The Gospel According to Thom

            The late Jewish scholar, Abraham Heschel, once argued that the commandment “Honor thy father and thy mother” is the heart of the Ten Commandments. What is there about me that might evoke honor from my children?

            First, I must be able to delay satisfaction. If I am one so shot through with gluttony that I cannot deny myself, how can my children hold any honor for me?

            Second, I must overcome my prejudice. Prejudice sticks out boldly. If I cling to it as some kind of right I have, then where is any honorableness? My children must see me do battle with my prejudice … not weak resignation to it.

            Third, there must be a sense of the holy about me. I cannot know everything. So, whether it is the life of our dogs or the life of the ideas of our friends expressed in the living room, my children must see that I reverence the holy mystery of life.

            Finally, my children must see me standing for what is noble. In the conversations we have around the table, in the money we share, in the things we are sensitive to, there must be a standing for what is noble, good, just, true, and right.

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The 40 days of Lent are traditionally a period of meditation, prayer and spiritual renewal among Christians. Our temptation in Lent is to be so impressed by our sins and failings and so overwhelmed by our lack of generosity that we get struck in a paralyzing guilt ... a guilt that leads to introspection instead of directing our eyes to God. It is guilt that becomes an idol and form of pride.

But Lent is precisely the time to break down this idol and to direct our attention to our loving Lord. The question is: “Are we like Judas, who was so overcome by his sin that he could not believe in God’s mercy any longer and hanged himself? Or are we like Peter, who returned to his Lord with repentance and cried bitterly for his sins?”

The Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.

On Ash Wednesday it is worth asking, “Why Ashes? In biblical literature there are numerous references to the use of ashes (together with sackcloth) as the expression of one’s utter grief or contrition. How are ashes somehow symbolic of repentance? At least three ways suggest themselves.

First, ashes stand for our finiteness ... our ultimate powerlessness. Ashes are a form of dust. As the Psalmist reminds us, “You are dust, and to dust you will return.” Ashes upon our body serve as a simple admission of the fact that we are not God!

Second, ashes stand for our wasted strength. Ashes are the residue of something burned up. It is a confession that we have dissipated ourselves ... burned ourselves out ... that we have spent our strength for “that which is not bread” (Isaiah 55. 2).

And thirdly, ashes are a form of dirt. They testify that we are not presentable to appear before God. Through our use of tongue, mind, and body we have soiled ourselves and God’s creation. Ashes, therefore, bear witness to our desperate need for cleansing and renewal in the power of God.

Come and join us at our service of worship on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m. as we begin our Lenten journey together.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a pastoral emergency after church office hours or on the weekend, please call Pastor Thom on his church cell phone – 512-755-0111. Also, Pastor Thom’s email is: revthom@verizon.net and the Parsonage phone number is

512-588-6056.

Church Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Fridays

9:00 a.m. until Noon

The deadline for Sunday Bulletin Announcements is NOON Wednesdays.

The deadline for the Soaring Eagles Newsletter is the 15^th of the month.

Finance Committee Report to the Congregation

Submitted by Randall Jones, Chair

In the December newsletter the Finance Committee reported on our church’s financial condition thru the end of October. We now have financial statements available through December, 2011.

For full year 2011, giving was $365,550 toward a budget of $398,000. Expenses were $386,600. The shortfall of approximately $21,000 was made up with funds from our savings at Texas Methodist Foundation and by drawing down the balance in the checking account. So, our financial problems continued through year end. We should mention that Committee Chairs and others responsible for spending church funds were asked in September to eliminate non-essential spending. Without the efforts put forth by these church leaders, our year end situation would have been even worse.

With this as background what does the situation look like for 2012? In October, 2011 the Administrative Council approved a 2012 budget of $389,000, a slight decrease from 2011. It was recognized that this budget would require an increase from the giving levels seen in the second half of 2011. So far, this hoped for increase hasn’t happened.

We are likely faced with reducing the 2012 budget in the near future. If 2012 giving continues at the rate we saw in the second half of 2011, full year 2012 giving will only be $332,000, some $57,000 below the approved 2012 budget. Obviously, we can’t operate with this kind of deficit.

The task of reducing the budget while retaining the critical ministries of the church is made very difficult by the fact that fixed costs make up 79% if the budget, some $306,000. These fixed costs include pastor and staff salary and benefits, payroll taxes, insurance, utilities and apportionments

The Finance Committee asks for your prayers as we tackle this problem and your ideas and support for the actions that have to be taken to keep our church financially sound.

UNITED METHODIST MEN

Submitted by: Jim Callaway President McAllen Dist. UMM

V/P SWTX Conference UMM

We are the United Methodist Men not the United Methodist Males. We are not just a meet, greet and eat group. We sponsor up to the minute cutting edge events at Mt. Wesley every February. Our speakers are dynamic and the topics are up to the minute and pertinent. Whether we are discussing the Islamic world and its effects on our everyday lives or the benefits of daily prayer you will not be bored.

Your conference UMM are now involved in hands on ministry with projects at Mt Wesley in Kerrville and Harris Chapel in Nixon. We are sponsoring a debate on March 31, 2012 that will discuss, in a no holds barred format, the proposed reorganization of the United Methodist Church and the impact that the change will have on the Conference, District and Local Church levels. In June we will again run the very popular Golf Cart Ministry at Annual Conference. Over the last 2 years we have safely transported thousands of delegates to and from the Convention Center. Inside, on the conference floor your Conference UMM leadership are now seated together and are ready to take your cares and concerns to the conference for consideration. Just let us know what you want and we will address it.

On another subject we are the 2nd largest sponsor of Scouting in the world. We actively support The Boy Scouts of America, The Girl Scouts, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Camp Fire Girls and 4H Clubs around the country. We have highly interesting group Bible Studies each month in most of the districts and our reason for existing is to "Act as Christian Mentors to younger men and boys". This year we will have a car entered in the Big Bend Open Road Race, we will have our annual camping trip to west Texas and we will have the annual conference deep sea fishing event. Annual Conference will once again see a UMM table with information on upcoming events and ministries. The very popular "Silent Auction" will also be back.

If you wish to find out more about the UMM attend our session at this year’s Equipping the Saints event. We won't bore you. I guarantee !! Come join the adventure that is "A Man's Walk With Christ."

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING FOR LA CARE

The Souper Bowl of Caring is a food drive sponsored by HEB. For $5 you can buy a pre-filled bag with 3 tuna, 2 corn, 2 green beans, and 1 pinto beans. The program will continue until February 5^th. When you purchase a bag, you have the option of taking the bag with you and dropping it off at La Care or in the “La Care” basket in our narthex.

Remember, this food drive ends FEBRUARY 5^th.

A LOVE NOTE

Thank you so much for the LOVE! You started with us on October 21, 2011 and you never left our side. Thanks for your prayers, cards, phone calls, emails and visits. How much does it help? It has the power to reconfigure the situation from something potentially emotionally paralyzing into a place where you feel safe and strong and capable. GOD certainly knew what we needed when HE told to LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Thank you for your obedience to GOD’S command.

The doctor says Jerry is now good to go!

Lovingly,

Jerry & Nancy Kaufman

Tuesday, February 21^st