Almost Forgot

I almost forgot, the latest newsletter is now available on our website at www.coffeyvillefirstumc.org. Follow the "Newsletter" link.

New Lights

You may have noticed that we have some new fluorescent light fixtures in the church office, one of the hallways, and Room 102. We're doing this because the current light fixtures are so old that replacements for broken covers would have to be custom made. For this reason, the entire fixture can be replaced for only a little more than the cost of one of these custom covers. In addition, the new fixtures are even more energy efficient. We're replacing all the fixtures in a room, and saving the unbroken covers and fixtures that are taken down to replace single units that need replacing or repair in other rooms.

Sumo of the Opera

We'll be watching VeggieTales' Sumo of the Opera for our next movie event, which will be held on May 20, 2007 at 4:00 pm. Please note the change of time. Because of a Dance Recital being held in the Fellowship Hall we'll be meeting upstairs in the youth room. Anyone who has a good idea about how to get the popcorn popper up stairs is encouraged to let us know.

Be still and know

Eugene H. Peterson, translator/paraphraser of The Message version of the Bible has the following words of wisdom:

Be still and know. Civilization is littered with unsolved problems, baffling impasses. The best minds of the world are at the end of their tether. The most knowledgeable observers of our condition are badly frightened. The most relevant contribution that Christians make at these points is the act of prayer -determined, repeated, leisurely meetings with the personal and living God. New life is conceived in these meetings.

—Eugene H. Peterson,from "Earth to Altar"

Newsletter Article on Communion

My article from the most recent Parish Visitor:

As you may know, First United Methodist Church currently has a book study on the book Eight Life Enriching Practices of United Methodists by Dr. Henry H. Knight. Last Tuesday, we were discussing chapter five which is about worship. One of the areas where discussion became most animated was on the subject of Holy Communion, Dr. Knight says

If the word [scripture and the sermon] is the heart of worship, the table is its goal. Worship culminates in a profound thanksgiving for God’s victory over sin and death, gift of new life, and communion together with the risen Christ at his table. Because of this, John and Charles Wesley, like Martin Luther and John Calvin before them, would have us restore the New Testament church practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper weekly. Many United Methodist churches today have at least moved toward Wesley’s ideal of “constant communion” by celebrating it monthly.

The desire of the early Methodists to receive the Lord’s Supper as often as possible is well known. The enormous crowds of communicants would sometimes take hours to serve. Why this hunger for the sacrament? They were convinced that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the risen Jesus Christ was present in this meal, and by receiving his gifts of bread and wine, they would be given new life. They came with expectant faith, seeking to remember all that God has done and promised through Jesus Christ and open to receive all God has to give.

Dr. Knight makes a compelling argument, one with which I fully agree. Jesus’ words of institution, “Do this, as often as you drink it,” are also a powerful argument for more frequent communion. Jenny and I would like to celebrate communion weekly at the Sunday services, but we assumed there would be little support for this position and so contented ourselves with monthly communion on Sunday morning and almost weekly communion Wednesday evening. I was pleasantly surprised by the response of those participating in the book study, there was great support expressed for weekly communion at the Sunday morning services. I now want to throw open the question to the entire congregation. What say you?

Send an email to john@coffeyvillefirstumc.org and let me know what you think.

More About Nothing But Nets

An update: You can donate to "Nothing but Nets" on the page linked in the entry below.

Nothing But Nets

Jenny talked about the "Nothing But Nets" campaign to fight malaria in her sermon tonight. The United Methodist Church has been part of this campaign since the beginning. You can learn more at: www.umc.org

The End of the Spear

The youth just finished watching The End of the Spear, the movie that Jenny referenced in a sermon last Sunday. This was the second time I have seen it. It has great lessons about faith and forgiveness. A documentary about this story is Beyond the Gates of Splendor. There are books of the same name as both movies. I would recommend the movies to anyone, with the caveat that you need to be ready for the violence that was endemic to the Waodani's existence before their conversion to Christianity.

VeggieTales Movie Event

We're happy to announce that we have a VeggieTales movie event planned for 3:00 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2007. The movie is The Ballad of Little Joe. This is the story of Joseph told as a western and is the "prequel" to Moe and the Big Exit. It's been described as "Joseph and the technicolor leather vest."

As before you're encouraged to bring camp chairs, sleeping bags, etc. to make yourselves comfortable. You're also more than welcome to bring friends and invite others to join us. We look forward to seeing you April 22.

No Yoga Tuesday

April Foreman, our instructor, has a funeral visitation for a family member, so there will be no Yoga on Tuesday.

Wi-Fi and McPherson College Students

We got some feed back on our free Wi-Fi from McPherson college students Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Outbursts of enthusiasm were heard, and lots of laptops were brought out, opened up, and logged on. This is, of course, exactly the kind of response we were hoping for.

Great Concert Tonight!

The McPherson College Choir gave a great concert tonight. Jenny and I really liked "O, What a Beautiful City," arranged by Shawn Kirchner. Thanks to all of those who are hosting students tonight and especially to Janice Walker for making the essential arrangements.

Parsonage Painting

John the Painter came over from Parsons yesterday and Today and put two coats of paint on four rooms and painted the ceilings as well. We've been moving stuff from one room to the next so he can keep painting. The parsonage looks good, and we really appreciate the eagerness of the Board of Trustees to get this project done.

Linda on Vacation

Our secretary, Linda Beever, is on vacation this week. We're covering the office as best we can in the morning. If you can't get a hold of anyone please leave a message on the machine and we'll get back to you.

Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, Indeed!

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

—Luke 24.1-12 (NRSV)

What the Passion is Really About

Conservative political blogger Andrew Sullivan had a quote about what the passion of Jesus Christ is really about. He sets it in the context of Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, but I think it's valid about the passion in general.

That's why I felt so passionately about Mel Gibson's attempt to depict Christ's passion as primarily about the violence inflicted by others on Jesus. In fact, it is and was primarily about Jesus' decision to accept the violence without resistance because he wanted to show that only non-violence can ever truly, deeply defeat violence. Gibson never gave us the Gospel teaching to make sense of this, which is why the film failed so profoundly as a Christian movie.

The talk about "defeating violence" builds on the theme of Sunday's sermon about Christ the Victor. Non-violence was the only way to defeat not only violence, but sin, death, and the demonic. I believe this to be true, the question is why. My thought at this point is that only non-violence can defeat them because only non-violence is truly opposed to them, violence can be co-opted by them, non-violence cannot.

About Tenebrae

The Good Friday Service will be a Tenebrae Service. Ken Collins (no relation) has a good article on Tenebrae services at http://www.kencollins.com/question-39.htm. We will be doing a few things differently. The United Methodist Book of Worship has 16 readings and we'll be using 15 candles. In case you're wondering after reading Ken Collins' article; there will not be a sermon and we'll be celebrating communion on Easter morning.

Taize Service Tonight

The Wednesday Gathering tonight will be a Taize Service. Childcare will be provided (free).

Good Friday Service

Our Good Friday service is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Disappointments and Calamities

"Help me, O Lord, to make a true use of all disappointments and calamities in this life, in such a way that they may unite my heart more closely with you. Cause them to separate my affections from worldly things and inspire my soul with more vigor in the pursuit of true happiness."

—Susanna Wesley

from Alive Now! March/April 1992