Pastor’s Blog

What’s happening at Stuart-Mt. Vernon UMC

What’s happening at Stuart-Mt. Vernon UMC

School is out! By the time you read this, kids (almost) everywhere have already become comfortable with the idea of not getting up for school in the morning. Coats and backpacks are quickly traded for ball gloves, swimsuits, and sunscreen. Summer means more time for the outdoor things we love.               Summer is a time we typically see a decrease in attendance in church. (And I mean church in general and not solely the Stuart-Mt Vernon UMC.) With baseball and softball…

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Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gifts

“Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.” 1 Corinthians 12:1  I love the bluntness of Paul’s writing sometimes! In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is telling the church the truth about spiritual gifts. They are struggling with supremacy, but I feel like we might struggle with inferiority.  There is a universal truth as it pertains to the church. We need each other. In fact, the Bible is adamantly clear that without the contribution of each member,…

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Lenten Practices

Lenten Practices

             “O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen. ” ~ Henri Nouwen              At the time of writing this, we are about halfway through the Lenten season. As a refresher Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The forty days…

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Season of Lent

Season of Lent

Dear friends,             The season of Lent is almost upon us. We know this season in the church to be the days leading up to Easter, but it’s much more than that. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. On this night, we gather to remember our own sin and mortality. While it’s the least upbeat service of the year, it’s important for us to take time to remember we are sinful and in need of repentance, and that Jesus’ sacrificial death…

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Love and Forgiveness

Love and Forgiveness

One of my favorite quotes comes from one of my favorite authors, Anne Lamont. She said, “…not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.”             As Christians, we know that Jesus expects us to forgive. How many times do I have to forgive them, Jesus? Like, is seven times enough? “Not seven, but seventy times seven!”Basically, Jesus was saying there’s no end to this. Which sometimes, can be quite unfortunate news, right? Haven’t we all at…

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Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year! I am praying God’s blessing and peace over each one of you reading this for 2022.          It appears we cannot talk of the new year without also hearing that dreaded word: resolutions. Soon, most will start speaking of their New Year’s resolutions, we’ll plan, we may even set goals, buy new memberships, books, and classes. Statistics show however that very few of us are successful in staying focused on what we set out to do.  In January…

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December Pastor’s Pen

December Pastor’s Pen

The advent season is upon us friends!How are you feeling? There have been many things happening over the past year that could cause us to feel weary or not ourselves. As people of the risen Savior, we have hope, but hope can feel far away when it has been a heavy season or hope has been elusive. We crave relaxation, a stress-free environment, to kick back and laugh.  This can also be a time when we feel that we want to deepen our…

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November Pastor’s Pen

November Pastor’s Pen

Hello, Friends!            In the office the other day I was going through the mail and had received a card. Inside was a note from a person whom I have met one time briefly. They wrote to inform me that they were taking the next couple of months to pray for clergywomen in our conference. Ending the note with, “God thinks you are amazing!” I knew exactly what I wanted to write to you about after receiving that note.   …

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October Pastor’s Pen

October Pastor’s Pen

Hello, Friends!            In the office the other day I was going through the mail and had received a card. Inside was a note from a person whom I have met one time briefly. They wrote to inform me that they were taking the next couple of months to pray for clergywomen in our conference. Ending the note with, “God thinks you are amazing!” I knew exactly what I wanted to write to you about after receiving that note.   …

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September Pastor’s Pen

September Pastor’s Pen

Hello Friends!         Crisp air, shorter days, and leaves falling on the ground are sure signs that fall has arrived! For as long as I can remember this time of year has always brought up a “controversy”. Should Christians celebrate Halloween? The first time I remember running into this was when I was in Jr High babysitting for a family. I had asked the kids what they were dressing up as and they told me they did not celebrate Halloween. (Insert…

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