Bits from Beth

March 5, 2026

 

Dear Friends:

We welcomed Chris Johnson by baptism and profession of faith into our church family this past Sunday. It was such a treat to have his Sunday School Class coming forward with him and laying hands with him at the altar as he made this big decision for his life.

It was a special Sunday.

 

We are now approaching the third Sunday in Lent. The Gospel lectionary is from the fourth Chapter of John, the story of Jesus talking to the woman at the well. Prior to meeting Jesus, this woman’s life was a disaster. Five husbands had divorced her and she was now living with a man who was not her husband. She was an outcast. Most women came to the well in the early hours of the morning before the sun became scorching. She avoided those social gathering because most women wanted nothing to do with her. She knew if she came when the sun was at its hottest, she would have the well to herself. It was there she encountered Jesus and her life changed. Not because she did anything differently. She was still divorced. She was still outcast. But Jesus extended grace. That grace became the living water that change her and changed her entire village. Grace still works that way but way too many Christian think judgment must come before grace. That is not the way of Jesus.

 

This Sunday we will be talking about the Lord’s Prayer which is found in the sixth Chapter of Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount. We did a study on The Lord’s Prayer several years ago and it was one of our most attended studies. Our Hand Bells will be playing this Sunday which is always a special worship experience. You can watch the service live on Facebook and later in the afternoon when it is posted to our account on YouTube. An audio recording of the service will play at 9:00am on FM97.1 radio the following Sunday.

 

If you are homebound for a Sunday, check with your Sunday School Class to see if they have call-in. Gloria bounds called into her Sunday School class every week. She said she could hear all the discussion and it was the next best thing to being there.

 

Next Sunday, March 15th, is UMCOR Sunday. It used to be called One Great hour of Sharing until it got confused with other events by the same name. What is UMCOR stand for? United Methodist Committee on Relief. Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief strengthen United Methodist response to humanitarian crises around the world through disaster relief and recovery, migrant and refugee support, environmental sustainability, agriculture and food security. With the federal budget cuts to humanitarian relief both at home and abroad, the work of UMCOR has grown. You can bring checks, empty your home coin jar, or bring cash to give to the special offering our children will be taking at Children’s Time. We do so much to support or local community but we care about our world as well.

 

Have a great week!

Grace and peace,

Beth