Pastor Malinda's musings ...
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Human Life Has Changed, but God Has Not
Dear church family and friends, The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us greatly. It has presented us with numerous challenges, entirely changed our way of living, and distanced all of us from being together in community. Because humans are adaptive and resilient, many of us have for the most
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God-sized Ministries
Dear friends, Not sure how many of you watched my #EastSideLIFELINE last Wednesday, but it was me reflecting on how much our church and ASP (our mission arm – Avondale Samaritan Place) is moving and shaking this summer. Y’all … God is doing amazing things that we never could’ve imagined
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The Church Has Left the Building
Dear Church Family and Friends, It’s now been 13 weeks since we last worshiped together in the sanctuary. I remember vividly that last Sunday, March 8, standing in the back of the sanctuary during the closing hymn and wondering if this might be the last time we worship together in
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Kyrie Eleison
The past few days I’ve struggled to find words as I’ve watched our country explode from the underlying racial tension that has been brewing for far too long. I’ve prayed for the families of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, of Ahmaud Arbery … that God will comfort them in the
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Sheltering in Love
Dear friends, In-person worship has long been at the heart of Christian community. However, recent times have changed that reality. You likely heard our governor yesterday say that churches are allowed to reopen as long as they can safely maintain social distancing guidelines. While I know many of us long
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Connecting in Worship
Dear friends, I am continuing to pray for all of you during this time. I pray for everyone’s health, both physical and mental … and I pray that all of you are able to experience God’s deep peace. If you are struggling mentally/emotionally and need someone to talk to, please
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The Resurrection Continues …
Happy Easter!!! Yes, I said it, and I’ll say it again for the people in the back … Happy Easter!!! You may be thinking, ‘How sad! Being cooped up all day every day at home because of social distancing is really taking a toll on Pastor Malinda. She’s lost all
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School Feeding Ministry – Making the News!
Our church is making the news! The school feeding ministry we started as a result of schools closing has raised more than $12,000 and provides groceries to 45 Avondale Elementary families each week. The Birmingham Times published a detailed story this week about it that you can read by clicking
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Holy Week Worship: Just as Jesus Loved Us, So We Should Love Each Other
I pray you’re having a meaningful Holy Week in the midst of this vastly strange and different time in which we’re living. We will have Good Friday worship tomorrow evening at 7:00pm via Zoom. Then we’ll celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday at 11:00am. For more details about both services,
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Calm in the Chaos
Dear friends, We’re here at the end of Week 3 of our efforts to “social distance” and “shelter in place” as we work together to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re like me, you’ve felt extreme anxiety, worry, and fear … you’ve felt confusion, frustration, and anger
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THIS Sunday: Worship with us from the Comfort of Your Own Home
Dear friends, My hope and my daily (sometimes hourly) prayer is that you and your loved ones are doing as well as you can in the midst of this strange and worrisome time in which we find ourselves. Please know how much I miss seeing you all in person on
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Worship Wherever You Are: Physically Separated, but Together in Our Hearts
It’s still hard to believe that we won’t be gathering today in the sanctuary for worship. But alas, that’s the reality in which we find ourselves. A place of uncertainty. A place of not knowing what the future holds. Our whole world has changed in the course of one week
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Suspension of Worship: Making a Difficult Decision for the Safety of All
March 14, 2020 – 3:00pm Dear Church Family and Friends, Out of an abundance of caution and a recommendation from our Bishop, church leaders and I have decided to suspend our worship services until further notice. This decision was very difficult and was made with great sadness. Being together in
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Responding to the Coronavirus: Seeking Peace in the Midst of Uncertainty
March 13, 2020 – 11:30am Dear Church Family and Friends, As you’re all aware, national, state, and local entities are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19. It is a rapidly changing situation for our community and larger world. In light of this, we are on heightened alert and want to
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We Belong to God
There’s something powerful in being marked each year with ashes on my forehead and hearing the words, “From dust you have come. To dust you shall return. Repent and believe the Gospel!” It’s a reminder of our mortality and, more importantly, of our faith in a God who creates us
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Clarifying National News + Epiphany
Dear friends, I’m writing to you about a few different topics that have common bonds … the tension within our global denomination, resisting harm, and the ongoing ministry of our local church here in Avondale. If you’re not interested in the global things going on, I hope you’ll skip to
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O Come All Ye Faithful!
Each year on Christmas Eve, we read the birth story of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:1-20). Why? Only two Gospels – Matthew and Luke – contain details of Jesus’ conception and birth. Of the two, Luke is the only one that gives the details about the actual
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Make a Child’s Christmas Possible
When I think back on my childhood, I have fond memories of celebrating holidays with my extended family. My family took every opportunity to get together … from Christmas to Easter to Memorial Day to the 4th of July … we were always together. All of them were fun, but
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Fans in the Stands
All Saints Day is a significant day in the life of the church as we remember and celebrate that great cloud of witnesses that we call the communion of saints. It’s a day that we give thanks to God for the lives of all those who, in their earthly life,
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The Pledge to Be Grateful
Thanks to the generous support of many members and friends, 2019 has been a great year in the life of the church. In April, the congregation voted unanimously to affiliate with Reconciling Ministries Network. This decision affirms who we are as a welcoming and fully inclusive body that seeks to
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Supporting our Mission
This week we’re spotlighting our mission arm Avondale Samaritan Place (ASP). If you follow our social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter – you’ve likely already seen us showcasing various ministries. We’re doing so to raise awareness around the great things that are happening as a result of ASP and to
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Important Church Vote
Everywhere I look, nature is showing off … flowers and trees are in full bloom, the grass is green again, and everything has a thin, sneeze-worthy layer of yellow dust on it. Yes, it’s springtime in Alabama, and that means Easter is almost here. It’s that beautiful time of year
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A Pastoral Response in the Wake of General Conference 2019
You are loved. YOU are loved. YOU ARE LOVED. God loves you. I love you. And the people of Avondale United Methodist Church love you. No General Conference decision can change that. While I dearly love The United Methodist Church, the Thing that binds us together with chords of love
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What the Future Holds
Our denomination will make national headlines at the end of February as United Methodists from around the globe gather in St. Louis, Missouri, for a Special General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC). Some of you have been closely following the work of the Commission on the Way Forward.
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Star Gifts: Focus on the Light
Happy New Year!!! As a child, I used to really look forward to January … mainly because it’s my birth month, and what kid isn’t excited about her birthday?! Now I dread the birthday because it means I’m growing older, and I want life to slow down so I can
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