Prayer Concerns and Announcements for this week

For those who may have missed the announcement in worship yesterday, please keep Pastor Betty and her family in your prayers. She has traveled to San Diego this week to be with her daughter Heather in a time of crisis. Prayers for healing, strength, peace, and guidance would be appreciated.

On a happier note, we were greatly blessed by the stories shared by Rose Red Elk / Red Feather Woman in yesterday's celebration of Native American ministries and culture, and by Highlands UMC member Susie Aikman reminding us of her ministry with alterNative Voices radio (Sunday mornings on KUVO) - visit http://www.alternativevoices.org/ to learn more.

This Sunday we will welcome retired pastor Rev. John Lee to preach at Highlands. With Sheena still on vacation and Rocky Mountain Annual Conference taking place this week, we could use some help in producing the bulletin - please let me know if you might have a couple hours to volunteer. (Or if you are already planning to help out, let me know that, too!)

Annual Conference begins Wednesday evening, and is taking place at the Marriott-Denver Tech Center. Worship services are open to the public, and will take place:
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Communion Service; offering will go to GraceWorks Community, the Bishop's Young Adult Initiative
Friday at 7:30 p.m. Memorial Service; offering will go to Global AIDS Fund
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Ordination/Commissioning Service; offering will go to the Central Conference Pension Initiative

Mariah Hayden, our former Student Pastor, will be commissioned Saturday evening as a probationary elder. If you are interested in attending worship, or to learn more about the issues facing Annual Conference this year, visit http://www.rmcumc.org/COI/ac/ac2007/index.htm or just send me a note. Please keep our Annual Conference in your prayers as the delegates (including our own Kathy Moore) make decisions about the structure, administration, and ministries of the United Methodist Church in our own region and around the world.
Blessings on your lives and ministries!

Communion, Wisdom, Membership, Pentecost

May promises to be a month of celebration for Highlands UMC. I hope you will join us as we finish the Easter season and move to Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church.

This Saturday, May 5, all members of the congregation are invited to come for our (more or less) semi-annual workday. Indoor and outdoor tasks are available; all ages are welcome to come and help starting at 9 a.m.

Sunday, May 6, we celebrate Holy Communion. All are welcome at Christ's table. We will enjoy special music from violinist Judy Hagerman and Jackie Shaffer on organ.

Sunday, May 13, Mother's Day: Honoring the Wisdom of God, Holy Sophia, considered by many to be the feminine nature of God.

Sunday, May 20, we welcome new members to our congregation, and all of us renew our commitment to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service.

Tuesday, May 22, we will have an informational evening about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, and what we can do to help stop the violence. We will hear from Rev. Heidi McGinness, an ordained Presbyterian minister who has spent time in Darfur with Christian Solidarity International. All are welcome to come and learn about this wartorn part of God's world and our human family.

Sunday, May 27 is Pentecost, when we hear the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the gathering of disciples fifty days after Christ's death and resurrection. We celebrate the movement of the Spirit in our own midst, and remember the call to live as disciples who see visions and dream dreams of the Reign of God.

I hope you will join us at Highlands UMC this month. Worship is at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday. Please visit the church office, call, or email for more information (see "About Highlands" at right). May God continue to bless you richly in this season of new life!

Christ is risen! Alleluia! Make a joyful noise!

This Sunday, April 15: "Joyful Noise Sunday" - come and respond to the good news of Resurrection by making a joyful noise! Pastor Kerry will preach on "Getting in Touch with Reality." The Highlands Worship Band will provide some of our music. All are welcome.

Next week:

Sunday, April 22, Earth Day: Highlands UMC will observe Evolution Sunday, celebrating the earth God has given us, the science that informs us, and the faith that inspires us. Pastor Betty will preach. Sacred dance to James Weldon Johnson's poem, "The Creation," and jazz musician Lee Ann Gott bring special elements to our worship.

Holy Week at Highlands UMC

I don't know if anyone out there in cyberspace is still checking in at this site, since I've been so delinquent in updating it for the past six months. I apologize; life has been very busy!

This week is Holy Week, when we remember the last week of Jesus' life, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey - forming a powerfully humble contrast to the imperial procession of Caesar entering on his fine horse at the other end of the city - to his death on the cross, and then Easter Sunday's joyful news of Resurrection.

This year Highlands is holding a Good Friday service, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. We will reflect on the Seven Last Words (sayings) of Christ through word and song. All are welcome to this contemplative service remembering Jesus' final hours on the cross.

Easter Sunday (April 8), we are offering a Pancake Breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by our Service of Resurrection and Communion at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome, not only in the church but also at the table. We will be blessed by violin, organ, and extra choir members in our musical praise, and we close worship by singing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Please join us for this joyful celebration!

Coming soon:

Tuesday, April 10: Administrative Council meeting, 7:00 p.m. Very important meeting with updates from our committee chairs and the beginning discussion of leadership training.

Sunday, April 15: Pastor Kerry will preach on "Getting in Touch with Reality." The Highlands Worship Band will provide some of our music. All are welcome.

Sunday, April 22, Earth Day: Highlands UMC will observe Evolution Sunday, celebrating the earth God has given us, the science that informs us, and the faith that inspires us. Pastor Betty will preach. Sacred dance to James Weldon Johnson's poem, "The Creation," and jazz musician Lee Ann Gott bring special elements to our worship.

At Highlands UMC, all people are truly welcome, regardless of age, race, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration or employment status, educational background, income level, ability/disability, marital/family situation, political party, favorite color, or preferred style of dress. We hope you will join us soon!

Life-Long Learners and Missions Dinner

This Sunday, September 24, we will hear the story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman from Mark 7:24-37. Pastor Betty is preaching on "Lifelong Learners." Be sure to stay after church for a dinner hosted by the Missions Committee. Donations will go to support ongoing needs for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast.

Next Sunday, October 1, is World Communion Sunday. Our text will be

"Life-long Learners"

This Sunday, September 24, our theme will be "Life-long Learners" as we hear the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman from

Kicking off the program year

Wow, I didn't realize it had been almost two months since my last post here. I apologize, and hope there may still be someone out there checking in once in a while!

As summer draws to a close, we are preparing to resume our "program year" at Highlands UMC. Sunday, September 10 is our "kick-off" or "Rally" Sunday, when the choir will sing in worship again, Sunday school for all ages will resume, and we begin exploring the areas of growth in faith and mission we want to achieve for this year. Our theme will be "Sacred Work," and we will hear from representatives of the many different areas of ministry that take place in and through our church.

Before that, though, all are invited for worship this Sunday, September 3 at 10:00 a.m. We will celebrate Holy Communion, and sing some favorite hymns suggested by members of the congregation. Many folks travel for Labor Day, but God is always present to bless our work and our recreation, our worship and our rest.

Choir rehearsals have started up again, and we always welcome new members: Wednesday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., in the sanctuary.

We also are open to new members for the Highlands UMC Worship Band, which plays once or twice a month and rehearses as needed to prepare for that. We are particularly in need of a bass player, but we welcome other instruments and vocalists too!

Hope you can join us this Sunday or in future, corner of Osceola St and 32nd Avenue in northwest Denver. All are welcome!

Celebrating Our Children

Vacation Bible School has begun! "Adventure of the Treasure Seekers" continues tonight, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., and tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Children from preschool through 5th grade are welcome; we are asking a donation of $10 for one child or $15 per family to help cover the cost of materials.

This Sunday, the children will take part in worship to share what they learned during VBS, and we will celebrate the gifts of children in the life of our community of faith. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m., and all are welcome to stay for fellowship hour after the service.

July 2 - Holiday Weekend

This Sunday, July 2, we will be blessed with a sermon from Maralyn Devlin, Certified Lay Speaker, from the book of Daniel.

Families, don't forget to sign up for Vacation Bible School next week (July 6, 7, 8 - see below)! We are still in need of some more adult or youth helpers, too. Please contact Pastor Char or join our informational meeting after worship this Sunday.

Any choir members looking for a chance to sing during our off-season? Consider taking part in the Congress Park Choral Union, a new summer-only choir with the motto, "Singing should be fun!" Rehearsals are Sunday and Thursday evenings from July 9 until August 3, with a concert Sunday, August 6 at Christ Church United Methodist, at 690 Colorado Blvd.

June update - yikes!

Where on earth did the last three weeks go?

Thanks to all who helped out with the Highlands Street Fair last week - we gave out lots of information on our Vacation Bible School for this summer, and lots of kids came by and "fished" for prizes. This is a great way for us to reach out in the community and build a positive reputation with the young families in the area.

Speaking of Vacation Bible School, this year's theme is "Adventure of the Treasure Seekers," and we will be exploring God's promises with children (pre-K to 5th grade) July 6, 7, and 8 (Thursday and Friday evening, 6-8pm, Saturday 9am - 1pm). All participants are invited to worship Sunday morning, July 9, for the children to share a song and message about what they learned. All are welcome; cost is $10 per child or $15 per family. Contact the church office at 303-477-5857 to learn more.

If you are interested in helping out with VBS, we would love to have your support, whether as prayers, presence, gifts, or service! Contact the church office or Pastor Char about your area of interest.

This Sunday, June 25, will include celebration of the Kerry Greenhill's commissioning towards Deacon's orders, a significant step on the path to ordination. The worship band will bring special music, and all are invited to stay for coffee and fellowship after the service. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m.

Between now and then, lay and clergy representatives from United Methodist Churches across the region will gather for the 2006 Rocky Mountain Annual Conference, to share in "holy conferencing" and vote on decisions affecting us all as a connectional community. Please keep the delegates and leadership in your prayers as we seek to come together in love and unity, with respect for diverse opinions and a desire to live out the Good News more faithfully in all our different settings.

Wrapping up the parables

Memorial Day may mark the unofficial start of summer, but in the church we are nearing the end of Eastertide and approaching Pentecost.

This Sunday, May 28, will be the final week in our sermon series on the parables. Kerry Greenhill will preach on the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds, Matthew 13:1-9. All are welcome to join us for worship at 10:00, followed by fellowship hour. Hope to see you!

P.S. The good news that God does not take a vacation, but is with us wherever we are, does not always help us to remember that the work and needs of the Church also go on, even when we are not present! Please remember that if you will be out of town, the church still has bills to pay, and your offering may be sent in by mail!

Barbeque to benefit the Mayor's Homeless Initiative

This Sunday, May 21, Pastor Betty will continue her sermon series on the parables of Jesus, and the Highlands UMC Worship Band will lead our music. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m.

After church (beginning around 11:15 a.m.), the Missions Committee is sponsoring a BBQ in the church parking lot (corner of 32nd Ave and Osceola), to which all are invited. Donations will go to support our participation the Mayor's Homeless Initiative for Denver, in which Highlands UMC has signed up to sponsor a homeless person or family, providing a month's rent and mentoring support over the course of a year. Come one, come all to enjoy some great food and fellowship and support a worthy cause!

Parables, Communion, and the 50th Anniversary of Women's Full Clergy Rights

This Sunday, May 7, we will celebrate Holy Communion during our usual 10:00 worship service. All are welcome at Christ's Table. Pastor Betty will continue her sermon series on the Parables of Jesus.

Next week, May 14, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women in The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. Today, May 4, is the exact anniversary.

On this day in 1956, the General Conference of The Methodist Church voted to affirm full clergy rights for women, ending a long history of baby steps and individual cases of recognizing women called to ministry with decisive action. The United Methodist Church has declared 2006 a year to recognize this 50th anniversary, and so here are a couple resources for those interested in exploring the issue further:

This month's issue of the Circuit Rider is full of articles on women in ministry.

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry sponsors a website by, for, and about UM Clergywomen.

And with no disrespect intended toward the many fine men who have served the church, I offer The Top 10 Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ordained:

10. A man's place is in the army.

9. For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibilities of being a parent.

8. Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be "unnatural" for them to do other forms of work.

7. Man was created before woman. It is therefore obvious that man was a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. This is easily demonstrated by their conduct at football games and watching basketball tournaments.

5. Some men are handsome; they will distract women worshipers.

4. To be ordained pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more frequently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes by any means other than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, and maybe even lead the singing on Father's Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.

1. In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.

Parables

Tomorrow we will look at the parables of Jesus. Why did he use parables? What was he hoping to convey? Why be mysterious?

Check out these verses from Matthew 13 in The Message (a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible).

In the next few weeks, the sermon will focus on specific parables.

Hope to see you there!

Second Sunday of Easter

Did you know that, like Christmas, Easter is not just a single day, but a liturgical season? Christian traditions and communities that follow a liturgical calendar observe Eastertide for seven weeks, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. It is a season of joyful celebration, of remembering the Resurrection and the disciples' experiences of the living Christ among them, with white or gold as the traditional liturgical color.

This Sunday we have a guest preacher, Rev. Carla Ficke, who will bring us a message on "Leap of Faith." If you would like to read the scriptures in preparation for worship, check out John 20:19-31 and Psalm 133. Our seasonal chime choir will play special music. Pastor Betty returns next week.

Holy Week

With the celebration of Palm/Passion Sunday this week, we have entered into Holy Week, the final days before Jesus' death - and resurrection. All are welcome to come to a service of Communion and Stations of the Cross on Maundy Thursday at 7:00 p.m., as well as our Easter celebration this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. (Pancake Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m.; see below for details).

In addition, Holy Week is a good time to reflect thoughtfully on scripture and the steps of Jesus. If you are looking for daily readings or prayers, I invite you to visit the following:

Sacred Space: the prayer site run by the Irish Jesuits.

CRI/Voice.Institute: Biblical and theological resources for growing Christians, based in the Wesleyan tradition. In addition to the introduction to/explanation of Holy Week linked above, this site also has a schedule of suggested daily readings, adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, and another schedule from the Revised Common Lectionary.

Lenten Reflections from the Upper Room: Note the lectionary scripture readings on the right side of the screen.

Approaching Holy Week

Sisters and brothers, Lent is drawing to a close. This Sunday, April 9, is Palm Sunday, when we remember and celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowds cried "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" Yet the joyful shouts turned quickly to betrayal, and as we move through the week we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples and the "new commandment," "love one another as I have loved you," and his capture and trial by those who were disturbed by his teachings and power. On Good Friday we remember Jesus' crucifixion, the death of a man so faithful that a Roman centurion who saw it was moved to say, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Of course, we already know the surprise twist at the end of the story as we build toward the empty tomb on Easter Sunday, April 16, but for now we walk with Jesus in our hearts toward Jerusalem.

At Highlands UMC, all are welcome to join us for Holy Week services:

Sunday, April 9: Palm Sunday Worship, 10 a.m. The Gospel of Mark will be told as story - a wonderful way to hear and experience the Good News as though for the first time.

Thursday, April 13: Maundy Thursday Worship, 7 p.m. We remember how, on the night before Jesus died, he had dinner with his friends. The name "Maundy Thursday" comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment, referring to the new commandment to love one another.

Sunday, April 16: Easter Sunday
Pancake Breakfast, 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Join us for pancakes and fellowship as we celebrate the Risen Christ! We will be accepting donations to help fund The Mayor's Homeless Initiative. Plan on attending this fundraising, resurrection event and bring your friends!
Worship, 10 a.m. Celebrate the Resurrection joyfully with word, song, and sacrament. The United Methodist Church serves open Communion - all are welcome at the Table. As is our tradition, we end Easter worship with the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. What better way to praise God for the gift of new life in Christ!

Hope to see you there!

Lent continues

As we continue the journey through this wilderness season, I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your spiritual practices, disciplines, and self-care. We are mid-way through Lent already, but I would like to recommend a book I'm reading: A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent, by Sarah Parsons. This is a wonderful guide to some intentional inner work that is both practical in its specificity and powerful in its insights. I bought my copy from MethodX.net (visit their store), but I'm sure it's available from other fine booksellers.

This Sunday, March 26, Pastor Betty is back to preach, and the Highlands UMC Band will also lead us in worship. The adult Sunday school class on World Religions continues with a session on Islam.

Sunday, April 2, we will celebrate Communion. April 9 is Palm Sunday, when an ensemble performance of The Gospel of Mark will provide a new and different way for us to hear and reflect on the Good News. More information on Holy Week services coming soon - hope to see you at Highlands this week!

Lent begins

I apologize for the lack of updates in the past few weeks. Things are getting busy! (I know, it's a lame excuse, but it's also true...)

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, when we remember Jesus' time in the wilderness and focus on our own journey of discipleship.

Pastor Betty offers this note of invitation to all:

Lent symbolizes the journey and suffering that Christ made in response to his faithfulness to God. We come together at 7:00 a.m. on Ash Wednesday for our sacrificial breakfast. Come and begin the journey towards wholeness with the fellowship of your brothers and sisters of Highlands UMC. We will have a light breakfast followed by a worship service of communion and imposition of ashes.

This Sunday we will have a new adult Sunday school class on World Religions, taught by Barbara and Paul Brekus. Contact the church office to learn more: highlands32@aol.com.

New Members & Fellowship Hall Dedication

This Sunday we will have some new members join Highlands UMC during worship! Hope you'll all be there to celebrate as we welcome new members into our church family.

After worship, we will also celebrate the life and service of a faithful member who died last year, Elwyn Ashford. All are welcome to come for lunch provided by the Hospitality Committee as we dedicate the fellowship hall to Elwyn's memory as "Ashford Hall."