THE PASTOR'S CORNER FOR MAY, 2022

Reflections from Pastor Kim—Part 1 of 2

          Ahhh, spring! A time of “repair” in so many different ways. There’s cleaning out the gutters from the leftovers of fall, clearing flower beds, and checking soil temps so the seeds we are anxious to plant have the best environment possible for growth and flourishing. As I considered this offering of words, it also brought me to a wondering of what “repair” looks like for Oakland UMC. 

          First, we’ve just come through the season of Lent, Holy Week and the glory of Easter. So we’ve had time to reflect, look at what is moving inside of our faith—the very soul that exists within us. If we are completely honest, we likely have found things that need a bit of a spruce up; cracks that let things in that can destroy our foundation over time; holes in our umbrella of faith which let’s the world around us encroach on our faith; stumbling blocks in our faith journey that can cause us to fall and become battered and bruised; a lack of structure away from ourselves to support us when the ground under our feet shifts. Whatever it is that has this season has made known to our souls, this is the best time to deal with the issues. Now, before time passes and the issues become overwhelming. 

          Then I considered how we repair our physical bodies; braces to support us, new joints, partials or dentures, hearing aids, chiropractic or massage time, and chemo treatments, just to name a few. We run tests, we analyze the creaks and groans, we do the research, get estimates for the repairs and move forward as we are able. If we are true to the thought that we are an instrument of God, we make sure we are always as able as possible to carry our God’s call. We also consider preventative actions so that the issues do not become overwhelming.

“Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and
John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets;
and He called them.” Matthew 4:21

          Also coming to mind were our teams who are working to care for the building that houses our worship and other activities, specifically the Repair Team. Our 1909 building has been through over a century of shelter for the OUMC congregation. It has come to a time when there is great need to do an inventory of foundation cracks, roof leaks with internal damage, loosened bricks and the results of those many years of faithful service. Just like our human selves, buildings need repair—some more than others, yet all have that need. Our Repair Team is doing the research and getting the estimates so that we can move forward. Just like the above, we hope for those repairs to not become overwhelming. 
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          Jesus sat with the fishermen as they repaired nets. Jesus sits with us as we repair our souls. Jesus sits with us as we walk through our human physical repairs. Jesus sits with us as we look at the condition of the building that houses our Faith Family activities. Jesus sits with us. Jesus sits with you. To God be the glory. 

Be blessed, be a blessing, and take someone with you on the journey!
​Pastor Kim