Lay your hands on me.

My ordination was this past Wednesday at Boston Ave. UMC. I was ordained with about 15 other new and old friends. Bishop Hayes preached from 1st Timothy about how ministry isn't making a living, it is a way of life. Good sermon--you can watch the whole thing--including my ordination-- here. My dad and Jennifer Long were the two who I selected to lay hands on me, and they were joined by my DS, Linda Harker, and other BOM members who've helped me along the way. Judy Benson, the conference lay leader, held a Bible out in front of me as I was kneeling--it was open to Ezekiel 31 and 32--the song of the Cedar of Lebenon and the lament over the pharoah. When I saw this open Bible out in front of me as the Bishop was pronouncing the ordination, I forgot that she was doing it so that I could put my hand on it, and instead started looking through the chapters to see if I was meant to see something in particular. Woops. Oh well, I trust I'm ordained anyway. As for the Cedar of Lebenon, it is a beautiful piece of poetry, and it reminds me to take a dose of humility along with all the praise and congratulations coming my way.

3 year old existentialism

Wesley is very much in the "why" phase right now. I like it. Here are some of the highlights:

Wes: Why does the sun go down?
Me: (thinking, hmmm, do I give him the scientific answer, or should the earth just be flat right now--I opt for the real reason and use my fist to be the earth and the sun to be a basketball.) Well, we are on the earth, and the earth spins like this (twist my fist around) and we're on the surface of the earth (I point to my knuckle with the other hand--so, I'm tangling up my hands and trying to keep the sun in place while I use the finger to show that we're on earth and when the earth spins it just looks like the sun goes down. I think my teaching job is a miserable failure, but notice Wesley explaining to his mom the next day and spinning his fist around too. :)
By the way, Wesley seems extremely interested in astronomy. One time he asked Lara what an "orbit" was (he was looking at one of his magic school bus books) and Lara explained that we were on the earth and were flying through space around the sun in a big circle. She said, "but we don't really feel like we're flying, do we." Wesley responded--"I can! Weeeee!"

Wesley: "Where are my feelings?"
Lara: (Baffled) "Well, sometimes they're inside our heart, and sometimes they're inside our heads."
Wes: "What's inside my head?"

Wesley, pointing to a man at McDonalds: "What's his name?"
Me: "I don't know."
Wesley: "Don't say, 'I don't know.'" (He's been saying that a lot lately. He is clearly perturbed when I don't know something.)
Me: (Debating whether I should let Wesley go over and ask the man his name.) "Son, we don't have to know everyone's name."

Wesley, pointing to a picture of Jesus feeding the 5000, "That's Jesus. I like Jesus. Why'd they nail him up on that cross?"
Me: "They did, didn't they. Why do you think they did?"
Wesley: "They nailed him on that cross like this, bam bam bam bam bam, and it hurt him."
Me: "That's right. But Jesus wanted us to know how much God loves us, so he went through the hurt because he knew it would show what God would do for us."
Wes: Oh, God loves us?
Me: Yes. God made you, and He loves you.
Wes: Jesus loves us?
me: Yes, very much.
Wes: Oh.

Brain Drain

To my loyal readers or the casual lookers: Sorry I've been kind of out of the loop, especially during the hallowed blogger free for all that is General Conference. Truth be told, my wife is having a difficult pregnancy (hyperthyroidism--which causes her an inordinate amount of nausea and exhaustion.) She's had to cancel all of her clients until further notice and has been confined to bed or short periods of activity. Meanwhile, I've had more of the household chores and childcare to attend to, so everything combined makes for a bad case of brain drain. I can't really think of anything that would be worthwhile for you to read. Somehow, the Spirit has been gifting me with some sermons that are inspiring, but as for the blog, it has been few and far between. Stay tuned, hopefully we'll be out of the woods in a couple weeks. (We hope to get away to Colorado Springs later this week, but we'll have to see if Lara can make the flight.)

