Worship & Devotions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Renowned British Preacher to Lead Series of Events Celebrating Great Preaching at Lake Junaluska

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Renowned British preacher, Dr. Reginald Mallett of England, will be preaching “Offer Them Christ” worship services in celebration of his 44 years of preaching and ministry at Lake Junaluska. Dr. Mallett has been compared to preaching great Billy Graham, as he has conducted preaching missions in many United Methodist Churches throughout the Southeastern Jurisdiction over the years. Visitors will have many chances to attend a service lead by Dr. Mallett, as he will be leading the Great Preaching Celebration, preaching at the Associates Weekend, The Older Adult Gathering, and several sermons at The Gathering of the Laity.

“Dr. Mallett is one of the most popular and sought-after preachers ever to preach at Lake Junaluska,” said Jimmy L. Carr, Executive Director. “He joins many other great preachers and speakers that have spoken at Stuart Auditorium, like Billy Graham, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and John Glenn.”

The worship services for The Great Preaching Celebration will be held on Thursday night, August 6th at 7:30 p.m. in the Harrell Center and on Sunday night, August 9th at 7:30 p.m. in the Stuart Auditorium. The services will also feature performances by Dr. Glenn Draper and the Junaluska Singers. The Sunday night Celebration Worship Service will be a time of testimonies and recognition of Dr. Mallett’s ministry and conclude with a sermon by Dr. Mallett. He will also be preaching Sunday morning’s worship service at 10:45 a.m. in the Stuart Auditorium.

Dr. Mallett will also be preaching during the Associates Weekend which will be held on August 7- 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Stuart Auditorium. Associates Weekend will also feature the Bailey Mountain Cloggers and the Balsam Range Band, followed by a reception honoring Chief Junaluska 2009 in the Harrell Center.

Dr. Mallett will be the featured speaker at the “Older Adult Gathering,” August 10-13. The theme of the gathering is "To Serve the Present Age." It will include such things as worship, Bible study, workshops, and fellowship. The gathering is designed for older adults, as well as for persons working with older adults in their congregations.

Dr. Mallet has indicated that 2009 will probably be the last year that he and Brenda will be coming to the States.

When asked why he has continued to come back to the lake year after year, Dr. Mallett said, “Most of us have special places where we are acutely aware of God’s presence. For me, as for many, Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, is such a place. The setting is magnificent. The peacefulness of the lake and the surrounding majestic mountains speak powerfully of their Creator. Time and again we have been thrilled to hear the lordship of Christ affirmed and the challenge to Christian commitment presented.”

Dr. Mallett has written several books, some of which are autographed and will be available for purchase at the Branscomb-Allen Administrative Building at Lake Junaluska.

For further information about any of these events, please call 1-800-222-4930 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/greatpreaching.aspx.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Intergenerational Event Grows Along with Participants’ Spiritual Lives

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 1, 2009/GBOD/ — “Show me your ways, oh Lord,” cries the psalmist (Psalm 25:4). That is the theme this year for the Upper Room’s annual SOULfeast (www.upperroom/soulfeast) event to be held July 12-16 at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.

The annual spiritual formation event will bring outstanding speakers and workshop leaders to guide people of all ages, both clergy and laity, who are searching for direction along their faith journey.

The Rev. Trevor Hudson, a best-selling author and pastor of Northfield Methodist Church in Benoni, South Africa, will be the featured speaker and preacher. “He has a very intimate way of sharing his stories and illuminating the Gospel,” says Sherry Elliot, who is coordinating the event for the Upper Room. The Upper Room is an ecumenical ministry of the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship.

Other preachers are the Rev. Vance Ross, deputy general secretary of GBOD; the Rev. Marjorie Thompson, a Presbyterian pastor and author of many resources of the Companions in Christ series; and the Rev. Jasmine Smothers, co-chair of the United Methodist Southeastern Jurisdiction’s Division on Ministries with Young People.

Smothers will be leading a new young adult component to SOULfeast. SOULfeast is an intergenerational event, and many young people have grown up attending. The young adult activities are designed to support those who have already graduated from high school and looking for their own way to grow spiritually along with their peers.

“We are one of the few intergenerational conferences in the church,” Elliot says. “A lot of our clergy are there and it allows them to bring their families.”

Nevertheless, SOULfeast is not just for clergy and their families. “We have soccer moms to seminary professors all gathered at this one event,” Elliot continues. “It just pulls together the best of Upper Room’s audiences.”

In 2001, SOULfeast drew 235 participants, last year there were 506 people. Organizers expect even more this year.

There are many and varied workshops to guide people along their faith journey. From “Hooping as a Spiritual Discipline” to “Finding God on the Internet,” from “Spirituality and Photography” to “Faith Questions for a Facebook Generation,” there is something for everyone.

Each day will have its own theme, following Christ on his own journey from baptism to the cross and Resurrection. On each step of the journey, participants are invited to examine their own steps. Attendees will walk on “the Way to the Jordan,” “the Way to Galilee,” “the Way up the Mountain,” “the Way into Jerusalem” and “the Way from the Empty Tomb.”

Many of the leaders and other authors will be on hand to sign their books including Hudson, Thompson, Mary Lou Redding, Daniel Vestal, Mindy Caliguire, Patricia Wilson and Derek Maul.

July will soon be here, so respond now. Let God rejuvenate your spiritual life.

Teens and young adults are entitled to a discounted rate of $75. Adult registration is $150, and children may attend for $60. Visit www.upperroom/soulfeast for more information. For lodging call (800) 222-4930

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:08:00 +0000

“The Sabbath Wire” – February 25, 2009
By Bishop Mike Coyner and shared here by Bishop Dick Wills

I bring your greetings on this Ash Wednesday as we begin the 40-day journey of Lent toward the Easter celebration.

Having returned recently from our trip to the Holy Land, I want to share with you the story of the Sabbath Wire as a reminder that we should not make the season of Lent a rigid set of rules but an opportunity for spiritual focus. Here is the story:

Every time I go to the Holy Land (this was my fourth trip), I see something new and learn something new. This trip it was the Sabbath Wire which surrounds the upper city of Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. Our group stayed in lower Tiberius, along the Sea in a beautiful setting which includes hotels, docks for fishing boats, hot springs, and a modern city. However there is also an upper Tiberius which is home to a large population of very devout and Orthodox Jews. On this trip our guide pointed out that the upper city is surrounded by a Sabbath Wire, which looks much like a set of telephone poles with a single wire. The wire surrounds the city and marks the limit of a “Sabbath day’s journey” from the center of the town. It is there to prevent any devout Jew from walking too far on the Sabbath. The wire keeps them from breaking the Sabbath rule about “working” by walking too far. Likewise in the hotel where we stayed in Jerusalem there was a Sabbath elevator which automatically went up one single floor at a time without any buttons being pushed – because, again, to push a button is considered “work” and a violation of the Sabbath.

The sad thing, to me, about such rigid rules is that they actually miss the point of the Sabbath. In the Hebrew scriptures, the Sabbath is for rest, reflection, prayer, family time, and pleasant walks to enjoy God’s creation. So the rule about a “Sabbath day’s journey” is all about taking a pleasant stroll. How sad that a good thing – taking a stroll and enjoying God’s creation – has become a rigid rule complete with a wire to mark the limit of walking too far.

I trust that we will not make Lent into a time that is so rigid we miss its point. The point of Lent is prayer, preparation, reflection, repentance, and getting ready for Easter. It is not about giving up desserts or chocolate or some of the silly rules we have put upon ourselves. I suppose it is our rebellion against such silly rules that has caused so many of us to ignore Lent altogether.

Surely there must be a balance here so that we can gain the spiritual growth of Lent without hindering ourselves with rigid rules and superficial sacrifices. I hope that you will have a meaningful season of Lent, one which allows you to focus upon your journey of faith with Jesus. God bless you!

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal entry for January 11, 2009: Blessed To Be A Blessing

S: Genesis 28:15 (The Message)
All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.

O: Jacob heard God speak. The message was this: “Jacob, you are blessed and will be a blessing. I have a purpose for your life, and I’m going to complete it. I am with you and will not give up on you”

A: Sometimes it is difficult for me to see my way as a follower of Jesus. Like many people I want to be blessed by God. When I do not feel blessed, then these are the times I have a tendency to wander away from God and God’s Will. By that I forget I am to live as a person of faith and prayer who gives witness to the Jesus to lives in me.

What I read this morning reminds me I AM BLESSED ! Even when I feel sorry for myself, I am blessed especially when I look around at the other people in the world.

The important lesson given to Abraham and to Jacob is this: I am blessed, but these blessings from God are not for me. Genesis 12:2 I am blessed to be a blessing to others (my translation). Any blessings from God in my life are given me so I can be a blessing to others. This is a principle all followers of Jesus must realize if we are to find God’s purpose for our lives.

I once served a church which was blessed in unusual ways. The Bible taught me to teach our people that we were very blessed (even though there were many problems). This blessing was not for our church, but rather the blessing was so we could be a blessing to others. Since we were blessed, this translated to paying the first 13% of everything we received in offerings that weekend to the Conference for our apportionments. Like the tithe, we gave more than a tithe by writing a check each Monday to the Conference to be applied to our Apportionment askings. We were blessed and we had to live into being a blessing to others. We did this by trusting God. We learned to trust God that the other 87% of the offering would be enough for that week as a church.

Being a blessing means more than giving money to Conference Apportionments. It means giving our blessings to people no one else wanted. That was my purpose and the purpose of our church.

Even in the hardest times, I could trust God was with me (us) and would not give up on us.

P: Father thank you for the many blessings in my life. Help me to remember each day these blessings are not for me. They are blessings so I can be a blessing to all who you send into my life. Thank you! Love, Dick

Y: I give up the notion of just wanting blessings from God just for myself.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Bishop Wills’ Life Journal entry for January 4, 2009 – “A New Year Commitment”

S: Genesis 9: 1 (The Message)
God said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature – birds and fish – will fall under your spell and you will be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them.

O: All of nature is God’s gift to all of us. Every person should feel responsible for all of the life on our planet. We are responsible.

A: In these days, I am more aware than ever how important it is to be good stewards of God’s creation. There was a time when I took creation for granted. I was careless about the planet and what I was doing to harm creation. I was a good person, but careless.

This morning this scripture reminds me as I begin a new year, I must take extra steps to care for this world of ours. For me it means a lot of little things. Recycle papers, plastic and anything else which can be used again.

It means not driving places where I could walk or use public transportation. It means driving a hybrid car and being conscious of my carbon footprint everyday. (actually I had never thought of my carbon footprint until recent years).

It means for me not to take any living thing for granted. All of life is God’s gift to me and every other person.

In this new year I want to be a better steward of creation. I want to take specific steps to be a good steward. After all, just as God told Noah he was responsible, so too I am responsible for all of creation.

P: Lord, thank you for this day. Help me be aware of all the things I can do to be a better steward of all of life. Love, Dick

Y: I will be conscious of my responsibility to care for all of creation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

New Bible Invites All into ‘Meeting God’

NASHVILLE, Tenn., December 19, 2008/GBOD/ -- Upper Room Books has published The Meeting God Bible as a way to help Scripture become more personal.

Throughout the study Bible there are more than 1,500 “Entry Point” reflections. These will help the reader tap into the vital heart of Scripture through time-tested spiritual disciplines. They include such practices as Lectio divina, Ignatian reading, Franciscan reading, fivefold questions and quotations from respected Christians. Each of these disciplines is fully explained for those new to them.

“In a way it is more like a devotional Bible then a study Bible,” says Robin Pippin, editorial director for Upper Room Books. The Meeting God Bible is a revision of The Spiritual Formation Bible, previously co-published with Zondervan. Pippin says it is designed for “any Christian or seeker who has a desire to connect with Scripture in a more personal way.”

Some of the suggested activities include journaling or working with clay. In all, the idea is to form the reader as a spiritual being over informing. It is about letting the Bible guide who we are as Christians or seekers.

Scattered throughout the study Bible are sections on Meeting God in Prayer, in Service, in Worship, in the Created Order, in Scripture, in Community and in Everyday Life. These articles, written by scholars and church leaders such as Reuben P. Job and Marjorie Thompson, elaborate on “Ways of Meeting God.” Other scholars as well as Upper Room staff contributed to the various “Entry Point” reflections and a section entitled “Getting Started in Spiritual Formation.”

The Meeting God Bible connects with an Upper Room study series entitled Meeting God in Scripture. These studies build on the content in The Meeting God Bible. A study on the Old Testament and another on the New Testament already are available. A Meeting God study on Psalms will be available in 2009, with more coming later.

The various studies as well as The Meeting God Bible may be ordered through the Upper Room Bookstore at www.upperroom.org/bookstore or by calling 800-972-0433. They will also be available in Cokesbury and other bookstores in late January.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal entry for December 1, 2008 -- Life Is Not About Me

Life Is Not About Me

S: Romans 8: 9 (The Message)
But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. ( vs. 10 Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells-even though your still experience the limitations of sin-you experience life on God’s terms)

O: Old ways of living can start living in our lives again, sometimes without us even knowing they are there. The sure way to tell is that you begin to start thinking more of yourself than of him.

A: Up until recently, this has been a very difficult time in my life. What comes to me daily is not “good news”. There are so many problems in our church and in our churches.

I must work with Pastors who have fallen or who are having a very difficult time in their churches.

