Clark Mills UMC

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

1 Thessalonians 4:11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

There’s a difference between trusting Scripture and believing our interpretation of Scripture could never be wrong.
We can become so certain of our theology and doctrine that we stop leaving room for context, testimony, questions, or even growth. And without realizing it, we can start defending what we believe about God more than remaining open to God Himself.
I think there’s something beautiful about having the humility to say, “This is what I understand today, but God can still teach me.”
Faith doesn’t require us to know everything. Sometimes it requires enough humility to admit that we don’t.
“For now we see through a glass, darkly.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

08/25/2026

Harlen E. "Mac" McFann Obituary
Harlen “Mac” McFann, 94, of Clark Mills, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 20, 2026 at the Abraham House of Rome. Born in Pedro, OH, on April 19, 1932, he was a son of the late Arthur and Garnet (Evans) McFann. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and served in the Korean War. One of Mac’s favorite MP stories was of the time he was assigned to guard Marilyn Monroe. It always brought a smile to his face. Mac’s last station was at Griffiss Air Force Base and he was Honorably Discharged in 1955.
Mac settled in the area and owned and operated The Western Auto Store in Floyd, before changing the name to Mac-Evans Hardware, which he ran for more than 25 years.
Mac was one of the original founders of the Floyd Horseshoe Club, and, along with others they built the Floyd Horseshoe Club indoor courts. He continued playing up until this year. In 2000 he was inducted into the NYSHPA Hall of Fame. In 1985 he was awarded the Colonel Moulton Award in the Town of Floyd for his outstanding service to the community. He was also an avid bowler, winning the Rome City Bowling Tournament in his prime. He also enjoyed gardening, horseracing, the Buffalo Bills, and the NY Yankees.
Mac attended the Clark Mills Methodist Church and was a member of the Leon R. Roberts Post 161 for 52 years, and also was a member of the Stittville VFW 8259.
Surviving besides his loving wife, Cherril, are five daughters, Donna Graffignano, Diane Kincaid (Skip), Karen Gage (Tom), Marcia Buzyniski (Mark), and Amy Bailey (Jeff); nine grandchildren, Richard, Michelle (Michael), Teddy, TJ, Clark, John (Taylor), Jenna, Ian, and Sara; a great-grandson, Arthur; three sisters, Irene Yates (Harold), Cassie Haas, and Deborah Barnard (Larry); a brother, Darrell McFann; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by six sisters, Judy Neal (Frank), Carlene Klaiber, Lola Nelson, Marcy Vittorio (Frank), Jane Sharp (Paul), and Faye Kerns (Bill); a brother, Franklin McFann (Barb); sister-in-law, Vivian McFann; and brother-in-law, Bobby Haas.
Family and friends are invited to call at Nunn and Harper Funeral Home, Inc., 418 N. George St., Rome NY, 13440,on Tuesday, August 25th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A service will follow at 1:00 p.m. Interment will take place in Floyd Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mac’s memory to the Abraham House of Rome or the Clark Mills Methodist Church.

08/24/2026

As we start this new week let us take time to check out and explore the new blooms that are all around us! Sometimes even our faith begins to bloom for those around us to see! Isaiah 35 1-2 (NLV)
35 The waste-land and the dry land will be glad. The desert will be full of joy and become like a rose. 2 Many flowers will grow in it, and it will be filled with joy and singing. The greatness of Lebanon will be given to it, and the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the shining-greatness of the Lord, the wonderful power of our God.

