Who will call religiosity fully to life in our men,
invigorate it, and nurture it?
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“We believe that healthy growing congregations have a balance of masculine and feminine spirit, reflecting our triune God. We envision female and male believers, lay and clergy, serving Christ as co-laborers and partners in Christ. This is a unity issue, not a gender issue. We must become ONE in Christ.”
“Women and men must stand side-by-side as co-laborers in Christ. The difficult challenges facing ministry to men must be enjoined by men and women in genuine partnership. We need each other, more than ever.”
~ from UMC Men’s Ministries Guidelines
“The alienation of many men from the femininity of Christian spirituality has created grounds for an enormous misunderstanding about men and religion that every pastoral caregiver must recognize and confront. The absence of so many men from so many churches, their lack of involvement, their diffidence and even hostility to Christian piety, has created a mostly unconscious assumption in our culture that men are not naturally religious. It is widely assumed that prayer and spirituality are basically female enterprises and that all but a few unusual men can relate to religion in only a peripheral way.
“A trip outside the bounds of American Christian culture, a journey into the temples, monasteries, and shrines of the world’s religions, would quickly shatter such a misandrist illusion”
“Our religion-alienated American men represent neither a wave of the future nor a rational advance over centuries of superstition. They are an anomaly, a quirk, an oddity in the community of all the men who ever lived, who ever wondered at the Unspeakable Mystery, sought alignment with the Eternal Tao, burned with affection for the Great Holy, or trembled before the Totally Other. And all of this ancient affinity for God – every bit of it – still lies buried deep in their unconscious, waiting to be called forth into a spiritual life that will make them a little less mad and a little more human. It waits there, this penchant for the Holy, drowned out by Muzak and numbed by the dreariness of shopping malls, paralyzed by stress and enervated by neglect, until something wakes it. Who will call religiosity fully to life in men, invigorate it, and nurture it in the face of the death-dealing boredom of modern secularity? That is the task of the church in its care of souls.”
~ from “The Crisis of Men and the Church” in Masculine Spirituality and the Bible, by Patrick M. Arnold
Dear Brothers in Christ,
“Yes, God Will Delight When We Are Creators of Justice, Justice and Joy.” Shirley Erena Murray
CALENDAR
Monday 6pm Guiding Eyes for the Blind – Fellowship Hall
7pm Gloria Ringers – Music Suite
Tuesday 8:30am SEALs – Room 125
9:45am Bible Study – Room 126
11am Angel Gang – Zoom
6pm EEC Board Meeting – Room 126
6pm Endowment Committee Meeting – Room 125
7pm Christian Book Club – Zoom
7:30pm Trustees Meeting – Room 126
Wednesday 8am Men’s Breakfast – Rip’s Country Inn
5pm Worship Planning Meeting – Parlor
7pm Simple Prayer Lenten Service – Sanctuary
7:30pm – Administrative Council – Room 126
Thursday 7pm Chancel Choir – Music Suite
Saturday 10am Lenten Brunch – Fellowship Hall
10:30am Altar Guild Workday – Sanctuary
6:30pm Belair Square Cats – Fellowship Hall
Sunday Palm Sunday
10am Traditional Worship Service– Sanctuary and Online
11am Coffee Fellowship – Fellowship Hall
11am Adult Sunday School – Parlor
11am Children’s Sunday School – Room 126
CONNECTING IN CHRIST
John 12:20-33
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Daily Scripture Readings.
Monday: Matthew 11:2-19
Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 15:1-28
Wednesday: Romans 1:1-7, 16-17
Thursday: Isaiah 25:1-9
Friday: Colossians 3:1-17
Saturday: Romans 8:31-39
Opportunities to Study and Worship in March
- Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 945 am in the Parlor.
- Tuesday Evening ZOOM Bible Study will not meet this week.
- Wednesday Evening Simple Prayer – Join us for a special Lenten Worship at 7pm.
- Adult Sunday School meets at 11am in the Parlor.
- Children’s Sunday School will meet at 11am in Room 126.
- Youth Group Sunday evenings from 5-7pm. All Middle and High School
age youth are welcome!
- Christian Book Club – meets this Tuesday at 7pm.
- God & Guinness – with Rev. Park on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 12pm.
- Coffee with the Pastor – Meets at 1130 on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
Soup and Sandwiches for before final Simple Prayer Service on March 27th – 6-6:45 pm.
Lenten Bible Study on Zoom – Tuesday evenings via Zoom at 7pm. We will be reading The Third Day by Tom Berlin which focuses on how the resurrection changed the lives of 6 key Bible characters. The book is available in paperback or Kindle (e-reader) format from Amazon, or other retailers.
Christian Book Club – This Tuesday, at 7pm At their next meeting, via ZOOM, they will once more discuss Mark Schaefer’s book entitled Religious, Not Spiritual: Toward a Faith that Matters. Everyone is welcome to join.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
St. Matthew’s Supports UMCOR in March. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) responds to those in need due to disasters throughout the US and abroad and stays to help finish the needed work long after the headlines are gone.
ASP Volunteers Needed! We need an adult male to join us from July 7-13th on our ASP Mission Trip to help with our male Youth. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Becky Roper beckyroper@stmatthews-bowie.org.
BIRC Bowling Fundraiser – Registration due March 19th. March 24th at the Crofton Bowling Center from 12:30- 4pm. Help to raise money, canned goods, and boxed items for the Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry and they can use your help. $35/bowler which includes 3 games of bowling, shoe rental and catered lunch by Bayside Bull. Questions: Mike Parvis, maparvis@comcast.net.
Are you interested in a Grief Support Program? As we seek to serve the needs of our congregation and community, we are prayerfully considering offering, Grief Share – Your Journey from Mourning to Joy. This program is a 13-session, Christ-centered support group. Let the office know if this program might be helpful during your time of grieving admin#@stmatthews-bowie.org or 301-262-1408). Always remember, “The Lord s close to the brokenhearted and saves those we are crushed in spirit.”
Christmas in April – Saturday, April 27th from 7am – 2pm. It is that time of year again and volunteers are needed. We will be painting, mending fences, and performing a number of other tasks, big and small, for the homeowner. This is a great opportunity for youth to get service hours! No special skills are necessary, just a willingness to pitch in and help a family in need. If you are able to volunteer, please contact me, Scott Lee, at 301.526.4673 or scotthlee.mail@gmail.com.
Save the date for CROP Walk to Ed Hunger – Sunday, May 5th, from 1-4pm. St. Matthew’s will again participate in the Hyattsville Area CROP Hunger Walk. We will meet at the Linsom Pool and walk around Lake Artemesia. Contact Angela Cockrell (angela.g.cockrell@gmail.com) for more information.
Little Free Pantry Update. The current need is for a stocker to fill the LFP on Wednesdays beginning April 3rd. Please give this important need your prayerful consideration. We also need a substitute shopper. Beth Lingg (bethlingg@comcast.net)
Bowie Food Pantry Needs. The EEC Kindergarten class recently brought a large donation to the Pantry. A BIG thank you to the class for collecting and delivering the food —WELL DONE! At this time, the Pantry is most in need of pasta sauce (regular size) and low-sugar cereal. Please leave donations in the cart in the coatroom. Thank you!
Your Church Needs You! We are looking for people to volunteer a few hours a month to help us grow. We need greeters, ushers, coffee hour hosts, help with youth events/activities, and people to make phone calls, put labels on envelopes, etc. We can help you find a volunteer opportunity that will take advantage of your talents and fit within your busy schedule. Contact Pat Clunies at 301-910-2698 or clunies@verizon.net to volunteer or ask questions. Pat Clunies, Outreach Chair.
Help a Church Member: If you know of any church member who has not attended worship services lately, or who may be sick and in need of prayers, please contact the church office at (301) 262-1408. You can make a difference in a person’s life by letting us know about anyone’s absence. Their absence could be caused by illness.
Help a Church Member 2. If you know of a church member who needs a ride to church services, please offer to give them a ride.
INCLUSIVENESS
Lenten Soup & Salad – Wednesday, March 27th from 6 to 6:45pm – Fellowship Hall
Join us for a Lenten Soup and Salad meal before our Simple Prayer service at 7pm. Men are invited to join for brunch.
Scholarship Opportunity for Bowie HS Students. All seniors at the high school are eligible to apply for a St. Matthew’s 1 Timothy 4:12 scholarship. The deadline for plications is April 12th. Please pass the word about this opportunity to any BHS senior who is a change agent bringing positivity and service to the world. Contact Beth Obear at bobear18@comcast.net for any questions or see the Midweek Messenger.
Theatre Troupe Performance of My Fair Lady – April 12th, 14th, 19th, 20th and 21st
MY FAIR LADY is on her way to St Matthew’s and is an endearing tale with warmth and vivid characters. Professor Henry Higgins loves language and Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle desires to speak like a lady. The St. Matthew’s Musical Theatre Troupe is thrilled to be presenting this two weekends in April. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 730pm. The Sunday matinees are at 3pm. Ticket prices have been finally hit by inflation this year, but we did break it into 3 groups: Adult (Over 18): $20; Youth (10-18): $10; and Children (under 10): $5.
Get Ready for Messy Easter – Saturday, March 30th from 10am – 1pm. We will start with arts and crafts, move to our Celebration experiencing Holy Week, throw in an Easter egg hunt, and share a meal together. Invite your family and friends. Email Becky if you can bring a dish to share, help with Messy Church or volunteer as an “actor” for Holy Week at beckyroper@stmatthews-bowie.org. Donations of candy for our Easter egg hunt are now being collected. Donations can be left with the office or given to Becky Roper.
The Pillars of Our Community 2024 Centenarian Celebration – Friday, May 17th. M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting a luncheon for Prince George’s County residents who were born in 1924 or before to celebrate centenarians. The luncheon will be held at the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center. Registration Link is in this week’s Midweek Messenger. For registration assistance call 301-206-3351/3350 or send an email to Seniors@pgparks.com.
Maryland Program for Senior Safety. Maryland offers a free, automated phone call to check in on Seniors, aged 65 or older, who have a landline or cell phone (TTY is available). Each day (except six holidays), each participant receives a phone call between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, timed as closely as possible to the one-hour block the participant selects during enrollment. If the participant does not answer any of three successive calls, the program calls the alternate phone number of the adult child, close relative, neighbor, or other contact the participant specifies during enrollment.
To register for the program, receive a paper application via mail, or find out more information, call the program toll-free at 1-866-50-CHECK (1-866-502-0560) or check the program website at Senior Call Check (https://aging.maryland.gov/pages/senior-call-check.aspx).
New Nursery Policy Coming Mid-March. Each family who comes to the nursery will need to read and sign a policy document. The church is also requiring families to register their children for Children’s Church, Children’s Sunday School, and Youth Group, so be prepared if you have not registered your children or youth already.
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St. Matthew’s UMC is an inclusive church, connected to our community, and committed to welcoming all persons in every phase of church life. We choose to live by Christ’s example, affirming that all people are created in the image of God.
We celebrate our diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, marital status, nationality, physical abilities, mental abilities, and economic position.
Through the Spirit we commit to live in the words of John Wesley to
“love alike though we may not always think alike.”
Wherever you are in your faith journey, you are welcome here.
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Ray Denmark
St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church
14900 Annapolis Road
Bowie, MD 20715
raydenmark@stmatthews-bowie.org
(301) 651-3643