Viewing Posts found in the Just These Lines category. | View all posts
Just These Lines,
Counsel for a Troubling Medical Diagnosis
Pentecost Just these lines, my friends … … to say thank you for your presence in worship this past Sunday. We experienced beautiful music, pastoral prayers, baptism and a sermon from Philippians 2, The Most Difficult Instrument to Play. If you missed, you can watch by clicking here. In addition, let me say thank you to the nearly 50 of...
Just These Lines,
Just These Lines, My Friends: Uvalde, Fighting Injustice & Memorial Day
7th Sunday of Easter | Memorial Day Weekend Just these lines, my friends … … that in 2019 I made a trip to Texas to honor a dear deceased pastor friend of mine. I had lunch in Uvalde. It is a lovely community sitting right on the edge of the Texas Hill Country and I had been there before during...
Just These Lines,
We Are Not Worthy
6th Sunday of Easter | Mental Health Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say that my heart is deeply saddened again. This past Saturday, a young man entered a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York and opened fire. By the time he surrendered, he had shot a total of 13 people, most...
Just These Lines,
Confirmation Sunday
5th Sunday of Easter | Confirmation Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say that it was a glorious Mother’s Day at Matthews United Methodist (MUMC). A special thank you for all our volunteers who make every Sunday morning happen. Thank you! Thank you! You can view our Mother’s Day worship and sermon, The People in Your Balcony,...
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...
Just These Lines,
Almighty God
3rd Sunday of Easter Just these lines, my friends … … to say the early followers of Jesus developed a church calendar so that Christians worldwide could join together in celebrating Christian seasons regardless of where they lived. The calendar follows a pattern: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. As you know, on Sunday, April 17 we...
Community,
Gratitude,
Inspirational,
Just These Lines,
Leadership,
Uncategorized,
United Kids,
We Are For
2nd Sunday of Easter Just these lines, my friends … … to say what a Holy Week 2022: crowds of people gathering for worship for the first time in three years (since 2019); people (Home2Home) helping families with no furniture; a beautiful butterfly release featuring the beautiful banner made by Wendy Barall (photos below); one of the best Maundy Thursday...
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...
Just These Lines,
Ukraine, God & Suffering
Palm Sunday Just these lines, my friends … … to say that it has been a big week around the church: Sam Hatcher and his bees at Seasoned to Perfection (STP), forty-three on Saturday at the Methodist Men Breakfast, Charlie’s Heart Carnival at Stumptown Park, a great turnout for the Congregational Rainbow Photo with Inclusive Grace (below), a lovely Muslim couple at...
