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Thoughts: Jericho was the site of a customs station on a major trade route. Zacchaeus was employed by the Roman authorities to serve as chief tax collector in Jericho. Undoubtedly, Zacchaeus abused this position to enrich himself. He did not live up to the meaning of his name – pure, righteous.
But probably what most of us remember about Zacchaeus is that he was short. He may not have had a tall, dramatically attractive wife like Cher to remind him that he was short, but he knew it and found ways to compensate. So when Jesus was passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus climbed up a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus. When Jesus came to this sycamore tree, he stopped, looked up, and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because I am coming to your house for dinner.” Zacchaeus scrambled down and, Luke says, received Jesus “joyfully.” Once Jesus and Zacchaeus reached Zacchaeus’ home, Jesus did not reproach him. Jesus did not say, “Zacchaeus, I hear you’ve been collecting money unlawfully,” or “Zacchaeus, people call you a sinner.” Zacchaeus did not wait to be accused. He didn’t try to defend himself. He made this pledge: “… the half of my goods I give to the poor….” Then, “… if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” This was the traditional Old Testament restitution for theft. Jesus said this generous restoration entitled Zacchaeus to be called a true son of Abraham. “This day is salvation come to this house.” All of us are still blessed and comforted by Jesus’ concluding remark: “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Discussion: What have we taken which we need to restore? Activity: Welcome an unexpected guest into your home. Remember in prayer this week Judy Conley, Eunice and Bill Kraase, Jim Kuszmaul, Robin Ostergaard, Mildred Parker, Sally Schaper and Tom Stevens. This Thursday is the Advance Directives Program at 7:00pm hosted by HealthPros and Connections. Bring a friend, learn about having your end-of-life decisions ahead of time. Next Sunday is All Saints’ Day. We will be remembering those who have passed away during this year. Sunday afternoon is Trick or Trunk hosted by our youth. We begin with games in the Christian Life Center at 2:00pm followed by a parade and Trick or Treating at3:00pm in the parking lot.
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Thoughts: After our eccentric Aunt Mary died, my sister and I cleaned out her apartment. We discovered dozens of topless cereal boxes, filled with what looked like scrap paper.
Our first reaction was to throw them all away. But curiosity made us empty one on the kitchen table. There were old checkbook ledgers, coupons (expired) for soup and soap, newspaper clippings about the 1952 Presidential campaign, and --- a $50 bill! So then, of course, we had to sift through every one of those cereal boxes. No more $50. Bills, but we did find three ten-dollar bills and 14 three-cent stamps. These riches had not flown away to heaven with Aunt Mary. Discussion: What tangible items are we saving that we want our families to find? Activity: Use a Forever stamp and write a letter to an aging relative. _____________________________________________________________________________________________Remember in prayer this week Vivian Hansard, Jim Kuszmaul, June Lamm, Mildred and Dick Parker, and Sally Schaper. Our Christian sympathy to the family of Marie Leverenz on the death of her mother. Congratulations to the Schocke family as they welcome Beth Susan born on Thursday, October 13th. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO BRING YOUR RUMMAGE. You may drop off rummage until 3:00pm and then from 6:00 to 8:00pm this evening. Come and shop Thursday night from 5-7pm, Friday from 8:00am until 2:00pm and Saturday (Bag Sale only) from 8:00 to 12:00pm. We still need help at 12:00pm for clean-up. Please come on Thursday at 7:00pm for Connections with Brenda & Jerry Michaux “Cultivating a Joyful Heart.” Donations to Haiti in response to Hurricane Matthew can be made to either UMCOR’s international relief fund (Advance #982450) or the U.S. Disaster (Advance #901670). Charge Conference reports are due in the office by November 1st. Don’t forget to write your article for this year’s Advent booklet. They are due by November 10th to Sara Matthews or Sheila Wilson. Children are welcome to write an article also. Pick a favorite Christmas memory and share with the congregation. If you are a veteran and have not had your picture on our screen, please bring a picture to the office by this Sunday. We will honor our veterans on November 6th. Veterans will also greet on that Sunday. Please wear a part of your uniform which still fits (hats and dog tags still count). Thoughts: Jesus has told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and “suffer many things.”
He knew he would be flogged, and he knew he would be crucified. That certainly qualifies as suffering. Jesus continues to tell his disciples what they must do if they follow him. 1. Deny yourself 2. Take up your cross 3. Follow me 4. Every man would be rewarded according to his works. This is direct – plain – specific. The disciples could not say Jesus had not told them what would happen. They knew. And so do we. Discussion: What is the heaviest cross you have had to bear? Activity: Take more of the little paper figures representing the young people in our church. Learn about them; care about them; pray for them. Let’s have bare brick walls in our sanctuary again. All the young people in our church should be in someone’s heart and prayer. _____________________________________________________________________________ Remember in prayer this week Joan Doptis, Vivian Hansard, Jim Kuszmaul, and Millie Parker. Our Christian sympathy to the family of Martha Meyer who passed away last week and to Bonnie Kalef and her family on the death of her husband, Fred, last week. Donations to Haiti in response to Hurricane Matthew can be made to either UMCOR’s international relief fund (Advance #982450) or the U.S. Disaster (Advance #901670). This Thursday the United Methodist Women have a guest speaker. Jay Hernandez who is a member of the Troy Police Department and an avid history buff will share some interesting facts and findings from past Presidential elections. Refreshments will be served at 9:30am and Jay will speak at 10:00am. Bring your friends, neighbors and relatives. Men are also welcome. This Saturday is ALL CHURCH TRUSTEE WORK DAY beginning at 9:00am. Remember many hands make light work. Some indoor jobs; some outdoor jobs. Come dressed for the weather. Next Sunday starts our Finance Campaign. You will be hearing from various members of our congregation and be informed of the financial status of our church. Next Sunday at 11:30am you may start to bring your rummage into the Christian Life Center following coffee time. November Tidings articles are due to jessieTFUMC@gmail.com by Monday, October 17th. Don’t forget to write your Advent booklet article also. Deadline is November 10th. Please send to Sara Matthews or Sheila Wilson. Thoughts: Some of us will remember the card game called Old Maid. Each player draws an unseen card from the hand of the player next to him. When you acquire a matching pair, you discard them. You hope never to draw the Old maid card, but if you do, you keep a carefully blank face and nonchalantly place the Old Maid card in your hand, so the unsuspecting player next to you may be lured with drawing it.
The picture on the Old Maid card showed an elderly lady with sparse gray hair scraped back from her face, and rimless glasses perched on her beaked nose. My Aunt Mary was a typical old maid. She was fiercely independent and rigidly pure. Men were inferior, and she never missed a chance to say so. She knew practically every name mentioned in the Bible, and she could rattle off all 42 generations of Jesus’ earthly ancestry. When she died, I wondered what the minister would choose for the text of his funeral service. His choice was “Study to show thyself approved unto God ….” It was exactly right. Discussion: What is it important to study? Activity: Choose a verse in the Bible that speaks to you and memorize it. Remember that “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11) ______________________________________________________________________________ Remember in prayer this week Audrey Cowsert, Vivian Hansard, Eunice and Bill Kraase, June Lamm, and Penny Laws Our sympathy to the family of Martha Meyer who passed away yesterday. Her funeral service will be here in the Chapel on Thursdayat 10am with visitation from 9 to 10am. Next Sunday is New Member Sunday. If interested in joining our congregation, please call the office. We are sharing sad news as Bonnie Kalef's husband, Fred, has gone on to glory. Here is his obituary.
Fred was a hard working man…he started out working in shoes believe it or not. He worked in Birmingham selling shoes at Hansel n' Gretel and prided himself on being able to fit anyone into the right shoe. He operated a family owned party store - Kalef's Party store at Maple/Rochester in Troy for over 25 years. He was very handy and willing to help anyone out with any project. There were many years he worked at the Hazel Park Raceway and in between working, racing his own horses, betting on the races and socializing with his friends he always managed to 'break even'. Fred had a way to light up a room, had the best facial expressions, loved his old Cadillac cars, had an extensive camel collection, tending to his garden and being surrounded by his family and friends. Fred and his wife Bonnie were together 49 years through all of life's ups and downs. Raised 3 children Kara LeRoy (Eric), Jim Cappell and Sam Kalef (Jessica), loved playing with his 4 grandchildren, Kevin Sevcech, Katie Sevcech, Jake Cappell and Kasen Kalef. Dear brother of Corrinne Jabran, Betty Leboeuf and Kim Collins and will be missed by everyone who had the privilege to know Fred. Family will receive friends Saturday 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. until Funeral Service at 1:30 p.m. at A. J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home (Price Chapel), 3725 Rochester Road (between Big Beaver and Wattles), Troy. 248-689-0700. Memorial tributes to Kidney Foundation. Please Keep Bonnie and her family in your prayers. Thoughts: Dear Timothy,
I love you as if you were my own now. I pray for you every day. When we said good-bye, you cried. I am anxious to see you again. Your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice are fine Christian women, and I am sure you honor their teaching. Timothy, you are a gifted young man. Use your talents to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, as I have taught you. Help people to understand that Christ has conquered death and has brought life to everyone. Don’t be ashamed of me because I am now a prisoner. I am counting on you, with your youth and your strength and your winning way with words, to open people’s hearts to the love of Jesus Christ. Remember that the Comforter is always with us. Love, Paul Discussion: What is the most important part of Paul’s letter to Timothy? Activity: Write a letter to a young person telling him or her of your love and your confidence in his/her ability. ______________________________________________________________________________ Remember in prayer this week Audrey Cowsert, Chris Gullion, Vivian Hansard, Julie Olsavsky and Mildred Parker. Tomorrow is UMW Sandwich Making at 1:00pm in our kitchen for the N.O.A.H. Project. Do you know how to make a sandwich? It won’t take very long to make 500 sandwiches if you help. Thursday is our day to help St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church with their SOS week. We take over at 5:30pm with driving, dinner, evening program, overnight, breakfast, and driving back. Call Julie Olsavsky at 248.-852-0727 to volunteer. Saturday at 8:00am meet at church to carpool to Hands4Detroit in Brightmoor. All canned goods collected will be taken that day. Deadline for canned goods isTOMORROW, Wednesday, September 28th by 3:00pm. Sunday is World Communion Sunday and Blessing of the Animals at 4:00pm. Do you have a real or stuffed animal that needs to be blessed? Pastor Weatherly is looking forward to dogs, cats, snakes and even chinchillas. Snacks available for pets and pet parents. |
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January 2021
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