FIRST UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
New Theologian of the Month and Book of the Month
FUMC Newsletter 9/4/24
Worship
Topic: Sleeping
Speaker: Rev. Zach Moffatt
Time: 10:00am
Also available on WKSR Radio 100.9 at 10:00am, YouTube & Facebook Live!
Announcements
The Table Open House has been cancelled.
Thank you, United Methodist Women, for providing a Spud-tastic dinner to the Wesley students.
Youth Taco Fundraiser tickets go on sale this Sunday before and after the service!
Casual Worship 9/15
Bible Beans and Social Talks resumes the week of 9/15
This Sunday is our last installment of “God in Everyday Moments” series.
Verse of the Week
Upcoming Events
Today, Wed, 9/4
No Events
Thursday, 9/5
5:30pm Disciple Bible Study
Friday, 9/6
No Events
Saturday, 9/7
No Events
Sunday, 9/8
9:00am Sunday School
10:00am Worship
2:00pm Youth Girl’s Night
4:00pm Youth Guy’s Night
4:00pm Bishop Graves Reception in Columbia
Monday, 9/9
8:15am Monday Morning Prayers
10:00am Prayer Shawl
11:00am Caulk & Sand Blessing Box at The Table
Tuesday, 9/10
@9:00 Coffee with the Pastor
@5:00 S’mores and More with Wesley at UT Southern
@6:00 Community Garden
Wednesday, 9/11
5:30 Paint Blessing Box at The Table
What's Up With Wesley?
Thank you, United Methodist Women, for providing a Spud-tastic dinner! And, thank you, PZ, for helping the group unpack this quote attributed to John Wesley, "Do all the good you can..."
Next Tuesday @ 5pm, Wesley invites all young adults to enjoy S'mores & More at the UT Southern Fire Pit.
If you would like to provide a meal for Wesley Student Gatherings on Tuesday, September 24th or Tuesday, October 1st, please reach out to Laura McMasters at 931-309-6156.
Disciple Bible Study
Last Thursday, August 29th, 16 participants met to begin our Disciple Bible Study. This is a 34-week/8-month program that will lead us through the entire text of the bible. In Kevin Garner’s words, “It can change your life if you let it.” We are so excited to begin this journey to deepen our faith and understanding of God’s word together. Please keep all of our participants (and PZ) in your prayers.
Community Garden
This bountiful garden just keeps on giving! Encourage neighbors and friends to stop by Matthew 25 to pick up fresh veggies from our garden. Yesterday and today’s picks are going to RFD’s Thursday Pop-Up as well as a few students and other individuals.
Blessing Boxes
Have you noticed the Blessing Boxes already established in our community? You can add non-perishable items and personal hygiene items any time, and our neighbors will thank you.
Take your items to one of the Boxes in the following locations:
Second St. Church parking lot North Third St.
Philadelphia Seventh Day Adventist Church on East Washington
Or Our Church Office
It's Time for Tacos!
Starting This Sunday, September 8th, before and after the service our Youth will be selling tickets to their Taco Lunch Fundraiser which will take place after Church on September 29th. Food Tickets are $10 for 1 person or $20 for your whole family. Come get some Tacos!
This Sunday is the Youth Guys and Girls Night!
Girls join us from 2- 6 pm at the Youth House to go Roller skating in Fayetteville.
Guys bring your favorite board games/videogames for a night of fun competition in the Youth House from 4-8 pm.
Coming Soon...
Games, Food & Casual Worship @ The Table
Sunday, September 15 @ 4pm
What will we play?
Youth help the adults fill in the blanks for:
_a_a _a__
Adults help the youth fill in the blanks for:
_oo_
Back 2 School Progressive Picnic
Sunday, September 22nd @ 5pm
Beginning at Sharewood Park
Everyone is welcome! Contact Sherry Hill for details.
What is a progressive picnic? A progressive picnic is a multi-course picnic dinner that's served at multiple locations. You will begin at one park and transition to another.
Theologian of the Month
Our Theologian of the Month for the month of September is St. Oscar Romero (1917-1980). St. Romero was a Salvadoran Roman Catholic archbishop who was a vocal critic of the violent activities of government armed forces, right-wing political groups, and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvador’s civil unrest in the 1970s-1980s.
Although he was considered as someone who would not rock the boat politically for the Catholic Church or the government of El Salvador, which is what led to his promotion to be the archbishop of San Salvador, St. Romero quickly took to the streets of his new appointment and saw the poverty and violence the people of El Salvador experienced first hand. He quickly witnessed the horrors that his government was inflicting on the poor, the outcast, and those powerless against the political forces. This led him to be a voice of the poor. St. Romero was a forerunner for a theological movement known as Liberation Theology—a theological expression which teaches the church has a Divine Mandate to always be outspoken in defense of the poor—as it is with the poor in which we will find Jesus. Romero is most famous for saying, “Let us never tire of preaching love, for it is the force which will transform the world.”
Because of St. Romero’s critiques of state-sanctioned violence against the people of El Salvador, his continued calls for democratic elections, and his unique ability to listen and use his platform for the poor, he received constant threats on his life. On March 24th, 1980, while presiding over the Sacrament of Holy Communion, he was assassinated by a sniper. During his funeral, tens of thousands of Salvadorans attended, as he was viewed as their collective priest. At his funeral, a bomb went off outside the Cathedral of San Salvador. As people fled, gunfire erupted killing 40 people and wounding more than 200. Upon hearing this news, Romero’s theological contemporaries from both the Protestant and Catholic traditions around the world echoed his call for the Church to take up Christ’s radical way of peace, mercy, and love.
In 2015, Pope Francis declared St. Romero a martyr. Three years later, in March of 2018, Pope Francis canonized Oscar Romero to the sainthood.
Book of the Month
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion is written by moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt. When you read this book, you will quickly realize that Haidt is not interested in answering the ethical question of “what is good or wrong?” Rather, he is interested in investigating how human beings come to their ethical conclusions. Haidt draws on his 25 plus years of research and shows how moral judgements arise not from reason but from gut feelings. In this subtle, yet highly accessible book, Haidt gives us the key to understanding the miracle of human cooperation. The Righteous Mind leads us from the science of how we reason and make ethical choices to how we can better understand one another as we seek to be in community with one another.
Share your suggestions by emailing info@fumcpulaski.com with the subject line “Book of the Month.” Be sure to include the Title, Author, and an explanation why you like the book and/or how it helped transform you. You might see your pick as our next Book of the Month!
Opportunities to Serve
Prayer Shawl September 9th @ 10:00am in The Fellowship Hall
Participants will meet to make prayer shawls for members of the congregation and community.
Nursing Home Worship September 16th @ 9:30am
Join Alicia Gordon and Pastor Zach as they travel to local nursing homes to lead songs and lift up the elderly members of our community. Meet in the Fellowship Hall at 9:00am to participate.
Circle of Care Thursdays @ 9:00am in The Fellowship Hall
Join Circle of Care in boxing & delivering hot meals to our neighbors. Anyone is welcome to show up and serve! No commitment required.
RFD Food Collection
RFD (Rural Food Delivery) is collecting donations in The Fellowship Hall. The item of the month is mac n’ cheese. Please drop off mac n’ cheese other non-perishable food items on the shelf in The Fellowship Hall.