And on top of all of this, I am aware of so many who are facing hard times financially. These hard times effect our churches and the ministries beyond the local church which we support with apportionments. But behind the hard times of finances, I see so many people who are suffering because of our dwindling resources.

I guess this morning the Lord is telling me, it is easy to put Jesus first when things are going well and the news is mostly all good news. But when trouble comes, I easily start thinking more about myself than I do of Jesus.

I must be reminded I am not in this alone. God has taken up residence in my life and my focus should be on letting God direct my life and help me during these difficult times. God is not my judge, but a loving presence within me which still seeks to redeem me so my life reflects Jesus and I live in such a way that I know “absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (vs. 39)

P: Father thank you this morning for helping me and living within me. Let me not forget I am becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus and that I am not alone. Love, Dick

Y: I give up my focus on myself.

To reach the website containing Bishop Wills' Journal Entries -- and to discover how you can prepare your own Life Journal Entries click on the web address below:
http://nashvilleareajournal.org/

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:46:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal entry for November 11, 2008 -- "Keep Running"

S: I Corinthians 9:26-27 (The Message)
I don’t know about you, but I I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

O: The church will always have critics sitting in the pews, no matter what is going on. Yet, we are not spectators. We are running toward a goal and if we run well, we will gather participants or affirm other runners to run with them. It is the goal that defines the race, and your act of running that defines you as a runner.

A: It is so very easy to get caught up thinking the church is a club rather than a race. In a race you don’t have time to complain. You must press on toward the goal.

In our culture we build people up to be leaders, only to start tearing them down once they are leaders. We spend a lot of time complaining about leaders. I know I have this tendency deep down in me. When it raises its head, I know I have gotten distracted from running the race which God has placed before me.

For me, it is important to seek out other runners and encourage those not running the race, to join in running with me. We seek the goal which is eternal life and we must not lose time in running this race.

I am running when I notice a child. I am running when I make a daily time to study scripture, reflect, and pray. (I must stay close to the coach and guide in this race). I am running when I seek justice for all people. I am running the race when I join others in telling the good news of Jesus Christ. I am running the race when I seek to make sure every child gets a quality education, especially those who are poor and often forgotten. I am running the race when I encourage other runners not to give up to the ways of the world. I am running the race when I press on toward the goal of “Thy Kingdom Come On Earth”. I am running the race when my life is about being obedient God. I do not want to be left behind, nor do I want a single person to be left behind. But I cannot give into those who want to church to remain a club where members come to be served.

P: Father thank you for today. May I encourage others to keep running. May I be one who runs each day in obedience to you. Love, Dick

Y: I give up my club mentality thinking I am here to be served.

To reach the home page for all the Bishop's Life Journal postings click on the address below:
http://nashvilleareajournal.org/

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:56:00 +0000

United Methodist Hymnal Revision Committee Named

NASHVILLE, Tenn.,/UMPH/GBOD/—The Hymnal Revision Committee, authorized by the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, has been announced.

The committee is charged with preparing and presenting to the 2012 General Conference a hymn and worship resource for adoption as an official hymnal of The United Methodist Church for congregational use in the United States.

As the first comprehensive resource since publication of the initial United Methodist Hymnal in 1989, the new resource will aspire to

.reflect the changes that are occurring in music and liturgy throughout the connection and the larger Christian world
.enable United Methodists to sing and worship in ways that honor God and transform persons and congregations toward personal piety and social holiness
.provide a common language of prayer and song
.remember and celebrate the rich Wesleyan (Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren), sacramental, evangelical, and diverse theological traditions
.incorporate expressions of worship in new and revitalized congregations to engage all persons, including new, younger, and diverse people
.hold broad appeal across cultural, geographical, age, and congregational settings
.incorporate the newest technologies and ways of communicating the music and liturgy of the Church
.offer a clear expression of hope that The United Methodist Church is growing in its love of God and neighbor to transform the world
.enable all who use it to express their own heart-language for God and to hear the heart-language of others

As provided for in action by the General Conference, a total of 27 voting members were named by the Council of Bishops, The Order of St. Luke, The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, the General Board of Discipleship, and The United Methodist Publishing House.

The first meeting of the Hymnal Revision Committee will be held from January 20-22, 2009, in Nashville. The voting members are as follows:

Bishops
William W. Hutchinson
Deborah L. Kiesey
Ernest S. Lyght

Lay Persons
Neil M. Alexander
Beverly Clement
Mary Jo Dahlberg
Stacy Hood
Heather Josselyn-Cranson
Jorge Lockward
Raquel Martinez
Marcia McFee
Shannon Meister
Mark Miller

Clergy
Laura Jaquith Bartlett
Grace Cajiuat
Patricia Farris
R. Carl Frazier
Karen Greenwaldt
Trey Hall
Hyoik Kim
Walter Kimbrough
Andy Langford
Robert H. McMichael III
Donna Strickland Smith
Eric Smith
John Thornburg
Mark J. Webb

The committee includes 13 women and 14 men. Three of the members are bishops, 7 female and 9 male clergy, 2 male clergy candidates, 6 female laity, 3 male laity. A further breakdown shows 17 Caucasians, 5 African Americans, 2 Hispanic/Latino/Spanish/ Portuguese, 1 Asian American/Pacific Islander, 1 Korean, 1 Native American. Members bring a vast array of experience to this new task, including work on the first United Methodist Hymnal, The Faith We Sing, Zion Still Sings!, and Mil Voces para Celebrar.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:43:00 +0000

Amerson brothers sign new book on stewardship; lead Upper Room Chapel

NASHVILLE, Tenn., September 18, 2008 /GBOD/ --The Revs. Melvin and James Amerson, clergy brothers from Texas, have at least two things in common: they are from the same family of origin and they are passionate about giving. So much so they have co-authored a new book on stewardship called “Celebrating the Offering” (Discipleship Resources, 2007).

Discipleship Resources, one of two publishing units of the General Board of Discipleship, invited the brothers to Nashville for “An Evening with the Authors” at Scarritt-Bennett Center and to lead Upper Room Chapel Service September 9-10.

Come Sunday morning, the brothers believe worshipers should be as excited about giving the offering as they are about other aspects of worship, such as singing and preaching.

Speaking to a gathering of local pastors and laity, the Amersons said that the reality we find in most churches is a tendency to disconnect giving from the act of worship.

“Celebrating the Offering” (http://www.gbod.org/stewardship) emphasizes that the offering is a part of the worship experience, though frequently it appears to be disengaged from the rest of the service and happens without much forethought.

“In my two decades of ministry, I have come to realize that any time the preacher or minister begins to preach on stewardship, the natural response of the people in the pews is to fold their arms and close their ears,” says the Rev. James Amerson, senior minister of Lolita and Point Comfort United Methodist churches in the Southwest Texas Conference.

