wfn.org | Rural Life Sunday materials stress sense of place

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

April 21, 1999	Contact: Joretta Purdue*(202)546-8722*Washington
10-23-24-71B{214}

By United Methodist News Service

Rural Life Sunday this year looks at the importance that places hold for
people. 

The importance of place has been underscored by recent stories about
refugees fleeing their homes and churches being burned. The auctions of
family farms no longer make the news, but they also highlight the
significance of place in our lives.

The 1999 Rural Life Sunday materials of the United Methodist Church look at
three aspects of place - as holy ground, home and social identity - under
the theme "A Sense of Place in God's World."

Rural Life Sunday is observed at different times by different congregations
- sometimes coinciding with spring and planting season, at other times with
the harvest. Often, it is celebrated during the weeks following Easter.
Materials for the event are prepared by the United Methodist Rural
Fellowship.

"Place is space which has historical meanings, where some things have
happened which are now remembered and provide continuity and identity across
generations," wrote Walter Brueggemann, biblical scholar and theologian.
This statement has been used as a focus for the 16-page resource booklet
offered for Rural Life Sunday. It includes a worship bulletin with a
suggested service, a song and sample sermon, as well as quotes and other
ideas.

The materials are available for $5 from UMRF, 108 Balow Wynd, Columbia, MO
65203.

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