27
Nov '24
December 2024 Connection
27
Nov '24
“Mark’s Christmas”
About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”… After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” -Mark 1:9-11, 14-15
As it is December, and we’re in the midst of Christmas, I wanted to share with you this wonderful Christmas passage! No, I didn’t insert the wrong passage from the wrong Gospel. This is the Christmas story! It’s just not the one we’re most familiar with. It’s not the one we decorate our mantle or altar with, and it’s not going to be illustrated on too many Christmas cards. So…how is it a Christmas story?
Strictly speaking, it’s not a Christmas story…at least not in the traditional sense. To be clear, only the Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell us anything about Jesus’ birth, and even with those two Gospels, Matthew’s focus is primarily on the coming of the Magi. It’s in Luke that we – along with Charles Shultz (“Peanuts”) – find the shepherds, a room-less inn, a manger, and the heavenly hosts. So, what are Mark and John up to?
John, while a wonderful Gospel, opted for a beginning that is a bit more poetic: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” Again, it’s amazing and full of good news, but not necessarily a description of Grandma’s favorite nativity set.
And then, there’s Mark. Mark begins his Gospel with the Baptism of Jesus. Mark takes a running start and jumps over about 30 years of Jesus’ life. Is it because Mark doesn’t like shepherds or has something against Bethlehem? Not at all! Mark just sees the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist as the start of Jesus’ real life. Mark starts with the baptism as his way of saying, “it is HERE that we discover the Lordship of Jesus. Sure, the manger, shepherd, angels, and all were important, but it’s in the baptism that we discover that Jesus really is Lord – the Messiah.” For Mark, the proverbial “birth story” is found in the proclamation that Jesus is God’s son. Not as cute, but just as meaningful!
Okay, if that sounds way too nerdy, it’s okay. I am nerdy, so your thinking is on point! But this nerdy stuff gets really cool!
I promise…
In Mark 1:15, right after his baptism, Jesus enters the region of the Galilee and begins to shout (kind of like the town crier), “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” Once again, to put it in other words, “God is present! The incarnation of God is here! It’s time to straighten up and fly right! Sounds kind of Christmasy, doesn’t it? Jesus, the incarnation of God, is born into the world, not in the way the world expects, but in precisely the way the world needs!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I still love a good nativity scene, and the image of baby Jesus lying in a feeding trough – it’s important! But this Christmas, I’d love to start a new tradition. Just as we’re getting ready to sing “Joy to the world” on Christmas Eve, I want to close my eyes and imagine that Jesus is walking into the sanctuary, all while shouting, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s Kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust in this good news.”
Mark’s Christmas might be just what we need this year.
Peace,
Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian
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31
Oct '24
November 2024 Connection
31
Oct '24
Fruitfulness in Leadership
In Paul’s letter to the Galatian church – one of the early church communities – Paul is addressing the church’s tendency to live according to what we might call the “old ways.” Here, I’m not talking about the “old ways” as in, playing until the street lights come on, but rather, the old ways of living that they had put behind them when they took on their claim of faith in baptism. In other words, the Galatians kept turning to ways that were not of God rather than the ways God desires us to live. So, that then begs the question, how do we know what the ways of God are? Paul tells us when he describes the “fruit of the spirit”:
…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
-Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSVUE)
When I read this passage in which Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit, I always think of a mirror. Not like one of those full-length ones, but rather a mirror to the soul. When I look in that mirror, do I see these fruits? While I’d like to say that I always do, the truth is, there are times when some are missing from my life. It’s in those moments that it becomes important to not simply dismiss it as human imperfection, but to strive to grow in those areas of fruitfulness until they become more present. Quite simply, as someone who claims my Christian baptism, I owe it to my neighbors and my communities to be as reflective of the fruit of the Spirt as I’m able.
In the coming weeks, as we make decisions about who will be in positions of leadership in our communities, our state, and in our nation, as well as in many other aspects of our lives, it is my hope that we are looking for the presence of the fruits of the Spirit. It is my hope that those to whom we entrust the obligation of leadership would seek out these fruits of the Spirit. Honestly, I worry that to look for and demand anything else from those in leadership roles would be to find ourselves falling into the trap of the Galatian church, putting our hope and trust in the “old ways” rather than in the ways of God’s Holy Spirit.
May we recommit ourselves to the ways of God’s Holy Spirit, recommit ourselves to our own correction when our fruitfulness becomes a bit incomplete, and may we ask the same of those we invite into positions of leadership.
Peace,
Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian
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30
Sep '24
October 2024 Connection
30
Sep '24
Holy (Elevator) Friends
Back in June, I joined a group of great friends for dinner and an escape room. The dinner was delicious BBQ in Traverse City, and the escape room was an Alcatraz warden’s office with a time limit of 1 hour. With our collective brains, wit, and laughter, we managed to complete the escape room with about 20 minutes to spare. Sure of ourselves that we must have broken the record, our egos were struck down when we were informed that groups had done it much faster (and better). Oh well!
What happened next, we didn’t expect. We found ourselves in another escape room. This time, the escape room was an elevator. A very real elevator where the only escape option was the Traverse City Fire Department. There we were on a hot June day with eight of us crammed into a stuck elevator waiting for either a short fall, a rescue, or heat exhaustion.
But truth be told, it actually made for a lot of laughter, fun, and happy memories. We were assured the elevator didn’t get stuck because of our weight (what a relief), nor because it was hanging on by a thread, waiting to fall. Instead, it was a failsafe mechanism that tripped, requiring time and a little know-how.
I tell this story to say that I couldn’t imagine being stuck in an elevator with anyone else. These are truly some of the best friends I could ask for, and I am continually thankful that they are in my life. My prayer is that you are lucky enough to have people like that in your life – let’s call them “elevator people.”
I recently heard a pastor talk about the value of holy friendships. To be clear, these are not friends who are more holy. Instead, these are friends we have in our life who lift us up and who we can see, not only as parts of our lives, but also part of our spiritual journey. They are people who lift us up, pray for us, support us, challenge us, weep and laugh with us. They are elevator friends who will be with you when life gets incredibly challenging, and when things are moving along swimmingly.
And, if you’re reading this and find yourself all to much aware that you don’t have these holy friends in your life, I want to simply remind you that your church is full of holy friends – if you’ll allow it.
I’m thankful for my friends – my holy friends – who God has placed in my life. I am thankful for their wisdom, their laughter, and their willingness to journey with me through this journey of life and faith.
Who are your holy friends – or, who will you let be your holy friends?
With love,
Pastor Brian
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29
Aug '24
September 2024 Connection
29
Aug '24
Appreciating Elephants
Have you ever noticed that there are an extremely wide variety of holidays that seem to pop up. A while ago, I learned that there is a national “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (September 19th), Pie Day (March 14th) and even Star Wars Day (May 4th.) Well, did you know that there is Elephant Appreciation Day (September 22nd?) Maybe you did know it, but simply forgot (Haha…an elephant joke). But the elephants have not forgotten about it (another elephant joke.) And so, it seems appropriate that we show appreciation for elephants. Ready? Go!
Okay, why did I start this article talking about Elephant Appreciation Day? Is it because it’s a September holiday? No, there are tons of others to choose from! I chose it simply so we could talk about memories – or more specifically, remembering. Elephants are said to do that very well. Christians? Well, we do it too!
In Ephesians, Paul tells the people of the Ephesian church: “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” (Ephesians 1:15-16.)
Here, Paul is simply offering a reminder through his letter that he is remembering them in his prayers. We don’t really need to read into it. You see, Paul can’t always be with the new church starts. Instead, he’s writing to encourage, commend, and at times admonish, as well as sending other missionaries to be with those who are, with him, striving to be faithful followers of Christ’s gospel. In other words, Paul is seeking to give care to the church when he could not be present.