The offering is not only a time to worship the Lord through the presentation of the believers’ tithes and offerings, but it is also a time to recognize how blessed we are.

The Rev. George Donigian, editor of Discipleship Resources, says, “’Celebrating the Offering’” is important because many churches fail to think about how they invite people to give their offerings and it often comes across as if the church is putting forth a commercial instead of really celebrating the grace of God and what is really represented in offerings.”

Planning is essential in making the offering an integral part of worship.

“Pastors and worship leaders must be more intentional about re-connecting the offering as part of the worship experience,” said the Rev. Melvin Amerson, stewardship consultant for the Texas Methodist Foundation.

“Through planning and education, worshipers will begin to feel and see the offering as a time of celebration,” he said.

Pastors and worship leaders can use “Celebrating the Offering” as a means of revitalizing the spirit of generosity in their churches.

In addition to sections that help children and youth celebrate the offering, prayers and litanies are included in the resource, which is designed for both clergy and laity.

The brothers read from “Celebrating the Offering,” and this was followed by a Q & A on stewardship and a book signing.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:05:00 +0000

Bishop Wills’ Life Journal for September 16, 2008, “Thirsty Again”

S: Revelation 21:6
He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life."

O: Jesus is the water of life. In John 4 Jesus promises to give the woman living water: John 4:14 “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus is the living water. Here again to those who are thirsty is the promise of a drink from the spring of the water of life.

A: I remember so well when I first tasted that living water in my own life. I was in the 7th grade. Since then I find my life goes through times of drought when I lose touch with that living water.

I do not rebel with my fist shaking at God. Rather for me, while still doing the things of a pastor, I let life crowd in on my walk with God. For me it more like being in a boat without an anchor. I just drift spiritually.

Then one day I realize there are sharp edges in my life. My soul is thirsty for that living water again. I lack a deep peace while living a very hectic life.

I am grateful this morning the Lord offers once again to me a chance to drink from the spring of the water of life…and without cost. It is, again, a free gift.

P: Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for allowing me to drink again living water during this quiet time with you. You are so gracious to me and I know there are times I do not deserve your grace. Help me so to live that others will see that living water in my life. Help me to extend grace to all those who cross my path. Love, Dick

Y: I yield my life being so busy that I miss the living water.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:13:00 +0000

Traditional Worship for Contemporary People, November 11-13, 2008, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Houston, Texas

There are many churches all across America that use traditional worship as their primary way of doing worship services. Jim Bankston, pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston believes in the importance of traditional worship and St. Paul’s does only traditional worship. The large United Methodist Church I served for over 30 years in Tulsa does both traditional and contemporary worship. We are both committed to finding ways to do traditional worship better. We believe it will make a significant difference for the church to be able to improve the quality of traditional worship.

Therefore, we are holding a national conference on November 11-13, 2008 called Traditional Worship for Contemporary People. The event will be held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston and features some of the great, practical experts on traditional worship. Although this conference has been designed primarily out of the United Methodist tradition, we want to respect all the customs of traditional worship. We hope that you will come to the conference and enjoy it. You can view the brochure and more information at www.leadershipnexus.net/houston.htm. Feel free to make copies of the brochure for your friends, or forward this email to them. There are many aspects of the conference that will add unusual excitement and effectiveness to any traditional worship service.

Please email me if you have any questions. You can register by mail or online at www.leadershipnexus.net/houston.htm. I hope you will begin that process as soon as possible and get the early discount!

Yours in Christ,

Bob Pierson
Executive Director
Leadership Nexus
7103 S Columbia Place
Tulsa, OK 74136
Cell: 918-809-7489
Office: 918-477-7549
Email: bpierson@leadershipnexus.net

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Quiet Center Ministry Expands To a Second Location

Rev. Jo Bentley Reece is honored to announce that in September she will be offering guided personal spiritual retreats at Mercy Convent, expanding her Quiet Center Retreat Ministry to a second location in the city. Just minutes north of downtown nestled on 9 wooded acres, Mercy Convent is located at 2629 Pennington Bend Road across Briley Parkway from Opryland Hotel.

According to Sister Suzanne Stalm, RSM, Coordinator, “The Spirituality Ministry of the Sisters of Mercy at Mercy Convent offers a place for individuals and groups of all faiths to deepen their relationships with God, others and self. Whether it is a time for quiet reflection or building a sense of community, Mercy Convent offers an ideal setting, from the serene environment and day facilities, to lodging and meals.” The web site for further information is www.MercyRetreats.org

Rev. Reece looks forward to continuing to offer retreats at Glendale UMC, the first location where she opened The Quiet Center two years ago. Glendale UMC, located at 900 Glendale Lane near I-65 South and Harding Place, is a welcoming place offering the ministry of hospitality to those seeking a quiet place of healing in the city.

A Quiet Center guided personal retreat is a place for quiet time with God. There is no expectation except to come with a spiritual companion waiting to guide you. The Usui Method of Natural Healing, or Reiki, is an ancient healing art. It involves intercessory prayer while laying on hands guided by the energy/nerve centers of the body. Retreats may include: music, art, guided meditations, and hands-on prayer.

During the past two years, The Quiet Center at Glendale UMC has continued to grow offering 20 + personal retreats/month for 60-90 minutes or more. Persons that have come include: laity and clergy who need a quiet place for re-creation; persons dealing with trauma, stress, illness or pending surgery; persons who live alone seeking a companion for the journey; and persons who are grieving to name a few. Couples and friends have also come together to celebrate their anniversary, share a retreat time together, or deal with a difficult decision.

Henri Nouwen, in A Spirituality of Waiting, says that the role of the church is to “be the body of Christ in the world by using our gifts to love, serve and heal a hurting world while making space to wait together patiently in expectation.” Our world today is hungry for rediscovery of the art of resting in God’s presence and being truly present with one another in our daily lives and life journey.

You are invited to come and fill your cup with God’s love and grace! For questions or appointments: contact Rev. Jo Reece by phone -- 615-367-3586 (h) 943-9092 (c) or email -- MinisterMama@juno.com Her website is www.thequietcenter.mysite.com with further information. Individual guided retreats are available for one-hour or one-day. Donations for retreats are suggested but not required. Retreat gift certificates are also available.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:00 +0000

Whether you need ‘rhythm or fire’—God is there for you

Editors believe that those who are not “churched” — and those who are burned out with the church — will find a prayer, poem or essay in “Rhythm and Fire” that will bless or challenge them in their journey with God.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 15, 2008/GBOD/ --Upper Room Books has published a new resource, Rhythm & Fire – Experiencing the Holy in Community and Solitude, edited by the Revs. Jerry Haas and Cynthia Langston Kirk of the Desert Southwest (regional) Conference.

