tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17055961802877053632024-03-28T23:28:55.357-04:00Faith BitsPastor Brian's thoughts, perspectives, and musings about life and Christian faith in the 21st-century, information about upcoming or recent sermons, and copies of some of his posts for his Pastor's articles in our church's e-newsletter.Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.comBlogger409125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-10307500000212167382024-03-26T11:02:00.000-04:002024-03-26T11:02:52.072-04:00The Old Rugged Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRm1L-hUG-S5VRwe2QEUq8iuCaeDq_tdEJUETqSKaBtKf4qEDFw1Ptg9pcSj-2daVS4DPE06VgQNfHNK1qslZ8FYWZxYNdMrXR4IcwMHeqGfsCmjjeZ-RwygVY8JX37XbOp5dlp9Y_dig/s1600/worship6-cross.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRm1L-hUG-S5VRwe2QEUq8iuCaeDq_tdEJUETqSKaBtKf4qEDFw1Ptg9pcSj-2daVS4DPE06VgQNfHNK1qslZ8FYWZxYNdMrXR4IcwMHeqGfsCmjjeZ-RwygVY8JX37XbOp5dlp9Y_dig/s200/worship6-cross.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”</em> (1 Corinthians 1:18)</div>
<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">The emblem of suffering and shame;</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">And I love that old cross where the dearest and best </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">For a world of lost sinners was slain. </span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Has a wondrous attraction for me; </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">To bear it to dark Calvary. </span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">A wondrous beauty I see, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">For' twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">To pardon and sanctify me. </span></em><br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Refrain: </span></u><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, ‘Til my trophies at last I lay down; </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #f6b26b;">I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.” </span></em><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: x-small;">[--Verses 1-3 of hymn “<em>The Old Rugged Cross</em>,” #504 in <u>The United Methodist Hymnal</u>, by George Bennard]</span></strong><br />
<br />This Holy Week, it is good for us to remember how God used the cross of Christ as a tragic and ironic instrument for the salvation of all humankind, and how through that cross, God’s great, wondrous love was shown to/for each of us! Jesus suffered and died there so that you and I might have victory and life today as Christians. Our salvation might be free to us, but it cost Jesus everything! Blessed is Jesus, who allowed himself to be nailed to a cross for your sake and mine! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-6383512964553974982024-02-15T22:15:00.000-05:002024-02-15T22:15:18.284-05:00What Is God Saying to You? <p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4bnaderCzCLcMj8I_SF4dxsxRtFz-i57C6iWDNyB1X3z0tUpuO0Ixvjgwhyphenhyphen6rgoZJ3B9vNsZ-AaWFRIc0mueM9qOBlzVC44TmDTaC7klMAWmbAO5BzAZFXehpAcVBgUgPl7lbUxD-VwMIuN43X5YAQCZA4E_dxlrZyg_nOVGBwf5CSnsrsMPznlNrXHZ/s1920/1%20-%20MAIN.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4bnaderCzCLcMj8I_SF4dxsxRtFz-i57C6iWDNyB1X3z0tUpuO0Ixvjgwhyphenhyphen6rgoZJ3B9vNsZ-AaWFRIc0mueM9qOBlzVC44TmDTaC7klMAWmbAO5BzAZFXehpAcVBgUgPl7lbUxD-VwMIuN43X5YAQCZA4E_dxlrZyg_nOVGBwf5CSnsrsMPznlNrXHZ/w400-h225/1%20-%20MAIN.png" width="400" /></a></div>Who
am I? Where am I going? How does God fit into my life? How can my relationship
with God help me through tough times? <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">These
are a few of the questions we’ll be exploring at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in a new worship series called “</span><b><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">VOICES
OF LENT</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.”</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Shared during worship February
25-March 24, we’ll explore some of the spiritual themes of the Christian season
of “Lent,” and how these can sustain and empower us in our lives today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">February
25 -- </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Voice of Belonging</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (Mark 1:9-11)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Discovering our identity in Christ<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">March
3 – <i>The Voice of Invitation</i> (Matthew 14:22-32) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Learning how to answer God's calls</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">March
10 -- <i>The Voice of Awe</i> (Exodus 20:1-20)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Discovering the purposes of God’s law <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">March
17 -- <i>The Voice of Forgiveness</i> (Psalm 51:1-17)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Discovering the power of forgiveness<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">March
24 (Palm/Passion Sunday) -- <i>The Voice of Silence </i>(Mark 15:34-39) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Learning to trust God through difficult
and trying times<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 119%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-75058657340709185522024-02-13T12:00:00.000-05:002024-02-13T12:00:00.139-05:00L E N T<div style="text-align: center;">
“<i>Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus....</i>” (Hebrews 12:1-2).</div>
<br />
LENT. No, it’s not just something that sticks to your clothes. Instead, Lent is also a season of the Christian year in which we not only prepare our lives for the Easter message of life, death, suffering, and resurrection, but are also encouraged to identify with Christ by allowing us to be used by him as vehicles of God’s grace to others.<br />
<br />
The word “<i>Lent</i>” itself comes from the Anglo-Saxon word <i>lencten</i>, which means "<i>spring</i>" -- a reference to the "new life" that Christ brings to us, just as spring brings new life to nature. For the forty days prior to Easter (beginning this coming Ash Wednesday, February 14th and culminating with Good Friday, March 29th), Christians are invited to focus upon how we practice following Christ in every arena of our lives: home; on the job; at church; in our finances; and in our relationships with others.<br />
<br />
And because of its emphasis upon the sacrifice of Christ, Lent has traditionally been a time in which Christians are encouraged to give up worldly things in order to replace them with spiritual things. As the above scripture reminds us, we are to “<i>lay aside the weight(s) and the sin</i>” that keep us from being the spouse, the friend, the work/schoolmate, etc. that God desires us to be.<br />
<br />
What things hinder and interfere with you being the person who God created you to be? worry? jealousy? envy? bitterness? pessimism? fear? pride? a bad habit? gossip? a judging spirit? Whatever it is, Lent invites us to give it up -- to junk it -- and, in its place, “look to Jesus” to equip us with those things (love, joy, patience, kindness, forgiveness, etc.) that can help us to “<i>run with perseverance the race [of life] that is set before us.</i>” <br />
<br />
Remember, God loves you and I do, too!Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-47907711486590194092024-02-11T13:34:00.001-05:002024-02-11T13:34:42.851-05:001 Corinthians 13 for Today<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwZVdt2B-HYIWr2Rz-x4rAmGhz7WV-7PmJ5fjqluXaaq06qkHwp1gOCJeo588feCVjfYhna0v5HzqCWvrp66QBnQ9V3r4oUZ7kftkKpfm-Mx-gFQxhFoa02EP842u-y7iHzC1nDTD4yAVAXukR0uMzYTBheuKHN3qhyzKSiSsOp0CzJYsOEhSdcZDD0Eo/s347/Love.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="347" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwZVdt2B-HYIWr2Rz-x4rAmGhz7WV-7PmJ5fjqluXaaq06qkHwp1gOCJeo588feCVjfYhna0v5HzqCWvrp66QBnQ9V3r4oUZ7kftkKpfm-Mx-gFQxhFoa02EP842u-y7iHzC1nDTD4yAVAXukR0uMzYTBheuKHN3qhyzKSiSsOp0CzJYsOEhSdcZDD0Eo/s320/Love.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Now faith, hope, and love
remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(1 Corinthians 13:13</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">,
CEB)</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>T</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>oday in </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">worship, I invite our congregation to read together in unison a re-write
of the famous “love chapter” from the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 that
I wrote.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here are its words in case you want
to re-read it or share it with others…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i>“If I
worship God in a certain style that I know to be the ‘appropriate’ one, but
look down my nose at others who worship differently, or have different skin
color, politics, or cultural heritage, then I’m nothing more than a loud,
ringing, obnoxious cell phone in a quiet, romantic restaurant.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If while at
church, I speak to all my closest friends each and every week, but fail to go
out of my way to welcome the stranger and the guest, then I’m like a tourist at
the Grand Canyon who’s only concern is that there’s no WiFi in my hotel room.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If I do
things ‘by the book’ in my church committee or ministry meeting, but ignore the
spirit of love that that book represents, then I’m no better than a freight
train intentionally running over an innocent bystander.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If I’m
convinced that I’m theologically ‘correct’ about what the Bible says, but don’t
manifest those beliefs through my respect and love for others with whom I
disagree, then in the eyes of God all my ‘correct’ beliefs count for precisely
nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The heart of
Christianity is love and humility in all things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acting in love is more important than being
‘right.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sharing Christ’s love is more
important than whether or not we always get our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love will never fail -- it’s to be the
primary motivation for all we say and do in God’s church.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the past,
when we were young Christians and a young church, we took pride in being
gatekeepers of tradition; in not allowing new ideas, new ways of thinking, and
new, different people from affecting us too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now that we’re growing up and maturing in
our faith, we know we can’t continue to act the way we used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love requires that we give up our old,
immature ways. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So now these
three remain: FAITH to trust God through changes and new things and new people;
HOPE that we don’t have to be who we used to be; and LOVE which enables us to
live and act more Christlike along our life's journeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the greatest of these is self-giving,
self-sacrificing, God-like LOV</span>E.”</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!</span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-30513301595542739962024-01-02T10:40:00.002-05:002024-01-02T10:40:58.632-05:00Back to the Basics<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHK5dDn3O9a67E68LFSTFpgFF6IOQiuiwnE0DK_UmMx2QRFDMURt_L5qqhwPUvqbwVnWoljxlPFpYPX8fbAay09VhIZdUXuZPjOo7UWB6buke2YVfHYwvyEvOi6MP9oSTw2V-IJbWFdV1A-82HqyKGxifZ9X_qwc4ww7WHc8gcKR-KE-W3Mftkx1dAdLw/s1556/Christianity%20101%20PUBLICITY%20GRAPHIC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1556" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHK5dDn3O9a67E68LFSTFpgFF6IOQiuiwnE0DK_UmMx2QRFDMURt_L5qqhwPUvqbwVnWoljxlPFpYPX8fbAay09VhIZdUXuZPjOo7UWB6buke2YVfHYwvyEvOi6MP9oSTw2V-IJbWFdV1A-82HqyKGxifZ9X_qwc4ww7WHc8gcKR-KE-W3Mftkx1dAdLw/w400-h269/Christianity%20101%20PUBLICITY%20GRAPHIC.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Who is
God?<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Why believe in Jesus as God’s
son?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Why do we need the church?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">How is the Bible to be an authority in our
lives? Invite your friends and family January 7 - February 11, 2024 as we
explore answers to these questions and more in a new six-week sermon series
called </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“<u>Christianity 101.</u>"</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Come rediscover how the basics of
Christian faith can help guide you in life!</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">January 7 -- </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I
AM </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Exodus 3:13-15)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
character and nature of God in our lives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">January 14 -- </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Who
Am I? </i></b><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Mark 8:27-30)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
purpose and role of Jesus in our faith<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">January 21 -- </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Got
Spirit? </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Luke 3:15-17,21-22; Acts 1:8)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
function and role of the Holy Spirit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">January 28 – </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Navigation</i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
(2 Timothy 3:14-17)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
Bible as God’s navigation system for life<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">February 4 -- </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Body
Parts </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(1 Corinthians 12:12-27)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
purpose and need for the Church in our faith <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">February 4 – </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The
Heart of It All </i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Matthew 22:37-40; John 13:35)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
heart of Christianity as a love of God and neighbor<o:p></o:p></span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-63154582480304472962023-12-28T09:00:00.002-05:002023-12-28T09:00:00.136-05:00O God, Our Help In Ages Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuZ9P3Uwtr-ucaeyhjvhKqXZEZP_bcO2g4u4ThQjkKdgl7YUSGucI1fXfqO6MzHS5GG-qiGFgg3mEimXd1-5ZpT_WCKJbEd5pRqNZgWze1nULDd3Y-RcfPD5ubZAvq_kRV4RNr73NNCtm/s1600/O+God+our+help+in+ages+past.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuZ9P3Uwtr-ucaeyhjvhKqXZEZP_bcO2g4u4ThQjkKdgl7YUSGucI1fXfqO6MzHS5GG-qiGFgg3mEimXd1-5ZpT_WCKJbEd5pRqNZgWze1nULDd3Y-RcfPD5ubZAvq_kRV4RNr73NNCtm/s1600/O+God+our+help+in+ages+past.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
lang=EN-CA style='mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1</span><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><span
lang=EN-CA style='mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">“Lord, you have been our dwelling
place in all generations…” (Psalm 90:1)</span></i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal">January 1st marks the beginning of new year. But where is the future going? What unknowns await us? What will happen this coming year in our community? …in our church? …in our nation? What will happen in our personal and family lives?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Whatever happens, I am comforted by the fact that there is nothing that we might face that’s bigger than the God we serve. In 1708, Isaac Watts wrote one of the most famous of his hymns to remind people of his day of the faithfulness of God in the midst of the unknowns of the present:</div><div><br /></div></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">God, our help in ages past, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">our hope for years to come, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">our shelter from the stormy blast, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">and our eternal home.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Under the shadow of thy throne, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">still may we dwell secure; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">sufficient is thine arm alone, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">and our defense is sure.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Before the hills in order stood, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">or earth received her frame, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">from everlasting, thou art God, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">to endless years the same.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">A thousand ages, in thy sight, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">are like an evening gone; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">short as the watch that ends the night, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">before the rising sun.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Time, like an ever rolling stream, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">bears all who breathe away; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">they fly forgotten, as a dream <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">dies at the opening day.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">O God, our help in ages past, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">our hope for years to come; <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">be thou our guide while life shall last,
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">and our eternal home.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> <b> </b><b>[--Isaac Watts (1708),
<u>UMHymnal</u> #117]</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As we begin this new year, always remember that the same God who has been with and for us all in our past will guide and direct us in our future, no matter what it holds. And never forget that God loves you and I do, too! </span><b> </b></div>
<br /></div>
Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-47538008318365290832023-12-24T15:00:00.008-05:002023-12-24T15:00:00.280-05:00Sing We Now of Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WaDIqp5oQ58HPH5Q2egsAYLADIFrI2zKrH_TujMkWoyG5PgOY3run4ck6GF4VhnoYaJ_rWaBq6W9FFrUnS0XqsiTXUhUfh-F-XMF3FoltD-cUc1b490G0R4iAnreMi3hj-J0O8NK-TjA/s1600/sing+we+now+of+christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="180px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WaDIqp5oQ58HPH5Q2egsAYLADIFrI2zKrH_TujMkWoyG5PgOY3run4ck6GF4VhnoYaJ_rWaBq6W9FFrUnS0XqsiTXUhUfh-F-XMF3FoltD-cUc1b490G0R4iAnreMi3hj-J0O8NK-TjA/s200/sing+we+now+of+christmas.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>
<em>"The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”</em> (Luke 2:20)<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">“Sing we now of Christmas, Noel sing we here </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing our grateful praises to the maid so dear.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel!</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">From the Eastern kingdoms come the wise men far </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Bearing ancient treasure following yonder star.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel!</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">From the distant mountains hear the trumpet sound </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">With angelic blessings on the silent town.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel!</span></em><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Come let us surround him on this magic night </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Gather here around him wondrous babe of light. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #93c47d;">Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel!”</span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[--Traditional French Carol, <u>The United Methodist Hymnal</u> #237]</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whether you can “carry a
tune” or not, I pray that you will have a song in your heart as
you listen for hope in the coming of Christ in <i>your </i>life this Christmas! Remember, God
loves you and I do, too!</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-26169796899435034982023-11-30T09:00:00.002-05:002023-11-30T09:00:00.143-05:00WAITING...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbFoP6exi4EApErdcY55EZz80h1FMqowl5SUJIlDow8NhyYlnQuHEkkn5qxL91Jpf07chThALMFWBVf9NLUURxY8qky78xVBTlcDzLx8mUwXFXTuRQ6ajdRILOiW_kyv5r1jTx8hEBsoa/s1600/Advent+Wreath+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbFoP6exi4EApErdcY55EZz80h1FMqowl5SUJIlDow8NhyYlnQuHEkkn5qxL91Jpf07chThALMFWBVf9NLUURxY8qky78xVBTlcDzLx8mUwXFXTuRQ6ajdRILOiW_kyv5r1jTx8hEBsoa/s320/Advent+Wreath+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="uc">
<i class="uc">“</i><i class="uc">Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take </i><i class="uc">courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)</i><br />
<i class="uc"><br /></i></div>
<div align="center" class="uc">
</div>
<div class="uc">
I don’t know about you, but I have never been very good at waiting. Whether it is waiting in those long lines at stores or waiting on a parking space in the parking lot, it often seems that the closer something is, the more difficult it is to wait for it. In fact, our impatience seems built right into our culture and society – these days, Christmas carols and decorations appear even before Halloween!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="uc">
</div>
<div class="uc">Yet, the Christian season of <b class="uc"><span class="uc">ADVENT</span></b> (from the Latin <i class="uc">adventus</i>, “<i class="uc">coming</i>” – a reference to the “<i class="uc">coming</i>” of Jesus in the past, present and future) encourages us to learn the hard and difficult lesson of waiting, of watching, of anticipating, and of expecting good things still to come. It encourages us to learn to wait for God to reveal Himself in His own way and time.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="uc">
</div>
<div class="uc">
In the weeks leading up to our daughter Jennifer’s birth over twenty-eight years ago, Trish and I both were very much on edge. The due date arrived, then passed, and I remember thinking constantly, “<i class="uc">How much longer, Lord?!”</i> I’m sure it was the same for the early Hebrews as they waited for the Messiah to be born, probably also thinking, “<i class="uc">How much longer, Lord?!”</i> And it’s the same for us today as we often ask of our problems, “<i class="uc">How much longer, Lord?!”</i> Maybe it’s God’s way of trying to remind us that some of the best things in life (including true, genuine fulfillment, contentment, and joy) often come only through long, hard waiting.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="uc">
