THIS SUNDAY
March 1, 2020
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How Is It With Your Soul?
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Rev. Bud Reeves
Offertory: “
For the Bread Which You Have Broken”
Sandy Hunt, Soloist
Nancy W. Vernon, Organist
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Rev. Bud Reeves
Offertory:
“For the Bread Which You Have Broken”
Anthem:
“Come Unto Me”
Chancel Choir
Gaye Mings, Chancel Choir Director
Nancy W. Vernon, Organist
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Rev. Roy Beth Kelley
“It Is Well With My Soul”
“Come As You Are”
“Because He Lives”
“Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)”
“Children’s Choir I—Medley”
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LENT: A TIME TO RESET YOUR SOUL
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I love the season of Lent. That may seem like an odd thing to say, since Lent is associated with the “not so fun” parts of the faith--the suffering and death of Jesus, fasting, disciplines, etc. But maybe I love the season of Lent
because
it is a season that calls us to a deeper walk with Christ, a deeper practice of our spiritual disciplines. Maybe I love it because I need it, and it’s good for me. Like those diets and the hours I spend at the gym, it may not be that much fun, but the result is better health. Lent is a time to focus on our spiritual health and get back in shape with God.
This Lent of 2020, I am very excited to be diving into a sermon series called “Soul Reset.” The idea is that Lent is a time to reset our spiritual lives through the practice of spiritual disciplines so that we can live our best lives--the abundant life that Jesus offers us. The series is based on a book by Dr. Junius Dotson, the General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries for the United Methodist Church. Prior to his work with the denomination, Dr. Dotson was a senior pastor of the 3,500 member St. Mark UMC in Wichita, KS. The book describes how he suffered a period of burnout and breakdown and reclaimed his life through a deeper attention to his faith. It may seem odd for a preacher to have to do that, but let me tell you, every preacher I know has been through those spiritual deserts, just like all our lay people. But by the grace of God, we can come through it and be better for it. Sometimes we just need to hit the reset button.
Dr. Dotson says in the preface to his book, “I’ve taken the idea of a factory reset and applied it to my own soul. In this book, you will read about my desperate need for a total and complete soul reset. I needed to get all the way back to the beginning settings in my heart, soul, and mind, to clear away clutter and old ways of doing things that were not only inefficient but also stealing my ability to function at my best. So my definition of a
soul reset
is a hard stop of chronic busyness; a deep look inward and an intentional look to God; and a new, more holistic journey forward that more closely resembles an abundant life into which Jesus calls his disciples.” That sounds like a journey I want to take, and I hope you will take it with me.
In addition to weaving the theme of
Soul Reset
into the story of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus in worship, Pastors Roy Beth and DeeDee will be offering a book study of Dotson’s book during Sunday School. If you are looking for a new experience in small group study and fellowship on Sunday morning, meet with them in the Aldersgate room (1st floor, near Roebuck Chapel), starting March 1.
I pray for you, for me, and for our church to have a holy Lent. May the Holy Spirit continue God’s amazing work among us.
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Rev. Junius B. Dotson, author of
Soul Reset
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Senior Pastor
breeves@fsfumc.org
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TOWN HALL MEETING MARCH 8—WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH?
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We will have a “Town Hall” meeting on Sunday, March 8, at 3:00 p.m., in Roebuck Chapel to update the congregation on developments in the United Methodist Church in recent months. The General Conference will meet in May in Minneapolis, and there are several proposals for the future structure of the church. Our pastors will lead a discussion of the options and the best way forward for FUMC of Fort Smith. Don’t miss this important meeting!
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“PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND” PRESENTATION MARCH 15
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In January, a group of 32 Arkansas pilgrims had a great tour of the Holy Land, including 10 from our church. Several have asked for a recap of the trip, so we will present a travelogue and reflections on the Holy Land experience during Sunday School on March 15 in the Fireside Room. If other Sunday School classes or groups in the church would like a subsequent presentation, contact Bud Reeves (
breeves@arumc.org
or 479-782-5068).
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GUATEMALA MISSION TEAM RETURNS; PLANS PRESENTATION APRIL 19
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The Guatemala Mission Team returned February 23 after a great week of medical mission work in that central American country. Many people were helped, and our people had a great experience of interaction with another culture and fellowship among the team. It was truly a spiritual experience. On Sunday, April 19, the team will make a presentation about their work in Guatemala, as they have after each of the previous trips. It will be in the Great Hall at 9:45 a.m. (during Sunday School hour). Mark your calendars!
