Adventures...June 2017

-
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you.  And remember,
I am with you always, to the end of the age – Matthew 28: 19-20

It feels like the month of June is the time to GO as we begin summer here in Quincy!  It’s a season of going on vacation, of going forth from one grade in school to another, from going from high school to college or the workforce, college graduates preparing for a new life, going to our Annual Conference Session, or for many of my colleagues, a time of going to another church and for many of my former classmates, going to their new churches for the first time as pastors.  But the main thing is that Jesus says to GO, to GO make disciples of ALL nations, but that no matter what, Jesus is with us wherever we may go and will always be with us until the end of the age.  It’s the Great Commission that Jesus gave the disciples, but also gives us who follow him today. 

I also love the month of June, as things slow down a little bit as many of the programs around the church take a little break during the summer and things are just a little more laid back.  It’s also a chance to go to our many lakes and streams, go and take advantage of the many outdoor opportunities from boating, swimming, fishing, or hiking the thousands of miles of trails our county has to offer (however, I haven’t tried walking on water at the lakes yet!).  While we may be out and about during the summer, it’s also a GREAT opportunity to engage with everyone we may meet along the way, as Jesus sends us out to share our faith, share the hope and new life of resurrection, and show others in the way of love.  It’s about meeting people where they are at, not necessarily expecting them to come to us.  I know I have had some wonderful conversations at one time or another when I’ve been at the lakes and encounter other people who are fishing or lounging out (although admit that I still get a little cranky when the fish bite someone else’s line besides mine).  Even on the trail, it’s amazing who you can meet as long as it’s not a bear, rattlesnake, or mountain lion!! 

So, whatever you are doing this summer, GO and be disciples and make disciples.  Go have fun, but also make sure you are taking time to renew your soul, rest, and play because we can’t be all work all the time.  Jesus is still with us all the time, whether we are in the community of each other, or out and about in the greater world.  As we go into this summer, I pray that your time is restful, relaxing, and renewing.  I look forward to seeing you in worship and throughout the week!!

Peace & Blessings,

Pastor Andrew

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adventures... - April 2017 from "The Quincy Quill"

-
In the bulb, there is a flower, in the seed, an apple tree; In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. (Hymn of Promise, v. 1, UMH 707) Natalie Sleeth’s “Hymn of Promise” is a beloved hymn by many with its themes of new life, hope, and resurrection.  It is often sung for memorial services and during the Easter season because of these themes of new life, hope, and resurrection.  Dr. Michael Hawn, who recently retired as professor of church music at Perkins School of Theology, writes that “Hymn of Promise” was written at a time when the author states that she was "pondering the ideas of life, death, spring and winter, Good Friday and Easter, and the whole reawakening of the world that happens every spring." Inspired by a T.S. Eliot line, the germ of the hymn grew from the idea "in our end is our beginning," the ...
Read more

Where Do We Begin? Sermon, July 3, 2016

-
Community UMC, Quincy, CA “Where Do We Begin?” Pastor Andrew Davis July 3, 2016 Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20         It feels so much like Christmas Morning. - You know, that feeling when we were all children?  No matter how late we went to bed, we still woke up early on Christmas Day with that sense of anticipation, just waiting to see what was laying beneath the Christmas tree, or what waited in our stockings on the fireplace mantle or wherever the stockings were hung. -- Likewise, today also feels like the first day of school, slightly along with that same sense of nervousness of not knowing what to expect, not knowing who will be in the same class, or whether or not you’ll like your teacher. -- I think both feelings can sum up how both of us may feel this morning, this first Sunday together as pastor and people. - We both come into today with a sense of anticipation, a sense of new energy, but perhaps a sense of nervousness as well, - not...
Read more

Geared Up for Life: Setting our Hope, Sermon July 11, 2021

-
  Foothills UMC, Cameron Park/Rescue “Geared Up for Life: Setting Our Hope” Ephesians 1: 3-14 Rev. Andrew Davis July 11, 2021            What a wonderful weekend last weekend was as we celebrated Independence Day and our new beginning together.  I cannot begin to say thank you enough to everyone who has made Trevor and I feel welcome here at Foothills UMC.  This first full week together has been no exception.  It has been nice getting a chance to know many of you via email, phone, or in joining me for coffee at Cameron Park Coffee & Deli on Tuesday (which I will be doing every Tuesday) or swinging by the office to say hi.  I continue to thank all of you who have made recommendations of places to eat or have coffee at, as going out to these places is one of the ways I do ministry and go into the world, and witness to the community around us.         ...
Read more