Slowing Down
January 11, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I wasn’t always into poetry. I am learning to appreciate its gifts more as time passes, especially the kind of poetry that speaks plainly and clearly, and gives me space to listen to what lies within the words for me. This past Sunday, we read a poem in worship by one of my favorite writers, Jan Richardson. It was a poem written for Epiphany, which falls 12 days after Christmas. Epiphany…
A New Year
January 4, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, Happy New Year, friends! I’ve always loved the ritual of turning the calendar into a new year. The energy that January brings with it offers a fresh start, and a chance to look ahead with renewed hope about what this year might hold. For many years now, I’ve been in the habit of taking some time to reflect on the prior year and thinking ahead into the new one. This year,…
A Blessing for the New Year
December 28, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, As we turn toward a new year this Sunday, we offer a word of blessing from one of my favorites, Jan Richardson. May this year be filled with blessings, and may each of us be ready with open hearts to receive… Blessing the Threshold This blessinghas been waiting for youfor a long time. While you have beenmaking your way here,this blessing has beengathering itself,making ready,biding its time,praying. This blessing has beenpolishing…
The Art of Listening
December 21, 2022A Note from Ginny Fisher Dear Friends, What does it mean to really listen? How do we listen? Why do we listen? How can we improve our listening ability? These are some of the questions that the Art of Listening class has been diving into over the past seven weeks, with the guidance of Kay Lindahl and her book The Sacred Art of Listening. True Listening Kay tells us that truly listening to someone (even yourself!) requires an…
The Great Story
December 14, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dearest Friends, As we wind down our journey through the Old Testament and gear up for a year of stories surrounding the life of Jesus, I have been reflecting about so many things that I’ve learned this year. Like many people, I once used phrases like “The God of the Old Testament” to describe my view of a harsh and less forgiving version of God… and “The God of the New Testament” to…
I knew it was a God thing…
December 7, 2022A Note from Debbie Detrick Dear Friends, This past Sunday, we shared the announcement that I’ll be retiring on January 8 as the organist/pianist/accompanist at HUMC. I’m sitting here at my computer and thinking about many things I would like to say. I have loved my time here at Hilliard Methodist Church. Thirty-seven years ago, I was invited here as a substitute organist when the former organist was on vacation. When he resigned and I auditioned for the permanent…
Gobble & Squash: Thank You!
November 30, 2022A Note from Nikki Buskirk Dear Friends, Sitting around the table as we prepare to have dinner, my family does the time-honored tradition of saying what we are thankful for. I thought it was rather cringe-worthy when we started doing it, but now it’s kind of a check-in-with-kids-and-each-other moment. It helps us as parents start conversations with the boys, and it helps us check in with each other. This year’s answers were a mixed bag. Silas said he’s…
Advent & Christmas at HUMC
The 5pm and 7pm services on Christmas Eve will include ASL interpretation for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Focus Groups
Help create our future! We invite you to engage in conversation on the financial issues facing HUMC and what worship in Warehouse 839 will look like going forward. FOCUS GROUP 4 – Topic: Financial Status. Thursday, December 1, 6:30pm in the sanctuary building, parlor. Facilitated by Finance Chair Will Thorsberg.
Gratitude
November 23, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dearly Beloved, Like many, I appreciate the invitation this week to take time for gratitude. I wanted to share with you the words of one of my favorite poets, David Whyte. These words invite us to be fully attentive to what is before us, and to allow our gratitude to be fully experienced… not as an illusory idea, but as a lived reality. With gratitude to all of you and the gift it…
Methodism – Denominational Update
November 16, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I remember the moment I knew the United Methodist Church was the right one for me. I was in seminary in a United Methodist History class, and our professor, Dr. Diane Lobody, was telling us story after story of John Wesley in the early days of the Methodist movement. Wesley lived in the mid 1700s, a priest and academic in the Church of England. He bore witness to the massive divide…
Town Hall Meeting: Action Steps
Whether you were able to attend the State of the Church Town Hall Meeting or not, we are SO grateful that you are interested in taking some action steps on these issues. Your participation means more than you know, and your engagement will help us create our future as a church. Thank you! Action Step Ideas We invite you to prayerfully consider what God is inviting you to do in the days to come. Choose the step or steps that…