eChurchlight, March 2010
Upcoming Events
April 8: Coffee Circle, 10:30am, parlor
April 29: Women's Book Group, 7:30pm, parlor
The submission deadline for the next edition of the Churchlight is
Sunday April 25
through the looking glass
L.L.Wimmer
“Life only demands from you the strength you possess.
Only one feat is possible?not to have run away.”
-Dag Hammarskjold
The events of Holy Week surely reveal our weaknesses. Judas was impatient and disappointed and decided to force Jesus to be what he, Judas, thought he should be. Why didn’t Jesus do something?! Peter was afraid, unable to stay, unable not to run away. Others could not even stay awake. Many joined the mobs that do what mobs always do, what they are told, joining ignorance to ignorance until the innocent are unfailingly brutalized. Pilate was cynical and too clever, corrupted by power and indifference. The soldiers just obeyed orders and drove in the nails as if this was just doing their job.
If we ever wonder why horrible things happen in the history of humankind we need only look to the stories of Jesus’ last week on earth. What is significant in the story is what is different. What is different is the ending which is not an ending at all but rather a beginning (the possibility of a beginning) as we find from this story itself is often the case with endings. The ending of this story of brutal oppression and injustice, violence and mass stupidity is not the usual despair and endless grief and pain, human misery writ large over the centuries, but that there is hope for our hopelessness and there is strength for our weakness and what God can do can and does overcome what we do.
And that hope and that strength can be summarized in this way: Love is real and more powerful than our fear and sin, our violence against the gift of life itself. Love is of God and is forever and can save us from our weaknesses. Death is over come by life. Hatred is overwhelmed by love. Despair and fear are cast out by love. While it is evident that all the weaknesses of humankind revealed during Holy Week are still very present in our world today, there is always, always, the possibility of a new beginning if don’t run away and hide. It is Easter that gives us the strength to not run away, to keep beginning, to keep acting in love, to keep doing what is right when everything seems so wrong. As such the resurrection continues and the world, though battered and torn, is not lost. Thanks be to God.
Larry
Fourth Annual May Fair
Sunday May 8, 2010 10am – 3pm
For those of you who have not yet experienced our May Fair, it is a crafts and vendor fair, where we rent tables to crafters and vendors who then sell their products. We also have tables for the church, and will be collecting nonperishable items for the Belmont Food Pantry to help them through the summer.
We are looking for products to put on the tables sponsored by the church. We have a crafts table, a bake sale table, and a plant sale table. The Youth Group will also have a table where the proceeds go to their own mission projects. We welcome any donations you would like to make!
Crafts can be anything – cards, pictures, knitting, crocheting, woodworking, candles, soaps…whatever you make that other people will enjoy.
Baked goods are also needed but because of Health Department rules please do not make custard type items. Small baked goods sell better than the larger items and we may turn cakes and pies into individual servings. Popular items are small breads, brownies, and cookies. If you like decorative baking, people enjoy fancy baked goods.
The plant table will sell any plants. We are looking for transplants from your gardens. Day Lilies, Pachysandra, Hosta, Ferns, Lilies of the Valley, and any other spreading plants you may want to remove are welcome.
This is an ideal way to share the plants you love but which are taking over your garden. These yard plants should be placed in containers at the end of April to give them time to adapt to the container and the shock of transplanting. That way they will look healthy and be more inviting to purchase. If you have a house plant you want to donate that is also welcome.
Please plan to participate in the Fair by helping out and/or shopping! This is a fun fundraiser and social event and entrance is free. Invite your friends to come look around – the more the merrier as the vendors like to have lots of traffic through the building.
This year’s vendor products include several kinds of Hand Crafted Jewelry, Knit Items, Crocheted Items, Teas, Candy Bouquets, Pearl Oysters to open, Ukrainian Eggs, Hand Made Books, Soaps and Lotions, Tupperware, Tastefully Simple …and more. All the proceeds will be used for mission. If you know anyone interested in renting a table they can contact Louise Halstead or leave their name and phone number with the office and she will call them back. There is a waiting list for jewelry vendors.
From Barbara…
What’s Happening?
