A NOTE OF THANKS:
Thank you congregation for your generous support of the Christmas Staff appreciation giving. All the staff were very thankful and appreciative! Jim Leitch, SPRC, and entire staff.
UNHANGING OF THE GREENS:
We will be taking down Christmas decorations on Saturday, Jan. 11th at 10am. I heard there may even be food involved for those who come to help. As the saying goes, many hands make light work! See you there!
JOIN US FOR AN EMS OPEN MEETING ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 AT 9 AM IN THE PRAYER CHAPEL.
The Rockport Church Early Morning Service (EMS) is a contemplative 30-minute worship experience held in the indoor Prayer Chapel every Sunday at 8:30 am. Each service includes communion, reflective scripture readings, music, and moments of quiet meditation. This meaningful service has been a cherished worship option at Rockport for several years.
Currently, the EMS is led by Rev. Don and a dedicated team of volunteers.
We invite the entire Rockport Church family to an open meeting on Sunday, January 12, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the Prayer Chapel. This gathering will include a breakfast snack, time for prayer, discussion about the EMS, and opportunities to volunteer in helping lead this special service. All are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there! Blessings!
YEAR-END GIVING STATEMENTS:
If you would like a 2024 year-end giving statement, please call, 440-331-9433 or email office @rockportumc.org, the church office. Thanks, Sara Chapman, Financial Secretary
BOXED OFFERING ENVELOPES:
Boxed offering envelopes are available in the narthex. These boxed sets are ideal for those folks who contribute weekly.
THE ROCKPORT MEN’S GROUP
will meet for breakfast on Saturday, January 18th at 9:00 am at The Original Pancake House at 3000 Westgate Mall. The Original Pancake House makes their batters from scratch, every day, and carefully prepares and blends by hand the batter using only the very freshest and finest quality ingredients available. Their preparation takes time and special care and the results are well worth the effort. In addition, their recipes use only the highest quality ingredients including premium butter, pure whipping cream, fresh Grade AA eggs, and hard wheat unbleached flour. The coffee blend they use is specially roasted just for their restaurant. Their ham and Canadian Bacon are naturally hickory smoked, and their smoked bacon is sliced extra thick. All Rockport Men are encouraged to come and enjoy fellowship and a great breakfast. Please sign up for the breakfast so we know how many will be there.
HUMAN RELATIONS DAY OFFERING ON JAN. 19TH:
Human Relations Day is one of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. Human Relations Day calls United Methodists to recognize the right of all God’s children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with one another. The special offering benefits neighborhood ministries through Community Developers, community advocacy through United Methodist Voluntary Services and work with at-risk teens through the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. Envelopes are available by the treasure chest.
PLEASE NOTE:
The church office will be closed on Jan. 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
2025 PLEDGE UPDATE:
To date, we have received 52 pledges totaling $142,030. Thank you to those who have already pledged. Your financial commitment to Rockport is greatly appreciated. You may still mail in your pledge card, email, or call the church with your pledge, or fill out a pledge card available in the narthex. Thank you.
BOOK CLUB:
Please join us January 29th, 7:00pm in the church parlor for our next book club. We will be reading Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario. This is a true story of a young boy’s journey from Honduras to join his mother in America. Hope to see everyone on January 29th for food, fun, fellowship, and discussion.
CHAT & CHEW! Lunch & Chat Adult Discussion Group!
Come and join us! Bring your lunch and enjoy your food AND a great discussion! We will explore various topics in the church and Bible. 12 to 2 p.m.!
Winter/Spring Dates:
January & FEBRUARY - NO MEETING
March 17th - We will see you at noon!
April - NO MEETING (it is the day after Easter)
May 19th - We will see you at noon!
Summer Dates:
June - NO MEETING
July 21st - We will see you at noon!
August 18th - We will see you at noon!
BOTTLE CAPS!
The Youth Group are collecting bottle caps for a mission project. The plastic kind - for example, 2 liter and 16/20/24 oz bottles.
During these past weeks we have been asking you, the congregation, to collect bottle caps, and we are providing the boxes to collect them with to make it easier. (courtesy of Dave Stephan! THANK YOU!) You can grab one on your way out of the church on the Christian Ed table in the hallway…
We have been asking to collect these caps in order to create our own bench, fully from the caps we have collected. This bench will signify how recycling can be seen and the process. This bench will be placed in a chosen location on the church grounds. Along with these recycled caps, we will also accept donations to use towards the processing of the caps to the bench.
