October 9, 2017 - Sunday was the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We are still waiting for autumn to make its appearance. I hope we don’t go straight from summer to winter. I love fall with the cool mornings and the pleasant days. This morning felt good, but as we were leaving church it was obvious that it was going to be another summer day. At least the lovebugs have moved on!
Our lessons this quarter in Sunday school all deal with covenant. Today’s lesson presented God’s covenant with Israel. The lesson was based on Exodus 19:16-25; on this special day the tribes were called to the mountain, where they witnessed thunder, lightning, and smoke, causing them to shake with fear. The covenant with God is what has held the Jewish people together despite being a conquered people most of their existence.
It was great to see Lily, Liz, and Mike this morning. They were up from Houston working at the farm. Lily hasn’t been feeling well and has been in our thoughts and prayers. It was good to hear that they got through Hurricane Harvey with no damage. We talked about the Astros and the Cubs—it is October! This month we are collecting peanut butter and jelly to donate to Community Christian Services. Our church is also going to help with the cost of snacks for the Tenaha 5th Quarter on October 20. Our program at Focused Care (AKA Green Acres) will be this Thursday at 10:15.
The Joaquin Senior Center shot clinic (flu and pneumonia) will be Thursday, October 19—and again on Thursday, November 16 if you miss October’s. They are also having their annual garage sale fundraiser on Saturday, October 14 to coincide with the Trail of Treasure. The “treasure” is 50 miles of sales, bargains, and special offers at restaurants, stores, and, yes, garage sales. The Seniors would be happy to see you, especially if you find some treasure to buy from them!
The Epistle Lesson for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time is Philippians 3:4b-14. Our lesson finds Paul in prison, looking back and remembering. Paul had a good Jewish pedigree, but we know that he found inner peace only when he became a Jesus follower. Many of the Pauline letters talk about life as a journey or a race. Paul also spoke of the need to strive for perfection—moving always toward living as Christ lived. We Methodists know that John Wesley really felt that life was a journey toward Christian Perfection: This idea become one of the major tenets of Methodism.
“Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:30 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. Godspeed.
Randy & Sue Smith
Paxton Methodist Church
