One of the questions I often get asked after a major tragedy is if I am going to change my Sunday message in order to address it. And the answer is generally no. I can imagine something that I would change for, maybe a 9/11 type event, but most other things I don’t. And the reason is because I got tired of it. I got tired of trying to address the senselessness of gun violence in particular, as well as the reality that I could talk about it nearly every week.

Two weeks ago, I could have talked about the shooting in Buffalo, and this week I could have talked about the shooting at the church in California, and that was before yesterday’s senseless tragedy. I used to try and speak to some of these events, but I was never clear in my mind which needed to be addressed as a special message, and why would I choose one over another? Later I tended to focus on those where a specific group was the target of hate, such as the Mother Emmanuel AME or Pulse Nightclub shootings, and how we as Christians should respond. But that got to be too much as well.

And then there was the simple fact that it was emotionally exhausting to find new ways to say the same thing, especially with the reality that we as a society weren’t going to do anything about it. It’s not that we can’t, it’s just that we choose not to. This became abundantly clear to me after Sandy Hook in which we allowed a classroom of six-year-olds to be killed.

There are lots of debates these days about “parental rights” when it comes to schools, but I would like to have the right not to have my daughters worry about being killed when they go to school. We even do active shooter drills at our preschool. We don’t call them that. We call them lockdowns. But that’s one of their primary purposes. Is this who we want to be as a people?

Now, I can also say that I don’t have any brilliant solutions and the answers are not as black and white or as easy as some want it to be. But I am also not a pessimist that thinks nothing can be done, or that the problem is simply too overwhelming to solve. And I know that because it seemed that way with drunk driving and other societal ills that we have dealt with. And while we have not “solved” them, they are appreciably different than they had been. And what helped was us coming together to actually do something. Of saying enough is enough, that we don’t want any more families to have to experience this living hell.

And so, this Sunday I will be preaching about what I had planned which is about social holiness, which is the call for us to be engaged in the world in order to make it a better place, to be agents of the Kingdom of God, and so perhaps it’s the right message anyways.

But the issue I had intended to address in this letter was about the start of the Global Methodist Church which is a new conservative Wesleyan church. As some of you are aware this new denomination began on May 1. There have been some rumors going around that every church has to vote whether to stay in the UMC or join the GMC. This is false.

While there are now ways for churches to disaffiliate from the UMC, that is done by the few churches that specifically seek out that route. The vast majority of churches, including us, do not have to do anything. Additionally, at the upcoming Annual Conference in June, there will be no votes taken to allow any churches in New Mexico to disaffiliate. The steps required for churches in New Mexico to potentially begin that process will be presented, but no one can start that process until after Annual Conference.

I know that much of this is probably a little confusing, and we probably won’t get a lot more clarity for a while, perhaps not even until after the next General Conference now scheduled for 2024. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me and I will do my best to answer them.

There are lots of things going on that are bringing lots of stress and worry to many, so let’s please be kind to one another.

Many people, including Linda Nash, have reported receiving emails reporting to be from Pastor John asking them to be in touch in order purchase gift cards on his behalf. These are a scam.

If you get an email from Pastor John and it is not from his work email with @lafumc.org please delete it. He will never write you from a personal email.

Scripture Readings: The scripture readings for Sunday, May 29, are Acts 16:6-34; Psalm 97; Colossians 1:14 and Luke 10:25-37. The message, "No Holiness but Social Holiness", will be on the passages from Colossians and Luke. This Sunday is a traditional service.

Questions to help you prepare: What are the fruits that we are supposed to display in the world? Are there multiple types? Why or why not? How do some of these fruits related to the Parable of the Good Samaritan? Why would Jesus' telling of this parable have been so shocking? How do we go and do likewise?

10 a.m. Worship

streamed online at Facebook.com/FirstInYourHeart,

our website at FirstInYourHeart.org

Prayer for the week:

Did you miss a Sunday or just want to here the message again, you can view previous Sundays on YouTube.

Come and celebrate our graduates and their accomplishments. If you have a graduate in your family, please let the church office know. Email your graduates name, what degree they have earned and their plans for the future.

Soon volunteers will provide coffee fellowship after the Sunday service. We are looking for a volunteer to track, purchase, and order supplies as needed. Please let Camille Wescott know if you feel called to help out with coffee supplies: camilleswescott@gmail.com. You can volunteer to set up by contacting Deb McClard at debmcclard@lanl.gov.  

Have you ever wondered where our holiday traditions come from? Well join us Tuesday, May 31, at 1:15 p.m. to find out. We will meet at the home of Sheila Enemark, 701 Jeffery Place, White Rock. The title of Sheila's program will be "Why Do We Celebrate This", a program about the holidays we celebrate. We invite to come join us. Questions contact Sheila Enemark,

On May 15 we thanked Doris Jackson for her service to First UMC and our Los Alamos community. Every year the church gives the ARK graduates a beginners Bible as a graduation gift. Doris graciously every year uses her talents in calligraphy to write each child's name inside their Bible. Thank you Doris for the act of love.

VBS is right around the corner, June 12, 19 and 26 from 4:30 - 6 p.m. Dinner at 6 p.m. You can click the link above to register you and your family.

You are being encouraged to read through the Bible in 2022. Here are the June readings. If you like a reading from the previous months you can go our website.

Are you looking for a tool to go along with your Bible Reading? You may wanting to check out the Bible Project. The Bible project has an overview of each book giving you interesting insight to each chapter.

The ABQ. District Mission team are asking for us to join them in helping our neighbors all over the state that have been displaced due to the many fires in our state.

tithe and offering payments.

Through Church Center, you and your family can participate in worship, find information about events and opportunities, and deepen your faith.

Church Center is available for Apple and Android phones and tablets, and newer Kindle fire devices. You can also use a computer, through a web browser, to interact with all the same features.

For more information about the app click on the red Church Center App tab.

May 21 Tom and Vicki Ricketts

May 24 Bill and Carol Mead

May 25 Nathaniel and Celina Morgan

May 28 Baird and Bodil Brandow

June 6 Brad and Camille Wescott

June 19 John and Geniece Courtright

June 24 Maurice and Jensina Sheppard

please email church office at office@lafumc.org.

5:45 p.m. ARK Preschool Graduation in Sanctuary

6:30 p.m. ARK Family Celebration

6:30 p.m. Choir and Bell Choir in Sanctuary

6 p.m. First Light in Sanctuary

7 p.m. Troop 122 in Fellowship Hall

11:30 a.m. Inquirer's Sunday School Class via Zoom

3 p.m. Little Sunday School Class via Zoom

7 p.m. S.T.A.R.S. support group in Fellowship Hall

Memorial Day

Church and ARK Closed

ARK Teacher Work Day

1:15 p.m. Martha Circle Meeting at

701 Jeffery Place

White Rock

6:30 p.m. Choir and Bell Choir in Sanctuary

If you need to reach Pastor John email Pastor@lafumc.org

or the church office at office@lafumc.org.