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The
Messenger
First United Methodist Church of Mexico July, 2010 From the Pastor:
On July 1, 2010 I will be in a place where
I have never been before. And, I need to tell you that I’m a little nervous
about it. While I know that God will
continue to be with me, to lead and guide me, I’m still a little uneasy. New
places still make me a little nervous! On
July 1, 2010 I will begin my sixth year as the pastor of First United Methodist
Church, Mexico. The “new place” that I’m talking about is this: I’ve
never served a church for longer than five years. As
we together begin the sixth year of my pastorate in Mexico, we - both you and I
- find ourselves in a “new place”! When
Maggie and I began to get ready to move to Mexico (in June, 2005) I sent a
letter to everyone on First UMC’s mailing list, to introduce myself. In that
letter I promised to “work very hard to be as good a pastor as God will
allow”. Both God and all of you
may judge how that has turned out, but I can say that we together have had some
marvelous times as we’ve ministered to the needs of Mexico and the world
beyond. All of the goals which together we have identified have not (yet) been
met, and I am very aware of some of my failings. But,
we (Mexico UMC and this pastor), are still “together”! I
have asked the Pastor-Staff/Parish Relations Committee (P-S/PRC) to work with me
over the next few months, to discern what God and all of you have in mind for
the next five years; we want to make some definite plans for ministry here in
Mexico, both by setting some “goals” and making a plan to successfully reach
those goals. And, we need the help
of everyone who is a part of this church. The
P-S/PRC members are going to seek out your ideas for the direction of ministry
for the next five years, and then work to “make a plan”. But,
don’t wait for them to come to you; share your ideas of where we need to be
over the next few years with each other. Share
those ideas with the committee, and with me.
Together, we can continue to grow stronger (and bigger, and more
faithful), as we enter this “uncharted territory”, this new beginning for me
and for you! Please
pray for me, for my family, and for the blessing of God upon this congregation
as we move ahead in ministry together. We
have a little plaque in the hall of the parsonage which says: “Commit to the
Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3) Let’s
give it over to the Lord together. And,
let’s get busy! Sincerely, Bill ---------------------------- The
Shortest Psalm Psalm
117
Words in boxes are from the
Bible. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible.
The notes explain some of
the words with a *star by them. A word list at the end explains the other words
that have a *star by them.
Psalm
117
v1
Every country in the world, *praise the *LORD!
v2
His kind love for us is very strong.
The Story of Psalm 117
Some Bible students think
that this psalm was to start times of *worship in the *temple. The *temple was
God’s house in
What Psalm 117 means
Verse 1:
Usually "*praise the
*LORD" is "*hallelujah" in Hebrew. The *Jews spoke Hebrew and
wrote the psalms in Hebrew. Here they use a different Hebrew word.
"*Praise" means "tell someone that they are great".
"*LORD" is another word for God. It is his *covenant name. A *covenant
is when two people, or groups of people, agree. Here God agrees to love and give
help to his people when they need it. His people agree to love and obey God.
But who are "his
people"? Here it is not only the *Jews. It is all the people in the world,
if they will love and obey him!
Verse 2:
"Very strong" is
a Hebrew word that means "will win the war". God loves everybody in
the world and he will try to "win the war" for their love and
obedience. "Obedience" is another word for "obeying".
"*Praise the *LORD" at the end of the verse is "*hallelujah"
this time!
Word
List
covenant
~ two people have agreed
what each should do (here, God and his people). Look in Psalm 120 about the
covenant.
hallelujah
~ say that the *LORD is
great. (Jah is *Hebrew for *LORD.)
Hebrew
~ the language that the
Jews spoke; they wrote the Psalms in Hebrew.
Jew
~ a person who is born from
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
LORD
~ the *covenant name for
God (in a *covenant you agree with someone).
praise
~ to say how great someone
is; or, words that say how great someone is.
temple
~ a place where people meet
to worship God.
worship
~ you tell someone that
they are very great. And you tell them that you love them. © 1999-2002, Wycliffe Associates (UK) Visit our website: www.easyenglish.info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SENIOR
HIGH YOUTH GROUP TRIP TO MAINE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monday’s Meal Update
Monday’s Meal, our weekly soup kitchen, is functioning well,thanks be to God.
A typical Monday finds an average of 30 or more gathering for a mid-day
meal, including five to seven volunteers. Everyone
is welcome to come for this meal without charge.
Many cooks have shared their delicious skills and four people give of
their time and energy every week to ensure the smooth operation of the kitchen.
In addition, gratefully received monetary donations keep the meals going.
Anyone else that wishes to cook on a Monday is invited to sign up on the
calendar hanging to the left of the door of the janitor’s closet in the
kitchen. A second sign-up sheet for
dessert makers, cook assistants, and set-up/clean-up volunteers hangs close by.
For questions please contact an Outreach Committee member.
Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unity Acres Annual Cook-Out
Our church will once again provide a summer cook-out for the men residing at
Unity Acres in Orwell. Unity Acres
is a Catholic ministry and a working farm where many men struggling with life
issues, such as alcoholism and homelessness, make their home.
Currently the Acres is filled to capacity with nearly 80 men.
The date for the cook-out is Saturday, July 10, and a clipboard was
passed in church on Sunday, June 27, for cooks and servers.
If you missed the clipboard and would like to participate, please contact
Maggie Palmer or Kelly Freihofer. In
addition, a collection bin is located in the Narthex for personal hygiene items
for the men. Thank you for
supporting this vital local mission. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kelly
Lighthall’s Presentation
Kelly Lighthall spoke at our church on Tuesday, June 22, while on a home visit
from her full-time mission work in Spain. Kelly
is the daughter of Edwin and Lorraine Lighthall and the granddaughter of Ed and
Barb Lighthall. She is a MACS
graduate and has served in Spain for the past five years.
In addition to sharing about her interesting experiences in the mission
field, Kelly gave a slide presentation to further explain her life in Spain.
The Outreach Committee gave $200 in support of Kelly’s work on behalf
of our church.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CANDLE
BITS AND PIECES Carolyn Hiler continues to collect bits and pieces from candles that anyone has burned during any and all celebrations throughout the year. Carolyn then combines these bits and pieces for the Christ Candle burned on Christmas Eve. Thank you for sharing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KITCHEN
NEEDS… With all of the activities in our church, and the blessing of regular fellowship times following worship services, the kitchen is seeing a great deal of use and this means that supplies go quickly. Any of the following donations would be most helpful: All sizes of paper plates, napkins, plastic cups,
regular coffee, decaffeinated coffee, coffee filters, lemonade, dish detergent,
and vinyl gloves to serve food. Many
thanks from the kitchen! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL MUSIC If
you have special music that you would like to share during the summer worship
services, please contact Carolyn Hiler at 963-7481. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Bible Reading:
We are getting to be a nation that can’t read anymore. That’s why the Bible is not read more than it is. If some preacher was just smart enough to put the Bible into a crossword puzzle, the entire United States would know it by heart.” Will Rogers (who was raised Methodist) More Holy Humor, Cal and Rose Samra
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2010 LIGHTHOUSE KIDS –SHINING GOD’S LIGHT The dates and times for this summer’s Vacation Bible School Session are set for: July 26-30, 2010 - Monday-Friday - 9AM-Noon At Lighthouse Kids: Shining God’s Light Vacation Bible School, children will discover that they can be a lighthouse for others by carrying and shining God’s light in their lives. Each day the children will explore God’s light through Bible stories, mission stories, music, crafts, recreation, and snacks. If you have a child (or a neighbor’s child) in grades K-6 this is the place to be for that week. Children in grades 7-8 will have a modified session then help out in crafts, snacks, recreation, and music. Older teens are welcome to assist the teachers. Please contact Sue Morton (963-3566) if you are able to help all week or any part of the week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Church
Camp 2010 Church Camp is fast approaching! If your child is attending either Camp Aldersgate or Camp Casawasco this summer, please contact Camp Coordinator Lynn Sheldon (963-4035) and UMMen’s President Mike Freihofer (963-3936). Lynn has two fundraisers underway for camp scholarships to assist with the cost of camp. Mike will take names for the UMMen’s scholarships. Happy camping! PS: Watch for candy bar and pizza sales!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ASSESSIBILITY
and SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE The Accessibility and
Safety Achievement Project, ASAP, is moving forward toward a handicapped
accessible elevator for our church. On
Sunday, June 13, dozens enjoyed the fresh air, sunshine, good food and fun at
Jellystone Park in Mexico. Thanks to
the generosity of Ed and Barb Lighthall the event was successful and everyone
had a delightful time. Proceeds
from this event are still being tallied, but the current total in the elevator
fund (without the Family Fun proceeds), is $25,190.60 – and going up! Also in progress is the
“Plant a Seed” project. On
Sunday, May 2, a $10.00 bill was
given to each member willing to take up the opportunity
to use their $10.00
and make it grow over the summer. In
the fall (September 26th-HARVEST SUNDAY), we will return to the ASAP
Committee the “seed money” and any additional monies our original $10 helped
to make. How is your seed
money growing? Sue Morton has
scheduled a spot for ‘farmers’ to sell their ‘produce’ (whatever they
have handcrafted – baked goods
only from an inspected kitchen), at the Mexico Farmer’s Market for three
Mondays this summer. Please contact
Sue at 963-3566, for dates and to be added to the table.
