Greetings First Methodist Family!
As I sit to write this article, it’s impossible to not think of the impending holiday season! For each of us, different memories and traditions are called to mind that help to shape our experience of the upcoming months.
For instance, until the past few years, our family often hosted Thanksgiving for various members of our extended family. It’s always been a great time of celebration and joy and the occasional family drama… you all know what I mean! But it’s also a time when I get to cook! Most of the time, I’m tasked with getting the turkey for our large gathering taken care of, and I take my job seriously!
Truth be told, my cooking has been relegated generally to the holidays and the grill outside. If you’ve ever seen the Muppets, you might remember the Swedish Chef that would make such a mess. Well, that would be me in the kitchen! I dirty every pan, surface, and wall around me! But the food tastes great! So, over the years, my cooking rights have needed to be tempered to consider the amount of cleaning required afterwards. It’s kind of a cost/benefit practice I suppose! Alice, on the other hand, is an amazing cook that keeps order, cleanliness, and a more realistic menu before us. But this wasn’t always the case!
When Alice and I got married, I did all the cooking. In fact, Alice made a deal that
I would do the cooking and she would clean up afterwards. I thought this sounded great! But you remember that Swedish Chef comparison? You can imagine that this arrangement was not going to last! But thanks be to God, He gave us an opportunity to grow in our cooking capacity and our relationship with one another.
I can’t help but think of Rev. Roland McGregor as he, Darla, their family, and friends share some last moments together as Roland’s journey in this life is reaching its final days. I am so grateful for all that I had the opportunity to learn and glean from Roland not only in a ministry sense, but also in how my own personal faith journey has been shaped. But he and Darla played a vital role in the harmony of Alice and my marriage! You see, Darla helped Alice not strangle me due to the messes I created in the kitchen by teaching her to cook! They did weekly cooking practice together, and in short order, I was largely removed from my post in the kitchen! In the end, this was for the best as it helps promote marital harmony for us and she simply cooks healthier than I do. It’s taken me some time, but I thank God for all of that too!
In this time of thanks, I am grateful for our church and all of you. I’m grateful for the diverse and broad ways in which this church has historically worshipped, served the community, and adapted our approach to the shifting nature of culture to continue in our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ! In some sense, we at times might mirror the messiness of the Swedish Chef and I in the
Dear Church family,
Does it feel like our whole world is spiraling out of control? Russia’s aggression against its neighbor, Ukraine, shows no end in sight. China’s sabre-rattling is unsettling as they eye Taiwan and other Pacific nations. And, of course, North Korea’s leader shoots missiles uncomfortably close to Japan. Closer to home, two of our greatest rivers, the Mississippi and the Colorado, are at historically and dangerously low levels. Locally, the grocery stores don’t always have products in stock we are accustomed to seeing. What in the world is happening? Is there anything we can we do?
and now, how can we cope, personally, and how can we be reflective of He who is the Light of the world?
May I suggest the following steps you and I can take on our Disciple Pathway?
First, seek God daily. If a daily concerted time with God seems daunting, just follow these steps:
Shera Atkinson Minister of Spiritual Formation and Congregational Care
“I have said these things to you, that in me you can have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” John 13:23
I truly believe He has overcome the world, but in the here
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kitchen, but generally, the result has been so good! At times though, such variety has also caused gnashing of teeth and disbelief at how such a mess could be created (I’m having memories of Alice looking at the kitchen early on when I was doing something “really” special!).
Great diversity, I think, reflects the nature of God in His magnificence. But it also can cause consternation for us individually in our understanding of one another. While I don’t think God’s truth changes, how we understand and respond to it has continued to be shaped and adapted in lives around the world for thousands of years. We’re still a work in progress. And in a church like First Lubbock, the “ingredients (us)” are much more varied than in some other
Read a scripture passage systematically working through a book of the Bible a small passage at a time. As you begin to read, pray for understanding and insight. Then meditate on the passage, rereading, emphasizing different words, looking for keywords or phrases, looking at surrounding passages for context and asking what the message was then and how does it apply now. Respond to the word with a specific physical, emotional, or mental action that you will take. Finally, pray again, make your commitment to act on the word and thank God.
Second, commit to notice, serve and demonstrate patience with others. You will find that you have more peace when you focus on others before yourself.
Soli Deo Gloria, Sherasettings. If left to our own devices, we could be in a constant mess. But under the guidance and direction of God, we are a magnificent representation of at least a portion of God’s beautiful Kingdom. This is not the result of our own doing, but of the work of God in our lives and in our church.
Over the next few weeks, you are going to receive some information about an informational survey that we want the entire church to participate in. This survey is not meant to be the mechanism by which the church decides one way or the other about direction, but it is designed to offer information to both the leadership of the church and the congregation. The information will be made available to everyone, so we all have a sense of the beautiful breadth of our congregation, and to help us move
boldly into whatever future God has in store for us!
We have so much to be thankful for here at First. Our amazing legacy, the fantastic mission field in which we minister, and the brothers and sisters we worship with and serve with bless not only ourselves but far beyond the walls of our church. The “ingredients” here help to make that a reality! And while things might at times seem messy, like the Swedish Chef is in the kitchen, I personally trust that the result will be so good… because God will always be at the forefront leading us forward!
I give God thanks for each of you and I’m proud to serve alongside you!
Blessings!
Caregiving to those with varying illnesses or dementia can be both rewarding and stressful, lonely and exhausting. But, as the song says, “we get by with a little help from our friends!” First Lubbock is pleased to announce a new caregivers group on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The group will be led by Dr. Jonathan Singer, psychology professor at Texas Tech University. Dr. Singer specializes in health in aging, illness, and caregiving.
Contact Dr. Shera Atkinson, satkinson@ fumc.com with questions or more information.
