Sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart. Living in the midst of a pandemic, most of us know this feeling all too well.Our tightly-knit plans unravel and we’re left with only loose threads. What do we become when our identity or the path we’re on comes undone?
But what if our fears don’t become our reality? Is it possible that in our unraveling, we might come face-to-face with unexpected hope, joy and love; a new beginning we couldn’t ever have imagined? Sometimes we need God to unravel us, for we need or even long to be changed.
This Easter season, we will explore biblical accounts of unraveled shame, identity, fear, grief, dreams, and expectations. Together, we’ll see that God can meet us in our spiraling, unraveling our plans—and us—into something new.
Jesus calls us to BE LOVE. If we are to live out the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor, we need to embody the kind of love Jesus is so famous for exhibiting. His is a reckless love; one that drives us to cross imposed or implied boundaries for the purpose of loving as God loves and commands us to love. This Lent, you’re invited to join Community United Methodist Church for an all-church study of Tom Berlin’s Reckless Love: Jesus’ Call to Love our Neighbor. “Love God more deeply by learning to love your neighbor” (back cover).
One in every five U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. Mental health is a subject of great importance yet is too often brushed under the rug by society, family, friends and the Church. This January, we will consider topics such as loneliness, grief, eating disorders and suicide. We’ll examine stories from the Bible related to mental health and develop a mental health tool kit for personal use. Jesus calls us to be a neighbor to all. Join us as we ponder how we might proactively begin the New Year with a greater awareness of and compassion for those affected by mental health challenges.
The weeks leading up to Christmas remind us that we are journeying toward a new way of being. We look back and celebrate Jesus’ birth while also looking forward, knowing there is more to come. Too often, however, we plow through December cleaning and decorating our homes, squeezing in Amazon orders during lunch, standing in lines and spending dollar after dollar after dollar…. It’s not uncommon for us to get overwhelmed, fall into a season of grief, get into an argument with a family member or even wish it was all over. This isn’t what God has in mind for our lives or for our celebration of Christ’s birth. God wants more for us and God wants more from us. Join us for a new sermon series, Unwrap the True Meaning of Christmas, and together we’ll explore what Christmas really is all about.
Jesus was a master storyteller. He knew just how to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. And though life in first-century Palestine was very different from life today, many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories fail to honor that reality. Join us as we discover Jesus’ short stories, or parables, anew and delve into what they might mean for our lives today.
“Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” These timeless words of John Wesley, the founder of the movement that became The United Methodist Church, sound straightforward. In fact, some of us might even say we’re already following his instructions! But in a time where wants are mistaken for needs and consumerism and status win the day, the hard truth is that most of us could use a refresh in how we think about and handle our finances. This fall, bring an open mind and an expectant heart to worship and your life group discussions as we prayerfully consider how God might be challenging each one of us in the ways we’ve come to understand money.
When Pixar released Toy Story, the world of animation changed forever, bringing with it films we’ve come to love and cherish. Deep within the storyline of each Pixar film are traces, if not overt messages that are also found in the Bible. This summer, bring your imagination and creativity as we seek to understand Scripture with fresh eyes and animate our faith in new ways. God has the power to take us To infinity and beyond!
Jesus has given his disciples the Great Commission. We are to go and make disciples for the transformation of the world. With our mission before us and our everyday tasks, expectations and stressors mounting, how can we best participate in the continuation and growth of the Church in the world? How can we prioritize Jesus and his message in our lives? Or maybe the better question is, how can we not?
