Omak United Methodist Church

Omak United Methodist Church Our faith community provides acceptance, compassion, and open fellowship while offering God's love to all. Contact Pastor Jack: 509-429-3432

Dear Qahalics, Have you ever met anyone that calls themself a "self-made man?"There is no such person. No one is sel...
09/06/2026

Dear Qahalics,

Have you ever met anyone that calls themself a "self-made man?"

There is no such person. No one is self-made. All of us stand on the shoulders of the parents, teachers, mentors, authors, and communities that shape our lives.

There is also no such thing as a self-made Christian. Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ and disciples are fed, taught, supported, and challenged withing the community of faith. Even Jesus wasn't self-made. He grew up in a devout Jewish home that honored the teachings and traditions of the Jewish faith. He worked side-by-side with his father and very much honored his mother.

Qahal is the Hebrew word for "church." It means "a community called forth.

The church is the body of Christ and is joined together, not a bunch of disparate parts. If a body is a body and the little toe is in another room, it's really not a part of the body, is it?

In today's reading, Paul speaks to the love we have for one another and that we are to treat others as we wish to be treated. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that where two or three are gathered in his name that he will be there also. Both are speaking to the community and the essential communal nature of the Christian calling.

My challenge to anyone listening is to be a part of a worshipping community. You may not need to be a church goer, but churches need your gifts, wisdom, and talents. Consider it, please. Find a church and become an active member. God needs you in his house. Amen

Please continue to pray for peace and for those who need our prayers. Please pray for our firefighters, our schools, and our farm owners and workers as harvest comes in.

Have a most pleasant September.

Pastor Jack

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Dear Qahalics, Have you ever met anyone that calls themself a ...

Dear Disciples, I am wearing a shirt in this sermon that is a maxim of woodworking: "measure twice, cut once." A ma...
08/30/2026

Dear Disciples,

I am wearing a shirt in this sermon that is a maxim of woodworking: "measure twice, cut once." A maxim is a short statement that is loaded with wisdom. Maxims Guide our lives in more ways than we may be aware of. We do not go through a day without short reminders guiding us along the way. Maxims guide our routines- "Early to bed, Early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise: The early bird gets the worm." "An Apple a day, keeps the doctor away."

If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all." Unless you were with Gloria Vanderbilt when she said," If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me!"

"Patience is a virtue." "Love God and love your neighbor." Take up your cross and follow me.": Or if you were raised Catholic: Offer it up for the o suffering souls in purgatory." ":No pain, no gain." or my personal favorite: "If you don't bother your muscles, they won't bother you!" :-)

Our lives are full of maxims that guide us. In Paul's letter to the Romans, he begins a whole list of maxims that relate directly to "Love God and love thy neighbor." (Romans 12:9-21)

Think about your own life. What are the pearls of wisdom that guide you, protect you, challenge you, and help you navigate a complex world?

I bet if you make yourself consciously aware, you will notice many as you go through your day. Adding Paul's list will benefit us all. Amen

Please pray for peace and harmony on Earth. Pray for our firefighters and those affected by the fires. Pray for the people of Nepal devastated by the raging torrent caused by a mountain collapse and the families of the missing 3000 souls, or more, killed in this tragedy.

Last week, I mentioned the stitches on my ear. The surgeon got all of the skin cancer. Praise God!

Finally, please pray for all the students, teachers, and staff beginning the 2026-2027 school year. May all grow in wisdom in the coming year.

Shalom,

Pastor Jack

"Disciples, I am wearing a shirt in this sermon that is a max...

Dear Members of the Body of Faith, In the lectionary readings today, we hear the story of Moses' infancy in Exodus t...
08/23/2026

Dear Members of the Body of Faith,

In the lectionary readings today, we hear the story of Moses' infancy in Exodus that is beautifully retold in the Movie "The Ten Commandments" that came out in 1956 - a great year for movies and my birth year! In Matthew, Peter asserts that Jesus is the Messiah and the son of the living God. And Jesus, in turn, gives Peter, the keys to the kingdom.

Both are great readings, but I am most attracted to the reading from Paul's Letter to the Romans. In this letter, Paul points out that we are part of the Body of Faith and we all have a part to play in that body. All of us have been given gifts to use for building the Christian community that are different and unique.

Workplace researchers have found that there are five things more important than compensation that help one be satisfied in a job. These five things are important in our churches, too.

The first is that you are involved in meaningful work in your church and are using your gifts fully and meaningfully. The second is that the leadership in your church is supportive of your efforts and is supportive and fair. The third is that the culture of your church is one of respect and inclusion. The fourth is that everyone keeps a balance of contributing without burning out. And the fifth is that you are recognized and appreciated for what you do and that your participation is valued, and the church is grateful for your contributions.

If our faith communities are able to get to bring God's grace to the attributes above, all things are possible. Amen.

