Pastor Paul's PostsA United Methodist minister for the last 25 years, this page contains journal posts beginning in 2017.
I hope to post pastoral comments here in the future as opportunities arise. |
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Hi Friends,
As I sit today in the church office provided for your pastor, I pray for each family of our congregation by name and ask for a blessing of faith, hope, and love for each. I include your connections in the community by which we extend our reach into the world. I also pray for the numerous persons who have joined our ONLINE WORSHIP community in the last two months. We have experienced a very different springtime here in our hill country hamlet. On March 19th, we made the decision to close our church facilities to IN-PERSON Worship and Fellowship pending the growing pandemic, a potential of community spread of the coronavirus, and the impact of COVID-19 to the more vulnerable among us. Two months have passed. I have learned so much about the Church. For one thing, we can adapt. We do have the capacity for change in our lives whether it is comfortable or not. I have witnessed so many of you being willing and patient in the process of adaptation, Thank you! For another thing, we can care for one another. When the hospitals closed to visitors and families except in dire situations, pastors and care visitors found themselves unable to visit those in the hospital. That was tough on this pastor. My own Dad spent some time by himself at Peterson RMC during this time. And so many of you offered care to one another in a variety of ways during this time: writing cards and letters, making telephone calls, sending text messages, and using email effectively to share information. Some of you volunteered to coordinate a new Local Food Pantry ministry for those in our community needing support in difficult times. WE CAN ADAPT AND WE CAN CARE! This proves to me that this local church congregation has what it takes to survive what comes next. What comes next? Your guess is as good as mine. No, really; no matter how much we desire our daily routines to return to what they were, I believe that our future is one that will require us to utilize our best skills of adaptation and care. Your pastor and your worship music leaders and teams are planning a summertime worship experience at both 8:30 am and 11:00 am which is tailored for ONLINE WORSHIP AND LIMITED INSIDE SEATING. We begin that experiment JUNE 7th. I buried the lead, but if you read this far you found a nugget of information. More importantly, I hope you know how much this pastor and family love you and miss seeing you regularly. May the blessings of adaptation and care guide us all in the days to come. Along the Way Pastor Paul Rev Paul Harris Pastor Hunt United Methodist Church
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This year Mothers’ Day celebration will be different. But then, there are so many things different about our current situation. I am sure there is a season of grace in how we ritualize the day.
I will not be able to bring my mother flowers on May 10th. We won’t be dining together. My card will be mailed instead of delivered in person. Well all that is okay because so many have had to deal with this many times before. Celebration from a distance. What I will be doing is sitting on my truck tailgate curbside while Mom sits on her apartment balcony. We have to speak rather loudly. It’s a workable solution to be present with each other for a little while. That’s the thing about a celebration of Mothers’ Day - we remember the presence of someone special in our lives that has provided mothering love to us. Holy and sacred is the celebration of God’s presence with us. Not far from that is the relationship many of us have been blessed to experience in a MOM. Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mothers, and to all those who have graciously served in that role! Hugs on the horizon, Pastor Paul |
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Author: Paul E HarrisJournal posts from a pastor and spiritual friend Archives
October 2023
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