“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.”
1 Corinthians 12 : 4-6
From the Pastor…
When Greg and I were first married, the new and enthusiastic pastor of our church sought to involve us immediately, so he asked us to serve on two committees: Greg on the Evangelism Committee and me on Finance. There couldn’t have been two worse appointments. Neither of us possessed the gifts and graces to serve on those committees, and the result was a long, painful struggle to serve where we had no capacity to do so. It took many years for us to align our gifts and graces and areas of interest to where we could best serve and grow in service to Christ’s holy Church.
This is the time of year when we seek members to fill vacancies on the many committees within the church, and filling those vacancies should be the result of prayerful discernment for where each of us is called to serve in ministry. As your pastor, I try hard to identify, along with you, your specific and individual gifts and graces and match them to opportunities in ministry where you can thrive in Christ’s service. Opportunities for ministry are abundant, and each of us has the ability to contribute our gifts and graces in areas where we can be fulfilled by the experience and grow in our relationship with God, but we need your help to provide you with those opportunities.
In the coming days and weeks as the Committee on Lay Leadership seeks nominations to fill vacancies, please consider where your gifts and graces would be best utilized within the church. If we ask you to consider an area which isn’t a good fit, please say, “No, thank you; but I would be interested in serving ….” Please suggest where you would like to serve! Be bold! Let us help you on your journey!
In Christ,
Pastor Vickie
From the Pastor
Filling the Roles of the Church
Gifts and Graces
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities but it is the same God who activities all of them in everyone.”
I Corinthians 12:4-6
Greetings to my Brothers & Sisters in Christ:
One of the greatest joys of being your pastor this past year has been to witness so many of you discover the gifts and graces given to you by God. As our ministry together is evolving, many of you have unleashed your gifts and graces and shared them to the glory of God and for the benefit of everyone. I thank God and praise Him that He has led you in this spirit of sharing.
Our worship is more meaningful because YOU participate as readers, greeters, ushers, musicians and singing in the choir, and actors in our multiple dramas. YOU contribute to our many, many meals by sharing the treasures of your hands at work in your kitchens. YOU keep our church building updated, clean and the grounds looking good by using your skills as craftsmen/women. YOU openly share your concern and care by reaching out and visiting our members unable to attend church and by keeping them in your prayers. YOU contribute to our monthly newsletters, type, edit and distribute it as well as our weekly worship bulletins. YOU support families in times of loss by coming together and hosting funerals dinners. YOU support our many and diverse mission projects with energy and enthusiasm.
As you spend some relaxing time this summer, I pray that you will think about the gifts and graces that God has blessed you with and pray that He leads you to discover other gifts and graces you may not have seen but are lurking and waiting to be released for the glory of God.
Our first-ever Gifts and Graces Talent Show is scheduled for Friday, September 17th at 7:30 p.m. We are looking for YOU to join us in this amazing event. Please give me a call or let me know of how you would like to participate this year. As I pull together the script for the event, I want to be sure to include YOU and your special gifts and graces.
May you have a blessed and relaxing summer!
Pastor Vickie
Pentecost
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”
Acts 2:1-2
Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The events took place on the day of the Pentecost, in Jerusalem, at 09:00 ("the third hour of the day", according to Jewish timekeeping). The community of Christ's disciples, approximately 120 people, was gathered "into an upper room" in a building that Tradition locates on Mount Zion. The Tradition also says that it was the same room where Jesus ate His Last Supper. The tremendous phenomenon is very well described in Acts 2:1-4:
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The phrase "a rushing mighty wind" is almost a literal translation of the Hebrew word ruah, meaning in Hebrew texts “the Spirit of God.” The experience is a powerful mystic one, hence the sensation of sacred possession (misinterpreted by passers-by as drunkenness) and the advent of supernatural gifts: the speaking with other tongues (glossolalia) and prophesying.
