Friday, September 20, 2024
Sew What on the mountain
Part 5: Ending disaffiliation
The 2019 special called General Conference approved, by a narrow margin, the addition of a temporary paragraph to the 2016 Book of Discipline that offered a pathway for churches to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church.
Paragraph 2553 granted a limited right for local congregations to gain release from The United Methodist Church’s centuries-old trust clause, which states that church property is held in trust for the benefit of the entire denomination.
This paragraph allowed U.S. congregations to exit with property for “reasons of conscience” regarding changes made to legislation relating to homosexuality by the 2019 General Conference. It also set minimum monetary conditions that must be met and called for each conference’s board of trustees to decide the specific terms that must be met for congregations making such requests. The paragraph expired Dec. 31, 2023.
Read more at this link.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Church leaders stand with Haitian neighbors
United Methodist leaders in Springfield, Ohio, and across the U.S. are standing in solidarity with Haitian migrants and condemning hateful rhetoric that targets them and their newly adopted homes.
“We are doing our best to support each other,” said the Rev. Vicki Downing, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in downtown Springfield. “It isn’t us and them; it’s just us.”
Her congregation is one of many in the western Ohio city that counts Haitians among its parishioners. On any given Sunday, she said, about eight to 12 Haitian residents attend worship at Grace. Over the past few years, Downing has baptized three Haitian-American babies.
But this past week has shrouded her entire community in a pall of fear.
Springfield — about 27 miles northeast of Dayton — has been rocked by at least 33 bomb threats since former President Donald Trump and his Republican running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, began pushing false claims that the city’s Haitian migrants were eating people’s pets. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, also a Republican, told ABC’s “This Week” that “there’s no evidence of this at all.”
Read more at this link.
UWF 2025 Reading Program
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Wednesday, September 18, 2024
A nice morning @ Mountain View UMC
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| Stephanie Kidwell, Charles Alkula, Skip Strickland, Jim Calhoun, and Jim Gulley |
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| Great fellowship |
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| Today's theme |
Belinda and Pastor Charles joined a large gathering at Mountain View UMC for the United Women in Faith unit's annual fall salad luncheon.
A treat for Pastor Charles was getting together with Mountain View's pastor, Stephanie Kidwell, and retired pastors Skip Strickland, Jim Calhoun, and Jim Gulley.
Wednesday with the Wesleys
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
my beauty are, my glorious dress;
'midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head.
for who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
from sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
When from the dust of death I rise
to claim my mansion in the skies,
e'en then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
Jesus, be endless praise to thee,
whose boundless mercy hath for me,
for me a full atonement made,
an everlasting ransom paid.
O let the dead now hear thy voice;
now bid thy banished ones rejoice;
their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness.
~ Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1739,
translated by John Wesley, 1740
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Climate Change, Displacement, & Conflict: Migrants Speak
September 18 @ 1:00 PM
This webinar will explore the human impact of climate change, environmental degradation, and inadequate environmental protections on conflict and mobility, centering the voices of those most affected. Environmental defenders, indigenous groups, and frontline communities share their stories and struggles, exposing the intersections of extractive industries, displacement, and the climate crisis. Click on this link to register.
Monday, September 16, 2024
This week @ St. Paul's UMC
Monday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
Tuesday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
Wednesday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
9:00 AM, Wednesday Weeders
10:00 AM, Zoom Fellowship
1:00 PM, Board of Ordained Ministry (Pastor)
7:30 PM, Choir Practice
Thursday:
9:00 AM, Board of Ordained Ministry (Pastor)
Friday:
10:00 AM, Sew What
Saturday:
6:00 AM, BBKC Prayer Time
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
12:30 AM, BBKC
Scripture lessons for September 22
Sunday, September 15, 2024
September 15 @ St. Paul's UMC: Prayers
Joys:
+We celebrated our final breakfast fellowship at Le Peep yesterday (Le Peep is closing at the end of the month).
+Myrle Myers gives thanks for the love and support she has recieved since her brother Jerry's death.
+Angela Baker is thankful for the love of this congregation over the years as she moves to Nashville this week.
+We give thanks for this week's birthdays: Lisa Berlin, Jessie Muckle, Pat Muckle, & Christopher Wahl. We celebrate the anniversary of Christina & Nick Pulaski.
+We give thanks for those participating in today: Amy Abshire (liturgist), Belinda Alkula (video), Tim Cook (class), Kyle Dacon (piano), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Jim & Joey Vander Vorste (fellowship & flowers).
Concerns:
+We lift up in our prayers Louise Cook following the death of her sister, Marjorie.
+We send our prayers with Angela Baker as she leaves us for Tennessee.
+We offer prayer for safe travel to Austin & Joan Cooper as they travel on Tuesday for a family wedding.
+Rebecca Glancy asked for prayers for Jovanka Jones and the Saturday morning Chair Yoga ministry.
+We continue to pray for those in the midst of conflict in Ukraine & Russia, Gaza & Israel, and wherever else God's people are in distress.
September 15 @ St. Paul's UMC: Annoucements
+St. Paul’s fall food drive for EFAA continues through Sunday, September 29. The most recent list of their top needs can be found at this link.
+Mountain View United Women in Faith are hosting their fall salad potluck luncheon on Wednesday, September 18, at 11:15 a.m. Guests will gather in Barker Hall, 355 Ponca Pl., Boulder. Dorje Dolma, the author of Yak Girl, will share a presentation about her homeland. UWF also will collect a love gift offering for a mission project in Kathmandu, Nepal, that provides trauma counseling for domestic violence victims and economic development projects for women.
+Climate Change, Displacement, & Conflict: Migrants Speak - Sep 18 @ 1:00 PM. This webinar will explore the human impact of climate change, environmental degradation, and inadequate environmental protections on conflict and mobility, centering the voices of those most affected. Environmental defenders, indigenous groups, and frontline communities share their stories and struggles, exposing the intersections of extractive industries, displacement, and the climate crisis. Click on this link to register.
+Sew What will meet on Friday, September 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Pat Cleaveland’s home. Please R.S.V.P. by TODAY to Pat via email or phone call (patcleaveland@msn.com / 303-642-3338). Note: If you wish to carpool or follow along in a personal vehicle, please plan to depart from the church parking lot at 9:15 a.m. Pat’s driveway is rough, so low sports cars may be a challenge. Pat will provide lunch (folks with special diets might want to take preferred food/drinks).
September 15 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship
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| Class is in session |
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| Flowers from Jim & Joey |
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| Kyle offers the postlude |
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| Fellowship time! |
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Today’s Meditation Verse: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O LORD.” —Psalm 19:14, NRSV
Welcome...Pastor Charles
Prelude...Kyle Dacon
*Call to Worship (Psalm 19:1-4)...Amy Abshire
Leader: The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
People: Day to day pours forth speech, and night tonight declares knowledge.
Leader: There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
People: Yet their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
*Hymn...“Christ for the World We Sing” (UMH #568)
Invitation to Follow...Amy Abshire
Abandon the illusion you’re a self-contained individual.
Be a part of this wounded world and find yourself with Christ.
Set aside your own desires, give yourself fully for others; be the hands and heart of Jesus.
Renounce self-protection, accept your brokenness, and reach out for love.
Let go of your own plans. Join in the healing of the world. You will not be alone.
Follow your soul, not your ego. Follow it right into people’s suffering.
Follow it right into the heart of God.
Pour yourself out; let the world pour in; then you are one with the Beloved.
—by Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes, www.unfoldinglight.net
First Lesson: James 3:1-12...Amy Abshire
Hymn...“Lord, Speak to Me” (UMH #463)
Community prayer concerns and celebrations
Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer...Pastor Charles
Second Lesson: Mark 8:27-38...Pastor Charles
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God.
Sermon...Pastor Charles / “With a single word”
*Hymn...“Living for Jesus” (TFWS #2149)
*Words for the Journey...Pastor Charles
Postlude...Kyle Dacon / “He Is Exalted,” arranged by Cindy Berry
Saturday, September 14, 2024
Farewell, Le Peep
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| Smiles all around! |
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| A good group to be with |
Our next gathering, place to be determined, will be on October 12th.
Worship with us!
Friday, September 13, 2024
Bishops plan for different kind of gathering
Instead of deciding the denomination’s future, bishops expect the gathering’s participants to be dreaming and praying about what comes next for The United Methodist Church.
“It will have no decision-making authority because it’s a leadership gathering,” Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone said. “And the intent is to gather a group of leaders from across the denomination for the purpose of visioning and imagining the next expression of the church.”
The Council of Bishops announced Sept. 5 that it was planning a five-day leadership gathering in April or May 2026 — rather than calling for a special session of General Conference as announced last year. The bishops said their goal for the gathering is to “advance the positive momentum” of this year’s historic General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Read more at this link.
Save the date!
Hybrid Annual Gathering:
Mountain Sky Conference United Women in Faith
Dates: October 11-12, 2024
Where: St. Andrew United Methodist Church (Highlands Ranch) or via Zoom
What to Expect:
- Lively book discussions, wonderful music, delicious food, and fun fellowship.
- Worship services and a memorial service.
- Time to honor retiring officers and cheer on our new slate of conference officers.
- Approval/recognition of new districts for United Women in Faith
in our conference.
- Approve our conference United Women in Faith budget.
- Workshops to better understand how to use the materials available on the
national United Women in Faith website and learn more about how we can live
out the lesson of Matthew 25: 35-40.
- Exhibit area where you can learn more about potential service projects, the 2025 Reading Program, and shop for goodies for friends, family, and maybe even yourself.
Thursday, September 12, 2024
GCORR Condemns False Claims Against Migrants, Calls for Action Against Racism and Xenophobia
Recently, harmful and unfounded accusations have been made against Haitian migrants in Ohio. Such baseless claims perpetuate harmful stereotypes that fuel racism and xenophobia.
As people of faith, we must reject narratives that dehumanize and scapegoat others. These divisive words breed fear and distrust, moving us further away from the Beloved Community we are called to build. We must actively work towards becoming more antiracist, challenging not only misinformation but also the racist stereotypes that have long harmed Black and brown immigrants.
Let us remember that every person is made in the image of God, and we are all part of one human family. It is our shared responsibility to stand against racism and xenophobia in all its forms.
Visit this link to read the Book of Resolutions: Welcoming the Migrant to the U.S. The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church - 2016.
Nurturing Beloved Community Workshop
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We have been blessed with the opportunity of brining the Nurturing Beloved Community Workshop to various areas of the Mountain Sky Conference over the last few years. This engaging workshop, for Laity and Clergy, will be offered in Broomfield, Colorado this Fall. When: October 9th at 9 am – October 11th at 12:30 pm
Where: Broomfield UMC is located at 545 W 10th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80020
Registration: $30; Includes Snacks, Lunch on Wednesday, Lunch and Dinner on Thursday
Nurturing Beloved Community is a multi-day workshop that is intended to create space for learning, deep listening, relationship building, and worship; specifically focused on:
- Learning from the wisdom and cultures different than our own.
- Listening to the lived experiences from historically marginalized voices.
- Worship rooted in different cultures and languages.
- Lessons on history and current events, usually not taught in our institutions.
- Training on Implicit Bias
- Explore what allyship and solidarity looks like within a community.
- Practice being in community across differences.
- Resourcing to bring antiracism, implicit bias, and intercultural competency work back to one’s own ministry setting and community.
- Celebrate the richness of our diversity.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Resolution on Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories and Supporting Letter
The World Methodist Council (WMC) meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, recognizes that the situation in Israel and
the Occupied Palestinian Territories has been on the Council agenda for many years.
We have heard the cries of our Christian sisters and brothers as expressed in the Kairos Palestine document (December
2009) and we have responded to the plea to "come see and hear the living stones" through pilgrimages to the Holy
Land. We have passed resolutions, issued statements, and prayed for a just and sustainable peace in Israel and
Palestine.
WMC member churches are working with partners in the region, often facilitated by the Methodist Liaison Office
in Jerusalem, to accompany Palestinians in their struggle for a secure life and in their call for peace with justice. At
the 22nd World Methodist Conference 14-18 August in Gothenburg, Sweden, we were blessed and challenged by
seminars led by Ms. Areej Masoud and Dr. Lamma Mansour, calling for solidarity, prayers and tangible support of
organizations working for peace and justice in the land.
