From the Pastor's Desk...

Hello, neighbors!
Is it spring? I mean, it's spring! May is here, and warmer days are ahead before summer arrives. Although it was nice to worship in person last year, Lent and Easter were even better in 2022. Thank you to everyone who came and made Holy Week so special! We were blessed with some special music on Palm Sunday as we waved palm leaves and shouted Hosanna. Maundy Thursday allowed me to serve my sisters and brothers with the washing of feet. Milan returned to having a Community Good Friday Service at Peoples Presbyterian Church. Thank you to Peoples for hosting and for Fieldstone Church joining us. The week ended with a beautiful morning for Sunrise Service, breakfast for the neighborhood, and a blessed worship service to celebrate Easter. The fun and celebration continued this last week with Holy Humor Sunday. We have had some new neighbors join us in worship, and we saw some new faces for Easter as well. God is good all the time, and may we continue to move forward this spring and the months ahead.
After finishing our Lent series “Reckless Love” and celebrating the resurrection of Christ, we must keep the excitement up by reaching out to more of our neighbors. Remember, we are to BE LOVE when answering Jesus’ call to love our neighbor. Begin with love every day. Expand your circle by including others who are not like you. Lavish your neighbors with love like God does for us. Openhearted love is key to the process. Value the vulnerable by being curious versus judgmental, along with being kind. Emulate Christ in everything you do. Don't let these lessons and Jesus' sacrifice be for nothing. Momentum is building after the last two years, and we must keep it going! God has big plans for our church, but we are the ones that have to make them come to fruition. Will you answer Jesus’ call to love ourselves, our neighbors, and God with everything we have in every part of our bodies? I pray your answer will be a resounding “Yes!” Let us take the risk necessary to make people say we show reckless love like Jesus did.
Aside from what is happening here locally, there will be a lot happening here in the next couple of months with our conference and denomination. As of May 1st, the Global Methodist Church will be officially launching. I honestly have no idea what this will look like for churches. Especially since the conference or denomination has not decided on an exit strategy for those wanting to leave the United Methodist Church. At the beginning of June, the Michigan Conference will be gathering in person again for the first time in over two years. This year will be a shorter Annual Conference with a lot to discuss and decide before we return home. Please feel free to ask questions about either the GMC or our Michigan Annual Conference. Church Council has continued to have conversations about where we see Marble being and going in the future. You are welcome to approach members of the council and engage in conversation about our neighborhood church. Although these are important matters, let us not lose focus on our mission to meet new neighbors, nurture their relationship with Christ, and transform the world together. This mission will allow us to live out our vision to be a welcoming neighborhood so that ALL may experience God's love and grace.
Peace be with you, neighbors.
Pastor Matt