Thank you to Karen, Kelly, and everyone else who filled in while I was in Dallas last weekend. Cindy and I went to Dallas for our son’s ordination as an United Methodist Elder in the Central Texas Conference. Proof of the event:

But the real reason we went to Dallas was this little girl:

This Sunday we will finish our sermon series on Loving Our Enemies by looking at what maybe the most dangerous enemy we face, ourselves. The sermon is “Loving the Enemy Within” and its based on Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32.

Join us next Sunday, October 4, for a World Communion Sunday with Jazz to Go! We’ll start streaming at 9:45 so that our “at home” crowd can enjoy all of Jazz to Go’s pre-service music. Live-streamers, grab your coffee and your Communion elements and tune in a little early for some “Just Jazz” prior to the 10am service!

8:30am Drive-In Worship, East Parking Lot

Join us for a Drive-In Worship Service in the East Parking Lot of CUMC.

You will be guided off of the University Entrance into a parking space. Please turn your radio to FM 88.1 and open your smart phone to our website or FaceBook page where you will find the Order of Service. Relax and enjoy this informal style of worship! Once the service concludes, you will be asked to exit out of the parking lot onto Copper. Please Note: No building/restroom access will be available!

10:00am Streaming Worship,

Found on Centraltolife.org, FaceBook, or YouTube

Join us for our On-Line Limited In-Person Worship Service.

Every Wednesday, Pastor Greg’s Bible Study takes place. The study will be on the Book of Acts.

 Read Chapter 9:1-31

Questions We Will Discuss

Join Pastor Kelly for the Educational Opportunities FootSteps of Paul Cruise, October 3-14th 2021 (Tour: GC21, Code C, ID 55108). You will arrive in Venice from Albuquerque on October 3rd, and then on to Katakolon, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Athens, and Corinth. A pre-tour to Florence and a post-tour to Venice is also available. Additional information and registration information can be found on centraltolife.org or www.EO.travel. http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/files/uploads/GC21_55108_Brooks_005_FINAL.pdf

Contact Pastor Kelly with questions or scholarship information kellyb@centraltolife.org. 

CLICK HERE to submit a prayer,

Amplify is a multimedia platform allowing churches large and small to discover, customize, and share diverse resources that encourage deeper discipleship and equip churches to pursue their mission with greater impact.

Use CUMC's Access Code to gain access

Opening Hymn    We, Thy People, Praise Thee

We, thy people, praise thee, praise thee, God of every nation!

We, thy people, praise thee, praise thee, Lord of Hosts eternal!

1 Days of wonder, days of beauty, days of rapture filled with light

tell thy goodness, tell thy mercies, tell thy glorious might.

We, thy people, praise thee, praise thee, praise thee evermore!

Scripture Reading   Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Solo   “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”

Closing Hymn     Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee

O Lamb of God, I come! I come

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve

Because Thy promise I believe

O Lamb of God, I come, I come

For at least the first few Sundays of our return to worship in our Sanctuary, those who stream or attend the service in person will notice one element missing: sung or spoken community responses. As Music Director, I would like to take this opportunity to both acknowledge the importance of congregational participation in worship and to explain why we will be starting off cautiously as we reenter sacred space.

There has been a great deal written and speculated about the possible role of aerosols in the spread of COVID-19. Unlike respiratory droplets which are generally accepted to fall to the ground within a short space, aerosols are smaller particles that can spread over larger distances and remain suspended in the air for longer periods. We produce these aerosols just by breathing, but we produce more through speaking or singing. The louder the collective noise, the more aerosols are produced, and these can tend to build up over time in indoor spaces. A single singer or speaker does not seem to pose a danger to others provided that they are positioned an adequate distance away, but there are lingering concerns about how much aerosol can be produced by multiple people singing or speaking at once. The science in this heretofore unexamined area is continuously evolving, and a number of first-of-their-kind studies are currently being done. Churches and Music Directors have been monitoring the progress of these studies for months and have chosen to respond in various ways. Many churches who have returned or plan to return to in-person worship are not allowing singing or spoken responses for the time being. Others are allowing a minimal amount of singing in masks. The good news is, these ongoing studies are very favorable to the practice of singing in masks and spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart to significantly reduce aerosol spread. Volume, not necessarily specific activity (singing vs. speaking) is emerging as the biggest factor in aerosol production. Suggestions for singing in groups also include keeping periods of singing down to 30 minutes, with outside being the safest venue and a large, well ventilated inside space with high ceilings as the next best. All of this information indicates that we should be able to quickly progress to singing short closing hymns at the end of our services. However, we all feel it best to err on the side of caution at the outset and introduce any congregational singing or responses after we have had a few weeks to assess our in-person worship practices, as well as to monitor the spread of the virus in our area.

So, for at least the first few weeks, expect the music in our services to be delivered by keyboard instruments, soloists, and video. Please be patient with us as we navigate this next chapter in our worship lives with everyone’s safety in mind.

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Anthem     There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy    Karen Marrolli

Sermon     “Loving the Enemy Within”