Chicken Soup for the Busy Soul: Dave's Deep Thoughts

 

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

 

Good things come to those who wait.

 

If that's true,

do bad things come to those who hurry?

Maybe so.

 

One day I was deeply embedded in my work in the office,

when my stomach reminded me

that I had worked through lunchtime.

 

When I glanced at the clock,

I also realized that I also had only twenty minutes

before my first music student came for lessons.

 

Knowing that I needed to get some nourishment

before I began teaching during the next four hours,

I went to the local grocery store

and purchased some soup to go.

 

As I reached my car,

I glanced up and saw a parishioner

who I had not seen in church for a long time.

I looked at the time on my watch,

and knew I had only a few moments.

 

I put the soup in the car

and went to greet my friend.

After a few minutes of animated conversation,

I ran back to the car

knowing that time was running out.

As I sat down,

I remembered two seconds too late

that I had placed the soup

on the bucket seat of my car.

 

Now I had never paid much attention in physics class,

but I think I do remember a lecture

about when a large force directly meets a weaker object in a collision.

The result is an explosive reaction.

 

This would be my rear side impacting

a styrofoam bowl of chicken noodle soup.

 

I lurched back upward,

as my friend drove off.

I waved and smiled as the hot soup

penetrated the layer of my pants.

 

I looked down,

and there in the bucket seat

was this large puddle of broth and noodles,

the steam still rising.

 

Knowing that I now needed to make

the 3 minute drive to my house to change pants,

I awkwardly lowered myself into the car.

 

Let me say that I learned

it takes some measure of strength

to start a car while

holding one's body in the air in a convex position.

 

As I began driving,

I also learned that one can develop a cramp in one's leg

as one drive's in such an elevated position.

 

As I tried to fend the cramp

from moving into a full blown contraction,

I decided that hitting the accelerator

might be a good option.

 

I was only a mile away from home

as I fought back the tears from the pain.

That would be the same mile where the state trooper

had decided to park and take a rest on this sun splashed day.

 

If there are three things that you don't want to experience simultaneously,

my guess is that they might be:

the sound of a police siren,

scalding hot soup on your buttocks,

and a cramp in your calf muscle.

 

He pulled me over within yards of my driveway.

As he came up to my door,

I would surmise that he was wondering why

I was in an arched position

resembling a gymnast on the high beam.

 

As he asked for my license and registration,

I implored him to first allow me to get out of the car.

At first he hesitated,

but I think the tears welling up in my eyes

from the pain of the cramp convinced him.

As I hobbled out of the car,

he observed my soup stained derriere,

and the puddle of chicken noodle soup still steaming off the seat.

 

There is that moment of silence

when one has no idea what the other person is going to say.

I tried to break the awkwardness of the silence,

but the gibberish that poured from my mouth

could not have made any sense to any human being.

 

As my foolish speech ceased,

he looked me in the eyes and asked,

"What, no crackers?"

 

There is another moment that occurs in one's life,

when one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry,

and one chooses instead to wipe the noodle off of one's buttocks.

 

He left me off with a warning

but to this day

I am not sure whether the warning was

about purchasing soup in styrofoam containers,

or talking to long lost parishioners,

or driving with scalding substances wafting in your bucket seat.

 

I am sure though, that in the local police barracks,

I became known by such nomenclature as cracker boy.

 

By now my student would be arriving for his lesson.

I ran into my house,

threw my trousers into the washing machine,

and went to find a new pair.

As I heard the water filling into the washer,

a thought came to me,

"Where's my wallet?"

 

There is another moment in one's life

when one realizes that one is

capable of performing multiple stupid acts within minutes of each other.

This is the moment of humbling awareness.

 

I returned to the office,

now with a water logged wallet,

and still with an empty stomach.

 

I find when I feel enslaved to a busy schedule

I do the stupidest things.

I say the stupidest things,

and think the stupidest thoughts.

 

Busy-ness does that.

It keeps us from focusing,

it distracts us,

it causes us to make bad decisions.

 

That's why we are told to

"be still and know that I am God."

 

It's only in the quieting of our souls

that we can hear the voice that keeps us on the right path.

May we take those moments to be quiet

so that we know who we are

in the noise of life.

 

There was a message on my voice mail.

My student had cancelled his lesson.

I had all the time in the world.

I just didn't realize it.

 

O Lord, my heart is not proud,

nor my eyes haughty;

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,

or in things too difficult for me.

 

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child rests against its mother.

 

My soul is like a weaned child within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord,

from this time forth and forever.

Psalm 131

 

Rev. James B. Finley - Founding Year Circuit Rider Preacher (1812)

In celebration of our bicentennial year, we will observe our founding date this Sunday, May 20th with a reenactment of what that first official Methodist Class meeting in the spring of 1812 might have been like.  Since we do not have an exact date of our founding, we chose this Sunday to focus on our official beginning.  During our worship this Sunday, there will be several people dressed in period clothing to help us commemorate our founding day.  Don't be surprised if one of them asks you where the biscuits and tea are.  Let him/her know that in 2012, we offer donuts instead!

Circuit Rider James B. Finley, with the aid of Nimrod Bright and Jesse Spurgeon, who were licensed exhorters, organized what is now First UMC.  There had been other Methodist gatherings in Lancaster dating to 1799 but this is believed to be the first with a definite organization.  This first class composed of ten members which included Jacob D. Detrich and wife, Peter Reber, Sarah Reiber, Christian Weaver, Elizabeth Weaver, George Canode, Mary Canode, Thomas Orr and wife. It's interesting that our spring new member class and our recent confirmation class each included ten people who joined our church!

Here is some information about Rev. James B. Finley, the circuit rider of the Lancaster Methodist Class when it officially became a Methodist Episcopal Church in the spring of 1812.  This is from the PBS God in America series.

James B. Finley converted and went home to rural Ohio, where he blamed a lack of spiritual guidance on his eventual backsliding in faith. After a second conversion experience, he joined the Methodist Church, which was expanding and reaching more people on the frontier. He soon felt a call to preach and became a Methodist circuit rider.

Admitted on a trial basis in 1809, Finley was assigned to the 475-mile Wills Creek Circuit in Ohio. It took him four weeks to traverse it. He wrote: "I entered upon this work with great fear and trembling." He built a 12-by-14-foot cabin to provide shelter for his wife and daughter. He was so poor that he had to sell his boots to buy food for his family. In his first year, he converted 178 persons on the circuit. In September 1811, Finley and 19 others were ordained by Francis Asbury, one of the first American Methodist bishops.

Finley's friend and colleague Abel Stevens described him as "a genuine child of the wilderness, ... of stalwart frame, features rather coarse, with large benevolent eyes, sandy hair, standing erect, a good expressive mouth, a voice like thunder." Another Methodist minister said his voice "seldom failed to penetrate every citadel of the soul." His nickname was the "lion of the forest."

Under the guidance of Finley and the circuit riders, Methodism exploded, becoming the fastest growing denomination in the antebellum era. It was not simply a question of the number of converts. The greatest impact and more lasting result was the growth in reform movements intended to improve society. Many believed that once souls were saved, fundamental changes in society were bound to follow. As Methodism pushed through the frontier, it brought a surge of Bible societies, temperance groups and other organizations with the aim of reforming society and educating people living on the new nation's fringes. These voluntary societies, combined with the tremendous energy and "can-do" optimism of the frontier, decisively shaped the American religious landscape.

Finley himself became involved in prison reform, temperance, rights for Native Americans, women's causes and slavery. His father freed the slaves he had when Finley was a teenager, and Finley spoke on the subject at a contentious Methodist conference that ended with the church dividing between the North and the South: "How any man can say it is right for him to hold his fellow being in bondage, and buy and sell him at pleasure, put him under an overseer, and drive, whip, and half starve him, and that this is connived by the Methodist Church, I cannot comprehend."

Sermon (May 13) - "Three Simple Rules: Staying in Love with God" by Sandra Yerian, Youth Director

Over the past 2 weeks we have been considering John Wesley’s General Rules

First we looked at Rule 1: Do no harm.

Then, rule 2-do good 

So far this sermon series and the general rules seem pretty straight forward. These are definitely attainable and desirable goals for living. It seems easy enough.

