Weekly Update // Pastor Will

Hi friends!

It was wonderful to worship with you on Sunday! The vibrancy and energy in the services were palpable. Pastor Chris mentioned that the extra hour of sleep did us all some good, and I couldn't agree more! Perhaps we should consider adding an extra hour each week. Too often, we neglect to prioritize rest until it’s too late. One person compared it to a car or machine: if we don’t make time for proper rest and recovery, we may be forced to take it when it’s inconvenient. Even God rested after creating the heavens and the earth, and Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to recharge, sometimes even taking a quick nap. So, remember to rest and take care of yourselves!

As I write this on Tuesday, we approach a significant week in our nation with the presidential election. I want to share a prayer that resonated with me. I came across a prayer by Stanley Hauerwas from Prayers Plainly Spoken, titled “A Prayer on Election Day”:

“Sovereign LORD, foolish we are, believing that we can rule ourselves by selecting this or that person to rule over us. We are at it again. Help us not to think it more significant than it is, but also give us and those we elect enough wisdom to acknowledge our follies. Help us laugh at ourselves, for without humor our politics cannot be humane. We desire to dominate and thus are dominated. Free us, dear Lord, for otherwise we perish. Amen.”

This prayer highlights our tendency to place too much faith in earthly leaders, reminding us that true sovereignty belongs to God. It calls for humility and wisdom to recognize our follies while encouraging us to maintain a sense of humor, as our politics can become inhumane without it. Ultimately, it’s a plea for freedom—not to dominate, but to release our pride and seek divine guidance. My hope is that we can all trust in God to lead us to true justice and peace during this election season.

This week in worship, we will begin our new sermon series, Heart Matters, where we’ll explore themes of contentment, generosity, and trust. This series leads up to turning in our commitment cards on November 24th during our combined service, where Rev. Dr. Simon Osunlana, the Superintendent of the Southeast District, will be preaching. We’ll also have our famous Crock-Luck after the service featuring various chilis and dishes, along with a special baptism that day!

Join us in person if you can! If not, we’ll have our livestream options available via Facebook and YouTube for both our Celebration Service at 9:30 AM and our Traditional Service at 11:00 AM.

See you soon!

Thanks, and God bless!

Pastor Will