The Pastor's Blog

What is the Connection?

2009-06-22T09:37:00.003-04:00

As clegy and lay leaders prepare to meet in Muncie for the first ever state wide Annual Conference I thought I'd share Bishop Mike's e-mail on Connection. (United Methodists are not just members of a local congregation, we are members of something much bigger.)

Please pray for God's will to be done in Muncie. We have some very important issues to vote on including major changes in budget and some constitutional amendments.

*************

“What is the Connection?” – June 21, 2009

After one of the recent PreConference Briefings that the Directors and I shared in all 10 of the new districts, one pastor stayed to ask me an important question, “What is the connection?” His question was in response to hearing that our new conference budget does not include as much “pass through money” from the local churches to agencies and extension ministries that we have supported in the past. Rather than collecting this additional money through the conference, the new plan is to leave those funds in the hands of local churches to give as they choose to these various Advance Specials. The idea is to ask our churches for a 10% tithe for the conference budget, and a 1% giving to their districts, and to leave the other 2% or “Plus” in the hands of those local leaders who know best which projects and ministries in their areas that they want to support. (By the way, this 2% if it were fully collected would equal nearly $3 million)

His question was a legitimate and serious one. In the past, perhaps we have viewed “the connection” in terms of apportionments collected and dispersed, pensions and insurance for pastors, and other collective ministries we have supported together. The “connection” has been perceived as primarily a financial one. What will it mean if the new Indiana Conference changes that sense of “the connection” to one based more upon relationships (i.e. Ministry Clusters and Clergy Covenant Groups) and mutual ministry decided at the “local” level (what the Imagine Indiana Plan called “inverting the initiative”)?

Clearly we will still be doing much of our ministry together financially. The 2010 conference budget includes $1.5 million in support for our retired pastors, spouses, and surviving spouses’ health benefits, and it includes $450,000 to continue paying the past obligation to pensions for part-time Local Pastors. Our conference is devoting an additional $4.5 million in our pension reserves to bring all of our retirees with pre-1982 service years up to the highest rate ever ($608). Our budget includes $750,000 to support the camping ministries of both former conferences, which is a large part of the over $2 million we still have in the budget for “connectional ministries.” We still provide medical insurance for our active clergy through a conference-wide plan (which is also the denomination’s Healthflex Plan). We still help pay for clergy to move from one appointment to another, so that is not a cost to the local churches involved. Clearly, we still do many things together financially.

But the question lingers in my mind, “What is the connection?” Is it more than money? It is more than just a combined budget whereby we do many things together that a local congregation cannot do on its own?

I heard a story this past week which illustrates what “the connection” is all about. At a meeting of the Clarian Health Board, we began as always with a devotional story and prayer by one of the chaplains. This time it was Rev. Laurie Hearn, chaplain at Methodist/Riley/Clarian who told about getting a call from a chaplain at the Fort Wayne Parkview Hospital. There had been a terrible auto wreck, the mother and father were in ICU at Parkview, but their 6 month baby was airlifted to the Riley Hospital ICU in Indianapolis. The mother was quite worried about her baby, so the two chaplains worked with IT people from the IU School of Medicine to set up a laptop computer and camera in the Riley ICU and the Parkview ICU. The chaplains and nurses watched as this technology allowed the mother to see and hear her baby. They also observed that the baby's vital signs improved as the baby saw the face and heard the voice of its mother!

This story may help to answer the question, “What is the connection?”

I believe that our United Methodist connection is the relational effort of all the parts of our system to accomplish our mutual mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Sometimes that mission is accomplished locally in a congregation led by a pastor who is credentialed by the conference, supported in education by our Ministerial Education Fund, appointed by the Bishop, and supervised by a District Superintendent. So even when a ministry is “local” it is never separated from “the connection.” Sometimes our mission is accomplished by a Ministry Cluster of churches who work together in some ministries they can do better together than alone. Sometimes our mission is accomplished by our pooling of financial resources and connecting with a special ministry here in Indiana or on the other side of the world. And sometimes, as in the case of helping a mother see and hear her baby, and helping a baby survive by seeing and hearing its mother, it takes an extra effort by our churches and our institutions and our clergy and laity – all working together in the name of Christ.

What is our connection? It is first and foremost a SPIRITUAL REALITY which we try to embody through our conference budget, agencies, committees, churches, and institutions.

As we gather this coming week for our first Annual Conference Session of the new Indiana Conference, I pray that God may help us to keep our connection strong and nimble to accomplish our mission.

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church

Prayer for Africa

2009-05-21T06:34:00.006-04:00

When I get up in the morning I usually read the New York Times Online. This morning's "paper" had a story by Nicholas Kristof that broke my heart. I'm posting (or at least trying to post) a link. If you can't open it by clicking on it, please copy and paste. This story is worth the extra effort.

After reading this e-mail I sent a note to Jerry Kulah who is the District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church Monrovia, Liberia asking if our church has a ministry to girls and women who have been raped. (And if so how I can make a donation). I'll keep you posted on that.

In the mean time, please join me in prayer for our sisters in Africa. Ask God to deliver this continent of this scar of war!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/opinion/21kristof.html

Op-Ed Columnist
After Wars, Mass Rapes Persist
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: May 21, 2009
Mass rape has been an element of warfare in Congo, Darfur, Bosnia, Rwanda, Liberia. But the lesson in Liberia is that even when the fighting ends, the sex crimes continue.

Let your light shine!

2009-05-13T11:45:00.002-04:00

My friend David Jones forwards a devotional to me each day. I particularly liked this one. Our Council on Ministries is working on new and creative ways for Bedford First UMC to shine God's light in our community. Let's join together in prayer that we will reflect the character and grace of Jesus Christ to our neighbors!

VERSE:
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be
hidden."
-- Matthew 5:14

THOUGHT:
Darkness dominates our world. Despite appearances, darkness
controls much of what is said and how it is viewed by the world.
When people live for Christ, they will be noticed. Their allegiance
to Jesus and his righteousness cannot be ignored. So what are we
going to do with that light? Are others going to see and be drawn
to our Father in Heaven who sent his Son as Savior? Or, are they
going to reject the way of Christ because our walk is all talk and
not much service? Let's let them see God's grace through our lives
so they will come to know the Savior!

PRAYER:
Holy and Righteous Father, thank you for your grace that saved
me. Please help me reflect your character and grace in all that I
do so that when folks notice me and know of my Christian
commitment, they will glorify you because of the service they have
seen. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

2009-04-26T20:25:00.001-04:00

From Pastor Tom Heaton's in Guatemala...hope t

Thank you, Goodbye!

Hola Beth Ann! Greetings from Guatemala!

Methodists like to meet. We call it conferencing. Methodists in Guatemala are no different...My Spanish is improving but still very poor. As I heard all these reports and speeches, I kept picking up words and phrases I understood. One phrase that was repeated over and over again was “Gracias adiós” or in English, “Hello goodbye”. I thought this was odd, but I have been surprised by other phrases I have heard here.

On the way back from the morning at annual conference, I asked Dr. Fredy, the Salud y Paz clinic doctor, why everyone kept saying “Gracias adiós” hello goodbye. Dr. Fredy looked at me strangely and then started laughing. “Tom, they were not saying Gracias adiós, they were saying Gracias a Dios… Thanks to God.” I started laughing too! How could I have missed that!

I have thought about my misunderstanding of this phrase over and over again. It is an easy misunderstanding since there is only a slight voice inflection change that makes the difference in word sound. Certainly, if I had been thinking about the context I would have figured it out on my own.

But isn’t it true that we often raise prayers to God asking God for help, and when we feel like the prayers have been answered we say to God, “Thank you, goodbye!” Until we hit another life crisis and need God’s help. Too often we live our lives saying to God, “Thank you, goodbye,” when we should be living each day of our life saying, “Thanks be to God.”

During my first few months here in Guatemala, I have found myself relying on God each and every day. I have an even deeper understanding of what the apostle Paul meant when he said, "God's grace is sufficient... in my weakness I shall be made strong." God's grace is enough for us. In our weakest and most difficult moments, we are able to realize that fact because we open ourselves to receiving and experiencing God's love and grace. God's love for us shines through each and every day. We just need to stop and experience it. God is always there for us allowing us to live each and every day to its fullest. We just need to stop saying, "Thank you, goodbye," and start saying, "THANKS BE TO GOD!"

Paz de Cristo,

Seven Stanzas On Easter

2009-04-19T07:02:00.003-04:00

I'm using this poem in the sermon this mornings sermon on John 20:24-31 "Dealing with Doubt". I'm posting it here because I'm sure some people will want the full poem and I didn't have room for it on the teaching outline.

Seven Stanzas at Easter by John Updike
From Telephone Poles and Other Poems

Make no mistake: if He rose at all
it was as His body;
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules
reknit, the amino acids rekindle,
the Church will fall.

It was not as the flowers,
each soft Spring recurrent;
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled
eyes of the eleven apostles;
it was as His flesh: ours.

The same hinged thumbs and toes,
the same valved heart
that–pierced–died, withered, paused, and then
regathered out of enduring Might
new strength to enclose.

Let us not mock God with metaphor,
analogy, sidestepping, transcendence;
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the
faded credulity of earlier ages:
let us walk through the door.

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mâché,
not a stone in a story,
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow
grinding of time will eclipse for each of us
the wide light of day.

And if we will have an angel at the tomb,
make it a real angel,
weighty with Max Planck’s quanta, vivid with hair,
opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen
spun on a definite loom.

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous,
for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty,
lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are
embarrassed by the miracle,
and crushed by remonstrance.

Set Free

2009-04-13T09:48:00.003-04:00

After the service on Sunday one of our young adults brought me a youtube for the Lighthouse Everything Skit. I had just preached on Jesus victory over darkness and death--using Mary Magdalene's life story as the example. She said that my message reminded her of this powerful clip about being set free in Christ.

It's awesome--I hope it blesses you. I know it did me!

The Heart of Our Faith

2009-04-10T10:32:00.003-04:00

I receive a daily devotion by e-mail each morning. I want to share this one with you today. Remembering the true heart of the Gospel helps us keep "first things first". Believers may disagree about many things but this is the essence of our faith!

VERSE:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. -- 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

THOUGHT:
Some things are "first importance" things. They lie at the heart of the matter and are central to the issue at hand. For us as Christians, we don't have to doubt what those "first importance" things are. The Gospel of our salvation is built on one simple foundation: Jesus died, Jesus was buried, Jesus rose from the grave, and Jesus appeared to his disciples who were never the same after witnessing their resurrected Savior. Let's not let anyone distract us from these core truths or crowd out their simplicity with other matters they may claim to be essential. Our salvation is rooted in our faith and our participation in this simple, yet powerful Gospel.

PRAYER:
Dear God, I confess my faith in your work for me in Jesus. I believe that your Son and my Savior, Jesus, was crucified by wicked men just as you had said long ago in your Word. I believe his dead and lifeless body was placed in the tomb. I believe that on the third day, you brought him back to life, just as you promised. I believe that those most destroyed by his death, those who knew him best, saw him alive again. I believe their lives were never the same. I believe, dear Father, that as I have confessed my faith in Jesus and shared with him in his death, burial, and resurrection through baptism that my life is caught up with him in your salvation and victory over death. I praise you for this grace. I thank you for this assurance. I look forward to sharing in your glory when he returns for me. Thank you for my salvation, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Never Too Old!

2009-03-23T05:11:00.003-04:00

This cool story appeared in the NY Times online.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/us/22batmitzvah.html?em

You're Invited on a Road Trip!