This week though we move on to the third of John Wesley’s rules:

Stay in Love with God

It seems that this is a particularly appropriate topic for confirmation Sunday. After all, confirmation is not a graduation.  It is a beginning, a continuation of our journey towards Christian perfection. Through His Prevenient grace, God called to us, beaconing us draw near long before we even knew of Him and His love for humankind. An invitation was issued to enter into the household of God. Through justifying grace, we accepted that invitation and stepped over the threshold. Now the journey continues. While I’m particularly addressing these wonderful seventh graders, who have spent an entire school year preparing for this day, for these vows, the message, the rule is suitable for all of us to consider anew. 

Stay in love with God.

At first glance this rule doesn’t seem to be so complicated either. Or is it? What exactly is love?  How does one stay in love with God?

If I think about modern love, this rule becomes more complex. Love today is a complicated and confusing dance of needs, demands and conditions.  Many of us have experience with falling out of love, and seeing our dreams vanish. We must consider love in its non commercial sense, in the God light in order to understand the rule.

In his letter of encouragement to the young church in Corinth, Paul describes love like this: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful, or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends” 1Cor:4-8

This scripture is very popular at weddings, but the love Paul describes isn’t the romantic kind. He wasn’t writing to starry eyed lovers; he wrote to a community struggling to live together in harmony.

The apostle Paul says this about Love in his letter to the Romans: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us- from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Rom 8: 38-39

Wow!! Did you get a hold of that?  There is not one thing, not one, that can get in between God’s love and us. Paul knows what he is talking about; he experienced that amazing love first hand.  He had made it his life’s work to persecute those who followed Jesus. He was a MURDERER, and God refused to stop loving him. That’s considerably different than the love we see on TV, where it seems everyone is looking for an excuse to quit loving, isn’t it?

Wouldn’t it be awesome to love like that? Without condition or end? No matter what; the end of love is not an option. Hmm

It is this kind of love Wesley refers to when given this instruction.

Are you ready to love God like this? Forever?

Using the more formal language of the 18^th century, let’s consider how to “stay in Love with God”

It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation by attending upon all the ordinances of God; such are:

The public worship of God

The ministry of the word, either read or expounded

The supper of the Lord

Family and private prayer

Searching the scriptures

Fasting or Abstinence.

Ordinance is a strange word to us, but to John Wesley, it described these disciplines which are essential to nurture our relationship with God, keeping it vital and strong. It is imperative to our mission and ministry that we stay close to God. .  Let’s unpack this list, maybe rethink our plans and commitments

The public worship of God.  Essentially, this means go to church.  But why?

I’ve thought a lot about family lately.  Mine is mostly far away. My immediate family is in Canada, my extended family in Holland.  As much as we love each other, and connect when we gather, it’s easy to let things slide.  Life is just so busy, and like most families, scheduling is complicated. Between jobs, school, sports and so on, its hard to make a 400plus mile trip happen. Long periods of time can go by between meaningful gatherings and conversations. Phone, text and email just don’t fill that space.  This past week we were all together though, gathered together in our home town in support of our parents. We were all amazed and overjoyed with the strength, comfort and security we found in each other’s presence. We held hands and prayed as dad was wheeled into surgery (he’ll be ok, by the way) All 5 of us kids were strengthened and refreshed by the mutual support.  And so it is with this community of faith.  We gather together to worship our God, to receive his love and blessings, to learn from and with each other.

Yes, you can worship alone, as many argue, but by being together we stand on the strength of tradition. We benefit from shared knowledge and experience, and are less likely to be led astray by false information. In difficult times we are gifted with the faithful prayers of our Christian community. 

During Easter morning worship, Jeff & I sat in the parlor.  I looked out at all of you,  our wonderful choir and musicians, and the work of many hands that beautified our sanctuary and I was overwhelmed with feelings of love and belonging. I encourage you to one day change your vantage point and gaze out onto our community. How blessed we are!

Jesus said: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” Matt 18:20.

The ministry of the word either read or expounded.  The word expounded includes listening to sermons.  Enough said…

The Supper of the Lord.   Also known as Holy Communion or Eucharist. We were instructed to remember Jesus in the breaking of bread.   Holy Communion is such a special time in worship.  We recall the life, death and resurrection of our savior. His teaching, his servant hood, his example, and the ultimate sacrifice; suffered for us, for our salvation.

The Lord’s Supper connects us to the ancient, to the sacrifice and to the heavenly banquet we await.

Lately I’ve also been thinking to about it from a different angle: God loving us so incredibly much that he would endure the agony of watching his only some tortured in order to bring us all home.

Eucharist can be defined as the giving of thanks.  Words are inadequate to express my gratitude when I contemplate all of this, but when I partake in Holy Communion, The Holy Eucharist, I connect intimately with our father.

Family and Private Prayer:

Jesus never neglected prayer. He models for us the importance of this practice. It was His time of connection and communication with His Father.  We see several places in scripture where Jesus withdraws from his companions in order to pray. 

In Matthew 6, Jesus gives us these easy to follow instructions. Do make a spectacle of yourself.  Go into your room, and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret will reward you…don’t heap up empty phrases.  It doesn’t need to be all fancy and holy sounding, it needs to be sincere and honest. I love it when my friend Alicia leads our youth in prayer. She says things like “hey God…I’m mad..” I’ve even heard her say: “Yo! God!”  She models for us all just how approachable God is.

God knows our heart’s hurts and desires.  He just wants to talk with us about it, just conversation.

Life is so hectic. Alarms ring, the dog barks, someone can’t find their shoes, we feel like we have to race out the door every day, it’s a challenge to us all to go to our room and shut the door. Even when we do, “white” noise can distract us. The computer fan, or fridge compressor sometimes seem to fill the house with racket. Recently many of us participated in Unbinding Your Heart. How did you feel about the weekly question about your prayer life?  Some of us struggled for the very reasons I just mentioned.  Our lives are filled with distraction .One blessing we’ve received as we journeyed together through the study is a focus on prayer and plenty of conversation about how we pray. I think it was during our first or second session that our group was gifted by one person’s prayer practice.  She has a frequent long commute, and so on the advice of another friend, began the practice of turning off the radio and praying for the people in her life as she drove to work. Almost all of us adopted this model for our commutes. As we continued to struggle to grow in our prayer practices, we kept coming back to this wonderful opportunity to pray. Soon we were praying for struggling persons we saw on the way, rude drivers etc, we all grew…

There are so many postures and practices when it comes to praying. Standing sitting kneeling, prostrate , forehead on the floor, head in hands, hands folded, hands lifted high, palms open…it doesn’t matter…the conversation matters…

And we don’t have to dream up anything new. Jesus gave us the words. In the awkward scary moments before my dad’s operation, no other words we come except the Lord’s Prayer. No other words were needed, these were more than adequate.  God knows our hearts.

Are you familiar with the Wesleyan Quadrilateral? As a confirmation class, we spend time exploring this tool. In a nutshell, it is a tool for evaluating Information and situations, and arriving at sound God pleasing conclusions. We use scripture, reason, tradition and experience to figure out the truth.  Scripture is the foundation of it all.

That is one reason why the ordinance of searching the scriptures is so important.

We know the bible to be Gods word delivered to us. Through searching the scriptures, meditating on it, and just increasing our familiarity with its stories and characters, we can know and love god more.  Receiving direction, guidance, inspiration and comfort. It is a plan for living well.

The final ordinance to mention is fasting or abstinence.

This one is tough! As a child and through my teens, we practiced fasting at certain times.  We always fasted on Sunday mornings until we’d received Holy Communion.  And we fasted on Good Friday. The Sunday fast was to emphasize being nourished by Christ first. The Good Friday fast was to honor and participate in Jesus’ suffering.

Food is obvious, but there are other ways to fast. One could fast from TV or internet for a period of time. I’m trying to fast from radio in an effort to create more space for god to enter in. Likewise for abstinence. We think immediately of things like sexual activity or consumption of alcohol, but could also abstain from gossip, or complaining.

These ordinances are all offered to us for the purpose of helping us to draw closer to our God who longs for a close and loving relationship with us.

Love was so incredibly important to Jesus. Three times he asked peter “do you love me?” Each time Peter affirmed his Love Jesus replied “feed my lambs tend my sheep”

As we grow in Love of God, we too will be compelled to share the good news, to reach out to the lost lambs, the hungry and hurt. Gods amazing, unconditional love will pour out through us into a world in need.

One final thought on the importance of staying in Love with God. It’s a quote of a quote from this wonderful little book (Three Simple Rules) by Rueben Job emphasizing to importance of love to Jesus.  These are the words of Henri Nouwen:

“Look at Jesus. The world did not pay any attention to Him. He was crucified and put away. His message of love was rejected by a world in search of power, efficiency, and control.  But there he was, appearing with wounds in his glorified body to a few friends who had eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand.  This rejected, unknown wounded Jesus simply asked, “Do you love me?  Do you really love me?” He whose only concern had been to announce the unconditional love of God, had only one question to ask, “Do you love me?” (In the name of Jesus, by Henri Nouwen (Crossroad 1989); pages 36- 37)

Stay in love with God!!

Sunday Worship Preview - May 20

[Rev. James B. Finley, our 1812 circuit rider preacher who would visit the Lancaster Methodist class meeting at different times during the year.]

Sunday, May 20 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & Wednesday, May 23  (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Presentation - "An Early 19th Century Methodist Class Meeting"

Features - Ascension Sunday & Celebration of Our Bicentennial Founders' Day (Spring, 1812)

Scripture - Acts 1:1-11

Theme - As we continue to celebrate our church's bicentennial, the ten Methodist class members who officially founded our church in the spring of 1812 will visit us in period clothing.  They will allow us to listen to their class meeting conversation.  This Sunday will be a lot of fun!

Upcoming Sunday's Scriptures (May13)

May 13 Sermon – “Three Simple Rules – Staying in Love with God”

I Timothy 4:6-16

-          V. 8 – One of the clearest references to physical exercise in the New Testament! For genuine godliness, we need to train well.  Spirituality doesn’t come naturally.  We actually have to work at it.  The purpose of the training is to produce, “life.”

-          V. 10 – The word, “struggle” is a wrestling (as in the sport) term.  We are going against gravity when we seek to work on our faith.

-          V. 10 – The word, “Savior” was a well known word in the greater Roman Empire.  People associated this word with the Roman Emperor.  Paul applies it here to Jesus Christ who is the true savior of the world.

-          V. 13 – Reading is important in our training! 

-          V. 14 – Don’t neglect the gift that is in you.  Paul is offering this word of advice to Timothy, a young pastor.  He’s helping him to not get “burned out” in ministry. 

-          V. 16 – Pay attention to yourself.  Think about the kind of person you are becoming.

John 21:15-17

-          The three questions correspond to the three denials of Peter.  Jesus goes to the source of Peter’s pain to help him come into a new beginning with Jesus. 

-          Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter, he gives him a job to do.  Feed my sheep.  Since Jesus is the good shepherd (John 10) Peter can fulfill his calling by staying focused on Jesus. 

-          The key to serving Jesus no matter what our ministry is – our love for Jesus and Jesus’ love of us!

A Tribute to Mom-Mom: Dave's Deep Thoughts

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

 

 

Many would call her a tough old bird.

 

She was the prototype of a farm wife.

To the world, she was Ida Wright McDowell

but to me and the other grandchildren,

she was Mom Mom.

 

Born in 1895,

she lived until 1995.

She grew up on farms her entire life.

Any given day meant

long hours of manual labor,

literally from sun up to sun down.

 

Tending the garden,

cleaning the house,

washing clothes,

butchering,

canning fruits & vegetables.....

just some of the things on her daily to do list.

 

In her later years, this became increasingly difficult.

Her legs were bowed to such an extreme that to a child,

they looked like croquet wickets.

 

Visiting the farm as a child was a glorious adventure....

playing in the barn,

exploring the fish pond,

venturing into the woods at dusk,

checking out my grandfather's latest ccarpentry projects.

 

There was always the reward of a cold glass of iced tea,

that had enough sugar in it to raise stock prices.

 

That, and the cookies or cake that would accompany it,

would be enough to fuel any grandson for further exploration of the farm.

 

To the world that knew her,

she was tough and strong,

but it was the 8 grandchildren that knew the softer side of her.

 

She would slip a grandchild some money and say,

"Go get something you want for yourself."

 

Or she would bring a secret home remedy

when we were ailing and say,

"Now don't tell your parents!"

(To this day, I have no idea what I ingested.....)

 

But is was the birthday cakes that I remember most.

These weren't your average birthday cakes,

but 5 tiered circular cakes that looked like miniature wedding cakes,

made from scratch for each grandchild,

extravagantly decorated

and always delivered promptly on the birthday.

It wasn't till I was 18 ,

that I realized that no other family I knew of,

received such an extravagant gift from the oven.

 

Last year, as my family was cleaning out my mom's farmhouse,

we came upon the diary.

 

It was Mom Mom's.

From 1970-1973, daily entries.

 

Such introspection was a surprise.

It's not easy to think about the introspective side

of a woman who with hatchet in hand,

would behead chickens for supper.

 

The entries were brief and often perfunctory

often a weather report for the day.......

what chores she accomplished,

who had their hair done,

or who stopped in to visit.

 

But there were other entries that jumped out.....

 

Tuesday, April 14, 1970

Weather: 42 degrees and rainy

"The astronauts (sic) are in trouble"

(Apollo 13)

 

Sunday, March 19, 1971

Weather: 53 degrees and cloudy

"Nobody visited us today.

It was a lonely day."

(I felt horrible when I read that)

 

June 22, 1972

Weather: 61 degrees and hard rain

"This is the worst storm in the history of the US

Thousands of people have no homes or food. This is terrible"

(Hurricane Agnes)

 

July 20, 1973

(no weather report given)

"Maynard died at 10:40am at the hospital"

(her husband of over 50 years)

 

It is fascinating for me to take a peek back into time,

to look at my childhood

and life as it was in small town America 40 years ago.

 

This is what I learned.....

 

Ida Wright McDowell gathered and cracked more walnuts

than anyone else in the history of mankind.

 

It was not unusual for at least 5 days out of any given week,

for family members to visit my grandparents.

 

My grandmother kept much of the southern part of the county fed

with pickles, beans, and other produce that she harvested.

 

My grandmother kept an amazing flower garden.

Her roses were the envy of the town.

 

Eating meals together as family

was the rule not the exception.

5pm farm time, be in your chair.

 

Milk was delivered to your house.....everyday.

And you left cash in an unlocked insulated milk box outside your door,

with no fear of it being stolen.

(For anyone under the age of 45, I'm not kidding!)

 

Out of town family members wrote letters,

regularly.

 

If you had a weak stomach,

it was not a good idea to visit the farm on butcher day.

 

Sunday was for church, family dinners, naps, and visiting neighbors. PERIOD.

 

The dishwasher had a name..........

Mom Mom.

 

In an age without internet, smartphones, and satellite TV,

people knew more about the important things going on in the lives of friends and family,

because they talked to each other while looking each other in the eye.

 

The doctor and TV repairman

came to your home.

 

Graveyards were places to visit and lay flowers,

not vandalize tombstones.

 

I must admit,

there is a part of me that would gladly give up

this fast paced, high tech life that we now live

for the simpler, slower paced life of 40 years ago.

But that is not going to happen.

That's a bridge that once crossed,

there is no return.

 

But as I live in a world

where families live time zones rather than a few miles apart,

and divorces are as common as marriages,

I realize that the answer to strong families

isn't so much in the era,

as it is in the expectation.

 

Choosing to take time to visit,

choosing to take time to eat common meals,

choosing to let technology assist and not hinder building strong relations,

choosing to turn off the electronic device for a while and look people in the eyes,

choosing to focus on being together rather than keeping up with overcommited schedules.

 

Choosing.

 

This Mother's Day,

I choose to remember not only a grandmother who was tough as nails,

and whose 100 year old heart bore both the good and the bad.

 

I choose to remember that the simplest and most important things in life,

faith, family, & friends are the best things,

and can be found if I just choose to take time to look for them.

 

Now excuse me while I go skype with a relative.

 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord,

for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment

with a promise) That is may be well with you, and that you may live

long on the earth. And parents, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-4

 

Sunday Worship Preview - May 13

Sunday, May 13 - (9:00 & 10:30 Services) & Wednesday, May 16  (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Three Simple Rules: Staying in Love with God"

Features - 6th Sunday of Easter; Receiving of Confirmands; Holy Baptism; & Mothers' Day

Scripture - I Timothy 4:6-16 & John 21:15-17

Theme - John Wesley, the founder of Methodism encouraged the early Methodists to practice three simple rules which are doing no harm, doing good, & staying in love with God. Today, we focus on what it means to stay in love with God.