3/27/2017 0 Comments March 27th, 2017Spring Has SprungAfter a strange winter of balmy temperatures in February and a late snow in March, spring has definitely arrived in this past week. The air is warm, and the mornings still a little chilly. The first bulbs have flowered, and the grass is starting to be in need of mowing. The birds are welcoming us with their morning songs, and it is just time to get out into the beautiful days given to us. We will likely have a cold snap or two still, but spring has sprung! One of the joys (or burdens if it's not your kind of thing) of spring is to get out, clean up the fallen branches, stray leaves, and mess of winter, and begin to prepare the yard for spring planting, mowing, and pruning. It is a lot of work, to be sure, but it has a great payoff when summer fully arrives. Then we can enjoy the beauty and fruits of our labor. It is not something that happens overnight, and it may even be a few seasons before we see the full results of our work. But the truth is that our work now leads to fruitfulness later. The same is true for our faith lives. There are no easy ways to grow in faith today. It takes work and preparation over the seasons to see the fruitfulness that can come in God's time. Spending time in prayer, reading Scripture, worshiping, and serving others may give us a little boost today, but the true fruitfulness is seen in time as we are shaped and grow to be the people God has made us to be. What will you do today to prepare the soil of your faith for tomorrow's fruitfulness? Blessings on the journey, Jim Lurking at the DoorAs we continue to journey through the season of Lent, our focus on how sin affected the family of Adam and Eve turns to the rivalry between their two sons, Cain and Abel. Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Lurking at the Door (Genesis 4:1-16) After Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, they had two sons, Cain and Abel, who became a grower of crops and a shepherd, respectively. When they brought offerings from what they had produced, God was pleased with Abel's but not with Cain's. There are different thoughts about what made one acceptable and the other not, but regardless of the reason Cain grew very angry over the way that his offering was received. God spoke to Cain warning him that if he did what was right he would be accepted. If he did what was wrong, however, sin would be lurking at his door ready to claim him. God's warning reveals to us a few things about how sin in our lives. First, God has given us the ability to resist sin in our lives and expects us to resist temptation. Second, sin is a dangerous thing that waits for when we are most vulnerable to strike and claim our lives. Third, when we are starting to face the temptation of sin in our lives, God is there with us to call us back to who we are called to be and the good we know we should do. God helps us to be vigilant against the sin waiting to claim our lives. Living in Community This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, March 28 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Wednesday, March 29 6:00 - Wednesday at the Port Menu: Ham with Mac & Cheese Thursday, March 30 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Sunday, April 2 9:30 am - Worship with Communion "From Garden to Garden: Living in a Mess" 11:00 am - Sunday School 4:00 pm - Confirmation Class at Ciro's 6:30 pm - Financial Peace University Looking AheadApril 13, 7 pm - Maundy Thursday Service
April 14, time tbd - Good Friday Service April 16, 6:45 am - Easter Sunrise Service April 23 - Youth Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School
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3/20/2017 0 Comments March 20th, 2017Getting TogetherWhen I was growing up, it was always special day when we would "get together!" When Mama would tell us we were getting together today, she didn't have to say whom we were getting together with. I knew what she meant - our cousins were coming over to our house or we were going to theirs. We would play, fight and fuss a little, play some more, hear our mothers say it was time to go, and go hide and then play about another half hour or more while they continued to talk at the back steps. They were very special days, and thankfully they happened pretty often. In church, we call "getting together" fellowship, and it is an important part of what we do. It is a time when we build our relationships with one another, get to know one another better, make memories that will bind us together, and simply share life with one another. These are very special times, and even in the midst of the busyness of all the other things we do and plan for at church we need to make room for that. That is what happened this past Friday night as a group of ladies got together for a Paint Night here at the church. It is my hope that over the course of this year we can make time to have more of these kind of opportunities. Is there something you would enjoy getting together to do? Hiking, crafting, playing games, going to a game or event? Please let me know if there is something you would enjoy getting together to spend time with each other and do. Blessings on the journey, Jim Facing the MusicThe season of Lent is a time to focus on growing in our relationship with God. One of the things that holds us back in this relationship is sin that separates us from God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at the story of Adam, Eve, and their family to see how sin affected them and how God made room for salvation even in the midst of sin. Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Facing the Music (Genesis 3:14-24) After Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit and hidden from each other, from God, and from their responsibility, God found them and spoke to them of the consequences of their sin. God told the serpent that people and snakes would forever be mortal enemies. To Eve, God pronounced the hard labor she would go through to create new life. To Adam, God showed how the very ground was cursed because of their sin and the hard work that would have to be done to grow food to eat. God then banished them from the Garden of Eden and sent them out into the harsher world that we know. The message here is clear: sin has consequences. We may try to convince ourselves sometimes that what we do is not hurting anyone else, but all sin has consequences and wide-ranging ones at that. It was not just the serpent and Adam and Eve that were affected but their offspring through all generations. Even the ground was cursed by this sin. Sin hurts us in all of our relationships and stretches its long tendrils out to claim more and more of the world. In addition, we see that God does not save them from these consequences. God may forgive them, but they must still face the consequences that they have unleashed on the world. All of this may seem harsh, but even in the midst of these judgments comes God's grace. God sees Adam and Eve, hiding in their shame behind meager fig leaves, and has mercy on them. God makes clothes of skins for them to protect them and keep them warm in the harsh world they are about to enter. Even in this first sin, God's grace is there to do for them what they need and cannot do for themselves. Even when God lets us face the consequences of our actions, God provides for a better future. Living in CommunityCongratulations and blessings to Celest on her new job serving our community! Thank you, Lee, for organizing our wonderful Paint Night last week! Thank you to all of the kids in our Little Fishermen class at Wednesday at the Port for putting together Blessing Kits for the Homeless and sharing them with us in worship! This Week at Port ChurchMonday, March 20 9:30 am - Bible Study at Dianna's Tuesday, March 21 7:00 pm - Bible Study at Dianna's 7:00 pm - Administrative Council Meeting Wednesday, March 22 6:00 - Wednesday at the Port Menu: Taco Salad Thursday, March 23 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Trustees Meeting Sunday, March 26 9:30 am - Worship - "From Garden to Garden: Lurking at the Door" 11:00 am - Sunday School 4:00 pm - Confirmation Class at Ciro's 6:30 pm - Financial Peace University Looking AheadApril 13 - Maundy Thursday
April 14 - Good Friday April 16 - Easter Sunday April 23 - Youth Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School 3/15/2017 0 Comments March 15th, 2017The PATH to PrayerThis week, we come to end of our PATH to Prayer. We have talked about how Praise, Admit, and Thank play a part in our prayers, and we finish up now with Help. At times, asking God for "Help" comes rather naturally. When we are in over our heads and do not know what to do, we turn to God for help. Other times, however, we forget to ask for God's help. Perhaps things seem manageable still, and we feel like we can fix them on our own. Perhaps we are afraid to ask for help because we fear that the answer may be "no" and then we will be completely out of options. Even in these circumstances, we should pray for God's help for ourselves and others in the world. Asking for God's help does not mean, however, that we will get our way. Praying does not turn God into a magic wand to create our every desire. Sometimes God does answer our prayers with a "no" or a "wait!" When we pray for God's help, we would well to remember Jesus' prayer when he asked God to let him avoid the crucifixion: "Yet not my will, but yours be done." When we ask for help, we focus on what we want, and it is hard to let go of the control we want over what will happen. It takes a deep act of faith to join with Jesus in asking for help but fully turning over control to God. It is an act of faith that God is good, gracious, and wise to do what is best even if it is not what we want. May you turn over your prayers to God with faith that God is good, gracious, and wise! Blessings on the journey, Jim Hiding in the BushesThe season of Lent is a time to focus on growing in our relationship with God. One of the things that holds us back in this relationship is sin that separates us from God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at the story of Adam, Eve, and their family to see how sin affected them and how God made room for salvation even in the midst of sin. Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Hiding in the Bushes (Genesis 3:7-13) Once Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation and took of the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened and they became afraid. Their first instinct was to hide - to hide their naked vulnerability from each other by covering up with fig leaves. Sin exposes us for who we are, and we try to hide and cover it up so that others will not know us fully. When they heard God walking in the garden, Adam and Eve became even more frightened, knowing that the fig leaves offered meager protection from being seen by God. They hid among the bushes and trees, but God called for them. Adam responded first admitting why he was hiding. When confronted by God about eating the forbidden fruit, Adam quickly Eve who in turn passed the blame onto the serpent. This too is a way of hiding - hiding from the truth of what they had done and the responsibility they bore for their own actions, even if they were tempted. Time and again, Adam and Eve hid from what they had done and its consequences because they were afraid. The same is true for us when we sin. We grow afraid of being found out so we cover it up with half-truths, omissions, and lies. That fear leads us to more sins as we continue to try to find cover. This is the downward spiral of sins and fear that twists the truth and begets more sins that leads us into the state of sin - that is, separation from God. The truth is that we worship a forgiving and gracious God, but our fear leads us to hide from grace and forgiveness rather than to turn back in repentance to God. What makes sin so dangerous for us is that it damages our relationships - both with each other and with God. Living in CommunityIf you are interested in being a communion server, please talk with Pastor Jim. Training provided! If you would like to order lilies for Easter, sign up at church the next two Sundays or talk with Lee in the church office. Please pray for confirmation class that kicked off this past Sunday. We have six middle-school youth diving into and learning more about our faith! This Week at Port ChurchMonday, March 13 9:30 am - Bible Study at Dianna's Tuesday, March 14 7:00 pm - Bible Study at Dianna's Wednesday, March 15 6:00 - Wednesday at the Port Menu: Alfredo Thursday, March 16 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Thursday, March 17 6:00 - 9:00 pm - Paint Night Bring a snack to share - drinks provided! Sunday, March 19 9:30 am - Worship - "From Garden to Garden: Facing the Music" 11:00 am - Sunday School 4:00 pm - Confirmation Class at Ciro's 6:30 pm - Financial Peace University Looking AheadApril 13 - Maundy Thursday
