Sunday, February 5th – Sacrament of Holy Communion
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We will gather this Sunday, February 5th, at 10:15 to celebrate together the Sacrament of Holy Communion using the liturgy from “A Service of Word and Table” from our United Methodist Hymnal. Many of you will find the prayers familiar…as one member has observed, “those many of us have memorized over the years.” I will share a special message with our children. My morning Message will be This Holy Mystery: Means of Grace. In the first of a series of Communion meditations, I will be reflecting on the unique ways in which participation in the Lord’s Supper communicates God’s grace to us. The texts for my message are taken from the recounting of Jesus’ sharing of the Last Supper with his disciples in Mark 14:22-25 and Paul’s instructions about the sacrament to the early church in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Our Chancel Choir, under the direction of guest conductor and organist Shirley Mosteller, will offer a special Communion anthem, I Remember You by Gene Grier, which will be dedicated to the memory of Coretta Scott King, who entered eternal life earlier this week. Our Celebration of Found Coins will be designated for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Media Center, which provides the churches of our conference with a rich treasure of resources for Christian education and nurture.
CUMYF Super Bowl Bake Sale After Worship: Our Centenary UM Youth Fellowship will hold a Super Bowl Bake Sale immediately following Worship this Sunday. Home-baked items will be available for your purchase and enjoyment during the big game Sunday evening. Proceeds from the sale will support the youth fellowship mission project this summer.
Adult Class Confronts the Controversial Issues: During February, the Adult Class is continuing to explore some of the most controversial and divisive issues of our time. Using a video study program called Confronting the Controversies: Biblical Perspectives on Tough Issues, developed by United Methodist minister Adam Hamilton, the class is discussing the following topics on the remaining Sundays: Prayer in the Public Schools (February 5th); Abortion (February 12); and Homosexuality (February 19 and February 26). We invite you to be a part of this challenging study each Sunday at 9:00 A.M. in the Sunshine Room.
Centenary Book Club—Friday, February 10th @ 7:30 PM in the Sunshine Room: This month’s book selection is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. All are welcome.
2006 Refreshments: Please consider sponsoring a refreshment time and signing up for one of the many available weeks in 2006 on the Refreshment Chart posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Information on what you need to provide is available from Pastor Painter or by speaking with Millie Pleuler (732-750-4434). Thank you for providing hospitality on a Sunday morning. As of this morning, no one has signed up to sponsor refreshments for this Sunday, February 5th.
Ozanam Shelter Dinner: Centenary will be serving dinner at the Ozanam Shelter on Monday, February 6th. Please check the information on the bulletin board in the Narthex and sign up to assist with food preparation or with serving. Food items need to be at the church by 5:00 PM. For further information, please contact Glenna Gundell (732-463-1431) or Mary Ellen Heim (732-548-2587). Thanks.
This Holy Mystery: We are examining The United Methodist Church’s official interpretative document on Holy Communion on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 PM and also on Thursday mornings at 9:30 AM, using Gayle Felton’s study guide. An all-in-one resource for both participants and leaders, the study guide presents commentary on the history, practice, and principles of Holy Communion in United Methodist congregations. It also points to implication of the sacrament for ministry and mission. This Holy Mystery study guides for this course are available in the Church Office and at class sessions. The classes will not meet on February 15/16, 22/23, while Pastor Painter is on vacation, and also on Ash Wednesday, March 1st.
Bring Your Sweetheart(s) to Dinner
Bring your Sweetheart(s) to Dinner Italian Style
Saturday, February 11th
5:00 PM — 7:00 PM
At Centenary United Methodist Church
3 Years and under—FREE / 4 to 12 Years—$5.00 / 13 to Adult—$12.00
Menu: Antipasto, Spaghetti w/wo Meatballs; Salad;
Homemade Desserts (Cheesecakes; Apple Cobbler; Italian Cookies)
Purchase tickets from Glenna Gundell or Sue Brownlow
Or Call the Church Office (732-548-7622) to make Reservations.
This is a Fund Raiser to Support the Church Budget!!
Food Collection—Sunday, February 19th: Please bring cereals, staple food items in plastic jars or cans, and paper products to share with persons in need in our area. We are deeply grateful for your generous sharing.
The Annual Ash Wednesday Service of the Centenary, New Dover and Wesley United Methodist Church congregations will be held on March 1st at 7:30 PM. This year’s service will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church. Pastors Darryl Duer (New Dover UMC), John Jung Kwon (Wesley UMC), Terrilisa Durham Bauknight and John Painter will share in leading this annual service marking the beginning of Lent. The choirs of the three congregations are preparing special music for this service. During the service there will be an Imposition of Ashes and celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. There will be a time of fellowship and refreshment in Room 20 following the service. Child Care will be available. Everyone is encouraged to come and share in this special service, as we begin our 40-day Lenten journey to Calvary’s Cross and the Garden of Resurrection.
2006 Summer Program at Aldersgate Center: The schedule for the Aldersgate Center Summer Program has been announced and is now posted on the Aldersgate Center Web Site at www.aldersgatenj.com. You may find information there about a number of camp programs available for lower and upper elementary children, and for junior and senior high youth, between June 25th and August 25th. All necessary forms for registering your child or youth are available at the site to download and print out. We also have copies of the schedule and registration forms available through the Church Office. Registrations are coming in quickly and space is limited this year, so we encourage you to register your child or youth as soon as possible. Please remember that limited scholarship assistance is available for those who attend a camp program at Aldersgate through Centenary United Methodist Women and through the Church. Please speak with Pastor Painter at the time you seek his signature on the registration forms. We are delighted that Aldersgate Center will be able to hold a very active summer program this year despite the loss of Wesley Lodge to a disastrous fire in the fall.
Mark your calendar !!
United Methodist Women Communion Breakfast
Saturday, March 25th at 9:30 a.m. at Centenary
Women from Wesley and New Dover United Methodist Churches in Edison will be joining us, as well as, we hope, some women from Jesus Followers United Methodist Congregation. Brunch items such as quiche, breakfast casseroles, muffins, fresh fruit, etc. will be served. The speaker will be the Rev. Sunghee Park, Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Old Bridge. Babysitting will be available. Young girls (age appropriate) are welcome to attend.
Next Sunday: February 12, 2006 – The Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany
Preacher: Terrilisa Durham Bauknight Theme: Humble Deliverance
Lectionary Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Psalm 30 Mark 1:40-45
Painters Away February 11th-25th: Tina and I will be traveling to Florida for a mid-winter vacation on Saturday, February 11th. We expect to return to Metuchen on Saturday, evening, February 25th. During my absence, Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight will be “on-call” for pastoral care emergencies. Please contact the Centenary Church Office if you have need of pastoral care. Or when our Church Office is closed, you may contact Pastor Bauknight at 908-419-4101 (cell) or 908-245-1529 (home).
Some Thoughts for This Week:
Self-respect is the fruit of discipline;
The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.
-Abraham J. Heschel
There is no amount of darkness that can extinguish the inner light. The important thing is not to spend our lives trying to control the environment around us. The task is to control the environment within us. – Joan Chittester
The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Christians may not always see eye to eye,
But they can always walk arm in arm.
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. – Frank A. Clark
People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy after. – Goldsmith
I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions.
- Lillian Hellman
I look forward to sharing with you in Sunday School, Worship and Fellowship this Sunday.
Shalom, John