St. Paul’s Messenger Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Week 7

Mission Outreach Opportunity Support Neighborhood House

Drop-off Collection at St. Paul’s

This Saturday, May 2

9 am-12 noon

During this crisis, our community friends at Neighborhood House need assistance to help replenish

their supplies, stock their pantries, and continue to serve the community of Southbridge. St. Paul’s

will host a drive-by/drop-off collection event on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Suggested non-perishable food items include (but are not limited to) canned fruit, soups/chili, tuna,

peanut butter and jelly, cereals, and oatmeal. In addition to non-perishable food items, other items

needed include hand soap and sanitizer, cleaning products and rubber gloves, and adult disposable

underwear. Details are provided on the attached flyer.

Your safety and health are our primary concern. You do not need to leave your house and shop for

items in order to participate. Monetary donations to Neighborhood House are appreciated and

encouraged. Checks payable to Neighborhood House may be delivered to St. Paul’s on Saturday

morning or mailed directly to Neighborhood House at 1218 B Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. And,

online donations are accepted via www.NeighborhoodHse.org. All items and donations will be

delivered to Neighborhood House on Monday morning, May 4. Any questions? Contact Karen

Pollack at 302-475-8180 or KLPollack@hotmail.com.

(cont.)

Through It All

Theresa Lanier Miller

“God is a gentleman of the most sacred honor” - David Livingstone, explorer, physician, and missionary

Upon reading Dr. Livingstone’s remarkable statement many years ago, and learning of some of

his incredible poverty and trials during his lifetime, even during his childhood in Scotland, it

surprised me that after all of the difficulties he suffered, he still considered his God a God of honor.

After all, he had lost most of the use of his right arm to a lion attack, a daughter died after a long

lingering death, a son died fighting in the American Union Army, he was attacked many times

during his medical missionary trips, suffered from malaria, and his strong anti-slavery stance did

not endear him to some in England.

Through it all, he stayed true to his God and believed in His faithfulness. He did not rail about his

troubles nor take credit for his accomplishments. He knew God had been with him even during

the tough times and He chose to keep his faith and his God close. He is still admired as one of

Great Britain’s greatest heroes. He did not desire the colonization of Africa in order to enrich

Great Britain, and despised the Portuguese treatment of the African peoples.

This coronavirus has proven to be a real problem for American citizens and business enterprises,

and, of course, other nations. Many have lost their lives. Millions have become ‘shut-ins’, hugging

even a loved one is not considered safe and fear has easily overtaken many. But we do have the

same faithful God now as we did before the pandemic. He has not changed. He is still the

Almighty God, ruler of the universe and of our lives. He still honors His Word. Hear and take to

heart His Words of love which have helped sustain many in times of trouble and loneliness.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not

your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” - John 14:27

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10

“For I Am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” - Ps 23:1,4,6.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should

hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25,26.

“God is still a gentleman of the most sacred honor.” He has promised to be with us all the days of

our lives, and because He honors His Word for us, HE WILL be with us ALL the days of our lives.

“Cast all of your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbgxBvLFErg

On Being Happy in Tough Times

David M. Finch

An academic writer said of himself in describing his life as an immigrant to America in the 1950's

this way: “I’ve had a happy unhappy life, which is much better than having an unhappy happy

life.” The challenges of settling in a new country, learning a new language, adjusting to changing

living conditions, earning a graduate education, teaching, producing scholarly research projects,

and building a reputation as an expert on the history of western civilization was not always easy.

There was little time for leisure in keeping up with the demands of his life and work, but he was

happy with the privilege to brave the challenges and find in them the sense of satisfaction they

produced.

I've thought often of the figure of speech “happy unhappy life” contrasted with “unhappy happy

life.” It’s what grammarians call an oxymoron, a figure of speech in which opposite ideas are

joined to create an effect, like living death, bittersweet, and others. Thanks to the present Corona

health crisis, we have a newer one to think about in getting use to the discipline of social distancing.

It’s called “being alone together.” We are asked to be together by staying apart and thus defeat the

virus by destroying the human pathway through which it spreads with deadly effect. Stay at home!

If you go out wear a mask! Stay six feet apart! Wash your hands! Don't touch your face!

Tactical methods to accomplish strategic goals. “Alone together.” A virtual community of people

in physical isolation from each other living confidently in unhappy times; a prime example of the

existential reminder uttered long ago by a Danish preacher/philosopher in encouraging us to

remember that while life is understood backward, it is lived forward. The virus is no match for a

living faith.

1 “Love wins. Love always wins." (Morrie Schwartz)

Church News

The Messenger

Until we are able to resume meeting again in person, we will continue with a weekly Messenger.

Please send your prayer requests, ministry ideas, reflections, poems, etc., to me by Tuesday

morning at DaveMcMillan@Comcast.net.

Good News for our Theresa Miller

The Staff Parish Relations Committee is happy to report that Theresa Miller, Candidate for

Ministry, has been appointed half-time to Summit United Methodist Church in Middletown.

