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The Messenger

From The Pastor’s Desk…..

Recuperating from the sprint of Christmas week, looking toward a new year with expectation, I find myself trying to get a grip. Now that the flurry has settled down, I see things that need cleaning, straightening, organizing, tidying. In my house, in my office, in my relationships, in my heart. It feels a bit overwhelming. I find myself thinking of simplicity, longing for a settled heart and things that make sense. Looking for joy. It is the season of Epiphany. In the darkest time of the year, right after the longest night, we lift up our eyes and see the Light. Jesus, the Light of the World, entering into our darkness and confusion, our untidy homes and hearts. And I breathe. And I pray… To Jesus, redeemer of the peoples, let us lift our praises. Lord, you are the faithful guide of those who seek you with a pure heart. To Jesus, redeemer of the peoples, let us lift our praises. O Lord, encompassed in light as with a cloak, You conquer the darkness of our night. To Jesus, redeemer of the peoples, let us lift our praises. You change our vessels of water into the gladdening wine of new life. To Jesus, redeemer of the peoples, let us lift our praises. O bread eternal, You feed the hunger of your people in desert places. …

O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you,

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors

The People of the United Methodist Church

Monthly Publication Canby United Methodist Church

January 2015

Pastor Karen Shimer Office: 503-263-6419

jerichoroad@sterling.net eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you,and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.1

It’s a simple invitation to look up, to return to the Light when the darkness becomes overwhelming. Will you join me? Pastor Karen

Beginning the New Year in Covenant with God

Thoughts from the District Superintendent

I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

John Wesley, 1755 (modern version)

 

1  Benedict  of  Nursia  (c.  480-­‐550)  David  Sutcliffe  and  Brother  Tristan,  eds.  Celebrating  Common  Prayer  (Great  Britain:  CPI  Antony  Rowe,  2002)  172.  

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Dear Friends,

Most of us are familiar with John Wesley’s covenant prayer. We’re used to reciting the words at the start of a new year, a kind of churchy new year’s resolutions list. We take them seriously in the moment, perhaps even remember for a period of time, before they fade in awareness and action. But what if we took them to heart for the whole year, as John Wesley is said to have done? What if the covenant prayer was our guide every day of 2015? What might be touched and transformed in our lives, our congregations, and our world?

“Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will . . .” The world we live in is so very good about defining people in terms of their work, status, achievements, or power--what we do. And so, if we’re honest, are we. If we took the covenant prayer as our own, I believe we would be confronted with re-thinking who we really are--and who’s we are. The prayer invites us to let go of categories that value human endeavor, but devalue intrinsic human worth. It challenges us to place ourselves in God’s hands, who values all people as sacred and worthy.

“Let me have all things, let me have nothing . . .” How often we are tempted to take shelter from the world behind our possessions, privilege, comforts, and security--what we have. The covenant prayer reminds us that everything we own is a generous gift from a bountiful God. Simplicity and generosity is the gracious response we make for the good of the others--and our own souls.

A year of living the covenant prayer could be a year of living dangerously! We can’t predict what might happen--risk and trust, courage and caring, faith and joy--when “the covenant now made on earth is ratified in heaven.” Let’s try it! Let’s do it together! Amen.

Peg Lofsvold, DS, Cascadia District

Lofsvold@mac.com

Finance

December was a phenomenal month for Income for CUMC. We finished the year very strong. Church leadership once again made the decision to send the unused balance ($2,500) of the 2014 contingency fund toward apportionments in mid December. Extra giving from you coupled with the Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings allowed us to send an additional $2,100 at year end. We should be close to 75% of apportionments paid at year end. We were only 17% in May. Thanks to all that make this possible. The budget for 2015 was approved. It includes income from the Apostolic Church that is sharing our facility. We expect certain expenses to increase due to more hours of active use. It also reflects the lower apportionment allocation that reflects our lower overall expenditures trend. We may have the ability to pay our apportionment in full in 2015. Please pray for guidance toward this goal. We did need to sign a new copier lease as the existing machine has been having significant issues. This should arrive soon. Let's all welcome 2015 with expectations of great blessings with many new opportunities to grow together as the CUMC community of faith. Mark Oldenkamp

UMW

The United Methodist Women will begin the new year with a topic we should all be interested in learning more about—a healthy diet. On January 8 Shirley Wright will give a presentation on Diabetes, Type 2, in which she will decribe the proper foods and regular exercise that are so important for anyone with

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this condition as well as being important for everyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle. DATES TO REMEMBER: Jan. 8 UMW General Meeting 10am

Brunch hostesses - Wesleyans Program - Shirley Wright

Jan. 14 Neighborly Lamplighters TBA Jan. 15 Janie Byrnes TBA Jan. 20 Wesleyans 7pm at

Geni Pittelkau’s Jan. 25 Chili for Sale! Jan. 29 Board meeting 11 am

TCC IS HIRING! The Canby Center is creating a new position for 2015. They are looking to hire a part-time Youth Program Coordinator. The Youth Program Coordinator will provide oversight to the programs for students within the Canby School District. The Coordinator will participate in program development and implementation. This position is a temporary position for January - June 2015. Email questions to Tim Lesher: tim@thecanbycenter.org

Mexico Mission Trip

It may just be January, but plans for the annual Spring Mission Trip to Mexicali are well underway. This is the 15th anniversary of this trip and perhaps it is the one you would like to be included. Again the time frame falls during Spring Break, March 21-28, and Kevin

Hohnbaum and Jane Mulholland will be leading the group. Pastor Martin, his family, and the churches he and his family serve always open their arms in welcome to all who make this annual pilgrimage to Mexico. Our congregation can again help support the mission team by bringing in cans and bottles for recycling. More ideas for fundraising will soon be forthcoming. For more information about the trip and how you can participate, please contact Mark Oldenkamp.

