First United

Methodist

Church

Whitesboro April

The “Gospel According to L’eggs” is one of my favorite stories. It is a true story that seems

especially appropriate for our thinking this week.

His classmates noted that 8-year-old Stephen’s mental retardation was becoming even more

pronounces. Could they continue to love him as they came to see him differently?

In April, the Sunday school teacher asked all eight children in the class to hide within an empty L’eggs

pantyhose container one small object that represented the new life in spring. Fearing that Stephen might not

have caught on, and not wanting to embarrass him, the teacher had the children place all their unlabeled

containers on the desk so that the teacher could open them.

The first had a tiny flower. “What a lovely sign of new life!” The donor could not help but erupt, “I

brought that one!”

Next came a rock. That must be Stephen’s, since rocks don’t symbolize new life. But Billy shouted

that his rock had moss on it, and moss represented new life. The teacher agreed.

A butterfly flew from the third container, and another child bragged that her choice was the best

one of all.

The fourth container was empty. “It has to be Stephen’s,” thought the teacher, reaching quickly for

the fifth container. Stephen spoke up quickly, “Please don’t skip mine.”

“But it’s empty.”

“That’s right,” said Stephen; “but the tomb was empty, and that means new life for everyone.”

Later that Summer Stephen’s condition worsened and he died. At his funeral, on is casket, mourners

found eight L’eggs pantyhose containers, now all empty.

“In truth, in very truth, I tell you, a grain of wheat remains a solitary grain unless it falls into the ground and dies; but if it dies, it bears a rich harvest.

Let us celebrate the empty tomb as we worship together these next few weeks. I will look for you.

And, bring a friend.

May God bless your week.

Ken

903.651.0310 (new parsonage phone number!)

Lois Addlesburger

Leonel Aguire

Jerry Allen

Justin Allen*

Bob Alexander

AJ Andrews*

Margrett Ayres

Justus Bartett *

The Biggers Family, Ken, Betty & Marilyn

Homer Brookshear

Linda Brown

Janet Chapman

The Bob Clark family

Shelly Cobb

Bill Roe

Dave Santos*

Josh Shephard*

Shawn St. Clair

Chase Stanley*

Harold Stubblefield

Sheldon Tate*

Dalton Tune*

Christopher Turman*

Madelyn Vaughan

Matthew Weikert *

Zac Williams*

Kerry Workman

Frank Yerkes*

*military

Kay Cooper

Gerald Davis

Janie Elmore

Zachary Fisher*

Roland Glendich*

Christopher Goeke*

Capri Grimes

The Hagood Family

Matthew Hall*

Mary Harris

Linda Harpold

John Hosp V*

Danielle & Trey Ivey

Matthew Johnson* Josh Jones * (Amy

Goedecke's nephew)

The Krueger Family

Brett Linley *

Larry Jones

Pam Jones

Brandon King*

Buddy Kniss

Tanner Mason*

Lila Miracle

Janice McKee

Michael Nealon

Jason Owen, PFC*

Family of Keith Pierson

Merikay Qualls

Jesse Reed*

Mary Rives

“In those days when you pray, I will listen”-Jeremiah 29:12

We are

praying

for …...

The following Memorial & Honorarium gifts have been received ...

In Memory Of: Given By: In Memory Of: Given By:

Brant Krueger Paula Mariner Al Miller John Balkum

Larry Earl Paula Mariner Al Miller Paula Mariner

Oakey Hagood Paula Mariner Oakey Hagood Opal Barr

Oakey Hagood Stephanie & Jerry Dickson Oakey Hagood Lowe & Inez Leach

Oakey Hagood Ricky & Sharon Acker Oakey Hagood Jimmy & Kelly McCorkle

Oakey Hagood Bill & Ernestine Stofle Oakey Hagood Searchers Sunday School Class

Al Miller Jerry & Stephanie Dickson Al Miller Suzette Strong

Al Miller Shirley Strong Al Miller Bill & Ernestine Stofle

Oakey Hagood George & Louise Krippenstapel Oakey Hagood George & Carol Churukian

Oakey Hagood Mr. & Mrs. Doug Hendrick Oakey Hagood Kenneth & Delores Lockmiller

Oakey Hagood Modie Mosley Oakey Hagood Betty Foerster

Oakey Hagood Sue & Buddy McDonald Oakey Hagood David Vayo

Oakey Hagood Chris & Amy Goedecke Al Miller Chris & Amy Goedecke

Brant Krueger Chris & Amy Goedecke Oakey Hagood Brian Senninger & Christopher Tower

