I. AM. FULL.

First of all… I am full of carrot cupcakes. (Thank you Kathy Powers and staff and Preston for my birthday cupcakes!)

But what I really mean is…. My heart is full.

From driving up and seeing the big “Welcome” sign out in front of my new church, to the hundreds of hours being put in to renovate the parsonage, to the smiles of the staff and the “Hey, I know you!” hollered at me from one of the children in the daycare... these first few weeks at Aurora United Methodist Church have been totally amazing… waaaaay beyond any hopes or expectations.  The church has been so gracious and welcoming.  I already see them making some changes that will promote spiritual and emotional growth in our church family… primarily by including the children and youth more.  I appreciate how they are being open to change and creativity and “NEW”.  All of this gives me hope.  It gives me hope for our time together, and it gives me hope for Aurora UMC, and it gives me hope for Algiers.  I want nothing more from my time at Aurora UMC than to use my gifts and talents to help the church turn a corner toward health and wholeness (spiritually, physically and emotionally) in our lives as individuals and as a church.  So, the welcome, hospitality and openness to me are so encouraging, and fill me up.

I am also full of gratefulness to God. … because it is almost like God is putting on an Epcot Fireworks display in my life… you know the one… that last 15 minutes of absolutely everything they’ve got in the warehouse and every SINGLE laser and Disney character and music perfectly timed to the choreographed explosions.  I’ve got this great new church, with all KINDS of promise… a lovely, committed, hard-working staff... my son is pursuing his dreams in a school that could not be more perfect for him… I am raising the little girl that I’ve always dreamt of (SOOOO COOL… still wondering about the timing, as I turn 54, but God’s timing is perfect!)… I live in New Orleans… God is helping me improve my health day by day (so, no more cupcakes for a while!)… my relationships with my family are all great… I am finally discovering my biological family and meeting them and feeling soooooo grounded and complete and, well, full.  Full of love… full of gratefulness… full of humble disbelief… full of laughter and joy… full of hope.  It is good.  God is good!  So I say: 

I.  am.  full.                I hope you and yours are too!  If not… let’s work on that!

Baby Sister

I was 5-1/2, sitting on the step under the phone, waiting for "the call" announcing the birth of my baby sister.  No matter what anyone else said, I WAS getting a baby sister that day!  I had packed together a little basket of toys for her... a doll with bottle, some fake food from our playroom kitchen, a little blanket, some Fisher Price people and farm animals... I was ready for my baby sister.
And the call came!
She was mine from the first minute.  If she made the smallest sound in the night, I was there, reaching my little arm through the slats on the baby bed to put her "paci" back in her mouth or pat her little back.  I still remember well those big brown eyes of hers, staring back at me over her pacifier.  We were bonded together.  I would fall asleep in the rocking chair next to her bed, refusing to leave until she was asleep.
Through the years, there were very few things that I would do that did not welcome or involve my baby sister.  She was there for all my adventures.
She could run like the wind, and dance and flip. She still can do a herkie... I have proof.  She can still remember every word of all kinds of obscure songs and all the popular ones.  She makes up great songs, too.  She's smart and funny, insanely organized and capable, and is a wonderful mom.  When we are together, tears and sore bellies are always an indicator of our silly, uncontrollable laughter over the simplest of things seen or said... in stores, while driving, in church, it doesn't matter. Something will spontaneously erupt between us at some point, and I LOVE it!
She believes in me, and I in her.  She lets me share my insanity, and graciously allows me to be there for her when she is experiencing moments of weakness.  She has produced two little humans that have my heart and delight my life.
She is my sister.  She is my friend.  She is an amazing, wonderful person.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNIE!!  I love you!

Weeds in the Seeds

Here are my recent rambling thoughts about the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13... be ye forewarned that these are just unrefined, unedited ramblings!

