Message from the Pastor

It is difficult to believe we are already in June. It is perhaps even more difficult for me to believe that this is my last newsletter article for you at St. Luke. Lisa may find herself grateful for this matter as it means she no longer has to remind me a dozen or so times beforehand. Here we are halfway through the year. It almost makes me want to sing "woah, we're halfway there, woah-oh living on a prayer." Isn't it funny how certain song lyrics will just appear in our minds at a moment's notice? I shared a bit about this on Sunday during our hymn sing. Perhaps you are like me in that your soul sometimes is part jukebox, playing little lines of songs or hymns every now and again. Suddenly a memory surfaces. Suddenly you find yourself singing along.

Although we came inside because of the heat, it was no less meaningful to gather together and sing "lustily and with good courage" as John Wesley suggested this past Sunday. Above all, we sang and swayed with our hearts. Looking back over these three years, we have sung so many songs together in worship. We sang "in every death a resurrection" at funerals. We sang prayers for peace, praying "let there be peace on Earth." We laughed while trying to sing "ho ho ho hosanna, ha ha hallelujah." We asked for "grace for the moment" while listening to Tricia and also never looked at funeral food the same after hearing her sing about butter beans. We celebrated the light of the world, deep hospitality, the suffering of Christ, and the joy of resurrection. On Sundays, you brought your whole selves before God to offer your voices and your praise. I watched you sing with excitement at what God was doing in your life, in frustration as you were between jobs, and in longing for something more or different. I watched you sing even when you missed your spouse or felt estranged from your family. I watched you sing through grief and illness, loudly proclaiming stubborn hope and that "it is well with my soul." I watched you sing when you would have rather cried or not even been there to begin with. I also watched you stand and sing out your favorites with unbridled joy, your voices filling the sanctuary with the sound of faith. I watched you sing past fear and beyond division with words of unity and belonging. Week after week, we gathered together for we are the church, the ekklesia, or the called-out ones. Week after week, we answered the call to worship before being sent back into the world in the strength of the Holy Spirit to love as Christ loves with a song in our heart.

In the words of Thomas Troeger,

We need each other’s voice to sing,
each other’s strength to love,
each other’s views to help us bring our hearts to God above.

Our lives like coals placed side by side
to feed each other’s flame,
shall with the Spirit’s breath provide a blaze of faith to claim.

We give our alleluias
To the church’s common chord:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise, O Praise, O Praise the Lord!

Worship is a gift, and it is a gift I am grateful to have shared with you these past three years.

I look forward to singing with you one last time on Sunday, June 14th. I will miss each of you greatly but will hold the memories of our time together close to my heart and the songs we shared together on my lips.

May you keep gathering, keep singing, and keep going forward in the spirit of Christ.

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Hannah

Lectionary Readings for June

Sunday, June 7 — Second Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Sunday, June 14 — Third Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 18:1-15
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35—10:8
Sunday, June 21 — Father’s Day
Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 or Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
Sunday, June 28 — Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42

The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

UW Faith Lunch Bunch will meet on Thursday, June 11, at 11:30 a.m. for a “Dutch Treat” lunch. Location: TBA. All women available during the noon hour are invited to join us!

UWFaith Grace Circle will not meet in June. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, August 4 at 10:00 a.m. in the church library. Women who are interested in the work of this wonderful organization and who are not otherwise engaged on August 4 are invited to join us. We are always finished by noon, and sometimes earlier.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

St. Luke Sunday School has gone on summer vacation, except for the Coleman Class. Sunday morning services remain the same, however, so enjoy a little more shut-eye or an extra cup of coffee and then join your church family at 10:30 for worship. See you all in Sunday School in early September!

The Annual Conference of the Mississippi United Methodist Church will take place this year June 3-5. Please be in prayer for our own representatives as well as all the others in attendance.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

In the summer months, the DSU Wesley does not have their weekly worship service. Instead, they will be meeting students downtown at the Delta Dairy for a time of fun and fellowship. They are looking for sponsors for these meetings. The cost to sponsor one week is $100, and they are looking for 15 sponsors for the summer. If you’d like to help with one week, please let them know or donate by using one of these methods… donate by cash/check at 904 S. Court St, Cleveland; Venmo: @DSU-Wesley; or Cash App: $DSUWesley2.

Worship Greeters are needed for the months of June, July, August, October, November, and December! A Greeter is a very important part of welcoming people to our worship service and helps by passing out bulletins and attendance forms, helping people in and out of cars (when needed), directing visitors to pews or various areas of the church, and helping in other capacities of the service. If you feel called to volunteer and would like to help, a signup sheet is available in the narthex or you may sign up by contacting the church office. If you need more info on what all being a greeter entails, please see Bob Card, Mike Gressett, Jim Shempert, or Al Williams.

Don’t forget that on the second Sunday of every month we collect bags of apples, jars of peanut butter, and also canned goods for the Helping Hands Ministry. A blue bin designated for Helping Hands is available in the narthex where you can place your food items.

The second Sunday is also our Dollar Sunday, when you are invited to drop a dollar or two into the small basket in the narthex to help support our Compassion Fund. This fund is used by the pastor at their discretion to help those in need.

The Flower Calendar is available on the bulletin board in the hallway across from the choir room. If you would like to help provide an altar arrangement sometime during the year, please look over the calendar, choose a date or two, and sign up. Your arrangement doesn’t have to be fresh flowers, it could be a lovely silk arrangement, or even a nice plant. If you sign up for two consecutive Sundays, we have a “flower fridge” where we can store your floral arrangement during the week and re-use them the second Sunday. If ordering fresh flowers from a flower shop, be sure to inform them you would like them to last for two Sundays. Please see Melanie Williams or contact the church office for more info or to sign up.

Securing the Church Doors

Over the past few weeks, several doors have been found unlocked after people have left the church. We ask everyone to please be extra mindful about ensuring all doors are securely locked behind you when exiting the building.

Please pay special attention to the self‑locking door on the Sunday School wing. It does not always latch fully on its own, so if you exit through that door, take a moment to make sure it closes completely.

Thank you for helping keep our church building safe and secure.

VBS

Please click the links below if you would like to help with VBS or have a child/children to register.

volunteers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CACA82AA3FAC70-63525347-vbssnowball

kids:
https://www.fumc-cleveland.org/#new-page-1-section

DSU Wesley

Methodist Children’s Home

Click the link below to give to The Methodist Children’s Home.

https://www.mchms.org/donate-now

Employment Opportunities

The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is searching for an employee to fill our Music Director position and would welcome help from the congregation in spreading the word.

As you know, Beverly Jacks has served as interim Director for the past couple of years or so. She does a lovely job and has been happy to serve our church with her gifts, but she would like a break if a suitable person can be found to lead the choir. Previous experience in a church setting is preferred but not required. Salary will be negotiable.

Please share this information with any suitable candidates you know who might be interested in working at St. Luke. Any further questions may be directed to Rev. Hannah or to Lisa in the church office.

The St. Luke Scene

Senior Sunday

Events in June

June 1-4, Monday-Thursday
— Art w/Allyson: PreK Camp, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Art Room)

June 3-5, Wednesday-Friday
— MS Annual Conference (Jackson at Millsaps)

June 5, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

June 7, Sunday
— Youth: Pickleball, 5:00 p.m.

June 11, Thursday
— Lunch Bunch, 11:30 a.m. (Location: TBA)

June 12, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

June 14, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission for Helping Hands
— Youth: Delta Dairy, 5:00 p.m.

June 14-17, Sunday-Wednesday
— Vacation Bible School, 5-7:00 p.m. (First UMC)

June 15-18, Monday-Thursday
— Art w/Allyson: Time Machine Camp, 9-11:30 a.m. & 12:30-3 p.m.

June 19, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

June 21, Sunday
— Father’s Day

June 26, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

June 28, Sunday
— Youth: Bowling, 5:00 p.m.

June 30, Tuesday
— Art w/Allyson: Art Show (St Luke)

Events in July

July 1-2, Wednesday-Thursday
— Art w/Allyson: Wickedly Creative Camp, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

July 3, Friday
— Church Office Closed for 4th of July Holiday

July 9-10, Thursday-Friday
— Art w/Allyson: 3D Creature Feature, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
— Art w/Allyson: Whimsy & Wild, 1-3:30 p.m.

July 10, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

July 12, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission for Helping Hands
— Youth: Cook, 5:00 p.m.

July 13-16, Monday-Thursday
— Art w/Allyson: Build a Dream Home, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

July 17, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

July 26, Sunday
— Youth: Scavenger Hunt, 5:00 p.m.

July 31, Friday
— Toddler Playgroup, 9-11:00 a.m. (PreK Room)

Memorials and Honorariums

By:
Priscilla & Richard Aguzzi; Waldine Almon; Delia & Sid Blackstone; Randolph Blakeman; Kay Daves; Lisa & Shaun Horton; Beverly & Roy Jacks; Elaine & Larry Lambert; Barbara Levingston; William McMullen; Charles & Linda Miller; Billy & Emily Morris; Jackie Pennington; Tillie Petersen & the CHS Class of ‘62; Mari Thornton; Pat Tibbs; Frances & Jim Tims; Sean & Susannah Wessel; Jane Wilkie

Kay Daves; Lisa & Shaun Horton; Jackie Pennington; Al & Melanie Williams

Bruce & Cristyn Holder; Betty Hunter; Carol Tatum; Al & Melanie Williams

By:

Memorials for:
Beth Jacks

Virna Doyle

Frankie Brewer

Honorarium for:
n/a

Attendance and Offering Report

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June 2026

June 2, 2026St. Luke United Methodist Church

Message from the Pastor

Lectionary Readings for June