The Vine

The Love Month

February is the month that we normally think about love because of Valen-tine’s Day. I have been thinking recently about God’s love.

John describes God’s love in I John 4 as being revealed by God sending Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we might live through him. Love gives of oneself completely for the other, even when the other is undeserving of that love. Paul does an excellent job of describing then the love that we are to have for one another. He does that in I Corinthians 13 where he describes love as patient, kind, not envious boastful or arrogant or rude. It doesn’t insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

Certainly God is patient with us and merciful and forgiving. We have all ex-perienced that. But there is another side of God’s love that we don’t think about too often. Paul talks about it when he says asks if he should sin more so that God’s grace might abound. His answer, “God forbid.” There is a part of God’s love that corrects us. Much like a parent disciplines a child out of love so that they do not harm themselves, so God’s love does for us.

One of the beautiful illustrations of how this works is in John 8. A woman caught in adultery, punishable by death, was brought to Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees. Knowing the law, they hoped that Jesus would say something that would get him in trouble. He responded by saying that whichever of them was without sin should throw the first stone. When they all went away, he asked her where her accusers were. Then he said to her,

Dana Isles &

Facedown

March 21, 2014

Headstone 118

April 11, 2014

Above the Fall

May 16, 2014

“Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on, do not sin again.” She was forgiven, but he also corrected her behavior. God’s love does the same for us. As we think about love, we can be grateful for God’s love, mercy, and grace. We can also give thanks for God’s love that corrects and keeps us on the right path. So however it is that you are experiencing God’s love today, thank him for it. And the only proper response except for gratitude is for us to love each other the way that God loves us.

Pastor Doug, Pam, Justin, Tyler, and Kristin would like to thank all of you for your kindness in remember-ing us this Christmas season!

The Langer family thanks everyone for your thoughtfulness this Christmas and we hope you all have a joyous 2014!

Women’s Community Bible Study Women’s Community Bible Study led by Pastor Gene Wilkins meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays September through May at the United Methodist Church of Mantua. Starting at 9:30 am for coffee and fellowship, with the study be-ginning at 10:00 am. Currently, Pastor Gene is leading a study on Biblical miracles. All are wel-come. If you have any questions, contact the Church office at 468-2711 or call 468-5549.

Acolyte Update February 9—Pizza Party and Game Night

(may change to February 2) February 23—Acolyte Meeting

Ash Wednesday Soup Supper will be March 5 at 6:00 pm in McConnell Hall. Please sign up to bring your favorite homemade soup or a loaf of bread by contacting Janet Fuhrer 848-9986.

Valentine’s Day Cards for Pitman Manor residents will be in McConnell Hall. Please stop by and sign a card, it may be the only one they receive.

Souper Bowl Sunday is February 2nd! Don’t forget to bring in Soups and Stews to help stock the Corinthian Cupboard!

Blanket Sunday February 2

You’ve helped us respond to disasters for more

than six decades. We’ve seen CWS Blankets used

as shelters, suitcases, coats, stretchers—you name

it. But the first role the blanket plays is as a sym-

bol that someone care enough to help. Are you

that someone? Each $10 dona�on purchases one

blanket to give to someone in need.

Shady Maple & Sight & Sound Bus Trip Bus trip: Leaving from UMC of Mantua at 8 am on Mar 27 & returning to UMC of Mantua at 8 pm

Destination: Lunch at Shady Maple & Moses at Sight and Sound

Cost of trip: $99. Checks made payable to SCUCS.

Please contact Gail Slimm for further information 207-7800.

Rock the Block Meeting Sunday, February 23

After 2nd Service

Come Out and Support Rock the Block February 20th

5:00 pm—8:00 pm At the Mantua Chick-fil-A

February Confirmation Class Schedule February 6, 7:30 pm at UMC of Mantua February 20, 7:30 pm at UMC of Mantua

February 2014 Mantua Methodist Vine By William M. Crowley, Educational Research Director

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV), “Study to show thyself approved unto GOD2” This exciting, unending series researches the KJV Bible with other sources.

In time for Valentine’s Day

SOLOMON’S LOVE SONGS: BORROWED? Song of Solomon 1:2, The “bride” says, “Let him kiss meF” It reflects both their passions.

This love-inspired poem we are showing as historical. The events are: Solomon seizes a very beautiful peasant girl to be put in his private bed chamber. Her skin is black from the sun. Song 1:5, “I am black but comely...” ** Privately she admits chastity loss. Song 1:6, “Fbut mine own vineyardF(is) not kept.” Her shepherd lover. Song 1:7, “Fthou whom my soul loveth,Fwhere thy flockFrestF” Solomon’s wooing fails. Song 6:13, “Why should you look upon the Shulamite...?” Solomon rejected. Song 8:7, “Fwaters cannot quench love, neitherF floods drown it.” She goes home. The brothers feel still a virgin. Are not aware of her shepherd’s role. Boyfriend shepherd now has a ring put in his nose. Song 8:6, “Set me (my emphasis) as a seal

upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.”

