“Jesus said to the disciples, ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now’”. (John 16:12)
When I hear Jesus talking about the unbearable things of life I want to run away. But I can’t. It’s too late—There’s nowhere to go. As painful as it is to remember and as difficult as it is to talk about, I understand what Jesus means when he says, “You cannot bear them now.”
The unbearable is that which we do not wish for ourselves or our worst enemy. It comes to us in the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, the loss of a job, a diagnosis, or in a thousand other ways. It is the most painful experience we can imagine. It is that moment when all we can do is either call God’s name or crawl off into a corner and give up, and sometimes we do both.
Bearing the unbearable places us on the threshold of our lives. It takes us to the limits of who we are and what we have. It’s the place where life is too real, too much, too big. It’s also the place that calls us to be accountable and calls God to be accountable. I’m not talking about blame or guilt. I’m talking about the accountability of showing up.
Join us this week at Sedona United Methodist Church as Rev. Fred Mast offers a message entitled “When the Going Gets Tough”. Sunday mornings we enter the spirit of worship at 9:30 am featuring uplifting music, special times of prayer, and passionate life changing messages that will move you closer in your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. Sunday school offered for children kindergarten to 6th grade.
Immediately following worship, you are invited to stay and join us in our Fellowship Hall for a very special fellowship time featuring delicious goodies and snacks, beverages, and always great hot coffee. This is the friendliest and most welcoming fellowship time anywhere!
We offer several weekly book and bible studies: Tuesday’s @ 1:45pm Adult Studies at The Gathering Place in West Sedona; and Thursday’s Women’s Bible Study at 9:45am. We offer so many great missions, ministries, and fellowship opportunities at Sedona UMC.
Visit our website at us on www.sedonaumc.org and “Like” us on Facebook. We are conveniently located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road off the Back O’Beyond roundabout on Route 179 in Sedona. All are welcome at Sedona UMC—Come and grow with us! Invite, pick-up, and bring your friends and family.
