As advertised in the Bulletin and Horizon, my office hours for September will be a little different than they were over the summer. This change reflects my desire for a more flexible schedule for visitations and community involvement / outreach.

I plan to be in the office:

Monday: 9:30-12
Tuesday: 9:30 - 2
Wednesday: 9:30-2
Thursday: 9:30-12

If you wish to stop by for a specific reason, I would encourage you to call ahead. There are occasionally things that could take me out of the office on a given day.

Yesterday our sermon conversation was about living our faith through our actions. I ended my reflections with these words:

There’s a story about a pastor standing in the back of the sanctuary after the service. A parishioner comes up to him and says, “Good sermon, Pastor.” The pastor smiles and responds, “That remains to be seen.”

As you go about this week, I would love to hear about your experiences of bringing your faith into your daily life. How does what happens on Sunday morning inform your actions and decisions the rest of the week? Please share in the comments!

This Sunday's sermon is about love. My teenage niece is currently in love. She proclaims her love for her boyfriend daily on her Facebook page. It brings back memories of my own experiences of young love! But this is not the type of love we're talking about. The Epistle of James reminds us that love is more than a feeling, but it is a way of life. In the words of James, "...be doers of the word, and not merely hearers..." James is talking about love that is born out of a way of life.

A old Sunday School rhyme challenges us:

"You're writing a gospel, a chapter each day...
By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say...
People read what you write, whether faithless or true
Say, what is the gospel according to you?"

Love is not just subscribing to a certain set of beliefs or statements of faith, but it is an action. Love can be seen in how we relate to the world around us. In the words of James, "...care for orphans and widows..." Our love is seen in the actions we take to change the world and share the blessings of the Kingdom. Reggie McNeal, in his book Missional Renaissance, describes our Christian calling as one of being 'Blessing Agents.' Bearers of Love!

Here are some questions for us to reflect upon as we approach Sunday:

1. Does our faith make a distinctive difference to our daily priorities?
2. How does Sunday's worship impact our Wednesday work day?
3. What would our community look like if we tried to 'be love'?
4. Is the world changed by our love?

Yesterday's sermon will be posted on the 'Pastor's Message' page shortly. If you weren't able to attend worship yesterday, I encourage you to check it out and share your thoughts and questions in the comments.

After service yesterday, I had some thought-provoking conversations with folks regarding the meaning of home. Some folks in our church have lived in this community all their lives while others have lived and traveled far and wide. Yet a place to call home remains important.

Personally, I had an interesting experience this weekend. For the past five weeks we have had various family members and friends staying with us at the parsonage. This weekend everyone traveled back to their homes and we had the house to ourselves. Before this influx of visitors, I couldn't honestly say that the parsonage felt like home ~ yet ~ having only moved in a couple weeks before. But yesterday, as I dressed and walked the dog before service, I had a sense of calm come over me ~ a feeling that this is indeed home. I count this feeling of being at home as a gift and affirmation that this is where God wants me. And for it, I give thanks!

What have been your experiences of being 'at home'? Have you ever longed for a home or grieved over the loss of a home? How has the Spirit of God worked in you through your experience of feeling at home in a particular place?

This Sunday's sermon will be based on Psalm 84:

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!

² My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

⁷ They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah

⁹ Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.

I am particularly moved by the image of the sparrow and swallow finding a home near the altar of God. Even creatures we may consider small and insignificant find safety with God. What Good News! We all find a dwelling place in the house of the Lord.

Yet, the truth is, so many in our world are without the safety of a place to call home. Shouldn't all God's children have a dwelling place? A place to live in peace without fear?

How can we, as Christians, advocate for not just spiritual homes but physical homes for all the world's people? Is it possible for us ~ as a Christian community in South Burlington, VT ~ to make a difference? And, as we reflect on what it means to be welcomed into God's dwelling place, where are you most at home with God?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. Your reflections are helpful to me as I prayerfully prepare Sunday's message!

Welcome to the pastor's blog for Faith UMC. My hope is that this forum will be one for discussion, encouragement and creativity! As your new pastor, I look forward to reading your comments. All are welcome to respond to posts and sermons with thoughts, questions and insights. Let the journey begin!