The United Methodist Church at Absecon

Have you ever experienced the power of music? From the earliest stories of our faith, God has used music to bring healing and hope to the people. Through David, God gave us many songs that we call Psalms. Songs of praise have been lifted up to God in thanksgiving. Still today, music has the power to develop the minds of little babies, and trigger the minds of those with diseases like Alzheimers. M...

The Advent story tells us of a prophecy fulfilled; that light will shine in the darkness. To those walking in darkness, it is peace, comfort and safety. Most of the time, light is a good thing. But here's the funny thing about light; it is often most beautiful when surrounded by darkness. Going from a well-lit room to another well-lit room isn't shocking. But when we are in total darkness, even th...

Do you have decorations, activities or traditions that have become so synonymous with Christmas that it wouldn't even feel like Christmas without them? On this Second Sunday of Advent, author Matt Rawle invites us to consider what Christmas would be like without those cherished things. Would Christmas still be Christmas? Would it look like YOUR Christmas? Would it feel like YOUR Christmas? What ha...

For Advent this year, we are studying Matt Rawle's "The Heart That Grew Three Sizes". Are there any grinches in your life? Has there been a time in your life when you think that you WERE the grinch? The reality of the human story is that sometimes things go wrong. And when things go wrong, we all handle that stress differently. What could have happened to the Grinch to make him hate Christmas so m...

Everybody tell somebody! A faith worth having is a faith worth sharing, That's how the Church has continued for 2,000 years. The faithful shared their faith. It isn't always easy to share our faith, but it is always beautiful. You may have heard that sharing is caring. To the Church, I say sharing is daring. Yes, sometimes it takes courage to share our faith, but share it we must! What can you sha...

We are blessed to have Emanuel and Jessica Pérez with us this morning! Eman and Jess come to us from ASELSI in Guatemala, where Eman serves as the Director. Eman and Jess have two children: a daughter, Abiel, and a son, Caleb.

Be persistent in ministry. Never stop. Never give up. Never give in. This persistence comes with the power of the Holy Spirit, and produces patient teaching. People like to hear what makes them comfortable. But that doesn't always lead to transformed lives. To make disciples of Jesus Christ who are equipped to transform the world, we, the Church, have to engage in sound teaching, teaching based on...

Jesus is calling us to transform every community we enter. What communities do you belong to? In what ways are those communities in need of transformation, and how can you be the one God uses to transform them? God knows we end up in places and situations we'd rather not be in. Instead of running away from them, what if God is asking us to transform them? By transforming communities, we are planti...

Paul told Timothy to not be shy with his faith. Be proud of it. Be vocal about it. Share it. A faith worth having is a faith worth sharing. The Christian word for this is witness. Paul told Timothy, and all of us, to be Christian witnesses that share the Good News with the whole world with the power of the Holy Spirit. Share God's word with love of God and love of neighbor. And share the stories o...

This week, we are blessed to witness Melissa Southrey's first sermon! Melissa recently answered God's call to become a Certified Lay Servant. There are many things that equips her to do in ministry, and one of them is to lead worship. We are so proud to be a church where people are answering God's call to do more ministry. Lord, bless and keep Melissa, let your face shine upon her and bring her pe...

On day five of VBS, we discussed our fifth and final example of how God provides. After his resurrection, Jesus appears on the shore of the Sea of Galilee because, even then, God still wasn't done providing for us. Death isn't the end of the story. Resurrection isn't even the end of our story. The truth we know in Christ is that there is no end to the story. To see that sometimes requires looking...

God provides. That's been our theme all summer long. Through vbs and through every scripture we discussed throughout the month of August, we've been inspired to see how God has provided for the people for thousands of years, and how God is still providing today. The first 3 days of vbs were spent in the Old Testament. And then God provided the Son, Jesus Christ. Through him, God would provide in a...

Daniel and his friends kept their religion, no matter what temptations came their way. The King offered Daniel and his friends fancy and tasty, yet unhealthy foods. Some would please the King and eat the tasty stuff, but they would keep their faith in God and eat only healthy foods. Ten days later, their bodies and minds were healthier, but those who ate the King's food weren't as healthy. God is...

In the story of Elijah, the Widow and the Endless Oil, the widow knew that doing what God wanted her to do was more important than anything else. She used the last ingredient she had to feed Elijah, knowing that if she was generous, God would provide everything she and her family would need. We, too, may run out of things, but God never runs out of love for us. God has an endless supply of good st...

You've often heard me say "a busy church is a growing church". But this week's scripture will teach us that being busy is only good if we are busy doing the right things. "A busy church is a growing church" doesn't mean that we do something just to do something, or do things that have already been done enough, or do things that just aren't working anymore. "A busy church is a growing church" becom...

What would you say your reputation is? We all have one, even if we don't realize it. A reputation is the world's perception of someone based on their interpretation of that person's actions. To a Jew, the Good Samaritan inherited the reputation of all Samaritans; an enemy, one who doesn't believe in the God of Abraham. But the Good Samaritan's actions produce a different kind of reputation; one of...

Big news! Jesus is hiring! There is a lot of work to be done, and Jesus is always looking for more workers. The good news; this work allows you to travel the world with a friend. The bad news; you can't bring anything with you and there is no Earthly pay. Any applicants?

There is a whole lot more to you than just what you see in the mirror. What you see in the mirror is only flesh. Flesh is mortal. But what you can't see by looking in the mirror is the immortal part of you; the spirit. Which one do you live by; the one that expires, or the one that is immortal? Come! Worship with us this week as we discuss the difference between living by flesh and living by the s...

Are you looking for a place where you belong; a place where you feel welcome no matter what you look like, what gender you are, how you vote or what kind of life you have had? Jesus has created that place; the Church! Here, we are all one in Christ. In the Church, people from all languages, races and beliefs are called to come together to celebrate what they have in common rather than argue over w...

Jesus promised that he would never abandon us. Even though he was going to Heaven, we would always have a connection to him. That promise is fulfilled through the Holy Spirit, and through the church in fellowship and the sacraments. The Holy Spirit is here to remind us of the truth that Christ is. Through each other, we encounter Christ. And through baptism, we are brought into Christ's family. Je...

God has a very special Sunday planned for us this week! No matter which service you participate in, very special things will happen. This Sunday we have Pentecost, Baptisms and Confirmation! On Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, and the results were amazing! Together, let's explore what happens when the Holy Spirit comes!

Jesus appeared to over 500 people after his resurrection. During his first appearance after the resurrection, on Easter morning, he told Mary Magdalene that he would ascend into heaven. 40 days after his resurrection, he called his disciples to meet him on Mt. Olivet to fulfill that prophecy. There, the disciples, and all of us, receive a great message... go! Go witness, go baptize, go preach and...