The Epistle for August 5th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Life is a journey; this week Emily and I accompany
daughter Claire to Baltimore. She begins
shortly as a Chaplain Intern at Johns Hopkins Medical
Center. Carrying two carloads of belongings in the
summer heat and with gasoline prices as they are will
make our journey arduous, to say the least!
But every cloud has a silver lining and this trip
should be no exception. After we unload things and
Claire is settled in, we get a “breathing spell” for a few
days. Sometimes the Grace of God is like that, and this
will be our prayer as we go. May we return not worn out
but refreshed, not road-weary but well renewed.
Maybe this is part of the meaning of Paul’s great
encouraging words — “Do not grow weary in well doing …”
We’re doing well, St. Luke’s. Grow not weary. Grow.
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the August 5th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080805_epistle.pdf
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The Bulletin for August 3rd, 2008, is now available.
†CALL to WORSHIP
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
God is present when every morning dawns.
God brings peace in the midst of chaos.
Be still, and know that God is here. God provides comfort and is with us in all the
moments of our days.
God is our refuge and strength.
Let us worship our ever faithful and loving God.
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on August 3rd:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080803_bulletin.pdf
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The Epistle for July 29th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Thank you for faithful attendance during
our “Camp Meeting Days” during this hot summer
at St. Luke’s. We are back to our regular worship
format this coming Sunday, and we are thrilled to
welcome Jay Walker back with us after his tour of
duty with Tabernacle and Joyner’s Camp meetings.
Our Chancel Choir will be back in action soon.
I want to issue a special “Thanks” to all
who were so kind to daughter Claire during her
speaking and preaching times here. She starts at
Johns Hopkins next week. Here is her new mailing
address if you’d like to drop her a line:
Rev. S. C. Matheny
204 S. Chester St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
August will be hot, but “be cool” by
supporting your beloved St. Luke’s in this
Renaissance we are having. Share Christ’s Love
at every opportunity!
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the July 29th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080729_epistle.pdf
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The Bulletin for July 27th, 2008, is now available.
Opening Hymn “Revive Us Again”
We praise Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus who died and is now gone above.
(Refrain) Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! amen;
Hallelujah! Thine the glory, revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God! For Thy Spirit of light,
Who has shown us our Savior, and scattered our night. (Refrain)
Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above. (Refrain)
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on July 27th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080727_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
The Epistle for July 22nd, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
It’s one of the “unseen” ministries of St.
Luke’s. Only a few of us meet these people, for whom
we provide a safe stopover on their way to or from
mission service. Their most frequent destinations
seem to be the Appalachia Service Project (where our
own youth have been serving annually) and the Gulf
Coast, where Katrina Relief is still ongoing.
I’m speaking of our quiet offering of St. Luke’s
CLC facilities to fellow wayfarers. By this year, thousands
and thousands of service hours have been
given by our frequent visitors. Be humbly proud of
this simple ministry.
Be mindful, too, of the many other quiet ways
we help make the world a little better … a family you
have not met will have enough to eat this week … a lonely
homebound member will get an encouraging visit … a
child will discover something new about God …
You see, the list goes on and on and on. It
doesn’t matter who gets the credit. It’s God’s work
with us and among us.
To Christ be the glory!
In service, …Pastor Mark
P.S. Tell us your personal stories of happenings like
this. Call 452-6262.
Click here to download the July 22nd, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080722_epistle.pdf
Tags: News
The Bulletin for July 20th, 2008, is now available.
CALL to WORSHIP
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
God guides us every moment of every day.
Lead us, O God, in your way.
Let your light shine within us and among us.
Let us worship God.
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on July 20th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080720_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
Don’t miss the “On the Ball” Big Banquet, featuring R. C. Johnson, the University of Memphis Athletic Director as a guest speaker, to be held on Monday, August 25, 2008, at 6:30 PM.
Just come to the Henton Christian Life Center Gym at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church that night to hear a great speaker for a good cause. Adult tickets are only $10, with students only paying $5. All proceeds go to support the mission fund project of St. Luke’s United Methodist Men.
Click here to view the flyer of the event
Tags: Events · News
The Epistle for July 15th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
Be with us this coming Sunday, July 20. As
part of our gradual effort to highlight our rebuilt
sanctuary organ, we have a surprise organist with
us for the 10:50 a.m. worship service. We are so
happy that this grand musical instrument will
continue helping praise God for decades to come.
Then on the following Sunday, the 27th, I’m
going to have to work on not bursting — with pride,
that is — as Rev. S. Claire Matheny preaches in
both services. She departs August 4 for Baltimore,
and this month marks her first sermons as an official
United Methodist “Reverend” following commissioning
at Annual Conference on June 2.
Meanwhile, summer at St. Luke’s, in spite
of the heat, is being anything but a “vacation from
God.” As your pastor, I feel like we’re almost having
“Advent in July” because of the sense of expectancy
and hope we are sharing. During a time of uncertainty,
we yet await the coming of the sure and
certain Love of Christ in new ways. We need to be
like Mary and Joseph, persevering in the journey.
We should trust God as surely as those shepherds
who followed the angels to Bethlehem. Like the
Magi, we need to give Christ our finest gifts.
If we share this kind of spirit in the unlikely
time of summer, God’s promise is that new growth
will happen, new ventures will flourish and St. Luke’s
shall be renewed as God’s faithful people.
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the July 15th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080715_epistle.pdf
Tags: News
The Bulletin for July 13th, 2008, is now available.
Opening Hymn:
“Tell Me the Stories of Jesus”
Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here:
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
First let me hear how the children stood ‘round His knee,
And I shall fancy His blessing resting on me;
Words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, all in the love-light of Jesus’ face.
Into the city I’d follow the children’s band,
Waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand;
One of His heralds, yes, I would sing loudest hosannas, “Jesus is King!”
Click here to download the PDF file (requires Adobe Reader) and join us for our 8:30 or 10:50 AM services on July 13th:
http://www.stlukesumc.org/bulletin/20080713_bulletin.pdf
Tags: News
The Epistle for July 8th, 2008, is now available. From Pastor Mark’s Epistle:
PASTOR MARK’S EPISTLE
Dear Friends,
What a wonderful Sunday was July 6! We
are especially thrilled with Nathan Joel Ryan’s
baptism and look forward to the same with many
other babies and families.
This week, I invite us all to “avoid the summer
slump.” There’s something about hot, humid
weather that can give any of us “the blues.” On top
of that, no matter what the weather, we sometimes
get down or depressed by circumstances that trouble
us. It’s almost as if cares and concerns are like
barometric pressure, thunderstorms or whatever …
but what can we do about it?
In the midst of all this, remember that
Jesus is your friend. He is not just a “fair weather
friend” when conditions are ideal. He is always
present, and is especially with you when you are
feeling down and out. Counter to the old pop songs,
“Stormy Weather” or “Summer in the City”, there
is the reassuring promise, as Shirley Barber sang
beautifully recently, “He Was There All the Time.”
In service, …Pastor Mark
Click here to download the July 8th, 2008, Epistle (PDF file; requires Adobe Reader):
http://www.stlukesumc.org/epistle/20080708_epistle.pdf
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