October 2001

Pastor’s Ponderings on Peace....

Considering the horrific tragedies of September 11, 2001, I offer words of peace and hope. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Poem of Peace....

O God, Our Words Cannot Express Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

O God, our words cannot express The pain we feel this day. Enraged, uncertain, we confess Our need to bow and pray.

We grieve for all who lost their lives... And for each injured one. We pray for children, husbands, wives Whose grief has just begun.

O Lord, we’re called to offer prayer For all our leaders, too. May they, amid such great despair, Be wise in all they do.

We trust your mercy and your grace; In you we will not fear! May peace and justice now embrace! Be with your people here!

A Fable Of Peace....

“Tell me the weight of a snowflake,” the sparrow asked the wild dove. “Nothing more than nothing,” the wild dove answered. “In that case, I must tell you a marvelous story,” the sparrow said. “I sat on the branch of my favorite fir tree, close to the trunk, when it began to snow—not heavily, not in a raging blizzard—no, just like in a dream, without a sound and without any violence. Since I did not have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the 3,741,953rd snowflake dropped onto the branch, nothing more than nothing, as you say, the branch broke off.” Having said that, the sparrow flew away. The dove, since Noah’s time, an authority on the matter, thought about the story for awhile, and finally said to herself, “Perhaps only one person’s voice is lacking for peace to come to the world.”

A Song of Peace....

“My Little Prayer” (This song came to me on the afternoon of September 11 as I knelt in the sanctuary of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, wondering if my little prayer could possibly make a difference in such overwhelming circumstances.)

Can my prayer really be heard By the God who made the universe? Can my prayer really be felt By a hurting child far away?

Can my little prayer really make a change In a heart out there that’s full of hate? Can my little prayer make a difference In a world that cries in pain?

Yes, my prayer will reach The Heart that cares, Even my prayer won’t vanish in thin air. Yes, my prayer has power in this world, Even my prayer somehow can still be heard. To my prayer, even my prayer, God will turn.

Will a stone be all that a father gives When his child has asked for bread to live? If a father cares for his child this much, Imagine how much more is the Lord’s great love.

If sparrow falls from the smallest tree, The Lord on High will always see. How much more will God watch over me, And hear my heart in its deepest need?

Yes, my prayer will reach The Heart that cares, Even my prayer won’t vanish in thin air. Yes, my prayer has power in this world, Even my prayer somehow can still be heard. To my prayer, even my prayer, God will turn. To my prayer, even my prayer, God will turn.

Final Thoughts of Hope....

What a powerful reminder it was that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it,” (John 1:5) when 300 people gathered on our church property on the evening of the attacks to pray for our country and our world. In addition, we lit candles in honor of the dead and wounded in Washington D.C. and New York City . The candles were also a reminder that each of us has a light to shine as we join our forces with the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. And we will not hide our light under a basket. We will let it shine!

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Steve

(Excerpt from Article in Deseret News, Saturday, September 15, 2001)

Pulling Together - Acts of goodness overcome evil

By Carrie A. Moore - Deseret News religion editor

There has been more terrible irony this week than most imagined possible, and Pastor Steve Reinhard is one of millions feeling it deeply.

The leader of Mountain Vista United Methodist Church in West Jordan stood last Saturday on his seven-acre lot and looked at his new church — going up on the corner of 9000 South and 3200 West — as the best kind of cooperative effort there is. For weeks on the site there has been "a whole (interfaith) community coming together to build something for good, to put something up, to help out." More than 100 volunteers, most of them from outside of his congregation, had arrived that day to help install a rock facing on his building.

They were big-hearted, warm-handed people eager to "do good," he said, and willing to spend their free time to prove it.

Three mornings later, thousands of people perished inside buildings destroyed by black-hearted thugs whose pay-off will be counted in body bags.

"The irony is incredible, but it gives me hope to look at a building going up for the glory of good rather than buildings coming down for the glory of evil."

It is that same triumph of the endless, small and simple acts of goodness over the daily drama of evil that people of faith everywhere are now using to cope. It began early, before the first dark night after America's longest day.

Upon hearing of Tuesday's attack, Pastor Reinhard joined millions worldwide in turning to prayer. He organized an interfaith service at dusk that drew more than 300 people to his new church property. There they stood in a pasture, lit candles, freely spoke of God and prayed — Methodists, Catholics, Latter-day Saints, "a wonderful collection of all different faiths" — to shine hundreds of lights in the darkness.

That yearning for unity has long been fostered by many, but the defenses seem to have come down more this week than before, Pastor Reinhard said.

