QUOTE OF THE WEEK

This quote would be powerful because it’s a rallying call from Rev. Jenny Smith Walz to the church’s inclusivity.  Here, she encourages us to love others as ourselves, particularly those who live in poverty. “Who do you prefer to worship with?” asks Pastor Jenny, adding, “Who do we struggle to worship with?”  She is asking us to put our love and faith into action. Indeed, the world would be a better place if we were all kind to one another. “Do our beliefs and actions match up?”  Rev. Walz preaching at PUMC on the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost based her sermon on Scripture from James 2: 1-17

“Who do we as a church seek to welcome and embrace within our Christian fellowship?” Pastor Jenny inquires. She explains, “As a church, we must seek to welcome and embrace everyone, without partiality, within our Christian fellowship. As Christians, let us do things that bring a different social order in this world.” Her quote impacts me personally because I see everyone coming to worship while sitting at the back of the church.

Princeton United Methodist Church welcomes everyone.  Join us for worship on Sundays as we share the good news of God’s love revealed through Jesus Christ. To watch our worship service on Facebook and Rev. Jenny Smith Walz preaching, click here.

Written by Isabella Dougan

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

This quote from Rev. Jenny Smith Walz puts the degree of our relationship with Jesus to the test. She reminded us that faith and action go together, and when we allow God to transform us, we can change the world,  just like Jesus did. 

“What difference does our faith make for us, for our family, our church, our community, our world,” asked Pastor Jenny. “Does it lead directly to practical compassion, making us kinder, more empathic? Is it liberating the people around us and us, or is it keeping them separated?” “Is it lifting people and filling them with love and compassion, or is it condemning, judging, and keeping them away?” 

Rev. Walz was preaching at PUMC on the Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost. She based her sermon on Scripture from James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 15-15, and 21-23. 

Join us at PUMC as we share the good news of God’s love revealed through Jesus Christ. Pastor Jenny wants us to look at ourselves more closely and ask God to show us how to conduct our lives, taking Christ-like actions. To watch our worship service on Facebook and Rev. Jenny Smith Walz preaching, click here.

Written by Isabella Dougan

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Rev. Jenny Smith Walz’s quote lends a fresh perspective to the interpretation of Ephesians 6: 10-20  on this Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost. She tells us that we should put on God’s armor to fully claim God’s help for us to move through this world and when we face things that are too big for us to handle on our own. It would be good if we apply this principle to our life. 

“We must let go of the false armor we put on to secure safety, security, and power in our world,” Pastor Jenny admonishes us. She tells us that we must pray continually to get God’s armor and win the fight against the power of evil. It’s also true that the more we pray, the more we also come up against our propensity for evil, injustice and oppression, and sin and brokenness within ourselves.

Pastor Jenny reminds us that Jesus had a different way of bringing about change in the world, of bringing about God’s kingdom. “Jesus subverted the laws that kept people oppressed and marginalized, crossed boundaries, and brought people in. His strength came from abiding with God, his father, a life of prayer, vulnerability, authentic self, love, and giving of himself. He had a steadfastness about him,” she explains.

Worship at PUMC just got twice as interesting. Join us as we share the good news of God’s love revealed through Jesus Christ. “We are not alone,” says Pastor Jenny, “not only because we have Christ but also because we have each other.” To watch our worship service on Facebook and Rev. Jenny Smith Walz preaching, click here.

Written by Isabella Dougan

QUOTE OF THE DAY

This quote highlights why children are essential in God’s kingdom. “Something child-like remains in all of us that plays out in our adult life in a lot of ways,” stated Pastor Rebekah Anderson in her sermon on the Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost, August 15, 2021. “Our child-like way of seeing the world is in line with the kingdom of God,” she added.  She also related the story of an eight-year-old girl asking her mother this question, “Mom, do you drink beer because you like the way it tastes or because you like the way it makes you feel?”

Pastor Rebekah preached on “The Kingdom of God in Us,” a theme based on Scripture from Luke 17:20-21 and Luke 18:15-17.  Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered, “The kingdom of God is  among you.” Jesus also said, as he blessed children, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 

Come worship with us and be a member of our beloved PUMC family. To watch Pastor Rebekah preach, Click here.

Written by Isabella Dougan

Breathing as a Spiritual Practice

Breath prayers are a type of prayer that allows us to “pray without ceasing” as Paul talked about. Of course, you can’t really do much without ceasing, except breathing.

This is a way to embody prayer. Each time you inhale and exhale, you say a word or phrase.

Inhale. Jesus be my Rock. Exhale.

It’s a reminder that even our breath comes from the Lord. It’s a simple prayer, but a meaningful one. Today, practice your breath prayer by choosing a word or a phrase from your favorite hymn or Psalm. Take a few moments to be aware of your breathing and repeat these words.

(This is a great exercise for those busy mornings as you rush to jump into the car, or cook yourself a meal.)

Want to learn about more spiritual practices? Email tayler@princetonumc.org to get access to the self-paced Selah Prayer Practices group in our online campus.

Written by Tayler Necoechea

Welcome Pastora Ashley Gonzalez!

Recently, it was announced that PUMC is entering into a partnership with Kingston UMC. This news brings with it many new and exciting changes. One thing that PUMC members can look forward to is getting to know Pastora Ashley Gonzalez. Ashley will be an integral part of this transition and we look forward to making her a part of the PUMC family!

Ashley grew up in Miami, Florida. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba in the 1970s and raised her in the Catholic church. She went on to attend college in northern Florida and studied Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with a specialization in Nutritional Science. “I am passionate about community outreach and event planning,” Ashley says. “My passion for community outreach mostly revolves around Black liberation, empower- ing women, and supporting those who are undocumented. As far as event planning, I love putting together an event that is fun, well-thought-out, and takes creative energy.”

In college, Ashley began to invest more seriously in her faith. It was after seeing a woman preach for the first time that she fully accepted Jesus and

decided to get more involved with the church. After graduating, a friend suggested she look into seminary. Ashley believes her admittance into Princeton Seminary, where she is now entering her final year, was ordained by the Holy Spirit. “I often say my application got stuck on the back of someone else’s and I was admitted,” she jokes.

She started attending KUMC shortly after mov- ing to New Jersey and soon was given the opportunity to join the pastoral staff. “KUMC was a small church full of kind and quirky people and it was unlike any of my previous experiences at other churches,” Ashley says. “That summer was also the wake of George Floyd and I knew I wanted to do on-the-ground ministry. KUMC was where God was leading me.”

Over the past year, it’s become clear that KUMC is the right place for Ashley. “The things I am most proud of about KUMC existed before me and will far outlast me,” she says. “The congregation makes my job easy. They are eager to show up for others, they are gracious to one another, and they deeply want to be the Church.” She looks forward to expanding KUMC’s mission in this collaboration with PUMC. “This team effort will give our minis- tries a greater pool of ideas to draw from, a stronger foundation from which to form leaders, and more opportunities for congregants to act out their faith. I am so excited about this transition!”

Written By Mikaela Langdon

BIBLE QUIZ

Take this QUIZ and be sure to share it with others.

Can you answer these questions without opening your Bible?  How many questions will you get right?

Have some fun!

1). The Lord of host rained ​manna​ for His people on the wilderness for…

A. 70 years

B. 50 years

C. 40 years

D. 30 years

2). “For where your ​treasure​ is, there will your….also be.”

A. mind

B. heart

C. body

D. spirit

3). Who said, …”where you are going, I will go; where you will lodge, I would lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, would be my God”

A. Mary

B. Ruth

C. Abigail

D. Sarah

4). Which Prophet caused an axe to ​float​ on the surface of water…?

A. Elisha

B. Samuel

C. Elijah

D. Isaiah

5). Our Redeemer ​entreats​ us to forgive our neighbor…

A. 77 × 7

B. 70 × 7

C. 17 × 7

D. 7 × 7

6). Who ​slew​ the giant who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot…?

A. Samson

B. Absalom

C. Gideon

D. Jonathan

7). Blessed are the ​pure in heart​, for they shall…

A. see God

B. obtain mercy

C. be called children of God

D. overcome the world

8). God did ​not​ permit King David to build His temple because…

A. David would soon die

B. David was not good at that

C. David was not ready

D. David shed too much blood

9). The wise men who gave gifts to baby Jesus, ​came​ from the…

A. west

B. east

C. north

D. south

10). Christ says; ” ALL THOSE who are heavy burdened should come to me, and ​I will give​ ​them​…”

A. a promise

B. abode

C. territory

D. rest 

11). At which pool was the man with 38 years of sickness healed?

A. Siloam

B. Bethesda

C. Jordan

D. Bethsaida

12). Which country did the Eunuch come from? 

A. Egypt

B. Jerusalem

C. Syria

D. Ethiopia  

13) Which prophet prophesied about the dry bones?

A. Isaiah

B. Jeremiah

C. Lamentations

D. Ezekiel

14). The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was done by whom?

A. Sanballat

B. Esther

C. Nehemiah

D. Tobias

15) How many daughters did Job have?

A. 1

B. 3

C. 4

D. 2

Now, read your Bible to find the answers

Image Source: Google

Posted by Isabella Dougan

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It is an inspiring quote on forgiveness by Rev. Jenny Smith Walz. During her sermon on the 6th Sunday of Pentecost, also Communion Sunday, Pastor Jenny admonished us about the merit of continued forgiveness. The Scripture was from Matthew 18: 21-35.

“Jesus freed people from their sins over and over again, and it got him crucified,” reminded Pastor Jenny. “Yet Jesus went from that Cross, into death and resurrection,” she said, “showing us that Freedom from all of those sins is released through God’s long action of love and forgiveness.” “Forgiveness frees us from captivity,” she added. Failure to forgive holds us captive to our bitterness and keeps us in a cycle of revenge. Forgiveness requires us to name the pain and the hurt while we see those in need of forgiveness as also God’s beloved children.

What now?

“What if we were to have a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that allows people to tell their stories of pain and victim hurt, that allows the pain and hurt to be felt, and Freedom to be found?” Pastor Jenny mused. “Then, we can love each other and together transform the world!” Ask yourself: Where is it that you need to be set free? Where is it that you need to be redeemed?

Click here to listen to Rev. Jenny Smith Walz preach about “Forgiveness.”

Written by Isabella Dougan