Pastor’s Letter, December 2011

This morning, under heavy moist clouds
a wedge of pink sky topped the trees.
This evening, again pink covers over thick white clouds,
but between cloud and trees the sky is azure.
Snow heavy on firs, deep over all the earth.
This mix of color stops us.

We put down what we are doing and turn to this light.
We call to each other: “Come see! Come see!”
Such beauty is not to be missed and must be shared.

Dear God, after a day of Christmas shopping,
filled with gaudy imitations of your loveliness,
the bustle, push, inflated prices, elbowing shoppers,
only a few yards away from a homeless shelter,
dear God, this gift of sky colors is the All,
the blessing and the joy I will hold onto
when I remember this day.

Thank you,
December 9, 2006

Dear Friends, Happy December!

I wrote the above poem 5 years ago and it is a mix of what has stayed the same in our lives and what changes have happened. As I write this letter our Halloween and pre-Thanksgiving snows have melted and we delight in warm, fall like days. No snow on the firs today, but maybe by the end of December, when you may come upon this letter, there will be snow again. I hope so. I love a white Christmas.

Our skies are still and rosy against white cloudy skies and nature’s beauty still wins over any decorations in any shop. But with our tough time economy people are  buying, maybe not as they were in 2006. “Black Friday” brought many rushing to stores for huge sales, people pushed, elbowed and some were hurt in the rush to get bargain priced items for their loved ones. Scarcity and hard financial times have not brought out the best in all.

The numbers of people standing in food lines, going to food pantries, filling out job applications, trying to heat their homes, and, yes, seeking shelter in homeless shelters has grown since 2006.

But the true meaning of Advent and Christmas has not changed. The journey towards the birth of Jesus remembered: worship services, plays, Live Nativities, carols, prayers, and Scripture has not changed. Each week, as our Sunday School children take turns lighting our Advent Wreath candles of Hope, Love, Joy, Peace and the Jesus candle (on Christmas Eve), we enjoy their excitement, we soften as our music director sings, we melt into the trueness of Christmas, rebirth fills our hearts with warmth.

We invite you to stop in some Sunday morning at 11:00 and be in good fellowship with us at Ellsworth United Methodist Church where all are welcome. Here’s our schedule for this December:

12/4: Introit: “Toda la Tera (All the World is Waiting)”, Psalm # 85, Opening Hymn “The Gift of Love”, During Time for the Young at Heart singing of verses 1-4 of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, Hymn of Preparation “Lift Up Your hands Ye Mighty Gates” , Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-8, Anthem “Wild and Lone Prophet’s Voice”, Holy Communion,  Closing Hymn “Grace Alone”. We will enjoy a pot luck lunch then decorate the Sanctuary.

12/11 Introit: “Gather Us In” Psalm # 126, Opening Hymn “O For A Thousand Tongues”, Hymn of Preparation: “To A Maid Engaged to Joseph”, Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1-11, Luke 1:39-55, Anthem “O Lord, Your Tenderness”, Closing Hymn “God Be With You Until We Meet Again”

12/18 Introit: “Loving Spirit”, Psalm 89, Opening Hymn “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming” Time for Young at Heart: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (all verses), Hymn of Preparation: “In the Bleak Midwinter”, Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25, Anthem “Star Child”, Closing Hymn “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice”

Christmas Eve, from  6:00-6:45 p.m. we will have a Live Nativity (weather permitting) outside in front of the church.

7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols.
No Worship on Christmas, but we will have worship on January 1, lots of coffee will be provided as it is each week, along with baked goodies.

May your December be filled with beauty, friendship, new beginnings, and the Joy of God’s blessed beauty just waiting for us to awaken our lives and be part of.

See you in 2012? I Hope so!

Yours,
Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young ( Pastor Y-Y)

Published in: on December 5, 2011 at 1:16 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Pastor’s Letter – November, 2011

Dear Friends and friends yet to meet,

Happy November!

As I sit down to write this letter the sun is gleaming through the few golden, yellow scarlet, and still green leaves. Nearby, there is snow, but somehow our lane, located on by Blue Hill Bay, was missed. Still, at 36 degrees there has been a change in the seasons since last I wrote to you.

I walk around my home and the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 are ringing in my head mixed with words from an old favorite hymn – can you guess which one?

First Ecclesiastes:

3:1-2 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted.”

And from “Turn, Turn, Turn”:  “For every season turn, turn, turn, turn.”

Our season of warm autumn is turning into the cold, bare hardwood days of cold. More wood smoke scents the air on chilly mornings and late into the night. We layer up in long sleeves and warm sweaters hands cradle cups of soup, hot tea, coffee, cocoa, cider.

It is a time also when our little Maine villages are becoming less crowded and locals chat, moan, laugh over weather predictions as they gather supplies for predicted ice/snow storms: “This is how were celebrate come the cold days, crowding the stores looking for food supplies.” But there is a sense of worry and fear, for those who will lose power in storms, for those with little to eat, or those, who cannot afford to heat homes and must go for help.

In November we celebrate Thanksgiving and I wonder if, this Thanksgiving we will be do lots more “giving” to those so desperately in need? I know we will at Ellsworth UMC, where soon we will have our traditional “Sub Sale” (its a way of helping by offering for a real bargain): we take orders on Monday, then Thursday we make and deliver subs to those working in Ellsworth. This fund/;mission will be closely followed by a gathering in of  non-perishable foods and on Thanksgiving adding a turkey to be given to a local mission.

Our Young Adult Group has already begun a mission: gathering new warm socks, hats, mittens for all ages, which will be given to those most in need. We pray for the lives and spirits of others as we attempt to be God’s good instruments: feeding and tending to both lambs and sheep as Jesus so bid us to do.

Should you pop in on a Sunday morning this November, and please  know you are invited to come as you are, this is what you’ll see/hear as we worship together:

Nov. 6: Gathering music by Bruce, Introit “What Does the Lord Require of You,” Psalm 107, Opening Hymn: “Make Me a Servant” Time for the Young at Heart: “What is a Sanctuary”, Prayer “For a True Heart,” Hymn of Preparation: “Trust and Obey,” Scripture: Josh 3:7-17; 1 Thess. 2:9-13; Matthew 23: 1-9, Anthem “Together We Serve” Sermon: “Making Ourselves into a Sanctuary” The Great Thanksgiving (Holy Communion – our table is open to all), Closing Hymn “Sanctuary”

Nov. 13: Gathering music by Bruce, Introit: “Shine Jesus Shine,” Psalm 121, Opening Hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be,” Prayer “Canticle of Light,” Time for the Young at Heart: “Flash lights.” Hymn of Preparation: “I Need you Every Hour.” Scriptures: 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matthew 25: 14-30, Anthem: “We are Called,” Sermon: “Come into the Light,” Closing Hymn Lord, Be Glorified”

Nov. 20  Thanksgiving Sunday: Gathering music: Bruce, Introit: “Come, Come Everybody Worship.” Psalm 100, Time for the Young at Heart: “What’s Best About Thanksgiving?,” Hymn of Preparation: “We Gather Together,” Scriptures: Ez. 34:11-24; Eph. 1:115-23; Matthew 25: 31-46, Anthem “Cuando El Pobre (When the Poor Ones),” Sermon: “Eyes of Your Heart,” Closing Hymn “Sent Forth By God’s Blessing.”

Nov. 27 First Sunday in Advent, Gathering Music: Bruce, Introit: “Change My Heart, Oh, God,” Psalm 80, Prayer “Advent” “Time for the Young at Heart: “Lighting the Advent Candle, Hymn of Preparation: “People  Look East,” Scriptures: Is. 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37 Anthem “Wake, Awake for Night is Flying,” Sermon “Wake Up, Wake Up You Sleepy Head” for a New Day is Dawning” Closing Hymn “The King of Glory Comes.”

Stay warm and healthy of heart, mind and soul. Come and visit, we would love to meet you. And may God bless you all. See you in December? I hope so!

