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4/24/2017 0 Comments April 24th, 2017 April Showers It seems that it has been days since we have last seen the sun for any amount of time at all. It has been dreary and messy to be sure. On such days, it can be hard not to get a little down or at least to stay in bed a little longer listening to the rain on the roof. Yet after such dry days for much of the early part of the year, this rain brings welcome relief and promise that the grass, trees, and crops coming to life will not die any time soon for being parched. It reminds me of the old saying: "April showers bring May flowers." Without the darker, messier days of rain there would not be the brightness of the blossoms to come. It is a good time to remember that this is true of our lives as well. There are times when things may be dreary, dark, and messy. We don't like living through these days, but these are the same days that test and strengthen our faith, that remind us of the depth of the blessings we had, and that prepare to grow into something new and beautiful. May the showers of life bring new life for you through the power of God's Holy Spirit! Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday Service: Youth Sunday This Sunday, our youth led an awesome worship service. From the youth praise band's songs to prayers and testimony, from special music and a children's message to greeting, ushering, and ringing the bell, the youth did it all and did a fantastic job at it. Isaac shared a message about unity, humility, and the need to support one another. Thanks to all the youth for your leadership, to our youth leaders for all the time and energy you have poured into our youth, and to all the families who have supported them in countless ways! Living in CommunityRemember to turn in registration forms for Camp Overlook this week. Our church will pay for the registration costs for forms turned in by Sunday, April 30. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Easter Offering for World Missions! So far, we have raised over $400! Prayers for continued healing for WD and for Tony's dad Bob. Thanks to all of our youth and youth leaders for a wonderful Youth Sunday service! This Week at Port ChurchMonday, April 24 9:30 am - Bible Study at Dianna's Tuesday, April 25 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Bible Study at Dianna's Thursday, April 27 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Trustees Meeting Saturday, April 29 9 am - 3 pm - Fundraise for Peggy Counts at Grottoes UMC Food, Music, Silent Auction, and Vendors! Sunday, April 30 9:30 am - Worship - District Pulpit Swap Rev. David Vaughn of Evangelical UMC preaching 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking AheadMay 7 - VBS Training Session
June 4 - Graduation Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School
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4/17/2017 0 Comments April 17th, 2017 Happy Easter! May the comfort, joy, and hope of Easter surround you today and every day! May the love of Christ dwell within you and renew your faith and life! Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday's Sermon: Empty John 20:1-18, Philippians 2:1-11: Empty is not a good word. An empty tank, an empty bank account, an empty pot of coffee, running on empty - empty points to barrenness, lacking goodness, and stress. Yet it is the emptiness of the tomb that brings such good news to us on Easter. To fully appreciate the good news, we first need to understand the emptiness that Mary Magdalene felt on her way to the tomb. Her teacher had been killed, and she went to honor his lifeless body. When she found the tomb empty, she was greatly distressed. It was only in hearing Jesus say her name that she understood that the emptiness of the tomb meant that her world was again full. That is the lesson of the tomb: one thing being empty means that other things can be full. That is also lesson of Jesus' life. Paul tells us in Philippians to have the same attitude as Jesus who emptied himself, even to the point of death on a cross, for our sake. Jesus emptied himself so that we might be full. Paul tells us that God, however, exalted Jesus and lifted him up above all others. Although Jesus emptied himself, God filled him back up. That is the lesson of the cross and Resurrection: we cannot empty ourselves as quickly as God can fill us back up. We are called to join Jesus in emptying ourselves for others - passing on the grace, blessings, and love that has been given to us. We can do this because empty actually is a very good word. We can do this because the tomb is empty, the world is full, and the one who emptied himself for our sake lives! Living in CommunityThanks to everyone who helped to make our Holy Week and Easter services so special! A special thanks to Curt for preparing the park, Keith and Chris for their special roles in our Good Friday prayer walk, Zach, Davida, Linda, Chris, and Meg for serving communion, all those who bought lilies to brighten our sanctuary, Lee for ordering the flowers, Peggy for decorating the altar, and our praise band for the awesome music! It takes many folks to make our worship happen, and we are thankful for you all! This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, April 18 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7 pm - Administrative Council Thursday, April 20 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Sunday, April 23 9:30 am - Worship - Youth Sunday This is a service you won't want to miss! 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking AheadApril 29 - Grottoes UMC Fundraiser for Peggy Counts
April 30 - Deadline for Camp Overlook Registrations May 7 - VBS Training Session June 4 - Graduation Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School 4/10/2017 0 Comments April 10th, 2017 The Journey of Holy WeekHaving celebrated Palm Sunday in our worship this past Sunday, we are now on the Holy Week journey. Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter in which we remember Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, his teachings there and the growing conflict with the ways of this world, his last meal and time spent with his disciples, and his suffering and death. The journey from the celebration of Palm Sunday to the even greater celebration of Easter is one that runs through the darkest and saddest of days. This year, we are offering several opportunities to worship and reflect on these events during our Holy Week journey. On Thursday, we will gather at church at 7 pm to remember Jesus' last meal with his disciples by following his example of foot washing and sharing the bread and cup of communion. On Friday, we are joining with Grottoes UMC at Bradburn Park here in the village to reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross and tomb. Starting at 7 pm, we will walk the trail stopping to consider major parts of the story and reflecting in prayer. As the prayer walk concludes at the picnic shelter at 7:30 pm, we will gather together to hear the whole story and ask for God's blessing. We will gather again on Sunday morning at 6:45 am with Grottoes UMC and Grottoes Church of the Brethren for a Sunrise Service. GUMC will be providing refreshments. Finally we will gather for our regularly scheduled worship at 9:30 am for communion and an Easter celebration followed by Sunday