Howell FUMC

Annual Conference

FUMC — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:32:25 +0000

For the next few days I, along with other United Methodist church leaders will be at Annual Conference. This is held at Adrian College and brings together our church for a few days. My favorite part of these days is always the worship. For a change I get to sit back and follow the leadership of others. The singing and preaching are awesome.
The least favorite is the business sessions which seem to last too long. It is during these times that I remember we as United Methodists are unique and different. As we discuss important issues we are led to voting. We will be experiencing a new bishop this year so it will be a different type of year.
Please pray for myself, Diane Griffin, Sue Dolato and Basil Bloss as we attend Annual Conference along with hundreds of other church’s representatives. May God move among us powerfully.

Vacation Bible School Fun Fair 2013

FUMC — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:28:08 +0000

[contact-form-7]

Holy Land part 1

FUMC — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 20:57:01 +0000

Well praise the Lord we have arrived in Israel and so has all of our luggage. We have had an excellent but tiring day. We travelled by plane for over 12 hours along with a layover in Newark and then we got right on a bus for a two hour trip to catch up with our tour. We met them on the shores of the sea of Galilee. What a beautiful country this is. Also what a wonderful area to experience. We took a boat ride out on the Sea of Galilee where the disciples and Jesus often sailed. We stepped into the Jordan River and we saw the sea from many different angles. We are at a very nice hotel with excellent free food on the buffet.
Our actual first full meal in Israel was at a kibutz. We had fish from the sea of Galilee and many of us ate it just as Jesus and His disciples would have.
Thanks for praying, we have lots of stories already.
Tomorrow we head to Qumran and the Dead Sea.
I am about to try some picture so keep watching.

Airport part 1

FUMC — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:28:55 +0000

I hate lessons in patience, especially when they disrupt my plans. The lessons have thus far come in the lobby of the Detroit Metro Airport. Our Israel tour group has thus far spent about 12 hours sitting in the airport and 12 hours in hotel rooms and we still haven’t seen a ticket, received a boarding pass or gone through security. The good news is that thus far not one single piece of luggage has been lost.
Our group has remained pleasant and consistently excited about getting over to Israel. We have all agreed that having a good attitude is the answer to such lessons in patience. As we continue to wait it is encouraging to here of how the members of our group are praying and reading devotions and listening for God’s voice. It kind of proves that we can hear God here as well as in the Holy Lands. It also reminds all of us to realize that God has bigger plans for all of us than we can ever plan.
Keep praying for all of us as we look forward to getting over to Israel some time tomorrow or Saturday.

Bishop Visit

FUMC — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:27:15 +0000

Well folks I had the surprise of my entire ministry this past Sunday during the 10:30 service. We at Howell First United Methodist Church had a surprise visit from the Michigan Area Episcopal Leader. Bishop Deborah Kiesey was in attendance with us this past week. Because she is brand new to the Michigan Area she is still able to visit churches and not be recognized. That was for sure the case this past week.
I am so glad that I didn’t make any big mistakes. I am also glad that it was a surprise. I would have driven myself crazy with worry. It seemed like all throughout Lent God was working in my heart about the issue of pride. Well this was the perfect humbling wrap up to that season. I am so glad that the Lord continues to teach us new things every day.
P.S. Watch for Israel trip updates over the next few days.

Passover

FUMC — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 03:16:21 +0000

Well we have been to the Upper Room. We have experienced the Passover. The broken bread and the cup of redemption. We have joined with Christ for a meal that changes us and renews our strength.
We now go to the cross. We follow Jesus along the Via Delorosa, the way of suffering. We hear Him cry out, we see Him struggle. We know He has died. Our hopes seem dashed against the rocks of hatred, bitterness, and selfishness. We call it Good Friday because we know the rest of the story. But the disciples felt the despair, they felt the loss and they wept.
As we remember Good Friday today may it bring a tear to our eyes also. May we so experience the Passion of Christ that we, like the disciples of old, are brought to tears. Find a way today to experience the way of the cross. Attend the Community service at noon. Read a portion of the passion narrative from one of the gospels. Allow this cross event to interupt your life today. Stop and survey the old rugged cross.

Bracketology

FUMC — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:04:10 +0000

I have found a very interesting fact this week that I want to share with you and it involves the word, “Bracketology” The last part of the word is from the Greek word logos which means word or study. It is the word that is at the end of words like biology or theology or psychology. These are all various studies of a field of endevour. It is the first part of the word that is interesting. The first part of the word bracketology is from the Greek word brachios which means the loss of one months work. This is of course not at all true. I’m just joking here. But the truth is that when the brackets come out and the tournament begins most workplaces notice a considerable amount of lost productivity.
As I look at my own bracket and begin to fill it out I realize how very uninformed I am about the NCAA teams involved. For me, maybe more than others, it is a guessing game. A time when I can pick my favorite teams and coaches. Last year I was involved in a fun bracket with my family. We each filled out a bracket and my son Dan kept track. I was made aware that my 5 year old granddaughter Audrey had made out a bracket also. Her strategy was that my son showed her the pictures of the two oposing maskots and she picked her favorite one. The best part is that her strategy actually worked better than mine. She had more points.
I mention all of this because when I say we are in an important part of the year I’m not talking about the NCAA. I am talking about Lent and Holy Week. Please understand that when it comes to these matters of faith let’s not just give it our best guess. The truth of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is solid rock foundational truth. There is no hoping that my choice is right, there is a blessed assurance that Christ is the great champion over sin, death and hell itself.
Maybe if I studied God’s word as much as I study my NCAA brackets I would have a stronger faith and a weaker bracket. I think it’s worth the cost.

The Great and Powerful Oz

FUMC — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 02:03:18 +0000

Well I went to the opening day showing of the new movie entitled “The Great and Powerful Oz”. I had been looking forward to the opening of a new show and it was fun. I remember the original Wizard of Oz movie when I was young. It was really a powerful show and I remember being scared about the witch and the monkeys.
In this newest prequel the writer tries to explain how the wizard got to Oz and how the witches were so set in their ways. There are a couple of things I would like to mention about the show. It shows just how much our own selfish relationships with other people can truly hurt and can cause a sense of wickedness within them. The creation of the most wicked of witches started with what some would call an abuse of a relationship. I have always been of the understanding that hurt people hurt people. They properly bring this truth out.
There is also a lot of focus on believing in someone. It is not whether the man is a wizard or not it is in the fact that he is believed to be a wizard. I have found it true that when people see the best in me I tend to see the best in myself. It is at the very end of the movie that I heard the best statement of all 90 plus minutes. It is after all is said and done that Glinda the good witch is conversing with the wizard who has just overcome both evil witches. The statement centers around his new found fame and wealth. This is what he has sought after for his whole life and has now found it. When realizing this he talks of the fact that he has finally achieved greatness. Glinda then says that, “you have found something more than gretaness you have found goodness”. I was struck by this final discussion because what we often seek is greatness and all we really need is goodness.
To say that I would highly recommend this show is not the case. It seems a little scarier than it’s PG rating but I saw in it the truth of good inside even the most evil of characters. That redemption and change are possible for everyone. That no one is a hopeless cause and even the most evil of charcters is given a chance to come back and be welcomed if change is accepted.
If you go see the movie let me know how you liked it.

World Day of Prayer March 1, 2013

FUMC — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:54:39 +0000

Have you ever considered that our world needs prayer. I have. It is easy to realize when a friend who is hurting needs prayer or a hospital patient needs prayer but what about the world? We have in many ways become more global. Our economy is global. Our news is global. Our communication is global. Our corporations are global. It seems to me that likewise our prayers should be global.
How do we make our prayers global? Have you been somewhere outside of the USA? Do you remember that country and it’s needs? What was the belief system of that country? How about poverty and education in that country? It seems like the easiest way to make our prayers global is to pray for the people of the places we have visited.
Another way is to make connection with a foreign missionary. We have that oportunity coming up in May. On Sunday the 19th we will hear from a friend of mine Rev. Kris Kappler. He is home in the states on furlough. His mission work is in Khazakstan. His presentation will help us to become more global.
The other way to connect with the world is our giving. When we share our gifts with others we pay attention. We will soon once again have a collection for Haiti. Through my own investing of time and money I have become attached to these people. I pray for them because I know them.
Make your prayers more global. Reach beyond Howell, beyond Michigan, beyond the USA and touch the world with prayer.

Superbowl

FUMC — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 13:46:11 +0000

Well the Super Bowl is now history. My favorite moment was the shocking commercial. I’m not talking about the inappropriate kissing. That doesn’t seem to shock our culture anymore. My favorite moment was the shocking commercial that showed a man with his head bowed in prayer, a father saying grace at the dinner table and God’s name being used in a reverent way so many times. It was the two minute commercial of Paul Harvey sharing his rendition on “So God made a farmer.” I loved every 120 seconds of it.

My first appointment was in the thumb of Michigan. My congregants were mostly farmers. I learned to respect them for who they were. I found that they were less upset by hard work and more upset by frustrating paperwork and rules. I found them to be men and women who loved the land and cared well for it.

I still, after four appointments, find a special place in my heart for the farmers in my congragation. They are generous and wonderfully gracious folks.

The commercial during the Super Bowl was shocking because I didn’t laugh and there was nothing profane. It’s a bit disturbing I guess for that to be the case. As Focus of the Family Citizen Report said it best today I’ll quote, “At a time when this ad is shocking– and the half time show is not — it’s time to rethink what television is teaching us and our children.”

If you saw this ad let me know how you felt.