First United Methodist Church News
October 27, 2019
    
     Pastor Ken asks that our members plan to attend the Charge Conference to be held on Sunday, 11-10 at 3:30 p.m. at Hico First United Methodist Church. Committee chairs are especially asked to attend, and dinner will be provided. Call Leta Sage at our church to reserve your meal.  Mark the calendar now so you do not forget.
     The November/December Upper Room booklets are here and on the table in the narthex.
      Dublin United Methodist along with all the United Methodist in this area will be baking cookies for our military service people for Christmas.  You are encouraged to begin early and freeze your cookies.  Have a cookie night with your children or grandchildren, it will be a meaningful lesson for the youngsters and a blessing for the troops.
      I was relieved to be back in church last Sunday.  I am still getting my strength back after having the flu. 
      DJ Klutts served as Worship Leader and read the scripture lesson from Luke 18:9-14.  This scripture tells a parable about two people who went to the temple to pray.  One, a Pharisee, stood and prayed aloud about what a good man he was.   The other person stood some distance away, he was a tax collector.  He prayed with his eyes looking down, he struck his own chest and said, “God, show mercy to me a sinner.”  Jesus said that the lowly tax collector was justified rather than the Pharisee.
“All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”
      “God, Show Mercy to Me, A Sinner” was the title of Rev Ken Lunsford’s sermon.
      This Bible passage starts with the words, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.”  I think that Jesus wanted His audience to know, that when we compare ourselves to others, we turn religion into a competition.  And self-righteousness is not the same thing as holiness.  Our identity is based on who God is and the Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy!  You cannot know who God is and still hold on to your pride and smugness.
     In today’s parable Jesus says, “he went home justified.”  What does that mean? It means his sins were forgiven. He got the mercy he prayed for.
     So, that is why God sent His perfect, sinless Son, Jesus, to take away the penalty of our sins and make us holy in His eyes.
    We believe God’s infinite love is available to all, call us at 254-445-2157 or email at fumcdublintxsecretary@gmail.com , our website is http://fumcdublintx.com .
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First United Methodist Church News
October 20, 2019
    
     I have some good news!  Wednesday, 10/30, is Community Table and Chicken Spaghetti is being served.  Chicken Spaghetti is one of my favorites that DJ Klutts cooks up for us.  The side dishes will be delicious also.  Helpers are needed for preparing the take-outs.
     DJ says we need more cookies baked because we send out at least 300 cookies a month.  Let’s do some yummy fall desserts for those dinning at the fellowship hall.  I may bake my Pumpkin Pie Crunch again since it turned out well for the Garden Club. 
     I have had the flu and that is tough to deal with, but I am much improved.  I appreciated my husband’s time and care.  He brought in chicken and dumplings from town, and that is the safest way for him to cook.
     I missed church last Sunday, so I am following Pastor Ken’s notes and the lovely bulletin prepared by Leta Sage. 
    Prayers were offered for Pat and Lisa Leatherwood, Dr. Rodney Schneider, and me. 
    Nancy Wooldridge served as Worship Leader. Nancy read the scripture lesson from Luke 18:1-18.
    Rev. Ken Lunsford titled his sermon, “What Will He Find When He Returns?”
    Jesus told a parable about a judge that neither feared God nor respected people.  There was a widow who kept coming to the judge asking for justice in the case against her adversary.  For a while he refused but said if I don’t give this widow justice, she will keep on coming here and embarrassing me.  The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will He be slow to help them? I tell you; He will give them justice quickly. But when the human one comes; will He find faithfulness on earth?”
     You see the widow had hope, she thought her continued pestering of the unjust judge was working, and eventually it did!
     A lively and excited hope is a necessary ingredient in the Christian Life. Hope is crucial to the church’s faithful discipleship and the stewardship of the gospel.  It is holding to the promises of God, by our belief in the integrity of God.
     God’s faithfulness will last. The only question is whether human beings will be faithful to the end.  When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
 
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​First United Methodist Church News
October 13, 2019
    
     Please drive by our church to view our decorated hay bale, it is wearing a halo!
     The church received a short letter form Carl B. Sanders and he included a donation to go towards repairing the north door to fellowship hall.  We thank Carl B. and the Sander’s family.
     The Hesters continue to recover from their auto accident; Darwin has been discharged from the hospital.
     I served as the Worship Leader last Sunday.  Jordan and Jackson Cardoza were our acolytes.
It is encouraging to see children serving at church.     
     I read this past Sunday’s scripture lesson from Luke 17:11-19 in the Common English Bible.
     Luke tells us that Jesus was traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He entered a village where ten men with leprosy (skin diseases) approached Him.  They called to Jesus and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!”   Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests.  As they left, they were healed.  One man returned to thank Jesus and praised God. He was a Samaritan.  Jesus asked the man, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? No one returned to praise God except this foreigner.”   Jesus told the Samaritan that his faith healed him.
     “Giving Thanks to God” was the title of Rev. Ken Lunsford’s sermon
     We all know and appreciate the importance of gratitude.  It can radically change relationships.  One of the first things we are taught is to say, “Thank you.”  We teach our children the same thing, to be polite and say thank you.  Yet when it comes to giving thanks to our heavenly father, we so often miss the mark.
     Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers is timelessly appropriate.  These men walked the earth, they could breathe and eat and had hopes and fears just like you and me.  But with leprosy they were like walking dead. Their disease ate away at their body and there was no known cure. It was believed that leprosy was highly contagious.  Today, we know that is not true.
     Some of you today are dealing with problems that seem overwhelming and feel there is little to be grateful for. And that may be your reality.  But friends, no one here today has had it worse than these ten men. They had a hellish, impossible, situation and yet they were healed!  But only one returned to give thanks.  Are we different from them? I wonder.  A recent poll reports that nine out of ten families will not even say a prayer at their Thanksgiving dinner.
     The Samaritan, who was an outcast, considered unholy, showed how holy his heart really was. He gave his gratitude to Christ.
     Let us remember the words of the apostle Paul:  Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything: for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.  I can imagine some of us are long, long overdue in expressing our thanks to God.
     We need to remember our shut-ins and give them a visit.

