A Moment for Mission
“Brother Saul, the Lord sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you were coming here.
He sent me so that you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”— Acts 9: 17, CEB
Imagine being so sure you’re right—so certain that you’re doing what’s best—that you don’t realize you’re actually fighting against God’s plan. That’s exactly where we find Saul in Acts 9. He was determined to stop the followers of Jesus, convinced that they were a threat to his faith. But as he traveled to Damascus, everything changed.
A blinding light surrounded him, and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). It was Jesus. In that moment, Saul’s world was turned upside down. The man who thought he could see so clearly was suddenly blind. He had to be led by the hand into the city, where for three days, he sat in darkness—unable to see, unable to eat or drink.
But God wasn’t finished with Saul. He sent Ananias, a disciple who was afraid at first but obeyed God’s call to go to Saul. Ananias laid hands on him, saying, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus... has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17). Instantly, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again—both physically and spiritually. He was baptized and began a new mission: to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God.
Saul’s story is one of transformation, but also of learning to see differently. His physical blindness mirrored the spiritual blindness he had before meeting Jesus. And just like Saul, we too need God to open our eyes—not just to see Him, but to see others the way He does.
This is the heart of Native American Ministries Sunday—a call to open our eyes to the gifts, cultures, and contributions of Native American people in our churches and communities. Too often, their voices and traditions have been overlooked or dismissed, just as Ananias at first hesitated to see Saul as anything other than an enemy. But God calls us to move beyond fear and misunderstanding into a place of respect, affirmation, and partnership.
Through a special offering, donations are collected and distributed equally: half supports local ministries within the Annual Conference through the Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM), while the other half funds scholarships and essential programs to develop new ministries for Native American communities.
When Ananias placed his hands on Saul, something like scales fell from his eyes. What scales need to fall from ours? Where is God calling us to see differently—to move from hesitation to action, from blindness to vision? May we, like Ananias, answer God’s call to recognize His work in places we might not expect and to affirm the gifts of all His people.
Children’s Message
Title: God Can Change Anyone!
Materials: A blindfold or sunglasses with dark lenses
Good morning, friends! Have you ever had a time when you couldn’t see? Maybe you closed your eyes and tried to walk, or maybe you wore a blindfold for a game. Let’s try something fun—I’m going to put on these dark glasses (or blindfold), and I’ll try to do something simple, like picking up a book or finding my way around. Wow! That’s really hard!
Did you know that in the Bible, there was a man named Saul who couldn’t see? But his blindness wasn’t just with his eyes—he also couldn’t see the truth about Jesus. Saul didn’t like people who followed Jesus, and he tried to stop them. But one day, while he was walking down the road, a bright light from heaven flashed all around him, and he heard Jesus’ voice saying, "Saul, why are you hurting me?"
When Saul opened his eyes, he couldn’t see anything at all! His friends had to lead him into the city. Then, God sent a kind man named Ananias to help him. Ananias prayed for Saul, and suddenly, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again! But more importantly, Saul’s heart changed, and he started telling people about Jesus instead of trying to stop them.
Sometimes, we don’t see people the way Jesus does. Maybe we don’t notice when someone is feeling left out, or maybe we don’t take the time to learn about people who are different from us. But Jesus wants us to see others with love and kindness!
Today, we celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday. This is a special time when we learn about and support Native American people in our churches. Their voices haven’t been heard or seen as they should be, but God wants us to listen, learn, and help. When we open our hearts—just like Saul did—we can see the beauty and gifts of all God’s people!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for opening Saul’s eyes and heart. Help us to see people the way You do—with love, kindness, and respect. Bless our Native American friends and help us to support their churches and ministries. Amen.
Offertory Prayer
God of new vision, open our eyes to see as You see. Remove the scales of prejudice, fear, and misunderstanding so that we may recognize Your work in all people. We lift up Native American communities, their ministries, and their leadership in Your Church. May we honor their gifts and stand in partnership with them as we follow Your call to love and serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
From Discipleship Ministries
Cast your nets in familiar waters, empty, time and again, yet you look on the other side, where there are whispers of abundance, where the deep holds more than you dared hope.
In the soil beneath your feet, ancient voices speak, telling you to listen, to honor, to remember the land as more than dirt, as more than resource, as kin, as life, as memory.
You have taken too much, drunk from rivers that now run dry, hunted the Earth until she wept, yet still, she offers her hand, still, she whispers—there is another way.
To survive is to remember, to reclaim the wisdom buried deep, in the roots of the trees, in the songs of the wind, in the stories of those who came before, who knew the Earth as mother, who walked gently, who loved fiercely.
You are called to feed the sheep, not only with bread, not only with grain, but with justice, with love, with a vision of a world where all are fed, where all are seen, where all are honored.
In the silence of the dawn, when the world is still and the sky blushes with light, you find the strength to begin again, to cast your nets, to sow new seeds, to believe in the abundance that is promised,
If only you dare to trust, if only you dare to see. For survival is not just to endure, but to thrive, to flourish, to sing with the Earth, to dance with the rain, to know that you are part of this sacred web, connected, interwoven, bound together in this place.
And so, you begin again, with the sun, with the moon, with the stars, with the earth beneath our feet, you begin again, to survive, to thrive.
God, we offer these gifts, given for the healing of creation, to you. Bless them and us to support the survival and thriving of all creation. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
In Acts 9, we see Saul’s dramatic transformation when Jesus meets him on the road to Damascus. Blinded by the light, Saul had to be led into the city, where he waited in darkness. But when Ananias, following God’s call, placed his hands on Saul, his sight was restored—physically and spiritually. He began to see Jesus, and others, in a whole new way.
Like Saul, we sometimes need God to open our eyes to see the people around us the way He does. Native American Ministries Sunday is an opportunity to recognize and support Native American communities in our churches. Half of the gifts given stay within the Annual Conference to support local Native American ministries, while the rest provides scholarships and resources for new ministries.
This Sunday, let us pray for open eyes and hearts, that we may affirm and uplift the gifts, cultures, and leadership of Native American people in the Church.
Join us in worship as we celebrate and support Native American leaders in ministry!