June 19th, 2026 | Rev. Rachel Williams

Dear Friends,

               When I was a kid, my parents made it a point that whenever we were traveling on a Sunday for summer vacation, we always made our way to the local United Methodist Church. And this was back in the day when you entered in a church, and the pastor would ask any first-time visitors to stand and tell you where they were from.

You never did that?

Oh, well then, you avoided the awkward feeling of dozens or hundreds of eyes turned toward you. I remember my dad did this as well, and he always seemed to have a connection to the place our visitors were coming from (no surprise with my dad!). But when I think about those times of travel, I remember the good and the bad of those churches- the people who greeted us and asked us questions, the people who acted as if we weren’t even there. How nerve-racking it can be to enter into a new space!

               In the coming few weeks, we have the opportunity to practice our warm hospitality. This Sunday, we’ll welcome back one of Memorial's former pastors - Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski - and his daughter Rev. Anna Brook Opalinski into the pulpit. Then, our new senior pastor, Rev. Angie Long, will start her tenure here on July 1st and preach her first sermon here on July 5th.

In the meantime, we have a number of visitors who will be coming to the island on summer vacation who might just choose to worship with us on a Sunday morning. Let’s show the love of Christ to all those who walk in our doors by seeing each and every person, acknowledging them, speaking to them and calling them by name. God is always at work, and when we gather together in worship our visitors and our members alike are opening themselves up to new movements of the Spirit in their lives. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

With love and peace,

Pastor Rachel