Unscheduled Stops

In our family, we love a good road trip. Part of the magic of trekking across this vast landscape we call America is leaving room for new adventures that might present themselves as we roll along. A few years ago, as we were driving through the Southwest, we saw that we were closer to the Petrified Forest than we realized. So, we stopped and spent a lovely few hours hiking through ancient (or beyond ancient) rocks–marveling at the grandeur and majesty of God. This past summer, we headed East to Washington, D.C. With no plans one evening, we made our way to the U.S. Capitol and sat on the steps of this hallowed seat of government, visiting with a group of veterans who had come to exercise their Constitutional rights in the push to secure funding for service members who had become ill in the course of their duty. More recently, on a work trip to Philadelphia, I spent half a day wandering the city and exploring some of its history–going wherever the spirit of inquiry led me, delighting in learning more about the marvelous mayhem that was our nation’s founding.

At this point, you’re probably thinking that you didn’t click onto this post to read about my travel history…and that’s a fair critique. So let me get to the point…In this day and age, we lead hyper scheduled lives. Look at your calendar and see how many empty days you have. We don’t have a free Saturday until February 25. Our daily schedules follow a same pattern–minutes carefully accounted for from the moment we wake to the moment our heads hit the pillow once again. Yet all of this scheduling poses a problem for our practice of faith, because God doesn’t move according to our schedules. He has his own, and it often looks nothing like ours.

I love this passage from the Gospel of John. Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who wants to believe in salvation, but Jesus’s words just don’t gel with his understanding. Everything in Nicodemus’s life says to follow the path of tradition. Hold fast to your education, maintain your daily practices, adhere to the schedule established in the Book of Law. And so, Nicodemus says to Jesus, “This doesn’t make any sense. It’s completely illogical.”

And, in the most aggravatingly awesome way ever, Jesus responds…Yes. You’re exactly right.

Instead of walking Nicodemus through the law (see Peter’s speech in Acts 2:14-41 for that), Jesus essentially tells him that God’s plan goes against everything Nicodemus has ever expected, and that he just needs to get over that and accept that things are going to be different. God’s Spirit goes where it wants to, Jesus says. You can follow, or not.

Personally, I find a lot of relief in Jesus’s response to Nicodemus. It takes the pressure off my already overtaxed brain to figure something else out. It’s one less thing I need to have an answer for. God has his own plan, and I can follow or not. But like Nicodemus, following God’s spirit might require some unscheduled stops–or even a full-out detour from the present path.

God doesn’t care about our schedules, which I know from personal experience, as He has disrupted nearly every plan I’ve ever had for my life. If you don’t believe that God is the Great Disrupter of Schedules, a cursory glance through Scripture should confirm this truth. Try Abraham, or Jacob, or Joseph, or Moses, or Hannah, or Ruth, or Mary, or Peter, or Paul….the Bible is full of human plans usurped by God’s eternal ones.

Part of being a follower of Christ means that we must be ready for unscheduled stops because we know that the Spirit blows wherever God wills. Maybe it’s a co-worker who needs some encouragement when we have a deadline to meet. Or maybe it’s our child who wants to talk ad nauseam about seemingly mundane things (but really just wants to be with us) when we’re simply trying to relax and unwind from a hectic day. Perhaps it’s a request for financial assistance when we had planned to use our resources on something completely different (and likely more fun). Sometimes, it’s even upending our calendars to make room for work that God is doing somewhere else.

Jesus reminds us, in the Gospel of John, that wherever he is, there his servants should be. If we truly seek to follow the path that Jesus has laid out, then we have to be okay with unscheduled stops along the way. As you and I ponder our calendars, make plans for the days ahead, I would encourage each of us to leave some room to follow where God’s Spirit leads. As with some of our best vacations experiences…the unscheduled stops are sometimes the best.

Blessings and Peace, Sara

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 on the Book of Esther titled “For Such A Time As This.”  This week we will focus on the role Mordecai – a devout Jew and Esther’s uncle – plays in the story.  Our Scripture lesson will come from the book of Esther, Chapter 2, verses 5-7:

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.  Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother.  This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful.  Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.“

Our services will begin with the song Glory, Glory (God is Able) by Crowder.  Our opening song at the 8:00 service will be Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, while our Praise Band will lead us at the 10:20 service with Yes He Can. Our other songs for the morning include Mighty to Save and Are Ye Able. 

Virtual Worship Information

In addition to in-person worship, our service will be live-streamed. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page.  The service will start at approximately 10:20 am with our Gathering Song.  Additionally, we post a recording of our messages to our website by early Sunday afternoon. 

Announcements

Blood Drive – Thank you to the eleven people who came out this past week for our blood drive.  While the total was down a bit from the past, each of those units of blood will help make a difference in the life of up to 3 people.  Thank you, again, for giving and stay tuned for our next drive coming up this Spring.

Thinking about Membership? –  This Sunday, January 29, following the 10:20 worship service, Pastor Chris will hold a “Pizza With The Pastor” session.  This is a conversation for anyone considering membership at Nelson Memorial UMC.  Membership in a church is a little different from joining a club or society, and Pastor Chris will share what membership means at Nelson Memorial.  This conversation will take place in the Fellowship Hall and will include lunch.  Please let Pastor Chris or the office know if you plan to attend so we can have enough food. 

Baby Grace Diaper Drive – Baby Grace is having a congregation diaper and wipes drive during the month of February!  We keep sizes 1 through 4 on hand with size 3 and 4 being the most popular.  A package of wipes is included with each distribution of diapers.  Please consider helping with this mission.  There is a crib in the church foyer for contributions.  Monetary gifts are also welcome.  Just make the check out to Nelson Memorial, UMC and put in the memo line Baby Grace Diaper Drive.  Thank you.

Kids Host Valentine’s Lunch February 12 – Make plans to attend the Annual Valentine’s Lunch hosted by Nelson Kids on Sunday, February 12th, following the 10:20 service.  The kids are going to be serving a spaghetti lunch. We are asking the families of the Nelson Kids that attend Children’s Church to bring a dessert to share!  Thank you so much!  This is free so please make plans to attend, and share in love and fellowship with our church family.

Giving Through 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, January 29: Pizza with the Pastor, 11:30 am, Fellowship Hall

Monday, January 30: TOPS, 9:15 am, Lounge

Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, January 31: Choir Rehearsal, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Wednesday, February 1: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Lounge

Al-Anon, Noon, Fellowship Hall

Friday, February 3: Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall

Closing Words of Wisdom:

The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by day.” ― C.S. Lewis