Sixty-Four Souls On Board

"We have sixty-four souls on board...We've been running all the checklists and talking to our maintenance and approach, our maintenance and dispatcher and we have not been able to get the landing gear down.....If it's not completely obvious, we just want to confirm, we are declaring an emergency....Brace for impact! Heads down! Stay down! Heads down! Stay down!"

These are words from the actual voice recordings taken from the cockpit of Delta Flight 4951 as the pilots and crew worked frantically to lower malfunctioning landing gear while they circled JFK airport. Minutes later the flight crew calls for passengers to brace for impact and get their heads down just seconds before the actual landing took place. We now have video from inside the cabin taken by passengers as sparks fly from the plane's fuselage scraping the runway.

It occurs to me that these could very well be the words spoken in a worship service or prayer gathering of the average American congregation..... Less than 100 people .....preoccupied with checklists and maintenance....incapable of landing, yet calling souls to brace for impact.....and once the denial abates there is the naming of the present situation as an emergency.....followed (finally) by a call to bow heads and stay down.........

The actual incident has a happy ending as all "sixty-four souls" landed safely @ JFK. The plane suffered less than cataclysmic damage. Yet, as an allegory, it serves in a parabolic way as a message to the 21st century church in America. By-and-large we have become too preoccupied with what maintains the status quo, and the approaches we should take, while neglecting to gain a healthy focus on our take-offs and landings....

The Captain of Flight 4951 is now a hero, yet everyone on board will one day face death, again; and not to be escaped. The Captain of the Church has saved/is saving us and calling us to become a community that serves to save; setting us free from the power of sin and death. I wonder, will he receive any accolades from his passengers??

Evangelism Is Not A Four-Letter Word!

The picture is one shared with me by my eldest offspring today via Facebook. It seems that the summer intern @ her workplace (British college student) encountered a passenger while taking advantage of public transit who shared this "check track" with him while they traveled their morning commute. After all this is the Bible-belt", right? What should a visitor from across the pond expect in a "Christian nation"?

The word "parable" literally means to compare, or lay/place beside. So compare this first example with a quote from a friend of mine sent yesterday all the way from Sao Paolo, Brazil. He is attending the World Methodist Council On Evangelism....Yesterday, one of the featured speakers, Bishop Paulo Lockmann, offered the following word to those whom claim to be the followers of Jesus on the branch known as Methodism.

"When it comes to evangelism, many Christians act like they're taking

contraceptives, rather than fertility pills."

So how many of us find both approaches too extreme? Surely there is a better way to spin this so that the medicine can be taken, but not taste bitter. Dwight L. Moody was once criticized by some fellow Christians for his methods of sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. Moody's response? "I like my ways of doing it better than your ways of not doing it."

In the meantime most of those claiming the name "Christian" in the western world have to figure out how we can free ourselves from spending most, if not all of our discretionary time with others who claim to be followers of Jesus, rather than with those who admittedly don't know, or care to know Him. E Stanley Jones put it this way: "The Church must become a force for evangelism rather than a field for evangelism."

Experts claim that each of us interacts with at least eight (8) people every day who don't know the Savior of the world. Evangelism is not a four-letter word. Evangelism is how we build relationships of trust with those persons, and in the process invite them to follow Jesus with us. Are you ready for this adventure? It has a name: Christian......following Christ Jesus....

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the Methodist)

God Takes Up Residence

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's! Romans 8 (The Message)

Halford Luccock once wrote,

It is always a tragedy when God gets into the past tense. Yet, that can so
easily happen in the life of a person and a church. It is not that we deny
the existence of God…Too often we have no stirring consciousness of
God being here…(now)…..in us….among us….quickening and
empowering us.

God – in us….among us…..empowering us…..For 21 centuries this experience has been given a name: The Holy Spirit. As one creed says so well: “We believe in the Holy Spirit: God present with us, for guidance, for comfort, for strength…” Come, Holy Spirit. Come!

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(themethodist)

A Church On The Move

So what does it take to move a church from its 57 year old resting place to a new location? Well, you can ask officials at North Carolina Central University in Durham. That's because Holy Cross Catholic Church, one of the oldest African American Catholic Churches in the state, is moving from its former resting place on Alston Avenue to a new home on the corner of Formosa Avenue - two blocks away. I am amazed that a stone structure can be moved at all, much less in one piece, but such is the case with this historic structure. This causes me to reflect on the tendency for churches to become

immovable, unchanging and unwilling to adapt. Someone has noted that the mantra of many churches is: WE'VE NEVER DONE IT THAT WAY BEFORE! How is it possible that a movement that started 21 centuries ago under the name of THE WAY can become like the sign on a small town church cemetery gate? The wrought iron fence of the cemetery contained a message to aid drivers, but a prophetic message for us as well: DEAD END EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS. What will it take to move us out from behind closed doors for fear of _____? Yesterday a ministerial colleague told me about a providential trip he made the same day to a local pawn shop. His practice is to wear a clergy collar when he makes hospital visits. The stop at the pawn shop was to help pay a utility bill for a family in need, but the results of his visit were monumental. The collar made him enough of a target to enter into a 40 minute conversation with two persons in the store. In actuality, he was given a 40 minute opportunity to join Jesus in a pawn shop. The dialogue (witness) which ensued is one he hopes to build on in the days and weeks to come. Through his experience, Wesley's words, "The world is my parish." have taken on new meaning for both of us. What does it take to move the church from a specific address to a mobile, merciful, missional influence?? The answer is as close as the mirror in your bathroom. Take a long look and you'll see the answer.....

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

.

In Christ,

Jon(themethodist)

Rebuild?

In December I traveled to Biloxi/D'Iberville, Mississippi, and witnessed the state of affairs since the hurricane altered reality for so many almost five years ago. This photo stands as a reminder of the norm more than the exception. In this neighborhood, the neighbors are all but gone. The houses which once were homes are slow in returning. Lot after lot looks just like this......Sidewalks...leading to steps....with porches.....and nothing attached. There are decisions to be made, and there are decisions already made. Those without adequate insurance whose busineeses closed as a result of the storm have moved away.....trying to start anew...... somewhere. Others have stayed in the area, but are losing hope of a day when a house can once again be attached to their sidewalk and steps. This seems to take the spit and shine off of "The American Dream", huh? In the 6th chapter of Nehemiah we read of the Hebrew leader (Nehemiah) who is exiled with his people in Persia. The city of their faith (Jerusalem) has been left desolate and fallen in disrepair since their captivity. But one day Nehemiah gains the favor of the Persian King. Soon he finds himself returning to the "homeland" on a mission from God. Job #1 is restoring the broken down walls which surround the city. He enlists the aid of many in his quest for restoration.

As with any mission there are detractors within and without. It's the outside detractors who pose Nehemiah with the greatest challenge. There are those who stand to profit from the plummeting real eatate values if the market remains in a state of disrepair. And so it is in the 6th chapter that Nehemiah is called by these detractors to leave his mission and come to meet with them on the plains of Ono. Nehemiah's famous response to their unholy plans is classic

:I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?

The Raleigh District pledged to the people of D'Iberville that we would not come down until the great work we are partnering in is finished. There are temptations to do so, but we press on in this mission to rebuild. In the months and years ahead I hope many will join those who are steadily taking on this monumental task. Will you join us on the wall???

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(themethodist)

Theology of The Hammer

What a great day for a Habitat For Humanity house dedication! This morning at 10am the churches comprising "The Power of Seven" gathered on Pineview Drive in Garner for a celebration of the completion of the Karogi family's new home. The driveway was practically full of participants as Veronica Bitting and the Wake Habitat leadership guided our time. The congregations of 1st UMC Garner, 1st UMC Fuquay-Varina, Hollands UMC, Holly Springs UMC, Mt Zion UMC, St Andrews UMC, and Sunrise UMC linked their hearts, hands and resources to make this dream come true for a family that arrived in the Triangle only three years ago from their homeland of Kenya. All the pastors were present and several members from each church. The Mayor of Garner, Ronnie Williams, and a Town Council member were present as well. It was a day of dreams celebrated and lots of laughter shared. These seven congregations are to be commended for pointing the way. Today we celebrated the connection of UMs in the best of ways. What would happen if the other churches in our District decided to do the same? What is possible when churches choose to partner intentionally for the sake of others???? As we concluded our dedication celebration and worship, all who gathered shared in the following affirmation. I hope it challenges you in the same ways it is challenging me.

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that we may work for economic justice for all people.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, hunger, homelessness and rejection so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy, and may God bless enough with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world so that we can do what many claim cannot be done.

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(theMethodist)

Following Jesus?

Nathan Nettleton, creator of LaughingBird worship website, offers the following thoughts from a sermon he preached in his native Australia in the late 90s. They seem very fitting as we move from Palm Sunday toward Easter. I hope you find them to be God-breathed and focusing as Holy Week begins for us all.

“…some wise philosopher once said, “Today’s rooster is tomorrow’s feather duster.” One day you’re riding the crest of the public opinion wave; the next day the wave is well and truly broken and you’re the wipeout. Public opinion can be remarkably fickle…….

it’s easy to cheer for Jesus, to wave palm branches and to sing praises in the gathered assembly. It’s not difficult to join in the singing here each Sunday morning and honour Jesus as Messiah and King of the Universe. But there’s a lot more to following Jesus than just cheering from the sidelines.

What do those praises mean when (we are) behind closed doors and away from the public eye? (We) can sing in here “I want you more than gold or silver,” but how do those words affect (us) when (we) get to work, and love and justice don’t turn a profit or put (us) in line for a promotion? Do (we) honor him with (our) actions or capitulate and crucify him? What do all the words of commitment mean when it comes to working out how (we) commit (our) time and (our) money? What do those words mean when (we) find yourself in a group of sophisticated and successful people who are discussing what a loser and a fraud Jesus Christ was and how his followers have only ever caused misery and bigotry in the world? Do (we) praise him with (our) lips or crucify him with (our) compliant silence? “

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)

The Original Sin Eater

In Francine Rivers' novel, The Last Sin Eater, we meet a village of 19th century Welsh immigrants who make the Appalachian mountains their new home. In the village there is a young girl named Cadi Forbes. She is haunted by the death of her younger sister; a death she feels responsible for.

The immigrants have brought with them an ancient Celtic ritual - the Sin Eater. Cadi approaches the person who embodies this role, begging to be absolved of her sins. But when all is said and done - even the Sin Eater can't free the girl from her misery. The village is then graced by a stranger whom they come to call The Man of God.


As they talk by the River bed Cadi shares her woes and The man of God offers her an alternative reality.....

"Cadi" he says, as he clutches his Bible, "there are some sorrows so deep that only God can touch them. No mere man can take away your sins, child. You see, there's already been a sin eater, The Original Sin Eater, that the Lord God sent a long, long time ago. He was sent to take away all of our sins, once and for all.....
"Will you tell The Sin Eater how sorry I am?" asks Cadi. "Will you ask him to forgive me?" "Beautiful girl, you just did. Now your heart is washed clean of all the dark marks that this world or you have ever given to it." As she hugs the man of God, she asks, "Does he have a name?"
"Yes" , replies the Man of God..................."His name is Jesus......"

Taking The Form Of A Servant

"Taking the form of a servant..." These are words found in Philippians chapter 2. Scholars have pointed out that these are some of the words from an ancient hymn text; words inserted intentionally in Paul's letter to the Christians in this ancient city in northern Greece.. These words are significant because they refer to Jesus. Jesus....the servant. These words would seem odd when describing some, but not when speaking of Jesus. The real question for each of us is does the word servant seem odd when attached to our own names?? In The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch recounts the following story from his teenage years.

When I was fifteen, I worked at an orchard hoeing strawberries,

and most of my coworkers were day laborers. A couple of teachers

worked there, too, earning a little extra cash for the summer. I

made a comment to my dad about the job being beneath those

teachers. (I guess I was implying that the job was beneath me too.)

My dad gave me the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. He believed manual

labor was beneath no one. He said he'd prefer that I worked hard and

became the best ditch-digger in the world rather than coasting along

as a self-impressed elitist behind a desk. I went back into that strawberry

field and I still didn't like the job. But I had heard my dad's words. I

watched my attitude and hoed a little harder.

Jesus must have heard his Father's words as he lived and died among us.....a servant who humbled himself and became obedient unto death...even death on a cross. Thanks be to God!

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)

In A Hurry????

Lily Tomlin once said, "The trouble with the rat race is - even if you win - you're still a rat!" Rat race.........do these words mirror our hurried lives in the 21st century?? I have to admit, too often they are an apt description of at least segments of mine.

In Living Prayer, author Robert Benson makes me pause from the rat race long enough to ponder the foolishness and futility of rushing through my days.

"We take our place in the race and watch our lives disappear in the daily grind. We rush through the present toward some future that is
supposed to be better but generally only turns out only to be busier. We hurry through our prayers and miss them - just as we race through our meals and do not linger over the coffee and the conversation. We (rush) our children out the door in the morning so we can get on to the real world.

"Be careful what you treasure....." I read somewhere once. I do not think about it much; my treasure shows itself all to clearly. "

Some of the gifts of this Lenten season are the gifts of pace and introspection. When the Apostle Paul urged early followers of Jesus to "run the race", I don't believe he was speaking of the rat race. Is it possible for us to be intentional in our living? Dare we pause long enough in the course of our over-scheduled days to listen for what God is trying to say to us? These are the questions which are pregnant with possibility.......May God grant us grace to learn how to waste away an hour with God....frequently.

Still In ONE Peace,
Jon(the Methodist)

Pondering The Passion

In, The Way Of The Cross, G. K. Chesterton pondered the significance of Jesus' Passion. He offered the following reflection.

In every century, in this century, in the next century, the Passion is
what it was in the first century, when it occurred; a thing stared at by a
crowd. It remains a tragedy of the people;
a crime of the people; a consolation of the people; but never merely a
thing of the period....
It lives, because it involves the staggering story of the Creator truly
groaning and travailing with His creation; and the highest thing thinkable passing through some nadir of the lowest
curve of the cosmos. And it lives, because the very blast from this
black cloud of death comes the world as a wind of everlasting life; by which all things wake and are alive.

Isaac Watts penned words which seem to fit with these:

Love, so amazing, so Divine, demands my life, my soul, my all........

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)

Brand Loyalty

On Ash Wednesday I filed into a sanctuary with a number of my colleagues, and while there we received the sign of the cross on our foreheads. There were guided prayers and quiet, reflective music, and words like: "From dust you were created...and to dust you will return."

Such was the beginning of what we were encouraged to observe as: "A Holy Lent". When we returned to our place of meeting we couldn't help but notice that some of us bore more distinct and darker crosses on our foreheads. Some of us bore faint signs of the cross and others were emblazened with smudges that were more noticeable.

The same words...and the same prayers...and the same simple symbol - a cross. All of us covered by the same sign. Each of us different from the other, but the same because we all needed (need) a Savior.

Maybe that's why I found it ironic when the first news clips of Akio Toyoda, (President/Ceo of Toyota Motors, and grandson of the founder), captured the great inconsistency. There, for all

the world to see - Toyoda completed his initial news conference, vowing that he and his employees would get to the bottom of the problems which were/are perplexing the company, and when he finished ......he climbed into an Audi sedan...and sped away. An Audi sedan??? That's probably going down as one of the great p/r blunders in human history.

And so several days removed, Toyoda appeared in Washington, D.C. this week. This time Akio took full responsibility for the crisis at Toyota. And before he finished, said: "I will ensure that members of the management team actually drive the cars and that they check for themselves where the problem lies as well as its severity...."

At the moment Toyoda is an easy target, but I wonder about my own loyalties. Do I proclaim a faith which I don't actually drive? Am I loyal to the brand, or to myself....and my craven desire for self-preservation?? It's one thing to walk around for a few hours with a smudge-cross on my forehead........Its another matter to die to self. That is to say, die to self-centeredness.

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after (follow) me....then let them (first) deny self (allegiance to self vs allegiance to God) and take up their cross (choice) and follow me." It sounds as simple as submitting your forehead to the art of ashes. But in reality it is a call to die......Jesus didn't wear the cross - he ws nailed to it. How's that for brand loyalty????

I'll Be Somewhere Listening......

During the months of July and August I traveled around the Raleigh District, meeting with key leaders from the sixty churches. In those gatherings I asked the leaders to pair up with someone else and to list three qualities or characteristics of effective leaders. It may come as a surprise to some, but one of the qualities most often listed was.....listening.....

I'm not sure we think of leaders as those who demonstrate a high capacity for listening. Speaking? Well

that's more like it. We want our leaders - above all else -

to be articulate speakers. But what if we honored with equal gratitude articulate listeners?

In, The Silence of Jesus, James Breech recounts his experience of traveling to Princeton University to hear

W.H. Auden read some of his poetry. The lecture hall was packed with hundreds of people; all talking excitedly as they waited to see and hear the renowned laureate. Breech says that the old man dawdled his way onto the lecture stage, and then, with the help of a microphone, began to read. But his voice was soft, and the microphone was of no help.

Breech says that the people in the lecture hall began whispering to each other - even as Auden continued to read in inaudible fashion. The crowd began whispering to each other, trying to translate what they believed Auden to be saying. But the whispering soon became more audible than the old man's reading and the collective sound of it all drowned out Auden altogether.

What Breech learned in that lecture hall that night is captured in these words: "..if we want to hear what a speaker is saying while others are talking - even though they are trying to be helpful, their voices distract our attention and interfere with our listening. In order for the speaker's own voice to be heard, the go-betweens must be silent."

Barbara Brown Taylor comments on this statement with one of her own: "When the poet happens to be God, this advice takes on special significance." One of my favorite songs contains these lyrics.

When I was younger, I had a feeling.

I was so lonely....there was no one around.

When it got quiet...the feeling got stronger.

I fought the feelin'...I filled it with sound.

Then soon I found the truth....He'd been waitin' in line.

And when I saw him there....I knew he'd been there all the time.

We walked up to my wall of sound......and knocked it down!

And as the walls came down.....a new sound was all around.....

Now silence is music.......silence is music......

Silence is music.....He made my life....a song.........

Ron Moore

O Lord - give your grace to the go-betweens - so we may learn to be silent........

And Your Voice be heard........

Still In ONE Peace

Jon(the methodist)

Purpose

My friend and artist, Cheryl Harrison, created this image a number of years ago for the purpose of enhancing the worship space of a fledgling faith community through the gift of the visual arts. As pastor of that flock the image served to remind me that God has created each of us by intention with intention. This is not intended to be a mere play on words, but like the painting, a faith-statement.

To be created by intention is to believe that God is not the absentee clock-maker; not One who displays great creative prowess but holds no particular affection for the creation. To believe that God creates the ordered world, and human beings within that ordered existence, is to say something significant, about God and human beings. In short it is to believe that the intention behind the act of creation is good intention. It is to believe that God's ultimate purposes for the human family are at their heart rooted in an atmosphere of grace.

To be created with intention is to believe that God does not exist to serve our whims and wishes, but that we (humanity) exist for purposes that move well beyond self-serving. In short to be created with intention speaks of a Divine-human partnership, some might say a conspiracy, which transcends the empty quest for accumulating more, replacing this desire with purpose. Jesus speaks of this to his first followers when he says,

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and
bear fruit—fruit that will last. John 15:6a

Cheryl's painting reminds us of another passage when Jesus says to that same rag-tag band of on-again-off-again followers: "You are the light of the world." And later he says, "You are the salt of the earth." I can't help noticing that Jesus is using present tense language with the disciples. There's no hint of, "Well, one day - when you get your act together - then maybe, just maybe I will be ablde to refer to you as light without laughing about it." There is no whiff of Jesus saying, "If you keep at it - study hard - complete all your assignments then I'll see to it that you become like preserving, flavor-filled salt for an otherwise quickly-fading and spiceless creation." It's there - in black and white - Jesus said ARE, not MAY BE, NOW not sometime in the distant future.

So what's standing in the way of Jesus' declaration becoming reality? I'm afraid it may just be - ourselves. What keeps our lamps under bushels instead of visible and bright? What keeps us from bringing God's seasoning to the stew of life? The answer is somewhere in the mirror for me. The late Michael Jackson once crooned, "I'm looking at the man in the mirror.....If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself, and then make a change!" Have lyrics ever been so ironic? Surgery after surgery didn't change the essence of Michael Jackson. His song lyrics contain a message which just isn't true. Singing them to adoring fans didn't make the change happen.

Becoming salt and light takes more than gritting our teeth and pressing on with white-knuckled determination. The Scriptures declare that we find our purpose in relationship, not in tricks or even working a bit harder. Light??? Salt??? These are who we become as we embrace just Whose we are. And the world will never be the same...........Neither will we.

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(themethodist)

NOTE: The artwork featured in this particular blog is the property of Cheryl Harrison and only used with her permission. To explore more of Cheryl's creative visual artwork visit:

www.charrisonart.com

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)

To see more of Cheryl's creative handiwork visit www.

Recharging Your Batteries?

In, The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch shares with the world the challenges and blessings of being a husband, parent, and professor while battling pancreatic cancer.

He offers the following insights that speak to me in simple, yet significant ways. If you are reading this, my prayer is that these words are life-giving to you.

"...the best caregiving advice we've ever heard comes from flight attendants: 'Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others'....there's nothing weak or selfish about taking some fraction of your day to be alone, recharging your batteries." pp. 200-201

Professor Pausch is on to something significant. I wonder how many times I've rushed off to rescue someone who was struggling to breathe without making sure I had an adequate supplyof oxygen myself ? The truth be known - way too many times. A friend of mine from Australia phrases it this way, "You don't need a pastor who can't waste away an hour with God on a regular basis!"

Last week clergy from across the Raleigh District gathered @ Camp Chestnut Ridge for a Day Apart. Many who participated have since commented that something about that day was life-giving. I really think it had very little to do with the agenda for the day, and quite a bit to do with the day being the agenda. We made ourselves available - at God's bidding - to God - and one another and God did all the rest.

Jesus made it a regular practice to come away from the crowds and even the inner circle of disciples to make himself available to God. I wonder what makes me think that I can somehow come up with a better model than this? Pastors often feel the weight of expectation imposed upon us. Those expectations often come from others, or even worse - from ourselves! My prayer for the flock to whom I belong is that we would grow more comfortable with solitude, and disciplined in regularly wasting away an hour with God.

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)

An Altitude Adjustment

So Wednesday we actually were given the gift of some free time. I've been blessed this week to join other recently appointed district superintendents from across the United States in a time of connecting and training. And one of our family resides outside the continental states - Bro James from Uganda on the continent of Africa.

But what I have found is that this has also been a time of inspiration - every bit as much as it has been equipping. Dr. Marcia McPhee has been our worship designer/leader each morning and that has been a treat too! To raise my voice in praise of the One God each morning with new-found-friends at the table is a gift as well. New friends from places like Fargo and Albuquerque, Fort Smith, Battle Creek , Beaumont and Thomasville.

Well, as I noted earlier - Wednesday afternoon was "free time"; nothing to learn, no schedule to keep - no "best practices" to try and absorb. So I took myself away from Junaluska for a few hours. The district Optima (that's actually my Kia four-door) aided part of my journey. On the way there was a serendipitous stop at a less-than-appealing convenience store where a conversation ensued with the elderly owner He became my spiritual director for the afternoon as he deployed me to the nearby Parkway, and to a place on the Parkway in particular: Water Rock Knob.

Armed only with my Diet Sundrop and an adventurous spirit, I returned to the car and soon found myself maneuvering the curves of the Blue Ridge. There were tempting vistas just outside the passenger side window, but the desire to live kept my white-knuckled hands firmly attached to the steering wheel. Soon I arrived at the destination described earlier by my spiritual director;a place he told me would reveal God's handiwork. The sign in the parking area noted the elevation at that point was a mere 6200 feet above sea level. Another sign noted my intended destination as being only a half-mile more........on foot! Water Rock Knob it was named.

So I huffed and I puffed, but by the time I arrived there were no houses to blow down. There were flowering plants and the almost deafening buzzing of bees - everywhere. Now I know where Raleigh's bee population has gone. They must be Methodist bees because they're all in the mountains in the summer! And then the place promised became the place experienced. As they say the climb was worth the agony.

Somewhere above 6200 ft the air was a bit more thin, or else I'm getting older. But from my vista I could see Maggie Valley and Cataloochee(sp) in the background. There, as promised I got a bird's-eye-view of God's handiwork. And there with God's brush strokes a parable of sorts unfolded for the plebe DS........The expanse of green living trees is evident - everywhere, but of course my eye was drawn to the one dead tree, which dominated the landscape from my perch at the time. As a forest ranger taught me years ago, when trees stop producing rings - they die. And yet, the faithful God - all the while - is busy multiplying a sea of green remnant. Lesson taken, Lord! Old Saint Francis was right. "It is in dieing that we are born to eternal life! Up and over and out.....

Jon(the Methodist)

The Results Of Your MRI Are In!

By now most of us have probably read or seen some kind of report about the woman from suburban Pittsburgh who says that the recent MRI she received at a local hospital looks quite a bit like the crucified Christ. Her own description of the image goes like this:

"You could actually see the hands. They look like they're nailed on the cross. You can see the body. It's in a straight line and then you see his feet, they look like they're together, and the knees are bent."

Admittedly, for many of us, this sort of thing is quick to dismiss, like the grilled cheese sandwich with Jesus' face on it, or a weeping statue of Mary. When asked if the image of Jesus has changed her life, she replied:

"I can't be swayed by a picture. My neck does feel better. I don't know if that was Jesus or physical therapy."

Maybe she has summed up what the Apostle Paul referred to when he said, "Great indeed is the mystery of our faith." Hopefully, we can differentiate physical therapy from Jesus. It's not that Jesus doesn't possess incredible abilities over the human body (see Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), but is that all Jesus does? Is he just the cosmic faith-healer, the teller who gives out blessings at the counter of God's Bank like toasters were once distributed to new customers at the Savings and Loan? Or is he much more?????

MRIs aren't just for people with bad backs. Leonard Sweet says that the Church of Jesus Christ needs and MRI; an infusion of the:

Missional.........Relational.........Incarnational........

spirit we witness in Jesus. While Jesus didn't believe that everything real could be seen, ("blessed are those who have not seen and yet, believe), he also noted that, ("a tree is known by its fruit.") So if God calls the Church into the examination room where MRIs are performed, what is going to show up on the imagery of the scan? Will it depict us as missional, relational, incarnational communities where faith is born and takes flight? Or will the test display us as fraudulent imposters, con artists adept at shaping the picture to appear the way we want others to see us, rather than an accurate depiction of who we are?

Way back in the last millennium the Raleigh District was blessed with a leader who happened to serve among us as a superintendent on his way to becoming a bishop. Some of you remember him well; a man with a dazzling smile and an an infectious laugh. His name was Dr. Joseph B. Bethea, known affectionately to many as "Joe". I remember how "Joe" moved among the churches of our district one year in particular during the Charge Conference season. The best way I can describe the way he carried himself is with the countenance of a wise and all-knowing Cheshire Cat. He would begin the Charge Conferences saying something like: "I am 'The Doctor' and I'm here to give you your annual check up!" He would pause for a few moments - then a smile would spread all the way across his face, soon thereafter followed by his trademark laugh, which filled the entire room.

The test results aren't yet received. The question remains to be answered:

Is Jesus showing up in our MRI????

Singer song-writer John Michael Talbot, posed this question in a similar way many years ago:

"As my lips so often speak the name of Jesus, will the canvass hold his image within me?"

By God's Grace....may it be so.

Jon(the methodist)

IT'S A BOY!

Like Abraham and Sarah we welcomed our new arrival on Tuesday of this week. None of the neighbors knew about this. If so, they probably would have erected one of those quirky wooden storks in our front yard like the astronauts who planted the American flag on the surface of the moon back in 69. This whole business caught us a bit by surprise. It only dates back to Pentecost Sunday of this year. My wife had done an excellent job keeping all of this a secret - at least from me.

We were nearing the benediction of our 3rd ever Spirit Fest celebration on the front lawn of Benson Memorial UMC when the Staff-Parish Relations Chair (Vicki) stepped up front to borrow the microphone. She said she had an important announcement to make. As her announcement unfolded various message-partners stepped up front, bearing gifts from afar. Well, maybe that's a bit too dramatic. There are places in NC where "gifts from afar" could just be the local volunteer firemen handing out tootsie rolls for a small donation in front of the Food Lion. Anyway, I digress.

The announcement culminated when my wife and daughters were asked to come up front and stand next to me. Then from the side wings another person came forward carrying a large piece of foam core (rectangular) with words printed across the face. That's when I discovered we were expecting for the first time. There's nothing like being surprised in front of 300+ friends who are hanging on your every word. There in front of God and everyone, beneath the shade of a massive water oak as old as Teddy Roosevelt, the news was delivered. I took a deep breath, and then I melted like a snow cone in an Arizona parking lot in July. I reverted to my M.O. and blubbered and sniffled in true Strother fashion.

