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                                                   Address: P.O. Box 9, 

                                                     Syracuse, IN   46567                                                                     

                                               Email: syrcalv@kcaccess.com

                                           Website: www.syracusecalvaryumc.org

 

From Pastor Paul

I thought I’d share with you this Christmas story I came across this week. It’s one that I received a number of years ago in an e-mail. I believe we can all learn, and grow, from it as we enter into the Christmas season.

THE BEGINNING OF LEE

Lee, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and a self-professed atheist was sitting at his desk on Christmas Eve. A slow news day he found himself reminiscing about the Delgado family that he had featured while writing a series of articles about Chicago’s neediest people a few days earlier. The Delgado’s were comprised of a grandmother named Perfecta and her two granddaughters, Jenny age 13 and her sister Lydia 11 years old.

He remembered how unprepared he was when he walked into their two-room apartment on the west side of Chicago for the interview; bare halls and bare walls, no furniture, no rugs, nothing but a kitchen table and a handful of rice in the cupboards. He learned during the interview that Jenny and Lydia only had one short-sleeved dress apiece, plus a thin gray sweater that they shared. On cold days when the girls walked the half mile to school, one of the girls would start with the sweater and then give it to the other at the halfway mark. It was all they had. Perfecta wanted more for her granddaughters and would gladly have worked, but her severe arthritis and age made work too difficult and painful.

Since it was a slow news day Lee decided to check out a car and drive to Chicago’s west side to check up on the Delgado’s. When Jenny opened the door, he couldn’t believe what he saw! His article on the Delgado’s had touched the hearts of many subscribers who responded with furniture and appliances, rugs, dozens of coats, scarves and gloves. The girls wouldn’t have to share a sweater any longer. There were cartons and cartons and boxes of food everywhere. They had so much food that the cupboards and closets couldn’t contain it. Someone had even donated a Christmas tree, and under it were mounds of presents and thousands of dollars in cash!

Lee was astonished! But what astonished him the most was what he found Perfecta and her granddaughters doing. They were preparing to give most of it away. "Why would you give so much of this away?" Lee asked. Perfecta responded, "Our neighbors are still in need. We cannot have plenty while they have nothing. This is what Jesus would want us to do." Lee was dumbfounded.

After regaining his composure, he asked Perfecta another question. He wanted to know what she and the girls thought about the generosity that was shown to them. Again, Lee was not prepared for the answer. She said, "This is wonderful, this is very good." "We did nothing to deserve this; it’s all a gift from God. But," she added, "It is not his greatest gift, Lee. No, we celebrate that tomorrow. Jesus."

Lee was speechless as he drove back to the office. In the quiet of his car he noted a couple of observations. He had plenty and along with it plenty of anxiety, while the Delgado’s despite their poverty had peace. Lee had everything and yet wanted more, but the Delgado’s had nothing and yet knew generosity. Lee had everything and yet his life was as bare as the Delgado’s apartment prior to the article running. And yet the Delgado’s who had nothing were filled with hope, contentment and had a spiritual certainty. Even though Lee had so much more than the Delgado’s, he longed for what they had in their poverty.

Indeed, during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season let us not forget that everything that we have is a gift from God. And let us never forget the greatest gift of all, Jesus who we celebrate on Christmas Day (and hopefully every other day of the year)!!!

See You Sunday,

Pastor Paul

 

                                       Pastor Paul Burris Weekly Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Church: 574-457-3778 Pastor’s cell phone: 260-609-9260

Church Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Calvary United Methodist Church

Breakthrough Prayer Initiative

Miraculous God of Breakthroughs, speak, show, and inspire us where your Spirit is leading next for Calvary Church and in our own lives. Open doors that will usher in a new season of creativity, faithfulness, and fruitfulness in the name of Jesus. And together grant us boldness, courage, and power without limits to step through the doors you open, in Christ’s name. Amen.

Upper Room

 The November/December issues are available in the narthex for your free copy.                                                                                                                                                                                  

“One person can make a difference!

NURSERY! Needs your help to take care of the little ones for an hour during Worship! If the Lord lays it on your heart to help guide these little ones to know Jesus, please sign up for Nursery time on one Sunday a month!                        

Where Are you called to Serve at Calvary?

As part of our recent (ongoing) Prayer Initiative, we have all been challenged to come to a better understanding as to how the Spirit is moving in our daily lives. A big part of the process is coming to the realization that we have all been gifted with special talents that are to be utilized in building the kingdom at Calvary UMC and in the community that we serve. In I Corinthians chapter 12 Paul reminds us that every gift from God is special and important. We are created by God, and He loves us. By acknowledging the spiritual gifts from God, we are glorifying Him. Each gift has the ability to help draw others to a relationship with the Lord. God’s people are like a body with many parts, yet those parts work together. Even though there are many people in the world, we can work together to share His love and glory. Every person has a purpose and is gifted by the Holy Spirit.

We are looking for people who are willing to provide much needed leadership which would enable us to carry out God’s mission here at Calvary. There are several areas, and committees you could serve such as: Trustees, Worship, Finance & Stewardship, Administrative Council, Staff-Parish Relations, Missions, Congregational Care, Prayer Team, Funeral Dinners, Nominations etc. etc… Please carefully consider where God might be calling you to be in ministry. If you feel you have been called, or need more information, concerning any area of ministry please feel free to contact Pastor Paul or Roz Schwartz. We are all part of the same body here at Calvary. It is going to take a group effort for us to make a difference in the community that we serve.

 

Food Pantry

Food Pantry Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. Specific items you can bring for December are Fruit Cocktail and Hamburger or Tuna Helper. These items can be placed in the narthex and a volunteer from our church will take them to the Syracuse Food Pantry.

The Outreach Missions continue to support the food pantry will be Pack the Pantry with food four times a year.

Please keep the ones in need in your prayer!

                                                MONTHLY CALENDAR                                                                                                                        

                                                             December 2024

 

  2        Monday        Trustee Meeting                                     5:00 pm 

            Monday        Advent Bible Study                                    6:15 pm (2, 9, 16, and 23)

Tuesday        Ladies Bible Study                                      1:00 pm (3, 10, and 17)

  8        Sunday          Christmas Program                                    3:00 pm

11       Wednesday  Life Line Screening                                   9:00 – 7:00 pm

13       Friday            Free Community Dinner                           5:30 – 6:30 pm

18       Wednesday  R.O.M.E.O.S.                                                11:30 am at The Frog

18       Wednesday  Martha/Ruth Circle                                    1:00 pm

25       Wednesday  Merry Christmas/Office will be closed

26       Thursday       Office will be closed

 

                            Calvary United Methodist Welcomes our community.

Our long-standing Free Community Dinner (2nd Friday of the month) is scheduled for Friday December 13, from 5:30-6:30. Take-out or dine in options are available.

Adult Sunday School is now studying Psalms.

Greeters for December are Dan Sharp and a volunteer.

Mark your calendars! The Calvary Christmas program will be held at 3 pm Sunday Dec. 8.

Angel Christmas Tree gifts can be wrapped. Please be sure to attach the angel to the gift. All gifts must be at the church by December 10th. Thanks to everyone who bought gifts for the Angel Tree.

 

                                                                      Altar Flowers Needed                               

                                                                                 Every Sunday

 

If you would like to contribute or donate to altar flowers, in honor or remembrance please call the church office at (457-3778) or email the church at syrcalv@kcaccess.com. Some ideas are flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, our children, and grandchildren and to God’s glory. NOTE: If you have silk flowers you no longer need, consider donating them to the church. Sherri will use them to make arrangements for the church. You can leave them on a shelf upstairs across from the Peace Room.

 

Thoughts from Bashor Home

 

                                 

​By Dan Wolschlager 

What is something you dislike? Rather, what is something that you love so much, that you dislike the opposite of it? For me, I absolutely love warm weather. It could be a hundred degrees and I would not complain! Naturally then, I have a dislike for cold weather. Out of all the places I could’ve lived, the place I ended up is in Indiana. Currently as I am writing this, my weather app is telling me we have a good chance for snow this week. For someone that loves the heat, I found myself genuinely upset at the news of this cold, snowy weather. I have to start my car ten minutes in advance, I have to wear multiple layers of clothes, I can’t go outside for an extended period of time, and overall I constantly feel cold. Multiple times I have caught myself saying something along the lines of “I hate the cold.” In Matthew 22, Jesus is asked “What is the most important commandment?” He answers by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 which says, “You shall love the LORD God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Genesis 1 tells us that each time God made something, He deemed that it was good. God sees not only the warm summer as good, but also the cold winter. Animals, trees, plants, rocks and above all, humankind are all creations which are good in God’s eyes. Loving God means loving God’s creation. As you go about this week, look for God in creation. Sometimes life moves so fast, that we forget to stop and appreciate all of the wonderful works of God.

 
 

                                                                                                                                   

 



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