PRAYER CONCERNS

If you or a loved one would like to be added to the prayer list, please contact Lorna McCullough at 336-259-5814. If you put a name on the list, please keep in touch to let us know how that person is doing, as names are removed after three weeks. During the coming week, please pray for:

The United Methodist Church
All Military Personnel
Our UM Missionaries
Tracy Brinkley
Chris Eddinger
Tim Priska
Tyler Oldaker
Dallas Hutchens
Dave Ogren
Evelyn Tew
Andrea Cain and Family
Kim Henderson
Robert Miller
Debbie Mayer-Mathews
All those affected by Coronavirus
Our First Responders, Medical Community, and Essential Workers
Skip Price and Family
Margaret Jones and Family
Finley Price Family
Fran Cook

SUNDAY WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

SUNDAYS AT 10 AM 
LIVE WORSHIP ONLINE VIA MUMC’s FACEBOOK PAGE and on WGOS AM 1070. Don’t have Facebook? CLICK HERE to watch Sunday worship after the fact.

SUNDAYS AT 11 AM
HEAR RECORDINGS OF PAST 11 AM WORSHIP SERVICES ON WGOS AM 1070

We will continue offering 10 a.m. live worship service via Facebook and WGOS until further notice. At 11 a.m. on Sundays, we are airing recordings of past Memorial 11 a.m. worship services over WGOS. (Please keep this in mind when you hear the announcements read during these services! The messages are timeless, but the events are not.)

10 @ 10  WEEKDAY DEVOTIONS

WEEKDAYS AT 10 AM
LIVE VIA MUMC’s FACEBOOK PAGE
VIEW PAST 10 @ 10 DEVOTIONS HERE.

During these days of physical distance, your ministerial staff are eager to offer daily messages of hope, and opportunities for connection and reflection. Tune in to 10 @ 10 on our Facebook page weekdays at 10 a.m., for 10 minutes of good news shared by Memorial’s ministers. Don’t have Facebook? Missed a 10 @ 10 one day? Not to worry. You can view past videos and read the printed versions of the devotions HERE.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

UMW SCHOLARSHIP
Due to Susan Frye by email by May 30 – Deadline extended!

R.L. POPE BIBLE CLASS SCHOLARSHIP
Due to High School Guidance Counselor by May 4

Attention MUMC High School Seniors! There are two college scholarship opportunities for which you may be eligible: the United Methodist Women (UMW) Scholarship (application available HERE), and the R.L. Pope Bible Class Scholarship (guidelines available HERE, applications managed through the high school guidance department).

OUR CHURCH DIRECTORY IS ONLINE!

Please remember that your church directory is available to you ONLINE. Please use the Instant Church Directory to stay in touch with each other AND … please take this opportunity to verify that you are included and that your contact information is correct and complete. (Birth dates are very helpful for our records!)

You can access this secure member directory online on any web browser OR on your smart device:

• To view the directory on your online, go to members.InstantChurchDirectory.com to log in.
• To view the directory on your smart device, simply go to the App Store, search for Instant Church Directory, and download the FREE app to begin.

FIRST-TIME LOGIN: The first time you log in, you will Create a Login by entering your email address (as listed in the directory), setting up a password, and following instructions in a confirmation email message.

TROUBLESHOOTING: For new and returning directory users, contact Susan Frye at sfrye@mumctville.org if you are not listed, if you are unable to sign in, or if you have other questions about using the directory.

UPDATING YOUR DIRECTORY INFORMATION: Please check your information in the directory. If updates are needed, you may update the information yourself. Please ALSO notify Susan Frye at sfrye@mumctville.org of updates, so she can make updates across all church records. And if you prefer, Susan will be happy to make the updates in the online directory too. Just let her know.

WOMEN’S RETREAT RESCHEDULED

SEPTEMBER 4-7 

The Women’s Retreat previously scheduled for late May has been rescheduled for September 4-7. Mark your calendars for this special opportunity, and contact Lynda Hepler to confirm your registration or with questions.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP FROM HOME

MASK MAKERS NEEDED

The Memorial UMC Sewing Ministry, in collaboration with First United Methodist Church of Lexington, has sewn 2400 (!) cloth face masks. More masks are needed. If you can help out, pick up ready-to-sew mask kits from the shelving in the church breezeway. Contact Katie Conant if you have any questions about this project. Thank you for your help!

Beneficiaries of these masks include Piedmont Crossing, Davidson and Thomasville Pediatrics, Thomasville and Lexington Hospitals, Trinity Food Pantry, Lexington Sheriff’s Office and Police Department, Lexington Healthcare, Lexington City & Davidson County Schools, YMCA, Dr. Arnold, Pastor’s Pantry, Grace Episcopal Pantry, Open Hands, food preparers & lunch delivery services, Dialysis Center, and nursing homes.

CLOTH FACE MASKS BENEFIT SALE

Memorial’s Doris Link is selling handmade cloth face masks for $5 each, with all proceeds going to offset medical expenses for her daughter’s journey toward a kidney transplant. You may reach Doris at dlinksewgirl@gmail.com. She wants you to know she may be slow to respond to email as she is also working, but she will follow up with you to arrange delivery and payment (cash is preferred). Fabric options are shown in the photo at left, numbered so you can let her know your choices.

DONATIONS FOR CCM

Your ongoing generosity to Cooperative Community during a period of unprecedented need is sustaining many. Thank you for continuing to give. Here’s how to give:

GIVE BY MAIL:
Make checks payable to Memorial UMC, noting “CCM Food Drive” on the memo line. Send to the church at P.O. Box 428, Thomasville, NC 27361.

GIVE ONLINE:
1. CLICK HERE to access the Financial Giving online form at our website, www.mumctville.org.
2. Fill in the amount you want to contribute.
3. At the end of the Fund/Budget Fund line, click the DOWN ARROW/TRIANGLE ICON and select Cooperative Community Ministries. (Do NOT select the + ANOTHER FUND button.)
4. Select GIVE ONCE or GIVE MULTIPLE TIMES, depending on your preference.
5. Select GIFT DATE to select a specific day or use the default of Today.
6. Enter your email address and click CONTINUE.
7. A new page will open where you enter your financial information. Click GIVE and you’re all set.

The site is safe and secure. Additionally, you can use this same website to do your tithing and church offerings.

P.S.

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH

During the temporary closure of the church buildings, staying connected is of vital importance. We are offering a variety of options by which you can connect.

• 10@10: Daily Devotions are offered each weekday at 10 a.m. via Facebook Live. You can also access the devotions after the fact by visiting the Memorial UMC Thomasville Facebook page OR on our website by CLICKING HERE.
• Worship: We bring worship to you each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. The service is broadcast live via Facebook Live as well as on the radio at WGOS 1070. We also are airing recordings of past worship services on WGOS at 11 a.m.000
• Website: Visit our church website, mumctville.org, for the latest information and links to other opportunities for children and youth.
• Weekly Updates: Tune in on Wednesdays for an upbeat Weekly Update from Danny Leonard and Rodney Denton on Facebook Live. You can see the latest segment HERE.
• Newsletter and eNews: We will continue to send this weekly eNews, and to mail a copy to church members who do not use email.
• Clergy and Staff: The clergy and staff are available to serve you. You may contact members of the staff directly or by calling the church office at 336-472-7718 and following the instructions on the recording. Here is a list of staff phone extensions and email addresses, for reference:

Danny Leonard, Senior Minister – Ext. 16; dleonard@mumctville.org
Peggy Finch, Associate Minister – Ext. 15; pfinch@mumctville.org
Rodney Denton, Minister of Youth and Young Adults – Ext. 18; rdenton@mumctville.org
Lynda Hepler, Minister of Children and Families – Ext. 11; lhepler@mumctville.org
Brian Russell, Director of Contemporary Worship – Ext. 20; brussell@mumctville.org
Danny Frye, Director of Music – Ext. 12; dfrye@mumctville.org
Susan Frye, Secretary – Ext. 14; sfrye@mumctville.org
Peggy May, Financial Secretary/Treasurer – Ext. 13; pmay@mumctville.org
Jarry Oldaker, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds – Ext. 17; joldaker@mumctville.org

A DEVOTION FOR YOU 

We close this week’s eNews with the 10@10 devotion that Rodney Denton shared on March 20, 2020.

I want to thank Rev. Danny Leonard for his devotion taking a look at Noah and how “God will always remember us.”  Even in the wake of a world-cleansing flood, even in the midst of a Viral pandemic, no matter where you are in life, what you are up against, no matter how uncertain the future appears, God will remember you!  That is a good thing to always keep in mind, but especially during what’s going on in our world today!

The truth is, we need the comfort of knowing that we are not alone.  We need the faith that God is present with us no matter how abandoned we might feel.  We need to know that there is HOPE.

In fact Danny’s words reminded of how a few days ago, my mom had run out of milk and eggs, she had plenty of food, but the anxiety in her voice over the phone motivated me to offer to get her needed supplies. So, I ran to the grocery store for her so she wouldn’t be exposed to the virus, and I dropped the items off at her house.

Unfortunately, I could not have anticipated how my good deed would end so traumatically! As I pulled in the driveway with the prize of the Food Lion grocery bag, with all its much-needed necessities, I got out of the car and triumphantly handed her the bag.

Then she looked over my shoulder into my truck and that is where things started to go downhill.  You see, my mom is a very social person, and she had been stuck in her house with no interaction at the YMCA and no connection at church all weekend, AND, of course, since my kids were out of school, I had brought them along for the ride. Of course she saw them and immediately said, “Y’all come in for a while.”  I immediately began thinking of the social distancing protocols and limiting virus exposure to people of a certain age, and I said “Mom, they can’t. They are like walking Petri dishes, full of germs and grossness.” I told her I had just watched my oldest licking the side of his Sprite bottle we had just gotten at Subway, and biting his fingernails on the way over here. “There is no chance that I am going to be the cause of you getting exposed to the Virus!”

