THE EPISTLE
Jan.19, 2009 to Jan. 27, 2009
St. Luke United MethodistChurch1306 West Lynn Street
Austin,TX 78703
Sarah Currie, Pastor
E-mail:
Church Office: (512) 476-8164
E-Mail:
Web site:
+ Norma Wood’s sister, suffering complications after surgery
+Barbara Schwab’s sister-in-law Diedre, with lung cancer
+ Delores Pasley, mother of Diana’s sister-in-law,with congestive heart failure
+ Alfred and Louise Schmitz
+ Lucille and Walter Timberlake
+Adam Hinman, being released from the hospital
+ Max and Marilil, as they travel to the coast
Scripture Readings
Sunday, Jan. 25
Jonah 3: 1-5, 10
Psalm 62: 5-12 or 787
1 Corinthians 7: 29-31
Mark 1: 14-20
Sunday, Feb. 01
Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
Psalms 111 or UMH 832
1 Corinthians 8: 1-13
Mark 1: 21-28
Blood Drive at St. Luke on March 11, 2009
To make an appointment follow these easy steps.
- Go to Donate Blood
- Create a Handprint (an account so you can make your appointment)-name & DOB
- enter sponsor ID-stlukeumc
If you do not have access to a computer call Diane Suder, she can make the appointment for you or sign up on Sunday.
We have 32 slots to fill. Ask your friends to join us. Only four appointments have been made. Two other UMC churches have been invited so make that appointment soon to get the time you want.
The first Evangelism Committee will be Tuesday Feb 2, 7:00 at church.
Bring your ideas and goals.
We are looking for folks to serve as Sunday morning greeters and hosts of fellowship time. Call the office or sign updownstairs on thebulletin board in the fellowship hall.
Dancing the days,…
Hello, Friends!
We’ve just about run out of words to describe the events of this week—superlatives of verbal expression will only take us so far, then we start repeating them, the law of diminishing returns begins to set in.
Yet one of the beauties of this time is that it is eliciting such similar responses from so many people in our country, and around the world.
You may hear me reflecting on the significance of this juncture for some time. Here’s just a sliver of insight into what Spirit seems to be helping me remember, so as to share, today:
While standing with hundreds of folks in front of the state capital, listening to a broadcast of part of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, I was delighting in the variety of folks around me—
*some Chinese folks, obviously visiting, taking pictures, looking at “us” from the vantage point of “tourists, pointing, taking pictures, talking among themselves in their own language;
*a young family, mom, dad, two little boys, decked out in “Peace-wear”, seeming a bit impatient with all the speechifying, the kids fidgeting and starting to wrestle;
*two older African American men, just to my left, talking low together, repeating and “Amen-ing” phrase after phrase of Dr. King’s poetic address, saying “yes, that’s how it was,” and “yes, that’s how it is,” and “yes, faith is what it takes, with “all right” and “praise God” offered after every wise teaching;
*up in front of me, several “rows” ahead, an older African American woman, only visible to me as a pair of upreaching arms and out-reaching hands, praising, celebrating, basking, taking in from her fingertips throughout her whole being, I have no doubt, the significance of where we were standing, and what the journey had rendered;
*all kinds of young people, doing what young people do, kind of tuning in, but mostly flirting with each other, preening, texting, looking around to see if anyone was looking at them—being young;
*people “advertising” for all kinds of causes, from Palestine to Darfur to Travis County, saying “stop” this or “end” that or “save” the other;
*church groups and other alliances that had drawn people together under banners and wearing the same t-shirts that said “we belong to this part of the family,” and the list goes on and on.
My point is this:
We all come to our experiences of this time with our various perspectives, backgrounds, inclinations and orientations, and we really can’t know what it’s like for anyone else, from the inside out.
But there is value simply in coming together, within the framework of a worthy ideal, and a revered exemplar such as Dr. King—especially as our new president and his family embody so much of what so many have worked to bring about.
When we gather, we can try really to see each other, to hear each other, to understand and care about each other—and thus we become more fully human.
I hope we’ll take to heart our new president’s advocacy of empathy as a guiding principle. I hope I’ll remember what I’m saying to you right now, the next time I’m tempted to judge, categorize, dismiss, or denigrate another’s point of view or way of being.
At the same time, I hope we’ll be even more confirmed in our core values of compassionate consciousness, and be even braver about sharing those, and inviting others to join us on our faith journey.
Being with our neighbors in person on Monday, and seeing evidence of amazing neighborliness among those many thousands gathered over the past few days in our nation’s capital, I have real, deep, and energizing hope for our human family, and for our nation, today.
I look forward to hoping with you this Sunday, and all our days to come.
Shalom,
Sarah+
Other Dates to Remember:
Friday, Jan. 30— Capital Outing
Everyone interested in touring the Capital, please meet at St. Luke at 9:15 a.m.We will lunch at a local restaurant andbe back at St. Luke by 3:00. Everyone is welcome!
You may reach Lisa Adkins at 282-1763 who is the contact person.
MY JOB WORKSHOP
AUSTIN DISTRICT LEADERS’ TRAINING
Saturday, Jan. 24
9 am-12:30 pm
Manchaca UMC
1011 FM 1626
Manchaca, TX78652
Workshops include:
*Creating a Culture of Growth
*Developing the Next Generation of Leaders Today
*Introduction to SPRC
*Introduction to Trustees
*Introduction to Finance
*Christian Giving in Economic Uncertainty
*Personnel/HR Practices for the LocalChurch
*Healthy Leadership in an Age of Anxiety
All are welcome—no preregistration necessary.
For more info., contact
Rachel Wright at or 444-1983
A note from Sarah about this:
I really hope we have a good showing from St. Luke —call me if you are interested, or have any questions!
Robert Schase, author of
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations,
will be leading a workshop on the book Saturday, Feb. 21, at University UMC, 5084 DeZavala Rd.,
in San Antonio. Call Lynette Ramon at 210/408-4515 or email her, for more info.
Online registration is available on the conference website,
We’re starting a book group
on Thursday, February 5,
7 pm, at the parsonage,
1613 W. 14th.
Our first book:
Gilead,
by Marilynne Robinson
We hope to meet monthly.
Let Sarah know if you’re coming, and be thinking about another book!
NEW GROUPS BEGINNING
DURING LENT—SIGN-UPS
STARTING SOON!
We’re undertaking a study of Robert Schnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.
Groups will meet for one hour during the five weeks of Lent, beginning Sunday, March 1.
Group times are:
Sunday morning, 9-10 am
Sunday evening, 6-7 pm
Wednesday, noon-1 pm
Wednesday, 6-7 pm
Contact the office, or call Sarah,
to order your copy of the
book,@$15 per issue.
FYI from Sarah: Recently we received these letters in the mail—signs of appreciation for the good God can do through our giving to others, in Christ’s service—praise God, and thanks for being such generous and faithful servants!
I appreciate you!
From MathewsSchool:
Dear Sarah members
of St. Luke,
Your generous donation of $500.00 towards the purchaseof school supplies for needy students at Matthews is so greatly appreciated.
We were able to fill many backpacks with pencils, markers, paper and notebooks. The children who got these supplies were thrilled! In addition, we bought books to give to students at Literacy Night.
Also, your congregation’s participation in our “holiday basket” program helped us to provide food for Matthew’s families.
Your support of our school community is wonderful!!
Sincerely,
Amy Kinkade
Principal, Mathews Elementary
From The Conference Treasurer:
I am proud of your church and our conference for the way in which you have supported ministries beyond your local church in 2008. You are one of 297 churches in our conference who gave 100% of their apportioned share of connectional ministries in 2008.
By doing so you are helping make the United Methodist presence in the world a vital power to accomplish good and help make God’s Kingdom manifest in a world whose people desperately need to know the hope and love that come from being a disciple of Christ .
The money that you gave:
1.) helped send 2,006 SWT children and youth to take part in 16 different spiritually focused events and camps.
2.) helped young persons to recognize a call to the ministry and allowed them to go to seminary.
3.) allowed the conference to provide pensions for pastors who served prior to 1982 when the UnitedMethodistChurch did not fund pensions during year of service.
4.) provided the financial base for the “ Nothing but Nets” ministry which is working to eradicate malaria in third world nations where hundreds of thousands of children are dying from this terrible disease each year.
5.) helped start 3 new churches in our own SWT area so that our children and grandchildren will have place to learn about Christ and be nurtured in the faith.
6.) moved pastors related to 108 changes in appointment
7.) supported literally thousands of other ministries that changed people’s lives and made
God’s presence in the world real to a multitude of people.
2008 was a difficult financial challenge for all of us. 2009 will continue that challenge we can overcome as families, and as faith families. As your church looks forward to giving in 2009, you might want to reflect on these world’s from Generous Saints by James Hudnut-Beumlet.
“When we think we are lost, we usually are. When we think we are at the mercy of an impersonal, uncaring economy, we probably are. But when we situate ourselves within a world where a generous God is heard of the household, the possibilities for work, life, and caring are greatly improved.”
Grace and Peace ,
David A. Seilheimer
SWTX Conference Treasurer