Today in Methodist History

Francis Asbury statue in Washington, DC

On March 31, 1816, circuit-riding preacher Francis Asbury died (b. 1745). Asbury joined the English Methodist Movement at age 14 and, in 1771, was sent to the American Colonies by John Wesley, becoming one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. When Asbury arrived in America, there were 5,000 Methodists; by the time of his death, there were over 200,000. It is estimated that he preached 16,000 sermons and traveled 300,000 miles, mostly on horseback.

Devotional for March 31

St. Paul's UMC - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Read Psalms 121-123

 Psalm 122 (Darby Translation)

¹ I rejoiced when they said unto me, let us go into the house of Jehovah.

² Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem, which art built as a city that is compact together,

⁴ Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks unto the name of Jehovah.

⁵ For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

⁷ Peace be within thy bulwarks, prosperity within thy palaces.

⁸ For my brethren and companions' sakes I will say, “Peace be within thee!”

⁹ Because of the house of Jehovah our God I will seek thy good. 

Another delivery to EFAA

Pastor Charles and Belinda delivered the latest collection of donations to EFAA this morning. The volunteers were overjoyed at St. Paul's willingness to support its at-risk neighbors.

Devotional for March 30

St. Paul's UMC - Largo, Florida

Read Psalms 119-120

 

Psalm 120 (Contemporary English Version)

 

 ¹ When I am in trouble, I pray,

² “Come and save me, Lord, from deceitful liars!”

 ³ What punishment is fitting for you deceitful liars?

 ⁴ Your reward should be sharp and flaming arrows!

⁵ But I must live as a foreigner among the people of Meshech and in the tents of Kedar.

 ⁶ I have spent too much time living among people who hate peace.

 ⁷ I am in favor of peace but when I speak of it, all they want is war.

235th anniversary of the death of Charles Wesley

From the Charles Wesley Society—

He wrote more than 6,500 texts, including the poems and hymns. His range of poetic meters demanded the composition of new tunes and rhythms. His use of Scripture in his texts is unprecedented, with only the books of Obadiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, and Third John not used. The brothers published sixty-four collections of hymns between 1738 and 1785, many of which consisted of only Charles’ texts.

Wesley died on March 29, 1788 in Marylebone, London, England; his final hymn was dictated to his wife on his deathbed:

In age and feebleness extreme,

Who shall a helpless worm redeem?

Jesus, my only hope Thou art,

Strength of my failing flesh and heart,

O, could I catch a smile from Thee

And drop into eternity!

He was buried in the Marylebone Parish Church, London, an Anglican church. He did not wish to be buried in unconsecrated, Methodist ground; his gravestone reads:

HERE LIE

THE REMAINS OF

THE REV.

CHARLES WESLEY, M.A.

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE

THE 29TH MARCH 1788

AGED 80 YEARS.

WITH POVERTY OF SPIRIT BLESSED

REST HAPPY SAINT IN JESUS REST.

A SINNER SAVED THROUGH GRACE FORGIVEN

REDEEMED FROM EARTH TO REIGN IN HEAVEN.

AND LABOURS OF UNWEARIED LOVE

BY THEE FORGOT ARE CROWN’D ABOVE

CROWN’D THROUGH THE MERCY OF THY LORD

WITH A FREE FULL IMMENSE REWARD.

Devotional for March 29

St. Paul's UMC - Dayton, Ohio

Read Psalms 116-118

 

Psalm 117 (Complete Jewish Bible)

 

 Praise Adonai, all you nations!

Worship him, all you peoples!

For his grace has overcome us,

and Adonai’s truth continues forever.

Halleluyah!

Why Palm/Passion Sunday, and not just Palm Sunday?

By Taylor Burton-Edwards

A blog article at Christian Century ("Against Passion Sunday") in 2011 prompted a variety of responses to the current practice of celebrating the last Sunday in Lent as Palm/Passion Sunday. 

