Rev. Andrew's Adventures

Community UMC, Quincy “From Doubt to Belief” April 23, 2017 – Second Sunday of Easter Pastor Andrew Davis John 20: 19-31         Last week as I was perusing social media while unwinding from a GLORIOUS Easter worship service last Sunday, I came across a little comic that said “Christ is alive: The Clergy’s Dead.” I think I can concur, as Easter sometimes feels like the Super Bowl or any kind of national championship game for many of us in the church, as we had the season of Lent that is almost like the playoffs for forty days (minus Sundays) before, then culminated with the big day.  But during this time, we also have all the extra prep-work, the extra services in between, and striving to make sure that everything will be excellent, maybe even close to perfect when the big (yes, I admit I’m a bit of a perfectionist).  But then like any holiday for that matter, Easter comes and goes very quickly.  Although I didn’t take part...

Community United Methodist Church, Quincy “Encountering the Unexpected” Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017 Pastor Andrew Davis John 20: 1-18         Happy Easter!!  I don’t think we can say it enough; Christ IS Risen!!  HE IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELUIA!!  While we might be enjoying the chocolates, sweet treats, and other goodies we may have sworn off during the forty days of Lent, something special has been happening during that time that has led up to this moment today.  During these last Forty Days, we have journeyed with Jesus through the wilderness of Lent, journeyed with him into Jerusalem, then journeyed with him to the cross.  While Good Friday is a day of darkness and while it may also feel that all hope died along with Jesus on that afternoon, we had to go through it so that we can come to the empty tomb and see that Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life, as he is not there.  He’s no longer dead, but h...

Community UMC, Quincy “Living Our Baptismal Calling: Believe” Pastor Andrew Davis April 2, 2017 John 11: 1-45         On Friday evening, several of us from church went to see The Shack, playing at the Town Hall Theater this weekend here in town. Now I have to admit that since being in seminary, I usually come to such films that have a religious theme prepared to hate or eviscerate it. Surprisingly, it did not disappoint and I actually enjoyed it. Without giving too much away, in case you decide to go see The Shack this afternoon or Tomorrow evening, the main character, Mackenzie, or Mack, has to come to terms with his pain and what he believes in at this remote shack when he encounters three people representing the Trinity; God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. But it takes believing and trusting in each one for Mack to ultimately make peace with what happened in his life and to begin healing.         As we ...