Thoughts: Frequently, our church displays nine banners, with one fruit of the Spirit printed on each one. These nine fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Our young people sing a chorus naming these virtues.
Not surprisingly, our church does not have a set of seventeen banners which name the works of the flesh: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditious, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and revellings. I am not aware of any song which enumerates these vices. But before these two lists, verse fourteen tells us succinctly what we need to remember. “For all the law is fulfilled in one word… ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.’ ” Discussion: Which fruit of the Spirit did Paul find most difficult to practice? Activity: Choose the fruit of the Spirit which is most difficult for you, and keep it in your heart. Please remember in prayer this week Bob and Vivian Grusnick, Vivian Hansard, June Lamm, and Jeff Olesen. Please also remember Steve Olsavsky and family on the death of his sister. There will be a memorial service here on Saturday, June 25th, at 11:00am. Also prayers for Craig and Weatherly Verhelst and family on the death of his grandmother this past week. A church family has requested weekly paid help with housekeeping, driving to doctors’ appointments, and down-sizing their household. If you know of someone, this referral would be most welcome. If you are this caring Christian, please call the office for more information. Please pray for our Mission: Possible workers this week. These are incoming 5th-8th graders doing mission work in our community. Come out and cheer our softball team this Thursday at 6:15pm at Our Shepherd Lutheran School, 1658 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham. This Sunday you may sign up for the George Bauman Memorial Troy 1st Golf Outing on August 7th. See Jeff Stover in the CLC.
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Thoughts: Ahab: I tell you, Jezebel, it was dreadful!
Jezebel: Yes, yes, dear, you’ve told me. Here, have some more leg of lamb. Ahab: Oh, I can’t eat! Our prophets were humiliated, Jezebel, utterly humiliated! Jezebel: Well, they’ve all been killed now. You need new prophets, Ahab, - smarter ones. Ahab: But this man Elijah – he’s frightening, Jezebel. He can make fire fall from heaven! Jezebel: So he got lucky today. Now listen to me, Ahab. I’ll take care of Elijah. He will never bother you again. Ahab: Promise? Jezebel: Just listen to this message I sent to him. “By this time tomorrow, you will be dead.” But Elijah was not dead by tomorrow this time. God provided him with food and water and rest and protection from Jezebel. In fact, Elijah was one of two men in the Old Testament who did not taste of death, for God took them up to heaven. Discussion: Jezebel has become an eponym for a wicked woman. What other names have become synonymous with certain character traits? Activity: Read the words to the hymn “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind,” written by John Greenleaf Whittier, noting especially verse five. Remember in prayer this week Gerda Clark, Francis & Megal Corera, Bob & Vivian Grusnick, Vivian Hansard, Eunice and Bill Kraase, and Jeff Olesen. Tomorrow night our softball team has a double-header beginning at 6:15pm at Huffman Park, 400 W. Cowan Avenue in Madison Heights. Why don’t you go out and cheer them on! Friday is our Cass Community Picnic. Help is still needed between 9 and 11am to make sandwiches and12:30 and 2:00pm to help with the ice cream sundaes. Please stop by any time you are available to help serve about 100 guests. Saturday is another car wash by our youth to support their mission trip. If you didn’t have a chance to get your car washed last weekend, you can do it this weekend. Even if you did get your car washed, it may be dirty again so you can come and support our youth again. Saturday afternoon everyone is welcome to a Graduation Celebration in the CLC for Isaac Verhelst from2:00 to 5:00pm. And don’t forget Sunday is our Outdoor Worship and picnic. Bring your lawn chair and a dish to pass. Table service, hot dogs, and drinks will be provided. Thoughts: Four women are prominent in this passage. Interesting, because women in Biblical times were like today’s mothers of bridegrooms: Wear beige and keep your mouth shut.
Luke does not name the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with a costly ointment and wiped them with her hair. Luke does say she is a sinner, but Jesus said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.” Since Luke names Mary Magdalene only a few verses later, scholars believe this woman was not Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna had all been healed by Jesus from possession by evil spirits and unspecified infirmities. Apparently, they were women of substance, because they provided Jesus and his disciples with necessities. Mary Magdalene was known by this name because she came from the town of Magdala. There is noproof that she was ever a woman of ill repute. Mentioned by name fourteen times in the Bible, Mary Magdalene stayed near Jesus through his crucifixion and his burial, and she came to his tomb on the third day to anoint this body. She was the first person to see the risen Lord. Joanna was married to Chuza, Herod’s steward. Like Mary Magdalene, Joanna had been healed by Jesus. She is named only in Luke and may have been one of Luke’s unique sources. Of Susanna, we know very little. But she has a famous namesake – Susanna Wesley. Discussion: What did you first learn about Mary Magdalene? Activity: Compliment one of the many women in our church who are faithful servants of God. Remember in prayer this week Francis Corera, Bob and Vivian Grusnick, Vivian Hansard, Bill and Eunice Kraase, and Jeff Olesen. A church family has requested weekly paid help with housekeeping, driving to doctors’ appointments, and down-sizing their household. If you know of someone, this referral would be most welcome. If you are this caring Christian, please call the office for more information. No Fitness 4 U classes today. Today begins our church directory photo sessions. Please check in 10 minutes before your scheduled time. This Friday is our Blood Drive from 1:00 to 6:45pm. Walk-ins are always welcome. Schedule your appointment on-line today at redcross.org code fumctroy. 2016 Annual Conference begins tomorrow through Sunday. Please pray for leaders and lay members. This Saturday is the first UMYF Senior High Worktrip Car Wash. Bring your dirty car or truck to the church from 9:00am to 2:00pm to get it sparkly clean. Donations will be accepted for their worktrip. Another car wash is scheduled for June 18th. This Sunday is Laity Sunday. Lay members will be leading worship. We will also celebrate our choir on this last Sunday before their summer break. Remember Connections is selling church t-shirts, vests and fleece jackets. This Sunday will be your last opportunity to order one of these items until the Fall. The Tidings deadline is Monday, June 20th. All articles should be sent to Jessica Carl at jessieTFUMC@gmail.com with a copy to Donna at troyfirstumc@gmail.com. Thoughts: She was a widow. She had lost the financial and emotional support of her husband. She had lost the status of a married woman. And now she had lost her only son. He was being carried out of the city of Nain to be buried.
Yes, many people were with the bereaved mother. “Poor Huldah!” “How will she ever manage?” “I hear her husband didn’t leave her much.” Yes, her neighbors were sorry for Huldah. But they had their own immediate concerns. “Jeremiah, put down that toad.” “Did you see how short Zerah’s robe is?” “I hope the service isn’t too long. I left lentils cooking.” Luke wrote, “God visited his people.” So he did, in the person of his Son, Jesus. Jesus told the young man to arise – and he did. And Jesus delivered him to his mother. Discussion: If there were a Nain Daily News, what would the next headline say? Activity: Write a verse to insert after verse 15, describing the mother’s joy. Remember in prayer this week Francis Corera, Eunice and Bill Kraase, June Lamm, Martha Meyer, Jeff Olesen, Bill Schaper and Mildred Wyse. Our Christian love and sympathy are with Laurie Urbach and family as they celebrate the life of her father, DeWaine L. Van Every. Visitation TODAY from 1:00 to 8:00pm at Gephart Funeral Home, Bay City. Service will be TOMORROW at 11:00am at Fremont United Methodist Church in Bay City. Memorials are suggested to the American Diabetes Association. Tonight at 6:15 and 7:30pm, our church softball will play a double header at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Birmingham. Tonight Church Council meets at 7:00pm. “So, What Happened in Portland?” Friday, June 3rd, at 7:00pm at Birmingham First UMC, you’ll be able to find out. Please notify the church office if you are planning on attending. This Sunday we will celebrate our graduates, Communion and the last day of Sunday School. |
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January 2021
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