Beautiful Things

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Did you see the beautiful sunrise this morning?  It was AMAZING.  It made me get up early and outside for a long walk, which is pretty much the way I am going to stay sane for the next few weeks.  How are you taking care of yourself?  

I was also so blessed this morning by Parker Palmer's daily post on FB, (if you click this link you can read it too: Parker Palmer's Spring is Mud and Miracle) which reminded me that TODAY is the first day of spring!  This new pace has really made me stop and listen to many things, but one of the things I have been enjoying the most is the sound of the birds singing.  It is a gift that while the situation we are in seems really chaotic and scary, we can ground ourselves in the new life that is blossoming all around us.  

The other HUGE gift I received last night was a chance to gather for Bible study with some of the church.  While I can definitely make some improvements on how to do online study, the real joy was just spending time with people, seeing them and hearing them and knowing that regardless of physical distance there is something that continues to connect us.  Maybe you can join us next week, Wednesday at 6:30pm.  I don't know about you, but doing anything remotely normal is really comforting right now.  

The 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes is one you probably know.  I read it often at funerals, but you'd probably know it best from the Byrds, "Turn, Turn, Turn."  I won't post it all here, because you can look it up and read it, but it basically says that "there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." Time is a funny thing.  Usually each week I am wishing I had more of it, sometimes I'm not sure where it goes, but if it's the middle of the night and I'm looking at the clock it seems that each minute lasts a lifetime.  Our understanding of time is rooted in spacial metaphors, past-present-future, yesterday-today-tomorrow.  If you're really bored you can read about St. Augustine's understanding of time in The Confessions: Book XI, but the gist of what he had to say is that God is outside of the confines of our understanding of time, that God in creating all things also created time.  

The verse above rings true in times of uncertainty.  We cannot completely fathom what God is doing, has done, or will do.  But, we can trust that God is making all things beautiful in time.  As Christians, we can be clear that the worst thing is never the last thing, because the best is yet to come.  So rather than being anxious and fearful, let's look around and notice the beautiful things God has set in our paths.  Where are you seeing beauty today?

Prayer:  Thanks God, for the promise of spring.  For the dirt and the mud that will lead to the beauty of green pastures and colorful flowers.  Keep us grounded in the knowledge that this season will pass, and help us to be present each day, witnessing to the beauty and gifts around us.  Amen.

Air-hugs,

Pastor Devon

Snacks and Mags.

Well friends, I wonder, how are you holding up today?  What are you reading?  And, how's your snack supply? In the last 24-hours  I've had all sorts of thoughts running through my head:

• Do I really have enough toilet paper?
• Is now the time to adopt a doggy, or ALL the doggies?
• Maybe a road-trip with a full backpack and a long hike is the way to go?
• I should clean my house and match all the socks that don't match. But I don't want to.
• Why am I so sad and grumpy?  I have tons of books to read!
• Why is this day lasting so long, when usually I never have enough time?
• I wonder how to use this time to grow our church...is that possible?

I guess, in the end....and thankfully in much better head/heart space this afternoon, I am finding myself really open to what it is that God can teach me throughout this time.  Obviously, I still have so much to learn. Much like you, I am sure, my pace of life is pretty jam-packed with great stuff.  I get to spend time with wonderful people who remind me every single day that God is moving and working.  I get to love the cutest kiddos, and learn from the wisest elders.  And we laugh....often.

Into the middle of full-speed ministry comes the ultimate slow-down, coupled with high anxiety and all-consuming fear.  These are three things that are contrary to my entire wiring - and they are so easy to get swept up in.  I don't want to get swept up - how about you?  So, let's think about what we can learn about God, ourselves, and each other through whatever may come.  

One of the hardest parts of this has been the realization that there is so much we, as humans, cannot control.  But, isn't that at the very root of our understanding of faith?  Trusting God feels much more difficult when I can't control all the normal things.  There's a great lesson here.  

So far today I have been reminded of the value of the people around me.  They are gifted and generous, loving and kind, intelligent and skilled in ways I am not.  What is God teaching you today?  

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

God’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer:  God, who keeps us on track, help us be open to You in the midst of the unknown.  Calm our fears, connect us in new ways and grant us an awareness of those people who are feeling the most isolated and alone.  Help us to hear your voice of calm this day.  Amen.  

