January 2020 Newseltter

Happy New Year!!

Click on the link below to view the latest newsletter.

January 2020 Newsletter

Have a great day!
~ Carmen

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (12/22/19)

Sunday December 22 at 6:15 PM

Hayride and caroling. We will have a flatbed trailer. Come and join us, dress warm!

Tuesday December 24th

Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion at 6 PM.

Scripture for Sunday
Micah 4:6-5:5a

6 In that day, declares the LORD, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted; 7 and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore. 8 And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem. 

9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? 10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 

11 Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.” 12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.

1  Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. 

Questions for Reflection
1.    What did the prophet predict would happen to Israel? (4:9-10)
2.    Who would go against God’s people? (4:11-13)
3.    What happened to the ruler of Israel? (5:1)
4.    What were the ruler’s origins? (5:2)
5.    What is your view of the Christian’s role in bringing about peace in society?
6.    How can Christians have hope in persecution?
7.    How would you describe the strength and power of the Lord?

Scripture for Sunday (12/15/19)

Sunday December 15, 2019 - We will have our annual Children’s Christmas play during the worship hour.  We will have a pot luck breakfast during the Sunday School hour.

In preparation for Christmas read the story from the Gospel of Luke chapter 2.

Scripture 

Luke 2:1-21 (ESV) 

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Announcements

Announcements

Tonight Wednesday December 11, 2019

• Bible Study 5:30 PM on the Gospel of John, Chapters 9&10 @ Grace Place
• Christmas Carol Hymn Sing @ 6:30 PM in the Sanctuary

Sunday December 15, 2019

• We will have our annual Children’s Christmas play and we will have a pot luck breakfast during the Sunday School hour.

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (12/8/19)

• Saturday, December 7, 2019 - Men’s Breakfast at 8 AM; Coffee will be on at 6:30.
• Sunday December 8, 2019 - Community Christmas Cantata 6:00 PM in the First United Methodist Church sanctuary. 
• Sunday December 15, 2019 - We will have our annual children’s Christmas play during the worship hour.  We will have a pot luck breakfast during the Sunday School hour.

Scripture
Micah 3:5-11 (ESV) 

5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. 6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; 7 the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. 9 Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, 10 who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, “Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” 12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Questions for Reflection
1.    Who, in your view, is one of the greatest leaders of our time?
2.    What was the judgment on the false prophets? (3:5-7)
3.    What was the judgment on Jerusalem? (3:9-12)
4.    What examples of injustice and exploitation do you see around you?
5.    How can Christians become involved in bringing justice to their community?
6.    What is your view of the Christian’s role in bringing about peace in society?
7.    How can Christians have hope in persecution?
8.    How would you describe the strength and power of the Lord?

Scripture for Sunday (12/1/19)

Scripture
Micah 1:1-7 (ESV)

1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 2 Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 3 For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. 4 And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. 5 All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? 6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations. 7 All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, all her wages shall be burned with fire, and all her idols I will lay waste, for from the fee of a prostitute she gathered them, and to the fee of a prostitute they shall return.