Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sunday at SPUMC - Jan. 24, 2010

We continue our journey through the Spiritual Habit of Worship in so many ways...

During the Education Hour:
*  The children talked about "where your treasure is, there is your heart also."  That by having Jesus and God in our lives, we are richer than having lots of money.  They were asked to write down five things that are special possessions to them... and then write "Jesus" on top - as a reminder to keep Jesus first.
*  The Confirmands and their parents watched the NOOMA video, "Sunday," with Pastor Penny and discussed that church is more than "going through the motions."  It's being open to God's heart and seeking God's heart.  Not just sitting in the pew...  But really being present to God's prompts in us.
*  Wired Word re-visited the story of the United Methodist leaders that were trapped in the earthquake rubble in Haiti.  Even in the midst of injuries, fear, and darkness...  they kept worshipping God.  They sang, they prayed, they knew God was with them.  An inspiring story, especially now that we know that two of them eventually died from their injuries...  What great faith in the face of great hardship.
*  Bettie continues her "Caring Ministries" class.  I haven't gotten to attend yet - if anyone has an update for me, please send it my way!  (Or add it in the comments section.)

Worship was alive and active this week!  The microphones were acting up, Ginny jumped out of her seat to tell us about her new hearing aids...  You just never know what's going to happen in the joy of the moment!  Mark did a great job with the children's sermon, reminding us of the promise of God's love (and marriage, and credit card bills, and the post office...).  The Bell Choir sounded wonderful!  And the Choral Readers did a nice job with the Psalm readings - different voices blending to accentuate the readings in new ways.

Pastor Penny reminded us that worship is something to be done in all times and places - whenever we see God, and say "thank you."  Worship is something we make time for, we are intentional about, and we do even when we may not feel like - that's what makes it a discipline...  And God is there.  Even in those moments.

We also had the distinct pleasure to welcome more new members into our midst!  Nancy, Yvonne, and Bob come with new talents, gifts, ideas, and blessings to share - so be sure to welcome them as soon as you can! 

We worship together, because we are in this walk of the Christian life together.  We gather, praise, pray, sing, hear God's word, respond to God's word, and celebrate this life as one.  I hope you'll join us next week!

1 comment:

  1. Bettie's class on Caring Ministries is interesting. We talked about listening skills, how to support others who are suffering, how to be an active listener. We learned about different approaches to helping and why some are not as helpful as we might think, and others are wonderfully supportive and helpful. She used a cool drawing to illustrate what the ways mean and why they work or don't work.

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