“Washed Away”
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Noting but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow that makes me bright as snow;
No other fount I know; nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
“Nothing but the Blood” Robert Lowry, 1876
The other day I was doing one of those chores I don’t do very often, but when I do I find it both cathartic and satisfying. The time had come to get the old power washer out and start cleaning some walls. If you’ve never used a power washer, you really should try it sometime. In a nutshell, a power washer increases the force with which water comes out of a hose and uses that force to wash away dirt, stains, mold, mildew, paint, and whatever else discolors surfaces. Power washers are simple enough to use – hook up a hose to one end, turn on the power washer, point the nozzle end at what you want to clean, and pull the handle. The water comes out with a very high amount of pressure and acts almost like an eraser as you slowly move over the surface you are cleaning. It is amazing the difference you can make using a power washer – even stains and dirt you could never see get washed away and the surfaces look brand new.
For some reason, as I was doing this, I got to thinking about the language we use when we discuss our forgiveness and the power of God. When we talk about things like baptism and repentance, we say that our sins are “washed away.” While I’ve heard and said this phrase many times, I don’t know that I’ve ever given it much thought. I guess, if I had considered what that washing away was like, I probably pictured bath time when I was a kid. My mom or dad would fill the bathtub with water at a comfortable temperature and they would gently wipe a washcloth across my body and tenderly massage the shampoo into my hair. Bath time was a pleasing, gentle, and usually relaxing experience.
As I was using the power of high-pressure water to force dirt and mildew off those walls, I wondered if this wasn’t more like the image we ought to consider when we think about sins being washed away. Confession, repentance, and penance are not meant to be comfortable, gentle, peaceful experiences. They are a time for us to examine our souls and, when open to the Holy Spirit, discover dirt and stains we never even knew were there. It isn’t always a quick job and, if we’re not careful, it can be quite painful. But in the end, we come out cleaner than we’ve been in years and looking (in our souls) like brand new.
I invite you to spend some time considering what parts of your life might need a little power washing.
Blessings, Chris
Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Worship This Week
This Sunday we continue our message series “Upon Further Review.” Our message this week is about A Man Traveling to Jericho. The scripture this week will be from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, verses 30-37.
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Our services will begin with the song Love God, Love People by Danny Gokey. The hymns for the morning include God of Grace and God of Glory, and As A Fire Is Meant for Burning, and They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at approximately 10:25 following the Gathering Song. Additionally, we post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon.
Announcements
Vacation Bible School – Making Waves – Let us share our love for the Lord with your kiddos! Through fun activities, engaging lessons, crafts, and God’s Word, we’ll help kids understand how they can share God’s love with the people around them. His love has a strong ripple effect that can change the world. July 6-July 8th, 9:00 am to 11:30 am. To register, please click here.
Summer Outing to Big Surf Water Park
This coming Sunday, June 26th Nelson Church family is invited to enjoy a fun afternoon at Big Surf Water Park. We are planning on meeting in the Big Surf parking lot between 2:00 and 2:15. Be sure to sign up on the clipboard if you are interested. We will plan on eating dinner together at 6:00 when the park closes. Bring a side dish or dessert to share. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided. We hope you can join us for some summer fun!
Celebration of Life for Iris Campbell – A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 27th at 10:00 a.m., in our sanctuary. A luncheon will follow after the service in the Fellowship Hall. Condolences to the family may be sent to Scott Campbell at rscneusser@gmail.com. Please continue to hold her son Scott and his family in your prayers.
Planning Ahead – Dates for Your Calendar
June 26, 2022: Big Surf Water Park Summer Outing
July 31, 2022: UMM Ice Cream Freeze Off
August 10, 2022: National S’more’s Day
August 28, 2022: Church Picnic
Upper Room Devotional – Spend time each day in God’s word with thought-provoking devotions to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ. The “Upper Room” devotional books for July and August have arrived. Please help yourself to one in the back of the Sanctuary.
New Way to Give – As we continue to pursue virtual ministry and ministry in our modern times, we have found we need to keep up with digital technology trends. We are excited to announce that in addition to being able to give to Nelson Memorial by check or Vanco (automatic withdrawal from your bank account), we now are accepting offerings via Venmo. We can be found on Venmo at @NelsonMemorialUMC. If you don’t know what Venmo is and would like to learn more, information about giving through Venmo can be found on our webpage at https://nelsonmemorialumc.org/give/venmo/.
Events this week:
Sunday, June 26: Outing to Big Surf, 2:00 pm
Monday, June 27: Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, June 29: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Church Lounge
Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge
Friday, July 1: Youth Group, 7:00 pm, Jackson’s home
Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Church Lounge
Closing Words of Wisdom:
Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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