Trinity United Methodist Church

Trinity United Methodist Church To bring people to Jesus Christ so that we may be transformed into his faithful followers. Bring your own chairs or blankets. Many precautions are required.

Appointments to speak with the Pastor can be arranged via email or by calling the church and leaving a message for a return call. The Administrative Board of Trinity United Methodist Church met Sunday, June 14, to discuss re-opening our church for in-person or in-house worship. The consensus was to remain closed for the rest of June, but to re-open on Sunday, July 5. During the month of July, weat

her permitting, we will worship outdoors, on the parsonage lawn next to the church, maintaining a social distance of 6 feet between families. By worshiping in the open air, we believe that it will be safe to include a couple hymns, responsive readings, and unison prayers in the service. If we move indoors because of inclement weather, these items will be omitted from the service because we emit virus particles into the air while speaking or singing. Masks are recommended but are optional. Masks will be available as worshipers arrive. Re-opening isn't simply unlocking the doors and resuming where we left off in March. Consequently, worship will not be exactly the same as it was for quite some time. We ask for your understanding and patience and concern for the safety of all persons. For those who would be uncomfortable attending church in July, because of age or underlying health conditions, an abbreviated service will still be available on Trinity's page and YouTube. Please do not attend if you are sick or have flu-like symptoms. It is essential that everyone read the guidelines below which give more detailed information on what we all need to do to re-open Trinity United Methodist Church for worship and safeguard the health and lives of all people. Ed Peterson, Pastor


Church Re-opening conditions for the month of July beginning Sunday, July 5, 2020:
- Outdoor service in parsonage yard if weather permits
- Bring your own lawn chair, blanket and water bottle
- Keyboard will be used with a couple of familiar hymns printed on bulletin insert
- Special music options
- Restrooms for emergency use only
- Offering drop box will be used
- No communion for the month of July
- No children up front for children’s sermon
- Social distancing between families required
- Masks are optional
- Masks will be available if anyone wants one
- Attendance will be taken by an usher at each service

If weather is an issue we will have church in the sanctuary w/the following conditions:
- Deep cleaning of sanctuary and fellowship area prior to July 5
- Handicap entrance is the only entrance available
- Entrance door to remain open
- Masks and hand sanitizer will be available
- Masks are optional
- Social distancing between families required – 6’ distance
- No hand shaking
- Pews will be taped off
- Pew cushions will be removed
- Pew bibles, hymnals and attendance charts removed
- No fellowship before or after unless 6’ distancing
- No coffee or refreshments
- Offering drop box will be used
- No communion the month of July
- Hymns and responsive readings will be omitted
- Tables and chairs removed from fellowship area
- No one allowed downstairs – other than to count offering
- No acyolytes – Ed will light the candles prior to church service
- No children up front for children’s sermon
- Kids bags will be removed
- Air conditioner will not be running
- Water bottles allowed
- Bathrooms for emergency use only
- Attendance will be taken by an usher at each service

Other items of importance:
- Do not come to church if you have or have had any cold, flu or other illness symptoms
- If you come down with the virus – call Ed or Cindy immediately with date of attendance
- Sermon will continue to be available through email and Facebook until further notice
- No outside groups are able to meet in the church until further notice
- No small group gatherings – Adult or Childrens SS, Youth group, etc.
- No Vacation Bible School
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here at Trinity United Methodist Church you will find a church and a church family that you can relate to. Trinity is a small church that acts like a large church. There are a number of activities throughout the year that allow for fellowship and recreation. We have a woman's group, called the United Methodist Women, as well as a very unique men's group. Here you will find a place where faith, family, and friends intersect in a most wonderful way. Our worship service is at 9:30am on Sunday, and fellowship and light refreshments follow. Sunday School is September through May after worship. Appointments to speak with the Pastor can be via email or by calling the church and leaving a message for a return call.

05/31/2026

Genesis 1:1-2:1-4 provides a foundational account of creation, stating that God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, establishing Him as the ultimate Creator. The chapter details the orderly process of creation over culminating in the creation of humanity, and emphasizes the goodness of all that God made. Today Trinity Sunday is present in each moment of creation, making humankind in God’s image and likeness and the holy spirit to bring God’s peace and love to all. Trinity Sunday emphasizes the oneness of God though manifesting God’s self in distinct realities. Today’s scripture in Genesis tells us how we are to understand God. God is one. God is a universal God not a God of any one people, nation, or race. The Bible begins by announcing In the beginning when God created the world. God makes the sun to rise not just on Christins or Americans or Europeans, God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on all humans, animals, and plants. God blesses all creation
We take so much for granted. We walk outside and experience the world around us, often without any thought of its majesty and grandeur. We see the sky, the trees, the rivers, any of which is immense enough to overwhelm us as we try to consider its beauty and magnitude. There has never been a time when those things did not exist. However, there was a time they did not exist. In fact, there was a time when nothing existed at all - nothing, that is, except the God that made all we see and experience. And, it is His existence and activity that should cause us to marvel to an even greater degree. God's creative acts, both in what and how He created, inform us about His character and nature. Many questions we still can’t answer. Did time begin when God created the heavens and the earth or did time already exist before the creation? When was the beginning? The first three days God created structure, light, sky, water, land, and plants. The next three days he creates the light bearers, birds, and the sea creatures and finally land animals and human. Passages such as Psalm 19 provide insight into God's rationale for creating, indicating that, at least in part, God created in a way to demonstrate His glory through the things He made. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands" . We see in creation His work to bring order out of chaos. God took that which was without form and empty and gave it both form and substance. By His powerful Word He created the world, and by that same Word He holds all things together. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” We were made for this: to live with God in unbroken fellowship and enjoy the fullness of life He offers. God wanted to establish a pattern for mankind, and that pattern was you work six days and you have one day when you set it aside to rest, and replenish your body, and focus on worshiping God. God chose to do it in six days to set a pattern for us. God’s work of creation set the pattern for man who bears his image; six days you work and one day you worship. Henry Morris in his book The Genesis Record says, “God called the light day and the darkness he called night. As though in anticipation of future misunderstanding God carefully defined his terms
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) This is the highpoint of God's creation. We are created in His image, endowed with intellect, emotion, and will. We are His representatives on earth, reflecting His glory. God bestowed blessings and responsibilities upon humanity. We are called to be stewards of His creation, to care for the earth and its inhabitants. we are reminded of the God who not only created the world but also longs to be with His creation. His Word can reshape the chaos of our lives, and the invitation to rest in His presence is open to all who come to Him. Let us focus on Jesus, fulfilling God’s promise to dwell with us. He is the light in our darkness, the peace in our chaos, and the life we were created to enjoy come and go, but Jesus remains.
The awesome God who exists and who created has made it possible to know Him personally. While we can see and understand things about Him through His creation, we can only know Him personally through a faith relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s eternality means that He exists outside of time, with no beginning and no end. This attribute assures us that God is unchanging, faithful, and sovereign, providing a foundation for our trust in Him. Believing in God as the Creator affirms His ownership and authority over all things. It shapes our understanding of our purpose, our relationship with God, and our role as stewards of His creation.
The vast galaxy we live in it spinning at the speed of 490,000 miles an hour. Our galaxy needs 200 million years to make one rotation and there are over one billion other galaxies just like ours in the universe. Some scientists say that the number of stars in creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on all the beaches of the world. God did not need to create the universe he chose to create. Why did he do this- because God is love. So, God created the world and people as an expression of his love. This chapter not only provides an account of how the world came to be but also offers profound insights into the nature of God, humanity, and the world we inhabit. It invites us to reflect on our relationship with the Creator, the responsibility that we bear toward creation, and the intrinsic value of life. this chapter tell us the shaping the understanding of God’s character and His plans for humanity and the world.
Trinity Sunday is a designated day observed in honor and contemplation of the triune nature of God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost, it underscores the biblical truth that God is one Being revealed in three co-eternal Persons. Although the exact term “Trinity” does not appear in Scripture, the concept arises from the consistent testimony of the Bible, reflecting the Father’s will, the Son’s redeeming work, and the Holy Spirit’s active presence in believers. Reading from Matthew today it is the end of the gospel story and the last words of Jesus to his disciples. His last meeting with them he told them of three things. He assured them of His power. Nothing was outside the power or Him who had died and conquered death. He gave them a commission. He sent them out to make all the world His disciples. The commission of Jesus is to win all men for himself. And then He promised them a presence. They were being sent out – as we are – on the greatest task of the world, but with them there was a greatest presence in the world. Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Trinity Sunday serves as a vibrant celebration of the one God who exists in three co-eternal Persons. Observing this day reminds us of our baptismal calling and the reality that our relationship with God the Father, through Christ the Son, is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Throughout church history and within the pages of Scripture, the tri-personal nature of God stands as a central truth-guiding worship, shaping doctrine, and knitting believers together in unified devotion. The observance of Trinity Sunday is thus both a celebration and a confession, uniting believers around the joyful conviction that “our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3), through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

