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Jesus: Born to Die?
The following short story is something I ran across in reading a book entitled “The Holy
Longing: The Search for A Christian Spirituality” by Ronald Rolheiser. To give it some
context, the story comes at the beginning of Part Three of the book, The Incarnation as
the Basis for a Christian Spirituality. I was delighted to read about how a child sees
God:
Sharon’s Christmas Prayer
She was five, sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every
word was revelation. She said they were so poor they had only peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches to eat and they went a long way from home without getting lost. The lady
rode a donkey, the man walked, and the baby was inside the lady. They had to stay in a
stable with an ox and an ass (hee-hee) but the Three Rich Men found them because a
star lited the roof. Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep but not feed them.
Then the baby was borned. And do you know who he was? Her quarter eyes inflated to
silver dollars. The baby was God.
And she jumped in the air, whirled round, dove into the sofa and buried her head
under the cushion, which is the only proper response to the Good News of the
Incarnation. – John Shea
I like this story or prayer by little Sharon because it reminds me of how I want to see
Jesus. God in the flesh, incarnate, working in the world today. How
have you seen God? Did God make God’s self known to you when you first learned
about Jesus, the baby born in a manger? How does God show up in your life? Does it
cause you to run and hide in awe like 5-year old Sharon?
Surfing the net, I ran across a song by American Country Music singer, Barbara
Mandrell, “Born to Die.” The beginning of the second verse says: It must have broken God's heart
For the future He could see.
Yet He formed the hands
And feet knowing one day
They'd be nailed to a tree.
Continued… .
Jesus, born to die? Some have argued persuasively, Jesus was not born to die. He was
born to live. One writer eloquently makes the incarnational argument, pointing more to
the purpose of Jesus’ living:
“But it wasn’t his death and crucifixion that set things right in the world. Rather it was
his incarnated life that shows us what a world set right might look like. It looks like the
kingdom of God — the hungry fed, the wealthy and powerful doing violence for their
own sake toppled with nonviolence and solidarity, the oppressed raised up, the outsider
welcomed…”
David R. Henson,
Found at URL http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidhenson/2012/12/born-to-live-why-
the-cross-doesnt-belong-at-christmas/)
Personally, it’s difficult for me to see the baby Jesus, as little Sharon did, and think
about the Cross of Jesus Christ at the same time. But when I go beyond the event of the
birth of Jesus, I am more inclined to seriously think about why Jesus was born into this
world. God in the person of Jesus came down to earth so that we might see the ways of
God. Jesus came to show us how to live so that we in turn can point others to God.
Jesus came to live before he came to die. And the interesting part of the Easter story,
the story of Resurrection, is that Jesus died an earthly death, but He lives again.
Although we will die one day, because of Jesus, we will live again too—in eternity with
God.
As the Community Choir practices for the Easter Cantata entitled “I Will Rise,” if you
were a fly on the wall, you would see that I’m going all over the church throughout my
day, thinking about one of the songs we’ll be singing. I’m singing in my heart “He’s
Alive, Alive, Alive Hallelujah!” To me that says that, yes, Jesus was born to die, BUT
don’t forget the end of the story: He’s Alive forevermore! And because Jesus lives, you
and I will live also, in eternity with God.
How do you see Jesus?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
In Christ’ Love,
Pastor Rosie
…Continued .
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
1 EXERCISE
10:00
2
3 EXERCISE
10:00
4 EXERCISE
10:00
5
6
COMMUNION
7 EXERCISE
10:00
8 EXERCISE
10:00
9
10 EXERCISE
10:00
11 EXERCISE
10:00
12
13
14 EXERCISE
10:00
15 EXERCISE
10:00
16
17 EXERCISE
10:00
18 EXERCISE
10:00
19
20
21 EXERCISE
10:00
22 EXERCISE
10:00
23
24 EXERCISE
10:00
25 EXERCISE
10:00
26
27
28 EXERCISE
10:00
29 EXERCISE
10:00
30
Covered Dish
Luncheon
Health Committee Meeting
(during covered dish)
BIBLE STUDY
6:00 PM
Christian Men’s
Fellowship 8:30 AM
RX PROGRAM
1:00 PM
Finance Meeting
5:30 PM
UMW will meet at the
7:00 am breakfast and at 8:00 am in our fellowship hall for their Easter
Project.