2009-03-20T16:18:00.003-04:00

I'm inviting YOU on a road trip Saturday, April 25! I'm taking a group from Bedford First to Evansville on April 25th for the Acts 29 Prayer Encounter with Terry Teykl.

I've been looking forward to this event for a really long time. I began planning this event with a group of pastors and prayer leaders in Evansville two years ago!

I have been to two of Terry's seminars and was incredibly blessed both times. Terry is funny and down to earth--but he also has an amazing way of helping people connect with God.

The cost for this day trip $35. That will cover the seminar registration of $30 and put a bit of gas in the church van. Your registration includes includes a box lunch from honey-baked ham and a workbook. You can register through our church office using one of the blue sign up forms. Or you can register on line with a credit card. (Although you'll have to turn the $5 in gas money in to our church office later.)

The sponsoring churches have a website set up for the event. You can check it out at:

http://www.prayerevent.org/

Or see me for more informtion!

Blessings and peace,
Pastor Beth Ann

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T09:24:00.003-04:00

Today millions of people will wear (or drink) something green to in honor of St. Patrick's Day. But very few will know much about the real man behind the party. It's a shame--because although the real Patrick never chased snakes out of Ireland (there weren't any there to begin with) he was an amazing man.

One of the most surprising things about Patrick is that he wasn't Irish. He was British. Given the fact that there is no love lost between the Brits and Irish that's ironic isn't!

Patrick was around 390 AD to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. His given name was Patricus. Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy.

At 16, his world was turned upside down when marauders from Ireland kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. This privedged young man was suddenly tending sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland. It was during those lonely years that Patrick had a series of visions and gave his life to Christ.

After 7 years he managed to escape and find passage back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family. Patrick could have lived out the rest of his life in luxury. But he heard his own version of the Macedonian call. (Acts 16:9)

God sent Patrick to carry the good news of God's grace to his kidnappers and former masters. Patrick's work in Ireland was tough—he was constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors. He experienced tremendous spiritual warfare has he took on the demonic forces behind the the druid priests. But he never gave up.

St. Patrick had the heart of an evangelist--he loved the people of Ireland and longed for them to have eternal life in Christ.

On this St. Patrick's day I pray that God will fill us with the same tenacious love and forgiveness that motivated Patrick.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Restoring Hope in a Crashing Economy

2009-03-14T09:59:00.001-04:00

Ben Witherington recently posted this on his blog and I thought I'd share it. Ben was one of my favorite profs at Asbury Seminary:

RESTORING HOPE IN A CRASHING ECONOMY

I had originally planned to entitle this little series of essays ‘restoring hope during a crashing economy’, but in the end I decided the double entendre was worth keeping in these ambiguous times. With a profound grasp of the obvious, I am here to say today that America, and indeed the world economy that is dependent on the American economy, is in deep financial trouble, trouble which Christians have contributed to in various ways.

How so? Well, in the first place, most American Christians simply mirror the values of the larger culture or a significant subsection there of, when it comes to economics. They are full partakers of the consumer society, and believe in ’free market capitalism’ as opposed to ‘bad socialism’ and ‘protectionism’, at least until it gets them into financial hot water, and they begin to read the fine print.

As it turns out, even free market capitalism isn’t free and in various ways, it certainly isn’t democratic--- the means of production, the type of production and all related facets of business are controlled from the top down by owners, CEOS, boards and the like, rather than there being shared decision making between employers and employees, which would be a democratic method of producing goods. There is hardly anything democratic about the enormously hierarchial, dictatorial, and ruthless top down way big business is run in the United States. And there is no point in complaining about CEOs taking million dollar bonuses when a company is tanking if you have approved of the corporate structure and philosophy of business that undergirds paying top executives this sort of money in the first place. This is like crying wolf, when in fact you agreed for the wolf to be paid handsomely to guard the hen house in the first place!

Free market capitalism of course is a many splintered thing, which favors a survival of the fittest approach to economics. Not merely a supply and demand approach, a survival of the fittest approach. What do I mean? The so-called law of supply and demand is only one economic factor which controls the economy. This was perfectly obvious when what mainly precipitated last fall's crashing of the stock market (still in progress), was not ‘supply and demand’, but rather the lack of regulation allowing predator banks and loan agencies the chance of offering sub-prime mortgages to people who could not afford them, and whom the banks knew could not afford them, thus perpetuating America’s new status as a debtor nation.

And Christians have simply been complicit in this whole system of doing things--- buying the rhetoric that regulation and protectionism is all bad, and free market capitalism all good, when in fact this is far from true. They have also bought the rhetoric that they have a moral and patriotic obligation to consume, and so support the American economy. This, as we shall see is a yes and no proposition. No Christian should commit herself to live well beyond their means, just for the sake of helping prop up an ailing economy. There is no Christian basis for living a life of conspicuous consumption, much less of greed.

Sorry prosperity preachers, your well just dried up. This bulletin just in--- believing God for a financial miracle after you have lived in a financially irresponsible way is treating God as if he were an overly indulgent parent who would continue spoiling an already spoiled brat. And God is not going to honor that sort of flawed belief system, especially not when he has a compelling concern for the genuinely least, last, and lost in this world. So, let’s see if we can’t do a rewind here and begin to rethink things economic from a Christian point of view, rather than just baptizing the financial rhetoric of the political right or left, and calling it good.

PRINCIPLE ONE: THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN

Christians ought to know that human beings ‘own’ nothing in this world, if we are talking about the ultimate owner of things. This is God’s world, and it belongs to God. He has given it to us to be good stewards of, not owners. We brought nothing with us into this world, and we shall not be able to take any of it with us. If you know your history of economics, in the last 2,000 Christians have lived through all sorts of economic trials and tribulations and systems, no one of which was ‘specifically’ Christian, though it is clear enough that some systems are less Christian than others (e.g. totalitarian dictatorial systems, including totalitarian communism seems much more at odds with Christianity and its values than some other economic systems).

Since Christians are merely stewards of God’s property, they are always ultimately accountable to God for what they do with it (see the parable of the talents). God expects responsible stewardship out of us, in fact God expects “a good return on his investment in us”. The recognition that the earth is the Lord’s must cut against either godless capitalism’s or godless communism’s basic assumptions— there is no such thing as purely private property from a Christian point of view, any more than there is any such thing as governmentally owned and controlled property either. It all belongs to God!

PRINCIPLE TWO: DAILY BREAD IS NOT DAILY BLING

The Lord’s prayer is very basic, and as part of the Sermon on the Mount it reinforces the values of sticking to the basics. If you have decent food, shelter, and clothing, you should not be longing for more, and more and more, nor should you be worrying about such things. It is noteworthy that in the Lord’s prayer we are encouraged to pray for daily bread. ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ says the Scriptures. Christians are called in this culture to de-enculturate themselves and live a life of unfettered simplicity. In most cases, it is precisely because so many Christians have bought the lie that it is o.k. to live well beyond their means, participating in ‘debtor nation’, that they find themselves in so much economic trouble now. Tear up most all your credit cards, pay off your bills, and start living frugally. God is not a venture capitalist who rewards Christians behaving badly.

PRINCIPLE THREE: A WORKMAN IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE AND LET HIM WHO WILL NOT WORK, NOT EAT

Both of these principles are fundamental to what the Lord is calling us to when it comes to ‘making a living’--- a very odd phrase indeed, which seems to usually mean in this country ‘making a killing’. There is an integrity to good hard work, and a worker should be paid a living wage to do it. The basic definition of a living wage is providing basic food, shelter, clothing, and health coverage at a minimum.

Christians who hire people and then pay them less than the minimum wage for full time work are not merely breaking the law, they are breaking their covenant with God to follow his principles of treating workers fairly, indeed treating them with respect and kindness (see the parable of the day laborers and how the vineyard owner gave even those who worked an hour a full day’s wage because their families needed it to survive).

