Dear U Park Family,
In an old song called “Church,” Lyle Lovett tells the story of going to worship on Sunday morning “so I could sing and pray.” In the song, the sermon drags on much longer than the congregation would like. Seeing their impatience, the preacher says, “Children, I have one more thing to say: before you think of leaving, you better think about the judgement day!”
This Sunday, I’ll continue our Lenten “In the Flesh” sermon series, focusing on living our faith in this often frustrating and imperfect world that seems to be built to distract us from spiritual life. We’ll be looking at a passage from the Gospel of Luke where Jesus urges his listeners to think about judgement and repentance. But Jesus doesn’t give advice like Lovett’s preacher. As he so often does, Jesus pulls the rug out from under our expectations. I hope you’ll be in worship at 9:00 in Wasser Chapel or at 11:00 in our Sanctuary. For those who can’t be at those services in person, we’ll stream live on Facebook at 11:00 and post a lightly edited video on YouTube that evening.
This Sunday, we’ll also be celebrating the 156th anniversary of the ministry that’s now called United Women in Faith. Women have been at the heart of Methodism since its beginnings. John Wesley put women in leadership positions, much to the consternation of more traditional clergy. He trained and advocated for women preachers and teachers. Our United Women in Faith group is heir to this history, and is carrying it on with commitment to missional outreach in our community and our world. Sunday in worship, we’ll hear more about this remarkable ministry, one of the crown jewels of Methodism.
Can you provide some much-needed help with our Easter festivities? This year’s Easter egg hunt will be on Easter Sunday morning between the 9:00 and 11:00 services. This time around, our Children’s Ministry Director Bethany Hader Crabbs has changed it up a little: rather than filling each egg the kids find with candy, the kids who participate will turn in their plastic eggs for a bag filled with candy and other Easter themed prizes. We’re inviting the neighborhood, so we’ll need lots of candy and prizes. If you’d like to help support this effort, see Bethany or the signs on our bulletin board and lobby screens for the wish list of items we’ll need.
I hope you’re feeling the beauty of spring – even on days like today when it’s windy and cold. I’ll see you in church!
Grace and Peace,
Andy