September 2024 Newsletter

Greetings!
Ahh, September. Everyone is back to school, and now we start to notice changes. The
leaves begin to turn to brilliant colors, the temperatures begin to lower, and we start to prepare for
Fall, when more changes will come! I have to say that I really don’t mind the changes that come
this time of year. I really enjoy the changes that Autumn brings. The colors and smells, the cooler
temperatures, and bonfires with something that doesn’t change–s’mores!
We may not always like it, but as the days go by, the seasons will change. The seasons of
weather, as well as the seasons of life. Many people turn up their noses when “change” is suggested. Changing hairstyles, changing furniture around, changing cars, changing jobs, changing
clothes. Even the church goes through change. First UMC is in a time of change right now, isn’t
it? Membership has dwindled, finances are tight, and anxiety over all of it is on the verge of making fear reign. Can you stop for a moment and ponder that maybe we, you and I, are here for
“Such a time as this,” to quote the Book of Esther. Esther certainly had been through changes. A
young Jewish woman living in exile, was taken from the home she knew with her uncle and put in
a pool with a number of other young women who the king would choose his next queen from. It
was an anxious time for these women, the king could chose a woman to be a queen and then caste
her aside the same day if he wanted to. Esther was chosen to become queen and no one knew that
she was Jewish. It was a change for her to not live by Jewish law. The king’s right-hand man
decided he was going to have the Jews eliminated…ancient genocide…and Esther’s uncle Mordecai found out about it and went to queen Esther for help. Esther was anxious about accepting the
challenge to see the king and ask that the Jews be saved. Then her Uncle Mordecai sent this message to her, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape anymore than all the other
Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews
from another quarter, but you, and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you
have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this” (Esther 4:13b-14).
Maybe you and I are here for such a time as this. If not us, then who? Changes in the
church are generally slow. It take a while before congregation members realize something needs
to change. Change isn’t easy, it brings anxiety and fear, our brains are suspicious of change, so
now I’m wondering why I am doing a sermon series on change?!
If we look closely at what our Creator has set in motion, we may just find that change is
actually the most constant part of life and necessary for bringing our spirits back to life and we
find a renewed purpose through our changing lives. When Jesus began his ministry, he advocated
for changes that would keep us moving toward greater goodness. Need an example? Read Matthew 5:1-11 for a start.
This four-week sermon series, beginning Sunday, September 8, has the theme
“Re-Shaped, What We Are Made For? There will be two small group opportunities that I hope
you will take advantage of. We hope not only to learn something, but have some fun while we do
it! One group will meet on Sunday, beginning September 8th at 6:00pm, The other on Tuesday,
September 10th at 2:00pm.
I would also encourage everyone to read the book, “Everywhere You Look, Discovering
the Church Right Where You Are”, by Tim Soren’s. I looked for the best price and found the least
expensive was Amazon for $14.99. The also have the Kindle version for $13.99. The other places
I looked were $18.00 and up.
I hope this change in month will bring you and the church many blessings, even if they
come through change! After all this might just be our “such a time as this.”
Shalom,
Pastor Mona