"Midweek and Time to Curl Up in a Warm Blanket" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 01/29/2019

Good morning friends—
Brrrrr!  I hope are you somewhere in the warmth of your home and family and friends.  Warmth is in short supply!

The church will close tonight at 8 pm.  We will re-open at 8 am on Thursday.  The weather reports are awful.  Record-setting cold.  A stalled car and a few minutes in the cold could result in serious injury or worse.  The universities across the state are closing.  Local schools are closing, including the West Des Moines Schools.  So, we too will close.  Our primary concern is safety.  The activities of the church will go on, but not tomorrow.  Tomorrow all day, we are closed.

All this has me thinking about the pace of our lives.  You know the drill—up and out the door while it is still dark.  Home after dark.  Kids activities.  Church activities.  Family activities.  Cub scouts.  Soccer.  Show Choir.  Picking up subs for supper.  Dropping into bed while the dryer is still running, drying the clothes we need for tomorrow.  For too many of us, life is like that.  Lots of good things, but too often too much.

Maybe the weather is God’s way of humbling us.  Snowstorms, dangerously cold temperatures, tsunamis, we have no defense against them.  Snow slows down our movement.  Flesh freezes in sub-zero temps.  We can only hold our breath for so long underwater.  And the pace of our lives, maybe it is not healthy for us either.

So just maybe, tomorrow is a gift.  Slow down, stop for a day.  Look out the window.  Go back to bed.  Sit quietly at the table and have a cup of coffee.  Let the kids build a tent in the living room.  Make popcorn.  Take a nap.  Ask God how God intends to spend the day.

Imagine a day when the whole world (or at least our corner of it) simply stops and rests.

Sorry for any inconvenience this causes.  Hope there is a warm spot for you to curl up in and enjoy.

Every blessing,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Our vision prayer for 2019: 
God, today let me faithfully live your story for my life, my church, and my community.
We worship at 8:30 and 11 on Sundays and we would love to worship with you?
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.

Coming Up at WDMUMC:
Note:  Game night scheduled for this evening is canceled!
This Sunday we will celebrate baptism and this amazing moment when God meets us in water and spirit.  Pastor Cindy wants to hear your baptism stories.  Email her at pastorcindy@wdmumc.org.

"Have plans for the weekend?" Midweek Invitations Pastor Cindy's Devotion 01/22/2019

Hello friends,
We are hunkering down for a snowstorm.  I hope you are warm and safe.
Today I have three invitations for you.
Breathe, Pray, Live.  That’s the first invitation.  (You can go ahead and do that right now.)  Take a breath.  It’s good for you.  Pray.  Speak your heart.  Listen for God’s response.  Live.  Live a healthy balanced life.  Repeat often.  Breathe, Pray, Live is also our sermon series for February.  We all want to get our lives in balance.  We all have some toxic stuff we need to exhale.  We all need to fill our lungs and our lives with the good stuff God wants for us.  Come to worship in February and we will do this wildly freeing thing:  we will Breathe, Pray, Live.
Invitation #2, our Annual Celebration, 5 pm on Saturday.  2000 years ago, a few dozen people started a movement based on loving God and loving neighbor and loving self.  It was modeled after the life of Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified and then rose from the dead.  The movement is fueled by the Holy Spirit.  The goal of the movement is to change the world through love.  There are thousands of franchises around the world.  We are one of them.  How are we doing?  Saturday night we will review our mission and see how we changed the world in 2018.  We will thank our retiring leadership and consecrate our incoming leadership. We will take time to thank and encourage new young leaders who are rising up.  And we will make plans for 2019.  And good food will follow.  Come and celebrate this movement of grace and peace. (We will be done by 6!)
Invitation #3, Taize’ Service at 4 pm on Sunday.  Ever been to a Taize’ service?  It is a quiet contemplative service.  Songs and scripture and prayer are shared in a candlelight setting.  Tired of the noise of the world?  Want to simply sit quietly in thought and prayer?  A Taize’ service feels a bit like a spa for your soul. 
All these invitations have one thing in common.  They are invitations to grow closer to God.  I need that, and maybe you do too.  I need holy assurance that God is near, that I am ok, that God knows me and is giving me strength.  These are just three invitations here at WDMUMC.  God is always inviting us into an adventure of faith. You are invited.
 
Hope to see you soon.
Blessings,
Pastor Cindy Hickman
PS:  Last week I told you all that my grandson had just been born.  He and his family are doing fine.  Thank you for your well wishes. 
And I want to do a shout out to all young parents.  How do you do it?  My 8-year-old granddaughter stayed with us for four days.  I had just one child in my care and I was exhausted!  The morning conversation went something like this:
Time to get up.
Are you ready for breakfast?
Can you finish your juice?
Time to brush your teeth.
Did you comb your hair?
You need to wear socks.
Do you know where your shoes are?
Do you have your backpack? 
Buckle up!
And off we went.  I love my grandchild—but oh my goodness, parenting is a lot of work!  Hats off to your parents!
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.
This week at WDMUMC:
MidWeek Refuel Wednesday night.  Walking Taco night!  Supper at 5:30 and of course you are invited! 
Closing the church due to weather.  We will follow West Des Moines Public Schools with regards to cancellation and closings.  If WDM Schools close due to weather, we will also close. Today the church is closing at noon.  

"Midweek and BIG NEWS" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 01/16/2019

Good morning--
My daughter had a baby this morning and in a few minutes, I will get to hold him.  (I know--WOW!)
This morning before he arrived I was praying/thinking about how much we are a "holding" people.  We hold hands and secrets and babies.  I like clothes with pockets so I can "hold" more things.  We "hold" one another in prayer.  We "hold" a hearing to seek the truth. 

So a prayer on my grandson’s birthday.

Dear God,
Thank you for this gift of holding.  For making us people who reach out to one another.  Thank you for the sacred connection that sends us into one another’s arms.  Thank you for the warmth of a baby held close against our chests.  Thank you for holding us in the palm of your hand.   Thank you for the sanctuary of being held in love.  Thank you, Lord, for the joy of this day.  Amen

May you be held secure in grace today. 

Time to get to the hospital to meet this new person!

Blessings,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor (and Grandma) Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

We worship at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday mornings and we would love to worship with you. 
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org. 

This week at WDMUMC:
Tonight at MidWeek Refuel, it’s breakfast for supper!  You are invited to wear your jammies!  Supper begins at 5:30.