experiencing grace

Through the Eyes of a Child

2012-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

My uncle Woody died yesterday. I received the news in a text from my mother, his sister. Interesting way to receive the news about the death of a family member - even one I have had no contact with for many years. Funny how that happens! For years, I saw my Uncle annually when we made the trip to the Bluefield area where my grandparents and my mother's siblings lived. After my grandfather died and Granny moved to Delaware to live with our family, I saw him infrequently, only when a significant celebration was held for my grandmother. I guess notification by text seemed fair enough.

On this day after, here are my initial memories, all fond: Uncle Woody was always an earthy kind of guy, a coal miner, who smoked cigars. He was the first adult in my life to tease me. He loved teasing all his nieces and nephews. Some of us gave him the response he wanted, while others ignored him; but all of us knew that he loved us! As ancient as these memories are, they are still clear, even today.

By text I have learned that Uncle Woody's funeral will be held on Tuesday, most likely. With no clear idea of when the service will be, I cannot even consider attending; so between now and then, I plan on doing what I would do if I were officiating at such a service. I will reflect upon my memories of my Uncle's life, consider what scripture I would use, and write something in memory of him. Even though I am 57, it will be written through the eyes of a child, a child who loved her Uncle Woody.

Do We Expect to Hear from God?

2012-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

In every daughter's life, there has to be at least one life-altering lesson she learns from her mother. I have given a great deal of thought to this lately as, in my late '50s, I have felt compelled to take a deep look at my life-long relationship with my parents and their lasting influence on me.

For some daughters, the most significant lessons they learn from their mothers have to do with gender specific roles. I did not learn how to manicure my nails from my mother, even though her nails always seem perfectly manicured to me. I did not learn how to care for my hair from my mother. I did not learn how to be a "girly-girl" from my mother, even though I suspect she is just that! Most of what I learned about clothes and makeup and hair and other such things came from my oldest sister, who had a great distain for the way I presented myself as we were growing up and always let me know; close friends in early adulthood and now who encouraged me; a daughter whose fashion sense is delightful; and a husband who has complimented me from the first day of our marriage each time I came home with a new outfit.

The major life-lesson my mother taught me goes much deeper than mere appearance and has served as a foundational value for me. My mother taught me the importance of praying, of having an intentional daily relationship with God in which there is the expectation that in the act of making myself present to the Holy, God, in return, will speak to me, will guide me, will make God's desires known to me.

My mother taught me this lesson so well that when God spoke audibly to me, calling me into ministry, in February of 1981, I recognized God's voice and answered "yes." It was not a stretch for me to believe that it was the voice of the Divine. It had been modeled for me in my parents' home as I was growing up. Little did I know that it was one of those transformative teachings.

Often I hear people debate whether God speaks in the 21st century. Because of the life-lesson taught to me by my mother, I personally have no doubts and, until I remember that everyone did not grow up with my mother, I am amazed that anyone would have such low expectations of God.

I have learned that if I am to hear from God, I have to prepare a place in me to receive what is being spoken to me. I do this through silently reflecting on the sacred stories of the Bible, by disciplined prayer, by inviting others to pray for me, through communal worship, and by growing more space in each day to listen for the voice of God. Some days I am better at this than others. Engrained deeply within my heart and soul and mind is this life-altering lesson taught to me by my mother. I cannot get away from it. It lives within me, this expectation that God will speak to me, to others, and to the world! Thank you, Mom, for teaching this lesson!

Finger Pointing

2012-01-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

We live in a world where finger pointing is a part of the daily menu of life. One only has to tune in to the national political conversations, from Iowa to New Hampshire to South Carolina, to hear the accusations flying, the fingers pointing. It seems to happen naturally as candidates seek to differentiate themselves, one from the other. Some could say that I am pointing the finger at these candidates as I write. Just goes to show how easily it happens!

Five days with my great-niece Margot, who is approximately a year and a half, has shown me that finger pointing can have a positive connotation. Whenever she cannot find the precise word in her vocabulary to fit the situation, or does not feel like making the effort to come up with necessary words, she simply points her finger. If she wants someone to move to a particular place in the room or upstairs or outside, she points her fingers. If she needs more water, she stands in front of the fridge, points her finger, and looks authoritatively at the adult she decides should get her drink, and the deal is sealed! If she wants to join you on the sofa, she points her finger at the place she wants to sit and someone places her there. If she wants to be read to, she points her finger at her book and someone responds. When Margot points her finger, she is not trying to be bossy; she is asking for someone to work with her, to help her do the things that she cannot yet do on her own.

I love my great-niece's concept of finger pointing! What if we embodied this concept? What if, instead of accusing others, finger pointing became about helping others do the things that they cannot do on their own? What if, when others pointed their finger at us, we viewed it as a request for us to work with them? What would happen if we let a little child lead us?

The First of Six Weddings

2012-01-02T08:02:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon and evening, our family held the first of six weddings for my great-niece Maddy. Maddy, a four year old, made the decision that she is going to have six weddings in her lifetime. The first was to be yesterday. Of course, she said with a smile, I won't have a husband at this one. I told her that was ok and that she was in luck -- that I am a pastor and could do (officiate at) her wedding. That intrigued her for a moment, especially after her great-grandmother explained what a pastor is and that I am one, really; and then she continued to make plans for the first wedding.

At first she wanted it to be downstairs in her condo; but as she talked, she decided to have it upstairs in her g'grandparents condo. Her outfit, she finally decided, for the first wedding was a pair of Fancy Nancy pjs that I had brought for her. As soon as she tried them on, she knew that was the outfit. She had a scarf on her head, her initial idea of a bridal veil; but after trying to get the slippery cloth to stay on her head, I suggested that we might fashion one for her - out of tissue paper. G'grandmother, always eager to foster creativity, hunted up tissue paper and the Virginia Beach version of Project Runway began, a low budget version. How we wished her g'mother was in town. She could have fashioned one with ease! The bride-to-be, just as Fancy Nancy would have done, created a work of art to be used in the veil. I then began to fashion the tissue paper into a veil, using tape and hair pins/clips. As strange as it looked, it was a hit with Maddy! So accepting of the gift offered!

Maddy wore the veil throughout the evening, while playing, eating dinner, and still playing. I kept wondering when the wedding would take place. At the end of the evening, when Maddy's parents gathered their children to take them home, and no ceremony had taken place, I thought that Maddy had simply moved on to something else. As she hugged me, she said, "My first wedding is done!"

Ah, I realized, the wedding was the afternoon we spent together as family, playing and eating and enjoying each other's company, creating the environment for the wedding, living out the wedding ceremony, for better or worse, as we went along! Out of the mouths of babes! I think my g'niece may have come up with the perfect idea for how a marriage should begin - low key, in the midst of established relationships, very naturally! I suspect this would take the stress out of the wedding day and might even change the divorce rate!

A little child shall lead us!

There's Got to Be a Morning After

2011-12-26T05:25:00.000-08:00

It is the morning after Christmas. Memories of Christmas Eve worship and Christmas celebrations with family and friends still linger in the air. "A child is born to us!" At church, children in costumes retelling the sacred story. Candlelight caroling. A teenager portraying a shepherd reminding us of a God "made small enough" for us. A spirit of joy. At home, a quiet Christmas with Mark and Jessica, much different than any other I have experienced in my adult life. It was a leisurely Christmas, the celebration lasting much of the day. The making of angel biscuits for our traditional Christmas breakfast of sausage, angel biscuits, and grape jelly; the opening of gifts, one by one, so we can savor the moment, just as I have done all of my life. Calls and texts to and from family and friends, wishing each other a Merry Christmas! Snacking on meatballs, blue cheese bacon dip, and eggnog. Watching Christmas dvds. Baking dessert - spice cake with carmel icing, a favorite of Mark's and Jess'. Cooking a delicious dinner of beef brisket, mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted carrots and brussel sprouts. The first Christmas in memory that we did not eat turkey/ham. I didn't know if I would like the change, but I did! I think it's a new tradition! Christmas Day wound down with the three of us together. Our day ended with Mark driving our daughter to the Amtrak station so she could return to Manhattan, her home. It was one of the most enjoyable and joyfilled Christmases I have ever experienced!

The thing about Christmas is that there's got to be a morning after! For some people, like our daughter, this means returning to work as usual! Others are hustling and bustling around town on this day known as the biggest return and exchange day of the year to take back gifts. Others are spending the day taking down Christmas decorations, making sure that, by the end of the day, there will be no sign of Christmas 2011.

I have always enjoyed the morning after Christmas. Christmas, and all the celebrations of it, are still dancing in my head! It is a day of quiet reflection, a warm, fuzzy day, as I think of a God made small enough for me. Small enough for me to wrap my heart and head around. How amazing is that?

Later today our close friends are coming to visit and our celebration of Christmas will continue. In fact, we have 12 days in which to enjoy Christmas with family and friends; to look for the ways in which the Word made flesh is transforming us.

There's got to be a morning after Christmas! Relish it! Enjoy the new possibilities it brings!

How Silently, How Silently

2011-12-23T02:40:00.001-08:00

I'm up early this morning. Somehow can't sleep as images of Christmas dance in my head! It's the time in the season when I am pulling together all the details for church and home and, with heavenly help, hopefully remembering all I need to remember.

Interestingly enough, as I am piecing together in my mind the rehearsal for Christmas Eve that will take place later this morning, and, at the same time, going over my gift list to make certain that I have not forgotten any "special someones," a line from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" keeps playing in my head: "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!" As Pastor Phillip Brooks penned these words, was he experiencing the same Christmas "anxiety" that I am experiencing? Was he concerned that the details of Christmas for worship and home would be so loud that he, that we, might miss God's Christmas present?

"How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!" In the midst of bombs blaring, soldiers and civilians dying, soldiers returning home, politicians posturing and losing sight of the human beings they are serving, a weakened global economy, unresolved health care concerns, churches struggling for life, God gives us the most amazing Christmas gift: One who restores the world to wholeness, the Prince of Peace!

