September 2022
St. Luke United Methodist Church
Message from the Pastor
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of his tent in the day’s heat. He looked up and suddenly saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from his tent entrance to greet them and bowed deeply. He said, “Sirs, if you would be so kind, don’t just pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought so you may wash your feet and refresh yourselves under the tree. Let me offer you a little bread so you will feel stronger, and after that you may leave your servant and go on your way—since you have visited your servant.”
They responded, “Fine. Do just as you have said.” - Genesis 18:1-5
I sometimes wonder if it might help some Christians to stop believing in the literal history of biblical stories so that they can start believing in the spiritual truths of those stories. Perhaps only by embracing these stories as identity-shaping myths can we really take them personally and seriously.
Now, perhaps that premise is too controversial, and perhaps we can take biblical stories personally and seriously without doubting their historicity. But in my experience, “bible study” can often get sidetracked into discussions of history, archeological findings, and impersonal “topics” rather than personal spiritual formation. In other words, we end up talking about the Bible and thereby avoid the vulnerable work of integrating its wisdom into our lives.
The story of Abraham was not written to record facts. It was written to shape the identity of the audience. If we’re going to put ourselves into the audience, then we’d do well to let it shape who we are.
What is this story of Abraham about? Simply put, it’s about hospitality. Hospitality was the most important virtue in Abraham’s time. In an ancient nomadic culture, your life would depend on the hospitality of others. If you were a migrant leaving your homeland for a new life in a new place, you needed the people in that new place to be hospitable. Thus, you would wisely treat others as you would want to be treated. Abraham does this. In the biblical world, hospitality is what shows a person to be moral and righteous.
But the story isn’t just told to prove the righteousness of Abraham. It’s written to pass on such virtues to his offspring. That’s us. We’re the audience, and the story is actually more about who we are supposed to be than it is about who Abraham was.
After the visit of the Lord-in-three-strangers, the next story in the book of Genesis is of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two of the strangers who visited Abraham arrive in Sodom, but the men of the city want to attack and rape them. Only one man, named Lot, who is Abraham’s nephew, welcomes these strangers and tries to protect them.
The stories are told side-by-side on purpose, to contrast the hospitality of Abraham from the inhospitality of Sodom. (Some Christians have been taught that Sodom’s sin was that the people there were homosexual, but that’s not an accurate reading of the story. The men of Sodom do not want to get married to these men and adopt children with them. They want to attack them. In that culture, men raping other men was a way to subjugate enemies and treat them poorly, putting them into the place of a woman, which, in a patriarchal culture, was a diminished position. Such rape is the most extreme act of inhospitality the author can imagine. That’s why it is held up as the opposite of Abraham’s actions.)
These two stories are told side-by-side to show what happens when you are hospitable—you get blessings, such as the baby received by Abraham and Sarah—and to show what happens if you are inhospitable—your city will be destroyed by fire reigning down from the sky.
How can these stories shape our identities?
The stories can truly become scripture for us (and not just history lessons) if we are determined to be shaped by the author’s best intentions for us: The author wanted us to be hospitable, so that we would welcome God into our midst, welcome new people into our lives, and take responsibility for the new people we encounter.
Life is full of gifts, and with many of those gifts come responsibilities. A child is a gift. How are we showing hospitality to children? A friend is a gift. Are we taking some responsibility for the well-being of our friends? Strangers can be gifts as well. Do we notice when strangers might be speaking a message to us from God?
We might laugh at this idea, as Sarah did. It’s fine to laugh at God. She isn’t punished for her laughter, but she is wrong. Just because an idea is strange doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Modern scientific studies have shown that talking to strangers makes us happy, even if we’re nervous about it. (Even if we claim to hate talking to strangers, we report greater life satisfaction when we actually strike up the feared conversation.) The biblical authors were trying to pass down a universal truth: When we approach others with love and care, we end up meeting strangers who become a blessing to us.
May hospitality be shown to you today, and may we show it to others.
Peace,
Pastor Brad
Lectionary Readings for September
Sermon Series: Creed: The Construction of Christian Beliefs
Sunday, September 4 — Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Psalm 103 — The Forgiveness of Sins
Sunday, September 11 — Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Corinthians 15:40-58 — The Resurrection of the Body
Sermon Series: Revival: The Birth of Methodism
Sunday, September 18 — Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Revelation 2:1-5 — Precursors to Revival: Epworth, EnglandSunday, September 25 — Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Peter 1:13-17 — A Longing for Holiness: Oxford University
The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG
The Nominations and Lay Leadership Committee will meet Monday, September 12, at 6:00 pm in the Church Library. Committee members are Brad Corban, Jim Tims, Claire Rogers, Billy Boswell, Chris Bailey, Sally Rogers, Elaine Lambert, and Lauren Williams.
The Finance Committee will meet Sunday, September 18, at 11:35 am in the Fellowship Hall. Committee members are Sean Wessel, Kay Daves, Sandi Melton, Jim Tims, Brent Rogers, Adam Williams, Chris Bailey, Jackie Pennington, Rani Richard, and Brad Corban.