Oakey Hagood Robert Cassidy & Anahid Papakhian Oakey Hagood Karen Roe

Oakey Hagood Jimmy & Allie Marcus Oakey Hagood Lisa, Russell, Luke, & Molly Roe

Al Miller Bob & Joann Jewel Betty Perkins John Cox & Susan Vardell

Betty Perkins Asbury Sunday School Class Al Miller Asbury Sunday School Class

Betty Perkins Suzette Strong Betty Perkins Shirley Strong

Betty Perkins John Balkum Betty Perkins Ricky & Sharon Acker

Betty Perkins Opal Barr Al Miller Opal Barr

Betty Perkins Carol Clift Betty Perkins Rita & Billy Mangrum

Oakey Hagood Billy & Rita Mangrum Betty Perkins Pete Meek

Betty Perkins Charles & Roylene Winchester Betty Perkins Dee & Su Welch

Betty Perkins Waunema & Charles Baum Brant Krueger Whittington, Beavers, & Hubbard, P.C.

Oakey Hagood La Doyce & Gloria Lambert Oakey Hagood Mr. & Mrs. Philip Szenasi

Noble Strong Shirley Strong Noble Strong Suzette Strong

Betty Perkins Tillman & Carleene Cason Betty Perkins Searchers Sunday School Class

Keith Pierson Searchers Sunday School Class Oakey Hagood Searchers Sunday School Class

Bob Clark Searchers Sunday School Class Keith Pierson John Balkum

Bob Clark Opal Barr Keith Pierson Wayman & Betty Chilcutt

Bob Clark Waunema & Charles Baum Bob Clark Wayman & Betty Chilcutt

Keith Pierson Lowe & Inez Leach Betty Perkins Lowe & Inez Leach

Betty Perkins Wanna & Ken Kniss Oakey Hagood Wanna & Ken Kniss

Keith Pierson Wanna & Ken Kniss Keith Pierson Rita & Billy Mangrum

Keith Pierson Suzette Strong Keith Pierson Shirley Strong

Keith Pierson Gloria Wooten Keith Pierson Dee & Su Welch

Robert O'Dell Clyde & Evelyn Bomar Betty Perkins Bernice Maloney

Keith Pierson Bernice Maloney Keith Pierson Ricky & Sharon Acker

Keith Pierson Bridget & Jim Hoenig Keith Pierson Stephanie & Jerry Dickson

Dois Kennedy Laura McCoy Bob Clark Jim & Bridget Hoenig

In Honor Of: Given By: In Honor Of: Given By: Larissa Burch Oakey Hagood Family Clint Strong Shirley Strong

Ken Hildebrand Oakey Hagood Family Wendy Kislingbury United Methodist Men

Brian Shadden Oakey Hagood Family Suzanne Greear United Methodist Men

Clint Strong Suzette Strong Clint Strong United Methodist Men

Ken Hildebrand Phil & Shelley Cobb

You’re invited to a SURPRISE Party for Amma Belle Snow on April 14th from 2:00—4:00 @ Callisburg UMC . No Gifts, Cards are welcome!!! If you have any questions, call Ann Dunnam.

Scholarship Applications are available for the FUMC Youth Scholarship and the Mona Sullivan Scholarship at the church office. Deadline due May 1st.

Jr. High Youth Summer Camp forms are available at the office. Registration forms are due by April 20th. Camp date: June 18-23,

Cost $280.

Collinsville UMW is hosting a presentation about “Human Trafficking” on April 12th @ 7:00 pm.

April 1st………... Adult Baptism – if you are a teenager or adult who has not received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, you are invited to come to the Sanctuary at 9:15 am to be baptized. Those who were not baptized as children and have never availed themselves of the opportunity as an older teenager or an adult are invited to take this step of faith this year on Palm Sunday. Whoever desires to be baptized will also be welcomed into the fellowship of First UMC at that time.

Healing Service – everyone is in need of healing in some part of their lives. Perhaps there are health

issues, or relationship issues, or spiritual issues. Whichever the case may be, all are invited to participate in

a time of seeking the power of God more fully to help us deal with the struggles we face everyday. It is clear

that Jesus placed an emphasis on the connection between wholeness and holiness. It is also clear that we

all could call on the power of God to help us come to grips with the brokenness that we all experience in life.

Those who desire to connect more and more with the healing power of God are invited to come to the

sanctuary at 6:00 pm on Palm Sunday to try to discover more of God’s healing power for ourselves.

April 5th…...

Prayer Vigil – Whether you are a candidate for Adult Baptism or the Healing Service, you are encouraged to participate in the Spiritual Formation of our Congregation by lifting up the ministries of our church in prayer sometime between the conclusion of our Good Friday Tenebrae Service and the beginning of our Easter worship service. A signup sheet will be available for you to pencil in the time of day or night you choose to be in prayer for our church. Even if someone is already signed up for the time you prefer, please do not hesitate to add your name to that particular time slot. Can you imagine how the spiritual life of our church will be enhanced when we all do our part?!

