Wesley United Methodist Church 40 West Main Street, Strasburg PA 17579

Church email address: wesleystrasburg@verizon.net Web: www.wesleychurch.us

717.687.6392

Volume 9, Issue 9

WESLEY MESSENGER

September 2017

Worship Schedule

Worship

1

3, 4

Ponderings 2

Missions 4

Friends at Home 5

Inside this issue:

O u r M i s s i o n : W O R S H I P G O D ; S E RV E G O D ; W I T N E S S f o r G O D ;

b y t h e P O W E R o f G O D t h r o u g h t h e H O LY S P I R I T.

Worship Schedule

9:00 am Blended Worship

10:00 am Holy Grounds Fellowship

10:30 am Sunday School

Sunday, September 3 – 13th Sunday after Pentecost

I Am A Church Member Series

I Will Lead My Family/Community to be Healthy Church Members

Holy Communion

Sunday, September 10 – 14th Sunday after Pentecost

Creation by the Word

John 1:1-5

Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Sunday, September 17 – 15th Sunday after Pentecost

Binding of Isaac

Genesis 21:1-3 and Gen. 22:1-14

John 1:29

Sunday, September 24 – 16th Sunday after Pentecost

Jacob’s Dream

Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23 and Gen. 28:10-17

John 1:50-51

Office Hours:

8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday & Thursday

Office Phone: 717.687.6392

Rev. David Alderson - Pastor

Kim Badman - Organist/ Choir Director

Holly Miller - Secretary

2

Pastor’s Ponderings … In light of the recent events that transpired in Charlottesville I wanted to share a letter written by Bishop Bruce

Ough, president of the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops:

My shock, dismay and grief over the clashes between white supremacy advocates and counter-protesters in

Charlottesville, Virginia, continue to grow. I grieve for the lives lost, and pray for the family of Heather Heyer,

the families of the two state troopers killed while monitoring the Charlottesville demonstration from the air, and

for the healing of all the injured. I am shocked by the blatant resurgence of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and

racially motivated domestic terrorism in the United States. I am dismayed (and frightened) by the animosity,

division, extremism and evil that is spiraling out of control in the U.S.

Let there be no excuses or political justification for the evil that was on full display in Charlottesville last

Saturday. Nor, let us forget that many such displays of white supremacy, racism and hatred go un-reported or

under-reported in many places. White supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies are abhorrent and entirely incon-

sistent with the Christian faith.

Jesus called his followers to “love your neighbor.” It is clear this key spiritual imperative means all neighbors

without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. And, Paul taught that “enmities, strife, jealousy, anger,

quarrels, dissensions and factions” are among many works of the flesh that are antithetical to the kingdom of

God. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness

and self-control.” (Galatians 5: 19-23) These works of the Spirit lead to peace-making and the kingdom of God.

The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church are a clarion call and powerful witness in times such as

these. “We affirm that no identity or culture has more legitimacy than any other. We call the Church to challenge

any hierarchy of cultures or identities.” (Para. 161A, The Nurturing Community, page 110, 2016 Book of Disci-

pline). And, from Para. 162A The Social Community, page 120: “Racism, manifested as sin, plagues and hinders

our relationship with Christ, inasmuch as it is antithetical to the gospel itself … Therefore, we recognize racism

as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons … We commit as the Church to move beyond

symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed a similar sentiment when he challenged the United States to transform the thin

paper of the Declaration of Independence that affirms the self-evident truth “that all men are created equal,

are endowed with certain inalienable rights” into thick action.

I pray that the shock, dismay and grief of Charlottesville will be a turning point for the U.S. and even our global

United Methodist church. We share collective responsibility to turn our thin words into thick action. We share

collective responsibility to break our silence. We share collective responsibility to restore health to the communi-

ties and relationship out of which extremism, hatred and racism grow. We share collective responsibility, as

followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and

religious views respect each other. We share responsibility to articulate the vision of the Beloved Community

where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity.

This collective responsibility begins by each of us examining our own hearts for the prejudice that contributes

to attitudes of supremacy or hatred, or to violence, or silence or fear. Peacemaking and reconciliation always

begins within.

This is the moment for The United Methodist Church and all peoples of faith to be bold in our witness against

racism and white supremacy. The vision of the Beloved Community lies not behind us, but before us. I urge us

to pray for the Holy Spirit to break through and work through The United Methodist Church to heal our broken

world and make tangible, visible the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President

Council of Bishops

The United Methodist Church

3

Karen Bender, Chair-Worship

Kim Badman, Organist/Choir Director

Becky Perry, Altar Guild

Stewardship of Attendance

9:00 am 2017 2016

July 30 53 72

August 6 55 66

August 13 52 58

August 20 66 61

Men, if you desire fellowship, a good breakfast

and a deepening prayer life, if you want to serve

by listening to the Lord, join your fellow disciples

at our Men’s Prayer Breakfast at Hershey Farms

Restaurant on Saturday, September 23, at 7 a.m.

