OUR CLERGY AND STAFF Reverend Dr. P. Glenn Kinken III Senior Minister gkinken@centenary-ws.org Reverend Bret Cogan Assoc. Minister of Spiritual Formation & Education bcogan@centenary-ws.org Reverend R. Craig Ford Associate Minister cford@centenary-ws.org Reverend Kate May Associate Minister with Children kmay@centenary-ws.org Reverend Jeremy Pegram Assoc. Minister of Evangelism, Engagement & Missions jpegram@centenary-ws.org Tamara M. Pollock Director of Youth Ministries tpollock@centenary-ws.org Mary Ann Wexler Executive Director mwexler@centenary-ws.org Susan Bates Organist and Music Associate sbates@centenary-ws.org Martha Bassett Alternative Music Leader mbassett@centenary-ws.org Kristy Eaton Contributions keaton@centenary-ws.org Sandra Gramley Congregational Care Coordinator sgramley@centenary-ws.org Stacy Holley Exec. Assistant to Senior Minister sholley@centenary-ws.org John Markle Director of Operations jmarkle@centenary-ws.org Doug Peninger Director of Communications dpeninger@centenary-ws.org Debbie Pilson Director of DAYBreak/Respite Care dpilson@centenary-ws.org
OUR PAGES Table of Contents/Clergy and Staff ~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Lenten Journey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 From the Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 Tenebrae ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 Glenn Kinken: U-Turn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 Page Eight: Drive Through It~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 Podcast for Centenary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10 New Members~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 Jeremy Pegram: Fork in the Road~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crucifers & Torchbearers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kate May: Rough Road Ahead~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GriefShare ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mike Lawless: Comforting Those Who Mourn~~ Bret Cogan: Parade Route~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tammy Pollock: New Traffic Patterns~~~~~~~~~ UMW May Meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stephen Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Craig Ford: Yield~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June Stegall: An Unexpected Detour~~~~~~~~~ Easter Worship at Centenary~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Calendar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memorials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honoraria ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Glenn Kinken: Easter: No More Detours~~~~~~~
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OUR COVER Jesus Carrying the Cross: “And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and the women who bewailed and lamented him.� (Luke 23:27). The River Jordan and Jerusalem are seen in the background. You can learn more about the windows of the church by reading Centenary United Methodist Church Symbols: The Story Told in Glass, Stone and Fabric.
For a video tour of the ministry and office spaces located at The Haven, scan the QR code below.
John Rogers Director of Information Technology jrogers@centenary-ws.org June Stegall Interim Director of Music jstegall@centenary-ws.org
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From the Editor Roads Lead to the Cross. You are invited to take this journey and discover for yourself what the detour means. When it’s all said and done, we arrive at the cross, which brings us to Easter, where there are no more detours.
Have you noticed that the traffic patterns in WinstonSalem are more than a little different since Christmas? It’s hard not to notice the impact that the closing of Business 40 has had on the commute of many of us. What used to take a few minutes of travel could take hours. It all depends on the time of day and whether or not there is an accident or the traffic lights are working correctly or the paving has been completed. Thus, the detour. Throughout this issue, our ministy team and staff will be discussing various traffic signs and how they may relate to us from a Lenten Journey perspective. Jeremy Pegram shares the adventures of the fork in the road. Kate May seriously shares with us her thoughts on the rough road.Craig Ford shares his thoughts about what a yield could be. Glenn Kinken invites us all to take a u-turn which could lead to a new traffic pattern, shared by Tammy Pollock.
I hope you will take this Lenten time of introspection to journey with us and invite your friends as well. The car is warmed up and the briefcase is packed. I’ll see y0u on the detour, oh, and at Centenary.
And if those weren’t enough, Bret Cogan invites us to travel the parade route. We also get a chance to hear from June Stegall, who shares with us an unexpected detour. Are you curious where all of this is going? Our Lenten theme from this magazine to the pulpit is Detour: All
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Doug Peninger Director of Communications
*As of October 8, 2018.
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| senior minister |
U-Turn
Rev. Dr. Glenn Kinken III gkinken@centenary-ws.org
Poets, songwriters, authors, sages, teachers, and even preachers throughout history have compared life to a journey along a trail, path, road or highway.
