Broadway United Methodist Church

As I write this article, I am in the midst of my renewal leave.  It has been a time of rest, time with family, an opportunity to worship with other congregations and a time of prayer.  I have experienced two days of intentional prayer at The Sisters of the Cenacle Retreat House and will be spending two more days there.  Those days have provided a time of focus and reflection on God’s word.  Last week, this verse from Psalm 39 was particularly helpful:  “I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.”  How is God instructing me and you in both our individual faith journeys and our communal faith journey?  God is ready to teach and lead if we but simply stop and listen.

I have been in prayer for all of you and for our congregation and community during my time away. I have been mindful of meetings held and worship services experienced.  Although I have relished the break, it feels odd not to be at church.  Last Sunday Spencer was so disappointed that we weren’t going to “my church.”  He did just fine as we attended another congregation in the city, but Broadway UMC has become our church home and we have missed seeing you.

I am mindful of the upcoming General Conference and am keeping in my prayers the delegates from our Annual Conference and around the world, as well as so many others who will travel to Fort Worth to volunteer, witness and observer the proceedings.  We will walk in love and care for one another during that time and in the days following.  Whatever legislation is passed, we can be confident that God loves each and every one of us and celebrates who we are.  We will continue to live our mission of reaching out to the diverse community of which we are a part.  We will continue to grow and learn in our faith.  And we will continue to look beyond ourselves to those who are in need in body, mind and spirit.

I look forward to May 11^th, when we will celebrate probably the second most important Christian festival, Pentecost.  We remember the giving of the Holy Spirit which descended upon the disciples and those gathered, as tongues of fire.  May we be filled with the Spirit, that we too, may be able to understand one another clearly even though we speak different languages and use different vocabulary and body language.  May we be more unified in our passion and mission to share God’s all inclusive love that all may know the healing and wholeness Christ offers.

See you soon!

Pastor Jenny