~~~  Signed up for Corn'd Beef 'n' Cabbage yet??? ~~~ 

            WELCOME TO FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
               E-mail Newsletter:  "FAITH ON-LINE"
                 -for Friday, March 5, 2010

 We're at 219 - 1st Avenue West in downtown Williston, North Dakota
This message is sent out on Friday evening to prepare for worship on
Sunday, the 7th, and as a reminder of coming events.


    Phones:   Church Office:      701-572-7694 <fumcwilliston@dia.net>
             Rev. Rod Tkach:      701-572-9407          FAX:      701-572-0797
Website:  <www.fumcwilliston.com>

                (A)  WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
                (B)  WEEK'S CALENDAR
                (C)  COMMUNICATIONS
~ Mercy Cancer Support Groups Meets
~ UMW Prayer Vigil for "International Peace Day"
~ Matt Staricka Selected
~ Church Directory Address Changes
                (D)  HAPPY BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY
                (E)  ENLIGHTENMENT
~ Teach Us To Pray [Bishop Deb Kiesey]
                (F)  FUNNIES/FOOD
~ Life Explained
~ Starter Chicken Curry

                           FUMC MISSION STATEMENT:

            Our church is a welcoming, Christ-centered community,
              inspired by the Holy Spirit, responsive to all
                 so everyone may know Jesus, our Saviour.


(A)  WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:   

Faith United Methodist Church - Williston
       9:15 a.m.  Sunday School
     10:00 a.m.  Coffee Fellowship
     10:45 a.m.  Worship Service

# 144  "This Is My Father's World"
#   77  "How Great Thou Art"
#  358  "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"


          Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

          Sermon:               "A Theory in Chaos" Rev. Rod Tkach

     * * * * * * * * * * *

     PLEASE KEEP THE FINANCIAL REPONSIBILITIES OF OUR CHURCH
     IN YOUR PRAYERS.

     GIVING for  2/28 = $ 2,350.50 Attendance: 95
      UMCOR Haiti Relief (2/29) - $50.00
Recycled Ink Cartridges = $97.95 
[will assist in up-grades to our sound system -- THANKS!]

     Special Concerns:   In the hospital this week:  Margie Routledge


(B)  WEEK'S CALENDAR:

        (7) SUNDAY....  NO SUNDAY SCHOOL  [Winter Break]
NO Confirmation or Youth Group 

      (10) WEDNESDAY .
8:00 a.m.  Bible Study @ Michelle's on Main
6:00 p.m.  Lenten Supper  [Quilting Group, hostess]
6:30 p.m.  Lenten Worship
7:00 p.m.  Chancel Choir
8:00 p.m.  Praise Team

      (11) THURSDAY ...  
1:30 p.m.  Faith Quilters
7:00 p.m.  Troop #368 Scouts

     NEXT SUNDAY:
  9:15 a.m. Toddler thru Adult Sunday School 
10:15 a.m. Coffee Fellowship in Fellowship Hall
10:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service
  6:00 p.m.  Confirmation
  7:00 p.m.  Youth Group


(C)  COMMUNICATIONS

~ Mercy Cancer Support Groups Meets

Mercy Cancer Support Group will meet on Tuesday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Recreation Room at Mercy Medical Center.  It is located directly across from Day Surgery.

~ UMW Prayer Vigil for "International Peace Day"

United Methodist Women Prayer Vigil “International Peace Day” will be observed Thursday, March 11th from 2:45-3:30 p.m.  Please take a moment wherever you are to join in praying for peace throughout our world.

~ Matt Staricka Selected

Congratulations to Mathias Staricka for being selected to the “Academic All-State Silver Team.” Academic All-State members will be recognized between the Semi-final games of the Class A Boy’s Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 12th.  The recognition will be televised.

~ Church Directory Address Changes [March Newsletter]

Dick + Caroline Anderson
5 Good Sam Dr. #2 -- Arthur  ND  58006-4138
Elsie DeLorme
516 Jackson Way -- Carson City  NV  89705
Patricia Mersch 
P. O. Box 336 -- Mohall ND  58761-0336
Teri Patterson 
820 - 3rd Avenue NW -- Minot  ND  58703-3022
Carol Radenz 
2112 Sandcreek Drive -- Williston  ND  58801
Wayne + Kerry Turnquist
P. O. Box 787 -- Williston  ND  58802-0787

(D) HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
      (7) Keith Hammer, Craig Mahlum, Shelby Pederson
      (8) Troy Heupel, Karli Keck, Bryce Story
      (9) Nichole Vournas
    (10) Willard Hendricks
    (12) Sara Ellis, Cora Norton
    (13) Melissa Lucy

    ANNIVERSARIES:
    (12) Wayne + Kerry Turnquist
     (?) David + Stephanie Perdue

(E)  ENLIGHTENMENT:

~ Teach Us To Pray [Bishop Deb Kiesey, "Dakotas Diary" 
- Second Week of Lent, 2010] 
 
"Pray then in this way:
                Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name.
                Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in     
                heaven."
