APRIL 5,

2016

A GOD OF POSSIBILITIES

I write this just before the Braves begin their season, their last one in Atlanta before the move to Cobb County. I have been a baseball fan for almost sixty years, every one of which was spent in fervent support of the Braves in Milwaukee, in Atlanta, and, soon to be, in Smyrna!

The pre-game ceremonies include a retrospective of great games and I remember most of them. My personal lis

t is long and full of Braves players whom most of us fans would remember, but among my favorite Braves games was not played in Atlanta and doesn't even involve a Braves player!

On September 14, 1986, the Braves were playing in San Francisco and Bob Brenly, normally a catcher, was dispatched by the Giants to third base to replace an injured teammate. And Brenly had a terrible day. In fact he had a day that had not been matched in its terrible-ness in over forty years. Brenly entered baseball infamy when he made four defensive errors in the fourth inning. He botched three simple ground balls and made an errant throw. In the thousands of games since 1942, no player had performed so poorly. Teammates said later that Brenly sat on the bench "stupefied, totally numb."

But what makes this among my favorite games is how Brenly handled his disgrace. He stayed in the game and he made a difference. In the fifth inning, he hit a home run. In the seventh, he drove in two runs with a single. And in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, he ended the game with a home run and the "goat" of the game had become its great hero.

I suppose that not many of us have hit game-winning home runs, but we know something about disastrous errors. We know about falling and failing, about being friendless, fired, and afraid. We know about crying and losing and loneliness. We know heartbreaks and sadness.

There are wonderful stories in our faith about people who were down but not out. Abraham and Joseph, Moses and Miriam come to mind. I think of David and Ruth, of Mary Magdelene and Zacchaeus. We learn that God's love shines even in darkness. There is nothing final about failing and we should never believe that God is finished with us. Perhaps we need to get back to what we were doing. Perhaps a new door will be opened to us. Perhaps there is a new land of opportunity; perhaps we should claim the old one. Our God is a God of great possibilities, and we should never, never quit believing that.
And I'll see you this Sunday.

News

Membership Sunday is April 24. If you would like to make Marietta FUMC your church home, consider joining the church with others on Membership Sunday. To learn more, contact Rev. Brian Smith at briansmith@mariettafumc.org or ext. 7840.

The Dementia Caregivers Support Group will meet next Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hospitality Room. This group offers support to anyone caring for a loved one with Dementia. (Rev. Elaine Wilder, ext. 7826)

The AARP Safe Driving Course will be offered on Thursday, April 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-AARP members. Please RSVP to Rev Ethridge at ext. 7835 or by e-mail at loriethridge@mariettafumc.org.

Cornerstone, a gathering of Young Adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s, meets Sundays at 10:10 a.m. in room 255 in the Discipleship Building. (Rev. Brian Smith, ext. 7840)

Graduation Sunday is May 15. Graduating High School seniors will be recognized during both worship services and a luncheon will follow the 11:15 a.m. service. To participate, e-mail joshsweeney@mariettafumc.org by May 1.

Join the Senior Adults for Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience on April 24. We will depart the Polk Street lot immediately following the 11:15 a.m. worship service, and pause for lunch on the Roswell Square prior to the performance. $28 plus lunch. RSVP to Rev Ethridge (ext. 7835).

Support Groups are available here at the church for a variety of concerns: grief, caring for a loved one with dementia, addiction, or other needs. Visit www.mariettafumc.org/support for meeting times and details. (Rev. Elaine Wilder, ext. 7826)

The Mid High Youth mission trip is June 17-22. We'll be traveling to Tampa, Orlando and St. Simons. Signups will go live after Spring Break. Visit www.mariettafumc.org/midhighmissiontrip for more information (Josh Sweeney, ext. 7808)

The next Homebound Worship and Dinner will be Sunday, May 15, at 5 p.m. This service is specifically for those who cannot come to church on a regular basis because of mobility or other concerns. To RSVP or volunteer, contact Rev. Elaine Wilder at ext. 7826.

On Sunday, April 17, at 7 p.m. the Music Ministry will present a Sacred Spring Concert featuring the music of J.S. Bach with orchestra, choir and soloists. No tickets are required. (Bryan Black, ext. 7815)

Register now for Vacation Bible School! Catch the Wave of God's Amazing Love with Surf Shack at Vacation Bible School, June 13-16 from 6-8:30 p.m. Learn more about the Bible's water stories...creation, Moses, Jesus' baptism, fish and loaves at the beach and more! VBS is open to children ages 3 (by 9/1/15) through 5th grade; younger children of volunteers are welcome in the nursery. Visit www.mariettafumc.org for more information. (Kelly Duncan, ext. 7812)

May 20: Save the date for the MFUMC Sporting Clay Tournament. Enjoy a day with your church family at historic Burge Plantation shooting clays while supporting great causes. Proceeds of this event support transportation for children's activities of the Marietta Police Athletic League and our ministry for children in Ecuador. For more information and to register, please click here. (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

Save the date for the 2016 Global Great Day of Service: Saturday, April 30, with breakfast at 8 a.m. followed by Communion. This service project is perfect for all age groups and a great way for our church family to serve together. We will pack meals from 9 a.m. until noon through Stop Hunger Now, which provides food and life-changing aid to the world's most vulnerable communities. To sign up, please click here. (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

Interested in MFUMC's history? Helping in our Archives is a great way to learn (and help preserve our past). Please contact Milli Robinson at millirobinson@mariettafumc.org or ext. 7857 to volunteer.

