Sunday’s sermon: “Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

In Sunday’s sermon, we will conclude our series on the post-resurrection saying of Jesus, looking at Jesus’ words just prior to his ascension, “You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus was preparing the disciples for the events of Pentecost, and his words resonate with us today as the fulfillment of the promise to send the Advocate and Comforter to be with us at every season of our lives. Please plan to join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday – and bring a friend with you! 

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Dear Cedar Grove UMC family,

Tomorrow is Pentecost, the day we celebrate the “birthday” of the church. Traditionally we view Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit. It’s worth noting that this remarkable experience occurred while Jesus’ followers “were together in one place.” Although profound spiritual experiences occur in private moments, the truly historical events of our faith usually occur in community where we share a common life together.

Pentecost has an older history than the birth of the church. Literally meaning “fifty days,” Pentecost concluded the Passover season and began the season of harvest known as the Festival of Weeks, one of the great holidays in Jewish life. Pentecost celebrated the first fruits or the spring grain harvest. Later, it came to be associated with the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mt. Sinai.

These older understandings of Pentecost richly underscore the importance of community. Reaping the spring grain harvest took the efforts of the whole community. Men and women vigorously participated in the various tasks that had to be accomplished in order to bring in the harvest. Without communal participation, the harvest could not be reaped. Reaping the harvest also required the help of the wind (ruach, the same word for spirit) which blew away the chaff from the grain at the threshing floor.

Living the life demanded by the Torah also took the efforts of the whole community. Six of the 10 commandments deal with how we treat one another. At its best, church is an experience of interdependence, where the Holy Spirit empowers us to live out our calling as disciples of Christ. We can’t live this life without one another and without the power of the Spirit. Authentic community always requires a commitment to interdependence and a responsibility to the “least of these.” Consistently, the Bible reminds us that we cannot love God unless we love our neighbor.

A Day of Celebrations: Homecoming, Baptism, Holy Communion

• In addition to Pentecost, Sunday will be our annual Homecoming. We will welcome back friends and family who join with us in worship to celebrate the rich spiritual heritage of CGUMC. Also during worship, we will celebrate the baptism of Amelia Doi – fittingly on her 1st birthday! Our worship service will conclude with Holy Communion as we come together as a community to the Lord’s Table. Following worship, we will gather together in the Fellowship Hall for a delicious covered dish lunch. Please plan to join us for this wonderful day of celebration and community!
  

Sunday’s sermon: “Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

• In Sunday’s sermon, we will conclude our series on the post-resurrection saying of Jesus, looking at Jesus’ words just prior to his ascension, “You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus was preparing the disciples for the events of Pentecost, and his words resonate with us today as the fulfillment of the promise to send the Advocate and Comforter to be with us at every season of our lives. Please plan to join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday – and bring a friend with you!
  

Community Youth Group meets Sunday

• The Community Youth Group will meet from 4:30-6 p.m. Sunday to celebrate a wonderful year together with a hot dog cookout and homemade ice cream. Youth, please plan to join us!
  

Looking Ahead: Graduate Recognition Sunday June 2

• Graduate Recognition Sunday will be June 2. At the 10:30 a.m. worship service that day, we will honor our high school graduates. We also want to recognize in a special listing in the bulletin any relatives you have who are graduating this year. If you have a child, grandchild, spouse, cousin, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, or any other relative graduating from preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school or college, let us know about it! By May 29, we need the following information on each graduate: the name of the graduate, the place graduating from (with details on degree, diploma, etc.), your name and your relation to the graduate. You may turn this information in to the church office or email it to me. Congratulations to all our graduates at all levels this year!
  

OCIM collections

• We collect canned fruit and other non-perishable items to support the food pantry at Orange Congregations in Mission throughout the year. Please remember to bring your OCIM offerings each week as a way of reaching out to brothers and sisters around us.
  

Operation Christmas Child

• Our year-long effort to support Operation Christmas Child continues as we work to meet our goal of 75 shoeboxes. Each month, we are collecting items that can be included in the shoeboxes. During May, we are collecting small stuffed animals for our OCC donations. We have a blue collection box near the basket where we collect our OCIM food offerings each Sunday. Just drop your Operation Christmas Child donations in the blue box after you’ve put your canned fruit or nonperishable items in the OCIM basket! Your gifts will show the love of Christ and the power of the gospel to a child or a family whose life you will indelibly touch, even though you may never meet them.
  

The Week Ahead at Anathoth Community Garden:

• Saturday: Community Workday, 9-1 p.m. with potluck afterward
• Tuesday: Community Workday, 5-8 p.m.
  

Have a wonderful day, and I am looking forward to a day of celebrations with each of you tomorrow!

Blessings!
Karl

2013 Church Budget                                              $138,584.24
Tithes/Offerings Needed per Week                             2,665.08
Total tithes/offerings received May 5                          2,682.01
Total needed to meet budget through May 5          47,971.44
Total tithes/offerings received through May 5        46,138.68
 

Those receiving long-term medical care:
John Ash, cancer; Raymond Clark, cancer;
Don Logner’s grandfather; Bo Wells;
Margaret Griffin’s mom; Cornelia Talley;
Bobbi June Dunkley; Cissy’s mother-in-law;
Kate Long, 7-year-old with Type 1 diabetes;
Sammy Barnhill (throat cancer);
Basil Yap, Charles Woods’ son-in-law (cancer);
Susan Turner (cancer); Nick Logan (lymphoma);
Joy Harris’ dad (lung cancer);
Anne Collins, ‘Lizabeth’s mother-in-law;
Sam Hobgood’s mother, Sue (moving to assisted living in Fayetteville);
Our Postmaster Sue‘s husband, Jerry;
Deborah Holkan (Christine’s mother, Lupis).