Lots of love to you - Pastor Devon

What IS That?

A sticky spot, some dirt and Christmas candy.  There was also a mysterious puddle in the fridge that I didn't think you'd want to see.  These are the remnants of a semester of campus ministry at the Wesley House.  I know it is the end of the semester when I can finally put up tables and really clean things, in anticipation for the coming flurry of activity that the next semester will bring.  I'm not sure what that sticky spot was, but as I discovered it I gave thanks.  
Sticky spots on the floor may not be what you give thanks for, but for me it was a reminder of the many students that had been in our building these last few months.  This semester has been challenging in many ways - (for me personally it started with a broken rib, foot surgery, and the process of writing my initial draft of my D.Min project). For my students the semester began with faculty on strike, power outages, and a lot of confusion!  But we made it.  The exams are done.  The papers have been turned in.  In the process we celebrated new connections with local churches, a huge youth overnight, and moments of deep spiritual conversation both in worship and around tables of tacos and 1/2 off apps at Applebee's.  
As I discovered the sticky spot and the mysterious refrigerator goop I realized that the building was quieter than it has been in weeks.  This last few weeks reminded me that ministry is never boring.  Even when a long to-do list awaits God reminds me often that what's most important is listening, encouraging, and just plain being present.  Campus ministry is so fast paced, we start full-speed in August and we don't slow down until December.  In the midst of regular worship and Bible studies we spend energy reaching out to new students, and cultivating relationships with local churches.  At the same time I see God working in the lives of the students as they find strength in being in a safe and welcoming community.  Twice this semester I had a student pull me aside to tell me that they loved being a part of Wesley House and appreciate what we do....but they wanted to be clear that they aren't religious.  Both times this happened my heart sang a little bit in recognition of what God does through this ministry.  Isn't that the kind of community that we are called to be as people who want to be like Jesus?  
The thing is, we don't have to develop religious people.  What we do at Wesley House is love people the way God does...and often just by doing that they begin to realize that they are loved by God.  Then we get to have conversations about faith and service and things like spiritual gifts.  I imagine our campus ministries touch more non-religious young people than any of our churches ever will.  It is not because church isn't friendly or welcoming, it is because we can meet students on their terms in their territory.  Sitting in the library giving a student a pack of Ramen noodles and snacks, wishing them luck on exams is what Jesus would do.  Putting gingerbread houses together and Christmas trivia contests can lead to praying for students' deepest hurts and concerns. 
As we enter into our final week of Advent I am reminded again to make space for the Holy One.  Emmanuel - God with us.  The God who continues to breathe life into our chaos.  The God who holds all things together, even when I wonder if we are falling apart.  The God of sticky spots and open hearts who calls us into the best version of humanity that we can be.  Thanks be to God. 

Crazy?

I have been asked "Are you crazy?" more times in the last few weeks than I can count.  Lots of people asking you the same thing can make you begin to wonder, to be honest.  But I don't think I am crazy.  I think I'm walking into something that's God-sized.  Scary...a bit....crazy...maybe, but think about the things God asked the people in Scripture to do.  While some were small things that turned into huge miracles (think fishes and loaves) the majority were actually pretty life-altering.  I mean, think about Abram saying yes to leaving his homeland, clinging to God's promise yet stepping into the unknown.  Think about Moses, the prophets, Mary the mother of Jesus, the calling of the disciples, Paul and the other Apostles.  These people said yes to things that seemed way too big...and I can't even compare in all reality.  

So on July 2nd I am going to be starting a new thing.  This new thing includes serving three churches and the Wesley House.  Was this a necessary thing to do?  Nope.  Though campus ministry has taken huge budgetary hits in the last two years (amounting to 50%) Wesley House has been busy fundraising, building relationships, pounding the pavement to provide the many opportunities it always has (and more!).  In fact, no matter how worried I got about finances God never failed to overwhelm me with the generosity of individuals and churches.  We are telling the story of campus ministry and why it is crucial to who we are as the people of God, not to mention the DNA of our denomination.  Can we continue doing the same thing for long?  That is what I am not certain about.  [There are LOTS of factors, like our desire to make sure a credentialed clergy person is serving with young adults, our hope to keep ministry full-time and grounded in the leadership development and spiritual growth of students.  I'm an expensive Wesley Director because I am an ordained Elder and also receive the health benefits plan of our conference, which is very expensive for a person my age that is single. In addition to my salary we have to provide funds for ministry programming and for our buildings.] 

Along comes the potential for us to connect with the churches in the Big Rapids Parish:  Paris, Big Rapids 3rd Ave, and Rodney.  How exciting!  The Wesley House students received this idea with a great willingness to step up and take on more leadership.  They actually want more to do!  This means that our students can actually be involved in and work within a church community, serving in ministry and building relationships and growing spiritually as they build relationships with people who have been doing this faith thing a lot longer than they have.  Nearly all of last year we visited at least 2 - 3 churches each month, which generally meant driving at least 4 hours on a Sunday to be present in a congregation.  With the help of our board, we will continue to do church visits, but no more than twice a month. 

For the churches this means a bit of a change, but I hope to also bring a consistent pastoral presence to their churches. If successful this could mean a bit more pastoral sustainability for the Parish.  For me, this means I too will be rooted within the life of the BR Parish, caring for and serving to the best of my ability.  I look forward to preaching weekly and re-entry to the liturgical cycle and grounding that the local church provides.  I find myself pondering what God may be up to, staying open to the possibilities and trusting that if I continue to say yes in my Spirit, that together we will not fail.  

"Blessed are the flexible" is one of those phrases that gets tossed around at Wesley all the time.  Students are flexible because of the nature of their fast-paced lives.  Sometimes we plan something only to have it totally change direction, and we are ok with that.  We continue to learn that sometimes the things that seem like the biggest problems or struggles really become the launching pads for new God-size adventures in ministry.  

So friends, be on the lookout for student ministry flourishing at the Wesley House as students take on leadership that they never thought they could do. Expect with anticipation for the Wesley House to grow this year.  And, if you're in the area you're invited to worship with us.  No matter when you wake up there will be a service for you!  (Paris @ 9am, 3rd Ave. @ 10:15, Rodney @ 11:30)  I expect that together these three churches will dive into new mission opportunities and reach out into their communities in new ways.  I pray that our Sundays are filled with laughter, hope, and many of those Spirit-filled, sacred moments that come when together we really are seeking the presence and leading of God.  

Personally, I pray everyday that as I wake up I can say, "Here I am, send me."  trusting mightily that it is God who is working in this, not my limited, oh so limited self.  So....am I crazy?  YES.  But you already knew that, didn't you?

Thanks for your prayers, friends.  You are loved!
Devon

Ding Dong Ditch

When I was a kid my mom and I would look forward to May 1st.  Near our home there was an abandoned piece of property that was full of daffodils every spring.  Mom would drive us over and we'd pick them together, and form them into small bouquets.  Then the fun began. We would drive to the homes of the church women who meant so much to both of us.  We would park far away, walk up, place the flowers on the doorstep, ring the bell, and run! The best part was when the door opened and our beloveds would look around and pick up the flowers and smile.  

I've been thinking about those women a lot lately as I ponder my own life and my role in the world and church.  Most of those women who received the bouquets have finished this life, leaving wonderful memories in the lives of so many people.  They gave so selflessly of their time, talents, and even money, that their legacy is one that will live on for a long time.  I miss them.  At the same time I wish I could figure out how to gather up all the women who have been such sources of encouragement and strength in my adult life.  Many of you reading this are probably a part of that group.  Imagine what could happen if all of us were together sitting around the fire-pit with a beer (or a glass of ginger ale).  I imagine laughter that would wake the neighbors.  Trusting relationships are such a gift, even when most of us do not see one another very often.

I imagine that in many neighborhoods these days dinging someone's doorbell and running could be pretty dangerous.  In fact, how comfortable are we when someone rings our doorbell these days?  It doesn't happen very often where I live.  The other thing that doesn't happen all too often are those little random acts of kindness, like leaving someone a little gift, encouraging someone anonymously, or just assisting someone on the spur of the moment.  

Our Student Food Pantry had an excess of macaroni and cheese as the school year drew to a close so we decided we would hand it out in the University Center.  It was kind of funny how suspicious students were of taking something free.  What were the strings attached to this box of mac n cheese?  What were they signing up for?  Was it expired?  Were we crazy?

Suspicious.  The world is suspicious these days.  We look at one another through eyes of suspicion before we learn one another's stories.  We assume that those who look different, act different, or dress different, must be bad or less, or weird.  I wonder what our distrust causes us to miss.  Have we missed out on opportunities to surprise one another with kindness?  Have we  hurried away from strangers at the expense of God-given opportunities for relationship and connection?  Do we unintentionally avoid the unknown because we are so busy, so focused, or so afraid?

We are heading into Pentecost and the story from Acts 2 of when the Holy Spirit comes down like flaming tongues, resting on the heads of those who gathered.  The people were speaking in their native tongues when all of a sudden they could understand one another.  The suspicious in the crowd began to wonder if these people were drunk, but it was early.  They were sure a bunch of celebrating, loud, odd, people.  They spoke of this as what had been predicted by Jesus, the very one who had been crucified and raised from the dead.  Of course they were suspicious!  Of course they thought this gathered crowd was filled with a bunch of nutcases.  Their suspicion may have left them with this understanding unless they got to know the people that were there that day, heard their stories, and shared in their awe and joy of fulfilled promises and faith.

It's a challenge to trust people these days.  I think we are called to think the best about others until they prove otherwise.  Rather than entering into situations with eyes of suspicion, think of what we might encounter if we listened first, looked for ways to be kind, shared our hearts!  We may just realize that we are all much more alike than we are different.  We might see through the eyes and hearts of the "other" with whom we are certain we could never agree.  The hard and fast positions we take for and against might soften and even change as we embrace the persons behind the stereotype.

I'm thankful that my mom taught me to share joy with others those May days in my past.  I believe the joy I saw on those faces is universal and that in some small way God has called us to share in those moments with each other...even if it is done anonymously.

How is our suspicion preventing us from living into the Kingdom of God?
I'm choosing trust today, I hope you might too.

Happy May Day!

Darkness

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the 
temple was torn in two. 

Luke 23: 44-45

Darkness.  I don't know about you, but I feel like everywhere I look these days there is darkness.  When it is dark we are unable to distinguish what is real, it is hard to see even that which may be right in front of our eyes.  I don't remember if I was scared of the dark as a child, if nightlights were a part of my life or if I feared monsters or the like.  I have wonderful memories of being outside at night, playing basketball with my Dad or swimming in the pool with the light on and watching the fireflies and other night creatures with curiosity.  Darkness allows for our minds to make great leaps.  Imagining what is in the dark is what can get me scared.

As an adult I have had some amazing adventures, travelling places I never thought I would go and building relationships with people I never thought I would meet.  One of these places is in Kenya, at our children's home.  The darkness in Kenya can seem really dark, as there is limited access to electricity.  We would wear headlamps and the children would laugh.  They were so used to being in the dark that it didn't phase them.  Should we have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night it meant crawling out of your bed, which was covered by a mosquito net that had been tucked in around you, and then heading for the outhouse type bathroom.  Walking out in the dark in Kenya could be a little scary.  The noises were different, the air was different, and I was always expecting a large spider, snake, or bat to follow me right into that little space.  Thankfully it didn't because I know if I had screamed the children would have come running as they were always concerned about our safety.

Another time I found myself on a trail in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia with my soul sister and our bikes.  We took a wrong turn and ended up trying to ride our bikes on a trail that got smaller and smaller, covered with nettle, and then it started raining.  In the midst of all of this it was getting darker and darker and we kept seeing bear poop all over.  I knew the bears were eating dinner by this time and I was certain that I might be the evening meal.  My mind raced as I began to sing loudly every song I could think of, in hopes that the bears wouldn't want to eat me.  Now that I am out of that forest I realize how ridiculous I was, but at the time, in the emotion and fear of the moment, the threat seemed very real.

