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To Ponder: Sermon excerpt July 19, 2020

“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…
This is the inter-related structure of reality.”

excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail and the Struggle that Changed a Nation

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Recommended Reading: How the Stars Fell into the Sky

To go along with the lectionary passage for June 19, 2020, the parable of weeds among the wheat in Matthew 13, Pastor Jenny Smith Walz read, for children’s time, How the Stars Fell into the Sky, by Jerri Oughten, the retelling of a Navajo folktale. In this clip, we learn how First Woman tried to write the laws of the land using stars in the sky, only to be thwarted by the trickster Coyote.

“What is there to do next that is half so important as writing the laws,” said First Woman. But Coyote lacked First Woman’s patience and shattered her careful patterns. “There was no undoing what Coyote had done.”

Says Jenny — “these stories help us know why it is so hard to know what is to be done. When you feel confused, maybe you look to the stars. Maybe you talk to God. I hope we can remember that God is patient, patient with us, with a confusing world, and that God will always help us and hold us.”

“Help us when we are confused and scared to remember the stories you teach us and that you are always there….”

Here is Matthew 13: 24-30

24 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[a] of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants[b] said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

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COMMUNITY SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

Thank you, Cornerstone Community Kitchen!

Cornerstone Community Kitchen (CCK) has been continuing its mission of addressing hunger needs in our community, but in a very different way than they did pre-COVID. They continue to gather food items from a variety of sources, including prepared meals from TASK, produce from farms, and non-perishables.

Our volunteers put these items together into take-out packages that are distributed to guests through the door that leads to the fellowship hall, where the guests are waiting outside to receive them. The clothing closet has also opened in a limited, but exciting way, with selected items available outside for people to choose from.  Kudos to the CCK team who has re-imagined their ministry in light of these challenging circumstances.

 

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Capital District Prayer Pilgrimage: July 19-25

 

 

 

 

Following the lead of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Hector Burgos, Capital District Superintendant, invites Capital congregations to join in a seven-week prayer pilgrimage.

WEEK 1 (July 19-25) Pray for clergy, congregational leaders and members to take full responsibility for their faith journey. Followers of Christ that fully embrace the reality of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40) and Jesus New Commandment (John 13:31-35) for their lives, will shape congregations that don’t just survive and live but instead thrive and grow.

For complete information on the vigil, click here.

 

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Outreach Initiatives—an opportunity to make a difference

 

Since March, our nation has been impacted by a series of stunning events and traumas. In less than four months our world has been turned upside down. Who would have expected that over 110,000 Americans would have died from the coronavirus, a pandemic which has swept the world, with New Jersey and New York the worst-hit areas? Who would have expected 40,000,000 Americans would be out of work? On top of this, the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police proved to be the fuel to ignite an explosion of protests, demonstrations and calls for the end of racial discrimination sweeping our nation. 

So many lives have been shattered, broken almost beyond recognition. The need for healing and reconciliation is everywhere. 

The Outreach Committee welcomes ideas on a program you could begin! 

As we hope to move toward recovery in the months ahead, Princeton UMC has funds earmarked as seed money to start new programs to serve the community. From seeds, a mighty forest grows. We – you actually – are invited to help shape events, find a new normal, and build toward a better future. John Wesley’s rule rings truer than ever: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as you can.” 

Countless issues face us on the way to healing and recovery. For instance, how do we: 

  • help our church, community, and nation heal the brokenness revealed by racial inequalities?
  • assist people whose jobs are no longer there?
  • assist students with new remote learning challenges?
  • strengthen our outreach to a shell-shocked community forced to hide and shelter?
  • address and cure deep-seated prejudices and racial and other inequalities?
  • help the healing process for a community that has gone through these savage crises?

Do you have ideas for sustainable solutions that will help?

We welcome your specific proposals in writing on how you might use funds to begin new initiatives for recovery. Please submit your ideas or refer any questions to:

Karen Longo-Baldwin (klongobaldwin@gmail.com)

or

Jeff Sayre (Jeffcsayre@verizon.net).

We invite your ideas and your personal involvement!
Your Outreach Committee

Posted by Isabella Dougan

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Recommended Reading: A Blessing with Roots

Jan Richardson wrote the blessing that Pastor Jenny Smith Walz spoke, as a benediction, on Sunday July 12

Here is its source.

Here is how the blessing begins:

Tug at this blessing
and you will find
it is a thing
with roots.

This is a blessing
that has gone deep
into good soil,
into the sacred dark,
into the luminous hidden.

It has been months
since the ground
gathered the seed
of this blessing
into itself,
years since the earth
enfolded it.

Sometimes
that’s how long
a blessing takes.

 

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The Lord’s Prayer: Rosalind Hayes

Rosy Hayes, one of the confirmands this year, wrote her own version of the Lord’s Prayer. 

Dear God,
I praise you and your presence. I hope to see your kingdom
come and bring peace, love and happiness for all.
Thank you for everything you have given to me. The food,
shelter, education, family and friends, and love.
I pray that I don’t take these precious things for granted. And
forgive me for sometimes being mean and impatient with
others.
Please help me be the way you were with me for others. Thank
you for blessing me so much and forgiving too.
Save me from taking a path of bad choices and regret and lead
me to the path so I can follow you.
For you have the knowledge and power, you are my lord.
Amen.

 

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The Lord’s Prayer: Ben Nalbone

Ben Nalbone, one of the confirmands this year, wrote his own version of the Lord’s Prayer. 

Our God who is above us all
You are praised by all beings
Thank you for everything you have created on earth, all of it is beautiful
May we always work with you to take care of the environment you have made for us
Thank you for providing what we need and continuing to help us
As well as forgiving us for our mistakes
You inspire the people on your earth to forgive others for their misdeeds
Help us accept our imperfections and lead us to be better people
Save us from the evils in this world
God, you are our source of love and unity.
May you help us care for each other always
Amen