Message from the Pastor

Here we are approaching my favorite time of year, or as I like to call it, the Ber months. I have mentioned before that I have always felt a connection to the fall season as if my spirit somehow feels more awake this time of year. I love the crisp cool of air in the mornings (when it happens) and the burst of color that some plants put forth. I love the warm colors and fall flavors. I find myself craving the fall season more and more each year.

But what does it really mean to crave and hunger for something?
As I was sitting in the UMW meeting today, Jackie Pennington shared a very meaningful program reflecting on the true meaning of Holy Communion. The reflection came from Joyce Rupp's book Out of the Ordinary. I enjoyed this so much that I wanted to pass along to you for your own reflection. The excerpt is from a piece called "We Remember the Bread of Life." Joyce shares the following:

"Jesus, Divine Bread-Baker, each time we gather to break this bread we share its richness in the midst of our poverty, and we remember:

We remember who you are as the bread of our lives:
You are the One who enters into the hungry places of our hearts, wanting to convince us of your deep abiding love.
You are the One who invites us constantly to choose life, even when our world, and sometimes our own inner places, tastes of death, pain, and weariness.
You are the One who becomes our spiritual energy, inviting us to yearn for truth and to grow from its treasures.

We remember how you gift us with this bread:
This bread is strength for us when times are tough.
This bread must be broken before it can be shared.
This bread, when taken within, transforms the quality of our presence.
This bread binds us together and tempts us to forgiveness and all the other particles which gather to form community.
This bread, which houses the sacred in common earthen gifts, proclaims that the ordinary is but a mask of the holy.

We remember what this bread asks of us:
To be patient with our own growth, to recognize the process of our journey, to yield to the nourishment which is waiting for us if we will but come to the table.
To be your leaven so that faith can rise in the hearts of others.
To be so deeply wedding to compassion that our hearts always save a space for the tears of the world.
To give ourselves fully to the sojourning dimension of our lives, knowing that the manna of our God is blessing enough for our need as we yearn for our true home.

And finally, we remember:
That our hearts are filled with gratitude for this good gift.
Within us all that is holy cries out: Come, Bread of Life, come!"

I pray that these words bless you as much as they did me today and that you take time to read over them slowly a few times and see what rises to the surface for you. What questions is your spirit asking? What does it really mean for you to receive the bread of life? What might it look like to live a life wedded to compassion? How does it look to choose life amid the weariness around and within you? Can you describe what gives you spiritual energy? Where are the hungry places of your heart and what do you find your spirit hungering for this season?

I think of the verse from Wonderful, Merciful Savior which says
"You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for."

God of the changing seasons
God who is making all things new
May we always hunger for more of you, grace that falls as manna for our souls.

Grace and Peace dear friends,
Rev. Hannah

Sermon Series for September

Scripture Lessons for Sermon Series: “Do Unto Others”

Sunday, September 8 — Blue and Red Make Purple: Kindness
Luke 6:31-36
Sunday, September 15 — The Polarization Within: Compassion
Isaiah 11:6-9
Sunday, September 22 — Listen More, Speak Less: Humility
Ephesians 4:1-6
Sunday, September 29 — Living Together on Uncommon Ground: Respect
1 Corinthians 12:1-26

Lectionary Readings for September

Sunday, September 1 — Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 or Psalm 72
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Sunday, September 8 — Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Psalm 125 or Psalm 124
James 2:1-10 (11-13), 14-17
Mark 7:24-37
Sunday, September 15 — Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 1:20-33
Psalm 19
James 3:1-12
Mark 8:27-38
Sunday, September 22 — Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 31:10-31
Psalm 1
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37
Sunday, September 29 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Psalm 124
James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50

The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

The St. Luke family is invited to come to the opening of a showing of Jim Tims’ paintings at the Delta Arts Alliance on Thursday, September 5, from 5:30-7:30. Jim is self-taught and has been painting in oils since his retirement about six years ago. Even Frances thinks he is pretty good! Both Jim and Frances would love for you to join us for this exciting evening. Further details can be found in an announcement below.

There will be a Children’s Event Planning Meeting at 3:00 pm next Sunday, September 8, on the Playground. This meeting will be to discuss plans for future events i.e.: Children’s Sabbath, Trunk-or-Treat, etc. Even if you don’t have children but have ideas or just want to help with the events, you are welcome to attend. Please see Pastor Hannah for questions or more info.

The Finance Committee will meet on Sunday, September 22, at 11:35 am in the Fellowship Hall. If you can help us teach stewardship and promote generosity, please come. You are invited and welcome. Members are Sandi Melton (Chair), Kay Daves (Financial Secretary), Rani Richard (Treasurer), Jim Tims (Lay Leader), Frances Tims (Chair of SPPRC), Adam Williams (Chair of Trustees), Brent Rogers (Chair of Church Council), Tricia Walker (Lay Member of Annual Conference), Hannah Shempert (Pastor), and Jim Shempert.

The Worship Team will meet on Thursday, September 26, at 6:00 pm in the Church Library. If you can help in this area, please come. You are invited and welcome. Those obligated to attend are Rev Hannah (Pastor and Leader), Sheryl Stump (Worship Team Coordinator), Jim Tims (Lay Leader), Beverly Jacks (Interim Music Director), O’Hara Koerber (Pianist), Megan Armstrong (Nursery Coordinator), Bev Card (Acolyte & Reader Coordinator), Sandi Melton (Communion & Flower Steward), Lisa Horton (Parament Steward), and Al Williams (Head Usher & Greeter Coordinator).