08/17/2026

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18a (NIV)
Wow imagine that! Along with this scripture I found a devotion in Proverbs 31 by Alicia Bruxvoort. I hope you find this as a blessing, and it will bring a smile to your heart as you read it.
Years ago, I hid 1,000 pennies around our home.
There were pennies in our pantry, cupboards and underwear drawers. There were pennies on our bookshelves, bureaus and countertops. I hadn’t lost my mind, but I had lost my joy. And I wanted to find it again.
Back then, my hours were a monotonous blur of diapers and dishes, noise and needs. I wore a smile on my face but harbored a grumble in my heart.
I knew Jesus’ joy was mine for the taking, but I couldn’t figure out how to grab God’s gladness amidst the drudgery of my daily grind. So I set my feet to the dirge of discontent, and figured I’d reclaim my joy when my circumstances changed. When the baby sleeps through the night … or my husband gets a raise; when we can finally take a vacation … or at least I can take a nap, then I’ll have reason for rejoicing.
Then one day, a friend shared how her life had felt grim and weary until she’d begun the daily practice of thanksgiving. She grabbed the small notebook that was sitting on the coffee table in front of us and turned the pages tenderly.
“This is my secret weapon,” she said. Proudly, she showed me the scribbles inside. “I know it doesn’t look like much,” she admitted as tears brimmed, “but this little book has changed my life.”
Could gratitude really change a life? It sounded too cliché to be true, but when my little ones were tucked in bed, I grabbed a notebook of my own, and I decided to jot down some thanks of my own.
I sat poised with pen in hand and let my mind tarry backward across the hours. I didn’t discover mounds of miracles to tally, but I did remember little gifts of grace tucked into the corners of my day.
And for each gift, I scribbled a note of thanks … Thanks for the smell of baking bread and the feel of my husband’s hand in mine. Thanks for the sing-song of our children’s laughter and the sight of golden dandelions in my daughter’s outstretched hands.
Night after night, I recorded God’s gifts in my notebook. And eventually, I found myself greeting the day with wings of expectant hope rather than with shackles of silent dread. I no longer needed to muster up makeshift optimism or cover up my grumbles with try-hard cheer.
Gratitude was prying open the eyes of my heart, and I was beginning to see my daily drudgery in a new light. For the first time ever, I recognized God’s beauty in my bedlam and His presence in my pandemonium.
Perhaps that’s why our Heavenly Father urges us to “Give thanks in all circumstances …” (1 Thessalonians 5:18a). Because God knows thanksgiving may not change our situation, but it will always change our soul. And when gratitude shifts our gaze from our circumstances to our Savior, we find the joy for which our hearts have been longing.
Eventually, I decided I didn’t want thanksgiving to be just an end-of-the-day ritual or merely a chorus in my bedtime prayers. I wanted gratitude to become a way of life for me and for my family. That’s why I devised “Project Penny Praise.”
The idea was simple: Each time we found one of the pennies, we’d pause and give God thanks for something. It was like a treasure hunt for joy-seekers.
There was nothing special about those pennies, but there was something powerful about the praises they provoked. Of course, our house was still steeped in ordinary life — tears still spilled and quarrels still erupted, feelings were still hurt and knees were still scraped — but with every gleam of the copper penny, our eyes shifted toward heaven. And right there, in the middle of our daily grind, we found extraordinary joy.
Dear Jesus, open the eyes of my heart today to see Your gifts of grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalm 86:12, “I give thanks to you, O LORD my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” (ESV)
Philippians 4:4, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice!” (NLT) PEACE

08/11/2026

I read this in the bible this morning and with all the hate that is spewed on fb and in the media I thought this would be a good bibie verse to meditate on today!
Romans 14:10 (ESV) Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of HIMSELF to God.
It is easy to pick apart all the faults of others and shout them out loud but what if we had to tell all our faults and mistakes on live TV to the world let alone God? Lord have Mercy!

05/28/2026

Godprints Devotion
Meditate: Have you taken a walk lately? Have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to walk? You may be thinking a walk begins with one step, but I believe it actually takes two to begin a walk. Then these two steps are repeated over and over.

A walk can become a Godprints truth in our life connecting an everyday action reminding us of the wonder of walking with God. One of my friends shared a verse with me that got me to thinking –

“Thus says the LORD, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it; and you shall find rest for you souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.” - Jeremiah 6:16

Here God is using Jeremiah to remind the people of Judah to choose to walk in God’s way. I began to wonder – “What are these ancient paths?” It caused me to think of Enoch, Noah, and Abraham…they walked with God. Could the ancient paths, where the good way is, point to walking daily with God?

The Bible talks a great deal about walking.

Enoch – Genesis 5:22 – “Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” Genesis 5:24 – “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”
Noah – Genesis 6:9 – “This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”
Abraham – Genesis 17:1 – “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
Micah 6:8 – “He told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 gives us a partial description of how walking with God is marked by humbleness, justice and kindness or mercy. But how does this walk begin and then continue as the ancient paths portrayed by Enoch, Noah, and Abraham? It begins and continues with two steps...putting one foot in front of the other!

In the New Testament Paul encourages believers in Colossians 2:6 – “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,”. How did we receive Christ Jesus the Lord? We receive Him through repentance and faith.

Repentance is that turn around step that changes our direction from going our own way away from God and turns us back to Him. We receive forgiveness, but we are still standing still until we take the next step…a step of faith. Through faith we then are able to step towards God in total surrender and trust. These should mark our spiritual walk with God so we are moving forward in the same direction with Him.

Notice the very last phrase of Jeremiah 6:16 though – “But they said, “We will not walk in it.” God gives us a choice. He will not force us to turn to Him and walk with Him finding rest for our souls. He invites us though out of His great love for us.

John the apostle and one of Jesus’ closest friends says in 1 John 2:6 – “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” John knew what it was like to walk with God in the flesh. He walked with Jesus. He knew Jesus. We can too as we daily walk just as we received Christ – turning away from sin and our own ways, turning to God and His direction, and by moving forward with Him in faith, trusting Him in every way and every circumstance.

What choice will we make? To begin the journey with Jesus, it takes repentance and faith. We receive salvation, God’s free gift of eternal life. But we also have a daily choice to remain in Christ, to daily walk with God each and every day the same way – repentance and faith. That’s where we will find rest for our souls and the peace that surpasses all comprehension along with overflowing joy and SO MUCH MORE!

Ready to go for a walk now?!