</div>
<div align="left" class="uc">
So, during this Advent season (which begins this coming Sunday, December 3rd), I invite us all to let God teach us to wait… with patience, anticipation, and joy. One tool that can help us “wait” and prepare for the coming of Christmas is through our use of what is called an “<b class="uc"><i class="uc"><span class="uc" style="text-decoration: underline;">Advent Wreath</span></i></b>” — a circle of four candles which are progressively lit during the four Sundays of Advent, culminating in the lighting of the central white (Christ) candle on Christmas Eve.<b> <a href="https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/advent-candle-lighting-liturgy-2023" target="_blank"><span class="uc"><span class="uc" style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #083a81;"><span class="uc">CLICK</span> <span class="uc">HERE</span></span></span></span> </a></b>for an order for an Advent Wreath lighting that you can download and use each week leading up to Christmas.</div><div align="left" class="uc"><br /></div><div align="left" class="uc">Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!</div>
Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-32821253721551992682023-11-27T11:15:00.000-05:002023-11-27T11:15:04.902-05:00Ba, Humbug Christmas?<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlD7NyV-H_zxEQdU0xWP7nsvDNi592VvHiUAQf24-OsLiU-mAa_DpKcK-aoVyfdl8qN0ZJp5ZKhrc6zUYKW8uNk_B1P3Ir2XuJB5I6wonFJut4VMZSPJpYRIfI6qGgpDHBLRFtPKGtEcdzcQax-KIPgk2jQ8qVYI2yjPfygelbP85P1-oDHyAebMPS1Vh/s1920/A%20Dickens%20of%20A%20Christmas%20Publicity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlD7NyV-H_zxEQdU0xWP7nsvDNi592VvHiUAQf24-OsLiU-mAa_DpKcK-aoVyfdl8qN0ZJp5ZKhrc6zUYKW8uNk_B1P3Ir2XuJB5I6wonFJut4VMZSPJpYRIfI6qGgpDHBLRFtPKGtEcdzcQax-KIPgk2jQ8qVYI2yjPfygelbP85P1-oDHyAebMPS1Vh/w400-h225/A%20Dickens%20of%20A%20Christmas%20Publicity.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Do
your holiday preparations ever leave you feeling like <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Bah Humbug!</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">?” Does
it sometimes seem like a challenge just to celebrate at all?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If this has ever been you, then join Pastor
Brian and your fellow church family and friends in rediscovering the real meaning
of Christmas through a holiday worship series called </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>A ‘DICKENS’ OF A
CHRISTMAS</b></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Offered at all of our
Sunday worship services December 3 - 24, you’ll experience the power of
Christmas like never before as we relate Charles Dickens’ familiar “<i>A Christmas
Carol</i>” to the biblical Christmas story.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">December
3 -- <i>The Chains We Forge</i> (Isaiah 61:1-3; Galatians 5:1)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Learning how to break the “chains” of
our past<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">December
10 -- </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Needing A Little Joy </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(Philippians 4:4-9)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">
Discovering the Joy of Christmas through Music </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> (presented by our Music Ministry)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">December
17 -- <i>The ‘Business’ of Humanity</i> (Micah 6:6-8; Luke 1:46-53)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">
Remembering our task of serving the needs of humankind</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">December
24 -- <i>The Person That I Was...</i> (Isaiah 6:1-7; Matthew 2:1-18)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 1.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">
Celebrating the power of Christmas to change us. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-65713082511435081362023-11-20T11:09:00.000-05:002023-11-20T11:09:01.846-05:00Three Ways To Be Thankful<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFLHa4OwqR8PLJli7dUNtiOKVfqhpVX-82GjDym6qV29PtrG5QxJEm6-HouY9zBkwn-7GcS3lR6GV9mDcTWgbF-cmsjvex9cfVGSpv5KsknthNjKO_7ZkIu0AyEVwkXIaVyLf4MtuFohA/s1600/Thanksgiving.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFLHa4OwqR8PLJli7dUNtiOKVfqhpVX-82GjDym6qV29PtrG5QxJEm6-HouY9zBkwn-7GcS3lR6GV9mDcTWgbF-cmsjvex9cfVGSpv5KsknthNjKO_7ZkIu0AyEVwkXIaVyLf4MtuFohA/s320/Thanksgiving.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;">“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing
praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the
morning, and your faithfulness by night.”</span></i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt;"> (Psalms 92:1-2)</span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Back
when I was still living at my parents' home in Fayetteville, I remember hearing my pastor share a Thanksgiving sermon
that was especially meaningful to me -- enough that I wrote down the main
points and have kept them all these years!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I share with you
these same “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Three Ways To Be Thankful</i>”
in the hope that they will inspire you as they did me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">During
Thanksgiving, we are challenged to have…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">1)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Thankful Minds</u></b> - learn to
become aware of all the blessings given to you by God… your family, friends,
health, and for people that helps us be the best we can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the words of a famous hymn, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Count your many blessings, see what God has
done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>In other words, learn to
acknowledge the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">outward</i> blessings of
God.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">2)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Thankful Hearts</u></b> -- Philippians
4:6 says “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t worry about anything, but
in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a
thankful heart.</i>” Learn to be thankful for the inner, spiritual “gifts” of
God in our lives… blessings that may not be outwardly apparent, but which one
can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">choose</i> to see as blessings with
the right perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could
include things like being “thankful” for being laid off, for an illness that
causes us to see our need for (and reliance on) God even more, and even learning
to be thankful for the troubles and trials of life that help us grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, learn to acknowledge the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inward</i> blessings of God.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">3)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Thankful Hands</u></b> -- James 1:22
says that we are to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be doers of the word
and not merely hearers who deceive themselves</i>.”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>“Hands” here represents our
actions and deeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we
are not called to keep our thankfulness of “mind” and of “heart” to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we’re called to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">show</i> thankfulness through what we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>through our loving and caring
for others, sharing their joys and sorrows, their good times and bad.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">My
prayer is that this Thanksgiving holiday, despite any challenges and hardships that you've faced lately, you’ll remember and enjoy God’s blessings
in your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But more than that, I pray
that you’ll also allow those blessings to inspire you to practice your
thankfulness in the three ways above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember,
God loves you and I do, too! </span>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-72376572690432475762023-11-03T09:21:00.003-04:002023-11-03T09:21:32.513-04:00Give Thanks for God's Saints<div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ctEILY8aW-pdfbfeGJMsTkndV_JgTNS-MA4v2WYhQ7fVxG2OOy_b3xtuN7D29Q2kLj8isGcXBkmluwl7JodUMZu_SB6vuTX-_1-zN7oPdgphXpWYOMjIjdiz18djn8QEbPEi0RyYxEGIr5bthFnlqyWIxpGbPP8aRccGgmIyayBZx9di4xyxVJ7MOgiq/s304/All-Saints-Sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="304" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ctEILY8aW-pdfbfeGJMsTkndV_JgTNS-MA4v2WYhQ7fVxG2OOy_b3xtuN7D29Q2kLj8isGcXBkmluwl7JodUMZu_SB6vuTX-_1-zN7oPdgphXpWYOMjIjdiz18djn8QEbPEi0RyYxEGIr5bthFnlqyWIxpGbPP8aRccGgmIyayBZx9di4xyxVJ7MOgiq/s1600/All-Saints-Sunday.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />“To the church of God that is in... [Coweta County], to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, </i><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>called to be saints...”</i> (1 Corinthians 1:2)</div><br /><i>“Rejoice in God’s saints, today and all days; a world without saints forgets how to praise.<br />Their faith in acquiring the habit of prayer, their depth of adoring, Lord, help us to share.<br /><br /></i><div><i>Some march with events to turn them God’s way; some need to withdraw, the better to pray.<br />Some carry the gospel through fire and through flood; our world is their parish; their purpose<br />is God.<br /><br /> Rejoice in those saints, unpraised and unknown, who bear someone’s cross or shoulder their <br />own. They shame our complaining, our comforts, our cares; what patience in caring, what<br />courage, is theirs!<br /><br /></i></div><div><i>Rejoice in God’s saints, today and all days, a world without saints forgets how to praise.<br />In loving, in living, they prove it is true: the way of self-giving, Lord, leads us to you.”</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">[--Fred Pratt Green, from the <u>United Methodist Hymnal</u>, #708]</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div> Each November 1st is “All Saints Day” on the church calendar -- a day for God’s people to celebrate and remember the lives of all God’s “saints”: those living now who call Jesus their Savior; and those who’ve gone on to be with the Lord this past year.<br /><br />I pray that you will join me this Sunday (November 5th) as we celebrate and remember the lives of all God’s “saints,” including those of our church membership who’ve gone on to be with the Lord this past year. Remember, God loves you and I do, too!</div>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-13607551043324158802023-10-03T13:08:00.000-04:002023-10-03T13:08:10.146-04:00Football Faith<p><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnXIdrLrGM0ikEv2Xr9qBEhVvJWddaduu4fsx786GzxarjXArJAAjykPey0nU241vJ-S1pwkf7nZZTKA6Ky6IkAjwvX6SUaxAKz7x60Th4Pa7xg0Xx2r0TUlC0ynEGPHweNA8UxJg8TYUFmrvNc3GirsGHPWAxyJRjucIh4bD7-rfVnT1hGdqOydt7Mun/s1920/Football%20Faith%20-%20MAIN%20GRAPHIC%20-%20JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnXIdrLrGM0ikEv2Xr9qBEhVvJWddaduu4fsx786GzxarjXArJAAjykPey0nU241vJ-S1pwkf7nZZTKA6Ky6IkAjwvX6SUaxAKz7x60Th4Pa7xg0Xx2r0TUlC0ynEGPHweNA8UxJg8TYUFmrvNc3GirsGHPWAxyJRjucIh4bD7-rfVnT1hGdqOydt7Mun/w400-h225/Football%20Faith%20-%20MAIN%20GRAPHIC%20-%20JPG.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><i style="text-align: center;"><br />“Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things
