Guest Columnist: Rekindling Our Love for Communion is key

By Paul Edenfield

For the past few weeks, our Sunday school class has been reading Charles Yrigoyen’s John Wesley: Holiness of Heart & Life. This book is an introduction to early Methodist history and beliefs for small-group study and is useful not only to newcomers but also to members who are trying to deepen their understanding of John Wesley and his vision of Methodism.Our class has often discussed just how much has changed in the life of the church since Wesley’s time, particularly those “works of piety” that he did so much to encourage. The celebration of Holy Communion, for instance, is a striking example of just how far Methodists have strayed from their historical roots. Yrigoyen notes that “United Methodists usually celebrate the Lord’s Supper once a month or four times a year. John Wesley would have been mystified by this. After all, he communed an average of every four to five days during his adult life.”

Yrigoyen then goes on to quote from the 1787 sermon, “The Duty of Constant Communion,” in which Wesley wrote, “Let everyone … who has either any desire to please God, or any love of his own soul … [receive Communion] every time he can.” The entire text of the sermon is available online and offers much insight into Wesley’s fervent Eucharistic devotion. Wesley studied the early Christian writers constantly over the course of his career and praised the example of the “first Christians, with whom the Christian sacrifice was a constant part of the Lord’s Day service.”Of these early Church writers, Wesley had a particular affection for Ephrem the Syrian, the fourth-century poet and theologian. Indeed, his journals and letters indicate that he read Ephrem as early as 1732 while at Oxford, and he even managed to continue this study while in Georgia in 1736. We do not know for sure which of Ephrem’s writings Wesley was familiar with, but he was no doubt inspired by words such as these written about the Eucharist: “By means of the Spiritual Bread, everyone becomes an eagle who reaches as far as paradise … whoever eats the Living Bread of the Son flies to meet Him in the very clouds.”

How far we have come from that kind of heart-felt appreciation for the gift of the Lord’s Supper in the twenty-first century! Indeed, it is a safe generalization that Communion is the least favorite part of worship for many of us. I have even seen people avoid particular services because they knew that Communion would be observed. This apathy may exist for a number of reasons, but I think that in the final analysis it is very common to go through the motions of receiving Communion without feeling anything at all, that we often experience an emotional disconnect between the Lord’s Supper and what’s going on in our spiritual lives.

This lack of spiritual resonance is exacerbated when during our services we hurry through Communion to suit those who would like to get it over with as quickly as possible. It’s important to slow down and remind ourselves and each other what the Lord’s Supper is all about … in small-group discussions, sermons, and most importantly testimonials. Devotion is contagious. We can rekindle our love for Communion by sharing with each other about how this ancient practice of sharing bread and wine in the remembrance of Jesus continues to make a difference in our hearts and in our lives. John Wesley’s ministry endures as just such a testimony.

Paul Edenfield attends Rock Springs UMC in Lawrenceville.

From the Editor: Sitting on the other side of the altar rail

Jim Nelson

Being the editor of the Advocate, I find myself on Sunday mornings being on the other side of the altar rail. That is somewhat of a new experience for me. For 18 years I stood in the pulpit of a church and led or helped lead a worship service. Now I sit quietly in the pew and observe.
I am afraid that I have become one of those parishioners that used to drive me crazy. I expect something from the service. Now I realize the church does not exist to satisfy me; that I attend church to worship God, to spend time in God’s presence, and to be in community with other believers as we share our faith in Jesus Christ.But the reality is that if the only reason I attend church is so I can worship God and acknowledge to the world my belief in Jesus; then it really doesn’t matter where I go. Any church will do. Well, almost any; there are some with bad theology we should not lend credence to even by our presence.

You have to admit, though, it is much more gratifying to go to a church that excites you. We should wake up on Sunday morning with a sense of excitement, a sense of anticipation, a sense of wonder. We should feel that today is the day we get to go to church and bask in the glory of God, sing praises to His holy name, and witness to our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus. I want to leave feeling challenged to live a better life. I don’t want to just be patted on the back in an “I’m OK, you’re OK” kind of way, nor do I want to be constantly berated and condemned as a sinner.

Some churches I enter I immediately feel the Spirit, the joy, the excitement surrounding the worship service that is about to unfold before us. But, in others I feel depressed, sad, an absence of the Spirit. Sometimes I just want to stand up and yell, and ask, “What are you doing? And, why are you here?” I fear most of them have forgotten.I want everyone to feel what I feel; to know what I know; to have the love of Jesus in their lives. I want everyone to be able to spend time in His presence every day, and to read His Holy Word. I want everyone to strive every day to walk as he would have us walk, yet knowing he will forgive us when we fail. My faith brings me joy, it brings me peace and a sense of contentment. My faith allows me to be satisfied with and to enjoy all that I have, and to not constantly be needing more. My faith helps me to accept life as it comes to me.There have been times recently when I wanted to stand up in the middle of a sermon and question the preacher. Particularly when s/he says something I disagree with or just don’t understand. However, I fear too many preachers and parishioners would find that unsettling.

Occasionally for a Sunday evening service, I would have an “Ask Dr. Jim” night. People could come and ask me any question about scripture or theology and I would give them an answer. Sometimes I would say, “I don’t know.” Sometimes I would say, “It really doesn’t matter.” And sometimes we would enter into a discussion about what we believe deep down. I think those were some of my better sermons, and except for the healing services, some of the better attended ones. Maybe I should start an “Ask Dr. Jim” column. I am sure that would create some discussions. Anyway, if you see me come into your church some Sunday morning, don’t worry. I will control myself. I won’t stand up and start arguing with the preacher. But, I must admit, it would be fun.

The Laity’s Corner: A new wind’s a ‘blowin’

Lyn Powell

Whenever my grandmother sensed a cultural shift in the community, she didn’t call it a cultural shift – she simply said “there’s a new wind a ‘blowin’. As a member of the Council of Bishops’ Messaging Task Force #1 (which means there must be a #2 somewhere), I can share with you that indeed a new message will be introduced to the General Conference in Fort Worth this April.

To understand why we need a new message, we must look at the state of the church. We know, like all other mainline denominations, we have been losing serious membership since the 1970’s. In response to this challenge of declining numbers, the Council of Bishops has covenanted to focus its resources on, and hold itself responsible for, Seven Vision Pathways: Develop new congregations – called Path OneTransform existing congregationsTeach the Wesleyan Model for making disciplesStrengthen clergy and lay leadershipReach new generations of childrenEliminate poverty in community with the poorExpand racial/ethnic ministries
Next, the Connectional Table took the seven vision pathways and developed Four Areas of Focus for the entire denomination: Address the clergy and lay leadership crisisDevelop new congregations for new people – Path OnePartner with the poorStamp out killer diseases
So, what makes all of this a new message? What is so different about the four areas of focus? What is different, what has never happened before, is that the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table, and the General Agencies have covenanted with one another to work collaboratively on the four areas. All thirteen Agencies are beginning to concentrate their energy, resources and budgets around the four areas, working together for best results. No more working in 13 silos.

In addition, the General Council of Finance and Administration has structured the denomination’s proposed budget around the four areas. The Connectional Table is asking every annual conference right down to the local churches to begin to draw in on the four areas. Think of it –– the whole church now has the opportunity to engage in an integrated, coordinated ministry experience. After General Conference, several teams will take this message of coordination to area events, where they will invite local churches to catch the vision and join the ministry of the four areas. Bishop Janice Huie made a powerful statement when she said “Imagine what could happen if all of us, by the grace of God, start to move in the same direction.” That is the message we will hear over and over at General Conference –– let us embrace these four areas of focus, reclaim the passion of the movement and shed the ennui of the institution. Now that is a message to get excited about!

Lyn Powell is the Lay Leader for the North Georgia Conference, and has been chosen to deliver the Laity Address at General Conference.

Helping warriors transition into citizens

By the Rev. John Morris

Communities across the U.S. are about to experience the near simultaneous return of thousands of combat veterans: the proud, tired and bloodied, many after 22-month combat deployment. Towns will hail the returning warriors with wonderful “Welcome Home” ceremonies. The veterans will cherish the sentiment, then shoulder their duffle bags and simply “go home.” Unfortunately, “going home” is neither simple nor easy. Months of combat training and combat operations have forged these men and women into warriors. Within 300 hours of their last combat mission, they are demobilized and back on the streets in the U.S. The homes they return to will have changed. The majority of families learned to survive without their soldier: roles changed, children grew and family dynamics are altered. For a minority, marriages ended and families shattered beneath the stress of prolonged separation.

These proud veterans will face the daunting challenges of freedom. Gone is the austere, disciplined life of a forward operating base focused on missions and the camaraderie of the military unit. Ahead is the complex, multi-tasking, fast-paced world of work, family, civic responsibilities and/or school.The vast majority will face these challenges and handle them well. In fact, as past generations have shown, this generation of veterans will emerge as leaders in every sector of society. Discipline, combined with wisdom and the love of life appreciated by those who have seen it threatened will vault this generation ahead of its peers. Future governors, senators, doctors, lawyers, teachers, clergy, social workers and scientists undoubtedly are returning.A few will stumble. These troubled souls will wrestle with the effects of war on themselves and their families. They will need the best this country has to offer.
How communities can helpMost will need some support: employers willing to be patient as they wrestle to regain skills that have atrophied; educators willing to help them through the complexities of admission, registration and return to rigorous study; parenting classes to help them learn to parent the children they love but barely know; and wise counselors to help them negotiate new roles in marriage and families. They need medical providers who understand traumatic brain injuries, Middle Eastern parasites and skin diseases. Clergy who can listen without condemnation and help them soften the hardness of soul war can produce.

Mostly they need a community that walks with them and their families long after the yellow ribbons unravel. This community, deeply conflicted by the Iraq war, still honors the sacrifice made by these citizen-soldiers. It challenges our newest, “greatest generation” to continue selfless service by inviting them to serve in leadership capacities in business, education, government, houses of worship and nonprofit organizations. They need a community dedicated to bringing these soldiers all the way home, leaving none behind, and helping each to become the productive, healthy citizen we need.

The Rev. John Morris is a UM chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard.

From the Editor: The miracle of being fully human

By Jim Nelson

Christmas – That time of year that should be filled with joy and celebration; and above all giving thanks to God for the greatest gift of all.I always feel sorry for those who in the hustle and bustle of buying, wrapping and exchanging presents, in the going to party after party often with too much alcohol, in the over indulgence of food; miss the true meaning of the miracle.How sad it must be for those children who are taught to spend Advent awaiting Santa Claus instead of the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Even though I may currently be an editor/writer and not serving a church, I am still primarily a pastor. And it is my pastoral heart that makes me want to share the real gift of Christmas with everyone I can.

We profess to believe that Jesus was fully human and fully divine. Christmas reminds us of the fully human Jesus who came to earth and walked among us. Who emptied himself and became just like you and me.As Christians we have the privilege of worshiping a God who understands because he has been there. God chose to come to earth as a vulnerable baby, totally dependent on others to care for him. He cried when he was hungry, and had to wait for someone to feed him. He shivered when it was cold, and depended on someone else to warm him. As he grew, he passed through the awkwardness of adolescence, and the fickleness of childhood friendships. He sweated when he was hot, his nose ran when he had a cold, he bruised when he fell, and bled when he was cut.He had to deal with the temptations of materialism, power and glory; the frustration of not being able to make even his disciples fully understand his teachings; and the humiliation of living in a land occupied by a foreign invader with military installations and soldiers throughout.

Toward the end of his life, he felt failure when many turned and followed him no more (John 6:66). He suffered the betrayal of a trusted friend. His heart must have broken when his closest friend denied even knowing him. And, it comforts me to think that at times, being as isolated as the rest of us are from God, he too may have had a moment or two of doubt. It is easy to get wrapped up in the fully divine side of Jesus, but the miracle of Christmas is that it reminds us of the fully human side. Unlike other religions, we have a God who understands because he suffered just like the rest of us. What pain can we feel, what experience can we have that he did not also have? When we feel lost, alone, abandoned, betrayed, or just plain depressed; we can go to Jesus for comfort because he can relate not in some divine, all-understanding, all-knowing kind of way, but in a personal, I’ve-been-there kind of way.

In the United States we are truly blessed. Most of us did not start out in a manger, nor did we have to flee persecution. Most of us won’t end up nailed to a cross, our backs raw and bleeding from the torture of the lash. Unfortunately there are still parts of the world where people do have similar beginnings and similar endings. Because we are so blessed, we need to take extra time at Christmas to be thankful that God cared enough to come to earth as a baby, and to walk among us to show that he does understand how we feel. Merry Christmas.

Guest Columnist: I was homeless and you gave me no shelter

By Andy Peabody

Sitting down, Stephanie, our housing director, slid an all-too-familiar piece of paper towards me. Immediately I knew what was happening in the ministry’s emergency night shelter. The first time was finally here; the moment I’d been dreading for months. “They came from Cherokee County looking for a place in the shelter,” Stephanie added.Looking away from the unsigned document, Stephanie asked: “Now, as I understand it, if they feel they cannot honestly sign this piece of paper stating they are United States citizens or legal permanent residents 18 years of age or older, we cannot provide them with emergency shelter even for one night, even if we have open beds.”

My head filled with emotions: values and rational processes all clamoring for my attention. Could I retreat from our position that whether or not we agree with this new law, the state of Georgia - and Cobb County - have told us we have to do this? Was I absolutely sure the shelter received the requisite county, state, or federal monies to make it subject to this new process? Might we offer the two men (who had already confided their undocumented status) the gift of hospitality and “sanctuary” in the sanctuary of the former church that now serves as our ministry’s emergency shelter? Was I prepared for the consequences of saying, “No, this is wrong and I choose not to do this – we will not turn these individuals away from the help we have within our power to extend”?

