OUR WEEK - JANUARY 16TH TO JANUARY 22ND

REMINDERS —
This week our ISP "Iowatelecom" is being converted
to "Windstream". I will send this out as soon as our
ISP will let me. Sorry for the delay.
• In Adair U.M.C. we will be holding Sunday Services
on the lower level until the winter temperatures rise
a bit.
• When there is a storm and our public school is
closed, we will close our office as well . . . like
today (Tuesday) for example.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12TH —
Prayer Breakfast - Happy Chef at 7 A.M.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13TH —
T.T.T #2 - 9:30 - 10:30
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 16TH
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
TODAY IS HUMAN RELATIONS DAY • We may be at the very beginning of time for the
human race. It is reasonable that we grapple with
many problems. But there may be thousands of
years in our future. Our responsibility is to do all
we can, learn all we can, improve the solutions,
and pass them on to the next generation. If we do
not, the human race will not survive.
— Dr. Richard Feynman, Physicist,
Quantum Mechanics, who wrote
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom""Friends are like stars. You don't always see them
but you know they are there." — ANONYMOUS
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This year we have a full eight Sundays prior
to Transfiguration Sunday.

COLOR: GREEN
Scripture Readings are:
ISAIAH 49:1–7
(The Message)
What does it look like for tens of thousands of
people just now re-gathering as a people in their
own land after five decades of exile to take on the
vocation of being "a light to the nations"? That is the promise and the call of the prophet in
Isaiah 49. At the very least, it seems to mean that
the witness of these people is intended to go
beyond all cultural and political boundaries and
bless and enlighten peoples they had never met.
This action hinges on King Cyrus the Great
releasing all of the Jewish people in Babylon to
return to Israel. This is no small thing. One might
say the next step hung on Cyrus obeying God. Servant Song of Isaiah --
"I will give you as a light to the nations that my
salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
1 Listen, far-flung islands, pay attention, faraway people:
God put me to work from the day I was born.The moment I entered the world he named me.
2 He gave me speech that would cut and penetrate.
He kept his hand on me to protect me. He made me
his straight arrow and hid me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, "You're my dear servant, Israel,
through whom I'll shine."
4 But I said, "I've worked for nothing. I've nothing to
show for a life of hard work. Nevertheless, I'll let God
have the last word. I'll let him pronounce his verdict."
5 "And now," God says, this God who took me in
hand from the moment of birth to be his servant,
To bring Jacob back home to him, to set a reunion for
Israel - What an honor for me in God's eyes! That
God should be my strength!
6 He says, "But that's not a big enough job for my
servant - just to recover the tribes of Jacob, merely
to round up the strays of Israel. I'm setting you up as
a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes
global!"
7 God, Redeemer of Israel, The Holy of Israel, says
to the despised one, kicked around by the nations,
slave labor to the ruling class: "Kings will see, get to
their feet - the princes, too - and then fall on their
faces in homage Because of God, who has faithfully
kept his word, The Holy of Israel, who has chosen you."
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PSALM 40:1–11 (UMH 774) (The Message)
1 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he
looked; finally he listened.
2 He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep
mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I
wouldn't slip. 3 He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a
praise-song to our God. More and more people are
seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning
themselves to God.
4 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world's "sure thing," ignore
what the world worships;
5 The world's a huge stockpile of God-wonders and
God-thoughts. Nothing and no one comes close to
you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and
quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words
account for you.
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you
- that's not what you're after. Being religious, acting pious
that's not what you're asking for. You've opened my ears
so I can listen.
7 So I answered, "I'm coming. I read in your letter what
you wrote about me,
8 And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life, became part
of my very being.
9 I've preached you to the whole congregation, I've kept
back nothing, God - you know that.
10 I didn't keep the news of your ways a secret, didn't
keep it to myself. I told it all, how dependable you are,
how thorough. I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all, let the congregation know
the whole story.
11 Now God, don't hold out on me, don't hold back your
passion. Your love and truth are all that keeps me
together.
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1 CORINTHIANS 1:1–9
(The Message)
Paul's greeting to the Corinthian community.
1 I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the
Messiah, according to God's plan, along with my
friend Sosthenes. 2 I send this letter to you in God's church at Corinth,
Christians cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a
God-filled life. I include in my greeting all who call
out to Jesus, wherever they live. He's their Master
as well as ours!
3 May all the gifts and benefits that come from God
our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours.
4 Every time I think of you - and I think of you often!
- I thank God for your lives of free and open access
to God, given by Jesus.
5 There's no end to what has happened in you - it's
beyond speech, beyond knowledge.
6 The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in
your lives.
7 Just think - you don't need a thing, you've got it all!
All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait
expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the
scene for the Finale.
8 And not only that, but God himself is right alongside
to keep you steady and on track until things are all
wrapped up by Jesus.
9 God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure,
shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus.
He will never give up on you. Never forget that. The
Cross: The Irony of God's Wisdom.
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JOHN 1:29–42
(The Message)
John the Baptist tells of the baptism of Jesus and
points out the "Lamb of God." They follow him and
tell others they have found the Messiah.
29 The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward
him and yelled out,
30 "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb! He forgives the
sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking about,
'the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.' 31 I knew nothing about who he was - only this: that my
task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as
the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing
with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins
from your life so you can get a fresh start with God."
32 John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the
Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making
himself at home in him.
33 I repeat, I know nothing about him except this:
The One who authorized me to baptize with water told
me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit come down
and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
34 That's exactly what I saw happen, and I'm telling
you, there's no question about it: This is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was back at his post with two
disciples, who were watching.36 He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said,
"Here he is, God's Passover Lamb."
37 The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus.
38 Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them,
"What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi"
(which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"
39 He replied, "Come along and see for yourself."
They came, saw where he was living, and ended
up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon
when this happened.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the
two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus.
41 The first thing he did after finding where Jesus
lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him,
"We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ").
42 He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one
look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From
now on your name is Cephas"
(or Peter, which means "Rock").
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BAKED POTATO BAR FOLLOWING WORSHIP IN
CASEY U.M.C. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
MONDAY, JANUARY 17TH —
This is Pastor Lynn's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY• Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...
Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice,
suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and
passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and
importance and should be undertaken with painstaking
excellence. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 18TH —
Adair Morning Bible Study - 9:00 to 11:00 A.M.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH —
MARTHA CIRCLE AT 7 P.M. - CASEY U.M.C.
ESTHER CIRCLE - 7 P.M. -
CARLA EGGEN, HOSTESS
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 20TH —
T.T.T. #2 - 9:30 TO 10:30 A.M.
DEBORAH/MARY CIRCLE @ 2 P.M. - CASEY U.M.C.
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We have had a considerable amount of snow
through the upper mid west, our temperatures
are bottoming out, and the northwest wind is
very effective. If you must travel, take extra
blankets with you, make sure your gas tank
is at least half full, and take at least one
flashlight with you. I know, it sounds too
simple to matter, but we may get marooned
just once . . . and that's all it takes.I read that January is Hot Soup Month. What a
wonderful idea!
Thank you for your help putting Christmas
together and then taking it apart.
Now go have a bowl of soup.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Lynn