Good afternoon parish,
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Tomorrow, we will be honoring Transfiguration Sunday as well as Valentine’s. Our Many Waters District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Karen Munson, has provided a video message based on the theme, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” There will again be two online services: 8:30 am zoom service and 10 am livestream. I will follow this email with zoom invitations to both the 8:30 am service and the 2 pm coffee chat fellowship. The Worship Guide and Mission Opportunities are attached. The best broadcast of the 10 am livestream is the You Tube version which may be accessed from You Tube or simply by going to the church website (www.auburnmethodist.org) which also carries the You Tube broadcast. The UMCA Facebook page is also an option, but the broadcast is less consistent than what You Tube offers. The 10 am livestream is also broadcast to the church parking lot on 88.3 FM for any who may wish to listen from there.
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. I will be offering ashes with the sign of the cross (masked, gloved, using Q-tips) from 12 noon to 1 pm in the church parking lot for any who wish to stop by. At 1 pm, I will leave the ashes at the parking lot entrance for any who may wish to pick them up later on their own. At 7 pm, Wednesday evening, I will guide a zoom Ash Wednesday service, though without imposition of ashes.
Last Sunday, our Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar joined our church school zoom class led by Mary MacMahon. I celebrate the fact that we have a bishop who would carve out time in his busy schedule to meet with our younger members. He shared several personal witness stories of his cross-cultural experience in ministering with northeast churches with limited diversity. He seemlessly connected those stories to the parable of the Good Samaritan (which Mary Coffin related flawlessly). Incidentally, Mary celebrated her birthday last week and ‘loaned’ her birthday celebration as a vehicle for raising funds for the Calvary UMC meals ministry. Way to go Mary! We are proud of you!
Our UMCA Youth Group also met and planned an outdoor event for Sunday, February 28th, 1-2 pm: Sledding and S’mores at Joel and Janet Irish’s, 392 Lower Street, Turner, ME 04282. Please RSVP to: Cherie Poole at 754-3554 or cpoole@lewistonpublicschools.org by Friday, the 26th. Spread the word…
As we prepare to enter our 2021 Lenten journey, I invite you to consider what you might fast from in order to create a reflective space for discerning God’s message for you. For my part, I am going to fast from customary activities on Wednesday evenings so that I may spend some time in piano praise, Bible reading and prayer–sort of a Date Night with God.
May the peace and love of Christ be with you,
Pastor Steve Bascom