Weekly Roundup: Sunday, November 10, 2024
An Uncomfortable Dinner
Luke 7: 36 - 50
Do you ever look at someone and see only what you want to see? Do you draw lines, put people in boxes, and keep them there because it feels easier? Safe?
Imagine yourself at a table, your dinner party, watching a stranger walk in. You don’t know their story, only that they are not like you. Do you make space for them? Or do you keep them at a distance, thinking they don’t belong?
Are you so sure of your own place at the table that you forget to make room for someone else?
Simon throws a party. I don’t like Simon. He is arrogant, rude, self-righteous, and judgmental. I like watching Jesus make Simon squirm and put his judgmental self in his place. “The one who is forgiven little loves little,” Jesus says (Luke 7: 47).
I like watching Simon’s face go red and seeing him embarrassed and humiliated until I realize Jesus has gotten me. I am no better than Simon. I am Simom.
It doesn’t take me very long to realize that my judgmental and critical spirit has kept a person like the sinful woman away from the table of grace with the resources to restore her. What she needs is a community that understands forgiveness.
“Do you see this woman?” (Luke 7:44). There is a cost to seeing. It will force us to realize things about ourselves that we would rather not see.
Pastor Jamey
(https://jameyprickett.com/2024/11/02/sunday-inspiration-sunday-november-3-2024/ to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Weekend Prayer
Forgiving God, Help us see each person through the eyes of Christ—with compassion and kindness. Teach us to create a community where grace replaces judgment and where every soul feels welcome to say, “Thank you” for the gift of forgiveness. Amen.
Wisdom Nugget: There’s a cost to seeing others as Jesus does—it makes us face uncomfortable truths about ourselves. But it's worth it. #SeeWithGrace
A Question to Consider: What actions can you take this week to show someone they are seen, valued, and invited to the “table” of community and grace?
Meme of the week
Dad Jokes
What did the horse say after it tripped? Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup!
What do you call an angry carrot? A steamed veggie!
Photo Taken By Me
Book I am reading this week
The Character of Virtue: Letters to a Godson by Stanley Hauerwas
Found Interesting on Social Media
Podcast Worth Listening to:
Articles that caught my eye:
Cancer-Detecting “Lollipops” Could Sweeten the Future of Diagnostic Testing
Chris Pratt: Win or Lose, My Hope Is We Show Up for Each Other
Why You Might Need an Adventure
Why Dining Rooms Are Disappearing From American Homes
The Perils of Audience Capture
After their son came out, this conservative Christian couple went into a closet of their own
Make a Difference
Give Joy to a Child this Christmas!
During the month of November First Kids, Student Ministry and GFUMC Preschool will collect money to purchase Christmas gifts for kids at Murphy Harpst, on Wednesday, November 20 in the Children’s Worship Center, we will virtually shop the Amazon Wish List put together by Murphy Harpst and we will purchase items on that list with the money we collected. Those Christmas gifts will be sent directly to Murphy Harpst.
What does Murphy Harpst Do?
Counties across Georgia are struggling under the weight of an overwhelming need: abused and neglected young people outpace the resources to provide for them. Murphy-Harpst, stands in the gap by working alongside local and state agencies to provide residential treatment, specialized foster care placements and community programs to serve at-risk children and their families.
To learn more about Murphy Harpst visit murphyharpst.org
Giving Goal: $600
Select ‘Special Offering’ and in the memo type “Murphy Harpst”
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia
Veterans Day Concert - Remember and Honor
Monday, November 11, 2024 / 7:00 PM Free Admission
The Believers Concert Band is excited to present a special Veterans Day tribute concert to honor our veterans and their families and thank them for their sacrifices in service to our country. The 50-piece band will present patriotic music with familiar favorites and new pieces.
Weekly Blessing and/or Quotes
As you go through life, may you carry the grace of Christ in your heart, letting it fill every corner of your life. May you see others as Jesus sees them—not with judgment, but with a love that welcomes and forgives. Let His grace guide you to build a community that invites, restores, and unites.
