the cartoonization of life

Su nday, Ju ne 22
8:15 a.m. New Traditions • Rev. Drew Clayton
10:30 a.m. Traditional • Dr. Bill Morgan
10:30 a.m. Contemporary • Rev. Julie Holly
5:00 p.m. The Way • Rev. Drew Clayton
weekly words from bill morgan
THE CARTOONIZATION OF LIFE
God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living…animated…being. Genesis 2.7
Summer at the Movies begins at Canterbury for six weeks. In our worship services, online, and Sunday
evening viewings (with Glenn Rice popcorn!), we will explore how six movies connect with faith and life.
Four of the six are animated, cartoon-character stories.
Cartoons unite our three or so living generations now – children, youth, and adults across the age span.
Perhaps not through the same ones, but consciously or not, we have learned about life through cartoons…
way-way back at the movies before the main feature; way back as Saturday morning TV fare that kept the
kids occupied; and now I guess 24/7 Cartoon Network/pop in a DVD/Netflix it up whenever. And across
the years there have been feature-length cartoon flicks from such as Snow White & the Seven Vertically
Challenged Guys right on up to now at the movies How to Train Your Dragon.
Most of all, I am thinking of those so-called short subject cartoons with characters that became companions
and mentors of our lives. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, his Uncle Scrooge, and Pluto from Disney. Bugs,
Elmer, Sylvester, Tweetie, Daffey, Foghorn, Roadrunner, and (non)Wiley Coyote of Looney Toon fame.
Walter Lanz’s Woody Woodpecker, Heckle and Jeckle, and what was that penguin’s name? The Hanna and
Barbarra bunch: Huckleberry, Yogi, Booboo, Quickdraw, Jetsons, Flintstones, and more. And to challenge the
great animated philosopher Porky Pig, th-that’s not all folks!
Here’s a couple of broad stroke things these cartoons did/do. First, they got great music into our budding
psyches. How did we know we were being taught the William Tell Overture, the Rites of Spring, or Wagner
as Bugs mixed it up with Elmer and others? Lester Seigel has begun a long partial list of great tunes we knew
before we had a clue they were from great composers!
Second – and this is immense – we learned a vast array of wise dos and don’ts
from the funny/nutty exaggerated actions of these real/unreal characters. Telling
the truth; little guys standing up to big guys; humor that enables us to surmount
tragedies, and more. Way, way back, spinach-eating Popeye helped our moms
motivate kids to eat green stuff, showed us beauty is in the eye of the beholder
with Olive Oyl, courage to stand up to bullies like Brutus, and the integrity of being ourselves – I am what
I am and that’s all that I am. Well, that’s a good start for what God’s love in Jesus enables us to be and
amazingly more to become. See you in the movies and worship.
(Okay. Challenge and invitation: tell me your favorite cartoon characters and stories. Really.)
Bill Morgan, Senior Minister
To comment on this article, go to Dr. Bill Morgan’s blog at http://billmorgancanterbury.wordpress.com.
Pastoral Care Response Line: 999-4887 For current news go to www.canterburyumc.org
Combined Adult Summer Sunday School Class
The mission of Church Without Walls is to be a church in, for, and with the West End community of Birmingham.
We strive to be a place of worship where we feel the love of God and the embrace of a community.
On June 22, R.G. Lyons, Pastor of Church Without Walls, will be our guest speaker in the Combined Adult Summer
Sunday School Class. This class meets in Wesley Hall, M209, 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. To read one of the many
success stories of this organization, go to www.canterburyumc.org/success-story.
schedule for Adult Combined Sunday School this summer:
7/20 Susan Dowdey Brown Bag Project
7/27 Angie Wright Greater Birmingham Ministries
8/3
Michael Wilson Birmingham City Schools
8/10 Rachel Estes CUMC Director of Outreach
and Missions
6/22 R.G. Lyons
Church Without Walls
6/29Adam GuthrieAvondale Samaritan Place/
Carpenter’s Hands
7/13 Matt Lacey Church of the Reconciler
2014 Reformation
Trip updates Available
THE BROWN BAG PROJECT AT CANTERBURY
Summer Book club with Annie & Rachel
AVONDALE BROWN BAG AT SAMARITAN
PLACE - Pick up: June 20, 27
Now you can go on-line to share
the experience of Canterbury’s
2014 faith journey to Germany,
Scotland and England. Just go to
http://www.canterburyumc.org/reformation2014 to enjoy this
eleven-day pilgrimage tracing the history of the church from
the Reformation to John Wesley and the Church of England.
Bring a sack lunch and join the discussion. The next
selection will be Rachel Held Evans’ A Year of Biblical
Womanhood on July 9 at noon in M227 Aldersgate. The
August 20 selection will be Snake Oil by Becca Stevens.
(Please Note – Rachel Held Evans will be speaking at
Canterbury this fall!)
Coming Soon ... Parking Assistance for Those
in Need —
­ Valet Parking Services will be
available on Sunday mornings beginning July 13th for
Older Adults, Late Pregnancies, Handicapped, Injured,
and those with other physical mobility issues. Location/
Time: Covered drive between the Chapel & Parlor, Sundays,
8 a.m. to 12 noon. This is a “No-Fee/No-Tipping” Valet
Service provided by Canterbury and Parking Management
Company for the care and safety of our church family.
The Brown Bag Project at Canterbury will be closed on
these upcoming Wednesdays, June 25 AND July 2,
and Fridays, June 27 AND July 4. We reopen the week of
July 9 and 11. You can find the BROWN BAG SUMMER
SCHEDULE on the church website at
http://www.canterburyumc.org/brown-bag-project.
For information on Brown Bag, please contact Susan
Dowdey at 874-1569 or susan.dowdey@canterburyumc.org.
Pack: June 22, 29
Distribute: June 23
flowers on the Sanctuary altar
are Placed in honor of...
Corey David Funderburg & Amy Elizabeth Fall who were
united in Holy Matrimony on June 21, 2014.
The rose on the sanctuary Lectern
is Placed IN HONOR OF...
Thomas Edward Preston, born June 10, 2014 to
Taylor & Ashley Preston.
In the Hospital as of 6-17-14...
• Lakeshore (868-2000) Pat Alley
• St. Vincent’s (939-7111) Leon Hamrick
CARPENTER’S HANDS Workday
Carpenter’s Hands will not have a Saturday workday during
July (because it falls on the weekend of the 4th). Instead, we
will have two Saturday workdays in August. Those dates
are August 2 and 16. To volunteer, contact Adam Guthrie at
adam.guthrie@canterburyumc.org or 999-3963.
Bring Your Own Snacks!
FREE Popcorn from Mr. Glenn Rice!
Thanksgiving for the life of
Kathleen Liles
October 21, 1946 –June 16, 2014
For Parental Ratings, Go To http://ParentPreviews.com
This Week at Canterbury
Sunday, June 22
Tuesday, June 24
AA Sunday Morning Group, M208
8:00 a.m.
New Traditions, Chapel, Rev. Drew Clayton 8:15 a.m.
Transportation from Brookdale Place 9:00 a.m.
Combined Summer Adult Sunday School, M209
9:15 a.m.
Canterbury Fitness (T, Th, F), M129
8 :30 a.m.
Mali’s Prayer Group, M150 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 25
Traditional Worship, Sanctuary,
Dr. Bill Morgan 10:30 a.m.
Bill Morgan’s Bible Study , A1227:30 a.m.
Outreach - Urban Kids/Northstar
9:00 a.m.
BROWN BAG IS CLOSED this week.
Contemporary Worship, Rev. Julie Holly,
Canterbury Center
10:30 a.m.
Youth: Wednesday Nights Small Groups,
Various Locations
The WAY, Chapel, Rev. Drew Clayton
CrossRoads Rehearsal, Canterbury Center7:00 p.m.
Children & Youth Sunday School, Various Locations 9:15 a.m.
5:00 p.m.
Youth: MYF, Youth Room
6:00 p.m.
Summer at the Movies, Canterbury Center
6:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 26
Friday, June 27
Monday, June 23
Day Camp at Sumatanga, (M-F)
7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Carpenter’s Hands (M-Th),
Meet lower level parking deck, Offsite
Playcare, C121 (by reservation M-Th)
8:15 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
AA Women’s Acceptance, M142 (M, W & F)11:30 a.m.
6:15 p.m.
Church Offices Close at Noon
Youth People Paint Birmingham: Rush Center
BROWN BAG IS CLOSED this week.
8:00 a.m.
Saturday, June 28
AA Saturday Morning Group, M2048:00 a.m.
Al-Anon Saturday Morning Meeting, M209
8:00 a.m
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Canterbury’s programs for outreach, worship, and learning stay in full swing—all year long.
You can help keep our financial house in order by continuing to pay your pledge commitment even if you
are headed out of town. Please prepay your financial pledge BEFORE you head out.
And keep FIRST THINGS FIRST this summer! Contact Jan Coats at 874-1551 or
at jan.coats@canterburyumc.org.
CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS
In case you haven’t already made the switch, you can receive your monthly contribution statements
from Canterbury by email. Contact Jan Coats 874-1551 or jan.coats@canterburyumc.org.
For your records and convenience, you will continue to receive the year-end statement in printed form.
For complete listings of scheduled meeting locations and the current
Church Council Leadership, visit our website at www.canterburyumc.org.
His Encouraging word
If God be for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:31