Rev. Rodney Dobbs, Pastor
Worship Style - Traditional Methodist
Since we rely on God's direction each week as to which church we will attend, we often are at the weekend and still unsure of where we will be going. This particular week we woke up on Saturday morning still waiting for direction. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, Denise suggested that we contact friends (actually Denise's Emmaus roommate and her husband) at Leominster United Methodist Church to see if they would be around. We hadn't seen them in a while, so this seemed like a great opportunity. When Denise called her friend her response was, "I was just thinking about you." So, we had our answer. God is just so much fun!
Our friends regularly worship at the 8:30AM chapel service, which is attended by approximately 30 people. They are lead in worship by the pastor, and music is provided by a lovely pianist who also sang during the service. We were introduced to many people by our friends and were warmly welcomed. Pastor Rodney is also a friend, and we have shared many wonderful times together.
Being Memorial Day weekend, Pastor Rodney began the service with a poignant tribute to our fallen soldiers, particularly reminding us that because of their sacrifice we are able to worship God as we wish. Pastor Rodney's message was based on 1 Peter 3:13-20(NLT), which was actually printed out in the bulletin from the translation he was using. "Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life, And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." (vs. 13-15) How appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. Pastor Rodney gently lead us to his point that we will suffer for doing good. Our hope is in Christ who promises that God will reward us. We particularly related to this scripture this week. We often need to be reminded that although we might suffer, God promises to always be with us, and our reward is coming.
In addition to the gift of the opportunity to worship with good friends, we were able to see one of their unique missions. The church offers both an adult and youth archery program. Once a week, each group is invited to come to the church to learn the skill of archery. This brings people into the church who would not otherwise have the desire to do so. Finally, we also were able to share a delicious brunch with our good friends on a gorgeous Sunday morning. Thank you, Jesus!
Worship Style - Traditional Methodist
Since we rely on God's direction each week as to which church we will attend, we often are at the weekend and still unsure of where we will be going. This particular week we woke up on Saturday morning still waiting for direction. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, Denise suggested that we contact friends (actually Denise's Emmaus roommate and her husband) at Leominster United Methodist Church to see if they would be around. We hadn't seen them in a while, so this seemed like a great opportunity. When Denise called her friend her response was, "I was just thinking about you." So, we had our answer. God is just so much fun!
Our friends regularly worship at the 8:30AM chapel service, which is attended by approximately 30 people. They are lead in worship by the pastor, and music is provided by a lovely pianist who also sang during the service. We were introduced to many people by our friends and were warmly welcomed. Pastor Rodney is also a friend, and we have shared many wonderful times together.
Being Memorial Day weekend, Pastor Rodney began the service with a poignant tribute to our fallen soldiers, particularly reminding us that because of their sacrifice we are able to worship God as we wish. Pastor Rodney's message was based on 1 Peter 3:13-20(NLT), which was actually printed out in the bulletin from the translation he was using. "Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life, And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." (vs. 13-15) How appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. Pastor Rodney gently lead us to his point that we will suffer for doing good. Our hope is in Christ who promises that God will reward us. We particularly related to this scripture this week. We often need to be reminded that although we might suffer, God promises to always be with us, and our reward is coming.
In addition to the gift of the opportunity to worship with good friends, we were able to see one of their unique missions. The church offers both an adult and youth archery program. Once a week, each group is invited to come to the church to learn the skill of archery. This brings people into the church who would not otherwise have the desire to do so. Finally, we also were able to share a delicious brunch with our good friends on a gorgeous Sunday morning. Thank you, Jesus!