May is Asian Pacific American Heritage
Month. This is a term sometimes used in
the United States to include both Asian
Americans and Pacific Islander Americans.
These people have made their contributions
to the fiber of our country. They have gone
to war for the U.S.A., they have written and
sung songs for us, they have taught our
children in school, they have worked in our
factories and built our houses. In other
words, they are now Americans. Here are a
few you may recognize —
defines Asian-Pacific Islander as "A person
with origins in Southeast Asia, the Indian
subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This
area includes China, Japan, Korea, Laos,
Cambodia, the Philippines, Guam, Samoa
and the U.S. Trust Territories in the Pacific.
On the Indian Subcontinent, we include
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Nepal, and Bhutan.” Defining the percentage
of our population made up of these people
is a very tedious project. A project for the
Census Bureau.
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THURSDAY, MAY 1ST —
THIS IS MAY DAY
THIS IS THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
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SUNDAY, MAY 4TH —
COLOR: WHITE OR GOLD
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
• SENIOR RECOGNITION IN CASEY
Congratulations London Vais and
Chris Draman!
• NATIVE AMERICAN MINISTRIES SUNDAY
Wesleyan Native Ministries empowers
Native leaders across North America to
transform their communities through
compassionate outreach, economic and
community development, leadership
development, and church resourcing.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE - IN
ATLANTIC FIRST U.M.C. - 3 TO 4:30 P.M.
SCRIPTURE READINGS —————————————————————
ACTS 2:14-21, 36–41
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
Peter declares God had made the risen
Jesus both Lord and Christ. The people
respond, "What must we do?"
"Repent and be baptized."
14-21 That's when Peter stood up and,
backed by the other eleven, spoke out
with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of
you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen
carefully and get this story straight.
These people aren't drunk as some of you
suspect. They haven't had time to get
drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the
morning. This is what the prophet Joel
announced would happen:
"In the Last Days," God says,
"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and
women both,
and they'll prophesy.
I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon
blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved."
29-36 "Dear friends, let me be completely
frank with you. Our ancestor David is
dead and buried—his tomb is in plain
sight today. But being also a prophet and
knowing that God had solemnly sworn
that a descendant of his would rule his
kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of
the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip
to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus,
God raised up. And every one of us here
is a witness to it. Then, raised to the
heights at the right hand of God and
receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit
from the Father, he poured out the Spirit
he had just received. That is what you see
and hear. For David himself did not
ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, "Sit at my right
hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for
resting your feet."
"All Israel, then, know this: There's no
longer room for doubt—God made
him Master and Messiah, this Jesus
whom you killed on a cross."
37 Cut to the quick, those who were there
listening asked Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now
what do we do?"
38-39 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn
to God and be baptized, each of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins
are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and
your children, but also to all who are far
away—whomever, in fact, our Master God
invites."
40 He went on in this vein for a long time,
urging them over and over, "Get out while
you can; get out of this sick and stupid
culture!"
41-42 That day about three thousand took
him at his word, were baptized and were
signed up. They committed themselves to
the teaching of the apostles, the life
together, the common meal, and the
prayers.
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PSALM 116:1–19 (UMH 837)
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
"Then I called on the name of the LORD:
'O LORD, I pray, save my life!'"
1-6 I love God because he listened to me,
listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn't know which way to
turn;
then I called out to God for help:
"Please, God!" I cried out.
"Save my life!"
God is gracious—it is he who makes
things right,
our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he
saved me.
7-8 I said to myself, "Relax and rest.
God has showered you with blessings.
Soul, you've been rescued from death;
Eye, you've been rescued from tears;
And you, Foot, were kept from
stumbling."
9-11 I'm striding in the presence of God,
alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,
and despite a ton of bad luck,
Despite giving up on the human race,
saying, "They're all liars and cheats."
12-19 What can I give back to God
for the blessings he's poured out on
me?
I'll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast
to God!
I'll pray in the name of God;
I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,
and I'll do it together with his people.
When they arrive at the gates of death,
God welcomes those who love him.
Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
your faithful servant: set me free for
your service!
I'm ready to offer the thanksgiving
sacrifice
and pray in the name of God.
I'll complete what I promised God I'd do,
and I'll do it in company with his
people,
In the place of worship, in God's house,
in Jerusalem, God's city.
Hallelujah!
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1 PETER 1:17–23
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
How to live as the baptized: in reverent
fear of God, and with deep affection for
one another from the heart.
17 You call out to God for help and he
helps—he's a good Father that way. But
don't forget, he's also a responsible
Father, and won't let you get by with
sloppy living.
18-21 Your life is a journey you must
travel with a deep consciousness of God.
It cost God plenty to get you out of that
dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up
in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood,
you know. He died like an unblemished,
sacrificial lamb. And this was no after-
thought. Even though it has only lately—
at the end of the ages—become public
knowledge, God always knew he was
going to do this for you. It's because of
this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then
raised from the dead and glorified, that
you trust God, that you know you have a
future in God.
22-25 Now that you've cleaned up your
lives by following the truth, love one
another as if your lives depended on it.
Your new life is not like your old life. Your
old birth came from mortal sperm; your
new birth comes from God's living Word.
ust think: a life conceived by God himself!
That's why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as
wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God's Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new
life in you.
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LUKE 24:13–35
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
On the road to Emmaus Jesus reminds
two dispirited followers of all they have
seen and heard, grounding in Scripture,
and what next steps they can take to live
this way now. They "get it" (and recognize
him) only when he breaks the bread.
13-16 That same day two of them were
walking to the village Emmaus, about
seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were
deep in conversation, going over all these
things that had happened. In the middle of
their talk and questions, Jesus came up
and walked along with them. But they
were not able to recognize who he was.
17-18 He asked, "What's this you're
discussing so intently as you walk along?"
They just stood there, long-faced, like
they had lost their best friend. Then one
of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are
you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't
heard what's happened during the last few
days?"
19-24 He said, "What has happened?"
They said, "The things that happened to
Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God,
a prophet, dynamic in work and word,
blessed by both God and all the people.
Then our high priests and leaders
betrayed him, got him sentenced to death,
and crucified him. And we had our hopes
up that he was the One, the One about to
deliver Israel. And it is now the third day
since it happened. But now some of our
women have completely confused us.
Early this morning they were at the tomb
and couldn't find his body. They came
back with the story that they had seen a
vision of angels who said he was alive.
Some of our friends went off to the tomb
to check and found it empty just as the
women said, but they didn't see Jesus."
25-27 Then he said to them, "So thick—
headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you
simply believe all that the prophets said?
Don't you see that these things had to
happen, that the Messiah had to suffer
and only then enter into his glory?" Then
he started at the beginning, with the
Books of Moses, and went on through all
the Prophets, pointing out everything in
the Scriptures that referred to him.
where they were headed. He acted as if he
were going on but they pressed him: "Stay
and have supper with us. It's nearly
evening; the day is done." So he went in
with them. And here is what happened: He
sat down at the table with them. Taking the
bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to
them. At that moment, open - eyed, wide -
eyed, they recognized him. And then he
disappeared.
32 Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we
feel on fire as he conversed with us on the
road, as he opened up the Scriptures for
us?"
GHOSTS DON'T HAVE MUSCLE OR BONE
33-34 They didn't waste a minute. They
were up and on their way back to
Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and
their friends gathered together, talking
away: "It's really happened! The Master
has been raised up—Simon saw him!"
35 Then the two went over everything that
happened on the road and how they
recognized him when he broke the bread.
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• 1626 - Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed
on Manhattan Island. Native Americans
later sold the island (20,000 acres) for $24
in cloth and buttons.
• 1776 - Rhode Island declared its freedom
from England two months before the
Declaration of Independence was adopted.
• 1942 - The United States began food
rationing.
• 1961 - Thirteen civil rights activists,
called "Freedom Riders," began a bus trip
through the South.
• 1999 - Several severe tornadoes hit the
Midwestern United States overnight. At
least 45 people were killed.
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MONDAY, MAY 5TH —
THE OFFICE IS CLOSED TODAY.
Today begins Christian Family Week
BIBLE AND BOOK STUDY —
“MADE TO CRAVE” CASEY UMC–12 NOON
Desire with God, Not with Food.
“MADE TO CRAVE” is a New York Times
bestselling book.
Look it up on line: www.MadetoCrave.org
PRE-CONFERENCE MEETING held at
Stuart-Mt. Vernon U.M.C.- 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.
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• 1494 - Christopher Columbus sighted
Jamaica on his second trip to the Western
Hemisphere. He named the island
Santa Gloria.
• 1821 - Napoleon Bonaparte died on the
island of St. Helena, where he had been in
exile.
• 1862 - The Battle of Puebla took place. It
is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo Day.
• 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment was
ratified, abolishing slavery in the U.S.
• 1926 - Sinclair Lewis refused a 1925
Pulitzer Prize for the book "Arrowsmith."
• 1961 - Alan Shepard became the first
American in space when he made a 15
minute suborbital flight.
• 1991 - In New York, Carnegie Hall marked
its 100th anniversary.
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TUESDAY, MAY 6TH —
Happy Birthday Rita Elgin!
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• 1527 - German troops began sacking
Rome, bringing about the end of the
Renaissance.
