F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

To whom do we turn when a crisis comes? It may depend upon the nature and severity of the crisis. By definition, a crisis is that which overwhelms our ordinary

coping mechanisms. In a crisis we need extra help.

In Psalm 121, the Psalmist asks rhetorically, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” And then he answers, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Timothy Dudley-Smith writes in a hymn based on Psalm 121, “I lift my eyes to the quiet hills in the press of the busy day; as green hills stand in a dusty land so God is my strength and stay.” The green hills are testimony to the faithfulness of God. The serenity of the hills are in contrast to the stress of life. God is the one who can give such serenity.

It is not incidental that the Psalmist strongly describes God as “the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Jonah similarly describes God to terrified sailors, “…I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” (Jonah 1:9). Both Jonah and the Psalmist are saying God is a powerful God who gets things done. Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea and then the sea would grow calm. And it did, and the narrative (Jonah 1:17) tells us that “the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.”

Paul exclaims, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The force of this statement isn‟t just that God is on our side. It is in realizing the absolute power that belongs to God. No one, no thing is His equal, therefore nothing can really oppose or threaten us when God is our protector.

In Psalm 46, the Psalmist asserts, “God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Derek Kidner commenting on this psalm, notes that the two things which “are most immutable and impregnable,” the earth and the mountains, are threatened by that which is “most restless and menacing,” the sea. (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72. Tyndale Old

Testament Commentaries, p. 174). Kidner then comments that this verse begins to contemplate the end of the whole created scheme.

How are we when our world seems to be crashing down around us? How are you when your sense of order is rocked?

What the Psalm importantly asserts is though the earth give way we have no cause to fear. Our God is our security. So again, let‟s ask, to whom do we turn when a crisis comes? We turn to God. To be ready to turn to God is important. To know how to turn to God is important.

That God is “a very present help in trouble”, Kidner says implies that he is ready to be “found.” Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Could you withdraw money from a bank account you never established, or in which you never made any deposits? No, of course not. In order to call upon God in a time of need we must have developed a friendship with Him. We must seek Him. We must desire Him. We must put in time with Him over the long haul, day to day. How will we know that God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble? We‟ll know because we have made it our habit to know Him.

Finally Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Again Derek Kidner comments, “Be still…is not in the first place comfort for the harassed but a rebuke to a restless and turbulent world: „Quiet!‟—in fact, „Leave off!‟ It resembles the command to another raging sea: „Peace! Be still!‟” (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 176). Think about this: the ultimate comfort comes when the storm has been silenced. God shows up and removes the danger. He restores order. †

THOUGH THE EARTH GIVE WAY

Monday,

May 25, 2009

The church office

will be closed

CELEBRATIONS

T H E M E S S E N G E R

CHURCH FAMILY

PRAYER LIST May 3 J.W., Chance, Hope & Destinee Toole

May 10 Dr. Bill & Violet Troup

May 17 Penny Tucker

May 24 Bill Umberger

May 31 David Walker & family

June 7 Kimberly Walker & family

June 14 LaVere Walker

June 21 Judith Whipple

June 28 Roger, Shari, Tyson & Keltin Wiens

May Birthdays 1 Dandi Amerin, Pat Graham 3 Jordan Trujillo 4 Greg Edmisson 6 Lorenzo Cruz, Jade Helmle 7 Shaneise Crow 8 Diane Floyd, Melvin Winger 10 Krista Nairn 11 Marla Floyd 13 Cassie Teeter 14 Quentin Morris 15 Monty Teeter, Ruth Olivas 16 Bob Edmisson, Vance Whittington 18 Cyle Peterson, Grace Brown 19 Karin Kullot 21 Elizabeth Wright 22 Chris Floyd 24 Margaret Winger, Everett Persinger 25 Ron Cockrum, Dirk Cockrum, J. Scott 26 Harold Crawford 27 Tom Tucker 28 Velta Teeter, Rob Fields 29 Leah Thompson 31 Margaret Josserand, Heath Tucker May Anniversaries 16 Melvin & Mona Winger Rob & Terri Fields 20 Don & Phyllis Hasty 22 Doug & Diana Daniels 24 Dalyn & Michele Figgins

26 Matt & Michelle Canny

Lacey & Seresa Parton

28 Arby & Linda Rector

30 Joel & Linda Nicholas

31 Steve & Amanda Sierra

Jim & Charlene Garrison

June Birthdays 1 Myles Shirk 2 Emma Helmle, Deniese Barber 3 Charlene Garrison 4 Julie Gerard, Andrew German 5 Mona Winger, O.W. Josserand, Kenny Tilley 7 Mandy Shirk, Rochelle Eslinger, Caren Kerr 8 Aaron Anderson, Craig Figgins 9 Brian Nicholas 11 Creed Peterson 12 Denise Garrett, Brad

McKinney 13 Luke Pauls 14 Carol Anderson, April Conaway 17 Janice Barton 19 Brant Peterson, Greg Fiss 21 Cooper Adams, Niki Nicholas 22 Jaclyn Black 23 Regan Martin 24 Betty Frier, Wayne

Barber, Brian Ramsay 25 Rena Cartwright

Capital Campaign

Update

Thru 5-5-09:

Received to Date: $178,670.00

Goal: $220,000.00

Needed to meet Goal: $ 41,330.00

CONGRATULATIONS TO

OUR SCHOLARSHIP

RECIPIENTS!

