Weekly Update // Pastor Will

 Dear Friends,

We’ve just come off another very eventful week here at Asbury! It was a full week with shows, a combined service, potluck, and even some Eagle Scouting. Our main event this weekend was our Joseph production, put on by our Traditional Worship Director, Tamara Alexander, and her team. There were three shows, all of which were packed. Personally, I attended two of them and saw some of the same folks come back because it was so good! The show not only highlighted the talent we have here at Asbury but also the hard work and passion of many people here. This was evident in all aspects of the production. We praise God for the wonderful story of Joseph and the folks who helped bring it to life!

In the midst of all that, we had our combined service on Sunday, where we had the pleasure of hearing from our East Central District Superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Austin, who also serves as the Director of Justice for the Conference. She challenged us to care for our neighbors, as highlighted in the story of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke. After the service, we enjoyed a wonderful potluck hosted by the Open Door class, featuring some amazing food. We want to show our appreciation for all their hard work and for everyone else who brought a dish!

Lastly, we’ve had our Eagle Scout project going on at the basketball (soon to be basketball & pickleball) court. This project is being led by one of our youth, Zane Rimes, along with his troop 148, the girl troop 4148, and some help from his proud parents,Miranda and Trevor Arnold. The project, which is a big undertaking and officially kicked off on Friday, includes cleaning, patching, and painting

lines. After speaking with Miranda this weekend, one of Zane’s troop members

commented, “I think this is the biggest project we’ve ever done!” Of course, we

have to break in the court with a tournament, so get your partner and stay

tuned for info on that.

We can’t forget to mention the Fourth ofJuly and all the freedoms we celebrate in our country. I often think of theverse from Galatians that challenges me. In the fifth chapter, the thirteenth

verse, Paul says, "For you have been called to live in freedom, my

brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.

Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." (NLT) I believe

Paul references a few freedoms in this verse: freedom from the Law, which the

church in Galatia struggled with due to some religious folks teaching a false

gospel, and freedom from sin because of Christ's sacrifice. Because of these

freedoms, we should use them to serve one another instead of focusing only on

ourselves, which I often need reminding of! We are so blessed with the lives we

have; let’s celebrate it and use it to live into the calling that Christ has placed on our lives!

 This weekend, we’re kicking off a newseries on Moses titled, “Called: The Story of Moses.” This series will run for six weeks and explore the full story of Moses, the most prominent figure of the Old Testament. It is also the first Sunday of the month, so we will be celebrating Holy Communion at both our Celebration/Contemporary Service at 9:30am and our Traditional Service at 11:00 am! Both services will be live-streamed if you cannot attend in person.

We hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Fourth of July and look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday!

God Bless!

Pastor Will