What is that old joke about the weather here in central NY? If you don't like the weather..... wait 5 minutes and it will surely change! This sure has been a week of changing weather! And in the midst of all this change, I read these words about the unchanging God we serve...
"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful and hear my prayer". (Psalm 4:1) After two long days of lying on the ocean floor in their disabled submarine, the sub's crew members received orders from their commanding officer to sing the following hymn: Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens - Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me! After the hymn had been sung, the commander explained to his men that the hymn was his prayer for them and that he hoped it would hold the same meaning for them as it did for him. He then explained that based on the best information he had, they did not have long to live. There was little or no hope of outside help, because anyone searching for them on the ocean's surface did not even know the vessel's position. Sedatives were distributed to the men to quiet their nerves. One sailor, overcome at the commander's news, fainted. As he swooned, he fell against a piece of equipment, setting in motion the surfacing mechanism that had been jammed! The submarine rose to the surface safely and soon made port with all hands saved. If you feel you have hit rock bottom in your life, talk to God about it. God is always listening, and God will surely answer you when you reach out to God for help. Are you talking to me? --- GOD +++ On Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Easter, we will worship at 8:30am and 10:00am in our beautiful Sanctuary. Our scripture reading takes us to Luke 24 where we will hear about Jesus' encounter with 2 men on the road to Emmaus. We are told that Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and in my message, "Recognizing the Risen Christ" I'll be thinking about how each of us can also have our minds open to this understanding. We will, of course, continue our "live-streaming" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "upload" the completed worship to our YouTube channel, as well! So... you have many ways to worship with us on Sunday! Don't forget to bring the kids along as well.... because they will have a great time with Alex in Kidz Club again this week! +++ Sunday is also our Native American Sunday offering opportunity. This special, second mile giving, allows us to support our 3 native American congregations in our Annual Conference as they do ministry in their communities. Look for the special offering envelopes in the narthex on Sunday! Thanks! +++ May/June editions of the Upper Room are also available in the narthex, as well. Make sure to pick up your copy soon! +++ Next week we will celebrate worship at Camillus Ridge Terrace on Monday, 5/24 at 11:00am and then at Summerfield Brookdale on Thursday, 5/27 at 1:00pm. You are invited to join us as we bring worship to our friends in these facilities. +++ Excitement is building for our spring Garage Sale, taking place on May 4, 5, & 6! Drop off dates for items are on April 30 and May 1 & 2. We appreciate keeping to these dates to allow us to set things up in a timely manner! See Shelley if you'd like to get involved to help or sign up outside the Fireside Room on Sunday morning. Thanks! We have more detailed information about the garage sale at this link. +++ Did you know that we have 2 groups meeting each week for mission and study? Our Knit and Stitch group has resumed on Monday mornings at 10:00am in the Fireside Room and the Ladies Bible Study Group continues on Tuesday mornings at 10:30am also in the Fireside Room. Both of these groups would love to welcome new members! Just show up this week and be a part of the fun! +++ As announced last Sunday, we will offer an informational session on the current situation in our United Methodist Church on Sunday, May 7th following our 10:00am worship service. We will meet in the Sanctuary that morning to talk about the past and present situations and try to answer any questions we can about your concerns. Please plan to join us if you would like more information or have questions to ask! Make this day a great day and remember that God is always listening and ready for a conversation! Pastor Jack Comments are closed.
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November 2024
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