April 14 - Good Friday April 16 - Easter Sunday April 23 - Youth Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School 3/7/2017 0 Comments March 07th, 2017The PATH to PrayerThis week I want to turn our attention back to the PATH to prayer - "Praise, Admit, Thank, Help." So far, we have covered what it means to praise God and admit our sins, and now we consider what it means to thank God. Thanking God is probably the most straightforward and easiest aspects of our prayers, and yet it is one we often overlook in our rush to seek God's help. Why should we thank God? Everyone likes to be honestly thanked for what they have done for others. It is not about building up ego but about connecting two people. Saying our thanks lets God know what we feel and helps us to grow closer to God. When we thank God, it also helps us to remember how blessed we actually are and focus on the good God has done in our lives. How is thanksgiving different from praise? Giving thanks is about what God has done for us, while praise is about how we feel about who God is. What kinds of things should we thank God for? Anything we are truly grateful for in our lives! Take time to give thanks to God for all the many blessings of your life this week! Blessings on the journey, Jim Twisting the TruthThe season of Lent is a time to focus on growing in our relationship with God. One of the things that holds us back in this relationship is sin that separates us from God. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at the story of Adam, Eve, and their family to see how sin affected them and how God made room for salvation even in the midst of sin. Sunday's Sermon Snippet: Twisting the Truth (Genesis 3:1-6) The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is a familiar one - almost too familiar. We know it so well that we may think we know everything about it. What was the fruit? An apple, of course! What was the sin they committed? Pride comes before the fall! If we look carefully at the Scripture, however, we do not find that these details are actually there. It is a part of the tradition that has become "almost Bible" - so well-known and accepted that we forget that it is not actually in the story itself. Likewise, we know about the serpent - that crafty creature that lies to Eve. We focus so much on the lie that we forget the serpent actually starts off with a simple question: "Did God really say you could not eat the fruit from any tree?" It is a certainly misleading question, implying that God is depriving Eve, but it is not lie in and of itself. It is a question - a true/false question. The problem arises with Eve's answer - not a simple yes or no but a reminder of God's command not to eat the one forbidden fruit. But Eve includes an additional detail that she is not even allowed to touch it. Whether we see this as an exaggeration or a full lie, it reveals the slippery slope that Eve is on. The serpent pushes her over the edge by telling her that she will not surely die but will be more like God. What is remarkable about this statement is that it is not an outright lie. Eve does not immediately die although death may have entered her life through sin, and she does gain the wisdom to be more like God. There is at least a measure of truth in what the serpent said, even if it is twisted. If the serpent had plainly lied, then perhaps Adam and Eve would have stood a better chance. By twisting the truth up with their fears of missing out on something good and not being like God and with their desires to taste the wonderful fruit and to be wiser, the serpent tempts them with what appears to be right and true. What makes temptation so dangerous is not that it lies to us but that it twists the truth with our fears and desires. It becomes an almost impossible task then to separate what is true from what is false. To avoid temptation then, we need to pray for the Spirit of truth to guide and we need to rely on spiritual friends to help us more clearly see the truth. Communion Servers NeededHave you ever wanted to help serve communion in our worship service? Are you worried that you do not know what to do? We are looking for folks to help with communion over the coming months. If you are interested, please let Pastor Jim know. He is planning to offer a brief training to teach you how to serve - day and time to be determined. Living in CommunityThank you to our local VDOT work crew, especially Jeff, for repairing a drain pipe and digging out the ditch beside our parking lot! If you find God filling your life with blessings at any time during the week, remember to drop one of the palm leaves in our Blessings Jar in worship on Sunday! This Week at Port ChurchMonday, March 6 9:30 am - Bible Study at Dianna's Tuesday, March 7 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours 7:00 pm - Bible Study at Dianna's Wednesday, March 8 6:00 - Wednesday at the Port Menu: BBQ Thursday, March 9 9:00 - 11:45 am - Office Hours Sunday, March 12 9:30 am - Worship - "From Garden to Garden: Hiding in the Bushes" 11:00 am - Sunday School 6:30 pm - Financial Peace University Looking AheadMarch 17 - Paint Night
April 23 - Youth Sunday June 26-30 - Vacation Bible School |
News and UpdatesFind out what is going on at Port Republic UMC this week and in weeks to come! Archives
January 2019
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8525 Water Street
PO Box 116
Port Republic, VA 24471
540-249-4111