“Healthy Competition”
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.“
Romans 12:10 ESV
I have always been a naturally competitive person. No matter what I am doing, I want to be the first, fastest or best. I can make a competition out of anything: washing the dishes – I finished faster than you did last night; folding laundry – I folded quicker and better (is there really a better way) than I did last time; driving – I’m going to make it off the line or to the next red light before the guy next to me. I pass people because, well, I can. I even compete when eating – I finished my meal before you did, and I ate more (as I think about this, it probably isn’t a good thing).
Sara is competitive too. In fact, we’ve learned throughout our marriage that we have to be careful to not let our competitive natures and desire to win take over. (This is why we no longer play chess. We received a beautiful chess set as a wedding gift and got in the habit of playing a few games every evening. After a few weeks and increasing levels of trash talking, and maybe a few pieces flying across the room in either celebration or frustration, we decided that for the health of our marriage we would stop playing chess against one another.)
Being competitive isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When I was a student I tried to get the best grades in my class and have the highest GPA possible. While this might have created some stressful nights, it also led to academic success. Competing with ourselves can drive us to improve ourselves and our performance in many areas – academics, work, fitness, eating habits, spiritual disciplines, etc.
I think part of our competitive nature (or at least my competitive nature) comes from a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others. We do this in an effort to determine our self-worth, to judge areas where we are successful and things we need to work on improving. Competitiveness and some comparisons can be healthy, as long as we don’t focus too much on others and start viewing everything through the lens of winners and losers.
My Bible verse of the day today, the above verse from Romans, gave me a different perspective on competition. I am not very familiar with the English Standard Version of Scripture, but I was struck by the way it puts this verse: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” What a great outlet for competitiveness! Compete with others to see who can love other people the most. Try to out-love others. What a cool idea! Instead of trying to shine above, one-up or simply keep up with (those darned Joneses), what if we simply tried to honor and love other people and be the best in that pursuit? Or, if we still have to be competitive (because, if I’m honest, I do), what if I simply try today to love and honor others better than I did yesterday? What a great example I would be of Christ’s love and of Christian discipleship.
I invite you to spend some time this week thinking of ways you can “outdo one another in showing honor” and love.
Blessings, Chris
A Few Words on Finances
Last Sunday, in between services I had a conversation with Laura Burnett and Greg Silvey, our finance folks, as they were cutting the checks for the end of the month/first of the month. In the course of this conversation, we had to face the reality that we were coming up short of paying all our bills. Just as many of you are experiencing an increase in your utility bills at home, the utility bills at the church are also increasing at a rate well beyond our expectations. Not only are utility bills increasing, but so is the cost of our insurance. This is a result of changes in our economic environment, and not changes in our utility usage or insurance coverage. Essentially, the cost of everything is rising, and we are, as a church, feeling the effect of that.
Because of the changing economic environment, our church finds itself in the uncomfortable position of running a deficit (spending more than we are receiving). Thanks to your continued generosity, our giving is better than it has been in several years, it’s hard to keep pace with increased inflation and the effect that inflation is having on our utility bills, which have doubled. And though we are confident that this is a temporary challenge, we want to be able to continue to meet the needs of our community with our ministries.
I humbly ask you to prayerfully consider increasing your giving to the church, in any small capacity, for a season of time as we weather the current economic conditions. If an increase in giving, even a one-time contribution, is not feasible, please continue to hold the church and its ministries in your prayers. This is a trying time for many in our nation, but we know that with God’s help, NMUMC will continue to engage in ministries that will make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Worship This Week
This Sunday we continue our message series for the season of Lent titled “Dear Heavenly Father.” This series is focused on the spiritual practice of prayer and seeks to provide some practical tools for increasing your practice of prayer. This week our message is titled “Yield” and will focus on the scripture in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36 through 39.
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Our services will begin with the song Promised Land by TobyMac. Our hymns for the morning include Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, and Have Thine Own Way, Lord. Our praise song will be Blessed Be Your Name. As part of the 10:20 service, our choir will sing No Rose Bloomed in Gethsemane.
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at approximately 10:25 following our gathering song. Additionally, we post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon. We are excited to be able to extend our worship services in these ways.
COVID Updates
We would like to thank everyone for their flexibility with our Covid practices over the past two years. Currently, the Covid infection and hospitalization rates are low and we encourage you to continue to practice the measures you feel necessary during this time. No mandates are in place at this time, but we do encourage everyone to continue to consider and respect the boundaries others are setting. Again, thank you for your diligence over the past couple of years and hopefully we are now learning to live with this terrible virus in ways that are safe for ourselves and others.
Announcements
Holy Week Schedule
- Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday worship service on Sunday, April 10th.
- Maundy Thursday worship service on April 14th at 7:00 pm.
- Good Friday worship service on April 15th at 7:00 pm.
- On Easter Sunday, April 17th, our worship services will be at 8:00 am and 10:20 am.
Easter Cards for Elders & Friends – This year again we are asking the congregation to mail out Easter cards or other greeting cards with your own personal Easter greeting. The addresses for the names listed below will be located on the refreshment table or on the counter next to the front entrances.
Florence Banion, Jack Bell, Frances Bradley, Virginia Brownfield, Mary Margaret Browning, Ada Gingrich, Ann Hartmann, Margaret Hopkins, Phillis Otis, Bart Riley, Carol Schenck, Leona Schmidt, Helen Taylor, John Tincher, Hessie Watts, and Dorothy Whitten.
We know all the recipients will experience a special Easter blessing because of the thoughtfulness of all those who participate in this endeavor. Thank you for remembering these special people.
Blood Drive – Our next Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Monday, April 25 from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall. Giving blood is a meaningful and important way to help be a part of the healing process for others. To make an appointment to participate, please click here.
Palm Sunday Dinner – The Education Team will be hosting a carry-in dinner on Palm Sunday, April 10 after the morning worship services. There will be an Easter egg hunt on the church lawn (weather permitting). Each child will receive a bag of candy after the hunt when they return the empty plastic eggs. This hunt will be followed by a dinner in the Fellowship Hall, sponsored by the Education Team, which will provide the meat for the dinner. To ensure a variety of dishes, families are invited to bring the following dishes to share:
Family names A to F Salads
Family names G to L Potatoes/Potato Casserole
Family names M to S Vegetables
Family names T to Z Desert
Church Summer Camps – With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about church camp. There are lots of options and opportunities for church camp available, too many to print. Please contact Pastor Chris or Melissa Baker for information on camp and scholarship opportunities.
Baby Grace Sort and Size – There will be a Sort & Size on April 7th and April 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Annex. Due to the large amount of donations more volunteers are needed. Thank you.
Events this week:
Monday, April 4: TOPS, 9:30 am, Foundations Classroom
Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge
Tuesday, April 5: Election Day
Choir Rehearsal, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary
Congregation Care Meeting, 7:00 m, Lounge
Wednesday, April 6: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Church Lounge
Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge
Thursday, April 7: Baby Grace Size & Sort, 1:00 pm, Church Annex
Praise Band Practice, 6:00 pm, Sanctuary
Friday, April 8: Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Lounge
Saturday, April 9: Methodist Men, 8:30 am, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, April 10: Palm Sunday, Dinner following 10:20 worship service
Closing Words of Wisdom:
Love people when they least expect it and least deserve it. That is the kind of love Jesus shows to us.” ~ Mark Batterson
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.