Updates and Housekeeping

I can’t believe that it has been over six months since I have posted on the blog!  Guess it’s time for a little updating and some housekeeping!

Last year was not my best physically.  I had been ill for awhile and had sort of a tipping point in the fall which led to another round of doctors and testing.  All of which led to the result that I had something that they could do nothing about and I was just going to have to learn to live with it.  And people wonder why I have a great aversion to going to see them in the first place?!

My daughter, who is in the Navy, came home at Christmas between duty assignments.  She brought her fiance with her for a visit and I heartily approve of her choice!

I have a beautiful grand-daughter as of November!  She is precious!  Gampa thoroughly enjoyed buying her first pair of overalls for Christmas!

I have taken a break from church related duties.  I needed some time off and the physical problems that I was dealing with really forced the issue.  Fortunately, we have a wonderful new minister at First Washington and she has come through with flying colors!  With taking a break it also means that I have not taken another advanced course (because apparently the classes I took at the Leadership Institute do not count), so technically, I’m not in lay servant ministries right now.  It’s on the list, but for now, my health is a higher priority.

I did not finish reading through the Bible in a year.  I got close, very close but didn't get it all done.  Since the world didn't end on December 21st (she said tongue in cheek), I figure I have another shot at reaching the goal!  Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it-yet!

I am sooooo ready for spring!  My daughters introduced me to Pinterest and that has managed to keep me sane through the months of pain.  I may not have been able to do a lot of things but I could at least dream a bit via the various boards that I created!  You don’t realize how powerful being hopeful or being able to dream is, until it’s the only thing you’ve got to hang on to!  There were days like that over the past few months.  A few too many!

That pretty well sums it up!

Now as to the housekeeping.  Comments are still open and welcomed and I still moderate them.  I’ve been getting a lot of spam comments though, so I have had to turn the verification function back on in the hopes that it will eliminate the spambots.  It’s an extra step and I apologize but I feel it is necessary in order to keep spam off of the blog.

I will try to post more regularly.  No promises, just a hopefulness that I will feel well enough to sit in front of this keyboard and write!

Be well, darling readers!  May 2013 be a year of joy and adventure for each and every one of you!

Those Pesky Little Questions and Details!

So, this is the time of year in my daily Bible reading, where I have reached Leviticus.  I have to be honest, I tend to skim read this section because it is full of rules and regulations.  If you sin in this certain way, you take this specific animal to the Priest.  The Priest then does this, waves that, sprinkles this, etc. etc and on and on it goes.  My eyes tend to glaze over!  Detail overload!  How can this be important for anyone today?

But I had an “ah-ha” moment as I thought about all of those pesky little details.  I realized that people understood clearly what they had done and what they needed to do in order to correct the sin.  Or, if they wanted to offer a Thanksgiving offering, they clearly understood what was required and how to go about doing it.  Everyone, at all levels of the community, understood what was expected and why it was necessary.  It was clear cut, precise and purposeful.

There is a valuable lesson that we can glean from this detailed account.  If you ask the average person in the pew, why we do what we do, in church or in the community, most individuals could not answer the question.  Maybe they would say it is because it has been done a certain way for as long as they remember.  Or, maybe they would say it is because they heard about some other church doing this and it worked for them.  Is this really the answer that we want to give?

Back in elementary school, we learned about the proper way to evaluate a story.  We had to be able to identify who, what, where, when, how and why.  Who were the main characters?  What was the story about?  Where was the story taking place?  When were these events happening?  How were they going about resolving the story?  Why were they doing what they were doing?  As I thought about this, I realized that these are the types of questions we in the church should be asking.  Then I realized, we’re not asking these questions!  We’re so busy “doing” ministry trying to make something work that we forget to take the time to lay out a plan ahead of time, clearly stating what we are trying to do, why we are doing it and what we hope the outcome will be.  We end up with a hodge-podge of things that sort of work, or don’t work at all and then wonder why we didn’t see any results.

Let’s take food ministry for example.  Who exactly are you trying to reach out to?  Who will be doing the work?  Who is in charge?  What are you planning on doing?  What is the hoped for outcome?  Where will you be doing this?  At church?  Somewhere out in the community?  When will you be doing this?  One time?  On a continual basis?  When you have enough volunteers?  When it is most convenient for the individuals you are trying to reach?  How do you intend to do this?  How will this fulfill a ministry goal?  How do you intend to let people know about this program?  Why are you doing this?  Is it because it is on a checklist?  Is it because you want to fill a need in the community?  There are so many more questions that could be asked, but my point is this-if you can answer these questions then the chances for success increase because you can demonstrate purpose, interest and passion .  There is a clear plan and people fully grasp the details.  If someone asks a question, you can give a reasonably intelligent answer!

We want our members to use their gifts and graces for work in ministry and, particularly, outreach.  Or, to use the word we least like to talk about, we want our members to be active in evangelism.  But we fail to give them the tools to understand why we are doing certain things and why this is important.  Then leadership wonders why things are not happening in our congregations?!

We bemoan the fact that too many of our congregations are “inwardly focused”.  I understand the argument and there is some validity to the statement.  There are individuals who are very comfortable with the idea that going to church is all you need, to be a good Christian.  But, I also know that there are individuals out there who would like to do more, but feel that they are ill equipped to reach out, because they don’t understand some of these things themselves!  They can not answer what Methodists believe or why they believe these things.  They can’t answer why a particular outreach ministry is an important reflection of the values of the church.  And in some cases, we ask individuals to take on tasks that they are not comfortable handling.  Asking an introvert to be a greeter at the front door would be a good example.  There are individuals who are not going to be terribly outgoing but are wonderful at handling behind the scenes details.  Their “evangelism” is going to look very different from an extrovert’s style of evangelism.  If we could focus a little more on the inward development of an individual-helping them to identify their gifts and graces, helping them understand where they could use those gifts and why using those gifts matter, I think we would see their confidence level go up.  We would see them feeling far more comfortable with talking to others and reaching out to others because they understand the details.  They can explain the purpose.  They understand why this is being done, they understand why it has value and is important and, if someone asks a question, they can answer with confidence.

Jesus didn’t just pick twelve guys out of a hat and then send them out into the world.  He worked with them.  He trained them.  He led them by example.  He answered their questions.  He equipped them with the skills that they needed to do effective ministry, then he sent them out!  We see the same pattern in Acts as well.  The Apostles didn’t send just anyone out to do ministry.  They sent out those individuals who they felt were equipped to handle the mission.

Do we want effective ministry?  If we do, then we have to invest in training our members and equipping them with the skills that they need.  And we have to look at our various forms of ministry and ask the questions that provide the details that under gird the “why”.  Until we do both, we will not see long term tangible results.  The mission or outreach will last only as long as someone stays excited about it and then it will collapse and fall by the wayside.  We will comfort ourselves with the thought that we at least tried, but it just didn’t work in this area.

We have to stop doing things just because it was suggested in a book, or someone else did it or it sounds like something interesting to try.  We need to stop with the rah rah speeches or the finger pointing “guilt you into doing it” approach.  We need to start doing ministry because we have a compelling reason to do so and we can explain the reason in great detail.  We need to know that we have the individuals in place who can handle the mission.

It’s time that we started asking those pesky questions.  It’s time to start focusing, first, on those little details.  Those pesky little questions, those little details, can make all the difference!

Security-Comfort-Food and the Golden Rule

Photo by Holly Boucher

One of the “blessings” of fibromyalgia is that once in awhile, you have to literally stop what you’re doing.   Fighting the pain is physically exhausting!  Sometimes, you have to just sit and rest, whether you want to or not!  I am used to having to rest for a day, at times, but this time around, I had to rest for days.  I haven’t had to do that for awhile, but this was one of those bouts where I had to do an extended rest, because my symptoms were not getting better, they were getting worse!  I needed to give my body time to recover.

There is only so much television you can watch and there are only so many rounds of Sodoku you can play before you start going stir crazy!  So, I took advantage of the time and read a few books.  I tried to read a few spiritual books but, there is a mental exhaustion component that goes with this, as well, and I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what I was reading.  So, instead, I read a book that I have wanted to read for awhile, “The Town That Food Saved” by Ben Hewitt.  The appeal, for me, was that it was about a town that I do know about, Hardwick, Vermont.  Hardwick was the “ole stomping grounds” of my parents when they first got married, and they both have very fond memories.  So, I was curious to see just how Mr. Hewitt portrayed the Hardwick of today, against the Hardwick of yesterday.

The basic premise of the book, initially , is how new, food based, entrepreneurial businesses came in to town and saved the community from economic collapse.  Sort of a rags to riches story.  The author had the good sense, though, to delve a little deeper.  On the one hand, yes, these businesses brought a new vitality to the community.  On the other hand, there have been farms and farmers in the area for a very long time quietly doing their own thing without a lot of publicity and fanfare.  So, I appreciate that Mr. Hewitt took the time to point that little factoid out!

