I was counseling an engaged couple; we were having our last session before the big day – the wedding day.  It is during this last session that I usually go over the actual wedding service with the couple.  Now the woman in this particular relationship had specifically asked me to use the old Methodist wedding ritual that I had used at a friend of hers wedding.  As I am going over the service with the couple, the woman stops me and says, “I am uncomfortable with some of that language.”  I asked her what language she was referring to and she replied, “All the God language, and holy marriage, and all that.”  I was a little dumbfounded and told her this was the service she had requested.  She said she didn’t remember all that God and holy language in the one she had observed.  I assured her it was and besides that I am a Christian pastor and so naturally I’m going to use God language in worship services, even weddings.  I told her that if she didn’t like that language, she should have gone to a judge or some other civil servant.

About that time the phone rang.  I went ahead and answered it – just for a break.  I could hear the couple talking.  After I hung up, I told her that I thought her god was too small.  You see, she had been married once before and had been divorced for 7 years.  She carried around a huge load of guilt and shame; she didn’t think God could bless another marriage.  She considered divorce a sin.  I said, “So what if it is?  What was the point of Jesus dying on the cross if not for the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection to new life?  Even a new marriage?”

She wasn’t sure about all of that.  I told both of them that they shouldn’t get married (based on our previous discussions as well as the one we were having at the time), and if they did get married, they needed to get into intensive therapy pretty quickly.  They called the next day and said they no longer needed my services – I thought I had already made it clear that I wasn’t offering my services; oh well, the end result I didn’t officiate over this certain fiasco.

Is your God too small?  We say that Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, but how many of us really believe that?  Many of us believe that there are some sins just too big to forgive.  Some people carry these unforgivable sins around with them the rest of their lives – as well as the guilt and shame that go with them.  If Jesus didn’t die to forgive all sin, then what was the point?

One of my most powerful experiences of the grace of God was a time when I did commit what some would call a really big sin.  I’m not sure God ranks sin, but we do; and boy did I commit a doozie.  But I went and knelt at Jesus’ feet, confessed, repented, cried.  God poured out his grace upon me.  I felt forgiven.  I felt cleansed.  I felt whole.  While I remember my sin, I don’t carry it around with me letting it weigh me down and disabling me from getting on with life.  I believed Jesus died for that sin just as he did for all other sin.  I am so glad that God’s grace is great than all our sin!  I hope you are too.  Otherwise, your God may be too small.

In Christ,

Pastor Donna

We had our first youth meeting last Sunday evening.  There were 12 youth and 8 parents in attendance!  It was an awesome group!  Thank you to those who came and participated with your ideas.  Our next meeting will be Sunday evening, August 28th.  Our snacks will be ice cream at the ice cream social.  Youth, please meet in the Family Life Center at 5:30.  We will have some ice cream and then go downstairs to the basement for our meeting.  Hope to see all of y’all there!

Our United Methodist mission statement is “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”  Why is it that we only think of adults upon hearing this statement?  Why do we not think of our youth and young people?  Remember, they are the future of the church.  Without them, there is nothing.  I am reminded of something that the apostle Paul had written to Timothy when he left Timothy in charge of the church.  He said, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young….” (1st Tim. 4:12)  We all do it.  We all tend to look upon our young people at times as not worthy of listening to on certain matters because of their inexperience and lack of knowledge regarding certain things.  But isn’t it our job to teach them?  I believe that sometimes our youth and young people are alot smarter than we give them credit for.  Ever heard that phrase, “Don’t judge until you have walked a mile in their shoes?”  We don’t know someone’s background until we get to know them.   We don’t know their experiences.  Don’t just automatically assume something about someone until you get to know them!  Take the initiative!  Go up to someone you don’t know, introduce yourself to them and invite them to come to worship with you!

Remember, its not about you……. its about them……. “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”  That’s what its all about.  Whether you are young or old, you are never too young or old to become a disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

See ya Sunday!  Nanette

One of the things I discovered at our congregational awareness meetings is that many of us don’t know each other very well.  Some people believe that the solution to this problem is to go back to one worship service.  But there is evidence that says that is simply not the reality.  It seems that when churches go back, it is hard to go forward.  Churches that have gone from two services to one find that they lose members/attendees; it seems some people really want to come to church at 9 and others really want to attend church at 11.  It is also true that some people really like a praise service and others really like traditional service.  A “blended” service really doesn’t meet the worship needs of either of these groups.  Plus, people tend to sit where they always sit and with those with whom they always sit.  So, I don’t know how much better we would get to know those we don’t know in one service.

Are there other ways we can meet this need to know each other?  I believe so.  For instance, we could come to TNT and sit with people we don’t know.  We could come to the brunches we have on occasion after the 9 AM service or before the 11 AM service and, again, sit with people we don’t know.  If you attend the 9 AM service, you could occasionally attend the 11 AM service just to see some once familiar faces and vice versa. We could offer opportunities at the church such as Bible studies, prayer groups, etc. where people from both services could come.  We could start Sunday school a little later and have a coffee time where people from both services could come and talk with one another.  Some church members even met church members they didn’t know at the congregational awareness meetings.  Imagine that.

These are just some thoughts.  Maybe you have other ideas on how we get to know each other.  I invite you to share them with me.

In Christ, Pastor Donna

 ”You are God’s special gift to the world. You have the ability to touch people’s lives no one else does. The potential to make a difference no one else does. The opportunity to let God’s glory shine through you no one else does. So you get to make a choice about today. It can be just another day like any other day. Or it can be a day when you begin to share the gift you truly are.” — Gary Mueller

One of my Facebook friends posted this quote recently.  It’s a good reminder that we are each a precious child of God and a gift to the world.  Do you know that?  Do you ever forget that or doubt that?  I do sometimes.   The world often tells us we matter little and have no value.  The world often calls us names or makes hurtful remarks about us or ignores us or makes judgments about us.  Bullying seems to have increased over the last several years – often ending tragically when the one bullied believes the bully and takes his or her own life.

We need to hear every everyday that we are loved, that we are precious, that we belong, that we matter.  I have a framed piece of art work that says “I am a child of God.”  I need to remember that each and every day.  Knowing and believing that gives me strength for the journey I walk each day.  We all need to hear and believe that.

When my nephews were born, I would pick them up and tell them, “Welcome to the world!  I’m so glad God created you and sent you into our lives.  You are loved.”

You may think, “What good is that – the kid doesn’t know what you said or even that you said anything at all.”  I’m not sure about that.  When I was about 6 or so, I asked my mother where my “baby book” was – my older sister one had a fancy one that even played music.  She told me that I didn’t really have one – just a pamphlet kind of thing from a milk company.  When I asked why, she replied that I had come at a bad time. Indeed, it was a difficult time – my father was in a hospital a thousand miles away, and my mother was a single mother with a 2 year old and a baby to take care of back home with her parents.  Although I’m sure my family loved me, they didn’t really welcome me.  Did I know that then?  No, but it surely did sting when I heard it and knew it six years later.  That’s why it was so important for me to hold my nephews (and other babies over the years) and welcome them into this world with love and joy and thanksgiving.

We’ve been talking about the fruits of the Spirit for about two months now.  As we get ready to start school again and back into the routine of life I hope we will let those fruits thrive in us as we deal with each other and ourselves.  Be kind and good to one another.  Be gentle and generous with yourself and those around you.  Be patient and loving and joyful with those you encounter on your daily walk in this world.  Let the peace of God fill you as you remember you are a precious child of God, a gift like no one else.

 Shalom, Pastor Donna

(This is the second in a series of posts written by Nanette.)

 It does indeed take a village………

I remember first hearing those words when Hillary Clinton spoke them during Bill Clinton’s first run for President of the United States.  As I recall, she was ridiculed and scorned for those words.  Why?  Children come in contact with a whole host of adults during their lifetimes who, I believe, each have a hand in helping to raise that child and being an example and perhaps even a role model for that child.  If children go to school, they have their teachers who lead and guide them.  If they play sports, they have their coaches that teach them teamwork.  If they go to church, they have the adults in the congregation to lead and guide them, not to mention their Sunday School teachers who help provide spiritual guidance for their lives.

Does this bring to your mind something very important that you pledged to do when each of these youth were confirmed in this church?  In case you have forgotten, please let me refresh your memory.  These congregational pledges come from the Baptismal Covenants in The United Methodist Hymnal:  “With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.  We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.  We will pray for them that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.”  Also, “We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love.  As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant  faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”  And since this last General Conference, witness has been added as well.  there is also another one on page 44 that is used less frequently, but is still nonetheless just as important: “With God’s help we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal.”

Does this sound like the confirmation service is just for the confirmands to join the church for the benefit of the church so it will show growth?  It is much more than that.  It not only shows church growth by adding these confirmands to the church membership roll.  It also shows their spiritual growth because these confirmands have chosen to take responsibility for their own lives and have chosen to live their lives the way Jesus wants them to.  But it doesn’t stop with them.  The congregation also pledges to help them in this regard and, in turn, they are strengthened spiritually when they do this because they remember their own confirmation and their own pledge to live their lives for Jesus Christ.  Everybody wins!!

So, please when you see these youth inside and outside the church, be that living example for them.  Answer their questions.  Get to know them.  Pray for them.  Help them.  Lead them.  Guide them.  But, PLEASE don’t ignore them.   Remember what Donna said on Sunday?  EVERYBODY has value and worth. 

It does indeed take a village………..

As I drove away from the hot, thirsty and tired woman my words from last week’s article and from several sermons haunted me.  I was leaving the church – was actually in my car and pulling out of the drive and I saw her.  She had walked across the street from where she had been sitting in the shade.  As soon as she saw me she started toward me.  I knew she wanted something; all I wanted was to go home for a few minutes before I was due back for Vacation Bible School.  She asked for water for herself, her friend and their two dogs.  I replied that nobody was at the church and I had to be somewhere in five minutes.  She asked if they could use an outdoor faucet.  I pointed to where the hose was but said I didn’t know if she could actually turn the faucet on.  She checked; she couldn’t.  I said sorry and drove off.  I passed her male companion and the two dogs.  I was hot and tired too.  I just wanted to run by Brookshire’s for a couple of things before heading home.  That’s when my own words came back to me.  How could I preach on the “Good Samaritan” and then walk on the other side of the road when a neighbor came up to me in need? 

So instead of turning right on Elm Street I made a U-turn and headed back to the church and the woman.  “I’ll get you some water, “I said.   We went inside the church and got two cups of ice water and an aluminum pan of ice water for the dogs.  The man joined us outside the church; the dogs, both puppies, played in the water and drank some of it too.  The couple said they were stuck in Hillsboro; something about car trouble.  They were going to wait around and try to get something to eat and find a way back to Ft. Worth.  I told them people would start showing up at 5 and maybe they could eat the VBS leftovers, which would be chicken nuggets and tater tots.  “That would be great,” they replied.

I finally made it to Brookshire’s and decided I would get them something to eat – some chicken and potato salad; and a can of dog food.  When I went back by the church, they were gone.  I hoped that the early arrivals at VBS hadn’t chased them off.  I went on home but brought the food back with me when I returned.  I spotted her sitting in the FLC.  Turns out they had gone back across the street for the shade.  I gave her the food and more water.  The Presbyterian pastor was working on getting them a ride back to Fort Worth.

As I said in my sermon being kind and generous to our neighbors will cost us something.  This act cost me a few bucks for the meal, a little of my time, and some inconvenience.  I’m glad I was willing to pay that cost; imagine what the cost would have been if I had not chosen to practice what I preached. 

I hope when you have the opportunity to live out the stories of Jesus, you will do so - whether it’s right outside the church or some other place.  As they say, “Let’s walk the talk and not just talk the talk.

Walk in faith,

Pastor Donna

I am so excited to be hired as the new youth director!  I know we have an AWESOME group of youth at this church.  I am ready to get to know them and their parents as soon as possible.  I hope to get things started this week as our first youth meeting will be held on Sunday evening, August 21st at 5:30 in the basement of the old building.  Both junior and senior high youth are invited to come and participate.  This first meeting will be very informal and will mainly consist of getting to know one another and sharing our hopes, wishes and dreams for the youth ministry.  We want to keep in mind that God wants us to be the best we can be!  We will have a time of sharing and discussing, then some recreation time and then a time for sharing fellowship around the table with snacks and drinks.  The meeting should last from an hour to an hour and a half.

As your new youth director, I will also be leading a Senior High Sunday School class which will begin meeting on Sunday,  August 28th at 10:00 a.m.  The class will meet on the third floor of the old building in the classroom next to the video room.  I have ordered new curriculum from Cokesbury which is topical and relevant to what youth are discussing today.  It is called LINC and I am very excited to be leading this group!

You may contact me at my e-mail address: nanettewyatt@aol.com or you can call the church office and leave a message for me there.

I look forward to meeting and working with the youth and their parents.  It does indeed take a village!  Won’t you join me?

Take care and God bless,

Nanette

A couple of Sundays I preached on the fruit of kindness.  I looked at the story of the Good Samaritan as example of a kind person.  Do you recall the reason Jesus told that story?  It seems a lawyer wanted to test Jesus so he asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus asked him what the law said.  The man replied. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus said, “That’s right, do this, and you will live.”

But the man wanted to justify himself so he asked, “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus then told the story of the Good Samaritan, which basically tells us that our neighbor is anyone in need whoever they are, wherever they live, however much stuff they have.

So who is our neighbor here at First United Methodist Church?  It may surprise you.  Do you know how much Hillsboro has changed over the last 10 years or so? We have fewer people living here and more of those living here are Hispanic.  The average age is 37.  The average income is $47,600.  34.1% of the Hillsboro adult population did not graduate from high school – 33.4% did or got a GED.   20.5% of these adults have some college; 8.5% have a bachelor’s degree and 3.5% have a graduate or professional degree.

Our Hillsboro neighbors don’t look much like us do they?  Our church is full of people with college degrees, probably earn more than the average income, and are white (with an exception or two).  So how can we love our neighbors?  Do we just walk by on the other side of the road?  In many ways, we speak different languages (and no, I’m not talking Spanish and English) – culturally and socially.  How, then, do we communicate?  Or do we want to communicate?

All of this is weighing on me because we are about to start TNT again and some of our younger neighbors will be joining us again.  I ran into several of them at the store recently – they all remembered me and asked, “When is church supper going to start back again?”   They are eager to come.   Are we eager to invite.  I know we all want to feed them, but what if they need more than physical food?  What if they need a safe place to hang out?  What if they want to be out of an empty house or away from a screaming parent?  Yeah, they are going to do things we wished they wouldn’t do.  We are going to have to set some ground rules.  We don’t want to run church members away because they feel unsafe or uncomfortable here.  But what do we do with these “the least of these?”

Jesus tells us to love them and feed them and welcome them.  How do we do that without losing control?  How do we love others as we love ourselves?

Just something to ponder as we wait for school and TNT to start once again.

In Christ,

Pastor Donna

After a two and a half month search, the Staff/Parish Relations Committee has hired Nanette Wyatt as the Youth Minister for our church. She starts immediately and will be meeting with youth and parents   of the youth over the next couple of weeks. She plans on having a youth meeting on Sunday evening, August 21.  She will also start a Senior High Youth Sunday School class on Sunday, August 28 at 10 AM.  Look for more info next week.

Nanette brings a wealth of experience and a solid Christian, United Methodist foundation to under gird her ministry with the youth. She is eager to work with the youth. However, she will need our support if she is going to grow this important ministry. So if she calls upon you, please respond positively.