Much Obliged

Dear Friends--I was reading my e-mail the other day, trying to catch up. I came across this blog by another UM pastor. I have read Steve's blog for a number of years and always find his reflections helpful. Because we have been focusing on being thankful and experiencing the gift of generosity, I thought that you all might enjoy reading this as well. This blog is re-posted with Steve's permission. If you like what you read, you might go to the link I've included and check it out for yourself--he sends his blog by occasional e-mail.

Much obliged myself to Steve...and to all of you!

MUCH OBLIGED

Like most parents, I taught my children to say "thank you" 
frequently and hoped that giving thanks might become a life habit. 
After all, silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. But I think 
that what I hoped to teach them was not simply to say thanks, but to 
feel it. I believe that thankful people are happy people.

The late Dr. Fulton Oursler used to tell of an old woman who took 
care of him when he was a child -- a woman who not only expressed 
her thanks, but felt it. Anna was a former American slave who, after 
emancipation, was hired by the family for many years.

He remembered her sitting at the kitchen table, her hands folded and 
her eyes gazing upward as she prayed, "Much obliged, Lord, for my 
vittles." He asked her what vittles were and she replied that they 
were food and drink. He told her that she would get food and drink 
whether or not she gave thanks, and Anna said, "Yes, we'll get our 
vittles, but it makes 'em taste better when we're thankful."

She told him that an old preacher taught her, as a little girl, to 
always look for things to be grateful for. So, as soon as she awoke 
each morning, she asked herself, "What is the first thing I can be 
grateful for today?" Sometimes the smell of early-morning coffee 
perking in the kitchen found its way to her room. On those mornings, 
the aroma prompted her to say, "Much obliged, Lord, for the coffee. 
And much obliged, too, for the smell of it!"

Young Fulton grew up and left home. One day he received a message 
that Anna was dying. He returned home and found her in bed with her 
hands folded over her white sheets, just as he had seen them folded 
in prayer over her white apron at the kitchen table so many times 
before.

He wondered what she could give thanks for at a time like this. As 
if reading his mind, she opened her eyes and gazed at the loving 
faces around her bed. Then, shutting her eyes again, she said 
quietly, "Much obliged, Lord, for such fine friends."

Oursler was deeply influenced by Anna's uncanny ability to always 
find some reason to be "much obliged." This wise woman taught him a 
secret that many people have never learned: she taught him how to be 
happy.

-- Steve Goodier www.LifeSupportSystem.com

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Doing Good

John Wesley, the accidental founder of the Christian belief system called "Methodism," has been quoted saying: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." No one can tell me this is not a tall order, nor can they tell me it is easy to accomplish. Sometimes to our chagrin, we discover that the good we planned on doing was not helpful after all. How do we figure out the "good" thing to do?

There is a lovely story from the Taoist tradition that teaches this challenge well. The story goes something like this: An old farmer had worked his crops faithfully for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "Maybe," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "May be," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "Maybe," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "Maybe," said the farmer...

How do we recognize good things, even for ourselves and our own lives? Imagine how much more difficult it is then, to make decisions that affect the lives of others, assuming that we know the best outcome in all circumstances. In faith circles, we speak about "discerning" God's will about such issues and questions, but there is little doubt that everything is open for review and debate.

Last night First Church had our Church Conference. For those of you who are not certain what that is, it is our annual meeting with the District Superintendent. Part of that meeting is to look back over the previous year to see what was successful and where we were not quite as successful as we might have hoped. But we also spend time looking to the future, discerning as a community of faith where God might be calling us to become more engaged.

We had great conversation around two possible new ministries: Children's ministries with the children in our own neighborhood around Huntington Elementary...Dawes Middle School...North East High school; and looking East from the church, out beyond Nebraska Wesleyan connecting to the families who are only a couple of miles from us in that direction. Added to this second ministry field was conversation around other areas of the city where we may have 4-5 people (or more) living in the same general location, and how we might better interact with them through small groups, or...?

Needless to say, the conversation is just beginning. We intend to spend some time looking at issues and options, keeping an open heart and working to discern God's call for us at this time. I invite you to join in on the conversations and help us figure out how we can do the "all the good we can..."!

Paddling Away

Last Sunday was a day full of exciting conversations and events around First UMC Lincoln.

In the morning we had several different ways to connect: we had roses and talk about all the Saints--those who have come before and those who are currently living and working in the church; one Sunday School class discussed the nature of marriage...and another talked about the importance of bread; we listened to  music from our own musicians and the visiting Huntington Trio from Nebraska Wesleyan; children played and studied and helped serve communion.   In the afternoon we opened our doors to the community and invited in friends and neighbors to a civil conversation about faith and immigration, beginning with children dancing and ending with dinner and discussion around tables; others in the building discussed the nature of prayer and eternity and others practiced the ancient form of reading scripture called Lectio Divina. When we turned out the lights and locked the doors about 7 p.m. we knew that we had experienced the grace of God in a hundred different ways; we were full to overflowing and grateful to let the love of God carry us home.