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“Giving something up” for Lent is common talk this time of the year. Because Lent is a season to focus on God and prepare for Easter, “giving something up” helps us to eliminate something from our lives that distracts us from God. For instance, I probably ought to give up 30 minutes (or to be honest 5 hours and 2 minutes) of screen time and use that same time to focus on God. A highly scientific review of twitter from 2014 found that the most popular things to give up for Lent were school, chocolate, twitter, swearing, alcohol, soda, social networking, sweets, fast food, and homework. I had a friend who gave up being sarcastic one year (a serious effort), and one friend who gave up mean people (just a joke). While I don’t think school and homework are optional, I seriously do encourage you to practice a holy Lent this year. Instead of giving something up, you can add something. For example, read a book of the Bible or a daily devotional, or try a new spiritual discipline. How about finding a new way to serve the community? Or, make your Lenten practice a group effort by being part of a small group or attending worship every week during Lent! Find your one thing and commit for 40 days; who knows--it might even become a fantastic habit of deeper devotion to God.
Now, for a couple of specific suggestions. 1.The Upper Room has an awesome email devotional called Sight Psalm-you should subscribe! 2. How about spending time praying the Psalms which are filled with such a wide-range of emotional expression--from joyous praise to curses and lament. Here are a few to start with: Anxious/Afraid-Psalm 70; Envious-Psalm 73; Despairing-Psalm 77; Grateful-Psalm 9; Contented-Psalm 23; Wrongly accused-Psalm 17; Awed by God-Psalm 29. You can never go wrong spending more time in God’s Word or doing God’s work in the world. Lent is our way of giving it up for God. I am praying that we will experience the presence of God in a new way this season!
Grace for your journey,
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Executive Associate Pastor
rbkelley@fsfumc.org
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For the longest time I thought Jesus was out to kill my fun. I fought the commitment of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer terms
costly discipleship
because I thought having a Lord (other than myself) would be the ultimate restriction on my personal freedom. I thought saying yes to Jesus was saying an even louder no to everything else that I enjoyed. Little did I know our God is a God of joy!
One of the signs we’ve been in the Spirit of God is joy (see
The Fruit of the Spirit
in Galatians 5:22). The Psalmist sings that in God’s Presence we find
fullness of joy
. Paul noted how important joy was in our faith when he repeated himself for those like me with extra thick skulls:
Rejoice in the Lord always; AGAIN I will say, REJOICE.
(Philippians 4:4,
emphasis mine)
I’ve heard it said that of all people, Christians have the most to be joyful about. What a true statement! God’s endless, overflowing, heavenly joy should be heard on our city streets every time we gather. Even on Good Friday we should be holding back a giggle because we know Jesus wins over death itself! The joy of the Christian cannot be overlooked.
I bubble over with happiness when I hear the belly laughter of our youth ringing throughout the halls of our church. It’s even more enjoyable because this type of joy doesn’t come at the expense of anyone else. It’s a gift from God. It’s clean and holy. What could be more attractive to a hurting, anxious, depressed world than a wholesome sort of joy that the world can’t steal away?
My prayer for our church is that the warmth of God’s joy would be felt in our singing, in our fellowship, and in our serving. I challenge you to rest from the stresses and worries of life, and in your resting, be
REJOICE AGAIN AND AGAIN
! For indeed it is true... our God is a God of joy! Praise God!
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Director of Youth Ministries
mmings@fsfumc.org
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How humbling it is to be serving here at First United Methodist! I have been reminded time and time again of the deep foundations of my faith that were built here in this church. Sure there are new faces to learn, names to remember…but there are plenty of familiar souls who spark in me a fond love for this place.
As I share in ministry with and among you, I am excited about the many experiences we can share together. I am quite passionate about the holistic wellness of the body of Christ. I recently read a quote from Junius Dodson, in his book Soul Reset (which happens to be our Lenten sermon series). He states; “I believe that healthy congregations create healthy people and healthy people create healthy congregations…the core of discipleship is wholeness.”
The church is a place where we should be able to be our truest self, where we encourage authenticity and transparency. The problem is we have gotten away from that and the church has somehow taken on a characteristic that we must have it all together. But we should be a place where it’s okay not to be okay…to tell our stories and and share our brokenness. God is quite concerned with saving every part of our life; mind, body, spirit, soul…and so should we.
I hope that maybe I can lead us to be ever mindful of our need to be the very best in who God created us to be. Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us of something really important. Jesus says to us; “Walk with me and work with me, and watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (The Message).
I look forward to all the many opportunities we discover to experience living freely and lightly in the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ.
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Associate Pastor
deedee.autry@arumc.org
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- Tyler Viengthong—Baptism and profession of faith
- Jeremy, Jamie, Felicity, and Gavin Napier—Transfer
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In Baptist Health Hospital:
In Mercy Hospital:
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Sunday, March 1
8:30 am Roebuck Chapel Worship
8:45 am Holy Grounds, Narthex
9:30 am Prayer Ministry, Prayer Room
9:45 am Sunday School, Various Locations
9:45 am Soul Reset Class, Aldersgate
11:00 am Sanctuary Worship
11:00 am Connexion Worship, Great Hall
12:30 pm Sanctuary Attendance Task Force, Fireside
4:00 pm Confirmation Class, Room M310
5:00 pm First Youth, Youth Loft
5:00 pm Community Garden Meeting, Friends Class
Monday, March 2
11:30 am Lenten Lunch at FUMC, Fireside
12:15 pm Lenten Lunch Service, Sanctuary
2:00 pm Staff Meeting, Conference Room
6:00 pm Women’s Bible Study, Friends Classroom
6:00 pm Cub Scouts, Room 309
6:30 pm Scouts, Room 300
Tuesday, March 3
8:30 am BSF Leaders Meeting, Room 312
Wednesday, March 4
9:15 am Women’s Bible Study, Fireside
10:00 am Ladybell Practice
4:00 pm Children’s Choir Practice
4:30 pm WNL Early Class, Conference Room
5:30 pm Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel
5:45 pm WNL Shared Meal, Fireside
6:30 pm WNL Classes, Various locations
7:00 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal
7:30 pm Connexion Band Practice, Great Hall
Thursday, March 5
10:00 am Knitters and Knotters, Fireside
Friday, March 6
10:00 am Pacesetters, Fireside
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Hi! First of all, I want to say how much I am loving my new role as Director of Adult Discipleship. I have been a member of this church since 2001, but to have the opportunity to be in this role is amazing and right where God wanted me to be! I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with different Serve and Study teams and can’t wait to see what the future holds for First Church Studies and Missions. My intent is not to replace things that are working well, and we have a lot of these things, but to increase study and mission opportunities while having great fellowship with one another. I truly believe that when we create relationships with one another and form lasting friendships among church members, we do our best work!
One of my first projects while on staff has been planning a creative way for congregation members to take part in Holy Week. Rather than having a “professional” artist create representations of the Stations of the Cross to display in Roebuck Chapel during Holy Week, why not have talented church members create these pieces of art?
You are invited to come to Roebuck Chapel during Holy Week and walk through the fourteen Stations of the Cross. There will be a handout available that will guide you with scripture and prayer.
After traveling to Israel with the church in January I was blessed with the opportunity to walk the Via Dolorosa (“the way of suffering”). This is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa begins at the former Antonia Fortress where Pilate would have stayed in Jerusalem and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The stations are a religious devotion dating from the Crusader period. Being in this holy place and trying to imagine what Jesus must have felt walking these steps was a very humbling and emotional experience. If you would like to see pictures, I would love to share them with you!
It isn’t too late to participate in this project! I still have a few stations available. You do not have to be professional! All that is needed is the desire to create something beautiful using paint, pencils, watercolors, fabric, wood, really anything you desire. This is a time to get creative! There is not a wrong way to do this, it is your representation of the Station. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.
If you would like to participate, or have questions please email me!
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Director of Adult Discipleship
ethames@fsfumc.org
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SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS
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Scholarships through First United Methodist Church are available to active members of First Church who are applying for continuing education above high school level including technical training, undergraduate or graduate studies. Applications for the 2020-2021 school year should be turned in to the church offices or emailed to Elizabeth Thames at
ethames@fsfumc.org
by April 15, 2020. Applications and guidelines can be picked up in the church office or can be emailed by request. Awards for this scholarship are made on a
one-time basis
. The amount of scholarships awarded will vary depending on the applicant’s circumstances, the number of applicants, and on the availability of funds. If you have any questions, please email
e
thames@fsfumc.org
.
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PASTOR ON CALL
M-F 8:30 AM-4:30 PM:
(479) 782-5068
Weekends and Evenings:
(479) 459-5060
When there is a hospitalization, a death in the family, or any other time you may need urgent pastoral care, we encourage you to use these numbers. The pastors rotate on-call responsibilities to assure that one of them is always accessible.
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FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
200 N. 15th St. Fort Smith, AR 72901
(479) 782-5068 | fsfumc.org
Pastor on Call (479) 459-5060
Email: fsfumc@fsfumc.org
Office Hours: Monday-Friday
8:30AM-4:30PM
Closed for lunch 12:30PM-1:30PM
SUNDAY SERVICES
- 8:30AM Roebuck Chapel
- 9:45AM Sunday School for all ages
- 11:00AM Sanctuary (Radio broadcast on 96.7 FM)
- 11:00AM Connexion, Family Life Center
Nursery is provided during worship services for birth through Kindergarten age.
WEDNESDAY SERVICE
- 5:30 PM Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel
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In Memory of:
- Gene Bruick by Elvin Frick
- Sally Frick by Elvin Frick
- Jim Hayes by Tommy and Blanche Donoho, Margaret Malloy, Richard and Jaunice Griffin
- Ron Powell by Charles and Karen Still
- Jane Cheyne by FUMC—Uplifters Sunday School Class
- David Byers by Jerry and Jane Hartfield, FUMC Roundtable Sunday School Class, Larry and Janet Nelson, James and Billie McGee
In Honor of:
- Taylor Pruitt by Elvin Frick
- Greg Pair by Elvin Frick
- Don and Kelly DeSoto by Bryant and Genice Dooly
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FIRST UNITED METHODIST NEWS published weekly except the last week of the year by First United Methodist Church 200 North 15th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901.
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