Gen X Android

Funny to me how things go

Apple was always better

Computers are so much better

The advantage of an Apple has reduced

So much hate for the green texts

Twenty years ago I had a critical mission

Bought my mother-in-law an Apple

Her first computer

It was complicated but didn't want it to crash for no reason

It probably still working

Long since she has surfed the windows

I wasn't going to fail her

Maybe things aren't as important anymore

Turn it off and turn it on a much more reliable procedure today

My texts evergreen my favorite color you get the message every time from me

Digital Immortality

 In many ways there is more money focused on the extension of human life than the sustainability of human life.  We stand on the door of quantum computing without any compensation for Heisenberg.  If we Imagine that first scientist, funded by the most demented by money, transfers the essence of a human to an immortal computer what would that person first ask themselves.  It would take a demented mind to think it was them.

We have zero working knowledge of consciousness.  There is something of self preservation.  Something I imagine one day might transfer.  That first question something unknown answers.  

We focus so much on now.  There is very little about us that is now this moment already gone.

Inertia

There are many things we do not know about the universe but there are simple ones we understand. People do better when they are motivated. What motivates people is something very broad. People like to test themselves. It is difficult in this world to know who to trust your soul to.

There is a very simple wisdom that I have never been able to get around. We each have our own. Some people never learn of our savior and some people hear of nothing else. My father and I would have discussions about people who didn't know Jesus or care to follow, but still did good in the world. These were the real wonders of the world. Plenty of people doing bad for plenty of reasons.

Not easy to do anything. To do a thing the right way. If you follow Jesus you believe without God it is impossible. How ever far you go in the world the destination is the same. People do things half way mostly. People take short-cuts everyday. It makes it even harder for those who do things right.

There is no end to the list of things to be concerned about when doing things right. People often get far, or so they tell themselves, by risking all. Things that were never really theirs or something they have done. The biggest impact on my life was the place I was born and the color of my passport. I went out in the world, but not to conquer it, but to share mine. I had more than I needed.

In my younger years I felt I was accomplishing something until I looked to see what it was that I brought to the table. The resources I used the solutions I found I was connecting things in the world. They were not mine.  As far as the universe goes I had no input. Everything was here when I got here.

There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. That is how Jack London described this realization in the The Call of the Wild. 

We will look now also to our scripture today, The Prodigal Son, from Luke reading the amplified bible.

11 Then He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them [inappropriately] said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ So he divided the estate between them. 13 A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything [that he had] and traveled to a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to do without and be in need. 15 So he went and forced himself on one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to [a]feed pigs. 16 He would have gladly eaten the [carob] pods that the pigs were eating [but they could not satisfy his hunger], and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he [finally] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough food, while I am dying here of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] treat me like one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to his father.

When I learned this story as a child I had assumed the son came back because he failed. Today I look at this story differently as I see the world just failed him as it does and why we have and need saving. The story of what happened when he was away was summed up by the words reckless and immoral living.  There is so much there.  Long or short.  Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) As Walt Whitman said in song of myself. Reckless could be short or long is my point and we each have our own, but we find only one destination.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Could not have agreed more in my youth. This failure his father saw as a refugee. He was lost and was really back to life. We like to think our world is globalized, back then the world was even a scarier place for what they didn't know. Today the world is a scary place for what we know.

22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe [for the guest of honor] and put it on him; and give him a [b]ring for his hand, and sandals for his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let us [invite everyone and] feast and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.’ So they began to celebrate.

To me it was a story about this son and his failure. Another son perhaps did not fail and there was no story about him, but this is not what Jesus is teaching. Jesus to my mind teaches one lesson for all. The world will let you down. The will of God is the destination. This only feels limiting because of your definition of God like the other son. Is God this thing that you should believe or is it this thing that is. Is it this thing that leads to all other things? Our answer is yes and our definition unlimited.

25 “Now his older son was in the field; and when he returned and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he summoned one of the servants and began asking what this [celebration] meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But the elder brother became angry and deeply resentful and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

This part of the story as a youngster I thought I understood the best. Doing good should be rewarded not doing bad.   As a teacher I often feel this way.  As a substitute teacher even more so. When I come in a room and 17 out of 20 are doing what they should I do feel like they have a right to be upset with the 3 that mess everything up everyday. I am not a teacher for one. After many years I recognized myself in those 17. Being good is its own reward. I don't worry about them as much as I used to. Being able to control your impulses is the one lesson we really teach k-5. Those who do have easier lives. That why we teach it.

