Dear Friends,
Happy October!
Leaves that have sparkled lush green all spring and summer are now beginning to change. Now on my “Circuit Rider” trips (on all back roads) between my home in South Blue Hill, to Penobscot then on to Ellsworth, is filled with splashes of bright red and yellows against still lovely greens, sky blues, white clouds, sparkling ponds, lakes, river, and bay waters. God’s glory shines and I am filled with amazing joy.
When dusk comes and I am home again, I enjoy autumn gold shifts and mixes with shadows. I have heard photo teachers say October light on landscapes/seascapes make snapping amazing photos too easy to achieve. October light is special. As we begin the month the harvest moon is slowly disappearing after being a huge eye in the clear, black, late September sky. For this “night owl” it is hard to come inside. I want to stay and enjoy moon shadows and star lights. No frost on the pumpkins yet, as I write this letter – perhaps by the end of the month, the story will have changed, time will tell.
So, what will you discover on Sunday mornings at Ellsworth United Methodist Church, when we hope you stop by this October?
October 3 is World Communion Sunday and we will join with thousands of other churches in celebrating the “Great Thanksgiving.” At Ellsworth UMC two wonderful people will join the church and we will rejoice in our “growing family.” The opening hymn is # 374 ”Standing on the Promises,” my sermon is titled: “RE-Igniting Our Faith” and we close worship with hymn # 600 “Wonderful Words of Love.” Other hymns? You will just have to come in and hear — I’m going to keep you in suspense!
From October 4-18 I will be away celebrating with my husband, Luther, our 25th wedding anniversary. A trip to Hawaii is planned and I hope to return filled with maybe some bright new images, prayers, and hymns to share. Worship will be led by our wonderful lay leaders.
October 24, “UMC Disability Awareness Sunday” come and sing # 525 “We’ll Understand it Better By and By,” my sermon is titled “Your Welfare is My Concern”, and we will also be joining our voices to sing: # 2281 “May You Run and Not be Weary”
October 31 — Halloween BOO! our opening hymn will be # 555 “Forward Through the Ages.” During ”Time for the Young at Heart” I will dare to talk with our 8 Sunday School children about costumes, but I will try to lead them down a theological path not one filled with “Trick or Treat,” Our hymn of Preparation will be # 451 (one of my favorites) “Be Thou My Vision,” the title for my sermon is “We who are so bold and quick to judge, are not always correct” and the Closing hymns will be # 2164 “Sanctuary.”
May this October be filled with “the beauty of the earth” and I pray that you have a chance to be “a sanctuary” in someone’s life, a chance to be there for them, as I pray, I am there for those I meet.
May God bless you all! See you in November? (I hope so.)
Yours,
Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young
On Sunday, November 7th, Ellsworth United Methodist Church will be visited by a very special young man.
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