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Centre UMC Newsletter, Vol. III, Issue 6
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CentreNews Rev. Mark Gorman, Pastor
Galatians
This month I will continue a 4-part sermon series on Paul’s letter to the Galatians (see below for details about the series). Paul wrote a good chunk of the New Testament, all letters, from Romans to Philemon. In our Bible his letters are arranged by length: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Paul addresses Galatians to a group of churches in Galatia, a Roman province in what is now central Turkey. Paul had traveled to this area in order to preach the gospel, and you can read about his time there in Acts 13-14. As with many of his letters (see 1 and 2 Corinthians, for example), Paul writes his letter to Galatians in response to problems that have come up since he left the area.
Reading the letter, it’s a little hard to know exactly what the problems were that caused Paul to write Galatians. But we can say this: someone, probably another Christian or group of Christians, has come to Galatia to insist that Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians follow “the law.” These other Christians probably also insisted that the Galatian men be circumcised. My own suspicion is that the Galatians were struggling with sin after their conversion, and that so-called “works of the law” were offered to the Galatians by these other Christians as a remedy for their sin.
Paul sees these other Christians as a source of discord and division within Christ’s church, but, rather than speaking to them directly, he forcefully argues that true Christian discipleship means becoming more and more like Christ. This means living according to Christ’s own life by the power of the Holy Spirit, which the Father has given to us.
Since Galatians was written, many Christians have read it to argue about what salvation means. But I think God intends us to ask a very different set of questions: 1) What do we do when we discover that we have “failed to be an obedient church” (as we say in our prayer of confession)? and 2) Where do we turn when we are divided about what we should do as Christ’s church? I hope, through this series, we will learn to say, as Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mark
In Brief…
*Youth group meets one Sunday, June 5, at Centre. Youth group serves at Welcome One Shelter on June 7, from 4:00-7:00 p.m.
*Annual Conference is June 1-4. Please pray for Pastor Mark and Jeff Smart, who will attend as Centre’s Lay Member.
*Finance Committee Meets Monday, June 6, at 7:00 p.m.
*Pastor Mark will be away from June 22-July 1. Please welcome Rev. Paul Benjamin on June 26.
*The July newsletter deadline is June 20.
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Announcements
Sermon Series on Galatians: On May 29 Pastor Mark begins a sermon series on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The series continues through the month of June. Galatians, though short, is one of Paul’s most famous and widely-read letters. It has had an especially strong influence on Christians since the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s. You are encouraged to read the whole letter on your own as we make our way together through this series. You are also invited to read the following passages for each week of the series:
May 29: Galatians 1:1-12
June 5: Galatians 1:11-24
June 12: Galatians 2:15-21
June 19: Galatians 3:23-29
At its May meeting, the church council approved a new campaign to raise money for Sunday morning worship needs. We are hoping to raise $3000 for the following items:
1) A new projector for our onscreen presentations (Cost estimate=$2,000)
2) A set of pew bibles (Cost estimate=$600)
3) Worship and Song, a hymnal supplement (Cost estimate=$400)
This is an exciting project that we hope will have an immediate impact on our worship vitality. The new projector will allow us to project words more clearly and visibly as well as incorporate images and video in more satisfying ways for Sunday School. The pew bibles will allow us to foster biblical literacy in worship. And Worship and Song will give us new and familiar hymns and songs in an accessible format. Please consider giving to this campaign. You may write a check with “Sunday morning worship needs” in the “For” line, or you may give specifically for one of the three items by writing either “Projector,” “Pew bibles,” or “Worship and Song” in the “For” line.
Caritas, a new small group for young adults, will meet in the evenings in July and August. The focus of the group is “growing in love for God and neighbor.” Tentative dates are July 7, 14, 21, 28, and August 4. All young adults from 18-30 are invited. Please let Pastor Mark know if you are interested in this group or if you know someone who might be. More details will be coming in the July newsletter.
Mark your calendars now for an exciting event on Sunday, July 3. We will gather at the Grove at William Watters UMC in Jarrettsville for a combined worship service and potluck. Centre, William Watters, Ebenezer, Jarrettsville, and Ayers Chapel UMCs will join together for this service. Plan to bring a lawn chair for seating and a salad or side dish for the potluck. The worship service begins at 10:00 a.m.
The youth group will meet June 5 and then go on summer break. We will meet again on Sunday, July 17 at Centre and Sunday, August 21 at Jarrettsville. We also have several summer activities in the works, so keep on eye out for more announcements. We will kick off the 2016-17 year on September 11. Youth are invited to help assist with our children’s Sunday School class this summer. If you would like to help, please speak with Libby Gorman.
The Fellowship Lunch Workgroup is hoping to meet on June 9 at William Watters UMC in order to help clean up the Grove, where we will worship on July 3. More details will be coming on June 5.
The food pantry needs extra sets of hands for the summer months. This is a great way to serve Jesus Christ by helping those in our community receive food they need. The pantry is open on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Please talk to Robin Griffin if you would like to serve once, several times, or even all summer long!
Trustees will meet June 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Directory Updates: Please update your directories with the following information:
Paul and Luella Boin
8820 Walther Blvd.
Apt. 3307
Parkville, MD 21234
Sue White and Shawn Moskowitz
723 Annatana Drive
Forest Hill, MD 21050
443-567-6063 (h)/443-876-4768 (c)
The July newsletter deadline is June 20.
Centre’s Finances
Changes in Reporting: This year we are only reporting undirected giving, rather than total giving. While Centre is grateful for and needs all offerings that come in, in most cases only undirected giving may be used for the day-to-day expenses of the congregation. Directed giving allows our church to pursue special projects or fund one-time expenses. Undirected giving pays the light bill and gets the bathrooms cleaned.
Also, the totals show receipts, the budget, and the amount ahead/behind up to the week when the newsletter is published. Through May 22, therefore, Centre’s giving is $3,433.64 less than what has been budgeted for the same time.
If you have questions about financial stewardship at Centre or about Centre’s budget, please speak to John Griffin, Finance Chair, or to Pastor Mark.
Total Collected Through May 22: $52,821.76
Total Needed Through May 22: $56,255.20
Ahead/(Behind): ($3,433.64)
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