March 16, 2012

GCUMC*

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:23-31

Charlie,

Well I'll be dipped in cherry juice. I've been thinking of you a lot lately too. I've been suffering writer’s block for some time. I've got several dozen themes and I usually think of one or two per day, I just haven't been writing anything down, sorry.

We're OK. All's well or as much as it can be. The last 9 months or so have been the busiest our business has ever had. Our company has doubled its volume in virtually every aspect each year for 5 years now and we've reached the point where the beast wants constant feeding. All this is well good and proper but I've worked more Saturdays and Sundays in the last 9 months than I have in the last 18 years combined. Still not sure if it's all worth it but it sure is fun and exciting; nothing like fear to liven up your day.

As far as church goes, it's kind of weird, like when the Chief and Mayor of Gotham City were in trouble and they'd shine the Bat Light around the sky until the caped crusader showed up to save the day. I usually come by early am 05:30 or late night or Friday afternoon or when the weather changes and the boiler is down or something and I fix it and leave unseen by pretty much everyone. I've found that a side trip to the sanctuary even at odd hours often precedes a successful meeting and enhances the possibility of commerce.

Like last Friday when Judy had this bewildered look upon her when I arrived on a whim while passing down I-94 to engage in commerce with a customer. I did as I'm wont to do; I dropped in the church to pray for a successful meeting and to see if anything needed attention. This time Judy did. She had a Memorial in an hour and a half and couldn’t get the heat on in the church and it was cold in there, so I turned the heat on and she was smiling when I left.

For some reason I've been showing up when it counts. Like the time the heat in the Fellowship hall was screaming like a wild banshee the night before the Soup Supper or something. I just happened to walk down there just when our contractor was realizing this thing couldn't be fixed. I showed him how I once fixed a very similar one on a military base years ago and it's still running. He took my advice, the event went on with heat, and the church saved a boatload of money not having to replace the whole thing.

Or the time Pete Franklin called me with a near flood in the basement and the pump howling like a cat stuck in a fan. I just happened to be about 10 minutes away and for some weird reason I had a spare pump in the car with me. It was for a customer, but they could wait, this is after all the Lord's basement. And on and on and on, now that I'm thinking back, I can't tell you the number of times I've stopped by, for no apparent reason, found some little thing and fixed it just because. Soooo for now I guess I've got some built in bat light. I hope it never fails. I hope I never fail the church. I shall endeavor to not disappoint.

Hey if it's not too late you may find a devotion in here somewhere.

Ron Draper

* - Gotham City United Methodist Church

March 15, 2012

We Have Two Great Churches

Read: Galatians 3:26

Our Florida church and our Michigan church. In our early winters in Florida we tried attending many different churches, but none felt right. After attending a church a few Sundays, people smiled and said hello, nothing else. Not the least bit friendly like our Grosse Pointe United Methodist church home.

We were invited by several of our Florida neighbors to attend their church. The congregation was friendly, the minister was friendly and delivered really interesting sermons. They have fellowship time after the service where they serve coffee, juices and snacks. Everyone speaks to you, asks where you are from, invites you to their pancake breakfast, their annual shrimp boil, the weekly men's prayer breakfast....

As we thought about this, even though this church was a different denomination, we realized we were still worshiping the same God, the same Bible stories and singing many of the same hymns. The church building or name wasn't what attracted us, it was the people in that church building.

Jack and Sara Wooton

March 14, 2012

A Lot of Bliss

Read: Ruth 4:1-17

I just recently finished a new book from the Library - “Jacobson's, I Miss You So!” Quoted in this publication was a former employee who claimed they “loved Jake's so much that when the doors finally closed, I counted the number of hours I spent at the corner of St. Clair and Kercheval Avenue in the Village. The were some of the happiest hours of my life!” I, too, worked many wonderful years at the same emporium and felt the same. I still carry with me many fond memories whenever shopping in the Village.

After re-hashing the 'time' talked about in the Jacobson's story, I couldn't help but to think about the many hours I worked as a very fulfilled, happy housewife … twenty-four hours a day, times 365 days a year, times 54 years of marriage. The number reached so high that I wasn't sure that I was right. You count them for me. My answer is 473,040 hours. If that's correct, that's a lot of bliss for one person, right?

It wasn't just because of my husband and his family that I was so happy, but I include all of you, my church family, and many club friends. I pray that each of you can thank God and count your blessing every day as I do.

Happy Trails,

Jean Buhler

March 13, 2012

Much Afraid

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 2:5-6


When I hear or read this verse I often think of the novel Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. This story is about a young woman named Much Afraid, and her journey away from her Fearing family into the High Places of the Shepherd. It’s an allegory of the Christian life from salvation through maturity – it shows how as Christians we are transformed from unbeliever to mature believer – one who strives to walk daily with God as easily on the High Places of Joy as well as in the daily life of the mundane tasks that tempt us to lose perspective of who we now are in Christ.

Much Afraid’s journey is far from a straight path, especially at the beginning. In fact, at times it’s quite harrowing. I thought of her and then I reminisced upon my own path of Christianity. How it started, the detours it’s taken and where it is today. And I realized that when I acknowledged and trusted in Him I was no longer misled by my own understanding – and the paths became straight. So the next time you find yourself veering into the ditch, acknowledge the Lord, trust in the Lord and lean on His understanding to put you back on the right path, His path.

Kristy Irrer

March 12, 2012

My Morning Prayer

Read: Psalm 112

“O God, for another day, for another morning, for another hour, for another minute, for another chance to live and serve Thee, I am truly grateful.”

Do Thou this day free me
from all fear of the future,
from all anxiety about tomorrow,
from all bitterness towards anyone,
from all cowardice in the face of danger,
from all laziness in the face of work,
from all failure before opportunity,
from all weakness when Thy power is at hand;

But fill me
with Love that knows no barrier,
with Sympathy that reaches to all,
with Courage that cannot be shaken,
with Faith strong enough for the darkness,
with Strength sufficient for my tasks,
with Loyalty to Thy Kingdom’s goal,
with Wisdom to meet life’s complexities,
with Power to lift me to Thee.

Be Thou with me for another day, and use me as Thou wilt.
For Christ’s sake I pray. Amen.

(from Carol Ann Maleitzke)

March 11, 2011

UMH #501 – O Thou Who Camest from Above

O Thou who camest from above,
the pure celestial fire to impart
kindle a flame of sacred love
upon the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for thy glory burn
with inextinguishable blaze,
and trembling to its source return,
in humble prayer and fervent praise.

Jesus, confirm my heart's desire
to work and speak and think for thee;
still let me guard the holy fire,
and still stir up thy gift in me.

Ready for all thy perfect will,
my acts of faith and love repeat,
till death thy endless mercies seal,
and make my sacrifice complete.

Charles Wesley 1762

March 10, 2012

Keeping a Promise

Read: United Methodist Hymnal p. 40 (#8)

Around 83 years ago my father was baptized. It wasn’t his birthday, but it was his adoption day – the day he was adopted into God’s family, not just his own. We all love baptism days at church. It’s a wonderful commitment by a family to raise their child in the church. It’s also a commitment by the entire congregation to adopt that child into the church family and do our best to nurture them and model God’s love to them. In fact we are specifically asked to do that. I know I have gladly and willingly responded that I would “surround the child with a community of love and forgiveness” and “pray for them.”

Being in a loving family is a great thing. My dad happens to be in more than one. When he had heart problems, yes, his wife and children surrounded him with love and prayed for him, but so did his “adopted” family. As a family member who couldn’t physically surround him, I can’t begin to express how grateful and amazed I was by the outpouring of love by the church family. AND not just for him, but for my mother too.

Thank you for being a church family that lives its vows!


Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for adopting us into Your loving family, and surrounding us with people who model Your love. Amen.

Jacki Rumpp

March 9, 2012

Myth Busted

Read: Psalm 121

There seems to be a myth at our church that serving as an usher without socks can lead to disastrous consequences. Not so!

This particular sartorial faux pas was not related to the cardiac event! For a year or more I had known two of the three electrical paths in my heart were not working and the third was getting tired.

I knew that because of visits to the cardiologist and the electrophysiologist. I'm learning new words (cardiologist, electrophysiologist, anesthesiologist) and new procedures (Scans, MRI, EKG Electrocardiogram, echo-cardiogram), but I still don't know how people at the hospital know where they are going.

It is also not true that I staged this to draw attention away from the choir (because they were under performing). By the way - - that was not my assessment.

The prayer quilt made for me is really appreciated. I love it and have it on my half of the bed every night.

That Sunday (Nov 27) I could have been almost anywhere doing almost anything when this happened - - but I wasn't! I was at church surrounded by doctors and nurses and other care givers and a most loving church family. The one place that day where I could get instant and qualified help.

It is obvious I was being watched over by more than doctors and nurses.

Some of those “ways, His wonders to perform” are not so mysterious!

Jack Van Becelaere

March 8, 2012

Reflections: “O courage, my soul … in the midst of life’s storms

Read: Psalm 124

Last evening in my community we had a terrible thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rains. I thought the storm would be brief—one of those sudden summer storms that quickly pass. This one did not. It continued for several hours into the night. It seemed it would never end.

This morning is different. I walked my dog, Buddy, along the wooded paths and it was almost indescribable. Everything seemed a brilliant green, the trees, grass and shrubs. The creeks were flowing rapidly and glistened as the morning sun broke through trees, here and there. I stopped on a bridge to look into the clear creek and suddenly I noticed the chirping of birds. I think they were performing for me! What a chorus!

There is nothing quite like a sunny morning following a storm. The challenge is to get through the storm!

When I was a boy, I was terribly afraid of summer storms. I spent summers with my grandparents on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in a picturesque village along the Nanticoke River. Visiting my grandmother Sarah Ellen was such a treat. She doted on me as her oldest grandchild, and always made me feel so special.

My grandmother had an unusual practice, though it was perhaps characteristic of the community and not unusual except to her grandson. She respected and reverenced storms, while I feared them immensely.

When a storm occurred, all activity stopped in the house and everyone went to a common room, usually the rarely used parlor. If a storm arose during the night, everyone was aroused, went to the parlor and sat quietly in the dark.

I recall my grandmother praying, and singing or softly humming hymns. Scarcely audible. I could only see her shadowy figure. It was a frightening experience. We remained in the parlor until the storm had “passed over.” The challenge for me was getting through the storm!
Since those long ago days, I have learned about life’s storms. Most of us have known them. Those storms are different from thunderstorms, but also interrupt what often is an otherwise joy-filled life. They can be all-consuming, coming suddenly and without warning. Disappointment, broken relationships, undeserved attacks, unspeakable tragedy.

The challenge, again, is to somehow get through the storms. They do not last forever.

In my youth, when a storm had “passed over,” my grandmother would announce that we could return to our rooms. I learned from her what to do in the midst of a storm: Call upon Faith.

For her, perseverance came indisputably from Jesus. She would pray and sing the songs of hope and assurance. But she mostly trusted. She knew the storm would pass over. Storms do not last forever. People of Faith learn this valuable truth.

Charles Tindley, the popular Methodist preacher and hymn writer—himself from the Eastern Shore of Maryland—wrote a hymn titled “The Storm Is Passing Over.” I wonder if, as a boy, he had to sit up during the night as I did until the storm had “passed over.”

Here are the words to Tindley’s hymn: “O courage, my soul, and let us journey on, for tho’ the night is dark, it won’t be very long. O thanks be to God, the morning light appears, and the storm is passing over, Hallelujah!”

It is good to remember, in the face of life’s storms, that they will always pass over. The challenge is to get through them!

Bishop Woodie White

March 7, 2012

Life’s Storms

Read: UMH #512

There are times, I am sure, in everyone’s life when certain events strike us, they will stay with us for most of the rest of our lives.

I was thinking about this when an announcement was made on the TV about more of President Kennedy’s pictures at the White House, just before that fatal Dallas trip. It made me think back to that awful day in November. I was putting visitor booklets together, that would describe the hoped for budget moneys for the church in Ironwood. Needless to say, that announcement changed the world – not just Ironwood people.
The second experience that also was world changing was the explosion of the Space Shuttle when the first woman astronaut was killed.
And, of course, we cannot ever forget the 9/11 tragedy that changed the world as we knew it.

The next life changing event in my world was the death of my daughter, Diane, while she was on vacation in Jamaica. Two vehicles tried to ignore the basic law of physics that told us two items (in this case autos) could not occupy the same space at the same identical moment. Certainly a life altering event.
And lastly, last September when Rev. Leineke was felled by a stroke. My first inclination was to call everyone who is, was, or had been a friend. On that occasion, since I always have a song in my head, I said we were singing, “When the Storms of Life are Raging, Stand by Me.” As I think of it, it would have been appropriate for all of the other incidents.

One of those persons contacted was Bishop Woodie White, who was a member of this Annual Conference when we first met. Woodie called me back and said, “I have just written an article about that very song, and I will send you a copy of it,” I did not say NO. Another friend, Rev. Tom Robinson, called to say this song was sung at his father’s funeral, which was happening while Rev. Leineke was being evaluated regarding his stroke.

Bishop White’s article (see tomorrow’s devotion, but not until tomorrow!) appeared in the Methodist Reporter. The title as it appeared in the Reporter is “O Courage, my soul, in the midst of life’s storms.” He draws from experiences when he was a child, and storms would frequently arrive where he was living, and how scary those times were; and how the family sat together to ride out the storm. The point Woodie was making in the article is that storms will come, but storms always go, and the challenge is to figure out how to ride out all of these events / storms.

I found out that the author of that hymn was Charles Tindley – also a UM minister.
Here are the words to that song:
“O Courage, my soul, and let us journey on, for tho the night is dark, it won’t be very long.
Thanks be to God, the morning light appears and the storm is passing over, Hallelujah.”

To quote Bishop White again, “It is good to remember, in the face of life’s storms, they will always pass over. Hallelujah – the challenge is to get through them.”

Lois Leineke

March 6, 2012

I Know What I Believe

Read: Jeremiah 29:11-12

I didn’t go to church much when I was a kid. My dad was nominally (read: non-practicing) Catholic and my mom was raised Christian Scientist. If I did go to church I went to Grosse Pointe Methodist (not yet United Methodist at that time) because my mom’s childhood friend from Texas, Mary Edlo Thompson, was the Sunday school superintendent and another friend from her youth, Doris White, was married to the pastor. The problem was that I didn’t know any of the kids, so I spent many Sunday mornings lying in bed pretending to still be asleep until it was too late to go to Sunday school.

I started attending MYF when I was in middle school when my friend Glenn invited me to an activity and I discovered there were lots of girls in the group (one of them, Lynn Grose, eventually married my brother). I became more active at Christ Methodist Church in Detroit, joining a Sunday school class taught by Lynn’s dad Ralph, becoming an usher and even getting a part-time job there as a custodian when I was in college. While I was working there I became friends with the organist and choir director, Jim, and got interested in organ music, an interest that Jim was happy to help me develop. I also joined the choir, an activity that continues to this day.

When I became a US Postal Inspector in 1977 I was assigned to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city I had never visited and where I knew no one. One Sunday morning I was sitting in my apartment trying to find something to listen to on the radio (I didn’t yet have a TV) and I came across organ music. Thinking it might be a concert, I listened a bit more and came to the conclusion it was a church service, specifically a Methodist church service. Having waited long enough after moving there to find a church, I went to First United Methodist Church the next Sunday and sat in a back row, off in a corner, so I could check it out anonymously. That didn’t work though, because before the service started a woman walked down the row, sat next to me, stuck out her hand and said “Hi, I’m Betty Bergeron, the church busybody. Are you new here?”

My plan to slip in and out quietly having been blown, by the time I left there that day I had joined a Sunday school class and the choir. Also in that Sunday school class was a young woman named Elizabeth Dunnam, whom I would marry three years later. She says her mother always told her she’d meet a nice man at church.

The point of all this is that, at various times throughout my life, I was presented with people who helped lead me to where I am now. My mom and her two childhood friends who were involved with Grosse Pointe Methodist, my friend Glenn who invited me to an MYF activity, Ralph who taught me in Sunday school, Jim who got me interested in organ music (I wouldn’t have paused at that station on the radio that Sunday without having that interest), Betty (the busybody) who recognized someone who was looking for a church home and did something about it, and even Libby Dunnam (who, recognizing a good thing when she saw it, rejoined the choir at her church after I did), were all gifts I received. Were these encounters merely coincidence or was the Holy Spirit guiding me through these people? You can draw your own conclusions; I know what I believe.

Art Van de Putte

March 5, 2012

PATIENCE…

The dictionary says patience is the capacity for waiting

Look up the words “patience” and “wait” in the Concordance of your Bible. Take a few minutes and read through some of the verses. It gave me food for thought. How about you?
Wait… As Christians we seem to always be waiting. What are we waiting for? We wait for many things, some large, some small. Some are deep and philosophical while some are concrete and immediate. Some things vary by the hour or the day. Some of our waits are short term and some are life-long.

About a year and a half ago, when my son and his fiancée made the decision to postpone their wedding, I needed to be patient. I needed to give them time to be ready to get married. I had no say in the matter. I just had to wait, to be patient and to pray that God would guide them along the path He had in mind.

If you know me very well you know that being patient is not my strong suit. I want God to get on ”my schedule.” He and I have been working on this for many decades. I am a slow learner. Years ago the result of this delay would have resulted in numerous discussions between God and myself. During these discussions I did a lot of talking or ranting and God was patiently (I hope) listening. He knew that I was going to be a long-term project. I’m glad He hangs in there, with us, for the long haul.

This time it was different. I prayed daily for God to help each of us find the path He had planned. Deep down I knew that things would turn out right. What I did not know was the timing. The patience I needed to get through was there for me. Each day as I prayed, God gave me what I needed to get through. It was a day at a time, not the final plan in advance. (God’s schedule not mine). But, I was OK with it and that was a big surprise because that is not the way I usually operate. God was teaching me to be patient and trust in Him. I needed to have both pieces, trust and patience, working together in unison.

God rewarded my patience with a beautiful wedding that was absolutely wonderful. The weather was perfect, the food delicious, the ceremony moving, and the bride and groom beaming. It was great celebration and well worth the wait!

I think I am a bit more patient these days. Not that I don’t have those discussions with God anymore. But these days during our chats I do more thinking and try to listen more than I talk. Patience is something I think I will be working on for the rest of my life.

Gretchen Brammer

March 4, 2012

UMH #129 – Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Give to the winds thy fears;
hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves and clouds and storms,
God gently clears the way;
wait thou God's time; so shall this night
soon end in joyous day.

Leave to God's sovereign sway
to choose and to command;
so shalt thou, wondering, own that way,
how wise, how strong this hand.

Let us in life, in death,
thy steadfast truth declare,
and publish with our latest breath
thy love and guardian care.

Paul Gerhardt, 1653 – trans. John Wesley, 1739

March 3, 2012

Do Not Be Drunk

Read: Ephesians 5:17-19

When I was 27 years old, I was a Sales Representative for International Merchandise Group, one of the largest Korean shoe manufacturing companies. My job was to increase the shoe sales, not only for regular men, women, youth and children, but also, for our sporting shoes department such as athletics, snowmobile shoes, hunting shoes, fishermen’s shoes and other variety of sports lines.

The most interesting aspect of the shoes manufacturing business it the variety of shoe molds designed specifically for European, Asian and American feet shape. The size numbers were all different. Since the shoes were made by hand, the company had over 30,000 employees.

My primary responsibility was to sell the product globally in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, extending even to the North Pole and South Pole. I sent letters, brochures, samples, and I scheduled invitations, meetings and provided tours to our factories. I even entertained the clients. My target was to build a relationship with a multitude of high net-worth clients. My perseverance paid off because interested buyers not only visited our company, they also purchased our product almost on a daily basis. I would negotiate the contracts and then entertain the buyers. My sales exceeded expectations.

I made arrangements to entertain the buyers at the best restaurants and clubs because it was my responsibility to make the buyers happy. It was expected for me to join in on the heavy drinking and depending on the buyers’ request hard liquor or wine. Every night I returned home at midnight because midnight was curfew except on Sundays. It was starting to wear on me. I suggested to my company they buy a restaurant and club to save on entertainment expenses since I spent as much time there as I did at the office. The company did! The President of International Merchandise was ecstatic with not only the increase in domestic sales but the Korean Government gave a special reward to the company which increased the export sales to more than 10 different countries. As a result, my salary increased every quarter with special bonuses.

Despite my professional success, my spiritual life was decimated. I felt this heavy guilt to the Lord because my career was the excuse not to attend church every Sunday. One day I was reading the Ephesians 5:18 and this verse stood out, “do not be drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”. It made me re-evaluate my life and the kind of future life I wanted. I struggled with the decision to find another job because I was so successful with my current one. It was not easy turn my back on success only to venture into the unknown. It was one of the most difficult choices to make.

I had made my decision. I went to the U.S. Embassy to get the certificate of origin for the samples of K-Mart shoes. I inquired how I could emigrate to the United States. The central office gave me an application and the officer informed me that professional engineers receive third preference cases. I was determined to go to the United States and start my new career as a mechanical engineer. I came to stay here in GPUMC.

In Asian business culture, drinking is a natural part of the work force. I wanted to escape the excessive drinking. I didn’t like how it made me feel physically and spiritually. I woke up the next day hung-over with massive headaches and stomach aches. I didn’t see any long-lasting benefits from it. Drunkenness removed self-control. You hear the saying “drunk with the Spirit”. But the key difference is the Holy Spirit produces the fruits of self-control (Galatians 5:23), “ Gentleness and self-control. There is no law against that.”

These days, I visit my mother-in-law at Boulevard Nursing Home in Rochester Hills. She suffered a stroke three years ago and she is unable to take care of herself. Normally she is pleasant and gentle person. She makes friends easily and laughs often. This past week, she lost her smile and her caregiver said her left side seemed more droopy than normal. She was worried she might have suffered another stroke. I asked my mother-in-law what was bothering her. She spoke of a wild story that sounded like a bad dream. She appeared to be filled with rage that she couldn’t shake off. Nobody could explain why and where this came from. She insisted it was real and she didn’t make it up. She doesn’t speak English so her isolation gave her no peace. She felt completely alone. I taught her to say the Lord’s Prayer and to memorize it. I would sing hymns with her and we would pray together. Her spirits seem uplifted and her smile is coming back.

Before I didn’t understand the real meaning of Ephesians 5:19 “ as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual sings among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts”. I now see the kind of medicinal influence it can have to your mind and health especially when you feel alone and depressed with your environment.

I have seen the positive results in my mother-in-law due to the fruits of the Holy Spirit. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is not the same as an alcohol buzz. You know you will wake up the next day and feel lousy. Being drunk is an illusion like my mother-in-law’s dream. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is a form of euphoria that never ends. The fruit is peace. My desire is that form of euphoria. The Holy Spirit truly gives strength and encouragement as Acts 9:31, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in number, living in the fear of the Lord.”

David Kim

March 2, 2012

Looking Forward

Read: Philippians 4:6-7

Christian will be home from Afghanistan at the end of May - back to Alaska - then on to another assignment (which we all hope will be much closer).

Kayla will graduate from high school the end of May. In the Fall she will be going to the University of Tennessee.

Faith will be starting high school in the Fall.

Gary is starting a new job.

Jacki is becoming active in her church in Tennessee and is chairman of the Worship Committee this year.

Charlie and Heidi will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

We will have our 56th anniversary.

Jack is "wired all the time" (pacemaker) and has no plans to slow down like his heart did last November.

Satchel Page said,"Never look back, someone may be gaining on you". We're not looking back. We're looking forward – to good times.

Shirley Van Becelaere

March 1, 2012

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. Psalm 127:3
Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above… James 1:18

How Rich Are You?

One of my favorite bands goes by the name “Sixpence None the Richer.” Their name is taken from a book by C. S. Lewis called Mere Christianity. In the book a little boy asks his father if he can have a sixpence – a very small amount of English currency – to go and get a gift for his father. The father gives him the sixpence. Later, he gladly accepts the gift from his son and he's really happy with it, but he also realizes that he's not any richer by the transaction.

C.S. Lewis was comparing this to his belief that God has given him, and us, the gifts that we possess, and to serve Him the way we should, we should do it humbly – realizing how we received the gifts in the first place.

So make a list of your many gifts today and say a prayer of thanks for each one. Keep your list in a handy place and when you think of a new gift add it to the list. Review it often to remind yourself just how rich you truly are.

Kristy Irrer

February 29, 2012

The Strong, Silent Type

Read Psalm 138:3

When I was a child, every night my Mom or Dad would stand vigil by my bedroom door as my sister and I said our prayers. We would kneel beside our bed, hands clasped together and recite in unison the prayer we were taught. Many of you know it I’m sure. It starts “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.”

As I became a teenager and then an adult I abandoned that tradition, but as soon as my own children were old enough I continued the tradition of my parents. I became my mother, teaching them the simple prayer and standing or kneeling beside them as they recited it.

Somewhere along the way we all became busy, my children’s bedtime ritual no longer included me and regular daily prayer once again slipped out of my life. Then, about 8 years ago, GPUMC offered a Disciple 1 Bible study class. This was a 32 week program that met once a week. During that time we read and studied 70% of the Bible. It was during this program my “conversations” with God began. Of course I wasn’t praying in the formal way I had as a child or we do in church, but I was praying again. As time went on these conversation became more regular. I would talk to God while I was making dinner, driving my car, taking a shower, or walking the dog.

During the last several years my family has had many blessings but we have had many difficult trials too. I know without prayer getting through these trials would have been so much more difficult. My conversations with God still my heart, calm my fears, and ease my mind.
If you are not having regular conversations with God consider starting. He’s a great listener and has a tremendous ability to make you feel better and keep things in perspective even if He doesn’t say much.

Prayer: That all may turn to you, Lord, in good times and bad that you might bring them peace.

Cathy Lorenz

February 28, 2012

My How Times Change

Read: Proverbs 17:6

Years ago (when our son Charlie was in high school) we made almost nightly calls to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This was in the days before unlimited long distance. Charlie was in Honors Math which was not being taught very well. His grandfather in Ft. Wayne was a math teacher and our source of help.

How times have changed. Now a granddaughter (Kayla) is the source of help for the grandfather. Now Grampa calls for help to download from iTunes, or other computer related items that the local expert (Charlie) is not familiar with.

It's great to have a resource like my iTunes-meister. She spent so much time with an illiterate, she went cross eyed. Nothing phases the guru - - even special needs students.

God works in mysterious ways. Role reversal is just one of them!

Jack Van Becelaere

February 27, 2012

When Morning Gilds the Sky

Read: UMH #185

When I retired 1 ½ years ago I made some resolutions to give my new “free time” some focus – get some exercise, don’t eat too much, clean some part of the house every day (I haven’t kept that one up!), read the newspaper on the day it comes (l love that one), be more patient with my family and others, don’t get excited over the little snafus in life, hang with friends more, sing in the church choir, etc, etc - but the main resolution which I have truly enjoyed is to take time to see the beauty around me.

For example, last fall I taught an early morning class at a campus which was new to me so I was not familiar with the layout of the campus and buildings, especially the building I was going to teach in. The first morning I arrived really early (did I say that I am Type A?) – before the sun was up in fact – and I walked into my classroom to settle things in. I opened the blinds and got ready for class when I realized that the window in my classroom faced east and the sun was beginning to rise. What a treat that was for me.

So every week after that I looked forward to the sunrise as a wonderful perk to start the day. I actually mentioned it to some of the folks who work in the same building but in fact they didn’t get to work early enough to see what I saw every week. (This semester I am teaching a couple of noon classes so miss out on my sunrises and that’s a shame. I just don’t seem to be at the right place at the right time.)

There is no question that before I retired, my work consumed me and I loved just about every minute of my job . I’m thinking though I have missed a few sunrises so I am trying to make up for lost time.

One of my mother’s favorite hymns sums it up for me:
“When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries, may Jesus Christ be praised.”

Vivian Anderson

February 26, 2012

UMH #595 – Whether the Word Be Preached or Read

Whether the Word be preached or read,
no saving benefit I gain
from empty sounds or letters dead'
unprofitable all and vain,
unless by faith thy word I hear
and see its heavenly character.

Unmixed with faint, the Scripture gives
no comfort, life, or light to see,
but me in darker darkness leaves,
inplunged in deeper misery,
overwhelmed with nature's sorest ills.
The Spirit saves, the letter kills.

If God enlighten through his Word,
I shall my kind Enlightener bless;
but void and naked of my Lord,
what are all verbal promises?
Nothing to me, till faith divine
inspire, inspeak, and make them mine.

Jesus, the appropriating grace
'tis thine on sinners to bestow.
Open mine eyes to see thy face,
open my heart thyself to know.
And then I through thy Word obtain
sure present, and eternal gain.

Charles Wesley, 1783

February 25, 2012

A Light to My Path

Read: Canticle of Light and Darkness (UM Hymnal #205)

A new day has dawned for our crazy dog, Toby. I have gone back to work, and he is adjusting to a different schedule (as am I).

Since I was feeling incredibly guilty that he is now home alone so much, I decided that he needed two walks a day. This means getting up at 6AM for the early morning hike. As I am not typically an early riser, I was surprised and dismayed to discover that in the winter-time it is still dark at 6AM. This can be rather treacherous with black ice on uneven sidewalks, not to mention half-opened eyes. I’ve come to rely on a small flashlight to shine on the pavement in front of me.

It got me thinking of the way that we, as Christians, rely on the light of Christ to guide our steps when the going gets rough. With Christ’s light to guide us, we can always safely navigate the dark times in our lives – no batteries required.

Sue DeWitt

February 24, 2012

Practicing God’s Presence

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I’ve been reading a little book by Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God, and it’s beginning to have an effect on me.

The basic idea is quite simple and Biblical: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk in 17th century Paris who found himself working at tasks which he could have found distasteful or unsuitable, but which he instead performed as an offering to the Lord – he offered up his work and his suffering to God.

The bigger thing, though, was that he tried always to be aware of the presence of God, not just His omnipresence, His being in all places and times, but most especially the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.

What this has done for me is to cause me to talk to God much more frequently and more conversationally, and that has meant a deeper and more satisfying and energizing prayer life. After all, what is prayer, but a conversation with God – talking with my Father about whatever is going on in my life or the world?

I’m praying that this will continue long after I’ve finished reading that book, and that I can encourage you to try it too. God is there, already listening – go ahead and talk to Him.

Charlie van Becelaere

February 23, 2012

Sailing Through Life

Read: Hebrews 13:8-9

We go from day to day, caught up in the “busy-ness” of life; our bodies, minds, and emotions leading us through life like wind blowing the sails of a sailboat on a lake. We are carried along, filled with getting “things” done. Every so often, the wind ceases, and we have an idle moment to observe the beauty of the water reflecting blue sky, and the sun dancing across its surface; or perhaps we see dark, menacing clouds of gray on the horizon that warn of a storm. It is in these lulls that we have the opportunity to take inventory of ourselves, and the way we live our lives.

Lent is such a lull.

How blessed we are to have a structured time built into our calendar to reflect on what puts meaning to our very being. Without intention, it is easy to let the winds of life take control, but Lent gives us an opportunity, or lull, to remember that we are sailors, and as such, cannot control the winds of life, but are our own navigators, and have a compass to guide us.
Our North is God. He is our constant by which we set course. Lent provides us a time to reflect on His ever-present, boundless Love.

He understands our role as sailors in life; for a little while, He became one right here on Earth. Our Father, our constant, showed us how to sail. He sent His Son to teach us. He sends the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the wind of life.

Lent reminds us vividly that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One.

Lent is a gift. Lent is a time to reflect, a time to regroup our thoughts, and a time to prepare for Easter. Easter, the time that defines Rejoice! God blesses us with lulls as we sail, and winds to move us, but always is our North, our constant.

Anne Rector

Ash Wednesday – February 22, 2012

Waiting and Yearning in Lent

Read: Mark 9:2-8

In the season of Lent, we are invited read the stories in Scripture that are filled with a strange mixture of excitement and fear, success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, affirmation and denial, life and death. The popular healing and teaching Galilean ministry of Jesus took a dramatic turn following his mountaintop visit with Moses and Elijah. There God affirmed for the second time that Jesus was God’s beloved Son.

From that moment on, Jesus told his followers of his determination to go to Jerusalem where he would encounter death. (Luke 9:51). That was not what any of them wanted to hear. His followers were waiting and yearning for a popular crowning of a king. Matthew places Jesus’ intent to go to Jerusalem after the feeding of the 5,000, where waiting and yearning were expressed by the crowd’s determination to make him their king. (Matthew 16:21).

Our Lenten stories can be filled with the same sense of frustration … waiting and yearning … in the experiences of repentance, suffering, death, relinquishment, brokenness, alienation, abandonment, loneliness, isolation and conflict.

As we journey through this season of reflection and self-examination, perhaps these questions will guide us on our way:
Do I feel as though I am in a wilderness?
Am I facing temptation and need help to resist?
Do I see a weakness in myself and the need to change?
What do I need to allow to die in me in order to be closer to God?
With what am I struggling and in pain?
What do I need to confess in order to be rid of guilt?

Lenten waiting and yearning is the time of tension between dying and birth … it is about change: of heart, perspective, focus … sobering thoughts, but not morbid. We wait and yearn in Lent for the astonishing proclamation: Death is vanquished! Sin is overcome! God’s reign of justice and peace is ours! Tender and astonishing love embraces us!

With you on the journey,
Judy May

Introduction - 2012

As always, it has been my privilege and Joy to edit this book; and as has often been the case, there are a few common threads winding their way through the devotions you’ve shared here.

Over and over, expressions of the awareness of God’s Presence and Providence have cropped up. Over and over, experiences of the Triune God overflow with Joy and Awe. Over and over, the welcoming nature of our congregation comes into focus, whether based on our official status or simply on the experience of that welcoming. Over and over the experience of God’s love and leading in marriage and family is shared. Over and over, the Joy of living out our faith comes pouring out of pens and keyboards and off the pages into our hearts.

We have much to treasure and celebrate in the pages of this little book; it’s hard to imagine how a mere fifty or sixty pages can contain so many thoughts and emotions and experiences. I don’t know how it works, I just know that it does.
   

Just as we have each year since reviving this Lenten tradition, we repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of well over thirty years ago:

Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.

One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments. From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always.

The Lenten Committee 

Again, we can but say, “Amen.”

Charlie van Becelaere, Editor

Easter Sunday - April 24, 2011

Christ, The Lord, Is Risen Today!

"CHRIST, the Lord, is risen to-day," Sons of men and angels say!
Raise your joys and triumphs high: Sing, ye heavens; thou earth, reply.

Love's redeeming work is done; Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo! the sun's eclipse is o'er, Lo! he sets in blood no more!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Christ hath burst the gates of hell:
Death in vain forbids his rise, Christ hath opened Paradise.

Lives again our glorious King! Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save; Where's thy victory, boasting grave

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Following our exalted Head:
Made like him, like him we rise, Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

King of glory! Soul of bliss! Everlasting life is this,
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Thus to sing, and thus to love.


Charles Wesley (from 1739)

April 23, 2011

Everyday Signs Often Go Unnoticed

Read:  Psalm 23 and 121

As most of you know, (and I won’t deny it), I am a car guy.  I take a lot of heat for that most of the time.  Pretty much everyone dismisses my car “selections” as extreme, or extraordinary – not very realistic.  Everyone except my Aunt Martha.  I was Martha’s “car guy.”  She told me so.  I shared special times with her in all her vehicles.  Let me tell you the first car I remember her having, a new 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass – I remember my father going to get it after an accident Martha had with it.  No one was hurt but the car was totaled, as I recall.  My father had towed it back to our house where it sat in the backyard, next to the garage, I believe waiting for the insurance adjuster to make a final ruling on it.  I played in that car as a kid.  It was kind-of like the movie “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.”  Remember from the movie the kids playing in the wrecked car?  Maybe, just maybe – this is where my interest in cars took root.

After the Cutlass was a used 1970 blue Mustang not the “sporty Mustang Mach 1” (which would have been my choice), but the Mustang “Ghia” - what I will call the “pampered” edition – with a full vinyl top no less – which to say the least was somewhat unique.  As was Martha.  Next up was the brand new 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe.  Baby blue with a white landau vinyl top, her Cutlass had white buckets seats with a really neat automatic floor console shift.

There were lots more after that, but here’s where I’m going with all of this.  Martha had all of these, what I will call “close hits.”  I finally got my chance for full input in 1998.  I was now her car guy, officially.  I knew what she deserved, but would never have picked out for herself.  She was too humble – me, unfortunately, “Not-so-much.” 
Martha thought she might like a Buick.  “I’ve never had a Buick,” she said to me.  Keep in mind Martha was only after transportation at this point in her life.  But her “car guy” knew what he wanted for her.  What she deserved.  She had not seen anything she was interested in.  I said to her “Over there, that’s the one you want,” pointing to the Regal GS.  She immediately said no – I don’t need anything like that.  I was insistent.  I said, “Yes – Yes, that’s the one you want.”  Now Martha at this point in her life was somewhat unstable with her walking.  But, picture this, I made her walk to the other side of the lot, and then climb – yes climb up onto these cement blocks holding this Regal GS.  Once we got up there I remember her gasping and saying she can’t believe she climbed up here, but there we were, peering into the side windows like little kids.  Gray leather cushy seats, console and bucket seats in the front with the automatic floor shift.  All the bells and whistles except for a sunroof – she was adamant it not have a sunroof.  So here we are, I said Martha this is your car – it has everything on it and the only thing it’s missing is a sunroof.  It’s like it’s meant to be!  And I truly believe it was.  Martha, not so much . . .

Now here’s what came to me early one Wednesday morning.  I knew I had to share with you, so I wrote myself a note.  I know Martha secretly loved that car – it took both of us, but we finally hit the mark with the Regal GS.  In retrospect, it actually carries a very special message to the rest of us about Martha – A sign, I believe.  Who possibly could have known?  I certainly never put it together.  The “GS” in Regal GS stands for “Gran Sport” 
My Aunt Martha was a “Gran Sport.”  With everything medical she had to deal with since the age of four, she was a “Gran Sport.”  The way Martha approached life – and the special challenges in her life – she truly and indeed was a “Gran Sport.”

Thanks be to God for my Aunt Martha – the comfort I find in her life, and in her Buick.  We should all go through life facing all the everyday challenges like Martha did – by being “Gran Sports.”

Bill Kremer

Good Friday - April 22, 2011

O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done

    O Love divine, what has thou done!
    The immortal God hath died for me!
    The Father's coeternal Son
    bore all my sins upon the tree.
    Th' immortal God for me hath died:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

    Is crucified for me and you,
    to bring us rebels back to God.
    Believe, believe the record true,
    ye all are bought with Jesus' blood.
    Pardon for all flows from his side:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

    Behold him, all ye that pass by,
    the bleeding Prince of life and peace!
    Come, sinners, see your Savior die,
    and say, "Was ever grief like his?"
    Come, feel with me his blood applied:
    My Lord, my Love, is crucified!

Charles Wesley

Maundy Thursday - April 21, 2011

Bread and Wine

Read John 6:35-58; Hebrews 10:1-25

Bread of the world, in mercy brokenWine of the soul, in mercy shed,By whom the words of life were spoken,And in whose death our sins are dead.    Bread of the World by Reginald Heber (UM Hymnal #624)

Communion. The Eucharist. The Mass. The Last Supper. The Passover.

What is it that happens when we participate in Communion? Are we commemorating the Last Supper? Are we looking forward to that Heavenly Feast? Are we celebrating a special closeness with the Lord Jesus? Yes, we are.

The elements, the bread and wine, are taken from the Passover meal celebrated by Jesus with His disciples before His Crucifixion. They are a part of the tradition of the Jews from the days of the Exodus down to our own day, and they truly foreshadowed the sacrifice Christ was to make for us. So when we take Communion, we take part in that long line of history; but that’s not the whole story!

“This is My Body” “This is My Blood” The ceremony, as completed by Jesus, not only took in the Passover, but the whole sacrificial system under which His people had been living since the days of Moses. Think what a devout Jew would have seen at the Temple: the sacrifice was literally a bloody affair. The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the altar, and covered the sins of the people.

But what happens in Communion? The blood of Jesus doesn’t merely cover our sins, leaving us needing another dose later. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins; and the word in the Bible is in a tense that lets us know that it not only has cleansed us, but it keeps on cleansing us of all unrighteousness.

What is it that happens when we participate in Communion? We celebrate the amazing Love of God for us; a Love expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, our Lord - Jesus Christ. Feed on Him, and know that in Him you are forgiven.


Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You confidently in prayer, knowing I stand cleansed by the blood of Your Son, Jesus. In His name I ask that the Holy Spirit who indwells me will make me ever more aware of the fellowship I share, both with You and with other believers. Thank you for the sacrament, and for allowing me to share in it.  Amen.

Thought for the Day: Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear;the feast, though not the love, is past and gone.The bread and wine remove; but thou art here,nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.

Charlie van Becelaere

April 20, 2011

Not Neglect My Gift

Read: 1 Timothy 4:13-15

Unto the stars I looked
No like could be the place again
Lost in self-being and will
The created was my apocalypse

When we went on our first Confirmation retreat, our first assignment was to listen to the night.  That day I was starting to think about giving up my art of words.  Somehow, though, the stars conveyed to me that I should tell the story of my existence through poetry.  That I should “not neglect my gift.”

Dear God, help us to be ever mindful of the gifts we have received, and how they can help, whether it be mentally, physically, or emotionally.  Amen

Emily Stowell

April 19, 2011

True Happiness Comes from Within

Read: Matthew 6:19-23

When I started studying for the Bar Exam last summer, it soon became very clear to me that if I didn’t start cutting out some time to relax and reflect each day, I would most likely end up certifiably insane by the time July rolled around. And so, I practiced yoga. I indulged in the occasional $10 chair massage from the nail salon down the street. I tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to meditate each morning for at least 15 minutes.

Perhaps most useful were the audiobooks I downloaded, which I listened to every day while I walked my dog. I listened to the “Seven Spiritual Laws” from Deepak Chopra and learned about “The Art of Happiness” from the Dalai Lama. Toward the end of my long reign of studying, my mom (perhaps sensing my possible nervous breakdown herself) sent a care packaged filled with books – including “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” and other books of that nature.

Despite the various authors from different walks of life, it seemed all of these books had the same underlying theme: most of what we THINK is important in life simply isn’t.  Most of what we THINK defines us doesn’t. While this idea wasn’t exactly new to me, it took on a new meaning against the backdrop of studying for what I thought was a life-defining, do-or-die exam. If I were to fail, I once thought, it was the sort of setback that made ME a failure as well.