Currently, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs, the death toll in Gaza
has now surpassed 39,000 people, over two-thirds of whom are children and women; more than 90 % of the
population have been displaced (in most cases repeatedly); there has been the complete destruction of medical,
educational, and other civilian infrastructure and food insecurity has reached catastrophic proportions.
Dr. Kenneth Mtata, WCC program director for Public Witness and Diakonia, recently commented that "the
situation in Gaza exposes the lowest decline in our shared humanity and our collective total failure to honor life."
He further added, "We need to take decisive action to redeem the little of our humanity that may be left'.
Read more at this link.
Wednesday with the Wesleys
1. By a very uncommon train of providences many of the Provinces of North America are totally disjoined from their Mother Country and erected into independent States. The English Government has no authority over them, either civil or ecclesiastical, any more than over the States of Holland. A civil authority is exercised over them, partly by the Congress, partly by the Provincial Assemblies. But no one either exercises or claims any ecclesiastical authority at all. In this peculiar situation some thousands of the inhabitants of these States desire my advice; and in compliance with their desire I have drawn up a little sketch.
2. Lord King's Account of the Primitive Church [See heading to letter of Dec. 30, 1745, to Westley Hall.] convinced me many years ago that bishops and presbyters are the same order, and consequently have the same right to ordain. For many years I have been importuned from time to time to exercise this right by ordaining part of our traveling preachers. But I have still refused, not only for peace' sake, but because I was determined as little as possible to violate the established order of the National Church to which I belonged.
3. But the case is widely different between England and North America. Here there are bishops who have a legal jurisdiction: in America there are none, neither any parish ministers. So that for some hundred miles together there is none either to baptize or to administer the Lord's supper. Here, therefore, my scruples are at an end; and I conceive myself at full liberty, as I violate no order and invade no man's right by appointing and sending laborers into the harvest.
4. I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury to be Joint Superintendents over our brethren in North America; as also Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey to act as elders among them, by baptizing and administering the Lord's Supper. And I have prepared a Liturgy little differing from that of the Church of England (I think, the best constituted National Church in the world), which I advise all the traveling preachers to use on the Lord's Day in all the congregations, reading the Litany only on Wednesdays and Fridays and praying extempore on all other days. I also advise the elders to administer the Supper of the Lord on every Lord's Day.
5. If any one will point out a more rational and scriptural way of feeding and guiding those poor sheep in the wilderness, I will gladly embrace it. At present I cannot see any better method than that I have taken.
6. It has, indeed, been proposed to desire the English bishops to ordain part of our preachers for America. But to this I object; (1) I desired the Bishop of London to ordain only one, but could not prevail. [See letter of Aug. 10, 1780.] (2) If they consented, we know the slowness of their proceedings; but the matter admits of no delay. (3) If they would ordain them now, they would likewise expect to govern them. And how grievously would this entangle us! (4) As our American brethren are now totally disentangled both from the State and from the English hierarchy, we dare not entangle them again either with the one or the other. They are now at full liberty simply to follow the Scriptures and the Primitive Church. And we judge it best that they should stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has so strangely made them free.
~ John Wesley
September 10, 1784
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Methodist council sets membership rules
The United Methodist Church’s splintering has prompted Methodism’s ecumenical association to formalize its guidelines for admitting new members.
“In cases where an applicant church was historically part of a World Methodist Council member church, the Officers shall engage in conversation with both parties,” says the new “Guidelines for Membership” document adopted by the council when it met Aug. 18.
Applicants also must explain why they want to be part of the council and share the status of their existing ecumenical relations. The officers will then recommend to the full council whether to accept the applicant as a new member.
The formalized membership guidelines come as departures from the World Methodist Council’s largest member, The United Methodist Church, have led to the launch of new breakaway denominations and already have shaken up some relationships within the wider Wesleyan family.
Read more at this link.
Monday, September 9, 2024
This week @ St. Paul's UMC
Monday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
Tuesday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
Wednesday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
9:00 AM, Wednesday Weeders
10:00 AM, Zoom Fellowship
7:30 PM, Choir Practice
Thursday:
9:00 AM, Office Hours
Saturday:
6:00 AM, BBKC Prayer Time
8:00 AM, Breakfast fellowship
9:00 AM, Chair Yoga
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost:
12:30 AM, BBKC
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