When I walked in our house the other day, I smelled a smell that I catch about every 5-7 years. It’s the smell of a house that we have just moved into, although we have lived in this house for 2-½ years. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it is the fresh smell of new paint, although we haven’t painted anything at home recently. As a United Methodist pastor, I guess I am just programmed for this smell during the third week of June. At any rate, I am glad I could enjoy the smell without all the work it usually takes to get there. Once again, as I said in this “corner” last week, I am thrilled to be with you for another year, along with Melissa and Don.
That said yet again, I want to ask you to join forces with us to ensure that this is Fountain City United Methodist’s strongest of its almost 184 year history. It is the first year of our next 184 years. In our tag-team sermon on this past Sunday, Melissa and I shared our hopes and dreams for our church for the coming year. Be thankful that Don was out-of-town, or it would have been three sermons!
We have been asked to place the sermon(s) on our church website so that those of you were not present can read it if you are interested. The unfortunate thing about the printed word is that you can’t catch the intensity and passion of the spoken word. Also, there were some little asides, such as my reference to Melissa’s big birthday coming up soon, that will not be in the printed sermons. I encourage you to take a look at the sermon and see if you are in accord with our dreams and if you can help us fulfill the dreams.
One of the parts that landed on the “cutting room floor” due to time constraints (you just thought the one I actually preached was long) were these words:
“I want us to be a church where my grand-children could worship in 20 years and say, ‘Wow, you know my grandfather was a pastor here 20 years ago; and this church is even stronger than it was then. He loved this church, but more importantly he loved the Lord and sought the Lord’s guidance in everything he did. And it is obvious that in the 20 years since he was here that FCUMC has continued to love the Lord above everything else.’”
I don’t think there is any question but that they would say this because of your love for the Lord. You will pass this on to those who come after us. This love is evidenced in a letter dated June 18 that we received from Valerie Todd, founder and director of the Amani Children’s Home in Tanzania. Valerie is the wife of FCUMC member Matthew Todd and, thus, the daughter-in-law of Dick and Susan Todd. She says, in part: “Your donation . . . will help provide the children with food, clothing, medical care, an education and a reason to be hopeful about their futures.” Then she shared the story of a young child named Happiness, who had turned to the streets to find the money to pay for her school fees, until the home was able to help her return to school. We receive letters of thanks like this every week because FCUMC is sharing Christ’s love around the world. This is just the most recent one.
We have much to do, and we need everyone of you to help. There are people in our own neighborhoods who don’t know Christ. There are people all around us who need a Christian hand and heart. Think what a difference 1,850 of us could make in the world. The smell of love is one that permeates our building. New folks who come to us say they sense it as soon as they walk in. Let’s continue to help take that smell into the world!
- Jim