Please call the church office or talk to Pete Kings-

ley or Barry Buller by Thursday, Sept. 21, so we

know how many to plan for!

Come…Break Bread with Us…

& Bring a Friend!

“As iron shArpens iron, so one mAn shArpens Another.”

- Proverbs 27:17

DATE BLENDED WORSHIP

September 3 Bob Marshall

September 10 John Lewis

September 17 Karen Bender

September 24 Bill Hawes

SEPTEMBER LAY READER SCHEDULE

wORSHIP

Pastor’s Hours

Mondays: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Office)

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Meetings)

Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m.

Tuesdays: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office)

Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m.

Wednesdays: Visitations and Sermon Prep –

No Drop-in Hours

Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Office)

Drop-in Hours from noon-2 p.m.

Fridays: - OFF -

September

Altar Flowers

The entire month of September is open for

those who wish to place altar flowers in

celebration, in memory of a loved one, or

to the glory of God!

Sign-up is in Epworth.

When God began to create the heavens and the

earth—

the earth was without shape or form,

it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept

over the waters—

God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared.

God saw how good the light was. God separated the

light from the darkness.

God named the light Day and the darkness Night.

There was evening and there was morning:

the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5 (CEB)

4

In September, we will complete our exploration of what it means to be a church member. We

have attempted to break down the stereotypical responses (negative and positive), and have tried

to come to a better understanding of why we should be members within the local church. We are

planning to bring in new members during this time. If you are not a church member and want to

consider becoming one, please see Pastor Dave. If your church membership is with another UM

church or different denomination, Pastor Dave can easily transfer your membership to Wesley.

Following the completion of our I Am A Church Member series, we will move into the Book of

Genesis, where we will study and learn about our Creator as we ask questions of some of the

more complicated stories in Scripture. Here we can learn what it means to worship and serve God.

Let us worship together

John 15:12: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

* * *

Pennies for Missions

Pennies for Missions is your opportunity to do something simple and make a difference. Pick up a

soup can on the counter in the Epworth Room. Then at home, for every meal you eat, place two

pennies in your soup can. On the last Sunday of each month, look for the basket marked “Pennies

for Missions” and place your pennies there. All pennies collected are used to support Wesley UMC

mission projects.

Next Pennies for Missions collection is Sunday, September 24.

missions Chair - Carol Rice

Lynda Houck , Pastor Dave Alderson

Youth Night Out!

Admin Board has given its approval for the church to open

up the pole barn for the youth of Strasburg and the sur-

rounding community (5th through 12th grades) on Thursday

evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. If you would like to serve as a vol-

unteer for Youth Night Out or would like to know more, please contact Pete Kingsley (471-

5820). All volunteers are required to have their Safe Sanctuary clearance.

5

Robbie Golston 433 South Kinzer Avenue 46 VSA New Holland, PA 17557

Robbie’s Birthday: October 29

June Good 2001 Harrisburg Pike Apt B246 Lancaster,PA 17601

June’s Birthday: July 14

Jerre Groff

Oakleaf Manor, Room B20 2101 Wabank Road Millersville, PA 17551

Jerre’s Birthday: May 29

Eva Kohlmaier

c/o Donna Bitterman 44 Denlinger Avenue Strasburg, PA 17579

Eva’s Birthday: May 20

Share the Bounty of September with

Wesley’s At-Home Friends!

Blake E. Nicholson, Jr. 2001 Harrisburg Pike # ML415 Lancaster PA 17601-2641 Phone: (717) 390-4945

Blake’s Birthday: January 10, 1923 Melvin Rosier The Glen at Willow Valley, Room 531 675 Willow Valley Square Lancaster PA 17602 Phone: (717) 464-4947

Mel’s Birthday: August 9

John & Evie Sigman Happy Birthday, John! 2001 Harrisburg Pike Happy Birthday, Evie! EW381 Lancaster, PA 17601

John’s Birthday: September 21

Evie’s Birthday: September 12

If you know of a

church member

in need,

please notify

the church

office to inform

the pastor and

enable the Body of Christ to support that

member with prayer, visits, meals and the

light of Christ. May we be His hands!

The World’s Creation:

A Meditation on

Genesis 1:1-5

Silently read Genesis 1:1-5,

paying attention to each

word or phrase. Pause for

a moment of quiet, then read it again, this time using your

imagination about the appearance of light on the first day of

creation. What color is the light? How does it appear?

What does it reveal? Offer a prayer for a person or circum-

stance you know about where God’s good light is needed

this day.

This meditation comes from Covenant Meditations.

Join other praying mothers at the LS Mom Prayer Group. Moms of

elementary age students will meet the first and third Tuesday of the

Month, beginning September 5 through May, at Lampeter Church of

the Brethren from 9:15 to 10:15 am. Moms of middle/high school

students meet every Monday at Lampeter Church of the Brethren

from 9:15 to 10:15 am. Hope to see you there!