Announcements

At the beginning of last month, we held an intergenerational mini retreat on prayer, called “Teach Us to Pray.”  We are grateful for the leadership Gayle Kerr offered to all the participants, as well as Valerie Jansson who offered leadership for the children who attended.  This time together was so well received that we have had requests for some sort of “follow up.”   During our mini retreat we didn’t have enough time to reflect upon all the questions people had about prayer, so after doing an evaluation of the retreat, we decided to offer “an evening of prayer exploration.”   This will be a time to simply come together, in an informal and relaxed way, to reflect with each other on this spiritual practice.  We have set aside Tuesday evening, May 20^th at 6:30 PM for this conversation.  All are invited and encouraged to attend, whether you were able to take advantage of the mini-retreat or not.

I’m grateful the church can be a place for this type of exploration, where we can gather to consider these  things together.  Prayer is something human beings have been doing for a long time.  It is something people of different faiths practice all over the world.  There is a type of universality to the desire on the part of humanity to connect with the Sacred in our midst in this way.

During our mini retreat, some excellent resources on prayer were offered.  Part of these resources included some quotes on prayer, an opportunity to bring additional “voices” to the conversation.  While there are so many good thoughts on prayer, I thought I’d share some I have appreciated over the years for you to enjoy, to consider, and to reflect upon.  As you do, I invite you to see if any “ring true” to your own experience, or if some seem to “speak” to you more than others.  If so, why do you think that is so? 

I hope to see many of you at our gathering on May 20^th.  Feel free to bring your questions, and an openness to share your own experiences with us all, or feel free to just come and listen. We will be blessed through this time of honest and open sharing.   If we can or can’t attend on May 20^th, let’s all continue to explore the practice of prayer and take advantage of what a community of faith has to offer, opportunities to encourage each other on the journey of life and faith in meaningful ways.  Enjoy!

“Basically, prayer is an exercise in divine participation – we are opting in, and God is always there.”   (Richard Rohr)

“If the only prayer you say in your entire life is ‘Thank you,’ that would suffice.”  (Meister Eckhart)

“To pray means to bring God back into the world, to establish His kingship for a second at least.  To pray means to expand God’s presence.”  (Abraham Heschel)

“Prayer is your soul connecting to its Source, the Soul of Souls.  Prayer allows us to see through the soul’s eyes.  It opens us up to our daily blessings and helps us align the soul’s highest intentions with the body’s highest actions.  Prayer ignites us to create the world we are yearning for.”  (Naomi Levy) 

“Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view.”  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

“To pray is to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings, the divine margin in all attainments.  Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.”  (Abraham Heschel)

“Prayer joins the visible to the invisible world.”  (Fools Crow, Sioux)

“Prayer is a way to master what is inferior in us, to discern between the signal and the trivial, between the vital and the futile, by taking counsel with what we know about the will of God, by seeing our fate in proportion to God.”  (Abraham Heschel)

 “To begin the process of prayer we need only wish to be sincere.  We need not seek complicated formulas but merely become ourselves in the presence of God.”    (Anthony Padovano)

Blessings,

Pastor John

Tuesday, May 13^th at 6:30 p.m.

Plan now to come to the Parish Hall and get creative!  Marci Carchia will be leading this fun evening using sea glass, beach pebbles, shells, and driftwood to create art on canvas.  Please bring whatever beach items you have as well as a glue gun and glue sticks.  If you don’t have any of these, no worries as we will have plenty to choose from.  This night of creativity is sponsored by the Christian Education Committee.  Please sign up in advance by contacting Joy Mueller, joyemueller@comcast.net, or using the sign-up sheet in the social hall.

The Sunday Evening Eating Outers (Suneos) is planned  this month  for dinner on Sunday, May 18th at 5:00 p.m. at Tugboats, West Yarmouth.  Eve Hoffman is coordinating this outing for us all.  Sign up in the Parish Hall, contact the Church Office, or speak with Eve if you are interested in attending.  These dinners are always a nice way to enjoy a good meal, support a local restaurant, and enjoy each other’s company.

Our April “Teach us to Pray” mini retreat was well received and prompted many questions about prayer – too many to reflect on during our time together.  Join us on Tuesday evening, May 20^th at 6:30 pm in Parish Hall for an evening of prayer reflection and conversation.  How do I know my prayers have been heard?  Why do we not feel or sense God’s response more quickly?  How can I stop being distracted when I pray?  Pastor John and retreat leader, Gayle Kerr, will explore these and other questions with attendees.  All are invited to attend whether participated in the mini retreat or not.  It’s simply an evening to reflect together about this valuable spiritual practice and exercise.

Our next church hike will be held on Saturday, May 24th.   Joy, Bailey, and Pastor John will meet all who are interested at our church’s parking lot at 10 a.m.  We plan to go to Corporation Beach in Dennis. All ages are welcome.  Dogs are permitted.  Feel free to invite a friend.   

Save the date for the Thrift Shop’s semi-annual Super Sale on Saturday, May 31st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The rain date will be Saturday, June 7th. The Thrift Shop and Furniture Barn will be open as usual. In addition, many extra sale items will be spread out in the driveway and back to the Furniture Barn for this special Super Sale.  Plan to stop by for lots of great bargains!  Hot dogs and drinks will be available for sale and there will be a wonderful Bake Sale, as well.

We are grateful  for all the volunteers  who continue to work tirelessly for the mission and ministry of our congregation to make this special offering available to the community. 

Spring is here! Concurrently, is the time of the Christian year where we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Thank you all for warmly welcoming Chris the Trumpeter on Easter Sunday, and please continue to give your enthusiastic support to  guest musicians in the future.

In the coming months, the choir will begin to round out the season before summer break. If anyone has interest in singing or playing an instrument during the summer, please don’t hesitate to inquire! Also, even though we’re late in the season, it’s never too late to join the SYUMC choir!   – Ben Colgan

If you have been visiting our congregation, worshipping with us regularly, and would like to learn more about the church, a prospective member gathering has been scheduled for Sunday afternoon, June 1^st.  This meeting will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the home of Cookie and Buzz Barry in Yarmouth Port.  Attending a gathering like this is a great way to learn more about the congregation, ask any questions you might have, learn a little about Methodists, enjoy some refreshments and a special time together.  If you would like to attend, please call the church office or speak with either Cookie Barry, Eve Hoffman, or Pastor John.  For those who feel ready to join, we will be receiving new members on Sunday, June 22^nd during the worship service.

It’s not too early to be thinking about the start of the summer season and our early morning, summer beach services at Smuggler’s Beach in South Yarmouth.  Once again,  the Town of Yarmouth has granted us permission to use the fishing pier on Sunday mornings in the summer for an early worship service at the mouth of Bass River.  This year, our services will begin at 7:15 a.m., fifteen minutes earlier than in the past, so we can all be out of the parking lot before 8 a.m.  Be sure to tell your friends!  The first service of the new season will be Sunday, June 29^th, and services will continue through Sunday, September 7^th.