Sunday, January 19, 2025

From the moment we come into the world, we become a part of it. Events, and the people who enter our lives, help form us in subtle or overt ways, even before we hold them in conscious memory. Yet, they become part of our story, and part of our being. In my teaching life, I would sometimes invite students to research what was happening in their community, and in the world, on the day/year they were born.

On the day I was born, in Chicago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was engaged in non-violent demonstrations and marches in the city, advocating for fair housing for black residents. I was two-days old, on the day Dr. King declared as “Freedom Sunday” at Chicago’s Soldier’s Field. It drew a crowd of 45,000 people. Not long after, bottles and bricks were thrown at black non-violent marchers in a white neighborhood. Dr. King had a rock thrown at his head. He was injured, but he continued on. He was strengthened by his faith, and leaned into the example of Moses and others, who knew what it was to be in the crucible of doubt and fear, while holding on to courage and hope.

On this Second Sunday of Epiphany, we also recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and invite all who are able to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on this coming Monday, January 20th. Our scripture readings for Sunday remind us that it wasn’t easy for Moses, and others, to answer God’s call’ or for us to embrace Jesus’ reminder that the greatest commandments to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We will reflect on this together.

We will also share a Children’s Moment, pray and reflect, and sing hymns. The Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will lead us in music. The Bell Choir will also share a piece. Eric Metzler will offer our first scripture reading based on Exodus 3:7-12. Jonathan Michaelsen will share our second scripture reading based on Mark 12:28-31.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning, click the link on our website www.smumc.church. The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

I wonder how many of us remember our baptism. Some of us will have a difficult time of that, as we were tiny babies when our families took us to church, and the sacred words were spoken and dripping water was placed on us. Others of us were baptized when we were old enough to remember. But what does it even mean to remember? Memory is a powerful practice and spiritual grace in our faith tradition. When people of faith were first taught to observe the Passover, they were not to simply mentally recall the event. They were to remember it as though actually there. 

After my mother died, my sister and her husband worked hard to empty our house, and put it on the market. It sold quickly. Some years after, I was visiting with my sister, she brought to me a box of memorabilia she wanted me to have. It contained pictures of our family, letters and cards, a ring my father had made from a mortar shell, and uniform rank patches from his military career. What surprised me most, though, was the scent that hit me in the face when she opened box. It was the very smell of our home. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized our house had a smell. In those seconds, pieces of my life I had so fully forgotten that I did not know they existed came rushing back to me. Deep memory is like that.

In service on Sunday, we’ll recall the story of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River. That text will invite us to remember the once-for- all experience of being baptized. We’ll ask what it meant for us then, and what it means to us now. The sermon is titled, “Precious Child of God, Beautiful to Behold.” It flows from Isaiah 43: 1-7, to be read by Malcolm Webb, and Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22, to be read by Mollie Lemon. We’ll celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and observe a ritual of the remembrance of Baptism. We will be led musically by the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa, and accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs. We’ll have a moment for children, pray and sing together. We hope you join us in the sanctuary at 10:30.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning,

click the link on our website www.smumc.church.

The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.

Sunday, January 5, 2025

The scripture passage this Sunday (based on Luke 2:22-40) tells us that Mary and Joseph, devout Jews, were raising Jesus in the traditions, beliefs and practices of their faith. This included traveling many miles, with their infant child Jesus, for his Presentation at the Temple. In the Temple, they meet a devout man. Simeon, and the prophet Anna. To Anna and Simeon, pious and righteous people, who longed to for peace in the world, God revealed the Messiah. They had waited for many years, for the birth of this child that God had promised.

This Sunday, we will learn more of their story, and of the Holy Family. We will also pray and reflect, and sing hymns. Due to the incoming inclement weather, we encourage you to make your decision to participate in worship, either in-person or on livestream, based on your safety and comfort. Safety is most important. Instead of this Sunday, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion next week.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning,

click the link on our website www.smumc.church.

The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Merry Christmas from St. Mark’s United Methodist Church! We are looking forward to sharing in at least one of our Christmas Eve services with many of you, either in person or online. The 10:30 AM service will include Biblical readings of the Christmas story, carols, a sermon, a choral anthem, a time for children, and Holy Communion. Mary Beth’s sermon istitled, “Wending Our Way to Bethlehem,” borrowing from former St. Mark’s pastor, Rev.David Owen’s book, Wending Our Way.At 4:00 PM, we will have our Christmas pageant, in which our children will act out the Christmas story in delightfully imaginative ways. We’ll conclude that service, as we will all three, with the lighting of candles and the singing of Silent Night.At 11:00 PM, we’ll gather for our candlelight service of lessons and carols. We will movetogether through the Christmas story, alternating carols and biblical passages. Jimmy’s sermon is titled, “Mary Treasured These Words: the Christmas Search for a SpaciousHeart.” We’ll include the service with the lighting of the Christ Candle, and the changing ofthe paraments, then sing Silent Night by candlelight.All three services will be livestreamed. To connect with us online, visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream Banner.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

One of my favorite contemporary poets is Naomi Shihab Nye. Her most well-known poem, titled “Kindness”, had an intriguing origin. She and her husband were honeymooning in Columbia in 1978, a country they realized was plagued by drug smugglers. Naomi and her husband, in a display of optimism, believed they would make their way safely through. Unfortunately, they were robbed on a bus in the middle of the night, losing passports, tickets, cameras and all of their money. Someone else on the bus was killed, and they feared they could be next. Though they were unsettled, they got back on the bus when the scary guys had departed. Naomi and her husband decided that she would stay in a small town, and her husband would hitchhike to a city large enough for him to get their travelers checks reinstated. As she waited with no money, or no food, she said down in the plaza of the center of the town. The only possessions she had left were a small notepad and a pencil she had kept in her back pocket. As she wrote about what she needed, the poem “Kindness” came to her. She said that as she was writing, the sense of hope and openness replaced her fear and despair. Naomi realized she would need help finding a little food and a place to sleep. As she describes it, a group of “ragamuffins” basically allowed her to join their group, and gave her small bits of bread when they realized she had nothing of her own. The poem, which helped save her, begins with the lines, “Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth.” The poem goes on the tell the story of her learning that “it is only kindness that makes sense anymore.”

At the heart of the Christmas experience is the story of two parents, with a tiny baby, finding shelter when the expected places of finding lodging and help offered nothing. The deep scriptural message of offering hospitality to the stranger finds profound expression in the story of the nativity, and is one of the reasons it forms the center of this powerful holiday season. We’ll talk about that in worship, as the sermon is titled, “No Room in the Inn: The Advent Grace of Hospitality.” It will flow from Isaiah 58: 5-12, to be read by Glenda Murray, and Luke 2: 1-7, to be read by Sue Sgambelluri. The Call to Worship and the Lighting of the Advent Candle will be led by Evan, Angela, Ethan and Ben Martin. Caitlin and Ryan Keller will present a duet on flute, and Grant Keller will play a piano solo for the Prelude. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will present the anthem. We will also sing the carols that have been selected by congregational vote in the “Carol Clash.”

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

With much struggle going on in the world, Advent presents an opportunity for centering deeply in the resources of our faith. You are invited to a special time of contemplative worship as we gather for an Advent Taizé Vesper service. Join us in the sanctuary at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, December 18th for this time of calm and peace.

The service will include prayer, readings from Scripture and other meaningful texts, and music rooted in the monastic and ecumenical Taizé community tradition of southern France. Come and breathe deeply and experience the healing grace of community.

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Many artists, most memorably Bing Crosby, have covered the classic song, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” It would make sense to assume that the song’s inspiration was a creative remembering of the biblical stories of Jesus’ birth. However, Noel Regney, a French songwriter who was living in New York City in the early 1960’s, tells the story more fully. It was during the heart of the Cuban missile crisis, a conflict which arose when the Soviet Union began deploying nuclear missiles in Cuba. The US, under President John Kennedy, threatened to invade Cuba if the missiles were not removed. The air was thick with tension as the country, and indeed, the world, feared that a nightmare of apocalyptic proportions was soon to ensue. One day, Regney was walking home in New York when he saw two babies in their strollers. He would later say, “The little angels were looking at each other and smiling. All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.” A poetic spirit came over him, and he wrote this familiar song which includes the words, “Pray for peace, people everywhere…The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light.” Advent says to us all, “Do you hear what I hear?”

Advent is a time to engage in spiritual practices that will bring more full awareness of the presence of God to us. We’ll talk about that in worship on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Do You Hear What I Hear: the Advent Acoustics of Grace.” The sermon will flow from Isaiah 40: 1-11, to be read by Kristen Hess, and Luke 2: 8-12, to be read by Jim Schaffer. Suzanne Godby Ingalsbe and Nicholas Ingalsbe will lead the Call to Worship, and light the Advent Candle. We’ll experience the joy of Children’s Chimes, as well as the Chancel Ringers under the direction of Lois Leong. Lisa Kurz will offer the solo "The Work of Christmas" by Dan Forrest. We’ll also have a mission moment from Eagle Scout, Tyler Cerney, who will report on his project. We will sing, pray and have a time for children. We hope you join us

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Many of us are powerfully drawn to the Advent and Christmas season because of the collection of lovely carols that warm our hearts when we sing them. Many of these refer to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in warm and hushed tones. From “Away in a Manger”, to what child is this, Mary becomes the representative of the nurturing and comforting presence of God as she attends to the blessed Infant.

