Daily Devotional Podcast

You may join me for a part of my own daily devotionals by sharing in the podcast below.  It runs about 15 or so minutes.

Click Here for Podcast

Remember that all our video worship services are also accessible on our website:   mattoonumc.com

In addition, I am finishing the sermon series on "Books of the Bible."  These will not appear in the weekly worship videos, but you can listen to the audio recordings.  The latest is First Timothy and can be heard if you CLICK HERE.  It is about 25 minutes long.

Daily Update

We have some updates on some of our church members.  Roger Dettro is in Sarah Bush hospital for some tests.  Susan Bales has been dismissed from the Odd Fellows and is now home, with full time presence of family or caretakers.  She hopes to be getting stronger, but it is a slow process to get her strength back.  And Peggy Ropiequet is in Carle Hospital with a hip issue.  They will know more after tomorrow how serious it is and what to do. 

I will be holding Bible Studies on Thursdays...by video and phone, starting this week.  If you want to be a part of this, please let me know so I can put you on the list.  We will be in Matthew 13, a chapter full of parables.  The Thursday morning Bible Study will be at 10 a.m. and the evening one will be at 7.

So...just to be sure you got it right in this wacky world:  the Tuesday Bible Study will now be held on Thursday.  Not sure yet if we're still going to call it the "Tuesday" Bible study anymore.  We'll take a vote... sometime.

Life Goes On

Today, April 20, is Chinese Language Day, which I will observe by listening in on my wife's phone calls to her friends and relatives in China.  I will have no idea what they are talking about, but it seems like a good way to celebrate the occasion.

It is also Volunteer Recognition Day, which I will celebrate by taking time to give God thanks for all the people in my church who volunteer in all of our programs. 

Since I do a weekend update instead of a daily update for Saturday and Sunday, you may want to know the observances you missed over the weekend:

Saturday was Husband Appreciation Day.  I know that Jie forgot about it, but I am also hesitant to bring it up because it was also Piñata Day, which scares me a little. Saturday was also Auctioneer Day, an activity going back to ancient Babylon (500 B.C.)  The oldest auctioneer house in the world started in Stockholm in the 1600s and still is in operation.  Saturday was Record Store Day, which I recommend you observe by reading one of my favorite novels, Rachel Joyce's Music Shop.  Something well worth reading while you are sheltering in place. And Saturday was also Amateur Radio Day:  hats off to a couple of my friends who are among the 3 million people worldwide who participate in an activity going back to the late 1800s.  

And yesterday was Bicycle Day (a good idea for these days of keeping our distance from each other) Hanging Out Day (NOT a good idea this year) Garlic Day (perhaps a good time to get this one out of the way since we have to keep our distance from each other) and Amaretto Day, a sweet liqueur that maybe people are drinking more of...especially in those households where the idea of "Husband Day" gets a stare and dead silence.

Birthday Celebrations