Christmas Eve

December 24, Sunday Morning Service  at 10:30 a.m.

Scripture:  Luke 1:26-38, 46-56

December 24, Christmas Eve Service with Communion at 7:00 p.m.

Scripture:  Isaiah 9: 2-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Preachers:   Jen Hall,  David Hicks,  Pastor Jung Sun Oh

Dialogue in Preaching

Henry Van Dyke

---

There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.

Are you willing...

• to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you;

• to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world;

• to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;

• to see that men and women are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy;

• to own up to the fact that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life;

• to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness.

Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas

Are you willing...

• to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children;

• to remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old;

• to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough;

• to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;

• to try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you;

• to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;

• to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open—

Are you willing to do these things, even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing...

• to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—

• stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death—

• and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

Six Days of the Week,

NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924 and 1952.

http://www.appleseeds.org/xmaskeep.htm

Weston United Methodist Church 

Christmas Cantata

Camille Saint-Saëns – Christmas Oratorio

Sunday 17 December 2017 10:30 am

The WUMC Chancel Choir will perform Camille Saint-Saëns - Oratorio de Noêl, in English during the 10:30 am worship service on Sunday 17 December 2017.

Please come and join this special celebration of the Advent season.    Nursery care and Sunday School for youth is provided.

All are welcome.

The Season of Advent

Family Christmas Tree: Please bring a favorite ornament from home to decorate the family tree this Sunday morning (Dec. 3) during the worship service. 

The Altar Guild will be putting up the Family Christmas Tree in the Sanctuary on Friday, 12/1 and partially decorating it.  They will be decorating the Narthex Tree and hanging the greens on Saturday 12/2.  Both days the start time is 9:0am.  Everyone is welcome to come and help!

 Dec 3 -  The First Sunday of Advent

• Lighting the first candle of Advent, 
• Decorating Family Tree, 
• Baptism, Mahim Rezo
• New Member Reception, Scott and Cindy Boudrou
• Communion. 

Bentley Student Gospel Ensemble: Worship with Bentley University students, and staff. Gospel Ensemble will sing during the Sunday service.

We welcome sisters and brothers of Bentley University

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Robin Olson

Chaplain: Tonia Petty

Students: Gospel Ensemble Choir

Advent Study
           3 Dec at 5:00 pm in the Parlor.

Christmas Poinsettias – Last day to order is this Sunday, Dec. 3rd!

Each year we decorate our sanctuary and altar with poinsettias in memory or to honor our loved ones and to give glory to God.  An alternative offering can be made to support WATCH in Waltham. They can be ordered by using the form stapled at the back of the bulletin or by calling the church office.

Staff Christmas Gift

It is our WUMC tradition each Christmas to thank our staff for their loving service to our church family with a gift.  If you would like to contribute, please give a check or cash to Sally or Bob Hicks by Sunday Dec 17.
(Checks should be made out to Robert or Sarah Hicks... gifts should not be made out to the church/WUMC)

Dec 17 - Chancel Choir Christmas Cantata and Church Luncheon:  The Chancel Choir will perform their annual Christmas Cantata. 

Following the worship service will be a Christmas Luncheon in the Parish Hall.  

Please bring a dessert to share.

Sunday November 19 

Stewardship Pledge Sunday

Sermon title:  Blessing in Abundance

Scripture:  2 Corinthians 9: 7-8

Rev. Oh will sing a song “ Love” (in Korean) and dedicate this song to the beloved WUMC members and God’s people who are waiting for OUR LOVE desperately in our neighboring communities.

Sunday November 26

Sermon Title:  The End of Gun Violence

Scripture:  Genesis 1: 31,  Mark 12: 28-31

Sunday Nov 11

Sermon: Money and Eternity (2)

Scripture:  Luke 12: 22-34

WUMC Upcoming Events

Sunday Brunch Oct 29 

We will be having a brunch this Sunday after the worship service.  The Fellowship committee is providing the egg casserole dishes, but you are asked to please bring muffins or coffee cake to share.

Invitation to Worship Committee

We invite all church members to join the Worship Committee. The Worship committee will create the order of the Worship Service which is a biblically grounded, Wesleyan (Methodist), culturally relevant order of worship service for the Weston United Methodist Church.   If you volunteer for the worship committee, the church office will send “the guidelines for Worship: The Gifts of God from the People of God (United Methodist Church).”

