The Memorial Service for Jim Aubrey will be live-streamed today, January 5, 2021 at 2:00 pm. Jim and Donna first joined St. John’s in 1964 and were members until they moved to Durango in 1991 and re-joined in 2015. The link for the Memorial Service can be found here, and Jim's obituary can be found here.

Isaiah 55:1-2 -- “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and you will delight in the richest of fare."

At the age of 11 I broke my leg in a snow sledding accident. I hit a steel mailbox pole doing what seemed like 60 miles per hour. It was a pretty bad break -- my left femur (which is considered the strongest bone in the human body) shattered into twenty-seven different fragments. Back then, today's orthopedic surgeries and rehabilitation procedures were unknown, so my doctor simply put a cast on my leg and hoped the bone would eventually regenerate.

For eighteen months my left leg was completely concealed in a succession of casts, with only the toes sticking out. When the last cast was finally removed, my leg was no bigger around than a garden hose -- all of the muscles had completely atrophied from lack of use. It simply dangled from my body -- a useless appendage.

For the next two years thereafter I struggled to rebuild that leg. It took one full year after the cast was removed before I could walk without crutches. Eventually I could not only walk, but run. I began running every day, a practice which I kept up for more than forty years thereafter. I wanted to keep my leg from ever again shriveling up from lack of use.

Just as leg muscles need regular use to maintain their proper functioning, so does the rest of our bodies. And so do our minds -- something medical science is proving more and more true as it seeks to discover the causes and potential cures for the awful disease called Alzheimer's. And still further, so does the human soul.

God has lovingly provided each of us with a soul -- a wonderful spiritual dimension which is part and parcel of every human being. And exactly like leg muscles, souls must be regularly exercised, lest they shrivel up and become useless. The human soul is best exercised by regularly using it to communicate and interact with its Creator, Almighty God.

This week, set aside five minutes daily to spend exclusively with God. No agenda – just time with the Lord. It will likely pass more quickly that you expect. So next week, make it 10 minutes daily. And the next week fifteen minutes daily. And so forth. A "tithe" of one's non-sleeping, non-eating hours is about one hour a day. Can you eventually work up to at least attempting to spend that long daily in intentional fellowship with God?

-- Excerpted and Adapted from Dr. Dave Ring's 2019 published devotional book, "Reflections 365"

This devotional has been contributed by Dr. Dave Ring, a retired United Methodist pastor affiliated with St. John's. They are taken from his year-long daily devotional guide published in 2019. If you would be interested in obtaining a personal copy of this book, you may search for and buy it on Amazon.com or contact Dr. Ring directly by e-mailing davering@davering.net.

  The pandemic has led to some significant long term changes for Family Promise. The families have been housed in one church since last March and other churches, including St. John's, have been providing meals and supplies on the usual rotating basis but without personal contact until Covid is behind us.

      That has worked well and the decision was made to obtain a permanent location which will double the number of families that can be served from 4 to 8. The good news is that a building has been found, but as you can imagine the costs are significant. Churches will continue to provide meals. Contact Jen Shields at 450-9878 if you are interested in helping.

  But the biggest way we can help now is to help pay the mortgage for the new location. Family promise has helped so many families find permanent housing, get jobs, learn parenting skills and more over the past 17 years. Let's help it continue to do this for the next 17 years. Please give generously throughout the month.

Women's Bible Study, Jonah, navigating a life interrupted by Priscilla Shirer

Women's Bible Study, The Names of God, His character revealed by Melissa Spoelstra

United Methodist Women will meet Thursday, January 7th, at 10 am via Zoom. For our program, Ann Edenfield Sweet will share a little of her story and why she started the Wings for LIFE program. We'll learn what they're doing during this unusual time of Covid, as well as how God has opened doors never imagined. Wings is an empowerment program that provides life skills, education, training, and support for children and family members of prisoners to reduce generational crime and imprisonment. As always, our meetings are open to everyone (including men). If you aren't a circle member and would like to join this Zoom meeting, simply email Regina Hampton at hamptonmason1@msn.com, and she will send an invitation to you! We hope you'll join us on the 7th!

Church Women United, an ecumenical Christian women’s group, will gather together via Zoom on Friday, January 8th at 9:30 am. Following a fellowship time, we will participate in the Human Rights Celebration, “United to Serve.” A special speaker, Kari Lenander, Executive Director of Border Servant Corps, a ministry of Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, will share information on their humanitarian aid to support the 1300 refugees and asylum-seekers residing in a network of 11 shelters and homes as well as those being returned to Ciudad Juarez. Anyone wishing to join us in this Zoom meeting should contact Marilyn Stoops at mstoops@swcp.com.

Our next hosting rotation will be January 10th - 16th. The families are still at Church of the Good Shepherd (on Tennyson, near Tramway & Paseo). We will be providing dinners each of the evenings, Sunday - Saturday. Like previous rotations, there is a Signup link below. If you have any questions please contact Jenn Shields: jennshields200@yahoo.com; 505-450-9978 or Linn Furnish: swimsew@comcast.net; 505-884-6626. Click HERE.

St. John’s will live-stream a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:30 am (Contemporary) on the Abide Facebook page and 11:00 am (Traditional) on our Youtube Channel. We hope you’ll worship with us! (Pastors Pam and Kelly will lead, along with Shea Perry, Jim Ahrend, and Matt Greer). We hope that you’ll participate by singing and praying at home! Any questions? Email Matt at mgreer@stjohns-abq.org.

Sunday Community Activities: Click HERE to view all Sunday School Classes & groups! Join us in the virtual Sonshine Coffee Zoom immediately following the 11:00 am Worship with church Leadership Team members hosting. Zoom registration is HERE

Youth Parent Meeting Jan 10th. Parents, come join on Zoom early on Sunday afternoon January 10th from 3:00PM-3:30PM for our Spring Semester Parents Meeting. Let’s check in and chart a course for the semester head. Zoom link HERE.

New Youth Group Spring Zoom: Happy New Year! Not only is there a new year, but a new Zoom, at Sunday youth group with new games, new series, new discussions, and new faith-building activities every Sunday from 4:00-5:15PM! Click HERE.

Most Requested Non-Food Items needed:

Please write "SILVER HORIZONS" in the memo field of your check

Contact: Kathy Dieruf (kadieruf@gmail.com) with questions

www.stjohns-abq.org

(505) 883-9717

2626 Arizona St NE | Albuquerque, NM 87110

Office Hours (call only): Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm