Darfur

I have been reading about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan for months, but very seldom have seen or heard much about it in popular news sources. So it was with a sense of relief when I saw George and Nick Clooney using the power of their name recognition to capture the attention of the press. After a recent trip to this overlooked part of the world, they have made a short documentary about what they learned of the conditions and conflict within it and are making the rounds of news and talk shows. At the heart of the conflict is the escalating violence in the western region of Sudan against ethnic Africans who have been targeted for elimination by Arab Janijaweed militias in collaboration with Sudan’s central government in Khartoum. An estimated 200,000 to 400,000 have died and forced migrations have displaced about 2.5 million.

I referenced Darfur in my February 25th blog after reading Elie Wiesel’s book, Night. In this blog I noted that he concluded his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize by saying, “Our lives no longer belong to us alone, they belong to all those who need us desperately.” The people of Darfur need us desparately.

A Week in Review

Monday – Our staff was saddened to learn that Sara Dee’s father died after a long period of illness. We searched for ways to be supportive of her and her family during this time. Appropriate responses to grief are always difficult to make. May God’s abiding presence be known to them this week and in the weeks to come.

Tuesday – I am glad to know that some of our folks are using The Da Vinci Code and other popular books etc. as a springboard for study about early church history. This Sunday our short-term study group will begin exploring this topic during the Sunday school hour. Many church members do not have much understanding of the period from Paul to the Reformation as it relates to the church. I think a study of such can be both informing and affirming as it relates to our faith.

Wednesday - Eddie’s Garden at the Child Development Ministry serves not only as a wonderful space for children, but also as a loving reminder of a man that joyfully served his church and his Lord. Always willing to lend a hand, Eddie especially wanted the CDM to have the very best. He knew how important this ministry was to children. I trust that Eddie knows he will always have a special place in our hearts and the lives of our children. I am so glad that the rain abated and we were able to dedicate this garden on Wednesday.

Thursday – The SC Board of Ministry met to finalize matters before Annual Conference. One of our concerns is that our candidates maintain a healthy lifestyle so as to be able to do effective ministry. Generous servings of Southern cooking and lack of exercise have led some of our folks into a state of obesity and poor health. We now ask them to address this before being commissioned and ordained. This can be a very difficult discussion for all concerned. What a joy it was to meet with a candidate that has accepted our words about the importance of losing weight and is doing all the right things to make it happen.

Friday – I met with my covenant group (UM ministers who study and share together in a small group) in Florence. We continued our discussion about the church of the 21st century and learning about the different approaches for shaping the life our congregations. The most effective churches seem to be where there is a careful, ongoing process of discernment by the congregation of its strengths and weaknesses in relation to who they are and need to be. This becomes the basis for congregational planning. There are a number of good models for this kind of assessment. I would love to see us use such a model and develop a good overall plan for First UMC. Although well meaning, we need to be careful of not following the loudest voice or a personal agenda. Together, we need to create a working strategy for the 21st century that involves both ministries and facilities.

Saturday – What another beautiful day! Thank you, God, for your creation. I need to use the gift of today to work on a sermon for May 8. Let this be a labor that bears fruit.

4-H

One of the more formative experiences in my life came through my participation in 4-H. It was a rite of passage in my home community to join a 4-H club at age 10. With the leadership of adult volunteers (primarily some of our mothers) we learned about sewing, cooking and other homemaking skills. In addition, the organizational structure taught us about leadership. We had officers and responsibilities in our local clubs. As teenagers we assisted with younger members, served as camp counselors and assumed major roles at the county fair. Because of my 4-H experience I was a home economics major at Ohio State University. I planned to be an extension agent and work with 4-H clubs. Instead of rural Ohio and Extension Service, I found myself in inner-city Dayton after graduation teaching welfare mothers homemaking skills. That's another part of my story.

To this day the 4-H pledge and motto come to mind and give direction to who I am.

PLEDGE I pledge my HEAD to clearer thinking
my HEART to greater loyalty
my HANDS to larger service
and my HEALTH to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world.

MOTTO
To make the best BETTER.

The Irises Are Blooming

I look forward to Eva's visit each year about this time. That is, I know all is well in my yard when the irises bloom. Eva was my grandmother and she loved her flowers. Most of them started as cuttings, seeds or bulbs from family and friends. In turn, she enjoyed passing these special plants to others. So, when we moved into our first home in Dayton, she gave me some of her irises. Each of our moves has included digging a few of the irises and taking them with us. These irises have become a metaphor for our moves...leaving a bit of ourselves, taking the remainder and establishing ourselves in a new location.

