3 Comments
The first months of 2019 have been a tumble of voices and thoughts in the United Methodist connection. Before, during, and after the meeting in St Louis, there is a sense of being pushed, pulled and gathered into community where momentous conversations are underway. I am caught up in, and trying to help lead part of, a global crowd in tumultuous circumstances. So perhaps it’s not surprising that I’m very aware of the crowd in Luke’s holy week narrative.
The week will begin this Sunday with a crowd of followers shouting praise. As Jesus rode along, they spread their clothes on the road. As Jesus approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice because of all the mighty things they had seen. They said, “Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens.” Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!” He answered, “I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout.” (Luke 19: 36-40, CEB) Midweek, we’ll seea crowd insisting that Jesus is a threat. The whole assembly got up and led Jesus to Pilate and began to accuse him. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he is the Christ, a king.” Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no legal basis for action against this man.” But they objected strenuously, saying, “He agitates the people with his teaching throughout Judea—starting from Galilee all the way here.” (Luke 23: 1-5, CEB) And we’ll finish the week on Friday in a crowd that demands death. Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people. He said to them, “You brought this man before me as one who was misleading the people. I have questioned him in your presence and found nothing in this man’s conduct that provides a legal basis for the charges you have brought against him. Neither did Herod, because Herod returned him to us. He’s done nothing that deserves death. Therefore, I’ll have him whipped, then let him go.”[a] But with one voice they shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison because of a riot that had occurred in the city, and for murder.) Pilate addressed them again because he wanted to release Jesus. They kept shouting out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time, Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I’ve found no legal basis for the death penalty in his case. Therefore, I will have him whipped, then let him go.” But they were adamant, shouting their demand that Jesus be crucified. Their voices won out. (Luke 23: 13-23, CEB) As much as each of us, especially in western culture, would like to stand out from the crowd, we do get swept up in a flow of humanity that at various times praises, feels threatened, and wishes death on others. We are part of a growing crowd of people who have tried to live together on this planet earth, one generation after another. We weather the small challenges but every once in a while, a break in the community looms before us and crowds form on opposite sides of the fissure. Luke records some of these breaking points in the last days of Jesus’ life: When Jesus entered the temple after his palm strewn journey, he triggered a breaking point in the temple community. “He threw out those who were selling things there. He said to them, “It’s written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a hideout for crooks.” (Luke 19: 45-46CEB)) When Jesus share bread and cup in what we now call the last supper, it triggered two breaking points in the fellowship. After taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup after the meal and said, “This cup is the new covenant by my blood, which is poured out for you. But look! My betrayer is with me; his hand is on this table. The Human One goes just as it has been determined. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays him.” They began to argue among themselves about which of them it could possibly be who would do this. An argument broke out among the disciples over which one of them should be regarded as the greatest. (Luke 22: 19-24 CEB) How often do we remember during Holy Week that not only did the betrayer, Judas, leap from the table into action, but the body of those who remained with Jesus fractured into who will get what, right there at the table! In the final hours of Holy Week the crowds intersect, those who praised and those who felt threatened and see the enormity of what both praise and fear have brought to pass. It was now about noon, and darkness covered the whole earth until about three o’clock, while the sun stopped shining. Then the curtain in the sanctuary tore down the middle. Crying out in a loud voice, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my life.”After he said this, he breathed for the last time. When the centurion saw what happened, he praised God, saying, “It’s really true: this man was righteous.” All the crowds who had come together to see this event returned to their homes beating their chests after seeing what had happened. And everyone who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance observing these things. (Luke 23: 44-49 CEB) Do they really know what they have seen, what they have participated in? Do they have any sense of the depths of the forgiveness this event has unleashed for generations to come? The crowds leave the scene as one, overcome with emotion. We enter a time of silence in the story, Jesus’ body is tended by a few friends and the opening closed. Every bible should have a blank page between Luke 23: 56 and Luke 24:1 to remind us of the immense pause in human history. Until the women return to the open tomb and everything changes, there should be an illuminatingly bright blank page where we in the crowd rest and wonder how death could possibly turn to life. The last crowd Luke shows us is the group that Jesus sends.Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24: 45-48, CEB) It is again a crowd of praise, being sent post-Easter back into the human fray. We are equipped as we go by living holy presence, by joy, by promise, by purpose, by the blessing of the Holy One-in -Three. Where are you in the crowd this year? At what breaking edge might you find yourself? What promise is coming into sight on the other side of that broken place, that other side of the fissures that separate us, where Jesus waits to form us with new life? As I write, on April 1, part of me is thinking “wouldn’t it be nice if the whole mess was an early April Fools prank. Can’t we just carry on with the vital local mission and ministry our churches extend in their community and share with each other in worship and devotion?” But I know that denial is avoiding reality. And avoiding the reality of changes and challenges underway in the United Methodist Church would mean closing our eyes and ears to developments that are critically important to each UM church’s future.
