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Volume 123 Issue 10, March 8, 2023

                                                                3600 75th Street
                                                             Urbandale, IA 50322
                                                                   515-278-0466

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   At Aldersgate we believe that every person is a
 beloved child of God. We welcome each person into
 full participation in the life of this community and
  offer a safe and loving environment for everyone.

        Your weekly news & updates

                   A Lenten Discipline of Presence

In these weeks of Lent, I’m inviting us to think about our United Methodist
membership vows –prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness – as
Lenten Disciplines. What might it look like to consider how we could “take
up” something familiar as a new practice or “look at something anew” that
has become commonplace for us? This week, I’m thinking about the
membership vow of presence and how we might think intentionally about
“faithfully participating in the ministries of the church by our presence.”

It’s tempting, I suppose, to evaluate presence by how often we show up at

Sunday morning worship. I mean, that certainly is an easy thing to count
and to track. And, to be clear, I don’t think that that is unimportant.

Whenever we gather as a worshipping community at the same time, and in
the same place, and for the same purpose, we support each other; we
connect with each other; and we bring our connected community together
for the purpose of offering thanks and giving praise and seeking
direction. We benefit from gathering together. We are a better people
together than we are apart. Worship is intended to be communal, not
private.

The Letter to the Hebrews says it like this: And let us consider each other
carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. Don’t stop
meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into
the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other. (Hebrews 10:24-25a,
Common English Bible Translation).
But, I’ve been challenging myself with these Membership-Vows-as-
Lenten-Disciplines to push past the obvious and the easy and to look at
them new and fresh.

One of the many things that the Covid-19 Pandemic continues to challenge
us clergy types to do is to redefine what “presence” means in the light of
online worship and the need and desire that many have to worship
virtually. What does it mean to “be in worship” when you are – either
because of a sense of safety or convenience (and, by the way, I think
either of those are fine reasons). What does it mean to “be in worship”
when we are not physically present? As an aside – or maybe it’s not an
aside at all – do you know that there are some weeks when we have more
than 20 people/screens watching online during the 9:30 hour as well as
several more that watch during the week? I try to remind myself of that,
especially when the sanctuary sometimes feels sparse.
I think this is only a partial answer, but I wonder if this might be one way
that we might challenge ourselves to think about it what is means to be
fully present in whatever way we worship: You often hear me invite us at
the beginning of worship to take a moment to Center
Ourselves. Sometimes I say that we might need a moment to let our
minds, bodies, spirits, and souls catch up with each other so that we can
bring our whole selves to worship. And, whether we are online or in-person
we can do that – I think we should do that – bring our whole selves to
worship. When we worship – in front of a screen or sitting in a pew – are
we fully present? Are we fully present with other in our community? Are we
fully present with God? Are we fully present with ourselves?
I pray that you are journeying well this Lenten Season –

Eric

March Mission & Outreach
              UCAN Spring Break Party
This month's activity on Friday, March 10th, 3:30pm to 7pm in the
gym. We will be assisting UCAN with their Annual Spring Break
Party. Laura Holmes, executive Director of UCAN, hosts an annual
pizza party, games and distributes Spring Break packets and
activities to the community. Volunteers and helping hands are
needed to assist with party (setup, cleanup, food, and assisting
with the fun!)
         Sign up here: http://bit.ly/3Y399J0 OR HERE:

Palm Sunday Procession &
                 Service for Peace
           Keynote speaker - Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai
             Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
             Procession and In-Person Service this year,
                        with live streaming.
* We will gather to raise our voices in support of justice and
peace.
* We will lift our voices and prayers calling for diplomacy in
Ukraine/Russia; an end to war and sanctions that kill in Iran, N.
Korea, Syria, Yemen and Palestine; and for an end to violence
here at home.

                Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023,
 Procession at 3:00 PM and Service at 3:30 PM
Procession will begin in the parking lot of the Union Park United
Methodist Church, 2305 E. 12th Street, and proceed to
Community of Christ Church, 1645 Pennsylvania Ave. for the
Service.

(If desired, you may go directly to the church for the service or join via this zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86559124132?pwd=ajNjR2NOa0J4RzlmeHZtV0pnRnZDUT09
Meeting ID: 865 5912 4132
Passcode: 50316

This ecumenical service is one of a series organized over the last
twenty years by the D.M. Faith Committee for Peace. The first was
in November 2002, praying and urging: Don’t Attack Iraq. War was

wrong in 2002; war is wrong in 2023. Because U.S. involvement in
the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen has not yet ended, and
because the war in Ukraine continues to rage, this is a time to
lament the terrible losses of war and the national resources spent
on warring and preparing for war. It is also a time to recognize the
increased militarization of responses in situations of conflict in this
country, and so we pray for peace, and re-commit ourselves to the
cause of peace and justice-making at home and abroad.
This prayer service will express a vision of peace and justice and a
position against violence and war. We will remember the true
meaning of Palm Sunday (a challenge to first century
economic/political powers) and renew our commitment to be
instruments of God’s peace.
   Organized by Des Moines Faith Committee for Peace and co-
    sponsored by many organizations and churches, including
              Aldersgate United Methodist Church

    Are you looking for an opportunity to
  support our neighborhood schools, staff,
       administrators, and students?
Rolling Green students will be relocating to the current Karen Acres building in July and Karen
Acres students will be attending to Valerius beginning in August. Olmsted is also a pen pal
partner this year. Aldersgate has offered to be prayer partners with these schools for the second
semester. Aldersgate members are invited to pray each week for a different grade. This week,
please pray for the students in Preschool of all 3 schools, as well as the staff
and administrators.

                          My favorite American Idol is J.C.
                            By: Rev. Dr. Moody Colorado
                        Superintendent, Pictured Rocks District

Read: John 3:1-17 and Matthew 17:1-9
Is idolatry a sin? If it is, then, America will have to repent of its popular TV
Show, The American Idol. The show has produced twenty idols after twenty
years of singers competing before the camera. The American audience votes

to decide who wins the title. The most popular one is of the music of the
church, Carrie Underwood. Her song, “Jesus take the Wheel,” has become a
common phrase in the American language. Somehow, this American Idol has
shared her faith around the world through her songs. She has sold over
seventy million records around the world. I think that’s not bad at all for the
most famous American Idol. I can’t help but observe that the Lord must have
really taken the wheel of the life of Carrie Underwood. We may say that
idolizing Carrie Underwood runs against our Christian faith but she’s directing
everyone to idolize Jesus and who could say that such idolatry is wrong.
Basically, the Heavenly Father has the first claim to every human heart, mind
and soul. This is the truth and that’s why Lent is so important. If we don’t
contemplate on this, we will be in trouble with God. The commandment was
laid down by God in both the doable and the preventative forms:

       “Thou shalt love the Lord your God, with all your heart, mind and soul.”
       “Thou shalt not have any other gods before Me.”

As we join Jesus in the wilderness in Lenten contemplation, I feel like a monk
as I try to imagine trying to enter the gates of heaven like Nicodemus and I am
confronted by Peter who scans with an X-Ray vision to probe my heart, “Who
or what gods are in there?” My ego, my ideologies, my noble career, my many
good accomplishments under my belt as a preacher. How will they fair? I wish I
could be sure that these things aren’t idols for the enemy’s side. I’d be happy
for the Holy Spirit to break in and take the wheel and use these things to glorify
the Lord.
It would be wise to start right to end right in our faith journey. The Nicodemus
Story and the Transfiguration of Jesus are paired together for the Second
Sunday of Lent. This combination gives us the formula about being born again
in the Spirit of God. The key to a Spiritual rebirth was spoken by God, “This is
my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” For Nicodemus to
be able to enter heaven, his heart needs to become pleasing to God. And since
Jesus is the one that is pleasing to God, Nicodemus needs to open to the Spirit
of Christ to keep listening to Jesus until he becomes Christ-like. All children
listen to their parents in their formative years and that’s why their language and
manners are father-like or mother-like. We have heard children describing their
dads as their hero. Then we hear them talking about their music idols as they
grow up. I hope they switch to listening to Jesus to upgrade from parent-like to
Christ-like. The church was started by the Holy Spirit precisely to train, and to
open avenues wherein someone like Nicodemus could become a Christ-like
Servant.
Copying Jesus through the Holy Spirit is the mold for what born again should
like. A person needs to open heart to Jesus and the Holy Spirit to dethrone all
idols great and small. The church is the best place in knowing what it means to
copy what Jesus loved to do. To name a few: Jesus fed, Jesus healed and
Jesus saved the lost. Let your church try it and see how you transform the
world if every believer’s goal is to feed and heal somebody like Jesus did. Even
if you don’t solve the world’s problem, that should help you receive a certificate
from Jesus that says, “Well done good and faithful servant.” That certificate
Jesus stamps in your heart where Peter can readily scan and give you a quick
pass through the gates of heaven.
In trying to copy Jesus to be a God-pleasing Christ-like servant I suddenly feel
that I have an idolatry in me that feels for me to be the good kind of idolatry. I
believe idolizing Jesus with all heart, mind and soul would be welcome to the
Lord. If there is one thing that would set off an alarm in Peter’s Heart Scanner

as he probes my heart, I hope that would be my idolatry of JC.
Amen.
Blessings,
Moody Colorado

          Easter Flowers
             Available
   Easter Flower order forms are available at the
     church office window or by clicking here
                              Easter Lily
                               Hyacinth
                               Daffodil
                                Tulip

   6" pots - $12.00 each - orders due March 19

           Annual Chili Cook-Off

The United Methodist Men would like to thank all the contestants, attendees
and supporters of the annual Chili Cookoff on February 26th. The chilis were
delicious and the competition was close and heated. With a narrow margin we
crowned Chris Brown as Chili King this year with the coveted golden ladle. The
biggest winner was the Urbandale Food Pantry with a $400 free
will offering from generous donations.

  Sunday Morning Learning Opportunity
               Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.
     Continuing this Sunday, Ian will be teaching Sunday's adult learning
                      opportunity for the Lenten Season.

  “Whether you’ve tackled the 1,400-page 19th century novel, witnessed the

Broadway musical (and memorized its soundtrack), or seen the several screen
adaptations of it, you already know the power of its story. In this six week study
  Matt Rawle dives into the six ideals represented in the story- grace, justice,
poverty, revolution, love, and hope. Through these characters' interactions we
see how these ideals work together (sometimes in conflict with each other) out
                                  in the world.”
  Study books will be available in the church office beginning this Sunday for a suggested price of $10

      Children's
    Sunday School
 Volunteer Opportunity
 Do you have a teaching gift
 or simply like to be around
kids? Aldersgate is looking for volunteers to teach on a
rotational basis or just be a presence in the classroom
  along with a teacher during Sunday School. Please
   email Ian Taylor or connect with him on a Sunday
Morning if you think this is something you would like to
                            do!

                                     Save the Date!
                           April 15, 2023 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
                    Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Urbandale
                     More information to come. Check back here.

                 Click HERE for the February Steering Committee Summary

Ways to Give When We Can’t be in Church
     Mail 3600 75th Street, Urbandale IA 50322
     Online www.aldersgatedsm.org/give
     Automated reoccurring transfer from your bank
     Drop off in the outside mail box next to the office door

                                                                   GIVE NOW

Please submit articles for the       Blessed are you, God of compassion and
         Newsletter to               mercy,
   gina@aldersgatedsm.org
  by Tuesday - 9am. Please
                                     to you be praise and glory forever.
 include a short description or      In the darkness of our sin,
explanation including date and       your light breaks forth like the dawn
      times if applicable.           and your healing springs up for deliverance.
                                     As we rejoice in the gift of your saving help,
                                     sustain us with your bountiful Spirit
     Building Hours                  and open our lips to sing your praise.
Aldersgate building hours:           Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 M-TH, 8:30 AM –12:30 PM             Blessed be God forever.
                                     The night has passed, and the day lies open
   If you need to be in the          before us;
building at other times please       let us pray with one heart and mind.
 contact the church office for       Silence is kept.
            access.                  As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
                                     so may the light of your presence, O God,
        Click HERE for
                                     set our hearts on fire with love for you;
        February/March
                                     now and forever.
                                     Amen.
           Birthdays

Staff
Pastor Eric Guy      eric@aldersgatedsm.org               Lead Pastor
Ian Taylor           ian@aldersgatedsm.org                Faith Formation Coodinator
Gina Mele            gina@aldersgatedsm.org               Office Manager
Eve Copeland Clark   eve@aldersgatedsm.org                Music Ministry Coordinator
Jason Rutkowski                                           Custodial Support

        Aldersgate United Methodist Church | 3600 75th Street, Urbandale, IA 50322

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