Sudbury United Methodist Church

Concerns and Celebrations
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Concerns and Celebrations

Feb. 4, 2025
A couple of weeks ago I was truly blessed to be a part of the 55th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast in downtown Boston. This event is the longest running of its kind. The music was breathtaking, the speakers put me on the edge of my seat, and the keynote address from noted author, activist, and feminist Angela Davis revealed how the long journey toward racial equality continues to rely on endurance, strength, and conviction.
The journey is long, and it so easily tempts those of us on the journey to get discouraged and worn down. Yet the speakers bore witness that in times of discouragement, we can find endurance and inspiration in each other.
It was mentioned several times that on the very same day, in the very same moment, the inauguration of a new president and a new administration was taking place.
What I found intriguing as an ultimate act of discipline, one speaker after another said, “We are not here to talk about what a new administration stands for. We are here to talk about Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for and how we keep those principles alive in our quest for truth, justice and racial equality.”
Those words gave me a needed reminder of what our role is and how we live it out in our leadership, and with one with another. We can spend a lot of time bemoaning what is or instead we can invest our time in working toward what can be.
This is a constant temptation facing us. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, everything, and I mean everything, has a problem associated with it. If you look hard enough, far enough, deep enough, you’ll find it. It’s there. There’s an underbelly, a consequence, a risk. There’s a mistake made, or an alternative path taken that leads us to say, “if given the chance I would have followed that direction instead.”
Conversely, if you look for a blessing, a possibility, a promise, a hope, you’ll find that too. It’s all in how you look at it.
Personally, I believe that’s what the Apostle Paul was alluding to when he said in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.” Even amid the ugly, the unfortunate, the negative, there is a way through the morass, a chance to rise above and make a meaningful impact. It’s more than making lemonade out of lemons. It’s believing in the transformation of the world.
The struggles to maintain positive and keep a hopeful spirit is getting more and more challenging these days. Black History Month began just four short days ago, and already, there are attempts to cast a pall over those who want simply to honor those who came before them with joy and celebration. It has been reported that the federal government, specifically the Department of Defense, will not officially mark any “special observances,” including Black History Month. No Women’s History Month observance. No Pride Month, no Holocaust remembrance. The list is long.
As I write, immigrants are being deported and those who have not are afraid. The poor and hungry will no longer receive global aid. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are being deemphasized or eliminated completely. The fallout is great. And the temptation to resign ourselves to this new reality is greater. How do you fight city hall?
A few days ago, a prominent leader said these words,
“I feel as though if Christ himself walked through these doors and said what he said thousands of years ago that we should love our neighbor and our enemy, that we should welcome the stranger, fight for the least of us, that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of heaven he would be maligned as a radical and rejected from these doors. And I know, and it is part of my faith, that all people are holy, and all people are sacred unconditionally and that is what makes faith. Sometimes that's what prompts us to transform because it is unconditional. It's not up to us to love parts of people. We love all people … It is not up to us to deny medical care. It is up to us to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to protect children and to love all people as ourselves.”
That person was Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (NY). She is a Congressperson. She writes laws. She speaks out. She said what we should be saying. She said what we need to say.
Friends, these days, it doesn’t take long to find a problem and even less time to focus on talking about it. But these days, are days to follow the lead of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and speak up, act out. It’s time to love all people. Time to feed the hungry. Time to clothe the poor. Time to protect the children. It is time to welcome Jesus into the room and into our hearts with open arms and celebrate him as the way, the truth, and the life.
Now is the time.
The Journey Continues, . . .

Thomas J. Bickerton
Resident Bishop

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Upcoming Events

• February 2025, Black History Month
• February 9, 2 pm Lemon Tree Interfaith book discussion at Congregation Beth El (see flyer at bottom of announcements)

• February 16, 10 am Prison Ministry Sunday - Dr. Scott Larson Preaching
• February 23, 10 am Youth Sunday
• March 5, 7 pm Ash Wednesday Service

Our Next Magic Year Program: Cuba Now

Magic Years will meet again on February 13, at noon. Richard Morris and Kay D’Orlando will speak about their recent experiences in Cuba. If you want to brush up on your Cuban history, watch The Cuba Libre Story on Netflix.
RSVP to Kay at 508-561-5382 or (kjdorlando@comcast.net). Sign-ups will also be at coffee hour a few Sundays before the event.

Monday Evening Bible Study Group

We hope you can join us on our next online bible study program – starting Monday February 3rd, and going until March 31st (one week break for President’s Day on Monday, Feb 17th). We will use the book for Immersion Bible Study, it is broken down into 8 weeks, and the chapters are very short. You do not need the book to join as you can follow along the chapters each week in your Bible. The book contains a leader guide at the back so you can prepare for the discussion if you want, or volunteer to lead a session! We will prepare for the Lenten season by discussing what came after Easter (Spoiler Alert) and do some fun crossword puzzles too. See you all soon on Zoom! The link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89915686864?pwd=N0prOUp2Q0tFMWoycTRCUGRhdWI3QT09
Please contact Jen Rockwell jrockwell965@gmail.com or Nan Okarma nanmar@comcast.net for a copy of the book or you can get order online.)