Bits & Pieces

You’ve Got Mail

Don’t forget to check the church mailbox cabinet for any Christmas cards you may have missed this season.

Volunteers Needed

We need more worship leader volunteers. Please help with our worship service. Sign up sheet is in the Narthex. We need volunteers starting in February 2015. Thank you to all who have served so far this year. Please ask Pastor Karen if you have questions.

Scrip Gift Card Orders

We carry a wide variety of scrip gift cards that can be purchased after worship in the Fellowship Hall. See the attached list of all that is available for order. Some new vendors are listed so check it out! All scrip gift cards cost exactly what the face value of the card is and the amount never expires. Proceeds go to the Youth Fund. Sunday Jan. 4 will be the date that scrip special orders can resume.

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So please plan ahead! Scrip gift cards make GREAT gifts. Also, don’t forget that you can now buy Canby Cinema 8 tickets from Laura at a substantial savings over the box office price--$6 for a child/student/senior/matinee ticket and $7 for an adult ticket. Funds generated from these ticket sales go into the Canby Educational Foundation account. Tickets do not expire. Laura Oldenkamp

Adult Sunday School

We are continuing on with "We Make The Road By Walking" as we all like it. It will last the rest of this year. Make a New Year’s Resolution to join our discussion group. Happy New Year to you! Audrey Graham

Greeters for January

Jan. 4 Al & Nori Zieg Jan. 11 Ron & Shelly Parsons Jan. 18 Phyllis Stuart-Meyer Miriah Stuart Jan. 25 Jill Kahle Amy Kahle

Coffee Hour for January

Jan. 4 Bess Milhauser Karen Joy Geni Pittelkau Jan. 11 Tim & Kristie Vande Kamp Sharon Trimble Kiana Sweeney Jan. 18 Del & Gail Hildreth Ken & Deanna Johnson

Jan. 25 Sharon Fisher Mark & Laura Oldenkamp

January Birthdays

4th Gretchen Raney 6th Ari Laitinen 9th Nori Zieg 12th Ken Thompson 14th Chi Cambra 19th Tim Vande Kamp

Canby United Methodist Church 1520 N Holly St., Canby, OR 97013

503-263-6419, canbyumc@canby.com Web site: www.canby.com/canbyumc

Pastor – Karen Shimer Secretary – Jaime Hudson Organist/Accompanists – Grace Shimer, Stephanie Cook Custodian—Roy Morale

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Scriptures and Sermons for January, 2015

Lectionary McLaren’s We Make the Road by Walking January 4, 2015 Hidden Plan Come to Light Epiphany Sunday Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 January 11, 2015 Baptism of the Lord Jesus Coming of Age (19) First Sunday after the Epiphany 1 Kings 3:1-28 Genesis 1:1-5 Luke 2:39-3:14; 3:21-22 Psalm 29 1 Timothy 4:6-16 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 January 18, 2015 Say Yes! (Join the Adventure, Ch 20) Second Sunday after the Epiphany Gabrielle Shimer, Guest Speaker 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) Isaiah 61:1-4 Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Luke 4:1-30, 5:1-11 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 2 Timothy 2:1-9 John 1:43-51 January 25, 2015 Significant and Wonderful and Third Sunday after the Epiphany Jesus the Teacher (Ch 21, 22) Jonah 3:1-5, 10 2 Sam 11:26-12:15, John 2:1-12, Psalm 62:5-12 Mark 1:21-28 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Proverbs 3:1-26, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Mark 1:14-20 Mark 4:1-34

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January 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3

Office Closed

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 GR: A. & N. Zieg CH: B. Milhauser, K. Joy, G. Pittelkau

UMW Gen. Mtg. 10 am Family Dinner 6 pm

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 GR: R. & S. Parsons CH: T. & K. Vande Kamp, S. Trimble, K. Sweeney

Trustees 7 pm

SPRC 7 pm Neighborly Lamplighters TBA

Janie Brynes TBA

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 GR: P. Stuart-Meyer, M. Stuart CH: D. & G. Hildreth, K. $ D. Johnson

Care Comm. 2 pm Finance 6 pm Church Council 7:30 pm

Wesleyans @ G. Pittelkau’s 7 pm

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 GR: J. Kahle, A. Ackerman CH: S. Fisher, M. & L. Oldenkamp UMW Chili Sale

Newsletter Deadline

UMW Board 11 am

Canby F.O.T.S. AA Meetings, M-F, 5:30 pm Stepping Up Al-Anon Meetings, Wednesdays, 1-3 pm Co-Dependency Group Meeting, Wednesdays, 7 pm Girl Scouts, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 5:30-6:45 pm Prayer Meeting @ Amy Ackerman’s, Tues.1 pm Boy Scouts, Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm Venture Crew, Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 pm, Youth Rm

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