Rev. David Diller preached on Mark 13:24-37 a sermon titled “To Watch in our Work.”  This first Sunday of Advent our text is about the coming of the Son of Man, which is the biblical way of speaking about the Real Human Being.   To make sense of this we must remember the biblical witness is calling us to mature into the likeness of Jesus.   We become more real human beings through our encounter with God in others.   Life is all about being awake to meeting God in others.

The text is about the end of the world as we know it, but the end is not a onetime future event so much as it is our ongoing experience of living.  Life means change. Only death ends change.  All change, especially the loss, even temporary, of those we love, is always a time when the sun grows dark & the moon won’t shine.   This is another way of saying that relationships are the most important part of our lives.

The world is always ending for us, but the Good News is God is always giving us a new beginning in a new world.   The problem we have with living is usually our own ideas & attitudes.    The Good News is we can change from being angry, envious of others, & frustrated in life when we learn to give thanks for who we are & what we have.   We can learn gratitude if we watch for God’s blessings in our routine & relationships.

          Payne Springs UMC hosts a Walk to Emmaus reunion group every Tue at 5 pm.   Meetings are open & everyone is invited to bring a snack supper & join us.  All pilgrims are welcome
          Everyone is also invited to join us for Disciple Bible Study. Our next classes meet Tuesday December 9 at 2 pm & Wednesday December 10 at 10 am. You do not have to be a church member, just curious and eager to learn about the God who loves us & expects us grow up in our thinking & our living so we live freely & responsibly caring for one another.
            Payne Springs UMC is a caring church family learning to follow Jesus. Our purpose is to help every person grow to full maturity in the image of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. With open hearts, open minds, and open doors, we combine both traditional & contemporary styles. We invite you to come learn about God and Jesus, the Bible and the Church each week. Sunday school is from 9-10am. At 10am coffee, juice, & snacks are served in Fellowship Hall. Worship is from 10:30-11:30am. Nursery care is provided. Sunday evenings we invite you to an in-depth study of Matthew at 5 pm. If you have questions or need directions, call our church office at (903) 451-2978 or go to www.paynespringsumc.  Or http://www.paynespringsumc.org.

Life is a trust – we are in charge of caring for this world & other people.  Every person, every relationship, every moment is a sheer gift from God.