An Update From your Pastor's Desk - 08.22.2020
Hello there,
Greetings to you and your family. We hope that you are staying well and healthy. This email update includes important information of what's going on at Oberlin UMC. If you have any questions please feel free to contract us.
Thanks!
Most of our days may be structured and filled to the brim with things to do. While we may enjoy them, and get a lot done, something that may be missing is free-flowing creative time with God.
Jesus spent unhurried time away from healing, teaching, and mentoring. He was better for it. His life can remind us that we all need unhurried time with the Spirit. Are you taking time away to hear from your soul?
What message might your soul want to give you? Give yourself the gift of unhurried time so that you can hear it.
John, the cousin of Jesus, and Jesus himself demonstrate the unhurried gift of time. They each grew in the knowledge and grace of God before they began their public, prophetic work. Their inner work was a prerequisite to co-creating miracles with God. In the same way, both the Twelve and the Seventy grew in their understanding of Jesus and his teachings before they could cast out demons, heal the sick, or preach the Kingdom.
Would you like to see the miraculous come to life? Gift yourself the gift of unhurried time to grow in the knowledge and grace of God. If we all made unhurried time available in our busy-ness to grow in the knowledge and grace of God, what might life look like?
Kleenex Ministry
The 2020-2021 school year is just around the corner. Oberlin United Methodist Church will again supply tissue to USD 294 schools. This year we need 650+ boxes. You may begin bringing them to worship or the church office at your convenience. Remember that when we have collected the tissues, we will pray over them and then make the delivery to the Elementary and High School. Thank you in advance for your contributions to this ministry.
Please be in Prayer for
Nick Haag Family in Lincoln, Nebraska; Bob Hartzog; Russ Stanley; Marlin Bowen; Pam Scribner; Holden Streit (great-nephew of Chris Hackney); residents and staff of Good Samaritan Society – Decatur County; patients and staff of Decatur Health; our schools, teachers, administration, staff and school board members; our County, City, State and National leaders; Darlene Agan; Lowell Moxter.
_____
Prayer for your week:
Learning is a gift from God
As we begin this new school year, we give thanks that God has given us the ability to learn many things in many ways. Loving God, this new school year seems exciting or scary or both. Help us remember to show our thanks for your gifts of learning by doing our best every day. Lord God bless our schools, teachers, classmates, and friends. Bless those who prepare our lunches, those who drive us to school, and those who keep our schools clean and safe. We ask God's blessing on this new school year, that it may be a time when we appreciate and fully use God's gift of learning. Amen.
Fresh Produce Boxes
Fresh boxes will be offered on August 28. The boxes will be available at the Oberlin United Methodist Church parking lot, 102 North Cass beginning at 10:00 AM. There are no income guidelines and the boxes will be handed out on a first-come basis.
On delivery days, we ask that you stay in your vehicle and wear a protective face mask; the produce box will be put in your vehicle. We will be there to help you line up.
Thank you to local, regional and state partners for making this possible. A special thank you to Thomas County Health Department and the Colby United Methodist Church for working with us to be able to make fresh produce available to residents of Oberlin.
For Your Calendar
Sunday, August 23 – Blessing of the Seed and Blessing of Backpacks
7:00 PM – Back to School Prayer Walk meet at Oberlin Elementary School to walk around the Elementary School in prayer for the school year, students, staff, teachers, and administration. We will then move to Oberlin Jr./Sr. High School to walk around that school in prayer.
Wednesday, August 26 – First day of school
Friday, August 28 – Pastor’s Day Off
Produce Boxes available at 10:00 am
Wednesday, September 2 – 1:30 pm UMW in Fellowship Hall
Monday, September 7 – Office Closed for Labor Day
Friday, September 11 – Pastor’s Day off
Sunday, September 13 – Christian Education Begins
Monday, September 14 – 7 pm Dorcas Circle in Fellowship Hall
Worship Online
We have been streaming online and working out the issues we have been facing to make worship more enjoyable online. We ask that if you do not feel comfortable in crowds, or feel ill that you join us online. You can join us online by going to https://online.oberlinumc.org or going to our website (https://oberlinumc.org) and click on Watch Online.
We also have our sermon archive online so you can watch any previous worship service starting from March 22nd 2020. If you know someone who is unable to worship with us and has a DVD player, please let us know so we can provide a DVD for them.
Please take care of yourself and each other,
Pastor Gordon