The other side of employer ethics is employee ethics. There is plenty in the Bible that heavily criticizes the sloth, the sluggard, the slacker, and in general the lazy person. Paul puts it this way, each one should carry his own load, to the degree he can, and when he cannot we should all pitch in and bear one another's burdens. Work, is not the curse, toilsomeness in work is the curse according to the Genesis story.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: THE PURPOSE OF HARD WORK IS TO SAVE ALL WE CAN, SO WE CAN ALSO GIVE ALL WE CAN

The reason Christians should work hard is not merely so they can ‘get ahead’ or ‘pay off their debts’, though these are good reasons, but so they can save some money for an uncertain future, and so they can be generous in helping others in the future--- living self-sacrificially.

As John Wesley once stresses “the person who makes all they can, without both saving and giving all they can may be a living person, but they are a dead Christian”. By this he meant, that we are called to follow the self-sacrificial example of Christ, not the self-indulgent example of Donald Trump, Bernie Madoff (with the loot), prosperity preachers, and in general all those consumed with consumption. We live in a self-centered culture and so it requires conscious effort and activity to swim against the cultural flow.

Paul sets a good example when he says “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and all situations, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can endure all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4.11-12—noting the proper translation of the ‘superman verse’ vs. 12 which literally reads “I am able…. all things”. The context suggests we must fill in the blank with the word ‘endure’ not ‘do’).

If one will begin to live on the basis of these principles one can begin to find one’s way out of the economic wasteland we find ourselves in. We must live within our means, and having said that, we need to drastically downscale our expectations about our lifestyles. We are not called to lifestyles of conspicuous consumption or lifestyles of the rich and famous. Those lifestyles are not Christian, they are just fallen people behaving badly.

In the second part of this post we will talk about how trust and hope are in fact the basis of any sound Christian approach to economics---but those in whom we invest our trust must be truly trustworthy……Do you know who is and isn’t trustworthy these days?

A Very Special Football Game

2009-02-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

I hope you will watch this amazing video clip that my friend Johnny Kincaid sent to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqQXJ1RxG5U

I was incredibly touched by it--in fact I was wiping away tears. What the Faith Lions fans did that night is such a powerful testimony of the Gospel. Jesus Christ came, lived among us, died , and rose from the dead so that we can have a fresh start.

May we all be cheerleaders for those who need God's grace!

By the way--I know that my friend Johnny is. You see he has a heart for prison ministry and leads Kairos weekends where prisoners can encounter the love of Jesus.

Matthew 24:31-40

31 "The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his throne in the glory of heaven. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.

34 "Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, 'My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created. 35 I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. 36 I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the people who have done what is right will answer him. 'Lord,' they will ask, 'when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

The Sabbath Wire by Bishop Mike

2009-02-25T06:44:00.001-05:00

Thought I would share this E-pistle from Bishop Mike Coyner today:

“The Sabbath Wire” – February 25, 2009

I bring your greetings on this Ash Wednesday as we begin the 40-day journey of Lent toward the Easter celebration. Having returned recently from our trip to the Holy Land, I want to share with you the story of the Sabbath Wire as a reminder that we should not make the season of Lent a rigid set of rules but an opportunity for spiritual focus. Here is the story: Every time I go to the Holy Land (this was my fourth trip), I see something new and learn something new. This trip it was the Sabbath Wire which surrounds the upper city of Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. Our group stayed in lower Tiberius, along the Sea in a beautiful setting which includes hotels, docks for fishing boats, hot springs, and a modern city. However there is also an upper Tiberius which is home to a large population of very devout and Orthodox Jews. On this trip our guide pointed out that the upper city is surrounded by a Sabbath Wire, which looks much like a set of telephone poles with a single wire. The wire surrounds the city and marks the limit of a “Sabbath day’s journey” from the center of the town. It is there to prevent any devout Jew from walking too far on the Sabbath. The wire keeps them from breaking the Sabbath rule about “working” by walking too far. Likewise in the hotel where we stayed in Jerusalem there was a Sabbath elevator which automatically went up one single floor at a time without any buttons being pushed – because, again, to push a button is considered “work” and a violation of the Sabbath. The sad thing, to me, about such rigid rules is that they actually miss the point of the Sabbath. In the Hebrew scriptures, the Sabbath is for rest, reflection, prayer, family time, and pleasant walks to enjoy God’s creation. So the rule about a “Sabbath day’s journey” is all about taking a pleasant stroll. How sad that a good thing – taking a stroll and enjoying God’s creation – has become a rigid rule complete with a wire to mark the limit of walking too far. I trust that we will not make Lent into a time that is so rigid we miss its point. The point of Lent is prayer, preparation, reflection, repentance, and getting ready for Easter. It is not about giving up desserts or chocolate or some of the silly rules we have put upon ourselves. I suppose it is our rebellion against such silly rules that has caused so many of us to ignore Lent altogether. Surely there must be a balance here so that we can gain the spiritual growth of Lent without hindering ourselves with rigid rules and superficial sacrifices. I hope that you will have a meaningful season of Lent, one which allows you to focus upon your journey of faith with Jesus. God bless you!

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church

Penn & The Gideon Bible

2009-02-18T16:31:00.005-05:00

A friend sent me this amazing video of Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) speaking about the night a fan gave him a Gideon Bible.

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM

Penn is one of the most well known atheists in America. His video blog is an amazing witness to the importance of sharing our faith in a winsome way. The man Penn is talking about lived out 1 Peter 3:15 "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way."
By the way--if you're reading this I hope you're praying for Penn to encounter the reality of Jesus. I know I am.

Good Food, Good Fellowship

2009-02-18T12:08:00.004-05:00

Sunday's mission meal was a huge hit. (We have some marvelous cooks in this church!) Best of all we collected over 40 bags of groceries for LIFE Food Pantry. In fact, we had so much food that we had to get recruit another driver to help deliver it.

Thank you for your generosity to those in need. I know that Jesus was smiling!

"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?" Matthew 25:35-37

I thought I would share this wonderful post that I read by Elizabeth Glass Turner of Good News Magazine.

Blessings and peace,
Pastor Beth Ann

The Simple Ministry of Food
By Elizabeth Glass Turner

When I was little, my mom had major health problems. She was in and out of the hospital. I remember fearful nights with her away, and Dad trying to do my hair.

I also remember the casserole dishes. It was fascinating to see what would pop up under aluminum foil. There were lots of leftovers. I have vague memories of kind omen stopping by with supper, helping to fill the gap while mom was recovering at the local hospital across town.

We weren't left alone.

Years later, a Zimbabwean family in my church suffered several major health crises in the midst of pursuing higher education in the states. The mother, her husband in seminary, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and required surgeries and chemotherapy. A notepad was passed around. Names and dates were aligned. I signed up. Later, a clean dish was returned to me, the mounds of spaghetti long gone, growing kids satisfied.

I saw the family unexpectedly at a camp in Florida this summer. They were joyous, healthy, and working hard in ministry, planting a church. I smiled to myself as I thought of the empty casserole dish returned to me.

Why do casserole dishes carry such power?

Maybe you haven't ever needed anyone to help you do simple things: wash dirty laundry, make a meal, take the dogs for a walk, watch the kids for a couple hours.

There is no feeling so naked as having to rely on someone else for the most basic needs of a day.

One time, I was quite sick, living alone, and my basement apartment began to flood in the night.

Some friends quietly came over, brought me something hot to drink on the cold January night, fetched the dirty, mildew-smelling towels that soaked up the flood waters, and returned fresh, fluffy clean towels the next day.

I could've cried. I think I did.

Jesus feeds us. We feed each other. Whether you feed someone today, or whether you have to accept the role of being fed, I hope that you carry with you the instinct to feed the hungry - whether they're wealthy members of your congregation, or neighbors with cancer, or homeless folk on the bypass.

We all need fed.

Asbury Seminary's New President

2009-02-17T17:31:00.002-05:00

For over two years Asbury Theological Seminary, my alma mater, has been searching for a new President. This morning I was pleased to hear that the Board has selected Dr. Timothy Tennent.

The thing that is most exciting about Dr. Tennent is his world-wide focus. Asbury has always prided itself on taking John Wesley's statement that "The World Is My Parish" seriously. The school has graduates serving literally around the globe.

Here's the press release:

ASBURY SEMINARY ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
WILMORE, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2009) – Timothy Craig Tennent, Ph.D., of Ipswich, Mass., has been elected the eighth president of Asbury Theological Seminary by the Board of Trustees. Asbury Theological Seminary, a private graduate school in the Wesleyan tradition with an enrollment of more than 1600 students, offers master’s and doctorate degrees in theology, biblical studies, missions and ministry studies.
Tennent, 49, comes to Asbury Seminary from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass., where he has served as professor of world missions and Indian studies since 1998.
Dr. Dan Johnson, chairman of the Board of Trustees stated, “The board is very excited about the unanimous election of Dr. Tennent. Dr. Tennent is a scholar’s scholar, a professor’s professor. He is a world Christian with world vision who will take Asbury Seminary into wonderful new arenas.”
“I am honored to have been selected to be president of Asbury Theological Seminary,” Tennent says. “We are delighted to be moving to the historic and beautiful garden area of central Kentucky. My wife, Julie, and I have always said that wherever God sends us, we will go. God has taken us to China, India, Nigeria and many beautiful churches in the southern United States and in New England. Now we have the great opportunity to help Asbury work with a global constituency and play a stronger role in preparing ministers from around the world for God’s work around the world.”
Tennent received his M.Div. in 1984 from Gordon-Conwell; the Th.M. in ecumenics, with a focus on Islam from Princeton Theological Seminary; and did graduate work in linguistics (TESL) at the University of Georgia. He completed his Ph.D. in non-western Christianity with a focus on Hinduism and Indian Christianity in 1998 at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
He is also one of the first four graduates from a new leadership development program funded by the Lilly Foundation and developed by the Lexington Seminar.
The leadership training program “covered innovation in everything from theological practice, shared governance, fundraising, negotiating personal dynamics in education to working with boards,” Tennent says. “During the three-year program, I met with dozens of deans and many presidents from schools across the theological spectrum, and learned a great deal about many of the unique challenges that we are facing today.”
Tennent is passionate about classical, orthodox theological education.
“I am alarmed by the growing trend away from serious theological reflection and do not believe that the church will be adequately prepared to face the challenges of pluralism and post-modernism without a more robust theological preparation,” he says. “I am also passionate about the emergence of the Majority World Church. I believe that the Western church continues to have an important role in global missions, in partnership with the increasingly vibrant Majority World Church.”

Precious in the Sight of the LORD

2009-02-03T11:29:00.005-05:00

Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15, NIV

This morning I'm preparing for a funeral. Ruth Sabina Humphrey Fountaine has been an active member of Bedford First UMC since the 1940s. She went home to the Lord on on January 30th with her family surrounding her. Visitation is this evening at Furguson-Lee Funeral Home and the service is tomorrow at 11 am here at the church.

Please keep Dr. Tom, Ruth's husband of over 65 years, 4 children, and many grand children/great grandchildren in your prayers.

As I've worked on the service I was reminded of this verse from Psalm 116. "How precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15, NIV

Blessings and peace,
Beth Ann

Welcome To My New Blog

2009-01-30T20:13:00.002-05:00

Thank you for visiting my new blog. The plan is for me to post some of my thoughts and reflections about various topics that I might have on my mind from time to time. I hope you will enjoy this new medium and check back often for updates. And, if you're set up, subscribe to the RSS feed to receive new posts automatically.