7-27-11

Dear Family of Faith,
Is anyone making your life miserable? In my years of ministry there have been two people in my last two churches that come to mind as people who became enemies. I'm sure that I'm not alone in this experience. Sometimes relationships that begin as friendships turn sour. People get hurt, and those who hurt begin hurting others. The same thing can happen even in marriage relationships and partnerships and between children and parents. When people get angry at us and seek to hurt us, our natural reaction is to want to do the same to them in return. This "eye for an eye" mentality pervades our culture, even the Christian world, even though Jesus decried such a vindictive nature. What, then, are we to do when someone gossips about us, tries to turn friends and family away from us, or tries to run us down to make themselves look better? In the Book of Romans the Apostle Paul wrote these words: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them....Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all....Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Several years ago a couple in the church tried to destroy the unity of the congregation. People thought I was crazy not to "fight back" and discredit them. I struggled with it much, but the congregation was supportive of me and helped me through that. That's what I would say to any of you who are facing difficult people in your life. None of us can do life on our own; we need others who can support us in tough times, and we need to remember to cast all our cares on God who cares for us. This allows us to be different from the world, to hope against the odds that people can be different, to find peace in the midst of all the storms of life. After all, why should we become like those we don't like? As best as you can, let go of the pain in your life and move on. God has better things for you.

7-20-11 Blog

Dear Family of faith,
I grew up in a little country church with an average attendance of less than 50. Everybody had to do their part. Ushers for Sunday morning would often be chosen from among the "warm bodies" that showed up for worship. Sometimes the pastor himself passed out bulletins to the first folk at church (who tended to be the oldest of the elderly, who were not good candidates for ushering). Some summer Sundays I recall the pastor stopping the service before the offering and calling out from the pulpit, "Jack and Ed, would you take up the offering today?" Whoever was asked always seemed to help. Through my years of ministry I've seen this personal ownership in the church fade away, regrettably. Today when they see a need, many are just as likely to think, "Let someone else do it. It's not my responsibility." There are a few, though, who still understand the meaning of serving by doing whatever is needed. This past Monday in the midst of Vacation Bible School and funeral service preparations, our custodian Bob cut his hand and needed to be taken to the Emergency Room. I was busy getting ready for the funeral so our Administrative Assistant, Marty, drove Bob to the hospital. Marty didn't think twice about doing it. Even though it wasn't in her job description and she had much to do, it was what was needed. So, too, for many weeks I have noticed the unsightly weeds growing in our shrubbery beds around the church. I was planning on bringing my weeding fork this week to remove some when yesterday I noticed someone on her knees in front of the church doing that very task. Sandy Symbal had, without talking to anyone, taken it upon herself to do what she saw needed to be done. You know what is really amazing in these stories? Neither Marty nor Sandy are members of our congregation! If anyone could have use the excuse, "It's not my job," these two could have. Yet they chose to do what was needed. I hope that I never get too "high and mighty" to do the little things in the church that need to be done. I remember often the words of Psalm 84:10: "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness."

July 12, 2011 Blog

Dear Family of Faith,
Do you ever get frustrated by our over-specialized world? I have been battling a terrible cold and sinus infection in the past few days. I had an annual appointment yesterday with my urologist. "Oh, good," I thought. "I can get an antibiotic to help me deal with my problems." I made it to the appointment with the help of over-the-counter medicines, cough drops and Kleenex. When I asked the physician if he would mind writing me a prescription to help me heal, he replied curtly, "That's not my specialty." Then he went on to defend his refusal by saying that it probably wouldn't help anyway. At that moment I wondered whether the Hippocratic Oath ("I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required") had become the Hypocritic Oath! You can't help someone because it's "not your speciality"?? It made me think about my own ministry and how I treat people who come to me for help. I remembered the times people knocked on the door and wanted money for something that was "outside the parameters of our mission." It also made me think about the times that I "didn't want to get involved" helping people because I had other things to do. In our Bible Study tonight we looked at Jesus' words in Matthew 5:42: "Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you." The implication of that verse is that if we have it, and someone needs it, we are give it. I'm going to try to do better about not being too "specialized" to help those in need. Maybe you can, too.

July 7, 2011 Blog

Dear Family of Faith,
I missed you when I was gone!! I had a fabulous time visiting family in Calgary, Alberta, and hiking through valleys and up mountains in the Canadian Rockies. I have lots of photos to show, too! I even got to drive a fancy car when I was there-- a red Porsche Boxter convertible (stick shift, of course!) I felt like a movie star :-) More recently I spent time at the General Synod meeting in Tampa with other volunteers from our church and Conference. It was a marvelous time. I know that those of you who went by bus last Sunday to enjoy the service appreciated the once-in-a-lifetime chance to worship with our brothers and sisters from around the nation (even if it did take us three buses to get there and back!! Andrea Gleason has threatened never to do a bus trip again!! Encourage her next time you see her!) . Meredith Suld expressed so well what we experienced: "Words fail me when I reflect on Sunday's Synod worship experience. It was so creative, fresh, dramatic in every way. I think we were all totally blown away. I've been poring over the marvelous liturgy ever since. How privileged we were to share that great experience! It's great to be part of the UCC!" If anyone would like to see the entire worship service on the Internet, you can access the video at the following website: www.ucc.org/synod/video/sunday-worship-service.html Talia Raymond and her youth dance group from Winter Park were part of the worship, too! I'm sure that Wayne and Sherrie couldn't have been prouder! Thanks to all the cookie bakers, too. I know that Jill and Kim and Kevin West did a lot of work along with others. Thanks to all of you we met our 200 dozen goal!! I was feeling pretty smug about that until one lady said, "Our church brought 1,000 dozen!" Of course their church is four times larger than ours! The cookies were piled to the ceiling-- just ask Karen and Linda Schrader who worked one day sorting them! They were all so delicious. I should know, I took one every time I passed the cookie tables! Maybe that's why I have this 'cookie ring' around my middle right now?
During the Opening Worship Service at Synod the Rev, Marilyn Pagan-Banks, Director of A Just Harvest, spoke. One thing she said greatly challenged me to think: "When I give bread to the poor, they call me a saint. But when I ask why people are poor, they call me a Communist." Her words brought out how reticent we are to hear anything that might upset our way of living. So much of help and assistance given these days is really a band-aid approach to a systemic problem. Why is it that the richest country in the world still has hungry people? I am so proud of all of you for contributing regularly to our Food Sunday offerings; we need to do that because people on our backstep are hungry. Even so, the money we send to our UCC missions (OCWM) helps others to advocate for changes that will fight the poverty that causes hunger. We must never be afraid to ask the hard questions about any of the injustices in our nation.
Another memorable idea came from Sunday's preacher, the Rev. Dr. Laurinda Hafner, of Coral Gables Congregational UCC, who quoted Bishop John Shelby Spong. Bishop Spong said of the UCC that 'no church committed to social justice will ever be a majority denomination; but that, even so, the entire Christian world benefits from the witness that the UCC bears to justice issues.' I so agree with that statement, for it means that we at Spring Hill UCC have an important witness to make in our own community because even those who don't agree with everything we stand for can benefit from our understanding of God's grace and our extravagant welcome. Not only that, but even in our own personal lives we can stand up for what is right even if the majority of the group around us wants to continue in old ways that hurt and abuse. A small voice for good is still a voice for good. One lone candle can brighten a dark room. John the Baptist was a lone voice in the wilderness; Jesus himself was left pretty much alone in the end; yet both of these men were sent from God to bring truth and light to the world. That is our own vocation as well. Never be intimdated because your opinion is not shared by the majority. God never calls us to be popular or even successful, only faithful.