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The Grace of Time - January 10, 2016
"I'm late! I'm late! For a Very Important Date!" the White Rabbit fusses in Alice in Wonderland as he runs past her. Alice follows him and falls down the rabbit hole and so the story begins.
"I'm late! I'm late!' we too cry out as we rush through life. Sometimes our hurry becomes the stuff of a slapstick comedy routine. As I scurry to leave the house I can't find my shoes, fall over the box I was supposed to take to the church, and drop my keys. Parents know that when they are in the biggest rush to get somewhere it is almost guaranteed the baby will have a diaper explosion and the toddler will have a meltdown because she can't find Teddy Bear anywhere. Or you finally get to the store and realize you've left the grocery list on the kitchen counter. It's funny in a skit but not so amusing in real life. "I'm late! I'm late!" we cry.
Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up? - January 3, 2016
How many of you remember the old game show, "To Tell The Truth?" The show was centered around a person who had an unusual occupation (say a rodeo clown) or who had had a unique experience. Along with that person there were three others who pretended to be the rodeo clown. Panelists questioned the four contestants. The real rodeo clown told the truth but the imposters could say anything they thought might convince the panelists that they were actually the clown. In the end each of the panelists voted, and then the announcer asked, "Will the real rodeo clown please stand up?" and the truth was revealed.
Read more: Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up? - January 3, 2016
Prelude to Glory - December 27, 2015
Worship is never more glorious than on Christmas Eve. Just three nights ago we gathered in a sanctuary softened by the glow of candles and yet brightened with masses of poinsettias. "Glory to God in the highest heaven," we sang and the bells rang. The story of Jesus' birth as told by the Gospel of Luke was the first Scripture I ever heard and for many years it was the only Scripture I knew. It remains one of my favorite texts. Truly Christmas is a glorious time.
Though the season of Advent which leads up to Christmas is a penitential season, it has its own glory. Again, the music is especially beautiful. We lit our Advent candles this year with songs of faith sung by groups or individuals in the Bible who figure in some significant way in Jesus' birth. Especially as we got close to Christmas we sang beloved carols.
Glory in the Night - December 24, 2015
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors," a multitude of angels sang to some shepherds working the night shift just outside of Bethlehem. They sang in response to the birth announcement one of them, The Angel of the Lord, had just made to the shepherds, that a Savior had been born, the anointed one of God. They could find the child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. That information was about as specific as telling us to look for a baby dressed in a onesie and swaddled in a receiving blanket. The manger part may have been a bit more unusual, though babies in the first century surely survived with less stuff than babies today seem to require.
God’s Topsy Turvy Future - December 20, 2015
Some of you who are of an age to do so might recall that back in the 60's and 70's it was said that if you played certain records backwards you would hear a secret message. Often it was said that these messages were Satanic. One of the most famous was Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." Backwards, at least on the clip I pulled up on Google, one can clearly hear, "Oh here's to my sweet Satan." Other examples are fuzzier. Supposedly these songs planted subliminal messages in people's heads. It was all part of the counter cultural movement of those years.
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Sunday morning parking at the church is available in the high school parking lot on Third Street across from the church and in the city lots west of the church. These lots are available only on Sunday mornings. A small lot for handicapped parking is available just off of Adams Street on the north side of the church, with an accessible entrance directly into the sanctuary. A lift operates between the Fellowship Hall (3rd Street level) and the Sanctuary. William Sound System Receivers and Headsets are available to assist with hearing problems.
322 East Third Street
Moscow, ID 83843
Church Mission
The First United Methodist Church of Moscow, Idaho takes as our mission to be the body of Jesus Christ, ministering to a community which draws strength from its diversity. Our mission centers on the worship of God, expressed through varied forms of prayer, preaching, music, and ritual. See more...