"It seems to me there's a real sense of pulling together — people saying hello, seeming to reach out to one another in a different way. I thought the LDS churches would say they are meeting in their own wards, but they came out to our property. We've been building the church together for the last few weeks anyway, so it seemed a logical place to meet as a community."

October Birthdays and Anniversaries

We would like to print the birthdays and anniversaries of our church family each month. Please let us know your birthday and anniversary so we can remember you on your special day. Celebrating in October are:

Birthdays

Franklin Lewis - October 3
Dave Oddis - October 4
Jeremy Strohn - October 6
Debbi Gibson - October 8
Sarah Parkin - October 10
Clarence Strohn - October 10
Albert Chavez -October 12
Laura Ward - October 13
Brianna Haden - October 15
Jon Kasten - October 18
Ashley Miller - October 19
Jillian Lewis - October 21
Lois Sigafus - October 23
Emily Haden - October 24
Sarah Pupunu - October 26
Pastor Steve - October 31

Anniversaries

Ron and Lois Sigafus - October 23
Jim and Robin Wilder - October 25

We apologize if your birthday or anniversary is not included in the newsletter. If it is not listed, we do not have the information. Please give the information to Pastor Steve, Dave Grierson or Marlene Reeves. You can email the information to: MarleneR@utah-inter.net Thank you.

Bring Your Garden to Our House

Our new house (church) needs your flowers, bulbs, shrubs and plants. Share your garden with us and the community. Any kind of flowerbed vegetation, that you are splitting or thinning this fall, would love to grow in the church flowerbeds. Once the outside of the church is complete, we will start on the flowerbeds. Dates for planting will be announced in the church bulletin. Please contact Kathy Haymaker (446-5318) if you have any questions. Thank you.

P.S. I am looking for 3-4 yards of small decorative rock to be placed in the parking lot beds. If you know of anyone who would donate or give a significant discount, please contact me. I do have a truck to pickup and get it to the church.

Finishing Touches for the Church

As we get closer to moving into our new building, we will still need to complete some of the furnishings for the new building. We still need some items like a refrigerator, a double oven, towel dispensers in the bathrooms, nursery items like cribs and a rocking chair to name a few. We will have a poster in the church for those items that we still need, and you could help contribute all or portions of the items for the church.

October Meetings and Events

Saturday - All Church Work Days - Every Saturday
   9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with lunch served at 11:30 a.m. To help provide lunch items, please contact Lorraine Wilkinson, 571-1794

Tuesday, October 7 - Nominations Committee
   7 p.m. at the Reinhard’s

Dinner For Eight Was Great!

Here's just a sample of one incredible get together in the "Dinner for Eight" series sponsored by our church....

The evening: Saturday, September 22.

The event: Dinner for Eight

The place: The home of Pastor Steve and Tracy Reinhard

The guest list: Dave Grierson, Janine and Dave Oddis, Ann and James Baker, Warren Parkin, and Linda Hartney (Okay, it was actually "Dinner for Nine.")

The menu: (With the main dish being provided by the host and other items provided by guests) Dinner salad with a variety of dressings, salmon steaks with a honey, lemon, country-style Dijon mustard and white cooking wine glaze, homemade dinner rolls, rice casserole, vegetable dish, and fruit combo for dessert.

The conversation: Lots of laughter, going around the table with everyone sharing the abridged version of their life stories, and talking about our feelings after the attacks on our country.

Does this sound good? It was! If you have not signed up for Dinner for Eight yet, it's not too late. Fill out a registration form at church and give it to Tracy Reinhard.

Choir Begins October 18th

The long awaited beginning of the fall season for the choir will begin in earnest on October 18th, hopefully in our new building. The choir will normally perform during the first service (8:30 - 9:30 a.m.) with occasional performances during the 11 o'clock service. If anyone is interested in singing with us, please call Dave Grierson at 576-1429 or just show up on the 18th of October. The only prerequisite for the choir is that you have to enjoy singing! See you there!

Youth Leadership Conference

Youth Leadership Conference (YLC): November 2-4 at the YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado. Registrations must be turned in the first week of October to Pastor Steve for the early registration discount to apply and to secure a place on the bus we'll be taking with the Hilltop UMC Youth. Cost is $110. Youth are responsible for $60 with the Youth Fund paying $50 of the registration fee. The cost per person for the bus with Hilltop UMC will be $40.

Fall Festival Pot Luck
October 28th

Don’t miss this special pot luck on Sunday, October 28th
to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month and
Pastor Steve’s birthday.

The dinner will be after the second service at approximately 12:30 p.m. Mark your calendar and make plans to come and join the fun!