Commack United Methodist Church
486 Townline Road Commack, NY 11725-7310 (631) 499-7310 Web Site: http://www.commack-umc.org Email:
[email protected] Pastor’s E-Mail:
[email protected] Rev. Richard C. Mills, Pastor (631) 499-4770 March 2006
Open Hearts
Open Minds
Open Doors
resurrection. We need to go through the passion to fully experience the Resurrection. Let me offer some suggestions. Traditional Lenten Practices include: • Fasting • Self-denial • Good deeds and almsgiving • Prayer and reflection • Christian study • Participation in church worship services Let’s take a look at each of these.
Dear Brother or Sister in Christ, Lent begins on March 1st, Ash Wednesday. For many of us we are puzzled as how a twenty first century United Methodist should observe Lent. I know that for me, some of my thoughts became confused by what I observed as a teenager and what some of my friends did or maybe what I should have said or done. I had a friend who became a Roman Catholic Priest. Each year he would give up watermelon for Lent. It seemed that a lot of my friends chose to give up something for Lent. My family explained to me that Methodists don’t have to do that, yet I felt that I should be doing something. After Lent is the time that we remember Christ’s passion and
Fasting Fasting can be a way to cleanse the body and mind: It imposes self-discipline and it encourages meditation and reflection. Some ways this can be done: • Give up a meal a week and donate the money saved to a food bank • Eat simpler, more healthful meals 1
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Some Suggestions: • Pray the Psalms or use a devotional guide such as The Upper Room to choose Lenten Prayers. • Think about attitudes and behavior patterns that you need to change. Pray about them. Make prayer a daily habit. Set aside some quiet time. • Accept difficulties patiently. Through reflection, try to understand them. Through prayer, try to accept them.
Don’t eat between meals Eliminate wasteful habits and expensive excesses
Self-Denial This means giving up something for a greater good. Forgoing some secular activities during lent to make time for reading, studying and helping others. Self-denial strengthens self-discipline and self-control. It helps give meaning and direction to your life. Some ways this can be done are: • Watch less television or forgo some favorite sports event • Forgo weekend trips • Give up some social Events
Christian Study Studying Christ’s life and death will bring a new meaning and relevance to things that may seem distant from today. It can help increase your understanding of the Bible and strengthen your personal faith and hope. Some ideas on study: • Read the Bible daily. I suggest Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Discuss your readings with your family and friends. • Read Christian books and magazines • Get involved in a Bible Study
Good Deeds and Almsgiving This consists of self-sacrifice to serve and benefit others. This helps strengthen Christian living, encourage compassion and charity in your daily life and ease the emotional and physical pain of those people in need. Suggestions: • Give time and/or money to alleviate hunger, poverty and suffering around the world or in your own community. • Look for ways to help your neighbors such as running errands for someone housebound. • Take part in church or community programs that help others. Making peanut butter sandwiches on the first Saturday of the month or bring in extra food for the food bank.
Church Activities Ah! My favorite, Lenten worship involves the whole church community. This helps us to renew and strengthen our faith, share insights about the meaning of Christ’s Passion and clarify our thoughts and ideas about our faith. How can we do that? • Attend the Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services • Join us for our Wednesday evening Lenten Services
Prayer and Reflection Lent offers a good opportunity to withdraw from the busy world for extra prayer and quiet reflection. This helps you to learn more about God and yourself, to learn to rely on God and your own inner resources and to receive spiritual strength.
This has been a much longer message than I usually write, but I feel that Lent is a very special time. I really hope that 2
you can find time to join me in this Lenten journey. You might even find out that God is good and really loves you. See you in Church
A PLANE AND A PEW People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common. All are on a journey. Most are wellbehaved and presentable. Some doze, and others gaze out the window. For many, the mark of a good flight and the mark of a good worship assembly are the same. Nice, we like to say. It was a nice flight/It was a nice worship service.
Rev. Dick The 2006 schedule for Lenten Services is as follows: March 8 – Kings Park March 15 – Northport March 22 – East Northport March 29 – Commack April – To be announced
A few, however, are not content with nice. They long for something more. The boy who just passed me did. I heard him before I saw him. I was already in my seat when he asked, “Will they really let me meet the pilot?” The question floated into the cockpit, causing the pilot to lean out.
There will be a soup and sandwich supper which will be supplied by the host church, which will start at 6:30 pm with worship at 7:30 pm.
Well, come on in. UNITED METHODIST WOMEN With a nod from his mom, the youngster entered the cockpits world of controls and gauges and emerged minutes later with eyes wide. Wow! he exclaimed. I’m so glad to be on this plane!
Because of the Wednesday Lenten services the March meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 7:30 pm, in the library, located in the education building. Ann Aupperle will lead the devotions and program "Wisdom of Anger and the Pleasure of Peace." Dot Megna will be hostess for the evening. Please note that the April meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 7:30 pm in the parlor. This will be a business meeting, there will be no program.
No one else’s face showed such wonder. I studied the faces of the other passengers but found no such enthusiasm. I mostly saw contentment: travelers content to be on the plane, content to be closer to their destination, content to be out of the airport, content to sit and stare and say little.
The glory of life is to love, not to be loved, to serve, not to be served, to be a strong hand in the dark to another in time of need; to be a cup of strength to any soul in a crises of weakness. This is to know the glory of life.
Do you see why I say that people on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common? Enter a church sanctuary and look at the faces. Content to be there. Content to sit and look straight ahead and leave when the service is over. Seek and you will find, Jesus promised (Matt. 7:7). And since a nice service is what we
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seek, a nice service is usually what we find.
the wonderful Storyteller who entertained us so delightfully last year will again be here. Dinner will be at 6 PM, and tickets will be $10 and $5 for children 6-10, and free for little kids under 6.
A few, however, seek more. A few come with the childlike enthusiasm of the boy. And those few leave as he did, wideeyed with the wonder of having stood in the presence of the pilot himself.
Not too soon to mention the annual L.I. Ducks game, which will be on August 16th, Wednesday night. We always have a great time at the ballpark, so mark it down! Tickets will be $10, kids 3 years and under are free. We will be reminding you again as the time grows nearer!
March 18, 2006 St. Patrick’s Day Feast! 6PM Come and join in the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner festivities, as we wish each other Cead Mile Failte…One hundred thousand welcomes.
The Happening Committee Pat, Mike, Karen, Margie and Lisa
One Great Hour of Sharing… Sunday, March 26 Purpose: “Lent is the season of repentance, self-examination, and awareness of the hurts of the peoples of the world. One Great Hour of Sharing calls the Church to share the goodness of life with those who hurt.”
Jim Hawkins will return to weave tales, satires and songs through the fabric of Irish history; plus our own sing-a-long, a Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner with all the extras. $10.00 – adults, $5.00 – children 6-10, free – under 6. UPCOMING HAPPENINGS! On March 4th at 7:30 PM, there will be a real treat for the imagination! VOICES, an acting group which works without scenery or costumes, will be presenting a program from the Golden Age of Radio.....! They will be doing four radio shows using original scripts...a great trip back for the adults - and an experience in imagination for the young people who only know television. Tickets will be $5 and refreshments following will allow us to interact with the performers. Plan to be there....and recall how great radio was.....!!
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), General Board of Global Ministries, is the not-for-profit international humanitarian-aid organization of The United Methodist Church. Active in many parts of the world, UMCOR brings hope, provides relief from hunger and disasters, and teaches peace. One Great Hour of Sharing undergirds UMCOR’s entire ministry. An envelope will be in the church bulletin on March 19th for your convenience. Thank You.
The St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be on March 18th.... the Spory’s doing their magic in the kitchen with a great corned beef and cabbage dinner........and
Ann Aupperle President, United Methodist Women
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group join in singing "You'll Never Walk Alone." This was followed by "Let There Be Peach On Earth", a solo by Nancy Gamby, accompanied by Evangeline Manjares, who also played the Filipino National Anthem and other numbers. "Prelude in C Major" was the piano piece played by our very talented Mark Prasad. Susan Song drove out from Flushing to perform the Jang-go Chum. This is a folk dance featuring an hour-glass shaped drum and delicate
From the church office… The next church workday will be held on 4/29/06 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. This is an opportunity for everyone to come and help out. Whether the job is cleaning, painting, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping; there are many items to be taken care of and a handful of people can’t possibly accomplish it all.
So please join in!!
dance steps. Susan also wore traditional Korean clothing.
International Dinner In spite of the postponed date due to the predicted snowstorm and the holiday weekend, fifty-five people attended our 12th annual International Dinner...and we all had a grand time!
Of course we concluded with a fashion show; Doctor Felix modeled her traditional and absolutely beautiful Korean bridal dress. It is my understanding that several of these colorful outfits are worn during the actual Korean bridal ceremony. Evangeline modeled her Filipino national dress and a few of us were seen wearing Muu Muus from our recent trips to Hawaii.
Our buffet table again became a 'groaning board' with all types of delicious dishes. We had Indian, Korean, German, Italian, Mexican as well as the all-American favorites. The dessert table contained enough desserts to provide for all, in addition to supplying Sunday's coffee hour.
Unfortunately, not too many provided exhibits. We had photos and souvenirs from Alaskan and Hawaiian cruises, a few Korean artifacts as well as a number of Kathy's International dolls. The fellowship hall was decorated with John's posters and pictures, with the countries of the world as the theme.
Our entertainment included a trio: Eun Jin Han on piano; Grace Choi on the violin and the cello played by Jonathan Kim. The pieces played were "Rapunzel" and "Thinking of Brother" (literal English translations).
We wish to thank all those who helped with the set-up and clean-up; a special thank you to our wonderful entertainers!
Several members of our choir sang "Climb Every Mountain" and had the
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We were able lock the Church doors by 8:45 PM and I am sure everyone enjoyed the evening. We hope to see more of you next year. Aloha and Mahala!
A
Methodist minister in Lancashire sent these few lines which I thought so simple, yet so full of the meaning of friendship: No grumbling, no sulking, no feuding, no fighting, But looking and looking for things to delight in! No hating the state of the world every minute, But seeking and finding the beauty that’s in it. No worrying and letting your troubles confound you, But laughing and liking the people around you! THE FRIENDSHIP BOOK HEARSAY
We may hear some gossip In our lives today, Gathering momentum As it’s passed along the way. Add a bit, or take a bit It’s never quite the same, But unkind words and idle talk Can harm an honest name. If there’s something good to say Proclaim it loud and clear, But it’s not worth repeating If it brings another’s tear. Dorothy M. Loughran
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