It’s a commitment to stay with us no ma�er what – wherever we find ourselves. And it comes with risks–this commitment to “Be with” rather than control – it leaves the future wide open to infinite possibili�es. But they are possibili�es we will face together.

For we are Easter people. We are people who sing Alleluia in the midst of exile. Maybe it’s not the big bold Alleluia of the congrega�on gathered, maybe it’s the alleluia whispered to a pet, or to the daffodils pressing up through the earth. Maybe it’s the awkward alleluia said to the neighbor walking her dog. Maybe alleluia seems

wrong during a �me of na�onal mourning and sadness. When we’re witnessing a healthcare system that can’t provide basic protec�ve equipment for its front line, when businesses can’t pay rent or workers sending millions to seek unemployment benefits, when our government has so severely damaged the credibility of media that we doubt basic facts (see Julio Vincent Gambuto’s “Prepare for the Ul�mate Gasligh�ng” on medium.com April 10, 2020). When

we’ve seen the failure of leadership and systems – we can’t use Alleluias to cover up or pretend we’re not living through it all. We can’t un-see the suffering. And it’s not happiness we proclaim, it’s presence. Alleluia is praise for a God who enters our pain and is with us, and calls us to raise the level of hope for those who cry out.

So God’s alleluias will find you in the anxiety of quaran�ne, however long it lasts, because they have the ability to acknowledge the hard places, to hold the stone of worry as well as see that the boulder has been rolled away.

Alleluia.

How long, O Lord, how long? I t’s the Psalmist cry. How long will this pain go on? How long this grief I can hardly bear? How long will I be struck with terror? How long must I cry out?

How long must all this last? The events of Jesus and his followers -- which we recount between Palm Sunday and Easter--the �ming of it all struck me differently this year.

The parade into the city then the retreat to Bethany for prayer, the cleansing of the temple (in one gospel), the ritual gathering around a table, the foot-washing example of service, the anoin�ng for death by the woman with a jar of perfumed oil, the remembering ritual of shared bread and cup of blessing that would become the basis of our Holy Communion, the betrayal & prayer in the garden, the arrest, and torture and trial, then the crucifixion–the long agonizing hours of trying to take a breath, the witness of the women at the foot of the cross, the forgiveness of those who know not what they do, and the witness of the guard, the piercing of Jesus’ side, the sky that cries out in darkness at death. Then the request to remove the body, to quick placement inside a tomb with a stone rolled across the entrance, and the frightened disciples hunkered down in a locked upper room with the grief of lost hopes. And then on the third day when the women do what they have the power to do, taking spices to the tomb early.

It all seems a li�le quick – pu�ng all that in the span of a few days. As if, ALL we can handle of the passion, is one holy week, and not even a full week.

Amy-Jill Levine in her book, Entering the Passion, says its much more likely that the events unfolded over months – but who can tolerate months of isola�on, of uncertainty and anxious wai�ng to know how the story will end?

Which is where the wisdom of the Psalms of lament enter in. These are the scriptures, Brueggemann says, that remind us God’s “fidelity isn’t governed by control, cer�tude or absolu�sm” but rather steadfast love, that right use of power and a commitment to restore all rela�onships.

Pastor Kelly

May 2020 [on-line edition]

T�� M�������� M��������

2

Prayer requests: Leo & Wendy Coltey, Lesley Hampton, Hank & Bev Kalloch, Little Ford, Jessie & Colleen Grabowski, Louise House, Barbara Nero, Gail McGrath & Olivia Ryan.

May 11 Erin & Eddie Sanchez

PLEASE UPDATE your INFO

Pastor Kelly has been making her way through the directory to check in on folks

and we've encountered phone numbers that are no longer in service. Please let the office know your current contact info. And if possible, we'd love to have your emergen-cy contact info for family members also.

Dot Buzzelle - Redstone

Joan Kearns -Wells Country Village, Vernon CT

Paul Willer - Reeds Landing

Joyce D’Angelo -10 Riverside Dr. Hampden, MA 01036

Louise House - 750 Granville Rd. Westfield, MA 01085-3909

A C������������ R�������

Please be aware that Hospitals and Rehab facili�es DO NOT CALL the church to let us know when some-one is admi�ed. They have not

done that for years, between HIPAA laws for privacy and cut backs in volunteers.

So it's up to YOU or your family to let us know. Tell your friends/family to contact the church whenever you're in the hospital overnight so we can visit and pray with you.

And our prayer list takes prayer requests for surgeries, tests, any special circumstance that you might want to be joined in prayer for.

CONGRATS to Evan McElreath on passing DCOM and being recommended for pastoral licensing--one step closer to ordina�on.

Thanks to Tim Redin and his team for the lovely new stairs with kick plate and railings that children won't fall through. Thanks to the Filer bequest we were able

to finish a long-needed item on the Trustees list and keep folks employed during this difficult �me – a win/win!

T�� M�������� M��������

3

C�������������� �� E���� D����� � A������� A�����

The University of New Hampshire as recognized Emily Dunlop as one of the 2020 Kidder Award recipients. The award seeks to honor those who, through their scholarship, leadership, or outstanding efforts, foster greater understanding of sexual orientation and gender expression at the University of New Hampshire.

Congratulations to Psych Award Winner

Annalyse Arnold! “As a psychology student at Framingham State University I was on the E-board for Psi Chi as the secretary my junior and senior years. I completed my honors thesis my junior year, which focused on how a person's gender and help-seeking be-haviors effected the s�gma they hold toward mental illness. I presented my thesis at the UMASS Undergraduate research conference in April of 2019. I also had the pleasure of working with Dr. Greenstein in the Greenstein laboratory where I helped conduct research and analyze data in the area of applied memory research. A�er gradua�on I plan on con�nuing to work implemen�ng ABA based treatment for children with severe levels of autism and eventually go on to get my masters degree in school psychology.”

S��� ��� D��� The annual worship retreat has been scheduled for October 23rd through October 25th at

Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. This center is

considered Nature’s Classroom and their mo�o is to Think Outside the Books. The cost is $125 per person and includes a two night stay and three meals.

Please contact Kelly Greene for additional details.

M����� T������� V����

Our Maundy Thursday evening service is available for viewing for folks who were not able to a�end or who wish to experience it again. Just go to elumc.org and click on the link provided.

Those who par�cipated did such a lovely job of embodying their character...it is a great, representa�ve example of who ELUMC is and what folks can expect who might worship with us.

During this Easter series, we're ending our services with a dance party.

So we need your help to pump up our endorphins and help us dance with Jesus.

Send in your videos of you, your kids, your grandkids, your pets, your flea circus, whatever you got dancing or movin’ or groovin’. You can even use previously posted videos (or tell us where to find the videos you want us to upload).

The kids love seeing themselves and the folks without kids are desperate to see the kids they're missing – a WIN/WIN!

Let us know if you have ques�ons, YOUR worship team

T�� M�������� M��������

4

Easter was celebrated a li�le differently this year. The Church was closed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, but that didn’t stop members from coming together as a virtual community of faith and wor-shiping on-line with the ELUMC Easter service on Facebook.

HAPPY EASTER

Eileen Brogan was ready in her stylish Easter bonnet. Happy Easter everyone!

Our church doors may be closed but our ministries con�nue. Check out the ELUMC Facebook page for resources

that help keep our faith community alive and well.

Join us Sunday mornings on Facebook at 10:00 am or Friday at 7:00 pm on ZOOM. Coloring pages are available by the mail-boxes. Worry stones hold our fears this season and remind us of the stone that we rolled away marking new life.

Vera Mihalcik and family enjoyed Facebooking the Service.

T�� M�������� M��������

5

WE NEED YOU to help to con�nue this meal Let Denise Forgue know of your interest

and she’ll get you started. Contact Denise at (413-733-5644) or mems5luvs@gmail.com)

If you don’t have �me on one Wednesday morning a month, how about buying pasta for the meal? 20 lbs. of Rigatoni, Penne, or Zi� is used each �me to help feed 100 - 150 people in need. Name brand "tube" pasta is preferred rather than generic brands that don’t hold up to baking. Pasta dona�ons can be placed in the labeled bin by the mailboxes or on the counter in the kitchen upstairs.

