We Believe...
Hello Gadsden Street UMC Friends!
We have kicked off our month of United Methodist sermons and classes! It was a blessing to be able to dive into our beliefs with you all this past Sunday, as we were reminded that, as United Methodists, we believe in love. I look forward to bringing our next sermons in the series and lessons in our class in the upcoming weeks. I also appreciate all who handed in their pledge cards and thank all in advance for handing theirs in as well this month.
Let's look ahead to what we have going on at Gadsden Street in September!
September 8
Morning Devotional | 10:00 AM | Online - Zoom link below
Join us tomorrow as we gather online for our weekly morning devotional. We will be using Week 37 in The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer, focusing on day 3. This can be found on page 256 in the second edition. Click the link below to be a part of this devotional time.
Coffee Shop Office Hours | 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Foxtail Coffee Co.
Following the devotional, I will be headed off to Foxtail Coffee Co., a brand-new coffee shop on West Jackson Street. I will be there from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM. If you would like to see what they have to offer, you may visit their website at this link here.
September 16
Wednesday Night Dinner | 5:30 PM | Fellowship Hall
Come and fellowship together with tacos! The sign-up for food will be in the back of the fellowship hall on Sunday, but will also be in the office during the week (reminder: the office is closed on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays). The Rev. Dr. Jim White will be presenting us with his mission in Liberia, how we can take part, and how we can support this mission. He has also invited a member of their board who assists in providing schooling for the girls and women in Liberia. I look forward to seeing you all there!
September 20
Singing Resistance | 4:00 PM | The Seekers Room
Come on out for a Sunday afternoon where we fellowship with song and prayer as we seek to cultivate a community of justice, peace, love, and hope. This is an event that is open to everyone, and we mean EVERYONE. Whether you are a member or not, whether you are a United Methodist or not, whether you are a Christian or not. This is a space where we can come together and lift our voices to God. See you there!
Sunday Mornings in September
September Sunday Sermon Series
This past Sunday, we read from Paul's letter to the church in Rome about love. We stepped into this passage with an understanding that as United Methodist Christians, we believe in love. Our series will continue as follows:
Sunday, September 13 - We Believe in Unity | Romans 14:1-12
Sunday, September 20 - We Believe in Grace | Philippians 1:21-30
Sunday, September 27 - We Believe in Holiness | Philippians 2:1-13
September Sunday United Methodist Class
This past Sunday, we took a look at what we believe as United Methodists and how we live that out. For those who would like to take a peek at the source material, this covered Our Doctrinal Standards and Theological Task from The Book of Discipline. We will continue on in the following Sundays with three more topics:
Sunday, September 13 - The Ministry of All Christians
Sunday, September 20 - The Social Principles | Led by Chaplain Fred Zobel, USN(Ret.)
Sunday, September 27 - Our Constitution and the General Book of Discipline
A Weekly Reflection
As always, I leave you with something to reflect on this week. When I was in my writing classes at Georgia Southern University from 2010 to 2014, I took many a writing class for my Writing and Linguistics major. In one of these, I was introduced to Anne Lamott through her book Bird by Bird. In her book Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, she makes a rather jarring but life-giving statement. "New is life". Enjoy this passage from her book below:
“If we stay where we are, where we're stuck, where we're comfortable and safe, we die there. We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you're dying. You're saying: Leave me alone; I don't mind this little rathole. It's warm and dry. Really, it's fine.
When nothing new can get in, that's death. When oxygen can't find a way in, you die. But new is scary, and new can be disappointing, and confusing - we had this all figured out, and now we don't.
New is life.”
Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers
Until Sunday,
Heather Nysewander