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November
Worship Schedule
November 01, 2009
Sermon: “So Many Faces - Too
Little Time”
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 21:1-6a
Rev. Wright Preaching
November 08, 2009
Sermon: “A New Way of Seeing”
Scripture Reading:
Mark 12:38-44
Rev. Wright Preaching
November 15, 2009
Sermon: “Living Life With a
Forward Lean”
Scripture Reading:
Mark 13:1-8
Rev. Wright Preaching
November 22, 2009
Sermon: “We Are Closer to God
Than We Think”
Scripture Reading:
Mark 5:21-43
Rev. Wright Preaching
November 29, 2009
Sermon: “Devine Interruption”
Scripture Reading:
Luke 21:25-36
Rev. Wright Preaching
Loose Change
Loose change for November will support The Place of Hope
Warming Center. They provide the homeless with a warm place to escape
the cold, something to eat and washroom facilities.
Shoes That Fit Program
The Missions Work Area is once again supporting the
Shoes That Fit program. It is a non-profit children’s charity that began
in 1992. They help children in need by providing them with new shoes, a
6 pack of socks, hats and gloves so they can attend school in comfort
and dignity. Shoes that are appropriate for school help these children
fit in, allowing them to concentrate on their studies rather than their
circumstances. We are collecting new socks of all sizes, hats and gloves
throughout the month of November. Please consider supporting flint area
children with warm socks for the winter.
Crossover
We will be having a Food Ingathering for Thanksgiving on
Sunday, November 22. This will be our last one for the year 2009. We
have had up to three trucks for our ingathering of food. Can we equal
this again? Crossover is doing 75 food baskets for Thanksgiving. They
have already made preparations for the meat. Other items needed by
Crossover are: Children’s clothing - girls sizes 3-4-5-6, boys sizes
6-7-8, women’s shoes, men’s shoes. Also, there is a constant need for
canned foods of any kind.
Alternative Gift Market At Court Street
Alternative Gift Catalogs will become available on
Sunday, November 8th, to shoppers
who wish to purchase an alternative gift as a charitable donation given
to honor or remember a person or event that is special – or just
because. Alternative gifts are often purchased in lieu of traditional
“material” gifts. They provide joy to the giver, global awareness and
education to the recipient, and a great benefit for the environment and
people living in poverty. These gifts inspire change. This is a new
project of the Missions Work Area. Be sure to pick up a catalog from the
Missions table in the parlor before you do your holiday shopping. These
alternative gifts are tax deductible and include projects in the areas
of hunger, education, gender equity, child mortality, maternal health,
medical services and environmental sustainability. For more information
visit: www.alternativegifts.org.
Electronic
Contributions
You now have the opportunity to participate in an Electronic
Contribution program. This program automatically transfers funds from
your checking or savings account to the church. And best of all, the
cost to you is zero. The church will issue you a donation statement for
your tax records and your bank statements will provide you with a record
of transfer as additional proof of your contributions.
If you would
like more information click here.
If you
would like to download the authorization form click here. |
Dear Members and Friends of Court Street United
Methodist Church:
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called
to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he
went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and
Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked forward to the
city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews
11:8-10)
Long before Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour, faith was
the original “on the road” presentation. When people were struggling in
their lives and faith, the “road” was the prime place and time for an
encounter with God. There are many places in the scriptures where we can
see this “road encounters.” The disciples were encountered by the Risen
Christ on the road to Emmaus. Saul of Tarsus encounters the Risen Christ
on the Road to Damascus.
To picture the Christian faith as a journey, as “the road,” or “the
way,” has implications for how we understand how we are to witness to
our faith to others. The apostle Paul, quoting the prophet Isaiah, once
said of people who speak gospel, “How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news” (Rom 10:15). It’s a curious remark to make about
the messengers of the message.
One might expect Paul to say, “How beautiful are the
words of those who
bring good news” or “How beautiful are the
mouths” or How beautiful are the
churches” or even
“How beautiful are the stained-glass
windows.” But no — how beautiful are the
feet. What’s
so beautiful about feet? In his very helpful book,
Testimony, Thomas G.
Long comments that, the reason for this is that before we can open our
mouths to speak some good news from God, we usually have to burn a
little shoe leather to journey to the people who need to hear these
words of comfort. Whether it is traveling to a hospital ward, entering
the family room at the funeral home, going across the street to a
neighbor’s house, or picking up the phone and sending our caring
thoughts across the wires to a person in need, speaking faithful words
to other people often means going to be with them, journeying down the
road to the place of meeting, being people of “the Way.” (Thomas G.
Long, Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being
Christian, Jossey-Bass, 2004, p. 15.)
I think that is a great way of putting the matter. Sometimes the
greatest challenge, in the spread of the gospel, is not to get our mouth
moving but to put our feet in motion. In my years as a pastor, at every
church, when someone is going through a tough time, they sometimes say
to me as a pastor, “You are the only person I’ve heard from at the
church.” That’s sad.
So whenever people say to me, “I’m so sorry for the trouble that
Mary is going through, but I just don’t know what to do for her,” I say,
“Go!”
Just go. God will give you the words to say. And sometimes, you
don’t need to say much of anything. Just go. Be there. Make yourself
vulnerable to her need. Be present. Go. Show me if somewhere Jesus said
to his followers, “Talk to others about me.” What he said repeatedly
was, “Follow me!” Put your beautiful feet in motion. Go!
We are living through difficult times at Court Street. We, like
everyone else, have to deal with the reality that our resources are
stretched. We are fortunate to have many people who use their hands and
feet – as well as giving to the church – so that the vitality of our
ministry here can continue. We need to be able to see the faces of our
church family as we are in the process of continuing our faith journey.
We are fellow travelers as we move toward the future that God has placed
before us.
Let us continue to strive to be the church – with Christ being our
leader and protector. See you on the “Road!”
Rev. Bob Wright
From Our Parish Nurse...
Difference Between Cold and Swine Flu Symptoms
Cold: Fever is rare
with a cold. A hacking productive (mucus-producing) cough is often
present with a cold. Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves
spontaneously within a week. Chills are uncommon. Tiredness is fairly
mild. Sneezing is commonly present. Cold symptoms tend to develop over a
few days. A headache is fairly uncommon. Sore throat is commonly
present. Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
Swine Flu: Fever is
usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A
temperature of 100°F (or higher) for 3 to 4 days is associated with the
flu. A non-productive cough is usually present. Severe aches and pains
are common. Stuffy nose is not commonly present. 60% of people who have
the flu experience chills. Tiredness is moderate to severe. Sneezing is
not common. The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits
hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. A
headache is very common with the flu. Present in 80% of flu cases. Sore
throat is not common. Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.
Recognize Swine Flu Symptoms to Defend Yourself
High Risk Groups:
Children below 5 years, senior persons above 65
years, HIV infected persons, diabetic patients, pregnant women, lung and
heart patients, obese persons.
Warning Signs for Children:
Troubled or abnormal breathing, bluish skin color,
lessened intake of water/fluids, extended sleep or lack of interaction,
irritable, fever with rash, flu-like symptoms recede, but return with
fever and worsened cough.
Warning Signs for Adults:
Difficulty in breathing or shortness in breath,
pain/pressure in chest/abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or
persistent vomiting.
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