Bible Challenge 07/29 - 08/04

Greetings All!

I hope you are hanging in there! This week we finish up the fourth section of Psalms (90-106) and begin the final section of this large book of poetry (Psalms 107-150). In this last section, 15 Psalms are ascribed to David and one is considered a charge to Solomon (#127).

In this week's reading we get both the shortest Psalm (#117 with 2 verses) and the longest Psalm (#119 with 176 verses). The interesting thing about Psalm 119 is that it is composed in sets of eight verses and each verse starts with one of the 22 letters comprising the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalms 120–134 are often referred to as a group called the Songs of Ascents. They are thought to have been used as hymns of approach by pilgrims to the Temple in Jerusalem. One of the interesting things that we learned on our trip to Israel is that anyone traveling from any direction to Jerusalem is always considered to be "ascending" to Jerusalem, as it is Jewish holy city of God.

Here is the schedule:

29, Sunday: Psalms 99-102

30, Monday: Psalms103-106

31, Tuesday: Psalms107-110

01, Wednesday: Psalms 111-114

02, Thursday: Psalms 115-118

03, Friday: Psalms119-122

04, Saturday: Psalms 123-126

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Pulpit Swap - I am excited to be able to tell you that this Sunday, July 29^th, we will once again engage in our Fifth Sunday pulpit swap with Belleview UMC. I invite you to come hear the gentle spirit and inspired wisdom of Pastor Debbie as she talks about courage in the face suffering from the story of Job.

I am confident that you will be blessed and transformed as you experience the Holy Spirit through her. Invite a friend and come be a part of movement of the Holy Spirit.





2. Guest Preacher - Sunday, August 5th, we will be blessed by having our summer intern, Robert Bledsoe, lead us in worship. Robert has spent this summer working with both Belleview UMC and here at Druid Hills UMC. He has worked in all areas of the church gaining an understanding of the vocation and calling of pastor. His unique perspective and insight will come through as he shares with us what God has placed upon his heart. Please mark your calendar now, you will not miss this wonderful opportunity to hear Robert. This will also be his last week with us, so we look forward to seeing all of you here.



3. Become a Reading Pal - The United Way of Marion County has partnered with the Marion County School System and the Early Learning Coalition to provide low reading score students a “Reading Pal”. What is that you might ask? A Reading Pal is a volunteer who has been provided specialized training who goes into the classroom for one hour per week on designated weeks. This volunteer will read to the student, do a prescribed activity and upon completion of reading the book; the child will take the book home to build their own personal library. As an in-school volunteer you will be assigned to a targeted school near your home. For additional information and to register please contact Jan Hathaway at 732-9696 ext. 212 or at jhathaway@uwmc.org.



4. Guardian ad Litem - There are more than 1,800 children in the Marion, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, and Citrus counties, who have been removed from their homes for alleged abuse, abandonment or neglect, who are now part of a dependency court proceeding. These children need someone to speak up for them.

A Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer appointed by the court to advocate for a child. The volunteer works as part of a team witha volunteer supervisor and program attorney. He/she becomes familiar with the child and the child's case and makes recommendations to the court to help ensure a safe, caring, stable and permanent environment for that child.

If you would like to volunteer, please call Lynn Sennett at (352) 274-5231 or e-mail her at Lynn.Sennett@GAL.FL.Gov. You can also get more information from their website, www.guardianadlitem.org. The next training for this program will begin Tuesday, August 7, 2012, at the Oxford Assembly of God, 12114 N. US Hwy. 301, Oxford, FL.



5. New Member Class - On Sunday, August 19th at 12:45 P.M., I will host a new member class in my office. If you have been attending Druid Hills for at least three months and would like to take that next step in becoming a member of this church this class is for you! To register for this class, either call the church office at 629-5688, or email me at daryl.allen@flumc.org. This is a one session get together where we will discuss what it means to be a United Methodist, what it means to be a member of Druid Hills UMC, and offer you a little background on the history of this church. If this is of interest to you I hope you will make plans to attend.





Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This past week was a very important week in the life of the Florida Annual Conference. This past week Jurisdictional Conference was held at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina. Delegates from all of the Conferences represented in the Southeast Jurisdiction convened to take care of a few business matters, but more importantly, they convened to elect five new bishops.

In our system, you are only allowed to serve in any one Conference for two quadrenniums, two four year terms. Our bishop, Rev. Timothy Whitaker, retired this year, after serving the Florida Conference faithfully for the last ten years. We have been so blessed to have this man lead us through some very difficult and transitional times. Bishop Whitaker came into this Conference mid term, as our previous bishop had passed away. He was allowed to finish that bishop's term and then serve two of his own. Bishop Whitaker is a very gracious man of incredible vision, with tremendous leadership qualities, and a vast intellect. He is one of the most well read and learned men I have ever had the chance to work with or meet. Bishop Whitaker had two choices at the end of his quadrennium; he could make himself available to serve another conference, or he could retire. He chose to retire. While I am sorry to see this relationship come to an end, I am so excited for him to be able to relax and enter into this next chapter of his life with his wife Melba.

Therefore, we needed a new bishop, a new person to lead the Florida Annual Conference. After several days of debate, voting, and discernment, five new people were elected as bishops, to take the places of the five that retired. Once they were elected, they were appointed, and our new bishop is the Rev. Dr. Ken Carter. Bishop-Elect Carter was nominated by the Western North Carolina (WNC) Conference, where he has been serving as superintendent of the seven-county, 69-church; Waynesvllle district. His wife, Pam, is a missions specialist with the WNC Conference and mission interpreter with Encounter with Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Based on information from an article posted on the Florida Conference website, he is the author of eight books, including reflections on the power of prayer, stewardship, spiritual gifts and the Wesleyan means of grace. He is a graduate of Columbus College in his hometown of Columbus, Ga., as well as of Duke Divinity School, the University of Virginia and he received his Doctorate of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the United Methodist University of Liberia, where he serves on the board of trustees.

If you would like to know about Bishop-Elect Carter, you can visit his website at http://revkencarter.org.

Bishop-Elect Carter is expected to join us on September 1st. So I ask you, to join me in prayer for Bishop-Elect Carter that as the years pass, and as we grow together, the Kingdom of God would be expanded and God's love would be realized by all we encounter.

Have a great week!

Characters of the Old Testament - MephiboshethII Samuel 9:1-13 and II Corinthians 12:7-10

Bible Challenge 07/22 - 07/28

Greetings All!

How are you doing in Psalms? Did you know that Psalms has a couple of functions: as a hymnbook and also as a book of poetry. Songs that can be identified as such, in the Psalms, include songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 30), hymns of praise (e.g., Ps 117) and royal psalms, which may have been used in coronations and weddings. Identification of some psalms as prayers is also seen within the text, for example in the conclusion to Psalm 72, "The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended." The largest category of Psalms, though not grouped as such in the text, is that of lament (expressions of complaint and pleas for help from God). As you read, see if you notice any of these themes.

This week we finish up the third section of Psalms with chapter 89, and begin the fourth section of Psalms (chapters 90-106).

Here is the schedule:

22, Sunday: Psalms 71-74

23, Monday: Psalms 75-78

24, Tuesday: Psalms 79-82

25, Wednesday: Psalms 83-86

26, Thursday: Psalms 87-90

27, Friday: Psalms 91-94

28, Saturday: Psalms 95-98

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are concluding our preaching series entitled, Characters of the Old Testament. This first part of the Bible, is filled with a whole host of people, some of which are very well known, such as Abraham, Moses, Job, and King David to name a few. Others are not too well known, like Balaam, Jochebed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Mephibosheth. Each week, for the last three weeks, we have looked to these lesser known characters as we unpacked what part of God was revealed in the life of these people. This week we will turn to Mephibosheth, as we look to see the grace of God revealed through Mephibosheth's encounter with King David. I invite you to come, and bring a friend, as we all hear the Word of God proclaimed together!





2. Pulpit Swap - I am excited to be able to tell you that on July 29^th we will once again engage in our Fifth Sunday pulpit swap with Belleview UMC. I invite you to come hear the gentle spirit and inspired wisdom of Pastor Debbie as she shares with you from God's word.

I am confident that you will be blessed and transformed as you experience the Holy Spirit through her. Invite a friend and come be a part of movement of the Holy Spirit.





3. Become a Reading Pal - The United Way of Marion County has partnered with the Marion County School System and the Early Learning Coalition to provide low reading score students a “Reading Pal”. What is that you might ask? A Reading Pal is a volunteer who has been provided specialized training who goes into the classroom for one hour per week on designated weeks. This volunteer will read to the student, do a prescribed activity and upon completion of reading the book; the child will take the book home to build their own personal library. As an in-school volunteer you will be assigned to a targeted school near your home. For additional information and to register please contact Jan Hathaway at 732-9696 ext. 212 or at jhathaway@uwmc.org.





4. Guardian ad Litem - There are more than 1,800 children in the Marion, Hernando, Lake, Sumter, and Citrus counties, who have been removed from their homes for alleged abuse, abandonment or neglect, who are now part of a dependency court proceeding. These children need someone to speak up for them.

A Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer appointed by the court to advocate for a child. The volunteer works as part of a team witha volunteer supervisor and program attorney. He/she becomes familiar with the child and the child's case and makes recommendations to the court to help ensure a safe, caring, stable and permanent environment for that child.

If you would like to volunteer, please call Lynn Sennett at (352) 274-5231 or e-mail her at Lynn.Sennett@GAL.FL.Gov. You can also get more information from their website, www.guardianadlitem.org. The next training for this program will begin Tuesday, August 7, 2012, at the Oxford Assembly of God, 12114 N. US Hwy. 301, Oxford, FL.





5. New Member Class - On Sunday, August 19^th at 12:45 P.M., I will host a new member class in my office. If you have been attending Druid Hills for at least three months and would like to take that next step in becoming a member of this church this class is for you! To register for this class, either call the church office at 629-5688, or email me at daryl.allen@flumc.org. This is a one session get together where we will discuss what it means to be a United Methodist, what it means to be a member of Druid Hills UMC, and offer you a little background on the history of this church. If this is of interest to you I hope you will make plans to attend.





Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Happy Wednesday to you!

This week I (Robert the intern) have the opportunity to write the midweek moment for you all. On Monday, of this week, I left the teenage years behind, and became a twenty year old (man?). It is absolutely crazy how fast time flies! If you were not in worship Sunday morning, let me recap a little scenario for you.

During the announcement time, our beloved Bob Greene mentioned that there was a cake over in the fellowship hall for someone who he wouldn’t mention, but then he did anyway. To my surprise, it was for me! I was automatically thrilled and smiling ear to ear. It was not until after the service when Daryl and I were chatting with people and saying good bye that I realized how hungry I was. Being as discrete as I could, I quickly snuck over to the fellowship hall to get in line!

To my surprise I found that no one had eaten yet, and everyone was still waiting in line. All of the sudden when I walked into the fellowship hall, everyone turned to the door I walked in and they starting singing Happy Birthday to me. Once again, I could not do anything but smile ear to ear. I then walked over and saw my beautiful cake and a card. When I opened the card there were SO many signatures from members of the congregation. When I got home that day I hung it on the bulletin board in my room. I am very proud of that card. I want to say a special thank you to you all for getting the cake for me and for making Sunday such a memorable day for me. It is a memory that I will have for the rest of my life, and for that I am so thankful.

I tell this story because over the course of this summer I have learned something so valuable. Relationships are some of the most valuable and meaningful things a person can enjoy. Along with that I have learned to always be thankful to those who care for you and look after you, be kind to all, and most importantly to love those whom you come into contact with unconditionally. Even after only being here a few short weeks I feel so loved, welcomed, and overly appreciated. I am praying that churches everywhere will learn to be as welcoming and compassionate to all visitors as Druid Hills has been to me. For that I will be ever thankful and grateful. I have never felt so encouraged about my faith walk and my path to ministry than I have this summer. I have all of you to thank. I want to leave you with a very easy passage to remember, but one that we should not forget.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see you all on Sunday!
Robert Bledsoe

Characters of the Old Testament - Shadrach and Friends Daniel 3:1-18 and 19-30

Bible Challenge 07/15 - 07/21

Greetings All!

This week we continue in the book of Psalms. Our focus is mainly the second section of Psalms which extends from chapter 42 all the way through chapter 72. Of these 31 Psalms, 18 are ascribed to David and the rest are designated anonymous.


Just like last week we have more promises made about the Messiah. Here are a few more promises, with reference, about the Messiah in some of the verses we read this week:

The Messiah would speak with a message of grace.	Psalm 45:2	Luke 4:22
The Messiah's throne would be everlasting.	Psalm 45:6-7a	Luke 1:31-33
The Messiah would be God.	Psalm 45:6-7b	Hebrews 1:8-9
The Messiah would act with righteousness.	Psalm 45:6-7c	John 5:30

Without any further ado, here is the schedule:

15, Sunday: Psalms 43-46

16, Monday: Psalms 47-50

17, Tuesday: Psalms 51-54

18, Wednesday: Psalms 55-58

19, Thursday: Psalms 59-62

20, Friday: Psalms 63-66

21, Saturday: Psalms 67-70


May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are continuing our preaching series entitled, Characters of the Old Testament. This first part of the Bible, is filled with a whole host of people, some of which are very well known, such as Abraham, Moses, Job, and King David to name a few. Others are not too well known, like Balaam, Jochebed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Mephibosheth. Each week, for the next four weeks, we will look to these lesser known characters as we try to unpack what part of God may be revealed in the life of these people. This week we will turn to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as we look to see God revealed through their courage, example, and faith. I invite you to come, and bring a friend, as we all hear the Word of God proclaimed together!



2. Volunteer Opportunity - The United Way of Marion County has partnered with the Marion County School System and the Early Learning Coalition to provide low reading score students a “Reading Pal”. What is that you might ask? A Reading Pal is a volunteer who has been provided specialized training who goes into the classroom for one hour per week on designated weeks. This volunteer will read to the student, do a prescribed activity and upon completion of reading the book; the child will take the book home to build their own personal library. As an in-school volunteer you will be assigned to a targeted school near your home. For additional information and to register please contact Jan Hathaway at 732-9696 ext. 212 or at jhathaway@uwmc.org




3. New Email Address - Due to issues with AOL, we have created a new church email address, druidhillsocala@gmail.com. Please use this email address for all messages for the church office and for Druid Hills in general. My email address will remain the same. Please make that change now, because in approximately a month, the AOL account will no longer be active.




4. Ocala Health and Rehab - This Sunday we are going to Ocala Health and Rehab for our monthly worship service. We get together with the residents and sing a few hymns, I give a brief devotional, and then we sing some more. You will blessed by the time we share and the prayers we say. I want to invite any one that is willing to come and join us this Sunday, at 2pm, at Ocala Health and Rehab, as we worship with the residents. You will be blessed. I guarantee it!



5. Historian Needed - If you are interested and passionate about recording the important events in the life our church, we have an opportunity for you! We are in need of a church historian to help chronicle the important events in our history. It does not require significant time, just a passion for the mission. If you are interested please see me and we will talk.



Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Today was a very interesting day. Prior to this morning, this day was scheduled and waiting. My to-do list was full, do-able but full. My appointments were many, do-able but many. It was going to be a neat and tidy, busy day. And it actually started out that way.

Then 10:30 A.M. arrived. Two men walked into the office and introduced themselves as former members of the church. They looked at me, and knew their time here was before my time here. They wanted to know if the United Methodist Church, this church in particular, could send someone out to pray for their father, another former member of this church.

I asked them a few specifics about their situation, including their names. As soon as they said it, I recognized the name. I have gone through our roles of members; active and inactive. I recognized their name. After I understood what they were asking for, I stopped what I was doing here and I went with them to visit their father in the Hospice House.

When we got there, we went in, I visited with their dad, and then we prayed. It was a nice visit, and I think for him a nice stroll down memory lane. We talked about the church as he remembered it. We talked about the people he remembered and a few of you are still here! He shared wonderful memories with me about this church.

But it was the conversation with his two boys that really impacted me. When we arrived at the Hospice House the brothers stood with me outside for a bit and just reflected on what they were feeling. They were obviously very upset that their dad had progressed to the point that Hospice was necessary. The chaos of the situation had kind of left their worlds spinning off their axes. But what they shared next, thinned the veil between Heaven and Earth for me. They were driving by the church, on their way to see dad, when one of them looked over, and remembered this church. They remembered going to Sunday School here. They remembered the inside of the sanctuary. They remembered that this place was a place of good memories and happy times for them. They remembered that their mom and dad were married in this church. The one son told me he was convinced that God took them by our church for a reason. After this revelation, they stopped, came in, and made their request.

Folks, the actions we participate in for the Kingdom of God are never forgotten. Today is proof of that. In times of distress people will remember the good done to and for them. These two men remembered the lessons they were taught here, the good times they had here, and the love they were shown here. They came back today for that very thing.

Two men I had never met before, after prayer and reminiscing, after showing them the grace and love of Jesus Christ, ended our time together with a hug. They were not hugging me as much as they were God. I was simply a tool, a vessel.

This is not what I had planned today. This is not what I had time for today. But it is what God guided me through today. Days like this, even though the circumstance was awful, shows that God is still in control. Please, never forget that!

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Characters of the Old Testament - Jochebed Numbers 26:58-59 and Exodus 2:1-10

Bible Challenge 07/08 - 07/14

Greetings All!

We're continuing on with Psalms this week - the biggest book in the Bible.Remember in the original Hebrew, this book is divided into 5 sections. We finish up the first and oldest section with Psalm 41 and begin the 2nd section with our final chapter.

One of the interesting things about many of the Psalms in this week's reading are the connections that can be made to Jesus and the New Testament. Below is a partial list of references about the Messiah in these psalms and how they are answered in Jesus (this chart comes from The Messiah Revealed website).

Subject	Prophecy	Fulfillment
None of the Messiah's bones would be broken.	Psalm 34:20	John 19:32-33
The Messiah's offering of himself would replace all sacrifices.	Psalm 40:6-8a	Hebrews 10:10-13
The Messiah would say the scriptures were written of him.	Psalm 40:6-8b	Luke 24:44
The Messiah would come to do God's will.	Psalm 40:7-8	John 5:30
The Messiah would not conceal his mission from the congregation.	Psalm 40:9-10	Luke 4:16-21
The Messiah's betrayer would be a friend whom he broke bread with.	Psalm 41:9	Mark 14:17-18

May your reading of Psalms this week give you fresh eyes for the Gospels!

08, Sunday: Psalms 15-18

09, Monday: Psalms 19-22

10, Tuesday: Psalms 23-26

11, Wednesday: Psalms 27-30

12, Thursday: Psalms 31-34

13, Friday: Psalms 35-38

14, Saturday: Psalms 39-42

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are beginning a new preaching series entitled, Characters of the Old Testament. This first part of the Bible, is filled with a whole host of people, some of which are very well known, such as Abraham, Moses, Job, and King David to name a few. Others are not too well known, like Balaam, Jochebed, Boaz, and Mephibosheth. Each week, for the next four weeks, we will look to these four lesser known characters as we try to unpack what part of God may be revealed in the life of these people. This week we will turn to Jochebed, as we use her life to understand how her faithfulness in listening to God, made a huge impact for the Kingdom of God. I invite you to come, and bring a friend, as we all hear the Word of God proclaimed together!




2. Harry Hosey Memorial - Tomorrow morning, we will gather at 11 A.M. in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of Harry Hosey. I invite you to come and show your love and support to Jenny and her family as we remember this great man we all had the privilege of knowing. There will be a reception after the service in our Fellowship Hall, that you all are invited to as well. I hope too see many of you there!



3. New Email Address - Due to issues with AOL, we have created a new church email address, druidhillsocala@gmail.com. Please use this email address for all messages for the church office and for Druid Hills in general. My email address will remain the same. Please make that change now, because in approximately a month, the AOL account will no longer be active.



4. New Addition to the Blog - I am always looking for ways to increase the avenues of communication for our church family. That is one of the main purposes of this blog.

Therefore, I want to introduce you all to the Druid Hills UMC YouTube Channel. I have figured out how to take the audio of my sermons and upload them to YouTube. So anyone with an Internet connection can now log on at anytime and listen to the messages.

I will also post them right here to the blog so you can listen to them and they should be up by Wednesday each week. I hope you enjoy and benefit from this new addition.



5. Historian Needed - If you are interested and passionate about recording the important events in the life our church, we have an opportunity for you! We are in need of a church historian to help chronicle the important events in our history. It does not require significant time, just a passion for the mission. If you are interested please see me and we will talk.



Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Tomorrow is July 4th. Independence Day. The day we have set aside to commemorate our Independence as a country. And boy do we celebrate! Cook outs, family gatherings, pool parties, block parties, more cook outs, and we put a bow on it all with fireworks. Those ohh and ahh explosions in the night sky that celebrate that fact that we are indeed an independent country. (Not to mention most people get the day off!)

I am all for Independence Day. I am all for our country having the religious and governmental freedoms we fought so hard for, over 200 years ago. These freedoms are important, then and now. I am also grateful for all of the people that continue to place themselves in harms way so that I can enjoy those freedoms, so that I can type this blog, and so that I can lead people in a worship service for God each and every week. I am grateful, I am humbled, I am very, very thankful. So for those of you that are reading this, and that gave and currently give of yourself in the defense and progression of those freedoms and our independence...thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you!

As Christians though, independence can have an entirely different connotation. As a country, we celebrate independence, as we should. As a Christian, independence can be damaging. In worship Sunday, we talked about Balaam and the need for living in connection. The importance of relying on God, on each other, (and donkeys) and the strength that comes from living a connected life. I cannot stress to you enough, the importance that we all stay connected.

Now, by connected, I mean more than just the people you already know. I mean more than just the people you sit around in worship or the people you sit with at lunch after worship. I mean all people. Therefore, let me invite you to try something. Sometime this week, either when you are out and about the town, at some social event, or even at worship next Sunday, stand or sit somewhere where you would not normally. Seek out people to talk to, with whom you would not normally interact. Spend just a minute or two, sixty to one hundred twenty seconds, talking with a person you do not know very well.

Several things can happen when you accept this invitation. One, is you will be uncomfortable. But please, do not let that discourage you. It is when you are uncomfortable, that the Holy Spirit can do his best work! Two, you will be expanding the Kingdom of God. By treating another person with love and kindness, that same love and kindness given to you by Jesus, you will be engaged in the act of being the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus the Christ to another. That interaction may be exactly what that person needed. You do not have to convert every person you speak with, but we do have to treat all people with love. When you give that love away, eventually it will cause another person to give it away, and so on, and so forth. Each encounter, a chance for the Kingdom of God to built just a little bit more. Three, you will be expanding the connection of the disciples of Jesus Christ. The more people we include, the more people that are members, the more people that feel connected, and the stronger we will become. Each and everyone of you has a gift given you to by the Holy Spirit. All people, everywhere, have a gift. The more people we can be connected with, the more gifts we can use, the bigger the Kingdom of God. This all works together. We all need to work together. Connection is important. Connection is vital. Be a part of it!

 Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Hosey Memorial Service

Greetings all.

I want to let everyone know the Memorial Service for Harry Hosey will be this Saturday, July 7th, at 11 AM, at the church. There will also be a reception to follow. Please let others know as you have occasion.

I hope you all can attend as we support Jenny and her family during this time.

Blessings,

Characters of the Old Testament - Balaam: Numbers 22:21-31 and 32-35