REMINDER —
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3RD —
SALAD SUPPER
PLEASE JOIN US!
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH —
pastoral emergencies, she can be reached on
her cell phone.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH —
NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
COLOR: GREEN
TODAY IS
— WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY —
The first Sunday of October, is a celebration of
the unity of the worldwide church through Christ.
• World Communion Sunday was begun by the
former Federal Council of Churches in the 1940s
to help bring American Protestant Churches to a
greater sense of unity by agreeing to celebrate
Communion on the same day. Back then, many
Protestant churches celebrated no more than
quarterly. Today, most Protestants in the U.S.A.
celebrate at least monthly, and usually on the
first Sunday of the month.
• World Communion Sunday is an event that
bridges denominations and spotlights our
commonality in the Body of Christ. This world
could be so much better if we looked for that
which we hold in common rather than focusing
on our differences. Today we may wish to
celebrate the Lord’s Supper with a focus on
Christ’s marvelous work of grace.
——————————————————————
A SEASON OF THE SAINTS kicks off today, on
World Communion Sunday. Today we recognize
Christian Saint Carpus of Peragmum. We find
very little about him, except:
• he is mentioned by Paul in one of his letters,
• he was the Bishop of Gurdos, Lydia, and
• among others, he was beheaded in Pergamos.
Our United Methodist Saint this week is
Dr. Anna Howard Shaw.
made a difference.
ANNA HOWARD SHAW'S EARLY LIFE —
Shaw was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
England in 1847. At the age of two, she and her
family rode a ship to America and settled in
Lawrence, Massachusetts. When Shaw was
twelve years old, her father took up claim of
three hundred and sixty acres of land in the
wilderness of northern Michigan and sent the
mother and five young children to live there.
Her mother had envisioned their Michigan
home to be an English farm with lush meadows,
sunny skies, and daisies, but was devastated
upon their arrival to discover that it was actually
a forlorn and desolate log cabin in an isolated
wilderness, 40 miles from a post office and
100 miles from a railroad. Here the family faced
dangers like attacks from Indians and wolves
and had several laboring responsibilities such
as plowing the land themselves. Shaw became
very active during this period, helping her
siblings refurbish their home and supporting
her mother in her time of shock and despair.
Shaw took on several physical tasks such as
digging a well, chopping wood for the big
fireplace, and felling trees.
Seeing her mother's emotional suffering,
Shaw blamed her irresponsible father for
giving no thought to the manner in which their
family was to make the struggle and survive the
hardships now laid before them. Her mother
was burdened with household and farm chores,
so her father in Lawrence could freely give all
his time to the Abolition cause and other big
public movements of his day.
The family's misfortunes grew worse over
the years. Her brother Tom was wounded in
the Civil War. After the war, her sister Eleanor
died giving birth. When Shaw was fifteen,
she became a school teacher and used her
earnings to help support her family. Yet with
every ounce of the family's effort the gulf
between their income and their expenses
grew wider.
CALL TO PREACH
As Shaw matured, her drive to attend
college became firmer. After the Civil War, she
abandoned her teaching job and moved in with
her married sister Mary in Big Rapids, Michigan.
There she hoped to learn a profitable trade,
but she soon found that self supporting fields
open to women were very few.
The onset of her preaching career began
when she met Reverend Marianna Thompson
who was the first person who supported her
pursuit of an education. Thanks to Thompson's
help, Shaw entered Big Rapids High school
where she began reciting poetry to audiences
and taking speaking and debating classes. At
the age of twenty-three, Shaw was invited by
Dr. Peck—a man looking to ordain a female
Methodist minister—to give her first sermon.
Shaw hesitated at first because her only
lecturing experience had been as a little girl
preaching alone in the forest to a congregation
of silent trees. With some encouragement
from Dr. Peck, Shaw agreed and, over the
course of six months, prepared her first sermon.
Despite the success of that first sermon, her
new found passion to preach received much
disapproval from her classmates, friends, and
family who agreed to pay for her college
education only if she abandoned preaching.
Despite such continual opposition and isolation
from so many, Anna chose to keep preaching.
She was deeply moved by Mary A. Livermore,
a prominent lecturer who came to Big Rapids.
Ms. Livermore gave her the following advice:
“if you want to preach, go on and preach . . .
No matter what people say.
Don’t let them stop you!”
STRUGGLES DURING COLLEGE YEARS
In 1873, Shaw entered Albion College, a
Methodist school in Albion, Michigan. Since
her family frowned upon her chosen career
path, they refused to provide any financial
support. At that point, Shaw had been a
licensed preacher for three years and earned
her wages by giving lectures on temperance.
After graduating from Albion College, Shaw
attended Boston University School of Theology
in 1876. She was the only woman in her class
of forty-two men, and she always felt the
abysmal conviction that she was not really
wanted there. This attitude was furthered by
her difficulty supporting herself financially.
Already running on a tight income, Shaw
found it unfair that the male licensed
preachers were given free accommodations
in the dormitory and their board cost each
of them $1.25 while it cost her $2 to pay
rent of a room outside. Additionally,
she had trouble finding employment.
Unlike in Albion where she was practically
the only licensed preacher available, at
Boston University there were many preachers
that she had to compete with. As she lost
money to pay the rent, she struggled to feed
herself and felt cold, hungry, and alone.
Now Shaw started to question whether the
ministerial profession was meant for her.
In the face of these hardships, Shaw
struggled on. In 1880, she became the first
woman in America to be ordained in the
Methodist Protestant Church.
After her ordination, Shaw went on to receive
a Medical Degree from Boston University in
1886. During her time in medical school, Shaw
became an outspoken advocate of political
rights for women.
ROLE IN WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT
JOINT EFFORT WITH SUSAN B. ANTHONY
Beginning in 1886, Shaw served as the
chairperson of the Franchise Department of
Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).
Her task was to work for woman suffrage and
then to use the ballot to gain 'home protection'
and temperance legislation. Her focus on
temperance subsided as she became more
heavily involved in the suffrage movement by
lecturing for the Massachusetts Suffrage
Association and later the American Woman
Suffrage Association (AWSA).
In 1888, Shaw attended the first meeting of
the International Council of Women as a
representative of both the Women’s Christian
Temperance Union and American Woman
Suffrage Association. At the meeting, Shaw
met Susan B.Anthony who immediately
encouraged her to join the National Woman
Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Having agreed,
Shaw played a key role in NAWSA. In 1889, she
helped to persuade the AWSA to merge with
Anthony's and Elizabeth Cady Stanton's NWSA,
creating for the first time in two decades a
semblance of organizational unity within the
suffrage movement. Beginning in 1904 and
for the next eleven years, Shaw was the
president of NAWSA. Under her leadership,
NAWSA continued to lobby for a national
constitutional amendment granting women
the right to vote.
RESIGNATION FROM NAWSA
During the early 20th century, Alice Paul and
Lucy Burns, NAWSA members, began using
militant techniques (e.g. picketing the White
House during World War I) to fight for women's
suffrage. They, like other members, were
inspired by the success of militant suffragettes
in England. As president of NAWSA, Shaw was
pressured to support these tactics. Shaw
maintained that she was unalterably opposed
to militancy, believing that nothing of lasting
value had ever been secured by it, and the
objective could be more easily obtained by
peaceful methods. She remained aligned with
Anthony's philosophy that was against any
militant tactics.
This problem within NAWSA brewed much
aggression among NAWSA members toward
Shaw. Despite her oratorical prowess, Shaw
lacked the administrative, organizational, and
philosophical strengths necessary for leading
the NAWSA. In 1915, she resigned as NAWSA
president and was replaced by her ally
Carrie Chapman Catt.
LATER YEARS AND DEATH
Shaw continued to lecture for the suffrage
cause for the remaining years of her life.
During World War I, Shaw was head of the
Women's Committee of the United States
Council of National Defense, for which she
became the first woman to earn the
Distinguished Service Medal.
Shaw died of pneumonia at her home in
Moylan, Pennsylvania at age seventy-two,
only a few months before Congress ratified
the Nineteenth Amendment to the US
Constitution giving women the right to vote.
——————————————————————
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
JOB 1:22; 2:1-10
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
The prologue to Job sets the cosmic
background for Job's experience of
dramatic distress and loss and the questions
about God's justice and human suffering
that follow.
JOB 1:1-22
THE STORY BEGINS
1 There was a man who lived in the land
of Uz. His name was Job. He was honest.
He did what was right. He had respect for
God and avoided evil.
3 He owned 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels.
He owned 500 pairs of oxen and 500
donkeys.
He also had a large number of servants.
He was the most important man
among all of the people in the east.
4 His sons used to take turns giving
big dinners in their homes.
They would invite their three sisters to
eat and drink with them.
5 When the time for enjoying good food
was over, Job would have his children
made pure and clean. He would sacrifice
a burnt offering for each of them. He would
do it early in the morning. He would think,
"Perhaps my children have sinned.
Maybe they have spoken evil things against
God in their hearts."
That's what Job always did for his children
when he felt they had sinned.
JOB IS PUT TO THE TEST
6 One day angels came to the Lord.
Satan also came with them.
7 The Lord said to Satan, "Where have
you come from?" Satan answered, "
From traveling all around the earth.
I've been going from one end of it to the other."
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you
thought about my servant Job? There
isn't anyone on earth like him. He is
honest. He does what is right. He has
respect for me and avoids evil."
9 "You always give Job everything he
needs," Satan replied. "That's why he has
respect for you.
10 Haven't you guarded him and his family?
Haven't you taken care of everything he
has? You have blessed everything he does.
His flocks and herds are spread all through
the land.
11 "But reach out your hand and strike
down everything he has. Then I'm sure he
will speak evil things against you. In
fact, he'll do it right in front of you."
12 The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I
am handing everything he has over to you.
But do not touch the man himself."
Then Satan left the Lord and went on his
way.
13 One day Job's sons and daughters were
at their oldest brother's house. They
were enjoying good food and drinking wine.
14 During that time a messenger came
to Job. He said, "The oxen were plowing.
The donkeys were eating grass near them.
15 Then the Sabeans attacked us and
carried the animals off. They killed some
of the servants with their swords. I'm the
only one who has escaped to tell you!"
16 While he was still speaking, a
second messenger came. He said,
"God sent lightning from the sky. It struck
the sheep and killed them.
I'm the only one who has escaped to
tell you!"
17 While he was still speaking, a third
messenger came. He said, "The
Chaldeans separated themselves into
three groups. They attacked your
camels and carried them off. They killed
the rest of the servants with their swords.
I'm the only one who has escaped to
tell you!"
18 While he was still speaking, a
fourth messenger came. He said,
"Your sons and daughters were at their
oldest brother's house. They were
enjoying good food and wine.
19 Suddenly a strong wind blew in from
the desert. It struck the four corners of
the house.
The house fell down on your children.
who has escaped to tell you!"
20 After Job heard all of those reports, he
got up and tore his robe. He shaved his
head.
Then he fell to the ground and worshiped
the Lord.
21 He said,
"I was born naked.
And I'll leave here naked.
You have given, and you have taken away.
May your name be praised."
22 In spite of everything, Job didn't sin
by blaming God for doing anything wrong.
JOB 2:1-10
JOB IS PUT TO THE TEST AGAIN
1 On another day angels came to theLord.
Satan also came to him along with them.
2 The Lord said to Satan, "Where have
you come from?"
Satan answered, "From traveling all around
the earth. I've been going from one end of
it to the other."
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you
thought about my servant Job? There isn't
anyone on earth like him. He is honest. He
does what is right. He has respect for me
and avoids evil. You tried to turn me against
him. You wanted me to destroy him without
any reason. But he still continues to be
faithful."
4 Satan replied, "A man will give everything
he has to save himself. So Job is willing to
give up the lives of his family to save his
own life.
5 "But reach out your hand and strike
his flesh and bones. Then I'm sure he will
speak evil things against you. In fact, he'll
do it right in front of you."
6 The Lord said to Satan, "All right. I am
handing him over to you. But you must spare
his life."
7 Then Satan left the Lord and went on his
way. He sent painful sores on Job. They
covered him from the bottom of his feet to
the top of his head.
8 He got part of a broken pot. He used it
to scrape his skin. He did it while he was
sitting in ashes.
9 His wife said to him, "Are you still
continuing to be faithful to the Lord?
Speak evil things against him and you die!"
10 Job replied, "You are talking like a
foolish woman. We accept good things
from God. So we should also accept trouble
when he sends it." In spite of everything,
Job didn't say anything that was sinful.
——————————————————————PSALM 26 or PSALM 25 (UMH 756)
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
This focuses on the theme of integrity and
asks for God's vindication on the basis of
the integrity of the person praying.
PSALM 26
A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 Lord, when you hand down your sentence,
let it be in my favor.
I have lived without blame.
I have trusted in the Lord.
I have never doubted him.
2 Lord, test me. Try me out.
Look deep down into my heart and mind.
3 Your love is always with me.
I have always lived by your truth.
4 I don't spend time with people who tell lies.
I don't keep company with pretenders.
5 I hate to be with a group of sinful people.
I refuse to spend time with those who are evil.
6 I wash my hands to show that I'm not guilty.
Lord, I come near your altar.
7 I shout my praise to you.
I tell about all the wonderful things you have
done.
8 Lord, I love the house where you live.
I love the place where your glory is.
9 Don't destroy me together with sinners.
Don't take my life away along with murderers.
10 Their hands are always planning to do evil.
Their right hands are full of money that
bought them off.
11 But I live without blame.
Set me free and show me your favor.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
In the whole community I will praise the Lord.
THE SECOND PSALM CHOICE THIS WEEK:
PSALM 25
A PSALM OF DAVID.
1 Lord, I worship you.
2 My God, I trust in you.
Don't let me be put to shame.
Don't let my enemies win the battle over me.
3 Those who put their hope in you
will never be put to shame.
But those who can't be trusted
will be put to shame. They have no excuse.
4 Lord, show me your ways.
Teach me how to follow you.
5 Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
You are God my Savior.
I put my hope in you all day long.
6 Lord, remember your great mercy and love
Shown to your people for a long time.
7 Don't recall sins committed when I was young.
Don't remember when I didn't to obey you.
Remember me because you love me.
Lord, you are good.
8 The Lord is honest and good.
He teaches sinners to walk in his ways.
9 He shows those who aren't proud how to do
what is right. He teaches them his ways.
10 All of the Lord's ways are loving and faithful
for those who obey his covenant commands.
11 Lord, be true to your name.
Forgive my sin, even though it is great.
12 Who is the man who respects the Lord?
God will teach him the way chosen for him.
13 Things will always go well for him.
His children will be given the land.
14 The Lord shares his plans with those who
have respect for him.
He makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes always look to the Lord.
He alone can set my feet free from the trap.
16 Turn to me and show me your favor.
I am lonely and hurting.
17 The troubles of my heart have increased.
Set me free from my great pain.
18 Look at how I'm hurting! See how I suffer!
Take away all of my sins.
19 Look at how many enemies I have!
See how terrible their hatred is for me!
20 Guard my life. Save me.
Don't let me be put to shame.
I go to you for safety.
21 May my honest and good life keep me safe.
I have put my hope in you.
22 God, set Israel free
from all of their troubles!
HEBREWS 1:1-4; 2:5-12
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
This theological treatise begins by
declaring the glory of Jesus Christ —
God's ultimate messenger and Son, with
majesty and authority above all angels,
the pioneer and perfecter of our salvation.
HEBREWS 1:1-4
THE SON IS GREATER THAN THE ANGELS
1 In the past, God spoke to our people
through the prophets. He spoke at many times.
He spoke in different ways.
2 But in these last days, he has spoken to
us through his Son. He is the one whom
God appointed to receive all things. God
made everything through him.
3 The Son is the gleaming brightness of
God's glory. He is the exact likeness of
God's being. He uses his powerful word to
hold all things together. He provided the way
for people to be made pure from sin. Then
he sat at the right hand of the King, the Majesty
in heaven.
4 So he became higher than the angels.
The name he received is more excellent
than theirs.
HEBREWS 2:5-12
JESUS WAS MADE LIKE HIS BROTHERS
5 God has not put angels in charge of the world
that is going to come. We are talking about that
world.
