Category: Lent/Easter

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

In her sermon on Palm Sunday, Rev. Jenny Smith Walz stated that the Cross is the worst kind of punishment, painful and shameful. Offensive and shocking are what humans do to expose the reality of who we are, especially the authorities who wanted to “destroy this man, Jesus, who forgives us even when we don’t want to be forgiven.” Shocking as it is, the Cross shows that God will go to incredible lengths to save us and bring us back into God’s love. “The resurrection tells us that we can trust God’s love that we hear on the Cross,” she said. Jesus came into this world because of all the love God has for us.

Pastor Jenny made us a proposal, saying,“Let the Cross speak true to you this Holy Week,” adding, “The Cross is how God repairs the brokenness of this world.”  Thank God for so much love and forgiveness!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, you can experience God’s love in real-time while being part of this beloved community. Click here to watch the PUMC worship service and listen to the sermon.

Written by Isabella Dougan

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PALM SUNDAY | SING HOSANNA TO OUR KING!

  🎼🎻🎺 HOSANNA, LOUD HOSANNA! 🎸🎷🎵

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as he begins his journey to the Cross, riding on in majesty to die. Our Palm Sunday worship will feature special performances by all choirs and our pianist:

  • The Children’s and Youth choirs will sing the Introit “Antiphonal Hosanna” by G. Alan Smith.
  • The Virtual Chancel choir will sing “Hosanna to the Son of David” by B. Gesius.
  • The Virtual Handbell choir will perform “There is a Balm in Gilead” by Erik Whitehill during the Offertory.
  • Pianist Julia Hanna will play Blumenfeld’s “Prélude #9” and Joaquín Turina’s “Pequeña danza from Jardín de niños” favorite classical music of PUMC. We are grateful to all our musicians for lifting us up with such beautiful music.  

On this first day of Holy Week, as we sing “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” we join the crowds who went to meet Jesus, waving palm branches and spreading them along his way, as Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem.

Video    “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” 

Video:  Hosanna in the Highest 

Click here to join us as we wave our palms and share in songs, music, prayer, listen to scripture, John 3:1-21, and to Pastor Jenny’s Sermon, “Repairing the Brokenness.”

If you’re looking for inspiration: Come worship with us at PUMC. If you suffer or grieve, you will find healing here. If you are burdened with sin, you will find forgiveness here. If you are exhausted, you will find rest here. There is a place for you here in our beloved PUMC community, where you will have the love and support of others.

[Video Source: YouTube] [Photo courtesy of PUMC]

Written by Isabella Dougan

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

In his sermon on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Rev. Skitch Matson recounted Jacob and Esau’s story and the broken relationship between those two brothers. He reminded us that their reconciliation was twenty years apart, telling us, “God feels our pain, hears our cries and wants to give us peace.” He also told us that those burning with anger should know that they are not alone, stating that Jesus too was burned with anger and flipped tables at the injustice in his time. “For true healing to occur, there needs to be a change of heart for all parties,” Pastor Skitch added. He recalled that the church, the community of Christ on earth, is a community of broken people and the community seeking healing for the broken.

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we can learn to overcome our brokenness by being part of this beloved community. Click here to watch the PUMC worship service and listen to Pastor Skitch’s sermon.

Written by Isabella Dougan

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

In her sermon on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Pastor Jenny explained the terms “false self” and “true self’ that she quoted from Thomas Merton. She said the broken pieces inside us reside in the ‘false self,’ while the “true self” is our belovedness, or “the secret beauty of our hearts.” “Are you afraid of the darkness inside you? Are you afraid of being truly alone in solitude with yourself?” she asked. The way to that true self is to let God into those dark places with us. “God will help us look at those broken things inside us, and they will start to dissolve, and we will see something beautiful come out of us.” Our true selves – our compassion – will come out shining as bright as the sun. 

In Lent, as we journey to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, let’s see if we can be less afraid of the dark. To do this, we should keep our minds off earthly things and look to divine things. Come worship with us at Princeton United Methodist Church. God will help us show compassion to others.  Click here to watch the worship service and listen to Pastor Jenny’s sermon.

Written by Isabella Dougan

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WORSHIP MUSIC | FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

🎼🎵♬“Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, Lord, bind us together in love. .🎼🎵♬

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we will have a special music performance featuring our Youth Choir singing “Your Servant I Will Be” by Mark Patterson. Our hymns today bring the message that we need to be united in love as the body of Christ.

The scripture this week comes from Mark 8:31-38 and Colossians 3:1-4.  As we journey with Jesus during Lent and witness his suffering, Jesus predicts his death and explains to us the way of the cross, saying, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” To appear with Christ in Glory, we must set our minds on things above and not on earthly things.   Rev. Jenny Smith Waltz will preach a sermon on the topic:  “Broken From Self.”

Video “Bind Us Together” 

Bob Gillman wrote the text and composed the tune to “Bind Us Together” in 1974. This hymn’s theme is that love binds us all together in unity, as reflected in Colossians 3:14 and Ephesians 4:1-6. Gillman started writing songs at the age of 13 when he became a Christian. His interest in music included guitar and banjo playing. He also wrote children’s books, “Tales of Upchurch Station,” being one of them.

Video: “When We Are CalledTo Sing Your Praise”

Mary Nelson Keithahn, a retired UMC ordained pastor, wrote the hymn “When We Are Called To Sing Your Praise” in 2000. Ralph Vaughan set it to the tune KINGSFOLD. In 2016 Keithahn published a chapter book for children entitled “Elfie: Adventures on the Midwest Frontier.”

If you’re looking for inspiration: Come worship with us at PUMC and enjoy our hymns and music. They will give you hope with renewed faith. If you suffer or grieve, you will find healing here. If you are burdened with sin, you will find forgiveness here. If you are exhausted, you will find rest here. Remember, Jesus died for you. There is a place for you here.

Click here to join us as we share in songs, prayer, music, scripture, and listen to Pastor Jenny’s Sermon.

[Images courtesy of Google Images, and PUMC] [Videos Source: YouTube]

Written by Isabella Dougan

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

In her sermon on the Third Sunday of Lent, Hyelim Yoon explained that this is a story of two sons. The prodigal son, who had left home but dared to come back despite his past mistakes, asking for his Father’s forgiveness and receiving a generous welcome and so much more than he could have imagined. The elder son, the beloved child who stayed at home with his Father, but felt entitled to more recognition and love, was not very welcoming to his brother. 

One of the  reasons Jesus is telling this parable is to show that just like the elder son, we too are much broken from God even though we live in God’s home and profess to be righteous. We are as much broken from God as many others who live without Christ. When we live in a broken world, the brokenness comes into our hearts to become part of our lives, no matter how hard we resist.  Hyelim reminds us that we are God’s children, and like the prodigal son, we have to accept that we are in desperate need of God’s grace. To receive God’s love fully, we must ask God to help us face our brokenness. 

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we can learn to overcome our brokenness by being part of this beloved community. Click here to watch the PUMC worship service and listen to Hyelim Yoon’s sermon.

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Worship Music | First Sunday Of Lent

🎼🎶It’s me, it’s me, O Lord,  Standin’ in the need of prayer;
It’s me, it’s me, O Lord,  Standin’ in the need of prayer.🎼🎶

On this First Sunday of Lent, the Children’s Choir will give an impressive performance of “These Times Call for a Vision” by Hal Hopson. Our hymns and music today remind us of God’s faithfulness to Christians in Bible times and give us hope and joy that He can save us too. 

These two are my favorite hymns:

 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” The author of this famous hymn written in 1745 in Welsh, is William Williams. Peter Williams translated it into English in 1771.  William expressed the many hardships he experienced as a traveling minister. He used rich biblical references, especially from the Book of Exodus, to show God’s guidance through struggle. It is a favorite hymn among Christians and has carried us through difficult times and helped us overcome life’s struggles. We believe that this God who provided “Manna” – Bread of Heaven – to the Israelites as they wandered for forty years in the desert will still provide for us. The hymn played an essential part at Princess Diana of Wales’s funeral in 1997 and Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s royal wedding in 2011. 

Video  “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah” | HLA Wilderness Escape VBS 

“It’s Me; It’s Me, O Lord” is an African American spiritual. The author and composer are unknown. Its message is: ‘I need prayer!’ The line, ‘Standing in the Need,’ states that we all need others to pray for us, as much as we need to pray. The theme of this gospel song is humility and honesty. The song also refers to the prayer of the publican tax collector that Jesus spoke of in Luke 18:4. “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Let us, therefore, pray for one another.”

             Video  “It’s Me; Its Me, O Lord”  |  The Beyond the Walls Choir

As we journey with Jesus during Lent and witness his suffering, we learn to manage our fear and anxiety and the difficulties we encounter. We have chosen our worship music to relate to our scripture from Romans 5:12-15 and Pastor Jenny’s sermon on the theme “Broken Things: Sin,” reminding us that Jesus died for our sins.

Are you sick, struggling with sin, exhausted, anxious about anything? Come worship with us, and you will find healing, forgiveness, rest, and peace here at PUMC. If you feel broken, remember, God loves you regardless of how you feel. Let us, therefore, lift our voices together in song to our God and King. 

Click here  to join us as we share in songs, prayer, music, scripture, and listen to Pastor Jenny’s Sermon.

