enewsletter

OnLine Enews Oct 28-Nov 4, 2026

Pastor, Tom Willetts

WORSHIP TIMES

9:15am Sunday School

Sunday Worship 10am - Traditional Worship

Thursday Choir Rehearsals @ 3pm

Saturday Worship @ 4:45PM

UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS

Thur, Oct 29th at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Fri, Oct 30th at 10am - Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Grp - Conf B

Sat/Sun, Oct 31 - Nov 1 - All Saints Weekend, Daylight Savings Time Ends

Sun, Nov 1st - 3pm - CLUSTER CHARGE CONFERENCE - Pine Island UMC

Mon, Nov 2nd at 10am - Veterans Benefits mtg - Conf B

Tues, Nov 3rd at 11am - Staff mtg - Conf B

Thur, Nov 5th at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Fri, Nov 6th at 9:30am - TOUR OF VALERIE'S HOUSE - Lunch after - Ride Share

Sat/Sun Nov 7 & 8 -Turn in Green Food Bags

Mon, Nov 9th at 10am - Veterans Benefits mtg - Conf B

Mon, Nov 9th at 11:30am - Brown Bag Luncheon - Plan the Nativity Festival

Mon, Nov 9th in the evening - PANERA - 25% proceeds go to All Soul's

Tues, Nov 10th at 1pm - Outreach mtg - Conf B

Wed, Nov 11th - CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

Wed, Nov 11th at 8:30am - Sip'n Scriptures - Perkins

Wed, Nov 11th at 9am - Lunch Ladies

Wed, Nov 11th at 10am - Alzheimer's Caregivers

Thur, Nov 12th- 9am - Laundry Love

Thur, Nov 12th at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Sat 14th & Sun 15th - Membership Weekend/ Altar of Bounty- Blessing of Green Food bags

Mon, Nov 16th at 10am - Veterans Benefits - Conf B

Mon, Nov 16th at 11:30am - LUNCH OUT - Mel's Diner

Tues, Nov 17th at 10am - Caring mtg - Conf B

Tues, Nov 17th at 1pm - Finance - Conf B

Tues, Nov 17th at 3pm - Trustees - Conf B

Wed, Nov 18th at 1pm - MOVIE DAY

Thur, Nov 19th at 10am - Surviving the Holidays/GriefShare

DEVOTIONAL

OPENING PRAYER

Almighty God, send your transforming power into my life as I seek to serve you this day. Grant unto me wisdom, courage, grace, and strength to faithfully fulfill the ministry to which you have called me. In the name of Christ. AMEN.

INTRODUCTION

Jesus has been in the Temple over the past several weeks of lessons. It is Tuesday afternoon and Jesus has established that he is the authority in the Temple. All the competitors and critics have been silenced, though their plotting continues. Jesus does not address his competitors in a final act of domination – he addresses the crowd to establish a new relationship. Let’s read the scripture.

SCRIPTURE LESSON

Matthew 23:1-12 NIV

A Warning Against Hypocrisy

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ²“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

⁸“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ¹¹The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹²For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

REFLECTION

Jesus establishes the value of the Law of Moses. Chaos or personal opinion or ethical relativism are not an option for Jesus. The Law of Moses still applies. However, the practice of that Law and the meaning of the Law have been reinterpreted by Jesus as Messiah – the Son of God and Son of Man. Jesus is the embodiment of the Law as a person and as the Son of God. He accomplishes the demands of the Law that we cannot meet. He also pays the price for our disobedience of the Law as the perfect and complete sacrifice.

Jesus wants us to not take pride in or advantage of the Law. That is why he instructs the disciples to avoid honorific titles and labels which separate and cause envy. The relationship which Jesus desires for us all to enjoy and participate in is as servant one to another. The warning is to those who crave superiority and take pride in their responsibilities. HUMILITY is the fundamental relationship between Christian disciples and between disciples and God. It is from humility that we can fulfill the Law. Jesus fulfilled the Law for us and he demonstrated his humility and obedience to God. As he was humbled by bearing our sin, God exalted him and raised him to eternal life at God’s right hand. We place our faith and hope in God’s grace and mercy for each of us as demonstrated by Jesus.

CLOSING PRAYER

May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:5-6

Blessings

Pastor Tom

THANKSGIVING FOR ALL SOUL'S

Please pick up a green bag to fill with food for All Soul's Thanksgiving.

Return filled bags before Nov. 8th as they will be on the Altar to be blessed on Sunday, the weekend of Nov. 14th & 15th.

THANK YOU.

Many have gone to the VA for benefits and have been denied. They went away disappointed and never followed up. This does not mean you did not qualify, it means you did not understand the process of the VA claims system. Join us every Monday morning at 10am and gain knowledge needed to process your claim and the appeals process. Go to Ministry Center - Conf Room B. David Jackson at 239-826-0893.