Today please be in prayer for:
tkarges@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Havelock UMC
Blue River District
jkennedy@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Horizons Community UMC
Blue River District
rnorris@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Lakeview UMC
Blue River District
Shared Prayers:View Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
This Week's Lectionary:
10th Sunday after Pentecost in Kingdomtide-Green
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Link to GBOD Devotional
The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Saturday, 4 August 2018 "New Life" by Patricia M. Daniels (Florida) Isaiah 11:1-10
(Image: Pixabay)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1 (NIV))
Within a month’s time, our community had been affected by two hurricanes. The first, Hurricane Hermine, had hit us directly — leaving in its wake fallen trees, power outages, and broken lives. A month later, the second storm, Hurricane Matthew, barely grazed us, but its path of destruction only heightened our sense of anxiety as we watched the devastation from afar. During this time, I was struggling with my own storms and the brokenness of family problems.
Still on edge, after the second storm, I walked by a neighbor’s tree, which had been cut nearly in half by Hurricane Hermine. Since then, the broken branches had been removed and the deep cut in the tree had been sealed. When I looked closer, I noticed new leaves breaking out of the cut. Amazed, I examined it more closely and saw a fresh new limb forming out of the dead-looking part of the tree.
This immediately lifted my spirits and brought deep hope into my day and my life. I thought of the passage about new life forming from the broken, dead stump of Jesse and the way that new root ultimately brought the hope of Jesus. Whether brought on by nature or human frailty and sin, whenever the storms of life threaten to overwhelm us, God’s deep grace and peace will intercede.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Thank you, God, for reminding us that you are with us in all the storms of life. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Isaiah 11:1 But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai,
a shoot will grow from his roots.
2 The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and power,
the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai —
3 he will be inspired by fearing Adonai.
He will not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
4 but he will judge the impoverished justly;
he will decide fairly for the humble of the land.
He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth
and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.
5 Justice will be the belt around his waist,
faithfulness the sash around his hips.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb;
the leopard lie down with the kid;
calf, young lion and fattened lamb together,
with a little child to lead them.
7 Cow and bear will feed together,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 An infant will play on a cobra’s hole,
a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
anywhere on my holy mountain,
for the earth will be as full
of the knowledge of Adonai
as water covering the sea.
10 On that day the root of Yishai,
which stands as a banner for the peoples —
the Goyim will seek him out,
and the place where he rests will be glorious. (Complete Jewish Bible).
a shoot will grow from his roots.
2 The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and power,
the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai —
3 he will be inspired by fearing Adonai.
He will not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
4 but he will judge the impoverished justly;
he will decide fairly for the humble of the land.
He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth
and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.
5 Justice will be the belt around his waist,
faithfulness the sash around his hips.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb;
the leopard lie down with the kid;
calf, young lion and fattened lamb together,
with a little child to lead them.
7 Cow and bear will feed together,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 An infant will play on a cobra’s hole,
a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
anywhere on my holy mountain,
for the earth will be as full
of the knowledge of Adonai
as water covering the sea.
10 On that day the root of Yishai,
which stands as a banner for the peoples —
the Goyim will seek him out,
and the place where he rests will be glorious. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God can take something broken in my life and make it new.
PRAYER FOCUS: Disaster-relief workers
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka, Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Isaiah 11:1 But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai,
a shoot will grow from his roots.
2 The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and power,
the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai —
3 he will be inspired by fearing Adonai.
He will not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
4 but he will judge the impoverished justly;
he will decide fairly for the humble of the land.
He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth
and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.
5 Justice will be the belt around his waist,
faithfulness the sash around his hips.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb;
the leopard lie down with the kid;
calf, young lion and fattened lamb together,
with a little child to lead them.
7 Cow and bear will feed together,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 An infant will play on a cobra’s hole,
a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
anywhere on my holy mountain,
for the earth will be as full
of the knowledge of Adonai
as water covering the sea.
10 On that day the root of Yishai,
which stands as a banner for the peoples —
the Goyim will seek him out,
and the place where he rests will be glorious. (Complete Jewish Bible)
Great Churches. Great Leaders. Great Disciples. Transformed World.
***
"Jane Reeves Parsons District Administration Assistance from The Five Rivers District of the Great Plains Untied Methodist Church in Topeka Kansas, United States
Request for Jane Reeves, Parsons District Administration Assistance
Please be in prayer for Jane as she is healing from torn meniscus surgery on her right knee. The surgery was yesterday and was successful.
Prayers requested, that she doesn't over do and will rest and heal fully.
Mailing address for cards
217 Willow Drive
Parsons, Kansas 67357, United States.
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
P.O. Box 4187
Topeka, Kansas 66604, United States
(785)272-9111
***Daily Devotion for Friday, 3 August 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Today please be in prayer for
rrandolph@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Christ UMC
Blue River District
eemenhusen@gmail.com
Lincoln Christ UMC
Blue River District
lmoffet@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Christ UMC
Blue River District
Shared Prayers:View Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
This Week's Lectionary:
10th Sunday after Pentecost in Kingdomtide-Green
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Link to GBOD Devotional
The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Friday, 3 August 2018 "When the Brook Dries Up" by Daniel Mynyk (Colorado) 1 Kings 17:1-9
(Image: Pixabay)
It came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. And the word of the Lord came unto [Elijah]. (1 Kings 17:7-8 (KJV))One Wednesday morning, my boss beckoned me into his office. Instead of receiving the usual briefing, I received a small severance package. Driving home and holding back tears, I thought about my four-month-old son whose traumatic birth had required heart surgery. The hospital visits and bills for an oxygen tank weighed on my shoulders. How can I care for my son’s needs with no income?
Often we do not understand why we face trials like these. But God’s own prophet Elijah endured a drought for three years, living only on bread from ravens and water from a brook. After all hope had vanished, Elijah learned to trust in God’s care and timing. Elijah’s rescue came only after the brook had dried up.
God knows our needs even better than we do. Sometimes we don’t receive the specific help we think we need. But, like the apostle Paul, who prayed fervently for healing, we can learn to glory in our sufferings so that God’s strength will be manifest. (See 2 Cor. 12:9.) At other times the answer is better than we could hope for. One week after losing my job, God provided me with a better one. Now my son is happy, healthy, and growing. Our faith can flourish when we trust in God’s timing.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Dear God, help us to trust your wisdom in times of drought when the brook dries up so that we build our faith in you and not in ourselves. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: 1 Kings 17:1 Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil‘ad, said to Ach’av, “As Adonai the God of Isra’el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so.” 2 Then the word of Adonai came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn to the east, and hide in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 4 You are to drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and acted according to the word of Adonai — he went and lived in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the stream. 7 After a while the stream dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then this word of Adonai came to him: 9 “Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When the brook dries up, I can rely on God to provide.
PRAYER FOCUS: Children who need heart surgery
Contact Information:
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka, Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: 1 Kings 17:1 Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil‘ad, said to Ach’av, “As Adonai the God of Isra’el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so.” 2 Then the word of Adonai came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn to the east, and hide in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 4 You are to drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and acted according to the word of Adonai — he went and lived in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the stream. 7 After a while the stream dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then this word of Adonai came to him: 9 “Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
Daily Devotion for Thursday, 2 August 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
The Great Plains Daily Devotional for Thursday, 2 August 2018
Today please be in prayer for
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka, Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: 1 Kings 17:1 Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil‘ad, said to Ach’av, “As Adonai the God of Isra’el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so.” 2 Then the word of Adonai came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn to the east, and hide in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 4 You are to drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and acted according to the word of Adonai — he went and lived in Vadi K’rit near the Yarden. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the stream. 7 After a while the stream dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then this word of Adonai came to him: 9 “Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
Great Churches. Great Leaders. Great Disciples. Transformed World.
***Daily Devotion for Thursday, 2 August 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Today please be in prayer for
pbaptista@greatplainsumc.org
Dorchester UMC
Friend UMC
Blue River District
.jpg?width=200&height=200)
lseiser@greatplainsumc.org
Hallam UMC
Martell UMC
Roca UMC
Blue River District
jrafique@greatplainsumc.org
Lincoln Aldersgate UMC
Blue River District
Shared Prayers:View Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
This Week's Lectionary:
10th Sunday after Pentecost in Kingdomtide-Green
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Link to GBOD Devotional
The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Thursday, 2 August 2018 "Can’t Stop Praising" by Juvelyn Lumberio (Cavite, Philippines) Psalm 145:1-12
We can tell easily when someone is in love. This person is full of life and can’t stop talking about his or her significant other. I could see this when my niece interviewed a couple for a school project. When they were asked to describe each other, Mary said of her husband, Eric: “I am blessed to have him.” “She’s a great woman,” Eric responded. “No, you’re the best,” Mary replied. Neither wanted to be the one to stop first.
Similarly, those who love the Lord are full of life and hope, knowing that the love they’ve found surpasses any relationship that the world can offer. Because of this, they can’t stop praising God.
All relationships, even our relationship with the Lord, go through challenges. Can we still praise God when our prayers seemingly go unanswered or when plans that seemed like God’s will don’t turn out the way we expect?
The last question my niece asked the couple was: “How has your relationship lasted all these 30 years?” Both agreed that communication sustains a relationship. Regular prayer and acts of devotion — even when we don’t feel like it — sustain our relationship with God. These, along with reading the Bible, teach us how to praise God, no matter the situation.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Loving Father, help us love you the way you want to be loved so we can praise you the way you deserve to be praised. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Psalm 145:1 (0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
6 People will speak of your awesome power,
and I will tell of your great deeds.
7 They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness,
and they will sing of your righteousness.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in grace.
9 Adonai is good to all;
his compassion rests on all his creatures.
10 All your creatures will thank you, Adonai,
and your faithful servants will bless you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingship,
and they will tell about your might;
12 to let everyone know of your mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of your kingship. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: My love for God inspires continual praise.
PRAYER FOCUS: For a closer relationship with God
READ MORE: Looking through the Eyes of Grace
Grace
AUGUST 2, 2018 BY JUVELYN LUMBERIO (CAVITE, PHILIPPINES)
There is a social psychological concept called the “looking-glass self,” which states that a person’s sense of self grows out of their interpersonal interactions in society and the perceptions of others. According to this concept, we see ourselves through the eyes of other people, usually those who influence us the most, even to the extent of incorporating their views of us into our own self-concept.
I can still remember the incident which made me believe that I was good-for-nothing. At around 21:00 hours one moonless night, my father, a real estate broker at the time, came home from work. He immediately switched on the TV. He became frustrated when he couldn’t change the channel. He told me to go next door to my uncle’s home and ask about the winning lottery numbers. Life was hard back then, especially because the real estate business was declining. My father faced a lot of pressure being both a broker and a family man; winning the lottery would have been a big help for our family.
