Wilder View - December 2009

Luke 2:7 …and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

It wasn’t a special day. I was living out my normal schedule. Running from one meeting to another, making phone calls as I traveled, and thinking about the things I needed to do in the free moments at stop lights. I pulled up to the church. Really quick now, I told myself, “you need to get in, get out, pick up ____, ____, ___, and get to the next place. Hurry!”
Then this verse came to my head. “…there was no room for them in the inn.” Wow, what an odd verse to run through my head when I am thinking about getting things accomplished. After all it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet! Why am I already thinking about Christmas? (maybe because it was getting close to the deadline for this article?)

“…there was no room for them in the inn.” The words came to me again. Hmm, I wonder… no, gotta fly, people are waiting on me. I need to get in, get out, and go.

“…there was no room for them in the inn.” Once again, these words floated through my mind. Finally I realized that it was probably the Holy Spirit working on me. So I stopped just a moment and wondered… could it be possible that there was no room in my inn? Well at least in my day? Wait a minute, I already had my personal devotional and prayer time, God; I made room for you this morning…what do you mean, there is no room?

Yet those words swirled around me once again.

My friends, we are entering a time when the world just gets faster and faster. Our calendars are getting fuller and fuller. Our commitments are becoming greater and greater, and maybe, just maybe, we are not making room for the real meaning of Christmas. Maybe the ‘inn’ is the place in our daily lives that we stop to invite the Christ child to help us see the world from the perspective of innocence and fun. How much room have we set aside in our calendar to experience the wonder of birth and life? How much room do we have in our day to be quiet and reflect upon the joy of God’s greatest gift?

This advent, I invite you to stop and intentionally make room…make room in your day; make room in your schedule, and in your life to encounter Emmanuel, God with us!

Happy Advent!
~Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Finding Hope

December 2009

Said the night wind to the little lamb, “Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb, do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night, with a tail as big as a kite.”

It was back in October, 1962, and the Soviet Union and the United States were involved in a crisis centered on missiles the Russians had installed in Cuba. The United States threatened military action if the missiles were not removed. The world trembled and prayed as these two nuclear powers stood eyeball-to-eyeball.

That October, as Noel Regney walked through the streets of New York, a sense of despair was everywhere. No one smiled. Everybody hung on the words of the radio newscasters, waiting, waiting, waiting, to learn if the security that they had known was on the verge of being obliterated.

Noel knew something about war and fear of death. Forced to serve in the German army during WWII, he secretly also served the French resistance, risking his life many times as he shared German plans for harm with the French freedom fighters.

Years later, he and his wife, Gloria, living in New York, worked as a song-writing team. Christmas was approaching, and Noel had been asked to write a holiday song. In this time of thick tension and cold fear, he could not muster any enthusiasm or inspiration.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, “Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy, Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the tree with a voice as big as the sea.”

But then one day walking home, he saw two mothers with their babies giggling at each other from their strollers. Their joy transformed him, and filled his heart with poetry. The little ones reminded him of newborn lambs, and he began to muss, “Said the night wind to the little lamb....”As soon as Noel arrived home, he jotted down the lyrics, and Gloria set them to music.
I am struck how this story pivots on a peek into the world of God’s reign of tenderness and goodness, even in the midst of external fear and turmoil. While the East coast sat in the sights of a belligerent world power, God was revealed in the goofy, gurgling delight of children. Hope sprung forth for this songwriter, even as it did 2000 years ago for those who, beleaguered by their lives of poverty and oppression, gazed upon the Messiah child.

Our own era has known some major turbulence this past year too. There is certainly fear, for shrinking saving accounts, another rent check due, and the potential of impending illness. People are still hurting each other in our neighborhoods, in our cities, even in our service bases. There is no shortage of bullies, big and small. But during this season, we are reminded that God is still with us…and will show up in the most amazing places in the least likely container. Who could have imagined that he would choose to present himself where the cows and donkeys were stabled, as the baby of politically and economically invisible parents?

Said the king to the people everywhere, “Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere, listen to what I say!
The Child, The Child sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light.”

As we await the celebration of the birth of Emmanuel, we are reminded that Hope is still alive through God’s presence with us. We are never alone, not ever. God’s purposes for healing and wholeness for us continue, even in the face of our present difficulties. Look into the sweet face of a child, and yet again, see the hope for tomorrow revealed. Find the truth on which we may take comfort…

“He will bring us goodness and light.”

May God’s peace and grace be upon you in this season of waiting,
Pastor Sharon

Wilder View - November 2009

It is the beginning of the holiday season…a time when people think about going home. Through our ministry at The Bridge, I find myself thinking about home, and what actually is home. I have had conversations with guests about home. For some, it is a physical place where their family lives. Others think of home as the community where they were raised, and some consider home to be where they are at the present moment. There is something really powerful about the feeling of being home. For most, it is a place that is safe, nurturing, and hopefully full of love.

One of the most joyful aspects of serving our ministry at The Bridge is being able to help many people go home. Whether through helping with transportation home, or providing referrals to places which provide transitional housing, or helping women escape a domestic violence situation and find safety in a new home, helping people go home is exciting!

This past month, our Juarez team built a new home for Jesus, Carmen, Jonathan, Candy, and Jose. I hope you hear some of the wonderful stories they have about how important it was to this family to help them build their home. Both Jesus and Carmen (husband and wife) worked along side of our team to build their home. Jesus took off two days of work. On the third day he worked from 8 am to 1 pm, dashed off to the factory where he worked a ten hour shift at his factory job. After returning home he mixed cement and put two more courses of block on top of his home and was waiting for our team when they arrived the next morning.

We have helped several families experience the joy of owning a home through our Juarez VIM teams. We have built 7 homes in Juarez in the last five years. Each year we visit the last year’s family (after all, they are now our friends.) It is always a great joy to see the improvements they have made over the ensuing year.

Back in the late 1980’s Lafayette Park was a home for people who had a strange illness, which was later named AIDS. People who were abandoned by their families of origin found deeply caring families and a home at Lafayette Park. The people of Lafayette Park adopted people who were struggling with AIDS, and lovingly cared for them as they lived and died with dignity.

I guess all these thoughts about home make me realize that I truly feel like I am at home at Lafayette Park. As I begin the season of Thanksgiving I am reminded of how thankful I am to be at home at Lafayette Park. Wherever your travels may take you this holiday season, I hope that you always feel the warmth and love of being home.

Grace and Peace,
~Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Thanks”—giving

November 2009

It’s that time of year again. Time to begin thinking about sending my letter. Most of my writing happens through texting or email these days, but this special letter I actually write long-hand. Yeah, can you imagine? Here’s how it happened…

Some years ago, I began sending letters of thanks to folks who had offered me a hand of friendship somewhere along the way, provided care or comfort, or inspired me by their example. This practice began with our first next door neighbor, who 15 years earlier, had come over and mowed the lawn of newlyweds who couldn’t yet afford a lawnmower. With our first fall frost, this dear man came into our basement to show us how to light our furnace after we had slept in our coats and mittens. We were a couple of dopey kids who didn’t know squat, and he thoughtfully looked over us as we bumped through our first year of home ownership. Our first wonderful neighbor has long since moved away, and we have too. But every year, when it’s time to light the pilot light on the furnace, I think of his kindness, and wished we could thank him again for his care to us. I decided if I could not tell him, I would appreciate others in his honor. So I began writing letters.

One year I wrote to the man who taught me how to gently share my Christian witness with others, freeing me from the fear that had always kept me silent. Another year, I sent my thanks to my most memorable Sunday School teacher, who made every kid in the class feel like they were her family. Of course, I was family, but Aunt Marjorie never played favorites. Then there was my knee surgeon, who gave me back the hop in my skip, enabling me to take VIM teams to high places to build churches and provide medical care. There have been many letters over the years, and each time I finish one and post it, I giggle just a little inside to think of the surprise the recipient will feel upon receiving heartfelt thanks for long-past deeds. Moreover, it has blessed me to be able to remember their goodness, and to thank God for the gift of their presence in my life.

During the Thanksgiving season, we are prompted to think more about our blessings, and make a special point of saying thank you to God. Is there someone who has cared for you when you needed a helping hand? I believe God urged that person to help you, through the Holy Spirit working in their heart (even if they didn’t know it). That’s surely what prompted our good neighbor years ago to leave his warm house to go check on the two young goofballs living next door. I believe that God connects people with needs together with people blessed with resources through this Spirit-prompting. So if you think about it, for every good turn we receive, we really have two thank you’s to deliver. One to the person, and another to thank God for answered prayer.

So, whoever I send my thank you letter to this year, I’ll also be thanking God for sending them into my life.

Who does your heart yearn to reach out to with a letter or phone call of thanks? Do it…it feels as good to send these letters as it does to receive them!

Grace to you,
Pastor Sharon

Young Adult Ministry Update

November 2009

God truly is doing great and amazing things at LPUMC! This week, a group of young adults gathered to pray, converse, plan and dream for the future--and of course, eat. We will meet every 1st & 3rd Tuesday at 6:30 in the parlor. However, because we are dedicated to our mission of "being a church without walls," we will be discussing other opportunities for gatherings outside of the building. At our next gathering on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the topic of discussion will be outreach.

Some of the earliest European settlers in North America came to the frontier of this continent in order to establish a life in faith that would be free from the constraints of the old world churches. The founders of the Salem colony arrived in what would become Massachusetts as a community dedicated to God and one another. Their covenant to one another was "to walk together in all God's ways, known or to be made known to us, at whatever cost." This mission statement was a tall order, and one that they eventually would corrupt with power struggles and the notorious "Salem Witchcraft Trials."

But the ideals of this first generation were not that different from our own. The Salem pilgrims did not have to travel across the Atlantic, but were drawn to the promise of greater freedom and a deeper walk with God. The people of Lafayette Park UMC do not have any obligation to become part of the church, but are drawn here for similar promises of liberty of conscience and a spirit-filled community that walks in faith. As we gather together in Sunday worship and in smaller groups throughout the week, we think of all of our spiritual ancestors that had the same drive toward community that we have today.

Aaron Ban
Young Adult Minister

Wilder View - October 2009

Five years ago a new pastor of a small ‘struggling’ church in the urban core of St. Louis, had this really crazy idea. “Let’s host a pumpkin patch on the church parking lot.” She had heard it was a great fund raising opportunity, and since the church was somewhat cash strapped at the time, this seemed like an easy way to break out of the financial bind. Oh, there were some concerns…”Someone might throw a pumpkin through our stained glass window….What happens if someone steals the pumpkins (after all we are located in the big, bad city)….someone might smash them on our lot, and make a great mess.”


However, this small church stepped out in faith, and hosted its first pumpkin patch. One day a woman in a van stopped by the patch. She was from an agency that cares for children who have been severely abused. “Would it be possible for the children to come and play in the patch, even though we do not have money to buy pumpkins?” “Of course,” said the person working at the pumpkin patch and then they began to seek sponsors for children without money, so that every child could leave with a small pumpkin of their own. Even though the patch didn’t earn the huge amount of money that the church anticipated that year, the patch was rich in the joy and laughter of the children, children who had been traumatized, children enjoying a care free morning. It really was rich a return on the investment.


There is a saying, “mighty oaks from small acorns grow.” This crazy idea of a pumpkin patch grew and grew, and grew. Now the church is known as the Pumpkin Church. In just a few days the semi-truck will arrive and a group of people will help unload pumpkins that a Navajo tribe grew this summer. There will be volunteers who will share the grace of God and the beauty of pumpkins with our community. There will be children’s parties and animal blessings. There will be pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, and maybe even rolls this year. There will be new friendships created, more lives touched. There will be lots of pumpkins sold and lots of pumpkins sponsored. We make money to help the Navajo tribe, and even some to support the ministries of the church.This church isn’t small anymore, and certainly isn’t struggling either. It isn’t even as financially strapped anymore. However, there is one thing that hasn’t changed….our patch will once again be rich in the joy of children’s laughter, rich in the sound of children experiencing the carefree grace of God.


Won’t you please consider playing with us on our patch as we live out our vision of being “A church without walls creating a visual sign of Christ’s presence in our urban community, and beyond.”


~Pastor Kathleen of the Pumpkin Church

Time with Sharon: Traveling in the Darkness

Time with Sharon: Traveling in the Darkness

October 2009-


Today, I spent two hours getting my headlights replaced on my car. They couldn’t find anything wrong with them, but they had completely shorted out twice this week while I was driving home from church after dark. This was worse than if, when I first started the car, they had simply just not come on at all. I would have called my trusty friends at AAA , and we would have dealt with the issue before I found myself hurtling down the highway in total darkness at (or near) the speed limit.


After some time of checking, and making phone calls, the dealer agreed to replace the headlights. Their machines couldn’t find a problem, but they concluded that the risk of leaving them in place was too high. I agreed.

It’s a good thing when your lights turn on when you need them...but it’s a better thing that they stay on when you are trusting in them.


So it is with our faith, our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. How often have we taken it for granted, expecting that, because we have once had a transformative experience in our life, our faith, will just be there for us and we’ll know how to access it when we need it? That transformative experience was catalytic, for certain, and probably propelled us into a deeper relationship with God. But if we don’t attend to our faith through connecting with others in prayer, Bible study, Christian conversations and fellowship, and reaching out to others, then we may have difficulty connecting with God just when we need it most critically. In other words, our faith might short out, just when we find ourselves hurtling at high speed in darkness.


A few weeks ago, that’s what happened to me. I was in route to see my critically ill brother, who had been hospitalized with a high fever and a mysterious and aggressive infection. It didn’t look good at all….in fact it looked really bad. I was driving numbed, filled with dread. I couldn’t even form the words of a prayer. But I had made a few phone calls before leaving, asking others to pray. And pray they did. The church prayer chain kicked in, and prayers started flying heavenward. A friend called and prayed over the phone for and with me for miles as I drove on. I was covered, drenched, saturated in prayers, as were my brother and his family. I felt the love, the assurance, the peace that surpasses all understanding.


My faith held me up through a connection with God via my church family. My headlights blazed on in the darkness, because of people of faith that surrounded me in prayer. I never felt alone.

Coming to worship is very good. But I encourage you, my friends, to stay after, talking and sharing. Come back in the middle of the week for bible study and prayer. Join others on a Saturday in risk taking a mission and service. Attend to your faith through the energy you pour into engaging with your faith family.


It will serve you well. For these people will remind you that God is right there; embracing you, loving you all the way. And you will never be alone in the dark.


Peace,

Pastor Sharon

Welcome to our new Young Adult Minister!

October 2009


It is with great joy and anticipation that I bring in the new school year (and the Jewish new year) by starting my ministry here at Lafayette Park UMC. As many of you already know, I am a student at Eden Theological Seminary entering my second year of studies for a three-year masters program. I had the privilege of working with Kathleen last year at Centenary, and decided to continue our working relationship at her other “charge,” with a particular focus on building young adult ministries.


In addition to long walks on the beach, I enjoy singing, and my wife Caroline and I have already been fitted with choir robes. The community we have encountered through its central practice of worship here has been extremely warm and affirming. Instead of saying, “I have to go to work today,” it is my privilege to say, “I get to go serve the people of Lafayette Park!” The soil is indeed fertile for Jesus to sow new seeds, guiding our feet and opening our eyes in the presence of one another and the greater community.


Sincerely,

Aaron Ban

Wilder View - September 2009

Do you feel it? There is an extra energy and a certain excitement in the air, and it happens every year. It is the beginning of the ‘Back to School Season.’ Everyone gets a chance at a new start. With this new experience, there are new changes for everyone.

As our children move into new levels of learning at school, we will be offering a new learning opportunity for our adults with our Adventures in Faith experience starting September 17th. We will meet on Thursday evenings for 6 nights and offer several choices of learning opportunities. The goal of this time together is to provide opportunities for people to connect and build relationships with each other, while strengthening our love relationship with God. There are several choices for you to choose from; Basic Bible Study, an Adult Confirmation Class, and Enough (learning to live simply in a complex world.) Please prayerfully consider participating in one of these three options to develop and strengthen your faith.

In October, I will begin a Leadership Development team training time that will help us think beyond our horizons to see how we can reach out to the people in St. Louis. We will read a book a month from October through May. We will gather to discuss the parts of the books that excite and interest us, as well learning how we can apply these lessons to the ministries of the church. I am really excited about these books. I think they can help us make great strides in connecting people with God.

Also we have some exciting new people joining us to build stronger ministries at Lafayette Park UMC. Aaron Ban will be joining us as an intern from Eden. He will be focusing on creating our young adult ministry and helping us build a connection between our church and St. Louis University. I have worked with Aaron for the last year over at The Bridge and have found him to be deep, thoughtful and creative. He preached here at the beginning of the summer and many of you told me how impressed you were with him.

We have also expanded our child care staff to make sure that we are always in safe sanctuary compliance of having two safe sanctuary certified people caring for our children during worship and other church meetings. Please welcome Latoya and Marie Claire (you will see more information on them in another article).

I am excited also to announce that Maria Lawrence has joined our staff as our new Office Administrator. Her normal hours will be 9am to noon, Monday thru Friday.

God truly is doing great and amazing things at Lafayette Park UMC! I hope you join us in this great opportunity to grow and expand the impact we can make in our community.

Happy new start!!
Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Risk-taking Adventure

Recently, my family and I took a vacation to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park in Tennessee. We stayed in a cabin there, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a beautiful forest. We also did what I will refer to as “The craziest thing I may have ever done in my life”. It has a name. ZORBING.

Zorbing is when you dive head-first into a giant rubber ball that is suspended inside another giant ball, and then topple down a hill while sliding around in about 10 gallons of cold water inside. You bounce and slosh, and find yourself swishing around like you’re in a washing machine set on the “super turbo” wash cycle. And yes, you pay for this experience.

While I was on my downhill ride, thoughts went screaming through my mind. Mostly, it was “YIKES! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!” But it was exhilarating too, and I felt so alive! When I reached the bottom, the attendant opened my zorb, and found me laughing with delight (ok-and a little relief). What an adventure!

You know there just seems to be something both scary and wonderful about adventure. We sometimes take all kinds of risks in our pursuit of experiencing something new and life affirming. That’s what risk-taking mission and service in the church is about. Stepping out, taking a risk, putting ourselves in a new place, with new people, doing something that we’re not all together sure about. Our bishop, Robert Schnase, wrote about it in his book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. He said risk-taking ministry “moves us beyond our comfort zone, and presses us to follow Christ into more adventurous encounters with people. As we do so, God’s Spirit changes us, changes others, and changes our church.”

“Adventurous encounters with people”. Lafayette Park UMC engages in “adventurous encounters with people” when we build houses in Juarez, Mexico, send emissaries to build relationships in Mozambique, feed hungry people at The Bridge, and offer our Hands In Mission rehabbing buildings in our local community through the United Methodist connection. But there are also less physical ways that we embark upon mission adventures. When we devote 45 minutes a week to read with a child at the elementary school, or we tell funny stories to children in our Pumpkin Patch, or we assist underprivileged folks as they pick out presents at the Kingdom House Christmas Shop, we are stepping out of our daily routine, and offering ourselves to another, not knowing what will happen, but trusting that God will make something good of it. We can find ourselves feeling closer to God, emotionally exhilarated, and freshly alive! Now that’s an adventure!

This September 26th, we will be stepping out in risk-taking mission and service again. As part of Mission Blitz, we will join a vision for 10,000 people of faith to reach out to their community in big and small ways, making a difference for Christ’s sake. Unlike my experience in the zorb, you will be more than just wet and giddy. The adventure of loving God through loving others will leave you drenched in God’s Spirit, filled with wonder, and changed forever.

Look for more information for how you can jump into Mission Blitz on September 26th. I hope you will join me in a new “adventurous encounter”!

Peace,
Pastor Sharon

Wilder View - July 2009

Isaiah 11:6 “…a little child shall lead them.”

These words ring so true to me each Sunday. You see at our 8 am service, Hannah and Eli always bring a friend to church with them. As part of my regular greeting to them, I ask the question. “Who did you bring to church with you today?” They smile as usual, and we begin a conversation about their friend. It seems that many of us do not bring someone to church with us. We tend to come alone or just with our family. However, each week Hannah and Eli bring a friend. On one particular Sunday, I asked Hannah, why she chose to bring Brownie with her. She held her stuffed toy dog just a bit more closely to her heart and said, “because he is special.”

Brittany (Hannah, Eli, and Evelyn’s mom) explained that as part of their process of getting ready for church each child decides who they will bring that day. The friend is always special, however, the reason they are special might change from week to week. In some cases, it is a new friend. Other times, they just feel really close to one or another.

These conversations have caused me to wonder. We all have special friends. I wonder what would happen if we all took a moment each week to think about a special friend to invite to
church. It would be a wonderful thing to call them up and say, “You are special to me. I’d like to invite you to church with me.” Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in our church began the passing of the peace with, “I would like you to meet my friend _____?” Just think about the impact that could have upon our friends, our church and our community.

I have no doubt that one of these days, Hannah and Eli’s friends are going to be transformed from huggable, furry, flexible animals, to living and breathing little boys and girls. I think they will be great evangelists. They certainly make it look easy.

So why don’t we try it. Take a moment and think of a special friend of yours who doesn’t have a faith home. Give them a call and invite them to come to church with you. I have a sense it will be an important time in their life to hear that invitation, and it will bring a greater sense of joy to your worship experience.

…a little child shall lead them. Evangelism that is easy.

I look forward to greeting you in the next few weeks and meeting your special friends.

Happy Summer,
Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Mission Events

July 2009

“On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “… What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” Mark 6:1

At the beginning of Mission events, I like to begin with prayer. We stand in a circle and I ask everybody to put their hands out in front of them. Then I ask God’s blessing on our hands, as we go about doing Jesus’ work of loving our neighbor in our community.

Our hands are miraculous feats of engineering. They turn and twist every which way, reach and clasp, hold and release, cup, curve, spread, and clench. They are even outfitted with devises on the ends, enabling digging, piercing, and prying. We can hang from them, shake with them, and stand on them. They can propel us forward, and catch our falls. They have the capacity to break a stack of bricks with one chop, and in contrast, stroke a child’s cheek with ultimate tenderness. Our hands are indeed amazing, and able to do wondrous things.

Jesus used his hands a lot. When he was growing up, he learned carpentry skills from his earthly dad, cutting, measuring, and smoothing wood. As an adult, he traveled from place to place, shaking hands and blessing those who came to see him. With his hands, he touched the sick, conveying healing and comfort. With his hands, he gathered the children about him, holding them close, and sharing God’s love for them. Jesus raised his hands to quiet the turbulent sea, curved his hands for a better grip under the Temple tables before rearing back to flip them, and broke bread and fish with his hands, feeding the multitude with 12 basket left over. Finally, he stretched out his hands to receive the nails that became the ultimate sign of his love for us.

Jesus used the gift of his hands to love people.

How do you use your hands? Do your hands hold a crochet hook, a hammer, steering wheel, or a drill? Do you write notes, hold the hands of children, or stir a bucket of paint? Do your hands reach out to shake other hands in greeting, grip a spoon to serve a hot meal , or press together in prayer?

There are many ways to use our hands to celebrate God’s love for us.

My prayer for each of us is that we will find something to do with your hands during the remaining summer days that shares God’s love with others. I am certain that both we, and our hands, will be blessed.

Peace,
Pastor Sharon

Wilder View - June 2009

I find it interesting that it seems like there are many scriptures that talk about sowing seeds, and many texts about harvesting. However, I don’t remember any texts that talk about the growing season. It is exciting to dig up dirt and to plant tiny seeds that suddenly become tiny plants. It is also wonderful to walk through a field and pick the vegetables or fruit that follow. I don’t think though that it is particularly fun to watch something grow.

In truth, we are in the growing season, the season of summer. No one really thinks about learning or growing in the summer because everyone is on vacation, or relaxing somewhere. Yet, the hard work of growing is happening during this time.

So what are you going to do in your spiritual garden this summer to prepare yourself for the wonderful joy of a harvest? Perhaps some of these ideas can help.

Play Bible trivia with your family – it is easy really. Just think of Bible story facts and ask questions of your family or friends. Or maybe you could play charades with some of the Bible stories. You could also just spend some time in a quiet garden reading the Psalms. Another idea could be to spend a little time in your garden weeding, and you might reflect if there are any habits that are in your life that should be plucked out so that you can grow to your fullest potential.

Growing isn’t fast, and sometimes it isn’t easy either. However, if we do not grow then we truly can not experience the joy of the harvest. May your roots reach deep into the fertile soil of God’s word. May you grow strong in the sharing of your faith, and may you be faithful to the work that God’s Spirit would like to do in your life that you truly enjoy the wonder of fall’s harvest.

Happy Growing... I wish you a fruitful time this summer.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen
lppastor@sbcglobal.net

Time with Sharon: “A Church Without Walls”

June 2009

“Lafayette Park United Methodist Church will be a church without walls, creating a visible sign of Christ’s presence in our urban community and beyond.”

As I write this, I can hardly believe that June is upon us. And that means getting outside! This summer, we have some local opportunities to be Christ’s presence in our community.

One new thing happening this summer is the launch of the Hands In Mission ministry. Working in the United Methodist connection of agencies and churches, Hands In Mission (HIM for short) was created to offer a multi-generational experience of putting our hands together to make a difference in our community. Children, youth, and adults will work along side together to garden, paint, or clean, depending on what is needed. We’ll meet others while we learn how the UMC connection is engaged in the city.

Here is the Summer HIM schedule, carpooling from the church from 7:30 a.m. - noon:

• June 20th at Centenary Cares, the United Methodist feeding program in the city of St Louis, located at our sister-church, Centenary UMC
• July 25th at Shalom House, a residential program of recovery, support and training for homeless women
• August 22 at Beloved Community, our neighbor United Methodist Church, serving the community north of Jefferson.

In August and October, LPUMC has been invited to send workers to a United Methodist Habitat for Humanity build on North Grand. Working along side the prospective homeowners and of many others in the United Methodist connection, we have the chance to help build a home, make a dream come true, and change a neighborhood. Dates are: August 8 and 29 as well as October 3 and 12.

Yearn to go BEYOND our local community? LPUMC will be sending another team to Juarez, Mexico from October 3-9 to build a house for a family that has been living in a dwelling made of packing crates and cardboard. Contact Nance Thuer at nance2u2@aol.com or Jim Wilder for more information.

This is a great opportunity to get outside and put our hands to work! And it is such fun to do it together. Bring your work gloves and I hope to see you there.

Pastor Sharon

Bishop Schnase: What’s Your Letter Say?

From Bishop Schnase's Five Practices Newletter:

A colleague from another conference told me about a District Superintendent who has focused his teaching and leading on the Five Practices as he has conducted charge conferences, district training events, and pastoral evaluations. To sharpen the self-reflection of congregational leaders, more »

Wilder View - May 2009

As you may know, John Wesley is credited with starting the Methodist faith tradition. You might not know that early in his ministry he visited the colony of Georgia. At the time he considered the trip to be a horrible disaster. Upon his return to England, he questioned everything… whether he could be a missionary, a pastor, and even questioned his faith in God. During a small group study, he had an amazing experience. Methodists refer to this incident as his Aldersgate experience, and we celebrate it each year on May 24. ”In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while the leader was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. “ May 24, 1738.

It is hard to imagine that John Wesley, the circuit rider preacher who launched the mighty faith
movement that transformed England and North America could have ever been frightened or shaken in his faith. After all he was a spiritual giant! How could it be that he was ever discouraged, or questioned his faith?! It is only simple people like me that sometimes find themselves shaken right?

Something happened in that small group meeting that night. He found God’s Spirit in study. He experienced his own personal Pentecost. From that experience Wesley found the drive and power to proclaim that “the World is my Parish.” He created a vision for the church that led to dealing with alcoholism and illiteracy. He started a community credit union to help neighbors launch new businesses, fought against slavery, and turned the industrial England business upside down.

Pentecost is coming! We can experience God’s power in many ways. It can be a quiet thought that slips through our head, a kick in the seat of our pants to get us motivated, a stirring sermon (I hope), or a sensation in our heart that is ‘strangely warm’. Pentecost is when we celebrate the life and power of God’s Spirit moving in our church.

In the upcoming weeks, we will host several small group meetings we will meet on four Mondays, beginning on April 27th here at Lafayette Park. On May 4th we will meet at Centenary. On May 11th and May 18th we will meet at Lafayette Park. Each week we will begin with a fellowship time from 6 – 6:30, followed by a short devotional time. We will then break into three small groups; one will study basic Bible information, another will study how to pray, and the third group will work on planning our Pentecost worship and picnic celebration. Who knows, maybe in this small group you too will encounter the power of the Holy Spirit and find that your heart is also ‘strangely warmed.”


Happy Pentecost,
Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Dancing with a Wild Thing!

May 2009

“When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”

Soon we will be preparing for Pentecost in the church. We call it the church’s birthday, and so it is. It is the day when Jesus’ worried followers were transformed into a bold community of faith, forged by the arrival of the Holy Spirit, and commissioned to take the gospel of Jesus Christ out into the world. This year, Pentecost falls on May 31st.

The Pentecost experience described in the New Testament was quite a happening! The promised Holy Spirit came swooping down to rest upon the Christian community like dancing flames of fire. Wind and fire! My imagination conjures up a vibrant, even somewhat dangerous, picture. I see a whipping wind blowing hats off and chairs over, coupled with the strangely exuberant, even ecstatic, expressions on faces of Jesus’ followers as their souls were filled by God’s mighty Spirit. Everybody’s eyes must have been pop’n!

By this account, this Holy Spirit-thing sounds like a wild thing.

Untamable for sure, for scripture tells us that the Spirit goes where the Spirit will (my loose translation of John 3.8). To let loose God’s Spirit then, is to unleash an authority that is powerful beyond human capabilities and disarmingly unpredictable. I suspect we ought to be taking it more seriously than we do.

To let loose the Spirit might result in our doing something we never dreamt of before, like going to Mexico to build a house out of cement blocks. It may prod us to take our Vacation Bible School out to the park, or transport kids in, to offer a worship service at a shelter, or serve a meal at a soup kitchen. God’s Spirit tumbling around inside of us may make us say “yes” when we were all ready to say “no”, give more deeply and joyfully, and begin loving that person that usually makes our teeth grind.

Yep, God’s Spirit is a wild thing.

When unleashed, the Spirit will stretch us, fill us up to the brim to be poured out and then filled again, and use us to move big rocks…even mountains. Then after all that work, when is seems it ought to be time for a nap, we may strangely feel like… dancing!

Dancing with God’s Spirit. Whoah…won’t that be wild. I’m in…are you?

Come and catch the Spirit unleashed. And wear your dancing shoes.
Pastor Sharon

From the Wilder View - April 2009

I have been looking at an empty page for several days now. It says, ‘From the Wilder view…’, and then…nothing…just a blank page. Many times I have started to write something only to erase it and start over. Some would call it writers block, but for me I find that words are quite limiting when I try to speak about the power of Easter.

For most of my life, Easter was focused on Good Friday. I can’t tell you how many sermons and lessons I have heard about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. I can’t begin to count how many times that I have heard about my sin being the cause of his suffering and death. Nor can I describe the guilt that I have lived with most of my life. The guilt of my sins, the guilt of being inadequate, the guilt of not being thin enough, or smart enough, or good enough. The living in the death of, ‘if you really knew who I am, you wouldn’t like me.’ Good Friday isn’t much fun for any of us. It seems though that our Christian faith tends to be completely centered on Good Friday and we seem to just flit by Easter Sunday so we can get back to the comfort of our own pain and suffering.

At some point in my first year at Lafayette Park UMC, God whispered something very transformative in my ear one day. It was something simple. “It’s not about my death, it is about my life.” I think I said, “What?” The phrase came back to me again. “It’s not about my death, it is about my life.” I still didn’t get it, and then the verse, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly” came to my mind.” It seemed that verse after verse began to come to my mind about life. All of a sudden it was if someone flipped a switch in my brain and a light went off. It isn’t about Christ’s death! It is about Christ’s life!

Easter is about Christ’s life. It’s about the life that he modeled when he walked this earth in human flesh. Christ’s life as he knelt and washed the feet of his disciples. Christ’s life as he broke the bread and lifted the cup. Christ’s life as he welcomed the children and the people on society’s margins. Christ’s life as he said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they have done.” Christ’s life as he folded up the grave clothes. Christ’s life as he told Mary not to weep. Christ’s life as he greeted his disciples and invited Thomas to touch the wounds in his hands and side. Christ’s life as he lives within us today.

Easter is about the power of Christ’s redeeming life and His love touching our lives so that our sin, our guilt, our fear can be dead once and for all and we can live strong, vibrant, abundant lives. Easter is about living in the power of God that conquers everything…even death.

My hope for each of us this Holy Week and Easter is that we can openly embrace the LIFE of Christ in our lives and began to truly experience the joy of God’s abundant life.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Pastor Kathleen

Sharing Time with Sharon: You can’t get there from here!

April 2009

Every year, worship planners must figure out what the itinerary for Holy Week, those days between Palm Sunday and Easter, will look like in the church. The task is to bring folks from the excitement of Palm Sunday’s “Hallelujah!” when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, through the throes of his pain and passion of his last week on earth, to the glorious wonder of Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning.

Anticipating that people’s lives are too busy to come back to church mid-week for another service, many churches try to divide the pre-Easter Sunday between the palm welcome and the agonizing crucifixion, all in 60 minutes. What you end up with is emotional whiplash.

Too much really important stuff happened during that week, and the theological and emotional significance takes time to soak in to really become part of our spiritual journey. Other churches have been known to skip the midweek destinations all together, believing that they’re too depressing. Better, in our already anxious times, to keep the worship celebrations cheerful and positive. So they leapfrog from happy Sunday to happy Sunday, with just a footnote about the intensity of emotion and raw passion that Jesus experienced in those days in between.

Well, friends, here’s the deal. There just isn’t any way to get to the joyous destination of Easter, if you don’t stop and experience Good Friday, dwelling in the how and why of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death. You have to travel with the disciples and his mother to the foot of the cross and hear the agony of his whispered prayers. You have to sit with the sin that kept Jesus on that cross in order to feel the giddy rush of freedom offered by the empty tomb.

Oh sure, if you travel directly to Easter morning, you can still enjoy the flowers, sing the old traditional hymns, and wear your new bonnet. But the goose-bumpity glory and power of the empty Easter tomb in rooted in that wretched Friday cross. If you don’t hang out there first, it will be like watching somebody else’s travel slides instead of experiencing the texture and tastes of the journey for yourself.

I’ll see you at the cross,
Pastor Sharon

From the Wilder View - March 2009

In a moment we can change a sad day into a joyful one.

In a moment we can share our love for a dear one.

In a moment with just a glance we can invite or exclude.

In a moment our world can change.

In a moment we can transform the world.

One Thursday evening, I was talking with a couple that I will marry in May. There was joy in the anticipation of their wedding day. We talked about who would stand where and all of the details of the ceremony. The groom decided that he would like to walk his mother down the aisle before the wedding. There was great joy in that discussion. A few hours later, he received a call. His mother was on the air- plane bound for Buffalo, and she had been killed in the crash. In a moment, his world was turned upside down.

In a moment, we meet a stranger in a grocery store. Who knows where they have been, or what they have experienced in their life? Who knows if they are hurting and need the comfort of God’s love? Do we get frustrated as they move a bit too slowly emptying their cart, or do we smile and share God’s love? In a moment, we encounter a coworker who has discovered they have a serious illness. They feel lost and afraid, yet how could they share that with someone at work? Do we get angry because they seem distracted and not engaged in the meeting, or do we pause and listen?

In a moment, a neighbor is faced with the reality of losing their home. They feel shame, despair, and hopeless. Do we give them a hard time for filling up the trash dumpster or do we try to help them pick up the pieces?

There are so many moments in life where a simple action on our part is the difference between life and death in someone’s life. The odd thing is that we rarely know about these moments. The season of Lent is a moment in which we are invited to take time to pause and reflect upon our life. Ita moment to prayerfully listen to God and evaluate our habits to see if they lead us towards life. Ita moment that we might be in tune with the Holy Spirit so we can be used as God’s hands to those around us who are hurting.

May this Lenten season be one of holy moments in which we encounter God.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: We Are One

March 2009

“ As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer males and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ”

Galatians 3:27-8

In the month of March, we will be celebrating another Confirmation class at LPUMC. The confirmation experience is a process of growth and introspection...a time of learning about God, about ourselves, and about Christianity as it is expressed through the United Methodist tradition. Most generally, a Confirmation Class is composed of young people in their junior high or early high school years. This year's Adult Confirmation Class has yielded folks from many faith traditions, or noneall, some who have already made their first confirmation journey many years ago in another church or denomination, and some who have never attended a religious class before in their life. Together, all have laughed, questioned, made new discoveries (and friends), and thought about whatmeans to be a follower of Christ, and more particularly, to be a United Methodist Christian.

