God calls us to be disciples of Jesus, building community through
service and fellowship and sharing the love of Christ with all.
“The United Methodist Church of Westford is an open and welcoming community of Christian
Faith. Without any exceptions, we welcome anyone who seeks to love and to serve God.” Learn More
Fear is a part of being human, even though we want to live not with fear but with courage. We fear losing the people we love. We fear failure, uncertainty, illness, rejection, and the unknown. No matter our age or stage of life, fear often shapes the decisions we make and the lives we live. Yet the Christian life is not a life without fear; it is a life lived with courage in the midst of fear.
Writing to the Christians in Rome, a small and vulnerable community living in the heart of the Roman Empire, Paul does not promise an easy life or freedom from suffering. Instead, he offers something far greater and more profound: the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Even when we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Even when we feel weak, God remains faithful. Even in hardship and uncertainty, Christ holds us fast.
Paul himself would one day journey to Rome, not as a celebrated missionary but as a prisoner. Yet the confidence he expresses in this letter was not based on favorable circumstances. It was rooted in the unshakable conviction that God's love is stronger than fear, suffering, and even death itself.
This Sunday, we will reflect on what it means to live with Christian courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the confidence to move forward because we know we are held by God's unfailing love. When we trust that nothing in all creation can separate us from Christ's love, we are freed to live faithfully, love generously, and face tomorrow with hope. After all, the courage to live without fear does not come from ourselves. It comes from the God whose love never lets us go.
Roman8:26-39
July 26, 2026
Pastor Jinyong
Join us in-person every Sunday at 9:30 am or online.
Food Drive This Saturday
Please donate to our food drive THIS SATURDAY to benefit the Merrimack Valley Food Bank of Lowell! Their focus is to help meet a person’s most profound need — adequate nutrition and freedom from hunger.
Nonperishable foods (examples: salad dressings, cooking oil, spices, coffee/tea, cereals, flour/sugar, canned goods, pasta, pasta sauce, boxed or canned stock and broth, iodized salt, condiments like mayo and ketchup, peanut butter/sunbutter, jelly)
EASY drop off at our church parking lot – you won't even have to get out of your car, our volunteers will unload for you! 9:00 am to Noon. Tell your friends and neighbors; we would love to have everyone in the community donate to this special food drive!