Of course, that was not good enough, and the more she protested, the more I had to say “No.” As the tears began to well up in her eyes, I began feeling more and more like a big jerk! We finally got out of there with blowing kisses and a newfound respect for people living on their own through this situation.  We have also tried to begin a new tradition of Facetime-ing Nana at night. That seems to help.

So, with this in mind, I want to talk with you today about – priorities!!! I am sure you have heard by now some of the crazy stories of hoarding and attempts to take advantage of this desperate situation.  From Costco running out toilet paper, Clorox, and Lysol, to hand sanitizer being sold for $80 a bottle, I have become aware of some of the worst examples of humanity that exists. For some, a priority might be turning an easy buck in the face of a worldwide pandemic.

HOWEVER, I have also become aware of so many great examples of charity and compassion during this time as well.  Certainly, the doctors, nurses and medical staff that are exposing themselves to the virus and wearing themselves out working long hours to take care of very sick patients are examples of people who have their priorities in the right place. But I have also heard about landlords altering or even absolving rent payments for their tenants, neighbors who are reaching out to elderly strangers to make grocery runs and medication deliveries, and teachers who are trying to keep students on track by creating more work for themselves to make sure their students don’t fall behind. (Of course, homework may be more commendable depending on which side of it you find yourself on, and I have found out through this ordeal that I’m not so sure that I have the unique temperament to be a homeschool teacher.)

Anyway, there are other folks that have shown remarkable priorities during this time. I have heard of Whiskey distilleries converting their operations to make hand sanitizer, and NBA players paying the salaries of the arena workers where they should have been playing games. And these are just the few stories that have reached my relatively sheltered world over the last few days.  I am sure there are many, many more.

My point is that situations like the one our world finds itself in today tend to reveal what is most important in our lives – the priorities we hold to be sacred in our lives. If your knee-jerk reaction, when faced with an overwhelming circumstance, is to buy up 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, creating a market shortage, then trying to re-sell them at a tremendous markup, then there might be something askew about your priorities. However, if your reaction to the coronavirus is “How can I help someone else out?” Then keep your eyes open, because a situation just might present itself.

With all of this in mind, I am reminded about a passage in Philippians, Chapter 4, verses 6-8.  It is generally agreed that this passage was written by Paul while he was in prison, which I find sort of interesting, given our current state of uncertainty in the world and how, for some, staying at home has become sort of a prison of its own. But Paul shares from his confinement:

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-8

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

What a beautiful passage!  Paul is encouraging his readers to focus on priorities that are good and pure and promote community and love among one another.  I find this passage truly inspiring, especially at this time.

In fact, yesterday I got a phone call from my father-in-Law.  It was sort of out of the blue.  In fact, when I saw it was him, I sort had a moment of panic, because we seldom call one another just to “chat,” so I wasn’t sure what he was calling about.  As it turned out, he was just calling to check on me and to see how I was handling the effects of the virus. After I hung up from this rather short exchange, I considered that through all of the anxiety that Coronavirus has churned up, and all the events that have caused me fear and doubt about our world and in humanity in general, there continues to be a constant ray of hope that everything is going to be OK. There continue to be moments of grace and clarity that help me see God’s hand at work in this world.  It is a reminder that we are all called to join God to make this world a better place.  It might be small matters like calling people that you don’t regularly call, or going to visit someone who is self-quarantined and talking to them safely through a window.  I even saw a video of a guy in an urban area who had dragged his piano out to his balcony and begun to play, when a second person joined in, playing a saxophone from an adjacent building!  What a beautiful example of building community even in the midst of being physically separated!

When I set out to write this devotion, I had had enough of the Coronavirus and of the fear and anxiety that it is causing in this world.  I even thought at one point that maybe I shouldn’t mention it at all.  But I find that it has become such a massive part of our lives it would be irrelevant not to at least acknowledge it, and here I am at the end of my devotion finding that this stupid virus has practically become the focal point of all of my words.  But I’m OK with that, because even though this virus may have brought out the worst in some of us, it has just as powerfully pulled out the best in so many more of us.  There is strength in numbers; and, regardless of whether we are on the frontlines fighting the virus directly, or we are finding ways to support one another by social distancing and slowing the spread of the virus, and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy, we are all in this together. I guess it sort of boils down to a choice, a decision to prioritize “whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy…” or not.  When we prioritize the right things for the right reasons, we end up building community by sharing in the same spirit.  God draws us together because we have the same priorities and we share in the same hope for what comes next.

I want to leave you with a quote from American author Anne Lamott that I think sort of connects with me and the approach that I believe will help us in the coming days and months as we more clearly understand what we are up against and how we can help one another through this difficult time. She says, “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”  Here’s to YOU not giving up!

YOU CAN WATCH AND READ ALL 10 @ 10 DEVOTIONS HERE.