THE METHODIST MESSENGER

This issue of THE METHODIST

MESSENGER was given in memory of

Helen and George Cover and Aunt Ruth

Reppert by Sam and Sandy Cover

March — April 2021

Belle Vernon First United Methodist

200 State Street, Belle Vernon, PA 15012

Member of the Fay-West Cooperative Parish

Phone: 724-929-4696 Pastor Ryan R. Washabuagh Fax: 724-930-9651

Office Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Monday thru Friday

THEME FOR THIS ISSUE: “BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD”

GOD AND EASTER — 2021?

Christ the Lord has Risen Today, Alleluia!

If you are like me, these words bring back so many memories, from sun-rise services to chocolate bunnies, to dinner with family, and egg hunts. But how do you feel about all these things this year in a time of pandem-ic and isolation? Will we get to be with family? Will there be egg hunts and chocolate bunnies? While I am not sure how all those events will pan out, I do know one thing for sure, that Easter isn’t canceled this year!

As a nation, we are starting to heal from the events of the past year, and longing for that sense of normalcy. Easter should bring that for us. God should bring that for us.

Over the past year, we have only had one thing that was constant, and that was God’s presence in our lives. We are promised that he will never

leave us or forsake us, and we have to believe that is true because God doesn’t break His promises.

Seek God for normalcy this Easter, even if there is not an egg hunt or family din-ner. He is the only thing that will ever be normal in our lives. I truly hope that you and your family have a Blessed Easter.

Praise and blessings,

PASTOR RYAN

MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 1st — 6:00 p.m.

at Perryopolis UMC

Palm Sunday

Palms to be distributed.

SUNDAY,

MARCH 28th

COME AND JOIN IN THE

CELEBRATION OF OUR

RISEN LORD!

Sunday, April 4th

9:45 a.m. Perryopolis UMC

11:15 a.m. Belle Vernon First

“The empty tomb says it all!”

HE IS RISEN!!

BELLE VERNON AREA MINISTERIUM

GOOD FRIDAY COMMUNITY SERVICE

NOON to 3:00 p.m.

Friday, April 2nd at

Belle Vernon First United Methodist Church

With area pastors participating in the Last Words of Jesus

A BREATH OF

FRESH PRAYER

Norwegian theologian Ole Hallesby described prayer as simply letting God into our lives. God “knocks,” he said, “not only in the sol-emn hours of secret prayer”

but “in the midst of your daily work, your daily struggles, your daily grind...when you need him most.”

Prayer, added Hallesby, is as essential to life as air. “As impossible as it is for us to take a breath in the morning large enough to last us until noon, so impossible is it to pray in the morning in such a way as to last us until noon,” he said. “Let your prayers ascend to [God] con-stantly, audibly or silently, as circumstances throughout the day permit.”

NOTE: This is a good way to begin the habit of praying every morning to start the day. Then continue your con-versation with God throughout the remainder of the day. God is waiting to hear from you.

LAUD & HONOR ON PALM SUNDAY

The Palm Sunday anthem “All Glory Laud and Honor” is one of Christendom’s oldest hymns. St. Theodulf of Orleans, who helped reform the church under Charlemagne, wrote the lyrics in the year 820 while imprisoned in France.

The lyrics recount Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event the medieval church reenacted every Palm Sunday. Clergy and townspeople processed from fields through the city gates, behind a Jesus figure riding a donkey. At the gates, children began singing the hymn in Latin — Gloria, laus et honor — and onlookers soon chimed in.

City gates may be a thing of the past, as the website Hymnary.org notes, yet we still praise our blessed Redeemer “because we know just what kind of King he was and is — an everlasting King who reigns not just in Jerusalem but over the entire earth. What more could we do but praise him with glory, laud and honor.”

All glory, laud and honor to you, Redeemer, King,

to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

You are the King of Israel and David’s royal Son,

now in the Lord’s name coming,

The King and Blessed One.

“ALL BEAUTIFUL THE MARCH OF

DAYS”

By Frances W. Wile

All beautiful the march of days,

as seasons come and go;

the Hand that shaped the rose hath wrought

the crystal of the snow;

hath sent the hoary frost of heav’n,

the flowing waters sealed,

and laid a silent loveliness

on hill and wood and field. …

O Thou from whose unfathomed law

the year in beauty flows,

Thyself the vision passing by

in crystal and in rose,

day unto day doth utter speech,

and night to night proclaim,

in ever changing words of light,

the wonder of Thy Name.

A FITTING TRIBUTE

When Christ entered into Jerusalem, the people spread garments in the way. When he enters into our hearts, we pull off our own righteousness, and not only lay it under Christ’s feet but even trample upon it our-selves.

— Augustus Toplady (1740-1778)

PAYING IT BACK — AND FORWARD

During the pandemic, acts of kindness seemed especially meaningful. Last spring, as Covid-19 hit Native American communities particularly hard, an interesting transatlantic outreach occurred. Donations from Ireland began appearing in a relief fund for Navajo and Hopi family, leading adminis-trators to suspect the account had been hacked. Then they realized a cross-generational payback was underway.

In 1847, Choctaw Tribe members sent $170 overseas to Ire-land to help with Potato Famine relief. That generosity was never forgotten, and by May 2020, people in Ireland had contributed more than $4 million toward pandemic assistance for relatives of people who’d helped their ancestors. Many donors included an Irish-proverb meaning “In each other’s shadows the people live.”

The concept of paying it forward dates back to a 1784 letter by Benjamin Franklin. It also echoes Jesus’ Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). How might you live out this practice today?

AN EASTER PRAYER

From the grave’s depths, Lord Jesus Christ, you emerged, breaking the hold of sin, death and hell, that those who trust in you might share in your righteousness, life and beloved community with God the Father and all God’s chil-dren. We bow in awe before your majesty giving thanks for your grace extended so bountifully to us. By the power of your Spirit who lives within us, may we share the astonishing news of your resurrection with others, that they also may know your saving grace. Amen.

WHEN GOD GIGGLES

More churches lately have been resurrecting (pardon the pun!) the early-church tradition of celebrating the second Sunday of Easter as Holy Humor Sunday, affirming the sea-son’s joy. Need some jokes for April 11? Try these:

• Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.

• Knock knock. Who’s there? Hatch. Hatch who? God bless you!

• What should you do after eating so many Easter treats? Egg-ercise!

• Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a joke? It might crack up.

• An irate subscriber called the newspaper, demanding to know where her Sunday edition was. “Ma’am,” said the employee, “today is Saturday. The Sunday paper isn’t delivered until Sunday. After a brief pause, the caller spoke with a ray of recognition: “So that’s why no one was in church today.”

WHEN GOD GIGGLES

By James Firestone

Before dinner, our family was preparing to pray, which we do by holding hands. Upon discovering that one child hadn’t washed his hands, my husband struck a con-torted pose to avoid physical contact. The mealtime blessing quickly dissolved into laughter as we each peeked at him.

Afterward, as we passed around the food, I asked, “What do you imagine God thought about us laughing during prayer?” One child quickly replied, “I think he was laughing right along with us.”

Yes! Although prayer is reverent, “God invites us to con-verse with words, emotions — and even giggles!

TYING TOGETHER THE TESTAMENTS

In the most non-English-speaking nations, the holy day of Easter is known by a word derived from the Hebrew word for Passover: Pesach. In Greek, it’s Pasch, in Latin, Pascha; in Spanish, Pascua; and in French, Paques.

Each spring, Jewish people observe the Passover festival to commemorate how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The Christian observance of the Lord’s Supper (the Eucharist, Holy Communion or the Lord’s Table) originated with Jesus sharing the Passover Seder meal with his disciples the night Judas betrayed him. Jesus connected the exodus story with his own mission, becoming a “Paschal Lamb” to save his peo-ple from the slavery of sin and its consequences.

A GRAND

ENTRANCE

Decades ago, as English actress Gertrude Law-rence waited behind the curtain for a play to begin, the queen upstaged her

by arriving at the royal box to much applause. “What an entrance,” Lawrence remarked, to which her friend, playwright Noel Coward, replied, “What a part!”

Jesus certainly made a grand entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, entering to adoring shouts of “Hosanna!” But worldly glory and fame weren’t his intent. Instead, our Lord knew that his Father had prepared a sacrificial role for him. Jesus handled the adulation with dignity and poise. The humble yet courageous Son of God knew that danger, despair and death awaited — but that he must endure it all to fulfill prophecy for humanity’s sake.

The pageantry of Palm Sunday is a start contrast to the role of Suffering Servant that Jesus faced a few short days later. Yet each event during Holy Week represents victory — for Jesus as well as for his beloved children.

Palm Sunday is a glorious day, so let us wave palms and shout, “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The Savior has come. What an entrance! What a part!

A BOUNTIFUL LIFE

“Life is given to you like a flat piece of land,” said actress Jeanne Mo-reau. “I hope that when I’m fin-ished, my piece of land will be a beautiful garden.”

God, who put the first human in a garden to care for creation, blesses

us with talents and resources to wisely manage. In garden-ing terms, God gives us the plot of ground, the seed, the wisdom and strength to bring forth beauty and abundance. Yet we do the work, with God’s help, to make it a reality. Like Adam, we till, but God gives the increase. God’s provi-sions and our labor bring the garden — and our lives of stewardship — to fulfillment.

As stewards, we ponder: When God calls us home, what will our garden be like, and what will it have produced?

“The resurrection . . . was only the beginning of a great, grand and vast outreach that has never ended and will nor end until our Lord

Jesus Christ comes back again.”

— A. W. Tozer

“Easter is the soul’s first taste of spring.”

