Come as you are

I pray everyone has an opportunity to be outside today and enjoy the warm sun. Tomorrow morning at 10:30am we will begin our time of worship together and, this week, we need to do a little pre-work together. For the first time since we’ve shifted our worship online, we will celebrate Holy Communion together. All are always welcome to Christ’s table, and the God who transcends time and space can surely be powerfully present at all our tables. To participate, please have a piece of bread, cracker, or anything else you’d like and also a glass of juice or water ready. I pray it will be a sacramental and meaningful time for all of us. 

I also wanted to take a moment to clarify the photo directory message from Wednesday. I think clearer instructions might help us receive more images, as well as maybe explain what we are trying to achieve. The last time Flemington UMC made a photo directory was 2011. A significant portion of our community had not yet come together 10 years ago, and it’s a helpful means of learning names and who is who for newcomers. It’s also helpful to have a face to connect to a name when someone says “Aloysius Candyman the Fourth needs prayer,” you can turn in your directory and say “oh, THAT Aloysius Candyman the Fourth.”

The plan is to incorporate these images in a small Powerpoint with ~ four images per slide, with text boxes underneath each image with name(s) of those pictured, and the contact information you choose to share. This file will not be hosted on the church website or posted publicly anywhere, but rather available to be printed by the office and e-mailed to active participants in the community. If you have any more questions, I’m happy to answer them, but please help me to put together this resource for myself and others as we seek to grow deeper in relationship with one another, even when separated.

There are no restrictions on the photo you choose to send in. You could choose a composed portrait like the icon of Jesus with Mary his mother above; you could choose a group photo, you on the beach, whatever helps us see you as you are. 

So please: grab your phone. Turn that front-facing camera on. Click. Send to flemingtonumc@yahoo.com. 

Grace and Peace, 
Pastor Ben