Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ.  I have an      eclectic pen this week with three areas I want to highlight.  They are:                                                                                                                    1. Personal  2. Church Body  3. Theological

1. The thought of being honored in your group is always appealing.  I was so honored on Sunday, October 14, 2012.  Pastor appreciation Sunday  is very special for me.  I really was moved by the words that were spoken on my behalf.   So much so that I really did not have anything to say right afterward.  Now I have had some time to think and just want to relate how I enjoy being your pastor.

Some history, it was exactly 4 years ago this October that Diana and I came as your appointed clergy couple.  It was a mid-year move and you were saying goodbye to a pastor and family that had been with you 11 years.  They had not only seen their own children grow up to adults but had experienced your children growing up as well.  Jeff is still a friend with deep experiences with you.  Yet as we came on board you accepted us with open arms.  You were ready to join us on our journey with you.

Less than a year into our ministry here I had a medical incident that was a near death experience for me.  Throughout all of the hospital time and recovery you were there for me and Diana.  You prayed for me and with me.  You helped filled the pulpit, made sure ministry at Woodway FUMC continued, worked through Charge Conference , celebrated 50 years of ministry (even though I was not able to be present) and most of all assured me that my place among you  was secure.  Then when I returned you welcomed me with open arms and helped make the transition from recovery to wellness a breeze.

We have since moved forward to expand our ministry and continue to do so with the growth in our children’s ministry, youth ministry and our worship experience.  We are truly on a ministry journey together.  That is the reason that your honoring of my ministry here is so special.  Thank you all for your support, patience, prayers, love and kindness.   Blessing on each of you 2. Sunday was an example of worship that was filled with the desire to honor God.  The children were at their best as they explained how and what God means to them.  It was a snapshot of how God is part of each of us when we are open to Him.  It was a joy to experience God from a different perspective, a child’s.

A special  thank you to all who were part of the creative planning, rehearsing and execution of worship Sunday.  Remember to thank  Shawna Furman, Jeannie Frost, Michelle Roueche’,  Jeremy Ferguson, and Sean Brace next time you see them.  Please also, share your praise with each of our children as you see them as well.  It is never too early to praise a person when they honor God.

3. As we approach our fall commitment time I want to remind you  that we honor God as we participate in the full practice of our Christ centered lives.  God’s church asks us to participate in its ministries by our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service.

In Luke 21:1-4 we read:  “He (Jesus)  looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury;  he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.  He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’”

Jesus never suggested that there is anything wrong with wealth.  Jesus teaching is always about heart.  If my heart is honest and earnestly seeking to do what God is calling me to do,  then whenever I pray, show up, give and serve with the intent to do God’s will I am filled with joy. God never calls us to do the impossible without providing the means with which to do it. It is never about us but about God in us.

For the next several weeks I am asking you  to prayerfully consider how you are honoring God as you pray, participate, share of what you have, and serve others.  Ask yourself how can I honor God more?  Where am I needed?  Who needs prayer and what for?  How can I assist others so they can live a life filled with the joy I have in Jesus?  To be sure, God will answer if you inquire of Him.  Let us walk this path together.

More to come.  John