Thursday, January 14, 2021

 

LIVING and LOVING IN LODI      Sunday, January 17, 2021 

From Pastor Pam:  

Praying:  “America the Beautiful!” 

Over the years I have noticed that of the many, many hymns we sing the hymn "America the

Beautiful" #696 often evokes the deepest emotions as it sung with great ardor. This week as we pray for our nation in this time of transition we may want to look to the beautiful and challenging words of this hymn written in 1904 by Kathleen Lee Bates. Even as we honor and serve our nation let us never forget that we are also citizens of an even greater kingdom: the reign of God. May the ways we honor, serve, and shape our nation be rooted in the kingdom values taught and lived by Jesus himself. As we pray for our nation and prepare for Human Relations Sunday, I hope we all find strength, wisdom, and guidance as we ponder this beautiful hymn that I am sharing as our weekly E Bible Study.  I am sharing some things that came up in my meditation; I am confident that you will find riches in your reflections as well.

 

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain;

for purple mountain majesty above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed his grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

 

For Reflection:  Try to savor the beauty of our land with thankful praise each day.

How do I show our gratitude to God for the amazing gifts he has given by my care for natural resources? 

Do I honor the sacred duty of stewardship or do I sometimes see our land as a commodity? 

 

The biblical understanding of grace in linked with empathy, compassion and mercy. Where is God's grace 

needed in our nation?  When looking at issues of racial or economic justice do I listen with grace to the experiences of fellow Americans whose story may be different from my own?

                                                             

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.

 

For Reflection: Pray for those in the armed forces and their families and for veterans who suffer from emotional, spiritual, and physical injury.  While I say "support our troops" do I advocate for vets, especially homeless vets?

                                                        

Some suggest that any who name concerns about our nation as somehow "unpatriotic." This hymn suggests the opposite "May God thy gold refine."  Over the years what has been "refined"?

Where might more refining be needed? How can I help?  (see also verse three)

 

What does nobility in speech and character mean? Is it an outdated notion or a critical component of good citizenship and Christian living?   

                                               

Thinking of Jesus' example and teaching as our core values, what would "divine gain" look like?

What Gospel verses help me name the divine gains?

                                              

 "Who more than self their country loved."  Mom said actions speak louder than words. How do my decisions regarding my time, resources, and talents reflect true love of country and community?

 

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years,

thy alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears!                                               

America !  America ! God mend thine every flaw,

confirm thy soul in self- control, and liberty in law.

How is my citizenship guided by Biblical hope rather than fear?  I invite all of us to pray our hopes, reflect on self- control, and meditate on the notion of liberty in law as disciples of Jesus who understood our lives are joined in sacred ways. 

God Bless America, the Beautiful!

                                  

Scripture:     Acts 8:26-40      Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”  34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”[b] 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip[c] baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

                                                                       

Spiritual Support: Pastor Pam is available for a porch visits, to bring Holy Communion for you to partake in your home, to listen, to pray with you.  Please call or text: 216 704 0307 or e-mail  pamelab23@hotmail.com

 

Even though our building is closed, until the governor says we can reopen, we are live on Facebook at 10:00am Sunday mornings AND once the service has been uploaded, it will be on our private YouTube channel!!!!  An e-mail will include the link. A new website is being worked on – this will make viewing the Sunday service much easier!  Please be patient as this takes time. 

   

You can mail your offerings to:  Lodi UMC, PO Box 3, Lodi, OH  44254 (The church continues to need your tithes and offerings, each week.  Even though we are not meeting in person, the work of the church goes on.  Thank you for your continued support.) 2021 Offering envelopes are just inside the single door at the church. Call Dottie for a code 330-887-1471

 

Noteworthy News and Needs: Do you have News or Needs or Prayer Concerns?  Please share them with Dottie (lodiumcsec.dottie@gmail.com , 330-887-1471) or Pastor Pam Buzalka (216)704-0307 pamelab23@hotmail.com

 

Life Line Screening at Lodi United Methodist Church March 16, 2021  9am-5pm  Life Line Screening, the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings, will offer affordable, non-invasive and painless health screenings at Lodi United Methodist Church on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.  A package of 5 screenings to identify risk for stroke, heart disease and other chronic conditions will be offered:  

·  Carotid artery ultrasound to identify plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, a major risk factor for stroke

·  Abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound to identify presence of an enlargement in the largest blood vessel in the body

·  An EKG to identify the presence of atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk for stroke

·  Ultrasound of the lower legs to look for plaque buildup known as peripheral artery disease

·  Ultrasound of the shin bone to identify risk for osteoporosis.  These 5 vital screenings are offered for only $149 and take 60-90 minutes to complete. If you register today, you will receive a $10 discount. Register:   1-888-653-6441 or text the word "circle" to 797979.

 

The part for my laptop should be here tomorrow! I will have updated balances and will send out statements as soon as it is fixed. – It’s been a crazy two weeks without my laptop!  Thanks for your patience!  Dottie

Lodi United Methodist Church Bulletin, Sunday, January 17, 2021 Worship

 

Human Relations Sunday   

           

Prelude  “Holy and Anointed One with Christ, We Do All Adore Thee”- Missy

 

Call to Worship  - Bob Wooley

Bob:  Come, let us worship the Lord in spirit and in truth that we might live the great commandment Jesus has given us.

Community: Jesus has commanded us to " love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind...and to "love our neighbor as yourself."  Amen

adapted from Matt. 22: 36-40                                                                                                       

 

Hymn    "Christ for the World We Sing"     #568

1. Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with loving zeal;
the poor, and them that mourn, the faint and overborne, sin-sick and sorrow-worn, whom Christ doth heal.

2. Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with fervent prayer; the wayward and the lost,
by restless passions tossed, redeemed at countless cost, from dark despair.

3. Christ for the world we sing, the world to Christ we bring, with one accord; with us the work to share,
with us reproach to dare, with us the cross to bear, for Christ our Lord.

 

Unison Prayer  - Bob Wooley

On this Human Relations Sunday  we  recall our baptismal covenant. In those holy promises we renounced sin and professed our faith;  we confessed Jesus Christ as our Savior, and  we vowed to serve him as Lord in union with people of all ages, nations, and races. We accepted the freedom and power God has given us "to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.... With God's help we will proclaim the Good News and live according to the example of Christ." Amen   adapted from " The Baptismal Covenant,"  The United Methodist Hymnal, p.40                                                                                                                                                

Church in Action – Bob Wooley

Joys and Concerns    - Pastor Pam                                                                           

               

Prayer Song   “Open Our Eyes”  TFWS #2086

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch him, and say that we love him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.      

 

Silent Prayer and Lord’s Prayer               

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.   For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”  Amen      

                                                                                   

Hymn    “The Gift of Love”    #408

1. Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain, as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

2. Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin.

3. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed; by this we worship, and are freed.

 

Offertory - Missy

Bob Wooley:   We pray that we may offer our gifts to God in prophetic and faithful ways. Take a moment to thank God for the gifts and graces of the week.

 

Moment of Silent Prayer

 

Bob Wooley:   Let us with one heart and one voice praise the Holy One.

 

*Doxology   “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”    #95

*Prayer of Dedication  - Bob Wooley

As each of us offers unique gifts to God united as the Body of Christ, let us recall that in the reign of God for which we pray "there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave or free, nor is there male and female, for all are one in Christ Jesus." Amen   1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 3:28

 

Special Music: "Open the Eyes of My Heart"   Melissa

 

The Good News      Acts 8:26-40     Bob Wooley

 Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south[a] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”[b] 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip[c] baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

 

Message   An Unexpected Neighbor    Pastor Pam

 

Hymn  "There's A Spirit in the Air"     #192

1. There's a spirit in the air, telling Christians everywhere:
'Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world!'

5. When a stranger's not alone, where the homeless find a home,
praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world.

6. May the Spirit fill our praise, guide our thoughts and change our ways
God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today!

                          

*Benediction

We are sent forth to be beacons of hope, living reminders that God is love and those who abide in love abide in God and God in them.   For how can we say we love God if we do not love all of our neighbors as ourselves? Let us rejoice in the way that is Christ!  Amen

 

 

 

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