Lunenburg United Methodist Charge
Antioch UMC Williams UMC
On our walk. . . . .
June 11, 2008
Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[b]'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Let’s start with a little trivia: What day of the year are the most phone calls made???…… Mother’s Day. It seems that on Mother’s Day everyone wants to call home. What do you thinks happens on Father’s Day? Any one want to make a guess? The most collect calls. Personally I believe that is ok. Dads like to be needed. They like to be called on for wisdom and help. Dads job is to fix broken stuff and defend the family, especially daughters.
What is it that a dad wants for Father’s Day? Are we looking for a special tie, chosen by our children, something that represents their love for us or some aspect of our personality? Do we want a new multifunction remote control that will operate every appliance in our house? Do we want breakfast in bed or to go out to lunch? Maybe it is Sports Illustrated Magazine or some tool? What do dads really want for Father’s day?
Let’s think back to the scripture. They want to know their children are doing well and are not suffering. They want their children to be safe. They want their cars to be running and their homes to have heating and cooling. Dads want to help their children when they have needs. Dads want to be wise, to make the right decisions for their children. This is what our heavenly father wants as well. He has the wisdom to let us learn the hard way, and the love to welcome us back anytime we goof up -- no matter how bad. He never says I told you so.
As God’s children, we can never mess up so bad that he will not welcome us home. God is God, and God is the perfect father. When we go off to a far country, never expecting to return, He waits. Not patiently but anxiously for our return.
What an earthly father wants is the same as the heavenly father. They would love to be perfect, but most know they aren’t. But just like the heavenly father they wait anxiously for the phone to ring, and are more than willing to accept the charges to hear from their children. “Because you know your mom worries, if we don’t hear from you……”
Our God would love to hear from all of you on Father’s Day, Call collect because you know he worries. Have a blessed week Rev. Ed
This Weeks Event:
Saturday, June 14
Men’s Breakfast @ Williams@ 8:00 AM
Youth Group @ Williams@ 3:00PM
Monday, June 16
NO Bible Study @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM
Tuesday, June 17
No Bible Study @ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00 AM
United Methodist Women @ Ginny Arthur’s @ 8:00PM
Wednesday, June 18
Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM
Choir Practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM
Worship Events –June 15, 2008
This week’s reading will be: Sermon Text – Matt 9:35-10:8
Hebrew Text – Williams: Psalm 116:1-2, -12-19
Communion
Collection for Conference
GRADUATION SUNDAY
We celebrated all the new graduates in our churches on Sunday, June 8th. Please continue to lift up all of the graduates who have worked so hard through the years. Congratulations to all of our graduates:
Jordan Spiers Lilly West Christopher Bacon
Tessie Barnes Robert Moseley Grace Hite
William Arthur Jacob Bacon Rebecca Dawson
William’s Women’s Tea
The monthly Women’s Tea will be held on June 21 at 3:PM at William’s UMC. The theme for this month’s tea will be getting to know our neighbors better. Anyone wishing to take part in the tea is asked to bring a dessert from their heritage. We know that countries like China, the Phillipines, and Germany will be represented. If you are looking for a great time of fellowship, good food and an inspirational program please join the.
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 June23 at 7:00PM at Antioch. We will be reviewing I Kings. 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 continue on June 24 at 10:00AM at Audrey Smith’s house. We will be reviewing I Kings. 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.
If you cannot reach Rev. Ed at the parsonage, you may call him on his cell phone: 252-532-0952. He can also be reached via e-mail at revedumc@yahoo.com .
Please keep the following families in your prayers:
Marjorie Thompson
Christian Sutton
Bertha Arthur
Sarah Agnes Callis
Sheila Cage
Jeff Hendricks
Earl "Chucky” Barnes
Sara Sutton
Nathan Hendricks
Edna A. Bagley
Our Military
Maria Kay
Ellen & John Gentry
Thomas Clegg
Frances Hawthorne
Becky Eades & boys
Gertrude Hite
Elizabeth Biggerstaff
Unspoken
Tommy Cage
Bernard Bottoms
Tommy Ray Gee
Grace DiStefano
Ann Rash
Walter B. Moseley
Joe Coleman
Allen Green
CV & Agnes Thompson
Junior McHenry
Johnna Fross
Betsy Martin & Family
Danny Horne
Betty Reese
Margaret J. Conner
Robert Wilkins
Jordan Rose
John Stables
Haynie Hite
Doug Winn
Rev & Mrs Robert Day
Audrey Green
Edith Tanner
Amanda Miller
Peggy Fogg
Gary Harris
Dorothy Ann Irby
Dorothy Daniel
Ben Powell
Layton Powell
Norman Yerby
Rev Bill Burgin
Mary Bastikis
Just a Note: When I was appointed to this charge one of the requests that was made of me was to keep the Antioch Men’s Breakfast going. Now as I enter my third year we have experienced a dramatic drop in the number of men who attend the breakfast. If you would like to join us for breakfast and fellowship please do! We meet the first Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM and we are willing to cook if there are enough men to join the five or six regulars who attend. If you would like to join us please contact Earl Callis, Tommy Barnes, Wayne Hendicks or me. Our next breakfast is scheduled for July 5; Hope to see you there!!
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.
The Methodist Way – The Doing
For John Wesley, the big issues to be addressed were slavery, the poor, liquor traffic, prison reform, war, and education. Methodists have continued to think it is important to apply the freeing news of the gospel to bringing all humankind to freedom. (How to do this is often a matter of debate and even controversy. Hillary Clinton, George Bush, Dick Cheney, and John Edwards are all United Methodists, but they do not agree on the best approach to helping mankind.)
For almost a hundred years, groups that now form The United Methodist Church have stated principles for social justice. Such a document is now called “Social Principles” and is part of The Book of Discipline.” These statements are adopted by the General Conference every four years and represent the ONLY official point of view of the denomination. (Of course, individuals and agencies of the church may speak on matters of social concern, but they do not speak on behalf of the entire Church; only the General Conference does that.)
According to the Book of Discipline: “The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to speak to the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation as historically demonstrated in United Methodist traditions. They are intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of prophetic spirit. The Social Principles are a call to all members of the United Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.”
At its best, Methodism understands that transformation of society is like all transformation, a gift of God’s grace and not of human effort. The Methodist reputation for activism is largely well deserved, but its best expressions are responses to sanctifying grace.
Being Methodist in the Bible Belt” F. Belton Joyner, Jr.
Just a bit of humor:
Ø A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?" The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay," said his father. "What does the Bible mean?" "That's easy, Daddy." the young boy replied excitedly, "It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'
Ø Ask someone to join us in worship. Have a blessed week
