September 20, 2019
"Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Luke 16:11-13
In one of many parables and teachings regarding stewardship Jesus talks about the connection between faithfulness, dishonesty in use of wealth, and commitment to God. One of Jesus' oft quoted statements is found in this passage from Luke 16- "You cannot serve God and wealth". While I think it is indeed true that one cannot give one's ultimate allegiance to both God and wealth I would agree with John Wesley who made it clear that we can serve God with our wealth. In his sermon, The Use of Money, Wesley writes the following, "Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then give all you can." Making money is clearly not the issue rather what that money means to us and how we choose to use it is the difference between serving our wealth or serving God with our wealth.
On Sunday we will kick off our annual stewardship campaign through which we invite each member of the Main Street UMC to prayerfully consider how they will help to fund the ministry of the church. Over the next six weeks individuals will share their stories of what the church means to them personally and why they choose to fund its ministry. On Sunday, October 20th we will celebrate Consecration Sunday at which time we will ask you to be prepared to share your expected funding support for the year ahead. The theme of this year's campaign is "2020 vision". We will be exploring together just what God's vision for the Main Street UMC might be for the year 2020 and what it will take from us to fund that vision and help it to become reality.
How will you serve God with your wealth? Whether you consider yourself to be wealthy or struggling financially what commitment will you make to fund the ministry that we together are convinced that God is clearly setting forth as our 2020 vision? My hope and prayer is that each of us will listen to God's leading in our lives and be prepared to serve God with our wealth. May we be faithful stewards of all of the resources that God has bestowed on us.
Striving to be a Faithful Steward,
Pastor Rich
WORSHIP AHEAD
9/22 The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Fall Stewardship Campaign kick off
Choir singing
Scripture: First Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13
Theme: The Marks of a Good Steward: Jesus shares one of his more puzzling and challenging parables which just happens to pertain to stewardship. Pay attention to the characteristics of a good steward. How might they apply to us today?
OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK
Each week we will try to highlight a particular opportunity for you to serve in and through the Main Street UMC.
Every Sunday we try to have two people (monitors) present on the first floor of the lobby and in the vestry during the 10:30am worship service. If you would be willing to commit to a Sunday please speak to Paul Pederzani who does the scheduling. Paul can be reached at pped@comcast.net Thank you for helping to make our church a safer place to worship.
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 some 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!
CAN YOU HELP?
One of our members, Clem Borroto, is going to Cuba to see his family. He would like to take some of our everyday conveniences with him. Please bring in toothbrushes, toothpaste, sunglasses or baseball caps on Sunday 9/15 or 9/22. Please give these items to Erica or Clem Borroto.
Thank you for assisting in providing for others what we just take for granted!
POWER CHAIR AND SCOOTER AVAILABLE
Are you or someone you know in need of a battery powered wheel chair or scooter? Charles Kenney has both and is making them available for $2,500 for both or if you only want one you can make an offer. They both include battery chargers. The scooter was only used a few times and was purchased in 2018. The chair was purchased in 2019. Charles also has available a portable ramp that he would give free of charge. There is a warranty on both the scooter and the chair. If interested or would like more information please call Charles at 603-718-1015.
UP-COMING ROLLING RIDGE EVENT
You are invited to join us on the shore of Lake Cochichewick at "Worship in the Woods" on the fourth Sunday of the month at Point of Pines Worship Space at Rolling Ridge, beginning September 22, 2019 from 3-4:30pm.
Each month we'll engage in 20 minutes of nature contemplation, using the Franciscan Lectio of Creation. We'll have opportunity for people to share their experiences, if so inclined, and then close with a creation communion to celebrate our connection with God and nature.
Worship in the Woods is led by Rev. Dr. Lawrence Jay, Executive Director at Rolling Ridge. To read more about "Worship in the Woods", and to read more on nature contemplation, check out Lawrence's blog here.
ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE CREATURES: Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 3pm, rain or shine!
Typically this event is held in the Autumn around the birthdate of St. Francis of Assisi which is in October. There will be a Creature Reiki Practitioner who is delighted to share reiki love with your creature family members. If your creature companion cannot attend in "person" then you could bring a photo or their ashes, or something that was special to them: a toy, blanket, pillow… Posthumous blessings grace your creature and all of the Divine Realm. If your creature is wild, consider bringing a feather, or a piece of fur, a leaf from a tree under which they pass, a stone from one of their favorite resting places, a flower which has shared its nectar.
The Blessing of the Creatures can feature music, festivities, and the Procession of the Blessing, with Pastor Rich offering a blessing prayer with each creature. The event will be held on the plaza in front of the church, Sunday October 13, 3pm. For the safety and comfort of all, please note that living creatures must be on a leash or in a carrier.
Please join in the joy of encouraging and supporting ALL God's creatures!
NEW MEMBER CLASSES TO BE OFFERED
Are you interested in becoming a member of the Main Street United Methodist Church? Interested in knowing more about the United Methodist Church itself? Interested in a refresher course on faith and church? If so, please plan to attend the series of two classes that will be offered on Sunday, October 13th and Sunday, October 20th. The classes will take place from 9am – 10am in Pastor Rich's office and will be led by Pastor Rich with assistance from our lay leaders and other active church members. Those who choose to join the church will be received as new members on Sunday, October 20th during the 10:30am worship service. Please sign up in advance using the sheet that is located on the bulletin board under the clock in the vestry.
ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE DATE SET
Our annual Church/Charge Conference date has been set for Sunday, October 20th following the 10:30am worship service. Our new District Superintendent, Rev. Taesung Kang will meet with the Staff Parish Relations Committee at 9:00am. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a church community to celebrate our ministries and prepare for the future. All are encouraged to attend.
UP-COMING DISTRICT EVENTS
The next District Resource Day will be held on Saturday, October 5th from 9am-3pm at the Eliot, ME United Methodist Church. The focus of this day will be on a "How to Reach New People" and will be led by nationally known church consultant, Rev. Paul Nickerson.
RECONCILING COMMITTEE UPDATES
- The results of the survey we conducted this past June and July have been posted on the MSUMC website. If you have any questions please feel free to speak to one of our committee members.
- Speaking of questions, we will be hosting an informal Q and A sessions, Sunday 9/29, during coffee hour after 10:30 worship. If you want to learn more about what it means to be a reconciling church grab a snack and cup of coffee and swing by. We'll be in a room adjacent to the fellowship hall.
- Additionally, at the back of the sanctuary there are cards you can fill out if you'd like to have a one-to-one or group conversation about becoming reconciling. Just fill one out and place it in the Reconciling folder outside the office.
- On Sunday 9/22 we will be fortunate to have Erica Allen, the president of PFLAG-NH, give a talk and answer questions. PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. With over 400 chapters and 200,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed.
Everyone is welcome!
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