Many remember that these two events were not always part of the same day. Their memories are correct. Prior to Vatican II, it was typical practice to read a passion narrative on the Sunday prior, then celebrate Palm Sunday as a day in itself to kick off Holy Week. But beginning with the publication of the three year Roman Catholic lectionary in 1969, followed by the ecumenical three year lectionary and calendar projects that culminated in the Common Lectionary (1983) and the Revised Common Lectionary (1992), that changed. 

Somehow, folks have gotten the notion that the primary reason this changed was a concern that persons may not be likely to come to services on Good Friday where they would hear the entire Passion narrative. Low turnout, it is thought, prompted "the lectionary people," for convenience sake, to put the Passion narrative into Palm Sunday as well so that more people would have a chance to hear it. 

Given the variety of folks who seem to say this, apparently that story has gone viral in number of circles. 

I'm one of "the lectionary people," the active United Methodist representative to the ecumenical Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) that created and continues to support the Revised Common Lectionary. Currently, I also serve as CCT's Chair. 

As one of "the lectionary people," I can tell you that's not why those who came before me did what they did. Not at all.

Read more at this link.

Devotional for March 28

St. Paul's UMC - Manchester, New Hampshire

Read Psalms 113-115

 

Psalm 113 (Blue, Red, Green Bible)

 

 ¹ Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

² Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

³ From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, ⁶ Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; ⁸ That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

⁹ He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

This week @ St. Paul's UMC

 

Monday: 

9:00 AM, Office Hours

Tuesday: 

9:00 AM, Office Hours

7:00 PM, Virtual Trustees meeting

Wednesday:

9:00 AM, Office Hours

10:00 AM, Zoom Fellowship 

7:30 PM, Choir practice

Thursday:  

9:00 AM, Office Hours 

Sunday: Palm/Passion Sunday

8:30 AM, Bell practice

8:45 AM, Adult class

10:15 AM, Worship 

11:15 AM, Fellowship

12:30 PM, BBKC 

Scripture lessons for April 2

We begin Holy Week next Sunday with a lengthy lesson 

for Palm/Passion Sunday, Matthew 26:14 – 27:66.

We will celebrate the reception of new members and communion 

as we begin the observance of Holy Week.

Devotional for March 27

St. Paul's UMC - Helena, Montana

Read Psalms 110-112 

 

Psalm 110 (American Standard Version)

 

¹ Jehovah saith unto my Lord,

Sit thou at my right hand,

Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

² Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: 

Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

³ Thy people offer themselves willingly

In the day of thy power, in holy array:

Out of the womb of the morning
Thou hast the dew of thy youth.

⁴ Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent:

Thou art a priest for ever

After the order of Melchizedek.

⁵ The Lord at thy right hand

Will strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

⁶ He will judge among the nations,
He will fill the places with dead bodies;

He will strike through the head in many countries.

⁷ He will drink of the brook in the way:

Therefore will he lift up the head.

March 26 @ St. Paul's UMC: Prayers

 

Joys:

+Louise Cook gives thanks for the amazing offering of "Mary Poppins" by students at Boulder High School.

+Belinda Alkula is thankful for the wonderful dinner circle that was held at the Coopers last Friday.

+We ask God's blessing on the abundance of food that will be taken to EFAA this coming week from our church.

+Pastor Charles gives thanks for time in his studio to complete another painting for the Season after Pentecost in the liturgical painting series.

+We give thanks for this week's birthdays: Alexandra Muckle

+We are blessed by those who served this week: Belinda Alkula (videographer), Steve Bainbridge (greeter), Tim Cook (adult class), Lorie Courier (piano), Rebecca Glancy (liturgist), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Suzanne Polacek (bells), and Ron Revier (choir).

Concerns:

+We lift up in our prayers the people of Alabama and Mississippi who experienced tornados on Friday.

+Joan Cooper asks for prayers for her neighbor, John, who is having surgery this week.

+Myrle Myers asked for prayers for Sandy B. who is having surgery this week.

+Steve Matthews lifts up his cousin who is dealing with an autoimmune disorder.

+We join with many across our nation in mourning the deaths of the 150 killed and 258 injured due to gun violence last week. 

March 26 @ St. Paul's UMC: Announcements

+We will be receiving new members at St. Paul's UMC on Palm Sunday, April 2. Contact Pastor Charles if you are interested in joining our community of faith.

+ResourceUMC and the General Commission on Religion and Race invite you to take part in Together We Dine, a Vital Conversation on race relations. This event is a virtual experience that will host community and faith members to engage in courageous and safe conversations about the state of race relations. Project Unity trained facilitators guides participants in a structured dialogue about race. We aim for this experience to prove that what unites us is greater than what divides us.    When: Tuesday, March 28th via Zoom, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. Register here.

+Thank you for your donations to EFAA! They will be delivered to EFAA this week.

+Holy Week and Easter Services—We will not be holding Holy Week weekday services this year because of the decline in attendance for worship services at St. Paul’s UMC that are not held on Sunday mornings. You are invited to view the list   on the April 3 blog post of area UM churches that are offering Maundy Thursday or Good Friday services. This year we will once again celebrate Easter Sunday with the Boulder Beautiful Korean Church. This joint service will be held at our regular time of 10:15 AM both in person and via Zoom.

+Ladies Lunch Bunch will meet on Thursday, April 6, at 11:45 a.m. at Old Santa Fe Mexican Grille (592 McCaslin Blvd., Louisville). Please R.S.V.P. before April 4 to Sally Owen (srpowen@gmail.com / 303-909-0651).

+Breakfast Fellowship will next meet on Saturday, April 8, at 8:00 a.m. at Le Peep (2525 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, next door to McGuckin’s Hardware). This is a new location. No reservations necessary. All are welcome!

+Epworth UMC in Denver is a small church with a big heart. To help the community food needs, their basement is filled with refrigerators, freezers, and shelves for the food. The food comes from Food Bank of the Rockies and donations from local grocery stores. To get this food to the church, they were using a pickup. This truck was stolen from a small lot behind the church. They only had liability coverage on the truck, so they are seeking donations to purchase a replacement. Please click on this link and donate to help Epworth UMC and the community they serve.

March 26 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

Joyful feeling this morning.

EFAA collection

We love fellowship time after worship!

View today's service at this link

Welcome... Pastor Charles

*Call to Worship (Psalm 130:6-7, CEB)... Rebecca Glancy

I hope, LORD. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise. My whole being waits for my Lord—more than the night watch waits for morning; Yes, more than the night watch waits for morning! Israel, wait for the LORD! Because faithful love is with the LORD, because great redemption is with our God!

*Hymn...  “Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain” (UMH #315)

Prayer of Confession (Book of Worship #483)... Rebecca Glancy

God of grace and glory, we thank You that You judge us not by the perfection of our actions, by our readiness to live boldly by faith. Help us, as individuals and as a congregation, to trust You and follow where You lead, that in Christ Your name may be glorified in all the earth. Amen.

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations  

Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer... Pastor Charles

Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:6-11... Rebecca Glancy

Choral Anthem... “River of Peace,” by Karen Peck Gooch and Chaz Bosarge, arranged by Jay Rouse

Second Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14... Pastor Charles

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Sermon... Pastor Charles / “Shake, rattle, and roll”

*Hymn... “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” (UMH #404)

*Words for the Journey... Pastor Charles

Postlude... Lorie Courier / “I’m Gonna Sing When the Spirit Says Sing (with Every Time I Feel the Spirit),” arranged by Mark Hayes

Devotional for the Fifth Sunday in Lent

St. Pauls UMC - Saint Albans, Vermont

Read Psalms 107-109

 

Psalm 108 (21st Century King James Version)

 

¹ O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my inmost being. ² Awake, psaltery and harp! I myself will awake early. ³ I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations. ⁴ For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

 ⁵ Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy glory above all the earth. ⁶ That Thy beloved may be delivered, save with Thy right hand, and answer me.

⁷ God hath spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the Valley of Succoth. ⁸ Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of Mine head; Judah is My lawgiver. ⁹ Moab is My washpot; over Edom will I cast My shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.”

¹⁰ Who will bring me into the stronghold city? Who will lead me into Edom? ¹¹ Wilt not Thou, O God, who hast cast us off? And wilt not Thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? ¹² Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. ¹³ Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.