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

The Wilder View - June 2008

Imagine what it was like back in 1888…120 years ago. A faith community that had lived, learned, and struggled to serve God in the community was finally ready to step out in one gigantic leap of faith. For several years the congregation had not been strong enough to even support a pastor and had to rely on the support of a sister church. Their sister church had encouraged them that they could build upon this new piece of land and grow a stronger church. It must have been so exciting and I’m sure at the same time quite scary.

Just imagine the pride they must have felt as they marched down Chouteau and walked by the park at Lafayette Square. Can’t you just see them walking with a bounce in their step… their heads held high, ready for one great and glorious adventure. Truly these people knew the secret to living out God’s plan in the community. They even etched into the stone above the entrance to the new sanctuary for everyone in the community to see, "Thy way O God is in the sanctuary." You can still it above the big window on the Missouri side of the original building.

Today, we are just like those great pioneers of faith. We have lived through all of the challenges of being an urban congregation, the stress of white flight, and urban sprawl. We have learned how to remain in the community and make a powerful witness through helping rebuild our community. We too have struggled to serve the community around us and to witness to God’s grace no matter what the circumstance, cyclone, or situation we encounter. We are also now ready to step out in one gigantic leap of faith…To once again proclaim to our community, "Thy way of God is in the sanctuary."

My friends, today we prepare the way for the next major milestones of our ministry to the community around us. Today we announce to the world that through our worship of God we find the strength, the hope, and the joy, to sustain all of the challenges and opportunities of being a people of faith. Today we celebrate the fact that we can help our sister churches in realizing the power of God’s Spirit as it moves in our city. Today we too can walk with a bounce in our step, and our heads held high in expectation of the mighty works that God will do in our lives, our church, our community and our world. We begin a new era today, to be part of God’s radical transformation of the world as we continue to live out our vision...

"Lafayette Park United Methodist Church will be a church without walls creating a symbol of Christ’s presence within our urban community, and beyond."

Let us celebrate together!!
Pastor Kathleen

The Wilder View - May 2008

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because of the many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their numbers those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47

Over the last several weeks I have found myself really drawn to this text about the early church. What a completely different lifestyle they had; worshipping daily at the temple, sharing so that no one had need, and sharing common meals together. It seems pretty farfetched for us these days. Yet, I remember Ju Young (our former music director from Seoul, Korea) telling me about the Korean church. It seems in Seoul, the Methodist church has a prayer service Monday – Friday from 6 am – 7 am and then everyone eats breakfast together and goes to work for the day. I must confess that when I heard about this, I was glad to be in St. Louis. The idea of having my family ready so that I could lead worship every morning at 6 am seemed daunting. Yet, I keep hearing about how the church is growing in Korea and sometimes I wonder what would happen if we were to do at least a weekly early Morning Prayer meeting. Could we experience the awe and wonder that the early church experienced?

I have really struggled with this text and wonder what it might be calling us to do in the frantic paced world we live in. Just think how our productivity might improve if we were to take time each morning to center ourselves with God and seek God’s leadership, direction, and blessing upon our day, our life, our church, and our community. So (watch out, here it comes) I have an experiment for us to try.

1. Think of something you do regularly each day. Maybe it is brushing your teeth, or putting on your seatbelt, or combing your hair. Use that activity to be a prayer prompter.
2. Say this simple prayer. “Lord, make us one in ministry to the world.” This is part of a prayer that we pray consecrating ourselves as a living sacrifice when we share communion together.
3. Watch and see how God will use you to build Lafayette Park and transform the world around you.

I know it isn’t like getting up and worshipping with each other at 6 am, however, maybe if we each individually start asking God to make us one we might experience God’s Spirit knitting us together in ministry. I do believe that we will see with awe the wonders that God will do in our lives.

Please Lord. Make us one in ministry to the world. Glory be to God.

Pastor Kathleen