OUR WEEK-FEBRUARY 19TH TO FEBRUARY 25TH

REMINDERS —
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH —
MARTHA CIRCLE - CASEY U.M.C. AT 7 P.M.
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ESTHER CIRCLE - WITH MARY ANN HECKMAN
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH —
DEBORAH-MARY CIRCLE IN CASEY U.M.C.
AT 2 P.M.
“SMALL CHURCH INITIATIVE” IN CASEY U.M.C.
AT 7 P.M.
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What is “SMALL CHURCH INITIATIVE”?
• A commitment to fostering revitalization in
every possible church.
• Designed for congregations that have average
worship attendance of 80 or fewer.
• It is a learning/growing/transformation process
for pastors and a team of lay people.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH —
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Transfiguration Sunday.
COLOR: WHITE OR GOLD
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Today, all the readings correspond to one another.
This Sunday is the transition between the Season
after Epiphany and the beginning of Lent.

2-KINGS 2:1-12
(The Message)
Elisha dutifully stays with and follows his
master, Elijah, knowing that Elijah is about to
die. He seeks one final blessing from his master
- - a double portion of his spirit.
A chariot of fire receives Elijah into the sky.
1 Just before God took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind,
Elijah and Elisha were on a walk out of Gilgal.
2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. God has sent me
on an errand to Bethel." Elisha said, "Not on your life!I'm not letting you out of my sight!" So they both went
to Bethel.
3 The guild of prophets at Bethel met Elisha and said,
"Did you know that God is going to take your master
away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know it.
But keep it quiet."
4 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. God has sent
me on an errand to Jericho." Elisha said, "Not on your
life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" So they both
went to Jericho.
5 The guild of prophets at Jericho came to Elisha and
said, "Did you know that God is going to take your
master away from you today?" "Yes," he said, "I know
it. But keep it quiet."
6 Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here. God has sent
me on an errand to the Jordan." Elisha said, "Not on
your life! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" And so
the two of them went their way together.
7 Meanwhile, fifty men from the guild of prophets
gathered some distance away while the two of them
stood at the Jordan.
8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water
with it. The river divided and the two men walked
through on dry land.9 When they reached the other side, Elijah said to
Elisha, "What can I do for you before I'm taken
from you? Ask anything." Elisha said, "Your life
repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just
like you."
10 "That's a hard one!" said Elijah. "But if you're
watching when I'm taken from you, you'll get what
you've asked for. But only if you're watching."
11 And so it happened. They were walking along
and talking. Suddenly a chariot and horses of fire
came between them and Elijah went up in a
whirlwind to heaven.12 Elisha saw it all and shouted, "My father, my
father! You - the chariot and cavalry of Israel!"
When he could no longer see anything, he grabbed
his robe and ripped it to pieces.
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PSALM 50:1-6 (UMH 783)
(The Message)
God calls the covenant people to assemble for
a word of judgment and redemption. The psalm
is filled with powerful images of earth shaking,
storms raging, and fires consuming all.
1 The God of gods - it's God! - speaks out, shouts,
"Earth!" welcomes the sun in the east, farewells the disappearing sun in the west.
2 From the dazzle of Zion, God blazes into view.
3 Our God makes his entrance, he's not shy in his
coming. Starbursts of fireworks precede him.
4 He summons heaven and earth as a jury, he's
taking his people to court:
5 "Round up my saints who swore on the Bible their
loyalty to me."
6 The whole cosmos attests to the fairness of this
court, that here God is judge.———————————————————————
2 CORINTHIANS 4:3-6
(The Message)
Paul reminds the Christians at Corinth that his
message was never about eloquence and
verbose rhetoric, but always about "Jesus
Christ as Lord." The true God of all opens the
eyes of those receive the gospel. We see Jesus
transfigured, with clothes becoming more
brilliantly bright than anyone on earth could
have made them.
3 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not
because we're holding back in any way. No, it's
because these other people are looking or going
the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention.
4 All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of
darkness. They think he can give them what they
want, and that they won't have to bother believing
a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the
dayspring brightness of the Message that shines
with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God
we'll ever get.
5 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves;
we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from
Jesus for you.
6 It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!"
and our lives filled up with light as we saw and
understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and
beautiful.
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MARK 9:2-9
(The Message)
Six days after explaining that he would be
executed in Jerusalem, Jesus leads three of
his disciples up a mountain where "he was
transfigured before them." These disciples
saw Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah
and did not know how to respond. A voice
from the cloud instructed them to listen to
Jesus.
2 Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took
Peter, James, and John and led them up a high
mountain. His appearance changed from the inside
out, right before their eyes.3 His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter
than any bleach could make them.
4 Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep
conversation with Jesus.
5 Peter interrupted, "Rabbi, this is a great moment!
Let's build three memorials - one for you, one for
Moses, one for Elijah."
6 He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as
they all were by what they were seeing.
7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them,
and from deep in the cloud, a voice: "This is my Son,
marked by my love. Listen to him."
8 The next minute the disciples were looking around,
rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only
Jesus.
9 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to
secrecy. "Don't tell a soul what you saw. After the
Son of Man rises from the dead, you're free to talk."
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH —
PRESIDENTS DAY
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND —
Ash Wednesday Service in Casey U.M.C. at 7 P.M.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD —
Birthday Party for Sally Hubbard -
in New Homestead Social Room, Guthrie Center.
——— Festivities begin at 2:30 ———
Come and wish Sally Happy Birthday!
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FUTURE FOCUS —
ADAIR U.M.C. WILL HAVE SUNDAY SCHOOL
CLASSES THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH.
CLASSES WILL BEGIN DIRECTLY AFTER
WORSHIP SERVICES
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH —
STONE SOUP LUNCHEON WILL BE SERVED
DIRECTLY AFTER WORSHIP SERVICES.
IF YOU HAVE ANY VEGETABLE OR PASTA
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE SOUP,
THEY WOULD BE MOST WELCOME.
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SUNDAY, MARCH 18TH —DUE TO CHICKEN DINNER, WE WILL HAVE
COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICES SATURDAY
EVENING, MARCH 17TH, IN THE
— ADAIR COMMUNITY CENTER - AT 6 P.M. —
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God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob