ABC PARISH

OUR WEEK —
OCTOBER 28TH TO NOVEMBER 3RD
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
REMINDERS —

ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH — 

THERE IS AN A-C BOMBERS FOOTBALL 

GAME - SO THE AD COUNCIL MEETINGS 

ARE RESCHEDULED FOR :

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH — 
ABC AD COUNCIL AT ADAIR U.M.C.
will meet at 6:30 P.M. and
CASEY U.M.C. will meet at 7:00 P.M.
 then a joint meeting to follow in Adair.
That way Pastor can be at BOTH meetings.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH —
This is Pastor Melodee's day off.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH —
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
COLOR:  GREEN

THIS IS THE DAY OF 

MEMORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
———————————————————————
This is the fourth Sunday in this year's Season
of Saints.

• The global Christian saint this week is:
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

Florence Nightingale was born May 12, 1820, into
a rich, upper-class, well-connected British family
at the Villa Colombaia, near the Porta Romana at
Bellosguardo in Florence, Italy, and was named
after the city of her birth. Florence's older sister
Frances Parthenope had similarly been named
after her place of birth, Parthenopolis, a Greek
settlement now part of the city of Naples. The
family moved back to England in 1821, with
Nightingale being brought up in the family's
homes at Embley and Lea Hurst.

 Religious inspiration led her to devote her life
to serving others, directly and as a reformer.
Nightingale rejected proposals of marriage so
as to be free to pursue her calling. Her father
had progressive social views, providing his
daughter with a well rounded education that
included maths, and supported her desire to
lead an active life. Nightingale's ability to effect
reform rested on her exceptional analytic skills,
her high reputation, and her network of very
influential friends. Starting in her mid thirties,
she suffered from chronic poor health, but
continued working into her 80's.
• Nightingale underwent the first of several
experiences that she believed were calls from
God in February 1837 while at Embley Park,
prompting a strong desire to devote her life
to the service of others. In her youth she was
respectful of her family's opposition to her
working as nurse, only announcing her
decision to enter the field in 1844. Despite the
intense anger and distress of her mother and
sister, she rebelled against the expected role
for a woman of her status to become a wife
and mother. Nightingale worked hard to
educate herself in the science of nursing, in
spite of opposition from her family and the
restrictive social code for affluent young
English women.
• As a young woman Nightingale was attractive,
slender and graceful. While her demeanor was
often severe, she could be very charming and
her smile was radiant. Her most persistent suitor
was the politician and poet Richard Monckton
Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton, but after a nine
year courtship she rejected him, convinced that
marriage would interfere with her ability to
follow her calling to nursing.
• In Rome in 1847, she met Sidney Herbert, a
politician who had been Secretary of War (1845–
1846). Herbert was on his honeymoon; he and
Nightingale became lifelong close friends.
She traveled extensively. At Thebes, Egypt, she
wrote of being "called to God". A week later
near Cairo she wrote in her diary: "God called
me in the morning and asked would I do good
for him alone without reputation." Later in 1850,
she visited the Lutheran religious community
at Kaiserswerth-am-Rhein in Germany, where
she observed Pastor Theodor Fliedner and the
deaconesses working for the sick and the
deprived. She regarded the experience as a
turning point in her life. 
• Sidney Herbert was Secretary of War again
during the Crimean War; he and his wife were
instrumental in enabling Nightingale's nursing
work in the Crimea. She was a key adviser to
him in his political career, though she was
accused by some of having hastened Herbert's
death from Bright's Disease (a chronic kidney
infection) in 1861 because of the pressure her
program of reform placed on him.
• It was her time with the British army during the
Crimean War (1853-1856) that brought attention
to her work and her voice as nurse, health
researcher, teacher, and activist. The British and
their allies lost the war; but worse, the death rate
of injured soldiers was near 75 percent because
of the horrid conditions of the British field and
military hospitals.
• Florence Nightingale documented problems
and advocated solutions. Her efforts in military
hospitals there and subsequently in India
brought about major reforms in health care,
sanitation, and the profession of nursing - -
not only in military hospitals, but throughout the
British Empire, then throughout the world. She
steadily ascribed her drive to work for health
care and sanitary conditions as a response to
the calling of God on her life. From age 37
(1857) on, Nightingale was intermittently
bedridden and suffered from Brucellosis
(a highly contagious infection from unsterilized
milk or raw meat) and Spondylitis (inflammation
of the vertebra).
Her father gave her an annual income of £500 -
roughly £40,000 (US$65,000) in today's money.
This allowed her to live comfortably while
pursuing her nursing career.   
With her money, she set up Nightingale Training
School at St. Thomas' Hospital on July 9, 1860. 
By 1882, many Nightingale nurses had become
matrons at several leading hospitals.
Florence Nightingale died in 1910 at age ninety.
———————————————————————
JACOB ALBRIGHT
• This week's United Methodist heritage saint is
Jakob Albrecht  (in English, Jacob Albright),
founder of the Evangelical Association, one of
the predecessor denominations of The United
Methodist Church.

• Jacob Albright (1758-1808) was born in eastern
Pennsylvania to German immigrants. Albright
was educated in a German school where he
learned reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition
to speaking the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, he
spoke German and taught himself English.
During the American Revolution, Jacob Albright
served in Captain Jacob Witz's Seventh
Company, Fourth Battalion, Philadelphia Militia
as a drummer boy and later as a guard for the
Hessian prisoners at Reading, Pennsylvania. 

At the age of twenty-seven, he married Catherine
Cope, and they bought a farm near Ephrata,  PA.
Albright farmed and ran a successful business
producing clay tiles for roofs. His success was
due in large part to his reputation for fair
dealing; he was called "the honest tile maker."
Albright had a large family; varied accounts
name six or nine children. In about 1790, a
dysentery epidemic killed at least three of his
children. The trauma brought him to a spiritual
crisis. Although he was an active member of the
Lutheran church, Albright didn't have faith that
comforted him in his loss. Prayer and guidance
of trusted friends eventually brought him an
assurance of God's love and forgiveness.
• His renewed faith led him to a Methodist class
meeting, and he was soon licensed as a lay
preacher. By 1796 he was preaching regularly
to the German-speaking communities near his
home and developing a regular following.

In 1800 Albright organized some adherents
into a class in Berks County, Pennsylvania,
and two others soon followed. By 1802, the
movement had grown to the point that a
meeting of all the classes for several days
attracted a thousand people. The following year,
1803, the group recognized Jacob Albright as a
"genuine Evangelical preacher," and organized
themselves as "Albright's People." At the first
conference in 1807, Albright was elected bishop.

Albrecht was a preacher and evangelist,
primarily among German-speaking immigrants
to Pennsylvania. Informed by his experience
and licensed as a Lay Preacher among the
Methodists, Albrecht preached a Wesley-
Arminian gospel, inviting people to justified
and sanctified grace, then formed them into
prayer classes for mutual support and
encouragement. As these classes got together
for "big meetings" (think, outdoor revivals), the
number of converts and participants grew. By
1807, Albrecht organized these groups into a
conference that elected him bishop and sent
out itinerant ministers to preach and hold
services among German-speaking peoples in
the region. Weakened and in poor health from
exhaustion and tuberculosis, Jacob Albright fell
ill while traveling from Linglestown, PA. to
Kleinfeltersville, in Lebanon County, he could go
no farther and there he died, May 17, 1808, at
the age of 49. 

The Evangelical Church in Carey, Ohio owes
its beginning to the loyal efforts of Evangelical
families who settled here and in the surrounding
areas. The Evangelical Church was founded by
Jacob Albright.  He died on May 18, 1808.
 • In 1946, the church merged with the United
Brethren in Christ to form the Evangelical United
Brethren, and in 1968 that church merged with
The Methodist Church to form The United
Methodist Church.

In 1850, the Evangelical Association erected a
chapel in Albright's memory in Kleinfeltersville,
Pennsylvania and it remains as a museum and
memorial to Jacob Albright to this day.  ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
JOB 42:1-6, 10-17
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Job acknowledges God's power his own 
need to repent. God restores Job when Job
has offered intercession for the “friends” 
who had misrepresented God.
God restores abundantly what Job had lost.
If we want to pose a serious internal conflict 
in the book of Job (some scholars do), the 
restoration itself ("happy ending") is not and 
cannot be the main point of the story. After 
all, the whole book has been an extended  
argument against the idea that the righteous 
will always be rewarded and the wicked are 
always punished.
• In verses 1-6, Job begins by acknowledging
God's ability to do all things (verse 2). This is
a simple response, but not simplistic. It is no
platitude. The preceding chapters opened up 
the extent of God's activity in all things on
earth, in heaven, and in the spiritual realms.
Job is saying his mind has been blown, and 
now he "gets it". 

JOB 42:1-6 
JOB'S REPLY 
1 Job replied to the Lord,
2 "I know that you can do anything.
      No one can keep you from doing what
      you plan to do.
3 You asked me, 'Who do you think you are
      to disagree with my plans?
      You do not know what you are talking
      about.'
      I spoke about things I didn't completely
      understand.
      I talked about things that were too
      wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak.
      I will ask you some questions.
      Then I want you to answer me.'
5 My ears had heard about you.
      But now my own eyes have seen you.
6 So I hate myself.
      I'm really sorry for what I said about you.
      That's why I'm sitting in dust and ashes." 
JOB 42:10-17 
10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the
Lord made him successful again.

 He gave him twice as much as he had before.
11 All of his brothers and sisters and everyone
who had known him before came to see him.
They ate with him in his house. They showed
their concern for him. They comforted him
because of all of the troubles the Lord had
brought on him. Each one gave him a piece of
silver and a gold ring.
12 The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life
even more than the first part. He gave Job
14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels. He gave him
1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 donkeys.
13 Job also had seven sons and three
daughters. 

 14 He named the first daughter Jemimah. He
named the second Keziah. And he named the
third Keren-Happuch.
15 Job's daughters were more beautiful than
any other women in the whole land. Their father
gave them a share of property along with their
brothers.
16 After all of that happened, Job lived for 140 
years. He saw his children, his grand-children 
and his great-grandchildren.
17 And so he died. He had lived for a very long
time.   
———————————————————————

 PSALM 34:1-8 (19-22) (UMH 769)
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
A psalm of trust and testimony.
PSALM 34:1-8
A PSALM OF DAVID WHEN HE WAS IN FRONT
OF ABIMELECH AND PRETENDED TO BE OUT
OF HIS MIND. ABIMELECH DROVE HIM AWAY.

1 I will thank the Lord at all times.
      My lips will always praise him.
2 I will honor the Lord.
    Let those who are hurting hear and be joyful.
3 Join me in giving glory to the Lord.
    Let us honor him together.
4 I looked to the Lord, and he answered me.
    He saved me from everything I was afraid of.
5 Those who look to him beam with joy.
    They are never put to shame.
6 This poor man called out, the Lord heard him.
    He saved him out of all of his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord stands guard
    around those who have respect for him.
    And he saves them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Blessed is the man who goes to him for
    safety.

PSALM 34:19-22
 19 Anyone who does what is right may have
      many troubles.
      But the Lord saves him from all of them.
 20 The Lord watches over all of his bones.
      Not one of them will be broken.
 21 Sinners will be killed by their own evil.
      The enemies of godly people will be judged.
 22 The Lord sets those who serve him free.
      No one who goes to him for safety will be
      judged.
———————————————————————

HEBREWS 7:23-28
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
The writer compares the priesthood of Christ
with that of the Aaronic/Levitical priesthood.
The Aaronic/Levitical priesthood offered daily
physical sacrifices for their own sins and the
sins of the people.
CHRIST'S PRIESTHOOD, A PRIESTHOOD OF
INTERCESSION, ENDED SUCH SACRIFICES.
By offering himself in obedience to God, even
to the point of death, Jesus became a perfect
and complete channel of intercession
for the whole world.
23 There were many priests in Levi's family line.
Death kept them from continuing in office.
24 But Jesus lives forever. So he always holds
the office of priest.
25 People now come to God through him. And
he is able to save them completely and for all
time. Jesus lives forever. He prays for them.
26 A high priest like that meets our need. He
is holy, pure and without blame. He isn't like
other people. He does not sin. He is lifted high
above the heavens.
27 He isn't like the other high priests. They need
to offer sacrifices day after day. First they bring
offerings for their own sins. Then they do it for
the sins of the people. But Jesus gave one
sacrifice for the sins of the people. He gave it
once and for all time.
He did it by offering himself.
28 The law appoints men who are weak to be
high priests. But God's oath came after the law.
The oath appointed the Son.
He has been made perfect forever. 
———————————————————————
MARK 10:46-52
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
As Jesus and his disciples leave Jericho for
the final journey to Jerusalem, a blind man,
Bar Timaeus, seeks healing, is healed, and
becomes a disciple himself.
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight.                              
46 Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho.
They were leaving the city.
A large crowd was with them.  A blind man
was sitting by the side of the road begging.

His name was Bartimaeus.
Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus.
47 He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was
passing by. So he began to shout, "Jesus! Son
of David! Have mercy on me!"
48 Many people commanded him to stop. They
told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder,
"Son of David! Have mercy on me!"
49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call for him."
So they called out to the blind man, "Cheer up!
Get up on your feet! Jesus is calling for you."
50 He threw his coat to one side. Then he
jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus
asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to be able
to see."
52 "Go," said Jesus. "Your faith has healed you."

Right away he could see. And he followed Jesus
along the road.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST—
REFORMATION DAY
Reformation Day, anniversary of the day Martin 
Luther is said to have posted his Ninety-five 
Theses on the door of the Castle Church in 
Wittenberg, Germany (October 31, 1517), or  at
least sent copies to his friends and associates.
Later this was identified by Protestants as the 
BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION. 

HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  WATCH OUT 
FOR WEE GHOSTS AND GOBLINS BECAUSE 
THEY ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE FOLKS!

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST —
WORLD COMMUNITY DAY

 • World Community Day is organized by 
Church Women United, an ecumenical 
organization of Christian women who are 
working to strengthen families. It was founded 
in 1941.  Church Women United engages 
millions of women representing twenty-six 
supporting denominations.  World Community 
Day focuses on justice and peace all around 
the world.  In all of history the world has never 
been this small.  Yet we are at odds with each 
other, whether on a family scale or a global 
scale.  This day is bound to become more and 
more important as the years go by. What issue 
would you like to see focused on?  Poverty? 
Bullying?  Education?  Health?  World Peace? 
The field is wide open. 
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD —
IN-GATHERING IN GREENFIELD
Silent Auction begins at 8:30 A.M.
Worship Service begins at 10:45
Lunch begins at 12:00 noon.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ 
FUTURE FOCUS —
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4TH —

 ADAIR FALL DINNER
Combined service at 9:30 A.M.
Dinner begins at 11:00 A.M.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CASEY FALL DINNER
Combined service at CUMC 9:30 A.M.
Bazaar at 10:30 A.M. at the Casey Community building.
Food will be served at 11:00 A.M. followed with
the auction.


Thank you for pulling the plow this week.
We don't say it often enough, but we are 
very grateful for all you do. Our church 
life means you.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Melodee