Reflections From Sunday Evening

We finished our Defining Moments series today. It was a good word that came to Jehoshaphat when enemy armies were moving against them. "Do not be afraid - do not be discouraged. The battle is not yours but God's." Read 2 Chronicles 20 and you will see what happened! Our take-away from the story went something like this. When things are happening in your life that cause you to feel afraid or discouraged look to the Lord. Fear has a tendency to lead to panic and most decisions made in "panic mode" do not go well. So turn to the Lord. It is His battle. Next time you face a fear or discouragement take your stand, move forward and sing a song. (Remember you need to read the story for this to make sense). Actually we are looking for the power of praise and worship to defeat fear and discouragement. It is amazing how God comes and moves in ways that lead us joyfully home. You may be in the midst of making a choice or decision that will turn out to be a defining moment in your life. My prayer is that it be the kind of moment that puts you (or keeps you) on track with God. Keep writing your story of God's power and presence in your life. On another note...it was hot at Kauffman Stadium but well worth it to see the Royals get another win. It was truly a day for baseball. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This is a great day to be an American! Today is National Ice Cream Day! In keeping with the spirit of the day we passed out various types of ice cream to everyone as they left church today. It was just fun. We had the ice cream donated. I am grateful to our people who put this together (Jennifer, Debbie, Ann, Brian & Evelyn - as well as all your helpers). I appreciate those who put together the donation. We will be making a gift in kind to those who helped out. What we enjoyed today was a treat similar to what people (especially children) might receive from Harvesters or some other organization that serves people in need. I thought is was super to share in something that many in our community consider a great treat. It's great to be childlike and enjoy our ice cream. That is not all. We also celebrated a great week of Vacation Bible School. A representative group of our kids sang for us in worship. You had to see this week to appreciate it. I can tell you there were 450 kids singing, dancing, learning and having a wonderful time with the Lord this week but seeing the seats in the sanctuary filled with kids was amazing. There is no way to fully comprehend the lives that were touched this week. You saw the joy and fun but the Lord knows the hearts that were touched, the faith that took root and the way a young persons course of life was established. It has been a great week to be a kid at PWUMC! Today was a great day to be a kid at PWUMC. With childlike faith - trust in the goodness of Jesus Christ - we rejoice. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a great day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

This week is Vacation Bible School week at Platte Woods. VBS continues to be a timeless tradition for churches. I remember VBS weeks - yes more than one week of VBS. Those were summer days when we came to church each day for Bible stories, crafts, snacks and games. We ate homemade chocolate chip cookies that members made and brought to church. We drank red Kool Aid. We played games like Red Rover. We made things that supported the Bible story of the day or week. We learned stories in the Bible. When you put it all together we were experiencing God. We were kids but something was happening in our lives that would not go away. We still remember. The technology is much different. Flannel boards have given way to videos. The snacks are more healthy. The games are different. But the Bible stories are the same. The experience of God's love and grace continues. This week we anticipate more young lives being impacted by the Spirit of God. It promises to be a great week. Should be fun. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve

Reflections From Sunday Evening

The Independence Day holiday is drawing to a close. People will be heading home from a weekend get away. There may be one more cook-out but we are getting ready for a new week. Hopefully sometime during this weekend we have re-read the Preamble to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence or some other historical document. Hopefully we have taken a moment to reflect on the precious gift of liberty and freedom that is such a part of the American experience. Maybe we have given thought to what we most appreciate about our nation. Perhaps we have reflected on the commitment of those who led the way. Our nation is filled with defining moments. There were the first stirrings in the hearts of men who saw a vision for a new nation. There were those who risked all they were and all they had for this proposition that all men are created equal. There was the defining moment when leaders pledged their "lives, possessions and fortunes" for the new nation. There have continued to be many defining moments along the way of the great experiment in democracy. With that said I invite you to also consider defining moments in your life, especially your Christian life. Do you recall the first stirrings of faith in your heart? What does your spiritual autobiography look like? Can you identify the moments in life when God seemed most close and clear? Are there seasons of life where God seemed distant. Can you identify choices and decisions that have turned out to be defining moments in your life of faith? As surely as our nation continues forward with new challenges and opportunities your life does the same. There will be other defining moments ahead in your life of faith. Be encouraged and anticipate your future in faith with joy. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve