The Journey and Trinity Bible Scholars

The Journey

Luke 2:8-20

Scripture for December 27

The gifts have been opened and all that’s left of the holiday meal are leftovers. Another Christmas has come and gone. Yet the Scripture this week tells us more about the birth of the Christ Child Aren’t we going on to other things? That’s how we typically “do” Christmas, isn’t it? The day after Christmas we begin to think about the New Year and putting all the Christmas decorations away. Do we also put away that miracle birth and all that it means to us and for us? Let’s keep thinking about the birth of the Christ Child and how it is important to us every day of the year….

Oh God, I admit it’s easy to put Christ away when I am busy with so many other things. Please help me to focus on what’s really important. Amen.



Trinity Bible Scholars

December 27

1. What 4 word phrase did the angel say to Mary in the Gospel of Luke, Joseph in Gospel of Matthew and the shepherds in the Luke passage for this week? _______________

2. What was the sign for the shepherds to know the baby was the Christ Child? __________________

3. What did Mary treasure in her heart? __________________


4. What one thing would you like to do in 2010 to walk closer with God? _________________________

5. Happy New Year! Free 10 points!!!

The Journey and Trinity Bible Scholars

The Journey
Luke 2:1-7
Scripture for December 20

We light the fourth Advent candle this Sunday, the candle of love. Love is a word that is so difficult to define; yet we know it when we experience it. We know how we love our families, our friends and our God. We know that God sent Jesus to this earth to show us how much God loves us. Who do you know that needs God’s love this Christmas season? God invites each one of us to be that love in the world during Advent and every day of the year. Who needs you to be God’s love today? And tomorrow?

Well God, I’m really busy as it gets closer and closer to Christmas and I know I meet people every day that need to know Your love. Give me Your eyes to see them and Your heart to show them Your love. Amen.


Trinity Bible Scholars

December 20



Answers are from the Gospel of Luke.



1. Who called for the first registration? ____________



2. Who was governor of Syria during the first registration? ____________



3. Where was Joseph’s hometown? _______________



4. Why was there no room for Joseph and Mary at any of the inns in Bethlehem? ___________



5. Merry Christmas, you get an automatic 10 points for this question because you are one of the elite Trinity Bible Scholars!!!

The Journey and Trinity Bible Scholars

The Journey

Luke 1:39-45

Scripture for December 13

We light the third Advent candle this Sunday and it represents joy. Joy is that feeling way down deep inside of us, almost like we’re smiling from the inside out. It lifts us up and we want to share it with others. What brings you deep down joy this holiday season? How can you share that joy with others? Remember that song, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart.” Pass it on…

Dear God,

Help me to have that deep down joy, even in the busyness of this Christmas season. Open the eyes of my heart so I notice people so I can share the joy of Christ with them. Amen.




Trinity Bible Scholars

December 13


Answers are from the Gospel of Luke.


1. Elizabeth was married to _________?

2. What happened to Elizabeth’s husband when he questioned the angel’s news that his wife would have a son? ____________

3. How was Elizabeth related to Mary? __________

4. What was the importance of Elizabeth’s baby to Jesus? ________

5. What is Elizabeth’s son’s name? _______

The Journey and Trinity Bible Scholars

The Journey

Matthew 16:18 and Ephesians 2:10 -20

Scripture for Nov. 15

We all have expectations about lots of things. You know, something is supposed to be a certain way. But then when it isn’t it, we’re not sure what to do. For example, we have a pretty good idea of much our water bill will be each month (or electric/gas bill). You could say we expect it to be around a certain amount. Then we get the mail and the water bill is twice as high as usual. Our expectations have not been met and we may be confused or even angry. Or let’s say we teach our child to be kind to other children. Then he or she acts out in some way. Again, our expectations have not been met and we get upset. We expect certain things from family, friends, employers and our church. Then when our expectations are not met, we have some decisions to make. How will we respond when our expectations are not met? Lots of emotions can be involved. It’s important for us to look at our expectations from time to time of other people, our church, our jobs and even God. We may just find that our expectations keep us from fully living the life that God invites us to live.

Prayer

Well God, when I really think about it, I can be quite upset when my expectations are not met by You and others. Gosh, I wonder if others and maybe even You, feel the same way about me…gives me a lot to think about, you know? Amen.


Trinity Bible Scholars

Nov. 15

Answers based on Matthew and Ephesians

1. The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy. Which other book in the New Testament has a genealogy? ____________


2. What does Matthew 16:18 mean to you? _____________________


3. The city of Ephesus is in what country? __________________


4. When do scholars believe the Letter to the Ephesians was written? ______________


5. Where was Paul living when he wrote the Letter to the Ephesians? _______________

The Journey & Trinity Bible Quiz

John 5:2-9

Scripture for November 8

Most of us hold onto some things that really weigh us down. You know, things that have happened in our lives that we just can’t let go of. They seem to drag behind us and sometimes they get so heavy we can’t put one foot in front of the other. We tell ourselves to let go of the burden and we think we have for a while. But then there it is again. Sometimes the burden has become so much a part of who we are, we hold onto it out of habit, not even realizing it. How do we begin to let go? How do we discover how to release the burdens we carry around? How do we let go and let God carry them?

Prayer

Oh God, you know all too well what I carry and how hard it is for me to let you have it. Why do I hold on so tightly? Am I getting something out of it? Oh, these are tough questions and I need your help in finding the answers. Amen.





Trinity Bible Scholars
Nov. 8


Answers are from the Gospel of John.



1. Who is the Word? ___________



2. Who came to testify to the Light? ____________



3. The Gospel of John is one of four gospels in the Bible. Name the other three gospels. _________, _________ and _________.



4. What rather odd question did Jesus ask the man in the Scripture for November 8? _____________



5. The Gospel of John is supposedly written by John but is his name ever mentioned as the author except in the title? ______. Why do scholars believe it was titled the Gospel of John? __________ (cite the verse where you discovered the answer.)

Trinity Bible Scholars

Nov. 1



Answers are in Psalm 90 and the Letter of James.



1. How long has God been God? _______________ (cite verse)



2. The Book of Psalms is made up of how many “books?” ___________



3. Who is the Letter of James written to? _____________



4. What needs to be tamed? _________ (cite verse)



5. . What should we do when we are suffering? ________ What should we do when we are cheerful? ________ What should we do when we are sick? _________

Good Luck!

TheJourney

Psalm 90:12 and James 4:13-14

Scripture for November 1

We spend a lot of time hurrying from here to there, don’t we? Even when we’re sitting still our minds hurry from one thought to another. We just don’t know how to spend time in the “right now, “in the moment. So often we’re thinking about what we need to do next, instead of being present in this very moment. Think of all that we miss in this moment when we rush to the very next thing on our list. How do we slow down and savor this very moment? What do we miss that God offers us when we rush on ahead?


Prayer

Well, God, how do you know me so well? Help me to remember that my life is made up of moments and to slow down and notice…amen.

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

There are rules for us to follow every day. Some rules we like, others not so much. There are rules given to us by others for the common good, like we drive on the right side of the road in the United States. There are rules given to us by our families, you have to clean up your room before you go out with friends or a parent is supposed to attend every single spors activity that your children participate in. We even give ourselves rules, no desert before vegetables. Yes, we know a lot about rules.

God gives us rules such as Mark 12:29-31, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and the Ten Commandments. God gives us rules to protect us (who knows the chaos if we each followed our own rules and no other rules for the common good), to give us boundaries and to keep us on the Christian path towards a closer relationship with Jesus.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, knew that people needed simple rules for living a Christian life. Their lives were difficult at times and they needed simple rules to keep walking on the path towards God. Wesley searched Scripture and developed three simple rules for Christian living: do no harm, do good and follow the ordinances of God. The ordinances are ways we deepen our relationship with God such as prayer, Scripture, walking in Creation, being a part of small groups and fasting. Another way to state this rule is to stay in love with God.

What does it mean to do no harm? We don’t intentionally harm anyone. We know harm by watching the news or reading the newspapers. Yet, when we think about it, we may be doing harm unintentionally to God, each other and to creation.

We harm God when we get so busy we don’t think about God, all that we give God is a quick prayer when we go to sleep. We harm God when we take God’s name in vain, when we say, “oh my god.” We know we’re saying it with a small g, but do other people know that? We harm God when we put so many things before God. You know, we give God our offering after we’ve paid all of our bills not before and God gets our leftovers.

We harm each other when we gossip and when we’re negative about things we don’t like in our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods and our churches. We harm each other when we say things like, “gee, that was stupid’ and the other person hears “I’m stupid.” We harm each other when we look at someone who is different than us and we see right through them as if they are an object and not a child of God.

We harm creation by throwing away things that can be recycled like cardboard, tin cans and water bottles. Our landfills are getting so full and recycling helps in so many ways. We harm creation when we top off our gas tanks because it adds more toxins to the air and when we use Styrofoam because it never breaks down in the landfill. I learned this from daughter and made a decision to change these two small things.

Hallelujah Hayride

Fall Fun and Fellowship will return this year on Wednesday, October 28, beginning at 5PM. Gather at the West Pleasant Valley Church on AC Hwy for hot dogs, chili, and lots of fun! In case of rain, festivities will be held at the fellowship hall at Trinity. Don't miss out on this annual gathering of Trinity friends and family.

The Journey

Micah 6:8

Scripture for October 18

We learn as small children that we are supposed to “be good.” The definition of good may be different from family to family. But in general we know that to “be good” we follow the rules, we’re nice to people, we help people, etc. “Be good” is more about others than ourselves. It is outwardly focused. So how do you “do good” to others? How do you do all the good you can in your everyday life? How can you join with others and do even more “good’ in our corner of the world?

Prayer
Thank you, God, that we learn to do good from You. When you created the world You do it out of love and love is always good. Guide us to do all the good we can every day of our lives. Amen.

The Journey

The Journey

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, was man with a heart for God and for guiding people to the God that touched his soul and changed his life. He wanted people to experience the living God in their hearts, minds and souls. John lived his life with three simple rules, do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. Yes, they are simple rules, but not easy to live out in our everyday lives. This Sunday, we begin our journey with these three simple rules and how they can change us and the world we live in.



Lord God, how can life be lived with only these three simple rules? Is that even possible? Teach us Your ways, O God, teach us Your ways…amen.

Festival of Sharing

Festival of Sharing Kits
Due by Thursday, October 8


Paper Products Pack - Pack Value $14.00
2 pkgs toilet tissue (4- double rolls)
3 rolls paper towels (good quality)
2 facial tissue (large rectangular boxes )

Place all items in a tall-sized kitchen trash bag. Close securely and placed bagged kits in a box labeled “Paper Products Pack.” Mark the quantity on each box.

Prison Pack - Pack Value $ 9.00
1 Emery Board (not a metal nail file)
1 Pencil (unsharpened, no advertising)
30 sheets of writing paper, 6”x9”, (no note cards)
5 Envelopes (white standard size, not business size)
1 Shampoo (12-16 oz. size, alcohol-free only) *Acceptable brands: Suave, Equate Herbal, Personal Care Herbal, Alberto VO5, Style
1 Tube toothpaste (6 - 6.4 oz. size, alcohol-free only) *Acceptable brands: All types of Ultrabrite, Colgate, Crest, Aquafresh and Gleem
1 Deodorant (2-3 oz. size, alcohol-free only, no roll-ons, no men’s brands) *Acceptable brands: Revlon Hi & Dri, Lady Mitchum Clean Gel, Crystal
Clean Deodorant, Almay Clear Gel, Simple Basic Clear Deodorant

Place only these items in a plastic bag. Put filled bags in boxes labeled “Prison Pack.” Please also label with the number enclosed.
Toothbrushes and Stamps are not allowed as part of these kits.

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

We all know a lot about work. We work in our homes, at paid jobs, in our churches and in our communities. If we wrote down each job we do during the day, we would get tired of writing! Each one of us has skills, abilities and gifts that we use every day to make this world go around. And when we combine our skills, abilities and gifts together, our work becomes more than we can imagine.

Just think about the Mission Blitz on Sept. 26. There are over 300 churches and 6,000 people in 9 states who will put their skills, abilities and gifts together to reach out with the hands, feet and heart of Jesus. Yes, it’s “work” but it’s the kind of work that puts smiles on the faces of people, both the giver and the receiver. Each one of us brings our skills, abilities and gifts to share with others. One person’s skill may be to paint a room at the Bloomfield Public Library and another person’s may be to bake treats to give to folks to show our appreciation for the work they do for us every day. Your skill may be to clean out gutters or to use the chainsaw to clean up brush from a yard. You might help wash a car or pump gas. Maybe you will help clean up trash along our streets and highways. You might help serve at our community lunch at Town and Country Grocery Store in Bloomfield. You see, we need the skills, abilities and gifts of everyone for God’s work in the world.

As we think about our work, a powerful Scripture from Proverbs 16:3 can guide us. “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” What would happen if we began every day with this passage, saying out loud, “I commit my work to You today, Lord? What would happen if we began every day asking God to direct our path to the work God has for us to do? I believe it would change our focus from what work we have to do today, to what work God has for us to do today. And that changes everything. It changes our world, one person at a time.

May your work be committed to God every day of your life. Amen.

Want to join us on September 26 for Mission Blitz ’09, God is in this City? Just email me at susan@trinitybloomfield.org or call 568-3188 for more information.

The Journey/Bible Scholars

Proverbs 17:22, 18:24, 20:19 and 24:3-4

Scripture for September 13




Well, here we are sitting on the front porch again. It’s a beautiful day and we’re just watching the world go by. You just never know what you’ll see from the porch, people walking by, neighbors passing by in their cars and kids playing. There’s a lot of life that goes on right in front of us every day. Perhaps you can take some time to just sit on your front porch, whether it’s a big porch or a small one. Just sit there for a while and let all your burdens, all your frustrations and that “to-do” list just float away. Take a deep breath and just enjoy the life that’s going on around you. And be thankful…

Prayer

Well God, I admit I don’t sit very often and just watch the world go by. Why is it I have to be doing, doing, doing? You know, even if I’m not physically doing something, my mind is always thinking and thinking. Help me to rest my body and my mind and to notice all the good things around me. Amen.



Trinity Bible Scholars

Please read Proverbs 1-5

1. What is the beginning of knowledge? ___________

2. Where does wisdom cry out? __________

3. Solomon wrote many of the proverbs, including chapters 1-5. Who is

he addressing in them? _________

4. Which is your favorite proverb in these 5 chapters? ______________

5. What is more precious than jewels? ___________

The Journey/Bible Scholars

Proverbs 16:3
Romans 10:14-15
Scripture for September 6

This week begins our new series, The Front Porch.

Many of the front porches today aren’t as large as they used to be. Now more people have a deck in the back of the house. But the front porch was a way of life for many years. You visited with neighbors, dreamed about your future and watched how others lived their lives, all from your front porch. For the next four weeks, we’re going to look at how life was lived on the front porch.

The front porch for Labor Sunday will be filled with conversation about work and faith. And you just never know who might drop by to sit awhile on the porch. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your “work” clothes to worship and to bring the “tools” of your trade. We will celebrate our work at home, in the workplace and at church.

Prayer

Well, God, it isn’t easy for me to share my faith with my family, let alone other people. Teach me how to share my faith through words and actions. Amen.



Trinity Bible Scholars


Name ______________


Even though the Amazing Race Through the Bible has ended, let’s continue to study the Bible together. Trinity Bible Scholars is our new “game” to get us to continue to study our Holy Book together. Please turn your answers in to me each week (remember to put your name on it). Just put them in the same box that we used for the Amazing Race. You can also email them to me. I’ll keep your scores and each quarter we will have a fun activity together celebrating all that we have learned. Won’t you join the Trinity Bible Scholars?



Here are the questions for the Book of Proverbs for Sunday, Sept. 6. Questions are worth 10 points each.

1. How many chapters are in Proverbs? _________

2. Who wrote many of the sayings? (Hint: He was King David’s son) _________

3. Who are you to commit your work to? _________

4. Memorize one proverb and write it here. _____________________

5. What is the definition of proverb? ___________________



Total Points________

The Journey

Colossians 3:12-17

What’s your favorite clothing style? Do you like pants, jeans or shorts, dresses or skirts (ok, woman do have more choices than men!) Do you like to dress up? Do you have a favorite shirt or pants that you just love but your family wishes you would give it away? Do you have clothing that is just for “home” and you don’t want anyone to see you in it? (I call these home clothes!) Clothing is something that is just part of our lives. We go to the closet or dresser each day and choose what we will wear. But are there other ways we can “clothe” ourselves? See what our Scripture talks about and think about how you clothe yourself for God every day.

Prayer
Yes, God, we put clothes on every day and show us how to clothe ourselves to become more like You. Teach us Your ways, O God, teach us Your ways. Amen.

URGENT NEED

The Bloomfield Meals on Wheels Program needs someone to deliver meals on the last Wednesday of each month. If you would be willing to do this please contact the Dexter Nutrition Center or call me at 568-3338. This involves approx 2 hours each month.

Some of the Trinity folks who have delivered meals during the past year are:
Larry & Sandra Massey, Grant & Mary Thorn, Pat Snider, Barb Rice, Rachel Ward, Laura Meyer, Lina Gibbs, Annette Lumsden, Stan Lumsden, Lara Thorn, Ann Aycock, Sarah Dumey, Jim & Helen Giffin, & Cathy & William Chasteen.

Come join us if you can!

Youth Attend Mud Olympics!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Vision of 10,000

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

Will you join us on September 26 for Mission Blitz ’09, God is in this City? I told you about the upcoming Blitz last month and I hope you’ve been thinking about joining us. You might be wondering, “ok, what’s this Blitz thing all about?” Well, it’s an amazing time of sharing God’s love in our corner of the world. We become the hands, feet and heart of Christ Jesus showing others God’s grace-filled love. It’s grace-filled because no one has to earn that love, God showers it on us and we want to share it with everyone we meet.

God has given us a vision of 10,000 people reaching out to others on Sept. 26. Just think about that. Over 10,000 people in the United States surprising folks with random acts of kindness. That makes a powerful statement to the world. We come together on Saturday morning just to show others that Christ’s love is real in the world. So, far we have over 200 churches and organizations like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and 4-H joining us. Won’t you, your church family or organization join us, too?

You may wonder, “well, what could we do?” Begin by brainstorming with others in your family, church or organization. What are some outreach opportunities that you would like to do in your community? As you brainstorm, don’t think about how much something will cost, just put anything out there. (You can figure out the details later.) What we’ve found out at Trinity is that when I have an idea and share it, then that gives someone else an idea and then the idea gets bigger and bigger and we get even more excited! You see, the Blitz helps us get excited about serving in our corner of the world. You might want to do something with the kids in your community or visit folks who are homebound or in the nursing home. It might be making cards for folks in the hospital (you don’t have to know someone to make a card or receive it!). One church group gave out 4 free postage stamps at the post office. Folks who can’t get out too much can make cookies and cupcakes for treat trays. We come together the day before the Blitz and put the trays together and then another team delivers them on Blitz day. And those are just a few of the ideas, we have lots more. You don’t have to create this on your own, we have lots of information to share with you on what’s worked for us.

You know what would be great? How about everyone who wants to participate in one town comes together at one host site on the morning of the Blitz? Maybe after your church or organization has thought of outreach opportunities, we can have a meeting and share our outreach ideas. Then we can take those ideas and sign up sheets back to our churches or organizations. That way, folks have lots of choices in how they want to serve. It becomes a community Blitz because we are better together, right?

Please call me at 573/568-3188 or 573/421-3706 for more information. You can also check out our website at trinitybloomfield.org. We also have a blog at tumcdiscussion.blogspot.com. There’s also a facebook group. Just put mission blitz in the facebook search engine. There were 11 members on Wednesday and on today (Monday) there are 98 members. WOW! It’s a great place to share ideas with folks all over the country. The excitement is growing. Won’t you join us with your prayers every day and your participation on Sept. 26?

The Journey

Scripture for August 23 Philippians 3:12-16

Goals are important for our lives. We have personal goals such as attending college, finding a new job, buying a new home or car or taking a dream vacation. We might have short-term goals, too, like a day trip with the family or a day just by ourselves. We can have goals for our physical health, like eating fewer carbs or fats. Perhaps we have a goal of losing weight and daily exercise. We might have goals of working through anger or hurt that burden us. We can have all kinds of goals in our lives. So what spiritual goals do you have? What long and short-term goals do you have for getting closer to God? Setting goals in all areas of our lives can help us be motivated and give us direction. We need direction sometimes, because we can get so caught up in the busyness of life, we do what we have to for today and that’s all. Then we feel we’re in a rut and we are!

Even though we might not think about it often, it’s important for us to have goals in our spiritual life, too. So, what goals do you have in your spiritual life? Perhaps you can take some time and think about how you would like to go deeper in your spiritual journey. Then would you share them with me? I have a goal this fall of creating new opportunities for us to become closer to God through Bible studies, prayer groups and other small groups. I would like to know the small groups that would help you on your faith journey.

Prayer

Well, God, I can’t say I ever thought about my goals to get closer to You. Will you help me? This isn’t easy for me, but I know it’s important. Amen.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Amazing Race Through the Bible

We kicked off the Amazing Race through the Bible today! Teams were formed, challenges were issued and colors were assigned. (Don’t worry if you were out today; we’ll sign you up next week or whenever you are back in worship.)

This summer series is about the journey we each make through life and is a reminder to us that the Bible is there as our guide.

Our competition is divided into three areas. First, there is a weekly take home family challenge. This challenge will ask 5 questions based upon Pastor Susan’s scripture assignments and will provide the opportunity to earn miles for your team.

There is also a bonus challenge that you may choose to complete during the week. You must bring back the take home challenge to earn miles. Look for the special Amazing Race receptacle to deposit your papers! (Thank you Mike Dumey for your creative carpentry!)

We will also have weekly Roadblocks at the beginning of worship. These will be brief and biblical competitions between one member from each team. These, too, will earn your team miles! And of course, you may earn miles by your attendance. At the end of this exciting summer series, the team who has won the most miles will be guests at a special luau!

We hope you will have fun with this series and that you will plan to attend as often as possible. Hebrews 12: 1-2 tells us that the bible compares the Christian life to a competitive race with a route and itinerary that is already laid out for us by God himself. When you think about it, this totally makes sense. Each and every day we can find clues in His word and through prayer that tell us where to go next.

Good luck and see you Sunday!

The Worship Team

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

We use words to describe everything in our lives. We describe a sunset as beautiful, colorful or perhaps a gift from God. We describe love as “my child,” a feeling in our hearts or a strong connection with another person. From things we can see with our eyes to experiences we feel with our hearts, we use words to make sense of them. Words help us to make connections with what we see and experiences we have so we can hold on to them.

We even use words to describe the indescribable, God. Even though there are no words that can describe God, human beings have been trying for thousands and thousands of years to understand who God is to them. Each of the 66 books in our Holy Bible attempts to describe God. The first book in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament as we commonly call it, is Genesis (which means beginning). The first verse, actually in the first 5 words, the writer attempted to describe God. “In the beginning when God created…” The image of God is seen as creating, Creator God. Then another image of God is found in that same sentence, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, as a wind from God swept over the waters.” God is also described like the wind. You can’t see the wind but you can feel it; it’s presence is known to you. What a beautiful way to describe God.

What words do you use to describe God? As you think of how you describe God, do these words draw you closer to God or do they keep God at a distance? The words we use to describe God can either bring us closer or turn us away. Let me explain. As children we often see God as we see our parents. If we have a loving, caring, encouraging father, we may see God in that same way. If we have a father who is distant, perhaps critical, we may see God that way. It’s the same with out mothers. A loving mother means a loving God and a mother who calls you dumb or stupid may just mean you think God sees you in that way, too. Perhaps parents tell us that God is always watching us and keeping a list of everything we do wrong so you better behave. What you hear is that God is out to get you. These images of God can either draw us closer or we might just turn and walk away from God. And God never wants that to happen.

It’s important to think about our images of God and to wrestle with them, to make sense of them as adults so we can decide if they are life giving or life draining. We may hold these images but never really think much about them. Yet, the images we hold of God may keep us stuck, and we’re not even aware of it. God never wants us to remain stuck on our faith journey; God wants us to come closer, to be drawn closer to God’s heart. From the beginning, God created us to be in relationship with God, to be partners in this world to care for creation, for each other and to point the way to Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. As you think of the words you use to describe God, my prayer is that you feel so close to God, it’s as if a gentle wind is touching your face…amen.

The Journey by Pastor Susan

The Journey
Acts Chapters 1-5

We begin our study of Acts of the Apostles this Sunday. Acts is an important book of the Bible for us because it shows us how Jesus’ closest followers lived their lives and shared His love after His death and resurrection. There are 28 chapters in Acts and I’ve heard it said that Acts 29 is how we live our lives as Christ followers today.

As you read these first five chapters, notice the flow of the story and how the apostles are trying to figure out how to live their lives after Jesus’ death. The word apostle means the eleven Jesus sent out to share the Good News of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness before His death and Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas (Acts 1:12-26). Even though they had traveled with Jesus for 3 years, they still had to find a “new” normal since He wasn’t with them on earth any longer. And that “new” normal helps us realize that through the centuries following Jesus hasn’t been easy or convenient or popular. And they followed Him anyway because God’s call to them was more powerful than anything else in their lives. Now it’s our turn. Even when it isn’t easy or convenient or popular, how faithful are we to living our lives in the footsteps of Jesus?

Prayer
Well, God, I admit I want it to be easy to follow You. I don’t want to suffer at all because I follow You. But I guess if I am going to be faithful to You, I may have to make some tough decisions about my life like how I spend my time or how I spend my money. Ok, I’ll try…show me the way. Amen.



Pastor Susan

Trinity: A Praying Church

Don't forget to check your prayer calendars this week! Here is a reminder:


Today: Louise Burklow
June 16: Barb & Ben Capps
June 17: Tom, Angela, Nate and Natalie Cazee
June 18: Mike, Heather, Gavin and Ryker Chasteen
June 19: William & Cathy Chasteen
June 20: Charlie, Jean and Julie Christian
June 21: Senator Christopher Bond & family

The Journey by Pastor Susan

Prayer is the way we connect with God. We can talk to God and we can listen to God. How can we listen to God, you might ask? God often comes to us in the silence. We can get so busy talking, that we may not take the time to just rest in the silence and let God’s still, small voice rise up from within us. Will you take some time today to be still with God?

Perhaps as you begin your prayer time with silence, then you can ask God to guide you in deepening your prayer life. As I talked about on Sunday, there are many ways for us to become a praying congregation. Will you open your mind, heart and soul for God to whisper to you? God may whisper a name to become your prayer partner or a nudge to begin a prayer ministry. Maybe you feel a tug on your heart to ask some women to drive around the schools, the jail and the alternative school and pray? Perhaps you feel a nudge to gather a group of men once a month for a prayer breakfast? Maybe you will attend a prayer service once a month that begins later in June? Perhaps you will ask a few people to pray for a family member going through a difficult time or who needs to know Jesus? Maybe you will step out in faith and come to the altar to pray or ask some folks to join you in our prayer room once a week?

Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with God as individuals and as the community of believers. As we open ourselves to God’s leading us to pray in new ways, that foundation grows stronger and stronger. And lives are changed.

Will you commit to deepening your prayer life? Will you respond to that nudge from God to begin a prayer ministry? You might just be the person who someone else is waiting for to step out in faith when you ask, “will you join me?”

Prayer

God, may we be faithful to your call to prayer. May we get out of our comfortable chairs and change our corner of the world. Amen.

Got a Great Picture?

We want to know what's happening in the Trinity family! Send us those shots of your kids getting awards, the new baby, that big ol' fish, your new horse, anything you want to share.

Email your pictures to tony@newwavecomm.net. (You may also bring your camera's card to church and Tony can download your pics directly.)

