(Written for the December 2014 Wayland UMC ARK newsletter)
Good morning and God bless you. Do you know the web site Dictionary.com chooses an annual word of the year? The 2014 Word of the Year is exposure (http://blog.dictionary.com/exposure/).
In their article they highlight these aspects of the definition: being exposed to danger or harm; bringing to public attention; bringing to light, unmasking, revealing crime, misconduct or evil; disclosing something private or secret.
In the news coverage of the grand jury decision not to indict police officer, Darren Wilson, who shot and killed 18-year old Michael Brown, Jr. in Ferguson, Missouri in August, we witnessed again the exposure of pain, powerlessness, injustice, violence and resilience. So many dimensions of life are so broken that to think they can be healed is almost an act of foolishness. Where do we start? What will finally bring relief, justice and peace?
As people of faith, we now enter the Advent and Christmas seasons. November 30 is the first Sunday of Advent and first Sunday of the new church year. The work of Advent is preparation, and the celebration of Christmas is that God is willing to be here as a child; exposed to the danger, wonder, hope, and fear of being human.
God shares our condition in Jesus as a powerful act of hope. Advent worship will celebrate God in the People, the World, the Lowly, the House, the Light and the Child.
We believe that this exposure is truly a revelation of God’s promise to be with us in unfailing love and faithfulness. It is almost an act of foolishness to think we can be healed, except for the Good News that God does not give up on us. We are given the power to keep exposing “evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves” (Baptismal Covenant I) as we are exposed to God’s grace and peace in Jesus.
At Christmas God is willing to be here as a child; exposed to the danger, wonder, hope, and fear of being human.
Monday, October 05, 2015
Which Side is the Cross On?
Good morning and God bless you. In our Church’s Historic Examination for Admission into Full Connection for pastors, this is Question 14: “Will you diligently instruct the children in every place?" (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012, Paragraph 336).
I married a gifted teacher of children. Beverly’s ministry with children is engaging, creative, fun, and based on trusting the faith of children to learn. I, on the other hand, am nervous about each Children's Message in worship. I don't feel creative. I think I am too abstract most of the time. So, I am thrilled when an image or object comes to mind. And then there is the graceful experience of the teacher learning in the moment…
The 9/21/14 worship theme was Peace as the Fruit of the Spirit, part of our September-October worship series. For the Children's Message I got the folding changing pad from the Nursery and used it as a dividing wall between the children in the center in front of the altar table. I told them to look only on their side of the church as if it was the whole church; and not to look at the other side because they did not belong. I asked them if that was really a good way to think about the Church. Then I looked up from the altar table with its gold cross to the large wooden cross on the front wall, and in that moment (not before, mind you), I asked, which side is the cross on?
We had divided up quite evenly down the center aisle, but the cross disrupted that view. It was on neither side. Or was it on all sides? In that moment, telling the children that Jesus breaks down the dividing wall between us and unites us took on a much deeper meaning. We could literally see that the Cross was on the side of the whole world.
In the sermon we considered the walls of the church building, especially the sanctuary. Are they walls behind which we hide and learn to hate by more precisely defining our enemies? In Christ, God reminds us that dividing walls of hostility are not load-bearing walls in the household of God.
Faith is not supported by investing in separation. Rather, we gather within the sanctuary walls to build trust in God who in Christ is reconciling the world to God-self and breaking down walls. With a global awareness of peace (God reconciling the world) we have local opportunities to practice it. On this spiritual journey, God is always creating more room to live together.
I married a gifted teacher of children. Beverly’s ministry with children is engaging, creative, fun, and based on trusting the faith of children to learn. I, on the other hand, am nervous about each Children's Message in worship. I don't feel creative. I think I am too abstract most of the time. So, I am thrilled when an image or object comes to mind. And then there is the graceful experience of the teacher learning in the moment…
The 9/21/14 worship theme was Peace as the Fruit of the Spirit, part of our September-October worship series. For the Children's Message I got the folding changing pad from the Nursery and used it as a dividing wall between the children in the center in front of the altar table. I told them to look only on their side of the church as if it was the whole church; and not to look at the other side because they did not belong. I asked them if that was really a good way to think about the Church. Then I looked up from the altar table with its gold cross to the large wooden cross on the front wall, and in that moment (not before, mind you), I asked, which side is the cross on?
We had divided up quite evenly down the center aisle, but the cross disrupted that view. It was on neither side. Or was it on all sides? In that moment, telling the children that Jesus breaks down the dividing wall between us and unites us took on a much deeper meaning. We could literally see that the Cross was on the side of the whole world.
In the sermon we considered the walls of the church building, especially the sanctuary. Are they walls behind which we hide and learn to hate by more precisely defining our enemies? In Christ, God reminds us that dividing walls of hostility are not load-bearing walls in the household of God.
Faith is not supported by investing in separation. Rather, we gather within the sanctuary walls to build trust in God who in Christ is reconciling the world to God-self and breaking down walls. With a global awareness of peace (God reconciling the world) we have local opportunities to practice it. On this spiritual journey, God is always creating more room to live together.
How Do Things Grow and Change Here?
(Written for the September 2014 Wayland UMC ARK newsletter)
Good morning and God bless you. I don’t remember if I asked all these questions in the introductory meeting Beverly and I had with the Pastor Parish Relations Committee in March, but they were part of my preparation:
One approach to these questions about growth and change is through the Biblical themes of fruit and fruitfulness. “We believe the Bible begins and ends with an image of fruitfulness and that Scripture throughout leads us to conclude that churches as the body of Christ on earth, are intended by God to be fruitful” (Weems and Berlin, Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results, 1).
Another insightful author encourages us to be patient and keep moving in fruitful directions.
"The skill that seems most essential for such leaps is a certain feel for ripeness. It is having the patience to abide the growing season and develop a subtle sense of touch and the understanding that whatever the outcome of risk, of letting go of the tree, the point is always the moving on of life” (Gregg Levoy, Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life, 252).
Together let’s seek the Spirit’s fruit for our ministry to serve as a beacon for Christ in our community. Together let’s notice what is ripe and ready to be received and used in God’s service.
Good morning and God bless you. I don’t remember if I asked all these questions in the introductory meeting Beverly and I had with the Pastor Parish Relations Committee in March, but they were part of my preparation:
- What is ready to happen here?
- What are you on the verge of, that with encouragement and blessing you can enter into?
- How do things grow and change here?
One approach to these questions about growth and change is through the Biblical themes of fruit and fruitfulness. “We believe the Bible begins and ends with an image of fruitfulness and that Scripture throughout leads us to conclude that churches as the body of Christ on earth, are intended by God to be fruitful” (Weems and Berlin, Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results, 1).
Another insightful author encourages us to be patient and keep moving in fruitful directions.
"The skill that seems most essential for such leaps is a certain feel for ripeness. It is having the patience to abide the growing season and develop a subtle sense of touch and the understanding that whatever the outcome of risk, of letting go of the tree, the point is always the moving on of life” (Gregg Levoy, Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life, 252).
Together let’s seek the Spirit’s fruit for our ministry to serve as a beacon for Christ in our community. Together let’s notice what is ripe and ready to be received and used in God’s service.
Wisdom, Wonder and a Year of Learning
(Written for the September-October 2015 Wayland UMC ARK newsletter)
Praise the source of faith and learning that has sparked and stoked the mind
With a passion for discerning how the world has been designed.
Let the sense of wonder flowing from the wonders we survey
Keep our faith forever growing and renew our need to pray.
(The Faith We Sing #2004)
“Wisdom begins in wonder” (Socrates)
Good morning and God bless you. With this edition we enter the new school and ministry year. Children’s Sunday School will take a new shape this fall beginning September 27 after worship with an intergenerational learning format. Stay tuned for more details. Adult Sunday School continues after worship each week. Boy Scout Troop 97 (Monday 7-8:30 pm) and Scout Venturing Crew 2097 (Sunday 6-8 pm) resume their weekly meetings here at Church. We are working on possibilities for middle high ministry as well.
I am the son and brother of educators. Beverly and I are also first-time grandparents. Braxton Kai Sherd was born August 18th to our daughter, Lindsey, and son-in-law, Callan, in Lincoln, Nebraska. I look forward to all we will learn with him. Education is a strong and clear generational value for us, and I am so thankful. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ involves a life of love and learning. This affirmation is found in many places.
• Moses told the people of Israel before they entered the Promised Land: “These are all the commands, laws, and regulations that the LORD your God told me to teach you so you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and so you and your children and grandchildren might fear the LORD your God as long as you live” (Deuteronomy 6:1-2).
• After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you…That is the path of blessing (John 13:12-17). I like the way one of our teachers concludes her email messages, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand ~ Confucius”.
We thank God for the students, educators, staff, administrators and Board members in our schools and on our campuses. Our West Michigan Conference supports five campus ministries (Central Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley, Michigan State and Western) and two United Methodist-related colleges (Adrian and Albion). The Church takes education seriously and I am so thankful.
So, what do you want to learn this year about God? The Bible? Faith? Discipleship? I look forward to our conversations and what we will learn together.
The Years Past and Ahead
(Written for the July-August 2015 Wayland UMC ARK newsletter)
Happy One-Year Anniversary, Wayland UMC! We entered our shared ministry last July. Thank you for welcoming us in many ways and supporting our transition into ministry here. We have lived through one cycle of the Church year and our outstanding Harvest Dinner.
Worship music has been offered by Mitchell Lapham, Mickala Kohtz, Maggie Anderson, Roxie Muczyinski, and our handbell choir, and we have welcomed Somi Yoon and Andria Savara as our regular and substitute pianists. In funeral and memorial services we have celebrated the lives of Effie Greenawalt, David Wood, Edith Clack, Tom Andrews, and Janet Haight.
And how about our motivated Mission Team! Their trip to Red Bird Mission and Henderson Settlement in late April/early May will be followed by a second trip later this year because their dedication and creativity are overflowing.
I have come to see the tradition of Scouting in our congregation. There have been Wayland city celebrations to introduce us to the spirit of our community. And I have experienced challenge and blessing in serving as Chairperson of our West Michigan Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
In personal ways, this past year has included the death of my dad in January, Beverly's new job in May, and the news that we are expecting our first grandchild in August.
So much fills a year! I find blessing in reflection and am grateful for the many dedicated leaders in our congregation.
Together we continue seeking to reach our 2015 Congregational Goals:
Happy One-Year Anniversary, Wayland UMC! We entered our shared ministry last July. Thank you for welcoming us in many ways and supporting our transition into ministry here. We have lived through one cycle of the Church year and our outstanding Harvest Dinner.
Worship music has been offered by Mitchell Lapham, Mickala Kohtz, Maggie Anderson, Roxie Muczyinski, and our handbell choir, and we have welcomed Somi Yoon and Andria Savara as our regular and substitute pianists. In funeral and memorial services we have celebrated the lives of Effie Greenawalt, David Wood, Edith Clack, Tom Andrews, and Janet Haight.
And how about our motivated Mission Team! Their trip to Red Bird Mission and Henderson Settlement in late April/early May will be followed by a second trip later this year because their dedication and creativity are overflowing.
I have come to see the tradition of Scouting in our congregation. There have been Wayland city celebrations to introduce us to the spirit of our community. And I have experienced challenge and blessing in serving as Chairperson of our West Michigan Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
In personal ways, this past year has included the death of my dad in January, Beverly's new job in May, and the news that we are expecting our first grandchild in August.
So much fills a year! I find blessing in reflection and am grateful for the many dedicated leaders in our congregation.
Together we continue seeking to reach our 2015 Congregational Goals:
- Worship: Grow to average 100 people in worship.
- Leadership: Increase our church leaders by 10%.
- Discipleship: Have at least 40% of our worshipping congregation involved in small groups for spiritual development.
Finding and maintaining focus on the mission of the Church is an ongoing challenge given the many troubles and distractions that fill our lives. I appreciate our times of worship to be recalled to the Center of our life, Jesus Christ, and sent forth to extend Christ's outreaching love in the world.
As we enter our second year, I want to deepen my understanding of the character of our congregation and how we can best move forward in ministry.
In their book, Grace for the Journey: Practices and Possibilities for In-Between Times, George and Beverly Thompson offer these questions for reflecting on congregational life:
As we enter our second year, I want to deepen my understanding of the character of our congregation and how we can best move forward in ministry.
In their book, Grace for the Journey: Practices and Possibilities for In-Between Times, George and Beverly Thompson offer these questions for reflecting on congregational life:
- Remembering your entire experience at this church, when were you most alive, most motivated, and most excited about your involvement? What made it exciting? Who else was involved? What happened? What was your part? Describe how you felt.
- What do you value most about our church? What are its best features?
- What three wishes do you have for the future of our church?
We’ve All But Forgotten How to Do This
(Written for May-June 2015 Wayland UMC ARK newsletter)
When the great Rabbi Israel Shem Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple had occasion, for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say: “Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer,” and again the miracle would be accomplished. Still later, another Rabbi, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say, “I do not know how to light the fire. I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient.” It was sufficient and the miracle was accomplished. Then it fell to the latest Rabbi to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: “I am unable to light the fire, and I do not know the prayer, and I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient.” And it was sufficient. God made man (sic) because he loves stories (Storytelling: Imagination and Faith, William J. Bausch, 15-16).
We try so hard to be faithful in our lives. We want to follow the practices that we inherit in our faith traditions. But over time and in successive generations, things change. We forget details or have different memories of how things used to be. There can be a sense of resignation in the losses that accumulate through the years. We can grieve those losses by giving up on current attempts to participate in our life with God. Or like each more recent Rabbi in the story, we can offer what we know and do not know up to God, and ask that it be accepted and transformed.
These accumulated losses are felt on a community and nation-wide scale. I write this as the riots in Baltimore, MD are destroying their city following another grievous death of an African American man in police custody. We grieve for the people overwhelmed by violence and poverty, and the law enforcement community dedicated to, and so challenged by the call to serve and protect.
We are experiencing a convergence of grief and change in our congregation, and in our individual lives. The change is not bad. We are pursuing healthy growth goals, and expanding our leadership teams and their resources. We have been envirogated by the adult handbell choir during Lent (and possibly in coming months). Our Red Bird Mission/Henderson Settlement Team is on location in Kentucky as most of you receive this newsletter. And we grieve the losses of dedicated yet departed servants and friends.
So, this is our time to call out to God for help. We can lift up our hearts, tell our stories and ask that God use us in the divine plans for peace, healing and justice, even if we have all but forgotten how to do so.
When the great Rabbi Israel Shem Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple had occasion, for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say: “Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer,” and again the miracle would be accomplished. Still later, another Rabbi, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say, “I do not know how to light the fire. I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient.” It was sufficient and the miracle was accomplished. Then it fell to the latest Rabbi to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: “I am unable to light the fire, and I do not know the prayer, and I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient.” And it was sufficient. God made man (sic) because he loves stories (Storytelling: Imagination and Faith, William J. Bausch, 15-16).
We try so hard to be faithful in our lives. We want to follow the practices that we inherit in our faith traditions. But over time and in successive generations, things change. We forget details or have different memories of how things used to be. There can be a sense of resignation in the losses that accumulate through the years. We can grieve those losses by giving up on current attempts to participate in our life with God. Or like each more recent Rabbi in the story, we can offer what we know and do not know up to God, and ask that it be accepted and transformed.
These accumulated losses are felt on a community and nation-wide scale. I write this as the riots in Baltimore, MD are destroying their city following another grievous death of an African American man in police custody. We grieve for the people overwhelmed by violence and poverty, and the law enforcement community dedicated to, and so challenged by the call to serve and protect.
We are experiencing a convergence of grief and change in our congregation, and in our individual lives. The change is not bad. We are pursuing healthy growth goals, and expanding our leadership teams and their resources. We have been envirogated by the adult handbell choir during Lent (and possibly in coming months). Our Red Bird Mission/Henderson Settlement Team is on location in Kentucky as most of you receive this newsletter. And we grieve the losses of dedicated yet departed servants and friends.
So, this is our time to call out to God for help. We can lift up our hearts, tell our stories and ask that God use us in the divine plans for peace, healing and justice, even if we have all but forgotten how to do so.
The Grammar of Lent and Easter
March and April are the months that include Lent and Easter, two of the most spiritually powerful times in the life of the Church. I appreciate the seasons of the Church year and how they are organized around the life of Jesus.
In Lent, we intentionally encounter our human condition, need for grace and desire for a change in our elevation; a desire to see our lives in the context of God’s love, and Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Easter brings us the amazing news that God’s love was lost and found in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that we are given new life on earth right now through faith in Jesus Christ! The life we are given is faithfully demonstrated for us in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In a story attributed to, or used by, Herb Miller, a noted authority in congregational health and effectiveness, the news of a Revolutionary War battle was being communicated by smoke signals. The first signals that appeared in the sky were WASHINGTON DEFEATED. Then cloud cover ensued, effectively stopping or interrupting the communication. Those who saw it were discouraged. Washington was the passive subject and his army was defeated. However, a little later in the day with clearer skies, another message appeared, WASHINGTON DEFEATED THE ENEMY.
The full message was completely different than the initial message! Washington was not the defeated passive subject, he was the active subject and his army prevailed. Looking at Lent and Easter this way, we can appreciate the power of reversal and reconciliation and renewal that comes to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can examine the ways we are defeated in this earthly life by sin and death, and feel the pain of separation from God. That partial message seems to be the whole message and it is easy to feel discouraged.
The Good News of Easter is that the partial message is not like the whole message. Jesus suffered the separation and forsakeness of God on the cross. The message there was JESUS DEFEATED, a passive victim. But God’s saving power embraces even death, and the Easter message is
JESUS DEFEATED THE ENEMY.
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15: 54b-55)
Thanks be to God for making Jesus Christ the active subject of our life and ministry together.
In Lent, we intentionally encounter our human condition, need for grace and desire for a change in our elevation; a desire to see our lives in the context of God’s love, and Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. Easter brings us the amazing news that God’s love was lost and found in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that we are given new life on earth right now through faith in Jesus Christ! The life we are given is faithfully demonstrated for us in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In a story attributed to, or used by, Herb Miller, a noted authority in congregational health and effectiveness, the news of a Revolutionary War battle was being communicated by smoke signals. The first signals that appeared in the sky were WASHINGTON DEFEATED. Then cloud cover ensued, effectively stopping or interrupting the communication. Those who saw it were discouraged. Washington was the passive subject and his army was defeated. However, a little later in the day with clearer skies, another message appeared, WASHINGTON DEFEATED THE ENEMY.
The full message was completely different than the initial message! Washington was not the defeated passive subject, he was the active subject and his army prevailed. Looking at Lent and Easter this way, we can appreciate the power of reversal and reconciliation and renewal that comes to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can examine the ways we are defeated in this earthly life by sin and death, and feel the pain of separation from God. That partial message seems to be the whole message and it is easy to feel discouraged.
The Good News of Easter is that the partial message is not like the whole message. Jesus suffered the separation and forsakeness of God on the cross. The message there was JESUS DEFEATED, a passive victim. But God’s saving power embraces even death, and the Easter message is
JESUS DEFEATED THE ENEMY.
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15: 54b-55)
Thanks be to God for making Jesus Christ the active subject of our life and ministry together.
Goals to Start the Year
(Written for the January 2015 Wayland UMC ARK Newsletter)
Good morning and God bless you. We enter 2015 with hope and expectation following strong worship services in December, including our Children’s Christmas presentation and hand bell choir on 12/14, Blue Christmas on 12/14, Christmas Eve with a congregation of more than 150 people, and the reception of six new members on December 28th! I am grateful for the ways God is calling us to life here.
While 2015 presents opportunities to make individual resolutions, as a congregation we are resolving to grow in faith toward the three goals we adopted at our annual Church Conference on 11/23/14. Our District Superintendent complimented us on how specific and measurable our goals are. This of course helps focus our efforts and release creativity to love God, our neighbors and ourselves in the coming year. These goals will be prominently displayed on our printed materials, meeting agendas, web site, Facebook page, and other communication sources.
Congregational Goals for 2015
Our objective is to create a balance among our inward focus and outward focus.
- Worship participation: Grow average church attendance with regular attendees to a goal of 100 in worship and sustain the goal.
- Spiritual Growth: Increase the number of leaders and committee/team members by 10%.
- Discipleship: Grow our education department and learning opportunities to have 40% of attendees involved in something outside of Sunday worship.
These goals wonderfully reflect the identity and purpose of the Church as it expressed in the introduction to one of the Baptism services in our United Methodist Hymnal:
The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time, for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.
I invite you to share in our common response of resolving to make a difference in 2015 as Wayland United Methodist Church.
The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time, for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.
I invite you to share in our common response of resolving to make a difference in 2015 as Wayland United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Grateful for My Dad's Life of Learning
Good morning and God bless you. And thank you for your many expressions of compassion and support for our family in the death of my dad, Charles Williams, on January 9th. He died in his sleep. While his death was not unexpected, he had been living with congestive heart failure since 2012, you are never ready for the phone call from your mom telling you that your dad has died.
Having been with families as their pastor in preparing for a funeral, I now know first hand the disorienting experience of making many plans in a few days; bursting into tears and almost bursting into tears; having great composure; being very silent and laughing loudly; being fixated on small details; and, well, just grieving. I felt the comfort of being ministered to by Rev. Kim Bloom and the Clay United Methodist Church, mom and dad’s home church in South Bend.
In the days since his death and funeral I have noticed that I find myself in times and spaces of emptiness, not agitated or accompanied by a flood of tears, but more like a wave that has crested and exhausted itself on the shore. But in those concentrated days of preparing for a funeral and meal, and being consoled by people with big hearts and fond memories of my dad, there also was and is a profound sense of gratitude.
I am moved by the memory of my dad’s life of learning and commitment to education. He contributed greatly to the advancement and relevance of public education. I treasure our family pictures at graduations. Dad was the first person in his family to get a college education, eventually earning his Doctorate in Education from Ball State University. My sister, Dr. Lori Tagger, has followed with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana State University. And our oldest daughter, Lindsey Sherd, is earning her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska. It’s no surprise that I hold a profound commitment and appreciation for learning and teaching in the life of faith. And I am thankful for the many ways the Bible expresses the values of wisdom and knowledge.
My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you,making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding;if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures—then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God…Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;for wisdom will come into your heart,and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;prudence will watch over you; and understanding will guard you (Proverbs 2:1-5, 9-11).
May your learning be accompanied with thanksgiving for the people in your life who seek wisdom and knowledge and understanding, especially if they happen to include your dad.
Monday, July 21, 2014
What Falls On and In Our Hearts
Anne Lamott recalls in her book, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith (73): There's a lovely Hasidic story of a rabbi who always told his people that if they studied the Torah, it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, "Why on our hearts, and not in them?" The rabbi answered, "Only God can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your hearts, and then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside."The potluck meal following worship on July 13 was wonderful. Thank you for your many delicious contributions. Shared meals are great occasions for fellowship. They are times to be fed spiritually and physically.
The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 was the sermon text for worship that day. There is power in gathering together in God's Word, especially as we get to know one another. The unity we share is in Christ and God's Word even though we are not yet well acquainted personally. Committed time in Scripture can prepare us for whatever may come our way in ministry. That's where Anne Lamott's Hasidic story affects me. Like the seeds scattered by the sower, most do not make it in good soil. They remain on the surface to be lost to birds, weeds or the sun. Likewise, our time in God's Word, whether in worship or personal devotions or small group Bible study, may not seem to bear fruit or result in a harvest. But then God uses some person or circumstance to break down or break through our spiritual soil, and we experience transforming power.
Are you aware of the primary entries on our Wayland UMC Facebook page? Kimberly Wolff, our Office Manager, makes almost daily entries of Scripture passages. I consider them seeds God uses to prepare us for growing opportunities.
Another dimension of the Parable of the Sower is Jesus' description of the harvest producing "a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" (13:8). Research in Palestinian farming in Jesus' time indicated a yield of seven times what was planted was a reasonable expectation. That yield allowed them to keep farming on the landowner's property but also kept them dependent on the landowner. Jesus' declaration of the amazing yields also had within it the subversive message that God's transforming power could set them free. It could allow them to dream of a new life for their families and communities. Let's not miss the potential of Jesus' message as we gather in God's Word for worship, study and prayer, and go forth with the Good News of God's love for us and the world.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Good Morning, Wayland UMC!
Good morning and God bless you, Wayland UMC. Our shared ministry begins in July and I offer some introductory reflections.
First of all, thank you for your welcoming contacts by Facebook and email, and for Lee's photography at Annual Conference that documents our transition. Keith's contacts with Beverly and me regarding the parsonage kept us up to date on their work and the decisions we could make. Time with Pastor Gary and Kimberly was informative and energizing. I look forward to good ministry together.
When it comes to a big picture of our life with God, the best thing I can say is GRACE in all the Wesleyan ways we understand it...God loving us before we know it, opening doors by preparing hearts and minds for new relationships; reconciling, forgiving and restoring us to right relationship through Jesus Christ; and giving us a future with hope as we go on toward perfection in love in this life.
Grace challenges, confounds and comforts me, and is the orienting power in my life and ministry.
Grace was extended to me in the hospitality of Three Oaks UMC, my home church. Grace was at work when I joined my life with Christ the end of my freshman year at River Valley High School.
The best people in my life are Beverly (my wife), daughter Lindsey and Callan (her husband), and daughters, Sarah and Amanda. Lindsey and Callan live in Nebraska. Sarah will be a senior at Western Michigan University and Amanda will be a sophomore at DePaul University in Chicago. So, Beverly and I unload boxes into an empty nest.
I know that we enter as guests in the Wayland UMC family and I will become your pastor in time. But for now, I praise God and thank you for being the Body of Christ. I change "country" to "church" in this concluding quote from Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of the Morning":
Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes,
And in to your brother's face,
Your (church),
And say simply
Very simply
With hope--
Good morning.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow
"Oh, only for so short a while you have loaned us to each other..."
(Praying Our Goodbyes, 69)
"The sure sign of God is that you will be led in ways you did not intend to go"
Local UMC road sign in Evanston, IL in the mid-1980's
"The sure sign of God is that you will be led in ways you did not intend to go"
Local UMC road sign in Evanston, IL in the mid-1980's
I am writing at the end of a five-week period that has included half of Lent, Holy Week and Easter; and the announcements that I will be leaving Hartford UMC to serve Wayland UMC on 7/1/14 and Pastor Rey Mondragon will become the new pastor here after serving as Associate Pastor for 6 years at First United Methodist Church of Ypsilanti.
Our time together has been short, only three years. This ending is bittersweet. We are an engaging, active, passionate, prayerful congregation committed to mission and service in Jesus' name.
I am encouraged in these endings and beginnings by the faith that we belong to God and God has been working in our lives well before we were aware of the possibility of these changes. I also hold the perspective that we are part of the already-in-progress history of God in the Church.
The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time, for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies (The Baptismal Covenant III)
In my Easter sermon I highlighted God as the source of our beginnings and endings, and referred to the Greek letters on the front of our worship table that reflect Revelation 22:13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
As pastor and congregation we are involved in discerning God’s will as an ongoing process and practice of faith. We annually reflect on, and explore the meaning of what we have learned in ministry together. I am asked to be specific about my gifts, graces, skills, limitations, sense of calling to ministry, and family situation.
In this process we cannot know how long an appointment will last. However, we can devote ourselves to God, each other and the mission of the church with the time we have together.
The heart of our church is mission.
We are known as the church who helps people in need and
we respond directly to the effects of poverty in people’s lives.
That’s being Hartford United Methodist Church.
The chronic strain and burdens our people bear in employment, finances, medical bills, aging, housing and homelessness, utilities and transportation have emerged as a primary focus of my time and attention. I did not anticipate the significance or impact of working in this environment. For me there is heartache at such great need and inspiration at the eventual resourcefulness of people. This level of involvement was not apparent as we started life and ministry together. That’s why I have consistently reflected the positive value of social workers in our ministry setting. I have a deeper appreciation for the power of grace in times of despair because of our shared ministry.
From Bishop Donald Ott I learned the value of honoring three covenants in life. He taught that he holds covenants with God, his marriage and family, and the Church. And he holds them in that order. He emphasized that getting those covenant relationships right and keeping them healthy took care of a lot of other complications.
In my discernment about present and future ministry I have been blessed in the ways I experience grace, compassion, peace and love with God. I affirm a long-term commitment to Beverly’s vocational work as a medical Social Worker in Grand Rapids and our support for two daughters in college. And I am deeply grateful for the creative ways I have been able to serve God through the Church. I still feel that serving as a pastor is the best way to respond to God’s grace in my life.
That calling led to an openness to other ministry opportunities and the invitation to serve the Wayland congregation.
In my discernment about present and future ministry I have been blessed in the ways I experience grace, compassion, peace and love with God. I affirm a long-term commitment to Beverly’s vocational work as a medical Social Worker in Grand Rapids and our support for two daughters in college. And I am deeply grateful for the creative ways I have been able to serve God through the Church. I still feel that serving as a pastor is the best way to respond to God’s grace in my life.
That calling led to an openness to other ministry opportunities and the invitation to serve the Wayland congregation.
I rejoice in the ways that we have loved God and our neighbors and each other in this season of ministry. Thank you for your faithfulness and friendship. Our life together in God and as disciples of Jesus Christ continues even as we part ways at the end of June. I thank God for the mature leaders in our congregation who will sustain and guide Pastor Rey as you have guided me to find strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Don't Underestimate Cleaning Your Garage
Following Jesus is hard work. It is a mysterious combination of being and doing; grace and responsibility; stillness and action; surrender and victory. The range of this life is included in the seasons of Lent, beginning Ash Wednesday, March 5; Holy Week, April 13-19, and Easter, April 20.
Following Jesus leads us into uncomfortable circumstances and relationships where we learn how God's grace sustains us. We learn how to hold on and let go of commitments and plans for the sake of knowing and loving God.
"One of the most effective ways to spark a dynamic vision is to clean your garage. Don't get me wrong. Writing a great strategic plan and creating a clean, well-ordered garage are very different activities. One requires a high-level focus and a willingness to see beyond the conditioning and details of current reality. The other requires an often brutal hand-to-hand combat with those details. Yet there is a strange and wondrous relationship between the two...when people want to get control of their work and life by 'setting priorities'...(m)y choice is always to go for cleaning up the garage of their work, their life, and their head. Then the priorities, the vision, and the plan emerge - grounded, with solid roots" (Ready for Anything, David Allen, 24-25).
The season of Lent is the opportunity to clean our spiritual garages; roll up our sleeves and pay attention to what needs to stay and what needs to leave in our hearts. Lent means attending to the hard work of faith but we don't always recognize it that way. "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work" (Thomas Edison in Ready for Anything, David Allen, 25).
Holy Week and Easter are the opportunities to hear and experience the solid grounding of our faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; to know and feel the love of God as the hardest work of overcoming evil, forgiving sins, and restoring right relationships.
I hope we are able to work hard to leave behind the burdens of the past and reach out for the possibilities of the future as we experience God's upward call in Christ Jesus. And I pray that in doing so we may find that our hard work depends entirely on the hardest work God does in Jesus Christ.
Following Jesus leads us into uncomfortable circumstances and relationships where we learn how God's grace sustains us. We learn how to hold on and let go of commitments and plans for the sake of knowing and loving God.
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense" (Ralph Waldo Emerson in Ready for Anything, David Allen, 24)
It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I've reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14; Common English Bible)I continue to be intrigued and inspired by the work of David Allen and the Getting Things Done system. He has brought together the ways our brain works and provided practices for releasing the life-energy within us.
"One of the most effective ways to spark a dynamic vision is to clean your garage. Don't get me wrong. Writing a great strategic plan and creating a clean, well-ordered garage are very different activities. One requires a high-level focus and a willingness to see beyond the conditioning and details of current reality. The other requires an often brutal hand-to-hand combat with those details. Yet there is a strange and wondrous relationship between the two...when people want to get control of their work and life by 'setting priorities'...(m)y choice is always to go for cleaning up the garage of their work, their life, and their head. Then the priorities, the vision, and the plan emerge - grounded, with solid roots" (Ready for Anything, David Allen, 24-25).
The season of Lent is the opportunity to clean our spiritual garages; roll up our sleeves and pay attention to what needs to stay and what needs to leave in our hearts. Lent means attending to the hard work of faith but we don't always recognize it that way. "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work" (Thomas Edison in Ready for Anything, David Allen, 25).
Holy Week and Easter are the opportunities to hear and experience the solid grounding of our faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; to know and feel the love of God as the hardest work of overcoming evil, forgiving sins, and restoring right relationships.
I hope we are able to work hard to leave behind the burdens of the past and reach out for the possibilities of the future as we experience God's upward call in Christ Jesus. And I pray that in doing so we may find that our hard work depends entirely on the hardest work God does in Jesus Christ.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A Power Surge on the Road by the Sea
Church was canceled today due to the severe weather. Here is the download link for the sermon I did not preach and the bulletin we did not use.
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