Church guide

"Let my people go, that they may worship me."

There will be NO FISH DINNER tonight. Kitchen volunteers have been overwhelmed with funeral luncheons and other events. Thank you for understanding and hope to see you next Friday as usual. We appreciate your support!

Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” --Luke 13:6-9 [James Tissot, "The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree," 1894] Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone - See you in the pew.

They enjoy each other's company and it shows -- :) Members of the BUMC Youth group posed together following the youth-led Worship Service on 3/10. They are headed to Puerto Rico in June for a week of disaster-relief service work and would appreciate your financial support of their fund-raising events, as well as your prayers for a safe and Spirit-filled experience. Contact M.P. (Marilyn) Panco to see how you can help.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. - 1 Peter 4:9 Our LAST Community Soup Dinner of the season -- TONIGHT (Thursday) from 5-6pm. Bring a pot of soup to share or just come. It's FREE!

The Narrow Door Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” --Luke 13:22-30 Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone. See you in the pew!

It's that time of year again... Don't forget to turn your clocks AHEAD one hour tonight. Sleep well and see you in the pew!

But what does [Scripture] say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” --Romans 10:8-13 Giovanni Paolo Panini, "St. Paul preaching amidst the Roman ruins," 1744. Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone! The Youth will be our worship leaders at both the 9 and 10:30AM services. Come and enjoy some fresh perspective on what it means to plant (and be used as) "seeds" in the Kingdom of Heaven. Oh, and don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour tonight!

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. --Luke 9: 28-36 [William Blake, "The Transfiguration," c. 1800] Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone! Please join us in worship at 9 or 10:30AM. Be sure to stop by the North Fellowship Hall and enjoy a free" hot breakfast before or after any time between 8 and 10:30AM. ALL WELCOME! *donations gratefully accepted to offset costs

Team Pierogi sprang back into action this past week, making sure we have enough to last us through Lent. Lenten Fish Dinners resume this Friday, March 8! For prices and other info, please call the Church Office (330-225-3179).

How great Thou art!

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. --Luke 6:27-36 [Carl Bloch, "The Sermon on the Mount," 1877] Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow, everyone. Worship services at 9 and 10:30AM and Sunday School classes for every age at 10:30. See you in the pew!

When God closes one door, he opens another. Wishing godspeed to United Methodist missionary Adam Shaw, who leaves tomorrow for his new assignment in Seoul, Korea. It has been a joy and blessing to have had Adam with us for the past 6 months. We are sorry to see him go, but excited to see how God will use him next. Our prayers are with you, Adam.

The music in church today had a nice ring to it.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. --Luke 5:1-11 [Raphael, "The Miraculous Draught of Fishes," 1015] Have a blessed Lord's Day today everyone - See you in the pew!

Jesus Rejected in Nazareth All spoke well of him [Jesus] and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. --Luke 4:22-30 Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow everyone. A delicious hot breakfast awaits you in the North Fellowship Hall. Stop in anytime between 8 and 10:30AM. It's FREE.* Come before or after the worship. ALL WELCOME! Worship services at 9 or 10:30AM, with Sunday School classes for children, youth, and adults meeting at 10:30AM. *donations gratefully accepted to offset costs

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. --Luke 4:4-13 Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow everyone. We hope you will be able to join us in worship. Sue Pray will be our guest speaker at both the 9 AM and 10:30 AM service. Stay warm and see you in the pew! [Christian Rohlfs,"The Temptation of Christ," 1914.]

Go tell it on the Mountain that Jesus Christ is born! Sung with good will and gusto by the children choir during the Children's Christmas Pageant on December 23, 2018

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? O sometimes it causes me to tremble! tremble! tremble! Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they nail'd him to the cross? Were you there when they nail'd him to the cross? O sometimes it causes me to tremble! tremble! tremble! Were you there when they nail'd him to the cross? —African-American spiritual, first published in 1899

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning? Who told the ocean you can only come this far? Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening? Whose words alone can catch a falling star? Well I know my Redeemer lives I know my Redeemer lives All of creation testify This life within me cries. Please enjoy this lovely memory from Easter morning 2017. Have a blessed Holy Week everyone!

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! The world can never hear this message enough— Happy Twelfth Night everyone!

The spirit of Christmas with a generous helping of holiday mirth — Enjoy!

Take a moment to enjoy the quieter side of Christmas.

Don't miss out on this year's Christmas Pageant, "The Friendly Beasts," presented by the Wednesday Night Children's program and the Sunday School. This coming SUNDAY, December 17 at the 10:30AM worship service.

Can we get an amen?

Wednesday Nighters and Chancel Choir members bring us the joyful news— Jesus rose on Easter morning!

A very special moment just before we lit our candles on Christmas Eve— a duet by Greg Kinat (cello) and Chris Chidsey (piano).