April 3rd, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Beloved Friends,

               I don’t like discomfort. I don’t like things that make me sad or upset or are hard to face because they make me feel, well, bad. And I don’t like to feel bad. That’s why I think we are eager to get to Easter morning, to the stone rolled away, to the amazement of the women and the incredulity of the disciples, to the Good News of Christ’s resurrection.

We want to fast forward through the worst part to get to the best part. But here I am, writing to you on Good Friday, and I am asking you to sit in the sorrow. Sit with the grief that we collectively bear with Jesus’ first disciples, knowing that Jesus is going to a cross and will die a horrific death even as he has done nothing wrong. As I was reading today’s awful Luke text of Jesus’ trial, torture and crucifixion, I was struck by the unfairness and betrayal of the day, especially with the words in Luke 23:13-23.

               Pilate found no fault with Jesus that would result in his death. But the assembly of chief priests, scribes, and Roman officials gathered and chose the release of Barabbas, a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection and murder (Luke 23:18-19). Barabbas was released; Jesus was crucified. And though I sit with this text every year during Holy Week, I am horrified to confront the reality that those in the vicinity of Jesus were keen to follow the cries of “crucify him” for an innocent man with no fault, over a murderer and insurrectionist. How lamentable.

Of all days, Good Friday seems to be the day that is least “good”, but Jesus’ death on the cross is exactly what makes this day good. Because, as we will find in his words on the road to Emmaus, it was “necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory” (Luke 24: 26). Therefore, for today and tomorrow, my challenge to you is to sit in the discomfort, in the sadness, in the fear and unknowing, in the silence of the women and the disciples of Jesus. Because certainly Easter is coming, but in these in-between days we wait, knowing that in this time sin and death are defeated. And on Sunday, let us join together with shouts of “He is Risen!”

With love and peace,

Pastor Rachel

March 27th, 2026 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

Dear Grace-filled Family,

Can you believe we are already standing on the threshold of Holy Week? It feels like just yesterday we were marking the start of Lent, and now the journey to the Cross is right before us.

This is the most sacred week of our church year, and we have so many great opportunities to observe it well.

We kick things off tomorrow, Saturday, March 28th, with our annual Community Easter Festival from 10:00AM until 1:00PM. We are blessed to partner once again with our neighbors at First Presbyterian Church to offer this gift to Fernandina Beach.

I want to ask you to do two things: First, spread the word! Invite your friends and neighbors to come along with you or take a moment right now to share the event from our social media pages. Second, please pray. Pray that this would be a safe, fun, family event, and that through our hospitality, we would share the story of Jesus well with every person who walks onto N. 6^th Street to join us.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and it is going to be a morning full of music and movement. Our Chancel Choir will present the Palm Sunday Cantata "From Silence to Song" during our 8:00AM and 11:00AM services. In between those, we will have an abbreviated 9:30AM service to allow us all time to make our way down to the Courthouse on Centre Street for the ecumenical Palm Sunday Processional. It is always a powerful witness to see the churches of our community walking together!

As we move into the heart of Holy Week, we invite you to two deeply moving services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, both at 6:00PM in the Sanctuary. 

And, during the day on Good Friday, between 10:00AM and 4:00PM, the Sanctuary will also be open for anyone wishing to spend time in quiet prayer with the Stations of the Cross. We are so grateful to have these beautiful pieces on loan to us from First UMC of Baton Rouge, LA. For those who cannot make it to the church that day, we will also be releasing a Good Friday digital devotional so you can journey with us from wherever you are.

Finally, we celebrate the glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday morning! We’ll begin at 6:45AM for the ecumenical sunrise service on the green space at Main Beach (remember to bring your own chair!). Then, we’ll head back to Memorial for our three Easter worship services:

• 8:00AM in the Sanctuary

• 9:30AM in Maxwell Hall

• 11:00AM in the Sanctuary

  
  

Friends, I want to encourage you to truly lean into this week. Let’s observe a sacred Holy Week together so that our Easter celebration is all the more joyous. I also want to encourage you to be bold—invite a friend, a neighbor, or a family member to experience the hope of Christ’s resurrection with us.

Blessings,

Pastor Charlie

March 20th, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Beloved Friends,

               Pastor Charlie and I continue to read through the Gospel of Luke during this Lenten season and reflect on the life, ministry, personhood and divinity of Jesus. This week, I want to offer some thoughts from Monday’s reading. On Monday, our series guide indicated had us reading Luke 10:25-42. As you start to read, you’ll notice this passage begins with the very familiar, and very challenging, Good Samaritan passage.

Charlie and I used this passage in discussion with our Wednesday night Lenten study, challenging participants to ask the question “Who is my neighbor?” from a current-day lens while also asking, “who is it that might irk me or frustrate me today?”. Who might those people be for you? How does your re-framing of the story of the Good Samaritan change your interactions with those around you? Go back and read the story with those questions in mind.

               The second portion of the passage focuses on Jesus’ engagement with the sisters Mary and Martha. Mary sits in rapt attention at Jesus’ feet while Martha busies herself with all of the things that need to be done to prepare the meal and house. Martha grows frustrated by her sister’s lack of care to her duties, and she makes her gripes known to Jesus. My suspicion is she thought Jesus would back her up, but Jesus returns with this comment, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her. “I hear Jesus saying to Martha, “Calm down- do not worry about going over the top. Simple offerings of hospitality will do if it means you spend more time with me.” Likewise, how often do we get caught up with tasks and logistics and miss encounters with Jesus in our every day lives?

As we continue to focus in on God’s transformative love in our lives, especially in these last few weeks of Lent, might we spend a little less time fretting about details and “things we have to do” and more time with the people who show us exactly who Jesus is? Continue to dwell on the values you hold and the ways in which you pursue Christ with those values, and may it all be for the glorification of the Lord.

With Love and Peace,

Pastor Rachel