Haas, director of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, conceived the idea to compile the stories of people who had experienced the Academy in a collection that other people could use in developing their faith life.

“People who go through the Academy have a rather intense experience and need and want to talk about it or write about it. Participants share prayers, poems or essays that they have written in response to a faculty presentation or to something inside themselves. It was easy to think of sharing some of these writings with a wider audience,” said Haas.

This resource is important for the church because it reflects the experience of people who have had an encounter with the Living God.

“The material here is not ‘canned’ or highly processed. It’s very authentic, reflecting how people make sense of sometimes very difficult things in life (such as sexual molestation, suicide, depression and aging) and sometimes very beautiful things in life (natural beauty, love, music, gospel and relationships).

“My prayer is that this book will open up readers to their own experience of encounter with God and help them claim it for themselves. I also hope that they can see that they are not alone or meant to be alone with their own experience,” said Haas.

Haas believes the church really needs to hear expressions of authentic spirituality. Since many of the writers have not been published before, their voices are being heard for the first time,” said Haas, who invited Kirk to co-edit Rhythm & Fire, which is dedicated to the founder of the Academy, the Rev. Danny Morris, the saints who worked with him in creating it, and the members of Academy #25 for their prayers and financial support.

“Jerry wanted people who had experienced the Academy to tell their stories … so that other people could use and be touched, transformed and changed by them,” says Kirk.

“We created chapter titles that are indicative of the journey — that awakening that sort of stirs our souls initially, the longing that we all go through, and listening to the silence — which is something the Academy offers. [Participants] come to appreciate and experience silence for the first time, and that moving into the rhythm of God’s grace,” she said.

Among the fifty-four writers are published faculty members who contributed to the work: Don Saliers, Wendy Wright, Roberta Bondi, Luther E. Smith Jr., Marjorie J. Thompson, Robert C. Morris, Robert Mulholland, Larry Peacock, Robert Benson, Linda Douty, Hee-Soo Jung, Stephanie Ford, E. Glenn Hinson, Jane Vennard, Barbara Wendland, Wil Hernandez and others.

While the writers all have one thing in common — the Academy for Spiritual Formation — Rhythm & Fire is a gift to the church from the Academy, not an advertisement for the Academy. It is above all to say to the church — whether you need rhythm (i.e., rest, renewal, engagement, balance, peace) or fire (i.e., passion, call, commitment, mission, desire), God is there for you.

The book progresses from awareness to community to help readers recognize that they share a journey with a community of faith that is much larger than they had imagined. The chapter titles are: Awakening to Sacred Fire, Longing and Wrestling, Listening to the Silence, Moving to the Rhythm of Grace, Living Community/Living Flames and Radiating Faith.

“The Academy is not about just one person; it is about how we are in community. So the last chapter is about living in community, reaching out and being the Light of Christ in the world,” Kirk said.

Kirk and Haas believe that all readers — including those who are not “churched” as well as those who are burned out with the church — will be able to find a prayer, poem or essay in Rhythm & Fire that will bless or challenge them in their journey with God.

The Academy for Spiritual Formation is a two-year experience in the spiritual practices of prayer, silence, worship and study, which offers a setting for lay and clergy to deepen their sense of call to follow Christ and to serve the church and the world.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:28:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal entry for July 24, 2008 -- The Blessing Is Not For Me Only

S: 1Peter 3: 6-7 (The Message)
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

O: This passage is the recipe of how Christ followers are to live. There seems to be no other way that is acceptable for those of us who claim to follow Jesus.

A: This passage looks easy at first. Of course I seek to be all positive attitudes as a Christian. And, when there is no one around, I can do all of them without much effort. For me, the problem comes when there is tension or conflict. That is when “the rubber hits the road”.

I think the secret, for me, is to stop trying to live by a check list, but rather to focus my life on being a blessing to others. In fact early in the Old Testament God tells Abram in Genesis 12:2 “I will make you a great nation and bless you….You will be a blessing.

I think the only reason we are blessed is so that we can be a blessing to others. If I am blessed (which I am), it is not for me, but rather I am blessed in order that I might be a blessing to others.

Since I feel so very blessed this day, I will use this blessing to bless others who cross my path.

P: Father thank you for the many blessings in my life. May I never think the blessings are only for me. But rather may I use my blessings to bless others. Love, Dick

Y: I will seek to be a blessing to all I encounter today.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:04:00 +0000

Teen musician steps up to lead church choir

Music director Ryan Brunkhurst, 15, leads choir rehearsal at Mount Gretna (Pa.) United Methodist Church. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

MOUNT GRETNA, Pa. (UMNS)-Many members of the choir he leads are old enough to be his grandparents.

But 15-year-old Ryan Brunkhurst is more than the choir director and organist at Mount Gretna United Methodist Church. He also shows members of the Pennsylvania congregation how youth can make valuable contributions to the church.

"I love hymns," he says. "I love taking a hymn and just putting my own style into it and just playing the way I like to play."

Ryan volunteered for the job last year when the church needed to find a new organist.

The Rev. Janet Steger says Brunkhurst is treated with respect by choir members, many of whom are old enough to be his grandparent

"We did not have a choir director, and there might not be music, special music, anthems and such for Christmas, (so he decided) that he had to do something because he loves Christmas," says the Rev. Janet Steger, pastor of Mount Gretna. "And so he came to me and he said, 'You know, that's not acceptable to me, so I will lead the choir.'"

Grandma's lessons
Ryan first played the organ at the church when he was 11-and barely able to reach the pedals. His first introduction to music came when he was 3.

"My grandma taught me how to just play some of the basic things," he says. "She was the organist at her church at 12."

He's now taking organ lessons from a college instructor.

Ryan says he feels comfortable around church members who are often several times his age. "I don't get along with most people that are my age too well," he says. "I get along with a lot-older people."

Tracie Brunkhurst encouraged her son to pursue the choir director's position.

"He takes it upon himself to do these things and he looks forward to it, and he really puts all his efforts into it," says Mrs. Brunkhurst. "We often say that he's a 60-year-old man trapped in a 15-year-old's body."

Ryan does not neglect his homework while he plays for the choir. He's at the top of his class with a perfect grade-point average.

Age not a barrier
Ryan held a benefit recital at the church that raised $2,000 for sanctuary renovations. Steger says he's also involved in mission work and other programs at the church.

"Because he is so talented, the adults in this church treat him with a lot of respect," she says. "And I don't know that we always treat and honor our children and our youth with a lot of respect."

Sarah Ellis, a member of the Mount Gretna choir since the time Ryan was born, says the age difference is no barrier when the choir rehearses and performs. "I forget that he's only 15, I truly do," says Ellis. "I know when I was his age, I don't think that anything like that would have even been on my radar."

Choir member Ron Jones, 54, calls Ryan "very gifted" and predicts he will go far in his future endeavors.

"The hour that we spend together every Tuesday night (rehearsing) is, I would say, about half serious and about half bantering back and forth between choir members. And I think that's part of our identity and that existed before Ryan, but it continues now," Jones says.

But there is one reminder of Ryan's young age. Choir members offer to take him home after practice, since he is not yet old enough to get a driver's license.

Using God's gifts
Ryan hopes to continue his musical pursuit after high school. He wants to get a doctoral degree in music, play for a church and perform.

Based on what they've seen so far, members of his congregation have little doubt he will succeed.
"If I wasn't the organist here and if I didn't use my talents in a good way, I just can't imagine that," he says. "I mean, when God gives you something like that, it's just, how can you not use it."

*Gordon is a freelance producer in Marshall, Texas.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:19:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal Entry for June 17, 2008, "The Small Everyday Things"

S: Colossians 3: 6-8 (The Message)
….grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

O: Paul is reminding his beloved Christians not to fall back into old ways of living. In our culture it is easy to let life be shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. Paul wants Christ followers only to live lives obedient to God and the teachings of Jesus.

A: This morning as I look at my own life, I find it easy to say I am doing pretty well at being a follower of Jesus. I do not steal money. I do not commit adultery. I show up to work and do my best each day. I sometimes think Paul’s words are for others. Then comes verses like these this morning.

For me the old way of life is easy to slip back into living. I do not do big things but my sin is in the small everyday things. Paul lists small things in our lives which we must continually work on, or they will pull each of us away from God and living the kind of life Jesus called “abundant”.

These are things like having a bad temper (I was born this way). irritability (I have a right to be that way when things don’t go my way. Profanity (I just say profanity the way my Dad said it when he was upset. It is just the way I am). Dirty talk ( I know devout Christians who talk dirty so it should be OK for me to do the same). For me it is the small things that sneak in my life and begin to destroy the life that God put into me through Jesus the Christ. I must guard my life to make sure the small things of everyday living do not drag me down so my life is guided by things and feelings.

P: Father thank you for this lesson today. Help me to watch even the smallest things in my life and make each word and action a gift to you as a follower of Jesus. Love, Dick

Y: I will watch the small things each day which are not pleasing to God

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Academy for Spiritual Formation marks 25 years

By Jeanette Pinkston*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)--Twenty-five years ago, the Rev. Danny Morris was on a quest--but found that what he was seeking did not exist.

In 1978, Morris took a sabbatical from his position at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship to create a place where people could meet God.

The Rev. Danny Morris

It was an academy of sorts-not one made by hands, but one shaped and created by others seeking to share in a journey of faith. What Morris helped to build is now known as the Academy for Spiritual Formation, a product of The Upper Room.

Launched in 1983, the academy is a setting that is spiritually shaped around teaching, fellowship, communion and prayer. Nearly 1,200 people have attended the two-year academy, and another 10,000 have participated in its five-day experience.

"The idea of [the academy] was a spiritual gift," said Morris, former director of developing ministries at the Board of Discipleship. "I received it that way and I honored it that way all the way through. The fact that it would attract this many people over this length of time is not because it was cleverly organized; it was a spiritually anointed program from the very beginning and still is."

Refresher course
What Morris initially sought was an immediate refresher course focusing on spirituality and prayer. He was advised by Morton Kelsey, a well-known author in the field of spiritual formation, to find a spiritual guide who would help him design a study and guide him through it.

That is what Morris did.

During a three-month period, Morris talked with a cross-section of people in houses of prayer, monastic communities and churches. He found that there were many seeking a comprehensive program of spiritual formation that would be biblically based, theologically strong and ecumenical in its underpinning and also in its appeal to people.

"Danny was a receptive soul to the movement of the Spirit," said John Mogabgab, editor of the Weavings journal, an imprint of the Upper Room Ministries. "This vision was a gift, and Danny was primed to receive it. Danny took the vision and shaped it into a program."

Intended for both clergy and laity, the academy communicates knowledge about Christian spiritual formation and offers a context to experience first-hand diverse dimensions of spirituality.

"The word 'academy' means learning experience itself. It suggests comprehensiveness in terms of depth and breadth. The term 'academy' was with me almost from the beginning and it has turned out to be a good word," Morris said.

He designed an academy experience for people wanting to move into their spiritual journey in a rather dramatic way. It was a two-year program where people came together quarterly for two years, read 28-30 books, engaged in small covenant groups, spent time alone in prayer and developed personal ministry plans to implement when they returned home.

The emphasis was on body, mind and spirit and contained dimensions of physical and nutritional fitness, Morris said.

"I felt a sense that there ought to be spiritual 'feeder pens' in the life of the church that people could come to … those specific places … to get spiritual nourishment and to grow into the likeness of Christ in their own way and on their own time," he said.

Others on the journey
Prior to joining The Upper Room, Mogabgab was instrumental in shaping and directing the academy. Some participants consisted of hand-picked potential leadership teams from annual (regional) conferences with the idea that they would replicate the academy in various parts of the United States.

"This was thought to be a wonderful way to resource the church," said Mogagab, who views the Weavings journal as a print expression and sibling of the academy.

Today, the academy targets clergy and lay leaders who are serious seekers and desiring to grow in relation to God, and it provides them with a small group of spiritual friends to make the journey.

Many participants, including a Catholic nun, have gone on to become bishops, district superintendents, spiritual directors and writers.

"This is a wonderful gift to the church. The academy's greatest impact has been in identifying the importance of spiritual formation in the central consciousness of the church," Mogabgab said.
"The Academy has become an oasis of God's sustaining grace for all who, through its, ministry, have sought a better, more faithful, and fulfilling way of living," wrote Bishop Rueben Job in the foreword to Rhythm & Fire: Experiencing the Holy in Community and Solitude.

The book will be presented at the academy's 25th anniversary finale event in June. The Upper Room Ministries' Academy for Spiritual Formation is sponsoring a gathering of academy participants at June 23-26 at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Ala. Celebrations already have occurred in Texas, Wisconsin and California.

The academy is led by an advisory board that offers guidance but is not involved in any one specific academy.

"The wisdom of the design, curriculum, worship, rhythm of daily life, emphasis on holy and holistic living, and the selection of the leadership was no accident," Job said. "Rather, it resulted from a several-years-long experiment in disciplined discernment, carefully and prayerfully designed and directed by Danny Morris. He gathered around him faithful seekers with a rich variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences."

The academy
According to Mogabgab, the academy has been a formative experience rather than one shaped by the desires of any single individual along the way.

Thousands of people have participated in either two-year or five-day academies. Many call it a "seminal experience" to help them assimilate and proclaim their faith.

