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A very important day at First United Methodist Church today.
We don’t know what God has in store for us. As Christians, we strive to welcome the Holy Spirit, God the father, and God the Son into our lives. During times of change, it’s not so easy to just get up and get going with the normal routine. To me, it is kind of like an early Lent… a time for reflecting on what has been, what is, and what will be during this transition. I had a difficult time in service today knowing that Rev. Brian is stepping down and pursuing a new path God has led him to take. My eyes kept crying out the corners no matter what I did during a most amazing worship service today.
Today, our pastor, Rev. Brian Hare-Diggs announced that he will not be the senior pastor anymore. He has been called, moved, excited, to take on a new roll in our community. Rev. Brian has been with First United for about 10 years now and has served a faithful and growing downtown congregation. I’ve only known him for half of this service, but have witnessed much of his faithful and dedicated work as a trustee and parishioner. I’ve witnessed how he always has time for his children, his parishioners, and witnessing to the community for human rights. His kindness toward speaking about all children of God have expanded my family and how I look into the eyes of children of God around the world. Now, officially, he will be taking on the task of building the new UMCOR (United Methodist Commission on Relief) Depot in Salt Lake City serving the Western United States and possibly even Asia!
Rev. Brian’s sermons and witness have helped so many people. I am overjoyed that he will continue to be such an active part of the Utah community and especially that our local Christian family will still be able to support his household. Please keep the Hare Diggs’ and the congregation of First United Methodist Church in your prayers during this time of change. I’m thinking about how his cell phone probably hasn’t stopped ringing for the past decade. Now, it’s time for him to be calling us to help more people in the US and around the world. When I was away from Jesus Christ, I forgot the balance of giving and receiving. Rev. Brian and his family have given so much of themselves. Now it’s not only time for them to give more, but to receive more from the support of all of us in the community.
I came across this article on the AFL-CIO site and it sums up the mortgage crisis well.
So my house sale is now back on! This is probably the worst time in recent history to be someone trying to sell a house! Actually, that makes it the best time in recent history to BUY a house. I just wish I were on the other side. So, I’m a realtor, and I can say that I feel the pain of everyone trying to sell right now.
Hopefully with our economic situation, the same will apply? I have no idea. I just know that I’m nervous and there is a lot of fenagling to do with the numbers to make it right. OR, we reap what was sown now. Whatever the solution, I hope it leads to a permanent fix and not just a band-aid for us to fix in a worse situation in the future.
So, who is benefitting from all this? With a downturn, who is catching the ride on the upturn. Should we all invest in bonds and get our victory gardens organized? Where is our national spirit? Maybe, we could all start by helping our neighbors? Maybe this is a sign that with so many people in trouble, that there are lots of people that need help? Maybe we could build our communities again? Reconnect with each other and living within our means. Maybe we could stop out of control consumerism? Buy local, “make, or forsake” as Actress Chick (Darryl Hannah) encourages.
Am I gullable, too nice, easy to pull the wool over my eyes? Why do people lie? Lie to pacify, justify, validify… if that’s a word. How can a person look you straight in the eye and lie? Is their life so filled with worse things that a lie is nothing to them?
I tried to justify and not label a lie “a lie.” After all, I’ve lied to myself in the past, not realizing the reality of a situation. How do you work with someone caught in the terrible situation of lying?
Definately NOT GOOD.
This is my word of the month. While working through business and church meetings, talking with friends and family, dealing with strangers in business transactions. How do I present myself with integrity? The early holy clubs had questions that would be asked of attendees regarding their way of conduct in the community and with God. Do I present myself with integrity and grace throughout my day? It certainly is a lot of work!
Sincerely,
Silent v loud! I’ve been reading about the Quakers and their traditional silent meetings. I haven’t read everything on the topic and am no expert, but wanted to write here about it because it is such an interesting topic.
The traditional Quaker “meeting” has no alter, is silent (until a person is moved by the Holy Spirit to give testimony), lay leadership. The Methodists are all about programming, singing loud and proud no matter our singing ability, and being led by an educated pastor. However, both include moving away from self-centeredness to group focus in the Holy Spirit. Both value each person, being made by God. Both value incorporating knowledge in decision-making.
In business, I’ve seen so much self-centeredness (rather than selflessness). People working to get ahead and compete harsher than the other guy. Competetiveness is fine, but I’m talking about the people that really don’t care as they move forward or just do their daily work. I wish my business meetings were a little more like meetings at church… working as one team, valuing each person and their opinion, listening, voicing opinion in turn. In general, as Aretha Franklin sang “R. E. S. P. E. C. T.” which is central to the Christian value of all persons being made by God.
Well, I suppose that’s all I had to say! Interesting to me and I hope to you too.
Peace be with you,
“In God We Trust” This is the title of the children’s lesson I’m teaching in the morning. I’ll have the kids do the fall back into another kids arms and will trust that they will catch each other! They are all very smart kids, so I never know what they are going to come up with. They keep me on my toes. Link to the lesson of Abraham and Isaac. We’ll go do chalk drawing of the trek they took up the mountain.
One of the reasons I teach Sunday School is because I want to understand better myself. Here is a list I found on the Internet of John Wesley’s Holy Club questions. A lot of these have to do with trust.
- Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
- Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
- Can I be trusted?
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- When did I last speak to someone else of my faith? [ conversation starter questions ]
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
- Do I disobey God in anything?
- Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
- Am I defeated in any part of my life?
- Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
- How do I spend my spare time?
- Am I proud?
- Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
- Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
- Do I grumble or complain constantly?
- Is Christ real to me?
Name: Wasatch Community Gardens Email: community@wasatchgardens.org EventTitle: SLC Tour De Coops 2008 EventDate: June 28, 2008 Why: Hop on this self-guided tour of backyard chicken coops around Salt Lake. Come to the Tomato Garden between 9:30am-10:30 am to purchase a tour guide book. Coops will be open 10am-2pm, no dogs please. Guide Books benefit WCG, $5. Tomato Garden, 9:30-10:30am. Tour, 10am-2pm. Contact: Madelyn Corey/ community@wasatchgardens.org
I’m not able to go on the tour this year. I hope everyone has fun! Please visit my daughter’s .ppt presentation called my-chickens for a quick story of our urban chicken coop. Enjoy!
Today is Father’s Day and this Methodist Chick almost boycotted, but am glad I didn’t. I never really participated in anything Father’s Day related growing up. You see, my father was a great man, but died when I was 4 years old. I was always one of two kids in class growing up that didn’t know what to do when the teacher said we were making Father’s Day cards in class, so mom always got two cards this time of year.
I’ve been divorced since my daughter was a baby, so have continued to have a hard time with acknowledging anything to do with Father’s Day. However, this was a great year to change!
At church today, we had a huge celebration after service to celebrate the fathers of our congregation at First United Methodist Church here in Salt Lake City, Utah. Looking around the room, I realized that there are some wonderful male role-models that my daughter and I have the pleasure of knowing and calling brother in our family.
There were enough stories and crying in the room to make a mini-series! I am really proud to know the men in the congregation. Thank you!
Well, we won a basket for Sam’s daddy. So, we went over to his house and gave it to him. He had a pretty big smile on his face!
So, with the grace of God, I have acknowledged and enjoyed this Father’s Day. I am thankful that our Father and fathers in heaven are with us always.
Well, I’ve been called in as an extra anyway! This MethodistChick is ready, willing, and able! I live in Utah, sub-California film-mecca of the West. Check back to see what they have me do! It’s kind of like a secret-agent thing, you get the instructions at the last minute -should you choose to accept them!
My first film! What an experience! Today, I was in the background of a scene with about 850 people. Putting together over 700 teenagers and adults travelling from far and wide in a few minutes of footage is quite an undertaking. This is about how the day went to give any of you aspiring actors and actresses some insight:
Casting Call was at 8:30 am. We had to bring 4-5 changes of clothes and be what is called “camera ready.” That means, shower, hair, clothes, all perfect. After 2 1/2 hours, a little breakfast, and one fire drill, I wasn’t sure how camera ready we all were, but they took us all to do a scene in the East High School Auditorium. Now I know why actors wear those dark glasses! The lights are blinding! All 800 or so of us stuck it out with enthusiasm. We learned to do scenes as a group cheering, acting bewildered, shocked, rolling over with laughter, and tried to show off some dancing talents in the crowd. It was a good time. The Director, Kenny Ortega, is really funny and knows how to keep a crowd enthusiastic. There were also fines! Anyone caught yawning had to give a $1 to charity and had to stand up to be acknowledged by the whole group as a yawner. There were a few key actors on set (Kelsie and Ms. Darbus) and they were all professional and wonderful to watch. We had some impromptu dancing to cheer up the crowds by a few special visitors. I am really impressed.
After 4-5 hours of 800 people cheering, dancing, and sweating, the auditorium needs to be aired out! Yes, I think we were all getting a little stinky! It was a great time. I wonder what it was like on Brad Pitt’s Troy set?
It was interesting to be an adult among so many teenagers. The education of how teenagers talk, dress, and act today is very interestingto me. The director said he keeps choosing Utah because of the people. There were a lot of really great people representing Utah on set today.