Through our collective efforts we will eventually have a product that can be enjoyed by everyone.
You can find the acceptable caps and lids list posted on the table with the boxes, and also will be sent out in the Rockport updates. We will be collecting UNTIL EASTER! Thank you!
The link for information…
https://www.greentreeplastics.com/abc-program/
COFFEE HOUR:
Please consider hosting coffee hour and sign-up on the bulletin board. Fellowship is so important to the life of the church and why not have a little snack at the same time!
GOOGLE DRIVE REMINDER:
October 2024 Church financials can be found here.
Go to the Rockport All Church Information folder, Financial Reports folder, 2024 Financials folder, or get a hard copy in the church office.
REMINDER:
Office hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00 - 2:00pm and Fridays from 8:00 - 1:00pm.
Rev. Don's office hours are Tuesday and Thursdays from 11:00 - 1:00pm
DISTRICT NEWS: www.eocumc.com/northernwaters
CONFERENCE NEWS: https://www.eocumc.com
May We Each Live as One of the Magi
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” - Luke 2:10-11 (NRSV)
“I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” Christmas is the season for good news of great joy. Our joy grows with love, and the degrees of love are also the degrees of joy. At the very start of our spiritual pilgrimage, our soul experienced the joys of discovering our new self and a new universe.
Second Corinthians chapter five verse 17 speaks of the thrills of being initiated in a life of grace. “So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
Since we moved to Ohio, every step has been the joy of discovery. I have shared with the leadership teams in the East and West Ohio Conferences that they are a joy to know and to work with.
I first believed in Jesus when I was 16 years-old in Korea. That belief was a cultural shock to my life. The life of Jesus Christ came to me as a powerful light that pushed through the pessimism, the darkness, and the hopelessness I had been wrestling with. It added to my cultural identity. Yes, I was Korean, but I was also becoming a Christian.
The story of the wise men, the magi, who went to Bethlehem to worship before the baby Jesus was born has become the central discourse of my life. I have been on a 50-year pilgrimage seeking to live like Christ since converting to Christianity in my youth.
“When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” - Matthew 2:9-12 (NRSV)
Like the wise men who came to worship with gold, frankincense, and myrrh, I prayed that I would like to give my most precious life to baby Jesus. After reading an article by a spiritualist named John Wu who confessed that he was a Chinese scholar who came to worship with Buddhist balm, Confucian gold, and Taoist myrrh, I began to ask what I would bring to the Lord Jesus Christ. As a Korean Christian, I began to ask how I could worship Jesus with my own Korean-ness.
My grandfather was a Confucian scholar, so I have learned that teaching since childhood. From my grandmother I learned Buddhism and would often accompany her to the nearby Buddhist temple carrying the offering bag of rice. I also learned Shamanism because it was practiced deeply by people in our village.
I decided I would study about Buddhism after seminary to clarify my soul’s journey and offer myself an interfaith theology. For many years I have studied Buddhist Studies while engaging in ministry. It all comes from the stories of the Magi.
Buddhism has persuaded my soul with “meekness, humility, compassion, peace, self-emptying love and interdependence of life.” I have learned from interfaith aspects in my Christian spirituality with the Buddhist matrix.
I was blessed to discover who I am and who I will be – and that is the gift I would offer the Christ child in Bethlehem. As I studied, my love for Jesus grew stronger like a fire inside of me, and as the fire grew hotter, my joy and my excitement for ministry grew stronger.
The Christmas story brings us joy because it reminds us that we all have something that we can give to God. Let us rejoice, O my Beloved! Let us enter the love of God and let us see God’s beauty.
When I found what I could be and do, my heart became full of joy and I felt blessed.
My respected siblings, hear these words again from Luke 2:10-11: “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’”
My dear siblings, I am so blessed by each of you, and I look forward to serving with you in ministry in the new year as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
God with us, Emmanuel. May you experience Emmanuel joy! Let us love each other in all we do. Nothing is sweeter than love. Nothing is stronger or more generous. Nothing is higher or more pleasant. And nothing is fuller or better in heaven or on earth than love.
Christ Jesus is here with us with love! Merry Christmas!
Amen.