CHURCH OFFICE (580) 234-5221 [email protected]PASTOR REV. DEVON McANALLY (580)747-5986 [email protected]The University Place Christian Vol. LI, No. 4 Enid, Oklahoma March 2, 2017 Our new sound system mixing console arrived and is in place. We have used it for two Sundays finding the sound is clear and the volume good and adjustable. The worship recordings have been excellent. Thank you to Monte Zaloudek for building an aracve cover to keep hands and dust from our new equip- ment! There is a story about a businessman named John Barrier. John Barrier was unrecognizable in jeans and a T-shirt. He had gone to his long- time bank to cash a check. However, the teller refused to validate his parking ticket, saying Barrier hadn’t made an official transaction. A manager agreed, saying rules were rules. Mr. Barrier then decided to do a major trans- action by withdrawing $1 million and taking it elsewhere. With this transaction he did in fact get his parking ticket validated. This is a great illustration of the dangers of legalism. Legalism can when not properly monitored become more important than people. Jesus repeatedly healed and “worked” on the Sabbath, much to the dismay of religious leaders. He was concerned about people’s hearts, not their appearance. I recently visited with someone at our Monday Mamre Meal. He stated that he wanted to come to church but he didn’t have any nice, clean clothes. My response to him was, “Come as you are, we care more about you being present among us to share in worship than with how you are dressed.” I watched as his face display utter amazement. How sad it is that an individual feels they can not be a part of God’s family because of their appear- ance. Lent is a time for personal reflection. So I ask, what matters more to you: laws or love; appearance or substance? An examination of your heart may be in order. Blessings, Pastor Devon MARCH 12 IN WORSHIP Worship Leader: Charlie Jones Liturgist: Laurel Arnold Elder: Kay Fortson Diaconate: Valarie Zaloudek & Jackie Egelston Scripture: Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9 THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP Preacher: Charlie Jones Sermon: “Who Do You Trust?” Worship Leader: Annie Galbreath Liturgist: Robert Smith Elder: Martha Hatt Diaconate: Dotttie Harkin & Linda Bair Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 Health Concerns: Jerre Lollman; Tera Brockway, surgery recovery; Tim McAnally’s mother; Nancy Agard, eye surgery recovery; Raquel Jacobo’s grand- mother, cancer, hospice care; Sandy Howard’s husband, cancer; Arline Walters, Laurel Arnold’s sister; Baby Isaiah, OKC Children’s Hospital, digestive reconstruction; Dillard Moore, Robert Smith’s cousin, leukemia; Deby Scott, Kay Fortson’s daughter; Thelma Mitchell, Leona Mitchell Bush’s sister Other: Family of Shawn Thomas, loss of loved one; Family of John Matousek, loss of loved one; Family of Joe Spurlock, loss of loved one; Family of Thelma Chambers Young, loss of loved one; First Christian Church, Cherokee, and First Christian Church, Cleo Springs, Northwest Area Churches Praying for Churches
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The University Place Christian Vol. LI, No. 4 Enid, Oklahoma March 2, 2017
Our new sound system mixing console arrived and is in place. We have used it for two Sundays finding the sound is clear and the volume good and adjustable. The worship recordings have been excellent. Thank you to Monte Zaloudek for building an attractive cover to keep hands and dust from our new equip-ment!
There is a story about a businessman named John Barrier. John Barrier was unrecognizable in jeans and a T-shirt. He had gone to his long-time bank to cash a check.
However, the teller refused to validate his parking ticket, saying Barrier hadn’t made an official transaction. A manager agreed, saying rules were rules. Mr. Barrier then decided to do a major trans-action by withdrawing $1 million and taking it elsewhere. With this transaction he did in fact get his parking ticket validated. This is a great illustration of the dangers of legalism. Legalism can when not properly monitored become more important than people. Jesus repeatedly healed and “worked” on the Sabbath, much to the dismay of religious leaders. He was concerned about people’s hearts, not their appearance. I recently visited with someone at our Monday Mamre Meal. He stated that he wanted to come to church but he didn’t have any nice, clean clothes. My response to him was, “Come as you are, we care more about you being present among us to share in worship than with how you are dressed.” I watched as his face display utter amazement. How sad it is that an individual feels they can not be a part of God’s family because of their appear-ance. Lent is a time for personal reflection. So I ask, what matters more to you: laws or love; appearance or substance? An examination of your heart may be in order.
Moore, Robert Smith’s cousin, leukemia; Deby Scott,
Kay Fortson’s daughter; Thelma Mitchell, Leona
Mitchell Bush’s sister
Other: Family of Shawn Thomas, loss of loved one; Family of John Matousek, loss of loved one; Family of
Joe Spurlock, loss of loved one; Family of Thelma
Chambers Young, loss of loved one; First Christian
Church, Cherokee, and First Christian Church, Cleo
Springs, Northwest Area Churches Praying for
Churches
STEWARDSHIP CORNER Everything we have is given to us by God:
Time Health Relationships Talents Property The Gospel The environment. A Christian steward serves God out of love and gratitude for these gifts, knowing that it’s not how much we have but what we do with what we have that is important.
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you
has received. -1 Peter 4:10
-Being a Good Steward 2000 Channing L. Bete Co., Inc.
SECOND MILE CLOTHING CLOSET VOLUNTEERS
Friday March 3-Jackie Egelston & Annie Galbreath Monday, March 6-Linda Bair & Jackie Egelston Friday, March 10-Annie Galbreath & Jackie Egelston Monday, March 13-Annie Galbreath & Renee Baxter Friday, March 17-Jackie Egelston & Linda Bair Monday, March 20-Linda Bair & Jackie Egelston Friday, March 24-Jackie Egelston & Annie Galbreath Monday, March 27-Martha Hatt & Jackie Egelston
What is Lent and why should I observe it? by Deborah Arca, Chalice Press
Lent is the 40-day season between Ash Wednesday and Easter in the Christian liturgical calendar. Representing the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, Lent is traditionally a season of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. Once a season observed primarily by Catholics, Lent has increasing become popular with Protestants and is now anticipated as an opportunity for an annual "spiritual check-in;" a time to look inward and reflect on our relationship with God.
"Lent is a great opportunity for us to go deep," says Sharon Wat-kins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "In a world where everybody is busy, busy, busy, Lent encourages us to slow down just a bit and get more attentive to our own spirit, and to the spirit of God working in and through us, and that is a healthy, healthy thing for our spirit and for our life all together."
Traditionally, many people choose to give up something tangible for Lent, such as chocolate or caffeine, but there are many ways to observe Lent. "What's important is going personal with it; finding our own way to observe Lent," Watkins says. Instead of giving some-thing up this year, Watkins plans to take something on. She will be reading through the Psalms - a psalm a day - and letting that guide her own personal discernment and reflection and slowing down.
Resources such as a daily devotional can help guide the Lent jour-ney by offering daily meditations followed by a prayer. Watkins and her husband, Rick Lowery, co-wrote the Fellowship of Prayer 2017 Lent Devotional (CBP), focusing on the theme of humility. [One is available in the Church Office if you have not gotten yours.]
"My hope for this Lenten season is that we'll find a little bit more of the same spirit that is in these texts," says Watkins. "That humility will begin to be something that we all can reach for. Especially after this recent election season, I think a little bit more humility on all of our parts, a little more Christ-likeness on all of our parts, would be helpful.
Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday, March 12! Spring your clocks forward!
UPCC OUTREACH A new outreach project chosen by the Outreach Commission
for 2017 is to adopt (or partner with) our neighbor, Adams
School. We will have different opportunities to share with
them during the rest of this year.
One of the ways we can help our neighbor is to collect Box-
tops for Education. There will be a container to put them in
at the church located on the piano in the sanctuary. They can
be found on many items such as cereal, Ziploc brand bags,
Kleenex Facial Tissues, etc. There is a list of items with the
container. As you find them, clip them and put them in the
container. When we have several, we will take them to
Adams. Each year they cash them in for cash for the school.
Spring a young man’s fancy turns to . . . baseball.”
As February gives way to March, and as the days
become longer and brighter, it is also a long-
standing tradition for us to turn our attention not
only to love and baseball, but also to our Spring
wardrobe.
UPCC has, itself, a long tradition of ward-
robes and haberdashery. There is, of course, yours
truly, the “Hatt” family, and our three sons, Fred,
Frank and Dan. We have also enjoyed the presence
of two families of “Taylors”and four “Shirts,”
Sheldon and Miriam Shirts, along with their
daughter, Judy, and son, Larry.
