Huntsville United Methodist Church: September 2008

Monday, September 22, 2008

A Life-Size Replica of Noah's Ark

Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens In Schagen, Netherlands

This is truly amazing! Cannot even imagine the work, time, and money that went into this venture. It's also amazing to see how large this is - and that the fact it is to scale of biblical times. Enjoy.

The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday for the first crowd of curious Pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.

Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house..

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold. A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine. Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been..

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy.

Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel. Visitors on the first day were stunned. 'It's past comprehension, ' said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw The ark looming over the local landscape. 'I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big.'

There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. ''If You Need Help, Ask God. If You Don't, Thank God''.... 'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' Psalm 23:6

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

Thank you to Jim Couch for the email.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Thank you to the United Methodist Women

Dear Methodist Women,
God Bless You for your generous offering to the food pantry. We have been seeing about 600-700 families a month - the need is great right now. God has been meeting every need through the faithful people in Madison County. We are truly seeing the hand of God in a mighty way. Thank you all so much and God Bless & keep you.
Love,
Nancy & Rick Dignan

**Thanks to everyone's generosity at the UMW fundraisers, a gift of $500 was recently given to the Open Arms Food Pantry.**

From the Open Arms Food Pantry...

Dear Church,

Thank you so much for the food donation. That helped so greatly and it was perfect timing in God. We were so low...our community has so many needs and together we will see God move in it.

God Bless You and keep you.

Sincerely,

Nancy Dignan

Open Arms Food Pantry

"Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations"

The next HUMC Administrative Council meeting (Sunday, October 12th) will be an open meeting after worship with pizza for lunch. The purpose of this meeting is to set our ministry goals for next year, in preparation for our Charge Conference (Tuesday, November 18th, 6 p.m. at HUMC). The theme of this year's Charge Conference is "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations." These practices are: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. For more information on these areas of ministry, you can go to www.fivepractices.org.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Things I Have Learned

The Lord didn't do it all in one day...What makes me think that I can?

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sock Monkey Ministries

This sounded like a great ministry. They provide hand-made sock monkeys to cancer patients and others suffering from serious illnesses, children in orphanages, hospitals and shelters, and our Military Troops. Check them out on the following links:

http://www.sockmonkeyministry.com/

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=1723949&ct=5865859&undefined

Open Letter from Arkansas UMC Bishop Charles Crutchfield on Gambling in Arkansas

An Occasional Word

Published: 8/1/2008

Dear Friends:
I was asked the other day, “Why is your church so opposed to the lottery?”

The United Methodist Church opposes gambling in all its forms because we believe that it violates the spirit and the imperative contained in Jesus’ words: “… you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30). Gambling violates this commandment.

Because gambling is based on human greed, it replaces God with an avaricious desire to get rich quick. Wealth becomes more important than God. In that sense, it violates the first of the Ten Commandments as well. It also violates the gift of the mind which God has given. If you do the math, most of the money spent on so-called “educational” lotteries goes not to education but to prizes and administration and profits for some company. It makes no financial sense.

Gambling also preys on the neighbor, even if you don’t place a bet or buy a ticket yourself. When I lived in El Paso, Texas, the Texas Lottery was begun. In the first week of the lottery, the poorest precinct in El Paso was the highest per capita participant in the state of Texas. There is no impulse to “love your neighbor as yourself” when you encourage or allow systems of regressive taxation and practices that are demeaning and destructive to the fabric of life and to the fabric of the community. The lottery is a cruel joke that masquerades as a civic necessity and a public service, all the while preying on those least able to tolerate the loss of money that must inevitably come from gambling. Gambling is morally and ethically bankrupt.

I will not be buying a lottery ticket. A very small percentage of the money goes to scholarships after the prizes are given and the administration of the lottery is funded and the profit of those running the lottery assured. Because I do believe in the importance of education, I will continue to make a yearly donation to Hendrix College and my other alma maters. I will be giving to Hendrix or one of “my” schools where allmy money will support the student, and not support greed.

Frankly, in a day when in the political sphere we talk much of family values, I cannot understand how government can even begin to sponsor or tolerate practices or programs that feed on human weakness. I cannot understand how government and responsible civic leaders would want to encourage a “something for nothing” philosophy — particularly in a country where we affirm and value work.

My prayer is that each one of you will act to defeat the allowance of a practice that is demeaning, regressive, antithetical to our faith, irresponsible in good government, and damaging to the human spirit and the human community.

Faithfully,
Charles N. Crutchfield

United Methodists Against Gambling web site: www.votenoarkansaslottery.com
http://www.arumc.org/page.asp?PKValue=1155