Pop Quiz
June 25, 2010
You have may have heard me say that when I arrive at the Pearly Gates, I do not want to hear the following: “Take out a clean sheet of paper.” Yikes! One of the best remembered joys of summer was that for three months, there would be no “pop quizzes”–which at my school always began not with, “We’re having a pop quiz,” but rather, “Take out a clean sheet of paper.” Upon reflection, had my teachers been a bit “greener,” they would have encouraged us to use the backs of some already used paper (reuse, reduce, recycle!).
For me, the time following annual conference is a clean sheet of paper–a clean slate, a time to begin anew. As expected, I am appointed to be Fairmont’s pastor, something that happens year by year.* What will fill that sheet?
Six years ago, some will remember I took a summer-long sabbatical, working as a chaplain at Philmont Scout Ranch. (I will do that this summer, too, just five weeks.) Besides doing some alternative service at an amazing place, I used the time to inquire of the Lord about my future. The clarity came slowly, but it came: do more of what you’re doing, and go deeper. The two chief results of that were, first, my immersion in Stop Hunger Now, and second, our in depth year long self-study that resulted in the renewed vision of the church (70|07). There is a connection between them, as we marked ten years of SHN being in this building at the moment SHN was positioned to be of great service in Haiti.
Now the new page fills with many possibilities: welcoming our new director of children and youth, doing a fall study on “Greening the Church,” and digging into the work of our bishops, “God’s Renewed Creation: A Call to Action and Hope.” Those latter two are of a piece, and are brought into focus by the ongoing tragedy of the Gulf of Mexico befouled by its own oil. I suggested in a recent sermon that we can do no other than to get our minds around this and respond in our corner of the world. We can, and we will. Perhaps the bulletin’s “go green tip of the week” has helped set the stage for our next steps.
I marvel at the depths plumbed as we have together gone deeper. We hear it in our music, we see it in the rising tide of children, we witness it in our–witnesses! We experience it in becoming more public in the battles with hunger, mental health reform, and public education. Our worship takes us higher, our prayers take us to profound places. Our fellowship yields friendship, our service to others ends up enriching us more than we sought.
I’m ready, to walk with you as we do more of what we’re doing, going deeper!
Pastor Steve
* As year 21 begins, I’ve heard both , “How long, Steve?” and “How long, O Lord?”
Does It Make a Difference?
June 25, 2010
For those of us who love Stop Hunger Now, the above question is a deep one. The name implies both a mission and a sense of urgency. After over twelve years, how’s that working out for them? And us?
Two things have come together for me. The first is the latest venture of packaging meals during Fairmont’s Vacation Bible School. If we have done this for four years in a row, think of this: children 7-8 years old and younger have now imprinted on their memories that at VBS, we always feed the hungry. Think of that.
Second, I’ve just spent a day with Stop Hunger Now board and staff–whew! It seems good to give you an update. Some will have received the 2nd quarter newsletter, and will want to look at it carefully.
First is Allen Renquist’s eye witness report. Allen is program director for SHN, and has done remarkable work, from the early days of Haiti until now. He went with a videographer to document the impact of materials sent there. I can’t wait to see the finished video project. Two key partners have been Mission of Hope and Haiti Outreach Ministries. I quote Allen (with abbreviations):
From the moment the ground stopped shaking, these organizations (MOH, HOM) were immediately inundated with a flood of victims; hundreds of thousands of people in need. In order to keep these people alive, they needed food and medical supplies on an unprecedented scale. Stop Hunger Now became the lifeline for their efforts. (SHN) had shipped in 1.5 million meals to these organizations just weeks before the quake. Immediately (MOH) and (HOM) began feeding more than 50,000 people a day with our food. In the following weeks and months, SHN shipped another 4 million meals into the country as well as more than 300 tons of relief supplies that had been donated (canned food, bottled water, meal replacement shakes, tents, etc). Because of the aid that SHN provided, these organizations were about to feed more people than the United Nations in the first six weeks after the quake. They were soon feeding more than 100,000 people daily. Haitian nongovernmental organizations from all over the country were coming to MOH for the aid that SHN was providing.
Fairmont folks were at the first Operation Sharehouse, December 8, 2005. We’ve added birthday packagings and gifts, and given volunteer and financial support to the University Million Meals events at NCSU. If at any time we, hovering and hairnetted, wondered if our efforts make a difference, the above paragraph should prove useful!
August 21, NCSU will launch the Million Meals event, followed by packaging amongst Duke, UNC, ECU, and UNCW–spreading the joy. I hope that we will once again be among the sponsors under-writing $250,000…maybe we can do 1% of that, $2500? We’ll need to get busy!
One last factoid. In 2009, SHN packaged 8.6 million meals. Through May of 2010, SHN had packaged 8.6+ million meals! With sharehouses opening in Philadelphia and Atlanta this year, added to 4 in Virginia, 3 in NC, Jackson, MS, Phoenix, AZ, and South Africa, this will be an outstanding year. And to answer the headline question–yes! And AMEN!
Pastor Steve
A Day in the Life–VBS Buzz
June 18, 2010
The longer I attend Vacation Bible School at Fairmont, the more I feel like a got a raw deal. Yes, it was the 1950s and 60s, and I thought Kool Aid and Ritz crackers were just fine. But here? As I write, I have just the first two menus, so I won’t try to give them all–but I’m talking about full meals, fun stuff, good stuff–nutritious stuff. Echoes of Sunday luncheons, let’s hear you, MmmMmmm!
From the first night, there is a definite buzz in the room. Who imagined that coming to church on week nights, with summer vacation (for most) just begun, would be so filled with anticipation?!
Well fed, the music, and the journey into Egypt, begins–we’ll get a sample of that today. It’s peer taught–using video, a most excellent method: they can do it, I can do it! And they do. Wow.
The young people are divided into families, experiencing a range of life in Egypt, including the market place, a craft workshop, and more. I know less about that than the jail–that’s right, but not what you think. It was my task (a pretty tough job, mind you) to first guard then-prisoner Joseph, then to be stationed at the palace. (Hate to brag, but I got a promotion.) I must say, young Joseph did pretty well for himself, and while he was at it, saved the world. Pretty good day’s work.
Many of our young people had a grasp of the story from our recent production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat. At several points, I was ready for them to break into song. Joseph, played by Alex Ronke, had his dramatic skills stretched, as he shifted from the show’s unforgettable Pharaoh to VBS’s Joseph–no type-casting for him.
I write as we anticipate including an Operation Sharehouse in the midst of our Bible School. It’s an activity woven into the fabric of the story in Egypt, and how God saved not only Joseph’s family but the world around Egypt during the famine. They learned that it was about God’s desire for that ancient people, and Joseph’s excellent stewardship–for it was he that convinced Pharaoh to set aside grain in the years of plenty that there would be grain enough during the years of want. So here we are, as tens of thousands of others have done, combining grain (rice, soy), dried vegetables, and vitamins, so that God’s desire for the world of 2010 might also be met. Out of our plenty ($1500) comes 6,000 meals for those in want. In so doing, all of us, from the youngest among us to the eldest, are part of a movement to end hunger in our lifetimes. Can you think of a more vivid lesson within a lesson??
It seems good also to sing a song of praise for the community of adults who came together in leadership–Heather Wong, Sarah Brock, Kelly Lewis–and all the teachers, musicians, actors, cooks, servers, and more. This is what we do!
At our place, Vacation Bible School doesn’t end until Sunday, with the fifth session, and some sharing in morning worship, so the final chapter is written then and now. May we continue to teach the faith, marveling as spirits are transformed and lives take the shape of the One who came that we might have life and have it abundantly, Jesus our Lord.
Pastor Steve
Annual Thoughts
June 11, 2010
I’m baaack! At least I think I am. I get to write this column before Wednesday and make it sound Sunday-fresh. So, let’s just suppose I have been reappointed to be the pastor at Fairmont. But still leaves me with a little bit of a dilemma. I could imagine everything that went on at The North Carolina Annual Conference, this past Thursday through Saturday– having been to 35 or so, I could probably come close. Maybe sometime soon I’ll give you a full report from my personal favorite, the Committee on Redundancy Committee.
Being newly appointed always seem to unleash some thoughts about where we are, so if you’re game, we can sort through a few together.
As Heather has had her new appointment read, she is readying herself to take on the pastoral responsibilities to which she has been called. As Heather shared, her whole life has been interwoven with Fairmont, and her “long view” of the church has been a wonderful gift. (We have some lively candidates to come aboard as director of children and youth ministries, the process continues.)
The stability of our staff is truly remarkable. Margie Roberts has been in the church’s nerve center for 26 years. Walter McClamb has overseen our facilities and cared for them for at least 42. Between the two of them is a wealth of “institutional memory.” Ask them anything!
Janice Hocutt has seniority among our musicians, joining us in March of 1995 as an interim for both services, continuing from then until now at Sunday Night LIVE! Dayle Welch has been among us for 11 years, doing a variety of musical things, most notably playing the organ (from what appears to be a secret location). Eric Grush has been here twice (think of that!), energizing our musical life in remarkable ways.
Our lay leadership is as significant in its faithfulness. Whether team leaders or team members, this is a durable bunch! This is a people willing to lead, to follow, to imagine, to envision, and to act faithfully. That has distinguished ministry in this place from any other I know.
I also love the life and vitality, the vibe that varied ministries and services add to this place. On a given day, the building is likely to have young people learning and playing, addicts recovering, college students studying, a community group meeting, and music–always the music. Sometimes during wedding rehearsals, four other events are afoot.
In the days ahead, our financial leaders will continue to chew on the challenges therein, our trustees will enhance the beauty and function of this grand place, our nurture and outreach and witness teams will envision effective ways to care for one another, to touch the world’s brokenness, to share the good news. Our musicians of all ages will amaze us and take our spirits to the high places. We’ll enjoy meals and fellowship, we’ll share in sickness and sorrow.
At the heart of all that is that we will be shaped in our faith. We’ll worship together. We’ll hear one another express how God has been present for us in one of life’s realities.
I have spent time of late remembering those who are here no more. Some gone to lands far and near, some gone on to glory, all have been a part of the people of God called United Methodists at Fairmont. For all of them and for all of you, I give thanks to God!
Pastor Steve
The Following Day
June 3, 2010
Last Sunday, it was a little puny around here. That seems to be our fate on three day weekends. I’m tempted to try home made ice cream after morning worship – !
However, all that gives me an excellent excuse to repeat myself. Together, we considered the greatness of God’s good creation, rooted in the song of Psalm 8. We wondered if our thirst for oil would ever be slaked. We lamented the wounded earth, in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. And we claimed hope–we can do better, we will do better, for we must do better.
In that framework, I named the work of our United Methodist bishops called, “God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action.” The following may serve as further introduction:
In a statement that says, “We cannot help the world until we change our way of being in it,” the bishops of The United Methodist Church announced a significant call to all United Methodists, ecumenical and inter-religious partners and people of goodwill around the world.
“As bishops, we know that critical issues of the day have left people feeling fearful, cynical, hopeless and overwhelmed,” said Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the Council of Bishops.” God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action” contains our pledges to work in hopeful and robust ways for transforming change as God’s stewards of creation. We invite the church and our partners around the world to join us.” The bishops’ paper is in part a “lament for God’s people and God’s planet,” and confession of our “failure to embody the image of God.” It is also a call to action inviting everyone to join the bishops in their own nine pledges for urgent, effective action.*
The more deeply I get into this, the more I feel called to lead us in this direction. I expect our fall adult study time (Tuesdays, 7:00 pm) to answer the call of our leaders. I have the materials in hand, I have begun my own study, and look forward to sharing in yours. I expect we’ll need a larger than usual group space, perhaps the worship center.
Many of us grew up as “red letter Christians,” using our Bibles that had all the words of Jesus in red. That made it easier to find what we were looking for in the New Testament. Did you know there’s now something called “The Green Bible”? It’s a “green letter” edition, with over 1,000 verses highlighting God’s regard for all that God has made. To the doubters (none here, surely!) who might suggest, “You can make the Bible say anything you want,” let me say, hey, it already says it, it’s just a different color of ink! And it’s soy-based ink, at that.
The Gulf disaster, variously named, has moved us more nearly into an emergency mode. There is a heightened sense of urgency about earth-care, and healing the wounds to what our astronauts taught us is the “blue planet.” This is a faithful response, a just response, a hope filled response. Together, we can and shall make a difference.
Pastor Steve
* Adapted from UMC.org’s (God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action)