Pastor’s Message for March 2026

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in their place… What is humanity that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3-4

Greetings, Friends!

     When was the last time you considered the heavens? With everything going on here on Earth, it can be difficult to look beyond this rock of ours and look up to the heavens. But let’s consider the heavens for a moment. There have been amazing things going on above the sky. We had a comet pass by last summer. We had a rare conjunction of planets around Christmas time which was reminiscent of the Bethlehem star. We just landed another rover on Mars. We explored an asteroid. We’re discovering new planets orbiting other stars every day. We’re creating new rockets, thinking about sending manned missions to other worlds, and discovering more ways to explore beyond our world.

     What I have found is that the more we explore beyond our world, the smaller and more insignificant we seem. We used to believe we were the center of the universe — that everything revolved around us. Now we know that we are not the center of the universe. We’re not the center of anything really. Our solar system is just one of billions of stars in our galaxy. Even our galaxy is just one of possibly billions of galaxies in our universe. Who’s to say our universe isn’t just one of billions of universes? And those billions of universes just one of a multi-multi-verse?

     So when we consider that the universe is very, very big, and we are very, very small, we may ask the same question which the psalmist asked so many centuries ago as he pondered the cosmos. What is humanity in comparison to the vastness of the created works of God? If we are not the center of everything, why would God be interested in any of us? If our God is so very, very big, why would God care about this very, very small world of ours? And more than that, why are we who are so very, very small so eager to tear apart and destroy each other?

     Consider this: If God, who created the stars and planets and galaxies, considers us worthy of life and love and grace, why don’t we consider each other worthy of these things? As we argue over things which we think are so important, maybe we should consider that in the grand scheme of things, our biggest concerns are nothing compared to the vastness of God’s love.

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim

Coming Up…

< July 2026 >
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
      1Youth Group 6pm from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
+ Google calendarEves Meeting 6:30pm @Aliquippa First from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of the evening women's group of Monaca & Aliquippa First UMCs.
Meeting location alternates each month between the two churches.
Aliquippa First UMC: Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov
Monaca UMC: Feb, Apr, June, Aug, Oct, Dec
+ Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
2Busy Hands 1pm from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Knitting/crochet Group Carey Community Center + Google calendar
3NA Meeting 8pm from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Meeting of Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
4AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
5Worship w/ Communion 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Holy Communion Offered Church Sanctuary + Google calendar
6 7 8"PhDs" 6:30pm @Aliquippa First, Lounge from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
For "Projects Half Done" - knitting/crochet group; 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month at Aliquippa First UMC + Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
9 10NA Meeting 8pm from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Meeting of Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
11AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
12Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendar
13 14Food Pantry Distribution 11am-Noon from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Free and open to all Monaca area and Center Township residents + Google calendar
15AA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
16Newsletter Deadline Day all day
Please submit any items for inclusion in the church's newsletter, THE MESSENGER, by the 3rd Thursday of the month. + Google calendarBusy Hands 1pm from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Knitting/crochet Group Carey Community Center + Google calendar
17NA Meeting 8pm from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Meeting of Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
18AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
19Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendar
20 21 22"PhDs" 6:30pm @Aliquippa First, Lounge from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
For "Projects Half Done" - knitting/crochet group; 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month at Aliquippa First UMC + Google calendarAA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
23 24NA Meeting 8pm from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Meeting of Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
25AA Meeting 10:30am from 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
26Worship 11am from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Traditional worship, including prayer and the singing of traditional hymns. Church Sanctuary + Google calendar
27 28 29AA Meeting 7pm from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar
30 31NA Meeting 8pm from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Meeting of Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship Hall + Google calendar