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PPUMC Service Projects Update: Supporting Afghan Refugees
A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the February campaign to support Afghan refugees via the Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services. PPUMC collected three carloads of goods. The MCC was especially grateful to receive two car seats and a wheelchair. Most of our donations were household goods: kitchenware and cleaning/laundry supplies to help newcomers set up their new homes. Givers also contributed gift cards and a cash donation of $882. In prior months, we raised over $1250…
Keep on Singing! (PPUMC Choir)
As choir director here at PPUMC, I feel pretty darn comfortable speaking for the entire congregation when I say we ALL love to sing, especially when together in the sanctuary. Ah, those sweet sounds! Of course, it has been nearly two years since we’ve last shared that gift in person; and yet, we’ve created new ways to join our voices together in song every single week…and we will continue on that journey! The reflection below comes from Liz Miller, pastor…
January-February Pastor’s Corner
Beloved Community, Today I plan to eat a peanut butter, bologna and lettuce sandwich on white bread, with the crusts cut off. I’m thinking to serve it on a favorite vintage plate (photo included) with a few potato chips on the side. If I can come up with some red licorice, it will be dessert. If you follow pop culture, I imagine you’ve figured out why. 1) It was Betty White’s favorite sandwich, and I’m curious.2) I learned about it…
December Pastor’s Corner
“Making merry,” is a wonderful expression, if you take it seriously. It can mean more than a Holiday Party after the Secret Santa exchange at the office. It can mean that in the midst of increasing pressure, fear, anxiety, need and grief, we make, literally, make our way toward hope: God breaking into history with a word of love and freedom for suffering humankind. Hope isn’t easy. It’s not optimism. It’s a decision to choose love over very real fear.…
UMC Creation Justice Tips: Thank You, God!
Thank You, God!In the midst of the incessant onslaught of bad news, it’s time to give thanks for all that is good. Challenge family and friends to swap out a traditional meat-based dish for one from plants. In a four-person household, making the change just once a week is the equivalent of removing the emissions from driving a car for five weeks. You’ll have more to celebrate and be thankful for. Are you regularly in a queue to pick up…
November Pastor’s Corner
Friends, I hope you have gotten some mail from PPUMC recently, first, an invitation to the Fall Arts and Food Fest coming up this next weekend on its traditional date: the first Saturday in November and second, a letter introducing this year’s Stewardship season. I hope you received both. I like the balance of the two. One, the Fall-Fest, is an invitation to be part of the neighborhood and community by coming together at the church when it is filled…
UMC Creation Justice Tips: Are you a consumer or a citizen?
How you think of yourself matters. We’ve repeatedly been told we are consumers, but to consume means “to use things up.” Rejecting that label and seeing ourselves as citizens—ones who care for the welfare of the community—makes a difference in our actions. Which one aligns with our faith? Who do you want to be? Fall is another planting season, this time for perennials. Choose native plants that bloom in the fall, such as asters. They give us a pop of…
October Pastor’s Corner
Beloved community, It is October, and we are a hive of activity! We are: Preparing the parsonage to be listed for sale. Preparing for FAFF – that’s the Fall Arts and Food Fest. It’s our newest iteration of the PPUMC Bazaar and Art Fair, still the first Saturday in November. Preparing for our annual Stewardship Campaign to roll out, which also means we are working hard on the budget for the coming year. Preparing to welcome the Dignity Congregation back…
September Pastor’s Corner
I am a fan of cooking shows on television. They’re, for the most part, the only “reality TV” I enjoy. I learn tips and tricks, sure, but mostly I enjoy watching the cooks solve problems creatively to delight those they feed. One of my favorites: somebody gets artichoke as the featured ingredient and not only do they produce deep-fried artichoke fritters, but also an artichoke soufflé. They call it “Artichoke Two Ways.” I’m thinking of Church Two Ways these days.…
August Pastor’s Corner
Jimmy Fallon has a running bit that has lasted through both of his late-night television shows, in which he writes thank you notes. Each is written to a flourish of music provided especially for the moment. He’s been writing them for years. They’re funny and sometimes pointed and very occasionally sweet. Mine are none of those things. They are simply sincere. Thank you PPUMC congregation, for encouraging me to take time away from work. David and I traveled some, and…