FROM PASTOR JERRY’S DESK
The Messenger First United Methodist Church of Wausau 903 Third Street Wausau, WI 54403
FEBUARY 2015
NON PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 542
Magic, Meaning, and Mystery
Church Purpose:
In the early days of the Reformation, three great leaders came together to talk about supporting each other. These three were Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. It didn’t work; the three had too many theological differences themselves to work together. What was the primary difference between them? The meaning and significance of Communion. The Church remains divided on what to make of this central practice in our faith – not just three views, but a thousand. Let me offer a wider picture. Imagine a spectrum, with the words Magic and Meaning at the two ends.
Live and Share God's Love
MAGIC
WAUSAU, WI 54403
Sunday, February 8 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “A Faithful People” Daniel 6 Sunday, February 15 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “A New People” Acts 10:1-8
Ash Wednesday, February 18 12:15pm - Noon hour service in Chapel 7:00pm - Joint Service at First Presbyterian Church
Lenten Sermon Series: “Means of Grace” Sunday, February 22 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “Means of Grace” Mark 12:28-34 * * * * * * * Throughout Lent, we will have a Thursday noon-hour Communion service in the Chapel, 12:15 - 12:45 pm begins February 19 and concludes March 19. *We observe Open Communion. All are welcome at God’s table.
THE MESSENGER
Sunday, February 1 8:00am - Morning Chapel with Communion * 10:00am - Worship with Communion* “Different People?” Isaiah 56:3-8
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WAUSAU
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
MEANING
On one extreme are those who see Communion as having an almost magical power. The bread and the cup are like salvation pills, and if you take them regularly, your sins are forgiven. It doesn’t matter if you understand what Communion is about. It doesn’t even matter if you repent of your sins. All that matters is that the right words were said over them by the right personnel. This magical view has never been the official doctrine of any church, but it has been a common popular understanding. Picture a pre-Vatican II Catholic priest, back to the congregation, mumbling words in Latin then handing out wafers to envision this extreme. On the other extreme is the view that I grew up with in the Southern Baptist Convention. There I was taught that Communion had no power at all. All that mattered was its meaning. We didn’t even call it a sacrament. It was an “ordinance,” which we did because Jesus told us to, and the only purpose it served was to illustrate the story of Jesus’ death for our sins. It was an acted-out sermon illustration, nothing more. Result: we did Communion as seldom as possible, because it was basically pointless and just made us late to the Piccadilly Cafeteria after church. Fortunately, somewhere between these extremes is another possible understanding. Yes, the meaning of Communion matters, but it is more than an object lesson. I have seen its power too often. I think of Jim, the old gentleman with mental illness who only let me into his tiny apartment because I brought him Communion. Through sharing the bread and cup, we became friends. I think of Geraldine, who on her deathbed responded to almost nothing, but who stretched forward for Communion. She could only swallow thickened liquids at that point, so I gently anointed her lips with the Blood of Christ, that she could taste and see how gracious the Lord is. Neither of these two saints experienced the presence of God in the sacrament as a point of doctrine. They experienced Christ directly. Here is the middle ground. MAGIC
MYSTERY
MEANING
As Christians, we follow Jesus of Nazareth, who was entirely human, and yet was something more. How perfect, then, that we remember this Lord in a Sacrament that consists of sharing normal bread and juice – but that is yet something more. Through the Season of Lent, we will be holding a weekly lunch hour Communion in the Chapel on Thursdays – beginning on the 19th. Come taste and see how gracious the Lord is. Phone 715 842-2201
Website: www.fumcwausau.org
I cannot begin to say thank you enough for the generous spirit of First United Methodist Church. No matter where I turn – you are willing to give and give freely. I praise God that people still exist that ask nothing in return. I am truly witnessing the generous spirit of God – He gives and asks nothing in return except that we are obedient to his law and love one another as He has loved us. - Susan
2015 United Methodist Women Sunday Officers for the coming year and Special Recognition Pin to Sara Roquemore
To practical matters – no sooner is the Christ child born than it is onward to His death, crucifixion and resurrection. Planning is well underway for a series of beautiful and significant Lenten and Easter services. Our Ash Wednesday service will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, February 18th. Again this year, we will share this service with First Presbyterian Church and Grace UCC. The choir is in full swing! The Jubilate Bells have many exciting numbers in store for the congregation. During the Lenten season and Holy Week, you will experience the passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, through scriptures, symbols and music. Wednesday, February 18th - Ash Wednesday Worship Services: 12:15pm - FUMC Memorial Chapel
UMW Sunshine Gals led by Arlene Trull
Ray Nowaczky, John Ohnstad and Project Ramp Up
7:00pm - First Presbyterian Church with combined choirs
Pastor Jerry unlocks the Book of Revelation
from Grace UCC, First Presbyterian Church and our own Chancel Choir
Each year the Wisconsin River Chapter of the American Guild of Organists hosts a series of organ concerts during Lent. We will be holding the recitals on Fridays. The dates are February 27th, March 6th, 13th, 20th, and 28th. These recitals are approximately 30 minutes long and will be at Trinity Lutheran Church, 501 Stewart Ave. Recitals begin at 12:15pm.
OUR NEWEST MEMBERS: Diane Zahn creates a beat with the children
Pastor:
Youth Lock-In and Breakfast “Teenagers in the Kitchen” Bob and Joan Keener
Following the lock-in, our youth helped with the Personal Needs Closet
STAFF
Chad, Mandy, Cheyenne, and Brynn Shepp
Gerald Morris
jerry@fumcwausau.org Music Ministry Coordinator: Susan Hamilton susan@fumcwausau.org Faith Formation Coordinator: Leo Jacoby leo@fumcwausau.org Building Engineer: Andy White Accounts & Records Supervisor: Karen Kellbach karen@fumcwausau.org Secretary: Arlene Trull arlene@fumcwausau.org 903 Third St; Wausau, WI 54403 Office Hours: Mon-Thurs - 9:00am-4:00pm Web-site: www.fumcwausau.org E-mail: fumc@fumcwausau.org
CARE
Resources for Ministry Financial Update - December 2014 YTD Revenue
Milestones
Expense
Pledged Offering
$ 245,109.90
Salaries & Benefits
$ 229,592.16
Non-Pledged Offering
$
53,321.18
Programming
$
30,208.49
Other
$
82,394.83
Apportionments to Conference
$
54,948.00
Building Operating Expenses
$
66,077.26
Total Expenses
$ 380,825.91
Total Revenue
$ 380,825.91
Net YTD
$
0.00
YTD 2014 Pledged & Non-Pledged Offerings compared to YTD 2013 YTD 2014 Total Expenses compared to YTD 2013 YTD 2014 Other Income compared to YTD 2013
4,051.72 higher 1,193.92 lower 6,063.12 higher
YTD 2014 Endowment Transfer compared to 2013
9,922.11 higher
Lay Leaders at First
On Being Good Neighbors
The United Methodist Church runs on the commitment and energy of its laity, or it doesn’t run at all. Without the time and effort given by those who volunteer in our ministries and serve on our teams and committees, we wouldn’t even be able to survive, let alone continue looking for new ministries and ways to serve God and others, as we do.
When Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves, did he really mean those people across the back fence? Or, in the case of our church, across the parking lot? Evidently so.
Some of our lay leaders plan and carry out the ministries of the church on what we call the “Program Teams.” Others have the less glamorous but just as necessary task of making sure we go about our ministry prudently - these are what we call the “Resource Teams.” There is not space on this page to list all our volunteers (a full list is in the office), but here are the people who have begun new roles in 2015: Lay Leader Mike Zahn
Faith Formation Team Mary Virginia Quarles
Lay Representative to Conf. Bonnie Goertz
Welcome / Communications Brittney Johnson Karen Beck
Lay Circuit Representative Jennifer Johnson Ministries Council Danielle Del Conte
Staff-Parish Mark Johnson (Chair) Mark Milne
Lay Leadership Team Gary Getzin
Finance Eldon Horton Stan Schacht
Mission Team Tom Kelley
Pivet Scholarship Jack Zei
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And as it happens, we have good neighbors. Sure there have been conflicts - usually times when we all wanted to use the parking lot at the same time, a problem usually due to poor communication - but we have stuck to it and kept trying to sort things out together.
Deaths: We grieve this month with the loss of these members of our church or of our families. David Johnston, husband of our member Jacquelyn Johnston, now living in Lake Tomahawk, died on December 5, 2014. Ruth Church, long-time member of our congregation, died December 26, 2014.
Irene Rayborn, mother of Dick Rayborn, grandmother of Jennifer Smith, died on January 7. Mary Christianson, sister of Gary Getzin, died on January 15. Births: And we rejoice with Nathaniel and Christine (Rye) Melville, on the birth of their daughter, Emalee Marie Melville, on January 11.
WiFi Network: FUMC Public (password: fumcpublic)
Thomas Schmoldt
7
Warren Fabel Gregory Chang Susan Chang Geraldine Slock Ethan Morris
12 Josie Rybarczyk Jason Weiland
21 Jaden Love Marley Butler
14 Cati Quiros
22 Elsie Campbell
16 Erik Anderson Anjali Dvorak
23 Pat Higgins
17 Damon Cole 18 Krista Maguire
8
Jason Majernik 19 Anna Schreiber
9
Tom Bedora Jordan Fischer
10 Sarah Cowan Cameron Milne Autumn Seiser
20 Victoria Osen Bob Rybarczyk Ben Kissinger
25 Kirke Sauer Sue Marquardt Danielle Del Conte 27 Bernice Kohlman Wes Ebert David Quiros 28 Patricia Krause Lelynd Hassberg 29 Heather Miller
Community Garden?
FUMC Wired
facebook.com/WausauFUMC
Carrie Asplund Bill Owen Fran Plaza
2
Martha Horton, mother of Eldon Horton, died on January 6.
It still took us by surprise to discover last month that the Marathon County Historical Society had budgeted money in 2015 to help us pay for snow removal in the Fulton lot. Thank you MCHS! Good neighbors matter.
Website: fumcwausau.org With links to the weekly sermon (text and podcast)
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Savvy Seniors will meet at 11:30 am at El Mezcal Restaurant on Rib Mountain Drive on Monday, February 2.
The churches of Downtown Wausau are exploring a new avenue for working together for the sake of others: a community garden. The Roman Catholic parish of St Michael’s and Resurrection owns a couple of acres off Townline Road that they would like to make available for this purpose. We could grow fresh food there to give away through local food pantries. This could empower people who have no access to tillable land to grow food for themselves. We could introduce children to the joy and miracle of fresh food that you have nurtured yourself. Here’s what we need, though. We need one or two people from the different churches who feel strongly enough about this idea to sit down together and organize it. If you are that person, contact Pastor Jerry. Page 3
CARE / OUTREACH UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Circle Meetings: February 11 Mary Faith Circle - 9:30am February 12 Love Hope Circle - 5:30pm - Hiawatha Restaurant
Other Upcoming Events: February 1 Souper Bowl Sunday February 4 Sunshine Gals - 9:30am February 5 Executive Committee - 6:30pm February 27-28 Spiritual Growth Retreat - St. Anthony’s Spiritual Center (Call Diane Zahn at 715-470-3084 for more information.)
Souper Bowl Sunday Plan on soup for lunch this Sunday, February 1. The UMW will have soup for sale in the Parlor all Sunday morning.
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...All the Time
Wednesday ChurchFamily Nights
Ramp Up Marathon County A new ministry is forming here in our area - with some of our members among the founding fathers. Ramp Up Marathon County has the goal of building ramps on homes to make them handicap-accessible, enabling seniors to remain longer in the homes they love. RUMC and our church are studying the possibility of working in official partnership. Our own Ray Nowaczyk has been with the group from the beginning and so far has involved Wes Ebert, Jerry Evans, and John Ohnstad. But there is room for more. There is a need for volunteers for all tasks, from design and lead carpenter to sealing and fixing lunch. Volunteers will be trained on all tools and tasks and only need to complete those tasks they are comfortable with. Pictured at left are Ray Nowaczyk and John Ohnstad, working on a ramp last fall.
A Grateful Guest The December gathering of the Downtown Memory Café had gone well. The theme had been “Games,” and our guests had laughed and played and mostly just talked around the tables for an hour and a half. There were 26 guests that day. That was down slightly from the high of 30 we had had in November; but of those 26, five were there for the first time. Five people had heard about this safe place where they could relax and talk without worrying about whether they had said the wrong thing, and they had come to see. There is nothing very complicated about what happens during the Memory Café. The sessions are so simple, in fact, that it can feel strange that it has attracted so much attention and so many guests. It’s really just an hour of chatting with friends. But then you think, What if you no longer had the chance to chat with friends? How would you feel about being given the gift of doing that again? After the café was done, Maggie Schoenfeld came up to me with something in her hands. “Jerry,” she said, “I have a donation. One of our new people asked me if we needed any money to support our work. I told him that it was all covered, and there was no charge, but he wanted to give us something anyway.” Then she handed me two crumpled dollar bills. That’s how one person felt about the gift of the Memory Café.
Disciples in the Making
Two more nights of our Winter Wednesday series with a meal catered by The Mint Café: February 4: Swiss Steak February 11: Roast Turkey ...followed by Children’s Music Class, 5:45-6:15pm; children’s activities until 7:30pm; and adult study of the Book of Revelation with Pastor Jerry. February 18: We begin the season of Lent with a 12:15pm service in Chapel; and a 7:00pm Joint Service at First Presbyterian Church. (No meal here before service.) February 25: Resume mid-week gatherings at FUMC with a focus on “Practicing Our Faith” (see description below). We are not scheduling catered meals from The Mint Café during Lent, but we are open to suggestions to share some simple Lenten repast before the adult class. Let us know your meal preferences for five Wednesdays between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week.
PRACTICING OUR FAITH Lent is a time for examining ourselves and our own spiritual walks, and there are as many different ways to approach this time as there are individuals. We will explore one way to look at our faith journeys during worship on Sunday mornings. We will examine other approaches on five Wednesday evenings in Lent from February 25 to March 25 at 6:15pm in the Parlor. Adults and older youth are invited to these informal discussions. To get a head start readers may borrow or buy a book we will be using: Practicing Our Faith, edited by Dorothy Bass. Let us know if you want us to order a copy for you from Janke Bookstore ($16 with discount.) Find other resources at www.practicingourfaith.org
Adult Bible Study — Every Sunday You are always welcome to drop in on the ongoing Bible study that meets in the B. K. Smith Room during the education hour, 8:45-9:45am each Sunday. February topics are “Stewardship for Life”
Feb. 1: Feasting and Fasting (Daniel 1:5, 8-17; Matthew 6:16-18; 9:9-17) Feb. 8: Serving Neighbors, Serving God (Luke 10:25-34) Feb. 15: Serving the Least (Matthew 25:31-46) Feb. 22: Clothed and Ready (Ephesians 6:10-20)
Faith Quest Children in grades 2-5 just completed a study of the ten commandments and now are learning about parables.
LOVE IN FEBRUARY! We have shifted an opportunity for couples to enrich their relationship from Wednesday Night to Sunday after worship. First try: Sunday, February 1, at 11:15am in the Fellowship Hall—bring some food to share for a light brunch (or buy and heat up some UMW soup). After we eat couples will practice guided conversation while any children enjoy a movie in the Theater Room. Participants will decide on additional gatherings, and a date night or other option for Valentine’s Day, Saturday the 14th. Youth or adults who can help supervise the nursery for a Date Night, please talk to Leo.
WESLEYAN RETREAT February 27 (5:15pm) to February 28 (3:00pm) the churches of our Circuit 9 retreat to Pine Lake Conference Center to explore our Methodist heritage. Ideal for our confirmands and anyone else who wants to know more about who we are. Find a complete schedule, sign-up sheet and registration form in the Parlor or ask that one be sent to you. The deadline for return of the form and fee to Christ UMC in Merrill is February 16. Fee for three meals, lodging and materials is $35 (14 and younger) or $50 (over 14). Adults can upgrade to a room with bath in the Retreat Center ($65 single or $35 double occupancy). Don’t let expense keep you away. Ask for scholarship assistance from FUMC. Winter or summer Pine Lake Camp, near Westfield, is worth the trip! We can car pool!
WINTER FAMILY CAMP Mark February 20-21 on your calendar for the FUMC “Family Winter Camp,” a fun-filled weekend for all ages! Details and sign-up are available in the Parlor. We will meet at FUMC Friday Night, at 5:30pm, for a potluck dinner, board games, "campfire", and fellowship. Option is to sleep over at church or in your home. On Saturday, we will make breakfast for overnight campers; others can join us by 9:00am for small groups to go sledding and other activities depending on interest and equipment (sleigh ride, snowshoeing, skiing down hill or cross country). Campers are asked to bring winter enthusiasm and a donation for the Personal Needs Closet.
Sylvan Hill Tubing We thank St. Anne’s and other Catholic churches for inviting our youth for a tubing night, January 28. Several of our youth expressed interest in going. Page 9
FAITH FORMATION God Is Forming All of Us... PIVET SCHOLARSHIP! All full members entering college or graduate school this fall are invited to apply for the Helen & Leonard Pivet Scholarship, a four-year renewable grant. Both beginning and continuing students are encouraged to apply. Application forms are in the Office or on the website, and are due in the church office by 4:00pm, Monday, March 2. Pro Tip: Start early to give your references time to write their letters.
Youth Lock-In — Friday, January 23
Community Shabbat On Friday, January 23, Mt. Sinai Congregation hosted their annual Community Shabbat. Seventeen adults and youth from FUMC prayed the traditional weekly service with our Jewish neighbors. Many prayers and hymns were in Hebrew, and one in Aramaic. Two words rang a bell with Methodist ears: “alleluia” and “amen.” Youth attending were Ali buul, Karli Johnson, Jaden Love, Courtney Rohland, Remi and Danielle Taylor. They found the experience “fun” and “interesting.” Karli said, “It was a good experience, very different, but different is good!”
Seven youth had fun: Ali buul, Karli Johnson, Chloé, Lincoln and London Larson, Jaden Love, Courtney Rohland! Their comments: “Was awesome, had lots of fun, everyone was fun all night;” “Exciting;” “Always fun!!!” “Fun to be at.” Rumor is the girls got more sleep than the boys this time. In the morning after breakfast, youth assisted with the Personal Needs Closet. Comments: “Nice to help other people.” “Fun, good to help people in need.” “Boys could have helped more.” Suggestions for future lock-ins: arranging swim time at the YMCA; play hide ‘n seek in all the building’s dark nooks and crannies; play a treasure hunt; invite a friend and bring more people to have games with. We appreciate the initiative of the Larsons to ask for another lock-in; generosity of adult companions: Carrie Hockerman (night watch,) Leo Jacoby, Jen Marzu (early shift,) and Mike Zahn; and our youth’s outreach service.
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February Mission Offering Personal Needs Closet In February, our special mission offering will go to support one of our own ministries, the Personal Needs Closet. This should hardly be surprising. We designate two different months a year for the PNC, besides all the collections of toilet paper and shampoo and so on. But here’s what you need to know: the PNC is broke. As time has passed, and we have started new ministries, this outreach has sort of faded into the background in many of our minds, and some its support has slipped. We have a separate fund, designated for the PNC, from which our leadership team shops to fill in all the blanks on our shelves. At the start of 2014, that fund had $584.28 in it. Over the course of the year, we contributed $2,988.70. That’s a lot, but it’s considerably less than the year before. Meanwhile, we spent $4,429.96 in 2014, which means that we are $856.98 in the red to start 2015.
I-Statements — A Conversation Tip Accepting responsibility for your feelings is one of the most important communication skills you can acquire. A good rule of thumb is: "If you have a problem, make an I -Statement. Instead, we tend to blame others for making us feel the way we do. It is important to be aware that personal opinions sound like facts when one uses a form of "am" or "is," such as "you are...," "I am...," "it is..." and so on. Furthermore, in addition to sounding factual, such statements imply the whole person is a certain way and will be forever. Example: "You are selfish" is a pronouncement which implies that there are no unselfish traits anywhere in the person's personality. It would be much more accurate and effective to say: "I resent it when you make plans for the entire family without asking what the rest of us want to do." I-Statements include: 1) "I feel… (state your emotion); 2) when you….(describe their behavior or under what conditions you feel this way); 3) because… (explain why their behavior or the conditions cause you to feel this way). I-Statements are more constructive than commanding, threatening, moralizing, judging, ultimatums, mindreading or other behaviors that create defensiveness. --> htttp://www.austincc.edu/colangelo/1318/istatements.htm
OUTREACH
Courtney especially enjoyed seeing the Torah Scrolls; how they are “dressed” like a high priest with a robe, belt and crown; encased in the Holy Ark (Aron haKodesh— the holiest place in the Synagogue); and brought out and processed around the room before a reading. Each Shabbat, a portion of the Torah is read, advancing until the entire five books of Moses are completed. This week Rabbi Dan Danson read from the Shemot ("names") (we know as the Book of Exodus—"The Road Out"). In his remarks, Rabbi Danson shared that glimmers of hope shine from the Mideast, such as his daughter studying there and volunteering at a Palestinian refugee camp. Christian and Muslim friends joined her for dinner and a discussion in which they discovered they have more in common than differences. At least one Muslim was present at the Shabbat (Ali, Dan & Jen’s houseguest) so we, too, were bridging across different faith traditions. Ask adults who participated about their experience: Bob & Yvonne Firary, Bonnie Goertz, Leo Jacoby, Mark & Jen Johnson, Dan & Jen Marzu, Beth Rohland, Gbemi Taylor, and Mike Zahn. Shalom!
As you give in February, remember this ministry and the thousands of lives it has touched since we began it in 2010.
Bring 4th Food On February 22,
Guatemala Mission Trip One of the most powerful growing experiences for a Christian is a mission trip. Getting away from one’s day to day life and spending a concerted block of time serving others can be a life-changing time. This is why we take our Confirmands on a mission trip. This is why we always support the Red Cliff mission trip in June. We’ve been trying for a couple of years now to take the next step and sponsor an overseas mission trip. Most of you know how that turned out: South Sudan fell into Civil War before we could make it to work at Africa ELI. That’s ongoing. The state department has just issued another South Sudan travel warning. But another possibility has come up. The Mosinee United Methodist Church has invited us to join them on the mission trip that they have planned for Guatemala during Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 21-29). The trip is to “Mission Guatemala,” an established United Methodist project in San Andres Semetabaj, in the highlands. They operate a medical clinic, a dental clinic, a preschool, a nutrition center, and two feeding centers. Mission Guatemala is set up for mission groups and has a hostel there, where local meals cooked according to US food safety standards are served. Tasks are varied - from working with children to doing construction, to helping in their feeding and community ministries. Because of the wide range of tasks, children as young as 8 (accompanied by parents) are welcome. The cost, including airfare, is only about $1,500 per person. Are you interested? Anyone who would like to be a part of this trip should contact Pastor Jerry or Jen Marzu for more information (and/or check out www.missionguatemala.com). Whether we will be sending anyone from our congregation or not, we intend to join Mosinee in fund-raising to help out those who would like to go but for whom the cost is a barrier. But it sure would be nice to send some of our own people.
the canned and other non-perishable foods we collect will be given to the First Presbyterian Church food pantry. Page 5
FEBRUARY 2015
Sunday 1
8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 11:15am 1:00pm
9
8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
Morning Chapel 6:00pm Yoga Education Hour Worship New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
15
16
8:00am 8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
Messenger Articles Due 6:00pm Yoga Morning Chapel Education Hour Worship New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
BRING 4th FOOD SUNDAY
8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
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Tuesday 3
Morning Chapel - Communion 11:30am Savvy Seniors - 10:00am Program Staff Souper Bowl Sunday - UMW El Mezcal Fundraiser 3:00pm Communion, The Education Hour Gardens Worship - Communion 6:00pm Yoga New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Family Brunch, Couples’ Conversation, Children’s Movie Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
8
22
Monday 2
8:00am 8:30am
Next Month
23
Wednesday 4 9:30am 5:15pm 5:45pm 6:15pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
10
11
10:00am Full Staff 1:00pm Personal Needs Closet Open 5:30pm Board of Trustees
9:30am 5:15pm 5:45pm 6:15pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
17
18
10:00am Program Staff 6:00pm Staff-Parish Relations Committee 7:00pm Finance Committee
24
Sunshine Gals Meal Children's Music Class Adult Class Nursery / Children’s Activities Jubilate Bells Chancel Choir
Thursday 5
6
8:30am AA 10:30am PNC Steering Committee 1:00pm Wills & Memorials Committee 6:30pm UMW Executive Committee
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class
12
13
Mary Faith UMW Circle 8:30am AA Meal 2:00pm Worship - Forest Park Children's Music Class 5:30pm Love Hope UMW Circle Adult Class Hiawatha Restaurant Nursery / Children’s Activities Jubilate Bells Chancel Choir
ASH WEDNESDAY
Friday
Saturday 7
14
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class
19
20
21
12:15pm Ash Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Worship - First Presbyterian Church
8:30am AA 10:30am Downtown Memory Café 12:15pm Lenten Communion Chapel 6:00pm Missions Team 6:30pm Worship Design Team
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class 5:30pm Family Winter Camp w/potluck
9:00am Family Winter Camp
25
26
27
28
8:30am AA 12:15pm Lenten Communion Chapel
Office Closed 5:15pm Wesleyan Retreat - Pine Lake 4:00pm New Life UMC Class 4:00pm UMW Spiritual Prayer Retreat St Anthony’s Spirituality Center
Wesleyan Retreat - Pine Lake 8:00am UMW Spiritual Prayer Retreat St. Anthony’s Spirituality Center 9:00am Personal Needs Closet Open
Morning Chapel 6:00pm Yoga 1:00pm Prayer Shawl Gathering 6:30pm Jubilate Bells Education Hour 7:00pm Ministries Council 6:00pm Faith Formation 7:30pm Chancel Choir Worship 7:00pm Welcome and New Life UMC Worship Communications Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
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FEBRUARY 2015
Sunday 1
8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 11:15am 1:00pm
9
8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
Morning Chapel 6:00pm Yoga Education Hour Worship New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
15
16
8:00am 8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
Messenger Articles Due 6:00pm Yoga Morning Chapel Education Hour Worship New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
BRING 4th FOOD SUNDAY
8:00am 8:45am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 1:00pm
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Tuesday 3
Morning Chapel - Communion 11:30am Savvy Seniors - 10:00am Program Staff Souper Bowl Sunday - UMW El Mezcal Fundraiser 3:00pm Communion, The Education Hour Gardens Worship - Communion 6:00pm Yoga New Life UMC Worship Coffee Hour Family Brunch, Couples’ Conversation, Children’s Movie Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
8
22
Monday 2
8:00am 8:30am
Next Month
23
Wednesday 4 9:30am 5:15pm 5:45pm 6:15pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
10
11
10:00am Full Staff 1:00pm Personal Needs Closet Open 5:30pm Board of Trustees
9:30am 5:15pm 5:45pm 6:15pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:30pm
17
18
10:00am Program Staff 6:00pm Staff-Parish Relations Committee 7:00pm Finance Committee
24
Sunshine Gals Meal Children's Music Class Adult Class Nursery / Children’s Activities Jubilate Bells Chancel Choir
Thursday 5
6
8:30am AA 10:30am PNC Steering Committee 1:00pm Wills & Memorials Committee 6:30pm UMW Executive Committee
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class
12
13
Mary Faith UMW Circle 8:30am AA Meal 2:00pm Worship - Forest Park Children's Music Class 5:30pm Love Hope UMW Circle Adult Class Hiawatha Restaurant Nursery / Children’s Activities Jubilate Bells Chancel Choir
ASH WEDNESDAY
Friday
Saturday 7
14
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class
19
20
21
12:15pm Ash Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Worship - First Presbyterian Church
8:30am AA 10:30am Downtown Memory Café 12:15pm Lenten Communion Chapel 6:00pm Missions Team 6:30pm Worship Design Team
Office Closed 4:00pm New Life UMC Class 5:30pm Family Winter Camp w/potluck
9:00am Family Winter Camp
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26
27
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8:30am AA 12:15pm Lenten Communion Chapel
Office Closed 5:15pm Wesleyan Retreat - Pine Lake 4:00pm New Life UMC Class 4:00pm UMW Spiritual Prayer Retreat St Anthony’s Spirituality Center
Wesleyan Retreat - Pine Lake 8:00am UMW Spiritual Prayer Retreat St. Anthony’s Spirituality Center 9:00am Personal Needs Closet Open
Morning Chapel 6:00pm Yoga 1:00pm Prayer Shawl Gathering 6:30pm Jubilate Bells Education Hour 7:00pm Ministries Council 6:00pm Faith Formation 7:30pm Chancel Choir Worship 7:00pm Welcome and New Life UMC Worship Communications Coffee Hour Grapevine Faith Alliance Worship
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FAITH FORMATION God Is Forming All of Us... PIVET SCHOLARSHIP! All full members entering college or graduate school this fall are invited to apply for the Helen & Leonard Pivet Scholarship, a four-year renewable grant. Both beginning and continuing students are encouraged to apply. Application forms are in the Office or on the website, and are due in the church office by 4:00pm, Monday, March 2. Pro Tip: Start early to give your references time to write their letters.
Youth Lock-In — Friday, January 23
Community Shabbat On Friday, January 23, Mt. Sinai Congregation hosted their annual Community Shabbat. Seventeen adults and youth from FUMC prayed the traditional weekly service with our Jewish neighbors. Many prayers and hymns were in Hebrew, and one in Aramaic. Two words rang a bell with Methodist ears: “alleluia” and “amen.” Youth attending were Ali buul, Karli Johnson, Jaden Love, Courtney Rohland, Remi and Danielle Taylor. They found the experience “fun” and “interesting.” Karli said, “It was a good experience, very different, but different is good!”
Seven youth had fun: Ali buul, Karli Johnson, Chloé, Lincoln and London Larson, Jaden Love, Courtney Rohland! Their comments: “Was awesome, had lots of fun, everyone was fun all night;” “Exciting;” “Always fun!!!” “Fun to be at.” Rumor is the girls got more sleep than the boys this time. In the morning after breakfast, youth assisted with the Personal Needs Closet. Comments: “Nice to help other people.” “Fun, good to help people in need.” “Boys could have helped more.” Suggestions for future lock-ins: arranging swim time at the YMCA; play hide ‘n seek in all the building’s dark nooks and crannies; play a treasure hunt; invite a friend and bring more people to have games with. We appreciate the initiative of the Larsons to ask for another lock-in; generosity of adult companions: Carrie Hockerman (night watch,) Leo Jacoby, Jen Marzu (early shift,) and Mike Zahn; and our youth’s outreach service.
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February Mission Offering Personal Needs Closet In February, our special mission offering will go to support one of our own ministries, the Personal Needs Closet. This should hardly be surprising. We designate two different months a year for the PNC, besides all the collections of toilet paper and shampoo and so on. But here’s what you need to know: the PNC is broke. As time has passed, and we have started new ministries, this outreach has sort of faded into the background in many of our minds, and some its support has slipped. We have a separate fund, designated for the PNC, from which our leadership team shops to fill in all the blanks on our shelves. At the start of 2014, that fund had $584.28 in it. Over the course of the year, we contributed $2,988.70. That’s a lot, but it’s considerably less than the year before. Meanwhile, we spent $4,429.96 in 2014, which means that we are $856.98 in the red to start 2015.
I-Statements — A Conversation Tip Accepting responsibility for your feelings is one of the most important communication skills you can acquire. A good rule of thumb is: "If you have a problem, make an I -Statement. Instead, we tend to blame others for making us feel the way we do. It is important to be aware that personal opinions sound like facts when one uses a form of "am" or "is," such as "you are...," "I am...," "it is..." and so on. Furthermore, in addition to sounding factual, such statements imply the whole person is a certain way and will be forever. Example: "You are selfish" is a pronouncement which implies that there are no unselfish traits anywhere in the person's personality. It would be much more accurate and effective to say: "I resent it when you make plans for the entire family without asking what the rest of us want to do." I-Statements include: 1) "I feel… (state your emotion); 2) when you….(describe their behavior or under what conditions you feel this way); 3) because… (explain why their behavior or the conditions cause you to feel this way). I-Statements are more constructive than commanding, threatening, moralizing, judging, ultimatums, mindreading or other behaviors that create defensiveness. --> htttp://www.austincc.edu/colangelo/1318/istatements.htm
OUTREACH
Courtney especially enjoyed seeing the Torah Scrolls; how they are “dressed” like a high priest with a robe, belt and crown; encased in the Holy Ark (Aron haKodesh— the holiest place in the Synagogue); and brought out and processed around the room before a reading. Each Shabbat, a portion of the Torah is read, advancing until the entire five books of Moses are completed. This week Rabbi Dan Danson read from the Shemot ("names") (we know as the Book of Exodus—"The Road Out"). In his remarks, Rabbi Danson shared that glimmers of hope shine from the Mideast, such as his daughter studying there and volunteering at a Palestinian refugee camp. Christian and Muslim friends joined her for dinner and a discussion in which they discovered they have more in common than differences. At least one Muslim was present at the Shabbat (Ali, Dan & Jen’s houseguest) so we, too, were bridging across different faith traditions. Ask adults who participated about their experience: Bob & Yvonne Firary, Bonnie Goertz, Leo Jacoby, Mark & Jen Johnson, Dan & Jen Marzu, Beth Rohland, Gbemi Taylor, and Mike Zahn. Shalom!
As you give in February, remember this ministry and the thousands of lives it has touched since we began it in 2010.
Bring 4th Food On February 22,
Guatemala Mission Trip One of the most powerful growing experiences for a Christian is a mission trip. Getting away from one’s day to day life and spending a concerted block of time serving others can be a life-changing time. This is why we take our Confirmands on a mission trip. This is why we always support the Red Cliff mission trip in June. We’ve been trying for a couple of years now to take the next step and sponsor an overseas mission trip. Most of you know how that turned out: South Sudan fell into Civil War before we could make it to work at Africa ELI. That’s ongoing. The state department has just issued another South Sudan travel warning. But another possibility has come up. The Mosinee United Methodist Church has invited us to join them on the mission trip that they have planned for Guatemala during Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 21-29). The trip is to “Mission Guatemala,” an established United Methodist project in San Andres Semetabaj, in the highlands. They operate a medical clinic, a dental clinic, a preschool, a nutrition center, and two feeding centers. Mission Guatemala is set up for mission groups and has a hostel there, where local meals cooked according to US food safety standards are served. Tasks are varied - from working with children to doing construction, to helping in their feeding and community ministries. Because of the wide range of tasks, children as young as 8 (accompanied by parents) are welcome. The cost, including airfare, is only about $1,500 per person. Are you interested? Anyone who would like to be a part of this trip should contact Pastor Jerry or Jen Marzu for more information (and/or check out www.missionguatemala.com). Whether we will be sending anyone from our congregation or not, we intend to join Mosinee in fund-raising to help out those who would like to go but for whom the cost is a barrier. But it sure would be nice to send some of our own people.
the canned and other non-perishable foods we collect will be given to the First Presbyterian Church food pantry. Page 5
CARE / OUTREACH UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Circle Meetings: February 11 Mary Faith Circle - 9:30am February 12 Love Hope Circle - 5:30pm - Hiawatha Restaurant
Other Upcoming Events: February 1 Souper Bowl Sunday February 4 Sunshine Gals - 9:30am February 5 Executive Committee - 6:30pm February 27-28 Spiritual Growth Retreat - St. Anthony’s Spiritual Center (Call Diane Zahn at 715-470-3084 for more information.)
Souper Bowl Sunday Plan on soup for lunch this Sunday, February 1. The UMW will have soup for sale in the Parlor all Sunday morning.
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...All the Time
Wednesday ChurchFamily Nights
Ramp Up Marathon County A new ministry is forming here in our area - with some of our members among the founding fathers. Ramp Up Marathon County has the goal of building ramps on homes to make them handicap-accessible, enabling seniors to remain longer in the homes they love. RUMC and our church are studying the possibility of working in official partnership. Our own Ray Nowaczyk has been with the group from the beginning and so far has involved Wes Ebert, Jerry Evans, and John Ohnstad. But there is room for more. There is a need for volunteers for all tasks, from design and lead carpenter to sealing and fixing lunch. Volunteers will be trained on all tools and tasks and only need to complete those tasks they are comfortable with. Pictured at left are Ray Nowaczyk and John Ohnstad, working on a ramp last fall.
A Grateful Guest The December gathering of the Downtown Memory Café had gone well. The theme had been “Games,” and our guests had laughed and played and mostly just talked around the tables for an hour and a half. There were 26 guests that day. That was down slightly from the high of 30 we had had in November; but of those 26, five were there for the first time. Five people had heard about this safe place where they could relax and talk without worrying about whether they had said the wrong thing, and they had come to see. There is nothing very complicated about what happens during the Memory Café. The sessions are so simple, in fact, that it can feel strange that it has attracted so much attention and so many guests. It’s really just an hour of chatting with friends. But then you think, What if you no longer had the chance to chat with friends? How would you feel about being given the gift of doing that again? After the café was done, Maggie Schoenfeld came up to me with something in her hands. “Jerry,” she said, “I have a donation. One of our new people asked me if we needed any money to support our work. I told him that it was all covered, and there was no charge, but he wanted to give us something anyway.” Then she handed me two crumpled dollar bills. That’s how one person felt about the gift of the Memory Café.
Disciples in the Making
Two more nights of our Winter Wednesday series with a meal catered by The Mint Café: February 4: Swiss Steak February 11: Roast Turkey ...followed by Children’s Music Class, 5:45-6:15pm; children’s activities until 7:30pm; and adult study of the Book of Revelation with Pastor Jerry. February 18: We begin the season of Lent with a 12:15pm service in Chapel; and a 7:00pm Joint Service at First Presbyterian Church. (No meal here before service.) February 25: Resume mid-week gatherings at FUMC with a focus on “Practicing Our Faith” (see description below). We are not scheduling catered meals from The Mint Café during Lent, but we are open to suggestions to share some simple Lenten repast before the adult class. Let us know your meal preferences for five Wednesdays between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week.
PRACTICING OUR FAITH Lent is a time for examining ourselves and our own spiritual walks, and there are as many different ways to approach this time as there are individuals. We will explore one way to look at our faith journeys during worship on Sunday mornings. We will examine other approaches on five Wednesday evenings in Lent from February 25 to March 25 at 6:15pm in the Parlor. Adults and older youth are invited to these informal discussions. To get a head start readers may borrow or buy a book we will be using: Practicing Our Faith, edited by Dorothy Bass. Let us know if you want us to order a copy for you from Janke Bookstore ($16 with discount.) Find other resources at www.practicingourfaith.org
Adult Bible Study — Every Sunday You are always welcome to drop in on the ongoing Bible study that meets in the B. K. Smith Room during the education hour, 8:45-9:45am each Sunday. February topics are “Stewardship for Life”
Feb. 1: Feasting and Fasting (Daniel 1:5, 8-17; Matthew 6:16-18; 9:9-17) Feb. 8: Serving Neighbors, Serving God (Luke 10:25-34) Feb. 15: Serving the Least (Matthew 25:31-46) Feb. 22: Clothed and Ready (Ephesians 6:10-20)
Faith Quest Children in grades 2-5 just completed a study of the ten commandments and now are learning about parables.
LOVE IN FEBRUARY! We have shifted an opportunity for couples to enrich their relationship from Wednesday Night to Sunday after worship. First try: Sunday, February 1, at 11:15am in the Fellowship Hall—bring some food to share for a light brunch (or buy and heat up some UMW soup). After we eat couples will practice guided conversation while any children enjoy a movie in the Theater Room. Participants will decide on additional gatherings, and a date night or other option for Valentine’s Day, Saturday the 14th. Youth or adults who can help supervise the nursery for a Date Night, please talk to Leo.
WESLEYAN RETREAT February 27 (5:15pm) to February 28 (3:00pm) the churches of our Circuit 9 retreat to Pine Lake Conference Center to explore our Methodist heritage. Ideal for our confirmands and anyone else who wants to know more about who we are. Find a complete schedule, sign-up sheet and registration form in the Parlor or ask that one be sent to you. The deadline for return of the form and fee to Christ UMC in Merrill is February 16. Fee for three meals, lodging and materials is $35 (14 and younger) or $50 (over 14). Adults can upgrade to a room with bath in the Retreat Center ($65 single or $35 double occupancy). Don’t let expense keep you away. Ask for scholarship assistance from FUMC. Winter or summer Pine Lake Camp, near Westfield, is worth the trip! We can car pool!
WINTER FAMILY CAMP Mark February 20-21 on your calendar for the FUMC “Family Winter Camp,” a fun-filled weekend for all ages! Details and sign-up are available in the Parlor. We will meet at FUMC Friday Night, at 5:30pm, for a potluck dinner, board games, "campfire", and fellowship. Option is to sleep over at church or in your home. On Saturday, we will make breakfast for overnight campers; others can join us by 9:00am for small groups to go sledding and other activities depending on interest and equipment (sleigh ride, snowshoeing, skiing down hill or cross country). Campers are asked to bring winter enthusiasm and a donation for the Personal Needs Closet.
Sylvan Hill Tubing We thank St. Anne’s and other Catholic churches for inviting our youth for a tubing night, January 28. Several of our youth expressed interest in going. Page 9
CARE
Resources for Ministry Financial Update - December 2014 YTD Revenue
Milestones
Expense
Pledged Offering
$ 245,109.90
Salaries & Benefits
$ 229,592.16
Non-Pledged Offering
$
53,321.18
Programming
$
30,208.49
Other
$
82,394.83
Apportionments to Conference
$
54,948.00
Building Operating Expenses
$
66,077.26
Total Expenses
$ 380,825.91
Total Revenue
$ 380,825.91
Net YTD
$
0.00
YTD 2014 Pledged & Non-Pledged Offerings compared to YTD 2013 YTD 2014 Total Expenses compared to YTD 2013 YTD 2014 Other Income compared to YTD 2013
4,051.72 higher 1,193.92 lower 6,063.12 higher
YTD 2014 Endowment Transfer compared to 2013
9,922.11 higher
Lay Leaders at First
On Being Good Neighbors
The United Methodist Church runs on the commitment and energy of its laity, or it doesn’t run at all. Without the time and effort given by those who volunteer in our ministries and serve on our teams and committees, we wouldn’t even be able to survive, let alone continue looking for new ministries and ways to serve God and others, as we do.
When Jesus said to love our neighbors as ourselves, did he really mean those people across the back fence? Or, in the case of our church, across the parking lot? Evidently so.
Some of our lay leaders plan and carry out the ministries of the church on what we call the “Program Teams.” Others have the less glamorous but just as necessary task of making sure we go about our ministry prudently - these are what we call the “Resource Teams.” There is not space on this page to list all our volunteers (a full list is in the office), but here are the people who have begun new roles in 2015: Lay Leader Mike Zahn
Faith Formation Team Mary Virginia Quarles
Lay Representative to Conf. Bonnie Goertz
Welcome / Communications Brittney Johnson Karen Beck
Lay Circuit Representative Jennifer Johnson Ministries Council Danielle Del Conte
Staff-Parish Mark Johnson (Chair) Mark Milne
Lay Leadership Team Gary Getzin
Finance Eldon Horton Stan Schacht
Mission Team Tom Kelley
Pivet Scholarship Jack Zei
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And as it happens, we have good neighbors. Sure there have been conflicts - usually times when we all wanted to use the parking lot at the same time, a problem usually due to poor communication - but we have stuck to it and kept trying to sort things out together.
Deaths: We grieve this month with the loss of these members of our church or of our families. David Johnston, husband of our member Jacquelyn Johnston, now living in Lake Tomahawk, died on December 5, 2014. Ruth Church, long-time member of our congregation, died December 26, 2014.
Irene Rayborn, mother of Dick Rayborn, grandmother of Jennifer Smith, died on January 7. Mary Christianson, sister of Gary Getzin, died on January 15. Births: And we rejoice with Nathaniel and Christine (Rye) Melville, on the birth of their daughter, Emalee Marie Melville, on January 11.
WiFi Network: FUMC Public (password: fumcpublic)
Thomas Schmoldt
7
Warren Fabel Gregory Chang Susan Chang Geraldine Slock Ethan Morris
12 Josie Rybarczyk Jason Weiland
21 Jaden Love Marley Butler
14 Cati Quiros
22 Elsie Campbell
16 Erik Anderson Anjali Dvorak
23 Pat Higgins
17 Damon Cole 18 Krista Maguire
8
Jason Majernik 19 Anna Schreiber
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Tom Bedora Jordan Fischer
10 Sarah Cowan Cameron Milne Autumn Seiser
20 Victoria Osen Bob Rybarczyk Ben Kissinger
25 Kirke Sauer Sue Marquardt Danielle Del Conte 27 Bernice Kohlman Wes Ebert David Quiros 28 Patricia Krause Lelynd Hassberg 29 Heather Miller
Community Garden?
FUMC Wired
facebook.com/WausauFUMC
Carrie Asplund Bill Owen Fran Plaza
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Martha Horton, mother of Eldon Horton, died on January 6.
It still took us by surprise to discover last month that the Marathon County Historical Society had budgeted money in 2015 to help us pay for snow removal in the Fulton lot. Thank you MCHS! Good neighbors matter.
Website: fumcwausau.org With links to the weekly sermon (text and podcast)
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Savvy Seniors will meet at 11:30 am at El Mezcal Restaurant on Rib Mountain Drive on Monday, February 2.
