OUR WEEK-MAY 27TH TO JUNE 2ND

REMINDERS —
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23RD —
AD COUNCIL MEETING AT 7 P.M. IN ADAIR U.MC.
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SUNDAY, MAY 27TH —
DAY OF PENTECOST Day of Pentecost is about the fullness of harvest.
• In Judaism, Pentecost marked the fiftieth day
after Passover and a celebration of harvest and
the giving of Torah.
• For Christians, it is the fiftieth day after Easter
and a time for baptism, confirmation, and
celebrating the fullness of the Spirit's work in
and through us.

[Today is the Sunday before Memorial Day.]

COLOR: RED OR WHITE

SCRIPTURE READINGS:
ACTS 2:1-21
(New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
• Acts offers the backstory and the first part of
Peter's proclamation on the first Pentecost after
the resurrection of Jesus. The text is full of
imagery and soundscapes: mighty rushing wind,
tongues of fire, people speaking in many
languages, large astounded multinational
crowds, and the trumpeting voice of Peter.
• The Holy Spirit falls upon the 120 gathered in a
room in Jerusalem, and they proclaim the good
news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the
languages of all people gathered in Jerusalem
for the feast of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 The day of Pentecost came. The believers all
gathered in one place.2 Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a
strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where
they were sitting.
3 They saw something that looked like tongues of
fire. The flames separated and settled on each
of them.4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They
began to speak in languages they had not known
before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.
5 Godly Jews from every country in the world were
staying in Jerusalem.
6 A crowd came together when they heard the sound.They were bewildered because they each heard the
believers speaking in their own language.
7 The crowd was really amazed. They asked, "Aren't
all these people from Galilee?
8 Why, then, do we each hear them speaking in our
own native language?
9 We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites. We live in
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia. We are from
Pontus, Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia. Others of us are from
Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene. Still others
are visitors from Rome.
11 Some of the visitors are Jews. Others have
accepted the Jewish faith. Also, Cretans and Arabs
are here. We hear all these people speaking about
God's wonders in our own languages!"
12 They were amazed and bewildered. They asked
one another, "What does this mean?"
13 But some people in the crowd made fun of the
believers. "They've had too much wine!" they said.
PETER SPEAKS TO THE CROWD14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven. In a loud
voice he spoke to the crowd. "My Jewish friends,"
he said, "let me explain this to you. All of you who
live in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I say.
15 You think these people are drunk. But they aren't.
It's only nine o'clock in the morning!
16 No, here is what the prophet Joel meant.
17 He said,
" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will have dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on
those who serve me, both men and women.
When I do, they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above.
I will show miraculous signs on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire and clouds of smoke.20 The sun will become dark.
The moon will turn red like blood.
This will happen before the coming of the great and
glorious day of the Lord.
21 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.'
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PSALM 104:24-35 (UMH) 826
(New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
24 Lord, you have made so many things!
How wise you were when you made all of them!
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Look at the ocean, so big and wide!
It is filled with more creatures than people can count.
It is filled with living things, from the largest to the
smallest.
26 Ships sail back and forth on it.
The leviathan, the sea monster you made, plays in it.
27 All of those creatures depend on you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them,
they eat it.
When you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you turn your face away from them,
they are terrified.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn back into dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
you create them.
You give new life to the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever.
May the Lord be happy with what he has made.
32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles.
When he touches the mountains, they pour out
smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life.
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May these thoughts of mine please him.
I find my joy in the Lord. )
35 But may those who sin be gone from the earth.
May evil people disappear.
I will praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
God's sustenance for all creation.
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ROMANS 8:22-27
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Romans speaks of groaning — for this you may
want to find good audio or video of people
groaning in prayer or practices of communal
lament. Lament in our worship life in the U.S. a
lost practice, but one that is deep in the
Christian and Hebrew biblical traditions. All
creation has been waiting for us who have the
first fruits of the Spirit, the same Spirit who
helps us pray when all we have may be sighs
and groans. The Spirit does not move just up,
toward elation, but down and deep into pain,
breaking it and us open into a more profound
and awe-filled joy.
22 We know that all that God created has been
groaning. It is in pain as if it were giving birth to a
child. The created world continues to groan even now
23 And that's not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the
promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside
ourselves as we look forward to the time when God
will adopt us as full members of his family. Then he
will give us everything he has for us. He will raise
our bodies and give glory to them.
24 That's the hope we had when we were saved.
But hope that can be seen is no hope at all. Who
hopes for what he already has?
25 We hope for what we don't have yet. So we are
patient as we wait for it.
26 In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when
we are weak. We don't know what we should pray
for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays
with groans too deep for words.
27 God, who looks into our hearts, knows the mind
of the Spirit. And the Spirit prays for God's people
just as God wants him to pray.
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JOHN 15:26-27; 16:4-15
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Jesus teaches what the Spirit will do:
teach, reveal truth and falsehood, sin and
righteousness, and continue to lead followers
of Jesus into all truth. The gospel reading, from
chapter 16, involves two distinct but related
movements: transitioning from leadership by
Jesus in the flesh to leadership through the
Spirit, and key issues they can expect the Spirit
to address and continue to teach.
JOHN 15:26-27
26 "I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He
is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father.
When the Friend comes to help you, he will give
witness about me.
27 "You also must give witness. This is because you
have been with me from the beginning.
JOHN 16:4-15
4 "Why have I told you this? So that when the time
comes, you will remember that I warned you. I didn't
tell you this at first because I was with you.
WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL DO
5 "Now I am going to the One who sent me. But
none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
6 Because I have said these things, you are filled
with sadness.
7 "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your
good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the
Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will
send him to you.
8 When he comes, he will prove that the world's
people are guilty. He will prove their guilt concerning
sin and godliness and judgment.
9 "The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned.
That is because people do not believe in me.
10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is
concerned.
That is because I am going to the Father, where you
can't see me anymore.
11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is
concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of
this world, has already been judged.
12 "I have much more to say to you. It is more than
you can handle right now.
13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide
you into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He
will speak only what he hears. And he will tell you
what is still going to happen.
14 "He will bring me glory by receiving something
from me and showing it to you.
15 Everything that belongs to the Father is mine.
That is why I said the Holy Spirit will receive
something from me and show it to you.
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MONDAY, MAY 28TH —
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.
—— This is Memorial Day ——
Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed each
year in the United States on the last Monday of
May. It originated after the American Civil War
to commemorate the fallen soldiers of that war. There are lovely, bright, clean paintings of
wars, like the one above, but war is not lovely,
bright or clean. The picture below is an actual
photo of a Civil War battlefield.By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been
extended to honor all Americans who have died
in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering
all who died while serving in the United States
Armed Forces. There are American cemeteries
all over the world, because we are the "Go-to"
guys when anyone else is tired of being bullied. Memorial Day has become an occasion for
remembering all friends and relatives by visiting
their graves and perhaps leaving flowers.
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SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND —
Mother-Daughter Salad Supper at 6:30 P.M.
in Casey U.M.C. Women and girls, bring a guest.
$2.00 admittance. Pre-school children free.
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FUTURE FOCUS —
SUNDAY, JUNE 24TH—
Combined worship in Casey at 10:00 A.M.
This is Pastor Bob's last day.
Potluck dinner will follow the service.
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SUNDAY, JULY 1ST —
Combined worship in Adair at 10:00 A.M.
Come and meet new Pastor Melodee Carstens.
Potluck dinner will follow the service.
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God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob