|
February
2010 Calendar
Click
here for the Current
Smyrna Calendar.
Lenten Schedule
Ash Wednesday falls on February 17th this year. We will observe
Lent by joining in a Shrove Tuesday, pancake supper
 on
February 16th. Following the dinner we will have a traditional
Ash Wednesday Service including the imposition of Ashes (from
the Palm leaves we used last Palm Sunday).
For the following five Tuesdays we will join in a simple
soup supper. Our Lenten observance will conclude with a Maundy
Thursday communion service on April 1st. All of the
suppers will start at 6 p.m. A sign up sheet is in the
Narthex for making the soup.
 For
our Lenten study this year we will be studying the parable of
the Good Samaritan. Each night we will view a 30 minute video
and participate in a group discussion. Please mark your
calendars. |
Annual Chili Cook-Off
On February 7th we will hold our annual Chili Cook-off so start your
engines and form your teams. This event is a fund raiser to repay
our building loans and re-modeling projects. Following Sunday
worship we will be tasting each Chili recipe and voting. There will be
containers for you to place your money in at each Chili station. The top
three chili teams with the most money will win prizes. Plan on
staying after church to make this a fun event.
-- Barb
Daniels
|
Handbells
We have ordered a three octave set of handbells and all the
equipment needed to start a bell choir. The bells should arrive
in early February and our plan is to have our first rehearsal
and introduction to
playing bells after church on Sunday, February 21st. Practice
will start about a half hour after the worship service ends and
last about an hour. The bell choir will practice every Sunday
during Lent with the hope of playing during the Easter morning
service. If you have any interest, please plan on coming to the
first practice to learn what all will be involved. It would be
great if we could put together at least 12 bell ringers. The
ability to read music is nice, but the key skills are knowing
your left hand from your right and being able to count! |
The Good Life
Like many members of Smyrna, I am a member of AARP and receive their
magazine on a regular basis. The November/ December issue of AARP had an
article entitled “The Good Life” that suggested religion becomes more
important to people as they get older. The article contained a chart of
people by age category that said religion is very important in their
life. The chart showed that 44% of all people between 18 and 29 found
religion to be very important. Between ages 50 and 64, the percentage
grew to 61%. Over the age of 75, the percentage grew to 70%. There must
be some truth to the expression the wisdom of age. The same article
suggested people who worship regularly follow a healthier lifestyle and
a life lengthening social network. Our worship services are at 11 a.m.
on Sundays, and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Good seats are still available!
|
Many of the names on the prayer
list come from a list of people that the Diaconate sends cards
to every month. Some are get well cards, others are simply
“thinking of you” cards. If you know anyone who should be on the
prayer list in the Behold, please let Jeannie or Elaine know. If
they would enjoy receiving cards let someone in the Diaconate
know.
“Thinking of
you”:
Thinking of you:
Frank & Pat Peterson, Mickey Hester, Eleanor Holbrook,
Helen Kappler, Jack Kieling, Lucia Schuebel, DaNelda Strode
Healing and
better health:
Bill Sperb
|
Mission Statement
Smyrna United
Church of Christ is striving to be:
 |
A place of peace where we teach the word of God and the story of God’s
love. |
|
A spiritual haven where we accept and care for all humanity in an
outreach of grace. |
|
A lighthouse of God’s light, where worship, teaching, learning and
spiritual growth take place in community powered by thought and action. |
|
A Christian people, working for God’s realm in ecumenical
harmony with other people of faith and conviction. |
|
A Perfect
Church?
As I suggested in my annual report to the congregation, I am very
proud of Smyrna and the way the congregation has responded to mission
and outreach suggestions. During my travels, I have heard some comments
from people who feel we are not a perfect church. Some like to point out
the things we have or are doing wrong. Others like to point out how much
more we could be doing. Of course they are right. I found the following
words from Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Drive Life,
helpful when thinking about our short comings:
“Groucho Marx was famous for saying he wouldn’t want to belong any
club that would let him in. If a church must be perfect to satisfy you,
that same perfection will exclude you from membership, because you’re
not perfect.
Dietrich Bonhoffer, the German pastor who was martyred for resisting
the Nazis, wrote a classic book on fellowship, Life Together.
In it he suggests that disillusionment with our local church is a good
thing because it destroys our false expectations of perfection. The
sooner we give up the illusion that the church must be perfect in order
to love it, the sooner we quit pretending and start admitting we’re all
imperfect and need grace. This is the beginning of real community.
Every church should put out a sign ‘No perfect people need apply.
This is a place only for those who admit they are sinners, need grace,
and want to grow.’ ”
I am grateful to be a part of the congregation of Smyrna (with all of
my weaknesses and sins) and look forward to growing with you.
--Pastor
Dave
DavidAkers@smyrnaucc.org
2009
Maclaren
 As
part of our mission outreach, Smyrna brought 19 people (members and
friends) to the Kincaid cottage to help 25 boys who are incarcerated
have a better Christmas. The party included rousing games of Pictionary,
ping pong, and cards. We enjoyed dinner together, and ended the evening
by singing Christmas carols together. The special offering that we held
before the party helped to pay for gifts that the boys received on
Christmas morning.
The manager of the cottage told me, our group was the largest group
he had ever had come to visit the boys. The boys continue to tell me
thanks when I visit for my Wednesday afternoon Bible study.
Excursions 4 All
Sunday Feb 21. 2010. - Meet at the Molalla Bowl at 3:00 p.m.,
bowl a couple of games, then have dinner at the Molalla Mainstreet
Pizzeria.
—Sandra J.
Mahar
SandraMahar@smyrnaucc.org
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24, 2009, Smyrna
United Church of Christ
(Click on thumbnail to see larger photo) |
|
Special Stitch Club Meeting
On Monday, February 1, the Stitch Club will meet at 10:00
a.m. at Blanche Kober’s for their regular monthly meeting.
However, our plan is to have a crafting lesson on making
greeting cards with Blanche furnishing all the materials from
her own “inventory.” Everyone interested is welcome-just
bring a sack lunch as coffee and tea will be provided. Our
business meeting will still be at 1:30 p.m. and if you can’t
come at the earlier time, join us then. Cheer baskets will
be assembled, as usual.
–Elaine- |
|
February Lectionary
|
February 7
Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11 |
February 14
Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:28-36 |
February 21
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:9-16
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13 |
February 28
Genesis 15:1-12
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35 |
|
More Books
New books on the Pastor’s reading table include:
Stones into Schools- this is Greg Mortenson’s
newest book on building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a
sequel to Three Cups of Tea. The book is inspiring and will no
doubt cause someone to ask me, “Dave, what are we going to do
about it?”
Strength in What Remains- this book is written by Tracy
Kidder and tells the story of a young medical student (Deo) who
escapes from the genocide in Burundi, and becomes a
refugee in the United States. He goes from being an intern to
delivering groceries and being homeless in New York City, then
back to medical school in the United States. The story ends with
Deo returning to Burundi to start a hospital.
—Pastor Dave—
|
|
Please let us know if you
want to be removed from the Behold!! mailing list.
You may also choose to
view a very colorful version at our church website,
www.smyrnaucc.org . If you would prefer it to
the printed edition, we can arrange that too. You will be
reminded each month when a new Behold!! is available.
Contact
smyrnaucc@canby.com
or
beholdemail@smyrnaucc.org
Announcements are
available on our website each week as well.
In order to avoid an
interruption, let us know if you have a change of address. |
|
