July 2021
St. Luke United Methodist Church
Message from the Pastor
Do you need to empty your waste tank?
Kathleen’s grandfather, Melvin Shaffer, came to visit us in Hattiesburg and in Cleveland in his RV, a home on wheels, along with his amazing girlfriend Kathy Stocker. They had all the necessary stuff, packed into a small space. But even the most self-sufficient travelers have at least one basic need: RV drivers have to find a spot to empty their waste tanks before moving on. All of us, no matter how self-sufficient we’d like to be, need to get rid of some junk before we add anything new into our lives. That applies to material junk and spiritual junk. Often, we have a good friend, a patient spouse, or a spiritual director who listens to us as we unload.
I found this a pungent metaphor in a book by Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction. Though not everyone is called to play the role of pastor, wisdom figure, and spiritual guide, I believe that nearly all Christians are called to be spiritual caregivers. All of us can serve others by listening to them as they process the junk in their lives. Can we be humble enough to welcome the waste of our fellow pilgrims, so that they might set aside their junk and move on to the Promised Land to which God calls them? This requires us to put aside our own smelly waste, so that we have a space for them to dump their attachments. In other words, when listening to others, we have to put our own attachments and desires aside for a while.
Sounds like an unpleasant job, right? But Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. They surely smelled horrible. You don’t wash what’s not dirty.
Christians are called to humbly serve humanity as spiritual companions. By receiving the waste that people need to leave behind, we help make sure that such waste is not dumped on some poor unsuspecting bystander. (How many of us have taken out our frustration on an innocent friend or family member?)
Spiritual companions also make sure that pilgrims leave the waste behind, and don’t take it with them. (Some of us are tempted to go back to the trash-heap and carry our junk around for the rest of our lives!) Jesus wants us to leave our fears, griefs, and anger behind. He wants us to dump our attachments to luxury, fame, and controlling others. And Jesus knows that we need help in getting rid of our waste.
You, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, are called to help people get rid of their junk. By providing a safe space within yourself, by being an attentive listener, and by showing hospitality, you serve as a spiritual friend to others on the human journey.
Peace,
Pastor Brad
Lectionary Readings for July
Sermon Series: Christianity and World Religions: Questions We Ask About Other Faiths
Sunday, July 4 - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
”Christianity”
John 3:16-17
Sermon Series: The Core Message of the Early Church
Sunday, July 11 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Ephesians 1:3-14Sunday, July 18 - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Ephesians 2:11-22Sunday, July 25 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Ephesians 3:14-21
The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG
UMW Grace Circle will meet Tuesday, July 6, at 10:00 in the Church Library.
Heartfelt thanks to my St. Luke family for your kind and very generous contribution toward the “recovery from injury” to my primary guitar. I will keep you updated as to the “patient’s” healing process. It is my honor to serve our church family using the musical gifts with which I have been blessed. Thank you! Tricia
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE
The Bolivar County Bar Association invited you to a Celebration of the Life of Robert G. Johnston, Esq., on Tuesday, July 6, at 3:30 p.m. for a Portrait Hanging in the Municipal Courtroom (315 S. Sharpe Ave.), and at 4:30 p.m. for a Reception in the law office of Alexander Johnston & Alexander (112 N. Pearman Ave.).
The last Saturday in June saw the culmination of months of planning as Vacation Bible School Arts Camp was held at St. Luke, 1st UMC, 1st Presbyterian, and Calvary Episcopal churches. Children from pre-K through 7th grade spent a busy day playing games, learning songs, creating costumes and backdrops, and rehearsing to produce skits based on Bible stories. Each production was videoed and posted on the St. Luke website. Photos of some of the children are included below, and more will be forthcoming. Many thanks to Pastor Brad, whose brain-child this was, and to all the volunteers who made it happen.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES
The old saying goes, "Many hands make light work." That was sort of the case on Saturday, June 26th. We definitely had many hands, but I am not sure anyone would say it was light work! We were blessed with a cloudy, dry morning with a glorious breeze and a LOT of people who wanted to come help spread pea gravel on the main playground area at Parks Elementary. Shockingly, we spread two truck loads of pea gravel in an hour and a half! We could not have done it without the help of Gary Robinson, who drove the front-loader and moved the pea gravel from the large piles and into the playground area. Everyone seemed to have a great time working while we even had several children already testing out the new pea gravel as they ran around the playground area. Many thanks to our St. Luke members who came to help. They were Sean Wessel, William Wessel, Patrick Wessel, Rev. Brad Corban, Kathleen Shaffer, Edith Corban, Carlie Rogers, Cade Holder, Josh Armstrong, Megan Armstrong, Austin Armstrong, Oliva Armstrong, Rani Richard, and Shana Bolden. The rest of the people there helping to spread were teachers and parents at Parks as well as members of the community who felt led to come help out! The teachers at Parks said this will be a HUGE improvement at recess for the students when school starts back up in August. We even started talking about how we could spread more gravel around other areas of the playground in the future. We are so thankful to have formed this partnership with this wonderful neighborhood school. If you would like to come help us in the future, keep an ear out for our next opportunity to spread....hopefully in the spring of 2022!
Don’t forget to take ornaments from the Christmas in July tree in the narthex and help purchase school supplies for families in need. All those notebooks, markers, and backpacks add up, and we can help lighten the burden for others while getting their children off to a good start in the new school year. Please attach the ornaments to the supplies (you can gather them in shopping bags) and bring them to church on July 25, when we will have the “Blessing of the Backpacks.”
The St. Luke Scene
Memorials and Honorariums
By:
Jan & Joe McCoy
By:
Dillard & Sandi Melton
Melba Washington
In Memory Of:
Took Mason
In Honor Of:
Mike Gressett
Bettye Johnston
Attendance and Offering Report
June 6
June 13
June 20
June 27
Monthly Total
Monthly Budget
General Fund
$ 11,815
$ 1,750
$ 725
$ 1,134
$ 15,424
$ 19,911
Special
Fund
$ 605
$ 407
$ 1,370
$ 500
Sunday
School
14
9
13
7
Worship
31
34
26
31
Online
187
151
215
157
Annual Conference Offering for MS Disasters: $150
July Birthdays
Florence Jo Corban
Kellie Cummins
Anna Melton
Elaine Lambert
Julianne Bailey
Kathleen Corban
Kolby Horton
Frances Tims
Glynn Neal
Debra Cole
Edith Corban
Megan Armstrong
Loretta Burdine
Larry Lambert
Neely Anderson
Bob Card
Woody Earls
7/01
7/03
7/05
7/06
7/12
7/15
7/16
7/17
7/22
7/26
7/27
7/31
July Anniversaries
N/A