I began to understand, as the summer went on, that whether I passed an exam or not, it wouldn’t define who I am. When I did pass (phew), but then found myself unemployed for close to five months (with all of one measly interview to my name), it was perhaps even more difficult to remember that whether or not I had a job did not define me, either. And when things got especially difficulty, and I was feeling especially dejected, I tried to remember back to the “laws” I learned over the summer – and I’m not talking about the ones that were tested on the bar exam. 

Practice non-judgment (even of yourself). Accept people, situations and events as they occur. Trust that there is a reason things don’t always go your way. Seek your higher self. Practice compassion. Remember that true happiness comes from within. Relinquish your attachment to titles and possessions. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

These teachings aren’t based exclusively in Christianity. But in the spirit of Lent, which evokes self-reflection, sacrifice, and ultimately, renewal, I thought I would share those teachings that inspired me. I use them as daily reminders that most of my worries are wasteful, and that a person can only be truly happy once they are truly happy having nothing at all.
(I know, easier said than done. But worth consideration every once-in-awhile).

Beth Filice

April 18, 2011

Just Because

Read:  1 John 4:19

The first time I met and got to hold my grandson, Logan, I knew I loved him.  He’d just arrived in this world.  He didn’t talk.  He didn’t crawl.  He didn’t play with me.  He didn’t do anything.  But, I knew I loved him.  He didn’t need to do anything for my love.  He is my grandson.

Logan is a year and a half old now.  I just came back from a visit to California where he lives with my daughter, Laura, and my son-in-law, Eric.  Logan walks now.  He talks too.  And, he plays with me down on the floor.  He also will cry, throw an occasional tantrum and act “feisty” as my daughter, Laura, refers to it.  I love him anyhow.  I love him just because.

I’d like to think God loves me just the same way.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for the blessing of my grandson and for the real example of what your unconditional love is all about.  Keep your examples coming.  Amen.



Mike Bernhardt

Palm Sunday - April 17, 2011

Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be
mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God his wrath forbear,
me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood his grace,
long provoked him to his face,
would not hearken to his calls,
grieved him by a thousand falls.

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
oft profaned his hallowed name,
put him to an open shame.

There for me the Savior stands,
shows his wounds and spreads his hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Now incline me to repent,
let me now my sins lament,
now my foul revolt deplore,
weep, believe, and sin no more.

Charles Wesley

April 16, 2011

The Right Side

Read: John 21: 3-13

The Lord said, “Fish off the Right side of the Boat.” So I always start on the Starboard quarter. We’ve taught a lot of kids to fish, we usually take them for 6-8 hour trips. Sometimes I think I like teaching the kids more than I do catching the fish. Naaawwww catching is best.

Last fall we had a chance to take a few United Methodist Youth out for fishing trip. We figured a daylong adventure but when we got to the dock we found we had 1 ½ hours. We had to go out, find fish, anchor the boat on fish, teach the crew to catch fish, catch fish, clean up, and return to the dock in an hour and a half. We’re pretty good but that’s a tall order. Of course I said a prayer. See Ta Ra Ra Boom Di Aye. The Bearhooks motto is the 139th Psalm.

The Lovely and Gracious Captain JeriLynn ran the boat out to one of our fishing holes while I rigged up some stuff, and she stopped the boat right on top of a school of hungry Perch. That’s why I love her. We caught 26 fish and kept 18 and were back to the dock only a fashionable 10 minutes late. The boys had a lot of fun and so did we. If you twist our arms we could be talked into doing that again.



P.S. The American Bass opener is June 18 this year, and the Bearhooks is available.

Ron Draper

April 15, 2011

A Renewed Spirit

Read: Romans 12:4-13

My father did not take our family camping.  He said he had enough camping in North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, France, Germany, and Austria to last a lifetime.  My parents did allow my sister and me to participate in Girl Scouts where we learned to love camping and the out-of-doors.  My sister spent her summers at a camp near Cadillac and I attended church summer camp at Lake Louise.  Mom and Dad did volunteer to be the MYF youth group leaders and went with us to Winter Retreat at Wesley Woods, and the annual canoeing adventure down the Rifle River.  It was during the canoeing overnight that Mom and Dad ended up fighting for the backseat of the car to escape the tent.  I have deep gratitude for the many hours my parent devoted to our church youth activities even when the activity included camping.

When Jack Giguere suggested 21 years ago that our church family participate in a weekend at a Lake Louise our family signed up.  The retreat was led by Bob Keiss.  The GPUMC Family Winter Retreat was born.  Our church families have been traveling North ever since.

This year I was amazed and gladdened by the number of college age, single twenty something’s, and married couples, with and without children, in their 30 and 40’s that chose to come to Lake Louise this year.  There were 18 children ages 2 to 12.  Yes, those of us in our 50’s and 60’s attended also and played hard. 

My spirit has been renewed by watching these families interact with each other, share games, equipment, transportation, and children’s medicine! There were 21 first timers attending.  GPUMC was the only group that came to Lake Louise for the retreat season with youth!

Josh Dixon won my heart this year with his classroom “Traditions” poster on his experience at Lake Louise.  New traditions this year were a campfire at the sledding site with hot chocolate provided, an evening campfire outside of the lodge complete with benches and smores!  Besides trips to the skiing hill there were trips to Avalanche Bay, the local water park.  Fresh talent was shared at the Saturday night “Really Big Shew”, from real tumbling, a clarinet trio, operatic aria, and the debut of a new product to keep you warm while sledding.

The people attending the retreat this year are the leaders of the WOW Program, Mother’s Day Out, ushers, finance, trustee, worship, nurture, UMW, youth group, VBS, choir, VIM, Workcamp, book studies, etc.  They are our future.  They have chosen to make church a priority and they enjoy being together.  New friendships were made and old renewed. 

So thank you Mom and Dad, and those that have nurtured me through my life to be a part of a great tradition.  Church!

PS  Think about joining the retreat next year.  New all season buildings have been added so that larger numbers will be able to attend! 

Lynn Van de Putte

April 14, 2011

Life’s Puddles of Water and an Umbrella

Read: Psalm 91

“The Lord will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.”
Psalm 91:4

As we walk in the rain in the spring, we carry an umbrella to protect us from getting wet.  Sometimes because of rain there are ‘puddles’ of water which we must step in or jump over. If we have no feet protection we get wet.  In life we encounter ‘puddles’ of water over which we must jump.  Even if we have an umbrella, we will still experience wet feet. 

These ‘puddles’ sometimes are sickness, loss of a job, loss of a beloved one, depression, difficult decisions or any array of challenges which life brings.  Isn’t it comforting to know that the Lord covers us and protects from all troubles and is there covering us with His wings of refuge!  Even though our path might be an obstacle course, His wings protect us and His presence guides us.

Prayer:      Dear Lord we ask you to protect, protect and guide us through the ‘puddles’ of life with your wings of refuge.  We find comfort in knowing that you know our needs before we do. 

Amen

Carolyn Barth

April 13, 2011

First Fruits versus Leftovers

Remember this:  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever shows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.- 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)

The poor economy and how it impacts people, organizations and our government has been weighing heavily on my mind.  What is the right way to handle the economic crisis that is facing us?  Who should be making sacrifices?  What is fair to ask of people?  The church is in a unique position in this economic crisis. Unlike businesses or families, the church does not generate income by selling it’s services.  Unlike most non-profits it does not charge for its services.  Unlike private clubs it does not charge membership fees or dues and unlike the government it cannot levy taxes.  The church relies solely on donations.  In challenging economic times we cannot be surprised when the church is also facing a reduction in donations.  The irony in that is during the times when our giving is down, people need the church more than ever.   Our recent church history shows that giving totals are down and the numbers of pledging units are down.   Our  church has made sincere efforts to cut back on our expenses, to reorganize our financial obligations and to make our dollars stretch in areas where they  are needed the most.  Of course there is no quick fix or easy answer, but during this period of Lent I’d like to ask each one of us to explore if we are doing as much as we can.

Why do we give?  Because God has blessed us.  Because we have been given the gift of grace through Christ.  Because we are grateful.  Because we are given the example of giving in scripture.  Because we want to praise and glorify God.  Because the Holy Spirit directs us to follow the example of Christ’s giving.  Because we are called to help those less fortunate.  Because we may have made a promise to God to give.  There are many reasons to give but few mandates.  In the Old Testament, people were clearly directed to give a tithe (or tenth) and to give of the first fruits or best.  In the New Testament we are asked to give freely and generously (2 Cor. 9:7) to give based on what you have, not on what you don’t have (Luke 6:38),  to give in the right spirit and attitude (Mark 12: 41-44), to give of what we are given so we can build up the church (Romans 12:4-8).  As Methodists we are encouraged to tithe and taught the purpose of tithing is to teach us to always put God first in our lives.

