Northminster News

NEWSLETTER

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Reign of Christ Sunday

“Christ reigns wherever the sun does its successive journeys run,” Isaac Watts paraphrase of a portion of Psalm 72 expresses the glory and majesty with which the bringer of hope, peace, joy and love to the world, giving his life and all to that end, lives and reigns—here, today. This Sunday marks the official end of the liturgical year, a culmination of the story celebrated as Reign of Christ Sunday. Christ came to show us the love which is and, always has been, an omnipresent God. Christ lives in post-resurrection glory. We are a resurrected people. God’s Kingdom, or Reign of God, was something to which Jesus constantly pointed. It is here, on earth, now. It is a reign of love. It is as fully available now as it has been for over 2000 years.

Some Christians await and hope for an imminent “second coming” for this kingdom to be fully manifest. John Dominic Crossan in his book God and Empire wrote: “The Second Coming of Christ is not an event that we should expect to happen soon, violently, or literally. The Second Coming of Christ is what will happen when we Christians finally accept that the First Coming was the Only Coming and start to cooperate with its divine presence.”

This is also the Sunday before our national holiday Thanksgiving. The title of Rev. Mark Windham’s sermon is “I Have a Problem With Thanksgiving.” The early European settlers in the New World paused to give thanks, despite suffering disease and starvation, for what little bounty they had. Rev. Windham will help us see that, because God’s love reigns in our world of hurt, despair, disappointment, and disillusionment, we have great reason to give thanks, for it is through the grace that comes from the reign of love that we can weather the storm.

Dr. D H Clark

Join us for Worship

Sunday November 21, 2021

Rev. Mark Windham preaches

"I Have a Problem with Thanksgiving"

He will be discussing how we can find ways to express gratitude even when we may be disillusioned with life as we know.

Click photo below for a link to the live stream on YouTube which will begin

around 10:45 AM on Sunday morning November 21.

Click HERE for last Sunday's Service, November 14

Our Worship in Song this Sunday

Opening Hymn : Now Thank We All Our God'

For much of his life, German Lutheran pastor and musician Martin Rinkart ministered to the walled city of Eisleben admist the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. This hymn has become one of the most widely used hymns of the church. The text was set to the tune, NUN DANKET, by Johann Cruger, in 1647 and harmonized by this form by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840.

Voluntary: Lord of the Small Dan Forrest, one of the most popular composers today, set this text by Johanna Anderson to this beautiful melody in 2009. He dedicated this piece to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Erin Buenger, 1997-2009. Erin was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at the age of five. She sang in children's choir, served on student council, played soccer and softball and even lobbied on Capital Hill and designed glass lanyards to raise money for the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation. One of her teachers told the family, "Erin is my favorite child to read to...she listens like she means it." At age 12 after seven years of treatment, she died, but her flame burns on...May we all live as Erin did: to the glory of God. This piece was commissioned in her memory by the Chancel and University Choirs of A&M United Methodist Church, College Station, Texas.

Gospel Acclamation and Response: Announcing that Jesus is the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" on this Reign of Christ Sunday, DH beautifully sets the tone for the Gospel reading. Our response to the reading is reminding us that Christ is the "Word Made Flesh" and dwells within each of us.

Anthem: Unto Christ Who Loved Us Again, DH sets a fitting message for our service today. We all have been given a crown of glory and are to celebrate that God loved us enough to give us Christ, who sets us free.

Communion Anthem: Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy) John Leavitt is one of hundreds of composers who have set this mass text to music. Our choral scholars will sing this.

Closing Hymn: We Praise You, O God Julia Buckley Cady Cory wrote this hymn for Thanksgiving in 1902 at the invitation of the organist of New York's Brick Presbyterian Church who felt that the familiar words to the tune, KREMSER, contained too much militaristic imagery

As we move toward the season of Advent, let us first share in much thanksgiving for all we have as a church and as people of God. See you Sunday,

Debi

Click HERE for this Sunday's Order of Worship

Mission Opportunities

"The Center for Children and Families Christmas Project

November's Mission Emphasis

SPONSORED CHILDREN'S GIFTS:

DO NOT DROP CHILDREN'S GIFTS OFF AT THE CHURCH
Deliver your gifts between now and Monday, November 29th at the center located at 622 Riverside Drive
Gifts must be new and unwrapped

Questions? Contact Liz Gaught at (318) 398-0945 or christmas@standforhope.orgQ

NARTHEX TRUNK NEEDS GIFTS! General donations may be made directly to the Mission Trunk so that the Center will have "filler gifts" to fill out those wish lists that need additional items. Items must be in the trunk no later than Sunday November 28. Ideas are: baby dolls, footballs, basketballs, games, clothing items such as hoodies, NFL, NBA apparel, costume jewelry, NO CASH, CHECKS OR GIFT CARDS.

