November 2021
St. Luke United Methodist Church
Message from the Pastor
“What if God only gave you tomorrow what you are thankful for today?”
Gratitude is sometimes thought of as a sweet, harmless, “nice” emotion, when in fact it is the most disruptive force in our lives. Gratitude can transform your habits, your relationships, and your spiritual outlook. Gratitude disrupts the consumer economy that treats Christmas like it’s everyone’s birthday. Gratitude would bankrupt the credit card industry and payday loans, instead of those industries bankrupting their customers.
Each November, we celebrate Thanksgiving. But in truth, we’re not very thankful people. We aren’t satisfied with what we have, and we crave more. Overconsumption is our original sin, eating the forbidden fruit that we cannot—or will not—resist. A whole world of wonder is available to us for free, yet we are addicted to accumulating more things, fancier things, larger things, and newer things.
I’m guilty as well. Even if I’m not buying a new object, in today’s digital landscape I can obsessively consume more and more digital content: I easily find myself glued to a computer or cell phone screen scrolling through posts, seeing more, more, more. Others are glued to the television, iPad, or radio. Dissatisfied with silence, I need something coming through my earphones, or at least something on in the background. I’m not grateful for what I have already seen or heard. I’m dissatisfied with the present. I want more. Heaven forbid I sit with my own thoughts for a moment. What do you expect me to do, pray?
It’s no coincidence that Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving. We aren’t so grateful for what we have that we won’t buy more things we don’t need. The Christmas shopping season repeatedly proves the absence of any real thanksgiving.
But any ounce of gratitude can disrupt this overconsumption—this systematized original sin.
Notice your family. Are you grateful for them? They certainly aren’t perfect. Can you still be grateful for them? Is not God grateful for them? Notice your friends: Are you grateful for them? And are you showing that gratitude in your words and actions? We are tempted to show our gratitude with gifts bought from a store, but do we really want stuff from our best friends? Don’t we simply want their company, their kindness, and their conversation? A homemade card and a sincere note, perhaps accompanied by a donation to charity, will mean a lot.
Notice the objects around your home: Are you grateful for them? If not, perhaps it’s time to do some fall cleaning. Instead of gathering more junk that will be unappreciated, divest yourselves of clutter. We have so many rituals for bringing stuff into our home, but so few for taking stuff out. Perhaps as the Christmas shopping season begins, let’s first think of how we can give thanks for what we already have.
After all, Christmas is not your birthday or mine. It is the birthday of Jesus Christ. Our degree of gratitude for the gift that is Jesus is the degree to which our lives will be changed by loving him. Gratitude toward God disrupts our lives. It changes how we spend our time and money. And it blesses our loved ones more than any material gift.
A challenge for November: Before you go to sleep at night, ask yourself, “What happened today for which I am most grateful?” Pay attention to your answer, because it will point you to where God is blessing you, it will show you where God is working, and it will illuminate what life-giving springs of water are present and deserve your greater attention.
May you have a whole month of thanksgiving.
Peace,
Pastor Brad
Lectionary Readings for November
Sermon Series: The Core Message of the Early Church
Sunday, November 7 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Hebrews 9:11-14; 9:24-28Sunday, November 14 - Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25; 11:1-3, 8-16; 11:29-12:2Sunday, November 21 - The Reign of Christ Sunday
Hebrews 12:18-29; 13:1-8, 15-16Sunday, November 28 - First Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Malachi 3:1-4; Zephaniah 3:14-20;
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 21:25-36
The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG
St. Luke Reading Groups are back in action! Both groups will meet next on November 2. The afternoon group will meet at 2:00 at the home of Teresa Houston to discuss West with Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge. The evening group will meet at 6:00 in the church library to discuss Dune, by Frank Herbert. For December, the afternoon group will read Hannah’s Dream, by Diane Hammond, and the evening group will read Mornings with Rosemary, by Libby Page. Both groups currently have openings, so if you like to read and talk about books, contact Frances Tims (662-402-7202) or any other member for more information on joining us.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE
The Young Adult class will participate in an Advent Study and all adults are invited to attend. The text to be used is The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem, by Adam Hamilton. This study combines historical information and archaeology to give a new perspective on Mary and Joseph’s journey and provides new insight into a world-changing event. There will be five sessions, from November 21 through December 19, during the Sunday School hour, which begins at 9:30 a.m. The study book is available at Cokesbury, for anyone who wishes to purchase it, but it is not necessary to buy or read the book in order to participate. Just show up!
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN is so grateful for the support provided by St. Luke members for the No-Bake Sale. This has been the best No-Bake Sale ever. With only a couple of days left we have a total of $1,855. That’s $927.50 for UMW and the same amount for the White Christmas/Christmas in July projects. THANK YOU!!