MEET THE PASTOR SUNDAY
9:00 AM & 11:00 AM
BIBLE STUDY 6:30 PM
(Taking a Break,
no bible study this day)
BIBLE STUDY 11:30 AM
6:30 PM
BIBLE STUDY 11:30 AM
6:30 PM
Community Choir Easter Cantata
6:00 pm, First Baptist Church
H-Marilyn Moore
H-Anna Franklin
BIBLE STUDY
11:30 AM & 5:00 PM
BIBLE STUDY 11:30 AM &
6:30 PM
Trustees Meeting 6:00 PM
WN Blood Pressure & Diabetic Screenings
9:00 AM
Easter
Eggstravaganza 11am-2pm,
W. Borden St.&
S. Archer St.
Community Breakfast 7:00 AM
Grace Lutheran Church
Community Breakfast 7:00 AM
Sinton Presbyterian Church
Community Breakfast 7:00 AM
First UMC
Community Breakfast 7:00 AM
New Beginnings Fellowship
Community Breakfast 7:00 AM
Zion Fair Baptist Church
Maundy Thursday Service
FUMC-Sinton 6:00 PM
Good Friday Service
FUMC-Sinton 6:00 PM
Sunrise Svc, 6:45 am First Baptist Church
Easter Egg Hunt, 9:00 am FUMC-Sinton
Stations of the Cross- Meditation
FUMC-Sinton 12:00 PM
Office Closed
The Story by Max Lucado begins at
6:00 pm Bible Study
Hello from the COGS!
The youth continue to attend weekly meetings with Sinton Youth United for learning,
fellowship and fun.
We are almost ready to begin Acolyte training. The youth are excited to be able to share
with the younger members everything they have learned.
We will be helping with the Egg-stravaganza again this year, and we will be hosting the
Easter-egg Hunt for our Sunday-School children on Easter morning. This is one of our
favorites! Please remember to bring your children and grandchildren to participate. The
hunt will be held in the fenced-in area behind the church. If you would like to donate to the
egg hunt, we can always use empty plastic eggs and candy (but no chocolate!). There is a
donation box set up.
Have a great April!
Mary Anne Hartung
Youth Director
ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
Our Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Easter morning, Sunday, April 20, 2014, during Sunday School. Our Youth Group will be sponsoring this special event. We will be needing donations of candy filled plastic eggs (non-chocolate) and there is a collection bin in the narthex. Please make plans to bring your family and friends! Sinton Ministerial Alliance is sponsoring an Easter “Eggstravaganza” Block Party on Saturday, April 19th from 11:00 am-2:00 pm, W. Borden Street & S. Archer Street. There will be games, crafts, inflatables, food and music. Please bring your family & friends to this special event! Meet the Pastor will be held every 4th Sunday of the month, at 9:00 a.m. and immediately following Worship, for those who want to get to know the Pastor and learn more about The United Methodist Church. Call the Pastor at (512) 576-6937 beforehand to let her know you’re coming! During Lent, we will be receiving a special offering that will go toward several 5-Star Church projects. The projects for this year are: the Wesley Community Center in Corpus Christi, NOMADS, and a project that our missionary, Becky Harrell is working on.
GREETINGS FROM YOUR WESLEY NURSE
April is alcohol awareness month. Drinking too much alcohol increases people’s risk of injuries, violence,
drowning, liver disease, and some types of cancer. It can also raise your blood pressure to a dangerous level
making you at risk for stroke. This April during Alcohol Awareness Month, I want to encourage you to educate
yourself and your loved ones about the dangers of drinking too much.
According to the Times News Online, 27 people a day die in America due to drunk driving crashes. Other
statistics are just as sobering:
High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of
school
Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash.
Teen alcohol use kills about 6000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined
If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Here are some
strategies to help you cut back or stop drinking:
Limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men. This is the amount
suggested for the health benefit of drinking.
Keep track of how much you drink.
Don’t drink when you are upset.
Avoid places where people drink a lot.
Make a list of reasons not to drink.
If you feel your drinking is out of control, please talk to a health care professional about help that is available
to you to get back in control.
The CDC recommends these safe drinking practices:
•Prior to any drinking, designate a non-drinking driver when with a group.
•Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away.
•If you have been drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi.
•If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, remind your guests to plan ahead and
designate their sober driver; offer alcohol-free beverages; and make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
Kerry, RN Wesley Nurse
08 March 2014 www.umcmission.org
Becky Harrell
Mission Interpreter-South Central Jurisdiction The United Methodist Church
Blog http://beckyharrell.wordpress.com/
08 March 2014 February was such a blessed time in travel and meeting more and more of the Body of Christ in our Jurisidiction and community. The first week of February I was blessed to be with the UMW Faith Circle of St. James UMC, Little Rock Arkansas. My hostess, Melissa Kohler was not aware, but my late night arrival turned into such a blessed morning as the landscape of flora and fauna just outside my bedroom window provided yet another glimpse of God's Glory in Creation. The night of sleet and freezing temperatures produced ice glazed trees set among the valley below and the food Melissa provided our winged friends brought red birds and more.
Our meeting that Monday focused on the international ministries of UMCOR and how we as the church can assist in disaster relief in our world. Appropriately the host decorated every room with Valentine hearts which to me solidified UMCOR's reach to the suffering, God's response to those in need. Many times we forget it is our Missionaries serving in international and national settings as long term residents who become our initial contact to the disaster communities. Remember the One Great Hour of Sharing this month, it is the one time each year we can support UMCOR, always assured 100% of our donations go for aid to others. http://vimeo.com/84701192
Travel continued in the month as I traveled on to GBGM offices in New York , and upon my return to Texas, attended the Southwest Texas/Rio Grande Conference Unification meeting, officially merging the two as the Rio Texas Conference.
(Rio Texas Unification) The week following I was blessed to be with and give the message at FUMC Robstown and Banquete UMC, Texas congregations. The last days of February I traveled to Arizona to visit 3 of my missionary support congregations, Green Valley Community Methodist Church Mission Monday Event, Gold Canyon UMC Mission Brunch Event, and Paradise Valley UMC Commissioning of mission teams to Costa Rica and Guatemala. While in the Western Jurisidiction I had the pleasure of visiting with Rev. Mel Muchinsky regarding the GBGM Church Initiatives throughout the world as he begins his service as Mission Coordinator for the EurAsia Initiatives. In Green Valley I was invited to share dinner with Ed and Natalie Barber, retired GBGM-UMC Missionaries who served in Chile and Bolivia.
(above Cleda Holcomb, Ed and Natalie Barber and me)
(above Gold Canyon UMC Mission Teams to Costa Rica)
In this season of Lent, may we reflect on God's World, and our availability in it all.
Blessings all, Becky Harrell, Missionary, General Board of Global Ministries
Mission Interpreter, South Central Jurisdiction The United Methodist Church
Advance 15141z
ATTENDANCE & OFFERINGS FEBRUARY 2014
FEB. 2: Worship -43 Sunday School-18 Total Offering: $6,284.85 FEB. 9: Worship -45 Sunday School-15 Total Offering: $3,935.00 FEB. 16: Worship -71 Sunday School-18 Total Offering: $3,693.88 FEB. 23: Worship -52 Sunday School-11
Total Offering: $2,158.85
GIVING TO FUNDS FEBRUARY 2014
APPORTIONMENTS FUND= $25.00 BUILDING FUND=$100.00 COMMUNION RAIL FUND= $32.00 COMMUNITY PROJECT=$625.00 EMERGENCY FUND=$924.85 GENERAL FUND= $15,322.23 MEMORIAL FUND=$100.00 NOMADS CH. & PARSONAGE=$25.00 SPECIAL COOK BOOKS=$10.00 SPECIAL OFFERING=$784.58 WESLEY NURSE=$20.00 YOUTH FELLOWSHIP=$9.00
Prayer List: Kevin, Betty & Irene Wahl
Lisa Willis
David Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Everett Murff
Teresa Schubert
Diana Colon
Grahm Wisian
Neta Deleon
Ryan Rivera, Jr.
