Trinity: 3/1/11

3/21/11

Trinity Talk...A Weekly Newsletter

Trinity Talk – News, Events, and Schedules – March 20, 2011

TRINITY SINGERS will sing next Sunday, March 27. Practice will be Wednesday evening, March 23, at 7 p.m. Thanks! Cissy

Take a look at our new playroom! A big thank you to Michael Chasteen for painting the room. He put in a lot of hours to make it a colorful, bright room for Trinity kids. There is also a "chalkboard" on one of the walls. Check it out!

Thank you to everyone who attended our Supper and Small Groups. Special thanks to our group leaders: Lina Gibbs, Annette Lumsden, Sue Mayo, Earl Metcalf, Tony Thorn and Dale Williams. We also thank Scott and Lina Gibbs and friends who prepared wonderful suppers. Join us again in the fall for new groups!

EGG HUNT: The Community Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, at the Bloomfield City Park. We need everyone to bring plastic eggs stuffed with wrapped candy; baskets for these will be in foyer. We will also need helpers for that day, so think about where you would like to serve--hide eggs, serve food, cook food, help supervise jumpers, etc. Lara will be contacting the City, School & other churches to see who's also willing to help us this year. The exact time will be announced after contacting those above. Thanks for your help.

STUDENT SUCCESSES:

Beta: Joe Northern placed 2^nd in Radio Speech contest last week and earned a trip to state. Beta Talent placed 2^nd at state; Sydney Lambert won state vice president.

Stephanie Monroe is the Beta sponsor at Richland; Little Jiles got to attend his first state Beta convention last week.

Alex Gibbs – Baseball traveling team wins second in tourney

I will be sending a Rada Knife order no later than March 31. If you wish to place an order please give me your order via e-mail (rosemary8077@sbcglobal.net) or phone 568-3425. Thanks.

DIAPER MINISTRY needs help. We need diapers sizes 3,4,5 and baby wipes. There is a basket in the foyer of the sanctuary. Thank you for your generosity.

The monthly attendance figures and offering information is on file in the office. If you would like to receive this information, you may contact Pastor Susan or attend the bi-monthly church council meetings. Our Building Loan balance as of 2/25/11 is $57,318.71

Cereal - Food Item for this month:

LOOKING AHEAD:

LANDSCAPING DAY at Trinity is Saturday, April 9, at 10:00 a.m. Please bring a shovel and help the Trustees plant shrubs, trees, flowers. We'll have lunch at noon. Let's make this a fun time together as we "spruce" the place up!

BLOOD DRIVE IN TRINITY FELLOWSHIP BUILDING on Monday, May 16, 2011 – 3 to 7 p.m. We need donations of fruit (raisins, bananas, grapes), juices (grape, apple, orange), and sandwiches cut into quarter size.

Vicky Breece is on a Relay for life team at work and she has the Luminary bags available for purchase. They are $5.00 a piece and can be bought for In Memory of or In Honor of. All proceeds go to Relay for Life. Anyone wanting them may see me Vicky at church or contact her at 820-0465.

	Thank you for your generosity! The offering for our brothers and sisters in Japan was $750. For those of you who weren't at worship on Sunday and wish to make an offering, please let Susan know and she will wait about sending in the offering.
In the event that some may not know of the work of Samaritan’s Purse, this is an example of the help they give throughout the world. Trinity participates in some of their projects, e.g. Christmas Boxes for children.

Samaritan's Purse is rushing aid to stricken Japanese

As the death toll mounts and the crisis in Japan deepens from Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami, Samaritan's Purse is rushing personnel and aid to the grim scene.

Working with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and local Japanese churches,

Samaritan's Purse is planning to distribute food, water, medicine, blankets, and other essential items on the northeastern Japanese coast where some officials have estimated casualties at more than 10,000. There is no electricity in many regions; the nights are cold; and the suffering is great. Evacuations over nuclear power concerns have only compounded the problems.

We will be laboring alongside church partners to show the compassion and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to survivors in the midst of their distress. Please pray for our teams and for the plight of the Japanese people who are wondering how they will ever put their lives back together again.

The need is enormous. Your financial support is vital and appreciated. We will do all we can to help as many as we can and do it in the Name of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER CONCERNS

The family of Larry Jones who lost his fight with cancer this week.

The family of Gene Perry who passed away this week. He was Sandra Massey’s uncle.

