Newsletter Correction

Vacation Bible School will be held from June 18 to June 22 from 9:00 am to 12 noon.

Church Office Closed Tomorrow

The church office will be closed tomorrow in observance of Memorial Day. It will reopen Tuesday at 8:00 am.

Buechner on Science

From Beyond Words by Frederick Buechner:

"Science is the investigation of the physical universe and its ways, and consists largely of weighing, measuring, and putting things in test tubes. To assume that this kind of investigation can unearth solutions to all our problems is a form of religious faith whose bankruptcy has only in recent years started to become apparent.
There is a tendency in many people to suspect that anything that can't be weighed, measured, or put in a test tube is either not real or not worth talking about. That is like a blind person's suspecting that anything that can't be smelled, tasted, touched, or heard is probably a figment of the imagination.
A scientist's views on such subjects as God, morality, and life after death are apt to be about as enlightening as a theologian's views on the structure of the atom or the cause and cure of the common cold.
The conflict between science and religion, which reached its peak toward the end of the nineteenth century, is like the conflict between a podiatrist and a poet. One says that Susie Smith has fallen arches. The other says she walks in beauty like the night. In his own way each is speaking the truth. What is at issue is the kind of truth you're after."

I think much the same could be said of perceived conflict between the Genesis stories of creation and evolution. The trick is to know what kind of truth you're after. By the same logic, those who try to prove the truth of the Genesis accounts by scientific standards do an extreme disservice to the book of Genesis and the Creator it reveals.

New Trees at the Parsonage

Two new trees were planted at the parsonage several weeks ago. In case you were wondering, they are white buds.

New Option for Receiving Communion

As you may remember, Jenny was up at Independence First United Methodist Church the last time we celebrated communion. Independence First was also celebrating communion that Sunday and Jenny saw that although the majority of people communed through intinction (breaking off a piece of bread and dipping it in the cup), they also had the small pieces of bread and juice in small cups available. Jenny and I thought we would adopt this practice and the communion stewards have agreed. Adopting this practice will also make it easier to kneel for those who so wish.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

If you heard the church bells tolling about 5:00 pm yesterday, it was not for anyone in particular, but simply a result of the fact that I had received a key to the Carillon system (which reproduces the sounds of bells) and was teaching myself how to use it.

Recycling Update

At the present time our recycling program can no longer take paperboard (cereal boxes, etc). The materials we're still taking are:

• Shredded office paper
• Glass: must be rinsed out.
• Aluminum Cans: must be rinsed out.
• Newspaper: in paper sacks or boxes.
• Paper Sacks
• Plastic Bags
• #1 Plastic bottles: must be rinsed out.
• #2 Milk Jugs: must be rinsed out.
• #2 Colored Plastic bottles
• Magazines and Catalogs
• Cardboard
  
• Ink Jet Cartridges
• Cell Phones

You can take your sorted materials down to room 001 (where the Tri-M class used to meet).

Movie Reminder

We'll be watching Sumo of the Opera tomorrow at 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome. Popcorn and juice will be served. Bring a camp chair and/or a blanket to get comfortable.

The Trouble

"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."

—C. S. Lewis, The Magicians Nephew

Richard Foster on Silence

Via Sojourners:

"We fear so deeply what we think other people see in us, so we talk in order to straighten out their understanding. ... One of the fruits of silence is the freedom to let our justification rest entirely with God."

—Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

The Upper Room LIving Prayer Center

The following appeared in today's electronic version of The Upper Room:

The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by Christian volunteers. Submit prayer requests online (English or Spanish) or call and speak to one of our volunteers (English) at 1-800-251-2468 (U.S. and Canada) or 615-327-4673 (International). http://www.upperroom.org/prayer_center/

I've been at several conferences where volunteers from among conference attendees could staff the prayer line. I think it's an interesting concept. Has anybody tried it?

Financial Independence in one Step

From Hal Knight's book, Eight Life-Enriching Practices of United Methodists:

"Several years ago, I saw a book prominently displayed in an airport bookstore that offered seven steps to financial independence. Jesus told a rich young man how to have financial independence in only one step: 'Go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me' (Matt. 19:21) What we possess or desire can end up possessing us, determining our values, commitments, and lifestyle. Jesus' advice to this young man recognized what we so often miss—that how we live and what we value are directly related to our ability to be faithful disciples."

