Beautiful Beloveds,
Saturday, we sang together, raising our voices inside our cars, singing our favorite hymns. From “How Great Thou Art,” to “Here I Am, Lord,” we sang with vim and vigor, and a few tears too. On Sunday, we worshiped together, yet apart. We gathered for coffee hour, familiar yet not the same. Our youth group gathered Sunday evening, playing games together, fun and familiar, yet totally different. In these last four months, we’ve adapted, learning new ways to be together, new ways to BE the church.
What will the next four months bring? Who among us can guess? We hear dire predictions, hopeful imaginings, talk of a vaccine. We don’t know. But we trust. We trust in the one who made us, always with us. We trust in the one we follow, who shows us how to let love guide our every act, word and decision. We trust in the power and creativity of the Holy Spirit. She inspired a rag-tag bunch of fishermen to start the Jesus movement that changed our world. She can show us the way to continue to adapt, as we continue to follow in the footsteps of the one who calls us to love. We remain Together in Christ…Committed to Serve.
Peace,
Heather
**Green tips are back. Be sure to read to the very end of the email, under service and witness to find them!
As United Methodists we promise to support the church, the body of Christ, with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. Here are some ways you might live into those promises, this week:
Prayers:
We give thanks for:
-The joy of being together for the car karaoke hymnsing!
-The wonder and beauty of Creation
Please pray for:
-The family of Mary Kerr who died on Monday. There will be a celebration of the lives of both Bill and Mary at some future date.
-All who face housing insecurity.
-All who are affected by the ongoing Corona Crisis: doctors, nurses, caregivers, patients, families, churches, businesses, and so many more
Please submit prayer requests to Pastor Heather, pastorheather@umcchurches.org and 774.994.3645.
**If you’d like to receive the weekly prayers from our Conference, please subscribe to the UMCatalyst weekly e-newsletter and you’ll get the daily prayer as well. Subscribe
Presence (even if we cannot be physically together, we can connect)
Wednesday Gatherings (Two separate gatherings–Same Zoom link)
3pm Check In and Prayer (Conversation, sharing joys and concerns, prayer–30 minutes or less)
7pm Vespers (Conversation, Scripture, and Prayer–30 minutes or less)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88587967096?pwd=Wm1ENGtBNWc4L1QxVXhXYVdON2ovdz09
Meeting ID: 885 8796 7096
Password: 185286
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,88587967096#,,,,0#,,185286#
Or Call: +1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 885 8796 7096
Password: 185286
Saturday, July 18-–Parking Lot Prayer and Visitation–9am-11:30am (By Appointment only)
Meet Pastor Heather at the church for conversation and prayer. You’ll stay in your car, she’ll be masked and keep distance from your car.
Text or call, 774.994.3645 or email pastorheather@umcchurches.org to set up an appointment.
Sunday Morning Coffee Hour, 11am on Sundays
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89909659316?pwd=R3dFZHg3SndFRGpnUStuYWdtRmIxZz09
Meeting ID: 899 0965 9316
Password: 485407
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,89909659316#,,,,0#,,485407#
Or Call: +1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 899 0965 9316
Password: 485407
Next Week: July 21, 7pm Church Council meeting via Zoom–This meeting will specifically look at the state of our church finances after spending pppl monies, and looking ahead. Join us to share your creative ideas to meet the challenge before us.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83110571204?pwd=TDNOLzZ5ZTZuaEgzUkkzaWEzcy9aQT09
Meeting ID: 831 1057 1204
Password: 220040
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,83110571204#,,,,0#,,220040#
Or Call: +1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 831 1057 1204
Password: 220040
Gifts
Please continue to submit pledges via our online giving portal, and through the mail. Your generosity is supporting meaningful mission and ministry in our community!
Please no gifts of thrift, yard sale, or rummage items. Please don’t enter any of our buildings. Please leave nothing at the church, annex, nor Rainbow’s End. At this time we cannot accept any donations and do not have the volunteers on our campus to sort and store them appropriately. We will advertise very publicly when we are ready for these items. Thank you for your generosity and patience.
Green Tips
During the pandemic I have spent a great deal of time in my yard gardening, enjoying meals on the back deck and reading in a shady spot. Bird watching, the colorful orioles at the grape jelly bowl, hummingbirds at the flowers and starlings invading the yard are all a constant source of interest. We can support bird populations by choosing native plants and having a not so tidy yard. If we have dead trees that are no danger to people, structures or power lines we can leave them be. These dead trees or snags as they are called, can provide a place for wildlife to nest, for hawks to perch looking for food, provide a food source for insects and finally where lichen, mosses and fungi can grow. According to the National Wildlife Federation the removal of dead material from forests can mean the loss of habitat for up to a fifth of the animals in the ecosystem. More than 1,000 wildlife species use snags! While we see woodpeckers making holes in snags, there are 40 species of birds that are dependent on these nests for their own lifecycle.
Enjoy your yard and maybe even leave a bit of wildness.