Mt Olivet United Methodist Church, Wartrace, TN

06/14/2026

06/04/2026

June 7, 2026 Mt Olivet UMC
Second Sunday after Pentecost Year A

Greetings

“Is there a doctor in the house?” I heard that a lot in old comedies. Oftentimes when we’re sick or not feeling well, we go to the doctor’s office to get checked out.

There was a time when instead of going to the doctor when you were sick, the doctor would come to you instead. The doctor would carry a little black bag filled with medical supplies and go to the homes of those who were sick.

That's what Jesus did when He was here on earth. He went to where the people were—especially people who were hurting or had problems in their life. One of the people that Jesus went out and ministered to was a tax collector by the name of Matthew. Tax collectors were hated in Jesus' day because they were often greedy and dishonest.

One day Jesus went to Matthew's home to eat dinner with him. Many of Matthew's old friends came there to listen to Jesus teach. The religious leaders of the day were very displeased that Jesus was even talking to such people, much less eating with them!

They asked His disciples, "Why does your master eat with these sinners?"

Jesus heard them and answered, "It isn't those that are healthy that need a doctor, it is those that are sick. I did not come to call the righteous. I came to call sinners to repentance." Just like our doctors once did, Jesus went to the homes of the people who needed Him and He touched them and made them whole.

Who is someone who might need a doctor? The sick need a doctor. Is there anyone here who has never been sick? Of course not, so we all need a doctor! Who needs Jesus? Everyone does! Is there anyone here who has never sinned? No way! The Bible tells us that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That means we all need Jesus. We sometimes sit in our churches and wait for people to come to us so we can tell them about Jesus and His love. Instead, we need to be doing what Jesus did. We should be going where the people are and taking the good news of Jesus to them.
(Based on the moment with the children)

Yours in Christ
Bro Scotty

Events for the Month of June

• June 7th 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
• June 7th-June 10th Annual Conference
• June 9th Ladies on the Hill
• June 14th 3rd Sunday after Pentecost
• June 14th Flag Day
• June 19th Juneteenth
• June 20th Summer Solstice
• June 21st 4th Sunday after Pentecost
• June 21st Father’s Day
• June 28th 5th Sunday after Pentecost
• June 28th Offering for the Project Fund

I do want us to keep in mind that through it all God is still in control. Here we go again it seems as of right now we are back at our beautiful Mt Olivet Road campus on the outskirts of Wartrace. As of now we are able to see all the smiling faces and hearing the people talking with each other. For those not joining us in person please continue to take advantage of the chat feature in the Facebook stream to say “Hi” to me and to your friends. We will have worship in some form every week as long as I am able to serve. But for now, we are continuing in person worship.
Traditional Apostles creed will be used in our worship celebrations. During the service I will line out the Creed, as the early church did, with me reading a line and you repeating that line. I have included the Traditional Creed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
*Traditional use of this creed includes these words: “He descended into hell.”
**universal

And if you are wondering we had 12 people in person last week and 139 online views. We are still serving God and are still living out our call to ministry. I invite you to share the link with your friends and family so we can continue to be a presence for God from our church in the world. I look forward to our times of worship this coming week. As we look forward to where God is leading us, as we are entering a time of continued celebration.

It was good to hear from some of you this week. As we continue to worship, I am posting the Scriptures for the Second Sunday afterPentecost Year A. I hope to hear from each of you as you sign in to the message.

Scriptures for Sunday June7, 2026

Psalter Psalms 33
Old Testament Genesis12:1-9
Epistle Lesson Romans 5:1-8
Lesson Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

05/27/2026

May 31, 2026 Mt Olivet UMC
Trinity Sunday Year A

Greetings

Good afternoon and may God bless you as we are going through these difficult times. It was good to hear from all of you today. I would also ask you to take a look at our prayer list and give me any updates and any new people or situations that need to be added to our prayer list.

Father’s Day is on the horizon and I would like keep in mind all of the fathers and other men that were father figures in our lives.

What is Trinity Sunday to the UMC Church? “The Articles of Religion state that the Godhead is “three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” In Methodist congregations all over the world, we say as a gathered body that we “believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”
Trinity Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, reminding us of the three different ways we experience the one God whom we worship. We worship God the Creator; we worship Jesus who experienced the life of a human; and we worship the way that God works within us - the Holy Spirit. …” from
The information on Trinity Sunday is from the UMC Discipleship .org

Yours in Christ
Bro Scotty

Events for the Month of May

• May 3rd Fifth Sunday of Easter
• May 3rd District Gathering
• May 5th Cinco de Mayo
• May 6th National Nurse Day
• May 7th National Day of Prayer
• May 10th Sixth Sunday of Easter
• May 10th Mother’s Day
• May 14th Ascension of the Lord
• May 17th Ascension of the Lord
• May 24th Pentecost
• May 24th Aldersgate Day
• May 24th Heritage Sunday
• May 25th Memorial Day
• May 24th Offering to the project fund
• May 31st Trinity Sunday
• May 31st Peace with Justice Sunday

*May is our month for the Blessing Box

Nonperishable Blessing Box Items
Ready to eat meals
Canned meat
Pre-cooked bacon
Nuts
Mac n Cheese
Soup and sauces
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter and crackers
Almost any snack food
Peanut butter and Jelly (any alternative butter)
Baby cereal, baby food
Dried and canned beans
Rice
Cereal
Condiments
Syrup, honey
Bread

Can opener (Buy pop top cans when possible.)

Hygiene Items for Blessing Box
Shampoo/conditioner
Dish soap
Trash bags
Deodorant
Laundry detergent
Gloves, hats, scarves
Combs, brush, nail clippers
Soap
Razors
Feminine products
Diapers….any baby supply
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Wipes
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
Dish soap
Trash bags
Deodorant
Laundry detergent

I do want us to keep in mind that through it all God is still in control. Here we go again it seems as of right now we are back at our beautiful Mt Olivet Road campus on the outskirts of Wartrace. As of now we are able to see all the smiling faces and hearing the people talking with each other. For those not joining us in person please continue to take advantage of the chat feature in the Facebook stream to say “Hi” to me and to your friends. We will have worship in some form every week as long as I am able to serve. But for now, we are continuing in person worship.
Traditional Apostles creed will be used in our worship celebrations. During the service I will line out the Creed, as the early church did, with me reading a line and you repeating that line. I have included the Traditional Creed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
*Traditional use of this creed includes these words: “He descended into hell.”
**universal

And if you are wondering we had people in person last week and 138 online views. We are still serving God and are still living out our call to ministry. I invite you to share the link with your friends and family so we can continue to be a presence for God from our church in the world. I look forward to our times of worship this coming week. As we look forward to where God is leading us, as we are entering a time of continued celebration.

It was good to hear from some of you this week. As we continue to worship, I am posting the Scriptures for the Trinity Sunday Year A. I hope to hear from each of you as you sign in to the message.

Scriptures for Sunday May 31, 2026

Psalter Psalms 8
Old Testament Genesis1:1-2:4
Epistle Lesson 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Lesson Matthew 28: 16-20

05/13/2026

May 17, 2026 Mt Olivet UMC
Ascension Sunday Year A

Greetings

What is Ascension Sunday? Well in the United Methodist Church we see Ascension Sunday through the eyes of Father Wesley and this is what the church says on their official website.

For many, Ascension Day will go relatively unnoticed. Forty days after Easter is just another day with many of us in our ordinary routines. The event it celebrates, however, is an important episode in the life of Jesus that the church has regarded highly through the years.

Luke tells the story of Jesus' ascension both at the end of his gospel (Luke 24:50-53) and the beginning of his writing about the early church (Acts 1:9-11).

Our creeds affirm the Ascension as a central doctrine of the Christian faith. The Apostles' Creed reads, "he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty." The Nicene Creed similarly states, "he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father."

Centuries later, our United Methodist forebear, John Wesley, emphasized the day by including it as one of three non-Sunday holy day observances included in his Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America—a forerunner of our Book of Worship. The other two are Good Friday and Christmas.

Wesley also retained language about the Ascension as part of the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church, which he edited from the Church of England. Echoing the creeds, Article III states, "he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day."

Charles Wesley, John's brother and hymn writer of the early Methodist movement, published a pamphlet of seven Hymns for Ascension Day in 1746 and several more hymns on the Ascension that appear in other volumes of his work.

Today, many United Methodist congregations recognize Jesus' ascension during regular worship services on Ascension Sunday, the Sunday immediately following Ascension Day.

"Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise"

Interestingly, we have no sermons on Ascension Day from John Wesley, and his Explanatory Notes on the New Testament offer no commentary on the account of the Ascension in Acts and little on the verses in Luke. Most of what we know about the Wesleys' teaching on the Ascension comes from Charles's hymns.

Our United Methodist Hymnal contains a Charles Wesley hymn titled "Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise" (312). The lyrics for this hymn, an adaptation of Charles's "Hymn for Ascension-Day" published in Hymns and Sacred Poems (1739), offer insight into the importance of this day.

Charles begins acknowledging the Ascension as both the ending of Jesus's physical presence on Earth and his return to his rightful place in heaven.

Hail the day that sees him rise, Ravish'd from our wishful eyes; Christ awhile to mortals giv'n, Re-ascends his native heav'n!

Our United Methodist worship resources explain, "The language of Ascension is, primarily, language of enthronement. It is Jesus ascending to his full authority."

John Wesley included Ascension Day in the Sunday Service, because it "marked not just something about Jesus or the church, but about the scope of salvation for the whole universe," the worship resources continue. Jesus "ascended to heaven to assume the fullness of his reign."

In verse 2, Charles Wesley expands on the theme of enthronement.

There the pompous triumph waits, "Lift your heads, eternal gates, Wide unfold the radiant scene, Take the King of Glory in!"

As we sing these lyrics, we worship Jesus who "sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty." We acknowledge Jesus in his role as Lord over all the earth.

As Jesus ascends to his throne, however, he does not abandon us. Verse 3 of "Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise," which is adapted from verse 4 of Wesley's original text, reminds us that Jesus is not leaving us alone. Wesley writes,

Him tho' highest heaven receives, Still he loves the earth he leaves; Tho' returning to his throne, Still he calls mankind his own.
Jesus' connection to Earth and humanity remains. He is not absent, but continues to love and claim us.

The hymn concludes in The United Methodist Hymnal (Wesley wrote 10 verses) with a description of Jesus's humanity being received into the realm of God. Jesus ascends to his rightful throne bearing the scars of the crucifixion.

See! He lifts his hands above! See! He shews the prints of love! Hark! His gracious lips bestow Blessings on his church below!

The Ascension affirms that we as the church are also accepted into heaven with Jesus (see Ephesians 2:6).

An important celebration

While much of the world may see Ascension Day as just another Thursday, United Methodists can celebrate. With John and Charles Wesley, we remember that Jesus ascended to heaven where he took his rightful throne as Lord of the whole earth. Though he is not bodily present, he continues to love us, and longs to receive us into the presence of God to dwell with him throughout eternity.
Source
Wesley, Charles. "Hymn for Ascension-Day." Hymns and Sacred Poems (London: Strahan, 1739), p. 211-13. Accessed through The Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition, Duke Divinity School.
Joe Iovino works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email.
This story was first published on May 22, 2017 and it was updated May 11, 2023.

I hope you now know a little more about Ascension Sunday

Yours in Christ
Bro Scotty

Events for the Month of May

• May 3rd Fifth Sunday of Easter
• May 3rd District Gathering
• May 5th Cinco de Mayo
• May 6th National Nurse Day
• May 7th National Day of Prayer
• May 10th Sixth Sunday of Easter
• May 10th Mother’s Day
• May 14th Ascension of the Lord
• May 17th Ascension of the Lord Sunday
• May 24th Pentecost
• May 24th Aldersgate Day
• May 24th Heritage Sunday
• May 25th Memorial Day
• May 25th Offering to the project fund
• May 31st Trinity Sunday
• May 31st Peace with Justice Sunday

*May is our month for the Blessing Box

Nonperishable Blessing Box Items
Ready to eat meals
Canned meat
Pre-cooked bacon
Nuts
Mac n Cheese
Soup and sauces
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter and crackers
Almost any snack food
Peanut butter and Jelly (any alternative butter)
Baby cereal, baby food
Dried and canned beans
Rice
Cereal
Condiments
Syrup, honey
Bread

Can opener (Buy pop top cans when possible.)

Hygiene Items for Blessing Box
Shampoo/conditioner
Dish soap
Trash bags
Deodorant
Laundry detergent
Gloves, hats, scarves
Combs, brush, nail clippers
Soap
Razors
Feminine products
Diapers….any baby supply
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Wipes
Tooth brush
Tooth paste


I do want us to keep in mind that through it all God is still in control. Here we go again it seems as of right now we are back at our beautiful Mt Olivet Road campus on the outskirts of Wartrace. As of now we are able to see all the smiling faces and hearing the people talking with each other. For those not joining us in person please continue to take advantage of the chat feature in the Facebook stream to say “Hi” to me and to your friends. We will have worship in some form every week as long as I am able to serve. But for now, we are continuing in person worship.
Traditional Apostles creed will be used in our worship celebrations. During the service I will line out the Creed, as the early church did, with me reading a line and you repeating that line. I have included the Traditional Creed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
*Traditional use of this creed includes these words: “He descended into hell.”
**universal

And if you are wondering we had 20 people in person last week and 179 online views. We are still serving God and are still living out our call to ministry. I invite you to share the link with your friends and family so we can continue to be a presence for God from our church in the world. I look forward to our times of worship this coming week. As we look forward to where God is leading us, as we are entering a time of continued celebration.

It was good to hear from some of you this week. As we continue to worship, I am posting the Scriptures for the Ascension Sunday Year A. I hope to hear from each of you as you sign in to the message.

Scriptures for Sunday May 17, 2026

Psalter Psalm 68
Old Testament Isaiah 45:1-7
Epistle Lesson Acts 1:6-14
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
Lesson John 17:1-11

05/07/2026

May 10, 2026 Mt Olivet UMC
Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A
Mother’s Day

Greetings

My mother told me that it would be ok if I did not send her a card on her birthday; I could even skip Christmas as far as she was concerned but I had better remember her on Mother’s Day. I remember getting flowers for her and seeing her with a red rose to honor her mother. She now has to wear a white rose to remember her mother on Mother’s Day. This Sunday is a time when I do think more about my mother and I also think of the other “mother’s” that have touched my life.

We all have them those women who may or may not be related that have touched our lives. We all know of a woman that we had as a teacher through the years who cared for us and wanted us to succeed in life. The lady at the corner market that patiently waited for you to count out all the pennies you had and did not mind if you were a few short. The Sunday School teacher that paraded us in front of the church to recite a memory verse. Maybe if was that favorite aunt who would let you have the forbidden candy that your mother would not allow you to have. Or maybe it was that older lady that seemed so alone that would light up whenever you would come to her door or sit with her on the front porch.

I do not know who has touched you and built you up in a positive way but that you have been. All of us who are alive today are touched by those we meet. And as we remember this Mother’s Day I want us to give thanks to God for all of the women that He has placed in the paths we are traveling. I want us to remember how God has used mighty women of faith to strengthen our Christian walk and how God uses us today to draw others to Him.

Yours in Christ
Bro Scotty

Events for the Month of May

• May 3rd Fifth Sunday of Easter
• May 3rd District Gathering
• May 5th Cinco de Mayo
• May 6th National Nurse Day
• May 7th National Day of Prayer
• May 10th Sixth Sunday of Easter
• May 10th Mother’s Day
• May 14th Ascension of the Lord
• May 17th Ascension of the Lord
• May 24th Pentecost
• May 24th Aldersgate Day
• May 24th Heritage Sunday
• May 25th Memorial Day
• May 25th Offering to the project fund
• May 31st Trinity Sunday
• May 31st Peace with Justice Sunday

*May is our month for the Blessing Box

Nonperishable Blessing Box Items
Ready to eat meals
Canned meat
Pre-cooked bacon
Nuts
Mac n Cheese
Soup and sauces
Breakfast bars
Peanut butter and crackers
Almost any snack food
Peanut butter and Jelly (any alternative butter)
Baby cereal, baby food
Dried and canned beans
Rice
Cereal
Condiments
Syrup, honey
Bread

Can opener (Buy pop top cans when possible.)

Hygiene Items for Blessing Box
Shampoo/conditioner
Dish soap
Trash bags
Deodorant
Laundry detergent
Gloves, hats, scarves
Combs, brush, nail clippers
Soap
Razors
Feminine products
Diapers….any baby supply
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Wipes
Tooth brush
Tooth paste
Dish soap
Trash bags
Deodorant
Laundry detergent

I do want us to keep in mind that through it all God is still in control. Here we go again it seems as of right now we are back at our beautiful Mt Olivet Road campus on the outskirts of Wartrace. As of now we are able to see all the smiling faces and hearing the people talking with each other. For those not joining us in person please continue to take advantage of the chat feature in the Facebook stream to say “Hi” to me and to your friends. We will have worship in some form every week as long as I am able to serve. But for now, we are continuing in person worship.
Traditional Apostles creed will be used in our worship celebrations. During the service I will line out the Creed, as the early church did, with me reading a line and you repeating that line. I have included the Traditional Creed below:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
*Traditional use of this creed includes these words: “He descended into hell.”
**universal

And if you are wondering we had 20 people in person last week and 199 online views. We are still serving God and are still living out our call to ministry. I invite you to share the link with your friends and family so we can continue to be a presence for God from our church in the world. I look forward to our times of worship this coming week. As we look forward to where God is leading us, as we are entering a time of continued celebration.

It was good to hear from some of you this week. As we continue to worship, I am posting the Scriptures for the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A. I hope to hear from each of you as you sign in to the message.

Scriptures for Sunday May 10, 2026

Psalter Psalm 24
Old Testament Exodus 20:12
Proverbs 31:25-31
Epistle Lesson Galatians 5:22, 23
Lesson Luke 2:41-52