Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - Do you ever feel like the world is weighing heavy upon your shoulders? Like your spirit is being weighed down so strong that you cannot move? This Sunday we are continuing our preaching series entitled, Traveling Light, where we are looking at the importance of releasing ourselves from the weight of feelings like want, guilt, shame, grief, and doubt, among others. Check out our church website for sermon titles by clicking here. I hope you will make plans to join us each week as we seek to better understand the help God is eager and willing to offer to each and every one of us.



2. Newsletter Available - The September edition of our church newsletter, The Sunshine Herald, is now available online. Simply visit our church website, place you mouse over the Church Publications item in the menu bar at the top, and then select Newsletter, or you can click here. I also want to remind those of you that receive hard copies to please pick yours up in the narthex. With the rising cost of postage, mailing them out is becoming prohibitive.



3. Lay Servant - Do you have the gifts to become a Certified Lay Servant? Are you interested in finding out? On Saturday October 27, 2012 and Saturday, November 3, 2012 (both days required), from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, at the First United Methodist Church of Eustis, a training will be offered to help you answer those questions. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course focuses on the many ways lay servants are called to be in ministry through such things as leading, teaching, serving, proclaiming the gospel, disciple-making, and personal spiritual formation. The purpose of lay servant ministries as it relates to caring, leading and communicating will be shared with participants as they are encouraged to recognize and use their spiritual gifts. For more information, please contact the church office, 629-5688 or email us by clicking here.



4. Historian Needed - If you are interested and passionate about recording the important events in the life our church, we have an opportunity for you! We are in need of a church historian to help chronicle the important events in our history. It does not require significant time, just a passion for the mission. If you are interested please see me and we will talk.

5. Sound Booth - We are in need of a few volunteers to help out in the sound booth on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in volunteering to help us run this vital part of worship, please let us know with by calling the church office, 629-5688, emailing the office, by clicking here, or signing up at the Connection Station. You do not need to have any prior knowledge of sound equipment, we will train you. It is not very difficult at all, we just need someone willing to lend their talents. Thanks!



Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Burdens. Have any? That is a rhetorical question. We all have them. Some seasons, more than others. Sometimes these burdens are felt because of circumstances. Either circumstances we have created or imagined, or circumstances that are completely out of our control. Other times these burdens are felt because of emotions. We are worried, stressed, angry, feel betrayed, or any other of the myriad of emotions that we endure.

Last week in worship, we talked about traveling light. We looked at the hope and peace we can find in our Good Shepherd. We talked about how our relationship with the Triune God has been accurately likened to that between a sheep and a shepherd. We tried to make the link between our dependance and God's faithfulness and how when we turn to God, lean on God, fall into God, God will always be there. That God is the same faithful God today, that God was yesterday, and that God will be tomorrow.

I am not telling you anything new when I say, this life is full of challenges. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually we are continuously shifting our energies, moving our focus, doing our best to keep life from crashing down all around us. But we have hope. Sunday I referenced Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest”. As you read that just now, did you feel a peace come over you? Read it again if you want. Read it slowly, letting each word and the meaning they carry just hang in the air. Concentrate on the words found in that verse. Think about what this passage is telling you.

Now I want you to imagine a time in your life, when everything was coming up roses. Maybe that was a while back...maybe that time is now. Just think to a time when burdens were light, life was good, and peace reigned supreme. Remember how you felt? Do you want to feel like that more often? Do you want to live a life of easier burdens, freed to do what God calls you to do?

So often those burdens we are under stop us from being proactive for God and force us to be reactive for ourselves. We spend more time reacting to problems, than basking in blessings. We drown in problems rather than float on opportunities.

My challenge for all of us is to go before the Good Shepherd, and ask for a lighter burden. Ask God to free us from those things that weigh us down. Ask Christ to show us the path to contentment in the right things so we may give more time to the proper things. I know it is no easy task, but with God...all things are possible!

Have a great week!

Traveling Light - The Luggage of Life and Releasing Self-Reliance: Exodus 3:13-15 and John 10:7-18

Bible Challenge 08/26 - 09/01

Greetings All.

This week we will continue our journey through the first major prophetic book, Isaiah. Remember this book is named after the prophet Isaiah who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah for a period of about sixty years (740-680 BC), through four different kings.

Isaiah came from a privileged family and he was well educated. Some people have even called him the "Shakespeare of the Bible" because of the beauty and poetry of his words. He lived in the city of Jerusalem for most of his life. He was married (his wife is called a prophetess) and had at least two sons that are mentioned in the book of Isaiah. He lived at the same time as three other minor prophets: Amos, Micah and Hosea. Strong tradition suggests that he died a martyrs death under the reign of King Manasseh by being placed within the hallow of a tree trunk and sawed in two.

The name Isaiah means "the salvation of the Lord" and the book is often referred to as the "Book of Salvation." The first 39 chapters deal mainly with strong messages of judgment against Judah and a call to repentance and holiness. He predicted the demise and captivity of Judah, yet comforted people with the hope that God had promised a Redeemer. The last 27 chapters contain God's message of forgiveness, consolation and hope as God speaks through Isaiah, revealing his plan of blessing and salvation through the coming Messiah. The New Testament quotes the book of Isaiah 66 times, more than any other Old Testament book except for Psalms.

Here is the schedule:

Sunday, 26: Isaiah 10-13

Monday, 27: Isaiah 14-17

Tuesday, 28: Isaiah 18-21

Wednesday, 29: Isaiah 22-25

Thursday, 30: Isaiah 26-29

Friday, 31: Isaiah 30-33

Saturday, 1: Isaiah 34-37

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - Do you ever feel like the world is weighing heavy upon your shoulders? Like your spirit is being weighed down so strong that you cannot move? Starting this Sunday, August 26th, we are beginning a new six-week preaching series entitled, Traveling Light, where we will look at the importance of releasing ourselves from the weight of feelings like want, guilt, shame, grief, and doubt, among others. I hope you will make plans to join us each week as we seek to better understand the help God is eager and willing to offer to each and every one of us.



2. Newsletter Available - The September edition of our church newsletter, The Sunshine Herald, is now available online. Simply visit our church website, place you mouse over the Church Publications item in the menu bar at the top, and then select Newsletter, or you can click here. You may also pick up a hard copy in the narthex this Sunday.



3. Lay Servant - Do you have the gifts to become a Certified Lay Servant? Are you interested in finding out? On Saturday October 27, 2012 and Saturday, November 3, 2012 (both days required), from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, at the First United Methodist Church of Eustis, a training will be offered to help you answer those questions. The Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course focuses on the many ways lay servants are called to be in ministry through such things as leading, teaching, serving, proclaiming the gospel, disciple-making, and personal spiritual formation. The purpose of lay servant ministries as it relates to caring, leading and communicating will be shared with participants as they are encouraged to recognize and use their spiritual gifts. For more information, please contact the church office, 629-5688 or email us at druidhillsocala@gmail.com.



4. Historian Needed - If you are interested and passionate about recording the important events in the life our church, we have an opportunity for you! We are in need of a church historian to help chronicle the important events in our history. It does not require significant time, just a passion for the mission. If you are interested please see me and we will talk.



5. Thank You!! - I just want to thank each of you for the wonderful way in which you all welcomed our YMCA friends last week. Your offerings of hospitality, the massive amount of food you brought, and the warmth you showed these new friends was awesome to watch! I spoke to several families that commented on how "at home" they felt in our midst. So, thank you for being you, for showing radical hospitality, and letting these guests know that God loves them and so do we!




Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with a few of my local pastor colleagues within our District. This was our first time sitting down together so we began in the usual place; “What is your story?”. We each shared how we came to faith, how we experienced God's call into ministry, and what our journey looked like in getting to where we are today.

As I sat there, listening to the stories of these people, something struck me. God is big! I know that sounds kind of trivial and obvious. But think about it. How often do we get wrapped up in our own stories? How can we help not getting wrapped up in our own stories? Our stories are what have shaped into the people we are today. Our stories are the journeys that we live day in and day out. We are intimately aware of our stories; each and every detail.

However, as I sat there and listened, I noticed that each of our stories had very little in common. Each of us had taken a unique path to arrive at where we are in our faith journey. I sat there amazed at how many ways God had worked. The pain he navigated people through. The uncertainty he made clear for others. The obstacles he helped each of us overcome. One of the pastors in our circle used the word focus and I thought that was incredibly appropriate.

Where is our focus? Is it mostly internal, devoid of any influence from the outside world? Is it balanced, keeping our personal journey in tension with the outside happenings? Is it solely aligned with the the events of our community making our personal journey a very surface type experience? I think we all can find ourselves in each of those areas, depending on the season of our life.