BEN SEUSER

COLE EDMISSON

MATT MORRIS

KRAIG THOMPSON

ERIC GERARD

28 Amanda Sierra, Vernon Butt June Anniversaries 4 Moran & Jeanie Tomson 5 Mark & Denise Garrett, Matt & Lori Overturf, Marty & Carol Garrison 6 Leon & Janice Barton 7 Charles & Emma Helmle, Jason & Jennifer Rios 11 Vernon & Leilah Butt 12 John & Cassie Teeter,

Greg & Denise Garrison 13 Martie & Diane Floyd 14 Glenn & Charla Pauls 16 Rob & Terri Fields, Gary & Brenda Kendrick 18 Larry & Jo Scott 20 Bill & Karen Seyb 23 Ron & Barbara Kendrick

24 John & Stephanie Dickson, Dan & Karin Kullot

SUNDAY,

JUNE 21


Our Senior Graduates:

Logan Cook Brian Cruz

Matthew Morris Ben Seuser

Our 8th Grade

Promotion Students:

Dakota Limon Abbey Martin

College Graduates: Emily Hasty,

Tabor College:

Bachelor of Arts in English & Bachelor of

All youth are invited! Invite your friends to the KFC End of School Party on May 17, from 5pm to 8pm. There will be snacks, games and fun for all!

For the summer, KFC will meet on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. The summer dates will be June 14 and 28 and July 12 and 26. The time for KFC during the summer will be 5pm to 6:30pm. KFC will start back up weekly on August 9.

Youth Sunday was a resounding success on April 26! Around ten youth participated in leading the worship service at Johnson United Methodist Church. Our Youth that helped were: Aubree Summers & Nellie Njue- Greeters; Prelude, Offertory, and Postlude music-Jenna Black & Haley Floyd; Praise Music- Nellie Njue, Jenna Black & Haley Floyd accompanied by Phyllis Hasty; HUGS-Keltin Wiens, Jenna Black, Rita Njue, Haley Floyd & Aubree Summers (the congregation donated $94 during the two sessions of HUGS in the worship service); Call to Worship-Dakota Limon; Ushers-Nellie Njue, Aubree Summers, Jenna Black & Keltin Wiens. Children‟s time-Jenna Black & Haley Floyd. The message used SpongeBob Squarepants as an illustration of how we are the arms and hands of Jesus to help others. Scripture-Keltin Wiens; Sermon-Associate Pastor Will Kenyon. The message was a call that we are all part of the body of Christ, and we are called to use our God-given gifts for the furthering of God‟s kingdom. Pastor Will, Youth Coordinator

KIDS FOLLOWING CHRIST B Y W I L L K E N Y O N

Sunday

May 31, 2009

All Church Carry In

Dinner

Following Worship

For

JC Chapman

If you need a

brochure or

registration / health

history forms, contact

the church office, 492

-6850, or go online

to:

www.camplakeside.org or

www.ksWESTumc.org to

download and print your

forms.

A new camp opportunity for 7th-12th grade is Three-

In-One Camp at Living Water Ranch, north of

Manhattan. Check with Phyllis Hasty for details. †


PRESCHOOL NEWS B Y C H E R Y L B E R E N S , D I R E C T O R

The month of April has flown by for the Preschool. We have finished up our alphabet! That was exciting for

all of us. We have been studying Spring: the flowers, sunshine, rain and the bugs. Each student has planted

some seeds and is eagerly watching them grow. We also learned about Easter, dyed some Easter eggs, and

had great Easter egg hunts. The students have been working hard preparing for the Spring Program that is

on Friday, May 1st.

May will bring lots of outdoor fun. I hope to have a water day and outdoor games for the students to practice

some gross motor skills. Should be lots of fun! †

Sign Up For

Church Camp !

UMW NEWS, B Y C H E R Y L A D A M S , P R E S I D E N T

We will break for the summer months. It is always a good time to start thinking about those Bazaar projects.

Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th. Ideas could include (but not limited to!):

Cross-Stitch Angels Stained Glass Ceramic Items

Pillows Table Runner Afghan Wood Items

Baby Blankets Shopper Bags T-Towels Wall Hangings

Dolls Quilts Aprons Throws

Dessert for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months Theme Dinners for 2, 4 or 6 Travel Package

WHERE EVERYONE

GETS ALONG Peter Hermann, who spends half the year in Bis-

bee, AZ, wrote to the local paper expressing his

appreciation for the small town. He told of a man

who‟s a fixture on Bisbee‟s main street. The man

is accompanied by three pets: a mouse who sits

on the back of a cat, who sits on a dog.

To Hermann, that scene speaks of Bisbee‟s

wholesome, accepting attitude. It is proof positive,

that “everyone gets along in Bisbee.”

That reminds us of Isaiah‟s words: “The wolf shall

live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with

the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling to-

gether, and a little child shall lead them.

~Isaiah 11:6, NRSV †

T H E U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2009

Missionary Rick Jost found a sim-

ple way to make a difference—

solar ovens. “Motivation for what

we do is the crushing poverty in

Haiti”, Rick said. “It brings many

people to tears when they see

how these people live.” Peace

with Justice Sunday witnesses to

God‟s demand for a faithful, just,


COMMUNITY GARDEN PLANNED FOR SPRING One of the outreach missions the Trustees decided to do with a portion of our unused property, was to make

a Community Garden on the corner of Long & Ellsworth Streets. Following are some basic pieces of

information about the Community Garden:

For those who would like a garden plot: Garden spaces will be offered to the

public, approximately 20‟ x 20‟ in size, on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Approximately 14 plots will be available. Each gardener will be asked to sign an

agreement specifying that they will keep their portion weeded and harvested. The

church will provide a fence around the perimeter of the entire garden, and a central

water line. Each participant will be asked to pay a start-up fee ($20) for a drip

irrigation kit and a portion of the watering. This will be announced to the public in

both English & Spanish.

For our church to offer this outreach ministry: Workers are needed to put up

the fencing, install the central irrigation line, and to till the entire lot. Pastor Don is also looking for one or more

church members to supervise this project.

If you would like to help in any way towards reaching the goal of starting the garden for this Spring, please

contact Pastor Don or the church office. †

disarmed and secure world.

Drinking dirty water and cooking

over open fires—because one

has no choice—are justice is-

sues. By building and taking solar

ovens to Haiti, Rick and other

United Methodists help poor fami-

lies pasteurize drinking water and

cook healthy meals in a safe en-

vironment.

The Haiti Solar Oven Project is

possible because of the special

offering received on Peace with

Justice Sunday.

To learn more about Peace with

Justice Sunday and to donate

online, visit www.umcgiving.org/

PWJS. †

PEACE WITH JUSTICE SUNDAY

PRAYER FOR THE COURSE OF OUR ACTIONS

Dear God,

We seem to be such busy

“doers.” There‟s our “to-do” list

and “honey-do list.” When a

friend is in sorrow, we tell them to

let us know if there‟s anything we

can “do.” Even Saint Paul tells us

the faith with-

out works is

dead.

Yet…

Sometimes

we‟re so busy

with the

“works” we forget about the faith.

Help me, O God, to keep in touch

with you, the wellspring of my

faith. Let me allow you, and not

me, to be the real source of my

actions. Let the source of my ac-

tions determine the course of my

actions. Amen. -Peggy Ferrell

Recipes from the Kitchen

202 S. Nipp St. P.O. Box 179

Johnson, KS 67855

PERFECTION SALAD Judy Arnold 4 c. water 2 TB vinegar 1 c. sugar 2 TB whole cloves Combine and boil for 5 minutes. Strain & pour over 2 boxes of lemon jello. Add & chill: 1 c. minced pimento 1 c. celery, chopped fine 1 1/2 c. sweet pickle 1/2 c. nuts (chopped fine) (Judy served this salad at the Lenten Luncheon. It is Ruby Arnold’s recipe.)

CREAM CORN LIKE NO OTHER 2 (10 oz) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 c. heavy cream 1 tsp. salt 2 TB granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 2 TB butter 1 c. whole milk 2 TB all-purpose flour 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.


BULK RATE

U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D

JOHNSON, KS

PERMIT NO. 1 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

UMW

CENTENNIAL

COOKBOOKS are still

available to purchase!

$15.00 each; or $20.00 (if

mailed-includes postage.

Contact the church office,

620-492-6850.

Want to visit with the Pastor? Please call Pastor Don at the church office, 620-

492-6850 or e-mail him at: [email protected]

First UMC Staff: Pastor: Don Hasty

Associate Pastor: Will Kenyon

Secretary: Shari Wiens

Treasurer: Mandy Shirk

Custodian: Victoria Garcia

Music Coordinator: JC Chapman

Nursery: Wendi Adams

Preschool Teacher: Cheryl Berens

Youth Coordinator: Will Kenyon

Community Developer: Jose` Olivas

Got A Recipe???

Anyone who wants to share

a recipe please FAX, email,

mail or drop it by to the

church office. We‟d love to

share it with everyone and

let YOU get the great

compliments!

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