The Downtown Church

We are officially POSTPONING the church picnic on Sunday. It looks like Mother Nature isn’t going to cooperate, with the heat index forecasted to be 105! A new date is TBD.

We are hoping the weekend looks cooler soon! We will make an announcement by Friday afternoon whether the picnic is on or postponed. Stay tuned, and pray for cooler temps.

As the years pass, my love for United Methodism has grown for all these reasons. Our understanding of grace is a game changer for so many. Learning that God is always reaching out to us. That God is always wanting a relationship with us. That God never, ever gives up on us. God is a God of love and the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ shows us that love. Out of this love comes redemption, salvation, and the ability to become people who are able to love God and neighbor. John 3:16 and 17 should always go together.

Everyone. The World. Not to condemn. To save.

Dinners Together Hosts, Church Picnic, Route 66, and the Youth Schedule! - https://mailchi.mp/3fb96b209d42/the-news-from-the-pews-10976978

A big weekend in Downtown Springfield! Make plans to join the fun at the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival and support our local businesses!

As I get older, I’m learning to be okay with a little mystery in my life. I don’t need to solve every problem or answer every question, as much as I feel like it might make my days easier. But maybe learning to live within that mystery is good for us, or at least it connects us to Christians who’ve had the same questions for generations. The Greek word used in the early church for sacrament is mysterion, usually translated mystery. It indicates that through sacraments, God discloses things that are beyond human capacity to know through reason alone. We might even say that sacraments are God’s “show and tell,” communicating with us in a way that we, in all our brokenness and limitations, can receive and experience God’s grace.

So maybe our goal isn’t to prove our faith beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s not to collect all the evidence. Perhaps, instead, our goal is to share these moments and mysteries together. Like Jesus, I, too, have eagerly desired to share this meal with you, for it is a constant reminder that I’m not alone. That I have a family. That I have been grafted into the vine along with all of you. And though the work ahead is daunting and tiring, I will not be working alone. WE continue the work of Jesus together baptizing with water and sharing the bread and cup—very real signs of God’s grace in this world.

What a fun month of summer hangs! BIG thanks to all the hosts!

We are loved. We are connected, to God and to each other—and then best of all there’s plenty of room for everyone. For all. We don’t have to think through who is acceptable for the guest list. The guest list is already made and it says EVERYONE. So, we can just set about living a winsome life of love with everyone. Vital piety.