The challenge lies in our awareness. An awareness that can be heightened through prayer, time in community, and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Therefore my friends, find that time to be with God. Align yourself with his grace, practice extending his mercy, live with others in his forgiveness. The more time we spend with God, the clearer our focus will become. God is so big! God can and does work in so many ways. Ways we have never experienced, seen, or thought about. Be open my friends. As you spend time with God, look for him in unexpected places, in off beat spaces. God is big!

 Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

YMCA Appreciation Sunday - August 19, 2012

This week we celebrated a very special group of people, our YMCA counselors and campers. We were so blessed to have two of our campers, Jacob and Dylan, share with us what camp meant to them. Click below to hear what they said. You will be blessed and amazed all at the same time.

Enjoy!

Bible Challenge 08/19 - 08/25

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the books of poetry in the Old Testament as we wrap up Ecclesiastes and read the entire book of Song of Solomon. This last book of poetry is also known sometimes as "Song of Songs" but most people remember it because of its content. If it were a movie it would probably have an "R" rating because of the way the physical relationship between the man and the woman is described in detail. This book is always a reminder to me that when God created us he created our whole person - sexuality included - and that it is a gift to be celebrated within the right contexts.

Then we transition into the first of the prophetic books. There are 5 major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and 12 minor prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). The distinction between "major" and "minor" has nothing to do with importance and everything to do with the size of the book. And you will find that these are not in any kind of chronological order and eventually will bounce back and forth between prophets to the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The book of Isaiah is named for the prophet Isaiah who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah for a period of about sixty years, through the reign of four kings. Many of Isaiah's prophecies concern a Savior and seem to be answered in the person of Jesus Christ. Consider Isaiah 7:14 as an example: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Here is the schedule:

19, Sunday: Ecclesiastes 2-5

20, Monday: Ecclesiastes 6-9

21, Tuesday: Ecclesiastes 10 - Song of Solomon 1

22, Wednesday: Song of Solomon 2-5

23, Thursday: Song of Solomon 6 - Isaiah 1

24, Friday: Isaiah 2-5

25, Saturday: Isaiah 6-9

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week during worship we are going to take time to celebrate the wonderful happenings of the YMCA Camp. Over the last ten weeks, these young people have been mentored and taught the values of honesty, caring, respect, responsibility, and faith. As the host site again this year, we want to take time and tell them how proud we are of them and how excited we are for their future. A wonderful element that will be added to our worship this week, is the opportunity to hear from the Camp Director, Jim Cooke, as well as three of the campers, as they share what camp meant to them this year. I invite you come, bring a friend, and hear how God worked through the YMCA Camp this year at Druid Hills.




2. We Need Food! - With us celebrating YMCA Appreciation Sunday this week, that means we are anticipating extra people for our lunch afterwards. Would you please consider bringing a dish to share so that we can extend our wonderful hospitality by making sure all of our new friends have plenty to eat.



3. Ocala Health and Rehab - This Sunday we are going to Ocala Health and Rehab for our monthly worship service. We get together with the residents and sing a few hymns, I give a brief devotional, and then we sing some more. You will blessed by the time we share and the prayers we say. I want to invite any one that is willing, to come and join us this Sunday, at 2pm, at Ocala Health and Rehab, as we worship with the residents. You will be blessed. I guarantee it!




4. Become a Reading Pal - The United Way of Marion County has partnered with the Marion County School System and the Early Learning Coalition to provide low reading score students a “Reading Pal”. What is that you might ask? A Reading Pal is a volunteer who has been provided specialized training who goes into the classroom for one hour per week on designated weeks. This volunteer will read to the student, do a prescribed activity and upon completion of reading the book; the child will take the book home to build their own personal library. As an in-school volunteer you will be assigned to a targeted school near your home. For additional information and to register please contact Jan Hathaway at 732-9696 ext. 212 or at jhathaway@uwmc.org.




5. September Newsletter Articles - A friendly reminder that if you have information that you would like included in next month's edition, please submit it to the office by Sunday, August 19th.




Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Today is Election Day. Across the front of our campus are dozens of signs promoting one candidate or another. If you blur your vision as you look at them, the cornucopia of color is rather pretty. Also, first thing this morning, those signs were accompanied by volunteers waving and trying to garner support for their candidate of choice.

However, as I sit here and type this it is now raining. Raining hard. While those signs are still there, the volunteers are not. But there is one thing that is. The voters. There has been a steady stream of people flowing in all day long to vote. There has never been an overwhelming flood of people, but a steady, solid stream.

As we vote today, and I do hope you will exercise that right to vote, you come in prepared. You more than likely have studied the candidates, know a little bit about what they stand for, have pondered who you feel aligns themselves the closest with your own personal set of values, and based on that, have made a decision about which person will do the best job for the office they are pursuing. This is not something most people do spontaneously, or with no preparation. My point is you put forth effort in exercising this right. You read, listen, ponder, study, and then react.

As I have pondered these coming and goings today, it has occurred to me that our faith is eerily similar, just in the opposite direction. Stay with me just for a bit. As a voter, you put forth the effort, reading, listening, pondering, and studying, then we as a people come from all over to react and profess, via written ballot, our beliefs and opinions. For us as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must also put forth the effort, by reading Scripture, listening to the Word as it is proclaimed, pondering what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us through quiet time and prayer, and studying what it means to be a 21st century Christian in America, and then based on that, we go forth and react and profess those values we have learned. The difference, the opposite direction I mentioned, is where as a voter you usually put forth effort in public, at town hall meetings, rallys and debates, then come into a private setting to vote, as a disciple we take what we have learned internally and privately and go forth into the public and proclaim what we have learned.

The Kingdom of God will not grow primarily from hushed tones and private gatherings. We must put for the effort. We can do that by coming to church on a regular basis. Attending a Sunday School class on a regular basis. Reading Scripture on a daily basis. Preparing yourself. Spend time in the Word, allowing the Spirit of God to wash over you and transform you. Then, we must go out. The last words Jesus spoke to his disciples as he left this earth was, “Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' ” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Therefore my friends, I pray you are growing in your faith, becoming stronger day by day, so that because of you, the Kingdom of God will be realized in this realm, and you will one day hear the words, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”

 Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

I AM the Bread of Life - John 6:25-40 and 41-51

Bible Challenge 08/12 - 08/18

Greetings All!

This week we continue our way through the books of poetry as we finish up Proverbs and embark on the first chapter of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes, also attributed to King Solomon, seems at times like a reflective autobiography. The author proclaims all of the actions of humanity to be "vain, futile, empty, meaningless, temporary, transitory or mere breath" (depending on the translation) because the all of life ends in death. Therefore, we are to focus all of our efforts towards that which is above this life, towards God: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep His commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone" (12:13).

Here is the schedule:

12, Sunday: Proverbs 5-8

13, Monday: Proverbs 9-12

14, Tuesday: Proverbs 13-16

15, Wednesday: Proverbs17-20

16, Thursday: Proverbs 21-24

17, Friday: Proverbs 25-28

18, Saturday: Proverbs 29 - Ecclesiastes 1

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we are going to take part in something very exciting! I am going to combine our sermon message and our time of Holy Communion and we are going to walk through the liturgy together, step by step. We will explore why it is we celebrate Communion, the background behind why we celebrate it the way we do, and then we will actually celebrate Holy Communion together.

I am confident that you will be blessed and transformed as you experience Holy Communion in this manner. Invite a friend and come be a part of movement of the Holy Spirit.



2. New Member Class - On Sunday, August 19th at 12:45 P.M., I will host a new member class in my office. If you have been attending Druid Hills for at least three months and would like to take that next step in becoming a member of this church this class is for you! To register for this class, either call the church office at 629-5688, or email me at daryl.allen@flumc.org. This is a one session get together where we will discuss what it means to be a United Methodist, what it means to be a member of Druid Hills UMC, and offer you a little background on the history of this church. If this is of interest to you I hope you will make plans to attend.



3. September Newsletter Articles - A friendly reminder that if you have information that you would like included in next month's edition, please submit it to the office by next Sunday, August 19^th.



4. Become a Reading Pal - The United Way of Marion County has partnered with the Marion County School System and the Early Learning Coalition to provide low reading score students a “Reading Pal”. What is that you might ask? A Reading Pal is a volunteer who has been provided specialized training who goes into the classroom for one hour per week on designated weeks. This volunteer will read to the student, do a prescribed activity and upon completion of reading the book; the child will take the book home to build their own personal library. As an in-school volunteer you will be assigned to a targeted school near your home. For additional information and to register please contact Jan Hathaway at 732-9696 ext. 212 or at jhathaway@uwmc.org.