Celebration of Long Time Church members (who served more than 30 years)

During Sunday service Oct 29th, we are celebrating the long term members (who have served more than 30 years at WUMC)

Parsonage Open House - Sunday Nov 5

Myung and Pastor Oh invite you and your family to an Open House on Sunday, November 5th.   Please come to the parsonage immediately after the Sunday service.

Coffee Hosts are needed for November 12^th and 26th

Please sing up to host the coffee hour on the 12^th or 26^th of November. If no one signs up there will be no refreshments on that given week.

Volunteers for Greeters

We are looking for volunteers to be greeters before the service each week. Please sign up in the Narthex on the Greeters signup sheet if you would like to greet people as they arrive for church. Please be here 15 minutes prior to the start of the service.

Dear beloved sisters and brothers in Christ,

I would like to invite you to pray this prayer daily:

Daily Prayer during Stewardship Campaign 2017.

With the help of God, my family, and friends,

I am

growing confidence and assurance

In myself and others,

developing new possibilities and opportunities,

advancing compassion and encouragement,

and building vision and hope.

I pray I will complain and lament less.

I pray that I will forget how to criticize and whine.

God help me to grow, develop, advance, and build.

Amen.

Sunday, 23 October

Sermon:  Give Worshipfully

Scripture:  Psalm 117; Matthew 14:13-21

Small Group Study:  Five Practices of Faithful Congregations

Immediately after Fellowship, we will meet in the Parlor around 12:00 p.m.. It is a 90-minute session.   

Open House

Myung and Pastor Oh invite you and your family to Open House on Sunday, November 5.   Please come to parsonage immediately Sunday service.

Invitation to Fruitful dialogue and a Christian holy conversation with Pastor Oh

Pastor Jung Sun Oh would like to meet with, and listen to church members who would like to share his/her concerns especially caused by changes at WUMC.  If you wish to make an appointment, please call the Church office or send email to Shari. 

Lincoln Open Studio

Joan Seville is a member of Lincoln Open Studio and invites you to the following show:

Biennial Exhibit at the Lincoln Library September 30 - October 28, 2017. Open studio is pleased to display some of the paintings we have created over the last two years. The Artists’ Reception will be held on Thursday, October 12th from 4:30 to 7:00pm.

“A Healing Service with Communion”

I would like to invite you and your family to “A Healing Service with Communion” on Sunday, October 8, 10:30 A.M. 

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.  For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Let us pray:  God of compassion, you have given us Jesus Christ, the great physician, who made the broken whole and healed the sick.  Touch our wounds, relieve our hurts, and restore us to wholeness of life, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. (Book of Common Worship)

I would like to share the introduction of Healing Services and Prayers in Book of Worship of United Methodist Church.

Scripture strongly affirms ministries of spiritual healing.  The root of the word healing in the New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness.  Spiritual healing is God’s work of offering persons balance, harmony, and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships through confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.    Through such healing, God works to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity, among individuals and communities, within each person, and between humanity and the rest of creation.   The New Testament records that Jesus himself healed the estranged and sick and sent out his disciples on ministries of healing.    (James 5:14-16a) calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick, that they may be healed.

All healing is of God.  The Church’s healing ministry in no way detracts from the gifts God gives through medicine and psychotherapy.  It is no substitute for either medicine or the proper care of one’s health.  Rather, it adds to our total resources for wholeness.

Healing is not magic, but underlying it is the great mystery of God’s love.  Those who minister spiritual healing are only channels of God’s love.  Although no one can predict what will happen in a given instance, many marvelous healings have taken place.  

A Service of Healing is not necessarily a service of curing but it provides an atmosphere in which healing can happen.  The greatest healing of all is the union or reconciliation of a human being with God.  When this happens physical healing sometimes occurs, mental and emotional balance is often restored, spiritual health is enhanced, and relationships are healed.  For Christian the basic purpose of spiritual healing is to renew and strengthen one’s relationship with the living Christ. 

As an individual and the pastor of WUMC, I need God’s healing.   I need to reconcile with God, others, God’s beloved people at WUMC.   Friends! Do you need God’s healing?   Do you want to be reconciled with God, others, and God’s beloved people at WUMC?  

Let’s pray with Psalmist, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you O God.” (42:1)

In Christ,  

Pastor Oh

There's a lot going on at the 

Weston United Methodist Church

1.   Five Practices of Fruitful Congregation:  Small Group Study

Pastor Oh invites All to the “Passionate Worship” session Sunday, Oct. 1.   Small Group Study (90 minute session) will begin around 12:00 p.m.   

