Church guide

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 6-9-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ and the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We will also be celebrating graduates and having a potluck after worship. All are welcome! We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

Sermon: New Life in Christ…Witnesses for the Lord By Pastor Gretchen Casey North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church June 2, 2019 (Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53) Meditation: John 17:22 (NRSV) "The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one..." Pastor: Just before Jesus was betrayed, arrested and crucified He prayed that all His followers would be ONE, just as God the Son and God the Father are ONE. Jesus prayed this for those who were His disciples then, and all who would come to believe in Jesus as the promised Savior of the world, through their witness. As we begin worship this morning may we prayerfully consider the gift of the first disciples witness of Jesus and God’s gift of glory and power that makes all believers One in Christ and One in witness to all who do not yet know God’s love. Can we imagine what it must have been like to have been one of Jesus’ first disciples? To have walked with Jesus, to be taught by and learn from our Lord and Savior in the flesh; to witness His miracles of healing, casting out demons and feeding hungry people; to witness our Lord and Shepherd’s love and compassion for the least and the lost… Can we imagine what it might have been like to encounter the Risen Savior during those 40 days following the resurrection, to be encouraged by Him during this time, to be entrusted with carrying on the mission of ushering in the Kingdom of God on earth and then to see Jesus ascend into heaven? Can we imagine it? What if the first disciples hadn’t shared their story of Jesus with others… can we imagine that? I am forever grateful for the faith, passion and witness of the first disciples. It is because of them, their story recorded in the pages of the Bible, and the faith, passion and witness of many who have gone before me and who are in my life today, that I came to believe and receive new life in Christ. Is this true for you, too? Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God, that all -past, present and future generations-may believe and receive new life and unity in Christ, through forgiveness and reconciliation with God and one another. New life and unity in our Lord is our inheritance as believers and children of God. We are One Body in Christ; One Body which is the Church, and Jesus is the Head of the Church. All that Jesus told His disciples would happen, did happen. The first disciples witnessed it all and became witnesses to the whole world of God’s love and salvation through Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God! At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He shared the vision of the Kingdom of God coming to earth, and called all to repent of their sins, believe and follow Him. Jesus challenged His first disciples and all who came after, to love God, love others and make disciples of all nations-baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He commanded them. (Matthew 22:37-39, and 28:18-20) The disciples are witnesses of all that Jesus did and said. In our scripture passage from Acts 1 the Risen Lord called the disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This call was not only for the disciples who walked with Jesus in the flesh on earth, but all who would one day walk with Jesus in the Spirit. This call is for us today. A witness is one who sees or experiences something and then tells, or testifies, to what happened. Jesus calls all who follow Him to tell and share with others what God has done in their lives. Witnesses for the Lord go and share with others Who God is in Christ, and what Christ has done in their lives. Witnesses for the Lord also teach all that Jesus taught and commanded, tell the story of how God has worked throughout history. Witnesses for the Lord share the love of God in Christ, through word and action, wherever they go. Jesus calls us to start our witness for Him wherever we are now and go out from there, to wherever God leads us. The disciples and Jesus were in Jerusalem and Jesus called them to go out from Jerusalem, first to the surrounding areas-Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem was the center of worship for the Jews, it was where the Temple was; it was familiar to the disciples, it was the place and culture that they came from. Witnesses for the Lord are to go out from Jerusalem to Judea-the Jewish state surrounding Jerusalem. This area, the people, language and culture are still familiar to the disciples; it was where they often traveled, to see friends and family, to work and study. They had traveled here with Jesus, there were many people here who knew of Jesus. While it takes time and effort to witness here, it was still fairly comfortable. “Jerusalem” for modern day witnesses of the Lord is where they are from, where they worship God. So following this map of Christ’s call, our witness begins within the Body of Christ that gathers in this church building on the Bend, in Eddington. Jesus calls us to witness to and build up one another’s faith by sharing our stories of how Christ has worked in our own lives, teaching the Body here all that Jesus taught and commanded, and sharing His love and praying with one another. How are we bringing this witness into the community, our Judea? This Body of Christ extends and witnesses to Christ’s love for others through the many outreaches and missions we participate in, and through prayer and support of our family, friends and neighbors who are struggling in various ways. Jesus called the disciples to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and then He told the disciples to go to Samaria. Jesus and the disciples had traveled and ministered here as well. The Jews and Samaritans shared a common heritage, but they disagreed about where the sacred dwelling of God was (Samaritans believed it was on Mt. Gerizim, the Jews in Jerusalem. They also had different legal traditions. The Jews seemed to regard the Samaritans as “foreigners.” To be witnesses in Samaria would require learning about, understanding and respecting the Samaritan culture, it would take overcoming the fears and prejudices they held against Samaritans and the ability to accept and become one with “the other” through the love of Christ. Each one of us has been called by Christ to be His witness within our Jerusalem, our church on the Bend, going out to our Judea, our community nearby, and then to our Samaria, the places that are unfamiliar and different, where people may hold different beliefs than we hold. How are we sharing our stories with each other and others, even people we do not know? How are we sharing our faith and Christ’s love with those who are from different culture who hold different perspectives from us? How are we learning together and teaching each other about Jesus and His vision for the Kingdom of God on earth within and outside the congregation? Where are we doing well witnessing in our Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and where do we need to be more intentional? Where do we need more courage or understanding to witness for the Lord so that we may go further, to the ends of the earth, with our witness? May we prayerfully consider these questions and rejoice that Jesus is with us. Just as Jesus called the first disciples to be His witnesses and entrusted them with carrying on the mission of ushering in the Kingdom of God on earth, we too have received this call. And thanks be to God that we have been given all we need to do the work: God’s Word, teaching on prayer, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to inspire, equip, teach, and strengthen us as we live in newness of life, as witnesses for the Lord. The impact of the first disciples witness continues today. Have we received it? And can we imagine how God might use our witness by the power of the Holy Spirit within our hearts to impact others and draw the to faith? To God be the glory.

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 6-2-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ and the Ascencion of the Lord. We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

Sermon: New Life in Christ…Led by the Spirit By Pastor Gretchen Casey North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church May 26, 2019 (Acts 16:6-15, Revelation 21:1-7, John 14:23-39) All teachers know that for effective learning and growth to occur they must begin with the end or goal in mind. Our scripture from Revelation 21 gives us a vision of the Kingdom of God on earth, when God will dwell on earth with people and will make all things new. Jesus is the Son of God and promised Savior and was sent by God the Father to lead us to the Kingdom of God on earth, and to restore all people and creation to peace, unity, wholeness and freedom with God and one another. Jesus also was a rabbi- a teacher of God. So, Jesus began His ministry with the end in mind: He began by proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was near. Jesus called people to follow and join Him in building God’s Kingdom on earth and promised His first followers that He would make them fishers of people. Jesus taught them to lead others in building the Kingdom of God on earth and experiencing new life in Him. Although the early followers of Jesus hoped that the coming of God’s Kingdom would shortly arrive, Jesus told them that He would soon go away- He was about to suffer and die for us all. It looked like the promise of new life would not happen… But Jesus was not abandoning them or His plan to usher in the Kingdom. Instead, He promised them the gift of His peace and that the Father would send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, in His name Who would continue the work of ushering in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit would teach believers all things and remind them of everything Jesus taught them. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven the Holy Spirit came and Jesus’ followers continued the work of proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth and Jesus’ love and salvation for all. Our reading from Acts 16 demonstrates how one of Jesus’ followers, the apostle Paul, was led by the Holy Spirit in building up the Kingdom of God and toward God’s promise of new life in Christ. In today’s reading we find Paul and other apostles traveling around to different cities actively proclaiming the gospel-the Good News of Jesus and the coming of God’s Kingdom. And just as Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit was with them, guiding their every step. Let us consider how the Spirit worked to lead the apostles in spreading the gospel and how the Spirit may be working in our lives. First, we are told that Paul and the other apostles traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia (v. 6). They tried to enter a city in Asia but the Spirit would not allow them to. Have we ever been prevented from doing something that we really wanted to do? Something that was good and seemed to be what God was calling us to do? Paul and the apostles were trying to follow Christ’s command to offer new life in Christ to the people of Asia, but they were prevented from doing so. Have we considered that the times we are prevented from doing good things for God it might be the Holy Spirit sending us in a new direction for a reason? I had tried to continue teaching in a Christian school, to share the gospel with students and parents-but the doors closed to that option. At the time, I did not recognize that the Holy Spirit had closed the door and for a time, I kept banging on that door, hoping that God would open it again. Can anyone relate? Paul and the apostles seemed to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit in closing the door to Asia and leading them further on. Then, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia begging him to come and help the people there. Macedonia is part of the Roman Empire in what is now the continent of Europe, near present day Greece. Paul and the apostles concluded that God was calling them to go there to share the Good News of new life in Christ. Do you have an idea, a vision or a dream that has come to you? Maybe you have a passion for something or you hear a cry for help or see a need in the community. Pay attention, watch and listen to your heart- It may be that the Holy Spirit wants you to go in that direction. Les Issacs, a pastor in Britain, heard the cry for help from his community that was being overwhelmed by gun violence and he saw how a group of churches in Jamaica had