A Letter from Pastor Duane - July


Dear Friends,

There is a funny story about a mother and her son, about six years old, walking through the parking lot of the church they attended.  And there was some construction going on at the church, I’m not sure what, but it left the parking lot a mess, dirty, muddy.  The little boy asked his mother why there was dirt, and she said, “Because they’re working on the church.”  So, the boy asked, “Well, when will the church be finished?”
It was a natural question for the little fellow.  In his childish mind, he just assumed that the church is a building, and that you should eventually be done working on it, it should be finished at some point.

We know it doesn’t quite work like that.  There’s always something to do on any building.  Here at Southport UMC, I know that you’ve successfully raised the funds needed to replace the HVAC system so that this wonderful church facility will remain comfortable and inviting.  Work on that will begin soon, I understand.
But the main thing that the little boy in our story needs to remember, and we all need to remember, is that the church is people, it’s not a building, as wonderful as the building may be.  We’ve all heard that, of course, and I can see already that the people of the Southport UMC really believe this and live it.  You reach out to people and help people and support people and offer Jesus to people in so many thrilling ways.
My wife Brenda and I can’t wait to arrive and join with you in the important work of sharing the grace and joy and love of Jesus Christ.

I’m excited about my first series, “Speaking Words of Blessing,” as we look at the “Sermon on the Mount.”  These words of Jesus provide spiritual direction and a solid foundation on which to build and re-build our lives.  God is always present with us to guide and inspire and challenge us to new heights.

So be reminded of the blessing that God wants to speak into your life each day.  God is not finished with you yet.  And God isn’t finished with the church yet either, so, let’s recommit ourselves anew as a family of faith to discover even new ways to speak words of blessing and healing and hope into the lives of others.

Grace and Peace to you,

Duane


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