— Richelle Goodrich

Michael & Valerie Ferencz

PSC41 Bx. 4443

APO AE 09464-0045

TSgt Eric S. Hill

200 Edgecliff Way

Columbia, SC 29229

H. Lee Hill

7402 Paxton Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28303

Ryan Hill

894 Riders Way E

Evans, GA 30809

PV2 Kennedy, Bradley, A

Presently at college in Ohio

Reinstadtler, Cory

6461 Crescent Way

Apt. 106

Norfolk, VA 23513

Jared T. Schomer

460 Constitution Street

Perryopolis, PA 15473

Sean Winterbottom

2533 Archdale Drive

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

2nd — Amber Brassart

Emma Skobel

3rd — Bella Skobel

4th — Joseph Yakel

Lauren Allison

6th — Brian Anderson

Mac Johnston

7th — Elaine Snyder

9th — Valerie LoGreco

Sally Myers

Larry Pavtis

10th — Eric Canzonieri

12th — Carey Lehew

13th — Linda Morgan

14th — Laylah Ferencz

Thomas Carter

Rosie Gilchrist

15th — Matt Rhome

19th — Raelyn Horne

James Parsons

20th — Elizabeth Munshower

21st — Eric Hill

Gracie Martin

23rd — Londyn Talley

24th — Sharon Stefanick

26th — Karen Swaney

27th — Peyton Brassart

28th — Sean Herron

Jessica Sawa

3rd — Chris Hudak

4th — Sue Balogh

Barb Hudak

6th — Gina Owens

Evan Munshower

Travis Winterbottom

7th — Kelsey Herron

8th — Darla Zeffe

10th — Jim Layhue

11th — Gordon Pavtis

12th — Gabriella Kohr

Jesse Smitley

Dalton Smitley

Dakota Smitley

Samantha Smitley

18th — Caitlynn Anderson

Chelsea Angelo

25th — Jessica Zueger

26th — Dina Santoro

Michael Schomer

27th — George Leasure

28th — Ryon Allison

30th — Sally Frantz

Ryan Hill

Barb Lehew

Marilyn Young

JOHN BAKEWELL

931 Ada Street

Belle Vernon, PA 15012

ROSELLA DUBARR

251 Ninth Street, Apt. 210

Charleroi, PA 15022

JOANNE DUNLOP

203 Vine Street


HARRY ELLISON

1105 Henry Street


EDYTHE FERENCZ

826 Edwards Avenue


SALLY FRANTZ

705 Tenth Street

Charleroi, PA 15012

LUCY GONDAK

112 Price Street

Rostraver Twp., PA 15012

CYNDI HOOSEC

305 First Street


NANCY HORVATH

1417 Arlington Street

Monessen, PA 15062

SALLIE HOPKINS

251 Ninth Street, Apt. 510

Charleroi, PA 15022

GEORGE LEASURE

235 Vernon Avenue


DIANA McCALLUM

326 Market Street


CAROLYN MENDOLA

333 Joyce Drive

Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666

ROSE STEWART

2081 State Route 906

Rostraver Twp., PA 15012

JANE SHIDER

325 Water Street


NANCY TROMBINO

412 Mutich Street


CULTIVATING

KINDNESS

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Kind hearts are the gardens.

Kind thoughts are the roots.

Kind words are the flowers

Kind deeds are the fruits.

Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds.

Fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds.

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather,

always bring your own sunshine.”

— Anthony J. D’Angelo

ARTICLES ARE

DUE FOR

MAY-JUNE

ISSUE ON

SUNDAY,

APRIL 18th

BE A CAREMONGERER

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a mu-tual-aid movement dubbed as “caremongering” quickly spread throughout Canada. Within 72 hours, 35 Face4book groups were launched so people could re-quest and offer assistance.

This altruistic effort is essentially the opposite of fearmongering. “We wanted to switch that around and get people to connect on a positive level,” says Mita Hans, who helped set up the first group. The move-ment, she adds, “spread the opposite of panic in people, brought our community and camaraderie, and allowed us to tackle the needs of those who are at risk all the time — now more than ever.”

One disabled man in Halifax who received aid through a caremongering group said it felt “like a hug.” That’s intentional, says participant Valentina Harper. “I think it is really showing people there is still hope for humanity.” When the pandemic is history, may we all continue to be caremongerers in our communities.

LIVING SACRIFICES

By Jane McKay Lanning

To search our souls, to meditate,

will not suffice for Lent.

To share the cross, to sacrifice;

these are the things God meant.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

around Belle Vernon First

God and My To-Do List

On March 7th I was scheduled to provide the Adult Discipleship message, but my verti-go intervened and I was unable to come to the church in person. I joined in the Zoom access and thought how can I do better in managing my vertigo and lessen its impact. My first thought was to ask a God for help in making a plan, that with His help, will permit me to fulfill my obligations. My second action was to start a list.

Darlene Sala in her book, Encouraging Words for Women (Barbour Books, 2002) has a mes-sage called “God and My To-Do List”. Part of her message is as follows:

“What do you have written on your to-do list for today? Will you get it all done? Will God feel let down if you don’t?

Many of us feel God is disappointed in us if we don’t accomplish all we hope. Somehow we feel that if we could just get it all done, we’d sense His smile of approval. We feel guilty when at the end of some days not even one item on the list is crossed off, because the day just didn’t go like we planned. And we figure God must be pretty disappointed with us, too…

God’s love is neither increased nor diminished by the success or failure of your to-do list. Instead He wants a relationship with you where every part of your life is open to Him. He wants your first concern to be how you can fellowship with Him on a closer, warmer, and more personal level, no matter how efficient and organized – or inefficient and chaotic – your life might be.

When you have that sort of relationship, you can trust your to-do list to Him. He knows better than you what you really need to accomplish.”

