Eden Prairie United Methodist Church
Connect with Us!
  • Home
  • Being Church
    • Crops For PROP
    • Serving Our Neighbors
    • Fellowship >
      • Women's Retreat
  • Children | Youth
    • Nursery
    • Sunday School (Preschool through 7th grade)
    • Especially for Families
    • Rooted (3rd - 4th grade)
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Middle School Youth (Grades 7-8)
    • Confirmation (8th-9th grade)
    • Higher Ground (10th-12th grade)
  • Music
    • Adult Music Opportunities
  • About EPUMC
    • Worship
    • Staff
    • Notes from Pastor Becky Jo
    • Lay Leadership
    • A Reconciling Congregation
    • Tumbleweed Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Annual Report
    • Calendar
  • Prayer
  • Online Giving
  • Contact Us

Weekly Memo: You don’t have to wait for a new year to be able to start fresh

12/31/2020

Comments

 
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
(Isaiah 43:19a - NRSV)
Dear Friends:
When I think about the coming of a new year, I think about golf.  I know…that’s a little odd. But if you have golfed with me, you may already know why.

In golf there is something called a mulligan. Now, if there are official rules about a mulligan, I am not wholly aware of them (that may be by choice). In my golfing life, a mulligan is a kind of do-over when you need another chance to get the shot right.  It may be engaged when you shot off of the tee goes more sideways than forward.  It may be engaged when you don’t quite hit over the water hazard in front of you. It may be engaged when you hit the sand trap instead of the green.  It may be engaged when your put sails past the hole. Whenever you engage it, it’s a do-over, a chance to get the shot right.

In official golf, I think there’s only one mulligan per round (again, I am fuzzy on the rules). In my golfing world, you can take any number of mulligan’s, depending on how many you need to feel good about the score you write down (assuming you mark down an accurate score!). I am a golfer who needs and offers a lot of grace, a lot of do-overs!

When I come to a new year, I look backwards and wonder what I could have done better. This exercise is helpful.  Many leaders of the faith have engaged what we call the examen, which is the spiritual practice of examining your life through the eyes of faith so that it can change and shape the way you live tomorrow. That’s a good practice.  

But what I love most about the changing from one year to the next is the mulligan! It’s an opportunity to start fresh and live the life you want to live in the year ahead of you. The funny part is, every day is an opportunity for a mulligan. You don’t have to wait for a new year to be able to start fresh. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the early faith leader Paul writes to the church saying, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Paul reminded the early Christians that every moment is a chance to turn toward Christ and start fresh.  That’s because Jesus is full of grace for you and ready to give you a new life at any moment, not just at the start of the new year.
As you say goodbye to this year and welcome in the new year, may you live a mulligan-ed life, one that know God’s grace for you.  One that turns toward Christ and becomes wholly new!
​
Happy New Year,
Pastor Becky Jo Messenbrink
Comments

Weekly Memo: Spreading Joy and Peace

12/17/2020

Comments

 
Dear Friends,
With the joy of God in our hearts, we are leaning into these final days to prepare for Christmas. Not with a superficial joy based on the circumstances of our days. Because, let’s face it, there are so many circumstances that are difficult, uneasy, frustrating and tragic. Many of us won’t get to “be with” our relatives for Christmas. Some of us may be unable to provide the gifts we would have liked. Some of us won’t be able to put a feast on the table. Some will be lying alone and frightened in a COVID unit at the hospital. Some will be grieving the loss of loved ones. Let’s face it, this Christmas is short on circumstantial joy.

But joy from God is deeper. It is not based on our circumstances, but on the truth of Christmas. God has come among us, Emmanuel. Christmas means that we are never alone, even when we are lonely. Christmas means that we are forever filled up by the love of God. Christmas means that we are rich because of our identity as beloved children of God. Christmas means that, even in our grief and loss and tragedy, God is at work creating all things for good (Romans 8:28).

You can spread that deep joy this Christmas.  Here are some ways you can do that:

You are invited (along with your relatives and friends) to join us for worship on Christmas Eve.  Use this link to join our Christmas Eve worship, combining live and prerecorded segments, ending with holy communion. You can view a recorded Christmas Eve worship featuring “The A B Cs of Christmas” as shared by children from Eden Prairie UMC, on the home page of this website beginning Dec. 24.

By the way, we want to make Christmas Candles available to you for your at-home worship time, especially if you want to join us for the live Zoom Christmas Eve Worship Service at 7 p.m.  You can come to the church, enter by the front doors (masks on, please) and gather from the table as many candles as you and your family need for Christmas Eve worship.  Feel free to take some to share with your neighbors or loved ones, too.  The candles will be available 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 21-23.

You can spread that deep Christmas joy by being a part of the Christmas Offering at Eden Prairie UMC.  The offering will be shared between PROP’s COVID Relief Fund and the Solidarity Fund at New City Church.  You will have deep joy in being able to make a difference in our neighbor’s lives. You can learn more about the offering here. Your gifts can be mailed or given electronically through the website or the Give Plus+ App.  Choose “Christmas Offering."

You can spread that deep Christmas joy by being a part of the MN United Methodist movement called “Go Light the World.” a campaign to bring the light of hope, peace, joy, and love to our communities and the world by offering encouraging cards and greetings to health care workers in these challenging weeks and month.  Learn more here (https://www.minnesotaumc.org/golightyourworld).

Join us for worship this weekend as we focus on the peace that Jesus’ coming gives us, a peace that we share as we work for justice in our society.

Blessings to you,
Pastor Becky Jo Messenbrink
Comments

Weekly Memo: During Advent, wait or act?

12/3/2020

Comments

 
Dear Friends
Advent season is for waiting patiently for God to reveal God’s plan and purpose of salvation in each generation. We wait, whether patient or not, for such a revelation. We have waited to see how God is going to redeem the chaotic year we have had, the effects of the virus on our lives, the unrest in our political systems, the injustice among people of color in America.  How do we wait?

Sometimes we wait patiently. We stay home. We keep our bubble secure. We work remotely. We rearrange our homes so our children can attend school on electronic devices. We wait patiently for God to work and act through scientists and public health officials and others who are empowered by God to bring about an actual healing from the virus. We would like to be able to act, but the action that is required of us is patient waiting.

Sometimes we wait impatiently. We cannot sit back and watch the thing happen. So we seek ways to partner with God in what God is doing to bring salvation and redemption in a particular setting. I am waiting impatiently for racial justice in America. My impatient waiting involves educating myself and speaking up, all while I am praying for wisdom and guidance from God.

Always we need to pray in our seasons of waiting. Prayer enables us to know if this is a time to act or a time to still ourselves to make room for God to act through others. Knowing the difference is critical. Joseph wanted to walk away from the pregnancy he had nothing to do with. But in a dream, God came to him with a prompting to act.  And he did.  He acted out of love, following the will and direction of God. He took Mary as his wife and raised the Savior as his own.

In this season of waiting, what is your prayerful discernment revealing about God’s call on your life? How is God prompting you in this season of waiting? Where is God calling you to act? Where is God calling you to wait more patiently? 
​
May God give you the courage to act when you must, and to wait more patiently when you ought.
Blessings,
Pastor Becky Jo Messenbrink
Comments

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

Connect with us!
office@prairiechurch.org
(952) 937-8781

15050 Scenic Heights Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Picture
Picture