Lead on, Dr. Height.

“I just keep feeling that social justice is not some kind of utopia, I think it’s a positive reality, and we have to work at it,” - Dorothy Irene Height 1912-2010

Maybe you've never heard of Dr. Dorothy Height. But you should have. She has been awarded 36 honorary Doctorates, she was the only female on the platform while Dr. Martin Luther King gave his I Have A Dream speech, she was proudly on the platform at the inauguration of Barack Obama and she has led more civic organizations than I could recount.

She was a United Methodist of strong faith and character. She fought for the rights of the underprivileged regardless of the opposition. She was friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune even though she was decades younger than them. She has mentored dozens of women who hold prominent positions in government and civic life.

Her book, Open Wide the Freedom Gates, shares her story of fighting for equal rights. Although her death hasn't quite made national headlines, (Newsweek has a wonderful tribute and UMC.org had a great write up, though!)it should have. Her life has irrevocably changed history - her vision has brought elements of social justice to wide swaths of the population who had never known it before.

May her life be an example to all those who wish to follow the risen Christ.

Elizabeth Warren for Supreme Court

I think that Elizabeth Warren would make an excellent Supreme Court Justice.

Here is an article from Newsweek advocating her strengths.

I've been a big fan of Mrs. Warren for a number of years. Before the housing market bubble burst, she was a strong advocate for change. I read an article where she stated that if mortgages and credit cards had the same level of regulations that toasters merit we would be able to avoid impending doom. We didn't fix the system and the doom came full force.

She's a strong advocate for the middle class and poor and used to be a Sunday School teacher. She says she is inspired by John Wesley.

She fits my criteria. She fits President Obama's criteria.

I hope she's the pick!

Process

I'm working on a future sermon for Pilgrims.

It will be based on Romans 5:1-5:

"1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I think this passage sums up my frustration with a lot of Paul's writing - what he says is good and valuable - but it's so wordy and text dense. I think this would get a C- in a Professor Thomas class. He says so much in each passage and never fully extrapolates any discernible theme. While he makes intriguing points, his work is entirely didactic and lacks a strong sense of catharsis. See - that analysis would have received at least an A- from Ms. Thomas.

I feel that I could spend 30 strong minutes unpacking this package for the students and that their lives really wouldn't profit much from it. I simply don't identify with Paul's writing because it lacks a narrative arc. Instead of the beautiful parables and stories of Jesus I read in the gospels, I hear the teacher from Peanuts when I read Paul's books. Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa.

And this passage is beautiful. It's beautifully intricate and succinctly teaches the process of Christian maturity. It just doesn't reach me in the same way that a story would.

So I'm struggling with how to present it.

I think I'm going to make giant posters with all of the different stages of spiritual growth and put them up around the worship space - maybe I could stand in front of each of them and share a story or two to give some examples.

I'll probably focus on the ideas of suffering, perseverance, and hope more than the other themes - primarily because I feel that these thematic elements are lacking in the personal theologies of some of the students(and like any good teacher, I'm teaching to the test!).

I'll probably talk about my weight loss (75 lbs in 3 years is slow and steady progress - but I'm clearly still on the journey so it works well) and show before and after pictures.

I'm just stuck - this isn't the type of passage that would stop me in my tracks - and need to buckle down and get some ideas flowing.

Any thoughts?

Empire

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the idea of Kingdom. I've been thinking more and more about this topic and reading more. A quick semantic change is in order - I liked the word Kingdom, because Jesus spoke about a new Kingdom - and I like the idea of the one true Kingdom replacing the old kingdom. But, many theologians use the word Empire and perhaps this is a better fit. It's less confusing than having two "kingdoms" and not every empire is a monarchy and therefore not a kingdom.

So, let's focus on Empire for a while.

If you wish to see an emaciated, neutered "church," look no further than a faith and the faithful who side with big business over the little guy, the strong over the weak and the rich over the poor. Find a congregation which proudly hangs their countries flag alongside the Christian flag - with no regard to the thousands of men, women, and children killed by their military each year. Find a building that gets filled on Sundays but sits empty during the week while the homeless sleep outside. In short - look for a church that sees no problem with Empire and you will see a church that has little to do with Christ and his Kingdom.

The problem of Empire is systemic. It surrounds all of us in our daily lives. For a quick example - think about the food that you eat every day.

I don't eat many highly-processed foods any more. Most of my diet is one or two steps away from the farm. This is less a socio-conscious choice and more a reality of living in a different part of the world. In the last two weeks I have had some peanut butter and cinnamon toast crunch my parents mailed to me, McDonald's hamburgers and fries, a bottle of Sprite, and some packaged crab. Beyond these indulgences, everything I have consumed has been preservative free. I can pronounce everything that goes into my body - and that's a wonderful feeling.

In America our tax money goes to subsidies certain crops - corn is an excellent example. Corn is made less expensive so that it can be grown more profitably by more large scale farms. However, most Americans don't eat corn in a significantly higher quantity than any other vegetable. We consume corn byproducts. Corn-syrup is in everything. It's a highly processed sickeningly sweet chemical byproduct of corn and we ingest it daily and give it to our children like candy. No, really, like candy which is usually sweetened using corn syrup. How many foods have you eaten in the last week which weren't produced by a large-scale operation? If you wanted to eat preservative free - would it even be possible? I don't think so - not unless you were quite wealthy.

Ahh, the wealthy. Another nice side effect of Empire. Our economic policy relies on a system which rewards greed. Those who are best at the sin of greed make the most money and Christians don't seem to be fairing too badly at this game. I don't feel that it is necessarily a bad thing for a Christian to be wealthy - I just think we shouldn't try so hard to be wealthy. In pursuit of Empire, we sometimes forget the Kingdom. Our time, energy, and talents go into building up a temporary empire and not into the eternal Kingdom. This is a shame.

The Kingdom of God is like kudzu. If you've never lived in the south, you don't know the ever-present reality of kudzu. It is a plant that is literally unstoppable. It starts off as such a small little plant - it even has a pretty purple flower - but don't be fooled. Kudzu has a bite. It grows, and grows, and grows. It can tear through concrete and wrap it's spindly arms around the inner-workings of your car and cause so much damage. It overgrows everything within a short amount of time.

The Kingdom of God will prevail over Empire. This is a fact - not a prediction, a question, or a guesstimate. There is only one prevalent question. When the Kingdom of God has triumphed over Empire - which side will you have fought for?

Today, life in L'viv might get interesting. There is a large protest against the President scheduled for the main square - these are the same people who ushered in the Orange Revolution - and it might get a little crazy. Later in the day a ragtag bunch of misfits who comprise the tiny United Methodist Church in L'viv will stand in the streets passing out free flowers, toys, and hugs. Which of these two actions is a true protest?

Imagine a world without Empire.

Sermon # 2

[[P.S. I'm functionally off-line for the week. No e-mails or surfing the web ... but I decided to allow myself to publish to my blog because it is my creative outlet and the whole reason I wanted to get away from the internet was because I wasn't being productive enough - so, in summary, I'm offline but on my blog.]]

Last Thursdays sermon went extremely well. I re-worked it a little from what I posted. I went into more detail about how my brother-in-law had to rebuild the engine piece by piece over many months and that it wasn't a quick fix. I think it added a layer of complexity to the sermon that was needed.

The drama team did an excellent job and were definitely better than the actors in the youtube clip. They made it very fun and very Ukrainian by changing all the situations.

After the service there was a great response and a number of people came forward for prayer - one girl even dedicated her life to Christ which was a huge blessing to my life.

I'm preaching again May 6th for Pilgims - the interconfessional worship service at Youth to Jesus. Here's my sermon as it stands right now.

John 13:31-35 (New International Version)
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I’ve left a lot of places. I’ve said goodbye more times than I wish to remember.

Sometimes goodbyes are a lot of fun. A going away party is a wonderful celebration with friends and family before going to University or before leaving on a big trip.

Sometimes goodbyes are really painful and sad. I left the United States almost exactly a year ago – when I left I didn’t know how long I would be gone, or where all I would be going while I was gone. My grandmother is in her 80s and has been sick for quite some time. When I said goodbye to her before I left, it was one of the saddest things I have ever done.

Sometimes goodbyes are confusing. Our scripture today shares in one of those times. Jesus gathers his disciples together for a “going away party” in the upper room. Before they eat the meal, Jesus stood up from the table and wrapped a towel around his waist. Acting as the lowliest servant, he began to wash the feet of his twelve students. And, if this wasn’t confusing enough - during the meal he lifts the food and drink and explains that the bread is his body and that the wine is his blood.

And then, after all of these confusing acts, Jesus begins his goodbye speech. Which ends up being – you guessed it – confusing. Jesus explains that he is going away for a little while. He tells these men that they can’t come with him. Jesus tries to explain, in the best way – that He will die, but that this will not be a sad event. At the conclusion of this speech, Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment.

After all the things that were difficult for the disciples to understand, Jesus gives them a commandment that is simple enough for little children to grasp it and complex enough that 2000 years later we are still struggling to live it out.

Love one another. ----- As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples.


I can’t walk around Ukraine without getting white marks on my coat. Everywhere I go, people are brushing white paint off of me. I try really hard to not brush up against walls – but it always seems that I have white markings on my coat.

People know that I have bumped into a wall by the marks on my coat. There is visible proof that I’m a clumsy American and can’t avoid walls here.

When we “brush up against Jesus” – how do people around us know that this has happened? Do they know we are Christians by our church membership record? By our attendance at events? By our position on the leadership team?

No! They know we are Christians by our love. Our love for one another and the world is like the white mark on my coat. It shows to the world that something has happened – that we have brushed up against Jesus and that we are changed.

The first century church wasn’t perfect – it had its faults – but their love for one another is something we can learn from them. As people began to follow Jesus, their lives were changed. These communities of people loved God and loved each other. They sold all they had and gave to the poor. They shared meals together and helped each other in daily life. When sickness came into the cities and the pagans around them began to head for the hills to keep from getting sick – the Christians stayed behind to take care of the sick. While most people ran and hid out of fear – the Christians remained and served out of love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

While I was in University, I worked with a wonderful church in Georgia filled with wonderful Christians. My friends from church had wonderful southern names – unique to the region; names like Trey, Kip, Flay, Mignon, and a host of other really enjoyable names. One day I was traveling with one of the pastors to hear him speak to a group in a different church. He began to tell a story about someone in our church.

“I know this man named Kip … Michael, you know him.”

I shook my head in agreement – I certainly knew Kip. He was one of the leaders of the church, he really cared about the youth and young adults, and he drove a little VW bug even though he was a full grown man.

My pastor continued the story, “Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met.”

I immediately interrupted Pastor Joe to let him know that I had misspoken – I didn’t know the Kip he was talking about. I must have know the other Kip, because the Kip I knew was a nice man, a family man, an excellent business leader, and a great Christian.

The Pastor looked at me and said, “Yes, you do. That’s the point of the story. Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met – but then he met Jesus, and today he is a loving Christian.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

A few weeks ago I was out walking and I saw an old man getting picked on by a group of drunk men. They were poking him and laughing at him and being very mean. It was really an awful sight.

I had the privilege of watching one of our students, who will remain nameless, gently sit down next to the old man and ask him if he was okay and if he needed help. This friend told the men to stop doing what they were doing and stood up for this old, drunk, stranger.


They will know we are Christians by our love.

Look at the examples from history of great Christians – Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Оmelyan Kovch, John Wesley, or anyone else who is known primarily for their devotion to Christ. Think about their lives and try to think of one word to sum it up. I guarantee that any man, woman, or child who is renowned for their faith will have a life best summed up by the word LOVE. The love of an old woman as she holds dying babies, the love of a Pastor who was willing to sacrifice even his own life so his people could be free, the love of a Greek-Catholic priest who was willing to die to protect the week and vulnerable from the powerful, the love of a leader who believed that the message of Jesus Christ wasn’t just for the wealthy gentlemen – but that Jesus Christ was for all.

Love, love, love, love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

------


The love of Jesus changes our hearts – our love for one another changes the world.

Within this room, there is the talent, the commitment, the knowledge, the power, and the LOVE to change the world.

We love each other by serving each other. We change hearts, minds, and attitudes – not by arguing for the validity of our beliefs, but by serving others. We change the world by serving people.

Day by day, moment by moment, action by action we are building the future. We are either building into the status quo – doing the normal thing that everyone else is doing – or we are working to change the world.