The song that comes from Mary’s mouth in the early chapters of the Gospel of Luke is a song that carries quite a different message. This hymn is often called the “Magnificat,” after the opening line, “My soul does magnify the Lord.” As Mary sings, we hear a strident and prophetic praise of God who has “shown strength…has scattered the proud…has brought down the powerful from their thrones.” Generations later, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who publicly stood up against the Third Reich, would say that this hymn is “at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung.” This song offers no Hallmark moment.

We will have a unique opportunity to engage Mary’s song on Sunday. Our Chancel Choir, joined by a chamber ensemble of strings and winds, will present Taylor Scott Davis, Magnificat, a creative arrangement of the canticle of Mary. There will be spoken reflections and unique images offered during the choir’s presentation of the piece. During the service, Director of Children’s Ministries, Madison Sinan will offer a moment for children. Mary Beth Hannah-Hansen and Jonathan Michaelsen will serve as liturgists in the service. We will sing and pray together, and light the second Advent Candle. We hope you join us.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, November 24, 2024

I wonder if you have ever been in a boat or ship when a fierce storm arose. If so, what was your experience like? In Germany in 1933, shortly before Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, the theologian and pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, preached a sermon based on the story of Jesus’ calming the seas. You may recall that Jesus, who had been asleep, was awakened by the disciples in the midst of a storm. Bonhoeffer retold the story as if there were an extra person in the boat. At the point of being overwhelmed, one exclaims, “Stranger in this boat, who are you? And the other answers, “I am Fear.” Now the cry goes up from the whole crew; “Fear is in the boat!” All arms are frozen and drop their oars; all hope is lost. Fear is in the boat.” Bonhoeffer titled his sermon, “Overcoming Fear.”

Storms of all kinds, those on the sea and those in our personal and cultural lives are certainly challenges, but everything changes for the worse when fear is in the boat. In a very famous painting portraying this story, Rembrandt places fourteen characters in the boat. Twelve are obviously disciples. One is Jesus. Who is the fourteenth? This character looks directly at the viewers of the painting, with an expression that seems to say, “What have I gotten myself into?” This is, of course, the artist, who places himself in the painting. In our stormy setting, all of us have an opportunity to decide how we are going to place ourselves in the story. We all get to choose what we, as the people of Jesus, will do when fear is in the boat.

Let’s talk about this on Sunday at St. Mark’s, where we will mark the last Sunday of the Christian calendar, as we celebrate “Reign of Christ” Sunday. The sermon is titled, “In the Storm, In the Night”, and flows from Psalm 42, to be read by Tom Shafer, and Mark 4: 35-41, which will be read by the Degener family. We’ll have a moment for children, sing and pray together. We look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday.

If this is your first time at St. Marks, or whether you have long been a part of our church community, we look forward to connecting with you this Sunday. Join us at 10:30 in the sanctuary, or if you are connecting online, visit www.smumc.church, and click the live stream banner.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Perhaps you find yourself a bit discouraged these days. If so, or even if not, it is worth asking if there was a time when a powerful memory, whether a personal one, the story of another, or one from our story of faith, helped you find hope for your present and future? In Psalm 126, we read a song of pilgrims who are leaning into their sacred memory. They recall the joy they felt when they were released from exile in Babylon. “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.” But their exhilaration turned to near despair when upon arriving back “home” in Zion, they discovered their country is in a state of disrepair. In these moments of despair, they lean into sacred memory, and affirm that the God who delivered them before can bless them in the future. “Those who go out with weeping…shall come home with shouts of joy.” To enter into hope, one must recall both the struggle and delight of one’s story.

David Whyte says that the capacity to be vulnerable, to know what it is like to live in exile, is one of our core competencies. It is, then, this capacity to turn our faces toward home, even while in exile, that is one of the great human actions. We can see, for example, that the ancient people of faith, when celebrating the Passover meal, would have a child ask for the sacred story to be told. The child would ask, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Jesus, celebrating Last Supper with his disciples, encouraged them to “Do this in remembrance of me.” Sacred memory makes hope come alive, and today, we all need hope.

We’ll talk about this in the service on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Stories of Exile, Songs of Hope.” The sermon arises from Psalm 126, which will be read by Annette Lemond, and Mark 10: 46-52, which will be read by Kristen Hess. We will be led musically by members of the Bloomington Chamber Singers, who will sing under the direction of Dr. Betsy Burleigh. Lois Leong is the organist for this Sunday’s service, and Director of Children’s Ministries, Madison Sinan, and Blake White will also accompany with trumpets for the opening hymn, “God of the Ages.” We’ll have a moment for children, sing, and pray together.

If this is your first time at St. Marks, or whether you have long been a part of our church community, we look forward to connecting with you this Sunday. Join us at 10:30 in the sanctuary, or if you are connecting online, visit www.smumc.church, and click the live stream banner.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

This Sunday, November 3, we will celebrate All Saints’ Day in worship, as we remember those who have blessed us, our community and our world. As part of the worship service, we will share the name and light a candle of remembrance (as a bell tolls), for each person, in the St. Mark’s fellowship, who has died in the past year. We will then invite all present, who wish, to remember other loved ones, and to light candles honoring and celebrating their lives, and the gifts of their spirit that live on through us.

Our scripture passage, this Sunday, arises from the Gospel according to Mark (12:28-34). Jesus is asked “What is the greatest commandment?” He responds “You shall love the Lord your God and with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” And the second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” We are fortunate that are saints who have come before us, and those who share the journey will us now, who model for us how to ways to live that love in our daily lives.

Kim Wolf, and his wife, Cheryl have blessed this community of faith for many years. For a time, Kim regularly volunteered to be a part of worship leadership: sharing a scripture reading, offering a prayer or sharing a reflection or sermon. While I don’t remember all the wise words he shared, I do remember he would start with the same greeting, “Good Morning, Saints!” Kim would remind us that each of us is a member of the community of Saints.

We will reflect on what that might mean for us today. We will also share a Children’s Moment, pray and reflect, and sing hymns. Our Chancel Choir will sing TBA. Our Scripture reading (Mark 12:28-34) will be read by Brenda Tewel. The sermon is titled “Finding our Place in the Community of Saints”.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Winston Church once said, “First, we shape our buildings. Then they shape us.” Such is the history of architecture, and in a way, the history of the established church. Of course, one stream of the church’s longer life has suggested that buildings and locations do not matter so much. As Jesus told the woman of Samaria in the fourth chapter of John, true worshippers would not debate about the place of worship, for they worshipped in Spirit and truth.

Another stream of tradition, however, emphasizes that space can be holy and that it can be hallowed by the things said and done there. Most of us sense deep connection with particular places of worship. We have experienced the presence of the divine there, and ache for them when we are away. They may vary greatly from one another, and that is part of their power. Roy Morgan, who was once a member of the staff of St. Mark’s, put together a small booklet describing the architecture of our sanctuary. The vaulted ceilings, he said, tell us of the vastness of God. The moveable seating helps us realize the varied ways the will of God may take shape. Most notable, he would say, is the offset brick wall behind the chance, with its alternating colors and jutting arrangement of bricks. These declare the brokenness and the variety of life and community. Indeed, our buildings are shaped by us and shape us.

In the sixteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples that God would build the church on the foundation of the faith proclaimed by Peter, who said, “You are the Christ.” Every building of the church, regardless of variety, proclaims that. What does that mean as St. Mark’s observes its seventieth year? We’ll talk about that in worship on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Building the House of Belonging.” The sermon arises from I Corinthians 3: 9-15, to be read by Karen Korn, and Matthew 16: 13-20, to be read by Keith Korn. During the service, we’ll have a time of sending blessing for the Korns, who are moving from our community. Brenda Bailey Hughes will present a stewardship moment, and we’ll have a moment for children.

We hope to see you at 10:30 Sunday morning in our sanctuary, whether you are a first time visitor or a long time member of our community. To join online, visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream Banner.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Many know the hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, written by 16th century German theologian and protestant reformer, Martin Luther. It envisions God as a “place” where we can find safety and refuge in times of great challenge. I thought of it this week as I noted responses of many who came to our Stewardship and 70th Anniversary Lunch this Sunday past. In answering the question, “What do you wish others know about St. Mark’s?”, many said that they want others to know what a welcoming community St. Mark’s is. And it is true, in perplexing and difficult seasons, and regardless of who you are or who you love, St. Mark’s has determined to be a place of holy welcome. Our congregation deeply believes, “Whosoever will may come.”

But the Gospel does not just say, “Come.” It also says, “Go!” To know the St. Mark’s seventy year story is to know that we have been called to view the church as something other than an impenetrable fortress. Rather, the church moves beyond walls of safety to undertake the risk of doing good in the world. Jesus made clear that the disciples were to be salt and light in the world, agents of change bringing hope and help in a spirit of faith and courage. Throughout our history, saints in our congregation have shown many the way to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. They have addressed such human realities as doubt, food insecurity, inadequate housing, incarceration, environmental degradation, racial injustice, war, the needs of children, and the rights and needs of the LQBTQI community. In so many ways, these disciples have helped us be salt and light, witnesses of the goodness of Jesus all around us.

