The Gift of LOVE

LOVE, a powerful word that is often watered down in our culture today!  “I love your Uggs.”, “I love my new IPod.”, and “I love your hair.”  This doesn’t sound much like the same LOVE Jesus taught, and I couldn’t find “Uggs” anywhere in my bible.  Jesus gave us the gift of LOVE and we should probably be sharing it, too!

It gets me thinking about Tim Tebow.  He’s been in the news a lot lately, if you haven’t heard!  He openly expresses his love and faith in Jesus Christ.  For a short introduction, Tim Tebow is a Denver Bronco who once wore the verse John 3:16 in black under his eyes during football season.  He prays openly by bowing on one knee quite often during football games.  He’s created quite a stir.

For me, it’s refreshing to see Tebow’s face, his expression of faith and his actions plastered all over the media.  He’s professing and  exclaiming  his love and faith for the Lord our God, as we are told to do in the bible.   This type of expression is hard to do in our society, I know that.  So we must do it in more subtle ways.  Looks like this LOVE journey has just taken me down a new path.   So, I looked up LOVE in the back of my student bible, wow, there are many verses and stories that teach us about the word LOVE.   I came upon the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “  These character traits were given to us as gifts from Jesus Christ himself!  Yes, Jesus gave us nine gifts and one of them is LOVE. 

So, maybe we can’t all be “Tebowing” but, can we show our love for Jesus Christ in subtle ways?  Yes, we can.  It’s our gift to be given away.  Treat others as you would want to be treated, do not judge others, talk to the person next to you, you know, the one person you often try to avoid, stop and listen to appreciate nature, accept people for who they are, just to name a few.  Did you know that Jesus loves everyone, everyone!  Not just you, not just the pretty popular girl, not just the perfect athlete, EVERYONE.  Try doing the same; see how your LOVE spreads.  Before you know it, others have caught on to LOVE and you taught them how to give it away!  Not so subtle anymore is it?

So I have given myself the challenge, to give some of my LOVE away, maybe you can try to do the same.  Imagine, if we all challenged ourselves to share LOVE at least once every day, watch your LOVE spread and you’ll be exclaiming your LOVE for Jesus, too!

And, by the way, there’s so much to learn about the other eight gifts of the Spirit….

~Cheryl

 Wright examines six different ways of experiencing giving, including dozens of suggestions for practicing each of these ways of giving: 

1.  Giving can be an act of worship, offering you the chance to live out your gratitude for the gift of life.
2.  Giving can be an act of stewardship, a way of caring for the possessions with which you have been entrusted.
3. Giving can be an act of obligation, shaping the givers’ identity in life-giving ways.
4. Giving can be an act of redemption, moving money and possessions from profane to sacred objects.
5. Giving can be an act of charity which transforms your point of view and makes it possible for you to encounter the Sacred. 
6. Giving can be an act of justice, offering you the chance to tap into the work of God in this world. 

   May Lent be for you a time of learning the many blessings of giving. 

                                                                                                                                                                                  Lenten Blessings,

                                                                                                                                                                                  Pastor Amy

“All You Need is Love” (lyric excerpt)

There's nothing you can know that isn't known
Nothing you can see that isn't shown
No where you can be that isn't where you're meant to be, It's easy
All you need is love, (da ta da ta da) All you need is love, (da ta da ta da)  All you need is love, love; Love is all you need.

I am particularly drawn to that line, “No where you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.”  Whatever we are doing or wherever we may be, we are exactly where we should be. “Oh no,” you may say. “This is definitely not where I want to or should be.” But here you are, so how is it that you are not where you should or want to be?

I find that we can spend a lot of time bemoaning (a much lovelier word than “whining”) about the circumstances of life when things are not going the way we believe they should. It can be little things like a line of traffic when one needs to be somewhere five minutes ago. Or big things like not being able to take a vacation this year because the water heater failed and the car needs four new tires and the kids need braces. Well the line of traffic wouldn’t be a problem if one had listened to the traffic report and allowed 15 extra minutes “just in case.” And while a vacation is a good (and sometimes necessary) thing isn’t it great that the vacation fund can be used to buy a water heater, new tires and braces for the children.

Life is what it is and we can fuss and moan or we can love. Love the moment because we are alive to live it. Love the God who created us to be. Love the thought that the only certainty about life is that it will change. And love the God who loves us enough to allow us a fresh start every day in order to change it.

I enjoy the art and sentiment of Mary Englebreit. She creates whimsical illustrations often with a message. Recently I purchased a set of greeting cards with a cover that reads “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it!” Wise words that remind me that how I think about something can make all the difference in how I respond to it.

So think about this; God loves us, just as we are and just where we are. God loves us no matter what our place in this world is. God loves us no matter what! “All you need is love.” The Beatles had it right.

On the journey together,

Pastor Eva

Rev. Young grew up in Delaware County before graduating from Boston University and the Duke Divinity School.  He was ordained in 1991 and has served ministries in many parts of Eastern Pennsylvania including the Frankford Group Ministry, Holmesburg UMC, the merger of Trinity and Salem churches in Allentown,  and Trinity UMC in Lebanon.  Before his current appointment, Mark served as the resident chaplain at Lancaster General Hospital.

Pastor Mark’s first Sunday with us will be July 1st of this year.  This past Thursday, the SPRC was able to spend a little time with Mark, and we are very excited about the talents, gifts, and experiences he will be bring to our congregation.

Andy Cole
Chair - Staff-Parish Relations Committee

First Church’s expenses for 2011 were $7,763 more than our revenues in 2011.  That meant we had to use money from our reserve savings to fund our building and grounds maintenance, missions, ministries, programs, and staffing last year.  We did receive more than expected in Christmas offerings and one large donation in December that helped recover a larger deficit that we were running throughout most of the year. 

This week, 2011 financial statements were mailed out to all our members and friends who made donations to our church.  75% of our pledges from last year fully met or exceeded their pledged contribution, and nine out of 10 of those who pledged donated more than 80% of their pledged amount.  We greatly appreciate the faithfulness of all who donate to support the works of our church.

Check out the Great Lakes Scrip Program website - www.glscrip.com for a listing of the many gift cards that are available for purchase:  ACME - $100, AMC Theaters - $25, Dunkin Donuts - $10, Giant - $25 or $100, Kohl's - $25, Staples - $25, Starbucks - $25, Target - $25, WAWA - $100

SUNDAY MORNING GROUPS - classes are offered for all age levels. We welcome new people in all our groups and hope you will consider participating. These groups provide learning, fellowship and a place to connect with others. All groups meet promptly at 9:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY -each week from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the church library. This study is an overview of the Gospel of John, using video segments and discussion, to better understand the person and mission of Jesus. All are welcome to attend. Contact Pastor Eva with questions.

Next Session:  Sunday, January 29th 9:30 a.m. and Noon in the Chapel.

It’s a new year, symbolic of a fresh start.  And how many of us see it as a time for change—a time for changing our eating or exercising habits, a time for changing the way we treat family members, a time for changing our habits of prayer and church-going.  That’s what New Year’s resolutions are about, after all—changing the things about our lives or ourselves that we don’t like.  And by saying that, we are acknowledging that change can be a good thing.

Think of all the changes you’ve been through in your life:  going away to college; getting married; having children; watching the children grow up and leave home; retiring.  Change is an inevitable part of life.  But we have a love/hate relationship with change:  change can be exciting and hopeful, but it also means loss and uncertainty.  We’ve lost the familiar and comfortable, and we’re afraid of that uncertainty.  (I’m reminded of the light bulb joke:  How many country and western singers does it take to change a light bulb?  Five ... one to change the light bulb and a quartet to sing about how much they long and pine for the old one.)  We like to know in advance what any change is going to look like and what it’s going to require of us.  But the problem with that, from a Christian perspective, is that it requires no faith.  And the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 to “live by faith, not by sight.”

We like to live by sight, don’t we?  We want to know that everything will turn out just like we want it to.  The fact of the matter is that we don’t really trust God to take care of things for our best interest.  But for us to grow in our relationship with God, for us to grow in our faith, we need to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. And that requires that we move forward in the midst of change and uncertainty.

So what are the challenges and changes you are facing in the new year?  Maybe your family is going through a time of change, or your job is changing.  Maybe you face the challenge of rebuilding a marriage or moving to a retirement community or learning to live with a chronic health concern. Our challenge at First Church is to continue to grow our vital programs of Christian Education and youth ministry, outreach to homebound members, music and mission, while working with a reduced budget; and to prepare for a smooth transition to a new senior pastor.   It will require your patience and flexibility, the commitment of your heart, your time and your talents.  But I believe that God is always at work, no matter what the changes in our lives, and trusting God through the changes can help us to grow closer to God.  Remember these words from Romans:  “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (8:28 NIV).

I close with this benediction from Ephesians:  “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20).

                                                                                                                                                                  Blessings for the Journey,

                                                                                                                                                                  Pastor Amy 

So I’ve been thinking about the New Year and of course I started to contemplate my goals (and no, I am not calling them resolutions). 

My personal goals are to get healthy(no NOT lose weight, that’s called dieting), de-clutter my life, take time for me(ha!), clean out closets, make mini-moments for prayer, do my bible study homework all the time, etc.  I could go on and on.  It started to feel overwhelming and I thought, I can’t do all these things, can I? 

FORGET THAT, I thought, I’ll work on writing my Youth Group goals. Twenty minutes later (after staring into the heavens) my paper was blank, way too many thoughts and ideas! Talk about overwhelming…..

