As a curious, rather visually-oriented person, this article's cover picture immediately appealed to me. Otherwise, I would hardly have taken a photo of it. I found it purely by chance - in a side alley in Salz-burg - when I was in town for the Admission to Pro-fessing Membership of our pastor Dorothee Büür-ma. And of course, the choice of this picture has something to do with the timing of this text.

It has only been a week ago that Lothar Pöll, our former Superintendent passed away - a person from our ministerial community of pastors. One of us. Under the impression of mourning and in the face of death, this picture speaks to me. On the one hand, it represents the complexity of life; on the other hand I recognize in it the fragility of life. The beauty that lies in the gentle, in the fragile, in the small.

If you look closely, you will first recognize the diffe-rent layers of color that make up the basic texture, then the sprayed or rolled-on face of a man that looks like a fingerprint, and finally the cut out and pasted figure of a woman made of paper. Each layer on its own could tell its own story, just as each phase of our lives is a story in itself. As a whole it becomes a life; it becomes a beautiful

picture. And on the other hand you can already see the finiten-ess of human life here on earth by the different, or ‚sometimes-better-someti-mes-worse' adhering layers of paint. This may have annoyed the painter, who had to apply a new layer of paint every five years, but beauty is only created through the multi-layeredness. So applied to our lives, this means that it takes time for something be-autiful to emerge. And in terms of beauty, it is above all the woman made of fragile paper, which is alrea-dy beginning to detach from the background, that makes the decisive difference. Painted doors are a dime-a-dozen. There are many doors with flaking layers of paint. Doors with a little graffiti are common, but it is the glued-on paper woman that makes this door unique. And with this uniqueness, this inconspicuous little door in Salzburg, in front of Ge-treidegasse and the cathe-

dral, which most tourists carelessly pass by, if they ever encounter this side street at all, becomes a symbolic image of our humanity. In the end, the many layers of our life will result in a beautiful, unique picture that God has put toge-ther or painted. This is my hope and comfort when death is felt or has become tangible. All these fra-gile, temporary layers of life are needed, which the great artist God then puts together to form a uni-que picture. To create a one and only: You

Frank Moritz-Jauk

NEWSThe United Methodist Church in Graz Oktober - November 2020

Visit from the Erzgebirge This year's Senior*internal excursion of the East German Conference led a group of about 30 people to Styria. This intrepid and by Covid-19 not too impressive group also found its way into the Sunday Service and so we celebrated toge-ther on June 28th. Afterwards I answered many questions in the courtyard. It was nice that we were able to have a good exchange across national borders.

Gown „A gown simply helps to make things clear in cer-tain situations: someone is actively serving the church.“ This is how our Superintendent explai-ned the necessity of a gown to me last Novem-ber. At the same time he asked me to get this piece of clothing for Frank. Measurements were made and a tailor was found in Hamburg who would make this gown. However, the price gave me a headache. It cost 750euro! How should I come up with so much money wi-thout having to burden our budget?

Then I had an idea to sell pieces of a puzzle. This was ready for the first Sunday in September. The last piece was sold and not only was our pastor

fully clothed but also the gown was completely paid for. A huge thank you to all who helped to gather the money. Now Frank does not have to go as he says, „na-ked“ to ecumenical meetings!

Ute Frühwirth

Ecumenical Worship Service Premstätten On Saturday, September 19, we celebrated an ecumenical worship service in Premstätten, a small parish in the south of Graz, together with brothers and sisters from the Protestant, Old Ca-tholic and Roman Catholic Churches. What is special about it is that the first impacts of the newly created pastoral care areas of the Ro-man Catholic Church can be seen here. For Prem-stätten belongs to the pastoral care area Kaiser-wald and is now connected with Lieboch, where the tradition of ecumenical services has existed for a while. And that we, as the United Methodist Church, can help to bring ecumenical awareness to Styria is an important and forward-looking task.

