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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV Christmas and Easter are the highest holy seasons in the life of the church. We anticipate anew the birth of Jesus the Messiah during Advent. We celebrate with sacred reverence the birth of Jesus and prepare our hearts and lives for the passion and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. These are the most amazing reasons to celebrate in all of human history. This Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent. It is the beginning of the Church calendar and the season through which we anticipate the coming of the long expected Jesus. This Sunday we begin the season where we focus on God’s peace, hope, love, and joy. It is the time of year where we spend time considering how God made a way for all of humanity to be saved. We consider the unusual way in which God accomplished salvation. During Advent we take time to consider the fact that it is almost Christmas. Advent is when we decorate the church with the hanging of the greens. We bring out the Chrismon tree, wreathes, lights, and decorations. There may not be a time of year where the church looks any better. Personally, I love the way the church is decorated for Advent and Christmas. I love the way we light the Advent candles each week in preparation. I love the way we work our way toward Christmas Eve with great intention. I love the fact that we come each week with a wonderful combination of awe, wonder, excitement, and faith. We know the whole story of Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Even though we know these events, we celebrate them anew each year. We remember each year with awe and reverence that Jesus was born as the savior of the world. During Advent we celebrate that it is almost Christmas. This Sunday we will start a new Advent message series entitled Almost Christmas . There are many Bible studies, Life groups, and Sunday School classes going through the study by the same title. We will have some books available for purchase and it is available on Amazon. The title of the book is Almost Christmas: A Wesleyan Advent Study and the authors are Magrey deVega, Ingrid McIntyre, April Casperson, and Matt Rawle. There are devotion books and a DVD available as well. If you are interested in starting a study or a Life group we encourage you to do this during this sacred time of year. People who are not a part of the church are more open to coming to church at Christmas time than any other time of the year. What a perfect time to invite people to get involved in an Advent study. Each week we will look at what it means to embrace the duality of it being almost Christmas and altogether Christmas. We will work toward an understanding of what it means to experience an altogether peace, hope, love, and joy in our life. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. This Sunday we will focus on what it means to experience an altogether peace in our faith life. Jesus gives us a different kind of peace than the rest of the world can offer. Peace is not a sense of quiet or lack of noise, chaos, or activity. Peace is something much more. Peace is an inward reality. Peace is an assurance that what we celebrate during Advent, Christmas, and Easter is true. Peace is presence—the presence of Jesus in every aspect of our life and in our very being. Many people will experience an almost peace this Advent and Christmas. May we all strive to experience the altogether peace found in Jesus. This Sunday I hope you will join me at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. May you experience the peace of Christ in all we do. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #almostchristmas #altogetherpeace #aplaceforgrace

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing in love.”  Ephesians 4:16 Over my adult life I have learned a valuable lesson. This lesson is one that can save people from many moments of disappointment, frustration, and disharmony. This lesson is one that can help people be clear in their vision, direction, and quality of life. This lesson is so important that I talk about it with my wife, daughters, couples preparing for marriage, and almost everyone who will listen. What have I learned? I have learned the power of expectations. Expectations are interesting. We all have them. A lot of the time we are not fully aware of our expectations. We enter into a situation with an expectation in the back of our mind. When that expectation is not met we are not happy, we are frustrated, or we are disappointed. When it comes to relationships we often have expectations of the other person. We expect them to treat us well, to encourage us, support us, and love us. When these expectations, or any others, are not met we experience a breakdown in the relationship. Expectations, and how we manage them, are extremely important in our life. The church is not different. Everyone comes to church with expectations. In a church of over 1,000 members, there are thousands of expectations at work. We expect good worship, we expect a good message, good Bible studies, good programs for children, students, and adults. We also expect people will be warm, friendly, and loving. At the deepest level we expect to encounter Jesus in all of this. What expectations do you bring to church? Then there is what the church expects of us. Jesus founded the church on the Great Commission. The expectation is that we will go into all the nations and make disciples. The expectation is that we will baptize those who become disciples and teach them all the things Jesus has taught us. The church expects us to be actively making new disciples and leading them to experience God’s grace through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. How are we doing? What expectations do you have of the church? How do you react when that expectation isn’t met? How are we doing at meeting the expectation of making disciples? These are important questions to ask and even more important to answer. This Sunday we will discuss what it means to be Grateful for Church. This is such an important discussion for us to have today. I can’t wait to see you in church at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 or on livestream at SAUMC.NET . The best is yet to come. #grateful #aplaceforgrace

by Rev. Garrett Rocha I don’t know about you, but there are distinct moments where I realized how much I was grateful for my family. It was a wonderfully brief moment that reminded me of how vital my family is for me. One that brings a smile to my face is an interaction shared with my sister. It was during Christmas, right after I had started college. My sister and I were in the living room reflecting on how the past year was particularly tight with finances. We looked at each other and she said, “This is the best-worst Christmas ever!” Then the both of us laughed for about five minutes straight. We still giggle at the phrase. It was a point of bonding for the both of us because we came to the same conclusion that Christmas is not about the stuff under the tree, but about the relationships deepened as we celebrate the birth of our Lord. Because there was not an overabundance of gifts, we got to focus on the family bonds we shared and the sacredness of Christ’s birth. Families can be a place of comfort and joy. They can also stir up feelings of great anxiety and pain. There are many instances in scripture when the weight of the world pushes a family to desperation. The scripture that comes to mind is of a worried father for the health of his child. The Centurion who seeks Jesus in Mark 9:14-29 seeks healing for his child, but struggles with belief and unbelief. At this point in the story Jesus is in the middle of his ministry and the disciples are trying to live into the life that he has put before them. Chapter 9 of Mark deals with the importance of faith and how that impacts one’s life. We also see the frustration and anger of Jesus, as the lack of faith hinders his ability to heal. There are a few things I wish to point out. First is the fact that the father readily admits that he is a part of the unbelieving generation. Much like the woman who was bleeding for many years, the father seeks Jesus, knowing of Jesus’ power. In a unique moment, the father asks for his faith to be healed, as if wounded by the effects of the procession. With his faith healed, the casting out of demons from the boy is successful. In a true sense of vulnerability and honesty, the father seeks healing for himself as he struggles to care for his child. The situation that the father found himself was unbearable. I can only imagine the powerlessness that he must have harbored in his heart as he sought for solutions and while at the same time keeping his child safe. This reinforces a very important truth about God that could easily be missed. God, the creator of the cosmos, does not force power on humans, but wants their trust to actively work in their lives. That means our salvation by grace through faith is on our willingness to allow God to work in our lives. That means that we can harden our hearts, shutting out God. My example is quite light hearted as compared to the one in scripture, but the issue is the same. The deep bond we share with family members is one that is to be cherished. Our faith in Jesus is the ground, motivator, and sustainer of all of our relationships. If our faith has experienced a severe wound, like the one from scripture, it will have a significant impact on those around us. Likewise, if our faith is strong and focused on the power of Jesus, even when experiencing poverty, joy often flows from our heart like a babbling brook of laughter. The intense love that we have for our family members should mirror the love that God has for us. The world will not always treat us fairly or kindly. Sometimes our physical bodies will fail due to exhaustion or illness. Our minds may become overburdened from the stress of responsibility. Our hearts may be wounded by repeated promises left unfulfilled. In whatever season you find yourself in, I encourage you to press on after Jesus, the model and perfecter of our faith. The answers we may receive may not be the ones we are looking for. Sometimes it is the best worst thing ever. Sometimes it is being in the thick of the storm that life is throwing you at the moment, be it poverty, be it illness, be it loss, be it anger, be it betrayal, be it uncertainty. Whether it is seeking relief or sustaining belief, may your ground and inclination be faith in Christ. Our family can be a wellspring of faith nurturing and strengthening our bonds with one another. That faith encourages us to trust and motivate each other to grow to our fullest potential. Lack of faith, or wounded faith of family members can also have significant negative affects on our personal lives and the lives of those closest to us. I am grateful for family because they encourage me in their own special ways to be the best person I possibly can be. They trust in my skills, talents, and experiences as I navigate new things in my life. Likewise, I trust them for wisdom, guidance, and accountability when I wander from my goals. In what ways are you grateful for family? I encourage you to seek the grounding of Christ in whatever family you find yourself in and find the sources of babbling joy there. Take a bit of wisdom from a Scottish family blessing that I am fond of: May the blessing of light be on you—light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star. And may the blessing of the earth be on you, soft under your feet as you pass along the roads, soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen. Scottish Blessing I hope to see you on Sunday at 8:15, NINE45, or 11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via Livestream. Blessings upon you and I cannot wait to see you! Blessings Pastor Garrett #grateful #family #holyspirit #richer #poorer #sharing #godmoments #aplaceforgrace #placeoftransformation

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:5a NRSV Being like-minded got me in trouble once. When I was about ten years old, my best friend at the time was several years older than me. He was in middle school and I was in fifth grade. Several of his friends had tried smoking cigarettes and he wanted to do the same. In order to do this, he needed to get some cigarettes. At thirteen he could not buy them, so he made plans to go to the local megastore and steal a pack of cigarettes. He asked me to be his accomplice. Foolishly, I agreed. We walked a couple of miles to the store and discussed the plan along the way. I was going to be his lookout and if anyone came near I was to give a signal so he could stop what he was doing. We decided the signal would be a whistle. I practiced the whistle on the way to the store. As we entered the store he went straight to the area where the cigarettes were located. [This was 1975 and cigarettes were still out in the aisles with everything else.] He grabbed a pack of cigarettes and walked to the nearest aisle to kneel down and put the pack in his sock. As soon as he bent down, someone came down the aisle. I sincerely tried to whistle, but I was so nervous no sound came out. The person walking down the aisle was a store manager who saw my friend putting the pack of cigarettes in his sock. The manager asked my friend to the store office and called the police. I promptly took off and ran the whole way home. Being like-minded can get you in trouble. We sometimes hear about getting like-minded folks together to accomplish a goal. This is an example of something good that can come out of being like-minded. When people decided that they can come together and provide clean drinking water in underdeveloped countries—that’s a good example of like-mindedness. When people decide that they can come together and clean up plastic waste from the world’s oceans—that’s a good example of like-mindedness. Being like-minded can be a very good thing or a very bad thing. There have also been like-minded people throughout the history of humanity who have done some absolutely horrible things. The question is what type of like-minded behavior are we living out? We have the opportunity to do exceptional good or horrible bad through like-minded efforts. What will it be? Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi to encourage them to be like-minded. The purpose of their like-mindedness was to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul did not want them to be like-minded with each other’s minds. Paul wanted them to be like-minded in a different way. He wanted them to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. He wrote, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” The importance of this statement is emphasized by what follows. Jesus showed incredible humility, sacrifice, obedience, and endurance. Jesus was able to do this because of his willingness to submit to the will of the Father in all things. In other words, Jesus, the Son, had the same mind as God, the Father. So, Paul calls the church at Philippi to submit to the will of God [The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]. This kind of like-mindedness has changed the course of human history. It still has the power to change the course of our story. How in tune with the mind that is in Jesus are you? We gain this like-minded position through the study of Scripture, the power of prayer, engaging in worship, and following the will of God in all things. Are we willing to put Jesus first in all things? To have the mind of Christ we must submit to the same sacrifice that Jesus made. We can be like-minded with Jesus if we will put others first, sacrifice for others out of love, and seek to see the will of God accomplished in all things. This is the best possible example of good coming from being like-minded. May we all be like-minded in letting the same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus. This Sunday we begin a new message series entitled “Grateful.” We will explore the different ways we should be Grateful in our life and faith. This Sunday we will discuss what it means to be Grateful for Jesus. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #grateful #aplaceforgrace

“The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives.” 2 Peter 3:9 CEB When it comes to promises I think of two things right away. The first is marriage and the vows exchanged at the wedding ceremony. Marriage vows are a promise meant to be kept for a lifetime together. They speak of having and holding, everyday faithfulness, long-term commitment, better and worse, sickness and health, richer or poorer, loving and cherishing. These promises are centered in a covenant relationship between those entering into the covenant with each other and with God. They are beautiful words signifying a beautiful promise to each other for a lifetime. The nature of the promise is people intend to keep their promises. This is hopeful and one of the reasons people are usually filled with hope, joy, and optimism at a wedding ceremony and reception. We are happy for the people getting married because we see the promise of their life together. This is a good promise and a glimpse into what a promise should represent. The second thing I tend to think of is politicians. I am an optimist—I would like to think the best of people. However, when it comes to politicians, I am not hopeful that the promises made will ever be kept. I really want to believe they will. The reality is that most of the campaign promises that are made just never materialize once someone is elected. There are probably a myriad of reasons why this happens that are beyond my knowledge base. It simply serves to remind me that there are some promises made with good intentions that are never realized and never kept. This is the downside of making a promise. I suppose this is the nature of promises made by human beings. In the last chapter of his second letter, Peter writes of a promise that is completely secure. It is a promise made by God to all humanity. The beauty of this promise is that God makes the promise. We know that with God a promise made is a promise kept. It is secure—you can take it to the bank. I love the fact that when God makes a promise we can have complete confidence that the promise will be kept. There need not be any doubt whatsoever. This is truly the best of what a promise is and should represent in all of life. The challenge is living each day in the promises of God. The promise that God will be with us even to the end of the age. The promise that God loves us with an unfailing love. The promise that even greater things that Jesus has done will we do. The promise that Jesus washes our sins away and makes us clean—white as snow. The promise that Jesus will come again in final victory and we will feast at his heavenly banquet. The promise that there is place for us in God’s house. The promise that we are children of God and joint heirs with Jesus. Ultimately, the promise that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; that this reality means we will spend all of eternity in the presence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Don’t let fear, doubt, difficulties, shame, guilt, or any other weapon distract you from the promises of God today. Live in these promises. Live in the freedom, forgiveness, faith, love, grace, and power that the promises of God bring to your life. Help lead others to experience God’s grace through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, so they can live in these promises as well. Be assured these promises are for you and for all who receive the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. This Sunday we complete the message series entitled “Chosen.” We will explore the chosen promise of God. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #chosenpromise #aplaceforgrace

“In these lines I have urged and affirmed that this is the genuine grace of God. Stand firm in it.” 1 Peter 5:12 CEB Last week I traveled to Overland Park, Kansas for a conference concerning The United Methodist Church. When I returned, I was riding the train to the economy parking garage. The train is designed for the passengers to stand while it is moving at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. While riding the train I was reminded of the scripture above. The tracks the train rides on are not super smooth. There are places along the ride where the train lurches one direction or the other. I found myself being tossed around and hanging on to the handrail very tightly. I also had to change my stance. I went from a very relaxed stance where my feet were fairly close together to a wide stance waiting for the next change in direction. As I widened my stance and grew more alert to the direction of the train I was able to stay upright and steady. It made my experience on the train much better. I believe life is like this train ride. We are often tossed around as life changes directions on us without much notice. We are cruising along in one direction and then we are tossed to one side by a health issue. Once we adjust to this issue we are tossed a different direction by an unexpected financial issue. The ride continues and we find ourselves adjusting to a multitude of changes in direction, which throw us off balance. These changes can even disorient us and cause us to lose our sense of direction altogether. There may even be long straightaways where we think things have all leveled out only to find another bump or curve just ahead. It’s a wild ride this life we live with a lot of bumps, uneven tracks, and sharp turns along the way. So, what do we do when life throws us off balance? What do we do to move forward in the way that God wants for our life? This is where our faith is so important. When life throws us a curve, we need to widen our stance. We need to stand firm. This is what the Apostle Peter was writing about in the fifth chapter of his first letter. He told them this about what he wrote, “In these lines I have urged and affirmed that this is the genuine grace of God. Stand firm in it.” The genuine grace of God to which Peter is referring is that we will be tossed around by life’s changes, and even hardships, for a while—but this will be overcome by God restoring, empowering, strengthening, and establishing us. What Peter calls us to do in the midst of life’s turns and bumps is to stand firm in the genuine grace of God. We widen our faith stance and rely on Jesus to sustain us. We rely on the firm foundation of our faith—Jesus Christ. Consider the lyrics to the hymn How Firm a Foundation : Fear not, I am with the: oh be not dismayed For I am thy God and will still give thee aid I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply The flame shall not hurt thee: I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. Standing firm in our faith can also be called faithfulness. When life throws us a curve, we remain faithful. We widen our stance to stand firm in our faith. We rely on the genuine grace of God as found in Jesus. What curves have come your way recently? Where have you gotten off balance? Where do you need to widen your stance? Where is Jesus asking you to remain faithful? Trust that God will restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you in faith. This is our witness to our faith when we stand firm in faithfulness. This Sunday we continue the message series entitled “Chosen.” We will explore the way we are chosen by Jesus and set apart as faithful followers in the world. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #chosenfaithfulness #aplaceforgrace

By Rev. Garrett Rocha We all do some crazy things for love. Think of some of your fondest and silliest memories that are connected to the people you love. Did you try your hand at poetry, cooking, or a new hobby to catch the attention of your partner? What are some of the exciting predicaments that you have found yourself in when supporting your children or close friends? Think about what you would do without question to help those you love. What are you capable of? The question of the bounds of love is interesting to think on. I love how countless people answer in their own unique ways. There are so many quips of poetry and art that exist because people want to communicate how much they love one another. Some of the best ones can be found on coffee mugs. Americans have quite the fascination with the drinkware, and you can find almost any saying on them. I have seen the “I love you to the moon and back” and its Appalachian cousin, “I love you to the moonshine and back.” When logical arguments, scientific inquiry, or math has reached its limits to explain human behavior, art in all of its forms seeks the depths of boundless love. Shakespeare is a master of explaining the complexities of love as a force in our times. My two favorite plays are Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing . Both communicate very different forms of love. The former shows the ends of sickly love, no matter how well-intentioned. The latter is a comedy of romance and cheerful play between couples. Let us focus on Hamlet for a bit for this article. First I encourage you to see it or read it. Watching it performed makes understanding the language more accessible. As you will gather, each of the characters acts out of a deep sense of love. Our faithful protagonist, Prince Hamlet, struggles after the profound loss of his father. It is hard to say if his loss has driven him to madness or he is calculated in his actions to avenge his father. His mother, Queen Gertrude, stricken by grief over the loss of her husband and out of loving concern for her son and country marries her brother-in-law. Hamlet’s uncle, King Claudius, had a deep love for the power that comes with the crown. His actions are deeply colored by this love throughout the play. Lastly, Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, struggles with romantic love not returned by the troubled prince. There are more characters who display the lengths in which one would go driven by their love for something. Hamlet is a tragedy, with the characters meeting an unfortunate end in one way or another. Much Ado About Nothing , on the other hand, is a light-hearted romantic comedy ending with weddings and the much sought "happily ever after" ending. Love and its motivations behind such love have serious consequences. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, or for richer or poorer we are creatures of love. Our God, who is love, went much further than the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. Through the incarnation and revelation of Jesus did humans first begin to see how God’s love seeks to be in our lives. In his relationships with the disciples, his other followers, and the larger world around, we see the divine choosing to do the work of reconciliation and transformation. Our message this week will explore the type of love that we are to have for one another as Christians. I hope you are challenged by Jesus’ ministry in a real and practical way. Who are the Samaritans in your life? Think of those who are viewed as dangerous, outsiders, or unworthy. Who are the children in your life? Not your actual children today, but people who are considered as a nuisance or inconsequential in the world. Who are the blind, sick, and disabled? Think of those who are talked about often but receive little care or compassion. As chosen people, we are to have the character of Christ’s love that governs our lives. Think about and discern how you can better do the work of loving compassionately. How might that help you reach people where they are? Will that relationship renew yourself and others in the life of Jesus Christ? Will you actually do that work after being released by the church? Be encouraged and prayerfully answer those questions. Be inspired to act on the stirring of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged to be the church where you are so that the world will be transformed. I hope to see you on Sunday at 8:15, NINE45, or 11:15 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via Livestream. Blessings upon you and I cannot wait to see you! #chosen #love #shakespeare #sharing #godmoments #aplaceforgrace #placeoftransformation

“9 Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 CEB Picture a sunny afternoon with the shadows growing longer. The air is crisp and there is not a cloud in the sky. The water on the lake is growing smooth as the afternoon breeze begins to give way to the stillness of evening. On the lakeshore are stones that have been smoothed by the water lapping over them. One by one they are selected carefully for their smoothness, shape, size, and weight. When all the stones have been selected the contest begins. One by one the competitors line up and throw their stones across the water. One … two … three … four skips across the water. Who would be the one who could skip the smooth stone across the water the highest number of times? As a young boy I would spend hours skipping stones across the water of Lake Mecosta in Michigan. Our family owned a cottage on Lake Mecosta. It was challenging and fun to me to see how many times a smooth stone, thrown just right, would skip across the still water. Each time the stone touched the water it would splash slightly and then the water would ripple out from the center creating circle after circle along the way. These circles reminded me of lily pads along the water. The ripple effect of a stone touching the water has been used to show that every action has an effect. A stone touching the water disturbs the surface of the water and creates ripples. Those ripples create more ripples. The effect goes on until the energy runs out. Isn’t this true in life as well? It seems that everything we do has an effect, which creates ripples of activity. This was the main idea behind the Volkswagen commercial where one nice gesture or act inspired another and another and another. At the end of the ad there were a handful of kind gestures that had all begun with one person doing something kind. It may be known as the ripple effect. So, what is the ripple effect of your life? How have the actions of your life created ripples? Are those ripples positive? As I consider what the Apostle Peter has written in chapter three of his first letter, I think of the ripple effect. Peter wrote, “Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing.” An evil action will cause ripples of evil. Unless there is an effort to change the course. Peter says we have the power in Jesus Christ to alter the course of the ripples heading in our direction. If there are negative, evil ripples we can throw a stone on the water and create ripples of blessing. In essence this was the life of Jesus. Jesus was the stone that created ripples of blessing in the world. Jesus is the cornerstone that God the Father tossed into the water of creation to create the ripples of blessing that would forever change the course of human history (and eternity). Peter says that we are to seek to have this kind of positive, Christ-like influence on the world in which we live. We are not Jesus—I know that is no surprise to you—but we are to strive to be like Jesus. When we choose to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life we are called to be like him. To love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others. In other words, to make ripples. How will your life make ripples today? How will you seek to be more like Jesus today? Look for places where you can throw a smooth stone in the water today. If we each decide to make positive, Christ-like ripples in our life today we may never know how far reaching those ripples may be. Throw your stones in the water and see how many ripples you can make for Christ. You may never know how many blessings you may release into the world today—just through your ripples. This Sunday we continue the message series entitled “Chosen.” We will explore the way we are chosen by Jesus and implications of being set apart as strangers in the world. We continue to explore living as chosen people as we continue in the New Testament books of 1 and 2 Peter. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #chosen #chosenimplications #aplaceforgrace

by Rev. Garrett Rocha This week we remember the events of 9/11 and the lives lost in the course of that struggle since then. I was in eighth grade when the towers were attacked, and I can remember seeing the massive plumes of smoke that billowed into the sky that afternoon. Where I lived in New Jersey in certain parts of the town, and on some of the walking trails you could see the Twin Towers if you squinted just right on a clear day. The sky was crystal clear that day. It was unmistakable where the towers were. Thinking back, my aunt took me into the city not too long before to visit some of the museums and we were blocks away from them. It is surreal that I have good friends who witnessed the events at a much closer distance. Likewise, there are church members who remember fleeing the World Trade Center after the towers were hit. This post is not about calling righteous anger down upon our enemies, nor is it a post for me to process my experience. Instead, I ask you to consider what all comes to mind when you ask for peace, especially world peace? What comes to mind when you think on the end of war and violence. Scripture provides for us many examples of a world torn asunder. All throughout the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament describe apocalyptic events complete with fire, destruction, weeping, and suffering. It is a common theme across religious literature that human brokenness leads to the larger destruction of the earth. Wesley, as well as many others, warns his followers about the deceitfulness of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). In the Beatitudes Jesus blesses the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Not those who keep peace, not those who are peaceful, not those who avoid conflict. But He states those who make peace are blessed. He does not describe the process that peace is established, leaving it open to the fact that peacemaking is not necessarily peaceful. One must work to reconcile wrongs, be merciful to one another, strive for justice beyond our personal experience of the world, and accept the fact that in all of this work we may fall short ourselves. There is a stirring visual example of this in the 46th Psalm. Many people will recall the “Be still and know that I am God” portion of the poem, but leading up to that line the world is in chaos. The people of God are surrounded by the nations of the world and they are at war with each other. Keep in mind, the chosen people of God are also in a tussle with everyone else. Then like the divine parent descending the stairs to figure out what the ruckus is about, the earth shakes and the seas swell. Everything around the people of the earth, chosen people included, falls into rubble. God breaks the spears and quenches the fiery arrows and delivers that memorable line. God takes away all the things that lead to strife. All that is left is the city of God, God’s people, and the rest of the nations before God’s presence. If we are chosen to bring about God’s Kingdom of peace in the world today, what must we sacrifice to move beyond strife? What are you willing to consider as unnecessary to bring God glory as God desires it, not as we fashion. Receive this prayer from Fr. James Martin: In times of pain, give us comfort. In times of despair, give us hope. In times of hatred, provide us with love. In times of doubt, provide us with trust. And even when we feel far from you, be close to us, Loving God. Amen #chosen #aplaceforgrace

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s chosen strangers in the world … ” 1 Peter 1:1a CEB There had been many prayers offered on behalf of those heading off to a communist country. It was an 11-day learning trip for 11 seminarians. Several books had already been read and discussed. Books about the culture, religious beliefs, occult practices, and government of the country. The leader of the trip had lived in the country before it became a communist country; he was filled with stories from his time there. With every book that was read, discussion held, and story told there was a sense of great anticipation for the trip. The day had finally come for the trip to begin. On the flight down there was a reverent silence in anticipation of what God would do with this group of future pastors. Then the plane landed in Havana, Cuba and everyone deplaned and headed to the terminal. Once in the terminal the group went through the Cuban equivalent of Customs and Border Control. It was very different from the United States process. It was way more serious and it seemed like much more was on the line. Once cleared we all headed to get our bags and meet our transportation. I had been a little delayed in getting my bag. When I looked up, my group was nowhere to be seen. I walked outside of the terminal to the transportation area and looked for my group, but they were not there. I stood still, in a little bit of shock, for what seemed like 10-15 minutes. There was a sea of Cuban people waiting for their family members to arrive. A sea of Cuban men and women and children and one lone gringo. The feeling was rather immediate that I was a stranger in a foreign land. Have you ever had that feeling? It was extremely uncomfortable to be standing there alone in a communist country and not know a soul. It turns out I was only standing there a couple of minutes before one of my group came around the corner and asked what I was doing. Of course, I walked very fast toward them and was reunited with my group. For a moment, though, I truly felt like a stranger in a foreign land—and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. The rest of the trip was amazing and the people of Cuba were incredibly kind, generous, and loving. We were greeted in every place we went with radical hospitality and treated like celebrities. Yet, we were still strangers in a foreign land. This was again evident when we were walking through Havana toward the end of our trip. We were approaching the United States Embassy in Havana and the closer we got the more Cuban military personnel we began to see. We were being watched. When I went to the Hotel National to call Debbie it was obvious I was a stranger in a foreign land as an attendant took the number and sent me to a completely enclosed glass phone booth. As we talked for a prescribed number of minutes I was told that someone would be listening to our conversation and it could be cut off if they felt I was sharing too much. It all led me to feel like a stranger in this beautiful country full of wonderful people. The Apostle Peter seems to want the followers of Jesus in his day to understand that this is the reality of their existence. They are strangers in the world in which they live. They have been scattered in different directions and live in very different places. They have two things in common: 1) they are chosen, and 2) they are strangers in the world. It is precisely because of their first commonality that they find themselves having the second piece in common. Those who follow Jesus are chosen by Jesus to carry out the will of God in the world. Immediately, this puts them at odds with the world in terms of purpose and worldview. To be chosen by Jesus was to literally be set apart from the culture and world in which they lived. There would be those who would seek to persecute them, throw them in prison, and even kill them because they were chosen. They were truly strangers in the world because they followed Jesus and were chosen to live for him. I believe this is still true today. Those who choose to follow Jesus are chosen to live for Jesus in this world. That means we are strangers in the world in which we live—in Valrico, Riverview, FishHawk, Brandon, Dover, Seffner, Tampa, and wherever we go. We are chosen and set apart to see as Jesus sees, love like Jesus loves, and follow Jesus in everything we do. The question is, “Do you feel chosen?” or “Do you feel like a stranger in the world?” If you answer yes to either question it is because you are chosen by Christ. When we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ we are chosen. Chosen to do God’s will with our life. Chosen to represent Jesus in everything we do everywhere we go. We are chosen to be used by God. So will you allow yourself to be used by God today? Will you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading today? Will you talk to someone who needs someone to listen? Will you offer love to someone who is hurting? Will you be a chosen stranger in the world today? It is as simple as a conversation, a listening ear, a hug, a smile, a helping hand. Go and be that stranger because you are chosen by Jesus. This Sunday we begin a new message series entitled “Chosen.” We will explore the way we are chosen by Jesus and set apart as strangers in the world. We will explore what it means to live as chosen people as we work our way through the New Testament books of 1 and 2 Peter. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #chosen #chosenpeople #aplaceforgrace

“Jesus looked up and saw the large crowd coming toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy food to feed these people?” 6 Jesus said this to test him, for he already knew what he was going to do.” John 6:5-6 CEB The congregation had enjoyed singing a couple of hymns. The morning prayers had been offered. One of the members of the church had read the morning Scripture. It was now time for the message, or sermon, to be delivered. The pastor stood up in front of the communion table and began the message. When he was about five minutes into the message he said he wanted the congregation to participate. He then asked everyone to turn in their Bibles, or pew Bible, to the book of Hezekiah. Everyone did as they were asked and started opening their Bibles and frantically trying to remember where the book of Hezekiah was in the Bible. After a minute or so the pastor asked, “Are you having trouble finding it?” No one responded. The pastor then said, “That’s because there is no book of Hezekiah in the Bible! Some awkward laughter ensued and the pastor went on to make his point. It was a test to see how many people knew the Bible well. A lot of people failed that day—even the people who knew there was no book of Hezekiah and didn’t speak up. It was not a great test, but it proved the pastor’s point. There are a lot of things in life that test us. When we are in school we are given exams to test our knowledge of the material being studied. If we want to drive a car we are tested to see that we have learned the rules of the road and how to safely operate a vehicle. Tests are helpful when designed for someone to demonstrate their knowledge, skill, or competency in a given area. There is, however, one problem with tests—people don’t usually like them. Tests can bring on anxiety, fear, stress, and many more not so pleasant effects on a person. People don’t like tests usually because they are concerned that they will not do well on them. Of course, if you are confident in your knowledge, ability, or talent you will most likely not be too worried about a test. What if we viewed every test as a moment to display our knowledge, ability, or talent? I remember when our girls were in early elementary school the teachers would always refer to tests as the students moment to shine. A moment to show off what they had learned. What if we viewed tests the same way? Life is going to throw us tests. We are going to be faced with situations that allow us to shine. I believe that is the story of this week’s Scripture passage. Jesus turned to his disciples and tested them. He offered them a moment to show off all that they had learned from him. Jesus gave them an opportunity to shine. Jesus had compassion on a growing crowd that had gathered to hear him preach. He knew they were getting hungry and tired. Because of this he asked his disciples about how they could get the people some food. The Scripture says that, “Jesus said this to test him. For he already knew what he was going to do.” Jesus already knew that he was going to feed them. He asked Philip about buying food in order to offer him an opportunity to shine as one of his disciples. To show off all he had learned from Jesus. Reading on you might say that Philip started the test pretty rough. Jesus was patient with him. Finally, Philip said that there was a boy with some food, but it probably wasn’t enough. Jesus took Philip's response to the test and made it into a miracle. Feeding everyone and having enough left over for the disciples. How are you doing with life’s tests? Is it possible that some of those tests you are going through are Jesus giving you the opportunity to shine? Could Jesus be allowing you room to show the world all you have learned from Jesus? It just might be that Jesus will take your response to the test and add in a little miracle. The tests Jesus puts in our life are opportunities to show how much Jesus can do when we turn things over to him. Whatever test you are facing—shine! Put your faith in Jesus and help others see what can be done through faith. This Sunday we conclude the message series entitled “Being Missional.” We will explore the way Jesus empowers his believers to be released to change the world. We will explore what it means to live out our faith through service to new people in new places. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #beingmissional #releasealltochangetheworld #aplaceforgrace

by Rev. Garrett Rocha When I sat down to write this post my mind was full of joyous images and ideas about renewal. But as I started to put words to paper (hand write all my drafts) I kept getting interrupted by the Holy Spirit. God kept giving me feelings of heavy sorrow. My mind with dark over cast skies. The only words that would come to mind were renew, heal, and unify. Following the prompts of the Spirit, let us go beyond thoughts and prayers in the world full of fear and a country crippled by gun violence. The world is a big place full of wondrous things. The world is also full of things that are terrifying. The reality is that we have a problem in the United States with gun violence. It is not earth-shattering news, but we have lost over 270 people, and over 1,000 others have been injured due to mass shootings this year alone. It is hard to find hope in a country that is so steeped in violence. Think on this reflection Dietrich Bonhoeffer had at the close of WWII: We have been silent witnesses of evil deeds; we have been drenched by many storms; we have learnt the arts of equivocation and pretense; experience has made us suspicious of others and kept us from being truthful and open; intolerable conflicts have worn us down and even made us cynical. Are we still of any use? What we all need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain honest straightforward men [and women]. Will our inward power of resistance be strong enough, and our honesty with ourselves remorseless enough, for us to find our way back to simplicity and straightforwardness [in Christ]? This still rings true for many today. As a pastor, I am humbled to be present in the vulnerable and raw times in people’s lives. Unexpected deaths shock families to the core. But the loss of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren can wound entire communities in so many ways. There are no easy answers to gun violence. There must be a cultural shift, mass education, community renewal, family support, and resources for those who struggle with the traumas in life and mental illness. The Spirit led me to Psalm 85 as I sought wisdom for this subject. Verses 8-13 ground me because praise and lament are both present. There is thanksgiving and the reality of ongoing challenge, failure, and loss experienced by the people of God. Walk through the psalm and listen to the singer affirm God’s shalom. There is no direct English term that fully describes shalom. The best we can get is to understand it as wholeness, completeness, fullness, balance, and peace in absence of hostility or brokenness. Today that peace is needed in our bustling malls, long hallways of our schools, in our parks filled with excited laughter, in our dark and cozy movie theaters, and beyond. God will usher in complete shalom in our lives and in our communities. In God’s work we find salvation. Salvation is a dynamic process which the character of God is in all its fullness at work. We are called to be in the work of this salvation and renewal. Have hope and trust in Christ who is the fullness of God’s salvation on earth (Colossians 1:19). Remember Christ’s commandments to love our neighbors, make disciples, spread the gospel, and work alongside God to bring about the peace and harmony on earth as it is in heaven. That makes a good prayer, but where is it in the world today? Part of my process in seeking wisdom is listening to music. The artist that I found to guide me writing this post is Kota the Friend. Although he is a secular artist there is much wisdom in his lyrics. They capture what the psalmist is saying in an incredible way. Kota is an independent rapper based out of Brooklyn whose lyrics are full of stirrings images, stories, and samples of his life. He raps about his career, his family, and struggles with mental illness present in many communities in the United States. My favorite aspect about Kota’s music is that it is wonderfully infused with spirituality. In a 2017 interview with Vibe he said that “I was privy to spiritual things because of my mom. As I got older I became more in tune with my own spirituality, which is often the subject matter of my music.” Read the quote from Bonhoeffer again from the beginning of the post. He surmised that the world does not need a new set of saviors with extraordinary gifts. The world already has a savior in Jesus Christ. He said that the world needs people to actually live out their faith in the face of oppression and violence. Today we are to act courageously to create political change, that we need to actively mentor our younger generations, actively mentor our older generations, restore and empower our impoverished communities, and build a society where people thrive in all areas. Kota’s music and the Psalm remind us that we live in a world that is complex and full of life. There are small joys to be found amid tragedy, brokenness, and poverty of body and spirit. We must still continue to pray but do so actively to bring about peace, unity, and renewal. I offer you a few things to use in your prayer time. First is a prayer from the Iona Abbey, a Celtic Christian community in Scotland. Say it together in a call and response with your prayer group or silently a few times on your own. Prayer for Justice and Peace Leader: Creator God, wellspring of our lives, All: REFRESH US WITH YOUR MERCY, WHO KNOWS OUR OWN INJUSTICE. Leader: As the stream flows steadily on, defying all odds of stone and water, All: FLOW OVER EVERY BOUNDARY AND BORDER THAT SEPARATES US FROM EACH OTHER. Leader: As the waters of our baptism washed us and welcomed us, All: RENEW US NOW IN THE NEWNESS OF LIFE AND UNITY OF LOVE. AMEN Secondly, I leave you with an opportunity to broaden your musical library. Be warned, there is explicit language in the songs. So if you have children/youth or if that language is a stumbling block I advise you not to listen. If language is not a problem search for Kota the Friend’s album FOTO on Spotify or any other music platform. You will hear several ballads of celebration, samples of family witness, and the spirit of resilience that you might not have heard in any traditional sense. May it be a reminder to continue to pray for the victims, their families, and other survivors of the recent attacks in Ohio and Texas. I am hopeful in the work of God’s shalom in our communities. I am excited to see you on Sunday morning at 8:15, NINE45, and 11:15 a.m. services or throughout the week. Blessings, Pastor Garrett #beingmissional #renewingallthroughjesus #aplaceforgrace