April 18th, 2025 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

Dear Memorial:

By the time you receive this pastor’s note, we will already have remembered Christ’s gathering with his friends, the institution of the Lord’s Supper in our tradition, and the betrayal that would come soon after. Today, Good Friday, is the day that people of faith gather at the foot of the cross to sit with Jesus in his suffering and death, and to reflect on the example of sacrificial love that’s at the epicenter of his willingness to walk the Via Dolorosa.

On Sunday morning, some of us will gather at sunrise to celebrate and worship the risen Christ, and most of us will gather at either 8:00am, 9:30am, or 11:00am for Easter Sunday worship, also an announcement and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all that it means for our lives.

And what does it mean for our lives?  That’s a good question that we could spend weeks exploring.  Clearly, we don’t have that space here, so let me offer you a brief thought for your own ponderance.

In Christ’s suffering and death, we encounter the depth of God’s love for the world (John 3:16). That God in Christ willingly enters into the human experience of suffering, absorbing the violence of the world into his body, and dying for the sake of us is the fullness of love. On this Good Friday, perhaps you will take a moment to sit quietly for a few minutes and reflect on the fullness of God’s love for you and for the world. There really is no greater love than the willing sacrificial love that is found in Christ. (John 15:13)

In Christ’s glorious resurrection, we encounter the sheer power of God.  Think about it: out of all the greatness, strength, intelligence, and creativity that exists in humans, only one of the billions of us who have lived on earth have even been able to overcome death. That one is Jesus, God’s Son. In him is all the frail humanity we know and experience AND all the fullness of God. The divine power that created us is the divine power that raises Jesus from the dead and makes him victorious over death, and that divine power is now shared with us so that we may know victory of sin and death.

May we all know the fullness of God’s love and power this Easter weekend.

Blessings,

Pastor Charlie

P.S – I can’t wait to see you at church this weekend. Why not invite a friend or family member to come with you to church? God’s perfect love and power over sin and death are for all people. Let’s share it extravagantly through our invitations to others!

Local Congregations Gather Together for Ecumenical Lenten Worship Series and Annual Community Palm Processional

April 13th, 2025 - Throughout the season of Lent,  First Presbyterian Church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Trinity United Methodist, Memorial United Methodist Church, St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Prince Chapel AME, and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church joined together for weekly, combined ecumenical worship services. The services rotated between each church location with a different clergy person leading the worship each week. 

These ecumenical services have been ongoing for a few years with even more churches joining in recently. Rev. Dr. Mark Charles of Memorial United Methodist says that the reason behind the partnership is clear. “The work of bringing people together is important and prophetic. Drawing strict lines and separating ourselves from one another leads only to isolation and dead ends. But finding ways to meet together and move closer to one another creates a spirit of unity which does not demand uniformity. It’s hope-filled work that I’m proud to be a part of with these amazing colleagues.”

Christians recognize Lent as the 40 days, minus Sundays, leading up to Holy Week and Easter. Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, marking the celebratory entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem before this trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.  To mark Palm Sunday, some of the same clergy and congregations gathered again Sunday on the steps of  the courthouse downtown for prayers, liturgy, and scripture readings. In the tradition of Palm Sunday, the congregations then processed up Centre Street together, toward their churches, waving palm fronds.

This ecumenical celebration for the community has been taking place for years, with congregations from a variety of local Christian churches participating. And the clergy say this connection between people from a shared Christian faith is important, even as the congregations are of varied denominational traditions. As Rev. Dawn Hayes from First Presbyterian said, ”We are the People of Jesus Christ, one church, together”

The clergy participating in the Community Palm Sunday Processional were Rev. Dawn Hayes and Rev. Julie Higbee from First Presbyterian, Rev. Dr. Mark Charles and Rev. Rachel Williams from Memorial, Rev. Doug Hodsdon, Rev. Rachel McElwee, and Rev. Annette Sines from St. Peter’s, and Rev. Gary Hutcheson, the Director of Spiritual Care & Clinical Pastoral Education at Community Hospice.

United Methodists and Presbyterians Host Annual Community Easter Celebration

April 12th, 2025 - Memorial United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church joined together again to host their annual Community Easter Celebration downtown last Saturday (April 12th). Each year, the churches close off North 6th Street between their two campuses and invite the community over for a free street festival. The weather was beautiful, and a record number of families enjoyed hearing the story of Easter while having fun with bounce houses, face painting, food, games, photos with the Easter Bunny, and Easter egg hunts with nearly 12,000 eggs! The churches also grilled up over 1100 hot dogs and gave away over 500 Bibles to the community.

This event has always been free for the community and put on by over 100 volunteers.  Many attendees expressed their thanks to the churches for providing free food and a safe place for egg hunts and family fun.

Because of their proximity, Memorial United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church have been joining together for fellowship and worship events for over 150 years! The churches continue to work together each year to hold this free Easter event for the whole community to enjoy together. As Senior Pastor of Memorial, Rev. Dr. Mark Charles says, “God’s grace is always free to everyone, and so is this Easter celebration!”