I’m with the DJ | 9.14.22

Friends and Families of Federal Way United Methodist Church,

This past weekend we kicked off Fall programming by sharing water bottle stickers. We are asking you to put them on your reusable water bottles as a way of resembling that we take church wherever we go. These stickers will be available in the church office during office hours.

We also celebrated after church with a hot dog potluck. I’m sharing a few pictures in this blog post for you to enjoy. It was truly a wonderful time. Also, we have been celebrating a regular flow of new visitors. Please remember to wear your name tags when you are at church, it’s a great way to practice hospitality.

This weekend we will be studying Psalm 84 as we focus on Passionate Worship. My working definition of Passionate worship is “Sustained moments in time where I/we joyfully experience and praise God.  Experiencing the Holy Spirit moving in a community of persons also revering the Sacredness of God and holiness of the moment.” I’d love to know your thoughts about Passionate Worship.

Will you share a moment or story when you have experienced Passionate Worship?

I look forward to seeing you all soon,

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 9.7.22

Good evening church friends and families,

I hope and pray that the first week of school has gone well for many of our families. For teachers, administration and students in the Kent school district, our prayers continue with you in these important days. We will officially kick off our Fall programming this Sunday, September 11th.

On September 11th, we will be sharing free water bottle stickers. You are encouraged to bring your favorite water bottles, coffee cups or drink holder that is special to you. If you are joining us for worship online, we will have some stickers available during office hours throughout the week as well.

In addition to our free give-always, we will also be pairing up students with adults in our faith community as prayer partners. If you are interested in supporting one of our students through prayer and encouragement, please contact Ann Mayer. Ann.Mayer@fwumc.org. We will also begin our new 5-part sermon series called 24/7 Faith as we use Luke 19 as our guiding Scripture to focus on Radical Hospitality. I’m looking forward to seeing you all online and in-person this Sunday at 10am.

Coming up this Fall, we will be hosting a health fair on October 1st. In addition, we will be hosting an online All church charge conference will be via zoom October 20th, 7-8pm.

I’m with the DJ | 8.31.22

Church friends and families,

I pray that you are doing well this week. After Church last Sunday, some of our church leaders meet with the Association of physicians of Pakistani descent of North America.

Our church will be the host site for National Health Care day.

FREE Health

Screening…

Blood pressure, Blood sugar,

Flu Shots, Covid 19

Vaccine, Vision, Back care,

Nutrition Counseling,

Women's health and more.

Saturday, October 1st, 2022

12pm - 4pm

Federal Way United Methodist

Church

29645, 51s Ave S, Auburn. 98001

Families are welcome

I'm with the DJ | 8.24.22

Hello friends,

We are weeks away from the start of school for many of our students. As staff and leaders, we are preparing for the start of Fall ministries. Starting September 11th, we will also start a new sermon series 24/7 Faith. For the next couple of weeks, I’d love to learn and hear from you. Attached is a one question poll that is multiple choice. Please take the time to fill it out.

https://www.menti.com/p3xtbociv8

See you this Sunday!

Pastor DJ

I'm with the DJ | 8.2.22

Here’s the quote I read last Sunday.

“On Generosity

On our own, we conclude:

there is not enough to go around

we are going to run short

of money

of love

of grades

of publications

of sex

of beer

of members

of years

of life

we should seize the day

seize our goods

seize our neighbours goods

because there is not enough to go around

and in the midst of our perceived deficit

you come

you come giving bread in the wilderness

you come giving children at the 11th hour

you come giving homes to exiles

you come giving futures to the shut down

you come giving easter joy to the dead

you come – fleshed in Jesus.

and we watch while

the blind receive their sight

the lame walk

the lepers are cleansed

the deaf hear

the dead are raised

the poor dance and sing

we watch

and we take food we did not grow and

life we did not invent and

future that is gift and gift and gift and

families and neighbours who sustain us

when we did not deserve it.

It dawns on us – late rather than soon-

that you “give food in due season

you open your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

By your giving, break our cycles of imagined scarcity

override our presumed deficits

quiet our anxieties of lack

transform our perceptual field to see

the abundance………mercy upon mercy

blessing upon blessing.

Sink your generosity deep into our lives

that your muchness may expose our false lack

that endlessly receiving we may endlessly give

so that the world may be made Easter new,

without greedy lack, but only wonder,

without coercive need but only love,

without destructive greed but only praise

without aggression and invasiveness….

all things Easter new…..

all around us, toward us and

by us

all things Easter new.

Finish your creation, in wonder, love and praise. Amen.”

― Walter Brueggemann

I'm with the DJ | 7.20.22

Hi everyone,

I pray that your summer has been going well. I spent last week with middle school students at a United Methodist Summer camp. Our Camp was at the base of a valley and up the hill, there is a lovely hike to oversee the valley. At the top of the hike, there is a beautiful cross that’s visible from far away. It’s hard to spot, but can you see the cross on the ridge?

I’ve been reading a lot about the stories of Methodist founder John Wesley. He meet with his accountability group and they had 22 questions they used. I’m going to copy them below.

These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley’s Holy Club asked themselves every day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.

  • Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

  • Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

  • Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

  • Can I be trusted?

  • Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

  • Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

  • Did the Bible live in me today?

  • Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

  • Am I enjoying prayer?

  • When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

  • Do I pray about the money I spend?

  • Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

  • Do I disobey God in anything?

  • Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

  • Am I defeated in any part of my life?

  • Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?

  • How do I spend my spare time?

  • Am I proud?

  • Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?

  • Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

  • Do I grumble or complain constantly?

  • Is Christ real to me?

Also, don’t forget…

I'd love to learn from you about what topics are interesting to you and your friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates and anyone else in your life. Would you please take the time to fill out this survey? You are welcome to share it with others, the more responses, the more we learn! The survey typically takes 5-7 minutes. I'll be sure to share some of the learnings in the Fall. We are getting a great response rate and want to make sure the your voice is heard as well.

Please click this link and feel free to have other people in your life fill it out too. This survey is for members, non-members, regular attendees and people who have never come.

I'm with the DJ | 7.5.22

Hi everyone,

I'd love to learn from you about what topics are interesting to you and your friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates and anyone else in your life. Would you please take the time to fill out this survey? You are welcome to share it with others, the more responses, the more we learn! The survey typically takes 5-7 minutes. I'll be sure to share some of the learnings in the Fall. We are getting a great response rate and want to make sure the your voice is heard as well.

Please click this link and feel free to have other people in your life fill it out too. This survey is for members, non-members, regular attendees and people who have never come.

Here’s a prayer that was written by Ann Mayer for this past Sunday.

“Holy God, we know that nothing can separate us from your love; whether we are celebrating or grieving, healthy or sick, free or imprisoned, we know your love is always present. We are thankful for this.

This week as we celebrate independence & freedom, we also remember that freedom in our context has historically only meant freedom for those who are white; now it seems that it only means freedom for those who are white and male and Christian. Show us the ways we can work toward freedom from oppression for all of your children. Teach us to challenge systems meant to benefit those in power. Teach us to love as you love.

Deliver us from meager sentimental patriotism. Teach us not to idly squander our freedom in vain with self-centered pursuits. Give us hearts that seek to serve others, not to deny freedom to others;

We want to ask you to remedy the problems in the world; We want to ask you to heal the sick and feed the hungry and fix climate change – but we know that’s our job. Teach us the ways we can make a difference in the lives of others.

Holy God, many of us are grieving the decisions made by the top court of our country in the last couple weeks. They have limited women’s rights, chipped away at the separation of church and state, limited the ability to keep people safe from gun violence, and made it more difficult for us to work toward a more healthy planet. The country we celebrate this week is supposed to be a positive model for the world, yet now we are moving backwards on that  path. We lament and grieve these losses.

Even as we grieve, open our hearts so we may be generous, and teach us the ways we can serve others rather than ourselves. Comfort us when we are overwhelmed and teach us your ways of love.

Fill our lives with the abundance of your Spirit, so that we may be your fruitful disciples.  May the fruits of our lives be food for the hungry.

In Jesus Name, Amen.”

I'm with the DJ | 7.3.22

Hi everyone,

I'd love to learn from you about what topics are interesting to you and your friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates and anyone else in your life. Would you please take the time to fill out this survey? You are welcome to share it with others, the more responses, the more we learn! The survey typically takes 5-7 minutes. I'll be sure to share some of the learnings in the Fall.

Please click this link and feel free to have other people in your life fill it out too. This survey is for members, non-members, regular attendees and people who have never come.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor DJ

This survey was inspired by a survey from Church of the Ressurection.

I'm with the DJ | 6.22.22

The Scripture for this Sunday will be John 11:14-44, the resurrection of Lazarus.  While this rich passage presents various themes, our guest preacher Derek will reflect on the aspects of mutual transformation and resurrection.  Here’s a description from Derek…

Jesus could have saved Lazarus before his death, but he says, "For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." (John 11:15 NRSV).  Before calling Lazarus from the grave, He tells the community to "take away the stone" (v.39).  After calling Lazarus, He says to them, "unbind him and let him go." (v.44).  Certainly, Jesus was capable of accomplishing these tasks without the aid of the community; yet he calls us to take part in the miracle for our own sake, saying, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" (v.40).  At Underground Ministries, we see this passage as the blueprint for One Parish One Prisoner.  God raises the dead, literally, but calls His people to participate in the miracle for our mutual transformation and resurrection.

If you want to learn more about One Parish One Prisoner, please use this link.

Beginning the first Sunday in July, we will begin a new worship series entitled Water from Another Time. The pandemic has transformed society and continues to shape the church in unexpected ways. Even in these shifting sands, God helps us find solid footing by walking forgotten paths and retrieving ancient practices. Come each week in July and August as a series of preachers across Washington state reflect on ancient Christian tenets and original Wesleyan practices that we rediscovered during the pandemic. This summer, may you also be refreshed by water from another time. 

I am very excited about the chance for us to spend time studying and learning more about our Wesleyan roots. These Wesleyan practices are a lot of the reason why I love being Methodist. I hope that you join us on Sunday mornings.