Juan & Teresa O’Cañas
James Haverla
Thelma Kelley
Patsy Cluiss
Rhonda Rosenauer
Jessica Hernandez
Sam Nelson
Mario Maldonado
Kathy Wheeler
Clint Threadgill
Daniel & Megan Jurach
A.L. Nelson
Doug Curtis
Travis Brown
Linda Odem
Darrow Lee
Amber Ogle, Triplets: Kyle, Keaton, Katherine
Arlan Maley
Alleta Waters
Gary L. Coplen
Dusty Gill & Family
Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Long-Term: Sallie Brewer
Dot Burch
Mary Jackson
Military: Wesley Hartung
Cameron Collier
Rachal O’Cañas
Crystal O’Cañas
Matt Lowder
Kevin Campbell
Memorials (Received March 1-31, 2014)
LORENE WEIR
Jean Owens
Jerry Oulliber
BRENDA McBEE
Jean Owens
JO ANN TUMLINSON Marilyn Moore
If you would like to add a loved one to our prayer list, please,
call the church office at 364-2031, or email us at
Holy Week Events
Sunday, April 13
6:00 pm — First Baptist Church
320 W. Borden
Community Choir Cantata, “I Will Rise”
Reception with refreshments following
Monday, April 14
7:00 am — Breakfast at Grace Lutheran Church
121 George Street
Rev. Gene Moon, Grace Fellowship Church
Tuesday, April 15
7:00 am — Breakfast at Sinton Presbyterian Church
221 W. Merriman Street
Rev. Tom Dietzel, Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church
Wednesday, April 16
7:00 am — Breakfast at First United Methodist Church
405 W. Sinton Street
Rev. Sonja Dalglish, Sinton Presbyterian Church
12:00 (noon) — Stations of the Cross,
a self-directed meditation,
First United Methodist Church, 405 W. Sinton Street
Thursday, April 17
7:00 am — Breakfast at New Beginnings Fellowship
121 S. McCall Street
Rev. Rosemary Grattan, First United Methodist Church
Friday, April 18
7:00 am — Breakfast at Zion Fair Baptist Church
500 Avenue F.
Jose Abad, Primera Bautista
Sunday, April 20
6:45 am — Sunrise Service at First Baptist Church.
Rev. Randy Samuels, Pastor First Baptist Church, 320 W. Borden Street
The community is invited to attend this special service.
Dinner & Devotionals Each Wednesday during Lent (3/5 – 4/16) at 6:00 pm, Grace Lutheran will have a lite meal followed by a devotional.
Stations of the Cross Stations of the Cross presentation at First United Methodist Church, Sinton. This presentation is a self-directed meditation on the
Stations of the Cross and will be held on Wednesday, April 16 at noon. The Stations of the Cross will be projected on the TV
screen at the front of the church. This is a very peaceful and quiet time of introspection. The setting is very casual. Everyone is
welcome. The presentation is about 40 minutes, but you can come at any time and stay as long as you like as the DVD is
continuous.
Fish Fry(s) Sacred Heart Church, 906 E. Sinton Street, will have a fish fry each Friday during Lent (3/7 – 4/18) from 5:30-7 pm. The plates are $7.00 and it will be drive-thru only.
Easter Eggstravaganza Sinton Ministerial Alliance is sponsoring a Community Easter Block Party “Eggstravaganza” on Saturday, April 19th from
11:00 am-2:00 pm, on W. Borden Street & S. Archer Street. The community is invited for games, inflatables, food & music.
Community Breakfast &
Devotionals
Each of these services begins at 7:00 am so that
those who work may leave by 8:00 am. There is
a short devotional followed by a continental
breakfast. Each morning an offering will be
received for Sinton Churches Aligned. This is a
wonderful time to share with Christian friends
from various churches.
Easter at Sinton FUMC
You’re Invited!
Please join us for our Maundy Thursday
Service on Thursday, April 17th at 6:00 pm and
our Good Friday Service on Friday, April 18th at
6:00 pm. Our Easter Sunday Service will be
held on Sunday, April 20th at 10:00 am and our
Easter Egg Hunt will be held that morning at
9:00 am. Please bring your family and friends!
THIS STUDY BEGINS AT SINTON FIRST UMC ON APRIL 27, 2014
14
SINTON METHODIST NEWS 2014 A Publication of the First United Methodist Church of Sinton
Email: [email protected] Website: www.sintonfumc.org
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH P. O. Box 276 Sinton, Texas 78387