5. Painters Wanted - Habitat for Humanity of Marion County is looking for painters to help get their NEW administrative office building ready for start serving our community! Sadly, the group of college students scheduled to come from the University of Wisconsin to help with this project, have cancelled their trip so they need our help! You can volunteer for one day or many, August 13^th through August 17^th. They need 10-15 people per day and the workday will be from 8am-12 noon. If you are only available a couple of hours that is fine, just let them know. Ages 14 and up may participate. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. This is a great opportunity to serve our community through Habitat for Humanity. Click here to sign-up! Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!


Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This past week was a wonderful time for the Allen Family. If you love the beach, how could you not have a great time when this is what you wake up to every morning? We went where I have been going since I was about eight years old; Siesta Key. It is an island located just off the mainland in Sarasota. It has very fine, white sand, clear water, and many, many memories for me. However, the great part about Siesta Key is that every year I go, more memories are made. And it is in those memories, that relationships are built.

This year we had many adventures and wonderful memories. Wesley learned how to swim. By day two he was swimming the width of the pool, face down; and by day six he was diving for swim rings at the bottom of the shallow end. Parker found new bravery as he ventured out to the sand bar by himself, and had an absolute blast. (He was pretty proud of himself to boot!) But what made all of this so great, is that we had no agenda, no plan, no itinerary. We simply spent each day together. Whatever we did, wherever we went, we did so together. The place and activity did not matter, it was the bond of being with one another that was paramount.

As I was driving the family home, I began to reflect on our time at the beach this year. I always love spending time in creation. In fact, Debbie and I have started walking 6-7 miles a week through the various parks here in Marion County. So for me to be able to sit in the sand, hear the water, and feel the sun, really moved my soul. I love being in the creation that God made and gave to each one of us. But as I was reflecting on the way home, there was one phrase that kept floating in and out of my mind, “Come to me all that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I was not sure why that come coming to me, so I chewed on it.

This is what I have come up with. Not only do our bodies need rest, but so do our relationships. My time with Debbie, Parker, and Wesley, had become very much an, “in a minute” type of relationship. I had all sorts of activities and places I wanted to go with my dear ones, but I was telling them more and more, “in a minute”. Have you every found yourself in that season? Have you every found yourself so preoccupied with life that your loved ones have to wait for that elusive minute?

This week I got to give my loving family their minute. I got to spend all day, every day, for seven days with those people that I love, those people whose lives has been entrusted to me, those people I have vowed to provide care. It was great. But I also got a chance to give God his minute as well. I got to pray more, listen more, and experience more.

This week I invite you to find a “minute” to give to others...to God. Build those memories, strengthen those relationships. Find a way to say yes, rather than “in a minute”. I think you will be glad you did!

God bless you all and I will see you Sunday!

Courage in the Face of Suffering - Job 1 and Job 2

Greetings All!

On Sunday, July 29^th, we engaged in a pulpit swap with Belleview UMC. Pastor Debbie was here and brought us a wonderful message from the Book of Job and the audio from that message is available below. I pray you are blessed as you listen and experience God within its midst.

Bible Challenge 08/05 - 08/11

Greetings All!

This week we will finish up several weeks of Psalms. Whew! The longest book in the Bible is complete. You should feel a huge sense of accomplishment! By the end of this week, we'll be halfway through the Old Testament. Of the Psalms we are reading this week, Psalm 137 is an interesting one. It includes the line, "by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept." This Psalm is clearly written years after David, when the people of God were living in captivity/slavery in Babylon. It has been used in at least one spiritual as well as a reggae song. The Orthodox churches often use this as a hymn during Lent.

Next up is Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings, written by King Solomon, whom the Bible calls the wisest man ever. There are 31 chapters in this book and some people I know read through Proverbs every month with just a chapter a day. What has always fascinated me is the wide range of topics found there and how applicable those words from Proverbs still are today.

Here is the schedule:

05, Sunday: Psalms 127-130

06, Monday: Psalms 131-134

07, Tuesday: Psalms 135-138

08, Wednesday: Psalms139-142

09, Thursday: Psalms143-146

10, Friday: Psalms 147-150

11, Saturday: Proverbs 1-4

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