I welcome you to First United Methodist Church (FUMC). I pray that our worship leads you to an awareness of God’s presence in your life and among us.
If you are looking for a Church home, I hope you find First UMC to be that place. Our Church doors and communion table are open to you.
Sincerely in Christ’s love,
Rev. Mark B. McFadden
Pastor
Join Us for Worship This Sunday at 10:00 AM
Whether you are looking for a spiritual home, seeking answers, or visiting the area, you are welcome here. Come experience a community rooted in faith, hope, and love.
📖 This Week's Message
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We look forward to praising God and fellowshiping with you this Sunday morning! Whether you are joining us in person or tuning in online, there is a place for you here. Come ready for fellowship and worship! Bring a friend, and an open heart!
(Sunday Missal, alt)
Let us pray to the Lord who bends close to hear our prayers: Lord our God, Father of all, you guard us under the shadow of your wings and search into the depths of our hearts. Remove the blindness that cannot know you and relieve the fear that would hide us from your sight. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer is at the very heart of the ecumenical movement. Jesus prayed that we – his followers – may all be one. When we pray with and for one another, we can feel God’s gift of unity.
Matthew 22:15-22
Because we are created in God’s image and bear God’s inscription, our highest fidelity and loyalty belong to God. It is essential to consider whether we recognize God’s image in those around us: in a troubled child, in a person with a mental disability, in someone struggling to make a living, in an individual perceived as wasting their life, in national adversaries, in a poor refugee child, and even in a personal adversary within our community. When individuals deliberately or maliciously harm others, they attempt to deface God’s image within themselves and within those they harm. Speaking unkindly or looking down upon others constitutes a similar attempt. All have been guilty of such actions.
God seeks to renew the divine image within and among us, restoring the original imprint. This renewal offers profound hope. The restoration of God's image is not only a personal transformation but also carries significant ethical implications: it demands that we shape communal life around principles of compassion, justice, and reconciliation. Recognizing the divine likeness within ourselves and others obliges us to resist actions and systems that perpetuate harm and instead pursue justice and healing within our communities. Ultimately, Jesus' response to the question of allegiance affirms that our highest loyalty must remain rooted in the divine image, guiding our ethical decisions and interactions within society.
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