“Over the Edge”

Very early in the morning (Jesus) came to his disciples, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed.

Just them Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.”

And Jesus said, “Come.”

Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. Matthew 14:25-29

Last Friday afternoon, five days into our family vacation, I decided to step off the edge of a cliff.  Okay, so maybe it isn’t quite as dramatic as that, but it did feel that way in the moment.  While making our way from Grand Canyon National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park, we stopped in southern Utah in the East Zion area and went on a UTV (like an ATV, but bigger) ride, took an intense hike through the mountain sands, and then rappelled through the slot canyons in the area. 

If you’ve never been rappelling, it’s basically the part of rock climbing where you come back down. But in this case, the climbing was on our hike to the top of the slot canyons, and then we descended down a series of rock walls, attached to safety ropes (of course). 

Our guide (Kade) was wonderful and patient with us, never laughing at us for sucking wind on our hike up the mountain, never making fun of us for our less than graceful ways of sliding down some of the rocks, and always encouraging us along the way.  He led us through safety instructions and showed us exactly how the harnesses, ropes, carabineers, and other equipment worked to keep us from hurting ourselves. 

Armed with all this knowledge, we approached the first decent.  Kade attached the ropes to the rock wall, attached the rope to our harness, carefully instructed us how to stand, when to shift our weight and where to put our feet.  All of this was easy.  Then came the moment we had to actually put all our faith in this rope and step over the edge.  My mind knew it was safe, but there was still that small voice telling me that this was not natural, not safe.

I imagine the fear and anxiety I felt in that moment must have been similar to how Peter must have felt in the Scripture passage above.  There he was in a boat with his buddies, and all of a sudden Jesus appears to them, walking on the water.  This is (obviously) completely unnatural.  They were terrified until Jesus revealed his identity to them.  Trusting in this, Peter told Jesus to call him to him, and Jesus did.  All of this was the easy part.  It was easy for Peter to say those words.  There’s no risk in asking Jesus to make a command.  There’s no risk in asking God to help us do something.  Those are just words.

The risk came when Peter stood up and took that initial step out of the boat.  Think about that moment when Peter first shifts his weight from the leg firmly grounded on the wooden surface of the boat to the foot that is hovering over the surface of the water.  Only full trust and faith in Jesus would have given him the confidence to take that step. 

It can be terrifying to take a step of faith.  We know in our heart that God is with us, and everything will be okay.  But we still have that small voice telling us this is not okay, this is unnatural, don’t do it!  Peter must have heard that voice too.  But then he looked out and saw the face of Jesus assuring him everything would be okay.

Throughout our lives, God calls us to step out of the boat, step over the edge and put our full trust in him.  Maybe God is calling you to take a step of faith in your career, in a relationship, in your church, in a financial matter, into a new form or area of service.  No matter what it is God might be calling you to do, he is right there with you, looking into your eyes and calling you to put your full trust in him.  Are you ready to take that step?

Blessings, Chris

Worship This Sunday

This Sunday we begin a brief series titled “Reflections From the Road.”  This week our message is titled: “God’s Creation.”  Our scripture reading will be from Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1-10:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day” and the darkness he called “night.”  And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water. So God made the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the second day.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

We will begin our service with the song Redeemer by Nicole C. Mullen.  Our hymns for Sunday include: For the Beauty of the Earth, and Sent Out In Jesus’ Name.  Additionally, our video hymn this week is You Say, by Laura Daigle. 

COVID Precautions

The Church’s Administrative Board met last week and considered the updated advice from the CDC on COVID precautions.  In accordance with new CDC guidelines, masks are no longer required in the church for those who are fully vaccinated.  Social distancing will still be encouraged and practiced, as will enhanced cleaning procedures.  The Administrative Board will continue to monitor pertinent numbers and information and update our practices accordingly. 

We know there are some who are still not feel comfortable or able to attend worship at this time. Please know that even though we don’t get to see you weekly, we still want to minister to you.  Every Sunday afternoon we will post a recording of our 10:20 worship service on our Facebook page and the message on our website.  We hope this helps you remain connected until we are able to gather again without concern. 

Announcements

Ice Cream Freeze Off – Next Sunday, June 13, will be the annual Ice Cream Freeze Off.  It will begin at 4:00 in the Fellowship Hall.  All entries (everyone is encouraged to enter) are asked to have their ice cream at the church by 3:45 pm for judging.  Please contact Elvin Farquhar and tell him the flavor of your entry.  Winners will receive $25 for first place, $15 for second, and $10 for third.  We hope to see you there!

Vacation Bible School – VBS is back!  This year we will host Vacation Bible School the mornings of June 28 – 30 at the church.  Our theme is “Keep Running the Race Set Before You.”  We will kick off VBS with a fun event at the Boonville High School track on June 27.  If you’d like more information or to volunteer to help, please contact Risa Venable.

Would you like to lend a helping hand with VBS?? – Even if you are not available during VBS, we have opportunities to help us get ready.  If you have hands that want to help, we have a place for them.  There are sign-up sheets located in the church on the counter by the front doors or back in the refreshment area.  If you have any questions please contact Risa Venable or Melissa Baker.

Technology Upgrade Coming – After much research and conversation, the Church’s Administrative Board voted to approve a plan to update and upgrade some of the technology capabilities at the church.  The approved plan includes the purchase and installation of 2 remote-controlled video cameras and other video components which will allow us to produce a high-quality video worship service livestream.  The total cost of this project is approximately $14,000 and the funds for this will be provided from a few already received donations and through the use of some memorial funds. 

In conjunction with this upgrade, and to give us the network capacity to broadcast a livestream, the Board also approved an upgrade to our internet service.  We have contracted with Socket to provide Fiber internet service and this change will take place in the coming weeks.

The Board also received a bid to upgrade the projectors and visual quality in our Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall.  The total for this project was an additional $8,500.  This update/upgrade would provide for a clearer, easier to read image through the projectors used in our worship services.  After much deliberation and discussion, the Board did not see the funds on hand to approve this purchase at this time.  However, the Board would like to ask you to consider helping with the funding for this project.  If you are able to make a gift to this project, over and above your giving to our general fund, please consider doing so.  Checks can be made to Nelson Memorial with “A/V update” in the memo line.  Thank you for considering helping to fund this important update to our technology.

New Foundations Sunday School Summer Study: Beginning in June, the Foundations Sunday School class will be doing a video study based on Bob Goff’s bestselling book, Everybody, Always. During this study, we will reflect on how we can Be Love in in a world full of setbacks and difficult people. Feel free to come along on this journey of love with us each Sunday morning at 9:00 A.M. in the Foundations classroom.

Events this week:

Friday, June 4: Youth Group, 7:00 pm, Jackson’s home

Monday, June 7: TOPS, 9:00 am, Foundations Classroom

Al- Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge

Tuesday, June 8: NAMI, 6:30 pm, Foundations Classroom

Congregation Care Team, 7:00 pm, Church Lounge

Wednesday, June 9: Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge

Friday, June 11: Missouri Annual Conference “Virtual Sessions”

Saturday, June 12: United Methodist Men, 8:30 am, Fellowship Hall

Closing Words of Wisdom:

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.