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[Jesus said,] “Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. Everyone who has ears should pay attention.” [ Matt. 13:8-9 CEB] In this parable, Jesus uses common seed to share a story of how the same seed can produce different results depending on what soil it is planted in. In this parable, the seed represents a message, the message of God’s incredible and amazing love in our lives. What determines whether the seed will grow and mature, whether the message of God is accepted, to take root in a person’s life, is dependent on the type of soil that the seed falls upon. When we hear this parable, we often interpret this as a one-time acceptance or rejection of the truth of God that separates those who are believers and those who are not. But this parable speaks to us in our everyday Christian life. Our hearts, our moods, our states of mind on any certain day are not always the same condition. They even change drastically in the span of a day. There are times that we need a jackhammer to break up the hardness of our soul. There are times that we need straining to separate the rocks in our lives that won’t let roots to hold, to be sifted away from the good soil. There are times when we are so cluttered with stuff that our lives need a good weeding. Good soil usually doesn’t come naturally. We must prepare our hearts, our own soils, to do some tilling of our souls, to replenish with nourishment, to aerate the soil, and to have a good watering by soaking ourselves with Scripture reading, prayer, and worship to get ourselves back to the good soil. Just envision what God sees when people hear His word, understand, and let it grow so that the kingdom of God can increase in our world. Just envision what God envisions, a kingdom where forgiving each other is of greater significance than getting revenge and the mark of a righteous person is what all strive to be; to be those filled with the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. All it takes on our part is to prepare a place for the seed – the word of God to be planted, for God in His extravagant love is always scattering the seed to us. #aplaceforgrace

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ [ Luke 18:11,13 CEB] The season of Lent has been traditionally a time of reflection and confession of our sins in preparation for Easter Sunday. Because it is a season where one dwelt on and lamented over their sins, the season of Lent sometimes takes on a somber and dismal mood. Why dwell on the things that bring us down? Focus on those things that build us up. Everyone needs to have a healthy self-esteem by focusing on the good points, practicing positive reinforcements, and combating that critical inner voice. Nothing good can come out of facing our mortality and our sin. Don’t go there. It can only make things depressing and miserable. Why must we focus on the bad things in our lives? Besides, we find ourselves saying, OK, I’m not perfect; I have some things I need to work on. But then we become very clever in our denial. Well, I’m not as bad as that guy. Isn’t that what the Pharisee was saying in the story from Luke? Even the most despicable of persons can find someone who is more despicable than they are. So, I’m not the one who needs to examine myself, it’s that other guy. Hopefully God grades on the curve, and I am better than average. Yet the whole motive for dwelling on our faults and our sin is not to make us feel miserable and worthless but is to allow us to be freed from the things that hinder our relationship with God. It is to remind us that God is not with us simply to console, affirm, heal, and love us; yet is with us to challenge our illusions and confront our personal idolatries. No, God wants only to free you up. Free you through forgiveness. #aplaceforgrace

I hate waiting. You know those seasons when life forces us to be uncomfortable in the present while we anxiously waiting for the next thing. I waited a long time to find my life partner. I remember waiting for the kids to be out of diapers. I waited for when they could take their own showers. Mostly I was waiting for rest and needed sleep. Those years are all now a blur. I remember waiting for college acceptance letters for my girls. We waited over a year to hear where we would be appointed after we left Winter Park. Honestly, sometimes it feels like all we do is wait. But there are certain seasons that are far more challenging... waiting on test results... waiting on work relocations... waiting on babies to be born and waiting on pain to end. The prophet Habakkuk takes about waiting in Chapter 2. And then God answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time. (Habakkuk 2:2-3, The Message) I have often questioned God’s timing. It rarely seems fast; in fact, it often feels way too slow. Yet God never wastes time. In the season of waiting, He frequently uses this time to shape us and mold us. Shaping and molding is never fun, but it is so necessary for our maturing. Waiting forces us to question everything around us, including God. Waiting teaches us to trust God when we would rather trust ourselves. Waiting makes us all face our vulnerabilities. Waiting makes us remember that we are the created ones; and God is the creator. The prophet Habakkuk is waiting for God’s justice in a world that is torn upside down. He is waiting for what seems like the impossible. That is truly the hardest waiting when what you ask for seems impossible. Yet when the impossible finally arrives, we cannot deny the fingerprint of God on the final outcome. If you are in a season of waiting, don’t give up . While waiting is uncomfortable and leaves us anxious, God’s eventual answer will help fade the memories of waiting; and our hearts will be stronger and our faith ready to take on the next season, even if it means more waiting. #aplaceforgrace

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." [Jeremiah 29:11 NIV] This past Sunday we were blessed to have the new Bishop of the Florida Conference, Tom Berlin join us at our 8:15am and 9:45am services. Bishop Berlin shared a message of hope and enthusiasm for the future of the United Methodist Church and St. Andrew’s UMC. At one point in the contemporary service Bishop Berlin made an observation about our church by saying, “You have all the elements of what vital churches do and have.” We should feel encouraged and gratified by his statement. We do have much to be thankful for at St. Andrew’s. First, the Bishop only visited 6 churches in the district that includes about 80 churches. We should feel honored that that we were one of the “chosen” ones. Next, I wanted to share some items from our year-end report from 2022 that we should celebrate. Our in-person attendance for our Sunday Services increased by 33% from the previous year, which means people are coming back to church. Our online viewership did decrease from the previous year, as expected as people return to church. However, we are addressing this by expanding David Moscrip’s role to Creative Director, with one of his focuses being on enhancing our livestream services. Kids Ministry on Sunday morning averaged 34 kids in 2022. Sunday Night Youth has been averaging 30 in the past year. The number of individuals baptized in 2022 doubled as compared to those baptized in 2021. The total number of persons participating in Christian formation groups was a whopping 504 for 2022, an increase of 27% from the previous year. The number of participants in VBS in 2022 increased 41% from 2021. In regard to our financial situation, it started out to be a dismal year in 2022 with a shortcoming of $48,000 projected at the end of the year. However, giving to the church rallied and expenses were held in check so that we ended up having a surplus of $7500 at year’s end. On top of all this, a total of $98,108 was given in 2022 to the Imagining More campaign. Plus, 2023 is starting out ever so encouraging. Our in-person attendance for the past two Sundays has been 362 and 354 attendees respectively. Compare that to our average weekly attendance in 2022 of 310. Moreover, we have 15 persons in our first new member class of 2023 (20 persons counting children.) That is the most we have had since the pandemic. And at the end of January, the church was in the black financially to the tune of almost $20,000. We have much to be thankful for and we should consider ourselves blessed to be a part of St. Andrew’s UMC, a healthy and vital church. We can be reassured of God’s promise to prosper us and give us hope and a future. #aplaceforgrace

General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church. The assembly meets at the beginning of each quadrennium to consider revisions to church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years. An Update from the St. Andrew's General Conference Task Force As you may have heard, there are discussions and a 'Protocol of Reconciliation' for churches that wish to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church organization. The leadership at St. Andrew's is watching the issue closely and listening to all communication from our Bishop and the larger international United Methodist organization. There will be more specific information provided to you in the future, but we want to ensure that you understand the basics now. Below is a list of frequently asked questions to help you stay informed and dispel any misinformation. + What does St. Andrew’s plan to do regarding this situation? Our church will not make any decisions until after the 2024 General Conference, scheduled for April 23 – May 3, 2024. We see no reason to move away from this strategy. + Why do churches want to disaffiliate and leave the United Methodist Church? Many churches have a different view of the direction of the UMC. + Does St. Andrew's need to make any decisions now? No. The current deadline for churches to decide is Dec. 31, 2023, and we have been given assurances by the Conference that there will be future options for churches who wish to disaffiliate. + Has the General Conference made any decisions yet? No. Proposals have been made but cannot be decided upon until the meeting in 2024. Until then, nothing will change; thus there is really no reason to make a decision now because the terms of the agreement and the alternatives available for churches will change as a result of the 2024 Conference. We feel it is wise to wait and see what the options will be. + Has the 2024 General Conference been delayed again? No. The General Conference remains scheduled for April 23 – May 3, 2024 in Charlotte, NC. We will continue to keep you updated on the situation. If you have any questions, please contact us using the info below. Alan Chastain , Church Council Chair | alan@akchastain.com Gary Rideout , Co-Senior Pastor | gary.rideout@saumc.net Jayne Rideout , Co-Senior Pastor | jayne.rideout@saumc.net #aplaceforgrace #generalconference

What is the most important thing I do in a day? Is it getting my email done or calling someone back? Is it studying scripture or helping put the chairs up after the Wednesday community dinner? Sometimes my days are filled with non-pastor stuff, and I feel frustrated I cannot get my work done sooner. Then I must ask myself this question, what is the most important thing I do in a day? Is getting my work done a greater priority then giving my time to another? Scripture would argue for giving myself to another. When the pandemic hit back in March of 2020, my Bible study was reading a book called, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer. It is a good read that has some real thought-provoking ideas. The thought that has not left me is that the author challenges us by saying, "you can’t really love your neighbor if you are in a hurry all the time." Loving our neighbor takes time and effort. Loving requires slowing. So that means I must ask myself, am I slowing down so that I can love my neighbor? Am I patient when I get interrupted. Do I sign up and volunteer for ministry or do I give myself the excuse that I am too busy? After the memorial service for Ron Grote, the Bereavement Team and the Kitchen class helped host a beautiful reception dinner. When it was all done and people were heading home, someone asked me if the tables and chairs had to be put away. I knew they did so the youth could enjoy the full space in the Family Life Center the following day. As I moved along with a group of others helping to pack up the tables and chairs, this thought floated through my head. This is the holiest work I have done today. Earlier, I helped with the service for Ron, and I worked on my sermon that morning, but putting away chairs became for me in that moment, a holy experience. I was doing it for Ron and Linda, I was doing it for St. Andrew's, I was doing it to help those working with me, and I was doing it because Scripture teaches me, “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) As always, Scripture is always right. #aplaceforgrace

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. [John 9:1-3 CEB] If you continue to read on in this chapter, you see that Jesus healed the blindness in this man by, of all things, taking some dirt from the ground, spitting on it and rubbing the mud on the blind man’s eyes. Why was this necessary? In Luke 18:35-44, Jesus heals a blind man in Jericho just by saying, “You are healed.” The answer may have something to do with the disciples’ question. They’re being incredibly insensitive to the feelings of the man before them. Here is a man who has been without sight his whole life and the disciples use him as a prop to ask Jesus a theological question. So, Jesus does something different in healing this man. Something unexpected. If the disciples want to use this unfortunate man as a case study, Jesus will do the same. But, Jesus’ objective is to show the disciples that this is a living, breathing human being, made from the dust of the earth, as the Book of Genesis states. A man with feelings and hopes and dreams. Jesus was saying to the disciples, "you want to know who sinned?," don’t ask that question. Neither he, nor his mother, nor his father sinned to cause his blindness. Later, we see the religious leaders still trying to debate the sin and blindness question. So, Jesus used this moment to flip their whole outlook on being blinded. Who are the ones that are really the blind? Spiritually blind. To be a disciple, one must look at others as God sees them. One must have pure motives and not destructive motives when dealing with others. Or as Jesus says in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” They will have the eyes of God. #aplaceforgrace

Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. But the time is coming—and is here!—when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. The Father looks for those who worship him this way. God is spirit, and it is necessary to worship God in spirit and truth.” [John 4:21, 23-24 CEB] Anything that we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. To worship God brings Him pleasure. And worship is not something we do just on Sunday morning. “Worship is not a part of your life; it is your life” was how one author stated it. We were made to worship God. Worship is praising God in whatever we do, wherever we are. In this passage from John, Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at the well about the living water that whoever drinks of it will never thirst. The restlessness in our lives can only be satisfied by seeking God. Jesus tells the woman about true worship; that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth and that they are the kind of worshippers that God seeks. Worship is our deepest need, and it's God's infinite resource. When we worship, we turn our attention away from ourselves to God like nothing else can. And you will be amazed by how your life will change when you focus on God; how the trials and tribulations of everyday life, the frustrations in our lives, the pessimisms that haunt us, the selfish concerns that bog us down are melted away. We see things in a new light when we look at them through the glory of God. Worship is not just something we do on Sunday morning, it's an act of recognizing God’s presence even in the everyday tasks. Everything we do in life can be turned into an act of worship—an opportunity to turn to God and bring Him praise and glory. For you see, God created us with a thirst that is quenched only by focusing on Him. And the reason for worship is not to please ourselves, but to please God. Worship is not about us. It is about God. It is not for our benefit. We worship for God’s benefit. Worship is pulling our affections off of our idols and putting them on God. We all need to sincerely look within ourselves to see if we have the right attitude of worship. It means bringing our hearts and souls into worship and coming into His presence with passion, whether it be in our attentions, our attitudes, our prayers, or our singing. #aplaceforgrace

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” [Psalm 27:4 NIV] Psalm 27 is a beautiful psalm of praise to the Lord, a Lord for which we want to dwell with forever, to gaze upon the beauty of God’s glory all the days of our lives. Verse 5 moves into a declaration of the perfect safety and divine peace we feel with the Lord, “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” But then in verse 6 we read: “Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me:” Wait a minute! I stumbled on these words. David is gloating a little, isn’t he? That’s not very honorable, I thought to myself. Reminds me of those pro football players who do a dance over the quarterback that they just sacked. Aren’t we supposed to love our enemies, not gloat over them? However, I read a devotion on this Psalm that put another light on this. Enemies don’t have to refer to people—to those who seem to always be against us or seeking a fight with us. The “enemy” to the majority of us is not “someone,” but “something.” Something that constantly torments us, whether it be a physical challenge, a strained relationship, extreme worry about the future, guilt over past offenses, or the hopelessness of present circumstances. You probably already know what your “enemy” is these days. It is these enemies that cause the most anguish—for which we desire to be delivered and exalted. It is these enemies that we need to rise above. So now let’s go back to that troublesome verse 6: “Then my head will be exalted above the (fill in the blank with the “enemy” that is tormenting you) that surrounds me. At his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.” Now that speaks to me. This is worth praising God. This is worth singing about. #aplaceforgrace

They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [Matthew 2:11 CEB] The worship team was going over this Sunday’s service during our planning session this week. We came to the hymns that we would be singing and I was initially startled that one was “We Three Kings.” My knee jerk reaction was, “Wait, Christmas is over. Why are we singing a Christmas carol?” Christmas decorations are being taken down and put back in the attic and we are trying to get our lives back to normal. Christmas 2022 is done. But then I came to my senses. We often lament the fact that Christmas has become too commercialized. The baby in the manger is left out of Christmas and has been replaced by Santa. Yet, an even dire situation is when the Christmas season is over and we leave the baby in the manger. Jesus is just a cute little angelic babe we sing about—"no crying he makes." This is a sad situation if we go merrily along with our lives after the holiday season and leave Jesus in the manger. Today, January 6, is Epiphany, the day that principally commemorates, but not solely, the visit of the Magi (the three kings or wise men) to the Christ Child. Contrary to our nativity scenes today, many Biblical scholars believe that this visit came some time after Jesus was born, maybe even up to three years after. Notice in the Scripture above from Matthew it says they “saw the child” not “the baby.” The gift at Christmas is not just a onetime gift that we commemorate each December 25. The real gift of Christmas is Christ present in our lives. God, through His grace and love for you and me, abides in us. He showed His abundant love for us by the special gift of Christmas. He sent His own Son, in the flesh, to earth so that He may be known to us, to be incarnate, to redeem us, to bring the extraordinary to the ordinary—God, here, now, in the thick of it, with us. What a wonderful gift for us to enjoy not just at His birth, but throughout eternity. #aplaceforgrace