                                                                (Matthew 6:9-10)

 

There's a great ad on television that I've seen recently that I really like.  It first shows a mother pushing a child in a stroller.  The child drops a toy and man walking by picks it up and hands it back to the child, and the mother looks grateful.  In the next scene the same mother is walking out of a coffee shop and when she sees a coffee cup perched precariously on the edge of a table, she quietly pushes the cup away from the edge.  Someone oversees that act and offers a hand to a man who has fallen.   And on and on it goes.  As someone sees an act of kindness, they are inspired to act kindly to another.

 

At the end of the ad we hear these words:Pay it Forward
"When a person does the right thing, we call it responsible.  When an insurance company does it, we call it ----------."

 

Now I know it's an ad for an insurance company, but I still like the thought.   And what I like about it is that it reminds us to do the right thing - to walk the talk - to live out what we claim to believe in our everyday life and actions.

 

Perhaps we could put it this way: 
When a Christian does the right thing, they are living out the kingdom of God.

 

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

 

When I pray the Lord's Prayer, this tends to be the line I skip over rather quickly, and move on to "daily bread", and "forgiveness", and "temptations".   But I shouldn't.  For just as the first line of this prayer is a declaration of our faith, this second sentence reminds me to look toward the bigger picture - the coming of God's kingdom here on earth.

 

For prayer has the capacity to shape us in the ways of God.

 

As Christians, we are called to do everything we can to bring in the Kingdom of God.  We are called to be Christ's hands and feet to the world and to embody God's love - God's grace - God's justice - God's compassion - in everything we say and do.  We ought to be doing "the right thing" simply because it IS the right thing - it is what God would have us do.

 

In Richard Foster's book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, we read this:
The true prophetic message always calls us to a spiritual defiance of the world as it now is.  Our prayer, to the extent that it is fully authentic, undermines the status quo.  It is a spiritual underground resistance movement.  We are subversive in a world of injustice, oppression, and violence.  Like Amos of old, we demand that "justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream" (Amos 5:24).  We plead the case of the orphan and the widow, or whoever the helpless ones are in our context.  In our prayers and in our actions we stand firm against racism, sexism, nationalism, ageism, and every other 'ism" that separates and splits and divides (p. 247).

 

Friends, can you imagine what this world would be like if we all lived as though God's kingdom were already here? 

 

As you pray this Disciple's Prayer this week, listen for ways God may be nudging you.  In fact, try offering a prayer as you read your morning newspaper, or as you watch the evening news.   Make prayer a way of life.

 

When you are frightened - pray.
                When you are grateful - pray.
When you are touched by the beauty of God's creation - pray.
                When you pound your fists in anger or frustration - pray.
When your heart is filled with joy - pray.

 

Make prayer a way of life. 
Make listening to God a way of being.
And make living out the kingdom of God your goal.

 

 

Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire (UMH #492)
(to the tune of Amazing Grace)

 

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed,
The motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.

 

Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near.

 

Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try;
Prayer the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high.

 

Prayer is the contrite sinners' voice, returning from their way,
While angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "Behold, they pray!"

 

Prayer is the Christians' vital breath, the Christians' native air;
Their watchword at the gates of death; they enter heaven with prayer.

 

O Thou, by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way:
The path of prayer thyself hast trod; Lord, teach us how to pray!

 

Amen and amen.

 

Bishop Deb

 

The Dakotas Diary can also be found on the Dakotas UMC website.  

(F)  FUNNIES/FOOD

~ Life Explained [Thanks, Paul ... I like to do monkey tricks, too/jki
On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past.   For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years. "

The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking.  How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"

So God agreed . . . . .

On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh.   For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span. "
 
The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years?  That's a pretty long time to perform.   How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"

And God agreed . . . . . .

On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family..   For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years. "

The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years..  How about twenty years and I'll give back the other forty years?"

And God agreed again . . . . . .

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life.  For this, I'll give you twenty years. "

But the human said, "Only twenty years?  Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"

"Okay," said God.   "You asked for it. "

So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves.   For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family.   For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren.   And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information.   I'm doing it as a public service.

~ Starter Chicken Curry [Got my Penzey's Catalogue with this from Anna-Cajsa Gipson/jki]

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp curry powder [I like Garam Masala]
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp greshly ground pepper
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) 
1 large onion, thinkly sliced 
1/2 to 1 cup raisins [I like golden] 
2/3 cups uncooked white [I like basmati] rice
3 cups chicken broth 
or 3 cups water mixed 1-1/2 tsp boullion
Opt:  1/2 cup shredded coconut 

In a zip-top bag, combine the flour, curry powder, salt and pepper.  
Add the chicken pieces and shake to evenly coat.  Heat butter in a 
large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and 
cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until they are browned well.  
Add the onion, raisins and rice and stir to blend.  
Pour in the chicken broth.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 
for 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked.  
Opt:  top serving w/shredded coconut.

Bulletin Bloopers - Christian Humor  (Got any?  Send 'em!!)
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If you know of someone who would like to be added to this newsletter's
list, please contact the church office or Jacki Keck @ jkeck@wil.midco.net