Why do we hold back on our giving?  Most of us will say because we have too many demands on our income.  Are those demands self inflicted?  Is it the high cost of living or the cost of living high?   Are those demands the result of poor financial planning or judgment?  Are you concerned the church is not using its gifts appropriately?  Have you offered your help on church committees so that you can educate yourself on church finances?  Are you limiting your giving because you think other people aren’t giving what they should?  Although it is helpful to see that shared responsibility lightens the load for everyone, no one should give solely based on how they think they compare to others.  Are you holding back on giving to the church because you are giving elsewhere?  Are those gifts to truly benevolent groups?  Are those gifts to our own family.  Are you withholding giving because you haven’t been personally approached?  Are you withholding giving because your gifts aren’t recognized?  Whatever the reason, ask God to help you examine your motives.   Are you giving out of your abundance or are you giving sacrificially?  Are you giving of yourself as well as your resources?  Are you being a wise steward of the gifts that have been entrusted to you?   Are you sustaining the church or are you are on religious welfare? Are you practicing planned giving or are you giving from your leftovers.

Why should we make a planned pledge to the church?  You will have the satisfaction of knowing you have committed to God from your first fruits, not your leftovers.  You will have the satisfaction of knowing the church can count on you.  You will be taking a step in faith and trusting God to provide you with the means and discipline to give a regular gift.  You may be challenging yourself to do more than you thought you could—great accomplishments are not made when cowering in fear and uncertainty but when you challenge yourself to do more than you thought you could.  Pledging gives you the joy of sharing in the rewards of your faith.  Pledging enables you to put your money where your mouth is.  It is a step to accountability with God.  Don’t be misled in thinking you can buy your way into heaven or into God’s grace.  But don’t be misled into thinking what we failed to give does not impact our very spirit and soul. 

We have been blessed so abundantly.  The church has blessed us so abundantly.  Is my giving an accurate reflection of my gratitude to God?

Prayer Focus:  For churches struggling with their budgets.

Prayer:  Thank you Father for the abundance that we have been given.  Thank you for the ministry of Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church in my life.  Guide me to live in a spirit of thankfulness and to give you from my first fruits, not my leftovers.

Pat Deck

April 12, 2011

Be still …….

Read: Psalm 46:1-11

Last spring the doctor told me I needed to have an MRI. It is not one of my favorite things to do but what could I do? The scan was scheduled and I was slid into the tube. I was trying so hard to be still so the test could be over. A little over halfway the technician said I needed to stop moving. I thought I was being still but I tried harder. The more I concentrated on being still, the more I noticed my breathing. The breathing was the movement they were complaining about. When they asked me again to stop moving, I told them all I was doing was breathing. They said I had to stop or the test would be invalid. I took a breath and tried to hold it but that was a useless plan. Being in the tube was starting to get to me and having to stay there to repeat some series was not what I wanted to hear. I needed this to be over.

 I silently asked, “God how am I supposed to do this and breathe?”  As the technician again threatened to stop the scan again an old hymn popped into my head. I started remembering the words to the hymn and then another and another. Before I realized it, the scan was complete and the technician said the pictures would be clear.

A peace had crept over me as the words to old familiar hymns came to mind. From old Sunday School favorites like Jesus Loves Me to familiar Sunday morning hymns one song after another flowed through my mind. I am sure the verses in my mind were not exactly as written in the hymnal, but they brought a peace and calmness that helped me get through the scan and I thank God for it.

The first part of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” comes to mind as I recall the experience. I needed to remember that God is always present if I just give him a chance to help me. In times of panic and stress it is the old familiar hymns that easily come to mind. The beautiful words that have stayed with me brought me peace.

I survived and life goes on. I continue to be grateful and thank God that He was there that day and helped me through. I try to begin each day with a few minutes of stillness to read a devotion, and chat with God.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for being part of my life. I ask you to help me through another day. I thank you for the many adult and child Sunday School teachers and fellow members of the many congregations I have been lucky enough to be part of. I thank you for the hymns on Sunday mornings that allowed me to have the recall to get me through.  Amen

Gretchen Brammer

April 11, 2011

31,556,926

Read: Revelation 5:9-14

That’s one big number. Thirty one million five hundred fifty six thousand nine hundred twenty six. It is in fact the number of seconds in one year. Holy cow that’s a lot of seconds! It kind of makes you wonder how you spend those seconds. There are a whole lot of them and there are so many different ways to use them.

When I think of that number and all those seconds, it makes me think about whether or not I used those seconds for the right things, or if I wasted them. I come home from school, get on Facebook, talk on the phone with my friends, do a little homework, and then go to bed. At the moment I don’t feel like I’m wasting any time at all but on paper it really does look like a lot wasted.

I think about how much time I’ve given to friends, or school, or family, or God. And when it comes down to it, the fewest of them would probably be family or God. It seems crazy that out of those 31,556,926 seconds the smallest amount of my time has been spent on the important things like family and God, when I should be spending the majority of my time on those things.

A couple weeks ago I went on a church retreat with a friend of mine, and the theme of the weekend was that God is worthy of our praise. They told us that true worship is not going to church two or three times a week, and it wasn’t going to this retreat for the whole weekend. And even though we spend time worshiping God in both those places, we have to realize that worship doesn’t turn on or off as an event. God is worthy of the majority of our time, the majority of those 31,556,926 seconds. “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:12 God is worthy of our praise. I want to spend more of my seconds on Him.

Worship is 1
Worship is 12
Worship is 52
Worship is 365
Worship is 24/7
Worship is 86,000
Worship is 31,556,926
How will you spend your seconds?

Kayla Rumpp

April 10, 2011

Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown

Come, O thou Traveler unknown,
Whom still I hold, but cannot see!
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with Thee;
With Thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.

I need not tell Thee who I am,
My misery and sin declare;
Thyself hast called me by my name,
Look on Thy hands, and read it there;
But who, I ask Thee, who art Thou?
Tell me Thy name, and tell me now.

In vain Thou strugglest to get free,
I never will unloose my hold!
Art Thou the Man that died for me?
The secret of Thy love unfold;
Wrestling, I will not let Thee go,
Till I Thy name, Thy nature know.

My strength is gone, my nature dies,
I sink beneath Thy weighty hand,
Faint to revive, and fall to rise;
I fall, and yet by faith I stand;
I stand and will not let Thee go
Till I Thy Name, Thy nature know.

’Tis Love! ’tis Love! Thou diedst for me!
I hear Thy whisper in my heart;
The morning breaks, the shadows flee,
Pure, universal love Thou art;
To me, to all, Thy bowels move;
Thy nature and Thy Name is Love.

Charles Wesley

April 09, 2011

Intervention

Read: Psalm 37:3-6, 23-31

In February of 1929 it was still a good year.  I grew up not knowing things had gotten bad.  Through the depression my parents must have done a good job of keeping the family together and happy.

During the years of Kindergarten through the 12th grade, I lived in the right place (Grosse Pointe) to get a good education.  It was not until the 10th grade I decided to go to college.  The school system allowed me to get through in time to graduate.

I had been moving on and off between going to college and working.  In 1951 I ended up  being laid off  from my job at the Chrysler Jefferson Plant and did not have enough money to go back to school.

Having been in the Naval Reserve for about 5 years, I signed up for active duty.  It was the right choice, for after two years on a Destroyer Escort out of Newport RI, I was able to go back to school on the GI Bill and finish my degree in August of 1956.

Being “older” I had been  invited to join the dormitory staff.  A friend on the dormitory staff (Roger Wilkins) introduced me to his friend Sandy and her friend Shirley.

Not only was it the right thing to do (marry Shirley), but our children also did the right thing in the two people they married.

After all that, how can anybody believe there is no such thing as Divine Intervention.

Jack Van Becelaere

April 08, 2011

All We Need is Love

Read: Colossians 3:12-17

The above reading is one that Garrett and I chose for our wedding; one of the many decisions involved in the wedding process. It seemed like every time we turned around we were asked to choose this or pick one of those. There are so many things that can pull you away from the real meaning of the day.

Weddings most definitely can take on a life of their own, but by the time the actual day comes, it is truly special. I can honestly say that our wedding was the most fun I have ever had in my entire life; and it's not because I loved my flowers, or my dress, or our reception, but because I was marrying my best friend and we were surrounded by the people we love most in the world and who love us.

There is no greater feeling than to be surrounded by that much joy and happiness. Love is a very powerful gift. And as the reading goes "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."


Katie Broom

April 07, 2011

Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors

Read 1 Peter 4:8-11

That is the theme for a Welcoming Congregation.

Some of you will remember in the fall of 2009, our church focused on the Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation during our stewardship campaign last year.  They were Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission, and Extravagant Generosity.  The Witness Committee volunteered to oversee the practice of Radical Hospitality for the campaign. A tailgate party hosted by Carolyn and Pete Franklin allowed church members to share a great meal, and gathered some feedback from the group about what our church was doing right, and how we could improve our hospitality.  

At the All-Church meeting held in January to follow-up on the five practices, Witness lead a breakout session on radical hospitality.  There we were introduced to the concept of becoming a Certified Welcoming Church.  Doug Ross told the group about the Welcoming Church Certification Program.  He and his wife Marilyn attended a church in Cape Cod that had this designation.  They both indicated that their experience in the “welcoming” church was outstanding.  

The Welcoming Church Certification is offered through a program sponsored by the United Methodist Church, through the Rethink Church campaign.  Our committee felt that such a program would fit nicely with the direction our Witness/Caring Community Committee and would provide a framework to follow.  So we approached the Ad Board of our church to see if we had support to proceed.  We were given permission.  So off we went.

Welcoming is how we show kindness, acceptance, and hospitality to everyone - guests and members alike. People catch glimpses of Christ through their encounters with us. We need to ensure that seekers encounter in us a Christ that they want to know better. Your welcoming efforts play a vital role in living the promise of "Open hearts, open minds open doors."

The Welcoming Church Certification program is a fairly rigorous process taking up to four years to complete. The beginning stages require an initial application to be submitted to the District Superintendent, and then on to United Methodist Communications in Nashville for approval.

There is an application checklist, with documentation of existing welcoming practices of our church.  Each practice has a point value.  A minimum of 100 points is needed to qualify for the first year of the award as a Welcoming Church.  We submitted our initial application in September 2010, and our church received a plaque stating that we are a Welcoming church, phase 1 in October.

You may have noticed some of our efforts to date.  The church narthex has been redecorated to be more warm and welcoming.  Additional seating has been added. A welcome center has been designated with our church brochures and information.  A more user friendly name tag board was created.  Witness is hosting the 4th Sunday of the month for coffee hour.  We started offering a little something special on those Sundays, such as treats, real cream and tables and chairs for conversation.  The Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner program is a way to get to know and welcome church members.  We are just beginning, but hopefully each effort will enhance our service to our members, our community and to God.

The idea is to get everyone in the church to consciously think and act as a welcoming church.  Please stay tuned for more updates and we progress through the program.  In the meantime, here is a small thing you can do to help.  If you see someone in our church that you don’t know, reach out a hand and introduce yourself.  It can make someone’s day.

For more information go on the United Methodist website. http://www.umcom.org/ then click on the Welcoming item in the Knowledge Center that comes up.

Nancy Grose & Karen Leigh

April 06, 2011

It’s a Wonderful Life

Read: Philippians 4:4-7

I have a great life – Jack, our kids and their families, good health, good friends, good church family.
I thank God every day for all our blessings.

It is a wonderful life!

Shirley Van Becelaere

April 05, 2011

Wings of Mercy

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man that trusted in him.
Psalm 34:8

We praise God for his blessings and presence in our lives. This year our understanding of family, friend and God’s love deepened.

 On July 10th, I suffered a Red Stroke, a bleed.  Since we did not recognize it as a stroke, I did not get medical help until July 12th. According to my doctors, must people that experience a red stroke and are not treated immediately end up in a coma or dead.  I was a miracle.

 A doctor said to me, “Karen you are lucky to be alive, apparently you still have a job to do here.” That made me sit up and take notice.

My friends have asked me, “Do you know how many people were praying for you?”  I’m grateful for all those prayers.  Thank you.

When I finally became myself days after my stroke, I wanted to be assured of God’s love and presence in my life.  I asked for a Chaplain to pray with me and share God’s love with me.  I needed a prayer quilt to feel surrounded by God’s love.  Thank you for giving me one to comfort me.    

I found this meditation and it explains just how I felt.
“During those seasons when your strength seems almost gone, be assured that God is beside you, ready to sweep you up onto his mighty wings of mercy and grace.  There you find rest, comfort and healing for your broken hearts and wounded spirits.”

God when my life seems unbearably painful, I will place my hope in you.  I will forsake my own failing strength and rest on your wings of mercy.  Amen

Karen Bromley

April 04, 2011

Till The Cows Come Home

Read: Luke 15:4-7

Living in rural Tennessee has exposed me to a very different set of neighbors. The ones I’m referring to here are the cows, sheep and horses. (I’ll focus on the people in a different devotion some day.) I am surrounded by mooing and bleating. One day there was a lot of loud and pitiful mooing. The first thought I had was that one of the young cows had gotten itself stuck in the fence. After a while I noticed a trailer going down my neighbor’s drive and out into the street. A cow chased it as far as it could along the fence, mooing the entire time. Inside the trailer was a baby cow mooing back. After the baby left, its mother stayed by the fence mooing. In fact the mooing continued all day and, according to my daughter whose bedroom is on that side of the house, all night too. 

Even now I am heartbroken at the memory of both of their pitiful cries. In Luke 15, Jesus’ message about a shepherd not giving up on even one sheep, shows that same commitment. On the days when I clean out our horses’ stalls, the silence gives me time to think. I often think about my children (not because the horse manure reminds me of them!) No matter what problem I’m considering, I always know that nothing could ever make me stop loving them or wanting them to be a part of my life. When I think of all three of these things, I can hear Heidi singing “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling” (UMH 348)

So if a cow, a shepherd and a human mother refuse to give up on their charges, how could we ever think that God would give up on any of us? Certainly the love and commitment we can feel and imagine can’t compare at all to the love and commitment God feels for us. He will call to us, He will search for us, and He will always want us to be a part of His family. If God loves and accepts us all, shouldn’t we also love and accept each other?

Prayer: Thank you God for your unconditional love. Help us to accept and love each other. Help us also to hear your call and to come to you. Amen.

Jacki Rumpp

April 03, 2011

And Can it Be That I Should Gain?

And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood!
Died he for me? who caused his pain!
For me? who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

'Tis mystery all: th' Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
to sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
let angel minds inquire no more.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
alive in him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th' eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Charles Wesley

April 02, 2011

A Random Act of Kindness

Read James 2:1-4

A few weeks ago I was helping out at the annual Detroit Winter Blast in support of Matrix Human Services which the designated charity for the event.  My job was simple. Stand at the entry gate and collect a book, a canned food donation or a dollar.  Proceeds would be distributed to those in need.

As you can imagine, many forgot their food and or book donation so I was collecting a lot of dollar bills and making change.  As is my habit, I did not really read all the directions for volunteers, and came to the event dressed warmly, but with mittens, which are not ideal for making change.  So I abandoned the mittens.

My shift was the last shift of the last day, so we were short of volunteers at my station.  That made me a little nervous, as I had a lot of dollar bills in my Home Depot apron.  There was a woman standing by the entryway who looked a little “rough around the edges”.  She was talking to me periodically, and it was evident she had had a few cocktails.  Again, I felt a little nervous.

After a bit the woman approached me with a pair of fingerless gloves.  She said, “please take these, they will keep your hands warm, and you can still make change.”  I looked at her in surprise, and protested that she should keep her gloves.  She opened her coat and said, “look, I have an extra pair of gloves, please use the fingerless gloves.”  I thanked, her and donned the gloves.  She was correct, the gloves really helped keep me warm.

But the woman did more for me than just keep my hands warm that day.  She reminded me of so many lessons taught by Jesus.  They were lessons, I temporarily forgot.  Jesus taught us not to judge others.  Jesus taught us to be generous.  Jesus taught us that a gift from someone with limited means is a very special gift.  There is nothing like receiving a random act of kindness to adjust one’s perspective. 

Nancy Grose

April 01, 2011

What Would Faith Do????

Read Galatians 6:2-5, 9-10

We all know the answer, faith would move a mountain! We’ve all heard, it’s written in scripture, faith can move a mountain. Having climbed the highest one on the lower 48 in the dead of winter I have a unique perspective on this. In the last few years though, I’ve found myself overwhelmed at times, often wondering how I’m going to get it all done. In our case we don’t worry about where the next job is coming from, we’re more often worried about how to complete all the jobs we have in time to keep customers happy and also keep the job profitable. The Lovely and Gracious JeriLynn and I are now running 3 separate and distinctly different companies. It can be overwhelming at times.

After a chance meeting with a rather unassuming little woman though, I’ve gained strength when I need it. This unique and singular person has the power to literally move mountains, mountains of food. She’s in charge of feeding over 20,000 meals a week to those without. Appropriately, her name is Faith.

When I go to bed at night, if I’ve had some failing at work, I’ll likely get another chance to fix it tomorrow with only a few people uncomfortable for a while. If she fails by even 10%, then 2,000 people go without a meal. The boundless energy and faith in her organization is truly something to behold.

Now when I feel overwhelmed I ask myself, “What would Faith do?” The answer of course is, she would continue to move the mountain, one piece at a time. If you’d like to help her, log onto http://www.casscommunity.org.

Ron Draper