January 17, 2025
Dear Peachtree Road family,
I hope you are well. Let me begin this week’s message with a note of gratitude for your prayers, kind gestures, and support of our family. Last Saturday morning, Wendie’s dad, Benson Ham of Forsyth, Georgia, died after a long illness. We are grateful for this wonderful congregation and the loving support you have given us in these days of grief. We do not grieve as those who have no hope. Our hope is in the Lord who made heaven and earth.
On another note, I want to encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters in California who have suffered the devastating effects of the wildfires. Mark and Cinda Boomershine and their children Belle and Rex are members of Peachtree Road UMC. From 2015 until 2019 they lived in Pacific Palisades and were very active at Community UMC there. The church was brought down by the Palisades Fire in a matter of hours on January 8. I have talked with their pastor, and he confirmed that at least twenty members of his church have lost their homes. This church serves as a community center in that neighborhood, and we are receiving special donations to bring hope and help to members of the congregation and the church itself. We received an offering last Sunday, but you may not have been prepared to participate. Please make your check payable to Peachtree Road UMC and mark it for “National Disaster – CA Wildfires” or give online here. Thank you for your support.
On Sunday we will continue with our series on mental health entitled “The Battle Within…” Last week we discussed the importance of engagement with others as a step on the path toward mental wellness. The reality is that many respond to mental health challenges by withdrawing from others, and that’s the opposite of what should be done. Our faith encourages us to care for one another by reaching out, engaging, and offering compassionate care.
In this week’s sermon, we will spend some time thinking about grief and its effects upon our mental health. In preparation for this message, I encourage you to read I Thessalonians 4:13-18. In addition, we will be singing two great hymns (“Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”), and the Chancel Choir will offer Paul Langston’s arrangement of the classic hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory” as its anthem. I look forward to seeing you in worship at either 8:45 am in the sanctuary, 10:00 am in the chapel, or 11:15 am in the sanctuary. On this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend some of you will be traveling. I hope you will make time to worship by livestream (it counts toward the 90% goal!) through the church website here.
Speaking of this weekend, our youth are on their annual ski retreat. They are going to Breckenridge, Colorado, and I encourage you to pray for their safe travels. They will be back home on Monday evening.
Upcoming Mental Health Offerings:
- NAMI Family-to-Family 8-Week Course – Sundays through March 2, 2:00 pm until 4:30 pm in C106 and by Zoom. If you have family or friends with mental health challenges, this course provided at no charge by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) will provide you with the coping skills you need to help your loved one deal with his or her illness. You will learn problem-solving techniques in an anonymous, non-threatening setting as well as self-care, support resources, crisis management, treatment, and more. This semi-annual course is a core part of One Lamb’s programming. For more information, contact Diane Sitton at sittonnami@gmail.com.
- Midweek Yoga – Wednesdays through February 19, at 12:45 pm in C208. You are invited to join Rev. Emily Miles for this weekly class designed to help you increase flexibility and strength. No experience is necessary. For more information, please contact Emily Miles at emilym@prumc.org. To sign up, click here.
- An Evening with Kate Bowler – Sunday, January 26, 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Kate Bowler is a New York Times best-selling author, theologian at Duke Divinity School, and host of the popular podcast “Everything Happens.” Kate is a rock star in the church world and is appreciated for her wisdom, humor, and the honest way she embraces life’s joys and struggles. I first came to know of Kate through her excellent research concerning the “prosperity gospel.” Then she experienced a diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer and had to rethink what trust and hope look like. Kate’s faith is deep and has sustained her throughout her journey of fighting cancer. She then wrote her bestselling memoir “Everything Happens for a Reason…and Other Lies I’ve Loved.” She comes to Peachtree Road UMC to share her faith in Christ and what it means to live through the best days, the worst days, and all the in-betweens of life. I about grateful to the One Lamb Mental Wellness Initiative for sponsoring this event and encourage you to join us. The cost is $30 per person, and you may get your tickets here.
Upcoming Centennial Celebration Opportunities:
- Bishop Will Willimon preaching – Sunday, February 16, at all morning services. In 1996, Baylor University published a list of the “12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world,” and Bishop Will Willimon was the lone Methodist to make the list. I have known Bishop Willimon for many years, count him as one of my mentors, and look forward to welcoming him to our pulpit. Please mark the date on your calendar and join us for worship.
- Men’s Retreat with Dr. Brent Strawn – men of the church are invited to a retreat set for Friday, February 28, until Sunday, March 2, at Camp Glisson in Dahlonega, Georgia. The retreat leader will be one of my favorite Old Testament professors Dr. Brent Strawn of Duke Divinity School. Brent has a passion for scripture that is contagious. I am pleased that he also will join us for worship on Sunday, March 2, and preach at our morning worship services here at Peachtree Road UMC. All men are invited to join us for the retreat and register here.
Finally, are you new to Peachtree Road UMC and looking for ways to connect? Please join us on Sunday, January 26, at 12:30 pm in the Hospitality Suite. At this month’s “Tea with the Clergy” luncheon, you will have the opportunity to meet with several members of our clergy staff, hear about the ministry of this great church, ask questions, and even have an opportunity to join at the end of the session. Please contact our director of evangelism and hospitality, Brittany Charron (brittanyc@prumc.org), for more information or to sign up.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday!
Grace and peace,
Bill