WIXLIB

THE TIE THAT BINDSRocky Mount United Methodist Church35 North Main Street, Rocky Mount, VA 24151Phone: 540-483-5338 Fax: 540-484-1698E-mail: admin@rm-umc.orgWebsite: www.rm-umc.orgOur Mission: “To Know Jesus and Share His Love”Will Waller, PastorMarch 2019Ash Wednesday emphasizesa dual encounter: we confrontour own mortality andconfess our sin before Godwithin the community offaith. These powerfulexpressions are rare in our culture and needto happen to remind us of our need for Godand life. Ash Wednesday service will beheld on March 6 and you're invited toparticipate beginning at 7:00 p.m.Again, this year during the season of Lent,you are invited to select a Lenten Friend.Envelopes will be available on Sunday,March 10, and will contain the name of achurch family member who is either shut-inor in need of some special care during Lent.You are asked to pray for this person andextend other kindnesses such as a personalcall, a greeting card, or other special treats.Thank you!Rocky Mount UMC joins with otherchurches in town and the county toparticipate in upcoming Lenten lunch series.The Lenten lunches go back many years andallow churches to welcome other Christiansinto their doors for a short worship servicefollowed by a light lunch on Wednesdays at12:00 p.m.March 13March 20March 27April 3April 10April 17All women of the church are invited to theLadies Bible Study that begins March 12.We will be studying “James: MercyTriumphs” by Beth Moore. We will meet9:30-11:30 a.m., in the Assembly Room(Redeemer’s SS Classroom). Books willcost 16 per person. Please notify LindaWalters (757-635-0109;lindaw@shentel.net) or Peggy Hodges (540483-0771; peggyjhodges@hotmail.com) assoon as possible if you plan to participate sowe can order books. Invite your friends andfamily to come too!Rocky Mount Christian ChurchRocky Mount Baptist ChurchRocky Mount Church of the BrethrenInner-Faith FellowshipRocky Mount UMCFirst Baptist Church of Rocky Mount1

Dear RMUMC,I’ll admit, Ash Wednesday is a bit odd. Other than you, your hairdresser and mom, who elsetouches your forehead? Ash Wednesday’s big finish includes someone brushing aside yourbangs, ash - something we try to avoid - daubed on your skin, and reminders of our deathoffered over us. Sure, Christmas Eve service involves giving 5-year olds a flame to hold andEaster sunrise service takes place in a cemetery in the predawn light. But, pound for pound,Ash Wednesday is the weirdest.Recently, I’ve been pondering the oddness of Christianity. After Christianity got the governmentstamp of approval, we’ve become more and more like that of the state. That’s led to someniceties - access inside the public school systems for groups like Young Life and FCA tominister and tax exemption benefits to enjoy. State approval by Constantine back when wewere speaking Latin changed the landscape of Christianity forever. Christians prior to EmperorConstantine’s support were a hardscrabble lot; they bedded down at night and wondered if thatnight would be their last, given the widespread persecution Christ followers were facing. Theywere a committed group given their willingness to believe in the face of constant threats of theirdeath.Their committedness though impressed pagans nearby. One of the earliest non-Biblicaldocuments we have is the Didache, which instructs Christians to “not turn away from him that isin want, but thou shalt share all things with thy brother and shalt not say that they are thineown.” This was (is?) revolutionary. In A.D. 253, Bishop Cyprian saw that people werehomeless because of invading nomads; he collected funds from a small group of Christians togive them housing. Another Bishop, John Chrysostom, witnessed “Every day the Church herefeeds 3,000 people. Besides this, the church daily helps provide food and clothes for prisoners,the hospitalized, pilgrims, cripples, churchmen, and others.” This is odd, this is strange, thisis.weird.So here’s a crazy thought - what if we made Christianity weird again? What if rather thanrunning from services like Ash Wednesday because they might not be too mainstream, weremember that Paul says, “Do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by therenewing of our minds.” Could it be that services like this are the vessels God uses to transformand renew our minds? Could it be that services like this spark our memory back to whenChristianity was especially odd? What happens when we realize that if Christ is different, wewho are Christians are to be different too? Here’s a glimpse of that change: your hair is movedover, ash is smudged on your forehead and the words “remember that you are dust and to dustye shall return” are spoken over you. Join us weirdos on March 6 at 7:00 p.m.In Christ,Pastor Will2

