. . . a house of cedar . . .

"did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”
2 Samuel 7:7b (NRSV)

One of the Christmas Eve recommended passages from the Common Revised Lectionary comes from the second book of Samuel in the old testament. In it the debate looms large, should the Israelites build a cedar temple for God? Is it adequate enough for the God of all creation to reside in tent?

God calls out the people of Israel in this passage and questions, "when have I asked for a house of cedar?"

I have been pondering this passage and its relationship to Christmas Eve. It isn't very clear at all, but as I reflect on this Advent season during the Covid-19 pandemic, I've realized it is powerfully relevant.

I like to say all the time that the Bible is a living document. Not in that we amend it or add to it when it doesn't fit our liking, but more in that God speaks directly to us if we take time to listen.

God in this passage is saying, it is not up to you humans to decide if you should be a house. Rather, God will find the right time for a resting place. God was quite alright moving with the Israelites from place to place. God moved with the people because our God wants to be with us. So much so, that God chose to come into the world, into the flesh of a mere mortal, Jesus.

By the time you read this, we will have celebrated Christmas Eve from our homes, outside the walls of our building. While we may be grieving the fact that our building was empty last night, take comfort knowing that God is with us even when we are not together. God doesn't need a grand building - that's for us. God needs and wants to reside within us. When Christ is at the center of our lives, we can take comfort that we are always home for the holidays.

Through Jesus Christ the house of God, the Kingdom of God, is being made sure forever in us. God's throne has been established. Let's be sure to rest in that knowledge and share it with all we encounter!

. . . fed on cake or sushi . . .

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you
will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"I will feed them with good pasture." Ezekiel 34:14a

Feed us with good pasture...what does that even mean? My guess is it is subjective for each person. Does that mean that God will feed us each according to our own tastes? I wonder. I mean, God did create us all uniquely in the Almighty's image - and if God does care for each of us, then it makes sense that some of us will be fed on cake while others on sushi.

The life of the church is often a smorgasbord of different good pastures. This is what is remarkable about Christ's holy bride, as an institution, in comparison to other organizations and institutions. We have one aim, to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but we all do it in varying ways.
 

We are all gifted with passions and strengths for one thing or another, and sometimes that becomes interesting to navigate. As a Pastor, you want to support each one of those passions, but that can be overwhelming. No one pastor can lead everything a church body wants to do no matter how how we try.

But I love the reminder the Apostle Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 9:8, "God will bless you abundantly... .so we will abound in every good work."

When I look around at the people in my congregation, I see how God has blessed me, yes, little ole me to support and equip the saints who are passionate about each one of these projects. While, we can't do everything, I know I can unleash the saints to use their gifts to do the work of the people. Sometimes that requires getting out of the way, but always leading people in the same direction - toward Jesus.

I've been with Country Club UMC for 5 months now, and as I look out at my "virtual congregation," I see the capacity they have to partner with God to feed those who Ezekiel calls "the lost sheep"with good pasture. I like how our church has discerned our particular mission: make NEW disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I love how the focus is on those not here yet and I'm excited to discern with my leaders how we will carry that out. 

The Spirit is up to something good and I think is about to do something big here... and it will be in abundance for all. 

 

...and if cake is involved then even better!

. . .memories of Christmas in Ecuador . . .

It was Christmas of 19-9-something when the church my family sometimes attended in Ecuador, English Fellowship Church, held its annual Children's Christmas pageant. There is one song that stuck out to me as the children formed a train to place presents under the tree. "It is more blessed to give than receive, Jesus said long ago." (Acts 20:35)

I was 11-years-old and I was baffled by this statement.* Christmas was coming and I was looking forward to recieving presents. I had never once thought about giving something to my parents for Christmas before. I went home and wrapped up things I found around the house for my parents.  Of course, like most parents, they LOVED it. It was the first time I experienced joy through giving.

Fast forward to Ward Parkway Mall when I was 16-years-old. My cousin Sarah and I were out in the holiday frenzy when we walked into something like a Dollar Store. She said her mom had given her money to buy a gift for her sister, my cousin Megan. I was thrilled by this idea because I now had my own money because I had started working at a movie theater. I put together Christmas tote bags full of cheaply-made plastic things to give to my sisters that year. It caused a chemical reaction in me - a need and desire to care and provide for others. It caused me to look at my financial resources differently. 

It's what happens to all of us when we have that realization that all the blessings we receive from God are meant to help establish the realm of heaven on earth. All we have is a blessing from God - and when we make the leap from getters to givers, we turn our thoughts on giving from a mindset of obligation to joy.

I look forward to sharing about Generosity together during our next sermon series, Chemical Reaction.

*this statement is often taken way out of context to get people to give to churches. Please note, God doesn't work on a give and take basis. 

. . . breathe into these dry bones . . .

By now it is not a secret that I love summer. Everything about hot weather motivates me. Over the past few weeks I've been down - I think they call this seasonal affective disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic it is a real thing! I thought it was just made up.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop from Pexels

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.

So you can imagine how reinvigorated I have been this week with the spontaneous last vestiges of summer that have graced us! I have spent time outside and visiting the patios of a few places I enjoy. On Tuesday, my husband and I had a rare night to ourselves and went to Crane Brewing, which is owned by a friend of mine. We sat outside and saw a few cyclists ride by on the almost completed section of the Rock Island Trail. On Wednesday, we had a family date night in the Power & Light District. 

While the weather was beautiful, the imagery from Ezekiel 37 was what came to mind - the valley of the dry bones.

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!  I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:1-4 (Read the whole passage here, it's very good)

Our entertainment district has closed off the streets and opened up more outdoor seating, but nobody was dining. Doors of former restaurants were permanently closed. It was quiet, and almost eerie. 

The empty street reminded me of that valley. 

I asked the brewery manager how things had been now that they could have patrons and she said people just weren't coming. She said at the beginning of the pandemic, people were supportive and would come in or order beer online. Now they are spinning their wheels trying to figure out what to do. Their distribution is still up, but the vibrant life and community they were building in down town Raytown is at a standstill.  

The lifelessness of the space reminded me of that valley.

As I look out my window at church, watching the leaves fall, I can't help but think of the impending true bareness that the season will bring. 

But here's the good news about seasons - they are part of an ever important life cycle. We are fortunately able to function through these life cycles - offering hope when things seem hopeless. It takes intentionality, but we can do it. We know Jesus is walking with us - breathing life into us.

As in the Valley of the Dry Bones, God will breathe God's spirit once again into us and life will resurrect. Will it look the same? Probably not, and that is okay! Resurrection is all about creating something new. 

This pandemic will come to an end. This spiritual drought we are trudging through will be over. I don't know when, but I have every confidence that God will breathe new life into all of us.

. . . football, chili & Jesus . . .

 What do they all have in common?

This week the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Ravens during Monday Night Football... 

So you might be confused by that first sentence and wonder if you're reading the correct blog. Yes, yes you are! While I'm not about to become a HUGE pro-football fan, I've changed my mind a bit about the whole thing, especially when it comes to the players. 

This Monday I saw so many posts on social media sites about all the soups, chilis, cinnamon rolls, cozying up on the couch, and enjoying family while the boys in red play football. 

What if we treated Sunday mornings like that - or whenever we worship the Lord? I've been to a lot of churches and I've worked in a four so far - and I haven't been to one yet where worship is as exciting as Arrowhead at roughly the same time. 

When did we decide to celebrate the joy of resurrection in fear of Jesus? It's historical for sure, but fear doesn't always mean we cower in God's presence. It doesn't mean living your life by a set of strict and cumbersome rules to the point where you begin to pass judgment on others... Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law so we can live abundant lives. 

Fear is about standing in awe of the greatness of God. It's coming together like you would on a Sunday afternoon to watch the Chief's play, being joyful for the life given, raising our voices together in thanksgiving to God. It's high-fiving (or air-fiving right now) because you know that we have been secured victory through Jesus. It's coming together with our delicious food and feasting together. 

This weekend in worship - wear your Holy Spirit red and make some noise for Jesus Christ!

. . . stand in awe of God . . .

Busy, busy, busy . . . even in a pandemic we are busy. And apparently, we love it!

Photo by Tomas Anunziata from Pexels

What if I asked you to take a moment each day and just stop? Simply stop what you are doing, and stand or sit in the presence of God? Could you do it?

When I come into the office each morning, my plan is to sit and meditate on God. 

Here's how it usually goes:

1. Light my candle
2. Close my eyes
3. Sit in silence
4. Ding! Check my e-mail.
5. Close my eyes again
6. Focus on God
7. Answer that super "important" e-mail
8. Forget that I was focusing on God...

Distractions lead to busy-ness. Busy-ness leads us away from God.

As we look around and see churches closing, which has been magnified by the pandemic, we wonder - why have they closed? Is it because they were no longer relevant to the community around them? I think that's part of it? Did they become so insular and self-focused that they didn't address the needs, both spiritually and bodily, of the community? That's a big part of it.

But at the heart of it is disconnection from God brought on by distractions and busy-ness.

When was the last time you thought about the majesty of God? When was the last time you simply breathed in God and stood amazed in the Almighty's presence?

One of the things that I have noticed about struggling churches is their emphasis of programs over God. Connection and emphasis on God should lead to programs that encourage a deeper connection to God. A well-crafted program is just a program if it is not founded on God. 

Too often struggling churches look for external lifelines, or technical fixes, rather than the real fix: Jesus Christ. During the month of October, we are going to get back to basics at my church. Our October worship series is called, "Teach me how to Pray." We will be focusing on the Lord's Prayer and learning a variety of prayer practices.

Together we will stand in awe of God, meditate on the name the Almighty's name, and keep our eyes open to the Lord's work in the world.

Who is God to you? How is Jesus nourishing your soul? How is the Holy Spirit equipping you to reach out to others in love and service?

Watch this video by Pastor and author Francis Chan - and really think about that.
 

. . . lessons in humility . . .

I've been going to Good Shepherd every Monday for sermon prep. A few weeks ago we were discussing the last sermon of our last series, Reconnecting. We were talking about what it is that keeps us from bridging gaps with others. One of the pastors in the group spoke up and said, bridging gaps is usually something that happens when you have privilege. There are things in the lives of those with less privilege that keep them from crossing the barriers we know exist.

Each week I've been there I have started talking to a woman that does their facility cleaning.

I could tell that her first language was not English. I am a white woman who looks like a typical English-speaking person. So, based on looks, she was probably able to deduce that communication with me would be difficult. So, it was in my court to make the first step. My privilege requires me to do it. I could use my privilege to just dismiss her if I didn't want to make a connection...

BUT here's where I misused my privilege. I never once asked her what her name was. Instead, I just started speaking Spanish to her after I said hello in English and heard her accent. In my mind at that moment, I was thinking I did a good thing
In reality, though, I used my privilege and robbed her of her dignity and humanity by not even asking her name. I'm a jerk and will ask her next time. In addition, I am more than likely the more educated and economically privileged person in this scenario so it's not like she would probably ask me to have lunch with her. It's mostly up to me to engage with her to develop a relationship.

Enriching our lives by crossing these unspoken barriers takes intentionality, but if we want to actually be equal, the one with the privilege needs to humble themselves and take more of the initiative. And it's not just a one-time thing - it takes lots of effort...

I look at this from a point of view of being in a country where I don't speak the language. You will often see Americans in developing countries only speaking English to people who don't. There is always this air of unspoken assumption that the native speaker has to try to bridge the gap for the tourist. Really, people who have the privilege to be able to travel should be learning a bit of the language beforehand, or find an interpreter.

