Last Sunday we had 112 people at the 9:00am service and 96 people at the 11:00am service! This is something to celebrate! I was pleased to see many of our preschool teachers and our families with children in worship and during our back to school bash. With school back in session in Brevard County, I pray that our worship attendance at both services continues to grow. We…

I have a dream. What if this coming Sunday, August 13, 2023, we have the highest in-person worship attendance that we have had so far this year at Grace? We start the 2023-2024 school year this week in Brevard County, so this Sunday is the best time to worship and pray for teachers, students, parents, and all school personnel. My family calendar has revolved around…

Every week at Grace, near the end of our worship services, we celebrate holy communion. Recently, I read an article about how we approach holy communion in light of Paul’s admonition from 1 Corinthians to “let a person examine himself.” The meaning of this line, in context, is not to examine whether we are morally worthy to receive the gift of holy…

Recently, I read an article about waiting. We all get plenty of practice waiting, whether in traffic, at the doctor’s office, in the grocery or gas line, or in a variety of other situations. Yet most of us hate waiting. While waiting, we may get anxious and try to make things happen in our time rather than in God’s time. We tend…

Recently, I have been reflecting upon how distracting it is to focus on events of the past and plans for the future. Personally, regrets from the past and ambitions for the future both make it difficult to focus upon my present life circumstances. Yet when I fully embrace life moment by moment, I am able to trust that the Holy Spirit is…

This Gracevine will cover the next two weeks because several of our staff members are taking well-deserved vacation days. As we approach the July 4 holiday, it is a good time to think about the meaning and purpose of freedom. We celebrate our nation’s founding and history on July 4th, and usually we express gratitude for our freedom. Why is our freedom so valuable? What…

Recently, I read a statement by Eugene Peterson about how Christ changes our hearts and our lives. He said, “The holiness of Christ gets inside us, and when it does, it changes us. Christ’s gaze penetrates and purifies. He doesn’t look at us, he looks into us. When he does, we’re changed.” Have you ever experienced that sense that the spirit of…

One of my favorite quotes is from Fr. Richard Rohr. He says, “Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine…

Next week the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church meets in Lakeland for our annual conference. This year’s theme is “abound in hope.” Paul used this phrase in Romans 15:13, with a prayer that “……by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Notice that the ability to abound in hope is a gift of the Holy Spirit.…

Today we begin the Memorial Day weekend, also known to many as the unofficial start of summer. Typically, this weekend marks the end of another school year and graduation season. It is also a time to reflect on and honor those who gave their lives in the service of their country. If you had a loved-one who died in service, I pray that…