Lesson learned: A beautiful peasant girl, who outwits Solomon, is the one who got away. Sol-omon wrote about this loss. Then she got the shepherd. No more “pasteurizing”.

SOLOMON’S LOVE SONG: BORROWED? The most important Sumerian ceremony began at the new year. The king needed the priest-ess to participate in the symbolic marriage to the moon-goddess, Inanna, the life-giving goddess of fertility. The Sumerians believed this ceremony ensured a fruitful and prosperous year. The Oxford Bible Commentary was linked to a temple priestess. A Sumerian poem’s 1947 translation had loving words of an unnamed priestess to her king. We found her: Kubatum.

KUBATUM, THE SUMERIAN PRIESTESS In 2030 B.C., she was the priestess in the city of Ur. Insisting on physically acting out the ritu-al made her the special favorite of her fertility ritual partner, Shu-Sin, King of Ur. Performed every spring at the top of a ziggurat, Kubatum and the king physically relived the Sacred Marriage of Dumuz and Inanna. Shu-Sin favored Kubatum with gold jewelry giftsF strictly religious perksFcoupled with a warm relationship.

KUBATUM’S GIFT Kubatum, besides the erotic contribution, gave the king immortalityFin her writings. She wrote mar-riage songsF lots of themFwhich analyzers feel the later Hebrews borrowed. Remember: In the Oxford Bible Commentary, it was felt the origin was a priestess (or a poem to a temple goddess). Here was our love goddess with full instructions on procedures. The king had his Boswell (biographer). The milk and honey references refer to Near Eastern poetry sexual circumstances.

“SONG” SIGNIFICANT REFERENCE? ** Song21:5,6 “I am black and beautiful,2Do not gaze at me because I am dark,2” A stranger has the king’s favor. The Queen of Sheba? Black no obstacle then. Why now?

St. M

ark’s U

nited

Meth

odist C

hurch

in Florid

a has a “C

are

Pack

age” p

rogram

that h

as been

shipping boxes o

f items an

d

letters to differen

t Military

troops aro

und th

e world

. We h

ave

decid

ed th

at our Y

outh Group need

s to fin

d m

ore w

ays to

show God’s lo

ve o

utsid

e of o

ur ch

urch

es (Barn

sboro an

d M

an-

tua). W

e are hoping to

send item

s, letters, and card

s to so

l-

diers in

war to

rn areas to

show our su

pport. T

he y

outh have

been

asked to

write letters o

r a card fo

r some o

f our m

ilitary

members. W

e are asking fo

r your h

elp to

o! P

lease help

us

help

others b

y pick

ing up a few

of th

e items listed

on th

e back

of th

is insert. B

ring it in

to our ch

urch

es and place th

em in

the

boxes m

arked “M

ilitary Collectio

n”. If y

ou would lik

e to sen

d

a couple o

f cards o

f encourag

ement, p

lease feel free to write

them

up an

d give th

em to

Pam

Baitin

ger o

r Penny Kirk

brid

e.

Thank you in

advance fo

r your su

pport!

Item

s for th

e care

pa

ck

ag

es will b

e collected

from

Ja

nu

ary

19

—F

ebru

ary

9

En

terta

inm

en

t

Ink pens

Notepads of paper

Word Puzzle books

Long-distance phone cards

Movie DVDs

Games

blank DVDs (making things to send

back)

Magazines Poker games

Playing cards

Dice

Dominoes

Music CDs

Paper back books (new or used)

Mis

cella

neo

us

pillow cases

Sheets

Blankets

Air fre

sheners

Koozies to keep bottles and cans cool

Brown t-shirts

AAA-D size batteries

Cotton dark bandanas

Stress relief balls

Tennis balls

Sewing kit

Black or Brown Boot laces

Boot Socks

Hand warmers

Inflatable seat cushions

To

iletr

ies

Shower to Shower body/foot powder

Baby Wipes

Razors

Body Wash

Soap bars

Shampoos

Toothbrushes & toothpaste

Heat Wraps for sore muscles

Liniments

Lip Balm

Icy Hot Patches

Vitamins

Aspirins

Alka-Seltzer

Deodorant

Ziploc Bags

Gro

cerie

s

Powered mixes for water

Jelly beans/ hard candy

Rice Krispie treats/any treats/cookies

Send M&M's (plain or peanut)

* No C

hoco

late

cand

ies * (T

hey m

elt)

Altoids or mints/ gum/ tic-tacs/ etc.

Beef jerky/ tra

il mix/ Snack mixes

Sunflower seeds/crackers / Nuts

Instant Oatmeal

Little Debbie's or Oreo snacks

Pop Tarts

Gatorade/Yoohoo drink mixes

Shelf life

milk

Canned food items (Tuna/Vienna

sausage, beans and franks, Smoked

oysters and sardines, Canned pasta,

soup, Canned Fruits)

*Best w

ith p

op to

p lid

s*

Coffee and filte

rs, instant coffee, teas

Small packs of spices: crushed red

pepper, salt, pepper (Store in zip lock

bag)

Pringles chips

squeeze type cheese

small mayo

Catsup

mustard

Salsa

Hot sauce

Pickles

BBQ sauce

Microwave popcorn and Mac&cheese

Cereal bars/granola bars

Hot cocoa mix

Soup mix

Items W

an

ted

for B

ox

es to

Ou

r Milita

ry

Un

ited

Me

tho

dis

t Ch

urc

h o

f Ma

ntu

a

Min

iste

ring

Th

rou

gh

Vid

eo

P

ain

les

s F

un

dra

ise

r

♦

Bu

y S

ho

p R

ite ($

20) C

ard

s.

♦

Th

e C

hu

rch

receiv

es 5

%

♦

Yo

u re

ceiv

e g

ift card

s d

olla

r for d

olla

r. ♦

It c

osts

yo

u n

oth

ing

! C

urre

ntly

:

We s

ell a

pp

roxim

ate

ly $

1,0

00 o

f gift c

ard

s p

er m

on

th.

A

nn

ually

we e

arn

ab

ou

t $600.

Where does the money go? It p

ays for some of th

e equipment

needs of M

TV. In

additio

n, contrib

utions have been made to The

Roof Fund, Chime Choir R

epair, U

MC Mission Trips and The Car-

pet Fund.

Go

al: W

e have a goal o

f $1,0

00 p

er w

eek. T

his is easily achievable!

If we only had 50 fa

milie

s th

at s

hop at S

hop Rite

and each fa

mily

bought o

ne card per w

eek, th

at w

ould be $1,000. T

he church would

earn $

2,6

00 p

er y

ear.

When we meet th

is goal, M

TV would not only be mostly self-

supportin

g, we would also be able to make larger contrib

u-

tions for other church needs.

Ac

tion

: L

ET

’S D

O IT

!

Exchange your c

ash or c

heck fo

r Shop Rite

gift c

ards

and go fo

od shopping fo

r your fa

mily or d

onate cards to

The Corin

thian Cupboard or F

amily Promise!

It c

osts nothing but re

aps great re

wards!

Resu

lts fo

r the Y

ear 2

013: A

vera

ge $

425 p

er w

eek in

gift c

ard

p

urc

hases! G

reat J

ob

!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

B

ruce R

eyh

er, M

TV

Tre

asu

rer

The UMM needs your help

to round up some suspects!

February 15th 6:00 pm

In M

cConnell Hall

This will be a m

en's event and an opportunity to gather for fellow

ship, food and fun. There will be a com

petition for the best recipe and lots of good food to eat. Other congregations will be participating as w

ell. Come out and support the m

en's ministry here in M

antua! Please see or contact Keith Wyckoff

if you have any questions: 856-537-7656

Be

st C

hili i

n T

ow

n

Happy February Birthday!

Happy February Anniversary

1 Brayden Green Betty Jameson Joyce Wescott 2 Amy Durand Jody Miller Linda Rudisill 4 Brenda Anderson Nick Colamarino 6 Larissa Tumminia 7 Bill Lisle Richard Lynch 8 Morgan Gallagher Robert Hoskins 9 Adam Eubanks 12 Patricia Nolte Joe Vincent 13 Charlie Armstrong Danielle Davis Erin Munch Marc Nagtegaal 14 Pam Baitinger Ryan Borgersen

16 Chelsea Guarrera Lisa Legg 17 Barbara Davis Nancy Fink Marilyn Heston Kai Kraft Karisa Wescott 18 Chris Seabo 19 Anthony Dorisio 20 Judy Bufala 21 Shannon String 22 Kristin Baitinger Marcie Daniels Jeffrey Fuchs 24 Emily Wyatt 25 Monica Dilio Evan Ewan Donald Rumbol Lynn Varner 27 Terry Grabert 29 Timothy Shockley

2 Dan & Terri Smith 6 Doug & Pam Baitinger 11 Pardam & Theresa Skalit 14 Bill & Debbie Wolf 22 Harry & Lorraine Litle 27 Jan & Janet Fuhrer