Friday, May 21, 2010

Graduation!

In and amongst Mother's Day and six birthdays within the family, May becomes full of graduation announcements... kindergarten, high school, college, and graduate school. The local card shop sees me coming and get out the BIG BAG for the plethora of cards, gift wrap, and trimmings I require to get through the month.

Yesterday at our Calvary Learning Academy graduation, my eyes puddled up with tears as the kindergarten students marched in to Pomp and Circumstance with their bright blue graduation gowns. Happens to me every year. Must be allergies. (Next year will be a very bad year of 'allergies' because my kiddo and two of my other favorite young people will graduate!)

Now that I am no longer graduating from anything I get really sentimental and emotional about these sorts of things. Cannot figure out why.

Is it about achievement? Young people reaching for their dreams? Reaching out to the next challenge? Or is it about all the debt young people incur for their higher education and the loans that I know can weigh them down?

Whatever the cause of my emotional response, graduations are indeed distinguishing marks in time and life circumstance. They are simply another marker on the path...


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Favorite Re-Think Church Moments!

Last Sunday was an awesome day! It may have been overcast in the skies above, but our hearts and hands were not clouded at all! Below are some of my most precious ReThink Sunday moments.

My heart was reminded how BIG the LOVE of God is. My soul was reminded how joyous it is when people come together for a common purpose of compassion, service and love. And my song was reminded that harmony can only be achieved when we set our sights beyond ourselves!

Which begs the question, what was your favorite Rethink Sunday moment?
  • receiving surprised, delighted emails and phone calls from Brownsburg and Hendricks County leaders who were truly touched by our intention around Rethink Sunday! They needed our prayers and were so grateful to receive them.
  • riding on a charter bus for four hours of prayer with some of my favorite praying people!
  • listening to our teens, adults and children pray out loud for firefighters, schools, women who experience violence, town leaders, the hungry, the poor, for families... wow- we have folks at Calvary who know how to pray! Awe-inspiring!
  • meeting a man in his neighborhood who asked me as I jumped off the bus for a photo, "Lady, are you lost?" And hearing myself respond, "No, sir I have been found because I am from Calvary UM church and we are in your neighborhood this morning to pray for you."
  • passing ourselves throughout Brownsburg! It was awesome to be on the bus all morning and seeing other Calvary folks on the other Rethink charter bus at two different nursing homes to make music, OR working at Elsie's house on Green Street, OR planting flowers at Arbuckle Acres, OR along Main street in town picking up trash! How cool was that to 'pass ourselves in mission, outreach, service and prayer!'

Thanks everyone- (staff, lay leaders etc) for a fantastic first glimpse of Rethink Church! See you next year, but let's not wait on that. Let's BE and DO church every day between now and then!

Monday, May 17, 2010

May Showers bring June ??

Rain. That is what we're seen, walked in, and felt for most of May already. I am going to wear out my lawn mower before it's time in just this one month alone. That is if the grass is dry long enough to mow it again... My neighbors apparently have stopped mowing their backyard all together. They are letting it go to seed it seems.

What do May showers bring? June floods? June flowers? Mold? or more grass to mow?

Maybe I can get lucky and get fired from mowing the lawn again.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Rethink, rethought, & rethunk...

Rethink is almost here!

Our staff and congregation have been preparing for this coming Sunday's ReThink Church day for months now. Meetings, phone calls, photocopies, organizational sessions, sign ups, and all sorts of behind-the-scenes prep work will culminate in a congregation of over 750 members NOT worshipping on a Sunday morning. ha ha!

That's right we will get up off our Christian pews and GO INTO THE WORLD in compassionate service, prayer, outreach and mission. We will worship, sort of, by putting our love of God into action on other persons' behalf. That translates into children, youth and adults...
  • preparing casseroles for needy families
  • writing our military folks
  • sending thank you notes to UM clergy in Indiana
  • spreading mulch on our playground
  • baking Holy Communion bread for June's communion weekend
  • painting our Calvary Learning Academy wing
  • planting flowers at one of our town's local parks
  • repairing an elderly widow's kitchen floor, cleaning up her yard etc.
  • canvasing new neighborhoods with clever church info paraphernalia
  • sharing a 'love gift' with a needy family from our community
  • cleaning up trash along our local roads
  • writing notes to our shut-in members
  • sharing music (by our children, handbell, and adult choirs) at two local nursing homes with their residents
  • praying for our local town, businesses, schools, fire and police departments, food pantries, jail, shelter for women who've been abused, etc on a huge charter bus that will 'roll through out the county'
  • doing a variety of outdoor beautifying projects for our church facility and grounds
The hoped-for outcome of such a huge, risky and somewhat cumbersome undertaking? Well, sometimes it is hard to measure and quantify the work of God's people. Maybe we will discover how much God loves us, and how much we love God in return as other people are touched through us with God's loving compassion.

That is difficult to measure, but very notable when it does happen. Here's to a great Rethink Day!




Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Disciple Makers

We are preparing to graduate another wonderful group of kindergarten students from our Calvary Learning Academy. As our staff launch these young people into the 1st grade- I challenged the students with the challenge of Jesus. "Go make disciples of all nations..." Matthew 28:19

These kindergarten students with missing front teeth and wiggly bodies were not intimidated by this Jesus-sized challenge! They knew what to do. I asked them, "How do you make disciples?" And they answered, "make friends, meet someone new, help my grandmother, teach my sister, etc." Our students had wonderful ideas and ways that they are discipling others now and in the future. They are not only excited about the 1st grade but excited about how they can impact new friends, situations, and teachers with Jesus' size love.

I wish adults were as eager and excited about this calling (we all have) to be contagious with our faith. I pray that I am as simplistic and as eager about sharing what my relationship with Jesus means to me with others I meet.

May it be so with all of us.

Friday, May 7, 2010

For All the Mothering Ones

Good to know that before Hallmark, American Greetings, and floral shoppes made money off of Mother's Day; the idea of celebrating the role of motherhood came from within the faith, from a group within a congregation.

I believe the faith community is the best place from which to offer genuine appreciation and gratitude! So here's to Mothers in my life:

  • To my Mom, who birthed me and raised me all while teaching me to love Jesus!
  • To my Mother-in-Love, who loves me as her own!
  • To my Auntie, who is the best Aunt and friend ever - (my only aunt actually)!
  • To my Gram, for her fierce and sometimes fiery support!
  • To my Great Aunt Ana Lou, who shared a love of flowers, faith and music with me! (now deceased)
  • To my Grandmother Florence, we will meet for the first time in heaven, but thank you for raising my father and his brothers to respect women and faith.
  • To my Great Aunt Alma, who fed me and loved me! (now deceased)
  • To all the women pastors, teachers, professors, Sunday School teachers, camp counselors, piano and percussion instructors I have had- you've all made an impact on growing me up as a woman. Thank you!
  • To my girlfriends who are mothering, it takes a village to raise a child, but sometimes it takes a village to raise up a woman to mother to the best of her ability. Thanks for your love, encouragement and support!
  • To my daughter who 'allows' me the generous privilege of mothering another precious child of God.

Most of all thanks to God who mothers us with love, protection, support, and encouragement. God is the BEST MOTHER there is!

Happy Mother's Day!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Praise Our Creator

Praise the Lord!

Praise Our Creator in the House of Worship!
Praise God in the temple of my being!

Praise Our Redeemer in the infinity of space!
Praise God in the backyard of the cosmos!

Praise God for her strength,
Praise God for his greatness!

Praise Our Sustainer with foghorn blasts,
Praise God with finger cymbals.

Praise Our Protector with drums and moshpit dancing,
Praise God with guitars and saxophones.

Praise Our Provider with blaring radios,
Praise God crashing pots and pans.

Let everything with a pulse, breathes air praise the Source of all Love- our GOD!
Praise God!

(inspired and adapted version of the 150th Psalm in honor the completion
of a 31 day reading plan of the Psalms!)