05/24/2026

Acts 2:1-21Jesus had instructed the disciples “to wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Juda and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. They waited until Pentecost where the disciples waited the outpouring of the Spirit. There came a sound like the rush of a violent wind” and it filled the whole house where they were sitting: This describes the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is no gentle in-breaking. The Spirit comes suddenly, even violently, upon the gathered. Fiery tongues appear and settle on each of them This was the first preaching experience and was given to three thousand people and thus the church’s mission was started. There was a new message for a new people, it would be heard in every language and by every people. They were to speak it as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, the wonderful life saving, life changing works of Jesus, his promises eternal given to all men, spoken to all men in language they could understand, by Gods chosen people for all Gods people everywhere. that message was that Jesus had been crucified, Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the one they had been waiting for, Jesus rose from the dead, he had conquered hell, that he had risen and was taking his place at the right hand of the Father as Lord and Saviour that he is and he desires his place in the hearts of men and women today, even your heart and mine. Therefore, Pentecost introduced the birthday of the church. This enabled the disciples to preach God’s word to be understood in many languages. Pentecost represents a filling up of human lives with vibrant, hope-giving, wisdom bringing an assurance that we do not have to earn such a gift but we are recipients of it thus connected to our God. The God who is the creator of the universe. A challenge for us today for those of us is fed by God’s love and grace to carry on the tradition of witness as long as the breath of God is within us. The primary function of the Spirit is to continue the very presence of Jesus who, as the Word made flesh, must return to the Father. The Spirit is “another Advocate” given by the Father to be with the disciples forever. In the midst of fear, uncertainty, and unbelieving, Jesus brings peace and comfort, not with mere words of reassurance, but with the very ongoing incarnation of the Word in the lives of his disciples with the gift of the Holy Spirit. the day of Pentecost is no tongues of fire or a bewildering, amazing, perplexing jarring of voices, but the peace of one voice, the shepherd’s voice, who bestows on his disciples the abiding presence of “I am.”
An old beggar lay on his deathbed. His last words were to his young son who had been his constant companion during his begging trips. “Dear son,” he said, “I have nothing to give you except a cotton bag and a dirty bronze bowl which I got in my younger days from the junk yard of a rich lady.” After his father’s death, the boy continued begging, using the bowl his father had given him. One day a gold merchant dropped a coin in the boy’s bowl and he was surprised to hear a familiar ring. “Let me check your bowl,” the merchant said. To his great surprise, he found that the beggar’s bowl was made of pure gold. “My dear young man,” he said, “why do you waste your time begging? You are a rich man. That bowl of yours is worth at least thirty thousand dollars.” —
How often are we like this boy and fail to recognize and appreciate the value of this bowl. How often do we fail to appreciate the Infinite Worth of the Holy Spirit living within us, making each of us His Temple and sharing His gifts, fruits with us. On this Pentecost day we are invited to experience and appreciate the transforming, sanctifying, and strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit within us. This is also a day for us to renew our promises made to God during our Baptism and Confirmation, to profess our Faith, and to practice it. that Pentecost is not just one day, but every day. Without breath, there is no life. Without the Spirit, the Church is a field of dry, dead bones. Today is a great day to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle in us the spirit of new life and enthusiasm, the fire of God’s love. “Come Holy Spirit Make our ears to hear
Make our eyes to see Make our mouths to speak Make our hearts to seek
Make our hands to reach out And touch the world with your love. AMEN.”

Heritage Sunday 2026 theme lifts up 70th anniversary of women’s ordination rights and full annual conference membership. The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of women receiving full ordination rights and full membership in annual conferences in The United Methodist Church. In recognition of this milestone, the 2026 Heritage Sunday theme is “The Spirit Falls Equally,” an acknowledgement that God calls – and always has called – all people, regardless of gender. Since then, United Methodists across the globe have witnessed women breaking new ground—serving as pastors, superintendents, bishops, and leaders in every council and agency of the Church. Their ministries testify to the truth that God calls without regard to gender and equips all who respond with gifts for the work of Christ’s service.

On Memorial Day, we pause to honor the men and women who have laid down their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice is both sobering and sacred. They remind us that freedom is not free—it is paid for with blood, with courage, and with love. But Memorial Day is also an opportunity for the Church to look to a deeper, eternal kind of sacrifice—the one made by Jesus Christ, who said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13, NIV).
Today, we reflect on the kind of love that moves someone to give their life for others. Christ not only taught this love—He lived it. And through His example, He invites us to do the same. This is not just a day of remembrance—it is a day of rededication to the way of love. As we reflect on those who gave their lives for our national freedom, may we never forget the One who gave His life for our eternal freedom. Jesus did not just speak of love—He demonstrated it on the cross. And now He invites us to love like Him.

‼️Reminder‼️ - Garage Sale Tomorrow & Saturday!! TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - RIVERSIDE, IA 11 East 2nd St Riversid...
05/15/2026

‼️Reminder‼️ - Garage Sale Tomorrow & Saturday!!

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - RIVERSIDE, IA

11 East 2nd St Riverside, IA 52327

Please come check out all the amazing goods at our annual garage sale! This will be held during Riverside City Wide Garage Sale. NOTHING PRICED. All free will donations.

This is a WONDERFUL fundraiser for us each year. Thank you to all who donated and all who will purchase!

Friday 5/15 8-6
Saturday 5/16 8-12

See you this weekend!

GARAGE SALE!!! May 15 & 16All free will donations!
05/12/2026

GARAGE SALE!!!
May 15 & 16
All free will donations!

GARAGE SALE!!!May 15 & 16All free will donations!
05/12/2026

GARAGE SALE!!!
May 15 & 16
All free will donations!

05/05/2026

May 15 & 16 - Huge Garage Sale!
Furniture, household items, decor, seasonal, games, toys, kitchen items, outdoor gear, linens, bedding and more. Nothing is priced and will be free will donations!

04/19/2026

Lukr 24 In Luke’s Gospel is the only gospel that includes this story. It is a story that reveals to us not only something about who we are, but how Jesus opens our eyes to see Him for who He is and about how we can come to know Him. They had seen the empty tomb for themselves and yet they had not believed. we find the risen Jesus unfolding scripture to two disciples as they journey to the village of Emmaus. They were now returning to their home to meditate and pray, in hope of gaining some light in reference to these matters which so confused their understanding. Their entire world had come apart. Only when “their eyes were opened” did they truly understand who he was and what he had said. With the miracle of Easter still fresh in our memory, let us be filled with passion and conviction like Peter, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior!
Two men were walking and in some moments they may have spoken; in other they shared silence. They whispered the mourning of their dreams lost. Jesus of Nazareth, whose wonders and works they had witnessed, was dead. He was the very embodiment of their hope, the center of their broken dreams, and it was all gone now. These discouraged, disappointed men thought that Jesus was dead and gone, when in fact He was the one walking and talking with them as they trudged along that dusty road. He was near to them even though they did not recognize Him at first. When you are disappointed and discouraged, you may think that the Lord is a million miles away. But if you are one of His flock, even though you are being faithless and do not see Him, He is there with you. He has promised, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).
Remember, it was to a church that had grown lukewarm that He said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). He wants you to open His Word and invite Him to make its words burn in your heart. He wants you to gather with His people and share together in how He is working in your lives. He will turn your disappointment into hope if you will entreat Him to come in and stay with you.
So this man joined them on their journey aware of their deep sadness. "What are you discussing as you walk along?" he questions them. Are you mad? Have you not heard what has occurred in Jerusalem? The men proceeded to pour the grief of their hearts and reminisce of miracles once wrought. Healings and renewal, hope born again in people's lives that have now come to naught. The miracle worker, the messiah is dead. And on top of that, his body is missing from his tomb! What good was it for them to dream again? What good was it for them to hope? Who would redeem Israel? Where is their future
For three years Jesus had taught the disciples this lesson through parables and miracles, through long hours of teaching and days of teaching and days of journeying with them showing them the way. Jesus is not being cruel here, but his gradual revelation of himself allows them to learn certain lessons about trusting God's promises. The disciples had been told about these events many times, but they cannot conceive how they could come to pass. The gradual revelation drives the point home vividly and calls on them to remember God's Word while trusting that what he says will come to pass. As we remember God's promise, we should rest in it (vv. 5-7). Luke's detailed account gives the reader an inside glimpse at how events were understood by disciples before they became aware that Jesus had risen from the dead. In all of these encounters, God shows himself to be in total control (note also v. 31).And now even after proving that he has conquered death, he must still explain the message of faith again. Jesus patience is a patience born of love. It is like the patience of a good mother, a good father, a good and faithful older brother. It is the patience of God who never loses the hope of having her children return home to her. It is indeed a family matter and the entire family must be told the Good News.
Jesus told the disciples, "You are my witnesses of these things". What they had known and seen of Jesus needed to be told to others, beginning from Jerusalem and extending to all the nations. Those early disciples were the first blessed by the privilege of having in their hearts, minds and souls, in their hopes and dreams, the Good News of the Resurrected Christ in whom there is salvation. Those who believe in every generation join them in that blessed privilege. The Lord is Risen, he lives among us, blessing us with his presence and his spirit, and empowering us to be his witnesses. Let us be faithful to the task sharing the Good News with all people. Telling the story of our lives and of our congregations is important work as we journey through life
The American church is changing; there is no doubt about that. Who we once were is no more. Buildings built for the glory of God and the service of man stand emptied with a few of the remnant faithful. But the journey seems so dark and dreary. Statistics spout the decline of Christianity as we knew it. Our children and grandchildren see no use for the faith. How can we speak for hope on this journey Our journey is overshadowed by the darkness of that Friday. there are new pathways to walk; the darkness of Calvary's cross is matched with the glory of Easter morn. The road forward may be filled with fear, but there is a table waiting ahead of us. And there seated at the table with all of God's creation is the unnamed stranger, and we will break bread with him and with each other, and we will say "were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?" And there at that table we will find strength for the journey, renewed with hope, to walk towards a new future together. How effectively we tell our story influences how people will receive it. We need to tell the story of God’s interaction with us and our call to be in service to the world. As we tell our stories it is important for us to take the time to listen to really hear what we are saying. The disciples told their story but failed to see what they told actually meant. Jesus meets the disciples on the road and tells them their own story in a new way. They heard something that they had not heard before. Then they invite jesus to stay with them to bless and break bread. And the connection was made. What was familiar, this table ritual, became new again. What was hidden, revealed, What was lacking complete. The story became clear and the truth if held evident. In that moment, their eyes are opened and they see Jesus in a whole new light.
A pastor told the story of A 9-year-old girl named Erica was so filled with joy when she came to know Jesus that she insisted that all her friends know him too. One day she took me to her neighborhood to invite the children to a vacation bible school our church was having. We went with colorful flyers in hand. I expected that we would tell the children and their parents about the dates and time and place of the vacation bible school, leave them a flyer as a reminder, and be on our way. Erica saw our job differently. When we got to the first home and the door was opened she stepped right up and said, "We've got great news about Jesus and my pastor will tell you all about it." I stood there flabbergasted, but she was right. Our job was first and foremost to spread the Word, proclaim the Good News, tell others about our Risen Lord. Erica and I worked hard that day because she did not want any child in her neighborhood to miss out in hearing about Jesus and the vacation bible school. Erica knew in her own way, Jesus' claim on our lives and the magnitude of that claim. We are Jesus' witnesses and those who need to receive our witness is the entire human family.
The Easter season is a time of adjusting to a new vision. The tomb has been emptied. Death has been defeated and on Easter Sunday – the day of the resurrection of our Lord, our hearts filled with joy and our voices soar with the hymns of new life. We live from the perspective of Easter of the resurrection. . Having the right perspective can bring us joy and happiness. Are we inviting others in making a connection with us. It wasn’t until the disciples invited Jesus to stay with them that their eyes were opened, that they experienced true communion, that their hearts burned within. May this Living Christ stay with us in this Easter season, that our eyes might be opened, that we might experience true communion, that our hearts might burn with story of our own vision for the story that gives us life.
Amen

