Pastor's Message

Recent Sermons

• May 21, 2017: The Holy Land   (Audio)
• May 14, 2017: Family   (Audio)
• May 7, 2017: After Easter   (Audio)
• Apr 30, 2017:The Dakota Pipeline Documentary--Exploring the Native American Conflict   (Audio)
  Video prepared and presented by AHUMC Youth

Message for May: Easter Keeps Coming!

As I have told you before, Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday because Jesus, who was crucified on a Friday, rose on a Sunday. Every Sunday is a little Easter. For me, that means I can celebrate and look forward to new life every week. Hope is out there in front of me all the time. What a gift! All the things that can knock us down—finances, relationships, exams, our jobs, politics—the promise of new life can lift us up again and we can go on.

It took my sister over 30 years to get her college degree. Life, marriage, children interrupted her journey but she did it despite the challenges she faced. She didn't do it on her own. God placed people in her life along the way who helped keep the hope alive.

I have read stories of children living in shelters or the family cars, and being accepted to Harvard. Someone noticed them, cared, helped, showed them there was a way. They didn't give up hope in a better life.

A husband lost his wife. He didn't know what to do next. But his friends came, took him out for a meal, went fishing, talked some. His daughter told him his grandson needed some help learning the art of baseball—right up his alley. He played ball in college. So in the afternoons, he and his grandson would go to the park and they would practice over and over again. Then they would stop for ice cream some days and talk strategy. He found purpose, a renewed love of life. And he knew again that the sun would rise in the morning.

The promise of the resurrection is not given to us once a year on a beautiful spring day, surrounded by bright colors and flowers with children running through the grass in search of hard-boiled eggs. The promise also comes in the dark of winter, the depth of grief, the disappointments and defeats.

The resurrection is a hymn of promise that never leaves us. And the promise is for each and every one of us every moment of every day. Alleluia!

Holy hugs,

Pastor Jane