Palm Sunday, April 1, with special guest speakers! We’ll celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as the Week of His Passion begins. Kent and Jenny Chittenden, managers and leaders for the Camp on the Boulder will be on hand to share with us from their experiences as Mission Volunteers in southern Mississippi/Louisiana.

Luke 19:28-40

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Philippians 2:5-11

Holy Week Matins (Morning Prayer)

Once again, we offer a brief Taizé style service of prayer, reading and meditative music for the days of Passion week, from 7:45-8:00 AM, Monday through Thursday, April 2-5.

There will NOT be a Wednesday late afternoon program during Holy Week, instead we’ll gather on:

Maundy Thursday, April 5 for Soup Supper and fellowship at 6:00 PM,

and

A Service of Holy Communion and Remembrance of Jesus’ Last Supper in the Memorial Room at 7:00 PM.

Exodus 12:1-14; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Good Friday, April 6

Prayer Breakfasts

The Aldersgate UM Men’s Group sponsors the 12^th Annual Southwest Montana Ecumenical Men’s Prayer Breakfast at the Red Lion Hotel in Butte. The full buffet breakfast will begin at 6:30 AM and cost is $9.75. Speaker is Dale Stewart, director of Clark Canyon Bible Camp. Music led by Sons of Thunder. Reservations – 782-2425.

The Member Nurture Committee of Aldersgate UMC invites women to the annual Women’s Ecumenical Good Friday Prayer Breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express in Butte. Continental breakfast begins at 7:00 AM (doors open at 6:30), cost is $7.00. Reservations – 782-2425

Community

Good Friday Service

12:00 Noon at First Presbyterian Church, corner of 4^th & Main.

Psalm 22; John 18:1 to 19:42

Easter Day

Easter Brunch at 10:00 AM in the Memorial Fellowship Room.

Celebration of the Resurrection at 11:00 AM with First Witnesses to the Risen Christ sharing their discoveries (a “tag-team preaching” event), and special music.

Acts 10:34-48 (Simon Peter’s witness)

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1 Corinthians 15:19-26 (Paul’s later witness)

John 20:1-18 (Mary Magdalene’s witness)

Or, Luke 24:1-12 (3 women’s & Peter’s witness)

Calendar of Events

Every Week

Sunday –

10:20 AM, prayer for our pastor

10:30 AM, Choir Practice

11:00 Worship (Communion on 1^st & 3^rd Sundays)

Noon, fellowship and refreshments.

4:00-6:00 PM, Companions in Christ: The Way of Prayer

Tuesday – 10:00 AM, Quilters. All are welcome to gather for fellowship while doing some mission work. After the work we share lunch. Join us to quilt, and/or for lunch.

Wednesday –

10:00 AM, Bible study at Donivan’s (look for us in a back booth)

12 Noon, Lunch Bunch for high school students at First Presbyterian (we serve: 3/28, 5/2)

4:30 PM, Meditative Bible Study and Conversation

5:30 PM, Eucharistic Circle, followed by a shared simple meal

Friday – Pastor Kent’s reading day. If you need to reach him, leave a message. He will try to get back to you later in the day.

Saturday – pastor’s day off.

Special Events after Easter

Quarterly Meeting, April 15, after worship, the congregation meets as the church council.

Vigil of Remembrance, April 15

The Anaconda Coalition for Tolerance Education (ACTE) is sponsoring a “Vigil of Remembrance” on Sunday, April 15, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The vigil will take place at the Anaconda Kennedy Commons at 7:00 pm, culminating with a candle-lighting ceremony at 8:00. Please bring a candle. The “Vigil of Remembrance” is for victims of genocide or persecution for reasons of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Youth are encouraged to bring paperclip chains with each clip representing a person they know or have read about who has suffered an injustice. The chains will be stretched around the Commons.

April 21-28, Mission Trip to Gulfport, MS. Gordy, Betty and Kent ask your prayer support as they spend a week on Katrina rebuilding projects.

Rummage Sale, May 4 & 5, Friday and Saturday, 9 AM until afternoon. (This schedule may be modified a little) In Memorial Room.

Eastertide (Sundays after Easter Day) Worship Plans

April 15 - 2^nd Sunday of Easter, Holy Humor Day

Acts 5:27-32

Psalm 150 (UMH 862)

Revelation 1:4-8

John 20:19-31

Sermon: Every Eye Will See Him

April 22 - Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Psalm 30 (UMH 762)

Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19

Worship Leader: Rev. Mary Alice McKinney

April 29 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:36-43

Psalm 23 (UMH 754)

Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30

Worship Leader: To Be Determined

May 6 - Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 11:1-18

Psalm 148 (UMH 861)

Revelation 21:1-6

John 13:31-35

Sermon: Even to Those People?

