Thoughts and Musings from My Faith Journey
Dear Book Study Friends,
Unknown to any of us, last night’s Book Study meeting was the last one. I’m sorry, but I simply can’t continue teaching the current class for reasons that are long-standing and have nothing to do with anything that was said in class. I encourage you to finish reading the book and contact me with any questions or insights by whatever means works best for you.
Blessings,
John Collins
Next Sunday, November 2, 2025 we’ll be honoring members who have died since All Saints Day last year. Those we plan to honor are: Elisabeth Vanderlip, Chuck Marr, David Johnson, Tom Laughlin, Olivia Moore and Martha Hadsel. Please let us know if we have missed anyone.
In our worship service today (Sunday, October 26, 2025), we celebrated the baptism of Brae Brinkman and welcomed her parents, Jenna and Aaron, and her brother Ty into membership.
Looking for a previous service? Here’s the College Avenue United Methodist Church YouTube page: www.youtube.com/c/caumcMHK.
A quick reminder that there will be no Wednesday Night Bible/Book Study tomorrow (October 22, 2025) because I am in Nebraska for a clergy meeting.
I’ll be returning from Kearney, Nebraska, next Wednesday (October 22, 2025). I’m not entirely sure I’ll make it back for the book study on Being United Methodist Christians, so I’m cancelling. We’ll pick up where we left off on Wednesday after that.
I don’t know Laura Jean Truman from Eve, but I’m praying this prayer anyway:
“God,
Keep my anger from becoming meanness.
Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.
Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.
Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.
Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.
Keep me fiercely kind.
Amen.” — Laura Jean Truman [1]
[1] I originally shared this prayer on October 8, 2018, one day after Truman posted it on twitter. The Link no longer works, but I’m leaving it up anyway. Laura Jean Truman. Twitter post, October 7, 2018, 9:56 p.m., http://bit.ly/2NtxCTJ.
This past Sunday, October 12, 2025, we welcomed two new members: Kim Grasso and her son Demetrius Grasso. Please let them know you’re glad to have them as part of of the CAUMC church family.
I’m taking today, October 13, 2025, off. As I announced at church yesterday, I moved my day off from Tuesday to Monday. I did that because I wanted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I know that some people would characterize my doing so as politically correct or excessively inclusive, but I don’t think it is either one of those things. Indeed although Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a direct rebuke of the legacy of Christopher Columbus, it is actually a continuation of the impulse that first led to Columbus Day. I didn’t explain that from the pulpit because it would have taken too long, but I want to explain my own personal reasons here. I fear that I’m not going to do an adequate job, but I’m going to try. This is going to be a long post, so I encourage you to grab some tea, settle in, and get comfortable.
Continue reading “Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus”Note: Linda is home from the hospital and continues to recover.
Looking for a previous service? Here’s the College Avenue United Methodist Church YouTube page: www.youtube.com/c/caumcMHK.
We’ll have a couple of people joining next Sunday (October 12, 2025). If you would also like to become a member that Sunday, let me know, and I’ll add you to the list.
Looking for a previous service? Here’s the College Avenue United Methodist Church YouTube page: www.youtube.com/c/caumcMHK.