Dear Friends….
It couldn’t be that difficult, right? All we --me and the children who came forward for the children’s sermon-- needed to do was identify the musical instrument sounds Jim Ross played on the organ. Feeling smug, I asked Jim not to tell me ahead of time what sounds he would be playing. Again, how difficult could it be?
Apparently, not difficult at all for the children -- but nearly impossible for me! As Noah, Adlee, Rylee and Arthur quickly identified a trumpet, violin, piano and guitar, I kept thinking “All I hear is an organ!”. My mind was so accustomed to hearing organ notes coming from the organ that I literally could not hear the wonderful diversity of the sounds Jim played.
What a learning moment! It reminded me of the times I have been so sure I knew what another person was going to say that I didn’t hear what they were actually saying. I thought of all the times when my ears, mind and heart were closed to another because of a prior experience or what society had taught me based on race, age or gender.
The second verse of the hymn “Open My Eyes, That I May See” begins with these words; “Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear”. As we listen carefully for the voices of truth, let us hold fast to the prayer from South African Christian author and anti-apartheid activist, Alan Paton.
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others; open my ears that I may hear their cries; open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong, nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed, and use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.
Amen.
With courage and hope we go into this new season…Pastor Sarah
June Worship Calendar
- Stone UMC Worship with us in person Sunday mornings at 9 am -- or join our live broadcast on Armstrong Cable Channels 23/100, our website stoneumc.org and Facebook.
- Bethany UMC (140 Wadsworth Ave.) in person worship at 10:30 am
June 5th Pentecost/Communion/Graduation Sunday
June 12th
June 19th Father’s Day
June 26th “Sermon in Song” Sunday
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
A heartfelt thanks to: Cindy and John Karns for the mulch delivery and the team of mulchers: The Bland family, Trinity Umland, Jim Schlosser, Sam Morehead, Sarah and Dave Roncolato…May Ushers, musicians, “florists” and counters: Ron Snow, Janet and Bob Waid, Jim Turnbull, Skyler and Myla Bland, Jim Ross, the Bell Choir, Barb Baker, Aundra Zack, Anne Finney, Armendia Dixon, Dawn and Rick Muntean, Jane Ellen Nickell, Phyllis Stockton, Patty Brown, Lisa Clayton…Jen Royer for a great first month in the office…The Classic Iron Street Machine Club for their generous donations to our care ministry…Pat Loutzenhiser, Kyle Janes and Sue Wardian for quality care of the Children’s Center’s financial reporting…Jim Turnbull, Joyce Minnis, Millie Ray, Darlene Ross and Barb Baker for the delicious dinner for our fall planning session…
To all who give, pray and serve…
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Friday July 8th ----Tailgate/Game Night
Food, fun and an outreach project on the church lawn! Bring some personal hygiene items to put together kits for the homeless in our area. A list of items will be available toward the middle of June.
Congratulations to all our Graduates!
A special shout out to…
Ethan Ashbaugh who graduates from Liberty University Online Academy with an Associate’s Degree in Criminology. Ethan will be heading to Miracle Mountain Retreat Center and Camp to work as a counselor for the summer before resuming his studies at Liberty University.
Garrett Brown, a graduate of Conneaut Area High School, who enlisted in the US Army. He leaves for Fort Jackson SC on July 4th.
Liz Foust, who graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design on June 3rd with a bachelors’ degree in architecture. She is currently applying for jobs in her field.
Welcome Summer!
Come and grab a FREE HOT DOG on the church lawn to kick-off summer! Parents from the children’s center are encouraged to stop by after you pick up your kids. We hope to see you there!
Friday, June 10th starting at 4:30 pm -- All are welcome!
Dale’s Cribs change collection WILL continue through June 19th
Please return your baby bottles filled with change on Sunday, June 19th. Don’t have your bottle yet? You can still help out! Pick up a bottle bank from the front or back of the sanctuary or the church office. All change collected will go to the Dale’s Cribs mission of the Pregnancy Center of Meadville to help families in need purchase cribs for their new babies. Visit our website for a complete description of the Dale’s Cribs mission.
Who is My Neighbor?
Join members of First Presbyterian Church as they explore how to build a sense of community around the differences that divide us. Their Sunday School class recently used the DVD and book "The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation" by Miles McPherson and would like to share that opportunity with others in the community. They are hosting a program called “Who Is My Neighbor?” on June 15 from 6-8 pm at First Presbyterian Church for anyone who is interested.
New Men’s Study Begins June 10th
Men,
Financial planning advertisements are full of messages cautioning us to save money, invest wisely, and plan ahead—all so that we can retire comfortably. Proverbs tells us there is wisdom in planning ahead --
$$$$ But what exactly are we saving for? $$$$
God calls us to live a generous life—right now! How can we overcome the anxiety about the future so that we can build his Kingdom every day? Join Brett Clemmer as we examine how to live generously in an uncertain world.
In June we will be doing a short (3 week) study on Generous Living. No books will be needed for the study
We would be delighted to have any man that is seeking to grow in his relationship with God join us.
Come join us on starting Friday, June 10th at 6:45 PM. Hope to see you there! Feel free to contact Ron Saccol at roeusac@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like more information.
Congratulations to
Heather & Nick Basko on the arrival of their son, Gabriel Nicholas, on May 17th. Gabriel is the grandson of Cindy and John Karns, the great-grandson of Pat Lafferty.
