District News

See Spot Run

Posted on by Bode

The 2022-2023 school year is just starting.  My grand-niece started kindergarten last week.  I am excited to follow her journey as she learns how to read, write, sign her name, and all the other milestones that are ahead of her. 

I remember the first books I read.  They were a series called Dick and Jane.  I don’t remember much about the adventures of these two children.  They had a dog named Spot and friends named Sally and Puff.  Unlike the books I read today, which vary from 600 to 900 pages, the Dick and Jane books were much shorter, containing only a few words.

Classic sentences like “See Dick and See Jane” started my journey of literacy.  I’m not sure how long our class spent time with these primers before we graduated to thicker books with many more words.  I do remember how I started reading the Sunday comic strips with my mom and older sister.  They helped me sound out the words I didn’t know.  In what seemed like no time, I was reading bigger and bigger books.

My eldest sister, who lived in New York, worked for a publishing company.  She would send boxes of books to us.  Some were discontinued works like A Rocket In My Pocket and Yours Till Niagara Falls. Others were more popular like Harriet the Spy and Bears in My Kitchen.

My parents were avid readers.  My dad was a Louis L’Amour fan, and I think he read all of his books.  My mom and older sister loved romance novels. After I discovered Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring trilogy, fantasy novels have been my favorite genre.

Not everyone reads well.  Sadly, some people grow up never learning to read at all.  Others struggle to read beyond a 3rd or 4th grade level.  In our country, we take our education for granted.  In places like Liberia, children don’t have the same access to basic education. 

At the 2022 Michigan Annual Conference, a campaign to support education here and in Liberia was introduced.  Each faith community is being asked to raise $600 to support this campaign.  Details can be found on the Conference website and the link for information is below.

I hope you will prayerfully consider supporting the children of our Covenant Partner nation of Liberia, along with students near your faith community. Please visit the website often to see stories of how this campaign is transforming the lives of children in the United States and Liberia. And Amen.

Readers to Leaders information: https://michiganumc.org/missions/readerstoleaders/

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

Posted on by Bode

Often when I am online, searching for information about people, places, and movies, the search engines I use inform me that by answering a few short questions, they can tell me who I am and what I like to do.  Some questionnaires are about my knowledge of t.v. or movie trivia.  Others are designed to match me with a character in a favorite movie or book.

Over the past month or so, the challenge has been to recognize images embedded in a picture like the silhouette of the old woman or the young maiden (see image below). Researchers offer an explanation for what the observer recognizes.  Some of these pictures, surveys, and questionnaires are for entertainment.  Others suggest that the persons who created them can predict a person’s characteristics by their responses.

The process isn’t new.  Astrology has done the same thing through Zodiac signs. Some of your characteristics are based on the Zodiac sign under which you were born. Back when there were newspapers, I remember my sister reading her horoscope almost daily. I am hoping that who we are is more complex than the answers to a few questions, when we were born or how we perceive an image.

And yet, I keep returning to this song, which is in The Faith We Sing.  Others will know that we are Christians by the love we express for our Lord and for one another.  Jesus shared a new commandment with the disciples in John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  These words, from our Savior, are the foundation for us.

Is it really that easy?  All we have to do is share the love that Christ our Savior shared with us. Jesus invited the disciples and us to share the gifts of loving kindness for all of God’s children.  We are asked to see people as God sees us.  We are called to focus on the light which shines in and through each of us and kindle that same flame in others.

Embracing selfless love is not easy. It is a lifelong task, a mission with ups and downs, with celebrations and trials.  As we answer God’s call upon our lives and we seek to make a difference by challenging such wrongs as poverty, injustice, physical and mental pain, and hopelessness, how can we also embody God’s love in all that we say and do?  We want the words of this song to be true.  We want others to say of us…that’s what it means to be Christian.  I want to be more like them, and I want to be more like Jesus in all that I do, too.

