Happy Craft Fair Friday!
That's right.... as the crafters are preparing to greet you today I read these words from Psalm 34... "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:19) So many things tear at our hearts. Regrets, disappointments, lost opportunities. It is because we love deeply that we grieve deeply with any loss. It seems the more we share of ourselves, the more we expose our vulnerabilities. We want to give love and trust, but perhaps our heart still smarts from a past wrong or two. Jesus came to heal the broken hearted. Isaiah declared that God will revive the heart bruised with sorrow. (See Isaiah 57:15 AMP) God will grant consolation and joy to those who mourn -- to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit --- that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and that He may be glorified. (See Isaiah 61:3 AMP) This is why Jesus came: To restore our joy... that our joy might bring Him glory. So when you've been hurt in a relationship, or a deal goes bad or you lose something or someone you love, join me in praying, Heal my broken heart, O Lord. +++ The Great Spring Craft Fair starts today and continues on Saturday right here at Immanuel. Come and check out the beautiful crafts from 4:00pm - 8:00pm today and 9:00am - 3:00pm on Saturday. You'll find something amazing from the crafters and you'll be supporting upcoming mission works here at Immanuel. Thanks to Betty, Shelley, Barb and all their helpers for all the hard work on this great fundraising project! +++ On Sunday we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter at 8:30am and 10:00am. We will hear about another visit from Jesus to his disciples following the resurrection and this time Jesus opens the disciple's minds to understand the scriptures. My message is "Open our Minds, Too!" and I am thinking about how differently things would have gone for Jesus, and the whole world, if he just would have opened the disciple's minds a little earlier! We will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at each of the services this week and I can't wait to "see you" in worship! We will be "live-streaming" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "uploading" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when it is completed. So you have lots of ways to join us for worship on Sunday! +++ Also on Sunday we will be receiving our special church-wide offering to support Native American ministries. Look for the special offering envelopes in the Narthex and we thank you for helping to support the 3 native American congregations worshipping within our Annual Conference! +++ There is still time to sign up for the AED/CPR training class next Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30pm. The fee is $45 per person and we can provide some scholarship help if finances present the need. We have been able to remove the earlier limit of 10-12 people.... so we can welcome as many people as would like to attend. But we need you to SIGN UP on Sunday outside the Fireside Room! +++ The deadline for the May/June edition of our church newsletter is coming up next Saturday, 4/20. Please try to get all articles into the church office by that date so we can publish the newsletter prior to the 1st of May. Thanks! +++ Next Sunday, April 21st is our Second Sunday Luncheon for April. We delayed one week this month so there is still time to sign up for this fun time of food and fellowship. +++ Future events for your calendars.... our Annual Garage Sale is May 2,3,4 and Camping Sunday is coming up on May 5th when we will welcome friends from Casowasco to our worship service! We hope you will plan to be here as we celebrate our Camping ministry! Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Heal my broken heart, O Lord. Pastor Jack As we begin moving through this new month of April, I read these words in Luke's Gospel account...
"Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (Luke 6: 27-28 KJV) There are some people that just know how to push your buttons. Or worse, they might really mean to do you harm. People might think or speak negatively about you, or unintentionally offend you. Maybe circumstances just don't seem to be working out in your favor. We want to take control, so things work out for our benefit -- or we are tempted to justify ourselves at any cost. It seems no matter what the situation, love is always the right answer. Proverbs tells us "A soft answer turns away wrath" and "a merry heart does like a medicine" (Proverbs 15:1 and Proverbs 17:22 NKJV). Our joy and peace and gentleness can often bring healing to people or situations around us.... like a much-needed dose of antibiotics. Love, often displayed through patience, is a powerful anecdote. After all, it's the goodness of God that brings repentance (Romans 2:4). We often underestimate the transforming power of mercy -- but just think of how God's grace and mercy has transformed you! So, when you find yourself around someone with selfish motives, or you lose faith in your leaders, or when you want to strike out at someone.... join me in praying, Help me overcome evil with goodness, Lord. Amen. +++ This Sunday we worship at 8:30am and 10:00am and we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter. We will hear once again the story of Thomas the doubter and in my message, "Kindness, Forgiveness, and Love" I am thinking about how important our simple acts toward others really are to spreading the love of the Risen Savior. We will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion and we've got lots of great music planned to help us worship God! If you can't be with us here in the Sanctuary, check us out on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am for our "live-stream" or catch the recorded worship on the church's YouTube channel. However you can, we hope to "see you" in worship on Sunday! +++ On Sunday you can sign up for our Second Sunday Luncheon.... which this month is being held on the 3rd Sunday! We will enjoy this time of fellowship on Sunday, April 21st but we need you to sign up, so we are sure to have enough food for all! Thanks! +++ On Monday our staff will be working from home and emergency telephone numbers are on the church answering machine if needed. +++ Our Finance Team meets on Tuesday night at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room and then our Administrative Council meets at 6:45pm. And then the church Trustees meet on Wednesday at 4:00pm, also in the Fireside Room. If you are a member of one of these ministry teams, please plan to be with us to help us complete our business! +++ The great Spring Craft Show is taking place next Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13. We need help in the Barb's Bistro and you will find a signup sheet outside the Fireside Room. Thanks for lending a hand to make this another successful fundraiser for Immanuel's mission work. +++ Next Sunday, April 14th we will receive our annual Native American mission offering. Did you know that we have 3 native American congregations within the boundaries of our Upper New York Annual Conference? And these congregations benefit greatly from our church-wide offering appeal. Look for the special giving envelopes and thanks for your generosity. +++ Our first AED/CPR training class is gathering on Wednesday night, April 17th at 6:30pm at the church. If you are interested in joining us, we need you to sign up outside the Fireside Room as soon as possible. It appears we can now have more than the 10-12 we originally thought.... but we do need to have a firm number so that enough materials can be made available. The cost of the class is $45 per person and can be paid at the class. Make this day a great day and always remember to pray.... Help me overcome evil with goodness, Lord. Amen. Pastor Jack Happy Holy Week, Friends! It is an early edition of Chimings this week as we move ever closer to the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter! Today I was reading Mark's gospel and found these thoughts...
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30 NIV) "I love you." These three small, but precious words, never fall on deaf ears. It is the most heavenly sound a parent can hear from their child -- and the sweetest sacrifice we can offer our Heavenly Father. Yet sometimes it's difficult to find the right words to tell our Savior how much we love him. But when all other words fail, these three short simple words are enough. We can demonstrate love in many different ways -- through giving, good deeds, acts of kindness, encouraging words. We can praise the Lord through singing, dancing, and clapping our hands or by approaching him reverently in worship -- bowing low or raising our hands. But of all the ways we show God our adoration, nothing is sweeter than the spontaneous utterance of "I Love You, Lord" any time throughout the day. Don't forget to remind the Lord how much you love Him today. So when you're driving your car or working in the kitchen or lying in bed or exercising, join me in praying, "I Love You, Lord"! +++ Holy Week Worship plans...
+++ After worship you are invited to take your Easter mums home to continue to brighten your Resurrection celebrations at home. Thanks to all who helped us beautify our Altar! +++ Please bring your Lenten Self Denial boxes back on Sunday, along with any remaining personal care items for our friends at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse. We continue to change the world through our mission work! +++ Our monthly Meal Ministry for Shut-ins is happening on Sunday, April 7th! Deliveries will be made after worship next Sunday. Thanks to all who are working in this important ministry. +++ Don't forget Immanuel's upcoming Spring Craft Show taking place on April 12 and 13 to benefit missions. There will be some beautiful crafts available for sale and you will want to be here for this great event as we celebrate the artistic talents of our area's crafters! Make this day a great day and remember to always pray, "I Love You, Lord"! Pastor Jack As we approach Palm Sunday this weekend, I read these words in Deuteronomy...
"The Lord shall command a blessing on .... everything you put your hand to." (Deuteronomy 28:8 NIV) When we set out to work each day, we never know exactly how the Lord will use us. Even as we perform the most mundane tasks, we can bring a measure of excellence and grace to everything we set our hands to. Even as we undertake the most challenging responsibilities, we can lean on God for special insight, skill, and courage. Most of us would admit that without God's grace we wouldn't have the patience required to do those tedious jobs like folding laundry, filing reports, or balancing our checkbooks. And without God's grace, we would never have made that deadline or succeeded in delivering such a winning presentation. As believers, we can start each day assured that God is with us, prospering all we set our hands to. If we are acknowledging the Lord in all we do, trusting in Him, and not leaning on our own understanding, we will not be ashamed or disappointed -- the Lord will bless our work. So join me in praying, Bless the work of my hands, O Lord, when you have a huge responsibility to fulfill or you are tempted to procrastinate out of fear or dread, or when you are lacking in confidence. +++ When we gather for worship on Sunday at both 8:30am and 10:00am we will be celebrating Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. And we will continue our worship series, Guided to the Cross. Sunday's installment is Guided to Humility and I will be looking at the Palm Sunday parade as Jesus shows us how to live in humility. I hope to "see you" in worship! We will, of course, be "live-streaming" at 10:00am on the church's Facebook page and then "uploading" the completed worship service to our YouTube channel. So, whether you are here in our beautiful Sanctuary, or joining us from afar, you are an important part of our worshipping community! And if you're here in person, you might even have the chance to join the Palm Sunday parade! +++ Sunday is also your last opportunity to order flowers for our Easter altar! Just stop at the table in the Narthex and place your order in memory or in honor of your loved ones! And wait until you see how beautiful the Altar will look on Resurrection Day! +++ Next week we worship on Thursday night, Maundy Thursday, at 7:00pm in the Sanctuary. You will want to be a part of this "Service of Nails" with us next Thursday night, March 28th! +++ On Good Friday afternoon, March 29th, the Sanctuary will be open for your personal time of silence and reflection from 12:00noon - 3:00pm. Feel free to stop in when you can and spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation of all that Jesus did for us on Good Friday. +++ Next Sunday, March 31st is our Resurrection Day celebration! We will gather at both 8:30am and 10:00am for this special day of worship and celebration of the Resurrection! Please remember to return your Lenten Self Denial boxes on Easter to help us feed hungry people in Syracuse through the feeding program at our sister congregation, University United Methodist Church. You also still have time to add some personal care products to our collection table in the Narthex. We are collecting toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, lotions and bar soap to help these folks, as well! Thanks for your generosity in helping those less fortunate than ourselves here in Syracuse. Make this day a great day and remember to pray each day, Bless the work of my hands, O Lord. Pastor Jack This Friday my reading takes me to Paul's letter to the Romans where I read these words... "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3 NIV) Days turn into weeks -- weeks into months -- and months into years. We hardly notice the change that takes place in ourselves as time passes by. Are we growing? Are we being transformed into the person God designed us to be? How do our lifestyles and habits measure up? Have we stepped back and taken stock of how far we have come on our spiritual journey? Perspective is the process of not only recognizing where we are in relation to where we are going, but also how we measure up to Christ, the hope of glory in us. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to be circumspect. That means being self-aware, to see ourselves objectively, to judge ourselves. Many of us are too busy to stop and consider ourselves deeply. Take an opportunity for that deep rest and reflection. Remember to take time to reflect and be mindful. So when your priorities feel out of place or weeks go by without any rest, or when you're feeling disconnected stop and think and then pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Amen. +++ This Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Lent and as we continue being Guided to the Cross, I will be speaking about being Guided to Perseverance. We'll be looking at John's Gospel account as we see Jesus' perseverance. And I'm thinking about what true perseverance really requires. We will worship at both 8:30am and 10:00am and our Facebook "live-stream" begins on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am! And, of course, we will then "upload" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when completed. We've got some great special music planned this week and at 10:00am we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Join us as little Jack and his family are welcomed and celebrated here in God's family! +++ We continue taking Easter flower orders to decorate the Sanctuary on Resurrection Day! See Julie or Lois at the table in the Narthex to place your orders. +++ This coming week we will gather with our friends at Camillus Ridge Terrace for worship on Wednesday 3/20 at 11:00am and then at Summerfield Village on Thursday 3/21 at 1:00pm. You're invited to worship with us at either of these stops! +++ Our Lenten Study on being Guided to the Cross continues on Wednesday at 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. Join us if you can for this wonderful time of study and learning! +++ We continue to gather personal care items (toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, lotions, shampoo, etc.) for our friends at University United Methodist Church in Syracuse. Just put your donations on the table in the Narthex, please. And keep filling your Lenten Self Denial coin box to help us feed hungry people at our sister congregation! +++ Our Holy Week schedule is:
+++ Mark your calendars...
Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Make me aware of Your perspective, O Lord. Pastor Jack |
Get Chimings by EmailIf you would like to receive Chimings via email, notify the church office to be added to the list. Archives
May 2024
|