3D Devotional 8.27.2019
A Place at the Table
I came to Gadsden First UMC in 1993 as a mother of four young children (who were all under the age of 6 at that time). I have to admit, I was a little lost. I had just moved to Gadsden and I hadn't made very many friends yet. We had ties to the Gadsden area (my husband's family), but I was not from here. It seemed natural to look for a church home My husband traveled for work, so I spent a great deal of time alone (with four children--if you can call that being alone!). We visited several churches in the area. But it was the invitation to come to First UMC for the Wednesday night meal and children's activities and the fact that two of my four children were enrolled here at the Preschool/Mother's Day Out program (this was before the name changed to Early Learning Center) that would very quickly lead to Gadsden First UMC becoming our new church home.
What was it about those Wednesday night meals that were so inviting? I have to say not having to plan a meal or cook that one night a week was pretty awesome! But it was the the connection with the people that made Gadsden First UMC feel like coming home! When I think back to those meals downstairs in Purcell Hall, the children running up and down the ramps that went up to the classrooms or sneaking through the parlor, visits to the church's children's library, the Bible Buddies classes and the children's choir, I give thanks for all of the welcoming and loving friends and teachers who were here and made us feel so welcome. But most of all, I give thanks for the opportunity to worship, grow and serve God in this wonderful place.
Jesus had something to say about inviting and welcoming others and finding them a place at the table.
Luke 14:1-14 New International Version (NIV)Jesus at a Pharisee's House 14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.5 Then he asked them, "If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?" 6 And they had nothing to say.7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Who will you invite to the table?
Sheila Freeman
Connectional Ministries
I came to Gadsden First UMC in 1993 as a mother of four young children (who were all under the age of 6 at that time). I have to admit, I was a little lost. I had just moved to Gadsden and I hadn't made very many friends yet. We had ties to the Gadsden area (my husband's family), but I was not from here. It seemed natural to look for a church home My husband traveled for work, so I spent a great deal of time alone (with four children--if you can call that being alone!). We visited several churches in the area. But it was the invitation to come to First UMC for the Wednesday night meal and children's activities and the fact that two of my four children were enrolled here at the Preschool/Mother's Day Out program (this was before the name changed to Early Learning Center) that would very quickly lead to Gadsden First UMC becoming our new church home.
What was it about those Wednesday night meals that were so inviting? I have to say not having to plan a meal or cook that one night a week was pretty awesome! But it was the the connection with the people that made Gadsden First UMC feel like coming home! When I think back to those meals downstairs in Purcell Hall, the children running up and down the ramps that went up to the classrooms or sneaking through the parlor, visits to the church's children's library, the Bible Buddies classes and the children's choir, I give thanks for all of the welcoming and loving friends and teachers who were here and made us feel so welcome. But most of all, I give thanks for the opportunity to worship, grow and serve God in this wonderful place.
Jesus had something to say about inviting and welcoming others and finding them a place at the table.
Luke 14:1-14 New International Version (NIV)Jesus at a Pharisee's House 14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.5 Then he asked them, "If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?" 6 And they had nothing to say.7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Who will you invite to the table?
Sheila Freeman
Connectional Ministries
Recent
Archive
2022
March
2021
February
Lenten DevotionalsWeird is the New Normal: Day OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisDay 5: Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in GenesisWeird is the New Normal: Day SixWeird is the New Normal: Day SevenWeird is the New Normal: Day EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis Day NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis: Day TenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day ElevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day Twelve
March
Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day 13Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day FourteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Day FifteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day 16Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day SeventeenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day EighteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day NineteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day TwentyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Twenty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day ThirtyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-ThreeWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Forty
August
September
2020
2019
June
Sermon Notes3D June 10, 20193D June 11, 20193D Sermon Notes- June 16, 20193D Devotional 6.13.193D Devotional 6.14.153D Devotional 6.17.193D Devotional 6.18.19Sermon Notes 6.23.20193D Devotional 6.21.193D Devotional 6.24.20193D Devotional 6.25.193D Sermon Notes, 6 30, 20193D Devotional 6.27.193D Devotional 6.28.19
July
3D Devotional 7.1.20193D Devotional 7.2.2019Sermon Notes, 7.7.20193D Devotion 7.5.20193D Devotional 07.08.193D Devotional 7.8.20193D Devotional 7.10.20193D Devotional 7.12.20193D Devotional 7.15.20193D Devotional 7.16.20193D Sermon Notes- July 21, 20193D Devotional 7.18.20193D Devotional 7.19.20193D Devotional 7.22.20193D Devotion 7.23.2019Sermon Notes for Sunday, July 28, 20193D Devotional 7.25.20193D 7.26.20193D Devotional 7.29.20193D Devotional 7.30.2019Sermon Notes Sunday, 8.4.2019