I am reluctant to tackle this issue, which is the subject of this newsletter and I for one am far from perfection. But darn it all "whatever happened to integrity and the truth?" I ask this question as I look at so many of our so called leaders, be they in government, the church, business, the law.

I simply observe that we seem to be lacking today in people of integrity. What is integrity? The dictionary says that integrity is "adherence to a code of moral conduct." Thomas Huxley wrote that, "truth is the heart of morality."

Thus, should not those who lead us, be people on such integrity that we can count on? Junius wrote "integrity in men (people) is to be measured by their conduct, not by their professions." I guess then, we need to be more careful in placing others in positions of power unless we are totally convinced that he/she is a person of integrity and truth. With so much "spin" in governments, politics, news, films, it becomes very difficult to determine what is the truth.

So here we are in this world with real concerns, problems, because we don't know who is telling the truth anymore. Remember, when we were children…further back in time for some of us, and we were caught in a lie. Perhaps you were not, but it happened to me. It was a big thing, my face would be red and hot and feeling of embarrassment came over me. Then came the punishment phase that could be physical, mental, emotional or just plain horrible. You did not want to be "caught" not telling the truth again. If we expect children not to lie, but to tell the truth, should we not expect it of each other as adults?

It is my belief that we should not only expect it, but demand it of those in positions of authority and power. What's the old saying, "you get what you expect" so we lower the standard and we know that we get what we expect. My parents didn't expect the least from me they expected the most and the best. I might have disappointed them, from time to time, but at least I had remorse for doing less than what I could have done or the best that I could have done.

Let's raise the bar and watch people and ourselves do what we can to meet the higher standard of our God. The writer of Psalm 41 writes, "But you have upheld me because of my integrity and set me in your presence forever." (12)

In Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus employs the device of role reversal in a unique and powerful manner. The reversal, Jesus said, does not take place within the two men. The reversal takes place with God. God reverses the take-for-granted status of the two men. God changes their standing in the community by declaring that their status with God has changed.

Jesus says, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." In other words those who push themselves forward into favored social standing, who bask in the praise of the community…these people worship themselves. In fact, they are using God and God's community to make a name for themselves.

Jesus' parable gives the community the opportunity to find a way to help the sinner have a place. The parable subverts the sense of despair that rests on all those who believe they have sinned away their chance to have a relationship with God. It reverses the common wisdom that God blesses those who are good and curses those who are bad. There is no one so bad that God will not hear and accept a cry for help and forgiveness.

Who owns the earth? We think that the obvious answer is that human beings do. We work at mastering the earth and owning the riches of its resources. Who owns the earth? The psalmist wrote, "the earth is the Lord's…." According to this view we do not "OWN" the earth or anything, but are merely stewards of that which has been given to us.

Maimonides, great 12^th century Jewish scholar declared that there were 8 degrees, or steps, in giving and it is to this that I wish us to consider this day.

Sunday School

Congratulations to those students in the 3^rd & 4^th grade class who received their Bibles on September 23 – Anthony Ciferri, Alexa Cotich, Laylianna Haynes, Caleb Jacob, Jamie Pulver & Rachel Wood.

Something new for Thanksgiving – Students are invited to submit a drawing to be used on the cover of the bulletin for either November 18 or 25. The theme for the drawing is “Giving Thanks.” Children can draw a picture of anything that they are grateful for. Pictures not used in the bulletin will be displayed on the bulletin board. Drawings should be on sheet of paper 5 1/2” by 8 1/2” – the same size as the bulletin. Drawings must be submitted by November 4 to any Sunday School teacher.

Joan Robinson and Karin Squires

Stewardship

Romans 12:4-5 tells us, “In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We are especially reminded of this as we make our plans for our church for next year. As a part of the body of Christ, we do more than worship together. We care for one another; we laugh together and cry together. We try to help when a member is in need. We help others in our community and in far off places. We also have many fun times together and rejoice when one of our members has been blessed with happiness. As a part of this commitment to our church family, we also need to take care of the place where we worship and the people who work for our church. On October 28 the Pastor will deliver a special message to ask you to reflect on the stewardship we bring to our relationship with God. On November 4 you will receive an offering card information packet. We ask you to return the offering cards by November 11 when we will consecrate all the cards received to date. On November 11 a covered-dish lunch will follow the service; each family is asked to bring a dish. We hope everyone will plan to join us for both the service and the lunch on November 11.

Yours in Christ,

Joan Robinson

Upper Room Prayer Line

can be reached at 1-800-251-2468

24 Hours a day or

1-615-327-4673 Mon.- Fri.

8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

wonderful treasures. I can almost smell the yummy items for the bake table! I can't wait for the Fair! But I'll have to wait until:

Again, this year there will be a Bag Sale on Saturday from 12:00 to 2:00 for the Trash and Treasures and used books departments.

There will be food available on Friday evening and lunch on Saturday. There will be babysitting available during the fair and fun things for the kids to do.

