Lenten Devotional for April 1

TIME FOR GOD: A time to love and a time to hate

Think about what it is to love, and what it is to hate. To love oneself is the key to being able to receive love and to love others in return. To love God, to love one’s neighbour and to love creation is to be fully human. “Love … your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always ‘me first,’ doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6 - The Message Bible)

Hatred is a strong emotion that we tend not to like to talk about, but the Bible has something to say about hatred, as it does about love: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.” (Hebrews 1:9)

”There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Today’s challenge is to consider the idea that ‘love always hopes’ and ‘love never gives up’. How far are you persevering with the belief that the future is secure in God’s hands – whatever good or bad things humans may do?
_____________________
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Lenten Devotional for March 31

The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, a prayer dating back to the fourth century:

O Lord and Master of my Life,
Take away from me the spirit of laziness,
faint-heartedness, lust for power, and idle talk.

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Instead grant me, your servant,
the spirit of purity, humility, patience, and love.

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Yes, Lord and King,
give me the power to see my own faults
and not to judge my brother.
For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lenten Devotional for March 30

(Picture from lambofgodnj.org)


Coventry litany of reconciliation
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom 3,23)

The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father forgive.

The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father forgive.

The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father forgive.

Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father forgive.

Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father forgive.

The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
Father forgive.

The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father forgive.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Prayer © Coventry Cathedral, UK; reproduced by kind permission of the Coventry Cathedral Chapter

Sunday Morning, March 29th

The chapel was full this morning for the combined fifth-Sunday worship service. Mollie Ronge, director of Camp Norwesca, presented the children's time as well as a moving sermon based on John 12:20-33.

At the end of the service, Valeta Rosenbaum, chair of the S/PPRC, rose to say that Pastor Charles had an announcement to make. Pastor Charles announced that the decision has been made to make a change in pastoral leadership for the First UMC in Sidney and he and Belinda would be leaving at the end of June.

After the service, many folks joined the youth for the final Lenten brunch in the fellowship hall. It was announced that Judy Rosenbaum had submitted the winning bid in the silent auction for a wonderful quilt. The proceeds are going in support of the youth mission trip to Paraguay next summmer.

Lenten Devotional for March 29

Presented to the First African Baptist Church and Society, Boston, MA, 1835

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Enable me to say from my heart, Thy will be done, O God. The heaven is thy throne, and earth is thy footstool; neither may any say unto thee, what doest thou? But thou art the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, yet will thou condescend to look upon him that is of a humble, a broken, and a contrite heart.

As such, enable me, O God, to bow before thee at this time, under a deep sense of my guilt and unworthiness. It was my sins that caused thee to arise in thy wrath against me. Be pleased, O God, to blot them from thy book, and remember them no more for ever. Bless the church to which I belong. Thine arm is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is thine ear heavy that it cannot hear; but it is our sins that have separated thee from us. Purge us from all our dross; hide thy face from our iniquities, and speak peace to our troubled souls.

Bless thy servant, our pastor; let not this soul be discouraged, but may an angel appear unto him, strengthening him. Bless all the benighted sons and daughters of Africa, especially my unconverted friends. And though I may long sleep in death before thou wilt perform this work, yet grant that in the resurrection morn we may all awake in thy likeness, and our souls be bound in the sure bundle of eternal life. Amen.

(from Prayer in America)

Lenten Devotional for March 28

Prayer for Enlightenment
Lord I have so many whys. I could go on and on, but nothing will change no matter how many times I ask. I do not understand this. I do not understand You. But I realize I am not meant to. You, O Lord, are high above all, and I must give my questions to you once and for all. Forgive me when I limit You, doubt You, and expect You to fail me. I am so small compared to You, yet You love me more than I can comprehend. Instead of focusing on the questions, I want to start focusing on the Answers – You. Help me to better understand Your attributes and Your plan for my life.

Faithful God, I must look at You first. Teach me about Your goodness and sovereignty. Teach me to see the big picture and not just the pebbles of my unanswered questions. Lord, I’m willing to try. Help me to understand that I CANNOT do anything without Your enabling. You only expect me to love You and learn about You, and your spirit will do the rest within me and through me.

Lord, I don’t understand. I’m asking You and being very honest with You. Please answer according to Your will, but also, can You show me how I am to deal with this? What would You have me to learn? How would You have me to operate from this point on. Teach me Lord, guide me and fill me with your spirit and grace. In Jesus Name. Amen.

(from mourningtojoy.blogspot.com)

Lenten Devotional for March 27

Prayer of Reconciliation
Forgiveness is a way of life for families. Every day family members are called to forgive one another for infractions both great and small, here is a prayer you can share with the entire family.

Litany of Reconciliation
Blessed are you, Lord our God. We come before you to ask your forgiveness for all of our failings both great and small.

Generous God, you give us so many gifts in life, yet sometimes we forget to share them. And so we say...We are sorry.

Faithful God, you are with us in one another, yet we sometimes refuse to recognize you. And so we say... We are sorry.

God of gentleness, you ask us to bring peace to our family and to the world, yet sometimes we spread anger and trouble. And so we say... We are sorry.

Gracious God, you give us a voice with which to sing, and words to speak, and yet sometimes our words are hurtful or untrue. And so we say... We are sorry.

Loving God, you sent your only son to show us how to love and serve one another, and yet we sometimes are selfish and unloving. And so we say... We are sorry.

Merciful God, help us to ask forgiveness when we need to. Help us to forgive others who have wronged us. And let us be peacemakers in our school and in our family. We thank you for the gift of your forgiveness and love. Amen.

(from faithfirst.com)

Lenten Devotional for March 26

Psalm 90 (The Message)A Prayer of Moses, Man of God
1-2 God, It seems you've been our home forever; long before the mountains were born, long before you brought earth itself to birth, from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come" — you are God.

3-11 So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!" Patience! You've got all the time in the world — whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you. Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass that springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought? Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope. You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books. All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get? We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), and what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard. Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you?

12-17 Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! Come back, God—how long do we have to wait? — and treat your servants with kindness for a change. Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all the day long. Make up for the bad times with some good times; we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime. Let your servants see what you're best at— the ways you rule and bless your children. And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

A Prayer for Reconciliation
(from the Church of England)
GRACIOUS God, ruling the earth and its people not by terror but in love; we worship you. We confess that too often our words hurt others and our deeds are selfish; forgive us. In this time of uncertainty and fear, help us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

National Honor Society Induction at Leyton High School Today!

Our very own Whitney Armbruster was one of nine people inducted into the National Honor Society today at the Leyton High School. Pastor Charles and Belinda joined family and friends who were there to observe the ceremony.

Whitney, your church family is so proud of your achievement!

It's true what some say: Your life is God's gift to you, and what you do with it is your gift to God!

Lenten Devotional - #26

Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom

O Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly blessings;
O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment;
O Lord, if I have sinned in my mind or thought, in word deed, forgive me.
O Lord, deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness of the soul and stony hardness of heart;
O Lord, deliver me from every temptation;
O Lord, enlighten my heart darkened by evil desires;
O Lord, I, being a human being, have sinned; do Thou, being God, forgive me in Thy lovingkindness, for Thou knowest the weakness of my soul.
O Lord, send down Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy holy Name;
O Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me, Thy servant, in the Book of Life, and grant me a blessed end;
O Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me, according to Thy grace, that I may make a start in doing good.
O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Thy grace;
O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, cold of heart and impure, in Thy Kingdom.
O Lord, receive me in repentance;
O Lord, leave me not;
O Lord, save me from temptation;
O Lord, grant me pure thoughts;
O Lord, grant me tears of repentance, remembrance of death, and the sense of peace;
O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins;
O Lord, grant me humility, charity, and obedience;
O Lord, grant me tolerance, magnanimity, and gentleness;
O Lord, implant in me the root of all blessings: the fear of Thee in my heart;
O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love Thee with all my heart and soul, and that I may obey in all things Thy will;
O Lord, shield me from evil persons and devils and passions and all other lawless matters;
O Lord, Who knowest Thy creation and that which Thou hast willed for it; may Thy will also be fulfilled in me, a sinner, for Thou art blessed forevermore. Amen.

Quilt Guild at Work

The Threads of Freindship Quilt Guild was hard at work today (Wednesday is their regular meeting day) and what work they were doing!

Lois Thayer's family brought a large quantity of fabric and other items to be used by the Guild. Lois was a long-time friend and supporter of this ministry. In addition to the sorting of the donated material, two quilts are in process including one for Bea Dinkel, a former First UMC member. In the bottom picture, Marge Sabin stands next to Bea's quilt.

Stop by Wednesdays and see for yourself what all the fun is about! The group, which includes one man, Leroy Virgil, also breaks around noon for a potluck, visit us soon!

See more Quilt Guild pictures at this link.

Prayer Shawl for Frank McClure

A prayer shawl was presented this afternoon by Pastor Charles to Frank McClure, a resident of the Golden Living Center here in Sidney.

The lovely shawl is the fifteenth shawl given by the Faith Stitcher's group this year. This shawl was made by Kerri Sheldon with love.

A Snowy Tuesday in Lent

Psalm 84 (New Century Version)
1 Lord All-Powerful, how lovely is your Temple! 2 I want more than anything to be in the courtyards of the Lord's Temple. My whole being wants to be with the living God. 3 The sparrows have found a home, and the swallows have nests. They raise their young near your altars, Lord All-Powerful, my King and my God. 4 Happy are the people who live at your Temple; they are always praising you. Selah

5 Happy are those whose strength comes from you, who want to travel to Jerusalem. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it like a spring. The autumn rains fill it with pools of water. 7 The people get stronger as they go, and everyone meets with God in Jerusalem.8 Lord God All-Powerful, hear my prayer; God of Jacob, listen to me. Selah

9 God, look at our shield; be kind to your appointed king. 10 One day in the courtyards of your Temple is better than a thousand days anywhere else. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the Temple of my God than live in the homes of the wicked. 11 The Lord God is like a sun and shield; the Lord gives us kindness and honor. He does not hold back anything good from those whose lives are innocent. 12 Lord All-Powerful, happy are the people who trust you!

A Prayer for Reconciliation
Gracious God, ruling the earth and its people not by terror but in love; we worship you.

We confess that too often our words hurt others and our deeds are selfish; forgive us.

In this time of uncertainty and fear, help us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen

(from Rochester Cathedral (United Kingdom)

Lent on a stormy Monday

Psalm 81 (King James Version)

Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not. I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots. Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Prayer of St. Benedict of Nursia
Gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you, and a life to proclaim you through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Psalm 81 (Amplified Bible)
To the Chief Musician; set to Philistine lute, or [possibly] a particular Gittite tune. [A Psalm] of Asaph.

1SING ALOUD to God our Strength! Shout for joy to the God of Jacob! 2Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp. 3Blow the trumpet at the New Moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4For this is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5This He ordained in Joseph [the [a]savior] for a testimony when He went out over the land of Egypt. The speech of One Whom I knew not did I hear [saying],6I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. 7You called in distress and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 8Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you--O Israel, if you would listen to Me! 9There shall no strange god be among you, neither shall you worship any alien god.10I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. 12So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust and let them go after their own stubborn will, that they might follow their own counsels. 13Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!
14Speedily then I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. 15[Had Israel listened to Me in Egypt, then] those who hated the Lord would have come cringing before Him, and their defeat would have lasted forever.
16[God] would feed [Israel now] also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I satisfy you.

Prayer for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

(from the Daily Office)

Sunday Night Activities at the Church

A great day at the First UMC was brought to a bliss-filled conclusion with the UMYF for food, study and fun and the Chocolate for Lent study meeting for week four of our study (along with some really good brownies made by Sandy Long and chocolate provided by Kristina Spriggs).

Sunday - Morning (Mar 22)

Is there any more satisfying and encouraging sound than that of laughter in the church? This sound was heard from every corner of the church building this morning, and it was music to God, I'm sure!

Children circled in prayer: It was a beautiful sight to behold!

Thanks to Rilla Draper and Scott Kelsey for serving as lectors this morning while William Draper and Chastity Brown were our acolytes.