Actually, I think the statement, "Go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me," may contain three steps, but the point still stands.

Angel Food Order Form

Are you interested in the Angel Food Program? An order form is now available on our downloads page.

Upcoming Movie Event

Our next movie event will be shown Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.
This movie event is open to everyone. As always, admittance, juice boxes and popcorn are free. Send us an email if you would like more information.
We’ll be watching Sumo of the Opera. According to Tom Keogh of Amazon.com:

“The main event on VeggieTales: Sumo of the Opera is the title featurette, a comic concoction of Gilbert & Sullivan and Rocky. Veggie Tales hero Larry the Cucumber plays the Italian Scallion (okay, so he was raised by a family of onions), a professional wrestler big on quips but not on finishing anything he starts, in or out of the ring. When he's challenged to a match with the sizable Apollo Gourd, Scallion is faced with the biggest decision of his life: Does he have what it takes to complete the task? This particular VeggieTales animation treat for kids doesn't reinvent any specific Bible story, but it does underscore the importance of perseverance. Also on the disc are a few extras, including "Going Up," a more-or-less silent comedy in which a Veggie Tales version of the Three Stooges re-creates the famous Laurel and Hardy routine about pushing a piano up a long flight of stairs.”

Donate to Disaster Relief Online

You can now donate to Greensburg disaster relief through the Kansas Area Disaster Fund online at the Kansas East Website. We'll also be receiving another offering this Sunday.

Greensburg Tornado Relief

We received an offering for the Kansas Area Disaster Fund yesterday. This is the fund from which disaster assistance to Greensburg will be sent. You can read more about the Bishop's appeal on the Kansas East Conference website.

Ministerial Alliance

Just a note that your's truly was elected president of the ministerial alliance last Thursday. I'll try to keep this new position from interfering with my pastoral duties.

Yoga Moved to 3:00 pm

Yoga has been moved to 3:00 pm today because April Foreman has to work this morning.

Cindy Powell Bio

Cindy Powell has been gracious enough to share the following information about herself:

Let me introduce myself. My name is Cindy Powell and I am from Coffeyville, Ks. where I make my home with my husband, Warren. We have 3 children and 8 grandchildren. I have been in the music ministry for over 25 years. God has given me the great privilege of sharing my gift of singing and comedy with people all over the nation. He has allowed me to work full time at our local library and still have time to witness and minister through music and laughter along with having a husband and raising a family. I am also very involved in my home church where I lead music in our worship services, sing in the chancel choir, work with our children and teach an adult Sunday school class. I feel very blessed to be able to share my gift and am very careful to use it for God's glory. I have also had the privilege of making several tapes and cd's in the past years including a special recording called, "Everytime", which is dedicated to my mother, who passed away in 2004. I am currently working on a new recording called, ‘What Happened to Your Hand?’. This cd will include some favorites like ‘His Eye is On the Sparrow’ and ‘Wayfaring Stranger’. Joining me on this cd will be some friends and family members as we praise God through duets and trio numbers. All in all, I pray the Lord will continue to entrust me with this ministry and I can spread His word for many years to come. I pray also, to be a blessing as I do His will. I do not charge a fee to come and minister but come only on faith through love gifts and offerings and God always has supplied my needs. I hope that you will pray and consider having me minister to your church family.

No, I Didn't Order the Rain

And yes, I have spoken to God about stopping it for a few days.

A Sermon on Communion by John Wesley

If you've been interested in our ongoing discussion of the frequency of the celebration of Holy Communion, I would encourage you to check out John Wesley's sermon on "The Duty of constant Communion." You can find it online at: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/serm-101.stm.

Cindy Powell in Concert

All are invited to hear Cindy Powell in concert this Saturday, May 5, at 7:00 p.m. There will be no charge for admission, but a love offering will be taken to help support Cindy's music ministry. Cindy has been in the music ministry for over 25 years in addition to working in the Children's department at the Coffeyville Public Library.

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

Office Update

A picture of the ongoing work in my office.

Parish Visitor Corrections

A couple of corrections to the calendar that was published in March's edition of The Parish Visitor:
McPherson College Choir is at 7:30 p.m. (It was listed as 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Visitor).
Cindy Powell's Concert is Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. (It was listed as May 11 in the Parish Visitor).

