Most of us want life and to have it more abundantly. This is a saying that has its' roots in the gospel of John. We know that we want to have abundant life because most people live their life in pursuit of that dream. What is abundant life and how do we achieve it?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you'd like to say something, but you just can't get a word in? Maybe everyone else is talking so much and there's just no space for your voice, or you feel strongly about what's being said and you're afraid you'll come off as angry if you open your mouth?
Finding a balance in our life is very important. If we are to be balanced in our life as believers in God and followers of Christ, we find out what we are missing, then add that to what we have and seek to balance them out. As local churches we often tip the scales sharply to one side or another of that range of God's love. Many local churches are focused on strengthening their congregants' spiritual development.
This week, I am looking at the ways that we assess the needs of those with whom we communicate. In our conversations, we can gather specific information directly about someone's life at home, school, or work or in face-to-face or phone conversations, a casual conversation can help me find out how those I talk to are doing spiritually and emotionally. We also can connect while sharing some laughs and assess their responses indirectly in this way.
How do you feel about the miraculous happenings in the Bible? Some of us may believe that those miracles actually happened in the past and are still happening in the present as a response to severe human hardships. Others of us may believe that those miraculous stories are meant to highlight the need for us to positively affect the lives of those who are suffering in poverty or illness that leads to transformational results, but the stories are not true accounts.
This Sunday's bible reading from Mark 6:14-29 tells of the death of the prophet, John the Baptizer, who plainly spoke the truth, as he saw it, against the governor of his province and his wife and paid the ultimate price for keeping it real. And also due to the unwitting whim of the governor, Herod Antipas and his wife Herodias, a clever trickster.
The Independence Day holiday we just celebrated was another opportunity to prioritize some of the things we see as a blessing and as honorable as citizens and residents of this country. I thank God for being part of a nation that was built on a foundation of openness to diverse religious expression, diverse opinions across all types of communication, to peaceful assembly, and this list goes on.
Greetings to the Downers Grove FUMC family and friends! Sunday will be the first worship service for myself and Pastor Anna Voinovich to lead as the new pastoral team. We gratefully thank and richly bless Greta and Jim McDonald for leading this wonderful congregation as God's shepherds through worship, proclamation, pastoral care, teaching, and administration. We will work together as pastors and parishioners to continue the good work Jim and Greta both diligently performed for the building and strengthening of the family of God here.
Yesterday, June 21, we officially began the season of Summer. As all of us have known since childhood, summer is a season of fruitfulness in the natural world around us, as crops grow and trees and flowers come into fullness.
Our scripture reading for worship this Sunday will be John 15: 1-11, a passage in which Jesus uses an image of a vine and branches and growing fruit to illuminate the Christian life.
Thank you so much for the gift of last Sunday! - the beautiful reception for us in the Fellowship Hall, the warm greetings from so many of you, the cards and the very, very generous love gifts. We have loved our years at DGFUMC, and the reception will always be a special memory for us.
This Sunday, I'll be preaching on Acts 11, where Peter gets a new directive from God for food that had previously been forbidden in his Jewish heritage. Stepping across that boundary allowed Peter to enter fellowship with Gentiles, who were eager to hear about Christ. It reminds me about how we all have to put away old habits if we are to move into our tomorrows. From gun violence to getting used to people who are different from us, letting go of old understandings and welcoming what is before us will determine how we succeed in tomorrow's world.
This Sunday is Pentecost - a day that commemorates what many consider the Birth of the Church, when the small group of Jesus' uncertain followers were unexpectedly filled with the Holy Spirit. That gift of the Spirit, and the assurance of the continued presence of Christ with them, moved them to step beyond their closed doors into the world. They stepped forward in caring warmth, to speak with courage and compassion to skeptical listeners, and to become a growing band of people committed to meeting the needs of others in Jesus' name.