You might be thinking, "well, what about the woman who lives here, but hasn't learned the language?" Remember, many have moved here for better opportunities as adults, and it can be difficult for some to learn languages post-childhood.

As people with privilege it's important for us to examine the circumstances and bridge the gap when the situation is in our favor.

. . . God's ecosystems . . .

Recently, my prayer walks have ventured further from the immediate vicinity of my church's neighborhood. It's not that I've grown bored, but I have become accustomed to many of the neighbors and people who routinely work around here. I've even been invited to exercise, socially distanced of course, with the two neighbors across the street! I have been at this church for over a month now, and exploration is calling me! 

I added five minutes to my prayer walk today and found myself mesmerized by a lawn near the corner of Huntington & Wyandotte.

While most lawns in this area are beautifully landscaped, this one was different. Ivy crept from the fringes of the yard onto the sidewalk causing me to pause and take notice. Thick trees and bushes overshadowed the house and my first reaction was that this home was in disrepair or abandoned. However, as I stopped in order to avoid tripping, I noticed birds swooping into snack from one of the multitude of feeders. Purple, orange, yellow, and red wildflowers emerged from a variety of grasses around the property. As I stood taking in this serene vision, I noticed the flutter of butterflies amid this human-made ecosystem. Water gently bubbled from a fountain that brings together a community of wildlife unbothered by the city surroundings.

Someone had taken great care to provide a space in an otherwise manicured neighborhood to provide a place for an ecosystem to exist. It reminded me of the ecosystem God has created for us.

Psalm 104 speaks of the Almighty's presence within God's very own exquisite creation. You wear light like a robe;
you open the skies like a curtain.
You build your lofty house on the waters;
you make the clouds your chariot,
going around on the wings of the wind. (Read the entire Psalm here)


Notice how God is clothed in and dwells within God's very creation. Our creator has crafted and given us this magnificence, and continues to walk among us. God has created this place for us to be with each other and the Lord. When we don't take time to slow down, we miss the grandeur, we miss God's presence, we miss each other. We go from one venture to the next and opportunity to opportunty. After a while we forget about the harmony of God's realm among us. We forget meeting each other and miss the greatness of God's ecosystem made for us.

We are made for community with God and each other - so I ask you this question today:

Where have you seen God this week - when have you gathered with others to share your experiences?

I'd love to know.

. . . transition acceleration . . .

It is incredible how quickly we move through the time continuum. Just a little over a month ago, during the month of June, I spent one day a week meeting with Pastor Keith learning about my new church. This first month my time has been spent getting to know the current leaders of the congregation. Learning each one's passion for God and the movement of Christ's Holy Church has been a valuable exercise. I have learned so much about the beautiful people who have come to call Country Club United Methodist Church their church home.

It is a blessing to be here and to begin this journey together as we testify to the majesty of our Creator God and the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

This has been an interesting time to transition into a new church: the Covid-19 pandemic, social unrest across the country, maskers vs. anti-maskers, social distancing, no singing in church... the list could go on and on.

When non-essential workers were required to shelter-in-place in March, there was talk about a new-normal because everything changed overnight. We were in a time of quick transitions and uncertainty. I was reticent to call it a new normal because in reality we were experiencing a time of immediate and necessary adaptation. I am now beginning to say, we are starting to live into a new normal. One thing I can say for sure, life is different, and we will continue to live differently. Even our understanding of how to do church is changing, and we are called to navigate these unchartered territories.

One thing that has not changed, though, is God's majesty. I love these words from Psalm 19.

Heaven is declaring God’s glory;

the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.

One day gushes the news to the next,

and one night informs another what needs to be known.

Of course, there’s no speech, no words—

their voices can’t be heard—

but their sound extends throughout the world;

their words reach the ends of the earth.            

Psalm 19: 1-4 (CEB)

Sometimes in the midst of change and adaptation, we miss where God is at work. In all honesty, we are a society that is addicted to busy, so missing God's action in the world is not a new thing for modern-day followers of Jesus Christ. Church strategist Carey Nieuwhof says in a recent post, 

"If you take a moment to reflect though, you’ll also realize that the world [we] were trained to serve in was already disappearing pre-COVID thanks to massive cultural, generational and technological shifts."

The pandemic has accelerated the shift. With so many distractions, "The world has never seemed more disinterested in the Gospel, yet has never needed it more."

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a real opportunity to partner with him to share the Good News with others and help him build God's kingdom on earth... but that requires seeing God's majesty in our every day lives. It requires being able to see our stories in the larger context of God's story. And it requires gathering, initially, with other Christ-followers to learn to talk about it. It is within the context of smaller gatherings that equip us to witness to God's work in our lives.

During the month of August, I want to challenge you to find one or two other people you can talk to within our congregation and ask these two questions on a weekly basis.

1. Where have you seen God at work (start with where have you seen hope if you are struggling to see God, and remember that's ok to not know where God is)?
2. How are you connecting to God? Prayer, journaling, reading Scripture, fasting - or other Spiritual Disciplines.

While the future is always uncertain, know this - I am thoroughly looking forward to this adventure ahead with my new church home.

. . . lovingly crafted . . .

Walking in the midwest in the summertime can be a daunting exercise of courage (or lunacy, depending on who you ask), but the tree-lined streets surrounding Country Club United Methodist Church make it bearable. The air in the neighborhood is calm, a gentle breeze seems to be the only way the wind can blow, children ride their bikes, landscapers groom beautifully manicured lawns. 

Prayer walks in this neighborhood turn to wonderment. One minute I'm lifting the neighbor I see dropping off her tennis outfit clad daughter in prayer, to the next minute - picking out my new favorite house. 

J.C. Nichols began developing this neighborhood in 1906 around the former Kansas City Country Club, now Loose Park. To the north lies the iconic Country Club Plaza, the first outdoor shopping mall in the United States. Fun fact: it was developed to accommodate the increasing use of cars. 

I spent many of my summers with my Uncle Chuck & Aunt Julie who owned a home at 66th & Ward Parkway. The sun-scorched, steamy Kansas City days were spent with my two cousins at Indian Hills Country Club with them trying to teach me to swim to the bottom of the 12-foot diving area. Over the course of what was probably 6 summers, I couldn't summon the courage to make it to the bottom. As far as I was concerned, the bottom was equal to the depth of the Marianas Trench. No thank you!

stock photo found here

As a child, I did not know how historic these neighborhoods are. I learned while working on my history thesis that JC Nichols had used restrictive covenants, not just racial, to keep the neighborhoods "tidy." Here in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Nichols' grandchildren recently gave consent to the city to rename the Nichols' fountain because they recognize the racial harm these covenants enacted on our sisters and brothers of color. 

My goal here is not to minimize these injustices, but to highlight where I've seen God speak during my walks.

What strikes me most about this original Kansas City suburb is how lovingly crafted these homes are. While born out of a desire to create an upscale and prestigious neighborhood, the homes are different than modern suburbs. If you drive out to a neighborhood in Lee's Summit or Lenexa, especially those developed in the late 80s and early 90s, you will see how similar each house is. It's as though the developers created five designs and then families chose which ones they liked the best! I lived in a neighborhood like this in Michigan, and yes, the interiors are similar too.

But this is not the case in the Country Club District. I have walked countless streets these past three weeks and as of yet, I have not found two alike. I am reminded of how God lovingly crafts us. Each one of us unique, each one of us bearers of God's image, and each one of us deeply loved. 

What I have seen in these homes that upheld the sin of system racism is that God can use what was created out of human brokenness to paint an image of majestic beauty. If humans create such beauty in houses, then imagine how God feels about us. We are exquisite in the Lord's eyes. 

One can find the light even in the darkest dark. One can find healing in the hurt. Justice can emerge from the chaos of oppression. 

I have felt the spirit of the Lord walking these neighborhoods as I have joined with this beautiful congregation. My prayer and my hope are that we partner with Jesus to love the community around us. My prayer is that together we will see deeply the injustice and oppression around us -- and serve as a healing balm of Christ's love for all. 

. . . robed in majesty . . .

Madonna found in a Cathedral in the Philippines.

Lately, I've reestablished the practice of writing out the psalms as a way to focus on God. This morning I meditated and wrote out Psalm 93. I typically use the New Revised Standard Version translation of the Bible, and the pronouns for God are generally male. So, when I read through, I will either change them to her or just say God.

Today, I chose female pronouns.

The Lord is Queen, she is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed; she is girded with strength.

She has established the world it shall never be moved;

Your throne is established from of old;

you are from everlasting... [typical reading here]

There are times when I read Scripture where my mind becomes enthralled - it is as though I am standing before the very majesty of the Lord - today was one such a day.

The image of God was stunning, a bronze woman with golden waves of hair that tumbled around her shoulder. Her robe was alight as the light shone from within and on her. And her belly swelled with child - Through her, this great image of strength, the world and humanity birthed into existence.

I googled key words, black woman - pregnant - golden hair - bronze body - beyonce! (yes, beyonce) to see what images artists may have contributed. . .

And this is what google gave me:

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS

Now I don't think Beyonce is God, but she reflects the image of God. This is a strong, gorgeous, nurturing, loving, confident in her skin, proud of the life these bodies can create, woman. The image of woman as divine is breathtaking. She took to the stage during the Grammy's in 2017 and exposed the beauty of life given to us through God. It did not hinder her - it exposed the awe-inspiring gift of human life.

This is a majestic image - and we know that God is more majestic than even this visual representation.

I encourage everyone to think beyond one image - immerse yourself into the Holy words, substitute the pronouns, and let God work within your mind and heart a different image of what God could look like.

Selah

. . .kids call the shots. . .

When my daughter was born in 2015, she and my husband started attending church on Easter Sunday. For the first year of her life their attendance was sporadic based on her needs. You know, babies are high maintenance -- so she called the shots. The church I was working for at the time had a fantastic children's ministry. Each Sunday, between all four services, there were over 200 kids -- NOT counting the nursery.

 

That year in the Spring, a new Children's Ministry Director was hired, and she got to work relaunching the ministry so that our children were learning something from the time they were infants. While infants cannot really learn complex biblical concepts, the impetus was on instilling a love of Jesus from an early age. Some people might call this indoctrination, but no matter what we believe or how we live our lives, we are always indoctrinating our children.

 

Exposing children to complex ideas from a young age actually helps build their critical thinking skills. I'm not an educator, but I remember learning this in my Christian Education course in seminary.

 

I am so pleased with my new church for understanding the value of Children's Ministry and for taking the initiative to hire a new Family Ministries Director, Janet Loos, before I started. Because of Covid-19, Janet is doing children's stories in worship, but starting the second week of August she will be launching our new program. It will take place during our regular worship and coincides with the start of the new school year. Of course, she will not be able to do it alone and will be coaching and equipping people from within the congregation who will serve on a rotating basis.

 

Bippy in the Doves Room

There is a lot of debate about whether or not children should worship with adults. I mean, they will be adults themselves someday, so it makes sense. But it also makes sense for kids to learn with their peers because, as I said before, biblical concepts are complex. Also, it's really hard for adults to engage in worship when we are constantly making sure our children are quiet! I know there are many parents hesitant to bring their kids right now, but Janet is reserving a pew with things for our kids to do during the worship service. My daughter, who began her time in Children's Ministry as a "Dove," really had a great time this past Sunday even though she had to be quiet.