Because so many are in need of this service, the cost of the meal’s ingredients is approximately $180/mo. This is not a funded item in our budget but an important mission that we’ve supported for many years. If you are able to donate toward the cost of the meal, please write a check to ELUMC with “Loaves & Fishes” on the memo line. Thank you!

C���������� D����’� S��� T�� L����� � F����� C���

Our Loaves and Fishes crew finishes in record time to feed persons downtown-- the need and the numbers are up and the number of churches willing to help is down.

Let's come together while staying apart for a brief check-in and prayer with the help of ZOOM.

You can use the link below on your computer or phone to show us your face or simply

call in to listen in.

Join Zoom Mee�ng: h�ps://zoom.us/j/288833724?pwd=MmI2N0NGeVBmaUY1RWQxeGNjTkpnUT09

Mee�ng ID 288 833 724 Password: 5257416

One-tap mobile (audio only): +19292056099,,288833724#,,#,5257416#

Manual dialing instruc�ons: Phone number: (929) 205-6099

Mee�ng ID: 288 833 724 Password: 5257416

F��� ��� T������� Spring is finally here and if anyone can help out in the freshening up of garden beds and other small areas we could use your help. Dave Ritchie,

one our grounds volunteers, would very much appreciate the removal of s�cks and small branches around the

church lawns so that he can begin mowing soon.

There isn't a specific day or �me. A day or a �me that fits for a volunteer usually works best. if anyone is interested in spreading mulch in flower beds etc. contact Brian Kingsley at 860-794-0847 or Joan Clark at 413-783-7896.

Thank you.

If you haven't yet checked out the church Facebook page, why not. It has great resources for children and adults, great prayers and ar�cles, inspiring videos and the latest ELUMC news.

T�� M�������� M�������� 6

F��� ��� M���� D�������

Hi everyone,

Last month I told you of all the wonderful anthems we were preparing for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter, but much as changed since then. We went from all in the Sanctuary to a live-stream with three people on camera, to prerecorded services, to a

Zoom service, and back to a live stream, again minimalist.

I so appreciate the efforts of all involved to be so crea�ve and flexible without missing a beat! Though we are separated, we are s�ll together, and have the same aims – to praise and worship God.

Grace and Peace!

Rick

“Life is like a beau�ful melody, only the lyrics are messed up.” ―Hans Chris�an Andersen

C������ A�� C������ ��� P���������� C������

S�������!!!

The deadline for the Carrington Scholarships is fast approaching.

The Carrington Scholarship applications are now available!! Those who received a scholarship last year and church mem-ber graduates from this year will be sent e-mails with the applica�on and instruc�ons a�ached. If you are a member of ELUMC and a�ending college next year, we encourage you to send in an applica�on.

Applica�ons can be obtained by contac�ng the church office (office@elumc.org or 413 525-7416) and reques�ng one be e-mailed or snail-mailed to you.

Applica�ons can also be downloaded and printed from our “forms” web page (www.elumc.org/forms.htm) and are available for pick up on Sundays as well.

The deadline for submi�ng the Carrington Scholarship ap-plica�on is May 17th, 2020.

Scholarships will be presented Sunday, June 7th, 2020

MEET OUR MISSIONARIES Rukang and Fresie Chikomb

(submi�ed by Lois Harris)  

Rukang and Fresie are both commissioned missionaries, and work for the Southern Wings of the Morning Avia�on Ministry, a ministry of the Southern Congo/Zambia Episcopal Area, providing transporta�on for hospitals, educators, mission teams, church leaders, and other mission needs in a vast area with limited ground transporta�on.

Rukang is the pilot/ mechanic whose responsibili�es include training in flight safety, financial accountability, freight management, pa�ent support and the welfare of ministry employees. He was born in the Democra�c Republic of Congo and a�ended local United Methodist schools, earning a diploma in chemistry and biology. He came to the United States for a few years. In Elizabethton, TN, he earned a cer�ficate from the Federal Avia�on Administra�on as a commercial pilot, mechanic, and FAA inspector.

Fresie serves as safety and accountability manager of the avia�on ministry and she has a broad range of responsibili�es. She provides weather reports, maintains records of flight requests, helps with pa�ents and medical supplies and assists with language transla�ons. She speaks fluent English, French, Swahili, and two Congolese dialects. She also assists with management at a boys orphanage sponsored by the United Methodist Church in the South Congo/Zambia area. While she was living in Tennessee she was cer�fied as a clinical medical assistant.

In Tennessee, Rukang and Fresie joined the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Johnson City and have maintained that membership. Rukang believes that "We can only give back to God if we listen, accept, and obey His call to witness Him in this world." Fresie has a strong belief in the power of prayer. "When we pray we make a difference in our daily lives." She feels that God has been leading her to mission service for years. "God has used me to bring hope and share the gospel as I witness his miracle in my life."

T�� M�������� M��������

7

Memorial Day is approaching and the East Longmeadow United Methodist Church is commemora�ng the day with a drive-through Prayer Poster display created by our members. You are

invited to drive through our parking lot any�me Saturday May 23rd - Monday May 25th to spend a few moments in your car in prayer. Given our current environment, we’re honoring not only those who have died in service to our country, the display will also acknowledge the police, firefighters, first responders, healthcare workers, postal staff, grocery store employees and others who con�nue to go to work each day. Please join us to remember those who sacrificed their lives for us and those who support us each day to keep us safe and healthy.

If you would like to create a prayer sta�on poster board, please contact Chris Hutchinson at chutch413@yahoo.co

M�� 23-24 M������� D�� W������ P����� S������ D����-T���

Your weekly and monthly �thes help us meet our obligations -- bills, payroll, community ministries. Please may mail your offering to the church office.

ALSO, we're s�ll receiving dona�ons to help Gayle with u�li�es at the homestead she's been loaning to Evan & Ka�e (write Gayle or u�li�es on memo).

We also need boxes of dried tube pasta for the Loaves and Fishes meals and financial contributions for ingredients (Loaves & Fishes

on memo line).

If you are in need of help during this difficult �me please ask.

May 3 Welcoming incoming pastor Katherine Mitchell

May 10 Kelly Greene

May 17 Gayle Lesure

May 24 Blessing of the Animals with special guest service dog Kirby, Evan preaching

May 31 Pentecost Bishop Devadhar

June 7 Children's Sunday

June 14 Music & Ministry Celebra�on

June 21 Evan McElreath

June 28 Lay Leader Kim Ketcham

July 5 Sco� Grabowski

M�� 24 - B������� �� ��� A������

We’re celebra�ng our pets. Bow wows, meows, and tweets are welcome. Send in your favorite pet photo for this special worship service.

SAFE SANCTUARIES

T��� ������ �� ��������� �� ���������

� ���� ����� ��� ��� ��������.

Address Service Requested

East Longmeadow United Methodist Church 215 Somers Road, STE 2

East Longmeadow, MA 01028-2998

413-525-7416 • a reconciling congrega�on

www.elumc.org

The Methodist Messenger is a journal of the ministry of The East Longmeadow United Methodist Church. Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

THE SUNDAY EXPERIENCE 10:00 a.m. Livestreamed Worship

11:00 a.m. – Children’s Sunday School on ZOOM

--Photos of you and your pets (Blessing of the Animals service May 24)

--Short videos of you dancing -- you don't need to be a good dancer, just a willingness to praise God with a beat

--Tell us if you can create a Prayer Poster Board for the Memorial Weekend Prayer drive-thru.

--Send in photos of what you’re ea�ng at Sunday service

H��� �� ���� �������� ����� �����. S��� ��:

For the on-line church calendar follow this link:

http://57650311.view-events.com/

Do You Need More Smiles And Rainbows In Your Life Right Now? If you answered "YES!", then we need your help in one of

two ways:

1. Be part of our rainbow pride parade that visits families in East Longmeadow, Springfield, and possibly beyond to spread joy, hope, and smiles. We will meet at 1 PM on May 9th in the church parking lot. If you can, decorate your car with rainbows or tons of color.

-OR-

2. Not interested in driving around? That's okay, our caravan will come to you! Look for us between 1 - 3 PM on Saturday, May 9th with a smile and a wave. Just let me know your address, and we will try to put it on the parade route.

Please reply to Vera Denyko with your interest. I need to get a count to determine if this is possible and/or begin planning the parade route.

Hope to see you all on May 9th!

Vera Denyko vera_mihalcik@yahoo.com (646) 319-4967