A Note from Pastor David
Tomb Time
Last year a 20 year old dead man in India came back to life right before his funeral. In 2012 a two year old boy sat up in his coffin and asked for water startling the mourners. Perhaps you have read or heard of examples where someone who had been declared dead came back to life. I read about a 33 year old man who came back to life at his autopsy complaining about the terrible pain in his side where the medical examiner had just made an incision with his scalpel! These episodes have likely taken place throughout history. So it is no wonder that the law in Jesus’s day was that a person had to be dead three days before they could be considered legally dead.
I have wondered why Jesus was not raised immediately after his death. Why wait three days for something so amazing? First of all, the delay to the third day allowed Jesus to be considered legally dead. Secondly, the Old Testament ( the only Bible Jesus had ) had stories that highlighted the mighty acts of God which took place on the third day. Abraham received a ram to substitute in Isaac’s place on the third day. On the third day at Sinai, God came to give the law in Exodus. Jonah was released from the whale on the third day. And in Hosea 6, the promise was made that God would raise God’s people on the third day.
In addition to these things, Jesus descended to the dead during the time between his death and resurrection to preach to the “imprisoned spirits” from the days of Noah (I Peter 3:18). How Mary and the disciples must have grieved the loss of Jesus! Likely an immediate resurrection would have pleased them. But God had a time table and a plan which they could not know or understand.
I heard a term this week at a webinar which intrigued me. The speaker talked about the time between the loss of the familiar and the new thing as “tomb time”. It seems that we cannot rush off straight from loss to new birth, from death to resurrection. Perhaps you know someone who jumped back into dating too soon after a bad breakup. Perhaps you sense that some may have rushed too quickly from Covid precautions to their old patterns leaving them highly susceptible to the virus. There is much to be said about the importance of tomb time where we patiently and prayerfully wait after a loss before moving into the new era of our lives. I believe that while God did not cause this pandemic, God may yet use this time to prepare us for something new and eventually better than our old comfortable existence. But like Mary, the disciples and even Jesus, we have to wait for that to be revealed.
Waiting patiently and prayerfully with you,
~David
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SHREDDING HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR JULY 11th
Due to the fact that COVID-19 hospitalization rates are continuing on an upward trend, I have decided to cancel it. I am very sorry that shredding won’t happen this year, but i
t is too big of a risk and
I want everyone to stay well. Thank you for understanding.
Blessings and prayers for you, our church and our world,
Margaret
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Virtual Town Hall Meeting
July 12 at 2 pm
Join us on Zoom as the Homecoming Team presents information and addresses questions regarding our plans for safely returning to congregational worship (on an undetermined date in the future).
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Menchaca Elementary Book Drive is Finished!
Hi everyone!
We’d like to thank you for your help and support in collecting books for the kids at Menchaca Elementary. Despite our book collection ending a bit early we still collected 1850 books! Although we weren’t able to distribute the books as we’d originally planned, we were still able to drop off all the books to the teachers at Menchaca who will distribute them to their students.
Thanks again for helping us!
-Elizabeth and Jordan
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- Friday Family Fun Nights
- Compassions Camp
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- S'mores and Music Night
- Connect Groups
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June Altar Rail Offering
Altar Rail offerings during the month of June support
UMCOR COVID-19 Response
(Advance #3022612).
These funds will be used to assist vulnerable populations around the world impacted by COVID-19, including racial/ethnic and indigenous communities in the United States.
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Sunday Worship - join us from home on
Facebook
(church campus closed)
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Sunday, June 28, 2020
1 Corinthians 13:7 and II Kings 2
"Friendship: It always perseveres"
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8:30 a.m.
Traditional Worship Service
Pastor David McNitzky,
preaching
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9:30 a.m.
Children's Time
Kim Carroll
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11:00 a.m.
Praise Worship Service
Pastor David McNitzky,
preaching
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David's Exodus Sunday School Class,
9:45 - 10:15 a.m.
Or login with - Meeting ID: 513 661 475, Password: 054834
Seeker's Class,
10:00 a.m.
Dive into Colossians with us! Mixed adult ages, married and single - have your bible with you if you can. Newcomers welcome!
During July, join us as we begin a study of Philemon.
Links to materials are below:
Or login with - Meeting ID: 133 051 453
, Password: 9fx0mZ
Kim Carroll's Adult Sunday School Class,
10:00 - 10:40 a.m.
Look at current events through a biblical context. Brief pre-reading material sent to those who RSVP in advance, but feel free to join us even if you haven't RSVP'ed!
GriefShare Online, 1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
GriefShare is being held online via Zoom. Recommended workbooks are $15 (scholarships available). Join any time! In order to have access to online videos, register at:
https://www.griefshare.org/groups/119635. The meeting & video links will then be sent to you.
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Nourishment at Noon, Monday - Friday, 12:00 p.m.
Join us on the
Manchaca UMC Facebook Page every weekday at noon to give yourself a midday spiritual lift. On Mondays and Wednesdays, you'll hear from Pastor David. On Tuesdays, Mark will bring you a musical message. On Thursday, get some helpful prayer tips from Kim. Fridays will be some or all of the Esparza Family!
David's
Philippians
Class, Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Or login with: Meeting ID: 601 349 309, Password: 010816
Seussical Funday School for Children, Tuesday Mornings
Seuss Story: Daisy-Head Mayzie
Theme: Friendship, Friends Love at All Times
NEW! FIERCE: Women of God Who Changed the World, Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.
6 weeks,
begins July 8
, 9:30 - 11:30 am
Book Costs: $12 (Scholarships Available)
Women have been fiercely changing the world for thousands of years. In fact, the Bible tells of many fierce female characters who made hard decisions, offered hope, boldly repented, shared their faith, and blessed those around them. These women can teach us how we, too, can live into our callings, honor the Lord, and even change the world through our courage, faithfulness, and obedience.
NEW!
God and the Pandemic
Book Study, Thursdays at 9:30 a.m, begins July 2
Based on the book written by N. T. Wright, the class will cover the following questions and provide scripture references for insight on the answers. The book is available on Amazon in both ebook and Paperback. You do not have to purchase the book to participate. Led by Julia Walker, the class will be on Thursday mornings from 9:30 until 11 during the month of July. Please register to receive handouts via email and to receive the zoom password.
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The main metric the church leadership team is using to determine when our church can safely return to congregational worship in the building is this: a 14-day drop in the 7-day average number of hospitalizations in Travis County. Because of current trends, we are not yet certain when that will be. When we see a downward trend in the data, at that point we will evaluate what is the best date to return.
Source data is found here:
As David said in his letter to the congregation
with the attached document
about the plan for reopening, this is a fluid process as we respond to the best data and science available to us.
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