The Next Chapter | February 12 Devotion

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Bethzatha, which has five porticos. In these lay many invalids…... One man was there who had been ill for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk (John 5:2-9a).

It is not a great leap to imagine this man’s frustration. He wants to get to the pool; a place of recognized healing; a holy place; a safe place. But day after day, it was just out of his reach. Surely there is much more that he would like to do, if only he could get to it. Jesus immediately recognized the physical hindrance, with all that it implied, and he fixed it. While we cannot miraculously heal those who experience physical challenges, we can address the issue of easy accessibility to our house of worship.

The Next Chapter Capital Campaign plan includes the repair and/or replacement of our elevator system. We have an opportunity to heal the disappointment and frustration of members and visitors who want to join in the worship, fellowship, and ministry of FUMC Waynesville, if only they could get to it.

Another important component of the campaign is updating our door systems. Many of the existing parts can no longer be serviced, and modern replacements will give us safer, more reliable, and more welcoming access to our buildings. These upgrades will strengthen our ability to care for our facilities and the people who use them every day.

Let’s fix the elevator, replace our door systems, make our entries more secure so that we can continue to be a welcoming center of hospitality for all people.

We invite you to consider a gift to the Capital Campaign, with this word of devotion:

Most gracious God, you urged your servant Moses to build a place of worship, appointed skilled craftsmen to oversee the work, and sought the many gifts of the community to beautify it. May our hearts, like theirs, be stirred and our spirits be willing to glorify you through the renovation of FUMC Waynesville. Accept our gifts of “silver and bronze,” so that walls, floors, doors, and systems become the means of gathering in the community, just as God’s generosity and hospitality have welcomed us. Transform our freewill offering for walls, floors, doors, and systems into the embrace of God’s love for all. May our light shine, in the name of Christ. Amen.

-Adapted by Reverend Donna Gaither