God and Fantasy Football

With Sunday Night Football on the tube and my hubby screaming about his Fantasy Football league "my mind hatched an idea!" ( a phrase my daughter uses all the time.)

Wonder what God's Fantasy Football team would look like?

I know mine... it would include all my favs from the Pittsburgh Steelers like Lynn Swan, Terry Bradshaw, Mike Webster, Rocky Blair, John Stallworth, Franco Harris, LC Greenwood, Jack Lambert, Mel Blanc, Jack Ham, and who could forget... Mean Joe Greene.

Gosh- all this nostalgia has inspired me to dig through the boxes in the attic for all my NFL trading cards. Probably some money in those now. ha ha!

Here is my best guess of the Lord's 'fantasy team'...

• Quarterback- Peyton Manning or Jesus
• Wide Receivers- Jerry Rice and Lynn Swann or Isaiah and Jeremiah
• Tight End- John Mackey or Moses
• Running Backs- Emmitt Smith and Franco Harris or Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter
• Kicker- Morton Anderson or the Holy Spirit
• Defense- Steel Curtain (Steelers) or the Original Disciples

Whew- that would be one unstoppable team!

To Keep, Not to Keep

Autumn delights us with color and the opportunity to practice the art of letting go. Letting go, shedding, or freeing ourselves offers us the chance to grow more deeply in grace and truth. If the trees can shed their gorgeous leaves - then so can we shed ourselves of the things that are no longer necessary.

Here are some things I want our United Methodist denomination to let go of as the Body of Christ... as well as things I want us to keep.

Let go of ...guaranteed appointments for UM clergy; honor the clergy leaders who show growth rates in the number of Professions of Faith within their flocks.

Let go of ...jurisdictional conference in the UMC; keep the election of bishops and move it into the last few days of General Conference.

Let go of ...three different sets of financial and statistical number gathering (i.e. fall charge conferences, January Check Days, and April audits); keep one annual report due at the end of the calendar year.

Let go of ...clustering within the Indiana Conference of UMC; keep opportunities for cooperative ministry to grow where they do so naturally, creatively (i.e. stop trying to manage them).

Let go of ...all the hoopla (arduous steps) and huge structure of the Board of Ordained Ministry process for ministerial candidates; keep mentors, quality educational, mental health & family standards for future/current leaders within the church.

For our local congregation, Calvary United Methodist Church, here in suburba Indiana...

Let go of ...idea that someone else will fix it, do it, take care of it, and/or give financially for ministry to happen; keep and embrace personal responsbility for all to exhibit leadership in ministry (lay, staff, clergy alike).

Let go of ...our busyness, distractions, and life-clutter; keep inner stillness in order to listen more deeply to one another and grow our relationships with God, self and others.

Let go of ...our hang ups, nervousness, uncomfortability or whatever it is that keeps us from cracking open a Bible to learn or attending a small group in order to find out more about God and our Christian faith; keep small groups of all kinds open and operational as little communities of hospitality, wholeness, and great learning!

What do you want to let go of?

What do you want to keep?

Ready, Set, Fall!

I drove my silver Honda across 56th street from Indianapolis towards Brownsburg this morning and witnessed a miracle. (I decided immediately that God made it for me personally.)

For those of you familiar with this route you know what I may be talking about. Driving across the bridge over Eagle Creek Reservoir captivates the eye with water, trees, and natural (although made-created reservoir) beauty. Well, today God painted it just for lil' ol' me!

Yellow, orange, red, and pine green appreared along the shore lines with a bright blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds! Mmmm... good!

Last Saturday our family attempted a trip to Brown County to witness fall in season... but got wind, rain, and no colors... This weekend will be a different story but we won't be there. sigh. Maybe you can be there.

Or be where you are admiring what miracle God has painted for you!

Prayers.... going into the world!

What a fabulous, family friendly Pet Blessing on Saturday! What a wonderful World Communion Worship on Sunday! Thanks everyone who participated and made a difference!

15 dogs and one chicken were blessed on Saturday evening.

180 prayer beads were taken home on Sunday after worship. That means over 180 folks will be receiving their token (i.e. prayer bead) as a reminder that they have been prayed for and with... and better yet over 180 people are praying this week! Woo hoo!

Don't forget Calvary family- we're praying through the letter "D" in our church directory this week!

Blessings upon blessings to you as you pray for and with one another!

Prayer Treasure

During this weekend in which we recognize World Communion Sunday and bless our pets on Saturday (aren't we a busy church?!), we are faced with another prayer-filled challenge. Monday October 4, 2010 is the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. See more information at www.daytopray.com

The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem calls for sustained, fervent, informed and global intercession for the plans and purposes of God for Jerusalem and all her people; This world wide grassroots prayer initiative coincides with the season of Yom Kippur, recognizing the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It has been instituted with the endorsement of Christian leaders of all denominations and differing politics from around the world.

These Christian leaders recognize that Scripture consistently and repeatedly calls us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the current tragedy, bloodshed, and loss of life in both sides of this current conflict warrant at least one day of unified intercession from the worldwide Christ for this strategic spiritual location. Over 72 nations participated in representing tens of millions of Christians in united prayer during it's first international observance, and each year, the number grows.

You will be invited this weekend to bend your knees, bow your heads, and humble your heart in prayer for our world community! And for those of you special enough to attend worship on Sunday- you'll be given a gift of prayer to extend to someone else... please come and be a Calvary people of prayer!

Prayers of the Enrichment Kiddos

"What is prayer?" I asked our kindergarten enrichment students.

"Talking to God and Jesus," they all affirmed.

"But what about listening? Do you think God wants you to listen to God?"

Hmm... they needed to ponder that one.

So after a long discussion with many props and pictures to add our conversation, I challenged the wiggly group of students to practice listening to God.

They all got in their favorite prayer posture (which was laying down on the rug in their classroom). And we had silence.

Who says children cannot create and hold silence? Who says that children do not crave or need silence? Who says that children are unable or unwilling to ponder the mysteries of quiet?

Not these nine students. They were quiet without giggles, without touching for some l-o-n-g moments.

What they reported afterwards was amazing- they heard God.

Now, I wish for all their parents, grandparents, siblings and all the people of the world to do the same...to stop the rush-rush, hush themselves, be quiet and listen.

My hunch is if we all did that- we would be different and so would our world.

Fish Fryin'

Come on folks!

Stop by... starting tomorrow Thursday September 23, Friday September 24, and Saturday September 25 we're selling FISH, TENDERLOINS, SHRIMP all fried to crispy perfection along with home baked pies and brownies!

It's about fish, but it's not.

For our church we're trying to see how we can work well together. How we come together in a effort to raise monies for our ministry as well as help Barnes UMC with their urban youth ministry- will be tested this weekend.

Bring your appettite. Drive through the Drive thru but, come and eat!