The Beacon
Blue Mound UMC September 2023
1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.
2. If you don’t have a sense of humor,
you probably don’t have any sense at all.
3. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.
4. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the
dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
5. Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job.
6. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4AM. …It could be a right number.
7. I’ve reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
8. Be careful reading the fine print. There’s no way you’re going to like it.
9. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
10. Do you realize that in about 40 years we’ll have millions of old ladies running around with tattoos? (Rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
PASTOR’S CORNER What Is the Church? (Part Three)
A lot of people want Jesus but they do not want his body. They love who Jesus is, however, they cannot stand all the faults and the problems they see in the Church. Others want his body but do not want Jesus. They love the benefits that come from going to church, however, they prefer to keep Jesus at arm’s length. They do not want to get too close to Jesus in case it interferes with what they want to do.
Given that the Church is the body of Jesus, we do not get to make these choices. If we vote for Jesus and follow him, then we have to come to terms with life in his body. And if we accept the benefits of his body, we have to come to terms with the source of those benefits in Jesus. Jesus is not hidden in a book or locked in the past; he is present wherever two or three are gathered in his name, and he works in and through his body, the Church.
As we mature in faith, we can begin to appreciate the marvel that the Church is. It has survived across the years despite internal turmoil and external persecution. It gave birth to hospitals in the fourth century. It created the great universities of the medieval world and many church-related universities in the modern period. It has been the source of protest against all sorts of injustice and has championed the cause of the poor and needy when nobody else cared. It has always provided the means of grace that are so pivotal for a vibrant spiritual life. Think about what our lives and our culture would be like if there had been no Church across the centuries. It’s easy to name the faults of the Church, but we should be just as quick to name all the good it has brought to us as individuals and to our cultures.
Think of it this way. We are indebted to a host of complex institutions. Consider what we owe to the military, to the medical profession, to our universities, to our businesses and industry, and to our civic institutions from the local to the national level. Yet none of these can supply what the Church does; they cannot introduce us to the truth about God and the marvel of the gospel. The Church is the most important institution in the world. This is true because of what it is in itself and because of what it does to foster and correct other vital institutions in society at large. We would be lost without it. One of the great blessings of the gospel is that we get to belong to the Church, to serve in its varied ministries, and to be nourished by its unique practices and resources.
Next month we’ll begin to look at What Are the Sacraments? 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
Celebrate September
Birthday
02 Jacob Klein
Michael Trietsch
James “Herf” Graham
03 Jessica Wright
04 Jasmine Wright
05 Randy Kidd
Juliet Wright
Tiffany Schertz Cooper
09 Kay Goodman
Nancy Franklin
13 Sally Harding Weiss
20 Trinity Kraft
24 Judy Klein
Lonnie Roberson
28 Vickie Barker
Anniversary
18 Sam and Karen Reynolds
Celebrate National Grandparents Day
Sunday, September 10, 2023
A Grandparent is A Little Bit Parent, A Little Bit Teacher and
A Little Bit Best Friend. – Unknown Author
Three Days for Prayers, Honor, and Observances in September
1) Labor Day – September 04, 2023 > Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
2) Patriot Day – September 11, 2023> Each year, we renew our solemn vow to never forget what happened on September 11, 2001, or those who lost their lives. On Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, we honor every life that was taken too soon. We honor the first responders, firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency workers, and service members, who answered the call of duty, and the brave civilians who rushed into action to save lives that day. Their courage embodies the American spirit and resilience, and their heroism continues to inspire new generations of Americans.
3) International Day of Peace – September 21, 2023 > “World Peace Day” is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by the United Nations, it is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters New York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres once said, “Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarization.”
Word Scramble
Can you unscramble these words?
- seleva __________________________
- varehst __________________________
- nrco __________________________
- palpe __________________________
- eakr __________________________
- racno __________________________
- cosrwrcae __________________________
- wrog __________________________
- nsu __________________________
- kippunm __________________________
03 Holy Communion
04 Labor Day
10 Second Sunday Lunch, Noon
National Grandparents Day
11 Patriot Day
21 International Day of Peace
23 Family Fellowship Night, 6:00 pm Fun, Games, and Food.
First Day of Autumn
Two Opportunities for Family Fun!
Every Fourth Saturday Night of the Month at 6:00 p.m. is Family Game Night at Blue Mound. Bring a dish for a Pot Bless Meal. Fun & Games. Everyone is Welcome! 
For the Whole Family On 5th Sunday, July 30 at 5:30 p.m., we had our first Movie Night and saw “Jesus Revolution”. Coming Soon on the 5th Sunday October 29 we want to present another Family Movie. More details later
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
