Thursday, November 29, 2012

Not Your Ordinary Christmas





Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves mind, body, and spirit, for the birth and second coming of Jesus Christ.  And sometimes Advent and Christmas preparation can feel like sheer chaos.  Today, my office is filled with candy canes, bows, pine roping, and invitation cards, all purposed for the next two weekends Advent/Christmas Events.  But even in the middle of what may seem like ordinary Christmas stuff is this unbelievable feeling in my heart that I am preparing for something, something extraordinary.  And so I wonder what would it be like to spend the next four weeks really focused on a Advent and Christmas Season that transforms and changes the way we do life?  I’ve spent the last several days praying over the Advent and Christmas story in the book of Luke, and what is amazing is that these stories, although they are so familiar, seem so new!  I can’t believe the extraordinary work of God in ordinary people’s lives.  So check it out: read Luke chapters 1-3.  Take your time and savor each line.  And experience the wonder of God’s work again.    


Just a reminder this week:  It is awesome to be part of a church family that celebrates Advent and Christmas in such a joy-filled, family friendly, community centered way.  This week I hope to see you at the Delhi Christmas Parade on December 1 at 9:30am or watching our children tell the Secret of Snow Flake County during the Children’s Christmas Play on Saturday Night 5:30pm or Sunday Morning 11 am.  And next week, December 8 we have the Live Nativity starting after Saturday Night Worship at 6:30pm-9:30pm and this year our No Strings Attached Puppet Ministry will be preforming at 7:30pm.  It’s a great opportunity for parents to let their kids watch the puppet show as they pray through the Stations of the Crib.  The Stations will be available to everyone Saturday from 10am to 9pm.  These events are incredible ways to invite our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to experience the love filled ministry of Shiloh United Methodist Church!

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Pastor Rachel 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Information



As I write my blog today I have important information I would like to share with you.  

Last week most people in the congregation received a letter from our Office Administrator Gail Harris sharing with us her final day in the office of November 21, 2012.  Gail served this congregation for 8 years with passion, determination, and a heart for Christ.   We are thankful for her service and we wish Gail success in her journey.  In light of this we will be hiring a full-time staff person soon.  But in the meantime some people have been asking how they communicate information to the office staff.  If you have questions concerning information please contact the following: 

Building & Scheduling: Paul Vanderboschpaul@shilohumc.com or 451-3600 # 104

Financial Questions: Paul Vanderbosch: paul@shilohumc.com or 451-3600 # 104

Bulletin Articles: Danny Drummond: danny@shilohumc.com or 451-3600 #102

Prayer Concerns: Kathy Lowry: kflowry@fuse.net or 451-3600 (general mailbox)

Christmas Gift Requests: Brent Dearnell: brent@shilohumc.com or 451-3600 #106

Other Concerns: Rachel Billups: rachel@shilohumc.com or 451-3600 #105 


As things progress we will continue to communicate information to you.    


Peace, 

Pastor Rachel 




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Go Ahead and Thank God


We may not realize it, but our celebration of Thanksgiving has a rich and yet sorrowful history.  In 1863, then President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday of the month to be a day set aside as “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”  Why?  We’ll it was because Lincoln was peering over the landscape of a divided nation.  A nation where brother turned against brother and the result was The Civil War.  Now if Abraham Lincoln and the entire nation could give thanks in the middle of that kind of tension, just imagine the kind of praise and thanksgiving we can give to God for the circumstances we find ourselves in: some wonderful and joy-filled and others just plain hard.  And so this thanksgiving I wonder as we gather together at our dinner tables we could pray with all of our hearts a prayer of thankfulness.  Let us pray: 

I give Thee thanks for every drop— 
The bitter and the sweet. 

I praise Thee for the desert road, 
And for the riverside; 
For all Thy goodness hath bestowed, 
And all Thy grace denied. 

I thank Thee for both smile and frown, 
And for the gain and loss; 
I praise Thee for the future crown 
And for the present cross. 

I thank Thee for both wings of love 
Which stirred my worldly nest; 
And for the stormy clouds which drove 
Me, trembling, to Thy breast. 

I bless Thee for the glad increase, 
And for the waning joy; 
And for this strange, this settled peace 
Which nothing can destroy.

--Jane Crewdson (1860)





Friday, November 9, 2012

My Hope Is In You



“But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you” Psalm 39:7 NIV

Over the last three days, the pastoral staff (Brent, Dorian, and Danny) and myself traveled to Hyde Park Community Church to dream of God’s possibilities for 2013.  It has been interesting to spend time in prayer purposed not only for the future of our church, but the future of our nation.  On Tuesday evening we were going to spend time together in worship at Hyde Park’s Erie building.  For those of you unfamiliar with the building it is a former convent purchased by Hyde Park and used for many events like Emmaus Walks and Awaken the City.  But we received an email from a member of Shiloh, Cathy Hunt, who works at the local Episcopal Church, Church of the Redeemer.  The email was an invitation to an evening Communion Celebration and since we had planned on worshipping together anyway, we went.  And, I am so thankful we did.  Long before any votes were counted or any political races called, Brent, Danny, Dorian, and I spent the evening with Christians from numerous churches affirming our unity and declaring that our hope is in the Lord!   
So often we can place our hope in human beings, and whether they are presidential candidates with well funded campaigns or even friends that disappoint, it’s important to be reminded that our hope is in the Lord.  I don’t know if the person you voted for won or lost, but what I do know is that our hope, our security, our future is not measured by four year terms, our hope was measured on the cross.  This weekend concludes our sermon series, “We’re Joining A Movement.”  We will have the opportunity to commitment our time, talents, and treasures to God’s work, God’s hope for 2013.  “But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you” Psalm 39:7 NIV

Pastor Rachel 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Superstorm Sandy


Over the course of the last several days our TV and computer screens have been bombarded by images of the devastation throughout the East Coast caused by super storm Sandy.  Millions of people have been affected by flooding, loss of utilities, and a lack of access to simple transportation.  As the number of people killed or injured by the storm continues to rise, our hearts and prayers are lifted.  But God is asking us to more than pray, this weekend we will be taking up a special offering for UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  UMCOR is our denominational emergency relief organization works on behalf of The United Methodist Church to meet the emergency needs of persons suffering as a result of worldwide disasters.  Not only does UMCOR serve as the helping arm of the UMC, but also 100 percent of what we give to UMCOR is used to help those affect by the storm.  And so I am asking you, our Shiloh family to prayerfully and generously give to this weekends special offering to help those persons and families in need.  For more information about UMCOR go to www.umcor.org.  

Thank you for serving Jesus Christ through your generosity,  

Pastor Rachel