"The Kingdom is like this…” When we hear that phrase, most of us assume, I think, that Jesus is talking about Heaven… life after death. But, I’m thinking there aren’t any weeds in Heaven. So, there must be some other understanding of “The Kingdom”. There is an understanding of “The Kingdom” that we have either forgotten, or not fully understood, or just are uncomfortable with: The Kingdom is NOW. Not that there isn’t a “Heaven” or a place with white, pearly gates and streets of gold (who knows?)… but that when we pray “Thy Kingdom come”… that is a present-tense, past-tense, and future-tense word that means that we are IN God’s Kingdom… God’s Creation IS God’s Kingdom. That being said, let’s hear this scripture from a “Present-tense” perspective:

We will not fully know, until the harvest, how many (or who) the weeds are that are growing right alongside our wheat. Do they diminish the harvest, or endanger it, ir just make more work in the end? Weeds will grow, just like the wheat. Evil will grow within us, just like good. We will have weeds and good fruit w/in us. We are often not even aware that those seeds are there… but they are. They do not come from God, but from “the enemy”. They do us no good, but instead cause us to have to do more work. We must pray and work to ensure that what weeds there are will not choke out the wheat. We must pray and work to ensure that the weeds do not affect the harvest of our souls. We must pray and work to ensure that the weeds do not overtake what we’ve sown.

Know that there will be seeds. We will not see 100% yields, probably. There will be some “bad” in with the good. But I suspect that you already know this. Thank goodness God is a gracious God, and knows the conditions of our WHOLE hearts.

And if talking about our hearts…we need to know that what’s in there is gonna come out… and many times… most of the time… it comes out when we are not expecting, or are not in total control… often that means it doesn’t come out until we get in committed deep relationships, and get bumped up against. Know that the true condition of your heart is most evident when you let others IN.

Solomon tells us that everything we do flows from what lies in our hearts… and he tells us to guard our hearts. Remember that this Hebrew use of the word that we translate as “guard” does not mean to lock it behind a wall and throw away the key. I’ll say that again… the wisest man who ever lived is NOT NOT NOT telling us to lock up our hearts behind a fortress and throw away the key. NO! He is telling us to watch, oversee, and take care of our hearts.

Last week, when Alex was here, we went to the Cool Zoo (splash park at the zoo) and in order to let her have fun and play and BE the kid she is, I had to let go of her hand and let her run around. Mind you, I was watching her like a Mama Bear, ever ready to run to her aid and protect her… but I had to let her be free… yet remain in my watchful care.

This is the “guarding” I think Solomon means when he tells us to guard our hearts. We must let it be free to feel and become engaged in relationships. But we must also watch it… pay attention to it… and guard it against evil.

Proverbs 4:23 … above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

As we pay attention… pay attention to our actions, because they reveal the truth of what is in our hearts… seeds AND weeds. THERE WILL BE WEEDS. And so, our words and actions will not always be “right” and “Godly”… but if we are watching and caring for the health of our hearts, then the weeds in the seeds will be fewer, OR they will not take root, OR they will not grow to bear fruit.

Our actions flow from our hearts. So know that if our hearts are not in good shape, we are going to have trouble in our relationships. Pay attention to what is in your heart. The healthier our heart, the fewer weeds will spring up.

It’s like a healthy lawn. The specialists will tell you that the healthier your lawn is, the less chance there is that weeds will grow, and overtake it. So the first thing they tell you to do is to care for the lawn and make sure it is strong and healthy.

GUARD YOUR HEART… CARE FOR YOUR HEART… make sure it is strong and healthy. Know what is really going on in there…

1) THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE FEELING BEFORE YOU SPEAK. (name it!)

Frustrated Angry Happy Scared Left out Embarrassed Unappreciated Ugly Unlovable Failure Old Stupid Lonely Abandoned Scared Out of control Betrayed Picked on Jealous Disrespected Insecure

As long as our feelings are kept “secret”, they have POWER.

2) BEGIN TO ASK WHY YOU ARE FEELING THIS AT THAT TIME!

Most of what we are feeling has nothing to do w/what the OTHER person is doing… we bring those things WITH us into the relationship.

Identify and SAY IT OUT LOUD. When you name it, it begins to lose its power… but we also lose our excuse.

“I’m so glad you told me.” (and then button up… don’t fuss, don’t try to fix)

Healthy people QUIT doing whatever it is, once they find out it is hurting someone else… especially someone they love.

So … if we understand that THE KINGDOM IS NOW… and it is like this… farmer sows the seeds, and while he sleeps, the enemy comes and sows weeds over the wheat… and those seeds grow right along with the wheat, some making it all the way to the harvest…

Know that your hearts have weeds… we all have weeds in our hearts… and some grow strong. KNOW that. CLAIM that. OWN that. But take care. GUARD your hearts. WATCH what you say and do, and UNDERSTAND that those are true indicators of the health of your heart. ASK why you feel and act certain ways. And seek guidance and counsel from the TRUE GARDENER about how to address the weeds. Some of them the MASTER GARDENER HIMSELF will take care of at the harvest. Some of them we can pull early on. And with watchful, diligent care, we can minimize more weeds from being sown and taking root. Yes… there are weeds in all our seeds… but thanks be to God, we are not without hope and a plan!

NEW...

Wow... we've moved. We are in a new place, a new home, new churches, a new culture, a slightly different climate, with new people with different accents & expressions. It's weird... and exciting!

The weird part is that it is all very different... and will take some getting used to. I always say, though, that it's not change that we fear. The thing we fear is change that wasn't our idea. Technically, this change was our idea, in that we said we were open to a change. And BAM... here we are. The unknown is a bit scarey, but if we are anchored and grounded, everything around us can change, and we can still thrive. At least, that's the way we believe it works. I have dreams of what CAN be, but can I make those dreams come to fruition?

The exciting part is that it is all very different... and we can make it all good with a positive attitude that embraces the change. We can re-create ourselves, our home, our ministries, our day-to-day lives, our routines, our "norm"! How exciting is that? God is always creating and re-creating. Why would we ever think that pattern is not intended for us? And if we remember that God said it was all GOOD, then why do we fear change? Why WOULDN'T we believe that the new will be GOOD?

So, that's what we're counting on. What about you? What changes are you encountering in your life? Are you embracing them? Or are you pretending it's not happening? Are you digging in your heels and refusing the change? Ever think about what blessings you are shortchanging yourself on, by NOT embracing the change? Something to think about, eh?

See you in church?

From a Manger to a Throne

Well ... yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. Actually, no ... but there is a God who knows every one of us, knows our pain and our heartache, and sits with us, and breathes life back into our grieving, hopeless hearts. I preached to myself again tonight. If Jesus can go from a smelly, dirty manger to a King, victorious even over death ... and that same power is available to me ... I can surely rise from any unhappy place (not matter how smelly, disgusting, pitiful) to claim (really, for the 1st time) my place as an heir to the Kingdom... a princess ... beautiful and holy.

Last year, Christmas for me was about just simply surviving. This year, it is about RE-viving. I can feel the new thing God is doing. I really can. I must claim my glory. And you must, too. Our value and worth AND our happiness is NOT ... IS NOT!!... dependent on anyone around us, but is dependent on who is within us!

I used the lectionary reading from Titus tonite ... and it talks about how Jesus came to give us the power to say "No" to the things of this world that are not righteous and of God ... and to claim the holiness that God has for us, as his children and heirs. God has always been there for his children. He was there with Mary, experiencing whatever fear she may have had, and whatever judgement that fell on her as an unwed mother. He was there with Joseph when he made the choice to stick by Mary, and no doubt endured his share of derision. God has been there all along, and He is here for you and me today.

So tonite ... I am claiming my holiness. And I am claiming the physical transformation into a princess of God's own Kingdom!

This year, may you claim your place as an heir to the throne. I'll pray for and encourage you. Will you do the same for me?

Grace and Peace to you,

Beth

I am SECOND!

I am Second!

What place are you? I am shooting for second place! NOT!

