Message from Pastor Tonya

The Parish Press

As we head into spring we face a season of change. No matter what happens at the Special General Conference this last week of February I share with you words from a colleague. Beloved, There is very likely to be an onslaught of headlines posted and broadcasts in the next few days related to the United Methodist Church and the Special Session of the General Conference. This is an anxious time, no denying. Do not get sucked into the strong emotion and knee-jerk reactively shared by media. Educate yourself on the full story. Please remember that NO MATTER the results of whatever is decided in the next few days, God has already declared you, yes YOU, beloved. You are valuable. You are important. You matter. YOU matter. If you’re reading this, it is for YOU.

No matter the outcomes of this weekend, we are still called to be the Church (no other label specifically). We are called to love deeply and with reckless abandon. It is scandalous. It is audacious. It is outlandish. It doesn’t make sense to our human brains. It is, however, what we are called to as the Imago Dei (the image of God), something of which we are ALL a part. Sunday, March 3, is going to arrive no matter the outcome of this meeting. I plan to still lead worship at that time. Sure, there will be processing that needs to take place. Absolutely. The processing very well could be hard. We may have a particular reality with which we don’t know what to do. Nonetheless, we will gather to worship a God who has already set a place for us in our future. “So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for

March 2019

asylum, falsely accusing them of being criminals. This pattern is seen in many facets of our society and our private, inner lives—so much so that we might call it “the sin of the world” (note that “sin” is singular in John 1:29). We humans largely hate or blame almost anything else rather than recognize our own weaknesses and negativity. “She made me do it.” “He is guilty.” “He deserves it.” “They are the problem.” “They are evil.” We seldom consciously know that we are scapegoating or projecting. It’s automatic, ingrained, and unconscious. As Jesus said, people literally “do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). We hate our own imperfections in other people, and sadly we often find the best cover for that projection in religion. God and religion, I am afraid, have been used to justify most of our violence and to hide from the shadow parts of ourselves that we would rather not admit. Yet Jesus revealed the pattern two thousand years ago. “When anyone kills you, they will think they are doing a holy duty for God,” he

The scapegoating ritual described in Leviticus 16 offers a helpful perspective on Jesus’ death. On the “Day of Atonement” the high priest, Aaron, was instructed to symbolically lay all the sins of the people on one unfortunate goat, and the people would then beat the animal until it fled into the desert. It was a vivid symbolic act that helped to unite and free the children of Israel. Instead of owning their faults, this ritual allowed people to export them elsewhere—in this case onto an innocent animal. The image of the scapegoat powerfully mirrors the universal, but largely unconscious, human need to transfer our guilt onto something or someone else by singling that other out for unmerited negative treatment. French philosopher and historian René Girard (1923–2015) demonstrated that the scapegoat mechanism is foundational for the formation of most social groups and cultures. We need another group to be against to form our group! For example, many in the United States scapegoat refugees who are seeking

said (John 16:2). The Scriptures call such ignorant hatred and killing “sin,” and Jesus came precisely to “take away” (John 1:29) our capacity to commit it—by exposing the lie for all to see. Jesus stood as the fully innocent one who was condemned by the highest authorities of both “church and state” (Jerusalem and Rome), an act that should create healthy suspicion about how wrong even the highest powers can be. Maybe power still does not want us to see this. Much of Christianity shames individuals for private sins while lauding public figures in spite of their pride, greed, gluttony, lying, killing, or narcissism. As John puts it, “He will show the world how wrong it was about sin, about who was really in the right, and about true judgment” (John 16:8). This is what Jesus exposes and defeats on the cross. He did not come to change God’s mind about us. It did not need changing. Jesus came to change our minds about God—and about ourselves—and about where goodness and evil really lie.

The Scapegoat Mechanism - Friday, February 8, 2019

today.” Matthew 6:34 I plan to be there and I hope you (yes, YOU) will be there as well! Thank you Phil Rogers for these words that ring so true. My dear friends in Christ. Let us gather together in this special season. Let us be open to this powerful season of our faith. Understand it. Be open to where God is moving us. Let each of us Live by Faith, Grow in Grace, and Walk in Love. God's Blessings, Pastor Tonya

March 10

March Birthdays

Crawford

3/9 Larry Todd

3/10 Ruella Kontour

3/25 Marvel Simineo

Hotchkiss

3/9 Bo Perry

3/12 Peter Halladay

3/21 Bob Kearney

World Religion Holidays—March 3/1 St. David of Wales - Christian Intercalary Days end - Baha'i 3/2 - 20 Nineteen Day Fast * - Baha'i 3/3 Meatfare Sunday - Orthodox Christian Transfiguration Sunday - Christian 3/5 Shrove Tuesday - Christian 3/6 Ash Wednesday - Lent begins- Christian 3/10 Orthodox Sunday - Orthodox Christian 3/11 Clean Monday - Great Lent begins - Orthodox 3/13 Birthday of L. Ron Hubbard - Scientology 3/17 St. Patrick's Day - Christian 3/19 St. Joseph's Day - Christian 3/20 Ostara - Mabon * - Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres 3/21 Norooz (New Year) - Persian/Zoroastrian Naw-Rúz (New Year) * - Baha'i Hola Mohalla - Sikh Magha Puja Day ** - Buddhist Lord's Evening Meal - Jehovah's Witness Purim * - Jewish 3/25 Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 3/28 Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zarathushtra)

This Month’s Calendar 3/6 (H) 12:00 noon Ash Wednesday Service 3/8 (H&C) Book Study begins 3/10 (C&H) 2:00 a.m. Day Light Savings 3/12 (H) 12:30 p.m. Peace Circle 3/16 (H) 9:30 a.m. UMW 3/30 (H&C) 9:30 a.m. Sub District Meeting Evry othr Sun (H) 11:00 a.m. Children’s S. S. Ea Sun (H) 9:30 a.m. Adult S, S. Ea. Mon (C) 2:00 p.m. Guitar Class Ea Tue (C) 6:30 p.m. A.A. Meeting Ea Thur (H) 7:00 p.m. A.A. Meeting Ea. Fri (C) 8:00 p.m. Al-Anon Ea last Tue (H) 9:30 a.m. Hot Sewers Sew Ea 3rd Thur (H) 10:00 a.m. Buggy Barn/Appliqué

Worship Sermon series - March 3rd is Transfiguration Sunday - the last Sunday of Epiphany and before Lent; Seeing all the People: Astounded. All three gospels tell a story of Peter, James, and John accompanying Jesus to the top of the holy mountain where he is transfigured. March 6th is Ash Wednesday; Return: Beginning Where Our Stories Ends; “Ash Wednesday begins with dust and ashes.” This service is the beginning of our holy season of Lent. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, and spiritual discipline. March 10th is Scouting Sunday, 1st Sunday in Lent; Rev. Carol will be with us. Shaking Things up With God’s Generous Heart March 17th is St. Patrick’ Day, 2nd Sunday in Lent; Surprising Hope: Are We Imitating. This is always on the 17th as this is considered the traditional death date of Saint Patrick. The feast of Saint Patrick is a cultural and religious celebration held on this day. March 31st is UMCOR Sunday, is the 4th Sunday in Lent; Beyond Belief - Repenting; This was formerly One Great Hour of Sharing. With the offerings received for UMCOR, they will continue to offer aid and allows them to respond when disaster strike

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March 6th - is Ash Wednesday "Ash Wednesday begins with dust and ashes.” This service is the beginning of our holy season of Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4th or as late as March 10th but cannot be after March 10th.

From Ashes to

Easter Sub District Meeting

This will be Saturday, March 30th from 9:30am-3:00pm at the Sunrise First United Methodist Church - 522 White Ave, Grand Junction, CO 81501. At this meeting the Silent Disciples will be honored from each of the churches. The keynote speaker, Diana Butler Bass, who has a doctorate from Duke University. Diana is an award-winning author, internationally known public speaker and thought leader on issues of spirituality, religion, culture and politics. If you are interested in attending, please let Rev. Tonya know. You may also register online via this link - https://www.mtnskyumc.org/districtgathering

Ash Wednesday Services - Hotchkiss Services will be at Noon in Stewart Hall with anointing of the ashes. There will be a lunch following the service. All are welcome.

Here is a Challenge for everyone at Hotchkiss & Crawford churches during lent from Rev. Tonya!!!!

Forty Days - Forty Items Wednesday, March 6th, 2019 is the first day of Lent. Each day of Lent, remove one item from your closet that you no longer wear or need and put it into the trash bag. At the end of the forty days, donate these items to each church's thrift shop or to the designated space at each church. The other option is to gather 40 non-perishable food items and bring them to your church's food bank at the end of the 40 days.