they do, to be generous, and to share with others. …That way they can take hold
of the life that truly is life”</i><span style="border: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">(1 Timothy 6:18-19, CEB)</span><p></p>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In the game of football, the ultimate goal is to
get the ball into the end zone. No team
ever wins a game without moving the ball forward, and -- likewise -- no <i>quarterback</i>
can advance the cause of the team without distributing the ball to others. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">So it is with the Christian faith:
growing and maturing as disciples of Jesus Christ requires us to share the
“ball” that God has given to us. In the scripture above from 1 Timothy 6, the
apostle Paul advises his young apprentice Timothy that </span><span style="border: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">s</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">haring is necessary not only for ourselves, but also in order for God’s
“team” (the church), to move forward on the “playing field” of life. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">From
October 15-29, through a spiritual journey called <b><u>Football Faith</u>, </b>we as a church will be exploring the value
of being part of God’s “team” through the practice of generosity: the sharing of our resources and lives for
the work of God’s kingdom. We’ll learn
the difference between ownership and stewardship, the importance of being a
“team player,” the great benefits of at least one God-given tool for sharing,
and the joy that results from generosity itself.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
by the time we celebrate <i>“Touchdown
Sunday”</i> in our one combined worship service on October 29, our hope is that
we will have been challenged to understand and claim how true life – true
“victory” -- is not found in what we <i>have</i>
(i.e., in “keeping the ball”) but in what we <i>give away</i> (i.e., in “passing the ball to others”). You won’t want to miss a single Sunday in
this unique and special spiritual journey!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the meantime, however, I ask you to join me and your church leadership in
praying that God will prepare our hearts to hear His message of transforming
generosity, and to commit to being present in worship each week as we do so!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember
that God loves you and I do, too!<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><span> </span><span> </span>Pastor
Brian<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-16097693085234115422023-08-22T12:01:00.002-04:002023-08-29T13:10:46.451-04:00<p><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUgdhQWrzzJIn-rRDJkJGxtm4V5-OMFdqJix_gaNVPRP-Ij1EQ04VT_Eqr5gFJrTMIts6nB2fggPpf3R0dinHcZ6_7EVu_8d1vwWz_56HLe7O-83KrFYynjt8nrRfnZefOJJY7G1dvA4YT1qqzsaBnZJD_miCF_6Gmcrdn3u0_rV7ld8XyvCU223lfXXr/s1080/Revive_SermomSeries_SocialMedia%20-%20JPG.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUgdhQWrzzJIn-rRDJkJGxtm4V5-OMFdqJix_gaNVPRP-Ij1EQ04VT_Eqr5gFJrTMIts6nB2fggPpf3R0dinHcZ6_7EVu_8d1vwWz_56HLe7O-83KrFYynjt8nrRfnZefOJJY7G1dvA4YT1qqzsaBnZJD_miCF_6Gmcrdn3u0_rV7ld8XyvCU223lfXXr/s320/Revive_SermomSeries_SocialMedia%20-%20JPG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“REVIVE: to return to consciousness or life; to become active or flourishing again.”</i> </div></i><div><br /></div><div>All things in life from time to time go through periods of stagnation, dryness, and lifelessness, where we “go through the motions” of work and living, but lack energy, passion, and meaning. In those times, for life to continue and thrive, we must experience revival. <p></p><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Join me September 3-October 1 as we share in a new worship series called “<b>REVIVE</b>” in which we’ll be using the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt to remind us of lessons about what it takes to experience personal and corporate revival, and for us all (like the Israelites eventually did) to find and live in our own “promised land.”<br /><br />September 3 – “<i>There’s A Burning Bush Near You</i>” (Exodus 3:1-12)<br /> <span> </span><span> </span>Experiencing revival by answering God’s call(s) <br /><br />September 10 – “<i>Cloud and Fire</i>” (Exodus 13:20-22) <br /><span> </span><span> </span>Experiencing revival by trusting God’s protection <br /><br />September 17 – “<i>Manna and Water</i>” (Exodus 16:2, 11-15 & 17:1 & 6-7) <br /><span> </span><span> </span>Experiencing revival by claiming God’s provision <br /><br />September 24 – “<i>Following God’s Directions”</i> (Exodus 20:1-17) <br /><span> </span><span> </span>Experiencing revival by allowing God to guide and lead us <br /><br />October 1 – <i>“Remember” </i>(Exodus 12:1-14) <br /><span> </span><span> </span>Experiencing revival by remembering God’s presence in all situations <div><span> </span><span> </span>and circumstances<br /><br />Remember that God loves you and I do, too!</div></div>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-89863505331264335872023-08-01T14:44:00.003-04:002023-08-01T14:44:50.956-04:00How to Live "The Great Life"<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMVigBN47SeliPMGy43BxAXepoyfMlJT8tTAim7a5WGjQs_tervrHdOtnQ1_kHuhmhwQlzTCZMIetk2pj5bPNZPY3Hz6mfxpVjsJEfTs3BRKIESoJsKLZAOGireLh1MWXuVJLym141R8dG1UTbupxU5wnyKb6gBM-2R-Y0cDuhxtadCBEdWVgBq3FB3gy/s1500/The%20Great%20Life%20Publicity%20MAIN.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMVigBN47SeliPMGy43BxAXepoyfMlJT8tTAim7a5WGjQs_tervrHdOtnQ1_kHuhmhwQlzTCZMIetk2pj5bPNZPY3Hz6mfxpVjsJEfTs3BRKIESoJsKLZAOGireLh1MWXuVJLym141R8dG1UTbupxU5wnyKb6gBM-2R-Y0cDuhxtadCBEdWVgBq3FB3gy/w400-h225/The%20Great%20Life%20Publicity%20MAIN.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />What are the essentials of a “great
life” with God?<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And how do we go about
practicing them?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When Jesus was asked
these questions, he didn’t share a statement of faith to sign, or give an elaborate
set of rationale propositions to adhere to.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Instead, he simply gave two commands for us to follow. 1700 years later,
the founder of Methodist Christianity, John Wesley, expressed these commands as
three simple guides that have remained at the heart of the living and practice
of faith ever since then.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During the first three weeks of August, join myself and your fellow Cornerstone UMC family in this 3-part series as together we explore what it takes to experience </span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">THE
GREAT LIFE</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> with God.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">August 6 – </span><i><span lang="PT" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Do No Harm</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Matthew 22:34-40;
Romans 13:9-10)</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">August 13 – </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do Good</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Luke
10:25-37)</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span> </span><span> </span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">August 20 – </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stay In Love With God</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
(Matthew 22:34-40; Col.2:6-7)</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> Remember that God loves you and I do, as well!</span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-71904569641026362652023-07-03T12:12:00.001-04:002023-07-03T12:12:54.811-04:00Faith Of Our Founders<div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOtUdi0J5W4rf92fVyKzmij97LhshLdVhVRog1s12Lq5acEPKrIvLcQtTVaCZmN7eAwRz91qXT1v7zBvwqYutCT2H530tm27pujfLcpNR1f1B2oQ1cXEMYBAOaUAHKU14hIZlpLrYTLLp/s1600/Americas+Founders.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623051701098044866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOtUdi0J5W4rf92fVyKzmij97LhshLdVhVRog1s12Lq5acEPKrIvLcQtTVaCZmN7eAwRz91qXT1v7zBvwqYutCT2H530tm27pujfLcpNR1f1B2oQ1cXEMYBAOaUAHKU14hIZlpLrYTLLp/s200/Americas+Founders.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" /></a><em>“Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord….”</em> (Psalm 33:12)<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">As we celebrate our nations founding, it is good for us to also recall the faith of those who were our founders. By no means could all of them be consider stalwart and orthodox church-goers. However, most of them did espouse and presume a Judeo-Christian spiritual context for America that is often either ignored or downplayed today. For example, consider some of the writings/sayings of our founders:<br /><br />--George Washington’s First Inaugural Speech (April 30, 1789): <em>“It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe... that His benedictions may consecrate to the... peoples of the U.S. a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes.... No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the U.S.”</em></div></div><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;"> [Jared Sparks, ed., THE WRITINGS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, 12 vols. (Boston: American Stationer’s Company, 1837, NY: F. Andrew’s, 1834-1847), Vol. XII, pp. 2-5]</span><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;"></span><br /><br />--Thomas Jefferson’s SECOND INAUGURAL SPEECH (1805): “<em>I shall need the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessities and comforts of life.” </em><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;">[March 4, 1805 in Saul K. Padover, ed., THE COMPLETE JEFFERSON, CONTAINING HIS MAJOR WRITINGS, PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED, EXCEPT HIS LETTERS(NY: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1943), p. 412]]</span><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;"></span><br /><br />--Benjamin Franklin: <em>“There is one God, Father of the Universe. That He is infinitely good, powerful, and wise. That He is omnipresent. That He ought to be worshiped, by adoration prayer and thanksgiving both in publick and private. That He loves such of His creatures as love and do good to others: and will reward them either in this world or hereafter... That knowledge and learning is to be cultivated, and Ignorance dissipated. That none but the virtuous are wise, that man’s perfection is in virtue”</em> <span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;">[Leonard Labaree, ed., THE PAPTERS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959), Vol. I, p. 213]</span><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;"></span><br /><br />In response, some have argued that statements such as these represent only pro-forma (i.e., “politically correct”) acknowledgements of religion from their authors, and do not therefore represent their personal views. However, the fact that they were written or said <em>at all </em>is significant – their authors must have believed enough truth about them to write or state them, whether they believed everything in them personally or not. As historian Noman Cousins explains, <em>“Not all of the founders acknowledged a formal faith, but it was significant that their view of [humanity] had a deeply religious foundation.”</em> <span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;">[Norman Cousins, ‘IN GOD WE TRUST: THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND IDEAS OF AMERICA'S FOUNDING FATHERS (Harper and Brothers, 1958), p. 10]</span><span style="color: #ffcc33; font-size: 85%;"></span><br /><br />The point here is that regardless of their own personal beliefs, our founders obviously recognized the truth that nations are only as strong as the moral and religious life that undergirds them, and that when that is threatened, the fabric of society begins to unravel.<br /><br />So, as we celebrate our nation’s birthday, may we celebrate by also remembering the God who has made it all possible, and by each of us helping to keep firm our commitment to being <em>“one nation, under God.” </em>Remember that God loves you and I do, too!<br />Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-57711113641614681592023-06-25T19:17:00.003-04:002023-06-25T19:17:45.176-04:00The Gospel According to Dogs<p><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7B_BIyKh-zHZNpKw9NQLHukHT8PMshdsF3Aag-kNX2LNmF9DzDZfdwCmnOU_1ewHOQZHFTpmkih4Zd5dikeaF8dHPvbsfsNcELjw_S2214x8nF4dZH8pjTQ6XR5DMtn-2MQ8SWkgMIkToaJ0X-_KA7G-T_UA6Z4_57aQgx9iPFciSiOgchWheWKUH1nI/s1920/MAIN%20The%20Gospel%20According%20to%20Dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7B_BIyKh-zHZNpKw9NQLHukHT8PMshdsF3Aag-kNX2LNmF9DzDZfdwCmnOU_1ewHOQZHFTpmkih4Zd5dikeaF8dHPvbsfsNcELjw_S2214x8nF4dZH8pjTQ6XR5DMtn-2MQ8SWkgMIkToaJ0X-_KA7G-T_UA6Z4_57aQgx9iPFciSiOgchWheWKUH1nI/w400-h225/MAIN%20The%20Gospel%20According%20to%20Dogs.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br />“Dogs
do much more than just keep us company and give us love and attention -- they
are models for how we can live better lives as humans.” </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So writes Robert L. Short in his book “</span><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Gospel According to Dogs: What Our Four-Legged Saints Can Teach Us</u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (HarperOne, 2007)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It's this book that I've used as inspiration </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">for a new four-part sermon
series of the same title that I'll be preaching at our worship services at Cornerstone U.M.C. June
25-July 23 (with the except of July 2). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This
light-hearted, yet genuine, exploration of a few lessons we can learn about
Christian faith from “</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">man’s best friend”</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> will give us all things to “chew
on” as we go through the “dog days of summer!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">June
25 -- <i>Woof! Goes the Christian</i> (2 Corinthians 5:17; Matthew 15:21-28</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 119%;">)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Remembering the Christian values of
humility, obedience & surrender</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">July
2 -- Patriotic Sunday Sermon and theme<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">July
9 -- <i>Did Someone Say Food?!</i>
(Matthew 5:6; Hebrews 12:1-2)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Recalling the importance of singleness
of purpose/devotion to God</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">July
16 -- <i>Handsome Without Clothes</i> (Matthew 7:6-8; Luke 12:1c-3)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Learning to be real/transparent with
others and God</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">July
23 -- <i>Faithful and True, Happy to See You!</i> (Luke 15:1-10; Zephaniah 3:17</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 119%;">)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 1.5in;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Celebrating God’s unconditional love</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To watch these sermons either live or via recording, visit our church's YouTube channel <b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDFf_K_HGbXu7vCuDHDNXww/streams" target="_blank">HERE</a></u></b>. In the meantime, remember that God loves you and I do, too!</span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-56027958186298937792023-05-30T11:41:00.002-04:002023-05-30T11:41:20.092-04:00Cruise Ship Christianity<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6GpodxCfDI-nNJPwbXNo86k3SZkgd4kETDk4D71M5KJZer3dRV19a1cqC84wUCEfwzlzi2YXp9gLpaEqWGeu0r384K9IqSF5PRqBcv7N6YFuQCgxjY6kUOT_r81gn2fd3OgBK9VirdlTbPzZueJcoZcU5_rphvo3-RVpjK1LzoeY8b0BF893HJCQKA/s225/Pentecost%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6GpodxCfDI-nNJPwbXNo86k3SZkgd4kETDk4D71M5KJZer3dRV19a1cqC84wUCEfwzlzi2YXp9gLpaEqWGeu0r384K9IqSF5PRqBcv7N6YFuQCgxjY6kUOT_r81gn2fd3OgBK9VirdlTbPzZueJcoZcU5_rphvo3-RVpjK1LzoeY8b0BF893HJCQKA/s1600/Pentecost%201.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />"Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 8:17</i></div><br />There once was a widowed woman who more than anything wanted to experience the enjoyment of just one, single cruise aboard a luxury cruise ship before she died. So, she saved up her hard-earned savings and finally bought a ticket for a trip on a famous cruise line.<br /><br />The day arrived for her departure, so she got on board and the ship set sail. Once seaborne, however, the woman never left her cabin. She ate food that she had smuggled aboard, and entertained herself in the cabin with games she had brought. All of this she did thinking that because she’d spent all she had on the cruise ticket, she wouldn’t be able to afford the high cost of the ship's meals or entertainment. What the woman didn't understand was that <i>the price of her cruise package <u>already included </u>all these things</i>. Consequently, she was living like a miser when she could have been “living-it-up” like a queen.<br /><br />All too often, we Christians are like this: living life in our OWN strength and power, all because we aren't aware that when we “purchased our ticket to heaven” by accepting Jesus, the Holy Spirit was <i>already included</i> “in the package.” The Spirit is imparted to each and every Christian in order to give us the strength and power and wisdom to actually help us to LIVE our Christian lives.<br /><br />Sometimes we need special experiences to help us understand, acknowledge, or “actualize” His presence, but it’s not like he’s never been within all the time -- when we become a Christian, we automatically receive the Holy Spirit. The question then becomes NOT <i>“Do we have the Holy Spirit?”</i> but <i>“Does the Holy Spirit have us?”</i> That is: have you allowed the power and presence of God’s Spirit to have free reign and access in your life? Or are you just skimping along, trying to live your Christian life and faith in your own strength and ability (and most often failing)?<br /><br />Well, this past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate that part God’s Holy Trinity who we all too often hear little about, but who is absolutely indispensable to our spiritual life. He is, after all, that part of God’s being whose constant presence helps and empowers us to be God's people. So, my prayer is that each day, you’ll remember and celebrate His power and presence within you and within each of us! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-52896194941063357972023-05-03T15:27:00.001-04:002023-05-03T15:33:15.861-04:00 New Mission/Purpose for Cornerstone U.M.C.<p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i4klQdcWKrM-0AtN8hbVsM-8S5Khezs2zFsGWuD_EooReZqJu-LFtPdDSwAWAsUIpBgb7ZTCyzNcCjCOkSLfwu_j-F9RX1xeEt0t3w8nLWZOlFoUvwJOn99fb7wtX94jI1UeS_Tf6wpCSREnPCGI8BbOp9XHRkNdUqYtvZLBoIFs6JQnOx37SVhgFg/s520/Mission%20Compass%20Graphic.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="520" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2i4klQdcWKrM-0AtN8hbVsM-8S5Khezs2zFsGWuD_EooReZqJu-LFtPdDSwAWAsUIpBgb7ZTCyzNcCjCOkSLfwu_j-F9RX1xeEt0t3w8nLWZOlFoUvwJOn99fb7wtX94jI1UeS_Tf6wpCSREnPCGI8BbOp9XHRkNdUqYtvZLBoIFs6JQnOx37SVhgFg/s320/Mission%20Compass%20Graphic.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i>“The
Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures
forever.” </i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(Psalms 138:8)</span><p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I am pleased to announce that our church’s
top leadership group (Church Council) recently received and adopted a
recommendation from our new Vision Team for a newly articulated
Mission/Purpose for Cornerstone UMC, which is as follows:</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><u><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Creating a community that reflects the love of Jesus by<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></u></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) Nurturing individuals through healing and spiritual
growth;<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) Connecting groups through relationships; and<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt; text-align: center;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) Impacting our diverse world through acts of service</b></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The mission we’ve adopted above
describes what we feel to be our church’s DNA and “reason for being” -- it
captures the essence of Cornerstone’s current ministry and work as a congregation
of Jesus Christ. Our members and friends
will start seeing and hearing more about this new mission (and perhaps even some
further renditions of it that are shorter and more “marketable”) in future church
communications.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">However, I wanted to share its adoption
with you today as a new articulation of the foundation out of which – over the
next few months -- our church’s Vision Team will be prayerfully discerning God’s
Vision together for the next 2-5 years of our future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; tab-stops: 91.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Remember that God loves you and I do,
too!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-49324393154372754582023-04-25T21:48:00.007-04:002023-09-14T08:08:06.577-04:00TRUTH FROM FICTION: “Splits,” “Heresy,” & Lawsuits in Contemporary American Methodism?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWtKZ2y18JawuDbn01eaKI3G0pKjnG4t0YolVOcBO7yCFs7R33ypgDnQvYYUTrTshGkqZ_BEgSCg9niBq0MvIC5I2T7UEW8WC_PJC7eksGp-wJCS_Z3PMIXG1LbdUKJjSOud1dlcaWiFVgXKsfeszU7dNJBB5kRF4g_zuiT2WaovzZJFaUlKUePLtSw/s1200/Whats%20Next%20for%20the%20UMC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWtKZ2y18JawuDbn01eaKI3G0pKjnG4t0YolVOcBO7yCFs7R33ypgDnQvYYUTrTshGkqZ_BEgSCg9niBq0MvIC5I2T7UEW8WC_PJC7eksGp-wJCS_Z3PMIXG1LbdUKJjSOud1dlcaWiFVgXKsfeszU7dNJBB5kRF4g_zuiT2WaovzZJFaUlKUePLtSw/s320/Whats%20Next%20for%20the%20UMC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.</i>” (John 17:20-21a)</div><br />Over the past half year or more, many (if not most) of you reading this have read or heard about various conflict and division facing contemporary Methodist Christianity in today’s American culture. While the current controversies are rooted in debate and challenges that have been around since the early 1970s, various events have caused them to come to a head over the last four years, and to make an even greater “splash” over the past 12 months. <br /><br />Unfortunately, much of what is making the rounds on the internet, social media, interpersonal gossip networks, and in secular media is based on a lot of <i>misinformation </i>(and even, unfortunately, some intentional DIS-information). This means that much of what you may hear or read is either blatantly untrue, or at the very least, grossly distorted. <br /><br />While our primary focus at Cornerstone United Methodist Church is intentionally not on the details of these challenges, but on creating and being a community which reflects and shares the love of Jesus with others, we nevertheless need to be aware of the reality of this misinformation out in the public, and how it can negatively affect our witness and focus on being Jesus to the world. <br /><br />In an attempt to provide you with a resource for discerning truth from fiction regarding the current challenges facing contemporary Methodism, I want to encourage and invite you to read the following set of articles from our denomination’s UMC.org website, which seek to address the most common questions being asked by people today (perhaps even by many of you). A reasonable person doesn’t even have to agree (or trust) the veracity of all of these “official” responses to be able still to recognize and acknowledge that not all things reported as “true” are always the one and only “truth” – that there are always more ways to interpret and understand an issue than merely the sensational aspects which are popularly reported and passed around as “truth.” <br /><br />So, with that in mind, below the following list is the website where you will find responses to many various iterations of the question “<i>Is the United Methodist Church really…” </i><br /><br />● Changing the Bible or altering our core doctrine? <br /><br />● Splitting at this time? <br /><br />● Asking biblical “traditionalists” to leave the denomination? <br /><br />● Asking all local churches to vote on whether to remain in The United Methodist Church or join the newly formed Global Methodist Church? <br /><br />● Ignoring or refusing to implement our own church’s statements, restrictions, and requirements regarding practicing homosexuals and same sex weddings? <br /><br />● Dropping (or going to drop at General Conference in 2024) all current prohibitions related to human sexuality? <br /><br />● Forcing (or going to force) congregations that don’t want a self-avowed practicing homosexual as a pastor or deacon to accept one? <br /><br />● Going to require local churches and/or their pastor to host same-sex weddings? <br /><br />● Going to renew the legal allowance for disaffiliation (Book of Discipline, Paragraph 2553) at the next General Conference in 2024? <br /><br />● …and responses to many other questions. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc--series-is-the-umc-really"><b><span style="font-size: large;">IS THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH REALLY…?</span></b></a></div> <br />While I do want to encourage you to read the complete article responses, the short answer to each of these questions is “<i>NO!</i>” Given this reality, it is disturbing and unnerving that so many people in our culture (and many members of the United Methodist Church) have fallen under the spell of this misleading misinformation, leading to two major consequences: <br /><br />(#1) using a paragraph (2553) in our latest Book of Discipline that is open through December 2023, many United Methodist Churches around America have chosen to undergo a process of discernment about whether or not to “disaffiliate” (i.e., exit/leave) the U.M.C. denomination entirely; and <br /><br />(#2) the unilateral formation (not mutual “split”) in 2022 of the <i>Global Methodist Church</i> (or GMC, a more conservative branch of Methodist Christianity). As a clergy colleague of mine commented in a recent email about these phenomenon, "<i>I find it ironic that so many are jumping off a ship [meaning the United Methodist Church] that isn’t sinking.</i>" How sad but true are his words!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What about the current Disaffiliation Lawsuit</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>against the NGA UM Conference?</i></span></b></div><br />Doubtless some of you are also aware that late last year, our then-Bishop announced that she was pausing the ability of UMCs in the North Georgia Conference to continue their “disaffiliation discernment” process due to the “<i>misleading, defamatory, and false statements and materials shared with local church members by certain organizations as well as clergy and lay members of various churches and outside groups” </i>leading to a lack of<i> “confidence in the validity of upcoming church conference disaffiliation votes.”</i> You can read the entire rationale for pausing the disaffiliation process <a href="https://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/north-georgia-conference-to-pause-disaffiliation-process-17216662">HERE</a>. As a result of this pause, nearly 200 North Georgia U.M.C.s filed a lawsuit in late March against the North Georgia Conference, feeling that their “rights” had been abridged. Read about this lawsuit <a href="https://www.umnews.org/en/news/187-churches-sue-north-georgia-conference">HERE</a>. <br /><br />While I understand the concern and feelings of these churches (some which I have served as Pastor or on staff), I must nevertheless respectfully disagree both with their lawsuit and the purported motives behind it. For one, most of these seem to be based on a faulty assumption: the disaffiliation provisions of Paragraph 2553 were graciously provided specifically to allow those churches who felt the 2019 General Conference decisions were too <i>harsh </i>(i.e., generally <i>progressive </i>churches) to be able to leave the denomination. Yet, most every church that has applied to use this paragraph to exit has done so claiming their fear of a change in the <u>Book of Discipline</u> that has <i>not yet happened</i>. In other words, their argument of why they want to leave the denomination seems to be based NOT on the faith-reality of what now IS, but their fear of a potential “WHAT IF” of the future. What they are failing to acknowledge is that if the denomination were to change our current <u>Book of Discipline</u> LGBTQ prohibitions in the future (i.e., at General Conference 2024 or 2028), I have no doubt that those who are fearful of such things would most assuredly be given an opportunity to exit the denomination graciously with their property and honor intact (as was given to progressive Methodists in the 2019 adoption of Paragraph 2553). However, the current provisions were not designed for a conservative exit based on “what ifs” (which is what most of those filing the lawsuit are advocating for). <br /><br />Not only that, but despite the pretense that the lawsuit is aimed at protecting the “right” of churches who want to make their own choice based on their view of the high authority of scripture, they are seemingly overlooking the fact that lawsuits against fellow Christians are blatantly and clearly <i>unbiblical </i>(read 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, where Paul makes it clear – especially in verse 9 -- that those who do this put themselves in the same company as the “<i>wrongdoers who will not inherit the kingdom of God”</i>). As such, in my humble opinion, the current fear and panic of so many churches in pushing to engage in a “disaffiliation process” – to the point of disregarding the clear imperatives of scripture by suing their fellow Christians -- is not only ungracious and unnecessary, but also <i>unbiblical</i>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What Does This Mean for United </i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Methodism </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">of the Future?</span></b></i></div><br />All that I’ve discussed here begs the question, “<i>What does all of this mean for United Methodist Christianity of the future? And what does and will it mean to <u>be </u>and to <u>live </u>as a <u>UNITED </u>Methodist Christian, both today and in that future?” </i><br /><br />As a United Methodist Christian for all my life, and as a United Methodist Pastor now for 34 years, I shared a number of answers to these questions in a sermon series (“<i>Christianity the Wesleyan Way</i>”) that I preached at Cornerstone UMC January 8-February 12, 2023 (view these sermons on YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@cornerstoneumc4575/streams">HERE</a>). You can also read more about these themes in my 2020 book of the same title found on Amazon.com <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christianity-Wesleyan-Way-Principles-Practices/dp/1945935693/">HERE</a>. <br /><br />But in addition to what I’ve shared personally and professionally, the following link on our NGA Conference website has many articles, blogs and videos to help interpret these questions and also to share thoughts about the future of our UMC denomination that I invite you to read for yourself… <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ngumc.org/beumc"><b><span style="font-size: large;">BE UMC Articles on NGA Conference Site</span></b></a></div><br />The bottom line: through all the divisions, disruptions, and challenges we have been facing recently, God is in the process of birthing new forms of Methodist Christianity: some forms will be more conservative/traditional in view and practice (like the G.M.C.); some forms will be more liberal/progressive in view and practice (there have been discussions of a more progressive branch of Methodism breaking away from the U.M.C. in the future); and still other forms will hold both conservative and liberal qualities in tensional balance through what is currently referred to as “centrist” views and practices (such as will likely be found in the future U.M.C.). The tensions we experienced as a denomination over the past 10-20 years were but the labor-pains; but now we are experiencing the birth process itself. Yet, if that is true, then let’s not forget that all births are uncomfortable, messy, and painful. And unfortunately, to some people birth feels so much like death that they have a hard time seeing beyond the pain and mess to the more beautiful and lovely thing that’s created as a result of it. All of this is certainly what we’re experiencing now. <br /><br />Another biblical metaphor for what we’re experiencing is the “pruning” parable that Jesus describes in John 15:1-2, where God “prunes” that which is not bearing fruit, so that what is left can actually begin to bear fruit again. For many years, there have been parts of the (old) United Methodist Church which (truthfully, I agree) have not borne spiritual fruit. Yet, in the recent creation of newer forms of Methodist Christianity now found in the U.M.C. and G.M.C., each “pruned” branch has a better opportunity to produce genuine spiritual fruit in their future. <br /><br />Consequently, I do not live in a state of “doom and gloom” or “panic-mode” (as some people appear to be doing) about either the present or the future of Methodist Christianity. It (actually Christianity, in general), has undergone numerous divisions and reunifications throughout its history (1792, 1830, 1844, 1870, 1939, and 1968!), making the divisions of 2020 and 2022 neither the <i>first </i>such things in our Methodist history, <i>nor the last</i>. God’s church is “bigger” than any division, and tends to be more resilient and durable than we humans think that it is because it is <i>GOD’S </i>church and not <i>OURS</i>! As a result, God’s work and power in the world has and will continue through the differing expressions of Methodism. <br /><br />My heart breaks for the hurt and wounded feelings that these contemporary challenges and parting-of-ways are causing. I have many laity friends and clergy colleagues who are choosing to go a different way than myself and my family. But I still love them and pray that God will use them in their own way(s) to reach and touch people with the gospel of Jesus. In the meantime, despite its flaws (and each branch has these) my family and I choose to remain part of the branch of Methodist Christianity called the <i>United </i>Methodist Church, not only because it has fed and nurtured us in our Christian walk thus far, but also because, for us, it has both the greatest <i>power </i>and <i>possibility </i>to continue to do so into the future. <br /><br />I understand and accept the fact that not all who read this article will agree with this assessment, or of all that I’ve written. Nevertheless, regardless of one’s personal views on the individual topics discussed herein, if we follow Jesus, then we can hopefully at least agree that we all have a common responsibility to respect one another in Christian love, and when we do disagree, to do so in way that honors Jesus, who we both love and serve (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). <br /><br />My prayer, then, is that whatever you believe or wherever you stand on the issues, we can still work together as partners in faith to share the love of Jesus with the community and world around us, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Only then can the unity of the Church that Jesus prays about in John 17:21 come to pass. Always remember -- no matter who you are (or whether or not you agree with <i>me</i>) – that God loves you and I do, too!Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-1787272725222198402023-04-09T06:00:00.000-04:002023-04-09T06:00:00.194-04:00He's Alive!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5z2OP9L65QoLq5SWGZdl777pJQtvswfFGrt87coOAnIXgBBUvIRAiMLwDuforyRkT5YDITA2IVUwGnlzT-V9FrHAkfKldkZrFeeIPlLyHwYCmLy1NSjBPy3wmv9YB-J7v8xrPMxkh7Gu/s1600/Easter+-+Empty+Tomb.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5z2OP9L65QoLq5SWGZdl777pJQtvswfFGrt87coOAnIXgBBUvIRAiMLwDuforyRkT5YDITA2IVUwGnlzT-V9FrHAkfKldkZrFeeIPlLyHwYCmLy1NSjBPy3wmv9YB-J7v8xrPMxkh7Gu/s200/Easter+-+Empty+Tomb.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>“</i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">Why do you look for the living among
the dead? He is not here, but has risen!” (Luke 24:5)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">Growing up as
a young Christian, I remember one of the most meaningful songs I heard on the
radio was a Contemporary Christian rock ballad by Don Francisco called “<i>He’s Alive!”</i> It later went on to become the 1980 Dove
Award’s Song of the Year. Because it is written in ballad form, you don’t need
to know the tune to enjoy the power of its words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">“The gates and doors
were barred and all the windows fastened down,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">I spent the night in
sleeplessness and rose at every sound,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Half in hopeless
sorrow half in fear the day,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Would find the
soldiers crashing through to drag us all away.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Then just before the
sunrise I heard something at the wall,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">The gate began to
rattle and a voice began to call,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">I hurried to the
window and looked down to the street,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Expecting swords and
torches and the sound of soldiers feet,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">There was no one
there but Mary so I went down to let her in,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">John stood there
beside me as she told us where she'd been,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">She said they moved
him in the night and none of us knows where,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">The stone's been
rolled away and now his body isn't there.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">We both ran toward
the garden then John ran on ahead,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">We found the stone
and the empty tomb just the way that Mary said,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">But the winding sheet
they wrapped him in was just an empty shell,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">And how or where
they'd taken him was more than I could tell.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Something strange had
happened there but what I did not know,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">John believed a
miracle but I just turned to go,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Circumstance and
speculation couldn't lift me very high,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Cause I'd seen them
crucify him and then I'd watched him die,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Back inside the house
again all the guilt and anguish came,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Everything I'd
promised him just added to my shame,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">But at last it came
to choices I denied I knew his name,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Even If he was alive
it wouldn't be the same.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">But suddenly the air
was filled with a strange and sweet perfume,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Light that came from
everywhere drove shadows from the room,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Jesus stood before me
with his arms held open wide,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">And I fell down on my
knees and clung to him and cried,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">He raised me to my
feet and as I looked into his eyes,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Love was shining out
from him like sunlight from the sky,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Guilt and my
confusion disappeared in sweet release,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">And every fear I'd
ever had just melted into peace.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">He's alive, He's
alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Heavens gates are
open wide.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">He's alive, He's
alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Heavens gates are
open wide.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">He's alive, He's
alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 11pt;">Heavens gates are
open wide. He's alive!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt;">[--Written &
performed by Don Francisco, </span></b><b><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt;">1980 Dove Award Song
of the Year </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 10pt;">© Warner/Chappell
Music Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group]</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">May the news
that Jesus is alive bring hope and joy to <i>your</i>
life today! Remember, God loves you and
I do, too!</span></div>
Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-53343910607515103532023-04-06T15:49:00.003-04:002023-04-27T12:34:47.949-04:00A Remembrance of Jesus -- Staff-prepared Good Friday Video from Cornerstone UMC<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><a href="https://vimeo.com/815446384?share=copy" target="_blank">VIEW VIDEO HERE</a></u></b></span></div><br /><p></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-80552743238909715972023-04-02T09:00:00.001-04:002023-04-02T09:00:00.199-04:00The Paradox of Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOlzdlBcVB02anWQHYqUoFcGpV-epJo6rgxU6gJgIEjOIi-P877Yv3Bu5gBTVzCt_WEHHTVrOyr5ZJGWE1Re_bEwnwf2isnygve2Q7oAPUNqLTrqqIMVVIdy1A9-iIlFddeLmH2gOn63m/s1600/Jesus+on+Donkey.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOlzdlBcVB02anWQHYqUoFcGpV-epJo6rgxU6gJgIEjOIi-P877Yv3Bu5gBTVzCt_WEHHTVrOyr5ZJGWE1Re_bEwnwf2isnygve2Q7oAPUNqLTrqqIMVVIdy1A9-iIlFddeLmH2gOn63m/s1600/Jesus+on+Donkey.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">“</span></i><!--[if supportFields]><i><span
lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span> SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1</span></i><![endif]--><!--[if supportFields]><i><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span></i><![endif]--><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">Think of yourself the way Christ Jesus
thought of himself. </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">He had equal status with God, but... instead, he lived a </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">selfless, obedient life and then died
a selfless, obedient </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">death – and the worst kind of death at
that: a crucifixion.” </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">(Philippians 2:5,8, <u>The Message</u>)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">On that
first Palm Sunday, with all the shouts of “<i>Hosanna</i>!” and “<i>Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the Lord!”,</i> one would have expected Jesus to
enter Jerusalem on a mighty horse --a symbol of might and power. </span>But instead, he chose a lowly donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before he could come as a King to reign, he
had to come as a Savior to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Consider the many contrasts of Jesus' life, described by one writer:</div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He
who is the Bread of Life began his ministry </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">hungering;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He who is the Water of Life ended his ministry
thirsting;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ hungered as a human, yet fed the hungry
as God;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was weary, yet he is our perfect rest;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He paid tribute, yet he is a King himself;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was called the Devil, yet he cast out
demons;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He prayed, and yet he is the one who hears our
prayers;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wept, and yet he is the one who dries our
tears;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, yet he
redeems </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">sinners;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, yet he
is called</span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>'The Good Shepherd';<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He who is the Resurrection gave up his own
life, and by </span></i><i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">dying,
he destroyed </span></i></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif""> death itself.”</span></i><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif">As we begin
Holy Week today on Palm-Passion Sunday, it is good to recall
the wondrous love that God has for each one of us in giving his only son for
our salvation.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Remember,
Jesus suffered and died then so that we might have victory and life today as
Christians. Our salvation might be free to us, but it cost Jesus everything!
Blessed, therefore, is Christ, who comes in the name of the Lord!</span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Remember, God loves you and I do, too!</span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-10535477708846298102023-03-28T10:59:00.003-04:002023-03-28T11:04:07.569-04:00Be Still My Soul - Hope In the Midst of Congregational Loss<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DZ8GtFlQsWNXfhB-BTwPtq7iXONnDkYC1qIVV1XYY-G73CAIsw3PNJi01Kwi2OoJxfRxBJwhDcaVsAalbqsceE9937AOvZQCil-MyAm3qsHIlGP8fKtHDLKlOeZj690rQ7n2IPr0bRe_hW4zfPHqQSx-rHkGAHstZMtB7QxHYXcNSfeMDKkhuGHMCA/s1200/be-still-my-soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DZ8GtFlQsWNXfhB-BTwPtq7iXONnDkYC1qIVV1XYY-G73CAIsw3PNJi01Kwi2OoJxfRxBJwhDcaVsAalbqsceE9937AOvZQCil-MyAm3qsHIlGP8fKtHDLKlOeZj690rQ7n2IPr0bRe_hW4zfPHqQSx-rHkGAHstZMtB7QxHYXcNSfeMDKkhuGHMCA/w400-h210/be-still-my-soul.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Lord is close to the
brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.”<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (Psalms 34:18)</span></div><p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“’Be still and know that I am God! I am
exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with
us; </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">the God of Jacob is our refuge’ Selah”</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (Psalms 46:10-11)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Over the last
three months, we as a church family have faced an unusually challenging and traumatic
season in which we have lost nine of our members to death. While we certainly celebrate their homecoming
resurrection in heaven, they will be sorely missed by us here on earth. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As part of
this, I am also fully aware of how these consecutive losses have taken an
emotional toll on each of us both as <i>individual </i>church members and
friends, and as a congregation as a <i>whole</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Yet, even in
the midst of these heartbreaking losses, I wanted to offer not only the two scriptures
above (from Psalm 34 and Psalm 46) but also to offer the lyrics of a famous
Christian hymn that I hope will provide to each (and all) of us an invitation to
-- and source for -- courage and hope in this difficult season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 1899, hymnwriter
Jean Sibelius read the lyrics of a poem by Katharina von Schlegel from a
century earlier and was led to set them to a famous tune that ended up creating
one of the most enduring Christian hymns – one that we still sing today:</span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy
side;</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">bear patiently the cross of grief or
pain;</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">leave to thy God to order and provide;</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">in every change He faithful will remain.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly
Friend</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">through thorny ways leads to a joyful
end.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: thy God doth
undertake</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">to guide the future as He has the past.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing
shake;</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">all now mysterious shall be bright at
last.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: the waves and winds
still know</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">His voice, who ruled them while He dwelt
below.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: when dearest friends
depart,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">and all is darkened in the veil of
tears,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">then shalt thou better know His love,
His heart,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy
fears.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">from His own fullness all He takes away.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening
on</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">when we shall be forever with the Lord,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">when disappointment, grief, and fear are
gone,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">sorrow forgot, love's purest joys
restored.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Be still, my soul: when change and tears
are past,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”</span></i></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[--Words
by Katharina von Schlegel (1752), Tune “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius (1899),
found in <u>The United Methodist Hymnal</u> #534]</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">May each of our
souls “<i>be still and know</i>" that God is with us through all the losses we’ve
experienced lately. May we remember that
the Lord is <i>“close to the brokenhearted” </i>(us!) and that – as the hymn
says -- “<i>in every change He faithful will
remain!” </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Whatever loss, change or transition you are facing today, I invite you
to join me in trusting that God is with you and with us all! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-25872529278398657832023-03-13T09:00:00.013-04:002023-03-13T09:00:00.278-04:00What's YOUR "Wrap"?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKqLwvEZkAA4PUaUgK8cyFjnNa3nzo_d03nsvrGd2nw57pRSQxXITqLRgLkh0sEPqQTxlPGCUhidlPmxIEWigRdmWt-J1bDXKBrekAfI92xbSqra6v4PwpVpbXIx-sakwxiWoJ4MDGZJFCjO4oLx8tiKniR7NCWnxcQx5fuj4WS8LK-BVAxEXiM5ScA/s1920/March%2019%20Sermon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKqLwvEZkAA4PUaUgK8cyFjnNa3nzo_d03nsvrGd2nw57pRSQxXITqLRgLkh0sEPqQTxlPGCUhidlPmxIEWigRdmWt-J1bDXKBrekAfI92xbSqra6v4PwpVpbXIx-sakwxiWoJ4MDGZJFCjO4oLx8tiKniR7NCWnxcQx5fuj4WS8LK-BVAxEXiM5ScA/w400-h225/March%2019%20Sermon.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />In my March 19, 2023 sermon, I used the encounter with Jesus in the story of him raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:32-45) to talk about the various things that "wrap us up" and keep us from being who God wants us to be. What you find below is the content of the "<i>What's Your Wrap?</i>" handout that I provided for in-person worshippers to complete that day. <p></p><p>As you read this online, I invite you either to print this post out and then to circle (or separately to write down) the item(s) you feel are binding you up in your life... things that are keeping you from being the person that God wants you to be. So, what is it that you are "wrapped up" by?</p><p>☹ Stress and Worry? ...About your job, family, marriage, children, finances, friendships, etc.</p><p>☹ Fear? ...Of failure, illness, success, loneliness, the unknown, the future, the present, the past</p><p>☹ Memories? ...Painful memories of tragedies, personal mistakes, or hurt caused by others</p><p>☹ Harmful, Unhealthy Attitudes? ...Such as anger, bitterness, apathy, unforgiveness, un-dealt-with grief, etc.</p><p>☹ Illness or sickness? ...Is it a chronic illness or medical issue that is preventing you from reaching your potential for God?</p><p>☹ Grief? ...Is grief over the loss of a loved one, friend, job, marriage, or even a pet hindering your walk with God? </p><p>☹ Destructive, Unhealthy Behaviors? ...Bad habits and/or addictions to things like smoking, abusive drinking of alcohol, drugs, pornography / sexual addiction, gambling, overeating</p><p>☹ Selfishness? ...Which can include pride/arrogance (too high a view of ourselves = a refusal to allow God to keep us humble), low self-esteem (too low a view of ourselves = a refusal to see ourselves as God’s sees us, as His child), materialism (too attached to “things”) and perfectionism (setting standards for ourselves or others too high)</p><p>☹ Smugness/comfortableness ? The mentality “it’s the way I’ve always done things” and “it’s just the way I am” can sometimes reveal that our own comfort is more important than the doing of God’s will and God’s way</p><p>☹ Prejudice and/or Jealousy? ...Towards people or persons who look, dress, act, or think differently than you. If followed to their ultimate end, these can lead to hate and violence</p><p>☹ Other? _______________________________________________________________ </p><div>After you've circled or written down the item(s) you feel have gotten you "all wrapped up," at some appropriate time, take them outside and burn the paper as a sign that you're committing them to God for Him to bring about healing and resurrection in your life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!</div>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1705596180287705363.post-81616425870533732272023-02-14T11:32:00.000-05:002023-02-14T11:32:21.376-05:00Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John<p><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowN9W3e-VySMkz6IJ4zsSfOEzRiK4WG4xwjbv9sw5YvZDI6ENG4Pri_7Hxlko2hUSk3oZotz3QZsNZWVqYD90pFrdlZLjC4HOqTQ2FbNDrdXXR3INA8qklMNrD9k3EkVtaIqyhG-MgOHpLvGD1BwwL0LNHfKlOiJHAYuImShgVjaIIbpSe1fy4Vgd5w/s1920/Encounters%20with%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Gospel%20of%20John%20PUBLICITY%20GRAPHIC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowN9W3e-VySMkz6IJ4zsSfOEzRiK4WG4xwjbv9sw5YvZDI6ENG4Pri_7Hxlko2hUSk3oZotz3QZsNZWVqYD90pFrdlZLjC4HOqTQ2FbNDrdXXR3INA8qklMNrD9k3EkVtaIqyhG-MgOHpLvGD1BwwL0LNHfKlOiJHAYuImShgVjaIIbpSe1fy4Vgd5w/w400-h225/Encounters%20with%20Jesus%20in%20the%20Gospel%20of%20John%20PUBLICITY%20GRAPHIC.png" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br />“<u>Encounter</u>:
to experience, be faced with, or meet someone or something unexpectedly.” </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Life is often full of
encounters that leave their negative mark on the remainder of our earthly lives
– accidents; sickness; unemployment; loss of a loved one; and so on. But an encounter with Jesus is something positive
that can impact and change our lives for the better, for now and forever. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Join Pastor Brian during the Christian season of Lent (February 26 - April 2) as he
explores how five encounters with Jesus in the <i>past </i>can change us in the
<i>present </i>and for the <i>future</i>, as well!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">February
26 – </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When the Wine Runs Out </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(John 2:1-11)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Discovering God’s abundance from
Jesus at a wedding encounter</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">March
5 – </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Four Great Wonders </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(John 3:1-4, 10-17)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Unpacking the greatest Bible passage
from Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">March
12 – <i>The Forgotten Water Jar </i>(John 4:7-30)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Discovering rearranged priorities
from an encounter with Jesus</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">March
19 – <i>All Wrapped Up </i>(John 11:32-45)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Discovering new life from Jesus in
an encounter with death</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">March
26 – (Passiontide Music Celebration – One combined service at 11am)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">April
2 (Palm/Passion Sunday) – </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Meaning of the Cross</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (John 19:16-30)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Learning the meaning of the cross of
Jesus from those who first encountered it</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">● </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">April
9 (Easter; </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">not technically
part of the series, but still preached from John)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> – <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i>Running on Empty </i>(John 20:1-9)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Learning to live life not <i>on</i>
empty, but on the power <i>of</i> empty <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rev. Dr. Brian Germanohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10036056006315168284noreply@blogger.com0