What's First?

What's First? That’s a question we ask ourselves, over and over, consciously or subconsciously, each day.

What's First? -- we may ask in the morning – eat breakfast, or take a few extra minutes to exercise? Work a little more on my morning’s first meeting, or...just grab my jacket and head out the door to make sure I get to work in plenty of time?

What’s First? -- we may ask during the day – write that letter or get down on the floor to really spend time with the kids? Call that person I haven’t seen in a while...or tackle that closet?

What’s First? There’s never time to do everything that seems beckoning to be taken care of each day...and at the end of the day we may feel we are just tumbling off a merry-go-round that we’ll need to climb back on tomorrow.

What’s First? The question tugs at us in other ways - as we scan the news, what concern in the world around us should be kept at the forefront of our mind, in our prayers? What's First? As we pay bills, we wonder if we are allocating our resources in a way that really reflects what is most important to us. What's First? Day by day, am I letting the deepest, truest, most life- affirming priorities guide me?

"What’s First?" a well-educated, professional, faithful person asked Jesus one day. He’d been looking at all the laws, commandments, and guidelines of his faith and wondered if Jesus had something to say about which one should take priority.Jesus had the answer ready, as though he had pondered it, tried and tested it over and over already.

"Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength." That’s what’s First.

And there’s a second priority, too, Jesus added, right after that – “Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you focus on those, you’ll actually be taking care of all that is most needed to live life usefully, meaningfully, vitally.

That doesn’t necessarily make daily decisions and priorities quick and easy, but it does make them more of an adventure – and at the end of the day, what we’re stepping off of is a little less like a merry- go-round, and a little more like a circle of opportunity -- for finding creative ways to grow in and express our love for God, our neighbors, and ourselves.

"Expressing Our Love" is our church theme for September and October, words woven into our congregational Mission/ Vision/Value statement. During the fall, we’ll be focusing in worship on our true priorities as we think together about "What’s First?” in our lives, and how we can strengthen and celebrate "What’s First" in our life together as a church community.

Here at "First" UMC, we are learning and growing to live more fully as we put "First things First," expressing God’s love in our homes and workplaces, our congregation and community, our world.