Pastor’s Corner

Dear First United Methodist Church of Mount Dora,
 
I am writing to you after having visited the Alamo in San Antonio, one of Texas’s most prominent buildings. By the way, the reason we’re here, is this is called a staff ride when a group of officers learn lessons from history to apply in the present and future.
 
The Alamo was a chapel that was a part of a wider Spanish mission complex. Also, still standing next to the Alamo are the Long Barracks. These are the last two remaining buildings existing of this fort and Spanish mission. In 1836, 200 people lost their lives, volunteers who came from various parts of the United States, who defended the Alamo, along with Tejano Mexican Federalists who wanted Texas to remain autonomous. General Santa Anna sent his forces to the Alamo and laid siege to the fortress. Only the women and children inside the chapel survived. Today, the Alamo is hallowed ground and a memorial. 
 
Speaking of memorials, today’s word of the day is building. Buildings are important as sacred spaces. Spaces like the Alamo Chapel remain. The Alamo provided sanctuary to the women and children during that siege. Our buildings, including our church buildings in Mount Dora, are an important platform for mission, a sacred space, that is a platform for God’s mission in the world. They provide spiritual and physical refuge. Building also happens to be the 4th goal in our Vision 2030 plan.
 
An example of the impact of our buildings is the craft fair. At the craft fair, people will come and see our stained-glass windows. Guests see a part of the sacred on earth, a little piece of heaven on earth when we maintain, preserve, nurture, and care for the building’s property, and staff that we have at the church. I do hope you have a blessed day and praying for you as we continue to clean up from the storm now parts of Florida. I encourage you to give to the United Methodist Committee on Relief to help our brothers and sisters in the big bend of Florida and especially in the west of North Carolina where there have been
major flooding throughout the Southeast.  
 
God bless you, thank you, and I’ll talk to you soon.
 
Grace and Peace,
 
Pastor David