LIVING
and LOVING in LODI October 25, 2020
from Pastor Pam….
Reformation Sunday
This Sunday we celebrate Reformation Sunday. On this day we remember the
bravery of Martin Luther, Roman Catholic vowed religious and professor, who
nailed his 95 critiques of church practice on the church door in Wittenberg in
1517. We also recall John Wesley, whose life spanned the 1700s; Founder of
the movement, mocked as
“Methodism” for its emphasis on accountable, and shall I
say structured, intentional spiritual growth. Wesley invited the church of his
day to recover its authentic zeal for The Gospel— he challenged his followers
to live lives of true personal and social holiness. The outward forms of bland,
conventional religion were no substitute for a real commitment to the journey
of sanctification— becoming like Jesus! Like Jesus, both of these men
stood in protest against ways of being religious that were socially acceptable
but not biblically faithful. Throughout the ages there are those
brave disciples who speak up for the Loving Way of God; they do
so in public forums, workplaces, and family gatherings as well as churches and
mission fields. They speak with words or work or witness. I pray that
individually and together as a church family, we will pray and work bravely to
re-form the world in which we live each day in the image of Christ!
Weekly Scripture: Matthew
22: 34-40 (NRSV)
The Greatest Commandment
34 When
the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered
together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a
question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which
commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said
to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the
greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is
like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On
these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Hymns #384 “Love
Divine, All Loves Excelling” (verses 1,2,4)
#393 “Spirit of the Living God”
#408 “The Gift of Love”
(verses 1,2,3)
Noteworthy News and Needs
~Last Sunday's service was streamed live on Facebook, but was
unable to be saved as a link to send out to everyone. Again, we ask for
your patience as all of this is a work in progress. The service can still
be viewed on the church's Facebook page.
~We are back in the sanctuary, BUT still on Facebook AND
YouTube!!!! The link will come Sunday afternoon (after the service) in an
e-mail. You MUST click the link to be able to watch the service as it is
private on YouTube.
Meeting: November 1,
there will be meeting after worship to begin praying and planning for our
Lodi United Methodist Church 100 year celebration. Contact Rev. Pam or Larry
Scott with any questions.
~United Methodist Women - All women are welcome; the
group meets the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall.
Contact: Chris Sparr
~Have you checked out the ramp project! It will be finished
before we know it!
Clothe My Sheep Recap – from Katrina Morgan:
What do you get when you mix thousands of items of clothing,
hundreds of prayers, dozens of volunteers, and one empathetic and impassioned
church?
Answer: One very successful Clothe My Sheep!
You all touched the lives of many
people last Saturday. Whether you donated items, volunteered your
time (thank you, thank, you, thank you!), or prayed for the event, you had an
impact. The overall number of visitors was down this year. We think we had a
little under 60 walk through the door. Whether that was due to Covid, the time
of year, or splitting the school supplies into a separate date, we will
never know.
However, each person spent a long time shopping. The
majority were moms and grandmas shopping for kids and family, and they
literally took out garbage bags full of clothing and coats. We
emptied 9 full tables of clothing, reduced what was hanging by half, and
gave away 95% of the kids coats. That's a good day! Each shopper was so
very grateful.
There was a woman there with her son, but shopping for five
children. She left with a bag for each of them. With tears in her eyes, she
asked if we took donations. I said, "No, that's not necessary. We just
want to help." She insisted and not knowing what else to do, I retrieved
one of our offering boxes from the sanctuary and placed it on a table by the
clothing. I turned away, busy with other things and didn't think about it
again until the end.
Later, when I opened the box, there was a dollar bill and some
change--a little over $2.00 total. It brought tears to my eyes
because I knew she gave everything she had at the time. And, so Lodi UMC, did
you.
It reminded me of the parable of the Widow's Offering...
Mark 12: 41-44
"Jesus sat down opposite the
place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their
money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large
amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,
worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus
said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury
than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of
her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Advent Booklet: We still need a few
articles. PLEASE consider it!!!! You can write it. It can be
a poem. It can be a song.
For your devotional article you will need: scripture, your
article, a prayer
Nov. 29 - Dec. 5 - theme is HOPE
Dec. 6 - Dec. 12
- theme is PEACE
Dec. 13 - Dec. 19 - theme is JOY (all dates are
taken) Dec. 20 - Dec. 26 - theme is LOVE
If you are interested in sharing an article, please e-mail, text
or call me with the date. We have had such thoughtful booklets in the
past - looking forward to doing it again this year! Dottie
Got News or Needs or Prayer Concerns? Please share them with Dottie or Pastor Pam so we
can include them for learning and loving.
The Lodi Tech Team:
We had our first meeting on October 2nd. Thank you Re. Donna Van
Trees, Bob Wooley and Colin Laughlin for stepping up! We will find ways
to make our audio and video better, including PowerPoint, Testing Microphones,
adding lighting, etc. We’re thrilled to be reaching so many people
virtually. Our World Communion Sunday Service had 78 views on Facebook and 30
views through our private site on YouTube! There are many ideas on how to
better utilize these opportunities. We could use a few more members on our
team! Text Katrina if interested or with ideas. (330-819-6890)
A Race For Hope Sponsored By: The Firelands
District Youth Council Enter to walk or run a virtual 5k/1Mile walk anytime
between Halloween until Thanksgiving Sat. Oct. 31, 2020- Thurs. Nov. 21, 2020
@11:59pm in order to benefit the LaTannerie Methodist School in Haiti and the
Manos Juntas Mission in Mexico!
The Basics: - This event is taking place virtually, so you can
walk or run a 5k/1mile wherever you are!!! - The registration fee is $25 for
virtual event participation and will include a t-shirt for everyone who signs up.
You can also gather pledges or donations to go with your registration fee! -
Mail your registration fee and donations to the Firelands District Office, 3
Stower Ln., Unit 5 Norwalk, OH 44857. Just be sure to include your name and
intent to participate in the 5k/1Mile walk in the envelope! Make checks payable
to the Firelands District and put 5K/1Mile walk on the memo line. - Email Blair
Porter @ blairbear72320002@gmail.com
with any questions.
https://www.eocumc.com/window/NovDec2020/Fall5Race4Hope.pdf
You can mail your offerings to: Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH 44254
Rev. Pamela Buzalka
(216)-704-0307 pamelab23@hotmail.com
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