Sunday Services

Su 27.09. 9:30 Sunday Servive with Holy Communion Sermon from Lothar Pöll

Offenbarung 21, 1-6 Matthäus 21, 23-32

Su 04.10. Congregational Lunch

9:30 Sunday Service to Thanksgiving Sermon: Frank Moritz-Jauk

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46

Su 11.10. 9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Frank Moritz-Jauk

Exodus 32:1-14 Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14

Su 18.10. 9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Christoph Petau

Exodus 33:12-23 1.Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22

Su 25.10. 9:30 Sunday Service with Holy Communion Sermon: Frank Moritz-Jauk

Deuteronomium 34:1-12 1.Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46

Su 01.11. 9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Ute Frühwirth

Joshua 3:7-17 1.Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12

Su 08.11. 9:30 Sunday Service with families Responsible: Soschu-Team

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 1.Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13

Su 15.11. 9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Sonja Herler

Richter 4:1-7 1.Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30

Su 22.11. 9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Frank Moritz-Jauk

Hesekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46

Su 29.11. 1. Advent

9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Gerhard Weissenbrunner

Isaiah 64:1-9 1.Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37

Su 06.12. 2. Advent

9:30 Sunday Service Sermon: Frank Moritz-Jauk

Joshua 3:7-17 1.Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12

picture references: page 2 left: Felizitas Petau, page 2 right top: Ute Frühwirth, page 2 right bottom: Helmut Theiler, page 5 left: Evangelischer Pressedienst Österreich, page 5 right: John Calhoun, page 6 left top and middle: Raphaela Swadosch, page 6 left bottom: Choon-Young Kim-Gross, all other pictures: Frank Moritz-Jauk.

26. September 2020 Zoomconference with Laypreachers on the topic of „What to teach“ Contakt: Esther Handschin

10. Oktober 2020 Zoomconference Anual Conference Contakt: Esther Handschin

Events

24.-27. Oktober 2020 Youthmeeting in autumn from 13 Years on Schwaigmühle bei Salzburg Latschenstraße 12, 5084 Großgmain Contakt: Eike Nungesser

21. November 2020 Methodist Womensday with Gabi Rehbogen in Wien-Fünfhaus Sechshauserstraße 56, 1150 Wien Contakt: Astrid Nausner-Reiner

A-Events

Due to the Covid-19 situation, it can always happen that events have to be cancelled at short notice. For more information, please visit www.emk.at or contact the pastor or the responsible contact person. Thank you!

The United Methodist Church in Graz, Wielandgasse 10, A-8010 Graz Localpastor Frank Moritz-Jauk Phone: 0316-822225 // 0664-73750431 // frank.moritz-jauk@emk.at Congregational Bankaccount: IBAN AT73 2081 5000 0990 8245 BIC STSPAT2GXXX http://www.emk.at/graz

Theological Talk Every 1st Tuesday of the month 6:30 pm, Devotion Room

Wednesday Circle Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month 10:00 am, Devotion Room starting again on the 30th september

Prayer Group in the Devotion Room Every Friday 9:30 am and Sunday 9:15 am

Youth Group Every Sunday with their own Program. Contact: Ali and Alissa

Korean speaking Bible Study Every Sunday at 12:30 pm

Women Every 1st Wednesday of the month 3:30 pm, Devotion Room starting again on the 7th october (02.09.) Contact: Felizitas Petau

Choir starting again in september

Chinese speaking Sunday Service Every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 3:30 pm

Chinese speaking Bible Study Every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 3:30 pm

Prayerevening always on the last Saturday of the month 7:00 pm in the Main Church.

Lothar Pöll am 16.09. verstorben Superintendent Stefan Schröckenfuchs writes in his obituary about his predecessor Lothar Pöll: „Wherever Lothar Pöll tackled something he did it with full commitment and brought new mo-mentum to it as well. He was always doing new tasks because he knew they were necessary. Often things were brought to his attention but also there were things that he himself knew had to be done. He thought about them systematical-ly, structured and ordered them and he often took a pointed opinion. He was easy going and humble about it and he had a great sense of humor. Titles and functions did not mean much to him.

His life was often interrupted because of serious illnesses. He accepted these illnesses without a lot of grumbling. He also did not let these get in the way of what he wanted to do. Also, in 2011 when he suffered from a serious kidney illness which made him a temporary dial-ysis patient, it did not stop him from bringing the word of God’s love to people. Many of his services were made possible by his life companion and wife, Helga, who accompa-nied him til the end and even donated one of her kidneys to him. Lothar Pöll first saw himself as a listener, who sought God not only in the word of the Bible but also in contemplation, in music and or drawings of icons. He used his talents to make God’s love visible and audible. He said the following about himself: „Preaching is my craft and my passion.” At the center of his preaching was God who is turned towards people and reveals himself to us in Jesus Christ. “Like no other”. – so it is said in one of his sermons, „Jesus was the mirror of God’s goodness“. God’s word was his promise and demand, „It wants to reach our hearts and then our mouth and our hands”.

This connection of heart, hand and mouth was always visible in Pastor Lothar Pöll’s life.

As United Methodist Church we are forever thankful for the life and service of Lothar Pöll. We miss his kindness and clarity very much.

Stefan Schröckenfuchs

New Pastor of the ESUMC I would like to introduce John A. Calhoun, the new pastor of the E n g l i s h -S p e a k i n g United Methodist Church (ESUMC). He is the successor of Matthew Laferty, who star-ted his work at the Methodist Ecumenical O ffi c e i n Rome on 01.09.2020 John is from Atlanta, Georgia, USA and has been a missionary for GBGM (General Board of Global Ministries) for many years. He has thus been to Kenya, Jordan, Moscow and most recently Kiev in the Ukraine. John is married to Noel and has two sons, Nick (17) and Ben (16). John and Ben are already in Vienna and Noel and Nick are still in Kiev. He will start his ministry as a pastor with the 1st Advent, that is November 29th and we wish him a good start and God’s blessing for his work.

Attention please Here are a few notes about Covid-10 which are already known but with this newsletter can be used as a preventive measure. If someone has contact to a confirmed case/s or a suspected case/s, then please stay away from church service. The same goes for persons who are not feeling well. The following symptoms and signs of illness as-sociated with Covid-10 are: sudden loss of taste/sense of smell, increased temperature, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath.

Thank you!

Hiking for Others 2020 This year’s “Wandern für die Andern” (Hiking for others) invited to different tours around the Mondsee lake. In wonderful hiking weather, i.e. bright sunshine, 11 people from our congregation set out to hike up valuable vertical meters again.

Valuable in the sense that with every meter of altitude, the sponsors’ funds are raised and this money is the main source of income for our soli-darity fund. One part of the group decided to hike the child-ren’s adventure tour 2, while the other partici-pants chose the lookout tower and the 1,095m high Kulmspitze, i.e. tour 3. Thank you very much for your efforts!

Birthdays We wish all members and friends with birthdays in October and November God’s blessing! May God be with you in your new year of life and may he bless you with much joy in great and small things!

From the Parish Council It is probably always best to say it in our own words, and so I asked Herbert Wukovits to write a few words about his resignation from the parish council himself. He writes: “Dear congregation, many of you have certainly noticed that as of July 2020 I have resigned from my position in the parish council. I did not come to this decision lightly and thought about it for quite some time. I could not help to shape the church in a way that I thought was good, as I had imagined. I also realised that this is not the way for me to get involved in the congregation. In addition, I am not very present in the congrega-tion during the current corona crisis, so I did not consider it beneficial to continue being a member of the parish council.” The parish council thanks Herbert Wukovits for his commitment. As secretary he helped us a lot. Therefore, we want to say farewell to Herbert in a church service on a Sunday that suits him. In addition, as the parish council we are trying to find the right balance between opportunities for encounters and precautionary measures. One of the delicate tasks in Covid-19 times.

Change in Youth work On August 16th we said goodbye to Michael Gnigler in the Sunday Service and thanked him for his commitment in youth work. To be and stay in contact with the youth is a chal-lenging task and so we are very happy that Ali and Alissa will take over this task in the future.

Thanksgiving 04.10. Please do not forget: Thanksgiving is not only an oc-casion to thank God for all the good we receive a n d t o e a t a soup together, but also the date for the annual church photo.