And so, I write this article with the same sentiment. In my prayers, I am remembering you and giving thanks for you. While we cannot always be together, it does not stop me from this kind of spirit-connection. And the same can be true for all of us. While we all may not be together 24/7 (in fact, I assure you, we are not,) we can remember and give thanks for one another.
Let me close with the words from a wonderful hymn that reminds us of the same: “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian
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31
Jul '24
August 2024 Connection
31
Jul '24
“What Tomorrow Will Bring”
“Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life? -Matthew 6:25-27 (CEB)
Charles Dickens is famous, in part, for his oft quoted line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I’ll add to it my own tidbit: “But, not matter what it was, at least we knew what it was.” You see, looking back, we have the benefit of having lived through our past, and so, good or bad, we know it, which makes it either a wonderful, cherished memory, or, at the very least, something we made it though. The future, however, is a whole different ballgame. The future is unknown! The future, while we know it will contain moments of good, we also know that it will have difficult – even bad – moments. The problem is, we don’t know what they will be, when they’ll be, how we’ll navigate any of it, who will be involved, and where it will leave us.
Take a deep breath.
The phenomenon of it all is that this is and always has been true. Somehow, the passage of time just puts things of the past in perspective, making yesterday look like the good old days, and leaving tomorrow look like we’re on the precipice of living out Dante’s “Inferno.”
Jesus understood this about us. In fact, if we go back to the stories of the Bible, we’ll find instance after instance in which people longed for the “good old days,” not because they were necessarily better, but because they were known! And so, Jesus offers us this reminder: “Don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear…Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life.” Here, Jesus is reminding us that our worry about the future, while not entirely without good reason, doesn’t ultimately help us. Instead, it simply gets in our way of living in the here and now. Worrying about the future simply because we can’t predict it doesn’t make today any better, nor does it make tomorrow any easier. In fact, what we know of anxiety, worrying unrealistically about tomorrow will likely make things worse.
Let’s consider an example from a long, long time ago. Imagine a cave-dwelling people, who became convinced that right outside their cave entrance was a sabretooth tiger ready to pounce the moment they emerged from the cave. Is this an entirely unfounded fear? No, probably not. If you hear the tiger’s snarl, stay inside. That’s a no-brainer. But what if every day our cave dwelling friend refused to leave the cave because of this possibility. Day and night, without ever hearing, seeing, or even smelling the sabretooth tiger, they determined that it’s just too risky. The anxiety they experience has now limited their tomorrows.
When are we like our cave-dwelling friend? When do we let our anxiety get the better of us, assuming that tomorrow is out to get us, that we stand on the precipice of doom? What steps to do we need to take – as individuals, as the church, as society, as creation – to emerge from the cave and experience all of tomorrow? Will there be challenging and difficult moments? Of course there will be. But will there be good times and moments worthy of our celebration? You bet!
And so, I close this thought process and article with these words from the Prophet Isaiah:
“Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you won’t be scorched and flame won’t burn you. I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior.” -Isaiah 43:1b-3a (CEB)
Peace,
Pastor Brian
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27
Jun '24
July 2024 Connection
27
Jun '24
Go Therefore…Together
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSVUE)
“Go therefore…”
Those words have haunted Christians for generations. For some, it’s because it invites them beyond their comfort zone. “No thanks, God. I’d rather just stay right where I am, thank you very much!” For others, it’s because that word “therefore” means that we actually have to do something with the gospel, and the gospel isn’t always received very well by everyone. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 20th century theologian, reminded us of this as he talked about the “cost of discipleship.”
Still, for others, the words “go therefore” became haunting because it created significant confusion: What is our mission field? Is it the whole world? Is it our own backyard? Is it only the poor and disenfranchised? Is it everyone? To be fair, the apostles wrestled with this question in a really big way, and the questions haven’t gone away ever since!
Two years ago, as I was getting ready to go with our Appalachia Service Project (ASP) team, I found myself asking this same question: Go therefore…but where? In 2022, we were headed to Harlan, KY. That answered the where part of the question, but what lingered was the question that always follows: “But, what about…?” You see, it’s this question that requires us to see that the mission field is vast! It includes Appalachia, but it also includes Grand Blanc. It includes Flint, Detroit, Haiti, Liberia, Australia, and every single place in between. Our missional imperative is to all nations, all people, all places, in all times, and in all spaces.
As you can see, my struggle with this question of “Go therefore…but where?” wasn’t fully answered. What I struggled with was the reality that, while mission and ministry in Appalachia was, and is still, vitally important, so is mission and ministry here. And so is it important in every space under the sun. Suddenly, the magnitude of “Go therefore…” began to come into view, and a new question came to mind: How can we possibly fulfill the magnitude of the great commission? How could we possibly meet the missional needs of our neighbors near, far and everywhere in between? How could we possibly proclaim the gospel news in all places to all people?
The answer that came to me is this: Notice in verse 16 how it was the eleven disciples who had come together. The resurrected Christ came to the disciples as they were gathered together. Jesus didn’t commission each one separately. Rather, he commissioned them together. That’s the word that releases us from the daunting and sometimes haunting words “go therefore.” We move out of our comfort zones together. We walk into and accept the cost of our discipleship, not alone, but together. We meet the magnitude of our commission – our missional imperative – together.
In other words, “go therefore” is not the commission given to one Christian or one church. It is the commission given to all of us. It is our collective task, and it invites us respond with a “yes!” Yes to mission and ministry in our own backyard. Yes to mission and ministry in spaces we don’t call home. Yes to mission and ministry that takes us to meet new neighbors. Yes to mission and ministry that widens the circle. Yes to mission and ministry that compels us to see the image of Christ in one another. The commission given to each of us “Go therefore…” is made to all of us, collectively.
And so, on June 30, 2024, a team of ASP volunteers departed from GBUMC to go and serve our neighbors whom we’ve yet to meet in Knott County, KY. We’re proclaiming the gospel with tools, sweat, love, and friendship. And now, as we prepare to come home to our own backyard, we’re ready to do the same for the neighbors we know. Our circle will grow wider, and we’ll have done it…together.
With you and for Christ,
Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian
“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.” ― John Wesley
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01
Jun '24
June 2024 Connection
01
Jun '24
“AUDACITY TO LOVE”
Toward the end of April, United Methodist delegates from our Michigan Annual Conference, as well as hundreds of other United Methodist delegates from around the world gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina for our United Methodist General Conference. This gathering takes place every four years, and is the body which helps to guide our denomination in the work of ministry for near future. It is a prayerful time, full of worship, prayer, as well as the hard and meaningful work of holy conferencing. This is has been part of our United Methodist DNA for centuries, and we continue this work today. Following it’s adjournment, Bishop David A. Bard, bishop to the Michigan Annual Conference shared his reflection in an article titled, “May We Not Love Alike?”
“I was first a delegate to General Conference in 2000 and have been at every one since, though this was my first regular General Conference as a bishop. This General Conference was like many I have attended before, though I no longer have a vote as a bishop. There was wonderful worship. There was joy and delight in greeting friends I have met over the years at General Conference. It was a pleasure to be there with the wonderful delegation from the Michigan Conference. The plenary included some tedious debates, and we managed to tie ourselves in a few procedural knots.
Yet this General Conference was unlike any other I have attended. In 1972, language was inserted into The Book of Discipline’s Social Principles that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” At that time, homosexuality was still classified in the psychiatric community as a disorder, and biblical scholarship on the subject was developing. Our denomination has been embroiled in debates about this matter since. Attempts to acknowledge differing scripturally and theologically grounded viewpoints were consistently defeated at General Conference, and more language restricting ministry and limiting participation in the church continued to be added.
All that changed at this General Conference, and it changed with a remarkably good spirit. Restrictive and exclusionary language has been taken out. Pastors will now be able to officiate at the weddings of parishioners without worrying that if those parishioners are in a same-sex relationship, they could face ecclesial charges. Persons can respond to the call of God on their lives, and boards of ordained ministry can discern those calls, regardless of the sexual orientation of the person being called. We now genuinely agree to disagree without fear of church penalties and punitive processes. Disagreements have not disappeared, but the table has been expanded. We can be a church with people who are more traditional and more progressive without the threat of church disciplinary processes over these matters.
Another way we have moved to change our worldwide denomination is by approving a more regional governance structure. When all the relevant constitutional amendments are ratified, different parts of The United Methodist Church will be allowed to make regional decisions about a wide range of matters, while our fundamental doctrines and structures remain intact. We have not changed our doctrinal standards, remaining rooted in Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. Yet future General Conferences will be able to focus on worship, celebration, and basic governance without forcing delegates from outside the United States to listen to lengthy debates about issues pertinent only to the United States, such as the pension plan for U.S. clergy or matters of U.S. law.
Many other legislative actions passed, including a new set of Social Principles. We will be digesting all this over the coming weeks. Significant changes were made with enthusiastic debate, but the overall spirit in the room was remarkably amicable and respectful. On the final day of General Conference, when a worship hymn moved into the R&B song “Love Train” by the O’Jays, the entire plenary hall broke into joyous singing and dancing.
While many celebrate the changes made at this General Conference, I recognize not all do. The church has always had disagreements, as reflected in many of Paul’s letters. What this General Conference did was to acknowledge that some issues over which we have been fighting for many years are, in some respects, issues over which there might be genuine disagreement, and we are, in the words of Paul, letting “all be fully convinced in their own minds” (Romans 14:5, NRSVUE). We are finding new ways to live in the Wesleyan spirit: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences” (“Catholic Spirit,” a sermon by John Wesley).
As I ended my time presiding over one plenary session at General Conference, I offered the following reflection: “As I close, I want to remind us of the audaciousness of what we are doing — working to build God’s beloved community in the name of the risen Christ, a community that breaks down dividing walls of nation, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, language, and opinion, and doing so in a world where every difference is quickly magnified into a chasm and where we rapidly retreat into enclaves of homogeneity. If this beloved community work were simple and easy, most of Paul’s letters in the New Testament either would never have been written or would have been much shorter. And this is the work of Christ, the work of the Spirit.”
The gospel is audacious, offering God’s wide and wild love in Jesus to the world. Knowing such love changes us profoundly or is intended to do so. And God’s beloved community is always a missional community. We break down dividing walls, not simply to enjoy one another’s company but to witness to a divided world where all persons are created in the image of God and loved by God in Jesus Christ. We have good news to share and to live out. Being part of the beloved community in the church, we seek to extend it into the world, offering healing to the broken, food to the hungry, justice to the oppressed, and peace and reconciliation to the divided. God’s beloved community in Jesus is a missional community.
Our joyful journey continues, and I am delighted to share it with you.”
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30
Apr '24
May 2024
30
Apr '24
“Confessions of A Bad Gardener”
In my life, I have been described as many things, many of which I am comfortable with. Some have been troubling, though likely at least a bit true. Some are, well…you know…not true. But one thing no one has ever described me as is a green thumb. Not even in the ballpark. The closest I come to being a green thumb is the ability to shovel and spread mulch in a garden, and wheel the squeaky cart through the aisles of Bordine’s when Stephanie wants to pick out some hanging pots in the Spring. Beyond that, I am not a green thumb.
This is why I was shocked this morning to hear Jane proclaim as she was walking out the front door, “Mommy! Daddy! Look at the pretty flowers!” Her innocent joy was matched by my surprise that there were, in fact, wild flowers growing in my very nicely mulched bed. I hadn’t planted them (I know better than to try), and Stephanie hadn’t planted them, but there they were. Flourishing without our having caused them in the first place.
As I’m reflecting on these wildflowers and their persistence to grow despite my severe lack of a green thumb, I am reminded of the power and mystery of God’s grace. Grace is our way of understanding God’s love and compassion for us. God’s grace does not depend on us. God’s grace is formed by God alone, felt by God alone, and is freely shared by God, alone! God’s grace rises up to meet us even when we feel as though there is nothing we’ve done to tend the soil in our lives. God’s grace just comes. It just grows. It just…is.
One of my greatest privileges as your pastor is to be able to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion with you. In breaking the bread and lifting the cup, we are reminded that God’s presence is present, and yet it remains a mystery. It’s a mystery, not because we can’t theologically define grace, but because, no matter how hard we might try, we can’t fully comprehend the “why” of it all. Why is God so deeply in love with us? Why is God so deeply committed to a relationship with us? Why, when we consider all we do that must simply disappoint God, does God still invite us to the table? The answers are ultimately a mystery – one that we have to be okay with. And so, I find myself giving the same deeply theological answer to the question of “why does God love us?”
My answer: I don’t know, but He does.
I don’t know how long those wild flowers were blooming, but I do know that they didn’t need my permission or my effort. They simply grew. Maybe they were there for some time, and I just never noticed them. For me to notice them, it took my 3 ¾ year old daughter to see them, accept them as a beautiful mystery, and simply experience joy through them.
“Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples, and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 18:2-4 (CEB)
Peace,
Pastor Brian
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01
Mar '24
March 2024 Connection
01
Mar '24
“Condition and Desire”
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself. And the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. -Thomas Merton
As we’ve been journeying through this season of Lent, we have been reflecting. Our reflection began with the wearing of ashes on Ash Wednesday, reminding us of our mortality and our shared human condition – sin. As I shared in a sermon only a few weeks ago, I like to define “sin” as anything that puts distance between us and God, us and others, and even us and…us. And so, you see, the human condition of sin that we share means that at any given time, we find ourselves moving closer to God, and moving away from God. Closer, away, closer, away, closer away. You get the idea.
As we wear the ashes (or maybe simply remember them now that it’s March), we might be tempted to think that the ashes are a bleak symbol for our hopelessness – that we could never measure up to what God wants of us, and so we ought to just throw in the proverbial towel. But I deeply disagree with that! God’s command to us, articulated by Christ, is to love God with our whole being, to love others, and to love ourselves. When we live into that, we defy sin that so often seems to have a hold on us. When we fail to live into that command, we are met with a grace that reconciles us to the love of God. In other words, God has absolutely no intention of letting sin have the last word.
So, if there is grace, why did we bother with the ashes. If God has no intention of letting sin have the last word, why did we devote a whole day – heck, a whole season – to it? I believe it’s because we must name the condition in order to recognize the beauty of the grace which delivers us from it.
In the prayer by Thomas Merton, he offers these words: “But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.” I’m drawn to these words because I believe they reflect the desired outcome of this season of Lent: recognizing that we suffer from the human condition of sin, and yet our desire not to let sin rule our lives means that we are reaching out and grabbing the gift of grace that Christ so graciously gives to us. It is that reach that so pleases God!
As we draw closer to Holy Week, remember that Jesus ate with disciples who wrestled with sin, forgave the soldiers who were nailing his hands and feet, and offered grace to another man upon a cross. Remember that it was at the empty tomb where the resurrected Christ drew closer to Mary and called her by name.
Lent is about recognizing the reality of sin and desiring to close the gap. And it is in that desire that we discover the grace that has always been there. The miracle is that we can now see it.
Your sibling in Christ,
Pastor Brian
Pastor Brian
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01
Feb '24
February 2024 Connection
01
Feb '24
“Stable Churches”
I recently read an article about churches that said “the era of the stable church is gone.” At first, I assumed it was going to articulate something about the Bethlehem stable and some sort of decline in Christmas nativity scenes on church lawns, or something of the sort. But it didn’t. Instead, it offered an insight that I simply haven’t considered. It pointed out that churches are either thriving or declining – growing or deteriorating. The idea of having a church that just remains “stable,” unchanging, and steadfast in a community without growing or dying is a thing of the past.
Now, let me be clear: I don’t write this with a sense of doom and gloom. This is not intended to be read with dread or anxiety. Instead, my hope is that you’ll read it with joy, possibility, and the impulse to dream, act, and be a part of something amazing. What I want to do is share with you some really important observations about Grand Blanc UMC and how we are not merely existing as a stable church, but thriving as a growing, serving, and hope-filled church.
1. Sometimes we find ourselves perhaps a bit too analytical, to our own detriment. We measure growth in the church by a sum number of active members, and in doing so we forget some fundamental principles of our faith. For instance, I have a good friend who shared with me that his church welcomed 11 new members in the same year that they held funeral services for 12 of their long-time members. On their year end report, the analytics calculated a year of decline. But those numbers ultimately lie to us. We forget that those 12 members who have joined the saints of God had contributed to years of ministry and, despite their having died, continue to be a part of the church as they join the “great cloud of witnesses.” The new members the church added simply (though wonderfully) became part of the church on earth as in heaven. Through the witness of that church in that particular community, the church grew!
Here at GBUMC, we have said goodbye to beloved saints of the church who now rest from their labors with God. And yet, this past year, we have welcomed new members, welcomed guests, and have been a part of growing the church. In other words, GBUMC is a growing church!
2. Churches that are missional, thriving, and growing, happen to find themselves financially strong. And there is a very real correlation between the two! I was once acquainted with a small congregation that had a beautiful history of serving their community. It was never a big church, but it loved its community. Over time, the community changed, as communities tend to do, and it began to “circle the wagons,” so to speak. Missions and generosity took a back seat to balancing a budget. Sunday mornings became more about maintaining tradition than it was about worship. Even ideas for jump starting some new vitality were ignored for fear that it might be too hard and too different. The giving in the church continued to dwindle to the point that the biggest giver was a local community member who was not a member, but whose parents had attended the church years prior.
That particular congregation lost its missional identity. It traded growth and the possibility for the certainty of what seemed like stability. Ultimately, the excitement to be generous dwindled to next to nothing for a church that was no longer thriving.
In my time at GBUMC, I have seen the opposite happening. I have seen ministry that is resilient and exciting. I have seen generosity that defies the challenges many churches have faced. I have witnessed dreaming that is daring, bold, and full of vitality! In 2023, we closed the year with giving that surpassed our expected income, more than met our budget, and sets us up for a wonderful start of 2024. By all accounts (pun intended), Grand Blanc UMC is thriving, and your generosity is just one sign of that.
- Grand Blanc UMC has, as part of its DNA, a welcoming and hospitable spirit. I will share with you, and probably not for the first time, that I am regularly told by guests, especially on Sunday mornings, how much they appreciate the warm and authentic welcome they feel while here at church. Hospitality is, believe it or not (though, I hope you will) a very big part of the Gospel message. Making space for others in our lives is central to what it means to be a Christian. And this responsibility belongs not just to the ushers, the greeters, the Coffee Hour volunteers, the staff, or me, the pastor. Rather, it belongs to each us! Growing, thriving, missional, Gospel-centered churches, make space for others and demonstrate an authentic welcoming spirit!
Grand Blanc UMC is not a stable church. We are growing. We are thriving. We are living out what it means to be the church! It is my privilege to be a part of it alongside each of you, and I truly look forward to all this year will bring!
Peace,
Pastor Brian
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