Mission Moment 10.15.25

Jana Lee
Field Personnel in Larnaca, Cyprus

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

– Matthew 25:35-36

The following blessing is inspired by Matthew 25:35-40. This passage speaks about caring for the hungry, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned—and how in serving the least of these, we serve Christ Himself. I chose to rewrite this scripture because this is how I strive to live and work in the world. These verses remind me to live with an open heart, an open mind and open hands. They remind me that when I care for people in need, it is truly what God wants. These words call us to see every act of kindness, no matter how small, as meaningful. Through compassion, we become a reflection of God’s love to the world around us.

A Blessing of Compassionate Presence
Inspired by Matthew 25:35–40 
May your heart be open to the hungry,
And may your hands be quick to feed.
May your door swing wide for the stranger,
And may your soul welcome those in need. 
May your presence bring warmth to the cold,
And your words bring comfort to the weary.
May your eyes see Christ in every face—
In the lonely, the lost, the overlooked. 
May you walk where mercy is needed,
And speak where justice longs to be heard.
May your life echo the kindness of Heaven,
And may love be your most fluent word. 
For every act of compassion,
Though small in the eyes of the world,
Is a seed in the soil of eternity,
And a gift unto the King. 
And as you serve the least of these,
May you know—deep in your spirit—
That you are walking beside Jesus Himself.
He sees. He remembers. He calls you blessed. 
Amen. 

No Midweek Meal This Evening

Due to our church hosting Hands on Jackson on October 9, there will be NO evening activities/meal—except for choir rehearsal—TONIGHT , October 8.The office will be closed all day on October 9 as well.

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of cereal. 

 To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive.  Thank you!

Mission Moment 10.8.25

Caleb Cooke
Senior Pastor, VillageaBaptist Church
Bowie, Maryland

“I will make with [my flock] a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing,” – Ezekiel 34:25-26

When I was growing up, something that always confused me was how often people talked about rain. I have distinct memories of my dad looking to the sky and saying something about the yard being dry and “needing rain.” Similarly, after almost every rain, my grandpa would say, like clockwork, “Yep, we needed it!” But what really confused me was when people wanted it to rain. Child me viewed rain as an inhibitor, because there were many things you couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do in the rain. Rain cancels events and ruins outdoor birthday parties, so why would anyone say we need rain? 

I’m glad to say that I’ve since learned the way weather can act as a level playing field for conversation. I have come to appreciate all the ways rain is vital. In fact, as I cross many thresholds in my life—for example, having a lawn of my own to deal with, as well as the beginning of our church’s community garden ministry—I often find myself looking up wondering when it’s going to rain. Recently, I even caught myself saying, “Yep, we needed it!”

If we take this text from the prophet Ezekiel as an example, we can view God’s blessing as a soft rain over picturesque hills dotted with grazing sheep. There are many places to find ourselves in this living landscape. See the sheep blissfully unaware of how long it has been since it rained, thus taking God’s blessing only as it comes? Look, there’s a weary farmer feeling the weight of drought lift off his shoulders! Wow, I wonder what stories that tree’s rings could tell, stories of drought and torrential downpours. 

As I think back, the throwaway “Yep, we needed it!” tells a deep story of lived experience from people who have watched crops grow and watched them wither. This phrase ties together those who have felt the ground crack beneath their feet and those who have seen puddles form in long-dry ditches. It’s the kind of phrase that makes sense only when you’ve gone without something vital for a while. Something life-giving.

Maybe you’re in a dry season wondering if the showers of blessing will come. Maybe you’re in a flash flood of God’s favor. Maybe you’re somewhere in between. Wherever you are, that simple phrase still speaks, not just to the rain that has fallen, but to the truth that we depend on something beyond ourselves; to the truth that we are not self-sustaining and we are not alone. 

“Yep, we needed it.”

Ezekiel’s Blessing
from Ezekiel 34:25-26 

I will make with [my flock] a covenant of peace 
and banish wild animals from the land,
so that they may live in the wild 
and sleep in the woods securely. 

I will make them 
and the region around my hill 
a blessing, 
and I will send down the showers
in their season; 
they shall be showers of blessing. 

Pray...Give...Go.

1st Explorers After-School Program Recap

First Explorers had a busy week discussing feelings, with chapel visits from Kaitlyn and other scheduled programming. The students played games, basketball, hopscotch, did lots of coloring and Play-Doh, and got excited to begin play practice. The upcoming theme is “What to do With Anger,” where students will explore effective ways to calm themselves. 

Giving the Jesus Way

United Christian Ministries is in need of cereal. 

 To donate items, please drop them off at UCM’s building at 191 Skyland Drive.  Thank you!

1st Explorers After-School Program Recap

First Explorers had a wonderful “Leading with Kindness” week full of activities and valuable lessons. They took turns being the leader for outdoor activities, dressed counselors up in toilet paper during chapel, had relay races with Generation Kids, made water color fall leaves, and experimented with exploding apples. The boys loved making successful floating boats with Titus during Royal Ambassadors. We look forward to welcoming October and a new theme next week: Big Feelings!

Midweek Meals Continue

Mid-week meals continue tonight, October 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the MFC. Costs are $12 for adults, $7 for K-12th grade, and college students as well as pre-K are guests of the church (no charge). Please remember to get your reservation turned in to the office by noon Monday so we have an accurate headcount. Sign-up sheets and pew cards will be available as well! Join us!

Mission Moment 10.1.25

Casey Ramirez
Field Personnel in Baguio, Philippines

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10

As a native Texan, I spent my childhood near the relatively small hills scattered around southwest Dallas County. In college, I would sometimes joke that Waco was so flat that we could see all the way to Oklahoma on a clear day! Mountains were a foreign concept to me. I’ve had the privilege of visiting places near the Rockies, the Appalachians and the Alps, but only for short trips. And I never really paid attention to the mountains. They were just part of the background.

We now live in Baguio, Philippines—a bustling city situated at approximately the same elevation as Denver. Its elevation and mountainous terrain give it the benefit of comfortable temperatures most of the year, which is good because walking anywhere is basically hiking. As you can imagine, the mountains make for beautiful scenery. It is hard to go anywhere in the city without a grand view of at least one of the mountain peaks in the distance. But the mountains aren’t just in the background here. We are surrounded by them. We live on them.

And yet, one of my favorite things is the shift of the weather mid-day, when the clouds climb over the peaks and completely envelop the city and the surrounding mountains in this thick, impenetrable, puffy blanket of damp and silence. The mountains fade away, the city becomes still and for a little while, everything seems to disappear into a sea of gray. A few minutes later, the clouds will drop their rain and move higher into the sky, and everything will go back to how it was before.

I think we all need times like these that cause us to experience life in a different way than we usually do. Amid our hectic schedules and busy lives, we need times that cause us (maybe even force us) to stop and just be. Just for a little while. Perhaps it is in these times that we might also experience God in a different way than we usually do.

A Blessing for Being
Wherever you find yourself right now,
whether at work,
or at home, 
or in one of the countless other places,
remember that God calls you to 
“Be still and know that I am God.”

Despite the schedules and the busyness of today,
may the peace of God cover you
like clouds blanket a mountain.
God calls you to 
“Be still and know that I am.”

Amidst your comings and goings, may you pause 
long enough for your lungs to fill with good, deep breath.

Remember to 
“Be still and know.”
May you make the time to 
find God in the quiet.
“Be still.”

Stop what you are doing and just
“Be.”

Pray...Give...Go.

Midweek Meals Continue

Mid-week meals continue tonight, September 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the MFC. Costs are $12 for adults, $7 for K-12th grade, and college students as well as pre-K are guests of the church (no charge). Please remember to get your reservation turned in to the office by noon Monday so we have an accurate headcount. Sign-up sheets and pew cards will be available as well!

The menu that evening will be cheeseburger bar with all the fixings, mac & cheese, baked beans and dessert.  Join us!