Sunday Services:
Sunday School: 9:45 am
Worship: 10:55am
Directions to Cedar Cliff UMC: Map
From I-85/40 (Graham). Travel south 8 miles on NC-87 towards Pittsboro. Turn left onto Cedar Cliff Rd. Church is 1/2 mile on right
Please come visit us and our church family!
I wanted to share some great news of what’s been going on in our church. Whether you are a member of our church family, or just stopping by because you were invited to, or maybe you came here out of curiosity, I hope you receive a message of love and belonging. If you weren’t there Sunday, here’s what you missed…
Our Pastor, Jimmy Wooten, preached a powerful sermon Sunday. Luke 3:15-17; 21-22 and 4:1-13: Jesus’ baptism and his experience in the wilderness in the many days that followed. The big question is… why does Jesus need to be baptized in the first place? He is the Son of God. John was baptizing people so they would turn to God and away from their sins, in order to be forgiven. Jesus had no sin in him. So why did he come to the river to be baptized by John?
Recall that at Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and God said “You are my Son: in You I am well pleased.” God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all gathered at the river at the same time! Jesus already knew who He was, but now others would know. His baptism is a public proclamation of who Jesus is and who He will be. He is identified as God’s Son, fully human and fully divine. Immediately after, Jesus goes into the wilderness. He is tempted to turn away from God by Satan, but Jesus would not turn away. His experience in the desert shows who Jesus is and how He lives out his Baptism. Jimmy brought the sermon home and talked about the significance of our baptism, why it holds a prominent place in our church today. Our baptism is much like Jesus’… it is about who you and I are.
God proclaims at our Baptism “You are my son (daughter) and I am well pleased in you. Receive the gift of new life through water and Spirit.” He gives this grace freely. If you receive it, and hide it away, nothing will come from it. If you receive it and allow it to transform you, it is the beginning of your relationship with God! We often find ourselves in the wilderness, too… there are temptations that cause us to turn away from God, to think and behave differently than Jesus did. That’s the challenge. “We are not perfect, but we are headed to perfection,” Jimmy said. I thank you, Lord, for your forgiving, saving grace which covers us as we grow in Christ.
The sermon ended with a moving Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant, binding words of promise and profession of faith. Also, prayers of concerns and celebrations were lifted up.
After the worship service, we all enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and homemade soups with a salad bar. I had to try a little of each: potato soup, cream of broccoli soup, vegetable soup, and chili (spicy!). Perfect for the cold and blustery day we were having. It was all soothing to the soul as well as the body. Finally, we ended the meal with choices of sweet pies and cakes!
I am glad you stopped by, and invite you to join us on Sunday mornings 10:55 am. Sunday School (an adults’ class. a youth class, and a children’s class) starts at 9:45 am. We’d love to have you visit with us any Sunday.