Tending the Lamps

I canceled youth tonight because earlier this afternoon I felt like crap. Had a fever, which the woman who took Wesley for us this afternoon told her daughter is "sometimes God's way of saying to you--"You need some rest." That I did. I slept this afternoon for a good long while, and Lara called the youth who usually come to tell them to take the night off.
After resting, I felt much refreshed around the time we usually have youth, so I went over to make sure no one showed up who didn't get the message. While there, I went through the church turning off lights and marveling at the classrooms and recognizing God's work within a couple in particular which house thriving Sunday school classes. I ended up raising my hands and asking God to work to make the other classes stronger too, asking God to bless the pastor's office, and so forth. When I got into the sanctuary, I cleaned up the communion elements and made sure the candles were all out. We've recently started offering communion in the prayer chapel after every service. I just consecrate the elements before the hymn of invitation, then invite the congregation to come and partake if they will during the hymn of invitation or after the benediction. So far no one has come forward during the hymn of invitation, so maybe I'll stop including that in the times when people can come forward. Or perhaps I'll start having the elements prepared before the church service so people can go in before or after the service....hmmm. Anyway, I didn't ask our communion stewards to take responsibility for setting up for this quite yet because I wanted to only change a few things at a time.

Anyway, putting the elements in the yard for the birds and squirrels and all the benedicting before had put me in a priestly mood, so I also decided to tend the lamps. I had noticed one of our candles running low on oil, and also the sanctuary lamp in the prayer chapel had evidently gone out on its own (it's a 7 day lamp, but we only burn it when folks are in the building.) So I knew we needed to re-oil.

As I was doing so, it occurred to me that tending the lamps must have been a priestly Levitical duty because it is relaxing. It may be "God's way" of helping the priests get rest. I realize it was ascribed to the priesthood in a very different context than mine, and probably involved more than just grabbing the bottle of oil and making sure the wick wasn't sticking out to far, but for me this afternoon it was a blessing. I was always captivated by the idea that simple tasks such as preparing tea and washing the dishes seem to hold such attentiveness in Zen Buddhism. (Actually , the tea ceremony is a central ritual). Tending the lamps gives the priest the opportunity to be in the sanctuary, to check up on things, and to take care that the worship space of the congregation is being maintained and beautified. Maybe this is a pleasure that is prone to "delegating away" in most churches (my chair of trustees also keeps tabs on the amount of oil) but if you are in a ministry context where these kinds of tasks fall to you, the pastor, I'd suggest thinking of this kind of task being in the sphere of the priesthood.

* you may be surprised to see that this rural Oklahoma Methodist church has sanctuary lamps, but indeed we do, and they were here when I got here. (Not the one in the prayer chapel. That has been a project that I've been here for.) But for whatever reason, this church of Methodist/Baptist families has some high church DNA somewhere in it.

General Conference Opens with Druidic worship service :)

Looks like it has Marcia McFee written all over it!

Just kiddin----i think it looks beautiful, although I wonder if a circle of bishops blocked out the view of the elements?

Earth Day Youth Skit

The youth are helping me in church on Sunday since it will be "Earth Sun Day" I couldn't find a skit on the internet, so I wrote one. If you'd like to use it, feel free to change the names and adapt to your location.

Carson walks to sanctuary from back. Notices the overhead lights are off as he walks down the aisle

CARSON: HMMMM.

gets to the front, turns around

CARSON: LET THERE BE LIGHT! Gestures up in dramatic fashion.

(Lights come on, (turned on by Byjou in the prayer room))

CARSON: HEY! THAT’S PRETTY GOOD!

Carson points at the ground:

Carson: Let there be a million dollars!

(Nothing happens. Byjou laughs from the prayer room. )

Byjou: You didn’t know I was in here, did you?

Carson; Well……

Byjou: Hey, you know where light really comes from?

Carson: The light bulb? (Sarcastically)

Byjou: No, like where the electricity comes from—you know, like we were talking about in youth last week—where our tapwater comes from, where our toilet water goes. Where the cheese on our pizza came from….

Carson: Oh yeah—well, I’d say it probably comes from a power plant somewhere.

Byjou: Yeah, I was noticing that power plant outside Muskogee on the way to Camp Egan the other day. It was a really clear blue day except for the brown haze that was coming out of the plant.

Tori and Kassy enter with a Bible

Tori: Hey guys, get a load of this!

Offstage voice (Kendall) speaks into cordless mike from prayer room when Tori opens the Bible.

Kendall: I love you guys!

Byjou and Carson: Whoaaaaah! What was that?

Kassy: I think its God.

Kendall: That’s right! (Pleading) I’ve been telling ya’ll!

Carson: Hold on, God’s talking to us?

Kendall: Well, you’ve got the Bible open, don’t you. What did you expect would happen?

Carson: uhhhhh.

Byjou: Words! But—words on a page. This is weird.

Tori: God told me to come over here because ya’ll were discussing something important.

Carson: I was just kidding about that million dollars thing, God. Um, sorry!

