January 31, 2010

Scriptures:  Luke 4:21-30; I Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon Title: All You Need Is

Morning Prayer:  Gracious God, we hear the word “love” so often it loses its power.  We confuse love with a rush of feeling, and while love contains feeling, it is more about shaping our lives.  We think of love as something we fall into rather than commitments we make.  We view love as being swept away when in reality it involves thoughtful, and sometimes difficult and painful decisions.  God of love, may we hear the words of love with new ears, may we accept the challenge of love with courageous hearts.  In Christ. Amen.

Adult Faith Formation (10:45): Rev. Xavier Bell continues his presentation on the dynamics of racism in church and society.

January 24, 2010

Sermon Title:  Who Are You?

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:14-21

Morning Prayer:   Gracious God, your love embraces all the world.  You care for all regardless of race, nationality, economic status, gender, affectional orientation.  You care beyond the human community for the well-being of all creation.  When we seek to do justice, you have already begun the work.  When we reach out to help our neighbor in need, whether that neighbor be in Hermantown or Haiti, we find you already reaching out.  When we search our own hearts to be better people, we find courage from you and a love that embraces us.  Your Spirit is at work and invites us to join in.  We join the journey to make a difference and to be more like Jesus.  Amen.

Faith Forum/Soul Kitchen (adult education): Guest teacher Rev. Xavier Bell on “Dynamics of Racism in Society and the Church”

Helping Haitians

from Bishop Sally Dyck

January 13, 2010

Dear Minnesota United Methodists:

Like me, you may have a heavy heart as you learn about the earthquake that hit the struggling nation of Haiti yesterday.

The Associated Press is reporting that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake has killed thousands. The country is still recovering from hurricanes of previous years. National Public Radio reports United Nations’ estimates that four out of five Haitians live below the poverty line, on less than $2 a day. More than half the population is considered to live in “abject poverty,” or on less than a dollar a day.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) leaders were already in Haiti as part of an UMCOR team visit with the church in Haiti.  UMCOR is awaiting word on the safety of these leaders. The United Methodist Council of Bishops learned that the Michigan, Western North Carolina, and Dakotas conferences all had Volunteers in Mission in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, but all of their VIMs have reported in and are fine.

The people of Haiti desperately need our prayers and assistance. United Methodists are well positioned to provide direct aid efficiently, as the United Methodist Church has a long-standing relationship with Haiti through the Methodist Church of Haiti. The strong ties between the Methodist Church of Haiti and UMCOR helped in facilitating the opening of the UMCOR Haiti field office in 2005.

Please take an offering in your church in the next few weeks. You can provide direct help by giving to the UMCOR Advance 418325, Haiti Emergency. Remember, one hundred percent of your donation will be used to assist those in Haiti who are in greatest need. Not all aid organizations can promise that. This is the safest way to ensure your donation will assist those in need. Further, UMCOR will remain in Haiti for a long time to come, well after other organizations have left.

To learn more about what the United Methodist Church is doing to respond to our Haitian neighbors in great, need, visit www.umc.org. You may also visit www.umcor.org. Please note that the UMCOR web site has been overloaded with concerned visitors and you may not be able to access the site immediately.

This year, we Minnesota United Methodists are exploring the question “Who is my neighbor?” The answer at this moment is clear. We have an urgent opportunity to be neighbor to the people of Haiti. I encourage you to give generously to this Advance.

And please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.

In Christ’s love,

Bishop Sally Dyck
Minnesota Area, The United Methodist Church
bishop@minnesotaumc.org

January 17, 2010

Scripture for Worship: John 2:1-11

Sermon title: Roll Out the Barrel

Morning Prayer:   Gracious God, as we look out at the world we see so much that is broken – lives broken by addiction or deception, relationships broken by unfaithfulness, political systems broken by a concern more for election than for the common good, relationships between nations or peoples broken by mistrust and aggression, an ecological system broken down through abuse and misuse.  You call us to take it all seriously, to open our lives to you, to each other, and to the world so that we may be changed and the world may be different.  As we listen intently to the voice of your Spirit we also hear a call to joy, to beauty, to dance.  Help us hear that invitation, as well, and to open our lives to deeper joy.  In Christ.  Amen.

Soul Kitchen -conversations about Christian faith, 10:45: the place of joy in the Christian life, a continuation of the worship service theme

MLK Weekend Events

• Friday, January 15, 7pm: Happy Birthday Dr. King: Reawakening the Poor People’s Campaign. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, 835 College Street. Free soup and bread supper starts at 5:30pm.

• Saturday, January 16, 6pm: Many Acts of Goodness They Had Shown Me. Readers Theater at Temple Israel, 1602 E. Second Street.

• Sunday, January 17: ecumenical worship service at Peace UCC. Time TBA. Please watch for further information.

• Monday, January 18:

— Community Breakfast at Holy Family Catholic Church beginning at 7am. Large screen broadcast of Rev. Joseph Lowery’s MLK speech from Minneapolis begins at 8am.

— March to and rally at the DECC: begins at Washington Center at 11am.

— Program at the DECC begins at 11:45. Rep. Jeff Hayden, speaker.

Wanted: Images of God

Minnesota artists are invited to submit recent spiritually-themed work by March 14 for a juried art show in northeast Minneapolis. See http://sites.google.com/site/spargex or contact Nick and Rosie Heille at (612) 789-6527 for more information.

January 10, 2010

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon title: All Wet

Morning Prayer:   Gracious God, on a cold January day it can be difficult to think about how refreshing water is.  Water quenches our thirst when we are parched.  Water cleanses our bodies in bath or shower.  Jumping into a cool lake on a sweltering day revitalizes us.  Our bodies require water for their very survival.  The waters of baptism may seem less important, but as a symbol for your grace, such water is vital.  The waters of grace quench our thirsty souls and without grace our hearts and souls dry up.  The waters of grace offer the cleansing of forgiveness and new beginnings.  The waters of grace refresh and revitalize us.  We are your people, O God – water washed and Spirit born, grateful recipients of your grace and ready to share it with the world.  In Christ.  Amen.

Soul Kitchen (adult discussion at 10:45) will continue the conversation about baptism

Extollers–a Christmas tradition at FUMC

The 2009 Extollers, in their blizzard-sized boots

Every year, all present and former members of the FUMC handbell program are invited to attend one morning rehearsal on Dec. 24 and then play for the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. This year a record number, 36, signed up for the Extollers. The Christmas Blizzard of  ’09 kept only a few from attending the rehearsal, and some of them and several more joined in for the service that night. Half of the ringers were back from the past, many of them now attending colleges out of town. It’s a tradition cherished by all involved.

This and other multiple bell choir settings you have seen in church are made possible in part by the memorial gift of a second 5-octave set of handbells in memory of Byron Richardson (Annette Nygard and Ruth Lansing Brickell’s father) and Jim Eaton (Nancy Eaton’s father). An additional three octaves were borrowed from a program in Superior.

The three-choir setup requires multiple tables and the removal of a number of pews from that side of the sanctuary. Thanks to Lane Wilson and John LeFaive for help with the pews. Thanks, too, to videographer Roger Downs, recruited on the spot that morning.

The link below shows the morning’s final run-through of  O Little Town of Bethlehem, arranged by Cathy Moklebust.