Ridley Park UMC E-News 4/27/09

Photos above from this Sunday's bulletin ("Past, Present, Future") and the sign for the upcoming Ridley Park UMC Community Fair.

This week's internet extras: Two websites that allow you to donate food and other vital resources to those in need with a simple (and free) click each day!
http://www.thehungersite.com (don't miss all their other sites listed across the top)
http://www.care2.com/click2donate/

Events at RPUMC this week:
Mon - Tri-State Chess-6:30PM, Community Fair meeting-6:30, Yoga class-6:30-7:30PM
Tue - "Work night" for City Team-7:00PM (set up-6:00), NA Meeting-7:30PM
Wed - City Team - 5:00 (meet at church at 4:00), Alateen-7:15PM
Thu - AA Meeting-10:00AM, NA Meeting-11:30AM, Prayer Partners-6:45PM, Choir practice-7:30
Fri - Girl Scouts-6:30, Wedding rehearsal-6:30
Sat - North/Bergman wedding
Sun - Food Pantry-8:30, Sunday School-9:30AM,Missions Sunday-10:45AM, Missions luncheon following service

Sunday School is beginning a new class on the Social Principles- come join us as we take a look at the way our faith influences how we look at issues featured in the news. Next week, bring an article from the newspaper focusing on human relations to use in our discussion. See you next Sunday at 9:30am!

Community Fair meetings - will be held on the next three Mondays (April 27^th, May 4^th and May 11^th) at 6:30 in the small meeting room.

Mark your calendars! - This year's annual Community Fair will be held in conjunction with our 60^th anniversary celebration of the consecration of the sanctuary. Friday, May 15^th will be a Youth game night. Saturday, May 16^th is the Annual Community Fair. There will be a special service on Sunday May 17^th celebrating our 60^th anniversary and rededication of ourselves to Jesus Christ. An old-fashioned Methodist covered dish dinner will be held in Fellowship Hall.

Methodist Night @ the Phillies - The game is Saturday, July 11^th at 7:05 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tickets are $24 each. Make checks payable to RPUMC and write "Phillies" in the memo line and give them to me or place in my mailbox instead of the collection plate. Deadline is May 3^rd. Please call (610)532-5804 with any questions. -Amanda

Yoga class - April 27^th will be the last class. Classes will resume in the fall.

Pledge cards - If you have not yet turned in a pledge card, you can find them in the narthex - place it in the offering plate or bring it to the office and mark your name off of the list. We will be mailing pledge cards to all those who have not had the opportunity to participate in this critical part of our life together. Thank you!

Ridley Park UMC is "going green!" If you haven't signed up already, you have the opportunity to check out a Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor to find out how much electricity each one of your appliances is using (especially while they are off but still plugged in). Sign up in the narthex for a week to use this valuable tool free of charge in order to become a better steward of God's creation!

Communion will be on May 10^th.

Bible Quiz: Which ruler of the synagogue asked Jesus to heal his sick daughter?

Last Week's Question: In what town did Jesus turn water into wine?
Answer: Antioch (Acts 11:26)


This week we focused on the quote from St. Augustine - "Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love, and the future to God's providence," and talked about the ways in which our lack of forgiveness for ourselves and God's forgiveness, along with our excuses in the present and our uncertainty about the future can hold us back from fulfilling God's plan for our lives. May you rejoice in the knowledge that God has great plans for you and seek them out this week and always. See you soon at Ridley Park UMC!

In God's Grace,
Rev. Ryan B. Wieland, pastor


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"Past, Present, Future"
Ridley Park UMC April 26, 2009
(Children's Sermon: Timeline)

"Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence."

