The Spire

We are now in the middle of Lent – a time for us to reflect on our lives, its purpose, and to once again offer God the sacrifice of ourselves.  Lent is a time of deep prayer.  Did you ever wonder when this conversation with God truly began?

The first prayer is recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.  The second chapter of Genesis declares, “Then the Lord God formed the human of dust from the earth, and breathed into the human’s nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living being” (Genesis 2: 7, my translation).  A human being is merely physical until it is empowered by divine energy, and only then does the human become a “living being”.  We are not complete until the body and its divine vitality are joined.  The “living being”, or soul, is a unity of the physical and psychic aspects of human life.  The “living being", the soul, springs forth as a direct result of God’s breathing the divine energy into the human being’s nostrils.  When God shares His breath with each human being, the sacred

“conversation” between that “living being” and God begins.  God initiates each person’s first prayer.  This sharing of God’s energy with each human being is the most profound declaration of the purpose of human life.

A human being is a living soul and the physical, emotional, psychic, rational, and spiritual aspects of each of our lives are reflected and embodied in the way we live and pray.  The sharing of God’s breath with us shows that the meaning of that first prayer is love and it identifies the lovers.  We are created to love God with everything we are: our soul.  But that is not all.  Knowing we are loved by God, we are to love our neighbors in the same way that we care for our own sacred lives.  We are a source of God’s love for other people, who, in turn, are called to love God and us.  We are not separate; we are a unity of love.

The breath of God makes us a living soul, but it is not intended to be a one-time mountaintop experience.  It will sustain our lives every day through a sharing of that same original energy.  Prayer is the most fundamental way we care of our soul.  If praying is caring for the soul, then it is caring for everything we are, not just the religious part of our lives.  Prayer is essential for our whole human being.  This Lent,

let us ask God to give us a heart of prayer to praise God and offer love to others.

Pastor Debbie

Financial Team Report

From the Treasurer:

 The offering for the most recent weeks is listed below.

01-17 --- $2,207.66

01-24 --- $2,344.83

01-31 --- $3,156.00

02-07 --- $4,281.25

02-14 --- $2,696.49

These offerings also contain contributions made to Haiti survivors.  

Thank you for your generosity.  Please continue your generous giving, and pray that we will be able to continue to meet our expenses. 

Penny Ford,

Assistant Treasurer

Bottles For Missions

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.  Everyone has some Irish in them.

January Challengers were Rosita and Norman Desjardins.  Bottles and matching funds came to $90.00.  We are making a difference in many lives.

February Challenger is Trudy Billings.

God bless all who contribute to this worthwhile effort.     

Beth Fernandes

Haiti Relief

Monetary support for relief efforts for Haiti can be made to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Haiti Emergency Advance #418325.  Your gift may be dropped in the Sunday collection plate or mailed to: 

UMCOR

PO Box 9068

New York, NY 10087 

For online donations visit: http://www.gbgm-mc.org/umcor. 

100 percent of your gift will go to support relief and development efforts.

Rutland Community

Cupboard Donations

On Souper Bowl Sunday, February 7^th, Rutland United Methodist Church youth collected $148.72 in donations to benefit the Rutland Community Cupboard.  Donations also included 100 non-perishable food and household items.

The Rutland Community Cupboard will accept donations of perishable items, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, bread and rolls, if brought in early during business hours:

M, W, F: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.  T, Th.: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

A reminder that the RCC cannot accept outdated food, dented cans or worn containers.

Easter Lilies,

Vigil Candles

Easter lilies and Vigil candles will adorn the Chapel during the 10:00 a.m. Easter worship service.  Lilies can be removed from the church following the Easter service, if so desired.  Orders may be placed through March 21^st.  Each $12 donation is for one individual memorial or honorary listing to be printed in the Easter bulletin. 

Prayer Corner

Here it is -- March already -- so we're approaching the first day of spring.  Where do the days go?  And this year, Palm Sunday comes the end of March - early it seems.  Lent begins on March 17^th, the beginning of the Holy Season - the time when we reflect on the time Christ prepared himself for his crucifixion.  For us, it is also a time of reflection on our own lives and what the future holds for each of us.  Should we be doing more for others --- are we living our lives as good Christians as Christ has taught us.  Are we ever mindful and as thankful as we should be for all that God provides for us each day.  His blessings are many -he knows our needs and is the great provider.  Each day, let us give thanks for all his wonderful gifts and for our friends and loved ones.

May God richly bless each one who reads this, and let us all pray that he brings healing to those on our prayer concerns.  And also let us remember our men and women in the armed forces and their families, and all of those in Haiti - the ones who are suffering and the many who are there helping.     

Walking with the Savior,

                  Elizabeth Smith

World Day of Prayer

 

The Church Women United World Day of Prayer will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church chapel, 80 West Street, Rutland, on Friday, March 5^th, at 2:00 p.m. 

The speaker will be Laura Vien.  Refreshments will be served.  All women are invited to attend.

Ruth Colburn,

Key Woman

Church Women United

March Meetings and Events

Sundays

8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Worship Services

9:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School

Mondays - 6:30 p.m.

Alternative Worship Service

Fellowship Hall

Tuesdays - 6:30 a.m.

Prayer in the Chapel parlor

Wednesdays - 12:15 p.m.

