Da Lay Speak!
August, 2009
Hola y bienvenido to our “Hot August Nights” edition….a Roster update….and who knows what else?...
Da Roster
Yours truly got to pound the pulpit on July 26th; thank ye to those who sent your “attaSteves” afterward. I’ve been saving the video on “Angels Among Us” to show everyone that morning. If you missed it and want to view it, please let me know and I’ll try to send you the .wma file. Bill is scheduled up next on11/1/09. Updated Roster is attached.
Training Opportunities
Nuttin’ doin’! Summer months are usually “go-do-it
vacation time”, so no classes are scheduled in either ours or Delta
District. Here’s what Delta has lined up for Fall:
Saturday, September 26: Hermeneutics (freely translated “the study of
the methodological principles of interpretation—as with the Bible). UM
Conference Center 9:30-4pm. Cost $25 includes books, lunch/refreshments.
Registration deadline 9/22/09.
Saturday, October 24: Tell Stories (or Storytelling as I read it). UM
Conference Center 9-4pm. Cost $25. Deadline to register 10/20/09. (I
highly recommend this one as a preaching style. I may take it again).
Pre-Registration is required for all classes. Some classes require
homework prep before attending. Contact
Delta District, Attention Cindy Buna, deltadist@calnevumc.org. Cost
includes materials, books, refreshments and lunch. These would be a good
“re-cert” class for every 3-years if you need it.
Have you completed at least one class within the past 3-years to retain
your certification?
From My Notebook
This month we continue on to some more stuff from my
Notebook related to Leading Public Prayer..
At times, you may be called upon to lead prayer in a secular context,
such as an invocation at a civic meeting. Not only Christians but other
religious believers such as Jews or Muslims may be present. These people
cannot with integrity participate in a prayer with distinctively
Christian references, such as to Jesus Christ or the Trinity.
Sensitivity to people like these requires you to pray without such
references or decline the invitation. The resources on prayer in the
United Methodist Book of Worship will prove very helpful as you lead
prayer in public settings.
(Continued)
Segue
From the Church Newsletter in the Quincy United Methodist Church, Pastor
Cynthia Stateman talks about “spiritual questions”. Here’s part two of a
three-part feature on her words:
That verse from Jeremiah also brings us to our second resource for
knowing God’s will: prayer. We are to ask for direction. The problem is
that when we ask, we may not immediately see which is the “good way.”
But Christians through all the ages have talked of “discerning” God’s
will, or allowing ourselves to live with indecision until God’s path for
us becomes clearer. With major decisions such as whether to change jobs
and move the family, to put an aging relative in long-term care, to join
the armed forces or to go to college, rushing to any course of action
might be unwise. Christian wisdom invites us to wait until we come to a
sense of “consolation” before acting. This involves praying and waiting
for a feeling of inner quiet and peace concerning a particular
decision.. One strategy when facing two choices is to live with each for
a week. For one week, we live as if we have chosen strategy “A” and pay
attention to the feelings and possibilities that come to us. For the
next week, we do the same with choice “B.” At the end of the time, we
consider in quiet where God is drawing us. This process of praying and
waiting can open us to hearing the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.
(Continued)
Did You Know?.....
…that this monthly publication is also available
Online at St. Pauley’s Webpage? Go to www.stpaulsumcreno.com
click on the “News” link, scroll down to “Da Lay Speak” and click on
whatever month you wish to see. Let’s all tip our lids to Webmeister,
Mike Clymer, for including us Online and “around the world”!
The Lord’s Laughter (from the Joyful Noiseletter)
Questions You Might Not Think To Ask – Part 3
Why do you pay a toll on a freeway?
How is it that people always seem to die in alphabetical order?
If a mime gets arrested, do the police tell him that he/she has the
right to remain silent?
If teachers taught, why don’t preachers praught?
If an apple a day keeps a doctor away, would a watermelon a day keep a
lawyer away?
See ya Sunday
Diz