Ellsworth United Methodist Church

Dear Friends,

Happy June! And yes, “June is busting out all over” with flowers blooming, birds singing, “full out” leaves and grass lush green.  At Ellsworth United Methodist Church our ‘mustard seeds” are alive, bursting as they make old dreams become real happenings.

“GPYes!” is here. No longer is our Fellowship Hall a near empty.. Rugs, chairs, sofas, end, coffee tables walls decorated by maps (come and find out why) — make one end of our social space into a living room where, we hope, our new worship services will be a welcoming place for folks to gather Mondays from 6:30-7:30.

Why are we doing this? Isn’t Sunday a.m. enough? No!

In the mid-1700’s John Wesley, an Anglican minister, saw empty churches. Well, empty, except on Christmas, Easter, for a baptism, wedding or funeral, but most Sunday mornings mostly empty. People were busy doing other things.

Sound familiar?

Today many small and big churches are nearly empty most Sunday mornings. In some 11 people may be the norm and if more than 15 show up the Greeter has to hurry up and print out more bulletins. Where is everybody? Many are resting after a hard work week, maybe after enjoying their only free night with friends and family.

Or many have worked late on Saturday night and are resting before they are called in to work the late shift Sunday night.For many people Sunday morning is a time when they do need to sleep, rest, release some stress. Then there is the problem families face: sports, music lessons special events, that their children/teens are involved in, miles from home.

Yes, Sunday morning may work for some, but there are many it no longer works for. In the 1700’s John Wesley took the message and care of the needy TO them. Wherever some one was, who needed help or who had not heard of God’s love, Wesley was there.

So, it is in keeping with our church tradition, rooted in our faith, that we offer Monday evenings. We firmly believe there people who are physically hungry and for them, our third Monday of the month is “Manna Monday.” But we also believe many are spiritually starved, searching for some safe place to find support and we wish to open our doors and let those folks come in.

In a spiritual type hymn  “Ain’t Got Time to Die” the lyrics are:

“Lord, I keep so busy working for the kingdom, ain’t got time to die.
‘Cause when I’m feeding the poor, I’m working for the kingdom.
Lord, I keep so busy serving I ain’t got time to die.” (music by Hall Johnson)

In these lyrics I see life, new life, comes in serving the needs of others, which keeps us so filled with Divine energy, we truly are “Alive,” The “golden thread,” which will be woven through all “GPYes!” services is mission: local always, global as we are ready and able to fill those great needs.

“GPYes!” A new time, a new way, but rooted in the words of Jesus, from the Gospel of John 21:15-17 “Feed my lambs. . . . Tend my sheep . . . .Feed my sheep”  The members of Ellsworth United Methodist Church have opened the door, their hearts are warm and they hope to welcome you in!

So stop by.
Come as you are!
And know EVERYONE is truly welcome here!

Yours,

Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young (Pastor Y-Y)

"Crocus" by William Moise

Dear Friends,

It’s May!
It’s May! The joyous month of May!
The time when Maine’s beauty begins to pop out seemingly over night.
What was once a drab gray and yellow lawn
with a few snow patches still slowly disappearing,
now is bright green, of course also spotted yellow with those amazing “can’t get me down” “dandylions”.
Would that we all had such ability to leap back up once we were “cut” down.
The other day my husband hand mowed our 1 1/2 acre lawn..
The very next morning he discovered, more than before,
a whole new batch greeted him or waving yellow headed blooms greeted him!
One could say this is a lovely theology: great faith brings new life.

It’s May: black flies and humming birds have returned.
Many of our beloved children are returning home from college,
and after a “sound byt” crash to recover from final papers and exams,
they will be bored and ready for summer jobs.
But this summer jobs may be fewer.
What shall they do?
I guess this is when we must think creatively. We ask them:
“What gift has God blessed you with?”
And when they answer, we need to help guide them to use those gifts.
Maybe it means playing music and/or singing at a retirement home,
nursing home, in church, in a park.
Maybe it means drawing, painting , photography, sculpting
and then finding places for their visual art to be sold.
Maybe it will be in helping do heavy yard work or cleaning for those who can’t
and even if not paid in cash — they will feel an even greater joy
knowing they have helped someone else.

It’s May and soon June. Bright beautiful warm days.
Soak in the beauty and know that God is.
And God graces our mornings, our afternoons, our nights.
God is and God is always with us, in glad times and hard.
God is always waiting for our love greeting
and knows when we greet each other with love.

A very blessed and happy May and June!
Yours,
Pastor Susan Yaruta-Young