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The Messenger May, 2009 From the pastor… As I sit to write this, the news blares out that swine flu is spreading rapidly. Be afraid: that is the underlying story. I had just begun to be a bit less afraid over the financial “meltdown” that every news channel was covering 24/7, and now this new terror! And, of course, there is always the perennial threat of global terrorism, most recently made manifest in the pirate attacks on international shipping. Be afraid! Warning! Lock the doors, draw the drapes! Fear most everything! Trust? Trust whom? In my usual wise-guy manner I am making rather light of some real issues in our real world. But, I do it for good reason. In this season after Easter the message for the followers of Jesus is just the opposite of “be afraid”. The Easter message is “Peace be with you!” It isn’t that the threats to our well being are not important; it’s just that they do not have the final say over us! When fears dominate our thoughts and our lives we tend to make poor decisions, and take actions that isolate us from each other. Fears quickly develop an agenda of their own. Our challenge in these days and weeks after Easter is to live our lives as “Easter people”. Our very existence has been forever altered by the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead; death (and darkness, and fear) have forever been put in their proper place. The last word-and the first-in life belongs to God: Peace be with you! As one of the great hymns of Easter tells us: “Every day to us is Easter, with its resurrection song. When in trouble move the faster to our God who rights the wrong…”. When fears overtake us, and we are tempted to respond to life as those who are governed by terror, look to the Risen One. Let Jesus enter our locked rooms, and let him calm our fears. Let Jesus gently but persistently draw us back into a life connected to others, and to him. Peace be with you! Alleluia! Sincerely, Bill -------------------- IMPORTANT DATES;
May 2: Attic Treasure Sale ---------- Thank You, Thank You too:
----------- A Chosen People... But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 ----------
TEDDY BEAR TEA (Note: if you have a card table or cloth available please call Madelyn: 963-3646) ------------ IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT SUMMER CAMP!! Camp Aldersgate and Camp Casowasco are United Methodist Church camps available for youth, ages 6 - 18, in our area. There are a variety of camps offered and the lengths of camps range from a couple of days to two weeks. Church camp includes spiritual growth and, as advertised on the web site, “The faith message we send is a message that encourages youth to grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.” The web sites for more information are: Casowasco: www.casowasco.org Aldersgate: www.aldersgateny.org Open House event dates are: Casowasco: Sunday, June 21, and Aldersgate: Saturday, June 20. The United Methodist Men offer financial support to all children and youth from our church that attend church camp. This year the men have set aside $1000 to be divided among those going to church camp (with a limit of up to half the cost of each camp). This money is available thanks to the dinners that the men host, and to those in the congregation who have contributed cans for recycling throughout the year. Please contact Mike Freihofer (963-3936), if your child is attending church camp this year. In addition the youth will have an opportunity to fund raise to help reduce the cost of the camping experience. Please contact our Church Camp Coordinator, Lynn Sheldon (963-4035), for more information. ------------ Sunday School in May May 3:
Communion Sunday The children will continue to study the books of the Bible throughout May. ------------ THE BABY BOTTLES ARE BACK!! The Friendship Circle met April 28th to get the baby bottles redecorated and ready to distribute to the congregation on Mother’s Day, May 10th. The bottles then can be taken home, filled with loose change or dollar bills, and returned to the church by Father’s Day, June 21st. This year half of the money collected will be used to help support programs at the local New Life Crisis Pregnancy Center, and the remaining half will help sponsor any youth who are planning to attend a week at church camp this summer. Thank you for supporting the youth in our church and our community. ------------ Recipe Corner: This month’s recipe comes to us from page 82 in the “Treasures From Heaven”, our church cookbook. The Chicken Divan is the late Eleanor Morton’s recipe, printed here in her memory, and in honor and memory of all mothers who have gone before. Chicken Divan
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen broccoli 1/2tsp curry powder(2 bunches if
fresh) Arrange broccoli in 13x9 baking pan. Place chicken on top. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken and broccoli. Top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. ------------ A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people , promptly announces she never did care for pie. Anonymous ------------ ACCESSIBILITY
and SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE The new parking lot, with lights, is completed and in good use. The ramp to the Fellowship Hall is already in use. These projects have been paid for in full. The next project is a handicapped accessible bathroom in the Fellowship Hall. It is estimated that the cost will be $20,000. To date the pledges, contributions, and fund raisers have raised about $13,187.49 towards this. Because these projects are being done on a “pay as you go basis”, we are close to commencing the new bathroom. After the Fellowship Hall handicapped accessible bathroom, the next project will be the “elevette”, a small elevator to run from the Fellowship Hall to the second floor. This phase of ASAP will be the most costly, estimated at $70,500, but will be greatly appreciated by those who cannot manage the stairs, as we strive to make the church’s facilities safe and accessible to all. Contributions to the ASAP fund make wonderful, and useful, gifts to loved ones on any occasion. Below is a helpful form should this opportunity arise. The ASAP committee sincerely appreciates your generous and continued support. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Accessibility and Safety Achievement Project Gift Card Request I request a gift card in honor or memory (please circle one): Person Honoring or Memorializing:____________________________________________________ Address (in honor only):_____________________________________________________________ Occasion:________________________________ Amount:_________________________________ Donor Name:______________________________________________________________________ Donor Address:_____________________________________________________________________ Please deliver this form and check (with “ASAP in memo section), to the church office or mail it to: Mexico First United Methodist Church, PO Box 255, Mexico, New York 13114 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” Lin Yutang (1895-1976) |