Pastor Deb hosts Bible Study

Thursdays

5:15 p.m. Handbell Choir practice

Saturday, March 6^th

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

RUMC Yard Sale and Bake Sale in the Fellowship Hall

Monday, March 8^th

4:30 p.m. Worship Team meeting

5:30 p.m. Ministry Team meeting

Saturday, March 13^th

7:00 a.m. Men's Breakfast

10:00 a.m. Ukrainian Egg Decorating Workshop in the Fellowship Hall

Tuesday,  March 16^th

1:30 p.m. UMW meeting

5:30 p.m. Finance Team meeting

6:45 p.m. Trustees' meeting

Sunday, March 21^st

Bells of Joy play at 10:00 a.m. worship service

Tuesday,  March 23^rd

1:30 p.m. Prayer Shawl meeting at the Kelley home

Saturday, March 27^th

10:00 a.m. Ukrainian Egg Decorating Workshop in the Fellowship Hall

Holy Week

March 28 - April 4

Palm Sunday Services

8:00 and 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel

Blessing of the Bread

Maundy Thursday, April 1^st

7:00 p.m. service at First Baptist Church, 81 Center Street

Good Friday - April 2^nd

7:00 p.m. service in the Chapel

Easter Sonrise Celebration

6:30 a.m. @ the home of

John & Dianne Anderson,

254 Quarterline Rd., Center Rutland

Easter Sunday Service

10:00 a.m. in the Chapel

Egg Decorating Workshop

Pastor Deb will host a Ukrainian egg decorating workshop.  For those who have signed up, the classes will be held on March 13^th and March 27^th, at 10:00 a.m.  You are invited to come to one or both. 

Please bring with you an empty tuna fish can and a candle, plus raw eggs to decorate.

Spire News

We are always looking for news, articles of interest, etc. for the Spire. The deadline for submissions is the 15^th of each month.  Please email your articles to: rutlandumc@aol.com.

Chocolate Festival 2010

The time of chocolate festival keeps on getting closer and we hope you are all working or at least thinking about what you can make as a donation to be offered for the silent auction.  Just today, I heard a suggestion from someone down south of an excellent item.  That is to take a cooler and fill it with items needed for a barbeque party.  This could include the cooler, barbecue tongs, a flipper for burgers, a couple of hot mitts, some plates, cups, mustard, relish, ketchup, ice tea or drink mix, and plastic silverware. You could include anything else you could use at a barbeque, as long as it was non- perishable.  This is just an example of how creative we can be.  We also remind everyone that paintings and handmade items always prove popular.

Soon after mid April we will start posting a list of the various things we have committed for the auction.  Even if we have duplications, we will have more of certain things to offer.  

Let us be reminded that the New England Conference will more than likely tell us we need to right size our church to our income. Simply put, this means we will need to be able to support ourselves.  If we want a full time Pastor, we will need to be able to support that Pastor by ourselves. This gives us an excellent opportunity to help ourselves be able to support our own church. 

Bert Ladd

Historian’s Report

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1History of Methodist Church

1932-1933

Nov. 15, 1932 the Ladies’ Aid had a turkey dinner, the cost $.75.  The menu consisted of half grapefruit, roast turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, mashed  potatoes, string beans, celery, pickles, cabbage salad, rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, cheese, coffee.

March 26, 1933 Rev. Evans discontinued the Sunday evening services for economic reasons.  At this time Mrs. Dorothy Baker organized The Wesleyan Players and for seven months produced a monthly evening service, a one act religious play taking the place of the sermon.  These were attended by a capacity audience.  The Ladies’ Aid, at a cost of $496.00, completely furnished the so called “Ladies’ Parlor in the rear of the Sanctuary.  The Women’s Home Missionary Society provided a $30.00 scholarship for a student in India. 

In May the Wesleyan Players produced a three act play “The Keynote” the purpose of which was to raise money to send delegates to Poultney.  Mrs. Dorothy Baker, director.

Dec. 4-8, 1933 a preaching mission was held at our church with Rev. Luther Brown as preacher, and our pastor exchanged pulpits with him in Greenwich, NY.

Dec. 13-14 the Wesleyan Players cooperated with the Orchard Fair put on by the Ladies’ Aid, presenting the three act play “Paying the Fiddler”.

Charlotte Steele,

Historian

Thank You's

Thank you to the many volunteers who worked on the RUMC spaghetti dinner on January 23^rd.  A big thank you to Penny Ford and chef Steve Dotson for all their hard work. 

Thanks to Sue Smith for the new Sunday worship attendance books and Velcro pencil fasteners. 

Thanks to Marj Hodgson and Theresa Hall for their generous donations of copy paper and office supplies.

UMW News

We had a meeting on February 16, 2010.  The snow kept attendees to nine.  We have joined forces with other church members to create health kits for Haiti.

We have collected 26 kits, with one week to go.  Last date to give is February 28^th. 

Next meeting is March 16^th.  Please join us for fellowship and goodies.

God Bless,

Beth Fernandes

RUMC Bake  Sale and

Flea Market

The RUMC Bake Sale and Flea Market is scheduled for Saturday, March 6^th, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.  This sale will benefit the General Operating Fund. 

There were several items left over from the hugely successful sale that was held a few months ago, and we will also welcome other household items.  We are not accepting any electronics/

small appliances. 

We are also holding a bake sale.  Bakers are needed, as well as volunteers to work the bake sale table.  To volunteer, please email the church office: rutlandumc@aol.com.

Meredith Whitman

Marc Whitman has put together information in a website devoted to his beloved wife, Meredith, who is battling brain cancer.  You may access the site by typing in your web browser address line or click on: 

www.caringbridge.org.

Type (or copy the name or just click on her name)

   meredithwhitman     

in the “enter website name” area.

 Lexi Moore has put together a list of needs for those wishing to offer their help to the Whitmans.