The churches of Downtown Wausau are exploring a new avenue for working together for the sake of others: a community garden. The Roman Catholic parish of St Michael’s and Resurrection owns a couple of acres off Townline Road that they would like to make available for this purpose. We could grow fresh food there to give away through local food pantries. This could empower people who have no access to tillable land to grow food for themselves. We could introduce children to the joy and miracle of fresh food that you have nurtured yourself. Here’s what we need, though. We need one or two people from the different churches who feel strongly enough about this idea to sit down together and organize it. If you are that person, contact Pastor Jerry. Page 3
I cannot begin to say thank you enough for the generous spirit of First United Methodist Church. No matter where I turn – you are willing to give and give freely. I praise God that people still exist that ask nothing in return. I am truly witnessing the generous spirit of God – He gives and asks nothing in return except that we are obedient to his law and love one another as He has loved us. - Susan
2015 United Methodist Women Sunday Officers for the coming year and Special Recognition Pin to Sara Roquemore
To practical matters – no sooner is the Christ child born than it is onward to His death, crucifixion and resurrection. Planning is well underway for a series of beautiful and significant Lenten and Easter services. Our Ash Wednesday service will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, February 18th. Again this year, we will share this service with First Presbyterian Church and Grace UCC. The choir is in full swing! The Jubilate Bells have many exciting numbers in store for the congregation. During the Lenten season and Holy Week, you will experience the passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, through scriptures, symbols and music. Wednesday, February 18th - Ash Wednesday Worship Services: 12:15pm - FUMC Memorial Chapel
UMW Sunshine Gals led by Arlene Trull
Ray Nowaczky, John Ohnstad and Project Ramp Up
7:00pm - First Presbyterian Church with combined choirs
Pastor Jerry unlocks the Book of Revelation
from Grace UCC, First Presbyterian Church and our own Chancel Choir
Each year the Wisconsin River Chapter of the American Guild of Organists hosts a series of organ concerts during Lent. We will be holding the recitals on Fridays. The dates are February 27th, March 6th, 13th, 20th, and 28th. These recitals are approximately 30 minutes long and will be at Trinity Lutheran Church, 501 Stewart Ave. Recitals begin at 12:15pm.
OUR NEWEST MEMBERS: Diane Zahn creates a beat with the children
Pastor:
Youth Lock-In and Breakfast “Teenagers in the Kitchen” Bob and Joan Keener
Following the lock-in, our youth helped with the Personal Needs Closet
STAFF
Chad, Mandy, Cheyenne, and Brynn Shepp
Gerald Morris
jerry@fumcwausau.org Music Ministry Coordinator: Susan Hamilton susan@fumcwausau.org Faith Formation Coordinator: Leo Jacoby leo@fumcwausau.org Building Engineer: Andy White Accounts & Records Supervisor: Karen Kellbach karen@fumcwausau.org Secretary: Arlene Trull arlene@fumcwausau.org 903 Third St; Wausau, WI 54403 Office Hours: Mon-Thurs - 9:00am-4:00pm Web-site: www.fumcwausau.org E-mail: fumc@fumcwausau.org
FROM PASTOR JERRY’S DESK
The Messenger First United Methodist Church of Wausau 903 Third Street Wausau, WI 54403
FEBUARY 2015
NON PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 542
Magic, Meaning, and Mystery
Church Purpose:
In the early days of the Reformation, three great leaders came together to talk about supporting each other. These three were Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. It didn’t work; the three had too many theological differences themselves to work together. What was the primary difference between them? The meaning and significance of Communion. The Church remains divided on what to make of this central practice in our faith – not just three views, but a thousand. Let me offer a wider picture. Imagine a spectrum, with the words Magic and Meaning at the two ends.
Live and Share God's Love
MAGIC
WAUSAU, WI 54403
Sunday, February 8 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “A Faithful People” Daniel 6 Sunday, February 15 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “A New People” Acts 10:1-8
Ash Wednesday, February 18 12:15pm - Noon hour service in Chapel 7:00pm - Joint Service at First Presbyterian Church
Lenten Sermon Series: “Means of Grace” Sunday, February 22 8:00am - Morning Chapel 10:00am - Worship “Means of Grace” Mark 12:28-34 * * * * * * * Throughout Lent, we will have a Thursday noon-hour Communion service in the Chapel, 12:15 - 12:45 pm begins February 19 and concludes March 19. *We observe Open Communion. All are welcome at God’s table.
THE MESSENGER
Sunday, February 1 8:00am - Morning Chapel with Communion * 10:00am - Worship with Communion* “Different People?” Isaiah 56:3-8
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WAUSAU
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
MEANING
On one extreme are those who see Communion as having an almost magical power. The bread and the cup are like salvation pills, and if you take them regularly, your sins are forgiven. It doesn’t matter if you understand what Communion is about. It doesn’t even matter if you repent of your sins. All that matters is that the right words were said over them by the right personnel. This magical view has never been the official doctrine of any church, but it has been a common popular understanding. Picture a pre-Vatican II Catholic priest, back to the congregation, mumbling words in Latin then handing out wafers to envision this extreme. On the other extreme is the view that I grew up with in the Southern Baptist Convention. There I was taught that Communion had no power at all. All that mattered was its meaning. We didn’t even call it a sacrament. It was an “ordinance,” which we did because Jesus told us to, and the only purpose it served was to illustrate the story of Jesus’ death for our sins. It was an acted-out sermon illustration, nothing more. Result: we did Communion as seldom as possible, because it was basically pointless and just made us late to the Piccadilly Cafeteria after church. Fortunately, somewhere between these extremes is another possible understanding. Yes, the meaning of Communion matters, but it is more than an object lesson. I have seen its power too often. I think of Jim, the old gentleman with mental illness who only let me into his tiny apartment because I brought him Communion. Through sharing the bread and cup, we became friends. I think of Geraldine, who on her deathbed responded to almost nothing, but who stretched forward for Communion. She could only swallow thickened liquids at that point, so I gently anointed her lips with the Blood of Christ, that she could taste and see how gracious the Lord is. Neither of these two saints experienced the presence of God in the sacrament as a point of doctrine. They experienced Christ directly. Here is the middle ground. MAGIC
MYSTERY
MEANING
As Christians, we follow Jesus of Nazareth, who was entirely human, and yet was something more. How perfect, then, that we remember this Lord in a Sacrament that consists of sharing normal bread and juice – but that is yet something more. Through the Season of Lent, we will be holding a weekly lunch hour Communion in the Chapel on Thursdays – beginning on the 19th. Come taste and see how gracious the Lord is. Phone 715 842-2201
Website: www.fumcwausau.org