CHURCH OFFICE

(580) 234-5221

eoupcc@suddenlinkmail.com

PASTOR REV. DR. DEVON McANALLY

(580)747-5986

devon.mcanally@gmail.com

The University Place Christian Vol. LI, No. 16 Enid, Oklahoma August 31, 2017

MESSAGE FROM

OUR MODERATOR

IT’S NOT IN THE BOOK!

Sometimes I find myself at a loss for words, if you can believe that. Those who know me would have a hard time accepting this revelation. It’s true. I never wanted to be a writer, and certainly not a public speaker. At first, just reading the Scriptures in church had me shaking at the knees.

My daughter, DeeDee suggested a book called “How To Say It” by Rosalie Maggio. It helped me on many occa-sions where tact and diplomacy were called for in a let-ter, message, etc. It was my “go to” book, when I could-n’t think of anything to say that sounded intelligent, much less something that got to the point.

Now I find myself in the same situation, namely at a loss for words; and nothing in the book covers the current circumstances of the congregation and church.

How does one say how much our current pastor, Devon McAnally means to this congregation. Her impact was instantly felt, with her cheery smiles, laughter, spirit, and enthusiasm for the church with all it’s ups and downs. She started the ball rolling to finally get the HVAC sys-tem worked on and is still actively communicating with representatives of LG. Her guidance was there from the start and is ongoing with, not only that, but other areas of the church and it’s ministry.

Now she needs our prayers, support, and love to see her and her family through this trying time. This congre-gation is no stranger to supporting a minister whose health has taken a turn for the worst. We will be there with whatever aid is needed to help Pastor Devon, Tim, Meghan and Caitlin.

Pastor Devon, our prayers are ongoing, our love is ever-lasting, and our support will always be there. God Bless you and your family.

Laurel Arnold, Moderator

Send cards to:

Pastor Devon McAnally 1205 West Maine Enid OK 73703

Health Concerns: Devon McAnally, cancer; Julie

Torson, recovery; Jerre Lollman;

Jeanie Dickie; Nathan, Shannon &

Noah Nance, Cynthia Smith’s

nephew, wife & newborn son ;

Indi Sue, Duckworths’ great granddaughter; Nancy

Agard; Vonna Pecha, hip surgery recovery; Janene &

Lynn Yost; Dillard Moore, Robert Smith’s cousin;

Cathy Miller, Carolyn McLemore’s sister; George

Buller & Dell Nichols, Jackie Egelston’s brothers;

Arline Walters, Laurel Arnold’s sister; Thelma

Mitchell, Leona Mitchell Bush’s sister

Other: Tim, Meghan & Caitlin McAnally; Joann

Patrizi, Pastor Devon’s mother; Waukomis

Christian Church, Waukomis, and First Christian

Church, Woodward, Northwest Area Churches Praying

for Churches

SEPTEMBER 10 IN WORSHIP

Preacher: Harold Hatt

Worship Leader: Charlie Jones

Liturgist: Jerry Galbreath

Elder: Annie Galbreath

Diaconate: Valarie Zaloudek & Jackie Egelston

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149;

Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP

Preacher: Gordon Epps

Worship Leader: Annie Galbreath

Liturgist: Laurel Arnold

Elder: Laurel Arnold

Diaconate: Dottie Harkin & Linda Bair

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6,

23-26, 45b; Romans 12:9-21;

Matthew 16:21-28

09/02-Sandy Coberley

09/03-Cynthia Smith

09/06-Harold Hatt

09/07-Donna Bell

09/07-Raquel Jacobo

09/08-Devon McAnally

09/09-Eathon Sexton

09/13-Neal Kentch

AUGUST 2017

LOCAL OUTREACH

MONDAY MAMRE

MEALS August 14 25

August 21 27

August 28 46

Total Attendees 108

TOTAL Meals = 162

SECOND MILE CLOTHING CLOSET Persons Clothing Obtained for = 64

Total Items Taken = 312

STEWARDSHIP CORNER

MAKE STEWARDSHIP YOUR WAY OF LIFE.

God has given us all we have.

God gave you your life, health and property, the earth and the Gospel. Everything is a gift from God.

Jesus invites us to be disciples.

You are invited to answer Jesus’ call to follow his ex-ample of Christian living.

Disciples are stewards.

Being a disciple means committing your heart and mind—your whole life—to God! Being a good steward

is part of discipleship.

-Understanding Stewardship 2000 Channing L. Bete Co., Inc.

ADDRESSES FOR YOU: Bea Simpson 301 S Oakwood Road Room 118 Enid OK 73703

Rev. Dr. Devon & Tim McAnally 1205 W Maine Enid OK 73703

RECENT PERMANENT FUND ACTIVITY

SHARON WATKINS, RICK, BETHANY & CHRISTOPHER LOWERY NAMED PERMANENT FUND CONTRIBUTORS: David and Joy Baker Jerry and Annie Galbreath Harold and Martha Hatt

—————————

The Church Office, Second Mile

Clothing Closet and Monday Mamre

will all be closed, Monday,

September 4, Labor Day.

Enjoy your Labor Day!

AND due to unforeseen schedules, our kitchen staff are

all to be away the last two weeks of September. Our

Monday Mamre Meal will only take place on Monday,

September 11. After not meeting the first Monday of

the month, September 4, the last two Mondays,

September 18 and September 25 will NOT have

Monday Mamre Meals also. See you in October after

our meal on September 11.

Rhodes Thompson, who taught at Phil-

lips Theological Seminary in Enid for 10 years

in the 80's, died August 13th at Pilgrim Place

retirement community in Claremont, CA. He

and his wife Lois were active members of Uni-

versity Place.

In addition to teaching, Rhodes worked

with Global Ministries in Japan for four years

and pastored churches in Florida, Kentucky

and Missouri. He was an activist on issues of

peace and social justice and authored a book

on stewardship. His wife Lois survives him

and continues to live at Pilgrim Place. Her ad-

dress is Lois Thompson, 627 Leyden Lane,

Claremont, CA 91711.

DISCIPLES WOMEN RESUME MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

ALL WOMEN ARE INVITED TO LAUREL AR-NOLD’S HOME (430 Lakeview Drive) AT 7 P.M., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, LABOR DAY!

Monday Mamre Meal 6 P.M. Hot meal every

Monday evening with the

exception of the first Monday

of the month. Call by 3 P.M.

Monday for transportation

(580) 234-5221

Second Mile Clothing Closet open to the public

Mondays 3 P.M.—6 P.M.

Fridays 9 A.M.—Noon

Simply Beautiful Storybook Weddings

Without Checkbook Catastrophes

Call the Church Office

(580) 234-5221

Hour of Power 1 p.m. Thursday Time of Prayer

Sundays —

9:00 Church School

10:00 Worship Service

Call for transportation

(580) 234-5221 eoupcc@suddenlinkmail.com

www.eoupcc.org

Silence is Violence. A Word of Lament for Charlottesville, VA

Rev. April Johnson Minister of Reconciliation August 14, 2017

Words fail when I attempt to describe the despair that en-gulfed me upon the learning of the tragedy of violence and murder in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend. Labels such as domestic terrorism, religious extremism, racism and bigot-ry, all which are fitting, do not serve to assuage the painful reality that hate’s death-dealing behaviors prevail in our soci-ety and nation. To denounce it is an important response but in no way completes the cycle of what is needed to diminish its power. The events of this Saturday call all of us to the so-ber reality that our words must be accompanied by action. Hate rallies are intended to show the vulnerable that they are powerless against wiles of “white supremacy and white su-premacists.” The death of Heather Heyer who was mowed down by a young man drunk on the vile rhetoric and persua-sion of white supremacy heightens the fear and anxiety it is intended to impose by the rally planners. Nineteen other peo-ple were variously wounded.

