The Lantern 3-16-23
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| Thursday, March 16, 2023Martin Beal Concert This Weekend! UMCOR is March Special Offering Sunday Morning Worship Focus Worship Online Weekly Sermon Questions Children & Youth Ministry Easter Flowers Form Japanese Pre School Story Time Currently at the Loomis Library Golf and Picnic Reservations Now On Going! Faith Garden Changes for 2023 February Giving Humanity Bags Update Groups at Loomis FUMC Senior LIFE Center All Church Media Taize Every Tuesday at Noon Coins for Lent End of Year Statement Bash Passages Class Follow Up Easter Help Needed Happy Birthday Helen! Garden of Gethsemane Baby & Me Class on Saturdays April Events Realm is our Online Directory Food Pantry Needs Fellowship Hour Sign Ups Women’s Spring Retreat Alison’s Weekly Hours Melanie’s Weekly Hours Wonder Women on Tuesdays Wonder Workers on Tuesdays Recycling at LoomisCONCERT IN SACRAMENTO WITH MARTIN BEAL THIS WEEKEND! Sacramento Masters Singers has a concert coming up March 18th and 19th at the Sofia Theater on 2700 Capitol Ave. It is called “Songs In The Key Of Life”. A collection of choral music celebrating the stages of life. The music is fantastic and you will see Martin Beal (choir director) there. He may even do a solo! Information about tickets is in the link below. https://www.mastersingers.org/2022_23_concerts/songs-in-the-key-of-life/  Sunday Morning Worship Focus  Fourth Sunday in Lent Does this week’s scripture reading center on a blind man’s sight being restored? In the historical context of that time, what does blindness say about his situation? Are we to understand that this man was born blind because he sinned, or that his parents sinned? If this story is about deciding who’s right and wrong, we lose sight of God. Such a reading remains trapped on the surface. God becomes the One who takes sides, the One who punishes the sinner and blesses the righteous ones. Or, are there multiple layers of meaning at play in this story of healing? Read John 9: 1 – 41 (The Message)  Please join us a few minutes before 9:30 am this Sunday Below is the link to our YouTube Channel: Loomis First United Methodist Church – YouTube Weekly Sermon Questions (John 4: 5 – 42) ~Does this story center on a blind man’s sight being restored? ~How is God’s grace revealed in the restoration of his sight? ~According to this story, why was this man born blind? Was it because his parents sinned, or he sinned? ~Is anyone to blame for his blindness? ~Is suffering a punishment from God? ~Was it wrong for Jesus to heal on the sabbath? ~Are we any different from the ancient ones who blamed the man for his misfortune? ~Why does the majority of the story focus on the disputes surrounding the miracle, and not the miracle itself? ~Is the story more about spiritual blindness than physical blindness? ~Why does the community want to silence the healed man? ~Why don’t they rejoice in his healing? ~What does this story reveal about us? What are we blind to in our lives? Our communities? The world around us? Children & Youth Ministry From Our Christian Education Director Reverend Melanie Oliver [email protected] Family Kairos Cookie Baking & Game Night! Several families showed up and baked dozens of cookies for the Kairos prison ministry team! A special thank you for the generosity of the kiddos who served as our taste quality control monitors… a most important job! It truly is an honor and privilege to do what we can to support the amazing work our Kairos team does with the men in blue at Folsom Prison. Youth Summer Service Trip July 16-21! It’s on! 6th-12th graders are invited to join us for our Summer Service Trip July 16-21. We will be staying in beautiful Kings Beach at the Lake Tahoe UMC and Retreat Center. We will be working at the United Methodist Church of the Mountains in Truckee to help repair their buildings that serve the homeless community in the Truckee area. In addition to our hard work, there will be plenty of time for hikes, lake time, and pure fun! Scott Olsen is our construction coordinator and Butch Henry and Bret Hunter will be joining us this year as adult chaperones and construction gurus. The cost for SST is $350, with the following payment plan: $50 due March 15, $200 due May 15, $100 due June 15. Please let me know if your kiddo can attend! I can hardly wait! ~Melanie Oliver ([email protected]) Confirmation Class Informational Meeting April 16, 5:00 High schoolers and their parents/guardians are invited to an informational meeting about Confirmation Class on Sunday, April 16, at 5:00. We will begin a new class in May. The informational meeting is a great time to ask all of your questions! Please join Pastor Melanie on April 16 to find out more. Upcoming Events for Children, Youth, & Their Families See emailed Lantern issue from 3-16-23 for full details of dates, locations, and times for events  Below is the Annual Easter Flowers form. For those who are new here since 2019, a tradition at Easter time is that we honor those who have passed, or a special friend or loved one. A special bulletin will be printed and available on Easter Sunday. We ask $5 for each person listed, the money helps us purchase the flowers for our Easter Celebration on Easter Sunday: all the flowers inside and the large wooden cross our youth decorate at the front of the church property. Pick up a form in the Narthex on Sundays, or contact the office and they can email you the form. You can write a check or cash and put it in the plate on Sunday or mail it to the office. The deadline for inclusion in the special bulletin is Sunday, April 2nd. Preparing for Easter We invite you to participate once again in creating our “living” cross on Easter morning. We will purchase the necessary items to complete the decorations in the Sanctuary and flowering of the wooden cross at the front of the church property. Your donations will help defray the cost of these decorations, while at the same time, honoring a special friend or loved one. Please include $5.00 for each person you wish to honor. A special bulletin insert listing all of the donations will be printed for the April 9th Easter service. Please legibly PRINT the following information and return this form with your payment. You can drop it off on Sundays, or mail it to the office. The deadline for inclusion in the bulletin is Sunday, April 2nd. YOUR NAME(S) ____________________________________________ (Please PRINT all information clearly) In Celebration of ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ In Honor of _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ In Memory of ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Please make checks payable to FUMC TOTAL amount enclosed $_______________ The Loomis Library is currently hosting a pre-school Japanese story time for children   Get your reservation in!  Faith Garden Change Coming This Year This year the Faith Garden team has been asked to work in partnership with the Reaching Out vision team to see if there are folks in our congregation and the community that would like to grow some fresh food in the Faith Garden. Gardening is such a Faith test and journey. Digging in dirt, planting seeds, watering, weeding and praying that your effort will yield food. And then the work and prayer start getting answered with the germination and growth of the crops that you have planted. We try to make the Garden a very pleasant place to be. We are right next to the Serenity path which is wonderful to take a walk on while gardening and just to sit and “BE STILL”. We will treat the experience much like a Co-Op where the people growing their own food provide some time and effort toward the Faith Garden. Here is the ‘Deal’: 1.) The Garden Team will provide help to answer questions about gardening 2.) The Plot manager can decide what to plant and when to work on their garden A.) The Plot mgr. can choose to work when the Faith Garden team works, (Monday and Thursday mornings 9am-10am) 3.) The Faith garden team will be planting on Saturday, April 15th (9am-12pm) A.) The Plot mgr. can choose to plant with the Faith Garden Team or choose different time 4.) The Plot mgr. must support and adhere to the aesthetics of the Faith Garden in their plot 5.) The Plot mgr. will provide time and effort to the Faith Garden by helping to weed the paths, work the compost bin, and generally contribute to gardening activities. 6.) The Plot mgr. will donate any/all “extra” fresh food to the Loomis basin Food Pantry 7.) The Plot mgr. will help maintain any/all tools and common gardening resources stored in the shed. We are going to talk to the Prosper Placer Org., Sierra College and the greater Community. Loomis FUMC has 1st dibs, on a garden plot. We have 2- 4ftx12ft plots (can be made smaller) and 4 – 4ftx8ft plots. One of the plots has already been spoken for by a church family member. Please contact Pat Aiello for more information or to request a plot of the garden. 916-416-6474 – [email protected] We Appreciate Your Giving! Giving in February totaled almost $50, 000! Kairos $820 Human Relations Day $20 Special Projects,$100 General Fund, $48,339.  FIRST WEEK OF PLEDGE DRIVE,HUMANITY BAGS HAS RAISED $455.00!!! I can’t wait to announce this Sunday how much more we raised in the last week! Remember – our pledge drive will end with a Spaghetti Lunch, hosted by our youth, after church service on Sunday, March 26th! No need to RSVP. No need to buy a ticket. We will be asking for donations at the lunch. There will be an opportunity to help fill Humanity Bags, and a fun dessert/treat raffle. Thank you so much! -Joss Goebel Groups at Loomis FUMC Monday Night Bible Study meets from 7:00 – 8:00 pm on Zoom (contact Marcia Bush if you would like more information or join)Tuesday Morning Bible Study, lead by Pastor Alison in the Chapel, at 10:30 am (contact Reba Stackhouse if you would like more information or join) Wonder Women and Wonder Workers, Tuesday mornings The Senior LIFE Center, Tuesday and Thursday mornings until 12 noon The Grief Group meets on Wednesday afternoons at 4 pm in the Bamboo Room The Leadership Council meets every 3rd Wednesday evening of the month, in the Pine Room. The next meeting is April 19. Stephen Ministers is meeting twice a month on Zoom on Thursdays (Private Group) Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every other Friday in the Pine Room. In March they are scheduled to meet on the 3rd and 17th & 31st. .  Meeting on Tuesday and Thursdays art and crafts activities, exercise classes and lunch being served, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm Keep Updated by Checking Out our Website. Missed a Sunday? Past Online Services Are Posted Too!   Upcoming Events & Announcements Previously Published  Coins for Lent The Worship Team is inviting each home of the congregation participate in “Coins for Lent” by collection coins each day during the season of Lent. Following Easter, the church will use the money to buy supplies for fire kits and health kits for fire and flood victims in the California Nevada Annual Conference of our church. Then we will assemble the kits and take them to the Conference Emergency Response Team. Participation is easy: find a container to collect the coins such as a jar or plastic tub or empty tissue box, decorate it and follow the calendar list below or download a calendar at this link Coins for Lent Giving Calendar. The calendar is courtesy of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Note on the calendar that Sundays are not part of Lent; they are sometimes called “Little Easters.” The items on the calendar will remind us of the basic things that victims of fire and flood do not have, as well as how much we have. You can contribute a coin for every item on the giving calendar. You may want to simply collect loose change each day and contribute that. You can put in one coin each day. If you have very few coins because you mostly use your credit card, you can use tokens or IOUs and convert them to a check at the end of Lent with “Lent Coins” in the memo line. Items on the daily guide will remind us of all we have and how little others may have. Each Sunday, pray as a family for the project and the people who will benefit from your gifts. Our giving begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes with Holy Saturday. During Lent, Sundays are for worship and praise to God and are reflected with a weekly day of prayer. MARCH 2023March 8: A coin for every pair of jeans or pantsMarch 9: A coin for every coatMarch 10: A coin for every t-shirtMarch 11: A coin for every sweatshirtMarch 12: Pray today, thanking God for clothing that protects you from the elements. Pray for those who lack clothing to keep them warm and dry.March 13: A coin for every ball or piece of athletic equipmentMarch 14: A coin for every electronic video gameMarch 15: A coin for every smart device (phones, tablets, etc.)March 16: A coin for every televisionMarch 17: A coin for every doll or stuffed animalMarch 18: A coin for every board or card gameMarch 19: Pray today, thanking God for how you can enjoy entertainment in your home. Pray for those who would be grateful for just one of these items.March 20: A coin for every box of Band-Aids®March 21: A coin for every bottle of vitaminsMarch 22: A coin for every box of tissuesMarch 23: A coin for every bottle of hand sanitizer.March 24: A coin for every toothbrush and tube of toothpasteMarch 25: A coin for every cough drop found in your house.March 26: Pray today, thanking God for your health. Pray for those who are sick.March 27: A coin for every room in your homeMarch 28: A coin for every electrical outlet in your homeMarch 29: A coin for every chair in your homeMarch 30: A coin for every desk in your home (virtual work/school)March 31: A coin for every bathroomAPRIL 2023April 1: A coin for every bedApril 2: (Palm Sunday): Pray today, thanking God for shelter. Pray for those who have no place to sleep at night.April 3: A coin for every BibleApril 4: A coin for every book of hymns or sacred songs in your homeApril 5: A coin for every cross in your homeApril 6: A coin for every prayer you say todayApril 7: A coin for every story of Jesus you can tellApril 8: A coin for every person in your familyEaster Sunday – April 9: Pray, thanking God for Jesus and for the many ways we can gather and worship God. Pray for those who will receive the coins collected that they would see God’s presence through them. Looking for Your Tax Statement?? You can find your Year End Statement on your account on Realm. If you don’t know how to access it call Chuck Hunt (916-791-4484). He can help you access it or get a copy to you. Bash Passages Class Follow-Up Thank you to all of you who attended the discussion on the “clobber” or “bash” passages in the Bible that address homosexuality and are often used as an argument against full-inclusion. Many of you asked for a list of the scriptures, and for notes from the class, so the ones we discussed are listed below with a copy of my notes. I am also including the link to the amazing resource library of the Reconciling Ministries Network. During our time together, we discussed several interpretations of the scripture readings and I encourage you to do your own research online as well. There are several ideas surrounding each passage that give us insight into the cultural and societal happenings of the times they were written in. There are other passages you will find that we didn’t include in our discussion due to time constraints. Remember, studying the Bible is different than just reading it. Dig in! First and foremost, we serve a loving creator who is constantly renewing and reconciling each us into their loving wings. What is your heart and soul telling you about the nature of the God you serve? Blessings on your journey! Rev. Melanie https://rmnetwork.org/resource-full-library/ Clobber/Bash Passages: Scriptures that Address “Homosexuality” FUMC Loomis 2-26-23 Opening Prayer Why is it important that we have this discussion? Our church is splitting Cultural shifts The worth and dignity of all humanity Why is homosexuality such a hot topic? Is it a sin/moral? Hyper-sexual “look but don’t touch society” It is not the majority/unrelatable It is a taboo topic (even though the same discussions surrounding heterosexuality are normative) Studying the Scriptures Reading vs. Studying the Bible: What is happening culturally, socially, historically? Paul said women should be silent in church. Paul also said women should teach and prophesy. (Keep in mind Paul was Jewish) OT reference to stoning prostitutes, directions for slave owners, etc. Don’t eat shellfish and mixing milk and meat (Jewish customs) Genesis 2:18 Establishing the propagation of the species The role of helper is for the propagation of the species. Animals could not help with that. Man needed woman. Early creation timeline and an explanation for the beginning of the species. Jesus never married or had children. Established society and population. Paul said not to get married! With the understanding that Christ would soon return. Jesus is coming, look busy! Don’t mess with earthly concerns; the kingdom is at hand. Genesis 19:1-38 Sodom & Gomorrah Sexual immorality of all kinds from men AND women. Rape, promiscuity, offering daughters Second similar story in Judges, but instead of daughters, the concubine is repeatedly raped. The sin is not homosexuality. It is sexual violence and lack of hospitality. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 Men shall not lie with men (Several theories) Procreation So no one should have sex unless they are trying to become pregnant? Sorry menopausal women, sorry people with fertility issues. To counter: health and relational benefits of a sexual relationship Sexual responsibility Prostitution of young boys Sexual violence as a war crime Established gender norms (“Men shouldn’t be in the kitchen.”) Strict male health guidelines outlined in the Hebrew community directed at a specific sexual acts. But only includes that one act when there are many ways of expressing physical intimacy. Why doesn’t it address women/lesbians at all? If it truly is a condemnation of homosexuality, why is it only addressing men? Spilling of seed was frowned upon because it didn’t ensure the propagation of the species or the Jewish race. Sinful to waste it. Romans 1:26-27 Does Paul mean “cultural” when he says “natural”? Is it a word choice? In other unrelated instances/topics, Paul talks about being “unnatural” as a way of being is a right relationship with God. So we have to wonder if “unnatural” simply means out of the norm/unexpected. Orgies or other irresponsible or harmful ways of engaging in sex. Over 1000 animal species engage in same-sex relations. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Who inherits the kingdom of God? Greek words… pornography, prostitution, sexually immoral, effeminate (lazy, weak, little… not trained for war, which was a reality of their existence at the time this was written) Mistranslation: first use of “homosexuality” in the Bible was in the 1946 translation of the Revised Standard Version. (75 years ago! Within your lifetime, Boomers!) 1 Timothy 1:10 Sex slaves WWJD? Reformer of the Jewish faith; not abolishing the law, but fulfilling it (spirit of the law, not the letter of the law) Jesus did not say a word about homosexuality. If it was that much of an abomination, why didn’t he address it? What does the nature of God expressed in Jesus Christ, teach us about full inclusion? Everyone is invited to the table. Who is condemned? (Those who harm others.) How do we move forward? Compassion & grace for those who disagree. Meet them where they are, but stand strong in your conviction. Show up for those who are marginalized.  Looking for Easter Help! The Worship Team needs your assistance. Volunteers are needed to create floral arrangements on Saturday, 4/8 for Easter Sunday. We are also in need of assistance during Easter service. We need 2 people to help host the “flowering of the cross” prior to the service and 2 people to carry the flowered cross into the Sanctuary during the service. If you are interested in helping us, or would like more information, please contact Larry Pearson at: 541-292-8924/[email protected] or Bonnie McCoog at: 916-580-5041/[email protected].  Helen Bride celebrated her 90th Birthday on March 10th! Let’s shower her with cards to help her celebrate! Helen Bride The Terraces of Roseville 707 Sunrise Ave. #159 Roseville, CA 95661   APRIL EVENTS!     DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE AN ONLINE DIRECTORY? It’s Realm. Realm is how all Congregational Emails are sent out and Prayer Requests.. If you receive either or both of these emails you have an account. Also, if you have donated any money to the church you have an account. Once you have set up a password you can go in and set your privacy to be seen by everyone in the church, thus you are part of the online directory! FYI….ONLY church members can access it, there is no confidential information asked for that can be hacked. Stay connected with your church anytime, anywhere. Keep up with your small groups, RSVP for church events, manage your volunteer assignments, view your giving, update your profile information, and more. CONNECT WITH YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY Post, read and react to messages on your newsfeeds Share photos of your ministry activities Both the website and the app are ways to be connected to everyone in the church! Security Practices: Data is encrypted in transitYour data is transferred over a secure connection So the only one that can see your information is other Loomis Church Members/Attendees. Once you have set up your account you can upload a picture, change your address, phone number, send messages to other members, look up phone numbers and/or addresses of other members. And with the app it can be on your phone! If you have any questions contact Realm Administrator Frank Bailey, or Sharon in the Church Office.  The Loomis Basin Food Pantry is in need of several items that they can not purchase from the Placer Food Bank.Small Flour (1 – 2 lbs) Small Sugar (1 – 2 lbs) Syrup Pancake Mix Pasta (any kind) Dry Cereal Jam/Jelly Thank you! The Food Pantry Team appreciates your help! There is a box outside of the Food Pantry for any donations. For any donations please leave a name and address so we can note and send you a receipt for your donations. THANK YOU!! Fellowship Hour on Sunday’s Below is the link for January 1 through May 28, 2023 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0b4daba82ca7f94-fumc1 There are only a few spots left to fill! THANK YOU!  Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.Place: Mercy Retreat Center in Auburn, 535 Sacramento Street (Only 15 mins. from the church)Cost: $65 for the day (scholarships available, please ask). Checks made out to FUMC Loomis, dropped off at the table after church on Feb. 26th, or mailed to Gail Ahlborn, 4700 Vista Dr., Loomis, CA 95650.The day includes lunch, music, art journaling, break-out sessions, lush gardens, and many places for taking a walk or relaxing.Our speaker for the retreat will be retired United Methodist Minister, Mary Elyn Bahlert, spiritual teacher & leadership coach, who last served at the Lake Merritt UMC in Oakland.To Register for the Retreat, contact Claire Bunch, [email protected], 916-305-2367.     We take plastic (CA) and aluminum (CA). If you have aluminum, call Butch Stitt at 916-652-5981 or his cell 916-945-6563 to arrange drop off.. The proceeds go to the youth and petty cash for emergency needs the office receives.ALL RECYCLE CONTAINERS HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED ON THE CHURCH PROPER |
