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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T110000
DTSTAMP:20210801T135949Z
CREATED:20210726T141533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210801T135949Z
UID:4289-1627812000-1627815600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:AXIOS
DESCRIPTION:“…lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1). In the book of Ephesians\, the Greek word used by the author for worthy is AXIOS. Axios is a reference to a set of scales on which one would place a set of weights on one tray\, and an item to be weighed on the other. When the item is equal to the weight it is worthy (AXIOS) of the weight. Live a life worthy (in AXIOS) of the calling to which you have been called. It is the question we ask of ourselves in worship today. Is the life I am living worthy of the calling to which I have been called? The rest of the passage\, as does the worship\, offers several bits of good news in response to the question. 1. God has called each one of us. 2. All of us in the body of Christ are called collectively. 3. By God’s grace we are forgiven and renewed again and again when our lives fall short of their calling. All of this is proclaimed and affirmed in the Bread and Cup of Communion which will we share this Sunday. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space. 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/axios/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/vintage-2862708_640.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T110000
DTSTAMP:20210725T135116Z
CREATED:20210719T143756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210725T135116Z
UID:4212-1627207200-1627210800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Doing Justice as Prayer
DESCRIPTION:For this final sermon in our summer preaching series The Renewing Work of God\, we turn to the work of Doing Justice as Prayer. Throughout this series we have been encouraged to set the intention of prayer while doing everyday ordinary things such as planting seeds\, going for walks\, making music and art and eating. Today we turn our attention to the act of doing justice and wonder how the work of justice itself can be prayer. The late congressman John Lewis who marched across the bridge to Selma in March of 1965 was known for likening that walk to prayer. “When you pray move your feet” he would say. Sometimes the work of doing justice can be met with terrible violence as Lewis experienced on that bridge. Sometimes justice making can happen quietly and almost unnoticed. Either way\, the work of doing justice is a participation in God’s ongoing plan to mend our broken universe to wholeness. Setting the intention of prayer while doing justice is intentionally tapping into God’s ongoing work. It brings rest to our weariness\, peace to the chaos surrounding us\, and the assurance that this is God’s work and not ours alone. Doing Justice is Doing Prayer.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/doing-justice-as-prayer/
LOCATION:MI\, United States
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/hands-5216585_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210718T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210718T110000
DTSTAMP:20210718T140817Z
CREATED:20210706T152930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210718T140817Z
UID:4009-1626602400-1626606000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Beyond Doing
DESCRIPTION:“Be still and know that I am God.” \nAs we pray\, we are seeking love\, we are drawn into God because we are called by love\, we come out of prayer filled by love and ready to impart that love. Throughout this series we have explored the many adventurous ways to pray. Yet\, it is love that centers us and at times stills us\, so that we may be filled with God. It is good to do prayer and it is also worthwhile to be still so that we may be filled with God. When God is our home place\, we will be filled and we become prayer in our living and breathing. Let us experience God’s love as we worship. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/beyond-doing/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cross-4565198_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T110000
DTSTAMP:20210711T134623Z
CREATED:20210706T150959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210711T134623Z
UID:3994-1625997600-1626001200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The Prayer of Planting
DESCRIPTION:“Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.” \nHave you ever planted a garden and even though you know what you put into the ground\, still you marvel at the way in which those seeds magically produce beans and squash and tomatoes and peppers and…all the amazing things? Of course it isn’t magic–it is God’s handiwork doing what it is supposed to do. This is how planting\, be it in a giant outdoor garden\, or a shoot of basil in your kitchen window\, can be prayer because planting seeds is tapping into the ancient and holy and sacred work of God that stems back to God’s first acts of creation. In worship today\, we hear a parable of a sower whose work of planting was done with a kind of joyful reckless abandon. The sower scattered seeds in all kinds of soils and rocks trusting that God could make anything grow anywhere at any time. We also celebrate Kathryn Sappington’s two years of ministry with us as a Global Mission Fellow\, celebrate and acknowledge the seeds she has planting among us\, and send her off to grow in her new adventure in seminary. Join us this Sunday online and in person for this special Coffeehouse Worship Experience.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-prayer-of-planting/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/greenhouse-6226263_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210704T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210704T110000
DTSTAMP:20210704T134922Z
CREATED:20210621T192635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210704T134922Z
UID:3684-1625392800-1625396400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Holy Food
DESCRIPTION:“If we live by the Spirit\, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” \nToday\, we gather around the table of grace to receive the bread of life and the cup that overflows with blessing and love. It is a holy feast. What if by way of doing prayer we made every meal an extension of the Communion table? From “Beyond Words” the author writes\, “Consuming food becomes a sacred activity\, one that combines intention\, gratitude\, and celebration as the main courses.” The Eucharist is the centerpiece of our faith. Jesus called us to a table of remembrance\, all of us\, from the faithful to the one that is betraying and invites us to eat and drink\, remembering that grace is food for the soul. As ways of doing prayer\, let us establish tables of grace each time we settle in to eat and drink\, sharing the love of God through one of the most basic of human needs. Come\, receive from the table of grace. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space. 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/holy-food/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bowl-1850039_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210627T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210627T110000
DTSTAMP:20210627T135206Z
CREATED:20210621T190818Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210627T135206Z
UID:3679-1624788000-1624791600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Healing
DESCRIPTION:“Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” \nI spent a week at Wesley Woods High School Camp recently with a large group of teenagers and every morning and evening we sang. (Don’t worry\, we were outside and a strong majority were vaccinated!) We sang contemporary worship songs by the fire with guitars and we sang “Amazing Grace” a cappella. One of our staff members shared with me that he was not much of a singer\, but for some reason\, the singing drove him to tears (he’s also not much of a crier). A most memorable moment of singing came on the Friday Night after party. We strung lights and lit up balloons by the lake front at midnight and had a Par-ty! And when a certain Taylor Swift tune came on\, every kid on the shore belted it out word for word. These were all acts of prayer. I don’t know if they all consciously knew they were acts of prayer\, but I am clear that God was there in those moments. It was prayer. It was also prayer when we stopped and listened to the bullfrogs in the evening when the sun went down and then again when we covered a slip-n-slide with shaving cream (yes…). Prayer is singing and prayer is listening\, as author Kristen Johnson Ingram reminds us. This week in worship we will look at moments when scripture points us to this truth\, and examine how we can set an intention of prayer in our singing\, our listening and in our playing.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/sacred-healing/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/walk-4666509_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210620T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210620T110000
DTSTAMP:20210619T175830Z
CREATED:20210607T180712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210619T175830Z
UID:3571-1624183200-1624186800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Making Art
DESCRIPTION:We worship a creating God who calls us into this same creative\, spiritual energy. Creativity comes from God and is expressed in a myriad of ways and means. Children have this distinctive sense that they are creative and will find ways to express themselves. The trouble is that as we age\, we are often not encouraged to continue to be creative without having to become an expert. Let the children lead us into re-discovering our imagination. Author Kristen Johnson Ingram writes\, “When you long to create something visual and tangible\, I think that impulse comes straight from the Holy Spirit\, who fills us with life and expectation and invention. Art doesn’t require expensive materials or a background in painting or sculpture. Art as prayer demands only two things: intention\, of course\, and the belief that God gives you the ability to create.” Let us begin the work\, knowing and trusting that God will be with us. Let us worship our creating God.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/making-art/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hand-84613_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210613T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210613T110000
DTSTAMP:20210612T211310Z
CREATED:20210607T155105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210612T211310Z
UID:3568-1623578400-1623582000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Walking Prayers
DESCRIPTION:You’re invited to join us for Coffeehouse Worship! \nSo if anyone is in Christ\, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see\, everything has become new. \nOur theme for worship is this week is “Doing Prayer” with an emphasis on “Walking Prayer.” This is not praying while walking\, rather\, setting the intention of our walking in and of itself being an act of prayer. This means paying attention to the holiness around us while walking\, and being open to an encounter with the living God while walking. In accordance with our text for the day is being open to the newness of God\, or walking into the newness of God at work around us. Join us and learn how to turn your walking into prayer. We also celebrate and bless our graduates this Sunday and we celebrate Pride Month.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/walking-prayers/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/dawn-1840298_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T110000
DTSTAMP:20210605T224134Z
CREATED:20210601T131723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210605T224134Z
UID:3479-1622973600-1622977200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Doing Prayer
DESCRIPTION:This Sunday we explore living by a spirit that calls us to adventure beyond the spoken prayer and embrace that every moment has potential to be holy as we become prayer. Doing prayer means we are desiring to find the place that we are most ourselves and God is fully present. Doing prayer can be intentional or spontaneous and should be approached with delight and expectation. As we explore doing prayer\, let us be led by the Spirit of God and discover ways that our prayers might be more intentional and consecrated. Even our mission statement proclaims doing prayer by experiencing\, celebrating and sharing God’s love. Join us for worship! Note: It is a communion Sunday\, please bring juice and bread to your worship space if you are able.  \nOn Sunday\, June 6\, we will also offer communion in the picnic table yard after Worship and Watch concludes and until 11:45am. Please join us in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup\, remembering that we are the bread and the love freely poured out in the world in the name of the Christ who redeems. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-pentecost-doing-prayer/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/prayer-1308663_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210530T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210530T110000
DTSTAMP:20210530T012245Z
CREATED:20210524T173656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210530T012245Z
UID:3318-1622368800-1622372400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday: An Economy of Freedom and Love
DESCRIPTION:We are members of a divine economy of freedom and love. In this economy there is abundance\, there is shared power\, there is mutuality and creativity\, and most importantly\, there is a sharing of life with the very source of our creation. Every year on the Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate Trinity Sunday\, the Sunday in which we acknowledge\, celebrate and attempt to make sense of the God is wholly three in one and one in three. What is challenging\, is that Christians have been trying to make sense of it for 2\,000 years and at some point we have to just raise our hands\, stop trying to make sense of it and simply live into it…live into creation’s constant renewal and newness\, live into love’s triumph over evil\, live into grace poured out on an infant’s head. The Trinity is a divine economy – alternative to the world’s economy. A mystery\, yet so good.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/trinity-sunday-an-economy-of-freedom-and-love/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/church-window-511751_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210523T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210523T110000
DTSTAMP:20210522T175248Z
CREATED:20210517T145152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210522T175248Z
UID:3170-1621764000-1621767600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Pentecost: When the Spirit Moves
DESCRIPTION:Pentecost has arrived. It is the fiftieth day or the seventh Sunday from Easter Sunday. As modern Christians we observe Pentecost as a holiday\, not to celebrate a wheat harvest\, but to remember when the Holy Spirit invaded the church as the story is told in the second chapter of Acts. The Spirit is alive and moves among us as it did in the early church. We are a church that can proclaim resurrection hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the spirit is poured out\, the body of Christ moves and shifts and brings an amazing beauty to the world around us. Pentecost is an invitation to take flight and soar on the winds of hope and promise\, through the Spirit of Christ we can bring together a broken world. As we worship\, let us connect with others who seek to fly into a kin-dom way of living.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/pentecost-when-the-spirit-moves/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pentecost-3409407_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210516T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210516T110000
DTSTAMP:20210515T175810Z
CREATED:20210331T203804Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210515T175810Z
UID:2263-1621159200-1621162800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Seventh Sunday of Easter: Imagine the Joy. Imagine the Power.
DESCRIPTION:Jesus is praying for us! What an amazing thing. And Jesus is leaving\, but Jesus is with us. It is Ascension Sunday. Jesus takes his place at the right hand of God\, returns to the circle of the Trinity\, but at the same time continues to be present with us. This final Sunday of Eastertide is a celebration of living the Resurrection with the Resurrected one at our side. We are reminded that we are not alone\, that we continue to journey with the one who calls us and the one who saves us; even as we look forward to the one who will empower us to continue the work of building toward the kin-dom of God. May our hearts ascend with the Resurrected one as we worship together.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/seventh-sunday-of-easter-we-are-yours/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sky-690293_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210509T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210509T110000
DTSTAMP:20210508T195925Z
CREATED:20210331T203430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210508T195925Z
UID:2260-1620554400-1620558000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Sixth Sunday of Easter: No Greater Love
DESCRIPTION:You’re invited to join us for Coffeehouse Worship! \nWe are called this day to celebrate the love that has been poured out on us and then to strive to exemplify this love in our lives. How do we shape a life of loving in a difficult world? We embrace the idea of “no greater love” found in the person of Christ and the life he lived and gift he gave. We also celebrate love that is nurturing\, caring\, supportive and that we have been blessed with mothers\, motherly figures\, and motherly love role modeled in many human beings who have walked among us. We are blessed and can be a blessing as we offer the world a love that desires to sustain and is bound up in the well-being of all. Note: You are encouraged as we gather to worship to have a writing utensil and paper. We will also be anointing ourselves for the work of love and service to the world\, please bring some lotion for the anointing of your hands. Let us experience\, celebrate and share God’s love.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/sixth-sunday-of-easter-no-greater-love/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/mother-429158_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210502T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210502T110000
DTSTAMP:20210501T204331Z
CREATED:20210331T203140Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210501T204331Z
UID:2258-1619949600-1619953200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Easter: Abide in Me
DESCRIPTION:Abiding in the presence of Christ is our call this week. How do we abide? More importantly\, what does abide mean? Let’s spend some time abiding in Christ. Silence\, music and Scripture can lead us to the ways of abiding. We are practicing this abiding in Christ as we worship together with the hope that it will continue after the benediction is pronounced and the postlude ends. Cultivating habits for lifelong worship is a part of what we do when we gather for worship\, even as we gather “together” in our own homes. Let us worship steadfast hearts that seek to abide with the One who calls us to life. Note: It is a communion Sunday\, please bring juice and bread to your worship space if you are able.  \nOn Sunday\, May 2\, we will also offer communion in the parking lot from 12:30-1:30pm. We will use both driveways as entrance ways. Pastor Julie Kline and Pastor Matt Weiler will be at one of the driveways to offer you communion. Please stay in your cars\, with masks on and they will serve you in your vehicle. Please join us in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup\, remembering that we are the bread and the love freely poured out in the world in the name of the Christ who redeems.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/fifth-sunday-of-easter-abide-in-me/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/hands-2667461_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210425T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210425T110000
DTSTAMP:20210424T193349Z
CREATED:20210331T202653Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210424T193349Z
UID:2256-1619344800-1619348400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Easter: Listen to My Voice
DESCRIPTION:We continue the sensory journey through Eastertide and come to hearing this week. In Jesus’ parable of the good shepherd\, he says that the sheep listen to his voice. He is speaking of those in front of him and those of other folds. Who are these others? We don’t really know. There is lots of speculation about who these other folds might represent. But the truth is\, we don’t know. Jesus often hints that determining who is in and who is out is not really our job. We are to invite and include as widely as possible. We also celebrate the Festival of God’s Creation. April 22 is Earth Day\, and we can hear the voice of God through the natural world. If we are to take seriously hearing God through the world around us\, then we have to take seriously the care of the planet. Let us worship with ears to listen.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/fourth-sunday-of-easter-listen-to-my-voice/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EarthDay.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210418T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210418T110000
DTSTAMP:20210417T164816Z
CREATED:20210331T202124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210417T164816Z
UID:2253-1618740000-1618743600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Easter: Touch and See
