October 2022 - First United Methodist Church of Galax

Prayer for the Week (October 23, 2022-October 29, 2022)

October 24, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Let us pray that through us God be manifest: Merciful God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives. make known your divine glory through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

(New Zealand Prayer Book)

Sunday Reflection (October 23, 2022)

October 24, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Comparing ourselves to others may bring pride in thinking we are better than someone else, or depression in thinking we are worse than someone else. It is better to focus upon who we are and our strengths, capabilities, and weaknesses. God knows those sins which you think no one else knows, and God knows the sins you would do if given the opportunity. God knows us through and through, our good and bad, our strengths and weaknesses.

Yet have you ever pointed out to God, or someone else, the bad qualities of someone else while not mentioning your own? If we elevate ourselves by putting someone else down, we are not fooling God. Our Scripture Reading is a story familiar to most of us: The Pharisee and the tax collector who go up to the Temple to pray (Luke 18:90-14). Anytime we are convinced that we are more righteous than others, we become self-righteous. We are all in need of God’s mercy! If God is merciful with me, I suspect God is merciful with others. God is far more interested in being gracious than calculating our degree of righteousness.

Sunday Reflection (October 16, 2022)

October 17, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Because our Scripture has been used to legitimate hatred, evil, malice, injustice, and political machinations I am wary of using the phrase “Inspired Scripture.” Yet, Scripture is “inspired” in that God’s message of love and reconciliation triumphs over human hatred and malice. May we learn to understand that Scripture is inspired when it equips us to do good things.

Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, “Scripture inspires” us to love God and our neighbor. Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, “Scripture inspires” us as Christ’s Church to reveal God’s love to the world. Through the Holy Spirit, we are in the process of being transformed by having Christ Jesus formed within us and among us as Scripture inspires us to become a living inspiration of God’s love.

Prayer for the Week (October 16, 2022-October 23, 2022)

October 17, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Let us pray to God our Father as we learn to love the Word he speaks to us: God our Father, you keep speaking to us today in the words and deeds that bind us to you. May we listen attentively to your Son with his message of faith, hope, and love. May it bring us wisdom in our confusion, and encouragement in our trials. Help us to respond to his words with deeds of justice and compassion. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord who eternally dwells with you and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever more. Amen.

Devotion October 12, 2022

October 12, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Devotion October 11, 2022

October 12, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Prayer for the Week (October 9, 2022-October 15, 2022)

October 10, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

Let us thank our loving God for all his goodness: God our Father, we are your graceful work of art. When we were doomed to death through sin you called us to life through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Open us to your love and life given for free as a gift without charge or regret. Give us thankful hearts so that we learn from you and your Son to share our friendship with others. Accept our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen.

Sunday Reflection (October 9, 2022)

October 10, 2022/in From the Pastor/by Diane Palumbo

God does not require you to do tasks beyond your capabilities, and we may think we are doing our best when we are not. Nevertheless, God requires that we do our best, and if we stumble, get up again and continue. If you are doing well, God does not give up on you. If you try, God does not give up on you. If you fail, God does not give up on you (2 Timothy 2:11-13)!

Jesus, the one who showed us what it is like to be faithful to God and others, offers us forgiveness when we do not meet that standard. God cannot but be faithful to humankind. This is indeed great hope for us, but this is not an excuse for failure; rather, it is an encouragement to continue in the faith even when we fail.