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Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard | Tim Perkins
Faith
May 5, 2022 - In the event you are unaware of what is going on, this coming Sunday is the day set aside in our country as “Mother's Day.” It is that day where we honor our mothers. We honor those who are teachers and disciplinarians. They are cleaning ladies, gardeners and mowers of lawns. And, with all that, they understand that baking cookies is more important than washing windows.
Mothers are nurses and doctors. They are psychologists, counselors, chauffeurs and coaches. They are also developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies and shapers of attitudes.
God commands us in His word to honor our mothers. It is also the sensible and loving thing to do. There are many of us who wish we still had our mothers living so we could honor them. So that we could remember them and love them. You see, while the world is full of mothers, no one can take the place of our own mother.
So, this Sunday, there will be cards, flowers, candy and various gifts showered on mother's in honor of her "special day.” Here's an idea of what you can give your mother for Mother's Day. Go and sit beside her in church this coming Sunday. I know she would like that. You see, all too soon the day will come that you can't sit beside her in church, so do it while you can.
It’s something to think about… tbp
Join Us for Worship this coming Lord's Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com.
May 5, 2022 - The annual Powdrill Cemetery Homecoming will be Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 12 noon. The event will be held the Grant barn, located 1 mile north of Arcadia. A short business meeting will follow. Bring your favorite dish and enjoy fellowship and visiting the cemetery grounds.
If you are unable to attend, donations may be mailed to Powdrill Cemetery Fund, c/o 549 Lakewood Dr., Center, Texas 75935.
May 5, 2022 - At noon today there will be a National Day of Prayer event in front of our historic courthouse.
The half-hour ceremony will include -
*National Anthem - Mayor Pro Tem, Leigh Porterfield
*Prayer for America - Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian
*Prayer for Schools - Elementary School Principal LeeAnn Masterson
*Prayer for Soldiers - VFW Quartermaster Larry Hume
*Prayer for First Responders - County Sheriff Kevin Windham
*Prayer for Churches - First Methodist Pastor Malcolm Monroe
*Prayer for Families - Shelby County Outreach Director Sherry Harding
And we’ll close the event by forming a prayer chain and singing “Amazing Grace”.
Join us today at noon for the National Day of Prayer!
May 4, 2022 - Sunday was the 3rd Sunday of Easter. We have had rain, wind, nice low humidity days and not-so-nice high humidity days. Typical spring in East Texas—with some wild weather thanks to climate change. In last week’s Sunday School lesson, the author spoke about our denomination United Methodist) and our stand to protect the planet from misuse by us humans. We are supposed to be the stewards of this beautiful earth, but we haven’t done a very good job.
I am late sitting down at my computer (I almost said typewriter—that dates me!) because I went to the hospital in Shreveport to have an injection in my spine. It was the third one, giving me some relief. Regardless, though, I am not ready to halt my pandemic therapy—gardening. I have 21 raised beds and containers; I really enjoy “playing in the dirt.” Gene and I were discussing how gardening isn’t a money-making proposition, but it is fun. On May 17th Joy and Gene will celebrate their anniversary. They will also be heading to Houston sometime in May to help their twins celebrate their 50th birthday.
Sunday was the first day of May: I can remember celebrating May Day, like field day, at my elementary school. Once, maybe in fourth grade, I was entered in the sack race. I was given a defective sack—it had no bottom. So I didn’t have to jump—just ran full out and won...or so I thought. I was disqualified because of my defective sack. Not my fault! Later that day I won the 50-yard dash and went home with one blue ribbon. During the 50s and 60s we were all fearful of communism. May Day sounded a little communist, so many schools in Texas changed the day to Americanization Day. We kids really didn’t care—a full day of recess was fine no matter what they called it. I remember that week of the Cuban Missile Crisis, going to the A&P, where a company was selling bomb shelters in the parking lot. They had several models you could choose from and tour. My brother and I were sold but couldn’t convince my dad that it would be a good investment.
Beginning a new month, we are collecting cans of fruit for Community Christian Services. I already delivered a couple of checks and the toothpaste and toothbrushes Paxton Methodists have been bringing to church all April long. Mrs. Ruby wanted me to thank the Paxton Methodists, and invited me to come back for lunch. I had a doctor’s appointment so I couldn’t stay.
Our Sunday School lesson was not an easy one to digest. This ancient law text from Leviticus made perfect sense to primitive agricultural people who lived in a tribal family system. Much of the text, however, fell on puzzled 21st Century ears. When the passage spoke of leaving some of the fields fallow we did understand that. The author tried to use the text to remind us of our role in creation and our function in preserving God’s Kingdom on Earth.
Our Church service began with words based on Psalm 30 as we gathered for worship, and our affirmation was The Apostles’ Creed. Sue read from the last chapter of the John Gospel; as I started my sermon, I read from the last chapter of the Mark Gospel. I wanted to stress how God more often than not meets us in the “ordinary” of life and not the extraordinary. In the Gospel, Jesus fixes breakfast for his disciples—can’t get much more ordinary than that! The writer of John says this was the third appearance of the resurrected Christ.
Our first song was “Savior, Like Shepherd Lead Us.” I felt it went along with Jesus asking Peter three times if Peter loved him, then telling the disciples to feed his sheep. The Hymn of Joy was “Blessed Assurance,” which heralded both the appearance of the resurrected Jesus in our Scripture and our commemoration of the Lord’s Supper. Because it was the first Sunday of the month we celebrated the Service of Communion and Remembrance.
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, and Open Minds.” 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 your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28
May 3, 2022 - My brother Bill enlisted in the Navy when we graduated from High School in 1950 and soon afterwards, I hitch-hiked to Springfield, Missouri and enrolled in The Baptist Bible College with dollars in my pocket and joined a number of other "pore" young preachers. My parents didn't have a phone, so Mother often wrote letters to keep me in touch with the family.
Even though postage stamps were only 3 cents back then, eight children were still at home and even a stamp was hard to come by at times. Each of Mother's letters were enclosed in a small "lick to seal" envelope and she faithfully wrote on the back of them, "All things work together for good to them who love the Lord...” "Romans 8:28." "Hen Doug, all things that happen to us won't be good,” she used to say… "but they will all work together for our good.”
On February 25, 1999 our saddened family gathered around Mother's casket for her burial in the cemetery at Center, Texas. As I stood reminiscing, I envisioned Mother's hands, her letters, and her special left-handed handwriting. And I recalled her saying to me, "Remember, Hen Doug… 'All things.' " And under my breath I whispered, "I know, Mother." "I do remember.”
"I always will.”
May 3, 2022 - On Thursday, May 5, Noon - 12:30, the people of Center are invited to gather at the "center of Center", in front of our historic courthouse, for a National Day of Prayer event. Would you give 30 minutes of your day to be one of a hundred community folks to join hands and circle the old courthouse in a prayer chain? That's going to be a memorable moment! The half hour program will also include the singing of the National Anthem and prayers for our country, our community, our schools, our churches, and our first responders. Join leaders from our city as we say together - "Prayer is powerful!", and as we lift our hearts together in prayer to God. Contact David Mathis at 979-533-1575 or dmathis@fbccenter.org for more info about the National Day of Prayer.
May 2, 2022 - The Campti Methodist Church and Cemetery Homecoming is scheduled for Sunday, May 15, 2022.
The business meeting is at 11:00 am and lunch at 12:00 noon
Donations can be taken by:
• Donna Jameson 579 CR 2010 Center, TX 75935 or,
• Mary Culver 357 CR 3080 Center 75935.
This homecoming is held the Third Sunday in May every year.
May 2, 2022 - House of Refuge Apostolic Ministries presents the 21st Annual Conference - Let's Ride for Jesus on May 11-13 at 7:30pm nightly.
Conference guest speakers are:
- Wednesday night - Sis. Stephanie Hicks, Reed Chapel Baptist Church, San Augustine
- Thursday night - First Lady Natasha Jones, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Center
- Friday night - Prophetess Ronda Coleman, Gates Community Church International, Athens
Everyone is invited! Conference host is Lady Pearl Nash.
May 2, 2022 - Good Morning! It's Monday, May 2.
This Thursday at noon there will be a National Day of Prayer event in front of our historic courthouse - in the "center of Center". I'm coordinating this half-hour event that will include the singing of the National Anthem, and prayers for our country, our schools, our churches, our military, our first responders, etc. If we have at least 100 people attend, we'll end the half hour with a human prayer chain around the courthouse, singing "Amazing Grace"! I invite all of our faithful daily devotion readers to come down and join us, as we come together to pray this Thursday at noon. Today we'll begin a brief series on prayer in preparation for the National Day of Prayer.
When it comes to the subject of prayer in the Bible - what's the first thing you think of? I imagine it's the passage that we call "The Lord's Prayer". We find two versions of it - a longer one in Matthew and a shorter one in Luke. Some people call this prayer "The Our Father". I like to call it "The Model Prayer" because it's not a record of Jesus praying, it's a record of Him teaching His disciples, and us, how to pray. I think that the real "Lord's Prayer" is found in John chapter 17. Jesus has completed the teaching lesson that He shared with the disciples in the Upper Room, and then, just before they go out to the Garden of Gethsemane where He will be arrested . . . Jesus prays.
It is a prayer that it is remarkable because of its very personal language, its intimate connection with God. In verse 10 Jesus prays, "All I have is yours, Father, and all You have is mine". And it is remarkable because, even though Jesus is about to face an unimaginable test, His prayer is almost completely directed outward. He's not praying for Himself, He's praying for His disciples, He's praying for me and you.
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as we are one. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them, even as You have loved me."
A selfless prayer. A prayer for others. A model prayer.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
May 2, 2022 - Plans are full steam ahead for this year’s homecoming. Let’s fill the tables with food and enjoy visiting with everyone. Bring your family and take in some fresh air. After the stress of the last few years come relax with friends. Hope to see a big crowd this year! Join us on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 11 a.m. for lunch.
Find us on Facebook - Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Donations may be mailed to:
Pleasant Hill Cemetery
P.O. Box 91
Shelbyville, TX 75973
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