6 There is a place where someone has
given witness to it. He said,
"What is a human being that you
think about him? What is the son of man that
you take care of him?
7 You made him a little lower than the
angels. You placed on him a crown of glory and
honor.
8 You have put everything under his control." —(Psalm 8:4-6)
So God has put everything under him.
Everything is under his control.
We do not now see everything under his control.
9 But we do see Jesus already given a
crown of glory and honor. He was made a
little lower than the angels. He suffered death.
By the grace of God, he tasted death for
everyone.
That is why he was given his crown.
10 God has made everything. He has acted
in exactly the right way. He is bringing his
many sons and daughters to share in his glory.
To do so, he has made the One who saved
them perfect because of his sufferings.
11 The One who makes people holy and
the people he makes holy belong to the same
family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them
his brothers and sisters.
12 He says,
"I will announce your name to my brothers
and sisters.
I will sing your praises among those
who worship you." —(Psalm 22:22)
MARK 10:2-16
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Family values, Jesus-style: God has
blessed and established the marriage
bond as a relationship that is never to
be discarded or reduced to disposable
property. Jesus also blesses children
and calls his disciples to do the same
. . . . . never treating them as a
nuisance or distraction.
2 Some Pharisees came to put him to the
test. They asked, "Does the Law allow a
man to divorce his wife?"
3 "What did Moses command you?" he
asked.
4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to
write a letter of divorce and send her
away."
5 "You were stubborn. That's why
Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied.
6 "But at the beginning of creation,
God 'made them male and female.'—
(Genesis 1:27)
7 'That's why a man will leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife.
8 The two of them will become
one.' —(Genesis 2:24)
They are no longer two, but one.
9 So a man must not separate what
God has joined together."
10 When they were in the house again,
the disciples asked Jesus about this.
11 He answered, "What if a man
divorces his wife and gets married to
another woman? He commits adultery
against her.
12 And what if she divorces her
husband and gets married to another man?
She commits adultery."
LITTLE ONES ARE BROUGHT TO JESUS
13 People were bringing little children to
Jesus. They wanted him to touch them.
But the disciples told the people to stop.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was angry.
He said to his disciples, "Let the little
children come to me. Don't keep them away.
God's kingdom belongs to people like them.
15 What I'm about to tell you is true. Anyone
who will not receive God's kingdom like a
little child will never enter it."
16 Then he took the children in his arms.
He put his hands on them and blessed them.
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8TH —
This is Columbus Day
Many countries in the new world and elsewhere
celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of
Christopher Columbus in the Americas, which
occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official
holiday. It is celebrated as Columbus Day in
the United States, as Día de la Raza in many
countries in Latin America, as Discovery Day in
the Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad,
Fiesta Nacional in Spain, Día del Respeto a
la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for
Cultural Diversity) in Argentina and as
Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in
Uruguay. These holidays have been celebrated
unofficially since the late 18th century
• Blood Drive at St. John's Lutheran in Casey
Open 3-6:30 PM -
• “MONDAYS WITH MELODEE”
AT HAPPY CHEF @ 5 PM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10TH –
SPRC MEETING IN ADAIR U.M.C. @ 7 P.M.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11TH —
Charge Conference Forms A and B and
SPRC Consultation are due.
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FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
OCTOBER 12TH & 13TH —
Pastor Melodee going to Course of Study.
Gary DeGuest will cover for her.
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FUTURE FOCUS —
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14TH —
Combined Worship in Adair U.M.C.
at 10:00 A.M.
WOMEN OF THE BIBLE PRESENTING
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH —
• Dorcas-Ruth Circle will meet at 1:30 P.M.
in Adair.
• Martha Circle will meet at 7 P.M. in
Casey U.M.C. to make mincemeat.
• Esther Circle will meet at 7 P.M. with hostess,
Megan Farnsworth≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH —
• Deborah-Mary Circle will meet at 2 P.M.
in Casey U.M.C.
CHARGE CONFERENCE IN GREENFIELD
U.M.C. AT 7 P.M. All Forms are due. ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
Thank you for your contributions this week.
It all helps to keep up the momentum.
God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Melodee
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