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.

Stone Soup Plays in the Streets!

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.  Zechariah 8:4-8

In our time of worship, we will set out to grow in our love of our neighbors, our neighborhood and our God. We'll do this through the blessed discipline of neighborhood play. And for those feeling like they would rather sit down with their "staff", we'll have the benches on main street.

What are your thoughts on Zechariah 8 about God using a community for reconciliation and not just individuals?

So get your mad Man Hunt skills on, wear your best Kick the Can kilt and be ready to be captivated by Capture the Flag.

For dinner, we'll provide hot dogs and buns and you bring the salads and desserts to balance delicious with healthy!

See you at 4 p.m. at the Wesley Cottage at Saluda UMC.