Blankets for Seniors

The Ouachita Council on Aging and the Communities Acting to Benefit Louisiana's Elderly have teamed up to sponsor the "Warm Up Ouachita Blanket Drive to help keep a senior cozy and warm this winter.

Drop off location: Ouachita Council on Aging, 2407 Ferrand St., Monroe between 9am and noon Monday-Friday. More info call 387-0535

Throws are accepted but full size blankets that will cover a bed are preferred!

The Prayers of the People

We pray alongside.....

Our Pastor Search Committee as they continue our search for our next pastor

Those with unspoken prayer requests

D.H.Clark's cousin's wife - very serious illness

Judy Gaddy - recovering from recent surgery

Bill Krutzer - recovering from back surgery

Elvis Stelly - serious illness

Ralph Asbury - very serious illness

Marc Bloch - very serious health issues

Mike Cappel - serious health issues. Paulette Cappel - navigating his daily care.

Our Brothers and Sisters in Cuba experiencing severe economic hardships, food shortages, and lack of medical equipment to administer Covid-19 vaccines.

The Celebrations of the People

We celebrate alongside.....

Amy Higginbotham (19th), Marianne Wilcox (19th), Damon Mayfield (22nd), Hal Mayfield (25th),Ella Mayfield (26th), Kirk Fisher (29th), Carol Rispoli (Dec 1st), Terri Ward (1st), Will Sumner (3rd), and Jaylynn Graves (3rd) as they celebrate their birthdays

If you have joys or concerns you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email office@northmin.org.

Happy Holidays!

Upcoming Events:

11/25 - Happy Thanksgiving

11/29 - 1st Sunday of Advent

12/5 - 2nd Sunday of Advent

12/12 - 3rd Sunday of Advent

12/14 - Choir presents Messiah Concert

12/19 - 4th Sunday of Advent

12/19 - Church Chili Supper

12/25 - Merry Christmas

1/1 - Happy New Year

The Work of the UPeople

"RIDES TO CHURCH"

New Transportation Ministry Will you help?

A few people in our fellowship, living in West Monroe and in Monroe, would love to come to our services but do not have transportation. We are looking for someone to help coordinate/give rides to church. This would only take a few minutes of your time on a Sunday morning and would mean so much to those on the receiving end. Please call or email the Church office if you are willing to be a part if this ministry.

Important Business Meeting

Sunday, November 21 at 6pm

At the bi-monthly Business Meeting on Sunday, we will elect three new members of the Coordinating Council. The nominees are: Jo Ann Alley, Darrell Cluck, Charles Creech, Susan Curry, Bobbye Legan, and Mark Windham. The three chosen will join the remaining council members, Peggy Burns, Anita Breen, Patti Pate, Craig Henry, Claire Carrington, and Al Peterson and will serve as the 2022 Coordinating Council . Please make plans to be in attendance.

Keeping You Informed

Northminster COVID Guidelines Revised

We will NO longer REQUIRE masking, but we will continue to strongly recommend mask wearing, especially for those highly immuno-compromised and unvaccinated individuals, and because we are now well into the flu season. We encourage and strongly recommend vaccination and masking for unvaccinated individuals of all ages. We will continue to require children workers to wear masks and be vaccinated, along with any other persons entering the child care areas of the church. We will continue to require vaccinations for all worship leaders. As we have all now become more aware of highly transmissible viruses and infections, we ask anyone who is coughing, sneezing, feverish, experiencing congestion, or feeling ILL in anyway to please stay home until such time as these symptoms are resolved. Any and all of these guidelines are subject to change as we move forward.

The Floral Offering

Last Sunday's Floral Offering

The November 14 floral offering was given to the Glory of God and arranged by Robert Crawford.

If you wish to give flowers in honor or in memory of someone, please contact the church office . Approximate cost is $100.

Of Interest to our Community

Sing in Greece!

July 7 - 17, 2022 sing the Mozart Requiem in Athens and In Syros in the "Sacred Music Sunset Series" at St .Nicholas Cathedral.

Tour the islands of Hydra, Poros, Aegina and of course, the Parthenon in Athens and the ancient city of Corinth.

You can choose to go as a singer or non-singer! Please consider and let Debiknow!

Deposit $400 due December 10th.

$2800 plus airfare...from Dallas is under

$1000 at present.

Debi Chander - chandler@ulm.edu

318-348-0788

Giving to Northminster

If you have found a space of community, or healing, or hope at Northminster and believe in the work we are doing, please consider supporting us financially so that we will be able to continue creating spaces like this in all the days to come.

To support Northminster financially, you can click here, or scan the QR code with the camera on your phone.