Greetings,
 
The Hebrew word is hokma; the Greek word is sophia; the English word is “Wisdom.”  So much is interesting about Wisdom as it has been treated by our faithful ancestors.  Noteworthy is the fact that in the realm of biblical theology Wisdom is understood as a characteristic of God that can be transferred from God to humanity.  We become Wise (capital “W”) whenever we witness the Divine through our observations of creation and created order.  Noteworthy as well is the fact that Wisdom, as a characteristic of God is, in both Hebrew and Greek, a feminine noun.  For Jews and United Methodists alike God can never be fully defined because any definition of God fall short.  God is beyond our imagination so we can’t claim that God is male only.  Nor can we claim that God is female only.  Rather, God is unlimited.  The question that we have addressed each Sunday during Lent calls us to identify the characteristics of Christ so that we can better know who we are.  Christ dwells within each of us so the more we know about Christ the more we know about our capabilities.  Christ was anointed and so are we; Christ was a miracle worker and so can we work miracles; Christ was a healer and so can we heal.  Christ was salt and light and so are we salt of the earth and light to the world.  Now we will see what it means that Christ is Wisdom personified.  So are we.  Both Chris and I will be preaching the sermon this Sunday.  I’ll be reading Matthew 11:16-19; 25-30 and Chris will read from Sirach 24:19-22; 51:26.  I’ll look forward to celebrating the wonders of our faith with you this Sunday. 
 
Shalom,
Jack

Greetings,

This Sunday will be the third Sunday in Lent and the third in our series that reflects on the question asked by Jesus of his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”  On the first Sunday, Chris encouraged us to take that question personally.  Because we believe that Christ lives in us, our understanding of Christ’s nature will have a strong influence on our behaviors.  If, as we concluded last Sunday, we see Christ as a worker of miracles then the Christ who dwells within us is available to continue working miracles through us.  This Sunday we’ll talk about how it is that Jesus was a healer and how Christ continues to heal others through us.  The texts will be Mark 5:24-34 and Matthew 9:20-22, the story of Jesus healing a woman who approached him on the road after she had spent years of suffering.  Her faith made her well, as our faith is the source of wellness now.

I’ll look forward to celebrating our faith together this Sunday.  If you can’t be with us in church then let’s be certain to hold each other together in faith, and prayer, and love.

Shalom, Jack

Greetings,
 
This Sunday we will celebrate a Flower Covenant Service.  If you are able, please bring a fresh cut flower to church.  If you can’t then know that we will have lots of extra flowers to share with you.  We will attach our names to the flowers and as part of the service we will place each of our flowers in a large vase.  The flowers will symbolize all of us who are members of the church’s covenant community.  At the end of the service we will take a flower other than our own and pray for that person through the week as we keep their flower fresh for as long as we can.  Following the second service we will have a covered dish lunch.  The Fellowship Committee will provide ham, brisket, rolls and drinks.  Your side dishes and desserts will be shared.  Please mark vegetarian dishes clearly as we will have a separate table for those.  You may leave items in the kitchen on your way to worship.
 
My text for Sunday will be Galatians 3:23-29 where Paul tells the church members in Galatia that in Christ all are one.  They were one in the same way that we are one in the covenant that we share with Christ and with each other.  Sunday will be a glorious celebration of faith for all of us I’m sure.
 
Also, please remember that next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  We will begin the Season of Lent with a 7:00 pm worship service in the sanctuary where we will bless one another with the application of ashes.
 
Shalom,
Jack

Greetings,

This Sunday is an opportunity for us to celebrate the good work of the scouting program; both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.  February 8th is the anniversary of the Scouting movement, started in this country in 1910.  So it will be that those who are involved in Scouting will come to worship wearing their uniforms as we recognize their good work.  The text from which I’ll be preaching will be the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Matthew 13:31-32.  Jesus told simple stories called parables to help his followers both then and now learn how it is that they/we can participate in the building of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  The message of this parable is so very simple yet profoundly important.  A common little seed planted in the ground becomes a large bush.  I hear Jesus telling us that the transformation which takes place between the seed and the shrub is of God.  So it is that the ordinary gestures of love and goodness that you and I are capable of sharing can result in extraordinary influence on those whose lives we touch.  That too is of God.

If you are a scout then wear your uniform.  If not then just come prepared to be blessed.  Also, remember that this is one of those fabulous Sundays when the United Methodist Men will prepare their breakfast feast (from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM).

I’ll look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Shalom, Jack

Greetings,

This Sunday I’ll be preaching from John’s account of the “Feeding of the Multitudes.” (John 6:1-15)  After all have been fed Jesus says, “Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing is wasted.”  I started to think about how the bread of communion is broken into pieces and that in a very important sense our experiences of brokenness must not be wasted.  I read a review about a book that focuses on mosaics and how they are fashioned from broken pieces.  They are formed into beautiful works of art.  As we are brought together through the sacrament of Holy Communion even through our brokenness we are formed into something quite beautiful and wonderful indeed.  I pray that we will be able to be together this Sunday morning to experience that for ourselves.

Shalom,
Jack

As most of you know, I will travel to Rwanda, Africa, on Sep 4, and return on Sep15.

I’ll be visiting and working with the ZOE ministry. In 1994, nearly a million Rwandans were killed in a three-month-long genocide. Many parents, teachers, and mentors were killed leaving children orphaned and unsupported. Also, HIV/AIDS has killed many more adults who would have otherwise raised children. Eleven percent of Rwanda’s population has AIDS. Consequently, more than a million orphans are left to struggle out of a total national population of 8 million.

ZOE is a ministry of the United Methodist Church that brings orphans together in order to form families that have skills and support, so they have a future and independence. They are taught how to raise animals and crops, hygiene and AIDS prevention, spirituality and leadership.

I’ll be witnessing this ministry first hand, and I’ll be participating in the program directly. None of this can happen without the participation of God, and I can’t imagine doing this without you. I say it so often: “I can’t be without you.”

Nancy Netherland is a member of our church, and she does quilting. She introduced me to a beautiful expression of spirituality called “Prayer Quilts.” Nancy has made a beautiful quilt; one that is small enough to hang on a wall. The quilt is covered with liturgical colors of purple, red, green, white, gold and silver on one side and a cross on the other side. Through the quilt, she has sewn several hundred loose threads. The quilt will hang in the sanctuary each Sunday until I travel to Africa. You are invited to tie a knot in the loose threads, and as you tie it, say a prayer for the children who will be served by my visit and the ZOE ministry. I’ll be helping them build a house for themselves and their newly formed family. I’ll give them the quilt to hang on the wall of their new house to remind them that a congregation on the other side of the world has prayed for them and will continue to pray for them.

Last week Jessie Cameron died at the age of 97.  She was known by many in our congregation as our matriarch being the oldest member of the church.  She was such a dedicated servant of God as she consistently searched for opportunities where she could bless the lives of others with gestures of love.

Last Sunday during the 11:00 o’clock worship service we paid tribute to her.  She will be memorialized on Saturday the 7th, in Franklin, Tennessee close to the farming community where she spent most of her life.

It was in 1998, when Jessie was 87 years old, that she wrote a tribute to Arapaho Church.  Maybe like me, you carefully file notes and letters that are affirming so that when things start to fall apart we can go to that file and know that good things really can and do happen.  Jessie’s tribute to our church is one of those treasures that all of us would do well to preserve.