We’re either working for ourselves or working for God. We are either serving ourselves or we are serving the living Christ through serving others. There are only two options.

The Bible paints a picture of what the world will look like some day. I believe that this is the direction we should be headed – that we should work toward this goal.

Revelation 21:1-5 (New International Version)


1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

This is the vision. This is where we are heading.

We make this a reality by following God, by listening to God’s spirit, and by serving others.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” And he will use us to do it.

They will know we are Christians by our love. Are you ready?

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon

I'm preaching at Pilgrims - the interconfessional worship service for Youth to Jesus students - next Thursday. Here is my sermon. Please keep me in your prayers as this will be my first long-ish sermon with translation.

John 21:1-19 (New International Version)

1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.[a] It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[b] 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

 
Sometimes in life we don’t know what we should do next. Maybe we have finished university and we’re wondering what is next. Perhaps we are unemployed and there aren’t a lot of jobs open at the moment. Sometimes we just don’t know what our next step in life should be. We have a “what’s next” moment.

The disciples found themselves in just such a situation. Three years ago they left behind their families, friends, and careers to follow a wandering teacher named Jesus. For 3 years they followed him around and learned from him. They asked questions, they listened as wise scholars asked questions, and they watched as Jesus interacted with people.

Jesus didn’t pick favorites. He spent time with everyone. He talked with wealthy, corrupt politicians and he talked with homeless cripples as though he really believed that all people were equal. He healed people from all walks of life and performed many miracles. He turned water into wine and he turned the dead into the living.

The disciples listened as he preached, told stories, and confused the religious elite. They watched as he broke the rules and interacted with people who deserved to be left alone – children, women, ethnic minorities, and the unclean.

They sat confused as he explained that he would be betrayed and killed on a cross.

They betrayed as the guards came for Jesus.

They ran and hid as Jesus of Nazareth, their teacher, was hung on a cross to die.

They shut out the light while they mourned the death of their great leader.

They didn’t believe when the women came with the good news; “He is risen!”

They rejoiced when they saw Jesus the Christ alive from the dead again!


And after this whirlwind of emotion – they … didn’t … really know WHAT to do. They stuck together. They probably spent days talking about the recent events.
“Did you see the scars in his hands and side?” “Can you believe it really happened RIGHT in front of OUR eyes?” But, as time dragged on – they weren’t sure what to do next.

So Peter, always the leader, makes the first move. He decides to go back to his career as a fisherman.

It’s like the emotion on a Monday after a great weekend. Wow! That was great. Now it’s time for work again.  The other disciples decide to join him.

The disciples have a “what’s next moment.” All this amazing stuff has happened in their lives … now what? What do they do now that the mountain top experience is over.

Sometimes in our Christian lives we find ourselves in this situation.

I met Jesus at summer camp when I was 11 years old. I had never been camping before, and I was excited to finally be old enough to go to the same Christian camp my sister had always gone to. I had so much fun at camp. I got to meet new people, breathe fresh air, and spend time with friends. But on Thursday night a woman got up to speak about the Christian faith. I hung on her every word as she told the story of Jesus. I could feel the tug on my heart as she explained that each person needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I knew I had experienced God’s love through the people around me and that I wanted to give my heart to Jesus. I went forward and prayed at the altar and decided to give my heart to God and become a follower of Jesus Christ.

I had an amazing experiences – we call them “mountaintop experiences” – where I was lifted up so much that I thought I could fly. And then I got home from camp and I just thought, “What next?”

What do I DO with my Christian faith?

…


My brother-in-law has a big Jeep. He and my sister love to go “mudding.” They drive his Jeep around after big rainstorms with the intent of getting everything as muddy as possible. One spring, not too long ago, Mike and Rebecca went mudding after a huge rainstorm. They went up one hill and then down another. They splashed through puddles and got Mike’s Jeep incredibly muddy. Then Mike saw a huge mud puddle. So – he decided to drive right through it.

Show picture.

Mike got stuck – and his engine flooded with mud. Of course the engine would need to be completely re-built. But, what do you think was his first reaction after the engine came to a grinding hault? He turned the key to see if it would turn back on. After this huge event – like all of us – he tried to go back to normal.

After I became a Christian I tried to turn the key in the ignition. I tried to see if I could live my life exactly like I had been living it before; Same friends, same habits, same thoughts – but somehow Christian because of the decision I had made.

My life was about as successful as my brother-in-law trying to turn the key after getting in the mud puddle.

It didn’t work.

It won’t work.

It will never work.

The disciples had the same idea when they had their “what’s next moment.” After all that had happened - the death, resurrection, and sightings of Jesus – their reaction was to go back to life and try to live exactly the same way. They tried to make all of the decisions on their own. After 3 years of following Jesus – 3 years of having Jesus sit in the control seat – they decided it was their turn.

Jesus met them on the beach for breakfast that morning with a hard question?

Who is in control of your life? Who sits in the chair and makes all the decisions?



The Youth to Jesus drama team will perform this skit - in Ukrainian of course.


This story continues with Jesus talking to Peter. While most of the disciples ran and hid when Jesus was crucified – Peter went to the extreme.
Peter betrayed more than anyone else. Although he had promised Jesus that he would never betray Him; Peter found himself in the unenviable position of betraying Jesus – out loud, to a number of people, using foul language – not once, but three times. While Peter desperately wanted to give Jesus the chair – he just couldn’t let it go. He was willing to go to any length to get it back.

So, in today’s scripture we see Jesus talking with Peter. Not scolding him for his failure. Not talking AT him for his mistakes. But talking with Peter.

While sharing a meal with Peter, Jesus asks him “Do you love me?”
Peter sees his chance at redemption and answers,” Yes! Yes!” He was willing to follow Jesus – that he loved Jesus.
Then Jesus did it again. And a third time.

Jesus offered Peter three chances for redemption – Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make up for each time that he had betrayed his Lord.
And while Peter was finding forgiveness for his betrayals – God was giving Peter a calling for his life.

Feed my sheep. Work with my followers, teach them my ways, preach the good news to them, show them how to live out the faith. Feed my sheep.
When we give God control of our lives – the “what’s next” question is a lot easier. Feed my sheep! “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always – even to the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28)

Jesus had told these men that they would no longer be catching fish, but that they would be fishers of men.

There’s an interesting hidden meaning in part of this passage. The fishermen, after following Jesus’ directions, pull in a catch too large to fit inside the boat. Large enough that it should have broken the nets – but it didn’t. 153 fish exactly. Now, it’s more than a little strange to write an exact number of fish caught, don’t you think? Unless that number means something. And it does. 153 is the exact number of known nations at the time of this event.

You will be fisher’s of men … go and make disciples of all nations …
And they did.

Following their “what’s next” moment, the disciples gave Jesus the chair and took up the call to be fisher’s of men for all nations – and 10 out of the 11 faithful disciples ended up giving their lives in this calling.

Jesus is ready to sit in the chair in your life; He has a plan for your life to send you out to go and make disciples – in this student center, in L’viv, and maybe in the furthest corners of the world – but Jesus will not force his plan on you. You have to be willing to give him the chair.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The 400 Fund

I grew up in a church with more than 100 years of history. Close to 150 years ago, Methodists in a neighboring town saw the need for a Methodist presence in the tiny village of Kane, PA. They sent resources, people, and even a pastor to the emerging community to ensure that the residents could know and grow closer to God. I realize that it is because of those men and women who lived in the 1860s that I call myself a United Methodist, and that ultimately I am a Christian.

The church in which I currently worship will celebrate it's 6 month anniversary in summer 2010. I work with a United Methodist student ministry in L'viv, Ukraine and in January of this year the long-time goal of planting a multi-generational church finally became a reality. Our average worship, 3 months after the first service was held, is 12 people. There is plenty of room for growth - like the tortoise says, "slow and steady wins the race."

This church represents to me, exactly what The 400 Fund is all about. The 400 fund is an attempt to fund the planting of 400 new United Methodist Congregations in 4 years outside of the United States.

A few months ago, at a time in my life when I was living on a very small cost of living stipend, I made a goal of giving $1 to each of these 400 churches. I was inspired by Mary Watson, a Georgia business woman who gave $1,000 for each of the new churches. At the time, $400 was more than half of my monthly stipend, but I came to the realization that for the thousands of people around the world who would become Christians through the planting of United Methodist churches my small gift could be life changing. I was thrilled when I met my goal and sent in my check.

I'm challenging you to support The 400 Fund. Set a personal goal, encourage your children to set a goal(one dime for each church is $40 - about what your child might pay for a new video game) get your Sunday School class involved, make an announcment at church, have a yard sale, do a fundraiser, or do whatever God puts on your heart. In 4 years we can plant 400 new congregations - and with that momentum, who knows how many we can plant in the years after. United Methodist can drop a check in their weekly offering plate made out to their home church with "Advance#400400" on the memo line or anyone can give on-line at GBGM's secure site for The Advance.

He is Risen Indeed!

What Makes an Eagle Fly...Steven Joyce's Boy Scout Eagle Project

Center Avenue United Methodist Church sits on top of a hill in Pitcairn, Pa. It was established in 1892, and from the outside you can tell it once ministered to a large and vibrant community. Over the years, the community of Pitcairn has fallen on difficult times causing the church the church to struggle as well. While the church remains a beacon of hope the community, growth of the church family and community outreach has been a challenge. One solution to this challenge may just have come from a direction not anticipated.

This boost may have come from a teenager who did not listen to those who had low expectations of him; those who tried to tell him he was not able to do things that other kids could do. This teenager had chosen to listen to those who believed in him more than he believed in himself. He chose to listen to Sunday school teachers and pastors who taught him about Jesus and Jesus’ call on each of us to live our faith in our daily lives. This teenager listened to the Plum High School Cross Country Seniors and alumni who expected him to succeed and took a risk and believed in him when others were not so sure. He listened to the scout leaders who taught him skills. He listened to all those voices that believed in him.

Steven Joyce is this teenager and his choice of listening was vitally important because Steven happens to be Autistic. To many people, that label alone would indicate huge limitations. To most people, it would mean he could not be someone who at age 15 could undertake a Boy Scout Eagle project bringing the strength of several churches, 30 volunteers, and almost $1000 to create a new nursery at Center United Methodist Church. Steven hopes this nursery will be one of the seeds to help the church’s ministry and outreach to the community to grow.

Steven and his family are members of the Monroeville United Methodist Church and while members, they met the Bloise family who among others believed in Steven. Cyndi and Frank were two of his Sunday School teachers and their daughters treated him as a dear friend. Cyndi went to seminary, became a pastor, served as Associate Pastor at Steven’s church for six years, and now is pastor of that church on the hill in Pitcairn.

When it came time to pick an Eagle Scout project, Steven knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to do something for Cyndi’s church because he said she had believed in him, and as a future Eagle Scout it was his turn to believe in her and her church. He chose the nursery project because he likes little kids and wants them to grow up strong and healthy. Steven believes the way to do grow up strong and healthy is to be at church and being there often begins in the church nursery.

Steven did not know Autistic kids weren’t supposed to be leaders; he did not know that sometimes big churches don’t help smaller churches; he did not know that believing in others wasn’t enough; he did not know his hugs were infectious and would get others motivated. Steven just moved ahead, motivated by his love and his vision, and the bigger church helped in a big way. Steven had as many volunteers as needed and when he needed funds, they materialized. His scout troop, his cross country team, his teachers, his friends and his community were there. As people look at the beautiful, clean nursery, the lesson is not the project itself but rather how God works through us as a connected body, that every small contribution adds up to make a difference of the larger project, and how God does amazing things using unexpected and ordinary people.

What makes an Eagle fly? This Eagle flew with the lift of those who took a risk and believed in him with the bright light of faith as their guide. Steven’s journey to and through his Eagle Project, shows how an honest faith and belief in others can make a big difference in people’s lives.

 

I get dressed up so rarely ... and I think that I look very nice in this picture ... so I decided to post it on here.

The faithful few who stay behind

This is a photograph from The Big Picture's Easter Photo Section (thanks Meredith). The caption reads, "A dog sits in the place where his owner died in an earthquake in Saint Gregorio village near L'Aquila on easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)"

To add to the long list of unflattering comparisons we use to describe followers of Jesus (because, really ... sheep?!? Who wants to be a sheep?) I would like to add that we should be like dogs.

This dog shows loyalty to a degree I don't fully know.

The women who went to the tomb showed loyalty to Jesus.

On this day we wait in silence by the tomb.