My dad would have loved the technological era in which we currently live. He loved gadgets. He loved taking things apart and putting them back together again. Although he would have turned 90 this year, I think he would still have enjoyed “playing” with the latest iPad, iPhone, and whatever else is out there. In some ways, he was ahead of his time.
In 1956 he bought a big reel to reel tape recorder. Why I’m not sure. It proved useful however. He recorded the multiplication tables on it, so my sisters and I could practice and learn. He mostly recorded fun stuff though – family gatherings, television shows, my sisters and I playing the piano, and stuff like that. One of his earliest recordings was of me when I was about 4 or 5 singing “Jesus Loves Me.” After I had grown older I would listen to that old recording and laugh as I heard myself belting out “Les, Jesus loves me; les, Jesus loves me.” You see I had trouble with certain letters and sounds (apparently the y was one I had trouble with) and even stuttered when I was a young child. I had to go to speech class before going to first grade and then while I was in first grade. Guess it all worked out though.
The other thing that got me to laughing as I listened to my young self was me singing the wrong lyrics. I boldly sang, “He is weak but we are strong.” Of course, it’s supposed to be, “We are weak but he is strong.” In a way though my words make sense too. Jesus became weak – he emptied himself of his divinity Paul tells us in Philippians – so that we could become strong. He allowed himself to be crucified so that we might have life and have it abundantly and that we might know forgiveness and salvation. He lives within us through his Spirit so that we are empowered to live the life he has called us to live and be the people he has called us to be. We are strong only because he became weak for us, even allowing himself to hang on a cross, which come to think of it, takes a lot of strength.
Are we living strong? If we know Jesus loves us, we can.
In Christ,
Pastor Donna
I just came from the Ministerial Alliance meeting where we spent a little pre-meeting time talking about what was going on in our lives. I mentioned that I had recently been to Fredericksburg, which led to a discussion about wild flowers and peaches. One of the other pastors commented that the best peaches she had ever tasted came from Pittsburg, Texas. She said they didn’t look very appealing – they were all wrinkly – but one bite was all she needed to convince her that those were the sweetest and juiciest peaches she had ever had. I, on the other hand, have had the most delicious looking peaches ever only to bite into them and discover they are too hard, or too mushy, or too mealy, or too something else. Looks can be deceiving, can’t they? As “they” say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
The same is true for people of course. I’ve just finished reading the book, Unbinding the Gospel, which challenges its readers to see others through Christ’s eyes. The author, Martha Grace Reese, reminds us of an old Billy Graham pamphlet which encourages us to think of the Bible as a love letter that God has sent you; specifically you. Reese then encourages her readers to think of their lives as a love letter. She writes, “See the faces of the people around you – at work, at the shoe store, at your son’s Boy Scout meeting. Think: “These are people Christ wants me to care for.” “I am God’s love letter to them.” “And they are God’s love letter to me.”
She goes on to write:
If we live deeply with God, we will start to see fragmentary glimpses of people through Christ’s eyes. … Once we have these glimmers of how God must see us, we want to help God care for those people; we want to learn from them. Could life be different for the frazzled mother dragging her shrieking two-year-old away from the Twinkies display? Could God use you to bring a life-changing experience to the married businessman hitting on the flight attendant? To the lonely, brilliant physics student? How about the frazzled chef who snorts cocaine?… Envision the difference Jesus could make in these people’s lives. This “envisioning” is prayer.
May we look below the surface appearance and behavior and begin to see others through Christ’s eyes. We might just be surprised by what or who we find.
In Christ, Pastor Donna
If you have ever been to Fredericksburg, then you have probably been to Dooley’s 5₵ 10₵ 25₵ Store. It’s like walking back in time – maybe to the 1950s or early 1960s. Although the store has plenty of modern items, it’s the things of yesteryear that attract people. Like candy cigarettes, when is the last time you saw those? They certainly took me back to my childhood, those days when we thought smoking was cool, before we knew how bad they are for your health. For my friend, it was simply the way things were displayed, that brought back fond memories. A man got a kick out of the very non-technological pop gun. For another lady, McCall’s patterns seem to take her to another time and place. I even heard her long for the “good old days.”
For a brief time Dooley’s lets you go back to the times when things seemed simpler and more innocent. But eventually you have to leave the store and step back into real time in the real world.
Two scripture texts came to mind as I was thinking upon these things. The first is Philippians 3:13b, “But this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” The other isn’t a particular verse but rather the account of the transfiguration of Jesus. You recall that Jesus went up the mountain with Peter, James and John and is transfigured before them, as well as, being joined by Moses and Elijah on the mountain. The disciples want to stay on the mountain and enjoy this mountain top experience. Jesus says no, his ministry and mission must be lived in the valleys and plains and wilderness areas.
From time to time I think we would all like to stay on the mountain or live in the past where things simply seem better. But life isn’t found in the past; Jesus isn’t in the past either. Jesus is here now with us. Jesus is out ahead of us leading. Jesus is calling us to follow him, be his disciples today. Yeah, it’s fun to look back, but it’s hard to go forward toward the living Christ and the heavenly goal if we’re always looking back, isn’t it?
Go ahead and reminisce. Take a spin through Dooley’s. Look through your scrapbooks. Just don’t live there. Jesus calls us to live in the today, following him, becoming the people he died for us to be.
