This weekend in 5/18 worship

Dear Grace Family,

On Saturday night, Diana and I are going to the Royals game to celebrate the 1985 and 2015 World Series Championships. When the Royals made it back to the playoffs in 2014 and 2015 after years (you could say decades) of futility, it was such a beautiful moment. I had watched a lot of bad baseball at Kauffman Stadium, but I could at least remember the glory of the 1970s and 1980s when the Royals were good. I was living in the past for many years, but then the surprise run in 2014 led to a new championship in 2015. I thought that success would last forever, but alas it did not! We were soon back to losing 100 games each season. It is hard to believe it has been ten years since our last championship. It is easier to forget when the Chiefs keep making their annual trip to the Super Bowl. The good news is that the Royals have a new group of players that are bringing us hope again. We don’t have to live in the past; we can look forward to the future, and that future is bright!

I feel the same way about Grace United Methodist Church. We actually have a much longer history than the Kansas City Royals. One hundred and sixty-seven years of history to be exact. A lot of great ministry has happened in Olathe and beyond because of First UMC, Hope UMC and now Grace UMC. It would be easy to look back at our story and say, “remember when!” There are wonderful things to remember about Grace, but I am filled with hope for the future. We may not be the team we were 40 years ago or even 10 years ago, but I see God moving in our congregation every day. I feel God’s Spirit every Sunday when we gather for worship and I have watched the church embrace life changing opportunities through sacrificial giving time after time. Let’s celebrate our past but never forget that God is not finished with Grace UMC. We have a bright future ahead.

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   and just say “Sign me up!”