March 31, 2009

Sock Yarn

Read Jeremiah 18:1-6

A few years ago I discovered some beautiful yarn for knitting socks. I discovered the yarns quite by accident while browsing in a marvelous store full of balls and skeins of yarn. To a knitter, walking through a yarn store is like entering a candy shop. Tucked in the back of the store were some bins of tiny balls of yarn. Picking one up I noticed that the individual strands of yarn would start out as one color, but somewhere along the same strand the yarn changed to another color. Each ball might contain three or four or more colors. It was amazing to see one strand of yarn changing colors several times. Trying to analyze it, my next thought was how the yarn could be dyed this way.

One of the salespeople noticed the gleam in my eye and how I picked up different colors. She stopped by and said, “Have you ever tried knitting with sock yarn before?” I hadn’t, so I asked, “How can I tell what it will look like when it’s knitted?” She explained that due to the changes in the colors along an individual strand it all depends on the size of the needles and the size of the project. It knits up differently depending on what you do with it. So I thought about it and then grabbed about six balls of yarn in different colors to take home and try.

Pulling the end of the yarn, I cast on 56 stitches onto size 1 double pointed needles. (Knitters will appreciate how tiny the needles are, and it takes four double pointed needles!) The yarn started out a pretty blue, so I knitted for several rows, and the yarn was still blue. Tugging a little more yarn, the strand of yarn turned orange. Wow! This is fun. I again knitted about six rows, round and round in a circle. The orange yarn kept coming, and I began thinking that orange wasn’t my favorite color. I wished there was more of the pretty blue. Suddenly the yarn changed to green, but I’d barely made it around once when the yarn changed again. What happened here? It’s all mixed up. One stitch was white, the next was grey, then white, and then grey…what was this? It seemed to go on forever. Oh, this wasn’t fun. What would this end up looking like in a sock? I wasn’t so sure about this. Maybe I shouldn’t have started this project. I hate to give up on anything, so I just kept knitting.
After about six or eight rows, I stopped and looked at what was happening. The small segments of white and grey looked like a mistake on the strand of yarn, but as I continued knitted round and round a pattern began to form. It looked like a checkerboard pattern! And then just like that, it stopped and I was back to the pretty blue color.

I find sock yarn fascinating. There was a show on TV recently about how the dyes are incorporated into the yarn. Dye was placed in a pattern on soft, creamy colored yarn. The dye was bright green and dark pink, but part of the yarn was left a soft cream color. Each time the newly dyed yarn was knitted, the pattern of the colors looked different in the finished project depending on what the knitter had done with it. Some projects had great big sections of one color, others had tiny bands of individual colors, and other projects created intricate patterns with all the colors.

Our lives are a like sock yarn. We’re going along with one band of color, when suddenly we’re switched to a block of color that we don’t like. Maybe there are bursts of color that are wonderful, but they are too short. Then there is the segment where things change after every stitch, but end up making a familiar pattern when finished. I think God gives me all the various colors along the strand of yarn of my life, and it’s up to me to make something out of it. I may not like the color or pattern right now, but I have to keep knitting and see what happens. I know it will change. I have to keep doing what I know how to do, follow the pattern, and I’ll be happy with the result at the end. All the changes along the way, the colors, the patterns, the stitches, contribute to the finished product. Just like sock yarn, what you do with your life will determine what it looks like as a finished project. Keep knitting!

Prayer:
Lord, Knit me in your image. Let me use all the colors and textures of my life to make an acceptable project for the good of your kingdom on earth. In Jesus name,
Amen

Libby Van de Putte

March 30, 2009

History

Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9

I was reminded of a line from the Lion King - - The monkey hit the lion on the head - - the lion asked “What was that for?” - - the monkey said “It doesn’t matter, it’s in the past”.

I was reminded of that line when I found an article about the Founding Fathers words being transcribed. For 65 years, scholars have been compiling, transcribing and annotating the writings of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. By the time the work is completed (in the year 2049) the letters, diaries, official papers and other writings will be chronicled in 341 volumes of 600 to 800 pages each. Who said the past doesn’t matter?

These giants of our history had no idea their writings would matter this much and could not have imagined what their work in building this country would lead to. Over 2000 years ago Jesus changed the whole world and His legacy and teachings have left us with only one volume. However, He certainly had a better vision for the outcome of what He left behind than the Founding Fathers could have had.

As we look ahead to what we leave behind can we have any assurance things will be better? Absolutely! Things will be better because of the two children, their spouses and the grandchildren I will leave behind. How can you be sure your children will be assets to the people around them and the world in general? Easy - - marry the right woman.

Jack Van Becelaere

March 28, 2009

Oh Darn

Read: Luke 10:38-42

My wife, the lovely and gracious JeriLynn, is a homemaking genius, Martha Stewart's got nothing on her. I could give her a paper bag full of grass clippings and she'll turn it into the most beautiful centerpiece you've ever seen.

When we were courting though, I didn't know this, and one day I inadvertently tested her. A guy like me needs a woman of superb domestic prowess.

In the winter I always wear 100% wool socks. The heels of the socks tend to wear thin too quickly for my liking. One day I asked her if she would darn a pair of my socks.

Without a second's hesitation she said, "Of course I will." She lovingly took the pair of socks, walked over to the wastebasket, dropped them in it, turned to look at me, and said, "Oh darn." I knew I had a keeper.


Lord, thank you for sending me a keeper, and for giving me the sense to recognize it.

Ron Draper (from March 1, 2004)

March 27, 2009

Give Me A Light

Read 1 Peter 5:6-7

I tend to be a worrier. I can tell myself that there is nothing I can accomplish by worrying, yet I still can’t quite stop. So when my son, Luis, was recently deployed to Iraq, I started to worry. In fact, I was concerned that my worrying would get out of control. But just when I needed him, God sent me a message.

I was attending the Sunday school class taught by a retired Methodist minister, Rev. Tex Rickard, who was speaking to us about meditation and prayer. He taught us that there is a great healing power in communicating with God during a quiet time on a daily basis, using words that remind us that God is always with us through all the highs and lows of life. So before going to bed at night, I would take the time to pray and repeat the mantra that Rev. Tex shared with us. I thought about the words every time, and I realized that I just had to trust that God was there with me every step of the way. My worries slowly disappeared each time I repeated those words.

These are the words that helped me through a stressful time:

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may go out into the darkness.” And he replied, “Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!”

Jan Versical

March 26, 2009

Asking For Help

Read: Galatians 5:13-14

I've never been particularly good at asking for help. But it seems that when crisis strikes, our Methodist Church family has always stepped forward to help without being asked. Two instances come to mind.

In 1985, I was pregnant with our first child when I went into premature labor. Our doctor confined me to bed with the precaution that each day we could keep the baby from coming would increase its chances of survival. Although we were very new members at our church in Akron, Ohio, a team of church women quickly mobilized to deliver hot meals. Suddenly, people we did not even know were praying for us. Twelve days after I went to bed -- and more than six weeks early -- our son arrived. During the month he was hospitalized and after, church members and our minister continued to provide moral support.

Today, our first child, Ross Gardner, and his younger brother, Ben, are active participants in the life of GPUMC.

Many years later, we again were new members, this time at GPUMC, when I had a serious automobile accident on I-94. While Greg stayed with me at the hospital, a church friend took the boys to Logos, where they were surrounded by friends - and got a good meal! When I was released from the hospital, members of our Caring Community group and others again brought much-appreciated meals. I especially remember the Wendy's "fast food" delivered by one busy mother who was not too busy to let us know that she cared.

The lessons I draw from these experiences: Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Don't be afraid to offer help without being asked. And feel good about whatever small kindnesses you can provide, because small kindnesses have a way of multiplying.
Thought for the Day:
Small kindnesses have a way of multiplying


Kathy Gardner (from March 10, 1999)

March 25, 2009

Take A Walk

Read UM Hymnal #314

Walking is my exercise of choice, somewhat out of necessity since our dog, Toby, became a member of the family. A day without a walk for Toby is a mischief-producing day in the DeWitt household.

I’ve noticed many hymns, anthems and scripture lessons make reference to walking. It seems as though the act of walking is a fitting metaphor for our spiritual journey. When Toby and I walk, we usually travel a familiar route; however, each outing brings a different experience. One summer day we spotted a hawk; we see the leaves changing color in autumn and new growth in the spring; we take pleasure in the sparkling snow in the sunlight. It can be the same with our scripture lessons – we know the Bible stories quite well, but often find a refreshing new perspective with each subsequent reading.

Just like in our lives, some walks are more difficult than others. I confess on some of these recent sub-zero mornings, I really don’t want to trudge across the ice. But there’s something about being outside that helps me quietly reflect and feel closer to God. On a walk everything is slower and less stressed. It’s really my favorite time to pray and thank God for His many blessings and the glories of His creation.

So get outside and take a walk…it’s good for your body and your soul.
Sue DeWitt

March 24, 2009

Always With You

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

When you have a problem, you can pray to God and feel better. Then your feelings are not inside of you.

When you are not sure of something, you can ask God’s help. You can pray and ask God, “What is the right thing to do?”

We pray to God that He will forgive us our sins.

When you think you are alone, you’re really not -- God and Jesus are always with you.

Written by members of the fourth grade Sunday School class:
Catie Andrus, Libby Ashbury, Lauren Bracci, William Van de Putte, Quinn Wulf
(from March 10, 2000)

March 23, 2009

Pay Attention

Read: Luke 19:47-48

The day we were assigned this sermon, I think everyone’s first reaction was, Oh no, I can’t believe we have to write a sermon. The first words that come to mind when I think of sermons are boring, dull, long and tedious. I know we’re supposed to listen and learn. I also know that sometimes sermons are interesting and even funny when they include jokes. Usually though it seems that during the sermon people are doing one of three things: staring off in the distance, drawing on the bulletin, or sleeping. (Well that’s what I guess I do, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.) But maybe looks are deceiving.

It occurred to me that staring off into space doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is not listening. In fact I need to defend that because I do it to my mom all the time. I claim that I’m listening – and of course I am!- even though I’m not looking at her. She doesn’t believe me though. It’s probably true for other people too. Some people might be enjoying the stained glass windows. Some people may be thinking about what they are hearing. Some may be just staring off, but I bet they hear a lot more than they realize. I know I do. One time my mom had to go home because my sister forgot her 3rd grade Bible at home. She came back and asked what she had missed in the sermon and surprisingly I was able to fill her in pretty well.

My sister, Faith, draws during the sermon - on the children’s bulletin, on the envelopes, on the stack of plain paper we sometimes bring. I’m always certain she isn’t listening when all of a sudden something is said about faith in the sermon and she sits up strait and starts poking me. I turn to her and say, “What?” And she says, “Did you hear, did you hear, she just said FAITH!” I bet my cousin Christian did the same thing when he was little. I’ve seen other people writing, but they could be jotting down notes, they could be drawing something that goes along with the sermon. I remember drawing fruit when I heard about the fruit of the spirit. I guess even if you’re drawing, you can get something out of the sermon too.

Can you get anything out of the sermon if you’re sleeping? Probably not if that’s what you are really doing. I have seen my aunt many times though up in the choir loft looking like she is asleep. I heard her talking about the sermons one time and how she makes it a habit to listen to them with her eyes closed. She says she can’t pay attention to them otherwise. Either it’s a great cover, or maybe we jump to conclusions about the people around us with closed eyes. It would be kind of hard for me to fall asleep with someone talking into a microphone. (Not to mention a fidgeting little 8-year old sitting next to me).

I was imagining a conversation with Linus from Charlie Brown. He always seems to know quotes from the Bible. How is it possible for a little kid who drags around a blanket to know all that anyway? If I told him how it is sometimes hard to pay attention in church, he would say, “You have to it’s in the Bible”. He actually would be right. It says in Hebrews 2:1, “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Maybe we all drift a little while we listen. Even when our eyes, hands, and sometimes even thoughts drift a little, maybe we are paying more attention than we give ourselves credit for. God gives us credit for coming to church. Next time I’m sitting in a service I’ll try to think of this scripture and hopefully I wont drift out too far. It might be easier if I had a name like Faith or Christian because then occasionally someone would call my name and get me to pay attention. I’m not sure I would want that to happen though. I’m sure there are better ways.

Kayla Rumpp (from February 27, 2007)

March 21, 2009

A Lump Of Coal

Read: Genesis 45:3-8, 50:18-20

Remember when you were a kid, and at Christmas time you hung up your stocking for Santa to fill?

If you'd been good, he'd give you candy and oranges. If you'd been bad, you'd get coal.

Picture this –
A snowman facing the fireplace – his back to you.
He reaches into his stocking and finds coal.
He turns; he has eyes and shouts joyfully – “I can see!”

Sometimes we get coal.

Sometimes it's a blessing.


Prayer: Dear God, let us see. Amen

Shirley Van Becelaere (from March 22, 2001)

March 20, 2009

Can't Pray?

Read Romans 8: 26-27

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

There are times when I try to pray and can't. I make resolutions that I’m going to pray every day, pray for certain people, pray for certain situations and then I don't. Sometimes I’m just plain tired. Sometimes I’m distracted and just can’t seem to get in the proper mood for prayer. Sometimes I’m down in the dumps and the last thing I feel like doing is praying. Sometimes the number of people and the number of things to pray for seems overwhelming. I say to myself, “What’s the use”. Nobody seems to be getting better. Situations remain unchanged. I don’t have the time to pray for all these people and causes! I get discouraged. I stop praying. Then, I feel guilty. I think to myself, this is no way to carry on. I tell myself, “You need contact with God! The people and situations need to be raised up to God!” Thank goodness it’s not all up to me.

It always seems that God sends me some sort of subtle message that says relax; back off for a little while. God knows what's in my head and heart. Haven't I ever heard of the Holy Spirit? Paul wrote a letter to the Romans in which he addressed this very inability to pray. Chapter 8, verses 26&27 states that when we can’t pray or when we don’t know what to pray about, the Holy Spirit prays for us. Just keeping those words in mind helps me to relax, feel less guilty and understand that not being able to pray at times is normal. There are times in our lives when for whatever reason, we just cannot pray. It’s on days like that when Paul’s words remind me that I’m not alone in prayer. The Holy Spirit is praying and friends are praying. I’ll be back to it in good time.

Mike Bernhardt (from March 8, 2001)

March 19, 2009

Our Earthly Test

Read: Luke 10:29-37

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the most widely read novels of all time. But for me, Harper Lee’s most memorable words aren’t in her classic; they’re in the biography “Mockingbird,” written by Charles J. Shields. He recounts a speech Lee gave at West Point in 1965.

As she addressed how soldiers might respond to their new environs, she delivered a message that guides me today.

Lee said our response to people who are difficult to accept or respect “represents our earthly test.”

“These people enrich the wonder of our lives,” she said. “It is they who most need our kindness, because they seem less deserving. After all, anyone can love people who are lovely.”

Dave Versical

March 18, 2009

Night Sledding Rules!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 (NKJV)

One of the most popular activities for both kids and adults on our church family retreat at Lake Louise is always the night sledding. This year was no different, and this year a certain scripture passage keeps going through my heard whenever I think about our night sledding:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:12-13 (NKJV)

You’re right, it’s quite a stretch from Jesus dying on the Cross to a kid zipping down a snowy hill on a tube.
Yes, it’s quite a stretch; but if you had been on our hill at Lake Louise Saturday night after the show, you wouldn’t think twice about it, because you’d know just exactly what Christian love looks like.
It looks like a kid rolling off the tube to keep from hitting another kid walking back up the hill.
It looks like a couple kids standing at the top of the hill, and announcing that no one is going down until we all know the rules.
It looks like a kid blocking a tubeful of sledders from running into the kids still tangled together on the hill.
It looks like kids explaining to other kids that we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ, and that we need to sacrifice for each other - we need to bail out of our ride if we’re going to hurt our brother or sister.

Next time you see kids out having fun, whatever it is they’re doing, let that remind you of the lesson of the night sledding rules - we’re all here to look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
That’s what night sledding will always mean to me now.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the glimpses we get of Your love as it shines through our family, our friends, our brothers and sisters. May that love make its home in us as the Holy Spirit helps us to exercise it. We pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Thought for the Day
You gave Yourself for us, Lord, now we give ourselves for others.

Charlie van Becelaere (from March 13, 2000)

March 17, 2009

Feed The Mind, Feed The Body, Feed The Spirit

Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

I Corinthians 6:19&20 Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.

Hebrews 5: 13&14 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong. Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.

Most of us hate those instruction books that come with new appliances and equipment. We often leave them in the box they came in, forget where we filed them, and on the rare occasion we refer to them when we have a problem. I don’t know anyone (including myself) who reads through an instruction book before using something new. It is our nature to believe we can figure things out without help.

The Bible is God’s instruction book for our lives. It’s been said that BIBLE refers to Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Unfortunately we treat the Bible like many other instruction manuals and open only in case of dire need. Sadly some people would be hard pressed to locate a Bible in their home. Once again it is our nature to believe we can figure things out without help.

The passage above from Luke is repeated in Matthew 22: 35-40, Mark 12:28-34, Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18. It is known as the Great Commandment and provides God’s basic instruction to us. Yet being able to recite an instruction is not the same as comprehending it and acting on it. I have found that I need to “feed the mind, feed the body and feed the spirit” to carry out this command.

To feed the mind I need to study God’s word. I have belonged to an interdenominational Bible study group and I can’t tell you how helpful that group has been in shaping my beliefs and my understanding of what God wants of me. I have jokingly referred to it as my “therapy group”. The United Methodist Women and various study groups in our church and have helped me off a diet of milk and onto a diet of solid food (spiritually speaking). Regular church attendance and ongoing secular learning are also vital.

To feed the body is much more than what we eat. It is also how we treat the body. Do we keep ourselves in good physical condition? Do we take care of our body like a temple of the Holy Spirit? Although I’m no athlete, I find that a regular fitness program not only makes me feel better physically, it also improves my spirits and relieves me of stresses that I have a tendency to hold on to. I believe God has called us to be wise stewards of our physical body.

To feed the spirit we must go beyond study to meditation and then to action. When we earnestly go to God in prayer and meditation he will speak to our heart and give us opportunity to serve. He will also send “angels in disguise” that encourage, inspire and uplift us.

I often reflect on the purpose of United Methodist Women which is “to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ”. To work on wholeness I must feed the mind, feed the body and feed the spirit. Thank God for the gift of an instruction book to help me on the way.

Pat Deck

March 16, 2009

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

Read Hebrews 13:1-2

There is a children’s book called Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. In the book, the author explains that we each have a bucket that we carry around. Each day, we start out with an empty bucket. When someone does something nice for us and gives us a kind word, our bucket is filled. When we do something for someone else, we help to fill up another’s bucket.

It’s a simple concept that children understand easily, but as adults we need to remember other people’s buckets. What can we do to fill up the bucket? A smile, a hug, a kind word, a note or card, a meal or bag of cookies, a phone call. These things help to fill up someone else’s bucket, but they also help fill up your own bucket.

Growing up, my mother would always remind us of the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I used to think it meant “Don’t hit your sister unless you want her to hit you back.” Every Sunday morning at church I’m reminded of the Golden Rule when we have our time of sharing of the peace of Christ. We greet each other and pass the peace of Christ. We smile, we hug and touch another’s hand. We are filling up the buckets of the congregation. We are filling them with our thoughts and prayers. We are passing the peace and love of Christ to our neighbor. In turn, we receive as well and our buckets are filled.

When we are alone, there are ways to fill up our own buckets. We can pray and God fills our buckets. We can sing a hymn or read the Bible, and our buckets are filled. We can read our devotion book, we can attend a Bible study, and we can meditate. I know that attending church with my family and friends, listening to the word of God and singing praises are how I fill my bucket.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Help me to remember that everyone has a bucket. My actions each day are a reflection of you, and should be used to fill the buckets of those around me. Lord, please fill my bucket and grant me your peace.
Amen

Libby Van de Putte

March 14, 2009

Last Fall I Found A Dog

Read Galatians 6:2

Last fall I found a dog.

Well, first I saw the dog, a small beagle, running across the street and dodging New York City traffic. Then I watched as it ran into the open doors of a restaurant until it was detained by a waiter and led back outside. Ma’am, is this your dog? I looked down at my dog and looked up at the waiter and shook my head. No, this is my dog. I pointed down next to me. There was silence from his end. I looked at the beagle as it stared back at me with longing eyes. But I’ll take it home and try to find its owner, I offered, before I knew what I was getting myself into. I just couldn’t resist those eyes.

So, I guess you could say the dog found me.