Mark your calendars to join us on Sunday, September 29, at 11:35 am for a BBQ Lunch. We hope you can stay to enjoy delicious BBQ and fun fellowship!

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

United Women in Faith Grace Circle will not meet in October. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, at 10:00 a.m. in the St Luke Library. Please note this meeting will be held on a Wednesday instead of Tuesday!

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

United Methodist Senior Services will be celebrated during the month of September with a special offering. UMSS has campuses across Mississippi and created a benevolence fund to help meet the financial burdens of elders living in their facilities who have outlived their resources and can no longer afford the cost of housing or care. Your gift helps preserve the dignity of those elders who must ask for help. 100% of the money donated to this fund is used to support these elders. Please make checks payable to St Luke, earmarked “Senior Services”.

St. Luke will host a Blood Drive with the MS Blood Services on Wednesday, September 11, from 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm. When you see the MS Blood Service bus in our parking lot on that Wednesday, please consider donating blood if possible as their supply is critically low. If you’re not able to donate blood, please help by spreading the word to your friends and neighbors. All blood types are needed. Your help could save a life!

The United Methodist Men’s Annual Fish Fry will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 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. Please see Jim Shempert (The Pastor’s Wife) 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 their discretion to help those in need.

If you would like to help provide an altar arrangement sometime during the year, please look over the flower calendar located on the bulletin board across from the choir room, choose a date or two, and sign up. Your arrangement doesn’t have to be fresh flowers, it could also be a plant. If you sign up for two consecutive Sundays, we have a “flower fridge” where we can store your floral arrangement during the week and re-use them the second Sunday. Please contact Sandi Melton (Flower Steward) or the church office to sign up or for more info.

Youth

Youth fellowship at St Luke is back,

This summer I took our youth group, aka Hugh, with First UMC Cleveland to M28, a youth conference held in the mountains of NC. The event is a great time for students to be in thin spaces, both because at higher altitudes we are in a place that is closer to the heavens but also with times of worship that bring young people spiritually closer to God. What I did not expect was that I would be brought closer to God. In that time of experiencing God’s love and grace, he began to move within me and lay on my heart what many of my friends had been asking me “When are you going to get back to ministry?” I began to think about the youth ministry at St. Luke and the need that we have with our young children that will grow and one day need a Methodist youth fellowship to call their own. I felt very clearly a call to lead the youth fellowship, not just for my own two children but for all of our children. MYF was instrumental in my young life and developed within me a call to general ministry and I wanted to make sure that this is available at St. Luke United Methodist Church.

We will be meeting Sunday nights at 5:00 p.m. for all 7th through 12th graders. We will have a time of games, snacks, and leaning into scripture and what it means to follow Jesus. We will also be looking for opportunities to share the love of God with our community and the world through service and missions.

We ask for help in the form of your prayers, volunteers that would provide snacks, and finally ways for our young people to serve in the community.

Josh Sheets

Youth Kick-Off Bowling Party

Night Is Falling Nigh-Hannah Shempert.JPG

Paintings by

JIM TIMS

Thursday, September 5, 2024

5:30 — 7:30

Delta Arts Alliance

Light Refreshments will be Served

The exhibition will remain open for the month of September.

All proceeds from sales to benefit DAA.

MS Blood Services Blood Drive

From the DSU Wesley Students

Thank You

How to Give

Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library

An Evening with Zoe

Women’s Resource Center:
Celebrate Life Banquet

St. Luke Scene

Christmas in July Backpacks

Back-to-School Cookout

BBQ Nacho Night at the Wesley

Upcoming Events

September 5, Thursday
— Jim Tims’ Art Showing, 5:30-7:00 p.m. (Delta Arts Alliance)

September 8, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission Project for Helping Hands

September 9, Monday
— Revival Study Group, 12:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

September 10, Tuesday
— Revival Study Group, 6:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)
— United Methodist Men, 6:00 p.m. (First UMC)

September 11, Wednesday
— MS Blood Services Blood Drive, 3-6:30 p.m. (St Luke)

September 16, Monday
— Revival Study Group, 12:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

September 17, Tuesday
— Revival Study Group, 6:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

September 22, Sunday
— Finance Meeting, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)

September 26, Thursday
— Worship Team Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Church Library)

September 29, Sunday
— BBQ Lunch, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)

October 8, Tuesday
— United Methodist Men Fish Fry, 5-7:00 p.m. (First UMC)

October 13, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission Project for Helping Hands

October 16, Wednesday
— Provide Dinner for DSU Wesley Students, 6:30 p.m. (Wesley Foundation)

October 20, Sunday
— Church Council, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)

October 21, Monday
— Blessing of the Animals, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Greenspace at First UMC)

October 27, Sunday
— Fall Fest & Trunk-or-Treat -more details to come

November 10, Sunday
— Charge Conference, 3:00 p.m. (First UMC)

Memorials and Honorariums

By:

Frankie Brewer; Eddie & Martha Causey; Melanie & Woody Earls; Lisa & Shaun Horton; Beverly & Roy Jacks; Dillard & Sandi Melton; Frances & Jim Tims; Al & Melanie Williams

Contact Us

Newsletter Blog

September 2024

September 4, 2024St. Luke United Methodist Church

Message from the Pastor

Sermon Series for September

Scripture Lessons for Sermon Series: “Do Unto Others”

Lectionary Readings for September