PASTOR’S PEN
Worship
11/7/2018
One of our core values at First UMC is worship — We praise the One who is greater than us, shaping an attitude of gratitude, strengthening our faith, and giving meaning to our service in the world. Worship is something we do in a communal way on Sunday morning together and hopefully a way we live all day every day. We offer to God all that we are and all that we have. Daily and weekly worship puts our lives in perspective and keeps us humble.
Have you ever noticed that the offering is right in the middle of our worship service?. It is not a fee for attending worship — it is a way in which we respond to God’s grace and love, by offering our lives to God. It is not meant to be a spare change kind of thing. It is meant to be a thoughtful and sacrificial giving. Some follow the biblical principal of tithing, giving one tenth of their income as an offering to God. I have personally found this to be a meaningful spiritual practice. It helps me to keep my life in perspective and to humbly focus on love of God and neighbor.
I think of November as the season of gratitude. A time to practice saying “thank you” to God and to family and friends. We can also say “thank you” by making an extra contribution to the work of our church. Think of the ways that God has nurtured and nourished you and others through the work of First UMC. What better way to say thank you than to make a thanksgiving contribution to your church.
I am grateful to be a part of your life and a part of this church. Thanks be to God.
Steve
Read more...
Cindy Storrs Has Resigned
11/1/2018
The Program Manager of our Neighborhood Services Center, Cindy Storrs, has resigned her position; Cindy did a lot of good work to make our ministry to those in great need stronger. In part because of Cindy, we are offering more services, we are better organized, we have more volunteers, and our core volunteers are cohesive and strong as a team. I am thankful for this and will miss Cindy.
But the work we do through the Neighborhood Services Center is bigger than any one person. Everyone is important and no one is irreplaceable. Everyone has gifts and talents to share and they are needed. But no one carries the whole load.
The Leadership Council, church members, people from other churches, CSUMB students, Interim Social Workers, and our core volunteers get an incredible amount of work done. Every week several hundred people come through our doors and are served with love and caring.
It really is a miracle what we are able to do. We have been called for such a time as this. The example of Christ leads us and our core values of love, faith, unity, acceptance, and worship are what we evaluate ourselves by.
I thank Cindy and all of you for the impact that you have had on the Neighborhood Services Center.
Blessings and Shalom,
Steve
Read more...
Pastor Steve Lundin
