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Amazing Race Through the Bible

We kicked off the Amazing Race through the Bible today! Teams were formed, challenges were issued and colors were assigned. (Don’t worry if you were out today; we’ll sign you up next week or whenever you are back in worship.)

This summer series is about the journey we each make through life and is a reminder to us that the Bible is there as our guide.

Our competition is divided into three areas. First, there is a weekly take home family challenge. This challenge will ask 5 questions based upon Pastor Susan’s scripture assignments and will provide the opportunity to earn miles for your team.

There is also a bonus challenge that you may choose to complete during the week. You must bring back the take home challenge to earn miles. Look for the special Amazing Race receptacle to deposit your papers! (Thank you Mike Dumey for your creative carpentry!)

We will also have weekly Roadblocks at the beginning of worship. These will be brief and biblical competitions between one member from each team. These, too, will earn your team miles! And of course, you may earn miles by your attendance. At the end of this exciting summer series, the team who has won the most miles will be guests at a special luau!

We hope you will have fun with this series and that you will plan to attend as often as possible. Hebrews 12: 1-2 tells us that the bible compares the Christian life to a competitive race with a route and itinerary that is already laid out for us by God himself. When you think about it, this totally makes sense. Each and every day we can find clues in His word and through prayer that tell us where to go next.

Good luck and see you Sunday!

The Worship Team

A Light in the Window

A Light in the Window
Susan Hoyle, pastor Trinity United Methodist Church

We use words to describe everything in our lives. We describe a sunset as beautiful, colorful or perhaps a gift from God. We describe love as “my child,” a feeling in our hearts or a strong connection with another person. From things we can see with our eyes to experiences we feel with our hearts, we use words to make sense of them. Words help us to make connections with what we see and experiences we have so we can hold on to them.

We even use words to describe the indescribable, God. Even though there are no words that can describe God, human beings have been trying for thousands and thousands of years to understand who God is to them. Each of the 66 books in our Holy Bible attempts to describe God. The first book in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament as we commonly call it, is Genesis (which means beginning). The first verse, actually in the first 5 words, the writer attempted to describe God. “In the beginning when God created…” The image of God is seen as creating, Creator God. Then another image of God is found in that same sentence, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, as a wind from God swept over the waters.” God is also described like the wind. You can’t see the wind but you can feel it; it’s presence is known to you. What a beautiful way to describe God.

What words do you use to describe God? As you think of how you describe God, do these words draw you closer to God or do they keep God at a distance? The words we use to describe God can either bring us closer or turn us away. Let me explain. As children we often see God as we see our parents. If we have a loving, caring, encouraging father, we may see God in that same way. If we have a father who is distant, perhaps critical, we may see God that way. It’s the same with out mothers. A loving mother means a loving God and a mother who calls you dumb or stupid may just mean you think God sees you in that way, too. Perhaps parents tell us that God is always watching us and keeping a list of everything we do wrong so you better behave. What you hear is that God is out to get you. These images of God can either draw us closer or we might just turn and walk away from God. And God never wants that to happen.

It’s important to think about our images of God and to wrestle with them, to make sense of them as adults so we can decide if they are life giving or life draining. We may hold these images but never really think much about them. Yet, the images we hold of God may keep us stuck, and we’re not even aware of it. God never wants us to remain stuck on our faith journey; God wants us to come closer, to be drawn closer to God’s heart. From the beginning, God created us to be in relationship with God, to be partners in this world to care for creation, for each other and to point the way to Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. As you think of the words you use to describe God, my prayer is that you feel so close to God, it’s as if a gentle wind is touching your face…amen.

The Journey by Pastor Susan

The Journey
Acts Chapters 1-5

We begin our study of Acts of the Apostles this Sunday. Acts is an important book of the Bible for us because it shows us how Jesus’ closest followers lived their lives and shared His love after His death and resurrection. There are 28 chapters in Acts and I’ve heard it said that Acts 29 is how we live our lives as Christ followers today.

As you read these first five chapters, notice the flow of the story and how the apostles are trying to figure out how to live their lives after Jesus’ death. The word apostle means the eleven Jesus sent out to share the Good News of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness before His death and Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas (Acts 1:12-26). Even though they had traveled with Jesus for 3 years, they still had to find a “new” normal since He wasn’t with them on earth any longer. And that “new” normal helps us realize that through the centuries following Jesus hasn’t been easy or convenient or popular. And they followed Him anyway because God’s call to them was more powerful than anything else in their lives. Now it’s our turn. Even when it isn’t easy or convenient or popular, how faithful are we to living our lives in the footsteps of Jesus?

Prayer
Well, God, I admit I want it to be easy to follow You. I don’t want to suffer at all because I follow You. But I guess if I am going to be faithful to You, I may have to make some tough decisions about my life like how I spend my time or how I spend my money. Ok, I’ll try…show me the way. Amen.



Pastor Susan

Trinity: A Praying Church

Don't forget to check your prayer calendars this week! Here is a reminder:


Today: Louise Burklow
June 16: Barb & Ben Capps
June 17: Tom, Angela, Nate and Natalie Cazee
June 18: Mike, Heather, Gavin and Ryker Chasteen
June 19: William & Cathy Chasteen
June 20: Charlie, Jean and Julie Christian
June 21: Senator Christopher Bond & family

The Journey by Pastor Susan

Prayer is the way we connect with God. We can talk to God and we can listen to God. How can we listen to God, you might ask? God often comes to us in the silence. We can get so busy talking, that we may not take the time to just rest in the silence and let God’s still, small voice rise up from within us. Will you take some time today to be still with God?

Perhaps as you begin your prayer time with silence, then you can ask God to guide you in deepening your prayer life. As I talked about on Sunday, there are many ways for us to become a praying congregation. Will you open your mind, heart and soul for God to whisper to you? God may whisper a name to become your prayer partner or a nudge to begin a prayer ministry. Maybe you feel a tug on your heart to ask some women to drive around the schools, the jail and the alternative school and pray? Perhaps you feel a nudge to gather a group of men once a month for a prayer breakfast? Maybe you will attend a prayer service once a month that begins later in June? Perhaps you will ask a few people to pray for a family member going through a difficult time or who needs to know Jesus? Maybe you will step out in faith and come to the altar to pray or ask some folks to join you in our prayer room once a week?

Prayer is the foundation of our relationship with God as individuals and as the community of believers. As we open ourselves to God’s leading us to pray in new ways, that foundation grows stronger and stronger. And lives are changed.

Will you commit to deepening your prayer life? Will you respond to that nudge from God to begin a prayer ministry? You might just be the person who someone else is waiting for to step out in faith when you ask, “will you join me?”

Prayer

God, may we be faithful to your call to prayer. May we get out of our comfortable chairs and change our corner of the world. Amen.