Becoming a member of FUMCWP is not a requirement for attendance or involvement, but we believe you’ll find the process both enlightening and enjoyable.
Church Location
125 N. Interlachen Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
407.644.2906
Join us in-person or watch sermons live online.
Activity Center
1100 N. Fern Creek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803
407.894.2237
Reeves Ministries:
TCA Preschool
Studio 150 Dance*
Jobs Partnership
4 Pillars Counseling & Enrichment Center
*Takes place at both campuses
Devotions from our Pastors
Click images above to download PDF.
It’s Movie Monday! Join us on Rightnow Media to watch the following selection.
For Preschoolers and Elementary Kids:
Bible Force, Season 2, Episode 18 – Jesus Ascends Into Heaven
What happens to Jesus after the resurrection? Kids of all ages can enjoy and learn about what Jesus taught his disciples and what He has done for all of us.
The ’72 Impala was gassed up and ready to go! Its trunk loaded with all my worldly possessions crammed into a couple of boxes and two suitcases. Eager to get the goodbye’s over with, I kissed my parents and headed off to college. I distinctly remember being filled with mixed emotions. Excitement about starting a new chapter in my life. Sadness over leaving my family. And anxiety over what lay ahead. Mostly because I didn’t know what to expect.
For the next year, I lived into a whole new way of being. All the norms of my high school existence were slowly replaced by a new normal of college life. For the first time, I had a roommate! Now I had a brother to share late nights and stupid stunts. Food no longer magically appeared! But I got to eat whatever I wanted when I wanted. Much to the consternation of my waistline. Best of all, I had total freedom. I didn’t even have to go to class if I didn’t want to. Well, for a time anyway. It was AWESOME!
Of course, it wasn’t without its bumps and bruises. Evidently, money didn’t grow on trees! And believe it or not, professors hold you accountable even if you don’t attend class. I never want to go through that first final’s week again. I still have nightmares about it! And yet, looking back, college was this wonderful time of preparation for what was next in life.
I got to thinking about this the other day when I came across a wonderful devotion by Richard Rohr. In it, he talks about liminal time. Liminal comes from the Latin word meaning “threshold”. Liminal time is a time of transition. A season of moving into a new normal ahead. Like heading off to college. Or starting your first career job. Like getting engaged. Or having your last child move out of the house.
Or going through a pandemic. We are in a threshold time. A season between what life was like pre-covid-19. And what life will be like after this time of isolation. We don’t fully know what life will be like “on the other side”. And that not really knowing, has filled us with mixed emotions. Including anxiety.
In his devotional, Rohr talks about we often wish for times like these to be over. To move as quickly as we can through the disorientation. But, he asks, what if instead of rushing to get through it, we choose to experience this liminal time as a place of creativity, of construction and deconstruction, choice and transformation? In other words, Rohr challenges us to re-frame our experience. To re-focus on what we can become out of this season. To use this time as a time of re-development. Rather than just survive it.
Rohr argues that by intentionally leaning into this liminal time we will learn to draw on resources and possibilities we have not tapped before. And that – if we attend, we can feel the Holy Spirit moving in us in a way that we may not be aware of in more settled times. Is it possible that this season of isolation will deepen your connection to God’s Spirit?
The Scriptures say that God is able to use even the difficulties in life to bless us. Romans 8:28 says – And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. What is God doing in your life right now? What is God creating within you during this season of pandemic? Are you encountering His presence today differently than you did 6 months ago?
I am confident of this: God is with you. And God is at work within you. Using even this transitional time for your benefit. For the benefit of your neighbor. And for the benefit of God’s Kingdom! May you feel the Holy Spirit moving in you in new and exciting ways today. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever caught your dinner? When I was ten, my father took me charter fishing on Lake Michigan. If you have been to Lake Michigan you know it’s a GREAT BIG lake. Thousand miles around. Waves can get over twenty feet. That afternoon I caught my first Coho salmon. A solid 8 pounder. We took it home and ate it for dinner. And it was delicious! No offense to my vegetarian friends, there is something about catching your supper that brings satisfaction.
Have you ever been caught for dinner? It’s a silly question considering you are still here watching this. But my favorite book in the Old Testament is Jonah. There is so much in just a few pages that even though I have been studying it for years, and I am still discovering hidden gems in it. You know the story. Jonah is a prophet who has been called by God to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. Jonah doesn’t want to go. So, he boards a ship and heads in the opposite direction. Cue the large storm. Jonah being thrown over the side. And a GREAT FISH sent by God. Now the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17
Sometimes preachers will jump through all kinds of hoops to explain this part of the story. They discuss fish size. They point to various examples of folks being swallowed by a fish. And explain different ways someone might possibly survive. But here is the thing. The Book of Jonah is not a history textbook. It’s a theological allegory. It’s a story that makes a point about God. The question isn’t if someone can live inside of a fish. The real question is this: what do you do when a GREAT FISH has swallowed you?
The truth is, at some point or another, we all encounter our whale. A challenge, a threat, an overwhelming problem that swallows us up. It might be health. It might be grief. It might be financial crisis. It might be loneliness. It might even be this difficult season of isolation during the pandemic.
The Good News is that God is greater than the Great FISH that swallowed Jonah! The Bible says that the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. And God is greater than any GREAT FISH that we will encounter! God is not confined by our isolation. God is not limited by a lack of resources. God can overcome the darkest of places. Even the belly of a whale at the bottom of the ocean. As resurrection people, we know that God is not even stopped by death. Thanks be to God!
Again, the question is, what will you do when a GREAT FISH swallows you up? Jonah prayed. Specifically, he prayed the Scriptures. Eight times in ten verses he quotes the Psalms. What threatens to swallow you today? What is causing your life to stink? Where do you feel out of options? Talk to God about it. And as you do, draw on phrases from the Psalms. Phrases like – In my distress I called to the Lord and He answered me (Psalm 120:1).
Some scholars argue that Jonah didn’t start praying until after three days and three nights. But I think Jonah had barely cleared the tonsils before he began to talk to God. There is something about being in the belly of a whale that brings perspective. And there is something about prayer that opens us up to the power of God. The apostle Paul says that the very power that raised Christ from the dead is available to us as followers of Jesus!
It is my prayer that as we continue in this season of isolation, God will fill you with His resurrection power and deliver you! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*Technical difficulties led to twice deleted audio files. Look for audio devotion coming soon!
Happy Monday! Here are some of the best articles around the Christian web right now.
~Rev. Craig Blocher
I used to play. Donated lots of dollars to the cause. Set aside large chunks of time to the pursuit. Had all the right equipment. Took lessons. Even watched others play on TV. After all, aren’t preachers supposed to play golf? It’s in the job description isn’t it? Truthfully, I was always frustrated. I like to excel. But no matter how hard I tried, how much I played I was terrible. I was a lot like Jeff Foxworthy. He once said that every time he went golfing, they would have to check him for ticks. Because he would spend half the day in the woods! So, I gave it up. Gave away the clubs. Haven’t stepped on a green since.
Even so, its golf that I am thinking about today. In particular, a little golfing practice called the mulligan. A mulligan, as you know, is basically a do-over. An extra shot every 9 holes or so that isn’t counted on the scorecard. I once heard Rick Warren give a sermon about this. And how God wants to give us a mulligan. Warren’s analogy is a bit limited theologically. But the premise is solid. Our God doesn’t keep a scorecard. His goal isn’t for us to get things exactly right. Our God is God of second chances. And fourth chances and five hundred chances.
God gave Moses a second chance after he committed murder. God gave Sampson another chance after he confessed the source of his strength to Delilah. And God gave David a second chance after committing adultery. Jonah was called by God to go to Nineveh and preach against it. Jonah didn’t want to go. So he gets on a ship and sails in the opposite direction. A storm, a big fish, three nights of prayer and one disgusting exit. And then, Jonah chapter 3:1 – the word of the Lord came to Jonah a SECOND TIME. Even though he had rebelled and ran away, God gave Jonah a second chance.
It’s Good Friday. On this day-long ago, Jesus was nailed to a cross. Something Jesus willingly endured to show us how deep and wide God’s love is for us. Along the way, Jesus demonstrated again and again God’s mercy and grace. Towards the crowds, the religious leaders and the soldiers who crucify him. Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Towards the thief who hung on the cross next to him. Today you will be with me in paradise. And to Peter. Despite his pledge of faith, denying Jesus three times. But God gives Peter a second chance. When Easter morning comes the angel at the tomb specifically instructs Mary to go and tell the disciples AND PETER that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee.
And that gives me hope! How many times have I have disobeyed God’s will in my life? How many times have I turned my back on His presence? Created other idols before Him? Sought my own way rather than God’s way? How many times have I caused hurt to others, was careless with God’s blessings, ignored God’s word and hoarded God’s grace? The truth is I need a God of second chances. I need a God of the Mulligan!
