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Thursday, December 28, 2023

Dear Shawnee UMC Family,

Please join us for Worship

this Sunday

in-person or on Facebook Live at 10:30am.

The Scriptures for Pastor Changsu's message will be:

Ecclesiastes 7:8-14

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;

the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.

Do not be quick to anger,

for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance,

an advantage to those who see the sun.

For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,

and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to the one who possesses it.

Consider the work of God;

who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14 On the day of prosperity be joyful, and on the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them.

and

Deuteronomy 34:7

7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated.

The Tuesday Lectionary Group invites you to share some of your favorite scriptures, which we will then share with all members.

Please email them to:

maryann13fenstermacher@gmail.com.

Here are this week's scriptures for study and meditation:

Psalm 146:3-9 Don't trust leaders; don't trust any human beings--there's no saving help with them! Their breath leaves them, and they go back to the ground.On that very same day, their plans die too. The person whose help is the God of Jacob--the person whose help rests on the Lord their God--is truly happy! God: the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, God: who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving! The Lord: who frees prisoners. The Lord: who makes the blind see. The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low. The Lord: who loves the righteous. The Lord: who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn.

Micah 4:1-5 But in the days to come, the mountains of the Lord's house will be the highest of the mountains; it will be lifted above the hills; peoples will stream to it. Many nations will go and say: "Come, let's go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob's God, so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in God's paths!" Instruction will come from Zion and the Lord's word from Jerusalem. God will judge between the nations and settle disputes of mighty nations, which are far away. They will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war. All will sit under their own grapevines, under their own fig trees. There will be no one to terrify them; for the mouth of the Lord of heavenly forces has spoken. Each of the peoples walks in the name of their own god; but as for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and always.

Galatians 3:6-9 Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, those who believe are the children of Abraham. But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the Gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you. Therefore, all who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.

John 3:31-36 "...The one who comes from above is above all things. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all things. He testifies to what has he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true. The one whom God sent speaks God's words because God gives the Spirit generously. The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever doesn't believe in the Son won't see life, but the angry judgement of God remains on them."

PRAYER REQUESTS

If you would like the prayer team to pray for you or anyone you have concerns for, please email Julie Italiano at

jbitaliano4@gmail.com. She will send it on to the prayer team.

You may also send prayer requests to Connie Perry in the office at connie@shawneeumc.org, or call the office at (913) 631-2280.

You may also pick up a paper copy of the prayer list at the church.

LECTIONARY NEWS

Tuesday Lectionary class will not meet on January 2, and will resume on January 9.

Lectionary readings for January 9, 2024

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 11-20

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

John 1:43-51

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

Zoom ID 991 9640 5385

password 061620

BOOK CLUB

Our next meeting will be January 25 at 1pm in the Annex. Nancy Potter Wallace will lead the discussion of Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patty Callahan Henry.

All are welcome!

Connie Mitzner

913-481-9594