Cold wind blew as I walked towards my uncle’s house. Their door was closed and the house was quiet. I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I went back home. “Papa, the door is closed, so they might be sleeping,” I said. In his frustration, he blurted out, “You stupid no-brainer! Go back there and knock on the door!” I got the winning numbers, but apparently I lost a part of me.
Since then, I’ve always thought my father meant what he said, and that he could be right. It changed how I see myself and the people around me. I grew up timid, with low self-esteem, afraid to take risks, and full of resentment towards my father and others. I lived a crazy, empty life.
I wrote those words at the back of a notebook which I still keep to this day. I’m not sure if it’s a reminder of that painful past, or a memento of how I overcame that part of my life.
I met the God of the Bible one weekend in April 2010 when my sister invited me to church. Since Holy Week was approaching, the preacher delivered a message about Jesus’ death on the cross. I had heard about it many times, but on that day I understood the importance of that beautiful exchange in the life of a sinner — in my life. I gave my life to Jesus sincerely and wholeheartedly. God’s rich love, grace, and mercy have gotten into me, and ever since that day my life has never been the same.
I grew in my relationship with Christ and learned about the importance of prayer and devotion. As I communed with God regularly and studied the Bible, God became my everything. The looking-glass self concept says that you become what the most important person in your life thinks you are. As God became the most important One in my life, I started to realize my worth. Looking through the eyes of grace, God saw beyond what I see in myself. I now serve in my church as part of the Social Media Team, and my father served as a missionary pastor. By God’s grace, our family is doing well.
The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Thursday, 2 August 2018 "Can’t Stop Praising" by Juvelyn Lumberio (Cavite, Philippines) Psalm 145:1-12
(Image: Pixabay)
Through [Jesus] . . . let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 (NRSV))We can tell easily when someone is in love. This person is full of life and can’t stop talking about his or her significant other. I could see this when my niece interviewed a couple for a school project. When they were asked to describe each other, Mary said of her husband, Eric: “I am blessed to have him.” “She’s a great woman,” Eric responded. “No, you’re the best,” Mary replied. Neither wanted to be the one to stop first.
Similarly, those who love the Lord are full of life and hope, knowing that the love they’ve found surpasses any relationship that the world can offer. Because of this, they can’t stop praising God.
All relationships, even our relationship with the Lord, go through challenges. Can we still praise God when our prayers seemingly go unanswered or when plans that seemed like God’s will don’t turn out the way we expect?
The last question my niece asked the couple was: “How has your relationship lasted all these 30 years?” Both agreed that communication sustains a relationship. Regular prayer and acts of devotion — even when we don’t feel like it — sustain our relationship with God. These, along with reading the Bible, teach us how to praise God, no matter the situation.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Loving Father, help us love you the way you want to be loved so we can praise you the way you deserve to be praised. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Psalm 145:1 (0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
6 People will speak of your awesome power,
and I will tell of your great deeds.
7 They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness,
and they will sing of your righteousness.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in grace.
9 Adonai is good to all;
his compassion rests on all his creatures.
10 All your creatures will thank you, Adonai,
and your faithful servants will bless you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingship,
and they will tell about your might;
12 to let everyone know of your mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of your kingship. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: My love for God inspires continual praise.
PRAYER FOCUS: For a closer relationship with God
READ MORE: Looking through the Eyes of Grace
Grace
AUGUST 2, 2018 BY JUVELYN LUMBERIO (CAVITE, PHILIPPINES)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: CAN’T STOP PRAISING
I can still remember the incident which made me believe that I was good-for-nothing. At around 21:00 hours one moonless night, my father, a real estate broker at the time, came home from work. He immediately switched on the TV. He became frustrated when he couldn’t change the channel. He told me to go next door to my uncle’s home and ask about the winning lottery numbers. Life was hard back then, especially because the real estate business was declining. My father faced a lot of pressure being both a broker and a family man; winning the lottery would have been a big help for our family.
Cold wind blew as I walked towards my uncle’s house. Their door was closed and the house was quiet. I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I went back home. “Papa, the door is closed, so they might be sleeping,” I said. In his frustration, he blurted out, “You stupid no-brainer! Go back there and knock on the door!” I got the winning numbers, but apparently I lost a part of me.
Since then, I’ve always thought my father meant what he said, and that he could be right. It changed how I see myself and the people around me. I grew up timid, with low self-esteem, afraid to take risks, and full of resentment towards my father and others. I lived a crazy, empty life.
I wrote those words at the back of a notebook which I still keep to this day. I’m not sure if it’s a reminder of that painful past, or a memento of how I overcame that part of my life.
I met the God of the Bible one weekend in April 2010 when my sister invited me to church. Since Holy Week was approaching, the preacher delivered a message about Jesus’ death on the cross. I had heard about it many times, but on that day I understood the importance of that beautiful exchange in the life of a sinner — in my life. I gave my life to Jesus sincerely and wholeheartedly. God’s rich love, grace, and mercy have gotten into me, and ever since that day my life has never been the same.
I grew in my relationship with Christ and learned about the importance of prayer and devotion. As I communed with God regularly and studied the Bible, God became my everything. The looking-glass self concept says that you become what the most important person in your life thinks you are. As God became the most important One in my life, I started to realize my worth. Looking through the eyes of grace, God saw beyond what I see in myself. I now serve in my church as part of the Social Media Team, and my father served as a missionary pastor. By God’s grace, our family is doing well.
Contact Information:
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka, Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Psalm 145:1 (0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
6 People will speak of your awesome power,
and I will tell of your great deeds.
7 They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness,
and they will sing of your righteousness.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in grace.
9 Adonai is good to all;
his compassion rests on all his creatures.
10 All your creatures will thank you, Adonai,
and your faithful servants will bless you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingship,
and they will tell about your might;
12 to let everyone know of your mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of your kingship. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Prayers Requested for Wednesday, 1 August 2018 from The Wichita West District of The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Request for Family of Fred Pinkerton
Reverend Fred Pinkerton passed away Monday July 30, 2018.
The funeral will be on Saturday August 25th at 11 AM at:
Haysville United Methodist Church
601 East Grand Avenue
Haysville, Kansas 67060, United States
Fred was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1937 and started his ministry at Coats in 1966. He also served the United Methodist Churches at: Argonia, First United Methodist in Wichita, Haysville, Wellington, and was the district superintendent at Hays. He then retired and went to work at Pratt UMC and then as the chaplain at Pratt Regional Medical Center, he ended his active pastoral ministry at Iuka UMC. Fred is now reunited with Judy who proceeded him in death.
Mailing address for cards
Tim Pinkerton
15330 West Hendryx Court
Goddard, Kansas 67052,United States
Download the printable version of the Aug. 1 issue of GPconnect.
In this edition:
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
DISASTER RESPONSE
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
this month across the Great Plains
There are series of 18 town hall meetings led by Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., to discuss the recommendation by the Council of Bishops following the Commission on a Way Forward report and prior to next year’s special session of the General Conference, will begin later this month.
All 17 districts in the Great Plains Conference will host one of the town halls, with two in the Great West District, both on Sept. 22.
The chronological schedule of the meetings:
options before special session
United Methodists are reading and considering three plans focused on moving the denomination past its decades-long struggle with issues around homosexuality. United Methodist News asked for reactions to the plans.
Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. is on renewal leave this summer, but that doesn’t mean he is taking it easy.
In a brief video shot the day before his departure, the bishop shares some information about two important events he is participating in this summer.
First, he is representing The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops at a celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the concordat between our denomination and the British Methodist Church.
Representatives of The United Methodist Church and Methodist Church in Britain will gather Aug. 11-12, at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, in London to mark the 50th anniversary of a concordat agreement between the two denominations. The historic hall, which opened in 1912, sits across from Westminster Abbey. 2017 file photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
For a brief period in the 1960s, Methodists in the U.S. and in Great Britain considered becoming one body.
But the competing attentions of other possible merger partners in their own countries put that idea on hold.
Instead, a different kind of agreement, called a concordat, was finalized in 1968. And in a year of noteworthy anniversaries, a small gathering of United Methodists and British Methodists in London will celebrate their relationship and discuss future collaboration.
United Methodists traveling to England for the Aug. 10-12 event include 28 bishops, clergy and laity serving as official delegates and seven top agency executives, along with the secretary of General Conference, who are invited guests with voice but no vote.
The idea is to “dream some bigger dreams for the future,” said Doug Swanney,connectional secretary for the Methodist Church in Britain.
On a regional level, Methodist and Wesleyan churches in Europe, including United Methodists, have a close relationship, Swanney said.
Both denominations — and the world — have seen major changes over the past 50 years. Bishop B. Michael Watson, ecumenical officer for The United Methodist Church, pointed out that “a new discussion is needed so that we can reshape our partnership in light of these new global realities.
“In fact, we should have already had this discussion,” he added.
Very few documents from the joint commission of the British church and the Methodist Church in the U.S. between 1965 and 1968 are available for research, noted the Rev. Robert Williams, the retired top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History.
That time period was the “high tide of ecumenism,” he said, and church leaders were thinking they could be stronger by being in ministry together rather than separately.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the minutes or the records of the joint commission,” explained Williams, who will make a historical presentation during the London gathering. “I think that’s a great loss.”
He attributes that “lack of documentary evidence” and a lessening of interest in a union to what was happening at the time in their respective countries.
The Rev. Doug Swanney, connectional secretary for the British church, and the Rev. Jean Hawxhurst, an ecumenical staff member for the United Methodist Council of Bishops, have had “regular Skype conversations,” Hawxhurst said, to prepare the program.
Three bishops have served as the United Methodist half of a design team for the 50th anniversary celebration — U.S. Bishop Bruce Ough, the council’s immediate past president; Bishop B. Michael Watson, also of the U.S. and the denomination’s ecumenical officer; and retired Bishop Rosemarie Wenner of Germany.
Wenner and the Rev. Jennifer Smith, minister of Wesley’s Chapel, are organizing the Aug. 10 opening worship service there. Ough, episcopal leader of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, will preach.
The daylong program on Aug. 11 at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, includes presentations on joint ministries in social justice, global missions and ecumenical interaction and small-group sessions to develop ideas for future collaboration. The goal, Swanney explained, is “to look at where some of the similarities are” and “to see where God may be prompting us.”
Saturday’s sessions will end with a celebration dinner. A final business session is planned Sunday morning, Aug. 12, before the public worship at Methodist Central Hall. Florida Area Bishop Kenneth H. Carter Jr., the current president of the Council of Bishops, will preach at that service.
Six of the bishops will remain in England to represent The United Methodist Church at the weeklong Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, which begins the evening of Aug. 12, Hawxhurst said.
Methodists in America were negotiating a union with the Evangelical United Brethren Church and, as a condition of that merger, dismantling its racially-segregated Central Jurisdiction. In ecumenical circles, the Consultation on Church Union was demanding attention. Across the pond, British Methodists had become more serious about talks with the Church of England.
In the end, the most significant part of the concordat was sending full credentialed representatives to each other’s highest governing assemblies, a natural development out of what had been a longstanding informal tradition dating back a century and a half, Williams said.
Currently, the British church sends four official, voting delegates to the United Methodist General Conference, which meets every four years, and United Methodists send two delegates to the annual British Methodist Conference.
Other programs grew out of the concordat. To Swanney, one of the most successful was the British-American Ministerial Program, which ran for about 10 years. “We had to stop it because we couldn’t get visas,” he said.
The concordat agreement has ensured a meaningful connection between what is now the global United Methodist Church and British Methodists, said the Rev. Alfred Day III, the current top executive of the Commission on Archives and History.
Day, who will be in London, views the August celebration as “another opportunity to remember some seeds that were planted” in 1968. “I think the time is right and the climate is right.”
In an era when television programs and organizations like ancestry.com focus on finding family roots, “my sense is that if we can help people to find their way to their faith and denominational roots there may be some powerful and incredible experiences there as well,” he said.
Day also applauded the investment that British Methodists have made in telling the story of John and Charles Wesley and their commitment to the idea that “heritage is a mission opportunity.”
With financial assistance from Britain’s Heritage Lottery Funding, Day added, the New Room in Bristol, England, has been transformed from a sleepy historical site to “the greatest educational experience in one building of the story of Methodism.”
Swanney hopes the August discussions will allow time to name some of the significant issues to consider as the two Methodist bodies look to the future, including engagement through the World Methodist Council and regional Methodist groups.
While “the headline” of the concordat focused on representation at conference, he said, the joint commission’s report also was an effort to find ways to cooperate in mission and ministry, as well as avoid duplication.
“We made some commitments in that concordat in recognizing the places that one tradition was already working,” he said, but also noted “a real sense of proactive hopefulness of what we might do together.”
Presentations on joint ministries will touch on work in social justice, global missions and ecumenical interaction.
Watson, the United Methodist ecumenical officer, expects the discussions to venture beyond Methodism to the present-day Anglican-Methodist discussions taking place simultaneously on two continents. The Methodist Church in Britain is considering a new covenant with the Church of England, and The United Methodist Church is nearing a full-communion agreement with The Episcopal Church in the U.S.
Increased understanding among Methodists across the global is important, Watson said. “This is a time of re-visioning for both of our churches, and we need to share these new visions with each other,” he pointed out. “The only way we can understand each other is to talk together honestly.”
Bloom is the assistant news editor for United Methodist News Service and is based in New York.
Follow her at https://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at 615-742-5470 ornewsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka, Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Psalm 145:1 (0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
6 People will speak of your awesome power,
and I will tell of your great deeds.
7 They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness,
and they will sing of your righteousness.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in grace.
9 Adonai is good to all;
his compassion rests on all his creatures.
10 All your creatures will thank you, Adonai,
and your faithful servants will bless you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingship,
and they will tell about your might;
12 to let everyone know of your mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of your kingship. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Prayers Requested for Wednesday, 1 August 2018 from The Wichita West District of The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Reverend Fred Pinkerton passed away Monday July 30, 2018.
The funeral will be on Saturday August 25th at 11 AM at:
Haysville United Methodist Church
601 East Grand Avenue
Haysville, Kansas 67060, United States
Fred was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1937 and started his ministry at Coats in 1966. He also served the United Methodist Churches at: Argonia, First United Methodist in Wichita, Haysville, Wellington, and was the district superintendent at Hays. He then retired and went to work at Pratt UMC and then as the chaplain at Pratt Regional Medical Center, he ended his active pastoral ministry at Iuka UMC. Fred is now reunited with Judy who proceeded him in death.
Mailing address for cards
Tim Pinkerton
15330 West Hendryx Court
Goddard, Kansas 67052,United States
P.O. Box 4187
Topeka, Kansas 66604, United States
(785)272-9111
***In this edition:
THIS WEEK'S NEWS
- Bishop’s town hall meetings begin this month across the Great Plains
- United Methodists discuss three options before special session
- Bishop Saenz staying busy this summer with professional obligations in England
- Mead's Corner, Wichita First UMC's coffeehouse, closes with memories
- Summit Youth Academy meets SoCe Life in Wichita field trip
EQUIPPING DISCIPLES
- Kids flocking by the hundreds to VBS at Lincoln church
- ‘Here I am, Lord … maybe’ Lay Servant Ministry courses may be answer
- Conference mourning loss of David Jefferson, Blue River District lay leader
DISASTER RESPONSE
ACROSS THE CONNECTION
- Feeling the heat and seeing the light led to career change for pastor
- ‘Blessing box’ flourishes in Wellsville thanks to United Methodist Church
- In other news
- Blogs and opinion
- Newsletters
- The week ahead
- Classifieds
this month across the Great Plains
All 17 districts in the Great Plains Conference will host one of the town halls, with two in the Great West District, both on Sept. 22.
The chronological schedule of the meetings:
- Saturday, Aug. 25: Omaha St. Luke UMC (10 a.m.), Lincoln Trinity UMC (3 p.m.)
- Sunday, Aug. 26: Olathe Grace UMC (5 p.m.)
- Sunday, Sept. 9: Garden City First UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, Sept. 16: Norfolk First UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Saturday, Sept. 22: Scottsbluff First UMC (10 a.m. MDT), Ogallala First UMC (4 p.m. MDT)
- Sunday, Sept. 23: Cozad First UMC (4 p.m.)
- Sunday, Sept. 30: Grand Island Trinity UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Saturday, Oct. 6: Wichita Chapel Hill UMC (10 a.m.), Wichita West (location TBA; 3 p.m.)
- Sunday, Oct. 7: Hutchinson Trinity UMC (3 p.m.)
- Sunday, Oct. 14: Salina Trinity UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, Oct. 21: Council Grove UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, Oct. 28: Hays First UMC (3:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, Nov. 11: Topeka First UMC (3 p.m.)
- Saturday, Nov. 17: Parsons Wesley UMC (10 a.m.), Lawrence First UMC (3:30 p.m.
options before special session
- Read more from the United Methodist News Service.
- LGBTQ advocates conflicted on way forward.
- VIDEO: Bishop Saenz urges everyone to read entire report from Commission on a Way Forward.
- Our Forward in Unity page keeps you updated on all sides of the report.
In a brief video shot the day before his departure, the bishop shares some information about two important events he is participating in this summer.
First, he is representing The United Methodist Church Council of Bishops at a celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the concordat between our denomination and the British Methodist Church.
"2 denominations explore Methodist connection" by Linda Bloom, UMNS
Representatives of The United Methodist Church and Methodist Church in Britain will gather Aug. 11-12, at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, in London to mark the 50th anniversary of a concordat agreement between the two denominations. The historic hall, which opened in 1912, sits across from Westminster Abbey. 2017 file photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.But the competing attentions of other possible merger partners in their own countries put that idea on hold.
Instead, a different kind of agreement, called a concordat, was finalized in 1968. And in a year of noteworthy anniversaries, a small gathering of United Methodists and British Methodists in London will celebrate their relationship and discuss future collaboration.
United Methodists traveling to England for the Aug. 10-12 event include 28 bishops, clergy and laity serving as official delegates and seven top agency executives, along with the secretary of General Conference, who are invited guests with voice but no vote.
The idea is to “dream some bigger dreams for the future,” said Doug Swanney,connectional secretary for the Methodist Church in Britain.
Doug Swanney, Methodist Church in Britain, led the planning of the 50th anniversary event, which also includes an opening worship service at Wesley’s Chapel. 2017 file photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
“If we’re all engaging in the same kind of mission … there must be crossing points where we can work better together,” he told United Methodist News Service.On a regional level, Methodist and Wesleyan churches in Europe, including United Methodists, have a close relationship, Swanney said.
Both denominations — and the world — have seen major changes over the past 50 years. Bishop B. Michael Watson, ecumenical officer for The United Methodist Church, pointed out that “a new discussion is needed so that we can reshape our partnership in light of these new global realities.
“In fact, we should have already had this discussion,” he added.
Very few documents from the joint commission of the British church and the Methodist Church in the U.S. between 1965 and 1968 are available for research, noted the Rev. Robert Williams, the retired top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History.
That time period was the “high tide of ecumenism,” he said, and church leaders were thinking they could be stronger by being in ministry together rather than separately.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the minutes or the records of the joint commission,” explained Williams, who will make a historical presentation during the London gathering. “I think that’s a great loss.”
He attributes that “lack of documentary evidence” and a lessening of interest in a union to what was happening at the time in their respective countries.
Celebrating a 50th in London
Meetings and public worship services Aug. 10-12 at two historic Methodist churches in London will mark the 50th anniversary of an agreement between The United Methodist Church and The Methodist Church in Britain.The Rev. Doug Swanney, connectional secretary for the British church, and the Rev. Jean Hawxhurst, an ecumenical staff member for the United Methodist Council of Bishops, have had “regular Skype conversations,” Hawxhurst said, to prepare the program.
Three bishops have served as the United Methodist half of a design team for the 50th anniversary celebration — U.S. Bishop Bruce Ough, the council’s immediate past president; Bishop B. Michael Watson, also of the U.S. and the denomination’s ecumenical officer; and retired Bishop Rosemarie Wenner of Germany.
Wenner and the Rev. Jennifer Smith, minister of Wesley’s Chapel, are organizing the Aug. 10 opening worship service there. Ough, episcopal leader of the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, will preach.
The daylong program on Aug. 11 at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, includes presentations on joint ministries in social justice, global missions and ecumenical interaction and small-group sessions to develop ideas for future collaboration. The goal, Swanney explained, is “to look at where some of the similarities are” and “to see where God may be prompting us.”
Saturday’s sessions will end with a celebration dinner. A final business session is planned Sunday morning, Aug. 12, before the public worship at Methodist Central Hall. Florida Area Bishop Kenneth H. Carter Jr., the current president of the Council of Bishops, will preach at that service.
Six of the bishops will remain in England to represent The United Methodist Church at the weeklong Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, which begins the evening of Aug. 12, Hawxhurst said.
Methodists in America were negotiating a union with the Evangelical United Brethren Church and, as a condition of that merger, dismantling its racially-segregated Central Jurisdiction. In ecumenical circles, the Consultation on Church Union was demanding attention. Across the pond, British Methodists had become more serious about talks with the Church of England.
In the end, the most significant part of the concordat was sending full credentialed representatives to each other’s highest governing assemblies, a natural development out of what had been a longstanding informal tradition dating back a century and a half, Williams said.
Currently, the British church sends four official, voting delegates to the United Methodist General Conference, which meets every four years, and United Methodists send two delegates to the annual British Methodist Conference.
Other programs grew out of the concordat. To Swanney, one of the most successful was the British-American Ministerial Program, which ran for about 10 years. “We had to stop it because we couldn’t get visas,” he said.
The concordat agreement has ensured a meaningful connection between what is now the global United Methodist Church and British Methodists, said the Rev. Alfred Day III, the current top executive of the Commission on Archives and History.
Day, who will be in London, views the August celebration as “another opportunity to remember some seeds that were planted” in 1968. “I think the time is right and the climate is right.”
In an era when television programs and organizations like ancestry.com focus on finding family roots, “my sense is that if we can help people to find their way to their faith and denominational roots there may be some powerful and incredible experiences there as well,” he said.
Day also applauded the investment that British Methodists have made in telling the story of John and Charles Wesley and their commitment to the idea that “heritage is a mission opportunity.”
With financial assistance from Britain’s Heritage Lottery Funding, Day added, the New Room in Bristol, England, has been transformed from a sleepy historical site to “the greatest educational experience in one building of the story of Methodism.”
Swanney hopes the August discussions will allow time to name some of the significant issues to consider as the two Methodist bodies look to the future, including engagement through the World Methodist Council and regional Methodist groups.
While “the headline” of the concordat focused on representation at conference, he said, the joint commission’s report also was an effort to find ways to cooperate in mission and ministry, as well as avoid duplication.
“We made some commitments in that concordat in recognizing the places that one tradition was already working,” he said, but also noted “a real sense of proactive hopefulness of what we might do together.”
Presentations on joint ministries will touch on work in social justice, global missions and ecumenical interaction.
Watson, the United Methodist ecumenical officer, expects the discussions to venture beyond Methodism to the present-day Anglican-Methodist discussions taking place simultaneously on two continents. The Methodist Church in Britain is considering a new covenant with the Church of England, and The United Methodist Church is nearing a full-communion agreement with The Episcopal Church in the U.S.
Increased understanding among Methodists across the global is important, Watson said. “This is a time of re-visioning for both of our churches, and we need to share these new visions with each other,” he pointed out. “The only way we can understand each other is to talk together honestly.”
Bloom is the assistant news editor for United Methodist News Service and is based in New York.
Follow her at https://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at 615-742-5470 ornewsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests
Read more about the 50th anniversary of the concordat.
After that, he will be at Pembroke College at Oxford to deliver a paper and take part in discussions about practical theology. The focus of his paper is on immigration concerns.
Bishop Saenz plans to share the paper upon his return.
After that, he will be at Pembroke College at Oxford to deliver a paper and take part in discussions about practical theology. The focus of his paper is on immigration concerns.
Bishop Saenz plans to share the paper upon his return.
For now, watch this video of the bishop explaining what he’s up to this summer.
Mead's Corner, Wichita First UMC's coffeehouse, closes with memories
With hugs and handshakes – as well as lattes, scones and gelato – patrons and leaders of Wichita First United Methodist Church gave a farewell to Mead’s Corner, the downtown coffeehouse it has operated for 10 years, on Sunday.
“We celebrate not only Mead’s Corner, the place, but also Mead’s Corner, the people,” said Leslie Coates, who leads a contemporary service called The Gathering on Sunday nights.
“Mead’s Corner is a whole lot of people who have been coming together and meeting together.”
Citing a steep rent hike for the space at 430 E. Douglas St., Wichita First UMC leaders made the decision to close the coffeehouse, effective Saturday. The final day was packed for a goodbye to the facility
Patrons, pastors remember Mead’s Corner
With hugs and handshakes – as well as lattes, scones and gelato – patrons and leaders of Wichita First United Methodist Church gave a farewell to Mead’s Corner, the downtown coffeehouse it has operated for 10 years, on July 29.
“We celebrate not only Mead’s Corner, the place, but also Mead’s Corner, the people,” said Leslie Coates, who leads a contemporary service called The Gathering on Sunday nights.
“Mead’s Corner is a whole lot of people who have been coming together and meeting together.”
Citing a steep rent hike for the space at 430 E. Douglas St., Wichita First UMC leaders made the decision to close the coffeehouse, effective July 28. The final day was packed for a goodbye to the facility.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Gardner, pastor when the coffeehouse was opened in 2008, recalled skepticism from some church members that the business would be a good fit for its mission.
“It is possible for old wineskins to give way to new ideas,” Gardner said.
Mead’s Corner proved to be a valuable outreach of Wichita First, he added. “All we’re really doing is moving one of the doors of the church.”
The Rev. Kent Rogers, Gardner’s successor, recalled introducing himself to a person in Wichita as the pastor of First UMC. When she wasn’t sure where the church was, her face lit up when she was told it was the church that operated Mead’s Corner, he said.
“You knew there was something big about this place,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the location went beyond being an outreach to the community, serving as a place where city officials and community developers met to discuss future endeavors.
“This has been a place of organic partnerships long before we made it a location of spiritual outpost,” Rogers said.
The previous incarnation of Mead’s Corner was a bar with a high crime rate, including a high rate of human trafficking, Rogers said. When the church took over, it became a focal point of ICT SOS, a group dedicated to fighting human trafficking in Wichita.
“This place was transformed into a place of safety,” said the Rev. Cindy Watson, current pastor of Wichita First UMC. “First United Methodist Church saved this part of Wichita.”
Watson credited Mead’s Corner as one of the key factors in the turnaround of downtown Wichita, which boasts new retail, office space and dining and nightlife options that were unheard of in 2008.
“We got to be on the ground floor,” Watson said. “What a gift.”
Former employees were asked to stand during the ceremony, and patrons were told that the baristas at Mead’s Corner never kept their tips, instead giving them to Wichita First’s ministry.
In the decade that Mead’s Corner was open, more than $90,000 was raised from tips.
While Mead’s Corner has closed, The Gathering will live on in a new location – in the New Covenant United Methodist Church’s Life Support Center, at 1718 W. Douglas St. in the city’s expanding Delano district.
“We anticipate all kinds of new stories to tell later,” Coates said.
David Burke, communications, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Watch a video of memories from Mead’s Corner.
Read more about Mead's Corner.
Summit Youth Academy meets
SoCe Life in Wichita field trip
Ministry, teenagers at the Summit Youth Academy have learned, doesn’t necessarily require wearing a robe and standing behind a pulpit.
As part of the second-annual, one-week camp presented by Southwestern College, 23 of the high school juniors and seniors made their way to Wichita to learn about the neighboring movement in the South Central neighborhood of the city.
Last week, students learned about the work done by SoCe Life, which has spun into the national NeighboringMovement.org, whose founders include the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson.
“We want to give pictures to these young people of the transformative work that they’re doing here in south central Wichita,” said the Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib, Summit director. “We think it’s something that can translate into their own communities, whether they’re in an urban setting or a rural setting – just the idea of being a good neighbor.”
Summit meets SoCe Life in Wichita field trip
Ministry, teenagers at the Summit Youth Academy have learned, doesn’t necessarily require wearing a robe and standing behind a pulpit.
As part of the second-annual, one-week camp presented by Southwestern College, 23 of the high school juniors and seniors made their way to Wichita to learn about the neighboring movement in the South Central neighborhood of the city.
On the Thursday of the July 22-28 session, students learned about the work done by SoCe Life, which has spun into the national NeighboringMovement.org, whose founders include the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson.
“We want to give pictures to these young people of the transformative work that they’re doing here in south central Wichita,” said the Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib, Summit director. “We think it’s something that can translate into their own communities, whether they’re in an urban setting or a rural setting – just the idea of being a good neighbor.”
Barlow-Thompson told the youth that ministry is “finding little niches and crevices to carry out your faith.”
The youth toured Legacy Minstries, a nonprofit urban ministry that provides hands-on mission work through pottery, gardening and roasting coffee beans. The teenagers spoke to women helped by the Raise My Head Foundation, which reforms former works in the sex-trafficking industry by getting them clean and sober.
They also worked with a SoCe Life staff member who showed how photography can bring groups of people together, using silly descriptions so participants could create tableaus that became pictures.
Mohler-Seib said that SoCe Life’s work is inspiring to the Summit campers.
“A lot of this generation is excited about entrepreneurial ministry and ways they can live out their calling in a way that’s different than traditional pastoral ministry,” she said.
Thirty-two Summit Disciples spent their week on the Southwestern campus. Nine of them were returnees from the initial year and were on the newly formed “Track 2,” with more in-depth projects.
Southwestern students, dubbed Summit Guides, took over much of the planning for the worship, Bible study and free-time activities this year.
“We have a vision for where we’re going, as opposed to the first year when it was just in my mind,” said Mohler-Seib, director of faith formation for youth and young adults at Southwestern's Institute for Discipleship. “They took ownership of different pieces and made it come together.”
Among those Summit Guides is Madison Stumbough, a senior this fall at Southwestern. A Bonner Springs native and director of children’s ministries at Winfield Grace United Methodist Church, Stumbough said Summit gave her opportunities that other groups might not have.
“I really dove into those communities, but I was always searching for more, wanting more, and wanting to go deeper. I think that’s the beautiful thing about the Summit, is that that’s the whole point,” she said. “Other camps are amazing community builders and are great at what they do, but at the Summit, they really focus on hearing God’s voice in their life, and that’s something that’s hard, for high school kids especially.”
Tyler Nelson, a junior this fall at Mulvane High School, said his first year of Summit made an impression.
“What Summit has done is brought me closer to God in my faith journey. It’s brought me closer to the people that I’ve met and to God – a lot,” he said. Nelson said he’s learned “no matter how far you stray away from God, you can always return.”
Mohler-Seib said the third full week of July next year is already set aside for the third-annual Summit, with interested disciples already in place.
“I’ve already had a camper ask, ‘What’s Trail 3 look like?’,” she said with a laugh.
David Burke, communications, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about Summit and SoCe Life.
Clergy Excellence
SMU-Perkins invites nominations for 2018 Distinguished Alumnus/a Award.
Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University is accepting nominations for its 2018 Distinguished Alumnus/a Award. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept. 1.
The award, presented annually, recognizes Perkins graduates who have demonstrated effectiveness and integrity in service to the church, continuing support for the goals of Perkins and SMU, distinguished service to the community, and exemplary character.
This year’s recipient will be honored at a dinner banquet on Monday, Nov. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Cost is $50 per person. Register/purchase tickets here.
Here’s how to nominate a Perkins graduate for this prestigious award:
Nominations must be submitted in writing: a letter describing the nominee's career highlights and other accomplishments.
Letters or statements from at least two additional people who support the nomination are also required.
The person submitting the nomination should compile all materials and mail them together to Office of Public Affairs and Alumni/ae Relations, Perkins School of Theology, P.O. Box 750133, Dallas, TX 75275-0133
Alternatively, nominations may be submitted via email. Attach the nominating letter and all supporting materials to a single email to The Rev. Connie L. Nelson, Director of Public Affairs and Alumni/ae Relations, clnelson@smu.edu
There’s more information about the criteria for the Distinguished Alumnus/a Award here.
The 2017 Perkins Distinguished Alumnus/a was Bishop Michael McKee (M.Th. ’78), resident bishop of the Dallas Area of The United Methodist Church.
