William Willimon says that the very essence of grace is to receive the gift of laughter — especially when the joke is on us. The reality is that at any age of our lives, perfection is always elusive. Sometimes our learning moments happen in public. One of the gifts of God’s presence is an indwelling awareness of the wonder and enjoyment of graceful growth, and the realization that life is always more meaningful when we invite others to join us.
2020 can and should be a time for all of us to remember and share the good things from our family, friends, and community. To help you in that search, I offer you one of my favorite stories: “The Good Stuff” by Robert Fulghum.
Twenty years ago I learned that life can change in an instant, and that the power of raging water should never be underestimated. But more importantly, I learned that the presence of God’s love within a caring and supportive community can enable us to overcome adversity and find meaning in every moment of our lives.
Reinhold Niebuhr said somewhere that the very essence of sin is to take ourselves too seriously. If that’s true, then the very essence of grace is to receive the gift of laughter, especially when the joke is on us.”
It was a pleasure for me to preach in the sanctuary last Sunday, especially knowing that Dr. Zhenya Gurina-Rodriguez was using the same theme and scripture in her sermon in The Gathering!
We will have friendly faces and fun activities outside as people arrive. All of our ministry areas will be uniquely focused on the best ways to welcome and celebrate those who are new to our congregation.
One of the best decisions I made during the past couple years was to become a mentor in the Kid’s Hope program at our church.
It’s common for pastors to do a sermon series in worship. They often have a predictable length, typically from three to six weeks.
This coming Sunday will be the perfect time for you to schedule a “Sanctuary worship doubleheader.”
This coming Sunday will be one of those wonderful celebrations in our 11:00 am Sanctuary worship service. About 50 third-graders will be presented with their own Bibles from our church.
Academy Sunday School
Music Programs
Annual Events
Baby Registry
Baptisms
Sunday Nursery
Music Programs
Parents’ Night Out
Acolytes
FUMC Day School
Worship & Weekly Programming
Retreats
Mission Trips
Local Service
Events
Basketball
Confirmation
Sunday School
Outdoor
Men
Women (UMW)
Young Professionals
Wesleyan Adventurers (Seniors)
Singles
Grace Groups
Welcoming Ministries
Lay Leadership
Focus First
Volunteer
Neighbor 2 Neighbor
First Street Methodist Mission
Food Pantry
Infant Formula
Food 4 Kids
Clothing Bank
Home Start-Up Kits
Room in the Inn
Methodist Justice Ministry
Kids Hope Mentoring
Community Advocate
Dementia Friendly Fort Worth
United Community Centers
Project Transformation
Mission Teams
Costa Rica Mission
Kenya Mission
Disaster Response
Habitat for Humanity
Short Term Domestic Mission Trips
UMCOR
Methodist Children’s Home
Wesleyan Homes
Providence Place