by Stacey Hilliard | May 14, 2023 | Sermons
While Mother’s Day is not a religious holiday, the Bible is full of stories about the hardships of motherhood and commands to care for women and children. Here in the United States, we are not good at caring for mothers. As the chart here shows, we have the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world.
But living through the actual birth is merely the first challenge faced by mothers, both historically and today. So, this Mother’s Day we will focus on the challenges facing mothers in our world and how we might embody our prayers for them. BonnieJean Butler will join me in the sermon to highlight the plight of mothers in a war zone and how we can help.
– Pastor Anne
by Stacey Hilliard | May 7, 2023 | Sermons
One of Jesus’ more famous sayings is also problematic for many people. “I am the way,the truth, and the life,” Jesus says in John 14:6, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Let’s look at the problems caused by common interpretations of that verse and how Jesus might actually be pointing in a different direction.
– Pastor Anne
by Stacey Hilliard | Apr 30, 2023 | Sermons
You can perhaps see from this 1990 photo of me with my own (freshly shorn) sheep, how much I love them, and I can’t pass up the opportunity the lectionary has given me to talk about them. What the picture doesn’t quite capture is the fact that sheep are dumb as rocks or a lot of other things about sheep that can help us understand the many, many metaphors in the Bible that refer to sheep and shepherds.
– Pastor Anne
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by Stacey Hilliard | Apr 28, 2023 | News
The energy infrastructure in war-torn Ukraine has been destroyed. Volunteer civilian defenders on the front lines have asked for candles and small tins, which can be used for light, heat, and cooking, and for metal containers (like cookie and popcorn tins), which are needed to store food and protect it from rodents.
Dr. BonnieJean Butler has shipped 5000+lbs of supplies to Ukraine since October, to known and trusted people for distribution. BonnieJean’s friends and family have generously paid for shipping costs to date but urgent needs persist.
How you can help:
During the month of May, Crawford will serve as a collection point for additional candles and cookie tins. Now through the end of May, bring your contributions to church on Sunday, or leave them in the bins by our front or parking lot doors.
- Nearly any wax candles will do: new or used; pillar, votive, tea light, taper or birthday; scented or unscented; even those in glass.
- And we’ll take metal tins of all sizes: from small food cans to cookie tins and popcorn tins (with lids)
More ways to help:
- Get the word out to your friends to collect as many candles and tins as possible.
- Volunteer for our packing party on June 3, when we will pack our donations for shipping to Ukraine. (Boxes and more details will be provided.)
- Transport filled boxes to the shipping company in Norwell, MA.
- Contribute to the shipping cost. You can contribute by check made out to Crawford Memorial UMC, online at crawfordumc.org/give, or text CrawfordUMC to 44-321. (Please note in the memo or comments section that your gift is for “Candles for Ukraine.”)
by Stacey Hilliard | Apr 17, 2023 | News
We are happy to be hosting an adoption event for Last Hope K9 Rescue (LHK9), on Saturday, April 22. From their website, “LHK9 is a registered non-profit, all-breed dog rescue based in Massachusetts.We are dedicated to saving abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs from high-kill shelters in Central Arkansas and beyond. Though our rescue efforts are focused in the Central Arkansas area, we also serve as a resource for local dog surrenders, shelters, and special rescue efforts in other areas. We don’t discriminate on the basis of age, pre-existing medical conditions, or breed, because every dog deserves to know love.”
Only potential adopters with applications on file will be able to enter the adoption event space on Saturday. LHK9 volunteers encourage interested adopters to learn more about the event and the dogs available for adoption on their website or facebook page, and to complete an online application here.
