The Pastor’s Column

By Rodney Newman

After Easter

 

Last week, a child at our daughter’s daycare noticed that the bulletin board still had Easter decorations and called out, “What’s that still doing there, Easter’s over!” He doesn’t yet understand that Easter Day marked only the beginning of our celebration of the resurrection. On the church calendar, Eastertide continues until Pentecost, for some 50 days.

It can seem somewhat anticlimactic. How do we sustain a celebration that intense for that long? As the realization of the resurrection settles in, perhaps a quieter tone is called for

Our son has just joined the millions who have read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. The author also wrote an essay remembering his late wife’s love of gardening. Even though they both knew that she was dying of cancer, in her last autumn she insisted on planting her bulbs.

Armed with a diagram and clipboard, Catherine would  . . . proceed to the director's chair placed at the edge of the plot. There she would sit, hour after hour, with the wind and the weather, . . . ready for the intricate interment. There was something comical, yet touching, in her bedraggled appearance on this awesome occasion. The small, hunched-over figure; her studied absorption in the implausible notion that there would be another spring; oblivious to the end of her own days, which she knew perfectly well was near at hand; sitting there with her chart under those dark skies in the dying October calmly plotting the resurrection.

Easter is a time to experience new life and also a time to plant seeds, to invest ourselves in people and ideals larger than ourselves, the results of which we may see only with the eyes of hope.

 

Dr. Myron F. McCoy

to present 2005 Holland Lectures

April 10

 

     We are pleased to welcome Dr. Myron F. McCoy to this distinguished series. Dr. McCoy became President of Saint Paul School of Theology in August of 2003. Bringing more than two decades of experience in local church leadership, Dr. McCoy came to Kansas City from Chicago where he served as Senior Pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church from 1992 until assuming his responsibilities at Saint Paul.

     Dr. McCoy is known throughout The United Methodist Church. He currently serves as Chair of the North Central Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee and is on the leadership team of the 2004-2008 Study of the Episcopacy. One of his current projects includes the general editing, with the United Methodist Publishing House, of the African American Songbook.

 

Christian Discipleship:

Learning & Growing

 

8:30 & 11:00 a.m.

It's A Gift!

Luke 18:9-14

Sanctuary

 

9:30 a.m.

Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

Youth Activities Room

 

6:00 p.m.

A Vision For United Methodist

Theological Education

(Modeling Justice)

Sanctuary

Reception following

   

All Church Retreat

May 6-7

Canyon Camp

 

We have reserved the Hardt Lodge at Canyon Camp for our retreat this year. This motel-type facility offers comfortable accommodations in a beautiful setting. We will leave late Friday afternoon and return the next afternoon. Mark you calendars now and look for more information to come.

 

This Month in Worship

Easter Sunday marks only the beginning of the celebration of the resurrection. We had six weeks in Lent and now seven weeks in the Easter season. This month we begin with an encounter of two anonymous disciples and the risen Christ and close with a look at two of the most familiar sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of John.

Sermon Titles & Texts  

            April 3      A Walk to Remember

                        Luke 24:13-35

                        Second Sunday of Easter

 

      April 10      Holland Lecture

                        Rev. Dr. Myron F. McCoy

                        Third Sunday of Easter

                       

        April 17      A Flood of Blessings

                              John 7:37-39

                        Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

         April 24      Address Unknown

                              John 14:1-14

                        Fifth Sunday of Easter

 

Children’s Ministry

by Mary Altizer

Thank you

 

Didn’t the children sound fantastic on Palm Sunday?  Alyssa and the children’s choir have done some great work that has been such a blessing. All the children waving their palms were adorable and their participation in service is appreciated. Thanks also to Jo and other adults who helped with Palm Sunday. The children’s choir will sing next on April 17.

 

What a terrific egg hunt! All the kids had lots of fun and plenty of treats. As Aaron Puffinbarger would call them, “surprises.” Thanks Sean and Melissa for the wonderful morning.

 

Coming Events

 

Lots of opportunities are coming up to get involved in the ministry at CHUMC! Vacation Bible school is slated for July 18-22, and music camp for June 13-17. Take part in the mission and ministry to our children and see how much you are blessed. Contact Ann Newman or me if you can help.

 

Summer camps are on the way for children and youth. I will be posting and sending out informa-tion from the conference office.

Children’s Sunday School

 

Thank you teachers for the Sunday School unit, Easter: Go And Tell. They are: Julie Williams, Ann Newman, Julie Armstrong, Carole Barnes, and Jo Mullen. You participated in a very important part of religious education for our children.

 

Our next unit is Pentecost People. There is a sign-up sheet in the children’s hallway if you can help teach. There are lots of interesting things to learn about the church’s birthday.

 

Safe Sanctuaries

 

As part of our “Safe Sanctuaries” efforts, we are asked by the conference to offer educational opportunities for those who may work with children, youth, or vulnerable adults. So we will have CPR training for anyone in the congregation who wishes to learn or just refresh their knowledge. This is planned for April 30, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can find a registration form in the children’s hallway or I can mail one to you. Look for more upcoming educational opportunities as part of “Safe Sanctuaries.”

