Dedication

If you have not had the opportunity to read on the Iowa United Methodist website about the dedication of the Pantry, then I invite you to go to the following link: www.iaumc.org/news/detail/1201. It was lovely to have the Bishop with us this past week. See you Sunday. On the journey, Alecia

National Prayer Service

If you did not have an opportunity to tune into the National Prayer Service this morning, I invite you to read the compelling sermon delivered by the Rev. Adam Hamilton. Hamilton is the pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He is a United Methodist pastor and prolific author. The sermon is not long, but will inspire you beyond the reading. Go to the www.unitedmethodistreporter.com . Peace my friends, Alecia

Dear friends, As you may know, I will be out of the office from January 7th- March 1st on medical leave. During my absence the church is well-covered. Director of Family Ministries, Josh Rath, will serve in the day to day pastoral functions. In addition, Sue Meade, a retired UM pastor, is available as well. Stephen Ministers are available to listen and serve. Bev Byram, the church office administrator, is able to handle daily operations. Because we are part of a connectional system as United Methodists, the Iowa City area pastors are open to assisting in whatever ways as needed. Rev. Dr. Jill Sanders will serve as celebrant for communion on February 3. On Sunday mornings, you will see a variety of familiar faces filling new roles in preaching and leading. I am excited to hear what each one has to teach us. I will take advantage of the DVD recordings of the services coming out of our Audio/Visual team! This is not a time to miss. God’s Spirit is moving powerfully among the leadership and the body in the church. This will become more and more evident as the year progresses. One of my favorite quotes comes from Sister Pat Farrell in her address, "Navigating the Shifts":

Nor is there reason to be fearful of the cataclysmic movements of change swirling around us. We only need to recognize the movement, step into the flow, and be carried by it. Indeed, all creation is groaning in one great act of giving birth. The Spirit of God still hovers over the chaos.

In seasons of great change or when I feel afraid, I have found it challenging, as well as comforting to step into the waters of change. There is movement within this church body. The Spirit of God is urging us to follow God in radical ways. In my own life, at times it feels that the waters might overtake me. Each time I come back to God who “still hovers over the chaos.” Changes are coming. Take heart. This is the best place to be. I covet your prayers for my two surgeries. The first one is on January 8th, which is a change from my original date. The longer surgery is on the 24th. I will pray for you during my absence. On the journey, Alecia

Advent -- the preparation for 4 weeks until Christmas -- feels like it is flying by me. I want God to make this story relevant once again, yet this year it reads more like a condensed version by Readers Digest. This is a story I need to hear over and over. I need to see all of the human choices which played into this heavenly plan. I am experiencing the undeniably gracious gift of Emmanuel, God with us through Jesus. I am awed at how much Mary and Joseph sacrificed to be part of this plan playing out. When I stop and reflect on the sacrifices and intentional choices made by so many people at the manger, I am grateful. So what does God call me to do in sacrifice? I am a character in this play as well. It is easier to get caught up in the crush of the Christmas consumerism than it is to be still. Who am I at the manger and what do I bring? Maybe I will just go back to "decking the halls"... or just perhaps I will seek out the role I am to play in this on-going love story. On the journey, Alecia

Wow... it is a good thing my living does not depend upon my blogging ability. I believe the last time I blogged was June 11. Perhaps there will be a New Year's resolution in the making concerning my consistency in this endeavor. On another note, I saw this quote on a Facebook page and it has resonated with me. A Gospel That Unsettles Oscar Romero

A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone's skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed--what gospel is that? Very nice, pious considerations that don't bother anyone, that's the way many would like preaching to be. Those preachers who avoid every thorny matter so as not to be harassed, so as not to have conflicts and difficulties, do not light up the world they live in.

I have struggled with not preaching with a prophetic edge. It is easier to offer sermons which do not offer the good news that Jesus proclaims in the Beatitudes. There is an edginess in Jesus' words found in Matthew 5-7 which provokes a response. I am grateful to be in a church that is seeking to clarify its mission. Not only clarify the mission but examine whether or not a ministry reaches the criteria of seeing lives transformed. A active church without a clear mission is simply busy. Jesus calls us to be much more than a program church. I will endeavor to better in blogging each week! As this month progresses, I hope you are taking time daily to be thankful for the blessings all around us. On the journey, Alecia

Living An Uncommon Life

At the end of the sermon yesterday, I posed four questions as a homework assignment. There were:

*10 years from now who will you be? *What and who will be impacted by your uncommon life? *What is your bowl of stew? *What is going on in your life that you don't want others to know?

If we choose to live intentionally or by design, rather than where life takes us, then these questions become important so we do not migrate from the pathway. In putting together the sermon, I was struck by how much Esau lost(Genesis 25). I was surprised how sad I was. Esau endured the loss of respect from a father. He endured ridicule every time he was called Red. He lost the opportunity to do something uncommon by simply using a lack of judgment. The sadness translated to me thinking through poor choices in my life. I am continuing to think through the decisions that were common and easy; whereby losing the ability to lead an uncommon life. I am trying to understand my fears and appetites better. Being in the small group, Crave, has helped me to put my eating issues into God's hands. The accountability of the small group has allowed me to not trade my craving for God for something as simple as a sugary delight. I want to live intentionally- be it as a woman, a wife, a mother, a friend and a pastor. I would be curious to hear your answers to these questions on your journey. If you are a part of a small group or have a circle of friends, try posing one of the questions when you gather next. On the journey, Alecia

40 Days in the Word

I am excited about the current worship series on the Bible. Our engaging scripture at a deeper level will play out in a myriad of ways as we seek to live out God's mission. Most of all I look forward to good conversations that come out of such an endeavor.
If you were not here on Sunday or one of the folks who picked up a recycled bulletin, here is a quick synopsis of the sermon notes. The topic for the day was, Is the Bible true? The passage was 2 Timothy 3:16-17. I believe scripture is God-breathed and inspired. In looking at its validity, I looked at:

1. Historical Accuracy where we noted the verifiable data within the text.
2. Scientific Accuracy where we looked at what was included in the text, as well as what was not included. The prevailing belief of the day made up part of the sermon.
3. Prophetic Accuracy where we examined the astronomical odds of Jesus fulfilling the 300 prophecies made concerning him.
4. Thematic Accuracy where we discussed the over-arching theme running throughout the Old and New testaments concerning the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.
5. Personally Accurate as it serves a mirror into my life.

The 40 Days in the Word is series in which a number of churches are participating throughout the country. As part of this series there is a Bible study/small group, which I will host beginning the first Sunday night in May beginning at 6:00 pm. Yes... I am aware that May gets busy, yet I am sure we can figure out a way to work through the 6 weeks. This is God's Word. I personally think this will be an exciting series.

I look forward to hearing about what you are learning and hearing as you read God's Word. If you would like to join in a daily reading schedule, try this set of scriptures this week:
Monday -- Philippians 1. Focus on verse 6
Tuesday -- Philippians 1. Focus on verse 27a.
Wednesday-- Philippians 2. Focus on verse 13.
Thursday-- Philippians 3. Focus on 12b.
Friday-- Philippians 4. Focus on verse 6.
Read the chapter and then write down your observations and thoughts about the focus verse applies to your life.

On the journey,
Alecia