Are we having worship in the morning?

of course we will be worshiping in the morning!

It is amazing the number of phone calls we received from folks inquiring as to whether or not we would still be holding worship service Sunday morning due to the snow and ice. Like the snow and ice outside would determine our ability to worship. REALLY?

We must have different definitions of worship because as long as I have breath and life within, I am called to be in constant worship with our Creator. I gazed out our kitchen window I thanked God for the beauty my eyes are able to behold. A blanket of pure white snow enveloped everything in its reach. . . the ground, the fence, the trees, the street, cars, even the playground and picnic area behind the parsonage. Absolutely breath taking. How can we not stop and worship this beauty that was abounding all around us?

Yes, we gathered for corporate worship both at 8:30 and 11:00. Like our friend John Heath said: "I have attended worship services on Sunday morning for the better part of my whole life, but I can promise you that I will never forget this worship service." I am with you John, I too will never forget the beauty of either service as long as I live. They were small, intimate, spirit filled hours of worship.

Praise God that regardless of what is going on with the weather outside, the temperature inside, or within our souls, the God of all creation never takes a break from desiring to be in worship with us. Why of course we are going to be in worship in the morning, will you?

Looking Ahead to VBS 2010

I know what you are thinking. . . I cannot begin to think about VBS, I have Sunday School knocking on my front door, not to mention teacher training, organizing small groups, youth kick-off, resources to order and organize, DO NOT MENTION VBS RIGHT NOW! It is too early to plan for VBS 2010, however, while the Vacation Bible School experience is still fresh on your mind, gather some of this year's VBS servants together and have a brainstorming session.

A few things you may want to ponder together:

• Are you satisfied with the Publishers of the curriculum you are using? Does the theology fit the vision and mission of your congregation?


• Does your VBS have an outreach component?


• Are your doors open to the children in your community? Youth? Adults?


• How would you evaluate your publicity of your event? Was it effective or in-effective?


• How can we grow our current Vacation Bible School model into a significant step in Disciple making?


• Did you struggle getting "servants" (vs. volunteers) to sign up to help?


• Is your current model of training, supporting, and thanking your servants effective? If not, what do you need to change?

A couple of months ago, I invited churches in the WNCC to share about their Vacation Bible School experiences, curriculum used, as well as the inclusion of a mission component. If you click on VBS - it will lead you to the responses I received from folks in our conference. I am certain they would be more than happy to be a conversation partner with you and your coordinators.

Educators and Missionaries in the Western North Carolina Conference have been working to create a VBS based on missions which includes the life and stories of children in Southeast Asia. Our goal is to have this curriculum available in the spring of 2010 as a PDF down loadable format. Stay tuned for upcoming posts of this VBS curriculum.

Until then, have fun dreaming together of ways we can truly vacation in the words, visions, and dreams of the Bible come to life.

Safe Sanctuary Training. . .

Will he held for the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church on:

• Wednesday, September 2 in Asheville NC
• Thursday, September 3rd in Winston-Salem NC

We will take a look at the new issues concerning Cyber Safety and the Vulnerability of Older Adults. We will also host questions concerning Jessica's Law.

There is still time to register for either one of these Safe Sanctuary training events. Deadline for registration is Tuesday, September 1st.

Hope to see you there!

When was it we saw you a stranger and welcomed you?

"Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. "

When was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you? There are two words that stand out in this part of the gospel message; the word saw and welcomed.

The word saw, past tense for see, seeing, or having being seen, requires an awareness or awakening of our visual senses. It implies our eyes are opened and we are paying attention. Let me say that again. . . our eyes are open; to the needs of those around us.

Not only do we see who is around us, but the eyes of our hearts are moving with compassion, grace, and love, being attentive to the needs of others. We welcomed you as the incarnation of Christ to the world. We reminded you of the value your life holds. We worked to salvage and protect your dignity, allowing you opportunity to bask in the grace and love of Jesus. "For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully meade." Psalm 139:13-14

We vow to take care of you,

to love you through the love of Christ,

to help you pick up your mat and walk.

God of all creation,

Open the eyes of our hearts to see and know the needs of your world.

Empower us, your people to see all creation with your eyes,

valued, wonderfully made, and unconditionally loved.

Open the eyes of our hearts Lord.

Open the eyes of our hearts.

Open our eyes.

We want to see you.

Rule of St. Benedict. . .

Let us get up then,

at long last,

for the Scriptures rouse us when they say:

It is high time for us

to arise from sleep.

Let us open our eyes

to the light that comes from God,

and our ears to the voice from heaven

that every day calls out this charge:

If you hear his voice today,

do not harden your hearts.

Rule of St. Benedict

Seven words that kill the spirit and life of a congregation. . .

WE HAVEN'T DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE!
Really?

What are you implying when you speak those words?

What does it feels like to have these words thrown your way?

I confess the first thing I hear is the slamming of a door. Boom - I'm done!
My gut reaction is to turn and run the other way.
You just as well put a big neon sign in the front of your church signifying:
closed to progress,
closed to the movement of the spirit,
closed to and for life!

Really?
I just cannot imagine God's preferred vision for the kingdom sitting idle because we are fearful of moving in and towards a direction we do not know. These seven words have the potential of paralyzing a congregation with their inability to change.
Change signifies movement.
Change can be very exciting.

I have learned that some folks not only embrace change, but are looking for it in every aspect of life, while others do everything in their power to avoid such movement.
Change is the one and only constant in our lives outside of the abundant unconditional love and grace of God.
Our bodies change, our climate is changing, our minds are changing. . . why not our attitudes?
Imagine for a moment if you will, a life without change. . .
Scary isn't it? Transportation would not exist as we know it, nor would our modes of communication. No television, radio, computer, cell phone . . . hard to allow your minds to go there? It is for me.

The Spirit of God is moving, flowing, rushing like a mighty river. Are we as a church going to plant our feet in the every flowing steam of life because we are afraid of what might lie ahead, staggering to keep our balance or our we going to jump in, flowing with the rushing, changing, current of life?
What direction is God leading you. . .

The folks in the life of your congregation?

In ways that best honor God's kingdom here on earth?

In the community?

Into the world?

Maybe, we will never do it that way again.
Maybe, just maybe that is what God is calling us to imagine.
God is calling us:
to movement
to change,
to life!

Leadership and Self Deception

getting out of the box

The Arbinger Institute

I like to consider myself one who thinks and lives outside the box. However, this read gracefully led me to a deeper examination of my own character encouraging me to reconsider which side of the box I actually do live in.

"Self-betrayal - is an act contrary to what we feel we should do for another." In other words, we know better but do it anyways. If I cut off someone in traffic, I not only have gotten in their space but potentially put their life in danger. Why then would I do such a thing when I know well the possible consequences. In other words, I have now put the other driver in a position to be aggressive, fearful, or just mad as heck, most likely an act contrary to what they feel they should be doing. So back to the question, why then do we do such things? We are probably functioning out of fear, self-doubt, jealousy, preoccupation, to name a few hopefully contrary to our core!

If we know better, why then do we continue this behavior?

How do we break this cycle of putting others in the box?

If I am functioning in the box, am I building up the body of Christ with my behaviors?

Leadership and Self-Deception is an easy read. Not as complicated as it sounds!

If you find yourself in any leadership role or if you are willing to take a deeper look within, I recommend this resource. It would also be a good read for a team to read together.

Check it out and let me know if you were surprised at what you learned.

Blessings of discovery!

Church and Me. . .

From A to Z

By: Wendi Martin

What a fun discovery for teaching children about the church; the life and body of Christ. Wendi has taken the components of the life and ministry of scripture and the church and provided a wonderful resource for teaching young children.

The front page of the book offers space for children to make this resource personal; inviting them to internalize the words, stories, and images they are experiencing. Each letter of the alphabet represents a word, then defined below and followed by a scripture reference. Wendi uses a caterpillar at the bottom of each page to journey through the alphabet, ending the journey as a beautiful butterfly. Nice! The caterpillar also prompts such questions as: what is special about the sanctuary (S for Sanctuary) in your church? or if they have ever prayed at the altar (yes, A is for altar)?

At the bottom of each page the children are prompted with questions i.e. "what is special about the sanctuary (S-Sanctuary) in your church?" or asking them if they have ever prayed at the altar of their church ( A for Altar). The photo illustrations capture the life and community of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Climax North Carolina.

Church and Me From A to Z is FUN.

It is beautifully created.

Thank you Wendi.

You may purchase a copy of Church and Me From A to Z. You may also reserve a copy of this resource and other valuable resources to use in your congregation from the Fishin Hole, the Western North Carolina Conference Resource Center.

The Joy and Blessing of Affirmations. . .

You know what I am talking about; the occasional "ada-girl" or "great job" we are fortunate enough to get from peers, supervisors, spouses, or on the rare occasion our children. Our need as well as our desire for affirmation is real. I see how Gracie and Zoe, our lab puppies respond to praise. . . there again, they respond to just about anything that has a treat connected with it. 

Think about it, we sometimes work overtime in our jobs for an extra pat on the back. I have watched our adolescent daughter take hours getting ready to be with friends to hear the words: "you look great." Let's face it, affirmations feel good. We want to feel that our life has value, our contributions are valued, and our work is not done in vane. 

Hear the good news: You are fearlessly, marvelously, and wonderfully made. God takes delight in you! How does that feel? Can you allow yourself time to let that sink in? 

YOU, yes you are wonderfully made! 

God takes delight in you. A delight beyond our human understanding. 

As you go forth into this week, this day, even this very moment in time, allow yourself to be lost in the beauty and grace of God's constant presence in your life. 

Hear God speaking these words to you: 

I love you my beloved child.

You are marvelously made. 

You are beautiful in my sight.

I love YOU.

May we strive to honor God in all we do in and with our lives. . . there we will find the ultimate affirmation!       

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. . .

"Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."
Matthew 25:31-46

While on a mission trip out on the Navajo reservation, we were cleaning around a medical clinic, painting the fence around the cemetery, and building a wheel chair ramp for a local church. The temperature was over 100 degrees with absolutely no humidity. When you live in an area with relatively high humidity, you know that humidity intensifies the heat index. When no humidity is present, the heat feels very different - still hot, but different. You must continually hydrate your body or else. . .I was thirsty and the Christ in someone else shared with me something to drink, which most likely kept me from experiencing dehydration and numerous other complications.

What about those in our midst that are desperately waiting for the Christ in us to share with them something to drink? You know who they are, we drive by them, walk past them ignoring their pleas for help. They offer to work for us in lieu of something to eat and drink. We are a spoiled society. . .

Did you know:

• The cost of just one case of bottled water water could supply a person in Kenya with clean, safe drinking water for the next 5 years! One case - that is 24 bottles of water.


• Every year over $100 Billion dollars is spent on bottled water world-wide.
  
• The United Nations estimates that if given just 1/6th of that money for one year, $15 billion, they could cut in half the number of people without access to clean water.

Jesus calls us to quench the thirst of all creation.

Be the Living water

Share the Living water. . .

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink

I was thirsty. . .

You, yes you, quenched my thirst for life, for love, for hope

The thirst is real

desperate

you gave,

yes

you

Holy Curiosity. . .

Encountering Jesus' Provocative Questions

By: Winn Collier

I love books that challenge my assumptions and established way of thinking.I love finding resources that create a desire within to carry the book around just in case I find a couple of extra minutes in my day to pull it out and read. I get excited when I have to read a paragraph, quote, or sentence more than once, twice, or beyond.

I found such a resource in Winn Collier's book: Holy Curiosity, Encountering Jesus' Provocative Questions. Collier takes scripture and challenges our common wisdom in reading the text. He gives you eyes to see it from another angle, so far, angles I have not imagined before. I am still wrestling with some of his wisdom. It is taking me deep within. . . far beyond my knowing and connecting more with my being. I am finding his writing to be honest, confessional, as well as challenging.

Who Condemns You? Why Are You Afraid? Are You Being Willfully Stupid? These are just a few of the chapters you will find in this resource. Jesus' questions probed the soul, and they were not easily ignored. [14] Why do we think we can ignore them or simply gloss over them?

I hope you will find your way to adding Holy Curiosity to your collection of resources. I will be surprised if you do not find yourself filing it under, inspirational, insightful, and provocative.

Come and Find the Quiet Centre. . .

Come and find the quiet centre, in the crowded life we lead,

find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:

clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see

all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heat and slows the pace,

God it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, touches base,

making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,

raising courage when we're shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other's pain,

let our lives and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain:

there's a place for deepest dreaming,

there's a time for heart to care, in the Spirit's lively scheming
there is always room to spare!

Come and find the quiet centre, in the crowded life we lead,

find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:

clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see

all the things that really matter,

be at peace, and simply be.

By Shirley Erena Murray, 1989
#374 in Voices United

Camp Meetings. . .

in the great outdoors can be an amazing experience.