(Little) Charlie Glass - She had a 103 fever on Saturday and was hospitalized until Sunday. They did a lot

of tests but didn't find the cause. Her fever is down but they still are watching her. Her address is

503 Depot Road, Bloomfield.

Colleen Phillips – Returned to Cypress last week.

JoAnne Ruby - Mother-in-law of Julie Dodd's aunt who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer

Steve Stogsdill – colon cancer; will start two weeks of chemo, then four weeks of both chemo and radiation,

then surgery. He continues to need our prayers.

Lori Fowler – Cecil and Judy Vincent’s daughter is at her home recuperating from surgery for a mass behind

her eye.

Linda Talley – Kristine Jackson’s Mom who has cancer.

Becky Dennington – in St. Louis for radiation treatments.

Greg Hall Sarah White Charles Glass Mucuacua UMC

COMMUNION ON THE MOON

More than forty years ago two human beings changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it.

I’m taking about the fact that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface of the moon. Some months after his return, he wrote about it in Guildeposts Magazine.

The background to the story is that Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian church in Texas during this period in his life, and knowing that he would soon be doing something unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion somehow and he asked his pastor to help him. The pastor consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine which Aldrin took with him out of the Earth’s orbit and on to the surface of the moon.

He and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Aldrin made the following statement. “This is the LM pilot. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.” He then ended radio communication and there, on the silent surface of the moon, 250,000 miles from home, he read a verse from the Gospel of John, and he took communion. Here is his own account of what happened:

“In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the read and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the 1/6^th gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the scripture, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.’

I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute (they) had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murry O’Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility .. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements. And, of course, it is interesting to think that some of the first words spoken on the moon were the words of Jesus Christ who made the Earth and the moon – and Who, in the immortal words of Dante, is Himself the “Love that moves the Sun and other stars.”

WOW!!! Written by the author of Everything You Always Wanted to Know

About God (But Were Afraid to Ask)

You better slow down.

Do so
fast.

Time is short.

Do you run through each day

e
fl?

When you ask are you?

Do you
bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through
your head?

You'd b
slow down

Don't.

3/13/11

Trinity Talk...A Weekly Newsletter

Trinity Talk – News, Events, and Schedules – March 13, 2011

TRINITY SINGERS will sing Sunday, March 27. Practice will be Wednesday evening, March 23, at 7 p.m. Thanks! Cissy

FULL BREAKAFAST next Sunday at 9:00. All are welcome.

Welcome to Daylight Savings Time – What will you do with your ‘extra hour of daylight’?

MAGGIE THORN and JOSH MONROE will be singing at the KENNY ROGERS CHILDREN’S CENTER Telethon this coming weekend, the 19th and 20th. Maggie will sing around 6 p.m. on Saturday night right before their Idol Contest and then again on Sunday around 3 p.m. This will be on KFVS.com, on Newwave Channel 21 YHCTV and Sikeston’s Local channel and maybe CW. The KRCC will host its 31st Annual Telethon at the Sikeston Field House on March 19 and 20. (I do not have information on times that Josh will sing.) The K R Center sent the following message to churches: The Center’s Mission is “To make a difference in the lives of children with special needs” and with your support, we are able to provide physical, occupational and speech therapy to these very special children at no direct cost to the families served. Admission is free and fun is on the schedule. Please join us! Also: BENEFIT FISH FRY: Join the Telethon Sunday after worship for a benefit fish fry from 11:00 A.M. TO 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 20, at the Field House. This fish fry is dine-in or carry-out and 100% of the proceeds go to the Center. Call Christy O’Neal or Lauren Smith at 472-0397 x 207 to purchase advance tickets. Cost is $8 each and will also be available at the door. Your support in any way is greatly appreciated!

STUDENT SUCCESSES:
Beta: Joe Northern placed 2nd in Radio Speech contest last week and earned a trip to state. He is also a contender for the BETA college scholarship. More Beta results will be given next week.
Volleyball 8th grade won first game Tuesday night against Richland; play at Dexter on Monday.

NEW TOTAL for the auction to raise money for water filters for the people of Haiti is over $6,800.

Our Building Loan balance as of 2/25/11 is $57,318.71

EGG HUNT: The Community Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, at the Bloomfield City Park. We need everyone to bring plastic eggs stuffed with wrapped candy; baskets for these will be in foyer. We will also need helpers for that day, so think about where you would like to serve--hide eggs, serve food, cook food, help supervise jumpers, etc. Lara will be contacting the City, School & other churches to see who's also willing to help us this year. The exact time will be announced after contacting those above. Thanks for your help.

DIAPER MINISTRY needs help. We need diapers sizes 3,4,5 and baby wipes. There is a basket in the foyer of the sanctuary. Thank you for your generosity.

The monthly attendance figures and offering information is on file in the office. If you would like to receive this information, you may contact Pastor Susan or attend the bi-monthly church council meetings.

Cereal Food Item for this month:

LOOKING AHEAD:

LANDSCAPING DAY at Trinity is Saturday, April 9, at 10:00 a.m. Please bring a shovel and help the Trustees plant shrubs, trees, flowers. We'll have lunch at noon. Let's make this a fun time together as we "spruce" the place up!

BLOOD DRIVE IN TRINITY FELLOWSHIP BUILDING on Monday, May 16, 2011 – 3 to 7 p.m. We need donations of fruit (raisins, bananas, grapes), juices (grape, apple, orange), and sandwiches cut into quarter size.

PRAYER CONCERNS
Neal Boyd - has recently had surgery and still needs prayer.
Colleen Phillips – Very ill; has been in Southeast Hospital in Cape.
The family of Ron McCormick who passed away last week. He was the father of Lee McCormick (Pat
Snider’s son).
The family of Joan Mayberry who passed away this week.
Steve Stogsdill – colon cancer; will start two weeks of chemo, then four weeks of both chemo and radiation,
then surgery. He continues to need our prayers.
Larry Jones – his cancer has metastasized to his brain; grave condition. His daughter Lora is a friend of
Stephanie Monroe. Remember his wife and children as well.
Lori Fowler – Cecil and Judy Vincent’s daughter who had surgery for a mass behind her eye. She is at her
home for recovery.
Linda Talley – Kristine Jackson’s Mom who has cancer.
Becky Dennington – begins six week of radiation; will stay in St. Louis for duration of treatments.
Greg Hall Sarah White Charles Glass Mucuacua UMC

3/8/11

A Light in the Window

Susan Hoyle, pastor

Trinity United Methodist Church

The weather has been warmer the last couple of weeks and we’ve been thinking about spring, haven’t we? The warmer weather gives us an opportunity to be outside taking a walk or riding a bike or inviting friends to a BBQ. There are so many activities for us to enjoy in the springtime including spring training. We usually think about baseball when we think about spring training. But have ever you thought that as Christians we are part of spring training, too? It’s called the season of Lent. The Lenten season helps us prepare our minds, hearts and souls to walk with Jesus to the cross and to the celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. There are 40 days in Lent. The number 40 is important in our Bible. Moses led the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years and Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. But should you decided to count the days between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday, there will be 46 days. Why? The 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays because each one is considered a little Easter.

There are many ways that we can prepare ourselves for the walk to the cross with Jesus. Perhaps you could read through one of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Take your time, read it slowly and imagine being there. Picture Jesus having conversations with people, maybe even with you. Hear the sounds in the villages and cities. Imagine the temple and the people praying there. This adds such a depth to our Biblical experience.

Maybe you can ask some folks to begin a Lenten prayer group. The group could meet once a week in person and once a week through facebook or a conference call. Be creative in praying together. Or you might ask someone to be your prayer partner. A call or email a couple of times a week can be a powerful way to connect with your partner and with God. Another way of praying together is asking folks to pray at a certain time each day, say 9:00 p.m. You can email each other with your prayer needs, knowing your group or partner will be lifting you up in prayer at the same time you are lifting them up, too.

We often think of “giving up” something for Lent. But I have found that folks can be a bit resistant to give up something, even to God. I like to ask folks another way, what can you offer God during this Lenten season? Perhaps you can read a devotional or a chapter in the Bible before you turn on the TV or your computer. Maybe you can turn off the TV a bit earlier once or twice a week and just talk to God. Perhaps there is a ministry in the community that you can offer an hour or two a month. Get creative on what you can offer God, it really will make all the difference to you and to God.

Join us this Wednesday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m. for Trinity’s Ash Wednesday service. It’s a time when we think about our own mortality, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We don’t like to think about our mortality very often. Yet during this season of Lent, it reminds us that we are not the center of the universe, God is the center of the universe. And we are here to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

May your “spring training” be a powerful journey that reminds you of who you are and Who you belong to…amen.

