No Stone Soup 12/29-- Next week 4 p.m. Doing What We Intend to Do 1/5/14

Paul says in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."
Let's start the new year strong. We'll look at the spiritual issues of our will and our actions and how to align our actions closer to our will. For discussion, I'll present some of the concepts from the book, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, raising exceptional children, becoming more productive, building revolutionary companies and social movements, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. 
 
Habits aren’t destiny, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

We won't meet this week, but next week we'll tackle our habits, our will and have a regular potluck.
See you at 4 p.m. on Jan. 5!

Let's Go Caroling

We'll go caroling Sunday the 22nd.  Let's meet at 3:30 p.m. and we'll go to Autumn Care and other individual homes in a pickup truck (weather permitting). So bring pillows and blankets to make the ride comfortable. When we're through, we've been invited over for refreshments at Nancy Johnson's house. Love the tradition… see you then.

Back in the Wesley Cottage!

Let's work on what we want to do in Stone Soup next year.
We'll do some dreaming and planning this Sunday.
We'll meet for worship at 4 and share a regular potluck later.
We want everyone to come so we can get input from all sectors.
We've been doing everything off site for the last couple of months so it already feels good to be back in the Wesley Cottage.
We've already begun talking some about a youth focus for the beginning of the year and want to hear your thoughts and prayers for what we can do, or focus on...

Then next week, 12/22 we'll meet at 3:30 for Caroling with refreshments to follow at Nancy Johnson's house. More to come next week.

There's Lots Going On!

Sunday 12/8/13 We've been invited to the Columbus UMC to share in their Christmas Party.
We'll leave Saluda UMC at 5:00 p.m. carpooling down to Columbus for potluck dinner and Christmas entertainment. Columbus is providing the meat and beverages so we can bring vegetables/salad or dessert. It should be over by 7 p.m.

Help with the Affordable Care Act/Obama Care
Tuesday 12/15 at 7 p.m. in the Wesley Cottage. We've got an independent insurance agent who has received training coming to help with any questions you might have about the Affordable Care Act and how to navigate the website. He said, "I think we can say that the purpose for the meeting is to better understand the new Affordable Care Act and the marketplace it has created. There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the changes. Some people are interested in it for themselves and their family and others are interested because of family members that need coverage."

Advent Overview

Dec. 3, 10 and 16 Advent Study 12-1:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 Saluda Stroll 6-8

         Community Communion 8:30

         At the Presbyterian Church

Dec. 14 Christmas Parade

Dec. 22 Christmas Cantata 11 a.m.

Christmas Brunch to follow worship

Dec. 22 Caroling 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 24 Midnight Candlelight Christmas         Eve Service

Welcome Table and Worship with Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville

We'll meet on Wednesday for Stone Soup this week and go to Asheville.
We're shooting for the 11:15 a.m. seating for the Haywood St. Welcome Table and then we'll attend worship at 12:30 p.m. You can meet us there for any part of this or if you need a ride Don and Patty will swing through the church parking lot at 10:15 a.m. Call or text Rob if you want to car pool 828-606-3452
This is such a wonderful ministry check out the website here www.haywoodstreet.org
and join us for this special Thanksgiving dinner and communion.

Thanksgiving Worship as a Community

This Sunday we'll join the community in giving thanks. The Thermal Belt Ministerial Association is sponsoring a Thanksgiving worship service at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Tryon.

It begins Sunday November 24 at 7:00 p.m.  We'll leave from the church parking lot at 6:30 (I have to get there early because I am in the service) or you can just meet us there.
See you then!

Looking at our issues with poverty...

Polk County Churches Dealing with Poverty

Susan Pennock will be our speaker on Nov.17 at 4:30 at Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry. She comes to us on behalf of the partnership of the United Methodist Church in NC and the Duke Endowment in order to help our churches understand poverty, it’s repercussions and how to act effectively in response to the needs. 
We'll have people from various organizations in our county including school administrators and churches.
Come join us at Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry
134 White Dr.
Columbus, NC 28722
828-894-2988
Isaiah 65:17-25

Bereavement workshop

Bereavement Workshop November 10 at Columbus United Methodist Church

Columbus United Methodist Church invites the community to a workshop dealing with the issues everyone hopes to avoid but really, everyone will face. The issue is our response to death. Someone once said, “Your grieving is among the most sacred and the most human things you will ever do. It will unfold to you the mystery of life…and death…and rebirth. Honor it.”

So in an attempt to honor this sacred work, the Columbus United Methodist Church will host Hospice of the Carolina Foothills’ Bereavement Services Manager, Shannon Slater, Licensed Professional Counselor. Ms. Slater will present a mix of things that people can do to help themselves or others work through the issues of grief and loss.

Come on out. The workshop starts on November 10^th at 4:30 and will be over by 6:00 p.m. This time includes the opportunity for discussion over a light supper. There is no charge for the workshop or supper. Columbus United Methodist Church is located across the street from Stearns Gym at 76 N. Peak St. in Columbus. For more information contact Rev. Rob Parsons at 828-606-3452.

Walking with the Foothills CROP Walk

Sunday November 3, Stone Soup will meet at 1:30p.m. at Saluda UMC and car pool down to Harmon field for the annual CROP Walk for Hunger at 2. The money raised will go to Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org/ ) and we will be part of worship before the walk, during and after too. No meal this week, but bring snacks if you want for after the walk. We can be through by 4. Bring some money if you would like to make a donation or go to our local website www.foothillscropwalk.org 

Enjoy the Wonderful Preaching

For the next 2 weeks, Stone Soup will be meeting at the regular worship time at Saluda UMC. Rob will be in the Czech Republic visiting Micah and he invites you to come worship with and hear the delightful preaching of a couple of his friends.
Sunday 10/20 at 11 a.m.  Rev. Brian Combs from the Haywood Street Church  in Asheville preaches.
Sunday 10/27 at 11 a.m. Rev. Brice Harris from the Florida Conference preaches.
Sunday 11/3  We'll all meet down at Harmon Field for the Foothills CROP Walk Against Hunger.
We'll see you then!

Getting Charged Up!

Stone Soup will meet with all the United Methodist Churches in Polk County Sunday the 13th.
This group of churches we call our "Missional Network" will have our official charge conference on the 13th. We'll sing together, worship together, do some of the business of the church but our keynote speaker will be Susan Pennock. Susan specializes in doing education around issues of poverty and helping groups respond in organic and effective ways to deal with those issues.  Refreshments will be served afterwards.
So, Stone Soupers can meet at the parking lot of Saluda UMC at 2 p.m. and head down to the Columbus UMC (76 North Peak St. Columbus, NC --across the street from Stearns Gym) which takes about 15 minutes. Our Charge Conference will start at 2:30 p.m. and we should be through with everything by 4.
Rob won't be able to carpool because he has to be down there by 1:45. Call/text him if you want to go down early.

Susan Pennock will do a community-wide workshop for Polk County on Nov. 17.

Isaiah 58:6-9

Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke? 
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin? 
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. 
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. 

World Communion Sunday

Today we celebrate the world-wide scope of the communion of Christ.
We'll celebrate communion with other churches in Polk County.
We'll gather at the church to drive down to Harmon Field at 1:30.
The multi-church event begins at 2 p.m.
We'll also get a chance to learn more about our Foothills CROP Walk for Hunger which is coming up the first Sunday in November.
See you at 1:30 (no meal this week)

Buying Land During a Siege...

FOR SALE

We'll gather at the church Sunday at 4 p.m. and go up to Judd's Peak to eat snacks, play some yard games (Bocci ball etc), let our imaginations work on the clouds while we lie on our backs and talk about doing dumb things for divine reasons. Our scripture follows below...Jeremiah 32:1-15 (also see Jeremiah 29)
So just bring snacks, we'll be traveling light and getting home early.

Oct 6 we'll meet at 1:30 and carpool down to Harmon Field to celebrate World Communion Sunday with other communions from our county. Following our worship celebration there, we will get info on the Foothills Crop Walk to fight hunger and poverty at home and abroad.

Oct 13  We'll travel down to Columbus to hear a speaker talk about what we can do to address the devastating issues of poverty confronting our community today.

Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him. Zedekiah had said, ‘Why do you prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; King Zedekiah of Judah shall not escape out of the hands of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; and he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I attend to him, says the Lord; though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed?’

 Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of theLord.

 And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy; and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

From http://anathothgarden.org

In 2005 Bill King was murdered at his bait and tackle store down the road from the current community garden site. In response,Cedar Grove United Methodist Church  held a prayer vigil for healing and peace at the site of the murder. At the prayer vigil two visions came together: Scenobia Taylor, an African-American woman, had a vision to donate 5 acres of her family’s land to the church for the healing of the community; Rev. Grace Hackney, the pastor of the prodominately white church, was exploring ways that the community could reconcile with the land by growing food sustainably. 

  


Due in large part to the skill and dedication of our first director, Fred Bahnson, and the amazing efforts of neighbors from all across the region, Scenobia’s and Grace’s vision grew into Anathoth Community Garden. Named after the place in the story of Jeremiah 29[and 32], where Jeremiah purchases a field and urges the Israelites in exile to make peace by planting gardens,  Anathoth has a vision of holistic reconciliation, in which relationships with all creatures are redeemed to their fullness, to shalom.

Our mission at Anathoth is to cultivate peace by using regenerative agriculture to connect people with their neighbors, the land, and God.

The Problem with the AntiHero

So many TV series lift up the antihero, so let's dig a little deeper into the popularity and problems of these literary characters and their place in our lives.
According to Webster, an antihero is a main character in a book, play, movie, etc., who does not have the usual good qualities that are expected in a hero. They blur the lines between villain and hero. Some examples are Tony Soprano, Dexter and Walter White on Breaking Bad.
We know life is complicated and these characters highlight that. So let's talk about being complicated and still living the way of God, the way of Love. See our scriptures below.
We can share snacks while we talk about our TV shows and our lives (so just bring chips, nuts, drinks or whatever you like to snack on--we won't have dinner)

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

The Prophet Mourns for the People

My joy is gone, grief is upon me,
   my heart is sick.
Hark, the cry of my poor people
   from far and wide in the land:
‘Is the Lord not in Zion?
   Is her King not in her?’
(‘Why have they provoked me to anger with their images,
   with their foreign idols?’)
‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
   and we are not saved.’
For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,
   I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?
   Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people
   not been restored?
O that my head were a spring of water,
   and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night
   for the slain of my poor people!

Luke 16:1-13

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.” And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.
 ‘Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.’

Our Journeys Together

Stone Soup Meets at 11 a.m. Sunday 9/15 in the Saluda UMC sanctuary.
We'll be able to be in worship and support and affirm the spiritual journeys of our youth.
Henry and Zoe will join the church near the end of the worship service. And we'll all have a chance to look at this spiritual journey we call faith, hope and love.
So join us at 11 to celebrate.
Then, we'll look for a place to go for lunch with any who would like to join us.
See you then!

Mark 9:21-24
 Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’

Ranier Maria Rilke
I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be give to you now, because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

And David danced before the Lord with all his might... 2 Samuel 6:14

We've looked at worship and praise through all sorts of means and practices. This Sunday, we'll use our bodies in dance to praise God and be in worship.
Sonya Monts will host us at The Dancers' Extension and we'll see two of her dancers who have worked on choreographing to themes or emotions. Then we'll get a chance to dance too. Maybe, we can even dance a prayer...
We'll meet at the church at 4 p.m. and carpool just a short drive to the Dancers' Extension (next to the Apple Mill across from the truck stop.) For our meal together we'll go light with sandwiches, chips, carrot sticks etc in case the weather is just too pretty to be inside we can picnic in the park.

Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

Remember next week September 15 Stone Soup will meet at 11 a.m. at t the church to affirm our support of the spiritual journeys of youth!

Here are some pics from last week!

Let's Go Pick Blueberries!

(This is us exploring the blueberry situation 2 wks ago)

Here's where we're planning to go on Sunday to pick BLUEBERRIES. It is up off the parkway in the Shining Rock Wilderness area. We'll meet at the church at 2 p.m. and carpool into Pisgah Forest. It takes about 2 hrs to get to this place. It is over 5,000 ft in altitude so pack a rain jacket just in case. Also bring something to put your blueberries in (I like using a milk jug cut and hanging on my belt).  I'll bring a stove, pan, and pancake batter so we can eat blueberry pancakes right then and there. You bring whatever you want to go with breakfast for dinner (if it needs heat, bring a stove). Don't forget to bring water for our thirsty hike to find the blueberries. We are hunting berries during a very busy weekend so I imagine we'll just have to hike a little further than everyone else has hiked. I don't imagine we'll get home before 8 p.m. Call me with questions.

Here's our scripture for reflection:
Matthew 6:28-35

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

...remember next week is Worship in Dance at 4 p.m.
then 9-15 we'll be honoring our children's faith journeys at 11 a.m.

Love and Fun

The Kids are going back to school, so we'll have plenty of fun to send them off.

We'll start by finishing our discussion on What I Want to Say to My Kids Before They Go to School
We've done Meaning, Memory and Hope . So this Sunday we'll finish with Love.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

When asked what we should do for Stone Soup, Zoe suggested "FUN". Games outside and inside, so bring anything you want to add to the mix.


For dinner, we'll do a straight up pot luck.

Coming up for Stone Soup...

Sept 1 We'll go Blueberry picking in Shining Rock leaving at 2 p.m.

Sept 8 We'll worship through dance at Dancers' Extension with Sonya's help meet at 4 p.m.

Sept 15 We'll welcome Zoe and Henry into the church as official members meet at 11 a.m.

Love. Be Creative. Be Brave.

Stone Soup will not be gathering on Sunday 8/18. 

It is up to  you to be a “living sanctuary” for God today. 

Do something that increases you love of God and love of neighbor today. 

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Don’t be timid. Love bravely and tell us about it next week.

2 Timothy 1:4-7

Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

Peach be with you... And also with you!

I have had a special request from a friend on Hospice Care.
He asked me if it was possible to have a worship service at his home since he hasn't been able to go to church in a long time. He specifically asked for a regular service with people and not just him and a preacher/chaplain. I said that I happened to know a "moveable" worship service that happens on Sunday evenings. That moveable worship service is you, Stone Soup.

So let's meet Sunday August 11 at 4 p.m. at the Saluda UMC parking lot. We'll carpool down to my friend's house.  And everyone bring a two peaches. My friend asked for peaches and I thought we could do a special Hope of Joy ritual with the peaches. (yes, we will be inventing the Hope of Joy ritual but I think it will be very cool). When we're through with the service, we can catch a bite to eat together at a restaurant on the way home.

We'll continue on our theme of Meaning, Hope and Love. This week is Hope.  We'll focus  a scripture that we've used before. Romans 5:3-5
 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

(The rock cairn above is from last Sunday on the river. The water came up and by Thursday all our work had washed away. Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1 makes sense now!)

Before my kids go back to school, this is what I want to talk about...2

"As I went down to the river to pray
Studyin' about that good ol' way and who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way!."

Let's go down to the river this week. Pack stuff for a picnic, a bathing suit and a towel. We'll discuss the role of memory/history in the making of meaning in our lives.  We'll talk about the river, the ever flowing stream and how we get in it, how we are part of it.
We'll meet at the Wesley Cottage behind Saluda UMC at 4 and carpool down to a swim spot with a beach on the Green River. You can swim, play in the current or just hang out on the beautiful riverside.
Here's our scripture for reflection:

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"  Ecclesiastes 12:1

Before my kids go off to school, this is what I want to talk about...

What makes life meaningful?
How do you find meaning in your life?
What can we do when we find meaninglessness creeping into our lives?

Since this is a discussion we want to have with our kids (and ourselves) let's begin with our common ground in music. So when you come to Stone Soup this Sunday, bring a song that you feel deals with or frames the problem of one of the above questions. You can bring it on a mp3 player or we can look it up on YouTube. We'll use the music to jumpstart our discussion of such an important topic over the next few weeks. Then we'll actually do some things that are actually part of what helps us acknowledge and participate in what is meaningful in our lives together. We'll eat and play together, read scripture and learn from each other, serve others and more. Stephen will be leading a class for the kids that don't want to be part of this larger discussion.