I think it was Bob Hope who said – I went to play golf once. I tried to shoot my age. But shot my weight instead (http://www.golfjokes.com/quotes/). I try to do what is right. Live a love for others. But I inevitably fall short. I shoot my weight instead of my age. What about you? Where do you fall short of God’s call? Where do you struggle to show love? In what areas do you need a do-over? Thanks be to God for Good Friday. Thanks be to God that our God is the God of the second chance!
God bless you on this most important day! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
It was cold and dark. And while the stars started out, they didn’t stay. Suddenly, the wind picked up. By “picked up” I mean that the wind blew away anything that wasn’t tied down. It screamed through the trees. And knocked over tents. And then the skies opened up. And the rain came pouring down.
We were five nights out on our trip. It had seemed like a good idea to take the youth of my church on a hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail. And in fact, it had been a wonderful experience. Until that night, the weather had been beautiful. But now I was huddled under a plastic tarp. And the truth is, I was afraid. There is something about being several thousand feet closer to the sky that makes storms appear so much more violent. Not to mention the inability to go anywhere. Where was I going to go? I couldn’t avoid it. I was in it.
Sort of like now. We are in a storm. A perfect storm of illness, isolation, financial uncertainty and an unknown future. Not to mention the lack of options. Where are we going to go? The hurricane comes and we can run to another part of the state. Or we can hunker down knowing that it will all blow over in a few days. But not now. And truth be told it’s a bit scary.
I was reading in my devotional the other day. It’s called Streams in the Desert by L.B.E. Cowman. And it was talking about the different storms we encounter in life. And how they can often spur us towards God. The storms of temptation for example, can appear cruel. But they can also increase the intensity and honesty of our prayers. And the storms of grief. They are difficult. But they can also deepen our dependence upon God. Cowman wasn’t saying that God caused the storms. But rather that God could use the storms to strengthen our faith and deepen our relationship with God.
Which leads me to wonder. How are you doing in this COVID-19 storm? These days, are you more aware of God’s presence? Or less? Are you being led closer to the arms of Christ? Or farther away? The Psalmist in Psalm 121 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber.”
There is an old story about a hiker that got too close to the rim of a canyon and plunged over. Halfway down he crashes into a branch and grabs ahold for dear life. As he is hanging there, he begins to call for help. Help. Help. Can anyone hear me? And this voice comes down from heaven. Yes, I hear you. Who’s there? It’s me – God. Oh, thank you says the hiker. Please help me. There is no way for me to get up. To which God says – just let go of the branch and I will catch you. The hiker thinks for a moment and yells. Is there anyone else up there?
In other words, it takes faith. God is our strength. And God is our help. God is vigilante and will not rest in His provision. The question is: Do we trust Him? Are we placing our faith in Him? Or are we distracted by the storm clouds? “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
I am praying for you. And I am asking for God’s blessing and God’s provision. And that God would strengthen your faith during this storm. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I am a stress eater. I channel my anxiety into food. Which means I am pretty much-eating everything in sight these days! The other day, we sent our kids to the grocery store. Big mistake! Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful they went. But they came home with $200 worth of pop-tarts, oatmeal cream pies, chocolate frosting, and ice cream. It’s killing me! I am going to have to join Weight Watchers if this self-isolation lasts much longer!
One of the things I have learned about myself is that I have a scarcity mentality. I naturally get worried that there is not going to be enough. Not enough food that I want. Not enough money to go around. Not enough resources for me to thrive. And this scarcity mentality has really been triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. It gets me all worked up when I can’t find hamburger or pasta at the grocery store. Don’t get me started on toilet paper!
Of course, these are minor issues when compared to things like medical care or employment. Many in our community and church family are dealing with difficult questions over resources. It is easy right now to be anxious. It is easy right now to live in a mindset of scarcity. But here is what we need to focus on. Our God is a God unexpected abundance!
During my devotions this week, I was reading the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6. And in particular, the story of the feeding of the 5000. Where the crowds had flocked to Jesus. And the disciples come to Jesus and tell him to send the crowds away. Because there wasn’t enough food. In response, Jesus tells the disciples – “you give them something to eat.” (Mark 6:37). The disciples are flabbergasted! How could they possibly do that? Where could they find such an enormous quantity of food? All they had were a few loaves of bread and a few fish. They have a scarcity mentality. And it keeps them from seeing who Jesus really is.
As you know, Jesus takes the bread and blesses it. He breaks it and has the disciples pass it out to the crowds. And from a few loaves of bread and fish, thousands are fed. And there are even 12 baskets of leftovers! Our God is a God of surprising generosity!
Where am I going with this? Well, our mindset has a profound impact on how we live our lives. Our God has promised to meet our needs (Philippians 4:19). Not our wants. But our needs. Do you believe this? Do you trust that God is a God who is able and who desires to care for us? What can you do today to express your trust in God’s abundance?
And our mindset has huge implications for how we share with our neighbors. Most likely, if you are reading this, you have been greatly blessed. What about the others around you? What about your neighbor who has been forced into isolation by the pandemic? What can you do to reach out and share with them today?
Our God never wastes anything. God is going to use this time. Even having to go on a quest for hamburger meat and toilet paper. Even the very real anxiety we have over medical care and employment. God didn’t cause these things. But God is able to use these things to draw us all closer to the foot of God’s throne. So I challenge you today to turn to Him and ask Him for His abundance. And I will join you in asking for God to reveal God’s surprising generosity in your life today! God be with you! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Though we are experiencing many changes in our day-to-day life, know your faith community is here for you. We encourage you to invite your friends and family to subscribe to our church-wide mailing list to receive this inspirational message.
The recent days behind us and the coming days before us are proving to be uncertain, fluid, and changing. We aim to keep our faith community up-to-date with information regarding FUMCWP as soon as we have those changes available. Please visit our webpage devoted to COVID-19 for all current information.
In the midst of the uncertainty around us, FUMCWP leadership and clergy want you to know that we are here for you and our local community. Here are just a few ways to stay connected with us:
Below is a recent post from Pastor David’s realm group, “Leadership Matters…”. To join this group, get connected at fumcwp.org/realm.
“If you are like me, you find yourself more and more checking the latest update on the web, watching the news and discussing COVID-19 with friends. I confess that I get this way every couple of years. Whenever a major hurricane seems likely to come through. Only this seems even more threatening. Because there is so much unknown. And because it has affected and yes – devastated so many.
And yet, in this season of anxiety, there are two things I find myself claiming. The first is community. In particular, my church family. My first reaction to every bit of news is to shut down, to back away, to withdraw. But deep inside I know that this cannot be sustained. There will be more distress ahead. There will be other things that bring anxiety. Life is constantly changing. And life contains threats. To navigate these changes and threats, I need others. I cannot imagine distancing myself from the strength, the encouragement, the care and the faith of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now, please hear me when I say that I absolutely understand and support everyone who feels they need to refrain from gathering with our church family in person. The “in person” part is key. Our love for each other dictates that we do not harm others. Furthermore, we are to be especially mindful of those parts of our church family that are more vulnerable. When it comes to gathering, we must be thinking of others and not just our own desires.
It’s important to remember that there are other ways we can participate in the body of Christ. We live in an era of wonderful technology that allows us to text, email, call, video conference, share pictures, meet on-line. The key will be to make an extra effort to remain connected. When this season passes and life in person resumes, we don’t want to feel like we went backward in our relationships. Or that we lost touch with those who share our lives. So, let’s commit to touching base with others in the family (electronically)! Your brothers and sisters need you to reach out to them so that they can experience your support, your strength, your encouragement in Christ.
The second thing that I claim is that faith is not a feeling. It can sound a bit cliché when we are uncertain and afraid. But then it is when we are uncertain and afraid that we need to trust in God’s promises over our feelings all the more. I was reading in my devotion guide the other day. And it said this, “Be sure to distinguish between the fact of God’s presence and the feeling of the fact.” It went on to say, “Trust God’s Word and His power more than you trust your own feelings and experiences.” That really hit home for me. Jesus said that he was with us ALWAYS. So, take care of yourself, your family and your neighbor. Be wise. Prepare. AND through it all trust that God is present. That God is at work. And that God knows what you need.
One last thought! Perhaps this is a time when our church can surprise the world! To live in such a way that our neighbors grow curious about our behavior. Maybe it’s a time all the more to show our love for each other and our neighbor. Could it be that our current season is a time to demonstrate faith? When so many in our families and community have anxiety, we can point the way to the love of Christ that drives out fear.
Praying for you and yours!”
~ Pastor David
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Winter Park 125 N. Interlachen Ave Winter Park, FL 32789
407-644-2906
Reeves Center 1100 N. Fern Creek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803
407-894-2237
Copyright ©2021 First United Methodist Church Winter Park.
