Saturday, May 24, 2014

Hope: A Candle in the Dark / Memorial Day Weekend


We are observing Memorial Day Weekend at Ft. Collins First United Methodist Church this Sunday, remembering in worship those in our congregation who have died in the past year who served in our country's Armed Forces.  Thankfully, we don't have anyone associated with the congregation who was killed in action this past year, but we honor those who have lost their lives in armed conflict by honoring the service of our members who have passed away in the last year.


As significant as Memorial Day Weekend is, we are also remembering a very significant date in the lives of United Methodists and others of Wesleyan heritage.  Today, May 24, 2014, is the 276th anniversary of a pivotal entry in John Wesley's journal wherein he described his famous "heart strangely warmed" experience, an experience that changed the direction of his life and that formed the basis of his Methodist renewal that would become the Methodist Episcopal Church in his lifetime.

It all takes place within the context of Romans 5:1-5, one of Paul's well-known formulaic passages dealing with suffering, endurance, character, and hope born of the love of God. It seemed like a fitting image for this was that of a candle burning unflinchingly in the darkness that surrounds it. 
I hope you'll plan to be with us in worship tomorrow and give yourself to this great God of love who acts redemptively in our lives.

Steve
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