BUGLE ‘N BRIEF

September - October 2025 34th Edition

“Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,

you who stand in the house of the Lord.” Psalm 135:1-2a

CHURCH CALENDAR

September

4 Nominations Committee Meeting, 7 pm

7 Holy Communion

8 Craft Workshop, Noon at Dinah Benson’s

18 Administrative Council Meeting, 7 pm

28 No Meal after Worship in September

October

5 World Wide Communion Sunday,

Bread and Soup Feast following worship

13 Crafts Workshop, Noon at Dinah Benson’s

24 Food Preparation at Urbana Fire Hall

25 Urbana Indoor Art & Craft Show, 9am - 4:00 pm

( More information published in this issue)

26 Halloween Lunch after Worship, provided by Janet & Jim Hoffman

FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN

Have you considered the deliberate practice of “awe,” or “wonder” as a Spiritual discipline?

Christine Sine observes: “Research shows us that wonder impacts our health physically and

spiritually - making us more compassionate and grateful people.”1 Mary Oliver comments: “It

must be a great disappointment to God if we are not dazzled at least ten times a day.”2 You might

also like to review the lessons in “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, by Robert

Fulghum, especially #14: “Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:

the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like

that.” And then maybe listen to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”

These authors are not promoting some “new age” idea. The psalmist, perhaps as much as 2,500-

3,000 years ago offered… “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning

dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” (see Psalm 65, especially verses 8-13).

Week by week we gather to celebrate our Awesome God, to remind ourselves of His immense

love for us, and to encourage each other when we have been struggling.

I have often suggested keeping a “gratitude journal.” What do you think? Maybe we should

instead be keeping “wonder journals”? This may be a great time to begin!

May grace and peace be yours, in abundance, as we enter this busy season.

Pastor Dave

1 Discussing “Awe and wonder walks” on her Substack post, August 14, 2025. This is a very practical and

helpful post, by the way!

2 In the poem “Good Morning”, in the collection titled “Purple Horses”.

Pastor’s Contacts: Rev. Dave W, Hodsdon 240-676-7825

www.facebook.com/david.w.hodsdon Mail: 4227 Headwaters Lane, Olney, MD 20832

www.youtube.com/david.w.hodsdon3533 email: revdwhodsdon@gmail.com

What if – we woke each morning with only those things we gave God thanks for the night before?

LITURGISTS

September

7 Kendra Gibson

14 Pat Huff

21 Dinah Benson

28 Tom Maher

October

5 Sam German

12 Leslie Short

19 Becky Ireland

26 Carolyn Maher

THE URBANA INDOOR ART & CRAFT SHOW

Saturday, October 25, from 9 am. - 4 pm at the Urbana Fire Hall

Wesley Chapel’s Biggest Fund Raiser

Friday, October 24

9 am - Urbana Fire Hall to prepare food for Sat.

9:30 am - Unload rented tables and pick up tables from Parish Hall

Set Up for vendors in dining hall, TBD

Saturday, October 25

6 am - Rise and shine early Saturday morning to set up 48 tables in UVFD engine bays

for vendor tables

7 am - help the vendors bring in their items

7:30 - 9 am - Great job for High Schoolers’ community service hours

7:30 - 9 am - Bring baked goods to Fire Hall

Prepare Breakfast and other kitchen duties

Counter help is needed all day long. You do not handle the money. Just

smile and fill the customers’ orders

4 pm - Doors close. Help needed to tear down all tables in both areas, clean up the

hall, and help vendors out the door

Please consider taking time out to help. Remember to bake goodies for the bake table

and stop in for breakfast, for lunch and to shop!

If you have any questions, contact Carolyn Maher, 301-662-5769 or Nancy Bittle 301-639-3136.

OTHER EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

BREAD AND SOUP FEAST

October 5 – Wesley Chapel will celebrate World Wide Communion Sunday.

Our annual Bread and Soup Feast follows the service in the Parish Hall. This

is always a favorite event at Wesley with good food and fellowship. Some

ladies of the Church will provide a variety of homemade soups and you supply

the bread, homemade or bought, to share with everyone. Goodies are provided to put on

your bread. See you there!

MEALS AFTER WORSHIP

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will soon be upon us. Therefore, following the

October lunch, there will be no more meals after worship until January 2026.

CRAFTS

September 8 and October 6 - Two more craft making sessions are planned to prepare for

November’s Christmas Bazaar. Please join us at Dinah Benson's house. We need YOUR

help too. Supplies are already there. A light lunch is served before our hands get to work.

IT’S IN THE BOOK

The Monday Sunday School group is studying a new book, "Really Bad Girls of

the Bible", by Liz Curtis Higgs. These bad girls include the Medium of En Dor,

Jael, the Adulteress, Athaliah, Bathsheba, Herodias, Tamar, and the Bleeding

Woman. If you think we know all about these ladies, we don't. So, if you feel led

to join us, please let Dinah Benson know to order another book or two.

What is God’s answer to evil in this world? The Thursday Morning Bible Study

group continues to wrestle with this question weekly in the book, “Evil and the

Justice of God” by N. T. Wright, but will shortly begin a new book. This group also

meets on Thursdays from 10:00-12:00 am at Dinah Benson's home and both groups

welcome everyone desiring to attend.

“I told you I was going to bring my best friend to Sunday School today.”

FUTURE EVENTS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS

November 1 - Wesley Chapel Charge Conference,11 am at Damascus UMC

November 2 - Holy Communion

November 8 - Holiday Bazaar 9 am - 2 pm

Stable building at Urbana Fire Hall Carnival Grounds - 9am

December 7 - Live Nativity 6, 7, & 8 pm

December 24 - Christmas Eve Service 9 pm

November 8 – Wesley Chapel Church Holiday Bazaar in the Parish Hall - Handmade crafts

of all kinds are needed, as well as baked goods. Help is needed, too. Contact Dinah Benson

or Judy Pontius about crafts, and Carolyn Maher or Nancy Bittle about food preparation and

sales. Come and shop for Christmas and other Holiday decorations. Breakfast and lunch will

be available. Stop by the Bake Table, too, for sweet deliciousness to go with you!

December 7 - Live Nativity, Our 25th Year! We need help building and tearing down the

stable and scenery. We need actors, hosts, hot chocolate makers and cookies. This event is

very much a part of many families’ Christmas tradition throughout the Urbana/Frederick

communities.

This may necessarily be the last year if there are not enough volunteers, especially as actors,

and in building and tearing down the stable. Other areas need help as well. Ask Carolyn or

Thomas Maher how you can help. Let us make this presentation a great celebration of love.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

And it sure did!! After some very hard rains in late June and early July, the Maher’s decided it

might be a good idea to check out the parsonage. Both had grown up in older farm houses

and knew that things sometime leak during hard downpours. And, yes, there were a few wet

things. The parsonage roof had sprung a few leaks. Wesley Chapel knew it was in poor

condition and the Trustees and Administrative Council had approved a contract with Phoenix

Exteriors, aka Naill Roofing. The entire roof was replaced with shingles that match the

Church. The metal roofs were also replaced with shingles as the metal roofs should be

painted every few years. The roof was replaced August 7 - 8. Problem Solved!!

Whoa! That one was resolved, but there’s another. The parsonage has a cellar and a

weekend of thunderstorms made it a mud pit. The sump pump worked hard, but couldn’t

keep up. A new dehumidifier was donated and things dried up over time. The area where the

water came in has also been resolved. While checking out the cellar, Thomas found the

pressure valve was leaking. No water for a few days, but it was replaced by Eric Smith,

plumber, and a new hot water heater is on its way to replace the one in the Parish Hall. As of

right now, things seem in good working order. Let’s pray it stays that way, at least for a while.

WITH THANKS FOR THESE BLESSINGS

To the Mahers for our wonderful Christmas in July turkey dinner.

To all who donated school supplies for Urbana Elementary School. And to Dinah Benson and

Leslie Short, who acquired the remaining items and organized them in the new backpacks.

To Tom Maher and Pat Huff for filling in for Pastor Dave.

To Nancy Bittle and to Anne and Greg Gray for providing our August meal.

FAITH WITH FEET

A Word from Dinah - THANK YOU to all of you who willingly participated in

the last-minute rush to help Urbana Elementary School open the new school

year. I received the call on a Friday afternoon that many parents had

requested help in securing some, if not all, of the needed school supplies for

their children. Not only did you meet the need, but the drop-off time as well.

I am so happy that I have the cooperation of my special group of friends at Wesley

Chapel. The supplies filled my whole car and I was excited to drive up to the school knowing

what we did was very worthwhile. The students we helped will never know who helped them,

but the excitement that they will feel receiving their individual, filled back pack is enough to

make this task memorable. Thank you over and over again.

ALTAR FLOWERS

Our September altar flowers are in memory of Buddy and Helen England,

given by Sunni, Anne & Chip.

The October flowers are given in celebration of Emma and Trey’s

Wedding, by Christoper and Christine Smith.

SOCIAL MEDIA HELP NEEDED

This is a great way to spread the News of what is happening at Wesley Chapel and you can

do it from home! Carolyn is looking for volunteer(s) to contact Social Media outlets to

advertise our upcoming events: Urbana Indoor Art & Craft Show, Holiday Bazaar, Live

Nativity, Christmas Eve, Lenten and Easter services, and anything else that may be added to

the calendar and open to the public. Carolyn will guide you as what information is needed to

advertise for the event/occasion. You can be creative in design and how to put information

out there. Contact her by text or by email, maher323@verizon.net.

THE SUNSHINE CLUB

Would you like to have a card sent to someone? All you need to do is contact Fayne Lebherz

(301 473 5767) or Barbara Coffey (240 446 7339). Give them the person's name, address,

and occasion. Thank you.

DIRECTORY UPDATES

If your address, email or telephone have changed, or you know of someone listed in Wesley

Chapel’s directory who has changed any of these, please submit the changes or additions to

Judy Pontius: poncho3506@gmail.com, phone-301-810-5017 or to Thomas Maher:

maher323@verizon.net, phone 301-662-5769.Thanks.

GENTLE GEMS

At the very heart of the universe is

God’s desire to give and forgive

Our activities

We organize various activities throughout the calendar year. See our Church Calendar below

Weekly Prayer Concerns

Each week our church bulletin lists members and friends that need our prayers.

Annual gatherings

Our Church organizes various events, from Christmas celebrations, Especially our Live Nativity held behind the Urbana Fire Hall to Easter festivities and Thanksgiving prayers.

Bible Study groups

Our Bible study groups meet on Monday and Thursday mornings, so you can choose which one suits your life the best. Call: 301-663-4956 to ask for info.

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."