As always, the future is unknown.  We recognize that there are issues in our faith communities, neighborhoods, states, and nations which are causing debate and division.  We know that people continue to need food, shelter, comfort, care, and prayer.  Regardless of the issues we strive to address, everyone needs to know they matter and have worth, not only in God’s eyes but in ours as well. 

As we move beyond the COVID years, may we discover new ways to show others our support, our faith, and especially our love.  And Amen.

I Believe, Help my Unbelief

Posted on by Bode

Last weekend I began watching the film Thirteen Lives which chronicled the rescue of twelve Thai soccer players and their coach who were trapped in the Tham Luang cave when monsoon-like rains began, and the cave flooded.  Because a portion of the film is in Thai, and I had to read the closed captions, it took me several days to watch the entire film.

I want to talk about the film in three segments.  The first one involved the parents of the children, who began searching for them when they failed to arrive at one player’s birthday party.  When the parents found their bikes at the cave entrance, they knew what had occurred.  That was June 23, 2018. 

The second part of the film unfolded as NAVY SEALS, professional cave divers and numerous volunteers arrived to help drain the water, lay rope guidelines for the divers, and discuss whether they would find the boys alive or not. The boys and their coach were located by professional deep cave divers on July 2, and it took several days more before a rescue operation began.

The third segment was the rescue operation, which began on July 8th and ended on the 10th. I remember the story well because all of the boys and their coach survived.  I was thrilled when the coach, who was guided out last, made it to the surface, followed by all the divers who were couriers of this human caravan.  There’s a moment when everyone pauses as they realize what happened. 

I know that this wasn’t the intent of the director, but I couldn’t help but notice how nervous I was as the divers went back and forth through the path to the boys.  I was anxious as each boy was given ketamine in preparation for the journey out.  I breathed a sigh of relief as each child reached a waiting medical team at the cave’s entrance and was quickly transported to a nearby hospital.

Isn’t our faith like that?  We believe that what God has planned for our lives and for all of creation will be accomplished.  And yet, we often question and doubt whether God is with us.  Some have tried to predict the date of our Savior’s return, while others have suggested that God doesn’t even exist.  Time and again people ask for tangible evidence of our Savior’s presence, the 10 plagues or Noah’s Ark. We seek to place the Lord and all that He does for us in a box of our understanding, rather than acknowledge that constantly we are being shaped and molded for the needs in our world.

Jesus said it to the disciples and us in Matthew 13: 31-32.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

Our Holy Bible assures us that not only does God exist, but one day our Savior will return to fulfill all that God has promised us.  Help us to believe. Help our faith grow like a mustard seed so that it flourishes in us and through us. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29).  May it be so.  And Amen.

 

Mustard Seed Blooming

Something Completely Different

Posted on by Bode

From time to time, I seek new ways to study the Scriptures.  I have committed to reading the entire Bible in a year several times.  I have read it in chronological order, alphabetical order, the order in which historians and scholars believe the books were written, and a variety of other ways. 

Sometimes what I read becomes the source for deeper reflection and meditation.  I want to learn more about the context in which these chapters were written.  For example, in the Book of Ruth, when she and Naomi begin their journey from Moab back to Bethlehem, I have looked at the map as I consider what route, the two women alone, might have taken for Naomi to be reunited with her people.

I feel I want to learn more about the people I have often read about, reflected on, and preached on for nearly twenty years.  In preparation for my next version of Bible Study, I plan to select one person each day to reflect upon.  I invite you to accompany me on this journey.  There are some people who have entire chapters and books dedicated to their relationship with our Lord, how they answer God’s call and what unfolds in their lives.  Still, there are others who we only know by description, unnamed women and men whose lives are transformed when they meet God in the midst of their life journeys, struggles, prayers, and their search to understand who we are and whose we are.

Each week I will create a list of who I will focus on, sharing one or two in this blog.  As we are on this journey together, I ask you to share other people with me.  I have my favorites, and I want to leave them off the list for now.  According to one source, there are over 4,000 people who are named and unnamed in the Holy Scriptures.  For now, I won’t be reflecting on the following persons: Joshua, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Samuel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, James, or others with Books of the Bible named after them. As I begin this project, I won’t be looking at the numerous genealogies either.

I have no idea where this will lead, what questions I will ask, and the ways I will seek answers to learn more about people who are described in a few verses or a few chapters.  May we be blessed in this time of study, reflection, and discovery.  The first three people I will be considering are Cain, Abel, and Seth. And Amen.

Psalm 8:3

Posted on by Bode

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,” Psalm 8:3

Long before there were films like The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, and Hidden Figures, I have been an amateur astronomer.  My sister Gretchee would often wake my sister Lynn and me to watch a partial or full lunar eclipse.  I also remember a couple of Summers where we made view boxes to track the progression of solar eclipses. 

And then, one Christmas, I received a telescope.  It wasn’t until I moved to Iowa that I discovered how beautiful the night sky is.  While living in Cleveland and Memphis, I never realized how city lights washed out most of the stars.  That was not true in Iowa City.  I discovered that the night sky was dazzlingly full of stars, clusters, and a few planets.  I followed the comet that impacted Jupiter in 1994 and often went to the NASA website to view pictures from the Hubble telescope.

Monday marked the first day that NASA was receiving images from its newest telescope, named after James Webb, the NASA administrator during the 1960s.  Images from this newer eye in the sky are more vivid than the Hubble telescope.  And though I constantly study the display of constellations throughout the year through my telescope and binoculars, I am still in awe of the latest images from the Webb telescope.

The words from Psalm 8:4 continues the reflections of the psalmist: “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” All of creation is precious to our Lord.  The images we receive from the Hubble and Webb telescopes affirm how majestic and wonderful the universe is.

Seeing these images, like the psalmist, I wonder why God has done and does so much for us.  The story of our relationship with our Lord is vast and deep and is as expansive as our universe. God continues to inspire us, encourage us, and love us in ways that transform who we are.  As we consider how we can serve others and share the Good News of our Risen Savior, God calls us to journey with one another in new ways, as we witness and experience the trials which are also a part of our lives. 

Like the stars and planets captured in the lens of the Webb and Hubble telescopes, the ways that we can carry on God’s Great Commission are too numerous to count.  There is a light that shines in each of us and shines through us whenever we seek to be the instruments of God’s hope for the world.  May we continue to shine like the stars in the heavens as we live out our journeys of faith, service, and love for our Creator and those God has created. And Amen.

Blockbusters

Posted on by Bode

Summer 2022 has begun. Each year Hollywood studios seek to bring us films that will break box office records and set new standards for the best movies of this (or any) Summer. I can’t possibly list all of the movies that have changed my Summers, but I offer a few

Each of these films, and many others, changed the way I think about the world. Thanks to a scary movie about a giant shark, only known as Jaws (1975) I have never swum in the ocean. Because of Superman (1980), I believe a man can fly. “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” brings images of space battles and sword fights together. Babe (1995) and Finding Nemo (2003) were just fun ways that animals discovered their own purpose in the world. Inception (2010) was mind-bending, to say the least.  And this year, as we return to theatres, the competition is as exciting as ever.

I have been a student of filmmaking since I was in my early teens. That’s when a number of t.v. stations began broadcasting classic films. Critics, historians, and those who shaped Hollywood in the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s also began chronicling their experience with the studio system, and the rise of independent actors, production companies, and independent conglomerates.  

I never tire of watching and rewatching some of these and other blockbuster movies.  There are other films, which have resonated with me, though they may not be box office successes. Samson and Delilah (1949), Ben-Hur (1925 and 1959) and several movies which chronicle the life of Jesus (King of Kings (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and The Passion of Christ (2004)) have all brought passages of the Bible to life.

I think my favorite Summer stories come from Vacation Bible School. Children are introduced to the women and men of the Bible in numerous ways.  Themes include ocean or desert vistas, the 1st-century marketplace, or even the backdrop of the Temple itself.  Jesus’ mission and ministry is told and retold through skits and activities for the kids. Some Vacation Bible School packages present characters and songs that celebrate who we are and whose we are. 

As we begin to meet in person once again, I encourage each faith community to consider ways the stories introduced and highlighted through Vacation Bible School can be a part of our own spiritual journeys as we explore our relationship with our Lord and Savior. And Amen.

Immersion

Posted on by Bode

On Friday, I will be attending Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at DeVos Place.  Because I didn’t enroll in any art appreciation coursework in college, I try to take advantage of viewing the works of some of the great artists whenever they are made available.  This isn’t the first time I have seen Van Gogh’s art, but I’m looking forward to this nuance for bringing an art exhibit into the 21st century. I just hope the glitch in the computer program which happened on opening night is resolved before Friday.

One of my bucket list items that was checked off in 2012, when I attended the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s The Ring Cycle. Robert LePage, the Met art director at the time, created a new production in order to bring a classic opera into the modern world.  No flat sets and fake looking caves, castle and dragon.  The set brought new life and new vision to an ancient story of morality and the burden of doing the right thing.

I believe the goal of both productions has been to touch more people and draw them into a new expression of art and culture.  Only time will tell if these ventures have accomplished what the designers intended. 

Immersion is not a new concept.  In the opening verses of Luke Chapters 9 and 10, Jesus sent out the disciples and seventy-two others to spread the good news. Each one was to rely on the willingness of the inhabitants of a town or village to welcome them, feed them and give them a place to sleep.

The author of Luke doesn’t give us an itinerary of where these eighty-four people went, nor do we receive a detailed report of their experience.  Still, I imagine that someone from Galilee learned a lot about cultural differences in Bethany or Jericho.  Although the region is not as vast as the United States, there were undoubtedly dialectal and cultural differences in the language, with people in one region describing the world around them a little differently than their neighbors to the north or south.

The continued sending of the followers of Christ into the world is chronicled through the eyes of Paul, beginning in the Book of Acts and continuing through the Epistles.  Immersion is in our DNA.  We are called to travel to the neighborhoods of the people we serve.  Our road leads us from the center of cities to the farm communities which are becoming smaller and smaller.  Social media and an online presence are a significant part of our culture.  People are characterized by their generation from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. And because Jesus has encouraged us to go forth, these are the people we have been asked to reach.

The world is our mission field. We are called to journey with others who do not look like us, eat the same foods we do, or speak about the world in the same way.  Often, whenever I seek to engage in mission with others, with the intent of sharing God’s blessings, I am in turn blessed by learning of another’s deep and abiding relationship with our Lord.  May we continue to be immersed in God’s creation as we seek to make disciples for the transformation of the world.  And Amen.

The Road We Travel

Posted on by Bode

Last Saturday morning, I was channel surfing, searching for a good movie to watch.  I somehow landed on the Motor Trend Network just before the start of the Le Mans Endurance race.  The commentators were excited for this annual race to be back in full force.  Over 150 drivers and at least eight teams of cars began the pre-race lap.

As the pace car went into the pit and the flag to mark the start of the race was waved, one car ran into the gravel boundary seconds into the race.  It was alright because this was Le Mans.  The race lasted 24 hours, with drivers maneuvering around the same track 380 times.  There was time to recover from minor spinouts, cars bumping into one another, flat tires, and mechanical complications.

Over the rest of the day and into the night I continued to return to the race.  I learned that there are several drivers on each team.  When the cameras were focused on the pits, and because it was six hours later in France, there were many crew members and drivers trying to sleep where they could as they waited for the cars to make another pit stop.

This is the verse that kept playing in my head: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12)

Our journey with our Lord and Savior is about endurance.  We are dedicated to making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  We are familiar with the road which is before us. As we begin to implement a new mission and ministry, we may discover that we don’t have enough resources or the people we want to reach aren’t the ones in need in our faith communities and neighborhoods.  But that doesn’t stop us.

Sometimes, unforeseen events will affect how we engage with others.  Due to extreme flooding in Montana, Yosemite Park has been closed.  Gaylord, Michigan is still recovering and rebuilding from a recent tornado.  We are still dealing with the Covid pandemic.  The war in Ukraine continues. And we are feeling the strain of high gas prices and our first heat wave. But that doesn’t stop us.

We are not alone on our journey.  Our Lord will not let us grow weary or lose heart.  God is with us in all that we do and all that we seek to accomplish in His name.  May we continue on this road, knowing that there will be pitfalls and struggles.  May we continue on this road, realizing there will be unforeseen obstacles and hazards. May we continue on this road, knowing that we seek to answer God’s call upon our lives.  May we continue on this road, knowing that we continue to transform those we serve and ourselves through the journey of mission and ministry.  May we continue to be blessed.  And Amen.

We’re Back

Posted on by Bode

Only 168 hours ago, many of us traveled to Grand Traverse Resort for the first in person Annual Conference since 2019.  In some ways the space was very familiar.  The first time I made my way to Grand Traverse it was for a Lions convention in the late 1990s.  Because online directions weren’t readily available then, I remember someone telling me to look for the giant milk carton.  That was my destination.

And that’s what I did last week.  I headed north until I saw that carton shaped building in the distance and was looking forward to being with friends and sisters and brothers in Christ once again.  As usual, there was joy.  Even with everyone wearing masks, it was wonderful to greet people I have journeyed with in ministry since I moved to Michigan. 

Many of us took the time to share pictures of our children or grandchildren, catching up on how much they’ve grown in just these few years.  One of the best parts of Conference is the fellowship which happens during mealtime.  A chance to reflect on where we’ve been, and where we are headed.  For many of us, this is the first time since March of 2020 that we have been able to see one another, sing with one another and pray for one another.

There was also sadness.  During the Memorial Service, as the names of those who have gone home to be with our Lord were lifted up, I learned that a few people that have helped to shape my life and ministry were among those we celebrated.  As we honored those who are retiring in just a few days, we learned that together they have given us over 1, 000 years of service.  Retirees shared with us how meaningful and transformational it has been to answer God’s call upon their lives.

On Friday evening, seventeen women and men were ordained as Deacons and Elders.  We also named those who have completed the Course of Study, an Associate Member and three persons whose ordination from other Annual Conferences were recognized. 

The guest preacher, Rev. Don Bell from Minnesota, offered us a new way of looking at 1st Samuel 30 as we reflected on a time of mourning and a time of dancing.  We spoke of our pain and the hard work we have done and are doing in the name of our Lord and Savior.  We lifted our voices in song and prayer as we worshiped together.  We endorsed a candidate for Bishop.  And we were able to vote on some, but not all of the resolutions which came out of the Legislative Sessions.

We still have more work to do, more questions to answer and more issues to discuss.  May we continue to love and support one another in the days ahead.  God is making all things new.  And Amen.

Uvalde

Posted on by Bode

When I began to consider what I would share in this week’s Corner, I thought about how many of us will gather together in Grand Traverse for the first time in 3 years. And then I saw the news from a small town in Texas that is now the center of another national tragedy. 

During the first newsbreak I watched, the reporter shared that there were 14 children and 1 adult who lost their lives. During the President’s address to the nation, the number of victims had increased to 21. Over the next few days, we will learn more about the shooter and his victims. No one may be able to answer questions like why does this keep happening, or how do we help so many families during their tragic loss?

We grieve with them. We pray for them. As we help the people of Gaylord begin to rebuild their homes and restore their lives, we wonder what we can do for the families of Uvalde, Texas.  It is very painful to say that there has been another school shooting. Too many lives were lost far too quickly. The devastation of this and other school shootings has pierced our hearts once again. Tuesday night was especially painful for parents who were waiting to learn if their children had survived, only to be informed, through DNA testing, that their sons and daughters are among the victims.

May the Lord be with the families of all the children who attend Robb Elementary and especially with those who lost their lives.  And Amen.

Midwest District