This is what she wrote:
As I sit in my apartment this New Year’s Day, #235 on Arapaho Road, I am thinking and wishing that everyone could carry a lighter load.  I am blessed by the church I go to each Sunday.  What a pleasure it is to know that we can carry what we see and hear longer than Monday.  The people there all greet you with a shake and a smile, just to let you know that you are welcomed and worthwhile.  My church is everything you would want a church to be, people who are thoughtful, intelligent, kind individuals who, like God, love you and me.  The minister relates the scripture with care, even all the children run to be there.  The stories are true, right from His Word, and of course, we are told to spread the light, so the Word will be heard.  The music is wonderful, from Dale Morehouse and our choir, bringing new hymns and old ones…of the music we’ll never tire!  The Youth are all so happy and bright, doing things for people to make them feel just right.  Missions is the goal for all to do, building homes, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor.  Others will know, as our light will shine, that God acts through us: we are of the Divine.  Sunday School classes of all ages, Vacation Bible School too, are taught with care; the help from the congregation is fantastic there!  Women’s Circles and Bible classes too are taught, with those who lead us giving special thought.  Yes, Arapaho Church is full of the Holy Spirit and glee, from the smallest to the oldest, like me.  Advent came and went telling us that Christmas is on the way, to remind us that baby Jesus was born on this day; a time of reading and a time for giving and receiving if we may.  Our stained glass windows were beautiful, with the poinsettias and the lovely Chrismon angel tree.  We all know what he meant when He said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and being happiness and cheer to all and glorify your Father in heaven.”  On Christmas a child was born and loved; we came to see it observed, trying to see that no one was left unheard.  Arapaho united Methodist Church is an active one, with so many things that we do that are fun.  Let me mention just a few:  There’s a Clown Day, Pageants and Pop, and let’s not forget Uncle Jack’s Coffee Shop…yard sales, crafts and, oh, yes, the Pumpkin Patch, that all Trick or Treaters come to without a latch.  This is done as a treat to keep kids off the street, where they learn of crime and drugs.  Now let’s lend a hand and come and give them some hugs.  I live at the Eldorado and each Sunday I’m at the door, for they send a van to pick me and others up.  It is a blessing to hear our minister, Jack.  If you come a few times, you will always come back!  Shalom and Thanks be to God.  Jessie Cameron, 1998.

And thanks be to God for you, Jessie.
Shalom,
Jack  

On June 7th we will hold our Annual Rummage Sale.  This is one of our three significant fundraisers in support of the ministries and missions of our church.
 Obvious is the fact that our profits are related to the number of treasures that we all provide so you are encouraged to probe into the dark corners of your garages, closets and attics to uncover those items that we will sell.  Equally important is the involvement of many in preparing for the sale by sorting, pricing before the sale and selling on the day of the sale.

Here are a few dates and details:
•    May 31st is the day for large item pick-up. (If you can help or need to have items picked up, call the office.)
•    The sale on June 7th will be from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
•    At 6:00 AM on the morning of the sale we will move large items outside.
•    On June 1st we will move items from the Fellowship Hall to the various rooms where they will be sold.
•    May 26th collection begins and you can deliver your items to the church.
•    On any day you can help sort and price so please come when you can.
•    It will be most helpful if you can sign up for the hours when you can help out.
•    On June 5th or 6th (watch for the exact date and time) we will set up the large tent.

Several years ago prior to our rummage sale I preached a sermon out of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt. 6:19)  I said, “That’s why each year we hold a rummage sale; so that we can rid ourselves of our accumulated earthly treasures.”  
I know that next week when I clean my garage Jesus will once again come to mind as I remember that Jesus was right.  The odds and ends that I have treasured have little value at all.  My inclination to keep everything results in little more than having to park my car increasingly closer to the garage door.  It becomes apparent that if we don’t hold an annual rummage sale I’ll not be able to close that door.

Jesus knew that with the accumulation of stuff there comes the distracting necessity to protect, sort, polish, maintain, and shelter all of it with diminishing attention given to the matters that matter the most.

As the congregation of Arapaho United Methodist Church we do a noteworthy job of matters that matter the most.  We provide significant settings where people form and nurture a right relationship with God.  We fashion a broad spectrum of opportunities where we can serve God by serving others.  We fulfill our commitment to see to it that children are raised without a doubt about how loved they are by God and others, and how they have countless reasons to love themselves.  We explore ideas about God and the companionship of God.  The substance of our ministry is like treasure in heaven.

Interesting, I think, is the fact that the rummage sale doesn’t just give us an occasion to clean our garages and attics.  It also allows us the means whereby we transform that which we once treasured into treasures for others.  The items that we bring to the church for sale in the days ahead may no longer interest us but they will allow others to find them interesting and useful.  I am always pleased to see how many people find joy in “just what they were looking for.”  I see families able to afford good clothing especially for their children.

And, with the funds that we are able to generate we sustain the ministries of the church.  Each year we raise between $10,000 and $14,000.  Through the work that we do together in God’s name countless treasures are accumulated in heaven—just as Jesus said.  Please help as you  are able.

Shalom,
Jack