[Images Source: Google Images]  

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Worship Music for Ash Wednesday

🎼🎶 Sunday’s palms are Wednesday’s ashes as another Lent begins; Thus we kneel before the Maker in contrition for our sins.We have marred baptismal pledges, in rebellion gone astray;Now returning, seek forgiveness; grant us pardon, God, this day! 🎼🎶 

As we begin the holy season of Lent,  Rev. Jenny Smith Walz will lead a Virtual Ash Wednesday service this evening on Facebook Livestream and our website. Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, forgiveness, and healing and a time to show more love for our brothers and sisters.  Our Virtual Quartet featuring Jenni Collins, Leslie Levey, Stephen Offer, and Jeff Ransom will perform “Create In Me A Clean Heart” by Carl Mueller. We will sing the hymn “Sunday’s Palms Are Wednesday’s Ashes As Another Lent Begins.” Our other songs are “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”and “When We Are Living (Somos Del Senor)”in English and Spanish. Music Director Hyosang Park will play “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” and “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.” The music and hymns relate to our scripture passage Isaiah 58:5-14 and correspond to Pastor Jenny’s Meditation. This year, we are doing Ash Wednesday differently. We mix our own ashes at home and make the sign of the cross on our forehead.  Here is a video tutorial from Pastor Jenny with tips about making a ‘just-right’ ash mixture. You can also come to the church today, between 9am and 6pm, for quiet prayer and self imposition of ashes.

One of my favorite hymns, “Sunday’s Palms Are Wednesday’s Ashes,” by British-born hymn-writer Rae E. Whitney sets the tone for the holy season of Lent. Whitney reminds us that the Palm Sunday processional palms that signal the beginning of Holy Week are saved and burned for the next Ash Wednesday. These charred palms are imprinted as a cross on our forehead as a witness to our faith. The hymn refers to our failure to keep our baptismal vows and is asking God for forgiveness. It also talks about our inability to love our neighbor and thus asking God to create a pure heart in us.                                                            

Are you sick, struggling with sin, exhausted, anxious about anything? Come worship with us, and you will find healing, forgiveness, rest, and peace here at PUMC. If you feel broken, remember, God loves you regardless of how you feel. Let us, therefore, lift our voices together in song to our God and King. 

Click here to join us as we share in songs, prayer, music, scripture, and listen to Pastor Jenny’s Meditation. 

[Images Source: Google Images]

Written by Isabella Dougan  

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April 19, 2020: “Tell a story…”

(This post is ‘in progress,’ more details to be added and it will be posted on Facebook, where you can leave comments.)

In her April 19 sermon, which begins at minute 33 on the Facebook video, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz, spoke about the first chapter of John. She referred to Science Mike, Mike McHargue, who explains how our brains help us survive and thrive. They take all the bits of information that come to us and organize them into stories, creating order from chaos. This helps our brains be more efficient. If we aren’t given stories, our brains make up stories, and this is both beautiful and dangerous. The unhelpful stories might be based on your brain’s ‘tape” that was recorded when a parent or teacher told you something that defined you, not in a good way.  We need really good stories to  help us make meaning out of the world we live in. We need “God-written stories” not tapes that need to be transformed through the Resurrection story.

Another birth story of Jesus is in John 1. Jesus is making an appearance in the Flesh. And we are in that story. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Pastor Jenny quoted Walter Brueggeman:  “The words with which we praise God will shape the world in which we live.”

“Not only do God’s words create, but our words create.  God has ‘wired us’  to create stories. When we tell our stories we are co-creating with God. We are creating the world in which we live, and the words with which we praise God shape the world in which we live.”

Jesus’ parables are stories that not only describe the Kingdom of God, they create the Kingdom of God

The more we understand our story as one that is in line with God’s story, that we are co-creators of the kingdom of God, the more our lives can shine bright like the light that God created at the very beginning. Our stories create the world we live in. We are not at the mercy of God’s story, the story that is being written about the world. We are coauthors with God.

What is your defining story? How do you tell God’s story? How do you tell your life’s story?

“Tell me a story of your beginning…” asks Pastor Jenny. Her own favorite story about her beginnings is Psalm 139: God knit us together in our mother’s womb. . .

A favorite hymn: Tell me the stories of Jesus

(On the comments page, Joseph Paun recommended The Hope of Glory, by Jon Meacham)

Ida Cahill introduced the “Above and Beyond” campaign and offered a way to give offerings online. 

Christ arose! Low in the grave he lay was the closing hymn.

The complete service is being posted on Facebook . 

The sermon is from minutes 33 to 50.

 

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When God Made Light –

When God Made Light

For the children’s message on April 19, 2020, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz introduced this book, When God Made Light. by Matthew Paul Turner, illustrated by David Catrow.

One of the scripture stories for the first Sunday after Easter was from Genesis 1.

The second scripture was from John 1, a retelling of the birth of Jesus.

(If trying to support area merchants, this book can be ordered from Labyrinth Bookstore, with free delivery or curbside pickup. )