Greetings one and all!
Welcome to The Kernel where I get to be myself and ramble on about life. This will give me a chance to talk to you informally about my faith and broadcast a few seeds of hope in a different way! I love being the voice for Faith Break on the radio but writing The Kernel will let me be a little more personal.
I retired from being the pastor at Asbury United Methodist on September 30, 2014 and quite honestly, I am finding myself at loose ends. My husband and I are visiting different churches and I am preaching (pinch hitting?) a couple times a month for pastors on vacation or out of town on Sunday. Sometimes that can be disquieting to say the least. Different churches have different ways of worshiping. I feel nervous about things like, which hymnal will we be using, is the sermon before or after the offering or do we stand for the “Great Thanksgiving” during communion or… wait for this… where is the restroom? If you haven’t been to church for a while or are thinking about going for the first time, I imagine you have some of the same questions or fears. You might even be worried about what you should wear! It can be scary!
The good news is, there is nothing to be nervous about. The biggest step for me is to “just do it” and get out of my comfort zone because Jesus is going to be with me no matter what. Have faith and believe He will be excited to see you and it will not matter where you sit, what you sing or if you stand in the wrong place because you will be worshiping Him in a community of believers who don’t always get it right either. Besides that , the wonderful saving grace of Jesus Christ is free and available to everybody!
Always remember, you are always in the presence of God!
Psalm 139, verses 7-12 makes that clear!
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
God Bless You!
Rev. Carol