For me, it raised a couple of points that I have pondered and wrestled with over the years-food security and proper stewardship.  It also raises the importance of being a part of a community that lives in balance.  Right now, if there was a major catastrophic event, and goods could not be shipped, particularly food, there are a lot of people who would go hungry.  Do you live in a community that could sustain itself, for an extended period of time, without outside assistance?  Most of us, would have to answer no.  I think the area that I live in, would fare better than some other areas of the country but I am not entirely convinced we could sustain ourselves for a long period of time.  I do believe that this is something that we should all take seriously and discuss because stuff does happen.  There are things that are beyond our control and we may face a point in time when we have to depend on our neighbors and our community to work together.

Missouri just wilted it’s way through the second worst heat wave on record.  We broke record high temperatures that had been set back in the 1930’s, during the depression and the era of the dustbowl.  There was no rain hardly to speak of.  There were cracks in people’s yards that looked like an earthquake had hit, but it was no earthquake, the ground was literally baking in the sun.  This is the type of weather we expect to get towards the end of July, into August.  This was not something that you would normally see in the month of June.  Because of this, there is some concern about the corn crops and the amount of damage that this heat wave/drought did to the crop.  Lower yields means higher commodity prices.  Higher commodity prices, mean higher prices at the supermarket.  It’s a viscous cycle that we created, when we chose to get away from growing or raising our own food and depending on someone else to do it for us.    Here’s a shocking statistic from the book-the amount of the United States population that live on farms is 0.7%.  In the United States, 140 people eat what 1 person grows.  If that system fails, what happens?

The statistic sounds daunting, but there is something that can be done on a local level-encourage people to grow at least some of their own food.  Food is far more valuable then the perfectly manicured lawn.  It is also far more healthy than what you find in the supermarket because it is fresh, it hasn’t lost some of the nutrient content due to shipping.    Yes, it is work!  That’s why a lot of people prefer to let someone else take up the task!  But more locally grown food would go a long way towards providing some stability and food security on a local level.  If you are in an area where you can not grow your own, there are some options.  The local farmers market is a good place to start.  Or, look for a community garden when you can have your own little plot of land to grow vegetables.  And for those a little more adventurous, a drive to the country to a “pick your own” operation is a good way to participate.  It is a way to participate in the well being of your community because you are supporting someone local.

Churches can have a positive impact on this as well.  Stewardship is not just about money.  It is also about careful use of finite resources.  And many churches have a bare spot of land that could be used for a community garden.  I know the objections, people don’t take care of their plots, it turns into a weedy ugly mess, etc. etc.  I know, it is a risk that you take when you open up part of the property to the community.  But what is more important, the impeccable landscaping or finding a vital way to be a part of the local community?  Here’s another option, if your community does not have a Farmer’s Market, would you be willing to host one at the church?  Or would you be willing to host workshops about gardening, seed saving, preserving food, etc.?  Would you be willing to let some of your members grow a garden so the produce could be donated to the local food pantry?  Hunger in the United States is real and it happens in every community whether we want to acknowledge it or not.  The church is a wonderful place to help constructively turn the tide, if we are willing to step up and confront the issue.

Can we be better stewards?  Can we help create greater food security in our community?  Can we help create a more sustainable community system?  I think we can.

One point from the book that particularly resonated with me was about the farmers who had been in the community for a long time.  They sold produce off their farm on a “sliding scale” fee.  If someone could afford to pay a certain price, that is what they were charged.  But if there was someone who was in need, they would charge a lower price or not even charge them at all.  They did this without a lot of fanfare or publicity or trying to make a boatload of money.  They did it quietly, consciously, consistently.  They were not out there trying to make a name for themselves, they were doing this to help their neighbor.  To me, it was like watching the gospel lived out in a very real, practical way.  It reminded me a lot of my parents and dad, in particular.  Dad was well known for pulling out a couple of saw horses and a sheet of plywood and setting them up by the road.  Then he would make a sign that said “free” and he would put surplus produce on top of the makeshift plywood table.  Over the years, there were people who come up to me or my siblings and shared their stories about how much they appreciated dad doing that one simple thing.  My parents never made a big deal out of doing it and we grew up believing that it was just something you did.  But there were people out there who were able to “make it through a rough patch” because it gave them something to eat.  I treasure those stories even more, now that dad is gone.  And I hope in some way, I can carry on that simple legacy.

I appreciated reading the stories that Ben Hewitt told in his book and I am grateful that these “agri-preuneurs” are raising awareness about food security and sustainability at the local community level. But I am far more appreciative of the stories about the local farmers who have been doing their part to take care of their community for a very long time!  My guess is, some of those folks are already members of a local church and this is one way that they have chosen to live out the Golden Rule.

As a citizen and a member of your local church, I hope you consider looking at ways to be more involved.  This is your community.  These are your neighbors.  Are you willing to take some risks in order to encourage and support and strengthen your neighborhood, your community?  It is a question that is well worth wrestling with!

American (church) Idols of the 21st Century

I have been re-reading my copy of "An Introduction to Christianity" by Alister E. McGrath, which I picked up many years ago.  It is a wonderful, basic, introduction to how we got here in the first place!  Every couple of years or so, I go back and read it again, as a refresher, because it is just that good!

I just finished the section on The Early Church, to c. 700, and in this section, Mr. McGrath, discusses the evolution of the Celtic church and how very different it was from the Roman-British church that existed at that time.   In reading this section, I was struck by the similar parallel that I see happening today in Methodism.  Let me quote directly from the book, to help you better understand what I’m talking about:

“It is no exaggeration to say that the Irish church was monastic, with the Abbot rather than the Bishop being seen as pre-eminent…The Irish monastic model came to be seen as a threat to the Roman model of the episcopate, in which the government of the church resided firmly in the hands of the Bishops.  None of the Abbots of Iona ever allowed Bishops to ordain formally then, rejecting the need for any such ‘official’ recognition…Abbeys were responsible for the pastoral care of the churches which grew up in their vicinity.  The Roman Episcopal system was thus marginalized.  The Celtic church leaders were openly critical of worldly wealth and status…”

What result did we Methodists clearly see coming out of General Conference?  A lack of trust in our Bishops due to the obsession with numbers and money (metrics).  It is my opinion that the statement  that came out from the New England Conference delegates is a reflection of that reality.  It doesn’t mean that I agree fully with their statement, but it does mean that I can better understand where they are coming from!  We have a group of churches who sincerely believe that they should be able to minister as they see fit, without being impeded by the hierarchy of the church.  But they also expect to receive the support and resources that come from being in a connectional system.

I agree that our system is too top heavy.  I think our Bishops would agree with that as well.  I acknowledge the fact that there are distinct differences between conferences.  But I also believe that there should be an expectation of common beliefs of theology between each conference and each church.  Call it Methodist Ethos, call it common theology, call it whatever you want, but I believe that the message should be consistent.  Just as there are practices in the Catholic church that make it distinctly Catholic, there are also practices in the Methodist church that make it distinctly Methodist.  Being part of this connectional system does not give us the liberty to pick and choose, but that is what some would like to do.  And I think the driving reasons behind this, are because of a lack of trust and an underlying belief that “picking and choosing” will “fix the problems” that we have heard about for so long!

For more years than I care to think about, we have heard nothing but the bemoaning of our denominational decline.  And plan after plan has been put forward to “reverse the trend” of our impending “death tsunami”.  On one end, we have metrics, and vital congregations and elimination of guaranteed appointment.  On the other end, we have the call to allow individual churches to minister as they see fit.  Proponents of the various positions are equally sincere, they truly believe that they have a plan that will work!  They truly believe that this will fix the problem.  But the vast majority of these plans end up being “sound and fury signifying nothing”.  Why?

If I had to put a finger on it, I would have to say that what we are looking at the wrong things.  We have created our own 21st century idols, hoping that they are the answers to all our problems.  Believe me, I am fully aware that this will not be a particularly popular message for people to hear.  I also know that some of you probably think I’ve gone off my rocker-how could I possibly make a leap to that sort of opinion?!  Hear me out, please.  In modern society we tend to think of Idols, as little carved figures made of wood or gold or precious stones, that people bowed down to, and how utterly foolish ancient people were to think that they held power!  But as Wesley pointed out in one of his sermons, sin can be far more subtle.  Idols can be things that we least suspect.  (See John Meunier's post "Giving the Devil His Due)

I was reading in Ezekiel and I saw some things, some idolatry, that the Lord pointed out to the Prophet and I was amazed at how similar they are to things that we do today.   Let’s take a quick tour and hopefully, you will see what I am talking about.  All scripture quotes come from the Wesley Study Bible (NRSV).

Ezekiel 7:19:

“…Their silver and gold cannot save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord…”

Our current thinking is money will save the church.  Or, money will save us from disaster.  Money involves numbers.  Money is neither good nor bad, it is our attitude towards money that turns it into an idol.  How do we use it?  Is it our top priority?  Or is it a tool that we use for good?  There is no doubt that we have to be better stewards of money, but our focus on money (and the related bean counting that goes along with it) has become an idol.  Like it or not, it is a stumbling block and this is something that Wesley warned about strongly in his sermons.

Ezekiel 7:24

“…I will put an end to the arrogance of the strong…”

I am right, and you are wrong.  It’s my way or the highway.  How often have we heard this type of position?  This is not Holy Conferencing, this is posturing for position.  If I say it loudly enough and often enough I may very well wear you down!  As someone watching from the sidelines, let me put it to you this way-you are screaming so loudly that I can’t hear you!  And quite frankly, if you keep screaming at me, I’m going to tune you out completely.  Enough is enough!  It is time to talk with each other rather than at it other.  Arrogance is an idol.  

Ezekiel 8:5

“…in the entrance, was this image of jealousy…”

There’s a doozey!  “The churches overseas are growing, yet we put in all the money.”  “The (insert name here) Jurisdiction has far too much influence.”  “The current church doctrine keeps too many people away and keeps us from effective ministry.”  “Those mega churches are being favored  over all the rest of the other churches in the denomination.”  “Too many churches have become nothing more than Country Clubs concerned with their own well being and that’s why we are not growing.”  Remember these little tidbits of quotations, anyone?  Oh why can’t I do my job and why are we not growing, we say.  It’s because of “those other folks!”  It’s not pretty, and it’s not something we like to admit to, but let’s face it, there is strife and envy in our ranks and jealousy is her name.

Ezekiel 8:12

“…Mortal, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of images?”

Ezekiel 8:16

“….between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their back to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, prostrating themselves to the sun toward the east.”

These two scriptures, in my mind, go together.  Instead of following the ordinances that God commanded, they instead started following the ordinances of the nations around them.  Or, in other words, they started catering to the world in their worship.  As Christians, we are called to be peculiar-different and distinct, just as Israel was in their day.  We are called to worship the Creator, not the created.  We are expected to be different.  Yet, we tend to try to do the opposite.  Instead of being different, we try to be just like them.  Why would someone come to our church if we look just like the rest of the world?  Where is our good news message?  Sin is real, so is hope.  Hope, faith and love-do we offer that to the world at large?  Or do we offer much of what can be found in the world because we are busy trying to be like the rest of the world?

It breaks my heart because I honestly feel that we are no different than Israel at the time of their judgment.  Not only do we distrust each other, we distrust the message that we are commanded to share.  We distrust God and his spirit to guide us and see us through.  From top to bottom we are acting no differently then they did.  We can see the sad results of that level of distrust when the Lord said to Ezekiel in chapter 7, verse 27:
“According to their way I will deal with them; according to their own judgments I will judge them.”

If that was the end of the story, it would be a sad story, indeed!  But there is hope!  Why were the Prophets sent by God?  As an act of mercy, to give people the chance to repent.  That opportunity is still available to us today, if we will choose to accept it.  Will we repent of our idols of numbers and money, of arrogance and jealousy and trying to be like the world?  Will we repent together, as one body, top to bottom, recognizing that we all played a part in arriving at this point?  Will we work together as one body with many parts or will we choose to go our separate ways?  Time will tell.  But understand, whatever choice we make, we will be judged accordingly.    Lord, have mercy!  Forgive us our corporate and individual sins and show us your way!  Help us to let go of, and move beyond, our 21st century idols.  This I sincerely pray.  Amen.

Sermon Notes for A Service of Jubilee

Last, but not least, the sermon notes.  When  I preach, I do not go word for word based on what I've written.  The notes do, however, keep me on track so I don't wander too far afield!

 The Importance of Jubilee

Leviticus chapter 25 devotes almost the entire chapter to discussing the Year of Jubilee.  Leviticus states that every seventh year was intended to be a Sabbath year for the land.  No crops were supposed to be planted, the ground was to be given a year of rest.  After seven cycles,  a Year of Jubilee was to be declared.  Verse 10  in the NIV Bible says “you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.”  Liberty.  Freedom.  Two very important words.  Why does this matter?  Why should we care?  It matters because Jubilee was not only meant to be a celebration, it was also meant to be a release from past burdens.  It was meant to be a way of letting go of the past, in order to move on to the future.  More importantly, this was God wanted for his chosen people-liberty!  The idea of Jubilee is woven throughout the Bible.  The when and how are not as important as WHY.  Why did God put forth the idea of Jubilee?  It all goes back to the idea of being free by letting go of old things in order to move forward.

A wise New Testament writer by the name of Paul discovered the importance of this idea.  In Philippians 3 verse 13, in the NIV Bible Paul says “…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has call me heavenward in Christ Jesus”

Goal?  Prize?  What is he talking about?  Jeremiah makes the point a little more clearly in chapter 29 of the NIV Bible as he shares with the exiles what the Lord was trying to tell them.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you…”

God has a plan for you.  He has a plan to prosper you.  He has a plan to give you a future full of hope. Prosperity is so much more than wealth!  Prosperity involves the heart, the soul, your health and the path that you are following.  Prosperity is about your entire well being!  Listen to what John writes as a greeting in his letter to Gaius.  In Third John verse 2  from the Amplified Bible he says this:
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers.”  True prosperity is not is not simply inward or simply outward, it is both!  Everything in  your life “prospers” as your soul prospers.  In the old Methodist tradition, one of the questions that was asked was “how is it with your soul?”  In other words, what is really going on in that deepest part of your being?  Is there something holding you back from following God’s plan for you?  Are you carrying a burden that you need to let go?  Understand that the burden you carry isn’t always about the past or even the present.  Sometimes that burden can be a dream for the future-an unspoken hope, that we‘re not even sure we want to admit.  Even the good things can sometimes be a burden if we hold on to them too tightly!

Now let’s get back to the overall idea of Jubilee.  God sent his only son, his beloved son, in to the world to do what?  To save the world from sin.  To reconcile us to God.  To offer us liberty from the heavy burden of sin and death and all the other things that we needlessly carry around with us in our soul.  Jesus was, and still is, the ultimate Jubilee!  God has proclaimed liberty for all who believe!  He sent that liberty into the world in the form of his son, Jesus, as an offering, a gift.  We simply have to choose to receive this gift!  We have to trust that this gift is meant for us, personally.  And what does that gift give us?  Forgiveness for ourselves.  Permission to let things go.  Hope for better things to come.  All those past hurts, all the mistakes and failures, we can let them go!  The things that we fear today.  Our worries about the future.  Past, present, future-it’s all covered!  We have that heavenly confessor and intercessor, in Jesus.  We can pray and unload all those things that shackle our very souls-the positive and the negative.  We have permission to bring them ALL before the Lord!  

To bring everything to the Lord means we have to trust that the message is not just for the world, it is for you and me personally.  That means we have to understand how God truly sees us, individually.  God is a God of the one, as well as of the many.    How does God see us?  In Genesis, when God created man, he didn’t say just that his creation was good.  He said it was “very good”.  Each one of us is the apple of God’s eye.  To be the “apple of the eye” means that you are very near and dear to God and he treasures you so much that he closely guards and protects you!  You are precious!  You are the apple of his eye!  Deuteronomy 32, in the NIV Bible, contains the song of Moses.  In verses 10 and 11 it says “…He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.  Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads it wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions.  The Lord alone led him…”   In Psalm 17, verse 8 in the NIV Bible, David says “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”  We see in the very first chapter of Jeremiah how well God knows us and how we are the apple of his eye.  In verse 5, the Lord tells Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…”  and in chapter 31 verse 3, the Lord tells Jeremiah “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”  David describes the closeness of God beautifully in Psalm 139.  He says, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.  You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; there night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”  Does that sound like a distant and far off God to you?  This is a God who treasures you!  He sees you as the apple of his eye and he wants a close relationship with you.

God’s intent from the very beginning was relationship!  A close, loving, trusting relationship.  That’s why he created Jubilee.  That’s why he sent Jesus.  That’s why he sent the Holy Spirit to be with us today.  He wants you, his precious child, to be free!  He wants you, the apple of his eye, to be the very best that you can be!  He wants his church to be the very essence of Jubilee.  Trusting God fully doesn’t mean that your problems will magically disappear.  What it does mean is that he is here, truly here, now, today!  He was with you in the past and he will be right there with you in the future, if you’ll let him.  But the choice is yours.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Are you willing to do that?  Are you willing to let go of the hurts of the past?  Are you willing to let go of the worries of today?  Are you willing to lift up your hopes for the future?  That is what this service is meant to do today.  Individually each of us will write down, all the things from the past that we need to let go of.  Individually we will write down our worries of today.  Individually each of us will write down all of our hopes for the future.  They can be things from your private life.  They can be things from your public life.  And some of them may be things from church.  Whatever they may be, today is the day to release all, ALL to God!  Today is the day that we take hold of, and proclaim our very own Jubilee at First United Methodist!  We will gather them up and then together we will pray over them.  Then we release them to God by burning them.  We will let these things go!  And together we will praise God for this season of Jubilee!

God has great plans for each of us!  God has great plans for us as a church, working together.  Today is the day that we leave behind those things that burden us and walk forward, by God‘s grace, in liberty!  Today is the day that we wipe the slate clean and step in to a future filled with hope, peace, love and joy!  Today begins our season of Jubilee!  Let us proclaim our liberty!  Let us claim our Jubilee!  Thanks be to God!  Amen

Service Format for A Service of Jubilee

A couple of notes:  first service is considered to be our "Contemporary" service.  Second service is considered to be our "Traditional" service.  We did switch out a song for first service-instead of using Victory Chant, we used Trading My Sorrows.  At second service, our fantastic Pianist played an instrumental version of Simple Gifts.  A couple of things that were very different for both services, were the congregational affirmations and prayers, something that they do not normally do.  Normally, the only collective prayer that is said together is the Lord's Prayer.  Also, different, the blessing of the children.  Usually the children are asked to say a prayer at the end of Children's moment.  I asked the congregation instead to pray over our children and to offer a blessing for them.


So, without further ado, the service formats:


First Service Format-June 10, 2012  A Celebration of Jubilee

Gathering
Announcements
(Based on old Taize greeting)
Leader:  Be reconciled all you who enter here!  Parents and children.  Husbands and wives.  Believers and those who cannot believe.  Christians and their fellow Christians.  O Lord open our lips.

On screen together: ( based on UMH Morning Prayer and Praise Service pg. 876)

We shall declare your praise.  New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world.  Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Opening Songs of Celebration:
Forever
Victory Chant

Pass the Peace
Children’s moment (after the brief sermonette I will send them back to their families so they can lay hands on them as we pray together:
Prayer of Blessing over the Children On Screen: (based on UMH Baptismal Covenant pg. 41)

Heavenly Father, with your  help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.  We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.  We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. Amen

Joys and Concerns
Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
Offering:  Give Thanks

Scripture:  Psalm 139:1-14a
Message:  The Importance of Jubilee
Service of Jubilee:
Opening Prayer:  (based on UMH 489)
Leader:  O Holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for our fear, hope for our despair.  O Loving God open unto us wisdom for our confusion, forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate.  O God of peace open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our sorrow, strength for our weakness.  O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.  Amen

While people are writing down the things that they intend to let go of and the things that they hope for  Praise Band will sing:  Draw Me Close
Towards the end of the song, I will ask the ushers to gather up the papers to be brought forward for prayer.

Prayer of Release (based on UMH 412 and UMH 335)
Leader:  Almighty God, with one accord we make our common supplication to you.  Where two or three are gathered together in your name you will be in their midst.  Be with us and among us.  Come as wind and cleanse us.  Come as fire and burn away the old sin and sorrow and sadness.  Come as dew and refresh us.  Convict, convert and consecrate our hearts and lives.  Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us.  As we join together as one body Lord, hear our prayer:  (on screen UMH 481 Prayer of St.
 Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

(While prayer papers are being carried out to be burned Praise Team leads congregation in singing )
Take My Life (congregation can be seated for this)

I Walk by Faith
Sending Forth:  May the Lord Direct you in all your doings.  May he continually offer you help.  May he guide you in all your work, so that all may glorify his name.  Go forth in Jesus’ name!

Chorus from Shine Jesus Shine


Second service format June 10, 2012 A Service of Jubilee

Gathering, Welcome and announcements
(Based on old Taize greeting)
Leader:  Be reconciled all you who enter here!  Parents and children.  Husbands and wives.  Believers and those who cannot believe.  Christians and their fellow Christians.  O Lord open our lips.

On screen together: (based on UMH Morning Prayer and Praise Service pg. 876)

We shall declare your praise.  New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world.  Stir up in us desire to serve you,  longing to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Hymn:  92 For the Beauty of the Earth

Pass the Peace

Children’s Moment (after the brief sermonette, I will send the children back to their families so they can lay hands on them as we pray this together:
Prayer of Blessing over the Children On Screen: (based on UMH Baptismal Covenant pg. 41)

Heavenly Father, with your help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ.  We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.  We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. Amen

Joys and Concerns
Morning Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
Response:  UMH 70 Glory Be to the Father

Offering
Offertory
Doxology UMH 95

Hymn: 89 Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-14a
Message:  The Importance of Jubilee
Service of Jubilee
Opening Prayer:  (based on UMH 489)
Leader:  O Holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for our fear, hope for our despair.  O Loving God open unto us wisdom for our confusion, forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate.  O God of peace open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our sorrow, strength for our weakness.  O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.  Amen

While people are writing down the things that they intend to let go of and the things that they hope for Special Music played (Lord of the Dance, Simple Gifts, Appalachian Spring) Towards the end of the song, I will ask the ushers to gather up the papers to be brought forward for prayer.

Prayer of Release (based on UMH 412 and UMH 335)
Leader:  Almighty God, with one accord we make our common supplication to you.  Where two or three are gathered together in your name you will be in their midst.  Be with us and among us.  Come as wind and cleanse us.  Come as fire and burn away the old sin and sorrow and sadness.  Come as dew and refresh us.  Convict, convert and consecrate our hearts and lives.  Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us.  As we join together as one body, Lord, hear our prayer:  (on screen UMH 481 Prayer of St. Francis)

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen

While papers are being carried out to be burned, Congregation will be led in singing
Hymn:  399 Take My Life and Let it Be (People can be sitting for this)
Then people will stand for closing hymn
Hymn (not in Hymnal):  In My Heart There Rings a Melody

Benediction:
May the Lord Direct you in all your doings.  May he continually offer you help.  May he guide you in all your work, so that all may glorify his name.  Go forth in Jesus’ name!

389 Freely Freely (verse 1 and chorus)

Background on The Creation of A Service of Jubilee

Hello blog world!  Yes, it’s been awhile since I have posted anything, I know.  Life has been busy!  Between home and church I have kept hopping!  Needless to say the stress-o-meter went full tilt at one point and I ended up in bed for a few days.  If I made it through the day just getting the basics done and taken care of, it was a victory!  The past few months have been, in a word, exhausting.

One of the many items on my list over the past month or so, happened on Sunday.  Here in Missouri, Annual Conference was this past weekend, and those of us who are lay speakers usually cover the services at home.  So I preached this past Sunday-both services.  Actually, I did a little more than that, I created a service from scratch.  I called it a Service of Jubilee or, a Celebration of Jubilee.  I will post the format and my sermon notes in separate blog posts, but for now, let me explain the idea behind this service.

My home church is in a period of transition.  Our current minister is retiring.  Our new minister will be arriving soon.  It’s an interesting time for the congregation because it’s mixed with sadness and joy, fear and excitement and a whole lot of other things that run the gamut.  And sometimes we forget that God is in charge.  So, I thought it might be helpful to give people a safe way to express their fears and their hopes individually and as a congregation.  Long story short, I gave the congregation a chance to write down those fears and hopes on paper, with the understanding that no one else would see them.  We then gathered up the papers, prayed over them and released them to God by burning them.  I asked them to decide what they were willing to let go of, what were they willing to turn over to God?  It could be in their personal life, their professional life and even, their church life.  I used Paul’s exhortation of “forgetting those things that are behind and pressing forward.”  And thus, the Service of Jubilee was born as a way of letting go of things, in order to move on to the future with a “clean slate.”

I will tell you that I used some very traditional things in this service and I make no apologies for doing so!  Traditional things used wisely can have a powerful impact!  The prayers that the congregation said together are variations or actual word for word prayers that are found in the United Methodist Hymnal.  I also picked songs and hymns that went along with the theme, some quiet, but some really joyous because Jubilee is meant to be a time of celebration.  And, I believe in the importance of symbolism.  The papers were taken outside to be burned  so we didn’t set off the smoke alarms in church, but I lit a candle off of one of the altar candles to be carried outside….symbolic of the light of Christ, being carried out and used to cleanse and to lift the prayers skyward…Holy Smoke.  Symbols can be very powerful, as well.

One thing that, I think, would have made the service even better, is if we could have had Communion as well.  Something to think about if you decide to use this at your church.

The scriptures that I refer to, for the most part, come from the NIV Bible translation.  There was one exception, I used the Amplified Bible for one verse in particular because I thought that it more clearly emphasized the point I was trying to make.

If you are looking to do something different at your church, and you like the idea, feel free to use it.  At the very least, this idea may inspire you to create your own unique service that fills a need in your congregation.
Leading this service was a joy for me personally and I hope, that by sharing it with you, it will lead you to your own divine inspiration!  Be blessed!