NFUMC

08/07/2023

Creator God, you created everything in time.
You have preserved precious things that only time can reveal.

Abraham, at the age of 100, finally received a son through faith.
Moses, at the age of 80, learned courage and returned to his people.
Simeon, until his last day, learned patience and glimpsed true hope.
The apostle John, as he aged, finally beheld your vision and proclaimed your word.

God, we pray that we may not hasten through life but patiently await your timing.
Grant us the capacity to understand what was once unclear
as we encounter your appointed moments.

Though our arms and legs may weaken,
Open our hearts and souls
To perceive what was unseen before,
To comprehend what was unfamiliar before,
To empathize with those we couldn't fathom before,
And to do what we haven’t done before.

May we reside not within our confined possibilities,
but within your eternal possibilities.
In the name of the Lord of all,
our true comforter, our eternal dwelling, we pray. Amen.

03/21/2023

People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centred;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies;
succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you;
be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight;
create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;
be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten;
do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough;
give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

Teresa of Calcutta
On a wall in one of St Teresa’s Children’s Homes:

03/02/2023

Callousness to the mystery is our greatest obstacle. In the artificial light of pride and self-contentment we shall never see the splendor. Only in His light shall we see light. Our quest for God is not a quest for mere information. In terms of information little was attained by those countless men who strained their minds to find an answer. Only in terms of responsiveness, as an answer to Him who asked, much was achieved and much can be achieved by every one of us. In the realm of science, a question may be asked and an answer given by one person for all. In the realm of religion, the question must be faced and the answer given by every individual soul.

Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983), 153-154

03/02/2023

We began our Wednesday Bible Study with this beautiful song. It was sung by Madrigal singers from the Philippines. We hope you may enjoy this video. Paolo Orlandi - Invitation To Love - Philippine Madrigal Singers

World premiere of "Invitation To Love" performed by Philippine Madrigal Singers conducted by Mark Anthony Carpio

02/23/2023

We finished the last session of our study on Romans tonight with this video. N.T. Wright is summarizing the last part of Romans with this question: What it means to call God "Abba, Father," and be under God's household? Check out this video!

This episode of Reading Scripture Together reminds us just how much depth can be found in even the most seemingly insignificant verses. Paul quotes Isaiah 11...

02/22/2023

In Luke, as Jesus is crucified he says, ‘Father, forgive.’ And in Peter’s letter we are reminded that when Jesus is abused he doesn’t retaliate: ‘When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate.’ Here is a divine love that cannot be defeated by violence: we do our worst, and we still fail to put God off.

… So the cross is a sign of the transcendent freedom of the love of God. This is a God whose actions, and whose reactions to us, cannot be dictated by what we do. You can’t trap, trick or force God into behaving against his character. You can do what you like: but God is God. And if he wants to love and forgive then he’s going to love and forgive whether you like it or not, because he is free. Our lives, in contrast, are regularly dominated by a kind of emotional economics: ‘I give you that; you give me this.’ ‘I give you friendship; you give me friendship.’ ‘You treat me badly, and I’ll treat you badly.’ We’re caught up in cycles of tit-for-tat behaviour. But God is not caught up in any cycle: God is free to be who he decides to be, and we can’t do anything about it.

Already, it seems, the way in which Jesus died on the cross has become a model that Christian believers must follow. And so, if we imitate the non-violent, non-retaliatory response of Jesus, we ourselves become a sign of the same divine love. We in our lives, in our willingness to be reconciled, show the world what kind of God we believe in: a God who is free from the vicious circle of violence and retaliation.

Williams, Rowan; Williams, Rowan. The Sign and the Sacrifice (p. 8-10). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.

02/21/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D4wXOGNKrk
This is one of the songs that we shared in the last Sunday worship service. We hope this song may touch your soul.

Oh let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace
And let us be a holy nation where pride and prejudice shall cease

Let us speak the truth in love to the lost and least of these
And let serve the Lord in unity so others will believe
Let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace

Oh let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace
And let us build on one foundation till He comes and the wars of men shall cease

Let us share the Love of Jesus without hypocrisy
Let mercy and forgiveness begin with you and me
Let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace

Have we not one Father? Have we not one faith?
Have we not one calling to become one Holy race?

Let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace
And let us pray for restoration and seek the Lord together on our knees

Let us keep our hearts from evil and cling to what is good
Let us honor one another and love the brotherhood
Let us be a generation of reconciliation and peace

© 1995 Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publishing
(Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Juniper Landing Music (Admin. by CURB | Word Music Publishing) Curb Word Music (Admin. by WC Music Corp.)

Oh let us be a generation of reconciliation and peaceAnd let us be a holy nationWhere pride and prejudice shall ceaseLet us speak the truth in loveTo the los...

02/21/2023

Pray for Turkey and Syria | We ask for your prayers for those who are suffering from the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria. You can be involved in the humanitarian relief works by supporting UMCOR, which is a part of the global ministry of the United Methodist Church. UMCOR has released an initial solidarity grant to a longstanding humanitarian partner, International Blue Crescent (IBC), which has offices in Turkey. The grant will provide tents, heaters, blankets, warm clothes, ready to eat meals and basic first aid kits. If you want to learn more about UMCOR, visit their website: https://umcmission.org/

09/12/2021

September 12th NFUMC Sunday Worship Service

08/04/2021

Stop scrolling and take a moment ...

08/03/2021

Lord,

You knocked on our door that was reluctant to be opened to you.
So you know the people’s hearts who knock on the door of heart.

You know the heart of mothers knocking on the door of their sons.
You know the heart of fathers knocking on the door of their daughters.

And you say blessed are those who wait for the door to open,
and you take care of those who are outside of the room.

Lord, help us be gentle and wait as love.
Help us create a heart that can be gladly accepted when the door is finally open.

Amen.

07/23/2021