Boston Avenue United Methodist Church

Our #BostonAvenueBuilding #PhotoOfTheDay courtesy of Eleanor Dennison Do you have a photo of our building we can share? Send it to [email protected]!

#DailyDevotional for Monday, March 22 The Body of Christ by Deaconess Shelly Owen I’m not sure what I expected to see when I came to Jubilee Hall on March 17. I was there to get a Covid-19 shot and spend three hours helping out with the event. What I saw, everywhere I looked, though, were Jesus’s hands, feet, eyes and ears in action. The volunteers serving that day were reaching out in love to their neighbors. The nurses asking questions and drawing syringes of vaccine were d...oing so with compassion and understanding for folks who’d been living in fear of a pandemic for a year. The engineers, who kept the building safe, clean and open had the joy of Christ in their eyes. I realized that I was, beyond a doubt, standing on holy ground. The people, who arrived to get vaccinated, reflected the diversity of the Body of Christ in a beautiful way, as well. There were folks of all colors and sizes, people who were members of Boston Avenue and those from the neighborhood, who may have never been inside the building. There were people who drove themselves to the church that day and others whose disabilities were so profound that they needed help to write their names and keep themselves dressed. Together, we were a beautiful mosaic, showing the world the wonder of creation. Leaving that day, I was incredibly grateful. I gave thanks to God for finally getting access to the medicine that promised to keep me safe from the virus. I gave thanks for my church providing this opportunity to its membership and to the community. I gave thanks for the scientists who’d done the research and developed the vaccines. I gave thanks to God for all that the last year had taught us about how to be the Body of Christ. Amen.

Our #BostonAvenueBuilding #PhotoOfTheDay courtesy of Sue Davenport Do you have a photo of our building we can share? Send it to [email protected]!

#DailyDevotional for Sunday, March 21 by Rev. Amy Venable God Who Knows the Lines of Our Fingerprints,... We lift our voices in prayer as the Spring breeze lifts the tender necks of the jonquils as morning awakens. In a time so filled with hope, we cling to the hope we have come to know in you, the hope we have learned from the stories in the Bible, from our mistakes and second chances, and from the physical rebirth we have started to see all around us in nature. Thank you for encouraging us to try again to walk in your ways on another beautiful day. The racial unrest from which we cannot hide spurs us on to use the hope we've received from you to power our actions. May we never forget the hideous actions of the few toward the many, and may we be forgiven when the crudest parts of our nature overrule the others. Let us learn from the past in order to prevent any repetitions. Create in us a tangible vision of humble togetherness, of persons listening to one another and understanding, and of truly celebrating diversity instead of fearing it. Light our way, Holy God, and bring the integrity of our best selves to the surface of our very beings. May we see the very image of Christ in each person whose path we cross in this day. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen

In Fall of 2020, we created and shared our COVID-19 Church Covenant, a statement to embody our commitments and promises to each other during this unprecedented time. Hundreds of our members, leaders, and staff added their name in support of the covenant, demonstrating how our church family has made it our priority to be a part of the solution during the pandemic spread of COVID-19. As we look ahead to gathering for in-person worship services (with COVID precautions includi...ng masks and social distancing in place), we encourage you to re-visit our covenant, and, if you have not already done so, join us by adding your name. This covenant is not a set of rules that must be followed or else, but rather a faithful and prayerful affirmation of the ways in which we are called to love others by acting to protect their health and safety. It is as true now as it was last fall that we have all had to adapt to many things during this time of COVID-19. Yet, we have not wavered in our love for God, or for each other. Find the covenant at http://bit.ly/COVID-19ChurchCovenant