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Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (June 25) – Athens First UMC

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[Our Tuesday morning prayer ministry team blessed several blankets this morning that were made during last month’s Athens First Saturday community outreach. These blankets will be given to the “Pathways to a Healthy Pregnancy,” a program to help opiate addicted women here in our local area. Our next Athens First Saturday will be this Saturday at 9 am beginning in the church Fellowship Hall. The pastoral prayer from this past Sunday reminds us that God calls us to pray and reach out to those in need.]



O God, thank you for hearing our prayers. You know our prayers before we even put them into words. Maybe our prayers are more about helping us to know what you already know about us.

Before we even had the chance to speak a prayer to you this morning, you already knew that we were thinking about a friend or a family member who is in special need of your care this day.

Before we spoke a prayer to you this morning, you already knew about all of the many thoughts that were swirling in our head, like the latest news stories, an upcoming doctor’s appointment, or even if we should make the effort to go to church today.

Thank you for giving us the gift of prayer to help us center our thoughts, to clear our minds, and to be reminded that you care about our every thought and need.

And so, hear our prayers to you in these moments. Hear our prayers of adoration as we worship you in this beautiful church this morning. Hear our prayers of confession as we reflect on where we have not been your faithful people. Hear our prayers of thanksgiving for how you have blessed us in so many ways. And Lord, hear our prayers of supplication as we pray on behalf of others. We especially pray for United Methodist clergy across our West Ohio Conference like Rev. Dan Fuchs, the new pastor at The Plains UMC and his wife, Rev. Lauren Fuchs, the new associate pastor at Central Avenue UMC, as they begin their new church appointments today. Bless these pastors and churches as they worship and serve you together. And in the quiet of our hearts, we offer prayers of supplication for others who are in special need of you this day.

God of compassion, as we think of prayer and how you answer our prayers, we lift up to you our Tuesday morning prayer ministry team as they meet in our Welcome Center every week to lift up the prayer requests from our Sunday services and our outdoor prayer cross. Help our church to be a house of prayer, a church of prayer, a church of breakthrough prayer.

O God, just as you heard Hagar’s prayer on behalf of her son, Ishmael from our scripture reading this morning, hear the prayers of your people in these moments. Thank you that you are never more than a bowshot away from not only in hearing our prayers, but also in answering our prayers…especially this prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and now teaches us to pray together saying…

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (June 25) by Rev. Robert McDowell "And God Heard"

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    The story is told of a terrible two car accident which involved two men who were driving in one of the cars.  The one man died in the accident and the other man who was the passenger survived but ended up losing a leg.

     The two different families representing these two men who had been in the same car together, sued the other driver who had caused the accident.

    Both families went to court.  The family of the man who died because of the accident didn’t win their case.  But the family of the man who lost his leg from the same accident ended up winning over 3 million dollars.

    Now why did the family of the man who died not get a dime?  And yet the family of the man who lost a leg was able to win all of that money?  They had both been in the same car, the same accident, and yet two very different court decisions.

    It’s pretty simple.  Every day that the court met to discuss this case, the family would wheel in the man who had lost his leg in the accident.  And so every day, the jurors would be face to face with this man who had lost his leg.

    This had a huge psychological impact on the people in the courtroom.

     Was it fair?  We would probably say, ‘no.’  But isn’t it true that when we actually see suffering face to face, we are more likely to do something about it?

    I was thinking of this story as I read our scripture reading from the Book of Genesis.  I believe that this story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael teach us what it means to respond to the suffering in our world.

    Here we have Abraham, a man who responded to God’s call to be the father of a great nation back in Genesis chapter 12. 

     And just to show that anything is possible, God makes a way for Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who is past child bearing years to have a baby and they end up calling this baby “Isaac” which means “He laughs.”

     This was a fun little play on words to show what an incredible miracle Isaac’s birth was.  Everybody was laughing but God had the last laugh the day that Isaac was born.  Isaac was the miracle baby, if you will.  We are reminded in this story that with God, all things are possible.

     But before Isaac was born, Sarah, not thinking that this whole pregnancy thing was going to work out, gets the idea to have Abraham marry Hagar, who was her maid.  And Sarah encourages Abraham to have a child through the two of them.  And Hagar conceives.

     Let’s get real here. We all know that this isn’t going to end up being the happy Brady Bunch family.   This is going to be a recipe for disaster.

     When the news is out that Hagar passed the pregnancy test, she proceeds to flaunt her good news in front of Sarah who you remember is childless and Sarah doesn’t take too kindly to this as you might imagine.

     So she goes to Abraham and complains to him about it.  Then she says a few choice words to Hagar.  Notice that the Bible doesn’t get specific with what she said.   And for good reason.  Let your imagination fill in what was said during those exchanges between Sarah and Hagar.

     They must have been pretty dicey words because before you know it, Hagar is out of there.  She’s in the wilderness.  And the Lord reassures Hagar as she’s out there in the middle of nowhere and tells her that everything is going to be OK.  Don’t worry because when your son is born, he will begin a great nation himself.

     Thirteen years later, the Lord visits Abraham out of the blue and tells him, “Well it’s time.  It’s now Sarah’s turn to give birth – just like I promised would happen five chapter ago.”  Abraham has a good laugh over that one, but God wasn’t laughing.  God was serious. 

     And God says, “Since you think this is so funny and impossible, I already picked out a name for this child  – I want you to name this child ‘He laughs.’  I know that you wanted to name him ‘Abraham Jr.’ but this way, whenever you say the name, ‘Isaac,’ which means ‘He laughs’ you will remember that with me, nothing is impossible.’”

     So Sarah ends up giving birth and names her baby, “He Laughs” or “Isaac” and Sarah has this great line soon after Isaac was born.  She says, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

     Well, there was one person who quit laughing once Isaac was weaned – and that person was Hagar.  Remember her?  The mother of Ishmael who Sarah banished to the wilderness for a period of time several years before? 

     Remember, this dysfunctional family is living under one roof, and one day Sarah had it up to here when she noticed Ishmael playing with his younger step-brother Isaac.  On most days, Sarah could bite her tongue, clench her fists, and count slowly to ten.  But not on this day.

     On this day, when she got to the count of seven, she blew up and she looks for Abraham and finds him.  Abraham is in a no win situation.  Two children, two different wives, all living under the same roof.

     Sarah says, “This is the last time I’m going to tell you – Get her out of here.  Far away!  Like to a different zip-code.  Or better yet, to a different time-zone.  Just get her out of here, like right now!”

