Love God
Love People
~Luke 10:27
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Musings: Learn From our Forebearers. . .
Chess is probably my favorite game and has been since childhood. It is a game of strategy where good players not only can see their next move, but their next dozen moves and those of their opponent as well. It is a game that requires a great deal of patience to teach and to learn. To really become a good player, you must invest hours and hours of time playing and learning from both the people you play with and the mistakes you make.
When I was a kid, my father taught me to play chess. I learned a lot from my best friend Daniel and middle school chess club, but my father was the one who introduced me to the game and the one who spent the most time helping learn to play. My dad learned it from his Uncle Charles. They played a lot over lunch since my father and his uncle worked together for years. I, in turn, taught my wife, my daughter, and my son. My son is progressing along nicely, and I imagine in a very short time, he’ll be a better player than me. You can follow a chess lineage from my father’s Uncle Charles to my father to me and then to my son.
This method of teaching and learning chess shares something in common with the way early Christianity was taught. Early Christianity was passed down from those who heard the words of Jesus personally to those around them. The original disciples of Jesus took on disciples themselves and passed on the teachings they learned. But not only that, some of them wrote down the things learned to reach a wider audience. Paul and others wrote letters and Greco-Roman biographies (the gospels) which helped to pass along the teachings to those too far away to hear in person. A number of those teachings were compiled and became the New Testament. Not only that, but many more people wrote about their experiences with God as they read these writings, adding their thoughts and writings to the growing collection of written experiences. Over time, we have hundreds, thousands of books, pamphlets, and other writings describing the Christian experience from a myriad of perspectives.
When you put all this together, this discipling and writing and sharing the faith, you have libraries of personal experience with God. These libraries are founts of knowledge we can draw on in our own journey as we seek to become better disciples of the Jesus Way. We can look at the way others have handled various ideas, struggles, etc. and find a general direction to look when facing similar things. These teachings of our forebearers become part of the basis, along with teachings from Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for how we can proceed in our faith journey.
I’d like to encourage you to explore some of these from early Christian saints to Medieval mystics to modern explorers of the faith. Look for authors as diverse as Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory Boyd or Saint Augustine and Marcus Borg.
You may not always agree with the writers. You may in fact find their work borderline if not absolutely heretical. But you open the door to sharpening your understanding of what you believe by testing the ideas against the witness of Jesus teachings and the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
Journey well and as always, give me a call if you are looking for ideas. I love a good conversation.
Pastor Michael
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We will continue worship services socially distanced in the sanctuary at 11:00am. We will continue with the service in the same way we have been worshiping but we will be moving out of the Thompson Family Life Center. The children will begin having activities in the Life Center at the same time, also socially distanced. We will be using a format like Lancaster County Schools.
- Children will be dropped off at the front door entrance of the Family Life Center to be assessed.
- Children will have their temperature checked as they enter and any child with a temperature above 100.4 or with any cold or flu like symptoms will need to stay home
- Children will be socially distanced during activities
- Children will be required to wear a mask
- Parents must wait until their children are cleared before the parents leave
Youth will also be meeting at the same time but in the fellowship hall.
- Youth will wait outside the fellowship hall door until they can be assessed
- Youth will have their temperature checked as they enter and any student with a temperature above 100.4 or with any cold or flu like symptoms will need to stay home
- Youth will be socially distanced during activities
- Youth will be required to wear a mask
We look forward to the opportunity to see everyone joining us for worship and activities on Sunday morning. We hope to have a great and safe time worshiping together.
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Poinsettias will be placed in the sanctuary this
Sunday, December 13 to the glory of God and as follows:
- In memory of Bill and Jessie Rae Threatt by Pat Threat and Sonny and Marion Curtis
- In loving honor of all of our grandchildren by Max and Myra Funderburk
- In memory of Billy McAbee by Mike and Barbara Vick
- In memory of Tony Neal Love, Laura Everall
- In memory of Bruce Lathan Love, Keli, Shawn,Colton, and Sadie Grace Thomas
- In honor of Dianne Martin on her birthday by Pat Threatt
- In memory of Pete Evans by Suzanne Evans
- In memory of Mr. and Otis Hall by Suzanne Evans
- In memory of Pat Barton and Pete Evans by Becky Barton and Daughters
- In memory of Pat Barton and Pete Evans by Chase and Jordan and Breeanna and Austin Brooks
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Luminaries: Our youth will be sponsoring luminaries that will be lit and line the driveway around the church cemetery on the evening of December 20. You may place these in honor or in memory of loved ones for $2 dollars each. Please pick up a luminary sheet from the church vestibule or contact Missy Snipes at the church office 803-285-3864 and leave a voice mail or call 803-804-2434 and let Missy know how you would like your luminaries to be placed by Wednesday, December 16. Donations made be made by cash or check through offering plate, the mail, dropped in the drop box beside the life center double doors where the buses are or on the website, just please notate on your donation "luminaries". Thank you for supporting our Youth!!
In conjunction with the luminaries, our Youth and Youth Leaders will be sponsoring a LIVE NATIVITY (no animals) on the grounds in front of the men’s club at the cemetery/ballfield. You are invited to drive through the cemetery driveway on Sunday, December 20th from 5:30PM to 6:30PM and enjoy the luminaries and the Live Nativity. We hope you will join us!!
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With the recent bad weather and high winds, a lot of loose flowers from arrangements in the cemetery have been blown around the grounds. You may wish to make sure that your arrangement is in tact. Several flowers were picked up and are placed beside the men's club building. Our appreciation to each one who helped in picking up all of the flowers around the cemetery!
