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Do any of you still pause to pick up an acorn on your walks? Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about an acorn that makes me pause, makes me smile. Which is just what happened last week while away at the NIC School of Leadership in Green Lake, WI. I was enjoying a bit of quiet time down by the lake when the acorns all around seemed to speak to me. Hundreds of them, on sidewalks, in the grass, everywhere! Really, they are such a small thing. Easy to step on without much more than a crunch underfoot. But I remember that this timeRead More →

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A new school year brings a new season. For some that means a new classroom, a new teacher, or a new school. For others, it may mean returning to a familiar place, continuing a journey already underway…or it may just mark the beginning of earlier mornings and the start of pumpkin spice season. Whatever it brings for you, each of us arrive carrying something different. Some of us carry new bookbags filled with tech and supplies. Some carry well-loved bags that have been part of many school years. Teachers and staff, no doubt carry their classroom supplies and their responsibilities. Parents and caregivers carry schedules,Read More →

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Have you ever been so surrounded by joy that it’s almost like you can touch the Holy Spirit, she’s so present? Last Saturday was one of those days for me. Our first Compassion Camp brought together children, youth, and volunteers from United Methodist Church of Geneva, Batavia United Methodist Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, The Neighbor Project, and surrounding community for a morning filled with fun, faith, friendship, and a lot of jumping at The Neighbor Project in Aurora. From the moment children arrived, the space buzzed with excitement. They jumped into songs, stories, yoga, crafts, and compassion projects while volunteers of all ages worked side-by-side, embodying the lovingkindnessRead More →

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Do you remember what summer felt like when you were a kid? The days seemed endless. There were bikes to ride, sprinklers to run through, popsicles to eat, books to read, and just enough boredom to spark creativity. Summer felt spacious. It was a time to linger outside until the lighting bugs came out and to lay in the grass to see what the clouds looked like. So, let me ask: How is your summer going? Have you found moments to breathe? To laugh? To linger over dinner with people you love? Have you watched a sunset or read a book just because you wanted to?Read More →

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A group seeking to create space for adults in roughly their 20s through 50s to build meaningful relationships, grow in faith, and find joy in shared life together. But… Where’d This Name Come From? A Bit of History In 1738, the Anglican priest John Wesley (founder of Methodism) experienced a profound spiritual awakening in London. On the evening of May 24, 1738, Wesley was attending a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, where someone was reading from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. What happened there became one of the defining moments in the birth of the Methodist movement. Wesley later recorded the experience in his journal: “InRead More →

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This June, both World Refugee Month and Pride Month, the Missions and Church in Society Teams invite our UMCG and wider community into a simple but meaningful practice: walking one mile a day in solidarity with people who are on the move. At first glance, a mile may not seem like much. It might be the distance around your neighborhood, through a local park, or even across a vacation destination. But when we walk with intention, our steps can become embodied prayer. They can remind us that while many of us walk by choice, millions of people around the world walk because they must…seeking safety,Read More →

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Over the past few weeks, our children have been spending time with the feeding of the multitude story in Sunday School; you know, the one where a small lunch becomes more than enough. They’ve been wondering about it in all kinds of ways. What does it mean to share? How do we decide what to keep, what to give, what to save? What happens when what we have doesn’t seem like enough? Through games, crafts, conversations, and a lot of imagination, they’ve been exploring this simple but powerful idea: That what seems small…can become something more. And honestly, I think they’re onto something, because there’sRead More →

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There’s a line from an article I read a while ago that came to mind as I reflected on our FLOW sermon series and upcoming earth day: “The earth spoke, and he listened.” The article tells the story of a man named Joe, a dowser, which, if I’ve gone a bit too southern for you, is someone who walks the land with a simple forked branch or copper rods, searching for underground water. There are no maps or techy instruments, this is attention…feel…something deeper than can be explained. At one point, the writer describes watching Joe walk quietly along a trail until, “The branch yankedRead More →

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We’re in the season of Easter now, a time when the story doesn’t end, but keeps unfolding in unexpected ways and new life keeps finding us, even in the most ordinary places. So, as I’ve been reflecting on our upcoming sermon series, exploring the stories and what it means to live into the flow of God’s grace, I’ve found myself returning to this story by the water… You see, I’ve heard it said before that when the disciples went fishing after the resurrection, it meant they were giving up. That they were simply tossing in the towel and returning to their old lives, leaving everythingRead More →