Joining Hands Magazine

East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church FALL 2012 | Volume 13 | Issue 1

joining hands east

ohio

- informed, inspired and in touch.

Biblical Foundations The Vision of the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church is to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

We Crucified Him Again

By Rev. Abby Auman*

The price of love last night was MARC train fare.

But when it increased to include subway fare to the train station we wouldn’t pay.

Artwork (c) Oleksiy Tspur | iStockphoto.com

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Then the deaf-mute was conning us.

Some sign language is universal.

Dying is a finger drawn across his throat or not getting home to his insulin.

Shame on him for “running out.”

All those meds—is he really going to take the Metro?

East Ohio Joining Hands FALL 2012

Vol. 13 No. 1

East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church Office of Communications Editor/Director of Communications Rick Wolcott wolcott@eocumc.com

Eh, druggie scam.

On Judgment Day Christ will be a deaf black man wearing a worn leather coat and a brand-new Baltimore Orioles baseball cap one line in his face for each person who said no.

There will be no need for an interpreter because I will know the judgment he pronounces on me: I didn’t stand up to my friends.

He will turn away and I will fall silent, condemned trying to remember how to sign my sorrow for lacking a dollar thirty-five of love. *Rev. Abby Auman is pastor at Greensburg United Methodist Church in Green. She wrote this poem, based on Matthew 25: 31-46, while in seminary.

Graphic Designer Sue Zakovec sue@eocumc.com Subscriptions/Administrative Lois Speelman lois@eocumc.com Under the direction of: The Conference Board of Communications Mail: Editor East Ohio Joining Hands 8800 Cleveland Ave. N.W. North Canton, Ohio 44720 Phone: ext. ext. ext.

800.831.3972 118 Editor 105 Graphic Designer 119 Subscriptions

Web site: www.eocumc.com Submission of articles is encouraged.

The deadline is November 19 for the Winter 2012 issue. Our theme is “Youth Strong.”

East Ohio Joining Hands USPS (005-882) is published quarterly by the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church, Office of Communications, 8800 Cleveland Ave. N.W., North Canton, Ohio 44720. Periodical Postage paid at Canton, Ohio.

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The Living Word ‘All Scripture is inspired (or breathed) by God … ’

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- 2 Timothy 3: 16

By Rev. Dave Scavuzzo*

couldn’t do it. I mean I was supposed to pick one favorite verse and share some thoughts, and I couldn’t do it. On any given day, they are all my preferred. It seems to me that Scripture is a prism that refracts the light of truth and falls on us at the right season, the right situation, the right condition, and the right moment to awaken us to the real presence of God. The same story, verse or metaphor is always alive and speaking differently into the place of the deep.

Since Scripture is God-breathed, we know the experience of the exhaled sweet air of God. At times it’s hot and then cools. Sometimes it lifts. Other times it brings us to our knees. It can challenge us to get away from comfort and into the wild or it can carry us home to the place of deepest rest and ease.

Of course the Bible is a complicated and historical compilation that takes scholarly insights, years of study, sound text interpreting techniques and an understanding of nature and science. But maybe the Bible, more than a book, is a living and untamed animal that does not so much need taught but simply released.

Scripture speaks to the lofty and the simple in me. As the Bible is opened, the breath of God blows over the conditions of my life and verses roam wild in my heart – which contains just a mustard seed of faith. Along with this communication from God, the words bring wisdom, beauty, goodness, strength and life.

In every moment of the day, God’s Living Word, Jesus, awaits our companionship in a multitude of ways – service, witness, prayer, meditation, sacrifice, etc. But I believe, in my heart of hearts, that God’s perfect communication apprehends us through His written words and leads us into the life-giving, recalibrating, transformational and restorative ways that are unique to this mysterious Book.

Every morning, before the sun comes up and I have done little to taint the day, I seem to whisper to the Lord; “Ok, this one is my very favorite,” knowing that I will be sustained and lifted by the living reality in the verses of that morning.

John Wesley loved books of all kind and owned one of London’s largest libraries. It’s hard to imagine anyone could improve upon his remarkable insights into this mysterious assembly of volumes: “To candid, reasonable men, I am not afraid to lay open what have been the inmost thoughts of my heart. I have thought, I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God: just hovering over the great gulf; till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing — the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven.

He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be ‘homo unius libri.’” *Rev. Dave Scavuzzo is superintendent of the Western Reserve District.

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MARK 2

Oh, the Possibilities!

By Rev. Don Kuntz*

Carrying wood, at summer camp, the counselor challenged us to imagine carrying something more important, and told the story of teamwork from the second chapter of the Book of Mark.

There was a paralyzed man who was carried by four friends.

Were there more, who rotated, but it always took four? They were bringing him to Jesus, whose popularity created a crowd obstacle.

Frustration led to inspiration as they decided to avoid the crowd and go up the outside stairs.

Whose roof was it that was dismantled so they could lower him? Where did they get the ropes?

Jesus saw their faith, as the first scene ends. The man received the miracle of forgiveness. The old religious guard grumbled, and Jesus challenged, was it easier to forgive or to heal? To show that Jesus was able to do one, he did the other.

As the second scene ends, Jesus calls the man to a new life, to lift his pallet and walk.

Oh, the sacred story explodes with sermon possibilities!

Who would I be willing to carry?

Who are my partners in healing?

Had the four brought others to Jesus?

Are we always led from frustration to new approaches?

Was this the second mile?

What happens when dedication does not overcome obstacles?

What are we willing to take apart to get people to Jesus?

For the sake of healing, are we willing to be disruptive?

What was the homeowner’s response to unexpected renovations?

Does our faith impress Jesus enough that he is willing to forgive on our behalf?

What if the story had unfolded differently, would the friends be satisfied with the miracle of forgiveness for their friend?

Would they be willing to climb down the ropes into the center ring?

Walking behind the crowd to the stairs was easy.

Would they be willing to walk in front of the grumbling crowd carrying their friend out on the pallet?

What does it do to our faith, when all we find is forgiveness?

Are we inspired by the grumbling of the old guard to engage in new miracles?

Are we willing to have our houses dismantled so others can be placed before Jesus?

What if the man refused to get up?

Would they be willing to carry him again?

Photo (c) Robym Mackenzie

How does the story challenge us to do things, and to do things differently?

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*Rev Don Kuntz is pastor at First United Methodist Church in Lodi.

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Pass or Fail

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By Rev. Dr. Valerie Stultz*

to tear apart the body of Christ. The church was failing the test of faith in Christ.

When the test is failed, we become bitter and angry. When the test is failed, we make excuses. We blame. We vote with our feet. When the test is failed, we make demands: “I am the pastor!

I am the lay leader!

I am the superintendent!

I am the biggest giver!

I am a charter member!”

Photo (c) Amanda Rohde | iStockphoto.com

n the fall when students return to school, teachers spend time assessing how they may have grown over the summer. Have they continued to read? Have they traveled and been influenced by new horizons? Have they grown in stature as well as in knowledge?

For those who supervise pastors and churches, fall is also a time of examination and assessment. District superintendents are eager to compile the statistics accumulated over the past year. We make charts and graphs, hoping to see growth and vitality. We meet with each pastor and each staff parish committee as well as each church conference.

For me this means preparing for and meeting with 210 individuals and groups in four months. In short, district superintendents make the rounds, listening and looking until we think our ears will fall off and our eyes will wear out.

When all is said and done, like the teachers with their students, we make plans to meet our pastors and churches where they are in order to help them chart their future growth.

From its genesis those who supervise the Christian movement have assessed and probed, visited and seen, listened and learned. Sometimes the results called for celebration, but all too often disappointment prevailed at the apparent failure of faith communities. I can well imagine the Apostle Paul in the lamplight of his tent, writing to the church at Corinth with tears marking the parchment of his letter.

I don’t know the season of the year or the exact date in which he wrote, but it is clear that there was trouble. As John Wesley remarked about this Second Letter to the Corinthians, “It is difficult to imagine a church with more problems.”

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless you fail the test!” (II Corinthians 13: 5) The problems of the Corinthian church were spiritual.

These problems sucked the passion out of worship, the joy out of serving, the energy out of planning for the future. In the eyes of the world the internal strife of this congregation poisoned the perception of all Christians. It blinded both the leaders and the followers from seeing Christ in themselves and in one another.

This spiritual deprivation led to spiritual malaise, which led to a decreasing availability of resources for the furtherance of the mission. Church members tried to fix things, exerting their own authority over the authority of Paul and even Christ. Selfrighteousness, self-centeredness, and power-grabbing began

*Rev. Dr. Valerie Stultz is superintendent of the Canal District.

When the test is failed, like Paul, we wrestle with our calling, praying to God that we have not done anything wrong, that we have not done anything against the truth. On the other hand, failure can return us to the truth as it forces us to examine ourselves, our actions and our leadership in the light of the Christ who is within us.

It is in this Light that we write the letter of our ministry, marking the pages with tears of desolation at our failure. It is also in this Light that we write the letter of our ministry, marking the pages with tears of consolation through an unshakeable hope in the living Christ. It is to this Light that we as students of the faith hold up our lives for examination as we ask ourselves: “Are we living out the faith that we profess to have in Christ, or have we failed to meet the test?”

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The Gift of Hope

Biblical Foundations

Simple,

By Rev. Dana Flemming*

Yet Profound

By Rev. Craig Moock*

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men (people) will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

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hroughout the Gospels, Jesus is recorded saying many things that are so profound that we are still trying to discover how to understand them and live them out millennia later. However, through these many things, Jesus gives his followers only one, single, solitary new command.

This command is simple: love one another. He goes on to remind his followers of the nature of the love with which they are to carry out this task; they are to love one another in the same way Jesus himself loved his followers. Then, what Jesus says at the end of the passage is the very crux of it for me. Jesus says, “By this, the world will know that you are my disciples.”

This command is simple and yet profound. We are called to love, we are shown how to love and the fruit of doing this is that everyone around will recognize us as Christ’s disciples by the way that we love one another.

This passage haunts me because I believe that the inverse of this conclusion is also true. It begs the question, “What if we do not love one another?” Well … by this, everyone around will NOT recognize us as followers of Christ.

When I went to college, I left the Christian faith because I saw the people of Christ not loving one another. By God’s grace, I have found my way back with a mission that the Church should indeed be a place where the love is so viscerally real that everyone around will experience the living and risen Christ in our midst. Every day I meet people who are on the outside of church just waiting for this to happen.

Friends and colleagues in the faith, we have a holy and profound task ahead of us. *Rev. Craig Moock is pastor at Rural Chapel United Methodist Church in Galena.

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“… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1: 6 NIV)

This verse speaks to me time and time again, and in varying and valuable ways. When I find myself in need of a word of comfort because plans and purposes just aren’t moving fast enough (for me), it reminds me that God’s work will be done in God’s timing.

When my own progress in walking more closely with Christ is impeded by my own shortsightedness, this verse tells me that God’s greater perspective will keep me moving toward His goal. And when I look to others, I can do so with hope for them, for the One who began a good work in me, has begun a good work in them as well.

This is my “life verse” – because in every way, it offers God’s gift of hope. *Rev. Dana Flemming is pastor at Willoughby Hills United Methodist Church.

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Enthusiastic Ministry

By Rev. Jim Humphrey*

‘Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.’

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omans 12 has always been my favorite chapter of the Bible, for it conveys to me a summary of how I should live as a transformed Christian in serving God in ministry in this world. It is rich with the principles of living, giving and serving.

As I have offered myself in ministry, I do so with a humble spirit, knowing that God gives gifts and graces to all the members of the body of Christ. I never thought I had that much given to me. But amazingly, when I look at what God has given, I know it is not of my own accord or gifts, but God’s.

It has always amazed me that when I look at a church the Lord has often equipped its body with the various gifts needed. God has done so through each of us so that the world itself can be transformed.

I have adopted Romans 12:11 as my life verse: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Usually on the first Sunday of my ministry in

(Romans 12: 11 RSV)

the churches to which I have been appointed, I have preached on this passage of having enthusiasm for ministry. “Enthusiasm” comes from the Greek “en theos,” which means “God within.”

I pray that I may always keep that “spiritual fervor” of God’s Spirit inside of me to give me the strength, enthusiasm, and excitement to serve the Lord. Now that I am older I have come to appreciate Peterson’s The Message version of this verse which says, “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.”

As superintendent of the Three Rivers District, I am excited to see the Spirit of the Lord and enthusiasm for ministry in so many churches. I am especially thankful to see how people express their enthusiasm

for the Lord in their generous contributions to the work and ministry of the church and beyond. People give as God has given them in their talents, abilities, finances, gifts and graces. God is “in” people and God’s Spirit is being expressed outwardly.

May we renew our enthusiasm of God’s Spirit in us and may that Spirit be expressed outwardly to others in the love and blessing we all have received.

*Rev. Jim Humphrey is superintendent of the Three Rivers District.

Bible photo (c) DNY59 | iStockphoto.com

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Christ Will be Their All

By Rev. Dr. Peggy Streiff*

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here are many parts of Scripture that I sang long before I read them in the Holy Book. For our wedding, an anthem was chosen and a favorite affirmation from Scripture read that was sufficient for a lifetime of service. The Paul Manz setting says it this way:

Peace be to you and grace from Him Who freed us from our sin Who loved us all, and shed his blood That we might saved be.

Sing holy, holy to our Lord The Lord almighty God Who was and is, and is to come Sing holy, holy Lord.

Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein Rejoice on earth, ye saints below For Christ is coming, is coming soon For Christ is coming soon.

E’en so Lord Jesus quickly come And night shall be no more They need no light, no lamp, nor sun For Christ will be their All!

Photo (c) Paul Calbar | iStockphoto.com

*Rev. Dr. Peggy Streiff is superintendent of the North Coast District.

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The Revelation to John in Chapter 22 says: ”… and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they [the Lamb and God] will reign forever and ever.”

My mother always affirmed, “The Lord doesn’t promise you an easy life.

But the Lord promises that regardless of what you are called to do, God will be with you in the midst of it.” This image of God as light at the appearance of every unknown long has been a verse that has sustained me through many experiences.

“They need no light of lamp or sun, for Christ will be their all.”

When I read those words, I am calmed to my very core. If we claim Christ as our own – complete with sacrifice and joy – then all that we do and all that we are becomes not only centered in Christ, but also influenced by the mind and Spirit of Christ.

I have many favorite Bible verses that come to mind in various times and circumstances. But this gem from Revelation is the constant thread of my own theology. If Christ is in us, over us, under us, before us, behind us and through us, then we have reason to be at ease in all things that life may throw at us.

I retired from active appointment a year ago. After nine months of retirement, Bishop Hopkins called me back into service and appointed me to the North Coast District. It was indeed a time of birthing a new Call of God on my life. I am engaged in holy conversations with my pastors and laity. I am called to process some critical decisions about the future work of the church in Cleveland.

When we invoke the Spirit of God in all that we do, the Christ of our faith, the messenger of God will grant us safe passage as we go through the valleys and challenges of our journey. I pray that each of you sees this verse with new eyes.

Look to the Light of God and know that the Revelation to John can be your revelation, too, as God sees fit to illuminate His purpose and promise for your life.

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God’s Power Works in You

By Rev. Dr. V. Yvonne Conner*

By Pat Edington*

“Elijah replied, ‘I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with You, torn down Your altars, and killed every one of Your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.’” (1 Kings 19: 10-12)

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him.

And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

Life is hard. We are confronted by sin, pain and sorrow with every turn. Divorce is rampant, adultery a game. Lying, cheating, abusing, dishonoring is a way of life. The worshipping of false idols is an accepted achievement. The virtues of commitment, integrity, dedication, unselfishness and sacrifice are those of another time.

And there stands the true Christian alone, buffeted from every side by the wind, earthquake and fire of daily living. We feel ashamed, abandoned, left to our own means. We are in despair standing on our mountaintop viewing the destruction below. But, wait. God is here. He is with us. He will not forsake us. Listen for His gentle whisper. Amen. *Pat Edington is the part-time local pastor at Homerville United Methodist Church.

Photo (c) nemke | iStockphoto.com

A Gentle Whisper

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

(Ephesians 3: 20-21, KJV)

A life committed to professional ministry is really very similar to a life committed to other professions. There are a lot of moving and conflicting parts. Much of the movement is beyond our feeble control. Friends, we must have an anchor.

The moving parts that we deal with in professional ministry are directly related to the spiritual lives of families – fathers, mothers, children and extended families. For those times when the movement seems too overwhelming and the next steps are unclear; the anchor that I continue returning to is Ephesians 3: 20-21.

My earliest awareness of Paul’s letters to the new church starts date back to my years as a young adult. During that time our Bible studies were taught using the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. It was a time when Bible class included memorizing Scripture.

Over time, memorization led me to truly learning to embrace God’s Word and promote character development. The Ephesians passage is one of many verses that come to mind in their KJV rendering depending on what’s going on around me and what I am praying about.

Ephesians 3: 20-21 reminds me that I am called by a God who continues his work on earth.

He is not absent. He’s in control. This passage helps me regain composure and recommit to fighting the good fight of faith in a way that honors God and God’s church.

Not only does God’s power work in others; it works in me. It works in you.

*Rev. Dr. V. Yvonne Conner is the North Coast District Associate.

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Interrupted by God

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By Rev. Judy Wismar Claycomb*

*Rev. Judy Wismar Claycomb is superintendent of the Firelands District.

Biblical Foundations

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.’

(2 Corinthians 12: 9)

ome years ago I stood in line with our kids in front of the elementary school, waiting for the bell to ring. Terrance, one of AJ’s bolder classmates, looked at me for a moment and said, “I bet you don’t have any hair on under that hat!”

For weeks, Kara had begged me to hide this terrible secret from her friends, but in Terrance I had found a liberator. I whipped off my hat, as he named the awful truth: “You’re right!”

Some women pull this thing off beautifully, but I found being a bald woman mostly humiliating. Being well-blessed by United Methodist ties that bind, I received from my mentor, Bishop Judy Craig, a package of five or six hats, that she had just finished using after her own sojourn with chemotherapy.

She enclosed with those hats, a book of bald woman humor, entitled, “Not Today, I’m having a No Hair Day.” But a bald head wasn’t the only humiliation that came with my year battling breast cancer.

I’m confessing to you now: The most difficult thing for me was not the cancer diagnosis. It was not the loss of a breast, the six months of chemo or even the bald head. The most difficult thing for me was the fact that my function and capability were decreased.

On the first Sunday of the New Year from childhood through this year I have recited Wesley’s covenant prayer: “Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee. ...”

I always knew my part was the “employed for thee” part! “Laid aside for thee?” That’s got to be somebody else.

When the chemo calendar allowed me an hour or a day or a week to still function as “Pastor,” what did I do? I messed up, flubbed up, forgot and didn’t know. I was not sharp, not on time, not efficient, not brilliant and was not so quick. I tipped into walls, weaved across rooms and clung to railings.

My mother bought me a book by Craig Barnes entitled, “When God Interrupts: Finding New Life Through Unwanted Change.” Chapter 5, Abandoned by Health, begins with this:

“Not only is brokenness an essential characteristic of being human, it is also our best opportunity to live with a Savior.”

Fourteen years ago, God interrupted me. I’m sure I was doing something I considered needed and noble for God at the time – hot in pursuit of some person or program or board or committee or vision or social ideal – when God interrupted.

Some people don’t much like the implication that God is in any way associated with an interruption involving illness. But for me, recognizing God in this interruption was saving grace.

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Grace-filled Living When others learned I had breast cancer many of them, in sincere concern, shared a wealth of information.

They told me: what books to read; what to do about my hair when I lost it; what I should eat and drink; what I should wear – right down to my choice of underwear!

They advised me: what surgery I should have done; where to have it done; what to do about getting it undone afterward.

They instructed me: in the kind of thoughts I should be thinking; in the kind of prayers I should be praying.

When I learned I had cancer, I received a single, authoritative Word – and took hold of it. It was immediate. It was sufficient. It was saving.

The message was simply this:

“I will never lead you where my grace cannot keep you.”

I didn’t need a smarter doctor, a pricier hospital, a different diet or a better body.

What I really needed was a savior. What I have is a Savior.

There will be times when the lab report, the professor’s evaluation, the boss’ comments or the church’s year-end numbers might testify, not to your strength and sufficiency, but to frailty and limitations.

But remember this: When we are weak, then we are strong because God is God. The Lord is present and available, strong and forgiving, and abundantly loving.

I have seen first-hand and can testify to you – God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

My grace is enough, it’s all you need.

(2 Corinthians 12: 9) We have all experienced overwhelming difficulties and the valleys of life. I have come to realize those valleys are fertile spaces for the movement of God’s amazing grace.

Consider:

• In January of 1968 my sister came into the room, where we were watching “Jack and the Beanstalk,” with tragic news. With tears in her eyes, she told us “Daddy died!” As a 10 year-old I didn’t fully understand what it meant for our family. My mom was devastated. Questions, concerns and worries filled her heart as we moved into an uncertain future.

• I battled self-doubt and was ready to throw in the towel and give up as I thought about college.

• As a young married couple, Debbie and I journeyed through the throes of infertility wondering if we’d ever have children.

• Moving out of state for seminary, serving a local church and raising a young family challenged the very fabric of our lives.

Time and time again, difficulties arise that open up windows for God’s grace to touch my life anew.

The apostle Paul understood the peaks and valleys of life. Yet, in the midst of it all, when he cried to the Lord to remove the thorn from his flesh, he said that the Lord replied: ““My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.

Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (2 Cor. 12: 9-10, The Message) Paul moved from complaining to praying and ultimately to accepting the difficulties

By Rev. Dan Bryant*

life brought knowing that through it all, God’s grace would be enough. He could relinquish the need to control and instead let Christ take over. He lived a grace-filled life.

I recall the words of the song played by our guide, Quire, in Liberia, “He will carry my load!” My friends, Jesus carries our load when life is too heavy for us to take another step or when we are so tired that we just want to give up. Jesus can carry our load!

I have seen the hand of God moving in those valley moments throughout my own life.

The times when I threw my hands up in the air were the moments when the wings of grace enfolded me and revealed an answer that was right in front of me. God carried me when I was weak. Grace abounds!

When the valleys come and weakness fills our lives with uncertainties, let Christ take over! The grace of God moves within our lives in so many known and unknown ways. I try to pay attention and be awake to the stirrings of grace that surprise us all the time.

On the Sunday, before Labor Day, friends gathered at our home for a picnic. As we said good-bye, we prayed for John who was facing experimental chemo treatments in a few days. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, the touch of grace in the room. Beyond the shadow of a doubt we all knew that God’s grace was enough and that Jesus would be with John in the days ahead.

My grace is enough for you … it’s all you need.

My strength, God says, comes into its own in your weakness.

In my life, I find courage, strength and hope in those words and pray that you do too!

Amen! *Rev. Dan Bryant is superintendent of the Mahoning Valley District.

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By Dawn Livingston*

ave you ever looked back in amazement over how God uses you? I am continually surprised at both the ways God works in my life and how I see God working in the lives of all followers of Christ, regardless of how broken we are.

I believe that God is a God of the brokenhearted and delights to use those who are willing to follow Jesus. While there are many scriptures I would say are my favorites, 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 is one that has changed my life. It is a constant reminder of the power of God working in and through me:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

What comfort I find in these verses. It’s not about me; it’s about God. It’s about this broken individual who really can’t do these ministry outreaches on her own power, but only in the power of Christ. When we are weak, then we are strong.

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In March, I was blessed to take a trip to the Holy Land. Six of us actually had the opportunity to go into a “private” area of the Garden of Gethsemane one morning for prayer and reflection. We were all by ourselves, except for one caretaker who was hard at work churning the ground.

As I sat under an olive tree for my personal time, I basked in the pure beauty, quiet, and amazing presence of God. I noticed that just in front of me there was churned dirt and also the dirt not yet touched.

I relate to this image so well right now, and as I reflect on 2 Corinthians I relate in my spiritual journey, in the seminary process, in the United Methodist candidacy process, through ministries at the Epworth Center and in life in general. God is not finished with me yet! God is at work, churning “my dirt” and creating new life in me to bring forth new life in others.

By reaching out to those in need and making a real difference for people who may not have a real relationship with Christ, I can plant those seeds for them.

Just as in the Garden of Gethsemane, churning the dirt will make way for new life to sprout there. It’s not a one-time thing, but something that will constantly continue.

What a refreshing image to have: God takes our “dirt,” our weaknesses, and through grace, God’s power makes us strong. God churns our “dirt.”

When we are weak, then we are strong. *Dawn Livingston is Associate Director of the Epworth Center in Bethesda.

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Psalm 139

has always been one of my favorite scriptures because it speaks of a Creator who knows us intimately and whose presence is with us even in the darkest of dark places. The imagery illustrates a God who will go to great lengths to keep us within reach.

This psalm is a prayer that is both unsettling and reassuring, reminding the psalmist that the Lord is aware of our comings and goings. I remember hearing this psalm for the first time when I was a teenager, and though this may sound odd, it reminded me of Santa Claus and the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

“He sees you when you’re sleeping,

he knows when you’re awake,

he knows if you’ve been bad or good,

so be good for goodness sake.

Oh you better watch out,

you better not cry,

you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town.”

God

Equating God with Santa Claus, I often wondered if God would only give presents or blessings if we did what was expected of us. I wondered if God’s presence was only given to those who were keeping with God’s commands. Surely this was not what the psalmist had in mind when these words were penned.

The authorship and dating of individual psalms rarely can be determined. Many are believed to have been written during Israel’s monarchy between 1000 and 587 BCE. Although some of the later psalms, particularly 90 through 150, were thought to have been written or re-written in response to the theological crisis of the Babylonian exile, somewhere between 587 and 539 BCE. Though Psalm 139 is included in those later writings, it is attributed to David.

David, king of Israel for 40 years, is often portrayed as a righteous king, an acclaimed warrior, a musician and poet. But he was not without fault.

Some may recall his little tryst with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. When Bathsheba became pregnant, David plotted and schemed to get Uriah to sleep with his wife in an attempt to conceal the identity of the child’s father. When Uriah refused to sleep with her, however, David had him killed.

is Present

By Robin Dillon*

It is this David – musician and murderer – who wrote this psalm.

“Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I lie down.

You are acquainted with all my ways.”

These words have to be unsettling for David because of his misdeeds. God indeed knows all that he has done. The psalmist says: “… such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is beyond me.”

And yet his words go on:

“… where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, or Hell, you are there.”

For the psalmist, even in the midst of his deepest despair, God is present. What an amazing reassurance and promise for David and for us! *Robin Dillon is the full-time local pastor at Oak Chapel United Methodist Church and at Bethel United Methodist Church, both in Wooster.

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Share God’s Love

By Mike Corwin*

Photo (c) Kuzma | Dreamstime.com

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have always been touched by this passage. Jesus has called the tax collector Matthew to be one of his disciples. Matthew has a dinner party, inviting those who have been his friends and cohorts in life – people who have remained his friends even when his own people disowned him.

As the church of the day sees this, it doesn’t celebrate that Jesus is chang*Mike Corwin is the full-time local pastor ing Matthew’s life. at Bucyrus United Methodist Church.

Its followers don’t invite him to church that week, and they continue to look down their noses at him and his friends. I think the word “scum” is a great image of how they view those at the party.

This passage not only touches me, it drives my ministry. In my previous career as a police officer I dealt with the people who are looked at like the “scum” of society. I came to understand that these individuals had been disowned and forgotten by their government, their families, and by the Church of Jesus Christ.

I have heard the words of the Pharisees come out of the mouths of church leaders who are supposed to represent Jesus in our broken and sinful world. How will people ever know the love of God and the Salvation available through Jesus if the very ones who carry the message refuse to share it with them?

I pray mine isn’t the only heart that aches over our failure to be the church and share love instead of judgment, hate and abandonment.

People get enough of that from the secular world.

How nice it would be if instead of seeing lofty churches with names like First UMC, Church of the Cross UMC, Church of the Savior UMC and others, we saw names like Misfit UMC, Outcast UMC, and Scum UMC where the doors are open and the interior dirty from use. Then perhaps the notorious sinners of our communities would know where to turn for acceptance and love so Jesus could change their lives like he did Matthew’s.

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By Rev. Jan Yandell*

“Then he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!’”

(Mark 7: 9)

As an unapologetic change agent in the church, I have come to appreciate these words of Jesus found in the Book of Mark. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who were concerned that the disciples were not following Jewish law.

Just prior to this statement, Jesus quoted Isaiah saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

I have found in my ministry that if one can hold fast to the two commandments of Jesus: Love God; and Love your neighbor; the other “stuff” of the work in the church becomes trivial.

How often have our own traditions become more important than loving God and loving our neighbor?

How often has a church been split over the time of worship, the color of the carpet, the kind of music, etc?

Does this “stuff” have anything to do with loving God and loving our neighbor?

NO! If there is a decision to be made in the church, the first questions that should be asked are:

Does this decision edify God? Will it help us to better love our neighbors?

If the answer to either question is “no,” then ask a third question.

Are we rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep our traditions? *Rev. Jan Yandell is pastor at East Shore United Methodist Church in Euclid.

Tug of War (c) Softdreams | Dreamstime.com

“Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’”

(Matthew 9: 10-11 NLT)

Costly Traditions

galat i a n s 5 : 6 b

Changed by God

By Rev. Jim Winkler*

‘What counts is faith working through love.’ (Galatians 5: 6b)

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n a spirited quatrain, an unknown historian described the territory open to the circuit riders of the late 1790s and early 1800s as they carried the message of God’s love with passion and courage wherever pioneers could be found. For circuit riders, theirs was a parish bounded:

On the east by the Alleghenies On the south by the Gulf of Mexico On the north by the Aurora Borealis On the west by the setting sun

The determined westward movement of the circuit riders carried them to the beautiful and rugged Ohio Valley, where the first Methodist class meeting in Ohio was held at Hopewell right about the same time as the town named after Count von Steuben was being established in 1796.

In 1798, the Hopewell Chapel was built, the oldest Methodist Church in the Ohio Territory. By 1799, Sugar Grove, Wellsville, and Richmond followed the Hopewell example. A few years later, in 1813, the Hollow Rock Camp was established. It is now “The oldest continuing Camp Meeting in America and perhaps the world.”

I was surprised to learn that Bishop Francis Asbury visited the tough river town of Steubenville in 1803, preaching his first sermon in Ohio there. In his journal Asbury wrote that he could “feel the power of Satan” in these little western trading towns.

By 1813, Steubenville had become a center of Methodist activity as people of faith “organized to beat the devil.” That same year the first of nine Annual Conference sessions was held at Steubenville First Church with Bishop Asbury and Bishop William McKendree presiding.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, churches continued to be planted in every town and every valley, and on every hill and run in the Ohio Valley. It was a dynamic movement of God that transformed the world of this river valley by reaching thousands of pioneers and helping shape them into disciples of Jesus Christ.

How did this happen? What was it about this movement formed and shaped by John Wesley in England that so captivated the hearts and minds of people throughout this region?

There are many dimensions to any complete answer, but I believe a key part is rooted and grounded in a biblical text that is among my favorites: “What counts is faith working through love.” This gets to the heart of what has been described as the most widely cherished doctrinal emphasis and one of the most distinctive characteristics of Wesleyan Christians: the connection between faith and works.

It is a theology of grace, a wonderful message of God’s unconditional love and grace for all people in all places at all times. We respond to God’s love by faith. But the work of grace does not stop there. It becomes a transforming grace as we become more like Christ, restored in the image of God by the power of God’s Spirit. People throughout the Ohio Valley could see the love of God lived out by people of faith and they wanted to be a part of this movement of God.

That is what means so much to me about this text – it speaks to the goal of our faith, which is to be changed by God into more loving, Christ-like people. Here is a true holiness of heart and life that transformed a region and a nation through a people for whom what counted most was “faith working through love.”

Throughout my ministry, I have seen, been blessed by and have been encouraged by this faith expressed in love. Wherever faith working through love is alive, the movement of God is alive and well. May it be so throughout East Ohio as we continue to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world. *Rev. Jim Winkler is superintendent of the Ohio Valley District.

Biblical

Foundations One distinctive characteristic of Wesleyan Christians:

the connection between faith and works.

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‘

I Will Rejoice in the Lord

By Rev. Benita Rollins*

“Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vine; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation; God, the Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of deer, and makes me tread upon the heights.” (Habakkuk 3: 17-19)

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t has been said that, “When Adam and Eve ate themselves out of house and home humanity has been in one exile after another.” Yet, God continues to offer a standing invitation to come home: to come home and be anchored in Him. We do not know a lot about this prophet but some suggest that Habakkuk in Hebrew means “an embracing and unfolding faith in God.” The entire book is only three chapters in length, but it contains several notable word pictures: “Write the vision, make it plain on tablets so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.”

