Stop and Smell the.....OUCH!

I know..... I know.  You're as sick of them as I am.  Those old cliches that have lost their meaning (to us) because they have been too oft quoted.  The one that comes to my mind today is "stop and smell the roses."  Yeah, and get your nose poked.  That one has been so overused, that it has lost it's "fragrance" of meaning.  So, we skip right over it, or let it go "in one ear and out the other."  (Sorry!  Just couldn't resist that one.)

So, let me "cut to the chase."  (Oops.... I did it again, didn't I?) 

A friend of mine shared this with her congregation: 

"God wants us to discover new ways of doing and being a church, unlike the traditional models that are out there. God wants us to create an environment in which people experiment and take risks in ministry; where they come up with great, new ideas, and get others excited to help implement those ideas. God’s vision for (our church) is for us to have lots of different opportunities throughout the week for worship, prayer, conversation, and support, for all ages....."
                                (Rev. Sheila Fiorella, pastor, New Day United Methodist Church, Mansfield, Texas)

Vision.  It sometimes (more often than not) means change.  And, it may mean that we become uncomfortable with change.  That's OK.  If you feel uncomfortable with certain changes, rejoice in that, because that's God telling you that this is growth..... it is God calling you to grow individually, and it is God calling us to grow as a church..... as the Church of Jesus Christ.  What a gift!  Embrace it!  Give thanks for it!

Sometimes, smelling the rose is painful.  So, maybe we've stopped smelling them altogether.  How sad, because there is such beauty in the fragrance.  (OK, enough cliches and metaphor).

What vision does God have for Davis Memorial United Methodist Church?  What vision do you have for Davis Memorial United Methodist Church?  How will we carry out that vision? 

I am excited to be a part of God's ministry at Davis Memorial, and I am excited to partner with all of you in ministry as together we vision, dream, discern, and carry out God's plan for us in growing the kingdom, becoming and being the best that we can be for God, as we go about making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!