Sunday, July 8, 2007 – The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
Final greetings from Williamsburg, VA. Tina and I enjoyed a special celebration of Independence Day yesterday, and look forward to one final day here in Virginia’s “Historic Triangle” before our departure tomorrow. We pray all is well with you and that you are being blessed during these summer days.
This Sunday, July 8, 2007, marks The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost. Worship will begin at 9:30 AM in our air-conditioned Sanctuary. There will be no Summer Sunday School this Sunday, but child care for infants and toddlers will be available during the Worship service. Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight will share a word with the children. Her morning Message, Newly Commissioned, will be based on the Gospel reading from Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. The Epistle reading from Galatians 6:7-16 will also be read during the service. Director of Music Ministry Shirley Mosteller has some special music planned for the service. Our Celebration of Found Coins will be designated for the Aldersgate Center Capital Funds Campaign. (Please see the information later on about the special program at Centenary on Sunday, July 22, to view the rebuilding plans for Wesley Lodge and Asbury Village at Aldersgate.)
Food Collection—Next Sunday, July 15: 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. Special Appeal for Diapers and Infant/Toddler Food for Amandla Crossing: Your assistance is needed to provide diapers (sizes #4, #5 & #6…not pull-ups) and infant & toddler food for children at Amandla Crossing. Please bring the items to Centenary and leave them in the boxes provided in the Narthex. Thank you. —Your Mission Committee
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL—July 30 through August 3 from 8:45 AM-12:15 PM Theme: The Sea of Galilee. $12.00 per child. Registration forms are available on the Sunday School bulletin board and through the Church Office. Bring a bathing suit and towel daily. More details in parents’ letters.
Refreshment Sponsors Needed: Persons are invited to sponsor the time of coffee and refreshments following our Sunday Worship services. Please consider sponsoring a refreshment time and signing up for one of the available weeks on the 2007 Refreshment Chart posted in the Narthex. Thank you for providing hospitality on a Sunday morning.
Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, July 21, 2007
8:00 – 11:00 A.M.
at Centenary UM Church
Only $7.00 per person
Children 10 and under – $5.00
Proceeds will help fund a Mission Trip in November 2007 to the Evangelical Methodist Church in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where we hope to bring materials, supplies, encouragement, and physical labor to an active and growing congregation trying to reach the poorest citizens living off what they can salvage from the city dump. Projects include a radio ministry, facility repairs and renovation, health education, starting a recycling business, a textile project, and leadership training for social and cultural mobilization.
Come, See the Plans for Aldersgate Center: On Sunday, July 22nd following the Worship Service, Doug & Wendy Woodfield will be hosting a Focus Group meeting, during the Refreshment Time, to share with you the plans for the future Aldersgate. They will include the Architect’s drawings for both Wesley and Asbury Lodges. It will be an informational time with a chance for you to ask questions. Declan Thompson, Site Director of Aldersgate Center will also be here. Please look for more information in the mail and Sunday Bulletins. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Doug or Wendy Woodfield at (908) 233-2653.
On Saturday, July 21st, Aldersgate will be sponsoring a concert at the camp that combines a fun day out with an opportunity for the whole family to experience spiritual renewal. The gates will open at 2:00 PM, the pool will be open so bring your suit, as well as boating and fishing on the pond, along with the many winding trails on the property. Bring a picnic or join us for a Bar-B-Q around 5:00 PM. Our evening will culminate with a concert starting at 7:00pm with guest speaker Terry Weaver and the Tommy Bowman Band. Families and Youth Groups welcome—children under 17 must be supervised. Call the Aldersgate office for more details: 973-383-5978.
Sermons and Worship Services Available on Podcast: In addition to being available in print, the Pastors’ weekly sermons are now available as a “podcast” on our Web site. You may listen to each Message as it was delivered in our Worship Service. Go to www.CentenaryUMCnj.org to explore this and other features and links. Our thanks to Web servant Ernie Agtarap for providing this on-line ministry of Centenary.
Some Thoughts for This Week:
Hearing is one of the body’s five senses. But listening is an art. – Frank Tyger
The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become—the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. – Brennan Manning, “The Ragamuffin Gospel”
Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world in the eye. – Helen Keller
There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win. – Elie Wiesel
There are two freedoms: the false where a person is free to do what s/he likes; and the true where a person is free to do what s/he ought. – Charles Kingsley [adapted]
A great actor can bring tears to our eyes. But then, so can an auto mechanic. – Unknown
One of the annoying things about believing in free choice and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it’s remarkable how often his/her picture turns up on your driver’s license. – P.J. O’Rourke, Writer
Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching. – Thomas Jefferson (1743-1846), 3rd U. S. President
All other days have either disappeared into darkness and oblivion or not yet emerged from it. Today is the only day there is. – Frederick Buechner
Prayer for the Week of July 8: The world is calling and we will listen with thankfulness in our hearts, O God. We thank you for the excitement that is ours as we imagine being part of the passion of your life. We thank you for both playing and working, feasting and sharing our food. We thank you for quiet spaces and for the humming sounds of cities, for the soaring heights of mountaintops and the depths of the surging seas that restore us to a right perspective and encourage us with beauty. We thank you for the grand opportunity to be your people, O God. Amen.
Next Sunday, July 15, 2007: The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
9:30 AM – Summer Worship & Sunday School /
Sacrament of Christian Baptism
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: “Do This, and You Will Live”
Lectionary Readings: Amos 7:7-17 Colossians 1:1-14
Psalm 82 Luke 10:25-37
10:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
Painters Returning Home: Tina and I will be leaving Williamsburg and returning to Metuchen tomorrow (Friday, July 6), where we plan to conclude our vacation time at home on on Saturday and Sunday. In the event of an emergency need for pastoral care after Sunday morning, please call me at home (732-549-1786) or on my cell phone (201-463-5552). Between now and Sunday, please call either the Church Office (732-548-7622) or Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight (908-419-4101) for pastoral care concerns. My grateful thanks to Pastor Terrilisa for her pastoral care coverage during my time away, and for her Worship leadership and sharing the Word with you for the past two Sundays and on this coming Sunday.
You will be in our thoughts and prayers as you gather for Worship and Christian Fellowship this Sunday at Centenary.
Shalom, John