Tuesday, November 1, 2011

OUR WEEK-NOVEMBER 6TH TO NOVEMBER 12TH

REMINDERS —
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH —
AC BOMBERS PLAY MURRAY AT AC.
GOOD LUCK GUYS!
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH —
THANKSGIVING INGATHERING IN
GREENFIELD U.M.C.
DOORS OPEN AT 8 A.M.
If you're bringing boxes of kits, be sure the outside
of boxes are marked:
IA-NIGERIA or UMCOR and
WHAT KIND and the
NUMBER
OF KITS there are.
Don't forget: bring 2 COPIES OF REMITTANCE
FORM with one check payable to:
"Thanksgiving Ingathering".
DO NOT put the forms and check inside the
boxes of kits!
Together we can make a difference in the lives
of so many around the world who need our
help now. Let us share the love of God in
truth and action!
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH —
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS!SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR!

———————————————————————
ADAIR U.M.C. FALL DINNER & HARVEST SALE
IN ADAIR COMMUNITY CENTRE —
COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE - at 9:30 A.M.
–––– No Holy Communion today ––––
DINNER from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
SALE begins 1 P.M.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
ALL SAINTS SUNDAY - CELEBRATE IT!
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
All Saints Day is a "major feast day" historically
in the life of the church. Remembering all those
who have gone before us and are now in
"the company of heaven."
• When John Wesley revised the calendar and
lectionary for Methodists in North America, he
did not include All Saints Day. Some American
United Methodists will see All Saints celebrations
more strange than familiar.
Our "Season of Saints" concludes today with
this celebration.
Today we choose no select individuals, but we
remember and give thanks for all saints living or
who have ever lived.
You may recall a person or
persons in
your life who were very important and
very dear to you - persons who made a colossal
difference in the human being you have become -
your own personal saints. Celebrate them!

Emulate them,
and in time, someone will
celebrate you!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
COLOR TODAY:
RED OR WHITE FOR ALL SAINTS OR

GREEN FOR REGULAR TIME

Scripture Readings:
JOSHUA 24:1-3, 14-25
(The Message)
At the end of the conquest of Israel, Joshua
exhorted the people to renew their covenant
with God. The people of Israel responded by
reaffirming their intent to remain faithful to
God and by recalling their history with God.

JOSHUA 24:1-3a
1 Joshua called together all the tribes of Israel at
Shechem. He called in the elders, chiefs, judges,
and officers. They presented themselves before God.2 Then Joshua addressed all the people:
3 I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of
The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and
multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac.
JOSHUA 24:14-25
14 "So now: Fear God. Worship him in total
commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors
worshiped on the far side of The River
(the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God.
15 "If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship
God, then choose a god you'd rather serve - and
do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors
worshiped from the country beyond The River,
or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land
you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll
worship God."
16 The people answered, "We'd never forsake God!
Never! We'd never leave God to worship other gods.
17 "God is our God! He brought up our ancestors
from Egypt and from slave conditions. He did all
those great signs while we watched. He has kept his
eye on us all along the roads we've traveled and
among the nations we've passed through.
18 Just for us he drove out all the nations,
Amorites and all, who lived in the land. "Count us in:
We too are going to worship God. He's our God."
19 Then Joshua told the people: "You can't do it;
you're not able to worship God. He is a holy God.
He is a jealous God. He won't put up with your
fooling around and sinning.
20 When you leave God and take up the worship of
foreign gods, he'll turn right around and come down
on you hard. He'll put an end to you - and after all
the good he has done for you!"
21 But the people told Joshua: "No! No! We
worship God!"
22 And so Joshua addressed the people: "You are
witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen
God for yourselves - to worship him." And they said,
"We are witnesses."
23 Joshua said, "Now get rid of all the foreign gods
you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to God,
the God of Israel."24 The people answered Joshua, "We will worship
God. What he says, we'll do."
25 Joshua completed a Covenant for the people that
day there at Shechem. He made it official, spelling it
out in detail.
———————————————————————
PSALM 78:1-7 (UMH 799)
(The Message)
1 Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears
to what I tell you.
2 I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you
in on the sweet old truths,
3 Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we
learned at our mother's knee.
4 We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing
it along to the next generation - God's fame and
fortune, the marvelous things he has done.
5 He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly
in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to
their children
6 So the next generation would know, and all the
generations to come - Know the truth and
tell the stories
7 then trust in God, Never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.

———————————————————————
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18
(The Message)
This is the second part of the substance of this
letter, addressing the church's need for clearer
teaching about eschatology.
(The first part deals with sexuality.)
Eschatology: the part of theology concerned
with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the
soul and of humankind.
• The gift of sexuality, after all, has a great deal
to do with continuing life as we know it.
• Eschatology, however, speaks boldly about the
end of all things as we have known them, and
thus the utter temporality and ephemerality of
this life.
(Paul presents both fully here, with no hint of
tension between them. His call is grounded in
his concern that Christian people learn how to
control their bodily desires and channel them in
ways that show a life of holiness and an intention
to honor one's partner. Adultery is not simply to
harm oneself but also to destroy the relationship
with the partner's spouse. Fidelity marks a
radical commitment to God and to community,
and has the effect of strengthening personal
bonds of cohesion among communities.)
Paul was addressing Christians - these specific
Christians in Thessalonica in the context of their
particular relationships with each other.
• What is missed about "readiness for the end,"
is readiness for celebration. We think of what
has to be given up or put away. But this story
points toward a readiness of being filled, not
emptied. This is a readiness of confident
rejoicing and filled with the Spirit at all times.
13 And regarding the question, friends, that has
come up about what happens to those already
dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark
any longer. First off, you must not carry on over
them like people who have nothing to look forward
to, as if the grave were the last word.
14 Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave,
God will most certainly bring back to life those who
died in Jesus.
15 And then this: We can tell you with complete
confidence - we have the Master's word on it - that
when the Master comes again to get us, those of
us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead
and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be
ahead of us.
16 The Master himself will give the command.
Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come
down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise -
they'll go first.
17 Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time
will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet
the Master.
18 Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be
one huge family reunion with the Master. Reassure
one another with these words.

———————————————————————
MATTHEW 25:1-13 (The Message)
Toward the conclusion of his public teaching in
the temple, Jesus warns his hearers to be ready
like bridesmaids who brought sufficient oil for
their lamps.
The parable of the bridesmaids
from Matthew's gospel was and remains a
serious call to a readied life here and now.

1 "God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took
oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom.
2 Five were silly and five were smart.3 The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil.
4 The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their
lamps.
5 The bridegroom didn't show up when they
expected him, and they all fell asleep.
6 "In the middle of the night someone yelled out,
'He's here! The bridegroom's here!
Go out and greet him!'7 "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready.
8 The silly virgins said to the smart ones, 'Our
lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.'
9 "They answered, 'There might not be enough
to go around; go buy your own.'10 "They did, but while they were out buying oil,
the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was
there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast,
the door was locked.
11 "Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones,
showed up and knocked on the door, saying,
'Master, we're here. Let us in.'12 "He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think
I know you.'
13 "So stay alert. You have no idea when he
might arrive.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH —
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
Office is closed today.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH —
Prayer Breakfast at Happy Chef - 7 A.M.
Martha Circle in Casey U.M.C. at 7 P.M.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH —
Deborah-Mary Circle in Casey U.M.C. at 2 P.M.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FUTURE FOCUS —
Sunday, November 13th:
Casey U.M.C. Harvest Bazaar, Dinner and Auction.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Beginning November 13, the readings for each
Sunday will be addressing the primary Advent theme.
Remember, Advent isn't just about Christmas - -
mangers, shepherds and Magi - - but about the
eternal context, the promised appearance of God's
reign into the powers of this world and the fulfillment
of that promise begun in God's incarnation in Jesus.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Thanksgiving (USA) will be on November 24, 2011.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
See you at Sunday Dinner.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob