The Hill’s Chapel House Call

May 2016

The Hilltoppers enjoyed a fun trip to Mount Airy on Wednesday, April 20. We had 13

lively people to make the trip. Thanks to Sean and Lee Tatum for being our patient and

efficient drivers. We walked through the little town and had a famous pork chop sandwich

at Snappy Lunch.

There is more to see in that little town than we had time for. We might make another trip

up there next year.

Mark your calendars for another time to get together for lunch. We will go to Westlake

Barbecue on Wednesday, May 25. Time will probably be 11:00 am. We will be talking

more about this.

Make plans to join us when you can. We have a good time with a great group of people.

Mae Goff, Georgia Stephens

Ladies, it has been 2 or 3 years since we had a Parade of

Tables. Several ladies have expressed an interest in doing

this. We are thinking early Fall. Give some thought to this

and let me know your interest. I am confident we can get a

good group and you know we always have a good time.

No more suppers until September. Enjoy your summer.

Mae Goff

Hilltopper Report

United Methodist Women

In Memory Of Donor’s Name Designated

Ray Marsh HCUMC Sanctuary Fund

Neil Moore Art & Janet Howard Building Fund

Jimmy Wilson Elaine Stilwell Good Samaritan Fund

Jimmy Wilson Gary & Janet Duckworth Cemetery Fund

In Honor Of Donor’s Name Designated

Guy & Etrulia McIntosh Elaine Stilwell Cemetery Trust Fund

Friends at Hill’s Chapel, on behalf of my mother, Doris Barnes, I am writing to thank you for the

lovely box of snacks you sent to her over the Easter holiday! You could not have given her a better

gift. She loves her snacks, but most of all she appreciated being thought of by all of you! She is

doing well and is so happy spring and the flowers have come once again! God Bless You! Rita

Hill’s Chapel Church Family, Thanks goes out to all of you for the love, prayers, thoughts, and

kindness shown by all of you. I thank God for such a blessing of a loving extended family. God

Bless all of you. Justin Grice

Hill’s Chapel Church Family, Thanks very much for all you do for me and my mother. The basket

of treats was very much appreciated! In Christian Love, Greg Kiser

To All of You, Thank You! I appreciate you thinking of me during the Easter holiday. Jean

Dellinger

Memorials

Memorials

Thank You

Memorials

Forty days after Easter, we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven. This occurred 10 days

before Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ followers, as he had promised.

Jesus’ ascension reminds Christians that although his body couldn’t remain present

everywhere, we can universally experience his spiritual presence. In fact, Jesus’ final

words to his disciples — and to us — contain this key promise: “I am with you always, to

the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, ESV).

The disciples were celebrating Pentecost, originally a Jewish festival, when the Holy Spirit

descended on them and birthed the church. Pentecost, which began as a harvest festival,

had come to commemorate the giving of the law. The book of Ruth became integral to

festival worship.

Why Ruth? This short story doesn’t mention the law, let alone God giving it to Moses. Yet

in Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law (“Where you go I will go …. Your people will be

my people …” [Ruth 1:16, NIV]), she fulfills not just the letter but the spirit of the law:

lovingkindness — all the more remarkable because she’s a foreigner. Boaz, too,

demonstrates exorbitant kindness to Ruth.

As Christians celebrate the Spirit bridging differences in Jerusalem, uniting all nationalities

by making the gospel message intelligible to all people, we too can remember Ruth’s story.

For in it, God unites two enemy peoples for his grand purpose: Boaz and Ruth’s marriage

leads to King David and, ultimately, to King Jesus. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to

unite all categories of people under Christ’s reign for the good of the world.

Ruth – A Pentecost Story?

Memorials

Always with Us

Memorials

01 – Elana Howie

04 – Marianne Goggio

04 – Ronnie York

04 – Tim Beal

05 – Richie Bryant

05 – Joyce Howard

07 – Brandon Butner

08 – Ted Gaston

10 – Zac Crow

10 – Tristan Gales

12 – Andy Wilkes

01 – Michael and Katie Rue 07 – Art and Janet Howard 21 – Russell and Kristen Dickson

21 – Jerry and Reta Rue 23 – Steven and Lesley Gales

13 – Sean Turner

13 – Mason Gales

16 – Luke Taylor

17 – Jeana Borman

20 – Russell Dellinger

22 – Lila Rose Page

26 – Devin Browning

26 – Jennifer Meier

27 – J.T. Gaston

30 – Amber Horton

Anniversaries and Birthdays

Willing Workers

Snacks

01 – Goff/Stephens

08 – Turner/Bradshaw

15 – Little/Tatum

22 – Fisher/Jones

29 – Core/Ballard

Greeters

01 – The Littles

08 – The Heglers

15 – The Walkers

22 – Donna Dellinger

29 – The Howards

Worship Set-Up

01 – The Gastons

08 – The Walkers

15 – The Jones

22 – The Dicksons

29 – The Gastons

Children’s Message

01 – Christy Love

08 – Jacquie Fisher

15 – John Gaston

22 – Amber Horton

29 – Jacquie Fisher

Children’s Church

01 – Tracy Turner

08 – TBD

15 – Beth Dwyer

22 – TBD

29 – Tracy Turner

Pastor’s Pen

It’s May! It’s May! The lusty month of May!

Do you know that song? Julie Andrews sings it in the musical version of Camelot.

If you go back several centuries, May was indeed a “lusty” month. It was a month to begin courting (as it

was then called), and in preparation for trying to get that certain special someone to look at you in that certain

special way a lot of people would have their bath. Their yearly bath.

Can you imagine only having one bath a year?? (A gazillion kids just cheered!!) Our modern noses would

likely rebel against this, detecting a certain set of aromas that we wouldn’t really want to smell. But back

then? As someone wise once put it, “When everyone smells then no one smells.” Your nose gets used to

things, and you stop noticing after a few minutes. I can well remember when our neighbors would fertilize

their field, it was “aromatic.” But after a while you stopped noticing. You just get used to it.

What if you only had one bath in a lifetime?? (There go those kids again!) In a sense, that’s what Christians

do. We call it baptism, and in baptism we celebrate God washing us clean of our sins. It is our entrance into

the Church. In Methodism, as in most denominations, we only celebrate baptism one time. To do so again

would be to call into question God’s faithfulness – do we think God didn’t get it right the first time? We are

currently looking at the end of Revelation in our Sunday services, and in Revelation our baptism is seen as

how we are sealed to Christ.

This month, we celebrate another baptism. John the Baptist came baptizing (hence his name!) with water, but

he also told his listeners that one who would come after him would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This, of course, was about Jesus, and this baptism of the Holy Spirit and with Fire is why we have Pentecost

(this year on 15 May). On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the disciples were in a room when the sound of

rushing wind was heard and tongues as of fire rested on each of them. They began to speak in tongues, and

when they went out people from different countries found that they could understand them. It was as if the

disciples had learned a foreign language in an instant! One interesting note – this aspect of Pentecost is seen

as the reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel. Those who wanted to be as Gods found their language

made into many so they could no longer understand one another. Now those who served God had many

languages made into one so that God could be glorified to all.

So on this Pentecost, tell someone what God has done in your life, what God means to you. And tell them in

a way they will understand! Many a sermon has been wasted because the language was over the people’s

heads or had nothing to do with their lives. And many a witness has been wasted because they tried to ram

God down someone’s throat. So as John Wesley might have said, use plain language. Tell a friend of God,

and then listen to their story. And together, may we celebrate God’s Spirit that is poured out on all flesh –

and may we all give glory to God!

Hill’s Chapel United Methodist Church

988 South Highway 16 Business

Stanley, NC 28164

www.hillschapel@hcumc.com

704-827-9511