Category: Church Happenings

**Worship at 10:30 am. We're bringing back the opening hymn sing – so think about your favorite songs!  Masks are required and social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place. Weekly sermons are posted on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email and posted on Facebook. If you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, November 9: Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we explore this week's Gospel and share stories and questions of our faith. Masks are required, along with hygiene protocols.

Wednesday, November 11: 

**Veterans Day

**Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer & Sharing, 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary. You are welcome to gather for a mid-week calming time of prayer, music, and conversation led by Pastor Paul, with music by Maria Gross and/or Jim Larson.

Thursday, November 12: AA meets in Fellowship Hall, 7 pm. Masks and hygiene protocols required.

Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays, 12-2, in front of church: Volunteers and donations appreciated. VOLUNTEERS: Every weekday – please consider a weekly commitment to one of the following time slots: -Set up: 10:30-12:00  -Clean up: 2:00-3:00. Contact Pastor Paul or the office if interested. DONATIONS: Juice boxes, small bags of chips (any variety), small bags of snacks (cookies, crackers, etc.), sliced turkey lunchmeat, beef hot dogs, Sara Lee Classic white bread, lunch bags, plastic sandwich bags. (Financial donations always appreciated!)

On-Line Giving: We have the option through Tithe.ly to make weekly or monthly donations on-line. This is a wonderful way for folks who aren't able to donate in person or would rather use on-line giving. This option may be accessed on the home page of our website: unitedprotestantchurch.org. Many thanks go to people who have used this option for offering and donations!

Sweatshirts: Screen printed with church logo. Price is $35 for Med to XL, $40 for XXL and XXXL. Hoodies and crewnecks in various colors are available for ordering. Contact Linda Rominger or Kathy Lee with questions or to place an order. (The sweatshirts would make great gifts!) There are a few light pink and light grey, various sizes, available in the office.

Joys and Concerns/Prayer Chain: A number of family and friends are facing medical and other issues. We do not share names on our reminders, but please know that you and your loved ones are in our prayers and we are here to support you. If you would like to be included on the Prayer Chain, contact the office.

Community Information: Mental Health Resources for Seniors: OnLine Therapy is reaching out to the community to connect with aging adults who might need help with mental health, whether it be for themselves or someone they care about. Right now, people are more isolated than normal, which adds another layer of complexity for those struggling with anxiety and depression. Social frameworks that usually exist to provide a support presence are greatly impacted, and COVID-19 related life changes and stresses are compounding, likely leading to or furthering mental health issues. In order to provide support during these challenging times, OnLine Therapy has put together a resource so that Americans who are isolated can access professional care. Learn more about it at: https://www.onlinetherapy.com/online-therapy-services/ . Grace, Mental Health Advocate with OnLine Therapy, may be contacted at grace@onlinetherapy.com with any questions. OnLine Therapy is an international directory that provides a platform that connects people with therapists all over the world.

A WORD ON FLOODING IN THE CHURCH: Well, that pesky handle on the urinal in the men's bathroom finally got the best of us. Sometime between Sunday worship and Monday afternoon, it became stuck after flushing, and our church's rate of drainage wasn't sufficient for the flow, so we wound up with two inches of water across the entire Fellowship Hall. We discovered it Monday evening before Bible Study. The good news is that insurance gave us the okay to have the whole space professionally cleaned and dried, which we did throughout the week. The insurance adjustor was here, and we feel confident that we'll be adequately compensated for the damage. At present, only the women's bathroom is available, as the carpet in the men's room needed to be removed. We'll also have a few plumbing repairs to do that are not covered by insurance. We'll keep you updated. (And, special thanks to the Lindes, who spent many hours lending a hand and having to put up with Pastor Paul the whole time!)

“Lord, Lord, open to us.”  ~Matthew 25:11

    When I think of dark and difficult times in my life, I often reflect upon things I could have done that might have made things turn out differently. What I've learned is that usually it is a series of things, each unique, that collectively make me realize that I wasn't all that different from the foolish bridesmaids in the parable. Plenty of ways that I did my own version of “not bringing enough oil.”

    But I also think of those that were there for me – with an emphasis on the plural. There was no one person that brought grace, rather a collective of friends and loved ones, and plenty of strangers, each shining a unique light when my lamp could not.

    That's what we bring to church together, friends: many different lights from many different lamps. But together our light shines brightly, welcome that bridegroom Jesus.

    In the newsletter for this month, I asked this question:

    “What is your hope for our church?”

    And I continued:

    …I invite you to respond. Wait…let me rephrase that: I encourage you to respond. (In other words…please please please respond!), so that I may work and pray toward your hopes or dreams, or determine that I am unable to do so, and let God guide me to a call more commensurate to my own hopes and dreams for a congregation and a church. Send us an email (office@unitedprotestantchurch.org), or a phone call (218-626-2570), or a letter (830 88th Avenue W., 55808). Tell us what your hope for your church is.

    Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that your answer to that question will also define how your light can, or does, contribute to the collective light we shine together.

    So do me a favor, eh? Send a note of response. I'll be guiding my ministry, and my work in the church, based on those. After all, our light should be shining brightly…Jesus deserves that. Is there any more important thing that a pastor should be working toward?

Thanks again, friends,

Pastor Paul

Sorry, accidentally hit a wrong key and sent the email before completed.

Continuing:

Thursday, October 29: AA meets in Fellowship Hall, 7 pm. Masks and hygiene protocols required.

**Worship at 10:30 am. All Saints Day – we will light candles in memory of family and friends who have passed away in the last year.

**Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00 am on November 1. Turn your clocks BACK one hour.

Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays, 12-2, in front of church: Volunteers and donations appreciated.

VOLUNTEERS: Please consider a weekly commitment to one of the following time slots: Set up: 10:30-12:00  Serving: 12-2:00  Clean up: 2:00-3:00.

DONATIONS: Juice boxes, small bags of chips (any variety), small bags of snacks (cookies, crackers, etc.), sliced turkey lunch meat, beef hot dogs, Sara Lee Classic white bread, lunch  bags, plastic sandwich bags. (Financial donations always appreciated!)

ON-LINE GIVING: We have the option through TIthe.ly to make weekly or monthly donations on-line. This is a wonderful way for folks who aren't able to donate in person or would rather use on-line giving. This option may be accessed on the home page of our website: unitedprotestantchurch.org.

SWEATSHIRTS: Screen printed with church logo. Price is $35 for Med to XL, $40 for XXL and XXXL. Hoodies and crew necks in various colors are available for ordering. Contact Linda Rominger or Kathy Lee with questions or to place an order. (The sweatshirts would make great gifts!)

“This is the greatest and first commandment.”  ~ Matthew 22:38

    I think of all the things I have lost in recent years, mostly as a product of divorce. The loss of a what I thought was a life-long covenant, the loss of daily contact with my children, the loss of financial security and home, the loss of any semblance of known stability – years later, it still feels as if the rug has been pulled out from under me. Most days, I get by. I adjust and find nurture and care and stability in new and different ways, but this week I realized one thing that I lost that I hadn't realized I had even lost: deep, intense and heartfelt love.

    Don't get me wrong. I love many people in this new life, love many things, and still feel wonder and excitement, the joy of creativity and curiosity and playfulness, but what I'm referring to goes a bit deeper. I'm talking about the love I felt when I was called by God. The love I felt when I held my newborn child. The love that – without sounding too cheesy or idealistic – filled me and changed me in ways I never knew imaginable. The kind of love that, after feeling, I was never the same person again…never.

    At least I thought that was the case. We were talking about deep, intense love at Bible Study on Monday, and sharing our testimonies on the subject, and to me, hearing others share, it felt as if I was looking at an old photograph, trying to remember the vague details of a bygone time.

    Well, that's downright sad. Yuck. Phooey. And as I write this, I guess I can't imagine anything more important than finding and rekindling that love. And I'm thankful to be in a community of faith that permits me to walk this path and share this path, together. 

    I think it is worth sharing.

    That's enough, for this week. I wanted to share with you that I'm making it my goal and mission to rekindle that love within, and then, with any luck, be ready to share it with the rest of you.

Keep in touch,

Pastor Paul

Sunday, October 25: Worship at 10:30 am. We are returning to a more traditional mode of worship, with a few changes to minimize contact. Masks are required and social distancing and hygiene protocols in place. Weekly sermons are posted on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email and posted on our Facebook page. If you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, October 26: Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we explore this week's Gospel and share the stories and questions of our faith. Masks required, along with hygiene observation.

Wednesday, October  28: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing, 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary. You are welcome to gather for a mid-week calming time of prayer, music, and conversation led by Pastor Paul, with music by Maria Gross on piano and/or Jim Larson on the Appalachian Dulcimer.

 

Sunday, October 18: Worship at 10:30 am, with communion. We will be returning to a more traditional model of worship, with a few changes to minimize contact. Masks are required and social distancing and hygiene protocols are observed. Weekly sermons are posted on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email and posted on our Facebook page, or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, October 19: Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we explore this week's Gospel and share the stories and questions of our faith. Masks required, along with hygiene observance.

Wednesday, October 21: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing, 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary. You are welcome to gather 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 the Appalachian Dulcimer.

