Worship, Laughter And Love

My mom and I attended the Pine Valley United Methodist Church Ever 49’ers Christmas celebration last week and fun was had by all!  We continue to be blown away by the many opportunities for our seniors.  And seniors are anyone 49 and over!  Or if you want, seniors can be anyone 20 years older than you.   However you fit in, you can expect to have fun and laugh a lot.  You are always surrounded by friends whether you have known them for years or just met them when you walked up to the table!  

Patricia Underwood catered our meal which included barbecue and sides with hot homemade cobblers - apple, peach and cherry - with ice cream!  The food is always good and plentiful because we are PVUMC!  We have a reputation to uphold!

Entertainment was provided by Pat and Friends!  Our very own Pat Sullivan put together a band that played and sang Christmas songs.  And, of course, we were invited to participate and sing along.  Pat and Friends consisted of Pat, Pastor Kim, Mark Edquid, Teresa Meares and Steve Collins.  Notice it did not include Pastor Tim.  He made it through one song and next thing you know Pastor Tim is holding the bass guitar and singing!  A man of many talents!  

 Jokes were told between each song and you would not believe how bad they were so here is a sample. !  Q- “What does the gingerbread man use to make his bed?”  A - ”Cookie sheets!”  And one more to prove my point.  Q - “How do angels greet each other?”  A - “Halo!”  They were so bad that you laughed at them.  Job 8:21, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”  Proverbs 17:22, ”A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

I was not sure who the local celebrity was that all of the people were gathering around. Finally, I saw it was Mark Edquid who had come to be part of the band!  It was very obvious that Mark has been truly missed over the last few months after breaking his leg.  He sang, “No Place Like Home For The Holidays” referring to PVUMC as “home” while singing to his “family.”  The song starts with, “Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays.  Cause no matter how far away you roam.  When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze.  For the holidays you can't beat home sweet home!”

Our church friends really are our family.  Family takes care of each other.  We all have one Father and that makes us family!  When Christ fills our heart that becomes our identity.  Having Christ in our heart is deeper than any DNA because we are all created by the same God and rescued from sin through Jesus Christ.  Just like I love to see my children having fun together and laughing, I know God was smiling watching his children celebrate Christmas, united in His love.   As we all sang “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night” it was such a joyous feeling of gratefulness.  Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  It was a wonderful evening of worship, laughter and love with family!

If you are an “ever 49’er” come enjoy a time of worship, laughter and love on the third Tuesday of each month but check bulletins and newsletters for changes to this schedule.

Jill Jarrell-Newsome