Lisa Bush teaches here on Wednesdays and we recently added a “chair” yoga class for people who have a hard time getting down on the floor to stretch. I heartily recommend the classes to everyone. We all need to stretch and bend and stay flexible. It’s good for the body and it’s good for our souls as well.

Throughout life it has been evident to me that God keeps stretching and  shaping me for the next thing God has in mind. All along the way  I have had chances to say yes or no to these opportunities. It’s not that God was controlling or manipulating the next moves. It was more that God was opening doors and making way in life for the next right thing. My role was to pay attention, through prayer and discernment and then to make room in my life for that next thing. Most often it was simply a matter of making room in my calendar and stepping out in faith that this was the path God was hoping I would choose.

Yoga was a good choice. It limbers the body and focuses the mind. It is a great stress reliever and muscle toner. It has increased my flexibility at a time in life when being comfortable can get more attention than being stretched and growing stronger. It has reminded me that mental flexibility and agility is important, too. It has reminded me that God is still at work in our lives, regardless of age or stage, wanting us to remain open to growing in new directions.

At Mt. Pleasant First United Methodist Church I will be further stretched: leading contemporary as well as traditional worship    services, being televised each week for rebroadcast on the local access television, and working in a college town which gives a different flavor to life. And while there are so many people and beautiful  aspects of living and working here that I will sorely miss, I trust that God is opening a door to the next right thing.

Our faith grows stronger every time it is stretched. May you all be open to God’s invitation to grow, even if it requires some stretching and increased flexibility.

Spring-time blessings to all,

Diane Gordon, Senior Pastor

SPRC chair, LeighAnn Mikesell, notes, “We will remember the wonderful new beginnings made possible by Diane:  EPIC worship services, Giovanni, the violin, at children’s time, and Kids Food Basket. While her beginning with us was such a short time ago, we send her with love to the next new beginning in Mt. Pleasant.”

A dinner to honor Diane and Tom will be held after worship on June 9, 2013. John and Kristy Mattson will prepare the meal. Those planning to attend should RSVP to help with the food preparation. Please call the Church Office, 722-6545, to sign up no later than June 5.

As we say farewell to a gifted musician, it is fitting that the theme for the day will reflect an Orchestra of Faith and Love.

Click here to see a snapshot of the worship experience.

Can you see the Great Blue Heron gliding across the lake and heading for the Fire Bowl at Lake Louise? If you heard David Gladstone’s Camp Sunday sermon on April 21, you know what I mean.

If you did not hear his sermon, you can listen on Central’s website by clicking here. Dave shared a wonderful message of how the Holy Spirit touches the lives of children and adults who go to camp.

Central is ready to pay half the camp fees for any child or teen wanting to attend a West Michigan Conference Camp. The deadline to receive a camp scholarship is May 15. A list of all camps is available in the Church Office or on the Conference website: www.westmichiganconference.org. All registration is done online. If you need assistance with that, contact Pastor Diane. To apply for a camp scholarship, call Donna Truran at  231-828-4648.

Pastor Diane came to Central in July 2010. She has helped us grow and has brought new projects, like Kids’ Food Basket, into our lives. Her final Sunday in our pulpit will be June 9 and there will be a celebration of her ministry with a potluck meal after church. More details announced soon but mark your calendars now.

Pastor Mark will leave Midland in June and will travel to Guatemala with a mission team. He has made previous volunteer in mission ventures in Haiti (shown left) and India.

His first Sunday at Central is set for July 7. Plan to join us in Parish Hall at 11:30 for a welcome luncheon.

Mark comes to us with 29 years of pastoral service. He has served in the Detroit Conference at Wellsville UMC, Blissfield Emmanuel UMC, Owosso Trinity UMC, and West Branch First UMC.

Mark has served Midland Aldersgate UMC since 2006. He has three grown sons living in Grand Rapids and is blessed with one grandchild and another on the way.

The May Outlook will carry more about Rev. Mark’s gifts and pastimes.

The Chair Yoga group starts at 3:30 pm. It’s for seniors seeking more flexibility and relief from aches and pains.

Floor Yoga, the classic positions and techniques, takes place at 5:15 pm.

Both are Christ-centered approaches to quiet time with God. A freewill offering is welcome.