Midweek Message for September 29th

How much do you know about religion? And how do you compare to the average American? Here is your chance to find out. Please visit this link and see how you do.

The family of God gathers...

We had a fantastic morning at the First UMC in Iraan: The food, fellowship and worship fed everyone's appetite! This morning, three ladies from the First Baptist church accepted invitations to join us for our monthly breakfast potluck and stayed to worship with us too.
___________

Prayers go with Ronnie, who is having surgery on his back tomorrow.

Are you hungry?

Are you hungry for God's Word? Are you hungry for good food? Then you'll want to be at the First UMC in Iraan tomorrow morning!

Our monthly (fourth Sunday) breakfast potluck is sure to offer good food and conversation. The potluck begins at 8:30 am.

The worship service this week centers on the passage from Luke 16:19-3, the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

Good people, great food, awesome God!

Midweek Message for September 22nd

Tomorrow marks the first day of Autumn. May this prayer help you as you begin this journey through this season.

A prayer for Autumn

God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.
_________________
God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.
___________________
God of fallen leaves lying in colorful patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them.
____________________
God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.
____________________
God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.
____________________
God of geese going south for another season, you wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision.
____________________
God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.
____________________
God of life, you believe in us, you enirch us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful. Amen.

by Sr. Joyce Rupp, OSM

Wonderful Sunday!

What a wonderful Sunday we had at the First United Methodist Church in Iraan this morning! We enjoyed Linda visiting with us! She joined other ladies in looking at some of the historic photographs in the church foyer. Praise God for great fellowship and worship today! We were happy to see others in the congregation who had been away from us for awhile. It was good to have them back with us at their church home! Burton surprised Pastor Charles with a lovely hand-made wooden cross and flame. (We didn't have time to take a photo of him with it at Iraan, so we took the time to snap the last photo of him with it at the McCamey FUMC.)

A thought for Sunday morning, Sept. 19

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

-attributed to the Rev. John Wesley, founder of Methodism

Pastors & Professionals Meeting

The monthly meeting of the San Angelo District's pastors and [church]professionals took place at Veribest UMC this morning.

We enjoyed some rousing music before and during the worship (offered by the host pastor, Rev. Mike Thompson, on guitar with a couple of other people), singing out of the old Cokesbury Worship Book. We had worship, led by our D.S., Rev. Larry Altman with the theme from I Corinthians 13 "Faith, hope & love." The gathered community offered signs in their congregations and communities of faith, hope and love.

Following the worship service, we heard from Rev. Altman, along with Gini Christian and Amy Moore (both from the district office). Among the information shared was the way church conferences will be conducted this fall. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Lay speakers will also be affected by the way training is offered and documented; more to follow on this score too!

A delicious meal was provided by the host congregation, which was appreciated by one and all!

Midweek Message for September 15th

(the Foundry, London)

Wednesday, September 15, 1762

We had our quarterly meeting. The next day I appointed the children to meet. I expected twenty, but I suppose there were fourscore; all of them wanting, many desiring, instruction. The more I converse with the believers in Cornwall, the more that I am convinced that they have sustained a great loss for want of hearing the doctrine of Christian Perfection clearly and strongly enforced. I see wherever this is not done, the believers grow dead and cold. Nor can this be prevented in them, but by keeping up in them an hourly expection of being perfected in love. I say an hourly expectation; for to expect it at death, or some time hence, is much the same as not expecting it at all.

- John Wesley in his Journal (The doctrine of Christian Perfection is explained here)

September 12th @ FUMC - Iraan

The post-homecoming glow was still evident in the streets of Iraan this morning following the many events surrounding the Iraan High School's homecoming. Wanda Morrow (the event's co-leader) was a real trooper and didn't let a little thing like being tired keep her away from worship this morning!

Pastor Charles led the congregation in an offering of the alumni prayer for those who attended Iraan High. Everyone present received a handmade mesquite wood cross in recognition of the special weekend.

A Thought for Sunday Morning, Sept. 12

"A Jewish story tells of the good fortune of a hard-working farmer. The Lord appeared to him and granted him three wishes, but with the condition that whatever the Lord did for the farmer would be given double to his neighbor.

The farmer, scarcely believing his good fortune, wished for one hundred cattle. Immediately, he received one hundred cattle, and he was overjoyed, until he saw his neighbor had two hundred. So he wished for one hundred acres of land, and again he was filled with joy, until he saw his neighbor had two hundred acres of land.

Rather than celebrating God's goodness, the farmer could not help feeling jealous and slighted because his neighbor had received more. Finally, he stated his third wish: That God would strike him blind in one eye. And God wept.

When we reject God's love in others...the Pharisee, the Samaritan, the Muslim, we are rejecting God's love of ourselves. When all the while, we could be rejoicing at how much we've been given and how much we've been loved.

God seeks to restore us, heal us and make us whole again.

(posted on Midrash by the Rev. E. Allen Siebold,

Cornerstone Community Church of Lansingburgh - Troy, NY)

See you tonight for gospel music!

The McCamey Bluegrass Festival got off on a foot-stomping, hand-clapping start this morning as one of the bands entertained the residents of the Convalescent Center.

Don't forget to come to McCamey's Park Building today (5-8pm) for an evening of gospel music.

Midweek Message for September 8th

(picture is of "Old Sarum," near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK)

Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

Ad Board this week

There is an Ad Board meeting scheduled for this week. Please join us on Wednesday @ 6pm as we begin preparations for the church conference (on November 7th).

A Prayer for Labor Day Weekend

My God, Father and Savior, since you have commanded us to work in order to meet our needs, sanctify our labor that it may bring nourishment to our souls as well as to our bodies. Make us constantly aware that our efforts are worthless unless guided by your light and by Your hand.

Make us faithful to the particular tasks for which You have bestowed upon us the necessary gifts, taking from us any envy or jealousy at the vocations of others.

Give us a good heart to supply the needs of the poor, saving us from any desire to exalt ourselves over those who receive our bounty.

And if You should call us into greater poverty than we humanly desire, save us from any spirit of defiance or resentment, but rather let us graciously and humbly receive the bounty of others.

Above all, may every temporal grace be matched by spiritual grace, that in both body and soul we may live to Your glory. Amen.

John Calvin, from a collection of prayers written for the people of Geneva, Switzerland in the 16th Century.

Midweek Message for September 1st

Wednesday, September 1, 1790:

I returned to Bristol; and, it being the first day of the fair, I spoke strongly from the words of Solomon: "Buy the truth, and sell it not." In the two following days, I corrected and abridged the account of the excellent woman, Mrs. Scudamore; a bright and shining light, till the Mystics persuaded her to put her light under a bushel: so that for above two years she renounced all conversation with even her pious friends! How does this agree with Scripture? "All my delight is in the Saints that are on the earth, and with them that excell in virtue." How far was the experience of Jane Cooper, or Elizabeth Harper, preferable to that of such a solitary!

- The Rev. John Wesley

(the picture is of the Rev. Charles Wesley @ The New Room, Bristol)