     Abraham’s heart just sinks right there on the spot.  He loves them both.  He loves the boys.  What to do.

     The Lord tells Abraham, “I feel your pain, but you’re going to have to let go.  You’re going to need to send Hagar and the boy away because this just isn’t working.  But, trust me, because I will take care of them both.”

     So Abraham provides them with some provisions and sends them into the wilderness – not a good place to be sent.  The wilderness. That sounds like it’s a place with lots of wildlife and vegetation, but in Israel, the wilderness refers to rocks, desert, and hot sun.

     The wilderness is code for a place of suffering and lostness.  You don’t want to be in the wilderness.  But this is where Hagar and Ishmael are sent. 

     And now I want to really slow the story down and I want you to place yourself there with Hagar out there in the wilderness and just watch what happens.   Even if you want to turn away and tune me out – hang in there and hear our scripture reading this morning.

     Picture Hagar emptying the last drops of water into young Ishmael’s mouth.  It’s been several days now.  It’s hot.  The sun is beating down.  There’s no place to turn.  There’s nobody to call on who can refill that water skin.  That’s it.  She’s at the end of her rope. 

     Watch this mother do really the only thing that she can do.  Just watch her carry the limp body of Ishmael over to some bushes where there is a little shade because she knows that he isn’t going to live too much longer, not in that beastly heat and without anymore provisions.  At least he’ll die in the shade.

     What would you do if you were the mother?  Would you stay by your son waiting for the inevitable to happen? Or would that be just too much to bear? 

     We are told that she goes a good way off, about a bowshot away, and there she weeps.

     She weeps.  And she talks to God.

     Wow!  Can the Bible be any more gripping, heart wrenching, and real?  By the way, I’m always amazed at people who like to boil the Bible down to four easy points or turn it into a set of abstract principles especially when you read stories like this. 

     The Bible is not meant to be reduced to a set of formulas that somehow convey spiritual truths.  No.  The Bible invites you and me to live at the heart of what it means to be truly human.  We are left with a mother watching her child die.

     Is there anyone else watching this child die?  Do we dare watch?  Or is this too real?

     But if you remember, Hagar did something critically important on behalf of her son.  She prayed for him.

     And this is what we read beginning at verse 17 – “God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”

     Take note of that all important phrase in the middle of that verse – “And God heard.”

     This is an important story to remind us that God really does hear our prayers even though we might wonder if there is anyone listening on the other end of those prayers.

     Earlier this year, I prayed for someone who was going through a difficult time in his life. I was really worried about him because he was shutting his family out and they were concerned that he wasn’t making good decisions for his life.

     There were so many things that I could have asked God to do for him during my prayer time that morning, but when it came right down to it, the main thing I wanted to know was that he was OK. So one morning during my prayer time, I asked God to just give me a sign that this person was OK. I could have prayed for a number of things, but really, that was the most important thing I needed to know, just to know that he was OK.

     By the way, prayer has a way of helping us to sort through all of our confusing feelings so that we can focus on what is most important on our heart in any given moment. In that moment, all I really cared about was that this person was OK.

     So I go through my day and went to sleep that night. At around 10:30, about a half hour after I went to sleep, I got a call on my cell phone. It was someone who knew this person who I was praying about earlier that morning.

     This is someone who also was concerned about this person. He told me that he happened to be in the same town visiting family where this person lived that evening, and he decided to go see him. He told me all of this, and then said, “I just thought you would like to know that he’s doing OK.”

     Alright, this person who called me knew nothing about my prayer for this person earlier that day. How incredible that on the same day as my prayer, this person who called me that night would have been in the same town as the person I was concerned about, and then, felt led to see how he was doing, and then to go the extra step and give me a call to say that he had seen him, and that he was OK.

     After I hung up the phone, I said, “Thank you God, for answering my prayer.”

     Friends, I have no doubt that God hears our prayers. Now, we might not always get an answer like I did before the end of the day, but God does answer our prayers.

     Here’s another example of God answering prayer. This past February, our church held a special dedication worship service for our new building improvements. The theme of that Sunday was for our church to be a haven of blessing and peace.

     During that worship service, we offered this prayer of dedication. Here is that prayer, word for word from that special Sunday:
“O God, we pray that people who walk by our church building on any given day will see our church as a haven of blessing and peace. We pray that the light of Christ will shine through these windows and be a blessing to all. O God, we dedicate this new entrance to your glory. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.”
     The very next day, following that special dedication worship service, a college student was walking by our church and felt led to come into our building. She just wanted to talk to someone about some questions she had about her faith.

     Rick happened to be here at the time and provided a listening ear, and at the end of their conversation, he offered a prayer for this college student.

     Just one day earlier, we as a congregation had prayed for our church to be a haven of blessing and peace for people who walk by our front entrance, and in that short amount of time, God used our church to be a blessing to that person.

     God hears our prayers. And God answers our prayers.

     Throughout these summer Sundays, we will continue to focus on stories from the Book of Genesis like this one today about Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham. These are stories about a dysfunctional step-family, a blind date, a brother who cheats his brother out of a birthright, and a brother sold into slavery. These are crazy, crazy stories, and yet, the dysfunctional people of these stories are considered the matriarchs and patriarchs of our faith.

     I think these strange and all too familiar stories are included in the bible just to show us that God is bound and determined to hear and answer our prayers even in spite of ourselves. God is determined to use ordinary and flawed people like you and me to live out God’s purpose and to be a blessing to the people around us.

    If anything, these stories show us that if you’re worried if you are holy enough to pray, don’t be. God is accustomed to hearing the prayers of dysfunctional, broken, flawed, shortsighted folks like you and me. That’s nothing new for God. We have these stories from the Book of Genesis to prove it.

     I think you’re going to enjoy these stories in church this summer. They are quite entertaining. But more importantly, these old stories are important to hear because we can see ourselves somewhere in these stories. In varying ways, we can identify with these characters, because we’re all human.

    For today, know that when you feel like you’re at the end of your rope and you have nowhere else to turn, you do have this going for you. You can pray and see how God will guide you through any situation, problem, or adversity you may be facing.

     Just remember, we are always just a bowshot away from God hearing our prayers.

     Amen.


And God Heard
Small Group Questions

Genesis 21:8-21
June 25, 2017

This summer, the sermons are focusing on stories from the Book of Genesis. We begin with this story from Genesis 21:8-21. It’s a story about the tension between Abraham’s wives, Sarah and Hagar. The story concludes with Hagar and her son, Ishmael being banished to the wilderness, where Ishmael almost dies of thirst. God heard the prayers of Hagar and Ishmael survived.

Share a time when you felt that God heard and answered your prayer.

The story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael is a story of many miracles including Sarah becoming pregnant at a very old age and young Ishmael surviving the brutal heat of the wilderness. Stories like this remind us that God is present in our everyday lives more than we may think. We’ve been calling these, “thin place moments” where there is a razor thin space between heaven and earth.

Share a “thin place moment” when you experienced God’s presence in a very real way.

Like many of the stories in the Book of Genesis, we read about flawed, dysfunctional, and sinful people who ended up becoming the matriarchs and patriarchs of our faith. These stories remind us that God can use anyone to accomplish his purposes.


Share a time when God called you to respond in faith even though you felt inadequate for the task.

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (June 4/Pentecost) – Athens First UMC

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[We celebrated Pentecost Sunday, a day when God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the church, and a day that concludes the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season. Even though the Easter Season on our church calendar has ended, the good news of our faith is that we are an Easter people everyday of the year and every Sunday is like a “little Easter.” The red paraments on the altar, pulpit, and lectern on this Sunday remind us of the fire of God’s Spirit that empowers the church share the good news of the Risen Christ in all that we say and do. Happy Pentecost!]


God of Easter and the empty tomb, thank you for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit upon your church and upon each and every one of us.

Thank you for the fire of your Spirit that opens our eyes to the fires of injustice that are all around us.

We also thank you for the fire of your Spirit that always reminds us of the good news of our faith because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. May the fire of your spirit continue to fill our hearts with joy.

And we thank you for the fire of your Spirit that prompts us to make a difference in our community and world, like the students from St. Joseph’s University who traveled from Philadelphia to stay at our church this past week to work with Habitat for Humanity. Thank you for blessing our community through them.

We pray that the fire of your Holy Spirit will be ablaze during our West Ohio Annual Conference this week. Bless Bishop Gregory Palmer as he presides at these meetings and bless the laity and clergy of the many churches of our conference as we gather to renew our connection and be renewed by your Spirit. Perhaps it is no coincidence that our conference this year begins on Pentecost Sunday!

On this Holy Communion Sunday, may the receiving of the bread and the cup lead us to live out our faith through the power of your Holy Spirit.  Remind us that it only takes a spark to get a fire going.

For those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, may the fire of your Spirit warm their hearts. For those who are facing medical tests or struggling with addictions, or are feeling weak, may the fire of your Spirit warm their hearts. For those who are in need of physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual healing in their lives, may the fire of your Spirit warm their hearts. For those who are feeling lonely or discouraged, may the fire of your Spirit warm their hearts. For a world grieving at yet another terrorist attack, may the fire of your Spirit warm our hearts

On this Pentecost Sunday, warm all of our hearts O God, as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and now teaches us to pray together… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (June 4/Pentecost Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Where’s the Fire?"

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      A young pastor served his community as a chaplain to the local fire companies. One night, his first call came, and he jumped into his car and sped off into the night.   A police cruiser, lights flashing, pulled him over, and the police officer sauntered up to the driver’s side window, leaned in, and asked, “Well, sir? Where’s the fire?”

     Without hesitation, the young pastor replied, “216 Sherman Ridge Road!”Caught off guard, the police officer stammered, “Oh, well, OK then, follow me!”

     “Where’s the fire?” is a common euphemism used in three different ways. In the case of the police officer, it meant, “What’s the big hurry?” Others us the phrase to ask, “What’s all the excitement about?” Another approach uses the saying to inquire, “Where’s the passion and energy?”

     Any of these three questions is appropriate for us to ask on this Pentecost Sunday. “Where’s the fire?”

     The story of Pentecost in the second chapter of the Book of Acts has been known as the birthday of the church. This story challenges us with the “Where’s the fire?” questions in all three different uses.


Where’s the Fire? Or What’s the Big Hurry?

     For the first use of that question where the police officer is challenging the motorist to explain why he was going too fast, today is a good day to address that question. Like the police officer, we too may assume that there really isn’t a fire when there actually is one.

     The reason that God sent the Holy Spirit upon the disciples after Jesus had ascended into heaven was because God’s mission on this earth still needed to be fulfilled. More work needed to be done.

     Even though Jesus won the victory over sin and death through the cross and the empty tomb, God’s overall plan didn’t change. God still wants to work in and through ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things to make a difference in our world.

     As the saying goes, sometimes we can be so heavenly minded that we end up being no earthly good. When Jesus left his disciples, he didn’t tell them that it was nice knowing them and to take it easy because there was nothing left for them to do. No, he told them to go into the world to baptize, to teach, and to serve.

     Jesus was telling them that there was more work to be done. The difference would be that they would have the Holy Spirit to empower them to make a difference in the world.

     In 1963, civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was in a Birmingham, Alabama jail because he had led a non-violent protest against social injustice in that city.  While he was in jail, eight clergymen in Birmingham had placed a statement in the local newspaper criticizing him for coming to their city to speak out against racial equality.

     While in jail, Dr. King responded to their criticism and here is a portion of his letter in response to their criticism of his work:

     Dr. King writes, “Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here, I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.

     Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.

     Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

     Nobody was going to convince Dr. King that there was no fire of racial equality. Dr. King dedicated his ministry to paving the way to a more just nation where all people regardless of skin color enjoy freedom and equality.

     The fact that Dr. King wrote this letter makes me very sad because his letter was not in response to people outside the church. His letter was in response to religious leaders who had chosen to not support him in his important work.

     They were more like the policeman who sarcastically told the speeding motorist, “Where’s the fire?”

     Whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are reminded of God’s call on each of our lives to make a difference in our community and world. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

     Our job as a Pentecost people is to sprinkle a little of heaven on earth. Check that. To spread a lot of heaven on earth.

     We are on fire with the Holy Spirit so that we can put out the fire of social injustice.

     In addition to assuming that there is no fire when in reality there are many fires in our community and world that are in need of God’s justice and love, Pentecost Sunday also helps us to share with others why we do what we do.

Where’s the Fire? Or What’s All the Excitement About?

     Sometimes when people ask, “Where’s the fire?” they are asking, “What’s all the excitement about? What’s the commotion?”

     Well, the reason the disciples were speaking in tongues and causing such a commotion in downtown Jerusalem is all related to the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

     We have a good news faith! We have a faith that turns heads and leads people to wonder why those people in church are filled with so much joy and hope in a world that is filled with so much bad news.

     No wonder that Pentecost Sunday is often associated with the joy of a birthday party. It’s a time for us to celebrate and open the gift of the Holy Spirit who wants to be active and at work in our daily lives.

     After a worship service one Sunday morning, a church member said to me at the door, “What a great day to be here at church! I felt so much happiness and joy in this place!” That one comment made my heart sing that entire week. Who said that church should be something we have to endure rather than something we celebrate?  We have a good news faith! Every Sunday is a celebration of what God has done and is doing in our lives.

     What’s all the excitement about over there at Athens First? We are on fire because we are celebrating the greatest news the world has ever heard – the resurrection of Jesus Christ.


Where’s the Fire? Or Where’s the Passion & Energy?

     And this leads us to the third meaning of the phrase, “Where’s the fire?” Sometimes when people ask that question, they are asking, “Where’s the passion and energy?”

     I was in a coffee shop working on church work when these two chatty teenagers were sitting near me talking passionately about the problem of human trafficking in Ohio. They were talking really fast and getting a little loud so I couldn’t help but to hear what they were discussing.

     When there was finally a brief pause in their conversation, I leaned over toward them and I think I surprised them when I said, “I’ve been listening to a little of your conversation and I just wanted you both to know that you’re awesome.”  I explained to them that I was a pastor and that there are many people in our church who care about issues like they were discussing.

     Their eyes lit up and they were so glad to hear that people in the church also have passion about these kinds of problems in our world. When I heard what these two young people in the coffee shop were discussing, it gives me great hope for the future.

     When I think of those disciples on that first Pentecost Sunday, we are told that a tongue of fire appeared over top each of those disciples. They were on fire for their faith.

     We need Pentecost. We need Pentecost because it helps us answer the question, “Where’s the Fire?”

     First of all, it reminds us that there are fires of injustice in our community and world where we are called to offer God’s healing love. It also answers the question as to why we can be filled with joy in a world of so much negativity and pain. We have a good news faith!

     And Pentecost is also what gives us such energy and passion that lead us to act like teenagers who are naïve enough to believe that they can change the world. No matter our age or how long we have been part of the church, Pentecost Sunday reminds us to allow God’s Spirit to burn within us so that we can change the world.

     Where’s the fire?

     This past January, I was invited back to my former church in Lancaster for a mortgage burning ceremony. We were celebrating the final payment of a mortgage that we had on a 4 million dollar facility that the church built back in 2005. It took a several years, but that congregation finally paid it off the mortgage this past January.

     The placed was packed because the congregation was so excited that they had finally paid it off. The present pastor was gracious to invite me to come and share a few words of congratulations.

     Then came the time for the mortgage burning ceremony. They had a little fire pit set up on the stage. Several church leaders joined the current pastor and me for that special moment. This was what we had all been waiting for, to burn those bank papers once and for all!

     We asked the Finance chairperson to do the honors. He flicked on that lighter and bent down toward those mortgage papers, but try as he might, he couldn’t get any kind of flame to catch. After a couple awkward minutes, another member of the Finance Committee went over to help him but to no avail.

     Nervous laughter could be heard throughout the large room. I turned to the person standing next to me and just couldn’t resist asking him the question, “How many Methodists does it take to light a fire?”

     Evidently it takes at least two Methodists to start a fire because that’s how many it took that day, but when it started, it didn’t take long at all to burn those papers and the entire congregation erupted in applause.

     Where’s the fire?

     It’s wherever we see injustice and brokenness. It’s in our hearts because we have a good news faith. And it’s when we dare to believe that we can make a difference in our community and world.

     That’s where the fire is. Happy Pentecost!


Where’s the Fire?
Small Group Questions

Acts 2:1-21
June 4, 2017

In his sermon, Pastor Robert that there are three possible meanings of the phrase, “Where’s the fire?” It can mean, “What’s the big hurry?” It can mean, “What’s all the excitement about?” It can also mean, “Where’s the passion and energy?”
First Meaning: “What’s the big hurry?” Name some reasons why you think the church should be in a hurry to share God’s healing love in our community and world? List some social injustices that are community and world are facing today.

Second Meaning: “What’s all the excitement about?” Why should Christians be filled with joy in how they worship and live out their faith? Do you think people in our community notice our excitement in how we live out our faith?

Third Meaning: “Where’s the passion and energy?” What causes you to be passionate in your faith? 

Join together in praying the Pentecost prayer that was part of our worship service this past Sunday:

O Lord, send your Holy Spirit as you once did in the city of Jerusalem so long ago. Join us in this place and time and give us the fire that transforms and renews. Burn away all our complacency. Consume the cords that bind us to anything that would keep us from a relationship with you. Give us the life that lives in your praise and service. We pray this in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen.

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (May 28/Ascension Sunday) – Athens First UMC

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[Have you ever noticed the several people in our congregation who wear those red t-shirts on the last Sunday of each month? People wear these shirts to promote our upcoming “Athens First Saturday” community outreach held on the 1st Saturday of each month. We meet in Fellowship Hall at 9 am and during the morning, people choose to serve in one of several outreach projects to bless our community like arranging flowers to take to the hospital, making blankets for community organizations, picking up litter around town, making cards for shut-ins, leading a nursing home worship service, etc. Pictured above is the Mather family from Sunday’s worship service. The quote on the back of their shirts is from John Wesley which encourages to “do all the good you can to all the people you can.” Ascension Sunday reminds us that when Christ blessed his disciples as he ascended to his heavenly throne, he also blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. That’s what AFS is all about.]


O God, thank you for your Son who is seated next to you on your heavenly throne. We acknowledge you as the true king and ruler over all creation. Thank you for this day on the church calendar when we not only remember, but also celebrate your kingship and authority. Your rule is one of love, peace, and justice.

You are the true king who can make all things new. You are the one who parted the Red Sea and led your people into the Promised Land. You are the one who sent Jesus to point people to your kingdom and who did many signs and wonders. You are the one who raised him from the dead on Easter morning. You are the one who has promised to return to establish your kingdom once and for all. You are the one who blessed those disciples as Christ ascended to his throne.

And thankfully, you continue to bless your people so that we can be a blessing to others. O God, we all are in need of your blessings of peace and justice this day. Your world is in need of your healing love.

