05
May 2023
We have 175 people signed up for our first Service Sunday. That’s fantastic news! We are addressing Priority No. 4 in our church’s stated priorities: “St. Mark’s United Methodist Church will become physically involved in mission and justice projects.” We will have St. Mark’s folks gardening, providing music at Mountain View, spending time in conversation with rehab residents, painting hopscotch at Nash Elementary, and preparing Manna Bags. Groups called Home Sweet Home Property Cleanup, Loads of Love Laundries, and Stay and Pray will do just what their titles say! Our youth make......
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The Hard Work of Change
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! This isn’t just a mantra we share on Easter Sunday, but it’s the reality that we live each day. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified, died,...
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Welcome to Lent!
This is our first Sunday in Lent. Lent began with Ash Wednesday this week and continues until Easter Sunday. It’s 40 days, plus Sundays. This season, we invite you to read through the Gospel...
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Happy Anniversary!
What were you doing 20 years ago? 20 years ago, I was appointed to my second churches, a two-point charge just south of Marshall, Illinois. Ron and I had been married almost two years,...
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Grace / Sacraments
On Sunday as we join around the communion table, the pastors will pray, “Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in...
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The Sounds of Christmas
What’s your favorite Christmas song? You shared a number of favorites in worship when I asked last Sunday. It seems we like everything from “O Holy Night” to “Rudolph” to “O Come All Ye...
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Christ the King Sunday
In the church year, this week is Christ the King Sunday. It’s the last Sunday before the new year starts, with Advent next week. On this Sunday, we are reminded that the crucified God...
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Who Will You Invite?
When people hear our church’s name, what comes to mind? This is the question the United Methodist Church asked decades ago, so it did research. It discovered the general public didn’t have a good...
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Blessings of Love
Part of the amazing nature of God is the unconditional love that’s offered to all people. We see this love in the promise to care for the descendants of Abraham. In Joseph’s love for...
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Learn. Love. Grow Together.
I have been asked to cover the blog this week by Pastor Lynn, who has been on vacation. She’s asked me to write about the “Learn. Love. Grow Together.” seminar scheduled for 9 a.m....
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