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” [Luke 2:10-12 NIV] Christmas is drawing near, and I hope you can sense the excitement. You can feel the spirit of the season as families are drawing together, as we celebrate Christmas events and as we worship together in special services. It is a time of great joy, most significantly because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose birth was foretold thousands of years ago. It's a time to celebrate in the fulfillment of God’s promise to us, His creation, as we experience the hope, love, joy, and peace that embody this time of year. God came to us as a child to show how much He loves us and to offer us salvation for our sins. Yet we realize that hope, love, joy, and peace may not be the predominant feelings we have at this time. We are still faced with the realities on our lives: grief, despair, relationship challenges, financial troubles. I am battling a case of pneumonia that wants to linger. Plus, there is the pure exhaustion of this time of year. We feel that we are not ready for Christmas. Schools just let out for break this week and many are behind in their plans. Let us remember the very first Christmas. It is the story of a teenage girl, pregnant with a child and unmarried. It is the story of a young girl and her husband that when she found herself in labor was homeless. It is the story of a child born in a dirty animal stall. It is the story of a family of refugees who had to flee their homeland, fleeing from King Herod, so that their child would not be killed. Yet in all these, God still comes to be with us. God relentlessly pursues us to comfort us, to redeem us, to save us, to pardon us, to give us hope, to grant us peace. He came to us as one of us to experience all the things we experience, the happy times, but even more importantly the painful times. Even if we feel darkness in our lives at this time, God’s love, and grace for us is not diminished by that darkness. Mary was alone and afraid, but God was with her and exalted her. Joseph was disgraced, but God revealed to Joseph the wondrous purpose for his life. The shepherds were afraid, but God gave them comfort. We may feel alone, but in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us. The world is filled with darkness, but God sent the light of life to shine into the darkness. This is the true Joy of Christmas. “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” #aplaceforgrace

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. [Isaiah 11:6 NIV] This Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Advent and in both of our services we will be lighting the candle of Peace. What image comes to mind when you think of peace? At my previous church appointment, I spent many a day at the Winter Park Memorial Hospital. In fact, I was an on-call chaplain there as well. Sometimes the visits are times of joy, such as when visiting the parents of a newborn. But sometimes the visits are filled with anxiety. You knew what you were facing when you walked into the hospital—someone in their final days as the family has gathered, one who has received a dire diagnosis, and sometimes I didn’t know what I was about to face. Yet what gave me a great sense of peace as I was taking those steps into the hospital was a bronze sculpture at the front entrance. It was a sculpture of a lion lying down with a lamb. It is imagery from Isaiah 11:6, even though the passage doesn’t explicitly say that the lion will lie down with the lamb. The sentiment is there. I knew the artist who created the sculpture and he expressed to me what this sculpture meant to him. It was a healing image for him. His sculpture shows the lamb looking totally at ease, even though the lion is much bigger. The lamb is at rest—at peace. The lion is curled around the lamb as it is protecting the more vulnerable one. Think about what is preying upon you, what is plundering you in your life that causes stress and restlessness. Wouldn’t you like to be free from that? Or even have that thing that is causing so much unrest in your life be right there with you staring at you, but no longer causing strain or stress in your life. That is the peace that Jesus offers to us. It is a reminder to us that in this season of Advent, the time when we celebrate again the coming of the Messiah in the form of Christ child, that there will be peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. A peace that passes all understanding that can only come from God. And a little child will lead the way. #aplaceforgrace #princeofpeace