OUR WEEK-JUNE 24TH TO JUNE 30TH

REMINDERS —
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20TH —
FIRST DAY OF SUMMER. This year our summer
looks to be a hot one. • Drink plenty of fluids . . . . .
• Find a breeze, and stay in the shade if at all
possible ——• Words from a . . . . . mature individual.
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MARTHA CIRCLE MEETS AT 7 P.M.
IN CASEY U.M.C.‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡‡
THURSDAY, JUNE 21ST —
DEBORAH-MARY CIRCLE MEETS AT 2 P.M.
IN CASEY U.M.C.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 24TH —
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
COLOR: GREEN

Combined worship service at 10 A.M.
in Casey U.M.C.
This is Pastor Bob's last day to preach for our
congregations. We will miss his loud booming
voice and his analytical mind.
• The U.M.W. is serving a Potluck Dinner after
the 10:00 service. Everyone is welcome.
Enjoy your retirement, Pastor Bob!
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SCRIPTURE READINGS:
1 SAMUEL 17: 1-11, (19-23), 32-49
(New International Reader's Version)
Through much of June and July, the Old
Testament reading focuses on David.
God's design for rule and kingship isn't like
that of the nations, even if the people want
a king like other nations. A king like all the
others may come against an opponent with
a larger army and more modern firepower.
Might and power would win - - the kind of
might and power only a king could muster
by laying heavy taxes on his people and
conscripting their sons into his army.
That is not how David, the king-to-be, will
save the day. The shepherd, David, will use
the implements of his trade;
(a slingshot and five small stones) and the
power of the Lord to defeat the giant warrior,
Goliath. David cannot and decides he will not
wear Saul's armor. He knows his own skill
with tools he uses every day; clubs, slingshots.
Those are all he will bring into the battle.
"The Lord does not save by sword or spear"
(verse 47).
1 SAMUEL 17:1-11
DAVID KILLS GOLIATH
1 The Philistines gathered their army together for
war. They came to Socoh in Judah. They set up
camp at Ephes Dammim. It was between Socoh
and Azekah.
2 Saul and the army of Israel gathered together.
They camped in the Valley of Elah. They lined up
their men to fight against the Philistines.
3 The Philistine army was camped on one hill.
Israel's army was on another. The valley was
between them.
4 A mighty hero named Goliath came out of the
Philistine camp. He was from Gath. He was
more than nine feet tall.5 He had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore
a coat of bronze armor. It weighed 125 pounds.
6 On his legs he wore bronze guards. He carried
a bronze javelin on his back.
7 His spear was as big as a weaver's rod. Its iron
point weighed 15 pounds. The man who carried
his shield walked along in front of him.
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the soldiers of
Israel. He said, "Why do you come out and line
up for battle? I'm a Philistine. You are servants
of Saul. Choose one of your men. Have him
come down and face me.
9 If he's able to fight and kill me, we'll become
your slaves. But if I win and kill him, you will
become our slaves and serve us."10 Goliath continued, "This very day I dare the
soldiers of Israel to send a man down to fight
against me."
11 Saul and the whole army of Israel heard what
the Philistine said. They were terrified.
1 SAMUEL 17:19-23
(New International Reader's Version)
19 They are with Saul and all of the men of Israel.
They are in the Valley of Elah. They are fighting
against the Philistines."
20 Early in the morning David left his father's
flock in the care of a shepherd. David loaded up
the food and started out, just as Jesse directed.
David reached the camp as the army was going
out to its battle positions. The soldiers were
shouting the war cry.
21 Israel and the Philistines were lining up their
armies for battle. The armies were facing
each other.
22 David left what he had brought with the man
who took care of the supplies. He ran to the
battle lines and greeted his brothers.
23 As David was talking with them, Goliath
stepped forward from his line. Goliath was a
mighty Philistine hero from Gath. He again dared
someone to fight him, and David heard it.
1 SAMUEL 17:32-49
(New International Reader's Version)
32 David said to Saul, "Don't let anyone lose
hope because of that Philistine. I'll go out and
fight him."
33 Saul replied, "You aren't able to go out there
and fight that Philistine. You are too young. He's
been a fighting man ever since he was a boy."
34 But David said to Saul, "I've been taking care
of my father's sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear
would come and carry off a sheep from the flock.
35 Then I would go after it and hit it. I would save
the sheep it was carrying in its mouth. If it turned
around to attack me, I would grab hold of its hair.
I would strike it down and kill it.36 In fact, I've killed both a lion and a bear. I'll do
the same thing to this Philistine. He isn't even
circumcised. He has dared the armies of the living
God to fight him.
37 "The Lord saved me from the paw of the lion.
He saved me from the paw of the bear. And he'll
save me from the powerful hand of this Philistine
too."
Saul said to David, "Go. And may the Lord be
with you."
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own military
clothes. He put a coat of armor on him. He put
a bronze helmet on his head.
39 David put on Saul's sword over his clothes.
He walked around for a while in all of that armor
because he wasn't used to it.
"I can't go out there in all of this armor," he said
to Saul. "I'm not used to it." So he took it off.
40 Then David picked up his wooden staff. He
went down to a stream and chose five smooth
stones. He put them in the pocket of his
shepherd's bag. Then he took his sling in his
hand and approached Goliath.
41 At that same time, the Philistine kept coming
closer to David. The man who was carrying
Goliath's shield walked along in front of him.
42 Goliath looked David over. He saw how young
he was. He also saw how tanned and handsome
he was. And he hated him.
43 He said to David, "Why are you coming at me
with sticks? Do you think I'm only a dog?" The
Philistine called down curses on David in the name
of his god.
44 "Come over here," he said. "I'll feed your body
to the birds of the air! I'll feed it to the wild animals!"
45 David said to Goliath, "You are coming to fight
against me with a sword, a spear and a javelin.
But I'm coming against you in the name of the Lord
who rules over all. He is the God of the armies of
Israel. He's the one you have dared to fight against.
46 "This very day the Lord will hand you over to me.
I'll strike you down. I'll cut your head off. This very
day I'll feed the bodies of the Philistine army to the
birds of the air. I'll feed them to the wild animals.
Then the whole world will know there is a God in
Israel.
47 "The Lord doesn't save by using a sword or a
spear. And everyone who is here will know it.
The battle belongs to the Lord. He will hand all
of you over to us."
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him,
David ran quickly to the battle line to meet him.
49 He reached into his bag. He took out a stone.
He put it in his sling. He slung it at Goliath. The stone hit him on the forehead and sank into
it. He fell to the ground on his face. —————————————————————
PSALM 9:9-20 (UMH 744)
(New International Reader's Version)
The psalm celebrates God's defense of those
who are afflicted by catching the offenders
in the traps they have made. God wins victory
over enemies by leading them to fall into the
very traps they had set for God's people.
9 The Lord is a place of safety for those who
have been beaten down.
He keeps them safe in times of trouble.
10 Lord, those who know you will trust in you.
You have never deserted those who look
to you.
11 Sing praises to the Lord. He rules from his
throne in Zion.
Tell among the nations what he has done.
12 The One who pays back murderers
remembers.
He doesn't forget the cries of those who are
hurting.
13 Lord, see how badly my enemies treat me!
Show me your favor. Don't let me go down to the
gates of death.
14 Then I can give praise to you
at the gates of the city of Zion.
There I will be full of joy
because you have saved me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have
dug.
Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known to be fair.
Evil people are trapped by what they have done.
Higgaion. Selah (Stop and listen)
17 Sinful people go down to the grave.
So do all the nations that forget God.
18 But those who are in need will always be
remembered.
The hope of those who are hurting will never die.
19 Lord, rise up. Don't let people win the battle.
Let the nations come to you and be judged.
20 Lord, strike them with terror.
Let the nations know they are only human.
Selah (Stop and listen)
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2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-13
(New International Reader's Version)
The reading this week fairly bristles with
signs of conflict between Paul and the
Christians in Corinth. Tension abounds.
Paul argues that his suffering for the sake
of the gospel provides all the credentials
he needs for the Corinthians to listen to him.
The ball is in their court now. How does
moving from conflict to constructive
conversation happen?
1 We work together with God. So we are asking
you not to receive God's grace and then do
nothing with it.
2 He says,
"When I showed you my favor, I heard you.
On the day I saved you, I helped you."
—(Isaiah 49:8)
I tell you, now is the time God shows his favor.
Now is the day he saves.
PAUL'S SUFFERINGS -
3 We don't put anything in anyone's way. So no
one can find fault with our work for God.
4 Instead, we make it clear that we serve God
in every way. We serve him by holding steady.
We stand firm in all kinds of trouble, hard times
and suffering.
5 We don't give up when we are beaten or put
in prison. When people stir up trouble in the
streets, we continue to serve God. We work
hard for him. We go without sleep and food.
6 We remain pure. We understand completely
what it means to serve God. We are patient
and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy
Spirit. We serve him with true love.
7 We speak the truth. We serve in the power
of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in
the right hand and in the left.
8 We serve God in times of glory and shame.
We serve him whether the news about us is bad
or good. We are true to our calling.
But people treat us as if we were pretenders.
9 We are known, but people treat us as if we
were unknown. We are dying, but we continue
to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed.
10 We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We
are poor, but we make many people rich. We
have nothing, but we own everything.
11 Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely
to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you.
12 We are not holding back our love from you.
But you are holding back your love from us.
13 I speak to you as if you were my children.
It is only fair that you open your hearts wide
to us also.
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MARK 4:35-41
(New International Reader's Version)
The Sea of Galilee is especially susceptible to
sudden violent storms.
Our familiar story: A ferocious storm begins.
Jesus sleeps through it. In panic the disciples
say “Don't you know we may capsize?”
Jesus treats the storm the same way he treats
demons. He rebukes it, and tells it to shut up.
"Quiet!" to the sudden fierceness of the storm.
Then the sea becomes suddenly calm, Jesus
rebukes the disciples for their fear.
"Why are you so frightened?
Do you have no faith at all?"
JESUS CALMS THE STORM
35 When evening came, Jesus said to his
disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of
the lake."36 They left the crowd behind. And they took
him along in a boat, just as he was. There were
also other boats with him.
37 A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over
the boat. It was about to sink.38 Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion.
The disciples woke him up. They said, "Teacher!
Don't you care if we drown?"
39 He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He
said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind
died down. And it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?
Don't you have any faith at all yet?"
41 They were terrified. They asked each other,
"Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves
obey him!"
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MONDAY, JUNE 25TH —
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
2012 Iowa Annual Conference
Gathering under the banner of “Make Disciples of
Jesus Christ to Transform the World,” the 2012
session of the Iowa Annual Conference met June
2 thru 5 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble presided over the
169th yearly assembly.
Some 1800 members of the Annual Conference,
clergy and lay, representing Iowa’s United
Methodist communities of faith celebrated, gave
sacrificially for mission causes,
remembered the “saints” of the church, ordained
and recognized ministerial orders, offered
a witness of conscience, heard reports, and
approved financial plans for 2013.

Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble was the preacher
for the Opening Worship Service. In his
message, entitled, “Don’t Let God’s Grace Go
to Waste,” Bishop Trimble revealed that he had
been ill in the days leading to the annual
conference session, even requiring hospital
attention.
He said, “There are many people here who are
feeling less than 100 percent…I can think of at
least a hundred reasons to thank God for you
and the Church,” he declared.

Retirees Acknowledged
Persons who retired: Lyle G. Ball,
Norman L. Bennett, Linda S. Hansen Bibb,
Marilyn R. Buchanan, Marjorie M. Bradshaw,
Sarah L. Darter, Charles J. Downing,
Leonard M. Eberhart, Karl E. Goodfellow,
John J. Hembry, Diana M. Hoover,
Kenneth N. Kent, Roger B. Kurtenbach,
Doris H. Lindley, Sheryl C. Lohman,
Rodger N. McKinney, Charles Miller,
Judith Miller, Alton O’Bryan Milligan,
Marshall L. Monthei, Tony R. Nester,
Walden J. Paige, Remigio P. Panlaqui,
Mary B. Pope, Richard R. Russell,
Charles W. Smith, L. Darrel Wrider.
•You will notice Sarah L. Darter is on
this list. You may recognize others.
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FUTURE FOCUS —
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IS COMING UP.
• CASEY'S VBS WILL BE JULY 15TH THRU 19TH
IN THE EVENINGS FROM 6 P.M. TO 9 P.M.
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• ADAIR'S VBS WILL BE JULY 23RD TO 26TH
IN THE MORNINGS.
Just a gentle reminder so you can copy it to
your “THINGS TO REMEMBER” file.
MORE DETAILS LATER.


God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob