Rev. Missy Turbeville *Excerpt from April 2024 FUMC Newsletter
So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
-Paul in Colossians 3:1, The Message
We are an Easter people! We believe in second chances and new life. ...And WE ACT LIKE IT!
How? Well, it is a little different for each of us, but we do have a few things in common:
WE ARE A PEOPLE OF JOY
We look for the good and celebrate it! On Palm Sunday, the religious leaders wanted to silence the crowd for singing praises for God’s saving acts. Jesus responded that the stones would shout if His followers were silent. They were excited about what God was doing and so are we. We share the good things we see God doing and share the stories of God’s love at work in our lives and the world!
WE ARE A PEOPLE OF HOPE
We understand that there is much difficulty and darkness in the world, but we don’t believe that is the final answer. We know that a light shines that darkness cannot overcome. We know Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. We know that in Christ we are more than conquerors and that strengthens us as we look for and act as a light in this sometimes dark world. In Christ, we abound in hope as we look for and share that hopeful good news with others.
WE ARE A PEOPLE OF COMPASSION
The love of God in Christ flows through us as we look around. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we don’t just have joy and hope in our hearts sharing words. We act! When we see someone hurting, yes we pray, AND we also ask questions and find out if there is something we can do to help. This is hard and messy. Not everyone understood when Jesus fed, healed, and ate with folks they thought weren’t good enough to deserve attention. Not everyone will understand when we do the same, and that’s ok.
WE ARE A PEOPLE OF SACRIFICIAL LOVE
It’s easy to go out of our way for someone we know and love. It’s much harder to be generous with our time, talents, and resources for someone we don’t know or love. That didn’t stop Jesus and it won’t stop us. The love that empowers us to act sacrificially isn’t soft or naïve, it is stronger than death and wipes out all fear. We act like Jesus who loved with power and abandon.
WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO FORGIVE
We all fall short of the glory from time to time. The good news is that we are not simply a people who forgive, but also a people who know we are forgiven. Further, if we mess up we know how to fess up and ask for forgiveness again as we seek the Holy Spirit’s help to not make the same mistakes again. We are thankful for God’s grace in our lives and extend that grace to others.
Maybe you are reading this list and saying, “Hooboy, I’m not sure that I live up to all those things all the time.” Maybe not. Do any of us? The point is, we keep trying, we keep going. One smile when we feel like frowning. One sharing of God’s goodness to a friend or stranger. One canned good donated to hungry people. One hour given to help instead of watch TV. One moment to say, “I forgive you.” One small act at a time builds a new life in Christ.
Excited about Easter? Serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ?
Let’s all act like it! One moment and decision at a time!
With LOVE & JOY in Christ, - Pastor Missy
YOU CAN NOW DO YOUR GIVING ONLINE
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY