Team Loyal

Sermon Notes: Sep 7 & Sep 10

When you joined First United Methodist Church, you were asked, “As members of Christ’s universal church, will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?” Loyalty can be defined as faithfulness and allegiance and is part of our membership vow, along with prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. How do we live out this loyalty as followers of Jesus Christ? The prophet Elijah ministered in a time when the people’s loyalty was not pure, so he challenged them by asking “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal is god, follow him.” (I Kings 18:17-24). The people were called to declare their allegiance and be faithful.

This Sunday, we are going to look at “Team Loyal.” Just like with football teams, loyalty to the Church can be a mixed bag. With football, one minute you have some fans praising the team, and the next calling for a change in playing positions or coaching staff with a single loss. If loyalty is a virtue, how can we cultivate it as other disciplines? How can we grow in allegiance and faithfulness to Christ’s Church?

May the Peace of Christ Richly Dwell in You,

Rev. Sherri