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When a spider begins to spin a web she will cast a strand of silk out into space. If it catches on a tree branch or bush then the spider begins to make a web connecting one strand to another until a lacey web is fashioned. The threads of a spider web are very tiny but amazingly powerful. It can catch large insects and is strong enough to hold a necklace of raindrops. But the artistry of the web begins with that first leap of thread. God has great plans for us, the sheep of God’s pasture. God equips us to do every good thing. The famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” reminds us: “The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth.”   We need to do our part: take a leap of faith. God often calls us to do something that we don’t think we can do. In our own strength we fail, in God’s strength we can do all things. Is God calling you to do something? Cast your strand of silk and see if God is not waiting on the other side to catch it.

When the Israelites finally crossed into the Promised Land they passed through the Jordan on dry land (Joshua 4). Joshua instructed the people to appoint one person from each tribe to take a stone out of the riverbed and to make a monument out of these stones to remember the miracle of the parting waters and the miracle of their entry into the Promised Land. Taking time to remember important milestones is an important part of life. This coming week we celebrate Memorial Day and remember all those who sacrificed in service to their country. We remember the goodness of God, who has provided for us and cared for us in countless ways. We remember God’s salvation through Jesus Christ. We remember God’s promises to us for eternal life and God’s never failing presence. When you remember something you Re-Member it….you give it a body. It comes alive through your memory. As we remember we need to bodily live the promises of God in our words and actions in the world and our remembering will be worthwhile. 

       On this Mother’s Day I am reflecting on the “Mother of Methodism,” Susanna Wesley.  Her sons, John and Charles, began the Methodist Movement that changed the world.  I believe that the Christian nurture of Susanna and her husband Rev. Samuel Wesley, had much to do with their success.  Susanna home schooled her many children at an early age and used the Bible as a means of instruction.  She also had private meetings with each one to inquire about their soul.  She practiced the means of grace as a way of life in the home: prayer, study of scripture, fasting, tithing, self examination, worship, and the Lord’s Supper.  She prayed for an hour in the morning and an hour at night.  When her husband was away on business she would conduct worship in her kitchen.  Susanna once wrote in her journal, “There is nothing I now desire to live for but to do some small service to my children, that as I have brought them into the world, I may, if it please God, be an instrument of doing good to their souls.”
        There are children in our lives that need our Christian nurture.  They may be your own children or grand children or children in your church or neighborhood.  There is nothing more precious than nurturing the soul of a young person.  It is one of the most important things we can be doing as we strive to grow our churches. 

 

I have always been intrigued by the story of Abigail found in I Samuel 25. She is the wife of a wealthy landowner named Nabal. David and his men asked Nabal for some food and Nabal refuses their request. David felt this was an injustice since David and his men were something of a protection ring around Nabal’s sheep shearers and the field workers. David was planning an act of retaliation when Abigail gets word of it and intercedes. She brings a large gift of food to David and asks that he not avenge himself. She said “My lord (David), let the blame be on me alone …. please forgive your servant’s (Nabal), offense. Abigail did no wrong to David but she was willing to put the sins of her husband on herself and intercede in order to save the lives of the entire household.  David accepts her peace offering and gives up his plan to attack Nabal’s farm. 

Every day we encounter places of conflict and moments of discord between people.  There is a true need for the ministry of mediation. It takes a humble person to take on the sins of another and work peace from the middle. Standing in the gap between two disagreeable parties is the hardest place to be in life. It is the place where Jesus stood as he was dying on the cross, making peace between God and people. As imitators of Christ, we are called to be the world’s peacemakers. Where do you see places in your work or church where you can intercede with a “winning word of love?” It will always involve personal sacrifice and courage. I believe there would be more peace in this world if Christ’s people were actively building bridges of understanding and reconciliation where there is discord. 

I was listening to the news explaining about the outbreak of swine flu and the announcer kept saying the word “yet.” “It has not become an epidemic YET.” “It is not a pandemic YET.” The word “yet” bothered me. It was as if an epidemic or a pandemic was a sure thing. It just hasn’t happened yet.   Another TV report said “we are overdue for a pandemic.” I believe that we need to be careful and take precautions as necessary. We need to be sure that our conference and our churches have an emergency response plan. We also need to be in prayer that the spread of this disease will be stopped.

The United Methodist Pastors in the Central Conferences work very hard in our international settings. Very few of them have pension plans that will afford them a living wage after they retire. For many years the Cokesbury Bookstore has presented a check at Annual Conference for the ministerial pension fund. We have been giving that check to the Central Conference Pension Fund. This year, due to a decline in sales, the bookstore regretfully is unable to make a donation this year. We certainly understand and offer this as an opportunity for us to be a blessing to our sisters and brothers in the Central Conferences. I am inviting folks to make a donation of any amount so our friends can still get money sent to them this year for their pensions. If everyone gave even a little bit that would make a huge donation. Checks can be written and sent to the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference (139 N. State Street, Dover, DE 19901). Please put “Central Conference Pension Fund” in the memo line.   In these difficult economic times there is always something we can do to remind the world that God is a God of abundance and we have faith in God’s providing.

One of my joys since coming to the Philadelphia Area has been to learn more about Native American Ministries in the United Methodist Church. In the Peninsula-Delaware Conference there are two Native American Churches and the Eastern PA Conference is starting up a Native American Committee. The rich heritage and spirituality of the Native American community is a vital part of the United Methodist Connection. I encourage you to observe Native American Sunday on April 26^th and to take a special offering. The offering taken supports urban missions with Native Americans and funds scholarship of Native American seminarians. The annual conference retains 50 percent of the offering to strengthen and develop local Native American ministries. 

When Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning what was his first question? “Woman, why are you weeping?”    This he asked because there was nothing to be crying about. Jesus was not dead. It was not a sad time. It was a happy time. Of course she did not know this at first but as soon as she recognized Jesus her tears turned to joy! 

Still today Jesus asks “why are you weeping?” We already know that Jesus has risen from the dead and that in the end everything is going to be alright but still we weep, still we doubt, still we complain.   Surely in life we have sorrow and difficulty and God does not expect us to be smiling all of the time. Deep inside we never need to weep because of Easter. Life will ultimately triumph over death, good will always defeat evil, love will overcome the power of hatred. 

Whatever is breaking your heart, whatever makes you feel sad, remember to light a candle of hope in your heart and trust in a good God who will make Good Friday become Easter.

Why are you weeping?

When the floodwaters rose in North Dakota recently hundreds of people worked non-stop for several days putting 3 million sandbags along the river’s edge to prevent the flooding. Unfortunately, the frigid temperatures (zero and below) were causing not only painful work conditions but the sandbags began to freeze. Frozen sandbags do not fit together and they don’t prevent flood waters. They were described as feeling like 30 pound frozen turkeys. To combat this problem, volunteer workers were bringing many of the sandbags into warm warehouses so they could soften up. These soft sandbags are useful because they fit snugly against one another, adjust to shifting and also absorb flood waters. 

          When I was a child I used to love reading Greek mythology. One of the stories that stuck with me the most was the story of a young girl named Pandora who wanted to open a box that no one was supposed to open. It was tied shut so she could not even look inside. Finally curiosity got the best of her and she opened the box and out came all the evils and sadness of the world. Prior to that the world had been perfect and there were no problems. In the bottom of the box after all the demons had been released out into the world there was an angel that came out at the end. Her name was “hope” and as the story goes…hope is still alive in the world today helping people to cope with evil. 

          The Bible teaches us in a better way that God is our hope in times of trouble. Psalm 62 says “I depend on God alone, I put my hope in God.”    God is with us no matter what happens in life. I read a story about a man who climbed Mt. Everest. After his great expedition he was in a serious car accident and became paralyzed. He likened the accident and the recovery from it as “climbing Mt. Everest within” himself. He said that God was with him through it all and the strength of God gave him hope to move on. Today he teaches mountain climbing and is an encouragement to many people in rehabilitation centers. 

Although baptism is a sign of God’s calling of every believer into ministry, from among the baptized, Deacons are called to a lifetime of servant leadership, authorized by the church and ordained by the bishop. Deacons are in servant ministry in the world and lead the Church in making the essential connection between our devotion to God expressed in our daily worship with the work God is doing in the world. 

On March 22, 2009 we in the Philadelphia Episcopal Area have a chance to participate in the annual One Great Hour of Sharing campaign. Through this offering we enable the United Methodist Church to be there when an emergency happens any where in the world, and to be the hope of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering great loss.

March is Women’s History month and indeed our area is rich with the wonderful histories of women who have given their lives in service to the church through the years.   Rev. Joe DiPaolo called to my attention one such woman who was a pioneer woman preacher, missionary, educator and holiness advocate. Her name was Lela McConnell (1884-1870) and she was a native of Chester County, PA. Lela was nurtured in the faith in the Honey Brook Methodist Episcopal Church. She was raised on a farm where she found herself in charge of all of the horses and plowing the lower ten acres by herself when her father died. She became a Christian at a revival service at the Honey Brook Church and the pastor, W. Q. Bennett saw her spiritual giftedness and put her in charge of disciple groups and leading in prayer at public meetings. 

Every day as I listen to the radio while I am driving I hear constant talk about the economy and the lack of money in just about every area of life. Indeed we need money to operate and resources that money can buy to do the work of the Lord. But money is truly not our greatest resource. It is one of the means to accomplish the work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making disciples, but it is not the main resource. The greatest resource costs nothing, is accessible to all people at all times, can move mountains, can stop rain from falling for three years, can heal spiritual and physical illnesses, can repair broken relationships. The greatest resource is often acknowledged as important but for the most part not used or used only during a crisis. This greatest resource is one of the few things that all people of faith in every tradition can agree. What is the greatest resource? PRAYER.

This week the senate and congress are working on a stimulus package to boost the nation’s economy in what appears to be one of the worst financial slumps in US history. There is no question that our churches have felt the impact on the many lost jobs and diminished stocks. Many people stand in need of the help of the church at this time.

An important thing to remember is the discipline of tithing, not just now but always. Malachi 3:10 clearly calls us to give tithes (10%) and offerings (gifts above and beyond the tithe).  Jesus alludes to it in Matthew 23:23 as well.  How many people actually tithe in our churches? How many of our pastors tithe? People tell me that they cannot afford to do this.  I agree that this can be a stretch but isn’t that the meaning of faith? When we depend on God for something we cannot see or logically figure how it is going to work out: that is faith! I have never met anyone who tithes who has any regrets over it. On the contrary, tithers report that God has always taken care of their needs when they trusted God with their money. When you tithe you bless people in need with that money and you are not burdened with unnecessary material things in your life. Most importantly it shows where your heart is. Jesus says you cannot love both God and money. You trust one or the other. When you tithe you are showing God that your trust is in God.

Can you trust God with your money? Try tithing….try it for even a month and see if God will not take care of you. It can be a new step in a deeper walk of faith with the Lord. 

Jesus calls us in Matthew 25 to visit those in prison.  Throughout Jesus' ministry he talks about the captives and we are in a unique position in our area to minister to people in our many prisons as well as those who have been released from prison.  I am aware of a number of ministries and would like to have a prison ministry training event.  This email is a call to find out who is doing prison ministry and where.   If you have a prison ministry or if you would like to begin one please email me at:

areaprsnmnstry@gmail.com 

Also if your church has old but usable Bibles (preferably modern translations) or hymnals (any kind) we could use them for a prison ministry in Northeast Philadelphia that has a need.  Please use the above email address to let me know about that as well.

Pray for this vital ministry!

Many of our churches purchase coffee and chocolate using “fair trade” products.  This enables farmers to get a living wage for their crops.  Here is a new way to help farmers in time for Palm Sunday. For years farmers have been harvesting palms for Palm Sunday celebrations in America in rain forests in tropical countries. Most of the time they over harvest the palms and there is much waste.  The worst part of this over-harvesting is that it is threatening the health of the rainforests. The University of Minnesota has an “Eco-Palm” program in conjunction with palm farmers in Guatemala and Mexico. They are selling palms at a fair market price and the palms are harvested in a careful way so as not to hurt the rainforests. For more information contact: www.ecopalms.org or call 612-624-7418. The deadline to order palms by mail is March 2^nd or March 9^th for credit card orders.

Stewardship of the earth is an important part of living out our faith as brothers and sisters on the same planet. There are many ways we can curb consumption and make the best use of our natural resources. Green is the color of life and as Christians we can encourage life by protecting our world. What can you do to make your church more environmentally responsible? Recycling, curbing the use of paper products, using environmentally safe cleaning products, putting insulation around doors and windows are just some ways churches can make a difference.

February is “Black History Month” and indeed among the many famous African Americans are people of faith who “turned the world upside down” because of their commitment to the gospel and the freedom and equality it proclaims. One such famous African American was Harry Hoosier (1750-1806). He was born into slavery in Fayetteville, NC and eventually ended up working on a farm in Perry Hall, Maryland. He was converted to the Christian faith through the witness of the wife of the farm owner. He began preaching at the chapel that was built on the farm. Francis Asbury, the first bishop of Methodism came to preach at this farm and met Harry. Harry was freed from slavery and began traveling with Asbury and many of the early circuit riders. He was the first African American to receive a license to preach. Harry drew large crowds when he preached and journals of the circuit riders report that he converted nearly 10,000 souls during his traveling ministry that took him from NY to NC. He would preach late into the night sometimes in order to accommodate the work schedules of the slaves. Harry never learned how to read or write but he preached totally from memory. His favorite text was the Jesus cursing the fig tree that did not bear fruit. He preached boldly for people to renounce the sin of slavery and racism. 

Harry Hoosier taught the world that God uses best those who are willing to serve and are humble. Harry’s preaching had a lot to do with the spreading of Scriptural Holiness in the areas of EPA and Pen-Del. Now it is our turn to keep telling people about Jesus…keep inviting people to become disciples….keep boldly speaking in favor of justice and equality. 

Congratulations to both Eastern Pennsylvania and Peninsula Delaware for paying their World Service Apportionments in full in 2008. Eastern Pennsylvania paid their apportionments in full for the first time in many years in 2007. Peninsula Delaware has paid 100% always. I am thrilled that both conferences have paid this year given the difficult economic times of this past year.

The apportionment funds do good things in the world that further the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Among the many things the general agencies are doing include the following apportionment-supported programs:

The General Board of Discipleship is developing a Discipleship University that will engage lay and clergy teams from local churches for renewal of existing congregations. All five jurisdictions are now offering new church start planter schools.

The General Commission on Religion and Race is providing recourses to support clergy and lay person sin cross-racial appointments. 

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry awarded educational scholarships and loans for more than 2,500 students. They have led training experiences of Annual Conference Boards of Ordained Ministry.

The General Commission on Archives and History has entered into a partnership with the African American Heritage Center to enable the center to move forward in acquiring materials and developing training opportunities for African American churches.

The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women launched a survey of clergy spouses to learn the joys, concerns and needs of persons married to clergy and is planning a “Women’s Congress in 2011” that is targeting new women leadership.

The General Board of Church and Society works to help United Methodists join justice and mercy ministries in congregations and communities. They also have a presence in the Philippines, Africa and Europe.

The General Commission on Communication maintains the church’s official website and has collaborated with a number of UM agencies in promoting the “Nothing but Nets” campaign (to help eliminate malaria)

The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns worked this year to establish a full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and produced a resource known as “White Privilege”

The General Board of Global Ministries deploys missionaries around the globe in numerous church and community settings.

Our apportionment dollars also supports the Episcopal Fund.

Many thanks to our churches for the hard work and sacrifices made so that we paid our apportionments in full in 2008.   I pray that we can continue this in 2009 and into the future.

               Recently I heard an interview on National Public Radio featuring Rev. Joseph Lowery who has been an important leader in the Civil Rights movement through the years. Recently he was given the honor to pronounce the benediction at the inauguration service for President Barrack Obama. In this interview he said that the election of the first African American president was something he always thought would happen but he never thought it would happen in his lifetime. I believe that his advocacy work in our country for decades had much to do with this reality.   He was willing to courageously speak a word of truth to power, not only during the early years during the Civil Rights movement in this country but he also spoke out against Apartheid in South Africa and anywhere people are suffering still today.  During Coretta Scott King’s funeral in 2006 he spoke up for the poor in this country: “Millions are without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war there are billions more but no more for the poor.”