Pastor’s Pause: “The Heart of Worship”

Jesus said, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
- John 4:24 (NLT)

We are creatures of habit. If we don’t find ways to remind ourselves why we do what we do,
we’re prone to just go through the motions, if not adopt some new underlying motivation altogether.
Which can be especially dangerous in worship.

A few years ago, I read an interview with contemporary Christian artist Matt Redman, who shared
what happened in his church in the late 1990’s. The pastor sensed that their worship gatherings
were going flat spiritually, that the congregation was going through the motions, and worship
wasn’t flowing from the heart like true Christian worship must.

“The heart of worship is not music and song, but heads and hearts in joyful awe of the real Jesus.
He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with
just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the
heart would be to strip everything away.”

More Than a Song - During this season, the pastor challenged the congregation to be participants
in worship, not consumers. To come ready to engage with God for themselves, from the heart,
not just watch with their eyes. He wanted them to come as worshipers, not as concert-goers.

All About Jesus - The essence of worship is not about the external things, but heart and head.
Spirit and truth. Our spirit, stirred by the Holy Spirit, in worship over true things about God, his Son,
and his gospel. “What’s essential for worship today is not music and microphones, but the truth
about Jesus and the help of his Spirit.” It is, then, “all about” Jesus, not us. He’s at the center.
He’s the focus. It is about refocusing, and re-centering, and reminding ourselves why we worship
and who we worship.

Coming Back – Redman’s song says, “When the music fades, all is stripped away, and I simply
come. . . . You search much deeper within. . . . You’re looking into my heart.” It is also a song of
repentance and re-consecration, not just in worship, but all of life. Periodically, we all need a soul
check. We are so easily distracted from the main things - especially from the main person, Jesus.
Jesus is greatly honored when we bring ourselves, with the Holy Spirit’s help, back to the heart
of worship again and again.

Lent is a good time to ask - Have you had your heart and soul check-up recently?

Blessings,
Pastor Bonnie
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Birthdays: Anniversaries:
3/7 McKenzie Thren
3/8 Ava Price
3/15 Judy Conley
3/16 Jacob Williams
3/19 Jacob Schmidt
3/23 Nancy Schmidt
3/27 Mary Story
3/30 Lynne Phillips

March 2nd – 5:00PM @ Carletto's.

What’s on your mind? Come sit and
chat with Pastor Bonnie!
March 3rd– Prayer Vigil 7AM-7PM.
All are welcomed to join us in this
day of prayer.
Lenten Bible Study:
March 1st through April 5th
9:30AM at Calvary-Asbury UMC
6:30PM at St. Paul’s UMC

March 19th– One Great Hour of Sharing.

A special offering will be taken

March 12th—Daylight Savings Time Begins

Don't forget to "SPRING" forward by one hour.
Also, this is a good time to check the batteries
In your smoke detectors and other devices.

Easter Baskets for Seniors–

The Evangelism Team will be collecting
items for the baskets. A list of needed
March 25th- Calvary-Asbury items will be announced soon.
Church Clean Up Day @ 8AM

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 2023 Reading List from the United Women of Faith
(formerly known as The United Methodist Women)

The book we need NOW to avoid a social recession, Murthy’s prescient

message is about the importance of human connection, the hidden
impact of loneliness on our health, and the social power of community.

From the number-one bestselling author of The Nightingale and The

Great Alone comes a powerful American epic about love and heroism
and hope, set during the Great Depression, a time when the country
was in crisis and at war with itself, when millions were out of work an
even the land seemed to have turned against them.

The epic journey of a young Guatemalan American college student, a

“dreamer,” who gets deported and decides to make his way back home
to California.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Provocative and illuminating essays from women

at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage,
and solutions to lead humanity forward.

Most people, even those who are nonreligious, are familiar with the book of
Jonah: a rebellious prophet defies God and is swallowed by a whale. Less
familiar to most people is the second half of this Biblical story--what happens
after Jonah is released from the belly of the fish. Yet it is in this second half
of the story that one of the most powerful and important lessons of the Bible
is hidden.

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 World Day of
9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM Prayer
Pastor’s In Pastor’s In
7AM-7PM–
9:30AM– Bible 5PM– Table Prayer Vigil
Study @ CA Talk @
Carletto’s
6:30PM– Bible
Study @ SP

9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM

Pastor’s In 6:30PM–
Pastor’s In Pastor’s In
Worship Team
Mtg @ CA
7PM– Lions 9:30AM– Bible
Club @ CA 7PM– 4-H Mtg @ Study @ CA
CA
6:30PM– Bible
Study @ SP

Daylight 9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM

Saving Time Pastor’s In Pastor’s In 9AM-1PM
Begins Pastor’s In
5:15PM– Girl 9:30AM– Bible
Girl Scout Scout s @ CA Study @ CA
Sunday
7PM– SPLASH 7PM– Ad 6:30PM– Bible
12Noon-Trustees @ SP Council Mtg Study @ SP
Meeting @ CA @ SP

9AM-1PM
UMCOR Sunday Pastor’s In 8:00AM– Clean
9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM 6PM– Hall Up Day @ CA
Pastor’s In Pastor’s In Rental @ CA
12PM-Ad 9:30AM– Bible
Council @ CA Study @ CA
7PM– Lions
Club @ CA 6:30PM– Bible
Study @ SP

12:30PM– 9AM-1PM 9AM-1PM

Lunch with Pastor’s In 9AM-1PM
Pastor’s In
the Pastor at Pastor’s In
Carletto’s 10AM– Food
Pantry 9:30AM– Bible
Study @ CA
5:15PM– Girl
Scouts @ CA 6:30PM– Food
6:30PM– Bible
Pantry @ CA Study @ SP
7PM– Ruritans
@ CA
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 Sudlersville United
Methodist Charge
Pastor: Bonnie Shively
Parsonage Phone: 410-438-6127
Cell Phone: 410-739-0301
Church Office:
P.O. Box 202
103 North Church Street
Sudlersville, MD 21668
Phone: 410-438-3816
Hours: Monday– Thursday:
9:00 AM-1:00PM
Email: office@sudlersvilleumc.org
Facebook.com/sudlersvilleumc
Website: http://www.sudlersvilleumc.org/
Prayer List
Robyn Allen, Esther Blackiston, Barbara Bostic,
John Carroll, David Conley, Buck & Judy Dashiell,
Charlotte Dukes, Spencer Everett, Kari Faust,
Martha George, Mary Holden, Doug Lanter,
Bettye Larrimore, Alex Lorenz, Rev. Linda Mariner,
Sherman Mason, Joey McHenry, Ken Newton,
Wyatt Russum, Jennie Schmidt, Aaron Seeney,
Lynn Shively, Christopher Mally Skinner,
Ralph Starkey, Dave Turner, Robbie Turner,
Jacob & Nicole Walmsley
Those Serving in the Military
Jeffery Coleman, Garrett Faber,
JT Larrimore, Alex Lorenz,
Erik O’Brien, Alex Walls

Any information you

would like in the bulletin
or announcements,
needs to be sent to
the office no later then
Wednesday’s @ Noon.

Pastor’s Visitation

If you or someone you know would

like a visit from the pastor, please
contact Kari in the church office.