United Methodist Church
Welcome to Lexington United Methodist Church
We look forward to meeting you! Here you will find a wonderful faith community whose lives are being changed by the love of Jesus Christ. All are welcome!
Reflections
Pastor's Ponderings
Autmn is upon us...with changes in weather, hours of daylight,
moon cycles, plant life and the color of leaves. Sometimes these
seasonal changes seem gradual and natural...just part of the flow
of life. There are, however, other kinds of changes that feel abrupt.
Sharp edged. Dangerous even.
While nature moves at its own pace, obeying the rhythm of the
larger forces of time and space and temperature and light and wind,
we humans seem to be lurching through life at times. Like now...
I feel abrupt and unexpectedly jagged shifts and changes in the
human dominated sphere. Have you noticed that too?
Words don’t mean what they used to. The definition of freedom
and criminality and leadership and even facts have had layers of
cumbersome burdens attached to them. There’s a darkness on the
perimeter of our awareness as we become aware of increased
human-on-human violence. The rule of law is shape-shifting to meet
the demands of those who want what they want, when they want and if they don’t get it, they take the law into their own hands. Revenge and retribution have replaced forgiveness, grace, reconciliation. Neighbors become strangers and friends become suspect and families become estranged with disagreements that divide us over the intangibles—opinions and conspiracies and
religious beliefs and philosophies and political positions become weapons that separate us from each
other.
Where we could celebrate and explore and give thanks for the rich variety of ways in which we understand and express ourselves...instead we seem to swim in danger, disagreement and sometimes deadly chasms of cruelty and/or condemnation.
How long, oh Lord? How long? We who follow Jesus know that darkness may last a long time but the light of God’s love does eventually come in the morning. Fear and despair can seem overwhelming but there is a much larger hope and grace and love that surrounds us and our whole world, our whole
universe. The adjustments that we are making right now to hang on to our faith and our trust in the Lord
are the foundation for the bold love, the joyful service and the courageous leadership that the Holy Spirit offers us at just such a time as this.
We can offer each other comfort and reassurance here at Lexington UMC. We can gain strength from the connection we share with other United Methodists in the East Wind Districts, the Michigan Conference, this big, beautiful, world wide Church that we call home. And we must never forget that God
is watching out for all of us and each of us—always and forever. There is no spot where God is not and we know from Jesus...even the darkest tomb will pour forth with new life, beautiful light and holy love.
Thanks be to God...always. In His name, Pastor Geri
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing.
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 43: 18 – 19 (NIV)

Cultivating Awareness
by Ellen Olson Schippert
​Throughout every stage of life, especially during challenging periods, it is beneficial to foster and
maintain personal awareness. This refers not to being attuned to global or local events, but rather to
dedicating attention to the present moment and appreciating the intrinsic value of life itself.
This practice reflects the actions of Jesus, who frequently retreated to secluded places for
prayer—often outdoors, such as in the desert wilderness (Mark 1:12), on a mountainside (Matthew
14:13), or within an olive grove (Mark 14:32). Similarly, it can be valuable for us to seek environments
conducive to reflection and connection with God, surrounded by the natural world.
Recently, I took time to withdraw to an outdoor location to engage in this mindful practice.
I offer my experience of cultivating awareness in communion with God through a poem.
​
Where the Trees Stand Tall
Where the trees stand tall,
roots expand deep into earth;
trunks are clothed in aged and textured bark.
Branches stretch wide and tall into God’s magnificent sky.
Here I align myself in Creation’s gift of life.
Witnessing
undergrowth leaves of familiar maple and beech nut saplings
as they shimer with the gentle passing breeze
refreshing my cheeks
expanding my vision.
A deer’s antlers cut into white cedar bark,
its presence lingering in the hush.
Nearby, signs of other woodland lives emerge.
A perfect oval entry into a dead white pine
once sheltered an owl.
A chorus of crickets chirp a song of delight as
turkeys catch up on the woodland gossip and
a squirrel’s tail catches sunlight in this season of storing winter food.
I stand by a red pine,
quietly witnessing the Creator’s wonders.
For reflection: What practices or habits help you cultivate a deeper awareness of God and be fully
present to the sacred gift of life?
