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“[God] will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain,
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| Autumn promises to be a busy time on umc.org – lots of news, features and commentaries to lead you into Advent. Don’t keep all the good stuff to yourself. Share information you find on umc.org with those around you who might benefit from daily devotions, relevant news and guidance for those exploring spiritual growth. Whether something you read on the website inspires a sermon, inspires a ministry or inspires a member, please pass it on. Check these out! Let There Be Peace on Earth
<iframe width="690" height="388" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XMHmHEnOEnA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Becoming a Peacemaker: A Reflection
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” How you can answer God’s call for peacemakers? In this video meditation, Sophia Agtarap shares what it means to be a peacemaker and offers the Serenity Prayer as a tool to help us spread peace in the world and peace in our hearts.
Script:
(Locator: Nashville, TN)
Voice of Sophia Agtarap, Minister of Online Engagement, United Methodist Communications:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Peacemaking is very integral and central to who we are as United Methodists.
In Matthew 5, it says that 'blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.' This is an invitation and a mandate for us to be bearers of peace to our communities and our families and our workplaces and our world.
And it’s no easy task. What are those practices and things that we need to examine in our own lives before we can begin to do the work of peacemaking in our communities and in our world?
Peacemaking can look like a lot of different things and can take a lot of different forms.
It can mean you are the layperson at church that youth go to when they are experiencing some sort of conflict or decision-making that needs to happen. It can look like volunteering at your local food bank. It can mean standing in the gap in a time of conflict wherever it is.
It’s not a passive action. It’s a very intentional action for us to build relationships with one another and, in doing so, really understanding what our neighbor, what our sister, what our friend, what our brother is going through.
We are able to exercise empathy and help not just individuals but communities move to a place where we truly do care about the spiritual, the physical, and the mental health and well-being of the other person.
The practice of peacemaking and bridgemaking really does begin with us.
It is a place of revival, a place for revelation and a place for recommitting to a life of faith. Founded by Methodists in 1869, Ocean Grove, N.J., is one of the sites every United Methodist should see. Get to know this retreat and the community of believers who experience it as a spiritual home. <iframe width="690" height="388" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aH7O9vzrlHI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Historic Methodist Camp is ‘God’s Square Mile’
It could be one of Methodism’s best-kept secrets. A retreat site along the Jersey Shore has a past and present that inspires many.
The backstory is that after the Civil War, there was still unrest in the U.S., and Methodist leader William Osborn had a dream of establishing a permanent camp meeting, a place where visitors focused on spiritual growth and holiness. Organizers scouted seaside locations and in 1869, chose Ocean Grove, New Jersey, an idyllic setting that came to be called “God’s Square Mile.” At its peak, 660 tents stood on the grounds. That number is closer to 118 now, but the meeting’s mission remains robust: to revive people so they go back to their home churches with new excitement for the Lord.
Watch as locals give you an exclusive tour of this unique piece of church history. And see this
behind-the-scenes story of the centerpiece of Ocean Grove, the Great Auditorium. Script:
(Locator: Ocean Grove, NJ)
(Voice of J.P. Gradone, Executive Director, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association) “It’s a place of respite.”
(Voice of Steven Downing, Tent Resident, Ocean Grove) “When you come in the gates of Main Street, your mind goes to a different place.”
(Voice of Anna Nichols, Longtime Tent Resident, Ocean Grove) “It’s somewhat of an oasis. The world is out there, and I’m not so crazy about the world. But you can come to Ocean Grove and feel as though you’re at home.”
(Anna gives tour of tent) “I’ve been in this tent for 85 years. This is where we sleep. A lot of people sleep in the cabin but I think that’s blasphemy.”
(Steven gives tour of his tent) “It’s roughly 250 square feet, where we do most of our living and relaxing. The back section is the cabin where we have a kitchen and full bath.”
(Voice of Dale Whilden, President, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association) “Ocean Grove is a place that every United Methodist should visit. You could get a weeks’-long history lesson in Methodism by coming to Ocean Grove. There’s streets named after famous Methodists. If you look into the music of Ocean Grove and the Methodist hymnal, there’s a number of well-known hymns that have been written in Ocean Grove: ‘Great is thy Faithfulness,’ ‘When We All Get to Heaven.’ And you might remember that second verse (sings) ‘while we walk the Pilgrim Pathway…’ Well the Pilgrim Pathway is actually the name of the street that goes right by the Great Auditorium.”
(Voice of Dale Whilden, President, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association) “This committed group of clergy and laity wanted this to be a camp meeting, and a place where the Lord could be worshipped. And to combine the spiritual with recreation and relaxation and develop the whole person. That’s why we don’t have commercial establishments on our boardwalk. It’s just pure beach and ocean.”
David Best, Intern, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association: “People want to have their kids grow up in a good environment. The programs we do here at Ocean Grove can help them raise their kids to love Jesus and have fun at the same time.”
David Best, Intern, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association: “I’ve heard several kids say that where they come from they don’t have a church they can really go to. This is the only place that has a spiritual aspect to it. It’s not a summer vacation to them, it’s a spiritual feeding time.”
Dale Whilden, President of Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association: “One of the purposes of Ocean Grove isn’t just to encourage people to live the Christian life, but the whole dream of the Camp Meeting era was to get people revived so they could go back to their home churches with a new enthusiasm and new excitement for the Lord.”
Steve Downing: “Ocean Grove still ingrains the Sabbath not only just on Sundays, but really it gives you that feeling every day, as part of the community.”
Anna Nichols: “I felt very comfortable. I know the music; I like the preaching. It’s a comfort zone for me. I think everybody should have a religious comfort zone. We have the other world to go to when the summer’s over and we need that armor to get through the winter in the secular world. I feel like I’ve got good armor and I’m not afraid.”
Job Loss: What Not to Say
What not to say when someone has lost a job
You want to help of course. It’s in our United Methodist DNA, but sometimes you say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Not wanting to make matters worse, you may be tempted to keep your distance. Don’t. The journey of unemployment can be very discouraging. By drawing near as a traveling companion you can help someone close to you stay connected to their faith and the church.
To help you reinforce the positive, and keep your foot out of your mouth, here are some things NOT to say to someone who is unemployed.
“Have you found a job…YET?” You probably won’t say it that way, but this is how it may be heard. Jennifer Kaylor, who recently moved nearly 600 miles from her home and the Park City (Utah) Community Church, a United Methodist congregation where she had been active, when her husband accepted a new position, said, “The ‘yet’ really punctuated feelings of hopelessness, lostness, frustration, and despair” while looking for a new job in a new community. Ask more specific questions about the job search instead. For what type of work are you looking? How did that job interview go last week?
Volunteer coach Tim Boyle (right) shares his job hunting experience. Photo by Joe Iovino.
“How many resumes have you sent out?” This seemingly benign conversation starter may reinforce pressure your friend is already feeling. Tim Boyle, a United Methodist and volunteer counselor and coach with a community employment agency in Colorado Springs, and one who suffered a lengthy period of unemployment of his own, says many job-seekers become obsessed with the hunt. Rather than reinforcing the job search, Tim advises us to “encourage them to get involved in serving others, through volunteer organizations or the church.” Giving builds a sense of purpose and can do wonders for your unemployed friend’s morale. Suggest a ministry where you can serve together.
“Have you tried…?” Unless you are sharing a specific lead or personal experience from your own recent bout of unemployment, leave the job-hunting advice to those who are trained to give it. You may want to point your friend toward amazing resources like the Job Networking gatherings held at Roswell United Methodist Church in Georgia that offer support and job seeking advice. Look for similar gatherings in your area. Otherwise, resist the temptation to become a coach and remain a friend.
Delia Cruz poses with her aunt Kathy, for whom she is a caregiver. Photo courtesy of Delia Cruz.
“It must be nice not having to go to work.” No. It’s not. It’s awful. Delia Cruz, a young woman who has chosen unemployment so she can care for aging and disabled family members who attend Warren Grove United Methodist Church in New Jersey, said, “Sometimes I wish I were them… I don't earn a paycheck… I don't have a place to go to escape and occupy my mind 8 hours a day. I don't have co-workers to talk to and sometimes my world can seem very isolating.” Your friend knows your job is a blessing. Treat it as such.
“Tell me all about it.” Although the last time you spoke with your friend you had a deep and apparently helpful talk, that conversation may not be welcome today. “Sometimes I wanted and needed encouragement,” said Jen Filla, an attorney and member of the Board of Trustees at Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church in Monument, Colorado, who recently went through a period of unemployment, “and other times, I just didn’t want to think or talk about it.” Be wise, listen intently, and let the other take the lead. Don’t try to force an unwelcome conversation. It will not be as supportive as you may think.
Jen Filla is glad to be in her new office. Photo courtesy of Jen Filla.
“How are you getting by?” No matter how much your friend has squirreled away for a rainy day, she is worried about money. Asking this question may raise your friend’s anxiety on a day he was winning that battle. Unless your friend brings it up, stay away from money talk. You may just be fueling the fire that jarred her from a sound sleep at 2:00 this morning. Todd Masman, a job seeker in Minneapolis, Minnesota suggests, “treat them to lunch or a movie. Send them a note and tuck in a $5 gift card to Starbucks, or McDonald’s, or Target.”
“God has a better plan for you.” Wendy Schlafley, who sometimes works in the office of her United Methodist congregation in Monument, Colorado and a former office administrator for Greater European Mission, says she used to say things like that. Then she went through her own bout with unemployment. “While it may be a true statement,” she continued, “it simply isn’t helpful.” Jay Litton, leader of the Roswell UMC Job Networking Ministry says, “We believe that God should be part of the job search” (from “Keeping God in Your Job Search”), but general statements about things eventually working out can be very frustrating. Instead, share what you know about your friend to offer encouragement when it seems in short supply— his giftedness, times God has come through for her, his remarkable network, and signs of God’s continued presence in her life even during this difficult time.
Unemployment is a journey through a dense forest where traveling companions are desperately needed. You don’t have to be the expert guide, you simply need to be what you have always been: a friend. Stay close. Listen. Offer a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on. Provide some normalcy in the midst of uncharted territory, and a beacon of hope in the midst of despair.
*Joe Iovino is a freelance writer and blogger who currently serves as the Associate Pastor of Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church in Monument, Colorado.
As those in West Africa face an unprecedented challenge to stop the Ebola outbreak, there is a great need for effective communications and accurate information to curb dangerous rumors. Learn how United Methodist Communications is helping develop and distribute messages in the stricken areas. And to see the latest headlines and other coverage about the global church response to the Ebola crisis, visit umc.org/ebola.
These topics and features are just the beginning of a new season of exploration and growth. Much more awaits you on umc.org. Please join in on the revelations and conversations among United Methodists around the world. |
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