Rochester Methodist Church

04/14/2025

Holy Week Services 2025

02/12/2024

05/14/2023

We hope everyone will join us for the annual Memorial Day Service. This year it will be held at Rochester United Methodist Church.

03/01/2023

Notice of Church Conference:

There will be a church conference on March 12, 2023 at 5pm for the purpose of voting on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church.

Note that only professing members of RUMC present at the conference may vote.

11/30/2022

Advent Day 4- A New Day

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:11-12

Here, Paul is writing to the church in Rome, asking believers to leave behind the darkness, to embrace the light, and to awake from sleep--a metaphor used throughout the bible for everything from apathy to death. He calls on believers to recognize that God's salvation is near. These themes and ideas can come full circle as we journey through Advent.

Consider the many distractions in our lives. It is sometimes hard to keep our attention on God when we consider all the things we worry about or get distracted by. When we move our attentions from these to cast our faith upon God, it can often be like awakening from sleep. The pull of darkness lifts. We see life in a new light.

Each morning we are offered the possibility of a new order, a new creation, a new way to think about our lives. We can choose to embrace new paths of gratitude, hope, and joy.

Today offers these possibilities and more. So, as you cast your faith into this new day, what do you see? What are you hoping for?

Adapted from "Let Us Go Now To Bethlehem"

11/29/2022

Advent Day 3- True Charity

Ephesians 4:1-6
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
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Happy Giving Tuesday! GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good.

Adapted from "Let Us Go Now To Bethlehem"


GivingTuesday was born and incubated at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City. GivingTuesday is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

During this Advent season, our hearts tend to be more open to others, and we often acknowledge the poverty and needs around us. Kindness swells, and so does the Christmas Spirit. True charity is any act that moves us deeper into the love of Christ or serves the needs of humanity--even basic ones such as food, clothing, or shelter. There acts remind us that Christ entered the world as a weak and vulnerable child, dependent upon others for his basic needs. His birth is an invitation for us to provide for his needs, which we see most clearly in the needs of others. Jesus once said, "Just as you did it to one of the lease of these who are members of my family, you did it for me." (Matthew 25:40)

How have you demonstrated charity in your celebration of Christmas? How are you preparing to see Christ or to welcome him through your actions today?

11/28/2022

Advent Day 2- Transformation

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
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Black Friday is said to be the official start to the holiday shopping season with Cyber Monday to follow. While these shopping days both offer good prices to get your shopping done--and maybe purchase a few things for yourself, do they bring out God's "good, pleasing, and perfect will" in us?

The two main enemies of the spiritual life are anger and greed. It is not always easy to get past these things--especially as we prepare for Christmas, with all of its buying, and gift-giving, and awareness of our blessings and deficiencies. In fact, this season can often increase our anger and greed and make us less receptive to the very Christ we profess to welcome and celebrate.

Perhaps transformation is needed in the Advent journey to Bethlehem. Perhaps we need to see things and people in new ways, to listen to the Spirit through new ears, to hear the cry of the needy as a cry of hope and salvation. During the days ahead, what transformations might be helpful to you and your family? Are there alluring temptations that need to be ignored? Are there sacrifices that need to be made to see Christ's love in new ways?

Adapted from "Let Us Go Now To Bethlehem"

11/27/2022

Waiting…

Advent (noun) - the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

11/27/2022

Advent Day 1- Being Alert

Read Mark 13:32-36
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
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Advent begins--in fact, the Christian journey begins-- at the point where we accept Jesus as our Guide and begin to walk with his calm assurances in the midst of our fears. He's going to show up, even if we don't know when or how. Jesus invites us to look for his presence in the lives and faces of others. He may come in unexpected moments or when we are most tired or worn or confused. He may show up at the beginning or appear at the end of all things, when we least expect God's redemption or grace.

What a promise!

So, as Mark 13 tells us, we need to be ready for Jesus' coming at all times, including during our Advent journey. The way to Bethlehem is filled with starts and stops, with darkness and light, with angels and shepherds.

This journey, as with every journey, begins with a step: a step of faith, confidence, and watchfulness. Where do you need to be with God? Where might God be guiding you? What are you waiting for?

Adapted from "Let Us Go Now to Bethlehem"