Next Sunday, May 4th, we will host a Graduation Reception for Pastor Christi in the Café. This will be prior to the Worship Service, 9:15-9:45. We hope you will join us to congratulate her on this achievement.
GRIEFSHARE STARTING SOON
Griefshare is a 13-week program designed to provide a safe and encouraging place to process the loss of a loved one. The next session is May 21-August 13 from 6-8 p.m. in the church library. Contact Debby Minier at 260-609-3317 or debbyminier@yahoo.com for more information. All are welcome.
PARTICIPATE IN 'CELEBRATION SIGHTINGS'
Practice your “notice muscle” by sharing good things that are happening in our community.
Place your “Celebration Sighting” in the box each week so they can be celebrated during service.
Want to take it to the next level? REACH OUT to those we lift up with encouragement or support.
Let's CELEBRATE:
We celebrate Kelsey and her successful bone marrow transplant, and that she was able to come home from the Mayo Clinic last week.
We celebrate the sun and the flowers and even the dandelions that are making it beautiful each and every day.
We celebrate marriage as we are able to witness love through those who come in church holding hands as a witness to what Your grace can do over a lifetime relationship.
We celebrate the fellowship of Game Night and Work Day.
'LOVE FIRST' OPPORTUNITIES
You have the opportunity to take a Communion packet to one of our shut-ins on Communion Sunday as we live out our vision to reach out to shut-ins with Love, first.
If you know someone who would like to receive communion who is unable to make it to church, please contact Tammy Taylor so she can add them to the May communion list.
Please pray for our confirmands, as they live out our vision to reach out passionately to youth and young people.
Our confirmands are Amaya Hedrick, Andy Fudge, Brenna Meyer, Ella Peppler, and Matthew Peppler.
As May approaches, so does Confirmation Sunday. Confirmation is a public affirmation of faith and commitment to live out the baptismal covenant. As a congregation, we will participate, promising to support each of our young confirmands.
That support will take on many forms. Wouldn’t it be special for each confirmand to receive personal notes from the congregation? Notes affirming their decision. Notes of continued prayer. Notes of love.
Please write notes to our confirmands and put them in the offering plate on Sundays, bring them by the office Monday-Thursday, or send an email to Tammy.Taylor@columbiacityumc.org.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL CHANGE
For years we have had Upper Room, you were able to pick it up and read it, we had it in print and large print. However, we will no longer have Upper Room as we have been getting it late among other issues. We are transferring to Our Daily Bread. This is free and delivers straight to your home!
If you are thinking — oh, that is great, but I have no idea how to do it. Well, we can help! You can pick up the how to sheet in the lobby on Sunday if you would prefer a physical copy. If you are still struggling or need some help, just come to the front office and we will be glad to help! The website is odbm.org.
April 27, 2025 - Unexpectedly Bold Scripture: Acts 5:29
Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!”
WOW. Peter, the same disciple to deny Jesus three times, has become the unexpected, bold, teacher and leader. He is unexpectedly firm, faithful, and bold different from his past of failure, mistakes, and weaknesses. Because of Easter and Jesus, Peter is able to live a new, unexpected life declaring the Good News through leading and teaching.
Peter had a change of heart and God used him to change hearts. Boldly.
Peter was put in prison for his boldness…three times.
Like Peter, Pope Francis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King and countless others have boldly shared the love of Jesus.
Unexpected boldness. Sometimes bold action is required. Easter requires us to be bold.
Is there a place God is calling you, unexpectedly? Is there bold love the Holy Spirit is asking you to share?
It is Christ in Peter, and in us, that allows sharing Gods love with others.
April 20, 2025 - Love Moves ... out of the Tomb Scripture: Luke 24:1-12
A plastic Easter egg invites us to wonder what is inside. Will it make us feel good? Will we like it? We are certain something good awaits. An empty egg may remind us of Mary and the other women who were certain Jesus would be in the tomb. They were prepared for his death. But when they found it empty, they were astonished, surprised that Jesus wasn't there. Luke 24:5 says..."Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
Sometimes we look in the wrong places: in events, in relationships, for security. We search for hope. The men at the tomb told the women to remember what Jesus had told them in Galilee, that he would be raised on the third day. This changed fear to hope, confusion to certainty, grief to joy. The empty tomb changed everything.
Jesus can and will bring new life to dead end places. Jesus can place our feet on a new path. Nothing can hold him back.
Love moved Jesus out of the tomb. Real lasting life is found in the One who left the tomb empty. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! April 13, 2025 - Love Moves with Passion Scripture: Luke 19:29-40; Psalm 31:9-16
Love that moves with passion, regardless of cost, also moves with a willingness, all in with high expectations. As Jesus was riding the donkey colt going towards Jerusalem on Passover, people spread their cloaks/coats on the road. This was a sign of admiration and submission being all in. It was a costly thing to do! Their cloaks were for protection from the elements, a blanket to lay on the ground when sleeping. They threw down their comfort. What are we willing to lay down, to risk to follow Jesus with passion, to throw aside to love God more and others?
There is no stopping this love with passion. There is no stopping the praise, the Kingdom, the Christ. It will move with or without us. What holds us back? Fear? Embarrassment? Will you let Love move you toward those who suffer?
Psalm 31 is a story of sorrow and lament. Remember! God doesn't ask us to suffer in silence or alone. Nothing is off the table with God. We all have had great hurts and harms. Perhaps we have moved on from our personal hurt, but some may still be hurting. Offer love and solidarity with that person. Just be!
Trust in the Lord. Let God's love shine on you. Allow Love to move you with passion.Allow Love to move you towards others with passion! April 6, 2025 - Love Moves through Sacrifice Scripture: Luke 12:1-8
Six days before Passover, Jesus shared a meal with friends while in the home of Lazarus. Mary took expensive perfume and anointed the feet of Jesus then wiping his feet with her hair. Mary's act of love was scandalous as well as sacrificial. She went beyond propriety and dignity by letting her hair down and then touching Jesus's feet.
Love drove her to be scandalous. Abundant love moved her to sacrifice. She was making an investment into Jesus's ministry. Anointing of feet was significant with death. Mary got it! Love moved her to set aside cost as well as propriety Mary's actions made a lasting impact into the future. She made an impression on Jesus, who made an impression on the disciples which continued on to the early church and then to us. Mary started:
The Ripple Effect
No Act Too Low
No Price Too High
What is holding you back?
Love is not wasted.
Will we act like we believe it? How often do our acts of love carry someone through? The oil Mary used would have clung in the air for days. Our sacrificial love continues on for days also. March 30, 2025 - Love Moves... With Mercy Scripture: Luke 15:1-3; 11b-32
We all know about family relationships. We also know all about consequences with our choices, interactions with others. And again, we each know about wanting fairness, things to be right and just.
In this parable of the prodigal son, the son who wanted his share of the family wealth, then ran away and spent it all. Love moved when the father ran toward this younger son who returned. The father showed mercy and withheld punishment that was rightly deserved. The father moved to grace, offering what wasn't deserved. The father restored his son's place in the family by giving him a ring, a robe, and sandals for his feet.
The older son was furious with his father's actions. The father left the celebration seeking out the older son. He moved through mercy to grace begging the older son to come celebrate. The older son was reminded that all the father's possessions belonged to him. Do you wonder if the older son went to the celebration? Something to ponder. Was the younger son representing tax collectors and sinners? Was the older son representing the Pharisees and legal experts?
By grace you are forgiven because GOD LOVES YOU!
How can we love God and others first? God loved you first.
God's love moves with grace and mercy. March 23, 2025 - Love Moves Past Comparison Scripture: Luke 13:1-9; Luke 55:1-9
"Comparison is the thief of joy." Teddy Roosevelt
Do you compare things in your life to others? (Your home, your job, your friends...) Does it matter? Don't let that comparison steal your joy or your love for God.
In Luke 12:34, Jesus tells those gathered, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."
How big was that sin? How far could I go to be as bad? Change your hearts and live. Don't play the comparison game by being smug, envious, feeling superior. Comparison leads to assumption. Who's to blame? This leads us away from God.
Luke 13:6-9 tells the parable of the fig tree. Perhaps this is a corrective parable? Could we be the owner who wants to cut down the unproductive fig tree? Or could we be the gardener who wants to attempt fixing the fig tree?
Resist comparison that leads to blame, rather lean in to trying to help one another change lives. Change hearts and lives and turn to compassion that would help not compare. Disaster, hard times and health concerns are not divine. How we love, choose to respond is a choice. Love sees the problem and works to solve and change the path. Love notices the burdens in people's lives. Love is willing to get to work. Love intercedes for our neighbors instead of blaming. Love gets to work making a difference interceding on behalf of God. There's always more to a person's story. Love seeks to go beyond, deeper into a relationship with a person. Love says let me help. Love brings JOY! Love lifts up! Love helps! Love encourages! March 16, 2025 - ELC Sunday - The Story of Jonah and the Whale Scripture: Jonah 1-3
BIG LOVE! OBEDIENCE!
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people they needed to obey God. Jonah didn't want to go. Plus he didn't know how big God's love really was.
Jonah had 3 obstacles he encountered as he tried to get out of following God's call.
1. He got on a boat trying to hide and escape from God.
2. The boat encountered a big storm because of Jonah. Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard because it was his fault.
3. Jonah was swallowed by a whale. While in the whale, Jonah prayed and apologized to God for not obeying.
Jonah then obeyed God and went to Nineveh where the people listened and also began to obey God. God had big love for Jonah. God loves us always. There is no hiding and running away from God. He gives us second chances.
No matter who you are and what's going on in your life, God loves YOU!
March 9, 2025 - Loves Moves in the Wilderness Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
"Life keeps on life'ing!" Life keeps throwing life our way - good and bad, sad and happy, ill and healthy, as well as many others. Life doesn't pause for any of these and all other things. We are encouraged to offer LOVE as our Lenten practice. Why? When we focus on giving up something for Lent, we are focused on that thing (chocolate, coffee, Facebook, to name a few) and ourselves. But when we focus on LOVE, focus on God and others, that is a better focus of our energy - towards others rather than ourselves!
LOVE MOVES
In the wilderness the Holy Spirit led Jesus while he was being tempted and tested by the devil. This was an opportunity for Jesus to prepare for his ministry ahead.
We all face wilderness. Seasons of testing our spirit, our faith.
The Holy Spirit led Jesus rather than leaving him. He didn't face the wilderness alone. Neither will you.
Jesus focused on God not the enemy. So can you.
The voice in the wilderness was trying to mislead Jesus. Maybe you have heard a voice trying to do the same to you. Listen to the voice who leads, not tries to mislead. Focus not on fears and obstacles, but on faith and obedience.
The wilderness prepared Jesus to love God and others. It can prepare you too.