Enjoy your ‘gardening’!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BABY
BOTTLES If you
happen to have a baby bottle with change somewhere in your home, Ed Murray is
counting these up.
The Friendship Circle will divide the total between Vacation Bible School
and support for the Maine Mission Trip.
Thank you for sharing your change to benefit our youth connected to our
congregation!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COFFEE
HOUR Many
thanks to all who have provided for the recent coffee hours following our Sunday
worship services.
These times have been enjoyed by many!
If anyone (individual, family, group, or friends), would like to provide
refreshments for the coffee hour, please sign up on the clipboard that is either
on the serving table or hanging on the north wall (to the right) in the kitchen.
In addition, please sign up on the large calendar hanging in the
Fellowship Hall.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Freedom “This, then, is the state of the union: free and
restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So
it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the
faith.” -Lyndon B. Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IMPORTANT DATES July 3:
Maine Mission Trip Car Wash
9am – Noon at Stewarts in Mexico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, TO… ~ all who assisted
with and/or attended the Family Fun Day at Jellystone on June 13. ~ the children and
their teachers for the end-of-the year Sunday School Program on June 20. ~ all who have
given support to the youth and the adults accompanying them on their mission
trip to Maine. ~ all who
supported the UMMen’s successful and delicious Italian Feast on June 19 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THANKS
TO… Ed and Barb Lighthall for hosting the Family Fun Day at
their Jellystone Park on June 13. We
thank them for sharing not only their park, but their staff, entertainment,
food, and fun. This offering was
enjoyed by all and much appreciated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONGRAGULATIONS
TO Alyssa
Ross
Andrea Ross Zachary
Earl
Rae Ann Earl Katie
Linerode Lindsay
Loforte Travis Howard ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy
90th Birthday to: Helen
Griffin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL
THANKS TO… Russell
Schmidt and his wife Nancy Buck for
bringing us such special music during
Sunday Worship, June 13. They
played a beautiful duet - Russell was on the piano and Nancy played the viola. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On
Reaping What We Sow… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special
Thanks to… Brenda Hotchkiss, Jim
Hotchkiss, and Wayne Green for adjusting the sound system in the sanctuary so as
to provide better opportunity for hearing during worship services.
This work was effective and is appreciated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECIPE CORNER: This
month’s recipe for root bear float cookies comes to us from Melonie Goodwin.
Melonie baked these cookies for the bake sale during the Attic Treasure
sale held at the church in May.
The cookies were a hit.
How good they might taste when eaten along with a root beer float this
summer! Root Beer Float Cookies 1
cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets. In a large mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 cup butter or margarine, the buttermilk, eggs, 2 teaspoons root beer extract and the vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until set. Cool completely. In a mixing bowl, combine frosting ingredients; beat at low speed of electric mixer until smooth. Spread frosting evenly on cookies. Let dry completely before storing. Makes about 5 dozen. *Melonie suggests that the frosting recipe be doubled to cover all of the cookies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONGRATUALTIONS
TO OUR 2010
MEXICO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: Shawn
Ariola
Cassandra Beardslee William
Bogart
Daniel Coleman Brittany
Lighthall
Cena Ringwald Zara
Schmidt
Zianna Schmidt Brandon
Wood
Michelle Myers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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