The Day of Pentecost is the fiftieth and last day of the Easter Season, when the Church received the gift of the Holy Spirit. On this day you are invited to celebrate by wearing something red. On this day, also, you may submit your offering in support of the Great Fifty Days. Please join us for this very special service.
Pastor Vickie
Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!
Greetings in the name of the Risen Christ:
Easter is about Resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is the most holy day of our year. Yes, even more important than Christmas; because today offers not only the promise of eternal life but a promise of resurrected lives.
The United Methodist Church is in the ‘resurrection’ business, “making disciples to transform the world.” All over the world the love, prayers and gifts of members of our faith are reaching out to bring new beginnings to people who thought no one cared about their hunger, their poverty, and the injustices they suffer.
Through your gifts to the Churches of Gibson you have fed the hungry locally and in 81 countries around the world. You have supported relief efforts in Haiti, Chili, The Republic of Georgia, Gulf Coast Relief efforts with health kits and monetary donations. During the Christmas holidays your gifts touched the lives of 75 children in Susquehanna County with your generous giving.
Among the other various projects you support: The Susquehanna County Food Bank, the Linus blanket project, school bags for Haiti, Red Bird Mission boxes, Ray Keene Mission in Belize, gifts to Zimbabwe and World Vision, purchasing back-to-school shoes for local children, gifts in support of the American Cancer Society and the Women’s Resource Center.
Our ability to touch the lives of others is restricted only by our ability to imagine solutions and a way to offer assistance. As we celebrate the Resurrected Christ and His sacrifice for us, let us commit to seeking even more ways to share the promise of resurrected lives with the people of our community and the world. If you have an idea for a service or mission project, please contact me.
May you have a blessed Easter!
Pastor Vickie
A Green Lent
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..." Luke 16:10
Our son, Geoff, pointed out to me an article I missed in the paper about how UPS, the package delivery experts, reprogrammed their trucks’ GPS’s not to make any left turns. Waiting to make left turns wastes time and creates excess vehicle emissions. Since its implementation in 2004, UPS route planning technology has eliminated over 100 million miles off already streamlined delivery routes, reducing the fuel their vehicles consume and the emissions they create.
Wow! A dedicated effort that resulted in eliminating 100 million miles! It got me to thinking about how the congregation of a small church could make a difference in how we live on God’s earth.
Wednesday, February 17th, marked the beginning of the season of Lent. Traditionally, Christians celebrated Lent by fasting for the forty days preceding Easter to give reflection to the suffering and passion of our Lord. These days, Lent-practicing Christians sometimes fast from something they particularly enjoy -- TV, coffee, chocolate, etc. Many then give that time or money saved in the fast to a charitable cause.
Lent is a good time not only for prayer and reflection, but for doing something which will help us live more gently on the Earth. There are many lifestyle changes to make which for a lot of us might seem too much, but perhaps something to try just for Lent. Here are a few ideas gleaned from several sources.
- Fasting generally -- when it takes ten fossil fuel calories for every food calorie in America, eating less can make a big difference!
- Fasting from meat -- the second most effective creation-care lifestyle change we can make.
- Eating only organic and/or local food
- Recycle, recycle, recycle!
- Avoid drive-up windows. Sitting in line wastes gas and creates unnecessary emissions.
- Dry clothes on clotheslines and avoid using your dryer
- Wear clothing more than once before laundering
- Do not use any paper and/or reuse all scraps
- Drive less and share rides
- One day a week, participate in a “technology fast” - - save electricity by abstaining from your computer, TV, video games, cell phones, microwaves, blow dryers, etc.
That extra time and money saved can be spent in many ways which love, serve, and protect God's creation. Spend the time reading up on creation-care issues, or maybe learning gardening as a way to experience God through His creation.
Please join us at our weekly soup suppers and Lenten programs (Wednesday’s at 6 p.m.) and share in the fellowship of others as we travel together on our Lenten journey.
Shalom,
Pastor Vickie
