THE CONNECTION

July 2024 Connection

Posted on Jun 27, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter |

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

“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

Jun '24

June 2024 Connection

Posted on Jun 1, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter |

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.”

Apr '24

May 2024

Posted on Apr 30, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter |

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

Apr '24

April 2024 Connection

Posted on Apr 1, 2024 in BLOG |

Apr '24

Remembered His Words

“Then they remembered his words.” – Luke 24:8 (NRSV)

On Wednesday, March 13th, there were 250 United Methodists from all walks of life, representing a variety of world views and political perspectives gathered at the steps of the capital in Lansing as we witnessed to, and encouraged one another and lawmakers to consider the necessity of affordable mental health care, equal and sufficient access to it, and other related matters. We stood there in Christian witness and compassionate encouragement as people of faith who believe that part of what it means to love our neighbors is to be a voice for our neighbors, especially when the voices of the afflicted aren’t being heard.

During this time, I, along with several others, had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Martin, who represents Grand Blanc and a few surrounding communities in the Genesee County area. During that time, we expressed our hope for his support of mental health care legislation, and encouraged him to remember the stories we were able to share with him of how effective and equitable mental health care has positively impacted the lives of many in our communities, and how increased access to such care not only impacts more people, but truly saves lives.

As our meeting ended, our small group presented Rep. Martin with a handcrafted butterfly, adorned with a semicolon (;). We explained that the symbolism of the gift is two-fold. The first symbol being the semicolon, a symbol of the unfinished story. As people of faith, we deeply believe that our story is never completed. Accompanying every life is a story that is unfinished – a story that we cannot allow to be cut short by suicide and the challenges so many face with their mental health.

The second symbol presented in the gift is that of the butterfly. The butterfly represents transformation. It represents life that emerges in a renewed way. In its own way, the metamorphosis of a butterfly is a resurrection.

On Easter Sunday, I shared in my sermon the words we find in Luke 24:8 – “Then they remembered his words.” The verse is in reference to the women who approached the tomb on Easter morning, ready to anoint the body of Jesus with burial spices when they discovered that the tomb was empty. Facing two angelic figures, they began to remember what Jesus told them during his ministry about resurrection. But, I don’t believe it was because they simply forgot. Rather, I suspect that they were simply struggling to see beyond their present reality: grief, pain, hurt, dismay, uncertainty, etc…

Perhaps the butterfly and the semicolon are ways for us to remember what Jesus taught. Perhaps those symbols are ways for us to share with others those same words of hope. In these days beyond Easter, may we remember that there are those among us – neighbors in our community, friends in our church, members of our own families, even – who are spending their lives silently looking into the empty tomb, unable to see the possibility of resurrection. Perhaps in the midst of all that they’re facing, they’re unable to consider the notion of putting semicolons where they only see periods. In these days following Easter, may we be for someone else – and, if needed, may someone be for you – the angel who proclaims a reminding word of Jesus promise of new life; of transformation; of resurrection.

;
Pastor Brian

Mar '24

March 2024 Connection

Posted on Mar 1, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter, Uncategorized |

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

Feb '24

February 2024 Connection

Posted on Feb 1, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter |

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

Jan '24

January 2024 Connection

Posted on Jan 1, 2024 in BLOG, Newsletter, Uncategorized |

Jan '24

Muddy Footprints in Jesus’ Church

And Other Reasons It’s Not Really About Us

A number of years ago, a church I served, after about 10 years of hosting a very popular Trunk-or-Treat on Halloween night, finally had to move things indoors on a particularly rainy Halloween night. Rain became mud, and not a soul wanted to be outside unless it was to move from one candy source to another. The night was still a great success, but, as you can imagine, the church’s carpets we pretty well muddied
and in need of cleaning. The next day, as I listened to a church member complain about the community’s disrespect of her church, I offered a not-so-subtle reminder of an important truth: “This church is not yours or mine. This church belongs to those who don’t yet have a church family.” The conversation ended, but I do hope that my point was taken. Sometimes, in the busyness of being the church, it’s easy to forget
what our purpose is.

In John 21:15, responding to Jesus’ question as to whether Simon Peter truly loved Jesus, Simon Peter’s reply was, “Yes. Lord…you know that I love you.” It was at that moment that Jesus gave the first of three nearly identical instructions: “Feed my lambs.”

In Mark 1:17, after calling his disciples, Jesus tells the two fishermen, Andrew and Simon, “Come, follow me…and I will send you out to fish for people.”

In Matthew 28:19, we discover the resurrected Jesus giving the disciples what has become known as the “Great Commission:” All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Time and time again, Jesus invites his disciples (and we are his disciples, too), that the notion of the church – the “Body of Christ” – is only about us up to the point that we are fed. Once we are fed, it is no longer really about us. We become the church for someone else! It becomes our obligation to become fishers of people, lamb feeders, and into-the-world goers!

The problem is, over time, the Church as institution (note the capital “C”) has done an amazing job of convincing Christians that church is all about “us.” We’ve been taught that Christianity’s goal is getting to heaven and getting as many people to go with us as possible. We’ve been taught that good people “go to church” and that Sundays are the most important thing we do.

Now, don’t get me wrong! I absolutely love the Church! I love being a Christian and I love being a follower of Jesus. That said, the Christian Church (notice that capital “C” again) needs to reexamine its role. We need deeply to see that the goal of Christianity is and has always really been about caring for and seeing the image of God in our neighbor, loving those who struggle to love us back, and praying for those we’d otherwise call our enemy. We deeply need to see that there are many, even in our community – our own backyard – who have been hurt by Churches and have walked away because Christians haven’t always been the best reflections of God’s immense and limitless love. We deeply need to begin to understand that worship attendance, while immensely important to our spiritual health and relationship with God, is not the marker of one’s “goodness” or their Christian faith, for that matter. Worship is, at its core an expression of gratitude and love for a God who has loved us before we could ever comprehend it (we call that prevenient grace).

Does this mean that we ignore one another and only focus on those not in relationship with this church or another church? Absolutely not! Jesus’ commission was never to forget one another. In the early church, we see countless examples of seeing and caring for one another, praying, encouraging one another, and growing deeper in faith! Just read Paul’s letter and you’ll discover it immediately. But you’ll also discover that the goal for all of that was singular – that others might come to discover through the church (little “c” means “Body of Christ) the good news of Jesus Christ.

In other words, its time for the Church to embody the church, and to see the muddy footprints on the
carpet as evidence of grace, goodness, and good news. It’s not my Church and it’s not your Church. We
exist as a church for those who have yet to discover the real gospel!

Are we ready – are you ready – to do what it takes to fish for people, feed sheep, and go into all the
world?

Today is a new day.
Pastor Brian