• 1576 - The peace treaty of Chastenoy
ended the fifth war of religion.
• 1851 - The mechanical refrigerator was
patented by Dr. John Gorrie.
• 1861 - Arkansas became the ninth state
to secede from the Union.
• 1877 - Chief Crazy Horse surrendered to
U.S. troops in Nebraska.
• 1937 - The German Zeppelin Hindenburg
crashed and burned in Lakehurst, NJ.
36 people (of 97 on board) were killed.
• 1941 - Joseph Stalin assumed leadership
of the Soviet Union.
• 1957 - U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy was
awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book
"Profiles in Courage".
• 1960 - U.S. President Eisenhower signed
the Civil Rights Act of 1960. It introduced
penalties for anyone who obstructed
someone's attempt to register to vote.
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th —
Happy Birthday Annie Stolk!
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• 0558 - Dome of the church of St. Sophia
in Constantinople collapsed.
• 1926 - A U.S. report showed that one-third
of the nation's exports were motors.
• 1939 - Germany and Italy announced a
military and political alliance known as the
Rome-Berlin Axis.
• 1945 - Germany signed unconditional
surrender ending World War II to take
effect the next day.
• 1975 - U.S. President Ford declared an
end to the Vietnam War.
• 1992 - A 203-year-old proposed
constitutional amendment barring U.S.
Congress from giving itself a midterm pay
raise was ratified as the 27th Amendment.
• 2003 - In Washington, DC, General Motors
delivered six fuel cell vehicles to Capitol
Hill for lawmakers and others to test drive
during the next two years.
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THURSDAY, MAY 8TH —
Happy Birthday Kim Wedemeyer!
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• 1541 - Hernando de Soto reached the
Mississippi River. He named it Rio de
Espiritu Santo.
• 1794 - The United States Post Office was
established.
• 1846 - The first battle of the Mexican War
was fought in Palo Alto, Texas.
• 1886 - Pharmacist Dr. John Pemberton
invented what would later be called
"Coca-Cola."
• 1914 - The U.S. Congress passed a
Joint Resolution that designated the
second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
• 1933 - Gandhi began a hunger strike to
protest British oppression in India.
• 1943 - The Germans suppressed a revolt
by Polish Jews and destroyed the Warsaw
Ghetto.
• 1945 - U.S. President Harry Truman
announced that World War II had ended in
Europe.
• 1958 - U.S. President Eisenhower ordered
the National Guard out of Little Rock as
Ernest Green became the first black to
graduate from an Arkansas public school.
• 1999 - The first female cadet graduated
from The Citadel military college.
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FRIDAY, MAY 9TH —
Happy Birthday Breanna Peterson!
Happy Birthday Rob Vorrath!
at Creighton University Retreat Center,
Griswold, Iowa.
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• 1429 - Joan of Arc defeated the besieging
English at Orleans.
• 1502 - Christopher Columbus left Spain
for his final trip to the West.
• 1926 - Americans Richard Byrd and Floyd
Bennett became the first men to fly an
airplane over the North Pole.
• 1994 - Nelson Mandela was chosen to be
South Africa's first black president.
• 2002 - In Bahrain, people were allowed to
vote for their representatives for the first
time in 30 years. Women were allowed to
vote for the first time in Bahrain's history.
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SATURDAY, MAY 10TH —
Happy Birthday Mason Clark!
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• 1503 - Christopher Columbus discovered
the Cayman Islands.
• 1773 - The English Parliament passed the
Tea Act, which taxed all tea in the United
States colonies.
• 1775 - Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict
Arnold led an attack on the British Fort
Ticonderoga to capture it from the British.
• 1865 - Confederate President Jefferson
Davis was captured by Union troops near
Irvinville, Georgia.
• 1869 - Central Pacific and Union Pacific
Rail Roads met in Promontory, Utah. A
golden spike was driven in to celebration
the first transcontinental railroad in the
United States of America.
• 1898 - A vending machine law was
enacted in Omaha, Nebraska. It cost
$5,000 for a permit.
• 1933 - The Nazis staged massive public
book burnings in Germany.
• 1940 - Germany invaded Belgium,
France, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
• 1941 - England's House of Commons was
destroyed by a German air raid.
• 2013 - In New York, NY, crane operators
hoisted the final pieces of the spire atop
One World Trade Center (formerly called
the Freedom Tower).
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FUTURE FOCUS —
SUNDAY, MAY 11TH IS MOTHER'S DAY
Ella Renee Paup's Baptism in Adair U.M.C.
Thank you all for the rolls you play; thank
you for the responsibilities you shoulder, and
for the endless duties you accomplish. It
really is quite a graceful dance when everyone
performs together.
God Bless and Keep You,
Donna
