May 1, 2021
Beautiful Beloveds,
Happy May Day! Growing up, May Day was an opportunity to leave flowers on my great grandmother’s porch and celebrate the beauty of spring and family. I don’t remember much more about the day than a feeling of joy and family and the delight of surprising her. How will you share joy with someone this May Day?
As we continue to dare to dance again, we invite the Spirit to lead us to those who might be looking for dance partners. In both our virtual/digital worship and our drive-in worship we’ll consider the story of the Ethiopian eunuch who needed someone to explain scripture, to offer baptism, to show him the steps of faith. Who do you know that’s feeling cut off, isolated, or excluded from the life of faith? How might you extend the invitation to experience the gifts of faith? Think of it as a May Day Gift. It doesn’t have to be a high pressure soap box testimony. How can you share something that brings you purpose, joy, comfort, and more with people you care about?
Peace,
Heather
Looking for some easy ways to share your faith with someone? Consider:
Low Commitment Faith-Sharing: Like our church Facebook page, or one of our posts on our page, YouTube Channel, or website. Liking one of our posts requires little personal investment, and increases the likelihood others will see the post.
Trust building Faith Sharing: Share one of our church posts or videos on your page. Comment on one of our posts or videos on Facebook, YouTube, or our website. If there’s a song, sermon, image or prayer that touches you in our digital worship, share a link. YouTube even allows you to specify the time to start watching. When you share our posts, the number of people who see them grows exponentially. Additionally, the people who see your shares, already have a relationship with you, a built-in level of trust.
Invitational Faith-Sharing: Invite someone to our Facebook Premiere at 8:30am, a YouTube Watch party on your personal zoom account, or to our Drive-in style worship at 11am. Remember, people are looking for safe and healthy ways to connect. Tell someone how you are connecting with our church, and invite them to join you.
Mark Your Calendars
Sunday, May 2:
5:30am Worship available on our YouTube channel
8:30 am: Virtual Worship premier on Facebook
11:00 am: “Drive-In” style worshipful Engagement in our Parking Lot. Please register here.
7:00 pm: Youth Group (Zoom link below)
Monday, May 3:
9:00 am: Lend-a-Hand
7:00 pm: Men’s Study Group (via Zoom)
Tuesday, May 4:
12:00 pm: Deadline for “A Word on Wednesday,” AND Saturday Tidings
Wednesday, May 5:
Thursday, May 6:
10:00 am: Zoom Bible Study—Join us as we explore the gospel of Matthew, Zoom Link below.
6:30 pm COVID-19 Leadership Task Force
Friday, May 7:
Saturday, May 8:
Sunday, May 9: Mother’s Day
5:30am: Worship available on our YouTube channel
8:30 am: Virtual Worship premier on Facebook
11:00 am: Drive in style worshipful Engagement in our Parking Lot. Please register here.
7:00 pm: Youth Group meets via Zoom (link below)
Together in Christ—We worship, learn and grow
Barnstable is now “in the yellow.” How does that affect Drive-in Style Worship?
We now invite you to bring your chairs to be seated outside, or to remain in your cars throughout worship. People are available to collect or bring you anything you need including communion elements, The Upper Room, or collect your offering if needed. Please wear masks for the safety of others, especially those who may not have been vaccinated. Remember, the building remains closed so bathrooms will be unavailable. Please plan accordingly.
Please register here and let us know something that has been meaningful during our drive-in style worship, as well as something we might do to improve the experience.
Last call for Graduates!! If you know someone who is graduating this year, please let us know.
Please contact Jane Gray, office@umcchurches.org, or 508.428.2811 to to let us know if someone in your family is graduating from High School, Trade School, or College this year. Please tell us the name of your student, and any details you care to share. From where are they graduating, are they receiving any special honors, and do they know what’s next in their journey.