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Our Children and Youth groups continue to meet on Sundays at 11:00 am. We hope that your youth or children can come out and participate and this will allow parents the time to attend in-person worship. Our appreciation to our youth and children’s leaders for volunteering for this outreach!
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Morning Walking Club: Our weekday morning walking group has resumed meeting in the life center Monday through
Friday at 8:00 AM. Church members are welcome to come out and enjoy getting in some exercise out of the elements and in a secure location!
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Holiday Open House
Dianne Mahaffee’s Pottery and Fine Arts
December 12 and 13, 1PM until 5PM,
2875 New Hope Road Lancaster, SC
803-289-6473
Come and see artist Dianne Mahaffee in her studio this
holiday season as she showcases new and returning pieces both on display and for sale:
· New Raku and functional pottery items
· Original paintings
· Signed and numbered prints
· Notecards
· Gourd art
· Silk scarves and silk paintings
· Handmade pure silver jewelry
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2021 Offering Envelopes are available in the church vestibule. As we are not meeting for Sunday school, the vestibule will be the best collection site for your yearly envelopes. As in years past, assigned numbers are not necessary. Thank you!!!
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Pastor Michael continues to offer morning prayer and Bible study. Join us each morning at 7:00 AM for Prayer and meditation. Join us, also on Thursdays at 12:00 Noon for Bible Study. Pastor Michael is hosting these from our Facebook page. If you are unable to log in LIVE, these offerings remain available for viewing after on our website and FB page. |
Please plan to join us for a socially distanced Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Thursday, December 24 at 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary of Zion. |
While the church office remains closed, you are encouraged to reach out if you have a need or know of a need. You may call Pastor Michael at 1-859-475-8800, call the church office, 803-285-3864 and leave a message, call Missy at 803-804-2434 or email lmjarrell@umcsc.org or zionumc@comporium.net; these emails are being monitored daily. The answering machine will also be checked daily. During these times, we ask everyone to pray together for each other, our church family, our community, our country, and our world. |
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Please remember these in prayer:
Nancy Ackerman
Angela Bailey
Francis Bell
Phillip Bell
Sue Catoe
Carol Cauthen
Angie Dobson
John Elder
Myra Funderburk
Mike Gay
Catherine Hammond
JoAnn Hinson
Rick Joyner
Rev. Frank Lybrand
Bill McCorkle
Kevin McCorkle
Marie Moree
Harris Plyler
Marcene Plyler
Ann Powers
Kathleen Robinson
John Rollins
Virginia Rollins
Bonnie Sears
Eva Small
Greg Smith
JoAnne Smith
Billy Sowell
Robbie Stepp
Matthew Sweatt
Pat Vick
Myrtle Walker
Donna Walters
Ellen Walters
Kim Yost
Our President and Troops
Those affected by the COVID virus
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Even as we offer in-person worship, our services will still be made available online on our Facebook page. Log in to our Zion United Methodist Church Facebook page this Sunday for our service if you are unable to make it to church!! The service will also be available on our website at www.zionumc.com |
Current Upper Room Daily Devotionals are available for pick up at the church! We will place some of these in the church vestibule on the table and some in the plastic communication box outside of the life center doors where the buses are for those who do not attend worship or have access to the church for you to pick up. There are large and regular print copies available. January/February issues will be available before the end of December. |
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December 8: Brandon Belk, Mr. and Mrs. B.J. Griffin
December 9: Janet Webster, Wayne Steele, Jr.
December 10: Micah Hayes
December 11: Tommy Knight, Lena Everall, Ansleigh Johnson
December 13: Barbara Catoe, Patrick Moree
December 14: Steve McDonald
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Special Gifts to Zion Church
In Honor of:
Nancy Ackerman, Carol Cauthen, and Donna Walters by Beth Craig
Dianne Martin on her birthday by Pat Threatt
Sadie Grace’s 2nd birthday Love, Mommy, Daddy, and Colton
Pat Threatt, Marion Curtis, and Doreen Catoe, thanks! by JoAnne Smith
Sadie Grace Thomas on her birthday by Missy and Kaylee Snipes
In Memory of:
James “Clyde” Walters by Mike and Gail Walters Parker
Special Gifts to Building Fund
In Honor of:
Carolyn Massey—Thanks! by Darlene Hallman
Donna Walters by Darlene Hallman
Nancy Ackerman, Sue Catoe, and Eva Small by Ray and Margie Vincent
“Loved Ones” by Jack and Becky
In Memory of:
Martha Steele on her birthday by Jack and Becky
“Loved Ones” by Jack and Becky
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The Record Speaks....
December 6, 2020
Present for Worship: 54
Needed each week for the General Fund $4,360
Received for General Fund $3,351
Received for Building Fund $630
There are many options available to give to the continuing ministry and outreach of Zion UMC. You may drop your offering in the offering plate as you arrive or leave worship service on Sundays, give through the website www.zionumc.com through Paypal, text your giving to 803-525-1834 and follow the secure link, or if you are not comfortable attending worship at this time and do not wish to give online, you may drop your offering in the mail to Zion UMC at 1665 Zion Road, Lancaster, SC 29720 or drop off in the mail drop box that is located beside the double doors where the buses are. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Missy at 803-804-2434 or leave a message at the church office, 803-285-3864 and your call will be returned. Thank you for your continued support of the Mission that is Zion!!
"...because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."
Deuteronomy 15:10,,
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803-285-3864 - www.zionumc.com |
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