Ms Lesley

Graduation is a special day for you. It marks the completion of your secondary education. It is a symbolic passage into adulthood. It is a springboard into an unknown and, hopefully, exciting future. It is an opportunity for a new beginning.

Today is special, too. Today you will see one more time that your family is bigger than you may realize. Today you will remember the truth of one of my favorite phrases: “The church is not a place that you go, it’s the people you are.”

The church gathers around you again today because you are God’s child, full of value and worthy of love. When you see the faces of the hundreds of people who pray for you regularly, I pray that graduation will become more than the end of an era or a milestone of independence. Because of days like today, I pray that graduation will become a sweet reminder that you have always been loved, that you always will be loved—that you, at all times and places in your life, are deeply loved by God.

Remember that God doesn’t live on Conyers St. Remember that the church doesn’t only meet in these buildings. God is everywhere. The church exists everywhere as people seek God through Christ our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are a part of that church and you should always be connected with others who seek God. You hold a special place in our hearts.

Thank you for your love, life, and witness to Christ. May you continue to grow in grace, seeking Christ each day and, therefore, living a life that looks more like Jesus with every passing minute.

You may leave Camden County High School. Some of you may be leaving home. However, you can never leave the heart of God. I love you all.

Pax,

Rev. Jim Morrow

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3

May 16, 2010. Senior Recognition Sunday.

St. Marys United Methodist Church.

First Baptist Church, St. Marys

Guest Speaker:  P.J. Harrison, 1991-1995 Offensive Tackle for the University of Florida.

Come and support our seniors!

Please note that the date is now TBA to allow for everyone to celebrate our seniors at the Baccalaureate service on Wed., May 19th at 7pm @ First Baptist St. Marys.

The SMUMC Youth Ministries Adult Leadership Team will be meeting soonto make final preparations for the first part of our youth ministries transition.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns, please make them known either through private message or by emailing Pastor Jim or a member of the team.

We will schedule a ministry-wide information meeting shortly after this meeting.

Shalom!

Jim

With the BBQ Lunch and Auction combined, I estimate that we raised $4,500 yesterday! That is wonderful! Our church and community are very generous!

A special thanks to our fund raising coordinators, all of our adult leaders who went above and beyond, ASP parents, and, most of all, our student workers!

What ‘s in the Auction? Click for a list!

BBQ Tickets are available for $6 at the church office.

ALSO: Everytime eat at Ops, when you pay for your meal, please tell them that you would like this to be credited to SMUMC.  10% of you order will be given back to us for ASP

(You can also visit http://tinyurl.com/aspsilentauction)

The auction is Sunday, May 2nd from 8am – 1pm in Bailey Hall. Join us for the auction! (You can also enjoy a BBQ lunch while you bid! Tickets go on sale soon!).

We have some great items for auction already! Will you add yours for this great cause?

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

One student astutely asked me what or who Jesus was referring to when he said “these.”

I was quite proud.   Not only did I appreciate that he was actually listening to what I was saying, I appreciated that he was critically reading the scripture and felt the strong need to understand what it says.

So:  who or what is Jesus talking about here when he says “do you love me more than these?”  (for a quick answer, jump down to my interpretive translation).

There appears to be 2 options in answering this question:

1. Jesus wants to know if Peter loves him more than he loves the other disciples.
2. Jesus wants to know if Peter will still confess that Peter loves Jesus more than the other disciples.

I feel that option 2 is what Jesus is going for.  You may remember that in John 13 Peter claims that he would lay down his life for Jesus.  A similar account goes like this:

But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”  Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.  –Matthew 26:32-35

So Jesus’ question could be understood this way:

“Peter, you were very outspoken in telling me that you love me more than anyone else love me.  Then you blatantly denied me 3 times in front of many people.  I know it and you know it.

Now I am standing in front of you again and all of the disciples are here.  Will you still tell me that you love me more than anyone else?”  (Jim’s interpretative translation)

What do you think?