Middle East War

Like others, I have been attentively watching, hearing and reading the media coverage of the latest war in the Middle East. Remnants of past military encounters litter the scene as new bombs explode destroying the fragile peace that has existed in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel recently. I wonder isn't there a better way to combat terriorism? The violence of Hezbollah and Hamas is to be condemned. Although I affirm Israel’s existence and right to live in peace, I do wonder if the excessive retaliation of Israel that has followed has been necessary. I think it means I don’t really comprehend the complexity of the situation. I do believe that I have to keep trying to understand and remember that there are many Arab Christians in this region, also. Many of them are now in need of humanitarian aid as their homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. Are we not called to hear their voices also as we seek a cease-fire and a solution to this conflict? May our prayers be for courageous and moral leadership as the world community demands peace and justice.

A Busy Week

We have been busy saying goodbye to Rebecca, our Duke intern. She will leave us after worship on Sunday. In ten short weeks she has become one of us and we will miss her. Not only have we been able to provide her with a varied field experience, but also she has helped us to understand the process of answering the call to ministry. We will look forward to knowing where God leads her.

Church camp is more than canoeing, creek hiking and vespers. It means lots of forms to be completed and getting all of this in order for our campers seems always to mean a flurry of activity at the last moment. This week has been no exception. Thank heavens for e-mail and FAX machines. I am so glad that we have a busload of children going to Asbury Hills. The generosity of others has made this possible.

This is the season of planning and reorganization. Making sure that teachers and curriculum are in place for Sunday school, organizing small groups studies, and scheduling Wednesday Night Fellowship and other programs fills my days. Participation in this part of church life continues to grow. However, we need to encourage other persons to experience structured study as we seek to strengthen this part of the Body of Christ.

I seem to enjoy good health. However, periodically I do have to check on how this 6o year old body is doing. So, this week I visited Dr. Butler and Dr. Smith. My teeth and eyes got at good report and once again I give thanks for good health.

Today I am going to retreat to finish a sermon for Monday night. May God's Word inspire me.

Wesley's Wisdom

The news headlines of each day seem to leave us feeling like we are living under a cloud of despair and discouragement. Yet, we know that we are called to offer hope by sharing the gifts we have been given. How? Perhaps the familiar words of John Wesley answer this question.

"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as every you can."

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Ron's commitment to environmental issues moved to a new level today when he taught the Brittain Sunday School Class. I know that he was out of his comfort zone doing this. However, he is zealous about caring for God's creation and wants everyone to "reduce, reuse, recycle". He opened with the Native American Prayer found in the UM Hymnal (329).

O Great Spirit,
whose breath gives life to the world,
and whose voice is heard in the soft breeze:
We need your strength and wisdom.
Cause us to walk in beauty. Give us eyes
ever to behold the red and purple sunset.
Make us wise so that we may understand
what you have taught us.
Help us learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
Make us always ready to come to you
with clean hands and steady eyes,
so when life fades, like the fading sunset,
our spirits may come to you without shame. Amen.

The CNN Earth Day quiz reminded the class of some of the issues that we are facing as we deplete our natural resources by conspicious consumption. Ex: Oil production has peaked in 15 of the 23 top oil producing countries.

Ron also said that we have lost a sense of awe in God's creation and that we have forgotten how to listen to nature. For instance, butterflies with their acute sensitivity to pesticides and toxins, their presence, diversity and relative abundance indicate the overall well-being of our ecosystems. His personal conviction of this has been strengthened by exploring our backyard through the lens of a camera. He has created a photo blog of his findings.

"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it." Psalm 24:1

10 Commandments of Parenting

Being able to share good parenting and grandparenting information is important to me as I seek ways to help strengthen families. Sometimes it means returning to the basics as known through scripture. According to Frank Bernat, senior associate minister of Roswell UMC, these parenting tips may be passed on as a spiritual legacy from generation to generation.

1. Teach them, using God’s Word (Deut. 6:6-9)
2. Tell them what’s right and wrong (Prov. 22:6)
3. See them as gifts from God. (Ps. 127:3-5)
4. Guide them in godly ways. (Prov. 4:1-2)
5. Discipline them. (Deut 21:18-19)
6. Love them unconditionally. (1 Cor. 13:4-7)
7. Do not provoke them to wrath. ( Eph. 6:4)
8. Earn their respect by example. (Titus 2:7)
9. Provide for their physical needs (Tim. 5:8)
10. Pass your faith along to them (2 Tim. 1:13)

WMC News

Given the global headlines of the week, news from the World Methodist Conference is especially interesting. I assume that the multi-cultural worship and fellowship must give participants a greater understanding of peace and justice issues that threaten our world. I look forward to Ken's report of this event.

Funerals

Of course, we encounter some interesting challenges and conversations when planning funerals with families. However, I don't think we have had ice cream truck or marching band requests as noted in this article . After chuckling my way through this article, I do think that perhaps we need to rethink some of the traditions of funerals. If it is to be a celebration of life, why do we usually sing somber music? Who says black is the color of the day? Yet, we do not want to hide the pain, the sorrow and sadness. A period of mourning is known to be important to the grief process that leads us into blessed assurance that there is eternal life. We know healing power through caring and loving people who wrap their arms around us, love us, cry with us, laugh with us and pray for us. Jesus meets us and offers us comfort and hope. Alleluia!

Rebecca Preaches

On Monday evening during our contemporary worship service, our Duke Seminary intern preached her first sermon. Rebecca blessed us with her message and we left feeling that we had been part of a special experience. Her presence among us has helped us remember that God uses us to call forth our ministers. In addition, we have a responsibility to nurture and love them into their ministry. Our congregational support of Rebecca has been exemplary. We will miss her when she returns to Duke, but we know that she has become a part of who we are and for this we give thanks.

