Happy Halloween, Friends! 

I am hoping the rain subsides so the little ones can have a safe and fun night tonight.  Here are some words from Philippians 4 for us to hear and contemplate today...

             "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."   (Philippians 4: 6-7 NIV)

At some point in the life of every Christian, something will come up to cause worry, stress, or doubt.  If it's not money -- or the lack thereof -- then it's a health problem.... or conflicts in your human relationships ... or... 
   
Worry is one of the spiritual weapons the evil one likes to use to trip up the people of God, but we have a weapon of our own that the enemy just can't overcome: prayer (Ephesians 6:18).  
   
When we fail to pray, our problems tend to magnify themselves to the point where they seem too big and too insurmountable for us to see past them. That's when worry can turn into something we can't overcome on our own.
   
When we pray about the problems we face, however, we begin to see things through the eyes of faith, not through the eyes of worry. Suddenly, things come into perspective. So when you're tempted to worry .... pray instead.

            Father in heaven, I confess that I sometimes give in to the temptation to worry. Please forgive me and help me to leave the things that cause me to worry in Your able hands. May I always dwell on Your goodness and  power, not on the things I cannot control. Amen. 

+++ This Sunday we celebrate All Saints Day in our worship services at both 8:30am and 10:00am. Our lectionary reading takes us to a portion of Luke's account of The Beatitudes, as found in Luke 6. My message "Celebrating the Saints", will have me thinking about what exactly makes a person a saint. And who are the saints in your life? We will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion together and I invite you to bring a candle from home to represent the saints who have been in your life. Join us in the sanctuary or on our Facebook live feed at 10:00am or catch the recorded version of worship on YouTube following the completion of the worship service. We can't wait to see you in worship on Sunday!

+++ On Sunday will be your first chance to place an order for Door Sprays. Check out the table in the Narthex to choose your choice of materials and decorations for your holiday doors.     

+++ Next Tuesday is Election Day and that means that it's Turkey Dinner time. We still need more pie bakers... and you will find pie plates right next to the sign up sheet outside the Fireside Room. You can also get presale tickets on Sunday in the Narthex. Please make sure all pies are at the building by 10:00am Tuesday morning to allow time for the cutting and packaging to take place. Thanks!  

+++ Our church Trustees will meet on Wednesday, 11/5 at 4:00pm in the Fireside Room.

+++ Next Sunday, November 9th is our Second Sunday luncheon after the 10:00am worship service but we need you to please sign up to let us know how many friends to prepare for.    

+++ Administrative Council members are reminded that our annual Charge Conference will be held at St. Paul's UMC on Valley Drive in Syracuse on Saturday, November 8th at 1:00pm. All Administrative Council members should be present that day to help us conduct the business of our church.  

+++ Pam is preparing an order for new church name tags. If you need one, please make sure she knows prior to the order date which is November 14th. Thanks!  

Make this day a great day and always feel the joy of going to God in prayer!   
​Pastor Jack

After a restful week away I am glad to be back and looking forward to seeing you all in worship on Sunday! Today my reading takes me to the book of the Prophet Jeremiah...
 
                  "The word of the Lord came to me: "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: This is what the Lord says: 'I remember the devotion of your youth. How as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown.'"   (Jeremiah 2: 1-12 NIV)
 
Do you remember the last time you attended a wedding? As the bride and groom stand before the friends and family to recite their vows, it's almost as if they forget that anyone else is in the room with them as they fix their gaze on one another. They are that much in love with one another.
   
Sadly, many married couples don't maintain that level of love and devotion. In time, they fall out of love and the relationship becomes joyless and sterile.
   
That's also what happened to the people of Jerusalem.
   
In today's scripture verses, the Lord remembered how His people had loved Him and how they were so willing to follow Him anywhere. But now, the people's passion for their God was no more. Now, they weren't willing to follow Him with their whole hearts.
   
Might I suggest that you take a good look at your relationship with the Lord today? Do you love Him the way you did when you began your journey of faith? Or has the fire begun to wane? If it's the latter, it may be time to renew your commitment to Him today.  
 
          Lord God, help me renew my passionate love for You today. Amen. 
 
+++ It's Craft Show weekend! Plan to stop by on Friday between 4:00-8:00pm or Saturday between 9:00am- 3:00pm to check out all the beautiful items for sale! Proceeds from these Craft Shows allow Immanuel to continue to do much needed mission work here in our community. And bring a friend or neighbor to show them where you attend worship and all the friendly people here at Immanuel!   

+++ Sunday worship is at 8:30am and 10:00am and this week we will meet a Pharisee and a Tax collector who both go to the temple to pray. Whose prayer is the most effective? Well, Jesus will fill us in on Sunday. My message is entitled, "A Crowd of Sinners" and I am thinking about where each of us fit into the question. We will be offering the worship service live on the church's Facebook page and then uploading the completed worship to our YouTube channel when worship is over! We can't wait to see you in worship on Sunday!

+++ You will find the new November/December edition of The Upper Room magazine on the table on the Narthex.

+++ On Tuesday, 10/28 St. Michael's Lutheran Church will be offering another Grab and Go dinner beginning at 5:00pm in their parking lot. This month's offering is a Roast Pork Dinner. Make sure you are there early as the dinners are quite popular!

+++ Next Sunday, November 2nd is our annual celebration of All Saints Day. We will be naming the "saints" of our church and family and friends of our congregation who have passed recently. You are invited to bring a candle from home to join those on our altar as you remember the folks who have been "saints" in your life!   