John Wesley taught and delivered nearly 40,000 sermons in his fifty years of ministry. Many of these sermons took place in the natural world; under shade trees, in town commons, in fields, in the rain - even downpours as well as the snow. Wesley's evangelical heart caused most to believe he was beyond his years in his progressive thinking. As you can see in the following sermon excerpt, his understanding of living a life of Christ, not only acknowledged but valued the sacred in all of creation.

"But the great lesson which our blessed Lord inculcates here . . . is that God is in all things, and that we are to see the Creator in the glass of every creature; that we should use and look upon nothing as separate from God . . . but with a true magnificence of thought, survey heaven and earth, and all that is therein as contained by God in the hollow of his hand, who by his intimate presence holds them all in being, who pervades and activates the whole created frame, and is, in a true sense, the soul of the universe."— Sermon on the Mount III (1748)

It is clear that John Wesley valued all of creation and used whatever means he could to help God's people know and experience it as well. Camp Meetings was a way of reaching the wealthy, the impoverished, the marginalized, and the least, all on common ground.

We have opportunities in our Conference to still experience the rich beauty of good ole Camp Meetings. This week August 3rd -9th, at Rock Springs Camp Meeting you have the opportunity to experience this sense of "revival" know to Wesley and others. Rock Springs Camp is located in Denver and is rich in history, tradition, and beauty all it's own. Those we spoke with have been attending this week of camp meeting since birth. Generation after generation carry on the tradition, in fact, one person even took her one month old daughter because this week was so important to the life of their entire family.

Camp Meetings are typically rich in preaching, music, and fellowship. I encourage you to check your schedule, grab a lawn chair, your insect repellent, and head on over to Camp Rock Springs. There is a great line-up of preaching and singing for the week. I highly recommend the Friday and Saturday preacher, a pretty good friend of mine.

Come check it out and we will see you there.

gloria

Five Finger Gospel. . .

"Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them, truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:31-46

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. . . instantly I think of food. I am always thinking of food - I suppose it is why I am a lifetime member of weight watchers! I have fasted, intentionally or unintentionally skipped a meal for a variety of reasons, however, I have never experienced the lack of some type of nourishment to feed my body. This is not boasting, merely confessing that I do not know what it feels like to be so hungry that I would do just about anything for the substance.

The folks at our new church home, Milford Hills UMC have and continue to bless us with food. Fresh food from their gardens, homemade cobblers, meals, and even an old time pounding to help stock out pantry. They have modeled out radical hospitality to our family in ways we have not known before. . . we are certainly blessed.

I am also thinking of another type of hunger, maybe one that I can relate to more readily than something I put in my mouth. Oddly enough, it is food that came from the mouth of others. I have experienced times in my life when I was starving for the spoken words of love, encouragement and hope. I wanted so desperately to hear these words that I worked extremely hard to fill that emptiness with other things. . . some not so healthy. I felt as though my soul was starving. My husband Chris reminded me "there are folks starving for a sense of worth, to feel as though their life has value and meaning." If you have ever had anyone dismiss or diminish the quality of your life, you have expereinced a taste of what he is talking about.

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.

I was hungry and you fed me.

I was hungry.

You acknowledged me.

You spoke to me.

You whispered words of love to me.

You fed me.

You. . .

May the eyes of our hearts be opened to those in our midst - our world - who are starving for food; whatever that look like.

May the peace of Christ be with you.

gloria

Say Goodbye to. . .

the non-essential resources in your church library that are taking up room and creating clutter.

We all do it. We look at the old books on our shelves, many outdated and most likely no longer relative to our culture of the 21st century, BUT we just cannot throw them away. WHY NOT? We tell ourselves it is disrespectful to throw away old resources especially if someone donated this book some 65 years ago in memory of a loved one. What about the old Bibles we continue to store with shredded binding, torn and yellowed pages, we know we would not carry them around but think there just might be someone, somewhere that could use this. Really? I mean after all, we own numerous versions of the Bible. You know what I am talking about. . . Researcher George Gallup points out that so many Bibles have been printed in the United States "that even rough estimates of the total number published to date do not exist." 92% of households in America alone own at least one Bible and the avaerage household owns three.

What now? Give yourself permission to let go of the old to make room for the new. There are agencies, libraries, collectors, and others anxiously awaiting for these old resources to make their way down the pipeline.

Let's make our church libraries conducisve for browsing, invitational, and contagious. Why not offer a coffee hour in your resource center? Comfortable chairs, a little paint, lights to read by, create an atmosphere that folks desire. Get them excited about what is available in your resource center. Highlight new resources in your newsletter or other publicity sources your church uses. Have an open house or reading session. . . be creative!

There are some classic resources you will not want to discard. . . when in doubt, ask. There are also countless dated resource you will want to discard. Take ye authority! Do what Nike says: "JUST DO IT!"

A Novel of Redemption. . .

Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos is a wonderful story of redemption.

Sally Holscher recommended this book on the Daily Voice and curiosity got the best of me. . . so I ordered the book. I must tell you I was not disappointed! In this beautifully created story of redemption, a community of the most unexpected folks live together in a home. Through this story of love and grace, lives are transformed through the incarnational healing power of Christ in others.

The book is richly layered, compelling, and given the chance, will drawl you into each step of the journey. Broken for You ends with thought provoking questions in the back of the book. It would be ideal for study groups, women's groups, or anyone who is ready to allow the redemptive power of God to transform their lives.

Through this book, the "God Family" image has been truly redefined! If curiosity gets the best of you and you give this book a chance, let me know what you think.

Peace of Christ be with YOU!

Mudhouse Sabbath

This new resource, Mudhouse Sabbath written by Lauren F. Winner came highly recommended to be by my friend Susan.

Lauren converted from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity and finds that her life is still shaped by the spiritual essences of Judaism - rich with religious practices and traditions that she cannot leave behind. In Mudhouse Sabbath, Lauren takes a look at eleven spiritual practices that can transform the way we view the world, and God. These practices include: sabbath, fitting food, mourning, hospitality, prayer, body, fasting, aging, candle-lighting, weddings, and doorposts. She does a beautiful job of comparing the religious practices of Judaism and Christianity, with a wonderful insight and honesty.

This resource is a quick and rich read. I recommend you view it for your personal use in addition to being a wonderful read for a group looking at all aspects of evangelism in the life of their congregations. You can find this resource at Cokesbury bookstore as well.

Happy Reading - shalom bayit: peace in the home; harmony between family members!

Spirituality in the Second Half of Life. . .

What are the signs that you have or may have entered into the second half of life?

• You learn to be gentle with life and yourself.
• Being successful in life looks different - more geared toward looking at the legacy your life is leaving, recognizing the presence of God in every and all moments, recalling all the names you were trying to pull up in a conversation, and finally realizing that you no longer have to be the life of the party just enjoy being there.  
• You learn to accept life in life's terms: it is what it is and a mentality that readiness is everything.
• You begin to nurture your inner relationship - how is it with my soul?
• You are no longer guided by your ego but by the spirit within.
• You develop the ability to laugh at yourself - most of the time out loud!
• The dust on the dresser becomes a canvas for creativity.
• You find yourself day dreaming of long walks on sandy beaches with a loved one, movies and popcorn, the warmth of the summer breeze blowing in your face. 

I suppose I better understand why folks say that the second half of life is golden. As you go about your day today, no matter what half of life you find yourself in, pause to be aware of God's presence in your midst, mind, and soul. 

May the peace of Christ be with you!

gloria   

Shore and Ground

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.

Don't try to see through the distances. That's not for human beings.

Move within, but don't move the way fear makes you move.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.

Don't open the door to the study

and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Rumi

Summer Movie Season is here and the box office is hoppin'

The Hollywood Jesus website is dedicated to looking at "Pop Culture from a spiritual point of view." The spiritual point of view is particularly Christian featuring current releases, books, DVD's, music, comics, TV, games, etc. A few of the features of this site that you might want to take a look at are:

• Reviews and previews


• Columns and features


• Critical Studies Section which is also printer friendly


• Movie Reviews featuring a collection of reviews of 160 top films, every one of them from Hollywood Jesus spiritual perspective


• Plays


• Speciality books


• Special Sttractions section that includes recommended resources, fantasy coverage, archived feature, featured attractions as well as a new 30 day challenge

When you take a look at the website, it feels like it is designed with the younger generation in mind. . . full of many items to look at, colorful, and creative in design. My simple mind has trouble functions more efficently with simple design, however, the site is pretty user friendly, even for the simple minded.

Take a look at the Hollywood Jesus website and let me know what you think.