May 13 - Sixth Sunday of Easter, Mother’s Day

Acts 16:9-15

Psalm 67 (UMH 791)

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

Sermon: A Place of Prayer and Laundry

May 20 - Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 16:16-34

Psalm 97 (UMH 816)

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

John 17:20-26

Sermon: Outside Agitators

May 27 – Day of Pentecost, Memorial

Acts 2:1-21

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (UMH 826)

Romans 8:14-17

John 14:8-17 (25-27)

Sermon: A Spirit of Adoption

FROM THE PASTOR

Dear Friends,

As we concluded our sermon time Sunday (3/18), I suddenly realized I was truly in a United Methodist Church. We were asking, “Who is the prodigal?” as we explored the parable (Luke 15:11-32) and its characters, with an invitation to a party. It was when I looked up after tossing folded newspaper party hats around the room and saw that everyone, every worshiper, had put one on. Not a curmudgeon in the group! That’s when I realized how Methodists unite for a party in God’s house. It is our tradition. That has me thinking about worship styles, and programs we offer, and doing church today.

But first I’m thinking about these people called United Methodists, coming to celebrate with the living Christ in the midst of Lenten reflection and repentance. We face our times of grief, pain, depression and uncertainty. We waver between coping well and being overwhelmed, or between doubt and wonder. Yet we bring ourselves, just as we are, into the place of celebration with open hearts to find God with us in Christ. So I think maybe our willingness to come to the Communion Table wearing silly hats might just fit with a tradition that remembers camp meetings and sober sermons out in the fields interrupted by swatting flies and playing children.

That’s not quite what pops into my head when I use a term like traditional worship. That’s big hymns at least 150 years old, preaching from a high pulpit with lots of “you must” or “we must” phrases. We contrast traditional (or formal) with contemporary worship. And we don’t quite know what that is either. So, we try “blended” – sing a few praise choruses then get down to business with litanies, printed prayers, and the right readings read the right way. All this rambling is just letting you in on my thought process to finally make a point about the ways we actually worship together as the United Methodist style Christians in Anaconda – to encourage you to try a little something new from the buffet of Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday entrées.

Wednesday mornings a group gathers very informally for coffee and conversation around ideas that come to us about the Bible readings for the coming Sunday. Late Wed. afternoon (4:30), another kind of group gathers in a circle for a time that involves prayer, and prayerful listening to the Word in scripture. If in our “traditional” time on Sunday morning, the Word is opened when I talk and you listen, then this “non-traditional” worship lets the Word open as we listen with devotion and then listen prayerfully to one another. It is every bit as much a worship service. And it always moves to the table of our Lord at 5:30. We keep a definite time for the Communion Service so that it is possible to choose one part but not the other without having to explain.

On Sunday afternoons a group of Companions in Christ are into an 11 week series of The Way of Prayer. Worship happens yet another way with this program, with individual worship and journaling through the week, then sharing insights and deeper explorations in the weekly meetings.

I give thanks to God for all the ways these United Methodists worship.

Come to the party! See you in church,

Kent

An oldie but goodie – found deep in the newsletter idea file:

The Problem with the Pews

A potentially dangerous situation has developed in the church sanctuary. The pews, which are as old as the church, have begun to dry out. This loss of moisture, and the subsequent loss of weight, has led to the distinct possibility that they might float free.

This presents the possibility that during worship, a free-floating pew could damage a member or guest. Further, it is believed that even if a member or a guest were able successfully to dodge an oncoming free-floating pew, the evasive action would certainly disrupt the spiritual tranquility of the worshiping dodger.

The problem was brought before a committee in the latter part of last year. The committee first considered using steel cables to anchor the pews to bedrock, which is 247 feet beneath the church.

After receiving the cost estimate of $14,912.77 and extensive consultations with engineers, this idea was abandoned. The committee, after deliberating, decided that adding weight to the pews would be a better solution to the problem. The committee considered using brass scrap or lead ingots but one proved too expensive, the other has its own risks. Pig iron was found to be cheaper, but it, like brass and lead, had a certain lifeless quality. The committee searched for a medium density object which was both sparkling and vibrant.

After sifting through all of the possibilities, the committee has opted to use warm bodies to weigh down the pews, and the committee is asking the membership to provide the necessary weight. This can be done by coming to church and, if possible, by bringing a medium density object (in the form of a friend or neighbor) with you.

Troy Church of the Brethren Troy, OR

New in the Church Library

by Marian Geil

Two new books have been processed in the church library:

The Every Day Guide to Success by Pamela McQuade--a collection of helpful meditations, relevant Bible verses and inspirational prayers.

Mirror and Beacon: the History of Mission of the Methodist Church, 1939-1968--by Linda Gesling. This readable narrative describes the struggle of the church to combine its aspirations with reality. The author is the daughter of our friends Richard and Bonnie Gesling who often visit our congregation during the summer months, and who gave us this volume. We are most grateful!

Please look for these books on the "New Books" shelf and feel free to check them out.