Rev. Dawn-Marie's midweek reflection

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Can you believe Easter Sunday 2026 is already behind us, and we are halfway through April?  It doesn’t seem possible.   And yet - here we are.  Mid-April with summer weather in the 90’s.   Spring has always been an exciting season.   New birth is evident everywhere.  In the budding of the trees, there is a plethora of pollen and the burst of color in gardens and parks.

One of the new things that is happening at Cameron is the Milkshake Ministry.    This is an outreach to the youth of our community.    I wonder what these youth are looking for.  I have a passion for youth, so I don’t want to just guess.  Which is why, at this very moment, I am sitting at McDonald's across from Edison High School.  Today is observation day.  I have planted myself at a table, simply to observe.  

I have already found out that the back door to this McDonald’s was locked because “the kids go in and spend too much time in the bathrooms.”   I get that, but perhaps there is a better way to discourage that?  Hmm - looks like some of these teens already have a bad rap.   Like I said, I am sitting here ready to observe.  

School is over, so I imagine they will be coming in, and the noise level will be going up.   A few young ladies have come in, and they are sitting at tables glued to their phones.  That phone is something that is priceless to them.   All of them are gripping them like they are gold.  Oh -here they come.  A group of about 12 just came in and sat down - schools out - whew - they are chilling - but phones are in everyone’s hands.  I would love to know what they are all looking at.  Perhaps in a few weeks, I can ask.   Another group of young boys is hanging out at the Kiosk.  

Heads down, phones in hands.    

They do seem to have some social skills as they have come in nodded heads, shaken hands and at least acknowledged one another.    It is filled now.   That didn’t take long.   And yet - as big as day, there is a sign on the far wall that says, “No loitering Please: no more than 30 minutes.”   Hmmm, we will see how that goes.  

If we could get even half of these youth to want to engage - we might just see God at work.  

A girl with a skateboard.   A group of lacrosse players.  Backpacks being slung to the ground; this is the scene I am encountering.  It’s a joyful yet eclectic crowd.    Talk of the lacrosse game.  

Have to say, just looking at these young people makes me feel old.  However, I am not so old that I don’t remember what high school felt like.   Ok, so maybe I am old - I just tried to strike up a conversation with a young man beside me.  I asked him what was so interesting on his phone.  But HA - he had ear pods in and totally did not even hear me.   Oie!   Guess it is a good thing today is just an observation day.  

I am pleased to observe that they are actually talking to one another and have put the phones down.   Yay for them!  Well…not all of them - some are sitting together but focusing on the phone.    A few just left on the Fairfax Connector bus - I guess that takes them home.   A group of girls just came in with Big Gulps from 7-Eleven - they came to hang out with some friends that were already here.   It’s quite the scene.  A bit intimidating if I do say so myself, but God is at work.   Please pray for God to open hearts so that we are able to engage in conversation with the youth in this area.  

Until next week. . .

Oh, what beautiful Easter services we had on Sunday!   Despite the rain, the JOY exuded from everyone’s hearts as they sang those old familiar Easter hymns.  There is just something about being together on Easter Sunday and knowing the HOPE of glory.  We are an Easter people - let us never forget that.  

We live in uncertain times, and if you are like me, you may have asked, “Are we at the end of time?”  I have been asked that quite a lot lately.   I just keep to my faith and my belief that no matter when Christ chooses to come again - I will be ready.   It’s the HOPE in Christ that keeps me going on days that are filled with strife and doubt.   As believers in Christ ,we have the wonderful gift of knowing that we are loved, that we are forgiven (if we ask), and that no matter what this world brings, what really matters is what lies beyond this life.  

Let’s keep the joy of Sunday in our hearts and in our lives.  May we come again to church this week, knowing that we are a resurrected people because DEATH DID NOT WIN!   DEATH COULD NOT KEEP JESUS IN THE GRAVE - and that wasn’t just for one Sunday - that was and is forever and ever.  

Jesus is alive!  He has risen!  He has risen indeed!  Alleluia!

“Jesus loves me, this I know.  For the Bible tells me so…” so go the beautiful words that most of us know so well.  I learned this song in Sunday school, sang it in church, Vacation Bible School, and even at youth retreats. It speaks a truth we sometimes forget.  JESUS LOVES US.  

Holy Week is the perfect time for us to pause and ponder these wise words.  “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but HE is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me.  For the Bible tells me so.”   I sang this song to Sarah-Grace when she was small, and now I sing it to Charlie, a member of the next generation of believers.  There is a deep simplicity to this truth, but it is who we are in a nutshell.    It is during Holy Week that we are reminded of the depth of love Jesus has for us.  He loved (loves) us so much that he died for us.  

In a few short days, we will be celebrating Good Friday.  I invite you to come to worship that day (3 :00 pm at Bruen Chapel and 7:00 pm at Cameron) to remember Christ’s Final Hours.  Instead of having two services during Holy Week, I wrote a single service that combined the two.   The service will begin with time to contemplate the time Jesus spent with his disciples in the Upper Room, and then we will celebrate Holy Communion and participate in Visio Divina, the practice of praying with a sacred image or work of art.  We will then strip the altar as a sign of the transition to Good Friday, and will proceed to remember Christ’s final words.  

The services during Holy Week are key to understanding the pain and suffering that Jesus endured.  We can not fully understand the passion of Christ and the depth of love he has for us until we face the cruel and ugly part of his betrayal, denial, and suffering.    Jesus endured it all out of love for you and for me.   Jesus loves us, this I know.  For the Bible tells us so.   Easter becomes  more meaningful when we can acknowledge the hardship of Jesus.  His suffering makes the miracle that much more powerful.  

“Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so…” The words to this song are not just for children.  They are for all of us.  It’s simple theology.  It’s a statement of truth - an affirmation of faith.  It is what Holy Week is all about.  It’s the reality of a God who loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us.  

Today my pondering is going to be short.  I would like you to sit for just a moment and breathe.  Just breathe.  Go ahead.  Now breathe again.   I want you to think about your spiritual journey.  Who has been an example to you over the years?   Take a moment to recall the names and faces and give God thanks and praise for them.  

As a community of believers, we are stronger together.  We witness to one another and we witness to the world with every breathe we take and every deed we do.  

Our goal should always be to be encouragers, to be LIGHT in a dark world, to be SALT - to give life flavor.  Our calling is to LOVE, to FORGIVE and to SPREAD GOD’s love wherever we go. 

Those names and faces you just thought about - they were encouragers along your journey.  May you and I, may we always be encouragers to others.  May we encourage and love one another but may we also be a bright witness to those who do not yet know God.  

They will know we are Christians by our love.  

Perhaps one day, our face and name will be recalled by someone yet to know the Lord.  Perhaps  our love and encouragement will mean so much to someone that they will thank God for our witness in their lives.  

Caterpillars are an amazing creation.  It is beyond my comprehension that a wiggly, small caterpillar can live its life crawling upon the ground and then one day climb upon something a bit higher, form a chrysalis, and then VOILA - turn into a beautiful butterfly - one that can flit and fly away.  

This past Sunday, I introduced some of my caterpillar friends to you.  For over thirty years, I have raised caterpillars during Lent.  I first did this when I was the Associate Pastor at Aldersgate UMC in Chesapeake, Virginia.  My Senior Pastor and colleague, Bob Cofield, raised them and taught me how to tend to them.  Every church I have served since has enjoyed a butterfly release on Easter Sunday.  

Caterpillars are a wonderful way for us to remember the change that happens within us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.  We become a new creation!    The metamorphoses of a caterpillar remind us of Jesus’ journey.  When the caterpillar spins its chrysalis and snuggles in, it may seem as if it's dead, or that nothing is happening; however, the magic is just beginning.  Like Jesus in the tomb, who is assumed dead, the mystery of the resurrection is at the world’s fingertips.  

The butterfly emerges as a completely different creature.  Jesus comes out of the tomb, proving that death does not win.  And when we say, “Yes” to Jesus, we too, become a new creation.  

As a family of faith, we named a couple of the caterpillars (soon to be butterflies). During worship, we came up with two to three names for a boy, as well as two or three names for a girl, after which everyone present that day had one vote.    At Bruen Chapel, we gave them the names of Daniel and Mary.  At Cameron, we named them Charlie and Eudora.  All four of these caterpillars, along with about 100 or so other caterpillars, are now being prayed for and are preparing for their debut as butterflies on Easter Sunday.  

As we continue our own journey through Lent, let us be mindful that we are nothing without Christ.  It is because of him that we are a new creation.  It is because of Jesus that we can be free.  It is because of Jesus that we can say goodbye to our sin and live with HOPE.  

But Easter is not yet here, so we must still take time to reflect and repent.  We are still in our “Caterpillar” stage and have not yet even figured out how to spin our chrysalis.  So for now - slither along your merry way and keep moving forward-- and know that the best is yet to come.

As I was cleaning out my files this week, I came across an article entitled “A Modest Lenten Rule” that I would like to share with you. Perhaps you can get a chuckle out of it or maybe even an idea for yourself…

I WILL: 

Not shriek at the children more than once a day.

Stop making a pig of myself.

Refrain from making snotty remarks.

Let that poor driver pull into the line of traffic in front of me. 

Be nice to the checker, cashier, clerk, repairman, attendant, relative, neighbor, wife, husband, mother in law.   

(Circle one, several, or all)

Bless the food I eat. 

Cook that dish which my husband likes and I do not; eat that dish which my wife cooks and which I do not like.

Put down that trashy book and read something worthwhile.

Stay awake all through worship.

Find out what the inside of the church looks like on a weekday.

Get out of the sack every single Sunday morning and go to church; modify my Saturday night routine so that I can get out of the sack on Sunday morning. 

Give our Lord a little credit for the good things happening to me; blame our Lord a little less for the bad things happening to me.

Blame my husband less.  Blame my wife less.  Blame everyone less.

Say, “Thank you” more often.  Say, “Please” more often. 

Talk less.  Say more. 

Smile some.  Try smiling even when I do not feel like it.,  

Write letters.   Send cards.   

Clean up the house.  Quit cleaning up the house.  

Ask our Lord Jesus Christ to help me to do all these things. 

(taken from St James Tower, St James Church, Wichita  The Anglican Digest (used by permission)

From “Worth Repeating Editor Clip sheets March 1995)

Take a few moments to sit still and ponder anew what Jesus has done for you - after all, that is the purpose of Lent - it is a season to reflect and repent, to be still and know that God is God, and to be grateful that you are a part of the family of God.  (God’s always got your back!)

I am always amazed at how entertaining children can be. I love to simply sit and watch Charlie. 

Everything he does fascinates him.  At 14 1/2 months, he notices EVERYTHING!  We could be walking down the hall at Greenspring Retirement Village, and suddenly, he will stop.  As he bends over and touches the floor, I see that he has spotted a rivet in the floor or a change of texture.  And “PLOP,” he sits down and wants to run his tiny fingers around the metal, touching and inspecting and touching some more.   Then he looks up wide-eyed with glee, expecting me to be as mesmerized as he is.   Charlie finds joy in it all.    

I wonder if that is how God feels about us when he watches us?  Entirely filled with joy and marveling at our every move.  His love for us is so deep and so big that we can’t even imagine it.

Of course, what we see and do is not all new to us.  Not like a child.  They are simply seeing things for the very first time. Trying out new things - so that life for them is a huge adventure.  

When they do something that causes us to tell them, “No,” or if they are in danger and we holler, “STOP,” they don’t always understand what we are trying to convey.  But they do know that something isn’t exactly right.    They don’t yet understand right from wrong or safe from danger.  They just do and learn as they go.

I do think God marvels at us.  Psalm 8 reminds us that David believed that as well.  We read those beautiful words,

“…When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind

that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them

with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals

of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths

of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

I also believe God cries or laments our actions, words, or attitude.  You see the difference between us, and Charlie is that we do know better.  We know what is expected of us.  And God has set a high bar for us. We are to love God and love our neighbors.  Love is kind and patient.  Love is not envious or rude; it is not boastful…and so the scripture goes.   I wonder why we tend to mess up so much.   Yes, to err is human and to forgive is divine. But seriously!   Thank goodness our God is one of love, forgiveness, and second chances.  

As I marvel at the newness of life that Charlie experiences, I must remind myself that all that I do is also being seen by God.  I may not be experiencing everything anew, but I am walking into the moment fresh.  And yes, I mess up too!   I hear God (not audibly) tell me, “NO!” or sometimes he whispers, “DANGER,” and I stop and reconsider my next move.  I am sure you do the same.  Perhaps it is a conscious thought, or maybe it’s just unconscious; regardless, I believe the Holy Spirit guides us through life.   Correcting us, yes, but also loving us and encouraging us.  Marveling at all the beautiful deeds we do, the wonderful encouragement we give, and the willingness we possess to forgive our neighbors.  

I know God loves us far more than I love my grandson, Charlie.  But honestly, that is incredibly hard for me to believe.   God’s love must be incredibly HUGE!   God’s love must be TOTALLY unconditional.  God’s love is AMAZING.  Grace is so undeserved but so freely given to us.  

This Lent, repent of your wrong doings, but remember that YOU are DEEPLY and RADICALLY loved.  Live your life as freely as a child, remembering that each moment is new and will never be given to you again.  

The B- I -B -L -E. That’s the book for me. I stand alone on the word of God. The B- I -B -L -E.  The Bible!  

Did you know that the Bible is recognized as the most read and best selling book of all time? According to Wikipedia, there has been an estimated 5 - 6 billion copies sold and distributed worldwide.   As of August 2025, the full Protestant Bible has been translated into 776 languages, while the New Testament is available in 1,798 languages, with additional portions in 1,433 others.  In total, at least part of the Bible exists in over 4,000 languages.  WOW!   The Bible is the most translated book in history. 

As Christians, the Bible is our playbook, so to speak.  The Bible is what helps us stay close to God, brings us into a deeper relationship with Jesus and keeps us form veering off the path of God.  But it doesn’t do any of that if we do not open it and read it and use it.  

I remember how excited I was to receive my first Bible from Cameron UMC.  I was in the third grade.  I still remember standing up front thinking that I had just received the best gift ever.   Now, this was long before I knew that I would be a pastor when I grew up, long before I knew God would speak through his Word to enlighten my life.   Truth be told, the Bible was used for many years, but then somehow the excitement and glamour that it once held faded.   I am ashamed to say that the Bible was probably on my shelf, or laying on the bedside table far too long before it was opened.   

As I got older, I would pick it up and read it.  I would go through spurts of reading it faithfully, and then …well … there is no excuse really - life just happened.   As a youth and a young adult, I learned that the truths in the Bible held me steadfast.  I saw that the Word needed to be written on my heart, not just randomly read.  I was blessed to have many Christian friends that modeled that for me.  

In high school, I began to thirst for the word.  I attended Wednesday night RAP sessions at Groveton Baptist Church with two of my best friends, Betty and Barbie Renzi.  There I realized that the Bible was more than a tool, it was a lifeline.  The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.  

The Bible began to be a book I not only used, but enjoyed.  Opening up the Bible became natural to me.  Being in the Word was still not always a daily thing, but I was beginning to realize I received strength from the Bible.

I wanted to be more involved in Bible study, in youth group, and I wanted to attend all the youth retreats I heard about.   God was speaking to me in a powerful way.  In fact, it was at a Fall Retreat at Blackstone my Junior year in high school that I committed my life to Christ.   (Still not having any idea that I would be a pastor). 

God moved in my life, and as you know, I became a United Methodist Pastor.  Now, I have to admit, the Bible is not always front and center in my house…not because it is not important, but because the WORD is a part of me now.  I have learned that the words of Jesus, the stories of God and the beautiful assurance that the Bible gives is engrained within me.  It’s part of who I am.    I want that for you too.    Maybe it is that way for you already.  But if not, that’s ok.  No judgement here!   The Bible is a big book and it can be overwhelming.   We all learn everyday.  I have learned that even as a pastor, I do not know everything there is to know.  I still realize the more I know, the more I need to know.  

One thing I want for you, for all of you, is to possess that quiet assurance that I have that God is with you.  Never be afraid to admit what you don’t know.  Be willing to talk about the stories in the Bible, ask questions, wrestle with the issues that are within you.  Read and ask questions.  There are really never any dumb questions!   Remember that Sunday School and Bible Study are not just for children - they are for all of us.  That’s how we will grow- you, me, each one of us.  

I hope and pray that you are willing to take on the task of getting to know your Bible.   Go ahead, take a risk, open that book, read and ask questions.  If you ask a question and I don’t know the answer, we can learn together.  I am ready, are you?

-Rev. Dawn-Marie. :)

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent.  Lent is a season of preparation for the Holy day of Easter.  But what does it mean to prepare for Easter?  It’s not about finding new Easter attire or buying an Easter basket filled with Cadbury eggs and marshmallow peeps.  It’s not about an Easter dinner menu.  Preparing during Lent is about preparing your heart.   During our Ash Wednesday service we read Psalm 51 - a psalm where David calls on God to have mercy on him.  He praises God for his unfailing love and great compassion even when he has sinned.  He asks God for forgiveness, and asks that he be washed clean.  Not just washed clean - but whiter than snow.  And then we hear the beautiful request from David, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”   

This request is nothing short of raw emotion.  David understands he is not perfect and that he has done wrong.   Yet, in his faith and knowledge of his God, he also knows the love and forgiveness possible.  

When was the last time you admitted that you have made mistakes?  Ouch!  No one likes to admit they are wrong, but we all fall short of God’s glory.  All have sinned and unfortunately, we continue to sin -whether we want to believe it or not.  During Lent we take the time to reflect and repent - in other words, we must be honest with who we are and then turn back to God.  This is how we prepare for Holy Week and Easter.  

We can not celebrate the resurrection of our Savior without coming face to face with our own faults and our own sins that placed Jesus on the cross.  Jesus died for the sins of the world.   Think about the weight of that!   How terrible that must have been.  I wonder did he see my face and my faults in those last hours?  On Ash Wednesday we are reminded of our own mortality.  We are smudged with ash as we hear the words, “You are dust and to dust you will return!”   A reality that we often don’t want to think about.   But alas, that is exactly what the season of Lent is all about.  A time to reflect on our own lives and how we live them.  A time to prepare our hearts and let the sinfulness go.  A time to ask God to put a new and right spirit within us.  

As you embark on your spiritual journey this Lent, may you truly take time to reflect and repent.  May you empty yourselves of all things worldly so that you will have room to fill your heart with Jesus's love and goodness. May you prepare yourselves to encounter Jesus afresh and may you be open to receiving a clean and contrite heart.  

-Rev. Dawn-Marie. :)

As I watched Charlie play this afternoon, I was amused at the joy he was having accomplishing a new task.  Putting a star in the star shaped slot, hammering the pegs in a pretend board, carrying and then handing me a mini basketball…He was so excited as he went from toy to toy.

He bent down to slide shapes on the floor and moved forward as if ice skating with his hands.  He was filled with wide eyed glee because he was “meeting” his toys again after a short time away.  You see …the toys had been in a basket in the living room and today I chose to get them out and organize them.  Organizing them was done for my own sanity as they were spilling over the toy basket and moving to the main floor.  As I pulled them all out, he was delighted to see old favorites as well as some pieces we thought had been lost.  

Charlie went back and forth from fun toys to educational ones.  He sat mesmerized as he placed wooden pegs on a beam that would hold them up until he pulled a lever that would cause them to fall down into the bottom.   Then he stood, walked over, handed me a yellow peg and smiled up at me.   His eyes danced with delight as he beckoned me to come play.  

I willingly took the peg and began to interact with him.   In an instant I realized that Charlie was using play to learn.  His mind was completely engaged.    It made me wonder what happens to that joy of learning as we grow up.  How do we engage our intellect as we move through our daily life?  

I have been told that you learn something new every day.  I think that is true.  Sometimes it is an intentional learning, other times not so much.  As we approach the season of Lent in a couple of weeks, we will be engaging in something new.  One of the best ways for Christians to learn is by being in the Word.  

Starting the first week of Lent, we will be adding a section in our weekly worship for “Bible Time”. This will be a time to learn something new, to do Bible drills (with a little competition)  and to work on memorizing  Bible verses.  I encourage you to BYOB (Bring your own Bible) during worship.  Bring a highlighter and a notebook. Most of all be willing to engage in play as we learn more about God and His word.  

I promise if you come with the right attitude, you will be like Charlie - completely filled with joy and ready to engage others in what you do.  And your joy will overflow to others.

              -Rev. Dawn-Marie. :)

There is something cathartic about cleaning.  I was recently shampooing my carpet and realized that no matter how clean we think we are - there is more dirt than we could ever imagine.  I am not just talking about physical surface dirt that we can wash, vacuum or sweep away.  I am also talking about SIN.   Oh that word makes us shudder - or at least it should.

The truth is we are all sinners - we all fall short of the glory of the Lord.  All of us.  OUCH - we don’t like to think of ourselves as sinners, do we?  But we are.   It makes me think of the many times I have prayed the prayer of confession before communion that states, 

“Merciful God we have not loved you with our whole heart, we have failed to be an obedient church.  We have not done your will.  We have broken your law.  We have rebelled against your love.  We have not loved our neighbors and we have not heard the cry of the needy….”

How many times have we prayed that just allowing the words to rattle off and not giving it a second thought.  Or worse - thinking. “That’s not me!”    

We pray those words as individuals but we usually recite them corporately -together in the midst of a congregation.   We pray these words with the understanding that we are not without fault.   Even when we think we are.    May we stop to dig a little deeper.   To do what we call a DEEP CLEAN, to allow the muck and the wrongs come out from the very depths.  There is something about being able to admit our wrongdoings, seeing ourselves for who we really are and asking for forgiveness.  

Just like a deep clean mode on a shampooed carpet, the dirt from deep within the fibers comes up - whether you know it is there or not.   Our souls are filled with “ICK “ as well.  As I cleaned the carpet, I watched the gunk come bubbling up and muddy the the container that was once clear.  Yes, it was gross, but then I pondered that muddy gross water and realized it was a symbol of what we, as human kind, have within us.   I don’t mean that to be sad and hopeless.   It is the reality of our human nature.    But,  alas there is hope.   

Hope comes in Jesus.  Jesus washes us clean.  Jesus takes away the marr and muck and all the sins of our lives.   And behold we are a new creation.  

Like a freshly shampooed carpet, we are clean and ready to begin again.    Yet here is the reality, we don’t stay clean for long, just like the carpet.  We have to once again be honest with ourselves and God and repent.   We have to get out the rug cleaner and plug it in because after all it must be connected to make it work.   And the same thing is true of us my friends.  We must be connected too.  We must be in a relationship, be connected to God to make all things new.  

This month we begin the season of Lent.  Lent is the perfect time to examine ourselves - our  attitudes and our motives.  Take some time to ponder the love and healing of Jesus.  Take some time to discard that nasty dirty water and allow yourselves to feel hope in something new.  Plug yourselves into the power that can change your life.  As you connect with that power - release your old sinful self and be ready for the time of your life.   Because Jesus makes all things new.  

- Rev. Dawn-Marie

Why does it always seem that time moves so quickly?  It is hard to believe that it is already the middle of January! 

The days are long, but the years are short!   I remember hearing that time moves faster as you get older… I thought that was ridiculous because a minute is still a minute no matter how old you are.   But of course, as I have aged, time does seem to zoom by.   

Does time seem to move faster because we simply have too much to do?  I wonder.    Genesis 1:1 and 5 state, “In the beginning, God created…” and “evening and morning were the first day.”    This is what the Greeks would call chronos time or sequential time -  in other words - it’s measurable by the tick tock of the clock.   It’s the kind of time we never seem to have enough of.  Too much to do - so little time.    Or we might say the harder we work, the behinder we get.    Some times I feel like that.   No matter how hard I work to get laundry and housework done and prepare worship and write sermons, my TO DO list never seems to end.   

I imagine we all feel that from time to time.  Maybe, just maybe, we have too many expectations and too much stuff on our To Do list.  Could it be that we need to simply be!   I laugh out loud as I type this - because oh my goodness who has the time to just be.  It’s not like we can conjure up a magic fairy to get the house cleaned and laundry done and the grocery shopping done.   (If YOU have a magic fairy - please let me know where to order one!)

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 proclaims that “for everything there is a season and a time for everything under heaven…”

We are told numerous times to not be anxious for anything.  To pray without ceasing and to trust God.  

So maybe we need to recognize that time is still the same as it always has been.  Maybe we need to acknowledge that what we need to do is take things one day at a time.  To breathe and live and enjoy God in the moments he gives us.   

Another Greek term for time is Kairos.  This is the kind of time that signifies opportune, significant or the “right time” when God’s purposes intersect with human history.   The birth of Jesus would be an example of this.  God chose the perfect time for his Son to be born and to come to earth.  

I have always believed that God places people or events in our life for a reason.   God places beautiful friendships as well as growing opportunities in our midst at just the right time.   People come and go, but they usually leave a part of them with us - for good or bad - and those pieces make us who we are.   So time makes a significant difference in our lives.  

Time is created by God.  We are reminded of that each time we read the creation stories in Genesis.  God places lights in the sky to make seasons, days and years, establishing our time structure - the one we get so caught up in.    Honestly, it is hard not to get caught up in worrying about time.  After all, we as humans live within a limited time…so we must use our time here on earth wisely.  

Yes, it sometimes seems that time is marching slow and at others time seems to be zooming by, but the reality is time has been established and has not changed.  An hour is still 60 minutes and a minute is still 60 seconds.  

So perhaps, if you are feeling the pressure of time moving too fast, it is time for you to STOP and ask yourself why.   What are some things that you need to not worry about or put on the back burner for a bit?   Sit down a spell and prioritize your To Do list.   I have always been told that you have time for what makes you happy.   Why?  Because we make an effort to do those things.   So if stress and anxiety are getting to us and we are feeling overwhelmed because there just doesn’t seem to be enough time, then maybe we need to spend some time with the creator of time and bask in his presence.   

It’s funny, as I write this, I need to do what I preach.   (LOL - yes, even a pastor needs to Stop and breathe every once in awhile and commune with God just to be…) 

St. Frances de Sales once said, Every one of us needs a half hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy we need an hour.”    READ THAT AGAIN.   When we are too busy to pray, we are too busy.    

Friends - let’s not be too busy.   The devil loves that.   When we don’t have time to pray and do what God calls us to - then we should simply STOP doing and BE.     As this year moves on, and feels like time is clicking faster than it should - I give you permission to slow down, mark some things off your To Do list and take some time to enjoy your life.  Take time to smell the roses - or more appropriately in January - take time to watch the snow fall and relax in God’s beautiful timing of it all. 

- Rev. Dawn-Marie

This Sunday, I will begin a five-week sermon series on The Lord’s Prayer.  The Lord’s Prayer is something that most of us know and can recite by heart.  It may have been the very first prayer you learned.  We call it the The Lord’s Prayer because this is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him to teach them to pray.   

The Lord’s Prayer can be found in both Matthew and Luke - although they vary slightly.  Matthew contains a longer version that is part of the Sermon on the Mount.  

Did you know that the famous ending, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory…” is not found in the earliest Greek manuscripts of Matthew or Luke?  It was likely added later for liturgical use and is most famously preserved in the King James Version and the Protestant traditions.   These lines are known as the doxology.  

This prayer is universal as it is used across many denominations as well as in the Roman Catholic Church - although varying slightly.   It serves as a great template for aligning ones heart to God’s desires, emphasizing praise, reliance on God and ethical living.  

The Lord’s Prayer is profound in its simplicity.  I invite you to come to worship and learn more about the meaning of the words that Jesus taught so long ago. This is a great time to invite a friend or family member to come to church with you.  

Come expecting to meet Jesus.  Come ready to be transformed.  

- Rev. Dawn-Marie

Happy NEW year!  Can you believe it is 2026?   I can still remember when we were all worried about what was going to happen when the year 2000 came and now - omg it is 26 years later…where oh where did the time go?    

Time seems to slip by all too quickly.  When Sarah-Grace had Charlie, she received a coffee mug that said, “The days are long, but the years are short!”   I think of that saying now as I anticipate a new year.   

January always seems to come in harsh - with a bang or a thud.  The silent season of Christmas still in our hearts and then BAM - it is time to move on and keep moving into the new year.   The beautiful holiness of the birth of Christ seems to be pushed out by the need to start again.   Too often, Epiphany gets shoved aside and the rest of the Christmas season is forgotten.   It saddens me to see Christmas trees carelessly thrown out beside the curb, only to be replaced by the normalcy of darkened windows and naked yards.  Christmas is not over until January 6th - which sadly is today.

I will be honest with you - my decorations and my tree will still be up for quite a while.   Christmas comes and goes so suddenly, I like to keep them around to remind me of the sacredness of the Christ child.   The silent night, the holy night.   The hushed alleluia’s sung on Christmas Eve and the flickering of the candlelight service.

But, alas, it is January and even though I hate to put away the thoughts and feelings of Christmas, it must be done.   It is time for new challenges and opportunities.  2026 is a brand new year just waiting for us to join God in His plans for His church.  

I invite you to prayerfully discern how you would like God to work within you in 2026!   There is no doubt great things are ahead.   God promises us that he has plans for us to prosper.  What does that look like for you?  What does that look like for Bruen Chapel?  What does that look like for Cameron?  

I, for one am so excited for what lies ahead for all of us.  I believe we need to dream big dreams!   Dream big enough dreams that they are guaranteed to fail UNLESS God is in them.   Think about that.  What is your dream for our church?   If money wasn’t an issue - what would you like to see?   If we had enough people to do whatever you dreamed - what would you dare to dream?    These are the ideas I want to hear.   I believe that ALL things are possible with God.   I believe that both Bruen Chapel and Cameron can grow and be a light in the dark world.   But you have to believe it too!   You have to want it.  You have to come to church expecting God to show up and change you and everyone there.  YOU have to be willing to change and grow and dare to dream.   So -what say you?    What will we see God do in 2026?

- Rev. Dawn-Marie