Beautiful Beloveds,
Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, and we’ll celebrate with a Super Singing Sunday. Our worship, both virtual and in the parking lot will celebrate the singers and musicians in our midst. We’ll also give thanks for music’s ability to give form to praise, deepest emotions, and even unspoken thoughts and feelings. You’ll also find when you register there’s an opportunity to share music you’d love to hear in the next few weeks and months.
Please be sure to check your email on Sunday morning. As I write this, we’re watching the weather forecast for Sunday. If we get inclement weather, we’ll gather by Zoom instead of in our parking lot. Whether we gather in person, or via Zoom, I’ll send out an email at 7:30 on Sunday morning, so you know where to find us. Please do register as if we’ll be together, and I’ll be sure to notify all who have registered directly by email, text, or phone.
Peace, Heather
Mark Your Calendars
Sunday, February 7: Fifth Sunday of Epiphany
8:30 am : Virtual Worship premier on Facebook (also available on YouTube after 5:30am)
11:00 am: Worshipful Engagement in our Parking Lot. Please register here.
Youth Group will not gather until February 21.
Monday, February 8:
9:00 am: Lend-a-Hand
7:00 pm: Men’s Study Group (via Zoom)
Tuesday, February 9:
12:00 pm: Deadline for “A Word on Wednesday,” our midweek mailing
Wednesday, February 10:
12:00 pm: Deadline for Saturday Tidings Submissions
6: 30 pm: Seacoast District Pre-Lenten Gathering (Register Here for Zoom Link)
Thursday, February 11:
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 meeting
Friday, February 12:
Saturday, February 13:
Sunday, February 14: Sixth Sunday of Epiphany
8:30 am : Virtual Worship premier on Facebook (also available on YouTube after 5:30am)
11:00 am: Worshipful Engagement in our Parking Lot. Please register here.
Together in Christ—We worship, learn and grow
What about Lent this year?
This year, our Lenten Theme will be Holy Vessels. Each of us are created by God as a precious and holy vessel of embodied love. In the last year, we have in many ways experienced a feeling of shattering: body, mind, and spirit, like a glass vessel fractured into pieces. This Lent, we’ll enter a “season of recovery,” for our physical, communal, mental, intellectual and environmental health. Each week will feature a different healing story of Jesus and an invitation to find wholeness.
It has been recommended that there is no safe way to impose ashes, and so we will gather virtually on Ash Wednesday. Worship will be offered on our Facebook Page and YouTube channel for you to watch at your convenience. As a way to bring home this series, and experience Ash Wednesday in a new way, we have prepared “Lent-in-a-bag” for each of our families. You can register here to select a time and way to pick up, or have your bag delivered. Each bag will include pre-blessed ashes and oil, so that you can safely impose ashes on yourself on February 17, a Lenten devotional, and a few small gifts to help you observe this holy season.
Seacoast District Pre-Lenten Gathering (Register Here for Zoom Link)
Clergy and lay people in the district are invited to prepare spiritually for Lent by participating in a gathering on the evening of Wednesday, February 10th. Our guest speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua.
Use the Registration link to sign up by Tuesday, February 9th. Zoom connection information will be emailed prior to the event.
Love Fest—February 2021
Shed a little light, spread a little love, text a little joy! In this month of Valentines, let’s reach out to one another! Join Pastor Heather for a texting love fest. Text today, 774.994.3645 to let her know you’d like to help.
The Accountants: A Homily by John Greene
It is that time again. The time when we gather all of our records, when we gather our check books and look them over. The time of year when we wait for statements to be mailed to us. The time of year when we look back at our financial earnings, contributions, and expenditures. It is a time when we take stock of the past year and a time to think about our plans for the coming year. For those of us who need help preparing our taxes it is time to get in touch with an accountant. The accountant’s job is to assess the information we present and to help calculate if we are due to get a return of money or if we are going to be required to pay a little more money. The accountant is only able to deal with what we show. Everything we lay on the table is taken in good faith. Our hearts and our intentions are not visible. The accountant has to sign the return based on your truthfulness. He doesn’t offer forgiveness.
The beginning of the new year is also a time to assess our spiritual life.
What have we done in the past year to fulfill God’s plan? Have we been faithful in our use of the financial blessings given to us? Have we been honest in what we have brought to offer? When we add up the good intentions and balance them against what we really were able to accomplish will we be looking at a return or will we be presented with a bill due? When we sit down with our spiritual accountant to assess our heart everything is open for examination. Nothing is hidden. We have to deal with an honest accounting. Have we kept back hoping it won’t be noticed? God is a loving accountant but He is an all knowing one. Unlike our financial accountant, He is able to offer forgiveness for your shortcomings. He offers you another chance to start over; to try to work toward the fulfillment of His kingdom on earth. That is the best kind of accountant.
Matthew 22:21 “Render unto Caesar those things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”
John Greene
COVID-19 Information
On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, we launched our new COVID-19 Help Line: (774) 330-3001. Callers are able to speak with Medical Reserve Corps volunteers Monday through Friday, 8am–4:30pm to get answers to questions regarding COVID-19 general info., testing sites, vaccine rollout information and more. Read the press release HERE.
Committed to Serve—We are making a difference
Food for Thought: Conference-wide Lenten Bible Study ‘Roll Down, Justice’
You are invited to participate in a New England Conference-wide Bible study for Lent, Sundays, 7pm-8:30pm.
This study, titled “Roll Down, Justice,” was written by the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR).
The study will be led by Rev. Megan Stowe, Commonwealth West District Superintendent. Using biblical passages and Mark Miller’s amazing hymns, this study will offer guidance to us as Christians and as United Methodists on how to be an anti-racist and inclusive church.
The study is part of the Conference and Commonwealth West District’s renewed commitment to engage in anti-racism work that was reinforced by the 2020 discovery of KKK materials in the historic cornerstone of the former Fairlawn Methodist Episcopal Church.
Registration deadline is noon on Feb. 12. You will be sent the Zoom link when you sign up. You only need to register once to attend all the sessions.
Green Tip: Celebrate Black History Month February is Black History Month and there are many ways to celebrate and get involved. Follow Creation Justice Ministries on social media to follow our Black History Month campaign. We also recommend that you check out these organizations who are making black history: Outdoor Afro, Black Millenials for Flint, & the NAACP Environmental and Climate Program.Outdoor Afro, Black Millenials for Flint, & the NAACP Environmental and Climate Program.
What about pledge cards and envelopes? Envelopes and paper pledge cards will be available on Sunday or contact Jane to pick them up during the week. If you haven’t yet, please fill out your pledge/estimate of giving here or contact Jane Gray 508.428.2811 or office@umcchurches.org.
FEBRUARY Collection for Local Food Pantries: Thank you Matthew 25: 40 Church Family for your donations last month of breakfast foods and socks for our homeless neighbors! “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This month we are collecting new individual travel sizes of personal items such as shampoo, conditioner, body soap, shower gel, soft toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, band aids, first aid ointments, feminine hygiene items, men’s shaving cream, combs, brushes, Kleenex, etc. Thank you for putting your donated items in the large black labeled container to the right of the church front door.
Zoom Links
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