Author: BiltmoreUMC

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TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 21st, Church Choir rehearsals will resume after our summer break. The Choir rehearses Wednesday nights 6:00 – 7:00 PM. 
Church Choir is a perfect small christian community. Jesus said, “where two are three are gathered in my name…” and God reminds us through scripture that music is part of God’s plan for Worship. So the Church Choir gathers to be faithful to our gifting and to gathering in Jesus’ name to prepare music for Worship.
Prayerfully consider joining YOUR voice with others as we join the Choir of Angels in praising our amazing God.

Due to inclement weather, all activities held at Biltmore United Methodist Church are canceled for Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018.  This includes both the TreeHouse Contemporary Service in the Event Center and the Traditional Service in the Sanctuary. This also includes the SART Sanders Family Christmas and Let It Be Christmas performances, too. If you had tickets to these shows, you may use them to see another showtime on a not-so-snowy day.

While we may not be on campus together this morning, we can still be together in worship. Please see Pastor’s Lucy’s note and devotion as follows.

Dear Biltmore Friends:
On this Second Sunday of Advent, instead of our normal time of worship together, I invite you to reflect upon the words of the Prophet Malachi and the devotion which follows. Stay safe!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Lucy

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4 (Common English Bible or CEB translation)

Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me;
        suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple.
        The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
² Who can endure the day of his coming?
        Who can withstand his appearance?
He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
        He will purify the Levites
            and refine them like gold and silver.
            They will belong to the Lord,
                presenting a righteous offering.
⁴ The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
        as in ancient days and in former years.

Devotion: Advent: A Message of Hope
The weather forecasters seem to have nailed it this time, hammering us with countless messages about the inclement weather expected this weekend. I hope you heeded the warning and prepared yourself. It’s clear someone has, and not just by making the typical “bread and milk” run we dash out for at times like these. As I strolled the aisles of Ingles on Friday, the butter was almost gone, the chocolate chips were in great shortage, and there wasn’t even a single bag of Pillsbury or Laura Lynn brand flour in the store. Snow days must be the time to bake cookies. I decided to follow suit. Whatever these days bring in your household, I hope you heard the messenger loud and clear! There’s a winter storm coming. Get ready!

Meteorologists aren’t the only messengers we catch a glimpse of this time of year. Advent is a season full of messengers just waiting to deliver their declarations. This Second Sunday of Advent is no exception. We begin in the Old Testament, in the last book, written by the Prophet Malachi whose name means, “My Messenger.” The real name of the author is unknown.
Malachi is writing in post-exilic times, when the Hebrew people had returned home after living decades in Babylonian exile. According to the prophet, it is a time of confusion and conflict – the people find themselves tempted to pledge allegiance to the powerful Persian Empire instead of to their God. Malachi knew that God’s people had lost their way, and was determined to call them back to the covenant. Malachi’s message flows as a monologue meant to challenge his listeners.

The day is surely coming when the messenger will arrive, clearing the path before me, the prophet writes. Who can endure it? He is like a refiner’s fire or a cleaner’s soap, refining, purifying his people so that once again they will be the righteous offering that God desires.
This was the prophet’s declaration for the Hebrew people, and it’s also one for us. As people of God, we, too, can lose our way – seeking after the idols of this world instead of living into the covenant with our Lord. (And we know this to be the case, especially this time of year as we anticipate Christmas and all the excessive tendencies that go along with it.) As Christians, we, too, need to be refined, purified, and cleansed so that we can more clearly and beautifully bear the image of God in our hearts and our lives.

This message of the prophet is truly one of hope. God doesn’t leave us as we are – lost, broken, or impure, but is refining us to more visibly bear God’s image. It’s a process that hurts a little, as the impurities of our lives are burned away. But in the end, this process is one that allows us to shine even more brightly as God’s people now and forevermore.

                As we reflect upon this prophetic word of Malachi, let us consider:

1. What impurities in my life need to be burned away, allowing me to shine God’s image to all I encounter?
2. What refinement do I need to focus on in my life that would allow me to grow more deeply in love with God and my neighbor?
3. How are the choices I make, especially in this Advent Season, impacting my relationship with Jesus and others?

Prayer:
Covenant God, you send us messengers to cleanse and refine us for your coming. Help us endure the mirror of the prophet’s message, that we may see you when you suddenly appear among us; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
from: Feasting on the Word: Advent Companion, 2014

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Tune in next Sunday, in-person, when we look to another messenger called to “Prepare the Way for the Lord” and the challenging word John the Baptist offers us all.

We want you know, there’s no wrong way to pray! We also understand that everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to prayer.

Some people hesitate to commit themselves for an extended time of prayer. “That was hard for me,” John confessed, “because I didn’t know what I was going to pray about for the whole time.” People often feel inadequate at prayer; they don’t want to set up themselves to fail like the disciples did in the Garden.

To allay these fears, we offer suggestions on how to spend the half hour to an hour. We say, “Praying for a half an hour to an hour is like sitting down for a leisurely meal with a friend rather than ordering a burger and fries at the drive-up window. As you spend the time together, you find a lot of things to say.”

Here are some of the things we suggest:

Start by bringing along some things to discuss with God: your Bible, a hymnal, perhaps a church directory, and our church’s current prayer list.

Be yourself. Why would you pray like Brother or Sister So-and-So? Talk to God as you’d talk to your best friend.

Get comfortable. The stiffer you feel, the more formal your relationship will be. Sitting is fine. If kneeling helps, do it. You might want to take a long walk as you talk with your Friend.

Try praying out loud, though not loud enough to disturb others. Being able to hear yourself pray improves your concentration. You’ll find your mind doesn’t wander as easily, and you can pray more fervently.

Don’t feel you have to do all the talking, however. Discuss something with the Lord, and then be silent. Sometimes God uses the times of listening to implant his answers in our minds. Gradually you’ll find prayer can be a conversation.

Consider these suggestions:

Preparation: Ask God to help you spend this time profitably with him. Give yourself to him for this hour.

Confession: Spend a moment going over with him recent sins that weigh on you, but don’t dredge up old ones. Read 1 John 1:9. Ask for his cleansing, and then accept it by faith and thank him for it.

Praise and thanksgiving: Sing your adoration to the Lord using a hymnal or choruses you know. Now start to thank him for his goodness to you and your friends. There’s a special sense in which God “inhabits” the praises of his people (Ps. 22:3). As your heart begins to adore him, you’ll sense his presence more deeply.

Petition: Pray about life’s difficulties. Use this time to talk over with the Lord your own struggles. Discuss with him your relationship with your loved one or spouse, your family, your financial needs, your studies or job.

Intercession: Pray for friends, loved ones, relatives, neighbors, fellow workers. Don’t just read a list of names to God, but talk to him about their lives and needs. You can boldly ask God for their salvation. Ask God to bring Christians into their lives, to alter circumstances, and to give you opportunities for witness.

Prayer for the church: Call on God for a deep renewal of love for him. Pray for your pastor and church leaders. Intercede for the Sunday school children and the youth, the families, the singles, the widows, the sick and shut-ins. Call on God for an increase in giving so the church can accomplish its work. Pray for the Christian organizations working with the college students, children, military personnel, and the homeless in your community.

Prayer for the nation: Pray that God will guide our president and legislators, our justices and judges, our governors and mayors, our police and firefighters. Pray for righteousness in government and a public policy sensitive to the needs of the oppressed both here and abroad.

Prayer for other nations: Pray for the work of Christ throughout the world. Intercede for unreached peoples. Pray for missionaries, for Third World pastors and churches, for the people of God who are suffering persecution. Pray for peace. Ask God to give food, shelter, and hope to the hungry.

Prayer for Pastor Lucy: Pray for God’s Spirit to move and work in and through her. That God grants her wisdom and strength to lead and guide us as we seek to be a church that is faithful to God’s calling and will.

Did you know?
We’re welcoming our new Pastor, Rev. Lucy Robbins, by taking time to pray intentionally for her. You’re invited to pray with us. Prayer is welcome always, at anytime, but we have a sign-up for folks who’d like to commit to a block of special prayer time. Click here to add your name: Lucy’s Prayer Schedule. You can also email Kylee Rose Frye at kylee@biltmoreumc.org.

[If you’re having trouble with the hyperlink, here’s the full address: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rRqUlGDfkDq1xw5sxfxpvhB9GCXRRySLFmoNiTIyqck/edit?usp=sharing.]

Looking for additional resources? 
The United Methodist Church provides numerous ideas! Check it out: http://www.umc.org/topics/topic-prayers-and-meditations

Come celebrate Easter with us Sunday, April 1 – Contemporary Service at 10am in our Events Center and Traditional Service at 11am in our Sanctuary.  Children of all ages are invited to join us at noon for an Easter Egg hunt on our church lawn.

 

MISSION: Use this Jedi mind-trick to give yourself some loving-kindness. You deserve it. You NEED it!

Read this out loud, and project love and friendliness toward yourself:

‘This is not the beginning or the end of my problems. While I am unique, many people have had problems like mine. It is a normal human experience. Like all things, this will pass and change.’

‘I can live for two months on a good compliment.’ OK
–Mark Twain

MISSION: Thousands of people are pledging to give ONE WORLD-CLASS COMPLIMENT this weekend.

‘Why should we all use our creative power…? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compassionate, so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money.’ – Brenda Ueland

MISSION: Most adults have a long list of reasons NOT to try something creative today.You might not have enough time, or you don’t know where to start.

But I would like to challenge you on this! CREATE something today. It can be just for you, like a journal entry. Or it can be shared, like a love note.