Rest in the Word

2/23/25 – Mars Hill UMC                                                                        Woodlawn Movie  The One Way Have you ever watched the movie Woodlawn ? It’s based on a true story about the Woodlawn High School football team. When I first came to this country, I had no idea about football. But I’ve been learning about it through movies. Now, I can even laugh when my kids tell me jokes like, “Why did the football coach go to the bank? To get his quarterback.” In the early 1970s, Woodlawn High School in Alabama was filled with racial tensions due to segregation. Miami Dolphins superstar running back Tony Nathan and several other Black players joined the school's predominantly white football team. The team clashed both on and off the field. After a riot at the school, Coach Tandy Gerelds...

                             Hodgdon Sunday School                                Made by Lydia Han (Luke 6:20-23)   2.16. 25 Hodgdon UMC Family Worship <The Beatitude in the world> Are you blessed? Do you feel blessed? The word "blessed" comes from Old English blēdsian or blētsian , which comes from the word blōd , meaning "blood." Long ago, it may have meant "marked or set apart with blood." Later, people used it to translate the Latin word benedicere , which means "to praise or worship." Being blessed is more than just feeling happy for a little while. It means being in a good and right relationship with God . Christians use this word because we are set apart by the sacrifices in the Old Testament and by Jesus' blood in the New Testament . The Bible tells us many times who is truly blessed. We see it ...

                                                                                  (Exodus 3:7-12, Luke 5:1-11) 2.9.25. Mars Hill UMC Going Before Me Imagine a teenage girl growing up as a pastor’s kid. She was raised in the church and has her own faith, but lately, she has begun to question. She asks herself, “What if I weren’t a pastor’s kid? Would I still believe in God? God is invisible—does He really exist? Is He even alive?” Determined to find answers, she spends 5-6 hours praying in the sanctuary. She tells herself that if she discovers God isn’t real, she will stop going to church. She can’t waste her life on something that doesn’t exist. So, she cries out, “Are you real, God? Are you there?” Suddenly, she feels something. On her closed eyelids, she begins to see a pa...

Burning Bushes by Marc Chagall  (Exodus 3:7-12) 2.2.25. Hodgdon UMC Going Before Me Imagine a teenage girl growing up as a pastor’s kid. She has been raised in the church and has her own faith, but lately, she begins to question. She asks herself, “What if I weren’t a pastor’s kid? Would I still believe in God? God is invisible—does He really exist? Is He even alive?” Determined to find answers, she spends 5-6 hours praying in the sanctuary. She tells herself that if she discovers God isn’t real, she will stop going to church. She can’t waste her life on something that doesn’t exist. So, she cries out, “Are you real, God? Are you there?” Suddenly, she feels something. On her closed eyelids, she begins to see a panorama of moments in her life where God was undeniably present. She feels God’s presence filling every part of her body as if her nerves and cells are sparking with the Holy Spirit. She cannot deny that God is in her—He has been in her memory, her body, and her...

Acts 7:9-16 1/26/25 Mars Hill UMC Family Worship   <Ice Suncatcher> Have you ever waited for freezing weather? Usually, we don’t, but recently my children and I wished for cold weather so that our ice suncatcher wouldn’t melt. A few weeks ago, we made it with dried flowers that held memories. Pink carnations were from last Valentine’s Day. Purple and yellow petals came from flowers my husband gave me after my last surgery. Happy and sad moments are woven into that ice. It shines beautifully in the cold. This reminds me of Romans 8:28: “All things work for good to those who love God and live according to His will.” Like the suncatcher, our lives hold invisible moments—woven together with joys and sorrows. When God’s light shines through them, they reflect His glory.   <Joseph’s Suncatcher> The Bible paints a beautiful picture of God’s work in Joseph’s life, much like a suncatcher reflecting light through every trial and triumph. Joseph was the long...