Lunenburg United Methodist Charge

 

Antioch UMC                                                           Williams UMC

 

On our walk. . . . .                 

March 20, 2009

 

 

This has been going around, but I thought it would be nice to be reminded why we are here..

 

Excuse me, are you Jesus?'
 
“If God can trust you in the hard places, then He can take you to high places.  Therefore, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3: 5&6

 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago.  They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.  In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.  Apples flew everywhere.  Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!!  He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.  Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16-year-old girl was totally blind!  She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.  As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.


When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did.  Are you okay?'  She nodded through her tears.  He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....'  He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.  She continued, 'Are you Jesus?' 

He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered.  Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'  Do people mistake you for Jesus?  That's our destiny, is it not?  To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.  Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.  It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!

 

Opportunities for Ministry and Service

Monday, March 23

   Bible Study @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM

Tuesday, March 24

   Bible Study @ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00 AM

Wednesday, March 25

   Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM

    Choir Practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM

 

Worship Events –March 22 - The Fourth Sunday of Lent

This week’s Sermon text: John 3:14-21

                    Hebrew text:    Numbers 21:4-9

                         Sermon : The Ultimate Love

 

Who Is Frank?   This week “N” is for Neighbor

Recently you have seen the word “FRANK” showing upon our roadside sign as well as in our bulletins. What is, or who is “FRANK”? Well, frank is a special worship service that will take place on March 29th at Antioch. Each letter of the word has a meaning. For “F” it meant friend and for “R” it means relative. “A” is for acquaintance. This week “N” is for neighbor.  Each letter is a guide to invite someone to join us at worship on March 29. Plans are to have a special group from Tarboro, NC, Curtis Hyler & Jubilation, bring services to all that day.  This group has been singing together for many years and they are well known in North Carolina and Virginia.  You can check out their web page at www.curtishyler.com.  Immediately after services there will be a luncheon.  If you would like to help the Outreach Committees in their planning for this special day please contact Brenda Barnes, Betsey Hendricks, or Diane Overby.  Sign up sheets will be available on Sunday if you would like to help with this special event.

 

Sunday School is available each Sunday morning.  The importance of Sunday School is that, though you may think hearing the word will suffice for you, you really need to be in attendance at Sunday School to gather all the information that you can in an open discussion classroom.  Jesus’ word cannot be totally understood just by listening to a sermon.  You have to interact with it and with other Christians to learn what He was saying to us.  This is a life long study and you should take part.  There is a class for every age so please plan on joining us to learn more about our Lord, Jesus Christ.   Sunday School at Williams begins at 10:45 AM and at Antioch at 10:00 AM.

 

Evening Bible Study   Evening Bible study will continue on Mar.23 at 7:00PM at Antioch.  We will be reviewing chapters 21-30 of Isaiah. We will discuss the events depicted in the book.  If you are looking for a study of God’s word join us not only for the study, but good fellowship.

 

Morning Bible Study. Morning Bible study will meet this Tuesday Mar 24 @ 10:00 AM at Audrey Smith’s house when we will discuss the Book Song of Songs. If you are looking for a study of God’s word join us not only for the study, but good fellowship.

 

$.02 a Meal – Lunenburg Ministries

The Mission committee is asking all who would like to help the least of us during this Lenten/ Easter season to take part in the 2 cents per meal program. All you have to do is put any amount of change into a Zip Lock bag or a container at each meal. On Palm Sunday we will take it up at our Palm Sunday service and take it to the Palm Sunday Evening services and along with the other churches in our county we will make a community offering to the Lunenburg Ministries for their use to help the least of us in our community. If you don’t have a bag or a container and would like to take part please see Brenda Barnes or Robyn Fowler.

 

Picture of Events.

If you would like to see pictures of recent events at Antioch please go to antiochmethodistchurch.org. This is the address for our webpage and it is updated as information becomes available.

 

UMW to Support Madeline’s House

The Antioch UMW is asking for everybody’s support for Madeline’s House. There will be boxes for donations of needed items to help Madeline’s House in their endeavor to supply a place for those who have suffered from domestic abuse.  These boxes will be in the church office at Antioch and the Narthex at Williams, along with information on the programs offered and a list of the needs of Madeline’s House.  Madeline’s House has been on the verge of closing during the past year and their situation both materially and financially is tenuous.  Please open your hearts to this important program.  A special offering will be taken up on for Madeline House in early April.

 

Antioch Makes Easter Baskets for Children in Foster Care

United Methodist Family Services is a local organization that deals with treatment foster care and adoption.  There are currently 20 kids between the ages of 3 to over 15 under the care of UMFS at the LaCrosse location.  Using the funds from mission offerings, Antioch United Methodist Church made Easter Baskets for these kids.  Each basket was filled with age appropriate gifts for the kids and of course, everyone's favorite: candy!! These kids have been through some unfortunate series of events and hopefully our baskets will lighten up their hearts, knowing someone out there is thinking of them. If interested in more information about foster care and/or adoption, please take a look at their website, UMFS.org.

 

                  

Mallory Barnes, Jane DiStefano, and                             Susan Moseley, Robin Fowler, Hunter Fowler,

Wayne Hendricks fill baskets for children                       Mallory Barnes & Betsy Hendricks fill baskets.

in foster care.

To see other photos of the activity go to our website “antiochmethodistchurch.org”

 

 

Contact Pastor Ed

If you cannot reach Rev. Ed at the parsonage, you may call him on his cell phone:  252-532-0952, parsonage phone: 434-676-2314 or 252-537-5705.  He can also be reached via e-mail at revedumc@yahoo.com .

 
Prayer List 

Please keep the following families in your prayers:

Becky Eades & boys

Edna A. Bagley

Dee Welch

Harry & Margaret Smith

Edith Parham

Bernard Bottoms

Walter B. & Carolyn Moseley

Tommy Cage

Bertha Bottoms

Fred & Denise Harper

Grace DiStefano

Betty Reese

CV & Agnes Thompson

Gertrude Hite

Grace Marshall

Nathan Hendricks

Rita Baird

Bertha Arthur

Margaret J. Conner

Brent Richey

Allen Alcock

Sgt Christopher Thompson

William Reese III

Douglas Stewart

Donna Gregory

Jason McReynolds

JoAnne Doty

Roger & Donna Reese

W W Blackwell, Jr

Alicia Clary

Ronnie Liestra

Vivian Rackley

Danny Horne

Elizabeth Biggerstaff 

Kay Thompson

Laura Dutzman

Family of Mary Ellen Day

Terrisa Thompson

Tom Fowler

Frances Hawthorne

Dorothy Driskill

Jeff Hendricks

Cameron Fowler

Gene Edmonds

Maria Kay

Kathy McReynolds

Sheila Cage

Red Tanner

Earl "Chucky” Barnes

David Jones

Charles Thomas

Marjorie Thompson

Jimmy Neblett

Dennis Chumney

Elizabeth Crowder

Brenda Epley

Kim Mc Henry

Mary Ann Hawthorne

Justine Mc Henry

Rev Al Green

 
Prayer Gram.
Please, when putting somebody’s name on our prayer list, PRINT their names and addresses if you have them.  This will help us get the prayer grams out sooner and it will also make it easier to read during services.

A Final Word:

THE SAFEST PLACE
How to stay safe in the world today.
1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.
3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals.

BUT ,

... You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church,
and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.  Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!

Have a blessed week!!