Aurora UMC

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PARISH PASTOR PONDERINGS

Greetings in Christ,

What a wonderful summer of Miracles that we have experienced with Vacation Bible School, Wednesday Evening Worship, Ministry Plans and the many individuals who gave of their leadership skills during the summer to make meaningful decisions for the betterment of our churches. God has blessed each one of us within our daily lives.

The season changes to fall, to commitments, and to the start of our church activities. Of course, that means you will be asked to share some of your time and talents. What will your response be?

Consider the text from Jeremiah 1:4-10. Is your service to the church like the call of Jeremiah in that text? On the other hand, is it a call of nothingness and like Jeremiah, you have some misgivings. Jeremiah is looking at a lifetime call. No wonder he is experiencing some anguish. “No, no, not me. Get somebody else.” Jer.1:10. Is God calling you to serve in your church? Perhaps that is the problem. We have forgotten the difference between a profession and a call to serve. The one is what we do for a living; the other is our life's work in ministry, which covers support of our church and the community. The work force is significantly grayer than it used to be, people are immersed in professional - not vocational - activity well into their 60s, even 70s. Two-parent families have two incomes now, and single-parent homes are commonplace. There simply is not much time left for sharing. In addition, if there is time left over at all, we want to relax and invest our spare time recreationally. We do not want doing good deeds to get in the way of having a good time. The truth is the impulse to serve the church is very much alive. People say “yes” to support the events and projects of the church, but when it comes to participating in those events and the help needed for the project.. . . well, therein lies the difference. The attitude needs to change from, “I am only one person so what difference does it make if I do not attend.” The change needs to be, “I am the one person who can make the BIG difference.” Too often, the church lamely tries to blame its lack of ministry on the lack of servants in the church, when, in fact, the servants are there. Service for your church is alive and well. Show the health of your church by your participation in attendance and the events that are happening at the church. The point is that the Jeremiah is not about a guilt trip but a faith trip. God is calling. Both the church and your service must answer in faith. So, in more ways then one, answer your churches call as well as the call in your heart. From Luke 28:28, "The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve.”

Blessings,

Pastor Barb

Trinity UMC

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