Loving and Learning in Lodi May 3 2020

           Last week’s service was richly blessed with Larry Scott’s music, Dottie Kimble’s and Rob Bloom’s sharing. A big THANK YOU for their ministries to us!

           Sunday, we look at Two Good Guys, Timothy and Epaphroditus. Paul is grateful for these two men in whom he places so much trust. We all strive to be trustworthy. Who has placed their trust in you and for what?

                                                      Missing you all…but grateful to carry you all in my heart,

                                                                 Pastor Diane

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Hymns:         For the Beauty of the Earth                                           verses 1 - 4                                #92
                      Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying                                 sing once                                TFWS #2193

                      His Name Is Wonderful                                           sing once                                #174

                      Blest Be the Tie that Binds                                           verses 1 - 4                                #557

Scripture                                       Philippians 2:19 - 30                    New International Version

           I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to see you soon so that I may be encouraged by hearing about you. I have no one like him. He is a person who genuinely cares about your well-being. All the others put their own business ahead of Jesus Christ’s business. You know his character, how he labors with me for the gospel like a son works with his father. So he is the one that I hope to send as soon as I find out how things turn out here for me. I trust in the Lord that I also will visit you soon.

           I think it is also necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. He is my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier; and he is your representative who serves my needs. He misses you all, and he was upset because you heard he was sick. In fact, he was so sick that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him—and not just on him but also on me, because his death would have caused me great sorrow. Therefore, I am sending him immediately so that when you see him again you can be glad and I won’t worry. So welcome him in the Lord with great joy and show great respect for people like him. He risked his life and almost died for the work of Christ, and he did this to make up for the help you couldn’t give me.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.               People:  Thanks be to God.

Loving and Learning in Lodi April 26 2020

           Last week’s service was richly blessed with Larry Scott’s music, Jane Corbus’ and Boyd Lance’s sharing and Boyd singing Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in this Place. So grateful for their ministries to us!

           Sunday, we look at Having the Mind of Christ. Paul writes to the Philippians and encourages them to cultivate the qualities and characteristics that Jesus embodied as he interpreted and followed the ways and will of God in his life. Over a century ago, novelist, Charles Sheldon, described having the mind of Christ in his book, In His Steps, as asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” When we base our decisions and living on that question, we cultivate having the mind of Christ.

                                                      Missing you all…but grateful to carry you all in my heart,

                                                                 Pastor Diane

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Hymns:         Come, Christians, Join to Sing                          verses 1 - 3                          #158
                      Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying                                 sing once                                TFWS #2193

                      There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy                        verses 1 - 3                          #121

                      They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love                     verses 1 - 4                          TFWS #2223

Scripture                                       Philippians 2:1 - 11                      New International Version

           Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

           In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.               People:  Thanks be to God.

Loving and Learning in Lodi April 19 2020

~ recapitulation ~

an act or instance of summarizing and restating

the main points of something.

           Back in February, when I was planning worship for Easter and through June, I decided to revisit the sermon series on Philippians. We began our time together, in the summer of 2016, with this series. I thought it fitting to see how our time together had influenced and changed how we hear and live Paul’s words to the Philippians. The letter to the Philippians is his most encouraging letter to any of the churches. It was a joy to begin there in 2016 and an affirmation of God’s faithful work in all our lives to finish our ministry together in the pages of Philippians.

           So…We will be doing a recapitulation…restating the main points of what we learned in 2016 and what it means to follow Jesus for a lifetime!

                                                      Missing you all…but grateful to carry you all in my heart,

                                                                 Pastor Diane

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Hymns:         O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing            verses 1 - 4                          #57
                      Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying                      sing once                              TFWS #2193

                      Easter People Raise Your Voices            verses 1 & 3                         #304

                      He Lives                                                    verses 1 - 3                          #310

Scripture                                                  Philippians 1:1 - 11                      Common English Version 

           From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. To all those in Philippi who are God’s people in Christ Jesus, along with your supervisors and servants. May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

            I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers. I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy. I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now. I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus. I have good reason to think this way about all of you because I keep you in my heart. You are all my partners in God’s grace, both during my time in prison and in the defense and support of the gospel. God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.

