Natalie's Grace Notes

  In order to prepare myself for this sermon, I needed to rewatch the 1984 film, The Neverending Story . Now, this is going to be a reference that will instantly split us all up into generational groups. Some of us have a few pivotal scenes from that movie permanently seared into our memories, some of you may have watched at least part of that movie with your kids, and some of you have never heard of The Neverending Story and have no idea what I’m talking about. Don’t worry, I’m going to get everyone on the same page. At the start of the film, we meet a little boy named Bastian. He’s in a vulnerable, grieving place. His mother recently passed away, he’s being bullied at school, his dad doesn’t really “get” him, and his grades at school are lagging because he’s not so concerned with math tests and homework right now, he’s more focused on the dreams he’s been having about his mom. Then a bookstore owner shows him a new book he might love, but that isn’t a “safe” read like the many o...

  John 2: 1-11  The Wedding at Cana 2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you? [ a ] My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it. 9 When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the...

  Whenever I talk about baptism, and especially Jesus’ baptism, I’m deeply indebted to a little boy that I met at Fairport UMC, way back when I was a seminary student interning there. Me and the little boy’s mom had a common connection–Asbury First UMC in Rochester, where her family used to go. She explained that they were once members, and her older child was baptized there, but when she moved out to the suburbs there was just no earthly way to get young children out of bed, fed, dressed, ready, and out the door in time to make it to a church that was twenty minutes away. Now that I have my own Motley Crew, I have to agree, I think it would be easier to get my kids to Mars than to church most Sundays. So, this mom found a new church home right in Fairport. But when her little boy, who was maybe 8 or 9 at the time, heard the word “baptized”, his ears perked up, because this boring mom conversation suddenly became interesting, so he ran over and asked: “Mommy, what’s ‘baptized’?” Hi...