Friday, March 14, 2025

Happy Friday Friends!

This morning's reading comes to us from Psalm 46...

                       "Be still, and know that I am God."   
                                 (Psalm 46: 10)

It seems to me that the only way we can really know God is by experiencing God. And many of those experiences can only come to us as we are willing to  take the time to listen quietly for God's voice.  
   
Author and theologian Soren Kierkegaard wrote that most of us are "so busy" that we are unwilling to wait patiently for God. We might consider an appointment with our hairdresser or bridge club to be productive time, but when God lays claim to our time... we balk. Rather than spend time with God and allow ourselves to bask in God's presence and soak up God's love, we manufacture substitutes --- things to do to take the place of simply being with God. Even the admirable activities of good works and Bible study can sometimes keep us from resting quietly with God.  
   
Like any other relationship, experiencing God takes both quality and quantity time and a willingness to not only talk with God... but to listen to God. There is just no substitute for either. Like any relationship, we must be willing to make a conscious investment of both time and effort.
   
Why not try slowing down to listen for God's voice today? God speaks often to each of us deep within the recesses of our hearts and minds. The trouble is that most people are just moving too fast to receive the transmission. If you are willing to try it... you just might be surprised to hear all that you've been missing!  

+++ Worship on Sunday is at 8:30am and 10:00am and this week we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Lent. We will continue with our Lenten theme of examining the roles Jesus offers us, as we think about "Jesus as our Listener". And we'll hear about a man named Nicodemus, to whom Jesus not only listened... but responded. What might we have in common with Nicodemus? And how are we being called to not only listen... but respond? Join me as I try to think this whole issue through on Sunday morning. We will continue our "live-streaming" on the church Facebook page at 10:00am and then "upload" the completed worship to the church YouTube channel. After a couple of weeks of technological "bugs"... we think we solved the problems and, hopefully, you saw a vast improvement last week. Thanks Steven for your hard work!  

+++ I will be leading worship at Summerfield Village next Wednesday, 3/19 at 9:30am.  

+++ Coming up on March 30th.... we celebrate UMCOR Sunday. We will receive your special offerings to support this wonderful organization that is usually among the first on the scene at a disaster anywhere in our country and even around the world. And because the administration fees are covered by offerings from other parts of our General Church budget... 100% of the gifts we give are used to help the afflicted! Now that is something to be proud of! Look for the special offering envelopes available on March 30th at worship!

+++ We recently discovered some old cell phones that were left in the Narthex and, although we do not have a program to recycle these here at the church, we found out the Staples store will gladly take them to be recycled. So we ask that you would deliver them to our nearest Staples store rather than leave them here at the church. Thanks!      

Make this day a great day and take time to come into the presence of the God who created and loves you beyond measure!   
​Pastor Jack