From the Wilder View … July 2008

What an amazing way to close the month of June! We had a great Vacation Bible School. The children and adults filled this church with creativity and excitement. It was wonderful to hear our children singing and to see them dancing. (I am still hearing VBS songs in my home.) The children learned about God being active in their lives through the stories from both the Old and New Testament. They had a guest appearance from our beloved puppets, and a visit from our new District Superintendent. It is my hope that the energy and excitement that we experienced that week will bubble throughout the summer and just continue to grow.

VBS ended Friday evening, and our participation in PRIDE began Saturday morning. This is our third year of our participation in PRIDE. It was such a joy to hang out with you all in the booth. It was also a joy to hear people say, “Wow, you mean I would really be welcome in your church?” “I have been looking for a church.” “You have a program for my children?” “You mean I can come and share communion with you without being told I have to leave my partner?”

It was great fun to be a part of the Parade again this year. It isn’t like we have an elaborate float. We just drive Jim’s old convertible and a bunch of us walk along side. Yet, it is a powerful experience to go through the parade route and have people clap and shout for us because we are a church that witnesses that God loves us all, and that everyone is welcome to worship God with us. Wow! It just gets me excited about extending the invitation to worship God!

I think my best memory from the month of June involves children. Andy was hanging out at the Pride booth on Sunday afternoon, and he noticed a group of children playing behind the booth. It wasn’t long before he was playing with the children. In the course of the conversation, one of the children asked him if he had two mommies or two daddies. He told him that he had one of each. Then they asked, “Why are you here?” He responded that his church supported gay and lesbian people. Later that afternoon one of the mother’s came to meet me. She explained that she is a part of a group of gay and lesbian families that get together once a month to play together. She explained that Andy had requested to be included in the group, and they had decided that he could be their ‘token’. I am excited that we are building significant relationships with people in our community, and that we are being a witness to God’s grace and love. These are just a few of the ways we live out our vision of being a symbol of Christ’s presence in our community.

Once again this year, Lafayette Park you have made me proud. It is an honor to serve God with you.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen

Time With Sharon: Finding Peace in July

July 2008

And the peace of God, which passes all understandings,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”
(Phil. 4.7)

I have this image of a great Christmas picture in my head that came from a Christmas card that we received years ago. The front is a picture of a lovely gingerbread’ish home, nestled among the evergreens. The house and the trees about it are covered in a thick perfect blanket of sparkling snow. Candlelight glows from the windows, and a wisp of smoke curls from the chimney. Picturesque and perfect peace reigns in the moment.

But then you open the card to find an early morning frenzy in progress as three small children tear into their presents under the tree. Buzzing on a chocolate breakfast, another toddler has even crawled up into the tree among the branches, reaching out precariously for the star on top. The parents are bleary-eyed, sitting on the couch, with jumbo cups of steaming coffee in their hands. But they aren’t brain dead from the exertion of the night before. Rather, they have their heads together as they watch the glee of their brood. The look on their faces is one of deep pleasure in the moment. The card says simply… “Peace be yours”.

Peace. It’s that sense of inner contentment and serenity for which we yearn. A feeling that everything, even in the midst of crazy, chaotic, uncertain life, is still in God’s hand, and so will be ok. Peace is the stuff that we pray for and the essence that we “pass” to one another on Sunday morning.

There’s a lot of biblical references to peace. The Old Testament guys believed it would come from God through the King. But after Jesus came, the New Testament writers recognized that deep peace was found in a relationship with God nurtured through knowing Jesus the Christ. Recently, our Vacation Bible Schoolers learned to know God, talk to God, tell others about God, love God, and serve God. Now there’s a path to peace.

Soon, our Worship Team will be helping us celebrate Christmas in July. As we experience the fun of decorating the Christmas tree in our Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian-prints, I invite us all to watch the children. As they model their relationship with God, which will be (if VBS was any indicator) filled with exuberant joy and expectation, may we “catch” some of their peace, their inner assurance that everything, even in the midst of our crazy, chaotic, uncertain lives, is still in God’s hand, and so will be ok…
more than ok.

“Peace be yours”,
Pastor Sharon

Time With Sharon: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know . . .

June 2008

I love glitter. As a kid, it was great fun to drizzle glue here and there, sprinkle a dash of glitter (or a pound of it!) and transform my messy projects from drab to dazzling, with color and light. And the only place I remember getting to use that glue and glitter combo was at Vacation Bible School. VBS leaders are brave people, don’t you know.

I have great VBS memories. When I was a little girl, our church hosted it in the mornings, and I remember learning about how much Jesus loved me through music, stories, games, and those messy projects. I don’t remember wondering why Jesus loved me…only that he did. And knowing that, brought me a deep comfort that has stuck with me always. Jesus loves me…and he loves you. That’s the most important thing I think I ever learned anywhere, and I learned it at Vacation Bible School.

I also met new people, and they became my friends. We laughed, and learned, and shared lots of ice cream. The church grown-ups took care of me, and made me feel special. Yep, I looked forward to that week every summer. I hope many of you have some good memories of Vacation Bible Schools from your early days too.

Lafayette Park UMC continues to carry on that wonderful tradition of welcome and care for the children of our church and neighborhood. This year, from June 23-29, Monday through Friday evenings, we will be exploring the Serengeti in Africa together, where kids are WILD about God! We will start off the evenings at 6:00pm with a family snack supper, and the adults are welcome to stay, eat, play, and visit together. There will be wonderful stories, music that makes your feet dance, and crazy games that tucker everybody out. But best of all, in my humble opinion, will be the messy crafts, those glue and glitter, yarn and bead, paint and popsicle stix creations that give our artistic hearts a chance to express the glory of God that lives deep in our souls.

Our lessons will teach us to Know, Talk, Tell, Love, and to Work for God. This is the whole gospel in one week! But when we are finished, I hope what the kids remember is that God is just crazy about them, and will be with them for always. June 23-27, preschool through Senior High…officially. But it’s a lesson we all need! So YOU are invited too. Come and help us make new Vacation Bible School memories.

See you then, and bring your friends, cousins, and neighbors!
Pastor Sharon