I Miss Your Smile

During this time of quarantine there have been many things that we haven’t been able to do, that we were used to doing. The stay-at home order made me even more aware of the simple little things that I would often take for granted. Honestly, I never even really liked going to Wal-Mart until I was told to stay home and not go, or that when I did the number of people would be limited. Going to the gym, to the mall, or even to church, are all things that we have not been able to do during this time (honestly, I don’t go to the gym but it sounded good when I wrote it).

            My point today is that there are many things that we miss. I have been thinking about what I miss the most. No, going to the gym isn’t one of them. The worship and community life of the church is something that I miss, and being a pastor that is probably a good thing. I miss visiting people in their homes, and making rounds to the nursing homes where I have members staying as residents. I even miss going to the hospital and seeing some of my chaplain friends.

I miss going to the store and talking to a cashier without a plexi-glass barrier between us, and I miss standing in line without 6 feet of required distance in between me and the other person. OK, so I don’t really miss standing in line either, but I was just making a point about the social distance.

            But all of these regulations are for good reason, and should be taken seriously. Of course there are other things that we can do even in the midst of what we can’t right now.

            Of all these things, however, the one thing that I miss the most is seeing people’s smiles.

            When we wear a mask it’s hard to see the smile.

            1 Corinthians 3 tells the story of Moses meeting with God on the mountain and wearing a veil, or a covering, over his face when he came back among the people. The reason was because Moses’ face was shining so brightly with the glory of God that it would literally freak the people out if they saw it themselves. So, Moses covered it up when he was around the people, he wore a veil over his face. But when he went back up the mountain to be in the presence of God, he would take it off.

            Now I know that the reason we wear masks today is not to cover up the glory of God from other people seeing that on our faces, but rather to cover up the possibility that we would get others sick from what is coming out of our mouths. But, work with me here for just a minute.

            It is recommended that we cover our faces when we are around other people for the time being. And there is good reason for that. But when we are alone in the presence of our Lord, we can take that mask off.

            “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord”- 1 Corinthians 3:18.

            So here’s what I am thinking, since our mouths are covered with our masks, and other people can’t see our smile, then we have to let that smile shine with more than just our mouths. We need eye-smiles. Smiles that let another person know, even from behind the mask, that this will all be OK, that this will all be well, and that God is with us. And when we come before the Lord and have our time alone with him, remove that mask, that veil, and as you do allow His grace to remove any mask that is covering who we really are, so that our authentic selves may be in communion with our Creator.

            I miss seeing your smile. So when we pass by one another, even at a 6’ distance, let your smile shine with more than just your mouth. Allow that God-glory to radiate from you. Because right now, we all need that.

Smile on!

           

Church in 2020--Stay Home

Easter Sunday 2020 will be remembered a lot longer than most of our previous Easter Sunday celebrations. For my family we were not able to all be together, and I missed that. We were not able to have a big choral cantata celebration, and I missed that. We were not all able to gather together for Easter pictures as a family, or as a church family, and I missed that.

            But we were still able to gather for worship, to share in Holy Communion in a new way, and we were still able to proclaim, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”. We were able to hear sermons from a bunch of different preachers, and even virtual choirs coming together through Zoom and a little editing software to bring us glorious Easter hymns like “Christ the Lord is risen today!”

            Yes, Easter was different, but wasn’t it a memorable day?

            And now Eastertide, the season of Easter that leads us to Pentecost in May, will be different as well. I don’t know when the churches where I serve as pastor will be back together for in-person worship. I know that there are area churches that are still worshipping together in the same building, but we will not be doing that until the health concerns and our stay-at-home orders are lifted.

            So what do we do in the meantime? Online gatherings have offered one way to stay connected, whether that be through Facebook live or Zoom meetings. Personal phone calls are still a great way to stay connected, and I have received more cards in the mail over the past 2 weeks than I have in a normal year.

            But here’s the other thing that I want to remind us of today. This is a great opportunity to grow in your faith, and to impact the faith of those in your own household. This is an incredible discipleship moment.

            At the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church he wrote, “The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Pirscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings” (1 Corinthians 16:19).

            Church meetings in the home. That was how our faith gatherings began, not in buildings or even in large groups. It was never about that. It was about “house churches”, which was families who learned the faith by living it out in relationship with those closest to them. They read, studied, and discussed the Scriptures, not because they each had their own copy, but from an oral tradition that was handed down within the family unit. The house church. The family church living out faith, singing the hymns and psalms, and even breaking bread and sharing meals together. A holy act when the Lord is invited to be present.

            I am not loving this time of quarantine and the restrictions imposed upon us, but I do believe that we can learn something here where we are, and that we can grow in our faith here where we are. And maybe there is a tradition for those “who gather in their home for church meetings” that can be reclaimed for the glory of God in this time as well.

            We are the church. Not the building. Not the preacher. Not the choir. Not the stained glass windows. I would rather be preaching every Sunday from the pulpit. But I don’t think that would be wisest course of action at this time for the people who I minister to, the people who I love.

            Staying apart is hard. But perhaps we can reclaim a home-church model that will deepen the faith of those who are trying to live it out, so that when we come back together we will be able to live out this deeply disciplined faith as a truly dispersed church in the world.

            How are you deepening your faith while at home? Are you connected in an online small group? Do you think that the small-group house church model is a way to reach new people who would never come into a traditional church building? I don’t have all the answers, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

           

Isolated, but not Alone

           

As I am writing this the state of TN was the latest in the line of states to declare stay at home acts. This is a hard time that we are living in, there is no doubt about that. Every day we are told of how many more people around the world have contracted Covid-19, and how many deaths have been due to this virus. Of course we also want to know how many Americans, and then we need that broken down into how many Tennesseans and even how many in Washington County.

            There is no shortage of this information. The news outlets seem to cover nothing but this, and there are even 24-hour a day streaming platforms to give us up to the minute details of the numbers, the people, affected. We are told of the economic implications that will affect us for years after the epidemic of the virus has been controlled.

            Jobs have been lost, graduations have been cancelled, school will be done a new way, and employers who can keep their workers are struggling to fund creative ways to allow work from home and still stay in business.

            There is no end to the effects of Covid-19. And daily the death toll rises.

            What are we to do?

            The gospel of Mark begins in a unique way, “This is the Good News about Jesus” (Mark 1:1a). Mark does not begin with a genealogy to show Jesus’ heritage and messianic claims, nor does he talk of shepherds and angels and Mary and Joseph. Mark jumps right into Jesus at age 30, being baptized in the Jordan River. Immediately after this Mark says that Jesus began calling his disciples and performing many miracles and healings.

            And then, right in the 1^st chapter of this gospel, Mark writes these words, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (Mark 1:35).

            Isolation. That’s a scary word, and perhaps even more so in the culture of our day. Patients in hospitals all over the world are alone as family members are not allowed to be there with them. The CDC advice to anyone who feels ill is self-quarantine, and in many homes there are isolated people living under the same roof.

            When we are isolated we feel alone. And feeling alone can feed a feeling of fear.

            But I have always found that it interesting, that right off the bat in Mark’s gospel, as he is laying the groundwork of who Jesus is and what is important in Jesus and in life in general, that he intentionally says that Jesus sought out some isolation. Not to be alone completely, but to be alone with his Father, and to engage in a very specific and intentional act….prayer.

            I don’t know where you will be when you read this, or what the numbers of Covid-19 impact will be. But here is what I am thinking that we can do today, allow a time of staying at home, of staying away from others, to draw us closer to our God.

            Seek an intentional isolated place today, and maybe that isn’t going to be too hard. Maybe it’s a favorite chair, or room in your house. If you can get outside in your yard then maybe that provides a great prayer spot for you.

            And then just pray.

Speak to God what is on your heart.

            And know that even in isolation, you are not alone.

The rhythm of the lectionary

                We need some balance in our lives right now. We need some continuity in our lives right now.

                Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

                That is a verse we all need in times like this. Knowing that in an upside down out of control world that God is still His always right side up in control Self.

                I would encourage you to hang on to that verse, especially in the week ahead.

                And I want to give you another unchanging resource as well.

                The lectionary.

                Vanderbilt Divinity Library defines the lectionary in this way:

The Revised Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of weekly lections used to varying degrees by the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches in Canada and the United States. The RCL is built around the seasons of the Church Year, and includes four lections for each Sunday, as well as additional readings for major feast days. During most of the year, the lections are: a reading from the Hebrew Bible, a Psalm, a reading from the Epistles, and a Gospel reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew Bible lection is usually replaced with one from the Acts of the Apostles. The lections from the Hebrew Bible are sometimes chosen from the Apocrypha.

The seasons of the Church Year reflect the life of Christ. Consequently, the gospel lections for each Sunday provide the focus for that day. The other lections for a given day generally have a thematic relationship to the gospel reading for that day, although this is not always the case. In Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two sets of readings for the lessons from the Hebrew Bible. One set proceeds mostly continuously, giving the story of the Patriarchs and the Exodus in Year A, the monarchial narratives in Year B, and readings from the Prophets in Year C. In the other set of readings for Ordinary Time, the readings from the Hebrew Bible are thematically related to the gospel lections. Denominations or local churches generally use either the semicontinuous readings or the thematic readings during Ordinary Time. They do not typically move back and forth between the two over the course of a single season.

The gospel readings for each year come from one of the synoptic gospels according to the following pattern:

Year A - Matthew

Year B - Mark

Year C - Luke

Readings from the Gospel of John can be found throughout the RCL.[i]

So, basically the lectionary is a set of daily Scripture readings, from the Old Testament, from the Gospel, from the Psalms, and from an Epistle (basically Acts-Revelation). I wanted to share all this today because I find the lectionary to be a gift of comfort amid the craziness of the world, especially right now. The lectionary, in conjunction with our church calendar, give us a rhythm and routine to life and worship, and that the two are always connected.

A few years ago I started beginning every day with a reading from the Psalms. Then I incorporated the daily lectionary reading in as well, Old Testament and New Testament. And in this ancient scriptural practice I found a beautiful routine that was comforting, not boring, routine, but not regular.

For me, the lectionary calendar provides a routine that I desperately need.

In my first appointment I came thinking of all the ways that we could change up the worship service, from the music to where I preached from, even to the bulletins and the order of worship. I wanted to make sure that no one was too “comfortable”, which I assumed then would lead to “complacent”. As I sat one afternoon and talked to a recently widowed church member, she said these words, “I can’t wait to get back to church. My life is so out of control right now. At least in church I know what to expect. I know what comes next.”

What to expect.

What comes next.

Those are things that we want now, also, I think.

Her words have stuck with me. I didn’t need to change up an order of worship, there is something important, there is something comforting, in knowing what comes next.

As I sit here this morning writing these words I am looking out my window, and I can’t see past the road at the end of my yard. I know that there are trees on the other side of the road. I know that Willie and Barbara live just to the left. But I can’t see anything past my yard. It doesn’t mean that the trees and the Gehlen’s house is not there anymore, just because I can’t see it. It just means that right now there is something blocking the view for me.

The lectionary is kind of like this for me. I can’t see everything that will happen, and that’s ok. I can see what I need to see, and I know, at least for this moment, what will come next.

I want to encourage you, as we are in this unique time in our lives, to engage in the lectionary with me. I have posted links to both the daily readings (we are in Year A right now), and the Sunday readings, on our Telford United Methodist Church website under the “Ministries” tab (https://webtelfordunitedme.wixsite.com/mysite/ministries-1)

You can even click here to import all of these readings directly into your online calendar!! https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/calendar.php

I hope that the lectionary can be a gift of comfort to you during these days and weeks ahead. And know that there are so many others around the world reading the same Scripture with you today.

And if you haven’t done this yet, you can also sign up to receive a daily devotional email based on the Scripture readings from the lectionary directly from members of our Holston Conference. You can sign up to get this daily email here: https://list.robly.com/subscribe?a=86212b741523f9e41a9d3b61c1c0c05a

Things are different. And they will continue to be. But our God is the same, always and forever. In the midst of the changing landscape of the world we live in, know that God’s promises to you in Scripture, His love shown to you in Jesus, and His presence with you in the Holy Spirit, remains unchangeable and eternal.

Rest in that knowledge. Be comforted in that truth. And engage in a routine with the Lord that brings you closer to Him.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Michael

For those interested, here is my “normal” routine for engaging with the lectionary readings:

1.       Read a Psalm (actually right now I am not reading the recommended Psalm for the day, I am reading through the Psalter in order again, from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150. Sometimes I break up the longer Psalms into more than one day, do whatever you feel God leading you to).

2.       Read the New Testament passage

3.       Read the Old Testament passage

4.       Read a brief devotional (Sometimes I use the Upper Room, or sometimes the Holston Conference email devotional that is listed above—I like this because it goes along with the Scripture I just read. Right now I am reading this book, https://www.amazon.com/Library-Lewis-Selections-Influenced-Spiritual/dp/0307730824, which is a collection of short quotes from some of the writers who influenced CS Lewis.) There are also thousands of devotions through your Youversion Bible app.

5.       Prayer (I keep a prayer journal of prayer requests, what I am thankful for, supplications of others), I begin with the Lord’s Prayer because that helps center me

There is no right or wrong way here, and this structure works for me right now, but will change perhaps as I continue to mature and change as well. Find what works for you where you are right now in your relationship with God. W

We will get through this because God is with us. Take precautions, stay home if you can, follow the health and safety guidelines, and engage with your Father. He’s waiting….

---

[i] https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/faq2.php

All will be well---so give up

As I am writing this devotion we are still in the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 day period (not counting Sunday’s) that is from Ash Wednesday to Easter. This year that means Lent began on February 26 and ends on April 11.

            Lent is a beautiful gift of preparation, of self-denial and reflection. Lent is also a time that many people choose to give up something, or pick up a new something in their life, with the hope and expectation that this 40 day period will be a time that they draw closer to God.

            I have given up many material things during Lent over the years. One year I gave up Mtn. Dew (and I still haven’t drank one since), one year I gave up meat (and then ate an entire bag of beef jerky right after the Easter worship service—thanks Bob Fletcher!). Giving up things for a period of time is good for us.

            And yet as I am writing this devotion there is so much more going on in the world than just Lent. And yet, Lent is still here, among us, even as we are in the midst of so much today.

            In the past couple of weeks we have been asked to give up many things. Not just Christians giving up chocolate or Mtn. Dew’s for Lent, but as humans giving up things for the benefit and well-being of other humans amid a global pandemic.

            We have been asked to give up some travel. Stay home.

            We have been asked to give up some eating out. Stay home.

            We have been asked to give up meeting together in church sanctuaries. Stay home.

            We have been asked to give up gathering in groups. Stay home.

            We have been asked to give up being in physical contact with others, and we have even been asked to maintain distance between others.

            We have been told to clean, wash, disinfect. Things that are always a good idea, just saying.

            And as we have been told to give up these things for a while, I watched the fear and anxiety increase through the news on TV, and even in my neighborhood. Just walk down the toilet paper aisle at Wal-Mart, or try to find bleach at Dollar General, or bread at Food City, and you see firsthand our human reaction.

            In the giving up of these things, some people have picked up many other things. Fear, worry, anxiety. And it’s no wonder. When all you hear is the media outlets, the social media hysteria, and the doomsday prophecies there is little room for anything else.

            So how about right now, right in the heart of the Lenten season, we just go ahead and give up. We’ve been giving up many other things anyway, so why not give up a few more things today?

            Give up fear.

                        “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?”--Psalm 27:1

            Give up worry.

                        “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”—Matthew 6:25-27

            Give up anxiety.

                        “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”—1 Peter 5:7

            Give up hoarding.

                        “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”—Proverbs 22:19

            Give up running.

                        “Be still and know that I am God”—Psalm 46:10

            Give up control.

                        “Then he went a short distance farther and fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it’s possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.”—Matthew 26:39

            God has got this. He’s got the whole world in His hands. And He loves you and cares for you. Be strong in Him, be courageous as a child of the Most High God. Do not fear and do not worry. For God is with you. God is with us. And it is well.

            “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” (Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love).

PORCH

            June of 2019 the Holston Annual Conference received an offering of $129,733 to fight the opioid addiction epidemic in our conference. This money is being distributed to area churches to implement new addiction recovery programs, and to re-engage in existing ministries. I want to applaud these ministries, the people who are working countless hours behind the scenes to keep them going, and each person who is seeking treatment. There are wonderful things happening in our conference, and this is just one more reason I am #HolstonProud.

            Unfortunately, there is so much more needed as we battle addiction in our communities, our neighborhoods, our churches, and our families. $129,733 is a great start, but how much is needed to really make a difference?

            What about the families of addicts who don’t know where to turn or what to do? How much money do we need to help them and support them?

            This has been a topic of conversation in one of the churches I serve, Telford United Methodist Church. And from these conversations, from listening to one another and seeking to follow the voice of God, PORCH emerged as a ministry for those affected by addiction of loved ones.

Here is how Donna Alexander, the creator and facilitator of the Telford UMC PORCH group, explains this ministry to those affected by addiction in our church.

            “Chuck (Donna’s husband) and I knew that God would call us to where He wanted us to be as soon as we settled in here in Jonesborough.  He led us to Telford UMC, pulling us to the doors there.  Once we walked through that front door, we knew we were home.  And before long, our front porch became a place where neighbors, strangers passing by and friends we made here felt welcome and comfortable to sit and chat.  Many left saying they felt unburdened after sitting and talking about things they never discussed or shared with any one before.

It was clear that God was leading us to a new mission.  Several Sundays in church, members of the congregation would take us aside and say that they felt led to talk to us about some things in their lives.  God had been preparing our lives all along since childhood to be observers, listeners, comforters and nonjudgmental.  After all, we had seen it all in our own families and friends and we loved them even so.  Perhaps we loved them even MORE.   

One day when speaking with a woman in our church, I was extremely moved by what she shared about addiction in her family.  She thanked me for listening.  She said it helped so much.  I took that home that Sunday and prayed for her and for how I might be helpful to her.  God said, “You listened”...it's enough.  I understood what I could do.  I could listen.  So, I called this woman and asked if she thought it would be helpful to her to get together with others who might have similar issues in their lives...to talk and listen to each other.  She yelled through the phone an emphatic and LOUD “YES, OH YES”. 

So began our get-togethers on Monday evenings in our home.  At first it was just for women who were affected in any way by addiction of a loved one.  But, within two weeks, men were asking if they might attend as well. 

Though there is a scheduling nightmare at times, the group has made a difference in people's lives.  Families are opening the lines of communication, making plans to seek professional help, feeling that they are not alone in their journey. 

We gather now on the 1st & 3rd Mondays at our home, bringing a dish to pass so that we might share an informal meal together as a family of God.  We pray for God's guidance and thank Him for this opportunity to be a FRAMILY (a Telford term of blended ‘family’ and ‘friends’).  We listen and we sometimes cry together and rejoice together as we see progress being made.  We set boundaries to protect ourselves from those who would try to bring blame to the blameless in the cycle of addiction. 

In searching for a name for our group, I was sitting on our porch one afternoon and a neighbor stopped by.  We sat and chatted (I mostly listened). When she left, she commented that our porch was inviting and such a comfortable place to feel welcome and loved.  When she left I looked down at the sheet of paper on which I had been scribbling ideas for a name for our group.  PORCH would be perfect I thought.  People Offering Real Christian Help/Hope!”

Money is necessary for ministry. But what has struck me is how lives are being impacted through relationships and…listening. There are many other recovery programs that are needed in our communities, but I wonder if the PORCH model might not be a way to embrace those friends and family members who are feeling isolated, alone, and hurt by addiction of their loved ones.

Perhaps the front PORCH could be extended by other churches as a place of welcome, and rest. A place to cry. A place to scream. A place to laugh. A real place to live and love together in community.

If you would like more info on PORCH, or ideas to facilitate a group in your church, please call us. Or better yet, come on over and sit on the PORCH, and let’s talk.

           

You are Kind. You are smart. You are important.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

Those words are spoken by a woman to a child in the movie, The Help. I don’t normally recommend movies, but this is one that I think everyone should see. What I find interesting, and applicable, is that this scene carries on throughout the movie. Those six words were repeated to this little girl as she grew up, and helped shape her understanding of herself as she moved into adulthood. I think this important because throughout your life you will have voices speaking to you, telling you who you are. And when those voices do not match up with the truth of God’s Word, then you know they are a lie. But to know the difference, you must know what God says about you, so that you can discern the truth from the lies. It also helps if you listen regularly to God, so that you can begin to know the sound of His voice amongst all the other voices throughout life (see what Jesus had to say about this in John 10:27-29).

Coming to know and understand who you are “in” Christ is a lifelong process. It takes that time to know that you are loved. You are redeemed. You are forgiven. You are an heir. You are invited into relationship with God. You are a new creation.

One of my favorite pictures of who we are is found in 1 Corinthians 12:27, where the apostle Paul writes, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it”. I love this because this is a reminder that while we find our identity “in” Christ, we find our purpose, “in” the body, among other people. Not in isolation. Not alone. But in community.

Take some time to read this section of 1 Corinthians this week (1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and Ephesians 4:1-6 both refer to this metaphor of the “church”, the gathered together community of believers, as a “body”). I have been thinking about this a lot lately, this body metaphor. We are all connected. We are all part of something bigger than ourselves, or the building where we worship on Sunday mornings, or even the denomination that we are part of. The body is not the Body of the United Methodists, or the Body of the Baptists, or the Body of the Presbyterians, or the Body of the Catholics, or anything else. It is the Body of…Christ!

And YOU are part of this, and so am I. And we have work to do, together. Because it’s not about the foot, or the hand, or the eye, or the mouth, or the thyroid, or the fingernail, or the arm pit hair. These are all parts of the body, and every part is important. Every part is needed.

And the Body only functions if each part does its job to benefit the body. That’s why Paul said if one part of the body suffers, then the whole body suffers. If you’ve ever broken a bone, then you know that break affects all the rest of your body. If your toe is broken, the rest of your foot doesn’t say, “well, it’s just a toe. It’s not that big of deal, it doesn’t’ affect me because I’ve got four more”. No! A broken toe hurts all the way up to the top of your head, because if one part suffers the whole body suffers. And that’s the point Paul was making for us all as Christians, that if any one part is suffering, then we all suffer together. And if any one part rejoices, then we all rejoice and celebrate together.

Because we are all connected. Not by denominational standards or social constructs. We are connected because Jesus is the head of the Body and we are all members of it with a job to do. You are invaluable to the Body because God made you to be part of it, to be in community with other parts, and to do a job for the overall well-being of the Body. Maybe your job is visible, like the foot, or the mouth, or maybe your job is not as noticeable on the surface, like the thyroid, or the uvula. But every part is important, because every part is created by God with a plan and a purpose. Every part is a unique and every member is a loved child of God.

            And that’s who you are.

            You are kind. You are smart. You are important.