August 22, 2019
REMIND US
God in whose love we are made,
when bread is before us
remind us of the hungry.
When our key is in our door
remind us of those who have no home.
When we enjoy the opportunities of money in our pockets
remind us of those who only know poverty.
When the laughter of friendship fills our hearing
remind us of those who know only loneliness.
When the love of our family keeps us safe
remind us of those whose family was the place of their pain,
When we wonder what it is we can do,
remind us that you said:
"Whenever you feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
welcome the stranger, visit the prisoner,
you do it to me."
Remind us
And lead us to do
as you call us to do.
Amen.
Ewan Aitken, Scotland
Taken from 50 New Prayers from the Iona Community
Selected by Neil Paynter, pp. 74, 75
As the summer of 2019 draws to an end it is good for us to ask God to "remind us" what life has been like for those for whom summer does not represent much of a change from the rest of the seasons. While many of us have been able to "get away" to distant places of interest, to summer homes on the lake, to exciting adventures that have provided us with opportunities for fun and relaxation, many in our community have continued the struggle that for them is what is normal.
I am grateful for the change of pace that summer brings to my life and grateful for the opportunities to do different things that allow me to feel renewed and refreshed. This change brought on by summer is so needed in my life and I am sure in your life as well. There are many people though- the elderly, the homeless, those struggling with illness (physical or mental), the under employed or the unemployed (yes, there are some!) for whom summer is not any different than any other time of the year. We need to be reminded of what life is like for those less fortunate than ourselves and as we resume our more normal activities include in them times of service, of listening, of commitment to positive changes for the many and not just the few.
I hope that you are able to squeeze a few more interesting and renewing activities in before summer real does come to an end. There are lots of opportunities that will await you to do the work of Christ in our community. My prayer is that each one of us will be able to find that "right" place for us to serve others in gratitude for the renewal that we have experienced.
Renewed for the work ahead,
Pastor Rich
WORSHIP AHEAD
8/18 The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Special Music: Rev. Dr. Kwan Lee and Susan Laurence; Jesse Bedell and Irene Harris
Organist: John Pagett
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 13:10-17
Theme: When the Rules are Just Wrong!- Jesus was often confronted by rules that he felt were contrary to what God desired in any given situation. How did Jesus respond in such cases and how should we respond when faced with rules that are just wrong?
DEDICATION OF CHILDREN'S BACKPACKS
This coming Sunday during the Children's Time in worship we will offer a prayer of dedication for the backpacks and other bags that our children so depend upon as they begin a new school year. Children are encouraged to bring their backpacks with them to worship. See you on Sunday!
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK
We are in need of a couple of individuals who can assist with the Opera Concert on Saturday night (see below). We need someone to take the money and others to act as greeters. If interested please let Pastor Rich know by e-mailing him at pastor@mainstreet-umc.org
OPERA COMES TO MSUMC
During the months of July and August the Main Street UMC will be co-hosting two operatic concerts. The first was held on Saturday, July 27th and the second concert will be held on Saturday, August 24th also at 7:00pm. It is titled, "La Traviata in Concert" and features selections from La Traviata. The cost for each concert is $12.00 for adults and $10.00 for children or seniors. Our portion of the proceeds will go towards the church's organ fund. Come enjoy an evening of beautiful music in air-conditioned comfort.
CAFÉ AGAPE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Café Agape, our outreach to our neighbors both homeless and those in vulnerable situations, has once again closed for the month of August but will re-open on Tuesday, September 3rd. Café Agape is open Monday-Friday from 8:00am-10:00am and provides a safe place for our neighbors to gather for coffee, food, and conversation. We are in need of more volunteers. You can volunteer one day a month; one day a week; or however often you would like. If interested please be in touch with either Pat Kerrigan or Shirley Michael. Their e-mail addresses respectively are: pkerrigan27@comcast.net or smichael-1@comcast.net Thank you for your consideration!
BACKPACKS
Thank you for all of the backpacks and school supplies for the Nashua Soup Kitchen. They will help many children get off to a good start this fall.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN NEWS
· August 28 Workshop - Please plan to come for a fun evening to put together easy projects for the Annual Yuletide Fair in November. Bring your glue gun/glue sticks, Tacky glue, scissors. Other supplies and materials provided.
· Did you know that ALL women of the church are UMW members?
You are all welcome to attend the monthly meetings, September through June, usually held the third Wednesday of the month. However, even if you do not come to the meetings, we still need your help!
We are asking each of you to provide 3 HANDMADE items to be sold at the Yuletide Fair. These can be painted, knitted, glued or baked, etc. In other words, anything goes, as long as YOU made it!
· Yuletide Fair will be held on November 9 - We are hoping to have a successful Fair again this year, so that we can continue our mission donations. Co-chairs for this year's Fair: Phyllis Appler and Sara Chambers
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