UMW Grace Circle will meet on Tuesday, November 2, 10 a.m. in the church library. Mary Dalton will lead the World Thank Offering service and the Pledge service. World Thank Offering is undesignated giving and helps support mission projects around the world that help women, children and youth. Remember all that we have to be thankful for and give as generously as you can. Also, our 2021 pledges need to be paid by November 2.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN invite all women of St. Luke to a celebration of Christmas on Tuesday, December 7, at noon in the Fellowship Hall. Deb McGaughy will be here and will share a brief Christmas program. We will enjoy a meal together. Everyone is asked to bring a finger food – small sandwiches, cheese balls, dips, candy, cookies, etc.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES
St. Luke has agreed to serve as an Adopt a School sponsor for Parks Elementary, so they reached out to us to see if we would be willing to help out with their Fall Festival on October 21st. Pastor Brad and Susannah Wessel signed up to help, along with other volunteers, including the Phi Mu Chapter at Delta State. Susannah Wessel was in charge of the Stack the Cups game, and Pastor Brad was in charge of Parko. Never heard of Parko? Well, have you heard of the game Plinko? If not, then feel free to search for Plinko on the internet. Parks Elementary decided they needed the game to represent their school better, so they renamed it Parko! It was a joy to visit with the families and watch the kids enjoy the games. Please be on the lookout for other ways we can help, not only Parks Elementary, but other organizations in our community.
Soon it will be time to carry out our White Christmas project. If you know of a family with school aged children who are struggling financially and might be in need of help with a few Christmas gifts, please consider acting as a sponsor for that family. Contact Lisa at the church office or Deb Cole. November 8 is the deadline to recommend a family. The Christmas tree loaded with paper ornaments will be in the narthex on Sunday, November 14. When you see it, take as many ornaments as you can, purchase those items listed, and help make this a special Christmas for those families in need.
This year the Methodist Children’s Home is designating November and December for their This Little Light of Mine Special Offering. 100% of the offering will fund programs helping children and families of MCH. Let’s help bring hope and a little light of love into the lives of the children who have been abused and neglected. Deadline to give is December 12.
Congratulations to our Newest Eagle Scout
Patrick Wessel, son of Susannah and Sean and grandson of Frances and Jim Tims, was recently awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a ceremony in the St. Luke courtyard. His brother William, who attained Eagle last year, assisted in the ceremony, as did Pastor Brad (Tupelo Troup 12 Eagle Scout). Patrick’s Eagle project was to build the wall fountain in the courtyard, and he honored Jim by dedicating the ceremony to him, in recognition of Jim’s help with the project and of his mentoring of Patrick. Patrick’s uncle Cam Tims is also an Eagle Scout.
Upcoming DSU Wesley Events
Upcoming Dates for your Calendar
November 2
—UMW Grace Circle 10:00 a.m.
—Reading Group 2:00 p.m., home of Teresa Houston
—Reading Group 6:00 p.m., St Luke Library
November 6
—Wesley Yard Sale 7:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Wesley Foundation, 904 S. Court St.
November 9
—United Methodist Men 6:30 p.m., First UMC
November 14
—2nd Sunday Mission Project for Helping Hands (canned food items)
—Finance Meeting 11:35 a.m., St Luke Fellowship Hall
November 18
—Church Council Dinner 5:30 p.m., home of Kay Daves
November 21
—Decorate St. Luke for Christmas 11:35 a.m.
—Community Thanksgiving Service 6:00 p.m., Boyle Baptist Church
December 5
—White Christmas Potluck 5:30 p.m. with Program Afterwards
December 12
—Lesson & Carols Service 10:30 a.m.
December 19
—Christmas Caroling, time to be determined
December 24
—Christmas Eve Service 5:00 p.m.
Memorials and Honorariums
By:
Allen & Debbie Barrett, Alisa Free, Betty A. Hill, Jackie Pennington, Carol Tatum, Sean & Susannah Wessel
Jessie Fly
Jessie Fly
In Memory Of:
Beulah Lewis
Took Mason
Margie Hackney
Attendance and Offering Report
Oct. 3
Oct. 10
Oct. 17
Oct. 24
Oct. 31
Monthly Total
Monthly Budget
General Fund
$ 12,425
$ 3,133
$ 3,798
$ 4,145
$ 1,533
$ 25,034
$ 19,911
Special
Fund
$ 513
$ 1,264
$ 50
$ 50
$ 175
Sunday
School
22
29
16
14
14
Worship
49
53
52
49
66
Online
140
126
124
105
97
UM World Communion Special Offering $ 50
November Birthdays
Al Williams
Sonya Anderson
Ashley Vickers
Dillon Vickers
Faulkner Bailey
William Wessel
Sue Givens
Josh Sheets
Chris Bailey
11/02
11/05
11/06
11/08
11/12
11/19
11/21
11/23
November Anniversaries
N/A