 

Youth Ministry

 

Sushi. Well, it seems you either love it or you really don’t. I had a great time eating at Tokyo with the youth. Thanks Hannah, for the environ-mentally aware guidelines that evening. Hannah and Evan have been a great addition and a huge help to the youth. You are so appreciated.

 

Youth parents: please sign up for snack suppers in the Youth Room. We need food!

 

There will be no youth group meeting on Sunday April 10 so we can attend the Holland Lecture.

 

Thank you to the children and youth who participated in the Holy Thursday service. This is a very spiritually rewarding service and you helped make it even more so.

 

Member News

 

We welcome Lavonne Sealy to our membership. Lavonne joined Crown Heights on March 13 by transfer from another denomination.  

 

Congratulations to Dan Batchelor who has been named this year’s recipient of the Stanley Draper Award presented by Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. for community excellence in making a lasting positive change for downtown.   

 

Music Ministry

by George Massey

Lenten Music Series

 

Many thanks to all who participated in our successful Lenten Music Series. I have heard nothing but positive comments concerning our programming of the selections from Handel’s Messiah and our Palm Sunday and Easter services. Many thanks to our Chancel Choir for their continued dedication to the music ministry, you all are a constant source of inspiration to me! Also, a very special thanks to Evan Chancellor for his valuable assistance with not only contacting his former colleagues from the University of North Texas who assisted with the Easter Services, but his time to arrange the Brass Ensemble parts for the instruments we eventually used!

 

Children’s Summer Musical

 

Parents, it is time to consider registering your son or daughter for our annual summer musical camp scheduled for June 13 through 17 with the performance on Father's Day, June 19. Call or e-mail me or Mary as soon as you can to let us know of your interest so we can complete our programming of this very fun week for all!

 

Mission Recognition Sunday

April 24

 

How are you in mission? From Mobile Meals to Whiz Kids, from Rio Bravo, Mexico, to Ghana, Africa, our church family is in missions year round. But there are many in our church who volunteer daily or weekly in the mission field here in Oklahoma City. They may be working in a food closet, or visiting in a nursing home, or volunteering at a school, or on a board of a service organization. The mission team wants to recognize all those in our church family who are in mission. Do you volunteer your time in missions outside those sponsored by our church? Or do you know of a church member who volunteers but might not tell us? Call Janet Kingsolver at 524-3895, to let us know. We will recognize those in mission in a special worship service on April 24. So let us know what you and others are doing to further God’s work and love in our world.

Habitat for Humanity Day

Saturday, April 30

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You have the opportunity to help a mother and her children build a house of their own, one they can really be proud of. On Saturday, April 30, we will be working with a working mom and Habitat for Humanity in building a house. We will leave the church around 8 a.m. and work on the house until around 3 p.m. with a break for lunch. You can participate in an exciting venture to help a family have what most of us take for granted – their own home.

 

Flea Market

Benefiting the African Refugee Camp

Saturday, May 14

It’s almost time for the all-church Flea Market again, just a month and a half away. So gather your ‘treasures’ together and price them to sell. It’s also time to reserve Saturday, May 14, for a fun day with your church family at the Flea Market. Now you can be a part of helping refugees get the training they need to return to their native homeland. Bring your spring garage sale to the church and be a part of something larger than yourself.

Project Transformation

Become a Reading Volunteer

June 14 – August 4

Reading with a child can be one of the most loving things an adult can give a child. If the child is from a home where books are not read often, it can mean even more. You have a chance all summer long, Monday thru Thursday, to give this gift to several children from 9:45 - noon. Project Transformation sponsors their Summer Day Camp programs in several churches and reading with the children is one of the most important components of the program. You don’t have to be there every day. Most of those who volunteer do so for just one week out of the summer. But many people are needed. Quayle UMC and Wesley UMC will be hosting two of the programs this summer. If you would like to volunteer or just get more information about this program, call Quayle UMC at 424-2770 or Wesley UMC at 525-3521.

Summer Mission Trips

 

Being in mission can take many forms. It can be an on-going activity such as preparing meals for homebound people. Or it can be a time when you take an extended break from your regular routine and immerse yourself in service and another culture. Both forms of mission are important in spreading the word and love of God. When you spend the week or two on an extended mission trip, you may find yourself moving in your spiritual life in ways you never thought possible.  

Several Crown Heights members have signed up to travel to other countries to be in mission this summer. Evelyn Phyffer and Taffy Fellingham will be in Ghana in August. The Gean family and Janet Kingsolver will be in London, England in July. Several others are thinking about Belize and Guatemala as their destinations. It’s not too late for you to sign up for any of these trips. Some are construction trips, some Vacation Bible School trips, and some are medical or education trips. Call the VIM office at 530-2031, or go to their website at okumc.org/vim for more information.