The Circuit Writer
The Monthly Newsletter of Chatham United Methodist Charge
May, 2021
From Pastor Bryan
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1 – 4 NIV
This year Pentecost comes in the month of May, it shifts year over year with the date of Easter. In my opinion the celebration of Pentecost get’s short shrift with the other important celebrations in the church year. I mean we celebrate the arrival of the Christ child with the season of Advent with a four-week vigil, sitting in a spiritual waiting room for the birth of the Holy child. During the season of Lent, we spend 40 days in a self-imposed “time out” to consider what we have done wrong and what we must do better to return to a right relationship with God.
The time leading up to Pentecost is called the Season of Easter, a celebration and recognition of the eternal significance of the sacrifice that Jesus makes for us. That season ends with the arrival of Pentecost day, the day when the promised Holy Spirit arrives with “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind”. The scripture doesn’t say it, but we certainly visualize everything and everyone in the Upper Room being buffeted and tossed about by a strong spiritual wind.
That event changes everything and everybody whether they come to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or not because the Holy Spirit empowers the spiritual life of those that believe and chases down those that still haven’t opened their hearts to the Truth yet. Behold He stands at the door and knocks! That certainly seems like a reason to treat Pentecost, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit and its’ interaction with and through us with due importance. Consequently, most of this month will be focused on studies in Acts and how the Holy Spirit empowers the formation of the early church and overcomes the barriers to salvation for all people.
Steve Simms tells a story about a 250 year old windmill from the Netherlands on Windmill Island, a city park in Holland, Michigan, a city famous for its’ beautiful tulip gardens. As he walked through the park the Holy Spirit began to speak. Remembering what Jesus said to Nicodemus about how the Holy Spirit is like the wind.
“When the wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 NIV
As I looked at the windmill, he suddenly realized that although the windmill cannot direct the wind, it can only yield to it in three ways. The blades can be unlocked so that the wind can move them. The frame of the blades can be covered with sales so that the wind can turn them. And the blades can be rotated to face the wind so the wind can have a powerful impact on them. He says the same three principles apply to us and the Holy Spirit. We need to be unlocked from tradition and from the fear of what people will think about us, so that the Holy Spirit can freely move us.
We need to be clothed with humility so that God’s wind can turn us where He wills. And we need to face the wind; to focus on, be attentive to, obey, and seek to live in the direct presence of the Holy Spirit.
We must make a continual effort to yield to and respond to the Holy Spirit. If we refuse to and/or neglect to intentionally yield to the Spirit, then we will find that we are resisting the Spirit the direction and power of the Holy Spirit in our spiritual lives. This Pentecost let us endeavor to always be the windmill by allowing the breeze of the Holy Spirit, move us, direct us and empower us to do what God has planned for our lives!
Blessings,
Bryan
Planning ahead to Worship our Lord
These are the lessons planned for the coming month. Please take the time to read the scriptures (the message lesson is always the last one listed), review the message preview and consider what the scriptures are teaching us as you prepare to come to worship each Sunday.
May 2: Fifth Sunday of Easter, Communion Sunday
Scripture: 1 John 4:7 – 21, John 15:1 – 8, Acts 8:26 – 40
Message: Sent with the Gospel
Description: Since the week of Passover the Disciples have been in Jerusalem, staying there as Jesus told them to do. Trying to fully understand the commission that they have been given by Jesus. But an event is about to get them moving. Stephen will be stoned by members of the Sanhedrin, because of what they believe are blasphemous comments. Saul, the man we will eventually come to know as the Apostle Paul is standing there approving of the killing. On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church. It forces the Disciples to leave Jerusalem and out into the mission field. Philip is the first of the Disciples to preach the Gospel outside of Jerusalem, in our lesson today Phillip is sent by an angel, the Holy Spirit, Sent with the Gospel to meet a man, the Ethiopian treasurer who traveled the 2800 miles to Jerusalem to worship, but he needs help in understanding. We like Phillip are Sent with the Gospel to help those that want to believe.
May 9: Sixth Sunday of Easter
Scripture: 1 John 5:1 – 6, John 15:9 – 17, Acts 10:44 – 48
Message: The Spirit Came for Us
Description: Make no mistake about, it was expected to be a Jewish thing only! For centuries it was the Children of Abraham, the Hebrews, the Jews that were favored and strengthened by the God of Abraham. The Jews believed God and the promised Messiah was coming to save them and them only, not the Gentiles, the pagans. In fact, they believed with all their heart that the Messiah would be a warrior King that would once and for all remove those that oppressed the Jews. Whether they be the Assyrians, Babylonians, or the Romans, it didn’t matter, God’s chosen one would crush them and bring the Nation of Israel back to glory. That was true for the Disciples of Jesus as well, there were Jews and the others. In our lesson for today Peter has been sent to the home of Roman Centurion Cornelius, who like the Ethiopian from last week, needs someone to help him and his family understand and believe. Peter tells them the Gospel story and while he was speaking the Holy Spirit came over all the Gentile people that were listening. The Jews were astonished that the Holy Spirit came upon Gentiles. This is the first recorded of non-Jewish people receiving the Holy Spirit and it leads to accepting Gentiles as part of God’s family. That day The Spirit Came for Us opening Salvation’s door for everyone!
May 16: Seventh Sunday of Easter
Scripture: 1 John 5:9 – 13, John 17:6 – 19, Acts 1:15 – 17, 21 – 26
Message: You are Qualified
Description: Our lesson for today comes in the first chapter of Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles. But we can see from the previous weeks’ lessons, it could have, and probably ought to have been called the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Believers. In any case Jesus, after having been with the 11 remaining Apostles for 40 days, and the Disciples decide that it is now time to replace Judas within the group, to make it an even dozen again. I suppose if 12 was the right number for Jesus then it must be the right number. Standing before a group of more than 120 they list these qualifications for someone that could be part of the group. It should be someone that had been with the group from the beginning; from the His baptism and until He was taken up. Someone that had a personal relationship with and could be a witness to the works and miracles found in the Gospel of Jesus. That type of person would be qualified to help build the church, the Body of Christ. While Matthias was selected (by casting lots) over Barsabbas, given the qualifications Barsabbas was equally qualified but by the way so are you! As Christians through the bible and through faith we have over our lives been with Jesus from the time of His baptism (in fact before even that) until his Ascension. We also have a personal relationship with Jesus. Therefore, my friends, You are Qualified to help build and grow His church for the salvation of the world.
May 23: Pentecost Sunday
Scripture: Acts 2:1 – 21, Romans 8: 22 – 27, John 15:26 – 27, 16: 4b – 15
Message: The Spirit of Truth Comes
Description: Today is Pentecost, the eighth week of Easter. Just a little over eight weeks ago on Maundy Thursday we celebrated the Passover Supper in the Upper Room where Jesus prepared the Disciples for what was to come and to initiate a New Covenant between God and mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus. In the scriptures that we read that night, just after the supper was over, they left the Upper Room and went to the Garden and Jesus was arrested. But in John’s Gospel Jesus spends a significant time with the Disciples preparing them for after he was gone. Among the lessons He teaches is that when The Spirit of Truth Comes, He will guide them, teach them the truths of God, what He hears from the lips and God and what is yet to come. Friends when The Spirit of Truth Comes to us as Jesus promised, we will have an Advocate on which we can lean, depend, and trust as we navigate a challenging world.
May 30: Trinity Sunday
Scripture: Romans 8: 12 – 17, John 3:1 – 17, Isaiah 6:1 – 8Message: Whom Shall I Send?
Description: When God’s Holy Spirit works in our hearts, minds and souls, convicting us of our sins, failures and shortcomings we, like Isaiah, are left saying, “Woe to me! For I am a person of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips!” Our sin leaves us alone, afraid and guilty. But upon the altar of the cross, Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for us assures you and me that “your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for!” But then the Holy Spirit touches our heads with the cleansing waters of baptism; our mouths with the body and blood of Jesus in Communion; and our ears, minds, hearts and souls with His precious life-giving Word bringing us forgiveness and freedom. God is calling, “Whom Shall I Send? Will you respond in the same way that Isaiah does, “Here I am, Send me”?
The Life of the Church Coming Events
Bible Study, May 5, 12, 19 & 26 @ 2PM. We are continuing our study of the Book of Leviticus. Call 508-924-5730 to join.The audio of the Bible Study is also available at 508- 924-5730 by noon on Thursday!
VBS Meeting, May 13 at 6:30 PM at the St Louisville Pavilion. The Charge is planning on having Vacation Bible Schools at both Liberty and St Louisville Churches during the month of July. People of all three churches are encouraged to participate. We are having this first meeting to make plans for the dates and the curriculum. Everybody that is interested is encouraged to attend!
St Louisville News:
The UMW is meeting again – but masks will still be required as well as social distancing. Meetings and held the third Tuesday of the month, which is May 18th, at the Church. Food is provided.
New Member Recognition – On Pentecost Sunday St Louisville UMC welcoming new members into the fellowship. This is a joyful time of officially welcoming Brothers and Sisters into the fellowship of the church. To that point the congregation is encouraged to participate in the ceremony. I can’t think of a better day to reinvigorate the church than by welcoming new members on the day that we celebrate the empowerment of the Church through the ongoing promise of the Holy Spirit. Anyone that is interested in joining the others in membership, you can reach Pastor Bryan at 614-323-9561 or by email at brmoore1@aol.com
The Fred W. Walker / Esther Wyeth Deddish Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 1998 by donations from the Walker and Deddish families and friends, with the purpose providing financial assistance to eligible students to attend an institution of higher education. Eligibility for the Walker/Deddish Scholarship will be any student who is a member of a Chatham Charge Church, that has graduated from high school.
For those students that are interested in applying for a Scholarship there will be applications at each church of the charge. Applications need to be turned in by May 31, 2021. After submission, the application will be reviewed by the Scholarship committee. The applicant may be requested to provide additional information. Awarding of scholarship will be announced before the beginning of the new school year. For any questions, the applicant can contact Pastor Bryan.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
St Louisville
Mark Soter Bryan Miller
Warren Parsons Teri Schaller
Dick and Mary Ann Power Bonnie Pound
Pauline Cliver Betty Street
Carolyn Miller The Bilgers
Chatham
Frances Garno Suzann Warner
Jane Smith Sandy Bennett
Paul and Carolyn Rostofer Kayla Hughes
Liberty
Sally Lindsay Nancy, Dean & Gloria
Larry Allen Janet Bryant
Ruth and Rick Wilson Donna & Joe Tate
Charlotte Vernon Troy Mallow
Ernestine
Happy Birthday!
5/4 Bill Byrnes
5/5 Deb Soter
5/7 Beverly Bevard
5/10 Wes Bennett
5/10 Brett Cliver
5/18 Patrick Byrnes
5/20 Kayla Hughes, Paul Layman, Josh Yates
5/24 Troy Mallow
5/27 Bob Bevard
5/28 Bob Cliver
Happy Anniversary!
5/16 Ruth and Rick Wilson
5/18 Nancy and Dean Runyon
5/26 Donna and Arnold Pope
5/29 Beverly and Bob Bevard
It is nearly Freedom School season again. In 2013, its first year of operation, Rockin’ Cool Freedom School served 46 children in Kindergarten through fifth grade at one location; Northridge Middle School. As we come into our ninth year of Freedom School, we have served over 500 scholars and their families, and in 2021 our expectation is that we will serve up to 130 students at three different locations around central and northwest Licking County. Once again, this year, MaKensie McComb is one of the Student Leader Interns for Rockin’ Cool Freedom School.
Freedom Schools aim to help children fall in love with reading, increase their self-esteem, and generate more positive attitudes toward learning. The goal of the program is to help high-risk children stem summer learning loss, fall in love with reading, and to teach them that they can make a difference. Additionally, the program trains and develops young adult leaders who deliver the program to the scholars.
The day begins with breakfast and a morning group gathering called “Harambee” where scholars (the children) and staff sing a motivational song, hear a story read by a community leader, and perform various cheers and dancing. Each morning the scholars participate in an integrated reading curriculum in groups of 10 and then have a quiet individual reading time (Drop Everything And Read).
The afternoons are filled with games, crafts, science projects, field trips, and service projects all centered on the theme of building the scholars to believe that they can make a positive difference in the world around them. The program will run for six weeks in the summer, from June 14 through July 23, from 8 am – 3 pm each day, Monday through Friday (except Monday, July 5).
Once again as a Charge we have the opportunity to help the leadership care for so many children in our county. A solid 45% of the kids that come into the program are part of families that fall below 200% of the poverty level which means during the summer when school is out they may not get the food that they need during each day. Consequently, Freedom Schools provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack every class day. The Chatham Charge Churches can be part of the feeding of kids but donating food or money to the program. If you have any questions, you can contact Pastor Bryan or MaKensie!