STEWARDSHIP Ephesians 3:20 (NRSV) Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine … Prayer: "Dear Lord, Thank you for teaching us to be generous as you have been generous with us. Thank you for showing us that all we are and have are gifts from you. And that these gifts from you, Lord, are meant to be shared. Show us the joys of generosity. Make each of us a gift to others in your name. Amen"

The joy of volunteering and how we may help others is the joy that comes back to us.

Times of Transition: A word from our Senior Executive for Transition and Conference Culture, Rev. Amy Gearhart “Our 6-month Check-Up”

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?” Luke 8:22-25 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) I grew up spending most of my summers in northern Wisconsin, where four generations (and counting) of my maternal family enjoyed the beauty of the Northwoods, time on the lakes, family cookouts and s’mores around bonfires. With every trip on the lake – whether to fish, ski, picnic, or swim – we undoubtedly had an anchor and rope that was never long enough for the depth of the lake. You know what happens next, right?!? A swell of a large wake or a sneaky storm quickly moved that boat where we didn’t want it to be. Anchors are important! Especially for those “deep” places of transition! -- (continued on page 6)

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Peace Circle We had 18 members present at our Feb. 12th meeting. After a lunch served up by Lisa WJ, Barb R. and Karen L. we got to listen to a unique program via. a radio show broadcast interviewing 3 students of Hotchkiss Middle School and Ms. Kaminski, their teacher, about their time at Camp Cedaredge. Mimi had decided asking the students questions like on a show would get easier answers from the students, and it worked. They were very interactive and had great answers. We heard fun tales and times they had over a 3 day adventure. Our committees are doing fine. Nothing that needed immediate attention.

Wear House Winter is still here but 'Phil' saw his shadow so we are to have an early spring. Sales are starting on winter clothing for the family. Starting the new year, we are busy with customers and donations. We have plenty of winter clothing for all the family. At the end of March we will be switching out winter for spring clothing. If you are going to Delta and would like to help take bags, stop by on Mondays and we will load your car. If you would like to learn more about volunteering at the store please talk with one of our volunteers or with Rita. Your helping hands are welcome.

Our pledges to mission were acknowledged today. Many thanks to our members for your commitment to spread God's love. Our discussion focused around the 150th birthday of UMW and how we'd like to have a luncheon celebration with cake and ice cream with UMW friends in the Grand Valley. The official date is March 23. Share the Warmth, is the name of the new fundraiser for the Rocky Mountain Conference. In order to make the pledge for this year, we are being asked to count our coats. A donation of $1 per coat is what we are asking. Would you help us? Would you count the number of coats you have

Hotchkiss Happenings

A new book study will begin Friday, March 8 th , 1:00pm at the Crawford Church. The study will alternate each Friday between Hotchkiss and Crawford. The book

Book Study (Hotchkiss & Crawford)

is Easter Earthquake; by James A. Harnish – How Resurrection Shakes Our World. This is available on Amazon.

and give this number in the amount of $1 per coat to Lou, our treasure? Your gift is greatly appreciated by the missions we support. Our trip to the Delta Methodist Church last Saturday to share in their 150th birthday celebration was very delightful and informative. They offered a soup luncheon and birthday cake. It was fun to share time with women in our conference. They came from as far as Fruita. We will resume our year with the usual fund raising activities. The Spring Flower Fling will be coming, the weekend before Mother's Day in May. Blessings to you all.

UMW

The worst sin towards our fellow

creatures is not to hate them, but

to be indifferent to them: that's

the essence of inhumanity.

George Bernard Shaw

From The Devil's Disciple

A Sunday school teacher asked her class, “What was

Jesus’ mother’s name?” One child answered, “Mary.” The

teacher then asked, “Who knows what Jesus’ father’s

name was? A little child said, “Verge.” Confused, the

teacher asked, “Where did you get that?” The child said,

“Well, you know, they are always talking about Verge n’

Mary.”

We talk about how many women were raped last year, not about how many men raped women. We talk about how many girls in a school district were harassed last year, not about how many boys harassed girls ... So you can see how the use of the passive voice has a political effect. [It] shifts the focus off of men and boys and onto girls and women. Even the term "violence against women" is problematic. It's a passive construction; there's no active agent in the sentence. It's a bad thing that happens to women, but when you look at that term "violence against women," nobody is doing it to them. It just happens to them ... Men aren't even a part of it! - Jackson Katz

Matthew Fox’s concept of “Original Blessing” rather than with the traditional concept of “Original Sin.” It sees and encourages personal growth and the call to full humanity. It proclaims a Christianity built on love and inclusion. It affirms each person as he or she is and then seeks to provide both the community and the resources to help that person grow into being all that he or she can be. Unity sees Christianity as a religion of acceptance not judgment, of expanding life not controlling behavior.

Letter dated January 15, 2019 from General Board of Global Ministries: Thank you for your gift received on 12/26/18 of $500.00 to the General Board of Global Ministries through The Advance, the designated mission giving channel of the United Methodist Church. We are pleased to share that 100 percent of your contribution will support the missionary community in honor of Emmanuel Ufonna Mefor. Giving through the Advance enables United Methodists to partner with one another in mission and ministry around the world. Thank you for joining with us in God’s mission. United Methodist missionaries serve in more than 60 countries around the world. With your gift and prayers, you have initiated a partnership with missionaries planting churches and developing congregations, providing health care in remote areas, and working in sustainable agriculture and community development. Your gift allows Global Ministries missionaries to be the United Methodist Church’s embodiment of Christ in the world. Thank you for part-nering with us in God’s mission. We are grateful for your support of this life-giving work. May God grant you a sense of hope and joy as you continue your support for mission. Grace and Peace, Roland Fernandes, General Treasurer and Rev. Russell Pierce, Executive Director, Mission Engagement

Our Mission

Shane Claiborne invites us to quite literally follow Jesus: Over the past few decades, our Christianity has become obsessed with what Christians believe rather than how Christians live. We talk a lot about doctrines but little about practice. But in Jesus we don’t just see a presentation of doctrines but an invitation to join a movement that is about demonstrating God’s goodness to the world. This kind of doctrinal language infects our language when we say things like, “Are you a believer?” Interestingly, Jesus did not send us into the world to make believers but to make disciples [see Matthew 28:18-20]. You can worship Jesus without doing the things he says. We can believe in him and still not follow him.

It gets better: God has never stopped thinking, dreaming, and creating the Christ, as this one mystery continues to unfold and evolve in time (see Romans 8:19-25). All of us are meant to be “the second coming of Christ,” but how can we recognize or honor this without recognizing both the first (creation) and the second (Jesus) Incarnations? (See John 1:9-11 and note the active participle verb: The Light was coming into the world. We now call that evolution.) The Message - The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and het the world didn’t even notice. He came to his won people, but they didn't’ want him. NIV - The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. King James Version - That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. The Voice - The true Light, who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos. Jesus as the Light does not call out from a distant place but draws near by coming into the world. He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. NRSV - He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him, He came to what was him own, and his own people did not accept him. CEB - The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light, The light came in to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him. New American Standard - There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. God’s Word - .The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him. He went to his own people, and his own people didn’t accept him.

Bible Corner — John 1:9-11

Ask the UMC

The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.- Henri J.M. Nouwen

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When was the first Book of Discipline created?

The first Book of Discipline was adopted in 1784 at the historic Christmas Conference, which established the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, to serve as the governing document for the new church. It was originally titled “Minutes of Several Conversations Between The Rev. Thomas Coke, The Rev. Francis Asbury and Others … Composing a Form of Discipline for the Ministers, Preachers and other Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America.” The 1784 edition contained 81 questions and answers, following the format John Wesley modeled in the "Large Minutes" of the conferences in England. Among other things, this first Discipline explained the roles, duties and expectations of clergy and members, specified rules for administering the sacraments, set a common salary for pastors, and called for pastors to attend carefully to their diet as well as their spiritual practices. The Discipline declared that American Methodists would continue Wesley’s mission to spread scriptural holiness across the land. Question 4 asked, "What may we reasonably believe to be God's Design in raising up the Preachers called Methodists?" Answer: "To reform the Continent and to spread scriptural Holiness over these Lands." The volume also included the Articles of Religion, The Sunday Service and the Collection of Psalms and Hymns sent by Wesley to the American Methodists. Today, we find these resources in three different volumes: the Discipline, Book of Worship, and United Methodist Hymnal. In 1786, a revised edition was published, the last to include the Sunday Service. Each year through 1792, the Discipline was revised and published in a new edition because the General Conference met annually. Since 1792, General Conference began to meet and revise the Discipline once every four years. These revisions addressed the specific circumstances and current realities the church experienced at that time. The latter part of the 19th century saw a sea change in the format of the Book of Discipline in both The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It shifted from being a document of questions with answers, toward more of a legal manual with directives and mandated structures. This reflected the reality that the churches had become vast in size both geographically and numerically, and more complicated in structure. Their guiding document needed to be more specific and less open to interpretation so Methodists across the entire continent could function as one coordinated body. Today, we continue the practice of amending, clarifying and perfecting the Discipline in light of the current missional settings around the world. The Discipline remains “the most current statement of how United Methodists agree to live their lives together and ‘maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’” (2016 Book of Discipline, Episcopal Greetings)

Nobody’s free until everybody’s free. - Fannie Lou Hamer

We are living in tremendous times of transition: in our lives, communities, churches, our conference, and in the United Methodist Church. In times of transition, we need to consider some of our anchors: Remembering: Our transition comes from somewhere: a vision, dream, hope, aspiration. It comes from a calling from God. Re-rooting in that vision and calling gives us new energy for the complexity and challenges of transition. Horizoning: In the bumps and bruises of transition, we need to keep our eye on the leveling horizon of purpose: the WHY? The waters are choppy, but the horizon of God’s guidance is steady and sure. Provisioning: Spend time thinking about how God has provided God-sized resources and provisions for this God-sized dream and vision. Keep your eye on the future with a promise of God’s provisions in the wilderness. Resting: Jesus teaches and lives a cadence and rhythm of rest in the midst of the transitions he embodies every day. How are you resting, reflecting, and renewing as you learn more about yourself, others and God through this time of transition? On June 9, 2018 in Ogden, Utah, we voted to become one annual conference called Mountain Sky. This historic vote was the culmination of nearly two decades of collaboration between the leaders of the legacy Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain annual conferences. This work was organized into a process called “Mission Shaped Future” in which we envisioned and mapped what one annual conference would look like. We are past six months into the new vision called the Mountain Sky Conference. As in any large transition, it is important to focus at first on the WHY?, root in the purposes and dreams set forth in our guiding documents and decisions, and look for those levers of organizational change that can leverage “early wins” to lead into our mission to be a “re-energized peaceful and compassionate movement to claim the life-changing love of Jesus Christ for ALL people.” Below is a recap of the transitional goals that have been accomplished in these past six months to start our organizational and cultural vision to be the Mountain Sky Conference. These are the results of laity, clergy and staff contributions from around our four-plus one state region. In the coming months, you will also see a dashboard of indicators of transitional health and outcomes that are driven by benchmarks which your conference leaders have identified around three core purposes of the MSC:

Renewing and establishing vital congregations

Developing leaders who are gifted at empowering local churches and laity in the Church’s mission

Establishing new faith communities to meet the needs of our unique mission field Transition Goals Accomplished:

1.Hired seven new Congregational Resource Ministers (CRMs) for the Montana, Wyoming, Peaks/Pikes Peak, Mile High Metro and Trinity districts. We are continuing to develop and train our District Roundtable to resource and further our focus on local churches/circuits/districts

2.Realigned staff functions, job descriptions and goals with the new Mission Shaped Future staffing structure in order to be more flexible and nimble to deliver services to our churches and districts, and with no increase to the conference operating budget.

3.Launched new roundtables for conference leadership: District Roundtable, Bishop’s Roundtable, and Mountain Sky Conference roundtable (An introduction to these roundtables and our conference staff structure will be included in the next conference newsletter).

4.Relocated the former Billings, MT conference office to Great Falls, MT as the Montana District office and opened the Wyoming District office in Casper, WY.

5.Prepared a Conference Culture Report with adaptive changes for missional/cultural alignment based on 100-plus hours of interviews with area-wide clergy and lay leaders

6.Hosted the first Clergy Orders Event last October in Estes Park, CO with more than 200 clergy from both legacy conferences in attendance.

7.Held LeadershipNow in Bozeman, MT last September for Mountain Sky conference leaders and staff/cabinet.

8.Established regular internal Communications and Staff Support Services meetings to improve customer service to local churches and districts.

9.Facilitated the uniting of former legacy conference committees, boards, groups in 2018 and planning for similar gatherings in 2019.

10.Coordinated and trained district administrators to be the “first point of service” for local churches in given regions/districts. Transition Goals Ongoing:

1.Determining the measurable outcomes of living into our MSC mission ie. “What will we see as we live into our mission?” and “How will we know we’ve been living into our mission?”

2.Continue communication and education about MSC structure, culture, staff and progress of transition through conference, district, circuit, and church communications.

3.Claiming and communicating District Superintendents as missional strategists for entire states/regions

4.Organizing and post-producing conference journal from the 2018 Joint Annual Conference.

5.Exploring new staffing models for a decentralized system that delivers resources more directly to churches/districts.

