January 25

This week we continue in our study of the gospel of Matthew with the beginning words from the Sermon on the Mount.  Matthew 5-7 contains the largest block of Jesus’ teachings in one place and over the next few weeks we will be delving deeply into what he said in these chapters.  This week, we begin with Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes. 

Many of you have asked me how Christians should respond to what has been going on in our country as a result of the election.  As you know, there are many different thoughts on how to answer that question.  Personally, I always turn directly to the words of Jesus for guidance.  As you prepare for Sunday, let me encourage you to read the Beatitudes and ponder what Jesus might be saying to you in response to your questions. 

Below you will find these Beatitudes written in child-friendly language, from www.flamecreativekids.blogspot.com.  This simple language speaks to me and I hope it will speak to you!

Blessed are those who are peaceful and try to stop others from fighting...God will call them sons and daughters.

Blessed are those who are kind and forgiving to others...they will be given the same.

Blessed are those who don’t show off but think of others first...they shall be given the earth.

Blessed are those who rely on God’s help...heaven is theirs.

Blessed are people who get in trouble for doing the right thing...God’s kingdom belongs to them.

Blessed are those who try to please God in what they do and think...they will be with God.

Blessed are those who want fairness...God will satisfy them.

Blessed are those who are sad and upset...God will comfort them.

-Pastor Jane

January 18

The Second Annual Chicken Brunswick Stew is just a week and a half away.  Just like last year, this is a joint venture with First Christian Winder.  Have you signed up to help?  There are available slots to work on both Friday and Saturday, so call the church office and Nickie will get you on the list. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your church family and also to meet people from our community.
 
Have you been selling tickets?  As of Sunday morning, there are only a little over 300 tickets out, but our goal is 600.  We need to get moving!  You can pick up your tickets during the week, at the church office, or on Sunday morning.  We need an accurate count by this Sunday, so we will know much stew to cook.
 
I look forward to seeing you this weekend as we cook and worship together!

January 11

As you come to worship this week, you will notice the words of meditation after communion come from Corrie ten Boom.  “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  You may be asking yourself, “Who is Corrie ten Boom?”

Corrie ten Boom and her family were Christians, living in Haarlem, the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation, they chose to live out their faith through peaceful resistance to the Nazis by active participation in the Dutch underground. They were hiding, feeding, and transporting Jews and underground members hunted by the Gestapo, out of the country. It is estimated they were able to save the lives of 800 Jews, in addition to protecting underground workers.

In 1944 they were betrayed and she and her family members were sent to concentration camps.  Three members of her family died in these camps, but Corrie survived and was released in December of that year.  These acts of heroism and sacrifice became the foundation for Corrie ten Boom's global writing and speaking career which began after she was released.

Throughout all she experienced, Corrie’s constant life theme spoke of the faithfulness of God – in every circumstance.  God’s Promise of Faithfulness will be our focus this Sunday as we continue in the series New Year, Same Promises.  I hope you will take time this week to read Psalm 40:1-11 - words from the Psalmist about God’s great faithfulness for us all.

January 4

It is a new year and with that comes a new sermon series.  For most of 2016, we walked our way chronologically through the scriptures.  As 2017 begins, we will focus more intentionally on particular sections of the Bible.  Beginning this Sunday, we will move back to the lectionary texts and dig deeper into the promises of God.  Many of us have made promises to ourselves this new year, just as we do at the start of every year.  I promise to spend more time with my family.  I promise to lose weight or eat more healthy food.  I promise to read my Bible every day.  I promise to exercise every day. 

The problem with our promises is that they often fade and things stay the same.  The good news for us is that God’s promises never change.  We can hold fast to that truth.  As we begin this new year, let’s spend time learning about and giving thanks for God’s unbreakable promises. 

This Sunday, the first promise – God’s Promise of a New Life from Matthew 3:13-17.  We will tell the story of the Baptism of Jesus and be reminded of the new life, promised to all of us through our own baptism. 

December 21

Christmas is here!!  We have walked together through the season of Advent, anticipating and waiting for the Messiah – the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  We began the season by coloring those names, so beautifully depicted on the display in the Gathering Space.  My hope and prayer is that these names have become more than just a name or title for you.  I pray that you have come away with a deeper understanding of who Jesus was, and with this new understanding your life has been changed. 

We have a wonderful opportunity this weekend – one that occurs very rarely.  On Saturday night, we will gather to sing the Christmas hymns and hear the story of the baby, born to save the world.  We will share in communion and sing Silent Night, as we light candles, a beautiful picture of the coming of The Light of the World.  I hope you will join us at 5:00 to share in this wonderful service.  Bring your extended family and experience it together.