Now, this was not a particularly good day for me to be taking home a beagle. For one thing, home was a good 35 minute walk, and the beagle had no collar or leash. So, I picked it up. I had no choice. Another factor was the five hours of reading for school I had waiting for me when I got home. And when I did get back to my place – arms shaking, back aching, beagle crying – my three year old hyperactive dog thought that this was a scheduled playdate. This is when I realized that the older beagle that I found and my pug-beagle mix, did not mix. So, my dog was booked for the $60-a-night New York “doggie hotel” that I (read: my parents) really don’t care to splurge on all too often. And after calling five police precincts and being redirected five times, I learned something new that day: the New York City Police Department “does not deal with animals.” My last hope was to take the dog to the vet and see if it had a microchip so I could somehow locate the potential owner. There was a microchip, (thank you, God!) and an owner. But I would have to call the vet where the owner registered the dog the next morning, as they were closed that night. By the time I got back from the vet, I was tired, hungry, tattered and torn. Was this all worth it? Should I have left the dog for the waiter to deal with?

I woke up the next morning to the beagle nestled at my feet at the foot of the bed. I called the dog’s vet to get in touch with the owner, who called me back a few minutes later. Hi! I’m the owner of the beagle you found! I am so relieved. I can’t tell you how distraught I have been for the last 12 hours.

I met with the owner later that day to deliver her dog. She was beyond ecstatic, and eternally grateful. Luce (the beagle) was – as I guessed – twelve years old and her kidneys were failing. I don’t know if it’s the kidney medication she’s taking, or the fact that I just had a baby, but she has never run away like this before. I don’t know how much time I have left with her, so I don’t know what I would do if I lost her yesterday for good.
And just the day before, I had asked myself whether it was all worth the hassle…

In a social and economic climate where families struggle to put food on the table, millions are being laid off from work, and homes are in foreclosure, I realize that finding a dog on the street can hardly be called a problem. Rather, it was a blessing in disguise. I was able to reunite a woman with her dog. They had been a part of each other’s lives for 12 years. Wouldn’t I want someone to do the same for me? It’s not every day that we are able to give someone a gift like that. The chance to do so is a gift in itself.

So, maybe God’s gifts don’t always appear to us in conventional packages. They might even appear to us as a burden at first glance. But taking on the burden is sometimes the only way to get to the reward.

Beth Versical

March 13, 2009

Change

Read Ecclesiastes (especially Chapter 3)

I went to church looking for inspiration. Charlie needed devotions. Not too long into the service, I realized that I am inspired every time I go. I almost missed out on it though.

It seemed like it would be easy to choose a new church. Nashville is loaded with United Methodist churches. In our area though, the choice is either small or jumbo, so we tried them both. (Just to give you a feeling for what each of those sizes means… The small church probably holds about 100 – it looks to be about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of our old sanctuary with no balcony. The choir has about 10 people with room for maybe one or two more. Jumbo church’s seat count is past my estimating skills, but the adult choir has about 75 members, the high school choir has about 80, and the middle school choir has about 70. Jumbo church also just announced the final pledge count at 5.7 million dollars!) So where do we fit?

The small church was amazingly welcoming. Visitors kind of stick out there. One of the high school girls even came and found Kayla and invited her to go to Sunday school with her. Lots of people introduced themselves. The minister was wandering through the sanctuary chatting with everyone and greeting new people before the service started. The choir was small. The kids’ classes were small. It felt like a church that would need me. That was familiar.

The jumbo church had greeters, and we all stood for a ritual of friendship. There were smiling faces, but there probably wasn’t a single person there who would have known that we were new. Wow, the senior pastor was terrific. The music was impressive. The service was familiar, and Communion was more familiar there too. But it was so big. It felt more like being a spectator that a participant. How could I find my place?

I know exactly when I figured it out. We went to Jumbo church on the first Sunday of the month for Communion. During the prayer of intercession, the minister lifted up people in need of prayer and she mentioned me. Not by name. She didn’t even know me, but she was most definitely praying for me. I think I even gasped a little. I know I didn’t hear the rest of the prayer because I was so awed by the feeling of hundreds of people lifting me up in their prayers. I thanked God immediately for all the prayers and for directing me to that church on that day. I realized that I was being stubborn and unwilling to change. When change is thrust upon us, it is not so easy to embrace. I have always been someone who thrived on change, but most of the time the change was my idea.

Just because something is familiar though, doesn’t make it better. Just because something is different doesn’t make it worse. My change is obvious. We moved.
We had to start completely over. There are so many other changes in everyone’s lives that aren’t so obvious. Especially now. These are scary times. That alone is a change, but there are so many changes that come with that. Change may be scary, and change may be uncomfortable, but change means growth. Hiding from it doesn’t stop it. We need to accept and embrace where we are, and make the best of it. Now that I have embraced my jumbo church, I am getting more out of it than I imagined.
I am inspired.

Thought for the day: Just because something isn’t the same as it used to be, doesn’t mean that it isn’t good.

Prayer: Dear God, Please give us the strength and wisdom to make the best of any situation. Help us to show compassion and understanding toward those who are struggling, as we would hope for their compassion in our own struggles. We are grateful that no matter what we are going through, You are there with us to guide us and comfort us. Amen

Jacki Rumpp

March 12, 2009

Stop and Listen

Read: Luke 10:38-42

Our lives seem to have become busier and busier. Everyone has more to do than the next person. We tend to become focused on tasks. Everything is a goal that must be completed.

While accompanying a group of youth to the 1993 Virginia Workcamp, I was shown by the youth that although the goal is important, sometimes the things observed and learned while attaining that goal are much more so.

Our project was to glaze the windows and paint the house of an elderly gentleman who lived in a small rural town.

I was focused! I attacked the windows vigorously after assigning each youth to a paint brush and a side of the house. The gentleman sat in a bottomless webbed folding chair and observed the people working around him. During our lunch break, the youth asked if they could walk the two blocks to the town square. "Sure", I said, as I continued to glaze windows.

The youth returned carrying a brand new folding webbed rocking chair!

While I had been so focused on accomplishing my task, they had worked around the gentleman, listening to his tales of working on a horse farm during the early part of this century. They listened and interacted with this wonderful man. He talked of his family, now all gone, his faith, his work, and what he takes pleasure in now that he was 92. He enjoys sitting on his porch in his chair, visiting with all who stop by. He can see the field of the horse farm that he worked at all his life from his porch. The reason his chair was so worn and not replaced was not for lack of funds. He was physically unable to go to the store and buy one.

While the youth were painting they were ministering. They received much more from this gentleman than they were giving, just by taking the time to listen.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, we pray during this season of Lent we can all take the time to remove our blinders and see the world and the people around us. Amen.

Lynn Van de Putte (from March 2, 1999)

March 11, 2009

It's A Wonderful World

Read Isaiah 1:18-20

There is state-owned land west of New Haven with ponds, open fields, marsh, and forested swamp. This land is perfect to take a city dog who loves to run, sniff, and chase wildlife without the benefit of a leash confining the activity as it is in the city.

For Christmas, I gave my wife Susan, a pair of hunting field pants, a blaze orange vest, and blaze orange dog collar (for the dog, obviously, because he is deer-brown in color and could be mistaken for a small deer). Greater peace of mind both for her and the dog to avoid any misguided hunters.

While tromping around one January weekend, the three of us were having a wonderful time exploring the land and getting out confronting the winter weather, somewhat kinder on this particular day. Suddenly, breaking the stillness of the winter air, was the ringing of my cell phone. Who, on the phone, was none other than our son Ben, making his weekly call from his year-long contracting job in Iraq.

So, we are in the middle of nowhere running the dog, and are able to talk on the speaker function of the phone half-way around the world to our hard-working son. Just amazing to those of us old enough to think that a long-distance phone call was unusual and an especially expensive event.

To think that we, with God's grace, have been able to multi-function with such aplomb. In this instance, this ability is wonderful. The hard part, in a greater sense, is determining which of the possibilities we should actually use that our world offers in electronics, communications and other modern contrivances. Of course, now with our tough economic situation, some of those decisions are now obvious, in the sense that we just can not spend the money we do not have available.

How does this all tie together? Applying basic truths of Christianity to these complex issues is one way to bring some sense to what can be overwhelming. Also using the calming power of prayer can assist our minds to wisely re-focus and give a sense of grace to our thinking. Thanks to the Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church for helping us look at our wonderful, yet intricate, world from a Christian perspective.


Dave DeWitt

March 10, 2009

Great Was The Company Of The Preachers

“So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the manner for which I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:11

The first thing I remember is the smell of the wood early in the morning. What a serene space I was in ... yet I was so keyed up.

Turn the lights on, turn the sound system on, open the Book and read - to no one, to myself, to God, to everyone - "In the beginning, when God created ...."

That's how Proclamation started at 7 AM on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 AD. Aldersgate Day, the anniversary of John Wesley's conversion experience, when he had his "heart strangely warmed," and I was finding my whole life "strangely warmed."

I've heard the same kind of thing from countless participants in our congregation's ten-day journey through the whole Bible. We found the experience of reading the Scripture to be even more moving than we had expected. It didn't matter if we were reading the account of Creation, or a list of the sons of Esau; about Jesus walking on water, or the list of who begat whom from Adam to Jesus. It really didn't matter, because we were part of something special, something grand and important; we were reading God's Word from start to finish, from that first "In the beginning" of Genesis to the final "Amen" of Revelation.

Thinking back on my reading, it seems a bit odd that I was surprised by the Joy of it. After all, one very good way of looking at the Bible is as sixty-six love letters from God to me: why would I be surprised at the delight of reading that?!

Bible study has been an important part of my life for quite a few years now, but the experience of Proclamation, reading the whole Bible in such a short time, was something I'll never forget: it was a wonderful reminder that God's Word will always speak to us, if we will only listen.

Today, why not read a chapter from one of the books of the Bible which you've never read? If you want some suggestions, how about 1 John, 2 Peter, Ezra, Amos, Malachi, …. I know God will speak to you through His word, and it will not return to Him empty. Praise God! Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere (from March 30, 2001)

March 9, 2009

The Noodle

Read: Luke 15:11-32

Several years ago, my wife's brother remarried, and I inherited a new niece, Stephanie (the Noodle). She was as vibrant and sweet as a 6-year-old girl could be, and as squiggly too, hence the nickname.

One night, her mother and my brother-in-law had plans to go to a Christmas party and wanted Jeri and me to watch Miss Noodle for the night. We were going to my brother Gord's house for a Christmas feast, and took the Noodle with us, as my niece Rachael would be there, and the two loved to play together. A family feast ensued, and a good time was had by all.

It was a dark, cold night, lots of stars, and no moon. As we drove home on the quiet country roads across the north end of three counties, we could hear Stephanie slipping in and out of sleep and Noodle dreams. Then she woke up. She started telling us of all the new aunts and uncles and cousins she had just met, and how much fun it was.
Then she started counting out loud and on her fingers all her family, new and old, and all the people she knew loved her. She had a few favorites and people she knew loved her "extra special."

When she had counted all of us, she came up with 33. She had 33 people she knew loved her. Then, from the back seat, she yelled in excitement, "Did you hear that? I have 33 people who love me. Uncle Ron, I'm rich!"

Ron Draper (from March 10, 2003)

March 7, 2009

We attended a church last Sunday whose minister was preaching seven weeks of "40 days of Love". The week we were present was "Love is not easily angered." If we each studied these messages it could help control our temper.

Sara and Jack Wooton

40 Days of Love – “Love is not easily angered.” 1 Cor 13:5

HOW DO YOU TAME YOUR TEMPER?

1. RESOLVE TO MANAGE IT
“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Proverbs 29:11

2. REMEMBER THE COST
“A hot-tempered man … gets into all kinds of trouble.: Proverbs 29:22
Proverbs 15:18 “Hot tempers cause arguments.”
Proverbs 14:29 “... anger causes mistakes.”
Proverbs 14:17 “People with hot tempers do foolish things.”

“The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.” Proverbs 11:29

3. REFLECT BEFORE REACTING
“A stupid man gives free rein to his anger; a wise man waits and lets it grow cool.” Proverbs 29:11
“A man's wisdom gives him patience.” Proverbs 19:11

4. RELEASE MY ANGER APPROPRIATELY
“If you become angry, don't let your anger lead you into sin.” Ephesians 4:26
“A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.” Proverbs 15:1

Anger:
Don't suppress it – stomach, neck
Don't repress it – depression
Don't express it
Do confess it

5. RE-PATTERN YOUR MIND
“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2a
“Keep away from angry, short-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them ….” Proverbs 22:24

6. RELY ON GOD'S HELP
“Patience and encouragement come from God. I pray God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus wants.” Romans 15:5
“The fruit of the Spirit is … patience.” Gal. 5:22
“Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” Matthew 12:34
“I'll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed.” Ezekiel 36:26

March 6, 2009

Trials In Life

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Psalm 46 1-3
He will be our guide even unto death. Psalms 48

Every one of us will face trials in our lives, some are visible, some are not. How we deal with those trials will determine our final victory.

It has been over ten years since I walked out of a Doctor’s office, in complete shock, having just been told that I had Parkinson’s disease. I knew little if anything about Parkinson’s. Back then, most people who had Parkinson’s wouldn’t acknowledge the fact that they had anything wrong until they couldn’t hide the symptoms any longer. Consequently, I could only picture the worst case scenario and it was scary. However, I soon learned that there were many stages in between and that it would be years, before my life style would actually be affected by the disease. That time is slowly arriving for me. As I face more difficult days ahead, I try to keep in mind that we may choose how we respond to our particular trial. I know that I can’t do it alone and that I will need God’s help and your help at GPUMC in the days and years to come.

I have had the poem, “What God Hath Promised,” taped to the wall behind my desk for a number of years. I particularly like the following part of the poem:

God hath not promised      But God hath promised
We shall not know      Strength for the day,
     Toil and temptation,      Rest for the laborer,
     Trouble and woe.      Light for the way,
He hath not told us      Grace for the trials
We shall not bear      Help from above,
     Many a burden,      Unfailing Sympathy,
     Many a care.      Undying love.

Dear God, help each one of us to face, with dignity, our own personal trials. Be with us each step of the way as we strive to keep a positive out look on life. Guide us in your ways, and help us to develop a trusting relationship with You, God, which will be with us always, even through the difficult times. Amen

Yours in Christ,
Ginny Downs (from April 12, 2000)

March 5, 2009

The Touch Of God’s Hand

“He reached down from on high, he drew me out of the mighty waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

We often speak figuratively about the "hand of God." In November 2001, during my first five hours in Bon Secours's emergency room, I felt many "hands of God" touching me and helping me to cope with the pain and the uncertainty of my emergency medical situation. At one point, I was lying in the fetal position as the doctor searched for the correct place for the spinal tap. The nurse was standing on my other side, and she gently placed her hand on my arm as the doctor did the successful spinal tap. Her hand warmed my heart and gentled my body as I prayerfully gave myself into God's hands.

After the procedure, I thanked her for her caring touch, and told her how much it meant to me. She replied that she felt I needed a calming hand, but that she never equated it to the hand of God.

Prayer: Dear Lord, let us lovingly "touch" our fellow human beings by word, deed, and prayer in our daily lives. Help us to witness our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, and as our guide to a Christian life. Amen

Betty Durkin (from February 22, 2002)

March 4, 2009

God's Postcard

Read: Psalm 8, and Psalm 19

To truly see our Lord for the very first time is a great achievement.

For me, this happened while a group of friends and I went to Colorado in August of 1998. We were climbing the ever-famed Pike's Peak in our white GMC Safari. My friend and I were frightened, because, being youth, we had never done this before.

No safety rails dotted the road, and it was a rather steep climb. The dog, on the other hand, was asleep in my lap. When we finally reached the top, I was relieved. We went in and got hot cocoa and donuts.

My friend's dad and I were standing on the peak, when I looked up and saw what I immediately labeled, "God's Postcard." It was signed, sealed, and delivered, it seemed, just for me.

It was for all people, not just yours truly. This was the first time, though, I really appreciated God's Beauty and Love.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help those who have yet to see. Open their eyes to your Grace and Wonder.
Thank You for being a constant presence in our lives.
With the confidence of the children of God we pray.
Amen.

Thought for the Day:
Believe in God and He will open your eyes to His Grace.

Prayer Focus: Those blinded by fear in trusting in the Lord.

James Van de Putte (from Feb 24, 1999)

March 3, 2009

WWJD?

Read: Matthew 5:1-16,6:24

Some years ago I noticed an item worn by many youth that surprised me both by its popularity and subject matter. The item was the “WWJD” bracelet (the letters stand for “What Would Jesus Do?”). My thought was that there must be quite a religious revival going on among children and youth of which I was not even aware. It seemed to be an encouraging sign. No longer, however, do I notice anyone wearing these bracelets, and I concluded that they must have been a fad fashion item.

So I consulted an “expert” - the teenage daughter of a family friend who attends a local high school. Yes, indeed, they were trendy items a few years back. Yet she indicated that no one at her school wears them any longer (with the exception of one boy she describes as a zealous Christian). How sad, I thought, that an item that reminds us of our commitment to Jesus and his teachings should fall to the whims of fashion. I wondered if Jesus had “gone out of style,” or if wearing one's faith on one's sleeve had become a fashion “faux pas.”

I have often thought of my need for something that would serve to remind me that in every moment of every day I have a choice in all decisions I make. In my thinking, saying, and doing – seemingly “large” or seemingly “small” - I either side with God or the opposite – against God. In my view there are no other choices, no nebulous “grey” area that seems to offer us a more comfortable place where decisions can be put off for a while or avoided altogether. A “WWJD” bracelet is, of course, not necessary, in that it will not magically transform us into present-day disciples of Christ. It can, however, help us to remain “on track.”

The world's viewpoint is announced LOUDLY and clearly, especially in the mass-market media and through the astonishingly quick communication available across the globe through ubiquitous electronic devices. In contrast, God's voice has been described as a still, small voice which patiently and quietly awaits our acknowledgement. In my thinking, God does not compete with nor shout above the noise of this world, for He did not create it. We did, and, I believe, did so to keep His voice at a distance. It becomes our responsibility, therefore, to quiet our minds and bodies, creating an environment in which God's voice is welcomed and received. Listening to God takes practice – a good deal of it, and every day! Perhaps some small, unobtrusive item tucked into a pocket or purse, or a short phrase that is repeated softly or silently at regular intervals throughout the day (or whenever we feel “challenged”) would be just the thing to help us lead true Christian lives. We would each do well to approach the “WWJD” idea in our own individual way, so that we might more readily center our daily living in the love and grace, joy and peace, forgiveness and inspiration we find in Jesus Christ, who listened only to the voice of his Heavenly Father.

In an early 16th century English prayer book we find a most remarkable text. It has been set to music by several composers, one setting of which was sung by our adult choir on January 25.

It reads:
“God be in my head and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes and in my looking.
God be in my mouth and in my speaking.
God be in my heart and in my thinking.”

What depth of meaning and height of thought and power are contained within this simple set of words – a creed and guide for our everyday living!

As a prayer, I would suggest these words from an African-American spiritual found in the United Methodist Hymnal:
“Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart …
“Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart …
“Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart …
“Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart … in my heart.”
Amen.

Doug Dykstra

March 2, 2009

Someone Who Loves You

Read UMH #526

I recently came across a children’s book that I bought long ago with my own money. It was the first book I ever bought and the book that I probably loved the most as a child. It made me happy every time I looked at the cute illustrations and read the soothing words. The book, by Joan Walsh Anglund and entitled “A Friend is Someone Who Likes You,” reads:

A friend is someone who likes you. It can be a boy… It can be a girl… or a cat… or a dog, or even a white mouse. A tree can be a different kind of friend. It doesn’t talk to you, but you know it likes you, because it gives you apples... or pears… or cherries… or, sometimes, a place to swing. A brook can be a friend in a special way. It talks to you with splashy gurgles. It cools your toes and lets you sit quietly beside it when you don’t fell like speaking……

Sometimes you don’t know who are your friends. Sometimes they are there all the time, but you walk right past them and don’t notice that they like you in a special way. And then you think you don’t have any friends. Then you must stop hurrying and rushing so fast…and move very slowly, and look around carefully, to see someone who smiles at you in a special way… or a dog that wags its tail extra hard whenever you are near.. or a tree that lets you climb it easily… or a brook that lets you be quiet when you want to be quiet. Sometimes you have to find your friend. Some people have lots and lots of friends…and some people have quite a few friends… but everyone… everyone in the whole world has at least one friend. Where did you find yours?

I know it’s just a children’s book, but I still feel really warm and fuzzy every time I read those words. But now when I read the words I think about how so many of us are lonely, searching for love, and wanting to fit in. I also realize that the book has a greater truth: If we slow down, stop hurrying and listen, we will find God in the trees and the brooks, and in one another. As a favorite hymn tells us, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”


Jan Versical