Communion is important, it is a time to come together with Jesus. The Elements are a representation of Jesus. The Bread and the Cup. Now as you all can see I wrote Cup; it is a vessel like Jesus is a vessel for us.  It is not the juice.  So, what I am saying in this is that you can put anything in your cup, but I would prefer it to be juice.

The bread can be any bread; just cut it into small pieces.

I will bless it, and we will feast together in communion. I will hopefully do this from the altar in front of the church. Have the Bread and Cup ready.

We meet on Sunday Morning @ 10 on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/973954278; Meeting ID: 973 954 278)

Blessings,

Pastor Greg

 

On Sunday, May 19, we honored our high school graduates Jared Eischeid (not pictured), Alec Jensen, and Elise Jensen.  We are also excited to receive six new members of MotleyUMC: Larry & Shirley Godejohn, Les & Elaine Rogers, and Tom & Sharla Trutwin!  See photos in the files below:

Graduate Sunday & New Member Reception Photos

Jared Eischeid

Happy Easter to you all, and yes, it is still Easter.

⁹ God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together into one place so that the dry land can appear.” And that’s what happened. ¹⁰ God named the dry land Earth, and he named the gathered waters Seas. God saw how good it was. ¹¹ God said, “Let the earth grow plant life: plants yielding seeds and fruit trees bearing fruit with seeds inside it, each according to its kind throughout the earth.” And that’s what happened.¹² The earth produced plant life: plants yielding seeds, each according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit with seeds inside it, each according to its kind. God saw how good it was. (Genesis 1:9-12; CEB)

May has always been this month of transformation for myself. The school year is ending, the teachers and students become restless as they watch out the window and feel the warm rays of sunshine gleaming through the glass of their classroom, waiting for the bell to ring. The grass begins to become greener. The birds chirp loudly as they come back to their summer homes. Yes, nature is one of God’s greatest creations, isn’t it?

When I think of nature, I also think of Jesus’ time on earth after his resurrection. We all know that during this time, before he ascended, that many people saw him. Mary Magdalene was the first, then three more women, the disciples minus Thomas, a group of 500, and so on. It is this time that Jesus spent with the people that gave us the realization that resurrection is possible, that the world and its people can be made new again.

The reason that I mention this is because seeing Jesus in our lives in important, see a loving God in our lives is also important. What is also important is taking care of what God has given us, like this glorious place to live. The world was created for us to live in and for us to take care of. We watch our families grow, and we all hope that the planet is safe and prosperous for the generations following us.

As we worship our resurrected Christ over the next month, let us also remember that each spring our world is resurrected to give us what we need to live, our food to eat, and our water to drink. And I hope that as you look out your windows, and watch the buds begin forming on your trees. Or as you get ready to plant your gardens, that you all understand why we are here. And I believe that is to proclaim a resurrected Christ and a God who provides for each one of us.

So, I ask you to all begin looking for God in your lives today and begin proclaiming the goodness that we see and feel each day. Remember “God saw how good it was.”

Blessings,

Pastor Greg

 

 

I always have wondered how connected I am to my phone, and today I realized once again that it is almost an addiction. When I left for work this morning, I heard something fall out of my pocket onto the driveway.  I looked down and saw nothing, so I just left. It was my phone. I realized this after I went to work and couldn’t find it.

After I found it on the driveway covered in snow with a tire track over it, I ran into the house to clean it off. Then, suddenly, the screen went black; it still made all the sounds, and it still accepted calls, but the screen had no light. All I thought was, “Not another one.”  I went to the store, and they reset the phone, and now it works; I am a happy man.

There is this video online of two teenagers given the challenge of calling out on a rotatory phone. They seem to think that it was a joke as they attempted to make the call. Today we can just speak into the phone, and it can make the call. The world is changing, plain and simple. Technology is constantly advancing. We can talk to anyone in the world from anywhere we are.

All this got me thinking about something I heard today: what if people held to the Bible more than their phones?   My response was: my Bible is on my phone.

But there is truth to the statement in the book of Acts, as we are told numerous times: “Change your hearts and lives.”

With the vast separation of the world, we need to take these words to heart; we need to “Turn back to God” and “wipe away the wickedness.”

Over the next year, I hope we all start to see how focusing on Jesus and our discipleship, instead of our earthly things, can change our hearts. Being a disciple and showing others what being a disciple is about can change hearts and lives. We need to see Jesus first and show others Jesus first through our actions and through the mission of the church.

I know there are times when our possessions are run over in the snow, but I also know that we can be found at our lowest points when our anxiety is at an all-time high.  And in all this, I know that Jesus is there each time I lose my way. I want others to see the greatness of what Christ can do for them.

It’s our actions that can change lives, not just words.

Pastor Greg