"Midweek and A Prayer to Begin the Day" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 03/04/2020

Good morning! 

This morning when I was just waking up a text popped up on my phone, just a few words of a prayer from a friend to begin my day.

Lord, stir us to rise each morning expecting to encounter you and be caught up in your work, amen.

That’s it, today’s midweek.  Look around.  Look for the caught up, swept up, work of God coming your way.    And thank God for the adventure. 

Have a good day,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org. 

We worship on Sunday mornings at 8 and 9:30 in our sanctuary and 11 in our Friendship Room.  And this Sunday at 1 pm, Pastor Trevor will lead worship at Bar Church at Twisted Vine Brewery.  And now we are livestreaming our 9:30 worship service.  You can catch it on Facebook.  
This Sunday our sermon series The Walk continues.  Pastor Trevor will be talking about what prayer means to him.  Looking forward to it!

This week at WDMUMC:
Tonight!  March Madness!  Basketball Trivia!  Prizes! Supper!   All rolled into one.  Come and enjoy the fun.  The offering supports our Everybody Eats! hunger program.  It all begins at 5:30!  Wear the t-shirt of your favorite team! 

Music and More on Grand!  Sunday at 3 pm The Kantorei Choir and College Chorus from Grandview College will perform.  Come and enjoy it!

Morganne Reads!  Morganne is hosting a book club.  The next book Nickel and Dimed, a book about trying to make it in America without much money.  Time for you to get reading so that you can meet with the book club on March 26th.  See Morganne for details. 

Our Little Food Pantry Needs Rice/rice dishes, Hamburger Helper, Saltine Crackers.  We are feeding our neighbors!

Please surround the family of Al Creese in prayer.  Al died on Monday.  His memorial service will be held at wdmumc on Saturday, March 7 at 11 am.  The visitation will be held from 4:30-7:30 on Friday at McLarens Funeral Home.

We also pray for the family of Dick Cummings.  Dick died on Friday.  His memorial service is planned for March 24th.

As a people of faith, we thank God for Al and Dick and we shelter their families in sympathy and compassion. 

"Midweek and Honoring a Good Man" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 02/26/2020

Good morning, friends, 
Judge Colin Witt has died.  He served as a District Associate Judge in Polk County serving in the Juvenile Court.  He was 45 years old.  He died on Sunday after a long battle with lymphoma.  During his career as a judge, he worked to improve the lives of children and strengthen families.  Each day in his courtroom he listened to the stories of what went wrong and he worked to restore what is right.  He was a public servant who made our community better.

This morning his obituary appeared in the paper.  It is beautiful, words we all need to hear:  “Colin believed that our commitment to justice, the character of our society, the rule of law, and fairness and equality is how we treat the poor, the lost, the broken, the accused, and the incarcerated.  He believed that each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.  Colin had the ability to hold power and tenderness in the same breath; always seeking to see the other and lead with love, understanding, mercy, and justice.  He believed in the power of community and that together we are each other’s harvest…Colin believed in building up others around him.” 

I met Judge Witt only once, very briefly.  I didn’t really know him.  I never sat in his courtroom.  I don’t know the families he worked with or specific rulings he made, although I do believe his work changed the community around me.  What I do know are lawyers and social workers and judges who worked with him.  I know him because I saw the difference in his strength of character made in their lives.  I know his dedication because I have seen it in the lives of those he inspired.  On Sunday in our worship service, one of the people who had worked with Judge Witt lifted him in prayer.

Even though I barely knew him, his life had a ripple effect touching my life even though I never stepped into his courtroom.  One person living life with conviction and purpose can do that. 

Each of us has the ability to lead our lives with love, understanding, mercy, and justice. And when we do, those same qualities to ripple into the lives of those around us. We influence others to live with love, understanding, mercy, and justice.  Those same qualities ripple out, as a stone dropped in a pond, extending further and further.  They bring a harvest that looks like the kingdom of God.
Today Lent begins.  One man begins his walk to the cross.  We will follow him and the way he lived will ripple into our lives, carry us on a wave of love, understanding, mercy, and justice. 
And that changes everything.

My sympathy to the Witt family and my deepest thanks to them for sharing Colin with us.

Blessings,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.

On Sunday morning we worship at 8 am in a traditional way, at 9:30 blending tradition and new music and at 11 in a casual way.  You are invited to join in worship in whatever way is right for you.  NOTE!  These are new worship times!   Sunday school is from 9:30 to 10:30. 
And we will Livestream our 9:30 service! 

This Week at WDMUMC
Ash Wednesday Service tonight at 7 pm.  Our confirmation students will lead this service.  The service will include the imposition of ashes.  Come and begin the journey to Easter.

Midweek Refuel tonight!  This is our weekly meal.  Tonight our cooks are serving up tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Comfort food on a cold winter night!  Serving begins at 5:30.  A free-will offering supports our Everybody Eats! program ensuring that neighborhood children and beyond have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

Sunday!  Our Lenten Series begins as we launch a new worship service.  Please keep our church and this new chapter in your prayers. 

Coffee Servers Needed this Sunday!  Would you or your group be willing to serve coffee?  Reply to this email!

"Midweek and I'm Thinking About Peace" Pastor Trevor's Devotion 02/19/2020

Peace is what’s on my mind today. Well, most days. I think that’s a result of having three children. Doing all the wonderful parent things brings me peace but also sometimes I’m just looking for some peace and quiet. We had parent-teacher conferences last night and my two 4th graders are doing very well academically, socially, and seemingly internally as they are discovering themselves. My 9-month-old is usually a pretty calm baby but during conferences, she was super loud and refused to just chill. It’s okay, that’s what babies do sometimes… whether or not the teacher agreed, that’s what I kept telling myself as I struggled to hear all that was being said about my children. Overall, yesterday evening brought a sense of peace that my kids are “on the right track for success” whatever that means.

As someone who wasn’t on the right track for much of his life, I can say that sometimes “tracks” are a little overrated. So if you aren’t or your kids aren’t or someone else’s kids aren’t… have some grace and be intentional.

Even so, the peace of the afternoon shifted after I got the kids all laid down in bed. Bedtime was actually easy last night but then I started to work on some of my homework for my chaplaincy program at Unity Point Hospital. I remembered my classmate who told us that he’s not allowed to return home to Turkey because of politics. If he showed up, he’d be arrested. Not because he did anything morally wrong, but because he is a supporter of a peace movement.

Politics. Ugh. I thought about our own conflicted politics. I realized that peace in the home for our children isn’t a reality for all children. I thought about how once they leave our safe home, they’ll be confronted quickly with a myriad of conflicts and many spaces in our world that lack peace - even in our own backyard. How do we prepare our children? How do we teach them peace? I attended a covenant group meeting yesterday morning where I left thinking about what it means to be an active agent of peace. We are creators of peace.

How do you create peace? Not rhetorical. I really want to know. Send me an email (tvaughn@wdmumc.org) and let me know. Then join us on Sunday morning at 8:30 & 11 as we continue this conversation on peace.

Peace be with you.
Pastor Trevor
Rev. Trevor Vaughn
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave West Des Moines, IA 50265
Church: 515-279-0826

West Des Moines United Methodist Church we worship on Sundays at 8:30 in a traditional way and at 11 in a casual way.  You are invited to worship in whatever way is right for you!  We are livestreaming our 8:30 service.  Check us out on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org. 

This week at WDMUMC
Midweek Refuel Tonight!  Chicken and Gravy over mash potatoes tonight!  Come and enjoy it!  Supper’s on at 5:30. 

Church Directories!  Do you need a church directory?  Contact the church office! 

Ministry Opportunities!  Hospitality needed!  

Office Volunteers needed!  Are you available to staff the reception desk a few hours a week and answer the phone?  We are looking for volunteers!  Reply to this email if you are available!

Sunday Morning Coffee Hour!  Our super coffee hour team will be vacationing in March.  We need coffee hour hosts March 1 and March 29.  Would you and your friends be willing to host?  Reply to this email!