How is it that we fail to receive it? Is the packaging too subtle? Should it have been wrapped in elegant paper and tied up with a gorgeous bow? Or in bright reds or greens with a candy cane adorning it? Are swaddling clothes too passe, too out of our experience, for us to even recognize the gift? Is God's gift, the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, doomed to be relegated to the nativity scene we have set up in our church or home?

"How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!" These words won't let me go! As I finish up coordinating the details for Christmas in church and home, I sense they will be with me, reminding me, calling me, to have "eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive" God's Christmas present to me, to you, to the world:
"For unto us is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!"

What we do with the gift, once we receive it, is up to us. I'm hoping that I, that we, will unwrap the gift in 2012 and do with it something significant for the transformation of a world. I'm hoping that I, that we, do not leave it gathering dust on the shelf like that candy dish shaped like a chicken Mark and I received for our wedding almost 30 years ago, not wanting to get rid of it because someone went to the trouble of giving it to us; but never quite comfortable enough with it to use it. I'm hoping that we use it to make a difference in our homes, our city, our community, our nation, and our world.

For unto us is born!

What the MBTI and That Pesky Speck Have to Do with Each Other

2011-05-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

This week Iwas reminded of two things that have been invaluable in my adult life: the Meyers-Briggs personality test and a verse from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Oddly enough, the same person was the reason for both of these coming to mind. He is a person I don't know very well; but hopefully, as time passes and trust builds, we will discover a way to respect and enjoy one another.

I am convinced that each of us has an achilles heel, a weakness of some sort that makes us vulnerable. It is my own particular achilles heel that led me to see the "speck" in someone's eye while failing to see the "log" in my own. As happens, when we judge someone else harshly, I reacted negatively, creating an obstacle in this new relationship we are trying to build. It's not the first time that I have rushed to judgment. As much as I would hope, it will probably not be the last time.

In an effort to try and understand why this happens, help came from an unexpected place: from the person I had judged hastily. He shared as to how he had recently taken the Meyers-Briggs personality test and talked about the results. All of a sudden, I was reminded of the test's helpfulness to me 30 years ago in coming to terms with my personality, with why I do the things I do, why I react in the ways I react.

With that thought in mind, I went home and took the MBTI online. It turns out that two of my letters have changed. While my basic personality has stayed the same, I am now an ENFJ, no longer an INFP. As I read what the overall personality traits of an ENFJ are, I understood why I rush to judgment when I feel hurt. I understood why my first reaction is to see the "speck" in someone elses eye while failing to see the "log" in my own. While this does not take me off the hook for my reaction, I know this is a natural part of me, a most vulnerable part. I understand that I am not a bad person. I am wonderfully made by God!

Why am I writing this? I think it is important that we own the vulnerabilities in our personalities, accept them for what they are, invite God to transform them, and then believe that has happened!

Children, Eggs, and an Easter Greeting

2011-04-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of last week, or perhaps even the week before, I came across the idea (no, I don't know where it came from because I failed to make it a fav) to use when chatting with the Grace Church children in worship on Easter. The idea was that many centuries ago, in some church, people would bring a red egg to Easter worship. During worship, they would hand it to someone as they offered the greeting: "Christ is risen!" The recipient of the egg would then say: "Christ is risen indeed!"

Do you know how difficult it is to find a red Easter egg? Or to find red dye? Hmmm....I suspect we all know that has something to do with food and red dye; but that's another story for another day. Anyone who knows me knows that when an idea comes into my mind, I don't give up until I figure out a way to carry it out.

In the meantime, Jeff Blackwell, our Director of Community Building & Programming, had ordered items for the children's Easter egg hunt. One of the things he had ordered were Splat Eggs. They are clear and have what appears to be an egg yolk in them. They move all around, somewhat I'm told like an implant, and go "splat" when you throw them against a wall. But I am digressing...

I asked if I could use the eggs - so that solved the problem of whether or not I would use real eggs for the children. Jeff said "yes." And when I was in the craft store on Thursday, I found red pouches in which I could put the eggs. It seemed too perfect. All I needed to do was to figure out what to say to the children. If only it had been that easy.

On Saturday evening, as I attempted to put the eggs in the red bags, I discovered they would not fit -- too small. My wonderful husband volunteered to go to the craft store and try to get larger red bags. Alas, they had only white or ivory. I went with the white having read somewhere else online that people in churches had given out white and gold eggs on Easter.

I cannot tell you the fun I had during my time with the children on Easter Sunday. After introducing the Easter greeting to them, I shared that I was going to give each one of them an egg as I greeted them with "Christ is risen!" Their response was to be "Christ is risen indeed!" I went down the line of children (and parents), handing out eggs, offering the greeting, and receiving their response. Then I invited them to go on an egg hunt. I had hidden foam eggs in the Easter flowers around the empty tomb. They hurried over and found their egg. Then I asked them to go to someone in the congregation, hand them the egg, greeting them with "Christ is risen!" I asked the people who received them to respond with "Christ is risen indeed!" It was a joyous moment in our Easter celebration. It is a remnant of Easter which I hope we will all carry with us.

Christ is risen! Christ is risen! Indeed!

2011-04-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

Christ is risen! Christ is risen! Indeed! I love Easter! I love the pageantry of Mary Magdalene coming to the tomb at sunrise; the image of the empty tomb; the angel wondering why Mary is weeping; the beautiful colors of spring flowers and the "left-over" palms forming the garden around the tomb where the risen Jesus first speaks. I love that he first speaks to a woman! Easter opens up all sorts of possibilities for us, our faith, our churches, our world!

As a pastor, I have always been moved to tears on Easter. In some way, it is akin to that watercolor or musical work or poem or play that is indescribable - there are no words to describe it - as it finds its way deep into the recesses of my heart and emotions, bringing a joy so incredible that all I can do is weep.

As I looked at the sun rising over the river yesterday morning during our Sunrise worship celebration at the Riverfront, as we were singing, "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia," I experienced God anew! My response was to weep! Later, as I sang the Easter hymn The Day of Resurrection, with the organ and brass accompanying, again the tears flowed! The presence of the risen Christ was real in a new way.

"Now let the heavens be joyful! Let earth the song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph, and all that is there-in!
Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend,
for Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end."

The sacred story of Easter moves me from tears of sorrow to tears of joy! The problem is that as I step away from Easter, while I am eager for the memory and meaning to linger, it often fades. Its vividness fades. Life becomes ordinary again. It occurs to me that, when life becomes ordinary, so does the way I live.

As Easter people, we are not called to be ordinary; we are called to be an extraordinary witness in an ordinary world. There is nothing ordinary about the good news of Easter: "Christ is risen! Christ is risen! Indeed!" This season of Easter, I am going to attempt to be an extraodinary witness, a person who exudes the joy and promise and possibility that comes from knowing the risen Christ! I sense this could get interesting!

It's Snowing - on a Saturday

2011-01-08T06:00:00.001-08:00

Whenever it snows profusely on a Saturday, knowing that Sunday is coming I am always slightly confused. Is it meant to stop all activity for the entire weekend? Or just for today? Is it meant to slow us down and remind us of what it means to stay at home? Is it God, the artist, painting a scene so incredibly beautiful that we can do little but simply enjoy it?

As I look out our balcony window at the thick flakes of snow, falling with complete disregard to tomorrow, to worship and a visit from my friend Dee, both of which are presently in question, I am touched by how peaceful everything appears. It's as if all the problems of the world have receded for today. The falling snow has leveled the playing field of our agendas and schedules.

When it snows, we always lose something. In the case of the Pruett-Barnett household, we will not be returning our zillion boxes of Christmas paraphernalia, which I worked so diligently yesterday to repack, to storage. Our loss concerns only our time; while the losses of others may be a great deal more costly.

When it snows, we always gain something. In my case, as I look at the snow flakes falling, each one unique like fingerprints, I delight in knowing that the one who designed the snow flakes to shower snow upon the earth designed me for a specific purpose. If the Creator could care so much about snow flakes to make a mold for each one, what has that same Creator done in making me?

When it snows, the adult in me is reminded that there is a need to simply enjoy life; to put on our boots, our caps, our gloves, our coats, and go out and play; to fall backwards into the snow and make a snow angel, to roll snowballs and make a Frosty or to throw them at friends. Tomorrow we'll figure out how to dig out the car so we can get to Grace Church or even whether or not Grace Church can be gotten to. In the meantime, over a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, I'm going to enjoy the winter wonderland that is being prepared for us. I hope you enjoy it too.

Prayer:
Gracious God, who watches out for each one of us, be with those men and women in service occupations that put them out on the roads this snowy day. Keep them safe and warm; get them to wherever they need to go without harm to themselves. Especially be with the crews who are cleaning the roads of our state, the streets of our cities and towns, and parking lots. Give them the strength they need to complete their tasks. Thank you for their dedication and their willingness to place themselves at risk. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

Where is God? Look for the Love!

2010-11-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

At the heart of life is love: God's love for us and our love for God, neighbor, and self. The most precious treasure of the Christian Church is the love we have been entrusted by God to share. As with any treasure, knowing its incredible value, a local church can choose to keep it for ourselves, to dispense it parsimoniously, or to share it generously. I have the privilege of serving a church where people practice the language of love, a love that makes God visible.

Recently, a representative of the Seaman's Center at the Port of Wilmington spoke in worship about the concrete ways in which God's love is offered to the sailors entering the Delaware port. She offered her thanksgiving for the good work of Nan Ransom, a Grace Church member, who volunteers her time at the center with sailors who are often out on their ships, away from home and family, for nine months out of the year. She told the story of one sailor who mentioned that he had a daughter who was an avid reader. While in the Port of Wilmington, he had wanted to find her a copy of Alice in Wonderland but could not. Nan heard this; and when she left that afternoon to go home, she went to a bookstore, found a copy, and saw to it that it was put into the sailor's hands. Such a simple act of love; yet it made God visible to this sailor.