Many people’s eyes glaze over when it comes to the structure and workings of our denomination. We may know what we want in a church and don’t want to be bogged down in the details of what actually makes a church work. Or we may want to spring into action or just react to tidbits we hear. But constructive, effective action is based on good information. This week’s Topic: “What about our buildings?” When asked “what do you need to move forward,” participants gave variations of: To keep our church building. An answer to how properties and pensions would be divided and supported. One of the less understood characteristics of connectional churches is the Trust Clause. (Presbyterian and Episcopal churches are two of many other connectional denominations with trust clauses.) The General Council on Finance and Administration’s excellent guide to the trust clausegoes to the heart of who we are as a connectional, itinerant, missional church. It also answers the question: I’ve heard people in my church say it isn’t right for the denomination to have such control over our property through the trust clause. They say it isn’t fair because it was our contributions that built this church and paid for its upkeep. Therefore, it should be our church. How should I respond to these statements as a faithful United Methodist? “You could start by telling them they are right – it is their church! And as United Methodists, because of the trust clause, they can say the same thing about every other United Methodist church. You could also say it wasn’t just their contributions that built and sustained the church, but also the contributions of perhaps generations of people before them who contributed with the purpose and hope that the church continues to be a United Methodist church in the future. You could then tell them their financial support of the church is just one side of a covenant. The United Methodist Church also made a covenant to supply and supervise ministers, provide financial and other aid to the church if needed, develop Sunday school materials and hymnals, and many other things. But, again, the most important point is that no United Methodist church stands alone. Each United Methodist church is part of a larger connection of shared purpose and mission that has been in existence for hundreds of years. And this connection is at the core of what it means to be United Methodist. You and your church are part of something much larger than yourselves – something you can be proud of as Methodism reaches the world over to make disciples for Jesus Christ.” Every church in our connection has benefited throughout its life span from resources of the other churches. But now there are two stresses on the covenant relationship described in the excerpt above:
So, what happens if a church wants to leave the denomination? (Remember that, until the Judicial Council rules and until after General Conference 2020, there is confusion about what a church would be leaving behind!)
There have been questions about Annual Conferences forming new denominations. However, the 2019 General Conference failed to create a process for this, leaving legal questions currently being investigated. Stay tuned! Next edition’s topic: Questions about the Judicial Council process. Meanwhile, what can you do now?
Who is God? Who am I? Who are we together? These core concepts and questions have never been more important.
What’s next? Groups of several different perspectives are networking as all await the UMC Judicial Council’s rulings April 23-24, 2019. You can learn more about the Judicial Council itself by clicking on this link. Here are the main streams of development: Wesleyan Covenant Association,“WCA,” are the sponsors of the traditionalist perspective that prevailed, though its full plan did not, at General Conference 2019. They will hold a Northeast Jurisdiction event,“Envisioning the Next Methodism”at Washington Crossing UMC, Washington Crossing, PA.Saturday, May 11, 2019, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Joe DiPaolo (jdipaolo@engagedgodfirt.org or 717-394-7231) UMForward shares stories of the people most impacted and information about a planned summit May 17-18 people of color, queer, transgendered centered discussion about the future of the United Methodist Church. The Reconciling Network is a way that United Methodist churches and individuals committed to full inclusion (including marriage and ordination) can not only demonstrate their support but learn how to live into it in their own ministry settings. There is also evidence of a “Compatibilist” movement forming, designed to bring Centrists and Progressives together. The Church of the Resurrection’s annual fall Leadership Institute will be dedicated to General Conference 2019, 2020 related topics, September 25 - 27, 2019. Event details and registration will be available in May 2019 at li.cor.org. Note: While several national leadership meetings have been mentioned, I have not been able to find any ways to connect with this movement. If you learn of one, please let me know so that we may share. Beloved Friends in Christ,
Yesterday we entered the season of Lent. It comes at the end of winter, when most of our ancestor’s resources ran low and when we long toward the warmth and light of a new growing season. We are called to remember our vulnerability. We are invited to see our utter reliance on God more clearly, not as something to fear but as a reality to celebrate. I have loved Romans 12:2 since I was 17 years old.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. It inspires me to constantly and humbly seek understanding of scripture that is not static. Paul’s words call me to aspire to the perfection God desires, which I cannot see in its entirety because I am not God. Our beloved United Methodist Church is convulsed by conflicting interpretations: 1) of the perfection God desires in human life and community 2) of what responsibility each of us has for bringing perfection to others’ lives and 3) the degree and form of communal enforcement required to maintain those standards of perceived perfection. At no time in scripture are human beings described as actually being “perfect,” no individual, no community, no human product or process. Even the first God made, Adam and Eve, were quickly revealed to be “not up to snuff.” Proverbs 31: 10-31 comes closest when it describes a beloved female head of household. Many women have done excellently but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised….I remember being startled when one biblical scholar suggested, based on contextual evidence from the time this was written, that it may have been tongue in cheek, an impossible standard for any human woman to meet. (There’s also the Song of Solomon’s luscious description of the bride’s physical perfection, but perhaps that can be ascribed to the heat of the moment). There is also the passage in Ezekiel: You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, carnelian, chrysolite, and moonstone, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald; and worked in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. Ezekiel 28: 11-13 (NRSV)But this image of perfection is hyperbole bracketed by judgement, You were blameless in your waysfrom the day that you were created,until iniquity was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and the guardian cherub drove you outfrom among the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground….Ezekiel 28: 15-17 (NRSV) Jesus appeared on the human scene in a community that was beat down, out of power, and splintering into religious factions. And Mathew’s record shows that Jesus called his followers to “be” perfect by behaving in these two ways: "....if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect." -Matthew 5: 47-48 (NRSV) Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” -Matthew 19: 21 (NRSV) Extend God’s hospitality and love to those who are outside your immediate “family” and offer all that you have to serve those who are in need, these are Jesus’ instructions to the people he knew were trying so very hard to be perfect. They are not some "set in stone" list of things we need to tell other people to be. Of course, scripture speaks more frequently about the law, which is God’s way of trying to reign in human behavior before we hurt ourselves and each other. Jesus got into a lot of trouble around how to live according to the law, saying that the law was created for people’s well-being and not the other way around. He “harvested” grain to eat on the sabbath, plucking heads of grain as he walked past fields. He healed the sick rather than waiting for office hours. He ate with sinners (those who knew they were and those who didn’t). Jesus was non-conforming when the rules failed to meet real human need. The season of Lent is