JUNE 2020

The PLUM Line Purchase Line United Methodist Church

17107 Route 286 Hwy E. Commodore, PA 15729 (724) 254-1350 / plumchurch@verizon.net

One of the things we have all had a lot more of lately is free

time. In the past we have all probably wished we had a little

more free time, but speaking for myself, this is not how I wanted

to gain that free time. Personally, I can’t wait to be busy again,

because it means I’ll be doing a lot of the things I really enjoy

doing. The problem we have in this time is we want free time to

do the things we enjoy doing, but unfortunately those are the

things we haven’t been “allowed” to do. So what have you

been doing with your new found free time?

There is an expression that goes, “when life gives you lemons,

make lemonade.” Well life has handed everyone one big

lemon. How are you making lemonade? Hopefully you’ve

made the most of this difficult time and hopefully it’s coming to

an end. I love lemonade, but I’m ready for something else to

drink, maybe some iced tea.

Jesus said, in John 16:32, “But a time is coming, and has come,

when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will

leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with

Me.” Obviously Jesus wasn’t talking about any kind of

lockdown, He was talking about what would happen to His

disciples when He left, but nonetheless, we have been

scattered to our own homes, but we are not alone. Our

Heavenly Father is with us.

He follows that up in verse 33 with one of my favorite verses, “I

have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have

overcome the world.” Trouble is unavoidable. How you handle

the trouble is totally up to you. Jesus’ advice is to take heart,

He has overcome the world. My advice is very similar...take

heart, Jesus has taken care of it.

Blessings,

Pastor Raymond

Upcoming Events

Wednesdays at PLUM

Prayer Meeting 7PM

June 7th

Graduate Sunday

Important

Announcements

The combined Church Council and

Ministry Planning Meeting will be on

Monday, June 1st at 7PM.

Community Kitchen will be

postponed until further notice.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 2nd.

The Election Day Dinner has been

canceled for June. We hope to

resume this ministry in November.

Worship with PLUM Church on Sundays

at 9:30AM. Tune in to 87.9FM within a

mile radius of the church (parking lot

drive-ins are welcome!) The sermon

will also be available on Facebook,

YouTube and the church website

@ plumchurch.com.

Clayton Clair Coble, son of Scot and Chastity Coble, will graduate from

Marion Center Area High School where he is a primary honor student. School

activities include National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, PJAS

Enviroquest competitions, Project Earth. He was crowned Marion Center’s

Homecoming King this past fall. Clayton was very involved in sports, excelling

especially in baseball and football. As an outfielder, he was baseball team captain

and selected for the 2019 All Gazette Baseball team. He was also co-captain of

MC’s football team where he played linebacker. He received several scholar

athlete awards and all conference and Top area 25 player recognitions.

Clayton became a member of PLUM Church in 2018. He likes to go fishing, play

Scrabble and hang out with his friends. He plans to attend IUP in the fall to major in

business/sports management. Now he is employed at Tate’s Supermarket in Clymer.

Benjamin Garrett Smith, son of Kevin and Lee Smith is a 2020 graduate of Purchase

Line. Ben is active in school, helping to run Mr. Scott’s coffee cart and baking

yummy treats for teachers and staff. He enjoys their fishing trips and has worked

for Goodwill and several area nursing homes.

Ben is a former boy scout and is a long-time Miracle League baseball player. He

had hoped to have a great track and field season with the Special Olympics but

that will have to wait until next year.

Ben raises chickens to support his cheesy egg breakfast addiction. He enjoys

dressing up and dancing at the “Starlit Night” prom and is a big fan of 80’s and

country music. He is a great help at Smiths Auto Service and assists anyone who

needs help with many odd-jobs. Congratulations & God bless, Ben!

Joshua Grell from Mars Area High School, son of Mandy “Brocious” & Mike

Grell. Grandson of Kay and Chuck Brocious. Hopefully will start college at Kent

State University this fall.

Kyle McCormick son of Scott and Terri McCormick. Grandson of Gene and

Sharon Stewart. Graduating from Eastern York High School, Kyle has been

an avid hockey player from the age of five. He has been a member for 13

years in the York Hockey Club. He was a member of both York and Hershey

Bears for 1 year. Kyle will be pursuing a career in Physical Therapy.

• National Day of Prayer, May 2nd

• Mother’s Day, May 12th

• Armed Forces Day, May 18th

• Memorial Day, May 27th

• Ascension, May 30th

+CHRISTIAN SYMBOL+

SPECIAL DATES

• Trinity Sunday, June 7

• Flag Day, June 14

• First day of summer, June 20

• Father’s Day, June 21

SPECIAL DATES

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

EVERY TUESDAY

Did you know that Taking Off

Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) meets

Monday evenings in the

PLUM basement? If you want

help working off any

quarantine weight gain, new

attendees are welcome.

Weigh in is from 5:30-6:30PM.

Meetings at 6:30PM.

CAT camp is cancelled for

this summer, along with

many of the other large-

scale camp weeks. Some

smaller camps will still be

held later in the season, but

only if the county that a

given camp is in has been

moved to the green zone.

OUR FATHER You sum up the whole of New Testament

religion if you describe it as the knowledge of

God as one’s holy Father. If you want to

judge how well a person understands

Christianity, find out how much he makes of

the thought of being God’s child, and

having God as his Father. If this is not the

thought that prompts and controls his

worship and prayers and his whole outlook

on life, it means that he does not understand

Christianity very well at all.

―J.I. Packer, Knowing God

++++ +++ ++ ++- -*++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +

++++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ +++ +++

TOO GREAT TO GRASP For more than three decades, St. Augustine of Hippo

toiled over the mind-boggling doctrine of the Trinity.

According to legend, one day the church father was

strolling along a shore, wrestling with this puzzle. He

saw a boy running back and forth, using a seashell to

pour water from the ocean into a hole he’d dug in

the sand. When Augustine asked what he was doing,

the boy proclaimed, “I’m going to pour the entire

ocean into this hole!”

“That’s impossible,” replied Augustine. “The sea is so

great, and the shell and the hole are so little.”

“That’s true,” the boy said. “But it would be easier to

draw all the water out of the sea and fit it into this

hole than for you to fit the mystery of the Trinity and

His divinity into your little intellect.”

Indeed, only through faith can we accept the infinite

nature of our Three-in-One God; for our finite human

minds, it’s simply too great to grasp.

HIGHLY ESTEEMED After returning from a lengthy mission trip

overseas, John Huffman and his fellow

passengers were held up in customs for two

hours. When he finally made it to the

packed airport lobby, Huffman realized it

might take a while to find his family. But

suddenly his 3-year-old daughter ran toward

him yelling, “Daddy! Daddy! That’s my

daddy!” and launched into his arms.

“What a welcome,” he writes. “I have never

felt so loved and acknowledged in my life.”

Perhaps that’s how God feels when we call

on His name in worship and prayer,

acknowledging Him as our heavenly Father

— and honoring Him above all else.

WELCOMING THE HOLY Abraham and Sarah welcomed three

strangers who turned out to be the Lord. Jesus

said, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold

water to one of these little ones who is my

disciple,” the giver will be rewarded

(Matthew 10:42, NIV). An ancient Jewish

proverb asserts: “Hospitality is one form of

worship.” A Russian Orthodox monk is said to

have told a younger one, “Sometimes I see a

stranger coming up the road and I say, ‘Oh,

Jesus Christ, is it you again?’” And an old

Gaelic poem declares, “Often, often, often,

goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise.”

Sometimes we think we must do something

big to serve God. Today, when you smile at

someone on the street, take time to entertain

a child’s question, bring cookies to a new

neighbor, thank a server or clerk … know that

you are serving Jesus, that you are worshiping

God. —Heidi Mann

++++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ +++ ++

++++ ++- +

+CHRISTIAN SYMBOL+

Olive

The olive branch is a symbol of peace, harmony

and healing. Olive trees provide shelter, as well as

oil used for ointment and consecration. The olive

branch also represents deliverance from

hardships and anxiety because a dove brought

an olive leaf back to Noah’s ark after the flood

ended (Genesis 8:11).

A KINDLED FIRE “I can worship outside among nature just as

well as I can inside a church building.” That

claim is especially common during the

summer, when church attendance tends to

decline.

Certainly it’s possible to worship and talk to

God among His creation. In fact, George

Washington Carver called nature “an

unlimited broadcasting station, through

which God speaks to us every hour, if we will

only tune in.” And Martin Luther said, “God

writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but

also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds

and stars.”

Yet corporate, or church, worship is still vital.

Luther also noted: “At home, in my own

house, there is no warmth or vigor in me, but

in the church when the multitude is

gathered together, a fire is kindled in my

heart and it breaks its way through.” When

we’re away from God’s house, we miss

blessings and opportunities including

communion, fellowship and support. So this

summer, spend time in nature but don’t

neglect “to meet together” (see Hebrews

10:25)!

AN INVITATION TO REST Summer calls to mind a slower pace, time off from

school and work. But many still face daily demands

this time of year: farmers work long hours; teachers

may take seasonal work to make ends meet; parents

with kids now home all day may catch up on work late

at night. Still, may the longer days and warmer

weather beckon you into a bit of free time this season.

Listen:

“When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows

you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot

serve from an empty vessel.” —Eleanor Brownn (public

speaker and educator)

“Rest time is not waste time; it is economy to gather

fresh strength. … In the long run, we shall do more by

sometimes doing less.” —Charles Spurgeon

“Come to me, all you that are weary … and I will give

you rest. … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is

light.” —Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)

SEEING STARS The stars shine over the mountains,

the stars shine over the sea,

The stars look up to the mighty God,

the stars look down on me;

The stars shall last for a million years,

a million years and a day,

But God and I will live and love,

when the stars have passed away.

—Robert Louis Stevenson

++++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ +++ +++ +++ +