Dancing with Joy
A homily by John Greene
Our neighbors have a goat farm, so on a sunny spring morning our grandsons walked with us up the street to visit. The farm is on a hill atop sixty acres. The dirt road from the street is long and winds upward taking us to the top of Goat Hill Road. There in the pasture is a herd of goats grazing in the field. They are accompanied by two donkeys which we find out are protectors of the goats. They guard against coyotes and their hooves protect the small kids. Approaching the house at the top of the hill we are greeted by a small terrier who barks in defense of his territory. The owners reassure us that he just wants to get to know us first. After a few minutes of sniffing and petting, Roscoe becomes bonded with our grandsons. In the next few moments a small miracle occurs. Our grandsons, who are wary of any dog and especially a barking one, fall in love with Roscoe and he falls for them. The three of them roll on the ground amidst petting, licking and laughing. Their sheer joy and laughter makes us laugh too. Even when they get up from the ground they circle each other in a joyous dance. The goats look on in amusement and are wondering when their turn to dance will come. Maybe on our next visit.
Job 21:11 “They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.”
John Greene
Committed to Serve—We are making a difference
Food for Thought
Rolling Ridge launches online series ‘Voices and Stories’
Rolling Ridge is launching “Voices and Stories,” a new online series that uses historical education and contemplative listening to open hearts and minds to the events that have shaped American society today.
Signed into law on May 6, 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act remains the only law ever enacted to prevent all members of a specific ethnic/national group from immigrating to the United States.
Join us to learn about the history of anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S. as we consider the implications on anti-Asian hate today and what we need to do to build bridges of understanding and to take a stand for justice. Facilitator is Lawrence Jay, Rolling Ridge director, who will share how his great grandparents’ story intersects with this historic event.
Upcoming events in the “Voices and Stories” series:
- Chinese Exclusion Act, 11 am to 1 pm on Thursday, May 6, 2021
- Juneteenth, Tuesday, June 14
- The 1982 Murder of Vincent Chin, Wednesday, June 23
Community Book Club!
The Barnstable Ally Group is proud to announce the next installment of our Community Book Club! We will be reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, a novel about a young Black girl growing up in Ohio during the Great Depression.
We will meet to discuss the book Thursday, May 27 at 7:00pm via Zoom. To sign up for the book club, please complete the Google Form below.
Please consider getting your copy from either Titcomb’s Bookshop in Sandwich or Frugal Bookstore, a black-owned business in Boston. We look forward to seeing you at the discussion! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at barnstableally@gmail.com.
Green Tips: Celebrate May Day!
Celebrate May Day by planting or sharing flowers or gardening. Keep it local! Native plants are good for the bugs, bees, bats and birds!
Generations of Hope Virtual Silent Auction – A Benefit for the Cape Cod Council of Churches
Click here to view all auction items and place your bid online!
Do you shop at Amazon? Sign up for AmazonSmile and fund mission and ministry at UMC, Osterville
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select “Osterville United Methodist Church” as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They’ll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
3. Select “Osterville United Methodist Church” as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
United Methodist News
Enter the 2021 Laity Address Challenge
The Conference Board of Laity is pleased to invite all laypersons in the New England Annual Conference to enter the Laity Address Challenge to have an opportunity to give the Laity Address at the 2021 Annual Conference. The 2021 Annual Conference will be held online June 10-12. The Laity Address will be pre-recorded. The specific date/time of the Laity Address broadcast has not been set.
Our Annual Conference theme is “Building Beloved Community.” Our guiding scripture Psalm 137:4 NIV: “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” The address must use those as its theme. The address should be 15-20 minutes long. Entrants must submit a written copy of their entire proposed address along with a video of themselves delivering the first five minutes of the address. The deadline to submit your proposed address and video is May 7, 2021.
For more information on how to submit your entry or to ask any questions about entering the challenge, please email Co-Associate Conference Lay Leader Joan Farrar at cw.dll.acll@gmail.com or call 978.582.467
Need Prayer?
Please submit prayer requests here or contact Pastor Heather directly, pastorheather@umcchurches.org and 774.994.3645.
Zoom Links
Youth Group—Sundays at 7pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89016033879?pwd=bnpjYUVqc1Rkc0RRRWtjeG0yTXV2Zz09
Meeting ID: 890 1603 3879
Passcode: 312727
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,89016033879#,,,,*312727# US (Washington DC)
Thursday Morning Bible Study
Time: Thursday mornings, 10am
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83958360902?pwd=K2Q1enBPQWJ4cGJLamI2UXJWVzhEZz09
Meeting ID: 839 5836 0902
Passcode: 477955
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,83958360902#,,,,*477955# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,83958360902#,,,,*477955# US (New York)
Or Call: +1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 839 5836 0902
Passcode: 477955