Miracle Weekend
This Sunday we will be joining together with 300,000 United Methodist Churches for a special offering. We have been tasked with bringing our donations from this offering to Annual Conference at the end of the month. Hopefully, with participation of so many churches, scholarships will be available to send new clergy to seminary. “Miracle Sunday” has been named for the possibility of changing lives for those whom God has called into service and ministry. Outside of the US, only 5% of churches are served by someone who has seminary training. I cannot imagine being successful at my job without the training and scholarship that I received in my graduate school studies. Being called by God to this type of ministry is hard enough with all the training that I did receive. The conference website stated it this way, “We believe God is calling us to something extraordinary — a miracle that will strengthen the Church’s witness around the world. From serving refugees in Romania to leading ministries in local communities, United Methodist leaders continue to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously.”
This is also the weekend that we have asked you to “Love Your Neighbor” in some way. I heard from Tracy B. that she lets her neighbor park in her garage when a storm is coming because the neighbor’s garage is too full for her car. What a wonderful idea! I never would have thought of doing that. I have been inspired by her and hope you are too as you look for ways to extend love. Send me a picture if you can to my email.
I am beginning a new sermon series this week inspired by the What if Love? campaign being promoted by the UMC across the country. This week we will focus on the unity of the body of Christ in all of us and what it means to be anchored in faith. Faith has already wrestled with so many of the questions that are brought up in our series. But I think a reminder that we have made a clear commitment to “Connect with Love” first is important. As I was helping my mother get a real ID, I was frustrated that her current driver’s license and birth certificate were not enough proof of her citizenship. Even though she has been driving for over sixty years. She and I spent hours looking for a marriage license and eventually had to delay and order one from the state of Oklahoma because she had taken her husband’s name. I am so thankful that we have no barriers to people being welcome to worship here at Faith. We do not require proof of worthiness but see each human being as made in the image of God. They are our brother and sister in Christ. The table of the Lord is open and welcome to all who desire to participate in the sacred life of the church. Many of us do not realize how special this is because we have always been a United Methodist. But so many others have been found wanting by their previous churches and made to feel unlovable. I give thanks that we have decided that connecting with love is more important than judging others.
May we love our neighbors every day,