Thursday, October 22: AA meets in Fellowship Hall, 7 pm. Masks and hygiene protocols required.

Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays, 12-2, in front of church: Volunteers and donations appreciated! 

VOLUNTEERS: Every weekday – please consider a weekly commitment to one of the following time slots: Set up: 10:30-12:00   Serving: 12:00-2:00   Clean up: 2:00 -3:00. Contact Pastor Paul or the office if interested.

DONATIONS: Juice boxes, small bags of chips (any variety), small bags of snacks (cookies, crackers, etc.), sliced turkey lunchmeat, beef hot dogs, Sara Lee Classic white bread, lunch bags, plastic sandwich bags. (Financial donations always appreciated! )       

ON-LINE GIVING: We now have the option through Tithe.ly to make weekly or monthly donations on-line. This is a wonderful way for folks who aren't able to donate in person or would rather use on-line giving. This option may be accessed on the home page of our website: unitedprotestantchurch.org. Tithe.ly is used by other churches in our area and is a very secure site.

 SWEATSHIRTS: Screen printed with the church logo. There are a few light pink & light gray hoodies, various sizes, in the office. Price is $35 for Med to XL, $40 for XXL and XXXL. Crew neck sweatshirts and other colors available for ordering. Contact Linda Rominger or Kathy Lee with questions or to place an order. (The sweatshirts would make great Christmas gifts!)

When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.  ~ Matthew 22:22  

    Well, it's been since before Easter that I last put together a Sunday bulletin, and I have to say (and maybe confess that I'm kind of a geek about such things) that it was mighty fun. It was fun to piece together a call to worship and a prayer of the people, fun to think about creative ways to pass the peace, or share our offering. But for some reason that isn't quite clear (I hope to figure it out as I write these next few paragraphs), it was the small moments of choral unison that I find myself looking most forward to. The Gloria Patri, the Doxology, the Choral Benediction – something about the places where we sing together words that are mostly ascribed to memory, via repetition.

    It is ritual, I suppose, and there's a part of me that must be longing for some sort of ritual in my life, something that I've seemed to lose track of, here in this time when our world seems all shaken up like a snowglobe. I like to think I keep rituals…my morning prayer and my afternoon moment of centering and my evening release of the day and hope for tomorrow…but (ok, I think I'm figuring this out now) the rituals I have in my life are personal. What do I share with others? What rituals do we do together? And more importantly, where do I share common moments in the presence of God with others?

    On Sundays, when all is well, we enter – and sustain – a time of prayer, contemplation, praise, and love. And we do this together. Sure, God stirs in each of our hearts uniquely, and our prayers and understanding of worship are shaped and colored from each of our individual pasts, but then there are these moments of communal centering, when we sing from memory the same words, recite the same prayers, sit or stand together in ways as automatic and habitual as we might tie our shoes.

    I mean, where, in this time rife with division and divergent opinion, do we gather as a group and express: “We, as a community, share this common ground and this common moment. We are together.” The above quote from Matthew (the one that started these few rambling paragraphs) described the feelings of the Pharisees, and the followers of Herod, when they walked away from Jesus. In fact, the same verse, as translated by Eugene Peterson's The Message reads: “They went off shaking their heads.” – but really, couldn't we use the same quote for we that walk out those doors on Sunday? We're both “amazed” and “shaking our heads” in our amazement. Jesus has that effect on people. What we do with it when we walk out those doors is a different story altogether.

    For now, I find myself asking: where else in our lives do we share this common ground of head-shaking amazement? I bet if we considered carefully, and looked closely, we'd find that God is present in those moments, too. I hope so.

Keep in touch,

Pastor Paul

A Note on Cancelling Church Last Week:

Hey folks, Pastor Paul here. Sorry to cancel church last week but I had a hefty dose of the alternating sweats and chills and had no idea what was going on, so “out of an abundance of caution” (as is a common phrase we hear these days) I thought it best to set everything aside for a week. Fact: did you know grapefruit has chemical properties that are deleterious to certain prescription medicines? Nobody tells me these things. At any rate, I was worried that I had CoVid but I've figured it out and all is well…so we're back in the game with Sunday worship and Bible Study and Wednesday's mid-week soul-supporting time of prayer and conversation. And we're sharing about sixty lunches a day in front of the church, and life and ministry continue to flourish and grow. Thanks, all. Sorry to scare you. Paul

Sunday, October 11: 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 are observed. Weekly sermons are posted on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email and posted on our Facebook page, or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, October 12: Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we explore this week's Gospel and share the stories and questions of our faith. Masks required, along with hygiene observance.

Wednesday, October 14: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing, 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary. You are welcome to gather 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 the Appalachian Dulcimer.