 

Thanks, Janet, and thank you CCUMC, for all you are already doing to ensure parents and children are engaging in worship.

        

. . . open doors & new adventures . . .

The day finally arrived last Tuesday: my first day at Country Club UMC!

Prior to my start date, I began bringing my books to the office and getting to know this church building. As I’ve explored, I couldn’t help but think of the people who call this building their church home. In this building memories have been made, relationships have been developed, weddings, baptisms, and lives have been celebrated. These stone walls have witnessed life in the making, and not just any life - but the transformation of lives through Jesus Christ. I am incredibly excited to join this family of Christ follower's journey at this current time in history as we pray and discern where God is leading us together.

As I have wandered the halls, had lunches with various church leaders, and prayer walked through the neighborhood, I can't help but acknowledge the incredible hospitality shown to me by so many. I can tell that everyone here has a deep love of Christ and wants to share it with not just me, but with the communities surrounding this particular community of Christ followers. The future at Country Club looks bright and I am ready for the adventure that awaits and the life in Christ we will share together. The simple fact that we are welcoming the Chief's Chaplain Marcellus Casey later this fall is indicative of the desire to connect with the community around us.

I am also so thankful for the leadership Keith has provided over the last three years and the love poured into him and his wife Karen. The first time I met him I could sense that the Holy Spirit had really worked through him and everyone else here as you began hearing and responding to where God is calling us next. It's going to be hard to follow his footsteps, but I am looking forward to it.

If you call CCUMC home, check out the News You Can Use weekly update and the Connection Newsletter on our website for my schedule and contact information

I look forward to the adventure that awaits. I feel it's already off to a great start!

. . . i've had the time of my life . . .

Dear friends in Christ,

Have you ever had those times in your life when you had to accomplish something by a certain date? I remember the day I received my packet of ordination paperwork. I had about two months to complete it, and then a date was set for when I would come before the Board of Ordained Ministry (BoOM) for the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. It seemed like this far off date that would take forever to arrive. But ARRIVE it did! The problem and aggravating thing about time is that it never stands still! Those significant dates we wait for, eventually arrive. I remember the night before meeting members of the board and other candidates. My palms were sweaty and I had the butterflies (I think it's called anxiety!). 

The day of, though, I came before the board, confident in my ministry and my understanding of Wesleyan traditions and theology. Most importantly, though, I was confident about the ways I had seen God at work in the preparations to launch Raytown Chapel Church. As I look back on that early November day in 2018, I knew no matter what, this congregation would do great things. 

I thought my last day at Raytown Chapel would maybe be in 3 years. I thought Abby would go to her own church before me in two years, but that's not how it worked. So this Sunday is my last Sunday as the Pastor for this beautiful congregation (technically I'm the pastor until June 20). Three months ago it seemed so far away, and I didn't want the day to arrive. As I wrote my sermon this week, I was overwhelmed by all the ways in which we have shared life together.  

My prayer is that you would tune in for worship. I need to "see" you all one last time. This is the LINK for Raytown Chapel Church online worship. For those who don't have Facebook, the call-in feature for Zoom will be enabled. Watch for that e-mail on Saturday! And if you haven't signed up for the Bring Your Own Picnic, please do so HERE.  (Rain date is June 28). I know goodbyes are hard for many, but it would mean the world to me to see you... in the Methodist tradition, it's never TOTALLY goodbye, so it shouldn't be THAT hard!

Now for the not so fun stuff: 

On June 20, my relationship with RCC will change and I want to highlight a few things, that will also be mailed out to everyone.

After June 15th, I will be released from the responsibility of preaching, leading, and providing pastoral care for this congregation. I will not be able to do funerals or weddings or have input to the future direction of the church. Abby and Colin will always be able to reach out to me for questions they may have, but it will be up to their discretion to do so. I will not contact them unless to ask her how they are doing. However, Abby has been such a wonderful partner and friend in ministry that I cannot imagine not having a continued friendship.  

Though I will no longer be your pastor, we will continue to be brothers and sisters in Christ. I look forward to your updates on you and your family, as I know you will look for updates about mine. Our relationship will be personal, rather than pastoral. I look forward to sharing those moments that make life rich that happen outside the church. As much as I love being the pastor at Raytown Chapel, and it has been a HUGE (and the most important to date) of my call to vocational ministry, I want to make sure that whatever is shared is public and about the bright future, I have envisioned for this church body. 

I will still have Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (I have TikTok, but don't have time to make videos!) and see no reason to unfriend or unfollow each other. I will always be #FORraytown,  but I will need to focus on my new community and will regularly post the good things going on there as I did for Raytown Chapel Church. These posts will never be meant to denigrate the fruitful, sacred time we have shared together. 

The future at Raytown Chapel Church is bright.  Continue the vision that God has established for us and honor the work we’ve done together. I am convinced God’s Holy Spirit will continue to work in the church and surrounding community. Thank you for allowing me into the sacred and holy spaces of the intentional community of Christ that is Raytown Chapel Church.

Many blessings,

Pastor Angie - Campus Pastor
Raytown Chapel Church
a Woods Chapel United Methodist congregation

. . . the final countdown . . .

Almost three months ago I received word that I was being appointed to a new church. I thought for sure Raytown Chapel Church would open its doors again before my last Sunday with everyone. I prayed that a miracle would happen and some pharmaceutical company would come up with a COVID vaccine quickly. There is so much uncertainty with this virus. Just this week another outbreak of 200 cases occurred in a paper plant within 5 miles our the church.

We will eventually have to face the world, and as a Woods Chapel congregation, we are making those steps. We want to minimize the possibility of an outbreak starting within our congregation. Our first rule as United Methodists is to do no harm.

