E-News For February 24, 2021 ~ The Most Difficult Path to Follow...Volunteer Opportunities...Upper Rooms for March/April Available Now

Saxapahaw United Methodist Church

February 24, 2021

February 28, 2021

The Most Difficult Path (Lent 2)

Imagine the scene. You are one of the group of Galileans who have been singled out to follow the most compelling teacher ever to walk the stony hills of your land. You have watched as more people come to hear him and be fed by him. And you’ve seen the sick and the blind healed. And then Jesus turns to you and tells you that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be killed. And you are stopped in your path. “What?” And Jesus goes on: ““If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Gulp! Are you ready to follow Jesus on this most difficult path? As resurrection people we know the promise that awaits us, but the journey is rarely easy.

Pick Up Your 2021

Lenten Devotional Today!

The Sanctuary for Lent 2021 includes brief readings for each day in Lent, from Ash Wednesday through Easter Day, including a suggested Scripture, a short devotion and a short prayer.

Copies are available on the table in our gathering room outside the sanctuary. Take one for your own Lenten journey. If you know of a family member or a friend who would appreciate one, give them one.

Together we can faithfully journey through Lent and prepare to experience the joy of the Resurrection.

Stone Soup Menus

Needs Volunteers on

Tuesdays & Thursdays

This ministry provides 2-3 meals a week to anyone in need. Mary Casey, who started Stone Soup Menus last spring, is working with several farmers and restaurants to prepare meals, all of which are cooked at Swepsonville UMC where the ministry is housed.

She is in need of some immediate support. She needs people to deliver meals on Tuesday & Thursday afternoons.

Here's what to expect:

* All deliveries are in southern Alamance (deliveries across Alamance happen on different days of the week).

* Each driver typically does 10-12 deliveries, which takes 1-2 hours.

* The food is ready to be picked up at 2:30 on Tuesday & Thursday from Swepsonville UMC, and needs to be picked up by 3:00 p.m.

* This is a weekly commitment, giving you the opportunity to get to know and care for the people to whom you are delivering food.

Mary commented that she is witnessing miracles every day and lives are being changed. Volunteers say their faith is growing stronger and they feel more connected to the community. She also shared a wonderful "stone soup" story: She had enough ingredients to make soup for 50 people and needed enough soup for 100. Not knowing what else to do she prayed for a miracle. As she put the soup into the to-go containers she had exactly enough soup for 100 people! It is clear that God is at work doing wonderful work through Stone Soup Menus.

To volunteer on Tuesdays, contact Pastor Sue at seldon@nccumc.org or 919-454-5669.
To volunteer on Thursdays, contact Mary Casey at marycasey0810@gmail.com.
If you are unable to volunteer to deliver meals, but are able to volunteer your time in other ways, contact Mary Casey at marycasey0810@gmail.com.

Ways to Worship

Sundays @ 11 am

For this season we are skipping gathering in person so that there will be many other seasons when all of us can gather in person.

We encourage you to participate in one or more of the following ways:

Drive-In Church: Participate in worship from the parking lot by tuning in on your radio to 97.7 FM. Come as you are, stay in your car, and experience community in a new way! (See more below in this e-news about the history of Drive-In Church.)

FaceBook and Zoom: We encourage you to continue to connect for worship online. Feel free to use the chat feature to greet one another and share the peace of Christ during the service. Please join us on Zoom or FaceBook this Sunday at 11 o'clock:

FaceBook Live
Zoom (Video) http://bit.ly/SaxUMCVirtualWorship
By phone: Dial +1 646 558 8656, enter, meeting ID: 98064557041
Recorded Service, After noon on Sunday

Help Lead Worship: Participate in worship by reading scripture, sharing a story, and/or providing a musical offering. Contact Pastor Sue if you’d like to participate in this way.

Pray: We cannot underestimate the power of prayer during this season. Pray for one another daily. Pray for our community and our world.

Thank you for your supporting the mission and ministries of Saxapahaw UMC. Tithes and offerings may be given by mail, in the offering boxes, or via secure form on our website.

The Upper Room Resources

Pick up the March/April 2021 issue at the church or view the PDF File (see details below).

Morning Prayer with The Upper Room via Facebook Live, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 a.m. (CT). These guided prayer experiences are archived so you may join us at your convenience if you miss it live.

Resources for Spiritual Wellness in Anxious Times. For navigating the pandemic, this link makes available to you a robust list of timely practices—for individuals and families as well as your faith leaders. Included are digital devotionals, videos, eCourses, podcasts, etc., all of which can be accessed and distributed free of charge to everyone in your congregation.

A PDF File of the March/April 2021 issue of The Upper Room is available to our standing order churches. Because you are a paid subscriber, we want to provide this service to you since we realize many readers are currently reticent or unable to pick up their copy of the devotional guide because of the virus or closed church office. We encourage you to freely share with everyone in your congregation as a gift.