District News

For Everything There is a Season

Posted on by Bode

On Monday night, I watched a special broadcast on CNN which was a tribute to the people who have lost their lives to COVID. The program was only an hour long.  Prayers were offered by Archbishop Wilton Gregory, and Rabbi Anne Brener during the segment I watched.  Family members shared stories of someone they lost to the virus.  Two daughters spoke about how full of life their parents were.  Brad Paisley shared how Charley Pride was an inspiration for his own music career.  Nurses, doctors, teachers and pastors were lifted up.  CNN has also created a page honoring those who have died.  Each time you visit it, the site is updated, and stories of different people are displayed.

What moved me most about the piece is the number of COVID deaths our nation has reached.  Half a million is far too many.  I don’t believe it’s a milestone that anyone contemplated in the early weeks of the pandemic.  And though the number of those infected has slowed dramatically, there are still too many people who will not survive this virus. 

As CNN prepared for the broadcast I was reminded of the opening song from the musical Rent.  The musical made its Broadway debut in 1996.  It is an adaptation of Puccini’s opera, La Boheme.  Instead of dealing with poverty and tuberculosis in 19th century France, the main characters in the musical are living in New York City’s East Village during the AIDs epidemic.  The opening song, which I have included as a link below, is 525,600 minutes.  The lyrics ask us how do we measure a year in a life? How do we spend those minutes and how do we treasure what unfolds during that time?

One of the topics discussed during the broadcast was how many families are struggling with their grief.  Many have been unable to have funerals or other gatherings to celebrate the life of a loved one.  Some family members spoke of the pain caused by not being with their loved one as they passed because they were not permitted in the hospital to say goodbye.  Sharing the stories of those they missed brought a sense of joy and peace to those who spoke. The wounds created by what we are experiencing as we journey through this pandemic may always be tender.  We are not alone and have never been alone.  God is with us in all ways. 

I offer this song as a tribute to the family and friends of those who lost their lives to this virus.  The song calls us to celebrate a year in life with seasons of love.  I ask that we lift up the names of those we have lost over the past year, honoring the people they were, and the ways they made our lives richer and fuller. May the Lord continue to journey with us through these times.  And Amen.

https://youtu.be/s1c3MARlJ0Q

The First Day

Posted on by Bode

Today begins our Lenten journey of 2021.  This year the time we spend in the valley which signifies this part of our Savior’s journey seems an extension of how we have spent most of the last year.  And yet, these next 40 days (46 if we include Sundays) are set aside for us to reflect on the ways Jesus transformed the world. 

Our Savior healed broken bodies, spirits, and minds.  Jesus fed thousands with just a few loaves and fish.  He chose those who were on the margins of his world to be His disciples and become the center of the new way people were to relate with one another and with our Creator.  Jesus spoke with women as if they were his sisters and not strangers.  From an early age, Jesus brought new life to the ancient words of Scripture, discussing their meaning with the priests and scribes in the Synagogue.   

Jesus was a dinner guest at some of the best homes in Israel.  He also broke bread with people who were sinners, knowing that to do so would make him unclean in the eyes of those who watched.  Jesus challenged the status quo, reminding everyone that we are welcome in the Lord’s embrace.  He journeyed from Jerusalem to Samaria, and from Galilee to Judea.  He was a passenger in a boat, on calm and torrential seas.  Sometimes crowds pressed around him as he walked. There were times when Jesus went to be by himself to pray and speak with our Lord. 

Jesus did all of these things for our sakes.  Our Savior wanted everyone to know that the words of our God were being written upon our hearts.  We received new commandments for a new age: to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls and all our minds.  We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

Jesus didn’t stop there.  He brought new life to the words of our Holy Bible.  And our Savior sent the disciples and 70 others into the world, to go before Him and bring the good news to every town he was about to enter.  Jesus also gave us the Great Commission to continue His work for the redemption and salvation of the world.

During this season of Lent, we have time to consider how we have been able to continue our Savior’s work for the world.  Have we brought healing to some?  Have we shared the Good News of Christ? Do we view the stranger among us as if they were a relative?  Have we eaten with people who are blessed and those who hunger and thirst to be heard and seen?   Are we seeking to be like Jesus so that others come to understand the depth and breadth of the love He has for us and the love we have for one another?

I hope that we can respond with a resounding yes to these questions.  I invite each of us to look inward during this season of Lent, seriously reflecting on how we are growing in our faith.  During the season of Lent, I take time to begin a new mission or ministry, asking myself what more can I do in the name of the one who did so much for all of us?  May God be with us as we seek to become more holy in the days to come.  And Amen.

Paczkis

Posted on by Bode

When Terrance and I first arrived in Michigan, it was Summer.  We moved to the state from Iowa and were looking forward to watching the July 4th fireworks.  At the time, we didn’t know that Detroit scheduled the annual display for late June, rather than on Independence Day.  As we got to know the city, we learned about Belle Isle, Greek Town, and the Woodward Dream Cruise.  About a week before our first Christmas, we jumped into the car and drove up and down Jefferson to view the mansions that were ornately decorated to commemorate the holiday. 

One day as I was making the commute from work to home, I turned off on a side street and discovered Indian Village, a historic district on Detroit’s east side.  I was surprised to learn that the Detroit Zoo is located in Royal Oak.  But one of the most interesting items I learned about was paczkis. 

I still remember the nurse on our staff who got up at 4:00 am to stand in line at the New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck.  She arrived at work with two dozen of these giant jelly doughnuts.  Over the next half hour, everyone visited the break room.  Some dove right in to consume a paczki before seeing their next patient.  Other people talked about the first time they had one.  I just watched, amazed that something like this existed and people actually ate them.

Those paczkis were gone by 10:00 am.  Some people took them back to their desks to work on them for the rest of the day.  Others finished theirs in the break room.  And each year, the same nurse would get up early on Fat Tuesday, stand in the freezing cold line to pick up her order for the office. 

There were other places to purchase paczkis.  Most grocery stores carried them as well, but according to those who knew, they weren’t quite the same.  Still, you know Spring’s coming when the display aisle is stacked full of paczkis. 

That’s what happened on my latest trip to the grocery store.  I have gotten into a routine of going for the staples I purchase each week.  Fruits, vegetables, tea, and of course toilet paper, are on my regular list.  Last Sunday I walked into the store, headed for the stacks of fruit, and was met by a large table filled with paczkis.  I stopped for a second and smiled, feeling as if some normalcy was returning. 

Although it feels longer, we were not sheltering in place when paczkis made their appearance on shelves almost a year ago.  As we prepare for this year’s season of Lent, we do so, knowing that vaccinations for Covid are taking place.  We do so, with the awareness that we have lost family and friends to this virus, to cancer, and to other conditions.  We do so, realizing that we are a nation in crisis, divided over many issues.  

We do so, seeking to answer God’s call on our lives in new ways.  We do so looking forward to how we can share our experience of this time apart to help build new connections and new relationships when we gather together again.  We do so because our faith in the Lord endures. May God’s promises for our lives encourage us and inspire us to look toward the future with hope. A new day will soon be dawning.  And Amen.

Ash Wednesday & Lenten Resources

Posted on by Bode

Michigan Conference website Lenten Resources page is HERE

Bishop Bard has also offered some recommendations for the observance of Ash Wednesday — Click here to view

The Lent Kit project below and pictured was submitted by Rev. Ryan Wieland, pastor at Grandville UMC.

Lent Kits will be delivered by volunteers on February 15.
Each kit contains:
1 mask in a variety of three designs (Faith Over Fear, Love Your Neighbor, or It is Well With My Soul)
Palm ashes for online worship on Ash Wednesday
1 palm cross from African Palms USA for Palm Sunday
2 fellowship cups and a towel for hand/foot washing and Communion on Maundy Thursday
1 cross of nails and candle for Good Friday
1 cross-design Easter egg (not pictured) with a donation receipt for a baby chick through Heifer International
All items are in tote bag in one of two designs for Easter 
The UMC masks were donated, and the total cost was $3 per household including the donation of 150 chicks to Heifer International.

God’s Call

Posted on by Bode

When I first began my journey toward becoming a pastor, I was asked to share my call story frequently.  I remember my first meeting with my District Superintendent, now Bishop Linda Lee.  As we sat in her office, she invited me to share how I heard the Lord asking me to serve.  Over the next couple of years, whenever I met with the District Committee on Ministry or my mentor, I continued to share the way God changed my life. 

I also remember when my call story was affirmed on the first night of one of my Seminary classes.  Classmates shared how we all arrived in the same place and parts of their echoed my own.  Most of us admitted that we didn’t answer when we were first called.  We were reluctant, fearful, and even doubtful that the Lord was asking us to be preachers, counselors, and servants.

After I appeared before the Board of Ordained Ministry to become a Provisional Elder, very few people asked me about my call story anymore.  It seems odd that such a treasured moment in our lives is stored away with other items from our past. Pastors who preach from the Lectionary may share the call of the first disciples as recounted in the Gospels of John (1:43-51), Matthew (4: 18-22), and Luke  (5: 1-11).  Sometimes as I reflect on how the disciples were invited to journey with Jesus, giving up the life and the work they had known, I also relive my own call story again.

I honestly have to admit that it’s been a while since I thought about how the Lord spoke with me and invited me on this particular journey.  Like Peter, Andrew, James, John, and others, I was practicing my craft, working as an Audiologist.  Growing up, that was what I wanted to be.  But I was restless.  Somehow, I knew that there was another path I was created to follow. 

God has spoken with me for as long as I can remember.  Through song and prayer, He touched my life and lifted my spirit when I felt lost and alone.  He was and is my rock and my salvation, my life’s cornerstone, and the foundation of my faith.  The Lord has been with me in the peaks and valleys, the joys and sorrows of my life.

From time to time, the Lord affirms that we are continuing this journey, together. In a myriad of ways, God still speaks with me.  One of the things I miss during this time of social distancing and mask-wearing is music.  Especially the songs that remind me of my call story.  Among my favorites are Here I Am, Lord, and The Summons. I haven’t heard them or sung them with others since the pandemic changed how we gather.  I am looking forward to lifting up these hymns very soon, to celebrate how our Lord is preparing us for the next part of the journey.  I invite you to reflect on another hymn that affirms God’s call upon our lives.  Let us sing it together in spirit.  May we answer God’s call with excitement and joy in the days to come.  And Amen.  https://youtu.be/CDljPsRIryo

COVID-19 Resources

Posted on by Bode
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

Click HERE for a very useful and thorough COVID-19 resource list curated by Rev. Dean Prentiss, pastor at Wesley Park UMC

There is also much information on the Michigan Conference website page Health Risk Management page HERE

Guidelines on how to count online worship attendance HERE

The weekly Midwest District E-Newsletter is also a resource with new information shared. Click HERE to subscribe

Please “like” the Midwest District Facebook page for relevant information.

If your congregation struggles with technology, check out One Call Tell All a paid service that was developed by small UM church pastors

Phone Live Streaming is a program that allows members to call in and hear the worship service. Click HERE. This is different than One Call Tell All

The Discipleship Ministries website has a good list of Resources for Responding to COVID-19 Outbreak

The State of Michigan just created a wonderful resource for coping with the stress of our present situation. Click HERE

To view the daily updated list of COVID-19 resources from West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology Guide to Resources click HERE

A Sermon for Every Sunday – Lectionary based video sermons by America’s best preachers for use in worship, Bible study, small groups, Sunday school classes, or for individual use. All you do is push the button. Click HERE

ReAwaken Hymns: This is a free HD video download to add to your online worship services. All songs are Reawaken Hymn’s versions of public domain hymns, so your church does NOT need to purchase any streaming licenses for the music. Click HERE.

Church Mutual Insurance Company has compiled COVID-19 recovery resources for churches available HERE.

The following Midwest District Local Church Guidelines are shared with permission to use in your own ministry settings!

Guidelines for Reopening from Wesley Park UMC. Click HERE

ReLaunch Guidelines from Holland First UMC. Procedures for ReLaunch; Preparedness & Response Plan;  Statement of Compliance; CDC Cloth Face Mask; CDC How to Wash Cloth Face Mask

Mecosta: New Hope Reopening Guidelines are HERE

What Is Our Mission Field?

Posted on by Bode

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to be present for 3 worship services.  Each sermon encouraged me to deepen what I do as I engage in my spiritual practices.  Most days I pray without ceasing.  I pray for and about a variety of things.  Some days I begin prayer with a psalm which captures how I’m feeling.  There are other times when I turn to one of my favorite Scriptural passages and meditate on how God is present in the narrative and in my life as well. 

I pray for people I know as well as strangers, naming how they may be troubled or what joy they are experiencing.  Usually, I open a conversation with God, voicing my latest observation, insight, or affirmation of how the Lord lives in us and works through us.  And if I can work it into my day, I try to be still to experience God’s embrace.

As I watched one service, the message was about a familiar passage.  The preacher gave new meaning to familiar words.  The message helped affirm how complex our relationship with God is.  A chance meeting and a casual conversation between Jesus and a woman help to illustrate how God is with us, enlightening our path toward salvation and redemption.  Whether I am preparing a sermon or listening to one, I am always amazed at how God continues to bring new life to the passages written two millennia ago.

Another service brought me, and others who attended, back to Epiphany, reminding us of the realization that God is with us is not a one-time event.  People in our lives and people we have yet to meet show us what it means to be a child of God and an instrument of our Lord. 

The pandemic has created a time of unintentional rest and a time of preparation.  Some of the ways we were present in our communities are not possible for now.  We can reexamine what was working along with what wasn’t.  One day soon we will be able to be present with one another, seeking to make a difference and carry out the Great Commission. 

We have time to reflect on who we will serve and how we will be a vibrant and vital part of our neighborhoods.  Some of us are already looking ahead to that time and working on a plan of action. This time of isolation and mask-wearing may inspire us to continue such things as online worship, home meal deliveries, and connecting with members through written notes and cards.

I hope we aren’t looking too far ahead.  I invite each of us to consider who may be in need now and how we can help. One of my favorite passages is Matthew 25: 31-46.  These verses remind me to continue to ask who else can I help? And more importantly, how?  I believe that we have more to do than ever before.  People are still hungry and thirsty.  Some are in need of shelter, clothing, and knowing they matter.  Others are sick or captives, prisoners of disease, or the crimes they committed.  These sisters and brothers are our mission field, the ones we are called to serve.  May we be blessed as we continue to share God’s presence with all of God’s children.  And Amen.

Esperar

Posted on by Bode

I took Spanish in high school.  I began learning the language in the 8th grade and continued to take it into my senior year in college.  It was actually the second language I learned.  The first was French.  I also know some American Sign Language, a little Japanese, and a few words of Korean. 

Back when I learned Spanish, the process included conjugating verbs.  Esperar is still one of my favorites.  Literally translated it means to wait.  And I also learned it has another meaning: to hope.  The French word for hope (esperer) is similar.  Whenever I speak English, I usually think about waiting and hoping together.

I do not believe that these two words are linked in my mind just because they share the same meaning in Spanish.  The Bible is full of people waiting with hope.  Time and again women and men recount how they were patient, waiting on the Lord for liberation, promises fulfilled and lives restored. 

What is your favorite story of waiting and hope from the Old Testament? After God appeared before Noah and asked him to build an ark, Noah had no idea what would happen.  Once the rains came, I can only imagine what waiting was like for Noah and his family to remain on the ark for nearly 5 months. Their hopes were contained in the wings of birds that flew from the ark and returned until the day the waters dissipated.

Or the story of Sarah or Hannah, both unable to get pregnant.  When Sarah overheard the Lord’s messengers tell Abraham that she would bear a child, she laughed in disbelief.  Hannah brought her plea to the house of the Lord for a child, and in time the Lord answered her prayers.  I wonder how Sarah and Hannah spent the time once they discovered they were with child. 

Queen Esther and Martha prepared meals for very special guests.  I believe they felt that everything had to be just right.  How nervous they both must have been as those meals were prepared and served.  There was another woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears.  Maybe she noticed this act of kindness and hospitality had not been performed by his host.  She hoped she would be welcome into the Pharisee’s home and more importantly into our Lord’s embrace.  And she was. 

The Hebrews who settled in the Land of Goshen looked to the Lord for their freedom from bondage.  The Jewish people who were part of the Diaspora anticipated the coming of the Messiah, the restoration of the Temple, and their return to Jerusalem.  The prophets Isaiah, Micah, Daniel and Zechariah spoke about the coming of our Savior.  And each of the Gospels recount stories of people who waited to see the Messiah. Samuel, Anna, 10 lepers, Jairus and his wife, a Centurion, and even a hemorrhaging woman were among those who waited and hoped for healing and salvation. 

We are still journeying through the season of the pandemic.  We are waiting to take the vaccine. We are waiting to return to worship and missions taking place within the walls of our church buildings. We are waiting for the days when we will see each other without masks or social distancing. We do so with hope.  Hope that a new day is dawning, and a new way of living is upon us. Hope in the one who created us.  Hope in His continuing presence in our lives.  Hope that God’s promises for us will one day be fulfilled.  And Amen. 

Balance

Posted on by Bode

When I lived in Iowa, one of the goals I set for myself was to earn a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.  It took about 2 ½ years.  There were four aspects to our training.  The first series of classes I took were learning the basic kicks, punches, and stances that were then incorporated into forms and sparring series.

Belts were designated by color.  White, which is the first belt, symbolizes the willingness of the student to be open to and learn what it means to be a martial artist.  The second part of our training was to learn what each belt means and how one develops the skills of a martial artist. 

A portion of each class was dedicated to learning a form, the pattern of each belt in physical movement.  Sparring sessions helped to incorporate forms into fighting patterns that increased in complexity as one advanced from white to black belt. 

There was also a time for spiritual enrichment.  The dojo’s teachers had different ways of engaging our minds and our spirits as we learned the forms for each belt.  As one progresses through the belt levels, the forms and sparring techniques become more complicated.  The teachers began to add different ways to challenge students physically.  Breaking boards and sparring against more than one opponent were introduced after the third or fourth belt.   

I learned about balance through my Tae Kwon Do training.  Repeating the kicks and punches helped to strengthen my physical equilibrium whenever I stepped through the forms and sparred against others.  Repeating the tenets of Tae Kwon Do helped me to understand that there was more to the discipline than the physical training.  Each class began with preparing for the physical demands of our time together.  Each class ended with a time of meditation and reflection, to absorb what we had learned. I developed a calm and quiet center as part of my martial arts discipline. 

Those practices have become a part of my Christian journey.  As a pastor and child of God, I train daily.  Although there isn’t a physical component to my spiritual practices, I read the Bible, spend time in prayer and meditation, sing my praises to God, and share my witness and testimony of God’s salvific acts in the world and in my life. Yesterday’s invitation to Come to the Well was a powerful way to share how each of us finds our own quiet center, and our own balance as we continue to journey through this pandemic season.  God is with us wherever we are and in all that we do.  May we continue to be blessed.  And Amen.

And So, We Begin Again

Posted on by Bode

Today is Epiphany, the day the Wise Men found the baby Jesus.  Their story is told in the first 12 verses of Matthew Chapter 2.  The author of Matthew doesn’t really describe those who were in the entourage, which first traveled to Jerusalem seeking the King of the Jews.  When King Herod and his court heard the proclamation of the Wise Men, they were troubled.  King Herod consulted the chief priests and scribes to learn of Jesus’ birthplace.  And yet, when he learned that Jesus was in Bethlehem of Judea, he did not accompany the Wise Men to behold the Christ. creche, wise men, Kay DeMoss Collection

The Wise Men followed the Star, a beacon to guide them to where Jesus was.  They offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to honor this baby king and His kingdom.  And being warned not to return to Herod, they went home by a different way.

This day commemorates their journey and their discovery.  Growing up, my family didn’t really celebrate this day.  We knew it was the 12th day of Christmas.  But we had already exchanged presents, eaten a festive meal and spent time with family and friends.  By Epiphany, we were back at school and our parents went back to work.  We began to remove the decorations from the tree, take the cards and stickers from the windows and pack the wreaths and stockings up until next year. 

It wasn’t until I went to Puerto Rico that I celebrated this special holiday.  I was invited there for a friend’s wedding.  We arrived on January 2nd and it was as if Christmas hadn’t arrived yet.  The spirit of Christmas was palpable wherever we went.  My friend’s rehearsal dinner was on El Dia de Los Reyes at her aunt’s house. I arrived with friends to see votive lights guiding people from the street to the door.  Not just at her aunt’s house, but along the entire street.  Her aunt explained that the lights were placed to guide the Wise Men on their journey. 

 And somehow, Los Reyes arrived before any of the guests.  There were presents for all of us, waiting near the creche which signified this holy day.  It was like Christmas morning all over again.  For a little while, we forgot about the upcoming wedding.  We were as excited as little children to see what the Wise Men left us.  And the spirit of that evening lasted for the rest of the weekend, as my friends exchanged vows, and began their life journey together.

Each year, as I decorate the house for Christmas, the first thing I set up is one of the creches I own.  It is also the last thing I put away. I leave it up for the 12 days of Christmas.  I celebrate the journey of the Wise Men as much as I do the story of Joseph and Mary and the birth of our Savior. 

But like so many of us, I sort of pack away the Christmas spirit when I put up the last of my decorations.  I compartmentalize the joy and hope I express between Thanksgiving and the start of the new year.  I forget that Epiphany is not a single moment in our lives.  It is an integral part of our Christian heritage.  Once we know the Lord is with us, it is impossible to deny His continuing presence in our lives.  His light continues to shine within us and through us, not just on December 25th or January 6th.  God is with us every day, in every way, in all that we are, in all that we say and in all that we do.  May the wonder and awe of this Christmas season remain with us every day as we celebrate the greatest gift of God’s love for us.  And Amen.

Midwest District