May 28, 2020

                                                                 John 20:19-23

Scripture readings

for Sunday, May 31

Acts 2:1-21

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

John 20:19-23

REFLECTION

Pastor Ivy

I love the gospel of John. One of my Greek professors in seminary warned all of us who chose this gospel to study and translate that we would regret it. I still am in love with John!

John sets the stage for us in this way: following Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were in hiding because they were afraid of what could happen to them. Jesus appears out of nowhere giving peace to his fearful followers.

Jesus’ saying of “Peace be with you,” is a common enough greeting both in Hebrew and in Arabic, but what Jesus does is far more than merely greet his fearful flock. He gives and breathes peace into them. One meaning is “peace is yours.”

Once they got over gawking at the resurrected Jesus who could enter a locked room, we know not how, and received the peace, it produced joy and hope within them. They were now in a responsive place to receive the promised Holy Spirit with its associated power enabling and transforming them (as we read in the book of Acts) to fearlessly preach and teach about Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension. The disciples had progressed from being fearful friends hiding for their lives to bold, fearless ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

Are you struggling with fear? Is the time of being at home so long getting to you? Are you sad because of the inability to gather with friends and family over the recent holiday weekend?

Just as Jesus breathed peace, hope and power into his feckless followers, he longs to do the same for us, no matter what we are afraid of, no matter what it is with which we struggle. In Jesus we experience peace because that is who Jesus is. As Paul wrote to the Ephesian churches, “he [Jesus] is our peace,” (Ephesians 2:14), so Jesus doesn’t only give peace to his people, he is peace.

Let us drop and leave behind the chains of fear that bind us and fearlessly proclaim what God has done for us. What is your story? Tell it.

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

PRAYER REQUESTS

Names will remain of the Prayer List for a month - at which

time it will be taken off unless, or course, there is still a continued need

for our prayers and we’re asked to keep the name on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

                                                    No in-person services in the building

                                                      until further notice.  Our Drive In Service                                                            and Interactive bulletins will still be

                                                   available as until we return to regular

                                                   worship services.

Adopt-a-Highway –

Saturday, May 30 at 9:00 a.m.

Volunteers will meet at the church.

Bring your mask and gloves.

VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR

Hello, friends. 

I have offered to take over the Zoom Virtual Coffee Hour (VCH)

until we are able to begin fellowship in person again at St. Timothy.

I have a Zoom Pro account, so it will not shut down automatically at 45 minutes. This will allow us to have a little more time, and accommodate more people to join us. 

I will be sending out an email VCH invitation to everyone we have an email for.

However, all you have to do is join my meeting at 11:00 am on Sunday by going to the ZOOM app, and putting in the following ID and Password numbers:

ID: 571-743-2555

Password: 050787

If you are not yet using ZOOM, feel free to call me and I can walk you through downloading the free app. It's pretty easy, even for me!

Keep on keeping on.  We will go forward together!

In Christ,

Sarah

goebel.sarah3@gmail.com

716-450-2986

St. Timothy Updates due to Coronavirus Pandemic.  Heres the link:

http://www.sttimothybemus.com/coronavirus-updates.html

If anyone is interested in making masks to donate, here is the link to the pattern/instructions on how to make the masks. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-A0X_35jQmkH6VfKBgd1WN5Ebv2btJ-n/view?usp=sharing 

Here is a link where the completed masks can be dropped off:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YbOmWEr2Jou8n3v_YGo0PUJN_SSl1Ix5/view?usp=sharing

Thanks for your support in this important moment.  

Faithfully,

Luke

The Rev. Luke Fodor
Rector, St. Luke's Church
410 N Main St
Jamestown, NY 14701 
(716) 483-6405 (office)
(347) 495-1482 (cell)
luke.fodor@stlukesjamestown.org

***ONLINE GIVING now available at St. Timothy for Debit/Credit cards.   3 ways to give:

   - Go directly to our website at www.sttimothybemus.com

   - Use our QR code with the QR reader on your smartphone

   - Download the app ‘GivePlus Church’. Create an account.   

For further information, see Kathy Carlson on Sundays or call her at 485-1316.

***5 & 2 Ministry Food Bins Donated to Date:  85

Love INC Prayer Requests 05/27/2020

A young woman has been homeless with a young toddler and another baby is due in September.  She needs furniture for their apartment.

A young mother with three young children (all toddlers) had to leave her home due to an abusive relationship.  She now has her children from Foster care but has no family in the area.  She has her own place to live but needs furniture and kitchen items.

Please pray for Laura. We are blessed to have Laura filling the position of Love INC Connections Center Coordinator as an Interim.  She will be helping us out for a while until God brings the person He has in mind for the position.

Praise - the Furniture Ministry was able to make some deliveries.  Pray for the safety & protection of the volunteers

Family of 5 who are struggling financially. The husband’s work hours were cut because of the Covid-19 “Pause’ and the wife is a stay-at home mom.  They needed some diapers that were provided them through Baby Gap Ministry at Jamestown Free Methodist.  Pray for all the families who are going through a similar struggle.

Love INC needs a Board Member with Social Media Expertise to assist with better Social Media Communication 

Love INC needs a volunteer accountant/bookkeeper. Our current bookkeeper will be retiring in May and we are looking for a replacement. 

Our household ministry needs some items that are regularly requested by the families assisted

Toasters, Pots & Pans, Towels, washcloths, bowls, and coffee makers   Praise – 2 coffee makers and 2 sets of pots and pans have been donated.   Bedding is currently being collected by our partner Church of the Nazarene

*****A single older woman who is need of a ramp for her home.  She has MS and has a lot of difficulties getting in and out of the house.

Update- Busti Children are hosted a Mother’s Day Math Detective Scavenger Hunt to benefit Love INC. It was a great success!   Plans are being drawn up, building permit is being secured and an area church is helping fund the project.

In Christ,

Susan L. Justham | Executive Director

Love In the Name of Christ of SCC

Helping Churches to Help People 

Phone: 716.338.9828

loveincscc.org