Soon we will be moving from our month of consecration into a month of gratitude, leading up to Thanksgiving. But when I think about it, the two go hand in hand. Consecration comes from a heart of gratitude. Gratitude for a loving God who calls us to a greater work.
Consecration is when we set our agenda aside and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Consecration is an act of wholeheartedness. It is when we commit our whole selves, - mind, body, and soul – to the One who created us. Everything we are and everything that is connected to us, our family, jobs, hopes, dreams, and desires, we see the sacredness in them.
And consecration is when we, the church, put ourselves into the hands of the God who seeks justice for all. What we do as the body of Christ, we do in partnership with God, with others, and in ministry to all the world until Christ returns. I love the fact that we get to be in partnership! That means that we are not alone. God, through Jesus Christ, is leading us by the power of His Spirit who lives in every believer. And when we connect with other believers, we form a mighty spiritual army that no one can defeat! The power of partnering. But it starts with consecration.
This Sunday is our Consecration Sunday. We will sing together, pray together, and hear the proclamation together in worship. Our District Superintendent for the new Northeast District, Rev. Robin Bell, will be our guest preacher. And at the end of the service, as an act of worship, we will each have the opportunity to consecrate our giving to the Lord through our pledge.
After worship, we will gather together for a delicious Celebration Luncheon! The best thing is, you don’t have to cook a thing! What could be better? Worship, consecration, food, and great fellowship! I can’t wait. I look forward to being with you on Sunday at 10:00 am! Our online worship will still be available at www.umcgt.org.
History in the Making! Built in 1894, “African School No. 4” is the oldest surviving one-room schoolhouse for African Americans in Missouri. The building has been moved to Faust Park’s Historic Village, where it will be restored, furnished, and maintained. Interpretive signage will tell the story of Black students in Chesterfield and the families who built a school for their children. I recently read about this piece of Chesterfield history and inquired about it. What I discovered was that the St. Louis County Parks Foundation is looking for an organization to bring a group of folks to help with chinking and dobbing. Putting rocks & mortar between the logs and mixing the mortar. Guess what – that’s going to be US! Green Trails Church is going to be a part of history in the making by helping to restore this 127 year old school! If you would like to be part of this historic event, I’ll have an informational meeting after church on 10/30. You can read more about it on the Parks website: https://www.stlcountyparksfoundation.org/schoolhouse.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:3-6
Blessings!
Pastor Linda
Comments