2.   God’s Blessing Station, Outreaching ministry upcoming dates/times:

Kendal Green:

 Dates:  Monday, October 2 and Wednesday October 25

 Time:   5:20 pm - 5:40 pm

Lincoln Station:

 Dates:  Wednesday, October 11 and  Monday, October 30

Time:  5:30 pm – 6:40 pm

Waltham: 

Dates:  Monday, October 16

Time:  5:15 pm -- 6:20 pm

3.   Invitation to Fruitful dialogue and a Christian holy conversation with Pastor Oh

Pastor Jung Sun Oh would like to meet with, and listen to church members who would like to share his/her concerns especially caused by changes at WUMC.  With an open mind, and heart, Pastor will listen to your thoughts and opinions.  He can meet you in Pastor's office or your house or other place.  If you wish to make an appointment, please call the Church office or send email to Shari.  

4.   Saturday, October 7^th is the Fall Church Work Day.  See the October  BEAMS for all the details.  Work begins at 8:30am and will go until the work is finished.  More hands make less work for everyone.

5.   Coffee Hosts

Coffee hosts are needed for the month of October. Please sign up in the Narthex.

6.   Volunteers for Morning Greeters

We are looking for volunteers to be greeters before the service each week. Please sign up in the Narthex on the Greeters signup sheet if you would like to greet people as they arrive for church. Please be here 15 minutes prior to the start of the service.

7.   Continue to pray for the people impacted by Hurricane Harvey and all those responding to their cry for help. Through our denomination's United Methodist Committee on Relief, YOU can make a difference, immediately, by donating online at http://www.umcor.org/Search-for-Projects/Projects/901670, where 100% of your donation will help survivors recover. Alternatively, you may write a check payable to WUMC with memo "US Disaster Response" or write that on an envelope with cash, and place it in the offering plate today or in the coming weeks. For more info, see: http://www.neumc.org/disasterresponsenews

8.   Our next serving day at Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen in Waltham is Monday, October 9th.

Please sign up during Coffee Hour on the two sheets in Parish Hall to contribute one or more food items and/or to assist with reheating or serving the meal.

9.   Installation Service and Fellowship

Myung and Pastor Oh (with their children Esther, Aiden, and Becky) deeply appreciate your preparation, participation, and prayers for the Installation service and fellowship.  Pastor Oh’s family gives thanks to God and WUMC members.  WUMC presented a Bible, Water, the Bread and Cup, a Hymnal and Book of Worship, a Book of Discipline, a Globe, and a Stole to Pastor Jung Sun Oh.

10.  Stewardship Campaign Committee 2017 (Previously known as Finance Campaign Committee)

Pastor Oh, Joe Kerr, Nancy Mack, and Bob Hicks will begin the Stewardship Campaign 2017 with God’s guidance, blessings and your support. 

11.  Worship committee at WUMC

Pastor Jung Sun and church council will begin the process of adding a worship committee to WUMC.  The Worship committee will develop a "Biblically faithful and Culturally Relevant United Methodist Sunday service." for WUMC.

www.westonunitedmethodist.org

How to Create a Daily Prayer Practice? 

(From Openings by Rev. Larry J. Peacock)

Creating a daily prayer practice takes discipline.  The goal is not to be rigid but faithful.   Here are some hints to guide you:

• Find a time that works for you.  Spend from fifteen minutes to an hour.   Many people find early mornings best, before activities take over the day.   I strongly suggest early morning.
• Find a space that works for you.  Choose a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted, a warm, and inviting place.  Light a candle (if you like), open a Bible, and consider creating an altar or table with objects that may aid you in prayer.
• Find one or more postures that work for you.  Sitting is most common, but sometimes kneeling or standing or walking may open you to deeper ways of prayer.  Sometimes you may incorporate several postures during your time of meditation.
• Find a balance of sound and silence that works for you.  Allow for solitude.  This is a time not only to talk with God but also to listen.  Minimize distractions and interruptions.
• Consider using music as an aid to prayer and as a way to move from the noise of the day into a time of prayer. 
• Keep a Bible, a journal for writings reflections, and this book with you as your prayer companions.
• Consider writing your own prayer for each month.  

O Lord! Hear my (our) Prayer.   Amen.

Greetings,

I would like to share a wisdom of Prayer and Practice with you.   To have a life of prayer, we must pray either in silence or spoken words.    I hope and pray that this information provides thoughts, reflections, and practices to help you.  The practice of prayer under girds the heart of people. 

