Today’s Bible Verse
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” –Psalm 33:12
Tag Archives: video
Today’s Bible Verse ~ Psalm 33:12
Happy 4th of July!
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.
Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “God Bless America”, “America the Beautiful”, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”, “This Land Is Your Land”, “Stars and Stripes Forever”, and, regionally, “Yankee Doodle” in northeastern states and “Dixie” in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.
A bit of audio for your listening pleasure, as played by Vladimir Horowitz…
Today, June 4, at Pender UMC
Today, Sunday, June 4th, WEAR RED! It’s Pentecost Sunday! Pentecost is the day on which the Christian church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and others assembled in Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of the Christian church and the proclamation of its message throughout the world and is often referred to as the birthday of the church.
Please join us at our 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 am worship services. Pastor Dan will be preaching at all 3 services on “Get in the Flow” (John 7:37-39)
Sunday is also Confirmation Sunday! At the 11:00 service, our 2017 Confirmation Class will profess their faith and become official members of our Church! Let’s celebrate together as a church family this important day in the lives of these teens and the plan God has for their lives.
Also today:
Sunday June 4 is Pentecost
From a historical perspective, Christianity didn’t start with Jesus’ birth, his death or even his storied ascension to heaven. It started with Pentecost — the day the “Holy Spirit” entered a room holding Jesus’ apostles and entered each of them, an event which — as my minister uncle tells me — “makes the church the church.”
Although Pentecost is chock full of religious significance, it is a holiday not widely celebrated. Sort of the opposite of Hanukkah, which is widely celebrated but not religiously important. My uncle says Pentecost is a bigger deal in liturgical churches, which follow a formal, standardized order of events (like Catholics). “Non-liturgical” refers to churches whose services are unscripted (like Baptists).
Back Story: At his Last Supper, Jesus legendarily instructed his 12 disciples to go out into the world to minister and heal the sick on their own. It was at that point that they became “apostles.” Fifty days after Jesus’ death, as the story goes, the Holy Spirit (part of the Holy Trinitity — God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ) descended onto the apostles, making them speak in foreign tongues. This “Pentecostal” experience allowed the apostles direct communication with God, which signaled a major shift in the religious landscape and laid the foundation for what would become Christianity. You’ll notice that the disciples are always depicted in artwork as regular-looking men while the apostles are depicted with halos around their heads. (Several other apostles came later — namely the famous Paul who is credited with writing much of the New Testament.)
Although all the original 12 apostles are important, some get top billing. Here’s why:
- Peter (also called Simon Peter) established the first church in Antioch and is regarded as the founding pope of the Catholic church. Instrumental in the spread of early Christianity, Peter was said to have walked on water, witnessed the “Transfiguration of Jesus” and denied Jesus (for which he repented and was forgiven.) The Gospel of Mark is ascribed to Peter, as Mark was Peter’s disciple and interpreter.
- John also is said to have witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus and went on to pen the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John and Book of Revelation. He died at age 94, having outlived the other apostles — all of whom, according to legend/history/whatever, were martyred. John is often described as “Jesus’ favorite” and depicted as the disciple sitting to Jesus’ right at the Last Supper.
- Thomas (“Doubting Thomas”) is best known for questioning Jesus’ resurrection when first told of it. According to the Bible, Thomas saw Jesus himself several days later and proclaimed “My Lord and my God,” to which Jesus famously responded: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:28.)
via Pentecost is this Sunday. What the heck is Pentecost?.
Happy Mother’s Day!
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. ~ Proverbs 31:26
Statistics say that 20.7 billion dollars will be spent on moms in honor of the U.S. holiday that falls on the second Sunday in May: Mother’s Day. All that cash and commercialism goes against everything the women who originated the idea wanted.
In this video, meet the Methodist mother and daughter team who worked to create a day to honor a mother’s love and to emphasize how important a mother’s role is in building a peaceful world.
Why is the Easter season 50 days long?
Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a 50-day period. The season of Easter, or Eastertide, begins at sunset on the eve of Easter and ends on Pentecost, the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (see Acts 2).
Easter is also more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians.
Today, this extended season gives us time to rejoice and experience what it means when we say Christ is risen. It’s the season when we remember our baptisms and how through this sacrament we are, according to the liturgy, “incorporated into Christ’s mighty acts of salvation.” As “Easter people,” we also celebrate and ponder the birth of the Church and gifts of the Spirit (Pentecost), and how we are to live as faithful disciples of Christ.
From http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/why-is-the-easter-season-fifty-days-long
Sermon Series “The Shack” Begins Today
Please join us this Sunday, March 5, 2017, at our 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 am Worship Services.
Is it possible to heal from unbearable loss?
The powerful story of THE SHACK movie will connect with you-whether you are searching for faith or lost it somewhere along the way. And for everyone who is hurting and knows what it is like to lose someone, THE SHACK film offers a message of real-life hope.
Starting Sunday, March 5, Pender is hosting a five-week sermon series using Scriptures and video clips from the film to help you trust God more completely, connect with Him in a deeper way and experience life-changing love and forgiveness even in the midst of pain.
|
3/5/17 |
The Shack |
Where Is God When I Need Him Most? |
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (Traditional) Psalm 13:1-6 (Common Ground) |
Listen to past sermons by Pastors Kenny Newsome, Dan Elmore and others in the Pender Podcast.
Please click here to Give Online!
Directions to Pender
Sunday Childcare
Wondering where to take your children on Sunday mornings? Below is a summary. More detailed information is available at the Welcome desk located in the main lobby and here.
- NURSERY CARE ~ Birth through 2 years, 9:30 am – 12:15 pm
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 1 ~ 2 yrs. – Adults, 9:30 am – 10:40 am
- SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 ~ Grades 4 – Adults, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- CHERUB CHURCH ~ 3 yrs.- Kindergarten, 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
- JUNIOR FELLOWSHIP ~ Grades 1-3, 10:45 am – 11:30 am
- JUNIOR CHURCH ~ Grades 1 – 5, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
