4 November Sunday
Worship Service
10:30 am
“Even Jesus Weeps”
All Saints Sunday
"I
sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true, who toiled and
fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew."
This Sunday, November 4,
is All Saints Sunday. During the 10:30 service, we will remember those members
and friends of our church who have died in this past year in a special way, and
then offer an opportunity to remember other loved ones who have gone before.
All are invited to recognize loved ones by name and participate in a
special remembrance to honor their memory.
New Small Group Study
Starting
Tuesday November 13
10:30 am & 6:30 PM
All are welcome.
“Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality & the United Methodist
Church”
Three Week Study November 13-27. We will continue to meet on Tuesdays at 10:30
am and 6:30 pm for November. See Pastor Pat to get a copy of the book ($12.00
each).
Read chapter 1 for November 13th.
"There is a lot of
concern about where the United Methodist Church stands when it comes to
homosexuality, same-gender marriage, and the ordination of LGBTQ persons, and
what will result from the upcoming General Conference in February. Living
Faithfully, a small-group study was created especially for United Methodists,
to guide discussions in a way that encourages openness, humility, a spirit of
grace, and above all, love for fellow United Methodists who may disagree with
you. Offering multiple lenses through which to consider different perspectives,
the study is based on Scripture from start to finish."
Stewardship Moment
With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
Shall I come before Him with yearling calves?
And bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
Shall I come before Him with yearling calves?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
With ten thousand
rivers of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my transgressions,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Shall I give my first-born for my transgressions,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O
man,
He has shown you what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
He has shown you what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Too often we focus on what shall
I give? How much money? What can I afford? How shall I give is the more critical
question. Our most precious gift is our love.
How can we share that love?
Do you love this church? Is it worthy of your time, your service, your
money, your prayers, your love? This special
community of faith and friendship at WUMC is at risk. Risk of financial insolvency. Risk of declining membership. Risk of losing that special sense of community
that binds us together, that brings people here, and that has kept Sally and me
coming back each week over the years.
We have been members of WUMC
for almost 40 years. People here have
welcomed us since the day we first walked in the door. This community has loved us. The church has celebrated the birth and
maturation of our sons and people here have been like their grandparents, as
both Sally’s and my parents lived far away.
It is where we have come to celebrate and to grieve, to give praise and
receive kindness. This special community
of faith has been supported over the years by many ‘saints’ who have generously
given of their time and witness. We each
have the opportunity to follow their example, to be an integral part of this
community, to help the congregation grow and thrive.
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
But to do justice and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
As members of this church, each
of us pledged to support it with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our
service, and our witness. How we
give has everything to do with our presence, our service and our witness. It’s not just about money. Do you give of your time to the church? Do you serve WUMC and the church community? Do you witness about WUMC to friends and
family? As part of this year’s
Stewardship effort, I hope you will generously renew your pledge to give of
your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness to this United Methodist
Church.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
FORGIVE OUR CHURCH LEADERS, O LORD
Forgive our Church leaders, O Lord, if we have said it
wrong.
Help us to state clearly that our Church wants
something FOR its members much more than something FROM its members all year long,
not just in a Stewardship Campaign.
Poor stewardship is dangerous. Some financially-able
church attenders give nothing or next to nothing. This is not a financial problem
but a spiritual one. God is a giver. Our willingness to share meaningfully in
return reveals our relationship to God.
Examples can be found throughout Scripture, but two of
the most helpful are found in Luke 12 and Revelation 3.
In Luke 12:15–21, we see a rich farmer blessed with an
abundant crop. He gives no credit to God, nor does he give thought to being a
steward. He thinks only about himself. Jesus calls him a “fool,” not because he
had a great many possessions, but because his possessions had him.
In Revelation 3:14–17, we get to eavesdrop on the
letter to the church in Laodicea. The people in the church believed their material
blessings indicated they were right with God. But God exposed the error of
their lukewarm church life.
In both cases, a harmful relationship with wealth
became the root of spiritual blindness.
Our church wants FOR every member a strong relationship
with God, with meaningful worship, a place of meaningful service for kingdom
work, and meaningful stewardship of the blessings given by God.
Stewardship includes time, talents, and money. Stewardship
includes learning how to be a stronger follower of and worker for Jesus.
Annual Dinner
Justice for our Neighbors
providing legal
services, advocacy & education for immigrants
Saturday, November 3, 2018; 5:30 pm
St. John’s Korean UMC/MBH District Office
2600 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02421
R Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON)
will hold its annual dinner on Nov. 3 in Lexington. Our church has been an
active supporter of JFON. JFON is a national Methodist affiliated organization
that provides free legal representation to those caught up in the immigration
legal process; especially unaccompanied children. Just within eastern
Massachusetts, there are JFON clinics in Woburn and Lowell, and another is
scheduled to open soon in Lawrence.
Please see either Richard or Hyo Choon to purchase the remaining
seats. Have fun, enjoy a good meal with great company while supporting a great,
timely cause.
Blessing of the Animals
A number of our
four-legged friends assembled with their 2 legged companions for a blessing
service at 2:00 pm on Sunday October 28.
