Each of us are invited into a life of discipleship by our loving Creator. God’s continued presence and abounding grace allows us to answer God’s call, and through those blessings, to live in hope as we serve Jesus through our neighbor.
The season of Lent calls us to make a journey together. Over these six weeks, we are encouraged to deeply consider the gift of eternal life that is available to us in Jesus Christ. As we consider the love, dedication, sacrifice, and triumph of Jesus, we may recognize anew the call to grow in these attributes ourselves, walking with Him. The key to experience a renewed faith in this way is to share the journey with others.
We began our 200th anniversary celebration in the midst of a significant snow storm 12 months ago. How appropriate to conclude our celebration facing another significant weather event this weekend! Even with these small bumps at the beginning and end, we hope you will agree that this has been a tremendous year! We're very grateful for the significant celebration we have shared. Thanks to all who have made it possible!
In the new year individuals and families frequently take inventory of their life and resolve to improve in some area of weakness. In Pastor Clint’s opinion, “prayer” is an area of weakness in the First Pres Maumee family. Though we would all claim to value prayer, rarely is prayer the first response of our congregation (or its pastor) in any critical moment or opportunity for decision. This is a cue that we do not adequately understand or value this gift that God extends to his people. Therefore, we will take 7 Sundays in the first months of the year to study God’s Word about prayer.
As you are thinking about making new starts for the new year, consider your relationship with God. Join us each Sunday as we learn about prayer from God's Word and pray as you may never have before.
As we move to the First Sunday of Christmas in the church calendar, the story of Jesus’ birth moves quickly in the book of Matthew. The birth story found in chapter 1 moves to the visit of the Magi, and in the beginning of chapter 2, we also find the threat of danger to Jesus’ young life by King Herod. This threat required action and a path to safety for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.
We all adopt a rhythm leading up to Christmas whether we realize it or not. It will either be the rhythm of the world that is based on our consumer culture, or we might adopt a different rhythm.
Advent in the life of the Church is a call to adopt a different pattern from the world. This intentional rhythm is, at least a first, a choice of the mind. We mentally choose to adopt patterns and practices that will lead us to our goal. Some of these practices will include waiting, rest, and silence even as the world around us becomes more impatient, weary, and loud! It is this calming rhythm that will enable us to recognize Jesus anew as we worship on Christmas Eve.
Once upon a time, people knew their neighbors. They talked to them, had cook-outs with them, and went to church with them. In our time of unprecedented mobility and increasing isolationism, it's hard to make lasting connections with those who live right around us. We have hundreds of "friends" through online social networking, but we often don't even know the full name of the person who lives right next door.
This sermon series, based on the book The Art of Neighboring asks the question: What is the most loving thing I can do for the people who live on my street or in my apartment building? Through compelling true stories of lives impacted, the authors show readers how to create genuine friendships with the people who live in closest proximity to them. Our church will continue the discussion from the Sunday message into small groups meeting at various times during the week.
Artwork has the ability to powerfully tell a story. A picture can communicate a message in ways that words alone cannot. For this reason, we are grateful for the opportunity our congregation has to celebrate our 200-year story through a community art project.
Not only does this glass mosaic art project enable us to commemorate our anniversary, it also provides the opportunity to celebrate something even greater. A mosaic is made by redeeming broken pieces of glass or stone and putting them together to make something beautiful. Could there me a more perfect symbol for the Church? The Church is a gathering of broken people, who have been redeemed by Jesus and brought together by the power of the Holy Spirit, to reflect the glory of God the Father. In this way, the art project not only gives us an opportunity to remember our 200 years together, but it also provides a moment to reconsider God's work in and through our lives. As we are working on the project over the next few weeks, we will also be reflecting on the story of the gospel working in and through First Pres Maumee in a new sermon series entitled, "Beautifully Broken."
Every day is filled with a series of choices. Do we choose the path of wisdom or the path of folly? In these often perplexing moments, we welcome the voice of trusted counselors; we heed the advise of a close friend; we seek out a favorite newspaper column or opinion blog.
In a similar spirit some have turned to the biblical book of Proverbs. Truly, this portion of God's Word does offer godly wisdom in a succinct, engaging manner. However, the book of Proverbs is much more than an ancient advise column! This book of the Bible helps us recognize that wisdom is both a path to be chosen and a person to be embraced .
Jesus changed history, but will He change you?
Through the season of Lent we will begin a new sermon series inspired by the book, "The Liturgy of the Ordinary" which is based on the assumption that we are a ritualistic people. Intentionally or accidentally we develop rituals and habits that form who we are becoming as people. Worship, of course, is an intentionally ritualistic practice meant to "form us as an alternative people marked by the love and new life of Jesus Christ." Each Sunday during Lent we will look into God's Word to better understand practices that should not only inform our time in worship each Sunday, but also the everyday moments of our life.
