Monday, January 7, 2013

OUR WEEK —
JANUARY 13TH TO 19TH

REMINDERS —
• BUSY PLANET •
JANUARY 8, 1790 - 
 In the United States, George Washington
delivered the first State of the Union address.

 JANUARY 8, 1815 - 
 The Battle of New Orleans began. The War of
1812 officially ended on December 24,1814, with
the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, but the news
of the signing didn't reach British troops in time to
prevent the attack on New Orleans.
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JANUARY 9, 1861 -
The state of Mississippi seceded from the
United States.
JANUARY 9, 1951 - 
 United Nations headquarters officially opened in
New York City.
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JANUARY 10, 1861 - 
 Florida seceded from the United States.
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JANUARY 11, 1861 -
Alabama seceded from the United States.
JANUARY 11, 1878 -
In New York, milk was delivered in glass bottles
for the first time by Alexander Campbell. 
JANUARY 11, 1922 - 
At Toronto General Hospital, Leonard Thompson
became the first diabetic to be successfully treated
with insulin.
JANUARY 11 -
---HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY---
•  When Maria, an Armenian citizen, ended up in
Dubai, she resisted attempts by her traffickers to
force her into prostitution.  In retaliation, they
threw her off the top of a three-story building.
•  Maria survived the fall, escaped her captors 

and was repatriated to Armenia, where police 
referred her to the Anti-Human Trafficking 
Project run by the United Methodist Committee 
on Relief.
•  The project helps women move on to new lives
after becoming entangled in what is considered
the second-largest and fastest-growing global
criminal enterprise, said Kathryn Paik, UMCOR’s
Armenia program officer.
•  The United Nations defines human trafficking
as the recruitment, transportation, transfer,
harboring or receipt of people — by threat,
abduction, deception or abuse of power — for 

the purpose of sexual or labor-related 
exploitation.
Eighty percent of those trafficked are women and
girls, and half of all trafficking victims are
younger than 13.
•  UMCOR was the first nongovernmental
organization to work with Armenian authorities
in all regions of Armenia to reintegrate
trafficking survivors back into society, Paik said.
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The unmonitored use of the internet has made it
a very dangerous world for those too young and
too naive to understand all of the implications
of their actions.  Keep a gentle watch where it is
needed, and support your UMCOR program.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 —
There will be bible study at 6:30 in Adair.

JANUARY 12, 49 BC -
Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River beginning
a war between Rome and Gaul.  
JANUARY 12, 1896 - 
At Davidson College, several students created the
first X-ray photographs to be made in America.
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JANUARY 13, 1794 - 

U.S. President Washington approved a measure
adding two stars and two stripes to the American
flag, following the admission of Vermont and
Kentucky to the union.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 2013
BAPTISM OF THE LORD

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
COLOR: WHITE

SCRIPTURE READINGS
ISAIAH 43:1-7

† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
God will protect, ransom, and re-gather the
people of Israel from all corners of the earth.
THE LORD SAVES ISRAEL

1 Family of Jacob, the Lord created you.
      People of Israel, he formed you.
   He says, "Do not be afraid.
      I will set you free.
   I will send for you by name.
      You belong to me.
 2 You will pass through deep waters.
       But I will be with you.
   You will pass through the rivers.
      But their waters will not sweep over you.
   You will walk through fire.
      But you will not be burned.
      The flames will not harm you.
 3 I am the Lord your God.
      I am the Holy One of Israel.
      I am the one who saves you.
   I will give up Egypt to set you free.
       I will give up Cush and Seba for you.
 4 You are priceless to me.
      I love you and honor you.
   So I will trade other people for you.
      I will give up other nations to save your
      lives.
 5 Do not be afraid. I am with you.
      I will bring your people back from the east.
      I will gather you from the west.
 6 I will say to the north, 'Let them go!'
      And I will say to the south, 'Do not hold them
      back.'
   Bring my sons from far away.
      Bring my daughters from the farthest places
      on earth.
 7 Bring back everyone who belongs to me.
      I created them to bring glory to me.
      I formed them and made them." 
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PSALM 29 (UMH 761)
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
The voice of the LORD speaks, and all heaven
and nature shake and stand in awe. God's voice
thunders over the waters, ripping the forests of
Lebanon bare like a tornado, and flashing forth
flames of fire, while God sits forever enthroned
above the flood.
A PSALM OF DAVID.

1 Praise the Lord, you mighty angels.
      Praise the Lord for his glory and strength.
2 Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to
      him.
      Worship the Lord because of his beauty and 
      holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters.
      The God of glory thunders.
      The Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful.
      The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees.
      The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon into
      pieces.
6 He makes the mountains of Lebanon skip like
      a calf.
      He makes Mount Hermon jump like a young
      wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
      with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert.
      The Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
 
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oak trees.
      It strips the forests bare.
      And in his temple everyone cries out,
      "Glory!"
10 The Lord on his throne rules over the flood.
      The Lord rules from his throne as King
      forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people.
      The Lord blesses his people with peace. ———————————————————————
ACTS 8:14-17
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Acts establishes the norm of Christian baptism
in water AND Spirit and connects the gift of the
Spirit with the laying on of hands.  Peter and
John complete the baptism would-be disciples
of Jesus had received by laying hands on them
so they may receive the Holy Spirit.

14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that people
in Samaria had accepted God's word. So they
sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they arrived there, they prayed that the
believers would receive the Holy Spirit.
16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of
them. They had only been baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on
them. And they received the Holy Spirit.
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LUKE 3:15-22
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Water, wind, and fire are nearly everywhere here,
presented consistently as powerful forces far
beyond human control. John the Baptist declares
he is not the messiah; one mightier than he will
come after him, baptizing with Holy Spirit and
fire. Here is the Jordan River, the Spirit dropping
like a dove, and the Voice declaring the sonship
of Jesus.  After Jesus was baptized by John and
while he was praying, the Holy Spirit descended
and a voice from heaven claimed Jesus as a
Beloved Son.
The imagery of water, wind, and fire here is far
from comforting. Giving ourselves over to God,
being given into baptism, is to be given over to
God's power known in water, Spirit, and fire.

15 The people were waiting. They were expecting
something. They were all wondering in their hearts
if John might be the Christ.
16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with
water. But One who is more powerful than I am will
come. I'm not good enough to untie the straps of
his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and with fire.
17 His pitchfork is in his hand to toss the straw
away from his threshing floor. He will gather the
wheat into his storeroom. But he will burn up the
husks with fire that can't be put out."
18 John said many other things to warn the
people. He also preached the good news to them.
19 But John found fault with Herod, the ruler of
Galilee, because of Herodias. She was the wife of
Herod's brother. John also spoke strongly to
Herod about all the other evil things he had done.
20 So Herod locked him up in prison. He added
this sin to all his others.
THE BAPTISM AND FAMILY LINE OF JESUS
21 When all the people were being baptized,
Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,
heaven was opened.
22 The Holy Spirit came down on him in the form
of a dove.
 A voice came from heaven. It said,  "You are my
Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."
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MONDAY, JANUARY 14TH —
The office is closed today. ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
TUESDAY, JANUARY 15TH —
Office open from 8 A.M. until noon.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16TH —
Office is open from 8 A.M. until noon.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17TH —
Office is open from 1 P.M. until 5 P.M.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH —
The office is closed today.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Melodee


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