Trinity Talk...A Weekly Newsletter

Trinity Talk – News, Events, and Schedules – March 6, 2011

The Church Council meeting will be this Tuesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. This is the meeting where the business of the church is conducted. Everyone is welcome and your input and ideas are encouraged.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES will be held this week on Wednesday evening, starting at 6 p.m. (This will take the place of the regular JOY service.) Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent – forty days (Sundays not included in the count) prior to Easter Sunday and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is always a very moving service. Please plan to attend. It will be preceded by supper at 5:15; small groups begin at 6:30. This week or next will conclude the small groups.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME starts next Sunday, the 13^th. Set your clocks forward one hour (you’ll lose that hour of sleep that you gained last fall). Don’t be late for church!!

THE AUCTION TO RAISE MONEY FOR WATER FILTERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI was deemed a great success, raising over $6,200. A special thanks to Melissa Blair’s Dad for serving as the auctioneer. Also, thanks to those who came to bid, who worked the concession stand, who prepared the items for sale, and who contributed items to be sold. One of the big ticket items was probably the mole trapping service donated by Ken Kingree and bought by the Mayos. It was a fun evening as well as one of service.

Don’t forget The Young Adult Sunday School class, Focus, which started meeting again last Sunday. Carrie Green is leading the 4- week series entitled "Good 'N' Angry" by Ed Young. Many of those who attended before may remember Ed and his off-the-wall teaching style. This class meets in conjunction with children's Sunday School, 9:30 - 10:30.

Our Building Loan balance as of 2/25/11 is $57,318.71

DIAPER MINISTRY needs help. We need diapers sizes 3,4,5 and baby wipes. There is a basket in the foyer of the sanctuary. Thank you for your generosity.

Mac and Cheese is the Food Ministry item for the month – the last week for this item.

PRAYER CONCERNS

Steve Stogsdill, Debbie Stogsdill's brother-in-law - Found out Monday that he has colon cancer; he’s only

50 years old; is from Paducah. Will be going to Nashville on Monday to see a specialist.

After what they have just been through with the lose of their father, this has really hit their

family hard.

Larry Jones – his cancer has metastasized to his brain; grave condition. His daughter Lora is a friend of

Stephanie Monroe. Remember his wife and children as well.

Lori Fowler – Cecil and Judy Vincent’s daughter who had surgery for a mass behind her eye. She is at her

home for recovery.

The family of Geraldine Duncan , Billy Wethington’s aunt who passed away this week.

Tracy Boner’s – doctors searching for cause of his chest pains. He is Shirley’s Hanner’s son.

Beverly Mikel’s – Shirley Hanner’s sister - confused and hospitalized in Kennett

Debbie Potts – Sister of Brenda Wells who has a mass.

Kristine Jackson – will have an MRI on her ankle

Sharon Ulrich – now scheduled for heart valve surgery in April.

Linda Talley – Kristine Jackson’s Mom who has cancer.

Charlotte Clark – Jill Gibb’s Mom who has severe back pain.

Becky Dennington – begins six week of radiation; will stay in St. Louis for duration of treatments.

Greg Hall Sarah White Charles Glass Mucuacua UMC

LENTEN SYMBOLS

Ashes. A rough wooden cross draped in purple, then black. A crown of thorns. Water, basin, and towels. Bread and wine. A noticeable void where altar flowers usually shout praise to their Creator. Decidedly different musical selections. Waving palms in the hands of excited children. Candles, slowly and methodically extinguished until only darkness remains.

The symbols of the Lenten season invite us to pause, reflect, repent, give up, take on, recommit. ..and wait. We long to rush ahead, to celebrate what we know is just around the corner. But we must wait.

The symbols of our faith that surround us infuse our waiting with humility; recognition of our total dependence upon God. They provide visible expression to inner changes and outward actions that help shape and grow our spiritual foundation. They call us to remember. They help us learn our story and tell our story of salvation as God’s people.

Many of us know the story well. And unlike other stories, we know how this story will end; with all creation praising and worshiping the God who promised to make all new things, but to make “all things new.”

We know that the barren cross, come Easter morning, will be covered with colorful flowers that announce rebirth, hope and new life. But to rush past the cross of suffering cheapens that for which it and the other faith symbols stand. Penitent waiting is part of this very necessary journey with Jesus. We will celebrate. We will worship. We will also learn, perhaps again, maybe for the first time, our story.