The document is an affidavit representing Cobb’s efforts to implement SB529, the Georgia Security & Immigration Compliance Act. While I vehemently disapprove of the law and the way my particular community has seen fit to enact its provisions, in that moment, I felt my hands were tied. I looked Stephanie squarely in the eyes and said with as little emotion as possible, “For now, we have to do this. If they can’t honestly answer in the affirmative, we cannot offer them emergency shelter, regardless of the extent of their imminent need.” For a long time after Stephanie left, I felt an absence greater than could be explained by her departure. A coldness had entered the room, one which wrapped itself around my heart. I closed my eyes and reached out for God in prayer, and instead felt a distinct and palpable absence of God’s presence. Then it hit me – in turning away two strangers in a strange land, I had turned aside Christ himself from the doors to which he had come seeking assistance. The longer I sat in solitude, the more convinced I became that I had done the wrong thing – whatever the law might say. I felt I had stepped from the light into shadow, and that to re-emerge into the light I would have to speak out for those who’d had no advocate to stand up for them when they came to our doors seeking shelter and hospitality.

So I am speaking out – not as the representative of MUST Ministries, nor of the North Georgia Annual Conference – but as a man who is deeply, deeply troubled by how far astray we seem to have wandered with SB529. Some, in good conscience, will disagree with me – so be it. I know and respect many who do. But I hope those who are similarly concerned will join me in speaking out, ardently and consistently, against policies that force us to choose between hospitality to fellow humans in need and obedience to the laws of our land.
Martin Marty, the eminent theologian and columnist for The Christian Century, reminded us at a conference in Atlanta recently - we all know what xenophobia is, but have we forgotten about xenophilia, love of the stranger, and hospitality? At times, we all must choose whom to follow; now is such a time. The need is literally knocking on our doors.

Andy Peabody is a probationary clergy member of the North Georgia Annual Conference of the UMC serving MUST Ministries in Marietta, Ga.

Aging Well: Christmas: A Story Told Through Older Adults and Neighborhood Angels

By Robert Beckum

When Luke wrote the first story of Christmas, he deliberately told the story of God’s redeeming love through older adults and angels. Those advanced in age like Zechariah and Elizabeth or Simeon and Anna embodied the hopes, dreams and fears of all humanity. Angels proclaimed God’s response to humanity’s deepest hopes and greatest fears in the birth of Jesus. According to Luke, only two groups seemed to understand the significance of what God was doing that first Christmas—-angels and older adults. In my life journey, most of the angels (God’s messengers) I have known have been older adults. Chief among those angels was Mrs. Coulter.

Dora Louise Coulter did special things for all the children in the neighborhood where I grew up. She delighted in our presence. She asked about our hopes and dreams. Most importantly, she always listened to what we had to say as if what we were saying was the most important thing in the world. When we were with Miss Dora Louise, we not only felt special—-we were special, and we knew it! At least we knew we were special to her. She made the most wonderful gift baskets for all the children in the neighborhood at every holiday—-every holiday except Christmas. Accustomed to being on the receiving end of her generosity, our faces showed disappointment with the lack of Christmas goodie baskets.“Christmas is different,” she explained, “Christmas is not a time to focus on what we want or what we hope to get, but it is a time to give thanks for all God has already given us in priceless gift of his son.” She continued to say, “Christmas is not in the glitz or the glitter, it is in God’s gift.” Finally she said, “One day you boys will know and understand.” To little boys hoping for toys and candy, her explanation had little appeal. We all agreed she was being a scrooge. Still we wondered, “Why only at Christmas?” She is so generous the rest of the year. Little did we know she was trying to give us so much more than a goodie basket.

Only as adults did we learn it was on Christmas Eve many years before when Miss Dora Louise learned that her youngest son, Billy, had been killed by a Japanese sniper’s bullet. Every Christmas since, she avoided the tinsel and seasonal hullabaloo. Instead, she spent her time quietly giving thanks to God for the gift of His son—-and remembering her son as she lavished her love and attention on us. She was not a scrooge but as close to an angel as any of us little boys were privileged to know. Every Christmas, it is this older adult who reminds me not to focus on what I am “wanting” or “getting” but on giving thanks to God for the priceless gift of His Son that I have already been given and asking, “Where and to whom is God calling me to be an angelic messenger by sharing my love, my time and my attention?”

Rev. Robert Beckum is Vice President of Church Relations and Development Magnolia Manor.