Friday, May 10, 2024

Hello Friends! It is so good to be home and I'm looking forward to seeing you all in worship on Sunday! This week I read these words from John's Gospel...

                "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:...
                Let not our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
                                           (John 14: 27 KJV)

Pressed on all sides. Pulled in all directions. At times life just seems to be reeling out of control. We want so much for the circumstances of our lives to be predictable, our homes to be orderly, and our days to go as planned. When the kids get sick, the sink backs up, the car breaks down, and our boss makes unexpected demands, feelings of helpless exasperation can overwhelm even the bravest among us.
   
But you and I have an anchor in Christ. Although the world around us often seems to be falling apart, we know that our steps are ordered by God. We can be at rest when the rest of the world isn't. We can cast our care on God knowing that God is working out every detail for our good. We are commanded not to be anxious but to allow the peace of God to reign in our hearts and minds -- making every thought obedient to the gospel of peace --- choosing peace, being at peace. Let God's peace work in you, whenever a deadline takes you by surprise, or you can't remember where you left your keys, or the dog next door just won't stop barking. At those times join me in praying, Lord, let me rest in Your peace. Amen.  

+++ This Sunday we celebrate the 7th Sunday of Easter and Mother's Day! When we gather at 8:30am and 10:00am we will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion together. And this week we will also be hearing from our Bishop, Bishop Hector Burgos Nunez, about some of the business conducted at the United Methodist Church's General Conference in Charlotte over the last few weeks. Look for us on the church's Facebook page as we "live-stream" worship at 10:00am and then on our YouTube channel as we "upload" the recorded worship when it is completed. I'm excited to see you all in worship on Sunday!

+++ Lots of meetings are on tap for next week! Our Finance Team meets on Tuesday night at 6:00pm and our SPRC meets at the same time, as well. Then our Administrative Council meets at 6:45pm on Tuesday night in the Fireside Room.  

+++ On Saturday May 18th we have a plant sale by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners group. The sale takes place from 9:00am -12:00noon and you will find all the best selections if you arrive close to 9:00am! And then in the afternoon, we will hold our Spring Clean-up Day party! We have many jobs to accomplish that afternoon and we need you to sign up this weekend so we can make sure to accomplish as many of the tasks as possible. Thanks for your help and for spending an afternoon beautifying our church facility!   

+++ Next Sunday, May 19th is PENTECOST and you are encouraged to search your closets and wear RED that day! How RED can we get the place? Find something to help us turn the place RED for the celebration!   

+++ A couple of deadlines coming up for us to pay attention to....

• Applications for the Gordon Williams scholarship are due on May 23rd!  Find the application and information here!
• Applications for Eli Whitney Camperships are due by June 2nd!  Let the church office know who is going to camp and what dates so that we can make sure to get these funds to the camp before your campers arrive!   

Make this day a great day and always remember to join me in praying, Lord, let me rest in Your peace!  Amen!   
​Pastor Jack