This past Sunday, when Matt Johnson, Director of Church Operations for United Methodist Youthville was with us for worship, we took up an offering for that institution. $522 was received. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who gave.
Family Fun Night a Success
Despite the bad weather and a few scheduling conflicts we had 23 kids and parents at the Family Fun Night last Friday. For those of you who couldn’t make it: never fear, we’ll schedule more.
Youth Sunday 2012
Youth Sunday is scheduled for April 22, 2012. This will be the last one for Amanda, Brian, and James. Be sure and make plans to attend.
Princess Atlantis Cast Party
On April 24, 2012, First United Methodist Church will be sponsoring a party for the cast of The Adventures of Princess Atlantis. There’s no food that needs to be prepared because we’ll be ordering pizza, a lot of pizza, from Pizza Hut and Becky Griffiths is making the cake, but if you would like to donate a twelve pack of pop, bottles of water, or make a monetary contribution to help defray the expenses that would be more than welcome.
A Conversation Starter
I would like to start an informal discussion about a contentious issue. I want to start this conversation, not because I enjoy contention (I don’t), but because I’m afraid that if I continue to remain quiet and bottle up my thoughts and feelings they will eventually explode with destructive rather than constructive consequences. I don’t pretend to have all the answers on this issue and I welcome your questions, comments, and insights.
So here are some suggestions for the conversation:
- We should choose to share our responses in written or verbal form based on which form we, as individuals, can use in the most loving, Christ-like manner (that’s why I’m writing, but you may be better off calling or speaking directly).
- When angry or upset, we should sleep on our thoughts, waiting at least 24 hours in prayer and self-examination before issuing a retort to a brother or sister in Christ who holds the offending view.
- We should assume that the motives of the other participants in the discussion are pure.
- We should humbly remember that as flawed human beings, we’re all wrong about some things, the problem is that we don’t yet know which things we’re wrong about.
All ready? Here’s the conversation starter:
During my 18 years as a pastor, I have often heard complaints about people who are taking advantage of the welfare system.* This has always upset me and I think I may have finally figured out why. I get upset because I’ve benefited from a lot of government programs myself, even though I’ve never benefited from programs intended exclusively for those with low incomes.
Government programs I have benefited from include: state sponsored education K-12; attending a state university (which means it was sponsored and subsidized by the state, and even private schools receive government grants); student loans to attend college and seminary (I repaid the loans, but the government paid the interest while I was in school); money given to me by grandparents who received farm subsidies; and (presently) tax breaks on my employer provided health insurance plan and my health savings account. I’ve benefited from all these programs while at the same time enjoying a lifestyle well above that of the average “welfare” recipient.**
Having benefited from the programs named above, I cannot pretend that I got where I am entirely by my own efforts (and that’s even when considered solely on the basis of human standards; when I remember that all good things come from God the point is only amplified).
My hope is that if you’re reading this you’ll be able to see yourselves in my description of the government programs I have benefited from (if you can’t, I will be glad to help you find examples from your own life). And that seeing yourself in my examples, you’ll be able to empathize with those who are receiving assistance whose standard of living remains well below ours.
None of this is meant to argue a particular political point of view about the best way to help those in need, it’s simply to say that if we cannot empathize with the poor then we are seeing neither them, nor ourselves, nor God clearly. I fear that when we cannot see ourselves in the least of these, it becomes nearly impossible to see Jesus in them.
Any thoughts? Drop me a line at john@revcollins.com.
__________
*I know all to well that there are indeed those who do take advantage of the system, but I think God calls us to be more concerned about those still unable to meet basic needs
**I do think we would be far better off as individuals and a society if we implemented a system that ensured that every person able to work was engaged in meaningful labor in return for the benefits they received.
Voice of the Day: Augustine of Hippo
“Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it.”
— Augustine of Hippo
Hat Tip: Sojourners
Family Fun Event
A Family Fun event has been scheduled for Friday, April 13, 2012 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall downstairs at the church. Children on their own are welcome, but their parents are also invited as we’re combining a meal (pizza) and a movie. We’ll be screening the VeggieTales video Robin Good.
We’ll have coloring sheets for those who arrive early or want to stay late. This is a free event, everyone is invited, and you’re encouraged to bring friends. Feel free to bring sleeping bags, camp chairs, and whatever else you need to get comfortable.
Christ the Lord is Risen!
Christ the Lord is risen indeed. Nothing else needs to be said today (although that didn’t stop me from preaching a full-length sermon this morning).
Next Year's Tenebrae Service
We received a lot of positive feedback on tonight’s Tenebrae service (the choral anthem, in particular was excellent), but there were a few improvements Jenny and want to make. I’m listing them here so they won’t be forgotten.
- Move the service time so that it begins at or shortly after sunset.
- Have a moment of silence after the passion reading with a black screen.
- Put the lyrics for the final hymn on a black screen without any other background.
- Close the doors at the back of the sanctuary during the service.
Any other suggestions or feedback, drop me a line at john@revcollins.com.
A final note to myself: I already made a bulletin and a presentation for 2013 that reflect these changes.
Bible Reading Plan Update
As many of you already know, I started the Ninety-Day Lent and Easter New Testament reading plan early. And so, the reading I had today was Ephesians. Not the first and second chapters of Ephesians, nor the third, forth, and fifth chapters, but instead all six chapters. That’s a large chunk of readings, especially coming after all six chapters of Galatians the day before. Back in the Gospels, Acts, and the larger Epistles the daily readings had been only two or three chapters. Why the change? Why not split these up as well? Why not balance things out so we’re reading the same number of chapters every one of the 90 days?
The most compelling possible reason I can think of is that the smaller Epistles were left together because they are small enough to be read in one sitting and splitting them into smaller chunks would make it difficult to follow the tightly woven line of reasoning they often follow. The longer books of the New Testament are also tightly woven together, but it’s harder to avoid splitting them up. Reading the six chapters of Ephesians all at once is one thing, the 28 chapters of Matthew is another.
A second, complementary reason is that by the time we get to the longer readings in Galatians, we’ve been reading the New Testament for 68 days, which means (hopefully) that our ability to focus on scripture has grown and we can better handle six straight chapters.
Exterior Repair and Weatherproofing
You may have noticed some paint pealing close to the wall on the ceiling in the sanctuary, on the external walls of the sanctuary or in the back stairwell going upstairs. These are all signs that some weatherproofing and restoration work needs to be done. The trustees obtained a bid from Mid-Continental Restoration (MCR), the company that repaired the southeast tower after it was struck by lightning. MCR bid for $58,185 for the work. Thinking this was high, the trustees solicited a bid from another company that came in at $131,900. At which point the original bid was readily accepted. If you would like to be a part of the preservation of our historic building, your second mile contribution would be more than welcome. Contributing is as easy as making a note on the offering envelope, or in the memo line of your check.
Easter Lilies
The Easter lilies that will be around the altar this Sunday were given in memory of Tracy Alban, Nolan Dean Carnes, Gates Harreld, Bill Hatfield, French Hey, James and Mary Lee Hiner, Nolan Luhn, Harold McCoy, Betty Merriman, Gary Misch, Rubye Rauch, Willard Scott, C. A. Strom, Melvin and Sarah Tibbetts, Lawrence and Mildred Wright and Marvin Zenge.