During our time together, we have explored the early roots of the Methodist revival planted by John and Charles Wesley in England and cultivated by the Circuit Riders crossing the frontier of the American colonies. We have learned how the Methodist movement has been characterized by Wesley's unique understanding of God's Grace,connectional system, and the deep value of holy conferencing. We've discussed the pro's and con's of the itinerancy system, the beauty of apportionment model, and how each member of the church has the potential of effecting change at the General Conference level. We have shared precious conversations about the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, and pulled the Social Principles apart and put them back together again, looking for the truths that we each hold dear. Finally, we have celebrated that this is a church body that holds each person to be uniquely and wonderfully made, inviting all persons to the Lord's Table of Grace.

On March 29th, we will celebrate the conclusion of our Confirmation experience by honoring those who have completed their study. Some may make the decision to wed their spiritual journey with Lafayette Park United Methodist Church by becoming members. All will be acknowledged for their presence with us and their desire to seek deeper understanding of a life lived in Christ through faith. I know you will join me in celebrating their hunger to (re)connect anew with God in a meaningful way.

It has bee thrilling to watch God's Spirit weave together the hearts of these folks who are from such diverse paths into a caring group. There is "no longer Jew or Greek,... slave or free,...male or female". God's Spirit has drawn us together for purposes of learning, sharing, and ultimately serving. That's what the Holy Spirit does so well. As our spirits are touched by God's, we become One in Christ Jesus. It's amazing grace.

Peace,
Sharon

From the Wilder View - February 2009

So did you make a New Year’s resolution? How are you doing on keeping it? I have to admit that I have given up making New Year resolutions. It seems that I always have lofty goals; lose weight, start exercising, spend more time reading, do more of this or more of that, and on and on. But somehow in just a couple days into the new year and somehow my best of intentions would be blown away. So I am going to work on longer term goals rather than the traditional New Year’s resolutions with the hope that maybe one day I will be successful in my personal transformation hopes.

As I think about long term goals I am reminded of a poem and a song. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Elliott is about a man who evaluates his life using images of his life being measured by coffee spoons and wondering if they dare disturb the universe. He looks at the end of his life with regret that there were moments that he could have made a significant difference in the world, but possibly didn’t have the courage to stand up or speak out in that moment, and thus his life is measured by coffee spoons. The song that I hold in contrast is called “Everything Possible” by Fred Small and sung by The Flirtations. It ends with this phrase, “But the only measure of your words and your deeds will be the love you’ve left behind when you’re gone.” Where the poem and the song come together for me is that each day we are presented with many opportunities to heroically love in this world. Each moment of our life we are given the opportunity to make a decision to transform the world around us with love. We can demonstrate love through speaking out, standing in protest, humbly serving others, or just listening to someone. The question is, will we make the effort to love and risk disturbing the universe, or will we sit back and not engage. Will our words and deeds create love or will they perpetuate the status quo?

Perhaps if I am focused on my words and deeds, sharing the love of God with those around me, my life might be measured in something more important than coffee spoons. Perhaps my life resolution should be to be intentional that each day my words and deeds communicate God’s love for the world. I would hazard to guess that living out God’s love might just change the universe, and hopefully, my personal transformation might also help God transform a little corner of the world.

My hope for you this New Year and for the years to come is that we all might live our lives filled with words and deeds that communicate the love of God.

Happy Loving!

Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: A New Adventure!

February 2009

* This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that’s gone.

Most people consider January 1st the beginning of the new year, where all things are fresh and new. Time to forgive and forget, time to start over, to zero the counters and see where we can go from here.For a lot of businesses, the fiscal year is July 1. After having closed out their books, and counted their inventory, they give each other a bonus and go to Florida for a little R and R.

But in the church, the Liturgical year begins right after Thanksgiving with Advent. All through the four Sundays before Christmas, we prepare to receive Emmanuel, God with Us, in the form of a baby-child. By the time January 1st rolls around, we have celebrated the birth of the Christ Child, and heard the scriptural story of Baby Jesus being consecrated at the Temple, ending with verse 40 in the second chapter of Luke: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” Jesus was getting ready for ministry. He was preparing for the adventure of his life.

Now is not the time to get started…because our adventure with Jesus has already begun. But it is a time to evaluate, get fresh perspective, and seek new possibilities…and then to begin again. To risk, to pray, to stretch, to grow. Now is a time to be readying ourselves to carry on Christ’s ministry on earth.

Then let us, with the spirit’s daring,
Step from the past and leave behind
Our disappointment, guilt, and grieving,
Seeking new paths, and sure to find.

Look behind you…what have you been doing this past year that uses your gifts and talents to help Christ love people? Now look ahead…what can you do that you have never done before (with that ministry or a new one) that will reach someone new, or in a new way? What do you need to know? Who do you need to talk to? What extra resources will you need? Who might join you in your adventure? Now is a good time to assess what we’re doing, and figure out how we can do it better, smarter, with greater love, and to invite others to join us.

Christ is alive, and goes before us
To show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings,
Our God is making all things new!

I look forward to hearing about your adventures,
Pastor Sharon