a season of humility. May each of us humble ourselves in our practices of reading scripture more deeply. May all of us watch for evidence of God’s radical acts of love. One of the most disturbing trends to emerge in recent years is “cutting.” Forms of self-harm exist far back in human history, but social media brought this painful practice to light. There is help for friends, parents, and others longing to support kids who cut as a strategy for relieving emotional pain. The great teacher of early Christians, Paul, wrote, Christis just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. Certainly, the body isn’t one part but many. I Corinthians 12: 12-14. Us churched folks often hear “the body” as a metaphor for our local church, where every person plays an essential role in community. But Paul’s vision is larger. He’s talking about the whole body of Christ, the expansive embodied presence of God working through the human community. We are one body, and the United Methodist Church a part of it, of Christ’s embodiment. Is it possible that the heated conflict on sexual identity leading to next weekend’s Special General Conference is a form of cutting? It certainly is self-harm to the body of Christ. Does the bifurcated debate that stabs the heart and wounds those we see as “other”, somehow focus pain felt across the contemporary experience of following Christ? Is our sexuality-concentrated-conflict an unconscious effort to diffuse that pain rather than deal with its root causes? If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? ……… 21 So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Corinthians 12: 20-21 Family systems theory points out that we human have a tendency to fuse (creating an insider group as a shield from perceived “outside” threat) or to cut off (discontinuing relationship with those who threaten pain). In Paul’s metaphor, it’s easy to imagine fusing and cut-offs as organic responses to irritants in our Body’s system. But even when an entire limb is cut off, “phantom pain” reminds survivors of the loss. We are one body. The work of General Conference 2019 may reconfigure the function of that body called United Methodist (arm, eye, kidney?) but it cannot undo Christ’s work which makes us one by his very death and resurrection on our behalf. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. -1 Corinthians 12: 24b-27 It is true that healing occasionally requires the breaking and resetting of a bone, the lancing of a boil, or the rigors of chemo therapy. But a physician never says to any body part, “you are not part of the body.” The body holds together as it heals. That is life, God’s precious gift. How ridiculous would it be to blame the leg itself for the condition requiring resetting, or the breast itself for the nausea that comes with chemotherapy? In his essay included in the Missional Wisdom collection “Rooted in Grace,” Larry Duggins writesCulture teaches us to band together with those who think like we do and to vilify those who do not. We are taught to pull together all the arguments about why we are right and to seek to destroy the arguments and positions of those who disagree. …. We set aside unity with Jesus and each other for unity with a much smaller band of like-minded people. We are not interested in witnessing to the outside group—we simply focus on converting them to our opinion or excluding them from our presence.For people who strive to follow the example of Jesus in daily life and who seek to live into the unity that Jesus prays for, such group against group antagonism is simply unacceptable. …… The truth is that the gospel calls us to behave differently than “the world” and to value the love of God and the love of each other more highly than any other position or criterion. Paul’s message to the Corinthians continues, Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts. And I’m going to show you an even better way….Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians, 12:31, 13:13). What healing could we bring to the human body claimed by Christ if we chose to set aside the scapegoating currently characterizing too many United Methodist interactions (from every “side”) and work together, hope together, love together instead? Instead of pretending that we know the full mind of Christ, could we not tend the body with love, seeking to heal the real sources of pain? Could we ask forgiveness instead of standing in judgement? This would require a dedicated act of trust in the Great Physician. Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known. I Corinthians 13:12 The only “way forward” I see that will bring healing is one that draws every part of the United Methodist body prayerfully together in scripture, as a window to God’s living word and in prayer, open to God’s heart with no pre-conceived outcome. (In other words, without telling God what we will or won’t hear). Modern reading that sees “love the sinner but not the sin” and post-modern reading of “redemption still being revealed” cannot work it out away from engagement, as parts of one beloved body, with the texts. This is why it so frustrates me to see folks not participating in opportunities to be in scripture together. Instead we catch snapshots on social media, rely on Sunday School lessons from decades ago, or read a book that sets our own perspective in stone. And the word of God becomes a graveyard rather than food for the living body of Christ. We