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.

PRAISE GOD!!!

There is Life after moving!!!!

Changes in our lives. . .

So, we are packing, and packing, and packing!

How in the world do we accumulate so much stuff? The better question is why? I find myself clinging to the things of our children's childhood. Why? Well, becuase they may want to use it with their children I tell myself. Really???? They want dresses and toys and VHS videos that are 20 years old? No way. They have moved on. . . then why can't I?

I find myself storing things that belonged to my mother. I am not sure why execpt I feel that holding onto these materials items, allows me to hold on to the memories of her. I know this is foolish, for the memories lie in the scrapbook of my heart, not in stuff, but I do it anyway.

Moving helps me put all this in perspective. My husband Chris has been so great at allowing me the time I need to let go of these things. He patiently packs, stores, and puts up with some of these things. He tells me that when I am ready, I will let them go. Well, I am almost there - Praise God!!!

God clings to us, not our stuff! God clings to our goodness, creativeness, love. . .US. God desires to be in relationship with us, all our flaws and quirks. . . US.

This move is opening my eyes and allowing my heart to more fully cling to the one who clings to me. Not my stuff!

Praise God!

Be Still. . .

and know that I am God

The following entry was inspired by Sally Holscher from the daily voice. 

We are packing to move, 

loading the pod, 

attending orientation at Eastern Carolina University with our daughter Chelsea, 

loading the pod, 

commuting to work, 

taking care of the pupdogs; walking them, feeding them, playing with them, loving on them, walking them, them walking me, 

more packing, 

attending a wedding, 

daughters high school graduation,

work, 

be still. .

breathe...

breathe deep.....

be still.......

know that I am with you always......

stop - breathe 

let go - allowing yourself to breathe in the breath of God

be still. . .

yes

I am with you

always

May you allow yourself time to stop and breath in the breathe of God. Peace my friends!

Just wondering. . .

if life was created to be enjoyed, why then do we spend so much time bickering over trivial things?

If God created us in God's own image, does that mean God wasted time complaining and arguing over pointless things as well? 

Seventy times seven?????

Then Peter came up and asked him, "Lord, how often am I to forgive my brother if he goes on wronging me? As many as seven times?" Jesus replied, "I do not say seven times; I say seventy times seven."

Seventy times seven? Really? That is 490 times! Can you imagine someone actually counting the number of times they have forgiven you? I can just see it now, my husband Chris telling me that I was nearing the end of his limit for forgiving me, or our children, our neighbors, or our God family.

Bishop Goodpaster reflected upon this text during one of the Bible studies he led at Annual Conference. He says that if you are having to count the number of times you are forgiving someone, then it is not really forgiveness. Love keeps no track of wrongs!

I know that I too was guilty of saying: "I can forgive them but will never forget." My mother helped me understand this better when she suggested that as long as you cling to the memory, the anger it created, or the hurt feelings, you have still given them control over you which means you have not really forgiven them. Right or wrong this might be, it made sense.

Let us be a people of mercy and grace; justice and forgiveness, patience and love. Afterall, it is what God does for us each and every moment of our lives.

Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Amen

Godly Play Resource. . .

Every now and then you are reminded of resources that are worth highlighting ~

Godly Play teaches children the art of using religious language - parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action - helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives.Developed by author, teacher and Episcopal priest, Jerome W. Berryman, Godly Play is offered throughout the United States within denominations as diverse and varied as Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian. Designed for children aged two to twelve, Godly Play has been classroom tested since 1972. Deeply spiritual and highly creative, Godly Play is also used in schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, and retirement centers.

Folks of all ages at the Western North Carolina Annual Conference had to opportunity to experience a Godly Play lesson during the Sunday school time. The session was led by Rev. Sallyanne McVay and her beautiful daughters. If you would like to learn more about the Godly Play resource, you are welcome to contact Sallyanne at:bmumcsallyanne@bellsouth.net or if  Godly Play is new to you, check out the website. You can also see the calendar of training events listed is your church is interested in introducing Godly Play to your congregation or community. We have many of our churches in the WNCC teaching children, youth, and even adults through the Godly Play resource.

Have fun and let me know what you think.

God is in the business of transforming us and all creation into sacred places. . . What might we need to shift/alter so that our churches can be transformed into a place of peace, hope, love, and joy for the sake of Christ?

Holy Conferencing. . .

The Spirit of God is Alive in the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church ~

Holy Conferencing indeed! Last week at the WNC Annual Conference, we were inspired, moved, renewed, and sent forth empowered by the movement of the Holy Spirit. It is almost as if we have just downed a 23 ounce can of a high powered energy drink - we are energized and ready to move.

Bishop Goodpaster led us in daily Bible studies and Worship focused on our mission: Follow Jesus, Make Disciples, for the Transformation of the World. No more excuses folks, we must get on board, God is depending on us! Our Bishop very clearly said: "Jesus came to be like us so that he could make us be like he, himself!" If you are asking yourself, what does that mean: we are to be the incarnation of Christ to the world, clothing ourself with love, joy, compassion, justice, mercy, and the mind of Christ. Jesus is calling us Out/Into the world, meeting the least, the lost, the grieved, the oppressed, the marginalized, the sick, all people of God.

Our work is cut out for us - are you ready? Can we do it? I pray your answer is like that of Bob the Builder. . . YES, WE CAN!!!!!

SHALOM

Call and Response. . .

Are you ready to make the required shifts necessary to help move your congregation from being focused on program development to people development in terms of core activity?

Blessing . . .

May the great, vulnerable, life-giving Spirit

guide your every coming and your every going,

that you may act justly,

love kindly,

and walk humbly

as God's friend and compaion

on this lovely, lively planet.

sam hamilton poore

Going Green. . .

The Green Bible

I have to admit, I could not wait to purchase a copy of The Green Bible. Going green is all the rage right now - as it should be and should have been for thousands of years. So I hold this new addition in my hands - feels nice as it should since the cover is made of all natural cotton & linen. The pages are made of 10% post consumer content [recycled] and they used a soy based ink for printing. This Bible really is nice to hold, the cover is flexible/bendable and I like that. After all, if this is something I will be using most every day of my life, I want it to work for me. This Green Bible works for me!!!!!!

I love the opening Canticle of the Creatures - Saint Francis of Assisi, the forward by Archbishop Desmond Tutu as well as the introduction by J. Matthew Sleeth and others. All the scripture references connected to God's creation are printed in green. I did find one scripture that was left our of the green print: Psalm 23. oops!

The Fishing Hole is going green! Sonja has been working dilgently with other "like minded folks" to offer workshops, resources, and links that will help enable you and your congregations to go green. All the cool people are doing it! Check out the resource center at the WNCC Annual Conference on the second floor of the Terrace Hotel.

I recommend this resource for children, youth, young adults, maturing adults, families. . . well in other words, everyone!

"Additional resources include website links, group study and action guides, and a concordance that focuses on the environment. I wish that commentaries were also included with the biblical content, but that's my only major critique. This is a Bible you definitely need to have on your desk, in your church library, and in your congregants' hands!" Sally Holscher (You can view a video about it on YouTube here.)

Let me know what you think - ready to go green? Like I said, all the cool folks are doing it. . . don't get left out! gloria

Caldecott Honor Book. . .

Zen Shorts

By: Jon J Muth

I am certain you do not have to be a child to love children's books! Our family has a stack of these delightful books ready for the occasion of grandchildren, teachable moments, or simply to reconnect with the childish delight our souls long for.



In Zen Shorts, Jon Muth uses Stillwater a giant bear to teach Addy, Michael, and Karl the most amazing lessons of life. Addy learns of a poor man who gives gifts to a robber. Stillwater teaches Michael about a farmer who know that luck can be neither judged nor predicted. Lastly Karl learns of a tale about a monk who cdarries the weight of a burden long past.

The illustrations are amazing. The story lessons are for all ages. Zen Shorts is a Caldecott Honor Book and I understand why.

Happy Reading

Remembering. . .

A Day of Remembering

My husband Chris and I are not big NASCAR fans, however yesterday we found ourselves in the thick of folks who live for race time each year. We were offered free tickets to the race from a sweet young couple not able to attend due to the inclement weather on the regularly scheduled race day. So, we grabbed out sunglasses, bottles of water, pretzels and headed to the race.

I confess I spent as much time watching people as I did the race. Can't help it! I love to watch people interact with one another; family, friends, and yes couples. It fascinated me how the spectators all seemed so connected one to another be it through a heart for their favorite driver, favorite beverage or just a plain old love for the sport. However, at three o'clock in the afternoon, every spectator, member of a pit crew, driver, stopped for 30 seconds of silence to remember those who have given their lives for our safety and freedom. It was quiet a sight to behold. We have many common threads connecting our lives with the rest of creation. It is a beautiful thing when we stop long enough to drink in the beauty it holds.

May we all give God thanks each and every day for these folks.