Then, on Sunday morning, Christmas Day, we will gather at 11:00 to celebrate the coming of the Christ Child.  Why should you come to church on Christmas Day, when you could so easily stay in your pajamas??  Good question.  There is a blog (Worshiping With Children) I love to read that offers some reasons we need to gather on Sunday.  These reasons are focused toward children, but could apply to all of us.

• To hear the story read or told in an important way on the “day it happened”
• To be with a crowd telling the  story
• To sing the carols at least one more time 
• To create a context in which to discover the truth about Santa
• To create memories

I hope to see you Sunday.  Keep the kids in their pajamas and join us in your most festive Christmas sweater.  Christ is born!!!

December 14

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent – the Sunday we usually call “Christmas Sunday” because it is the last Sunday before Christmas.  This week we light the Candle of Love, signifying the great love given to us through Jesus.  In the midst of Christ’s love, we will look at the last of the four names of the Messiah – Prince of Peace.  It seems odd to be talking about peace, because we focused on peace the second Sunday of Advent.  But, can love and peace coexist?  Absolutely!!!

What is Peace?  Is it the absence of war, or could it be something different?  In the book of Matthew, Jesus describes the perfect juxtaposition of peace and love when he says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.  I was a stranger and you invited me in.  I needed clothes and you clothed me.  I was sick and you looked after me.  I was in prison and you came to visit me.”  Peace is when we look into the eyes of those we meet and actually see them. It is only then that we can show Christ’s love.  How will we open our hearts today?

Hear these words from author Jan Richardson as you ponder upon these strange bedfellows of peace and love.

A Blessing Called Sanctuary

You hardly knew
how hungry you were
to be gathered in,
to receive the welcome
that invited you to enter
entirely—
nothing of you
found foreign or strange,
nothing of your life
that you were asked
to leave behind
or to carry in silence
or in shame.

Tentative steps
became settling in,
leaning into the blessing
that enfolded you,
taking your place
in the circle
that stunned you
with its unimagined grace.

You began to breathe again,
to move without fear,
to speak with abandon
the words you carried
in your bones,
that echoed in your being.

You learned to sing.

But the deal with this blessing
is that it will not leave you alone,
will not let you linger
in safety,
in stasis.

The time will come
when this blessing
will ask you to leave,
not because it has tired of you
but because it desires for you
to become the sanctuary
that you have found—
to speak your word
into the world,
to tell what you have heard
with your own ears,
seen with your own eyes,
known in your own heart:

that you are beloved,
precious child of God,
beautiful to behold,
and you are welcome
and more than welcome
here.

—Jan Richardson
from Circle of Grace

December 7

We are already halfway through Advent.  It seems hard to believe, doesn’t it?  This Sunday we will light the pink candle – the candle of Joy.  Have you ever taken a moment to think about what brings you joy?  I’m not talking about happiness, but deep-down, utter joy. 
 
I remember as a child, singing the chorus, I’ve Got the Joy.  Do you remember?  The words went like this:
               
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy – down in my heart.
         WHERE?  Down in my heart!
         WHERE?  Down in my heart!
         I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy – down in my heart.
         Down in my heart to stay.
 
         And I’m so happy, so very happy.
         I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
         And I’m so happy, so very happy.
         I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
 
What brings you joy this Advent season?  I hope it goes beyond presents, Christmas trees, and pretty lights.  My prayer is that your joy comes from having “the love of Jesus in your heart.”

 -Pastor Jane

November 30

What does it mean to be mighty?  In our world today, it might mean the country with the largest arsenal of weapons.  It might mean that you are Brian Shaw, named the World’s Strongest Man in 2015, by dead-lifting 880 lbs.  It might mean that you are a cleaning product that can clean in ways other products can’t.  There are many ways we might define mighty.
 
In scripture, we find that the Messiah is called Mighty God.  The coming of Jesus did not bring about a large weapons stash, or weightlifting, or the ability to clean any mess.  Instead, Jesus lived into the title by fulfilling words found in Psalms.
 
       He judges people with
            righteousness and the poor
            with justice.
       He defends the cause of the poor,
            gives deliverance to the needy.
       He saves the lives of the needy
            from oppression and violence.
       He forgives all your iniquity and
            redeems your life.
       He crowns you with steadfast love
             and mercy.
       (adapted from Psalm 72, 103)
 
This Sunday we will explore the title of Mighty God as it is seen in the life of Jesus.  I look forward to seeing you!