March Parish Visitor

The March edition of The Parish Visitor, our church newsletter, is now available on our website.

We're Back!

More to follow soon.

We're Off: Cancellations for the Week

We're just now leaving for Vacation. I probably won't be posting anything here until next week. Just a reminder of some cancellations due to our absence:
Wednesday Gathering
Tuesday Books Studies
Choir Practice (Because Henry and Dan will be gone)

No Pilates Monday

The Pilates (exercise) class for Monday has been canceled.

Church-going, hollow-hearted Prosperity

It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.

—Frederic D. Huntington, in Forum magazine, 1890

It seems to me that not much has changed in 117 years.

Wednesday Evening Gathering

We had 21 at last night's gathering, I'm happy to report that 12 of those 21 were younger than I am.

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

I wanted to climb up on my anti-torture soap box again and point you to this website: http://www.nrcat.org/.

No Yoga Tonight

The title of this post pretty much says it all.

Operation Helmet

Betty Gossard forwarded information from her daughters church on Operation Helmet to us. Operation Helmet's goal is to provide upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why do the helmets need upgraded, from their website:

"The helmets currently in use by the Marines as well as those projected for the future are engineered to protect against 'ballistics' (bullets) and have only fair protection from blast forces and fragment impacts from IED's and other types of newly appreciated combat dangers."

If you would like to make a contribution go to www.operation-helmet.org. I should probably note that military is providing upgrades, but that operation helmet is providing them (to troops already in the field and under fire) much faster.

Update: The army has apparently taken over and is providing the updates for almost all soldiers on the ground, upgrades are still needed for Marines, Airmen, and Navy Personnel. The cost for helmet upgrades ranges from $71 to $99 (depending upon the helmet), but you don't need to donate the full amount. All donations of any amount are welcome.

Yoga Benefits

April Foreman passes on the following reasons you might consider joining the church's Yoga classes at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday and 10:00 a.m. Saturday:

Here's how yoga slows the signs of aging:

Minimizes wrinkles
Yoga can reduce stress by nearly a third, reports a German study of 24 women. As a result, clenched jaws and furrowed brows relax, helping to smooth away wrinkles. Yoga may also rejuvenate skin's glow by reducing oxidative stress, which breaks down skin's elasticity. In an Indian study of 104 people, oxidative stress levels dropped by 9% after just 10 days of yoga.

Slows weight gain
During a 10-year University of Washington study of 15,500 men and women over age 45, those who didn't do yoga gained up to 13.5 pounds. Those who practiced regularly lost up to 5 pounds.

Eases pain
Yoga is twice as effective as stretching at relieving back pain, according to another University of Washington study that had 101 people with lower-back pain do either yoga or stretching once a week for 3 months.

Helps you sleep like a baby
Levels of the brain's natural nighttime sedative, melatonin, decrease with age, but another Indian study found that when 15 men, ages 25 to 35, practiced yoga daily for 3 months, their melatonin levels increased.

Keeps you sharp
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College discovered that just one yoga class helps keep the stress hormone cortisol in line. Elevated amounts may contribute to age-related memory problems.

Change in Movie Event Plans

A change to our plans for the next Movie Event on Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 p.m. Instead of Little Joe, the "prequel" to Moe and the Big Exit, we'll be watching An Easter Carol (also a VeggieTales show). Please let John or Jenny know if you are willing to help.

Another Technology Workshop

I've been asked and agreed to another workshop on "Technology for Small Churches" on April 29 from 3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Parsons' Wesley United Methodist Church. This will be immediately following the District Pre-(Annual) Conference Briefing.

Sermon for Sunday

I plan to preach on Luke 4.1-13 this Sunday. It's the lectionary passage from two weeks ago, but I feel the subject is extremely pertinent.

Dempsey Funeral

Funeral services for Mr. Jack Dempsey will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 8, 2007 in the Sanctuary.

No Yoga Saturday

We won't be having Yoga this coming Saturday because April will be unavailable.

Habitat For Humanity News

A Press Release from Habitat for Humanity:

Habitat for Humanity is looking, with eager expectation, to begin construction of the newest Habitat Home in Montgomery County. A Partner Family has been selected, Matilda Stewart and her two children Tyler and Megan, and it is now time to begin construction of their new home in Cherryvale. Therefore, the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity invites the public to come out for the groundbreaking ceremony on March 11, 2007 at 2:00 P.M. at the Habitat for Humanity home property, 511 E. 8th St. in Cherryvale, where the Stewart family will reside. The property is located across the street from the high school.
At the conclusion of the groundbreaking service there will be a time of fellowship with refreshments, providing everyone an opportunity to meet the Stewart family. If you, your church, or your group is interested in finding out how to be involved in making this Habitat for Humanity home a reality, then please come to the groundbreaking ceremony.

Oops ... One More Thing

It's stated in the Coffeyville Journal, that I'll be preaching at Wednesday's Lenten luncheon, but our present plan is for Jenny to preach.

Day Off

I failed to take a day off last week, so I'll be trying to observe a sabbath today. I plan to start posting again tomorrow.

No Altar Flowers During Lent

Several people noticed that we didn't have any flowers on the altar yesterday. In recognition of the solemnity of Lent (and in an attempt to fill other Sundays in the year) we don't have altar flowers during Lent. We already have flowers scheduled for Easter Sunday. After that, I think we have flowers scheduled until June 20th, but there are still plenty of Sundays left in 2007. Call the office to reserve a week in honor or memory of someone you love.

VeggieTales Movie Event

Due to sickness, we missed some of our regular attendees at yesterday's Movie Event, but we were very happy to welcome some new folks. We've already scheduled the next Movie Event for Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 p.m. We'll be watching Little Joe, the "prequel" to yesterdays Moe and the Big Exit. We need volunteers to help with these events. Please let John or Jenny know if you are willing to help.

Main Office Repainted

This was the big one. We moved everything out of the main office, our painter painted it, and then we moved everything back in. It looks great. If there was one thing that kept me from posting very much last week it was the process of moving so much stuff during a week when I was preparing a sermon.

Updates

Regular readers may have noticed that I didn't do much posting last week. It was a busy one. I'll try to get everyone up to date in the next few posts.

New Parish Visitor Available

The most recent Parish Visitor is now available on the "Newsletter" page of our website.

Book Study Times and Dates

We'll be beginning the book study on Eight Life-Enriching Practices of United Methodists by Hal Knight next Tuesday (February 27) at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (You only need to come to one, not both). If you want to take part, but haven't signed up call the church office or email john@coffeyvillefirstumc.org.

Ash Wednesday Service Tomorrow

We'll be having our Ash Wednesday service tomorrow during the Wednesday Gathering at 7:15 p.m.

The Function of Lent

The Upper Room has a new "Daily Reflections" page at: http://www.upperroom.org/daily. I thought the quote for today's reflection very aptly summarized the purpose of lent. Here's the quote:

"Lent serves as our annual invitation to come closer to God. It provides a time to look at our lives and ourselves, not so we may criticize ourselves more harshly but so we can identify the obstructions that keep us from God. What keeps us from feeling the presence of the divine in our every day? How do we hide from God, and why? Lent gives us a chance to look at such obstructions and to move them gently away so that we can come closer to the Love that gives us life, the Love whose triumph we will celebrate on Easter morning."

—Sarah Parsons, A Clearing Season. Copyright © 2005

Email Lists III

I just realized that I haven't mentioned what electronic mailing lists we have available. They are: Newsletter, Movie Events, Aldersgate Experience (Young Adults), Weather Cancellations, Yoga/Pilates, Youth Group, and Other. You can sign up for as many as you are interested in.

More Email Lists

Just a note about the new electronic mailing lists for those of you who have previously been on our email lists. When you try to register, you'll get a message stating:

"You are already a member of the Coffeyville First United Methodist Church mailing list. If you would like to update your profile, please re-type your email address below and instructions will be emailed to you."

Please go ahead and re-type your email address so you can update your profile. You're already a member because we migrated the previous mailing lists into the new system.

Email Lists

We're trying a new system for email notifications using a company named Constant Contact. You can follow the link at right to sign up for updates in areas of interest. Please let us know how it works for you.

Parsons' District Leadership Training

The Parsons' District Leadership Training event is this Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Parsons. The flyer is available on the downloads page of the church website.

Technology You Like

I'll be leading a session on "Technology for Small Churches" at the Parsons District Training Event, this coming Sunday. What are some of your favorites technologies here at Coffeyville First? Let me know so I can be sure and highlight them this Sunday. You can email me at john@coffeyvillefirstumc.org, or make a comment below.

The Image of God and Torture

We end every yoga session with the words imago Dei, Latin for "in the image of God." Imago Dei is the term used by theologians to describe the Biblical belief that we are made in God's image. Genesis 1.26 reads: "Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness" (NRSV). This theological doctrine is the foundation of a quote attributed to the Roman Catholic archbishop and martyr, Oscar Romero:

"There is no dichotomy between man and God's image.
Whoever tortures a human being,
whoever abuses a human being,
whoever outrages a human being,
abuses God's image."

Archbishop Romero is most remembered for his work on behalf of the poor and oppressed in El Salvador, he was martyred by gunmen while presiding over mass. Romero is not alone, or even isolated in his thinking. The image of God has long been understood to convey dignity to every human being. Furthermore, throughout church history there has never been any attempt to limit the imago Dei to persons of "good character." It is simply not the way the image of God works. We were made in God's image at the time of creation, that image, however tarnished by sin, remains in each of us. To torture someone, no matter how evil, is to abuse God's image, and by extension to challenge God's honor.

At the present time, Wikipedia (wikipedia.com) has an good, short biography of Oscar Romero.

Heat Back on in the Parsonage

I don't know how many of you have heard that the furnace in the parsonage has been replaced (this was a planned replacement after 30+ years). The new furnace is up and running and the parsonage is warm and toasty.

No Yoga Tuesday

Just a reminder, there will be no yoga this Tuesday night.

Church Council

Church Council will meet next Monday (February 19, 2007) at 7:00 p.m.

Water Damage

If you were in the 8:10 service last Sunday, you heard the news that we were having water heater problems. The hot water got shut off and after a couple of days (Wednesday) a new water heater was installed. Then the hot water was turned back on. The tap in the brides room had been left open and the sink overflowed, soaking the carpet and pad in the brides room and then dripping through the floor and into the Keystone classroom. A professional cleaner was called and the issue is being addressed, I just wanted to keep everyone informed.

The New Abolitionists

Twenty-seven million slaves exist in our world today. Girls and boys, women and men of all ages are forced to toil in the rug looms of Nepal, sell their bodies in the brothels of Rome, break rocks in the quarries of Pakistan, and fight wars in the jungles of Africa. Go behind the façade in any major town or city in the world today and you are likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings.

So begins NOT for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade – and How We Can Fight It by David Batstone. The book is not yet released, but Jim Wallis has an excellent summary in an article on beliefnet.com in which he argues that we need new abolitionists, new people like William Wilberforce.

Why we're not using a pink candle in Advent.

I had questions about why we stopped using a pink candle in the Advent wreath. Tonight, while looking for some information on liturgical colors, I found a good explanation from a "worship glossary" by Ken Collins:

The use of the color rose has a strange origin. Long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rose-colored vestments on that Sunday. The effect was to give some relief the solemnity of Lent, so this was a very popular custom. Originally—before shopping malls—Advent was a solemn fast in preparation for Christmas, so the custom was extended to the third Sunday in Advent to liven it up a little bit, too. Somewhere in there the third candle of the Advent wreath turned pink. Meanwhile, Advent is no longer solemn and the pope no longer has the custom of giving out roses. It is kind of odd to think that a Methodist would put a pink candle in a Lutheran Advent wreath because the pope used to have the custom of giving out roses, but sometimes we’re a little more ecumenical than we realize!

—www.kencollins.com/glossary/liturgy.htm

Found History

I found this web page (http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/montgome/methodist.html) that tells a history of the first 100 years of First United Methodist Church. I have a copy of some of this information in my office and I thought some of you might be interested.

Burnout

"Burnout is a function of loss of meaning."

— Notes of Tony Campolo speaking at the Kansas Area Seminar on Professional Ministry.

I think it is true of not only clergy (which were the subjects that Tony was addressing), but churches as well.

Youth Group Announcements

The youth had a great Super Bowl Gathering last night, though not much of the game was actually watched. Activities for the next few weeks: Painting Ceiling Tiles, A Lesson, and helping host the Movie Event for younger children and then watching the movie Radio afterward.

The ACLU in a different light

I was looking for information about the connection between Abraham Lincoln and a Presbyterian church in New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, and my Google search returned this press release from the ACLU on their defense of a Presbyterian church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Apportionments

Our apportionments for 2007 are be $34,473. They were $35,869 last year, a decrease of $1,396.

Moe and the Big Exit

We have a new Movie Event coming up on February 25: Moe and the Big Exit. This is the upcoming VeggieTales release. Go to the "Movie Events" page of our website for more information.

New Calendar Up and Running

We have a new calendar up and running over at our website. You can see scheduled events for months to come.

Wednesday NIght Taize Service

Tomorrow evening we will be having a Taize service for our Wednesday night Gathering. A Taize service is one of prayer, meditative singing and silence that includes candles and dimmed lights to add to the meditative mood. I invite you to come and experience this different style of worship. The service begins at 7:15 p.m. in the chapel. Childcare will be provided.

Sunday's Sermon

In case anyone's interested in reading ahead, I plan on preaching on Isaiah 6.1-8 this Sunday.

Addition: I may go with the extended lectionary passage which also includes verses 9-13.

Anger

Lately, I've been dealing with some anger. When I need motivation to try and put my anger away, to forgive as I have been forgiven, I find this reminder of the true nature of anger from Frederick Buechner is extremely helpful. This comes from his book Beyond Words, it's a book that has become a key part of my devotional life, and one I heartily recommend.

Anger: Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back—in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.

Good to Be Back

It was good to be back in worship this morning. I don't know about all of you, but I really got a lot out of this morning's services. Grace and peace to you all.

God doesn't need lies to establish credibility

Jenny and I got the chance to hear Tony Campolo speak at a Kansas Area pastor's conference earlier this month. I'm now reading his book, Letters to a Young Evangelical. He makes this important point about those who exaggerate healings to "aggrandize their ministries":

Don't get me wrong! I believe in healings. Miracles are not a thing of the past. They are happening today. But I have heard too many stories of supposed miracles that, upon investigation, are revealed as gross exaggerations of reality. God doesn't need lies to establish credibility. Where false claims about miracles are exposed, as they often are, cynicism about Christianity grows [emphasis mine].

This is my thought about a lot of the forwarded emails making the rounds.

Insurance adjuster here Friday

I just got a call from the insurance adjuster and he will be here Friday.

Phone Calls

I'm really impressed. At 8:30 this morning, I received a phone call from our insurance broker that the insurance company would be calling (they are two seperate entitities under our set-up). At 9:30 I got a call from the insurance company that they were starting the claim process and that a local adjuster would be getting in contact with us today.

In case you're wondering ...

In case you're wondering, our property insurance deductible is a $1,000 and because we're in a group plan with the rest of the conference our rates won't get jacked up.

Ice Damage

Yesterday a large piece of ice fell from the sanctuary roof and broke the skylight in my office. Smaller pieces of ice fell through the skylight. Thankfully, I was home sick and so only inanimate objects were damaged.

More significantly, the falling ice also damaged the structural integrity of the old roof over my inner office. For this reason, Dave Larimore advised removing it's contents and abandoning the inner room of my office. There is also a large pile of sleet, about shoulder high, sitting over the hallway the southeast corner of my inner office and the hallway between my inner office and the sanctuary. The outer room of my office (with the coffee table, etc.) is under the roof of the new addition, separated by a large steel girder and a brick wall, undamaged and not threatened.

Jenny's office and Linda's office are also unharmed and completely safe. For the time being I'll be officing from the parsonage.

Conference Unveils Redesigned Website

The Kansas East Conference (our conference, headquartered in Topeka, Kansas) has unveiled a redesigned website. There seem to be a few kinks, but all in all, I am very impressed. You can visit at www.kansaseast.org.

Buechner on Repentance

I came across a great partial explanation of "Repentance" in Beyond Words by Frederick Buechner: "To repent is to come to your senses." It seems to me that this is exactly what happened to the prodigal son. In the far country, after losing all his money, and being stuck with the lowly job of caring for hogs, he came to his senses and returned to his father. The NRSV backs this up, translating the key passage from the gospel of Luke as: "when he came to himself."