WM-Marion Ministerial Fellowship delivers message of Thanksgiving

WM-Marion Ministerial Fellowship delivers message of Thanksgiving

Community service brings denominations together

By John Rech

news@theeveningtimes.com

Many congregations around Crittenden County gathered together at West Memphis United Methodist Church Monday evening under the banner of the West Memphis and Marion Ministerial Fellowship. The audience heard the church choir and a message on Christian unity in the community from Associate Pastor Corey Read. A benevolence offering was collected to meet needs in the coming year.

Read exhorted the congregation to unity in the here and now using a scripture with a picture of ultimate harmony set in Heaven from Revelation chapter 7.

“It is at events like this as we get ready to celebrate this season that we get a glimpse of what peace on earth might look like,” said Read. “People with differences of opinions and lifestyles come together.”

Read used the Lord’s model prayer petition, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven,” to drive at working together healing

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It just wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving service without a few songs from the hymn book. The Ministerial Fellowship’s non-denominational service was a gathering for all to come and give thanks to the Lord ahead of today’s Thanksgiving holiday. families and the community and remembering the forgotten.

“A vision if we truly followed the examples and teachings of Christ would be a vision of what unity is in the kingdom of Heaven,” said Read.

The sermon addressed the obvious but often unspoken issue of racial division within the church contrasted with the unity in Heaven.

“Communities remain separated by racial divides and make so very little real effort to cross those lines of division that God so desperately

call them across,”

said Read.

Self examination was spurred with a series of questions.

“Our passage from Revelation challenges us to a single call, said Read. “We are called to look at who it is we are inviting and who it is that is sitting at our Thanksgiving table.

“Do we extend and invitation to those that are lost or lonely to come to our table? Do we extend the invitation to those who disagree with us politically or even religiously? Do we extend invitation to those we are not

comfortable with from

across the tracks let alone across the table? Do we dare to open our churches to share meal with those that may not have means to buy a Thanksgiving meal?

Friend it is Christ that unites us. Let us come to His table and set aside the divisions that we have created.”

As the sermon closed and appeal was made make an offering toward meeting the needs of the community.

Donations may be sent to WMMMF 1600 North Avalon, West Memphis, AR 72301.