1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

The Witness
March 20, 2015
Volume 62, Issue 3
March 20, 2015
Bothell United Methodist Church
Holy Week Calendar
Palm Sunday Services, March 29, 8, 9 & 10:30
Palm Processional and Palm Crosses
Maundy Thursday Service, April 2, 7 pm
Communion, hand washing and special music presented by the
Chancel and Chant Choirs
Good Friday, April 3, 7 pm
Chapel open for meditation 8:15 am to 6:30 pm
7 pm service in the ancient tradition of Tenebrae led by the
Chancel and Chant Choirs
(Tenebrae is Latin for ‘shadows’ or ‘darkness’)
Saturday, April 4, 9 am
Easter Egg Hunt for children Pre K through Grade 6
Breakfast featuring bunny pancakes
Easter Services, April 5, 6:30, 8, 9, and 10:30 am
Sunrise Service beginning at 6:30 am with acoustic guitar
in the Ann Blackburn Outdoor Chapel
River worship service in the chapel at 8 am with Chant Choir processional
Roots worship service in the sanctuary at 9 am with
Special music by the Chancel Choir and Bothell UMC Brass
Wings worship service in the sanctuary at 10:30 am
featuring the Worship Ensemble
Communion is celebrated
at all services
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Fellowship, coffee and hot cross buns follow all four services!
The Witness
March 20, 2015
Spiritual but not Religious?
I know many cool people who describe themselves as spiritual, but not religious. Sound familiar? Before I met real
church, that’s how I understood myself as well – spiritual,
but not religious. It’s trendy to be spiritual these days, but
religious? Not so much.
When someone says “spiritual” in this context it seems to mean soulful, in
touch with deep wisdom, sensitive to the sacred all around us. Lovely! On the other
hand for many, "religious" connotes a sense of rigidity and strange commitment to
empty rituals and rules. What a misunderstanding!
Religion is about connection. Connection to God, connection to true self,
connection to Spirit-centered community. The word’s Latin origin (religare) means
to bind, moor, fasten, tie, unite. Religion is meant to unite us with and in the One we
yearn for, the essence of being, the God who is! Pretty spiritual stuff.
Certainly religion runs aground when its forms mask the very Spirit they were
born to reveal. There is no taming or containing the Infinite! But helpful religion brings
a kind of music to the dance, thrusting us in the arms of our partner, shaking our
insistence to lead, opening us for movement, belonging and transcendent joy.
The symbols and rituals that religion employs are packed with spiritual
meaning. Fire, water, Word, bread, wine, cross, community…We can be asleep to
the power behind these things, or wonder-fully overwhelmed. Author Annie Dillard
suggests that if we were more aware of what/who we’re dealing with when we
gather for worship - we’d come wearing life vests and crash helmets!
Helpful religion is spiritual, connecting and reconnecting us to the implanted
word (James 1:21) and driving us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with
God (Micah 6:8). Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father,
is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against
corruption from the godless world. (James 1:27, The Message).
Thanks Bothell UMC. Here’s to spiritual religion, and the One who makes it so.
Here’s to God, who invites us all to dance.
Becoming Christ in the Community,
Pastor Lee
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Four Corners Mission
Celebrations
Pea Patch
Are you ready to
garden? The
pea patch is a
perfect place to
grow vegetables and strawberries and
a few sunflowers if that pleases you.
We use organic methods to garden.
We get together as a group to take
care of the common areas - path
ways through and around the raised
beds. That occurs a few times a
growing season. There are other
gardeners to ask if you have questions
- so don't feel you have to be a "pro"
to come and garden! All skills levels
are welcomed. Contact the office if
you are interested and they will put
you in touch with Kendra Smith or
Elizabeth McTyre. Cost is $30 to cover
cost of water and scholarships are
available too. No excuses come and
grow food for yourself or to share with
others.
Four Corners Mission
Celebrations with Bishop
Hope Morgan Ward will
challenge you to reflect,
learn and engage in mission locally
and around the world.
Bishop Ward is leading this program in
the four corners of the PNW. She will be
at Bothell UMC on Sunday, April 12,
2015. There will be dinner, mission fair,
worship and keynote speaker.
