Sabbath? Is that really a commandment?

I try my best to model God's commandment that we take sabbath and rest. See Exodus 20:8-11. (Notice what a long commandment it is!)

Most people traditionally consider Sunday the Sabbath, but pastors don't get all that much rest on Sundays. So, Thursday is sabbath for me. You won't see me around the office much or find me returning many phone calls.

You will hear me talk and write about sabbath and our need for rest in general. I hope you find some time this week to rest in God's presence. As for me, tomorrow I will be fishing and napping.

peace,

will

The Grace the Surrounds Us

I have mentioned to many of you in person, but I had yet to write anything here about how much Alisha and I appreciate the warmth of the welcome we have received. From the moment we pulled up to the curb in front of the house we were made to feel welcomed and appreciated. We can't says thanks enough for all the hard work everyone did to get the parsonage ready. We were also grateful to receive food and drinks and snacks to sustain us while we unpacked.

It wasn't just a one day welcome either. In the last couple of weeks we have enjoyed your hospitality in the form of food, more help with the house, warm welcomes and even a chance to see the Hammerheads play their final game of the regular season. Just this morning I received a new, more suitable chair for my office.

Your hospitality toward Alisha and I tells me about the kind of wonderful place this is. The gospel calls us to radical hospitality. It is at the center of the message if grace. I witnessed that with our arrival and have already seen many instances of it toward others.

Hebrews 13:1-2 reads:

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Thank you all for being active participants in the grace that surrounds us all!

Grace and Peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

Alright, I figured out a way to post my sermons for anyone who wants to look at them. They are hosted on a separate blog found at http://gracesermons.blogspot.com. I have turned off the comments option on that site. If you have a comment or question, come back to this page to post it.

This week's sermon is up and can be found here.

I apologize in advance for typos, mistakes, or things that I said in worship that are not in the manuscript.

If you were in worship today, I hope that through the message, the music, the scripture, the prayers or just through being with other believers, you were able to deepen your relationship with God.

Grace and Peace,

will

A shot from the work crew at Wesley UMC. 

Some photos pastor John took at a Sea City Work Camp site. Name all four campers and win a prize. OK, the only prize is that I get to post them here on the blog. :~)  

Getting ready for Sunday

This Sunday will be my third here at Grace, but it will be the first time that I preach. In some ways, I feel like I am getting back from vacation. At my last appointment, I preached every week during our evening service. Some Sundays I would double up and preach morning and evening, usually with different sermons. So, the last couple of weeks have seemed pretty easy.

I will be preaching this week from Mark:1-8. I will be revealing a bit about myself and how I got to where I am. This week's message focuses on the excitement of the Gospel. I get really excited about the message God has for us and I am going to try and share that excitement.

I hope to see you Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

will

Here We Are To Worship

If you do nothing else in relation to the Sea City Work Camp, you ought to come to worship in the evening. The worship is really powerful and you can feel the energy begin to build as the teams begin to grow closer together. I think we can all use a few extra chances to worship. Sunday morning is great, but as God truly becomes the center of our lives it really makes sense to want to be in worship a little more often.

peace,

will

What a way to get started

It is quite a blessing to have Sea City Work Camp coincide with my first couple of weeks here at Grace. If you haven't heard about Sea City, you can read more about it the website.

It was really a privilege to be part of opening worship last night. The excitement and energy in the room was totally uplifting. This is the type of enthusiasm that should pervade all we do as Christ's church. Sure we can't be that excited every moment. But if we are bored or lethargic, if we are not excited about coming to church or using our gifts to serve the church or in mission, then it is time to think more about what we are doing. It is time to try and reconnect with the power of the Spirit that draws us together in the first place.

We will be talking more about this topic on Sunday morning. I hope to see you there!

Grace and Peace

will

I am catching up a bit on photos. This is a picture taken by John Wright of my commissioning on June 4th. That is Bishop Joel Martinez performing the commissioning.  

First Sunday

Today was the first Sunday for John and I at Grace and everything went wonderfully. It is a bit nerve racking to lead worship at a new church since you are the one in a charge and the one who has been there the shortest amount of time.

More soon

will