"Midweek and You Are Strong" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 08/24/2020

 

You are strong.  That is pretty much the message for this midweek.

I watch the people of the church and the way you have found a way during this time. 

I see you finding connections when so many connections have been restricted. 

I see how brave you are when there is so much fear in the air.

I see your courage in the face of anxiety that wants to worry us to death.

I see you asking good questions and searching for good answers, which is hard in this new territory where we have so little certainty to go on.  I think this is especially true of teachers and parents at this time as they seek the best educational experience for their children.  Pray for teachers, parents, and the children they love this week. 

I see your resilience, keeping on when on particular days we all want to run out into the streets and shout “I am so tired of this.” 

I see the joy in you.  Last week someone texted me and voiced their stand.  There was a curious joy in that.  Last night our church council met, discussed the current position of the church, and then as they were breaking up, seemed to pause just for a moment to appreciate one another, a sense of joy about being together. 

You are strong.

I think this all comes from a deep well of character found in every one of us.  In differing ways and at differing rates, God is helping us discover the depth of that well. 

It feels like a birthing, and labor pains are uncomfortable.  They take time.  This pandemic is not something any of us enjoys. 

But I think something is being born in us and among us, some new truth, some new understanding of who we are and what holds us together.   I am trusting God is doing what God does, loving us, and loving all creation.  And the strength released in that runs through you.

You are strong.

You may not be feeling that today.  I don’t feel strong every day, but God shows up in big and small ways opening up that well, digging deeper. 

You are strong.  That’s today’s message.   That is today’s hope. 

Blessings,

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.  And join in worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30 on Facebook. 

This Week At WDMUMC

Climbing Mountains with Jesus That’s the title of the sermon for Sunday.  Jesus spent a lot of time in the mountains and those mountain experiences were some of his best ministry.  You can follow Jesus through the mountains by reading Matthew chapters 4, 5, 14, 15, 17, and 28.  On each mountain, something important happens.  We’ll talk about it on Sunday. 

Confirmation Worship Service!  This Sunday at 6:45 our students will be confirmed in a Parking Lot Worship Service.  The students (and their mentors) are: Dennese Devine (Morganne Reinboldt & Carolyn Cunningham), Nick Dreyer (Mark Willson), Izaac Hawkins (Brian Helland), Keaton Moll (Dave Hickman), Sam Pawlowski (Hollie Welch), and Ryan Stein (Jerry Slagter). If you would like to send a card of encouragement, you can send it in care of the church and we will get them to the students.  Many thanks to their mentors who walked with them this year!  We will also celebrate a baptism!

School Supplies!  Our missions team is gathering school supplies.  You can place them in the bin just inside the lower level entry.

The Upper Room for September-October is available.  You can pick up yours at the lower level entry or call the church and we will send you one. 

The Leadership Institute at Church of the Resurrection  Each year Church of the Resurrection hosts a leadership institute for church leaders.  It is always inspiring.  Thousands of church leaders attend.  Adam Hamilton preaches and offers his insights. This year it is on-line and that makes it more accessible and more affordable, just $49.  It will be held on September 24-25.  If you are interested you can register at sharechurch.com.  Scroll down to find the registration information.   

Cedar Rapids Cleanup Missions is pulling together two small trips to Cedar Rapids to help with cleanup from the derecho. Both trips will be only a one-day trip. One on a weekend and one during the week. Details TBD as planning has just begun. Please let Pastor Trevor or Marnie Stein know if you are interested. 

 

"Midweek and Embracing Humility" Pastor Trevor's Devotion 08/19/2020

 

Hello Church, 

Do you ever have an assumption proven wrong? I woke up a couple of days ago with what I assumed was a spider bite or something on my forearm. It was super itchy. So I scratched it. Most of you probably know that was a mistake. It spread very rapidly where I scratched. I’ve been fighting the urge to scratch this spider bite for a few days. I’ve done well. It’s remained super itchy but I haven’t scratched it! I asked someone else what the heck is up with the spider bite and I showed them arm. They replied, "Yeah, that’s poison ivy." I couldn’t believe it. Poison ivy has never caused me to rash out before. I assumed two things. First, it was just a spider bite. Second, I wasn’t affected by poison ivy. Well damn, I was wrong on both accounts! Once I had some help identifying what was wrong, I could address the issue correctly. Thank God for other people. 

Our confirmation students had our final retreat tonight. We met in the parking lot and talked about all of the things we’ve learned and the questions we still have. Some students assumed that by the end of confirmation they wouldn’t have any more questions. Some students mentioned that they assumed some of the adults in the church had all of this figured out. Once they learned that all of us adults are still learning and wrestling with questions and struggling with doubt, they felt much better about their own spaces and faith journeys. They felt like they could join a church that didn’t have all the answers and that relied on one another for growth. They were excited about that. 

This week, I simply want to encourage you to embrace humility. You don’t know have to know everything. Wrestling is good. Having each other in our lives is a blessing. Thank God for other people. Thank God for you - the church.

Pastor Trevor
Pastor Trevor Vaughn
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave.
West Des Moines, IA 50265

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Upcoming:

We worship online every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. via Facebook and YouTube. Our services go live at 9:25 a.m. to give you extra time to get signed in. Join us! This week our ministry partners, including some of our youth, from Simpson Youth Academy will be leading worship.

Bar+Church continues every Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Twisted Vine.

 

"Midweek and Walking On High Places" Pastor Trevor's Devotion 08/13/2020

 

Hello Church!

Since we are in a worship series about the mountains, let’s talk about high places for a moment. High places are wonderful. When on high places, you see the world from a new perspective. It’s stunningly beautiful. But there’s a journey to get to that high place.

Every time I’m out in Oregon, I take a trip to Multnomah Falls. It’s a beautiful waterfall coming off of Larch Mountain that is about 600 ft high. Looking up at it from the bottom is one thing, but looking down from the top is a whole new experience. The path up is a workout and my prayer life increases drastically as I struggle to get to the top. I have to convince myself a few dozen times not to turn around because I’m so worn out and exhausted. 

I turn into one of my children in the car asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” And God seems to tune me out. After enough whining maybe he says what we say to our children in the back seat, “Would you just trust me, we’ll be there soon!” But soon is not soon enough. And I’m beaten up, barely able to breathe, and wondering if the end will even justify the means. Then I reach the top. I put my feet in the ice-cold water and I look down over the terrifyingly gorgeous waterfall and I look out of the Columbia River. And I remember why I make this trek every time. And I remember why I keep walking when I feel like quitting. 

See, God ables us to walk in high places by giving us strength and being with us on the journey. The journey almost always involves some kind of adversity. Without hope, the journey doesn’t seem worth taking. By the way, the word “hope” in scripture isn’t the same as the wishy-washy maybe-but-unsure optimism that we see it used today. Hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” and “Trust” are interchangeable. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet says, “The sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes me able to walk on high places.”

May you trust in God so you can walk on high places this week. Don’t give up.

Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Trevor
Pastor Trevor Vaughn
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave.
West Des Moines, IA 50265
515-279-0826

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Join in worship online at 9:30 each Sunday morning!

This week at WDMUMC

Parking Lot Worship:  We will worship in the church parking lot at 6:45 pm. Bring a chair,  wear a mask, plan to social distance, and praise God. 

New Book Study:  Pastor Cindy is leading a book study on Walter Brueggemann’s book, Virus as a Summons to Faith.  The group will meet in the parking lot at 4:30 on Wednesdays.  Bring your bible.  Reply to this email if you would like to attend. If you don’t have the book for the first meeting, Pastor Cindy will help get you started.  

Begin the Week with Prayer: Monday morning around 8 am the pastors will live stream with a prayer.  Login and join in or check out the post later in the day. 

Ring the Bell and Remember: Each Monday at 10:30 we ring the bell in remembrance of those in Iowa who have died of COVID in the previous week.