On Sunday, a group of people joined together to socially distance the chairs and to identify the viability of worshipping together in the sanctuary. We are fortunate we have chairs and as of right now we can have 48 people in our sanctuary, maybe 52. We are going to reassess to make sure we can keep everyone as safe as possible.

We will keep everyone as up-to-date as possible about reopening across all our communication platforms.

In the meantime, there are two ways to connect in person before I head to my next appointment:

Parking Lot Communion // Sunday, June 7^th // 6:00 PM // Raytown Chapel Church
Bring your own bread and juice, park, and join in with the full communion liturgy. You must let us know you are attending by clicking a time slot on this link: Click to RSVP  Everyone in your family needs to be accounted for so if you are a family of 4 you need to click on 4 of the slots.  Please fill up the 6:00 PM time frame first and if needed we will do the 6:45 PM time.

Farewell Backyard Party // Sunday, June 14^th // My Backyard
I love throwing parties and I told Abby what I would prefer for a farewell! A picnic in my backyard that I don't have to make food for!
BYOP & B: Bring your own picnic food and beverages. Plan to picnic in our backyard before I head off to Country Club UMC. Help us with a headcount by letting us know how many in your family will be attending. Click to RSVP Backup date for weather is June 28th.

This time of ministry has been such a blessing to me and when I think about ministry and my life of ministry, I know Raytown and Raytown Chapel will be the most memorable. I have loved every moment of this season.

. . .reopening, communion and a party . . . OH MY!

Once again, in this time of social distancing, I have to send out another informative note! If you like my more devotional-type notes, I do write on here during the week, I just don't always push them through social media.

I'm so thankful for all the ways my congregation continues to participate in the ministries of Raytown Chapel Church. I think I preach about the church not being the physical building every other Sunday, and who knew we'd be forced into living that out?! Rest assured, the church building is an important place for us to gather and offer our worship together so it will be so wonderful to be able to worship in the same place again. However, the place I preach from in my home has truly become a space for sanctuary. It's nice to know I have this space for my own personal devotion times.

I don't think worshipping strictly online is in the one option we will have going forward, but it's good to know that it is an option when you are on vacation or feeling under the weather! It's a wonderful way to stay connected and attuned to the church community amid our busy lives.

We have a lot of things going on these next few weeks. Help us get the word out about these and let us know about your participation in the following:

Re-Opening Survey // Now Until June 1^st // WC Live
If you have not yet filled out the re-opening survey, please do so now. We want to get feedback on how online worship experience and what safety precautions would need to be in place as we are making deliberate and prayerful plans for reopening. Click to Take Survey

Parking Lot Communion // Sunday, June 7^th // 6:00 PM // Raytown Chapel Church
Bring your own bread and juice, park, and join in with the full communion liturgy. You must let us know you are attending by clicking a time slot on this link: Click to RSVP  Everyone in your family needs to be accounted for so if you are a family of 4 you need to click on 4 of the slots.  Please fill up the 6:00 PM time frame first and if needed we will do the 6:45 PM time.

Angie's Farewell Backyard Party // Sunday, June 14^th // My Backyard
I love throwing parties and I told Abby what I would prefer for a farewell! A picnic in my backyard that I don't have to make food for!
BYOP & B: Bring your own picnic food and beverages. Plan to picnic in the backyard of the McNeil’s to celebrate Angie’s ministry at Raytown Chapel and her next adventure at Country Club UMC. Help us with a headcount by letting us know how many in your family will be attending. Click to RSVP Backup date for weather is June 21^st.

This time of ministry has been such a blessing to me and when I think about ministry and my life of ministry, I know Raytown and Raytown Chapel will be the most memorable. I have loved every moment of this season.

. . . absorbing the Almighty's energy . . .

The past two days I've been thinking about joy. My family has taken up hiking and biking on a regular basis during this time of social distancing - and this weekend I leaped over muddy oases on the path, and looked into the dense overgrown trees, and breathed in the damp smell of the earth and my heart rested. At that moment, my whole body and mind were at peace. There was this deep satisfaction that radiated through me.

It occurred to me, this is joy. 

I always thought joy would feel like those butterfly moments - you know the ones. The ones that you get when you go on that first date. The one you get when you go over that first hill on the Mamba. 

Those physical moments are fleeting, though. And perhaps joy is fleeting, but I think deep down joy is a fount we can return to when life is not so wonderful.

Joy is a groundedness in the source of our being, God. (I love Paul Tillich so this is not an original thought!). 

With my feet on solid ground, my lungs taking in the sweetness of the air - I took a moment to rest in God's presence. 

I didn't ask God my petitions.

I didn't ask God to speak.

I stood in the presence of the Lord and absorbed the Almighty's energy. 

That's joy.

. . . Holy Communion & Reopening our Church . . .

One of the least exciting things for me is to write an informative e-mail. I prefer writing about where I've been experiencing the movement of God in the world. This Sunday Jackson County Executive Frank White, is supposed to unveil Phase Two for opening our county. If you're like me, you might be waiting with nervous anticipation. Per our Bishop's suggestions, we will likely not open until mid-June. There are many logistics to be worked out, and we are working on them before we can guarantee any measure of safety for you all to gather together. I care about your spiritual, emotional, and physical health, so I plan to do all in my power to make sure you are safe in our place of worship. 

It is well known that as followers of Jesus Christ, we are a people of advent, of anticipation. We know that Christ has initiated the trajectory toward the redemption of the world and we are partnering with him as we await his return.

“But about that day or hour no one knows,

neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,

but only the Father.  

Beware, keep alert;

for you do not know when the time will come." 

Mark 13:32-33

Throughout the millennia we have been waiting, and some have tried to predict his return.
We are a people living in the "in-between" times. We are used to living in the already and not yet. When we gather for Holy Communion each month, it serves as that reminder as we gather together as people of God. 

