August 30, 2020 - Grace and peace from our brother Jesus, Amen. Sunday was the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. What a wild weather week we have had! Hurricane Laura hit the coast of Texas and Louisiana and moved up the Sabine River, impacting our part of East Texas. We got about three and a half inches as Laura blew through our area. But the heaviest rains came the next day. We got four inches of heavy rain Friday morning. The devastation around Lake Charles is unbelievable. There is quite a bit of damage here in Shelby County and many people still without power. First responders have been out helping people and trying to get things as close to normal as possible.
All during the month of August we have been collecting children’s underclothes and socks. School has started in Shelby County and that includes football, of course. We wish the very best for the students and staff as they return to school during this horrible pandemic. In the month of September Paxton Methodist will be collecting macaroni and cheese. We haven’t started back with our nursing home programs and won’t until it is safe and we get the all clear. We certainly miss our friends at the area nursing homes and assisted living centers and hope they stay safe.
We all need to remember to wear masks. I saw something on TV that said wearing a mask is common sense and common decency. We also need to keep a safe social distance and wash our hands often. In addition, doctors recommend getting a flu shot before the end of October.
We finished up this quarter of Sunday School lessons. The title of Sunday’s lesson was “Great Mercy.” The scripture was Mark 5: 1-20, which spoke about a man demon possessed and pigs rushing into a lake and drowning. We all thought the choice of scripture was a little strange. But the author stressed the word “broken,” which he defined as fractured, shattered, splintered, crushed, not complete or full. He went on to say that every person is seen as having sacred worth by God. Jesus certainly demonstrated that in this strange scripture.
I used the Epistle lesson for this Sunday as my main scripture. The reading was Romans 12: 9-21, a continuation from last week’s scripture. In my sermon I spoke about how crucial Paul was to the early Jesus movement. It was Paul, his missionaries, and his followers who transformed Christianity from a small Jewish sect into a Gentile religion—that in four centuries would become the dominant force in the Western World. Paul’s letters were practical advice to these new and growing communities of faith: He stressed that faith must begin with humility, overcoming evil with good in our hearts and in our dealings with others. Paul also realized that the hunger for God can only be satisfied by a love that is face to face—person to person.
Paxton Methodist was saddened to learn of the death of our next-door neighbor, Minnie D. Smith, who just recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. We will miss her smile, her kindness, and her wit. Gene told us Sunday that there will be a benefit for the Parks family at Napa Auto Parts next Friday from ten until six. Barbecue plates will be sold.
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.
