The Heartbeat Newsletter

“The Heartbeat” is published monthly by the Middleton United Methodist Church.

It is edited by Pastor Mary Beth Boesch and administrator Peter Majewski.

From the Pastor

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We are in the final weeks of summer! Fall has always been my favorite season; I enjoy the cooler weather, I love Halloween and Thanksgiving, and the foliage is gorgeous. 

A few years ago, I came across a quote that read, “Autumn is coming, and soon the trees will show us just how beautiful it is to let go.” This quote has inspired me and encouraged me a lot in the past few years, especially in the fall when I see the leaves changing colors and falling to the ground. I am reminded that change is a part of life, and sometimes it is messy, sometimes it is painful, but it always brings us to where we need to go. The shedding of leaves in the fall leads to the beauty of snow resting on bare branches in the winter, which leads to the blossoming of the trees in the spring, and finally to the fullness of blooming in the summer.

In the same way that our climate has different seasons, our lives have different seasons. Some are more difficult than others, but each comes with its own form of beauty. And through the truly difficult seasons, we can always look around or look back and find small glimpses of God’s presence in our lives. Because God is present. God celebrates with us when we celebrate, and God grieves with us when we grieve. The same God who created each tree and decided where each bud or bloom or leaf would grow is the God who created you and me, and who is always with us. 

As Ordinary Time continues, it is my prayer that you would see where God has been present in your life in the past, and that you would catch the glimpses of where God is present in your life now. 

Grace and peace,

Pastor Mary Beth

Monday Afternoon Coffee

Join Pastor Mary Beth on Monday afternoons from 4-5 PM at the Starbucks by Grace Assisted Living in Caldwell! She will buy you a coffee, tea, juice, or whatever else your heart desires. Feel free to stay for the whole hour or just pop in for a free drink!

The address for Starbucks is 620 N. 21st St., Caldwell. 

The Church Calendar

We are in the season of Ordinary Time, when we remember that God is the God of the simple, the ordinary, and the mundane aspects of life. The color for this season is green, which is the color of hope, growth, and the life of the Church. 

Outside the sanctuary, there are four pieces of artwork depicting various contemporary saints (Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Fred Rogers). These were ordinary people through whom God worked the extraordinary; ordinary people through whom others encountered Christ. May their example inspire us!

Preaching Calendar

This year for Ordinary Time, our sermon series is called “Perspectives.”  Throughout this series, we will look at several passages, focusing on the same passage for several weeks in a row to look at the passage from various perspectives in the story. 

Here is the preaching schedule for September (all scripture readings are from the Common English Bible):

September 7, 2025 - Luke 8:41-56 - Perspective: Jairus

September 14, 2025 - Luke 8:41-56 - Perspective: The bleeding woman

September 21, 2025 - Luke 8:41-56 - Perspective: The disciples

September 28, 2025 - Luke 8:41-56 - Perspective: The mourners

Church Council

The Church Council met on Wednesday, August 20th at 4:15 PM. The Minutes from this meeting are available in the church office. 

The next meeting will be Wednesday, September 17th at 4:15 PM. All are welcome to attend.