6.Safe Sanctuary/Professional Boundaries coordination throughout conference.

7.Continuing the hiring, and onboarding of new staff into job functions, team identity, and missional identity.

8.Development of new online Mountain Sky Conference Resource Bank for uploading and downloading best practice resources for 21st Century ministry in our region. What are some other transitional learning you’re seeing throughout the MSC? What does our six-month check-up look like to

you? I invite you to share with me at agearhart@mtnskyumc.org. May we stay anchored in Christ and our common mission, even as we find ourselves sailing on new seas. Page 6

Hatred can rot away at a person's intelligence and conscience. Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation's progress toward freedom and democracy. - Liu Xiaobo

About National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Aware-ness Day

Every year on March 10 — and throughout the month of March — local, state, federal, and national organiza-tions come together to show support for women and girls impacted by HIV and AIDS. National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) sheds light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls. This year marks the 13th annual observance. We've made tremendous progress against HIV and AIDS in the U.S., but women remain vulnerable to infec-tion — especially African-American and Hispanic women. Any woman who has sex can get HIV, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. Currently, there are 1.1 million people in the U.S. living with HIV, and nearly a quarter of them are women (23%). The 2018 NWGHAAD theme, "HIV Prevention Starts With Me," emphasizes the role everyone plays in HIV pre-vention—community organizations, health care profes-sionals, and women and men, including those living with HIV. There are steps you can take to protect yourself, partner, patients, family, and neighbors. What can you do on March 10? Talk about HIV and AIDS in your community and

online. Show your support for women and girls affected by HIV and AIDS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Tum-blr; and use the hashtags #NWGHAAD and #ICanStopHIV.

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Meditation [was] not a newfangled innovation, let alone the grafting onto Christianity of an Eastern practice, but rather . . . something that had originally been at the very center of Christian practice and had become lost. —Cynthia Bourgeault (Monday)

God is not just with us, not just beside us, not just under us, not just over us, but within us, at the deepest level, and, in our inmost being, a step beyond the true Self. —Thomas Keating (Tuesday)

Sin is primarily living outside of union; it is a state of separation—when the part poses as the Whole. It’s the loss of any inner experience of who you are in God. (Wednesday)

Addiction can be a metaphor for what the biblical tradition called sin. It is quite helpful to see sin, like addiction, as a destructive disease. . . . If sin indeed makes God unhappy, it is because God loves us, desires nothing more than our happiness, and wills the healing of our disease. (Thursday)

The word contemplation must press beyond the constraints of religious expectations to reach the potential for spiritual centering in the midst of danger. . . . During slavery, . . . crisis contemplation became a refuge, a wellspring of discernment in a suddenly disordered life space, and a geo-spiritual anvil for forging a new identity. —Barbara Holmes (Friday)

Wildlife Annihilated Human activity has annihilated wildlife on a scale unseen beyond mass extinction, and it has helped put humans on a potentially irreversible path toward a hot, chaotic planet stripped clean of the natural resources that enrich it, a new report has concluded. Populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians have declined by 60 percent since 1970, according to a report released Monday by the advocacy group World Wildlife Fund. The animals that remain will fight against warming oceans choked with plastic, toppled rain forests may zero out fragile species, and refuges such as coral reefs may nearly die off. That will transform life as humanity knows it, said Carter Roberts, the chief executive of the WWF in the United States, if societies do not reverse course to protect the food, water and shelter needed for survival.

Crawford & Hotchkiss Community United Methodist Churches

Pastor Tonya Whaley

Parsonage Phone 872-4881

Emergency cell 720-300-9393

Pastor Whaley is available by appointment

Hotchkiss Office Secretary: Sharon Teter

Hotchkiss Church 872-3540 (Hotchkisscumc@gmail.com)

Office Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Food Bank hours: Tuesday & Wednesday 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 noon

Crawford Church: General Church Calls only 921-3300

(Crawfordumc@gmail.com)

Crawford Thrift Shop & Food bank: Mon & Sat 10am—2 pm...Wed 2 pm—5 pm

Hotchkiss

Worship 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School, Children (every other Sun) 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School, Adult 9:30: a.m.

Crawford

Worship 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School, Adult to be determined

Sunday School, Children to be determined

Hotchkiss United Methodist Church

P.O. Box 576

Hotchkiss, Colorado 81419

News articles can either be delivered to one of the churches or emailed to umcchronicles@gmail.com

Church - You are not too bad to come in. You are not too good to stay out.