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Contributing Writers: David Mathis | Tim Perkins
Past Contributing Writers: Mike Mills, Spring Hill Church | Doug Fincher | Pastor Randy and Sue Smith | Mike Belgard
Faith
January 18, 2016 - Sunday was the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. Our Gospel Lesson moved from Luke to the John Gospel. We find Jesus at the wedding at Cana. This story is only found in the John Gospel. John is different than the other three Gospels found in the New Testament. The writer of John spends much of his gospel speaking of signs pointing to the unique and wonderful character of Jesus. The sign of turning water into wine speaks of the abundance in the Kingdom. Even for the poor and the marginalized—Jesus’ audience, there will be plenty—more than plenty. The lesson begins with “On the third day…” which is a reminder of the three days and resurrection.
We had a small crowd even by Paxton UMC standards. Joe and Hilda teamed up and we had good music this morning. Sue is our liturgist and read our Psalter Lesson and the Gospel Lesson. She also led us in reading the Apostles’ Creed which is the one most Protestants know the best.
Our Sunday school lesson came from Hosea. Fannie did a great job even with a difficult scripture. We are so removed by thousands of years that it is sometimes hard for us to really grasp the situation. Even though the scripture is a hard one, Hosea intended to show how disappointed God was and is in his great creation—us humans! Reading through our lesson it is like God’s feelings have been hurt. But as in all the words of the prophets God always finds a way to bring us back into the fold.
This Tuesday is our church’s ministry to Holiday Nursing Center. Actually it is more than just our church’s ministry as many others join us to bring songs and stories to the residents at Holiday. Since I retired I understand the kind of traveling seniors do—going to the doctor. I have an appointment on Tuesday in Nacogdoches and a Longview doctor visit on Thursday.
“Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:15 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed!
Randall Smith, Pastor
January 11, 2016 - It was a cold start Sunday morning. Everyone at church sure appreciated Fannie coming last night and turning on the heaters. We are in the season of the Epiphany. Today traditionally is “the Baptism of our Lord” Sunday. All four of the Gospels tell of Jesus’ baptism by John. After his baptism and his forty days off by himself, Jesus’ ministry begins. Some historians say that Jesus’ ministry was only a year long, but most believe it was three years. So little is known about this time that it is hard to tell just how long it was. This day is also a day to remember our own baptisms and our own journeys in life and toward the love of God. This Sunday is a great reminder that we are all precious to God.
I filled in for Fannie to teach an unusual lesson from the Old Testament—the Song of Songs. There is no doubt that all the poetry in this book celebrates romance and love. It is beautiful poetry, and we understand that God made us for each other and that we are to love and cherish our family and friends. Both Jewish and Christian writers often speak of these poems as an allegory, with the man being God and the woman Israel.
On Monday Hilda, Fannie, and Sue joined others at Green Acres. Our newest ministry is the first Monday of each month at 2:00 at Green Acres. Also each month we go to Holliday and Lakeside . During the month of January we are collecting tuna fish for Community Christian Services. I have a couple of boxes of soup cans that I need to deliver to the food bank.
“Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:15 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed!
Randall Smith, Pastor
January 18, 2017 - First Baptist Church of Center is hosting Disciple Now January 22-24, 2016.
Scheduled dates and times will be Friday 6-9 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m. until Noon and 6-9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday meetings will be held in the Family Life Center.
Sunday 9-10.a.m. All Adult classes will meet in the Sanctuary for Sunday School
Sunday 10:15 until Noon meet in the Sanctuary
Youth will participate in the study.
Childcare is available for all the sessions for children age Birth to Kindergarten. Classes for First through Sixth grade will meet in the Game Room of the Family Life Center.
January 18, 2016 - Join us at First Baptist Church Timpson (715 2nd Street) on January 31 at 6:30pm to hear the Reynolds Family Band. No charge for admission! They are based in Gladewater, TX. This band plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle and bass instruments and sings bluegrass gospel music.
“Listen to me and eat what is good....” Isaiah 55:2
January 11, 2016 - When I was growing up in the 40’s, many poor folks in my hometown of Center, Texas depended on wild game for food. There were so many people hunting that deer and squirrels were hard to find. When someone killed a deer, they’d tie it across their car’s hood and parade it around the Center square. The rabbits we brought to mother tasted a lot like chicken after she her pressure cooked and batter-fried them. We also ate a few raccoons and tried possum…. once.
There was always plenty of “greens” in the neighborhood gardens. Our neighbors often shouted to us, “you kids come over and pick a ‘mess of greens’ when you get home from school”. We ate turnip greens, mustard greens …and in the winter…collards. I got hooked on the broth left in the pot ….we called it “Pot Liquor”. Pot liquor with cornbread and a glass of my Grandmother’s freshly churned buttermilk was as good as it got. My brother Joe says the very thought of pot liquor and cornbread still puts him in a coma.
Our neighbors Ottis and Tommie Melton bring us greens every year from their farm on Palo Gaucho Creek near Hemphill, Texas. When Otis walked up with a sack of Mustard greens yesterday, the greens’ fresh aroma reached the porch before he did. After supper Pam saved some pot liquor for my cornbread the next day. (I was a grown man before I learned that “pot liquor” is not spelled “pot licker” that it’s full of vitamins and makes good soups and gravies.)
When Mother asked me to never drink liquor, I promised her I never would. I’m an old feller now and haven’t broken my promise. I’ve never tasted a drop of wine, beer or any other intoxicant.
But I have imbibed many, many bowls of pot liquor during my lifetime and have enjoyed every drop of it. And the future remains bright for all of us pot liquor lovers. Since it tastes good, is cheap to make and won’t get me drunk, not only will it always be my favorite liquor.
It’ll also be my only liquor.
January 18, 2016 - Saving a Generation Ministry presents Apostle James Bolton of the Bolton Brothers on this, Thursday, January 21, 2016, 7:30pm at Pineywoods Outreach Center 255 Haley Ave. join us for an evening of Praise and Worship!
January 8, 2016 - First Pentecostal Church of Joaquin invites everyone to come and help welcome our new pastor and his wife, Rev. Clark and Sis. Charlotte Bynum to Joaquin, Tx and Shelby County. An installation service will be held Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 6pm with Cornerstone UPC from Lufkin, Texas ministering in praise and worship.
They are both natives of the Pollok area about 5 miles North of Lufkin, on Highway 69 North. Rev. Bynum graduated from Central in 1983, and Sis. Charlotte graduated from Central in 1986. They have two children: Carli Joy Moore, Carson James Bynum and one grandson Cooper. Carli is married to Kade Moore, the son of Brother and Sister Phillip Moore who Pastors at Cornerstone UPC, in Lufkin, Tx.
Bro. and Sis. Bynum both have been very active in all facets of Sunday School for all ages. They have been involved in Music Ministry together since Rev. Clark received the Holy Ghost in July 1986. She was the piano player in the local church they attended. Rev. Bynum has held Local License with the United Pentecostal Church since 1991. Together they have been very active in Sunday School teaching, Singing, and Preaching in many churches around East Texas.
Rev. Bynum holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from SFA, and a Master of Education from SFA. He has been in the public school system for 21 years. He was a classroom teacher for 10 years, and has been a campus principal for 11 years. Sis. Charlotte holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting Degree from SFA, and a Master of Science in School Business from Texas A & M Commerce. She has been in corporate accounting, and public school accounting.
We are so excited about what God is doing for our church. We have a new Sunday School department that is awesome and would like to invite you to come and worship with us.
We are blessed and honor to have Rev. Philip Moore and His wife Sis. Tina Moore from Cornerstone UPC, Lufkin, TX helping to welcome Rev. and Sis. Bynum to Joaquin, Tx. And Shelby County. Rev. Philip Moore will be preaching and Sis. Tina Moore will be leading the Praise and Worship Team. You do not want to miss this you will truly be blessed.
“If any should not work, neither should he eat…” - I Thes. 3:10
January 4, 2016 - Spot, a Painted Bunting that I’ve photographed the past three years, has a new family in the sand hills near Center, Texas. Today all three fledglings flew into the grass where their parents often feed. They are fully feathered and except for their lack of color and yellow at the corner of their mouths, they look like adults. After their crash landing, they began frantically fluttering their wings to get fed.
But instead of feeding them, Spot angrily fussed and chased them away. These determined little birds not only tried to get food from Spot, but from every other adult that flew into their feeding area. All the adults wisely ignored their begging like Spot did.
Although our country has a large number of people who can’t feed themselves, we also have a lot of folk who could but won’t ….and unless we stop serving them, they never will.
Even the birds know that.
January 4, 2015 - Sunday was Epiphany Sunday. Happy New Year wishes to everyone. I really don’t know what happen to 2015 it went by far too quick! In fact every year since 1999 seems to just fly by. Today is the Sunday that we remember the wise men who came to Bethlehem to see the new king. To find this story we must read from the Matthew Gospel as it is the only one that mentions wise men. Tradition says there were three wise men but actually Matthew doesn’t tell us. I guess it could be thirty. The light draws them to Jesus and the dawning of a new age—the Kingdom that will be central to Jesus’ teachings some thirty years later.
Joy and Gene’s kids, their spouses and grandson Austin were up from Houston to celebrate the New Year. It is always great to see them. Austin spoke the Lord’s Prayer perfectly and so clearly—pretty impressive. We don’t often have school age kids but I looked and found a red bucket with a bulletin to color, colors, a little game, and a puzzle book. Fannie had a good lesson taken from Genesis. So many things from these old texts confuse and bother us modern folks. But you can always pull from the words a valuable spiritual lesson. Joe and Hilda brought us our music this morning and we sang two Fannie Crosby songs.
We have three birthdays coming up. We send out Happy Birthday wishes to Bill Thompson, Jake Watson, and Steven Joe Watson. In January we will be collecting cans of tuna for area food pantries. We have three ministry opportunities this month. On Monday, January 4, we will visit Green Acres starting at 2:00. On Tuesday, January 19 at 2:00, we will visit Holiday . On Thursday January 28th we will visit Lakeside Assisted Living. All are welcome to join us.
In fine Methodist fashion, pastors have been working on and putting together “end of year” reports. No matter how big or small, Methodist churches answer pages and pages of questions. I had really good help from Gene who keeps the church’s financial records. Not too many years ago, all pastors went to the District Office on “Report Day” and the records were audited. Today, all that information is done with computers.
“Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here.” Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” Sunday School starts at 9:15 and Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist you can send me your email address to the Paxton email address and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed!
Randall Smith, Pastor
December 31, 2015 - Pastor Marlin Cloudy Sr., lead Abundant Love Ministries and members of the community, on a Prayer Walk, on Christmas morning. The walk began with singing and prayers at the site of the building, and former night club, known as the "Drippet." Pastor Marlin had a brother who lost his life on these grounds over 30 years ago.
The walk stopped at the building, known in the community as Buckleys, and at the "four way," with prayers in both stops. The group turned and ended the walk back at the Drippet, with congregational hymns being sang and ending with testimonials and a Prayer.
The message in the Prayer Walk was "Where one life was lost, many will be gained."
Abundant Love Ministries is located at 1246 Shelbyville Street, Center,TX. Sunday services begin at 12pm, with Sunday School at 10:30am. Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 7pm. You are always invited and welcome.
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