Cost is $8 plus an offering for an
Advance project.
Find out what is happening locally
and globally in mission. Global
Ministries has 340 missionaries in 60
countries. Health, disaster response,
church planting, food security, clean
water, evangelization and missionaries
all are under the umbrella of Global
Ministries.
Tickets are available online at bit.ly/
tickets-fcumc or email [email protected] for more
details. Pre-booking is necessary for
dinner.
Next Witness Deadline
Monday, April 13
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Wrestling with
Difficult Questions
Please Keep In Your Prayers …
Judi and Larry Burcham as they grieve
the passing of Judi’s mother,
Frances Stream
There is a quote with attribution
unknown that goes like this, “In
essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty;
in all things charity.” Christian essentials
include concepts like the Trinity. Nonessentials include items such as infant
baptism, communion, the rapture, and
homosexuality. But what is the full list of
essentials of the Christian faith on which
we must all agree? Are non-essentials
not important? If they are important,
what is the rationale for different points
of view?
Debbie Carley and her family as they
grieve the passing of Debbie’s dad,
Ken Smith
All our home-bound friends and
people living with chronic conditions
Linda Fatuma, Reagan Mutombo and
all the children at the Jamaa Letu
Orphanages
Kairos Prison Ministry
We are forming a group to discuss these
questions in depth. We will examine
how various denominations and religions
differ in their views. We will discuss how a
diverse group of believers can
simultaneously demonstrate unity, liberty
and charity when these issues are
involved. We will examine how these
issues are being managed both locally
at Bothell UMC and globally as the
United Methodist Church. The Bothell
UMC Wrestling Team is now forming and
will study, discuss and debate such
challenging issues. Please email
[email protected] if you would
like to join or if you have any questions.
and Peace
Stephen Ministers
Are Here For You
Are you, or someone
you know, going
through a crisis in life? Crises happen in
all of our lives at one time or another. At
times like these, it is so important to have
someone who cares to journey
alongside you. For a referral, please
contact BUMC Pastors, Sharon Harnden
or Myrna Evers.
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Bothell United Methodist
Women
Susanna Wesley
The Susanna Wesley Group will meet
on Thursday, April 9, at 10 am in the
Fireside room. The program will be a
service project of making greeting
cards. Noreen Forck and Nancy
Field will provide materials and
guidance. Questions? Contact
Carol Russell or Fae McLean.
Susanna Wesley - Will next
meet on April 9, at
10 am in the Fireside room.
Northstar—Will next meet on
March 25, at 7:30 pm in Fireside.
Northstar UMW
Open House!
Join Northstar United Methodist Women
as we do another hands-on mission
project! Our church is an official
sponsor of the Can Do 5K. Jemmie has
requested that we make capes out of
t-shirts for all the church participants
(we are planning on 100). The capes
are pretty easy to cut out of old tshirts. The plan is to then iron on a transfer of "Bothell UMC" or "Wonderfully
Made." We have invited the UMW Girls
to come help us so a good time will
definitely be had by all!
Who? Women
with kids from zero
through High School
What? BBM is a national organization
that encourages women to Learn, Serve
and Grow in a supportive environment
When? Sunday April 12, at 6 pm
(childcare provided)
Where? BUMC rooms 210/211
Why? Enrollment for the Fall begins in
May. Come and see what we are
about and why you should join us. Oh,
and be prepared to laugh.
Our group will meet Wednesday,
March 25, in the Fireside Room (moved
from the lounge due to the Lenten
Study). Our devotion will be the Lenten
Service at 7 pm with our gathering
beginning at 7:30 pm. All women are
invited to attend. Contact Shelly
Ainsworth, Noreen Forck, or the church
office for more information.
Contact Annette Calkins for more
information or to arrange childcare.
[email protected]
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
BUMC Children
Kids, Invite Your Friends To
Hunt Eggs on April 4!
Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will be
on Saturday, April 4, so invite your
friends because we’re making room
for all! We will have a room set
aside for an Easter Egg Hunt for kids
that require special assistance; we
want every child to enjoy the experience of Easter.
