Stroud United Methodist Church

Country music is dangerous. Though I grew up in Kansas, I fought enjoying country music for the longest time. However, as most country music fans will tell you, should you ever find yourself exposed to it for any length of time country music is bound to grow on you. It’s just one of those things that gets into your blood whether you want it there or not. Because of that, exposure to it can be a dangerous thing. The longer you listen to it, the more likely it is to grow on you. Such was my own entry into the genre, which began when my parents began to play George Strait’s Pure Country Soundtrack over and over again in our car, every time that we drove somewhere…no matter where we were going. Though I complained at first, it wasn’t long before I found myself standing in a music store purchasing the very same CD with my own hard-earned money. I remember one such song from the early 1990’s, written by artist Aaron Tippin, with a refrain that begins and ends with the phrase: “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.” Truer words were perhaps never spoken.

Have you ever stopped to consider why you believe what you believe? If not, then you are very likely susceptible to the worst kinds of persuasion. Such is the place of church Dogma. Dogma (or doctrine as it is sometimes called) does not exist as a litmus test to determine who is and is not allowed into the presence of God. Rather, dogma is simply nothing more than a reasoned attempt to try to understand why we believe what we believe.

This February, join me as we explore our doctrines about things like God, original sin, and the return of Christ. Somewhere along the way, you might just find your place in the doctrinal web, and discover why you believe what you believe about the most important things in life!

Contrary to popular opinion, the ostrich does not really stick its head into the sand when it is frightened. In reality, an ostrich will either lay flat against the ground, if enough brush exists to conceal it, or it will use its significant speed to run from a potential threat. Only when cornered with no avenue of escape does the ostrich resort to using its powerful legs as a defensive weapon. The popular acceptance of this myth has given rise to a term used to describe the natural human tendency to avoid potential danger by pretending that such danger does not exist: something known as the “ostrich effect.” First used by financial analysts and economists, this phrase speaks of a unique human tendency to try to avoid potential danger simply by ignoring it; the idea being that if we do not acknowledge it (whatever it is), then maybe it won’t actually come to pass.

Have you ever buried your head in the sand in the hope that the doom that you have foreseen will pass you by? Esther found herself in just such a situation, asked to shoulder an enormous but necessary task for the sake of saving an entire race of people. Join us this spring as we take a journey through the story of Esther to discern the hidden lessons that God’s call on Esther’s life can still reveal for us today. You may just find that like Esther, God has put you in a very special place, for just such a time as this!

If you are interested in blessing the life of a child in Stroud for years to come, then consider volunteering for our wildly successful mentoring program this year! Contact the church office for more information!

Want to become a member of our church?...Click Here! 

Click Here to for our worship feedback form