Monday, July 30, 2012
Changing computers and several other things have
kept me from spending as much time on the computer since the last post. For the
month of August please read through the gospel texts found in the book of John Chapter 6
using verses 24-69. The Focus will be on the words “ Work of God, The Bread, I
Am…,The Spirit”.
The hymns this month will include Be Thou My Vision,
To God be the Glory, Rescue the Perishing, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,
Precious Lord, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Break Thou the Bread of Life, Stand
Up Stand Up for Jesus, God be With you till We Meet again.
Blessings,
Pastor Cleve
John 6:24-69
New King James Version (NKJV)
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”[a]
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’[b] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned[c] from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me[d] has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed,[e] and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”[f]
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”[a]
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’[b] Therefore everyone who has heard and learned[c] from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me[d] has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed,[e] and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”[f]
Saturday, July 21, 2012
By Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky July 20, 2012
View from the Mountain Sky Area of
The United Methodist Church
Pastoral Letter to the Rocky Mountain Conference,
For three years the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone Conferences have been studying how Jesus sent the disciples out to meet people on their doorsteps. To learn their yearnings and sorrows, their aspirations, and to help them follow their imaginations to a new and faithful future.
Today people throughout our area, but especially in Aurora and Littleton, Colorado, have come out onto their spiritual doorsteps in dismay and grief. Once again precious children of God have fallen at the hands of a lost soul bearing powerful firearms. The deaths are senseless. And so people who love God and God’s children pause speechless in their wake. How can it be that a person would wander so far from God that he failed to see the miracle of each one whose life he took? How could God, who created and animated, and loved and nurtured each one, let a lost soul strike them down? And so, spiritually the human community has come out into public in search of solace.
The question for the church today is, how do we venture into the world to meet the collective grief of the community in its many guises: anger, denial, depression, fear. I challenge you, leaders of the church, to use your biblical imagination to generate creative responses to this crisis. Where does the biblical story intersect the public story of this day? How might this intersection lead us into a ministry of healing and hope?
·When Jesus died on the cross, his followers lost their bearings. They wandered away from the place without a sense of direction. Might our churches open and invite the whole community in for prayer and song and sharing?
·When Jesus died on the cross and was buried in a tomb, his beloved went there to honor and tend his body. We know that right now people are drifting together somewhere near the site of the shootings, to pray, to weep, to leave flowers and letters of sorrow. Is the church there? What if a big sign were left saying, “The United Methodist Church is praying with you.” Could we offer tracts with words of hope? “I lift my eyes to the hills. . .” or “Jesus wept.”
·After the devastation of the flood, Noah’s family planted new crops. They invested in the future. Could one of our churches host a neighborhood tree-planting to remember this tragedy with life and beauty and hope?
The whole community is hungering and thirsting for a word of hope, for a communal experience of care in the face of reckless disregard. This is a moment Christ has prepared us for.
God’s spirit “has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1) We have been touched and nurtured in faith for such a time as this.
Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky
View from the Mountain Sky Area of
The United Methodist Church
Pastoral Letter to the Rocky Mountain Conference,
For three years the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone Conferences have been studying how Jesus sent the disciples out to meet people on their doorsteps. To learn their yearnings and sorrows, their aspirations, and to help them follow their imaginations to a new and faithful future.
Today people throughout our area, but especially in Aurora and Littleton, Colorado, have come out onto their spiritual doorsteps in dismay and grief. Once again precious children of God have fallen at the hands of a lost soul bearing powerful firearms. The deaths are senseless. And so people who love God and God’s children pause speechless in their wake. How can it be that a person would wander so far from God that he failed to see the miracle of each one whose life he took? How could God, who created and animated, and loved and nurtured each one, let a lost soul strike them down? And so, spiritually the human community has come out into public in search of solace.
The question for the church today is, how do we venture into the world to meet the collective grief of the community in its many guises: anger, denial, depression, fear. I challenge you, leaders of the church, to use your biblical imagination to generate creative responses to this crisis. Where does the biblical story intersect the public story of this day? How might this intersection lead us into a ministry of healing and hope?
·When Jesus died on the cross, his followers lost their bearings. They wandered away from the place without a sense of direction. Might our churches open and invite the whole community in for prayer and song and sharing?
·When Jesus died on the cross and was buried in a tomb, his beloved went there to honor and tend his body. We know that right now people are drifting together somewhere near the site of the shootings, to pray, to weep, to leave flowers and letters of sorrow. Is the church there? What if a big sign were left saying, “The United Methodist Church is praying with you.” Could we offer tracts with words of hope? “I lift my eyes to the hills. . .” or “Jesus wept.”
·After the devastation of the flood, Noah’s family planted new crops. They invested in the future. Could one of our churches host a neighborhood tree-planting to remember this tragedy with life and beauty and hope?
The whole community is hungering and thirsting for a word of hope, for a communal experience of care in the face of reckless disregard. This is a moment Christ has prepared us for.
God’s spirit “has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1) We have been touched and nurtured in faith for such a time as this.
Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky
Friday, July 20, 2012
When you Pray
Chorus)At the close of the day,when you kneel to pray, Will
you remember me?
I need help every day, this is whyI pray, will you remember
me?
Verse1. When you pray will youpray for me, For I need His
love and His care,
When you pray will you pray forme, Will you whisper my name
in your prayer?
(Chorus)At the close of the day,when you kneel to pray, Will
you remember me?
I need help every day, this is whyI pray, will you remember
me?
Verse 2. When I pray I will prayfor you, For you need His
love and His care,
When I pray I will pray for you,I will whisper your name in
my prayer.
Preview of This Sunday’s Scripture
Texts
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a; Psalm 89:20-37; Ephesians
2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34, 53-56. True
kingship and lineage come through shepherding love and by bringing enemies
together in friendship and kinship, not by keeping them under our feet. The
peace Jesus brought, the peace attest to in both Mark and Ephesians, is not
accomplished by force of arms or family lineage, but by the love of a shepherd
and by the reconciliation of enemies.
The peace that David brought through force of arms could not stand-
despite God’s assurances that David’s line would last forever. Perhaps God
realized that the peace Israel hoped for by vanquishing its enemies was no real
peace.
Words of Assurance –Ephesians
2
In Christ, we are members of the household of God. In Christ, we become a holy temple, a
dwelling place for the Lord of hosts. In
Christ, we find true forgiveness.
Passing the Peace
(Mark 6)
Like the people who walked with Jesus, we are like sheep
without a shepherd. WE need a shepherd to guide us and give us rest.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Pastors Report June 25-July 15
Pastors report June 25 –July 15
Much has happened since moving to Belt /Highwood. The first week of course was getting our stuff from one place to another and then start unpacking. Moving is a BIG job. Your life unravels in one place and begins anew in another. We are most grateful for all of the help that assisted us in getting set up in the new parsonage. It is another big job to change all of your addresses to all mail correspondence and other things that need to be done. But, thank God most of that is done.
The first couple of weeks was highly energized with the 100th celebration in Highwood and the Belt Summer Celebration. Both events helped me in meeting a lot of people in both areas.
Bruce Shultz and those that helped him in getting the hand rails in place for Cissie was taken care of and an excellent job was done there. Jerry stopped by the parsonage when he was helping me get the new locks put in and found a hot wire for the light in the office. That will be forthcoming. Preacher does need some light while preparing bulletins, newsletters, and sermons.Handrails are still needed for Cissie at both the Montclair church and the Highwood Church so she can have access to the children’s area of ministry. Keys was the next item of business and finally all of that was taken care of efficiently.
The office for now is going to remain in the basement of the parsonage until I can establish my routine. It is hoped that once school begins I can offer free beginner piano and beginner guitar lessons at the Belt Church in the afternoons. I am considering a bible study at Montclair for the fall. I suppose that will develop as a more routine schedule is established.
We have been busy working on the bulletin and newsletter for both churches and all of that is falling into place. I need to learn where everyone lives in the area and have been working on a plan so that I can get around to visiting every home of both churches. I will be coming up with some type of form that we can pass around in both churches for people to sign up for a good time for me and Cissie to visit with each of you. Word is out that a new preacher is in town so I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting lots of new people.