As tradition, we will then start by meeting in the
sanctuary at 9 am for a brief program with songs and
an audience-participation retelling of the Easter story.
Following our program, we’ll dismiss kids in grades 1st6th to hunt eggs throughout the church while kids in
Preschool through the Kindergarten will go with their
parents to have breakfast in the Fellowship Hall.
When the 1st-6th graders have found their eggs, we’ll
have these kids plus other volunteers hide eggs for the
younger kids who will then go throughout the church to
hunt for their eggs. Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of
colorful candy-filled eggs for kids to discover as well as
our ever-popular bunny pancakes for breakfast. Both
youth and adult volunteers are needed! Please sign up
on the tear-away sheet in the Sunday bulletin or email
[email protected]. This is a fun way to support
our fabulous BUMC kids and welcome our neighbors to
the church!
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Parents’ Night Out
Are you looking for safe,
fun, reliable and
affordable childcare?
Our upcoming Parents’
Night Out will take place
March 27, from 5:30-8:30
pm. Please register early
so we can plan
accordingly. If you
register your children
before March 23, you will
be entered in a drawing
to win a gift certificate to
a local restaurant! You
can register at the
following link: http://
events.constantcontact.
com/register/event?
llr=riuhf8cab&oeidk=a07
eafoizgffd55fe5d
April Movie Madness!
Friday, April 17 at 6 pm!!
The Witness
March 20, 2015
Bothell Youth News
Upcoming Youth Calendar
Camperships
Support the Camperships Fund
Youth Sunday School is every Sunday at
9 am and 10:30 am in the Youth Room.
Thank you to everyone who supported
the campership fund through our recent
fundraisers. We are closer to reaching
our goal of providing 30 camperships
this year. If you did not get a chance to
donate to the Campership Fund at our
recent Campships Breakfast, but you
would like to support it, you can drop off
a check at the church with
“Camperships” on the note line or donate only at the BUMC website.
Sunday Evening Youth Group meets from
5:30-7:30 pm in the Youth Room. Worship
Nights conclude with worship in the
Chapel from 7:10-7:30 pm.
Mar 29 Youth Group (Worship Night)
Apr 4 Helping with BUMC Easter Egg Hunt,
9:00 am-12:30 pm
Apr 5 No Youth Group (Easter)
Apr 12 No Youth Group (Spring Breaks)
Receive a Campership
Apr 19 Youth Group
Apr 26 Youth Group (Worship Night)
May 3 Volunteering with Bothell
Community Kitchen, 2:30-6:30 pm
Save the Date: CONVO
The BUMC Youth will be going to the largest
youth gathering in the year for the PNW
Conference over Memorial Day Weekend
(May 23-25) at UPS in Tacoma, WA.
Registration will be open later this spring,
but for now, mark the calendars!
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If there is a child or youth in your family
that is attending summer camp and
needs additional support, you can request a BUMC Campership. All you
need to do is email Emily Stecher
([email protected]) by Sunday,
May 1, with the child/ youth’s name
and which camp they are attending.
PNW Camping & Retreat Ministries
For a full summer camp schedule, go to
pnwcamp.org.
The Witness
March 20, 2015
Did you know…
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Our church purpose is “Becoming Christ in the community,” and in order to live out
that purpose, members are asked to volunteer two hours in the community and
one hour in the church per month. If you’re looking for volunteer suggestions,
check out the Missions Team bulletin board in the narthex or look at the church
website at www.bothellumc.org Follow the link marked “Service” under “Latest
News”.
Our Easter Sunrise Service is held outdoors in the Ann Blackburn Outdoor Chapel.
However, if you wake up and it’s raining on Easter the sunrise service will be
moved to the steps near the entrance. Bring a blanket, the concrete will be cold
but the fellowship warm and the occasion joyful. Rain or shine, there will be coffee
and hot cross buns for people attending all four Easter services.
The 8 am River Service is held in the Chapel, and donated flower bouquets are reused to brighten the tables for the Bothell Community Kitchen later in the day. If
you would like to contribute a bouquet, either in honor or memory of someone or
just to brighten the chapel, please call Susan Moore at 425-806-9085.
Why New Carpet?
Last September the hot water tank in the sacristy leaked and flooded the sacristy,
family room and part of the sanctuary, including the chancel area under the
platform. Church volunteers worked many hours to clean up from the initial flood
and make a temporary repair for worship. The insurance adjustor determined the
whole sanctuary needed to be returned to “pre-flood” condition. It was also
discovered that the narthex and lounge could be re-carpeted at a reduced rate if
done at the same time.
The Trustees appointed a team to select the new carpeting. Thank you to team
members Kendra Smith, Henry Chiles, Mary Osborne, Jeff Ricco, Lorrie Sjoquist, and
Barb Donovan. Many more volunteers worked hours to prepare for the new carpet
installation and then reset everything on Saturday to be ready for Sunday worship
services. THANK YOU Trustees and everyone who has been involved in this
significant project!
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Library News
Faith and Fiction
Everyone is invited to
join us for our monthly
book discussion. We
meet at the Greens'
home, only a few short
blocks from the church, usually on the
third Wednesday of the month at 7
pm. We've chosen these books for our
upcoming meetings:
April 15 — Birds Without Wings, by
Louis De Bernières
May 20—The Burgess Boys, by
Elizabeth Strout
New to the Library in March
are the following items:
The following two books are
Pastor Selection Books. (Pastor Lee)
City of God (Faith in the
Streets) - by Sara Miles
Jesus Freak (Feeding Healing and Raising the
Dead) - by Sara Miles
Unbroken - by Laura
Hillenbrand
A World War II Story of
survival, resilience and
redemption.
Blue Ray DVD - The Polar Express
Blue Ray DVD The Wizard of OZ
Nowhere to
be Found - by Emily
Thomas
DVD - Sleeping Beauty
(Secrets of the Blue Hill
Library - Guidepost
Selection)
Thank you for returning
books and DVD's in a
timely manner.
A beautiful Queen Ann
Victorian home becomes not only a
home for Anne Gibson and her
children but also becomes the town
library. A sealed off room is discovered
during renovation and the mystery
begins.
Next Witness Deadline
Monday, April 13
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Becoming Christ in the Community
Wanted!
To register, go online to
www.cando5k.org. This also will allow you
to register by mail if you prefer. You can
also pick up registration forms at the
information counter. Be sure to put team
“Run BUMC” on your registration.
Like to run, walk, volunteer?
Come join us for the Can
Do 5K run/walk. As a competitor, you can run fast and set that
new Personal Best or you can run your
own pace and finish with dignity.
Feeding the Hungry
If you're not a runner then you can walk
the 5K (3.1 miles) or you may want to
walk the 1 mile. Our own 90-year old
Betty Swartz will be doing the mile with
her walker for the 2nd year in a row! If
she Can Do, You Can Do.
BUMC has committed to providing
food for students at Bothell High School
who do not have enough money for
lunch. Please donate single-serving,
prepackaged food such as nuts, jerky,
fruit, juice, or cheese & crackers.
Suggested shopping lists
are on the box in the
narthex to help remind
you the next time you
are at the grocery store!
Thank you, this food is
very appreciated.
Not a runner or walker? That's great,
you can volunteer. We need corner
workers, start/finish people, and many
more tasks. And if you don't want to
volunteer, you can stay in the comfort
and safety of your own home and
Donate to a great cause at http://
getmeregistered.com/homepage.php?
id=9271.
Proceeds benefit Northwest Special
Families, with an aim to encourage
youth development, healthy living, and
social responsibility among individuals of
all abilities.
Next Witness Deadline
Monday, April 13
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Why Fund Imagine No Malaria?
Big campaigns like Imagine No Malaria are sometimes hard to support because they
seem so distant and not related to our daily lives. But malaria is a very serious illness
that debilitates and kills, especially kids. Here are a few facts:
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There were an estimated 198 million malaria cases worldwide in 2013, mostly pregnant women and children.
Malaria accounts for half of preventable absenteeism in African schools, causing
up to 10 million missed days each year. Malaria also can cause lasting learning disabilities.
We need to close the gap to keep the drive toward zero malaria deaths going.
Without sustained and predictable long-term funding, the gains we’ve made
could even be reversed.
 While not all adult cases of malaria are fatal, the disease keeps adults out of work
and robs families of precious disposable income. In all, malaria costs Africa an estimated $12 billion a year in lost productivity.
The elimination of malaria will not come from mosquito bed nets, it will take a vaccine
to immunize children against malaria at a very early age. PATH, an international
healthcare organization, is helping invent a vaccine with very generous support from
the Gates Foundation ($200 million so far) and in partnership with pharmaceutical
companies. It is a hard vaccine to invent not only because malaria is such a complicated disease but also because vaccines for children are especially hard to make
safe.
The best vaccine candidate has shown 50% efficacy in children in a recent clinical
trial. This may not sound like much but this is great progress. Imagine if half of the kids
can be protected from malaria!
The problem is that it will take 10 more years before this vaccine is readily available
across Africa.
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This is where the United Methodist Church comes in. We need to keep buying the bed
nets and other interim solutions while we wait for the vaccine. We need 10 years of
steady funding for preventing and treating malaria with the tools we have available
today. And the big funders (even the Gates Foundation) don’t have nearly enough
money to keep buying nets and supplies while we wait for the vaccine. Lots and lots
of small contributions will do it.
Article written by Eric Walker, a member of Vashon UMC and an employee of PATH
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
You Need a Will
Part of our work in church involves looking out for each other, including end-of-life
concerns. And end of life concerns are especially difficult to talk about when you
are young. But consider the following situations. As we care for each other, let’s
remember that the solution to each problem below is a Will.

How can you make sure that the special thing you have will be given to the right
person?

If you have children and both you and your spouse die at the same time in a car
crash, who will raise your kids?

When you pass, where will your survivors find your life insurance policy(ies)?

Who will file your last tax return?

How can you donate some of your estate to your favorite church’s
Endowment Fund?
Each of these issues can be addressed in a Will. It isn’t fun to think about, but it is
probably among the most important things you can do to ensure what you want to
have done will in fact be done after your death. Your surviving family will be forever
grateful for your thoughtfulness.
The Top 5 (of 10) Ways to be Welcoming at Bothell UMC
# 5. Rule of 10 – greet everyone within 10 feet of you.
# 4. Use the final end-of-the-service discussion question as an ice-breaker for new
people around you.
# 3. Ask if people would care to join you for coffee and a cookie in Fellowship Hall.
# 2. Meet one new person, learn their name and pray for them during the week.
# 1. Remember to treat people as if they were guests in your own home.
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
Upcoming Sermons
In April we begin a new sermon series
starting with Easter Sunday:
DNA of a Superhero. Join us as we
begin this Super exploration of
Scripture as we also study the heroes
we adore, the villains we love to boo!
April 5, Easter Sunday – Matthew 28:1-10
DNA of a Superhero: Is Jesus more like Superman or Batman?
April 12 – Matthew 28:16-20
DNA of a Superhero: It begins with a quest
April 19 – Acts 10:1-17, 34-35
DNA of a Superhero: Magneto vs. Nightcrawler
April 26 – Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-18
Wolverine vs. Professor X
Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary
March 22
Jeremiah31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-12; Hebrews 5:5-10;
John 12:20-33
March 29
Mark 11:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
April 5
Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; John 20:1-18
or Mark 16:1-8
April 12
Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20: 19-31
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The Witness
March 20, 2015
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BOTHELL, WA
PERMIT NO. 29
18515~92nd Avenue NE
Bothell, WA 98011
Phone: 425.486.7132
Fax: 425.486.0303
TIME DATED MATERIAL
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
www.bothellumc.org
MARCH 20, 2015
Mailing Label Here
Worship Services
8:00 a.m. (Communion Service)
9:00 & 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School
9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Childcare Available
9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Services
Next Witness Deadline ~ April 13, 2015
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