1. Donate items for trash and treasures. Call Al McDowell if you need help transporting them.

3. Volunteer to work to set up the Fair, help on the days of the Fair or help clean up.

SOMETHING NEW

SOMETHING EXCITING

MONDAY EVE STUDY GROUP

7 –8:30 p.m.

OCTOBER 1 – NOVEMBER 5

Meets in the church lounge

Coffee and light refreshments

WILL THE CHURCH SURVIVE THE 21^st CENTURY?

IS JESUS AND THE BIBLE RELEVANT FOR MY LIFE, HERE AND NOW IN 2007?

For 6 weeks, there will be a study of the book,

The Phoenix Affirmations

A New Vision for the

Future of Christianity

By Eric Elnes

One review of the book suggests that the size of the book might be small, but the impact will be huge.

Another reviewer writes that the book was an eye opener and provided a whole new look at Christianity.

Come, join the weekly discussions

Bring your friends, neighbors, co-workers who believe the church has lost its relevancy for today’s world.

Sympathy is expressed to

Gerry Rosenberger and family on the death of their wife/mother Mildred Rosenberger in Kingston Hospital on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2007. Millie Joined our church on April 15, 1965 making her a 42 year member of SUMC. She was ill for one month before her death. The last words that pastor Buddle read to her were from Romans 8, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Her service of life and resurrection was held in her church on Sept. 8, 2007.

As you can see from the photo, the Tuesday morning work crew has restored the window shutters in the bell tower.

Five new shutters were built, installed and painted. Seven shutters were scraped and repainted.

A special thanks goes to the builder (Bob Jestand), the installers (George Pardonner and Norm Nitschke) and to the painter (Dave Jones).

Over 60 man hours of work was required to complete the restoration which we hope will last another 25-30 years.

A big thank you goes to Marilyn Bucher and Nancy Dooley for the beautiful work they have done with the plants & flowers in the front of the church.

Congratulations to Harry & Betty Newton (grandparents) and Kirk & Tiffany Newton (parents) on the birth of James Stanley Newton who was born August 16^th, 2007. He weighed 4lbs. 8oz. and was 18 inches long.

Beginning October 1^st, there will be a receptacle in the Narthex where we will be collecting empty returnable cans and bottles. All proceeds will support our Youth Ministry Programs.

Group Workcamps Foundation

Since 1977, nearly a quarter of a million participants have grown in their relationship with Jesus, while providing more than 6 million hours of volunteer service directly to people in need. Each year, thousands of youth prove to us that nothing ignites spiritual growth like putting Christian faith into action. The results are amazing as teenagers travel to a community, serve people in Christ's name, and (with a little guidance and nurturing) grow in faith and character—and have loads of fun at the same time!

On a Group Workcamps short-term mission trip, you’ll find that “service” is balanced with “spiritual growth”. Our #1 goal is to provide an opportunity for God to work in the hearts of your teenagers. And, the byproduct is meaningful service for people in need. That’s why more than 90% of participants say they come away with a deeper spiritual life.

A Group Workcamps multi-denominational mission trip is a powerful way to jumpstart your teens' faith. It's unforgettable. It's fun! And, it changes the lives of your young people and the people they serve…maybe that's why so many church groups come back year after year.

During the summer of 2008, we are trying to gather a group to join one of the Group workcamps entitled the Wayne County Week of Hope. In July, we will be traveling to Newark, NY outside of Buffalo, to volunteer with community service groups in that area.

DESCRIPTION: Ancient glaciers carved this rugged area in upstate New York, leaving long deep-blue lakes and rolling hills, rocky gorges and rushing waterfalls. Newark prospered in its early days from the construction of the Erie Canal, and the surrounding Wayne County has benefited from it’s proximity to Lake Ontario. The agriculture of the county is greatly diversified with rich muck land contributing to the production of vegetables, and the lake’s influence is reflected in the concentration of orchards in the northern section of the county. But time and the economy have also left in their wake many elderly and low-income residents who need a helping hand and a warm embrace. The opportunities are countless, and so are the blessings to be had…both by them and you.

Nature of Projects: You and your group will partner with local churches, service agencies, and homeowners. And over the four days, your help will bolster the efforts of the ongoing work in these communities. You’ll learn new skills, serve in important roles, and have loads of fun as you: help people with projects in their home...assist the elderly…tutor struggling kids…conduct a backyard Bible club…serve at a food bank…staff an activities camp for disabled children…spruce up the grounds of a financially strapped social service agency…engage children at a day camp…and improve the community in other important ways. You’ll also serve other trip participants through meal preparation, cleanup, and maintaining the lodging facility.

5 - Jim Mittag

13 - Allison Byrne

16 - Jeremy Squires

20 - Tom Reynolds

26 - Lisa Kopycinski

12/ 1986 - Cathy & Dave Graves

20/ 1979 - Nancy & John Forsythe