29 But he said to his father, ‘Look! These many years I have served you, and I have never neglected or disobeyed your command. Yet you have never given me [so much as] a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this [other] son of yours arrived, who has devoured your estate with immoral women, you slaughtered that fattened calf for him!’

As a child I don't know that there was any part of the bible that made more sense. It is good to put away childish things. Pretty sure both sons were invited to the celebration. I think now if the first son had died the second would not have missed anything. Here is where reality gets harsh and why our savior teaches with such compassion. Not if you will suffer but how and with who.

Matthew 19: 23 - we are reminded And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

And it is true also biologically. We stress ourselves and we tell our body that we are in danger. The body has time tested ways to deal with stress including stress hormones that take a large toll on our bodies. Our bodies believing us that we need to be stressed. We do good we are not stressed we have less biological cost on our system. It is like the will of God. Being in the will of God has its own rewards. Blessings we can not imagine. The 3 kids always disrupting the class never get to see the rewards of being good. They don't know what they are missing. But we do my friend.  We take deep breaths and we tell our bodies we are safe.  We do need to learn the language of our body.

31 The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was fitting to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was [as good as] dead and has begun to live. He was lost and has been found.’”

The last lesson here is the last one I find in my life as well. Even though our children will have their own. We need to tell them when it is time. And we need to show them when it is time. We need to find ourselves within the will of God to know the difference. It is like a magnetic force in this world. Certain things go together. Certain things people hold together at their peril.

It is amazing to me that as Jesus informs of reality people find reasons to blame God. I think most people in this world would be content with extinction. I don't think most people care about seven generations from now.   It is why it is hard.  God is doing and creating the right way: for all of us.

Neither Son fails.  Their experience did.  God helps those who help God. Inertia is the force that we often identify in charge and it is difficult to get past. God is playing in higher dimensions. So many roads. Very long ones.  So many people.  All to the end of the road.  One destination

Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father

We have failed

We have learned

We were loved

Thank you for ours

Thank you for theirs

Help us to navigate to the end of the road in your will.

Our destination and the journey with Jesus.

Amen

Benediction

Go out in the world

See all the roads

See all the people

Know there is one destination

Help somebody see

Celebrate when you should

Nottingham United Methodist Church 3-27-2022 

Boomer

There is always war.   We are reminded again this week.  Often when I preach I know it is important for me to talk about something I know.  As you know that is often war.  I try to avoid the subject as much as I can even if you can not believe me here.

When I finally did return from two different or maybe three different wars to go to university I thought I would have many questions to answer.  I thought I should be ready.  I invested most of my time in understanding my experience.  This is something I have naturally done my entire life.  I understand it is not a very common occupation.  

For the most part there were no questions.  There is something about experience.  People had no context to understand the answer I would eventually come to understand.  The question failed to form.  I have found myself a strange person most of my life.  Not being able to understand something never stopped me from asking questions.  It puts people sometime ill at ease.  I wonder if that is my great purpose from my savior.

The Dalai Lama described The Reality of War

Of course, war and the large military establishments are the greatest sources of violence in the world. Whether their purpose is defensive or offensive, these vast powerful organizations exist solely to kill human beings. We should think carefully about the reality of war. Most of us have been conditioned to regard military combat as exciting and glamorous - an opportunity for men to prove their competence and courage. Since armies are legal, we feel that war is acceptable; in general, nobody feels that war is criminal or that accepting it is a criminal attitude. In fact, we have been brainwashed. War is neither glamorous nor attractive. It is monstrous. Its very nature is one of tragedy and suffering.

War is like a fire in the human community, one whose fuel is living beings. I find this analogy especially appropriate and useful. Modern warfare is waged primarily with different forms of fire, but we are so conditioned to see it as thrilling that we talk about this or that marvelous weapon as a remarkable piece of technology without remembering that, if it is actually used, it will burn living people. War also strongly resembles a fire in the way it spreads. If one area gets weak, the commanding officer sends in reinforcements. This is like throwing live people onto a fire. But because we have been brainwashed to think this way, we do not consider the suffering of individual soldiers. No soldier wants to be wounded or die; none of his loved ones wants any harm to come to him. If one soldier is killed, or maimed for life, at least another five or ten people - his relatives and friends - suffer as well. We should all be horrified by the extent of this tragedy, but we are too confused."

We gather here for Transfiguration Sunday.  In Luke's telling the twelve have just been commissioned in their public ministry.  They had just fed the 5000.  I imagine for this cohort these were good days.  Probably the best they spent together.  Doubt wasn't gone but it sure seemed to be.  

What came next was maybe predictable: 46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest [surpassing the others in esteem and authority]. 47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and had him stand beside Him, 48 and He told them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me [also] welcomes Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you [that is, the one who is genuinely humble—the one with a realistic self-view]—he is the one who is [truly] great.”

I often like to focus on what one human life has done for the world.  Here we see this great assembly.  I would say there was a simple reason for what happened.  This day doesn't feel so much about us.  What would be my question for them as they came back to town.  I Imagine myself there with no context for understanding.  We finally find one here: 2000 years of context and struggle and war.  How would they explain the 5000 were fed.  Well you know there is little detail in our scriptures.  People don't ask certain questions.  

My question is: what separates us from war?  I'm here to tell you: nothing.  Travel in any direction and you will eventually reach the line of contact.  We like to think that borders and walls can separate us.  Well we know and we preach that we are all part of the body of Christ.  You see parts of our savior seem eternally at war.  

In this latest war in Europe both sides pray to our savior and attend the same church.  This Methodist break up of ours almost quaint and in truth long overdue.  People always try to change the world.  Few do.  People who think they haven't usually have the most in my experience.  Today in our scripture we have an understanding of how our savior was able.  We foreshadow the resurrection, but that is for another Sunday.

Archeologist recently commented on working in Jerusalem:

"It's the kind of jumble that you would expect to find in a ruined household following a raid or battle," Gibson added. "Household objects, lamps, broken bits from pottery which had been overturned and shattered… Frankly, jewelry is a rare find at conflict sites, because this is exactly the sort of thing that attackers will loot and later melt down."

Speaking of a rare piece of gold found from the Siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.  Even as we wage war today we dig in the ground to understand our past.  Sometimes it feels like all there is is war. 

George Orwell wrote "This mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing. As soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed: prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house." 

Never one to complain and not have a solution.  He had six rules of writing:

i. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

iii. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

vi. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Political action has several problems.  Humans are involved so that is problematic.   

The Transfiguration from the amplified bible:

28 Now about eight days after these teachings, He took along Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and were speaking of His departure [from earthly life], which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and splendor and majesty, and the two men who were standing with Him. 33 And as these [men, Moses and Elijah] were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is delightful and good for us to be here; we should make three [sacred] tents; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were [greatly] afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then [e]a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept silent, and told no one at that time any of the things which they had seen [concerning the divine manifestation].

Now it is interesting how they wanted to make three tents.  How they wanted to make themselves comfortable.  This was when they saw there would be no comfortable anymore.  I have heard some of the best sermons on this theme.  This is not those.  They kept silent.  Questions did not form.  They were transfigured.  They did more than many.

One of my partners in ministry here likes to talk about God having IEPs for everyone. You know these plans for each of us. Well here I think what we had is like we sing. "Peter built the church on the rock of salvation his banner over me is love." They saw glory and splendor and majesty, our savior first revealed to the people in more need of motivation than any we know in history. How did they do what they did? This glory and splendor and majesty kept them going and keeps us going.

The teaching mentioned in verse 28 you may wonder: For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?

37 On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And a man from the crowd shouted for help, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only child; 39 and a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it throws him into a convulsion so that he foams at the mouth; and only with [great] difficulty does it leave him, mauling and bruising him as it leaves. 40 I begged Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here [to Me].” 42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon slammed him down and threw him into a [violent] convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all amazed [practically overwhelmed] at the [evidence of the] greatness of God and His majesty and His wondrous work.

Jesus gives peace. Jesus doesn't put everyone at ease. You unbelieving and perverted generation. Jesus can make me feel uncomfortable, but in each case I have found something new in my relationship to the world about Jesus. Not long surely and forever. I wonder in the heart of Jesus if he would almost like to skip to the end. No one knew better the sufferings to come. We hear whispers of them Jesus they surely scream to. They were all amazed.

George Orwell continues:

"When one critic writes, ‘The outstanding feature of Mr. X’s work is its living quality’, while another writes, ‘The immediately striking thing about Mr. X’s work is its peculiar deadness’, the reader accepts this as a simple difference of opinion. If words like black and white were involved, instead of the jargon words dead and living, he would see at once that language was being used in an improper way. Many political words are similarly abused. The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies ‘something not desirable’. The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice, have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another. "

How lucky we are. We don't have to change the world. This world has been transfigured. There are no bad instincts, just as there are no bad notes on a piano; there are only bad players, who make discord out of notes meant for harmony. WfM

I pray for those in war everyday. We are all in war everyday. There will be quite a story told of the defense of Kiev. If you don't know their current president was a character on a popular TV sitcom about being President for the right reasons. He is the President it seems for the right reasons. When we offered him a way out and safety here in America his only response was, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”

trans·fig·ure

verb

transform into something more beautiful or elevated.

"the world is made luminous and is transfigured"

I don't burn out even though I should, that is why I have faith. As is written in 2 Corinthians 4:1, Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as we received mercy [from God, granting us salvation, opportunities, and blessings], we do not get discouraged nor lose our motivation.

Let Us Pray

Thank you Savior for changing the world

The fight is here

We need your ammunition, not a ride

Thank you for putting us all in your will

Be with those who have left home

Be with those who have stayed home

Let whoever is knocking on the door come with you

We pray for the end of war

Amen

Benediction

Go Ye into the world

Make something better this week

Nottingham 2.27.2022

Singularity

There is some new math or solutions
The entropy clumps near the singularity
Concentrated in a poorly defined region

Disorder where it seems we can not go

A distance to the horizon

Impossible to imagine

The new math says it is ordered more

There was information in

We are many black holes of the mind

An idea that never leaves when it is able

Artificial in nature

You need not know math for it to lead you

Where else would you put it?

Still swept under the rug 

A lost Draft

People do not know the worst thing or the best thing they have done

Eat Static

When people think about Christianity they seldom remember that it took 400 years to agree on a Bible.  Another 1000 years before people would be generally able to read it.  Much of the history of religion is tangled up in power even as our church untangles.  They tried everything they could to leverage their size.  Strength of presence and policies of division.  Little changes until it does this yoke of our savior which is not burdensome.

The Bible stories have been gathering for more that 3000 years.  The New testament most scholars agree was written up until the time of the Byzantines in a real sense.  Translations evolved in ways we really can't document.  There are many ways we can document.  The Church wouldn't let the bible be translated to local languages for most of its history.  The most translated book in the world today it is hard to imagine the past as it is to imagine the future.  By some counts the Bible has been translated into more than 3000 languages.  There are more than 7000 languages spoken today.

My mother was a bit disappointed my daughter's name Sara didn't have a H like in the bible.  Like her daughter Deborah.  I told her the Bible wasn't written in English and I was pretty sure Abraham's had no H.  On the Balkans this would be a good place for a joke.  

1384 was the year we would finally have an English Bible.  Just in time for the printing press in 1455.  What other book would they choose to print.  Gutenberg invented not only a machine, but a new age we still live.  Printed bibles all around.  Many things are not clear in the past, but it is clear before this age people were only told what is in the Bible.  There are some who still miss this passed age.  They want to wield scripture for there own use, but there is a simple reason why the ministry of Jesus' endures.  If you agree with my message today or not you must agree it endures. 

1539 the First English bible authorized for public use the "Great Bible."  1821 almost half way there.  We are apart of this new discovery today.  We need to wake up to the fact that the world changes as we make it.  We need to realize Religion isn't finished.  When people complain they always assume organized religion has an answer for everything.  There is only an answer for one thing: who's will is important.  Organized Religion an oxymoron really.  When my sister voiced her displeasure at organized religion I told her she should surely return to Nottingham then.  It's not just us.  Most not talking at cross-purpose but no purpose.  