It is a metaphor that truly fits because life, like highways, is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, smooth and rough places, and even periods of growth and construction. The same can be said for our faith lives. This year our theme for Lent is Detour: All Roads Lead to the Cross. We picked the theme, first, because it is true – no matter where we go in life, no matter what happens to us, and no matter what decisions we make – all roads through life lead us back to the Cross of Christ. The second reason that we picked this theme, is that it fits life all across the City of Arts and Innovation. Here we are four months into the Business 40 shut-down/renovation into Salem Parkway. Once familiar roads and routes to our favorite places are closed, disrupted or a mess. It is our hope that as you traverse the city learning new routes, contending with traffic displaced from some other route onto your favorite route, or make a turn onto a road that will no longer take
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you where you want to go, you will remember our theme and use that moment to focus on your faith journey during Lent. One Friday night in June of 2013, I was sitting at the firepit in my front yard with a friend of mine. We had lit a simple fire, I guess because it was our Friday night custom (for it was truly hot enough outside already), and were winding down from a busy week of life and work. As we talked, we heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance. We thought (incorrectly) that the storm was moving away from us. A short time went by and we began to hear a calm rustling in the trees. That sound soon gave way to a cacophony of snaps. Soon we heard the rain clearly moving in our direction and retreated to the shelter of the screened porch. We continued our conversation for another two hours as the rain fell with increased intensity. Finally realizing that it was not going to let up, my friend decided to head home running through the deluge. That is when life got interesting. Shortly after he left, I fielded a telephone call from the man who locked up the church at night. “Glenn, there is a bit of a problem. The drains on the playground are plugged up and there is water seeping under the door of the pre-school hallway.” That is not the call you want to get! I grabbed my rainboots, raincoat and hat and headed out the door, hoping for the best, but expecting a lot less. As I sped down the road to the church, I failed to notice that the placid creek which ran beside the parkway was now a raging river. As I rounded the bend where the creek crossed under the road, I was confronted with police cars blocking the road. It seems that the creekturned-river had washed the road out. I made my first of three U-Turns. I headed down the parkway in the other direction to take the back entrance out of the neighborhood. As I drove along, I took a moment to gawk at the frothy waterway hoping that it had not breached the road at the other end. With the rain still falling out of the heavens like an open faucet, I soon discovered no such luck. I whipped the truck around (U-Turn number two)
remembering there was one more way out of the neighborhood cutting through an adjacent one. Not a direct route to town but a route to town never-the-less. Finally, breaking free of my neighborhood, I felt sure it would be smooth sailing all the way to church. As I neared the church, I discovered a large, old oak tree laying across the road. With the ground softened by the 100-year deluge, the roots could not hold and the tree had come crashing down. After U-Turn number three, I was able to reach the church and begin assessing the flood damage there. Every time I see a U-Turn sign, I think of that night five years ago. I am reminded that sometimes in life we head in a direction that is a dead-end. Other times, we fail to recognize the dangers which are building along our route only to turn the corner and find the road disappear before our eyes. No matter what happens, our faith tells us that we can make a U-Turn. Because of God’s abiding grace we can turn our lives around and find a way back to the life God wants for us. No matter when, no matter where, we can turn away from the bad, the disruptive, the things that separate us from God and the ones who love us. The Cross of Christ is the ever present road sign that reminds us that U-Turns are possible because God is the master road builder.
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8 | feature |
Page Eight
As many of you know, I live in Davidson County.
Doug Peninger
dpeninger@centenary-ws.org
My home address says Thomasville, but I’m actually annexed into the city of High Point and live no where close to Thomasville proper. Imagine trying to get a library card when you tell folks this! It’s amazing how much of what is considered High Point is actually located in Davidson County. Each morning I commute to Winston-Salem by traveling through the country until I reach highway 311 to head west. It’s a scenic route and the traffic isn’t bad. The commute takes about 35 minutes and it’s a great way to spend the time gearing up for the day or making calls to family and friends, even having prayer time. I said the traffic wasn’t bad, right? That all changed when Business 40 closed.
There is this great product in cars now, the live traffic map. I am always keen to make sure I’ve got it set to the right parameters so I can see where highway 311 and interstate 40 merge. Why? Well, if I see red on I-40, I know I need to take the Ridgewood exit and travel through 5-Points and then on through the UNCSA campus to come in by Old Salem. If I miss the map notification, well, there’s no other option than to just drive through it. Or on some mornings, just sit patiently and know that eventually, movement will happen. I know on mornings like that, it’s going to be at least an hour before I get to the church. Yep, that’s when you break out the smart device and start the emails. As you sit there, you learn a little bit about patience. You also learn that if you stay in the right-hand lane, while going around the ramp, because that lane normally moves faster, eventually, someone will let you in
as you enter I-40. I can’t tell you how many times this happens. It is the new normal. Some folks have suggested that I travel Highway 109. To them, I gently say, “are you kidding?” For those who may not know, Highway 109 is a complete nightmare, at least that’s been my experience.
No one ever said life would be easy or that the road would always be clear and accident free. No one ever promised that difficulties would not lie ahead. There are always going to be choices we have to make. There will be rough roads, yields to others’ wishes, u-turns to find a better route, forks in the road where we have to decide which way to go, an unexpected traffic pattern that causes us to learn new lessons, and yes, at times, we get to watch the parade as it passes. This is what we call life. As believers in Christ, we know that he has traveled these same roads and is ever present with us through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:20b tells us “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV). Sometimes in life, you can take another route. Sometimes the detour is why the problem exists. But the comfort Christ gives us helps us to drive through it and know that He is with us, helping us all along the way…always. And yes, that even means on the commute home.
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Looking for a mid-week boost? Need some inspiration in your life? Did you want to hear that sermon again? Get the all-new podcast from Centenary. Each Tuesday morning, the sermon from the previous Sunday will feed directly to your smart device. The podcast is available from iTunes/Apple Podcasts and Google Play Podcast.
heart soul mind
New Members We welcome you in Christian love...