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." 1 John 3:17-18

I was moved to tears this week when I received an email from one of the Moms in our church family who shared a project that her elementary age son is working on. It is called "MJ's Christmas Wish Project." Marlen read about the local Sunday Breakfast Mission and its need for persons to take on the finishing of rooms in its new building. After learning about the good works of the mission, Marlen felt he HAD to help. There are two rooms he would like to see completed: a handicapped accessible family unit room 135 and a small learning center room 161. If you go to http://www.mjschristmaswish.weebly.com/, you will see what is needed for this project to be completed. A local bank has committed to matching contributions that are made up to $10,000! Not only is Marlen displaying a love that makes God visible; he is asking us to step up and do the same.

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."

Recent mission trips to Mississippi...Tennessee...preparing monthly meals for the ministry of caring in the city...connections to various outreach/mission opportunities in the city and beyond... These are part of the precious treasure of love that we have been given to share.

What is next for Grace Church? Like MJ, you tell us. What concrete expression of love would you like us to enage in as a church family?

Back Home Again

2010-10-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

For much of my adult life, I've been a fan of John Denver. Years ago, when I was a student at Wesley Seminary in Washington, he did a concert at the National Cathedral. That sealed the deal for me! Since our mission team has returned home from Nashville, the refrain to one of his songs has been playing in my head: "Hey, it's good to be back home again; yes, it is."

While I love going away from home, there is always something sweet about coming back home. Maybe it's having the familiar at our fingertips; or perhaps it's the spouse who is so delighted with your return; or could it be that home is so comfortable, so inviting?

The mission trip reminds me that everyone wants a home that is inviting. No matter who people are and where they are from, no matter what the state of place in which they live, home is important.

Whenever I think of the trailer park in which our team worked, I will hold in my mind the image of the trailer in which Paul and Edwin put in a new water heater. On the first day, when the Shalom Zone staffer took us to this home, as I stood in the living room and kitchen, looking around, I noticed that the walls were a soft, warm yellow. The young couple shared that they were expecting a baby and were getting their home ready to receive him. Canisters in white and the same soft yellow graced the counter tops. Their trailer will never make House Beautiful, but it would make Better Homes.

Will anyone ever be able to say definitively what makes home so important? Maybe not. What I do know is this: When I walk through the door of the home that Mark and I share, I'm thinking, "Hey, it's good to be back home again; yes, it is!"

An Addendum to "All Good Things Must Come to An End"

2010-10-22T06:08:00.001-07:00

The team has left for the work site leaving me in the hotel to work on Sunday's sermon. Hopefully I will finish the work that I began on Monday.

The team's work is fairly light today. Paul and Edwin will install a water heater and Neil and Mary Jo will be adding a window sill to the window in the bedroom and painting it. Clean-up, putting the tools and such back in their proper places will follow, I'm certain.

As I reflect back upon this week, I would feel remiss if I did not say a word about each team member. Paul Miller has been a fine leader, capable, keeping the team on task, flexible in all situations, faithful, and generous in his praise. Edwin Brown has, once again, proven himself to be a man of great skill with the ability to figure out how to fix anything. His wry humor is a thing of joy! Neil Harmon, aka Doc, has shown, once again, his willingness to work on whatever project he is needed, together with any team member, using his gifts and abilities, and has continuously encouraged each person in their particular work. Mary Jo Miller who, after working on the trailer skirting yesterday with the guys, is affectionately known as Snippy, because she can snip vinyl siding proficiently, was the only first timer on this mission trip. No one would have known because she hit the ground running on the first day and never stopped working, supporting, encouraging, and enjoying the mission.

Missing from this trip was Kim Merkl who fell a few days before the trip and was injured. We missed her particular gifts and talents on this trip, which we know from the Mississippi trip, and particularly her delightful Southern sound.

God called this team to winterize - and somewhat beautify - a trailer that was damaged by flood waters. The team stepped up to the task and glorified God throughout the week.

And the family we served? I suspect that husband Carlos will be painting the outside of their trailer. Yesterday, when I showed Abida, the wife, the skirting Paul, Edwin, Neil, and Mary Jo had put around the trailer, she looked at me and said, "Ah..so beautiful." In the next breath, she pointed at the trailer and said, "Carlos should paint, don't you think?" What could I, a wife, say, but "Yes!"

This week has been an experience of grace; but isn't every week?

All Good Things Must Come to An End

2010-10-22T04:16:00.000-07:00

"There is an end to everything, to good things as well." ~Chaucer 1374

I have never been particularly fond of endings to good things. My feeling is that if it is a good thing, wouldn't it be lovely if it could continue forever?

Our week on the work site has been filled with many good things: vision, teamwork, new learnings, the use of all sorts of talents (some of which we didn't even know we had), making new friends-in-mission, laughter, and great joy.

Today it ends. We're done. The work we have been given to do will be completed. Our names will go up on the local Shalom Zone wall as an indication of this. We will say our good-byes to the young family for whom we have been winterizing the trailer, head back to the Econolodge, pack our bags, and, perhaps, be on the road, depending upon the time, for home.

If we are able to head for home today, it means that we will miss saying "goodbye" to our new mission friends from Michigan who have welcomed us into their circle and shared two meals with us. The meal they cooked for us last evening was delicious. They were so gracious that it was as if they had invited us into their homes and treated us as if we were special guests.

Today it ends. Another chapter in the mission life of our church family will be completed. With two mission trips in 2010 under our belts, it seems probable that there will be many more. Both trips have tweaked our mission imaginations and called us to look beyond our ordinary, daily lives to places beyond! There are persons who have expressed interest in going on mission trips who have not yet been. Isn't that exciting? Even as this good mission experience ends, it seems that another will rise up. What fun to believe that God will continue to open up new beginnings for mission!

So "goodbye, Abida and family," "goodbye Michigan mission team," "goodbye Carolyn," (our site coordinator), "goodbye breakfast at Econolodge," "goodbye peanut butter and jelly lunches," (and dinner leftovers), "goodbye Lebanon, TN, home of Cracker Barrel," "goodbye."
There is an end to everything, to good things as well.

We go; but as we do, we will take each experience we have had, each person we have met, with us back to Wilmington. Maybe, just maybe, we will discover that even though things come to an end, they do not leave our hearts and minds. In some way, large or small, they become a permanent part of us. It seems that in God's world, endings take on new meaning.

Keep us in your prayers as we travel. See you soon.

These Hands

2010-10-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

Some years ago, at the celebration of my grandmother's life, my father spoke of her hands. It was a moving tribute that has stayed in my mind. He used the image of her hands to tell the story of her life.

Today as we continued working on winterizing a young family's trailer, a song entitled Hands, by Jewel, kept playing through my mind.

We are God's eyes, God's hands, God's minds.
We are God's eyes, God's hands, God's heart...
We are God's hands. We are God's hands.

So prominent they were in my mind, that I felt led, at the end of the day on the work site, to take pictures of the hands of our team. The pics are on my Facebook page and will be posted to the Grace Church FB page on Thursday.

The hands of Edwin and Paul worked diligently underneath the trailer insulating it against the cold that is sure to come and fixing plumbing leaks and a sewage concern. They spent their days on their backs looking up at the underbelly of the trailer, except when they made road trips to Lowes.

The hands of Mary Jo and Neil were busy all day framing doors, cutting and putting molding on walls, and painting, at times in difficult spaces. My hands were painting, spilling the paint all over the toilet and floor, cleaning it up, cleaning the bathroom as a result, and finally, after stepping back for a short time, painting again.

The thought came to me, thank you Jewel, that our hands are really God's hands. We came to Tennessee as members of Christ's holy church called Grace UMC, willing to be a hands-on presence of the living God. Today, looking at the hands of each team member, through the lenses of the camera, was an interesting exercise in faith, a reminder of the reason we are here in Tennessee doing the work that we are doing, a reminder that our hands are the only hands that God has.

Pray that as we continue our work here, we will use our hands, God's hands, faithfully.

The Babe's Wisdom

2010-10-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

In a playoff season where we are waiting to see who will play in the World Series, wondering if the Phillies and the Yankees will play against one another one more time, I thought it might be fun to glean a nugget of wisdom from the great Babe Ruth. Here it is:

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."

The team we brought from Grace Church to Nashville plays well together. While each person on the team is individually gifted and talented, it is what is accomplished together that is meaningful. Collectively, decisions have been made as to how to redo the walls of a bedroom, how to fix the electric and plumbing concerns, how to frame windows and doors, how to do the difficult work which needs to be done underneath the trailer, how to put Kilz on the walls to prepare them for painting, to name a few of the team's tasks. If the first two days on the work site are any indication of the collegial spirit of our team, I think the Babe would be pleased.

Tonight we fixed dinner for our team and a team of eight from Michigan. Our team worked together to prepare two delicious stir fry dishes served over rice. It was definitely a group effort. In a week that was rough for Ohio State fans, the Michigan team was magnanimous in its remarks about the Ohio and Michigan rivalry. The folks on the team even shared their homemade peanut butter cake with us as we brought out the ice cream and cake for dessert.

The Michigan work team has been doing mission trips for much longer than we have; so we learned some new and interesting ways to approach mission trips in the future. It was good to talk with a team who is so experienced and kind enough to share their wisdom. I should also mention that we really liked them when they volunteered to do the dinner dishes! They will cook for us on Thursday evening and I believe we will volunteer to do the dishes. Seems only fair!

If the way a team plays (works) together as a whole determines its success, then I would say we have already had a successful week. And it's only day two on the work site! To God be the glory!

Off to sleep. Sweet dreams. I'll write more tomorrow.

Deja Vu

2010-10-19T03:42:00.000-07:00

Today our team began its work onsite at a small trailer park lined with trailers that had been filled with approximately four feet of water during the devastating spring floods from the Cumberland River. Water inside a trailer can only cause problems: mold and mildew, damage to the electrical wiring, rust, to name a few.

When we were on our initial mission trip in Biloxi, you will remember that we were working on a new home for a family because their trailer had been damaged by flood waters from Hurricane Katrina. In the case of the young family for whom we are doing the work this week, the damage to their trailer was not as severe and is felt to be repairable.

Most of the team worked on tearing out wall board in the "master" bedroom, dousing the space with mold killer, putting in insulation, rewiring outlets and switches, and replacing the dry wall.

Edwin spent his day working on plumbing issues and electrical issues, each of which, seemed to open up a new can of worms.

My job was to go into the local Lowes store and buy any immediate supplies that we needed.
Having lived in parsonages and apartments, where someone other than Mark or myself has normally cared for repairs and replacements, it is a store that can be somewhat intimidating initially. By the end of the day, one store employee was smiling at me, saying "I thought you weren't coming back anymore today! haha" and I was feeling right at home - at least in the plumbing and check-out sections of the store.

I now have added a skill set to my very weak home repair abilities. I can choose a faucet for the kitchen sink. I should say that, after being shown how to choose one in the first place, I know how to return/exchange the one without the sprayer for the one with the sprayer. And I know how to find the aisle with the faucets, a third time, in order to get one more faucet when a piece of the faucet breaks as Edwin is trying to put it on. I did share with Edwin that there was only one more faucet left in Lowes of the type we were using. Translated: There's only one more chance to make it work!

At lunch time today, we sat around, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and addressing questions/situations in which we have to apply our experience of God to our lives. The discussion was fun and amazing; providing thought-provoking insights, as always.

There were many times today that I thought to myself: "Didn't we already do this? in April in Mississippi?" Feelings of deja vu danced in my head! Team members standing at the beginning of the project, discussing how to accomplish the tasks at hand; going to work and accepting the challenges; numerous trips to Lowes; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; faith discussions over lunch; good humor and flexibility on the part of each person on the team; a collegial approach to our work; and the belief, at the end of the day, that we hopefully have been living letters of God's love for the young families we are serving this week, written not with ink but on hearts.

It's a sure thing that, just as in Mississippi, the first family for whom we are working has gotten under our skin and into our heart. Young Carlos, the 18 month old, offers hugs and smiles without condition. He wants to help; we can see it each time he tries to do what the team is doing. Such energy and passion!

Have we already done this? In many ways, the answer is "yes!" However I suspect that there is a surprise or two in store for us; that God is doing a new thing in our team this week. Can't wait to see what that is.

Keep us in your prayers. You are in ours.

Fun Facts about Nashville

2010-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the start of our mission work outside of Nashville, our team spent the day in Nashville, nicknamed the Music City.

As we drove into the city for worship, we passed a pancake place with a lengthy line winding around the outside of the restaurant. Must be some amazing pancakes!

We went to worship at Bellmont UMC, chosen for what seemed to be its similarities to Grace Church. As we entered the sanctuary, its beauty touched us (See pics on facebook page). Apparently we had guest written all over us, because a very friendly guy named Hugh stopped by our pew to check us out. He let us know that over half of the congregation was on a retreat. We didn't know what impact that would have on worship, but were quickly put at ease as the choir sang its beautiful Introit from the back of the sanctuary.

After worship, we drove downtown Nashville, once again passing the pancake place. Still, a long line of persons circled the restaurant. Truly must be some amazing pancakes.

After parking, we went into McKendrie UMC just to check out the ministries of this urban church in the heart of Nashville. We will be keeping in touch with their visionary pastor whose passion for God and the Wesleyan movement is calling this church to step up in new ways.

From McKendrie, we found our way to lunch at a downtown restaurant. Large tv screens displayed football games. Some of you will be excited to learn that most of the screens were showing the Eagles playing Atlanta. I encouraged, or was that begged, the person with the remote to change the channel to the New England vs. Baltimore game. Three men who were watching the Eagles play were adament about not changing the channel. When they discovered we were from Delaware, they were interested. Turns out, they were from Hockessin! Can you believe it? We came all the way to Nashville to meet three guys from Hockessin! Eventually, I did get to see the second half of my game. It was exciting to find that there were other Patriots' fans in Nashville!

As we were eating, 2000 bikers made their way into Nashville into the very block and surrounding area in which we were eating. Edwin, who seems to have a secret fantasy of owning a Harley, spent a great deal of time looking at the bikes. You may not know, but I used to ride a 1200 Superglide (red) Harley when I was in my early 20s. Just a little known fact!

As we left the restaurant and walked along the Cumberland River, we heard the sounds of country music coming from the area where a benefit was being hosted. Paul thought he heard the voice of Dolly Parton. Turns out, he was correct! There she was, a few hundred yards away from us!

We made our way out of Nashville and drove to the Lutheran church where we found Judy, the woman we had waited for the evening before. We received our work "orders" for tomorrow and drove out to the work site so we would know what was expected of our crew. We'll be working in a trailer park on two trailers. One of the trailers needs to be prepared for the cold weather that is coming. The family seems lovely, their 18 month son Carlos a friendly little boy. The other trailer is the home of a couple who is expecting their first child in a few months. While much of the work in their home has been done, they are in dire need of a water heater. We'll go to get them one tomorrow and Edwin and company will install it. Road trip to Lowes, just like in Mississippi; I'm looking forward to it!

After leaving the trailer park, our team pulled together our food for the next couple of days. Then we headed for home, the chance to put our legs up and to write this blog on our day in Nashville.

BTW: Did you know that after drinking a cup of locally produced coffee in Nashville, Teddy Roosevelt coined the phrase "good to the last drop!"? Okay, that has nothing to do with our mission trip; but it is fun to know, isn't it?

Well, I'm off to get a few hours of sleep. Sweet dreams. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
I'll write more tomorrow.

"Waiting for Godot" in Lebanon, Tennessee

2010-10-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

After arriving in Lebanon, Tennessee, after a day-long, uneventful van ride, we found ourselves in the parking lot of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church waiting expectantly and unsuccessfully for our Godot, i.e., a mysterious woman named Judy, to arrive.

Judy is the name of the contact our team was given to call when we were 45 minutes out from our destination. We called her...texted her...called her again...with no response. Deciding to give her time to get in touch with us, we went out to dinner. Still no word from Judy. Unlike the two men in "Waiting for Godot," we knew we were in the right place at the right time.

After talking with a group on site from Iowa, and discovering that Mary Jo and I had no sleeping accomodations because Judy had the only key to the room in the trailer outback of the church where we would be staying, our team headed off for the nearest Econolodge, still waiting for a word from Judy.

We'll go back to the church tomorrow and wait for Judy. When she arrives, we'll get situated, take a look at the area, plan our menus for the week, and get ready to do the work for which we came to the Volunteer state.

Pray that we wait well. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I'm off to bed in the Econolodge. Sweet dreams.

It is finished!

2010-04-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

It is finished: the first VIM (Volunteers in Mission) trip for adults of Grace Church that anyone can remember. Before driving to the site this morning, we reminded each other of what we hoped to accomplish today; finish the painting of the house; complete the trimming around windows and doors; and finish the deck.

As we drove to the site, the threat of rain was in the air; but we believed that it would not rain until the work had been completed. While it sprinkled some during our break for lunch, the rain held off until all we had said we would do was done. Thank you, God.

During our lunch break, as we ate from brown bags, we discussed issues of faith, openly sharing with each other our thoughts. Serena was in the mix adding her perspective, giving us a glimpse into her faith. After we had finished eating and conversing, I asked each team member to take a turn sitting in the middle of our circle so we could share something positive about him/her that we had discovered this week. As I listened to the sharing, I was touched deeply by the insights of the full team into each individual on the team. Since a large part of the VIM experience concerns the forging of relationships, I was delighted. We go home from Mississippi knowing nine other persons in our church family much better than we did before this mission trip. We go home from Mississippi knowing a great deal about the couple who will be living in the house we helped to build. Serena's willingness to be an active part of the building of Joseph's and her home was a real gift to us; a gift that we will continue to open in the days to come.

When we had done all we came to do, we packed up the vehicles and then walked the property, once more, taking pictures to help preserve the memories of our first mission trip together. Paul Miller, who was the project leader on site, and I had the privilege of shutting the door on the house for the last time. It was a moment I will cherish. Serena was not there because she had had to drive her husband Joseph to work.

As I finished taking the last pics, I had the sudden urge to pray over the house. I asked the team to gather so we could pray a blessing on the house. As everyone was coming to pray, I asked who was going to pray. No one offered. Just as I was going to appoint someone, Edwin Brown began singing. I started singing; but somewhere along the way I realized that Edwin's song was the prayer of blessing and stopped. As I listened to the words of an oldie but goodie, tears came to my eyes. It was a God-moment in which our hearts were touched. Below is the meaningful prayer that Edwin sang:

"Bless this house, O Lord we pray; make it safe by night and day;
bless these walls so firm and stout, keeping want and trouble out:
bless the roof and chimneys tall, let thy peace lie over all;
bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright, letting in God's heav'nly light;
bless the hearth a'blazing there, with smoke ascending like a prayer;
bless the folk who dwell within, keep them pure and free from sin;
bless us all that we may be fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
bless us all that one day we may dwell O Lord with thee."
Helen Taylor, words/Mary Brahe, music

This prayer song came to Edwin's mind because it is a song that he has always wanted to sing after building a new house. God moves in mysterious ways, don't you think?

After the prayer, we moved quietly to our vehicles and returned to Camp Hope to spend our last evening together with the other team who has shared this week with us, a team from Waynesboro, PA.

Tomorrow we return home to our regular lives. Sunday is coming when I can express my gratitude to Grace Church for supporting us in this life-altering adventure of kingdom building.

In the meantime, I'm grateful to Jan, Kim, Paul, Neil, Edwin, Carol, Maryke, Glen, and my friend Penny who gave up a week of her life to lead us in this adventure, for making this a mission trip to remember! It was a lesson in team work, nurturing relationships, belonging, participating in the building of God's kingdom, and being the Church of Jesus Christ. It was a reminder that the best thing going in The United Methodist Church is UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission).

It is finished! I am coming home tired but filled with great joy for the gift of this team and the last six days together.

Once again, you can see the work accomplished by the team on Facebook by going to http://www.gracechurchum.org/, and clicking on the FB link.

Now off to bed in the Camp Hope dorm for the last time. Sweet dreams.

"Let's Build Something Together"

2010-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

I've been to Lowe's three times today. Before breakfast, our team leader Penny drove me to pick up paint chips for the home the team is building. Homeowners Serena and Joseph had decided they wanted a baby blue exterior. My task was to choose colors in the blue family and bring them back to the couple. That trip was successful.

Once the homeowners had made their choice, it was time for another trip to Lowe's to pick up the paint. Team member Maryke, homeowner Serena, and I made our way to the Lowe's in Pascagoula which was slightly closer to the work site than the one we had been to earlier that morning. Forty-five minutes later we were in the store picking up 10 gallons of paint. As we made the trip, we were able to hear more of Serena's story. This time we learned how she met her husband Joseph. How good it is to connect more intimately with the homeowners of the house which we are helping to build.

As we left Lowe's, I commented that it was the last time on this trip that we would need to visit a Lowe's store. For a woman who would rather do almost anything than go to Lowe's, two times in one day is enough. That said, after dinner tonight, I found myself in the van with team members Penny, Paul, and Neil, on our way to, you guessed it, Lowe's! Earlier in the afternoon, when we were packing up to leave the work site, one of the project staff had asked if we would pick up several things from Lowe's for use on our site tomorrow. We did.

While we were in the store, one of the workers saw the green VIM shirts worn by Neil and Paul, wondered aloud that she didn't know that we (translated VIM workers) were still here in Mississippi. She thought that the people in the green shirts had left the area. When we shared that we were here doing work, she expressed her gratitude. Before we left the store, we discovered that her own home had been damaged in Katrina and she needed help. Happy to share the good news of Camp Hope, I offered to call her with the phone number of the caseworker. She gladly gave me her cell number, eager for assistance, and then threw her arms around us and hugged us. Very touching.

The "motto" of Lowe's is "Let's build something together." Isn't that a delightful slogan? In the short time our team has been in Mississippi, we have worked with the Volunteers in Mission on site coordinator, Steve, a very skilled and wise builder, to build a house for Serena and Joseph. We have learned the art of team work; of pitching in where help is needed; of supporting and encouraging the homeowners and others on the team; of seeking the collective wisdom of the team; of building community and friendships even as we build a physical structure.

"Let's build something together." Today the team finished the siding on the house, got part of the way through building a deck or porch, and began painting the exterior of the house. When Neil and Paul put up the last piece of siding with help from Glen and Kim (pronounced in Mississippi as Kee-am), as Carol, Maryke, Serena, and I painted, as Penny, Jan, and Steve constructed the deck, as Edwin began to put the trim around the windows, I experienced the goodness of God in each part of the work project. It was a mountaintop moment.

"Let's build something together." As important as the work projects have been this week, one of the most exciting things we have done has happened at lunch. Each day, as we have sat together on the porch of the house, eating from our brown bags, each member of the team has shared his/her thoughts about a question of faith which I gave them earlier. Today's conversation was exceptional and leads me to believe that we are building a community together at Grace where we can discuss the ideas and beliefs that we hold without fear.

"Let's build something together." As God's people called Christians, we are called and commissioned to build God's kingdom here on earth. I hope that is what we have done here in Mississippi this week.

Don't forget to look at the new pics posted on FB so you can see some of what happened today on the work site. Pray for us tomorrow as we complete our part of building the house for Joseph and Serena.

Time to go to sleep. Sweet dreams.

If You Grew Up Playing with Tinker Toys...

2010-04-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a productive day on site for our work team. While Penny and Jan had the time consuming, perhaps even tedious, work, of painting the boards for the trimming on the house (How many boards did you paint?), with very little help from their friends, the rest of the crew worked to complete the siding on three sides of the house. Once that was done, the fun began.

If you grew up playing with Tinker Toys, and enjoyed constructing all sorts of things, you would appreciate the putting together of the scaffolding with no directions for guidance. I'm guessing that those team members involved had played with Tinker Toys, or a similar building toy, as children.

If you grew up playing with Tinker Toys, you would have understood the cheers of joy that were raised by the team as each piece of the scaffold fit properly into another bringing a sense of accomplishment.

If you grew up playing with Tinker Toys, you would have enjoyed the moment or two when the pieces didn't quite fit together and the team had to work together, pushing and pulling, using great strength coupled with prayer. Weren't there always Tinker Toys that didn't quite fit together? when something was simply "off?"

If you grew up playing with Tinker Toys, you would have been thrilled at the moment when your design was completed (the scaffolding put together) and standing proudly for all the world to see. It was a true team work of art accomplished by give and take, by talking and working together. As Neil and Edwin stood on the finished scaffold, we knew it was stable and ready for use.

If you grew up playing with Tinker Toys, you know that there came a time when you used the design you had constructed for some purpose. Today the scaffolding provided the way to begin hanging the top siding on the rear of the house. After team members cut it and drilled holes in it, Neil and Paul climbed very high on the scaffolding and hung a piece or two of siding while the Senior Pastor of Grace Church prayed for their safety. I've discovered that "Tinker Toys" mission work increases one's prayer life.

New pics have been posted on FB.

Our team spent a pleasant evening together simply enjoying each other's company, eating dinner together, and getting better acqainted.

Tomorrow's fast approaching. Wait! It's already here. Since there's an early morning Lowe's call, I'm off to sleep.

Sweet dreams.

If You Want to Understand Our United Methodist Connection...

2010-04-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have been a Methodist from birth. For 55 and a half years, I have belonged to a family in which Methodist was part of its name. Never have I been more delighted to be a part of this family of faith than the past two days since I've been at Camp Hope in Mississippi working on a Katrina Recovery home.

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope. Right now I'm sitting in the hallway, between the dorm-style rooms for men and women, that has t-shirts in a variety of technicolor dreamcoat colors hanging on the walls. Many of the t-shirts represent VIM teams from United Methodist churches who have come here to assist in the disaster relief following Hurricane Katrina. The names of their team members are listed on the shirts. Volunteers in Mission: Oneda, Greg, John, Shelley, Eric, Sandy, David, Lola... I don't know them personally; but what I do know is that they, like me, are a part of the Methodist family. We're connected to a man who claimed the world for his parish. We're connected to the Great Commission and Great Commandment. We're empowered by God's Spirit and sent out into the world. We're connected to Christians everywhere who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope and be reminded of the work of UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which is still here in Mississippi, using its resources donated by churches across the denomination, after most of the other relief groups have gone.

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope located behind VanCleave UMC. VanCleave and the other UM church on the charge (so sorry that I can't remember its name), which have about 150 persons attending between them, have 120 persons who are active in taking care of the mission teams which stay here. The members cook incredibly delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners five days a week for the teams; care for the bedding and towels; and a host of other things.

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope and meet Dee, Jack, Steve, and the others on staff who are working daily to ensure that relief happens for those who are still waiting to have their homes rebuilt or remodeled and that each VIM team has a positive and fruitful experience.

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope and see the t-shirts on the walls from churches from other denominations. Each team is welcomed and given the same downhome, Southern hospitality that United Methodist teams receive. Everyone gets the same melt in your mouth biscuits and sawmill gravy for breakfast!

If you want to understand our United Methodist connection, come to Camp Hope and listen as the two teams in for the week intermingle and take the time to get to know each other. In listening, understanding begins to take place.

Often we hear about the negatives that come with being a part of a denomination. I want you to hear the positive. The United Methodist connection is alive and well in the Katrina Recovery work in Mississippi. In fact, it is a vital part of it. When United Methodists are involved in living out our faith through works of compassion and justice, we can't help but connect.

This week, I'm enjoying the fruits of the connection. While our team doesn't have a t-shirt to add to the wall, we're going to put up a map of Delaware with a pic of Grace Church on it, and the names of each team member. We want others to know we are a part of such an amazing UM connection.

Just in case you think we might have forgotten, even though Neil isn't a UM, he's a vital part of our team and the connection. He is the reminder that the United Methodist circle is greater than just us: it includes all who follow Jesus Christ and share the name Christian.

New pics are posted on Facebook which can be accessed through the Grace Church website at www.gracechurchum.org.

Tomorrow is coming all too soon. Pray for our team as we go out on day three.

Sweet dreams.

When You're On a VIM Trip, You Know You're in Trouble When...

2010-04-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

When you're on a VIM trip, you know you're in trouble when...
You are a half hour into a 31.9 miles drive to the work site and you are still 30 minutes away
from it.

This morning as we headed out of Camp Hope, with our team leader Penny driving the van and me navigating (using MAP Quest type directions and everyone knows how precise they are, haha), we made a right onto Rt. 57. A half hour later, I wondered aloud that I thought we had missed a turn four miles into the trip. We finally made it to the work site, with everyone still speaking to me, thanks to the wonderful assistance from VIM coordinator Dee who gave us an alternative route using the very road we were on!

We arrived at the work site much later than planned, eager to begin. Paul, acting as project leader, handed out our assignments and we began our tasks. I'd like to say that everything went smoothly from there out. Am I laughing?

When you're on a VIM trip, you know you're in trouble when...
You are working on siding on a home and the holes you've drilled don't match up to the studs,
even though you are following exactly the directions you've received. Two hours later....

How many United Methodists does it take to put up one sheet of siding around a window? Ask Paul and Neil.

After breaking for lunch, the outlook on the siding was much improved. The measurements were figured out correctly and Serena, the woman whose home we are helping to build, seemed relieved.

Just in case you believe that everything else ran smoothly this first day on the work site, think again.

When you're on a VIM trip, you know you're in trouble when...
the site coordinator forgets to tell the two people who are roofing, Edwin and Penny, step one
in the day's roofing process; so they begin with step two.

What's the problem with that, you ask?

Everything done on the roof during the morning had to be undone in the afternoon. If you have been on a roof in 80 degree weather, you will understand how much fun that was! All that said, the site coordinator helped undo step two, helped them do step one, and all was well!

Our first day on the work site was a challenging one but a really good experience. From the time we began in the morning, the team was in good humor, worked well together, learned to hurry up and wait, became better acquainted with each other, and by the end of the day had developed a wonderful rhythm in our work together. While all our skill levels are very different, we began to gel as a team.

A plus of the day was that we met Serena. She spent the day with us, sharing her story, and helping us to understand the impact that Katrina had on her and the area. It was the beginning of a relationship that we hope to continue to nurture this week and, perhaps, beyond.

When you're on a VIM trip, you know that your blessings outweigh your troubles when you come to the end of the day and are eager to return the next. We certainly are!

A few pics from today are on the Grace Church Facebook page. You can access it by going to the webpage (http://www.gracechurchum.org/) and clicking on FB. We'll post more as we go along this week.

In the meantime, sweet dreams from a very happy Pastor and team member. (I learned to caulk today. Yay!) Tomorrow is coming all too soon.

They Call Us Clumpers!

2010-04-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Every day in our life we learn something new. Here's today's learning: Apparently, it's easy to identify VIMers who come to Mississippi to work because we are said to move around as groups wherever we go, or as the locals say, "in clumps." Thus they affectionately call us "Clumpers." How fun!

Our team arose around 7 a.m. this morning in order to get on the road to a United Methodist church that had early worship. After traveling some distance from the site where we are staying to a "First UMC" somewhere near Biloxi, as we turned into the drive, we discovered the church we had chosen on the internet was a work in progress, consisting of only a frame. We headed back toward the major road, passing another UM church which had a worship service at 10 a.m. Since it was only 8:30 a.m., we went on to the local Wafflehouse, of which there are many, and ate our breakfast. Wafflehouse was an exercise in organized chaos! They showed us real teamwork. They have the concept down pat.

From there, we went to worship at Cedar Lake UMC where the people welcomed us with open arms, thanking us for the work we would be doing. It was fun to look at the bulletin and see the sermon title, When God Says "Go." It was a challenging message for our team.

I'm always amazed at how small our world is. Before the service began, I introduced myself to the Pastor and discovered that he had lived in Wilmington in the '70s when he worked for Dupont.

In the afternoon, Jan Randel joined us and gave us a tour of the damage that had been done by Katrina. It was an eye opener. Since it has been almost five years since the hurricane damage occured, I think most of us felt that the housing would have been rebuilt and restored by now. This is not the case. The devastation is still all around the area.

Following our tour, the team ate a delicious dinner at a local restaurant. Beginning tomorrow, we'll be eating our meals at Camp Hope.

Tonight we had a briefing on and were given instructions concerning the work we will be doing this week. Our team will be working on constructing a new home. I heard words like "roofing," "siding", and "electrical." I feel as if I've gone into a strange, new land. Prayer would be good.

Tomorrow our team will be moving out and about in a group, in a clump, to Lucedale. I am guessing that the people of the town will point at us and say "Clumpers!" May we, the Grace UMC Clumpers, give glory to God in all that we do and say.

Still no pictures on FB. Need a cable. Hopefully will get it tomorrow.

Sweet dreams! Tomorrow is coming all too soon.

Wedding, Planes, and Mission Trip

2010-04-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Wedding, planes, and a mission trip. Tired? Yes. Happy? Absolutely!

Wedding:
It's been a long day. It began this morning with the wedding of Kyle Fennemore and Liz Terhune. A very special occasion. Kyle is the son of two people with whom I attended high school. It's been a joy to have Kyle and Liz choose to come to Grace Church.

Planes:
After the wedding and a quick trip home to finish packing my carry-on bag (I had already sent ahead my larger suitcase - no one can ever accuse me of traveling light), we were off to the Philadelphia airport: Neil, Paul, Penny, Edwin, Carol, Kim, and me. There we caught our flight, first to Memphis, then a short layover, and then on to Biloxi.

Mission Trip:
At our final destination, we were met by Maryke and Glen Cottman who had driven down ahead of us. After renting a van, the team made its way to Ocean Springs where we will be staying at Camp Hope which is a part of the Vancleave United Methodist Church.

Camp Hope is dormitory style, men on one side and the women on the other. Also staying this week is a team from Waynesboro, PA. After making up our beds, making the wireless connection so we can be in touch with you, chatting for awhile, choosing a church to worship in tomorrow morning, and praying, we're off to bed. Tomorrow we'll send pics! Too tired tonight.

Sweet dreams! Tomorrow is coming all too soon!

A Lesson in Humility Taught by Tiger Woods

2010-02-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

In a week when I am preaching on humility, a rather hidden virtue for many in a world where we're taught to have pride, I have learned a lesson, once again, from the world's number one golfer. This time the lesson was not about getting out of a difficult spot in a golf tournament served up by an extremely confident, albeit prideful, young thirty-something who seemed to have everything going for him: a beautiful wife who loved him, cute children, a devoted mother, a dedication to helping educate children who might not otherwise have had a chance, and doors open all over the world just at the sound of his name.

Today, following in the footsteps of many 12 steppers, Tiger took to the air and taught us a lesson in humility as he began, what many of us hope to be, the repairing of his affair-scarred life. Standing in front of a group of people, even those who are closest to you, and confessing to the hurt you've inflicted, the harm you've done, your self-centeredness, the belief that you thought that power and dollars gave you the right to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted and now you now this is not accurate, is a test of courage and strength.

To those who have criticized his use of a manuscript, I say "Stop it." Tiger wanted to make sure that he said everything he needed to say. I can only imagine that his nerves were out of control which lends to forgetfulness, at times. Like a preacher who uses a manuscript, this written word was still his own thoughts, feelings, and words. Lighten up!

In the 13 minutes in which he spoke, he eluded to the dangers of being prideful, of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought and then, I suspect without even knowing it, he began to teach us a lesson in humility. This man, who led his family, friends, and the public worldwide to believe falsely that he was a man of integrity, a good guy who we wished we knew, took the giant step to begin to put things right.

In front of the camera, he humbled himself. He owned that he had fallen away from his faith and that he was seeking to reestablish that faith. He owned that he had miles to go in his relationship with his family and that the concrete measure of how he was doing would be made evident in his behavior. In front of the camera, he humbled himself as a means of beginning the process of healing his relationships. In the world of recovery, it was an important step!

Tiger's press conference, which seemed to irritate those members of the press who thought it was too controlled, was an experience of grace for me. In an earlier blog, I expressed my hope that he would be the guy I believed he was and would do the difficult work that is involved in the healing and recovery process. Today, as a man who we know as extremely private, humbled himself in the sight of family, friends, and people worldwide, I caught a glimpse of the Tiger of the future. Here is a man who has the potential to teach us all a thing or two about grace; a grace that has been modeled for him, in his own words, by Elin who, I suspect knows a thing or two about humility.

Just as I have done in the past with the lessons I have learned from Tiger on the golf course, it is my hope that I can take this experience of grace, this lesson in humility, and live it for myself. In the meantime, I'll be offering thanks for Tiger's and Elin's witness. Who would have suspected that the world's number one golfer would teach us off the golf course?

It's Sunday Morning and No Place to Go

2010-02-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

I've never thought of myself as a creature of habit. I've always put the accent on flexibility rather than routine. Yet, I found myself waking up this morning at my usual Sunday morning time, the time I get up to prepare myself for the day's worship, feeling somewhat lost. It's Sunday morning and I have no place to go!

The habit is strong, I'm discovering. For years, I have had the same Sunday morning routine. I have gotten up at 5 a.m., showered, dressed, and headed off to church. There I pray, reflect on my Sunday morning worship responsibilities, making sure they are in order, and in the quiet of the sanctuary, go through the message of the day, until other staff come to make their preparations.

This morning, as I woke at the normal Sunday time, my inner preacher started the routine until I remembered that this Sunday morning I have no place to go. Worship has been cancelled due to inclement weather. There is no need for the regular preparations. The key is on flexibility rather than routine.

Strangely enough, I find that already I am missing worship at Grace Church: the preparations, the gathering of the church family, the prayer with the choir, the "break a Christian leg" quip, the liturgy and music that draw us into a deeper experience of God's grace, the privilege of sharing the scripture and message.

I am reminded that the worship of God in Christ in community is woven into the fabric of my being. I know that there are persons who say that they can "worship God by themselves or on the beach or golf course or ......" I even understand the sentiment. We can experience our love and devotion of God on our own. Yet, I can't help remembering that worship in the Bible is always communal. "Where two or three are gathered in my name..." There is a connection between a gathered community and worship. Basic to God's design of worship is the gathering together of God's people.

Suffice it to say, I miss the gathering of God's people this morning for worship. I miss the conversations, the interactions, the connections, the hearing of God's Word shared in the midst of a community. It's Sunday morning and there's no place to go.

For today, Mark and I will be "two gathered in Jesus' name," but I look forward to worship next week with the entire Grace Church community. I look forward to next Sunday morning when I will have a place to go.

Tucked Inside on a Snowy Day

2010-02-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

There was no doubt in my mind, as I looked out the window of our apartment as daylight was breaking in, that the weather people hit this one right! From its inception, late yesterday afternoon, to its continued fall this morning, it seems that we are indeed in the midst of a nor'easter/blizzard.

Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? In a world that is all about go, go, go, about filling every waking minute of every day with some activity, it's the question. Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? How do I live this day when we're going to get 18 to 24 inches of snow? Maybe more?

Sipping my cup of hot chocolate with caramel swirl marshmallows, listening to Ukee and Liz tell us how deep the snow is, prayers for the people whose jobs take them out into the blizzard float through my mind: those plowing the city streets and the roads...DelDot...police officers...Ryan...Dave...hospital staff...people who are making sure that our needs are taken care of on the worst weather day of the year! How grateful I am for these faithful risk-takers.

Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Relax with a good book...watch a movie or two...spend time with Mark talking about everything and nothing....cook...eat...spend quiet time with God listening...post blogs(It's almost as much fun as journaling)...enjoy this time..

Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Remember those who are homeless...who are out on the streets of our city...those whose emotional illnesses prevent them from wanting to seek shelter...those who may perish without help...Pray that these folks will find a safe haven from the storm...the cold...the wind.

Tucked inside on a snowy day, what to do? Believe that wherever persons are today in this massive storm, that they will experience the presence of God in a transformative way.

Preaching in the Shadow of an Earthquake

2010-01-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

How does one preach the good news of Jesus Christ in the shadow of a 7.2 earthquake that, within seconds, destroyed 200,000 plus lives, tore apart families, leveled buildings, made those who were already economically poor even poorer? How do we sing the Lord's song in the midst of such devastation and heartache?

The answer is to be found in the people of Haiti whose incredible faith allows a woman buried under a building for six days to come out singing; another to be rescued from under the rubble, proclaiming "I'm alive!" The answer is to be found in the people all over the world who have joined in prayer together for a country to which most of us have never been and for a people we have never met.

Before this earthquake, my connections to Haiti were limited to the French tutor Jean Max Sam who taught me enough French to get me through my language requirements in college; to the four people in one of my churches I served who went to Haiti to do some work at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital; and to the Haitian start up church in our annual conference. All in all, Haiti was simply not on my radar. It most certainly had little impact on anything I might preach. All that was changed last week when, at 4:53 in the afternoon, Haiti was altered forever.

This week I am wondering how one preaches in the shadow of an earthquake. A small child, after being rescued, offered me an answer. When asked what she wanted, she replied that she "hoped for something to happen, to happen tomorrow." Ah, I thought to myself, in the shadow of an earthquake we need to offer the expectation of a favorable future under God's direction. We need to offer hope and we need to be able to offer, to anyone who asks, the reason for the hope we have. We need to tell our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are listening, we need to remind ourselves, that hope is eternal. It makes all sorts of things possible, even the rebuilding of a city and a people who currently seem beyond help.

What does this hope look like, this good news of God? How does this sermon end? You tell me.
We've all been invited to tell the story.

When Bad Things Happen

2010-01-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

There's no denying that a bad thing has happened this week in Haiti. 45,000, maybe 50,000 or more, people dead. Everyone's weighed in on this tragedy: the news media, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, the General Boards of The United Methodist Church. Everyone's weighed in; that's usually the case when bad things happen.

I can only imagine the devastation that exists in Haiti, the fear that the people there have experienced, the heartbreak of families, friends, and neighbors. It's frightening to think how life can be ordinary one moment and, in the next, totally out of hand!

Where is God in all this? That's the question I heard today, several times. Where is God?

Here's the thought that came to me as I read United Methodist reports on Haiti. Where is God in all this? God is in the relief people from The United Methodist Church who were already in Haiti for reasons not yet disclosed. Already there, these trained men and women can make a difference. Where is God in all this? God is in those six VIM (Volunteer in Mission) groups from the United States who were already in Haiti to lend their talents and skills to the people of the country. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodists who are preparing to go to Haiti as first responders. Where is God in all this? God is in United Methodist congregations throughout the world who are making up Health Kits for the people of Haiti and collecting money to send to UMCOR. Where is God in all this? God is in every act of compassion and restoration that happens in Haiti.

The people called United Methodist will gather their resources from every corner of the globe and send them into this earthquake ravaged country. Long after every other agency is gone, UMCOR will stay in Haiti until the work is done. Where is God in all this? God is in Haiti in the form of United Methodists (and many, many others) who will remain there until the country is restored to wholeness.

When bad things happen in one part of the world, it is a call to the rest of the world to remember what God requires of us, "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God," and to respond in faith with an experience of grace.

A bad thing has happened in Haiti. What will we do?

Invitation to Be a Soul Friend (Anam Cara)

2010-01-08T04:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I received an invitation that has touched me to the very core of my being. It was an invitation to join a small circle of soul friends. I received this invite in a face-to-face sit down with a colleague who had become aware of the Celtic tradition of the anam cara or soul friend.

Immediately, I was hooked. In a world where ordained ministry tends to create Lone Rangers, which by the way was one of my fav shows as a child, I was moved by my colleague's invitation. It struck a chord with me. Over my years in ordained ministry, while I have had many friends, I have also experienced a certain loneliness. I have lived with the sense that there was always a gap in their understanding of me; that there were some things about the life of a female clergy person that could not be understood by those outside the circle, no matter how hard they tried. When I say outside the circle, I am not speaking of non-clergy friends. Some of my clergy "friends" have little understanding of who I am and my interactions with them have led me to feel as if I was a fish out of water.

On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, it was an aha moment. As I listened to my colleague, I suddenly realized that my struggles have been around the co-issues of trust and security. In these two things, built on the foundation of unconditional love, of grace, is found the solution to a certain kind of loneliness that happens when colleagues are unable to accept us as we are. As we engaged in holy conversation, naming the colleagues we would entrust with anything, the best and the worst, our "successes" and our "failures," persons who wouldn't use either against us, it was a moment of great clarity. These colleagues actually exist and have been in my circle of friends, in some form or fashion, over the years. This treasure has always been available to me. With one exception, instead of appreciating this and seeking to deepen these relationships, I have spent far too many years leaning toward professional loneliness.

On the day I received the invitation to become a soul friend, the one giving the invitation didn't know it, but he gave me an incredible gift. The Spirit of God used him to open my eyes to see that there are colleagues with whom I can truly be myself, colleagues with whom I can truly open up and share when things in the church are working and when they are not. Soul friends. Anam cara.

As 2010 begins, this circle of friends will begin a new phase of our journey together. I pray that it will lead us to be defined in new ways and to be more accepting of who we are and who we can become as together we experience God's grace.

When It Snows on Saturday

2009-12-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

According to the weather reports this morning, if we're going to have a snow fall of gigantic proportions, perhaps up to 20 inches, it's good that it is happening on Saturday, on the weekend! If I heard that sentiment expressed once, I heard it expressed on every weather report I listened to this morning. All gave a brief nod to the things that would have to be cancelled: holiday concerts, Christmas shopping, visits to the gym, parties with friends. I kept waiting for one of them to mention that churches would have to cancel worship; but none of them did.

Why am I surprised? The Christian Church is often viewed as insignificant in today's culture. Yet, I guess I thought that it would be factored in during a season of the year whose underlying foundation is the Christ child though I know that marketers have made it about family, a perspective that seems to be winning!

When it snows on Saturday, perhaps it is an opportunity for those active in the Christian Church to take a look at why it is ignored; why it fails to be on the radar of local reporters within a week of Christmas.

In a world where people daily are experiencing loss in their professional and personal lives, how can the church rediscover a way to be relevant? How can it be a vessel of grace to a hurting world?

The weather reporters remind me that it is urgent that we answer these questions so that when it snows on a Saturday, especially the Saturday before Christmas, they will recognize the importance of the Church's role in the community and include it in its reporting.

tiger woods and questions of grace

2009-12-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have only once touched a golf club. After that, I found it far more rewarding to watch golf than to play it. If truth be told, I started watching televised golf because my mother-in-law is an enthusiastic fan and I found myself caught up in her passion.

I grew quickly into a Tiger Woods' fan. What drew me into the wide circle of Tiger-followers was his amazing gift to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spots he found himself in on the golf course, all of which, for the most part, were of his own making, as is true of any golfer.

It is difficult to be a Tiger Woods' fan these days. How can one admire a man who has seemed to handle his commitment to his wife and children so carelessly and arrogantly? It seems as if his wildchild days that he enjoyed prior to his marriage have never stopped.

Tiger's response has been to hole up and, I suspect, to try to creatively and imaginatively work his way out of the tough spot he has found himself in which, by all appearances, is of his own making. Why would we think that he would handle his personal life any differently than he would handle himself on the golf course?

Like many, I will never again see Tiger in the same way. I don't put much stock in cheating on your spouse and inflicting wounds on your family, those you claim to love. The easy thing would be for his wife to take the children and run! That would hurt him! The far more difficult thing would be for Tiger to honor his commitment to his wife and family, if his wife is willing to let him, and do the rigorous work that it would take for his marriage to work. Can you imagine the new found respect that Tiger would receive if that were to happen?

It doesn't take much to kick a guy when he's down. It takes a great more energy to encourage a guy to change his cheating ways. This is no "cheap grace" of which I'm speaking. It entails Tiger changing his lifestyle, becoming transparent and honest. It is about his being refined by many experiences of grace.

This is not some naive rambling. It is the belief of one for whom God's grace has been sufficient over and over again. It is the belief that with God, all things are possible.

Easter

2009-04-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

"Now it begins!" On Palm Passion Sunday, I was deeply moved by the contrast of the day. Like many other Christians, that day, I waved my palm branch and shouted my "Hosannas" as we recalled Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As always, it is difficult for me to fathom the change in temperature he found in Jerusalem. Didn't the crowd follow him in? Why weren't they able to surround him and keep him safe? Why was their support so fickle? As usual, why questions just aren't helpful, are they? They keep us talking when we need, instead, to be acting! The Grace Church choir, under the direction of Neil Harmon, presented the contrast to the joyous Hosannas as they sang the Rutter Requiem. Deeply moving and thought-provoking, the Requiem led us into the tensions we discover in ourselves each Holy Week.