DESCRIPTION:Last week the Gospel lesson emphasized seeing; today the focus is on touching. Jesus is trying to ground the disciples’ faith in the reality of his presence\, in the concreteness of his being. He told them to touch him; he ate in front of them. He was announcing that he was real. Our lives are still being touched; our hearts are still being touched by Jesus. It is also Native American Ministries Sunday. Through prayers and litanies\, we will hope to bridge the gap between our Native American brothers and sisters. This is part of what it means to touch and see. Touch another tradition; touch another perspective; take hold of something that takes you out of yourself long enough to embrace the realities of another’s existence. Overcoming racism is an ongoing process of education and a constant reminder that embracing those of a difference race or ethnicity involves stretching ourselves and our practices to include and embrace diversity. We are challenged by our bishops to continue the task of ending racism in us and in our society. Let us worship with open hearts and open minds.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/third-sunday-of-easter-touch-and-see/
CATEGORIES:Service
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210411T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210411T110000
DTSTAMP:20210410T234908Z
CREATED:20210331T201612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210410T234908Z
UID:2248-1618135200-1618138800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Easter: Unless I See
DESCRIPTION:You are invited to join us for Coffeehouse Worship! \n“Thomas\, one of the twelve\, was not with them when Jesus came. So\, the other disciples told him\, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them\, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands\, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side\, I will not believe.” \nOur theme for worship this week is Thomas and his need to see something real before his belief can kick in. If we are truthful\, we all want that. We all find it easier to believe when we can see something. So\, then this will be a worship that celebrates showing. We will show the gospel at work in people’s lives. We show the difference it makes in how we live each day. We show a motivating hope that keeps joy at work in the community of faith. Today we show our story\, our own people\, our mission and service. There are stories to tell\, even during this time of pandemics. Hope rises and clings ahold even in difficult situations\, most especially in difficult situations. Faith is alive\, let us hear the stories\, tell the stories and create the stories that show God’s love being shared.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-easter-unless-i-see/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/hands-5216585_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210404T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210404T110000
DTSTAMP:20210404T025604Z
CREATED:20210329T203310Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210404T025604Z
UID:2219-1617525000-1617534000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday: Christ has risen!
DESCRIPTION:In person Communion @ 8:30-9:15am at FUMC\nOnline Worship @ 10am \nChrist the Lord is risen! Alleluia. Come\, join us for Easter as we sing our praise and raise our joys and triumphs high with trumpets declaring that love’s redeeming work is done. We will celebrate the Risen Christ with a virtual choir\, brass\, handbells\, the majestic organ and a “Hallelujah Chorus” from earlier days. Easter begins in the dark and moves into our lives as the dawn lights up the sky and our hearts are filled once again with the hope that Christ leads us to a redemptive love. Please join us for online worship at 10am as we come to the table of life joining with each other and seeking communion with God. Gather bread and juice for home communion\, or plan to meet Pastors Julie and Matt as they serve communion in the church parking lot before worship at 8:30-9:15am. Invite your friends and family to join us for worship as we remember that we rise with the Resurrected One to be renewed\, redeemed\, and enlivened people who serve the God of love. \nPlease note: There will be no Zoom fellowship before Easter worship as we hope to see you face to face for Communion from 8:30-9:15am at FUMC! Events taking place at church will be located on the lawn off the parking lot. As with previous outdoor events\, masks and social distancing are required and we will not have use of the bathrooms. Gluten free bread will be available for in person Communion.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/easter-sunday-christ-has-risen/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EasterAltar2resized.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210402T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210402T200000
DTSTAMP:20210402T204255Z
CREATED:20210329T203046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210402T204255Z
UID:2217-1617386400-1617393600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Good Friday: Healed and Still Healing
DESCRIPTION:Online Worship @ 6pm\nIn person Anointing & Prayers at the Cross @ 7-8pm at FUMC \nWe invite you to continue in Holy Week Worship on Good Friday\, this time\, “staying with” Jesus in his moment of suffering. The temptation is always for us to move to Easter Resurrection quickly as possible\, and this may be ever more true in a year of global pandemic. Lingering in places of suffering is something many of us are all too familiar with. Yet\, Jesus stays with us in our suffering\, and asks us to stay with him in his suffering. Join us online at 6pm for a Good Friday liturgy where we will listen to the passion narrative from Matthew’s Gospel\, sing some classic Good Friday hymns\, and be given opportunity to lay our places of pain\, grief\, and forgiveness before the Cross of Jesus\, and receive anointing with oil. For those who are comfortable and able\, there will be a time to worship in-person\, outdoors at 7pm where worshipers can lay griefs and prayers on the cross\, and be anointed by the pastors. Let us stay with Jesus in his suffering\, knowing that he is always with us in ours. \nEvents taking place at church will be located on the lawn off the parking lot. As with previous outdoor events\, masks and social distancing are required and we will not have use of the bathrooms.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/good-friday-healed-and-still-healing/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/crosses-4004239_640.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210401T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210401T200000
DTSTAMP:20210401T183759Z
CREATED:20210329T202702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210401T183759Z
UID:2214-1617300000-1617307200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Holy Thursday: Extravagant Love
DESCRIPTION:Online Worship @ 6pm\nIn person Communion & Symbolic Hand Washing @ 7-8pm at FUMC \nYou are invited to Holy Thursday to remember that we are healed and still healing. A woman with an alabaster jar anointed Jesus out of love and devotion. We receive an anointing to prepare ourselves to receive the Spirit of Christ anew. Breaking the bread and lifting the cup of grace\, Jesus gave thanks for the healing that had been manifested and the healing that is yet to come. This is the Feast of Love\, come nourish your soul and hear Jesus say\, “I am always with you.” At 6pm we will offer a short online worship of readings\, prayers\, hymns\, anointing and a communion liturgy. You are invited to take communion in your own homes or come to the church lawn off the parking lot to receive communion\, and wash hands as a symbolic act of service and love\, following the online worship\, at 7pm. For our online worship\, please have bread or crackers and juice or water if you will be receiving at home. Also\, please have a small amount of oil for anointing. This can be a simple oil from your kitchen cupboard or a little lotion. Come\, let us create sacred space\, find healing and restoration. \nEvents taking place at church will be located on the lawn off the parking lot. As with previous outdoor events\, masks and social distancing are required and we will not have use of the bathrooms. Gluten free bread will be available for in person Communion.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/holy-thursday-extravagant-love/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/HolyThursday.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210328T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210328T110000
DTSTAMP:20210328T005433Z
CREATED:20210321T125317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210328T005433Z
UID:2049-1616925600-1616929200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Palm Sunday: Holy\, Wholly
DESCRIPTION:We have seen that the stories of Jesus’ healing ministry are filled words and deeds. Our ability to forgive ourselves and others is the foundation that can transform infirmities and allow us to move on. We integrate our beliefs and actions for the health of the whole. The parade of compassionate power we celebrate today is underscored by a story of transformation\, symbolizing our ability to fuel our movement of recovery. We glorify God for beautiful words and works of wholeness and share that treasured beauty with others. We know there will still be pain\, but we also know love will win. \nSharing with Our Community Leaders: Dr. Charlae Davis\, ISAAC
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/palm-sunday-holy-wholly/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210321T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210321T110000
DTSTAMP:20210321T125020Z
CREATED:20210319T194605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210321T125020Z
UID:2015-1616320800-1616324400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Fifth Sunday of Lent: Restoration
DESCRIPTION:In the season of Lent\, we often focus on our spiritual health and how we might expand it or rather just nurture it with more intention\, so that we may be prepared to celebrate the resurrection\, the new life that is possible as we embrace the ways of love that Christ has taught us. For this season of Lent\, we continue our “season of recovery” as we focus on wholistic health as essential to our spiritual lives. The demands of following Jesus are great. He shows us that sometimes we must make extraordinary efforts to move in a new direction. As we consider the health of humanity\, we cannot ignore the need to heal the very planet that sustains us. We live in increasing chaos of a beleaguered environment and the hoarding of resources. We want to be “saved” by something or someone else\, but we discover this week that we are in the boat with the One who shows us our power to turn it around\, to calm the storm. We protect the jewel that is our home\, restoring something beautiful from scars of the past. We focus on the importance of recovery of environmental health\, reclaiming our sense of who we are and being able to proclaim new redemptive stories of divine worth. \nSharing with our Community Leaders: Rev. Paul Perez\, the Michigan Conference’s Associate Director for Mission and Ministry
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/fifth-sunday-of-lent-restoration/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210314T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210314T110000
DTSTAMP:20210314T164517Z
CREATED:20210314T164517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210314T164517Z
UID:1836-1615716000-1615719600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday of Lent: The Beauty of Mosaic