Bill, Betsy and Lydia Schneider Will & Nicole Johnson Sophie and Josephine
...we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Bill & Camille Suttle
Sunday • April 7 • 5:00pm • The Haven Starting Point is a 90-minute session that provides newcomers an opportunity to form a deeper connection to the church and take the steps towards becoming a Centenary member. Our clergy and staff are present to share about the missions and ministries of the church and answer questions. Whether you are new to Centenary or have been attending worship for months, or longer, Starting Point is the place to begin your journey towards membership. MARCH/ARPIL 2019 | 11 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| evangelism & engagement |
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Fork in the Road My wife, Allison and I are blessed to have two sons.
Rev. Jeremy Pegram
jpegram@centenary-ws.org
Watching them learn and grow has been a huge blessing from God. We have had many laughs along the way. One of our children, and I will not disclose who as that wouldn’t be cool, was a little feisty during his days in preschool. He had a boundless amount of energy and struggled to contain himself. One day we received a call from his preschool teacher about his behavior in class. It was not a good report. Later that same evening Allison, our son and I sat down to discuss the poor behavior. We shared with him what we had heard from his preschool teacher and then let him share his side of the story. We talked about making choices and that with every choice comes consequences. We then asked what he planned to do about his behavior at school. He stood up, raised his arms in the air and said, “I’m gonna get on the path, THE PATH OF RIGHTOUSNESS!” In a moment when Allison and I wanted to be stern and teach him that his poor behavior wasn’t appropriate we had to fight hard to keep ourselves from bursting out in laughter.
In my own journey, I must confess, that I haven’t always made the best choices. I have stood at many a fork in the road and blatantly chose the wrong way. Despite my faults and poor choices, I have learned that regardless of my decisions and regardless of where I go, God is present. Not only is God present, but God constantly works to redeem and restore any messes I might have made. We might not be able see God during a journey through a road-way spill requiring a haz-mat suit, but God is there. In Psalm 139 we find these words: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will be fast.” As we journey toward the cross during this Lenten season, might we not fret when we trek down the wrong road. Might we delight in the One who journeys with us and who works to redeem us all.
Many of us can relate to my son’s sentiments. We mess up, we think about our actions and try to forge a new path. With every decision we face in life, it feels as if we are at the proverbial fork in the road. We ponder whether we should veer to take the road to the left, or should we veer to take the road to the right. We strive to make good decisions, but sometimes, rather intentionally or unintentionally, we find that we have made the wrong decisions. When our poor decisions cause harm to someone we love or to ourselves, feelings of regret, guilt or shame surface. In those moments we feel far from the ones we love and worst of all far from the love of God.
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| children’s minister |
Rough Road Ahead: Seriously?! Years ago an episode of the show Grey’s Anatomy aired immediately following the Superbowl. Rev. Kate May
kmay@centenary-ws.org
After watching that one dramatic episode I was hooked. I have to admit my dedication to the show in recent years has waned, but my love for the early seasons remains strong.
My vocabulary has been impacted by this show. I adopted the habit of the peds surgeon who called kids “tiny humans” or “tiny people.” And I now often refer to the people with whom I have an important relationship as “my person.” But probably the most helpful and often used is the word, ”Seriously.” Depending on tone, “seriously” can be used to express curiosity, admiration, conviction, and most regularly a sense of disgruntled and fed-up disbelief.
deep love for the disciples and ultimately for each of us as he says in verse 33: “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world!” (The Message). It’s as if Jesus knows that the world is not as God intended. That he understands that we often feel as if the rough road will never end and that as soon as we do find a moment of rest, we turn the corner and see not far enough in the distance the Rough Road Ahead sign. And so this man, who is so much more than a man, and who knows the reality of staring towards a Rough Road Ahead sign better than anyone ever will, also knows better than anyone ever will the need for a word of peace, of comfort, of rest, of joy, of support when all we want to do is throw our hands in the air, look to the sky, and shout, “SERIOUSLY!?” Jesus’ life is epitomized by the rough road ahead sign, but because of that, in our “seriously” moments, we can find peace in the knowledge that Jesus has conquered the world.
I’ve been reading John 16 and this word keeps coming to my mind. In this chapter, as in many places in the gospels, Jesus is alluding to the fact that bad things are coming, that he is going to be taken away from the disciples, and that their lives are going to get harder before they get easier. At first, as is often the case, the disciples seem to not get it. However, in verses 29 and 30 the disciples finally catch on and admit they now understand and believe that Jesus has come from God. Jesus replies, “Now you believe me?” But in my mind Jesus has his hands in the air, looks at them with disbelief and probably a good bit of frustration and says, “Seriously?!” But then it’s like he pulls himself back together and shows his
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| congregational care |
Comforting Those Who Mourn Nothing can derail our lives as much as the loss of a loved one.
Mike Lawless
GriefShare Co-leader
The impact is profound whether the loved one is our spouse, parent, sibling, child of any age, or dear friend. Grief is especially intense when death is sudden or unexpected, or when it occurs in the young. It deeply affects our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. We can measure the duration of grief in months and years. We may feel it to some degree forever.
What do we know about offering comfort and strength to those who mourn? We know that reaction to losing a loved one is so personal and unique that we cannot truly understand how another person feels, nor can we predict how long the person will grieve. We know that in trying to help a grieving relative or friend, our presence is more important than any words that we may say. We know that grieving persons who find support from their family, friends and their faith in God are truly blessed. Unfortunately, some who experience debilitating grief may not be near family or close friends. Grief may obstruct their ability to feel God’s presence or recognize God’s provisions for them in their time of need. In our desire to comfort and strengthen individuals along their grief journey, our church began in February a 13-session grief support ministry called GriefShare. In each weekly session a DVD features experts in
grief recovery who offer a biblical perspective to grieving. Other individuals on the DVD share their personal grief stories. Participants then discuss the DVD and share their own struggles and triumphs with grief. This opportunity to share among fellow grievers and supportive facilitators helps to better understand grief and to better recognize God’s presence in our darkest hours. We hope to offer GriefShare at Centenary periodically. Additionally, a small book of daily meditations by Martha W. Hickman, Healing After Loss, is highly recommended to anyone who is journeying through grief.
To learn more about GriefShare or if you have any congregational care need, please contact Sandra Gramley, Congregational Care Coordinator, at (336-724-6311 ext. 1352/sgramley@ centenary-ws.org).
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| adult formation |
Parade Route Who doesn’t love a parade? Ok, I realize there are times when parade routes are a hassle, like when we are in a hurry and due to the parade, our plans and schedule are interrupted because we have to find a way around them. Sure, they can create detours within our lives, and yet I wonder if we can see beyond these perceived interruptions to discover a potential greater blessing? Let me tell you a story… as a young boy I loved parades. Rev. Bret Cogan bcogan@centenary-ws.org I grew up in a relatively small community and every year the JC Fair opened the day school let out. Looking back, it really was small time, but as a kid it was the best way ever to begin the summer! Then, on the 4th of July, we had a community parade where the people within the community were the members of the parade. Adults who had classic cars, or convertibles would decorate them for the parade, and those who had trucks and trailers created their own “Parade Floats” and tossed candy to those who came to watch. Meanwhile, the kids decked
out their bikes with ribbons and balloons or whatever else we could find so we could join in. It was a grand celebration for our community as everyone joined in! Then, around the time I began middle school, things changed. For reasons unbeknownst to me or my friends the annual parade on the 4th just didn’t happen. Even though I had grown older, I missed it, and my friends said the same. It had become a part of our lives and we felt its absence, so we decided to do something about it. Now, we were just kids so planning a parade for the whole town seemed a bit of a stretch. So we began to plan one
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for our neighborhood. We got all the kids together, everyone who could ride a bike, then we went to our parents and shared that we had this awesome idea. There was some resistance at first, people were to busy, they had other plans, or they just didn’t want to do it. And yet over a few days, then weeks, the passion of the kids began to rub off. Yes, we missed our target of the 4th of July, but there was a decision to have a community block party on Labor Day. Those with grills would cook hot dogs and hamburgers, while others would supply the chili, baked beans, coleslaw and all the other stuff that makes a cookout a celebration! Nearly everyone within the neighborhood was there and the kids decked out their bikes and we had a parade as our parents cheered us on. Then, instead of candy being tossed during the parade, we all had homemade ice cream afterwards! The events of our lives often take us places we had not planned. These detours can be hard, and sometimes even painful, and yet if we are willing to trust the movement and momentum of the Spirit these interruptions become a place where hope rises, and grace and mercy transform our lives enabling us to see beyond them to something new that has begun to bloom. This is the message Jesus shares with us within the pages of the Gospel texts. It is empowered by the ongoing movement of the Spirit within and around us. The week we call Holy, began with a parade and ended with a Cross. Talk about a detour. Yet if we look beyond it, we see the wonder of hope blooming, life renewed and grace given! ď Ž
Be sure to get a copy of the Holy Week Devotional Journey written by Rev. Bret Cogan. Copies will be available April 1 around the church, online and in the weekly email blast.
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| youth minister |
New Traffic Patterns Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.~ Psalm 119:105
I am navigationally inept! Truly, I have absolutely zero sense of direction. I have never been able
to find my way without good details and landmarks. I often feel like Gretel (in the tale of Hansel and Gretel) laying down breadcrumbs to find my way. Maps are even tricky for me because of the whole North/South/East/West thing. Plus, maps don’t have landmarks printed on them – like McDonald’s on the right, turn left at the Starbucks. The only time in my life that I remember being able to discern the North/South thing was when I lived in Colorado Springs my senior year of High School. We lived at the foot of Pikes Peak near the Air Force Academy. I knew that the mountains were West… so no matter where I was Tammy Pollock tpollock@centenary-ws.org in the city, I could find my way because the mountains were West. Now that is a pretty big land mark! You can imagine then how hard it was for me twelve years ago when we moved here to Winston. This is a pretty tough place to figure out. I mean streets dead end and then pick up in the next block. You have streets that start as one name and then in the middle of the road become another and you even have streets on the ½! Not at all what I was used to. We’d been in town all of 3 days when I needed to venture out to the Lowe’s Hardware store to have our new blinds ‘re-cut’ to fit in one of our windows. I made it there alright, but when I tried to find my way home, I was in real trouble. I drove and drove and drove around. I couldn’t find my way to save my life. I stopped at a couple different gas stations, but no one seemed to know where to tell me to go since we had moved into a newly built subdivision. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I ended up at the Best Buy. I walked into the store, hair all boogied out, red faced, tear streaked, and asked the first sales person I saw if they carried, ‘those thingies that you put an address in and it gets you where you needed to go?”
concern, “Uh, a GPS ma’am?” I said, “Yes, yes that’s the thing!” He calmly took me to the wide selection of GPS’s and within minutes I had purchased my new GPS. He assured me that all I had to do was take it out of the box, plug it in, put in my address, and, voila! It would take me home. Sure enough it did! ‘Sally’, as we lovingly called my GPS, was my new best friend. She was a great addition to my family. She would gently guide me wherever I needed to go, step by step. She would even tell me where you can find coffee, food, gas, hotels, airports, etc, close to where I was located at any given time. And when I’d mess up or miss a turn, she would gently ask me to make a ‘legal U-Turn’ or recalculate another route for me to get to where I needed to go. And when at last I’d finally arrive, she’d welcome me to my destination by declaring, ‘you have arrived!’ Of course today, my car has it’s own GPS and I love the app Waze…I use it all the time. And because of that I find myself pretty comfortable navigating the streets of Winston, or anywhere for that matter. Now for some of you, confessing that I am navigationally inept probably gives you pause since I take our youth on all kinds of adventures and trips across the state and beyond. But no worries, I always go on our trips prepared with maps, itineraries and contact numbers. So, as I was driving down the road the other day, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if God were like this - always present, always accessible, always willing to give direction. And then I was like, duh?! God is totally like that. The Psalmist in Psalm 119, over and over again asks God for direction: “Direct me in your path of your commands.” “Direct my footsteps according to you word.” “God’s word is a lamp unto his feet and light unto his path”.
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This particular Psalter is the longest one of all the Psalms. The Psalms are beautiful expressions of prayers and praise, of longing and hope, of recognizing God’s law and desires to fulfill that law, and honest confessions of the Psalmists’ deepest feelings regarding life. It’s right here, God does direct our ways – IF WE LET HIM! In Matthew 7: 7-8 we read, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks
he and I were walking in different directions (he was walking towards the center and I was making my way out) but kept meeting in different curves in the path. At one point he whispered to me, “Am I doing this right?” To which I responded, “Just keep on going, baby, keep on going.” God is always with us. God is the one to alert us to new traffic patterns ahead and then gently nudge us along until we find our way. We just have to listen and keep on going. I find that the older I get, the more I rely on God to direct me, to help me find my way, to show me
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” All we have to do is ask, seek, and knock… Unfortunately we don’t often ask for God’s direction. We’re an independent and stubborn people. How often do we decide to try to go it all alone—WE CAN DO IT! Or we seek out direction from someone else other than God – perhaps even someone just as lost as we are. While we were on our mission trip to San Francisco a couple weekends ago we visited the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral. It is a beautiful place, offering the people who gather there a rich way to pray and focus on our journey with God. The invitation was for us to pray the labyrinth. To walk and hold all the things we bring to God along the path, trusting and knowing God will meet us in them. There were many people praying the labyrinth that day. Afterwards, we were reflecting on our prayer time. Caleb shared with me that it was hard because he kept stepping aside for others to pass and so he couldn’t get back on the right path, and therefore kept getting turned around on the labyrinth. How easy is it for us to get turned around in life when we loose sight of where we are to go?! And then there was Sam,
what his purpose is for my life. My destination is easier to find and the roadways of life are so much easier to navigate as I seek to find and live out my purpose. God always knows where I am and God, ever so gently, is willing to ‘re calculate’ the route when I go off the path, and assist me until I ‘arrive’ at my final destination. My navigation system, especially now with all the construction in downtown on Business 40, serves as a constant reminder, that although it may navigate me through the streets of Winston, the Holy Spirit is my permanent, internal navigation system, the one who gives me instruction and direction in all of my life. All I have to do is ask, seek, and knock. My prayer for all of us, especially as we go into our own renovation process for our church building, is that we will trust God for direction in our lives. No one knows better than God where we are and in what areas we need recalculating or encouragement to remain on the current road. I hope that we will remember that all we ever have to do is ask, seek, knock and God will direct our footsteps as we continue to live out our God-given purpose in this world.
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HAS LIFE THROWN YOU A DETOUR?
Stephen Ministry
Centenary United Methodist Church Winston-Salem, NC
The Stephen Ministers of Centenary are ready to journey with anyone through any loss or difficulty such as a job termination, death of a loved one, divorce or acquired disability. A care receiver can expect a Stephen Minister to hold information during a listening session in the strictest of confidence. To ensure privacy, Stephen Ministers do not acknowledge the situations of care receivers in public settings. Please know, it is always the right and privilege of the care receiver to approach a Stephen Minister at any time. Once a referral is made for someone to receive care, the care receiver is matched with a Stephen Minister of the same gender. The Stephen Minister will meet with the care receiver at a time and place that is most convenient. A Stephen Minister relationship may be as short as six weeks, or could be as long as a year or more. We hope that others at Centenary and elsewhere (non-members are welcome) who are going through difficulties— family situations, illness, divorce, death, relocation to elder care, job loss, most anything that causes concern and disruption to normal daily life—will consider asking for a Stephen Minister to walk through this experience with them. If you or someone you know might benefit from a Stephen Ministry relationship, please contact Rev. R. Craig Ford (336.397.1353), Judy Ingram (336-407-3986), or Phil Ashley (336-766-0196). MARCH/ARPIL 2019 | 25 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| senior adult minister |
Yield When I first joined the staff of Centenary, I read everything I could find written by the former ministers. I never grow tired of reading about Bishop Kenneth
Goodson, Bishop Ernest Fitzgerald, Dr. George Robinson, Dr. Michael Brown, and other pastors who have Rev. Craig Ford served Centenary so effectively. When I cford@centenary-ws.org think of the road sign, “Yield,” that has been assigned for me to write about, I remember a story that was told by Bishop Fitzgerald. There was a farmer who had become very upset with a couple of teenage boys who would ride their motor bikes through his fields where crops had been planted. The young men drove through one field of corn so much that they wore a path right through the middle of the field, destroying a lot of corn that the farmer had hoped to harvest. One day, they were racing their motor bikes down through the middle of the farmer’s corn crop, and were just about neck and neck. Suddenly, one of the teenagers remembered that he had heard that the farmer had taken action to protect his crop. He had erected a wire about four feet above the ground on the path that the boys had been riding. Afraid that he might not see the wire, the one teenager decided that he would slow up and yield the lead to the other rider who would charge on ahead and yes, find the wire. Not a positive use of yield! When we apply the road sign “Yield” to life, it is easy to see that there are many applications. Here are five. The first one is very practical.
First, most of us have probably been traveling along our Forsyth County, North Carolina highways and spotted some wildlife beside the road, most likely a deer. Then, suddenly you experienced that beautiful animal dashing across the road in front of you. Now, even if you had the right of way, the smartest thing you could do would be to yield that right of way to the deer because it probably did not read a road sign warning it not to cross. Yes, as I said, this is a practical use of yield. Second, we travel the road of life so fast that we often fail to appreciate the beauty around us. We do not yield time in our busy schedules to slow down and appreciate God’s creations along the way. Remember the words of the Bible, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” We can gain a healthier perspective on life by just yielding a few moments each day to enjoy “The Beauty of the Earth and the Glory of the Skies.” Third, I have often heard it said that you have not lived a perfect day until you have done something for someone who cannot repay the deed. Remember that Jesus reminded us of the widow, the orphan, and many others who would love to have just a little attention. A kind word, a phone call, a letter, an email, can make such a difference in someone’s life, particularly if that person is experiencing a difficult day. Let us not yield to the temptation to think that we are so busy that we cannot take just a little time for someone who would benefit from our attention. Fourth, remember that our children and grandchildren, yes, and great grandchildren, need attention. I remember a popular song’s lyrics, “Daddy don’t you walk so fast; Daddy, don’t you walk so fast. Please slow down some because you are making me run.” It is easy to hear the message in those words. Yield time to those precious little ones. Fifth, “The church is of God and must be preserved to the end of time.” Those are words that in the past were read when people joined the church. They had a message then and still do today. Centenary has a glorious history. I believe, however, that we have even greater days ahead of us, perhaps our greatest days. To attain
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the height that I believe Centenary can reach, we must remember that all people have a place in the church, no exceptions, and that we must simply love one another. Also, it will take laity, staff, and clergy working together to move the church forward to greater heights. Yield to the ministry of the church. Yogi Berra, the famous catcher for the New York Yankees, will be remembered, in addition to his baseball play, for his wise and witty sayings. One of his famous quotes was: “When you are driving down the road and you come to a fork in the road, take it.” I would hope that when any of us are traveling down the road and come to the fork in the road, we would always yield, not to the low road, but take the “high road.” May God be close to you and yours.
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| music ministry |
Choices on the Road
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both...
Some detours offer voluntary choices of an alternate route. Robert Frost writes of this kind of detour in his poem, “The Road Not Taken,” made more famous, at least for singers, through Randall Thompson’s elegant choral setting of that text. On a recent trip from Winston-Salem to Atlanta to visit my new granddaughter (and, yes, I have pictures!), the GPS system in our car advised a detour through Greenville-Spartanburg June Stegall to avoid construction on the I-85. jstegall@centenary-ws.org Thinking that most people would follow the alternative route, we chose to remain on the Interstate. We had to put up with construction, but we avoided the heavy traffic on the recommended route. A detour was available, but we chose not to take it. We probably did not save more than five minutes, but I think we made the better choice.
at Centenary. Having served as assistant choral director since around 2004, I was called upon to work closely with others in the music and arts ministry, and with senior church staff, to re-adjust programming. A memorial service celebrating Dr. Frazier’s life was put together in a few days’ time with the voluntary assistance of outstanding musicians in town and from Charlotte, Houston and Atlanta, people who knew Rob and admired his extraordinary musical gifts. An All-Saints Day program, Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, was performed by the choir with a guest conductor. Portions of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was to be performed by the Chamber Singers, however was canceled. Members of the Chancel Choir committed themselves to working together to do their best to be sure the Lessons and Carols program was one Rob would have been proud of. As we move forward in 2019, we are certain to face forced detours and creative alternative possibilities. One personal forced detour was needing to stand on a platform to conduct the choir. This was not unexpected considering I am five foot two and must conduct in front of our senior minister who is six foot five.
Detours can also be forced interruptions that re-direct our lives. The tragic passing in October of Dr. Rob Frazier, our director of music and the arts, required sudden adjustments in plans for sacred music
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In addition to theological meanings of the cross, the intersecting beams can also symbolize the crossroads in our lives, alternative paths in which we have choices, some simple and some excruciatingly complex. Whether easy or difficult, these detours offer us opportunities to select alternate roads to travel. Let us pray for the courage to choose wisely. In so doing, I think we will get a glimpse of resurrection.
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Be sure to mark your calendars with the events on these pages. For the most current information, be sure to see the Sunday bulletins and the church website.
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March
April
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Memorials
We remember the saints who have gone before....
Advent Missions In Memory of Dr. Robert “Rob” Edward Frazier by Danny & Kathy Newcomb. In memory of William “Bill” Cooper Scurry by Danny & Kathy Newcomb.
Capital Campaign In memory of Mary Elizabeth “Mary Lib” Harris Harper by Dan & Nancy Culp.
Centenary Fund In memory of Avery Hurst by Teri & Henry Russ. In memory of Becky Russ by Teri & Henry Russ. In memory of Bryon Cooke by Teri & Henry Russ. In memory of Conley Lee Smith by Nancy & Charles Hoover. In memory of Courtney Roane Slawter by Carolyn Ellis, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Kirk, Lawndale Garden Club, Jim & Sue McDevitt, Sterling & Dorothy Nichols. In memory of Dr. Reverend George Robinson by Norris & Anne Barnes, Mary Lois Bynum. In memory of Dr. Robert “Rob” Edward Frazier by Tom & Nancy Cannon. In memory of Dr. Theodore “Ted” Allen Keith by Beth & Jim Einstein, Edwin Harrison, Allston & Jean Stubbs, Alex & Elliott Turner and family. In memory of Dr. Yvonne Goolsby Spencer by Tom & Nancy Cannon. In memory of Edna Freemon Helms by Harriet & Elms Allen, Gene & Joy Ainsworth, Ralph & Gayle Atkinson, Kristin & Scott Baker, William & Katharine Baldridge, James & Betty Brewer, Doris Burke, Kay & Ken Chalk, Tom & Nancy Cannon, Penn & Jane Craver, Joseph & Bonnie Dempster, Mary Eagan, Kathryn & Bobby Edwards, Beth & Jim Einstein, Lisa & Rob Field and family, Gary & Claudia Fleming, Forsyth Country Club, Shelia, John & Cort Fox, David & Lynne Givens, Edwin Harrison, John & Blair Hatcher, Tom & Vicki Hunt, Pat Jones, Maxine Kiger, Steve & Lea Kirkland, Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Koontz, John & Meta Loftin, Mr. & Mrs. L. Glenn Orr Jr, Louise Parrish Perry, Robert & Rosemary Pulliam, Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Spach, Bob & Becky Taylor, Marguerite Taylor, Vernon & Frankie Winters, Barbara Woltz, Charlie & Jackie Yates. In memory of John & Patsy Burwell by Jenny & Steve Turner, Mary Lois Bynum. In memory of John William Burwell by M. Elizabeth Gee, Sam & Mary Ceile Ogburn, Sandra & Wayne Shugart, Vernon & Frankie Winters. In memory of Gloria Anne Mecum Barrett by Edward & Leonor Atuesta-Hurst, Steve & Melissa Daves Johnson. In memory of Leigh Sullivan Fultz by Allston & Jean Stubbs. In memory of Mary Elizabeth “Mary Lib” Harris Harper by Richard & Alison Barron, Betty Brantley, Tom & Nancy Cannon,
Bonnie Cook, Carolyn Creech, Kitty Felts, Anne & Doug Gunnell, Marie Hathcock and Frank Hassell, Christina Martin, Martha Martinat, Libba McCachern, Sam & Mary Ceile Ogburn, Margaret Ogburn, Bobby & Debbie Page, Tom & Anne Pierce, Diane Shaw, Thomas Sloan, Jack & Joy Van Zandt, Whitefield Foundations Class. In memory of Mary Eugenia “Jean” Carlson by Mary Lois Bynum. In memory of Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Smith by Allen Clark Dotson. In memory of Sara G. Rayburn by Bobbi Caldwell, Marie Hathcock, Tom & Nancy Cannon, Jim & Vera Martin, Janie & Jarman Jenkins, Kay & Bill Baldridge, The Chapel Class. In memory of Walter Eugene “Gene” Johnston by Jane Marsh. In memory of William “Bill” Cooper Scurry by Gene & Joy Ainsworth. In Memory of William “Bill” Frank Maready by Joan Smith Boyles, Allston & Jean Stubbs.
Senior Adult Ministry In memory of John William Burwell by Judy Newton Scurry.
Stephen Ministry In memory of Howard Futrell by Dave & Janet Hill.
United Methodist Women In memory of Mary Elizabeth ”Mary Lib” Harris Harper by The Chapel Class, Sue Drinkard, Laura Young, Dianne Iseman, Jane Poe, Janie & Jarman Jenkins, Susan Stevens, Susie Smith.
DayBreak/Respite Care In memory of David Joseph Roberts by Dennis & Sue Wesney, Charles Bowling and family, Thomas Bowling and family, Arthur & Maria Briggs, The Canterbury School, Richard Devitt, Sue Honeycutt, Gennie & Bob Richardson, Pat White.
General Fund In memory of Hubert Burl Parks by Debora Parks. In memory of Betsy Ivey Sawyer, Courtney Roane Slawter, Dr. Harold Calloway Pollard lll, Dr. Reverend George Robinson, Leigh Sullivan Fultz, Nancy Clendenin Spach and William “Bill” Cooper Scurry by Mr. & Mrs. Paul Briggs.
Loaves & Fishes In memory of Mary Elizabeth ”Mary Lib” Harris Harper by Tom & Marianne Bach. In memory of All Centenary Saints who have passed in the last year by Wayne & Ann Yelverton.
Missionary Friendship Fund In memory of Nancy Clendenin Spach by Mary Lois Bynum.
Sacred Music In memory of Betty Sue Sink by Leigh Myers. In memory of Dr. Robert “Rob” Edward Frazier by Judith Griffiths. In memory of Mike Holcomb by Dave & Janet Hill. In memory of Sara G. Rayburn by Dan & Nancy Culp. MARCH/APRIL 2019 | 32 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
In Memoriam Edna Freemon Helms November 30, 2018 John William Burwell December 10, 2018 Mary Elizabeth “Mary Lib” Harper January 14, 2019 Yvonne Goolsby Spencer January 14, 2019 Gloria Mecum Barrett January 20, 2019 Sara G. Rayburn January 24, 2019 The ministers and members of Centenary Church extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved families and pray they may know the comfort and peace of our Heavenly Father.
Honoraria
We celebrate the kingdom of God among us...
Centenary Fund In honor of Tom Adams by Tom & Nancy Cannon.
General Fund In honor of All Centenary Staff who worked during the snow by Ed & Sue Welch.
Sacred Music Fund In honor of Susan Bates by Circle #9.
Senior Adult Ministry In honor of Terry & Janice Dockery Johnson by Anne & Doug Gunnell.
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| senior minister |
Easter: No More Detours
Rev. Dr. Glenn Kinken gkinken@centenary-ws.org
In 1997, a massive rockslide in the Pigeon River Gorge between Waynesville, North Carolina and Newport, Tennessee severed I-40. The rockslide cut-off the direct route for commerce and travel between Asheville and Knoxville. Normally, one could expect to cover the 116 miles between the two cities in about one-and-three-quarter hours. The only way to connect the two cities following the slide and during the clean-up was for traffic to travel north from Asheville on 1-26 until the highway intersected I-81 near Kingsport. Then one would travel south on I-81 to Knoxville. The detour covered 167 miles with an expected drive time of two-and-three-quarter hours. Most travelers experienced longer drive times because diverted I-40 traffic was comingled with normal I-26 and I-81 traffic— meaning double the number of cars on the same route. Weary and harried westbound drivers spoke of euphoria upon reaching Knoxville, having traveled a north then south axis over the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains, and seeing the orange END DETOUR signs. The clean-up, stabilization of the mountainside, and reopening of the road took six months and $2.5 million
dollars. Everyone – local and state officials, residents, highway personnel, truck drivers and travelers were ever thankful when the massive rock was rolled away, and the detour ended. As I wrote earlier, our theme for Lent is Detour: All Roads Lead to the Cross. It is so true. Since the dawn of time, God has had one desire -- that all people would want to be in close relationship with and proximity to God. As much as God wants that for us, we have been given free will to choose our path through life. Much like the voice in our navigation system, if we listen to God’s gentle whispers and pay attention to the signs along the journey, we can quickly and safely reach the destination. As we know, however, our journey is one in which we have not always listened to God and have chosen our own road. The joy of
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our faith is that even with our own detour from the Master’s route it is by grace that the roads we have chosen lead us to the foot of the Cross. There, we witness and experience the depth of God’s love for all the world. But the best news comes three days later. On Easter Sunday, when the stone is rolled away, our detour ends. Christ’s resurrection restores our relationship with God. Christ has risen indeed. Hallelujah.
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(USPS 628-480)
Periodicals Postage Paid at Winston-Salem, NC
Published By: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 Church Office: (336) 724-6311 Fax: (336) 723-5840 Website: www.centenary-ws.org Postmaster Send Address Changes to: Centenary United Methodist Church PO Box 658 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-0658 A Stephen Ministry Congregation Printed on recycled paper
WORSHIP AT CENTENARY Traditional Worship Sunday 8:30 am Memorial Auditorium
Sunday 9 am Sanctuary Includes Children’s Worship
Sunday 11:00 am Sanctuary Includes Children’s Worship
Wednesday 7 pm Memorial Auditorium
While you are away from our church home, we invite you to worship with Centenary on your computer, smart TV, smartphone, tablet, or whatever electronic device that has access to the Internet. Our Live Stream worship will be there for you. Be sure to sign in so we may be in connection with you. Join us for worship each Sunday at 11:00 am.
www.centenary-ws.org/live-stream