Second Sunday in Lent – February 28, 2021 Archived Video </pre> </div> <a class=" margin_30" href="https://cumchb.org/second-sunday-in-lent-february-28-2021/" role="button">Read More →</a> </article> <article id="post-18091" class="post-18091 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-daily-blessing"> <div class="content-container"> <header class="entry-header"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://cumchb.org/blessing-february-26-2021/" rel="bookmark">Blessing – February 26, 2021</a></h2></header> <div class="post-meta-first"> <span><i class="fa fa-calendar"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-user"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> <a href="https://cumchb.org/category/daily-blessing/" rel="category tag">Daily Blessing</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="600" height="400" data-attachment-id="17465" data-permalink="https://cumchb.org/daily-blessing-march-17-2020/daily-blessing/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,400" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Daily Blessing" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1" alt="Daily Blessing - CUMCHB" class="wp-image-17465" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure></div> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>“I once was lost, but now am found; was blind but now I see.” – John Newton, “Amazing Grace”</em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>“… ‘Till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise!” – Charles Wesley, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”</em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">At various times churches have attempted marketing schemes and slogans. Like many of you, I am quite fond of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors,” and I look forward to the time when our doors will again be open for all to enter and engage in study, worship and fellowship in preparation for service and witness in the world.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Years ago there was the bumper sticker which said, “I found it!” with a cross. Of course that led to the perfect response: A Star of David with the motto “We never lost it!” More recently I have seen stickers and memes for the un-churched stating “Not all who wander are lost.”</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">In truth, we all need to wander to be able to discover. We sometimes need to get lost to find something new, or to find ourselves. All too often, just when we think we are exactly the right path, we discover that we have been lost all along. And it is in losing our selfishness that we live God’s grace.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This is the value of the place apart from the regular world. This is the importance of Sabbath – a time set apart. This is the gift of camps, retreats, and wilderness wandering. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus goes off to pray. He goes away to remember and reaffirm who he is. His ministry is bookended by his contending with Satan in the wilderness, and contending with God’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. During Lent, we take a journey with Jesus through the wilderness and to the cross.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This Sunday in worship we will talk about that wandering, and of Jesus’ obedience to the divine purpose. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This Saturday, at our Upside-Down Church on Zoom at 5:00 we will talk about getting away to discover who we are; and how to do that in a time of pandemic! Our guest will be Kimmie Stradling, who has been a camping professional and is now a “professional camper.” </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">I pray that this time of Lent will be a time apart, even in the midst of continued restrictions and what has become mundane isolation. I pray that for you this will be a time to rediscover God’s strength, grace, mercy, and love. And so that you may find that, I say with the deepest affection, I hope you will find a way to… get lost!</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Let us lose ourselves in you O God. When it is too much for us to bear, let us lose ourselves in your strength. When we are trying too hard to do it all, let us lose ourselves In your peace. When we are overwhelmed by loneliness, let us lose ourselves in your presence. When we have lost our way, let us find ourselves in you. When we are wondering and wandering, let us catch glimpses of Christ in the wilderness, and may your gentle smile let us feel your joy of discovery. We pray this with Jesus. Amen.</em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Questions for Sunday:</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">1. What are you more likely to believe, good news or bad news? Why?<br> 2. Why is Jesus’ anguish and obedience important to you?<br> 3. What must you do today to be obedient to God / true to yourself?</p> </div> <a class=" margin_30" href="https://cumchb.org/blessing-february-26-2021/" role="button">Read More →</a> </article> <article id="post-18090" class="post-18090 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-daily-blessing"> <div class="content-container"> <header class="entry-header"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://cumchb.org/blessing-february-24-2021/" rel="bookmark">Blessing – February 24, 2021</a></h2></header> <div class="post-meta-first"> <span><i class="fa fa-calendar"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-user"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> <a href="https://cumchb.org/category/daily-blessing/" rel="category tag">Daily Blessing</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="600" height="400" data-attachment-id="17465" data-permalink="https://cumchb.org/daily-blessing-march-17-2020/daily-blessing/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1" data-orig-size="600,400" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Daily Blessing" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1" src="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1" alt="Daily Blessing - CUMCHB" class="wp-image-17465" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?w=600&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daily-Blessing.png?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure></div> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25</em><em></em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">During the beginning of the pandemic Pastor George had an idea that the staff would write daily blessings to help keep our church family inspired and connected during this unusual time. After several months of having them 5 days a week we went down to 3 days a week to not overwhelm people with emails, since this went on way longer than we anticipated that it would. We were pretty naïve back then as to how this would all play out way back last March.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">It has been a good journey writing these blessings for they have help me to see the positive and good during such a stressful time. However, I have really enjoyed reading all the blessings and getting to learn more about our staff and church family here at CUMC. I can usually tell who wrote which Daily Blessing by the first couple of lines. We all have our own unique style of writing and perspective. I have been amazed at the insight and timeliness of our Daily Blessings. All our writers have touched me in a deep way, and many times their words have been what I needed to read that day. It is funny how God works isn’t it. I have also been blessed by the response that I have received from church family on my writings. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">These writings have helped us to grow in our faith and in our connections with each other. I have learned things about Brenda, James, Emalee, and all the staff that I would have not known had we not been writing these articles. I have also heard from many of you have touched you have been by their words and how wonderful it is to get to know them better from their writings. Our Daily Blessings have truly connected us on a deeper level than we were connected before.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">So even as we are still not seeing each other in person as much as we have before, we are learning about each other in deeper ways and that has been a very special blessing during this difficult time. As some of us begin to feel more comfortable going out, in a safe way, we need to remember that there were some good practices that came out of our lockdown that we need to keep in our practices moving forward. Sharing our faith, inspiring and blessing others is one of those practices we all need to do everyday day in every way we can.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Gracious and Loving God, open our eyes and hearts to the blessings that we are surrounded with everyday day and take for granted. Give us a voice to be able to bless others by our service and our words. We are so thankful for all the folks that have helped us get through this difficult time and we are thankful for you who has been with us through all this and more. We see your fingerprints all over the helpers, help us to show that we have your fingerprints on us too.</em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Amen</em></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Stay safe, stay well and be the hope you wish to see in the world, Suzanne</p> </div> <a class=" margin_30" href="https://cumchb.org/blessing-february-24-2021/" role="button">Read More →</a> </article> <article id="post-18087" class="post-18087 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-fellowship-all category-service-all"> <!-- Article Image --> <div class="article-img"> <a href="https://cumchb.org/engagehb-march-2021/"><img width="720" height="446" src="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?fit=720%2C446&ssl=1" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?w=1842&ssl=1 1842w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?resize=300%2C186&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?resize=768%2C476&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?resize=1024%2C635&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?w=1440&ssl=1 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" data-attachment-id="18089" data-permalink="https://cumchb.org/engagehb-march-2021/screen-shot-2021-02-22-at-8-27-22-pm-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?fit=1842%2C1142&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1842,1142" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Screen Shot 2021-02-22 at 8.27.22 PM" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM-1.png?fit=720%2C446&ssl=1" /></a> </div> <div class="content-container"> <header class="entry-header"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://cumchb.org/engagehb-march-2021/" rel="bookmark">EngageHB – March, 2021</a></h2></header> <div class="post-meta-first"> <span><i class="fa fa-calendar"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-user"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> <a href="https://cumchb.org/category/fellowship-all/" rel="category tag">Learning & Fellowship</a>, <a href="https://cumchb.org/category/service-all/" rel="category tag">Service & Ministry</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="entry-content"> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/cumchb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Screen-Shot-2021-02-22-at-8.27.22-PM.png?w=720&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-18088"/></figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Engage HB is an opportunity to worship God by serving others.<br> Join us on the 1st Saturday of each month as we meet off campus for our projects. This month’s service project is volunteering at </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">HB Trees. Please bring gloves, mask and your own water. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">We will meet at the parking lot at 6711 Ellis Ave. Take the back road and park where the shed is located. </p> </div> <a class=" margin_30" href="https://cumchb.org/engagehb-march-2021/" role="button">Read More →</a> </article> <article id="post-18086" class="post-18086 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-archived-video"> <div class="content-container"> <header class="entry-header"><h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://cumchb.org/february-21-2021/" rel="bookmark">February 21, 2021</a></h2></header> <div class="post-meta-first"> <span><i class="fa fa-calendar"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-user"></i> </span> <span><i class="fa fa-folder-o"></i> <a href="https://cumchb.org/category/archived-video/" rel="category tag">Archived Video</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="entry-content"> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted"><iframe loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iMhqfhErXjM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> Read More →
