Blog Archives

October 14, 2012

10/17/2012

On 10-20 the Small Church Initiative Group will meet at Green’s Creek United Methodist from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Dublin First Methodist Administrative Council will meet at 6:00p.m. on 10-24.

Remember the October Coat Drive and make it a success. Leave coats and jackets in the church foyer and the Outreach Committee will pick them up.

Stormy Armstrong did a great job as Worship Leader this past Sunday. The power point can “get off,” Stormy’s instructions may be wrong, and Pastor Ken may wonder off, but Stormy doesn’t get up-set.

Leta Sage did a beautiful job of playing our piano and leading the singing. Leta had a either a fly or a gnat buzzing her face as she sang and she was worried she might swallow it.

Thank goodness we didn’t have a squirrel loose; we had enough distractions going on.

Pat Leatherwood announced that his niece, Elise Leatherwood, was married on Saturday, 10-13. Elise is the daughter of Laura and Jim Leatherwood, and we wish Elise and her fellow all the best life has to offer.

Prayers were asked for Oma T. Martin and her daughter, Janice Jurney Parker, they both fell and received injuries. Also prayers were requested for the mother of Josh Kunselman, she fell and while she was being treated for that, several ailments were discovered.

Keep Ruth and Dean Bradley’s granddaughter Megan in your prayers, Megan is very ill.

The congregation extends sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Steve Gilbert and David Hallmark.

First Methodist Church is accepting donations of money, linens and furniture for the Ballard/Srader Family. Come by or call the office for more information.

Rev. Ken Lunsford took his sermon from Hebrews 4:12-16 and titled it “God Is Living and Active.” We learn in Hebrews that God is approachable. This is important because in the Old Testament, to approach God was to risk life and limb.

Our high priest, Jesus Christ, has interceded in our behalf and we can approach the throne of grace confidently and boldly. But why should we come to the throne of grace in the first place? The Bible tells us why: “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” The writer of Hebrews shows us God’s character and His relationship to us, we are God’s children.

The Wesleyan Home in Georgetown will have a celebration to mark its birthday on 10-20. The “Wesleyan” was a pioneer in assisted living for senior citizens.

Call the office at 254-445-2157 or email us at fumcdublin@embarqmail.com

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October 7, 2012

10/10/2012

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Judy Lunsford served as Worship Leader. Our pianist, Pat Beaty, was back at the instrument Sunday and in fine form; Pat played and led the singing. Raymond Salinas operated the power point and the ushers were David Cleveland and Cliff Wooldridge.

I misspelled Pat’s sister’s name last week, she is Barb Volpe. The “V” is too close to the “B” on my keyboard!

Jean Volpe had birthday on 10-6 and Pat Beaty celebrated one on 10-9. Our wonderful friend, Barbara Bean, will have a birthday on 10-16. Remember to send Barbara a card at her nursing home in San Antonio, Texas. Please call the office before noon to get the address and phone number for Barbara.

Re Holle is recovering from knee surgery. Weldon Houston is out of the hospital and recovering in a nursing home in Stephenville. Continue to pray for their swift recovery.

November 10 has been set for the Dublin United Methodist Harvest Festival. A fish fry and lots of fun is scheduled for that day and evening.

Our congregation will give a love offering to the Schrader Family whose home was struck by a car. We will participate with other community efforts to assist these folks.

The pianist played “There’s something about That Name” for the offertory.

Holy Communion was given to the congregation at the altar rail.

Sunday afternoon Pastor Ken took communion to members in Golden Age Manor and several shut-ins at home.

In the children’s lesson Pastor Ken talked about “Welcome” mats. They greet people who come to our house in a warm and friendly way.

When Jesus’ disciple tried to shoo away the children who wanted to see Jesus, Jesus said “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”

Pastor Ken preached on what the Bible has to say about divorce.

Rev. Ken Lunsford took his sermon in part from Mark 10:2-16. This says some Pharisees came and to test Him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, “God has made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Pastor Ken said the trouble families’ face today makes us nostalgic for the 1950s. Our daily world is so different from that era. Some things are better, we have more material goods, but with that comes longer work days, long commutes, more meals away from home and the destruction of many families. Divorce, almost unheard of during the 1950s now affects 60% of the children in America before they reach 18 years of age and everyone in the congregation has been touched by divorce.

Perhaps, Jesus’ teachings have been used against you, and you have had more pain added to the heartbreak of a broken marriage by the reaction of so-called Christian friends or family members. We need to understand divorce was quite common in Jesus’ time, just as it is today. But it was very different socially. Women were treated as possessions. Often they were sold or traded to men for marriage to acquire land or other property. And as Property, women were frequently disposed of quite cruelly.

The Pharisees did not ask if it was alright for a couple to divorce, but if a man could divorce his wife. Marriage was a very unequal arrangement protected by the religious establishment of the day. But Jesus wants us to see relationships are sacred. He goes back to creation and says “God made them male and female” “What God has joined, let no one separate.” Jesus tells his disciples that marriage is a sacred event and divorce is a sin. That was a big change.

