Tidings - Trinity United Methodist Church Merchantville, NJ

Vol. 81
No. 5
May
2015
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b
Dear Friends,
I love these Great 50 Days of Easter! It seems like we spend a lifetime hungering and waiting for God to show up
when we face our hardest times.
During the Season of Advent we prepare for the coming of Christ yet again into our midst with expectation & hope.
In the season of Lent, we embark on that hard work of self-reflection, self-denial and repentance that brings us face
to face with the ugliness and brutality of death on a cross. We become more intentional in our prayer lives, in our
generosity, in our acts of worship and acts of mercy for the sole purpose of cleaning our interior houses so that when
the reality of death hits us, we are prepared and ready to receive God’s goodness and love toward us in and through
Jesus.
And, then, halleluiah! Easter finds us! As the church we gather on Easter morning, ready to receive the light of resurrection. And the light does indeed come in the darkness in ways that are powerful and mysterious and wondrous.
We learn that death does not have the final say in our lives, but that life does.
We learn that in life, in death, in life beyond death that we belong to God.
Each Sunday in Easter we grapple with who the risen Jesus is.
He appears and we do not recognize him at first.
But then he speaks to us and we know.
Then he blesses, breaks and gives us bread, and we know.
He shows up around a charcoal fire and asks, “Do you love me?”, and we know.
We hear these words from John 10:10: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly!”
And, we know. Something at the core of our very being knows that God in Christ comes to us and offers us new life
out of God’s great love for us. This act of love at God’s initiative is holy and mysterious. We often fail to recognize
it at first.
Then the risen Christ calls us by name, speaks to our hearts and becomes a part of our very being in simple gifts
such as bread and wine, oil and water. We come to know this in these Great 50 days and we give thanks.
Praying that you encounter the Risen Christ during these continued days of Easter.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Walt
Please be with us as we look forward to the promises of the Risen Christ as we celebrate Holy Communion at the
banquet table on Sunday, May 3rd.
Please be with us as we celebrate Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church on Sunday May
24th.
Be sure to join us on
Sunday,
May 3rd
for a
Resurrection
Celebration
Heavenly
Banqueting Table
Holy Communion
will be
served in
the Chapel
National Day of
Prayer
at The Kroc Center
Everyone is invited to gather at the Kroc Center in
Camden on Tuesday, May 7th in observance of
National Day of Prayer.
The community event will begin at noon. Anyone in
need of a ride please speak with Pastor Walt.
Pedal for
Promise
Saturday, May 9, 2015 - 7:30am
Pastor Walt will be participating in the Urban
Promise Pedal for Promise. All cyclists are
encouraged to raise $200+ through personal
fundraising. Funds raised will help provide
innovative, hands-on, experiential education to
Camden’s teens. Donations can be made online
to support Pastor Walt by visiting the link below.
http://urbanpromiseusa.donorpages.com/
PedalForPromise2015/WalterMander/
ShopRite Gift Cards
Please don’t forget about our ongoing ShopRite gift card fundraiser.
Most of us take weekly trips to the grocery store. Next time instead of using your debit card or paying
cash please consider pre-purchasing a ShopRite gift card from us and help in this fundraising campaign.
Here’s how it works –
Gift cards are available to be purchased from the church office during regular office hours or during
fellowship time on Sundays.
The cards are sold for face value and are available in amounts of $25, $50 or $100 and can be used
during one or multiple visits until the entire value of the card is used.
Each time a member of the congregation buys a shopping card WST receives 5% of its value as a
donation from ShopRite.
It is our hope that members of the congregation will get into the habit of purchasing these cards for their
own shopping needs to help us to raise funds on a continuing basis.
These cards also make great gifts for any occasion!
This Month’s
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
MAY BIRTHDAYS
1
st
3rd
Beth Vasta
Eurdine Moulier
Memorial Sunday
We would like to send a
special invitation to veterans &
first responders to come to our
Memorial Sunday worship service
on May 24th at 10:45 as we
honor all those who served
country as well as those serving
our communities.
Jackie Whitehead
Brittany Whitehead
The Food Pantry is requesting the following items:
7th
Curtis Weller
Kristen Curcio
May Smiley
9th
Becca Harris
10th
Sandra Day
Tony Stagliano
Aiyanah Edwards
13th
15th
18th
19th
20th
22nd
25th
26th
27th
29th
31st
As always, all donations are appreciated!
George Reinas
Kyle Perkins
Frank Korhammer
Merri Gordy
SUMMER CAMP
REGISTRATION!
John Perkins
Courtney Bird
Mike O’Shea
Elizabeth Hodosheff
Dottie Landolt
Mesoma Ezeiruaku
Cora Assenheimer
12th
Janice Matthews
Patricia Johnston
Stephen Torok
Helen Carrell
Barbara Shiley
Charles Holliday II
Pastor Walt
MAY ANNIVERSARIES
3rd
Melissa & Bill Gray
7th
Jeff & Julia Massey
12th
14th
Diane & Robert Deeds
Philip & Carol Swanson
19th
John & May Smiley
29th
Elaine & Charles Coward
H
A
P
P
Y
CHECK IT OUT
11th
Canned meat or fish
Condensed soup
Canned vegetables
Canned fruit
Cereal
4th
Registration is now open for summer
camp at Pinelands Center at Mt.
Misery. Visit their website
www.pinelandscenter.org
SUPPORT THE MISSION FUND AND
A FUTURE WITH HOPE by joining us at a Trenton
Thunder or Lakewood BlueClaws game to support Sandy
recovery! All proceeds from our ticket
sales will help Sandy recovery in NJ.
TRENTON THUNDER
7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 9th
LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS
7:05 pm. Wed., June 17th
$10 PER TICKET
Visit their website to reserve tickets
http://www.afuturewithhope.org/baseball
VISIT HISTORIC ST. GEORGE’S UMC MUSEUM
America’s oldest Methodist Church Building is in Old
City Philadelphia, at 235 N. Fourth St.,
between Vine and Race . Individuals as
well as groups are invited to visit their
museum which houses artifacts and
documents dating from the late 1700s.
Museum hours are 10am-4pm weekdays & Saturdays by appointment.
Please call ahead to ensure availability. 215-925-7788
For more information visit their website
http://www.historicstgeorges.org/museum
send his blessings of comfort and healing to those
who are hurting.
May God bless us everyone!
Hello friends!
I think that everyone who reads my articles regularly
has come to know that open with a comment on the
weather. Well, lately the weather has been reminding me of a tale in Celtic folklore about the battle
between the Oaken King and the Holly King. Twice
a year on the day of the solstice, the kings do battle
to see which one will rule the seasons. The Holly
King has been putting up quite a fight, but just
recently it seems as though the Oaken King is finally
taking over. Spring has finally arrived!
Debbie Curcio
Worship Committee Chairperson
May is National Egg Month,
so I thought I would
take this opportunity to
tell you about some
many virtues of the
egg. Eggs provide
high-quality protein,
Just in the last couple of weeks we commemorated containing all the
Holy Week. Every year, most of us love the tradition essential amino acids
of beginning Holy Week singing The Palms by Jean our bodies need in a
Baptiste Faure as we celebrate Christ’s procession
near-perfect pattern.
into Jerusalem. By Thursday of the same week,
those same crowds have turned on Him. There was The misunderstood yolk contains an excellent
a beautiful service at Pennsauken Methodist portray- source of the important nutrient, choline. Choline
ing the events of that night. We continued with
intake during pregnancy may be a key factor in the
WST’s Good Friday breakfast where Shirley Weller development of infants’ memory functions and, later
shared an inspirational message. The ecumenical
in life, choline may improve memory capacity. The
service returned this year and was hosted by Grace yolk gets its color from the yellow-orange plant
Episcopal Church. Each pastor or priest who spoke pigments called lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and
shared the message of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice be- zeaxanthin have been shown to reduce the risks of
cause of His love for you and me. Sunday
cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the
morning’s service was the Easter celebration was
leading cause of blindness in those 65 and older.
beautiful. I hope all were blessed by the love He
showed us all.
All of the egg’s vitamins A, D, E and K are in the
yolk. Eggs are also a good source of vitamin B12
Thank you to everyone who made a donation in
and B2 and many other nutrients, including a wide
honor and/or in memory of loved ones. Your flowers variety of other vitamins and minerals. The yolk
really looked beautiful in the sanctuary. A list of your contains a higher percentage of the eggs’ vitamins
dedications was included in the bulletin on Easter
than the white.
and is also listed in this publication. Thanks to
Cindy who also added your dedications to the slide
Cholesterol? Chicken eggs are high in cholesterol,
show on Easter Sunday. Each dedication brought
but the effect on blood cholesterol is minimal when
back special memories of those who now celebrate compared with the effect of trans fats and saturated
Easter in Paradise.
fats. Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs
a week with no increase in their risk of heart disAs we look forward to the next couple of months,
ease. Some studies have shown that this level of
remember that we will be having a special communegg consumption may actually prevent some types
ion service on the first Sunday in May. We will also
of strokes.
have special services on Mother’s Day, Father’s
But the story is different for people who have diabeDay, and Children’s Day.
tes. In this ever-growing population, eating seven
eggs a week significantly increases the risk of heart
As always, a special thank you goes out to those
disease.
who volunteer to serve with worship each Sunday.
As I close, I send out a special prayer for God to
Barbara Wilson, RD
Easter Dedications
Thank you to everyone who made a donation in honor and/or in memory of loved ones.
Elaine & Chuck Coward
In memory of Nicholas Musulin Jr. and Wm. Mark Coward.
Debbie Curcio
In memory and honor of family and friends in glory. Thanking God
for blessing us all with love both here and celebrating with Him.
Sally Games
In honor of the Games family & the Crothers family. in honor of
Charles Games, Jim Weise, Constance Weise Baez & Jordanis Baez.
Brenda & Billy Hamilton
In memory of Warren Schalck, Bea Wilson and Charlie & Mary
Howison. We love and miss all of you.
Bernadette & Skip Harris
In memory of Esther McAneney.
Karen Hoffman
In memory of loved ones.
Peter & Pat Johnston
In memory of Pennie Johnston and Peter & Vanson Delp.
Walt & Kathy Mander
In memory of Walt’s mom, Betty Sellars.
Elaine McBride
In memory of Sarah & Russel McBride.
The Migliaccio Family
In memory of Mary & Charles Howison. In memory of Susan &
Paul Migliaccio. We miss you and love you.
David & Pat Nelson
In memory of our friends who have passed on.
Mae & Harry Pray
In memory of loved ones.
Barbara Shiley
In memory of my parents.
Tony & Bobbi Stagliano
In memory of our family members and friends now living with our
Lord in heaven.
Janice E. Stow
In memory of my loved ones.
Jack Thomas
In memory of John & Marty Thomas; I love and miss you Mom & Dad.
Cece Torok
In memory of my parents, Vincent & Joye Lentini.
Eva Vayo
In memory of loved ones. In honor of my grandchildren.
Joan H. Wells
In memory of parents Helen & Dallas Clark.
Barb & Dennis Wilson
In memory of Betty Smiley and Matthew Wilson.
The Tidings
A periodic publication of
Trinity United Methodist Church
Office Hours Tues. - Fri. 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
(856) 665-1806 Fax: (856) 665-9556
Email: [email protected]
Sunday Worship
10:45 AM
Website: www.gotrinity.org
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2015
Trinity United Methodist Church
36 W. Maple Ave.
Merchantville, NJ 08109
Sunday School
9:30 AM