The Beacon
Blue Mound UMC August 2023
Busy Times Ahead
For many of us, August is the start of a busy season of life. It won’t be long before kids, grandchildren, and friends return to school. A few weeks after school starts, football season starts back up. A little later, the Cowboys will play on Thanksgiving Day. Next, you blink, and it’s time to decorate for Christmas, and then turn your lights back on for New Year’s Eve. The first few weeks of August are the last quiet weeks many of us will enjoy before preparing for all the exciting things life offers. I like to use the calm before the storm to remember who controls our futures. I also like to allow myself to feel small every once in a while. It’s easy to feel small when we look at the things our God has created. When we look at the ocean or the stars, it’s easier to be still (and know we aren’t in charge) than when we look at our busy calendars.
There are two times in August that I hope you will join me in marveling at what our God can do. The first time is on August 1st. On August 1st, there will be a supermoon in the sky. I didn’t know what a supermoon was, but I looked it up. A supermoon is a full moon that seems bigger because it’s closer to Earth. The Sturgeon moon is the first full moon of August, and it will reach peak illumination on August 1st. The second is August 30th. The moon on August 30th is sure to be something special. It’s a blue moon (I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying) and another 2023 supermoon. It will be the biggest supermoon of the year, so you won’t want to miss it.
When life feels too busy, try to find time to be still. Take a look around at all the wonderful things our God has made, and rest in the knowledge that He is in control.
-Karan Muns
What Is the Church? (Part Two)
Practically speaking, what does it mean to be a part of the Church? When we accept Christ and are baptized, we enter into this “great cloud of witnesses.” It means that you are part of the group of people who confess that Jesus is Lord, that God has put a claim on your life, and that your life will never be the same again. It means that the Holy Spirit is at work within you, forming you into the kind of person God is calling you to be. It means that much of your life will be different, from the way you think about human life to the way in which you spend your money.
Christ did not come merely to create churches. Christ came to change the world, and we who are Christ followers are to continue in his work. God does not need each of us to be the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ has already come for that reason. Our task as the Church is to seek after God’s will and to be obedient to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. We are to be a compassionate presence where we live.
Therefore, as a member of the Church, we are to attend a congregation of believers, to contribute to the life of that congregation, read Scripture, pray, participate in the sacraments, and pray for the Holy Spirit to make us into the kind of people God wishes us to be. When God works within us in this way, Christians can change the world, save lives, and engage in small and large works of compassion and justice. In other words, the world begins to look more like God would want it to.
Another way of thinking about this is to say that all Christians are to be ministers of their local church. Your ministry may be teaching Sunday school, visiting the sick, cooking lunches on Sundays, working with the poor, working with children or youth, maintaining the church building, keeping the books, or something else.
Just like in a family at home, each person in the church family should have something they do to contribute to the life and wellbeing of the church family. Part of being a member of the Church is to find out what gifts and graces God has given you, and then to use your God-given gifts and graces in the Church to the glory of God. My hope and prayer is that each one of us will feel like a valued member of our church family because of their contributions, whether those contributions are great or small.
Next month we’ll complete our discussion of What Is the Church? 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
AUGUST
Birthday
06 Rey Trevino
07 Buster Noah
08 J.B. Haisler
09 Tia Hackett
17 Erin Riddle
Katie Klein
18 Danny Schertz
26 Barbara Garrison
27 Harley Hutson
Luci Hackett
28 Sam Reynolds
29 Karen Reynolds
Anniversary
24 Susanne and Caroll Barnett
31 J.B. and Shirley Haisler
Don’t Forget Your Pennies
At Second Sunday each month we recognize Birthdays in that month.
Remember to bring one penny for each year you are celebrating for the Birthday offering.
The Teacher’s Desk
What lurks over there in my teacher’s desk?
Is it full of scary monsters, snakes, and bug nests?
What does she keep in her big, creaky drawers?
There must be mountains of scary horrors.
I try to creep over to see what’s inside,
My anxiety and fear I simply can’t hide.
I peek a little, and what do I see?
Really, nothing that much excites me.
Pens, pencils, stickers, and glue,
Teachers are normal, it’s totally true!
Watch Out for School Zones, School Crossings and School Buses,
They Mean Children May Be Nearby!
06 Holy Communion
13 Second Sunday Lunch, Noon
26 Family Fellowship Night, 6:00 pm Fun, Games, and Food.
01 & 30 Fantastic Displays of God’s Creation
>See Karan’s Front Page Story
Two Great Opportunities for Bible Study
Sunday Mornings 9:30 for Seeker’s Study with Linda Boyer
Tuesday Morning Bible Study 10:00 with Pastor Buster
Game Night Fun!
Game Night is on the 4th Saturday of each month at 6 until around 9 p.m.
We share a time of fun, fellowship and good food.
We begin with a Pot Blessed Table, bring a food item to add to our table for all to enjoy. Then we start games. 42, Mexican Train and others.
Come Join Us for the Fun and Bring a Friend! Everyone Welcome!
If you were arrested for being a Christian,
Would there be enough evidence to convict you?
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
