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GRACE UNITED METHODIST MINISTRY WELCOMES YOU!
OPEN HEARTS, OPEN DOORS, OPEN MINDS
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We believe we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of our community and of the world.
April/May, 2021
Dear Grace Family,
Welcome to the season of Resurrection! By that I primarily mean Easter, of course. Indeed, as you receive this newsletter it may be just about Resurrection Sunday. As is always this case this time of year, such is a triumphant moment for us as Christians. There’s lots of fanfare, lots of celebration, lots of lilies. It’s the culmination of a beautiful story, that of Christ and that of the church, and thus our story. Whenever I think of God’s mission and Kingdom in these terms I can’t help but think of the old hymn- “I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.”
And the great thing is this is a story we get to celebrate all year long, especially as we go throughout our church calendar. The only problem with the church calendar though is it’s just like the regular calendar. See, we know it’s there, but we likely haven’t ever taken the time to really understand it. I mean, what percentage of us happen to know off hand why February is called February? Or furthermore why it’s the shortest month of the year? While we are only one Google Search away from those answers, many of us probably couldn’t guess them (at least I’ll speak for myself!). The same goes with a lot of our church calendar too. It has a rich and deep value for us as Christians, taking us through not only the ups and downs of the story of Christ, but also the story of the church.
And every year, those of us who follow the liturgical calendar embark on this journey. It is a great opportunity for us to learn and grow in our understanding of this story Christ has written over us. However, church leaders like myself haven’t always done a good job in explaining its enduring utility for our walk of faith. Hence, these next 6-weeks after Easter, we are going to take a close look at the church calendar. Each week we will explore one of the primary seasons that make up the Christian year. In this we will really take some time to understand it and more importantly it’s value: considering the ways that it connects us with Christ, and how we can grow in discipleship through it. So take this week and celebrate the joy and beauty that is Easter! But come next Sunday, be ready to go back a few months in this story to Advent. It is then that we will begin this 6-week series on the Christian year entitled, “Seasons: Growth in Discipleship through our Christian Calendar.”
Please join us on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm as we go through our series on the Christian Calendar. We will be beginning on Tuesday, April 11th at our Croton location. We will be discussing Sunday morning’s message, including the season in focus. To take us deeper yet, we will also be reading together, Kimberlee Conway Ireton’s, “The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year.” If you need help obtaining a copy please contact Pastor Darryl or the office.
Peace,
Pastor Darryl
Grace United Methodist Ministry 