Are You In A Bubble?

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lving in a bubble umclWe all live in our own worlds… in our own bubbles.  In those worlds, I think, we tend to think that whatever we are experiencing is being experienced by everyone else, and interpreted in the same way that we are interpreting what is happening in our world.  If, for example, everything is going well financially in our world… we tend to think that all is well with the world.

Meanwhile the Pew Research Group reports that 71% of the people in the world live on $10 a day.  That would be $3650. a year.  That information may not compute with what we are experiencing and therefore what we are thinking about the world.  Though we are financially comfortable, it would be incorrect to think that most people are financially comfortable in the same way that we are.

In the same way, I think, it would be incorrect for us to assume that everyone is being treated in the same way that we are being treated.  It is clear, when we listen to others, that all folks are not being treated the same…(that is with the same respect…with the same assumed dignity and integrity.)

It seems that some people start out privileged by who and where they are…and others start out without advantages.  It is OK to work hard to overcome the disadvantages.  It is not OK to assume that since we have been privileged…everyone has been privileged.  If we only live in our bubble…in our own world… and never listen to how others are experiencing life…we are perpetuating stereotypes and maintaining bias.

The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.  They make one story become the only story.

-​Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, writer, Nigeria

It would be outstanding if we could live in such a way that we listened to and trusted everyone’s story, even if it were different than ours.  And it would be beautifully outstanding if we could live in such a way that those stories blended into a rich mosaic of justice for all.

Let’s hope for and live for a day when our thoughts and actions are informed by the rich diversity of human experience.  Let’s hope for a day when we listen to each other, trust each other, live as sisters and brothers and become family.

Rev. Ted Anderson


 

Fat Tuesday

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fat tuesday umclToday is the day known as Fat Tuesday, a day of feasting and celebration just prior to Ash Wednesday.  Traditionally, in  the city of New Orleans Mardi Gras parades occur,. Red Beans and rice, and Kings Bread are the traditional fare.   This feasting and celebration give way to the Lenten season.which begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter.  Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Lencten, which means “spring”. The season is a preparation for Easter.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality – and because of that, we come before God with a desire for wholeness, healing and reconciliation.

Lent is the time to take the time
To let the power of our faith story take hold of us,
A time to let the events
Get up and walk around in us,
A time to intensify
Our living unto Christ
A time to hover over
The thoughts of our hearts
A time to place our feet in the streets of Jerusalem
Or to walk along the sea and listen to his word,
A time to touch his robe
And feel the healing surge through us,
A time to ponder and a time to wonder…

Ann Weems Knelling in Jerusalem

I invite you to observe Ash Wednesday tomorrow night (February 17th) at 7:00 PM, online or in-person with us at United Methodist Church of Livonia (NY).

Peace,

Hoyt W. Brown


 

10 Ways to Observe Ash Wednesday

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ash wednesday umclAsh Wednesday is an important day in the church calendar. It marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter.
This holy day is not a holiday from work, school, or most other obligations, so if we are not intentional in our observance it is likely to resemble any ordinary Wednesday.
To help us find ways to remember the holy in the midst of our routines—something we should strive for every day—I offer some ideas to consider.

1. Worship
Participate in on-line or in-person worship on Ash Wednesday  If you do not have a Lent Bag, which includes ashes please contact the office so we can get one to you.
Our Ash Wednesday includes times of prayer, singing, confession and pardon, a reflection, and the imposition of ashes The somber tone helps us reflect on our own mortality and the need for us to confess our sins.

2. Serve
On Ash Wednesday, we remember that we are part of the human family, making it a great day to serve others. If possible, find a place to volunteer for the day. Volunteer at the Thrift Shop or shovel the snow for a neighbor.

3. Give
Make a sacrificial gift to the church.  You can mail a check, give on-line, or use the Give+ app. Alternately, find ways to bless others with that which God entrusts you.

4. Abstain/fast
Giving up something for Lent is a common practice for many Christians. Often, we give up a favorite food or try to kick a bad habit during Lent. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is when this begins, but don’t confine yourself to food or habits.
Can you abstain from gossip or complaining for Ash Wednesday? What about defensive attitudes, fear, or anxiety? You probably won’t be perfect at this, but when these attitudes begin to take hold of your day, pause for prayer.

5. Pray your day
Pray for the drivers of the vehicles around you. Pray as you pass the hospital, police station, and government offices. Lift up the trash collector and mail carrier. Offer prayers throughout the day thanking God for your family, friends, and coworkers.

6. Make something
Some of us reflect and pray best when our hands are busy. Get back in the workshop and spend time cutting, sanding, and gluing. Sit at a piano and let the music flow. Take out the paints, glue, clay, and other supplies to create a work of art. As you create, give thanks to our Creator who longs to be in relationship with you.

7. Be still
Others find meaning in stillness. Light a candle and pause before the presence of God. Take a yoga class. Enjoy a cup of coffee on your deck. Listen for the voice of God.

8. Clean something
Ash Wednesday is a good day to get a jump on your spring cleaning. Spend an hour with the junk drawer, that cabinet at work, or organizing the files on your computer.
As you remove things you no longer need and reorder those you do, be mindful of the ways God “cleans” us. The Bible tells us “As far as east is from west—that’s how far God has removed our sin from us” (Psalm 103:12, CEB). As we get things in order, we remember that Jesus gave his life so that we might be free from our sins and know new life.

9. Burn something
When you finish cleaning, take some of the papers you no longer need to the fireplace. Light them and watch as they turn to ashes.
The ashes in the fireplace are not the same as the ones used in worship, but can serve as a similar reminder that your sins are forgiven. As the smoke rises up the chimney, know your prayers are rising to God as well.

10. Forgive and seek forgiveness
As we pray for God’s grace, we should also seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. Ash Wednesday is a great time to go to those you have hurt.

It is also a wonderful day to forgive another. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us” (Matthew 6:12 CEB). Maybe while you are burning those old papers, you might also burn a grudge. If appropriate, let the person know you forgive them. Remember, however, that forgiveness has much more to do about us than the one who offended us.

Pastor Hoyt


 

Move On – It’s About Forgiveness

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breaking chains with forgivenessJanuary 2021

Prelude to conversation…

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”                                                                              Matthew 18:21-22

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
– Gautama Buddha 6-4 BC

If we are going to get over this…. it would be good for us to forgive each other.

This is not to say that the consequences of our offending someone…of our mistake…of our sin…of our crime… immediately go away.  Whoever is the offender should take responsibility for their offense.   But it is to say that if we want to move on from here…if we want to live in a family, community, state, nation or world which does not burn up in the heat of our anger and hurt…it would be good for us to forgive.
…
Forgiveness.  When we forgive, we let go of our anger, hurt, resentment and pain …to give the one who has offended us the respect with which each person ought to be treated.  This is not easy…but holding out, not forgiving, leads to war, anger, injustice and conflict internally and externally…and that leads to people (forgiver and forgivee) getting injured…hurt…burned.

I’ve been trying to get down… to the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak… and my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about… forgiveness…  forgiveness…                              
-Don Henley

Yes!  It is about forgiveness.

So let’s get down to the heart of the matter…and forgive.

Pastor Ted Anderson, Assistant District Superintendent


 

We Are The Church

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Our UCML family should be extremely proud of the many outreach and connectional ministries that were provided over the past several months and through the holiday season. Despite limitations created by the pandemic, church leadership, individuals and small groups contributed to these extremely successful efforts:

  • We hosted a very successful Trunk or Treat event on Halloween. Many donated candy and several volunteers stuffed Halloween treat bags (250!). We had over a dozen decorated cars/trucks, many award-worthy. Well over 100 grateful families paraded through our parking lot 
  • Monthly Spaghetti Dinners resumed
  • Prayer beads were crafted and delivered to over 100 individuals and families
  • 400 Dress-A-Girl dresses were delivered to the Angels of Mercy collection site in Rochester
  • Advent kits were provided to 100 individuals and families, so that they might more fully experience the Advent season, whether worshipping in-person or on-line
  • The response to the Reverse Advent Calendar in the Advent kits was amazing-several truckloads of food items have been delivered to the Livonia Food Pantry, and bags and boxes of food items continue to pour in to our Gathering Area.
  • We again hosted Toys for Tots; our church family provided many gifts for the enjoyment of children and youth in our community.
  • Several “Angel Jars” of loose change were distributed to needy families in our community via staff at Livonia Central School; additional jars of change were donated to the Pastors Fund
  • 62 shoeboxes were filled for Operation Christmas Child
  • Several children/families struggling with the incarceration of a parent/guardian benefitted from giving through the Angel Tree.
  • Handmade portable desks were delivered to several children in our church family
  • The youth group crafted and sent Christmas greeting cards to 17 families or individuals in our church community
  • UMCL’s Thrift Shop continues to provide gently used items at little to no cost for needy families and individuals in the area

 

This reminds me of a favorite song:
 
I am the church! You are the church!
We are the church together!
All who follow Jesus,
all around the world!
Yes, we’re the church together!

The church is not a building;
the church is not a steeple;
the church is not a resting place;
the church is a people.

Whether we are worshipping in-person or participating on-line, WE ARE THE CHURCH!!!!

Yours in Christ,
Melinda Sciera


 

It’s Not Too Late

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January 2021

Prelude to conversation…

It is not too late to…

Pray
Pray in our own language
Pray in our own tradition
Pray

Pray for peace
Pray for justice
Pray for reconciliation
Pray for a peace which is healthy and whole

Pray for our country
Pray for our Presidents
Pray for the members of Congress
Pray for our neighbors

Pray for God’s Will, not ours, to happen
Pray for God’s World to be whole …as God sees things
Pray for God’s Children…(all people) to be one…to be loving sisters and brothers
Pray

It is not too late to…

Live
Live for peace
Live for justice
Live for reconciliation
Live to promote health and wellness

Live for one another
Live for our country

Live in such a way that God’s Will would be accomplished
Live in such a way that God’s World would be one

Live a life of love

It is not too late…

Pastor Ted Anderson
Assistant District Superintendent

 


 

“If you love me . . Feed my sheep”

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Let us bless God, the father of our Lord, King, Jesus; he is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort.  He comforts us in all trouble, so that we can then comfort people in every kind of trouble, through the comfort with which God comforts us.                  – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
I must admit I am equal parts frustrated and at a loss.  I am frustrated that as this pandemic has stretched on, the feeling of family that has so long defined our church is diminishing.  At a loss, because I am not sure how to address the reality of our circumstances.  I am deeply saddened each time someone tells me that they feel disconnected and that the “church” has not reached out to them.  There are people in our church family who are feeling unloved, isolated, and uncared for.

To be sure, this loss of community is mirrored in many churches.  The same is true for families, friends, communities and other civic groups.  We are not alone.  But because we claim to be the body of Christ, we have a sacred responsibility to each other and Christ to address our feelings of disconnection and isolation.  How often have we proclaimed that, “By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world…”?  What can we do to be one with each other?

I remind you of the definition of hope we used in a June sermon series.  I urged us to think of hope as something different from wishing, something deeper.

Hope can be both a noun and a verb.  As a noun, hope is a conviction that despite one’s current circumstances, the future will in some meaningful sense be better than the present.

As a verb, hope is choosing to believe and act as if the future will be better than the present.  As a verb hope is choosing to act or work to make things better.

I ask you to choose to act, to work to make things better.   Act in ways that change our feelings, and strengthen our ties to each other.  The only cure for our collective feeling of isolation is by reaching out to each other.  One of our strengths as a congregation is so many of you have close friendships with a group of people, so it has been easy to keep connected.  I want to challenge you to think beyond your small group of friends.  Who is someone you normally greet at church that is not in your normal social circle?  Who is someone you don’t know well?  Who is new to our community and might not have a strong connection to fall back on?  Who do you know that does not live in Livonia proper and might feel out of the loop?

Now the hard part.  Please reach out to the people whose names came to mind.  If no name comes to mind, look through the directory and identify a brother or sister in our church you could reach out to.  Again, not a part of your normal social group.  There are many ways of reaching out and letting someone know that they matter and you care.  Perhaps the best is of course a phone call.  You might also consider a handwritten note or card, a text or an email.  Also consider leaving a goody bag at someone’s door.  Be creative, but do something.  Choose be hope in action.

Remember, each person (you included) matters to God, and each person should matter to us.   Please accept your role in caring for each other, especially those who are not a part of our normal social bubble.  Recall Jesus words to Peter.  “If you love me, then feed my sheep.”

Pastor Hoyt

 


 

 

Love Thy Neighbor

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January 2021

Prelude to conversation…

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Love yourself; get outside yourself and take action.  Focus on the solution; be at peace.
– an American Indian Sioux Proverb

In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.      
– an Iroquois Saying

I hope that when we say…this is not us… we are not ignoring the experiences and events that make it look like this is us.  I hope we are saying that this is not the ideal of the American dream…I hope we are saying that this is clearly our failure to live the intent of the US Constitution.

The hard reality for many people…too many people… is that the current events of our collective living…what happened during the summer protests, the pandemic, the unemployment, and the violent trespass of our nation’s capitol, (just to name a few) reflect that too many of us…really all of us…do not experience the freedom and liberty which is the dream…the goal…the objective of our country.  In fact, some of us experience oppression, some of us experience prejudice, some of us experience injustice every day.  While sometimes all of us experience these things, some of us experience these things everyday.  When we say…this is not us… it flies in the face of what too many of us know on a daily basis.  This violence, this discrimination, this prejudice, this injustice, tragically, is us…or at least what too many of us experience too often.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

As you come to know the seriousness of our situation – the war, the racism, the poverty in the world – you come to realize it is not going to be changed by words and demonstrations.  It’s a question of risking your life.  It’s a question of living your life in drastically different ways.
– Dorothy Day

Or… as Jesus said…and also said by all of the great teachers…  love your neighbors.

Of course doing that is difficult.  But loving our neighbors…all of them… will change the world.
Loving our neighbors will change our country.  And loving our neighbors will lead us to a time when we can say…this is us…and everyone will be included.

Let’s get started.

Pastor Ted Anderson
District Assistant Superintendent


 

 

The Real Jesus – The True Jesus

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I don’t want to wade  into the particulars of who was right and who was wrong on January 6, 2021.  While there were many things that disturb me about the events of that day, I wish to point out one thing of particular concern for me as a minister of the Gospel.

My concern is with the attempt to infuse this attack on the Capital with Christian symbolism. The name of Jesus was on bold display during the riot at the Capitol, as were other symbols of our faith.  Looking at the photos reveals the following symbols:

·       The Christian flag, an ecumenical white flag with a blue field and a red Latin cross…carried by one rioter on the to the floor of the House of Representatives even as guns were drawn to keep them out;

·       At least two flags featuring the ICTHUS, the outline of a fish adopted by early Christians;

·       An American flag altered to read “Make America Godly Again” on its white stripes;

·       A white flag with a green pine tree and the words “An Appeal to Heaven;”

·       And blowing prominently in the foreground as the mob kicked in a Capitol door was a red, white and blue flag that proclaimed, “Jesus is my savior” and “Trump is my President” on either sides of an elongated American flag.

·       Additionally, a large wooden cross was erected across from the Capitol building.

Understandably Facebook and Twitter users were quick to point this out, labeling all Christians as hypocrites who were complicit in the attack on the Capital.  Making no distinction between individuals and the entire religion.

Noted author Beth Moore wrote in response;
“I don’t know the Jesus some have paraded and waved around in the middle of this treachery today. They may be acting in the name of some other Jesus but that’s not Jesus of the Gospels.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I don’t know that Jesus, either.

Jesus—the real Jesus—does not bow at the altar of politics. He does not require the assistance of the kingdoms of this world. He transcends all governments, states, and borders. He cannot be held captive by any political agenda. Jesus—the real Jesus—is Lord of all. And attempts to remake him in our image, no matter how sincere our intentions, are affronts to his lordship. We do not honor him by parading his image in displays of political showmanship. We do not honor his cross by distorting its meaning for political gain, nor do we honor his name by co-opting it in the service of some other cause. Jesus is the cause, and he is too holy, too righteous, too perfect to serve as a spokesman for any political idealogy. We are not his masters. He is ours, and he abides no rivals.

It is, however, so very tempting to try to make Jesus serve us.

The Jesus given to us in Scripture is no political pawn. He is the very incarnation of God (remember our Advent sermon series)  who has come to call us to repentance and teach us to live rightly. He defeated sin, Satan, and death (recall Easter), and he offers us the opportunity to live with him forever in a peaceable kingdom. The Jesus of Scripture has given us the Sermon on the Mount (which is the basis of our current sermon series). He has taught us to do justice, walk humbly with God, and most of all love. He has taught us that if we want to be his disciples, we must take up the cross and follow him, not carry it to a political rally. He has commanded us to care for the poor. He has warned us against the danger of riches. He has taught us that whoever wants to be first in the kingdom of God must be last of all and servant of all. He has taught us that the world will hate us, but that God will love and honor us nonetheless. And he has taught us that no one can serve two masters. We will invariably hate one and love the other. God and mammon is the example he uses, but we could insert any other master and the result would be the same. God and fame. God and sex. God and ego. God and power. God and politics.

That Jesus–the Jesus of the upside down kingdom of God in which the lowly are raised up and the humble exalted–is the Jesus of Scripture. And we cannot build our own kingdoms upon his name. He is Lord. There is no other.

I care about the spread of Christian faith. I want everyone to know and love Jesus. But I believe we draw people to Jesus by presenting that Jesus who is given to us in Scripture–the Christ who taught us to love our neighbors, love our enemies, act justly, care for the poor, and humble ourselves that he might one day exalt us. There is no other Jesus. And this Jesus—the true Jesus—was not on display in the Nation’s Capitol building last week.

 

Peace,

Hoyt W. Brown


 

Light The Way

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January 2021

Prelude to conversation…

There is no question… Christmas is over…

The day on which we wish everyone peace and good will…seems to be long past.
At some point…the people celebrating Christmas recognized that one day was not enough and they made a season of 12 days for it.
Even the 12 days is now past.   Seemingly long past.

Of course, we also know that the very first Christmas came to an abrupt halt with weeping and much grieving.  We remember that Christmas, whether a day or a season of 12 days, happens in the midst of real life.  After any Christmas time there is still poverty, injustice, discrimination, a lack of peace, a lack of truth, and a lack of good will.   Though the experience of Christmas makes peace and justice possible…it is for us to leave Christmas different people than we were when we found it.  It is for us to leave the manger…but to take Christmas with us wherever we go, so that righteousness, justice, peace and good will have a chance to take root wherever we journey.

When we take Christmas with us…there is the chance that there will be light in the darkness of this world.  Perhaps that is why those who established the seasons of the Christian year followed the 12 days of Christmas with the season of Epiphany…the season of light.  The season of light…visible in those who take Christmas with them… is to be light in the world.  This life style…this light, is to reveal truth, justice, righteousness, people in need, peace.  This life style…this light, brings hope, not despair, and healing, not harm.

It is a gut-wrenching experience, when on the day which ends the 12 days of Christmas and begins the season of light…we come to know despair and not hope and harm and not healing.
And yet there is light!  Christmas happens everyday not just once a year or for only 12 days a year.  We take Christmas with us… as Howard Thurman has said in a modified way…

When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,  when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,  to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,  to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,  to bring peace among neighbors,
to make music in the heart.
                                                     
Let us be light!  and  May God’s light light the way!

-Rev. Ted Anderson