World Methodist Conference

Ken is flying to Korea today to be a part of the 19th World Methodist Conference. This assembly represents 76 denominations with roots in the Methodist movement meets every five years. The focus will be on crucial issues facing Methodists worldwide. Our prayers go with him and may this experience be a blessing to him and to us.

Environmental Matters

Environmental matters are once again in the forefront of our thinking. Our dependence on foreign oil and the resulting higher prices at the gas pump have been a wake up call to the mulititude of issues that are moving us toward ecological disaster. It has been interesting to read the current issue of NEWSWEEK and to learn that a number of Americans are taking conservation seriously. I also hope to see the Tom Brokaw report about global warming Sunday evening. Friends tell me that Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth" is a must see, also. Remembering that "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness therein", the UMW Action Alert in May, 2006 is a good overview of this climate change issue and what we can do. As enviromentalists tell us, it is the time to reduce, reuse, recycle.

VBS Postscript

Ron has captured a sense of VBS in video clips and posted them on the church webpage. Our VBS was a wonderful example of lay leadership and intergenerational ministry at its best. A high standard has been set for such future events.

A Great Week!

We are having a great time discovering God's promises this week in our VBS experience. It is wonderful to have children, parents, grandparents and others gather to explore God's Word. I do so enjoy this "family" style VBS, especially having the fathers and grandfathers being such a visible part of it. What an important message they are sending to all the children about their role in nurturing faith.

A New U.S.Citizen

Yesterday, Scarlett and I celebrated with Mira, one of our nursery workers, and her co-workers at CDM. Seven years ago she came to America from Albania. Monday, Mira, her husband and adult son became US citizens. Words of congratulations brought tears of happiness (hers and ours) as she shared what it means to be a citizen. After years of living under communism, she truly appreciates the freedoms she knows here and wants each of us to remember this blessing that we have. Another son will soon come from Albania to join them. What a humbling and important few minutes we spent with her.

A Living Church

Written on a piece of paper tucked in one of my books, I rediscovered this snippet of wisdom -

"The superficial church ignores its members gifts. The cannibal church devours its members to keep itself going. But the living church multiples the gifts it is given and blesses the lives that are offered."

This week we are truly being a living church. Last night we had 180 children, 13 youth and 86 adults in VBS classes. There were probably 60-80 other adults who assisted with meals, security, teaching, recreation, crafts, childcare, story time, music etc. The smiles and chatter witnessed to blessings being received.

Methodists Blogging

Methodists around the world are blogging and the UM Reporter has an interesting article about this. Some feel that this form of communication could have an important influence on the the polilty of the church. For this to happen, bloggers must commit to healthy dialogue and not just tirades of uninformed opinion. I wonder is blogging cutting edge or a passing fad?

VBS 2006

Vacation Bible School as we know it today got its start in the late 1800’s when Mrs. Walker Aylette Hawes rented a saloon to run a Bible School on New York City’s East Side. She provided a structured program for immigrant children in the slums that focused on Bible stories, games, crafts, drawing, etc. When Mrs. Hawes retired several years later she was presiding over seven separate schools. This idea quickly spread throughout communities across the country and a summer tradition was soon established.

Shelly, Alex and many others are busy preparing for next week’s VBS at First UMC. Adventure of the Treasure Seekers will be the theme. Children, youth and adults will be exploring God’s promises through a variety of activities all centered in Scripture. Fellowship and fun will be important ingredients as church members and visitors gather each evening. The meals are planned, the eye-catching decorations are nearly finished, crafts planned, Bible stories studied and music practiced. It is exciting to present the Word in this way and to know that we have a great opportunity to provide an important experience for those participating makes it even more significant. What a joy to be in ministry with those who share their time and talents so willingly so that VBS can happen in a special way.

Pantomine Lifes

L. Gregory Jones, Dean of Duke Divinity School, recently wrote in Christian Century about the life of pantomine that many of us live. His antidote is cultivating holy friends that can hold us accountable and help us discern God's work in our lives. He maintains that "the challenges and affirmations from holy friends cause our world to enlarge again, and they call us to dream God's dreams in new ways that give life and offer hope to others." His thoughts have encouraged me to try to be more intentional about nurturing holy friendships.

Fourth of July

As the day ends with fireworks across the sky, I give thanks that the sights and sounds are of celebration and not of war. Isn't wonderful that we pause to reflect with patriotic fervor the basic tenets of our political being and remember our founding fathers (and mothers)? We are inspired to public declaration of our freedoms and resulting moral convictions. In doing so we often struggle with the separation of church and state issues and the reality that freedom of religion reaches beyond Christianity. However, as Christians, we do understand that with this freedom comes the requirements of "do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God" (Micah 6:8)

"....long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our King." (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)

UMCOR

UMCOR has been named by Newsweek as one of the big names in Katrina Relief. This was part of their special "Giving Back" issue that told of people who generously devote themselves to others. See UMC news release about this, also. It was interesting to note that this was published just before Warren Buffett's big announcement about giving billions of dollars to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation so he was not listed in this article.

Both of these stories remind me of the importance of the altruistic spirit that has been so important to this country and how I have been benefited from this. The Carnegie Public Library in my hometown helped open my mind to a world beyond Dick and Jane readers. I remember a dedicated group of persons that fought a fierce political battle to better our local schools. One of those persons was my father. My grandfather was instrumental in establishing 4-H clubs in my community. At one time I directed the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in the Richland/Lexington County area. I meet many persons from 65-90+ years of age who gave hundreds of hours each year to schools and other non-profit organizations. Their efforts
improved the quality of life in their hometowns. They taught me a lot about selfless giving. The list is long when I stop to think about those who I know who could be nominated for "giving back" awards. It is a call to think about my own servanthood.