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

HOW SHALL I GIVE?

The choir has sung Offertory by John Beck on many occasions.  It is taken from the book of Micah.

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?

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?

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?

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?

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.