Our #1 goal for 2019 is continuing togrow our membership. We welcome allwomen of the church to join us the firstMonday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in theAssembly Room. If you cannot attenddaytime meetings, but would like to be amember, Linda will be happy tocommunicate all meeting and projectinformation to you by e-mail. We arewilling to explore the possibility of meetingat a different time or on a different day aswell. Please contact Linda Walters (540346-2004, lindaw@shentel.net) or any otherUnited Methodist Woman if you areinterested or have questions.United MethodistWomen(Linda Walters,President)Thank you, MyrnaPeters, for speaking tous on February 4 about the traditions of theGerman Baptists. Copies of Myrna’sinteresting program are available if youwould like to have one. We meet again onMarch 4 at 10:00 a.m. in the AssemblyRoom for our annual program on Prayer andSelf-Denial given by Danville Districtofficer, Donna Guthrie. Bring a roll ofpaper towels for Henry Fork and any othercollection items you have.The UMW will continue to collectBoxtops for Education, soda can tabs,stamps, and coloring books and crayons.The boxes for these collections are in thehall to the left of the Narthex on thewindowsill near the mailboxes and in theAssembly Room.The District Prayer Breakfast andth150 UMW Birthday Party will be held onSaturday, March 23 from 9:00-11:0 a.m. atSmith Memorial UMC in Collinsville.We have several excitingopportunities to serve in the next fewmonths. In April, we will be having abirthday party for residents at TheHermitage. It’s lots of fun! On Wednesday,April 10, the UMW will be preparing andhosting the Lenten Luncheon after thecommunity Lenten service at RMUMC. InMay, you can join us for a church widemission workday in the fellowship hall. Wewill be working on several projects forinternational mission including UMCORkits. More specific information about thisopportunity will be available as itapproaches.United MethodistMen(Mark Newbill,President)The United Methodist Men will have theirbreakfast meeting on March 17 at 8:45 a.m.We encourage all men in the church toattend.On Tuesday, March 26 and Thursday,March 28, our church is in charge of servinglunch at Stepping Stone Soup Kitchen.Please sign-up on the sheet posted on thebulletin board located at the steps goingdown to the preschool. Thanks!3

Vital Congregation Statistics for JanuaryI.Finances—Church Operating BudgetAmount Brought Forward From 2018Budgeted Offerings Expected to Receive through 1/31/19Actual Offerings Received through 1/31/19Budgeted Expenses Expected to Spend through 1/31/19Actual Expenses Paid through 1/31/19Ending Balance, 1/31/19 44,972 24,833 15,731 24,417 14,190 46,513II.Average Worship Attendance 135Average Sunday School Attendance 35On February 10, we welcomed Jerry and Linda Davis by transfer of letter from Phoebus UnitedMethodist Church in Hampton.Faith journeyA family was heading on vacation: two little ones were nestled in car seats; the van waspacked. As Dad locked the house and Mom secured the garage, an adult neighbor the kidsknew walked up and spoke through an open window. “Where are you going?” The kidsshrugged. “Well, what road are you taking?” the friend asked with a knowing smile. Ofcourse, they had no idea. “Do you know where you’ll eat today, or where you’ll spend thenight?” Blank stares. Then the friend asked, “Who are you traveling with?” The children brokeinto grins and shouted, “Mommy and Daddy!”On the journey of faith, we don’t know precisely where we’re headed or how all our needswill be met. But we know who we’re traveling with: our loving God who is fully aware of thetwists and turns ahead; the loving Parent who promises to care for us wherever we go.“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature —the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”—Rachel Carson4

Skiing, milkshake runs toCookout, and messy gamenights. Lock-ins andconcerts. These are theevents that make theheadlines, but let me tell youabout anotherkind of night in youth group. The standard,run-of-the-mill youth night makes up themajority of the youth events. There is agathering time, a game, a lesson, and adeparture. It’s not complex. But what youfind in these moments are the simple joys.One night, we were baking cookiesthat I get to take out to the folks who visitthis church. We were making oatmeal raisinand cranberry cookies and a triple chocolatebrownie cake explosion. These studentsjumped right into the task in the upstairskitchen. That night, we had three boys andone girl. They worked so well together,measuring and baking, and the productswere amazing. Some of you may bedevising ways to drop your membership andbecome guests at Rocky Mount just to tastethese creations the youth made.That night, while the items werecooking, we talked about how Abraham andSarah showed hospitality to three strangersthat made their way to Abe and Sarah’s tent.They didn’t know these folks, but offeredthem the best of what they had that day.They rushed about to prepare for theirunexpected arrivals not expecting anythingin return. Still, a year later, they wereexpecting their first child, a long awaitedson. That night, we shared a conversationabout showing hospitality to guests in ourlives, and how they offer us gifts in return.These teenagers got it - they understood howimportant it is to show love even to peoplewe don’t know yet. Your pastor may havegotten sweaty around the eyes because hecaught a glimpse of a Bible couple from theancient days running about serving guests.Only this time, hospitality came wearingtennis shoes and t-shirts, with that distinctteenage odor.Youth group does include theoutings, but it is primarily the simple joy ofbeing together, studying the Bible, andknowing our Creator, His Son, and theSpirit. You’re invited to join right in.Whatever odor you have.(Lynn Meeks, Director of Music Ministries)Preparations for Palm Sunday, HolyWeek, Easter, as well as our Lentenanthems, are the musical focus for March.This year, the Chancel Choir will present themusical drama, “In My Place,” on GoodFriday. Between many of the songs, siximportant people in Jesus’s life will talk toyou about their role in the crucifixion. Moreto come about this special evening in nextmonth’s “music notes.”The Jubilant Ringers are working ona medley of Easter hymns and a special bellprocessional for our Easter Sunday worship.The Celebration Singers and CarolChoir will be singing and playingaccompaniment for “I Want Jesus to Walkwith Me” for worship on March 17. We arealso beginning to prepare for a Children’sSabbath worship service for Mother’s Day.More on that next month.Spring is a time of renewal andcelebrating new life in Christ! Makeworship each week your way of thankingGod for all your many blessings. See you inchurch!Love and Peace,Lynn5