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Christmas Choir Cantata
It's time to start rehearsing Christmas music again!  If you would like to be a part of our Christmas program, please let Michael McCoy know.  Choir rehearsal is at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights.
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Nursery Volunteers:

October:  Cyndy Harvey
November:  Ann Tindal

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Watch Night - December 31, 2008 PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Watch ye therefore:  for ye know not when the master of the house cometh.  Mark 13:35

First United Methodist Church will hold a Watch Night service and traditional Moravian Agape Meal in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at 6:30 p.m.  If you've never participated in this type of event, make plans to attend.  For those of you who don't know anything about "Watch Night", here's some information.

WATCH NIGHT:

The renewal of the individual's convenant with God through a service that was established and emphasized by John Wesley. He believed that Methodists, and all Christians should reaffirm their convenant with God annually. In 1755 John Wesley held his first covenant service using words written earlier by Richard Alleine.  Wesley published this service in a pamphlet in 1780, and this form was used without alteration for nearly a century in England. It has been modified somewhat in more recent years. The covenant hymn, "Come, Let Us Use the Grace Devine," was written for this service by Charles Wesley.  This Covenant Service is often used in United Methodism as a Watch Night service on New Year's Eve.  The service focuses on the Christian's renewing the convenant of response to the grace of God in Christ.

Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press.

Many religious communities have a tradition of New Year's Eve being known as "Watch Night." The faithful of the community congregate in worship services commencing New Year's Eve night and continuing past midnight into the new year. The Watch Night is a time for giving thanks for the blessings of the outgoing year and praying for divine favor during the upcoming year.  Watch night can  be traced back to a sect of Christians known as the Moravians who held the first Watchnight Service in Herrnhut, Saxony, in 1732. The practice was later adopted by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

Source:  Wikipedia

The original watch-night services were spontaneous prayer services designed to deepen the spiritual life of Methodists. The Methodist watch-night services seem to have begun spontaneously at Kingswood in April 1742, when converted miners, trying to stay out of the ale house and trouble, gathered to spend the greater part of the night in prayer and praise. Busybodies asked John Wesley to "put an end to it." He responded that it was after the practice of the ancient Christians and he could see no cause to forbid the vigil.

Watch-night prayers became a regular service in the Methodist centers of Bristol, London and Newcastle. They were generally held between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on the Friday nearest the full moon "so that participants walked safely home through moonlit streets," as stated in Wesley's journal, Dec. 31, 1777. Wesley linked the watch-night vigil liturgically with a covenant of grace (an invitation to accept renewed obedience to Christ) in a service on Aug. 11, 1775 -- 33 years after the first watch night.

In North America, the first watch-night services were held at St. George's parish in Philadelphia and at Wesley Chapel in New York City in November 1770. Methodists continued the practice of watch-night services on New Year's Eve in the 19th century in both Britain and the United States.

Source:  Commentary: Meet new millennium through watch-night service
*Kriewald is professor of teaching and formation at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. This column originally appeared in UM Connection, the newspaper of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference.

Another article about Watch Night services being held in today's time in other United Methodist Churches in the U.S. can be found here:  http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=2332

MORAVIAN AGAPE MEAL or LOVE FEAST:

What is an Agape Meal?

The Agape Meal, or Love Feast, is a Christian fellowship meal that is often practiced in Covenant Discipleship groups or other small groups. 

The New Handbook of the Christian Year gives this definition: "A simple, ritual meal in the context of which hymns are sung, Scripture is read, and testimonies and stories of faith are shared.  John Wesley instituted this after the Moravian pattern.  All such meals derive from Jewish and early church meals such as are referred to by Paul, and they symbolize the unity of fellowship in the love of Christ which the saints at rest will share.  Signs of the agape are the loving cup and bread."

From The New Handbook of the Christian Year. Copyright © 1986, 1992 by Abingdon Press.

The United Methodist  Book of Worship includes a Love Feast service.  It says, "The Love Feast, or Agape Meal, is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the family of Christ.
Although its origins in the early church are closely interconnected with the origins of the Lord's Supper, the two services became quite distinct and should not be confused with each other.  While the Lord's Supper has been practically universal among Christians throughout church history, the Love Feast has appeared only at certain times and among certain denominations."

From The United Methodist Book of Worship. Copyright © 1992 by The United Methodist Publishing House.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH!
Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 January 2009 )
 
Christmas Parade PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Tuesday, 09 December 2008
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The Thead ladies show their Christmas spirit.   Linda Simpson and Jan Fulton bundle up.

Once again First United Methodist Church members bundled up for the 2008 annual Macon ChristmActive Imageas Parade.  We decorated Mike Banks' wagon that we use every year and everyone piled in with candy, blankets and holiday cheer.  Many thanks to Robert Fulton for driving the tractor, Mike Banks for the wagon, and Linda Simpson for organizing our participation.  Here are some pictures from this year's parade.  CLICK HERE.




UPCOMING METHODIST EVENTS:
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 27 December 2008 )
 
Upcoming Christmas Events PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Friday, 05 December 2008
COMMUNITY CHOIR CHRISTMAS CANTATA:
The Community Choir will have its annual Christmas Cantata on Sunday, December 7, 2008.  There will be two performances.  The first performance will be held at 4:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church and the second performance will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church.  This Cantata is always wonderful and a perfect way to celebrate Christmas and praise our Savior's birth.  Hope to see you there.

DECORATING CHURCH PARADE FLOAT:
We will all meet at the church parking lot at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, December 8th to decorate the church's parade float for this year's annual Christmas parade.  We need everyone's help to make our float look as wonderful as it has in the past.

CHRISTMAS PARADE:
Macon's annual Christmas parade will be held on Monday, December 8th, at 6:00 p.m. on the main street of Macon.  Line up for the parade will be at the hospital at 5:30 p.m.  If you want to ride on the float, you are welcome to meet us at the church parking lot or if we have already left for the lineup, plan to meet us at the hospital.  Dress warmly.  Traditionally the parade is held on a very cold night!  If you have any questions, please contact Tina Ferrell or Linda Simpson.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST  CHOIR CHRISTMAS CANTATA:
First Methodist's Choir will have their annual Christmas Cantata on Sunday, December 14th in the church sanctuary at 5:00 p.m.  There will be a reception in the fellowship hall immediately following their performance.  If you would like to prepare a dish for the reception, please contact Linda Simpson for more information.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 January 2009 )
 
Annual Ornament Party PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Friday, 05 December 2008
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Grace explains the rules to everyone.

Ashia and Grace Good have a Christmas ornament party every year at Grace and Steve Good's home.  Every one invited brings a wrapped Christmas ornament and an appetizer to share.  The food was in abundance and so Good! (pardon the pun)  Everyone indulged and enjoyed the food.  Active Image
After sampling every food item that was offered, we all sat down to begin the ornament exchange.  Each person draws a number which is the order we follow to pick a wrapped present (containing the ornament) from the tree.  You can choose to pick a gift or choose to take someone else's ornament.  It's kinda played like "dirty santa".  Many ornaments moved from person to person several times.  The most an ornament can be "stolen" is three times, then it is "retired" and can't be taken away from its owner.  We had a great time as the pictures will attest.  I hope you enjoy!   Here are some highlights . . .
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES.
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Doris proudly displays her angel     Jolynn opens her 3rd or 4th gift.  Linda looks with joy at her Ornament
                                                                                                               that ultimately Leah Agnew took home.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 16 December 2008 )
 
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