In his book 24 Hours That Changed the World, Adam Hamilton cites a quotation attributed to pastor and author Frederick Buechner: “Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.” What a word of hope to hang on to when you find yourself in the middle of the worst thing. When you feel that you have been beaten, battered, bruised and betrayed, it is crucial to remember that things will get better – there was a third day, there was and is resurrection. When you are feeling defeated, remember God defeated death, sin, darkness and evil on the cross and in the Resurrection.
Hamilton reminds us that the disciples were transformed by the Resurrection. They had deserted Jesus because they were afraid; they hid behind locked doors rather than help bury their friend and teacher. But after the Resurrection, they are out in the streets proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. They were beaten, abused, arrested and thrown in jail. Tradition says that all but one of the eleven were put to death for their faith, but they would never again dwell in those dark places of the spirit, because they had seen their risen Lord. They had experienced the Resurrection and their own resurrection. They faced life with hope and confidence, even when experiencing the worst things. Hamilton writes, “When we hear, trust, and celebrate this Easter story, we reclaim the same faith and discover the same joy and hope the first disciples had. Easter has the power to change us.”
Let us not live as people without hope. Let us live as Easter people, resurrection people – people who are not defeated but share in the victory of Jesus.
In Christ, Pastor Donna
The Hill County Observance of the National Day of Prayer will be held from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at the Hill College Performing Arts Center, Hill College, 112 Lamar Drive, Hillsboro.
First United Methodist Church is having its annual Garage Sale on Saturday, May 5th this year from 7 am to 2 pm. There will be all kinds of items – clothing, furniture, books, electronics, tools, kitchen and household items…There will be breakfast burritos and coffee, as well as a Bake Shoppe full of wonderful baked goods.
Donations are being accepted for the Garage Sale in the Family Life Center. Items are being stored in the upstairs storage rooms on the southeast side of the building facing the playground.
Donations for the Bake Shoppe will be accepted starting Friday, May 4th. Please leave donations in the FLC Kitchen. If items need refrigeration, please leave (with a note marked “Bake Shoppe”) in the center refrigerator.
The youth will be meeting at 6 pm on Saturday, April 28th, to plan their participation in the Garage Sale. They will be making and selling the breakfast burritos and coffee. They will be meeting again later on in the week to prepare the burrito fillings.
Volunteers are needed to help with the set up starting Thursday morning, May 3rd. Volunteers will also be needed the day of the event to act as cashiers and assistants, and to clean up after the sale ends at 2 pm.
There will be a special preview/presale event for just the volunteers on Friday, May 4th.
Since I seem to have writer’s block today, I thought I would share this Easter writing with you. It was written by John Gilbert. I hope you experience the thrill and joy of Easter as you read it – remember the Easter season lasts until May 27 when Pentecost happens.
Christ is risen! Not restored to life from the dead, not resuscitated, not brought back to life, but Risen! Given new life, given a new body! Given a new beginning! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen! No longer bound by the limitations of time and space, no longer restricted by geography or the calendar, but Risen! Present here with us now. Present where ever people suffer. Present where ever people rejoice. Present where ever people struggle and laugh and triumph and weep and seek. Present where ever God’s people are! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen! Freed from the constraints of mortal flesh. Freed from the constraints of that which had been deemed possible. Freed from the limitations imposed by human imperfections and inadequacies. Freed to set us free! Freed to set us free from all that binds us and keeps us from being all that God calls us to be! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen! Released from the strangle hold of death. Released from what had been believed to be the hopelessness of the grave and tomb. Set free from the helplessness of the human body. Set free to free us from the fear of death and despair. Set free to carry us to the perfect freedom that is His to give. Set free to live among us as part of us within us. Christ is risen!
Christ is risen that we might arise! That we might arise into newness of life here and now. That we might experience life abundant and life everlasting. That we might throw off the shackles of sin and shame and guilt and be freed to live and love and serve and sacrifice and rejoice. Christ is risen!
Let us arise with Christ, for with Christ, “ours the cross, the grave, the skies!”
Thanks be to God!
The Salad Luncheon, held April 12th, was a big success! The crowds were big and hungry, the salads colorful and tasty! During lunch, the Glory Bells performed and Beth Smith played the piano.
For more photos, check out the latest newsletter.
Wow! What an exciting Easter we had here at First United Methodist Church. What made it exciting? Well, in addition to the great music and worship, it was your presence! Yes, we had so many people at the first service that some people actually had to sit on the front row and others had to sit in places other than their usual spots. Lots of children and babies in the congregation also added to the excitement as we heard the Easter story and together proclaimed, “Christ is risen! Jesus is alive! Alleluia!”
As people were leaving, I was asked several times, “Don’t you wish it was like this every Sunday?” Of course I do. And you know, Easter actually last 50 days and every Sunday is considered a little Easter; so why not come back and worship again and again. Who knows, maybe you will encounter the living Christ again. Maybe you will want to shout “Alleluia!” again. Maybe you can add your voice to the singing of songs of praise and thanksgiving or delight in the children as they share themselves at children’s time. Maybe you will hear a word that speaks to you this Sunday.
I know not everyone who came Easter Sunday will come back again this Sunday or the next – there were lots of family members and friends visiting. But I hope you will come back and join others in your faith family in singing, hearing, and speaking the word of the Lord and will leave living out and acting on that word. Let’s worship together again this Sunday. Let’s feel that same excitement and life. Let’s be the church together.
Hoping to see you Sunday,
Pastor Donna
Click on the pic to read all the details!