This past Sunday, our fourth “young preacher of hope” asked a presenting question, “Why did YOU come to church today?”
The Rev. Danielle Kim shared her story of being a 10-year-old raised by grandparents who did not go to church. She just woke up one morning and said she wanted to go to church! She walked the distance by herself in South Korea, taking her weekly offering of one dollar. (Her grandmother had said, “You must make an offering.”) At 13, Rev. Kim joined her mother here in the United States and years later, we, the people of First United Methodist Church Plano had the gift of witnessing and affirming her call.
Between the 9 and 11 a.m. services, I met a first-time visitor in the gathering area, a visitor who was not United Methodist and whose home church is some distance from ours. As I met him, he said, “I just decided that I wanted to come to church this morning, and here I am.” I said, “When you hear this morning’s sermon, you will know you made the right decision.”
When Rev. Kim began telling her story about a 10-year-old getting up on a Sunday morning and deciding she wanted to come to church, I looked out at our visitor, and he was smiling.
I think many in the congregation were trying to answer Rev. Kim’s question, and many were finding their answer in the response sung by Robin Kaufman Anderson:
“Sometimes my faith feels thin like the night will never end. Will You catch every tear, or will You just leave me here? But I have this hope in the depth of my soul, in the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go.”
Friends, there are so many reasons to come to church at FUMC Plano and even more so with our Fall Kick-off beginning August 14! There truly is something for everyone, and the universal answer is found in the Hope that God is with us and will NOT let go!
See you at the Hoping Place!
Judith Reedy