Blog Archives

March 25, 2012

3/28/2012

There will be many opportunities for worship and contemplation in the coming days.

April 1 is Palm Sunday and several scripture readers will be participating in that service. Maundy Thursday service will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Methodist and be a joint service of Laurel St United
Methodist and First Methodist Church. Lay members will participate in this worship service also. On Good Friday the sanctuary will be open from 5:30 till 7:30 p.m. for individual prayers and reflection. There is a Community Easter Sunrise Service at 7:30 a.m. at First Methodist in the atrium Prayer Garden. This will be a combined service of the Dublin Ministerial Alliance. The churches participating will be the Assembly of God, Community Baptist, Highland Ave. Congregational Methodist, First Baptist, First Methodist, Greens Creek, and Laurel St. United Methodist churches. All the participating churches will have their regular time Sunday services also.

Leta Sage provided special music this past Sunday as she sang
and played “In the Name of the Lord.”

Jim Leatherwood read the scripture lesson from John 12:20-33.

Pastor Ken Lunsford titled his sermon “Listen!”

Philip and Andrew were talking with Jesus, He tells them, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?’ Father save me from this hour’? No,
it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it
again.”

John tells us that the crowd that was there with them heard the voice from heaven but thought it was thunder; others said an angel spoke to
Jesus. In response to the crowd, Jesus said, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine.”

God spoke from the heavens, but the people who heard the sound
of God dismissed it as thunder.

Some people are so disconnected from God that they never hear
God’s voice. Others are so preoccupied with their own pursuits that they are unaware when God speaks.

If you are not daily communicating with God, making known your
requests and listening for God’s reply, you are missing out on the greatest
resource life has to offer, the leading of God in an uncertain world.

The holiest time of year for Christians is Easter. Make the effort and come to church, you will be glad you did.

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March 18, 2012

3/21/2012

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The snack bar crew had a great time on ST. Patrick’s Day. There were members of all ages working in the kitchen and running errands. Lots of
barbecue sandwiches and Frito pies were served up along with homemade cookies and brownies. A big thank you and congratulations goes to Tammy and Gene Coan for organizing this effort. This was the first time this has been done and it went well.

An apology goes out to those who came to eat at the snack bar and were told they had to pay to park their car. That fee was for the Antique Car Show; if you were going to the church there was no cost to park!

Holy week begins with Palm Sunday meanwhile Lent continues with
acts of compassion and justice and personal acts of devotion and prayer.

Encourage young people to connect with God through the internet.
www.devozine.com is a teen devotional site published by the Upper Room
and makes social sharing to Facebook and Twitter easier. The site and the
magazine guide young people through spiritual practice.

Other folks can view and download the first of three films in a five-part series called, Dreaming of Vital Congregationsonline at www.GBOD.org/Dreaming.

Sunday night Pastor Ken took his wife Judy out to eat while she is recovering from minor surgery. The waitress informed them that their supper had been paid for by a group of young people who had just left. She said it was a “God thing” and she did not know why the meal was paid for. Ken mentioned he was a Methodist minister and he could believe the “God thing.”The waitress said she was a Methodist also and had some questions about the Lenten Season. Pastor Ken and Judy were able to inform the young woman about Lent and she was pleased with the knowledge. So a trip to a café because no one felt like cooking became
a spiritual adventure.

Leta Sage served as Worship Leader and song leader for this past Sunday. Pat Beaty did another fine job as pianist. These ladies add so much to our worship service. Thank them every chance you get.

We learned Jo Ann Pate has been in the hospital with pneumonia.
Her family asked for prayers and she was prayed for by name.

The Children’s Lesson was about“The Greatest Gift of All.”
Pastor asked the youngsters what was the best gift you have ever received? Was it a stuffed toy or a bicycle? He said he wanted to tell them about the greatest gift ever given.

It is the gift of eternal life. It is a gift from God to whoever wants to receive it. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It is not polite to ask how much a gift cost, but in this case the Bible tells us the cost was great. It cost God His only Son. Can you imagine how much Jesus loved us to be willing to die on a cross so that we could have
eternal life in heaven?

Rev. Ken Lunsford titled his sermon “Signs of Forgiveness” and gleaned his thoughts from Numbers 21:4-9. It was an Old Testament lesson about a
serpent on a stick.

Numbers recalls an incident in the Exodus of the Hebrews across the Sinai Desert as they went from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised
Land. There was a lot of murmuring about conditions in the desert. We would call it grumbling and complaining. The Hebrews needed food, so God gave them mamma, and then they worried is this all that we are going to get. So God sent them snakes and held back the manna. The people repented so well that God forgave them. He also instructed Moses to make a snake of bronze, put it on a pole and lift it high as a sign that He has forgiven them. If anyone was bitten by a snake, all they had to do was look at the serpent on the pole and they would be healed. A snake coiled around a rod or stick is the symbol of the medical profession even today. In Moses time it meant healing and forgiveness.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have life. The fiery copper serpent was placed on a rod, the Christ was nailed on a cross and lifted
up on a hill called Golgotha. It was a sign from God, that the whole world might believe and have eternal life.

Spring is here, the earth is replenished, let us give thanks and praise.

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March 11, 2012

3/14/2012

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Plans are under way for the food and drinks we will be serving on St. Patrick’s Day for the Car Show & Rally in our parking lot. We invite the public to come by and see the cars and get a meal.

