The Beacon
Blue Mound UMC April 2023
The Easter Lily has traditional and spiritual meaning. Mentioned many times in the Bible, the white lily represents purity, rebirth, new beginnings and hope and is most often associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ as observed on Easter.
White Easter Lilies denotes the purity of Christ to Christians and are common decorations in churches and homes around the Easter holiday. Their growth from dormant bulbs in the ground to flowers symbolize the rebirth and hope of Christ’s resurrection. Lilies are native to Japan and were brought to England in 1777, but wound their way to the U.S. in the wake of World War I. They went on to become the unofficial flower of Easter celebrations across the United States.
Over the years, white Easter lilies have become a symbol of purity, as well as new life. They demonstrate the promise of the never-ending life that Jesus offers us through His death and His resurrection.
What Is Salvation (Part Three)
Salvation has a lot to do with how we live here and now, but that’s not all there is to it. Salvation also means that we will live with God forever in the resurrection. Through our faith in Jesus Christ and through our baptism, we enter into God’s family. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, God gives us new life, and this new life continues forever. Our eternal life with God is a continuation of our present life with God. This eternal life with God is not a disembodied, entirely spiritual existence. It is a new kind of bodily existence. After he was raised, Jesus had a real body, but it was a different kind of real body. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so also, we who love and follow Jesus will be raised from the dead.
From a practical side, what do we have to do to be saved, and how is it that we can grow in grace? As for the first question, to be saved, we must: (1) respond to God’s call to repentance, (2) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and (3) put our faith (trust) in God for our present and future. When we do these things, the proper thing for us to do is to be baptized, if we have not been baptized already. Baptism is not only a way of receiving the Holy Spirit, but also a ritual whereby we enter into God’s household. If we have already been baptized and have come to a mature faith as young people or adults, we should renew and reaffirm our baptisms within the church.
But what about after we are baptized (or have reaffirmed our baptism)? What happens then? After we make a decision to repent and to follow God, we should continue to grow in grace. Wesley suggested two ways of doing this: piety and mercy. The term piety simply refers to the things we do that help us draw closer to God. Wesley suggested prayer; receiving Holy Communion; reading, hearing, and meditating upon the Scriptures, and fasting. One way to think about these kinds of actions is as spiritual exercises. We need physical exercises for our physical well-being, and we need spiritual exercises for our spiritual well-being. Another way to think about them is as instruments in God’s medical bag. Through these instruments, we receive the healing balm of the Holy Spirit, and we are healed of the effects of sin.
Another way to continue to grow in the faith is through what Wesley called “works of mercy,” which might also be called works of love and justice. Among these Wesley lists “feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, entertaining the stranger, visiting those that are in prison, or sick or variously afflicted.” There is no shortage of opportunities for us to engage in good works to which we are led by the Holy Spirit. These kinds of activities can be just as spiritually enriching as the works of piety. They are ways of living out God’s will in the world, and they draw us closer to God and other people.
Next month we’ll continue our discussion of What Is Salvation.
I pray that you may come to understand and believe more and more with each passing day, just how special and loved by God you are! Peace be with you, Buster
APRIL Events
Birthday
04 Anne Foor
05 Todd Smith
09 Jeremy Kraft
11 Caden Elijah Penrod
Jim Levelle
13 Melvin Haisler
21 Patti Temple
27 Ricky Schertz
D’Lynn Ewing
29 Kelsey Digby
Anniversary
16 Jim and Morgan Bridges
19 Robert and Dorothy Franklin
26 Chris and Jeannie Hardin
29 Wallace and Sondra Trietsch
30 Charlie & Gayla Ziegel
Jerry and Bob,
Over the last several weeks, two of our brothers in Christ have gone home to be with our Lord. Jerry Martin and Bob Goodman. We will miss you. Please keep their family in your thoughts and prayers.
Hello, APRIL!
02 Holy Communion – Palm Sunday
05 Passover Begins
07 Good Friday
09 Easter Sunday Worship & Children’s Egg Hunt
Second Sunday Lunch
Sunrise Service “On The Hill” 6:45 a.m.
22 Family Fellowship Night, 6:00 pm Fun, Games, and Food.
There are so many events during a month’s time that they cannot be included in this newsletter.
Please check with a friend, the Sunday Bulletins and/or our weekly email updates/website for more information.
Easter Sunrise Service on the Hill
You are invited to a unique Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday Morning, April 09, 2023. This service will be “On the Hill” at Kay Trietsch’s place. Sunrise for our area is at 7:05 a.m. She asked you to be present by 6:45 a.m. Wear Good Walking Shoes and Dress Warmly, it can be cold at the site. After the Sunrise Service, she hopes you will join her back at the house for a special Easter Breakfast. There will be Biscuits/Gravy, Eggs and Breakfast Casserole plus Coffee, etc. Directions/More Information will be available later.
Later after the Sunrise Service – Prepare for a Wonderful Easter Celebration of Jesus at our Blue Mound Easter Service starting 9:30 with the Seekers Bible Study and Worship at 10:45 a.m. after Worship enjoy fellowship and fun with 2nd Sunday Lunch and a Children’s Easter Egg Hunt.
BLUE MOUND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
8421 N. Interstate 35, Denton, TX 76207-1537 (940) 382-0825
Midway between Denton and Sanger at Exit 473
Sunday School: 9:30 am, Sunday Worship: 10:45 am
Website: www.bluemoundumc.org
Linda Boyer, Newsletter Editor
Need to contact Pastor Buster Noah?
Email: pastor@bluemoundumc.org
