Fork United Methodist Church

05/29/2026

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.” Philippians 4: 6-7

What causes you to have a sleepless night? Maybe it’s anxiety about tomorrow, worry about a teenager out late or at “senior week.?” Maybe it’s concern about money or other external situations. Often we cannot control what we worry about! What we can do, though, is give it to God. We are invited to pray and leave it all in His capable hands. He is ore than able, ready to hear us, calm our hearts, fill us with peace. So, do yourself a favor. Pray and leave your cares with God, and then get a good night’s sleep. You can always pick up your worries in the morning if you must!!

Pastor Karin

05/28/2026

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. Acts 2: 43

What fills you with awe these days? Is it a beautiful sunset, the laughter of a child, the beauty of a running horse, a graduation ceremony? Awe is one of those “feelings” that is hard to define yet it captures us when we might least expect it. The signs and wonders performed by the apostles kept the people engaged and focused on God! When our awe is followed by a reminder of the power and presence of God with us, our faith is confirmed over and over. Let yourself experience awe this week!

Pastor Karin

05/27/2026

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28

I was in my pond on Monday—even the pond needs weeding! But I wasn’t alone. I believe it was a Northern Water Snake that was watching me from under the lily pads. I had waders on so I wasn’t too worried about him, but I did keep an eye out for it. It reminded me of this scripture and that the key to redemption is looking up. In order to see your way out or to hold onto hope, you have to look up—Godward. Jesus is quoting Moses here, reminding his audience about the saving grace of God in the midst of the snakes. If you remember back in Exodus, the people were out in the wilderness and the venomous snakes were everywhere. God said, Look up and you will not die. You might still get bit but you will not die. Whatever keeps you in the dark, look Godward—in prayer, in worship….and God will answer you.

Hmmm….and take your eye off the snake!

Pastor Karin

05/26/2026

“…I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
Deuteronomy 11:4

The Bible verse is a reminder that rain is critical to the growth of crops and the water table to mention just a few key factors for life on earth. Although it wasn’t the ideal weekend for picnics and beach time, the rain was God’s provision to make a dent into the drought upon our land. The best part about the last few days has been the clouds. Looking Godward is a way to appreciate the bigger picture and to remember how we are blessed.

Pastor Karin

05/25/2026

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

A Prayer for Memorial Day:

Gracious and Eternal God,

We come before you today, Lord, mindful of the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us—those who gave their lives in service and sacrifice for others.

We remember the fallen. As we see pictures of Arlington National Cemetery, we remember that each represents a life poured out in courage, a story marked by devotion, and a love willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. May their courage inspire us to live with purpose, humility, and gratitude.

We lift up the families who still feel the weight of loss. Be their comfort in grief, their strength in weakness, and their peace in the midst of it all. Enfold them with your loving arms and help them to know their sacrifice has not been forgotten.

Lord, we pray for peace today and the safety of our troops around the world. We pray for them Godspeed and your blessings upon their families.

Help us, Lord, to be good and faithful stewards of the freedoms that have been won for us. May this day be more than remembrance and awaken in us a deeper commitment to live selflessly, love generously, and serve faithfully. Amen.

Pastor Karin

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’” Acts 2:17-18

No one is pushed aside because of age, gender, background, or status. In Acts 2, Peter reminds the crowd that God’s Spirit is poured out on sons and daughters, young and old, men and women. God can speak through a teenager, encourage through a retiree, lead through someone who has been overlooked, and work through people who are still figuring things out. That is good news for the church - everyone has a place, and everyone has something to offer when the Spirit is at work!

Pastor Danny

05/22/2026

"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.” Acts 2:5-6

God wants us to be able to understand Him. At Pentecost, people from all kinds of places heard the message in their own languages, and that got their attention! God met them in a way that made sense to them, and that's still part of what God wants today. We don’t need to have a perfect church vocabulary or understand everything all at once. God is patient with us, walks with us, and helps us take in what we need one step at a time. How might God be speaking to you today?

Pastor Danny

05/20/2026

"They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:3-4

Ordinary people with all their fears and flaws were filled with the Holy Spirit and given the power they needed to step into what God was calling them to do. Ordinary people with doubts and bad days and questions of whether they were really the right ones for this calling. God meets us too, in the middle of real life, and gives us what we need one step at a time. We might feel ordinary, but ordinary people are exactly the kind of people God loves to use.

Pastor Danny