Breathe on me. Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou does love, and do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God – 420 UMH
O God, the Holy Spirit,
Come to us, and among us;
Come as the wind, and cleanse us;
Come as the fire, and burn;
Come as the dew, and refresh;
Convict, covert, and consecrate many hearts and lives
To our great good
And to thy greater glory;
And this we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit – 335 UMH
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11
Greetings in the Name of the Risen Christ!
God does have a big sense of humor. When I received my call into ministry, I still suffered from panic attacks and disabling anxiety. Simply attending an event was overwhelming; the thought of having to speak was more than terrifying. If I was asked to speak, my throat would often close, my chest tightened, and my eyes teared. What was God thinking when God asked me to become a pastor?
I found myself singing the song about, Breathe on me. Breath of God, as a daily, moment to moment, practice to ease the anxiety. I sang it silently but continually. As I began accepting my call: attending meetings, school, visitations, leading worship, and more. I prayed the prayer above before each encounter, inviting the Holy Spirit to come and carry me. It never failed. The Holy Spirit calmed my fears and gave me the confidence to walk in my faith.
June 4, 2017, we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the people. It is a gift of God’s self to each of us personally. What a good and generous God. I hope you will among us as we worship Sunday.
You are encouraged to wear red clothes on Sunday. Red is the color which symbolizes the Holy Spirit. You are also invited to bring a bright colored flower for the altar. Following worship, these flowers will be planted in the gardens along the driveways. Thank you to the mysterious planter who filled three planters with beautiful pink flowers by the driveway door.
Following worship, we will have a breakfast sponsored by the Men’s group. Proceeds will go to support camp scholarships at UMC camps. Scholarship applications are in the narthex or speak with me. We are in need of men to assist in the breakfast and clean up. Please come and lend a hand! Starting time is 8:15 am.
A lot is happening at Epworth UMC. It isn’t the same without you; so I hope you will join us.
In Christ’s Light and Love,
Pastor Pat