Weekly Greeting - May 21st

Obviously our church is facing real challenges as some congregations take action to disaffiliate from our denomination.  I have close friends whose congregations have separated from the United Methodist Church.  One congregation I served as pastor has voted to disaffiliate.

I recently found a posting by a friend on Facebook that reflects some of my own reasons for remaining part of the United Methodist Church:

Why I am United Methodist:

Because we see flowers where others see weeds.

It’s all about grace and seeing people as children of God; it’s not about “us” and “them,” and a God that needs defending, but a world that needs to be loved.

It is about open hearts, open minds, and open doors, and though we are not perfect we are on that road to perfection.

We hold as our mentors Good Samaritans and Prodigal Sons, faithful prostitutes and generous widows, unclean lepers and thieves on a cross.  We realize we are all that strange mixture of saint and sinner.

It’s never about being right but always about doing right.  Our mission is not to defend the church but simply to do all the good we can, to all the people we can, in all the ways we can, as long as we can.

We see flowers where others see weeds, because we figured out long ago that we were weeds that someone watered with grace and love.

In a world that sees only weeds to be pulled, I am thankful for a church filled with God’s grace that sees things in a different light.

Blake Lasater

(posted by Rev. Larry Max McGranahan)

Peace and blessings,

Craig

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We are continuing our Abide series this week as we move toward Pentecost Sunday.  This week’s text from John 20:19-31 sets the stage for the coming of God’s Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.  John gives us a powerful picture of the church in need of God’s presence and power.  What a blessing to know God is faithful and provides us with what we need to live as faithful disciples of Jesus!