Bible Challenge 04/01 - 04/07

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our reading of Leviticus as we deal with the section on Holiness Code meant to govern not just the life of the priests but the whole of the people.

Then we turn our attention to the book of Numbers. Have you ever wondered why is it called Numbers? It's a reference to the two times of census, or numbering of the people, that are recorded within this book. The first ten chapters of Numbers deal with the numbering of the people at Mount Sinai and also preparations for resuming their march through the wilderness. Chapters 11-19 in this week's reading talk about the journey of the Israelites from Sinai to Moab, the sending out of the spies and the report they brought back, and the murmurings of the people at the hardships along the way and the subsequent exile into the wilderness for 40 years.

As a side note, I have gotten us off track a bit on the reading to where this blog and the bulletin insert did not match. I have fixed it and here is the schedule for this week that will get us all matched back up:

1, Sunday: Leviticus 11-14

2, Monday: Leviticus 15-18

3, Tuesday: Leviticus 19-22

4, Wednesday: Leviticus 23-26

5, Thursday: Leviticus 27 - Numbers 3

6, Friday: Numbers 4-7

7, Saturday: Numbers 8-11

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen. 

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are continuing our Lenten preaching series entitled, The Drama. Our focus each week will be upon some of the people who interacted with Jesus in those last days; government and religious officials, disciples, and general followers. We began this series on Ash Wednesday reflecting upon our role in this drama, for we are not without a part to play. Over the last five weeks we have looked at the roles of Pontius Pilate, Simon Peter, the onlookers, Nicodemus, and Simon of Cyrene. This week our attention will turn to Judas, one of the most vilified characters in all of Scripture, as we look to lessons we can learn not only from what Judas did, but from what he did not do as well. Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!






2. Easter Celebration - We are asking for your help again this year, to ring in Easter! On Easter Sunday morning, April 8th, we are asking for everyone to bring in two items. One, a flower(s) to help us decorate our wooden cross. As you come into worship you can place your flower on the cross and watch as it becomes transformed into a cross of color, beauty, and life. The other item we are asking you to bring is a bell. During worship we will use them to help ring in Easter and celebrate that fact that our Christ has risen and defeated death. So begin looking now and have your flowers and your bells ready for Easter!





3. Easter Tableau - As we prepare for our annual Easter Tableau, on April 5 and 6, please take a minute to prayerfully consider where you can help! As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work!” Sign-up sheets for each scene, each night, are available at the Connection Station and also for workers to help prepare for the Tableau. Sign-up sheets are also available to help provide refreshments each night. We look forward to seeing everyone volunteer!






4. UMCOR Assistance - Many of you have heard about the devastating tornadoes that have hit parts of 12 different states including, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. As United Methodists we have an arm of our denomination devoted to helping those in this type of need. It is called UMCOR. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief), first and foremost, requests prayers for all who have been affected by these tornadoes and storms. If you would like to donate to this cause please mark your offering US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670, and we will forward it on. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness.






5. Librarian Needed - Did you know that we here at Druid Hills have a fantastic library? There is an absolute vast assortment of books and the topics covered within its shelves. However, we need some help in keeping it organized. If you would like to help with its upkeep and with the adding of the donated books we have received, please let the church office know. This resource is a tremendous asset to our church and one we all can use!



Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

In March's newsletter article I talked about Easter being a season of many things, one of them being preparation. This week as I was going through my own tools of preparation, I begin to ask myself "what is the purpose of my preparation?" In other words, what fruits should I be able to show after I go through these 40 days of preparation.

Whenever I want to know if what I am doing falls under the category of kingdom building, I always try and go back and look at the One for whom I am trying to build the kingdom. In looking at this question, I immediately went back to Christ and that last meal that he shared with his disciples in the Upper Room. When they entered the room his first act was not one of introduction, of instruction, or of words at all. His first act was one of humility. As the disciples walked in, Jesus took upon himself the form of a servant, and began to wash their feet. Showing them the value of love, showing them the importance of giving to others, and showing them the necessity to put others above ourselves. Jesus wanted them to fully comprehend and understand that just as he was serving them, they were charged with going out and serving others. They were being told to cast aside societal and cultural mindsets of hierarchy and serve others. Can you imagine what this world would be like if we all did that? Instead of anger there was forgiveness, instead of grumbling there was gentleness, instead of a thirst for power and control there was trust. What would this church, this country, this world look like if we simply “washed each others feet”?

Best as I understand it now, the fruits that I want to show at the end of this season of preparation are the ability and the understanding to be able to pay forward those attitudes, blessings, and knowledge that the Holy Spirit has given to me. I want the time I spent in quiet communion with God to be the foundation for me passing on these ideas that Christ showed his disciples all those years ago.

With that in mind, I want to encourage all of you to join me as we continue to progress through Lent, searching for ways to develop those fruits within each of us. So that we might be the vessels, the tools, the real presence of God to another person. Look for ways you can model the servant mindset of washing feet, so that this season of preparation will bear fruit in all of us. So that this world might be transformed because we were in it. So that this world might know that God is here because we were prepared.




God bless you all and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Bible Challenge 03/25 - 03/31

Greetings All!

This week we will finish Exodus and begin Leviticus. The last ten chapters of Exodus are very interesting. In chapter 31, we find out information about the craftsmen charged with making the tabernacle items and a reminder about the Sabbath. Chapters 32-34 deal with the golden calf, God's response, the second set of tablets and a radiant Moses. That's followed up in chapter 35-38 as the Israelites collect gifts to make the tabernacle and its furnishings and then the tabernacle is setup and filled in chapters 38-40.


Then we move into the book of Leviticus. Sometimes the laws and rituals described in Leviticus can seem dry and confusing as you read through them. It helps to remember that the big picture of Leviticus is working out God's covenant with Israel, the consequences of entering into a special relationship with God, special community relationships and behavior. Leviticus can really be divided into two parts: 1) the Priestly Code (chapters 1-16 and 27) and 2) the Holiness Code (chapter 17-26). Our focus this week is primarily on the Priestly Code which is instructions to the priests regarding rituals of cleanliness, sin-offerings and the observance of holidays. Hopefully having a framework to help guide your reading will help Leviticus seem less dry and more relevant.

Here is the schedule:

25, Sunday: Exodus 28-31

26, Monday: Exodus 32-35

27, Tuesday: Exodus 36-39

28, Wednesday: Exodus 40 - Leviticus 3

29, Thursday: Leviticus 4-7

30, Friday: Leviticus 8-11

31, Saturday: Leviticus12-15


May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Bible Challenge 03/18 - 03/24

Greetings All!

This week we will conclude Genesis and begin our trip through Exodus. To help add a layer of intrigue to your reading this week, I added in a few pictures of the trip to Egypt Debbie and I took in 2009. The first was a stop at the supposed well of Marah detailed in Exodus 15:22-26, followed by a picture of Elim, detailed in Exodus 15:27. Next is a picture of the hill where Moses raised his hands so the Israelites could defeat the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-16. Finally there are a couple of pictures taken from the top of Mount Sinai at sunrise. I hope they help you envision what's being talked about in the pages of the Word.

Now with these places in mind, here is the schedule:

18, Sunday: Genesis 50 - Exodus 3

19, Monday: Exodus 4-7

20, Tuesday: Exodus 8-11

21, Wednesday: Exodus 12-15

22, Thursday: Exodus 16-19

23, Friday: Exodus 20-23

24, Saturday: Exodus 24-27

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

50 Days of Prayer begins today - March 16!

Greetings All! Today I received the following email about General Conference from our District Superintendent, Annette Pendergrass, and I wanted to pass it along to you. I believe it is very important for us to be involved in this event, through volunteerism and especially through prayer. I encourage you to join me in praying for this important event, beginning today and going on for the next fifty days. This email will provide you with many ways in which you participate in this endeavor. Blessings on you!   From Annette:   I hope you will take a moment to visit the Florida Conference website and utilize the resources for 50 Days of Prayer leading up to and continuing through General Conference. Additional 50 Days of Prayer information can be found on The Upper Room webpage. Another helpful resource for all aspects of General Conference may be found at Counting Down to General Conference 2012. This website will give you a general overview of the General Conference and provide helpful educational tools to help you understand the purpose and work of the 988 Delegates from around the world who will set policy and give direction for the Church over the next four years. I am encouraging you and counting on you to pray for, volunteer, educate, and help inform our congregation about the upcoming General Conference in Tampa, Florida, April 24-May 4.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are continuing our Lenten preaching series entitled, The Drama. Our focus each week will be upon some of the people who interacted with Jesus in those last days; government and religious officials, disciples, and general followers. We began this series on Ash Wednesday reflecting upon our role in this drama, for we are not without a part to play. Over the last three weeks we have looked at the roles of Pontius Pilate, Simon Peter, and the onlookers. This week our attention will turn to the Nicodemus, that great religious leader that risked it all. Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!






2. Easter Celebration - We are asking for your help again this year, to ring in Easter! On Easter Sunday morning, April 8th, we are asking for everyone to bring in two items. One, a flower(s) to help us decorate our wooden cross. As you come into worship you can place your flower on the cross and watch as it becomes transformed into a cross of color, beauty, and life. The other item we are asking you to bring is a bell. During worship we will use them to help ring in Easter and celebrate that fact that our Christ has risen and defeated death. So begin looking now and have your flowers and your bells ready for Easter!





3. Easter Tableau - As we prepare for our annual Easter Tableau, on April 5 and 6, please take a minute to prayerfully consider where you can help! As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work!” Sign-up sheets for each scene, each night, are available at the Connection Station and also for workers to help prepare for the Tableau. Sign-up sheets are also available to help provide refreshments each night. We look forward to seeing everyone volunteer!






4. UMCOR Assistance - Many of you have heard about the devastating tornadoes that have hit parts of 12 different states including, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. As United Methodists we have an arm of our denomination devoted to helping those in this type of need. It is called UMCOR. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief), first and foremost, requests prayers for all who have been affected by these tornadoes and storms. If you would like to donate to this cause please mark your offering US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670, and we will forward it on. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness.






5. Librarian Needed - Did you know that we here at Druid Hills have a fantastic library? There is an absolute vast assortment of books and the topics covered within its shelves. However, we need some help in keeping it organized. If you would like to help with its upkeep and with the adding of the donated books we have received, please let the church office know. This resource is a tremendous asset to our church and one we all can use!



Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This past week I was honored to give a devotional to a group of young people volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. I have been doing this for three years now, including this year. I love the idea of getting to know these people and having the opportunity to thank them for using their Spring Break time to help out others. It truly is a form of these young people being the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus Christ.

This year, I had the date on my calendar for when I was asked to come and deliver the devotion. I also had it down as a task on my reminder list so I would remember to prepare one. The date I had been assigned was Wednesday, March 7th. On Tuesday, March 6th as I lay my head on my pillow to retire for the night, it hit me. I had not prepared a devotion. Mind you, I had to be on site at 8am the next morning ready to go. There was not time in the morning to put anything together. I thought to myself, “get up and go do it”. However, next thing I remember, is my alarm going off the next morning.

I felt my only resource was to get one that had done in previous years. After all, the group was different, they would not have heard the one I did last year. Even with that bit of fancy rationalization, I still felt dirty. I felt horrible at the idea of delivering a devotion from a previous year, whether they had heard it or not. But, time was short so I pulled it up on my computer, printed it out, and headed out the door. The whole way there I had a pit in my stomach.

At 7:55 A.M., I pulled up to the site and did not see any cars. So I got out my phone and pulled up the email to check the particulars and make sure I was in the right place at the right time. I was. But I kept reading the email. At the bottom was a brief line about what they were requesting during the devotion time: Prayer leadership and Scripture reading (relating to building God's Kingdom, being the hands and feet or Jesus, etc.) or an inspirational story. Or an inspirational story. As soon as I read those words, thoughts began to flood my head. A story was brought to my mind. That is what I would share! By this time people had begun to arrive. So I folded up last year's devotion, shoved it in my pocket, and joined the group. The devotion went well; we prayed, they ate and listened, and I spoke. After it was done I was over talking with the director about how things were going for Habitat and I noticed another director walked over. She introduced herself, asked if my name was Daryl, and when I answered affirmatively, she said, “You're the pastor at Druid Hills!” I was amazed that after seeing me once, 365 days ago, for about 10 minutes, she remembered who I was. But what came next, buckled my knees. She said, “You spoke about the rocks and the importance of building God's Kingdom last year didn't you?” My heart stopped. She was right. I did not remember her, but she remembered me, and what I spoke about! The exact script I had in my pocket!

I wrapped up my time and started making my way back to my car. But as soon as I was out of ear shot I began praying and thanking God. Thanking God for giving me a new word, thanking God that His words last year made an impact, and thanking God for being with me in that time. God is good! I told Him, “I do not know how you do it, I do not care how you do it, I am just so thankful that you do do it!” Hebrews 13:5 tell us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Just as God was with me that Wednesday morning, God will always be with you. So my encouragement for you this week, is be open. Listen. Pay attention. God is there, eager to help, eager to be involved. God will never leave you and in that you can be certain!

Have a great week and I will see you all on Sunday!

Bible Challenge 03/11 - 03/17

Greetings All!

This week is still all about the book of Genesis. In fact we won't finish the last chapter of Genesis until next week. The focus shifts now from Abraham to subsequent generations. What speaks to me most from these pages? God's incredible patience and persistence in seeking a relationship with his people. Genesis gives me a lot of hope because it stands as an awesome reminder of God's faithfulness.

Here is the schedule:

11, Sunday: Genesis 22-25

12, Monday: Genesis 26-29

13, Tuesday: Genesis 30-33

14, Wednesday: Genesis 34-37

15, Thursday: Genesis 38-41

16, Friday: Genesis 42-45

17, Saturday: Genesis 46-49

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, and the the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - We are continuing our Lenten preaching series entitled, The Drama. Our focus each week will be upon some of the people who interacted with Jesus in those last days; government and religious officials, disciples, and general followers. We began this series on Ash Wednesday reflecting upon our role in this drama, for we are not without a part to play. Over the last two weeks we have looked at the roles of Pontius Pilate and of Simon Peter. This week our attention will turn to the onlookers, those gathered at the foot of the cross. Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!








2. Ordination Insight - The time has come! This Thursday, March 15th, I will give a one session talk about my Ordination Interview Process. I will give you some insight about the necessity of this process, share with you the paperwork requirements, insights and emotions felt during the process itself, and answer any questions you might have. I will offer this talk twice on March 15th, at 10am and 7pm. There is no need to register, just show up in the Fellowship Hall. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!






3. Time Change - Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 11th. Do not forget to set your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday night before you retire for the night. Otherwise, you might miss church!





4. UMCOR Assistance - Many of you have heard about the devastating tornadoes that have hit parts of 12 different states including, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. As United Methodists we have an arm of our denomination devoted to helping those in this type of need. It is called UMCOR. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee On Relief), first and foremost, requests prayers for all who have been affected by these tornadoes and storms. If you would like to donate to this cause please mark your offering US Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670, and we will forward it on. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness.

5. Librarian Needed - Did you know that we here at Druid Hills have a fantastic library? There is an absolute vast assortment of books and the topics covered within its shelves. However, we need some help in keeping it organized. If you would like to help with its upkeep and with the adding of the donated books we have received, please let the church office know. This resource is a tremendous asset to our church and one we all can use!


Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

I have a Lenten devotional that I am using this year and I have been amazed by what a blessing it has been to me. So today I want to share with you a bit about what today's lesson was on; Friends.

This past Sunday was a good day for me. You may, or may not, have noticed that I had a group of people visiting with us. It was my two best friends from high school and their families. If you are a regular reader of this segment, I have talked about them before.

Anyway, this past Sunday they came to worship with us and then spend the afternoon with me and my family. First we worshiped together, then we shared lunch together, recounted memories together, and the kids had a blast playing together. At one point, one of the children, Nicholas, asked his daddy why he did not call me Pastor Daryl. After all, Nicholas has spent the better part of the morning seeing me at church and hearing everyone address me as Pastor Daryl. His daddy simply said, "I know him as my best friend Daryl, not Pastor Daryl." I cannot tell you how much that meant to me. I need to have people in my life for whom I am not their pastor, but their friend. People who knew me, lived a life with me, and know me almost better than I know myself. For me, that is Mike and Jonathan. They have celebrated with me, cried with me, and done stupid stuff with me. To them I am Daryl.

By now you may be asking, what in the world does this have to do with the devotion I read today. Well, the title of the devotion was Friends of God. It talked about the intimate nature in which God knows each of us. We are more than our vocation, more than our roles in life, more than any description that can be tagged to our personalities, hobbies, or actions. We are God's creation. Uniquely made and wonderfully loved. Loved so much that Jesus paid our debt of sin. Cared for so deeply that Jesus sacrificed himself so that we might be redeemed unto God. WOW! That gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

So this week I encourage you, if you have never thought of your relationship with Jesus in that manner, take some time and ponder that. Take some time to truly try and understand the depth, breadth, and power of that type of love. It is what sustains us as believers. It is what we gather to celebrate each week in worship. It is the strength to know that even though God knows all there is to know about us, warts and all, Jesus still died for us, because their love is that great.