The ladies of the UMW offered this morning's Lenten brunch, and a very hungry group of folk showed its appreciation for the ladies' efforts.

The UMW this week

The ladies of the First United Methodist Church were very busy this week and their church is happy they were!

The Faith Stitcher's are the beneficiaries of the work Rilla Draper did in sorting out the yarn for the prayer shawl ministry. Please visit their new web page today, and see for yourself or stop by room 201. Prepare to be amazed!

The evening circle and the morning circle also met this week, and the fellowship and learning were up to the usual high standards these ladies have set. One of the UMW members has read all 21 books from this year's UMW Reading Program! What a great witness! Carol Mason gave a wonderful presentation at the evening UMW circle meeting.

This afternoon, Belinda Alkula, Carrie Balfour, Arlene Christensen, Judy Rosenbaum, Bonnie Thompson and Rosalie Wilson got together to assemble the necessary items for the Lenten brunch tomorrow following the 10:00 a.m. service. You won't want to miss the result of these efforts!

Reflection for March 21st

Psalm 75 (American Standard Version)
For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tash-heth. A Psalm of Asaph; a song.







1We give thanks unto thee, O God; We give thanks, for thy name is near: Men tell of thy wondrous works. 2 When I shall find the set time, I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I have set up the pillars of it. Selah

4 I said unto the arrogant, Deal not arrogantly; And to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5 Lift not up your horn on high; Speak not with a stiff neck. 6 For neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor yet from the south, cometh lifting up. 7 But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and lifteth up another. 8 For in the hand of Jehovah there is a cup, and the wine foameth; It is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same: Surely the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall drain them, and drink them. 9 But I will declare for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; But the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

A PRAYER FOR REDEMPTION

Jesus, I hear You calling me. I feel You loving me. I know about Your ultimate sacrifice for me. I come to You just as I am and with all that I am. My sins violated the Father and I am so sorry. I repent of them and ask Your forgiveness. I love You because You are Love Itself and You loved me first.

I surrender my entire self and respond gratefully to Your invitation to live in You and have You live in me, now and forever. I pledge to You and announce to all that You are my Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Master and High Priest. Cover me with Your redemptive blood and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Heal and transform me from being darkness to being light, the light of the world.

I am willing to let Your Spirit take over every part of me and pray for Your grace to help me let go of self-indulgence, self-promotion, self-interest and rather make You the center of my life and complete obedience to You, as Your servant, my passion. I know Your friends are to be my friends, and Your enemies are to be my own. Your ways will be mine. I know You will discipline me for my own spirit's sake. I accept all this while I embrace You and am nurtured by Your infinite love and mercy and sustained by my complete faith and trust in You, in the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Come Lord Jesus, live in me as I live in You. I love You. I will follow You every day of my life, a life without end. Thank you for loving me into Your kingdom! Amen.

(from Prayergear.com)

Lent in Springtime

Today is the first day of spring. May the grace of our Lord be with you this day and all the days of new life in His name.

Psalm 70 (New International Reader's Version)
For the director of music. A prayer of David.

1 God, hurry and save me. Lord, come quickly and help me.
2 Let those who are trying to kill me be put to shame. Let them not be honored. Let all those who want to destroy me be turned back in shame.
3 Some people make fun of me. Let them be turned back when their plans fail.
4 But let all those who look to you be joyful and glad because of what you have done. Let those who love you because you save them always say, "May God be honored!"
5 But I am poor and needy. God, come quickly to me. You are the One who helps me and saves me. Lord, please don't wait any longer.

Prayer in Spring (by Robert Frost)

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orcahrd white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Lenten Devotional - #24

Psalm 66 (Young's Literal Translation)

1To the Overseer. -- A Song, a Psalm. Shout ye to God, all the earth. 2Praise ye the honour of His name, Make ye honourable His praise. 3Say to God, `How fearful [are] Thy works, By the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee.
4All the earth do bow to Thee, They sing praise to Thee, they praise Thy name.' Selah.
5Come ye, and see the works of God, Fearful acts toward the sons of men. 6He hath turned a sea to dry land, Through a river they pass over on foot, There do we rejoice in Him. 7Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.
8Bless, ye peoples, our God, And sound the voice of His praise, 9Who hath placed our soul in life, And suffered not our feet to be moved. 10For Thou hast tried us, O God, Thou hast refined us as the refining of silver. 11Thou hast brought us into a net, Thou hast placed pressure on our loins. 12Thou hast caused man to ride at our head. We have entered into fire and into water, And Thou bringest us out to a watered place. 13I enter Thy house with burnt-offerings, I complete to Thee my vows,14For opened were my lips, And my mouth spake in my distress: 15`Burnt-offerings of fatlings I offer to Thee, With perfume of rams, I prepare a bullock with he-goats.' Selah.
16Come, hear, all ye who fear God, And I recount what he did for my soul. 17Unto Him [with] my mouth I have called, And exaltation [is] under my tongue. 18Iniquity, if I have seen in my heart, The Lord doth not hear. 19But God hath heard, He hath ttended to the voice of my prayer. 20Blessed [is] God, Who hath not turned aside my prayer, And His loving-kindness, from me!

A Prayer for Thursday
Word of God, bless the silence between words, bless the silence between what is said and what is heard, bless the silence between what happens and what is remembered, bless the silence - before we fill it.

[Silence]

Help us to hear silence, pursue quietness, and relish tranquility that we may be conscious that You are this near to us.
God, fill the silence with your Spirit and let us breathe You into our entire being. Amen.

(from the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada)

New page on the web site

The Prayer Shawl Ministry of the First UMC - Sidney now has its own page on the First UMC web site.

Please visit the page at this link and see what the members of the Stitching Faith group are up to today!

Lenten Devotional - #23

Psalm 63 (Darby Translation)
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh languisheth for thee, in a dry and weary land without water: 2To see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary; 3For thy loving-kindness is better than life: my lips shall praise thee. 4So will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips. 6When I remember thee upon my bed, I meditate on thee in the night-watches: 7For thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings will I sing for joy. 8My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 9But those that seek my soul, to destroy [it], shall go into the lower parts of the earth; 10They shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be the portion of foxes. 11But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: for the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Prayer for Healing
Touch me, touch me where I need you,touch the place where I'm calling out to you
because the healing is the healing of the heart.

In the lonely places, in the hours of dereliction, help me to feel your touch
returning to me again and again.

Touch me with your wholeness, take me, hold me safe, give me peace in the embrace of your arms, be with me always.

In the place where I'm calling out to you, come softly in and touch, because the healing is the healing of the heart, and you alone can make me whole.

(from Morning Prayer.com)

Nebraska Wesleyan University Band Visit

First UMC was busy today as preparations were underway for the sixty-plus students and staff from Nebraska Wesleyan University's Symphonic Band that came to our church for supper before a concert at Sidney High School.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to tonight's meal - the students were really appreciative of a home-cooked meal and the hospitality of Sidney's FUMC!

Thanks also goes to the serving/cleaning crew: Arlene Christensen, Shirley Oliverius, Dan and Marliee Rowan, Kristina Spriggs and Rosalie Wilson.

Photos from tonight are available at this link.

Devotional for St. Patrick's Day

This prayer is often called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" because of those parts of it which seek God's protection.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through the confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of demons,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

The picture above is of The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick - Dublin (Ireland) (Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig)

This week at the First UMC

It has been a busy week already here at the First UMC in Sidney and it is only Tuesday!

Sunday was a full day with worship, studies, and fellowship taking place from early morning to late in the evening.

We were thrilled on Sunday to be able to announce the establishment of the "Prayer Shawl Incubator" in room 201. Rilla Draper organized the yarn in such a way that everything needed for the knitting or crocheting of shawls is ready for pick-up.

We are also taking sign-ups for Vacation Bible School (VBS) in June. This year we are co-sponsoring "Crocodile Dock" with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and are excited about the prospects of having 125-150 children in church the week of June 14-18!

The Chocolate for Lent study is on-going and we are having so much fun learning and sharing the delicious chocolate! Come join us next Sunday evening at 6pm.