New in this Issue:

Water Issues in Main Building - Plan Ahead for Sunday!
UMM Meeting, Postponed - new date, March 9th
Lent Devotional on Climate & Faith Available
Souper Bowl thank you!
UMW Meeting, February 21st (Hybrid) at 7:00 PM
Breakfast Munchies needed for Sunday Confirmation Classes
Nora's new play - buy tickets now!

Click Here to Donate Today to MSUMC

Gifts of the Dark Wood

Beginning February 14, 2024

Watch Live

My funny valentine yesterday was ash Wednesday. That old ritual of imposing ashes was offered to a handful of folks who dropped by the chapel in the morning. Lovely conversations were had about traditions re-framed, about what we hoped to take on and let go of for Lent. The season isn't about fasting from chocolate or coffee so much as it is preparing us for resurrection--it's about clearing away those things that separate you from God. If you feel the desire to fast this Lent, perhaps you might give up holding onto past hurts, or assuming bad motives of others. You might fast from negative self-talk or from a long-held prejudice.

The prayer we used from pastor and artist Jan Richardson reminded me of a Mary Oliver poem that spoke of the beauty of trees present in them even after the wildfire. How even the ashes of the wood remember their shape and glimmer and know how to feed the earth in its glorious re-shaping. Mavis asked that we post that prayer in the blast for our Lenten beginning. So here it is. See you Sunday as we explore the gifts of the dark wood.

Pastor Kelly

Lent Devotional

Climate & Faith

Click Here to Download

Broken pipes continue to overflow in the basement of the main building. Water has been turned off and we cannot use any of the facilities in the main building; this includes, kitchen, bubbler, faucets, toilets or putting any liquid down the drains. We can however us the water and bathroom facilities in the Wesley Building and the connector lobby.

Please continue to plan accordingly for no water use on Sunday, 2/18. Bring your own water, coffee, etc. for fellowship as the kitchen will be shut down.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work to get our building back up and running!

Click Here for Sunday's Bulletin

Below is our Lent Reflections submissions.

We are thrilled to welcome Jessica MacDonald to our part-time staff position of Nursery Attendant. Please take the time to welcome Jessica to MSUMC on Sunday's in the nursery!

Buy Tickets Here to See Nora!

UNITED METHODIST MEN MEETING - POSTPONED

NEW DATE, SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH

Due to the water in the church being turned off in the main church building, UMM will not meet on this Saturday the 17th. Without water to use for cooking and cleaning up after our UMM meeting, we will postpone the meeting until Saturday, March 9th, so that we can continue our discussions on our UMM study on the feasibility of transforming MSUMC power to solar power in the future. I have contacted Revision Energy and they have assigned an engineer to prepare a preliminary study about how we might go about a solar power transformation and we will address that at the next meeting. They will come to our church and review our roof suitability to hold solar panels and to look at where else we might place such panels on church property. As stated previously, please come and bring anyone you know that might help us understand the basic information we might need to assist in this effort to include decisions that will be required to move forward. I will provide more information on how Revision Energy conducts its work so we can understand what they are offering and what they cannot do. At this point, there is no agreement for payment for any of their services until they do their formal presentation and our church decides whether or not to move forward with the project.

We have also received a request to provide funds for the lawncare for the church and the parsonage during 2024. The church bill is $480 and the parsonage is $420. These figures represent a discounted cost if we pay the bills by march 1st. If you have any objection to us paying these bills this year please let me know by responding to this e-mail. If we do not receive a majority of "no" votes by the end of February, we will go ahead and pay the bills this month.

In Christ,

Kent Swanson

United Women in Faith (UMW) News

Next meeting Wed. Feb. 21, 7 PM, Hybrid

in person in Chapel and via google meets

We will be planning our future meetings and mission projects. These will be important discussions, so bring your ideas and thinking caps! Your attendance in person or online is crucial.

Join Meeting Here

Main Street UMC's Sunday at the soup kitchen is this Sunday, February 18th. Please consider volunteering and let Phyllis Appler know if you can make it.

The soup kitchen is also in desperate need of cereal. Shelves are empty. Please consider donating; either drop off at NSKS (2 Quincy Street), or in our bin here at the church in the connector!