Return Service Requested - St Lukes United Methodist Church · that Skellig Michael was chosen as a...
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St. Luke’s United Methodist Church 206 Scheurmann St. Essexville, MI 48732 Return Service Requested PQRSTUPSVWVX.YZ[ Phone: (989) 893-8031 Fax: (989) 893-1026 E-mail: offi[email protected] Our Vision – Nurturing the world with God’s love. Our Mission – Called by God to reach out and welcome all.
Transcript of Return Service Requested - St Lukes United Methodist Church · that Skellig Michael was chosen as a...
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church 206 Scheurmann St. Essexville, MI 48732
Return Service Requested
P Q R S T U P S V W V X . Y Z [
Phone: (989) 893-8031
Fax: (989) 893-1026
E-mail: [email protected]
Our Vision – Nurturing the world with God’s love.
Our Mission – Called by God to reach out and welcome all.
The Front Pew January 2016 Volume 6, Issue 1
The Stone Column
The monastery presents an alternative lifestyle that implicitly criticizes the greed, injustice, and oppression of our everyday world. It is a mode of semicommunal or fully communal life witnessing that violence is not the inevitability of human
nature but only the normalcy of human civilization. - John Dominic Crossan
I read excerpts of Crossan’s book “God and Empire” at camp leadership training. I make the case that camp can be a modern day monastic experience, a place set apart where we live Christ-like community. I was reminded of Crossan’s words after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
It is no secret (or spoiler) that one of the locations for filming the movie was on an island off the coast of Ireland called Skellig Michael, where the remains of a 6th century monastery still stand. But it wasn’t until seeing the scene in the movie that it struck me just how powerful it is. Beyond the natural beauty combined with the ancient stone construction, it’s the history of the site combined with what unfolds in the scene that transcended the screen and held me in a state of awe. Crossan explains why monasteries exist...
Monasteries (and especially Skellig Michael) are witnesses that the escalatory violence
of civilization is not the inevitable destiny of humankind, even though the brutal normalcy of civilization will seek to co-opt and corrupt that monastic witness.
I doubt that J.J. Abrams (director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens) is familiar with Crossan’s writing - but I have no doubt that the filming location was chosen in part for the same reason that Skellig Michael was chosen as a site for a monastery: it’s difficult to get to the place. My hunch is that the character in the film who has been living on this desolate rocky crag of an island (on a remote planet in an uncharted part of the galaxy) was looking for a hermitage - a place to escape the violence of civilization - to escape star wars.
I happen to believe the birth of Jesus - that we continuously celebrate - modeled for us the same thing that monasteries attempted to do. The birth of Jesus is a constant reminder that violence is not the inevitability of human nature. Christmas reveals two contrasting visions of life: God’s way in the incarnation - the birth of an unarmed, vulnerable baby who is the Messiah; and the way of Herod (and many others) - armed and fearful. Herod, like the empire he is beholden to, seeks peace through strength and violence. Jesus seeks peace through love and non-violence.
(Continued on page 3)
Birthdays & Anniversaries 2 Contact Information 2
Stone Column (part 2) 3 UMW & Golden Friends 3
Church Council News 4 New Saginaw-Bay DS 5
Christian Education 6 January Calendar 7 In t
his
Issu
e..
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Page 2 The Front Pew January
Bir thdays January
Anniversar ies
S t . L uk e ’ s Un i t e d Method i s t
Chu r ch Mailing Address:
206 Scheurmann St.
Essexville, MI 48732
Telephone:
(989) 893-8031
Fax:
(989) 893-1026
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Office E-mail:
Pastor: Rev. Eric A. Stone
Church Accountant: Maria Jezierski
Christian Education Worker: Ruth Felch
Music Director: Melissa Rookus
Nursery Care Director: Ellie Potts
Office Staff: Melissa Frasik
Organist: Vicki Ahlberg-Ives
Youth Ministry Worker: Brian Scramlin
Contact Informat ion
1 Hunter Bridenbaugh
Kaylynn Coulter
2 Grant Huiskens
Cameron Sullivan
3 Heather LaPorte
5 Winifred Reiche
6 Melissa Frasik
Nicole Frasik
7 Caleb Jezierski
9 Donna Gross
Pat Metevia
10 Carleigh Rowley
11 Joshua Jackson
Willa Lewis
16 Justin Barriger
Samantha Ellerman
19 Colton Crawford
Isabelle DuRussel
Charlene Trerice
20 Dave Halk
21 Camren Rowley
Mark Shaw
24 Christy Trerice
25 Sandy Gillam
Mikki Mallory
26 Bill Sansburn
27 Joyce Dauer
Bruce Francke
Jennifer Warner
28 Jacky Sansburn
29 Cathy Wilkinson
Riley Briggs-Lind
30 Rebecca Scott
31 Charle Burger
Shaylynn Jill
Shari Rhodes
January 24
Daniel & Karla Morgan
Page 3
Golden Fr iends Golden Friends meet at noon Monday, January 4, at the Oasis Restaurant on Kosciuszko &
Lincoln. Please sign up on the bulletin board across from the fellowship hall.
I was stunned when I heard Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr. stand in front of a packed chapel service of students at Liberty University and say, “I’ve always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.”
There is so much in that one sentence that is offensive, it’s hard to know where to begin. Rich Villodas does an excellent job responding to Falwell in his blog post Advent, Herod, and Liberty University. [which you can find linked on our Facebook page or in the digital newsletter]
The Falwell’s of today think like Herod and operate in the same way of empire: contradicting the way of Christ. It is troubling when professing Christians forget, ignore, distort, or corrupt the witness of the Advent - Christmas - Epiphany cycle. The large backdrop of the word “LIBERTY” revealed a sad irony. When we lose sight of the monastic calling to reject the world’s addiction to violence we reject the liberty - i.e. the freedom found in the way of Jesus.
This way is not an easy path - it is full of risks. We begin the new year with a series called “Risky Business.” We will be challenged by Jesus who boldly proclaimed the fulfillment of the reign of God. Then he went about living as though God truly reigns and not the emperor. He modeled for us risk taking as faithful living.
Peace & Blessings,
Eric
(Continued from The Stone Column page 1)
United Methodist Women The next regular monthly meeting of the United Methodist Women will be on Wednesday, March
9 at 6:30 p.m. in rooms 6 and 7. Our program will be “Call to Prayer and Self-Denial,” led by Vicki
Ahlberg-Ives. All women are invited to join us.
Page 4 The Front Pew
A/V Help Needed We are looking for someone to help set up Sunday services. This person would be responsible for setting up the video portion of the service about once every 3 weeks or so. Training will be provided! You do not need to be a graphic artist to do the setup, but being computer literate is helpful.
We also need one or two people to help run A/V and sound on Sundays. You would be responsible for running the service about once every three weeks or so. Training will be provided and it is not hard to run the service.
Contact Bob Pierce at [email protected] or 989-245-7653 if interested.
Church Counc i l News Happy New Year to all of you. For those church leaders whose term of office ended in December,
thank you for your service and faithfulness. To those continuing their term, or beginning a new
term, I also thank you for your willingness to serve.
Our first Church Council meeting of 2016 will be January 13, 7 p.m. in room one. You will receive a
notification from the church office. Please try to attend the Church Council meetings, as your
input and updates are important to our ministry.
Those who attended the Caring For Inactive Members workshop are invited to attend a meeting
on January 20, 6 p.m. in room one. We will be discussing how to use the information we obtained
to benefit our inactive members.
On January 23, 10-11:30 a.m. in rooms six and seven we will be holding Leadership
Orientation. Note that this is a shorter meeting time than our last orientation. You will be
receiving a letter with details of the meeting.
God bless all of us as we begin a new year of ministry to St. Luke’s and the community.
Barbara Bovee, Church Council chairperson
Youth Group Sock Drive Socks are the number one requested item at homeless shelters, yet one of the least donated. The
youth group is collecting socks to donate to the Salvation Army. Please leave your donations in
the box in the collection corner.
Page 5
Winter fes t 2016
Saturday, January 23
5:00 p.m. Dinner
6:00 p.m. Program
Watch your bulletin for details!
New Saginaw-Bay Dist r i c t Super intendent
Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey announced [December 7] the appointment of Rev.
David Kim to serve as the Superintendent of the Saginaw Bay District of the
Detroit Annual Conference, effective July 1, 2016. Rev. Kim is currently serving
Troy Hope Ministry, the English-speaking congregation of the Korean United
Methodist Church of Troy, MI. He is also serving as a member of the Design Team
from the Detroit Annual Conference and as the vice-chair for the Detroit
Renaissance District Committee on Superintendency.
The Saginaw Bay District is currently being served by District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R.
Maxwell. Jeff has announced he will be retiring in July after 33 years in ministry. He has served
the Saginaw Bay District since 2010. “I am deeply appreciative of the gifts Jeff has brought to the
cabinet,” said Bishop Deb, “I am excited for Jeff as he enters this next chapter in his life.”
Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and a Master of
Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is soon to receive his Doctor
of Ministry degree from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, specializing in Leadership for
Transformational Change. He has also served as a member for the Detroit Conference New
Church Development Committee and for The United Methodist Union of Greater Detroit. He was
part of the advisory panel for Asian American ministry. David and his wife, Julie, are blessed with
a beautiful daughter, Naomi Immanuel Kim. She is a high school senior.
Posted December 7, 2015 by the Michigan Area of the United Methodist Church
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1
New Year’s Day
(Church Office Closed)
2
9:00 a.m. U.M.M.
Breakfast at Krzysiak's
7:00 p.m. N.A.
3
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
11:00 a.m. Church School
4 Do-All Cleaning Day
12:00 p.m. Golden Friends
7:00 p.m.
U.M.M. Bible Study
5
10:00 a.m.
Stampers & Scrappers
7:00 p.m. Taizé, F.A.
6 7
6:45 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. N.A.
8 9
7:00 p.m. N.A.
10
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
11:00 a.m. Church School
12:00 p.m. Youth Group
11 Do-All Cleaning Day
6:30 p.m.
Stitch & Scripture
7:00 p.m.
U.M.M. Bible Study
12 10:00 a.m.
Stampers & Scrappers
6:00 p.m. Trustees,
Women’s Study
7:00 p.m. F.A.
13
7:00 p.m. Church Council
14
6:45 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. N.A.
15 16
9:00 a.m. U.M.M.
Breakfast at Krzysiak’s
7:00 p.m. N.A.
17 Invitation Sunday
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
11:00 a.m. Church School
18 Martin Luther King Day
Do-All Cleaning Day
7:00 p.m.
U.M.M. Bible Study
19 10:00 a.m.
Stampers & Scrappers
6:00 p.m. Women’s Study
7:00 p.m. F.A.
20
6:00 p.m. Caring for
Inactive Members
Workshop
21
6:45 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. N.A.
22 23 10:00 a.m.
Leadership Orientation
5:00 p.m. Winterfest
7:00 p.m. N.A.
24
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
11:00 a.m. Church School
12:00 p.m. Youth Group
25
Do-All Cleaning Day
7:00 p.m.
U.M.M. Bible Study
26
10:00 a.m.
Stampers & Scrappers
6:00 p.m. Women’s Study
7:00 p.m. F.A.
27 28
6:45 p.m. Choir
7:00 p.m. N.A.
29 30
7:00 p.m. N.A.
31
9:30 a.m. Worship
10:30 a.m. Fellowship
11:00 a.m. Church School
January 2016
F.A. = Families Anonymous
NA = Narcotics Anonymous
UMM = United Methodist Men
UMW = United Methodist Women