United Women in Faith: Lunch Bunch will meet on Wednesday, September 21, 12:30-1:30 pm. Bring your own lunch and drink, dessert will be provided. We’ll have lunch, fellowship, and a short devotional.
United Women in Faith: Grace Circle will NOT meet in September.
Annual Meeting of The Mississippi Conference United Women in Faith is Friday and Saturday, September 30 – October 1. It is an in-person meeting at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. The deadline to register for the meeting is September 9. Cost is $20. The keynote speaker on Saturday, Elizabeth Lee, is staff with the National Organization of United Women in Faith and works in the area of Social Action. Friday evening is a worship service and communion. Bishop Swanson will be preaching. District Superintendent, Rev. Connie Shelton, and other clergy women will serve as celebrants for communion. You do not have to be a member of United Women in Faith to attend. If you would like a registration blank or more information, contact Jackie Pennington.
OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE
Announcing new classes and new teachers for our children and youth:
4K - 5K Class: Austin Armstrong, Beau Bailey, Anton Dahman Teachers: Julianne Bailey, Allyson Hardy, Claire Rogers, Kathleen Shaffer Location: former NCP Room, next to Fellowship Hall
Lower Elementary Class: Faulkner Bailey, Edith Corban, Polly Sheets, June Williams
Teachers: Kay Daves, Melanie Earls, Sally Rogers, Megan Armstrong, Brittany Runnels, Elaine Lambert—sub. Location: Art Room, on hall leading to Fellowship Hall
Youth: Daniela Dahman, Isabella Givens, Zane Hardy, Hugh Sheets, Patrick Wessel, Wyatt Williams. Teachers: Brittany Dean, Megan Munro Location: Youth Room, west Education Wing
OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES
St. Luke will provide supper for the students of the Wesley Foundation on Wednesday, September 28 at 6:30 pm. Please contact Kay Daves if you would like to help serve or provide a dessert.
The United Methodist Men’s Annual Fish Fry will be held on Tuesday, October 11, from 5-7:00 p.m. in the First UMC Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $15 each (carry-outs will be available). Proceeds will fund community organizations. Stop by the office at St. Luke or First UMC if you would like to purchase a ticket.
Don’t forget that on the second Sunday of every month we collect bags of apples, jars of peanut butter, and also canned goods for the Helping Hands Ministry. That day is also our Dollar Sunday, when you are invited to drop a dollar or two into the basket in the narthex to help support our Compassion Fund, which the pastor uses at his discretion to help those in need.
The Flower Calendar is available on the bulletin board across from the choir room. If you would like to help provide an altar arrangement sometime during the year, please look over the calendar, choose a date or two, and sign up. We also have a “flower fridge” so you can sign up for two consecutive Sunday, store your arrangement in the fridge during the week and re-use them the second Sunday. You can contact Sandi Melton (Flower Steward) or the church office to sign up and for more info.
Upcoming Dates for your Calendar
September 5, Monday
—Church Office Closed for Labor Day
September 11, Sunday
—2nd Sunday Mission for Helping Hands, 10:30 a.m.
September 12, Monday
—Nominations & Lay Leadership Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (St Luke Library)
September 13, Tuesday
—United Methodist Men, 6:00 p.m. (First United Methodist Church)
September 18, Sunday
—Finance Meeting, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)
September 21, Wednesday
—UW in Faith: Lunch Bunch, 12:30 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)
September 25, Sunday
—Worship Team Meeting, 11:35 a.m. (Church Library)
September 28, Wednesday
—Provide Supper for DSU Wesley Students, 6:30 p.m. (Wesley Foundation)
September 30 - October 1, Friday and Saturday
—Annual Meeting of the MS Conference United Women in Faith
(St. Matthew UMC, Madison MS)
October 2, Sunday
—Charge Conference, 3:30 p.m. (First United Methodist Church)
Memorials and Honorariums
By:
Jim & Loretta Burdine
In Memory Of:
Ben Brewer
Attendance and Offering Report
Aug. 7
Aug. 14
Aug. 21
Aug. 28
Monthly Total
Monthly Budget
General Fund
$ 11,800
$ 3,171
$ 3,495
$ 1,307
$ 19,773
$ 20,872
Special
Fund
$ 1,050
$ 1,200
$ 0
$ 0
Sunday
School
10
31
30
30
Worship
37
64
61
66
Online
85
98
65
62
Special Offerings:
United Methodist Senior Services
$ 150
September Birthdays
Jackie Pennington
Meredith Wessel
Patrick Wessel
Jim Burdine
Beau Bailey
Beverly Jacks
Michael Neal
Zane Hardy
Brent Rogers
Megan Munro
Sherry Jones
9/01
9/08
9/11
9/14
9/16
9/19
9/24
9/25
9/27
September Anniversaries
Brent & Claire Rogers
Sean & Susannah Wessel
9/16
9/28