In all of the coverage of the Aurora, Colorado shootings, I was most impressed by one of the surviving shooting victims.  He was being interviewed from his hospital bed.  He described how a bullet had gone through his arm and shattered his humorous bone.  Fortunately, that shattered bone probably saved his life; otherwise the bullet would have gone into his chest.

The interviewer asked him about the shooter and the why of it all.  The young man simply stated that there is evil in the world and that he sensed a real darkness when the shooter came near him.  He also said, though, that he wasn’t personally angry at the shooter.  When asked how that could be, he simply replied that he knows there is a light greater than the darkness and the darkness will be overcome by the light.

I don’t know for certain, but it sounds like this young man is a believer in God, perhaps even a Christian.  We, too, know there is darkness in this world.  We know sometimes we even prefer the darkness.  But we also know that the darkness cannot extinguish the light.

In Isaiah 9 we read:  “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. … For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.” That child of course is Jesus Christ who said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Of course Jesus also calls us to be the light.  In The Message version of the Bible it says, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. … Shine!”  Light illuminates.  Light attracts.  Light dispels the darkness.

In the old children’s song, “This Little Light of Mine,” we sing:  “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”  Another verse says, “Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m going to let it shine!”  We could change that to “won’t let darkness put it out” and we would have the same meaning, wouldn’t we?  Jesus calls us to let his light shine through us even in the midst of darkness so that the darkness will be dispelled and the light will not be overcome.

Let’s all let our light shine! Especially when it seems darkest.

Pastor Donna

While traveling in Wisconsin several years ago, I entered a store filled with all kinds of things for home decorating – pictures, plaques, knick-knacks, and so forth.  I was surprised to discover a framed quote from John Wesley.  I purchased the piece, and it now hangs in my office.  This is what it says:

 Do all the good you can, by all the means you can,

 In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,

 At all the times you can, To all the people you can,

 As long as ever you can.

John Wesley believed good works are the fruits of faith.  Good works don’t save us, “cannot put away our sins,” but are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ.  Wesley believed good works “spring out of a true and lively faith,” and that our faith is made evident by our good works.

So how is your faith?  Are you doing all the good you can do?

God Bless,

Pastor Donna

This year’s Vacation Bible School will be held in the evening Sunday, August 5th through Wednesday, August 8th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.This year’s theme is “OPERATION OVERBOARD - go DEEP with GOD!”

FUMC’s VBS is open to any children in the community, aged 4-11 (beginning Pre-K in the fall and finishing 5th grade).  There is no cost to the families and children will be given a light meal as part of the program.

Registration is OPEN now but seats are limited!  Please pick up a registration form in the church office or outside the Sanctuary on Sundays.  For more information, please call the church office at 582-2342.

I first started collecting crosses in 1998 after I was appointed to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Texas at Arlington.  This Wesley Foundation had no chapel or other worship space so I set out to create some space set aside for worship.  I thought crosses would be a good place to start.  Believe it or not crosses were hard to find fourteen years ago, especially those I could afford.  Now they seem to be everywhere I go.  Needless to say my collection has grown; I have enough to cover two walls at the house and one wall in the office — and this is after giving some of the crosses away.

I remember one cross I had in particular.  The cross was made of broken pieces of green pottery.  The broken pieces were glued together to form the cross.  For me it was symbolic in two ways:  the brokenness of Christ and our brokenness.  Jesus was willing to be broken for us.  “This is my body broken for you,” we are reminded at communion.  He hung on the cross so that we might know and accept God’s grace, love and forgiveness.  His body was broken so that we might accept the new life he offered us.

Because of his brokenness we can take our brokenness to him and be made whole once more.  Yes, we will have scars and no doubt we will be different but we will be whole.  Our lives can be shattered for all kinds of reasons – loss of loved ones, illness, stress, emotional pain, and sin—to name a few.  Christ invites us to come to him with our burdens, with our brokenness and be freed.  Jesus promised abundant life to all who believe and follow him.

The green cross made of shards of broken pottery reminds me to go to Christ whenever I am feeling broken.  The promise of the cross is I will be made whole and new.

Pastor Donna