THE BELL RINGER July 2017
Christ United Methodist Church P.O. Box 710 Levelland, TX 79336
THE BELL RINGER July 2017
COMING IN JULY Tuesdays, July 11 & 25 - Grief Support Group with Ann Akin in the parlor at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, July 5, 12, 19, 26 – Pastor’s Devotional at 9:30 a.m. Glimpse of Faith Lunch, noon, Housing Authority Building Sunday, July 2 – Fourth Sunday After Pentecost Tuesday, July 4 – Office Closed in observance of Independence Day Sunday, July 9 – Fifth Sunday After Pentecost Donation Luncheon – Potluck Sunday, July 16 – Sixth Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, July 23 – Seventh Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, July 30 – Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
July Birthdays – Judy Stracener - July 2, George Payne – July 9, Buddy Faulks – July 10, Bruce Keeling – July 14, Parker Payne – July 16, Jon Johnson – July 28, Cory Foley – July 28, T’ara Taylor – July 28 July Anniversaries – Ross & Nancy Joplin – July 28
Donation Lunch for July On Sunday July 9th we will enjoy a summer potluck. Come join us for fun, good food and festivities, as well as a good way to support shared ministries. The sign-up sheet is on the podium in the Narthex.
Our Flowerbeds & Shrubs Need Water Please sign up to water our flower beds & shrubs once a week for a month. We need people to sign up for October and November. We do not have a ground maintenance person so everyone needs to pitch in to keep our plants from dying. Please sign up in the Narthex
Reappointed Sue and I are pleased to announce that we were reappointed at Annual Conference to return as your pastoral couple. We are indeed blessed to be serving such a loving congregation.
Youth Camp We will send some of our youth to Camp Nova at Ceta Canyon on July 24-28.
Women’s Study Group The Women’s study group is taking a break for the summer. They will resume meetings August 20, 2017.
A Word from the Pastor Dear Eye of the Needle Saints, In Mark 10:24-27 we read the following: And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." This reading from Mark is a familiar text and has been used many times to point out the need for faith and a willingness to serve sacrificially. In previous verses, a wealthy man has asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell what he owns, give the money to the poor. Many have found this to be a hard reading. Some have suggested that Jesus is placing an impossible task before the man. Indeed, he tells the disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. For the wealthy man in the text, it was indeed an eye of a needle. He was very attached to his wealth. Perhaps there was sentimental value involved. Whatever the reason, he could not separate himself from his treasure in order to follow Jesus. It is not that difficult to relate to the wealthy young man. All of us have treasures. We have things or situations which we are tied to physically and emotionally. The thought of walking away from what we have or giving all we have away might be rather unsettling. That is the basic message of this passage. It isn’t that you have to give all your wealth away. It isn’t that only poor people will go to heaven. No, Jesus is telling his disciples and us that discipleship requires commitment. That commitment may appear to be a cross that we cannot bear. Indeed, if we try to bear it by ourselves or try to figure out ways to “do” what is necessary, we become bogged down in our own failed attempts to find salvation on our own. Jesus tells the disciples “for mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God, all things are possible.” If we open ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit we can answer Jesus call on our lives. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is at work leading, guiding, counseling, and inspiring. When we face the eyes of needles in our lives, we can listen to the words of Jesus and understand that we cannot do the work we are called to do alone. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to speak to one another and to provide loving support so that we are able to weather the storms in community. That is the message for us today. What does it take to inherit eternal life? It takes praise, prayer, piety, practice, and persistence. All of these things are not done in a vacuum. They are done with our brothers and sisters in Christ in loving support. When you think you can’t, open yourself to the workings of the Holy Spirit and be moved to wondrous actions in God’s name. Grace and Peace Pastor Dennis
THE BELL RINGER July 2017
COMING IN JULY Tuesdays, July 11 & 25 - Grief Support Group with Ann Akin in the parlor at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, July 5, 12, 19, 26 – Pastor’s Devotional at 9:30 a.m. Glimpse of Faith Lunch, noon, Housing Authority Building Sunday, July 2 – Fourth Sunday After Pentecost Tuesday, July 4 – Office Closed in observance of Independence Day Sunday, July 9 – Fifth Sunday After Pentecost Donation Luncheon – Potluck Sunday, July 16 – Sixth Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, July 23 – Seventh Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, July 30 – Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
July Birthdays – Judy Stracener - July 2, George Payne – July 9, Buddy Faulks – July 10, Bruce Keeling – July 14, Parker Payne – July 16, Jon Johnson – July 28, Cory Foley – July 28, T’ara Taylor – July 28 July Anniversaries – Ross & Nancy Joplin – July 28
Donation Lunch for July On Sunday July 9th we will enjoy a summer potluck. Come join us for fun, good food and festivities, as well as a good way to support shared ministries. The sign-up sheet is on the podium in the Narthex.
Our Flowerbeds & Shrubs Need Water Please sign up to water our flower beds & shrubs once a week for a month. We need people to sign up for October and November. We do not have a ground maintenance person so everyone needs to pitch in to keep our plants from dying. Please sign up in the Narthex
Reappointed Sue and I are pleased to announce that we were reappointed at Annual Conference to return as your pastoral couple. We are indeed blessed to be serving such a loving congregation.
Youth Camp We will send some of our youth to Camp Nova at Ceta Canyon on July 24-28.
Women’s Study Group The Women’s study group is taking a break for the summer. They will resume meetings August 20, 2017.
A Word from the Pastor Dear Eye of the Needle Saints, In Mark 10:24-27 we read the following: And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." This reading from Mark is a familiar text and has been used many times to point out the need for faith and a willingness to serve sacrificially. In previous verses, a wealthy man has asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell what he owns, give the money to the poor. Many have found this to be a hard reading. Some have suggested that Jesus is placing an impossible task before the man. Indeed, he tells the disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. For the wealthy man in the text, it was indeed an eye of a needle. He was very attached to his wealth. Perhaps there was sentimental value involved. Whatever the reason, he could not separate himself from his treasure in order to follow Jesus. It is not that difficult to relate to the wealthy young man. All of us have treasures. We have things or situations which we are tied to physically and emotionally. The thought of walking away from what we have or giving all we have away might be rather unsettling. That is the basic message of this passage. It isn’t that you have to give all your wealth away. It isn’t that only poor people will go to heaven. No, Jesus is telling his disciples and us that discipleship requires commitment. That commitment may appear to be a cross that we cannot bear. Indeed, if we try to bear it by ourselves or try to figure out ways to “do” what is necessary, we become bogged down in our own failed attempts to find salvation on our own. Jesus tells the disciples “for mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God, all things are possible.” If we open ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit we can answer Jesus call on our lives. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is at work leading, guiding, counseling, and inspiring. When we face the eyes of needles in our lives, we can listen to the words of Jesus and understand that we cannot do the work we are called to do alone. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to speak to one another and to provide loving support so that we are able to weather the storms in community. That is the message for us today. What does it take to inherit eternal life? It takes praise, prayer, piety, practice, and persistence. All of these things are not done in a vacuum. They are done with our brothers and sisters in Christ in loving support. When you think you can’t, open yourself to the workings of the Holy Spirit and be moved to wondrous actions in God’s name. Grace and Peace Pastor Dennis