So on Tuesday I brought our new arrival home. Mom is doing fine, and adjusting to living with a husband who now has another marvelous distraction, (as if I didn't already have enough). For 23 years humans of the female variety have ruled the roost in the Strother cave. Year after year, birth after birth, the doctors have always said the same thing in the delivery room: "Its a girl!" But Tuesday all that changed when I brought Taylor home for the first time. Now - finally - I have a sympathizer. Perhaps, just maybe the tide is about to turn.

So last night I found myself up late at night - singing softly to a new arrival while other members of the family rested quietly in their second-floor beds. I didn't mind this at all. Maybe it was the adrenalin of going through this unexpected parenthood for a fourth time. Or perhaps I was enjoying the time alone with our new bundle of joy. Eventually I tucked Taylor in and made my way upstairs to join the rest of my slumbering familia. Life is good..... Oh, for those who are interested....take a look at our new symphonic miracle.......Taylor Strother......

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon (the methodist)

Who Are You Hitched To?

The other day on my way to work I saw something I'd never noticed before. Heading toward the office in the ITB (that’s inside the beltline for non-Raleigh-ites) traveling on Downtown Blvd, I noticed this string of cabooses linked one to the other on a hill behind some warehouses. Is the plural of caboose actually cabooses or is it caboosi? Well I skipped the Wade Ave exit ( the Methodist Building is close by) and drove to the next exit at Peace St. Then I did a 180 and got back on Capital and restarted my quest to find the mysterious train cars.

Suddenly they reappeared, so I drove around behind a warehouse, parked the car and got out @ the end of a deserted railroad track. I walked the abandoned track until I was close enough to snap a picture with my blackberry. In total, eight cars were there – resting quietly. They were joined together - all the same kind of train car, with no engine in sight. I was all alone. Weeds and kudzu were my only witnesses other than God.

As I was snapping the photos I heard the rumbling of train engines coming from another parallel track behind me - just beyond the trees. The whole thing seemed/seems surreal and parabolic now that I pause to reflect. A string of mobile resting places linked together on a track amputated from the mainline without the needed power to go anywhere.

And so it is for all who attempt to experience LIFE apart from Christ. As Jesus reminded us almost 2K previous, “I am the vine…You are the branches….Apart from me you can do nothing.” Life without Christ at the center is akin to linking oneself to a string of train cars, none of which is empowered to go anywhere. It makes me stop and wonder, Am I intentionally staying connected to the Engine and traveling where the open tracks lead? Or am I prone to hitch to any old box car and content to waste away on the deserted side-tracks which are so prevalent. Who knows? This may have been a burning bush, well burning caboose……..

In Christ.
Jon(the Methodist)

Getting in Shape

Writing on my blog seems almost foreign to me at the moment. After all, the last time I posted anything was back in April....I think? But in the midst of change and transition I am climbing back in the saddle again. Here goes.......................

Something I enjoy doing at any opportunity is walking barefoot down any stretch of beach. Over the years those strolls have often been beside the nearby Atlantic. Yet, there have been opportunities to walk by the Agean Sea, the Mediterranean, and by the Pacific waters lapping at the shoreline in Manly Beach (Sydney, Australia) In each instance there has been a profound sense of my smallness and God's greatness. Each shell investigated carries with it an untold story of change and transition. And so today, I am reminded of the words from Terry Talbot's song, "Potter's Clay".

I'm like a stone thrown through the waves,

I'm falling......And the waves all mold me

as they may.....To be unborn, and then to

hear the callin', that I'm still....still the

Potter's clay.

Following just such a stroll yesterday morning, I was nourished in spirit by the words of Reuben Job. Perhaps these words will speak to someone else as well.

Conversion is a partnership project. We cannot transform ourselves, and God does not transform us against our wishes. However, once we invite God's transforming presence into our lives, the necessary power to change comes with the transforming presence.....We cannot know what God has in store for us until we begin to live in harmony and companionship with God.....The important thing is inviting God to be the master potter in our lives. We may not know what the end product will be, but we do know that it will be good when we permit God to be the potter and we agree to be the malleable clay.

Here's to LIFE shaped by the Hands of the Master Potter......and to willing clay.

Still In ONE Peace,

Jon(the methodist)