Little children, let’s not love with words or speech, but with action and truth. This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. 1 John 3:18-19

God has called us to act out our love for each other by serving.  Jesus taught us to love your neighbor as yourself. I recently came across a story in the Orange County Register about one couple who has done just that.

When the stay at home orders went into effect, four families began meeting every evening at 6 PM. They all brought out their chairs and sat in their area that had been marked off with chalk so that they kept the 6-foot distance from each other. They called this gathering “6 at 6”. As life slowed down, they talked about how their kids’ graduations were being disrupted because of COVID-19. They began to notice patterns like geese flying overhead at the same time and neighbors coming home from work. They also noticed a couple who would walk by every night around 6:30 the same time. They waved and said hello but didn’t know each other.

One morning the families in the “6 at 6” group found cards on their car windshields.  Inside the cards there were nice notes of encouragement with a small amount of cash for the graduates.  The cards were signed by Bill and Barb. A few streets away twins celebrating their birthday also received a birthday greeting from the mysterious Bill and Barb. No one knew who they were. 

Over time the mystery was solved, and they figured out that Bill and Barb were the couple that walked by every night at 6:30 PM.  The graduates that received the cards then wrote signs and thank you cards and passed them out to Bill and Barb when they went by during their evening walk. 

Through this pandemic there have been many ways that love has been put into action.  People continue to keep our food closet stocked so that we can feed our neighbors.  Those that can shop for others who are in the at-risk community do. Gift cards were purchased for our shower ministry guests. Protestors have gathered to bring our attention to the need for love and justice for our black neighbors. Many people have sewn endless numbers of masks so that we have them to help slow the spread of the virus. It gives me hope that through all of the fear, anger and finger pointing surrounding the uncertainty of COVID-19 that the language of love still speaks louder.

Gracious and loving God, use us to spread your love. Help us to see each circumstance in our lives as an opportunity to grow in your love. May we see this world we live in as a place to grow in your love so that we may share this love with our neighbors.

Go in love,
Marty

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”
– Ecclesiastes 9:10

I asked my son, “What brings you peace?”
First he shrugged, then thought a moment, and said with a smirk, “Playing video games!”

At first I rolled my eyes, thinking, “Haven’t you gotten enough of screen time already? And how does that bring you peace? You seem so tense while you are playing! So focused! So single-minded…”

And then I remembered the days when I got the Tetris cartridge for my Nintendo. I could play for hours! And while it was stressful, it also provided a strange sense of peace. I couldn’t think about anything else as I prepared for the next block to appear other than planning for where it might go. All fretting about things I couldn’t control was cast aside. All fleeting distractions were rejected out of hand. All random doubts and fears were gone. It felt like I was firing on all cylinders and there was nothing left for anything other than what I was doing. And that brought its own strange sense of peace.

As I got better at the game, something else happened: it seemed that more space did open in my mind. I could ponder deeper, bigger issues. And I could do so without the usual accompanying bias or emotion.

In doing something “with all my might” I could let go of the things that usually slowed me down, distracted, or caused me to doubt. That was peace. Then I could be open to the movement of something from without – or possibly deep within.

When I went to seminary I learned about a great variety of religious practices. Two things struck me in relationship to Tetris. The first, as you might imagine, was meditation. The second was the Roman Catholic tradition of praying the Rosary. I had thought that this was simply a practice of praying rote prayers. Indeed it is – but that is not all it is!  As you work through the courses of prayer, you are supposed to meditate on the mysteries of faith. The prayers themselves do not give you “points with God,” instead they allow you to occupy your busy mind in order to be able to consider higher things.  They allow you to ignore all of the noise and hear the voice of God.

I am not saying that you should go purchase a set of rosary beads. But I do commend to you Spiritual disciplines such as prayer and meditation, which will allow you to silence the fuss and commune with God. Indeed, as the author of Ecclesiastes points out, whatever you find to do, do it with all that you are! You might just hear God speak!

Gentle God, we are listening. We listen not only in the silence, but in the busy-ness of our lives. Grant us your peace. Not simply stillness, but focus and confidence. Move in us through disciplines, so that we might be disciples of Jesus in the world today. We pray this in His name. Amen.

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 28:18-20

Thirty-two years ago today, I entered the ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. On June 19, 1988, In the chapel at the University of Redlands, Bishop Jack Tuell ordained me to the life and ministry of a deacon. Two years later, on June 16, 1990, Bishop Tuell again placed his hands on my head and ordained me to the life and ministry of an elder. 

I have reflected on these anniversaries this week. Surprisingly, I would not consider this year to be the most challenging in my years of ministry! In many ways, however, this is the most fulfilling, for I am finding in this community the resources and imagination to learn new ways of fulfilling my call and ordination vows.

Our ordering of ministry has changed slightly since 1990. The ministry of a deacon was then seen as a short term step toward being an elder; now it is understood to be a distinct form of ministry in which one may serve for a lifetime.  I like to see the role as additive: I have both the responsibilities of an elder: leadership, spiritual care, administration of the sacraments, sharing the word; as well as the responsibilities of a deacon: practical, direct care of persons, assisting others in ministry, organizing believers for collective study and ministry.

And of course, ordination did not replace or take away my deepest and highest call to ministry. Being ordained did not make me a minister of the Gospel. That call and claim on my life came at my baptism. (For me that happened back in February of 1964).

All who are baptized are called to be in ministry. We are called and equipped to carry on the work of Christ in the world. One of the things I love about this church is that you all seem to understand this. There is no way that I should, would, or could stop you from caring for one another, from showing your love in the community in works of mercy and service, or from doing justice in the world.

Take a moment to reflect on your baptism. How are you answering your call to be ministers of the Good News of Jesus? What gifts have you discovered in yourself? What resources have you found? What do you need? How can we better be in ministry together?

God of the storm and God of the silence, we turn to you in our need. When we see those who are hurting, lonely, afraid and causing harm to others we hear your call to act. When we see the places of brokenness in the world we hear your call to heal and to be peacemakers. When we hear your call, let us also hear your claim upon us, and help us to know that you equip us with what we need for such a time as this. Open us to living and working in community with you and our friends in faith. And help us to know that you can see where we cannot, so that we may learn to trust in you and live in hope. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Anniversary!

George