04/12/2026

John 20:19-31To those who have not seen the risen Christ, the three New Testament readings repeat the bold good news of Easter—that death could not hold Jesus in its power. Like Thomas and the other disciples, and like the readers of 1 Peter, however, we live in the midst of trials and suffering, doubt and fear. Jesus' resurrection invites us to a resilient, specially blessed faith (John 20:29b) that does not end with doubt or fear or suffering. Our readings proclaim that life is our ultimate end and God's aim for us, and we may rejoice even now in this "living hope" (1 Peter 1:3).
This second Sunday of Easter BUILDS on the good news we celebrated LAST Sunday - Jesus was dead, now alive; the women come to the tomb in despair then leave the tomb in delight. Quite a story. Lots of questions, but as we learned last week, the bottom line, what this season is all about is that CHRIST IS RISEN...yes He is Risen Indeed.
Charlie Brown is talking with Lucy as they walk home on the last day of school.
Charlie Brown says to Lucy: “Lucy, I got straight A’s; isn’t that great!”
Lucy in her typical fashion shoots down poor Charlie Brown and says: “I don’t believe you Charlie Brown. Unless you show me your report card, I cannot believe you.” Can you relate to Lucy? Seeing is believing, isn’t it?

I think most of us are like Lucy - Seeing is believing? Most of us need to see something before we can believe it. Well, The apostle Thomas who is often referred to as “doubting Thomas” was a commercial fisherman, he grew up around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came to him and called him, and he follows. For three years Thomas follows Jesus. Then Thomas sees his Master arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and he flees for his life. On Good Friday he watches at a distance as they spike his Friend to a cross on the Roman killing grounds of Golgotha. As Jesus' life drains away, so does Thomas's hope. After the resurrection Jesus appeared to some of the disciples, but Thomas was not with them. We don’t know why Thomas was absent. When Thomas does return to the apostles he hears that Jesus was raised from the dead and Jesus appeared to them. The greatest event in all of history and Thomas missed it. Jesus was alive and Jesus knew that Thomas deserted the fellowship. Thomas doesn’t know what has taken place, how any of this took place, if Jesus will appear again or anything else about the resurrection. All he knows is that he missed it. When the other disciples told him what had happened he didn’t believe them and said in vs 25 " Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." Eight days later Jesus appeared to the disciples again and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus standing among them and said "Peace be with you" and then turning to Thomas he said, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe" . Thomas then said that because he has seen he could believe. Jesus said to him "You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe". Thomas answered My Lord and my God. Jesus had urged him to stop his doubting and to believe. In a moment of time he had made the transition from doubt to faith. All of us individuals have different circumstances that differ but we all need to make that journey into faith one way or another.
John Wesley’s journey was like an obstacle course. As a young man at university he had a desire to serve God and through the self-discipline of the rules of the Holy Club he tried to make progress to acquire a knowledge of God but had no assurance of sins forgiven. He entered ordained ministry and served as a missionary in the American colonies but still lacked certainty. Just two days before the turning point in his life he heard a powerful sermon on trusting in Christ for salvation, but he just couldn’t take it in "I could not understand," he said, "how this faith should be given in a moment; how a man could at once be turned from darkness to light, from sin and misery to righteousness and joy.". But two days later at a meeting in Aldersgate Street in London he had the same experience that Thomas had, of meeting with the risen Lord. He recorded in his journal: "about a quarter before nine … I felt my heart strangely warm. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me." Doubt is not negative until it leads you to choose not to believe. This was exactly what Jesus was warning Thomas about. Literally, Jesus was saying: “Thomas, you are acting like a person who has no faith, stop it and believe. Before this time, Thomas displayed great courage and loyalty. When the other disciples tried to keep Jesus from going to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead because of the danger from those in the area who had just earlier tried to stone Him (John 11:8), Thomas said to them, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (John 11:16). As Jesus was preparing the disciples for His coming death and resurrection He told them that He was going to prepare a place for them and that they would know the way to where they were going. Thomas very clearly shows that he does not always understand what Jesus was teaching them. Look at what he says: "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?", Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" The resurrection appearances of Jesus were a short but an interlude between his earthly ministry and his ascension into his return to heaven. Jesus was giving advance notice that very soon the time was coming when the evidence of both physical sight and touch would no longer be possible. His ascension would put him beyond physical sight but yet he would still be visible to the eyes of faith.
It’s true we can’t see him, we can’t touch him. His resurrection appearances are no longer in human form but they are just as real to those who seek after him, hear his words and works through the scriptures, and put their trust in the risen Christ. As for Christians believing is seeing!
The story of Thomas is a moving example of God’s dealings with a human being. Thomas did doubt but it was honest doubt. The story of Thomas gives hope to doubters if only they are willing to make the leap of faith in Jesus. The word of Jesus to us today is the same as it was to Thomas, "reach out … stop doubting, and believe." The Savior offers YOU peace today, even if you feel you don’t deserve it. God’s peace and forgiveness is extended to us by His grace.

By granting peace, Jesus shows how much He accepts us. He tells how much he cares for His followers. He knows that doubt can creep into all of our lives and so, we read that “He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” Jesus went out of His way to show His followers who He really was when He asked them to touch Him and then He ate a piece of broiled fish to show that He really was alive. Jesus not only entrusts us with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to others, He also equips us for the job!
At this moment of greatest need the Savior promises to place His Spirit in each of us individually and we must listen to what the Bible says the Holy Spirit will do.
How do we know that the resurrected Christ is in our midst? Let us connect with God through the environment and the things you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. 1. Sight "Lord, open my eyes to the beauty You’ve placed around me. Let every color, every light, remind me of Your presence."
2. Sound "God, let the sounds I hear—soft or strong—be a reminder of Your voice guiding me in peace."
3. Touch "Father, as I feel the ground beneath me, remind me that You are my firm foundation."
4. Smell "Creator, may every fragrance I breathe in fill me with gratitude for the life You’ve given."
5. Taste "Lord, as I taste the sweetness of this moment, let my soul savor Your goodness."
Like Thomas, we must realize who we serve, and cry out in faith and fall on our knees and proclaim. "My Lord and my God! Amen

Address

11 E 2nd Street
Riverside, IA
52327

Telephone

+13196483092

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Trinity United Methodist Church posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to Trinity United Methodist Church:

Shortcuts

Share

Category