Pastor’s Corner
Looking for Inspiration?
The vast majority of us wake up with a to-do list waiting for us. We spend our days caught up in flurry of tasks: getting to work on time, picking up with groceries, making sure the kids make it to sports practice, paying the bills and so on. Sometimes things get so hectic that we need to remind ourselves to breath. And while these daily tasks of life can be very important very few of them have eternal consequences.
This is why church is so important. Think of church not as one more thing in your already full week; think of it as a chance to order your week. Sunday morning worship is a unique opportunity to center one’s self and reconnect with God. We have a chance to ask for forgiveness for the things we’ve done wrong, to find inspiration in prayer and music, to be challenged to lead increasingly faithful and meaningful lives in the sermons and liturgy. All in all, I find that it is that hour on Sunday mornings, connected to God and to others through faith, that makes the rest of the week relevant.
So if you are in a rush. Stop. Take a deep breath. Know that God loves you.
We at Grace UCC affirm that we are called to put our faith into action, but we know as well that God doesn’t love us any less if we still have some things on the to-do list at the end of the week.
Join us to find comfort in God and strength for the journey.
In Peace,
Pastor Holly
About Rev. Holly MillerShank
Welcome—and thanks for checking out the Pastor’s Corner at Grace UCC in Lebanon, PA.
Here’s a little bit about me. My name is Rev. Holly MillerShank—I have a great deal of energy and enthusiasm for serving as preacher and teacher of Grace United Church of Christ; I know this is where God has called me to be, and I invite you to come and join us in ministry.
I am a native of Lebanon County, a graduate of Eastern Lebanon County High School. I left the area for about eight years, most of which was spent in Washington, DC. I have my BA in International Relations American University in Washington, DC, as well as a minor in Religious Studies and a teaching certificate in English as a Second Language.
While I was in college, I began serving the wider church as the Associate for Community Outreach for the United Church of Christ Office of Public Life and Social Policy. I specialized in making U.S. policy towards Latin America come alive for members and congregations of the UCC. As a result of this work I was honored with the Margru Kinson Justice Award at General Synod 24, the highest honor bestowed upon Youth and Young Adults in the denomination.
I find inspiration and hope in Jesus’ prayer that we may all be one (the motto of the UCC). God has been active in my life not only within local congregations but also in larger contexts. I have served as a Global Ministries Volunteer in India, participated in mission trips to South Dakota and New Orleans, completed my third year of Seminary at the Universidad Biblica Latino Americana in San Jose Costa Rica, and have represented Penn Central Conference on the Local Church Ministries Board of Directors for the United Church of Christ.
My Master’s of Divinity degree is from Lancaster Theological Seminary. After I completed my religious studies, I served as the National Grassroots Organizer for Witness for Peace. It was during that time that I felt God calling me to local church ministry at Grace UCC. Through the discernment of the Holy Spirit by myself and by the members of Grace UCC, I was called as their pastor in September of 2005, the same month I married my husband, Jonathan, who is also from Lebanon County. I am also a certified facilitator of Prepare / Enrich, widely recognized as one of the best pre-marital counseling inventories in the country. For more information visit www.prepare-enrich.com.
My husband and I are currently building a house—no contractors; it’s really us building it. I also belong to a local Rotary Club and take weekly yoga classes to relax and find focus in my studies. I thoroughly enjoy ministry in this vibrant congregation. I look forward to discerning God’s call for our lives and responding with joy and purpose to Christ’s ministry in our midst
Blessings,
Pastor Holly
Rev. MillerShank’s drop-in office hours are Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesday 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