My soul hurts. It is painful well beneath the skin. It is the pain described by the prophet Jeremiah, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted.” (Jeremiah 31:15 NRSV) Jeremiah is describing the sense of overwhelm-ing sadness associated with the cycle of prolonged captivity and brief moments of release of the Israelites. Rachel’s weeping is metaphoric for a collective grief over the en-trenched nature of violence and hatred against the children of Israel. Similarly, in the aftermath of the events of Saturday morning in Charlottesville, the grief is palpable and unable to be consoled. New York Times reporter, Hawes Spencer at-tending the rally described the violence in this way, “. . .the air was filled with the sounds of fists and sticks against flesh.” That was a visceral reminder that we are all conscripted into a false narrative that to be non-white in this nation is a defi-ciency and there are those who are willing to pound our flesh to instill that perspective as reality.

To be clear, this is our historic and our current reality. Intimi-dating words and physical acts of violence are the foundation stones of a nation built on principles of economic expansion and white exceptionalism. This is the harsh reality of our past. It is not, however, who we are. To ignore the reality of our past is to keep a silent vigil to the forces of evil that misrepre-sent our identity as children of God. What happened in Char-lottesville should raise the ire of every Christ-following, peace-loving disciple. What can we do?

sult the Founder of our Faith for guidance and discernment toward overcoming the sin of racism and bigotry. If possible, dedicate both individual and corporate prayer time this week and the weeks to come to listen to the voice of God for heal-ing.

lectively to prepare for fruitful dialogue about ways to over-come the false understanding that racism is an individual preference. I commend to you this article1 by the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas linked in the footnotes. Also, host an introduction to anti-racism workshop in your congregation or small group. Caution: be sensitive to the experiences of non-whites so as to not re-injure them by inadvertently forcing them to lead the learning process by sharing and baring their pain.

the entire journey to our destination of freedom and justice for all. Our anti-racism training is designed to walk us through the history that has shaped all of us into a racialized identity that is counter to our identity as Christ’s human family. How-ever, it is not always the starting point for a sustained conver-sation that leads to action. I commend to you our “One Bag of Tea, One Conversation, One Relationship”2 program for get-ting to know your congregation and/or community.

program, we have learned in Reconciliation Ministry the im-portance to nurture our own capacity to “be the change we want to see in the world,” as coined by Mahatma Ghandi. This means go to the rally, aware of your surroundings but determined to be Christ to someone who needs your advoca-cy and power.

reconciliationministry.org/give/.

the root causes of racism and leader development for long term change.

Like the Rachel, while listening to the report of the events in Charlottesville, I sat in my car weeping unable to be con-soled. Afterward I resolved to trust God’s leading and not the leading of intimidation by keeping silent. As I consulted the scriptures, I was emboldened by God’s promises through the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites in this, “Thus says the LORD: Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for your work, says the LORD: they shall come back from the land of the enemy; there is hope for your future, says the LORD: your children shall come back to their own country.” (Jeremiah 31: 16-17 NRSV)

With the help of God’s children, may it be so . . .

Rev. April Johnson Minister of Reconciliation August 14, 2017 1 https://btpbase.org/charlottesville-truth-america/ 2 www.reconciliationministry.org

HELP CLEAN UP,

University Place!

The old choir room (M-3) is to be cleared out.

Since our Clean UP Fix UP campaign is over for

this year, less attention has been paid to projects

left undone. The list of ongoing projects is posted

in the hall outside Rebecca’s office. Hopefully it

will be shrinking by the next Clean UP campaign.

The choir room is one of those projects. Let’s clear

and clean it now!

BINGO ITEMS ARE NEEDED!

DO YOU HAVE KNICK-KNACK ITEMS, EXTRA KITCHEN GADGETS, DUPLICATE

TOOLS, CHILDREN’S GAMES AND TOYS, ANY ITEMS FOR MONDAY MAMRE BINGO? PLEASE BRING THEM TO THE CHURCH

OFFICE, AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

SECOND MILE CLOTHING CLOSET

VOLUNTEERS Friday, September 1— Annie Galbreath Friday, September 8—Linda Bair & Connie Bair Monday, September 11—Donna Bell & Annie Galbreath Friday, September 15—Jackie Egelston Monday, September 18—Martha Hatt & Alita Lamb Friday, September 22—Connie Bair & Linda Bair Monday, September 25—Jackie Egelston & Donna Bell Friday, September 29—Annie Galbreath