LIVING and LOVING in LODI      October 4, 2020

from Pastor Pam…. 

I love this season of gorgeous transformation as the green of summer gives way for the brilliant red, yellow, orange and scarlet shades of autumn; every year the trees surrendering their leaves with grace and beauty inspires me. While I bemoan a broken dish or glass, I know that the process of breaking can lead to new life - just as the bare trees of late autumn with their once radiant leaves broken and scattered open the portal to the wonderful new life that is spring. This Sunday we celebrate World Communion Sunday. On this day core tenants of our biblical faith are honored. We recall the unity of all humanity made in the image of our Good God. We rejoice in being one bread and one Body in Christ even as we enter into the brokenness of the bread. We renew our commitment to being like Jesus- blessed, broken, and given for the new life of the world. As the old song tells it, "breaking up is hard to do," yet it is the way that those of us made in God's image grow into God's likeness... and what a gorgeous transformation that is to behold!

With love and joy!    Broken is Beautiful!!

 

Weekly Scripture:                             Matthew 25: 31-46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^[a] you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Word of God for the People of God.  Amen.

 

Hymns   “Let There Be Peace on Earth”   #431   “One Bread, One Body”  #620 (verses 1,2,3)            

 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”  #629 (verses 3,5)

 

We will share in Communion this Sunday as it is World Wide Communion Sunday

     Communion in the United Methodist Church is open to everyone and everyone is welcome to receive it. 

      In response to Covid, we will partake of the sacrament in a different manner.

Here are some guidelines:

   1. Please maintain social distance as you come forth for the sacrament.

    

   2. Please keep your masks on until you return to your pew/ chair.

 

   3. On each side of the sanctuary a gloved, masked server will give you the sacrament with a

             tong. The bread will have been blessed with the juice. Please take the communion 

             back to your pew and prayerfully partake.  Pastor Pam will have prepared the bread/juice with gloves, mask, sanitized hands prior to the service.

 

   4. If you do not feel comfortable partaking in the sacrament due to Covid- concerns

         fear not; simply remain seated and listen to the inspiring music Missy will offer.

 

   5. Pastor Pam will also consecrate take- home prefilled communion containers; this can be a little tricky to open during worship. You may take the communion home to partake or to offer to a loved one who cannot come to worship. A short time of prayer, The Lord's Prayer, and the words The Body of Christ ( Given for you... the bread of heaven... etc.)  The Blood of Christ  ( Shed for you... the cup of salvation etc.)  

            Please discuss any questions with Rev. Pam.

 

 

Noteworthy News and Needs      Got News or Needs or Prayer Concerns  Please share them with Dottie or Pastor Pam so we can include them for learning and loving. 

  ~We are back in the sanctuary, 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 not “public” on YouTube.  We thank the Trustees and Return Committee for their faith-full service. 

~Clothe My Sheep is rapidly approaching. Yay!  This is a ministry is such a help to our community. We’re up to 7 volunteers on Oct. 17. Thank you! A few more warm bodies would help. If you’re willing, text, call or email Katrina.  We need to be in place by 7:30 (sorry for that!) 

Meanwhile please get the word out about the event, and let others know we still need boys' clothing. Drop off is open this Friday Oct. 2nd. We’ll be sorting from 1-4pm.

Due to Covid-19, we will have to restrict the number of people in the building at one time…but intend to serve all who come. Hope to See you then!   

 

~Lodi Tech Team is having their first Meeting this Friday Oct. 2nd at 4 p.m. We are happy to have Colin, Rev. Donna, and Bob Wooley who all bring expertise to the table. We have room for more, if you’re interested! 

      We will be improving the PowerPoint (including that pesky font that’s been too small) and finding ways to not only film our services better but also developing ways to engage our media audience. Please pray for these new endeavors and our team. 

 

  ~United Methodist Women -  All women are welcome; second Saturday at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall. Contact: Chris Sparr 

~Work on the ramp is moving right along!  Thank you to Frank and his crew!

