Don't Forget the Feelings and the Awe This Christmas

drawing by Ed Fisher, as it appeared in the New Yorker magazine

   Christmas is here. For many folks, this cartoon captures how many of us feel as the season of shopping and preparing comes to a close: crowded, pushed around, and not all that good.
   I laugh at the last line of the caption underneath: once the train is in motion start singing. We've all packed too many people, places and things into a small window of time, and then we are told to sing. As if being merry is something that we can be commanded to do!
   We resist, for good reasons. Dictating the feelings and emotions of others does not work. Some people find it hard to be merry all of the time during this time of the year. Memories are strong, right now, and those memories take us back to when loved ones were still with us and things were different. The holidays can be difficult. I believe we must be ever vigilant to reach out to those who are living with grief and loss and extend our care and compassion, especially now.
   The cartoon busyness of the modern American holidays also leaves out the room we need to be awed by that first Christmas. The versions from Matthew and Luke are both filled with moments of surprise and wonder. Elizabeth and Zechariah get the surprise of the their lives, when told they have have a son named John, who comes to prepare the world for the Christ. Later, there were angels making startling announcements to both Mary and Joseph. An angelic chorus directs shepherds to a cave used as a stable, of all places, to find a child just born. All the while, we're told God's plan to redeem all of the world is being carried out. The first Christmas was anything but routine and hectic.
   In the midst of all of the emotions and busyness of the season, may we move at our own pace toward the scene being played out before us. May we gaze with awe at how the God of the Universe is choosing to reveal himself to us this year. Grace and Peace to you, Scott.

Waiting on the Baby

   How are you with waiting? Me neither! Most of us don't like waiting. I have some examples to consider...

• tapping your foot while standing behind the really slow person in line at the store
• inching forward in your car even though the light is still red
• pressing the elevator button more than once

Really, those are the innocent examples of how we don't like to wait. Yet, there is no greater season of waiting that the one we are right now waiting on to start: Christmas. The church spends four weeks waiting on Christmas - we call it Advent - because we need to get our hearts ready for the big day. But, have we thought about the waiting that happened before that first Christmas? Let's go to the Bible. It says...

While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. – Luke 2:6

You know the story; Joseph and Mary leave their respective homes in Galilee and travel a few days journey south to be included in the Roman census that was happening in Bethlehem, because that was something of the county seat for the local government of Joseph's family. What we don't know is how long they were there before the census was to happen. I don't think the Romans were interested in making it go smoothly. So, when it says, "while they were there," how long was that? It could have been days or weeks or even a couple of months!
   Plenty of you know about waiting for a baby to be born. Many people pass the time tying up loose ends at work, getting the nursery all set, or any number of other activities. Mary had none of those options. Imagine sitting in the home of some cousin of your fiance', more than eight months pregnant, and not knowing when the baby would finally arrive. Talk about being in the need of prayer!
   For all of the ways art and music have captured the Nativity scene perfectly, we cannot forget God choose two ordinary people in an ordinary place to enter the world as a helpless child. Do these two things, 1) don't complain about waiting without thinking about Mary in those last weeks, and 2) open your heart to God to show up in the ordinary everyday moment.
   Grace and peace, Scott

Do You Hear What I Hear?

   Can you hear Perry Como crooning that it is starting to look a lot like Christmas? Do you agree there is as much to hear at Christmas as there is to see? 

   For me, I know what season it is when I hear Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, or I'll be Home for Christmas or even that Hawaiian classic, Mele Kalikimaka. His voice captures the season, for me. But, the list is long, isn't it?

   Can you hear Johnny Mathis singing Silver Bells? 

   What about Bobby Helms singing Jingle Bell Rock?

   What about the persuasive appeals of Dean Martin singing Baby, Its Cold Outside?  

   What about Brenda Lee is Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. 

   I think Gene Autry singing Frosty the Snowman can probably elicit as much audience participation as any, though Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is high on the list, too. And, I haven't even mentioned the tunes from Charlie Brown's Christmas movie. 

   Music is so important to what it means to prepare for Christmas. Even as we think about that first Christmas, we hear a heavenly chorus singing praises to God over the heads of shepherds as described in Luke 2.

   The combined choirs that have been preparing for months now will touch your heart on Sunday at 6:00 PM. Join us this Sunday evening for music that prepares us, again, for Christmas to come. Christmas coming every year is God's way of reminding us of our need for a savior. Christmas is the evidence of God's hope in and plans for the world. 

   Grace and peace, Scott

Fake News, Bad News and Good News

The news has been in the news, lately. People are talking about how the media covers current events and also about what people consider to be news. Is all news the same? What about in the church; what is the content of the church's message?

Fake News
According to Wikipedia, "Fake news websites publish hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation to drive web traffic inflamed by social media. They are distinguished from news satire, because they mislead and profit from readers believing the stories to be true." It is amazing how facts and truth have become increasingly subjective (based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions). People are quick to believe a thing is true based on what they feel or think.

Some people call this the Post-Truth era. Just last month criticism of Facebook and Google grew for how they allowed their algorithms to disseminate multiple fake news articles to millions of people. Many see a click-bait fake news headline and quickly share the article before taking the time to dive into the validity of the content. It seems articles based on facts are not nearly as “headline-worthy” or interesting to people as those that give social media users a chance to say, “I told you so!”
Christians have no business clicking or sharing this kind of news.

Bad News
No one wants to hear bad news. If we could have our way, bad news would never happen. But, is there a place for the news we don't want to hear? For instance, the Scripture reading for this past weekend from Isaiah 1 and 2 was pretty stark. It told of sins against God and injustice against each other. God, speaking through the prophet, even said that God was no longer interested in people practicing religion inside the Sanctuary if they continued to live poorly outside in the world. It was about how badly we've messed up. This was the reading that churches around the world embraced to get ready for Christmas. What place does bad news have in our lives as Christians? How much bad news (the kind that speaks about sin and our need of a Savior) do we want to include in worship?
Christians cannot grasp our need for Jesus without knowing how bad our own stories have gotten.

Good News
Jesus. The best news ever told. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the best news. God has made promises to deliver us. We need to focus our vision, and adjust our lives to recognize the evidence that it is already happening around us.
Christians cannot share the good news enough. We are nothing, if not witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. There is nothing fake about that. Grace and peace.

The Next (Huge) Thing You Are Going to Do

   What is it? Think about it: the giant goal, the amazing project, asking him out or asking her to marry you, the next purchase, starting that degree, or transitioning into that career field. What is the next, big thing you think about when you find a little quite time apart from the demands of the right now? Let me come back to that...
   We are all thinking ahead, at least some of the time. The difference between the "get-things-done" folks and the the others who stop at dreaming is that the first group is able to convert their dreams into actionable next steps. Planning for a great future is about taking something too large for today and turning it into small, achievable tasks that move you forward.
   Worship is like this. My goal, every week, is that we would hear from God, we would adjust ourselves back in the right direction, and that we would commit to the Holy Spirit's next steps for us.
   Christmas is like this. Christmas is more than a single day. Christmas is about the amazing truth that God came to earth to save us. It is so big we must approach it in small parts. This is the very reason that the church spends four weeks preparing for Christmas.
   It all starts this weekend, in worship. Christmas is still four weeks away, but we begin the journey now. 

   So, about that next, giant thing from earlier. Have you prayed about it? Have you asked God for feedback? Have you starting making a list? Have you make the napkin-sketch plan for how to get from here to there? Have you shared it with your best friend and asked them to hold you accountable? 
   Grace and peace, to us all, as we look to the future.

Our History Runs Deep

   Bishop Lawson Bryan, who started in September as leader of United Methodists in South Georgia, passed along an interesting piece of information this week...
   "One of the great traditions of The United Methodist Church is the presentation of a Bible to each newly elected president. This practice dates back to the very first president of the United States when Bishop Francis Asbury presented a Bible to President George Washington in 1789. The tradition has continued with each subsequent president. When the Council of Bishops met recently at Epworth By The Sea each bishop added his or her signature to a Bible that will be presented to Donald Trump following his inauguration." In addition to a letter requesting a date to present the Bible to the new president, Bishop Bruce Ough sent along this prayer,

And so, I pray for you and our nation: Holy God, creator of us all,

Send your Spirit of peace, justice and freedom upon us;

Break down the walls of political partisanship and economic disparity,

and make us one. Give us wisdom to walk in your ways.

Remind us that your ways are not our ways;

That your power and might transcend the plans of every nation.

Teach us again to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

Amen.

The Peace of the Lord,

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President

On behalf of the Council of Bishops

The United Methodist Church

   To be United Methodist is to be connected to ministers and laypersons - men and women - who have literally helped to shape the history of our nation. It is no wonder that both Francis Asbury and John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, are remembered with statues of them on horseback in our nation's capital. Here you see the crowds gathered at the dedication of Asbury's statue in 1924 with President Calvin Coolidge presiding.

   Let us be a people of influence and witness as the holidays approach. Let us offer the love and hospitality fitting citizens of this nation and God's Kingdom. Grace and peace, Scott

Resentment is Not Right

   I pray that you are living this day and all of the days ahead with the deep, uniquely Christian awareness that

• God is good
• the future is filled with hope
• and that our witness to the world matters.

   C.S. Lewis, the popular, British theologian of the last century, was fond of writing about the future in fantastic ways. He also wrote some about politics. He said that the person who focuses too much on politics can be tempted to spend too much time comparing themselves to others. The comparison lie leads to measuring others in unfair ways. He goes on to say person then...

...therefore resents every kind of superiority in others; denigrates it; wishes its annihilation. Presently he suspects every mere difference of being a claim to superiority. No one must be different from himself in voice, clothes, manners, recreations, choice of food: “Here is someone who speaks English rather more clearly and euphoniously than I — it must be a vile, upstage, la-di-da affectation. Here’s a fellow who says he doesn’t like hot dogs — thinks himself too good for them, no doubt. Here’s a man who hasn’t turned on the jukebox — he’s one of those highbrows and is doing it to show off. If they were honest-to-God all-right Joes they’d be like me. They’ve no business to be different. It’s undemocratic.” - from Screwtape Proposes a Toast, 1959

   Did you catch that? If we're not careful, we begin to hate our differences, living as though, "People who are different are bad." You and I know that Jesus is not in such thoughts. But, how often have our thoughts moved down this exact same path?
   My prayer is that we focus on what is kind, honorable, and true. May we not fall into the trap of thinking about ourselves as compared to others, but instead stand firm on the truth that God is good, our future in Christ is amazing, and being led by the Spirit is the greatest witness we can have.
   Grace and peace, Scott

November 9 Matters More

   Is anyone out there tired of the 2016 Election Season? One reason is its length. The first candidate to formally organize a committee to explore a run for the presidency did so on November 20, 2014 - 720 days before next week's election day. The first person to formally declare their candidacy did that in March 2015, 597 days before election day. The length is not the only thing that has wearied Americans; another reason is the tone. Mudslinging is a polite description of what candidates and their surrogates have been throwing in every direction. Take heart, November 8 is almost here.
   Yet, I believe with everything in me that November 9 matters more. Most likely, in the wee hours after the polls have closed on Tuesday, someone will be declared the winner. However, despite the election coming to a conclusion, 40% of the country will feel like losers. Think about it; apart from the election season, most surveys find that 40% support one party, 40% support the other, and the remaining 20% are independent or support a third party. So, the end of the election does not end the division and the frustration many Americans are having. It will not be over on Tuesday.
   I believe November 9 matters more. For one, we have to be a united nation, again. But, for Christians, our toughest job starts Wednesday: to witness to the to love of God and truth of Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes so that we would be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Jesus said, "everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other" (John 13:35). Sing the tune in your head as you read these words: They will know we are Christians by our love. We are not called to be Republicans by our Facebook posts or loyalty to Fox News. We are not called to be Democrats by our yard signs or window decals. We are called to be Christians. People will know it by our love.
   Every person you meet on November 9 and forward will need to hear something good...
Tell them God loves them.
Tell them you love them.
Tell them we are still united.
Let us be kind, for our witness matters more than winning. #Nov9mattersmore
   Grace and peace, Scott

In Position to See God

   I tried to stay focused on the words as the young people stood in front of everyone to receive their Bibles. It was difficult. I was really proud of them. What a moment for them, to be recognized for being present and for wanting to learn and grow. Those two traits will take them far in life and faith. The words of the Church in that moment were,

Receive the Word of God. Learn its stories and study its words. Its stories belong to us all, and these words speak to us all. They tell us who we are. They tell us that we belong to one another, for we are the people of God.

  

I keep returning to the truth captured here; the Bible contains old stories that we grow up to realize are our stories. We are the lost sheep, the wayward son, the parent who celebrates. We are the sinner who comes back, the disciple who still has doubts.

   Our church is literally changing the lives of children every week. It happens because we rely on the Word of God and it happens because of adults who serve with love and grace. 

   The theologian Karl Barth suggested that reading the Bible is like walking out of a building to see everyone standing in place and gazing up at the sky, only to realize that what they are looking at is blocked from your view by the building. From the expressions on their faces, you know you want to see what they are seeing. So, you move yourself into position to see for yourself. I celebrate every parent who is moving their child into position to see what we see in the Bible; the grace of God, the love of Jesus, and the ongoing power of the Spirit.

   Grace and peace, Scott

The joy and heartache of youth

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

The third verse of one of most-beloved hymns, Come, thou Fount of every blessing, is literally filled with more truth and life experience than can be expounded upon in any brief space. No truer words have been written about humanity; we are in such significant debt to God we will never repay the amount; the best our hearts can hope for is to be bound to God; our very souls too often wander away from their true home; and in the end we will stand in courts above with nothing but our hearts on display.
   Written by Robert Robinson in 1758, you'd think it was penned by one of the great composers and theologians of all-time. I guess it was. But, would you believe that Robinson was only 23 years old when he wrote it? How can that be, I exclaim? In addition, he'd only known opened the door to Justifying Grace, being saved by Jesus Christ, three years earlier. He'd been in a barber's apprentice and was influenced by the preaching of George Whitfield, one of John Wesley's closest friends.
   I am now twenty years older than Robinson was when he wrote these words. On my best days I don't think I grasp my own sinfulness, and the towering grace and goodness of God, half as well as he does here. Yet, God has grace for us both. I am forgiven despite my wandering heart and the debts of my soul. I am now a new creation, free to move past the weight of sin and into the light of holiness of heart and life. Lord, let it be!
   Even now, our community is reeling at the news of the death of a young person, allegedly at the hands of two other teenagers. Lord, heal the deep and terrible wounds that remain in the lives of their loved ones. Lord, give us the courage to engage young people with the very love that has saved us and offer to them a witness to abundant life and the hope of God's glory. Finally, may we see the goodness of God and the potential of grace in the lives of every person. Grace and peace, Scott

November 8 is coming, but November 9 matters more!

   November 8 is coming. That is the final day to cast ballots for the Electors who will represent us in the Electoral College as a new President and Vice-President are chosen. Section I of Article II in our United States Constitution states that "The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States."
   People are troubled. People are worried. People are anxious. Between 125 and 145 million people will vote, and it feels like at least that many people are not happy about their choices. Facebook, which started as a college project and then became a place to post pictures of vacations and grand-kids, has become an endless stream of opinions, half-truths, total lies, frustrating posts, and maddening commentaries.
   What should the church do? Does it matter? I am sure that it does. We have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God who is at work even now putting the world back together.

• When Jesus headed into the clouds in Acts 1 he tells the disciples that "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• When Jesus spoke the Great Commision, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:20), the Greek word written down down was poreuthentes, which literally means "to depart, to leave, to cross boundaries." Thus, a witness to Jesus Christ is one who can overcome divisions, be they geographic, sociological, racial, or cultural. 

   November 8 is coming. The outcome of the election is going to divide people. Some will be happy about the outcome and some not happy. Some will be outraged. What will be our response? STOP. BE CAREFUL; what you say or do next matters. Are we going to be able to live with other the next day? 

   I believe November 9 matters more. Regardless of who wins and who loses, the church's witness the next day and the next day and every day after that can lead people to Jesus or away from him. He gave us that kind of power.

   Start preparing your hearts now. Grace and peace, Scott

   #Nov9mattersmore

Causing a Commotion in Worship

   I was sitting on the end of the seventh row of the large church auditorium at the New Room Conference in south Nashville, Tennessee. The opening speaker, passionate about Jesus, had the room of 1500 sitting on the edge of our seats; he was really good. After a little while, I uncrossed my legs to adjust in my seat and my foot brushed against…

   …my water bottle, sitting on the inclined floor in front of me. It starts rolling and I froze. It did not stop. At first slowly and then making more and more noise, I closed my eyes and prayed that God would make me invisible. He didn’t. It rolled down the aisle on the right side of the huge room, all seven rows, coming to a stop right at the front of the stage. The speaker is still going, not aware of what had happened, but everyone around me has been watching my water bottle and turning around looking for the dummy that got it started. At this point, the man sitting in front of me, turns around and says, “That was a holy roller moment.” I recognize him as Professor Ben Witherington, a world-renowned Bible teacher as Asbury Seminary in Kentucky. He then smiles wide and says, “I’ve never seen a water bottle answer an altar call.” God was humbling me through a bottle of water.
   Are we rolling toward Jesus? Are we moving forward when God calls? Do we respond in worship?
   Psalm 19:1 proclaims that, “Heaven is declaring God’s glory, the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.” Speaking about God, Isaiah 55:12 says, “mountains and the hills before you shall break forth in song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Just days before the crucifixion, the Pharisees scolded the Jesus-followers as they sang the praises of Jesus. He responded that if they didn’t sing that God would make the rocks cry out (Luke 19:40).
   Oh Lord, don’t make rocks cry out your praise when we’ve been perfectly created to do it. I sometimes need people to knock me over to get me rolling. God is drawing us toward him. Will we roll with it, or resist? Lord, help me to turn around and come to you. Draw me nearer
Grace and peace, Scott

The God of Jane, of Julie, of Joe

   "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" is one of the fundamental names by which God was known. It probably had something to do with the fact that the first believers would not pronounce the name of God, understanding it to be too holy. This name also caught on because God was first encountered because of the people who shared about their knowledge and relationship with the One Above All. Think about it; when you encounter God because of a person, like Abraham or Isaac or Jacob, you are encountering God because of that relationship. Because of your witness, people have come to know God through you. They might not use the name, but some people have come to know the God of Terrie, or Melissa, or Chris, or John.

+ + + 

   This truth should apply to how we 'do church' today. Every person has been created by God. Every person, of every age, needs Jesus to overcome the separation caused by sin and restore us to right relationship with God. As a church, we share Jesus with the young and no-longer-young, every Sunday. But, the earliest years of a person's life are the most critical. A Barna Group study indicated that 43% of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13, and that 64% of born again Christians made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. We need to be for all people, but we really need to be 'all in' for some people.
   One of the most powerful ways that a church can reach and raise up children and youth is through placing committed Christian adults in their lives through small groups. This is where we teach that the God of Connor, or Trish, or Taylor, is also the God of the teenage boy or elementary-age girl. It is exciting to know that this Fall our Youth Ministry is introducing small groups for Middle School and High School that start next week. Meeting in homes, they will be another place for committed adults to share the God they know and follow with receptive ears and hearts. Our Kids Ministry actually started its first small group for girls a couple of weeks ago! This happens when people generously share their gifts and their time.
   Our church is committed to sharing the Good News in ways that work. Small groups are one way to reach one group in need of the Gospel. In the coming months, we are will be finalizing and offering church-wide training on how sharing the Gospel happens most effectively through individuals in order to reach people outside the church.
   Grace and peace, Scott

Paul's (and Scott's) Prayer for the Church

I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen.

- Ephesians 3:16-21

   Allow me for a moment to address the question of who wrote the Letter to the Ephesians. It is considered, by some, a contested letter, as there are characteristics that have caused some to doubt that Paul wrote it. I side with Luke Timothy Johnson in understanding that the differences are all within the norms for any author who writes to different audiences on a variety of topics; there is no reason to think the Apostle Paul did not write this letter. In it, he summarizes the Gospel in a way that is unique among his writings. Back to the prayer...
   Paul is writing to Gentiles (not Jewish and probably Greek in ethnicity and culture) who are probably gathered in many locations around Ephesus. His prayer is very bodily in nature: they they would be strengthened, their hearts would be healthy, and they would be able to stand firm because they are rooted in love. He also prays for their minds, that they might be able to understand how large is the love and power of God in their lives and in the whole cosmos. Yet, he also refers to something deeper than knowledge: the mystery of the fullness of God. Finally, whatever blessings we choose to accept or deny, God is at work with us or without us through Jesus Christ, putting the whole world back together.
   God wants to use us for good. Paul knows God is offering everything we need to be used by God. He prays for unity, if it is possible, and for us to point to the truth that is illumined by Jesus Christ shining in the world. This was Paul's prayer for churches back then; it is my prayer for us now. Grace and peace, Scott

Ministry Sunday starts in the Bible: God's Word on How We are Made

Christ is 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....
Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 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?
But as it is, there are many parts but one body.... You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.
- from 1 Corinthians 12

He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.
- Ephesians 4:11-13

Above all, show sincere love to each other, because love brings about the forgiveness of many sins. Open your homes to each other without complaining. And serve each other according to the gift each person has received, as good managers of God’s diverse gifts. Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen.

- 1 Peter 4:8-11

Three of my favorite words: "I Don't Know"

   Born in 1946, Marilyn vos Savant has been known for much of her life as having the Highest IQ ever recorded and was actually listed in the Guinness World Records for it. So, she's kind of smart. Since 1986 she has been writing a column in Parade Magazine where she fields questions on the widest range of subjects and ideas. Her column from July 29, 2007 shared questions she found difficult to answer, but not because they were too tough. Take a look at some of the questions she did not print and answer in her column...

• I notice you have the same first name as Marilyn Monroe. Are you related?
• Do you think daylight saving time could be contributing to global warming? The longer we have sunlight, the more it heats the atmosphere. 
• I see falling stars nearly every night. They seem to come out of nowhere. Have stars ever fallen out of any known constellations?
• When I dream, why don’t I need my glasses to see?
• Can a ventriloquist converse with his dentist while his teeth are being worked on?
• I just observed a flock of geese flying in a ‘V’ formation. Is that the only letter they know?

- from John Maxwell's Good Leaders Ask Great Questions written in 2014.

These are hilarious. I really do believe that there are no dumb questions, but these come close, right?
   I've never met Marilyn vos Savant, but I trust that she is very smart. I like the fact that she is able to admit that there are some questions she cannot answer. I've known some really smart people: some have been related to me, many have been church members, and a couple of them were teachers or professors with whom I have studied. The thing that every smart person I've ever known has had in common; they know that they don't know everything. I love it when someone tells me, "I don't know." It makes me feel great. Because, I don't know everything and sometimes wonder if other people can relate.
   I think Paul was right on it when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 8, "We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds people up. If anyone thinks they know something, they don't yet know as much as they should know." And Proverbs 3 is a verse for life: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
   May we all not know it all. Grace and peace, Scott

Lost! She was knocking on our front door...

   The doorbell was ringing and someone was knocking repeatedly. Well, that is what Julie told me when she woke me up! The clock showed 5:40 AM, which my body knew immediately was a half an hour before my alarm was set to go off. Yet, I could hear the knocking and went to check.
   Standing on our front porch, with tears streaming down her face, was a young girl looking for her mom. Along with her older brother, the three of them had joined an early-morning running and exercise group, known as a boot camp, and had made it to our church from their starting point at the parking lot of the Baptist church. Her brother had run ahead and she was left behind.
   The story turns out great. She calmed down immediately while sitting on our front porch and left her mom a voicemail on her phone. We talked about Middle School and playing basketball and soon enough we could hear the call of her mother through the trees a block away.
   It happens. We get separated from the crowd. Sometimes our brothers run off. It unsettles us. It should. We were made to run together. We are supposed to travel in the company of others. So, the young girl standing on our steps could have been any of us and maybe has been us, at one point or another. What did she need in that moment?
   Really, this same scene is played out every week at the front door of our church. People walk up looking to attend worship, or our youth or children's ministries, or they come looking for help with food or clothes. All them are looking to connect. All them are looking for someone to travel with. God has literally made us to help them. We are made to connect. As Christians, we are commanded to be those who open the front doors of the church and welcome them. Serving them with hospitality and compassion, connecting them and offering comfort, showing them that better days are ahead; this is what it means to serve through the church.
   This is exactly what Ministry Sunday on August 28 is about - showing us where and how our time and care can help put the world back together for the people who come to our church. We will hear from volunteer Team Leaders in 8 main areas: hospitality, care ministry, students, children, office administration, worship, events and missions.
   People walk up every week needing the same thing our new friend did that morning: to be reassured they were in a safe place, to be called by name, to have someone care about them, and to know that they could be reconnected to the best stuff of life. Serving on ministry teams is what it means to be the church.
   Grace and peace, Scott

Two letters to two different places, but one message for us all

   Along with notes written to first-time guests, a note following up on a prayer request, letters to two committees within the church organizing for their work, and probably three dozen emails, two items I wrote this week will stick with me.
   I wrote two letters this week to young men who were very involved in the youth ministries I helped to lead over the past 17 years of ministry. One of the young men enlisted in the US Marine Corps two weeks ago, and I got his address on Parris Island from his mother. I got the address for the other young man from his mother, too. He is in prison for a sudden act of violence that led to an outcome, I believe, he did not intend. It is hard to imagine two different destinations for letters, right? I am struck, though, how similar my content was to them both. I think that if you were writing the letters, your versions would be similar, too.
   I told them both that I loved them. I wrote about God's desires for them. I shared my prayers for them. I wrote about how our family is doing, so they would pray for us, too. And, I included the same passage of Scripture to them both. My friend at Parris Island and my friend in prison both need to hear James 1:2-6 & 12,

My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind....
Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward.

I believe that these words are as true and timely for both of them as they are for all of us. I need to hear that testing leads to faith and endurance. I need to be reminded to pray for wisdom. I need to hear, again, that those who stand firm will be rewarded. Grace and peace, Scott

I want what I want and I want it now

I am sure I have said those words, or at least words similar to them. I am sure that I have thought ideas that are similar to them, as well. Haven't you? Haven't we all?

Isn't that what politics, at least the simplistic rhetoric of modern American politics, is putting on display in every news cycle? It sounds like this; a vote for me is a vote for you to get what you want! Doesn't this sound like every demanding boss or person in authority you've known? In every case, the means of achieving what I want right now is always about a grab for power. Yet, the message of the Gospel and was the message of this past Sunday's teaching is that Satan tempts with power and Jesus resists because that is not the way of God. Here is the same message from a different voice:

"Before we get too carried away with the thoughts of God's power, we should listen attentively to what St. Paul says about the "weakness of God" (1 Corinthians 1:25), which is a vital part of gods self – revelation. If we look at the way in which he discloses himself in Jesus Christ we have to acknowledge that he does not come into our world with a great display of superior power; in fact, this was one of the temptations which our Lord had to resist as being contrary to his mission, contrary to his true nature (see Matthew 4). He does not come in strength but in weakness, and he chooses the foolish and weak and unimportant things of the world, things that are nothing at all, to overthrow the strength and impressiveness of the world. As we saw earlier, he is like the judo expert who uses the strength of his opponent to bring him to the ground; it is the art of self-defense proper to the week. This is why, if we keep clamoring for things we want from God, we may often find ourselves disappointed, because we have forgotten the weakness of God and what we may call the poverty of God. We had thought of God as the dispenser of all the good things we would possibly desire; but in a very real sense, God has nothing to give at all except himself."

- from Prayer, written in 1975 by Simon Tugwell

May we place our trust in a God who is powerful enough to do anything, but doesn't overpower anything. God loves differently than that. May we love each other in the midst of our weaknesses, and speak the truth in love to every person who can hear it. Grace and peace, Scott

A Difficult Word to Write: Allowing Time for God’s Spirit to Work within the Church and in Our Lives

   I sit every week with the intent of engaging the news and current events of the world with the Word of God in a manner that is helpful to people within the congregation that I shepherd as pastor. This week there are so many pieces of news that deserve attention. I am writing about one, in particular, that is causing much anxiety to some of our people.
   On Friday, July 15, the Rev. Karen Oliveto, pastor of the Glide Memorial UMC in San Francisco, was elected as a Bishop at the Western Jurisdictional Conference. The next day she was consecrated and assigned to serve as a Bishop to four conferences that include churches in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Rev. Oliveto has been described as “an openly lesbian clergyperson”, as she married her partner last October. This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity. Many people believe that her election is not permissible by our agreed-upon polity, specifically as found in ¶304.3 where it deals with the Qualifications for Ordination,

The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.

There is already a legal request within our UMC’s system of appeals that the Judicial Council would rule on whether her election is within order. That ruling could come in October. Beyond that, the General Conference will possibly re-convene in a special session as soon as 2018 to act on a report around how to move forward, in light of this and other non-compliance and significant differences within our denomination around how to interpret the Scriptures.
   I have shared with many people in the past two months that my personal prayer, repeated often as I traveled to General Conference in May as a delegate for the first time, was that I would do no harm. This was the first of John Wesley's General Rules for the Church from the 1700's, and it's value is timeless today. I sit to write about events within the larger story of the United Methodist Church with these same words repeating in my heart: do no harm.
   The UMC has engaged in a conversation on sexuality for over four decades now. Many would consider our debate as having been more civil and more Christ-like that those held in other denominations during the same stretch of time. I think that is largely due to our never-wavering conviction to uphold the Scriptures while also seeking to care for all persons. One primary way this is lived out is through statements within our Book of Discipline - our church's constitution and book of policy and law that is amended every four years at General Conference. In ¶161, a section of our beliefs on Human Sexuality, we state,

We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to  responsible stewardship of this sacred gift. Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage. It goes on to say that, We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the Church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.

We are talking about practice, and not orientation. The Bible says nothing about orientation. There are references in the Bible to same-gender sexual behavior, and all of them are undeniably negative. There was no word in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek for ‘homosexual’ or ‘homosexuality.’ So it is not correct to say the Bible calls ‘being homosexual’ a sin; it is always referring to practice.
   Obviously these are difficult words for most people to read. Every person knows someone, probably someone close, that differs with whatever is your stance on sexuality. Those differences are certainly found within the membership of the UMC, a global movement of 12 million people from countless cultures and nations. I imagine that is what prompted the Holy Spirit to open my bible on the morning I started writing this to...

Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. - Matthew 7:1-5

   I am not suggesting we don’t speak the truth in love. I am simply pointing us back to love. We are not to engage our brother or sister about the small object in their life until we have dealt with the objects in our own: remembering that Jesus knew the objects/issues/sins in our lives were often larger than we would ever want to admit. We can do harm to others if we have not dealt with our own objects/issues/sins. It is biblically wise to slow down and pray for the Spirit’s guidance.
   Our own Bishop James King wrote about this in a Pastoral Letter last weekend:

Dear Beautiful People of the South Georgia Conference, we are in a season where it is difficult to find people who are not anxious about the future, angry about the status quo, or generally find it difficult to have a deep sense of peace and joy about life. There is confusion, pain, and grief all around us. I know many of you have questions about the action taken by the Western Jurisdiction in electing an openly gay bishop. Indeed, this election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity. Our Book of Discipline has clearly delineated processes in place for resolving issues even as complex and unprecedented as this election. The South Central Jurisdiction was still in session when the election took place. They approved a resolution requesting a declaratory decision from the Judicial Council on whether “the nomination, election, consecration, and/or assignment as a bishop of The United Methodist Church of a person who claims to be a ‘self-avowed practicing homosexual’ or is a spouse in a same-sex marriage (is) lawful under The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.” ....In a world where there is so much uncertainty, you can be in control of you and believe that God will take care of you because His certain and predictable love never ends. I encourage you to stay focused on Jesus Christ and on our love for one another as Christ loves us. I ask you to join me in prayer as we strive to faithfully and compassionately fulfill our covenant with God, the church, and one another.

   I believe God’s Spirit is at work to bring healing and to show us a way forward. I am open to how God works. Echoing the words of Bishop Ken Carter, who grew up in South Georgia, “Patience is a fruit of that same spirit....I can wait on and work with God. We are not yet perfect, but I plan to hang in there. I hope you will be there, too.”
   Grace and peace, Scott

This is God's song; let it be ours as well

   Worship on Sunday was moving. I found myself caught off guard and moved in my spirit on three occasions during the hour we were gathered together, all in one place. Once was when Brig. General Sehorn spoke about every prisoner memorizing the names of over 400 fellow POW's, in the hopes that when one of them might be freed, they could return to the US and inform the 400 families that their loved ones were OK as of a certain date. That little detail struck a chord, as I thought about all of those families that went years without knowing anything good. Later, I was moved to tears as Jim described the moment on the USAF cargo plane headed out of North Vietnam that would carry hundreds of airmen home after years of brutal captivity and they stood to sing praise to God. That thought was still in my head on Monday night as our family sat on a grassy hillside watching the red glare of fireworks; our nation celebrates its 240th year of independence because of the intentional service and sacrifice of real men and real women.
   The other moment that moved me on Sunday happened before Jim's message, though. After singing The Star-Spangled Banner, Karen Clay had chosen for us to sing a moving tune that opened with,

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

a song of peace for lands afar and mine;

this is my home, the country where my heart is;

here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:

but other hearts in other lands are beating

with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

- Lloyd Stone, composer

Stone wrote the opening two verses of the hymn we sang in the interval between WWI and WWII; he was 22 years old at the time. Halfway through these opening words I found myself unable to sing for a moment. I was struck; God hears the songs of many nations, God desires the hearts of every person, God longs for peace in every place, and the end of tyranny for all time. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for the same. Grace and peace, Scott

Obedience and Freedom

   Reading through a little book by Frederick Buechner, organized like an encyclopedia of topics on faith, I came across an entry for Obedience. It simply said, see Freedom. Going to that entry I found:

Freedom:  We have freedom to the degree that the master whom we obey grants it to us in return for our obedience. We do well to choose a master in terms of how much freedom we get for how much obedience. 

When we follow God, that Master is love. Buechner goes on to say in his definition of Freedom,

...to obey Love itself, which above all else wishes us well, leaves us the freedom to be the best and gladdest that we have it in us to become. The only freedom Love denies us is the freedom to destroy ourselves ultimately.

What a timely word. Still alive, Buechner will turn 90 years old in two weeks. I don't have any reason to think that he was thinking about the Fourth of July. Yet, the truth is the freedom we celebrate this weekend, won through the heroes who volunteered to serve and sacrifice for our country, points us back to the God who has created us free. May we respond to the freedom that God has given to us with obedience to him.
   Grace and peace, Scott

++++++++++++++++

   I don't hear anyone these days saying, "Turn up the heat?" But, what if God allowed that very thing to happen? It happened for Jesus; after spending forty days in the wilderness, hungry, tired and miles from his home, Satan arrives to test Jesus. On most days most adults can resist most temptations. What about on our worst days? And, what is the worst that the devil can throw at us? 

   Join us in worship July 10, 17 and 24 to learn how to beat the flames of "you know where".

Clean our your mind and your heart

“The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds and makes all political and social life a mass illness. Without this housecleaning we cannot begin to see. Unless we can see, we cannot think.”

– Thomas Merton, from Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, written in 1966

   If it were for not the fact that the book was written in 1966, or that Merton died tragically in 1968 at the age of 53, this quote could easily be attributed to any wise person viewing the ongoing political scrum or tuning into the news on any given night. 

   Merton's prescription, for how to go about purging the rubbish that clutters our minds, concludes with, "The purification must begin with the mass media." Fascinating, right? Think about this: CNN was still year from being introduced, and Facebook and Twitter were decades away, but Merton seems to be pointing directly at any and all of them. But, where do we go to get away from the non-stop barrage of noise and criticism, opinion and spin? I have bad news; there are 134 days from this Sunday until election day on November 8. And, do any of us think that the angry, soul-draining, mind-numbing crush of the 24-hour news cycle will cease on that date? No, none of us think that. What can we do? Scripture offers this:

• Romans 12: - Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is - what is good and pleasing and mature.
• Philippians 4:8-9 - From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.
• Hebrews 3:1 - Therefore, brothers and sisters who are partners in the heavenly calling, think about Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.
• 2 Timothy 1:7 - God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.

May we renews our minds, stay focused on what is true and lovely, seek out Jesus, and know that we have a powerful spirit that, with God's help, can overcome the rubbish that would make a home in our hearts. Grace and peace, Scott

Violence, Fear and the Opportunity to Save Our Country

   I join with so many who are praying for peace and comfort to the families of the victims of the shooting in Orlando. I pray for a sense of safety and protection for others who feel threatened based on their race, or religion, or location, or orientation. It is not okay that people are targeted and killed, for any reason.
   I offer these words, as our response moves beyond prayers for peace. Addressing the US Congress in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln said,

It is not "can any of us imagine better?" but, "can we all do better?" The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise - with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.

One of the dogmas Lincoln was referring to certainly included slavery. I cannot help but think he also had in mind the violence that turned a nation's disagreements into a national war that tore families apart and spilled more blood than any other conflict in our history - roughly 2% of the population, an estimated 620,000 men, lost their lives in the line of duty during the Civil War. Violence is not the way of Jesus; we must disenthrall ourselves from the evil grip of violence.
   Violence starts in the heart. Jesus re-interpreted the Old Testament prohibition against murder, found in Exodus 20:13, as having its origins in the internal emotion of anger toward a brother or sister. Read Matthew 5:21-26, again. There is a better response than anger or violence. It is submission to the kindness that leads to forgiveness. People do harm to each other all of the time. It is not okay, but responding with violence to something you see, or hear, or receive is never the way of Jesus. Instead, Jesus said, "I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well," in Matthew 5:39.
   Redemption starts in the heart. The heart is most shaped and affected by the nurture of the home. We must do more to shine the light of Jesus into the homes around us. We must teach adults how to parent well. We must speak against the cycles of abuse, of neglect, and of abandonment, and address the underlying causes of such devastating environs on the lives of children. We must return to being a church that is reformed away from arguing over practice or policy and back to being all about transforming society one changed-life at a time. Remember, every act of violence is acted out by someone who was once an innocent child.
   Grace and peace to the families of the Orlando victims. Grace and peace to people who live in fear, and to our country and world as we seek to live anew. Grace and peace to you and me as we struggle to live in the non-violent, counter-cultural way of Jesus. Scott

Annual Conference: Then and Now

John Wesley, founder of Methodism

   In the very beginning of Methodist history (the 1700's) there were no local Methodist churches, only Methodist preachers who traveled from place to place preaching to crowds a message of repentance and good news. Methodist preachers would then organize small groups for the new believers to stay connected and learn both to study the Bible and make offerings to support ministry. Eventually local churches were started and, within a couple of decades, Methodism came across the ocean and spread like wildfire across the American colonies. Back then, Methodist preachers met annually at a conference with leaders, like John Wesley in England and Francis Asbury in the colonies, to give reports of their ministry, to be held accountable, and to be inspired. Conferencing is one of the cornerstones of how we Methodists practice our beliefs. We remember Jesus' promise to be present with us when we gather (Matthew 18:20).
   The first annual conference in America was held in 1784. Ever since then, regional groups of Methodists have gathered every year for Annual Conference. The South Georgia Annual Conference meets this week, Wednesday through Saturday, at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Laypeople and clergy from every charge are represented. We begin each day with a Bible Study, hear reports, take votes, and pause for worship a couple of times a day. We will also celebrate Bishop King's eight years with us, before he retires in August.
   The best stuff of conference is not in the legislative action, as most actions taken by the 'body' will be expected and the unexpected ones will be talked about for a few days and then be forgotten. The best stuff is often in between every session and around every meal when the 1500+ persons in attendance exchange fellowship, encouragement, and grace. I am especially anticipating a few events, in particular. On Thursday,  I will make a couple of reports on behalf of the Board of Ordained Ministry, for the last time. I have served on this team of 60+ clergy and lay for the past eight years, and rotate off this week. On Friday, I will have the honor of introducing our own Caroline Gowan to share in front of the Conference about our Loads of Love ministry; it would be awesome if other churches adopted something similar! On Saturday, my family will sit proudly for the final worship service where my brother, Kirk, will be commissioned as a Provisional Elder this year, along with a great class of other pastors being commissioned and ordained.
   Finally, the very best moment of Annual Conference will happen on Saturday when Bishop King sends our family back to serve as your pastor. I want that to happen every year for a long time!
   Grace and Peace to you, Scott

One (important) Mission of the Church

   Crash! Julie and I saw it happen a couple of weeks ago at the traffic light here in Bonaire when one car was trying to pull across two lanes without looking. Bumpers smashed, paint damaged, egos fractured; thankfully no one was hurt.
   Not every crash is damaging, though. Think about what happens when two particles collide in a reactor. When done correctly, they produce enough energy to power a corner of the state. There are lots of examples of good things happening when two things are brought crashing together.
   We think this is one of the most fundamental reasons that the church exists; to bring Jesus and children. This is really what our church has been doing for a long time. Once upon a time the church was helping to raise up boys like Cullen, Jon, and Stuart. Our church played a role in helping Linda, McKenzie, Kylie, and Doris. We want to be even more intentional about claiming our place at the intersection of two great influences in the world: the church and families.
  Orange is one of the great ways of thinking about doing church. It is based on the idea that the mission of the church is to focus heart of the family (red) on the bright, shining light of Jesus (yellow). Orange is the result of this happening well. Jessi Marlow has already been doing an awesome job of teaching about this to our volunteers. There is more to come. Our church is going to swap rooms around, paint some walls, and invest even more deeply into the lives of families so that children are surrounded by the love of Christ.
    Vacation Bible School is coming. We want every child in this community to know they are welcome here and we want every child here to meet Jesus (some for the first time) and to be so excited about what is happening here that they beg their parents to come back on Sunday.
   Grace and peace, Scott

 

Who Am I? Let me ask a mirror!

   Can you state your name and date of birth, please? How many times is this question asked in a modern American hospital on a daily basis? A hundred times? Not close. Easily many thousand times, considering it is required before any medicine or medical procedure is offered. Just the other day I heard one patient exclaim they were most exciting about being discharged to go home in order, "so I don't have to tell people my name and birth-date all day long."
   The truth is, more than just in hospitals, check-out lines, or the airport, the world is regularly asking us to verify our identity. Who are you? Where do you call home? What do you stand for? But, do any of us know the truest answers to these questions on our own?

   Saint Clare of Assisi, who lived in Europe as a Franciscan Sister from 1194-1253, wrote frequently about living in the world but not becoming of the world. Like us, she knew that we must spend time with God, apart from the busyness of the world, in order to stay grounded in our true identity. Of all of the ways of describing the best practice for living this out, she found the mirror to be the most helpful illustration for what. She would advise others to place themselves in front of the mirror, to let the light mirror you, and to look upon the mirror of perfect love each day.
   It sounds like a Disney fairy tale, but we are not able, on our own, to see clearly about ourselves. We are always wavering between being too kind or too harsh with ourselves. Instead, we really do "find ourselves through one another eyes," as Richard Rohr put it.
   We cannot do life apart from the company of others and apart from the the true, clarifying light of Jesus Christ shining into the world. Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light" (Matthew 6:22). It is all a matter of learning how to see who we truly are and it takes much of our life to accomplish it.
   Pray for God to lead you into deep relationships where the truth can be told in love. Pray to God to speak to you in moments of silence, that you might hear of your own Belovedness. Pray about joining one on one discipleship, and allow the Word of God to work in your life as a mirror.
   Grace and peace, Scott

A Big Tent: Reflections on General Conference

My contribution to an Exhibit about
what is great about my local church!

   I've been in Portland for seven days now. General Conference is still working and news and rumors are happening around me, even now, as I sit and write this during a plenary session. Elected as a reserve delegate, I've been included as a voting delegate at six different sessions, so far. One of the days I've been seated in the legislative committee that is at the epicenter of conversations around sexuality and gender and on another handling petitions about the local church. I've observed the large meeting sessions, sat near the small committee groups as they've worked, had meals with great folks I've not known before, and been inspired by music and some great preaching. What I've experienced in these days prompts these reflections:

• Everyone here means well, though not everyone agrees on how to interpret the Scriptures. I have witnessed kindness from all sorts of people. This has been a blessing and a reminder of our shared humanity and need for grace.  
• We are a worldwide church. We all know this, but sitting alongside delegates and guests from every corner of the world drives it home. Going forward presents challenges in working as a global entity, but affords us such advantages in witness and reach.
• The Central Conference delegates from around the world are sharp. They arrive prepared and engaged. They will continue to rise as leaders of direction and vitality in our connection.

   The Rev. David Watson, a United Methodist professor in Ohio, wrote in an article last month a word of reminder: the United Methodist Church is a 'big tent' denomination. John Wesley made room for people of all sorts of theological bents. Instead of arguing incessantly, he spent his energy laser-focused on raising up leaders and people to grow in grace and act in obedience to God. Even the merger of two denominations that formed the UMC in 1968 allowed for lots of people along a spectrum to gather in one large place. This is one of the very best things of our connection: everyone is welcome and, on our best days, we are intentional to not do harm to those sitting next to us who might think differently. I pray that we are all led by the Holy Spirit to pursue Scriptural Holiness.
   I am so very thankful for my family who has allowed me to travel and to the church and staff who have covered for me; I believe our service here has sought to serve God faithfully.
   Grace and peace, Scott

The World is not ending today...can you see it?

   The year was 1493. The world was massively changing. In just the year before, Columbus set sail from Spain to find a new passage across the center of the Atlantic Ocean going west. Fifty years earlier, Johannes Gutenberg had quietly invented the printing press. It was this invention that prompted the printing of the The Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. It was the first book to successfully integrate illustrations and text. It contained illustrations from around Europe and also from the Holy Lands, along with history lessons that followed the story of humanity as it was told in the Bible. This was a really big deal. This should have been cause of celebration, as the new technology of being able to print rapidly, compared to copying by hand, could help change lives through offering information to thousands of people. This was great...except the author, Hartmann Schedel, only saw the tragedy and suffering around him. He finished the book with a very pessimistic outlook on the world. Then, he literally included a few blank pages at the end for people to use to record the remaining days and moments of history, because he was sure the world was doomed! I guess he was wrong on his outlook of things. Think about all the changes that someone born in that same year would live to see...

• the first newspaper published
• massive contributions in the world of art, music, sculpture
• the Reformation of the Church led by Luther and Calvin and others
• the invention of the watch, enabling coordination of people and advances in science
• use of new lenses in telescopes that allow for tremendous increases in observing deeper into space

Rabbi Edwin Friedman wrote about this when he said, "In order to imagine the unimaginable, people must be able to separate themselves from surrounding emotional processes before they can even begin to see (or hear) things differently." God wants to do a new work around us. God wants to restore and redeem the world. Read it in Isaiah 43:19.

   We must pray to God for God's Spirit to lift from us the fog that our own fears and worries and lack of clarity allow to cover over the good that is happening around us. God is at work. This is true for the world, for the church, for our families, for our selves.
   Grace and peace, Scott

General Conference and Bonaire UMC

   The United Methodist Church does not have a Pope, or President, but it does have a legislative body, like the American Congress, that writes rules and amends our policies. Grounded in what is best about Methodism, it is made up of both laypeople and clergy, with each getting equal representation. General Conference meets every four years and is the only entity that speaks for The United Methodist Church. The 2016 General Conference of The United Methodist Church gathers May 10-20 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
   During the 11-day session, the delegates will revise The Book of Discipline, which regulates the way local churches, annual conferences and general agencies are organized. They will also revise The Book of Resolutions, a volume declaring the church’s stance on a variety of social justice issues. In addition, the assembly approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs for the next four years and elects members of the Judicial Council, which is our equivalent of the Supreme Court.
   All of this is important to United Methodists everywhere, but takes on an even different perspective because of last summer. At Annual Conference in June 2015, the week before moving to Bonaire, I was elected to represent the South Georgia Conference as an alternate delegate at the 2016 General Conference. This was humbling and a surprise. South Georgia sends four clergy and four laity delegates, along with two clergy alternates and two lay alternates. In addition to General Conference in May, we will serve as voting delegates at the Jurisdictional Conference held at Lake Junaluska, NC, July 12-16. We will meet with prospective candidates for Bishop before delegations from all 13 conferences in the Southeastern Jurisdiction vote and elect the five new Bishops. Bishops are elected to serve until retirement, and are appointed to conferences four years at a time. Our Resident Bishop, James King, will retire after eight years in South Georgia, at the end of August.
   I covet your prayers for these eleven days, in so many areas.

• For my family, as school winds down. 
• For the church, that people stay healthy and that things stay great. 
• For the Conference itself, that the women and men gathering in Portland would be led by the Spirit, be grounded in God’s love, and be clear in their witness to the world - for the world will be watching. 

Grace and peace, Scott