ASBURY FIRST MONDAY READER | AUGUST 31, 2026

CONTENTS:

HELPING AFTER THE FLOODS: GIVING THROUGH UMCOR 
by REV. DR. MICHELLE BOGUE-TROST

LUNAR ECLIPSE OF THE HEART by JO URRIOLA-SCHONEWOLF

After the terrible flooding this weekend, many of us are wondering how we can help. When disasters happen, one of the most trusted ways United Methodists respond is through UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

UMCOR is the humanitarian relief agency of The United Methodist Church. For more than 80 years, UMCOR has worked to alleviate suffering after natural and human-made disasters, partnering with local churches, annual conferences, disaster response offices, and trusted organizations already connected to affected communities.

One of the reasons many of us give through UMCOR is because of its long-standing commitment that 100% of donations given to a specific disaster response go directly to that response. CharityWatch has awarded UMCOR an A+. Administrative costs are covered separately, including through the churchwide UMCOR Sunday offering. That means when you give to disaster response through UMCOR, your gift goes to help communities recover, not to overhead.

UMCOR’s work often begins with immediate relief and continues long after the news cycle has moved on. In the early days after a disaster, that may include food, water, essential supplies, debris removal, temporary shelter, cleanup support, and coordination with local leaders. Over time, UMCOR also helps communities with the longer work of recovery and rebuilding.

To give directly through UMCOR, visit umcmission.org, scroll down below the paragraph describing the aid to Nepal and click the Give Now button located there. You can also go to the Disaster Response section of the site and choose the appropriate fund: UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response & Recovery for disasters in the United States, or UMCOR International Disaster Response & Recovery for disasters outside the United States. From there, click Donate or Give Now, enter your gift amount, and follow the prompts to complete your donation online. Please consider filling out the "church recognition" field; if you type Asbury First there, you'll see our church show up as the first choice.

In moments like this, we are reminded that the connectional church is one of our great gifts. None of us can respond to every need alone. But together, through UMCOR, we can help bring relief, hope, and tangible care to neighbors facing devastation and loss.

Thank you for your compassion, your prayers, and your generosity.

Those who remember the 2024 total solar eclipse in Rochester know keenly how our weather can interfere with astronomical events. Well, Rochester lived up to its reputation last Thursday, bringing out clouds aplenty for much of the nearly-total lunar eclipse. What with that and a telescope that was too sensitive for our moist and artificially-lightened skies, there was some disappointment in the astronomy of it all.

But as scripture says, wherever two or three are gathered, God is there, and this too proved true as we fellowshipped around a camp fire, made s’mores, and talked about everything from how our ancestors would have thought about lunar eclipses to fantasy football leagues. And, just as the telescope was packed away and the youngest of us had settled in for sleep, the Moon came through the clouds with its eerie red glow, almost completely engulfed in the Earth’s shadow. Sometimes, the thing you’ve been waiting on arrives, just after you’ve given up. 

photos by Jo Urriola-Schonewolf

Would you like to submit a story for inclusion in a future Monday Reader? Please do! 
We'd love to hear from you. Email David Stith at dstith@asburyfirst.org to get started.