Livingston News - March 2025
- Livingston UMC
- Feb 28
- 6 min read
In this edition:
Kairos Prison Ministry Opportunities
Dear Beloveds,
In these days where the news keeps our heads spinning and leaves us unable to keep up with all that is going on, particularly in this country, but also outside of our borders, I am continuing to work to keep myself grounded in God and in who I am in God. It's definitely a challenge at times. In a book that I am currently reading, the author notes that in the environment we live in at this very moment, we have to be so very intentional about knowing who we are and what we stand for, what we will and will not do, and what our hopes and dreams are. Intentional to the point of writing it down so that at some future date, we can remind ourselves of who we were before this climate changed us. And it will change us. Maybe in big ways, maybe in small ways, but this level of uncertainty and derision does inevitably change us. My hope for all of us is that in whatever ways we are affected, we can and will remain strong and principled in our faith in The One Who Calls Us Beloved.
Earlier this week, I received my daily email from "Unfolding Light" and Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes, and it helped me to re-center in a way I didn't realize I'd needed. I want to share those words with you, a love offering of sorts, to encourage you to listen to that still small voice that calls you deeper and deeper into the presence of Pure Love.
Listen by Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes
A voice said,
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
—Luke 9.35
The command is not to believe,
or even to remember,
but to listen.
In stillness,
apart from the screaming news,
listen.
Let your fears and opinions
sit quietly in the corner
and talk amongst themselves;
let them go; ignore them.
In silence, listen
even if only to the sound
of your own breathing, listen
for the silence
that is God,
the cloud
that is unknowing,
the presence
you can trust without feeling.
And if nothing comes to you,
keep the silence.
Honor the cloud.
Keep listening.
Please keep listening to how and what God is speaking to your heart, especially on the difficult days. There is someone who needs to meet God through you—maybe for the first time, maybe in a new, life-changing way—but someone will be changed by the courageous love you share through your faith in God who is always at work.
With love,
Pastor Angie
Save the Date - State of the Church Meeting
Please mark your calendars to stay after Worship on Sunday, March 30, to catch up on where we stand with all things Livingston UMC. We'll come together for lunch, and some of your Leadership Board and I will share how we are doing missionally and financially, where things stand with the sale of the church's property, our plans moving forward, and more.
Join Us After Worship Tomorrow for our Shrove Pancake Supper!
Our Ash Wednesday service at The United Methodist Church for All People, 946 Parsons Ave., will begin at 6:00 p.m.
This year, we’re letting the Gospel of Luke guide us through Lent. Beginning with Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), this worship series flows through several familiar stories—the Good Samaritan, Mary and Martha, the fruitless fig tree, the Lost Sheep, Zacchaeus, and more. Many of these stories are well-known in both sacred and secular imagination and hold significance in pop culture, church history, politics, and everything in between.
Our theme, “Everything In Between,” invites us to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention, and openness to be transformed. You will see that each weekly sub-theme explores two supposed binaries, like “faith & works” or “rest & growth,” or “grief & hope.” We often consider these ideas to be opposing. However, as we explore these concepts within the scriptures, we find nuance and complexity. We find that these dichotomies are false. We might begin to see a full spectrum instead of black and white. We might find that God is present in between.
And so, this season, we invite you to look beyond black-and-white binaries and easy answers. We encourage you to notice the dichotomies that define our lives and also imagine where God might be meeting us beyond the categories we create. This Lent, we're trusting that God shows up in shades of gray, rainbow hues, and everywhere in between.
Lenten Devotionals Are Available
Devotional books and/or Daily Devotional Cards based on our Lenten series, "Everything in Between," are available in the Narthex on Sunday mornings throughout the season.
If you are feeling more deeply called to do some inner work around diversity, you may want to consider using the Lenten Devotional published by The United Methodist Church's General Commission on Religion and Race. This GCORR devotional titled, “Learning Together: A Lenten Exploration of Anti-Racist Values in Matthew, Mark, & Luke,” was inspired by a desire to showcase, through the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus’ faithful demonstration and engagement of anti-racist values – values of shared power, shared responsibility and authority, and openness and curiosity. These values are antithetical to the values by which our society is shaped and ruled– values such as power hoarding, individualism, and holding to one right way for doing everything. Along with the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) and New International Version (NIV), the First Nations Version (FNV), an Indigenous translation of the New Testament, was also used for this Lenten devotional writing. Please see or contact Pastor Angie if you would like either a printed or digital copy of this devotional.
Kairos is a lay-led Christian ministry that shares Christ’s love and forgiveness with prisoners and their families. Now is a good time for our church family to actively demonstrate God’s love through Agape. Kairos Prison Ministry is gearing up to present a short course in Christianity to the men at Lancaster’s Southeast Correctional Institution, and that will take place April 3-6, 2025.
Agape love can be shown:
through prayer (for the team, faculty, and residents).
in the making of a prayer chain.
by creating encouraging letters, posters, and placemats.
through being one of the many who participate in baking over 2,000 dozen cookies, which are due by Sunday, March 29.
in participating in the preparing/cooking of (6) meals for 50+ people.
You can help support this Kairos weekend by participating in any and/or all of the above, and/or by donating your time, talents, and funds.
Keep in mind that these activities in and of themselves are not the Agape love, they are merely the visible signs of God’s love. The real Agape is the love that you put into it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You can also sign up to work in the kitchen at St. Marks in Lancaster.
You can contact Brian Barta for more information at (614) 915-8029 and/or briandb614@gmail.com.
Service Opportunities
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Serve each month at Rosemary's Cupboard Food Pantry! This month, guest service dates are Tuesday, March 25, Thursday, March 27, and Saturday, March 29. | Volunteers are always welcome to help the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio sort and label medications. Call to arrange a time! | Our friends at Village Connections would love to welcome you to their corps of volunteers who make their mission possible! |
LUMC Swag
We now have an LUMC Swag Shop through online print-on-demand company Spreadshop. With the button below, you'll be able to purchase clothing, bags, and mugs that show the world your commitment to treating others with kindness AND to your LUMC family!
Sign Up for Altar Flowers
We know that many times when you choose to provide flowers to decorate the altar, there is a special person or occasion that spurs your choice of that date. So next time you provide Altar flowers, if you'd like to share why, please do! We'll include your dedication in the bulletin and in the slides that are displayed on Sunday morning.
Please email Jane at lumc@livingstonchurch.org by Tuesday afternoon with your dedication so that she can add it to the bulletins, which are printed on Thursdays.
To support our ministries, Livingston United Methodist Church depends on the financial support of members and friends such as you. You may drop off or mail your offering to the church, or click below to give online.
Newsletter Deadline
We welcome informational articles from our community. Please send monthly newsletter submissions by the end of the day on the 22nd of this month to info@livingstonchurch.org. We do not publish advertisements. We reserve the right to edit articles.
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