Well, Happy New Year! The year 2025 is coming in like a wrecking ball! There are fires in the west, rain in some areas, and we’re still experiencing our own snowmageddon! Prayers are much needed.
Things don’t always go according to our plans, do they? We get caught off guard by emergencies and things that put a monkey wrench in our plans. But I hear God speaking to us in the midst of it all:
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
How do you get the kind of faith that can stand in that verse and proclaim it with confidence? Even as your life’s memories have been relegated to smoldering ashes? How can you see past the plans you made that are now lying in a heap at your feet? By looking to the Master Plan.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
When we learn to trust in the Lord even more, we will be like trees whose roots go down deep. So deep that they are constantly watered, producing fruit of their own. I’ve heard countless stories of folks who lost their homes in the CA fires, yet stopped to help others. There is a tenacity of the human spirit that longs to survive and to thrive! That, my friends, is the Spirit of the Living God who lives in us, and spurs us on in the midst of tragedy.
Last week, the church was closed due to the snow, and yet the Word of God still went forth. Not only through the message posted on the website, but through your words and actions. Every phone call made checking on friends and family, every card sent, every prayer prayed was God’s care on display! When you’re deeply rooted in Christ, you will find ways to bless others. It’s all part of the plan. What plan? The Master Plan created by the Master Planner, the Almighty Architect, God!
Friends, it’s easy to trust God in good times. You get a raise, a new baby or grandbaby, the doctor says the cancer is gone. But things don’t always go the way that we had planned. You get laid off, a loved one dies, the doctor says that there’s nothing else that they can do for you. The real test of our rootedness is in tough times, challenging times, times when it seems that all hope is lost. What is the plan for tough times?
Last week was Epiphany Sunday, when the Church remembered the wise men who visited the baby Jesus. They were guided by a star. Not by their plans or the plans of others, but by a star – the Master Plan. And it led them right to Jesus.
This Sunday is the celebration of the Baptism of our Lord. A time when we remember John the Baptist baptizing with water but prophesying of the One who would baptize with water and the Spirit. John spoke of a plan not yet revealed, but one that played out before his very eyes! The Master Plan.
It's hard to believe in something that you cannot see. But then, if you could see it, you wouldn’t need faith, right? God has a plan for each of us, and for Green Trails as a church. That’s what motivates us to keep coming, to keep serving, to keep giving. God’s plan is a good plan, no matter what’s going on around us. Jesus has the Master Plan for our lives because He is the Master of the Plan.
So, here’s something for each of us to consider. No matter your age or your length of membership: How is your root system? Are you planted where God wants you? Are you being watered by the Word? Are your roots deep enough? Are you satisfied with where you are in God’s Master Plan? God has a plan for your life and mine. Don't give up on the Lord for He will soon reveal His Master Plan and you will be like those wise men and John the Baptist. You will be in awe!
Friends, it’s time to trust Him like never before, rely on His Spirit to use you like never before, to depend on Him like never before, and to tell others like never before. Make your New Years Resolution to be more “ROOTED” in Him as part of the Master Plan!
This Sunday is the first one (opened) of the new year (the Lord willing)! Join me for the first message of our 2025 vision: Deeply Rooted: Growing Through Discipleship! This Sunday’s message: The Master Plan.
Leader Installation & Volunteer Brunch On this Sunday we will install our 2025 Leadership Board and NLDT Team! The Volunteer Brunch will be rescheduled for February 9, stay tuned.
Board Meeting Minutes will now be available in the e-newsletter. If you do not receive the e-newsletter, you can obtain a copy by contacting the church office.
Annual Charge Conference will be held on Saturday, January 18, 10:00-11:30am, at Wentzville UMC. This is where the business forms approved by the board are received and affirmed by the congregation. Forms such as Pastoral Compensation, the Trustee Report, and the Membership Report. All members are invited to attend. Any member can receive a packet. Please see Jei in the Welcome Center before or after worship, or contact the church office to receive one.
Bach Concert This Sunday, January 12, at 3:00pm, the Soltau Concert Series begins the year with our Bach Concert! Musicians from around St. Louis, including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, will come together to honor the legacy of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach!
Pastor’s Birthday & UMCOR Relief Kits Do you know what I want more than anything for my birthday this year? To serve with YOU by packing relief kits for UMCOR! Now, more than ever, we need to send relief to the hurting. On Monday, January 20, we will honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who stood on the side of the suffering, by packing disaster relief kits for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). They are one of the first groups in when disaster strikes! As we pray for those impacted by the fires in California, as well as disasters all over the world, we will put our prayers into action and be a blessing to others. I can’t think of a better gift for my birthday! Join us from 1:00p-3:00p.
Putting Your House in Order Are there things you would like to get in order that would make your intentions clear for your loved ones if you become incapacitated or after you’re gone? On Sunday, January 26, Rev. Laura Murphy from the MO United Methodist Foundation will bring the message for the day. After worship, she will present a workshop that will cover things such as final wishes, documents, significant dates and memories in your life, etc. All with the intent of honoring your life and legacy. Please register on our website as a light lunch will be provided.
Vision for 2025:
Deeply Rooted:
Growing Through Discipleship!
Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
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