You probably know John 3:16, “For God so loved the world …” but do you know John 3:17, or why it’s so often ignored? Is the Bible a book of rules that must be followed to the letter at all times and in all situations, or a treasure of inspired stories and divine wisdom about God’s will for our lives? Pastor Spivey will attempt to answer these questions Sunday morning in “Letter or Spirit?" the sequel to last weeks message “Law or Love?”
Speaking of questions, a lot of folks have questions about church disaffiliation. A good resource to consult that answers most of these questions is “The Disaffiliation Webinar FAQ” on the North Carolina Conference web page (link: https://nccumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ncc-webinar-1-disaff-agreement-faq.pdf).
An example:
Q: Would pastors and churches who remain in the UMC be forced to perform same-sex unions, and would they be punished if they do not?
A: No pastor ever has been or will be asked to perform a marriage against their conscience. In other words, no pastor will be required to do any wedding, of anyone, in the future. Requiring such action can't be done because it would violate the pastor's conscience, and doing a wedding is always a matter of pastoral judgment.
Pastor Vann
Sunday Scripture
2 Corinthians 3:4-11, 17
John 3:16-17