So Now What?


A common question.  I’ve asked it many times myself.  But I’ve heard it from all sorts of people – family, church, neighborhood, everyone.  So now what?  After some big event, some substantial change or tragedy, some celebration or achievement someone will invariably ask – So now what?  And I can’t really imagine a bigger event than Easter.  Everything changed.  Everything is new.  Everything.  Simply everything.  So now what?

Like, for example, that guy who Jesus healed, the one lowered through the roof.  Remember that one?  Sure you do.  Jesus was teaching in a house somewhere, it was crowded, couldn’t get close to Him.  But some guys had a friend who was paralyzed, couldn’t get up, couldn’t move, couldn’t walk.  They wanted to get him to Jesus.  So they carried him up to the roof of the house and tore a hole in it.  Yeah, I know.  Carried a stretcher, a cot, a bed up to the roof and then tore a hole in it!  Explain that to the roofer who you called the next day to fix the roof.  Anyway, they tore a bed sized hole in the roof and then lowered him down, right in front of Jesus.  (Read Mark chapter 2, it’s an amazing story).  After all of that Jesus heals the paralyzed man.  Wow.  And I’m sure he was thinking, so now what?  Well, Jesus told him so now what?  Get up and walk.

So now what?  We who were made new, who were healed again by Easter, so now what?  Well, now we walk.  Now we live.  That’s what.  We live the implications of this big event.  We walk as Easter people.   Every day, every breath, every step we take is now our so now what response.  How will we walk?  How will we live as the Southport United Methodist Easter people?

Walking in the Way is our next series.  A random approach to life AE (After Easter).  We’ll take a look at some aspects of our life together and ask ourselves how to walk in the light of Easter.  How to walk the way to heaven.  We learned about grace during Lent, now in Eastertide we’ll live, we’ll walk in that grace.  Some of it will seem silly – but that’s ok, we can silly walk too.  It’s all silly to a world that lives in Good Friday darkness.  But we know that the Son has been raised, we know the light has dawned and we’ll silly walk our way in the light every day.

 Looking ahead, this fall we’ll tackle this Making Disciples thing we keep talking about.  There’ll be a companion study with that one, so plan to join us after Labor Day on Tuesday evenings as we strategize our silly walk in a way that invites others to join the parade.  Then we’ll listen to Micah, that Old Testament prophet who also tells us how to walk, with justice and mercy and humility before God.  In November we’ll talk about walking without our hands in our pockets as we think together about giving God thanks for all the gifts we’ve been given, responding in generosity and stewardship.  Then it will be Advent again as we walk back to Bethlehem and kneel in adoration to the One who is the reason we walk at all.

And don’t forget this summer we want to walk and talk together about the questions we have about the bible and about faith and church and stuff.   Come and fill out a survey to tell us what is the hitch in your giddyup, what concerns you or bothers you or just makes you wonder.  So that we can then keep moving forward as the Easter people of God here at Southport UMC. 

So now what?  Now we walk.  Let’s walk together.



Shalom, Pastor Derek

Popular posts from this blog

A Letter from Pastor Chris

Dear Friends,            I am excited about the many things that are happening at Southport UMC this month.   There are many things going on at Southport UMC as we continue in ministry to the Southside of Indianapolis, but I would like to highlight a few opportunities, as well as share some information about changes that are coming this month. First of all, because of storm damage we are getting a new roof. This work will begin after September 8 and will take around a week to complete (weather permitting). Secondly, we will begin signups for Journey Groups this month, and I encourage everyone to take this opportunity to grow in your faith through a small group. Finally, at the end of this month we have a great opportunity to share with our neighbors through the Community Fall Festival.   Over the last couple of months we have been learning in worship that we need to share our faith story, and we can only do this through building relationships. Community Fall Festival is an
Read more

ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

You may or may not know that in the past, Southport United Methodist Church has been able to offer a small scholarship to assist with college expenses.   The scholarship was made possible by some past members of SUMC:   Mary & Riley Lynch. We haven’t been able to offer the scholarship for a few years but are able to do so again. If you are interested or want more information, please contact Pastor Doug in the church office. Application deadline is July 15th, 2019.   A decision will be made at that time so there can be no applications accepted after that date.
Read more

SOUTHPORT UNITED METHODIST YOUTH GROUP

SCHEDULE ·   7/7/19-4 th of July Weekend-NO Meeting ·   7/14/19-‘Ice Cream Matters’-Picnic style supper, Ice Cream Treats at Dairy Queen-Bring Money for treats-Permission Slips REQUIRED, Frisbee Relay, Devotional ·   7/20/19-SERVICE PROJECT-Mayor’s Veteran Appreciation Picnic, Meet at SUMC at 9AM, Sign Up by 7/14/19-LIME GREEN T-SHIRT DAY, wear if you have-please, open to entire church and RHUMC Youth Group invited ·   7/21/19-‘WATER BLAST’-Grilled Skewers and Pie, Devotional and Water Birthday Party games ·   7/28/19- ‘LARNIN MATTERS’-Corn dogs and tater tots, Devotional and Relay Races ·   8/2/19-EVENT-Lock-In at SUMC, FAITH, FELLOWSHIP AND FUN—START TIME, TO BE DETERMINED-YOUTH WILL SERVE AT HOMECROFT EVENT, WILL MEET AT CHURCH FIRST,   Family Breakfast in the Underground at 9am on 8/3/19, Sign Up Due by 7/21/19, RHUMC Youth Group invited ·   8/4/19-Parent Meeting at 11AM in the Underground ·   8/4/19-‘Faith and Friends’-Casserole Night, Devotional and Board Game
Read more