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

pastor dan's weekly memo - april 23, 2015

4/23/2015

Comments

 
Picture
Sunday is the last Sunday of our Spring Training Sermon Series and there are several things, one of which I hope entices you to attend worship.  

First, we will be recognizing our children’s ministry team, volunteers and staff during worship.  Children’s Ministry is one of the strengths of EPUMC and it takes a lot of you to pull it off.  I am so grateful for the leadership that Deb Soderholm, our Director of Children’s Ministries, provides. Showing up is a great way to say thank you to all who are involved in this important work.  

Second, it will be “Sparky” Webster’s last visit with us and several of you have made a request.  The request is to be able to wear some sort of sports team paraphernalia to worship this Sunday.  This means a shirt, a cap, a jersey, something that announces your support of a sport’s team. Even though I have some reservations about something like this taking things maybe a bit to far…I’m going to invite you to wear something from your favorite sports team if you are so moved.  What has happened in this sermon series is that several of us are recognizing a clearer deeper connection between our faith and our lives.  Anything a church can do to help deepen and clarify that connection is a good thing.  So for one Sunday, let’s see whose rooting for whom and if Sparky can remember that other guys name.  

Two other things about this; Firstly, before you put that t-shirt on, think about which team has meant the most to you over the longest time.  For many of us that is the Twins, for others maybe the Gophers. For me it was the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball team.  They were a formulate fixture in my life. I cannot name one player on the team for 2015, heck I can’t remember some of your names, but I can still give you the starting line-up for the 1964 and 1967 World Series Champions and the 1968 losers of the World Series.

Secondly; I don’t think that the connection to sports paraphernalia needs to also encourage us to wear only a Christian wardrobe. Here are two pictures that have convinced me of this. The one on the left is a lovely garment I saw at the State Fair a couple of years ago.  And yes; that is a fake leopard-skin cross on a $30 blouse.   The one on the right is Jesus riding no hands on a bike.  One, I don’t own this t-shirt.  And two: riding a bike with no hands does not count as a miracle, Jesus.  I really do not believe it is helpful to wear my faith on a t-shirt.

On Sunday our fellowship time will be ballpark food.  Hot dogs, pop-corn, and I’m guessing “some peanuts and crack- er –jacks...”  So wear whatever sports team stirs your sense of belonging and maybe Sunday morning in church will start becoming the place you…. “don’t care if you ever get back” ….from.  

P.S.  We have taken on the PROP Mac and Cheese Challenge. PROP has challenged our congregation to provide all the mac and cheese needed for the month of June for the Summer Food for Kids program.  We are asking exclusively for mac and cheese donations during the entire month of May.  Today through Saturday, Cub has a great deal on their Mac and Cheese.  Just saying.

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