Asbury United Methodist Church asburyumcjvl.org

October Pastor’s Pondering

October Pastor’s Pondering

Commitment – an agreement or pledge to do something in the future. – Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

October is going to be a BIG month in the life of Asbury Church! Well, every month is big in the life of the church because ministry never takes time off. There are always needs to be fulfilled – spiritual, mental/emotional, and physical needs both in our family and beyond.

September Pastor’s Pondering

September Pastor’s Pondering

Sometimes we must listen very carefully to hear the voice of God. Much like Elijah in 1 Kings 19, when the LORD was not present in a great wind, a mighty earthquake, or a raging fire, but instead was revealed in the gentleness of a whisper. So, it is with our quest to discern the will of God.

Discerning God’s will is on my mind a great deal these days as we move into the final phase of our Capital Campaign concerning the proposed building project for Asbury Church. We will know by the end of the calendar year whether we will move forward with our project, having heard God say “Yes” through the generous people of this church, or roll up the blue-prints and put them away, having heard God say “No, now is not the time.” But between now and November 11 (Commitment Sunday) we will be listening closely as God speaks.

August Pastor’s Pondering

August Pastor’s Pondering

Throughout much of this summer, our bulletin covers have featured our 60^th Anniversary logo, adding to the “Asbury Ship” the words “Memories, Ministry, and Mission.”

I really like this special logo and the message upon which it invites us to reflect. I think it does well to capture and promote our past, our present, and the future which lay ahead for Asbury UMC.

July Pastor’s Pondering

July Pastor’s Pondering

I have always been a fan of history – World history, American history, and especially for me, Church history. To me, history is not a topic which is dead and dusty, but instead is something alive and vibrant, inviting us to look back at those who came before us and share in their dreams, their struggles, and their legacies. I am always humbled when I get the chance to stand on historically hallowed ground – places which have stood a thousand years or maybe more. I find myself imagining the people who occupied those places over the years. What were their lives like? Were their joys and concerns much like ours today? I am always moved when special historic opportunities present themselves such as when in 1990 I stood in the very pulpit from which Martin Luther often preached, and again, only a few short weeks ago, when I had a “once in a life-time” opportunity to deliver a sermon at John Wesley’s New Room and preach from the very spot our founder preached! WOW!

June Pastor’s Pondering

Pastor’s Pondering

“The World Is My Parish”

(Preached at the “New Room” Bristol, England from Wesley’s pulpit. May 21, 2018)

1 Corinthians 9: 22b – 23

“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Those words of the Apostle Paul capture well the spirit of a true evangelist for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They speak of the depth of passion and commitment which is shared by those who answer God’s call to offer the Good News.

May Pastor’s Pondering

Traveling in the Footsteps of Wesley

Well, after many months of preparation and much nudging and encouraging of unsure international travelers, a team of 16 are just weeks away from our big trip to the UK. The “Wesley in England and Scotland” tour will depart via bus from Janesville to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport en route to London’s Heathrow Airport and the historic cities and villages where Methodism was born almost 300 years ago.

April Pastors Pondering

Happy Easter!

Resurrection is an unbelievable thing! It defies logic. It stands in opposition to that which we know for a fact. When folks die, that’s it!

Even the first disciples felt this way. The Gospel of John tells us that Simon Peter and one of the other disciples ran to the empty tomb on that first Easter morning, went inside and found the strips of linen lying where Jesus once lay. John tells us that they “saw and believed” but “they still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.” Resurrection was tough to grasp!

March Pastor’s Pondering

With the season of Lent taking us all the way through the month of March, I thought it would be a good time to explore a bit about what this season really means. What does this time of reflection, repentance, and rededication to our Lord and our faith provide? Why is it such an important part of our Spiritual Journeys?