AUDUBONPARKUMC.ORG

THE NEWSLETTER OF AUDUBON PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

101 Simple Steps in the Christian Life

Lead Pastor

geoff@audubonparkumc.org fb.com/geoffhelton

Our youth group usually meets at the church on Sundays from 6-7:30pm. Contact Drew Homchick for more info: drew@audubonparkumc.org

Sunday, May 5th │ 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Come and join us downstairs as we gear up to play two of the youth group’s all time favorite games!

Sunday, May 12th │ No Youth Group

Sunday, May 19th │ 6:00pm - 7:30pm

We will meet downstairs in the youth room. Depending on the weather, we will either play at Audubon Park or at the church.

Saturday, May 25th - Monday, May 27th

We will meet in the church parking lot on Saturday morning at 7am and travel across the state to the University of Puget Sound for our Annual Convo trip. We will return to the church on Monday at 7pm.

*Please bring $20 for food, as we will be stopping to eat on the way over to Tacoma and on the way back to Spokane.

The youth group had a great time playing

classic video games at the Jedi Alliance

Arcade.

The UMW will be having a yard sale in August. Please save items (no clothing) to donate for our

continued mission work. More info to come.

Associate Pastor of Congregational Care

dale@audubonparkumc.org

Imagine an Easter-less World

Vic Pentz, a Presbyterian pastor, visited with a friend who was going through a particularly challenging time. They were talking about the gospel and its implication in the midst of the tough times of life and the friend said, “You know, I believe in the resurrection. I really do! If someone put me before a firing squad and threatened me with death, I could easily say, ‘I believe in the resurrection.’ My problem is not believing,” she said, “My problem is remembering the resurrection as I go through my day.”

When I heard that, I immediately thought, “How true!” Our is not so much a problem of believing, but of remembering and applying Easter to the ordinary problems of your day and mine.

Think of it like this: What difference will it make that you believe in the resurrection next Tuesday when you go to the grocery store and your preschooler throws a temper tantrum and starts pitching things out of the cart and pulling cans off the shelf? What difference will it make if you believe?

What difference will it make next Thursday if you believe in the resurrection when you get an interoffice e-mail that says, “There’s going to be a corporate downsizing in your

company and it’s likely to affect your department.”

What difference will it make on Friday when you face temptation? What difference will it make when you hear of an injustice or you see someone hurting or hungry?

What difference will it make next weekend when your college student comes home and tells you that this semester’s grades are going to be somewhere below “C-level?” You may find yourself recalling the couple vacationing in Greece who sent the following postcard to their wayward college sophomore: “Dear Son, We are standing high above the cliffs from which the ancient Spartan women once hurled their defective children to their death on the rocks below. Wish you were here!”

As we face those ordinary struggles of daily life, what difference does it make that Jesus was raised from death? Our problem, I think, is not so much believing, but remembering.

Paul understood this. He wants the Corinthian Christians—and you and me here in Spokane—to remember the resurrection and hold on to it forever. And so he uses a strange device in scripture. He says, “I would remind you brothers and sisters…,” and then he does this strange thing. He invites them, for a breathless moment, to imagine an Easter-less world.

When you are deprived of something, suddenly you realize how important it is to you. Hold your breath for two minutes, and soon you’ll be saying, “Lord, thank you for oxygen!” For one breathless moment, Paul takes away the oxygen of the resurrection and invites us to imagine ourselves in an Easter-less world—a world where Jesus is dead, sealed in a tomb, a world where the disciples, sadder but wiser, have gone back to fishing and farming and tax collecting and sheepherding. It is a world where there’s no church tucked up against Garland and Driscoll. For in this Easter-less world, Jesus is just another person who lived, died tragically, and returned to dust! Oh yes, he was an extraordinary man, an inspired teacher, and we might remember his teachings or even say he somehow lives through us as we apply his teaching in our lives, but in an Easter-less world, to make any other claims would be little more than an elaborate hoax.

Paul lists some of the grim realities of an Easter-less world. He says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our faith is in vain.” We have built all this on a foundation of sand. He adds, “If Christ has not been raised…you are still in your sins…and we have no assurance of forgiveness.” “If Christ has not been raised…those who have fallen asleep in Christ have been lost.” In an Easter-less world, life is but a gleam of consciousness between cradle and grave.

Were it not for that split-second occurrence that took place just before dawn nearly 2,000 years ago in an occupied Roman province in the Middle East, that would be our world. But we believe that on the first Easter morning Jesus broke open the grave, and the crucified Nazarene steps forth as the Risen Christ. And that makes all the difference in the world! Let’s take Easter into our daily lives in May and beyond!

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I’m writing this article to you in the middle of Holy Week, which is sort of like sitting in the eye of the hurricane. All the rush of preparation from last week is over. The drama and power of Palm Sunday has passed. Here on Tuesday morning, I wait in anticipation of the liturgies to come on Thurs-day, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

But in this moment of quiet I am deeply grateful. We ran out of bulletins last Sunday. We had our first Bible study last week. We’ve had conversa-tions as a community about the role of children in worship – deep conver-sations in which we’ve asked “How does what we do with children in church teach them who God is?” We’ve committed, again, to an ethic of play and creative exploration, both for our youngest and for our oldest members, and everyone in between. We’re even beginning to have some traditions as a community. Last year Good Friday was the first collabora-tion between Rev. Jonathan Myers and myself. Some of the people who

helped put on that liturgy a year ago are still with us - some are not. But I remember them as we gather again, to tell the same sacred story, to sing some of the same songs, alongside the new songs we will sing, brought to us by new people.

I am reminded, as we gather together for Good Friday for the second time, that liturgy, if it has any mean-ing at all, must be living. The liturgy must emerge from the living community – who is present and active in the body now – or it will feel dead and perfunctory. Liturgy means “the work of the people.” Last year’s liturgy belongs to last year’s people, and even for those of us who were there, last year’s liturgy belongs to last year’s time in our lives. Often when I visit churches that feel lifeless in their worship, I feel like the community is trying to do the liturgy of a previous generation or of a previous time, or even worse, trying to do the liturgy of some other, more “successful” community. Worship that is full of life – no matter the size of the congregation – is worship in which the community is doing its own liturgy, its own work.

And yet, part of what I have loved about Creators’ Table is the work of introducing people to the traditions of the church. I have so enjoyed teaching people about what we Christians do year after year after year and inviting them to make these traditions their own. That means leaving room for doubts and questions and wrestling and “So what if…” and “Could we…” and involving the community deeply in planning our lit-urgies. Inviting people to claim ownership of and meaning in the tradition has meant that I, as a pastor, have often had to adjust my plans of what I think the liturgy should be, in order to make room for my com-munity to do its own God-given, God-breathed work together.

We are planning to celebrate, later in the spring, our long journey of becoming Creators’ Table together over the last year. I’ll have more information about that soon, as well as ways you can help us celebrate who we have become and who God is calling us to be. For now, mark your calendar for the evening of June 9th (Pentecost! The Birthday of the Church!) and come participate in a liturgy with us, Sundays at 5:00, at 1832 W. Dean. Come find your open space.

Associate Pastor of Creators’ Table

Katy@audubonparkumc.org

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A very big THANK YOU to those who shopped

and provided funding for our missional groups

during our "forty days of Lent" campaign. Just

imagine the connectional web of support that

we have provided to our community. Thank you.

Your Audubon Food Bank is also thankful to the

Indian Trail Yokes Grocery store and the patrons

who supported their recent food drive.

We are very grateful for this amazing support for

the 99205 community.

THANK YOU

The Banks family would like to thank our

church family for the calls, cards, food and

prayers throughout David's illness and sudden

passing. We are at peace knowing he is in the

loving arms of Jesus. It made it all a little easier

knowing our church family was surrounding us

in thoughts and prayers.

Thank you- Brenda, Madison and our

extended family.

Wednesday, 5/15 Overeaters Anonymous (Room 103) 10:00 am Needlework Group (Parlor) 10:00 am Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry (Parlor) 5:00 pm Choir Rehearsal (Room 105) 7:00 pmpm AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Sunday, 5/19 Modern Worship 9:00 am Traditional Worship 10:30 am Community Hymn Sing -3:00 pm Creators’ Table Liturgy 5:00pm - 1832 W. Dean BellaCristo Rehearsal 6:00 pm

Monday, 5/20 Art Class (C.R.) 9:00 am Bible Study Group (Parlor) 11:30 am UMW - Circle Meeting (Parlor) 1:30 pm AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Tuesday, 5/21 Free Breakfast &Produce 8:30-10:00 am Quilters (Room 303) 9:30 am

Wednesday, 5/22 Overeaters Anonymous (Room 103) 10:00 am Needlework Group (Parlor) 10:00 am Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal (Room 105) 7pm AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Sunday, 5/26 Modern Worship 9:00 am Traditional Worship 10:30 am Creators’ Table Liturgy 5:00 pm - 1832 W. Dean BellaCristo Practice 6:00 pm

Monday, 5/27 - Memorial Day Bible Study Group (Parlor) 11:30 AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm CORE Leadership Meeting (Parlor) 7pm

Tuesday, 5/28 Free Breakfast & Produce 8:30 - 10:00 am Audubon Park Food Bank 9:30 am Quilters 9:30 am (Room 303)

Wednesday, 5/29- Evangel Newsletter Prep 9:30amOvereaters Anonymous (Room 103) 10:00 am Needlework Group (Parlor) 10:00 am Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal (Room 105) 7pm AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Wednesday, 5/1 Overeaters Anonymous (Room 103) 10:00 am Needlework Group (Parlor) 10:00 am Stephen Ministry (Parlor) 5:00 pm Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal (Room 105) 7:00 pm AA (Parlor) 7:30 pm

Saturday, 5/2 - BellaCristo Concert 2pm

Sunday, 5/5 Modern Worship 9:00 am Traditional worship 10:30 am Creators’ Table Liturgy 5:00 pm - 1832 W. Dean BellaCristo Practice 6:00 pm

Monday, 5/6 Art Class (C.R.) 9:00 am Bible Study Group (Parlor) 11:30 am UMW - Exec. Meeting (C.R.) 1:00 pm AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Tuesday, 5/7 Free Breakfast & Produce 8:30 - 10:00 am Quilters 9:30 am (Room 303)

Wednesday, 5/8 Overeaters Anonymous (Room 103) 10:00 am Needlework Group (Parlor) 10:00 am Boy Scouts (Fellowship Hall) 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal (Room 105) 7:00 pm AA (Parlor) 7:30 pm

Saturday, 5/11 Men’s Breakfast (Parlor) 9:00 am

Sunday, 5/12 - Mother’s Day Modern Worship 9:00 am Traditional worship 10:30 am Creators’ Table Liturgy 5:00 pm - 1832 W. Dean BellaCristo Practice 6:00 pm

Monday, 5/13 Bible Study Group (Parlor) 11:30 AA Meeting (C.R.) 7:30 pm

Tuesday, 5/14 Free Breakfast & Produce 8:30 - 10:00 am Audubon Park Food Bank 9:30 am Quilters 9:30 am (Room 303)

5th - Meredith Moreau 6th - Joanne Harvey 8th - George Detlaff 9th - Bo Cummings 10th - Kathie Cummings 11th - Dee McClung, Charlene Severns, Jim Walker, Laura Velonza 12th - Holley Ritz, Analisa Schmidt 13th - Carolyn Zundel 16th - Lucia Neilson, Eloise Whitehead 18th - Uma Asterino 19th - Cynthia Cree 20th - Madison Banks 21st - Barbara Anderson 22nd - Don Holm, Bea Wiese 23rd - Jean Enzler 27th - Doug Smith

8th - Carroll & Carolyn Krupke 10th - Bill & Diane Strobeck 11th - Dave & Darby Forsberg 12th - Jim & Judy Walker 19th - Andrew & Pamela Ridgeway 31st - Dave & Judy Payne

3rd - Mickey & Chris Moreau 4th - Muriel Westerman 6th - Pat Clark 7th - Connie Mutton, Drew & Heather Homchick 9th - Claudia Biggs, Sherry Detlaff, Janet Rhodes 10th - John & Janet Olson

A new worshipping community in the West Central Neighborhood.

Sundays at 5pm at 1832 W. Dean Ave.

Go to our Facebook page for more info: fb.com/creatorstable.westcentral

You are invited to a Graduation Party for

Ashlyn Dodson and Mikayla Makus,

Granddaughters of Margie and Les Harder.

June 9th 3-6pm

Audubon Park United Methodist Church

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