Ash Wednesday Service
We will begin the season of Lent by joining together in worship with neighboring United Methodists from Rainbow and Hookerton.
Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Hookerton United Methodist Church 306 East Church Street, Hookerton, NC
Pastor’s Reflection
What’s your go-to snack, M&M’s, popcorn, chocolate chip cookies? For me, it’s Oreos, but not just the standard ones, nor the double stuffed; I like the thin mint Oreos. When I pick up a pack of these minty delights, it makes me so happy! That is until they are gone, then as quickly as it comes, happiness follows suit. Maybe snacks aren’t your thing. Instead, it’s a favorite TV show or a good book.
A buddy of mine, Karl, loves to fish; any time the opportunity arises, Karl will be the first to cast his bobber out in the water. But you know, like the Oreos, these moments can dissipate just as fast. TV shows are set to a particular length, even in the era of binge-watching, and books, like any good story, always have a final page. Not to mention the fraught nature of fishing; be it the wrong spot, bait, or weather, any number of things can ruin a day on the water.
That is the problem with happiness; while enjoyable for a moment, it’s always fleeting like the shrinking stack of cookies I sat with a few minutes ago.It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek out moments of happiness or do We need sustenance. We need joy. Joy isn’t just the glee that comes from engaging in personal pleasure; rather, it’s the thing that keeps our spirits up when there is no happiness to be found. Joy carries us forward when we realize the fish aren’t biting or the season is over for our favorite show. But even more important than that, joy is what renews our spirit in the face of genuine hardship, in the uncertainty of life.
Think about someone you know who has that kind of joy, someone you look up to; odds are they’ve seen real hardship, real hurt in their lives, and yet they continue to be joyful people. Because their lives, hope, and faith aren’t based on fleeting moments like that first sip of coffee in the morning. It isn’t happiness or received wants that motivate them in life, but rather it is something more profound.
In our Psalm, the author speaks of scrubbing the floors of God’s house as being better than anywhere else. How many of us would have chosen to do chores last month instead of watching the Super Bowl? Let alone at someone else’s house—not many! Yet, the author describes God as generous in his gifts for this opportunity.
Possessing our mommas’ good sense, we recognize there must be more to it, and we’re right. This person is grounded in the joy of God rather than the happiness of earthly things. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing because he’s in the presence of God. How many of us can say that? When grinding away at a job we are over or trudging through a rough season in life, how many of us can tell the spot we are in is still better than what we’d like to be doing? It’s easy to say it could be worse, and it always can be, but what does it look like to find God in the moment?
What does it look like to tap into the same kind of joy that makes scrubbing floors an honor? Because that is part of our purpose; we aim for joy in confessing our desire to be in a relationship with God. We seek nourishment to fill our spirits, to be so deeply rooted in God that no matter what goes on around us, we can stand even when our bodies fail, because God holds us up.
So, how do we find that joy? Well, I can tell you it’s not in the Oreos or the season finale of Boba Fett. The joy we seek is in our relationship with God: it is in the act of worshiping with others; it’s in acts of service and fellowship. God’s joy is found in sharing our weakest moments in faith with God and others. It is found not in our reliance on ourselves but on God. Like choosing an apple over an Oreo, we become healthier when we practice our faith. We become more connected to God and others, and in those relationships, we find a joy that never runs out.
Blessings,
Pastor Jason Leighton
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Volunteers Needed
Ongoing ministries such as Children’s Church and Nursery, Backpack Blessings, Days for Girls, Interfaith food delivery.
Sunday School, Children’s Church, and Youth Activities
Sunday School classes for all ages are offered on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.in the Education Building and Fellowship Hall. A nursery is provided during Sunday School and Worship times.
Gwen Skinner’s Sunday School class is studying a video series titled 12 Women of the Bible. Six different Bible teachers present spiritual lessons learned from twelve Biblical women and their implication for life today. To name a few of the women we will study: Rebekah, Leah, Hannah, Gomer. Join us for this interesting study as we understand how similar we are today to these women.
Children’s church is offered during the Worship services on Sundays. This is for children aged 3 years to third grade. Children’s church begins after the Children’s Moment during the Worship service.
The CMUMC Children’s Committee needs volunteers for helping with the nursery during Sunday School and Worship and the Children’s Church during Worship. Please contact the church office if you are willing to help with this ministry.
UMYF youth group (all middle and high school students) will meet Sunday, March 6 and 20 at 5:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
New Online/Print Church Directory
Calvary Memorial is putting together a new online Church Directory. Hardcopies will be available once complete, but in the meantime, we are asking our church folks to send in their contact info. Follow the link below or go to the church website and click "Directory" at the top of the site; it will provide a directory form to fill out on the church website. https://www.calvarymemorialumc.org/directory
This info is not shared with the public but sent straight to the church office on a secure link once you click submit. Pastor Jason and Ms. Rose will also be available in the Fellowship Hall following worship on Sundays for anyone who might need help filling out the form. Please help us with this important ministry!
New and Ongoing Ministries
Lunch and Learn is a new program from the Sound District Dismantling Racism Team. On Monday, March 7 at 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. (and continuing on the first Monday of each month), the Sound District Dismantling Racism Team will host a Zoom meeting where we watch a video from a list of webinars on racism and have a discussion on it together. Occasionally, depending on the topic, we will invite guests from the North Carolina Conference to help facilitate the conversations.
Community Lenten Worship Services will begin Ash Wednesday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Hookerton UMC. Calvary Memorial is partnering with Hookerton UMC and Rainbow UMC to host joint services during Lent. Hookerton will host the Ash Wednesday service at their church on March 2 at 7:00 p.m. Calvary Memorial will host Maundy Thursday at 7:00 p.m. on April 14, and Rainbow will host Good Friday at 7:00 p.m. on April 15. This will be a great opportunity to share in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Cub Scout Pack 162 meets in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday nights. New scouts are welcome to join Pack 162—for more information, please contact Benny Coats at coats4445@gmail.com.
Missions Committee continues to deliver food boxes on first and third Thursdays for Interfaith.
Backpack Blessings is excited to report that backpacks are now being served to 10 students at Greene County Pre-K School. The Backpack team welcomes Jennifer Krodel who will be helping with packing and delivering. Thanks to everyone who is supporting this food ministry. If you are interested in helping with packing, shopping, or delivering, please contact Patty Herring at 252-521-0555. Delivery dates vary according to the school calendar.
Grief and Loss Support Group will meet on Thursday, March 10 in the Church Parlor at 6:30 pm. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to contact Linda Dunn @ 252-560-1465.
The Joy Riders need help to identify persons in the community who could benefit from a visit. Please contact Linda Dunn to put names on the list or to join in on a ride to experience firsthand the Joy of this ministry.
Days for Girls “Sewing Saturdays” will meet March 5 and 19 from 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Suzi and Rose are happy to welcome volunteers of all ages and all skill levels because there are many jobs to do! Let them know of your interest, and they will find "homework" for you that suits your interest and skill level. Although the mission trip to Guatemala for Unearth Hope has been cancelled, the 275 kits we completed will be ready to go as soon as the mission is rescheduled. Also, we will be updating the birthing kits we have made previously, so more news and needs on those soon.
Forever Young Circle will meet on Tuesday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Kay Murphy.
Hope Restorations, Inc. is an ongoing concern in Kinston, NC. For more information about Hope Restorations, its mission, and its ministry, and recent news about its program, please see the website, http://hoperestorationsnc.org/. Read more about the Duke Endowment’s support of Hope Restorations at https://www.dukeendowment.org/story/renewing-hope-rebuilding-lives.
Sunday School Class taught by Gwen Skinner is studying a video series titled 12 Women of the Bible. Six different Bible teachers present spiritual lessons learned from twelve Biblical women and their implication for life today. To name a few of the women we will study: Rebekah, Leah, Hannah, Gomer. Join us for this interesting study as we understand how similar we are today to these women.
Tuesday Morning Study will meet March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Wednesday Afternoon Study will meet in March via Zoom https://nccumc.zoom.us/j/98178185733 and in the Fellowship Hall. On Wednesday, March 9, we will begin a new Lenten study by Rev. Elaine A. Heath entitled Five Means of Grace: Experience God's Love the Wesleyan Way. Rev. Heath, former dean of Duke Divinity School, offers a study that helps small groups like ours discover the power of five means of grace. John Wesley called these means of grace "instituted," meaning the spiritual practices Jesus himself participated in and encouraged his followers to do. For Wesley, these spiritual practices are seamlessly integrated with the practice of loving our neighbors well. A life of genuine prayer inevitably leads to a life of hospitality, mercy, and justice. Participants in this study will consider how the five means of grace are the ordinary channels that God uses to draw us into a fruitful relationship.