Author: First UMC

God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” (Genesis 1:26, TM)

According to Genesis, God put humans in charge of the planet. As managers for God, we are responsible for the planet and all its creatures. Humans were not put in charge so that we could wipe out entire species because of greed. (A bluefin tuna can be worth $100,000 on the Japanese market.) We are not given dominion to pollute the oceans. Yet, one large garbage patch in the Pacific contains 1.8 trillion pieces of trash. The floating mass covers an area twice the size of Texas.

Yesterday was Earth Day. I admit it bothers me when I throw away a piece of plastic that doesn’t recycle because I know it may take 1,000 years to break down and become part of the soil or end up floating in the ocean for centuries. The best thing we can do as Christians is to reduce the trash we create, reuse items we can, and recycle. We can do a better job as God’s managers.

Dr. Sam

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a)

Pilot over intercom to passengers: “I have good news and bad news. The good news is we are ahead of schedule. The bad news is we are lost.”

Jesus commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of everyone.  That is where the church is always to be headed—in the direction of others to bring them to Christ.  There is no one method of doing that.  All the ways to evangelize involve teaching others through word and actions the good news of God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ.  That is our purpose and our goal.  It’s easy for the church to be distracted and get lost in all the different ideas about what a church should be and do and what different people want and expect.  Jesus’ instructions focus on where we should be going and what we should do.  May God keep us on course.

Dr. Sam

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Matthew 28:18-20.

When I was an American Baptist pastor, a search committee would contact me. If I were interested in serving that church, I’d send them a resumé. After they studied my resumé, they’d set up an interview with me, hear me preach at a neutral location, have me come to the church to preach a trial sermon, and then have the church vote on whether to call me to serve as their pastor. I went through that process four times and, as a result, had the privilege of being called to serve four different ABC churches from 1978 to 1994.

When I became a United Methodist pastor in 1994, I agreed to go wherever the bishop sent me. United Methodist pastors are sent, not called. We are appointed by the bishop, not hired by the church. The bishop’s concern is not just for one church to have the right pastor but for all the churches in the conference to have the right pastors. So, the bishop meets several times over months with the district superintendents in careful study and prayer to match as much as possible the gifts and graces of the particular pastor with the ministry needs of a particular congregation or ministry setting. Over the past thirty years, I’ve been appointed to five UMC congregations.

I’ve experienced God’s grace in the “called” and “appointive” systems and in all the congregations I’ve served. I have complete confidence that God is going to send the right pastor to FUMC. Let’s be in prayer for her or him, for FUMC, and for the congregation, she/he will leave as we prepare for this transition.

Dr. Sam

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13)

Early Christians expected the imminent return of Jesus. So, when members of the Christian community in Thessalonica died, new Christians were confused about what they had been taught. Paul assured them that those who had died in Christ would be raised as Jesus was raised from the dead. We all grieve when we lose someone we love, but Christians have hope that death is not the end and that we will see our loved ones again. That is Easter hope. It is powerful. Easter hope has sustained many of us in the face of devastating losses and will continue to carry us until that day.

Dr. Sam

Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:7-8)

I’m not looking forward to calculating income taxes this year. I anticipate I will owe the government money. The only question is, what do I owe? Of course, I will pay whatever taxes are due. That’s what Paul taught in Romans. We are to pay our obligations. It’s better not to owe money to anyone.

However, each of us has an obligation that surpasses all others—to love one another. It’s a debt we always owe and must pay as Christians—to love others as Christ loved us. That’s the bottom line for Christians.

Dr. Sam

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” (John 15:13-15)

Jesus made many friends. As he traveled, he befriended many people along the way—the Samaritan woman at the well, the wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus, and Mary Magdalene. Peter, James, and John were his inner circle among the twelve. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha were also good friends. In the above passage, he addresses eleven of his disciples as his friends (Judas had left to betray him.). Jesus was open and honest with his friends. He shared with them what God had revealed to him. In the end Jesus laid down his life for his friends. Through his sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus expanded his circle of friends to include us. Thanks be to God.

Dr. Sam

“We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit! The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, and their cities are huge and well-fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak. Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses, and said, “Let’s go up and take the land—now. We can do it.” But the others said, “We can’t attack those people; they’re way stronger than we are.” They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. (Numbers 13:27-28, 30-32, The Message)

The Israelites had journeyed to the point where they were poised to claim the land God had promised them. Moses dispatched a dozen spies to survey the land and devise a strategy for conquest. However, fear gripped ten of the spies, clouding their vision. It was only Caleb and Joshua who, with unwavering faith, saw the opportunity that lay before them. Unfortunately, the fear spread,
and the people retreated and wandered in the wilderness for forty years. I’ve been privy to unsettling rumors about the future of First UMC, Sarasota.

Some fear that the next pastor may lead FUMC out of the UMC (I assure you that will not come to pass). Others worry about potential changes within the church, such as the loss of beloved ministries. When fear and rumors are allowed to spread, they paralyze us. Let’s follow the example of Caleb and Joshua, who had faith that the battles before them could be won.

Let’s echo the positive voice of Caleb, who said, “We can do it.”

Dr. Sam

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.         (John Wesley)

A woman called me today. She recently experienced a stroke and has yet to recover.  She wants to return to work but has not been given medical clearance. She has been a caregiver all her life.  Our volunteers at Caritas paid part of her water bill so that her water would not be shut off. They gave her my number because her electricity would also be turned off. Through the church’s Benevolence Fund, I covered her electric bill. She was very grateful for the assistance the church could give because of your generosity. We could not solve all her problems, but through the listening ears of volunteers and your gifts, she knows our church cares.

Thank you for the good you do every day and for your generosity.  Our church is known in our community for helping the down and out, a witness to God’s love and mercy.

Dr. Sam

At present, we see only puzzling reflections in a mirror, but one day we shall see face to face. My knowledge now is partial; then it will be whole, like God’s knowledge of me.

(1 Corinthians 13:12, REB)

Lent is a time of self-examination which is very important. Even Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I personally find it difficult to see myself clearly. Paul taught in Romans “I say to everyone among you: do not think too highly of yourself, but form a sober estimate based on the measure of faith that God has dealt to each of you.” (12:3)

Many of us probably are intoxicated with our own opinions of ourselves, while others may be more sober in their self-evaluations.

Even though Paul gave this advice in Romans, he admitted in 1 Corinthians that he struggled to see himself clearly, to see himself as God sees him. How do we measure or judge ourselves? He tells us in the next verse. “There are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of the three is love.”

As we examine ourselves, love is the measure that we use. Love in the biblical sense is other-centered, self-sacrificing, and action-oriented (not based on feelings). The Spirit fills us with this love for God and one another—and even for ourselves.

Dr. Sam

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15

The calendar combines both days tomorrow. It’s a day to celebrate love, examine ourselves, and repent of our sins—a strange combination.

At times life juxtaposes happiness and sadness. On the same day in the same hospital, I visited an elated mother and father with their newborn and a family receiving bad news in an ICU waiting room.

I attended a wedding where the families were celebrating. After the couple left for their honeymoon, the mother of the bride received terrible news that her brother had taken his life. Grief displaced joy.

The disciples were filled with joy on Palm Sunday when the crowds hailed Jesus as king but grieved on Good Friday when the crowds shouted for him to be crucified.

As we fulfill the Lord’s command to love one another, may the Holy Spirit fill us with compassion so that we may celebrate with one and grieve with another.

Dr. Sam

Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll. But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and that believing, you will have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

I spoke recently with a respiratory therapist who has treated patients with COVID. She told me about the first person she treated who was afflicted by the virus. She explained to him what they would be doing before intubating him. Though he was having difficulty breathing, he forced out the words, “I didn’t think it was real.” Those were the last words he ever spoke. He had ignored recommendations that might have protected him because he didn’t believe what health officials were saying.

What we believe is important because we act on what we think is true. The writer of the Gospel of John wrote to promote faith in Jesus. To him, it was a matter of eternal life.

What do you believe?

Dr. Sam

“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.” (Acts 16:5)

First United Methodist Church attendance in person in 2023 was up 17% over 2022. Our average grew from 175 to 204. Online worship remained about the same—199 compared to 204.

Among our 46 new members in 2023, 3 professed their faith in Christ for the first time, 18 reaffirmed their faith in Christ, 18
transferred their membership from other UMC churches, and 7 from non-UMC churches.

Why are we growing? People give three reasons: 1. Our people are friendly and welcoming. 2. Our music is wonderful and inspiring. 3. The sermons are great. (When they’re talking with the pastor, mentioning the sermon is only polite.)

I am grateful the Spirit of God is strengthening our faith in Christ and bringing more of us together.

Dr. Sam

I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion won’t come to you. (John 16:7)

Jesus’ disciples were not happy that Jesus was leaving them. Many of you have expressed your grief at my retirement. I appreciate you. I also am grateful to those who are happy about my leaving and are keeping quiet. I will miss everyone at First United Methodist Church. Leaving is always difficult. However, I believe that it will be better for you that I leave and that a younger and better pastor will be appointed by Bishop Berlin. I am excited for you that you will have a new leader.

We have work to do to ensure it is a smooth transition for your new pastor. Things are only going to get better. As Jeremiah said to the people who were captive in Babylon:
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Dr. Sam

January 18-25, 2024 

God of life, you have created us to have life and all its fullness. Help your wounded Church to be a source of hope and healing. As we follow Jesus’ way with determination, may we lead others to you. Lord, give us the grace to know you deeply and to love you entirely. May the gift of your Holy Spirit enable our eyes, ears, and minds to receive the unconditional love with which you love us. Purify our hearts so that we may always be ready to love our neighbor, however different from ourselves. Instill in us the courage to look beyond ourselves, see the neighbor in those different from ourselves, and be the unexpected neighbor who reaches out in compassion to truly follow Jesus Christ – our brother and our friend who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Based on reading the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), by Christians in Burkina Faso, many of whom cannot worship in public because of violence against them. Keep them also in your prayers. Thank you! (Courtesy of British-Irish Methodists)  

Dr. Sam 

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” (John 17:20)

Like in the TV show Survivor, Christians have voted others “off the island” since the beginning. What became the Catholic and Orthodox churches excluded and condemned Christians whose views were radically different. The more we learn about the early church, the more varieties of Christian churches there were—much more theological diversity than we have today. For example, Ebionite Christians put their faith in Jesus as their Messiah and insisted on obeying the laws of the Torah, as Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, did. Marcionite Christians believed that the God of the Old Testament was not the same God as the God of the New Testament—two completely different Gods and that the Old Testament was totally irrelevant to Christians. Gnostic Christians believed that what led to salvation were the teachings of Jesus, not his death and resurrection. Because they were labeled as heretics by “orthodox” Christians, they were excluded from their churches. Next week is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Let’s join Jesus in that prayer.  Next week is the Week of Prayer Christian Unity.  Let’s join Jesus in that prayer. 

Dr. Sam

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  (2 Timothy 4:6-7)

Paul writes to his protégé Timothy about his coming to the end of his ministry. We know that Paul was martyred for his faith.

I am grateful that the end of active ministry for a United Methodist minister is not so dramatic or demanding. There is mandatory retirement at age 72. I will be within six months of that on June 30, 2024. That will be my last day as an appointed United Methodist elder. I am so grateful to have served this congregation and the others before FUMC. I have not quite finished my race yet. I plan to finish strong these last six months before I cross the finish line.

Rev. Dr. Debbie Allen met with our Staff-Parish Relations Committee in September. She will represent FUMC to Bishop Berlin and the Cabinet as they prayerfully discern who to send to First Church as the next senior pastor.

In the United Methodist system, the bishop appoints pastors for a year at a time. I am grateful to have been appointed to FUMC eight times. United Methodist congregations accept the clergy that are sent. (Thank you for graciously welcoming and accepting me.) Pastors agree to go where we are sent. So, the system works.

SPRC and I will do everything possible to make a smooth transition. SPRC will inform the church (probably in late April) whom Bishop Berlin will appoint to follow me as senior pastor. I know you will welcome and accept her or him.

In the meantime, we still have work to do. Thanks for all the ministry each of you does every day!  Have a blessed 2024!

Dr. Sam

I love your Instruction. I think about it constantly. (Psalm 119:97)

CONGRATULATIONS! to those who accepted the challenge to read the Bible in 2023 and accomplished it. Reading through the entire Bible is difficult. First, the Bible is massive—about 800,000 words (depending on the translation). That is the length of ten modern novels. Second, the Bible is filled with different genres of literature, some of which do not exist in our culture, such as apocalyptic literature. Third, the Bible’s historical, cultural, and theological backgrounds are foreign, leaving us with questions. For example, what is a cubit? Would our God command that every living thing be destroyed when the Israelites attacked a city? Why is Jesus crucified on Thursday in John’s Gospel but on Friday in the other gospels? However, despite our questions and because of them, God still speaks to us as we read the Scriptures. That is why we continue to read and study the Bible.

Dr. Sam

And suddenly there was with the angel a great assembly of the heavenly forces praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward all.” (Luke 2:13-14)

While the text says that the heavenly armies were saying or speaking God’s praise, it’s hard to imagine they were not singing praises to God. The title of the FUMC Christmas concert this past Sunday was taken from the first phrase above: “And Suddenly.” It was a wonderful concert. All the musicians outdid themselves. Thank you to the First church choirs, instrumentalists, and the Rowlette Boys Choir. You all blessed us immensely. Special thank you to Michael Stuart for countless hours of organization, administration, meetings, rehearsals, and practice at organ and piano keyboards night after night to bless us with such an outstanding program. Your people skills, dedication, talent, hard work, and love made it an amazing Christmas gift to us all. We appreciate you!

May the music celebrating the birth of Christ continue to lift our spirits and fill our hearts and minds.

Dr. Sam

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them  in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  (Matthew 28:19 )

No mountains in Florida, but we still have good news to share. The hymn invites us to tell others about the good news of Jesus’s birth. God’s love for us was personified in Jesus Christ—tremendously good news. At First United Methodist Church in Sarasota, there is even more good news. While most churches are declining, our congregation is growing. By the end of the year, we will have welcomed 44 NEW MEMBERS—a record number for FUMC, more than double recent years.  Some of our new friends are transferring from other churches, and some are affirming their faith for the first time and being baptized. Others are reaffirming their Christian faith. Welcome to the family! It truly is good news!

Dr. Sam