The Journey

This Week’s Journey

John 17:20

Scripture for May 24
Has anyone ever told you that you have been prayed for by name? I remember the first time that happened to me. It was 10 years ago and I was meeting with a group of pastors as I began the ministry journey. They asked me questions about my ministry and ended our time together with a prayer. The person praying said, “God, please be with Susan as she serves you.” I know it may sound funny, but no one had ever prayed for me specifically by name that I knew of, at least. It was such a powerful moment for me. There was just something that touched me deeply when he said my name. And I have never forgotten the power of that moment, the power of praying for another person by name.

Jesus teaches us to pray for others. We call this intercessory prayer. It means a coming between or intervention. We pray on behalf of another person. Throughout Scripture Jesus prays for others, his closest followers and those who will follow him in the future—and that’s us. We are to follow in his footsteps and pray for others—by name if possible. How powerful it would be if we prayed for others by name and sent emails or cards and told them that. You just never know how that might touch someone when he or she needs it the most.

Dear God,

I don’t know if I have the right words to pray for me, let alone anyone else. But I know I don’t need perfect words. I only need to remember to pray and you will give me the words. Amen.

Pastor Susan

A Light in the Window

Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

God calls us to be a people of prayer. Prayer is a holy activity, our conversation with God. If asked, most of us would say that we pray. We might say a quick, “help me, Lord” prayer or a longer prayer naming our needs. Prayer is something we do and it is also something we are to think about. How long has it been since you have thought about your prayer life? What changes have occurred since you first began praying to God?

The first prayers children learn are often said at mealtime. Perhaps you grew up in church and have always said a prayer before a meal. Or maybe you never attended church as a child, yet when you think back, you did learn a mealtime prayer. We might learn them at church, at home or at a relative’s house. It might be at a day care or club. How many of us learned “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Amen” or another mealtime prayer. We may not remember how we learned the prayer, but we still know it “by heart” today. Maybe now you say a mealtime prayer without even thinking much about it; it has become a holy habit. You might even pray silently or out loud with family and friends when you dine at a restaurant. I have found that servers, even in their busy jobs, will wait to serve, when prayer are being said. Have you ever thought to pray for your server as you thank God for this food and all who have prepared it for you? There’s a lot to think about with our mealtime prayers. They help us remember that God provides for us and when we “give thanks” we step outside of ourselves and we’re reminded “it’s not about us, it’s all about God.”

Children often learn bedtime prayers, too. The “Now I lay me down to sleep” is still remembered by many of us. You might remember kneeling down by your bed, saying this or another bedtime prayer and then giving a list of everyone you loved and wanted God to take care of. Do you still say bedtime prayers today? Perhaps you even say a “Good morning, God” prayer, too.

So we have mealtime and bedtime prayers. Then there are lifetime prayers. The Lord’s Prayer is a lifetime prayer. It contains everything we need in a prayer. Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked him to teach them to pray. In the prayer, we give thanks to God, we praise God, we ask for our daily bread, to be forgiven and to learn how to forgive others. How powerful it is to think that when we say the Lord’s Prayer millions of other Christians throughout the world are saying it, too, in their own language 2000 years after Jesus first taught it. More people than we can even imagine have said that prayer to God through the centuries; it holds more power than we can ever know.

Mealtime, bedtime and lifetime prayers are important as are the prayers that come from our hearts in times of need and times of joy. These are prayers that just come from within us, thanking God, crying out to God and everything in between. Sometimes we think we have to have just the right words to pray. And we do have just the right words-whatever we want to say to God are the right words. God wants us to share everything with God. Isn’t that how we grow closer to each other, sharing our lives? That’s how we grow closer to God, too. We might think that our prayers can only be this way or that way that we can’t let in our emotions. But that just isn’t true. You might read the psalms, just about every emotion is lifted up to God in prayer. As we grow closer to God, we feel freer to say whatever we need to say. As a person said once, “it’s ok to get angry with God, God can take it!” God wants us to be “real” in our prayers. Real in our love for God and yes, even real in our resentment or anger towards God. Remember, God can take it…what matters is that we share our lives with God, all the good and not so good.

Our prayers matter whether they are mealtime, bedtime, lifetime or prayers from the depths of our souls, God hears them and holds them tenderly, just like God holds you….may you know God’s loving touch on your life this week, may you feel the joy that comes from praying to God every day of our life…amen.

The Journey by Pastor Susan

This Week’s Journey
Mark 1:35

Do you pray? What do you pray for? Most of us can answer those two questions about our prayer life. But any more questions might make us a bit uncomfortable. Praying is something we’re supposed to know how to do, it’s easy, right? Well, not necessarily. We can have lots of questions about prayer that we might be embarrassed to ask because we think we’re the only ones who don’t know the answers. Guess what? Everybody has questions about prayer, how to pray, what to pray for, what about those prayers in the Bible that ask for God to get rid of their enemies, the list goes on and on.

This Sunday we’ll take a look at prayers throughout our lifetime and how our prayers may change as we grow closer to God. We’ll talk about times we just can’t pray and other times the prayers just flow. There’s a lot more to learn about prayer than what you might think.

What questions would you like answered during this sermon series? Please send them to me. I’ll try to answer them at some point in the next 4 weeks. And no, I won’t tell anyone who asked me the question (just in case you wondered!)

Prayer
Dear God,
I think praying is supposed to be easy. Why is it I want to pray, but just don’t. Or I find the time and I don’t know what to say. As always, God, I need your help. Amen.

Fishy Request

Hi everyone, We continue fishing this Sunday and I need your help. Even though you might not believe it, I haven't fished much in my life. So I need your help to have a big catch this Sunday and on May 3. Since we don't want the sanctuary to be too "smelly," would you bring canned fish (tuna, salmon, etc.)? Then on May 9, our brothers and sisters who need a little help will receive our "big catch" at the Assembly of God Food Pantry.

Remember, they ran out of food last month so we don't want that to happen in May.

As always, thank you so much for your generosity.

Blessings, Susan

The Journey

The Journey
Romans 8:25
Scripture for April 26

We’re still fishing this week and looking at what we need to take with us. Ok, there’s a pole, of course, and bait and you better take a lot of patience. You can buy the pole and bait but patience is something else all together. Patience with fishing, just like in other areas of our lives, isn’t always easy but so important. Sometimes you might fish and catch a big one immediately. But most of the time, fishing means waiting and waiting and waiting and then waiting some more! Patience can teach us a lot and Sunday we will look at how fishing and patience is part of our journey as followers of Jesus…


Prayer

Well, God, you know it isn’t easy for us to be patient…we want what we want when we want it. Teach us to slow down, to keep our eyes focused on you and to wait for your still, small voice to lead us to where you want us to go. Amen.

30 Hour Famine

Hey everybody, hope your week is starting well. As most of you are aware, the youth are participating in World Visions 30 Hour Famine. We have done several things in an effort to remove the focus from ourselves and place it on others and we plan to continue with activities to teach the kids about sacrifice and loving others. We have raised just over $600 (far from the goal of $5,000 they set for themselves) with the purple throne and the Hearts for Hunger. We appreciate all who have supported these efforts and want you to know that you can still help. It takes $30 to feed and care for one child for one month. We would just ask that you prayerfully consider giving enough to care for one, or more, children for one month. Did we mention it's a tax deductible donation and we have receipts for that?

Now, the event itself begins this coming Friday right after school. The youth are planning to build cardboard hotels, similar to something a homeless person would live in, and they will be available prior to the opening service for the congregation to judge. Just bring cash, cause that's how you'll vote. The winning hotel will receive a prize of some sort. The opening service will begin at 6:30 and will end at 7:00, and the entire congregation is invited. Tony, Lara and Annette will provide the music and Brad will have a short devo on fasting. Please come join us and feel free to stop in and hang out at any time starting at 3:00 pm on this Friday and ending at 12:00 pm on Saturday.

Thanks so much for supporting the youth in this effort, they are really excited about it.

Lina

New Series! Don't Miss It!

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity UMC

The Lenten season is over and we are in the hallelujah time of Easter because Christ is risen, Christ is alive! We have traveled the journey from the ashes of Ash Wednesday to the celebration of Palm Sunday to the horror of Good Friday to the joy of Easter Sunday. Now what? Does this mean the hallelujahs are over for another year? How do we live our lives as Eater people?

We live knowing that Resurrection is real, authentic and beyond what we can really understand. So how do we make sense of it? We human beings want to make sense of everything. We try to figure things out so we know where to put it in our brains. You know, kind of like a computer. When we can’t figure something out and make sense of it and we don’t know where to put it in our brains, we may discount it or just throw it away, not giving it much thought. But as deeply thinking Christians, we don’t want to throw the Resurrection away because we can’t make sense of it.

So where do we begin? We begin by thinking about love. We can’t explain love for our spouses, children, parents and friends, but we know it’s real, don’t we? Just because we can’t explain something, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We call that faith.

We are also given glimpses of resurrection right here on earth that help us begin to understand how Jesus really did leave that tomb. One glimpse is when a woman marries a man and he just doesn’t like her young children. No matter what she does nothing changes. Then they have a child. What should she do? Stay or go? Then years later, he changes, somehow, and he becomes friends with those grown children. Is that not a glimpse of resurrection and new life? A man has smoked cigarettes for nearly 50 years. He is physically and psychologically addicted to them. He quits smoking, is this not a glimpse of resurrection, a new life? A young woman is given a terminal diagnosis, no possibility of surgery. Then one year later, she can have the surgery and her prognosis is good. Is this not a glimpse of resurrection and new life?

You see God gives us glimpses of resurrection right here on earth to help us understand that new life is possible. God wants us to see with “new eyes” that resurrection happens all around us if we will just notice. No, we cannot understand all that there is to know about resurrection because we do not have the mind of God. But we can know that we don’t have to explain everything to make it true. We can believe and have faith and leave the rest to God.

Perhaps you might think of glimpses of resurrection in your own life and in the life of your family. Those times when you had no hope and new life came out of the ashes. That is resurrection right here on earth. And that, my friends, is only the beginning…

Don't Miss Out!

Good morning. I hope you’ve had a great week, so far. This Sunday will be off the charts @ Trinity so I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out. Check out all that’s going on, starting tonight.

TONIGHT

COMMUNITY GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE - Trinity’s honored to host the Good Friday Service tonight @ 7pm. Our very own Tony Thorn will team up with Greg Stevens from 1st General Baptist and Delisa Sitze from St. Joe General Baptist to lead our music. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross after his friend and disciple, Judas Iscariot betrayed him. What makes Good Friday so Good? As Christians we are submitting to the hope that no tragedy-not even death-can overwhelm God’s providence, love, and grace.


EASTER SUNDAY - Join us for worship this Sunday as we recount the story of Jesus' death and resurrection through beautiful music and an inspirational message that will fill you with hope. We are preparing to welcome many visitors this Easter. For some this may be their first time in church in years. I’m pumped up because I know they’ll experience Jesus through the people of Trinity. Bring your energy!

WORSHIP LEADER -
DUB PIERCE - Easter is the most important day of the year for Christians. We think the resurrection of Jesus calls for a celebration. So Trinity’s bringing in Warner Brothers singer/songwriter Dub Pierce from Springfield to lead our music. We know you’ll love this guy. Check out this link for a sample - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y_Jw-AAyfk You can also visit his myspace site at http://www.myspace.com/dubpierce We are very fortunate to get Dub, especially for Easter. – Another great opportunity to invite friends.


Have you noticed the excitement around Trinity lately? Hold on to your fork……we’re just getting started.

Brad

Fun in the Park with Trinity

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Journey for Holy Week

The Journey
John 20:1-18
Scripture for April 14

Holy Week began as a celebration of Jesus. People lined the streets as he came into Jerusalem and waved palm branches as he rode by them on a lowly donkey. They hoped he would overthrow the Roman government and become their king. They believed Jesus came to free them from Roman rule. Yes, Jesus came to free them, not from Roman rule but from themselves. Free them, to release any barriers that kept them from surrendering themselves to God.

As we walk with Jesus during this Holy Week, how do we begin to surrender ourselves to God? We begin by seeking to know Jesus in deeper ways. Our love for Him must grow so that we yearn, we long to be closer to God. We begin by getting to know His story, Jesus’ story.

Each passage below helps us to think about how that last week was for Him. As you read each day’s passage, imagine you are there, watching, listening, wondering how you fit into this story today, 2000 years after Jesus walked this earth. Become a part of the story because in reality, you all ready are---you follow Jesus and you are right there with Him. Give yourself some time to allow the story to sink deeply inside you. You might read it out loud or allow yourself to see the story in your mind’s eye. Perhaps read it three times, slowly. You are reading for formation, not information. You aren’t gathering facts, you are opening yourself to God’s Spirit to touch you. After each story, ask yourself, how can I surrender, how can I release anything I hold that keeps me from God?

Monday Mark 11:15-19
Tuesday Mark 12:41-44
Wednesday Mark 14:1-9
Thursday Mark 14:10-42
Friday Mark 14:43-15:47
Saturday John 20:1-18

Prayer for each day:
Oh, God, that looks like a lot of reading…I need your help in my busy life to find time to get to know you better. Please give me nudges this week to learn more about Jesus and more about myself. Teach me how Jesus surrendered to You and how I can surrender to You, too.…amen.

The Journey by Pastor Susan Hoyle

Mark 11:1-11
Scripture for April 5

We love parties, don’t we? Birthday parties, anniversary parties, welcome spring parties are so much fun. We love to celebrate important occasions like weddings, graduations and new babies. We also celebrate occasions when we say “yes” to God with baptisms and Confirmation (when a youth confirms his or her faith). Celebrations give us a time to think about the importance of the event and to feel the joy.

Over 2,000 years ago there was a time of celebration when Jesus came to Jerusalem. His ministry had affected so many people through His preaching, teaching and healing. They knew He really was God’s Son. So when He came into Jerusalem, the people lined the streets for the holy parade. They cheered, waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna.” Can’t you just see Jesus waving and smiling at the crowd of people? Or was He thinking what might be ahead of Him later in the week?

We will come together this Sunday and our children will be part of the holy parade as they wave palm branches just like the people did 2000 years ago. We, too, will be part of the celebration as we begin Holy Week. We will celebrate Jesus’ ministry on earth and share how He continues to touch our lives today as we end our 40 Days of Community study. We will also share how we offered Christ to our corner of the world during the Mission Blitz ’09 and how Christ was offered to us…

Prayer

Let’s celebrate, God, because You do such the great things for us. May we always remember to celebrate You. Amen.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Journey

Leviticus 23:3
Scripture for March 29

The countdown has begun. Are you EXCITED? There are only 5 days until Mission Blitz ’09. There will be hundreds of us in the Bootheel reaching out to others with radical hospitality. We will surprise some folks and probably confuse others as they wonder why we are doing all of this. Why? Because we serve a mighty, grace giving, radical God. When we come together on Saturday, we will be worshiping our God with our hands and hearts. Worshiping God is not only on Sundays, we are to worship God in everything we do, seven days a week. And Sunday is when we come together to praise God, to be filled with even more of God to take into our corner of the world the other six days of the week. Why? Because we were created to be in community—to laugh, to cry, to praise and to give thanks to the One who holds us tenderly and will never let us go. On Saturday, let’s show the smile of God to each person we meet, the voice of God as we say hello and really mean it and the heart of God as we share God’s love…

Prayer

O God, may the light of Christ Jesus shine through us every day of the week as we worship you in all we do. Amen.

We Serve... Rain or Shine

Let's get out there Saturday and show Jesus to the Bootheel!

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity UMC

Christ Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:29-31) These are powerful words that give us a Godly direction for our lives. But these commandments aren’t always easy to live out in our lives. How do we really love God with all of our being? Who is our neighbor? God doesn’t really mean for us to love everyone, surely? That’s just too difficult for us. Yes, it can be difficult, especially those folks who get on our last nerve or who are so different than us. But does that mean we don’t try? Does that mean we just say, “sorry, God, too hard.” I don’t think so.

God sent us Jesus to show us that love is a choice and we live out that love in action. Love is more than feelings in our hearts; love is a decision we make with our minds. We often put people in two categories; those we love or who we think are lovable and those we don’t love or who we think are unlovable. But Jesus shows us a new way to love. Jesus loved people right where he met them, right where they were in life, even if the world thought them unlovable, even if they lived far from God, even if they did things no one understood. And Jesus loved them in to the kingdom. Again, we can say, “that’s just too hard for us, we’re not God and we’re not Jesus.” It’s true, we’re not, but does that mean we don’t try? I wonder how that hurts God…so where do we begin?

We begin to live out that love a choice by going beyond our comfort zones in reaching out to others in our corner of the world. Perhaps we get together with a couple of people and brainstorm on how we can be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus in our neighborhood or town. We look around us and see what people might need. We talk to folks who know the needs in our communities and schools. We become intentional in living out the commandment, “love your neighbor.” Then we remember, “In whatever we do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17)

There will be many people in Bloomfield and Dexter who are a “representative of Jesus” on March 28. We would like to invite you to reach out to others in the name of Jesus Christ with us. It’s called Mission Blitz ’09, God is in this City. We have over 40 outreach opportunities to be love in action. We will visit in care centers, the jail, take treats to emergency personnel, pay for food for those behind us in line at a fast food restaurant, pump gas and wash windshields, pay for car washes, hand out free food coupons at four way stops, drive around schools and pray for students and school personnel, and the list goes on and on.

Last year we had over 200 people reach out in the name of Jesus on our Blitz day. This year other churches in surrounding communities are joining us and our Godly goal is over 2,000 people in the Bootheel reaching out with the hands of Jesus to be love in action. Would you like to be a part of this amazing time of showing God’s love to our corner of the world? Please call me at 568-3188 to sign up to be a part of this Godly experience. We will all have red t-shirts and we begin with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Come and join us as we live out God’s dream for us to be love in action in our corner of the world….

The Journey by Pastor Susan Hoyle

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Galatians 6:2
Scripture for March 22

Who gives you encouragement in your life? An encouraging person can make all the difference in the world to us. I can remember encouraging words from years ago because the words touched my heart and I knew someone was “in my corner.” So often, we remember the negative things people tells; those words just seem to stick to us and it can hard to shake loose from them. Then sometimes it feels like we don’t receive many positive words at all. Oh, I know, sometimes we just feel kind of sorry for ourselves. Yet, I don’t think we hear encouraging words enough in our daily lives. Sometimes we’re bombarded with what we don’t do right or we tell ourselves we don’t “do right.”

So what if we became “encouragers?” You know, we became intentional in offering people encouraging words; people we know and even people we don’t know. What if you chose one or two or three people a day to offer an encouraging word? You can encourage a person you know by making a phone call, writing a note or email, even a quick word as you pass each other in the hallway. And you can encourage a stranger, too. It might be telling that telemarketer that he or she did a good job or talking with a sales person. We can have great, encouraging conversation with anyone we meet, if we are intentional and not just trying to go on to the next thing on our “list.” You might even give yourself encouraging words every day. We can always find what we do wrong, take some time to notice what you do right, too.

When we encourage one another, we are serving God in a powerful way. Life can be real tough sometimes and just one encouraging word can lighten the load and even for a moment, brings us a little sunshine in our lives. And you know what? An encouraging word doesn’t cost any money, only a little time and effort on our part. And what we give and what we receive---priceless.

The Journey by Pastor Susan Hoyle

Mark 12:30-31
Matthew 28:19-20
Scripture for March 15

The Scripture passages for this week are known as The Great Commandment (Mark 12:30), the Great Compassion (Mark 12:31) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). These powerful verses are the way that Jesus lived His life and He offers them to us. Will we be the hands, feet and heart of Christ in the world? “I thought we were doing that now,” you might ask. We are! And there are ways we can be even more effective in reaching out to others. “How”, you ask?

Well, this Sunday Rev. Bob Farr, our special guest preacher, will answer that question. He is the Director of Congregational Excellence of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. Bob will share his wisdom on how we can serve God in even mightier ways. No matter how we reach out to our corner of the world, God has new ways for us to be the hands, feet and heart of Christ.

Prayer
Oh God, sometimes I just want to stop reaching out and just rest for a while. But then I remember you never stop reaching out to me…amen.

Prayer Concerns

Prayers of comfort for the Carolyn Staggs family.

Prayers of healing for Lina Gibbs and Charlotte Clark (Jill's mom)

Keep Colleen Phillips in your prayers as she recovers from a fall.

Prayers for Patrick Merrick, son of Junior Merrick.

Please pray for Terry Woods, Beulah Eaton's son-in-law, as he battles cancer.

Prayers for Beverly Patterson as she recovers from cancer surgery.

Prayer request for Linda Talley, Christine's Comstock's mother, as she faces cancer treatment.

"Nest Building"

I received this by email and would like to share it with our readers. It was written by our Bishop, Robert Schnase.

As I was driving to Warrensburg on Monday, I saw a large Red-Tailed Hawk fly overhead carrying a long heavy stick. I smiled at this indisputable sign of spring arriving. The non-migratory birds of our area are beginning to build nests. A couple of hours earlier I had seen an American Crow carrying straw for the same purpose, and the day before I had watched House Sparrows tucking threads of grass into the hole of a convenience store sign.

During the months to come, birds of all kinds will pour extraordinary effort, time, and ingenuity to the construction of nests, the protection of eggs, and the feeding of their vulnerable young ones. After the little ones hatch, I’m always amazed at the unceasing effort of care offered by the parents. From sunrise to sunset, Mom and Dad will search for food, deliver it to the hatchlings, and then search for more, often with little regard for their own nourishment. Every ounce of the adults’ energy will be devoted, not to their own comfort and feeding, but to the survival of their young.

The notion of building nests is often used as a metaphor in English to describe people successfully providing for their own comforts. Have you ever heard it used that way? If someone has arrived at a career position of some ease and security, friends might say, “You’ve built yourself quite a nest here!” When we are comfortable, secure, and feel at home in our workplace or living area, we talk about the space being “our little nest.” In these examples, the word “nest” connotes shelter, coziness, homelike, comfortable.

In actual fact, the nests which birds build are not for the birds who are building them, but for their young, for the next generation, for the future of the species. The weeks of carrying straw, sticks and mud, and the weeks of defensive watchfulness, and the weeks of endless feeding are all about the new ones, the young, the future.

Now take a leap with me to think about the nests we build in our churches. The buildings, programs, ministries, job descriptions, and services we build - are they for our own comfort and coziness? Or are they to further the faith, nurture new folks, and provide for future generations? Vibrant and fruitful congregations focus as much energy, prayer, and planning on those who are outside the congregation as they do on those who are already active in the congregation. When they initiate new Bible studies, support groups, outreach ministries, or worship services, they give less emphasize to “what do I want, desire, like, prefer, or find convenient” and place more weight on “what will feed the souls, nourish the spirits, and sustain the steps” of those outside the church or new to the faith. Those new to the faith are as vulnerable as hatchlings, and require a steady and dedicated effort of f eeding. And the budding faith of young people requires our committed attention, our extra care, our overtime in planning, teaching, encouraging, mentoring, and supporting. For the mission-focused church, the nests we build are not for ourselves; they are for the next generation, those new to the faith, the future of the body of Christ.

Jesus noticed the natural world around him, and he drew lessons from such things as fig trees, rising water, falling rain, budding leaves, and even nesting birds. As the signs of spring begin to show around us, what reminders do we find in the regenerative activities of birds building nests for the purpose of life and future.

Yours in Christ,
rs

To read more blogs by Bishop Schnase please vist www.FivePractices.org

The Journey

Romans 12:5
Scripture for March 8


“We Are Family” was a great song a few years ago. Ok, many years ago, but it has a great message, we all belong to the family. To belong means we have a place and we fit into that place; we’re comfortable and safe there. We know that the people in our family, for the most part, will accept us, care for us and care about us. A sense of belonging is important to us human beings. It can make all the difference in the world. What does it mean, “to belong” to you? What “families” do you belong to? Who can you invite into your family that needs to know he or she belongs?

Prayer

God, open our eyes and hearts to those who we can invite into our “families” so they will know they belong to us and more importantly, to You. Amen

The Journey

John 13:35

Scripture for February 22, 2008

So how’s the reading going? We’re on Day 4 of Better Together from our new all church study of 40 Days of Community. Don’t worry if you forgot to get your book, the chapters are short, you can catch up! Just pick it up Sunday, along with that great new Trinity t-shirt. You can also sign up for the small groups on Sunday, too.

The readings this week are about love and what that means. You might be thinking, I know what love means, Susan, do I really need to read about it? Well, we often think about love as an emotion, yet love can also be a choice we make. We know what it means to love our family and friends. But what does it mean to love our church family and those in our community? Why is that necessary at all? Well, we know that’s what we’re supposed to do, but living that out day after day isn’t always easy. We’ll talk more about why we need each other on Sunday.

Prayer

Teach us how to love like you love us, God, even when it isn’t easy and even when other people get on our last nerve…amen.

Can We Get a Witness???

Witnessing to others is a powerful thing! In 100 words or less would you share with us some memories of your baptism??

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle,
Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church

Happy New Year! Here we are in 2009. For some of us 2008 rushed by so quickly we wonder, where did the time go? Or for others of us, it just dragged on and on and we’re glad that year is over. However it was for us in 2008, here we are just stepping in to 2009. This New Year is before us and how we live into it, for the most part, is up to us. How will you live in this New Year? Will you live “as if?”

Will you live “as if” may sound like a funny way to live in 2009. But, let’s think about that for a moment. When we begin a new year, we’re told to make some resolutions. You know, how do you want to improve in your life. We need a beginning point, so a new year just makes sense. We may have every good intention to begin a healthier life with better nutrition and exercise. We may try to stop smoking or drink decaffeinated beverages or give more of an offering to the church or read the Bible or ______ (you fill in the blank). In other words, we want to live healthier, happier, more spiritually filled lives. And that’s a good thing, that’s a great thing.

But then after a few weeks or a few days, these resolutions become so uncomfortable. We step out of this new place and lie back in our more comfortable ways of doing our lives. We had great intentions but they just didn’t fit us very well at all. It just became too difficult to continue, too much life got in our way, and it was just easier to go back to the way we were.

Yet, what would happen if we lived “as if” these New Year’s resolutions had been our way of life all along? I know that sounds a little odd, but let’s think about it. We begin this new way of doing life with energy and hopefulness. “Yes, we can do it this time,” we say to ourselves. We really do want to be healthier and happier.

It’s just not that easy to make big changes in our way of life. Perhaps we can begin in a small way and build up to a bigger life change. And with every step towards this new you, you have a picture in your mind of how you want to live or how you want to look “as if” these changes have all ready happened. With that picture in your mind, you have hope. Yes, it can get really hard to eat healthier or exercise every day or to stop something we’ve done for a long, long time. Yet, when we picture “hope” in our minds, that can make such a difference in our choices to go back to that old, comfortable way of life or to hold onto this new picture of ourselves. Hope makes all the difference in the world.

When we follow Christ, we know about hope. We know that through Jesus, God showered hope on this world. We know even when it’s hard for us to have hope, God holds it for us until we can carry it again. God has a picture in God’s mind of each one of us and that picture shows us living happy, healthy, Spirit-filled lives. And to honor God and to bring God the glory, we, too, are to have that picture of us in our minds and to live into that picture one moment at a time. We are to fulfill the hope that God has for us, that God dreams for us, every day of our lives.

May you know laughter, love and hope in 2009.

The Journey: Pastor Susan's Bible Study

The Journey

Romans 10:14-17
Scripture for January 18

What is God’s vision for us as individuals and as the church? These are not easy questions for us to answer. Yet we have begun to search for those answers and created our Trinity logo, Reaching up, Reaching out, Reaching in. It’s on our t-shirts, caps, cups, brochures and about anything else that has the Trinity UMC name on it. But what does this logo mean and are we living into it as individuals and as the Body of Christ? Perhaps you could take some time to think about these three areas and see how you are living them out in your life. We’ll talk more about them on Sunday.

Prayer

Well, God, you know I’m trying to live my life the way you want me to. But it sure is hard sometimes. Help me to think about how I live out this vision and how we live it out as a church. Point me in the right direction, getting closer to you. Amen.

Blessing on your week,

Susan