partnered with the government to help their community overcome the effects of violence- and the Holy Spirit gave him a vision and led him to begin the Street Pastors Ministry. After Paul had the vision they immediately went to Macedonia, following the Holy Spirit’s leading. I find it interesting that there is no mention of a man in need in this passage about their trip to Macedonia. Instead, they go to a prayer meeting outside the city and there they meet Lydia, a dealer of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. She was a worshipper of God. The New Testament often uses the description ‘worshipper of God’ to indicate a Gentile who believes in God and follows the Jewish faith, but who does not follow all the Jewish laws and regulations. Paul shared the gospel with the group and God the Holy Spirit moved Lydia’s heart to receive and respond to Paul’s message. Lydia believed that Jesus was Lord and Savior and she and her family were baptized. The Holy Spirit led Paul and the apostles to a new place and a new group of people. The circumstances didn’t seem to be what they were expecting-yet God used them to bring a woman and her family to faith. Have we experienced something similar? We know that the Holy Spirit is leading us but the circumstances don’t fit with our expectations. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things. I have often had the experience of feeling led by God but then the circumstances don’t seem to fit with my expectations. I am slowly learning to trust God during these times. As I wait on God and continue to watch and listen, to pray and study God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals things that I did not understand or see at first. I have learned that usually God answers prayers within the context of our ongoing story-the big picture of our story that God has, that we do not yet see, and within the context of greater story of God’s Kingdom. The Holy Spirit shut the door to teaching in the Christian school so that I would see the door opening to God’s call for me to be a pastor. And God wove my story together with others’ stories along the way. Paul shared the gospel with Lydia-I have read this scripture many times before but this time the Holy Spirit showed me how God was weaving the Paul’s story with others to spread the gospel and answer Paul’s prayers. As I studied this scripture this week, I learned that as a dealer of purple cloth Lydia, unlike most women of that culture, had much wealth and influence. She was likely the head of her household and she had the means to host the apostles at her home. She learned from them and she became the leader of the Philippian Church there-where she led a group of brothers in the faith. Remember Paul’s vision of a man from Macedonia calling for help? God used Paul to teach Lydia who helped the men of the city learn about God. And remember Paul’s prayer to go into Asia to share the gospel? Lydia’s hometown was Thyatira. The Book of Revelation records that a church was begun in Thyatira in Asia. It is likely that Lydia returned home at some point and shared her faith with others there. Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us in unexpected ways where we cannot clearly see at first the plan or the purpose; but when what happens aligns with scripture we can trust that God is working out His plan to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and lead all to new life in Christ. The Kingdom of God is a place of peace, unity, wholeness, and freedom from all pain and sin. Jesus Christ our Lord shared this vision and promise of new life with the first disciples who were led by the Holy Spirit in sharing the Good News with others. May we keep Christ’s vision of God’s Kingdom on earth at the center of our hearts, watching and listening closely for the Holy Spirit’s leading. May we share God’s love with all as we eagerly await the coming of the Kingdom of God and are led by the Spirit into new life in Christ.

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 5-26-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ and consider how we are led by the Spirit. We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 5-19-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ and consider Seeing the face of Christ in all and being the face of Christ to all. We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

Thank you NBEUMC family for your donations to PENQUIS CAP!

This is the day the Lord has made! I am eager to worship with my NBEUMC family this morning as we consider how God's work through the Street Pastor's ministry. We would love to have you join us!