Yours
Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young (Pastors Y-Y)

Published in: on November 1, 2011 at 4:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Pastor’s Letter – August, 2011

Dear Friends, Happy August!

After a roller coaster cool-hot-dry-some rain-cool-hot dry July we have now arrived at August. I’m not sure about you, but for me, July was a long, lovely month and it is my favorite month of summer. August, for me, has always felt like a month of endings (that are sad) but also a month of  beginnings. Gardens are yielding late vegetables (at our house, we may have a few red tomatoes by then), visitors, who arrived in June, are beginnnjing to leave, while folks, who like late summer vacations, are trying to fill in an entire Maine summer into one week or less. Back to school sale notices appear in our mail boxes and our locals store windows, while inside shelves, which once held “bug dope” and sun tan lotions are now filling with pens, note books, three ring spirals, crayons, markers calculators, erasers, planners, and plenty of “tech” supplies.. . everything needed for the K-college students.

“Whoa!” I want to yell. “Hold on! Let us not forget to enjoy each day, let’s not rush through August, but enjoy her. And being the pastor of EUMC I hope you will find time to enjoy some August with us too, either on Sunday or our first and third Monday nights — 6:30 to eat, 7:15 to worship in a contemporary style, our theme this summer: “God Doesn’t Make Junk”.

If you do stop in some Sunday here’s a sampling of some of the hymns you may hear and the titles of my sermons:

August 7:
Introit: “I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me”, Opening Hymn: “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations” , Hymn of Preparation: “Here I Am, Lord.” Sermon: “Growing Away FRom Belief, into Doubt, And Back Again into Believing.” We will celebrate The Great Thanksgiving and all are invited to come up and recieve the fruit of the grape (grape juice) and good bread. Closing Hymn is “Through It All”

August 14, Introit: “When God Restores Our Common Life”, Psalm 133, Opening Hymn “Forward Through The Ages”, Time for the Young at Heart: “Working Together/Learning from Each Other”, Hymn of Preparation: “And Are We Not Alone”
Anthem “As A Fire Is Meant for Burning” Sermon: “United We Stand”,Closing Hymn ”Where Charity and Love Prevail.”

August 21: Introit: “Cry of my Heart”,Psalm # 124, Opening Hymn: “Great IS Thy Faithfulness”, Hymn of Preparation: “Many Gifts, One Spirit”,Anthem  The Gift of Love”, Sermon: “God’s Grace has Rained Down Upon Us Many Gifts”, Closing Hymn “Take My Life nad Let it Be.”

August 28: Introit: “Deep in the Shadows of the Past”,Psalm 105,Opening Hymn “Where He Leads Me”, Hymn of Preparation: “Here I Am”, Anthem “The Summons”, Sermon: “Moses Enconters God (ending the sermon with “Holy Ground # 2272 in black hymnal), Closing Hymn “Sent Forth By God’s Blessing.”

Stay cool on hot days, stay safe, enjoy August. Don’t forget to look for wonderful stars in black, black skies. Most of all, know God is with you always! I hope to see you — meet you and hear your story.

May God Bless you all until we meet again! Look for a letter come September!

Yours,
Pastors Susan Yaruta-Young ( sometimes known as Pastor Y-Y)
Published in: on July 31, 2011 at 8:38 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Summer Contemporary Worship Services

Ellsworth United Methodist Church is offering a “dress down” contemporary worship series on four Monday nights this summer, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1, beginning with a shared meal at 6:30. These worship times together will be filled with music, story telling and times for silence and prayer.

Location: beside the church in our outside sanctuary (raining/stormy weather: inside Fellowship Hall).

What to expect?  6:30 a meal together. 7:15 modern contemporary music, a story, reflections, stories, moments of silence, prayer and much more music. Fellowship. Offering? Not needed but if you would like, please bring a non-perishable food item or personal care item, especially new socks for all ages. Your offering will be donated to local shelters and food pantries.

