315-475-7277 | Email: office@uumcsyracuse.org

Greetings,

I’m writing this with a heavy heart. It seems the last week or so has been tough given the recent decisions of the U. S. Supreme Court. The two most shocking decisions for me were the decision on open carry handguns and the reversal of Roe v Wade. I find during these times of lament, I go to scripture such as Psalms or Proverbs. (Ps 121: 1-4, Proverbs 2: 1-4)

You may be thinking, “you are a Christian pastor. I thought you’d be pleased.” As a progressive Christian and professional woman, I believe women are intelligent enough to make decisions for themselves and their families. I also believe that poor, low-income and women of color will be most affected by this reversal of rights. In addition, it seems we have had tragic events involving guns this year (and every year) in which we, as Christians, cry and pray and ask for change when it comes to gun safety. How is this keeping Americans safer?

There is not a one size fits all kind of answer when it comes to gun safety. There are several different kinds or guns, ammunition, users, purposes, situations that we can’t make one change, rule or regulation to fix the situation. For me the biggest piece of this debate is to listen and love one another through the conversations. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek. On the night, he was betrayed Jesus told his disciple to put down his sword. Loving one another includes encouraging not belittling someone for seeking help for mental illness. It also includes thinking of others as much as yourself when making rules, laws or regulations.

The reversal of Roe v Wade hit me harder than I thought it would. When I heard the news, I felt less than. It felt as though women all over the country were told they were not as smart, compassionate, moral or faith-filled as men. It felt like a set up to move women out of the workplace and positions of leadership because women of child bearing years take more time off work and their health insurance rates are higher than men’s. Not to mention the underlying current that women are not intelligent to make decisions. How could a women’s voice matter at the workplace or in a position of leadership if they are not intelligent or compassionate enough to make a decision about their own bodies?

I turned to the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church to learn the official stance of the UMC. Please read the full statement. It is found in the Social Principals paragraph 161K. https://www.umcjustice.org/who-we-are/social-principles-and-resolutions/the-nurturing-community-161/the-nurturing-community-abortion-161-k This claims all life is of sacred worth! God created humankind and called this good. (Genesis 1)

This week, as I lamented the loss of a right I’ve had my entire life, I read this scripture, Philippians 4: 3-5 “Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”

I am able to rejoice always because I know the Lord is near even when I know in my heart I will keep using my voice until my daughter has the same rights I have had for almost 50 years. I am grateful for the love and presence of God in your life and in mine. Let us all do our best to love one another as Jesus has loved us in our lament, our frustration, our hurt, and our rejoicing.

Why is planning for the end of life important?

Sunday Worship | 10:30 a.m.

Please note: Every worship service remains "live" on our Facebook page. You are able to watch every one that has been done since we began online worship. They never go away. If you are unable to begin at 10:30, you can watch it at your leisure another time.

Scripture: Ps 121: 1-2

Prelude: My Shepherd Will Supply My Need - Dale Wood

Offertory: “A Simple Song” from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass; text by Stephen Schwartz and Leonard Bernstein) Sung by Julianna Sabol

Postlude: Morning Song - George Shearing

July Worship Series: "Half Truths" based on a book by Adam Hamilton.

July 1 & 4: UUMC office will be closed in honor of the July 4 holiday.

Emergency Food Box packing CANCELED Emergency

July 7: Peanut Butter packing party.

July 15-24: Galyn on vacation.

July 28: United Methodists at the Ball Park.

July 30: Leadership Retreat.

July 31: Worship at 10:30 a.m. “A Festival of Hymns” Led by Bruce Webster.

August Worship Series: “Like a Child.”

August 10 at 5:30-7:30 p.m.: SUMM Picnic at UUMC.

August 14-17: Worship workshop for all interested at UUMC.

October 4: Virtual Coffee with the Pastor resumes.

The Community Breakfast has been a staple of UUMC for decades. The hot sit-down meal was the talk of the town before Covid hit. Twice a month we served eggs, pancakes, sausage, hash browns, cheesy grits with gravy, fresh fruit, cereal, orange juice and coffee in Fellowship Hall. Aside from the food, UUMC provided a safe and welcoming place for anyone who walked through the door. A place for people to connect with each other.

I started attending UUMC in 2010 and shortly afterwards became part of the regular breakfast crew. I’m not a morning person, but I usually tried to get there by 9am and stayed through cleanup. Around 2018, we added light bagel breakfasts on the 1st , 3rd , and 5th Sundays of each month. We moved upstairs into the Gathering Room where our guests could sit at tables or relax on the couches. The crowd was

smaller and with no hot food to prepare and clean up, only one volunteer was needed. Eventually, I became the volunteer.

At first, only a few people dropped in for a bagel and coffee, and most took it to go. But as the weeks passed more people came in and they started to stay for a bit. I saw a lot of the same faces week after week and eventually learned that a lot of the group came to us either before or after they stopped at the methadone clinic that was around the corner. It was obvious that the free food drew people in, but the sense of community made them stay. I know first hand how important it is to be part of a community of people who are experiencing the same thing you are. When I was waiting for my heart transplant, I lived in the hospital for 7 months. I spent a lot of time with two men who were doing the same thing. Those relationships made a huge difference in the success of my recovery! It’s no different than people recovering from addiction.

Josh started coming in with a group of friends. They would sit around the table in the Gathering Room and have breakfast together. When he was done eating, Josh would move over to the piano and play for everybody. Eventually the friends would leave but he would stay and play until church started. His brother came too and would sit and read books while Josh played. One week the three of us were talking and realized that we were the same age, grew up in neighboring towns, and had friends in common. Aside from their struggles with addiction, these guys were just like me! It could easily be one of my sisters, or my best friend, or even me, in that position. That’s why I’m so committed to serving this population.

When the pandemic hit, we continued to see people walk from the clinic to meet us on the corner where we served bagged breakfasts. Most businesses were closed and work was scarce, but we offered free, nutrient-dense meals to go. We couldn’t offer a place to meet anymore but we did fill a HUGE need for a year and a half with our food offerings. Then, about a year ago, the clinic on Crouse Ave moved to a brand-new building on Erie Boulevard and we lost a lot of our friends. We knew they still needed our help, we just had to find a way to deliver it.

Galyn worked for several months to establish a connection with the program staff at Pomeroy Treatment Center. They were more than happy to partner with us to provide food to their patients. It’s next to impossible to focus on overcoming addiction when you don’t know where your next meal will come from. About 2 months ago, we started bringing 100 bagged breakfasts to the clinic on Sunday mornings. It has been amazing reconnecting with friends I haven’t seen in over a year! 100 sounds like a lot but the need is so great that we have run out of food in under 45 minutes every week! Our challenge now is to rise to meet that need by building our volunteer pool and finding more financial support. I’d like to challenge you to take some time to consider how you can help us feed God’s people body, mind, and spirit.

The clothing closet is open every Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Contact Galyn at the church office, office@uumcsyracuse.org to arrange drop-off time.

Due to several inquiries about becoming a member, we are planning our next New Member Class in the month of July. If you are interested in signing up for the class please contact Michelle in the church office at 315-475-7277 or office@uumcsyracuse.org.

Deirdre and Mark Zimmerman along with their children, Zachary and Benjamin have been doing God's work on their missionary trip to Nepal. Click here to read more.

"I think we’re in a very, very sad and difficult time. I know that some will be celebrating this. … We are already a fractured country; this is going to fracture us more.” — The Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, a veteran General Conference delegate, about the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.