The tensions continued on Thursday as we delved into the sacred stories and discovered our place at the feetwashing, the table, Gethsemane, and headed toward the cross. Would I have been the one who was horrified that Jesus wanted to wash my feet, would I have rejected his humility? Would I have been the one who would betray him? Or fall asleep, instead of keeping watch in order to protect him, as he prayed in the garden? Would I have deserted him? Do I do all these in my daily life even as he offers me experience of grace after experience of grace? Even as he showers his love on me continuously?

Every year I look forward to this journey. It's stories raise so many emotions in me; and call me to a commitment and experience that otherwise I might neglect. If I arrived at Easter, without making this journey, it seems to me that Easter would stay with me only a day or two; or perhaps only until something ugly reared its head in my life! Then, I suspect, that which had been built would topple for lack of a poorly constructed foundation. I love the preparations for the journey. They are such a vital part for me. I love figuring out, with others who enjoy it as well, how to present and tell the stories. I take great pleasure from setting them up visually. Tapping all our senses in worship is the ultimate goal so we can take in the stories in a way that fits our particular skin.

Yesterday, on Easter, as I stood at the Riverfront, at what might seem to some to be an ungodly hour but for me proved to be a Godly moment, I experienced grace and saw God build an altar in the world as the sun rose over the water as we proclaimed our Easter faith: "Christ is risen, Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!" It was an incredible moment in which I felt at one with God, totally content, at peace.

At our Easter celebration at Grace Church, the joy was palpable. Surprise was everywhere, from unexpected guests to revelations expressed in Word and music; signs of the risen Christ's presence among us!

At the end of this Holy Week to Easter journey, I am reminded that Easter signals a beginning on God's part. The "It is finished" of the cross becomes "Now it begins" on Easter. [Len Sweet and others] It's time to ask ourselves exactly what "it" is. If we don't ever consider this, then Easter will be simply a Sunday that makes us feel good; a Sunday when we experience grace without responding to the gift.

Now it begins. What is the "it" to which God invites us to give ourselves and our talents?

On the birthday of a friend

2009-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the birthday of my friend. I called her to sing "happy birthday" to her in order to make her laugh. She lives alone in a big old house that is beautiful, but is always in need of some sort of work. 10 months ago, a tornado went through the town and two trees in her backyard fell on either side of her house, causing damage to her roof! When it happened, she called us, her "walking buddies," to come and be there with her as she assessed the damage. As we came together, it was an experience of grace; a moment in which you know that there are people in this crazy world who would do anything for you because they love you, no strings attached.

As I spoke with my friend today, I realized that our experiences of grace aren't once and for all; they linger and add lasting fragrance to our lives! Each time I talk with her, the fragrance grows stronger.

An altar in the world

2009-04-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

I went to Dover late afternoon to lead a worship conversation at Wesley College. Two hours later, as I headed back to Wilmington, I didn't know that the journey home would include a most awesome experience of grace!

As I left Dover and made my way in the five o'clock traffic onto Rt. 1, the skies opened and the rains came tumbling out. As I passed Smyrna, the sun shone brightly through the driver's side of the car causing me to put my hand up to keep it out of my eyes; and the rain continued to come down. Six or seven miles south of the Odessa toll booths, seemingly stretching from one side of Rt. 1 to the other, was the most gorgeous, gigantic rainbow that appeared to be in 48 font! It's colors were vivid and it looked as if it belonged in the entrance to Emerald City.

Arched in the sky, the colorful rainbow served as "an altar in the world," a place to experience God's grace. An ordinary day had been turned into something holy! Like Jacob at Bethel I thought to myself, "Surely the Lord was in this place and I didn't even know it!"

Hopesourcing

2009-04-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Our newly organized Hopesourcing team met for the first time on Sunday, March 29 and began a process of assessment. It is our belief that by recognizing our strengths, Grace Church can best meet the opportunities that our Lord lays before us as we seek to serve Him by serving others.

As your Senior Pastor I have made a commitment to make the work of the Hopesourcing team as transparent as possible. What appears here is an attempt to share with you the work of the team so you can give immediate feedback. The whole idea is to immediately bring you into the holy conversation so the team can receive your input, questions, thoughts, as it goes through this process.

Each time Hopesourcing meets, we will begin with a short study of a Bible passage and prayer that will lead us into the work of that particular session. The passage used for our first meeting was Matthew 9:14-17. I hope you will take the time to read this passage and see what it says to you in terms of the future direction of Grace Church. .

The theme of the first session of Hopesourcing was “You are here” and dealt with what we see as our present state. The first exercise we did was to list the “Basic Assumptions” that we have about Grace Church. The team generated the following assumptions:
Deep purpose in mission
We are to serve as a beacon to the community in downtown Wilmington.
Less consensus than in the past
Suburban church in an urban location
Twice Grace sold suburban properties and maintained urban presence
Tension within congregation and staff
Believe we need change
Sanctuary and financial endowment permit us to be here and do things
we otherwise could not do
Endowment represents the hopes of past generations
Aging population and future challenged
Not well-known downtown
Congregation is outgoing and friendly
Sense of loyalty
Worship/Sanctuary – creates space away from world/clutter

The second exercise we did was to answer the question “What is working?” The following are the responses:
Music – choirs, special programs such as “Feast of Carols”
Preschool – reputation is very good/holding up in poor economy
Physical environment – contributes to spiritual environment
Worship – multi-faceted
Opportunities for involvement
Membership efforts beginning to take hold – relatively stable

The team was divided into three groups, seated at separate tables, which was helpful in the final exercise. Each group took a “Community Inventory Quiz” on one of three zip codes: 19801(church’s zip), 19803(North Wilmington), and 19806(Trolley Square). The idea was to see what facts the teams knew upfront about their zip code.

Once they had taken the quiz, each table was given a set of demographics on their zip code put out by a group called Percept who does demographics for churches using the Census and Claritas as primary resources. There were some surprises in each group, some differences in what we perceived to be reality and what actually is.

Lastly, each person was given a set of demographics for each of the three zip codes with which to become familiar as we move forward in our work together.

If you would like a copy of the demographic information on each of the zip codes, please contact the Receptionist and she will have copies available for you to pick up during the week or on the following Sunday.

In an aim to make this a positive venture for the church, our focus will be on our strengths and on what is working for Grace Church. Please speak with the members of the Hopesourcing team if you have any questions and, foremost, keep them in your daily prayers: Paul Miller, Bill Wood, Kathleen Skomorucha, Don MacKelcan, Kate Carns, Kim Blackwell, Lee McNeil, Glen Cottman, Maryke Cottman, Fred Zell, Syd Fleming, Marv Reinhart, Jerry Buckworth, Diane Olin White, and me.

An "unnamed woman"

2009-04-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

She stopped into the church to see if I would give her a voucher for emergency housing. She had been down at Dunkin' Donuts the day before and someone there had told her to come to the church and see me; that I would help her. I invited her into my office where I planned to tell her privately that there was nothing I could do for her because we don't assist with housing, refer her to the local social service agency, and get back to the agenda I had set for myself for the day.

Instead, I found myself in the presence of one who reminded me of those "unnamed women" in the Bible who found their way to Jesus for help and healing. Those women who were so persistent in their requests to him that he could do nothing but help them. This "unnamed woman" told me her story - at least the parts with which she trusted me. Homeless...staying in a hotel because the few shelters that will take women without dependents were filled to the brim.

She pulled out pieces of paper, worn and tattered, with numbers of the various organizations in the city and county written in every possible space. She asked me for the number of a church on Kirkwood Highway called United Methodist Church. I told her that I couldn't think of a United Methodist Church on Kirkwood Highway. She told me she was sure it existed because her "friend" had told her it did. I called off some names of United Methodist Churches in the area and none seemed to mean anything to her. Finally, exasperated, she said that she just needed the number of a church called United Methodist Church. I explained to her that there are many United Methodist churches, that she was in one. As what I was saying dawned on her, she asked me to give her the name of several United Methodist churches close to Kirkwood Highway because someone had told her that a United Methodist church there would help her.

There was something different about this homeless "unnamed woman;" a dignity that spoke of better days economically; a persistence to find the key to wholeness. When she asked to use a phone to call around to see if there were any organization that could help her, I offered her mine. We worked side by side; me at my computer, she on my phone calling a dozen or more places seeking housing, persistently seeking aid, telling her story time and time again to no avail.

I wondered what was going to happen if she reached the end of her list with no positive results.
I found myself praying that something would turn up for her. Her last call was to one of the United Methodist churches on the list. With discouragement in her voice and the certainty that she would be turned down, she told the secretary her need and asked if the church might be able to help her.

All of a sudden, I saw her sit up a bit straighter in her chair as a look of relief lit up her face. Within moments, she gave the secretary the name of the hotel where she was staying and directed her to speak to the desk clerk so she would know how to make out the check and where to mail the room rent money. This woman walked out of my office feeling differently than she did when she walked in. She had experienced grace.

An experience of grace, such as this, always changes us in some way. What difference did it make in the homeless woman? in me?

Experiencing Grace

2009-04-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have been able to get this blog up and running. It's only taken eight months of dreaming of it and talking about it! The act of creating it has been an experience of grace offered to me by a kind colleague who knows far more about things such as this than I do. I'm grateful to her for her quiet encouragement.

I feel as if we live in a world where experiences of grace get lost as we treat daily living as if it were more about us and less about God. What would happen if each and every day of our lives we stopped at the end of the day and identified where grace has touched us? How would it change us? transform us? shape our relationships?