toss off well meaning phrases about love or diagnosis body parts (others) without examining what's clogging up the body's arteries. I am convinced that if members of our Methodist “societies” had continued the Wesley’s practice of scripture as formation, not just information, we would have a different heart condition today. Perhaps it’s not too late. If you’re someone who longs for a healthier discipleship journey, let your pastor know. If your pastor can’t help you, let ME know. I’ll help you find others in the same predicament and provide guidance for the new adventure you will share. If you’re a pastor who just doesn’t know what this could be like in today’s world, contact me. I understand how difficult it is these days. There are other parts of body ready to help you for the good of the whole body. And there are gatherings in the MidMaine district taking those deep dives into scripture together. Let us pray, and let us live…… Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please. -J. Wesley, 1761 When I’m happy, I sing. When I’m stressed, I sing. When I’m stuck for worship inspiration, I turn to a hymnal. As an administrator, tending the Body differently now, worship planning happens less often and still this old friend calls to me. Joy leaks in many ways. When my children were small, we’d often sing each other awake or pass long car rides from navy bases to nana’s house with silly songs. We all have our coping mechanisms. Words of faith tuned to the language of the heart works for me. Once, stuck in traffic in a tunnel under Oakland, CA, with a cranky fiat, I sang AMAZING GRACE at the top of my lungs until daylight came into view. This strategy also worked with an out-of-gas van full of teens on a 23.83-mile New Orleans bridge a couple of months after Katrina and before the gas stations reopened. In the final days before whatever comes out of General Conference 2019, I turn tentatively, hopefully, joyfully to our musical heritage. I’m imagining at this moment that all of you are singing along with the gusto John Wesley instructed: Beware of singing as if you were half dead or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength (United Methodist Hymnal page vii). If you just scan the rest of this post, it may not mean much to you. But if you take time to sing along, your heart may open to God’s blessing. And may the words of our tradition be sufficient for your need this day. First Hymn of the Day: UMH 577 “God of Grace and God of Glory” (sing along here to the full hymn) 1. God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power; crown the ancient church's story;bring its bud to glorious flower. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour, for the facing of this hour. 5. Save us from weak resignationto the evils we deplore; let the search for thy salvationbe our glory evermore. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving thee whom we adore,serving thee whom we adore. Let us pray. Holy One in Three, we pray that your purpose will give us power in this hour of possibility. May the suffering of your people open our eyes and hearts to your presence in our world. Change us, move us, re-make us as agents of grace. And in the process, make us more like Jesus the Christ who withheld nothing in his journey to do this work. AMEN Second Hymn for the Day: UMH 144 Many Gifts, One Spirit: (sing along here to the full hymn) God of change and glory, God of time and space, When we fear the future, give to us your grace. In the midst of changing ways give us still the grace to praise. Refrain: Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways. In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise One Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one Word Known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the Giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise! Let us pray. Holy One in Three, in the little deaths and losses that punctulate our peculiar lifelines, from you come gifts, from you comes grace, from you comes life. Praise to you not only for what you do but for who you are. AMEN Third Hymn for the Day: UMH 100 “God Whose Love is Reigning o’er Us” (sing along here to the full hymn, click to skip ad) God, whose love is reigning o’er us, source of all, the ending true; hear the universal chorus raised in joyful praise to you: Alleluia, Alleluia, worship ancient, worship new Word of God from nature bringing Springtime green and autumn gold; Mountain streams like children singing, Ocean waves like thunder bold: Alleluia, Alleluia, As creation’s tale is told.* Let us pray. Holy One in Three, you are the source and center. We are not. You are the beauty that finds its way into the world of your own making. Remind us that you are the all in all, we are privileged to be part of your life, part of your loving. And so, with all the power of the breathe you provide we proclaim Alleluia, alleluia. Above all sing spiritually. have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing God more than yourself, or any other creature. -J. Wesley 1761 What don’t we know? This month MidMaine’s facebook page runs daily quotes from really smart people who were really certain about something we now think is, well, NOT. My favorite so far is Albert Einstein’s "there is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will." I appreciate this one because he lived to see his certainty challenged and changed.
Most of us would really like to be sure of our future. And yet sometimes it seems like the more we know the less we can predict. We become boxed in by what we already konw and unable to see what we don’t. One month from today Special General Conference 2019will convene in St Louis. Some in our churches anxiously wait and watch each incremental development. Some remain blissfully unaware, uninterested, or unable to wrap their thoughts around potentially momentous changes. Some have fastened like safety pins to one form of one proposal or another hoping it will fix things. Some throw up their hands in a “who knows” gesture. By the way, did you know that the primary author of our church’s constitution (things we are certain of) was born, raised, and found Christ in MidMaine? Joshua Soulewas born in one side of our district , Bristol, and raised in the other, along the Sandy River in Avon. He was so certain of certain things that he became the first Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church South when we split over both abolition and the authority of bishops, tipping the United States into civil war with the split across our nation’s social fabric. What shall we do in this month of not knowing, when so much is in the hands of others and when so much is at stake? Be Loved:Immerse yourself in the scriptures that remind us of the depth and strength of love God has for each of us and every neighbor on the planet. Read a love letter to United Methodists by religious scholar Diane Butler Bass. Pray:Please blanket GC2019 preparations with prayer by “weaving” your strand of prayer on the day indicated for your church. (Note: listed by church’s community) January 23 ALL January 24 Auburn & Randolph January 25 Augusta & Rumford January 26 Bath & South Thomaston January 27 Belfast & Strong January 28 Belgrade Lakes & Unity January 29 Boothbay Cooperative Parish January 30 Brunswick & Vassalboro January 31 Gardiner & North Woolwich February 1 Readfield & Bethel February 2 Calvary & Bridgton February 3 Lisbon & Cushing February 4 Waterville & Harrison February 5 Wayne & North Anson February 6 Union & Skowhegan February 7 Winthrop & East Pittston February 8 Thomaston Federated & Dresden-Richmond February 9 Waldoboro & Fryeburg Harbor February 10 Camden & Rockland February 11 Clinton & Searsmont February 12 Fairfield & Searsport February 13 Farmington & New Sharon February 14 Friendship & North Searsport February 15 Hallowell & West Cumberland February 16 Minot & Wilton February 17 Naples & Rumford Center February 18 New Harbor & Damariscotta & East Monmouth February 19 Round Pond & Fairfield Center & Monmouth February 20 North Vienna & Kingfield & Sebago February 21 Oakland Sidney & Salem & Sheepscott February 22 North Pownal & Mercer & North Jay February 23-26 ALL Learn:RNS (Religious News Service) provides an excellent and easy to follow overview.of the general situation. And here are GC 2019 FAQs from fall listening sessionsacross New England. In MidMaine, you can join the February Lay Servant Ministry Polity Course in how the United Methodist Church works (and doesn’t). Hope: That we may be led more fully in God’s reign as proclaimed by Jesus. Luke 4: 14-21 Remember: The world is full of things we once thought impossible. God's gaze is so much wider than our own! Worship:The Prayer litany below was created by Rev. Stephen Bascom, United Methodist Church of Auburn, and shared with MidMaine Clergy on January 17, 2019. Permission is given by the author for use in local church settings. Scriptural reflection based on Eugene Petersen’s translation of Psalm 36:5-10 God’s love is meteoric, God’s loyalty astronomic, God’s purpose titanic, God’s verdicts oceanic. Yet in God’s largeness nothing gets lost; not a person, not a mouse, slips through the cracks How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You’re a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. Prologue to Peace and Reconciliation When we speak of a Way Forward, we tend to sketch it with the definition of our own conviction and point of view. Surely God, we tell ourselves, must see things as we do! Yet near the edges of our certainty, we hear a voice (Can it be God’s voice?), saying, “Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. Now I am doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland…” Reconciliation with God When we sing, “Let peace begin with me,” we admit that we cannot give peace that we have not experienced within. If we are at war with ourselves or are unable to accept ourselves as God created us, we cannot give peace to others. It is more than sitting still and being quiet. We know much too well the feeling of being still, yet seething with inner anger. It is only when we love the ‘self’ God made that we are free to harmonize with the rest of God’s