January 12th, 2024 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Friends,

I have a confession to make. These past few years have, from time to time, have distracted me from my belief in the power of God’s transformative action. And how easy it has been to be distracted in the last few years, what with political dissension, a global pandemic, personal hurdles, natural disasters and everything in between happening. It’s not necessarily that we’ve lost faith or belief, but we get bogged down in messaging that causes us to forget that in the midst of everything we worship and serve an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God who is able to do the miraculous even when our actions fall short, and things move out of our control.

I was grateful for that reminder in this week’s Dynamite Prayer. If you’re joining us on this journey, you’ll have read on day four about unbelief. In the final sentences of the devotion for the day, the authors give us some advice: “beware of any type of faithless resignation about ‘what is,’ and choose instead to view everything and everyone with potential for God’s transformation-including yourself.” When we find ourselves thinking, “that could never happen,” we have the opportunity reframe our thinking and our prayers in a way of believing to say, “God can do this. With God, all things are possible.” Will we always see our prayers answered in the way that we ask? Maybe not, but dynamite prayer helps us expand our vision to dream bigger, to pray on a God-scale. Let’s work to pray without hesitation, for all things, knowing that God is with us in everything, always and hears those prayers.

I hope you’ll join us for the remainder of these weeks in Dynamite Prayer. We still have books in the Partin Center and worship spaces, and the good news is that you can jump in with us where we are at any point.

I also want to invite you to be in prayer for and join us for the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade this Monday, January 15th. Meet us at the Peck Center (at the corner of Elm Street and 11th Street) at 11:30AM wearing your red “Love Shows Up” shirt. The route follows the regular parade route, so if you are not walking you are invited to watch from the church steps. This is just one of the many ways that we can live out our calling in the community. It’s a busy time in the life of our church as we enter this new year, and I’m excited to serve alongside of you in the coming months!

With Love and Peace,

Pastor Rachel

January 5th, 2024 | Rev. Dr. Mark Charles

This weekend we celebrate Epiphany - the time when we recall the journey of the magi who followed a star all the way to the place where Jesus was. We remember the extravagant joy they had when they got there, how they worshipped Jesus when they saw him, and how they gave generous gifts as part of their worship.

Epiphany reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world, and that his birth and life really is good news for all people. This Sunday morning, we will be thinking about what it means for us that Jesus is the light of the world.

This Sunday also marks the beginning of our 28-day prayer initiative: Dynamite Prayer. Throughout the remainder of January, we are inviting you to join with the United Methodists of the northeast district in Florida as we complete a short daily devotional and listen for the voice of God's spirit together.

Here at Memorial, we will have a couple of points during each week at which you can gather with one another to share your Dynamite Prayer journey insights and reflections. On Wednesday nights at 6:00PM in the Multipurpose Room (and online) I will lead a dynamite prayer check in time. I’d love to see you there. But if you can't make that gathering, Pastor Rachel will be doing a similar thing with our Thursday Lunch and Learn group. They meet in the multipurpose room at 11:30AM every Thursday.

This is an exciting season of prayer for Memorial and for our district. Let's dive in, take advantage of the Dynamite Prayer resource, and see where God's Spirit leads us.

Blessings,

Pastor Charlie

December 29th, 2023 | Pastor Rachel

Friends,

I pray this time of holiday festivities, family visits, and gatherings has brought you much enjoyment. I also pray that in these twelve days of Christmas you also receive the gift of rest and peace! It can often feel like the week between Christmas and the new year is just barren land between the excitement of two holidays, but I truly enjoy this time. Like the classic Christmas carol says, we’re on something like day five of Christmas (if only we all received five gold rings today!), and now is the time that we get to spend with our true loves. Now is the time where we get to live into the joy and love of Christmas and look forward to carrying that love into the new year.  

I’m also excited because a new year means new studies! I encourage you to prayerfully consider what ways you want to participate in study and discipleship here at Memorial. We have many, many options, and most of them allow you to put knowledge into practice. To me, January is not a time of resolution but refresh and revitalization. Our desires to know God more intimately are there, but perhaps we need a bit of a push to get us going again. Let this January be that time where you dive deeper in prayer by joining in one of our many prayer studies or our congregation-wide Dynamite Prayer experience. Or let this January be the time that you start reading the Bible in a year. Or let this January be the time where you finally say, “It’s time to become a member at Memorial!” We have a lot of options, and I want to help you find the ways that you can grow more intentionally and fully in your walk with Christ.  

I’m also excited to offer Coffee Tuesdays starting Tuesday, January 16 at Amelia Island Coffee from 9-11AM. It’s taken me a few months to get settled into the routine of things and now I want to get to know you better! Drop in any time during those two hours or let me know ahead of time; either way, coffee is on me! I’ll continue every week until the baby arrives in March. Let this be a time where we grow together in relationship, in discipleship and as siblings in Christ.  

Wishing you all peace, prosperity, and joy in the new year,  

Pastor Rachel