The first trophy I ever got was for placing 2nd in the Ruston Peach Festival Bicycle race. I was NOT happy to be in 2nd place, I’ll tell you. I was riding my sparkly purple bike with a psychedelic “flower power” banana seat and those handle bar streamers. Even those streamers were sparkly! That was an amazing bicycle! And I was amazing ON the bicycle! Have you ever been in a competition in which you were in the lead until the very last minute? Just when you think you’re going to pull off the victory, ZOOM!, someone else powers past you? Yeah. That was my story. I was pumping my little legs, and was ahead of the pack until the very last few yards, and this girl on a fancy-smancy 10-speed bike zoomed past to take the coveted 1st place trophy. I went right home and started making plans to get a 10-speed. So much for beauty. I was in it for SPEED now! I wanted to be NUMBER ONE!!!

I’ve been thinking this week about being 2nd. Who wants to be SECOND? Well, after thinking about this, and praying even, I’ve decided that it would be best if I were just that: SECOND… or maybe even further down the line. What would our lives be like… how would our lives be different if we all decided to be 2nd? What I mean by this is: What would our lives be like… how would our lives be different if Jesus Christ were always No. 1?
Can you imagine your daily schedule? How much time would you spend in prayer? How much time would you spend reading and studying scripture? Would you join a Sunday School class? Or maybe regularly attend a Bible Study? Or ALWAYS go to worship services on the Sabbath? Would you be God’ “Yes Man”… always saying “yes” to God, no matter what and no matter when? Would you honor your tithe before that credit card? Would you raise your children differently? Would you have a different work ethic? Would your daily life be filled with compassion and deliberate efforts to bless others?

Okay, I give up… I WANT TO BE SECOND!!! How about you?

“Catholic Spirit”

“If your heart be as mine, then take my hand.”

from “Catholic Spirit”, a sermon by John Wesley

This is one of my favorite quotes EVER. The quote is actually from 2 Kings 10:15, and reads this way in Wesley’s translation:
“Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? … If it be, give me thine hand.”

The sermon was a response to questions being asked about differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, or specifically between the Roman Catholic Church and The Church of England. In Wesley’s day, without today’s forms of media, the “Larry King Show” and “Bill O’Reilly” were played out in pamphlets published and handed out on street corners, and sermons delivered in churches, and, in Wesley’s case, out in fields or standing in the town square. or on a tombstone even.
These kinds of questions and arguments, while invigorating, frustrated Wesley quite a bit, because it really was a waste of time and energy. Wesley wanted to focus on our scriptural understanding of God, and our lives with God, as modeled and taught by Jesus Christ. Wesley thought, as do I, that we will all have differences in opinion, which invariably lead to differences in how we prefer to worship, or in our doctrine, but these kinds of differences are inconsequential in relation to the living of our salvation. These differences should not get in the way of our love for one another, and our unity in Christ Jesus. I love how Wesley explains this point. He says the scripture does not mean to “be of my opinion” or to “embrace my modes of worship”, but it does mean “first, love me”. He goes on to describe beautifully what kind of love this is. It is not a love that simply tolerates, but is a love that is tender and kind, compassionate and patient. It is a love that encourages and inspires, that “covereth all things; that never reveals either my faults or infirmities, --that believeth all things; is always willing to think the best, to put the fairest construction on all my words and actions.” Isn’t that beautiful?
I’ve been preaching this Summer on 2 Samuel, and the stories of David coming into his kingship, and his life as king. I’ve been highlighting the relationship David had with Nathan, and will really focus on that this next Sunday. Nathan plays a remarkable role in David’s life, not because he agrees with David about everything, but because he disagrees sometimes, and he is not silent. Even so, the love and respect David and Nathan share, allows for the sharing of frank honesty, without schism. The key to this relationship, is their devotion to God. Both of them hear and are convicted by God. They are joined at the heart because their hearts are united in God, and therefore, they join hands in the living of their days. What a glorious model of relationships. I’ll explore this more in coming weeks, so...

See you at church!

Leading Ideas: A Resource for Church Leaders

Leading Ideas: A Resource for Church Leaders

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I Shall Taunt You a Second Time

So, this Summer, I'm challenging myself to preach on the 2 Samuel readings from the lectionary. I often do this kind of thing whenever I find myself steering away from something, or saying something like "no way I'm doing that". If it is the "hard thing", that's typically what I choose to do. Thus, the 2 Samuel sermons.
For those of you who know my sermon prep process, you know that I begin by reading all of the lectionary readings for the season, and see which ones connect with me or speak to me. (if any do... if none speak, then I just have to depend on God to lift up the scriptures for me to preach on.) Earlier this Summer, I was reading, and immediately said "well, I'm not preaching on the 2 Samuel passages." Yeah. Famous last words.
Last week, the sermon title was "I Shall Taunt You a Second Time". If you're not a Monty Python fan, that's a quote from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". For some reason, the taunts that the Jebusites were hurling at David (in 2 Samuel 5:1-10) reminded me of the scene in that movie where the French soldiers were hurling insults over the castle walls at King Arthur. like... "Your mother was a hamster and your father smellt of elderberries. Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time." There were some other pretty funny ones, but they might be considered inappropriate here.
You see, David was attempting to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites, in order to create the seat of his rule over all the lands of the tribes of Israel. The Jebusites say that even the "blind and lame" can fight off David's army. There are a couple of verses that are troublesome, because David refers to either a "gutter" or a "water pipe" as a means of getting to the "blind and lame", or as a place to throw the "blind and lame." The "blind and lame" are refered to as David's enemies, and we're not quite sure why.
I tend to go with the belief that David had insulted the Jebusite gods (statues), saying they had eyes, but could not see, and feet but could not walk. (thus... blind and lame) There is also the statement that the "blind and lame" will not enter the palace, or courts.

What the heck do we take from these scriptures? We recognize this passage as the culmination of David's long journey to achieve the promised position of King of Israel. Okay... God is true (as always) to God's promises, and the ways that God makes those promises come to fruition are varied, and unexpected. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE PROMISES COME TO BE! God is fully capable of making that happen. (Like God's promise to me that I would have children.... and I marry into a culture that shares their abundance of children, and now I am the mother of 4 boys... 2 of which still live in Tonga.) So, that's the first thing to take away... but we already knew that... right? "Gimme something new", you might be saying.
Okay, try this on... David is a precurser for Jesus... he is referred to as the great shepherd and the tribes pledge to be his flesh and bone (uh... like the church is Jesus' flesh and bone!). So, imagine now that it's Jesus saying, "The blind and lame shall not enter the kingdom." Not only must our eyes be opened to spiritual things, but our feet must not hold fast to a pedestal as a statue, but be about the work of Christ's flesh and bone... sharing the way of salvation in all the world... caring for the poor and the widows (those who cannot care for themselves). Maybe it's not so much our feet, but our BOTTOMS that need to get freed from the pews to get out in the world. For me... that'll preach.
The new "rethink Church" campaign of the United Methodist Church has a key slogan of "What if 'Church' was a verb?

Folks... we, the church, have been blind and lame for far too long. Jesus wants to heal us. Let's take him up on that! (or I shall taunt you for a second time!!!!)

cya in church!
RevB

Things We Learn at Summer Camp

By the time you’ll be reading this, I’ll have (hopefully) survived Summer Church Camp! None of our youth were going to camp at Caney, so I decided to accept an offer to serve as a counselor at Lakeview Church Camp in Texas. It’s a family affair this year. My brother is a youth minister at a large Methodist church in the Houston area, and he is serving as the camp director. He asked Sione and I if we’d like to serve, and bring kids from our churches (or just Johnny & Poni), and after checking w/ERUMC youth about their interests, we decided to take him up on the offer. You may be asking, “Why in the world would anyone do such a thing!?!?!?”
Here’s why… to learn. Don’t you learn things when you hang out with young people? (sometimes, what we learn, we’re not really sure we WANTED to learn! And some things, we wish we HADN’T learned!) I hope to learn more about today’s young people, and “what’s new” with them these days. I hope to learn what other churches are doing in their youth groups and to minister with and to youth and their families. I hope to learn more about my own giftedness where youth are concerned, and I hope to translate all of that into ideas for our ministries at ERUMC.
Now, when I went to Summer Camp the first time, I learned that some people are pushy about trying to get other people “saved”, and that if you pee in the pool, something happens to your bathing suit and everybody knows. I never did really see what they were talking about, but I believed them, so I made sure not to make that mistake! I also learned that I’m an excellent shot with a 22, and a bow, that riding horses at Pappaw’s is more fun than camp, because we can make the horse run at Pappaw’s, and I think scarey stories around the campfire are stupid.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons we learn at Summer Camp, is how much we love and miss our family. My first time away at camp, my big brother was on the other side of the camp with the boys, and I pined for even just a sight of him. I think I wrote my mother and father every single day. I remember crying myself to sleep on my bunk in the “Sunshine Cabin”. Being shy, as I was, perhaps I wasn’t quite ready for camp, but I’m glad I had those experiences. I think Summer Camps helped me grow up and figure out who I really was. I discovered things I liked about myself, and learned things maybe I wanted to change about myself.
What about you? What helped/helps you learn those things about yourself? What kinds of things help us as a church to know what we like and what we maybe want to change about ourselves? Like at camp, we may find out things about ourselves that others don’t really like… and it may be important to us as a church to know what kinds of things we could change.
I’ll let you know what I learned! See you at church!

Young Clergy?

Well, I don’t consider myself a “young” clergy person. At almost 46 (next month), I qualify as middle-aged, but I continue to be included in mailings and groups with the title “young” attached. This is a good thing, right? It means I’m perceived as one still clinging to the energy and attitudes of youth. Either that, or I’m perceived as immature. Actually, that’s probably the more accurate assumption. Regardless of the perception (accurate or not!) I’ve been participating in a group on Facebook called “UMC Young Clergy”, and praying daily for 40 days during this season of Annual Conferences. We are praying for the United Methodist Church to be renewed, revived, and refreshed. We are praying for a return to the scriptural understanding of the church and her mission. We are praying for an evangelistic flame to burn in our ministries. We are praying that we become again a church that cares more about others, than ourselves… a church that reaches out to the lost with hearts and hands that love like Christ loves. We are praying that we become a church that boldly addresses justice and stewardship of the Earth and its inhabitants, and actually stands up and leads the way in acts of mercy and loving-kindness. We are praying that our whole denomination will begin to re-think “church”. We are asking… do we really have ‘Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors’? Really? I wonder. We have been working at opening our hearts, and opening our doors… now it is time to open our minds to a new understanding of Christ’s definition of “CHURCH”.
Here is a portion of one of our daily prayers. You might wish to join us:

Gracious God, we confess to you that, in so many ways, we have fallen short of who you would have us be. As individuals we allow ourselves to become wrapped up in our own wants and desires, we become increasingly concerned about our own security and future, and in pursuit of our own comfort we turn a blind eye to the pain and injustice suffered by others.
Corporately we have failed to live your calling as well. In many cases our churches tend to perpetuate the status quo because it is safer, because it is comfortable, because we want not to rock the boat.As United Methodists in the United States we are aware of the ways that our brothers and sisters around the globe continue to make disciples in radical and risky ways... Forgive us, God. For our self-centeredness and shortsightedness, forgive us. For our complacency and maintenance of the status quo, forgive us. For the ways in which we have failed to live your call, forgive us.God, we know that you love us, as individuals and as your church, exactly the way we are. Yet, at the same time, we have a sense that you don’t want us to stay that way, that you have a greater hope for us, that you are calling us into a future beyond what we can imagine. Open our eyes, our ears, our hearts, and our spirits to who you are calling us to be. Amen.
submitted by Rev. Jeff Clinger, Kansas-East Conference

Is your mind open enough to re-think how we “do” church? See ya in worship!

Personal Holiness

So... long time, no post! Here's what's on my mind today:

Personal Holiness…

Do those words mean anything to you? Do they make you yawn? Do you roll your eyes and say “ugh!”? OR… what would really make ME happy is... do those words peak your interest?

If you have done any studying or reading on what it is to be a Methodist or a Wesleyan, then you already have an idea of what “personal holiness” includes. For brothers John and Charles Wesley, personal holiness was an intentional way of life that brought about revival. Remember that the Church of England was woefully in decline in the 1700’s, and while in school at Cambridge, the Wesleys formed a small group of friends who met regularly to read, study, and discuss their personal journeys in discipleship. They were open and honest about their struggles, and held each other accountable for spiritual growth.
As time went on, and the Wesleys matured in their faith and ministries, they recognized that these kinds of small groups were a key part of the answer for revival in the Anglican church. And thus, the Wesleyan movement began, leading eventually to the establishment of the Methodist Church in the United States, and now the worldwide United Methodist Church.
In the United States, this kind of accountability group has fallen by the wayside, for the most part. We tend to want to live and let live, and not question or challenge anyone in anyway religiously. There are many who believe that this fear of involvement and accountability has led to the church’s decline. A vicious cycle then begins when we grow more fearful of driving people away, because we are desperate for members. As we all know, however, “membership” does not equal “discipleship”. (As was the case in John Wesley’s day in the Church of England.)
John Wesley eventually grew to understand true discipleship as a holistic way of living, which involved achieving a Godly balance in our spiritual being, our intellectual being, AND our physical being. In other words, a holy lifestyle meant the pursuit of holiness in body, mind and spirit. He also believed that there is an unmistakable connection between our physical health and well-being and our spiritual and intellectual health and growth.
Therefore… setting that little history lesson aside… as for you… what is the definition of “Church Membership” and how does that relate (or not!) to your understanding of “Christian Discipleship”? Are you finding yourself in an unbalanced, or even unhealthy, way of life? Is there a particular area in your life that needs exposure to Christ’s healing touch? Are you struggling with an addiction? Depression? Ill health? Weight issues? Not exercising enough? Over-work? Stress? Anxiety? Anger? Or maybe even just bored or “blah” about your life these days?
Well… I am! Since my hysterectomy over a year ago, I’ve really packed on the pounds, and I’m tired of being out of balance. I know that I grow spiritually and intellectually when I am taking care of myself physically… and I’ve been holding myself back. How about you?
If any of this is striking a chord with you, I’d like to invite you to join me on Wednesdays in May. (and only May, for now!) We’ll have 2 groups, one at Noon, and one at 5:30, for the purpose of study, discussion, and accountability with love. We’ll call them “Wesley Groups”, and see how they go. The desired outcome of these groups is deeper relationships with each other, improved health and well-being, and most importantly, stronger devotion to God.
Whatever you want to work on: quitting smoking or drinking, eating better, eating less, exercising regularly, taking your medications to stay on top of health concerns, working more, working less, reading the Bible or praying more, really ANYthing, please let’s help one another. If you know of anyone who might benefit from something like this, invite them, or better yet… bring them! We start the Wesley Groups the first Wednesday in May! Until then….

Cya in church!

-Rev B

Guns 'n' Roses (well, hibiscus)

It is Friday, and I've been at Ellerbe Road UMC for about 10 days now. I'm happy to be taking a day off, and am enjoying my son playing with guns and "spy stuff" and creating his own little adventure, here in our backyard. Here's the picture: Poni loves anything that clips on or attaches to his being. So, he has 3 pistols (2 western-style cap guns in side pockets, and 1 bright orange pistol in a gun holster), his ID wallet, complete w/his sheriff's badge, a HUGE utility pocket knife in yet another pocket, flashlight, a spy watch (that carries mini-bombs, has a motion detecter alarm, and laser beam), a gameboy bag that has been modified into a spy gear bag (with a motion detecter/alarm inside, and TONS of invisible ammo... invisible, mind you) binoculars clipped on his belt, and, let's see... is that all? Oh... and a light saber that morphs into a rifle (which is actually just a rolled up poster). Gotta love all that!

I, on the other hand, am tending to our garden, and enjoying the fact that the wrens have returned, and my double bloom hibiscus are extremely happy in our revamped front flower bed. For anyone who knows me well, you know that I love being outside, and love to "nest". For a couple of years now, I've not felt that I had the time to do either on a regular basis, and the balance of my soul was severely compromized. There are a few things in life that always help me return to balance: travel, nesting, and spending time in relationship with little kids are possibly the top three. I've done all three in the last month.

In the last month, I've spent time with all of my nieces and nephews. I went to the Houston area for a week or so, and saw my sister's kids, Alex & Garrett. Baby Garrett was 5 mos. old at the time, and this was my first opportunity to spend time with him. He is SUCH a delight! And Alex learned to read while I was there! My sis and I bought her a couple of beginners books, and she read her very first book to her baby brother, Garrett! Now, that's good stuff! I also visited my brother and his family: Alli & Jake were in the home stretch of the schoolyear and I had a great evening with the two of them. Alli is 15, and Jake is 13. I just love 'em all! Last weekend, we went over to Ruston to celebrate nephew Carter's 2nd birthday, and just cuddled 9 mo. old Ella Claire all day! Is life any better than toddlers and balloons and bubbles and cake? At Ellerbe, I get to do children's sermons again (something we did not do at my last church), and those just give me that extra little relationship time with the children of the church. I do love that. Little kids bring balance back, don't they?

Being at Ellerbe is already showing it's blessings. There is much time for relationships and dreaming and loving life. I am excited about focusing my gifts and graces on evangelism and helping the church embrace its next level of ministry.

If you're looking for a church home, and want a place where the fellowship is real, might I suggest you give us a chance? When there's a spirit of "change" in the air, anything can happen! Come be a part of our family!

And now... back to Poni's guns and my roses... er... hibiscus.

Beth's Brain Today

So, I'm thinking about a couple of my friends today, who died over the weekend, and just wanted to write a little something about them.

Janet Madden was a member of my church over at Morningside, was my lay leader, worship assistant, and filled the pulpit whenever I needed her to. She was incredibly faithful in her church participation and leadership... never said "no" or "I can't right now" or "I'm too busy". She always said "SURE!" and did an amazing job. What a positive attitude. She also wasn't afraid to speak up or take a stand for what was right... or against what was wrong. Folks loved her, and accepted her leadership. She helped me chill out when I became an instant mom of a 4 yr old who didn't speak English. She provided my son with his first "hero"... her son, Josh. She was so obviously proud of her daughter, Jennifer, even when she wasn't quite sure about Jennifer's choices. She taught me a lot about unconditional love. Janet died from a stroke brought on by epileptic seizures. As I prepare to help with her funeral today... I keep thinking I'm going to see her, today. I get little bursts of happiness when I think about being with her family in her church at Fellowship... but then I remember she won't be there... except in spirit, of course. She always did me proud when she filled my pulpit.... I hope I do her proud today.

Kathy Rubottom was a friend who needed a pastor during her last couple of months in Shreveport... thinking they were her last couple of months alive. She chose me. That was nearly 2 years ago. The doctors had given her 2 months to live... inoperable brain cancer. They said she'd be in a nursing home pretty quickly. She packed up and sold her house here, so she could move up to Missouri with her mom, to be near her sister, too. She only just went in the nursing home last month. Got a call a little bit ago... Kathy Ru died. She had a beautiful spirit. She was real about facing death. She didn't "put on a brave face"... she was brave. She was sad, too. But she accepted her fate with grace and peace, and made sure her salvation was intact. She took care of things, and faced each day... not with reckless abandon that one might expect of a dying young person... but with deep, abiding love of life and friends and family. We shared a bond... we just clicked. It was good. She was awesome.

That's where I am today.

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Thanks for visiting my blog! I have NO idea what I'm doing, but am enjoying playing around and trying to figure out how to create this blog-thing. So... what brings you here?