are you a mary or a martha?

Eric and I will be using the Mary and Martha story from Luke 10.38-42 in our sermons for the next two Sundays. This passage tells of Jesus coming to the house of these two sisters. While Jesus is there, Mary sits with Jesus and listens to what he has to say. Martha, on the other hand, is hard at work. We can imagine Martha is trying to be a good host by preparing a meal for Jesus and making sure her house in is perfect order. Martha becomes frustrated that Mary is not helping her, but Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better part meaning her listening to and being with Jesus is more important than the tasks Martha is so concerned about.

Eric and I will be talking about how we can choose the “better part” and be a “Mary” church and “Mary” Christians rather than simply a Martha church and Martha Christians. God wants more for us than our simply being a busy church, busy doing good works. God wants us to take time to come and truly live in God’s presence. We need to listen to the Lord, and let God guide our lives and our church life.

When we look at the Mary and Martha story in its context in Luke’s gospel, Jesus’ response may seem surprising. Just before this story about Mary and Martha’s encounter with Jesus is Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, a story in which Jesus illustrates what it looks like for people to love their neighbor. The Good Samaritan emphasizes doing good deeds and helping neighbors. Isn’t this what Martha is trying to do, just trying to be a good neighbor and a hospitable host?

It is important for us to note that Jesus never says what Martha is doing is bad, but he simply says that Mary has chosen the better part in her listening to Jesus. Our doing good works and loving our neighbors are very important as we see illustrated in the Good Samaritan, but we should not be busy doing good without seeking to dwell in Christ’s presence and without taking time to listen to the LORD.

Some scholars suggest that these passages fit together with the Good Samaritan parable illustrating love of neighbor and the Martha and Mary story illustrating love of God. This is a reasonable conclusion because Jesus tells the Good Samaritan story immediately after He agrees with a teacher of the law that God’s Law states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you neighbor as yourself.” That statement about love of God and neighbor therefore sets up what then follows.

So what is the take away message for our lives? In our busy lives and in our busy church we need to seek to love God and love our neighbor by seeking to dwell in God’s presence and taking time to listen to the LORD as we love our neighbors in our everyday living. May we allow the LORD truly be the author of our lives. I am convinced that when we listen to the LORD, God will refresh us for our work, God will empower us for our work, and God will guide us to do the work God has called and created us to do. When we seek the LORD, we will find our purpose for today and God’s purpose for our lives. If in your daily living you wonder if you are making a difference or if you feel empty or if you have become frustrated, it is probably a sign you need to take a time out to sit at Jesus’ feet, to listen to Him, and to dwell in His presence.

-Pastor Josh

SUNDAY, August 1 BREAKFAST. Breakfast will be served by the UMW Selah Circle. Please join us!

AUGUST 14 B-I-G BAR-B-Q (sponsored by the choirs). Join us for their famous pork barbeque, sides and dessert. Program of favorite hymns and gospel songs with special guest, Lynn Bennett. Dinner will be served from 5—7pm. Program will begin at 6:30pm. Tickets will go on sale August 1 and August 8.

CHURCHWIDE YARD SALE. Saturday, August 28 Time: 8am—1pm. You can pay $15.00 for a table/space and bring all the items that you would like to sell. Proceeds from renting table space will go towards buying banners for our worship services. Proceeds from the items that you sell are yours to keep. Call the church office to reserve your space.

New Sermon Series. Mary and Martha Go To Church, starting August 1.

Materials Needed For Project Crossroads Mission Trip. Again we are blessed to serve God on a Mission Trip. On August 15, several members of our church will travel to Marion VA to Project Crossroads to roof a house. We want to show our support for Mickey Rosenblum and the great job he has been doing there this summer. This trip will require that we provide the materials to roof the house. Please help us fulfill this mission by making a contribution to MPUMC marked Material for Project Crossroads. The money will then be sent to Mickey so he can purchase the supplies that we will need. Any monies that are not used will be kept as funds for future roofing missions. Roofing teams are in great demand in our conference and we hope this trip will create future mission trips for our service and talents. Thank you and may God bless you for your support, Nancy Saylors and team members.