Ethan

Our youngest grandson, Ethan, has RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and is in Children’s Hospital at Palmetto Richland in Columbia. Of course, we have had to check out the situation for ourselves. A five-week old baby attached to things is not a pleasant sight and this grandmother just wanted to hold him. Worried and tired parents needed to know that they are good parents and things like this just happen. In fact, I wanted to hold them, also. The good news is that Ethan is doing better and should go home in another day or so. Their three year old son, William(with an ear infection), is with his other grandparents. The past few weeks have been very hectic for Dan and Shannon and they are so anxious to establish some sense of normalcy with their family. How do I help this precious family during this time and not be the meddlesome mother/mother-in-law? I certainly can hold them close in prayer.

Sabbath Reflection

After being married, our first home was in Dayton, Ohio, the home of the Wright Brothers. However, Orville and Wilbur were before my time. The story I like to tell is that Erma Bombeck, Phil Donahue and I all started out in Dayton at the same time, the late 60’s. Erma wrote a weekly column in a suburban newspaper. The Dayton Daily News and national syndication came later. Phil was a radio personality and just beginning his talk show on a local TV channel. Of course, he also moved on to bigger and better things. Although my name is not recognized by the general public or my bank account has never looked like theirs, my life since Dayton has been interesting and rewarding, also. There certainly is a sense of richness when I reflect upon the fabric of the life that I am weaving and for this I give thanks. And, I trust that as Erma wrote in her last column:

“My deeds will be measured not by my youthful appearance, but by the concern
lines on my forehead. The laugh lines around my mouth and the chins from
seeing what can be done for those smaller than me or who have
fallen.”

Sabbath Time

I am enjoying a role reversal situation. We are at Lake Junaluska and Ron is attending a conference, Caring for God’s Creation. My plan was to enjoy walking around the lake and reading on the Lambuth Inn porch while he attended the sessions. Rainy weather has forced me indoors. However, comfortable reading areas with plenty of coffee available will make this day special. Wireless internet connection will allow me to do some blogging and e-mailing. The phone is on silent. In this quiet, peaceful environment, I truly sense Sabbath.

Easter Postscript

With the joy of the Easter morning worship still ringing in our ears and heart, Ron and I began our trip to visit family in Ohio on Sunday afternoon. The blooming azaleas, redbud and dogwood trees along the highways continued the uplifting spirit of the day. What a glorious sight! This drive also became a reflective time of past Easters…. joyful celebrations as a child, dramatic sunrise services as a youth and inspiring worship experiences as an adult. This became a journey of remembering of the one whose love and life is stronger than death. With each twist and turn through the mountains, I felt the dark shadows that have hovering around me being replaced by light. I sensed a new part of my life unfolding and I knew that Christ would be walking with me.

The great cycle that lies at the center of the Easter story is the journey from death to life. It happens in nature and it happens in our own lives over and over again. When the stone has been rolled away for us, revealing the transformation that occurs when light replaces the darkness, then we are called to seize that hope and to offer it back to one another and to our world. Sometimes we need to spend time sharing this message of hope with family. I trust that I have.

Five Years Ago

Today is the anniversary of one of the milestones on Ron’s and my journey together. Five years ago on this date we moved to Myrtle Beach. It was Easter and following the last worship service at Shandon UMC in Columbia, we drove to our new home. (Our furniture had arrived two weeks earlier.) Prior to this move, Ron’s career had dictated where we lived. Now I was the one who had said that I thought we needed to make this change in our lives. As one might imagine, those first weeks were ones of wondering if I had done the right thing. However, as life has unfolded for us, the hand of God has seemed evident in some very real ways. So, I celebrate this day with prayers of thanksgiving for what has been. I also ask God to give guidance to my days ahead.

Maundy Thursday

Remembering a night of sorrow, we sense the Holy as we worship on this saddest day of the church year. Following the Last Supper, the agony of the garden and the truncated court proceedings send most of Jesus friends away. They forget that they were chosen to follow him and Peter denies him. They are facing the end of hope. Their lives will be forever changed. Yet, later they will remember that he loved them and he went willingly to the cross because of this love. They will share this remembrance with others. Because they remembered, tonight we share in the Lord’s Supper. We remember the meaning of the words and acts of our Lord. However, we will leave in darkness as the service ends. The light gone. This is a darkness not without hope. It is a darkness that invites solitude, prayer and repentance. We go into the night preparing to walk to the cross.