So I turned to my trusty Youth Worker magazines, journals, and emails.  They have a way of putting Youth Ministry in perspective, a God perspective.  Low and behold, I found help!  A short verse jumped out at me:

                        “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

(1 Corinthians 10:31)

If everything I attempt to do, I do for the glory of God, I’m good!  God wants me to be healthy, God wants me to purge my too-many things, God wants me to take time pray, I can do all these things!  If I live my life and let Jesus shine, my decisions and choices will reflect the glory of God.

What are your goals and how will they reflect the glory of God?   I challenge you to read the above verse and jot down your New Year goals.  You can do them and do them to the glory of God.

If for some reason you don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions (uh, I mean goals), then here are some ideas that this journal recommended:

• Put others first
• Ask others to help you avoid and resist temptation
• Realize that you don’t have to disobey God
• Be filled with the Spirit
• Tell others about how they can have eternal life through Christ
• Pray all the time
• Study the Bible to get a picture of how God wants you to live
• Treat others the way you would want to be treated
• Think about how your decisions impact God’s name and fame

Happy Blessed New Year,

Cheryl

This year we will think about and focus on stewardship as an ongoing part of our Christian discipleship.  We will study God’s word in order to discern what God says about being good stewards. As followers of Jesus we are called to be in ministry with all God’s people. Think about the well known stories of Jesus.  We read of him reaching out to the poor, the unacceptable, those despised by others.  We read of healings and miracles that show his followers and critics what great love God has for God’s people.  It is in that spirit that we will center our efforts on giving all that we are able to give, time, talent, money and our participation in the life of the church, in order to accomplish God’s goals for us.

I encourage you to think about the folks you know in our church. Who are they? What are their gifts? How might you encourage those talents? I believe as we affirm one another’s gifts and graces momentum will build around a common desire to make our church one that is recognized as a place where all are important and where all live out God’s call on their lives.

So, do you agree that this is a resolution you can share? I hope you do and will. As we learn and grow in faith, as we reach out to a world in desperate need of good news, I hope we will become a force of God’s goodness and grace. My hope is built on Christ, the solid rock. It has withstood the test of time and I don’t believe God is leading us off the edge of a cliff but into a new day that manifests God’s great love for us and for our church in this community.

Blessings for the journey,

Pastor Eva

Thank you for all of your help & support!

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

The Cookie Princess (Debbie Bagley)

It is Advent, the preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the remembering of the birth of Jesus, the reason for the season. Right, only if you are not a retailer. This year we have been bombarded with weeks of pre- Black Friday, Black Friday, and better than Black Friday, sales promotions, special holiday discounts and TV commercials that show people joyfully swiping their credit cards to buy the perfect gifts for those they love. The ‘Christmas machine’ is in hyper-drive as merchants try to reverse the sagging economy with holiday sales. What are the chances of that? Perhaps as likely as the chance of a baby born in a stable becoming the Savior of the world?

The biblical telling of the Incarnation is an enormous idea to wrap our heads around. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke have been mashed together to form the traditional Christmas story.  It includes a young woman being informed by an angel that she’s having a baby by God’s Spirit, a man being informed that his betrothed is having a baby by God’s Spirit, a woman who is having a baby by her husband, says the child “leaps” in her womb at the approach of the not yet wed, pregnant, young woman.  It tells of a young couple journeying to Bethlehem to be counted in a census decreed by the Roman government in order to appropriately tax the Jewish population they oppress. A single bright star hovering over a stable/ maternity suite, a host of angels singing in the night to terrified shepherds who none the less scoot on over to town to check out the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, who is then visited by star gazing magi who bring extravagantly expensive gifts to the child; an extremely unlikely story. It is a story juxtaposed with The Grinch, Rudolph, and Frosty. It’s displayed in crèche scenes and large, lighted plastic lawn figures. It’s reverently sung about in services of Lesson and Carols.

That is the story we are given and as unlikely as it seems it is the one we in the church celebrate year after year. I hope you will consider the story carefully this Advent season. Not so much the details but the spirit of the story that reminds us even the most unlikely things can have a profound impact on our lives. That the Jesus we follow is a source of hope because careful attention to his life renders a change in our own. So let’s count down the days, light the candles, sing the songs and spend wisely as we prepare for Christmas this year. Hold fast to the truth that God has not changed and still seeks to reconcile and redeem the world, no matter how unlikely that may seem.

As we journey together,

Pastor Eva

Please let Mrs. Cini know asap if you will be going.  You can submit your registration  form and $85.00 directly to Mr.s Cini,  Please visit www.gretnaglen.org for the registration form.  If you register online, please let Mrs. Cini know so she can add you to the count. 

There are many documents that need to be filled out,  but we only need your registration form and fee at this time.

 The deadline for registration is December 11th.  You can submit you form and fee to me at our Decemver 4th or 11th Fire Meeting. 

 We had lots of fun last year:  Your registration fee includes, fun, sledding(if snow!), GaGa, smores, ice skating(at the local arena), more fun, warm clean bunks, 3 meals a day, crafts, devotions, games, etc.