Registration for Glisson Grow Day Camp at FUMC is open! Dates are June 6-10 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The camp is for children who have completed K-5th grade. Register at www.growdaycamps.org. (Kelly Duncan, ext. 7812)

The 3rd-5th grade Bible study continues on Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Room 324. Fellowship with friends and explore the books of the Bible. For more information or to sign up, contact Kelly Duncan at ext. 7812. All are welcome, so invite friends!

Help restore lives impacted by human trafficking in our area. Volunteer at the Marietta Treasure Store, a consignment store which benefits Wellspring Living located at 800 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta 30064. Wellspring Living helps victims of Human Trafficking move forward with their lives through group resident and independent living programs. For more information, contact Forrest Cate. To sign up to volunteer, click here.

We invite you to serve with our Parking Ministry on Sunday mornings in half-hour and one-hour shifts from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Help members who have difficulty walking getting to and from worship and Sunday School. Training is provided. (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

The Hospitality Ministry is looking for friendly, creative and energetic volunteers to help greet on Sundays, provide special event setup and d�cor and be helpers at Church Family Supper on Wednesdays. (Beth Dawson, ext. 7829)

Restore to Glory!

Want more information about Restore To Glory! and its progress?

Visit its Web site, which includes the latest news about projects with photos to show our progress. There, you will also find information about how to donate or make your pledge.

This Week

Help get our community garden growing this Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Park on Polk. For more information and to sign up to help, visit www.mariettafumc.org/garden. (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

A Closer Look, a class for visitors and new members

who desire to learn more First United Methodist Church of Marietta, continues today. Rev. Lori Ethridge, Minister to Senior Adults, and Forrest Cate, Director of Program, will provide information on how to connect with MFUMC's missions and ministries. Closer Look meets in the Parlor at 10:10 a.m. Pre-registration not required. (Rev. Brian Smith, ext. 7840)

MFUMC will host a blood drive this Sunday, April 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Family Life Hall. For more information and to make an appointment, please click here. Walk-ins are welcome as well! (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

The MFUMC Early Response Team will have representatives on the bridge this Sunday, April 10, to offer resources on how to be a disaster-prepared household and how you can be a part of our Early Response Team. (Forrest Cate, ext. 7806)

The Working Moms Bible Study will meet next Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Reception Hall. All are welcome! (Rev. Elaine Wilder, ext. 7826)

Connect Through Table Fellowship

Church Family Supper

is served on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m.
in the Family Life Hall.

$6 (adults) and $4 (children from 3 to 11).

$20 family cap.

Church family supper will not be served this week

due to Spring Break. It will return

next Wednesday, April 13.

Save the Date

For more information about events

at First United Methodist Church of Marietta,

visit www.mariettafumc.org/events.

Community Garden
Work Day
Saturday, April 9
Park on Polk
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Forrest Cate, ext. 7806

forrestcate@mariettafumc.org

Blood Drive

Sunday, April 10

Family Life Hall

8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Forrest Cate, ext. 7806

forrestcate@mariettafumc.org

Senior Adult Ministry

Trip to Alliance Theater

Sunday. April 10

Meet in Polk Street

Parking Lot

12:30-4 p.m.

Rev. Lori Ethridge, ext. 7835

loriethridge@mariettafumc.org

A Closer Look

Sunday, April 10

Parlor

10:10 a.m.

Rev. Brian Smith, ext. 7840

briansmith@mariettafumc.org

Early Response Team

Presentation

Sunday, April 10

The Bridge

8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Forrest Cate, ext. 7806

forrestcate@mariettafumc.org

Working Moms Bible Study
Monday, April 11
Reception Hall
7:30 p.m.
Rev. Elaine Wilder, ext. 7826
elainewilder@mariettafumc.org

Dementia Caregivers Support Group
Wednesday, April 13
Hospitality Room
6:30 p.m.
Rev. Elaine Wilder, ext. 7826
elainewilder@mariettafumc.org

AARP Safe Driving Class

Thursday, April 14

Room 322

9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Rev. Lori Ethridge, ext. 7835

loriethridge@mariettafumc.org

Youth Mission Trip

To Birmingham

Friday, April 15
to Sunday, April 17

Josh Sweeney, ext. 7808

joshsweeney@mariettafumc.org

Usher Appreciation Sunday

Sunday, April 17