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The latest at Irvington United Methodist Church

Stay up to date with the happenings of Irvington United Methodist Church by visiting our blog. You'll find information such as announcements, sermon notes and thoughts from our pastor to encourage and challenge your walk with the Lord.

Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/21/2022

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"Every time God forgives us, God is saying that God's own rules do not matter as much as the relationship God wants to create with us." (Richard Rohr)

In my sermon prep for this week, I have read - reread actually - some words from Richard Rohr, an American Franciscan priest. We, as a society, couldn't exist without rules. We have laws we live by, but there are also the unwritten rules that generally, although not always, keep us at least minimally civil to one another (suc...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/20/2022

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Who do you trust most? Some might say a parent or a spouse, but what are your thoughts about trusting God? Do you believe that God is for you? Do you believe that God has a plan for your life? In a real sense, do you believe that God will show up when needed?

These are great questions, but difficult ones. We say we believe in God, but too often we place our trust in others before God. Perhaps it's because we think God is occupied (or preoccupied) with bigger things. Perhaps...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/19/2022

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I have two days of Zoom meetings ahead of me and am less than thrilled at the prospect. So, to try and retain my sense of humor, I looked for some "interesting" ponderings for my day. Here's what I found:

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and you get rid of all but just one, what do you call it?If it was only a 3-hour cruise, why did Mrs. Howell have so many clothes?Why is it called a hamburger, when it’s made out of beef?If “Con” is the opposite of “Pro”, then what is t...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/18/2022

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In case you hadn't noticed, it's officially gotten cold. That shouldn't come as a surprise to those of us who continue to live in Indiana, but every year I hear exclamations of shock as if we thought it would never happen. This year will be different from all the other years - it will be warmer, the skies will be bluer, the trees will be greener. All those things will happen, of course. In about 2-3 months. 

What do we do while we're waiting? We can sit at home, nestle in, ...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/17/2022

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Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are a few quotes for you to ponder:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?"“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stan...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/14/2022

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I am having one of those mornings where I woke up early, got a load of laundry started, cleaned up some of the kitchen, and then sat down. Since I prefer not to think of myself as lazy, I offer you this quote by Albert Einstein: "How do we think well? It’s when we sit quietly, staring out the window and have blocks of time when nothing else is happening."

My day will get busy before too long, and I suspect yours will as well if it hasn't already. But sometimes we get so bus...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/13/2022

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A new perspective on a new day by Maya Angelou: "This is a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before."

What a great perspective to bring to each new day!

...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/12/2022

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Every year at about this time, I wonder why I continue to live in Indiana. I get through December just fine, but then I just seem to stall. It's cold, it's dark, the skies are gray, the grass is brown, the trees are naked. I've had plenty of opportunities to move over the years, and when I went to law school out-of-state, my intent was never to come back. But here I am ... and most of you reading this are here as well. 

I think it's human nature to be dissatisfied with what...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/11/2022

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While traditional hymns are my "go to" in worship and in my devotional time when I want to bring in music, occasionally I listen to more contemporary Christian music. Yesterday I couldn't get the words of "I Refuse" by Josh Wilson out of my head:

Sometimes I, I just wanna close my eyesAnd act like everyone's alright when I know they're notThis world needs GodBut it's easier to stand and watchI could say a prayer and just move onLike nothin's wrongBut I refuse'Cause I don't ...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/10/2022

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Yesterday morning, I was reminded about what church can look like when things don't go as expected. We had no heat in the sanctuary and it was cold! So, shortly beforehand we pivoted and held church in the parlor. I brought in a small guitar amp and microphone, and we grabbed chairs, hymnals, bulletins, etc. and made sure people coming in got directed to the right place. David played the piano, Lisa read Scripture, we sang songs from the hymnal, and Ethan live-streamed for...
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Ponderings: Fred Rogers

by: Denise Robinson

01/07/2022

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This morning I was looking at the books on a shelf. I do that occasionally to see if there's one, or two, I can part with; most often, the answer is no! Anyway, I happen to have a book written by Fred Rogers (you know Mr. Rogers) and I opened it. Here are some of his quotes:

As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has- or ever will have- something inside that is...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/06/2022

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Try - and oh boy, how hard it is - to find the good in people and not the bad . . . Nobody is perfect. Certainly not me. So, look for the good in others. Forget the other. Clara Barton, founder and president of the Red Cross, was once reminded of a wrong a friend had done to her years earlier. "Don't you remember," the friend asked. "No," Clara replied firmly. "I distinctly remember forgetting that." Not bad advice. Take a lesson from George [President George H. W. Bush]. ...
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Ponderings: Kindness

by: Denise Robinson

01/05/2022

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Thoughts on kindness:

Three things in life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.  (Henry James, author)The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.  (Ann Landers, advice columnist)Who can you be kind to today?...
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Ponderings

by: Denise Robinson

01/04/2022

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The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take i

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Ponderings: Grace

by: Denise Robinson

01/03/2022

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Louis Cassels, a religious columnist, once wrote: "Catholics think of grace as a supernatural power which God dispenses, primarily through the Church and its sacraments, to purify the souls of naturally sinful beings, and render them capable of holiness .... Protestants think of grace as an attribute of God rather than a gift from God. It is a shorthand term signifying God's determination to love, forgive, and save His human children, however little they deserve it."

Which ...
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