November 3rd, 2023 | Rev. Alyce Parmer

November 1 is All Saints Day, a day we will celebrate as a church family this coming Sunday. As I reflected on Bishop Willimon’s message of last Sunday, I contemplated my own faith journey and remembered the hands that held mine as a child, whose lives, stories, values, and beliefs first planted faith seeds in me, as well as those who came later and watered those seeds during the various stages of my Christian journey.

We Methodists understand that God’s grace intersects with us long before we understand what it means to accept Jesus as a personal savior. We call that Prevenient Grace. Once we say “yes” to God’s invitation to follow Jesus we call that our Christian conversation or Justifying Grace, the moment that marks the beginning of our Christian journey, as we daily yield our will to God’s and ask for spiritual growth. We Methodists call that Sanctifying Grace, as we are set apart as disciples, seeking justice and meting out mercy while striving to live our lives as Jesus did.

All these stages of my Christian journey and likely yours too are marked by the intersection of those whose faith helped show us the path toward Christlikeness by love, forgiveness and example.

So, I’m remembering My Auntie Irene, the only Christian Scientist in my family, whose love and reverence for God’s creation instilled the same in me.

I’m remembering my Mother, sending me to Sunday School and Vacation Bible school and making sure we children knew the real meaning of Christmas.

I’m remembering my Father, who took me to church. I’m remembering two missionaries who told me their story of faith, that led me to become baptized.

I am grateful for the dear friends whose faith inspired and encouraged me.

I’m remembering too my own sweet husband and his sister whose unwavering faith helped me overcome a lot of doubts.

So many I remember are in that great cloud of witnesses I will think of this Sunday. Our faith is not solitary. It is communal, it is family, and All Saints Sunday reminds us of our own duty to pass it on to the next generation. I hope you remember those people in your own life who planted and watered your own faith seeds and honor them with a prayer of gratitude this Sunday. I’m humming “Thank You for Giving to The Lord” right now! Go YouTube it!

Blessings,

Pastor Alyce

October 27th, 2023 | Rev. Rachel Williams

As I was beginning to write this week’s note, I kept thinking about how appreciated I have felt during this Pastor’s Appreciation Month (thank you, by the way!). That led me to think about the calling I felt to become ordained clergy, and to be an ordained clergyperson in the United Methodist Church at this specific time, no less. I would be lying if I did not admit that there were times in this journey where I wanted to wash my hands of the whole thing. Why would I get into this messiness? With burnout rates high and church attendance low and the schism seeming to grow even wider, I sometimes asked myself, truly, “what is the point of all of this?”.

Well, as always, I come back to Jesus.

Jesus is the point of all of this. When it seems like we get bogged down with the violence of the world, the division of our country, and the state of the United Methodist Church we can hold onto a hope that is much bigger than this moment.

Today, as I was prepping for the next Lunch & Learn class, I read these words by Amanda Held Opelt:

"God, in his mystifying wisdom, did not set the foundation or raise the walls of the Church with the glorious, untouchable alabaster of heaven. Instead, he built the Church with living stones, You and me. We are imperfect so the Church is imperfect…We go to church because we know God is slowly transforming it into a true sanctuary."

-Excerpt from Holy Unhappiness, pg. 160-161

We are an imperfect people, living imperfect lives, being perfected by a perfect God. We are part of a century’s-old story that will not end with us, but there will undoubtedly be a chapter about us. The question we must ask ourselves, as a congregation doing the hard work of sharing Jesus’ love in our community and world, is how do we respond to God to transform church into a “true sanctuary”?

Do you find hope in that question? I certainly do because it allows us to dream. And every time I work alongside one of you, in a mission event or a Bible study, I am reminded of why I became a pastor in the first place. It is because I am called to serve, and I am called to serve alongside you and share in you on this journey as we look with hopefulness toward what the church, imperfections and all, can be when we embrace the promise of resurrection. Let’s dream together.

Blessings,

Pastor Rachel

October 23rd, 2023 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

Dear Grace-Filled Family,

I trust this message finds you well. I'm writing in follow-up to my Sunday sermon, the fourth and final one in our "Together on Mission" series, in which we reflected deeply on the power of stewardship, sacrificial love, and the transformative miracles that can happen when we offer what we have.

During the sermon, I extended an invitation to you and all members of our church family to make a pledge to support mission and ministry at Memorial in 2024. If you were not present on Commitment Sunday or if you've not yet had the chance to make your pledge, I want to remind you that it's never too late to do that.

Your pledge is not merely about the upkeep of buildings and property. It's about empowering us to continue making a difference in our community and across the world, as we stay together on mission. From feeding the underfed locally to visiting the sick and lonely of our community, your pledge enables us to continue this valuable work.

Additionally, your pledge is a crucial tool in our budget setting process for 2024. Your responses help us to effectively plan and allocate resources where they are most needed, ensuring that our mission remains robust and impactful.

Please remember, no pledge is too small. As we learnt from the little boy in John's Gospel, when we offer what we have, Jesus can do amazing things with it.

You can make your pledge at any time in the coming weeks. Pledge cards are available in the church office and in both worship spaces on our campus. Alternatively, you can also make a digital pledge online at our church website: www.mumconline.com/give.

Thank you for your continued faith, love, and commitment to our church. We are truly grateful for your willingness to join in on this mission, walking in Christ's ways, making a difference in the world.

With blessings,

Pastor Charlie

Senior Pastor