2023
This Week in Worship – 9/30
As a child, I used to dread communion Sunday. My memory is that we only served communion once every quarter or four times a year. The tradition of quarterly communion goes back to the time of the circuit riders. The circuit riding pastor would have many churches and could only visit every three months to preside over communion.
2023
This Week in Worship – 8/11
Dear Grace Family,
Recently I came across Garrison Keillor’s description of “Methodists.” I have read it before, and I think some of the descriptions are truer than others, but I suspect that all of them are true in some Methodist churches. Here is a portion of what he said.
I do believe this:
- People, these Methodists, who love to sing in four-part harmony are the sort of people you can call up when you’re in deep distress.
- *If you’re dying, they will comfort you.
- *If you are lonely, they’ll talk to you.
- *And if you are hungry, they’ll give you tuna salad.
- *Methodists believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud.
- *Methodists like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.
- *Methodists believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don’t notify them that they are there.
- *Methodists usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins.
- *Methodists believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
- *Methodists think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace.
- *Methodists drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
- *Methodists feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall.
- *Methodists are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at the church.
- *Methodists still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna casserole adds too much color.
- *Methodists believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously.
And finally, you know you are a Methodist when:
- It’s 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service.
- You hear something funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can.
- Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
- When you watch a Star Wars movie and they say, “May the Force be with you,” you respond, “and also with you.”
- And lastly, it takes ten minutes to say good-bye!
What I really appreciate about Garrison Keillor’s observations is that “Methodists” are defined by what we do and how we live, not simply by what we believe or profess. This Sunday we will continue our worship series “What is So Amazing About Grace” by talking about how we live grace and what difference it makes. In Common Grace, Mitch will preach the third sermon in his series, “A Matter of Convenience.” Whether you worship in person or online, it will be a great Sunday to fill your spirit at Grace United Methodist Church.
See you in worship,
Barry
Each Tuesday Pastor Mitch publishes a devotion on his website Weeklydevotion.com. If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, drop him an email at [email protected] and just say “Sign me up!”
2023
This Week in Worship – 8/6
Dear Grace Family,
Last week our family celebrated the second birthday of our granddaughter, Scarlett. Diana and I only have one grandchild, so we get to pour a lot of energy and love into that little girl. During her first year of life, Scarlett’s mom did a great job of taking pictures every month to celebrate her growth. She had two different settings. One was Harry Potter and the other was the Kansas City Royals. Those two themes describe perfectly the relationship I have with my daughter and now my granddaughter. For the first year and maybe a little longer, we always described our granddaughter in terms of months. Scarlett is 5 months old, 8 months old, 14 months old. For some reason, 2 years of age is when we stop counting in months and start counting in years.
This Sunday, I am officially one month old as your pastor. We celebrated worship together for the first time on July 2nd. Being appointed to a new church is kind of like being born again. Not only are we stepping into a new world, but we are also creating brand new relationships. Mitch, Jan, Diana and I would all agree that our first month has been wonderful. Grace church has lived up to her name by showing us grace and love as we navigate the new world we have entered. Like a newborn, it will take us some time to learn how to crawl and walk, but eventually we will take off running. For a while we will count our progress in months, but we all look forward to the day when we mark our time at Grace in years. Thank you for your patience as we begin this journey together.
This Sunday we will continue our worship series “What is So Amazing About Grace” as Wesley Gately-Price shares a message on “Pilgrims.” You will want to hear what it means to be a “dispenser of grace” as we walk together in faith and share in Holy Communion. In Common Grace, Mitch will preach the second sermon in his series, “A matter of Convenience.” Whether you worship in person or online, it will be a great Sunday fill your spirit at Grace United Methodist Church.
See you in worship,
Barry
Each Tuesday Pastor Mitch publishes a devotion on his website Weeklydevotion.com. If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, drop him an email at [email protected] and just say “Sign me up!”
2023
This Week in Worship – July 23
Dear Grace Family,
This Sunday you may notice something new when you arrive at the church. You will actually be able to see lines in the parking lot! How exciting is that? No more guessing where to park your car! The parking lot is being addressed in two stages. The upper parking lot was patched and resealed. The rest of the parking lot needed more extensive work and that will begin in August. I am grateful for everyone who made donations to the project.
This week we had our first three In-Home Meetings. Mitch, Wes and I learned many new things about our church, and we are looking forward to hearing more. If you have not signed up for a meeting, it is not too late. The sign-up form can be found at this link. These are wonderful opportunities for fellowship and visioning. I encourage everyone in the congregation to find a night to attend.
This Sunday I will continue our worship series “What is So Amazing About Grace” as we talk about “Soul Thirst”. We live in a world where people are thirsty for grace, often without knowing that grace is what will quench their thirst. How can the church be an instrument of grace in the world? In Common Grace, Mitch will complete his sermon series on getting “Fired Up” with a message called “Fireworks Without Fireworks!” It will be a great Sunday to worship with your Grace family either in person or online.
See you in worship,
Barry
Each Tuesday Pastor Mitch publishes a devotion on his website Weeklydevotion.com. If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, drop him an email at [email protected] and just say “Sign me up!”