Sunday, September 13: Worship at 10:30 am. Church doors are open and we welcome members to worship with us. Masks are required and social distancing and hygiene protocols observed. Pastor Paul posts weekly sermons on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email, or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.
Monday, September 14:
**Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Masks and CoVid precautions required.
**Free Produce Giveaway, 5 pm until gone, at the Iron Mug (88th & Edward): The Morgan Park Community Garden Program is giving away free produce every Monday from 5 pm until gone. The goal is to get folks to eat healthy in an area that has little access to fresh produce. All are welcome and encouraged to receive! Note: If you're interested in supporting the Community Garden Project, contact Pastor Paul and he'll get you connected.
Community Information:
**Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays, 12-2, in front of the church: Karlisha and Patience began giving away free lunches a few weeks ago. It has now grown to over 40 lunches shared per day. The church is offering our resources to support them, including kitchen space and volunteers. Note: If you'd like to lend a hand, we could always use the help. We begin prepping at 10:30. Contact Pastor Paul for details.
**RetireGuide: RetireGuide is a free web resource dedicated to providing useful information to help older adults fulfill their retirement goals. RetireGuide recently published what they believe to be an easy-to-understand guide on the ins and outs of Medicare. This free resource highlights coverage, costs, eligibility and enrollment information, along with answers to some frequently asked questions. For further information, take a look at the following: retireguide.com/medicare/ or retireguide.com/guides/senior-benefits-discounts/ For questions, contact Juan Sousa, Outreach Coordinator for RetireGuide, at jsousa@retireguide.com.
A Look Ahead:
BEGINNING IN OCTOBER: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing, Wednesdays 6-7 pm in the Sanctuary: We welcome you to gather at the church on Wednesdays for a mid-week calming time of prayer, music, and conversation led by Pastor Paul. Music by Maria Gross on piano and/or Jim Larson on Appalachian Dulcimer.
Halloween Event? Even though we cannot have our regular Halloween Carnival, there are a number of folks interested in offering a safe alternative for the community here at the church. Ideas abound. Interested? Contact Pastor Paul.
Joys and Concerns/Prayer Chain: We have a number of people and loved ones that are facing significant medical issues right now. While we don't share names in our reminders, please know that you and your loved ones are in our prayers and we are here to support you. Note: If you'd like to be included on the Prayer Chain, contact the office.
Thank You!
**To those who have been able to share offering, it truly makes a difference. We rely heavily on plate giving of Sunday offering, and expenses still continue. We have had to cancel our regular fund raising events, so what you give, again, makes a difference.
**Thanks to Mike & Marna Fasteland for decorating the church for Fall.
**Thanks to the crew that lent a hand helping a church friend move recently. You are all awesome and a good example of what church should be!
**Thanks to Dick & Sue Linde for cleaning. (Pastor's messes are getting larger. He'll work on that.) Note: It has come to our attention that Dick Linde's “ding ding” bell has once again sprouted legs and is hiding on him. If you see it, please return, so that Mr. Linde can get a good night's sleep once again.
**Thanks to Scotty Nickila for mowing! Note: It has come to our attention that there are community complaints about how loud he sings as he mows. Authorities have been notified and warrants have been issued for creating a public nuisance. We'll have a talk with Scotty…see what we can do.
From Pastor Paul: Toward Sunday
“Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” ~ Matthew 18:26
I've been sharing in a lot of conversations and such (in other words, repeating myself) that I'm approaching this time in our church and culture as if it were one of those Christmas snow globes – you know the ones…those little trinkets you shake up so you can watch the snowstorm overwhelm the quaint scene within. (Which leads me to wonder why, here in the North, we really enjoy watching fake snowstorms like that?) Anyway, eventually all the chaos of the blizzard settles down in a snow globe, but in the meantime, there is nothing we can do but wait for things to settle. I'm thankful to God for gracing me with that image…it was a good one to help me contemplate the virtue of patience.
But contemplation is quite different from practice. Recently, I'll admit, I've found myself growing more than a little weary of waiting. I find myself talking about how we can find creative alternatives to be church together, including gathering in smaller and safe groups, building networks of conversation and connection over phone and email, and reimagining events like Halloween to suit the present circumstances. On and on my busy little brain goes until…I exhale. Hey God! (I pray) I know I'm not that great at this patience thing, but I'm slowly getting there. Can I…um…ask you to be patient with me?
Thing is, while my patience may sometimes rival a sugared-up toddler's, God's patience is infinite. Or put another way: God's way of doing things, and the timeline on which it happens, is something none of us can ever pretend to understand, only honor and appreciate. “God works in mysterious ways,” we're fond of saying. Nothing is more mysterious than the response we imagine when we call out “God, why don't you just fix all of this right now?”
Here, I was going to offer suggestions on how we can be more patient, as well as honor God's plan and timeline, but here's what I'm going to do instead: I'm going to try and practice what I preach, from now until Sunday, and see how it works for this fellow in great need of taking my own advice.
I'll give you a full report on Sunday. Stay tuned. Keep in touch.
Pastor Paul