College Student Voters

The Christian Science Monitor reports today that the majority of college students view key political issues through a moral lens. This is according to a poll released by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. Collectively, 9/11 terror attacks have shaped their political worldview. In addition to the traditional issues of abortion, gay marriage, and stem-cell research, their issues include the federal government’s response to Katrina, education policy and the Iraq war.

Although college students identify less with specific denominations than previous generations, they have a high interest in spirituality. They are more involved in community service and are voting more than their immediate predecessors. Political strategists are identifying these students as a swing group in the 2008 election.

Is this kind of commitment to justice issues welcomed within congregations? These matters are the kind Jesus addressed, but we seem to feel uncomfortable discussing them as they might be divisive within our churches. It would appear that we need to make sure there is a place for those who find healthcare, sustainable environment and other moral issues important to their understanding of faith. We need them to remind us how we are to live in God’s world.

The Judas Gospel

The Judas Gospel is our latest invitation to explore early church history and its implications for Christianity then and today. On Sunday, April 9 - 8 pm, the National Geographic channel will air the story of these lost (and found) writings. Of course, there are those who consider it heretical to even contemplate their meaning. Others are disturbed when they learn about how the Bible came to be. I find the story of the canonization of scriptures and the omission of other writings both intriguing and affirming to our understanding of the Bible. I appreciated what Elaine Pagels wrote today for The New York Times about the Judas Gospel. This noted biblical scholar was a consultant on the project. I look forward to viewing this production and learning about these writings.

Church Turn-Offs

Dabney, our new program assistant, is helping me to bring order out of chaos in my office. This means going through lots of files. What treasures I have found! Here is one of these recovered gems:

TOP TEN WAYS TO TURN YOUR KIDS OFF TO CHURCH

1. Schedule personal or family events to conflict with church services and activities.
2. Don’t get too close to anyone in the church. Refrain from developing relationships with Christians lest your child learn about the joy and benefits of fellowship.
3. Look often at your watch during worship services and complain bitterly, look annoyed, or freak out when church lasts longer than you think it should.
4. Do the best you can to make sure your child arrives on time for soccer, lessons and school events, but don’t worry if he or she skips or is late to church or Sunday School.
5. Bring your family to church only when (a) you have nothing better to do; (b) you have a personal need; or (c) you feel really guilty.
6. Don’t volunteer for anything or make any kind of long-term commitment at church. Remember, you’ve got to keep your options open to do things that are more important.
7. Remind your child how imperfect your church leaders are and regularly point out their mistakes. Make sure he/she understands that you know more about leading the church than its current leadership.
8. Tithe and financially support your local church and its missions with the same enthusiasm as when you pay your taxes.
9. Change churches every few years.
10. And whatever you do, don’t let church influence the way you live your life.

Author Unknown

Women Clergy

This year the United Methodist Church celebrates the 50th anniversary of women being ordained. In doing so we give thanks for the rich legacy these women in ministry have given us. I am placing Courageous Spirit - Voices from Women in Ministry, a new book published in recognition of this anniversary, in our library. This collection of personal reflection and worship resources shares the joy and the pain of the spiritual journey of clergywomen. A variety of voices tell this story. These words are for all women as we seek to live in the fullness of God's will. I trust that men will blessed by these witnesses to the faith.

Words of Hope

The last few days have been difficult for us as a church family as we prepare for the funeral of a young man. I have searched for words of comfort for those who knew him and for me. This is one of those times we just don't understand, but we do know that we can pour out our sadness and sorrow to God. Words of assurance are thoughtfully spoken by some persons, but today I find solace in these words of scripture:

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. " (Romans 8:38-39)

Snowbirds

Although the migration north began several weeks ago, today is the official end of the snowbird season. Thanks to the efforts of Big Tom, Bill K. and others, snowbirds are warmly welcomed at First UMC each winter. Our snowbirds come from a variety of places with varied stories and make a wonderful addition to our congregation. They faithfully worship with us on Sunday and Monday, play golf on Tuesday and enjoy Thursday’s program and lunch with our Snowbird and Seagull ministry, eat and study with us Wednesday night, knit prayer shawls and can be counted on to support our special worship services and programs. They give of their time and talents while here. All of this helps strengthen who we are and we sense a loss in their leaving.

It is always sad to say goodbye for some snowbirds are aware that they probably won’t be able to be with us next year. Many tell us that they find an ingredient here that they miss in their home church. As the face of Myrtle Beach changes and we loose the motels that have welcomed our friends, I hope that the snowbirds will still join us in future winters.