"Trust the past to God's mercy." The Mission is a film released over 20 years ago which tells the story of the efforts of the Jesuit priests to bring Christianity to the isolated tribes of South America. Robert de Niro plays Rodrigo Mendoza, who in the beginning of the film is a mercenary and slaver, who makes his living kidnapping men, women, and children from the Guarani tribe and selling them to the nearby plantations, and he is content in this gruesome trade. But when Mendoza comes home one night and finds his brother in bed with his fiancee, he kills his brother in a jealous rage and then slowly spirals into guilt and depression over what he has done. In an effort to free himself from guilt, depression, and his sin, he seeks out the Jesuit missionaries, and begs them for forgiveness- anything he can do to make the guilt and shame go away. Father Gabriel, who ministers to the Guarani tribe, takes Mendoza's armor and weapons, ties them in a heavy knapsack, and attaches the load to Mendoza's waist. He then assigns Mendoza to scale the waterfall leading to the Guarani tribe again and again as his penance for his sins. Mendoza is still proud and bitter despite his guilt, and refuses help until eventually he collapses and cries out to God. When he does finally reach the top, the Guarani tribe meets him there with weapons drawn. One of the warriors from the tribe approaches with a knife, and Mendoza turns away as he know what is surely coming. But the warrior kneels down and cuts the load of armor free from him, tossing it back over the falls. In this moment of forgiveness, Mendoza bursts into grateful tears and commits his life to sharing that experience of God's forgiveness with others as a Jesuit priest.
      Our first reading took us back into the past, back into the days of Lent that have almost completely been lost on the other side of the joyous glow of Easter. In this passage, Jesus treads the road to the cross, betrayed by those he loved, tortured by the political authorities, and condemned to death by those who claimed to speak for God. Our tendency is to rush through this part of the story- it only shows up on Good Friday, and then we hurry on to Easter, wanting desperately to avoid the guilt we feel when we hear of how Jesus suffered and acknowledge our part in the suffering. But as Christians, we are called to have a complex relationship with the past. We are forgiven of our past mistakes and our sins through the love of God in this same Jesus Christ, freed to live out lives of grateful service, showing to others the way to freedom in the Christ. But at the same time, we are called to never forget what we have been freed from- we can and should still remember the feel of the rope digging into our side as we struggle to climb, the sheer weight of our past sin threatening to drag us down to the rocks below. Our regrets, our mistakes, our shortcomings, and our sin can keep us locked securely in past, placing impossible distance between us and the plans that God has for us if we would only accept the forgiveness he offers. We are called to remember, but we are also freed into forgiveness, trusting the past to God's grace.
      Trust the present to God's love: long before the memory of the pain and suffering of the passion of Christ have faded away, while the disciples are lost in grief and confusion, God's love makes itself known in powerful ways, reconciling the lost sheep to their shepherd once again in an act of divine compassion. Jesus appears to the disciples, calms their fears, invites them to look and to touch, asks them for food and eats, and then, once he has convinced them that he is indeed risen from the grave, then he opens their minds to the truths of Scripture. This is where we stand today, in this present moment, with the disciples, still marvelling at the miracle of Easter, still recognizing signs of God's work in the world around us, standing in awe, gathering to worship and to support one another as we wrestle with the knowledge of God's abundant grace and what it means in our lives. Jesus comes to meet us where we are, and we stand in awe at the forgiveness we have been shown, fumbling with excuses for why we struggle to accept such grace. But as the saying goes, God loves us enough to meet us where we are, but God loves us far too much to leave us there. Jesus says to the disciples gathered there: "repentance and forgiveness of sins [must and shall] be preached in [my] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." Here and now we are witnesses to the risen Christ, and all excuses fall away and we step forward into a far different future than we ever imagined possible.
      Trust the future to God's providence. We then read from Acts, which follows the story of Peter and John going up to the temple to pray. In the spirit of our time-traveling this morning, I would invite you to journey back to just before where our reading picked up this morning. On the way to the temple, Peter and John meet a man, crippled from birth, who cannot stand or walk. The man reaches out to them for help, asking for money, too ashamed to even look at the two disciples. But they tell him they have no money for him and instead tell him to look at them, to look in their eyes instead of staring at the ground in shame, and in doing so they instantly restore his humanity. Then, they restore his health, simply by saying "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he not only stands, he walks with them to the temple, leaping and praising God all the way. The bystanders have witnessed the power of God revealed in astounding ways, but they simply stand there, confused and afraid.
      Peter, as usual, is the first to speak up, frustrated that nothing in the past or the present can seem to open the hearts of the people to what God has done for them, is doing for them, and will do for them in the future if they only believe- he says, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this? God has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate. But by the faith that is through Jesus, God has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. "My friends, I know that you acted in ignorance. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out."
      Many words used to get across a simple message. Peter says simply - Christ is risen from the grave. You handed him over to death because you did not know, you did not understand the significance of Jesus Christ. But now I have told you. NO MORE EXCUSES. You have heard the truth and seen miracles with your own eyes- what are you going to do about it? Peter speaks to us this morning, we join with the Israelites in the temple as people of little faith, wanting desperately to step into the future that Easter reveals to us, but afraid what changes that might bring. Peter speaks to us this morning- you have encountered the risen Christ in the world, but it is up to you whether you recognize it or not. Peter cries out, "Repent and turn to God."- no more excuses- leave the past to God's grace, the present to God's love, and the future to God's providence. You have carried your burden for so long and felt it fall from your shoulders in a moment of grace, you have heard the good news of Easter and have joined with the disciples and seen the risen Lord, you have joined with the Jews in the temple and seen the crippled man leaping and dancing for joy and you have known that you are called to preach repentence and forgiveness in Christ's name as a witness to God's grace in your life. Now will you repent of the sin of keeping that good news to yourself and join in the proclamation of Easter with Christians around the world? Christ is Risen! Amen.