 -Pastor Jane

November 23

What a beautiful Sunday!  On Sunday morning, we celebrated the Parent/Child Dedication of Cora Sledge – joining with her parents, Ryan and Lisa, in a covenant to walk alongside them as they parent Cora.  We made promises to pray for them and to help teach Cora stories of the faith. Then, on Sunday night, we gathered again - to feast together and to give thanks to God for the many blessings we have been given.  Seeing the many generations of the Union family was a beautiful sight.  Thank you to everyone who made the evening so special. 

Our journey through The Story has ended and now we enter into a new church year.  The first Sunday of Advent is upon us.  As we gather for worship this Sunday, we will light the first Advent candle, the candle of Hope.  We will sing songs that speak of hope of the Messiah, and we will hear words about the Wonderful Counselor, promised to us so long ago.  Sunday night will be our annual Hanging of the Greens service as we prepare our sanctuary for Advent.  The evening begins with a Chili Supper at 5:30. I hope you can join us as we begin this holy season together.

-Pastor Jane

November 16

We have made it!  For 31 weeks we have been walking together through God’s word, and this Sunday we reach the end.  In the midst of a world filled with stress, conflict, anger, and sadness, there is good news.  I hope to see you this Sunday as we reach into the book of Revelation for a word from God. 

On Friday we will have the great joy of sharing the Thanksgiving Boxes, that you so generously packed, with those in our community who need a little help this season.  Will you come and join us?  Pick up time is from 11-1, in the Gathering Space.  We need people to help check our guests in, to welcome them with smiles, to listen to their stories and pray with them, and to do the hard word of carrying heavy boxes to their cars.  If you can help, please arrive about 10:45.  This is one of my favorite days of the year and I look forward to sharing it with you.

This Sunday is Thanksgiving Sunday.  During morning worship we will have the joy of participating in a Parent/Child Dedication for Cora Sledge.  As a church family we will pledge to walk alongside Ryan and Lisa as they teach Cora the stories of faith.  Then on Sunday night, we will share together in our Church Family Thanksgiving Meal.  Friends and extended family are welcome as we eat and give thanks together.  The church will provide turkey, dressing, and gravy.  You are asked to bring a covered dish that will feed 8-10.  You will also have the opportunity on Sunday night to make Thanksgiving Cards for senior adults who are clients at the Senior Center, as well as continuing the Advent coloring project.

What a great week is ahead – a week filled with Thanksgiving and joy! 

-Pastor Jane

November 9

I have just returned to my desk from a morning spent outside as the new steeple was being placed.  It was an amazing process to watch the large crane lift it up from the trailer and hoist it into the air.  Slowly, but surely, it inched upward, until finally it was in position.  The anchors were tightened, the grounding wires were placed, and finally there was only one more thing to do – the most important thing – place the cross on the top.  Once again, the bucket rose from the ground and shortly, we heard a clang – the cross was in place.  The anchor was there.

So it is with our lives.  Our structures can be strong and secure, but it isn’t until the cross takes its position at the head of our lives, that we have a beacon to anchor our lives.  As you move through your days, it is my prayer that you will always hold the cross as your anchor.

 -Pastor Jane

November 2

It is “the day after.”  I’m sitting in my office, recovering from an amazing Fall Family Fun Night.  Last evening was a beautiful example of how the church can reach out to our community.  We had a crowd – filled with lots of children and lots of new (to us) families.  I want you to hear some words I heard over and over by those in attendance.

• Your church is wonderful example of how a multi-generational church should be. 
• We were welcomed by all ages.
• Senior adults cuddled our baby, teenagers played with our children, young adults engaged us in conversation, sharing about the mission and ministry of Union.

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible.  I am especially grateful to the chairs this year – Patti Clark, Holly Green, and Kelly Hansford. 
 
The months of November and December offer us additional opportunities to welcome people to Union; additional opportunities for them to hear the Good News of Jesus.  I hope you will continue to invite and encourage your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to come and join us.

 -Pastor Jane

October 26

This week, we begin a new sermon series, the last one in our walk through the Bible.  This final series focuses on the church and its beginning.  How did these early believers form together into a community of faith.  There is a lot we can learn from them.  This week...

In the book of Acts, we hear the story of the early church, where we read that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).  The first church in Jerusalem grounded its people in the Word, in deep community, to sharing meals and sharing Christ, and to prayer.  They had to.  The task at hand was too big for them to accomplish on their own.  They needed each other.  Mostly they needed God.

That hasn’t changed, has it?  We still have the same commission to be witnesses for Jesus in our community and in our world.  We are still called to the Word, to love each other, to share life, and to prayer.  How are you doing with this commission?  This week, will you make a commitment to spend some time in God’s word, to share love and life with each other, and to spend time in prayer?  These are the cornerstones of the church.  Will they also become the cornerstones of your life?

-Pastor Jane

October 19

I am honored to be your pastor and am so grateful for the beautiful flowers and gift card you gave me on Sunday.  What a wonderful surprise!  Serving God together with Union is one of the great joys in my life.  I am looking forward to this next year as we continue to dream new dreams together.
 
As most of you know, I will be away this Sunday in North Carolina, hopefully welcoming a new grandson into the world!  Ray Austin will be preaching in my absence and I know you will welcome and hear him gladly.  My plan is to leave today and return next Tuesday.  We all appreciate your prayers!
 
Elsewhere in this midweek, you will notice that we are fast approaching an exceptionally busy time of year.  The month of November finds us with many ministry opportunities.  We will have the opportunity to fill Thanksgiving Boxes for those in need in our community, as well as shoeboxes for those in need around the world.  Information about both will be available in the Gathering Space beginning soon. 
 
It is a good time to be at Union and to have opportunities to share God’s love with our community in so many ways.  Will you join in?

-Pastor Jane

October 12

Jack taught English literature at Oxford and spent many evenings walking in the gardens of Magdalene College.  It was one evening while walking in these gardens with his friend John that Jack discovered a door to another world.  His door made its way into his writings as a wardrobe through which his characters would enter Narnia, a kind of medieval version of Paradise.  Jack, or C.S. Lewis as we know him today, went on to become one of the great apologists for the Christian faith in the 20th century.  He wrote of death in this way, “If we really think that home is elsewhere and that this life is a ‘wandering to find home,’ why should we not look forward to the arrival?”

How would you write about that time when you will take your last breath and the moment right after?  Will you look forward to it?  Or will it be a terrifying moment for you?  Would you want to be able to face your death unafraid?

Jesus enables us to do that.  He moves us from a Friday and Saturday of death and disillusionment to a Sunday of victory.  Your way to victory is through a door.  And, that is door is Jesus.  Jesus said of himself, “I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9).  All of the Easter stories give us this assurance!

-Pastor Jane

October 5

Fall is upon us. With the change in season comes many more opportunities for service and missions at Union. Let me share one of these with you and invite you to participate with your church family.

On Saturday, we will gather from 9-12 for our annual Fall Clean-Up Day. This year we will concentrate our work outside, and on the kitchen and store room inside. We will try to finish the landscaping around the building, clean up overgrown areas, mulch and plant new plants, power wash the cemetery fence and front steps and porch – just to name a few jobs. To make all this happen, we need your help. If you can volunteer, even if it is only for an hour, please plan to come. Bring work gloves and yard equipment. It looks like a beautiful day is in store. What better way to enjoy the beautiful weather than to spend it with your church family!!

Why do we do all this cleaning? Over the next few months we will be inviting friends, family members, and guests into our building. There will be Fall Family Fun Night, Thanksgiving Family Dinner, Hanging of the Greens, Advent, Christmas Eve, Sundaes With Santa, and members of our community coming by to pick up their Thanksgiving Boxes. We want to be as welcoming as possible. Building and grounds that looks their best is just one part of how we welcome people. 

It is a joy to be a part of such a warm and welcoming community of faith. Don’t you agree? 

-Pastor Jane

September 28

What is the most important question you can ever ask? There are so many. But, consider that “Who Is Jesus?” might be the most important question of all. As we move into chapter 25 of The Story, we find Jesus and his disciples in Caesarea Philippi – a region full of different religions. This area was known as Paneon, or the home of the Greek god Pan. At one time, it was the center of Baal worship. A temple was located there, dedicated to the godhead of Caesar. Other temples of Syrian gods dotted the landscape.

There were plenty of gods to choose from in Caesarea Philippi. So Jesus asks his disciples this question: “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29). At first he asked them what others were saying about him. The answers came back in rapid fire: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

But Jesus was more concerned with their answer to his question, so he asked, “Who do you say I am?” They all looked at this homeless carpenter and thought about that question. We don’t know how long they thought before Peter replied, “You are the Christ.”