For that reason, I want to invite you to gather with me on June 7 at 6 pm or 6:45 pm for Drive-in Communion. As people, created in the image of God, we know we are created for connection and relationship, and we need to be together and remind ourselves that even in times of uncertainty God promises to be with us. Because of the current restrictions on gathering, we need each person to sign up HERE. 

If you know someone who does not use the internet or e-mail, please call that person and ask them when they would like to gather and sign them up with your name. We will be sending out information daily and I need your help sharing the message. And yes, we will be doing the full communion liturgy, watch your inbox for that! Bring a lawn chair too!

RE-OPENING 
Rest assured, we are taking steps to reopen in the safest way possible. But I want you to be a part of that process and I want to understand where your heart and hesitations are during this time.
Please fill out this survey by Sunday, May 31. It will close at midnight.

In the midst of all of this, we are still Christ's Holy Church. We are still reaching new people each week through our online worship. Attendance is up, new people are joining us, generosity is increasing, small groups are still meeting, care for one another remains, our children are engaging, and we are still serving our community. I am beyond grateful for all that you do! 

. . . waiting for sunday . . .

This week Jackson County Executive Frank White, unveiled Phase One for opening our county. 

You can view the entire document HERE. 

So what does this all mean for Raytown Chapel Church? 
You might be asking, "When will we worship in-person again?"  The answer is complicated.  

Our Bishop is encouraging churches across Missouri to follow the recommendations of our local governing bodies. So, we will follow the recommendations of our Jackson County officials. 

On Wednesday, our Bishop invited pastors from across the state to a time of Q&A. This consensus is no one is in a hurry to re-open their buildings until it is safer to do so. Jackson County plans to re-evaluate on May 24th. As you may know, the details of a second phase have not been released to the public so the plan is to re-evaluate as restrictions lessen. For that reason, we will continue to worship online on Facebook. 
 
There are many opinions circulating about how and when to re-open.  Our Bishop reminded us, “We all have the right to our opinions, but we do not have the right to possibly jeopardize the health of others.”  We must be responsible to protect one another. Our church has a larger percentage of less vulnerable persons, but we have a responsibility to those in our congregation who are considered vulnerable, whether owing to age or underlying health conditions. We must be patient during this time, especially as we see other churches hurrying to open. There are many logistics to work out to make sure all are safe. 


In the midst of all of this, we are still Christ's Holy Church. We are still reaching new people each week through our online worship. Attendance is up, new people are joining us, generosity is increasing, small groups are still meeting, care for one another remains, our children are engaging, and we are still serving our community. I am beyond grateful for all that you do! 

Thank You Raytown Chapel Church! You are in my prayers.

. . . the fog of what if . . .

Every day this week as I've gone out for my daily walks, I've had a hard time finding joy. The dandelions are still popping up here and there, the leaves of the trees have unfurled, so the signs of life are all around. But as the days drag on, I find myself wandering through the fog of what-if, "what if I do this? Things might be better.  What if I change this behavior? Will it be alright?" This is called bargaining and it is apart of the grief cycle. It's important to acknowledge our grief. I am leaving my church in July to another and my personal grief is real. I love my church so much. I'm excited about the next adventure, but change takes time to adjust to.

A lot of us are in this stage and it's a perfectly okay stage to be in. During this time of being apart and now with this added transition in our church family, many of us will be processing the whole thing at different stages. As a church family, it is important to lean into each other and recognize there might not be any satisfactory answers. They will become clearer in the days ahead.

It's during this bargaining stage that we search for meaning, and we long for things to go back to the way they were before. It's becoming clearer that things won't go back to the way it was before. At least not right away. And it probably shouldn't. There is hope in all of this. God is still at work, and we need to hang on to our great comforter, Jesus Christ.

The future is always unknown but Covid has made us more aware of it. Last week in our prayer group, we talked about the fear of the future and I want to share with you what my dear friend Linda Stone had to say the next day:

I was talking with God this morning, I was reminded that I should not and cannot worry about what the future looks like. I’ve never fretted that much about the future until now. As I said in the Upper Zoom (what we call the prayer group), I can feel myself feeling depressed over how I think the world may be different as a result of Covid-19. Keywords in there: “how I think” and “may be different”. I have very little real knowledge and insight into the future.

Jesus tells us in Matthew's Gospel:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matt 6:34)

And I love the saying “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy” ~Leo Buscaglia

My devotional today from Jesus Always lifts up these words from the Apostle Paul to the Church in Thessalonica:

“But since we belong to the day (We are day people in Christ, Easter people as Angie calls us), 

let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and 

the HOPE OF SALVATION AS A HELMET.” (1 Thessa 5:8)

That whole helmet visual just spoke to me. The hope, and knowledge, of salvation, will get us through. And friends, we do know how this story ultimately ends and it is glorious!

She's right! We are Easter people; we rest in the knowledge that Christ is redeeming the world. It may seem bleak, but everything is intended for God's purposes. We must trust that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will be with us every step of the way. Even through the changes and our losses, Jesus is making a path in the wilderness that will lead to the transformation of hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. Thank you, Linda, for sharing this!

. . . the dandelions have gone to seed . . .

My daughter and I have been taking walks and playing outside a lot lately. It helps break up the monotony of being sheltered-in-place. As you can imagine, being cooped up with your parents as an only child, as a 5-year-old child, is not that much fun. In fact, we're all a little whiny and our tempers flare from time to time. Today was such a day. My daughter was digging through her Valentine's Day candy looking for the Sour Patch Kids and couldn't find them. Admittedly, I ate them several weeks ago so they weren't there. Bad mom. She's smart, they are delicious!

My guilt, added to her whining, equaled a walk to the 7-11 for a bag of candy. I just didn't want to deal with the crabbiness! Mine or hers.

As we walked, she kept stalling to pluck dandelions that had gone to seed. You remember being a kid - blowing those white fluffs off the stalk is like walking into a fairyland. But the constant stopping irritated me. All I wanted to do was get to the store and the candy, and get home.

But in mid-irritation, I stopped myself and looked up the road to see that the dandelions had gone to seed. Last Friday they had been mostly yellow, adding pops of color to the streetscape. Today they were the eyesore of long, dismal, wiry, empty stalks. I stopped in my tracks; I was astonished. JUST last Friday they were alive and beautiful!

Change happens so quickly.

One week we worshiped together in the sanctuary, the next we were joined through the miracle of bandwidth.

I think if we consciously slowed down and took notice of the world around us, we would see these changes happening more clearly. Springs fade to summer, summer melts to fall, and fall slides into winter. 365 days is not a lot of time if you think about it. All of life happens so quickly - and if we don't slow down, we fail to miss it... worse, we fail to appreciate it. 

Change happens so quickly.

In this time of change, it is important to be aware of our emotions. Sometimes we fail to recognize them; or blow them off. We think we need to be stoic and deny that we might be struggling. God has created us to have a stratum of emotions and feelings. We are meant to experience the fullness of life and these emotions help us do that. While you are navigating the change, be aware of what's happening within you.

Slow down, acknowledge the difficulty. See the dandelions before they go to seed, and absorb the beauty of God's creation.

. . . the things we can do . . .

to save a life:

. . . and so we wait . . .

Today we wait.

Too often in our culture we rush headlong from Friday to Sunday. I'm guilty of it. Dye the eggs, go see Grandpa, make sure we have the right dresses. (To be honest, I've been wearing the same Easter dresses the past 5 years - shopping isn't all that fun).

But this year, we wait. The gospels tell us very little about what happened on the Sabbath day. In a rush Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, in the Gospel of John, prepared his body and laid him in a tomb in a garden.

There is nothing after that. The story skips to Sunday morning where Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty.

What happened on that Saturday while Jesus laid in the tomb? We can speculate. Perhaps our glorious and almighty God of the cosmos wept. Perhaps God spent time in reflection of what had happened. Perhaps time and space slowed down. Perhaps heaven came to a standstill. Perhaps.

Matthew doesn't tell us much more. Pilate had guards positioned in front of the tomb to make sure his body wasn't stolen.

There are times to slow down - to stop - to wonder - to ponder in our hearts. This is the day the church has no answers.

Maybe we aren't supposed to have all the answers... so we wait.

We wait until Easter morning.

. . . entering into holy week . . .

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the day that kicks off Holy Week. During this season of the year, people who have in some way been loosely attached to the church begin to point their hearts toward corporate worship. I believe there is something in all of us that directs us toward the worship of God. You see this when our sanctuaries and worship spaces fill up on the high holy days of Easter and Christmas. Churches put their best efforts forward with the intention of attracting people back the following weeks. Personally, I think the reason many don't return is that people crave relationships and sometimes our efforts don't demonstrate that relationships do exist in our churches. We're not just all about the "Sunday show!" It's not right or wrong, it's just how it is! It's not that our guests don't love God, it's that maybe they need something more, maybe something a little more connected and real. 

One of the interesting things about not being able to worship together in our sanctuaries is that we are ironically seeing more of that.  When I see your comments and reactions on Zoom or Facebook, I can tell that the effort to be in worship has increased and your engagement is off the charts! I think it's a great time to be a pastor! We crave community and in our virtual sanctuaries, we have been able to really understand that church is not about a building, it is about people. Together we are Christ's holy bride.  

When I think about our small communities at home connected through bandwidth, I can't help but think how this mirrors the early church. In the early church, people met in their homes for worship and the breaking of bread.  We may not be gathered in one space as community, but we are gathered through the miracle of bandwidth! 

We are entering into Holy Week differently this year, but know this:

God is always with us. 

This Sunday, be sure to Wave Your Palm Branch (or whatever branch you could get, paper, pine tree branch, oak tree, etc), and post it on your social media platforms. Check out this event for all the details. 

On Thursday we will celebrate Maundy Thursday. Holy Thursday is the night of Holy Week when we remember Jesus’ gathering with his disciples to observe Passover.  The Gospels tell us that they shared a meal, talked, and prayed and that Jesus did a new thing— by washing their feet he invited his followers to love the world in a new way.
Join us via Zoom at 7 PM as we share together meals from our homes and join in what we call a Love Feast for Maundy Thursday.

On Friday, April 10^th, we will participate in a Good Friday experience. This service will also be held on our Facebook page beginning at 6:30 pm.  During this experience, we will reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross.

All week starting on the 5th we will have a church-wide Easter Egg Hunt with all three campuses. The instructions are below! 

EASTER!

We will worship and give thanks to God NEXT Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ! It's going to be different, but it's going to be altogether wonderful!

Have a great weekend, and see you on Sunday!

Blessings,

Pastor Angie  

Easter Egg Hunt We are still having an Easter Egg hunt!!  But, it will look a little different.  The Children’s Ministry team has come up with a great opportunity to get the entire church, and our neighborhood communities involved in some Easter excitement! It’s something we can do for the kids and it’s a way EVERYONE can play along and it will be so much more fun if we all participate!   Display a paper drawing of an Easter egg or use our template HERE. Make sure and put it someplace visible from the road or sidewalk. Just tape it to your window or door, or even put them in windows all over the house, have fun with it!  Make sure you include #WCEaster somewhere on your Egg  We would also love if you would take a picture and post to social media to spread the word.   Invite friends and neighbors to participate.  Let's get this thing spread all around our communities, how cool would it be for this to be the biggest Easter Egg hunt our community has ever seen!   This will all be happening during Holy Week, the week before Easter, April 5th through the 12th!

"I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let’s go to the Lord’s house!” Psalm 122:1