Here’s the complete list of the award’s recipients, dating back to 1986.
Equipping Disciples
Kids flocking by the hundreds
to VBS at Lincoln church
When Horizons Community Church in Lincoln does Vacation Bible School, they do VBS BIG!
“It’s really just blown up over the years,” said children’s ministries director Derek Steinacher. “We’re a church of about 300, 400 on a Sunday, but for Vacation Bible School, we see about 500-600 kids from the community coming into our parking lot. Every single spot is full.”
See more in this video.
‘Here I am, Lord … maybe’ Lay Servant Ministry courses may be answer
Do you have the feeling you want to do more in the church? Lay Servant Ministry courses might be the answer, according to Kirk Pemberton, Topeka District director of LSM.
Many classes are available, Pemberton writes, including discovering your spiritual gifts, UMC heritage, UMC polity (our discipline), leading worship, leading prayer and preaching.
Do you ever hear a call to do more than fill a pew? Do you feel at a loss to know what else you can do to contribute to your church life? Ever wonder how the United Methodist Church (UMC) relates to other denominations? What about why the pastor you REALLY liked got transferred to another congregation? How about an organized way to built relationships outside of your own congregation? Where do you go for answers?
Maybe Lay Servant Ministries has at least one answer for you.
“But,” you say, “I don’t think I want to be a Lay Servant.”
Or maybe you already are! Remember at the end of the "Wizard of Oz" where the scarecrow, tin man and lion were told they already had their desired traits, just no testimonial to that status? Often, we see folks doing all the tasks associated with a Lay Servant, but they have not completed training through a formal process.
OR maybe you just want to know more about the church. Either way the LSM (Lay Servant Ministries) training courses may have your answer.
Lay Servant Ministries is a program in the UMC that provides training to assist you in fulfilling your call to ministry. Courses start with an introductory basic course and several categories designed to prepare the lay servant.
Categories include:
In addition to the learning opportunity each of these presents, the classroom setting makes for a great time to meet other church brothers and sisters outside your own congregation. On the other hand, if you like less direct interaction, many of these classes are offered in an online setting (beadisciple.com).Mead's Corner, Wichita First UMC's coffeehouse, closes with memories
“We celebrate not only Mead’s Corner, the place, but also Mead’s Corner, the people,” said Leslie Coates, who leads a contemporary service called The Gathering on Sunday nights.
“Mead’s Corner is a whole lot of people who have been coming together and meeting together.”
Citing a steep rent hike for the space at 430 E. Douglas St., Wichita First UMC leaders made the decision to close the coffeehouse, effective Saturday. The final day was packed for a goodbye to the facility
Patrons, pastors remember Mead’s Corner
“We celebrate not only Mead’s Corner, the place, but also Mead’s Corner, the people,” said Leslie Coates, who leads a contemporary service called The Gathering on Sunday nights.
“Mead’s Corner is a whole lot of people who have been coming together and meeting together.”
Citing a steep rent hike for the space at 430 E. Douglas St., Wichita First UMC leaders made the decision to close the coffeehouse, effective July 28. The final day was packed for a goodbye to the facility.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Gardner, pastor when the coffeehouse was opened in 2008, recalled skepticism from some church members that the business would be a good fit for its mission.
“It is possible for old wineskins to give way to new ideas,” Gardner said.
Mead’s Corner proved to be a valuable outreach of Wichita First, he added. “All we’re really doing is moving one of the doors of the church.”
The Rev. Kent Rogers, Gardner’s successor, recalled introducing himself to a person in Wichita as the pastor of First UMC. When she wasn’t sure where the church was, her face lit up when she was told it was the church that operated Mead’s Corner, he said.
“You knew there was something big about this place,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the location went beyond being an outreach to the community, serving as a place where city officials and community developers met to discuss future endeavors.
“This has been a place of organic partnerships long before we made it a location of spiritual outpost,” Rogers said.
The previous incarnation of Mead’s Corner was a bar with a high crime rate, including a high rate of human trafficking, Rogers said. When the church took over, it became a focal point of ICT SOS, a group dedicated to fighting human trafficking in Wichita.
“This place was transformed into a place of safety,” said the Rev. Cindy Watson, current pastor of Wichita First UMC. “First United Methodist Church saved this part of Wichita.”
Watson credited Mead’s Corner as one of the key factors in the turnaround of downtown Wichita, which boasts new retail, office space and dining and nightlife options that were unheard of in 2008.
“We got to be on the ground floor,” Watson said. “What a gift.”
Former employees were asked to stand during the ceremony, and patrons were told that the baristas at Mead’s Corner never kept their tips, instead giving them to Wichita First’s ministry.
In the decade that Mead’s Corner was open, more than $90,000 was raised from tips.
While Mead’s Corner has closed, The Gathering will live on in a new location – in the New Covenant United Methodist Church’s Life Support Center, at 1718 W. Douglas St. in the city’s expanding Delano district.
“We anticipate all kinds of new stories to tell later,” Coates said.
David Burke, communications, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Watch a video of memories from Mead’s Corner.
Read more about Mead's Corner.
Summit Youth Academy meets
SoCe Life in Wichita field trip
As part of the second-annual, one-week camp presented by Southwestern College, 23 of the high school juniors and seniors made their way to Wichita to learn about the neighboring movement in the South Central neighborhood of the city.
Last week, students learned about the work done by SoCe Life, which has spun into the national NeighboringMovement.org, whose founders include the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson.
“We want to give pictures to these young people of the transformative work that they’re doing here in south central Wichita,” said the Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib, Summit director. “We think it’s something that can translate into their own communities, whether they’re in an urban setting or a rural setting – just the idea of being a good neighbor.”
Summit meets SoCe Life in Wichita field trip
As part of the second-annual, one-week camp presented by Southwestern College, 23 of the high school juniors and seniors made their way to Wichita to learn about the neighboring movement in the South Central neighborhood of the city.
On the Thursday of the July 22-28 session, students learned about the work done by SoCe Life, which has spun into the national NeighboringMovement.org, whose founders include the Rev. Adam Barlow-Thompson.
“We want to give pictures to these young people of the transformative work that they’re doing here in south central Wichita,” said the Rev. Wendy Mohler-Seib, Summit director. “We think it’s something that can translate into their own communities, whether they’re in an urban setting or a rural setting – just the idea of being a good neighbor.”
Barlow-Thompson told the youth that ministry is “finding little niches and crevices to carry out your faith.”
The youth toured Legacy Minstries, a nonprofit urban ministry that provides hands-on mission work through pottery, gardening and roasting coffee beans. The teenagers spoke to women helped by the Raise My Head Foundation, which reforms former works in the sex-trafficking industry by getting them clean and sober.
They also worked with a SoCe Life staff member who showed how photography can bring groups of people together, using silly descriptions so participants could create tableaus that became pictures.
Mohler-Seib said that SoCe Life’s work is inspiring to the Summit campers.
“A lot of this generation is excited about entrepreneurial ministry and ways they can live out their calling in a way that’s different than traditional pastoral ministry,” she said.
Thirty-two Summit Disciples spent their week on the Southwestern campus. Nine of them were returnees from the initial year and were on the newly formed “Track 2,” with more in-depth projects.
Southwestern students, dubbed Summit Guides, took over much of the planning for the worship, Bible study and free-time activities this year.
“We have a vision for where we’re going, as opposed to the first year when it was just in my mind,” said Mohler-Seib, director of faith formation for youth and young adults at Southwestern's Institute for Discipleship. “They took ownership of different pieces and made it come together.”
Among those Summit Guides is Madison Stumbough, a senior this fall at Southwestern. A Bonner Springs native and director of children’s ministries at Winfield Grace United Methodist Church, Stumbough said Summit gave her opportunities that other groups might not have.
“I really dove into those communities, but I was always searching for more, wanting more, and wanting to go deeper. I think that’s the beautiful thing about the Summit, is that that’s the whole point,” she said. “Other camps are amazing community builders and are great at what they do, but at the Summit, they really focus on hearing God’s voice in their life, and that’s something that’s hard, for high school kids especially.”
Tyler Nelson, a junior this fall at Mulvane High School, said his first year of Summit made an impression.
“What Summit has done is brought me closer to God in my faith journey. It’s brought me closer to the people that I’ve met and to God – a lot,” he said. Nelson said he’s learned “no matter how far you stray away from God, you can always return.”
Mohler-Seib said the third full week of July next year is already set aside for the third-annual Summit, with interested disciples already in place.
“I’ve already had a camper ask, ‘What’s Trail 3 look like?’,” she said with a laugh.
David Burke, communications, can be contacted at dburke@greatplainsumc.org.
Read more about Summit and SoCe Life.
Clergy Excellence
SMU-Perkins invites nominations for 2018 Distinguished Alumnus/a Award.
The award, presented annually, recognizes Perkins graduates who have demonstrated effectiveness and integrity in service to the church, continuing support for the goals of Perkins and SMU, distinguished service to the community, and exemplary character.
This year’s recipient will be honored at a dinner banquet on Monday, Nov. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Cost is $50 per person. Register/purchase tickets here.
Here’s how to nominate a Perkins graduate for this prestigious award:
Nominations must be submitted in writing: a letter describing the nominee's career highlights and other accomplishments.
Letters or statements from at least two additional people who support the nomination are also required.
The person submitting the nomination should compile all materials and mail them together to Office of Public Affairs and Alumni/ae Relations, Perkins School of Theology, P.O. Box 750133, Dallas, TX 75275-0133
Alternatively, nominations may be submitted via email. Attach the nominating letter and all supporting materials to a single email to The Rev. Connie L. Nelson, Director of Public Affairs and Alumni/ae Relations, clnelson@smu.edu
There’s more information about the criteria for the Distinguished Alumnus/a Award here.
The 2017 Perkins Distinguished Alumnus/a was Bishop Michael McKee (M.Th. ’78), resident bishop of the Dallas Area of The United Methodist Church.
Here’s the complete list of the award’s recipients, dating back to 1986.
Equipping Disciples
Kids flocking by the hundreds
to VBS at Lincoln church
“It’s really just blown up over the years,” said children’s ministries director Derek Steinacher. “We’re a church of about 300, 400 on a Sunday, but for Vacation Bible School, we see about 500-600 kids from the community coming into our parking lot. Every single spot is full.”
See more in this video.
‘Here I am, Lord … maybe’ Lay Servant Ministry courses may be answer
Many classes are available, Pemberton writes, including discovering your spiritual gifts, UMC heritage, UMC polity (our discipline), leading worship, leading prayer and preaching.
“Here I am, Lord….Maybe…”
Maybe Lay Servant Ministries has at least one answer for you.
“But,” you say, “I don’t think I want to be a Lay Servant.”
Or maybe you already are! Remember at the end of the "Wizard of Oz" where the scarecrow, tin man and lion were told they already had their desired traits, just no testimonial to that status? Often, we see folks doing all the tasks associated with a Lay Servant, but they have not completed training through a formal process.
OR maybe you just want to know more about the church. Either way the LSM (Lay Servant Ministries) training courses may have your answer.
Lay Servant Ministries is a program in the UMC that provides training to assist you in fulfilling your call to ministry. Courses start with an introductory basic course and several categories designed to prepare the lay servant.
Categories include:
- Discovering your spiritual gifts
- UMC heritage
- UMC polity (our discipline)
- Leading worship
- Leading prayer
- Preaching
- Leading missional small groups
- Understanding communion
- Understanding baptism
- Social principals of the UMC
- Using multi-media in worship
- Leading Bible study
- Lay pastoral care giving
- Conflict resolution
- Biblical storytelling
- Teaching adults
Those of us active in Lay Servant Ministry would be thrilled to welcome you into our numbers. But even if you just want a place to learn more about how the church works, and are not ready to be actively involved with Lay Servant Ministries, I am sure you will find value in the course material as a growth opportunity in your church life.
Be sure to watch the conference calendarand the Lay Servant Ministries page on the conference website for a training opportunity to attend.
Kirk Pemberton, Topeka District Director Lay Servant Ministries
Read more in this blog.
Conference mourning loss of David Jefferson, Blue River District lay leader
The Great Plains Conference is mourning the July 24 death of David Jefferson, lay leader of the Blue River District.
Jefferson was a longtime member of Newman United Methodist Church, and most recently attended New Hope United Methodist Church, chairing the Staff Parish Relations Committee.
A certified lay speaker, he participated in district committees and decision-making bodies of the church.
Jefferson was 75. Funeral services were Saturday.
In April 1960, he became a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythagoras sponsored by Rising Son Lodge #164. He received a music scholarship to Langston University but returned home after one year.
In January 1960, he began his career as a civil engineering aide with the USDA Soil Conservation Service in Columbia, Mo. In March 1968, he transferred to the Regional Office of the SCS in Lincoln. While employed there, he began and graduated from The University of Nebraska with a degree in civil engineering in December 1982. During his 37-year career, he received numerous awards and commendations for his work as an area engineer, design engineer and state environmental engineer.
In Prince Hall Masonry, he was raised as a member of Rising Son Lodge #164 and later demitted to Lebanon Lodge #3. As a master mason, he served as a past worthy patron of Electa Chapter #14, a member of Joshua David Consistory #27, state director of the Order of the Knights of Pythagoras, and was a past grand master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Nebraska. In February 1962, he began his journey as a lamp of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. at Langston University. He was initiated into the fraternity in Lincoln, on May 16, 1993.
While in Lincoln, David held numerous leadership positions at his churches, Newman United Methodist and New Hope United Methodist Church, and with the Blue River District of Great Plains United Methodist Conference. He was a member of the board of directors for several years for YMCA and Cedar's Home for Children. He also played trumpet with the Lincoln Community Concert Band.
On August 24, 1963, he married Sherry Jefferson, who preceded him in death. They are survived by two children: Carla Clayborne (Melvin) of Black River, New York, and David Jefferson (Catherine Pattillo) of Bethesda, Md. He was loved dearly by his grandchildren: Antonio Clayborne (28), Jasmine Clayborne (14), Camille Jefferson (18) and David M. Jefferson (14).
In addition to his children and grandchildren, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Eunice Crum, brother-in-law A. Wayne Bush (Mary), cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who will miss his caring spirit, tremendous sense of humor, and devotion to his family, Masonic family, church family and friends.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 pm on Friday, July 27, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 South 14th Street, Lincoln. Service will be at 12:30 pm on Saturday, July 28, also at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Lincoln.
Southeast Nebraska neighbors: Obituaries published today
David Lee Jefferson
Celebrate
the life of: David Lee Jefferson SEND FLOWERS
Or call 888-579-7982 to order by phone.
Read Jefferson's obituary.
Mercy & Justice
Micah Corps interns lead Chapel Service at GBCS in Washington, D.C.
On the first day of their time at the General Board of Church and Society, the Micah Corps interns were honored to lead the midweek Chapel service. The service started off with music by Bernard Hangi, Stephanie Carson and Annabelle Kanyi. Then Mandi Hawthorne introduced Micah Corps to the attendees and blessed the service with prayer. Nick Detter read from I Corinthians 12:12-27 which clearly highlights the unity and diversity in the body.
Ally Drummond delivered the message on how everyone plays a huge role in the fulfilment of God’s kingdom, every part of the body contributing greatly to the complete functioning of a being. She emphasized that spiritual gifts, like any other part of the body, if neglected, will weaken. When our gifts are weakened, we are no longer in the process of becoming who God calls us to be.
When this happens, God’s requirements for believers to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) are not pursued. To wrap up the sermon, she left the attendees with the statement, “It is when we all work together, encouraging each other to use the gifts entrusted to us by God’s spirit, that we can find ways in which ‘Thy Kingdom’ can come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” The congregation raised their prayer joys and concerns, to mention a few, their joys of journey mercies to Washington, D.C., and their concerns for the families that are still separated.
This service was much-needed, as it prepared the interns for the seminars they engaged in directed by social justice experts mainly for the four issue areas: Peace and Nonviolence, Environmental Justice, Immigration, and Food Insecurity and Poverty. Not only did it prepare them spiritually to face the day, it also gave them the enthusiasm and positivity to gracefully execute all their tasks scheduled for their seven-day stay in Washington, D.C. Tasho Mataswa, Micah Corps intern)
Disaster Response
Spring, summer busy for disaster response throughout Kansas, Nebraska
Your Disaster Response Ministry has been serving the Great Plains Conference in various places over the past few months. Here is a brief overview:
As disasters pop up more and more within our conference, the need for volunteers continues to grow. Currently, we are looking for churches who are willing to host an Early Response Training. This training is pretty much a full day, so Saturdays are the best! (Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator)
Across the Connection
Feeling the heat and seeing the light
led to career change for pastor
After 30 years of working on an auto assembly line at the General Motors plant in Kansas City, Kansas, Loren Drummond left to pursue what he calls “my real job.”
The Linwood native became a United Methodist pastor, with appointments in Leavenworth and Lyndon before becoming pastor of the Church of the Cross United Methodist Church in Salina in 2016.
The day before Loren Drummond turned 20, he was hired to work an auto assembly line at the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan. Thirty years later, he left the line at age 50 to begin what he called “my real job.”
Since 2007, Drummond, a native of Linwood, has been a minister in the Methodist church. Three years before that, while still working on the auto assembly line and acting as a union representative for GM, he started seminary at St. Paul’s School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. Soon after retiring from GM in 2007, he was assigned his first church in Leavenworth, where he spent the next three years. Following that, he was assigned to a Methodist church in Lyndon, where he served for six years. In July 2016, Drummond came to Church of the Cross United Methodist Church in Salina, where he has been for two years.
Drummond also has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and counseling. At one time he intended to become a counselor but heeded a call to the ministry instead.
“I guess I felt the heat rather than seeing the light,” he said. “It sounds crazy, but I heard a whisper from God. During a union meeting, a voice from nowhere said, ‘You’re not meant to do this; you’re meant to do my work.’”
What is your typical day or week like as a minister?
The beauty of this job is, there’s no necessarily set routine. We have staff meetings Wednesday mornings and scads of meetings in the evenings. Beyond that, I have sermon preparation for Sunday, and I go looking for new ministries to involve ourselves in. I do counseling and visitations. I’m also working on my doctorate in ministry, so that takes a lot of time. As a union rep, I always was concerned about the people around me and concerned about social justice, so I’ve found this is a job where everything I’ve been about has come together in one thing.
What do you like best about your profession?
The thing I like most about the ministry is I think this is the best place for me to do what I’ve felt called to do all along — to help people have a full life, an abundant life. The gospel is what I preach. I talked about having a ministry of discovery and I just love it when every now and again, the kingdom is discovered by somebody. When they see it, when they wake up, that’s the thing that keeps me doing what I’m doing. It’s kind of like a guy panning for gold. Every now and then you get that nugget, you see someone who wakes up and really comes alive. That’s what keeps me coming back.
What are its biggest challenges?
Read more in this blog.
Conference mourning loss of David Jefferson, Blue River District lay leader
Jefferson was a longtime member of Newman United Methodist Church, and most recently attended New Hope United Methodist Church, chairing the Staff Parish Relations Committee.
A certified lay speaker, he participated in district committees and decision-making bodies of the church.
Jefferson was 75. Funeral services were Saturday.
David Lee Jefferson
Jul 27, 2018 Updated Jul 28, 2018
December 16, 1942 - July 24, 2018
David Lee Jefferson, 75, was born in Columbia, Missouri, to Angeline and Stanley Jefferson on December 16, 1942, and died on July 24, 2018. He was an only child. He graduated from Douglass High School in May 1960. During his formative years, he became a member of Second Baptist Church (November 1949), where he was active in Sunday School and the Royal Ambassadors. While in high school, he played the trumpet in the band, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was a three-year letterman in both basketball and football.In April 1960, he became a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythagoras sponsored by Rising Son Lodge #164. He received a music scholarship to Langston University but returned home after one year.
In January 1960, he began his career as a civil engineering aide with the USDA Soil Conservation Service in Columbia, Mo. In March 1968, he transferred to the Regional Office of the SCS in Lincoln. While employed there, he began and graduated from The University of Nebraska with a degree in civil engineering in December 1982. During his 37-year career, he received numerous awards and commendations for his work as an area engineer, design engineer and state environmental engineer.
In Prince Hall Masonry, he was raised as a member of Rising Son Lodge #164 and later demitted to Lebanon Lodge #3. As a master mason, he served as a past worthy patron of Electa Chapter #14, a member of Joshua David Consistory #27, state director of the Order of the Knights of Pythagoras, and was a past grand master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Nebraska. In February 1962, he began his journey as a lamp of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. at Langston University. He was initiated into the fraternity in Lincoln, on May 16, 1993.
While in Lincoln, David held numerous leadership positions at his churches, Newman United Methodist and New Hope United Methodist Church, and with the Blue River District of Great Plains United Methodist Conference. He was a member of the board of directors for several years for YMCA and Cedar's Home for Children. He also played trumpet with the Lincoln Community Concert Band.
On August 24, 1963, he married Sherry Jefferson, who preceded him in death. They are survived by two children: Carla Clayborne (Melvin) of Black River, New York, and David Jefferson (Catherine Pattillo) of Bethesda, Md. He was loved dearly by his grandchildren: Antonio Clayborne (28), Jasmine Clayborne (14), Camille Jefferson (18) and David M. Jefferson (14).
In addition to his children and grandchildren, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Eunice Crum, brother-in-law A. Wayne Bush (Mary), cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who will miss his caring spirit, tremendous sense of humor, and devotion to his family, Masonic family, church family and friends.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 pm on Friday, July 27, at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 South 14th Street, Lincoln. Service will be at 12:30 pm on Saturday, July 28, also at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Lincoln.
Southeast Nebraska neighbors: Obituaries published today
David Lee Jefferson
Celebrate
the life of: David Lee Jefferson SEND FLOWERS
Or call 888-579-7982 to order by phone.
Read Jefferson's obituary.
Mercy & Justice
Micah Corps interns lead Chapel Service at GBCS in Washington, D.C.
Ally Drummond delivered the message on how everyone plays a huge role in the fulfilment of God’s kingdom, every part of the body contributing greatly to the complete functioning of a being. She emphasized that spiritual gifts, like any other part of the body, if neglected, will weaken. When our gifts are weakened, we are no longer in the process of becoming who God calls us to be.
When this happens, God’s requirements for believers to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) are not pursued. To wrap up the sermon, she left the attendees with the statement, “It is when we all work together, encouraging each other to use the gifts entrusted to us by God’s spirit, that we can find ways in which ‘Thy Kingdom’ can come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” The congregation raised their prayer joys and concerns, to mention a few, their joys of journey mercies to Washington, D.C., and their concerns for the families that are still separated.
This service was much-needed, as it prepared the interns for the seminars they engaged in directed by social justice experts mainly for the four issue areas: Peace and Nonviolence, Environmental Justice, Immigration, and Food Insecurity and Poverty. Not only did it prepare them spiritually to face the day, it also gave them the enthusiasm and positivity to gracefully execute all their tasks scheduled for their seven-day stay in Washington, D.C. Tasho Mataswa, Micah Corps intern)
Disaster Response
Spring, summer busy for disaster response throughout Kansas, Nebraska
- Eureka, Kansas – provided damage assessment, volunteer management, work orders and an average of 30 Great Plains ERTs in service following the tornado. Our next work day will be Saturday, Aug. 18. We are in need of a lift or a bucket truck to take care of some hanging tree limbs. If you can provide this, please let me know at htapley@greatplainsumc.org. All volunteers are welcome on the 18th! Please let me know by the 15th if you will be volunteering that day.
- Hill City, Kansas – providing financial assistance for two homes flooded.
- Quinter, Kansas – provided financial assistance for a homeowner to have a roof repaired after a hail storm.
- Cuming County, Nebraska – provided debris removal after a tornado.
- North Platte, Nebraska – financial assistance for a home destroyed by fire.
As disasters pop up more and more within our conference, the need for volunteers continues to grow. Currently, we are looking for churches who are willing to host an Early Response Training. This training is pretty much a full day, so Saturdays are the best! (Rev. Hollie Tapley, disaster response coordinator)
Across the Connection
Feeling the heat and seeing the light
led to career change for pastor
The Linwood native became a United Methodist pastor, with appointments in Leavenworth and Lyndon before becoming pastor of the Church of the Cross United Methodist Church in Salina in 2016.
“I guess I felt the heat rather than seeing the light,” he said in an interview with the Salina Journal. “It sounds crazy, but I heard a whisper from God. During a union meeting, a voice from nowhere said, ‘You’re not meant to do this; you’re meant to do my work.’”
Since 2007, Drummond, a native of Linwood, has been a minister in the Methodist church. Three years before that, while still working on the auto assembly line and acting as a union representative for GM, he started seminary at St. Paul’s School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. Soon after retiring from GM in 2007, he was assigned his first church in Leavenworth, where he spent the next three years. Following that, he was assigned to a Methodist church in Lyndon, where he served for six years. In July 2016, Drummond came to Church of the Cross United Methodist Church in Salina, where he has been for two years.
Drummond also has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and counseling. At one time he intended to become a counselor but heeded a call to the ministry instead.
“I guess I felt the heat rather than seeing the light,” he said. “It sounds crazy, but I heard a whisper from God. During a union meeting, a voice from nowhere said, ‘You’re not meant to do this; you’re meant to do my work.’”
What is your typical day or week like as a minister?
The beauty of this job is, there’s no necessarily set routine. We have staff meetings Wednesday mornings and scads of meetings in the evenings. Beyond that, I have sermon preparation for Sunday, and I go looking for new ministries to involve ourselves in. I do counseling and visitations. I’m also working on my doctorate in ministry, so that takes a lot of time. As a union rep, I always was concerned about the people around me and concerned about social justice, so I’ve found this is a job where everything I’ve been about has come together in one thing.
What do you like best about your profession?
The thing I like most about the ministry is I think this is the best place for me to do what I’ve felt called to do all along — to help people have a full life, an abundant life. The gospel is what I preach. I talked about having a ministry of discovery and I just love it when every now and again, the kingdom is discovered by somebody. When they see it, when they wake up, that’s the thing that keeps me doing what I’m doing. It’s kind of like a guy panning for gold. Every now and then you get that nugget, you see someone who wakes up and really comes alive. That’s what keeps me coming back.
What are its biggest challenges?
The biggest challenge is time — the number of needs and wants or directions to go. You can’t do everything, and you feel guilty because you can’t spend as much time visiting someone or being at this event. You have to go with it and realize you are just one person. You have to determine what’s the most important thing for you to do at that moment.
What’s the biggest thing on your wish list?
I wish for this large spiritual awakening in the world. What I want folks to know is that God is good and beautiful. I want people to be “contagious Christians,” to be folks the gospel lives in and through. That’s my biggest dream. That’s what I’m working for. I want to grow our congregation so people can walk in here and say, “This is what I want,” and be part of a community that turns to God and shares that.
Where would you like to see you and the church five years from now?
I want to see us working intensely with folks who are in trouble through restorative justice ministries and recovery ministries. I want us to be a “colony of life” that helps bring life into this community and shares the good news of God.
Read the Salina Journal’s Q&A with the Rev. Loren Drummond.
‘Blessing box’ flourishes in Wellsville thanks to United Methodist Church
The “Blessing Box,” installed late last year by Kansas’ Wellsville United Methodist Church, has been a blessing for the church members.
“We feel like there is a need,” church member Cindy Mills told the Ottawa Herald. “When we see there is food gone, we know we helped another person. It has gone pretty good. A lot of people don’t know it is there.”
Rather than a library box with books, the Blessing Box contains nonperishable food items.
What’s the biggest thing on your wish list?
I wish for this large spiritual awakening in the world. What I want folks to know is that God is good and beautiful. I want people to be “contagious Christians,” to be folks the gospel lives in and through. That’s my biggest dream. That’s what I’m working for. I want to grow our congregation so people can walk in here and say, “This is what I want,” and be part of a community that turns to God and shares that.
Where would you like to see you and the church five years from now?
I want to see us working intensely with folks who are in trouble through restorative justice ministries and recovery ministries. I want us to be a “colony of life” that helps bring life into this community and shares the good news of God.
Read the Salina Journal’s Q&A with the Rev. Loren Drummond.
‘Blessing box’ flourishes in Wellsville thanks to United Methodist Church
“We feel like there is a need,” church member Cindy Mills told the Ottawa Herald. “When we see there is food gone, we know we helped another person. It has gone pretty good. A lot of people don’t know it is there.”
Rather than a library box with books, the Blessing Box contains nonperishable food items.
"Church says project has been blessed" by Greg Mast
Wellsville United Methodist Church, 302 S. Locust St., Wellsville, built a small box, called a “Blessing Box,” outside the church and filled it with non-perishable food items. Photo by Doug Carder/The Ottawa Heral
Wellsville United Methodist Church, 302 S. Locust St., Wellsville, built a small box at the back of the church and filled it with non-perishable food items.WELLSVILLE — A local church found a way to reach out and minister to others in need.
The idea is similar to the community library boxes full of books, but with a twist, church officials said. The church named it the “Blessing Box.”
People in need may freely take items from the box at anytime, church officials said.
“People run out of food,” Cindy Mills, a member of the church’s mission committee, said. “It is a way to help people all the time if they run short. We wanted to help people in our community.”
Mills said church members heard about other groups setting up a Blessing Box and decided to start one in Wellsville. The church opened its Blessing Box right after Christmas, she said.
“It has been a big blessing [for us],” Mills said. “We feel like there is a need. When we see there is food gone, we know we helped another person. It has gone pretty good. A lot of people don’t know it is there.”
Church officials said the “Blessing Box” is not meant to replace food pantries, but to enhance them, especially if somebody runs out of something that is normally in their cupboard.
Mills said the box was put in the back of the church away from public view so those in need may pick up items in a more private setting.
“People are too proud to ask for help,” Mills said. “They don’t want to admit they are struggling. They can just pull in and grab something to go.”
Mills said at present — with the hot temperatures — the box contains dry food, rice, sealed individual packages of cereals and other things people can add water to such as macaroni and cheese.
“We check it every day,” Mills said. “We have more food coming in than going out.”
Mills said things such as personal care items, canned goods and blankets have appeared in the box. She said those type of items and more are available inside the church, which is open from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
Church officials said the box is always stocked and encourage people to use it. For more information, contact the church at (785) 883-2737.
Read more in this story from the Ottawa Herald
In other news
- GCFA exec answers call to pulpit
- Indiana church starts affordable housing initiative
- Florida church plays Santa in fulfilling summertime wishes
- Google helps California church serve homeless
To change communities, focus on assets: The United Methodist-related Community Development for All People and other partners are helping transform the South Side neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The public-private partnership is working, writes the Rev. John Edgar, because they identified resources or assets to make the vision a reality rather than just identifying problems to be solved.
Newsletters
- The Big Garden – Summer 2018
- Kerr Resources – July 26, 2018
- Ministry Matters – July 26, 2018
- ConnectEd, GBHEM – July 30, 2018
- A Sermon for Every Sunday – July 31, 2018
- Leading Ideas from Lewis Center for Church Leadership – August 1, 2018
Saturday:
Classifieds
Prayers Requested for Wednesday, 1 August 2018 from The Wichita West District of The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church in Topeka, Kansas , United States
Request for Family of Fred Pinkerton
Reverend Fred Pinkerton passed away Monday July 30, 2018.
The funeral will be on Saturday August 25th at 11 AM at:
Haysville United Methodist Church
601 East Grand Avenue
Haysville, Kansas 67060, United States
Fred was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1937 and started his ministry at Coats in 1966. He also served the United Methodist Churches at: Argonia, First United Methodist in Wichita, Haysville, Wellington, and was the district superintendent at Hays. He then retired and went to work at Pratt UMC and then as the chaplain at Pratt Regional Medical Center, he ended his active pastoral ministry at Iuka UMC. Fred is now reunited with Judy who proceeded him in death.
Mailing address for cards
Tim Pinkerton
15330 West Hendryx Court
Goddard, Kansas 67052, United States
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Daily Devotion for Wednesday, 01 August 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
The Great Plains Daily Devotional for Wednesday, 1 August 2018
Today please be in prayer for
- East Lake UMC in Florida seeking Director of Family Life Ministries
- Music ministry coordinator needed at Andover UMC
- Great Plains Conference looking for accountant
- Great Plains Conference seeking coordinator of intergenerational discipleship
- Coordinator of lay leadership needed at Great Plains Conference
- Great Plains Conference seeks district administrative assistant
- Great Plains Conference is seeking receptionist
- Campus Worship Leader sought for at Common Grace in Olathe
- Director of Youth Ministries needed at Wichita First UMC
Conference office
PO Box 4187
Topeka, Kansas 66604, United States
***Prayers Requested for Wednesday, 1 August 2018 from The Wichita West District of The Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church in Topeka, Kansas , United States
Reverend Fred Pinkerton passed away Monday July 30, 2018.
The funeral will be on Saturday August 25th at 11 AM at:
Haysville United Methodist Church
601 East Grand Avenue
Haysville, Kansas 67060, United States
Fred was born in Pratt, Kansas in 1937 and started his ministry at Coats in 1966. He also served the United Methodist Churches at: Argonia, First United Methodist in Wichita, Haysville, Wellington, and was the district superintendent at Hays. He then retired and went to work at Pratt UMC and then as the chaplain at Pratt Regional Medical Center, he ended his active pastoral ministry at Iuka UMC. Fred is now reunited with Judy who proceeded him in death.
Mailing address for cards
Tim Pinkerton
15330 West Hendryx Court
Goddard, Kansas 67052, United States
1207 Southwest Executive Drive
P.O. Box 4187
Topeka, Kansas 66604, United States
(785)272-9111
***Daily Devotion for Wednesday, 01 August 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Today please be in prayer for
Ellis UMC-NE,
Odell UMC
Blue River District
Alvo UMC
Elmwood St Paul UMC
Blue River District
Endicott UMC
Fairbury First UMC
Blue River District
Shared Prayers:View Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
This Week's Lectionary:
10th Sunday after Pentacost/In Kingdomtide- Green
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Link to GBOD Devotional
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 (NIV))
My husband is a mathematician. His education molded his mind in ways that help him solve engineering problems. My own education in home economics formed my mind quite differently. The way we use our minds and the kinds of problems we solve shape the way we think.
The same can be true for Christians when we educate ourselves in scripture. Studying God’s word shapes our minds and changes the way we think. In today’s quoted verse, Paul even goes so far as to tell us what to think about. Contemplating this verse, I realized that what Paul asks us to think about is a list of God’s character traits. God is truth and righteousness. God is pure and noble. When we think about who God is and what God is like, our minds can be transformed. Perhaps this is what the Bible means when it tells us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. (See Heb. 3:1.)
Many writers throughout the ages have urged Christians to study the Bible and memorize scripture. How exciting and astonishing that doing this can actually change the way we think, renewing and transforming our minds. (See Rom. 12:2.) What wonderful news! Memorizing Philippians 4:8 is a great place for us to start.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Blessed Lord, we praise you for your written word that has the power to change us through the renewing of our minds. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments!
How unsearchable are his ways!
34 For, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Who has been his counselor?’[Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13]
35 Or, ‘Who has given him anything
and made him pay it back?’[Romans 11:35 Job 41:3(11)]
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen. , Romans 12:1 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. 2 In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If I focus my mind on godly thoughts, I can be more conformed to the image of Christ.
PRAYER FOCUS:
Christian educators
READ MORE:
Practice
AUGUST 1, 2018 BY JANE REID (OREGON)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: FOCUSED THINKING
Jane with her husband, Chris
Several years ago, my husband started spending a few minutes every day with a hymnal, plunking out notes. I recently realized that he now makes music as a result of his practice. I am far less diligent. My husband showed me through his example that practice, over time, yields results. No matter what area we might wish to become more skilled in, practice is the transforming ingredient. We need to practice praying, too. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing” (NRSV). We are all busy, and praying without ceasing sounds impossible. It’s easy to come to God with a laundry list of things that we think need God's attention. It’s easy to cry out to God when we are in trouble and our need is urgent. It is not as easy to come to God with no agenda, simply because we want to be in God’s presence. But I think that is the “pray without ceasing” kind of prayer.
Can practice make the impossible possible?
If we want to grow close to God, we need to practice doing the impossible, and we have to trust God for the results. A long time ago, Brother Lawrence wrote a short book on how to practice this kind of prayer. His book, The Practice of the Presence of God, was published in 1693 and is still in print.
Romans 12:2 says, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Our souls find rest when we come to God with no agenda, simply seeking to be with God. Praising God, thanking God, and thinking about God’s character are good places to start our prayer practice.
You can find more of Jane’s thoughts at www.FaithFamilyAndFiction.com.
If we want to grow close to God, we need to practice doing the impossible, and we have to trust God for the results. A long time ago, Brother Lawrence wrote a short book on how to practice this kind of prayer. His book, The Practice of the Presence of God, was published in 1693 and is still in print.
Romans 12:2 says, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Our souls find rest when we come to God with no agenda, simply seeking to be with God. Praising God, thanking God, and thinking about God’s character are good places to start our prayer practice.
You can find more of Jane’s thoughts at www.FaithFamilyAndFiction.com.
Contact Information:
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwrst Executive Drive
Topeka Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments!
How unsearchable are his ways!
34 For, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Who has been his counselor?’[Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13]
35 Or, ‘Who has given him anything
and made him pay it back?’[Romans 11:35 Job 41:3(11)]
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen. , Romans 12:1 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. 2 In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Daily Devotion for Tuesday, 31 July 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
The Great Plains Daily Devotional for Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Today please be in prayer for
Great Plains Conference Office
1207 Southwrst Executive Drive
Topeka Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments!
How unsearchable are his ways!
34 For, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Who has been his counselor?’[Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13]
35 Or, ‘Who has given him anything
and made him pay it back?’[Romans 11:35 Job 41:3(11)]
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever!
Amen. , Romans 12:1 I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical “Temple worship” for you. 2 In other words, do not let yourselves be conformed to the standards of the ‘olam hazeh. Instead, keep letting yourselves be transformed by the renewing of your minds; so that you will know what God wants and will agree that what he wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Great Churches. Great Leaders. Great Disciples. Transformed World.
***Daily Devotion for Tuesday, 31 July 2018 from The Great Plains United Methodist Conference in Topeka, Kansas, United States
Today please be in prayer for
Daykin UMC
DeWitt UMC
Plymouth Peace UMC
Swanton UMC
Blue River District
Denton UMC-NE
Pleasant Dale UMC
Blue River District
Burr UMC
Douglas UMC-NE
Shared Prayers:View Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
This Week's Lectionary:
10th Sunday after Pentecost in Kingdomtide-Green
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Link to GBOD Devotional
(Image: Pixabay)
The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Tuesday, 31 July 2018 "Compassionate Father" by Tony Roberts (Indiana) Psalm 103:1-14 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13 (NIV))
When I was seven, my dad bought me a bike and took me to the baseball field to teach me how to ride. At first, as I started at home plate and rode down the first-base line, I would topple and fall. So Dad would run along behind me — his hand on the seat — saying, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Keep pedaling.” Eventually, he let go but kept chanting his words of assurance.
Even more than earthly fathers, God, our heavenly Father, cares for us. God knows that we are often like children learning a new task, trying our best but still toppling over. And our compassionate Father runs behind us, urging us along with, “Keep going. I’ve got you.”
Jesus knew better than anyone the nature and qualities of his Father. He knew that God was with him always — from the desert where he was tempted, to Gethsemane where he prayed that his suffering be relieved. Jesus showed us that our Father in heaven loves us and cares for us — beyond anything we can imagine.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your great compassion that keeps us moving forward in faith. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: Psalm 103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: How can I show compassion toward God’s children?
PRAYER FOCUS: Children learning a new skill
READ MORE:
Link2Life - July 31
JULY 31, 2018 BY TONY ROBERTS (INDIANA)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: COMPASSIONATE FATHER
Tony and his dad, Veston Roberts
Briley & Me
JULY 31, 2018 BY TONY ROBERTS (INDIANA)
RELATED DEVOTIONALS: COMPASSIONATE FATHER
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. (Psalm 36:6)
Recently, I adopted a yellow lab named Briley. Now I no longer do things on a whim. I need to think of how things will impact Briley. Do I take her along or put her in her crate? Do I need someone to check on her? How will she react? Since becoming a parent, I have not made such a life-altering step — and I'm loving it.
At the shelter, I fell in love with Briley so quickly that I didn't examine her paperwork well. Her owners got her from a breeder and raised her in an outdoor pen. They tried to breed her at least once, and she lost a litter right before being taken to the shelter. Her owners introduced two younger labs into her pen and she did not respond well. I can't imagine this, as Briley is one of the most docile creatures I've ever met.
One of the thrilling things about building a new friendship is getting to know what is unique about the other. Here are three things I've learned about Briley so far:
She loves it when Aunt April brushes her and rubs her belly. She tolerates a shower, but seems to relish not having all that extra fur weighing her down. I know it is much more pleasant to hug her when she smells like shampoo instead of dirty dog.
Despite being an outside dog for 6 years, she shows great discipline in her voiding habits. She really only "does her business" in the morning and the evening. When she does, she has a lot on her agenda, if you know what I mean.
She follows me wherever I go. This can be problematic as I often work at my desk through the night. She was not getting enough sleep, so I put her bed in her crate and covered it with blankets. Now, she sleeps beside me. But when I get up, even if I’m only going to the bathroom, she is at my heels.
Christians have debated for centuries the ultimate destiny of pets. Do all dogs really go to heaven? Are animals brute beasts who don’t have souls and thus could never join in union with the Eternal One?
I find these arguments senseless. They miss the point. We do not determine who goes to heaven and who doesn’t. Let’s leave that to God. Instead, let’s focus on our God-given responsibility to care for all of God’s creation, particularly those who have so much to teach us about duty, loyalty and love.
Many faith communities praise God for pets. I found one service from Discipleship Ministries of the UMC. It includes this prayer of thanksgiving to God:
Blessed are you, O Lord of the Universe; for the sake of our comfort
You give us domestic animals as companions.
Blessed are you, O Lord of the Universe; you care for us
Even as you care for the birds of the air.
“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” (Mark Twain)Contact Information:
Great Plains Conference Office1207 Southwest Executive Drive
Topeka Kansas 66615, United States
(785)272-9111
(877)972-9111
info@greatplainsumc.org
Today's Devotional: Psalm 103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
7 He made his ways known to Moshe,
his mighty deeds to the people of Isra’el.
8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in grace.
9 He will not always accuse,
he will not keep his anger forever.
10 He has not treated us as our sins deserve
or paid us back for our offenses,
11 because his mercy toward those who fear him
is as far above earth as heaven.
12 He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the west.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.
14 For he understands how we are made,
he remembers that we are dust. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Great Churches. Great Leaders. Great Disciples. Transformed World.
***
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