4/10/2024
The grownups look on fondly as their children chatter together. The children effortlessly switch between German, Ukrainian, Russian, and English; languages they learned in classrooms back in Ukraine and here in Germany, in their homes in Kyiv as their fathers sung lullabies, in their apartments in Berlin as their mothers diligently practiced German cases each morning before dawn. My hosts in Berlin are Ukrainian friends, displaced as refugees and have spent two years already in their new ...
3/4/2024
FRIDAY, MARCH 1 "A small group of us has embarked on a Cultural Immersion Journey in Guatemala. This is the first Mission since the Partnership was signed in 2022. The group had a long day of travel Friday, March 1, and arrived safely in Guatemala City and headed to Chichicastenango. We are grateful to have WPAUMC-sponsored Missionaries Lourdes Mroczka and Richard J. Mroczka leading us on this journey. Mission journeys like these are another way in which we can build relationships and learn...
12/6/2023
It often feels like we’re following a recipe for Christmas. That’s a strange thought, but let me explain. Have you bought any modern cookbooks? They’re often more suited for a coffee table than a kitchen counter. Page after page filled with beautiful glossy images of food spotlight an idealized version of what the food could look like. On every third or fourth page there’s a recipe with exotic ingredients we’d need to travel into the city to find. In a modern cookbook a recipe for ...
3/22/2023
On a cold morning in early March, I joined a small group from Baldwin Community United Methodist Church at South Park in Allegheny County for their second Lenten Hike of the season. Two weeks prior, over a dozen hikers came together at Kane Woods to hike and chat, engaging with scripture and nature while disengaging from the outside world for a morning. Baldwin began their Lenten Hikes during the pandemic as a way to connect when social interactions were scarce, explained leader Justin Pearl. ...
2/15/2023
- By Rev. B.T. Gilligan In August I took four weeks of Spiritual-Renewal Leave. It was amazing, refreshing, and I wanted to share some lessons that I learned that may help you regardless of your ability to take a month-long leave from work. First, it is that we are all entitled to rest. That when we rest, we are not being selfish or letting others down. Instead, we are modeling a Godly command going as far back as the beginning of time. In Genesis 1 we see that God rested after seven days, ...
12/14/2022
Rev. Alyce Weaver Dunn, Director of Connectional Ministries, explains her love for the Grinch and why she sees the classic Dr. Suess tale as a perfect redemption story in this blog post first published in 2019. In case you haven’t noticed, I love the Grinch! If you need proof, just look at my Facebook page – every year multiple people tag me in posts about Grinch snacks and green cookies, cool t-shirts, sweet punch, awesome Christmas trees and such. Or come to my house and enjoy the Grinch ...
10/12/2022
Back in the day when Conference Program Staff gathered in the Huddle Space for Tuesday devotions, a frequent topic of conversation was “Where have you seen God lately?” I always enjoyed those discussions, not only to share what was on my heart, but to hear what was on the heart of my sisters and brothers and all of the different and unique ways they experienced “God Sightings”. On a recent morning commute into the Conference Center, I had my radio tuned Sirius XM’s Classic Vinyl channel (a ...
8/30/2022
Ephesians 6:10-20 “Put on the whole armor of God…” Recently, I have enjoyed seeing “back to school” pictures on Facebook – from preschool to grade 20! These pictures have inspired me to go back to school shopping! My mother loved to take me shopping for a new wardrobe at the beginning of every school year – and I must confess, that even when I was an adult, she would purchase new clothes for me in late August/early September! I can tell you that as soon as my orthopedic doctor permits me ...
3/22/2022
The 2022 UPMC Weight Race is well underway, running from January 24 – April 15. As we push into the final weeks of this event, the Abundant Health Team shines a spotlight on one group that has found a way to incorporate health and wellness year-round. May this story encourage you to continue in abundantly healthy habits in the coming weeks and beyond. David McCall serves as the pastor at First United Methodist Church in Somerset. He's part of a group of pastors in Somerset County who started ...
3/2/2022
Redistricting has been second only to managing COVID-19 as a top issue in Pennsylvania politics these past months. And for good reason. Redrawing both legislative and congressional maps will impact the nature of politics for the next 10 years. The job of redrawing the maps every 10 years after a U.S. Census falls to the state legislature. But while legislators can propose how the district lines should be redrawn, the governor has the option to veto their proposals. And that’s exactly what ...