Time to Rejoice

Christmas Celebration Potluck at Columbus UMC!
We'll meet at 5 in the Saluda UMC lot, chat a bit about Isaiah 61 and then carpool down to Columbus for a Christmas Potluck Celebration with singing and games. The church is providing ham and drinks so everyone else can bring a vegetable or salad dish. We should be home around 7.

Caroling next Sunday! Don't miss it.

Here's the Isaiah text for this the third Sunday in Advent.

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;

61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

61:3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

61:4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

61:8 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

61:9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

61:11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. 

Preparing...

We'll meet Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Wesley Cottage.
We'll study the issue of "Preparing" as we live out this season of Advent.
We'll look at our traditions of Advent and Christmas (Advent wreath, Christmas trees, etc).
We won't stay for dinner, so we should be through before 5:30.
We'll use Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way; 
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   “Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight” ’, 
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Bake Potato and Salad Bar, Board Games and Living with Disappointing Times

We'll meet at 4 p.m. this Sunday at the Wesley Cottage.
Bring stuff for salad bar and to put on baked potatoes. Rob will bring potatoes.
Bring any board games you want (the weather looks like it could be bad).
We'll look at Ezekiel 34:11-6 (God says "I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep" and Matthew 25:31-46 ( Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.")
We should be through by 6.

Thank You June!

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praise to my God while I have being.  Psalm 104:33

For Stone Soup this week we will gather with the rest of the Saluda United Methodist Church to celebrate June Taylor's over 50 years of music ministry. She's been in ministry here for over 15 years. So we'll meet at the 11 o'clock worship service and have a potluck lunch afterwards in the fellowship hall. (cake will be provided so just bring main dish or salad/vegetable type dishes). What a gift we have to celebrate so much ministry and so much love over the years.
Thank You June!

Meeting at 11 a.m. at church for worship

We'll meet this week at regular church time, 11 a.m., as we continue in the series: Eager to Love.
We are exploring some of the alternative ways of St. Francis of Assisi in his journey to live out his faith in Jesus.
This Sunday we are looking at the issue of Praying Without Ceasing: A Strikingly Beautiful Way of Life!
Also you'll get a chance to hear our new Choir Director/Organist/Pianist, David McKee.
Next week we will meet again at 11 a.m. to celebrate the fabulous work and ministry of June Taylor who has been our Choir Director/Organist/Pianist for many years! The service will be followed by a pot luck luncheon.

2 p.m. Sunday 10-12

We're going to try frisbee again.

Judge not lest ye be judged.  (Matthew 7:1-3)
Forgive as you too have been forgiven. (Colossians 3:13)
Come on, let's just play.  (The Field of Ultimate Frisbee)

Stone Soup will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday 10/12. We’ll have our reflection time first and then carpool down to PCHS for community Ultimate Frisbee. Everybody bring snacks and/or refreshments to renew us all after a time of sweating!

You can play as much or as little ultimate as you want.
It doesn't matter what your skill level is, nobody is perfect on the field. It's just important to keep playing and not to get down on yourself or others.

The Practice of Finding and Being Found

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field..." Matthew 13:44

This week we'll meet at Saluda UMC at 4 p.m. and go  hunting gems in downtown at the Saluda Gem Mine Wicks and Wares. Group rate is $8 but we'll cover half that, so just bring $4 per person who wants to hunt gems. This should be a great lesson and lots of fun for the younger kids!
Frances is bringing lasagna for dinner afterwards so everybody else can bring whatever would make a lasagna dinner complete.
So be thinking about what it is in life that we dedicate ourselves to finding. Are we looking for the truly valuable things (material and spiritual)? Are we willing to pay the price for those truly valuable things?

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."