09/29/23
“One for all and all for ___ (one!).” You might recognize this as a phrase from Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers (1844). But Dumas was not the originator. William Shakespeare coined the phrase in a poem in 1594. But I would say that Shakespeare was not the originator either. The Apostle Paul, around 55 A.D. put the idea out there…
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
1 Corinthians 10:17
The one bread, the body of Jesus Christ, the Bread from Heaven, died for us all. Because of His death, burial, and resurrection, every person on earth has access to salvation and the forgiveness of sin. One died for all.
And not only do we have fellowship with the Lord through his death on Calvary, but we also have fellowship with one another through our common participation in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a unity among believers because we are part of the same loaf. One loaf for many members, but the many members are part of the one loaf.
If you’ve ever cooked or baked anything, you most likely used several ingredients. For a cake you need flour, butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder, and whatever flavoring you desire. Even for boxed cakes you still need to add eggs, oil, and water. Either way, what you end up with is one cake – for everyone who eats it. And all of the ingredients cooperated in order to make the one cake. The egg didn’t say, “just put me in!” The sugar didn’t say, “I really don’t like butter so don’t use that.” No, every single ingredient combined, melted, jelled together, to make a delicious all for one cake!
That’s how it is with the Christian faith. Christ died for all of us, and all of us are to live our lives for the glory of the One (Christ). One for all and all for One. Just like the cake ingredients, we are to live in unity, in harmony with others. We are to…
…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: 4 there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
So, how do we do that when we come from all different walks of life? I’m so glad you asked! I invite you to join us this Sunday as we celebrate World Communion Sunday with the message: One For All.
“On World Communion Sunday - United Methodists, in conjunction with other denominations and believers worldwide, participate in communion to recognize our unity in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This universal and inclusive connection is the foundation of the special offering for World Communion Sunday. These donations support racial and ethnic students in achieving their educational goals and transforming communities”- umc.org. If you would like to give to this special offering, designate World Communion Sunday on your giving.
Memorial Service The mother of our beloved member, Bret Kuhlmann (Stephanie) transitioned to glory. Please keep the family in your prayers. The service will be in Ohio. Here’s a link to her beautiful obituary, as well as a Tribute Book for condolences: Judy Kuhlmann.
The Psalms Praylist Thank you to ALL who participated! From September 1-30 we heard the Psalms read, each and every day! Thanks to some wonderful folks, we had a variety of voices praying the Psalms. And don’t worry, if you missed some, you can still go back and listen to them. They will be active for the month of October as well. After that, we’ll do it again during the Lenten season. The podcast can be accessed in 2 ways – thru a program called Spreaker or on Podbean:
For Spreaker: go to www.spreaker.com. In the program’s searchbar type in: Psalms Praylist.
For Podbean: go to www.podbean.com. Search for: Psalms Praylist.
Both programs have an app, if that’s easier for you to utilize.
Anniversary Picnic! After worship on Oct. 15, we will head over to Faust Park’s Pavilion (near the playground) and have a good old-fashioned church picnic! Wear your church t-shirts (we still have a few if you didn’t purchase one yet). The church will supply pulled pork, brisket & burnt ends. We’re asking everyone to sign up for a side or other items to bring on the website or with Jei after worship.
55 for 55 Our anniversary fundraising goal is $55,000 in honor of 55 years of faithful service and generosity. I invite you to consider how you will participate in giving. Whether it’s $5, $500, or some multiple of 5, no gift is too small (or too large!). There is a line for 55 Anniversary giving on our e-giving site, or you can write “Anniversary” on the memo line of your check. We will culminate our 55th Church Anniversary celebration on Sunday, November 5, with worship and dinner. Let’s celebrate 55 for 55!
WOW Bible Study! We have 2 classes from which to choose – Lea Doyel is leading Enough by Adam Hamilton, and I am leading Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dinner is at 5:45p (potluck) and classes are from 6:30-7:30pm.
Next State of the Church will be on Saturday, October 28, 10:00am.
Stay in the Know! Don’t forget to pick up this month’s Memory Verse Card and other information at the Welcome Center or the Coffee Station. Just our way of helping you to stay in the know!
Worship With Us ~ Sundays at 10:00am
In-house:
14237 Ladue Rd.
Chesterfield, MO 63017
or
Online:
Sunday School for all ages at 9:00am!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
Comments