October - A Month of Special Days
Happy Tuesday Gadsden Street UMC!
The month of October is officially underway! We kicked off the month with World Communion Sunday, a day where we unite with all those baptized around the world at the Lord's table. In the act of communion, we recognize that we are one in Christ. What a wonderful gift of grace to celebrate! In two weeks (October 18th), we will celebrate Laity Sunday. We are celebrating you!
"The mission of the laity flows from a commitment to Christ's outreaching love. Lay Members of the United Methodist Church are, by history and calling, active advocates of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every layperson is called to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20); every layperson is called to be missional. The witness of the laity, their Christ-like examples of everyday living as well as the sharing of their own faith experiences of the gospel, is the primary evangelistic ministry through which all people will come to know Christ and The United Methodist Church will fulfill its mission."
¶127 The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church
That is all of you! I appreciate the witness that all bring to our church, our community, and the world. That is how mission is accomplished and that is how all will one day know Christ as Lord.
As we keep our mission in mind, let us look at the week ahead.
Wednesday Morning Devotional
10:00AM - 11:00AM | Online via Zoom
Tomorrow morning we will be looking over Week 41, Day 3 in The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer. We invite you to join us for this time of fellowship as we contemplate the theme of Patience. Join us at the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82749091089
Wednesday Coffee with Pastor Heather
12:00PM - 4:00PM | Fosko Coffee Barre - 8 S Palafox Pl.
I will be working from Fosko this week. They have wonderful coffee and delicious crepes! Come on down for a cup and fellowship if you would like!
Ladies and Gents Lunch
11:00AM | Cactus Cantina - 5121 N 12th Ave.
Join us for a fellowship lunch at Cactus Cantina this Thursday at 11:00AM. If you would like to join us but have not signed up yet, please reach out to the office (850)433-0014. We would like to have an accurate head count for making a reservation. See you there!
Sunday Mornings at Gadsden Street United Methodist Church
Sunday School
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | The Conference Room - Admin Building
All are invited to join us every Sunday in the Conference Room as we come together to take a deep dive into the morning's scripture. This coming Sunday we will be diving down all the rabbit holes that come up as we read and open our hearts, minds, and souls to God's wisdom in Matthew 22:1-14.
Sunday Service
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | The Fellowship Hall
Join us Sunday morning in the Fellowship Hall for worship! Our scripture for this Sunday is Matthew 22:1-14, the parable of the unwelcome guest.
A Weekly Reflection
Richard Rohr, an American Franciscan priest, has written some of my favorite contemplative works of modern faith. A book that offers contemplations from a number of his works is titled "Yes, And...". It is a book of daily meditations. One that has stood out to me since getting the book is a meditation titled "Prayer". I hope that you will find wisdom and enjoyment in its contemplation as I have.
"'Everything is exposed to the light itself becomes light' (Ephesians 5:13). In prayer, we merely keep returning the divine gaze and we become its reflection, almost in spite of ourselves (2 Corinthians 3:18). The word prayer has often been trivialized by making it into a way of getting what we want. But I use prayer as the umbrella word for any interior journeys or practices that allow us to experience faith, hope, and love within ourselves. It is not a technique for getting things, a pious exercise that somehow makes God happy, or a requirement for entry into heaven. It is much more like practicing heaven now."
Adapted from The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See, pp.22-23.
Blessings and peace,
Heather Nysewander