Volunteering

I am currently away in Mississippi on a work trip, with seven others from La Plata UMC. Believe it or not, we are repairing or rebuilding houses for people who are still out of their homes or living in conditions none of us would want.  The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) estimates there could be 10 years worth of work for volunteer teams to come down and do.  And not surprisingly, more hurricanes have come already, and will come in future years destroying homes and damaging roofs, from Texas to Florida and up the Atlantic seaboard. 

Volunteers make a huge difference in these people's lives and almost as important, volunteers witness to their kindness and caring spurred by the presence of Christ in their hearts.  We are witnessing to our faith, and Christ is touching these people with our arms and our hands, our smiles and our eyes.  

If you've ever volunteered to use your skills, no matter what skills you have, to help and bless others, then I thank you.  If you've never stepped out of your routine or out of your comfort zones to go on a short-term mission trip, or stepped out of your neighborhood to help someone in another part of the county, then I recommend you make the effort just once.  When you see the appreciation in their eyes, in their smiles, and in their laughter; and when you feel the profound joy in your heart from the knowledge that you have made a tangible difference (an improvement) in someone's life, you will want to continue blessing others for the rest of your life.  I hope that you will perhaps join us next year when we go down again.  And in the meantime, I hope you will practice helping others right near where you live.

Faith & the Economy

So often we have been led to believe that there is no correlation between our spiritual lives and our material/economic lives. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As Christians seeking to please God, and caring for our families and our futures, we have to rely upon God more during this economic downturn, than when things are going along swimmingly.
All of us are concerned about our futures, but we must realize that our future is not in the hands of Wall Street, or in the hands of The Fed, or Capital Hill. Our lives, and our futures are in God's hands because we put them there. Should you sell, should you buy? These are questions of a panicked investor. Having faith allows our blood pressure to calm even in the face of a storm: economic storms and other life crises. Does this mean your 401(k) is safe? No, there's no magic to being a faithful Christian. We all have seen our retirement plans diminish, and our investments hurt. But our long term health and financial well being is not in our hands. It is in God's hands. We are all suffering right now. We are all uncertain about the future right now, except that we know this: "We belong to God and God is always with us."
I'm not giving investment advice, I am giving spiritual encouragement. Don't fret over the future you cannot see, that no one can see; but place your faith in God who not only sees the future, but because of his love for you, holds you in his hands. God will provide for us regardless of the balance in our accounts on paper.

Welcome & Intro to Blogging

Dear Friends,

This Blog is a chance to expand our communications ministry at La Plata UMC.  This web site can serve as a way for you to ask questions, follow up after sermons, inquire about classes, or just share your own witness of what God is doing in your life.

"Blog" is short of Web Log, which is like an online journal.  It also allows several conversations to be going on at the same time.  Feel free to write me or visit this spot, anytime you'd like to begin a string of conversation on a topic of interest to you.

This will help us form a sense of community for those who are especially familiar with the online environment.

I pray that God will bless you as we engage in Christian conversation in this new medium.

Yours in Christ,

Bruce