Erika and Andrew Grimm attended church with us on Sunday before returning home to Cedar Park, Texas.
Butch Belew reports he is feeling better and looking forward to using his new hip joint and our congregation is looking forward to seeing Butch back in church.
Jill Moore says her mom, Jo Ann Pate, continues to do well.
Prayers were requested for Taylor Williams, an eight year old boy, who is in the hospital. Also prayers were asked for Don Proctor who is hospitalized.
David Cleveland reported only three workers showed up for the playground work night. They got some things accomplished and enjoyed a great meal provided by Kathy Logan, Neva Smith, Juanita Duncan, Doris Morton, Barbara Stevens, and Judy Lunsford. The cooks out-numbered the workers.
Our acolytes were Leah Kunselman and her cousin Corbin Gordon. These “little folks” did an exuberant job of lighting the candles and hopped and skipped back to their seats. Oh, if only all members were that happy to serve the church!
Leta Sage, our song leader, sang a special for us titled “Knowing You.” It was beautiful.
Rev. Lunsford gave us a good, old fashioned sermon on “backsliding.” Pastor Ken explained that is a Methodist term you rarely hear today. He has been preaching for 12 years and Sunday was the first time he spoke on the topic.
The term of backsliding goes back to the 1600’s and became a stock phrase in many denominations. It referred to those once faithful individuals who had lost interest in their Christian pilgrimage.
Pastor Ken wondered if it was too easy for people to join the Methodist Church, do they take their vow to uphold the United Methodist Church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness seriously enough?
We live in a day of cheap grace, and far too often crowd approval and peer pressure result in conversions that are not genuine. But that does not get to the heart of the problem. Most backsliders do so, I am convinced, because their spiritual buckets develop a leak and much of their commitment seeps out.
There are periods in our lives when we are more susceptible to falling away. Our priorities get flipped and we make excuses why we can’t get to church.
Our hobbies, jobs, school projects, and even family crowd God out of the picture. But these excuses will cripple the Christian life. All living things can die through neglect.
We can come back to a closer walk with our Lord. The distance you have put between yourself and God can easily be overcome. It is vital for the state of your soul and because others need to see you being faithful. You have a witness in this world.
Jesus asked Simon Peter, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. You are the Holy One of God.”