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From the Pastor |
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Austin L. Adkinson has made homes in places as varied as Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville, Appalachia, and Manhattan. He is pleased to begin his time at North Mason United Methodist Church - making the Belfair area a new home with his wife, Ann. Austin brings with him a passion for channeling Christ’s love into action. Having recently completed his Master of Divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, Austin is still trying to figure out what to do with a strange new concept called “free time” and adjusting to the pace of life outside “the city.” Taking advantage of the access to the wonders of God’s creation this region provides is at the top of his list for ways to spend his time. |
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You can take me down to show me your home, not the place where you live but the place where you belong. -Toad the Wet Sprocket, Something to Say
With the upcoming holidays, and for some the festivities of homecoming weekend or children visiting from college, it is only natural for us to be thinking of home—what it means to have one, what it means to return to an old home, what we long for in one, how to make somewhere feel like home. We have heard Jesus talking about leaving home, following a path of discipleship that takes us away from the familiar and the comforting. In a sermon about discipleship recently, I focused on the tag of persecution, at the end of a list of otherwise positive promises that will come a hundredfold in this day and age to those who leave their comforts and follow Jesus: houses, brothers, and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions. The consequences of discipleship and true life are, as I preached, quite real, but the promises of family and home are at the forefront of the promise! When we step out boldly in faith, we may be risking the security of what we think we need, but we are putting our faith in God’s promise of abundant love. The hundredfold promise is one of belonging! Not just a home, but homes. Not just a sibling, but siblings, not just a mother, but mothers. Not just a child but children. The promise is one of a nurturing home that knows no boundaries. The promise is community to face the troubles we know are coming. God’s promise is one of belonging. Find your grounding in the things that are eternal. Share them with others and let them share with you. If we do this, we will always find a home wherever we land. Let the baggage go, and come home.
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updated 10/27/09 |
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25140 NE State Route 3, P. O. Box 1197 Belfair, WA 98528-1197 Austin L. Adkinson, Pastor 360-275-3714 |
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Open hearts Open minds Open doors |