Salado UMC April Newsletter

What Would Jesus Undo?

Today, we’re in the very middle of Holy Week. Tomorrow, we’ll remember the last supper Jesus celebrated with his friends on Maundy Thursday. Then, on Good Friday, we’ll re-live his brutal execution as an enemy of the state; how he took the sins of those who killed him—as well as the rest of humanity—with him to the cross in order to wipe those sins clean. And finally, on Easter Sunday, we’ll celebrate his resurrection, and the resurrection into new and eternal life that he has been made available to every one of us.

But then what? Well, the time after Easter might be a good time to pause and reflect on what exactly that new life looks like. What’s the point of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Now, of course, in one sense we know that answer: All of us who have entrusted our lives to him will be given the opportunity to spend eternity with him, bathed eternally in the glow of God’s divine love.

But there’s more to it than that. Eternal life isn’t just heaven. It isn’t just something that happens to us after we die. As Jesus describes it, it’s a present reality for all of us who put our trust in him. As we talked about recently, it is—right here and right now—a new, born-again kind of life.

So, what does that life look like. Well, we’re going to talk about that for the next several weeks in our next sermon series, “What Would Jesus Undo?”

Earlier in the year, I asked the question, “What Would Jesus Do.” The idea was that we’ve been created in the image of God and Jesus is the image of the invisible God, so as we seek to live in the light of God’s eternal love, we ought to keep asking ourselves the question, “What would Jesus do if he were in my shoes?”

But living in the image of Christ isn’t just about “doing.” It’s also about “undoing.” It’s about identifying the habits and ways of looking at the world and our lives that might be getting between us and God; things we think and do that might actually be inconsistent with the eternal life—the kingdom of love and peace—that Jesus came to bring. And then, once we know what those things are, undoing them … first in our lives, and then, by extension, in the world.

So, that’s what we’re going to be talking about for the next several weeks. We’re going to talk about the things that Jesus came to undo, and how we can invite him to undo them in us.

-Pastor Tommy

Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00-11:00 A.M. for our annual cleanup and spruce up day. We will be raking, weeding, cleaning, picking up broken limbs and adding fresh mulch where needed. There is something for everyone! All ages and skill sets are welcome. Community service hours available for students. We have a limited variety and quantity of hand tools, so please bring any tools you think may be useful– buckets and wheelbarrows will be helpful. We will have coffee, cold drinks, and donuts.

Central Texas Conference Men's Walk 497 will be at Eagle's Wings Retreat Center in Burnet, Texas, Sunday, July 19 - Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Ron Ingram is the Lay Director.

Use the form on the CTC Emmaus website to recommend men from your church/reunion group or even yourself. The Team Selection Committee will provide proposed names to the Walk's Lay Director for team selection in mid-April*. Please pray for this Walk, especially as the Team Selection process begins.

For more information, refer to ctcemmaus.org or contact Terry Crain at terrycrain@mac.com.

* Team selection is not guaranteed for all recommendations submitted.

Clergy or Laity of the Mid-South or South District churches who are interested in serving on a district committee or team may submit this form through April 26, 2026, to be considered for District Conference nominations. A description of Mid-South and South District committees and teams can be found at: 2026 Mid-South and South District Committees – Roles & Responsibilities

YOUTH (ages 12-18) who are interested in serving on the District Youth Ministries Team, should use this link to connect with Christine Peirce, HTC Director of Children & Youth Empowerment.

On behalf of the SUMC Parents Day Out program, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our church family for your generous support of our recent fundraiser for the scholarship program. Because of your kindness and willingness to give, we were blessed to raise over $2,200.

These funds will go directly into our scholarship program, helping provide financial assistance to families who may need a little extra support in the coming year. Your contributions make a meaningful difference and help ensure that more children can benefit from the care and learning environment our program provides.

Thank you for your continued encouragement, generosity, and commitment to our ministry. We are truly grateful for each and every one of you.

Click here for detailed descriptions about each Sunday School Class!

The Monday Morning Ladies Bible Study meets two times a month and enjoys warm, conversational gathering where women explore Scripture together in a way that feels accessible, relational, and spiritually nourishing. The class is discussion based and focuses on understanding God’s Word, applying it to daily life, and encouraging one another in faith. We utilize a variety of materials from single topic books and Bible studies, both Old and New Testament.