Blog
09.27.20 Entrusted… by God (Matthew 25:14-21)
We begin a new worship series this Sunday. It is amazing — and a message not shared very often — that God trusts us! We are often called upon to trust the Lord, but here is a slightly different word: the Lord trusts us to use what we have as a conduit of love. God gives to us and gives through us. We may think we don’t have much to share, but we’d be amazed at what God can do with a little! Are you and I trustworthy? Are we are the love of Christ in action?
God trusts us with… well, most of what we have: time, skills, resources, friendships, even the earth. It all has been ‘loaned’ to us for a short while. Someday all of that will be shifted to those who come after us. The question for us will be, what did we do with all of that during our lifetime?
09.20.20 Red Letter Walking: Going & Sharing (Matthew 28:16-20)
This Sunday, September 20, we will conclude our Red Letter Walking Sermon Series by focusing on the last “red letters” of the gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 28:16-20 CEB
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, "I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age."
09.13.20 Red Letter Walking: Giving (Luke 6:37-38)
“Give to others, and God will give to you.” Luke 6:38
I’m going to be transparent with you.
When a church leader says any word even slightly associated with the word “give,” I, one of your church leaders… cringe.
And I think I’ve figured out why.
I think it’s because the battle between the HUMAN SOUL and the SPIRIT of GOD are in CONSTANT TENSION.
ONE is self-less. The other is self-serving.
09.06.20 Red Letter Walking: Serving (Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 20:25-28)
This Sunday in Worship, our 3rd Grade Students will be presented with their very own Bible from Trinity. I am so excited that the first scripture they will read together with their church family is:
Matthew 5:13-16 CEB
““You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.”
Food for Thought Collection Sunday: Faithful During Challenges
Sunday, September 6 from 1 - 3 pm is our next drive through collection for Food for Thought. Someone will be stationed at the Epworth Wing entrance (with the blue awning) on the east side of the church to receive your donations.
You have been so faithful to remember the hungry in our community during this challenging time, and the pantries have been grateful that you have helped keep them open.
These are the items that St. Paul’s pantry needs in addition to anything else you want to contribute:
The Journey to Innovation | Week 7 Guiding: A Year of Jubilee
If I have learned anything about faith and life over the last several years, it’s that no one can and no one should go it alone. When I look back in my life, particularly in my times of profound formation, I can see the people who journeyed with me up the mountain of growth. Who are those people to you? Elise Moss was the first person I ever told that I wanted to be in ministry. Tony Akers pushed me to think more deeply and bury my heart in God’s love. Kristin Harper showed me how a lived expression of faith can shape the world around me. Kelly Mongoven challenged my understanding of who God is and the way that God loved. Andy Root and Andrew Zirschky taught me about participating in God’s action. Because those people and many others guided me, I now have the privilege and obligation to guide others in their walk of faith.
08.30.20 Red Letter Walking: Forgiving & Studying (John 8:2-11)
In many editions of the Bible, the words of Christ are printed in red letters. So, the question arises, What would our lives be like if we truly followed the words of Christ?
I was a theater major in college. (“Oh, that explains why he’s such a ham,” I hear you say.) But I noticed a real difference in how we studied in undergraduate school versus how we studied in seminary.
In graduate school we might take weeks talking about the background and context of scripture, for instance, before we got to reading and interpreting the scripture. This was stuff we generally didn’t know and would greatly affect how we would later interpret and apply what we read.
In college, on the other hand, we learned a little about Shakespeare’s era, for instance, but then we jumped right into his plays. We did have questions about word meanings and historical context. But the main desire was to ask how one might live this scene out on the stage, how we would ‘perform’ it.
The Journey to Innovation | Week 6 Questioning: Sabbath When Rest is a Punishment
Like everything in 2020, our relationship to rest has changed. Where once we were running around with so many things to do that rest seemed impossible, now we sit at home with anger because of the blank spaces in our calendar. Not only are we feeling a lack of control in general, often our busyness was our only coping mechanism for the stresses of daily life. We didn’t have time to think or feel anything about something that stressed us. We simply worked, numbed our feelings, and stressed. We don’t have the identity that work gave us and we often feel untethered from what used to be.
08.23.20 Red Letter Walking: Abide (John 15:1-11)
In many editions of the Bible, the words of Christ are printed in red letters. So, the question arises, What would our lives be like if we truly followed the teachings of Christ — not just as an obligation for Christians but as an invitation from Jesus to live with him and in him? Red-letter walking. What a difference that would make!
In this week of our challenge in following Christ, we emphasize Worship (from Hamilton’s The Walk) and Being or Abiding (Zehnder’s Red Letter Challenge). Whatever we end up doing for Christ stems out of who we are and whom we adore as we spend time with Christ. We let our hearts receive his love and then return it in praise.
Do you picture Christ (when you do) as somehow way up in heaven looking down on you, encouraging you from afar, and grading your efforts to be a good or religious person? What if you pictured things differently? What if you thought of it as walking with Christ, learning from Christ, copying his ways, and being strengthened by him?
The Journey to Innovation | Week 5 Owning: Recapturing Shalom
This week I’d like to show you what we pitched to engage with sabbath and provide relief for our overly committed students and families. This reads as a script because it is a script. Lindsey Hitchcock and Ashley Clark gave the pitch at the most recent innovation Brain Trust. If you’d like to watch a video of their pitch, scroll to the bottom of the page.
Lindsay--
Hi I’m Lindsay and this is Ashley and we are from Trinity UMC in Huntsville, AL.
Ashley--
David found himself suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath. He called his youth director and shared that all the pressures of school were catching up with him. He felt alone and never imagined anyone else had felt the same way. Becca listened to him and empathized. She assured him it was a panic attack and he was not the only one who has this anxiety.