So let's meet this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Wesley Cottage in the back parking lot of Saluda United Methodist Church. For our dinner together, let's focus on being as fresh as we can be. Get a friend and/or family member and harvest something from your garden or get something from a local tailgate market and bring a fresh and delicious dish to share. (But as always, don't let the dinner thing be a hinderance to your coming, there is always enough and we're always flexible. )

After dinner, we'll spill out into our wonderful town for some town-sized games. This should be lots of fun and there should be plenty of benches for those who just want to watch (and not pull a hamstring).

Let's go find a new (to us) waterfall, sit with it's power and beauty, and talk about God.

This Sunday, July 21, we'll join up with the Saluda Community Land Trust to hike the Missing 40 Trail (a one mile loop) and do some exploring of the land and our hearts.
We'll meet at the Saluda Library at 2 p.m. We're meeting early so we won't share dinner together but bring hiking snacks that we can share around. If you like, also bring clothes you can get wet in since last time we explored the Missing 40 trail we also enjoyed the exploring the streams.

Within this beautiful context we begin our exploration of how to deal with meaninglessness, hopelessness and lovelessness. These are difficult spiritual issues to deal with when they creep into our lives and into our community. Nonetheless, it is especially crucial that we deal with these issues, especially for the children of our whole community. How we talk, with whom we sit, and where we are will have as much to bear in the conversation as what we say... so join us!
1Corinthians 13:2 "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."

Tubing on Sunday

Let's Go Tubing This Sunday

Now that the rivers are receding back to normal levels, we'll go tubing on the Green River.
We'll meet at the Wesley Cottage at 2:00 p.m. and carpool from there.
I don't know what it costs for sure to rent a tube (because they normally give us a church group discount), so bring $7 for each person in your group. Each group/family that comes needs to be self-sufficient (adults with children, everyone needs to be  comfortable with swimming) and we will show you where you can rent tubes.
Since we are starting early, we won't do a meal, but I can carry snacks. I will paddle an inflatable ducky  and will have a dry bag for some snacks (limited space but we can share with each other). We'll pull out on the beach at Little Corky, share snacks and worship. We should be through by 6 p.m.

Our scripture this week comes from
Amos 7:7-17  God sets a plumb line among the people.
John 10:25-37 When Jesus is asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he responds with the story of the Good Samaritan.

Tubing always teaches us something and riverside worship is always special, so join us and bring a friend!
If you have questions, call Rob 828-606-3452

"What do you mean by, "You will be made free"?

Stone Soup Goes to the Lake

We'll meet at 4 p.m. at the Wesley Cottage and go from there to Lake Sheila. Pack a picnic and we can share among ourselves. I will bring a grill if you want to grill something. I'll also bring a kayak or two in case you want to work on your roll or just paddle around. Bring any lake floats or games you want to play. The weather had been looking good for Sunday but now shows thunder storms possible. If it is raining we'll do an indoor picnic and a movie.

Our discussion will be about freedom, what it is and why we give it up.
Exodus 16:1-3 The Israelites were not even two months out of slavery and were talking about going back into Egypt.
Romans 8:12-17 Paul says we were not given a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.
John 8:31-38 Jesus says if you continue in his word you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Can't wait to see you!
Bring a friend/summer person...

Community Gospel Singing and Ice Cream Social

We're Going to a Gospel Singing and Ice Cream Social
Stone Soup will meet at the Wesley Cottage at 4 p.m. and then we'll venture downtown for the community Gospel Sing.
No need to bring food, there will be ice cream at the gathering and it will be over by 6.
Bring a friend and be ready for some old-fashion JOY.

Stone Soup is cancelled today 6/23/13 for illness
Stephen's full recovery is assured.

A Soiled Kingdom

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"  Matthew 13:1-9

Pastor Rob will be away this Sunday at a film festival with his daughter Micah, but we are still going to meet for Stone Soup. This week we will be discussing Jesus' parable of the sower and the soils. What does this parable tell us about the Kingdom of God and who is "in" and who is "out"? How does our culture feel about this? How do we feel about it?

As a concrete expression of this parable, we are planning (as weather permits) to make a trip over to the community garden where we will be doing some weeding and mounding more dirt on top of the potatoes in the church's plot. For dinner, we will have a salad bar. We will provide the lettuce, and we ask that each one provide something extra to go in the salad.

See you at 4pm at the Wesley Cottage behind Saluda UMC.