General

On September 12, I will be traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to participate in an exciting new ministry called the Emmaus Road Discipleship School.  This program is the vision of our own Charlotte Liggett (Calvin and Rosemary Hartter’s daughter).  A couple of years ago, Charlotte began to realize that the church has not always taught people how to be disciples of Jesus Christ even though we’re pretty good about teaching people how to be church members.  Charlotte wanted a program that would teach the basics and the heart of what it means to be one of Christ’s disciples out in the world.  The Emmaus Road Discipleship School was born.

Through an amazing series of answered prayers—enthusiastic support from the Nebraska region of the Christian Church, grant money from the Lilly Foundation, a willing team of facilitators who all said yes immediately—the Emmaus Road Discipleship School is now a reality.  Participants make a three-year commitment to study core aspects of the Christian faith:  prayer, worship, scripture, service, testimony, the Holy Spirit, and spiritual formation.  They meet once per month throughout the school year.  Each year the content deepens from “Seeker” to “Pilgrim” to “Disciple” levels.

I have been asked to facilitate the sessions on prayer.  This means that I will be with them one weekend each September for three years.  This year, the dates are September 12-14.  If you would like to know more about the Emmaus Road Discipleship School, please visit their website:  www.emmausroaddiscipleship.com.  I am thrilled to be part of this exciting ministry.

While I am away, seminary student and candidate for ordination Bryan Burris will preach and lead the worship services.  Please support Bryan with your prayers and your presence.  And please pray for the participants and the leadership team of the Emmaus Road Discipleship School.

 

Sometimes “being there” is the best gift we can offer to each other.  A fancy way of saying this is that as Christians, we are called to share in a ministry of presence.  When someone is lonely or feeling isolated, there is nothing more welcome than the gift of companionship.  This is especially true for people who live in nursing homes or who find it difficult to leave their homes.

As many of you know, I try to make it a point to go out visiting every Tuesday afternoon.  Sometimes I am able to make several visits in one afternoon; sometimes I manage to see only one person.  But I do make an effort to set aside this time consistently and faithfully.  Full disclosure:  there are some weeks that I just can’t make it at all, but I do try to be faithful.  This matters to me.

That said, I know that there are some folks I haven’t managed to see very often.  One of them is Martha Jane Clymer.  (Martha, I know you’re reading this.  I hope I don’t embarrass you too badly!)  I visited Martha early on in my ministry among you, but did not return until her home called in July to say that she would love a visit from me.  I went to see her immediately, of course.  But two times in four years?  That’s a shame.  And it has been my loss.  Martha is fun, delightful, joyful.  Visiting with her can’t help but make you smile.  She makes me smile.

So I’ll let you in on a secret…these smiles aren’t just for me alone.  We can all share in this ministry of presence.  I’ll be happy to provide you with a list of our homebound members.  You don’t have to go once a week like I do, but maybe once a month?  Even a couple of times a year is better than no times.  Visiting is fun.  You don’t have to stay long.  You don’t even have to have much to say.  Simply being there is a gift in itself.

If you would like to know more about how to make a visit, or if you would like some suggestions about whom to visit, please call me.  I want you to know the joy of this ministry.  And one final thought.  If you are feeling lonely or a little down, reaching out to someone else is the very best remedy.  Give the gift of your time.  Share the ministry of presence.

 

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been in the Congo for over 100 years since 1899.  Our church in the DRC, the Community of the Disciples of Christ in the Congo, is a strong and vibrant witness in the face of suffering and violence.  In the past ten years, more than 6 million people have been killed in conflict and war over the Congo’s natural resources.  These are our brothers and sisters.  They are suffering.  We have a Christian obligation to walk in solidarity with them and minister with them in this time of crisis.

At the 2013 General Assembly in Orlando, the Christian Church adopted “The Congo Initiative,” an 18-month emphasis on our relationship with the Congo and the struggles they face.  One way our church is going to participate in the Congo Initiative is through Kids Connect, our summer Sunday School program for children.  Obviously, we will not focus on the on-going brutality with the children, but we can introduce them to the fact that we are connected to these people—they are part of our family.  And they need our help.  As Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “Where one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer.”

Throughout the summer, our children ages 3 through just-completed 8^th grade will “Journey to the Congo”.  (High School youth will serve as student helpers.)  We will gather in our very own Congolese village, also known as the Parish Hall.  We will learn about our brothers and sisters in the Christian Church of the Congo as we hear stories about friendship, hospitality, generosity, and healing.  The summer will be filled with Bible lessons, crafts, music, and even some Congolese food.

One special focus will be to raise enough money to provide one well for a village in the Congo.  The children will bring their nickels, dimes, and quarters, and you can contribute too.  The total cost of a well is $1500.  It’s a big goal, but together we can do it!  If you would like to make a contribution, please write “Congo Initiative” on your check or offering envelope.

My hope is that not only will our children learn more about the Congo this summer, but that they will also become catalysts for our entire church family to become aware of the issues facing our brothers and sisters in the Congo.  As scripture says, “And a little child will lead them…”  If you would like to know more about the Congo Initiative, please visit www.globalministries.org/congo-initiative.  And come up to the Parish Hall some Sunday morning this summer to visit with us in our Congolese village.  I am sure the kids would love to welcome you!

With the completion of the “Lift Our Blessings” capital campaign in sight at the end of June, it is time to start thinking about what is next.  As you may remember, the process of updating our building to meet 21^st century needs began in 2008 with the “Building for Tomorrow” capital campaign.  This was an ambitious, multi-stage vision, covering several areas:  Accessibility, Building Maintenance, Ceiling and Insulation Upgrades, Air Conditioning Upgrades, Fireside Lounge Upgrades, and various Miscellaneous Projects.  Because we did not receive all of the necessary funds at that time to complete all of these projects, we decided to focus on Accessibility as the primary goal in 2010.

The “Lift Our Blessings” project has been very successful.  We are all enjoying the expansion of our Gathering Space, the ease of getting to the Parish Hall, and the increased accessibility of our building.  Unseen, but no less important, is a necessary upgrade to our electrical system that was also addressed by the “Lift Our Blessings” campaign.  In addition to this work, several other projects from the initial 2008 vision have been completed.  Upgrades to the Parish Hall ceiling and insulation have resulted in immediate savings in energy costs.  Private donations covered the costs of tuck pointing and waterproofing the brick exterior of our church.  And designated memorial funds enabled us to make the updates to the Fireside Lounge.

Shortly after we began the “Lift Our Blessings” campaign, we also discovered that our historic Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ required significant restoration.  Please see the related article by Carol Bennett-Barker in this edition of The Visitor to learn more about our organ and the restoration it requires.  Properly repairing and maintaining our organ needs to be a priority for us going forward.  Aeolian-Skinner organs are high-quality, renowned instruments.  When the Music Minister at Northway Christian Church in Dallas found out that we have an Aeolian-Skinner, he just about fainted.  And to paraphrase one of the experts who looked at our organ, we have a treasure.

So where do we stand?  The Board is currently working through a discernment process to prioritize the remaining projects from the original 2008 vision, with the addition of the organ restoration project.  We likely will begin a follow-up capital campaign later this summer to raise the necessary funds for these projects.   Please support the Board and the Organ Restoration Committee with your prayers, and please prayerfully consider how you can be part of the effort to bring these projects to completion.

 

The Nominating Committee has begun its work for putting together our 2014-2015 Leadership Team.  If you get a call from someone asking if you would be willing to serve our church in the coming program year, please prayerfully consider.  It is a joy and an honor to serve the church in leadership.

I would like to say a little more about the joy and honor part.  Sometimes I get the impression that serving feels more like a burden.  When I make those leadership inquiries, I can almost hear the silent groan on the other end of the phone when you realize what I’m calling for.  Believe me, I understand this.  It’s a time commitment, and for many of us, time is in short supply.  I’m as territorial about my time as you are.  We have all packed our days and our weeks with activity after activity.  The last thing I want is for you to burn yourselves out because you are burning the candle at both ends.

On the other hand, something has gotten lost along the way.  We have lost sight of how extraordinary it is to give of ourselves.  How humbling it is to be the hands and feet of Christ tending to each other’s needs and seeing that the work of the church goes on.  From the earliest days of the Christian faith, it has been an honor and a joy to be those serving hands.  We have forgotten this.

I want to say a particular word about the role of Deacon.  Something has happened to our understanding of Deacon.  Instead of being seen as the tender, loving hands that prepare our Body for worship, I think a lot of us now see the role of Deacon as grunt work.  This is a shame and a misunderstanding.  Deacons welcome people into the sanctuary for worship.  Think about what a great joy and honor it is to be the first ones to say to someone on a Sunday morning, “Welcome.  I’m glad you’re here.”  Deacons prepare the bread and the juice for communion.  This is not grunt kitchen work.  This is sacred work.  Setting the table, preparing the feast, doing your part in nourishing our Body.

Deacons serve communion.  I love looking out in the Sanctuary when the Deacons are passing the trays of bread and cups.  Sometimes, when I am in the right frame of mind, it brings me to tears—this gentle, humble bowing as the trays are sent down each pew.  The Deacons don’t necessarily bow on purpose.  I think it’s simply what happens when a standing person passes a tray to a seated person.  But the effect is beautiful.  Bowing all over the sanctuary, echoed in row after row.  Christians bowing to each other, “The Christ in me greets the Christ in you.”  How beautiful indeed is the Body of Christ.

No doubt all of us have busy, filled schedules.  That’s just a side effect of our current culture.  But there is also no doubt that leadership in the church is both a joy and an honor.  We just have to have the right frame of mind.

 

Believe it or not, Lent begins on March 5.  Our theme for this season is “From Shadows to Light.”  We will be examining the shadows that affect our spiritual lives:  sin, hubris, fear, shame, blindness, hopelessness, and betrayal.  Each week as we face these shadows, we will remember that God has the power to bring light into the darkness.  We will watch as these shadows are turned into Light.  And I do mean “watch” literally.  Adding to our experience of worship this season is a beautiful work of art offered by Peg Toliver.  You will want to be here to see the transformation week by week.

The season of Lent is a six-week season of preparation.  This is a penitential season, a season of soul examination.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.  I cannot think of a more appropriate way to enter into this season, for this day is all about confessing our brokenness and sin.  Many people consider the Ash Wednesday Service to be a time of great healing.  I hope you will consider attending.  (More information about the Ash Wednesday Service is included in this edition of The Visitor.)

Some think of Lent as a dreary time in the church’s life, but I don’t see it that way.  I think it is a time of authenticity.  As we prepare for the miracle of Easter, we lay ourselves bare before God only to discover that God loves us still and calls us still.  Seen in this light, Lent can be considered a season of affirmation.  We affirm our reliance on God, and God affirms abiding love for us.  Come experience the forgiveness, grace, love, and light of this season.