Who do you say he is? Have you given it much thought? Some say he was crazy, claiming to be God, but just a man. Some say he was just another liar, that he knew exactly what he was saying but was deviously misleading those around him. But there are those who have, along with Peter, said that Jesus is the Christ. He is God in the flesh. He is the Savior. 

If you have not answered this question from Jesus, then go to your own Caesarea Philippi, and let him ask you, “Who do you say that I am?” Your answer will be the greatest one you will ever give. 

-Pastor Jane

September 21

As children, most of us loved to pretend, to create kingdoms where we were the king or queen – the one in charge. As a young boy, Kevin Baugh did the same thing, but never left it as he grew up. As an adult, he is still having fun with his kingdom, The Republic of Molossia. Only 1.3 acres in total land mass in Nevada, it is a small kingdom unto itself.

Molossia has its own flag, its own signs, and its own boundary markers. It even has its own tourist attractions. Kevin Baugh is the president, or Sovereign, over his own little kingdom. His space program consists of model rockets. The basic unit of currency in Molossia is the valora. The valora is linked in value to Pillsbury cookie dough. Three valoras equal the value of one tube of cookie dough.

There is a railroad, but it's model-sized. The national sport is broomball. And although this nation is landlocked, Molossia claims a navy that is merely an inflatable boat. You can visit anytime you like. But--although it sounds fun--don't think you can move there. Baugh says there is not enough room, affectionately calling his nation "The Kingdom of Me."

Don't laugh too quickly. We may not have gone to the same extremes as Kevin Baugh, but we mostly live our lives as if we are rulers of our own kingdoms. What a surprise it is when we discover that we are living in a kingdom but that it is not ours.

That's the message of Jesus. He came saying, "The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15). Literally, Jesus says the kingdom is "at hand." It is that close. All around us. Within reach.

Jesus doesn't describe his kingdom by talking about armies and weapons. He describes it like a farmer who comes with seed and the seed falls on soil (Mark 4:3-9). Finding his kingdom is like finding a treasure in a field (Matt. 13:44). And his kingdom is worry-free (Matt. 6:25-34). Best of all, this kingdom has a king who is in control (Mark 4:35-39).

Jesus said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. . ." (Matt. 28:18). Kings and Queens say things like that. Unlike Molossia, if you want to enter and live in this kingdom, the Kingdom of God, there is plenty of room. 

What's one way the Kingdom of God is different from the kingdoms of the world? How might that affect the way you live your life this week? I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we explore these questions. 

-Pastor Jane

September 14

What is your identity?  Who are you?  A strong sense of identity can take you through the toughest tests.  It did for Jesus. Just after his baptism, where his lineage was stamped with these words, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased,” Jesus endured tests in the wilderness. Satan attacked his identity three times with the phrase, “If you are the Son of God…”  Jesus knew who he was and he changed the world so that you can know who you are and have your world changed by your faith in him.

Jesus’ identity was based on his relationship with God.  “You are my beloved Son…”  Ours can be, too. God loves you like a proud parent loves their children. To know God is to know you are home. 
-Pastor Jane

September 7

The knock came at the door of the inn.  It was late.  We can imagine the innkeeper had been burning both ends of the candle. The census crowd had packed Bethlehem and he had finally locked the doors for the night.  Until the knock. He shuffled his feet through the dark and made his way to the door. Opening it with the slightest of cracks, he peered out to see a young couple.  Looking more closely, he saw a young woman who was about to give birth to a child. Rooms were full.  It was late. And they didn’t look very special.  He had to decide whether he would find room for them or not.

And you will too.  John’s rendition of the birth of Christ comes in a few short words: “The Word (logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).  Greek hearers understood the word logos as the representation of God. The essence of God was found in his Word.  Hebrew readers perked up to John’s message too. John writes: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”  He book-ends the first sentence of his book with the phrase “In the beginning.” They knew it as the words that began the first book of the Torah, or Genesis.

John writes about beginnings. John writes about God’s very representation dwelling among us.  And he writes to tell us that we have the same decision to make as the innkeeper.  Will we find a place for Jesus in our lives or will we send him away? 

Some send him away because he looks too plain.  Nothing special about him.  Don’t make that mistake.  He comes to common places like your home and common places like your heart.  Some send him away because life is crowded.  Many demands and many deadlines.  And you’re not sure if you have room for him.  But he only comes to give you what he has already done.  He desires to give you forgiveness. And some send him away because they think it’s too late.  They’ve already done too much that can’t be forgiven. 

But it’s never too late.  Not with the one who comes and makes his dwelling among us.  You need only to open the door.
-Pastor Jane