Kendall: But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Carson: Oooooookay?

Kendall: That’s 1 Timothy 6:9. That’s kinda how this “Me talking to you” thing works—you’ve got the Bible open, so the things you find in it you apply to your own life, and that’s one way I can speak to you. I really know you were kidding about the million dollars thing, I’m just pulling your leg, man!

Byjou: Man? (a little surprised that God is speaking to them so informally, like teenagers speak to each other)

Kendall: Well, almost man, I guess. But it’s really just a colloquialism. (ko-lo-kwee-al-ism) Like, “what’s up?”

Byjou: You!? (Kendall and Byjou laugh heartily)

Kendall: Oh, Byjou: You slay me! You’re not of Roman descent are you? (Laughs again with Byjou. Rest of teens are simply perplexed)

Tori: Well, what was it that you thought was so important, God?

Kendall: It was what Byjou was talking about the power plant. Kassy, why don’t you read Psalm 24: 1

Kassy: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the earth, and all that dwell therein.”

Kendall: ITS MINE, ITS ALL MINE! Mmmuuuuhahahahahah. Just kiddin! It’s actually kind of yours too. You hold it in trust for me. I needed some janitors for Creation, and you all seemed pretty handy. Check out Genesis 2: 7 and 15

Tori: “Then the Lord formed Adam out of the dust of the ground…The Lord took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”

Kendall: Exactly. You kind of missed a few things from the original Hebrew. I like to play with words from time to time, but you sometimes don’t catch the brilliant little double entendres. (on-tawn-dras) The Hebrew word “Adam” simply means “human.” And “adamah” means “dust.” “Adam” comes from “Adamah.” Like it?

Carson: Cool!

Kendall: It is cool Carson! It is cool! But what do you expect, right? Anyway. What I was trying to get across by pairing those words together is that you humans are part of the earth. You are pretty deeply connected. That’s something you tend to forget, especially these days. Kassy, read Isaiah 24: 4-5

Kassy: 4The earth turns gaunt and gray,
the world silent and sad,
sky and land lifeless, colorless.

5-13Earth is polluted by its very own people,
who have broken its laws,
Disrupted its order,
violated the sacred and eternal covenant.

Byjou: So, you’re saying you care about that coal plant in Muskogee because we’re connected with the earth and we’re not really paying attention to how we’re polluting it?

Kendall: It’s not just one power plant I’m concerned about. It’s the whole system. It’s hard for you to see the big picture sometimes, but from my vantage point, well, like I said to Job one time, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”

Tori: That’s Job 38, isn’t it?

Kendall: Well done, my little padawan.

Tori: What?

Kendall: Woah—not a Star Wars fan? Well now you know I am! A padawan is a young Jedi…oh nevermind.

Byjou: So, basically, you’d like to see us put less pollution in the atmosphere?

Kendall: Yes indeed. Read Ezekiel 34: 15-19

Kassy: And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited.

17-19 "'And as for you, my dear flock, I'm stepping in and judging between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. Aren't you satisfied to feed in good pasture without taking over the whole place? Can't you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that's trampled down and water that's been muddied?

Kendall: See, there I’m making a little metaphor. You all are like the sheep. When you foul up your environment, you affect others. And in this day and age, the ones who are hurt the worst by pollution and the climate change that results from it are the poorest people in the world already. And you know what? Matthew 25:40!

Tori: “Whatever you have done unto the least of my bretheren, you have done unto me.”

Carson: What can we do? We don’t own the power plant. We’re just “almost men” and “almost women!” Should I command all these lights to turn back off?

Byjou: Well, we’re using these lights while we worship, but we can at least turn off the lights when we leave a room. Then we’ll be using less electricity. And if we use less energy and convinced others to as well, then the power plant wouldn’t have to burn so much coal to produce electricity.

Kassy: Or I’ve seen those windmills west of Oklahoma City and they produce energy too! We could write our legislators and tell them we’d like to see more of those collecting energy without polluting the air rather than building more coal or gas plants. We’ve got plenty of wind, after all!

Tori: Or we could turn up our thermostat one degree, turn down the fridge one setting, or switch to those swirly new light bulbs. All those things aren’t that big of changes that add up to save energy.

Carson: Or right here in church we could start using glasses instead of Styrofoam when we get drinks at youth. That’ll take less energy, and we won’t be throwing away those cups that don’t decompose.

Kendall: Right on, guys! “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Peace out!

"I would forgive anyone, if it just meant I could count on them."

I was struck by this radio broadcast on all things considered today. Star Diaz speaks about the prospect of aging out of foster care. I was on the way to pick up Wesley and was just captivated by the story, especially the quote that is in the title of this post. I was thinking about the scriptures for this week and what kind of sermon I might prepare. Maybe I'll use this this as an example of a voice of the shepherd/someone who is struggling to hear the shepherd.

Awesomely Awesome Bold Leadership skillz

Do you want to be a leader? This leadership guru is ready to get you motivated!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to read this later. You're welcome to read it now

The Revenge of the Right Brain: Wired Magazine

Coffee Cup Police

I'm thinking of infiltrating the Sunday morning coffee club soon with the suggestion that they use regular coffee cups instead of deathrophome. My initial idea is to say to them that I'd be happy to take the ceramic cups home and wash them in my dishwasher so they don't have to worry about doing dishes. That may set it up to be only a short term change. I've tried to lead by example without necessarily "preaching" about it, but I think the first step we could take on this front begins with this group because it is the smallest group and would take the least energy to "correct." Do people enjoy drinking out of styrofoam cups? We have enough ceramics for all of them, but they go right to the styro--laziness! Any input from fellow eco-messiahs in our own minds?

My big thing these days is to help encourage lasting change in the congregation instead of simply taking the reigns and altering behavior, thereby making it "the pastor's thing." I think I've "earned enough capital" (to daringly quote a phrase from the former gov. of Texas) to convince the people by my own witness, but worry that simply changing their behavior for them is too heavy handed and won't be long lasting. When do I put away the subtlety and just say "quit using the damned styrofoam?" This is also an issue with moving this congregation toward weekly communion. I know we need it, they aren't overtly opposed to it, when do I just take the initiative and make the change? I've been here 2 years.

Blog Honing

I was just reading John the Methodist's old blogger profile of my friend Andrew Thompson. Here's one question he answered that convicted me:

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Well, I’ve only been blogging since last August, so I guess I’m still something of a novice! But if I were to offer advice to others, it would be to orient their blogs toward issues that they are passionate about. I don’t think most people want to read somebody’s random thoughts about life, the universe, and everything. They want to read cogent, thoughtful commentary on issues of relevance. Related to that are two other small pieces of advice: post regularly and develop a primary subject matter. I think that those elements are key to developing a consistent readership.

I don't know if 3 years of blogging under my belt gets me out of the "novice" genre, but Andrew's point is well taken. I don't believe this blog has much of a cohesive theme. Should it? I suppose lack of feedback will be an answer in the affirmative. Though I didn't think about a theme, per se, when I opened the doors of this blog, I kind of thought the title alluded to the purpose and I hoped to do what Reinhold did with his book of a similar title: that being various accounts of pastoral life from a rookie. Is that enough of a theme? Andrew, you out there?

Scanning party.

I did about 2 hours of work with an hp customer service chat room person (whom at one point I just had to ask "are you a real person," because she kept repeating phrases like "no need to worry," and "I'm glad to be of assistance, let us now try removing the Universal Serial Bus Driver." When I asked "Danielle" point blank if she were a "real person," she merely said, "I am Danielle." I felt like I was talking to HAL.

So, after a while of stilted conversation with "Danielle," we finally got my printer, scanner, copier working. It was good Easter season work, brining my printer back to life. Afterward, we had a scanning party, and I decided to scan some of my art that I have over here at the house. I did this one at an "emerging worship" service with the General Board of Discipleship. I'm unhappy with how the scanner shot right through the areas of thin paint to the canvas, but oh well. We were supposed to paint "hope," and I decided to combine imagery from the burning bush and the nativity. Also, the flames/light is encroaching into the darkness.

Is that a brachiasaurus head? No! It's a new little Mattox!

My wife is going to kill me, but this is what I first saw when I saw our ultrasound photo.

My pregnant pampered princess just informed me that she thought I thought the whole uterus looked like that nostril thing on the brach's head. This was not my original comparison, but it also fits I suppose. No, Lara. Look at the actual embryo. You can click on the picture and see that it looks like a brachiasaurus with its mouth open.

I enjoy coordinating clothes with my son, but love him enough to stop in a few years

Easter Sermon: It's How you believe

Sermon Text: Colossians 3: 1-4Matthew 28

Sorry, no transcript this week either. I'm preaching in more of an extemporaneous style now. If the manuscript sermons have been a big help to you, leave a comment, and I'll look into getting an ipod or something that I could put podcasts of the sermon on the website. If I don't hear from anyone, I will keep giving you the talking points of the sermon and what I can remember of it. (and some improvements I've made in the past 24 hours. :) )

My earthquake experiences have been unextraordinary. Leaning back in my chair during seminary during one, asleep during the other.

Quite possibly, this earthquake that Matthew recounts was not that extraordinary too. After all he's the only writer to remember it. Perhaps this was just indicative of a resurrection that kind of "flew under the radar," anyway. John tells of the disciples going back to their fishing after the encounters with the risen Christ.

So, no hard feelings if you merely think of Easter Sunday as a day to go to church in pastel colors and have an egg hunt.Our ultimate antagonist to having a life of faith is the disease of apathy. Apatheism, some call it. (Here, some of the teenagers in church were busy texting each other, and made a good illustration about apathy and the Easter story.)

But perhaps we are apathetic because we believe that the Easter event is just another event that we are supposed to believe "happened" so that we can "believe the right things" and "get into heaven." Once we've gotten the story down, and believe that it has happened, we're "okay." Hmm.

Perhaps all this talk of an earthquake and an angel and the clunky narrative about guards being placed at the tomb is just Matthew writing in a convenient explanation as to why the Romans and Jews keep dismissing the early Christians talk about a resurrection by saying that they had stolen the body. Or, if you watch the Discovery or History Channel, you can learn about all the other theories about how Jesus might have "come back from the dead." Some say Jesus was drugged, feigned death, and later escaped from the tomb. Others say the disciples just got so worked up in their grief that they made up the whole thing.

So, that "story that we have to get down right" in order to "believe the right things," isn't so simple after all, is it?

The gospels sure don't help us.  They each tell the story in different ways. Which one am I "supposed to believe" preacher?

What if Matthew, with all this talk about guards at the gate, is trying to communicate to us the idea that it's not what you believe, it's how you believe?

The guards at the tomb witnessed everything the women did! They surely "believed the right things." They were right there so scared they couldn't move! They got the information, because they took it back to the authorities. The difference was "how they believed." They were content to be paid off to change their story. They sold out while the women shared the good news.

Bishop Will Willimon points out. "There are so many ways to "explain" the resurrection. The point is, we can't explain the resurrection. The resurrection explains us!"

This past week, we recounted the stories about how Jesus was "there for us," but how his disciples failed to be "there for him." They deserted, they shrunk away in fear. They lied about their association with him. They betrayed him. Now an angel who "has the appearance of lightning" is telling us this man is back. Uh-oh! But notice what Jesus tells the women. "Greetings! Tell my brothers to meet me in Galilee." My brothers! The two most important words of this story. My brothers.

The women become not only missionaries of the resurrection message, but also agents of reconciliation.Resurrection faith isn’t just a matter of believing that a dead body came back to life. The soldiers and the priests believed this as well, and were quick to work against the resurrection. Resurrection faith is knowing that this event heals a relationship between you and God. It is the understanding that you are a “brother” or “sister” being summoned to go and share the good news with others. Dear friends, Matthew tells us that it’s not about “believing.” It’s about what you do with that belief that identifies you as a child of the Resurrection.

When the Resurrection compels us to be agents of reconciliation, that's letting Easter shape "how" and not just "what" we believe. Easter means you have another chance to be the person God created you to be, and you can start doing that at any moment, even after you think it's too late. The disciples whom Jesus called "brothers" and "sisters" learned that it was never too late. This is "how" we believe. We believe in the resurrection by believing in the possibilities for redemption and reconciliation that happen every day. We believe in the resurrection by making those moments happen.

But, if you think being a child of the resurrection means you have everything figured out, then think again. When the disciples meet Jesus on the mountain in Galilee, Matthew tells us "but some doubted." That's okay. The resurrection is big enough to handle our doubt. "Thus the same elements of worship, doubt, and little faith inhere in the church after Easter as before. Whatever the nature of the resurrection event, it did not generate perfect faith even in those who experienced it firsthand. It is not to angels or perfect believers, but to the worshiping/wavering community of disciples to whom the world mission is entrusted." (New Interpreter's Bible) This is the good news.

This is what is exciting. The resurrection hasn't ended. It is still going on in your life and in mine. We have the opportunity to participate in it by our life lived in the name of Christ. That's why it is so beautifully fitting that we had a baptism today and added another sister to the community of faith. We've added a witness to the resurrection. She will be brought up in the faith.And it won't be what she believes that makes a difference to Christ. It will be "how" she believes that witnesses to the resurrection.

