April 6, 2022
Hello, church family and friends!
Every 5 years, United Methodist pastors are invited to participate in a year’s worth of classes and retreats for spiritual and professional growth. This year is mine, and this season of Lent is the perfect time for it. I spent all of last week at a gorgeous Jesuit retreat center in Los Altos, California with about 25 other UMC pastors. We spent some time together in worship, some time in small groups discussing different things, some time in private prayer. I was reminded how, ever since I was a kid, I thought about being a nun. Something about a life spent in a community of people devoted to God through prayer and service REALLY appeals to me, still. I shared that thought in a small group, and our facilitator – a retired Methodist pastor – told me that she is part of a Methodist+Benedictine group of what is known as “lay religious” (basically nuns who continue living their ordinary lives) called the St Brigid of Kildare Monastery. YOU GUYS. I am so intrigued by this. I can’t explain why, but I feel that God is drawing me to something new in this, as an important foundation for my work as your pastor. There’s a little more info about it on the back page of this newsletter, if you’re interested. I find it fascinating, myself.
Spending time in prayer, study, self-sacrifice, and service can reveal all kinds of things to us, as it is doing for me. Different things to every person. Almost always, it will involve challenge as well as joy. Which brings me to another thing that’s been on my mind.
Years ago, the faith of several people here at Epworth led them to begin the ministries known as Fallon Daily Bread and the Epworth Community Food Pantry. Laundry and showers, too, and a fund to help people in emergencies. Most of the time, all of that is incredibly rewarding and meaningful and good. But sometimes, it’s really hard. Because people who need the services we provide are struggling, sometimes in ways that are hard to understand. Mental illness, a long multi-generational history of abuse and trauma, learning difficulties, difficulty making healthy decisions…it’s rough. I found myself feeling really frustrated this week at folks who seem to be taking advantage of us, abusing our welcome and care, vandalizing our church home. I know some of you have been feeling frustrated with it, too.
As I have prayed and thought about it, here’s where I am with it right now. When we serve folks who are in need in these different ways, we have to get comfortable with the ways it can be hard. We need to draw healthy boundaries, and hold to them both firmly AND with as much love and compassion as we can find. We cannot allow folks to take advantage of us, or damage our church home…and we can approach those problems with clarity and firmness, free of anger and full of Holy Spirit-powered compassion.
Whew. This discipleship thing isn’t easy. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Worship Any and Everywhere!
PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP
Can you believe it’s Palm Sunday already?! It hits me (Pastor Dawn) this way every year. Join us to remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the waving of palms and the shouts of Hosanna in the highest, and to remember all that happened in Luke’s telling between that moment and Jesus’ arrest. It will be a powerful, beautiful time of worship together.
If you are worshiping with us from home, either via the radio broadcast or video, we are so glad! If we can pray for you, or if there is anything you need, we would love to do that. You can call the church office at 775-423-4714, or you can call Pastor Dawn on her cell phone any time, 775-671-5553.
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