CENTRAL TIME
weekly e-news from Central United Methodist Church
Mission Statement:
"Our purpose is making and nurturing
disciples of Jesus Christ."
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The Servant Leader by Tom Norrell |
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2021 LENTEN RESOURCES
Reminder:
Today, at noon, we will begin studying on zoom some ideas and feelings from Lent with St. Francis, by Diane M. Houdek. Each of our lessons forthcoming will emphasize (via lectio divina) a Bible verse that St. Francis held dear. We will look at an event in Francis' life and finally have a prayer. We will read the Gospel of Luke 9:22-25.
Below is the Zoom link and information for the weekly Lenten gathering on Wednesdays at noon.
Meeting ID: 861 6506 6944
Passcode: 718527
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Wednesday Lenten Gatherings
at Noon on Zoom
Readings:
Today Luke 9:22-25
March 3
March 10
March 17
March 24
Holy Week Calendar
March
27 Passover begins
28 Palm/Passion Sunday
31 Wednesday of Holy Week
April 1 Maundy Thursday
April 2 Good Friday
April 3 Holy Saturday/Easter Eve
April 4 Easter Day
April 5 Easter Monday
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February 28, 2021
Second Sunday in Lent
Virtual Service streamed at 11 am centralumcspartanburg.org and on Facebook
Welcome and Announcements
Chiming of the Trinity
Prelude Toccata on King's Weston - arr. Compton
Central Carillon
Al Jeter, Director
Opening Prayer
Hymn 598 O Word of God Incarnate (vss. 1, 2, & 4)
Old Testament Lesson Genesis 17:1-7; 15-16
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
Concerns and Joys, Pastoral Prayer, and The Lord's Prayer
Gospel Lesson Mark 8:31-38
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Anthem Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy's Sake . . . Richard Farrant
The Central Quartet
Anna Neely, soprano; Abigail Parrish, alto; Phil Vernesoni, tenor; Al Jeter, bass
Sermon: A STRAIGHT ANSWER OR THEOLOGICAL DENIAL . . . Rev. Tom Norrell
Response to the Word:
O God, sometimes we live as though life will always be tomorrow rather than today, O God, telling ourselves that we will be different and more committed when we are older and wiser, waiting as though things will happen, rather than being about our own choices now.
Sometimes we hold each other back from living, O God, creating sanctuaries of complacency and caution rather than rich and brave communities of action and the freedom to dare, which are the true signs that you are with us.
Hold us in your grace, O God. Then inspire us with your vivid life, Jesus Christ, for we pray in your name. Amen.
Hymn Long Ago, God Reached in Love ("Jesus Loves Me")
Long ago, God reached in love, sending Noah back a dove,
Promising a world made dry, with a rainbow in the sky.
Refrain:
God you are faithful,
God you are faithful,
God, you are faithful:
Your covenant is love!
Abraham and Sarah heard God's surprising, joyful word:
God would give them land and more: children they had long hoped for.
Refrain
Ten Commandments were the way, God called people to obey,
For God wanted us to see: In obeying, we are free.
Refrain
Jeremiah came to know: God would help us change and grow;
So God's law would fill each heart, giving us a fresh, new start.
Refrain
Jesus came to show the way we can have new life today;
God fulfilled that loving plan, made for us when life began.
Refrain
Tune: William Batchelder Bradbury, 1862 "Jesus Loves Me"
Text: Copyright 1999 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
Benediction
Postlude You Are Mine - arr. Thompson . . . Central Carillon
Chiming of the Trinity
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Please Read This Information:
We invite you to worship with us on-line for our Sunday services being held in the sanctuary.
Unfortunately, due to the rapid increase of COVID cases, we will not have in-person worship until further notice. Join us at our regular time on-line. This restriction does not apply to S.T.A.R. activities or the Palmetto Moravian Fellowship which is held in the Cannon Memorial Chapel, and only meets once a month. The next Moravian worship service is scheduled for February 28, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the church office. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. For those activities that are taking place in-person, masks must be worn that cover both your nose and mouth, and a distance of six feet or greater between yourself and others must be maintained at all times. Remember our "ten commandments" for safety and health.
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Upper Room Sunday School Class
You are invited to join the Upper Room Sunday school class on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM on Zoom. If you want to join, click the link below and enter the meeting ID and password!
Meeting ID: 815 9104 7549
Password: 778963
28 -Byron McCane- David and Bathsheba
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Our Giving
COVID-19
In the midst of this time of great challenge:
2020/2021 MONTHLY COMPARISON
This Year as of January 31, 2021
YTD Budget $58,010
YTD Received $31,033
YTD OVER/UNDER ($26,977)
YTD Expenses $44,177
Last Year as of January 31, 2020
YTD Budget $49,888
YTD Received $30,037
YTD OVER/UNDER $(19,851)
YTD Expenses $50,518
Thanks to the faithful work of Ann Darby and the Finance Committee, Central is the recipient of a second Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $64,755. The PPP provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the coronavirus crisis. Central will use these funds for payroll expenses over the next 24 weeks. Our first PPP loan was forgiven, and we expect to meet all requirements for forgiveness again. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen for Central!
Financial Statements are available in the hallway outside of the church office.
The work of Central continues and would not be possible without the prayers, generosity and support of our leaders and laity.
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Sacred Traditions And Rituals
a call to connection for
celebrating creation
Sunday, February 28, 6:00 PM
Fellowship Hall
Tranquility with Tea Service
a service devoted to quieting
minds, opening hearts, soothing souls
Reflection
From Many Wells We Draw Divine Wisdom
Meister Eckhart, a 13th century theologian, philosopher and mystic, condemned to die for heresy twice, died even before the pope's second ruling. In one of his earlier writings, he stated: "God is a great underground river that no one can stop and no one can dam up."
Our prayerful Meditation and Contemplation, will be created and offered by David Heatherly and Jason Loscuito, taking us into this well of divine wisdom and allowing us to find our own well from which to draw God's wisdom.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 864 7886 0640
Passcode: 079828
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Please pray for . . .
Geneva Aycock - White Oak at North Grove
David Harrelson - (rehabilitation)
Paul Lansberry - (recovering from surgery)
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Church Announcements for
Central Time or Sunday bulletin
If you have an announcement that you would like to appear in the Central Time, Sunday bulletins, on social media, or on the church's website, please submit that information to: info@centralumcspartanburg.org before noon on Mondays. Thank you!
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Ways to Give to Central
We continue to be deeply grateful for continued support of the mission and ministry of Central Church. There are a few ways to continue to make offerings extremely easy.
- The US mail always works. We are at 233 North Church St., Spartanburg, SC 29306.
- Contact Ann Darby to set up a recurring gift through an automatic bank draft.
- On the homepage on the church's website there is a "Give" link. Once you set up that app any additional gifts are as easy as one or two clicks.
Central United Methodist Church
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Tuesday Evening Bible Class taught by Andy Crosland on Zoom, at 6:00 pm.
You are welcome to join or to rejoin us.
The Zoom link information for every class is . . .
Meeting ID: 847 8558 8972
Passcode: 800422
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February 21, 2021
Memorials
To Rob Monson by Rev. & Mrs. Louis Jamison,
and Rev. & Mrs. Allen Senn
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Lifelong Learning at Wofford College
Spring Schedule 2021
March 8 - April 30
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Sacred Traditions
And Rituals
2021 Gatherings
March 14
The Good Shepherd
a service devoted to being both shepherd and sheep
March 28
Tranquility with Tea Service
a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls
Palm Sunday Evening
April 11
Celebrating The Earth
a service devoted to grounding and the sentiment landscape
April 25
Tranquility with Tea Service
a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls
A Call to Community Around Birthing
May 9
Those Darn Girls
a service devoted to ordinary, divine feminine energy
May 23
Tranquility with Tea Service
a service devoted to quieting minds, opening hearts, soothing souls
Reflection - Ikebana
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February Birthdays
25 Morgan Clark & Michael Pryor
28 Marion Dannert, Jim Proctor, and
Carolyn McMahan
March Birthdays
1 Bill Tinder
2 Brent Driggers, Mary Hines, Danny Smith
7 Wes Robison
8 Molly Chappell-McPhail, Keith Jones, Martha Tinder
9 Debra Liner, Katie Parris
10 Deborah Leonard, Olin Patterson
11 Sandra Berry, Cynthia Dalton
13 Patricia Painter
14 Brenda Hanna, Jack Layne, Jane Nodine
15 Pat Hasty, Arthur Holt, Cathy Inabnit, Maggie Smith
18 L. H. Buff, Betty Monroe, Brooklyn Owens-Wyatt, Betty Peeler
19 Walt Leonard, Sylvie Parris
20 Martha Badger, Jacy Crocker
22 Joel Atance, Dan McPherson
24 Monica Boudreau
25 Shirley Atkinson
26 Sarah Parris
28 Rosalie Atance, Elizabeth Zimmerman
29 Penny Holt, Lynn Proctor
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John 4:24 NRSV
"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
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LET'S STAY CONNECTED!
Central (864) 582-7263
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Central United Methodist
founded 1837
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Central Office Hours:
COVID-19
Monday through Wednesday
and Friday
9:00 AM - 12 Noon
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Get text notifications from Central
To sign up, text the word "Central" to 864-661-4726. After texting the keyword to this phone number, you will receive a reply asking for some simple info. Please click the link, include your name, and submit the form. You will be signed up! Any questions, contact Rev. Paige Wolfe.
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