DESCRIPTION:Prolonged times of difficulty can impede our ability to stay creative. The picture of our lives is dulled and hope for a brighter future can fade. We need a touch of inspiration to awaken us from our sleep\, as we hear in one of this week’s healing stories. We also awaken to our agency to seek out the Divine Healer\, reaching out to touch the power we know can restore our intellect and imagination. We emerge ready to re-engage with the world\, seeking and seeing solutions\, creating different pictures of life renewed just as a mosaic artist creates beauty from broken pieces of glass. \nSharing with our Community Leaders: Dr. Sue Ellen Christian
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/fourth-sunday-of-lent-the-beauty-of-mosaic-2/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210307T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210307T110000
DTSTAMP:20210309T215212Z
CREATED:20210305T191852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210309T215212Z
UID:1697-1615111200-1615114800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Third Sunday of Lent: Truth Telling for Healing
DESCRIPTION:Have you ever walked along the shores of Lake Michigan or another body of water and picked up stones as the waves lap across them? Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to find a piece of glass that has been tumbled through the waters. When you pick these objects up\, do you ever wonder what their story might be? Fossilized stones are particularly intriguing and what was that piece of glass before it became just a piece? There are stories that have shaped our lives\, leaving us without the ability to see who we truly are in the eyes of God and leaving us without the ability to speak the depth of our stories of struggle. We focus on the importance of recovery of mental health\, reclaiming our sense of who we are and being able to proclaim new redemptive stories of divine worth. We welcome Rev. Cara Weiler to our time of worship\, who serves as a Deacon partnered with our church and with Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo. She will share with us the work of Communities In Schools and the influence they have on the mental health of many. It is a communion Sunday\, please bring juice and bread to your worship space if you are able. Let us experience\, celebrate and share God’s love. \nOn Sunday\, March 7\, we will offer communion in the parking lot from 12:30-1:30pm. We will use both driveways as entrance ways. Pastor Julie and Pastor Matt will be at one of the driveways to offer you communion. Please stay in your cars\, with masks on and they will serve you in your vehicle. Please join us in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup\, remembering that we are the bread and the love freely poured out in the world in the name of the Christ who redeems.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/third-sunday-of-lent-truth-telling-for-healing/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210305T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210305T110000
DTSTAMP:20210309T214312Z
CREATED:20210305T192609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210309T214312Z
UID:1701-1614938400-1614942000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Lent: Safe Keeping
DESCRIPTION:God gathers us as a Beachcomber gathers and marvels at every precious surviving piece of beach glass she finds. We are never alone\, we are never lost to the One who seeks humanity’s wholeness. We affirm our commitment to be the Body of Christ that knows we cannot be personally healed until we see the interconnected community as part of the process of healing. Jesus has the power to re-vision the family of God in which false boundaries are overcome. In a year of devastating loss of livelihood\, we consider the economic health that reimagines status quo. \nOn Ash Wednesday\, many of you received a piece of beach glass for our prayer time during Lent. If you did not receive a piece of glass and have one in your home\, please bring it to your worship space. If you do not have beach glass\, please find a small stone for your contemplation during prayer time. \nSharing from Community Leaders: Katie McPherson\, Building Blocks
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-lent-safe-keeping-2/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210228T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210228T110000
DTSTAMP:20210305T193408Z
CREATED:20210223T224539Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210305T193408Z
UID:1593-1614506400-1614510000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Second Sunday of Lent: Safe Keeping
DESCRIPTION:God gathers us as a Beachcomber gathers and marvels at every precious surviving piece of beach glass she finds. We are never alone\, we are never lost to the One who seeks humanity’s wholeness. We affirm our commitment to be the Body of Christ that knows we cannot be personally healed until we see the interconnected community as part of the process of healing. Jesus has the power to re-vision the family of God in which false boundaries are overcome. In a year of devastating loss of livelihood\, we consider the economic health that reimagines status quo. \nOn Ash Wednesday\, many of you received a piece of beach glass for our prayer time during Lent. If you did not receive a piece of glass and have one in your home\, please bring it to your worship space. If you do not have beach glass\, please find a small stone for your contemplation during prayer time. \nSharing from Community Leaders: Katie McPherson\, Building Blocks
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-lent-safe-keeping/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/maxresdefault.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210221T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210221T110000
DTSTAMP:20210223T225259Z
CREATED:20210223T224839Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210223T225259Z
UID:1596-1613901600-1613905200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Lent: We are Treasure
DESCRIPTION:Each of us is created a precious and holy vessel of embodied love. We have been through a harrowing time since last Lent that has shattered our sense of wholeness–body\, mind and spirit–like a glass vessel fractured into pieces. Let us enter a Lenten “season of recovery” as we focus on Jesus\, the Healer of our every ill. Beach glass begins as something whole and yet discarded. As it is tumbled by the sea\, it is broken and polished until it becomes a treasured “mineral gem.” We do not embrace that suffering is necessary or God-given\, but that suffering is a part of life. When pain comes and brokenness enters our lives\, Jesus reaches out to touch and remind us of the Treasure that we all are–worthy of new life in the midst of hopelessness. In a year when pandemic has wreaked havoc on our world\, we begin by affirming our journey to physical health. On Ash Wednesday\, many of you received a piece of beach glass for our prayer time during Lent. If you did not receive a piece of glass and have one in your home\, please bring it to your worship space. If you do not have beach glass\, please find a small stone for your contemplation during prayer time. \nSharing from Community Leaders: Dr. Grace Lubwama\, YWCA Kalamazoo
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/first-sunday-of-lent-we-are-treasure/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210217T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210217T170000
DTSTAMP:20210223T225220Z
CREATED:20210223T225220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210223T225220Z
UID:1608-1613548800-1613581200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Ash Wednesday: Shattered
DESCRIPTION:All music is included in the bulletin\, but will not always be on screen\, so we recommend printing the bulletin (linked below) in advance as you’re able. \nAsh Wednesday is a time of naming brokenness. As we enter the season of Lent\, we commit to enter also into a season of healing and recovery that requires the naming of what has been shattered as a first step. We take “the yoke” of responsibility as disciples of Jesus to be the Body of Christ–a body of those who need healing and offer healing in the world. The promise of Jesus is that he is with us in our weariness and burdens. \n“Come to me\, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens\, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you\, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart\, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy\, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11: 28-30
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/ash-wednesday-shattered/
CATEGORIES:Service
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210214T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210214T110000
DTSTAMP:20210305T193258Z
CREATED:20210210T202350Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210305T193258Z
UID:1357-1613296800-1613300400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:It'll All Make Sense On the Other Side of Easter
DESCRIPTION:This weekend in worship we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday\, that great moment when Jesus is illuminated on the mountain\, and voice of God speaks saying\, “This is my son\, the beloved…” while Moses and Elijah minister to him. Moses is the embodiment of all the law and Elijah is the embodiment of all the prophets. This moment serves to affirm that Jesus will be the fulfillment then of all the law and all the prophets. But let’s not forget about the disciples who in that moment saw Jesus like they had never seen him before…a real mountaintop moment. It raises the question “What are some moments you have seen Jesus like never before?” When all when was finished Jesus told them not to say anything until after his resurrection. Why? Because some things only make sense this side of Jesus’ resurrection. Which raises another question. “What are some things that only make sense because of Jesus’ resurrection?” Also\, this Sunday in worship we celebrate Kaden Seals’ Baptism! So grab a cup of coffee and join us!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/transfiguration-sunday-2/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Itll-All-Make-Sense-On-the-Other-Side-of-Easter.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210207T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210207T110000
DTSTAMP:20210210T204250Z
CREATED:20210210T202109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210210T204250Z
UID:1354-1612692000-1612695600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Rising & Looking to a New Horizon
DESCRIPTION:As the Gospel of Mark continues to unfold in the first chapter\, the Gospel writer maintains in his direct and uncomplicated style. In the healing story for today\, Jesus simply “raises her up.” Simon’s mother-in-law had been bedridden and Jesus comes to her takes her hand\, lifts her up\, heals her and “she began to serve.” This Sunday is the last of our series “Rhythms of the Soul: Rising & Looking to a New Horizon.” We are joined by Michigan folk artist and social justice activist May Erlewine who will share her song “Shine On.” The Scripture of the day and May’s song will stir our souls\, inspiring us to find ways that we may be light bearers who believe in the healing power of love as we serve the world.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/rising-looking-to-a-new-horizon/
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Youth-Heart.jpg
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