"As we look to the future, the model is so well regarded it will be continued in its same form. At the same time we know the context we live in is changing. Because of this we are challenged to work on new frontiers," said the Rev. Jerry Haas, who completed the academy in 1992-93.

While participants strongly affirm the academy, the experience leaves people with what Haas calls a "kingdom itch," a restless feeling that the church and the world can be different.

"This restlessness has led to a sense of 'generativity'--a desire to create and adapt. There is a sense of the academy being very fertile and very rich and it is something people want to share," he said.

*Pinkston is director of media relations at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal Entry for May 28, 2008 -- "My Projects or God's Will"

S: Romans 9: 31 (The Message)
How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they did not notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road.

O: It all comes down to being obedient to God and trusting where God is leading even if we cannot see the results at this point.

A: This morning I am aware of how often I try to come up with good ideas which will help churches to grow. In a way, these become my “God projects”. I can easily get absorbed in them to the point the focus becomes “me” instead of following the teachings of Jesus and being led by the Holy Spirit.

In the Bible someplace it says: “God’s ways are not our ways”. This is where I can often get tripped up. If I do not stay daily in scripture and prayer, I find myself adopting the thinking of the world and trusting my own “good ideas”.

Trusting God and trying to live the way Jesus would live if he were in my body is hard work. I would much rather trust in what I can see rather than trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit which I cannot see. I spend my day searching for God’s Will and here it is right in scripture each morning. Paul quotes Isaiah in the last verst of chapter 9 in Romans: “Careful! I’ve put a huge stone on the road to Mount Zion, a stone you can’t get around. But the stone is me! If you are looking for me, you’ll find me on the way, not in the way.”

P: Father lead me today in the living of my life. Help me to have more faith with those things I cannot see and forgive me when I live only by what I do see. Forgive me for my own thinking of how to run life. Walk with me today so I live by faith and act in the ways Jesus would act if he were in my place today. Love, Dick

Y: I give up only what I can see and will trust the leading of the Holy Spirit in what God, the potter, decides to do with my lump of clay.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Bishops can give deacons sacramental authority

United Methodist ordained deacons, with the approval of their bishop, may now administer Holy Communion and baptism in the absence of an elder. UMNS photos by Mike DuBose.

A UMNS Report
By Vicki Brown*

United Methodist bishops will be allowed to grant authority to deacons to administer Holy Communion and baptism in certain circumstances under legislation approved this spring by General Conference.

The authority can be granted to a deacon within his or her primary appointment in the absence of an elder. The change takes effect in January 2009.

"This legislation is an effort to extend the mission and ministry of the church in extraordinary circumstances when an elder is not present," said the Rev. Mary Ann Moman, a staff executive with the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

"The legislation is a reminder of the importance of the sacramental ministry in the church and the world. It is fair to ask why elders aren't present in the places where the sacraments are needed."

The board presented the petition through its Study of Ministry Commission, which also asked to continue a denomination-wide conversation regarding ordination and sacramental authority for four more years. Delegates voted to create a new commission to continue that conversation and also approved the legislation allowing sacramental authority.

The legislation was approved by 67 percent of the delegates voting. General Conference, the top legislative body of The United Methodist Church, met April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The petition amends the Book of Discipline to add: "For the sake of extending the mission and ministry of the church, a pastor-in-charge or district superintendent may request that the bishop grant local sacramental authority to the deacon to administer the sacraments in the absence of an elder, within a deacon's primary appointment." (Paragraph 328.)

Moman said agency staff will work with the Council of Bishops as the church's dpiscopal leaders address the issues of implementation, including exactly what situations would apply.

The board plans to distribute information to deacons, chairs of orders, and annual conference Boards of Ordained Ministry about the change.

The Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations, said the legislation gives the authority to "extend the means of grace for the missional needs of the church, and not a means of convenience."

The Rev. Anita Wood, the board's director of professional ministry development, said the heart of the ministry of the deacon remains the call to connect the needs of the world to the ministries of the church.

"Deacons are called to the responsibility to serve in specialized ways that bridge ministries of the congregation with the needs of the community. Sometimes that may call for sacramental authority, and many times, not," Wood said.

Wood said it will be important to articulate the connection between the ministries of the deacon and offering the means of grace through sacramental authority and will require much discussion and discernment. "Informal conversations have already begun," she said.

*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:03:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal Entry for May 13, 2008 -- "Loved By God And Loved By The Larger Community"

S: I Thessalonians 2:13 (The Message)
And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!
O: Maturity in the Christian life involves the steady conviction that God loves me, that my future is with God. At the same time there must be the steady conviction that other believers love me, hope for me, delight in me. Otherwise, I can never live freely and openly in a Christian community.

A: Sometimes, I think our small churches often feel inferior, rejected, and abandoned. It is easy to look to the large numbers in large churches and their many ministries and forget the importance of our small membership churches.

Our small membership churches need to know they are loved and we have hope for them in these days. Many of these faithful small membership churches are following Christ the very best they can. They care about children and young people. They want to help when there is trouble any place in the world. Their offerings seem small, but in God’s eyes they are among the largest.

Paul’s word to the Thessalonians is not only are they accepted and loved by God because of their obedience, they are also accepted and loved by the larger Christian community, starting with Paul himself.

I believe this teaching is for all of us to love and appreciate our smaller churches who are seeking to be faithful in these difficult days in our society. I know this teaching to me this morning is important and I pray to always honor people who love God and share the gospel no matter how big or small they are.

P: Father, thank you for this teaching this morning. It is easy to see only the big things our large churches are doing in ministry and miss the important Kingdom work of our smaller churches. I am deeply grateful for each of our churches and deeply grateful for those who are the pastors and lay leaders of all our churches. Love, Dick

Y: I will be affirming of each of our churches and their people and pastors who seek to be faithful to the gospel in these difficult days.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:19:00 +0000

Bishop Wills' Life Journal Entry for May 4, 2008 -- "Making Room In The Center Of My Life"

S: Matthew 21: 42-43 (The Message)
The stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone. This is God’s work; we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it! This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom of life.

O: Jesus is talking to the religious leaders. They have been living a life where everything is in the hands and nothing is in the heart. This is a story of many today.

A: I and others live in a time when out standard of living is so high, our ability to possess is so well developed, and out claims to ownership are so conspicuous, and yet so many feel burdened with anxiety, guilt, emptiness, and boredom.

In a strange way I and others can end up living in the church playing the role of the wicked tenants in the vineyard. But despite our sin, God is still here in love and forgiveness, exercising his gracious rule over our lives.

For me the warning is this: If I refuse to acknowledge the ownership of God and my position as a steward of life, there will be no meaning or beauty or fullness in anything I do.

