Christ United Methodist Church

We invite you to join our worship in person on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
You can watch the live-streamed service at home as well via the church website, https://www.gocumc.org/ or Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com//streams.

Click here, https://www.gocumc.org/?page_id=29333 , to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer.

We invite you to join our worship in person on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
You can watch the live-streamed service at home as well via the church website, https://www.gocumc.org/ or Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com//streams .

Click here, https://www.gocumc.org/?page_id=29333 , to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer.

We invite you to join our worship in person on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
You can watch the live-streamed service at home as well via the church website, https://www.gocumc.org/ or Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com//streams.

Click here, https://www.gocumc.org/?page_id=29333, to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer.

Last Sunday, after the worship, a tree was planted near the church entrance.
I was told that a golden maple tree was chosen because it maintains a beautiful yellowish-green through spring and summer and changes color in fall.

A tree has been an important centering image for me for many years, ever since I got my very first Upper Room devotional journal. With a picture of a beautiful tree, Thomas Merton's words were printed on the page: "A tree gives glory to God by being a tree." That phrase made me ponder how I can give glory to God by being the kind of human being I am. The barren trees of winter teach me resilience and endurance. The splendor of autumn trees enriches my spirit, making me yearn to grow mature. The blossoms of spring trees remind me of the power of resurrection and new life comes alive. I will miss four seasons of the Midwest. I will miss my church family.

As I spread dirt on the ground with Kat, I prayed to God, the generous sewer and gardener, to nurture all children of God at CUMC. I prayed that the Loving Spirit continue to nurture, sustain, and empower the congregation. I prayed that you all abide in God's presence and find your spiritual home at CUMC.

I said in a covenant group recently that I feel uprooted, as I have been around Northern IL for the last 27 years, which is longer than the time I lived with my parents in South Korea. But wherever we are, we are joined together in the vine; we are the branches indeed.

Thank you for journeying with me and allowing me to be your pastor.
Thank you for the gift of a tree.
I hope to see you at Sunday worship!

Blessings & Peace,
Pastor Mi-Sook

You can watch the service online via the church website, https://www.gocumc.org/ or Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com//streams.

Click here, https://www.gocumc.org/?page_id=29333 to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer.

We're back on the farewell discourse in John's gospel this week. The lectionary text begins with a conditional statement of Jesus, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). As Charles Wesley (brother of John and a great composer of hymns) described in his numerous hymn lyrics, we claim "thy nature and thy name is love." We talk and hear about it all the time - songs, movies, and even at church. But what is love really? This word has become the most watered-down, cliché vocabulary in English. Is it a warm, fuzzy, affectionate feeling? Is it enthusiasm and devotion for someone or something? What does it mean when it comes down to our Christian faith and practice?

Reflecting on the passage, I thought of my first love for God as a teenager. I wanted to know more about God and what this strange Christian community called the church: 'Who is this divine being that makes these people welcome and embrace a nobody like me?' I experienced a love I never knew before and went into seminary.

Last Monday was a memorable day for United Methodist Clergy Women worldwide. On May 4th, 1956, the General Conference of the Methodist Church granted women full clergy status. I saw lots of social media posts last week among my colleagues celebrating women clergy and their ministry. I give thanks to those who said "yes" to God's calling as pioneers of faith, and to those who affirmed God's sacred calling of their colleagues.

Join our worship in person or online on this sixth Sunday of Easter and Mother's Day. Our Joyful Ringers will present beautiful bell music, and we will honor our mothers and mother figures in the service. You can watch the service online via the church website, https://www.gocumc.org/ or Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com//streams .

Click here, https://www.gocumc.org/?page_id=29333 , to sign in your attendance on the website. If you have joys or concerns to share, please submit them with your attendance record. It's important for us to know you were with us and stay connected in prayer.