In the reading "Whitewater World!" from our devotional book this week,  Bishop Schnase reflects on his experience canoeing and kayaking in Central America. When his son asked "Why do we have to paddle when the river is pushing us downstream anyway?" the guide answered: "The only way we have any control over the direction we are going is for us to be moving just a little faster than the current below us. So we have to paddle constantly, or else we just get pushed along out of control." That's what we were doing all day on Sunday--we were paddling just a little bit faster than the water would carry us forward in worship, education, and community involvement.

Our lives are moving us along at a pretty good clip. If we are not paddling fast enough for us to negotiate the twists and turns in the river--not to mention the rapids--then we are likely to fall victim to swift water. As I was reading this devotion, I was reminded of my own canoeing days and particularly the day when my canoe tipped over, spilling me and all of my belongings into the river. Fortunately, I was with experienced adults who had helped me to pack most of my gear in plastic and had tied it into the canoe. While I was soaking wet, the day was sunny and I was able to dry out as we continued on down the river after we had captured my errant canoe. I lost my glasses in the water, which seemed like a small thing in comparison to what could have happened; however, I am extremely myopic and I became increasingly dependent on others to help me pitch my tent, do my chores, and guide my canoe for the rest of the week.

Because of my own experience paddling downstream, I understood what Schnase was suggesting when he wrote about the need to keep paddling in order to stay in control of the canoe. But because I had also had to contend with not being able to see anything past the tip of my nose, I know the importance of having an experienced guide and a community that can assist in a variety of circumstances. Continuing my week-long canoe and camping trip would have been impossible by myself, and the lesson has served me well negotiating in a society that puts high value on being self-sufficient.

One of the most terrifying things about traveling the river without my glasses was that I could not see any of the boulders that lay just below the surface of the rapidly moving water. Life lived at a fast pace can be just as scary because we often do not know of the dangers just below the surface in many of our situations. Traveling with companions can help us navigate beyond the danger with a guide encouraging us to "pull hard to the right!" or "all paddles to the left!"

That's the work we are doing here at First Church right now. We are paddling as though our lives depended upon it, working together to keep moving forward, straining for the "Shalom of God" (as some have re-named the Kingdom of God). With the love of God binding us together, let's keep paddling away, moving just a bit faster than the river beneath us!

Giving It All Away

We are using a devotional booklet at church for a program that we call "Seasons of Generosity." The devotional, written by Bishop Robert Schnase, is entitled "Practicing Extravagant Generosity," and has wonderful reflections on the grace of giving. Yesterday's reading was about our partnering with God, and the phrase that caught my attention was: "God uses our practice of giving to reconfigure our interior life. By giving, we craft a different inner desire as the driving element of life. Our motivations change."

I thought the reading was interesting. I pondered what it might mean in someone's life. And then I went on with my busy day.

But last night when John came home from work, he was unwinding by reading through the news pieces on AOL. He came upon one that he just had to share with me--and in light of the reflection for the day, I needed to share with you. The headline to the story was: "Couple Wins $11.2M Lottery, then Gives it All Away." Who wouldn't be intrigued? So we read on.

According to the AOL news story, the Canadian couple (Allen and Violet Large) play the lottery twice each week; they win small sums occasionally, never more than $1000. When they won the surprisingly large amount of money, they decided that they were already lucky enough and that this much money was too big of a headache; so, they proceeded to give it away. A number of local churches, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army all were blessed by generous donations, as were the hospitals that had cared for Violet during her treatment for cancer. Allen said the money was not important; what was important was that they had each other.

I was touched by the story. I also have to admit that I am not sure I would do the same thing. Sure, I would give away some of it; but ALL of it? I just don't know.

Mara Gay, the author of the story, calls the couple humble. I call them amazing. I wonder what the other people in their family call them--even though the story says that they made sure the family was taken care of before they gave away all the money. I wonder how they have been changed by the last four months of giving...giving...and more giving. I wonder if people will leave them alone, or if they will be hounded by others who did not receive a gift from them.

When we have a memorial or funeral service here at the church, we often pray the prayers found in our hymnal. One of those prayers states: "O God, all that you have given us is yours...." Sometimes before we take the offering on Sundays we say something similar. And yet, in our day-to-day living it is so incredibly difficult for us to believe that. But maybe that is part of why Allen and Violet Large were able to give all their winnings away so freely; maybe it truly did feel as though God had given them all this gift so that they could give it away to others who could do something useful with it.

Of course, generosity is not just about giving away money or things. There is also a generosity of spirit that shapes the way we live in the world. Living with "open hands" as we approach volunteering or welcoming strangers in our midst is equally important.

As I am working to get ready for this Sunday's Immigration Event--"A Conversation on Faith and Immigration", I guess that is what I am praying for: "God, give me an open and generous spirit." As Bishop Schnase says: "God uses our practice of giving to reconfigure our interior life...Our motivations change." The Biblical quote for the day says: "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share...so that they may take hold of the life that really is life." (1 Timothy 6:18-19)

I want to be generous. I want to be able to "give it all away" with as much humility and grace as Allen and Violet Large. I want to be changed in such a way that all will know me to be a follower of Christ, who was so generous that he gave away his life to show us what it is all about. I think that I may have already "won the lottery;" now I just need to practice giving it all away.