Prayers for Ferguson

PRAYERS FOR FERGUSON

Aldine Bell sent me this website as we continue to pray for peace in Ferguson, Missouri.  I invite you to open the link :  http://ferguson.wcrossing.org/ .  Not only are you invited into praying, but you will find places on the website where you can be of help.  In addition, you will have the opportunity to experience healing words from pastors and leaders in the area.  As you enter a time of Thanksgiving, pray for Ferguson.

 

Praying for peace becomes a holy purpose.  We are about to enter into the season of Advent, where we celebrate the Prince of Peace.  As people who follow Jesus, our prayer life must be engaging and authentic in our lives, as well as the lives around us. 

 

On the journey,

Alecia

Two Questions

And so the October challenge begins!  The challenge to read through the book of Matthew (adults) or Mark (children /youth) by Christmas has been made.   I have had a number of requests for the two questions that you might ask as you are reading scripture.  They are:
     1.  What does this passage teach you about God?
     2.  What does this passage teach you about God's will for your life?  Or, what is God saying to you as you read the text?
When you approach the Bible with these questions in mind, you will find an openness to the Spirit.  When I read, I have a pen in hand.  Sometimes I write in the margins of the Bible, while other times I need a journal or pad of paper.  A journal allows me to explore a bit more when the text has stirred up something within me.

If you have children in your household, you might need to assist or even read to some of the younger ones as they begin to explore Mark.  If your child has a received a Bible from the church, please consider reading out of it.  Not only do the Sunday School teachers use this particular version in their classes, but you will help your child make his/her personal Bible something that is beloved and used.  Encourage your kids to take part in the challenge .  Celebrate with them as they read chapter by chapter.  Encouraging faith development in a child now, makes all the difference in the world.

For those of you not present this last Sunday, there are incentives!  When kids finish the book of Mark, they need to let me know.  They will receive:

• a bookmark
• a certificate
• a chance to sign the Challenge Canvas
• and two cookies from Heavenly Sweets, made especially for this challenge.

I quickly learned that adults like incentives as well!  Primarily... you want the special cookies.  We are all kids at heart.  We will have adults sign the Challenge Canvas too.

I look forward to reading the book of Matthew with you.  I can't wait to hear what the Lord is teaching you.

On the journey,
Alecia



 

Discipleship Pathway

   I'm grateful to be part of a congregation that wishes to go deeper in spiritual discipleship and renewal.  Lynn Jansen and I unveiled the Discipleship Pathway or Camino Discipulado at the end of September.  If you weren't in church on September 18, I invite you to pick up a copy of the services for that morning.  Former Bishop Reuben Job writes, Christians see grace most clearly in God's act of self-giving through the person of Jesus Christ.  As we progress in our Christian life, we deeply desire to go deeper.  There are tools and practices that can help us become more Christ-like.  The Discipleship Pathway or Camino Discipulado is a tool modeled after people of great faith.  In order to be like Jesus, we gotta go deep. 

   In this church, the mission is to follow and invite others to follow Jesus Christ.  We live that out through the tenets of our vision:  Celebrate, Support and Serve.  This gives us the pathway to to follow.
Celebrate:  If you want to experience God, corporate worship is a means of grace that can lead us toward wholeness and a deeper connection.  Worship can be a profound experience when we actively engage it.  In worship, we gather with others and experience grace.  Daily prayer is essential for us to be open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.  When we come to be entertained or pray only in crisis, we miss the richness of Celebration.
Support:  Discipleship requires we learn.  We are disciples -- followers-- of Jesus.  In order to follow, we need to learn.  I am attempting to learn Spanish.  Now I can wish that I was fluent all that I want; however, it is in the study and conversational lessons that is causing me to finally learn.  So too with our faith life.  We recognize the following classes and small groups are important to be a disciple:

• Spiritual Gifts
• Prayer and the Holy Spirit
• Stewardship Small group
• United Methodist Theology
• Making Sense of the Bible or Yearly Church Wide Small Group (4-6 weeks)

   If you follow Jesus, then these are classes or groups that are critical.  You will want to take them over the next couple of years.  All will be offered on a regular basis.  For those that want to go deeper, then one of the two longer small groups is important:   Companions in Christ or Disciple Bible Study.  While a 9 month commitment seems daunting,  my greatest growth still is  found in the long term groups.  One other aspect of Support is giving.  Giving financially is tied to our discipleship.  We give out of a profound sense of gratitude to God for our very life. Giving financially is part of our worship--Our part towards God's ministries and mission.


Serve  Jesus was clear that he came not to be served, but to serve.  We can't be disciples of Jesus without serving in ministry.  The disciples were sent out to serve.  Serve where you are called-- where you are passionate.  If you are able, take part in a mission serve trip. There are multiple possibilities to be in service and on mission at this place and beyond our walls.  This is part of who we are.
I am sure we will talk again about this pathway.
On the journey,
Alecia
*** Pick up a copy of the Discipleship Pathway or Camino Discipulado in the entryway!

Just Saying...

The common thread of conversation this week is the weather, which certainly is not a surprise considering the -45 windchill.  The new take on the weather is how balmy (I use that term loosely) today feels to folks.  Since when did 8 degrees become balmy weather! 

I realize I sometimes make the same assertions about my faith life.  Just like people feeling stuck inside due to the weather, some of us feel stuck in our spiritual journeys.  We are not quite sure how to get outside of our box.  While not satisfying to stay inside all day, getting stuck in our faith life is at least familiar to us.  We know what to expect, even if God does not seem relevant or particularly close.  Likewise, I am hearing stories within the congregation -- including myself at times-- that everything is just fine. I say things like my spiritual life is just balmy, when in all reality I know it isn't.  I am so grateful to be a part of a couple small groups that help keep me honest.  In a very real way, my small groups -- Covenant Group and Companions-- help me to stay discontented and engaged.  I don't want to be satisfied with a balmy spiritual life which is nice, safe and predictable.  I'm thankful the Spirit pushes and prods me into leaving the warm confines of what is known and comfortable to enter into a world that is hurting and lost.

Check out the new listings of small groups and classes.  Stretch your spiritual life this month.

On the journey,
Alecia 

A Look Back to Frame the Discussion Forward

A friend recommended on Facebook to look at a blog from Sojourners dealing with the 14 things the Church needs to do in 2014. (http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/01/01/14-things-church-needs-do-2014/ )  It caught my attention and I thought I would post the first couple of questions:

1. Review what happened in 2013: What worked?  What didn’t? Where did we spend our money? How did we touch people’s lives?  What one word would describe 2013? Take some time and objectively look at what transpired in 2013.

2. Honestly answer the question “Why in the world would anyone want to come to this church?”: I believe that this is the biggest question that every church must ask itself. How one answers this question affects the ministry, outlook, and mission of the church. If you answer this question honestly, the answer might surprise you and scare you all at the same time.

I think these are great questions for leadership to look at for our next retreat, but I thought I would take an initial stab at them.  The simplest answer for what worked is the laity.  The laity, particularly leadership, deepened in discipleship in a way we have not experienced for awhile.  The digging into scripture, the inviting of the Holy Spirit and the stepping up in ministry changed us at a core level.   In addition, staff worked hard in their individual areas and we are seeing transformed lives because of the effort.  In 2013 in regards to what didn't work as well as I would have hoped,  I would say that Josh and I felt like we were running to keep up with the current and new ministries and folks.  At times that caused us to misstep or to not offer our best effort.  

We spent 2013 and will continue to work with aligning our resources -- money and staff.  This is an important piece.  We funded our budget, which includes ministries, mission, and apportionments.  The on-going work of aligning our resources with our mission is critical. This year both North Liberty and New Horizons were on the receiving end of grants, which helped immensely in missional work, such as the Pantry, ELL, the Latino emerging ministry and staffing.

How did we touch people's lives?  The easiest to bear witness to would be in the area of children and youth ministry.  Both areas are seeing lives transformed spiritually.  The Pantry numbers speak for themselves as this ministry continues to serve more and more people.  The emerging ministry with Latinos has grown to such a degree that we are seeing individuals out of our bilingual worship offering their own gifts in ministries.  Of course each time I try to conclude this section, I think of another aspect.  The last one I will mention in this blog is small groups.  We are seeing people deepen in their walk with Jesus.

The one word to describe us is three:  deepening as disciples.  That discussion, as well as the second question is for another time.
Peace my friends,
Alecia

Developing a Personal Mission Statement of Faith

In the past few weeks in worship we have talked about living out God's purpose in our individual lives, as well as our life together.  I believe a personal mission statement of faith is critical for engaging our life in God fully.  While there are a lot of templates for creating your mission statement, I found this one and adapted it for our purposes:

1. Ask God to be present.  Approach writing your vision statement with a prayerful heart.
2. Answer the following questions to help clarify your thinking, as well as listen to God:

• Do I feel God has a purpose for my life?
• In what ways has God been working in my life?
• What brings me joy or satisfaction?
• What is God challenging me to leave behind or are there any bad habits to break?
• What would I do with my time if I didn't need to work for an income?
• What would I do if money was no object?
• If my life ended now, would I have regrets?

    3.  To help focus on your gifts, answer the following questions:

• What do I know more than others know?
• What can I do better or could teach others to do?
• What do I love more than anything in terms of ministry or service?
• What are the gifts God has already given you?

   4.  Using your answers write about recurring themes they reveal in the following areas:
  spiritual growth, ministry opportunities, direction by the Holy Spirit, relationships and any other broad  categories that you wish to add.

   5.  Think about how you can use information from your past to shape the future.

   6.  Distill information in each category into one or two actionable statements.  For example under spiritual,
"I am deepening my relationship with Christ through scripture study and prayer" or "I am experiencing the joy of drawing others to Christ through love."   Write concrete statements that are based on your core values.

   7.  Now... in 1-3 sentences, write your mission statement from what you have learned from above.

I will share mine next week.  Happy visioning!

On the journey,
Alecia
 

Continuing in Disorientation

Apparently I am not the only one in disorientation!  On Sunday I spoke about about a framework for our spiritual journeys using Moses' life as the backdrop.  If you read last week's blog, you undoubtedly realize that I had already been looking at my life through the lens of disorientation.  For those of you that are wandering around the wilderness in disorientation, I say to you, Take heart.  The wilderness is never fun or inviting.  It is painful, humbling and useful.  There is a harshness about the wilderness that sharpens us.  If we were not fully awake in our lives, the wilderness of disorientation teaches us to pay attention to what is important.  Spending time in the wilderness is not only inevitable, but it is critical for spiritual pilgrims to begin to find the gift in the wilderness.

To those of you who have never left the orientation stage, I say to you, "Open your eyes.  In the busyness of life it is easy to not be fully present in any situation.  We confuse activity with spirituality.  Open your eyes.  It is easier to move into disorientation if you are seeking to be more like Jesus in the everyday.  Disorientation happens as life unfolds.  To be caught unaware can be terrifying as you seek to navigate a death, a pay cut, a divorce, an affair, a betrayal or any number of life events.  Being open to the movement of the Spirit is essential.

For those of you moving into reorientation, I say to you, "Take courage."   You will experience God in new ways.  Moving into reorientation offers a better opportunity to better live out God's purpose for each of us.  God has a purpose for each one of us.  When we live out our purpose, peoples' lives are changed.  The Kingdom of God is alive in North Liberty!  When I am living God's vision for my life, I sense the presence of the Lord.  I invite you to engage the Lord wherever you find yourself:  orientation, disorientation, or reorientation.

See you on the journey,
Alecia

Disorientation

This past year I have struggled to find my footing at various times.  I felt disoriented as I sought to find God in my new reality. There is a short book by Walter Brueggeman called, Spirituality of the Psalms, that has been most helpful for me shaping my faith journey over the last months.  Brueggeman wrote that our spiritual journeys are composed of three on-going movements:  orientation, disorientation and reorientation.    He wrote that folks on an intentional spiritual journey move between the three components throughout their lives. I was reminded of this helpful framework in my Companions in Christ small group.

With the Psalms as his backdrop, Brueggeman writes that scriptures of orientation provide the present reality.  This would involve our lived out practices and theology.  Orientation provides comfort in its stability.  Disorientation occurs when "our certainties about life seem seriously undermined, if not completely shattered" (Companions in Christ, p. 18).  Finally there is a point we move to reorientation.  Reorientation being the new meaning and focus points that guide our life and its practices.  I find this a helpful framework in which to explore my life and spiritual journey.

Currently I am moving out of disorientation to reorientation.  Disorientation can bring new meaning to life practices.  I am grateful for the journey.  Amidst the pain and growth, there is life.  I invite you to think about where you are in your spiritual journey.  Which movement are you in today:  orientation, disorientation or reorientation?  Take some time to reflect.

On the journey,
Alecia

Hero Worship

Worship is perhaps too strong of a word; however I have spent a lot of time outside of worship pondering the lives of the Old Testament heroes. Over and over again I am struck by the ordinary nature of their lives. Ordinary men and women who choose to have missional lives. Ordinary until he/she engages the mission of God. The last couple of weeks Daniel's uncompromising witness has caused me to look at how I spend my time... my energy. Maybe a better way to say it is, What gets my focus? It is easy to say that God is my primary focus. Easier to say than to live out. I am embarking on a small group experience this fall. Vicki Muller and I will be leading the Companions in Christ group starting in September. Initially I thought it would simply be good for me to do. After the series on Heroes, I know I need the weekly small group experience as much for me to experience one as to lead one. Who and what gets your time? This isn't a sell job for small group ministry. It is a strong encouragement to go deeper in your faith life. We make time for what is important in our lives. Think about it. On the Journey, Alecia

Dedication

If you have not had the opportunity to read on the Iowa United Methodist website about the dedication of the Pantry, then I invite you to go to the following link: www.iaumc.org/news/detail/1201. It was lovely to have the Bishop with us this past week. See you Sunday. On the journey, Alecia

National Prayer Service

If you did not have an opportunity to tune into the National Prayer Service this morning, I invite you to read the compelling sermon delivered by the Rev. Adam Hamilton. Hamilton is the pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He is a United Methodist pastor and prolific author. The sermon is not long, but will inspire you beyond the reading. Go to the www.unitedmethodistreporter.com . Peace my friends, Alecia

Dear friends, As you may know, I will be out of the office from January 7th- March 1st on medical leave. During my absence the church is well-covered. Director of Family Ministries, Josh Rath, will serve in the day to day pastoral functions. In addition, Sue Meade, a retired UM pastor, is available as well. Stephen Ministers are available to listen and serve. Bev Byram, the church office administrator, is able to handle daily operations. Because we are part of a connectional system as United Methodists, the Iowa City area pastors are open to assisting in whatever ways as needed. Rev. Dr. Jill Sanders will serve as celebrant for communion on February 3. On Sunday mornings, you will see a variety of familiar faces filling new roles in preaching and leading. I am excited to hear what each one has to teach us. I will take advantage of the DVD recordings of the services coming out of our Audio/Visual team! This is not a time to miss. God’s Spirit is moving powerfully among the leadership and the body in the church. This will become more and more evident as the year progresses. One of my favorite quotes comes from Sister Pat Farrell in her address, "Navigating the Shifts":

Nor is there reason to be fearful of the cataclysmic movements of change swirling around us. We only need to recognize the movement, step into the flow, and be carried by it. Indeed, all creation is groaning in one great act of giving birth. The Spirit of God still hovers over the chaos.

In seasons of great change or when I feel afraid, I have found it challenging, as well as comforting to step into the waters of change. There is movement within this church body. The Spirit of God is urging us to follow God in radical ways. In my own life, at times it feels that the waters might overtake me. Each time I come back to God who “still hovers over the chaos.” Changes are coming. Take heart. This is the best place to be. I covet your prayers for my two surgeries. The first one is on January 8th, which is a change from my original date. The longer surgery is on the 24th. I will pray for you during my absence. On the journey, Alecia

Advent -- the preparation for 4 weeks until Christmas -- feels like it is flying by me. I want God to make this story relevant once again, yet this year it reads more like a condensed version by Readers Digest. This is a story I need to hear over and over. I need to see all of the human choices which played into this heavenly plan. I am experiencing the undeniably gracious gift of Emmanuel, God with us through Jesus. I am awed at how much Mary and Joseph sacrificed to be part of this plan playing out. When I stop and reflect on the sacrifices and intentional choices made by so many people at the manger, I am grateful. So what does God call me to do in sacrifice? I am a character in this play as well. It is easier to get caught up in the crush of the Christmas consumerism than it is to be still. Who am I at the manger and what do I bring? Maybe I will just go back to "decking the halls"... or just perhaps I will seek out the role I am to play in this on-going love story. On the journey, Alecia

Wow... it is a good thing my living does not depend upon my blogging ability. I believe the last time I blogged was June 11. Perhaps there will be a New Year's resolution in the making concerning my consistency in this endeavor. On another note, I saw this quote on a Facebook page and it has resonated with me. A Gospel That Unsettles Oscar Romero

A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone's skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed--what gospel is that? Very nice, pious considerations that don't bother anyone, that's the way many would like preaching to be. Those preachers who avoid every thorny matter so as not to be harassed, so as not to have conflicts and difficulties, do not light up the world they live in.

I have struggled with not preaching with a prophetic edge. It is easier to offer sermons which do not offer the good news that Jesus proclaims in the Beatitudes. There is an edginess in Jesus' words found in Matthew 5-7 which provokes a response. I am grateful to be in a church that is seeking to clarify its mission. Not only clarify the mission but examine whether or not a ministry reaches the criteria of seeing lives transformed. A active church without a clear mission is simply busy. Jesus calls us to be much more than a program church. I will endeavor to better in blogging each week! As this month progresses, I hope you are taking time daily to be thankful for the blessings all around us. On the journey, Alecia

Living An Uncommon Life

At the end of the sermon yesterday, I posed four questions as a homework assignment. There were:

*10 years from now who will you be? *What and who will be impacted by your uncommon life? *What is your bowl of stew? *What is going on in your life that you don't want others to know?

If we choose to live intentionally or by design, rather than where life takes us, then these questions become important so we do not migrate from the pathway. In putting together the sermon, I was struck by how much Esau lost(Genesis 25). I was surprised how sad I was. Esau endured the loss of respect from a father. He endured ridicule every time he was called Red. He lost the opportunity to do something uncommon by simply using a lack of judgment. The sadness translated to me thinking through poor choices in my life. I am continuing to think through the decisions that were common and easy; whereby losing the ability to lead an uncommon life. I am trying to understand my fears and appetites better. Being in the small group, Crave, has helped me to put my eating issues into God's hands. The accountability of the small group has allowed me to not trade my craving for God for something as simple as a sugary delight. I want to live intentionally- be it as a woman, a wife, a mother, a friend and a pastor. I would be curious to hear your answers to these questions on your journey. If you are a part of a small group or have a circle of friends, try posing one of the questions when you gather next. On the journey, Alecia

40 Days in the Word

I am excited about the current worship series on the Bible. Our engaging scripture at a deeper level will play out in a myriad of ways as we seek to live out God's mission. Most of all I look forward to good conversations that come out of such an endeavor.
If you were not here on Sunday or one of the folks who picked up a recycled bulletin, here is a quick synopsis of the sermon notes. The topic for the day was, Is the Bible true? The passage was 2 Timothy 3:16-17. I believe scripture is God-breathed and inspired. In looking at its validity, I looked at:

1. Historical Accuracy where we noted the verifiable data within the text.
2. Scientific Accuracy where we looked at what was included in the text, as well as what was not included. The prevailing belief of the day made up part of the sermon.
3. Prophetic Accuracy where we examined the astronomical odds of Jesus fulfilling the 300 prophecies made concerning him.
4. Thematic Accuracy where we discussed the over-arching theme running throughout the Old and New testaments concerning the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.
5. Personally Accurate as it serves a mirror into my life.

The 40 Days in the Word is series in which a number of churches are participating throughout the country. As part of this series there is a Bible study/small group, which I will host beginning the first Sunday night in May beginning at 6:00 pm. Yes... I am aware that May gets busy, yet I am sure we can figure out a way to work through the 6 weeks. This is God's Word. I personally think this will be an exciting series.

I look forward to hearing about what you are learning and hearing as you read God's Word. If you would like to join in a daily reading schedule, try this set of scriptures this week:
Monday -- Philippians 1. Focus on verse 6
Tuesday -- Philippians 1. Focus on verse 27a.
Wednesday-- Philippians 2. Focus on verse 13.
Thursday-- Philippians 3. Focus on 12b.
Friday-- Philippians 4. Focus on verse 6.
Read the chapter and then write down your observations and thoughts about the focus verse applies to your life.

On the journey,
Alecia

One Sinner's Church

I shared a story on Sunday about two pastors approaching me with questions about our congregation. In essence they were asking who exactly attends this church. While I guessed where they were attempting to steer the conversation, I let it play out. I love speaking about this congregation. I greatly appreciate the openness and welcoming heart to all the individuals that cross our threshhold. Anytime I can share the story of the congregation I know it's a good day!

I spoke of moderates, conservatives and liberals. I talked of agnostics and seekers. I named the folks whom are lovingly drug to worship on a regular basis. They said you have sinners -- active sinners in your midst. Ah... finally the crux of the matter. Yes... I said. I am one of them. They tried to re-direct the conversation so I could truly understand. I did understand. I am grateful to be part of a congregation of sinners -- black, white, brown, republican, democrat, moderate, young, old, grey haired and no hairs, gay, straight -- we are all broken in need of the grace of God. Thank goodness resurrection morning is coming.

I believe St.Paul said it this way in Galatians 3:28:

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and famile. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Friday may be upon us, but Sunday is coming.

On the journey,
Alecia

I Thirst

One of the final sayings of Jesus causes me to think about my actions. When I hear the words, I thirst, I realize I need to see how I respond to the suffering Christ. Would I bring wine to the lips of crucified One? Would I remain invisible as part of the crowd? Would I hide as did the disciples? Would I be courageous in the face of anger and violence or would I seek to protect myself, my energy, my time? When I see the simple words from John 19, I have to wonder if I see Jesus around me: the broken man in need of money for the hotel, the harried cashier, the undocumented worker, the angry teen or any number of folks. Maybe the question is not whether I see people around me. Perhaps I need to allow God's Spirit more entrance into my heart, as Jason Detra so eloquently put it during yesterday's service.

Speaking of Jason, go to Facebook and search for Exercise Your Heart. While the FB page is new, I like how Jason wrote the 4-part premise:
1. Cardio workout 15 minutes a day
2. Heart healthy meals
3. Do a good deed
4. Exercise your time with God.
I thought Jason's words were compelling as he testified about God's presence in his life.

On the journey,
Alecia

Lenten Journey

I just read a wonderful description of the meaning of Lent on our website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and in the "Journey to Easter" you will see the line for more information as to the meaning of Lent. Click and you will read an easy to understand version of the meaning of Lent.

I am reminded how beauty is an avenue to God. Each week I am drawn to the newly created banners that remind us of the last sayings of Jesus. I use the word drawn purposefully. I find that simply being quiet before the banners is a good way for me to move into the silence of the season. I resonate with each phrase as I sit in the sanctuary. Even on Sunday mornings a glimpse at one of the phrases propels me into a reflective place. I hope it is that way for you.

On the journey,
Alecia

Act of Mercy

I am struck by the act of mercy by Simon of Cyrene. In the horror of the mob scene, trial and walk to golgatha, there is an act of kindness shown to Jesus. Simon of Cyrene takes the cross arm from Jesus' shoulders. He bears, if you will, Jesus' burdens. The gospel writers do not record him speaking, yet Simon says volumes in his act of mercy. He reflects Jesus by his actions.

I have often thought during Lent about which character of the passion best represents me. Everyone betrays Jesus at some point. Are my shortcomings best reflected in: Peter or Judas? Would it be more accurate for me to think in terms of the other disciples, the religious leaders or the high priest? Perhaps I am more in line with the Roman soldiers-- gambling with my faith or the mob and civic leaders who are just trying to keep the peace. Are you Simon? I realize my answer changes each year as I continue to journey towards Jesus and the cross. I have certainly found myself in alignment with Peter and civic leaders at various points.

So who in the story would serve as a good representation of you? Wrestle with this question as you continue your journey.

On the journey,
Alecia