To my dear friends,
February finds us moving from the Sundays after the Epiphany of the Wise Men regarding Jesus’ identity and divinity to the Transfiguration of Christ on a mountaintop with Moses and Elijah. The celebration of Transfiguration Sunday on Feb. 19th marks the transition from Jesus’ ministry of teaching and healing in Galilee to his ministry of sacrifice in Jerusalem as we journey to the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22nd this year. Transfiguration Sunday is a time to focus on God’s gracious will and power to transform and transfigure all humanity. Ash Wednesday is a day of penitence, a time of returning to the Lord, as we prepare to claim a genuine recovery of the wholeness of the Paschal Mystery and a deeper sense of what it is to be the church, the people of God.
As we contemplate God’s power to transform and transfigure humanity and how we are called to work alongside God in that endeavor as the people of God, I see a wonderful opportunity for all of us in our newest ministry here at CUMC! We are deep in the throes of beginning The Way Forward, our new adult mentoring program funded by the Catapult Grant. Our mission statement is to empower people in a loving environment, through education and resources, to improve self-esteem and quality of life while promoting independence. We believe we can share God’s love with these brothers and sisters of our community through our gifts of service to them to work in overcoming the negative pressures of poverty, lack of education, or destructive behavior choices. Just as the early Christian movement, called The Way, tried to help all brothers and sisters in Christ come together as the body of Christ, we seek to come together with these brothers and sisters as we show them The Way Forward through training in goal setting, resume writing, job interviewing skills, and computer usage, creating a better environment for themselves, their children, and ultimately our community. In addition to teaching how to dress for success, we will need donations of nice work clothing so we may offer a limited array of workplace-appropriate clothing for use for job interviews. We will also provide quality child care for any parents so they may focus on learning these new skills, knowing their children are being cared for. Our first class will begin on Tuesday evening, March 6th at 6:30 pm and will meet weekly, making necessary adjustments and adding additional class subjects as the needs arise. It is our desire to have additional times of fellowshipping with one another, coming together to share meals and milestones, trials and triumphs, as we listen to their life stories, without being judgmental, and share our own faith stories of how we have been lifted out of times of darkness by a God who loves us so much that we are never left alone. As we have opportunities to share our stories and our lives with one another, we believe God’s deep and abiding love for each of us will become so apparent that lives will be transformed and transfigured in such meaningful ways that our new friends will become our new brothers and sisters in Christ. Won’t you join us in this wonderful transformation? There are so many needs and opportunities to help – weekly, monthly, or just once in a while – whatever suits your schedule. But, I believe that once you start, you won’t be able to stop…your heart will be filled, I just know it!
With love,
Love,