In Deuteronomy 24-1 Moses says a man can give his wife a certificate of divorce and walk away, having fulfilled the law. Then Jesus says if you divorce and remarry, it is adultery. Next St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 7:10-16 that it would be acceptable for a believer to divorce an unbeliever. Jesus’ words should take precedence, but He wanted us to focus on the condition of a person’s heart, not a legalistic approach to life. Listen to His words in John 8 to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one sir.” She said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Divorce does not make God happy, but God still loves the person involved. And it shouldn’t change our attitude toward them either: do not judge.

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September 30, 2012

10/3/2012

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Everyone offered thanks to God for the wonderful quenching rain; our prayers were answered.

Lisa Leatherwood served as Worship Leader. Carrie and Carley Belew were our acolytes. Laura Leatherwood performed as pianist this past Sunday. That gave our regular pianist, Pat Beaty, a chance to sit in the congregation with her sister, Barb Volpe.

It was great to have Melba and Travis Rasberry visit with our congregation.

Laura and Jim Leatherwood were pleased to have their son Gabe, daughter-in-law Meagan and grandchildren Ally and Silas in church with them.

Stormy Armstrong was happy her son was back safely from Australia where he had participated in an athletic event.

Eddie and Harlan Raley celebrated an anniversary on 10-1 and Karen and Rickey Rowe celebrated on 10-2.

Prayers were requested for Re Holle who is having knee surgery. Re is the pianist for Laurel St. United Methodist Church.

Our congregation extends sincere sympathy to the family of Lynn Neff. Lynn was a staple of the Dublin community and school activities.

Rev. Ken Lunsford titled his sermon “Bear the Name of Christ.” He took his lesson from Mark 9:38-50. John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. Whoever is not against us is for us.”

Pastor Ken said each of us has watershed moments in our lives, dividing everything into “before” and “after” the event. The event does not have to be bad or dramatic and it could be a good thing. Sometimes it takes years for us to realize just when the moment occurred. But whatever happened you are now living in a different world.

A different world is what Jesus kept trying to describe to His disciples. The disciples think their “big” moment came when they were called by Jesus to follow Him. They still had no sense of the cost of their calling. They were the inner circle of the most talked about person of the day. No wonder John was upset some outsider was using Jesus’ name to cast out demons. He was an interloper exorcist working unsanctioned.

Jesus quickly quashes the disciple’s complaints. He points out the person invoking Jesus’ name has brought the healing Spirit of God, and that would hardly cause anyone to “speak evil” about Him. Jesus tells His disciples any act, however small and simple, even giving “a cup of water to drink,” will gain a heavenly reward.

The “Twelve” mistakenly thought they were special, they had to learn to give way to those despised and deemed disposable by the culture they had lived in all their life. The “bottom of the heap” were on the same playing field as “the cream of the crop.” Christ offers grace and glory to all who call on His name with faith.

For the disciples the watershed event did not come until after the resurrection. Not until the power of the Holy Spirit opened their hearts and filled the holes in their souls did Jesus’ first followers figure it out.

If you have a prayer request call the office at 254-445-2157.

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September 21, 2012

10/1/2012

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A Fifth Sunday Luncheon will be held on 9-30. Please make an effort to attend church and the luncheon as there is a surprise planned for someone.

The Outreach Committee of the First United Methodist Church will have a coat drive in October. So please be shopping for coats for children of all size and age. If you find a sale let the office know.

The congregation was pleased to have Mr. and Mrs. Ron Baker visit with us Sunday. The Bakers visit with us on their way to and from their home in Houston.

Jill Moore was happy to have her mother, Jo Ann Pate, attend church with her last Sunday.

Prayers were requested for Weldon Houston who is in the Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. We also continue to pray for Shari Farrow and her family.

Serving as our ushers were David Cleveland and Jim Leatherwood; Brady and Cole Moore assisted with the offertory.

The youth heard a lesson on who would be the greatest. Pastor Ken told of the disciples arguing about who would be the greatest in God’s kingdom. Jesus said to them, “If you want to be first, you must be the last and you must be the servant of all.” He then put His arms around a little child and told His disciples, “If you welcome one of these, you welcome Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the one that sent Me.

Jesus wants us to think of others first and ourselves last. If we want to be great in God’s sight, we should seek to be a servant rather than seeking to be served.

Rev. Ken Lunsford preached about “Who Is Wise?” He talked about having a prayer plan for everyday life. A life lived in faith and committed to Christ, should not have to depend on emergency prayer. Our prayer life should not be series of 911 calls.

Our prayer life should be on our heart and soul every day. Life is unpredictable, things happen both good and bad all the time. That is why our connection to the Holy Spirit, the living presence of Christ, needs to be a daily thing.

That connection is the deciding difference between what the Book of James calls “earthly wisdom” and wisdom that comes “from above.”

Church Secretary, Wanda Myers, has added more photos to our web site at http://fumcdublintx.weebly.com, so look us up and see what your friends have been doing.

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October 14, 2012

October 7, 2012

September 30, 2012

September 21, 2012

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