+++ Our Election Day TURKEY DINNER is being planned for Tuesday, November 4th! Please sign up on Sunday to help and look for your advance sale tickets being sold on Sunday after each worship service.  

+++ Our annual CHARGE CONFERENCE is being held on Saturday, November 8th at 1:00pm at St. Paul's UMC at 2200 Valley Drive in Syracuse. All Administrative Council members should be in attendance as we transact the disciplinary business of the church at this important meeting. The meeting is open for other congregation members to attend, as well. 
 
Make this day a great day and don't forget to work on your relationship with Jesus today!   
​Pastor Jack

Greetings, Friends!

On this October day, we hear from Jesus' using the Message translation...
 
                "Say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail."  (Matthew 5: 25-26 MSG)  
 
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount can be daunting. Commands like "love your enemies" are impossible in our own strength. Only in God's power can we live up to Jesus' principles in Matthew 5-7.
   
But we still have responsibility, and today's scripture highlights one key: make the first move. Those four words are a paraphrase but an apt summary of various translations: "Agree with thine adversary quickly (King James Version); "Settle matters quickly with your adversary (New International Version); "Come to terms quickly with your accuser" (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). Each of those verbs is directed toward us and implies making the first move.
   
Our sinful nature often resists that. The other guy wronged me, we may think. Why do I have to make things right? 
   
Well, we make the first move because it reflects what God does in our lives: God "demonstrates God's own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV). The deeper our roots grow into Jesus, the further our grace spreads to others.
 
           Lord, empower me to make the first move. I want to reflect You in all I do. Amen.  
 
+++ We gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am and this week we will hear the story of ten very sick men and one who returned to give thanks. In my message, "Much More Than Normal" I will talk about the difference between being cured and being healed. What are those differences and how can we explain them?  Let's talk about it on Sunday! As usual, we will stream the 10:00am service live on our Facebook page, and later upload the service to our YouTube page.

+++ Following worship, we will enjoy our Second Sunday Lunch ministry. We hope you are signed up to join us following the 10:00am worship service. 

+++ The church office will be closed on Monday, October 13th as we celebrate Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, October 14th at 9:00am. 

+++ The deadline for articles for our November/December newsletter is Monday, October 20th. Please make sure all articles are in the office by that date so we can keep our publication schedule. Thanks! 

+++ The Healthy Aging class continues on Wednesday mornings in the Fireside Room. See Barb M. for more information about his class offering.  

+++ Our Fall Craft Show is coming up on October 24th and 25th. We hope to see you there with several of your friends. 
 
Make this day a great day and always be willing to make the first step.   
​Pastor Jack
 

This week our reading takes us to the first book of our Bible, Genesis...
 
                    "Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders or mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right, if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."   (Genesis 13: 8-9 NIV)
 
Between sinful people in a cursed world, conflict is inevitable. But as followers of Jesus, we can diminish tensions by relinquishing our supposed rights in unimportant matters.  
   
Of course we can't compromise the clear teachings of scripture. But when we disagree, let's always aspire to be as gracious as Abram was with his nephew Lot.  
   
Chosen by God to lead a specially blessed people, Abram fled a famine in his promised land by sojourning in Egypt. Returning home, the two relatives, owners of much livestock, realized that they couldn't live near each other without conflict between their herdsmen. As the elder and "God's friend" (James 2:23 NIV), Abram could have thrown his weight around, demanding whatever land he preferred. Instead, he spoke the gracious words of today's scripture.  
   
By giving up his rights, Abram allowed God to work out God's perfect plan. Abram got Canaan as he should have. Lot chose Sodom, which would ultimately be destroyed for its sin.  
   
Hold your "rights" loosely. Trust that God will work things out for you.  
 
               Your plan is always better than mine, Lord. May I defer to you every time. Amen. 
 
+++ We have another busy Sunday of worship and ministry coming up this week. When we gather at 8:30am and 10:00am we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday.  We will join with Christians around the world at the Lord's Table as we celebrate the Sacrament together. We will also receive one of our 6 general church offerings which are used throughout our United Methodist connection to do mission and ministry around the world. Look for the special offering envelopes when you enter the Narthex on Sunday morning. (As always, you can watch live on our Facebook page at 10:00 am, and later on our YouTube channel.) Following worship our Meal Ministry deliveries will take place. If you know of someone needing a meal delivered, please talk to Marilyn V. Thanks to Sam and all who help with this important ministry. And then some of our youth will be heading off to CROP WALK 2025 at Longbranch Park in Liverpool. Thanks for supporting the young people in this ministry.  

+++ Please remember to sign up for our upcoming Second Sunday Luncheon on October 12th! We will enjoy some world famous Mac and Cheese from Barb B. but we need to know how many folks to plan for that day. Sign up outside the Fireside Room, please.   

+++ Our Board of Trustees meeting is coming up on Wednesday, October 8th at 4:00pm. We hope to see all the Trustees so we can do the important business that day.   

+++ Next week the office will be staffed from 9:00am -12:00noon by volunteers, as Pam is away on vacation. Emergency phone numbers are on the church answering machine if needed.  

+++ The Healthy Aging class begins next Wednesday, October 8th in the Fireside Room, as well. Please sign up to let us know you are planning on attending. 

+++ And don't forget our upcoming Craft Show on October 24th and 25th! Plan to invite a neighbor or friend to come with you and do some holiday shopping. You can also show these friends where it is you attend worship and invite them to come back on Sunday!
 
Make this day a great day and watch as God works things out for you!   
​Pastor Jack