P.S. The United Methodist Committee on Relief has begun the United Methodist response to last week’s earthquake in Chile. If you would like to donate to that relief effort, we will begin collections on March 14. On March 14, we also will take our One Great Hour of Sharing Offering that supports the United Methodist Committee on Relief in a more general sense and enables this organization then to direct 100% of its relief offerings to the specific areas for which they are intended.

Prayer for the People of Chile and Asia

by Safiyah Fosua

Terror
Terror
Terrible times!
God of Ages and Generations,
Be with neighbors across the globe,
While it looks like the world is caving in upon itself
And there is nowhere to hide.

Be with Chile
When the aftershocks come without warning
Making mini-missiles of once-harmless things
And any glass that remained falls to join the shards on the ground.

Be with the people of Chile who just suffered one of the worst earthquakes recorded
With the people of Japan and Hawaii and points in between who ran in terror for high ground.
Be with worried relatives and people digging with their hands
As we watch our neighbors search for survivors yet again — so soon!

Let what we see with our eyes
Move our hearts to compassion,
Our lips to prayer
Our hands to generosity in this time of great need.

Be with us all, O God,
While the earth quakes its discomfort
And mirrors our yearning for your return.
Wrap your arms around Chileans,
Asians and Haitians,
People in danger everywhere
People right here.
Remind all of us of your promises
Never to leave us
That we are not forsaken
That our names are carved in the palm of your hand
That we are your beloved.

The earth is quaking.
Things familiar are falling to the ground.
God, be with us all in these
Terror
Terror
Terrible times! Amen.

UMCOR Relief Efforts

See other Chile Earthquake Response–Resources on this website.

Safiyah Fosua is Director of Invitational Preaching Ministries with the General Board of Discipleship.

Copyright 2010 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, PO Box 340003, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Worship website: www.umcworship.org.
This resource may be printed, copied, distributed, reprinted in church bulletins or newsletters, or otherwise used for nonprofit local church worship or education with the inclusion of the copyright citation and General Board of Discipleship Worship website as its source. It may not be used for profit or republication without prior permission. It may not be reproduced on another website, though other websites are welcome to link to it.

Posted 3-01-2010.

During Lent, Bruen Chapel UMC will be open for prayer in our sanctuary, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 11:30 am - 1 pm, and on Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm.

On Tuesdays, the prayer time will include a more formal mid-day prayer service and light lunch.

UPDATE!!!! Our Easter morning worship celebration will be at 10 a.m. this year instead of our usual 11 a.m. worship. Join us for the outbreak of Alleluias as we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. We’ll have informal fellowship after worship that will also include an “egg hunt” for our children. NO SUNDAY SCHOOL.

The 40 days of Lent recall Jesus’ time in the wilderness between his baptism and the beginning of his ministry, during which he fasted and prayed and prepared for a time of testing.

Scriptures for Sunday, March 14

Joshua 5:9-12 ~ Camped on the plains in Jericho, at a place they henceforth will call Gilgal, the Israelites keep the Passover in the land of Promise, and on the next day, eat the produce of the new land for the first time since leaving Egypt. At this point, the manna that has sustained the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings ceases - because they will no longer need it. Free, able to sustain themselves through harvests reaped in a bountiful land that God has given them, these people of God now know that “God has rolled away the disgrace of Egypt” — the meaning of Gilgal.

Psalm 32 ~ “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, . . . .” Psalm 32.1

2 Corinthians 5: 16-21 ~ Are we expected as Christians to view everyone as redeemable? What does it mean to regard everyone from God’s point of view, rather than from a human point of view - especially, if we ourselves have experienced forgiveness and the beginnings of new life in a profound way?

Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32 ~ This is the well-known story of “The Prodigal Son and his Forgiving Father”. What does it mean for us, whether we are in the shoes of the son who needs forgiveness, or the parent who is challenged by the choice of whether or not to restore someone who has wronged us back into to relationship with us? What is the meaning of forgiveness?

CHECK OUT: Links to the Upper Room and other devotional aids on this website.

Also, I have recently discovered a website developed for young adults by the Paulists (a Roman Catholic order). It has a wonderful “Fast, Pray, Give Lenten Calendar” that I would recommend to anyone.

Book Buddy volunteers need to be at the school from 9:40 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Mondays beginning in October.

If you are interested please call 703-208-8123.

Some of us may be concerned about avoiding sickness. Check out our September newsletter for our Parish Nurse’s advice on sensible things we can do to safeguard ourselves when it comes to the flu and other contagious diseases of the fall and winter season, and also keep from passing our germs on to others.

At Bruen Chapel UMC, we also host several programs that may help people with their physical health.

“Chair Dancing” meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 p.m. It’s fun, it can be done by anyone - including people who have difficulty walking - and at Bruen Chapel, it’s free.

“T.O.P.S.” or “Take Off Pounds Sensibly” meets Thursdays at 6:45 p.m. There is a nominal cost for this, but you can come to your first meeting for free. Check out the ad in the Washington Post for details.

JAZZERCISE will be coming to Bruen Chapel UMC starting in October. More details are in the next article.

As you attend to your physical health and fitness, remember that we Christians believe that true Wellness also has  spiritual and emotional and social components.

Come to worship on Sundays, join in our study groups, and participate in other church activities in order to explore the meaning of life from a Christian perspective and enjoy good company, too.

Come