Lent #wonder @umrethinkchurch #40days

Wonder!

Lent: #World #Beauty @umrethinkchurch @TOTH_Augusta

Lent: Settle @umrethinkchurch @TOTH_Augusta

The theme word today confronts me with settling with my usual ways versus the ways of God.  That took me to Micah 4:1-3 & I like the way Eugene Peterson shared the text in "The Message."  The work of God and our response, my response, is powerful imagery for Lent.

 

"But when all is said and done, God's Temple on the mountain, firmly fixed, will dominate all mountains, towering above surrounding hills. People will stream to it and many nations set out for it, Saying, 'Come, let's climb God's mountain. Let's go to the Temple of Jacob's God. He will teach us how to live. We'll know how to live God's way.' True teaching will issue from Zion, God's revelation from Jerusalem.  He'll establish justice in the rabble of nations and settle disputes in faraway places. They'll trade in their swords for shovels, their spears for rakes and hoes. Nations will quit fighting each other, quit learning how to kill one another."

 

 

Rethink Lent: Day 4- Injustice

How do you think about the injustices of the world?  What is justice from God's perspective?  If you are like me, that's a tough question any day, but especially on a Saturday.  Flip through the Bible, & your life, and the answer picks up some clarity.  I'm amazed as I go through this process that I often label injustice as something of interest to me or that offends me.  There is some truth to my perspectives, though I wonder if there are some bigger issues that I just overlook or miss because of my selectivity.  After all, we all tend to have a soap box or two.  Is my anger, or emotion about some U.S. issues, really a focus on an injustice when I think about the word in terms of the larger world? 

When our mission team was recently in the Dominican Republic we visited a sugar cane village.  Batey 7 is the "company" village for the sugar cane workers who work acres upon acres of the stalk that produces sugar for the world.  In many respects Batey Siete has made great strides in recent years and is a model of what the other cane villages might become.  In the batey they can't own the homes, can't have gardens, have few of the basics, make very little salary, and many are undocumented Haitians.  Think of deep poverty, lack of water, education, and many, many children.  We found ourselves at the intersection of consumerism, company workers and their lives and lifestyle, and the modern hunger and consumption of sugar in this village of poorly paid workers.  But they were not without joy or hope, and they were very hard working.

We also met the lead construction man for the long term UMVIM missionaries who were hosting us.  The man was being forced out of his house & was quickly building a new place for himself and his family.  He had all the construction skills, but didn't have any funds.  His request of the missionary was for an advance on the cost of the tin.  He was hastily making a "stick built" home of available local materials.  If he could get a roof on it his family would at least have protection from the rain and elements.  They would be living on a dirt floor and with no water or bathroom in the house.

It would make much more sense for me to ask one of my neighbors in the sugar cane village called a batey what #injustice means.  

@umrethinkchurch @TOTH_Augusta #rethinkchurch #40days

Rethinking Lent: Day 3- See

I'm taking the "Photo a Day Challenge" thrown down by @umrethinkchurch.  It's already proving to be a good addition to my day as I start on the journey of Lent toward Easter, and think do the personal reflection that involves Scripture, daily life, and who I really am.  Go to Lenten-photo-day-challenge if you want more info or frequent social media and want the list.  You can merely post your photo on your favorite site, or add some information to explain yourself.  If you are on Twitter include @umrethinkchurch (and @TOTH_Augusta if you are a member of my church) with #rethinkchurch and #40days tagged on your photo.  The beauty is there are no wrong or right answers.  It's a personal spiritual journey shared with others who are also on the path.  I'm already finding it is helpful to me to get more in touch with God, focus my thoughts through the day, and take the time for some honest assessment. 

The word for Day 3 is "see."  Like many of the words it's easy enough.  And I can quickly think of many ways to explain that to someone.  But how do I see... or not see?!

I'm still struggling to get back to "normal" after our recent Dominican Republic trip.  After all, how do you integrate what God is doing, what needs to be done, and our life here with a life "over there?"  My mind and emotions are here, there, and everywhere.  So, I left sunny weather with so many opportunities to serve and returned to cold, yucky weather.  Fitting, huh?  I don't know if I'm tired, or getting sick, or just dealing with enough that my soul hasn't quite caught up with where I am & where I need to be in life and faith.  At any rate, I'm into a "winter funk" and eager for spring!

Here's my photo from the Dominican visit last week:

Too often I don't see clearly.

Too often I'm out of focus.

Or worse yet, I'm looking at all the wrong things!

Maybe I'm looking at everything all wrong.

And I can't tell if my vision is a thing of beauty or a monster.

Too often I've got my priorities all wrong,

my expectations all wrong,

my vision distracted and too busy trying to do too much.

Lord, help me to see!



Following Christ... in the Dominican Republic

It's Ash Wednesday today.  And it's a rainy day in Augusta, Georgia.  I'm in a funky mood as I'm trying to get back into a routine AND trying to get into the mood for Lent.  Ready or not, here it is!

After our huge mission event I had a day to clean up for our celebration, a half day of regular church meetings to push forward in ministry, and then had to pack for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic.  I'd never been to the DR before, and was looking forward to touring the mission work of our partners John & Donna Bearden.  They are long term UMVIM missionaries from Waynesboro, GA, and my congregation has supported their efforts to transition from working in the DR on mission teams for a decade to more of a full time presence coordinating short term teams.  Our "vision team" was looking to see how we could be better partners to the Beardens & to think through the best resources our church could offer as well as the necessary contacts & logistics of our teams working in the DR.

Here's our veteran team of missioner scouts at the Batey 7 medical clinic outside of Barahona, DR.  A batey is a small village set in the middle of acres upon acres of sugar cane fields.  One description is that a batey is a "place of suffering."  The villagers don't own anything that belongs to the company & in comparison to our lives are in a very, very meager situation.  This location in southwestern DR had many Haitian families mixed in with Dominicans.  In many respects this place reminded me of west Africa.  Thanks to the work and ongoing support of mission teams and support churches & organizations they've made improvements in Batey 7 over the years, so that this is something of a model they hope to replicate in other bateys.      

We saw sugar cane in all stages of growth and harvesting.    

We met one of the local men who is often a crew leader for the Bearden's projects around Batey 7.  He was losing his home and had to quickly construct a new home.  He had limited funds, but lots of construction knowledge and drive, as he had to provide for his family.  This is the stick home he is building out of local material.   

Here are some of the children the oldest member of our team, who is a "young" 83 and fluent in Spanish, met in Bani, DR.

We have much to consider as we saw many needs and opportunities in the Dominican Republic to follow Christ, and to help our brothers and sisters in the DR. 

   

Our Place in Building Bridges

Read and reflect again on 2 Corinthians 5:17-20.  Pray for Trinity Outreach Celebration 2013 speakers and leaders.  Pray for our congregation and every member as we respond to the opportunities to follow Christ this year, and as we make commitments of praying, funding, and participating in the mission of God locally, nationally, and internationally.  Pray for our community and world as we listen for the needs that are opportunities for us to be messengers from God by our words and deeds.

Our preachers will be Dr. Kemper and Rev. McClain and we are pleased to welcome them and all of the presenters to Augusta and to Trinity on the Hill.

TOC 2013 Leaders:

Dr. Thomas Kemper, General Secretary, GBGM

Rev. Dick McClain, President & CEO, The Mission Society

Rev. Patrick Friday, Director of In Mission Together, GBGM

Rev. Nora Martinez, Assistant General Secretary of Mission and Evangelism, GBGM

Rev. Mande Muyombo, Executive Secretary for Africa in Mission and Evangelism GBGM

Mr. Stan Self, Senior Director of Church Ministry, The Mission Society

Rev. Mike Selleck, Director of the Office of Connectional Ministries, NGUMC

Rev. Jasmine Smothers, Associate Director in the Office of Connectional Ministries, NGUMC

Mrs. Kim Torres, Church and Community Worker, South Florida Urban Ministries

Rev. Debra Tyree,  Executive Secretary for Global Praise, GBGM

Dr. Winston Worrell, Director, World Methodist Evangelism Institute

Listen quietly to God's call and direction in your life.  Pray for yourself and be completely prepared for what you will find as you enjoy the mission seminar on Saturday and the outreach challenge on Sunday!

 

Blessed IF You Do Them

Read John 13:1-17.

Not much needs to be said about these Bible verses.  The challenge comes in the doing.  The blessing comes in following the example of Jesus, and in the action of faith.

It is true that the mission of God is relational, and challenging, and often times a messy business. 

But, it’s also redemptive, transformational, and the way God has shown us to live and act. 

“If you know these things you are blessed if you do them.”

Pray for Wesley Woods & the Lydia Project.  Since 1954 North GA Methodists have served older adults through housing, healthcare, education and research ministries through Wesley Woods.  While most of the efforts are in Atlanta this has local expression at St. John’s Towers.  The Lydia Project serves women facing cancer by providing hand-crafted tote bags, prayer and ongoing support.cing

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Learn more at http://wesleywoods.org/ww/main.html or http://www.thelydiaproject.org/.

Use your extra devotion time today to be in prayer for the Saturday mission seminars and the Sunday worship emphasis on mission.  The impact of our praying, participating, and funding of our outreach partners in the coming year is vital!  There is an urgency to our work locally, nationally, and internationally that should not be lost upon us.  This is your last chance to register for a Saturday workshop!  Go to http://trinityonthehill.net/common/content.asp?PAGE=576 and get ready to learn more so you will be more effective for Christ!

Meet the presenter:  Rev. Debra Tyree works with GBGM's Global Praise in Nashville.  We are pleased her 16 year old son Jonathon will join her to lead a workshop!

Wait, Who Is My Neighbor?

Read Acts 1:6-8.

Similar to the disciples in Acts we still tend to be confused about the Kingdom of God.  Too often we try to impose our religion upon others so that they dress, think, and act like us.  The Kingdom of God is much more than our culture and customs.  It comes alive for us, through the power of God's Spirit, in such ways that our lives, our priorities, our focus, our way of being in community, even our way of viewing the world are all changed.  Notice that the Kingdom, and the way of understanding who our neighbor is, can’t be contained to folk in our neighborhood who are just like us.  The early followers of Christ realized this as they found the way of Messiah was not only for Jewish people, but an action of God for the whole world.  Thus, they had to be in mission and ministry to the entire world, from local neighbors they knew well to the very “ends of the earth.”  A disciple and church are at our best when we have this extravagant, inclusive view of and earnest care and concern for our neighbors.   

John Wesley spoke of this neighborly way of Christian living when he said, “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

Ask yourself: Have I received the power of the Holy Spirit?  Who am I witnessing my faith to in honest, altruistic ways in Jerusalem (locally)?  Who am I witnessing my transparent, real faith to in Judea (nationally)?  Who am I witnessing my serving, caring faith to in Samaria (nearby enemy country)?  Who am I witnessing this way of living, talking, and acting after Christ to at the “ends of the earth?”      

Pray for the Singh family.  The Singhs are partners we encourage and support as they serve in their native India.  They are involved in education, social ministries, and sharing the way of Christ in preaching and teaching which respects the rich culture and heritage of India and shares the Good News.   

Learn more about Christianity in India at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India or find other information that will inform you and challenge you.

Meet the presenter:  Rev. Nora Colmenares Martinez.

 

Who Are You Waiting On?

Read the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20.

The first disciples, and we who are disciples today, have a job to do.  In many real ways, we are the ones who are to continue the story that is left untold as the Gospel of Matthew doesn’t conclude, but is handed off to us.  In word and deed we are to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  We are to 1) go and 2) make disciples of all nations.  This involves baptizing and teaching and living the Kingdom of God way of life which Jesus has shown us.  Matthew 9:35-36 is one of many illustrations of this sort of lifestyle and kingdom approach.  The next verse is sometimes quoted around churches when the number of workers is compared to the work that needs to be done, "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

Hear this directly:  God needs you to go to work and the church needs you to go to work!

We can’t wait on the “other guy” to step up.  We are a large church, yet we aren’t as effective as we need to be if you aren’t “in the action.”  The mission isn’t on track if you aren’t living out the Great Commission and serving as a bridge of reconciliation between the church and community.  Imagine what the community will be like if every person takes on one mission and ministry.  Dream about a community where we tithe our time in mission and outreach as we diligently as we tithe our funds to the church.  Hope for, and live toward, being the bridge that is built as we share the great commission in our community and “connect the dots” between our activity and relationships in the community and our function as a church that reaches Augusta/Richmond County, Columbia County, and the CSRA for Christ.        

Our individual lives, and our corporate church life, will take on new meaning and vitality as we live out the Great Commission for this generation of neighbors in the Augusta region. 

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed" — Hudson Taylor

"Is not the commission of our Lord still binding upon us? Can we not do more than now we are doing?" — William Carey

Ask yourself:  What hinders me from joining in the mission of Christ today?  Is it doubt, or fear, or apathy, or what stops me?  What would it take for me to get more active in the mission of God?  What one person might I help become part of the Kingdom of God and our church this year? 

Pray for Turn Back the Block as work continues in Harrisburg to reconstruct homes, families, and the neighborhood as we help more people become homeowners.  Recent statistics show that 14% of Harrisburg Homes are vacant or abandoned, and that less than 25% of the homes are owner-occupied. 

Learn more:  http://www.turnbacktheblock.com/.

Meet the presenter:  Mr. Stan Self.