Newsletter here
I would like to thank you all for the cards, texts, gifts, hugs and words of comfort and
support regarding the passing of my mother. Even though she had Alzheimer’s for the last
10 years it’s still difficult to accept. Yes, things are still changing in my world as does it
with your worlds as well.
This year the theme of the Michigan Annual Conference is “Love Boldly” which is 1/3 of
the newly adopted vision statement of the United Methodist Church. Our mission
statement remains the same, “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of
the world.” If this seems familiar it might be because I did a sermon series on it at the
beginning of this year. Don’t remember? Well, it’s still available on our Youtube Channel.
You could say, “Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt” (yes, we bought the t-shirts).
Usually coming to Annual Conference brings me joy, enjoying time with clergy friends that
I haven’t seen since last year, but this year is decidedly different. I feel anxious and
partially checked out. At clergy session we began by singing Get Together by The
Youngbloods. It’s chorus is, “Come on, people now, Smile on your brother, everybody get
together, try to love one another right now”. Yes, THAT song. See, you already know it.
It challenges me. How do we love one another during this time of change for Mears UMC?
We used to have plenty of money in the bank, and it’s very easy to be anxious about the
future. “Love is but a song we sing, fears the way we die.” How true is that statement? It
makes me think of the disciples who all ran and hid when Jesus was arrested and crucified,
and yet the Holy Spirit completely transformed those fearful individuals into BOLD
evangelists. How do we lean into love and not let ourselves be caught up in a stranglehold
of fear? I wish that I had an easy answer.
Here’s what I do know. Those Acts of those BOLD apostles left us a record of everything
that they did, their journeys and records of how Christ transformed people through love.
Starting in July, we’re going to start a Bible study in The Acts of the Apostles, times and
date tbd. We’re going to take our time through the book and see where the Holy Spirit
leads us. This will not be a 6 or 8 week short term study, but a long term weekly study and
will continue for as long as it takes. Not here in the fall/winter? No problem, we can do it
as a hybrid study in person and online so that you don’t miss a thing. Who knows where
the Holy Spirit will lead us? Loving boldly means more than just reading two words, it is
loving others as Christ loves us.
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