St. James Coburn United Methodist Church

St. James Coburn United Methodist Church We hope you and your family will have a warm and spirit-filled experience with us as we worship and fellowship together. Join us for Sunday worship at 9:45am.

Sunday School at 11am. Communion Service 1st Sundays
501 Main Street, Coburn, PA 16832
Theresa M. Heiser, Pastor

1st, 2nd, and 4th Sundays are led by Pastor Theresa
3rd and 5th Sundays are led by pulpit supply

Serving Pulpit Supply:
Rev. Pam Ford
Randy Muthersbaugh, Certified Lay Speaker
Nancy Wells, Certified Lay Speaker

Join us this Ascension Sunday. What does it mean that Jesus ascended into heaven? Is he gone? Too often, we live as if C...
05/11/2026

Join us this Ascension Sunday. What does it mean that Jesus ascended into heaven? Is he gone? Too often, we live as if Christ is distant or absent. But Scripture reminds us that He is seated in authority, actively at work, and calling His Church to be witnesses in the world. This message challenges us to move from standing still in uncertainty to stepping forward in faith, trusting in the power of the risen and ascended Christ. https://pennsvalleyparish.info/may-17-2026-worship-ascension-sunday/

NOTE: I am taking a break May 8-15. Just a thought before I go. - Pastor TheresaDevotion: Devoted Followers vs. Doting F...
05/07/2026

NOTE: I am taking a break May 8-15. Just a thought before I go. - Pastor Theresa
Devotion: Devoted Followers vs. Doting Fans
Scripture: Romans 10:13 (The Message) – “Everyone who calls on the Name of GOD gets in on his salvation.”

I was Stephanie Garrison on the radio and you'd be amazed at the things fans would call up on the request line and tell me about "Stef". Tall, long blond hair, big blue eyes. No matter what they got wrong, I left them to their imaginations. At least they had enough gumption to call. Still, I figured if they want to know if they're right, they'll show up at a live broadcast and find out. Most were content to admire from a distance and allow the theater of the mind to rule the day.

It’s easy to admire God from a distance. Paul writes to the church in Rome about a problem that feels surprisingly modern: people with zeal for God but no real knowledge of Him. Imagine being a fan of a band, loving the energy of their music, quoting their lyrics, even defending them to your friends but never actually taking the time to learn true things about the band members, their story, or what they really value. You might think you know them, but your picture is shaped more by imagination than truth. I can't know them. But I can, by the Word of God and observing what he made, get to know him.

Paul warns us it’s not enough to have excitement about God if that excitement isn’t rooted in real relationship. In Romans 10, he points out that salvation comes not from enthusiasm alone, but from calling on God in a way grounded in understanding by knowing who He is and what He commands. First hand knowledge of what the Bible says, not relying on what others say it says. Charles Wesley, the great Methodist hymn-writer, reminds us in his commentary on Scripture: “Love without knowledge is but a flame blown by the wind; it warms not the heart, nor lights the path to God.” And John Wesley emphasized the disciplined pursuit of God’s Word and obedience as the foundation for authentic faith.

In everyday life, this means checking our assumptions. We make many. Do we “know” God from the sidelines, or do we study, pray, and walk with Him, letting Scripture guide our imagination and zeal? Can we speak honestly about God if we haven’t taken the time to understand His character, His ways, and His commands?

Here’s a simple illustration. Imagine trying to navigate a forest with only a picture of a tree. You might recognize a few landmarks, but you’d miss hidden streams, uneven ground, and the paths that truly lead to safety. Likewise, zeal without knowledge may make us enthusiastic fans, but only a grounded understanding of who God truly is can steady our steps and give us firm footing when the path gets difficult.

Gracious God, help me to move beyond admiration into true relationship with You. Teach me Your ways, guide my thoughts, and open my heart to understand Your commands. May my zeal for You be grounded in knowledge, love, and obedience, so that my words and actions reflect Your truth. Equip me to call on Your Name with confidence and humility and help me walk today in the reality of Your presence. Amen.

Am I more in love with the idea of God, or with God Himself? Today, what step can I take to know Him better?

Devotion: God’s Wind - "May I Have Your Attention, Please?"Scripture: Acts 2:38 (The Message paraphrase) – “Peter replie...
05/06/2026

Devotion: God’s Wind - "May I Have Your Attention, Please?"
Scripture: Acts 2:38 (The Message paraphrase) – “Peter replied, ‘Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Yesterday, as I walked to the garden to pull some rhubarb, a strong wind started swirling so hard I had trouble steadying the bag I was filling. Ever felt a sudden gust of wind that disrupts what you're trying to do, or simply getting your full attention because it was expected? In Acts 2, it was not only the first followers of Jesus who experienced a mighty wind that shook everything, and everyone. The people were gathered for the Jewish festival that took place 50 days after Passover, Pentecost. Jesus' disciples were hunkered down in an upper room, out of eye and earshot of the masses, when suddenly, a mighty wind poured through the city and tongues of fire fell on the disciples. Acts 2:4 NASB: "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other [e]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them [f]utterance." The disciples began speaking whatever it was Holy Spirit wanted them to say in languages they had never studied. Devout travelers from all over were stopped in their tracks, first by the wind and then by what they heard, astonished. How could these Galileans speak their language so well? Where did this wind come from? What does this mean?

God delights in getting our attention in ways we never saw coming. This passage reminds me so much of Elijah's encounter with God. Remember that Elijah was distraught and tired and overwhelmed when only after the mighty wind, the earthquake and then the fire did God come to him in the silence. As these verses explain, "12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-12)

John Wesley spoke often that God works in both powerful and mysterious ways, inviting us into transformation through ordinary lives made extraordinary by the Spirit. Peter explains, through the prophet Joel, how an awful lot of spectacle has come just as the prophet said it would. All that Jesus did, what the people did to lead him to the cross to die, it was part of the prophecy. And that knocked the wind out of them. They felt terrible, until Peter went on to explain why this had to be. That Joel teaches us that wind and fire are not just spectacle, they are God calling us to repentance, baptism, and to receiving the Holy Spirit. It’s a gift that changes us from the inside out, equipping us to live beyond our own limitations and to speak God’s love into a world that doesn’t always make sense of it.

Holy Spirit, come like wind and fire in my life today. Stir my heart, open my ears, and sharpen my vision so I may see Your work in unexpected places. Give me courage to change my life, to turn to God fully, and to receive the gift You freely offer. Let Your Spirit guide my words, my actions, and my love, that I may live as a witness to Your mercy and grace. Amen.

Just as the Spirit captured attention at Pentecost, God still calls us today. But the world is full of competing wild "winds" all vying for our attention, but not genuine relationship.
How will you recognize and respond to the Spirit’s voice amid the million distractions that promise much, but in truth deliver little? Happy Wednesday, friend. 🙏

Ever speak truth to someone walking in darkness hoping they will see the light only to hear them claim full agreement th...
05/05/2026

Ever speak truth to someone walking in darkness hoping they will see the light only to hear them claim full agreement that some sure DO walk in darkness and THEY should really get their heads on straight? Jesus did.

Devotion: Walking in the Light We Don’t Control
In The Message paraphrase, John 8:12 reads: “I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows me won’t be stumbling around in the dark. I provide plenty of light to live in.” I don't like stumbling around in the dark with other stumblers. I prefer light and all it provides so these words are balm for the soul for me. Because I take them to heart.

They didn’t land that way for everyone.

The Pharisees heard the same words and, deeply offended, pushed back hard. They questioned Jesus’ credibility, dismissed His authority, and essentially called Him a liar. The Light of the world stood right in front of them, and they argued with Him about whether it was really light. It’s uncomfortable how familiar that feels.

We live in a time when people can be absolutely convinced they are right loudly, confidently, even religiously so, and still be deeply mistaken. You can feel right and be absolutely wrong. It's happened to me. Has it happened to you? It's not because of a lack of intelligence or inability to learn or master a thing. It's due in large part, as I see it unfold in front of me, because certainty can sometimes harden into blindness. As in there are none so blind as those who WILL not see.

So what made the Pharisees so sure? It wasn’t just ignorance. Perhaps it was investment. Yeah. Investment. They had built their identity on being right. Which is flawed already considering we capable of being wrong. Their understanding of God, their interpretation of the law, their position in the community depended on a framework they controlled. At least, they thought they did. And Jesus didn’t fit neatly inside it. Instead of letting the Light correct them, they tried to discredit the Light.

If I had a nickel for every time I've watched this play out lately...

As John Wesley warned spiritual pride is one of the most dangerous forms of pride because it disguises itself as righteousness. And when your peer group doubles down what is clearly not right because they've agreed they are never wrong, that's when the comedy and tragedy play out and relationships fall into ruin. When we assume we already see clearly, due to an unhealthy lack of curiosity and teachability, we stop seeking the Light altogether. We start to think that light comes from us.

John 8:12 reveals clearly that we don’t generate the light, we follow it. Following requires humility. It means admitting that without Christ, we would be stumbling in the dark. It means holding our opinions, even our deeply held convictions, with open hands before God. It means waking up each day not assuming we know the way, but choosing to walk with the One who is the way. The One who shows you what you could never see on your own.

Jesus doesn’t just affirm our path, He illuminates it, and sometimes that means showing us where we’ve been wrong. The Pharisees couldn’t accept that. Or wouldn't. Not sure which. But we don’t have to make the same mistake.

Today, the invitation isn’t just to believe in the Light, it’s to walk in it. To let it guide, adjust, and yeah, even challenge us. Because the promise isn’t that we’ll always feel right… it’s that we won’t walk in darkness and get so used to it we prefer to stay there.

Lord Jesus, Light of the world, shine into every corner of my heart today. Where I have been certain without seeking You, humble me.
Where I have been blind to Your truth, open my eyes. Teach me to follow, not just to assume I know the way. Guard me from pride that resists Your correction, and give me a spirit that is tender, teachable, and led by Your grace. Let Your light guide my steps, my words, and my thoughts, so that I may walk in truth and reflect Your love to others. Amen.

You don’t have to prove you’re right to walk in the light. You just have to be willing to follow it.

May 31st we will talk about the current climate of weaponizing grace and how it's causing some to say "not enough" to wh...
05/04/2026

May 31st we will talk about the current climate of weaponizing grace and how it's causing some to say "not enough" to what the cross called "finished". Starting in June we will spend the summer considering what it looks like to weaponize the fruit of the spirit and what we can do to turn those "weapons" into "plowshares". It's going to be a "pure milk" for our growth summer! Invite a friend to join you. 🍎🍐🍊🍋🍉🍇🍓🍒🍍

Devotion: When Sheep Don’t Know They’re LostDo you see it, too? Scrolling here, I see a lot of “fix them” and “call them...
05/04/2026

Devotion: When Sheep Don’t Know They’re Lost
Do you see it, too? Scrolling here, I see a lot of “fix them” and “call them out” energy, but not much heart for the people behind it, directly involved or collateral damage. In The Message, Matthew 9:36 frames 37-38 as Jesus looked at the crowd and his heart broke, they were “confused and aimless, like sheep with no shepherd.” Then He talks about the harvest.

Notice the order: heart first, then harvest. Not head first "well, I think they outta..." Heart first. Not all sheep know they’re lost. Some get used to wandering. Some even convince each other they’re doing just fine on their own. But unrecognized lostness is still lostness. We do it too. We think, “I’ve got this,” without realizing that we can’t see the grace we need. "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see."

Jesus sees clearly. Where we see independence, He sees vulnerability. Where we see confidence, He sees confusion. And He responds with compassion, not condemnation. As John Wesley reminded us, it’s not just sin it's the misery sin creates that moves Christ’s heart. Moves, not burns. Charles Spurgeon noted, people without Christ aren’t as “together” as they seem to think they are. The evidence is both heard and seen.

That’s why Jesus says pray for workers, not because people are asking for help, but because many don’t even know they need it. Figuring out that I'm not some "dumb sheep", like some may characterize, but rather I'm a precious sheep that has a purpose in His flock and am worthy of protection and leading by a Good Shepherd is a good thing. Because it changes us "heart first".

When we follow Him, we don’t go out to "fix" people. We go out to point them to the Good Shepherd, then let him take it from there.

Lord, give me Your eyes. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Keep me from pride and send me with compassion. Lead me and let me help others follow You. Amen.

Am I willing to see people the way Jesus does and respond His way? Happy Monday, friend. It's going to be a beautiful day! 🌾

Devotion: A Heart Transplant Only God Can Do“I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone h...
05/02/2026

Devotion: A Heart Transplant Only God Can Do
“I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed.” Ezekiel 36:26, The Message paraphrase

Ezekiel 36 is a turning point for tired people who have experienced exile, failure, and the consequences of living among those who had grown spiritually numb. The spiritual awakening happening right now, I think, is due in large part to people making the decision to feel what God says is possible. By making His will our own we think more about others and how we might be helpful rather than thinking less of ourselves. We WANT to build relationships that strengthen mind, body and spirit in ourselves and others. If you read verse 22, God makes something clear: this restoration is not because the people earned it, but because of who God is. By the time we reach verse 26, the page has fully turned from what was, to what only God can make new.

Only God.

Notice how God does the work. He doesn’t say, “Try harder.” He doesn’t hand them a checklist. He says, “I will give… I will put… I will remove… I will replace.” This is grace before it is effort. Transformation before instruction.

The basic truth is this: No amount of self-discipline or good intention can fix a failing heart. The patient cannot perform the surgery on themselves. They must be placed in the hands of a skilled surgeon. In the same way, God doesn’t patch up our old, hardened hearts. He replaces them.

Augustine of Hippo wrote: “God does not command what we cannot do, but in commanding He invites us to do what we can and to ask for what we cannot.” Ezekiel 36 reminds us that even the ability to change begins with God.

But this new heart is not given so we can admire it. It has a purpose, so that we may live differently. I mean, what good is a new car if you don't use it and you never go anywhere? The verses that follow 26 speak of walking in God’s ways, of restoration not just within us, but through us for others. A new heart leads to new fruit.

So today, if you feel stuck, hardened, or worn down, don’t start with trying harder. Start by surrendering deeper. The same God who made this promise still does this work from the inside out.

Gracious God, You see the places in me that have grown hard, tired, or resistant. I confess that I cannot fix my own heart. But You can. So today, I open myself to Your work. Remove what is not of You, and replace it with what is. Give me a heart that desires what You desire and a spirit that follows where You lead. Let my life reflect the quiet miracle of Your grace at work within me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If God has given you a new heart, where is He asking you to start living like it today?

You're invited to hear more about Jesus' Way Sunday morning. Visit https://pennsvalleyparish.info/may-3-2026-5th-sunday-of-easter-worship/ for all the details. 🙂

We are beginning a new chapter as a supporting partner of FierceLove4Good Angel Packs to help victims of human trafficki...
04/30/2026

We are beginning a new chapter as a supporting partner of FierceLove4Good Angel Packs to help victims of human trafficking in a tangible way. This collection bin is where items needed for kits may be deposited. Cards are available with all items sought listed. We can make an impact! See you Sunday!

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501 Main Street
Coburn, PA
16832

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9:45am - 12pm

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