Health/healing/concerns:
Randy Blalock; Mary Oakley (Don’s grandmother);
Phillip & Ginny Dabbs; Cissy’s mother;
Steve Birdsong (John’s neighbor);
Tom’s friend diagnosed with leukemia;
Shirley Jacobs (back surgery);
Suzanne Bridges (breast cancer); Doris Long;
Jean’s sister (breast cancer); Jean's 2 nieces, cancer
Kathy’s friend, Michael Atkins; Virginia Boland;
Patsy Finley; Faye Kirby; Don Logner;
Margaret Troxler’s grandfather, David;
Travel mercies for Anderson as he travels to Peru on mission trip;
victims of Boston & West, Tx.& China; John Hanto & Wren Blessing;
Sierra, freshman at Cedar Ridge (hole in spinal column);
Bobby Nichols; Jimmy Ray; Kathleen Collins (back);
travel mercies (Collins family) Mike Griffin (surgery); Kaitlyn (oral surgery).

Those who are homebound or in nursing homes: 
Susie Pulley, Franny Liner, Jean McDade,
Mary Elizabeth Jones, Ginny Dabbs, Naomi Wilson,
Nancy Walton, Sara Devine.

We rejoice for: 
Visitors; Kaitlyn Vogt graduates with honors;
Edna’s grandson graduates; Relay for Life fund raising;
John & Joan—47th Anniversary
 

MAY 12: “FEED MY SHEEP.”
Acts 1:1-11; John 21:4-17

Things I want to remember from today’s worship service:
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Monday, May 13:  Read John 21:4-7.
Once again the disciples failed to recognize Jesus. This time, perhaps the poor light gave them a good reason for not realizing who he was at first. Perhaps they were preoccupied with fishing. Surely they were not expecting him – maybe they were avoiding the issue of what to do next. Guard against being so preoccupied that you miss seeing Christ in your midst. Expect that Jesus will always be with you, in ordinary times and extraordinary times. Look for evidence of his presence with you each day.

Tuesday, May 14:  Read John 21:9-14.
Tired, hungry and frustrated, these discouraged disciples needed a lift. They lacked direction, and they were uncertain of the Lord’s presence and help. Jesus came to them, made his presence known, and gave them direction. Jesus is prepared for you; he has a gracious word of welcome for you this day. Just as he offered the disciples a warm fire and breakfast, Jesus also wants to give you sustenance, comfort, and fellowship.

Wednesday, May 15:  Read John 21:15-19.
By his words, Jesus was reinstating Peter and restoring him as his disciple. What assurance these words must have been for Peter – whatever triumph or trial lay ahead, he would always be under the Savior’s care. Peter was charged to care for the flock – “Feed my sheep” – in his role as a disciple. Jesus asked Peter to take specific action. Ministry requires a servant’s heart, contributing to the well-being of others. Peter always remembered his commission, and he became a dedicated shepherd of the flock (See 1 Peter 5:1-4). How can you respond as a follower of Christ to Jesus’ words, “Feed my sheep.”?

Thursday, May 16:  Read Luke 12:22-28.
In his teachings, Jesus constantly highlighted the priorities of those who want to follow him. All the goals and worries in life can be entrusted to the heavenly Father who promises to meet every need. The command “do not worry” does not imply a lack of concern. Instead, Jesus was saying that worrying about what you will eat or what you will wear never take priority over serving God. Worriers immobilize themselves and focus on their worries, refusing to trust that God can supply their most basic needs. Worry is pointless because it can’t meet any of our needs.

Friday, May 17:  Read Matthew 25:41-46.
The sin noted by the King was not active evildoing but failure to do good. Two of John Wesley’s General Rules for the early Methodists were “do no harm” and “do all the good you can.” These two go hand in hand. The apostle James wrote, “Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.” (James 4:17) Jesus teaches in the reading for today about good deeds that we often fail to do. When believers neglect to help those in need, they disobey Christ. These actions do not take special talents, gifts or lifestyles. One need not be rich to carry these things out. Failure to do them, then, shows a lack of love for others, and by extension, a lack of love for the Lord himself.

Saturday, May 18:
Rest and reflect on your week’s readings, and then attend Sunday School and church on Sunday. Remember, the gathered Body of Christ is incomplete if you are absent.

““I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
                             John 17:26 (NRSV)

This Sunday: “Feed my sheep.”

As we continue our sermon series on the post-resurrection saying of Jesus, we will turn on Sunday to the last chapter of John, where Jesus tells Peter three times, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” We will consider what Jesus’ words mean for us today, and how we appropriately respond to the presence of Christ in our lives. We will be looking at how our relationship with Jesus works in life, our purpose in life, and our ultimate destination. Please plan to join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday – and bring a friend with you! 

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