I have been working on calling around to locate people. Since Belt seems to have been the hardest hit with attendance I have been working on that area first. I am still working on a list of people that members have given me to visit through the index cards that were passed out. The men’s bible study group at Highwood at 6:30 on Monday has continued to meet and I have enjoyed being part of that. The bible study at Janet and Rick Lee’s on Thursday night was another opportunity to meet, study, and fellowship with some of the Highwood members.
The invitation is extended again that Cissie and I are open for you to stop by the parsonage or office for a chat or counseling or whatever. Keep us informed about anyone needing prayer. It is exciting being in this new community. Gods Blessings to everyone. Pastor Cleve
Thursday, July 5, 2012
A note from Pastor Cleve
I John 3:1,2 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God....Beloved, now are we the sons of God....
Romans 8:14, 16-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God...The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ...
During all of the celebrations from last weekend and this July 4th we feel that we are part of a great big family already.
I have met with those that do the bulletins for both Belt and Highwood and we have made some minor adjustments, so minor you will hardly notice. I was in contact with the publisher of the Highwood newsletter and was able to put in my July newletter article that I had written ahead of time. We are going to try to continue with that effort which will be a "Preview" summary of the lectionary text for the month. In the Belt bulletin on the back we are going to try to put it in on a weekly basis and in the Highwood newsletter we put in the entire month. I might even try to post it here on the blog if there is enough response. But, I know everyone does not use the computer and that is the reason for posting it in all areas. We want to be in contact with everyone during the month as much as possible. As Children of God and led by the Spirit we will begin to feel more and more a part of the family of God in the Belt and Highwood communities.
We are continuing to make progress on our unpacking and hiding boxes :-) and things are coming along nicely. We have most all of the electronic medias connected. If only I could find my Kindle with 75 theological books downloaded on it I think we could say we have arrived. Its got to be in a box I have not opened marked "Important".
Remember that everyone is invited to drop by the parsonage in Belt. I posted a couple of rough signs in the garage that leads to the office. If you can't find me just call the house phone or cell phone and I will lead you down to the office.
We are looking forward to preaching Sunday so invite your family and neighbors to come hear this guy that speaks with a Southern accent. I have been accused of being Larry the Cable Guy but I am quick to respond that it would be like Larry the Cable Guy that got saved and cleaned up his mouth. You would hear me saying Praise the Lord, Glory to God or Hallelujiah.
Blessings to all of you....
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Monk visited Montclair UMC Belt MT July 1 2012
The monk that visited Montclair was none other than Lay Speaker (Rick) R.W. Rounds. The congregation was taken back at first glimpse of a monk that entered the sanctuary and started with a few words of Latin. Rick agreed to do the first Sunday service for the new pastor Cleve McSwain since the entire week had been filled with moving and unpacking. The scripture text was from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43, and Malachi 3:6-7. The emphasis of the message was that we come from a long line of traditions and concepts that has involved a lot of change through the years. Man kind has made a lot of changes but the real point of the message is that God does not change. Malachi 3:6 states "I the Lord do not change". We all adjust in life to the changes around us. Techonology is constantly in a flux of change and we have to adjust to it such as the changes we have encountered in many ways with computers, cell phones, ipads, and life in general. However, it is important to understand that God in the beginning laid down the basis for us to live our lives by the laws that He gave us. Humans are always looking for the easy way out especially if they don't like the rules. That does not change the Word of God. God's word is a lamp to our feet. It is our guide book for life. At times we may not like what it is telling us to do but God has it in place to give us the direction that we need. Speed signs are posted for a reason. If we go beyond the limit there are going to be consequences. You can argue all you want but that does not change the fact that the posted speed limit is what is expected if you are going to drive a 3000 lb vehicle. If you get a ticket for breaking the speed limit it is not the patrolman's fault. He is just doing his job. If you break Gods laws then there are consequences to pay for that as well. As we continue "Going Forth From Whence We Came" as Rick pointed out in his sermon change is expected but with the changes we must keep in mind that God Does Not Change.
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