First United Methodist Church News
October 6, 2019
    
           I would like to encourage Dublin folks to attend the surrounding towns Lord’s Acre festivals. The food is good, there are great items to bid on or buy, and they are fun!
            We were thrilled to see Jim Denn Sunday.  Jim is back in Dublin after living away for a year and a half.
      Harlan and Eddie Raley, continual sweethearts, had an anniversary last week.
      Pat Beaty and Jim Denn celebrated birthdays this week.  Elise Leatherwood Hall has a birthday on Halloween!
      Pastor Ken has been praying for Pat Leatherwood who is experiencing back pain. Then, Lisa Leatherwood asked for prayers for Pastor Ken and me because we have been busy and not feeling well.  DJ Klutts asked that we include her husband, Gene, in those prayers because he was at home and not feeling well.  Prayers were requested for Julia Broussard.
     Lisa Leatherwood served as the Worship Leader last Sunday and Cole Moore was our acolyte.
     Sunday was communion for Dublin Methodists and World Communion Sunday for all denominations.  The funds we left on the communion rail were to aid in the education of national, international, and ethnic students who desire to Serve Christ.
    Lisa Leatherwood read the scripture lesson from 2 Timothy 1:1-14 in the Common English Bible.
    1 and 2 Timothy are letters written by St. Paul to his friend and associate, Timothy.  Paul calls Timothy his dear child and says he constantly remembers him in his prayers.  Paul talks of the authentic faith that lives in Timothy and lived in Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.
    Paul writes to “Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
    Rev. Ken Lunsford titled his lesson, “The Test of Faith.”
    Timothy was a young man who passed the test to become a minister of Jesus Christ. Timothy was attempting to “straighten out” the church in Corinth without much success.
    Timothy had a deep sense of calling and had given his life to the work of the ministry. 
    Many lay people associate the call of God with becoming a pastor or some other full-time Christian vocation. But every believer receives the call of God at their baptism.  God has a purpose for your life, you are called to ministry of some form. It may be visiting the sick and imparting God’s love to them. It may be as a teacher or a musician. 
     There is a difference between believing in God and trusting God for your future.  That is why Paul could write, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
     May you and I be special believers and disciples of Jesus Christ.
     We believe God’s infinite love is available to all, call us at 254-445-2157 or email at fumcdublintxsecretary@gmail.com , our website is http://fumcdublintx.com .
 
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First United Methodist Church News
September,29 2019
 
     We learned the number of people fed at Community Table last week was 298!  Someone should have filmed a video of the crowd forming an assembly line to make those big burritos!  They were wrapped in foil to protect them during carry out and delivery.  Those eating in-house could wrestle their large flour tortilla any way they chose.  The in-house desserts were outstanding.  I felt all I could do to add to the bounty was go buy a bucket of ice cream, so I did.
     Darwin and Carolyn Hester continue to heal from the horrific auto accident they were in. They have injuries, bumps, and bruises, but their car is a total burned up heap. They were rescued by passing motorists.  Darwin and Carolyn’s survival are a miracle.
    Jill and Sammy Moore announced the death of Gerry Kendall, the congregation extends sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Gerry.
     Our congregation extends much sympathy to the family and friends of David Mote.
     The fellowship hall door, which faces the parking lot, is out of order.  Someone put too much pressure on the key lock mechanism, and it jumped a cog. That door gets a lot of use; deliveries of supplies to cook with, meals go out, cub scouts meet in our fellowship hall, and family reunions rent the hall.  Any donation to the door repair fund will be appreciated.
    The Worship Leader last Sunday was Jeanne Wendt.  Jeanne has some health problems, but she rises to the call when her church needs her. That makes for a caring friend and good neighbor.
    Pat Beaty was back at the piano and did a superb job Sunday.  Be sure and ask to see Pat’s granddaughter’s pictures. Pat will be glad to produce photos.
   The scripture reading was from Timothy 6:6-19. This writing from Paul contains much advice on successful living. It is as timely now as when it was written.
    Actually, Godliness is a great source of profit when it is combined with being happy with what you already have. We didn’t bring anything into the world and so we can’t take anything out of it.  People who are trying to get rich fall into temptation.  The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  Some have wandered away from the faith and have impaled themselves with a lot of pain because they made money their goal.  Tell people who are rich at this time not to become egotistical and not to place their hope on their finances, which are uncertain.  Instead they need to place their hope in God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment.
     Paul says to tell these rich people to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, and to share with others.
    Rev Ken Lunsford preached about “it’s not striving; it’s what we are striving for.” 
    The absence of God speaks almost as loudly as does God’s presence. When you have been separated from the presence of God for too long, you either stop caring about it, or you hunger for God.  Maybe you have prayed that you might see any sign of God’s work in your life. And you wondered; is there any reason left to hope? The answer is, yes!  Because God made us, God can save us, there is still hope.
    Strive for eternal goals.  “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”
These are the eternal qualities that will bring true contentment into your life and mine.
    So, the next time your bank account gets you down, remind yourself the only wealth that really matters, is in God’s love for you.
    John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
 
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