School at 11:00 am! I am excited about all of these special opportunities for worship and hope you will join us for them and invite your family and friends. If you are unable to join us this week, I hope you will take time read the story of Jesus' gift to us and reflect on its meaning for your life today. Blessings on the journey, Jim Sunday's Sermon: Planting a New CropJohn 12:12-26 - As Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people came out to excitedly greet him, waving branches and placing them on the road before him. As the celebration came to a close, some folks from far away came to see Jesus wanting to follow him. Jesus replied to their request with a series of three short teachings about what it meant to follow him. First he spoke about how a seed of wheat has to fall to the ground and die in order to become greater. Then he paradoxically spoke of how one who loves their life loses it while the one who hates it gains it for eternal life. Finally, he told of how the one who serves him must also follow him and be where he is. Through these teachings, Jesus painted a picture of discipleship that is not a pretty one. To be a disciple is to be willing to die to one's self so that God may plant a new crop of righteousness in our lives. We have to let go of the fears, desires, and sin that control us and stand in the way of our relationship to God. We must regard others as better than ourselves so that we do not become self-seeking. Finally, we must follow Jesus into the suffering and sacrifice and pain of this world if we are to serve him. It is not enough to serve from a distance. Where he goes, we also should go. What is it that we need to let go of and let die in order for new life to grow in us? Living in CommunityThanks to Keith, Brad, Gretchen, and Pam for leading our music in worship this past Sunday! Thanks to Gary for finding us such a great piano that allows us so many options in worship! Thanks to Susie for providing our quarterly giving statements! This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, April 11 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Thursday, April 13 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Maundy Thursday Service with Footwashing and Communion Friday, April 14 7:00 pm - Good Friday Prayer Walk at Bradburn Park 7:30 pm - Good Friday Service at Bradburn Park Sunday, April 16 6:45 am - Sunrise Service at Bradburn Park 9:30 am - Easter Worship with Communion - "Empty" 11:00 am - Sunday School Looking AheadApril 23 - Youth Sunday
June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School 4/3/2017 0 Comments April 03rd, 2017 Praying for a Way ForwardAs I mentioned in worship on Sunday, this has been designated as a week of prayer for our conference. We at Port Church along with our brothers and sisters across the state are invited to pray for our United Methodist churches and leaders across the world in a season of division and uncertainty. Please read the following note from our bishop: On April 2-8, the Virginia Conference will participate in a week of intentional prayer for the mission of The United Methodist Church and for the work of the Commission on a Way Forward which began meeting in January. This week of Praying Our Way Forward is an initiative of the Council of Bishops as a part of their larger commitment to lead the church in every part of the world in times of worship, study, discernment, confession and prayer for God’s guidance. Each annual conference in The United Methodist Church will participate in this prayer ministry which was launched on January 1 in the North Carolina Conference and will conclude in the West Angola Episcopal area in June 2018. Churches in each of the 16 districts of the Virginia Conference will be invited to participate in focused times of prayer by their district superintendents. In addition to participating in each conference’s designated week of prayer, individuals are invited to join the initiative beyond the week of April 2-8 by praying daily and fasting weekly for the church, mission and future. Resources for both congregational and individual participation in Praying Our Way Forward may be found at http://umcprays.org. In addition, Virginia Conference prayer resources may be found at www.vaumc.org/PrayForward Bishop Sharma D. Lewis Living in a MessAs we continue our look at how sin affected the family of Adam and Eve, we come to the end of their story and how God helped piece their family back together. Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Living in a Mess (Genesis 4:25-26) Adam and Eve had sinned and were banished from the Garden of Eden out into a harsh world. Their son Abel was murdered at his brother's hands, and Cain was made to wander the earth far from his family for his punishment. This family - indeed their whole world - was shattered by sin. To this family, God gave another son - Seth. While we know very little about him, these two short verses about his life tell us about what God was up to in the midst of this messy situation. First, we know his family - a family that is messy. Imagine the burden that fell on this child even from his birth. His parents long for the paradise that they lost through their sin. His older brother was dead, and his parents looked to him to fill the void that was left. His oldest brother was the perpetrator and cast out far away - a shameful individual no one spoke of in polite company. It is too much for one person to bear, yet this is the mess Seth is born into. In fact, Eve says that he was appointed to their family; his name actually means "appointed." Eve sees that he was sent by God to their family for a purpose - to replace Abel. How many of us have found ourselves "appointed" to a mess not of our choosing or our own making? We take a new job and realize how messy it is only once we get there. A family member falls into addiction, and we are called upon to fix it. It may not be fair, but it does not change the reality that people are looking to us to clean up the mess that we did not make. So what becomes of this new son Seth? He grows up and has a son named Enosh, a name that means "humanity." In this, Seth's true purpose is revealed. He is a fresh start for this broken family. He is a new father for all of humanity. He does not replace Abel as much as the violent Cain. In Seth, God gives humanity a new start and a future. Seth was appointed to this mess of a family to begin God's work of redemption. When we find ourselves living in a mess, it may be that we are a part of God's plan for redemption. Living in CommunityThere are still a lot of opportunities to be a part of VBS 2017 Maker Fun Factory! See Dinah to find out what's open. Condolences to Mark and his family on the passing of his father. This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, March 28 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Thursday, March 30 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Sunday, April 2 9:30 am - Palm Sunday Worship - "From Garden to Garden: Planting a New Crop" 11:00 am - Sunday School 5:30 pm - Financial Peace University Looking AheadApril 13, 7 pm - Maundy Thursday Service
April 14, 7 & 7:30 pm - Good Friday Prayer Walk & Worship Service April 16, 6:45 am - Easter Sunrise Service April 23 - Youth Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School |
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