Rev. Mike Smith's Sermon Reflections for Sunday, May 20, 2012
"Remember and Renew"
Scripture: Psalm 127
This Sunday, Spring Creek and Calico Rock United Methodist Churches observe Decoration Day. There will be a joint service at the Spring Creek Church,beginning at 10:30 am. A Potluck Lunch will follow the worship service.
On a national level, Decoration Day predates the post-Civil War celebrations that ultimately gave us our national Memorial Day. Although little has been written about this day, it typically was observed in late spring or early summer and involved cleaning cemeteries, decorating them with flowers, holding a religious service in the cemetery, followed by “dinner on the ground.”
Because the members of the Spring Creek and Calico Rock Churches and the surrounding community respect and appreciate the faith of our ancestors, we continue to observe Decoration Day in the traditional manner of previous generations.
As we remember the commitment of those who have gone before us, it encourages us to renew our faith. Although society continues to press us into the age of technology, with its absence of personal relationships, today we celebrate the relationships with those who have gone before us, as well as those relationships with our brothers and sisters today.
May the prayers, hymns, special music, scripture reading, and sermon of Sunday's worship service enable us and encourage us to celebrate God’s peace and presence in our lives, even in the midst of adversity, sickness, disappointment, confusion, and grief. And may we find reason to celebrate the lives of those faithful disciples in our community, past and present, whose example of living challenges us to be more like Christ.
Upcoming Events at Calico Rock UMC
Sunday, May 27 - Pentecost Sunday - Join us for an incredible Pentecost worship service (plan to wear red to the service). We will celebrate the birthday of the church! Pentecost is one of the principal days of the Christian year, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The Greek word pentecoste means "fiftieth day." Pentecost is the day on which the Christian church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and others assembled in Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of the Christian church and the proclamation of its message throughout the world and is often referred to as the birthday of the church. The liturgical color for Pentecost is red, so the CRUMC congregation will be asked to wear red clothes on this special Sunday.
Sunday, June 3 - Confirmation Sunday - This special Sunday worship service is dedicated to the young people in our church that have been going through Confirmation Class. Confirmation refers to the decision a person makes to respond to God's grace with intentional commitment, publicly reaffirming his or her baptismal vows before the congregation. Most confirmands are youth between the ages of eleven and fourteen, who have been nurtured in the church since their baptism as an infant or young child. Most churches, including CRUMC, offer a deliberate time of preparation before this service. During confirmation class, confirmands learn about the meaning of Christian faith; the history and teachings and The United Methodist Church; and an explanation of the baptismal and membership vows they will be professing. A reception honoring the confirmands will be held in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the worship service.
Sunday, June 10 through Sunday, July 24 - “Forgiveness, Is It Really That Important?” – This three-part sermon series will explore the transforming practice of granting and receiving forgiveness. The study will examine the difficulty in granting forgiveness, forgiving self, forgiving others, the importance of forgiveness, and what Jesus says about forgiveness.
Please check the online church calendar for additional church events.
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Calico Rock United Methodist Church
1611 Highway 56, Post Office Box 369
Calico Rock, Arkansas 72519
(870) 297-8878
The Calico Rock United Methodist Church is a family and community oriented church.
Our doors are always open for visitors and new members of the community
that wish to join our small but growing fellowship.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
The People of the United Methodist Church
