Just These Lines Pastor Blog

Viewing Posts found in the Global Impact category. | View all posts
Featured image for “Have You Ever Heard of Euodia and Syntyche?”
Read More
 Global Impact
 Just These Lines
 Worship

Have You Ever Heard of Euodia and Syntyche?

Transfiguration Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say that Karen and I will make our way home to NC on Friday, February 9. We are so excited about being back with you after our special time with family in Southern California. We gathered to remember and celebrate Karen’s father, Bill Payne, who entered life eternal near the...
Featured image for “Our Story is Grace”
Read More
 Global Impact
 Just These Lines
 Worship

Our Story is Grace

5th Sunday after the Epiphany Just these lines, my friends … … to say that Karen and I are away for twelve days with our family in Southern California. Our family is gathering for several days to remember and celebrate Karen’s father, Bill Payne, who entered life eternal near the end of October 2023. Karen and her sister have been...
Featured image for “Holiness is Hard Work”
Read More
 Community
 Generosity
 Global Impact
 Hope
 Just These Lines
 We Are Matthews
 Worship

Holiness is Hard Work

1st Sunday in Lent Just these lines, my friends … … to say that on Sunday we concluded our annual Global Impact Celebration. I never grow tired watching the people of God called Matthews United Methodist streaming forward to make Faith and Life commitments. The morning (9:30 and 11:00) was filled with toe-tappin music – watch the video here of...
Featured image for “How to Flourish in Your Marriage”
Read More
 Community
 Global Impact
 Just These Lines
 Service

How to Flourish in Your Marriage

6th Sunday after the Epiphany | Global Impact 2 Just these lines, my friends … … to say “thank you” to Rev. Gaston Warner for sharing stories of transformation that we are making possible together. It was a powerful weekend. I was so deeply moved by his vision of hopeful, indigenous, sustained ways of empowering young people. Gaston cast that...
Featured image for “Mother’s Day”
Read More
 Community
 Global Impact
 Gratitude
 Inspirational
 Just These Lines
 Service
 Worship

Mother’s Day

4th Sunday of Easter | Mother’s Day Just these lines, my friends … … to say that it is still appropriate for me to say, “Happy Easter” because Easter is a season in the church and not simply a day. In fact, every Sunday is a little Easter according to the liturgical calendar. Alister McGrath refers to the resurrection of...
Featured image for “The Week of All Weeks”
Read More
 Blessing
 Community
 Global Impact
 Gratitude
 Inspirational
 Just These Lines
 Worship

The Week of All Weeks

Easter Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say these holy days are filled with so much: a donkey on Palm Sunday worship, children waving palm branches, memorable moments in Jerusalem Marketplace Family Worship, a sermon about the tears of Palm Sunday (you can watch here) and an interfaith prayer vigil on behalf of the suffering people of...
Featured image for “The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks”
Read More
 Committment
 Community
 Global Impact
 Gratitude
 Inspirational
 Just These Lines
 Uncategorized
 Worship

The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks

4th Sunday in Lent Just these lines, my friends … … to say thank you for all our worship leaders from Sunday: Kathy White, Craig Estep, DeAnna Clink, Dimitriy Soloshenko, Tim Martin, John Woodall, Joel Mullis, Tom Amann, Carl Roberts, The Melody Makers, Children’s Chime Choir (led by Karen Price & Tina Fincher) and Children’s Choir (led by Abigail Okland)...
Featured image for “Moved by the Music”
Read More
 Community
 Generosity
 Global Impact
 Hope
 Just These Lines
 Thankful

Moved by the Music

2nd Sunday of Advent Just these lines, my friends … … to say that it was the first time in the nearly 40 years of marriage that we didn’t have one of our kids home with us for Thanksgiving. So, we invited Margie Vanasek and our Habitat family Marie, Celestin, John and Prince and had a splendid day of thanksgiving!...
Featured image for “All In Together”
Read More
 Community
 Generosity
 Global Impact
 Hope
 Inspirational
 Just These Lines
 Service

All In Together

25th Sunday after Pentecost | Joash Chest Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say that I cannot believe Advent (November 28) is just around the corner! In a few weeks we will once again anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth among us. This year will be especially meaningful because we were unable to worship together in-person last...