Catoctin United Methodist Church

Catoctin United Methodist Church We are a welcoming community of faith that follows Jesus Christ in the Methodist tradition of worship

01/27/2026

Are you willing to be used by GOD?

10/21/2025

Glory be unto the Father, the Most High God.

It has been many moons since I last wrote, dear family.
Please charge that to my head and not my heart. ❤️

As I was in my reading this evening, I came across Isaiah 12, and it says:

1. “In that day you will say:
I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.

2. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

3. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

4. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.

5. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

6. Shout aloud and sing for joy, you people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

- Two things stuck out to me.-

You ever hear something or read something and it’s just so good to you, you find yourself saying, “Umph… let me read or say that again!”

That’s what verses 2 and 4 do for me.

✨ Verse 2 says:

“The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.”

It’s the double “The Lord” for me — the second time being that deep, confident, soul-level declaration.

It’s a claiming of who He is in your life.

Remember, we didn’t start in the Promised Land, and some of us are just finding ourselves out of the wilderness.

So understand this: you are no longer where you started, no matter what your current situation looks like.

Just as those who returned to Zion after exile, this is the time to recognize and lift a song of praise unto God. 🙌

✨️Verse 4 says:

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.”

Give thanks to the Lord.
Be the living testament of His glory.

Be a living witness that although you may have started in a very ugly place, that no longer defines who you are.

You are His, and His alone.

Allow His light to illuminate every aspect of your life.

In all things, may He get the glory.
Amen. 🙏

Greetings Catoctin Family it has been a while since I last posted.I wanted to share with you a powerful post i most rece...
07/29/2025

Greetings Catoctin Family it has been a while since I last posted.
I wanted to share with you a powerful post i most recently read. It is significant to making us think beyond tradition and beyond ourselves. May this message find you all with the Love and Grace of the Father.

The post message:
"I can’t shake it. That tiny plastic cup with the peel-back lid and the tasteless little wafer sealed under crinkly cellophane. It’s supposed to represent the most sacred, most costly sacrifice in history - but instead, it feels like a single-serving symbol of everything that’s gone wrong.

It’s convenient. It’s clean. It’s sterile.
Just like so much of the church has become.

We’ve traded broken bread passed hand to hand for a pre-packaged ritual that requires no mess, no interaction, no vulnerability. No one has to look anyone in the eye. No one has to serve or be served. You just peel, sip, and move on.

That cup… it bothers me.

It’s not that using them is wrong. I’m not saying your church is bad because you use them. I’ve taken communion from them too. But every time I hold one, I feel the sting of what we’ve lost. It’s not the cup - it’s the condition of the western church that the cup reflects.

A Christianity that’s become more about comfort than the cross. More about ease than endurance.

The early church gathered in homes and maybe even catacombs. Most of Jesus disciples were martyred and the early church knew worship might cost them everything.

They tore bread with trembling hands and remembered a Savior who bled. And now?

Now we pass out sterile cups in air-conditioned rooms and sing songs about doing things we probably won’t actually do.
Like surrender our lives and our comfort to do His will.

Jesus doesn’t come in a plastic wrapper.

He didn’t invite us into convenience - He invited us into death, into life, into actually sacrificing something.

So no, I’m not shaming churches that use the cups. That’s not the point.

I’m just saying maybe - just maybe - the plastic is a metaphor or a mirror.

Maybe we’ve settled for a version of Christianity that’s shrink-wrapped, safe, and single-use.

Maybe we’ve learned to worship comfort and call it Christ.

Maybe the body of Jesus shouldn’t be so easy to consume.

Maybe we need to rip open more than the plastic.

Maybe it’s time to rip open our hearts.

Because the body of Christ wasn’t made to be convenient.

It was made to be broken."

Blessings and Grace to ALL Mothers...
05/12/2025

Blessings and Grace to ALL Mothers...

04/09/2025

Beloved in Christ,

This message is a bit longer than usual, but I feel led to share a word with you as we draw near to the end of Lent and enter the sacred journey of Holy Week.

As is often tradition, many are preparing for their annual return to church. Outfits are being coordinated, appointments scheduled, and plans made for family photos after service. The sanctuary will be filled—overflowing even—as we gather to proclaim, “He is risen!” And yes, Resurrection Sunday is a glorious day, one that rightly draws our attention and reverence.

But let us not forget the path that led to that empty tomb.

Scripture tells us in Matthew 21:9 that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They waved palms and laid them before Him in celebration. Yet just days later, that same crowd would turn away, leading to betrayal, suffering, and the cross. Our Savior endured ridicule, lashes, and carried the weight of our sin to Golgotha—not because He had to, but because He chose to.

Isaiah 53:5 reminds us, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

He gave His life for us. He rose for us. He forgave us so we could be reconciled with the Father. And yet, year after year, tradition can make this sacred sacrifice feel like a once-a-year event—a checkbox of faith.

But what if God only showed up for us once a year? What if His mercy, His provision, His protection, were bound by human tradition?

Thanks be to God that He is not like us. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Friends, it's time to break free from mere tradition. It’s time to honor Jesus not just with our presence on special Sundays, but with our hearts, our lives, and our daily walk. His sacrifice wasn't seasonal—it was eternal. And His love didn’t stop at the resurrection. He continues to intercede for us, guide us, heal us, and love us even now.

As you prepare your hearts for Holy Week, I invite you to go deeper. Let your worship extend beyond one day. Let your gratitude move you to faithful, daily connection with the One who gave it all.

With grace and peace,
Pastor Louise Yang 🙏🏽❤️🙌

03/26/2025

Heavenly Father,

We come before You today as one body, united in faith and surrender. You are the Alpha and Omega, the foundation of our lives, and the author of our days. We acknowledge Your sovereignty and give You all honor and praise.

Lord, we lay every burden at Your feet—our fears, anxieties, struggles, and uncertainties. We lift up every man, woman, and child, whether they are our family, friends, or strangers we may never meet. We place before You this nation, our leaders, our churches, our finances, our health, and our workplaces. Nothing is beyond Your reach, and we trust that in all things, You are working for good.

We stand on the promises of Your Word, believing that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). We declare like Isaiah that your Son is indeed a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). May you guide our steps, and may Your Spirit strengthen us in times of trial.

Forgive us, Lord, for where we have fallen short—for our sins, our debts, and our disobedience. Teach us to walk in Your ways and to extend grace and forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the snares of the enemy, granting us discernment to recognize Your voice above all others.

We thank You for all You have done, all You are doing, and all You will do. Your plans are perfect, and Your timing is divine. By Your hand, You command; by Your Son, it is confirmed; and by Your Holy Spirit, it is done.

Amen.

Do you trust God enough to walk through the door?
03/20/2025

Do you trust God enough to walk through the door?

03/05/2025

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior,

As we enter this sacred season of Lent, beginning today on Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of the call in **Joel 2:1-2, 12-17**—a call to return to the Lord with all our hearts, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. The prophet urges us:

*"Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity."* (**Joel 2:12-13**)

This season is not merely about giving something up, but about drawing closer to God, seeking His presence, and allowing Him to transform our hearts. It is a time to reflect, repent, and renew our commitment to walking in His ways.

Today is Ash Wednesday, a day recognized in many traditions, each with its own understanding of its significance. But as we look to God's Word, we see that whenever individuals, groups, or even entire nations came before the Lord in deep repentance or fasting, they humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes—an outward sign of an inward surrender.

"I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:3)

Ash Wednesday is not just about ritual; it is about the posture of our hearts before God. It is an opportunity to turn toward Him with sincerity, to lay down burdens, and to seek His presence in a renewed way.

Whatever this surrender looks like in your life, may this Lenten season be one of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and unwavering faith. May we seek the Lord in humility, trusting that He hears our prayers, restores our hearts, and draws us closer to His grace.

May God bless you in this season of renewal and bring you ever closer to Him.

**Grace and peace,**
Pastor Louise Yang 👏💛🙌

Do you have a prayer request? Please comment below or send a private message. As one body in Christ let us come together...
02/03/2025

Do you have a prayer request?
Please comment below or send a private message.
As one body in Christ let us come together and pray for one another.

Matthew 18:19-20 ESV
[19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

01/26/2025

Gracious Father,

We come before You with hearts full of gratitude, acknowledging that You are the Creator of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, and the One who holds all things in Your hands. We thank You for Your steadfast love and mercy, which are new every morning. You are our rock, our shield, and our deliverer, and we put our trust in You.

Lord, we lift up Your children to You. Your Word declares in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Remind us, Father, that You are sovereign over every season of our lives. For those who are discouraged, renew their hope. For those in pain, bring healing and restoration. For those who are wandering, draw them back to the safety of Your arms.

We intercede for our nation, Father. Your Word in 2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Lord, we ask for forgiveness for where we have strayed, both as individuals and as a nation. May Your Spirit move powerfully to restore righteousness, compassion, and unity in our land.

Lord, we pray for the brokenhearted, the sick, and those burdened by grief. Psalm 34:18 assures us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Be near to them, Father. Let them feel Your presence and know Your peace. We thank You for those who are experiencing recovery and healing, and we ask for continued strength and restoration in their lives.

Equip us, Lord, to be the hands and feet of Christ. Let us carry the message of Your love and salvation to a world that desperately needs hope. As Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” may we live lives that reflect Your glory and draw others to You.

We give You all the praise and honor, trusting in Your faithfulness and resting in Your promises. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In the mighty and matchless name of your Son Jesus Christ, we pray,

AMEN !!!

Address

7009 Kellys Store Road
Thurmont, MD
21788

Opening Hours

11am - 12pm

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