Prayer Vigil Sign Up Sheet is

available Action Wednesday and

during worship on Sundays.

Thank you!! Our March 2nd

mile offering raised $526

toward sponsoring an intern

for Project Transformation.

Join United Methodists everywhere by

participating in One Great Hour of

Sharing, a special offering that

supports UMCOR’s vital work. Your

gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing lay

the foundation for UMCOR to share

God’s steadfast love with

communities everywhere.

When you give to One Great Hour of Sharing, you underwrite UMCOR’s “costs of doing business.” This helps UMCOR keep their promise that 100 percent of every other gift you make to a specific UMCOR project can be spent on that project —not on home office costs. UMCOR receives no apportionment or World Service funds of any kind. Our April 2

nd mile

offering will go toward One Great Hour of Sharing.

Bring non-perishable food items and place them in the

shopping cart outside of Wesley hall. We will take them to

Your Neighbor’s House and help feed a neighbor in need.

Remember to collect your 30

pieces of silver for our Easter

offering. We will bring our

pouches filled with our coins to

the altar rail on Easter Sunday.

We can symbolically turn

Judas’s 30 pieces of silver into

something good for God’s

kingdom.

From Finance………… Giving Budget Expenses

January $ 24,762 $ 27,196 $ 30,040

February $ 29,265 $ 26,916 $ 32,973

We have a new Website:

www.whitesborofumc.org

Sign up for newsletters,

announcements, and

reminders!!!!

Pastor’s Bible Study will resume:

April 15th Read:

Genesis 18-24

We’re on the Web!

Whitesborofumc.org

First United

Methodist Church

122 South Union Street

PO Box 370

Whitesboro, TX 76273

“Making disciples of Christ

for the transformation of

the world”

Phone: 903-564-3156

Fax: 903-564-3701

F

Youth Prayer

Focus:

Please pray for

our summer

planning

process! That

God would

guide our

planning and

decisions to

enable students

to be

REACHED and

receive spiritual

GROWTH.

Announcement:

Do you have a

senior in high

school

interested in

applying for an

FUMC Senior

Scholarship?

Receive the

application from

the office or via

request from

Kevin.

Submission

deadline is May

1st.

Who is your favorite alien? I assume popping into your mind is a fictitious creature off an animated movie or perhaps that “Mork(?)” creature played by Robin Williams in a show that was before my time. If it’s not a fictitious creature that began stirring in your mind then I guess you had a strange encounter in the woods or something at night. You probably better keep that to yourself. The gatekeepers of society, influence, and “what’s cool” tend to frown upon people who have “met with aliens.”

My personal favorite are those cute, confused, three-eyed extra-terrestrials from the Toy Story movies. There may be disagreement about the latter but there ought to be NO controversy or mere speculation about of our Christian identity as that very thing….aliens.

1 Peter 2:11-12a “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles…”

Philippians 3:20a “…our citizenship is in Heaven…”

Go back to your “favorite alien.” If you hung out with him today would he be completely savvy in all things American? Would he be able to quote from every T.V. show you watch? Would he be depressed because this new world has not lauded him with glory after glory and praise after praise? Probably not. And there would be other things about this alien that I’m sure we would find peculiar. There would be habits and ways and about him that still resembled the ways of his previous country. An alien would not fit right in. They would not be “perfectly adjusted.” The Christian is not called to fit perfectly in. If we have it is probably because we have forgotten the unspeakable beauty of the country we will one day forever reside. We have forgotten or ignored our identity. We must be a peculiar people. We do not need to be “weird” but we do need to be “different.” People should wonder why we RISK things not just for our families, kids, and personal lives but for the KINGDOM of the land we come from. Do they? Too many times I get into the habit of living this life as if the only goal is to be well-adjusted and achieve all my potential. In the world’s eyes this is respectable. But through the lens of the Scripture it is a joke. And technically speaking it is idolatry. It is reducing to God to a MEANS when He is the end. He is everything.

We are the displaced sons and daughters of a KING, waiting, wanting, and working until his return! That and that alone should consume us.

I heard a pastor say the other day that, “Learning about our future potential has much less transformative effect on us than learning how Jesus turned His back on His for us.” I wanna mediate on that this week. Let’s live like aliens and make noise for our true, eternal country. There will be nothing more beautiful than it!

The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through

them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into

dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.”― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of

Glory: And Other Addresses

Much Love,

Kevin J.