Religion has done more by the will of men then God's and it is also true of Christianity.  But even in the worst of times there is the will of God.  Kind of comes along with creation.  A mess to be true.

1560 is when we first got our numbered verses that seem to us older than the world.  462 years in many ways is a long time, but brings us nowhere near the life of Jesus.  In many ways it was yesterday.  These section titles are not as set as these verse numbers but in 500 years I can imagine children thinking they were first written in stone.  Our scripture today is often titled the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. 

1609 the first King James Bible the version the many still think of as the Bible.  Ye to mention for one.  The famous musician said he changed his name to Ye because it was the most common word in the bible.  Seems he had a King James version.

1808 was the year a woman first printed the Bible.  About 400 years it took.  400 years of oppressions makes things.  Not the largest sign post in the history of the Bible, but as important.  There is interesting research in K-6 education that kids will learn things wrong just as likely as they will learn things right.  What that research is missing is me.  The passion I bring to teaching what is right.  In the end it is not about the passion of Christ and blame, but our passion for God's will and progress.  Part of the process.

1971 The New American Standard Version purporting to be the best English translation. Genesis 20:2 New American Standard Bible 2 And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah.  To my mother's point the H was there in the Bible as I arrive in 1971.

Jesus gives us examples and teaches us in large and small ways.  There are no contradictions in our savior's actions.  The saving is the thing.  We will look at a small piece here today.  Pull it apart and see it a piece of all.   Error correcting is what his ministry is at the smallest level.

I will read our scripture Luke 4:14-21 from the amplified Bible

14 Then Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread through the entire region. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised and glorified and honored by all.

So at the beginning of his public Ministry Jesus went home.  Now where we are in the story Jesus had been just tempted by the devil.   Jesus replied to him, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’”  I believe it is informative that Jesus began at home.  We need to get our house in order.  That could be your own skin if you do not feel comfortable in it.  We put on the oxygen mask first so we can help others.  I know this well even as I have had a happy life.  We feel comfortable in ourselves and then comfortable we will find ourselves in our homes.  Comfortable we will be in our communities.

Words mean many things and to me comfortable is more related to peace than any other word.  The stability of the last 3000 years we often undervalue.  It is what we often miss in the climate change debate.  We have had it good for long.  Things are difficult to begin and I think this is what was praised and glorified and honored by all.  Often in our community things exist because of the monumental effort of one person.  Sometimes these things are good.  We all honor getting something started.  Here begun.

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

As was his custom he came to Nazareth.  We can rely on custom at times.  The last year of my as it is public ministry I have followed a big fan of Isaiah.  Almost feels like going home.  She even calls him her boyfriend.  We can respect some custom as we reject others.  I have a similar feeling when I lead the 2nd graders in discussion and simply state people in the past were wrong as much as they were right.

People leave more things undone than they do.  I leave more things undone than I do.  Not a lack of things I have been doing these last 50 years.  There is more to be done by the will of God.

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah),

Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),

19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.  This had been done before.  People still declare jubilee, but never before or since was it done with more truth or humility.  There would be more hard years than easy.    Cannot lose more than is created.

20 Then He rolled up the scroll [having stopped in the middle of the verse], gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]; and the eyes of all those in the synagogue were [attentively] fixed on Him. 21 He began speaking to them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence.”

I recall my second grade class room.  Eyes of all those fixed on Him.  I have taught in public schools for eight years.  I have had that feeling maybe eight times.  There is a feel to it.  When you see them all they see that too or does it just seem.  This lingering sense of had been somewhere.   Research say the young will equally learn right things or wrong things.  Sometimes it is the first things.  In this smallest big way we have a reminder.

Begin with yourself.  Begin with your home.  Join with community and help create peace.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 we read, such useful verse numbers: 

12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

Let Us Pray

Creator of all things

Bring us home to your will

Help us to serve our role

We ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ

Benediction

Go out in your love

Go out in your grief

Go out in your wins

Go out in your loses

Go out in the will of God

Just go

Return home and begin again

Nottingham UMC 1/23/2022