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THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH a Reconciling Congregation at Two Locations Having Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

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THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH a Reconciling Congregation at Two Locations Having Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors February 2021 THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH A Reconciling Congregation at Two Locations having Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Stevens Point-Plover United Methodist Church News As we approach another season of Lent, we always begin with Ash Wednesday. It is a time to reflect on our mortality, repentance, and the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. It is a deeply meaningful service to begin our journey to the empty tomb and beyond. I’m also very aware when Valentine’s Day is because that is my wedding anniversary and I have no excuse to forget or not make it special when it falls on the very day of celebrating love. What is interesting is that the calendar this year has Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday just a few days apart. And so I have been thinking, is there a way that the season of Lenten sacrifice and penitence is related to Valentine’s Day chocolates, flowers, and focus on love? According to the legends, Saint Valentine was a priest who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus. The official imperial policy of the day was that it was illegal for Christians to be married or receive aid of any kind, but Valentine chose to defy the laws of the land and marry couples anyway. For this, he was arrested and martyred on February 14th. Valentine chose to love and serve others despite the imperial voices dictating that he withhold aid. As a priest, he could easily have devoted himself, in such a time of persecution, to personal devotions that would have drawn him inward (and saved his own neck), but instead he opted to help those in need and include those the powers-that-be demanded be excluded. He became a martyr for the sake of love. Maybe during this season of Lent, we can see Valentine’s Day as a possible guide for our practices. What if we too chose to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of love? What if instead of giving something up for Lent, we would sacrifice and give away the love of God as we help those who are hurting, struggling, or feeling excluded in some way. It could be as simple as calling or reaching out to check on someone who you know is lonely in this time. This might include an elderly shut-in, stay-at-home parent, someone who has recently lost their job or someone who is grieving a loss. It is always a good thing to express our love to those closest to us. Our world would be a better place if we said and showed our love more often. But Jesus encourages us to love, not just those who love us back, but also those who may never show it in return. We all have people to love and our challenge as followers of Jesus is to see and love both those people closest to us and those who are on the sidelines or may be hard to love at times. February 2021 I hope that having Valentine’s Day before the start of Lent will remind us of an important spiritual lesson as we journey through Lent: that sacrificing ourselves for the sake of love is the greatest sacrifice of all. In God’s love, Pastor Tim WORSHIP TIME We are currently holding in-person worship on Sundays at 10:30 am. Please review the mandatory guidelines on our website that we are following in order to keep everyone safe. **NOTE: Due to the cases in our area, we will continue to use the mandatory guidelines until further notice. We will continue to live-stream our worship services on St. Paul's UMC Facebook page www.facebook.com/StPaulsUMC.Point or through our website stevenspointumc.org. Scroll down until you see the current live stream. If you are not able to watch the service live on Sunday morning at 10:30 am, there are several ways you can watch it later: All of our worship services are saved and posted on our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/StPaulsUMC.Point. Our worship services are also on Youtube. Just go to our church website – www.stevenspointumc.org and click on "Worship" from the drop-down menu of the "About" tab on the top of the home page. It will take you to our YouTube channel that has a collection of our worship services Mandatory Guidelines for In-Person Worship for St. Paul’s-The Springs UMC (visit our website www.stevenspointumc.org) February 2021 ASH WEDNESDAY Service of Reflection and Meditation Wednesday, February 17, 2021 11:00 am - 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40 days that precedes Holy Week and Easter. Normally, we would hold an Ash Wednesday service in the evening with the imposition of ashes. However, to keep everyone safe the Worship Team is proposing a different way to do our service. This year we will be setting up seven prayer and reflection stations in Fellowship Hall. Each of them will offer a different Biblical view of ashes including loss, mortality, emptiness, weakness, repentance, regret, and purity. Each station will have a different object, activity, devotion, and scripture to help deepen your reflection. We will be following very strict protocols to keep everyone safe including having the stations socially distanced in Fellowship Hall, requiring masks, gloves (fresh gloves will be available at each station), and only one individual, couple, or family will be allowed at a station at one time. After the last station, if you choose, there will be communion set up for you take on your own and a place to pray. If you are unable to attend but you would like some ashes to use at home, please let us know and we will make them available. It is our hope and prayer that this time will allow us all to reflect and be reminded that in the midst of our fragileness and mortality, we are held up in the hands of God’s grace and love. ATTENTION SINGERS & MUSICIANS! We are looking for special music for Sundays during the month of March. We would invite any solos or duets, either vocal or instrumental, to contact the church office (715/344-3557). CREATING SACRED MOMENTS AT HOME THIS LENTEN SEASON Each season of Lent, the Family Ministries of St. Paul's and The Springs offer special intergenerational programs and activities to enhance our faith formation as we journey through Lent in preparation for Easter. For safety reasons during this time of COVID-19, we will not have an in-person program, but will be creating and delivering special at-home boxes for families, children, teens, and people of all ages. The boxes will have fun and meaningful activities that include a finger labyrinth, age- appropriate art and science activities, Bible verses and devotions to read, wonder, and talk about. These boxes will also include ashes for Ash Wednesday worship at-home and interactive February 2021 activities for children and families to connect with our Sunday morning children's moments and live-streamed worship services. Please let us know if you would like at-home resources--we are happy to have boxes available for pick-up at the St. Paul's building or delivered to your home. Please contact Laura Courtright Burns at 715-340-4523 or [email protected]. FINANCE CORNER Greetings! The point is this: "whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) “God loves a cheerful giver.” Why do you give? Why do you put money in the plate? Why did you sign up for EFT? Is it to keep the lights on? Is it out of obligation? Is it because “it is just the thing you do”? In this month of February, when consumer products turn red, chocolate, and velvety, society asks us to think about love. We give gifts to others because we love them. Could it be that we give in church (online) because of Love? We are called to give to God because God loves us. We are called to give to God because we love God. We are called to give, not begrudgingly, but cheerfully! When we give, we are saying, “I love you God!” We are not saying, “Fine, here you go God.” Why do you give? Look inside of yourself right now. Be honest. Why do you give? When the plate passes you, what goes through your mind? In this time of online giving, has your giving changed? Have you been giving more or less? More or less often? Why? Always remember, you cannot out give God! God loves us and has, does, and will do so much for us. So, in response, we give back to the Lord. We give out of LOVE. The above is from the United Methodist Foundation. If you have any questions, please either give me a call 715-340-5991 or send me an email at [email protected]. May God Bless your day~ Joy Pennell Dir of Finance February 2021 DON'T FORGET TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR MINISTRIES You can give by one of the following: 1. You can mail your check to the church office at 600 Wilshire Blvd., Stevens Point, WI 54481 2.
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