Some items on that list I made on March 7th are:

1. Ask God for guidance and wisdom to accomplish my listed items. 2. Notify congregation of the results of the BV First Endowment Survey The survey results put repairing water damage and mitigating all interior walls including the kitchen, bathrooms

and other areas identified by experts. (NOTE: All other survey results were statistically the same, with no clear priority identified by the congregation.) Trustees are meeting on Thursday, March 11th to begin the process of planning, preparing specifications and getting bids to meet that priority need.

3. Share SAVE THE DATE information for Heritage Day which will be celebrated on May 24, 2021 during the Sun-day Church Service and Honoring and Remembering Carol Kubalinski on July 11th with the re-dedication of the church building and the display of the advent wreath plaque.

4. Notify all that BV First Endowment Committee is being rescheduled to meet in April to discuss and review a draft of the Three-Year Plan for use and investment of the BV First Endowment funds.

5. Report the Kyle Fund has granted an application to assist one of our church members with medical co-expenses. The Kyle Fund Endowment committee will be meeting in March (date TBA) to explore how these designated funds might be utilized to support continuing care needs.

My list continues to grow daily but as I have crossed off some tasks that seem too small to take to God, I still have daily reviews, adding tasks and rewriting that list….and thanking God for His help. Do make lists too? Is God the first item? As I wrote above:

“When you have that sort of relationship, you can trust your to-do list to Him. He knows better than you what you really need to accomplish.”

Sally Myers, Chairperson

FUMC of BV Church Council

FINANCIAL NEWS Just to bring everyone up to date on the finances of the church.

First of all, I would like to “thank” everyone for remembering your church in this pan-demic. I realize life has been different, but if we work together we can come out better on the other side of this event.

God has provided for the maintenance of the church façade through the endowments that have been given to us. There is much more work to be done on the inside of our church building to bring it up to a healthy environment. The work of all our combined committees is trying to do the best we can as this work progresses. Our building is over one hundred years old and many things need to be adjusted as our church family changes.

The endowment funds can be used for maintenance on our building, but not for our operating costs. That is where you come in with your continued financial support.

Let me share some figures which might be helpful in understanding where we are. We worked on our yearly budget and were able to lower our apportionment figure from over $9,000 in 2020 to $6,500 in 2021. Our portion due each month to the co-op has gone up; from $1,967 in 2020 to over $2,100 in 2021. This increase was very unexpected and questioned, but was not altered. Our total administrative budget for 2021 was decreased from last year to a figure of $60,500.

Going forward, we will faithfully try to be good steward’s of your churches finances. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask. I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Submitted by,

Carol Zelenski, Finance Chairperson

“SPRING ON THE AVENUE”

in North Belle Vernon

OUR CLOTHES 4U MINISTRY

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Saturday, March 27th

from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Everyone is welcome!

PROTESTANT PRAYER

BEADS FOR SALE

Hand-made by the members of the

United Methodist Women

Price: $10 a set

This is a fundraiser for the UMW. Anyone wishing to purchase a set may contact a member of the

UMW for assistance.

Let laughter ‘spring’ forth!

• “Spring is when you feel like whistling, even with a shoe full of slush.” (Doug Larson)

• “Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.” (Charles Dickens)

• “The world is mud-lucious and puddle wonder-ful.” (e.e. cummings)

• “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” (Margaret Atwood)

“Spring is nature’s way of

saying, ‘Let’s party!’”

— Robin Williams

“Easter is more than a day, an event, a

remembrance. It is a way of life.”

— Michael Marsh

IN SEARCH OF TRUTH Josh McDowell

Few people have been more sincere than I in trying — without success—to find meaning, truth, and purpose in life.

At the university I noticed a small group of people — eight students and two faculty members — who seemed different. They seemed to know what they believed and why. I wanted what I saw.

Two weeks later, while I was sitting with some of them in the student union, the conversation turned to God. That bothered me, because I thought it was not intellectual. And yet I was curious.

Leaning back in my chair, I said to one of the students, “Tell me, what has made you so different from others?”

She looked me in the eye with a little smile and said, “Jesus Christ!”

My response revealed my bias and my ignorance. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” I said. “Don’t give me that garbage about religion!”

She replied, “I didn’t say religion. ‘ I said ‘Jesus Christ.’”

My new friends challenged me to examine the claims of Christ. I thought most Christians were idiots. But these people were persistent. Finally, I accepted their challenge, but I did so out of pride, to refute them.

One of the claims I researched was Christ’s resurrection. And after more than one thousand hours of study, I concluded that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was either one of the most vicious hoaxes ever foisted upon human minds or the most fantastic fact of history.

Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet, claimed to be Christ prophesied in the Jewish Scriptures. He was arrested, judged a political criminal, and crucified. Three days after his death and burial, some women went to his tomb and found his body gone. His disciples claimed that God had raised him from the dead and that he had appeared to them and to many others at various times before ascending into heaven.

In my attempt to refute Christianity, I made some startling observations. Until then, I ’d had no idea there was so much historical, literary, and legal testimony supporting the factuality of Christ’s resurrection. But the more I investigated, the more evidence I found, including Jesus’s foretelling of his resurrection.

Prior to his death, he took his disciples aside and told them that he would be condemned to death and handed over to the Romans who would mock him and spit on him, flog him, and kill him. And three days later he would rise from the dead (Mark 10:33-34).

The more I studied the Christian faith, the more I realized it is a thinking person’s faith. As Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Having set out to refute the resurrection and Christianity, and then having been compelled by the evidence to believe that Jesus Christ was indeed exactly who he claimed to be, I faced a new problem. My mind was saying, “Christianity is true,” but my will was saying, “Don’t admit it!”

It came to the point where I couldn’t sleep at night. I knew I had to get Jesus off my mind or go out of my mind. Fi-nally, on December 19, 1959, at 8:30 p.m., I became a Christian.

I prayed four things that night to establish a relationship with the resurrected, living Christ, who has since transformed my life. First, I said, “Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me.” Second, I said, “I confess there are things in my life that are not pleasing to you. I ask you to forgive and cleanse me.” (The Bible says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,” Isaiah 1:18.) Third, I said, “Right now, in the best way I know how, I open the door of my heart and life, and I trust you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for coming into my life by faith.”

After I prayed, nothing happened. There was no bolt of lightning. I even said to myself, “Oh, no! What’d I get sucked into now?” I felt I’d gone off the deep end. And some of my friends agreed. But I can tell you now that in the months following, I found that I had not gone off the deep end. For one thing, I had finally found mental peace. I had also found control of my temper. And old hatreds were gradually turning to love.

You can laugh at Christianity, you can mock and ridicule it. But it changes lives. Christianity cannot be forced on any-one. All I can do is tell you what I’ve learned. Beyond that, It’s your decision.

(Continued)

Christ was raised from the dead. He lives. He has the infinite capacity to enter your life, forgive you, and changed you from the inside out.

(Copied from Crossway Gospel Tract)

“BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD”

It’s hard to believe that another Easter season is almost upon us; but it will be here in just a few weeks. Last year seems so far behind us now and maybe that’s a good thing. Unfortu-nately it was in March (around the 11th) that the country was shutdown so that our hospitals would not be overwhelmed with the onslaught of coronavirus cases. We were asked not to gather in groups, other than our immediate families, so we would not spread the disease. This meant that we could not celebrate Easter as we may normally have done. We couldn’t go to church because you had to be cautious when going anywhere there may be a crowd. The re-maining holidays, for the most part, were canceled for the entire year. Did you feel cheated?

Being the ingenious people that we are, many creative ideas were pursued.