Holy Week Schedule:
April 1 7:30 pm Maundy Thursday Service with Communion
April 2 7:00 pm Good Friday Service at St. John’s United Methodist Church 80 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown
April 4 10:00 am Easter Sunday Worship (childcare is available, there are no Sunday School classes or Youth Group)
Adult Sunday School – Every Sunday from 11:30-12:15 the adult class meets in the parlor. After Easter we will be reading and discussing the Bible readings that will be used in the next week’s worship service. Everyone is welcome – no advance reading required!
Coffee Circle – April 8th – We meet in the Parlor on the second Thursday of the month at 10:30 in the morning for an informal get together. It usually lasts about an hour, but everyone is welcome to come and go as needed.
Women’s Book Group Thursday April 29th – This month the group is reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Join us in the parlor at 7:30 p.m. for a lively discussion.
Vespers every Wednesday – What are vespers? They’re evening prayers. Every Wednesday evening from 7:00 to about 7:30 we gather in the chapel for vespers using the Upper Room Worshipbook. It’s an informal, contemplative service that includes prayer, song, and readings. If you’re seeking a quiet moment in the midst of your busy week, this is the place!
Check out the calendar section for other meetings of committees and groups.
Missions News
BUMC encourages our members and friends to participate in mission.
Thanks for the Help:
We had a Nothing but Nets Shoot Out at the church on March 8th . Our staff - Larry, Bob, Barbara, and Kevin - all shot baskets. Three of the younger generation, Caleb Teeter, Andrew Teeter, and John Busteed participated by finding people to pledge for them and by shooting baskets. We also had participants from outside the church: Sophia Eshenbach-Smith, our all time leading pledge collector, and the Croce family, who along with Sophie have participated every year we have held the Hoop Shoot Out. We received pledges of more than $2000, which will send over 200 nets to Africa. Anyone is welcome to make a donation to the Nothing But Nets Program.
Thanks to everyone who donated to One Great Hour of Sharing.
These donations help UMCOR to be ready for emergencies and to keep vital programs running.
Continuing Missions
BUMC encourages our members to participate in mission. Here are some missions you can perform at home during your daily schedule.
Shopping at Amazon? Go to www.umcbelmont.org (our website) and link to Amazon from the Amazon icon. The church receives a percentage of sales when you link through our site.
OR, go to www.freerice.com, where you can practice vocabulary, math, geography, and more! At the same time you are feeding the poor through the United Nations World Food Program. Take a look and explore the web site.
Make a baby blanket while you watch TV (by crocheting, knitting, or sewing) and leave it in the office to be taken to Children’s Hospital for newborns. The blanket can be any size but 30 to 36 inches square are good sizes. It takes about 2 skeins to knit one blanket. There is yarn in the church office or you can use your own left over yarn – the blankets may have as many colors as you like. Yes, any kind of baby blanket works so you are welcome to make them from fleece or to make small quilts.
While grocery shopping, pick up one or two items to donate to the Belmont Food Pantry. Drop the cans and boxes in the cart in the Narthex.
Submitted by Louise Halstead, Mission’s Chair
Coffee Hour Schedule for April 2010
Lectionary for April 2010
April 1
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 (UMH 837)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
April 2
Good Friday
(worship at St. John's UMC, Watertown)
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Psalm 22 (UMH 752)
Hebrews 10:16-25
John 18:1–19:42
April 4
Easter Sunday
Acts 10:34-43
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (UMH 839)
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18 (or Luke 24:1-12)
April 11
Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 150 (UMH 862)
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31
April 18
Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-6, 7-20
Psalm 30 (UMH 762)
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
April 25
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36-43
Psalm 23 (UMH 754 or 137)
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30
April Sunshine Page
Please contact the church office with any additions or corrections. Also remember to send in any items for the Transitions section. Thank you!
Birthdays
2: Jennifer Coombs
Jeffrey Coombs
Noah Wimmer
6: Jennifer Bourque
12: Joanna Milton
14: Bruce Pahlm
17: Ava Walsh
Caren Rosales
Arthur Marchetta, Sr.
20: Danielle Rosales
Elizabeth Rosales
Leah Wimmer
21: Selima Chandler
23: Peter Savarese
24: Paula Paine
25: Ryan Touzjian
26: Mark Milton
27: Christina Matson
Jack Canepa
30: Emily Savarese
Anniversaries
7: Arty and Carol Marchetta
15: John and Nancy Montanaro
30: Richard & Sidney Gerrold
Sunday Services: 10:00
Fellowship: 11:00
Sunday School: 11:30
Child Care Provided.
Upcoming Services
