! +++ Our church Trustees will be meeting on Wednesday, March 6th at 4:00pm in the Fireside Room. Trustees... Please mark your calendars for this important meeting! +++ Next Sunday we celebrate another Second Sunday Luncheon! Please sign up this week so we know how many to expect for this wonderful time of food and fellowship! +++ Also next Sunday we celebrate the work of our UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). We will receive one of our 6 special Sunday offerings to help UMCOR do the amazing work they do throughout the world! Look for the special offering envelopes next Sunday! Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, You are always faithful, Father! Pastor Jack |
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