Mainstreeter Weekly Blast July 27, 2023

Join us at Spyglass Brewery tonight!

View this email in your browser New in this Issue: Celebration of Life for Bishop Devadhar (livestream link) Thirsty Thursday Updates VBS Decorating Event Sign-up for August 5th Ham & Bean Informational Potluck Click Here to Donate Today to MSUMC Each Sunday, we'll examine traditional understandings of Jesus  (Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence) to rediscover the Jesus, liberated from constraints, who can free us also. Watch Live Early Christians often proclaimed their faith in three words: "Jesus is Lord." "At the simplest level, the Greek term kyrios, meaning lord or master, quite literally meant the one who owns you. In a world where millions were held in slavery and millions of others lived in poverty and powerlessness at the bottom of a rigid social hierarchy, claiming Jesus as "Lord" announced one's liberation from oppression." (Freeing Jesus) It's helpful to remember the liberation reflected in the early use of the term Lord. Jesus liberates us from all the ways society and politics and occupations try to "own" us. If Jesus is Lord of my life then societal pressures to be thin or young or popular cannot be. If Jesus is Lord of my life then no political party or national identity can be Lord. If Jesus is Lord of my life, I am freed from any pressure to make my job the central focus of my waking hours. The terms "Lord" and "Master" have some baggage. They're often negative in today's connotations. And the American church has to answer to the ways we've used those terms to support white supremacy, enslave persons of color, and oppress indigenous peoples. But it may remain a helpful concept if we ask ourselves, what is it that we have made Lord of our lives? What does a review of our calendar or checkbook suggest is Master of our time and resources?   Diana Butler Bass writes of the ways we, as a nation, and we, as a church, have kept displacing Abba with Empire — and every empire wound up enslaving us         and corrupting creation. We bound ourselves to false saviors — mostly greed         and power — and became indebted to the very things that threatened to destroy.         We surrendered to fear. In an age of anxiety and fear, we need a Lord who practiced love of neighbor and enemies. In an age where we have made production and consumerism our masters, we need a Lord who demands responsible stewardship of all creation. Join us on Sunday to reflect further on what it means to make Jesus your Lord. – Rev Kelly  Celebration of Life for Bishop Devadhar Below are details about the Celebration of Life service for Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. Service begins at 11 am on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at Hyde Park Community Church, 1345 Grace Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio.  Livestream The service will be live streamed to accommodate family and friends who are unable to attend. The link for the live stream is below. Read Obituary Here Live stream Service Here Click Here for Sunday's Bulletin The Church Photo Directory is complete and here!  We are excited to see all your beautiful faces in color and current, active members contact information provided as well. There are only a few hard copies left - available at the Church Office, pick one up when you are here on Sunday.  If we run out, the photos will be available online and/or we can send you an email copy.  We want to limit the access to the full directory online so that we do not share members personal information online. Contact the office if you want the link to the online photo version or if you'd like the full directory with contact information sent to you via email - office@mainstreet-umc.org. With joy we welcome two more feathered creatures to the Besada home!  Pedro is a tiny teal colored budgie who loves gentle one-finger scratches on top of his head.  He is curious and enjoys exploring the environment outside his personal cage.   Tiki is an older bird who is shy and prefers the security of his cage.  Ivy has assumed mastership over the new flock with a diligent eye and boldly informs the household about the activities of the "newcomers"!  May feathers of compassion fan harmony and tranquility throughout the home. ~ Carolyn Ekle Aug 5 - Intended for people interested in learning about how to become involved in the ham & bean suppers and joining our team. Also those of you who have been involved in the suppers in the past, are encouraged to attend. A sign-up sheet will be put out at fellowship time after the service this Sunday. A link is included below to sign up online. Sept 9 - Church Members Family & Friends Ham & Bean Supper - This will be a trial run of our buffet format and we encourage everyone to attend and help us make improvements.  Tickets will be sold at the door. Oct 7 - Our first Ham & Bean Supper open to the public.  We're so excited to resume this ministry in our community and look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces!  Tickets will be sold at the door. Ham & Bean suppers will resume full schedule on the first Saturday of each month after we launch the first one on October 7th! Click Here to Sign up for Aug 5 Potluck We are decorating this Friday, July 28th at 4:00 PM in the church vestry to get ready for next week's VBS.  We would love for you to join us and help in this ministry and decorating for the kids! We are also in need of a few more volunteers to help us blast off at Vacation Bible School.  This includes a Bible story leader and other opportunities.  Please let Pastor Kelly or Andrea Weir know if you can help out.  Volunteer form is also linked below! Volunteer for VBS Here Donate Now - Disaster Relief AUGUST 29TH - SAVE THE DATE A NIGHT WITH AUTHOR CARTER HEYWARD "THE 7 DEADLY SINS OF WHITE CHRISTIAN NATIONLISM: A CALL TO ACTION" Summer keynote event: The Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism: A Call to Action. At Unitarian Universalist Church, Concord, NH We are SO excited to welcome the Rev. Dr. Carter Hayward to New Hampshire on August 29th. In a time of rising hate activity across our state, Rev. Dr. Heyward is going to talk with us about her book, the Seven Deadly Sins of White Christian Nationalism. Together, we will learn about action steps we can take in our own churches and communities as we grow our muscles in this work together.  There will be opportunity to spend time together in both small and large groups, and to connect with other voices of faith from across the state who are also interested in doing this work. Registration, and more details about our book group accompanying this event coming next week! Thanks to our partners at the NH Conference of the UCC, and Episcopal Diocese of NH who are working with us. We hope you will save-the-date, and join us. Read more about  Rev. Dr. Heyward This summer, we're BLASTING OFF! To Mars and Beyond... we'll learn how God can empower us to GO BEYOND with faith, boldness, kindness, thankfulness, and hope. We're on a mission, and we'd love to have you voyage with us! Monday, July 31st through Friday, August 4th 9:00AM until 12:00PM (Ages 3 years through 6th Grade) Register your space explorer below. Register your Space Explorer Here Click Here to Donate Today to MSUMC Copyright (C) 2023 Mainstreet United Methodist Church. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Mainstreet United Methodist Church PO Box 1517 Nashua, NH 03061-1517 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe