Today is another wonderful day that the Lord has made—make it your best day! Our Father is so in love with you—he is intentional about making it known to you. When I pay close attention, he sends me little love messages through everything I do and experience. He woke me up today without the use of the alarm clock. The fresh air and clear sky greet me as I rise. The birds are chirping as a sign of the new day. I get dressed for my morning walk and notice the beauty of the sun shining through the clouds. The temperature is perfect (69 degrees) and not too humid. There is a slight lovely breeze in the air. I planned to walk with a friend, but she cannot come today. The Lord wants to spend quiet time with me alone.

Sometimes we fill our day to the brim not allowing quiet time with the Lord. As I was walking, others who were exercising would nod their heads or speak as they passed by—I passed joggers, other walkers, pets and even a father with his newborn. What a wonderful sight to witness. A brother jogged past me and a beautiful scent lingered in the air. All the trees, grass and plants are green, and spring flowers are in full bloom. I am amazed at the beauty of God’s creation. I was also surprised to see another dear friend in the park.
 
All these lovely sights were my reminders of God’s love and care for humanity. All the things that I love and enjoy were present in my environment as I walked and listened to the Word and God’s promises for my life (on the Bible app and my playlist). God inhabits your praises and the intimate details of your life when you invite him to join you. He is always available to share time with you. He is a wonderful walking buddy and friend.
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The ability to be quiet and meditate is a gift from above. So, remember to slow down and speak to the Father through your heart and mind daily. He will in return speak to your heart and provide the wisdom and guidance you need for the day. Oh, what a faithful friend we have in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

1Peter 5:7 Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. AMP

Yours In Christ,
 
Phyllis J. Baskin
Office Manager

​A ding on my phone reminds me: I need to write a reflection for the Friday Log. That ding--one of many I will hear today--is more than just information. It carries expectation. Time to produce. Time to perform. Time to be useful.
 
I could quickly cobble something together; I have plenty of old sermons and articles. I could pull out a quote from Bonhoeffer or Berry or Brueggemann and send it away in email, triumphantly crossing off a to-do list item. Instead, I am giving myself some freedom to reflect.
 
That kind of grace is not automatic. The dings and deadlines of modern life tempt us to hurry forward under the illusion that faster means better. That more means faithful. But what is the quality of what we are producing--and who are we becoming
in the process? Do we pretend that “faster” and “more” have some intrinsic value of their own?
 
​I think of the youth I see and know. They are remarkable, kind, and curious. Many are also exhausted. Their calendars are full. Their lives are high-performance machines, tuned for college apps, scholarships, and résumé lines. It’s easy to believe that this is just how things are now. And yes, parents, I know what month it is--is someone paying each of you to shake your head and say, “May is a crazy month?” But I wonder: What space remains for rest? For play? For unstructured joy that leaves room for the Spirit?
 
Please hear me: I don’t want to add on to a pile of guilt. Parenting and pastoring already come with enough of that. Much of the busyness of our culture is a societal issue that you won’t solve by rethinking your week. I just want to remind you (and myself) that grace is available, and that presence matters more than performance.
 
We schedule because we must; there are classes, jobs, worship services to lead. Not every moment can be free. Yet flexibility is often filled with fear or guilt: If we slow down, what might catch up with us?
 
In Christian theology, the calendar and schedule are key because Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God fully human, entered time not to rush through it, but to redeem it. He lived with holy purpose, not with panic. He freely gave his presence, and that presence healed, restored, and transformed.
 
There is no achievement, program, strategic plan, or class that will make us whole. There is no amount of money I can pay a tutor, counselor, or teacher that will redeem my children. Only Christ does that. Often, true healing comes in unexpected, quiet moments rather than planned appointments.
 
We parent and we pastor (shepherding souls) to create space for grace, freedom, and for one another, teaching children how to truly live, not just succeed. Like Jesus, let us find power in presence.
 
In Christ,

Rev. Josh McDaniel
Pastor of Students & Missions

Last Sunday during The Brook, I had the honor of leading our children's movement. The scripture lesson for the day was from the story of Hannah and Samuel. Pastor Jennie’s sermon title was “On Loan from God,” and she talked about how all our children are ultimately God's children. Really, all of us are ultimately God's children, and whatever responsibility or obligation we have to one another is because we are in relationship to one another through our Creator. To illustrate this point to the children, I brought a library card with me.
 
If you were at this service, you might remember a young boy who spoke up before I could get around to making the connection between the library card and our identity. The young boy raised his hand and said, “You must be really smart to know how a library card will relate to God.” He got some big laughs, and he set me up to prove myself. I assured him that I had a plan. I talked about how when we check out books from the library, we don't actually own them, and we must treat them nicely and return them to the library when we are done. Similarly, we as human beings are not “owned" by our parents or our spouse. We are all, primarily, the treasured possession of our holy and loving God.
 
At the end of my little talk, I asked the boy, “Did I land it?!” And he said “yes!” This was definitely a highlight of my ministry, and it reminded me of an activity my youth group used to do on trips and at camp. We would nominate one person to lead a devotional and pick a random thing they had to include in the devotional. Perhaps they had to include a sports team or an unusual animal. It sounds a little impious, but also a great way to stretch our holy imagination.
 
We do not expect to see God working outside of the usual spaces. We do not always look for the connection between the mundane and the holy.  We tend to lead compartmentalized lives, keeping our faith separate, perhaps in an honest attempt to keep our faith holy.
 
A few weeks ago, I was gifted a prayer book called “Every Moment Holy.”  It is a collection of prayers and liturgies for perfectly ordinary moments in life. The book has prayers for washing dishes, doing yard work, dropping the kids off at school, and more than one prayer for changing diapers (something we’re doing a lot lately at my house). In using this book, I have been encouraged to look for the holy amid the ordinary, to see how God might be working or trying to teach me something new. Often, this practice takes just a little bit of imagination (when changing diapers, it takes a lot of imagination). However, using our imagination to see God in the ordinary and mundane helps to break open our compartmentalized lives and connect with our Creator on more than just Sunday morning.
 
My prayer for all of us is that we might push ourselves to more fully participate in God’s holy imagination. I hope that we might more readily see the connection between library books and loving our neighbor, between changing diapers and caring for the least of these. And when we use our imagination to make these connections, I believe we will be transformed along the way. May we have an imagination that wonders beyond our present circumstances, to see God working in every part of our ordinary lives.
 
In Christ,

Rev. Kena Newkirk
​Pastor of Discipleship & Connections

Mother’s Day
by Carol Matthews
 
​A Mother loves right from the start.
She holds her baby close to her heart.
The bond that grows will never falter.
Her love is so strong it will never alter.
A Mother gives never ending Love.
She never feels that she has given enough.
For you she will always do her best.
Constantly working, there's no time to rest.
A Mother is there when things go wrong.
A hug and a kiss to help us along.
Always there when we need her near.
Gently wipes our eyes when we shed a tear.
So, on this day shower your Mother with Love.
Gifts and presents are nice but that is not enough.
Give your Mother a day to have some peace of mind.
Be gentle, be good, be helpful, be kind.
 
​A mother’s love is unique. A mother’s love is special. A mother’s love is something that we will always cherish and will never be forgotten. My mother was a special person indeed. Her name was Hester Mae Young. She received her reward on May 28,2021 at the age of 93. Moma was a dedicated Methodist living her life for Christ; always putting others ahead of herself. You were always so kind and gentle but knew when to be stern and courageous. I know how much you sacrificed for us every day of your life when things were scarce. Your love and guidance will be a part of us and your memory will live in our hearts forever. One of my favorite memories is when you said to me, "BOY, WHATEVER YOU DO IN LIFE DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.” I will always remember that! We are so grateful to have had you for a mom. Thanks for everything! I do know that everyone that has a mother that has passed feels the same as I do. May your mother’s love live in your hearts forever and ever until we meet again.

In Christ,

Jerome Young
Facilities Manager