Before I let you go, I want to share something else with you. Before I read today's Lenten devotional, I was going to talk to you about friends anyway. Isn't it neat the way God works and affirms!!!!

Have a great week and I will see you all on Sunday!

Bible Challenge 03/04 - 03/10

Greetings All!

This week we will finish up the last book of the New Testament. Congratulations for making it this far!!!!! Following the end of Revelation we will also begin our journey into the Old Testament with the book of Genesis.

The book we are finishing this week is Revelation. This book is thought to have been written by the disciple John after a vision he received while in exile on the island of Patmos (Greece). It is written specifically to a group of churches in Asia (that was a province in the Roman Empire which encompasses modern day Turkey). The book deals a lot with sevens: messages to seven churches, the seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments and finally the seven bowl judgments. One of the big keys to understanding the book is found in the Old Testament - 278 out of the 404 verses in the book allude or refer to things contained in the Old Testament. Personally, I have found the most benefit when I read through Revelation thinking of it as God's great triumph over evil. And there is a lot of love and mercy to be found in the words as God continually provides opportunities for people to turn away from sin and turn to Him.

Next, we move on to Genesis. Did you know that Genesis means "beginnings" or "origins"? And there are several beginnings and origins that are actually outlined within the book of Genesis as we move through it.....Creation, the flood story and God's covenant with Noah, the tower of Babel and the dispersion of the people, God's calling of Abram and covenant with him, the continuation of that covenant through Isaac and later Jacob, and finally the starting over of the Israelites under the protection of Joseph in Egypt. We should pay close attention as we read Genesis because this is the beginnings of our history as the people of God. Also, it is a point of commonality with at least two other major world religions who claim at least part or all of this story - Judaism and Islam.

I pray that your reading this week is inspired by the Spirit!

Here is the schedule:

04, Sunday: Revelation 16-19

05, Monday: Revelation 20 - Genesis 1

06, Tuesday: Genesis 2-5

07, Wednesday: Genesis 6-9

08, Thursday: Genesis 10-13

09, Friday: Genesis 14-17

10, Saturday: Genesis 18-21

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - We are continuing our Lenten preaching series this week, The Drama. Our focus each week will be upon some of the people who interacted with Jesus in the final hours before his death,  government and religious officials, disciples, and general followers. We began this series at our Ash Wednesday service as we spent some time reflecting upon our role in this drama, for we are not without a part to play. Last week the drama unfolded as we looked to Pontius Pilate. This week our attention will turn to Peter, the one Jesus called "the rock". Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!

2. Bible Study - We are continuing our Bible Study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We are using journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. It is never to late to join and we would love to have you! Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!




3. Day on Campus - Mark your calendars for March 17, when the Florida Children's Home will open their gates for their annual Day on Campus. It's been an annual highlight for the last 27 years. The day begins at 8:30 am with a Welcome Tent with warm coffee and breakfast treats, then tours of the campus throughout the day, a special program at 10:30 am with music and dancing provided by the children, lunch in the Big Tent, and an Alumni gathering place for reminiscing. This is wonderful opportunity for you to see the Children's Home and the wonderful ministry they provide. If you would like to go please contact the Church Office to RSVP by noon on March 9th. I hope you can all go, you will be glad you did.




4. General Conference 2012 - General Conference is the top policy-making body of our denomination. They convene once every four years and the location can be anywhere in the world. This year, General Conference will be April 24 - May 4th, in Tampa! That's right, it is right here in Florida. It is truly an honor to be the host Conference, and have General Conference so close and it may not be this close again for a very long time. Therefore, the Florida Conference is asking for your help. If you feel lead to help, please click here for more information. Amazing things can happen when we all chip in!




5. Biographies - We are in the midst of completing a book about the family members here at Druid Hills UMC. So often we know of each other, but do not know that much about each other. This book will help all of us get to know each other a bit better. We are asking that each person of the congregation fill out a biography form and return it to the office by March 11th. This book will not be complete without you!




Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!