We have a chance to brighten up our UPCC
wardrobe. A gift by Judy Shirts and another by the
Galbreaths has recently established a “Sheldon V.
& Miriam Shirts UPCC Named Permanent
Fund.” All we need to do to brighten up our UP
wardrobe is to pull up our socks and drop a check
in the collection plate with a note, “Shirts fund” on
the memo line.
And you might think of this, too. Do you
know any person or family that has a wardrobe-
related name? If so, invite them to visit UP and to
consider becoming part of our fashion parade.
–Harold Hatt, for the Permanent Fund Managers
Celebrating the Life of Rev. Dr. Thelma Chambers-Young
The Thursday, February 16, 2017 Memorial Service for Rev. Dr. Thelma Chambers-Young took place at Wildewood Christian Church in Oklahoma City at 2 p.m. She was born on February 4, 1954 to the late Geneva Patterson and John Henry Chambers in Boligee, Alabama. She was the eighth of eleven children. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior at an early age and joined Mount Olive Baptist Church, Boligee, Alabama. Rev. Thelma received a B.S. degree in Special Education from Alabama A & M University, and a Master of Public Health from OU, Norman. She completed her PhD degree in Counseling Psychology in 1997 from OSU, Stillwater. In 2003 she earned a Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa. Rev. Thelma was ordained in 2001. She had been a member of Faith Memorial Baptist Church, and for 15 years was affiliated with Holy Temple Baptist Church in Oklahoma City where her husband Rev. George Young, Sr. was pastor. She was the Senior Pastor here at UPCC from January 10, 2010 to December 6, 2015, six years. She was also a Staff Psychologist at the Veterans Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Pastor Thelma died February 10, 2017 after fighting the good fight. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and three brothers. A Chambers Named Perma-nent Fund with UPCC’s Legacy Fund of the Christian Church Foundation was already established by Thelma in memory of her parents. And we will now add her name to that fund. UPCC’s $300 donation gathered to originally go to her treat-ment travel expenses went to the Langston University Foundation as chosen by Thelma. Charlie Jones was among the ten people to make “remembering her” remarks at the service. Eleven other UPCC folk attended and Leona Mitchell-Bush sang How Great Thou Art before Dr. George Young, Sr. ended with the eulogy. UPCC will keep the love and influence of Rev. Dr. Thelma Chambers-Young in our hearts.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The word is out: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
will close down in May 2017. After a 147-year
run, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Circus will be no more. For many of us, the sight,
sounds and smell of the circus --- the parade of ele-
phants, the lions jumping through hoops of fire,
stunning acrobatics on flying trapezes, cotton can-
dy and "the bearded lady" are seared in our memo-
ries. What a shame that some children have not
had that experience --- nor will they --- but have
seen it only in movies! . There are but a few of us still living who have ex-
perienced University Place Christian Church in its
"glory days" with classrooms filled in both East
and West Wings, the balcony and nave of the sanc-
tuary filled to capacity Sunday mornings and Sun-
day evening sitting in Fellowship Hall for informal
worship. Such was the case in the 1940s, 1950s,
and 1960s. . Without our archives, scrapbooks with pictures,
and testimony from newspaper stories and living
"seniors", we would be poorer in knowledge of our
glorious 109-year-old history and heritage at Uni-
versity Place. Let us then be curious and respectful
of this treasure, lest it be forgotten! . President John F. and Jackie Kennedy reportedly
enjoyed listening to the recording of its Broadway
run from 1960-1963 and subsequent movie of
Camelot. JFK was especially fond of the conclud-
ing couplet: "Don't ever let it be forgot, that once
there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that
was Camelot." . As we endeavor to keep alive the heritage, minis-
try, and outreach of University Place Christian
Church in Enid, Oklahoma, let no one "ever let it
be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief
shining moment that was University Place Chris-
tian Church!" .
Jerry Ray Galbreath
Archivist . P.S. Among the recent notable moments at UPCC
were: installing "women Elders" in the 1980s,
beginning Mamre and calling a female pastor in
Maribeth Blackman-Sexton in 1989, an inter-racial
pastor-couple with Jerry & Beverley in 1998, and
an African-American pastor Thelma Chambers-
Young in 2010. University Place Christian Church
will be a living monument to the life and ministry