           This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.               People:  Thanks be to God.

Loving and Learning in Lodi April 12 2020

           We are mid-way through Holy week. At this point, Judas is figuring out when would be a good time for Jesus to be arrested by the temple guards…a time when the crowds are gone. We are headed into the darkest days in Jesus’ life. Yet because we know ‘the rest of the story,’ we know the glory to come on Sunday! Holy week is always a week of ‘turnings’ for me. Below is a poem I wrote years ago about those very turnings: Lent Turning to Easter: The Wonder of a Week.  I shared it with us a few years ago and find it fitting to share again. AND…I suggest that we understand how life abruptly ‘turns’ on us a little better this year as all of our lives have been turned upside down in so many ways these past weeks. The lesson of Holy Week turning to Easter is a lesson of holding on to hope…the hope that the empty tomb proclaims: He IS risen…He IS risen indeed!

                                                       Missing you all…but grateful to carry you all in my heart,

                                                                 Pastor Diane

P.S. Watch for our Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services…they will be coming to you by email…

Prayer time:

Birthdays coming up:

~15 - Mary Jane Rice                       ~18 - Missy Laughlin                      ~18 - Becky Laughlin

Anniversaries coming up:

~April 10 - Bob and Dee Heitkamp

Concerns:

~All the unspoken joys and prayers among us.

~From Jeff & Marta Van Loon - their daughter, Shawna, her brother-in-law has COVID19. Don is a paramedic and recently had pneumonia. Prayers for healing and for others to not catch it.

~Carl Freiberg is home. Prayers for healing and figuring out why he collapsed in the first place.

~Sue Weir – her cousin, Tina, has COVID19, as well as her husband, Greg, who is hospitalized with COVID19. He is receiving dialysis, temporarily, to help his kidney function. Prayers their healing.

 ~The flu and COVID virus – pray for the world!

~Prayers for our church as we face so many changes this year.  We pray for our new minister, Pastor Pamela Buzalka, as she transitions from Park UMC in Akron. 

~Our military personnel, near and far, deployed and defending the homeland, and their families, in this unsettled world of ours. And, our first responders as they protect us each day.

Recovering: Garry Moore, Tom Repp, Lee Geissman, Patty Ramey

Cancer: Terry Gayner, Zachary, Delbert Miller, Sherry Walker

Families Grieving:  Hattie Ziegler family, Mac McCrary family, Betty Baughman family, Donna Lance family

Sunday, April 12, 2020 ~ Easter Sunday

Hymns:         Christ the Lord Is Risen Today             verses 1 - 4                          #302
                      Alleluia                                                      sing once                              #186

                      Christ Is Alive                                            verses 1, 3 & 5                      #318

                      Up from the Grave He Arose                                verses 1 - 3                          #322

Scripture                                                  Luke 24:1 - 12                              Common English Version 

           Very early in the morning on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb, bringing the fragrant spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. They didn’t know what to make of this. Suddenly, two men were standing beside them in gleaming bright clothing. The women were frightened and bowed their faces toward the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He isn’t here, but has been raised. Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words. When they returned from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven and all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. Their words struck the apostles as nonsense, and they didn’t believe the women. But Peter ran to the tomb. When he bent over to look inside, he saw only the linen cloth. Then he returned home, wondering what had happened.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.               People:  Thanks be to God.

THE CHURCH IN ACTION

Moving forward…Perhaps, you’ll notice a decrease in the Celebrate 100! account balance above…Since construction is considered an essential work category, we are moving ahead with the repair of the exterior stairwell that leads down into the kitchen. (Frank) Nehls Masonry had been paid ½ of his invoice as per our contract with him. Work will begin on Monday, weather permitting.