This morning I get the point: God wants me (and each of us) to enjoy all that he has given us. But I (we) can’t do it unless I (we) enjoy God at the center. Every joy radiates from that central joy, just as the rays of life-giving light radiate from sun.

P: Father this morning I give to you everything I have and all that I am. I simply ask for you to be the center of my life so my life can be filled with joy. May I always point to you as the source of everything gift in my life. Help me never take credit for anything I might do which is good. Love, Dick

Y: I give to God and center place in my life.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Bishop Ward: Wait, watch receive God’s spirit

By Woody Woodrick*

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward preaches during the morning worship service on May 2, the final day of the 10-day United Methodist General Conference. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)—As the 2008 General Conference closes, delegates and other participants need to wait and watch so they can receive the ascended spirit of God.

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Episcopal Area delivered that message in her sermon on May 2, the final day of the gathering at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

“God bless you as you go,” she said. “How glorious it is to be a witness to the way God will be in the world beyond this place.”

Ward urged the delegates as they return to their homes to focus less on the decisions made and more on the things they learned. “We learned much about God,” she said.

“Christ reigns in every place. Christ reigns over all that we are and over everything that we do. In this General Conference-ending day, we know that Christ is with us.”

Joining Ward in the worship service were the Festival Choir from Christ United Methodist Church from Sugar Land, Texas, including soloist Barbara Johnson Tucker; the St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Choir of Dallas; and jazz pianist Eugene Lowry of Texas.

Ward based her sermon on Acts 1:6-11, where the disciples gathered with the risen Christ. However, He told them to wait for the time when God restores His kingdom – that it was not for them to know the time of His coming. Christ then ascended into heaven.

Ward acknowledged that many people, especially those at a meeting such as General Conference, have a difficult time waiting and not knowing. “This was an invitation to wait, to remember there are things we are not to know,” she said. “It was an invitation to receive the spirit, to be a witness.”

Tongues from across The United Methodist Church give the invocation during the May 2 morning worship at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference.

Ward shared the story of how United Methodists affected by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi and Louisiana were asked to bring shards of broken items to be part of a cross or handed out to delegates to the General Conference. A woman came to Heritage United Methodist Church in D’Iberville, Miss., with a bent spoon. She said she had held onto it for more than two years, not knowing why.

“Since the storm I have kept this bent spoon,” the woman had said. “For some reason, I have not been able to throw this spoon away. Until now. I’m ready to let it go; let it go to someone at the General Conference.”

“God is powerfully with us. Christ ascends. The Spirit comes,” Ward said. “So, this day, let go. Wait. Watch. Receive.”

*Woodrick is editor of the Mississippi Advocate.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Church adopts proposed creed as litany

Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana and Norma P. Dollaga participate in an August 2007 workshop in Manila, Philippines, on the Social Creed. A UMNS file photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) — A proposed new Social Creed for The United Methodist Church became a “companion litany” instead after action by the denomination’s lawmaking body on April 30.

A task force under the leadership of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society worked on the “poetic” 2008 Social Creed that was proposed to the denomination’s General Conference meeting in Fort Worth through May 2.

Even though it will not replace the United Methodist Social Creed, the Rev. Neal Christie, staff on the board and a member of the task force, said it is “a gift to the church and reinforces and reframes the creed.”

“The proposed Social Creed was a beautiful, elegant expression about hope, and I will be excited to teach it as a litany,” he said.

The proposed creed went on a worldwide tour during 2007 and 2008 and reflected hours of careful crafting by United Methodists in the United States, Norway, Africa and the Philippines.

The task force wanted to present a social creed that would be easier to use than the 1972 creed. The original creed was written in 1908 as a denominational statement decrying child labor and supporting the economic rights of workers, better workplace conditions, better wages and worker safety.

The 2004 United Methodist General Conference designated 2005-2008 as a time of celebration, education and study of the Social Creed and Social Principles leading up to the 100th anniversary of the 1908 Social Creed.

As part of that celebration, the Board of Church and Society took on the task of writing a contemporary, timeless version to offer for future generations.

The Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, recommends the Social Creed be emphasized regularly in every congregation and used frequently in Sunday worship.

*Gilbert is a news writer for United Methodist News Service.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:05:00 +0000

Sight, sounds, movements create worship experience
By Yvette-Moore*

Marcia McFee, co-director of music and worship, leads singing during morning worship on April 27 at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) —What we do in worship matters. That's a guiding principle shaping the sights, sounds, feel and movement experienced in the physically engaging worship services of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference.

"Worship helps form us. The question is what are we being formed into?" said Marcia McFee, co-director of music and worship at the quadrennial event. "It's not enough to sing the word. It's not enough to talk the word. Something happens when we act."

She believes getting physical in worship can help the church act like the body of Christ that it is. Worshippers at General Conference are clapping, singing, offering liturgies in American Sign Language, moving with songs of faith from around the world and turning en masse to face one another across the communion table in the center of the arena to enter what McFee calls "the physicality of spirituality."

"Our physical bodies have something to do with our discipleship," she said. "When we do something as simple as turning to the center to face each other around the communion table and see each other as the body of Christ across the table – especially in a place where there can be so many divisions – there's no way we can then turn away from one another."

Collaborative work
From the start, the music and worship of this General Conference has been the collaborative work of McFee and Mark Miller. The two learned they'd both applied to direct music and worship at General Conference while crossing paths at Drew Theological School where McFee teaches and Miller is director of music and instructor of church music. Their joint response was, "Let's have lunch," according to McFee.

Mark Miller, co-director of music and worship, leads singing during worship at General Conference. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey.

"We talked because this is a huge job -- together, we could do something special," she said. "One of the wonderful things about the collaboration is I've gotten to focus on worship design, pulling together ritual and the dramatics, and writing liturgy."

McFee and Miller put out a call for artists of all kinds for General Conference worship. They reviewed each video, CD and script submission, considering how each artist's offering could fit with the General Conference's theme, "A Future with Hope."

For example, the Strangely Warmed Players' "Crossing to the Other Side" comedy skit, featuring a captain who for safety reasons refused to undock his ship, challenged the church to risk being in mission on the day General Conference participants were called to remember their baptisms.

"I'm not a big fan of worship as a showcase," McFee said. "Artists are there to proclaim the word. In all of the services, we worked hard to integrate the theme and speak to the word proclaimed."

Dramatic, full-bodied worship is a hallmark of McFee's work around the church. The author, preacher and worship designer has developed worship for church events, such as the quadrennial United Methodist Women's Assembly, and regularly led retreats and seminars on worship.

"I started out as a dancer -- and dance is a part of my life that I love -- but it's not about watching people dance," McFee said. "Worship is about asking people to enter into the physicality of spirituality. If worship never moves us to sync up with each other, we're less likely to feel that we are the body of Christ."

*Moore is an executive secretary of communication for the Women's Division, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.