All blogs – Page 16 – St. Luke's United Methodist Church

2 03, 2017

Why Do We Fast?

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:02-05:00 March 2nd, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace, We Tell Our Stories|0 Comments

During the season of Lent, many Christians fast as a form of spiritual discipline. Here are some of the reasons why: 1. It is Biblical. Both Old and New Testaments speak of fasting as an important spiritual discipline. Moses fasted for forty days on the mountain to receive the tablets of God. Jesus fasted before facing his temptation. The church at Antioch fasted and prayed before choosing Paul and Barnabas to be their missionaries (Acts 13:2). Paul led a time of fasting and prayer with the leadership of the churches he founded on his missionary journeys (Acts 14:23). [...]

26 02, 2017

Happy Birthday, Encounter! – by Ben & Natalie Halladay

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:07-05:00 February 26th, 2017|All blogs, We Tell Our Stories|0 Comments

We moved to Houston with our son Nathan a year and a half ago from Queens, NY. When we started looking for a church to attend we were looking for a place of belonging, but more importantly, we were looking for a place we could cultivate a deeper connection with our faith. We both came from backgrounds that left us stagnant and longing for more spiritually. With a young child, we wanted him to grow in a community of faith and worship. What we found far surpassed what we had hoped for. The immediate sense of belonging and [...]

26 02, 2017

Roaming through the Wilderness

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:09-05:00 February 26th, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. A PERSONAL PRAYER God of love and healing, I remember some hard times, bleak midwinters of the heart and dry and parched summers of the soul. I remember wanting to stay in bed all day, but knowing the bedcovers couldn’t shield me from my troubles. But I made it through, God, somehow. I know it was only by your grace. Still, I must confess that while in the wilderness, I sometimes thought you had abandoned me. I can see [...]

22 02, 2017

Some Reflections on our American Conversation

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:11-05:00 February 22nd, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace, News|0 Comments

Friends, I have been thinking and praying lately about the role of the church, and particularly of St. Luke’s church, in our current American cultural and political conversation. I have received more emails from members and constituents about current events over the last few months than in all my ministry. I have listened to many sermons, studied the Scripture, read the writings of many Christian leaders, both past and current, and then I have prayed some more. I am particularly indebted to the writings of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and to Dr. John Ortberg of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, [...]

19 02, 2017

Reborn for Reinvention

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:13-05:00 February 19th, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. This week, Bishop Scott Jones will preach at all of our traditional and Encounter Sunday morning services. Bishop Jones received both his Master’s degree and Ph.D from Southern Methodist University, has been a local church pastor and was on the faculty of Perkins School of Theology before he was elected bishop in 2004. He served for the last twelve years as the bishop in the Great Plains Annual Conference, covering the states of Kansas and Nebraska. He is the author [...]

12 02, 2017

Rest for the Weary – by Michelle Groogan

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:14-05:00 February 12th, 2017|All blogs, We Tell Our Stories|0 Comments

PM Pals was a life saver for my family. Since our son's diagnosis of autism at the age of two we have endeavored to relentlessly attack his disability with multiple therapies, diets, supplements and specialized private academic settings. All of which has taken a financial and emotional toll on our marriage. I don't know where my husband and I would be if we didn't have PM Pals. Some of the sweetest dates we have had in the last decade were Friday nights when our children were safely taken care of at PM Pals. 1:1 attention for our children is not typical; [...]

10 02, 2017

Explore a New Way to Read Your Bible

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:16-05:00 February 10th, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. It is Time! This week, Scripture+Shared launches. St. Luke’s leadership set a single lofty goal for this year, what we call “The One Big Thing” – 2000 people in regular Bible Study with others by the end of 2017. I believe this experience can change the life of participants, and change the life of our whole congregation. Please join us! Download the app on your smartphone, or go to www.stlukesmethodist.org/bible. Join a LIFT group. Find a Bible Buddy (see more info in the “Some [...]

3 02, 2017

Only One Thing is Needed

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:18-05:00 February 3rd, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. A PERSONAL PRAYER O God, I need to succeed. I don’t want to be a failure. I need to be valuable, to make a difference in the world. I need to become a good person. I need to be a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather, friend. I need to make you proud of me, God. I am Martha, working away, putting my shoulder to the wheel and leaning forward for your kingdom. What? No? I don’t need to [...]

27 01, 2017

God, when I am stuck, get me unstuck… Inside-Out Habits – January 29, 2017

Robert Elliott 2017-03-28T14:55:20-05:00 January 27th, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. A PERSONAL PRAYER Loving God, Sometimes I get all excited or resolved regarding some goal, and my enthusiasm lasts only a few weeks or days. Then the questions and thoughts beset me: “Why am I doing this anyway?” “Of course I will quit. I always do.” “I can’t change. The old self is just who I am.” “This is just too hard.” “I’ve tried this a thousand times with no success. Why do I think this will [...]

22 01, 2017

Becoming God’s Masterpiece

Shelby Olive 2017-03-28T14:55:21-05:00 January 22nd, 2017|All blogs, Inside-Out with Dr. Tom Pace|0 Comments

We pray. We study the Bible. We make friends. We tell our stories. We give ourselves away in generosity and service. SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE This week, we continue our series called “Unstuck.” Two weeks ago we heard Jesus’ challenge to get up and get moving. Last week, we talked about our callings: what it is God calls us to do? This week, we will talk about whom God calls us to become, looking at Philippians 3, when St. Paul says “one thing I do…” It is getting closer to the launch of our new Bible Study ministry: Scripture + Shared. St. Luke’s leadership set [...]

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