Genesis Sunday School Class. Join us for our next study—Fearless, but Max Lucado! You may buy the book, but purchasing it is not necessary. Each week for 6 weeks we will view a 6-8 minute video and then instruction and discussion will follow. The study will cover 6 chapters in the book. Everyone is welcome to join us. We meet in Room 31 at 9:45.

Fall discipleship classes. Sign ups will start this Sunday! You will find the sign-up sheets and the classes being offered in the Narthex and Family Life Center.

SISTERS IN CHRIST CIRCLE. The August meeting will be at Nancy Saylors' home on Thursday, August 12 at 6:15 pm. We will meet at the church at 5:30 pm to ride the bus to the Saylors. Jerry Gilley will be driving us. Nancy's phone is 980-2865.

NOW Circle will meet for dinner and fellowship on Thursday, July 29, at 7 pm at Rouxbarbeque on Northshore Dr. All ladies are invited!!

CareNotes Distribution Exceeds 1,300! CareNotes, the faith-based program which addresses good health through discussion of topics dealing with mind, body, and spirit, continues to be very successful. Over 1,300 booklets have been picked-up within the church since the program was initiated in Fall, 2008. We now have nearly 80 different titles available via the six distribution racks located in the Narthex, near the Information Center within the lower level entrance lobby, inside the entrance to the Family Life Center, in the men's and women's restrooms near the FISH pantry, and at the entrance to the Church Office. The handy booklets offer information and inspiration on a wide variety of issues, some of which you may be facing. We encourage you to stop and review the different titles.

FIRST TUESDAY LUNCH BUNCH will meet on August 3 at Red Lobster on Kingston Pike at 1pm. Call Joyce Haas at 690-6426 to make your reservation by Monday, August 2. Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch.

Recycled Newspaper. Did you know that we have a newspaper recycling container at the Church? This container is located alongside the trash receptacle out from the portico entrance. Recycling newspaper helps generate money for the Church. However, we are in danger of having the container removed because we are not generating enough recycled newspaper to make it profitable for the recycling company. If you subscribe to the newspaper please consider bringing it to the Church for disposal so that we can continue this recycling program.

Artists?? Are you any type of artist who would like to display and sell your work? Are you a musician or dancer who would like to display your talent and gain experience before an audience? The Last Friday Artwalk in Maryville is for you! Contact Lynn Moore for more details at lpmoore@charter.net or 680-8883 or 238-4654. Please share this info with others.

Book Available. We have made the book, Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living available to you, our church family, for the price of $5.00. They are on tables in the Narthex and the rear of the family life center. The Holston Conference felt so strongly about the significance of this little book by Rueben P. Job, that the Conference distributed it to our delegates two years ago at Annual Conference. It is powerful. Please pick one up this Sunday (if not before). You will be blessed.

Will You Bear the Cross? We have begun in our traditional worship services to use the beautiful cross made and given to us by Troy Lawson. We would like to involve many of our folks in the carrying of the cross. It is not heavy and can be carried by anyone of moderate strength. It can be a very meaningful experience. If you would be willing to serve in this way please contact me and let me know. We are beginning by using choir members, but want to open this opportunity to anyone old enough to carry the cross. Please give this some prayerful thought and if you are willing to serve in this way, please send an email to the office and include your name, phone, and eomail address so we may contact you.

Summertime. Please remember that while so many things slow down during the summer, MPUMC does not. Giving to the church tends to decline in the summer months yet our financial obligations continue on. If you are not able to make it to a worship service, please feel free to mail in your offering or sign up for e-giving on our website. We thank you for your support of MPUMC and its ministries and wish each of you a safe and fun-filled summer.