Please continue to pray for peace in our world, our nation, our communities, our homes, and our relationships. Pray also for children and adults that are returning to school and the teachers and staff that are tasked with their learning and success.

May God's peace be upon you and your homes as the end of the summer approaches.

Shalom,

Pastor Jack

Dear Members of the Body of Faith, In the lectionary readings ...

Dear Outside the Box Believers, Yes, I am just as tired of you all of hearing the expression "Think outside the Box."...
08/16/2026

Dear Outside the Box Believers,

Yes, I am just as tired of you all of hearing the expression "Think outside the Box." Today, Jesus doesn't think outside the box, he GOES outside the box after he sends it to the recycling center. Yes, I know that cardboard wasn't invented yet, but I didn't think that burning the box was an appropriate metaphor. Stay with me!

Jesus tosses out two thousand years of Jewish dietary laws and kosher requirements', a mainstay of his and his disciple's lived experience, and proclaims that what goes into the mouth is not a problem, even if eaten with unwashed hands. It is what comes out of our mouths that causes the problems and sins of the world. For the devout Jews and the Pharisees, this news is very hard to swallow. (Pun intended) It was probably difficult for his disciples, as well. Remember, this was the Man/God that reduced the hundreds of pharisaical laws down to "Love God and Love your Neighbor." That is really moving outside the proverbial box!

But Jesus isn't done yet! A Canaanite woman relentlessly pursues Jesus asking him to heal her daughter. This woman is not Jewish, probably pagan, and Jesus compares her to a dog:

"It is not fair to take food from the children's(Jewish people) table and throw it to the dogs." Mt 15:26

She immediately accepts her status as a dog - An act of great humility! and then says to Jesus,

" Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's tables." Mt 15:27

Jesus done been schooled!

His response to her is to heal her child.

This miracle and the healing of others outside the faith, opens the door for non-Jewish folks to be part of Jesus' salvific mission. This becomes a foreshadowing of the open invitation to the gentiles encountered by Peter and Paul and the inclusion of all peoples to salvation in Christ.

For Jesus to go outside of the Chosen, to include others was, again, far removed from Jewish tradition and messianic expectations!

I would say the box has been shredded!

What does this mean for us today! Inclusion of those that we deem different or outside of our comfort zones needs to be a hallmark of modern Christianity and in each of our churches. We cannot exclude based on our boxes of dogma, rules, and personal "theologies." We must include because that is the calling an example of Jesus Christ himself! We welcome ALL as Christ. Amen

Please pray for peace in our world, for those travelling, the sick, the lonely, and the unloved.

Please take some time to reflect and pray during these slow-paced days of August before the frenzy of September comes.

Peace to you and yours,

Pastor Jack

Dear Outside the Box Believers, Yes, I am just as tired of you...

Dear Fearful and Overwhelmed Believers, In the incredulous miracle category along with the feeding of five thousand...
08/09/2026

Dear Fearful and Overwhelmed Believers,

In the incredulous miracle category along with the feeding of five thousand, the water into w**e, falls the story of Jesus walking on water. And again, if we focus on the incredible, we will miss the real meaning of the story. The real story is not Jesus' walking of water. If Jesus really walked on water, he was just showing off. You and I can walk on water, as long as it's frozen.

The real story is that Peter, at first, has confidence in Christ and walks on water until he notices the storm and then he gets shook up and starts to drown. Then Jesus rescues him and they walk to the boat together.

Isn't that also true of us? We start out believing that we can preach the gospel and invite others into our worship and churches. But then we lose confidence and falter. Then we start to drown by losing hope, even despairing. When we call upon God to rescue us, he extends his hand and we are saved, refreshed, and renewed.

That's true in every case when we feel overwhelmed. Life can be difficult, confusing, and troubling. We can find ourselves drowning and desperate. This story reminds us of the absolute power of God to overcome, lift up, and restore our equilibrium and bring us peace. Amen.

Please pray for peace, our firefighters, those affected by the fires and the smoke, and all those displaced or lives altered by these terrible fires.

Enjoy you last few weeks of August as summer ends and our lives jumpstart again in September.

Peace to you and your families.

Pastor Jack

Dear Fearful and Overwhelmed Believers, In the incredulous mi...

Dear Gifted Believers, In this week's readings, Jacob wrestles with God. A reminder that all of us wrestle with God...
08/02/2026

Dear Gifted Believers,

In this week's readings, Jacob wrestles with God. A reminder that all of us wrestle with God, at times.

Paul expresses his frustration with his Jewish friends that he cannot seem to bring over to Jesus. The same disappointment we share when we invite people into the faith and they say "no." Paul does not give up, and neither should we.

In Matthew, Jesus feeds five thousand people. That's the town of Omak, Washington . Oftentimes, I find myself trying to figure out the logistics of such an undertaking. It's really physically impossible to distribute food to five thousand people in a couple of hours. I have theories about all of that. The problem is that if we get hung up on the numbers, we miss the real meaning of the account.

The real meaning is that Jesus asks the disciples to feed the people and they present their meager fare of five loaves and two fish. Jesus then blesses it and it is distributed and everyone is fed.

Here's the point, when we present ourselves and what limited gifts we have to God, God blesses them and makes our service to others greater than we thought possible. Our time and talents become magnified through the grace of God, and we are able to feed, care for, and love those in our corner of the world. We might just be a single raindrop, but collectively we are a summer shower.

We may think we have little to share or contribute, but when God blesses us and our gifts all things become possible.

We do not have to save the world, we just do what we can in the corner of the world in which we live and our efforts will be blessed, broken, and shared in ways we could ever imagine. Amen

Please continue to pray for peace in our world, and pray for those fighting the fires and those affected by the fires.

May peace be with you in this month of August.

Pastor Jack

Dear Gifted Believers, In this weeks readings, Jacob wrestles...

Dear Modern Disciples, In his wrap up of the Spirit vs the Flesh section of Paul's letter to the Romans, he tells us...
07/26/2026

Dear Modern Disciples,

In his wrap up of the Spirit vs the Flesh section of Paul's letter to the Romans, he tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. In Matthew, Jesus strings a group of parables (similes) regarding the kingdom of God. The kingdom is like a mustard seed, yeast, a valuable pearl or treasure, or a good fish. You can start some really interesting discussions trying to break down all the meanings that can be extrapolated from these similes. My favorite is to ask the question of our role in the parable. Are we mustard seeds? Yeast? The searchers of pearls and treasure? And what kind of fish are you? I hope I'm a keeper and that you are, too! Amen

Please continue to pray for peace, those affected by wildfires, those under stress because of changes in their lives, and families effected by family members with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Peace to you and yours,

Pastor Jack

Dear Modern Disciples, In his wrap up of the Spirit vs the Fle...

Dear Searched and Known Believers, In the readings today, we hear the story of Jacob and the famous ladder. Pa...
07/19/2026

Dear Searched and Known Believers,

In the readings today, we hear the story of Jacob and the famous ladder.

Paul continues his great sermon in Romans on following the Spirit of God and eschewing the life of the flesh. The worldly temptations versus the spiritual sacrifices and the ultimate reward.

Matthew tells us the parable of the weeds sown into the field of the good seed. and the burning of the weeds at harvest time.

Each of these readings is pregnant with possibilities. I am not going to address any of them.

There is an even more powerful closeness of God to each one of us. "Lord you search me and you know me. You know my resting and my rising, etc." these are not words of an uninvolved and distant God. These are the words of a God who created each of us and sees us and knows us. God sees our hearts and our thoughts, our searching and our dreams. God is closer to us than our parents, family, and friends. More importantly, God wants us to be in a relationship where we work to know God as well as God knows us. Amen.

Please continue to pray and work for peace in our world.

Shalom,

Pastor Jack

Dear Searched and Known Believers, In the readings today, we ...

Dear God's Gardeners, The parable of the Sower is a story of those sown on a hard path, those sown on rocky soil, t...
07/12/2026

Dear God's Gardeners,

The parable of the Sower is a story of those sown on a hard path, those sown on rocky soil, those sown among thorns, and those sown on good, fertile soil.

If you are reading this it is likely that you were sown on fertile ground or someone took the took the time to nurture you into the faith.

As Methodists, we believe that God has planted the seed of grace in every person's being. And if we pay attention to this parable, it means that that seed sometimes falls on a hardened path, a person who is far from being disposed to learn about God and is more prone to take a pessimistic and cynical view of Christianity, These folks are easily overtaken by fringe religious movements It is our calling to provide a softer and welcoming faith to counter the hardness of their lives and the anti-faith messages that surround them.

Those that grew up on rocky soil, may have heard the name of Jesus but are skeptical that God really loves them and are easily swayed away from the possibility of a loving and merciful God and the idea is quickly dismissed. Our role is to nurture and confirm God's loving presence and to exemplify that to them. If they can trust us, maybe they can trust God.

Those who fall among the thorns are those that are often surrounded by nonbelievers, or those that believe in trendy and fantastical concepts of God and dissuade others from faith in God. We can offer them a grounded faith in which they can grow strong enough to resist those who would strangle their faith in God and grace by various messages and attitudes.

And those who fall on fertile ground? We welcome them and offer a form of Christianity that explains faith by examining it through scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. Amen.

Please keep praying for peace. Pray for our firefighters and all those affected by fire.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

Pastor Jack



Dear God's Gardeners, The parable of the Sower is a story of ...

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130 Cedar Street N
Omak, WA
98841

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