You can pray in the comfort of a chair in front of a fireplace at home, or in the company of a church member, or in the company of a choir singing or listening to “Bach’s Matthew Passion” or Handel’s “Messiah.”  I pray with Taize Songs.  Your prayer practice may involve serving God’s people at Bristol Lodge and God’s children at Whittemore School in Waltham.    My prayer practice also involves offering God’s Blessing Station ministry at Kendal Green Station in Weston, Lincoln Station in Lincoln, and Waltham Station in Waltham.    You as an individual, and also in a group or community can practice various ways of prayer.  Sometimes, or many times, we as church members can be easily overwhelmed with the abundance of varieties of prayer.   However as children of God we should begin to pray somewhere and sometime.

Friends, NOW is a good time.

I hope and pray that your practice of prayer shapes your identity as children of God.   Let’s learn the lesson from the gospel of Luke.  “Then, Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” (Luke 18:1) And “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17).    I invite you to move from saying prayers to living a life of prayer, a life constantly aware of the presence of God, Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Such communication and communion with God can happen in the ordinary activities of life. Our time of focused prayer helps and equips us to be able to express our genuine and honest gratitude and thanksgiving to God and also connectedness with others,  nature as God’s creation, and to ourselves. 

How to Create a Daily Prayer Practice?

 - Creating a daily prayer practice takes discipline.  

Peace,

Pastor Oh

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by name.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.... Because you are precious in my sight and honored and I love you (Isaiah 43:1-4).

Beloved sisters and brothers in Christ at WUMC.  With gratitude and thanksgiving, I share this story with you.   This is an amazing story of God's Blessing Station outreaching ministry.  When Carole, Joe and I arrived at the Lincoln Rail Commuter Station parking lot around 5: 30 p.m. last Friday (September 8), a person approached us and asked for help.  After listening to her, I introduced myself and gave her my name card (with WUMC church name and address).   Carole and Joe also introduced themselves and greeted her with a beautiful smile.  She, then, asked us "Are you from Church?" We replied to her. "Yes.  We are from the Weston United Methodist Church in Weston."  Then she responded with a beautiful smile and shared her needs with us.   We also talked to her brother over the phone.  Her brother asked me to baptize, and eventually accept her as a WUMC member.  I promised her brother I would.   Carole and Joe helped her on Friday evening and brought her to church on Sunday morning.  She worshiped with us at WUMC.  She will continue to worship with us every Sunday. 

Friends!  On our third day of God's Blessing Station ministry, God sent a beloved God's child to WUMC, a beloved community, and asked us to love, care and live with her.   I will start "the process to become a WUMC member" with her. I am asking you all to continue to welcome her and pray for her and her family.  Let's continue to carry on God's Blessing Station outreaching ministry with deep gratitude and thanksgiving.   Thank you for your prayers, support, and participation.  

And let's continue to remember the scripture, "... and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47).   God adds numbers!  God will continue to send God's children to WUMC through God's Blessing Station outreaching ministry.  We believe in God who is who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8).

Lincoln Blessing Station

8 September 2017

Weston Kendall Green Blessing Station

6 September 2017

“I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.  O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you brought up my soul from She’ol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit” (Psalm 30: 1-3).

I prayed with this Psalm in the morning.  Walter Brueggemann, one of the most respected Old Testament scholars and authors in our age, in his The Message of thePsalms, related the forms of Psalms to the realities of human experience.  He introduced three major themes of Psalm:  Orientation, Disorientation, and New Orientation.

This psalm is a quite beautiful example of New Orientation and Thanksgiving song and tells the story of going to the trouble and coming out of the trouble.  You have drawn me up (v.1); You have healed me (v. 2b); You have lifted up my life (v. 3a); You have restored me to life (v. 3b).  With gratitude and thanksgiving, I praise God with you. God has drawn us.  God has healed us.  God has lifted up us.  God has restored us.

As WUMC, a beloved community, begins our new fall season of 2017, I would like to celebrate those who have served WUMC for over 30 years.  They are “so great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). And at WUMC, "we are surrounded by so many great cloud of witnesses,” these amazing sisters, and brothers in Christ. They are beautiful examples and witnesses of faithful commitment to God at WUMC.    

Let’s celebrate their unwavering commitments and services to God at WUMC in October.  Let’s throw a great party with delicious foods and fellowship.

With Love,

Pastor Oh