March 26, 2018 - Sunday was Palm Sunday. Fannie wrote this note that she would like to get out to everyone who came all these years to the Sunrise Easter Service at the Watson home.
“The Dock and Fannie Watson family and Paxton United Methodist Church wish to express their appreciation for those who have attended and participated in the Easter Sunrise Services held in Paxton for the past 30 years. We will not be able to host the event this year. We wish for you a Happy Easter Season as you worship in another Sunrise Service, continuing to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord by letting His light shine through us each day.”
Of course, we who worshipped at the Watsons’ Sunrise Easter Service year after year owe their family a debt of gratitude too. They always put together an inspiring program—and then fed us a delicious breakfast. It was a joyous fellowship.
I used the John Gospel and the scriptures dealing with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The John Gospel is the only one that mentions palm branches as Jesus entered to cries of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” The palm branches that we used in our worship this morning came from Sunshine Flowers, as did the Easter lilies decorating the altar. Roy and Judy have been so kind to provide palms for at least the last fifteen years. Our processional hymn was #261, Lord of the Dance. That long-ago Palm Sunday had two processions. There was Jesus’ triumphant entry and, on the other side of Jerusalem, the Imperial procession headed by Pontius Pilate. These were two different parades and two different ways of seeing the world. We had peace and justice vs. greed and hate, a battle that continues to this day.
Our Sunday school lesson came from 2 Chronicles 7: The purpose of the lesson was to seek God and turn from those things that are not God-inspired. At the heart of the lesson for the Israelites and us is what it means to choose to follow God rather to follow what seems to be, at the moment, more pleasing to us.
After two months of lying low, hoping to avoid giving or getting illness at our usual nursing home programs, we are now back in business. Because of the way the dates fell in March, we had programs at both Holiday Nursing Home and Lakeside Assisted Living last week. Most of our participants were able to be at one or both—Hilda, Minnie, Fannie, Nora, Maggie, Gene, Ollie, Margie, Sue and me. We sang, listened to music, told stories, read, and enjoyed each others’ company. It was good to see old friends after an absence.
“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