 

Easter Flowers: Instead of purchasing Easter flowers in honor of and in memory of our loved ones, we will be donating the monies to our local non-profit, Matthew 25. Matthew 25 meets the needs of people in our community for rent, utilities, car repairs, etc. The flower/donation form is at the end of this email. We hope you will respond generously as we remember and honor our loved ones this Easter. You can learn about the ministry of Matthew 25 at https://matthew25coalition.wordpress.com. Please make checks out to Lodi UMC, and we will send the donations to Matthew 25.

Feeding Medina County food pick up for all county residents (no forms or income requirements) on Thursdays going forward at 7:30 a.m. at the County fairgrounds. www.feedingmedinacounty.org/

Please save your plastic caps & lids for a “buddy bench” at Sylvia Anderson’s great nephew, Braden’s school.

Loving and Learning in Lodi April 5 2020

           We are still worshipping at home this Sunday…so keep an eye out for the ‘Worship at Home’ email!

           Holy Week begins this Sunday, Palm Sunday. As a church community, we are still supporting the palm growers and will receive palm branches. The cost of our order was $49. We ordered, again, from Eco-Palms. You can learn about them by clicking on this link: https://ecopalms.org/pages/video.php/. By continuing with our order, we have, in a small way, contributed to the people in these palm harvesting communities as they harvest palms in environmentally better ways.

          

           On a personal note, I have more sadness than usual about this Sunday and not being together. Palm Sunday is a fun Sunday together as we wave our palm branches. Sunday would be a communion Sunday. Sunday would be a potluck Sunday. Sunday would be a Youth Group Sunday…so many of our usual activities that will not take place in the church building. ☹

           A quote has been running through my head this week: “They also serve who only stand and wait.” It is the last line of the poem “On His Blindness,” by John Milton. Remember, that as all of us wait and limit our contact with others, we are truly serving others in the best of ways…keeping each other as safe and healthy as possible!

                                                      Missing you all…but grateful to carry you all in my heart,

                                                                 Pastor Diane

Sunday, April 5, 2020 ~ Palm Sunday

Hymns:         Hosanna, Loud Hosanna                                verses 1 - 3                          #278
                      Christ Beside Me                                        verse 1                      TFWS #2166

                      Tell Me the Stories of Jesus                                  verses 1 & 3                         #277

                      We Sang Our Glad Hosannas                                verses 1 - 4               TFWS#2111

Scripture                                                  Mark 2:18 - 20                              Common English Version 

           John’s disciples and the Pharisees had a habit of fasting. Some people asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but yours don’t?”

           Jesus said, “The wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Mark 11:1 – 11

           When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’”

           They went and found a colt tied to a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some people standing around said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them just what Jesus said, and they left them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields. Those in front of him and those following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.               People:  Thanks be to God.

THE CHURCH IN ACTION

Easter Flowers: Since we will probably be worshipping at home on Easter morning, we have decided to still remember and honor our loved ones…but donate the monies to Matthew 25 instead of purchasing flowers. Pastor Diane contacted our local Food Bank with the Good Samaritans to see if they needed help. Kris Weir said they were doing fine and agreed that Matthew 25 was a good place to give instead. Currently, Matthew 25 is low on funds and trying to meet the needs of people in our community for rent, utilities, car repairs, etc. The form is at the end of this email. We hope you will respond generously as we remember and honor our loved ones this Easter. You can learn about the ministry of Matthew 25 at https://matthew25coalition.wordpress.com.

Feeding Medina County food pick up for all county residents (no forms or income requirements) on Thursdays going forward at 7:30 a.m. at the County fairgrounds. www.feedingmedinacounty.org/

We are no longer collecting 2-liter bottles for Vacation Bible School, please recycle them.

School My Sheep: 

Given the hard-hit families due to COVID-19, and the constantly changing economic landscape, School My Sheep may be more important than ever this year. If you see clearance school items, or clothing, let us know. We have room to store items. Katrina Morgan at katrinamorg@gmail.com or Larry Scott at scottlandyard@neo.rr.com.

Please save your plastic caps & lids for a “buddy bench” at Sylvia Anderson’s great nephew, Braden’s school