Most importantly: we want to meet you. And there are “no strings attached.”  Why? Because our history tells us God, Jesus, many great saints and prophets, as well as our own leader, John Wesley, went where the people were. Leaving our church building, moving to the grassy lawn, is just one way we are attempting to be closer to people living in our community. No walls, no shut doors. If weather is bad and we must go inside, our doors will remain open.

Will you come and meet us? We hope so.

Published in: on July 6, 2011 at 10:17 pm  Leave a Comment  

Pastor’s Letter – July, 2011

day lily
petals peeling
opens wide to morning dew
sun, inquisitive insects.

day lily opens,
accepts, takes what is offered,
what is given,
a bright fragile gift:
God’s elected one,
our teacher.
(from Prayer Poems by S. Y-Y, July 16, 2007)

Hello and happy July! I hope everyone is taking some rest time to enjoy the world around us.
July is a busy month here in our lovely state of Maine. We clean, cook and enjoy visits from family and friends, We find ourselves often seeing favorite “tour” places with “new eyes” as we share beautiful sea vistas, mountain hikes, woodland trails, and wild flower filled fields, while breathing in delicious sweet air. At night we talk under starry skies and our conversations are interrupted by the call of owls, loons, the raspy chorus of off-key frogs, and sudden “Look! Did you see that shooting star? Make a wish.”

During the month of July, should you stop by to worship at Ellsworth United Methodist Church some Sunday morning here are a few tidbits of what you might experience:

July 3, Third Sunday After Pentecost: Introit: “Come Away With Me” , Psalm 72, Singing of “America the Beautiful”, “This is my Song” , “Here I Am”, and “Let There Be Peace on Earth” . My sermon is taken from the words of Matthew and also from an inscription under the Statute of Liberty “Come To Me All Who Are Weary.”

July 10: Introit: “Lead Me, Guide me”, Psalm 25.  Opening Hymn: “Just A Closer Walk with Thee”, Time for the Young at Heart: “Be a good gardener.” Hymn of Preparation: “Be Thou My Vision.”  Anthem “Sois la Semilla (You Are the See), Sermon: “Do we blame the seed or do we blame the sower?” Closing Hymn: “Wonderful Words of Life”

July 17: Introit: “O Holy spirit, Root of Life”, Psalm 139. Hymns: “Every Time I Feel the Spirit”, “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.” Sermon: “Flowers and Weeds” Closing Hymn: “Sent Forth in Jesus’ Name.”

July 24 is Parents Sunday so I’m hoping to put the children, youth and young adults to work  sharing their thoughts about parents. Weather permitting I hope we can enjoy our outside sanctuary, right beside the church. Introit: “We sing to You, O God”, Opening prayer an extract of a prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson. Other hymns: “The Kingdom of God”, “Jesus Loves Me” and “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.”

July 31: Introit: “How Can we Name a Love”, psalm 17. Hymns: ‘Standing on the Promises”, “Come Away with Me”. Sermon: “Woman from the crowd who remembers” and closing hymn is “Go Now in Peace.”

Plans are being made to enjoy contemporary worship services in our outside sanctuary (weather permitting – if not inside) on the following dates: July 11, 25, August 1, and 14  Monday nights at 6:30 beginning with a meal together. See our Face Book link for updates.

God’s presence fills our days and nights as we make new memories and share with younger generations family treasures: games, stories, recipes given by Tradition Keepers to the next keepers. Like the Old and New Testaments, our long days and nights are filled with oral histories of beloved ones gone, who once loved sweet summer times.

July is bittersweet but also a time to create new memories.  Keep good watch for all those tiny fairy tents on early morning grassy yards, bird chirps, day lilies, star fish, and lazy swings in the hammock – for it is in such places, watching with searching eyes, and listening with quiet thoughts,  God speaks wonderful words of guidance and love to us.

Happy July! See you come August? I hope so.

May God bless you all!

Yours,
Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young (Pastor Susan Y-Y)

Published in: on July 2, 2011 at 5:29 pm  Leave a Comment  
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