Cement, Ice Cream and Artwork

I think we knew this was going to be a difficult day when sweat was rolling off our foreheads before 7am. The power went out sometime over night which meant that the fans which make sleeping here somewhat bearable, stopped spinning and the heat just rose and rose.

Today was our last day working at the construction site. Luckily, things worked out which allowed us to finish the foundation on one side of the clinic. But, it wasn't easy. Finishing the task meant setting up an assembly line of concrete. Some of us helped by preparing the concrete in the mixer. Four ingredients, each of which is heavy in their own right having to be lifted up above shoulder level and poured into the mixer was no light task. Then we had three wheelbarrows they would be filled with concrete and pushed the whole way across the yard to where we were laying the foundation. Each wheelbarrow then had to be emptied shovel by shovel. When empty the wheelbarrows were taken back to the mixer to get another load. One bag of cement mix was enough to fill about 4 wheelbarrows or so and we went through 13 bags of cement. Because of the necessity to get the job done, there was really no time for a water break so those of us who were able had to plow through the morning and this evening we are feeling the pain.

After lunch, we piled into the van to take a tour of the capital city, Managua. The city is an interesting place full of history. The earthquake that hit the city in 1972 and caused thousands of deaths and a quarter of a million homeless still has left its mark on the capital. In the earthquake most of the downtown area was totally destroyed and due to corruption and the difficult history of the country, it was never really rebuilt. However, there have been some changes made and the difference is notable. We first went to an overlook at the edge of the city where, during the dictatorship, those who were believed to be Sandinistas were taken and thrown off a cliff. Families of those who disappeared would often come there looking for their bodies. It is difficult thing to envision, but what makes it all the more difficult is that it really happened.

We then went to the American Embassy. We did not go in, but we parked across the street to recap what the United States' involvement has been throughout Nicaraguan history. Some of the involvement was positive, but much was not. Again, some truths are hard to swallow, but we also know that change can only come when people allow themselves to understand the facts and make their own decisions and once people are informed, true change can be the result. Next we went into the center of the city to the main square. Traditionally in Latin American cities, there is a particular layout in the main square. There is the cathedral. In this case the original cathedral is condemned. It received quite a bit of damage during the 1972 earthquake and was never really fixed. Then, during the revolution and the counter-revolution it received quite a bit of damage from impacting bullets. That said, it still stands but is closed to visitors. Across from the old cathedral is a newer monument, marked by three eternal flames. Under each flame lies the body of one of the central figures in the revolution. First is the body of Carlos Fonseca, the founder of the Sandinista movement. Next to him are two bodies of members of the Sandinista government that served in different capacities. Fonseca was murdered by the dictatorship before the revolution took power in 1979, but the other two played a role in the government and died much later. This coming Saturday is the fourth anniversary of the death of Tomas Borge, whose body lies at the center and was central to much of what the Sandinista government was able to do during their 11 year hold on power.

The square also houses the National Palace. The building used to be where the congress would meet, but now houses the national museum. We were given a tour where we were able to see some of the natural wonders of Nicaragua, the history of human presence in the country which dates back at least 7000 years. Also, we learned about quite a bit of the pre-Colombian history of the people who lived here long before Europeans arrived.

After leaving the National Palace we stopped for some ice-cream, which was great in the hot weather. From there we went to the new National Cathedral. It is a unique place. It was built with the help of the founder of Dominos Pizza. There is a lot of symbolism inside and it is definitely a place to see, but it looks like something you would expect to see in Baghdad or Riyadh, and not Managua. We took some time to pray and to see some of the artwork which included an amazing mural focusing on Jesus' Baptism but also included a scene of a young King David tending his sheep, as well as the fishermen who would leave their nets to follow Jesus and Moses being found in the River Nile.

Following that we were taken to a cultural center in a neighborhood called Batahalo Norte. We were there on Sunday night when we went to the Catholic Mass. However, right around the corner is a neighborhood school of the arts. There are classes for all age groups. There are scholarship for those who can't afford to study. We heard three kids practicing some amazing music with a flute, a keyboard and an amazing violin. We then were given a tour of the artwork by an individual who painted some of the murals. We also went to his house and were able to hear his amazing story, meet his family, and had the opportunity purchase some of his works. It was an amazing way to end the day.

Our time in Nicaragua is almost over, but we also have a full day planned tomorrow with quite an exciting excursion.

From all of us here in Nicaragua,

Buenas Noches!

Blogpost 2 – Nicaragua Trip

El Porvenir


Today, wednesday, was one day away from our work at the medical clinic. We were up early, though, as our agenda today involved some significant travel. Today we journeyed up to the far northwest of the country, passing the city of Leon and near the small town of Posoltega. After journeying for some time on the highway, we turned off onto a dirt road and continued for some time until we got to the bottom of a mountain. There we gathered the supplies we had brought and walked uphill for about 10 minutes until we got the the tractor and trailer awaiting us. As an aside, this tractor and trailer was not a big-rig, rather it was a farming tractor with a small trailer about 15 feet by 8 feet. We got onto the trailer for a 45-minute, very bumpy ride up the mountain until we finally arrived at the top, the community of El Porvenir.


This community is one of my favorite places in Nicaragua and have used their story in a number of sermons and stories I have told throughout my ministry. Finally having the opportunity to share an experience like this with people who share in my ministry was an amazing experience. El Porvenir is a coffee cooperative. They specialize in what, for coffee afficionados, is called Rustic Shade-Grown Organic Coffee. Rather than clear cut and plant coffee, the coffee plants are planted in land that has taller, native trees. The coffee then grows under the shade of the other trees and is considered higher quality, in addition to the fact that it is certified organic for export to the United States and elsewhere.


What makes this community so interesting is how it began. In the 1980's during the revolution, the land that is now the community was owned by one individual. He decided to leave the country and he gave the plantation to the workers who worked for him. The story doesn't end there, though. The workers were from three different groups in Nicaraguan society. There were ex-Sandinista soldiers, those who fought for the Sandista government prior to and during the revolutionary period. Others were memebers of the Contras, short for Counter-revolutionaries. These were soldiers who opposed the Sandinista government and were supported, sometimes legally but mostly illegally by the Reagan Administration. They were based out of Honduras and would raid villages in the northern part of the country. Finally others were former members of the National Guard under the Somoza Dictatorship, which amounted to the personal police force of the Dictator and in many instances, his Death Squads. In other words the community was made up of people that a few years earlier would have killed each other on sight.


Yet they formed this community together and have been very successful in their business. In both good times and bad, the community has rallied and have overseen many obstacles. It is a great example of what can happen when people realize that what is good for your neighbor is also good for you. We are, despite many thoughts and political rants to the contrary, our brother's keeper. We had a wonderful meal of rice and beans waiting for us when we got there, along with coffee, corn tortillas, melon juice and as a special treat avocados. Every bit of the food was grown, harvested and made right there in the community. After lunch we were given a tour of the plantation and were able to see the beginning part of the coffee process. We also saw Cacao, which is used to make chocolate and the avocado trees. We were shown the warehouses and were taught about how the coffee gets from the plant to the table.


One member of our group had the wonderful idea of bringing along a gift for the kids, bracelets made from rubber bands. The bracelets were distributed to kids thoughout the community and as we got ready to leave a few of our younger members had a great time playing with the kids in the center of town. It was amazing to hear the screams and laughter as they chased each other. Kids, it appears, are the same around the world, whether they have expensive toys or roam around dirt roads with no shoes. Laughter is the same in every language. We would do well as a species to remember that simple truth. God has been present with us throughout this trip, but we could really feel God's presence in the laughter of the kids.


We then journeyed forty five minutes in the tractor and trailer down the mountainside and back to the van which brought us back to Managua. Arriving home at almost 8pm we were greeted with a wonderful dinner of taco soup which tasted amazing.

We gathered for some Scripture and reflection and talked about what lessons our churches and congregations could learn from this community. Sometimes we take what we think as what Jesus wants, when what we are really supposed to do is endeavor to know what Jesus wants and do that. And more importantly, sometimes what Jesus wants may not be whether or not we should have Ham Salad or Chicken Salad, whether or not we should sing traditional hymns or modern praise songs, whether or not we should have communion once a month or every week, whether or not we should welcome those who are different or not. Sometimes what Jesus may want is that we realize those decisions are not about morality, but about what we misunderstand about the message. It is a way to concentrate on ourselves rather than what is best for our neighbor. Sometimes, we think, Jesus wants us to stop the arguing over whose plan to follow and just start working, trusting that we will be shown the way in our trust. Our churches would do well to learn what, in essence, is such a simple but profound message.


Tomorrow morning we head back to the clinic to continue our construction work there.

One last note, the name of the community we visited is El Porvenir. For those who don't speak Spanish, the name is important here. El Porvenir literally means “that which is to come.” In referring to a place it can mean, loosely, “The World to Come.” Lesson: The world to come is dependent not only on our faith but just as important, it is dependent on our ability to trust in its existence and work day and night to make it a reality, despite whatever human complication may arise.

Hello from Nicaragua!

It has been an amazing trip so far. Unfortunately, we have not been able to post anything up to this point because the night before we got here, there was a power surge that knocked out the router and we had to wait until another one could be found. So to recap the trip and the experience to this point...

Our journey started with a very long day. Meeting at the church at 1:00 on Sunday, we made our way to Reagan National Airport. Our first leg took us to Houston where we had just enough time to find some small breakfast items before boarding our second flight to Managua. We landed in Managua just about lunch time, made it through customs only to find that our ride was not there. Turned out there were some traffic issues that got them there later than expected. But after waiting about half an hour, we were taken in a van across the city of Managua. Since it was the middle of the day, the group was able to see a good bit of the city. The compound where we are staying is on the far west side of the city. After riding for a little over a half hour, we arrived at our home for the week, the International Training Center of the Jubilee House Community – Center for Development in Central America. We were greeted with a lunch of rice and beans, tortilla chips, some vegetables and juice. Then we were taken to a new addition to Managua, the “Puerto Salvador Allende.” It is a park that was built by the government along the shore of Lake Managua. It was intended as a place that people could come and enjoy each other's company, have an ice cream, play on a playground, or listen to a concert at an extremely low cost. It cost about $1 to park for the van, and any snacks were equally cheap. After that, we were taken to an outdoor Catholic Mass. This particular church is well known as an example, in practice, of what is called Liberation Theology. It is a theology for the masses and came out of Latin America. Nicaragua, in particular, has provided a number of different examples of how theology can be made extremely meaningful and relevant to people whose lives have not been blessed financially, or materially in the way that many of us in the United States are. In addition, in a country with a brutal civil was that ended fairly recently (1990), the relevance of a life of faith is of particular importance in a way that many in the United States find both different, and many times extremely refreshing. There is a mural behind the altar that one has to see to believe. The baby Jesus is depicted with Mestizo skin, angels flying above Him are indigenous women. The three wise men are depicted as three important figures in the modern history of Nicaragua and Latin America, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Augusto Cesar Sandino, and Carlos Fonseca. Archbishop Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador that was assassinated thirty years ago while giving Mass is nearby looking on and a few important individuals who were killed in the civil war are also on the scene. It really brings to mind the idea that Jesus is not only a person who lived and died 2000+ years ago. Jesus is very much a person that lives in the hearts and minds and lives of those who love Him even here in a place like this. Jesus is real and HERE and NOW. Following the homily, all in attendance are invited to participate in the Eucharist which in most places would not be allowed in the Catholic Church, but here, in this church, it doesn't matter whether or not you are Catholic. You are a creation of the living Christ, and are welcome to partake in the holy sacrament of Communion. We then came back to the dormitory, ate dinner, and collapsed in bed, despite the very hot and humid temperature, sleep came fast for most of us.

Monday morning started early. While breakfast wasn't served until 7:30, most of us were up before 7. We ate a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast of Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) with some scrambled eggs with onion and spinach, accompanied with fruit that you have to taste to truly appreciate. Bananas, mangos, pineapples and papayas that are picked once they are ripe and not before bring a much different taste, and can't compare to the fruit home. Coffee and juice also was both much appreciated and, for many of us, much needed. After breakfast we had a visitor who came to share with us some information about the history of Nicaragua. We spent most of the morning learning about not only the country we are visiting, but also the community we are serving in. The history is complex and difficult to hear, but without that knowledge the realities of life in the community of Nueva Vida and Ciudad Sandino are somewhat impossible to really understand. We then were taken to the clinic in Nueva Vida to be given a tour of the facility. There are two buildings on the property currently. The first to be built was the regular medical clinic and the second building is a separate clinic that deals specifically with issues of pregnancy, birthing, care of infants as well as general reproductive health issues. We were then shown what we will be doing. A third building is underway that will serve as a facility to do educational opportunities both for groups that will come down like ours and for health education in the community. In addition this third building will serve a number of other medical purposes that are needed in the community. For instance, radiographic instrumentation like some x-ray equipment, nutritional assistance and possibly even some basic surgeries. It is our job this week to work on the foundation which was already started. The way construction works here is pretty different. The walls are made by putting up beams of rebar tied together and covered with cement. Holes have to be dug about 4 feet down and are about 1 sq. foot. Once the hole is dug, the cement beams (which weigh a couple hundred pounds) are placed in and cement is then mixed and poured in. In between the beams, small trenches have to be dug about a foot deep. All of this is done with simple tools. Shovels and a digging tool called a “coba” which is used to break through the ground, loosening the dirt and then the shovels pick it up. It is taking us, working in groups of two, about 1.5 hours to dig one of the holes. We were treated to a lunch of rice and beans, juice and some vegetables and spent the afternoon braving the heat, digging holes and trenches, mixing and pouring cement, and making a total mess of ourselves. It might actually be lucky that the air in the community smells of burning garbage and raw sewage because it went a long way to mask how awful we each must have smelled after having sweated away a couple of pounds a piece. Monday night provided us with some rest as we tried to renew our strength for a long day on Tuesday.

Tuesday started with breakfast, again rice and beans, fruit, coffee and juice. We geared up and headed out to work all day at the construction site. The morning was spent digging almost exclusively and we were able to work with some Nicaraguan contruction workers who are permanent employees of the clinic and do a number of different jobs. One of the benefits of their job is that they get to boss around groups of Americans who come down for a week. Despite the fact that some of us may have some construction experience, even at our best we can't outdo the locals. So, they have fun with us, but it is a good relationship. They appreciate our efforts and we appreciate that they quickly fix our mistakes. Lunch came and surprise, surprise, rice and beans! We rested up for a bit and headed back out to spend the afternoon at the construction site again. It seemed about 15 degrees warmer in the afternoon, and while we worked hard, our energy level was hard to keep up. The end of the afternoon found us in a digging race with the locals which we miserably lost, but it was all in good fun.

Back home this evening we had a surprise for dinner, no beans! Our host had made her own version of Chicken Tikka Masala with some rice and Mango chutney. Not a traditional Nicaraguan meal, but at least for some of us, it was a real treat. Each night we have spent time in group devotion and reflection. We have come to have a great relationship build up among us and we are all getting along great. We look forward to the wonders that await us throughout the rest of the week. Pictures will also follow soon, I hope, we are still trying to figure out the technical issues.

Keep checking in, and we will keep you posted as often as we can.

From all of us here in Nicaragua,

Buenas Noches! (Good Night!)

September 14, 2014

Matthew 18:21-35

Being a Christian is not an easy identity to hold. Sure, we many times live as if it is, but for those who truly take the message of Christ to heart and earnestly seek to live it, it is a task that requires a commitment that involves every possible bit of strength, candor, hope and love that we have, and even then sometimes it seems as if we are close but just miss the goal. There are lots of difficult parts to maintaining our Christian identities. Part of the reason that a Christian life is so difficult to put into practice is the issue of forgiveness.

In 1978, a book was published called, The 100, by Michael Hart. It is a ranking of the most influential persons in history. Many of us might disagree with Hart’s opinions. For instance, he ranks Jesus third, behind Muhammad and Isaac Newton. (Buddha, Confucius, and St. Paul come next.) Despite this, it is an intriguing text, with some thought-provoking analyses. For example, Hart explains that he ranks Muhammad first because he was the sole founder of Islam, while Jesus and St. Paul share the responsibility for Christianity. Muhammad was also a great secular leader, while Jesus Christ refused to accept any worldly authority.

What is more pertinent is the author’s description of the unique message of Christ. Almost all religions adopt some form of the Golden Rule as a premise, but Jesus was alone in commanding that we forgive enemies, turn the other cheek, or walk a second mile. Hart then quotes the text from the sermon on the mount and says that if these words were widely followed, he would have no hesitation in placing Jesus first on the list.

You see, there is no legal demand that  a human being should love an enemy. In fact, it is difficult for us to love anyone unless we have the security of being loved. Except in a case of sexual infatuation, it’s just not logical to expect us to love anyone who doesn’t reciprocate our love.

It is even more difficult for us to forgive others if we don’t have the assurance of being forgiven. We feel we have to wait, until we are sure that the other person will also forgive us. all of us have probably fallen uncontrollably in love with a potential sweetheart who rejects us. But we don’t fall uncontrollably into forgiveness, especially of an enemy! Also, we can love people and not forgive them - a fact proven by the high rate of divorce in our society.

Peter heard the troubling command of Jesus and wanted to ingratiate himself with the Lord - but he also wanted to be sure he didn’t go too far. Knowing that some rabbis advocated forgiveness three times, he came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?, until seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I say not to you, ‘until seven times,’ but ‘until seventy times seven’.”

Many have computed that this is 490 times, but the command is not for me to count patiently if my wife burns toast 490 mornings and then on the 491st time I can finally condemn her! That is not the point of Jesus teaching. So, the point is not to count to 491 to finally condemn someone. We know then, also, that the point is not to refuse forgiveness the first time or the second time either. Is Jesus, then, saying that we ought to always forgive, no matter how many times we have been wronged, no matter how many times we have been burnt, no matter who is making the mistake or no matter what the mistake is? Could that be it, that forgiveness should be demanded at every opportunity, no matter what. Is it that Christians should never hold a grudge, that Christians must always forgive and just move on, knowing that the mistake, or the sin, will happen again and again?

I don’t think so. Remember, the scripture from just last week about how to deal with problems inside the church. We are to fix them, or attempt to address them before we go to the altar, but at the same time if the behavior doesn’t change, we are to cast them out of the community. That would seem to suggest that there is a limit to forgiveness. So what is that limit? One time? Two times? 7 times? 490 times? A thousand times??? What is the correct answer?

Well, the easy answer is that concentrating on a number may be the wrong approach to take. Let’s be realistic here, we all get mad. We all have those moments when we are furious with somebody for something. Sometimes, though, God has funny ways of helping us see the error in our ways. That happened to me this week.

One thing I will say about myself is that it is pretty hard to get me upset. Sure, things bother me. I get mad at people, at myself, at the world. But for me to get really hopping mad, it takes a lot. If you ever see me mad, you would understand. I can get unrecognizable. I get red in the face, I can’t find the words to speak, and I even swear. Luckily, it doesn’t happen very often. The fact that it takes a lot to get me really mad is a good quality, I guess. But, in full disclosure, Eimy will tell you there are many other not so great qualities of mine that more than offset my cool temper.

So this week, I had one of those moments when I got really upset. On wednesday’s I come home from Washington. Now, I have taken to riding public transportation to get there and back. It takes longer but I can get work done on the way and I like that. Every other wednesday, though, I have a class until 3:00pm. In order to make all the connections and get on the rabbit transit bus back to york, I have to get to union station in DC and get on the train to baltimore by 4:15. Any later, and I get stuck in Hunt Valley and Eimy has to pull Mia out of soccer practice and drive down to pick me up.

So this wednesday, I left class and went as quickly as possible to the bus stop which took me to the subway stop, which took me to union station. I got there and ran to get the train ticket and, thank God, I was just in time. I saw my train was leaving from gate C, track 16 so I ran to the track. Now MARC trains, the commuter trains, are different than AMTRAK, so it is easy to know if you are getting on the right train. On track 16, there was a MARC train so I got on. I walked into the car and it was vacant. I went up to the next car and it was vacant too. I realized then, that I was on the wrong train. Unbeknownst to me, there were two MARC trains on the same track. I went to get out of the car and I couldn’t. It was locked and I couldn’t get out. I ran to the other doors, same deal. I pushed the buttons to open the doors, but no luck. I realized my train was going to leave and I couldn’t get to it. I started banging on the doors and windows yelling for help. I tried the intercom, nothing. After a few minutes of trying to get someone’s attention and their help, I finally had someone let me out of the train. A minute too late. However, I happened to notice that there was another train leaving in two minutes a few tracks down. I ran to the train and came across two other guys doing the same thing. We ran and when we got there the train was just starting to move. The two other guys jumped on. As soon as the second guy got on, one of the attendants stepped right in front of me and wouldn’t let me on. At this point, I have sweated through my clothes, running, dragging my bags, all knowing that if I don’t get on this train, there is no way I can get to York without eimy having to pick me up. The gentleman standing in front of me refusing to let me on was the last straw. I lost it. I started screaming. I started swearing. I started jumping up and down screaming at this man who now had turned around and completely ignored me, which of course made me scream louder.

I ended up getting on the next train, but missed the bus and eimy had to come and pick me up.

Long story short, I guess i needed a lesson on the importance of forgiveness. Unfortunately, it was a lesson I failed miserably. I failed because I let my anger get the better of me and I wasn’t even thinking about forgiveness, I was only thinking about me.

Because, here’s the kicker. Forgiveness isn’t for the person we are forgiving. Well, it is but it isn’t. Sometimes they are happy to have been forgiven, but sometimes they couldn’t care. We, however, have a lot to gain from forgiving. Scriptures talk of forgiveness alot, because it is such an important action that we must take. If for no other reason than the implication in Scripture that unless we are willing to forgive others, we ourselves will not be forgiven, not only by other humans but also by God.

We are warned that our resentment of others constitutes a barrier, not only between our selves and them but between us and God. It’s a danger that we Christians need to take seriously. We need to take it seriously because, this one issue, maybe more than any other single issue can keep easily prevent us from living a God-centered life. There are many ways to sin, but in the case of forgiveness it can become so hard to even see our own sin because it means admitting to ourselves that we have not lived a life worthy of Christ’s name.

In 1984, four months after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous lung, Greg Anderson was informed that the cancer had spread from his lung through the lymph system. His surgeon gave him “about thirty days to live.”

Desperate and dying, he called organizations around the country, speaking to individuals who had lived through a similar situation. The one, constant message he received was forgiveness. Gradually, Anderson came to realize that “forgiveness was my issue.”

Yes, he possessed a “critical” attitude, but there was more. Three months before his cancer diagnosis, he and a new controller at work began a series of escalating attacks and recriminations on each other. Within thirty days of Anderson’s diagnosis, his adversary was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Anderson finally admitted that there was a “link between my toxic behavior and the onset of my illness.”

After compiling a list of people to forgive and silently forgiving these people from his sickbed for four days, Anderson knew that he must visit his adversary from work. With heart pounding and adrenaline rushing, he visited the man in his home and managed to utter, “I have come to say I am sorry. I deeply regret the hurt I have caused you.”

Struggling to sit up in his own sickbed, his adversary replied, “Greg, I am the one who needs to say I’m sorry. I’m old enough to be your father. Yet I treated you like the outcast son. Please forgive me.”

While they embraced and cried, the former adversary muttered a prayer, “Dear God, forgive us all.”

Greg Anderson, wellness crusader and successful author, identifies this one week devoted to the sincere work of forgiveness as the “absolute turning point” in his physical healing.”

Not all forgiveness stories are that dramatic, but they all remind us that God does not call us to be perfect, but to be perfect in love. To forgive and be forgiven. So, back to the question, how many times should we forgive? One? Two? Seven? 490? 1000?. I believe the answer is not a number. When we ask ourselves how many times we should forgive, the answer is glaringly simple, the answer is this time! We should forgive this time! It doesn’t matter the issue, the person, the hurt, the pain, the suffering, the anger. We should forgive this time. Because that, my friends, is what we are called to do.

Why Methodist Doctrine??

This post was written for a class on Methodist Doctrine and is designed as the text to a presentation to be given to a congregation or other group on the topic of why Methodist doctrine is important and why it speaks to the church today, especially in a world filled with churches and denominations that argue and divide more than anything else.

Of the many issues affecting the life of the church in the United States today, one of the most troubling, but least discussed is the issue of doctrine in terms of denominational identity. Over the past decades, most Protestant denominations have relied more on familial ties for the maintenance of membership than appealing to anyone's individual theology. As a result, for most parishioners in any mainline protestant denomination, there is a lack of understanding as far as what that particular denomination believes or practices. This is not a fault of the parishioners, per se, rather, the church has done little to talk about its beliefs and practices outside of traditional membership classes and the shift of importance from membership to attendance means that churches are offering less and less about denominational identity. This may not be a totally negative circumstance for the church to find itself in, since, lack of denominational identity could help forge a stronger unity between the various denominations.

Therefore, understanding the doctrine of one's church is important as it helps create an identity that links parishioners to one another as well as with God and creation. It is imperative that the point be made that there is no corner on faith that is kept by any one particular denomination or doctrinal stance, rather the work and belief of all denominations contribute towards God's will ultimately being unveiled in our communities. However, each denomination and its unique doctrines help to allow all to participate in the making of God's kingdom.

One of the great things about Methodist Doctrine, specifically United Methodist Doctrine, is that it an amazing example of combining historic traditions of the church, both Protestant and Catholic, while at the same time allowing for and encouraging the use of reason and experience to understand our faith today.

Our Book of Discipline notes this common heritage when it speaks to our basic Christian affirmations:

“We hold in common with all Christians a faith in the mystery of salvation in and through Jesus Christ. We share in the Christian belief that God's redemptive love is realized in human life by the activity of the Holy Spirit, both in personal experience and in the community of believers. We understand ourselves to be a part of Christ's universal church when by adoration, proclamation, and service we become conformed to Christ. With other Christians we recognize that the reign of god is both a present and a future reality. We share with many Christian communions a recognition of the authority of Scripture in matters of faith, the confession that our justification as sinners is by grace through faith, and the sober realization that the church is in need of continual reformation and renewal.”ⁱ

Indeed, much of our practice as Methodists is not unique to our doctrine but is shared in common with other denominations both protestant as well as orthodox. We largely use the same sources of understanding our faith, namely Scripture. This has always been the case. Charles Wesley himself lays out the central role that Scripture plays when he writes these words: “Come, divine Interpreter, bring me eyes thy book to read, ears the mystic words to hear, words which did from thee proceed, words that endless bliss impart, kept in an obedient heart.ⁱⁱ”

We practice many of the same rites and sacraments (though those terms mean somewhat different things in different denominations) such as baptism and sharing the Eucharist. While Methodist doctrine differs some in the interpretation of these rites, especially from the orthodox view, these rites are still held as essential and participation in the sacraments is seen as crucial to the whole community. Again, Charles Wesley speaks to this in his lyrics, “Come, sinners, to the gospel feast, let every soul be Jesus' guest. Ye need not one be left behind, for God hath bid all humankind.”ⁱⁱⁱ

So, Methodists share more in common with other traditions that we sometimes realize. However, there are some differences and those are just as important. One major difference, and in reality it is more of an addition than a difference, is Methodist understanding of and Wesley's teaching of the meaning of grace in our lives. The existence of grace in three forms. Prevenient, the grace that is given to us before we even were. This allows us to know we need to seek for the truth in Christ. Wesley writes, “If we take this (salvation) in its utmost extent it will include all that is wrought in the soul by what is frequently termed 'natural conscience', but more properly, 'preventing grace'; all the drawings of the Father, the desires after God, which, if we yield to them, increase more and more...showing every man to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God.”^iv

Wesley goes on to explain the role that justifying grace also plays in our salvation. Justifying grace is, in essence, the forgiveness of our sins, wherein God sees us as forgiven for the sake of Christ. Again, Wesley's sermon “The Scripture Way of Salvation” continues on and speaks of this idea of justifying grace. “Justification is another word for pardon. It is the forgiveness of all our sins, and our acceptance with God. The price whereby this hath been procured for us is the blood and righteousness of Christ, or all that Christ hath done and suffered for us till 'he poured out his soul for the transgressors.'”^v

Finally, Sanctifying grace, signifies, for Methodists and other Wesleyans, that God continues to work in those who have been justified. Wesley called this working towards perfection, not in the sense that one could attain perfection in the way we normally think of it. Rather, there are stages in our faith as in our life. While Wesley argued that “Christian Perfection” could be attained in this life, the jury is out on how many actually have. The importance then, is in terms of holiness. Wesley writes, “Christian perfection therefore does not imply an exemption either from ignorance or mistake, or infirmities or temptations. Indeed, it is only another term for holiness. Thus everyone that is perfect is holy, and everyone that is holy is, in the Scripture sense, perfect. So that how much soever any man hath attained, or in how high a degree soever he is perfect, he hath still need to “grow in grace” and daily to advance in the knowledge and love of God his Saviour.”^vi

Methodists, then, understand salvation to be attained by grace through faith, yet it is also not something that happens once and that is it. It is a process, a continual process through which one encounters a God who has enabled man to know to seek Him, endear to find Him, and work to love as He loves. That type of faith is not an easy thing to achieve. Charles Wesley speaks to this, “Let us plead for faith alone, faith which by our works is shown; God it is who justifies, only faith the grace applies. Let us for this faith contend, sure salvation is the end; heaven already is begun, everlasting life is won.”^vii

This, then, is how Methodists and Wesleyans understand faith and salvation. The question, one that has been debated since the early church, then becomes once again important. If we are saved by grace through faith and if our works have no import; then what relevance do our actions have in living out this faith? Methodists have answered that question in a number of ways throughout the history of the movement. Some of those ways may seem a bit ostracizing when discussed in a world that has changed significantly over the past couple of decades alone. Methodists have been associated with movements to outlaw alcoholic beverages and live lives free from tobacco and other drugs. Yet, at the same time Methodists were also actively engaged in the debate over the morality of slavery. John Wesley was vehemently opposed to this practice although the early Methodist church in the United States did split over this issue. Regardless, though, the fact is that there has always been a moral component to living an active faith in the Methodist movement. It follows from the “General Rules” which tie together how our faith is to be practiced and lived. First, by doing no harm and avoiding every kind of evil. Secondly, by doing good of every kind as far as possible and Third, by attending upon all the ordinances of God.

Therefore, there can be no disconnect between our faith, our life, and our salvation. They are all tied together through the grace that we are granted and continue to strive in towards perfection.

Finally, it should be noted that Methodism did not start as a church or a distinct denomination, but rather as a movement. It took doctrinal stances from other established churches of its time, mainly those of the Anglican church. Yet, it sought to create communities of individuals who would seek to understand their faith collectively and methodically both inside and outside of traditional worship. These small groups have always been important in Methodist practice and together, with the history of the movement and its theological development support the premise that the Church of God, the Body of Christ, is not something that can be cornered into one doctrinal corner or another. The truth of Christ is not only available to those who practice a certain understanding of baptism or the Eucharist, but for all creation, in all its diversity.

Wesley himself wrote in one of his most famous sermons, “Catholic Spirit”, these words which, I feel, provide an ending to this brief synopsis of Methodist doctrine.

“If then we take this word in the strictest sense, a man of catholic spirit is one who..gives his hand to all whose hearts are right with his heart. One who knows how to value and praise God for all the advantages he enjoys: with regard to the knowledge of the things of God, the true, scriptural manner of worshiping Him; and above all his union with a congregation fearing God and working righteousness. One who, retaining these blessings with the strictest care, keeping them as the apple of his eye, at the same time loves as friends, as members of Christ and children of God, as joint partakers now of the present Kingdom of God, and fellow-heirs of his eternal Kingdom, all of whatever opinion or worship who, rejoicing to please and fearing to offend God, are careful to abstain from evil and zealous of good works. He is the man of truly catholic spirit who bears all these continually upon his heart, who having an unspeakable tenderness for their persons, and longing for their welfare, does not cease to commend them to God in prayer, as well as to plead their cause before men; who speaks comfortably to them, and labours by all his words to strengthen their hands in God. He assists them to the uttermost of his power in all things, spiritual and temporal. He is ready 'to spend and be spent for them'; yea, to lay down his life for their sake.”^viii

i"¶ 101." The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2008. Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Pub. House, 2008. . Print.

ii Wesley, C. (1989). Come, Divine Interpreter. The United Methodist hymnal: book of United Methodist worship. (Pew ed., ). Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Publishing House. #594

iii Wesley, C. (1989). Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast The United Methodist hymnal: book of United Methodist worship. (Pew ed., ). Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Publishing House. #616

ivWesley, John, Albert Cook Outler, and Richard P. Heitzenrater. "The Scripture Way of Salvation." John Wesley's Sermons: An Anthology. Nashville: Abingdon, 1991. 372-80. Print.

vIbid.

viIbid. “Christian Perfection” pp.70-84 (quote from p.73)

viiWesley, C. (1989). Let us Plead for Faith Alone. The United Methodist hymnal: book of United Methodist worship. (Pew ed., ). Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Publishing House. #385

viiiWesley, John, Albert Cook Outler, and Richard P. Heitzenrater. "Catholic Spirit" John Wesley's Sermons: An Anthology. Nashville: Abingdon, 1991. 300-309. Quote from p.309 Print.

Sermon from Special service celebrating the Children

June 22,  2014

This sermon was given to celebrate during worship the children in the congregation at Grace United Methodist Church in York, PA. The service was expertly planned and executed by my wife, Eimy and Jenn Byers, a friend and active member of the congregation. All that went into the service came from the passion that these two women and so many other people put into the lives of the children in our lives. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Here is the text of the sermon, but the rest of the service was so much more important that I feel that these words were the least important part of the service. Nonetheless, here they are.

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16

I thought to start this morning with a confession. Do you know what it means to confess something? I know usually you don’t expect the pastor to stand up here and confess. Yet that is exactly what I know I need to do. What makes this confession interesting is that it is not just a confession that I am making to you, but rather one that I am making on behalf of the entire church to you, the future of our church.

You see, our scripture today is a wonderful example of Jesus telling us exactly what the Kingdom of Heaven, what the Kingdom of God is like. And we worship here every week and we believe in Jesus Christ, that he died for our sins, that he was resurrected after three days, that he ascended to heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father. And we worship Him, but what we have here today is a perfect example of worshipping something and someone we don’t understand. We pretend that our faith is strong and that we are in tune with God’s plan for our lives, that is, until the time comes when changes in life put us in a position where we have to either accept the new and work inside of it, or refuse to accept the new and demand that the world adapt to us and our traditions. Unfortunately, we are guilty of being a bit stubborn and this has, over time, meant that the church, as a whole, has stopped speaking to those who really need to hear what God and what Christ have to offer. We say we care about the younger generation, until it comes time to put our words into actions, then well, we find one reason or another to justify our traditional way of doing things.

So, I want to confess this morning to you, the children of God’s Kingdom. I apologize on behalf of this church and on behalf of the global church. We have not tried our best to include you. We have stood by and demanded that you worship as we do, that you find our music more meaningful, that you enjoy sermons that are somewhat out of touch and fairly boring. We have turned Christ’s church into our church with no regard that soon enough it will be your church and we are doing you no favors with our stubbornness and our inability to see beyond our own wants and desires.

We, and I, am sorry. We have not been who we claim to be. So, there, I’ve said that. But, here’s the thing. We are human. And there is one thing about humans that it is important to recognize. We have limits. We, as parents, for example, have limits to how much we can let you do. We are responsible for you. Your safety and your well being matter to us because we love you and we have responsibility for you, so regardless of the freedom we may want to give you, there are limits to what we can let you do and there are limits to what we can let ourselves do.

Our world, you will find out, is full of limits. There are limits to everything. There are limits to the amount we can eat. There are limits to the amount we can drink. There are limits to the amount of cold or heat that our bodies can take. There are limits to the speed we can drive on the highway. There are limits to the amount of fun things we can buy, regardless of how many fun things we want to buy and do. There are limits! Limits everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. There is one extremely important exception and that is love. Real love is limitless. When you really love someone there is nothing you won’t do, no limit you won’t pass to show that love or to act in that love.

Unfortunately, that kind of love is not as common as we would like. It really exists only in a few places. It exists in some marriages. It exists in some friendships. But, it always exists in the love that parents have for their kids. You see, we love you. Sometimes we don’t always show it the right way and sometimes you can’t see that we are acting in limitless love, but we do love you beyond any limits.

And finally, the love God has for you is limitless. The love God has for all His children is limitless.

The scripture I read this morning tells this story of limitless love. In the verses before the ones I read, Jesus is telling his followers that God never intended for there to be limits to life. God never intended limits on the length of our lives. God never intended there to be limits to our relationships. God never intended there to be limits on how we experience God himself.

You see, in Jesus day, little children were a nuisance. They were to be kept on the sidelines. When something important is going on, the little children are to be led away, so as not to interfere with whatever important business the adults are dealing with. But, Jesus wouldn’t have any of it. Jesus received the children, he hugged them, and he blessed them. Furthermore, Jesus says that in all of this, the kingdom of God is made manifest. Do you know what that means? To make manifest? It means to make totally obvious. To see plainly. To know beyond a shadow of doubt that something is real.

So, in this moment, Jesus says that with these little children the Kingdom of God is real, plainly obvious.

So what does this mean about what God is like? God brings people together. God desires that people who, having once been brought together, ought to stay together. God is the one who refuses to send these “little ones” away. Instead, God is the one who receives and embraces the little ones.

So when we read this passage what we are seeing is the great difference between God and ourselves. We, the human race, have limits. God, thankfully, has no such limitations. When we make promises, when we try to engage each other with nice words, when we make plans, sometimes we go past what our limitations are. Our promises get broken. Our encouragement and engagement of others turns into hurtful words that leave scars that don’t easily heal. Our plans fall through for any number of reasons.

But today, Jesus makes clear that God is not like that! God is the one who, from the very beginning unites, fosters communion. God is the one who brings individuals into community. That is how we got the church. God took us as different individuals, many of us quite unlike one another, and brought us together into communion in the church.

Furthermore, God is the one who enables us not only to bring “little ones” into the world but also to expend our lives in caring for the least of these. In every congregation there are people who take responsibility for children who are not their biological children, but are theirs as an assignment, as a gift of God.

We are, of course, only human. There are limits upon our love -- limits upon our ability to stay with other people, particularly people in great need, and to keep our lives bound to theirs. But this truth must be sent alongside a counter-truth -- the love of God does not have such limits. We try to separate from each other, but God does not separate from us. God has no limits, and especially when we are talking about God’s love.

I began, confessing to you that we, the adults in your lives are not perfect. But, we ask for your patience even when we seem to have none left for you. Be patient with us as we try to live into the people God has called us to be. I plead with you to open your hearts and minds to learn from us all that we have to teach you about life, about love, and about the God who created you and knew you first and who loves you beyond limitation.

And to those who are older children in this congregation, I ask to keep open your hearts and minds to accept these “little ones.” To love them, to support them, to teach them and yes, to learn from them. Jesus saw their very worth, and we must be reminded of that from time to time as well. As we live together as a church, we must be constantly reminded that what we want is not the important thing here. The important thing is our mission. That mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. All that we say and do. Every dollar we spend. Every service we perform. Every act of volunteerism we participate in has to be done towards this goal, this mission. If we are making a decision and the most important aspect of that decision is if it is what We want or what We think will be best, then our intentions need to be questioned because we are not thinking and acting as God calls us to.

Tradition is important and our past we should pass on to our youth, but if we are asking them to be open to our tradition, we must also force ourselves to be open to their ideas, their newness, their pleas to start talking and walking and worshipping with an eye outwards rather than just inwards.

Kids, thank you for showing us today that worship and fun go together more easily than we would like to admit.

A Day in Gonder, Ethiopia

Arriving in Gonder, we are greeted with views of a beautiful city. The air feels cooler and there is more humidity in the air than there was in Lalibella and Axum. Our hotel sits atop a hill and provides us with a beautiful view of the city including the palace compound of King Fasiledes.

In fact, our first stop during our short one day stay in Gonder takes us to this compound. King Fasiledes and his family ruled in the 1600's and 1700's and the compound includes six separate castles, each built by different royals, at different times, and for different reasons. For instance, one of the castles is visibly more humble than the others and this one was built by one of the royals who had a sense of humility and intellectual pursuits, therefore he also built a library next to his humble palace.

It was almost like wandering through a medieval feudal small kingdom. Even though the castles here were not built during what the west traditionally would consider “medieval” they were built at a time when the feudal structure was similar to the feudal structure that was present in Europe during the traditional “medieval” period.

After leaving the palace compound we toured the king's bath-house. This is a small castle-like structure surrounded by a pool that is as deep as the castle is high. During the rainy season, water collects in the pool and there are also structures built in that allow water to be diverted from a local river and into the bath-house. In the present-day, there are bleachers built around the outside and the pool is filled during a certain festival and townspeople come and there is a large celebration with some swimming.

We also visited the main church that was built around the same time. The church was similar to many of the other traditional orthodox churches we have seen. One difference was that upon entering we saw a couple who had just gotten married and were taking pictures in the usual accoutrement of an Ethiopian wedding. Both the Bride and Groom wear white, and have cloaks that surround them. Each wears a distinctive headpiece, resembling a combination of both a crown and a turban.

While visiting the church, I was surprised when a group of three young children came into the church. Normally, when foreigners are present, time is spent answering their questions, taking pictures and asking for alms. However, when the three local children entered, the head Priest immediately paid attention to them, listening to them, talking with them, praying with them and ignoring our presence, allowing us to meander at our own pleasure. This was refreshing. The spiritual journey of the parishioners seemed to be the most important priority for this priest and the children seemed to be much better off in this sense, they were the priority. Is it not Christ who would ignore the needs of the cultures priorities for the sake of those without priority? Is it not Christ who would ignore the rich and powerful in order to show that God favors the poor and the outcast?

I know we say that we focus on the poor fin our churches, but sometimes I feel like that is just something we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel better, especially when many of the decisions we make, many of the plans we strategize about, especially when many of the discussions we have and memories we get nostalgic about in the church are very much a reflection of the opposite of the Gospel's tendency and God's favor of the poor, the lesser, the least.