Occasionally, an "ear worm" (song) gets stuck in my head, and it goes like this. "Whistling a catchy tune, a verse, then "Don't worry...be happy, don't worry be happy now..." You can thank me now for putting that ear worm in YOUR head in solidarity with me!

Worry. Despite Jesus' admonition against it. Despite the fact that 91% of the time our worrying is all for naught. We worry. We worry about our past, our present, and our future. We worry how people perceive us, whether they like us, or whether they are judging us. We worry that we won't all get along, and at time we worry that we're not good enough, strong enough, or faithful enough. We worry, even though worrying is so often counter-productive.

So what do we do with this truth? How do we live into Jesus' admonition to not worry? This Sunday we continue our "Summer Baggage" sermon series seeking to answer such questions, and it's appropriate to ask these as this is also Pastor Mary's last Sunday as pastor here at Fredericksburg UMC. The Good News is that despite our worries, and in the midst of our worries, God is with us, and God can show us how to trust Christ and the Spirit, so that all will be well.

What are you worried about? What baggage do you need to let go of?  Here at FUMC we encourage you to receive the grace to live free of worry and filled with the assurance of Christ's presence and power being with us.