 

Advent Booklet:  Can you believe that Christmas is about three months away? With that in mind, we need to get going on our church Advent devotional booklet. Due to the virus, we will do sign-ups through e-mail,(lodiumcsec.dottie@gmail.com) texts (330-887-1471) or phone calls, (330-887-1471) and not a table set up in fellowship hall. (If we do not get enough people, Dee will still track you down....hehehehe) 

 

Advent begins Sunday, November 29.  Each day has a theme. 

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        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!

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries: Celebrating Together! 

Birthdays:     (I guess I goofed - September 29 is PEGGIE Brown’s birthday, not Charlie’s) (I asked her for forgiveness – she said that’s strike one…. 😊 )   October 5  Sue Whitfield    

Anniversaries:         October 6   Johnny & Missy Henderson

 

 

You can mail your offerings to:  Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH  44254

 

Rev. Pamela Buzalka       (216)-704-0307        pamelab23@hotmail.com

 

LIVING and LOVING in LODI      

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

from Pastor Pam…. 

Like many of us last week I recalled the horrific and holy events of September 11 nineteen years ago. The slaughter of innocent people clearly was horrific; I could barely stand to glance at the pictures of all of those who died memorialized in The New York Times.  I stand in prayer that those still suffering the effects of that day are given the justice they deserve from our leaders.  Still, to this very day I stand in awe at the holy events of that day. Greater love has no person than to lay down their lives for another person.  Greater patriotism has no citizen than to risk safety and security for those who walk the same paths in the same land as they do.  There were no grandiose displays, no speeches, not even flag waving. There was toxic dust and flames of evil. Yet the radiance of God’s goodness shed its holy light in innumerable acts of heroism by first responders and ordinary folk.  Aside from the perpetrators of the crime, there was no us and them. It was not all about me, but we. It was about the way God intended us to act and think beyond ethnicity and social class, beyond nation or origin, beyond conservative and progressive, beyond the forms love took in people’s lives or the practices and thoughts that defined their religion.  For all the evil and horror of that day, goodness triumphed. Actions spoke louder than words. Creation triumphed over destruction. The multiplication of love overcame the division of fear. The truth that all people are created in the image and likeness of God prevailed in every act of selfless heroism. This is where true greatness grows.  

Our weekly scripture invites us to look at another time of fear and confusion and the amazing providence of God in all times and in all places.  

Weekly Scripture: Exodus 16:2-15 

Hymns    #130   “ God Will Take Care of  You”       #145 “ Morning Has Broken”   #374  “Standing on the Promises”

Noteworthy News  and Needs 

  ~We are back in the sanctuary  and still on Facebook. We thank the Trustees and Return Committee  for their faith-full service. 

  ~UMW  met Saturday the 14^th – a great time of ministry and sisterhood. All women are welcome; the group meets the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall. Contact: Chris Sparr 

~Work on the ramp is progressing!  Praise Be! 

Lodi Hospital is offering a Grab and Go dinner at LUMC  Thursday 4:30 – 5:30 

Got News or Needs or Prayer Concerns ?  Please share them with Dottie or Pastor Pam so we can include them for learning and loving. 

IT TEAM

One of the few good things we've learned from Covid-19 is that Lodi United Methodist has new ways to share our service. Whether it's the audio from our service, Missy's wonderful music or even FaceBook Live.  

We're reaching our congregation and beyond. Facebook has many viewers who don't normally attend our church. Last Sunday, the Facebook post was at least seen by 143 people, and of those 65 watched all or part of our service. Wow. Isn't that great?! We want to continue using these new tools to share the good news. 

For that reason, we are establishing a new committee: The IT Team(as in: Information Technology team or just the "IT"  team...the place to be! haha)   We have many talented people doing these things now, but forming a team means we never miss a Sunday and have back-ups during vacation season etc. 

This team will learn how to use our audio room, our outdoor portable speaker system, including Blu-tooth, how to project our service onto the screens in the sanctuary, work with PowerPoint and film FaceBook Live. If you're willing to learn, we're ready to teach!  

 

Email Katrina Morgan (KatrinaMorg@gmail.com) if you're interested.  Once we all learn the ropes, this team will probably only meet once a quarter.  

Clothe My Sheep: Save The Date!

October 17, 2020  8 a.m. - Noon

 

New and Gently Used Clothing will be given away to area students

and their families

*Jeans, shorts

*Shirts, sweaters, Hoodies

*Coats, jackets

*Socks and Shoes

 

We are collecting coats, jackets, hoodies,

And sweatshirts in all sizes.

We also need CHILDREN’S clothing

Sizes 4-14. *We have all the adult clothing we need at this time.

 

Donations can be dropped off at the church on Fridays

Sept. 18^th thru October 2^nd from 1-5 pm. We could use volunteers on Friday Sept. 18, Sept. 25^th and October 2^nd to help sort clothes.  Let Katrina know if you can help.  

 

Due to Covid-19, we will have to restrict the number of people in the building at one time…but intend to serve all who come.

Hope to See you then!   

 You can mail your offerings to:  Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH  44254

 

Rev. Pamela Buzalka       (216)-704-0307        pamelab23@hotmail.com

 

 

 Loving and Learning in Lodi, Sunday, September 13, 2020

“I rejoiced when I heard them say, let us go to the house of the Lord!” While our homes, our planet, and our hearts are “the house of the Lord,” there is something so beautiful and holy about our church family gathered in prayer in the house of the Lord: the sanctuary! These ancient words from Psalm 122 express the joy we feel to once again gather together in worship.  The lectionary lesson from Matthew 18: 21-35 although very stern in places is ultimately very good news:  Just as we celebrate our freedom to return to worship together on holy ground we remember our spiritual freedom in Christ.  Let us live in peace - as we accept the tender mercies and forgiveness of our good God, we are granted the grace to forgive ourselves and others. What true freedom and joy there is to be found when we enter and live in the “house of the Lord.”    Pastor Pam

 

Scripture:  Matthew 18: 21-35

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[a]

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[b] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

The Word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

Hymns:  "My Hope is Built" #368 verses 1,2,4     "Help Us Accept Each Other" #560 verses 1,3,4      "Freely, Freely" #389 verses 1&2

 

The ramp continues to move forward.  Things are being ordered and worked on.  Prayers for the trusteed and Frank Nehls Construction as the project moves forward. 

 

Thank you:  My deepest love and appreciation to all who participated in the DRIVE BY on September 2nd in honor of my 92nd birthday.  It was totally an unexpected surprise.  Also, thanks to all who have honored me by sending birthday cards.  I am so glad to be back in my own home.  Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!  Ruth Anderson

 

We Celebrate and Give Thanks as we re-open this Sunday, September 13 – 10:00am in the sanctuary!

We celebrate the grace and blessing of “Come as You Are” and look forward to our return to the sanctuary this Sunday, September 13th. 10:00am  Together as the Body of Christ we will all be mindful to the guidance given to us by the Back to the Sanctuary ministry team.  We celebrate Marta Van Loon’s leadership of this team. We will no longer have the audio attached to the weekly e-mail. We will still broadcast on Facebook.
If anyone needs help getting on our church Facebook page, just let us know!

We will not be using hymnals or passing an offering plate.  The hymn lyrics will be on the screen.  Al Zona made two beautiful, handcrafted offering boxes for our offerings to be placed in.  One will be at the front of the church and one in the back. You can place your offerings in before or after the service, or while Missy plays the offertory music.  Please remember, also, 1 person in the elevator at a time and wear a mask.
Missy will continue to offer her beautiful music, midweek, as she has been doing through audio transmission.
People are welcomed to contact Pastor Pam or the Return Committee with any questions or concerns.

  You can mail your offerings to:  Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH  44254

 

Rev. Pamela Buzalka       (216)-704-0307        pamelab23@hotmail.com

 

Loving and Learning in Lodi, Sunday – September 6, 2020

     This week we are looking at Matthew 18:  16-20. These powerful practical verses give us guidelines for a way of holy communication which has come to be known in The United Methodist Church as the Rule of Christ. Churches all over the EOC are getting trained in the Rule as a way to address differences and grow in discipleship.

      In essence, Jesus instructs his disciples to always go first to the person with whom they may have had a problem or dispute. It would seem that this would be an obvious and simple way to relate with one another, but for all kinds of reasons we often find it challenging to live into this teaching. We often talk about persons far more than we talk with them. As we enjoy the last days of summer with family and friends, let’s be mindful of speaking our truth in love and be attentive and receptive listeners as others speak theirs! 

       With Love and Joy,

           Pastor Pam

Scripture:  Matthew 18: 15-20

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister^[a] sins,^[b] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’^[c] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Hymns:  

“Wonderful Words of Life”   #600         “Bind Us Together”  TFWS #2216     “Jesu, Jesu”  #432

**Come as You Are in the Family Car       Sunday September 6 Worship   10 a.m.**

Come with your mask, bring a lawn chair, a cup of coffee  ...or a friend !

We Celebrate and Give Thanks as we make plans to re-open September 13 – 10:00am in the sanctuary We celebrate the grace and blessing of Come as You Are and look forward to our return to the sanctuary on September 13th.  Together as the Body of Christ we will all be mindful to the guidance given to us by the Back to the Sanctuary ministry team.  We celebrate Marta Van Loon’s leadership of this team. We will no longer have the audio attached to the weekly e-mail. We will still broadcast on Facebook. If anyone needs help getting on our church Facebook page, just let us know! Missy will continue to offer her beautiful music, midweek, as she has been doing through audio transmission. People are welcomed to contact Pastor Pam or the Return Committee with any questions or concerns Big news from Pastor Pam! This week grandsons Carmelo 9 ( Melo) and Caiden 7, take up residence with Grandma Pam in the parsonage. The boys will be attending Cloverleaf Elementary. Pastor Pam looks forward to life with the boys and another opportunity to connect with families in our community.  She appreciates your prayers and patience during this time of  new life for the family. This extra special week includes a visit from her daughter, Justine and her husband, Michael who will be visiting her in Lodi for the first time. Traveling mercies for them as they drive from Washington DC where they live, work, and study.  Birthdays and anniversaries this week:  Sept. 1 - Eric Deeks   Shannon Ritchie    Sept. 1 - Larry & Sonja Wood anniversary Sept. 2 - Ruth Anderson Sept. 5 - Larry Wood, Sr.  Sept. 8 - Brian & Shannon Ritchie anniversary Sept. 11 Jamie Ritchie Sept. 12 - Donny Graves  Coming soon: THE RAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Frank Nehls Masonry has begun our ramp project!  All the permits have cleared the county.  Thank you to the trustees for all their work to help make this happen. Offering:  Remember to mail your offerings to Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH 44254  During these trying times of uncertainty, the ministries of the church continue daily, even though the physical doors are closed.  We need to remain mindful of the church’s financial obligations.  Please keep the church in your continued prayers and with your financial support, remembering, also, your pledge to “Celebrate 100”.  Thank you,      Jeff Van Loon   Finance Chairman   Rev. Pamela Buzalka       (216)-704-0307        pamelab23@hotmail.com BIRTHDAY DRIVE BY:     ****SHHHHHH – it’s Ruth Anderson’s 92nd birthday, September 2.  So, let’s do a birthday drive-by! Wednesday, September 2 between 6-6:30pm  (Nurse Pam – our nurse from Feed My Sheep – shares dinner with Ruth at 5:00pm, Pam will sit outside, in the driveway, with Ruth at 6:00pm.)  Please remember to stay in your cars.  135 Grove Street, Lodi ******SHHHHHHHH – it’s a surprise!****** PS  Ruth did not get this copy of the e-mail J