Making Changes
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy
What Are We Offering?
We live in a time of opportunity. Stanley Haverwas of Elkhart, Indiana sees that the Church is the alternative to war; the Rev. Don Cottrill on physical vs. spiritual recovery believes that there is a need that only a faith community can feed; the Rev. Tyrone Gorden says that God is calling those who can look at what is, and imagine what can be.
How true it is! Woodrow United Methodist Church is built on two pillars: Jesus Christ and John Wesley who have changed the world. Their mantles have been fallen on those who are willing to say, “Here I am Lord!” and willing to be like pumpkins for now a days we find pumpkins everywhere. A parishioner shared with Pastor Iwy about “What is it like to be a Christian?”
When a person asked this question, the coworker replied, ’ It is like being a pumpkin.'
‘God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. God opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff--including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed. Then God carves you a new smiling face and puts God’s light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'
We, Christians, are the hope of the world. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist movement. In the dark time of history of England his life touched every decade of the eighteenth century. He touched the religious life of the world. Methodist, a name given in mockery is now found in sixty-three church traditions in ninety countries around the globe. He said,
“Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing
but sin and desire nothing but God, and I
care not a straw whether they be clergy or
lay, such alone will shake the gates of hell
and set up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.”
We are Methodists means we are summoned to do good to others, not to hurt others and to be in a relationship with our God. If we practice what we believe we can be changed and also we are able to make a difference.
This month we study about Matthew, the Disciple of Jesus Christ. If Matthew had rejected Jesus’ invitation, ‘Follow Me’ as the young ruler did, how much the Church would have lost. Jesus, Matthew and Wesley obeyed God. Have we obeyed God? Have I obeyed God? Christ still needs people. What is our/my response? Like Matthew and Wesley we can liberate undeveloped powers within us and consecrate them to Holy Purposes; we can become epistles of Christ by our daily living.
The Gospel of Matthew and the Church have been changing lives throughout ages. Let us remember that we have opportunities, and the power from God is available to those who are willing to be used by God. Let us remember that we are the hope of the world.
In Christ,
~Lata
Snehlata Patel
The Gospel of Matthew and the Church have been changing lives throughout ages. Let us remember that we have opportunities, and the power from God is available to those who are willing to be used by God. Let us remember that we are the hope of the world.
In Christ,
~Lata
Snehlata Patel