Let’s work with this on Sunday. The sermon is titled, “Salt and Light: See the Path They Make.” It arises from Isaiah 58: 1-12, to be read by Chris Haynes, and Matthew 5: 13-16, to be read by Jonathan Michaelsen. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will lead us musically. Stephanie Conklin and Linda Crawford will preview an upcoming family fellowship night, and cheeseball making event. We’ll sing, pray and have a moment for children.

If this is your first time at St. Marks, or whether you have long been a part of our church community, we look forward to connecting with you this Sunday. Join us at 10:30 in the sanctuary, or if you are connecting online, visit www.smumc.church, and click the live stream banner.

Sunday, October 13, 2024

This morning, I watched some news footage of the incredible storm damage in Florida, North Carolina and other states. Sadly, it also included reports of known injuries and deaths. At the same time, there were inspiring news stories of neighbors helping neighbors. There were also accounts of those who reached out to others, who had previously been strangers, and who now will always be part of each other’s life stories. These kinds of experiences reside not only in our memories, but also in our hearts.

St. Mark’s story has also lived in both the memory and hearts of generations. It began as a church with a pastor, Rev. Dick Hamilton, but without a congregation or building. As Rev. Hamilton knocked on hundreds of doors inviting individuals and families to come to a church, without a building, stewardship took many forms.

There was a culture of stewardship, born both out of necessity and desire, for everyone to give of their time, talents, prayers and resources. Sunday School classes, for children, were held in the homes of church members. The greater community contributed, as well. This included Day Mortuary, which offered a space for the first St. Mark’s worship services (at no cost).

This Sunday, after worship, all are welcome to come to Garton Hall and share a special meal together as we mark St. Mark’s 70th Anniversary as a church community. We hope you can be here to join the celebration and dream into the future ahead, as we enter into this Stewardship season. Together, we will reflect upon who we are called to be as we enter the first days, weeks and years of the next 70 years,

In worship, we will reflect on what this also might mean for us as individuals, as a community of faith, and in the gifts we bring the creative, complex, caring and challenging world we share. We will also share a Children’s Moment, pray and reflect, a stewardship moment offered by Charlie Nelms, and sing hymns. The Children’s Chimes Choir (joined by some of the “young at heart”) will share a musical piece, under the direction of Lois Leong. Our first Scripture reading (1 Peter 4:7-10) will be read by Kristen Hess, and our second Scripture reading (Acts 20:32-35) will be read by Mollie Lemon. The sermon is titled “Embracing the Heart of Stewardship”.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning,

click the link on our website www.smumc.church.

The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.

Sunday, October 6, 2024

As we enter the month in which we at St. Mark’s celebrate our seventieth anniversary as a congregation, a distinct memory comes to me. It was approximately 1992, and I was a pastor at a Baptist Church in Bloomington. I decided to take a Sunday off from my church to attend other worship services. That was my first time to ever attend St. Mark’s. I still remember the sermon David Owen preached that day, a proclamation marked by his deep and very human sense of the spiritual. An equally powerful memory is the experience of Holy Communion that came near the end of the service. Taking turns, all gathered at the altar rails surrounding the chancel area to receive communion. I had never received the sacrament in that manner. To me, it was very powerful for all of us, any who wanted, to kneel and be served with others. These saints were, in my case, intimate strangers in the experience of eating the holy meal together.

Why do we continue to celebrate Holy Communion? Nora Gallagher recalls being asked to write an article about Communion as a spiritual practice. She said she was surprised, because she hadn’t thought of it as practice but only a sacrament. She then realized that a practice was a “place” where the heart and mind wrestle to discover and embrace what is life giving. In the sacred table, we discover and embrace the many ways Christ is present with us. One of those ways is in the community that gathers with us.

Once Jesus’ disciples were asked why their “teacher” ate with “tax collectors and sinners.” The question led them, and still leads us, into the very basic experience of not only communion, but of our faith. We’ll talk about that Sunday in worship, as the sermon is titled, “No Matter What, We Must Eat to Live: The Power of Our Shared Table.” The sermon arises from Psalm 34: 1-8, which will be read by Leigh Richey, and Matthew 9: 9-13, which will be read by Suzanne Godby Ingalsbe. We will have a stewardship moment offered by Ken Beckley, and an anthem by the Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong. In addition to a moment for children, we will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning,

click the link on our website www.smumc.church.

The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am.