Easter Dilemma Resolved

I went to speak with the family, mentioned in the previous post, early this past week and discussed with them the meaning of baptism. I also told them about the celebration of a new birth service in our Book of Worship. By the way, reading the book of worship's intro to Baptism, I found that "naming ceremonies" are supposedly common in Native American settings, so that certainly applies to my context. The family decided that they didn't have to make a decision for Easter and called at the end of the week to let me know they were interested in doing something on another day during Easter season. They are going to continue to discuss what it is that they will do. So, that issue was blessedly resolved.

As for the baptism today, it went beautifully. My son gave some creative commentary while I was pouring the water into the font as I was beginning the thanksgiving over the water.

"Is he pee-peeing?!" It sure sounded like it, I have to give him that. People laughed, and the family baptizing their baby was genuinely amused as well. I tried to not laugh. Wes is going through potty training right now, so I guess that is on his mind quite a bit. I've attached photos of his Easter duds and a couple from his birthday bloodbath. (He slipped on our tile floor and busted his chin wide open. 3 years hath 7 stitches!

Oh yeah, it's not exactly an afterthought, but mi esposa esta embarazada! Looks like the new Mattox could be a Halloweener!

Easter Baby Quandry

Alright Methoblogosphere: here's a pastoral, doctrinal, puzzle to help me solve: I have one young woman who indicated on her attendance registry that she was interested in joining the church and desired a pastoral call. (Yes, check marks in those particular boxes are rare in my experience) When I called her back the following week, she said she was interested in joining the church and having her daughter baptized on Easter. I was glad. Easter always seems more "Easter-y" when I get to celebrate a baptism. I told her I'd send her a copy of the baptismal vows that she would be taking on behalf of her daughter, and a copy of the paragraphs from the discipline related to church membership. (216-221--don't worry, I simplify the procedural points of 221) I explained to her that they were in a sense the "covenant" that the church makes with her to support her in faith and love and in return receive her support, service, presence, and gifts. So, all is golden. We're receiving new members on Easter and we haven't received any new members since August. Great.

Okay: Today I get a call. Another young couple who has a foot in our church and a foot in the Baptist church (female grew up in our church, husband grew up as a Baptist preacher's kid, she’s actually been baptized over there in addition to her baptism in our church). They want to have their baby "dedicated" on Easter Sunday as well at our church. I set up an appointment to speak with them tomorrow. I had previously (a month or two ago) told them that if they’d like, we have a service of celebration of a new birth in our Book of Worship, so this is where they’re getting the idea of “dedicating their baby.”

My concern is…does it confuse the issue or undermine the importance of the baptism already scheduled on Easter Sunday to have that “celebration” (basically consisting of an address by the pastor, standing the family up in front of the church, and a response from the church) on that same morning? What I’d probably do is have the celebration toward the beginning, and then the baptism as the culmination of the service after the sermon during the “response to the word.” But perhaps it'd be better just to ask them to choose another date. I don't know, I don't want to seem difficult or obstinate to them. I want to be welcoming and receptive to them, but also convey the beauty and meaning of our tradition. I don't want to be cheap and wishy washy, but I also don't want to be hard-nosed and insensitive to a family wishing to share the joy of a new birth in a way that's palatable to both parents.

When I speak to the family tomorrow, I think I’m going to let them know that I’d prefer to baptize the child and talk with them about their understanding of baptism and what our church says about baptism. (Using “by water and the spirit” as a guide) My understanding is that infant baptism is our dedication of the child as well as the recognition of God’s grace working in the child. Not something that we initiate, but something God has initiated and that we respond to through the gift of that sacrament and then continue to respond to through a profession of faith and a striving toward perfection.

But I’ll also mention the service of celebration of a new birth and let them know that we could do that if they are resolute in their decision not to have the child baptized. Want to help me navigate this minefield?

Sitting at a slow computer at Creation Care Conference

AT Mt Sequoyah, and thought I'd give those interested a little update as to what is happening here. IF you know me, (or perhaps you've just picked this up from the blog), you know that I'm an eco-geeko, and that I'm frequently found at conferences on what Christians can do to be better stewards of the environment. I've found this conference particularly good, and was very pleased at the massive turnout. There were about 130 people here (even with the snow!) from many walks of life. If you've ever been to an "eco-theo" summit, you probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that there isn't any racial diversity here, but thanks to Oklahoma City University, there is some age diversity at least. (I'm used to being one of the young whipper snappers at this kind of thing: I'm not complaining, perhaps its just the nature of a Church conference, and the general inability of working adults to be at this kind of thing, but I'd say the age breakdown is about 60% over 65, 15% 40-65, and 25% under 40. Hmmmm. I just realized that my last post was about statistics too: that's another one of my geek things.
I'm leading worship tomorrow, and am very disappointed that it is bitterly cold in Fayetteville and we won't be worshipping out doors.
I went to several workshops today, and was inspired by Mark Davies keynote address. He spoke about his inspiration to co-found "oikos." John Hill of the GBCS gave a good workshop on political advocacy, and Katie from Georgia Interfaith power and light was inspiring too (inspiring enough to remember her last name? I know, I'm tired).

So, I'm glad to be here. Great connections are being made, and folks feel motivated and informed.

General Conference Delegations quiz

I was surprised by a few of the things about the General Conference delegations this year. Namely, who would have the largest delegation. I thought it was Florida last time I looked. Can you guess who it is this year? (Answers below)

1. Largest Delegation?
2. Second Largest Delegation?
3. Third Largest Delegation?
4. Largest Delegation in each Jurisdiction?
5. Largest "Jurisdiction" at GC?





















1. Nigeria with 44 (West Africa Central Conference)
2 N. Katanga with 38 (Congo Central Conference)
3. Virginia with 30 (SE Jurisdiction)
4. SE--Virginia: 30, NE--Balt/Wash, and W. Penn with 16 each, NC--W. Ohio: 22, SC--Texas: 22 (that's east Texas, including Houston), W--Cal/Pac, Cal/Nev with 10 each.
Interesting sidenote, the top 4 conferences in SEJ all have larger delegations than the largest delegations from other largest jurisdictions: Virginia: 30, N. Georgia: 28, Florida: 26, W.N.Carolina 26 (all larger than the 22 from NC and SC). Also interesting, only the Red Bird (2) and Memphis (6) conferences are sending delegations smaller than the largest delegation from the West (10), the others are all larger.
5. The Central Conferences are the largest "jurisdiction" at General Conference with 276 delegates. We like to paint the SEJ as the "bullies" at GC, but they actually come in second with 252. SCJ has 148, NC 138, NE 126, West 40, Concordant churches (independent Methodist denominations who still have a say at Gen. Conf: 10) The whole Western Jurisdiction is outnumbered by the Nigeria Conference alone. Maybe that explains why all my West Jurisdiction pals from seminary were always whining about being pushed around at GC.

Here are all the numbers, if you are a geek like me.

Worship at Caring for Creation Conference and Prodigal Son Experiential Worship that incorporates the Wesleyan Model of Grace.

I lament that I haven't been blogging on my own blog during the past couple/few weeks. I have put some thought and effort into other blogs' comment sections here and other places


I've been obsessively looking at hogville.net and all the news surrounding Darren McFadden's lighting speed performance at the NFL combine: 4.33 forty time!


I've been planning worship for the "Caring for Creation Conference" at Mt. Sequoyah. I think it's going to present the opportunity to use the oft-ignored "prayer in the four directions" from the UM Book of Worship.



Here's how it will go--the scripture readings will all happen at the same time, in a cacophony of sound. It's a neat experience my Eco-group tried out at CST that I think provokes the spirit to listen for the voice of nature that is sometimes "trans-verbal." Hmm--did I just make up a word?



Call to Worship
Leader: We who have lost our sense and our senses—our touch, our smell, our vision of who we are: we who frantically force and press all things, without rest for body or spirit, hurting our earth and injuring ourselves: we call a halt.

People: We want to rest. We need to rest and allow the earth to rest. We need to reflect and to rediscover the mystery that lives in us, that is the ground of every unique expression of life, the source of the fascination that calls all things to communion.

Leader: We declare a Sabbath, a space of quiet: for simple being and letting be: for recovering the great, forgotten truths; for learning how to live again.
From the United Nations program publication for Environmental Sabbath/Earth Rest Day, June 1990.

Hymn: All Creatures of our God and King 62

Listening Closely

Scripture Readings in harmony: Leviticus 25: 2-7, Job 12: 7-10, Psalm 104: 24-28, Isaiah 11: 6-9, Isaiah 24: 4-5, Jeremiah 23: 23-24, Matthew 6:26, Romans 8: 19-23

Invitation to Focus and Silence: Nathan Mattox

Sermon MOTHER NATURE

Song (Maybe special music???)



Speaking Boldly

Voices from Tradition: Poetry, Prose, and Prayer

O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our brothers the animals to whom thou gavest the earth as their home in common with us. We remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion…with ruthless cruelty so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of travail. May we realize that they live not for us alone but for themselves and for thee, and that they love the sweetness of life.
~St. Basil the Great (329-379)

What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
Shall she not find in comforts of the sun,
IN pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else
In any balm or beauty of the earth,
Things to be cherished like the thought of heaven?
Divinity must live within herself:
Passions of rain, or moods in falling snow;
Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued
Elations when the forest blooms; gusty
Emotions on wet roads on autumn nights;
All pleasures and all pains, remembering
The bough of summer and the winter branch,
These are the measures destined for her soul.
~Wallace Stevens, Sunday Morning, 1915

“Human beings are a part of the whole we call the Universe, a small region in time and space. They regard themselves, their ideas and their feelings as separate and apart from all the rest. It is something like an optical illusion in their consciousness. This illusion is a sort of prison; it restricts us to our personal aspirations and limits our affective life to a few people very close to us. Our task should be to free ourselves from this prison, opening up our circle of compassion in order to embrace all living creatures and all nature in its beauty.”
~Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Invitation to Speak out for Creation Cory Sparks

Hymn: This is My Father’s World 144



Fed Wholly
(congregation should leave seats and form a circle)
Centering and Confession (Traditional Lakota Prayer and adapted confession by Miriam Winter, Book of Worship, 470, 488) Denny Hook

Paul Reminds us that Christ is the center of creation, of our lives, and of the world. We seek the wisdom of directions. From each direction we return to the center reminded that Christ brings healing and salvation and by God’s Spirit renews the face of the earth. Let us be silent as we face our center point.

Let us face East. From the East, the direction of the rising sun, we glean wisdom and knowledge through desert silences and humble service.
Enable us, o God to be wise in our actions and in our use of the resources of the earth, sharing them in justice, partaking of them in gratitude.
Let us face South. From the South come guidance and the beginning and end of life.
May we walk good paths, O God, living on the earth as sisters and brothers should, rejoicing in one another’s blessing, sympathizing in one another’s sorrows, and together look to you, seeking the new heaven and earth.
Let us face West. From the West come purifying waters.
We pray that water might be pure and available to all, and that we, too, may be purified so that life may be sustained and nurtured over the entire face of the earth.
Let us face North. From the North come strong winds and gentle breezes.
May the air we breathe be purified and may our lives feel that breath of the Spirit, strengthening and encouraging us.
If we walked a path in each direction, the sacred paths would form a cross.
Returning to the center, we discover Christ, who calls us and challenges us.
We confess that the circle of love is repeatedly broken because of our sin of exclusion. We create separate circles: the inner circle and the outer circle, the circle of power and the circle of despair, the circle of privilege and the circle of deprivation.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.
We confess that the circle of love is broken whenever there is alienation, whenever there is misunderstanding, whenever there is insensitivity and hardening of heart. R
We confess that the circle of love is broken whenever we cannot see eye to eye, whenever we cannot link hand to hand, whenever we cannot live heart to heart and affirm our differences. R
Through God’s grace we are forgiven, by the mercy of our Creator, through the love of the Christ and in the power of the Spirit. Let us Rejoice and be glad! Glory to God! Amen

Eucharist: I like the Alternative Great Thanksgiving in BOW on p. 78, I think it uses better images for our purposes, or I have a couple originalesque great thanksgivings that might serve us well….or you might have some input, Denny or Cory. What do ya’ll think?





Also, I recently remembered that I'll be in charge of the finale worship at the confirmation retreat at Camp Egan this coming weekend, so I've been making the preparations for that. We'll repeat the experiential prodigal son journey again that illustrates the Wesleyan idea of threefold grace. The kids start out in the pig stye and have activities that give them insight on prevenient grace, then they come into the worship area where their hands are washed and they make rings out of pipe cleaner and hear about justifying grace to signify the return home and embrace of the father. And then they are invited to the banquet table (which is behind them, they have to "turn around" to get there), which symbolizes prevenient grace. The thing went off really well last year, and I based it on a sermon I had previously preached. I'll try to take some better pix this year and give a better explanation of the service afterwards so you can get an idea for it.



So there you go. I've been busy, but wanted to record some of the reasons for my absence from posting. Peace!