• Feb 10: Chapter 2 > Acts 3-8
• Feb 24: Chapter 3 > Acts 8-11
• Mar 3: Chapter 4 > Acts 12-15
• Mar 10: Chapter 5 > Acts 16-18
• Mar 17: Chapter 6 > Acts 19-20
• Mar 24: Chapter 7 > Acts 21-24
• Mar 31: Chapter 8 > Acts 25-28

Exploring Topics in Christianity

The Exploring Topics in Christianity group meets in Davison Chapel, prior to worship from 9:15 to 9:45.
On February 9th and 16th, the Social Justice Commission will be leading discussions regarding the recently adopted United Methodist Social Principles which became effective in January. We will talk about the role of the Social Principles in the United Methodist Church as well as discussing specific topics as a guide for putting our faith into action. All sessions will be stand alone.
Beginning February 23, the Christian Education Commission will begin a series of sessions based on the 2024 book by James C. Howell, “Everywhere Is Jerusalem: Experiencing the Holy Then and Now." Part travelogue, part Bible study, this book will take you on a spiritual journey to the places that are most important in our faith, and you'll discover that the most important place of all is the place where you are right now. Each session will consist of a video followed by group discussion. The following sessions are currently planned:

• February 23rd - Everywhere is Galilee: The Downward Call
• March 2nd - Everywhere is the Jordan: Baptism and All the Waters
• March 9th - Everywhere is the Mount of Olives: Standing Up and Courage
• March 16th - Everywhere is Bethlehem: Prayer Walls
• March 23rd - Everywhere is Nazareth: Finding the Way Home
• March 30th - Everywhere is Jerusalem: Places of Sorrow and Hope

All sessions will be stand alone, and it is not necessary to read Howell's book in order to participate in the discussions. Hope to see you there!

Spirituality Group Meets Online on Thursdays at 6:30 pm

The Spirituality Group will be using the daily meditations provided by The Center for Action & Contemplation, founded by Richard Rohr as the starting point for our discussions. This year’s theme is “Being Salt and Light,” with a focus on transforming ourselves and others through the way we show up in
our day-to-day lives. Using Jesus’ directives in the Gospel of Matthew to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” we’ll explore how to embrace unknowing over certainty, hold doing and being in balance, and find meaning in times of struggle as well as gladness. Use this link to receive the daily meditations via email: https://cac.org/email-sign-up/, and email (kglubic@gmail.com) to get the Zoom link.
Food Pantry Donations
Donations to our church’s shopping cart may be left at the O’Reilly Room entrance Monday through Friday. The best canned items to donate include solid white tuna, fruits, and vegetables. Raisins in boxes, dried beans, condensed milk, rice pilaf, pancake mix, syrup, pasta and pasta sauce in jars, macaroni and cheese, instant coffee, laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, feminine care products, and wipes are also appreciated. Whenever you shop – or have groceries delivered to your home – please remember the food cart! Please also be mindful of expiration dates.
Donating Sunday Morning Altar Flowers
The Flower Team welcomes altar flower donations. To choose a date, visit a user-friendly website : 2025 Sign-Up. Please use the comment section to note if your gift is intended to be in honor or in memory of someone special. And if you have specific flowers in mind, please share that information in the comment section. Checks in the amount of $50.00 to cover the cost of the flowers can be made out to Sudbury United Methodist Church with a notation in the memo field indicating “Flower donation.” Thanks.

Coming to Church? Please Follow Safety Guidelines!

The windows in the sanctuary will remain open for the foreseeable future to improve air flow and enhance public safety. With many viruses circulating, we are trying to ensure everyone’s continued good health. Please do not close the windows during worship. Please be mindful of the outdoor temperature and dress accordingly.
SUMC Is Live-Streaming on Facebook and YouTube Every Sunday! Join us on Social Media!
The Church Growth Commission invites you to follow SUMC on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter!
We are now streaming live to our own YouTube channel. We will also continue to live-stream on our Facebook page. Please take note and bookmark the links!
By reaching out through social media, the commission hopes to reach a larger audience. Please help us to grow. Follow us on (YouTube), (Facebook), (InstagramSUMC) and (TwitterSUMC).
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Sudbury United Methodist Church, 251 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
Phones: (978) 443-4351 or (978) 443-6785Fax: (978) 443-3052
Church Office: sumc@sudbury-umc.org Website: http://www. sudbury-umc.org
Church Staff
Pastor: The Rev. Leigh E. Goodrichpastorleigh@sudbury-umc.org
(Pastor Leigh observes Sabbath on Friday)
Youth & Children’s Ministries Director: Zachary Moser zack@sudbury-umc.org
(Zack observes Sabbath on Wednesday)
Organist/Music Director: Kevin Murphy, AAGOkevin@sudbury-umc.org
Sanctuary Choir Director: Rob Hammertonrob@sudbury-umc.org
Business Manager: Michael Grebmichael@sudbury-umc.org
Sunny Hill Director: Kathy Palmerdirector@sunnyhillpreschool.org
Office Manager: Shetal Kaye sumc@sudbury-umc.org
Sexton: Joe Picorellijoe@sudbury-umc.org

We are a Reconciling and Welcoming Congregation

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