Mark 6:36-32 " The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them,' Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

They are interesting things, our opinions.  Everyone has one about something.  One of the things that I have discovered about taking surveys is that it is very hard to get a solid consensus.  Take this last Sunday for example.  Some of the council members had suggested that perhaps we should have just one service during the summer.  The major reason for suggesting this was not economic which one might logically suppose.  It had to do with bringing the church family together. There are people who consistantly attend at 8:00 and others who attend at 10:00 and are members of our church but they have never met.  So the suggestion was that this would be a way to get us all together to worship together over the summer.  Quite honestly, I was opposed to the change.  It isn't that I wouldn't enjoy having to do just one service for a time.  I would, certainly.  However, I know that many of those who come at 8:00 a.m.

This Sunday, June 20, I will be preaching from 1 Kings Chapter 19 where Elijah runs away from Queen Jezebel and sits down under a tree and just wants to die.  It's interesting that this event follows immediately after he has had a powerful demonstration of God's power in Chapter 18.  Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a duel of sorts.  He dared them to call on their god to send fire down to consume their offering.  Of course, since Baal does not exist, nothing happened.  When Elijah called on the Living God, Yahweh, fire not only consumed the offering but the wet wood on which is was laid and the water in a trench around the altar.  That is our mighty God.  Then Elijah proceeded to lead the people of Israel in killing all of the 850 prophets.  Needless to say, this did not make Jezebel happy.  She swore to take out her revenge on Elijah and declared that she would do to him what he had done to her prophets.  Elijah tucked tail

What is the Annual Conference? Sometimes we who have been Methodists for a while forget that newcomers and visitors to our church don't know.  Actually it can be a bit confusing.  Our "state" organization is referred to as the Florida Annual Conference.  It actually covers all of Florida with the exception of the panhandle.  They are in the Alabama-North Florida Conference.  Then to make it more confusing, once a year we have the annual meeting of our conference and that is also referred to as the Annual Conference.  Every clergy in the United Methodist Church is in connection with an annual conference and go to the annual conference (meeting) once a year.  For every clergy person there is also a lay person who will go as a delegate so that there is an equal number of clergy and lay people. Your delegate to conference is Don Prince. 

Sunday, June 6 there will be one service at 10:00 a.m. to consecrate the new carillon.  We will praise God and celebrate his blessings and then share a meal following the service.  Please bring a dish with enough to share and join us for this special service.