On this Memorial Day Weekend, we are especially thankful for those who have given their lives through serving our country. Thank you for their sacrifice and courage. We long for a world where all nations work toward peace. We long for a world where people can attend a concert without fear of a terrorist bomb exploding. We long for a world where everyone has access to the basic necessities of life.

O God, on this ascension Sunday, bless us, bless our church, so that we will be able to fulfill the awesome purpose and mission that you have entrusted to us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and world.  It is in his risen and ascended name that we now pray together…

Nikos | Sermon (May 28/Ascension Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell – "Good Night & Good Luck"

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     Several years ago, Penny and I saw the movie, “Good Night & Good Luck.”  It’s a movie starring George Clooney and is the true story about the CBS newscaster, Edward R. Murrow, who in the 1950s, stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of people being involved in communism.

     I found the movie very interesting but I must say that I was bothered by his send off phrase that he would use after every news episode, “Good Night and Good luck.”  I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of something more than just luck.

     In our scripture reading this morning, Jesus shares final words with the disciples before ascending into heaven.  I’m sure it was an emotional and tearful moment.  They had been through so much together over a three-year period and it was now time for Jesus to leave them.  Jesus didn’t tell the disciples, “good luck” as he was being lifted from their presence.

     No.  Luke tells us that he lifted his hands and blessed them and he continued to bless them as he ascended into heaven.

     Of all the elements of a worship service; including the music, the sermon, and the prayers; there’s one element of worship in particular which sometimes gets forgotten and that’s the benediction.
     My first pastorate was as a student intern at a church in Lima, Ohio.  The Senior Pastor was on vacation one Sunday and had invited a guest pastor to preach on that particular Sunday.

     My job as the student intern was to welcome this guest pastor and assist in the worship service such as handling the prayers and the scripture reading.  Before we went into the sanctuary to worship, I asked this visiting pastor if he would like to offer the benediction when the service was over.

     And he said to me, “No.  I really think you should offer the benediction.  That’s something that the congregation should hear from you.”

     I’ll never forget that brief conversation a little over thirty years ago, and since then, I have tried to never take this last piece of the worship service for granted.

     What really is the benediction?  It’s a blessing upon the congregation as they prepare to go forth to live out the good news of Jesus Christ during the week.

     The idea is that every Sunday morning when we come to this place for worship, we receive a blessing from Christ.  Or to put it another way, you and I receive a blessing at the end of worship so that we can in turn go into our community to be a blessing to others.

     The Apostle Paul reminds us that the living out of our faith has nothing to do with luck and has everything to do with who Jesus is. 
     His prayer of blessing upon the Church of Ephesus is that…

 “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.”

     Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, Luke tells us that Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures.  And specifically, he explained again the meaning of his crucifixion and resurrection and told them, “You are witnesses of these things.  And once you receive the Holy Spirit, you are to proclaim this good news.”

     Jesus didn’t leave the disciples with luck.  His plan was to make sure that they understood the scriptures, accepted their responsibility to be witnesses throughout the world, and to have them wait to receive the power of the Spirit to carry out his work.

     Instead of luck, we are to be faithful and depend on the presence of Jesus in our daily lives.

     And it certainly doesn’t hurt to throw a little strategy into the mix.
     Several years ago, I was eating lunch in a restaurant and got to know the owner of the restaurant.  After he heard that I was a pastor, his eyes lit up and he told me about his involvement as a layperson in helping to start new churches. 

     And I asked him the question, “In the churches that you have helped start which have turned out to be growing and vital churches, do you notice any key ingredient that helps them to be successful?”   He said, “Well yes.  I do notice something.  Either people want their church to grow or they don’t.  It’s as simple as that.”

     He said, “For example, this is one small thing but it just goes to show how intentional this growing church is in reaching people for Christ.  This church intentionally built an outside basketball court on its property with the hope of attracting young people from the neighborhoods.  But that’s not all.  They intentionally place a basketball on the court during a time of the day when young people are walking by the church so that they will be more likely to start playing.  And then this church has someone watching all of this and when that person sees a young person or a group of people gather on that court, that church member goes and starts shooting baskets with them with the intention of getting to know them and to build relationships.  The church member ends up providing care and support for those young people and then they begin to bring their friends and family members to the church.  That one little strategic ministry has built a bridge between the church and the community.”

     When Jesus left the disciples by ascending into heaven, I think he expected them to not only rely on the coming of the Holy Spirit, but to also use some creative thinking and smart strategy in being his witnesses. 

     I notice that Jesus didn’t give the disciples a detailed strategy on how to go about being his witnesses.  He pretty much left that up to us to figure out.  God gave us minds to think these things through and the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry forth His mission.

     He doesn’t want us to depend on luck to fulfill His purposes.  He wants us to participate with him and to share in the joy of a job well done.

     Every Sunday morning, when I stand before you to offer the benediction, I can’t help but to think of the many people who will be blessed because of your faithfulness to the Gospel.

     One night during a Missions Team meeting, one of you came to let us know that your small group wanted to have a hot chocolate donut give away in front of our church during Final’s Week. You blessed over 75 students that day through this creative way of letting the people who walk by our church know that we are a church that cares. 

     I remember saying a silent prayer of thanksgiving that you would do such a nice thing.

     What a blessing you are.
     Speaking of Final’s Week, many of you know that our church invites college students to study down in our Fellowship Hall during Final’s Week. When I first heard one of you mention this to me, I remember wondering how many students would really come. There are a lot of places students can study, like the library, a coffee shop, or back in their dorm or apartment.

     A lot of college students ended up coming to our church all because one of you personally went to each fraternity, sorority, and apartment near our church and you personally invited them to come. You told them that not only would we provide a quiet space, but that we would also have home baked cookies and other snacks.

     One night during Final’s Week, I stopped by here and I saw Wendy Merb-Brown in the kitchen. She and Logan were providing dinner for our college students. You didn’t just provide cookies and snacks. You went all out because you wanted them to know that we are a church that cares.

     What a blessing you are.

     Last month, a worship guest wrote this on the back of their Sunday Connect Card.

     They wrote, “May God bless your church! We are in town for our son’s graduation. Thank you for being so friendly and welcoming.”

     As I read this note, I could picture one of our greeters opening a door for this couple as they entered our church that morning. I could picture another person going up to them and inviting them over to our coffee and refreshments area. I could picture someone else telling them, “My name is…It’s so nice to see you.”

     What a blessing you are.

     Our church received this thank you card from Habitat for Humanity here in Athens. Here’s what the card says:

     Our church received this thank you card from Habitat for Humanity here in Athens. Here’s what the card says:

     Rev. McDowell and First UMC Family,

Wow, how amazing is our Lord!? I cannot begin to describe how amazed I am with the passion of this church and your willingness to give unto others! Your donation of $6,318 is a blessing to a family soon to be partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio! Thanks to you, a family will have the opportunity to not only own their own home, but will be able to raise their family in a safe environment! We are beyond grateful to be a part of such a community as your church! Thank you!

     What a blessing you are.

     One of you walked up to me in church and you said, “I just want you to know that my wife and I will be sending a check to the church, but we don’t want it to go directly into the general budget. We’re still going to give to the general budget like we usually do, but we want you to use this extra gift to help pay for anything that the general budget doesn’t cover, like if you want to start a new ministry or something like that.”

     Pastors live for these moments! I’m pretty sure that I could hear the angels of heaven singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” when you shared this with me.
     Do you remember the awesome hospitality training that we had at the OU Inn this past March? Yeah, that happened because of your unexpected gift.

     What a blessing you are.

     I thank God for each one of you and for all the ways that you are shining the light of Christ as you go forth from this place week after week.  Lives are being changed and people are growing closer to Christ because of you.

     With this in mind, let me close this sermon by saying from the bottom of my heart…

     Good day and God bless!


Good Night & Good Luck
Small Group Questions

Ephesians 1:15-23 & Luke 24:44-53
May 28, 2017 

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father, St. Luke tells us that he “blessed them (his disciples.)” This scripture passage reminds us that Jesus blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.

How has God blessed you? Share with the group.

Just like the disciples, we are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. That’s the whole point of the benediction at the end of a worship service.

In what ways has God empowered you to be a blessing to others as you live out your faith?

The accompanying scripture for today is from Ephesians 1:15-23. This reading reminds us of how God has blessed us in many incredible ways through the presence of Christ in our lives.

Read this scripture together and share which part of this blessing stands out for you personally.

“The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.”


Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (May 21) – Athens First UMC

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[Our worship theme was “Created for Purpose” from the Genesis creation story. There were a lot of people living out their God given purpose in a variety of ways on Sunday.  We celebrated and surrounded a young couple at the baptism of their baby daughter, we recognized our children and youth Sunday School teachers, the youth and their parents gathered for a covered dish event and shared how they grew in their faith over this past school year, and the Honduras mission trip team held a pancake fundraiser to help with expenses for their upcoming August trip.]

O God, from the very first story of the bible to the last story of the bible, you remind us that we have been created for purpose. We have been made in your image to offer your healing love in a broken and hurting world.

Whenever we feel discouraged or get down on ourselves, or question our purpose in life, point us back to the creation story where you remind us that you called all that you created, good. Empower us to simply live out who you have called each one of us to be, people created in your image, people you have claimed as your own.

During this time of year when there are many transitions in our lives; graduations, the end of the school year, getting out our wrinkled summer clothes, remind us of what always stays constant in our lives, that you created us, that you love us, and that we always belong to you. May we never forget.

Thank you for how the sacrament of baptism reminds us of our true identity, that we are a child of God, not because of anything we have done or not done but because of what you have done on our behalf.  Thank you for your grace and unconditional love!

Thank you for placing people like Wanda in our lives, people whose expressions of love point us to you as the giver of all good gifts. Thank you for Sunday School teachers who teach your Word faithfully and who encourage us along our walk. And thank you for trees, hills, sunrises, flowers, and hiking trails that point us to you as our loving creator.

But most of us, thank you for sending us Jesus who showed us what it means to be truly human, and who taught us to pray saying… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (May 21) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Created for Purpose"

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     The creation story seems to make the news more than any other story in the entire bible. It’s at the heart of the science vs. religion debate regarding how the world was created.

     Maybe you remember the much publicized debate back a few years ago between Bill Nye, the Science Guy and Ken Ham, the founder of the Creation Museum which is located in Petersburg, Kentucky. During the debate, Bill Nye held to the position that the earth is billions and billions of years old. Ken Ham claims that according to the Bible, the earth is only 6,000 years old. He also believes that humans and dinosaurs coexisted.

     The debate didn’t really do a whole lot to change anybody’s mind, which wasn’t a surprise. It did remind me that there are a lot of people who have a misunderstanding of what the creation story is telling us and what it’s not telling us.

     Dr. John B. Walton is a professor of Old Testament studies at Wheaton College.  He is the author of the book, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate.

     Dr. Walton offers a very helpful way of interpreting the creation story. He says that when God created the world, everything was given a purpose. 
     The Hebrew word for create is “bara” which means,“function giving.” Instead of the creation story being a story of a time when God first physically made the world, it’s really a story about God creating a function for everything that was already in existence.

     Creating in this sense of the word, involves naming, separating, and assigning functions and roles in order to have an ordered system. This is what the creation story is telling us – that God provided order, function, and purpose for everything that exists including human beings.

     The creation story isn’t interested in proving that God brought everything that we see into existence. It didn’t need to do this since the people who lived during that ancient Near East time period already believed this to be true.

     If we interpret the creation story as a story of not how God brought the world into existence, but as a story of how God gave everything that had already existed a function, then there is room for people of faith to believe in the evolutionary process.

     The bible doesn’t force us to choose between science or faith. We can have both.  In telling the story of how God gave everything in creation a purpose, it used the available science of its day. It sought to communicate a Word from God to the people by speaking within their particular historical and scientific context.
     Gordon Fee, another well respected Bible scholar reminds us that the bible was not written to us, but it was written for us. What he means is that the bible was not originally written directly to us, but it was written for us. He goes on to say that we need to be careful to not impose our 21st century questions on the stories that we find in the bible.

     I think that the creation story is an example of one of those biblical stories that we often want it to say things that it never meant to say. We need to first figure out how the people who lived during biblical times first heard this story. From there, we can ask the question, “What does this mean for us today in the 21st century?”

     Since the creation story isn’t primarily about how God brought everything into existence and is really a story about how God gave everything a purpose, it allows us to be more open to what modern day science teaches us about the world. In other words, I don’t think that Ken Ham of the Creation Museum needs to be threatened by what Bill Nye and the scientific world have to offer us.

     The creation story wants us to know that God created a purpose for everything that is part of the created world.

Day #1


     So what purposes were given for each day of creation? Let’s first look at the first day of creation when God created light. And remember, we’re not talking about God creating the properties of light. We’re talking about God giving light a purpose. And the purpose God gives to light is time. Day and night provide a cycle of time.

     So for those of you who have ever wondered how there can be light on the first day of creation and yet the sun isn’t created until the fourth day, this new understanding of the Hebrew word for “create” explains it. The creation story isn’t a story about God physically creating everything, although that’s assumed. It’s a story about God giving a purpose to everything that is already in existence. 


Day #2

     What’s the purpose of day 2?  Weather. We are told that God created a dome in the midst of the waters so that it would provide a space in which people would be able to live. The second purpose was to provide a way for precipitation to be controlled so that we would have the right amount of rain.

Day #3

     What about day 3? Food. We have the creation of dry land and the sea which leads to vegetation and fruit trees. The purpose behind vegetation and fruit trees is the production of food.

     So in these first three days, the creation story is telling us that God gave our world three very important purposes – time, weather, and food. These three purposes are the foundation of life.

     You see, the important point in the creation story isn’t that God created material things. The more important thing is that God created purposes for what was already in existence so that a quality of life would be possible for all living creatures.

Day #4


     What about day 4? What’s the purpose of day 4? Day 4 is about the celestial lights at day and at night. The purpose for these lights is for signs, seasons, days, and years.


Day #5


     This brings us to day 5. What is the purpose of the 5th day? Here we have swarms of living creatures in the sky and in the water.  The purpose of day five is to provide order for all of these creatures.


Day #6


     And this leads us to day 6, the final day of creation. Here we have animals and human beings. Their purpose is to reproduce and to fill the earth so that there will be new generations of the same kinds of creatures.

     The additional purpose of human beings is to rule over all creation and to live as God’s image bearers in the world. This is the purpose that God has given to you and me. We are to lovingly care for this world and to reflect God’s image to everyone around us.

     The creation story reminds us of our purpose in this world and what a great purpose it is. We are to be good stewards of everything that has been created.
     Three or four years ago, we had to put down two of our three West Highland Terrier dogs, leaving us with Lulu who we brought with us to Athens. The other two dogs who we had to put down had reached a point where our vet told us that even with their medications, they were in too much pain.  It was a very difficult day for us because pets become part of our family in a special way especially in the McDowell household.


Lulu McDowell

     When we came home from the vet that day, I took our remaining dog, Lulu outside to our backyard. She was eight years old at that time and has always been our little baby until we got another westie this past September. Here’s a picture of Lulu who is now eleven years old.

     On the day we put down two of our westies and after we got home from the vet, I took Lulu outside in our backyard, I looked down at her cute little face and she stared right back at me, sensing that the other two dogs weren’t with us anymore.

     I had her attention and as I looked into her big brown eyes, I said, “Lulu, you are now in charge of backyard security. We’re counting on you.”  And ever since that day, she has lived out her God given purpose of keeping bunnies and squirrels out of our yard.
     Lulu knows her purpose. I never have to remind her to bark at a squirrel that is five hundred yards away high up in a tree. She just knows what to do. Her purpose is to do what West Highland Dogs were created to do. Be on alert at all times, bark, and be extremely cute. Lulu is living out her God given purpose.

     So think about this. On the sixth day of creation, the Lord said to you and to me, “You are now in charge of backyard security. This is your function as human beings.  I want you to take care of my creation. I’m counting on you.”

     It’s a wonderful thing when we live out who we were created to be. Each one of us has been called to be God’s image bearers in the world.

    What does it mean to live out our purpose of being God’s image bearers? It means that we care for this world that God has lovingly created. It means that just as God lovingly created this world and called it good, we too are called to be extensions of God’s healing love in everything that we do. We are to be kind as Nicole Phillips reminded us last Sunday.

     How’s that for a life purpose?  That’s true for every single human being in the world. This is why we were created. We were created to be God’s image bearers.

     There are many different ways to live out this purpose depending on our personalities, our talents, our gifts, and our passions. We’re not all the same but we are all called to contribute to the same purpose in what it means to be truly human.

     I think of Wanda.  Wanda was a member of one of my churches and she reminded me so much of my mother. They kind of looked like each other, but more importantly, they also had the same kind of giving spirit.

     Wanda was always giving gifts to people. I am convinced that Wanda’s purpose in life was to be a modern day Santa Claus. The only difference was that she didn’t just give gifts on December 25. She gave gifts to people every day of the year! She made Santa Claus look like cheapskate.

     She loved the stained glass windows of the church where she was a member.  In fact, she loved them so much that she had pictures of each of those beautiful windows framed and she would give these away as gifts. 

     I was on the receiving end of Wanda’s many gifts. For example, Wanda would stop by out of the blue with a freshly baked apple pie. And she really loved Christmas, so thanks to Wanda, I have Christmas angel figurines, Christmas socks, and she even gave me a choo-choo train.

     Before Christmas one year, a mysterious Christmas present appeared on our front porch. Inside was the choo-choo train. The tag said that it was from Santa, but I knew better. I had made a joke one day that Santa never brought me a choo-choo train for Christmas, and she must have really taken that to heart.
     You know, we pastors need to be careful with what we say. A pastor told me that he once made the comment during a sermon that he enjoyed the Spider Man movie. A church member who heard him say that, ended up giving him all of these Spider Man gifts like Spider Man socks, a Spider Man notebook, a Spider Man pillow, a Spider Man coffee mug, a Spider Man shirt.

    He said, “All I said was that I liked the movie. I really don’t need all of these Spider Man souveniers.”

     Wanda was kind of like that. For trick or treat night, Penny and I would give away candy to about 30 to 40 kids who would come to our door. Wanda, who lived just a block from us, would get over a hundred kids to her house.

     I came to find out that she wasn’t giving out tootsie rolls and tiny Hershey bars like we were. She was handing out these large cool looking flavored popcorn balls every year. I mean, we couldn’t compete with that. The kids were bypassing our house to get to Wanda’s house before she ran out of those awesome popcorn balls! Everybody loved Wanda. In her early 80’s, she served as a mentor to one of our of our confirmation youth.

     Wanda passed away unexpectedly while I was the pastor there. Soon after the news of her passing, someone showed me a gift that Wanda had given her just a few days before Wanda had died. Wanda lived out her God given gift-giving purpose even to her last breath.

     When I met with Wanda’s family to prepare for her funeral service, they told me that she loved giving gifts to people because she saw every single person as important and as someone who God loved very much.  They told me that she was always on the look out for nice gifts to give away to people and that her basement was like a store filled with gifts to give away.

     To put it simply, Wanda just knew to do what she was created to do. Her purpose in life was gift-giving and blessing the people around her.

     Several years ago, I gave a lot of thought to what my purpose in life is.  Instead of a mid-life crisis, I guess you could say that I was having a young adult crisis. I really wanted to clearly identify my purpose in life.  Often times, we associate our purpose with what we do for a living, or with a talent that we may have, but I wanted to know what my purpose was beyond those roles and expectations.

     After a lot of thought and prayer, here is what I discovered my purpose to be in life and it hasn’t changed after all of these years. This is what I wrote:

     My life mission is to joyfully live out the good news of Jesus Christ through word and deed so that my family, my church, and my community will know and embrace God’s hope and promises for their daily living.

     Sometimes, I need to go back and read that purpose statement and remind myself of who God created me to be. God created me to joyfully live out the good news of Jesus Christ.

     If you haven’t already written out your purpose in life, this might be something you’ll want to start thinking about this week. What is your unique purpose and are you living out that purpose? God has given each one of us a purpose. We are to be God’s image bearers in a broken and hurting world.

     The creation story isn’t concerned with how old we think the earth is. Science can help us answer that question. The more important question that the creation story wants us to answer is this.

     Are you living on purpose? Are you living out who you were created to be, an image bearer of God’s love, kindness, and justice for a broken and hurting world.

   
Created for Purpose
Small Group Questions

Genesis 1:1-2:4a
May 21, 2017

The science vs. faith debate as it relates to the creation story as told in the Book of Genesis is really unnecessary because we really do not need to decide between the two. In the sermon, Pastor Robert shared that the Hebrew word for “create” is “bara” which literally means “to give purpose” and NOT “to bring a material object into existence” as it is often interpreted. This interpretation of the creation story allows for people of faith to believe in God AND the evolutionary process in the forming of creation.

What is your understanding of science and the Bible? Do you think they can coexist as Pastor Robert suggests from his sermon?

Since the word, “create” means “to give purpose,” the creation story is meant to help us think about our purpose as human beings in the world. We were created for the purpose of being God’s “image bearers” which involves reflecting God’s love back onto God which is what we do when we worship and reflecting God’s love out into the world which is what we do when we serve and seek to be a blessing in our world.

How does this understanding of being created in the image of God (worship & service) give meaning and purpose in the way you live out your life?

Pastor Robert shared how his west highland terrier dogs don’t struggle with their purpose in the world. Their purpose is to chase squirrels and dig! 

Why do you think we as humans seem to struggle with our purpose in life from time to time? What do dogs know that we don’t know?????

Close your time of sharing by reading out loud the purpose that God has given our church: “Our purpose is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and world.”

How can our church always remember this awesome purpose that God has given us? Share some ways.


Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (May 14/Mother’s Day) – Athens First UMC

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[Nicole Phillips, author of the book, Kindness is Contagious spoke at our church this past Sunday. She shared how making kindness a priority can make a positive difference in our lives as well as in the life of others. We also received eight new members and celebrated a baptism. And on top of all of that, former pastor of our church, Rev. Jim Wagner came to visit and offered the benediction. It was a wonderful Sunday! Photo Left to Right: Rev. Jim Wagner, Rev. Robert McDowell, Nicole Phillips]



O God, thank you for every act of kindness, large or small, for they all contribute to the building of your kingdom here on earth. Help us to have kind hands like Jesus and do good for all. 

Help us to notice the smallest acts of kindness that happen all around us on any given day. Like the father who stood at the end of his driveway this past week waving to his children as they got on the school bus and continued to smile and wave at them until the bus was out of his view.  Thank you, O God.

Like one of our Growing Tree pre-school children this past week who was so happy to give me her art work as a gift. It was the most beautifully decorated coffee paper filter I have ever seen. Thank you, O God.

Like the mother who I asked this past week, “Are you bracing for when school is out and your three teenagers will be at home for the summer?” and she quickly responded, “Yes, I want to see them more. I love my kids.” Thank you, O God.

On this Mothers’ Day, we look to you as a God who is not only our heavenly Father, but as one who offers us a motherly love; a love that is always patient, kind, forgiving, and nurturing. 

Thank you for mothers who have provided a loving and nurturing presence in our lives and for new mothers who offer their love to their newborns. We also pray for those who have not had a positive relationship with their mother. May your healing love surround all who have experienced pain and brokenness in these family relationships. Like a mother hen caring for her young, may we find protection under the cover of your wings.

Remind us always that kindness is contagious because you have created us for kindness. Take our hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you; make them strong and gentle, kind in all we do. Let us watch you, Jesus, till we’re gentle too, till our hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.

And now teach us to pray the words you taught your disciples and now teach us to pray together saying… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (May 14/Mother’s Day) – Athens First UMC

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[Nicole Phillips, author of the book, Kindness is Contagious spoke at our church this past Sunday. She shared how making kindness a priority can make a positive difference in our lives as well as in the life of others. We also received eight new members and celebrated a baptism. It was a wonderful Sunday!]


O God, thank you for every act of kindness, large or small, for they all contribute to the building of your kingdom here on earth. Help us to have kind hands like Jesus and do good for all.

Help us to notice the smallest acts of kindness that happen all around us on any given day. Like the father who stood at the end of his driveway this past week waving to his children as they got on the school bus and continued to smile and wave at them until the bus was out of his view.  Thank you, O God.

Like one of our Growing Tree pre-school children this past week who was so happy to give me her art work as a gift. It was the most beautifully decorated coffee paper filter I have ever seen. Thank you, O God.

Like the mother who I asked this past week, “Are you bracing for when school is out and your three teenagers will be at home for the summer?” and she quickly responded, “Yes, I want to see them more. I love my kids.” Thank you, O God.

On this Mothers’ Day, we look to you as a God who is not only our heavenly Father, but as one who offers us a motherly love; a love that is always patient, kind, forgiving, and nurturing.

Thank you for mothers who have provided a loving and nurturing presence in our lives and for new mothers who offer their love to their newborns. We also pray for those who have not had a positive relationship with their mother. May your healing love surround all who have experienced pain and brokenness in these family relationships. Like a mother hen caring for her young, may we find protection under the cover of your wings.

Remind us always that kindness is contagious because you have created us for kindness. Take our hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you; make them strong and gentle, kind in all we do. Let us watch you, Jesus, till we’re gentle too, till our hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.

And now teach us to pray the words you taught your disciples and now teach us to pray together saying… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

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