Just These Lines Pastor Blog

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Life’s Quest & Words from Leadership

16th Sunday after Pentecost Just these lines, my friends … … to say how much I love being your pastor. My first couple of weeks back with you have not been quite like I imagined. I came down with a cough and some nagging congestion and lost my voice. BUT I’m on the mend. Thanks be to God! Sunday was such a...
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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...
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Help! Thanks! Wow!

11th Sunday after Pentecost Just these lines, my friends … … to say it was another beautiful Sunday at Matthews United Methodist! As always, the day included inspiring music, moving prayers and the captivating reading of Holy Scripture. I continued our worship series, “Why I am Enthusiastically a United Methodist Christian.” You can watch my sermon Because Practice Makes Perfect...
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Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

3rd Sunday after Pentecost | Wednesday, June 9, 2021 Just these lines, my friends … … to say what a day celebrating our 42 high school graduates on Sunday. Though I was not there in person, I loved watching early on Monday morning the events of the day before. Thank you, graduates, for what you mean to us. You are...
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Best of All, God is With Us

Just these lines, my friends … … to say that my Just These Lines today contains a personal word from me, my Wednesday devotional, information about the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, an exciting update on resuming indoor person-to-person worship and ministries on campus, and an introduction to The Mile Project. This past Sunday (February 28) we continued...
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What We Must Do

2nd Sunday after the Epiphany | January 13, 2021 Just these lines, my friends … … to say that Pastor Paul had a meaningful message for us this past Sunday. If you were unable to watch, be sure to view the service and sermon here. A Pastoral Word: What Must We Do? It has been one week since violence erupted...
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The Sun Does Shine

18th Sunday after Pentecost in Ordinary Time/World Communion Sunday/September 30, 2020 Just these lines, my friends … … to say that I hope you saw my interview on Sunday with Suzanne Pugh (President/CEO of Aldersgate: A United Methodist Retirement Community) as a part of our worship service and the My 95 worship series. You can watch here. You’ll be glad...
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The Common Objects of Our American Love

3rd Sunday after Pentecost/June 26, 2019 Just these lines my friends … … to say that we had some beautiful days in the mountains at Lake Junaluska. It was Annual Conference week for United Methodist churches across Western North Carolina. The days were full, exhausting but renewing. I heard Sanctuary worship from this past Sunday (June 23) was surprising (power...