TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AT THE TABLE

People say never to talk politics or religion at family get-togethers.  There is always the danger that people will take sides, raise the volume level, and stop listening.

Yet healthy families don’t avoid important conversations even though people we love may take a different position on the issue.  So we need to speak to what the General Conference of the United Methodist Church did (or didn’t) do when it comes to the question of the ordination of persons who are gay or lesbian and whether we will allow UM clergy to bless the union/marriages of gay couples.

As you read this article please remember that First UMC/The Open Door are Christ-centered communities open to all persons.  Everyone  -whatever their age, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status-  will be welcomed, loved, and discipled here.

At the meeting in Tampa a few weeks ago more than 900 lay and clergy delegates from around the world voted to keep the official position of the UMC on homosexuality.  This position has often angered conservatives and frustrated those who are considered more liberal.

In part that statement in our Book of Discipline (Para. 161) calls us to “responsible stewardship of this sacred gift” (sexuality).  Sexual relations are “affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.”

The UMC is an advocate for the human and civil rights of all people whatever their age, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Our General Conference voted to retain language in our Book of Discipline that says:  “We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God.  All persons need the ministry of the Church…  The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.  We affirm that God’s grace is available to all.  We will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.”

The decision not to change the official position of the denomination was cheered by some and broke the hearts of others.  The truth is that we are a family where people differ on this issue.

Here are a couple of observations:
 

1. Much of this conversation has to do with how we read scripture.  Both sides in this conversation need to anchor their position in Biblical truth.  It is true that portions of the OT and NT condemn homosexuality, but then the Bible says not to work on the Sabbath, not to remarry after being divorced, not to mix fabrics together, etc.  How do we read these passages that refer to homosexuality?  And what does the example of Christ, as he shows us how to love one another, shape our reading of scripture?

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2. The UMC is solidly in support of the civil rights of all persons regardless of gender or sexual orientation.  That position puts us on the side of those seeking legal rights that are given to heterosexual couples, it seems to me.

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3. The position of the UMC is “evolving” on homosexuality.  North Americans tend to be more liberal on this issue, but the growing African church is more conservative.  It was the voice of 3rd world Christians that helped stop any change in our position.  Being a global church means it is sometimes difficult for us to work our way to a common position.

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4. We are committed to First/ The Open Door being a Christ-centered community where all are welcomed, all are loved, all are discipled, and all are encouraged to use their serving/leadership gifts for God.

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5. Sometimes one of the toughest things to do is to stay at the table when the family conversation doesn’t go where you wanted it to go.  Whether you agree with the official position of the UMC or you are bitterly disappointed, I pray that we will all stay at the table.  Keep growing together.  Keep learning together.  Keep serving together.  Letting Christ’s call to love one another as he has loved us overwhelm any temptation to push our chair back and walk away.

This brief article is certainly not a final word or a full report, but I believed you needed to hear something from your pastors about the actions of our General Conference.

Would you pray for the church as we ask God to help us do a better job of hearing God’s voice, listening to one another, and growing in our ability to love all people?

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

SCUPPERS RETURNS

One of my favorite stories as a child was Margaret Wise Brown’s Scuppers the Sailor Dog.  Scuppers has, as one person describes it, “an irresistible urge to sail the sea.”  His boat is small and doesn’t look very seaworthy.  Although shipwrecked for awhile, Scuppers repairs his boat and heads back out on the water.  After stowing all his gear where it should be “he is back where he should be – a sailor sailing the deep, green sea.”

About two months ago I told several friends that it was time for a break.  I’ve not done a good job keeping the Sabbath, so I needed a week or two to step back, pray, journal, and breathe.  So after spending a week in Florida with our family I  -after making some last minute arrangements-  set off on a 13-day repositioning cruise across the Atlantic to England.  The timing was awful because I missed the weekend when Michael and the Chancel Choir shared such a beautiful gift with us.  But scheduling is a tricky thing because life in the church never stops – so I went.

I walked the decks of the ship, I journaled, I worked out, I read mysteries and theology, and I watched the ocean go by.

Before I left, I wrote a short article that was to have been included in the weekly emails but somehow that never went out.  So I thought I would tell you about the trip this week  -and let you know if you weren’t in worship last week-  that I am back!

A couple of tidbits and observations.

First, I love the water.  We skirted the edge of a gale storm that had 60 MPH winds and 26 foot tall seas.  I would stand on the deck of the ship and watch the bow cut into the swells and send foam flying.  Others complained about the storm, but I found it invigorating.

Second, one evening I participated in an “open microphone” comedy club event.  After a string of other “lay comedians” had told jokes about pastors, priests and rabbis (most of which were beyond the bounds of good taste), I stood up and said, “I may ruin your evening but I am a United Methodist pastor.”  People roared.  (I didn’t think that was so funny!)  Then, I told one story and sat down.  People came up to me through the week and said, “You’re really funny.  Are you sure you are a pastor?”

Third, I found myself now and then in the middle of conversations that were pastoral…holy.  People didn’t know I was a pastor, but I would strike up conversations, ask about their lives, and soon we were often going deep into family stuff…soul stuff.  It is amazing how we become aware of God’s presence and the miracle in each life when we slow down and listen.

Frederick Buechner says God calls you to “listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.”

Bruce Epperly writes, “Our lives are a holy adventure in which each moment provides new possibilities for Spirit-filled living. Take a moment to relax, breathing in God’s calm presence. In this quiet moment, remember the moments when your life most reflected God’s creativity. Experience the joy of being fully alive. Take some time to journal about these spiritual high points if you wish. Give thanks for God’s creative presence in your life.”

God finds me in a special way when I get on or near water (or in the mountains).  God finds me when I am with those I love.  God renews me in worship and also when I slip away for a time when I am not responsible for problem solving or leading.  God refreshes me when I can let myself focus on being more than doing.

It was good getting away.  And it is very good coming home.

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

MAKING CHANGE THROUGH LOVE

"We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another."

-I John 3:16
 

Last week we talked about what it means to love…to really love in a  “be changed and change the world kind of way.” We are loved that powerfully by Christ. He taught us that loving that way means laying down our life for another. This is hard stuff. It doesn’t come naturally.

So how do we learn to love this way? We practice. If you want to learn to beautifully speak another language, then go to the land where that language is spoken. If you want to improve in a particular sport, go to the field, court, or course that was built for its playing. If you want to grow in Christ’s kind of love, practice in the community founded and grown through His powerful Spirit. Come, get on the practice field. Practice serving and laying down some gifts, time, resources, and care. Feel free to laugh, get dirty, make mistakes, and grow.  All the while we are being shaped by the practice of loving in the way of Christ. Christ is shaping us in love. He is preparing us to be better at shaping our world in love.

Come and practice loving in new and different ways!  Call to talk to the volunteer receptionist at 812-332-6396 or email volunterreceptionist@fumcb.org to sign up or ask questions!
 

Opportunities to “Lay it Down”
How might you offer yourself in this Christ-following community in a new or deeper way?

Connect:
Support connections to God, this community, and each other

1.    Welcome Teams in the Sanctuary
2.    Welcome Teams at the Open Door
3.    New Member Sponsors/Friends
4.    Newcomer Information Team: Welcome Tables, ‘First Connections Gathering’

Grow:
Grow in faith with one another

1.    Teaching Team: Sunday School during the summer for children, or during the year for children or youth
2.    Chaperone Teams: Vacation Bible School or Jr./Sr. High Youth
3.    Small Groups: Participant, facilitator, or organizer
4.    Worship Liturgists: Read in worship
5.    Communion Teams in the Sanctuary
6.    Communion Teams at the Open Door

Serve:
Reach out to one another

1.    Habitat Building Team for June
2.    Tornado Relief Teams
3.    Caring Teams (Visit or write notes to the homebound and sick)
4.    Nursing Home Visiting Team (Visit Elder Folk in Nursing Homes)
5.    Feeding Teams: Planning and preparing Church/community picnic or FEAST community meal 

RUN AND GIGGLE

Several months ago, I was walking alongside of a two-year-old and he started yelling, “NO…don’t push!” I looked around and didn’t see anything, but then it dawned on me. He was yelling at the wind. The wind was gusty and blowing hard. Eventually he stopped, turned into that wind with a determined stare and stomped his foot. He was letting that ol’ wind know that he did NOT have to go where it was blowing. He was in control.

The Spirit of the living Christ comes in a strong wind. Remember the story of Pentecost (which we will celebrate in May) where the wind of His Spirit whistles, and bursts, and fills the house of the disciples. (Acts 2:2). The gift of the Spirit comes to us that way so that we may know that the living Christ is here with us and is powerfully on the move.

The wind of that Spirit is still blowing all around us; the stream of the Spirit may indeed feel a bit pushy! Even more, the wind of the Spirit “blows wherever it pleases and we can’t always tell where it comes from or where it is going.” (John 3:8) The power of a strong wind ruffles our hair and clothes. It pushes so that our feet might shuffle along towards the place where the wind is going. That wind is trying to move us to a place that may yet be out of sight, different than we would have chosen or could imagine.  All of that God-wind can easily have us feeling a bit out of control because we know that moving often involves changing. Moving involves new places and new ways of being.

The wind of that Spirit is blowing in this family of faith we call church. Have you heard the whistling and felt His move? Perhaps you feel the wind blowing in your household or in your work. It may not feel like it quite yet, but the wind of the Spirit only blows us toward life. It blows so that we might get caught up in the powerful welcoming, giving, loving ways of Christ. It is trying to blow us to where Christ would have us be. I wonder how many of us are stomping our feet and staring down the wind to try and stay in control?

The other day was another really gusty day. I noticed the two-year-old was suddenly not by my side. I looked up to find him with his arms outstretched and his coat flapping in the wind. He had let that ol’ wind push him. I was staring at his back as it carried him into a run while he tipped his head back and giggled.

The Spirit may be trying to carry us into new places; they are places we do not yet know. But the Spirit always carries us toward life. So feel free to tip your head back, run and giggle.

Christ’s love and mine,

Jen

ARE WE READY TO BE POST-EASTER PEOPLE?

Last Sunday before the service began, I was standing next to one of our college students in attendance as we both looked out at the gathering congregation. Folks were slowly trickling in, almost shuffling their feet it seemed. Even the children seemed a bit lethargic - maybe a full week of Easter candy sugar overload had finally caught up with them. The crowd was smaller in size, too, than the previous standing-room-only Easter service. This was clearly an “I need another cup of coffee” kind of morning. Breaking the silence, the college student said rather matter-of-factly, “Ahhh, the post-Easter hangover!” It took me just a moment to put this in context before I nodded my head slowly and simply responded, “Indeed.” I would not have thought to put it that way, but he captured exactly what we were all feeling.

You see, for me, Easter has always been the highlight of the year. The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection has captivated me since I was a small boy. I heard the story so powerfully at Camp Indi-Co-So where for the first time I felt a living and personal connection with Christ as my savior. The build-up of Lent, the energy of the Easter Sunday crowd, the pageantry of the service, and the pure beauty and inspiration of the story has always made Easter an emotional highpoint for me. Then, there’s Easter brunch, sometimes extended family in town, and of course Easter egg hunts and Easter candy. But, then….what’s next? What is post-Easter all about, and how can it not be a letdown?

In a post-game interview after one of IU’s NCAA tournament wins this year, Coach Crean said something to the effect of “God gives us the talent, skill and opportunity, but it’s up to us to do the hard work.” That stuck with me, and I’ve thought about what he said ever since. I think Easter is God giving us endless opportunity through His promise of unconditional love. But, I think post-Easter is when it’s up to us to do the hard work of fulfilling that incredible promise and finding transformation in our lives through Him and through Jesus Christ. That’s not a hangover, but the most rewarding and exciting challenge we could ever accept.

Are we ready for the hard work of being post-Easter people?

This Sunday we look at what 1^st John 3:1-7 has to say about God’s amazing promise of lifelong transformation.  “Change Order” is the title of the message.


-Jonathan D. Purvis

WHAT KIND OF A CHURCH IS THIS?

The preacher had a habit of working on his sermon outline in a TGIF/ Applebees kind of place.  This particular day he was wearing a short-sleeve cotton golf shirt with the church’s logo and name over the breast pocket.

The waitress was a young woman.  Who had multiple piercings and tattoos.

“What are you working on?  Are you a professor at the university?” she asked the pastor.  “No,” he said, “I am one of the preachers at the United Methodist Church down the road just off the interstate.”

The waitress didn’t say much to her customer after that.  She worked her tables.

Then, she came back to the table where the pastor was sitting by himself.  The waitress asked if the preacher had some time to talk.  He said, “Sure.”

She told him about growing up in the church.  She told him about some choices she made.  She talked about a chapter in her life that had been dominated by drugs.  About some poor choices in relationships.  She talked about getting pregnant. The father leaving her before the baby ever arrived.  Then, she talked about being angry at God for the mess of her life.  She talked about a period where she became a witch.  She read books about magic and black arts and was into that life.

“There is something missing,” the young woman told the man at the table.  “I realize that what I believe and what I am involved in is leading nowhere good.  The longer I am involved with this, the more I can feel something inside me dying.  There is a hunger in me to believe something better about life.  I want to know who God really is, but I don’t know where to start.”

So they talked for a bit.  The pastor talked about a God who loved her and wanted her life to be good and full.  The pastor talked about a God who would never walk away from her  -in contrast to the men in her life who had used her and abandoned her.  He invited her to try a small group, or worship, or the young mother’s group.

The young woman, with tattoos up and down her arms, quietly asked, “What kind of a church is your church?  Would your church want someone like me around?”
How would you answer that question?  If someone asked you what kind of church First Church/ The Open Door is, what would you say?  Would you be able to tell them this community is real and genuine?  Would you be able to tell them we are a community where all kinds of people are welcome?  Would you say this is a place where you don’t have to pretend to have it all together?

This Sunday we begin a new series of messages.  This weekend we look at what 1^st John 1-2 have to say about being set free by God’s love.  “No Pretending Necessary” is the title of the message.

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark

CHANGING FILM AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

We were in Jerusalem.  It had been a long day.  Late in the afternoon our group was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Considered one of the holiest of all Christian sites in the Holy Land, the church is in the Old City.

It isn’t all that attractive on the outside or in.  The walls are stained with the soot of thousands of candles burned in the building since its construction in 326 of the Common Era.  The church is built over a geographical formation that resembles a skull.  Tradition says the church is built on the place where Jesus was crucified.  It is also believed that the area of the church includes the garden tomb where the body of Jesus would have been placed.

Our guide walked us up to a well-lit altar.  Beneath the altar there was an outcrop of rock, and in the rock there was an opening large enough and deep enough to hold the vertical of a Roman cross.  The guide explained that this was likely the place where the vertical beam of the cross on which Christ was crucified was placed.
I was tired.  I was warm.  I shrugged.  I sat down there and changed the film in my camera.  I thought to myself, “Yeah, right.  Probably just another hole in a piece of rock that someone says was the place of the crucifixion.  Another nice story to tell tourists…”

After changing the film I took some pictures and then headed outside.  Got on the bus.  We returned to our hotel.  After supper I attended a lecture given by one of the foremost archeologists in the world.  He referred to the hole in the rock beneath the altar in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and said, “We believe that was in fact the place where the cross of Christ rested…was made secure…the vertical beam was wedged into that hole…during the crucifixion.”

I sagged.  I wanted to go back.  I had been there, in the place where Jesus had bled and died because of his love for all creation, and I had shrugged!  I had been on holy ground, and I had been more concerned about changing the film in my camera.

When John 19:23 tells us the soldiers who had crucified Jesus were arguing over which one of them would get his articles of clothing, I have always found it hard to believe that they could have done something so mundane, so ordinary, in the presence of a moment so intensely holy.  Whether Jesus was the Son of God or “just” one more dying political prisoner, how do men argue over articles of clothing when a man is fighting for each breath just above them?

I’ve been thinking of that moment in Jerusalem this week.  I’ve been thinking about the way I shrugged off the holy and kept doing the ordinary stuff of life.

Jesus speaks truth to us whether or not we understand.  Jesus loves us whether or not we respond.  Jesus dies for a world that would rather argue over clothing or change film than come to grips with this fierce, determined, unyielding, death – shattering grace.

“Living God, forgive us for changing film at the foot of the cross.  Forgive us for being so preoccupied with our stuff, our agenda, that we miss the holy work you do among us in Jesus.  Thank you for being a Savior who loves those who notice and those whose eyes are closed to the miracle.  Amen.”

Welcome to the adventure!

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark