March Newsletter

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Springtime is here, and I can almost taste it. Can you? With spring, there is the start of spring training baseball, the first green shoots of grass sprouting from the earth, and the temperature finally gets above 60 degrees! As I celebrate this change in seasons, I eagerly await the flowers and shoots from the bulbs I planted last fall. This season of renewal prompts me to reflect: What seeds have I planted that I will now see grow? What seeds have I carelessly scattered among the thorns or on rocky paths? Let us all ask ourselves: what seeds are we planting now for the seasons ahead?

Jesus often spoke of sowing and reaping, using these processes as metaphors for spiritual and communal growth. He taught about the conditions of our hearts through the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), urging us to cultivate fertile ground for faith, love, and kindness.

As we observe the world awakening in springtime, let's consider our own "soil." Are we nurturing environments where positive traits can thrive? What are we planting here at St. Paul's? How is our soil as a community? Spring challenges us to plant in gardens and our lives and communities, sowing seeds of hope for brighter days ahead.

As we step into spring, let us draw inspiration from 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, where Paul reminds us that while we plant and water, God makes everything grow. This season, let's focus on nurturing love, faith, and community, trusting God's power to bring about growth and transformation.

May our actions sow joy and unity, blooming into a vibrant testament of renewal that mirrors the Easter message of resurrection and new beginnings. Together, we can cultivate a harvest rich in spiritual and communal connections, celebrating the life and hope that spring embodies.

With love and blessings,
Rev. David M. Petty

Several months ago my family welcomed its newest member, a three month old Minature Poodle named Sonny. As with most puppies, Sonny is pure energy wrapped in fur. It’s been decades since we had a puppy; we are still adjusting to having a young furball in the house that has more energy than our two grandchildren combined.

Though we’ve had many pets before, I must confess that we don’t have a great track record with training our dogs. This time, my wife, Daphne, and daughter, Christine, and I have committed to training Sonny to be the most well-behaved dog in the world. To accomplish this amazing feat, Daphne hired a trainer, Sam (Samantha).  Daphne told me that she hired Sam to train Sonny, but I’m convinced that Sam was hired to train me as well. Sam is doing such a good job that Daphne wishes that she had hired Sam to train me earlier in our marriage. As I write, Sam has come to our house four times, teaching us what we should and should not do as we raise Sonny to become a gentle, loving, and especially, an obedient dog.

For me, one of the most helpful aspects to our training sessions has been when Sam explains what we can’t expect Sonny to be able to do during each stage ofhis puppyhood. For example, when I would play fetch with Sonny in the back yard I would throw a toy and he would bring it back to me maybe three times before he would stop returing the toy. I interpreted his behavior as defiance, which caused me to to get frustrated. When I asked Sam how I could get Sonny to fetch more than three times, she said that I probably can’t...yet. She explained that Sonny still had a “puppy brain” that was easily distracted. After following a few tips from Sam, Sonny will now fetch at least six times before his puppy brain gets distracted with other things that he finds in the backyard. Accepting that Sonny’s development from a puppy to an adult dog takes time has helped me become less frustrated and more understanding of his behavior.

There are times when we look at others, and sometimes ourselves, with an overly critical eye regarding their words and actions. We can get to the point where all we see are the shortcomings and failures of others and ourselves, wondering why they can’t reach perfection in all that they say and do. In our Ash Wednesday’s service, the first of our Lenten Sermon Series Good Enough, we learned that though perfectionism is imposible, transformation isn’t. Jesus didn’t seek to transform people by requiring them to follow some strict set of rules and guidelines that would lead to perfection, therefore, earning God’s blessing. What He did do was to first show them that they were already good enough to be loved, which set the stage for transformation to occur within their lives.

Everyday I see growth in Sonny. All he needs is to be loved with patience and kindness. He will never be perfectly obedient, and I’m kind of glad he won’t, because there is no beauty in perfection. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect either. God’s greatest wish is for us to be transformed into living lives where we are one with God and one with each other. Remember that our transformation is a process, a form of maturing that can occur through love of self and others.

And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is one of the “best things Methodists do,” according to many people around the world. UMCOR is known for its quick and effective response to natural disasters in every part of the globe. I have personally been on mission trips where UMCOR is present to help with the cleanup, planning, and recovery in the aftermath of hurricanes and floods. I have seen first-hand the dedication, training, and recovery work that is possible.

When the Marshall Fire struck 1000 homes and 6000 acres in northern Colorado in December 2021, UMCOR provided immediate emergency assistance and continued restoration funding in the following year. Because UMCOR is one of the most tangible ways we, as United Methodists, live out our faith in the world, we at St. Paul's UMC have decided that 100% of our March Mission AND Easter Offering will support this incredible and essential work.

Just as the message of Easter is about restoring life after death, the work done through UMCOR helps restore people's lives after tragedy has struck. I encourage you to give generously this month to aid in the work of restoration and resurrection - here in Colorado and worldwide.

Each communion Sunday thereafter we will have a basket for those who feel called to give above and beyond their pledge. This "second-mile" giving will help fund the pastor's discretionary fund, which helps meet community needs as they arise, such as gas, lodging, clothing, etc. Feel free to bring your spare cash and change to help make a change in the lives of those in need.

IRS:

As tax season unfolds, some of us are greeted with tax bills and some with unexpected refunds—a chance to splurge on wishes outside our budgets. This year, St. Paul's has carefully adjusted our budget to ensure we're using our resources wisely and we have made a number of challenging cuts. If you find yourself with a little extra due to a tax refund, consider supporting St. Paul's with a little extra. Your generosity helps us provide essential services, from housing families in need to enriching youth programs, congregational care, and inspiring worship. Every contribution extends our ability to serve in Jesus Christ's name. Thank you for your continued support and for considering St. Paul's in your giving.

Firstly a BIG THANK YOU to our January Hospitality crew… Bailey, Jasper and Scarlett Branch and Amberly and Rachel Petty. I do so appreciate you all!

We are looking forward to our Annual Palm Sunday potluck on March 24th( early this year). This will be a true potluck so plan on bringing either a main dish, side, salad or dessert to serve 10. There will be carts upstairs so you don’t have to trek downstairs; however, if your dish needs to cook or be in the warming oven please indicate this on your dish. So let us wave our palm branches and enjoy a time of food and fellowship. Any questions e-mail darlene.woods@q.com or phone at 719-528-8702.

We have some exciting Hospitality events coming up this Spring and Summer:

     March 28, 5:30pm (Maundy Thursday) – Lasagna Dinner and “Good Enough” discussion. This is open to the whole church  and will complete the Lenten Sunday School series.

     May 2, late morning (Time to be determined): We are putting on a BBQ for the TESLA students to celebrate the end of the school year. This will be outdoors in the west parking area. It would be great to have members of the congregation to help with cooking and serving.

     May 9, The In-home School music students who rehearse here on Mondays and Wednesdays will be presenting their spring concert. As a way, to say how glad we are that they are at St. Paul’s we are going to be serving cookies, lemonade and iced tea during the concert’s intermission. THIS IS A COOKIE CALL!!!!!! We are planning on 300 attendees…That’s a lot of cookies! If you are baking or at the grocery store please make or pick up some cookies and bring them into the church. They can be put in the freezer in the back of the kitchen that is marked VBS or marked “Concert “and placed on the counter. I would also appreciate a few volunteers to help with set-up, serving and clean-up.

     June 9, We have a Youth Choir visiting us and they will be providing some of their music during the service. We want to say “Thank You” and welcome them with a potluck right after the service. St. Paul’s will be providing the dessert so plan on bringing a main dish, side or salad to serve 12(since we are hosting the youth and their adult advisors)

Again, Thank You to all who signup to help with Sunday Hospitality. The next signup sheet, for April and May will be going around, during service, in March.  

“What does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  ~Micah 6:8

True Humility
 
   The line between humility and humiliation sometimes gets blurred.  When we humble ourselves, we acknowledge our lack of self-sufficiency, pride, and power.  We make it clear that we can’t accomplish anything by ourselves and that we won’t take undeserved credit for our contributions to what does get accomplished.

   Humiliation, on the other hand, poisons humility with a sense of shame and contempt.  Whether we humiliate ourselves or someone else, the sense of inadequacy and unworthiness comes across much the same.

   When we’re truly humble, there’s no sense of putting ourselves—or anyone else—down.  In fact, just the opposite: we acknowledge our true worth in Christ alone and make it clear that we depend on God’s goodness and power to sustain us.  The more we remember our source, the more he empowers us to accomplish mighty deeds for his kingdom.

Donations of the following items will be accepted and greatly appreciated for the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt.

-Candy
-Granola Bars
-Fruit Roll-Ups
-Fruit Snacks
-Lunch Size bags of chips

A donation box will be in the Narthex for drop-offs. A huge “Thank You” to my church family.

St. Paul’s members- we need your help. If you know of anyone in our St. Paul’s family who is homebound, in a nursing home, or unable to come to church for a while, please let me know their name and phone number. I will be happy to contact them and see if they would appreciate having communion brought to them. Lu Petersen, 719-597-2824.

Doug & Betsy Meikle
March 8, 1997
26 Years

Deborah & Travis DeLaney
March 23

Susan & Barry Rizk
March 31, 2021
3 Years