Unforced Rhythms of Grace

5th Sunday in Lent
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say that it was a full weekend for us around the church. Thursday evening kicked off the weekend with our final night of serving our Room in The Inn (RITI) friends. It was a beautiful night with a scrumptious meal prepared by our Centro Cristiana Hosanna Community.

 

Thank you to Mike Mattes and his family (wife Ginnie and daughters Lillie and Juniper) who have served faithfully together on Thursday nights for years. The girls have done a phenomenal job of running the clothing closet and organizing items for overnight guests. The amazing RITI team and many other volunteers make a comfortable and hospitable place for our guests from Roof Above on Thursday evenings from December through March. You all made this season of service so special. I hope you’ll consider signing up to participate come November.

 

Here are a couple other things from the weekend:

• Sunday Worship at MUMC brought uplifting music, powerful prayers, Stephen Ministry Commissioning of Janet Baker, and the witness of our two Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship recipients. I also continued our examination of the classic Christian virtues with a deep dive into Prudence (wisdom). If you missed being with us, you can click here to worship.
• Following worship brought our 5th Sunday gathering for our Bridge Builders Fellowship. We gathered in The Commons for a scrumptious potluck meal and joined people from Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist, Jonesville AME Zion, Morningstar Lutheran, Matthews Presbyterian, etc. We watched the powerful documentary American Coup: Wilmington 1898. If you’d like to view, you can click here.
• Well over 200 women attended the It’s a Party Women’s Empowerment Brunch at the church, and enjoyed community together, a lot of inspiration, and a tasty meal.

 

Video Devotional

I have found great comfort in The Message’s translation of Jesus’ words from Matthew 11:28-30: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Join me in our devotional for this week, Unforced Rhythms of Grace.

 

• Jerusalem Marketplace – Sunday, April 13, 9 am – 12 pm in the Gym.
• Order Easter Lilies in memory or celebration of a loved one by April 13! Details
• Community Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, April 19, 6-8 pm. You an also VOLUNTEER or DONATE to this fun event!
• Maundy Thursday Worship – The Last Supper Service led by Rainbow Express Ministries – Thursday, April 17, 7 pm in the Sanctuary
• Good Friday Tenebrae Service of Shadows with Special Music Presentation – Friday, April 18, 7 pm in the Sanctuary

ASL interpretation available for in-person Holy Week services: Palm Sunday at 11 am, Maundy Thursday at 7 pm, Good Friday at 7 pm, Easter Sunday at 11 am.

Be sure to review all of our Lenten & Easter happenings here!

 

Other Upcoming Events

• Leadership Information Session – Tuesday, April 8, 7 pm in Room 97/99 or Zoom.
• Saturday Serve – Landscaping, painting & beautification for Global Impact Partners from 9am-Noon on April 26 at Blessed Assurance, May 3 at Rainbow Express Ministries, May 17 at Turning Point Treehouse & Greenway Park Elementary. Register here
• All-Church Gathering – Monday, April 28, 7 pm in the Sanctuary. (Arrive 6:30 for fellowship & refreshments.) Meet our New Pastors!

 

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday in person at 8:15 (Traditional), 9:30 (Contemporary), 9:30 (Family Worship in the Gym – Special Date this Sunday; moved from April 13), 11:00 (Traditional), or online at 9:30, 11:00 or 12:30 (Spanish – in person or here on demand).

This Sunday in our Spanish-speaking service (CCH), Pastor Roldan will be preaching from John 12:1-8, and his sermon title is Let’s Seize the Moment.

All are welcome to join us at Family Worship (9:30 in the Gym), an interactive, high-energy worship service for the whole family. This month we will have a unique opportunity to experience the events of Holy week through interactive activities during the service. Plan to stay afterwards for refreshments and the opportunity to craft your own reminder of the acts of Jesus Christ in the days before His crucifixion and resurrection.

This Sunday, we continue our search into the seven ancient Christian virtues, and seven core practices of love Jesus taught. There may be nothing surprising about these markers, there is a surprising lot to learn. We’ve been calling our worship series, Shaping the Virtuous Heart: Restoring Our Communities and Redeeming Our Souls. My sermon for Sunday is on the ancient Christian virtue of Faith and I hope to share with you some excerpts of a letter I’m writing to my grandchildren. Our scripture lesson will be II Timothy 1:1-7. I’m so grateful to Scott Johnston and his help on these sermons.

Our new HVAC system will be up and running April 10. Please dress appropriately this Sunday as we will only have the capacity to move the air but not cool it. Also, remember to wear BLUE to support Brave Step’s Color It Blue movement.

Thank you for your invitations you are extending to people in your neighborhood to join you for church at MUMC, AND thank you for bringing them by for me to meet. I love it. You are making the love of God real to so many.

And now, as always, during these strange, uncertain, and yet hope-filled days. Remember … God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Shaping the Virtuous Heart.
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

 

Did you know that our Hope & Minds Mental Health Ministry is focusing on Anxiety for the month of April? It encompasses various forms, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic disorders, each with distinct characteristics and triggers. For further information, click Anxiety Disorders, and Anxiety Disorders, NAMI.

Did you know that some of our 11th & 12th Graders met up with their youth leaders for a special dinner at White Duck Taco on March 23? They had the opportunity to talk about the summer mission trip and spend time socializing! If you know a youth who might be interested in joining Sunday nights or missions outreach, please visit Youth.MatthewsUMC.org.

Did you know that the Micah Connection received a Mustard Seed grant from Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)? The Mustard Seed grants provide support for refugees and migrants around the world, seeking to fulfill the biblical mandate to “love thy neighbor” and “welcome the stranger.” This grant will be used for work here in our community. If you have interest in this work, contact Amy DeVore.

Did you know that the New Directions Sunday School Class brought materials and packed 200 hygiene kits for Western NC Disaster Ministries this past Sunday? The group then viewed a brief Global Impact missions video interview with Keith West, former New Directions class member, who is now employed by WNC Disaster Ministries and is working with the RV Village at Covenant Community Church. After learning that monthly utilities for each RV are approximately $283 per month, the group voted to cover these costs for one RV family for at least one year.