“The just shall live by faith and the Lord is in his Holy temple, let all the earth be silent before him.”

On one level Habakkuk raises the question of unjust suffering and of evil and sin. Yet he is humbled – like so many others have been before him – with God’s response. But on another level the prophet offers a way to live when God’s justice and providence, goodness of creation, giftedness and rich diversity seem to be dismissed too easily.

Habakkuk 3: 17-19 found me in the mid 1970s. This is my favorite passage of Scripture. It is the passage that will not let me go. It keeps my heart singing and my steps ordered in God. It brings a smile during pain and suffering.

This is a centering passage for me. It offers a pattern of belief that nourishes my mind and spirit so that I do not fall into the abyss of spiritual decay. It offers a pattern of belief and nourishment that says confess, pray, commit, respond and rejoice.

These verses have become for me a prayer of confession, a hymn of praise and a call to commitment. They help remind me that my life will never be secure, never be hope-filled because of temporal things. And when I have to climb the rough side of the mountain, like a deer that climbs the steep and rocky path, I believe that God will provide the resources for strength and endurance.

East Ohio Conference, we have some wonderful days ahead of us. We have years filled with wonder and excitement. Yes, there will be difficulty, too, but I have the audacity to believe God is strengthening us, so that we will not lag in zeal but join God in God’s movement for East Ohio.

I close with these lines from a prayer by Howard Thurman:

*Rev. Benita Rollins is superintendent of the Tuscarawas District.

“Brood over us, Our God who loves us, until at last we shall be one, whole, healed, lifted, that we may face what awaits beyond this hour with new hope and new courage. For us this is enough.”

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Find Yourself in the Bible

By Rev. Roger Talbott*

Yet!

In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan tells King David a story about a rich man who had many sheep and a poor man who had only one sheep. The rich man took the poor man’s sheep to feed a visitor.

David, the former shepherd boy, was incensed. He said that the rich man who had acted so callously and unjustly should die.

Nathan said, “You ARE that man.”

David had taken the wife of one of his soldiers and arranged for her husband to die in battle; he had lost his moral and spiritual bearings and then found them again when he saw himself in Nathan’s inspired tale.

This story about Nathan’s story gives us the best advice for reading the Bible: “Don’t see yourself in the heroes. Identify with the villains.”

I’m not the loving father who is always willing to welcome the prodigal son home with open arms. I am the prodigal son who has wasted a lot of my life living far from my father. I am the elder brother nursing my judgments and resentments in the dark, and missing the party altogether.

I’m not a disciple dutifully following Jesus; I’m a Pharisee who is always trying to find out what the catch is to God’s grace.

I’m not Peter in the Book of Acts, I’m Peter at the Last Supper – all talk and no action.

This isn’t an exercise in masochism. It is the way we open the door to grace. Nathan’s story led to David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51. Reading the Bible through the bad guys’ eyes helps us understand that great affirmation, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That proves God’s love for us.”

By Rev. Sondra Snode*

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.”

(Habakkuk 3: 17-18) I’m not certain when this became my favorite scripture passage. But one day it spoke to me, and ever since it has been a source of comfort and reassurance, challenge and direction.

I have claimed it when braces, car repairs, and insurance premiums were all due at the same time and our financial resources were depleted. I have claimed it while I awaited biopsy results, sat in surgical waiting rooms, and kissed loved ones good-bye. I have shared it on retreats, as we reflected on God’s faithfulness; on work missions, as we dealt with the scarcity and pain of others; on sidewalks during impromptu conversations.

Perhaps I like the passage because it is tucked away in Habakkuk – a lesser known word, yet one that packs a powerful punch. Even in difficult circumstances and situations, even though times are tough, Habakkuk declares, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord!”

Oh, I want a “yet faith.” A faith that empowers me to worship and celebrate God’s grace and power … regardless … even though. And so, I turn to Habakkuk, and I pray, remember, shout, proclaim: “YET!” *Rev. Sondra Snode is pastor at Ontario United Methodist Church.

*Rev. Roger Talbott is pastor at Elyria First United Methodist Church.

News Extra, Extra

By Rick Wolcott*

I continue to be blessed daily by inspiring individuals, congregations and ministries from across our great East Ohio Conference. The Joining Hands magazine provides a quarterly opportunity to highlight just some of them.

In the very early process of putting together this issue, we found ourselves with more content than available pages thanks to your willingness to share.

Welcome to the expanded edition of Joining Hands – four extra pages of Biblical Foundations. Of course the reading doesn’t have to end when you get to page 20.

You will find even more stories in the online edition of the magazine at www.eocumc.com/joininghands.

What a blessing! Thank you for sharing your stories. *Rick Wolcott is Director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Vine (c) Anhong | Dreamstime.com

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Am I in the Way?

By Rev. Karen Oehl*

The Bible is law, story, history, letters, instruction, poetry and the Word of God. It is all supposed to guide our lives. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3: 16). But how exactly does that work?

Personally I am most influenced and shaped first by stories and then by teaching. Lists of rules don’t do it for me. I have seen myself, and others, much too free in applying rules to others rather than to ourselves.

That is why as a guide to my life with others, and in these times when we have grown so contentious – prone to blaming, shaming, judging, excluding, and even demonizing – I turn to Romans 14. In general the chapter is a lesson about not judging others. Paul brilliantly argues for latitude and acceptance in how people interpret the law, while not surrendering the concept of integrity of faith and morality.

He is blatantly radical in taking aim at two key lifestyle applications of the law in his own faith tradition: food and Sabbath. We can sympathetically imagine how daunting a task it was for this apostle to reconcile the various cultures and classes of early followers of the Way so that they could become the body of Christ. And that sympathy helps me in times when I find myself embroiled in worship and turf wars in the local church.

The part of Romans 14 that I return to not as a leader but as a Christian, however, begins with verse 13: “Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another.”

Now this I can understand and try to use as a rule of life. It forces me to judge my behavior, my faith, my relationship to others through the lens of how it affects the other, instead of the eternal selfish view of how things affect me.

I have grieved over the fact that there are some things beyond my control that are a hindrance to others in my ministry: my gender, for example. But I am more grieved over the times when my thoughtless words, insensitive actions, and quick judgments have turned people away from the grace to which I should be opening them.

The chapter goes on with positive action advice: work for peace and continually build-up others. As a check for sentimentality and cheap grace, it also challenges Christians to grow in their faith and live by their convictions.

The second half of Romans 14 is a wonderful tool for discussions and attitude checks about all sorts of stumbling blocks and barriers to unity: addiction (did you know that Welch’s grape juice was created for communion to overcome the stumbling block of alcohol addiction?), worship style, politics, generation gaps and even United Methodist polity!

I will not say that we must make Romans 14: 13 a commandment for life, but I certainly hope to use it as a plumb line for mine.

Plumbline (c) Eyesee10 | Dreamstime.com

*Rev. Karen Oehl is superintendent of the Mid-Ohio District.

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LUKE 1: 26-28

Biblical Foundations

Good News of Great Joy

By Rev. Steve Court*

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you. …’” (Luke 1: 26-28)

M

y favorite Bible passage is the Christmas story. It is filled with memories, images, dreams, and truths beyond description. When I think about this passage, I am amazed at all of the miracles of faith involved in its telling. Ordinary people do extraordinary things. Every aspect of this event turns our world upside down.

How can it be that God would become so involved in our world as to invest the care of God’s one and only Son to this couple? Does God trust us the same way? Who are these angels who suddenly appear in everyday life? What faith allows Mary and Joseph to trust the angel’s message? Would I be able to respond in faith given their circumstances?

I hear this message of God’s presence and blessing from the perspective of someone who knows the ending to the story. They heard this message in a time and culture in which the harsh realities of life and the consequences of the events were not as peaceful as we imagine it.

This is a story with real twists and turns.

As a virgin betrothed to Joseph, Mary’s pregnancy was anything but good news.

The religious laws are clear and strict. In his compassion and righteousness, Joseph “did not want to expose her to public disgrace” and “had a mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1: 19)

Imagine the chatter and conversation around town once this news gets out! Imagine what the righteous religious people will say! And yet, the angel’s message is clear – this is a work of the Holy Spirit. This is an act of God. God has trumped the religious thinking of their day – and of ours too. This is a story that makes me humble when I think I am righteous.

The story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and reign is a fulfillment of the eternal story in which God is working amazing miracles in the lives and faith of ordinary people like you and me, Mary and Joseph.

I have experienced the miracle of God’s presence in our world through the faith, hopes, dreams and transformation of many people in many ways. I have felt the presence of the Risen Christ in conversations among friends, in hospital visits, at weddings and funerals, during births, baptisms, confessions of faith, professions of faith, worship, Bible studies and even in church meetings!

I have experienced the current reality that God still notices and responds to the details of our lives. God is involved in our world. The miracle of Christmas is that God is sending a message to you and to me, “fear not, for behold I bring YOU good news of great joy that will be for all the people. …” (Luke 2: 10)

How can this be?

*Rev. Steve Court is superintendent of the Southern Hills District.

Nativity (c) Ginosphotos | Dreamstime.com

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Common Clay Pots

By Rev. Susan Lausch*

“Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.

We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4: 7-9, TEV)

T

here they sat on the altar, a large, blown-glass vase – lovely, delicate, probably expensive – and a large clay garden pot – ordinary, sturdy, cheap. “Which one would you use the most,” our pastor, Dr. William Harvey, asked us.

The blown-glass vase would probably only be used on special occasions. The rest of the time it would sit behind closed doors in some closet or cupboard, to protect it from any sort of damage. But the clay pot might sit on your porch all summer long, filled with flowers, exposed to rain and wind and people’s clumsiness. It wouldn’t be hidden away or protected. It was made to be used. And so are we, as Paul tells us, in 2nd Corinthians.

I’ve never forgotten that verse, or Dr. Harvey’s sermon on it. For, though Paul uses the image of clay pots as an antidote to boasting, to me it has always been a word of encouragement and awe. After all, it is to “common clay pots” like me that God entrusts the treasure of Christ’s love!

This verse became one of my favorites then and I return to it again and again. It is one of the first texts I preach in every new appointment.

It is one of the texts I turn to for hope and strength on days when my “clay pot-ness” is very real and I feel like a failure.

Yes, I am a “common clay pot.” But, wonder of wonders, God can use me to convey treasure to the world, despite all its troubles and dangers, not the least being the troubles I make for myself.

Not crushed, not beaten by despair, never without a friend and not destroyed – I hang on to Paul’s strong promises and go back to being a clay pot used by the living God. *Rev. Susan Lausch is pastor at Church of the Cross United Methodist Church in Lexington.

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Vase (c) Ragoarts | Dreamstime.com Clay pot (c) Peanutroaster | Dreamstime.com

More Lessons Online

Biblical Foundations You’ve just finished reading this expanded edition of Joining Hands but there are still more lessons in the online edition of the magazine.

Visit www.eocumc.com/joininghands to read brand new stories of how the lives of East Ohio members have been influenced by:

James 5: 17

Isaiah 42: 16

John 1: 16

Matthew 18: 20

Philippians 4: 13

Proverbs 3: 5-6

Romans 8: 28

pro v erbs 3 5 - 6

Twists and turns

By Rev. Everett Stoddard*

The “Lesson from the Bible” that has impacted me the most is the reality of Proverbs 3: 5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (NRSV)

Little did I know each step along the way in my 40-some years of secular work that God was all along preparing me for what I’m privileged to do today as an Associate Member in the East Ohio Annual Conference, pastor at Collins/West Hartland UMC near Norwalk, OH. God has set me on a course and has blessed me like crazy all along the way. I am blessed to be married to a wonderful woman who, when we married in 1981, had no idea she’d ever be the wife of a pastor. I am also blessed to be the father of two awesome young women of faith.

While in college I was student News Director for WKSU-FM at Kent State University. Those skills would come in handy many years later. At my previous appointment I was given the opportunity to offer a weekly halfhour radio program on WTNS-FM in Coshocton, OH! For many years right after college I was a newspaper reporter and editor for Columbiana County-based and Portage County-based newspapers.

Being a reporter was vital in developing my listening, communicating and personal relationship skills. I trusted God daily for guidance in working with and encouraging people from all walks of life.

Later as owner-operator of my own public relations firm I had no thought that God was giving me that time to develop publicity skills. The literature I created for schools, health departments, charitable organizations and individuals would years later make it easier to produce bulletins, newsletters and church magazines.

The relationships with former clients has led to me leading Baccalaureate Worship in a school, being a part of a free medical outreach team called “Hope Clinic,” and serving as both a backup hospital chaplain and as a clergy representative to a Habitat

for Humanity board of directors.

For a time I was a sales manager for a medical component manufacturer.

It turns out sales skills enable pastors to better tell the greatest story that has ever been or ever will be told. Working that job led to my life-changing moment.

One day the CEO of that company approached me after experiencing my worship leadership in our Ravenna church. He said, “Ev, you’ve done a great job for my company over the years, and I really appreciate that. But when are you going to really do what I see God wants you to do for the rest of your life?”

I finally put my full trust in God and said “yes” to the call that I knew was always there. I have never looked back. Can God use what may look like twists and turns in your life and set your path straight, too? Absolutely!

God, indeed, does work in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform!

Trust him, because he has a plan!

“... he will make straight your paths.” *Rev. Everett Stoddard is pastor of Collins United Methodist Church and of West Hartland United Methodist Church.

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romans 8 : 2 8

joh n 1 : 1 6

The Stories that have Shaped My Story

By Rev. James Magaw*

According to His Purpose

By Rev. Delaine K. McGhee*

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y Heart Verse is Romans 8:28. Depending on the translation there may be a word or two different but it is placed in my heart as:

“All things work together for good for them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.”

When I first became a Christian my husband told me it would be a good thing to hide God›s word in my heart and that I could do that by memorizing Bible verses. I cannot recall how I landed on this verse but I remember that it was very easy for me to memorize and it made so much sense to my «baby» understanding of the Scriptures.

I hold to this verse. I believe this verse. I’ve experienced this verse. I share this verse. God is faithful to His word and I know that whether I am in a ‹good place,› or an ‹uncomfortable place› that I must be patient and allow God to work in the situation and in me.

How God will use a situation may not be revealed immediately to me but I don›t need to worry about that because the One who holds me holds everything. *Rev. Delaine K. McGhee is pastor at Grafton United Methodist Church.

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Being asked to select the Bible passage that means the most to me is like being asked to name my favorite relative. Looking back, I realize that my childhood was saturated with Bible stories.

Dozens of those scenes are living things in my mind.

The story of the prodigal son, his jealous but good brother, and their incredibly loving father washes over me with the warmth of home and perfect acceptance. The hated Samaritan who tended to the wounded man and paid for his care at an inn both judges and compels me as I continue to learn about the life God calls me to live. The grateful affirmation of John 1: 16, “And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace,” reminds me that life in God’s realm is one of abundance and gift. No matter what I lack, grace always is, was, and will be greater. Thanks be to God. As I think about the importance of the Bible in my life, I also give thanks for my teachers, especially those who taught me that I do not have to take the Bible literally to take it seriously, and those who told me to weigh all the teachings of the Bible as I attempt to interpret a single verse or story. Although we are sometimes divided by interpretations of the Bible, it still is the book that belongs to all of us. Its stories have formed our stories, and can bring us together if we humbly feast on its life-giving nourishment. *Rev. James Magaw is a retired elder.

He served for 41 years, including six as superintendent of the then Cambridge District.

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We Are Mighty in the Presence of Jesus

To the Glory of God

By Rev. Johnnie Faye Swann*

By Rev. Charlie Tobias*

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18: 20)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4: 13)

I have served small rural churches for my entire ministry. As I look out at the congregation and attend meetings and as I gather for Bible study and small group studies, this scripture keeps me from becoming overly frustrated, from losing hope, and from giving up. Regardless of our numbers, we are mighty when we are in the presence of Jesus.

Over the years I have used this verse, prior to offering a prayer, to open meetings and Bible study groups. I share this verse with members of the community of faith and with others when it seems our numbers are not what they are expected to be.

Knowing that Jesus is with us gives us the hope, courage and boldness we need to continue the mission.

This verse is printed on a plaque that was given to me by a friend of mine who was a member of a launch team I was resourcing in the early 1990s. At the time we were attempting to establish a new church in a village in East Ohio.

The message reminded me then that whatever I accomplished in ministry or in service, it was to be done to the glory of God, who makes possible all my efforts and turns them from puny tasks into mighty works enacted on behalf of Christ and his kingdom.

To this very day, the plaque occupies a place on the pulpit from which I preach. It serves to ground me, whenever I lead worship and preach the Word, in a God whose grace is sufficient and who can be counted upon to accompany us wherever we go and in whatever we do.

Thanks be to God!

*Rev. Johnnie Faye Swann is pastor at Plymouth United Methodist Church.

*Rev. Charlie Tobias is senior pastor at Ridgewood United Methodist Church in Parma.

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Radical Humility

The Prayer of Faith

By Rev. Pam Buzalka*

By Kyle R. Allen*

There are many verses from holy scripture that have become engraved upon my heart, but the following lines from the prophet Isaiah express for me the daily journey of faith, hope, and love that is discipleship:

Over the past several years I’ve grown to really love and often come back to James 5: 17. The first time the verse penetrated my heart was hearing it read by Francis Chan in a teaching aimed to inspire Christians to simply read the Bible and then to live it.

“I will lead the blind by a road they do not know. By paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places level ground. These things I will do, and I will not forsake them.”

(Isaiah 42: 16)

All at once, the verse is fascinatingly simple, humbling, and relieving.

It’s a call to live righteously while also being an incredibly uplifting and realistic picture of redeemed humanity and just how amazing God works through us.

I reflect on this a lot when, like the people in Jesus’ hometown in Mark 6, I, too, have grown too comfortable with our miraculous savior Jesus, seeing both Him and myself as just too ordinary. I have often believed, “Yeah, yeah Jesus can do it,” yet withheld in prayer my pain, problems, and needs from Him; not even expecting miracles, and surely not letting Him perform them.

Yet Elijah, a human like me, “prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

It reminds me of how little I often expect from God. It reminds me too that the strength of the righteous is Christ, our will aligned with His and our prayers faithfully given to Him. I share this as much as possible among the youth with whom I work – letting them in on the little secret that the Bible heroes aren’t any taller, bigger, or better than us.

The key really is to see just how big our God is. This frees us up to believe He still does the miraculous through us, too.

This verse calls me to the freedom of radical humility, to the courage which can come from grace alone, and to complete trust in a world filled with darkness and roughness as well as light.

This verse invites me into the realm of paradox: I will only see when I realize my blindness; I will only know when I admit my limitedness, and I am strongest when held in the arms of my Abba.

Many of our beloved hymns speak to generation after generation because they capture the wisdom expressed by the prophet. Some of these hymns that come to mind are: “ Trust and Obey,” “ I Surrender All, “ Blessed Assurance,” and “ Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Simply put, I often feel that despite study, prayer, community and the best of intentions, the only thing I can offer to God or to God’s children is the gift of presence: my presence and a hopefilled, shared awareness of divine Presence.

A hymn that expresses this truth, “Here I am, Lord,” opens my soul to God saying to me: “Here. I AM. Pam. You can walk unsighted down a road you do not know, by paths you do not know to places of life and heart you have not even imagined – for it is no longer you who live but I who lives in you!”

“Elijah was a human being, even as we are.”

*Kyle R. Allen is Director of Youth Ministries at Brecksville United Methodist Church.

*Rev. Pam Buzalka is pastor at Garfield Heights United Methodist Church.

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