Thursday, October 15: AA meets in Fellowship Hall, 7 pm. Masks and hygiene protocols required.

Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays 12-2 in front of church: Volunteers needed! Every weekday:

– Set up: 10-30 – 12:00     – Serving: 12:00 – 2:00     – Clean up:  2:00 – 3:00

Halloween Event? There are a number of folks interested in offering a safe alternative for a Halloween event for the community. Ideas abound. Interested? Contact Pastor Paul.

Joys and Concerns/Prayer Chain: A number of people and loved ones are facing significant medical issues right now. We do not share names on our reminders, but please know that you and your loved ones are in our prayers and we are here to support you. If you would like to be included on the Prayer Chain, contact the office.

“Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.”   ~ Matthew 22:9

     Yeah, I was that guy at the weddings…the one who would dance like a goofball and people would circle around and cheer on and think “well, if he can do it, then I sure can!”

     See, I'm a lousy dancer. My natural talent finds me little more proficient than Droopy Dog from the old cartoons. It doesn't stop me, though. I figure it this way: am I having fun? Yes…I rather enjoy the awkward boogie that arrives when that first song meets the empty dance floor (Kool and the Gang's “Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!” if I recall).

     …because joy is contagious. And that's the key: I enjoy it.

     So…remember: I'm a lousy dancer. But here's what I found, if I get out there, and jester/fool or not, if I show that I am enjoying myself, well, that's contagious.

     Joy is contagious. I know I've written and preached that before but it bears repeating: joy…is…contagious.

     Anger is contagious as well. But tell me (writes Mary Oliver) what will you do with your one wild and precious life?

     What does it take for you to be filled with an honest and contagious joy? Will you dance?

     And notice, I didn't ask you “can you dance” –  because that doesn't matter. What I asked was: will you get out there?

     Because the world longs for you.

Keep in touch, friends

Pastor Paul

DOORS: The first refinished door has been completed and installed. Come take a look! (Thanks again, Dale and Scotty!)

Sunday, October 4: Worship, with communion, 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 are observed. Pastor Paul posts weekly sermons on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email and posted on our Facebook page, or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, October 5: Bible Study/Faith Conversation: 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join us as we explore this week's Gospel and share the stories and questions of our faith. (Sometimes we even learn a thing or two!)

Wednesday, October 7: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing, 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary (see details below).

Thursday, October 8: AA meets in the Fellowship Hall, 7 pm. Masks and hygiene protocol required.

**Free Sack Lunch, Weekdays, 12-2, in front of the church: Karlisha and Patience began giving away free lunches several weeks ago. It has now grown to over 40 lunches shared per day (with 110 lunches shared last Friday). The church is offering our resources to support them, including kitchen space and volunteers. We are in need of extra support to keep this ministry going! Your help would be much appreciated. We begin prepping at 10:30. Contact Pastor Paul for details. Or you can donate.  A list of items needed  includes: Juice boxes, small bags of chips (any variety), small bags of snacks (cookies, crackers, etc.), sliced turkey lunchmeat, beef hot dogs, Sara Lee Classic white bread, lunch bags, plastic sandwich bags. (Financial donations always appreciated!)

**Saturday, October 3: OUTDOOR Holiday Harvest  Bazaar: Norton Park UMC, 436 N. 79th Avenue W., 9am – 1pm, crafts, Halloween treat bags, curbside lunch takeout. Wear mask and social distance. 

**BEGINNING OCTOBER  7: Wednesday Evening Time of Prayer and Sharing: 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 can't 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 who are facing significant medical issues right now. While we don't share names on our reminders, please know that you and your loved ones are in our prayers and we are here to support you. If you would like to be included on the Prayer Chain, contact the office.

“Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.”   ~Matthew 21:43

   The news…the election…the protests and fake news and gossip and rumors and…whew! Last night I made some homemade pizzas and watched some enjoyable television, just because it felt good. Just because I wanted to feel good.

   I've had so many big-picture conversations recently o n the state of our country, the state of the world, the state of our faith – sometimes I need to be reminded that this present moment has every bit of God's grace and God's work within it. Why, then, would I spend so much time thinking about it, and less time appreciating it?  

   I'm thinking that it's in our appreciation where God's grace flows. And when God's grace can work within me – within any of us – we begin to produce the fruits of the kingdom.

   How about this? It's a fair assumption that God wants us to spend more time cultivating and collecting the produce than contemplating what sort of fruit we might be wanting to plant in the first place.

   It's all too easy to get lost in our thoughts right now. All the more reason we should take some time and appreciate what is around us. And when we do so, we'll begin to see the fruits of the kingdom all around us. We'll begin to see that God is there.

Keep in touch, friends

Pastor Paul