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 5-12-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ and hear about the Street Pastors ministry in Bangor. We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

Sunday's Message

Sermon: New Life in Christ…God’s Call and Restoration By Pastor Gretchen Casey North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church May 5, 2019 (Acts 9:1-20, John 21:4-19) Jesus’ ministry began with His call to repent and believe the Good News-the Kingdom of God was near. Peter followed Jesus at once. There was no hesitation. Later, after following Jesus for some time, Peter was the first to believe and proclaim that Jesus was God’s Anointed One, the promised Savior. Jesus called all people to repent and believe the Good News that the Kingdom of God was near; Peter heard Jesus’ call, believed and followed Him. On the night of Jesus’ death Peter proclaimed that he would follow Jesus, even lay down his life for him. But on that night rather than lay down his life for Jesus, Peter denied knowing …Him. Peter believed in Christ and wanted to follow Him-but he denied Jesus on the night of his death-the very night Jesus would die for Peter’s -and our- sins. Jesus had been arrested, he had predicted his death, and Peter was afraid. Have we ever let fear stop us from following God’s call? And after denying Jesus, Peter was filled with shame. Have we ever let shame keep us from following God’s call? Peter desired to faithfully follow Jesus-but on the most important night of all time Peter failed His teacher and Friend. The promise of new life seemed far away. Has new life ever seemed far away to us because of failure, fear or shame? God loves the world so much that He gave us His Son Jesus and promises us that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life and that Jesus was not sent to condemn the world but to save the world through him. Peter believed in God’s Son Jesus, the Christ. But I wonder if Peter knew that Jesus still believed in him. The Gospel of John describes the story of Jesus’ renewed call to Peter and His restoration of Peter. It had been less than 2 months since Jesus had died and was resurrected. Peter’s denial was still fresh in his mind and in his heart. Peter was with the disciples fishing when the resurrected Lord appeared on the beach and told the disciples to put the net over the other side of the boat-they had fished all morning and the nets were empty and they hauled in a full net of fish. When Peter realized it was Jesus on the beach he jumped in the water and swam to him. Peter was still eager to be with Jesus. I love this story of Peter, because despite his failure in the moment to follow Jesus, Peter did not let the failure, fear, or shame define him. Peter did not run away from the body of believers-but remained with them until he saw the Lord again. The disciples empty net is a picture of the emptiness we can feel when we fail to follow our Lord as we desire to; in commanding the disciples to put the net over the opposite side of the boat so that the net overflows with fish, Jesus seems to give us a picture of the restored, and abundant new life that we can have when we turn in the direction of the Lord. Just as the disciples had a choice to keep fishing on the side of the boat that had no fish, we too, have a choice to stay in our feelings of emptiness and failure. How many of us stay stuck, not believing that the Lord is with us, calling to us to turn and follow Him once more? Too often people believe that they will be condemned by God for their failures-but hear the Good News! Jesus was not sent to condemn us for our failures but to save us from them. Do we believe this, Church? Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him-and 3 times Peter answered yes. Each time Peter confirmed his love Jesus called him to action-feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep… Then Jesus renewed the call to follow him. This is the hope that we have in our Risen Lord. Again and again, as often as we need, Jesus calls us and restores us to new life in Him. To God be the glory! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Worship at NBEUMC.♡

The North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church family invites you to join us for worship at 10 am, Sunday, 5-5-19 as we celebrate our new life in Christ. We will consider how Christ calls us and restores us. We look forward to seeing you! (31 Main Rd. Eddington)

YARD SALE!! Come to North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church tomorrow 5-4-19 from 8-1 to see what you can find! There's something for everyone! (If you need clothes head over to the Shoestring Thirft Shop on Brimmer St. Brewer) All Proceeds support our community outreach and missions. (31 Main Rd Eddington)

Message from Easter Sunday...

Easter Message: Sermon: Risen with Christ to New Life Easter Worship Series: Walking with Jesus…through the Wilderness to New Life By Pastor Gretchen Casey North Brewer Eddington United Methodist Church April 21, 2019 (Psalm 118, John 20:1-18) The Gospel of John tells us that early in the morning Mary and some other women came to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid just 2 days before. The women had walked with Jesus and His other disciples through His years of ministry on earth proclaiming the Kingdom of God had come with the forgiveness of sins. They had learned from Him about God the Father’s love, that we were created to have life in God and with one another. They witnessed Jesus’ love, healing and miracles and learned that Jesus, Who was without sin, would die to cover their sin and restore them to life with God. The women and the others were there when the leaders began to turn against Jesus. They had heard His promise that He would be arrested, crucified and buried-and then raised from the dead on the third day. But in this moment outside the tomb did they remember or believe the Lord’s words in the face of all that had happened? We, too, have walked with Jesus through the ups and downs of life. We too, have learned from Jesus of God the Father’s love and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. In our wilderness seasons of life, we have walked with Jesus and endured temptation, received vision and promise of new life, repented of our sin and found grace and mercy as we have turned to Him in our times of need. As we have walked with Jesus through the seasons of life, we like the disciples before us, have found Him to be faithful and true. We too, have heard Jesus’ promise that He would be crucified and would rise on the third day. We have experienced Jesus’ presence in our lives and have heard His message. In times of trouble do we remember His promise of new life? Have we believed? For the disciples the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of new life seemed to be Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem one week earlier at the beginning of the Passover Festival. On this day Jesus was hailed as the promised King and Savior of Israel. All the people had cried out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” But salvation did not come that day. Instead Jesus led the disciples to the cross where He would die. Instead of a conquering King for the nation of the Israel Jesus demonstrated that He was the humble and faithful servant to all people, even those who betrayed Him. In His last Passover meal, He used the bread and the cup of wine to teach of His love for all people of all time: His body would be broken, and His blood shed so that we may be made whole. The washing of His blood would cleanse us of our sin so we may be forgiven and reconciled with God our Creator. Victory and new life did not come to Israel on the day of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, instead it came to all people of all time when Jesus went to the cross. Jesus called His disciples then and now to suffer and die with Him-for it is in dying with Christ that we are raised to new life in Him. Jesus calls us to die to our fears, our anger, bitterness, hurt, pain, sin, shame-we must let these things go and place them on the cross with Jesus. Our Lord came to bear all our burdens on the cross, that all our burdens may be crucified and buried. Do we believe that life can come from death? On the day of Christ’s Resurrection, the disciples found that the stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away and the tomb was empty. Mary was distraught-she had watched Jesus die, she had seen Jesus’ body laid in the tomb. In her grief she had forgotten what Jesus had taught, and she was frantic to find Her Lord’s body. When she told the men, Peter and the other disciple hurried to see the tomb-did they remember Jesus’ promise? When the first disciple reached the tomb and found it empty with the strips of linen and burial cloth left behind, he remembered and believed. When things get hard, have we remembered Christ’s promise of new life as this disciple did? Or, have we found ourselves in the grave-times when hope seems buried, disbelief or anger seals us off, and blocks our way to life? Remember, that Jesus bore all our troubles and they were put in the grave with Christ… our Lord shed His blood to cover our sins. The stone has been rolled away… the grave is empty. As Mary stood outside the empty grave weeping, two angels appeared and asked, “Why are you crying?” For they knew that Jesus was there – the Resurrected Lord was with her still. And when she turned, she found Him, and with Him she found new life. The stone has been rolled away, the grave is empty-and the Resurrected Lord is with us too. God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. (John 3:16). When we believe, and accept Jesus as our Savior, we are crucified with Christ and raised to new life in Him. Do we believe the Good News that Christ has overcome the grave and conquered death for each one of us? Do we believe that we, too have conquered death and risen to new life in Him? May we remember that we are loved by God and that, in all the highs and lows of this life, Jesus is always with us. This Easter morning, we rejoice that Christ has overcome all that separates us from God and one another; we have been forgiven and healed. We rejoice that Christ has conquered sin and death and that in Christ, we have new life! The author of Psalm 118 says, “I shall not die, but I shall live and recount the deeds of the Lord.” This is the day the Lord has made! May we rejoice and be glad that we are risen to new life in Christ, and may we share the great good news with all that Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, indeed.

From this morning's celebration of the resurrection. Christ is risen!

The NBEUMC family invites you to join us tomorrow, 4/21 to celebrate Christ's Resurrection! Easter Worship services will be at 7:30 and 10:00 am with a breakfast and children's egg Hunt between. All are welcome! (All events at the church, 31 Main Rd Eddington).

The NBEUMC family invites you to join us tonight at 7pm for the Good Friday Service. (31 Main Rd Eddington)

"the red letters" <3 Join us this evening

Worship at NBEUMC.♡

From this morning's celebration of the resurrection. Christ is risen!

Palm Sunday at NBEUMC. So thankful for God's amazing grace and love. So thankful for our wonderful choir.

Do you like pie? We have some pies for sale at NBEUMC every Friday in July at 4:30! We sell them inside where it is cool and doors open at 4pm. Part of the proceeds of the sale go to a fuel fund to help our neighbors. We hope to see you this Friday! "Taste and see that the Lord is good..." Psalm 34:8