OUR WEEK—JULY 6 - JULY 12

REMINDERS—Prayer Shawl Ministry - Tuesdays in Adair U.M.C. - At 3:00 P.M. - In the Fellowship Hall. Please come join us as we weave our prayers into our projects. While we work, we think of someone who needs our prayers and a comfortable wrap. This week we were able to send several shawls, along with our prayers to people in need. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, July 3rd — Casey United Methodist Women General Meeting @ 2 P.M.

Friday, July 4th — INDEPENDENCE DAY (Office Closed) We celebrate the extremely high prices that have been paid for the United States of America by our predecessors since the first colonists set a shoe on this soil. If we think they stepped off onto a free land, we should open a history book again. Yes, some of it is disappointing, and disillusioning - much like our modern politics. It seems to be a human weakness that "Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely". Some argue that it is only certain factions of society that are so weak - I have never seen that argued successfully.
Those who came before us battled starvation, diseases, other human armies, disagreements and corruption, on hundreds of levels - and yet, here we are - FREE!

The common thread - is the book under the pew - or on the pedestal - or the scroll that is kept under the glass. I read that China has a huge surge of Christians in their leadership now. It had to happen. Nobody ever accused them of being stupid.
Whatever you do on Independence Day (and you are free to choose), remember the generations who came before us, who poured the foundation and framed this up for us . . . and remember where they got their instructions. Where they left off, we must do our best to carry on.
About that corruption business, read Sunday's scripture below: Romans 7:15-25 - - and then read it again. It couldn't hurt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, July 6th — This is the 8th Sunday after Pentecost. Our color is green.
We will have Communion today.
Our scripture readings for today are:
Psalm 45
Romans 7:15-25 — Very heavy duty stuff —
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25 (NIV)
Matthew 11:16-19 and 25-30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vacation Bible School - July 7th thru July 10th
Adair U.M.C. will team with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for VBS afternoons Monday through Thursday - 12:30 P.M. through 5:00 P.M. Thursday will be a Day Camp program. Registration will be at both churches. The title will be "By Faith."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vacation Bible School in Casey - July 13th through 17th - from 6 P.M. through 9:00
P.M. - The Title is "Discovering Jesus' Miraculous
Power."











Thursday, July 10 — Quilting Group will meet at Casey U.M.C. this afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There will be no Martha Circle Meetings in July.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FLOOD BUCKETS — ARE NEEDED FOR IOWA FLOOD CLEANUP
EMERGENCY CLEAN-UP BUCKETS AID FLOOD SURVIVORS
Communities throughout the Midwest have begun the task of clean up following the recent flooding.
Each bucket includes:
• 1 five-gallon bucket with resealable lid
• 5 scouring pads •7 sponges, assorted sizes
• 1 scrub brush
• 18 clean towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
• 1 50-78 oz. box dry laundry detergent
• 1 12 oz. bottle of liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®)
• 1 25 oz. Bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®)
• 50 clothespins
• 2 50 ft. or one 100 ft. clothesline
• 5 dust masks
• 2 pairs latex gloves (like Playtex®)
• 1 pair work gloves
• 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags (33-45 gallon)
• 1-6-14 oz. bottle of insect repellent (drops or lotion, not aerosol)
All liquids should be purchased in plastic bottles, and should remain in those unopened bottles. Items should be packed securely into the plastic bucket to avoid damage during shipment, and the lid sealed with packing tape. Buckets cannot exceed 66 lbs. each. Value: $45 per bucket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMING UP! SPOKEN 4 CONCERT IN ATLANTIC
SPOKEN 4 — JULY 20 AT 6:30 P.M. — ATLANTIC, IOWA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 800 POPLAR - FREE WILL OFFERING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems as though we just keep on supporting our fellow man in magnificent ways. I am very glad you are on my side! Thank you for all the help you have given here, and in other places.
God bless and keep you,
Pastor Lynn