I realize that no one had ever dealt with this type of situation before and no one really knew what to do going forward. I also believe, that perhaps in our haste not to spread the disease, some decisions about what we should and should not do were made blindly. What do I mean by that? I wonder just how many of those in charge consulted God, in prayer, before moving forward with some of their plans. But, you might say, “what could God do about it?” Well, He does has a way of leading us in the right direction if we are in tune with Him through the Holy Spirit and include Him in our decisions. During the epidemic, I kept reminding myself that GOD WAS THE ONE IN CONTROL! No matter how much man may have thought he was in control, in the end, God still had the final word. As a result, it looks as though we now have a vaccine (in fact, 3 of them) that seem to be getting this epidemic under control. But, there are still those who would have us continue our cautious ways for many more months (perhaps even until July 4th).

Some might ask, why did God allow this to happen all over the world and why would He allow so many people to die in the process? I have learned through the years, that in every situation, there is a lesson to be learned — you just need to look for it! Many lessons have been learned during this epidemic, both good and bad. One of the best lessons, is how we can work together when we take the time to alert ourselves to the needs of others. For some of the older peo-ple, it was far too dangerous at the time to go out among crowds, so younger friends, neighbors, or relatives would step up and do errands for them. Families learned what it meant to be together and do things together again — something which had almost disappeared due to the busy schedules of many of us. Having meals together and sharing conversa-tion were, once again, part of our daily routine. Schooling was a different story, but we won’t go there.

Through it all, I hope that many who had shut God out of their daily routines, took the time to be receptive to Him once again in their lives. Daily Bible reading is a good way to get in touch with what the Lord has to share with us. We couldn’t go to Church, but we could listen by way of Zoom to an uplifting message from our Lord; given through His gifted servants. Slowly, it seems we are getting back to the way it was before the epidemic ever arrived on the scene.

Last Easter was disheartening. This year, we have a better outlook and are much more optimistic about what the future holds for us. God was there with us through the entire epidemic, and He hasn’t left us alone at any time. My hope and prayer would be that you have learned to trust God more than ever before in times of trial and tribulation. The title of this article is “Behold, the Lamb!” I chose it because I always picture Jesus holding an innocent lamb in His arms — much like He is willing to do for us — His lambs. Also, Jesus was that innocent lamb who took on the sins of the world to save us from going to hell. If you have ever seen the movie, The Passion of the Christ, your hearts should be opened to receive the love that He had for us when He went to the cross in our place. None of us would have been able to bear the pain and suffering that He endured for us just because He loved us so much. Jesus did die on the cross, but the “great news” is — HE IS ALIVE and so are we because of His sacrifice.

If you have not already done so, give your heart and life to Jesus TODAY! Give Him the opportunity to show you personally how much He loves you. Through those trials and tribulations that come in life, He will be right there with you to carry you through it all. Don’t think you can do it on your own because you can’t. You need help; a Savior and Jesus is the one. Admit that you’re a sinner, ask forgiveness and accept Him before it’s too late. You won’t be sorry that you did! In fact, it will make your life more joyous! Until the next time!

HAVE A BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER,

Cathy

EASTER MAGIC!

THE METHODIST MESSENGER

FAY-WEST COOPERATIVE CHURCHES

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

200 STATE STREET

BELLE VERNON, PA 15012

Phone: 724-929-4696 Fax: 724-930-0651

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.bellevernonumc.org

RETURN SERVICE

REQUESTED

WELCOME SPRING!

BEHOLD THE LAMB

By Dottie Rambo

Behold the Lamb, behold the Lamb

Slain from the foundation of the world.

For sinners crucified, Oh holy sacrifice

Behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb.

Crown Him, crown Him, worthy is the Lamb

Praise Him, Praise Him, Heav’n and earth resound.

Behold the Lamb, behold the Lamb

Slain from the foundation of the world.

For sinners crucified, Oh holy sacrifice

Behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb.

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THE METHODIST MESSENGER