Theresa will be serving this small congregation of 30 to 40 on a Sunday, but located amidst several

new housing developments, for at least 20 hours/week. Theresa will remain with us until the end

of June. She hopes to complete Local Pastor Licensing School in June as well. Yeah for Theresa!

Up-date on Governor Carney’s Stay at Home Order

According to newsdelaware.gov, as of Monday, April 27, there are now 4,162 laboratory-

confirmed cases of COV-19 in the state of Delaware, 1,629 of those cases here in New Castle

County. There are 325 people who have been hospitalized, 996 who have recovered, 125

confirmed deaths from complication associated with the coronavirus, and 15,454 negative cases

based on testing. A reminder: the governor is now requiring that face masks, except for children

12 and under, be worn in all public spaces. For now, the Stay-at-Home Order issued by Governor

Carney remains in place through May 15 or until the public health threat is eliminated. Please be

safe.

Still No Public Office Hours

Due to the Stay-at-Home Order issued by Governor Carney, staff continues to work primarily off-

site. If you need to reach the church office, please call 302-478-3135 or email us at

stpaulsumcde@comcast.net. We are periodically checking emails and phone messages and will

get back to you as soon as possible.

Pastoral Care - Pastors McMillan (484-883-1050) and Finch (302-545-3232) are available for

pastoral calls via phone. For pastoral emergencies, please contact Pastor McMillan.

Sunday Morning Worship Services Sunday morning worship services are available for viewing every Sunday morning on our church

website. Go to www.stpaulsumcde.org, click Services at the top of the home page, under

RECORDED SERVICES, click View Our Services, then select the service you are looking for.

Sermon Notes

We have now entered into the season of Eastertide when we celebrate our Risen Lord and

Resurrection Life. Here is what is coming up next.

May 3 “Jesus: The Good Shepherd” - John 10:1-10 (Communion Sunday)

May 10 “Mother’s Day Medication” - John 19:26,27

May 17 “Grace Beyond the Grave” - I Peter 3:13-22

May 24 “A Witness for Christ” - Luke 24:44-53 (Ascension Sunday)

May 31 “The God of All Grace” - I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Offering Envelopes While we are under the Stay-at-Home Order, please continue to mail in your weekly tithe and

offerings directly to the church office, or make your weekly contribution through the PayPal link

on our church website. Go to www.stpaulsumcde.org click on Connect at the top of the home page,

click the Give to St. Paul’s icon, click Donate, and follow instructions. Please note there is a 2.5%

fee for using PayPal. If you are able to mail in your offering, no additional cost will be incurred.

Either way, we are happy to receive your giving.

Mission Outreach Opportunity - Food Needed During our pandemic, our neighbor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1530 Foulk Road, has

invited us to join with them in providing needed food for families living in the city of Wilmington.

Good Shepherd has a Food Pantry Drop Off Table outside next to their community gardens. This

makes social distancing more possible. Dried and canned goods, as well as, fresh produce, can be

dropped off between 10 am and 2 pm on Wednesdays. All donations will go to the Lutheran

Community Services Food Pantry housed in Saint Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 1301 North Broom

Street, The LCS Food Pantry is the largest volume Lutheran food pantry in the state of Delaware.

It provides three days of emergency food provisions for 800-1,000 families each month.

Update on Second Mile Giving Thank you to all members who have given beyond your annual pledge to our Second Mile

Campaign for Missions. To date, we have received over $5,522 in gifts. This year’s recipients are

Rise Against Hunger (a world-wide food relief NGO), our Youth Mission Trip, and Kind to Kids

(a non-profit organization working with Foster Care Children in Delaware). Thank you for your

generous contribution.

Deb II and Friends Making Masks

Janet Jacoby has been the leader to organize a social distancing sewing group to make fabric masks

for local nursing homes and hospitals. We have had donations of fabrics from Barbara Baker and

Jen Scorziello, and cutting assistance from Maura Walther, Dolores Garritano, and Debbie

Demeter. Sewers are Ginger Morley, Teresa Powell, Mike Rominger and Janet Jacoby. We’re

keeping busy to help others and ourselves during this isolating time!

Volunteers If you are looking for ways to volunteer go to https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/ and click What

Can You Do, or call the church office. We are currently in need of younger volunteers for our

church’s week of delivering Meals on Wheels.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for…

The family of Ken Horne who passed away of Monday, April 27. Ken was a former member of

St Paul’s and a teacher at Concord High School. He was a Scout Master, Youth for Christ

Leader, Sharing Group Leader and Soccer Coach for many years. After retiring 8 or 9 years ago,

Ken moved to Annapolis, MD to be near his sister, Judy, her family, and his Aunt.

David Finch and his daughter Amy. Prayers for Amy, her husband Shelli, and family. Amy,

who has been suffering with brain cancer, is now under hospice care.

Chris Lawruk who was recently diagnosed with Covid-19. Chris is doing well and being cared

for by family and friends. He has requested that no cards, emails, or texts be sent his way, only

your prayers.

Kelly Lacy, an employee at Neighborhood House, and for her mother, Kay Lacy, who is a

patient in the Christiana hospital. Unfortunately, Kelly is unable to visit her mother.

Jeff Fort, DJ Bachovin, Hannah McIlvaine, Becky Thompson, Suzanne Utke, and all other

healthcare workers who are involved with providing care for those effected by the Corona virus.

Ellen Scarborough prayers for healing.

Rick Stout - recovering from spinal surgery

Tom Sobocinski - recovering from heart problems

Other church members recovering from surgery and other infirmities

Those who live alone and have been isolated from extended family

Those is nursing homes who cannot receive visits from family and friends

Victims of the Coronavirus and their families

Those who are now temporarily out of work and depend upon their income

Prayers for our nation and its leaders

Prayers for our church and its witness and ministry to others

Parents with children now home from school

Prayers for our children now at home, 24/7 with their parents

The most vulnerable among us, the elderly, the poor, those providing essential services.

Others?

(cont.)

Church is Where You Are

Pastor Dave

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God…”

- I Corinthians 6:19

In the Book of Acts there is a wonderful story of Peter healing a lame man at the Temple gate. Peter and John had gone to the Temple to pray. Lying there on a step was a beggar, who asked them for money. Peter turns his pockets inside out to show that he is broke, but then offers to heal the man in Jesus’ name. With Peter’s help the man rises to his feet. Seeing that his legs are now strong, he leaps into the air before entering into the Temple to pray with the disciples. In Judaism, the Temple was believed to be the place between heaven and earth where God was present. In some sense, many Christians have also come to believe this about a church building. A church building is the place we go to meet God. What the Coronavirus Pandemic, with its shelter-in-place order, has reminded us is that the Church is not a building, but people. “Do you not know,” asks the Apostle Paul, “that you are the Temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?” In other words, “the Church is where you are.” Speaking of beggars. a few weeks ago, just before turning into a McDonald’s parking lot, I looked up the road to see what looked to be a homeless man walking in my direction. Before I could look away, our eyes met. From experience, our eyes having met, I knew as I pulled into the long drive-through-line that I was a mark. The day before, I had bought two egg, cheese, and bacon biscuits and a large cup of coffee for a $5.00 special. I wasn’t going to put up a fight. I was happy to give it to him. By the time I lifted my head from my wallet, there he was at my window. Opening the window, he looked shocked and grateful when I interrupted his request with a five-dollar bill. He then said to me that I looked familiar and asked if I remembered the story of Goldilocks. With a big grin on his face, and making a scissor-like motion with two of his fingers, he said that he was the one who had cut her hair. Not knowing exactly how to respond, and with the drive-through-line now moving, I excused myself and wished him “a good day.” The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that if we were always to remind ourselves that “the church is where we are,” it could change the way we go about our life, even, in some small way, change the world. It’s a little tough, living under quarantine, to put this belief into practice. But, church can be right there at home while you’re sitting at the dining room table eating or playing a game with your family, while you’re writing a Thinking of You note to a family member or friend, helping an aging parent with their tax return, putting cardboard in the recycle bin, or while you are out in your garden planting seeds. How might you live your life differently at home, in school, at work, while sitting in a drive-through-line at McDonalds, if you believed that “you are the church,” where heaven and earth meet, and God is made known? “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?”

During this crisis, families that already struggle to obtain and

maintain resources are feeling the pressure even more, right

now. Let’s help our community friends at Neighborhood

House replenish their supplies, stock their pantries, and

continue to serve the community.

Collection Event for Neighborhood House

Saturday, May 2

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Front porch/driveway of

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

1314 Foulk Road, Wilmington DE 19803

To ensure everyone’s health and safety and adhere to social

distancing requirements, please stay in your vehicle. Pop open

your trunk, or unlock your back door (tailgate)/rear passenger

door. A volunteer will remove the bag(s) from your vehicle.

Monetary donations via check payable to Neighborhood

House will also be accepted on Saturday morning.

Thank you very much for your donation! Have a safe day!

St. Paul’s is a caring, Christ-centered congregation reaching out to the world by sharing the Good News through Worship, Mission, Christian

Education & Fellowship.

Items

Needed:

Non-Perishable

Food Items

(low sodium,

whole grain

preferred;

expired items

cannot be

accepted)

────

Hand Soap

(bar and liquid)

and Sanitizer

────

All-Purpose

Cleaning Supplies

(wipes,

cleansers) and

Rubber Gloves

────

Adult Disposable

Underwear

Money:

Bring a check or mail

a check payable to

Neighborhood

House at 1218 B

Street, Wilmington,

DE 19801 or

Donate online at

NeighborhoodHse.

org