Palm Sunday is April 1; it will be here before you know it.

Carolyn Belew has a birthday on March 25 and Pat Leatherwood on March 26.

The congregation extends sincere sympathy to Lisa Leatherwood and Mary Haley upon the passing of their aunt, Cynthia Newton.

Laura Leatherwood was pleased to have her sister Martha Mauldin from Round Rock with her in church.

Leta and James Sage brought their son Keith and his girlfriend Ashleigh Hancock; it is always a joy to see them.

Leta Sage did a beautiful prelude by playing and singing “Lamb of God.”

Jimmy Leatherwood served as Worship Leader for this past Sunday. This was his first time and he did a great job.

The Children’s Lesson was about spring cleaning and cleaning up for Easter. Pastor Ken told about Jesus driving the cattle and ship away from the temple and turning over the money changers table. Jesus “cleaned house” that day! Pastor Ken said we are in a season called Lent. Lent
is a time to look inside ourselves and see if there are things that need to be
changed. We can ask Jesus to forgive us when we do wrong and make us
clean.

Rev. Ken Lunsford took his sermon from I Corinthians 1:18 – 25. The people of Corinth were joining the new Christian religion to become better, successful, and happy. They heard they would have a new life and when they died they would be raised from the dead because of Christ’s resurrection. They believed they would be wiser than other folks and
filled with power that came from the Spirit.

Paul addresses them and tells them they are divisive, haughty, arrogant, rude boastful, and self-righteous. Paul told them the Church was here to create a new way of living, not to help you get along in the old world. The Church is here to transform the world, not to bless the way it is. Paul said don’t make cliques and divisions. He tells the Corinthians we are all one in Christ Jesus. You can’t be a Christian unless you hold on to this: He was crucified on a cross.

The Corinthians tell Paul they don’t want to talk about the cross; it was a symbol of shame. They said that was in the past, it is now irrelevant because we have Christ’s Spirit with us.

Paul writes that the “Message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. “

Pastor Ken said “The way of the cross is the way this world is going to get fixed.” Then he turned to see what invitational hymn the music team had picked out and it was the “The Old Rugged Cross.” He said thank the Lord!

Contact the church at fumcdublin@embarqmail.com

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March 4, 2012

3/7/2012

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Laura Leatherwood served as Worship Leader for the first Sunday in March, Laura was a great help to Rev. Ken Lunsford. Pastor Ken preaches and sings at Laurel St. Methodist Church before he comes to First Methodist and his voice needs a break.

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 11. So be sure to “Spring Forward!” It seems like we just turned the clocks back, as I get older
these changes get harder and harder.

There will be a Trustee Committee meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14. Immediately after that meeting the Administrative Council
will gather at 6:30 p.m. Please mark your calendar and be present to participate in the decisions concerning our church.

An Antique Car Show and Rally will be held on our church parking lot all day Saturday, March 17. This is a Dublin Chamber of Commerce event and they needed a place near the City Park to park the cars. However, we Methodists are going to use the opportunity operate a snack bar for the car owners and the public. Come by for food, sweets, tea and coffee on St. Patrick’s Day and see the cars. Tammy and Gene Coan are organizing this fund raiser and could use some volunteers for St. Patrick’s Day. Call Tammy or the church office and give a couple of hours of your time.

Rhonda Price had a birthday on March 2 and Jo Ann Ragan enjoyed
one on the 4th. Darren and Rhonda Price will celebrate an anniversary
on March 23.

Pastor Ken taught the Children’s Lesson, he talked about playing marbles and “playing for keeps.” Pastor Ken said some folks live their life like
a game of marbles; they try to be the one with the most marbles at the end. They think having the biggest house, fanciest car, or most money will make them a winner.

But when they leave this life they don’t get to keep any of that with them. Jesus said if we want to be real winners we must be willing to give up our worldly possessions and follow him. We will have treasures waiting for us
in heaven and an everlasting life with Jesus. When we give our lives to Jesus, He “plays for keeps.”

“Who Do You Say That I Am?” was the title of Rev. Ken Lunsford’s
sermon. It is based on the 8th chapter of Mark. Jesus asked Peter that question and Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” That meant Messiah, the one we have been looking for. Peter may have thought that was the end of it, he had confessed his faith in Jesus Christ. But Jesus has more for him to do. Peter, like the rest of us, must take up his cross and follow Jesus and Jesus is going to Jerusalem to be crucified. Peter thinks they were going back to Galilee, the people are friendly in Galilee and everything is safe there.

Galilee is where the living is easy. It is where you can go to a workshop to learn to be a Christian. It is spiritual retreats, bible studies, and sitting in a pew on Sunday. There is nothing wrong with that, it is where most of us started our journey, in Galilee. But there is a difference between following Jesus around Galilee and going with Him to Jerusalem.

Life has a way of picking us up and putting us into situations that we did not expect and we didn’t want. We never thought this would happen to us!

But Jesus is showing us how to do it, He is showing the way. Many people feel when hard times come it means their religion has let them down, but it is when your religion can lead you on.

“What will it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?” I believe this means have some character, some strength and integrity, so when you are up against it, carrying your cross on your way to Jerusalem, you can do your best. You can hold to the highest.

Invite someone to church this week, give them a ride if they need one, and then take them to lunch. Tell someone about Jesus and what He means to you, it will make you feel SO good.

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March 25, 2012

March 18, 2012

March 11, 2012

March 4, 2012

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