created world. Sound a tone of healing. Family Harmony For those who have experienced family ties that are strong, healthy and nurturing, the feeling of belonging may be taken for granted. For those who have not experienced such a gift, ‘family’ may be the source of pain or sorrow. We cannot know peace if we are upset with someone close to us. How tragic it is when a family relationship is severed or strained over a misunderstanding or violation of trust. If you are troubled by family disharmony, perhaps yours or that of another, breathe a prayer of forgiveness into the fractured family. Sound a tone of healing. Family of Faith In John 17, Jesus prays that his followers, the Church, would be one. Yet how divided we are! Rather than complement, we compete. Instead of building one another up, too often we talk one another down. We assume that we have the truth and others do not. How silly. If you know someone who feels alienated from the body of Christ, the Church, pray for a gift of reconciliation. Sound a tone of healing. Community Village During this past year, our district has been pierced with violent acts of tragic proportion. These have made headlines, but there have also been acts of grace and compassion. Thank God for those who are first responders in times of crisis and for those who show courage and compassion when trouble comes. If you know of someone in our District community who is hurting, offer a prayer for intervention and recovery. Sound a tone of healing. National Healing Racial tension with law enforcement. Acts of protest by this one or that one. Strident tension between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’ Red states vs. blue states. Immigration problems. To ‘wall’ or ‘not to wall.’ Inner-city strife. The social problems are many and over-whelming. How do we find peace in a pluralistic country like ours? What does it say on our national coin? In God We Trust.O, that we might become one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all! I invite you to offer a prayer for national health. Sound a tone of healing. Global Grace If you look at the earth from outer space, you do not see the divisions of nations, religions, ideologies, etc. that splinter the human family. But for those of us on the planet surface, we are bombarded with fear, terrorism, war and rumors of war. Peace may seem unreachable. In God, the unreachable enters the very heart of the human condition. Born in a Bethlehem stable, the Prince of Peace gave his life to reconcile all to God. When that happened, death itself shifted to reverse. Peace begins with a changed heart, forgiveness for an historical grievance and a willingness to build toward the future. If you feel led, come forward to ask for peace for a specific world challenge that needs God’s healing power and grace, then tap a tone for healing. “What do you do?” It’s a common question.
If you haven’t thought about the answer lately, maybe the first month of a new year is a good time. “What do you do” is quite like “who are you” but feels safer to ask for some reason, more focused, specific, defined. Asking “who are you,” depending on the context, can either sound defensive or overly familiar. It’s the question on people’s minds as John the Baptizer comes out of the wilderness at blockbuster force. Instead of answering “who are you, the Messiah?” John tells them what he’s doing. He’s quite clear about his role. He is there to baptize with water and shake people awake for who will come next, to prepare those who hear him for forgiveness and repentance. (John 3: 1-22). Those hearing John then asked him, “what should we do?” His answer? Share freely, take only your fair share, don’t misuse your power. As I read these words, I hear John asking me, “what do you do?” I love the way this tumultuous passage (brood of vipers, ax at the root, prison) begins with John taking a run at the wall of authorities (Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas, Caiaphas) and ends with Jesus slipping into the river as part of the crowd as we hear heaven’s voice tell Jesus who he is, “you are my son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.” The rest of the story Luke tells is about what Jesus does. The way is prepared for us to meet Christ. The season of fruit bearing is upon us (Luke 3: 8). In a time when the question, "what can we do" is too often net with a shrug of the shoulders and an offhanded, "what are ya gonna do," what will we do? Who will we be? What will we hear the heavenly voice say to us? The first step can be the hardest, and often involves overcoming fear. Luke’s gospel is full of first steps, beginning with the pre-nativity story. Again and again we see people confront their fear while God sends the words: Be. Not. Afraid. Be not afraid, United Methodists when change looms and you lack answers. God is here. The words ripple out from Zechariah’s priestly point in history; to his wife’s kinswoman; to the average joes in the field, through generations of Jesus’ followers. Be not afraid, Zechariah(Luke 1: 12) You will have joy and gladness in a son with God’s powerful purpose. Be not afraid, Mary(Luke 1: 30) You have found favor with God who is doing a new thing in and through you. Be not afraid, out in the fields, doing your work far from home.(Luke 2: 10). Share in the joy of the universe at who God has brought into the world. Questions come where fear stops us in our tracks: “How will I know that this is so? From Zechariah, struck mute in his position of incredulous authority. “How can this be?” From Mary, singing from her humble position of vulnerability, and acceptance. Mary’s song (Luke 1: 47-56) is the song Jesus hears in the womb. It is the song that will be thrumming through his being when he proclaims the reign of God is at hand. (Luke 4: 18) Be. Not. Afraid. Do not be afraid, Peter, now you’ll catch people instead of fish. (Luke 5: 10) Be not afraid, when you see the glory of God! (Luke 9: 28-35) Be not afraid to ask Jesus your questions. Be not afraid to see. Be not afraid to empty yourself. Be not afraid to knock on heaven’s door. Be not afraid to believe the humanly impossible. Be not afraid of those who could kill you. God values even each hair on your head. (Luke 12: 4) Be afraid (“woe to you”) only if you will not embrace God’s commandment to love God and others (even the ones who harm you, scare you, or place demands on you) as yourself. Be afraid only if these is no room in you for the authentic seed of grace to take root and flourish. Be as fearless as little children. Be fearless in your hunger for God Be fearless in giving praise. Be fearless in bearing witness to God’s realm breaking into our lives. Be not afraid, Jesus, when God asks everything of you. (Luke 22: 41-45) God has you firmly in hand (Luke 23: 46) Be not afraid, Jesus’ friends, when you discover the living Christ in your midst. (Luke 24: 36-49). He will help you understand. Be not afraid world, your redeemer is at hand and love is released into the world with all its power. O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him Christ, the Lord. Discipline. It’s a word that can trigger strong reactions. Athletes value it. Two-year olds and teens resist it. For United Methodists it’s that book that holds our history, our beliefs, and our rules. Sometimes we struggle with its contents, which are constantly under review as our global church grows and attempt to live int oGod's call together. Discipline is also the Wesleyan way of life that formed the USA’s middle class with attention to character, work habits and savings in an encompassing atmosphere of grace. In our current age, guided often by emotions, returning attention to our will can re-equilibrize teeter totter lives. And doing so in a supportive community of Jesus followers makes it soul work instead of just another self-improvement exercise. Here are 22 questions the members of John and Charles Wesley’s Holy Club asked themselves every day in their private devotions over 200 years ago. If we dive into this list without practice, it can feel like a jump into the deep end. But time spent with these questions reorients us to a God saturated environment and the daily examen begins to flow. Forming a small group that regularly meets to share what we learn is the Wesleyan way of Christianity. 1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite? 2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate? 3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence? 4. Can I be trusted? 5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits? 6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying? 7. Did the Bible live in me today? 8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day? 9. Am I enjoying prayer? 10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith? 11. Do I pray about the money I spend? 12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time? 13. Do I disobey God in anything? 14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy? 15. Am I defeated in any part of my life? 16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful? 17. How do I spend my spare time? 18. Am I proud? 19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican? 20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it? 21. Do I grumble or complain constantly? 22. Is Christ real to me? https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/everyday-disciples-john-wesleys-22-questions Welcome to the Holiness club! (Wesley) |
Karen L MunsonA pastor and artist, I'm wondering while I'm wandering through God's marvelous creation. Archives
March 2020
Categories |