Our church will be passing out inspirational bracelets and candy at the Halloween Spook Parade by the Dublin Bottling Plant stage on Wednesday, October 31st. We will set up at 3:30 p.m., and the hours are from 4-6:00. The Outreach Committee asks each family to bring a bag or two of candy to church or by the church office. If you would like to help pass out candy, that would be great! This is one of the few chances we get to act like kids again, so don’t miss the opportunity.
Prayers were requested for Joseph Cisneroz, Charles Gordon, Crystal Higgins, John May, and Jo Ellen Turner.
Pastor Ken told the youth about trying to get the “wishbone” when his mom cooked fried chicken for Sunday dinner. His sisters and brother wanted the “wishbone” also.
Pastor Ken explained what the bone was and what it looked like. He said they would pull on each end of the bone till it broke apart and the one with the long end was the winner! They could get what they wished for.
James and John were two brothers who were disciples of Jesus. One day they asked Jesus if they could sit in places of honor beside Him at the table, one at His right side and one at His left. That is what they wished for. They wanted to share in His greatness.
Jesus told James and John they did not know what they were asking. He said whoever wants to be great must be a servant of all. Then Jesus told them, “For even I the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”
“Serve or Be Served” was the title of Rev. Ken Lunsford’s sermon which he gleaned from Mark 10:35-45.
Pastor Ken told the congregation this has not been a good year for Protestants. The Pew report on religion in America reveals that those who answered “None” to the religion question are the fastest growing belief segment in America. Protestantism is shrinking in America and stagnant everywhere except China and Africa. All of Christianity is having an identity crisis.
What is your identity? At the very core of your being, who are you? In Mark’s text Jesus is giving His followers a new identity. Disciples will be great by becoming servants, the first in a lineup will be last and the “slave of all.” This new identity is not found in success, status, wealth or power. It is found in Christ, in following Him not just on His miraculous ministry before Jerusalem, but in following Jesus all the way to the cross.
Being a disciple of the Messiah is a verb, it is an action taken. It is being an active sacrifice for another.
Jesus is our “Life Lock,” in Him our identity is safe and secure from all alarm.
See Dublin United Methodist Church online at http://fumcdublintx.weebly.com