John 9: 1-34

And as Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. “Master,” his disciples asked him, “Why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?”

“I am weary of living. Let me complain freely. I will speak in my sorrow and bitterness. I will say to God, ‘Don’t just condemn me - tell me why you are doing this. Does it really seem right of you to oppress and despise me, a man you have made, and to send joy and prosperity to the wicked? Must you hound me for sins you know full well I’ve not committed? You have made me and yet you destroy me. Granted, you made me of clay - yet now you are turning me to DUST!’ ” Adapted from Job 10:1-3,6-9

“No! Don’t say that! Who are you to talk back to God? Does the pot just formed on the potter’s wheel say to the potter, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Isn’t the potter the master of the clay?” Adapted from Romans 9:20-21

But Jesus answered, “Listen! Neither this man nor his parents sinned - but this happened so that the power of God might be shown in his life.”

“The potter was working at his wheel. But the jar that he was forming didn’t turn out as he wished, so he kneaded it into a lump

and started over. Then the Lord said: ‘Can’t I do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.’ ” Adapted from Jeremiah 18:5-6

And Jesus spat on the ground and made clay from the dirt and the spittle and smoothed the clay over the blind man’s eyes.

You, Lord, are the Potter. We are the clay. Adapted from Isaiah 64:8

And Jesus said, “ Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

“One thing I know - once I was blind - and now I can see! He took clay -”

. . . He is the Potter . . .

“- and put it on my eyes -”

. . . we are the clay . . .

“- and NOW I SEE ! ”

. . . we are all the work of His hands . . .

Adapted from Isaiah 64:8

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Lord, help me to really SEE you as Master of my life – and then to do your will.

-- Lyn Fitz

As we all prepare for the next Election and what follows, St. John’s is hosting a special online prayer vigil where anyone can sign up for a slot to pray for the polls, the voters, the counters, and the candidates on the hour all day from 7:00AM-7:00PM Please join us and sign up HERE.

Unplug, get outside, and connect with God. St John’s is hosting a quiet afternoon retreat on Sunday November 22 at Elena Gallegos. Pastor Kelly, Susan Brumbaugh, and Jarrod Conyers will be leading us through a series of contemplative spiritual practices in the glory of the foothills. We will meet in person and 6-feet apart from 1:00PM-4:00PM. Learn more and sign up HERE.

Would you be interested in submitting a daily devotional for the Newsletter? If so, send an email to Pastor Pam at prowley@stjohns-abq.org!

Please include the following items when writing a devotion:

A Focus Word or Phrase

A Scripture (it can simply be referenced)

The Body of the Devotion (one page is a good guideline)

A Prayer or a Spiritual Practice

Daylight Savings Time ends on November 1st! Set your clocks back!

St. John’s will live-stream a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:30 am (Contemporary) on the Abide Facebook page and 11:00 am (Traditional) on the homepage of the website. We hope you’ll worship with us! (Pastors Pam and Kelly will lead, along with Shea Perry, Jim Ahrend, and Matt Greer). We hope that you’ll participate by singing and praying at home! Any questions? Email Matt at mgreer@stjohns-abq.org.

Missing getting together with your St John’s family after church? Join us in the virtual Sonshine Coffee Zoom immediately following the 11:00 am Worship. Church Leadership Team members starting with Jim Hickman will be hosting with the Pastors Pam and Kelly joining if they are available. Zoom registration is HERE.

The class always welcomes new faces, whether they wish to become permanent members, are interested in a particular study, or need a Sunday School family while on temporary assignment in Albuquerque. We typically alternate between modern books and books of the Bible. We are currently nearing the end of I’d Like You More If You Were More Like Me, by John Ortberg. Contact Regina Hunter, drhunter@nmia.com, to be added to the invitation list on Sundays and to learn of the next book.

Family Spirit Class meets by zoom on Sunday mornings, 9:30 to 10:30. They are studying John Ortberg’s book The Life You've Always Wanted. Brian Eagan and Doug Sweet lead this study. Please contact Anita Hallstrom at anitah1@comcast.net if you would like to join this zoom class.

Christian Classics Sunday School Class is meeting by Zoom at 3:30 PM on Sundays. We are studying The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault. Contact Jack Nuzum at jcnuzum@juno.com to join in.

Mt. Taylor. This is one of the four sacred mountains in the Navajo tradition marking the cardinal directions, and is also considered sacred by the Acoma, Hopi, Laguna and Zuni tribes. We are guests, and should tread gently. In what other parts of our lives should we tread gently? The views from this mountain are amazing. The hike is strenuous (2,000 foot climb).

Canada del Ojo (~ 15 miles NW of Rt. 66 Casino; 47.5 miles from the church). Moderate (5 miles, a few hundred feet of vertical; some rocky walking)

Hidden in the desert and gentle mesas here are picturesque sandstone hoodoos and homesteads with interesting histories. This is set in the watershed of the Rio Puerco, an area with many stories of tribal conflicts and growth, histories of violent and gentle geologic events, and a stunning variety of living things. In this time of social distancing and stay-at-home, it is worth contemplating the many wonders that we share. (photos from this trip)

Contacts: Mike Furnish, CLM (884-6626; mdfurnish@comcast.net) or Kelly Giese (kellyg@stjohns-abq.org).

Join us for a new series of concerts live-streamed from the St. John's sanctuary! Concerts are a benefit for Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless. musicatstjohns.org

The Robert Lah Trio

St John’s Food Ministry continues to serve the people of Albuquerque--approximately 500 people per month!--with hot meals prepared in our kitchen,  Do you have a surplus of fresh produce from your garden that you would like to donate to St. John's to feed the hungry? If so, please contact Chef Tim at tnuzum@stjohns-abq.org.

To better streamline all the ways we communicate, the Youth Group has adopted the Slack app to merge and integrate the our direct messaging, digital calendar, Zoom account, and all our online documents. It is easy to join the threads that apply just to you. Join in here: bit.ly/joinumyfslack1

Summer is past, and as we get back to school? Our Solid Ground youth group will resume meeting every Sunday at 4:00-5:15PM with new games, discussions, and faith-building activities plus new features of the student led Soap Box and Top 5s. Log-in. at: bit.ly/Fall2020UMYF (case sensitive).

While we are not yet allowed to sing together, stay informed about the activities of the Sonrise Youth Choir, including weekly Zooms on Thursdays at 4:00 pm (Jackbox games!!), and musical workshops in the Fall! Email Shea at sonrisechoir@gmail.com!

The announcements below include using the program "Zoom" to group-video chat. You can find a tutorial on how to use Zoom HERE!

There are few more perplexing issues for people of faith than that of unmerited suffering. We understand when good people prosper and evil people suffer. But what about when good people suffer for nothing that they did? That is Job's situation and the book that bares his name is a complex examination of the issue.

Join us for a Zoom study of this book (for four weeks) and then the delightful Old Testament stories of Ruth and Esther the final two weeks. The Bible study will take place on Mondays, October 19-Nov. 23, 2020, at either 10 AM or 7 PM. You may join either class or jump between them. If interested, or if you have questions, contact Jack Nuzum at jcnuzum@juno.com or 505-265-5241. Jack will be leading the discussion and will send out a Zoom invitation before each meeting.

Log in and have coffee (or tea) and chat with Pastors Pam and Kelly! Zoom link HERE.

Meet by zoom with Pastor Pam for a 30 minute spiritual practice every Thursday afternoon. We will explore different ways to pray, to commune with God, to nurture our spiritual lives with Christ through the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Space is limited, join the class HERE.

Anyone is welcome--no experience is necessary. (And, yes! It's okay for Christians to meditate.) If you want to learn more prior to starting, the sessions will be similar to ones she leads and records on YouTube. Each session will be hosted on Zoom. HERE is the zoom link. Please contact Susan Brumbaugh, counselor@stjohns-abq.org, or 505-506-6716, if you have questions.

Ted Shogry is the recipient for the prayer quilt on display for October 26 - November 8.

In lieu of tying knots, please pray this prayer (or your own prayer) for Ted: “Father, we ask that you shower Ted with blessings and health for a speedy recovery from surgery."

With the Church currently closed, the prayer shawls have taken up residence with Hunt and Ann. They are actually quite comfortable in the coolness of their new home but they would love to be of comfort to someone in need of God’s love. Please contact Ann at mapalook@comcast.net or 768-7013 if you would like a shawl. If you call, the basket will await your visit in their courtyard. Blessings -

It seems like a very long time since we have been able to be together as a church family. Our staff has worked hard to keep us connected through virtual worship services, drive-in or small in-person services, and some Sunday School classes and other groups have been able to continue via Zoom, meeting safely at the church, in homes or even in parks. The Leadership Team wants to make sure everyone in our church family is being contacted in some way, especially those of our members and friends who might not have regular contact with people. We are looking for volunteers to help us call a small number of members to find out how they are, to let them know we are thinking of them and to find out how the church can help them. If that sounds like something you would enjoy doing and sending information back to the church about these members, please contact Barbara Stanfield, barbarastanfield@comcast.net. Thank you for considering helping in this important ministry of reaching out to our St. John’s family.

How we support you and your family in prayer during this difficult time? Prayers for health, employment, peace? Please send your prayer requests to the Prayer Team: mapalook@comcast.net or submit them on our website HERE.

It is hard to get out and many people shouldn’t. Is there something you need delivered from the store? If we are able to help, we have a few volunteers who would like to serve as Go-fers for people who need something but cannot get it on their own. Please pass any requests on to Jarrod at c.care@stjohns-abq.org

The St. John's staff includes a licensed mental health counselor who is available to meet virtually (using a smartphone or computer) in a secure online platform during these anxious times. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, counseling is available. Click here or contact Susan Brumbaugh at 505-506-6717 or counselor@stjohns-abq.org for more details about session and cost information. Susan also has a Youtube Channel with mindfulness tips HERE.

OCTOBER SPECIAL OFFERING: World Communion Offering 

     This month we will be remembering our unity with Christians around the world. Our special gifts will go to students like Kennedy. She lost her father when she was eight and her family struggled to find enough to eat. But with the help of her church, Lotus UMC in Maryland, and a World Communion scholarship, Kennedy is on her way to giving back to the community as a physician.

  Far away in Nigeria, Obinna grew up without electricity or clean water. Yet, today with the help of the Global United Methodist Church via a World Communion scholarship, he is studying to be an engineer.

  Nelson Mandela once said," Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." Please give generously any time in the month of October.

In accordance with the New Mexico Department of Health order, our facility will be closed until further notice. We will keep you apprised as things develop.

Your St. John's pastors and staff are still very much on the job, and are available to you during this time. Please reach out to us if we can help you in any way!

www.stjohns-abq.org

(505) 883-9717

2626 Arizona St NE | Albuquerque, NM 87110

Office Hours (call only): Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm