Month: July 2025

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My Renewal Leave Begins Tomorrow

Today, Saturday, July 26, 2025, is my last day working until September 2, 2025. I’m thankful for the opportunity to take renewal leave; thankful to Karen Rice Ratzlaff for pushing me to take it; thankful for the funds provided by the Great Plains Annual Conference to pay the folks who are filling in; and last, but certainly not least, I’m thankful for all of you. All of you have been so kind and gracious in not only accommodating, but also encouraging me to take the time off for rest and renewal.

I’m looking forward to the time off, but I’m also looking forward to being back with my batteries fully charged. I believe God has great things in store for us and to do through us at College Avenue United Methodist Church. May the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit enfold you all until we see one another again.

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The Fulcrum of History

I rediscovered this quote from N. T. Wright and wanted to share it with you.

“The death of Jesus of Nazareth as the king of the Jews, the bearer of Israel’s destiny, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people of old, is either the most stupid, senseless waste and misunderstanding the world has ever seen, or it is the fulcrum around which world history turns. Christianity is based on the belief that it was and is the latter.” — N. T. Wright [1]

To choose to follow Christ is to choose to make the cross the key turning point of history. Once we do that, our perspective on everything changes, and we can never again see the world the way we did previously. This change in perspective is not always welcome, but it is essential to our salvation.

[1] N. T. Wright, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006), 111.

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A Clarification About My Leave

After joking about it a bit in worship this morning, I had someone express concern about the possibility that I might break my leave to come back to conduct a funeral. I need to be clear that I don’t have any plans to do so.

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If This Is Going To Be A Christian Nation

The recent cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert reminds me of one of the most important things he ever said: 

“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” — Stephen Colbert [1]

I’m thankful for what you, as individuals, and we, together as a church, do to help those in need. I wish our country, as a whole, would do more. The failure to do so is just one of the many reasons to stop claiming that this is a Christian nation. We are a nation that includes Christians, but we are not a Christian nation.

[1] Comedy Central: The Colbert Report, 2010.

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Meadowlark Fellowship Lunch

From the upcoming newsletter:

Join us for lunch at Meadowlark on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at noon. Lunch will be monte cristi sandwich, fried okra, and carrot cake for $14. You can also order off the menu but it may take a little longer! Those who do not live at Meadowlark should contact Deanna Killen at 785- 370-9061‬ or deanna_killen@hotmail.com.

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Crisis Center Fundraiser

CAUMC will host a fundraiser for the Crisis Center, sponsored by Manhattan Sunflower Lions Club, on Saturday, July 12, from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Biscuits and gravy will be served with sausage, water, coffee, and orange juice. Admission is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for children 10 and under. There will be free delivery when you purchase five or more tickets. 

A silent auction will also take place from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. You can view the items that will be up for auction at https://www.thecrisiscenterinc.org/.

To reserve tickets, please call 785-539-7935.

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Recent New Members

We’ve recently welcomed some new members, below are the names for those new faces:

Lisa Moser, Dan Moser, Ann Phelan Lee, Linda Law, Marie Amthauer, Verle Amthauer, Randy Williams, Deb Williams, Elaine Willard, Michael Remus, and Genevive Remus joined June 15, 2025.

Linda Dillon, Jenny Sue Hayward, Jon Hayward, Deb Pryor, Leslie Smith, and Jane Willich joined June 29, 2025.

Kelly Ivester, Kimberly Ivester, and Will Ivester joined June 15, 2025.

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The Limits of “All Are Welcome”

Nichola Torbett, writing in the May 4, 2025 issue of Liturgy That Matters:

“Sometimes progressive churches overemphasize a stance that “all are welcome,” and I’m not sure that’s really what Jesus had in mind. The Jesus community is meant to be doing a particular thing—caring for and joining in solidarity with the most vulnerable, Jesus’ “sheep”—and anyone who earnestly wants to join in that thing is welcome. The hope is that one day everyone will join in. But you are not welcome to come in here and sabotage the thing.” [1]

“You are not welcome to come in here and sabotage the thing.” That sentence gets at a paradox of trying to be a more inclusive church. We believe the Gospel is for all people and we don’t want to keep anyone out, but at the same time, we cannot allow that inclusive stance to be used to defend or justify un-inclusive behavior. For example, a church that wants to truly welcome LGBTQ+ folk cannot allow expressions of homophobia just because “all are welcome.” The welcome of the Gospel may apply to the oppressed and the oppressor alike, but oppressors cannot be allowed to continue in their oppression.

[1] Nichola Torbett, “Liturgy That Matters, May 4, 2025,” enfleshed, https://enfleshed.com/.

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Clinging to America the Beautiful

This particular forth of July, I find myself clinging to the sentiment expressed at the end of America the Beautiful:

“America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self control,
thy liberty in law.”
— Katharine Lee Bates

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Book Study: Living a Life of Grace and Hope

I’m preparing to go on leave at the end of July, but after I return, we’ll start a new Wednesday night book study in September (likely on September 10, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the parlor). The book I would like to discuss is titled Being United Methodist Christians: Living a Life of Grace and Hope. This is the book I’ve been handing out to those who want to join the church, but I think it’s also an excellent book for long-time United Methodists. There will be copies available in the back of the sanctuary at no cost.