Today is Good Friday, one of the most solemn and holy times of worship each year.  It is the day we recognize and embrace the sacrifice, the suffering, and the grief of Jesus and those who loved Him.  Everything is dark in worship this day, though the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day outside.  Darkness can sneak up on us sometimes.  I wonder as the people gathered around the crosses if they were really aware that darkness had descended upon them.  The events of the last days of Jesus' life unfolded so quickly, from parades and donkeys to courts of law and criminals.  It all seemed to go downhill so quickly.  The disciples were afraid for their own lives so they hid, their lives turned upside down with the arrest and punishment of the one they had come to know as the Messiah.  Darkness hung in the air as their identities as leaders of this new movement became something to hide.  Darkness can cause us to ask that difficult question, "Who am I?"

I imagine this is the very question Jesus' mother asked herself many times, the same for Lazarus who'd been brought back to life, the same for the blind man, the bleeding woman, the woman at the well, Jairus and his daughter, and the countless other people that had been touched by the ministry of Jesus and his disciples.  Perhaps you have experienced that creeping darkness too.  I have.  There have been times in this last year when pondering that question of "Who am I?" has overwhelmed, saddened, and defeated me.  When things seem so complicated that a solution is nowhere to be found, when that voice in my head tells me I'm not doing enough, working hard enough, just plain enough...that's when the darkness creeps in.

Today I have been thinking about this darkness.  I think in some ways darkness defines our worth.   That day as Jesus was nailed to the cross and the darkness fell over the earth I can only assume that the people began to wonder about their identity.  The darkness only emphasized the mission: that God would go to the scariest, worst, murkiest place in order that we realize our worth.  Maybe it's in the dark times that we set aside our pride, our egos, even that which makes us self-conscious or passive. The darkness is a level-playing field, the place where we like those who were there that day near the cross, realize that it is the love of God that connects us, and that we really are all in this together.  If Jesus went through this for me, He did it for you too....and for all other people.  Suddenly all that divides us seems so petty, so ridiculous, so sinful.

The death of Jesus is easy to overlook as we head quickly into Easter celebrations and resurrection worship services, but I think we need to stay right here.  In this space of grief, of fear, of the unknown, this is where we can grasp onto the immeasurable gift of a God who knows us, not one who judges us harshly for our failures and weaknesses, but a God who embraces us in our sadness, one who comes alongside when the road gets dark, when we can't see our hands in front of our faces, when we think the "bears" that we cannot see are going to come and get us.

Who am I?  Who are you?  Really think about it.  Who ARE you?  Whose are you?

What gives us worth, what defines us?

Oh God, help us live with intention, help us relate to one another as human beings, show us how to make peace, show us how to bring light into the darkness of power-hungry politics and warring madness.  Help us to look in the mirror and recognize that our very breath is of You, that if we have life we have purpose.  Make us light.

Turn them Over

It's Holy Week.  That's why lots of the preachers you know are blogging today.  I am joining the bandwagon, I suppose, but as always expect that you all know that this blog is just the place where I empty my brain after it chews on things for way too long.  
I preached yesterday for Palm Sunday.  It was the most difficult Palm Sunday sermon I've ever preached because I spent so much time reflecting on the juxtaposition of the two worlds in which we live.  We are citizens in the Kingdom of God, yet we are also people of the world.  We are the people living in a world where children are the victims of chemical warfare, where bombs are dropping, where equality seems mythical and racism and stereotypes run rampant.  Into this mess and chaos rides in Jesus, the Prince of Peace while on the other side of town Pilate enters on his stallion surrounded by battalions of soldiers told to keep the people in line.  Struggles for power, chaos, greed, all these continue to plague our communities just as they did at that very moment in Jerusalem.  And I wonder what my role is in this in-breaking of Christ. What happened to the power and prophetic voice of my denomination?

Today the Scripture speaks of Jesus turning over the tables in the temple.  

I think Jesus was a pretty understanding guy, all in all.  I mean his patience and care for people who just didn't get it is clear in nearly every part of the Gospel stories.  That's not an easy task, to genuinely care for the very people who question and doubt your identity.  This day Jesus got mad,  he'd had it.  Turning the Temple into an opportunity to exploit the poor by charging extra to change money for the purchase of sacrificial animals was unacceptable.  I really don't think Jesus was mad that they were selling things, but that in doing so it became another way to harm, persecute, and shame people who were already marginalized. The tables were turned and the message was clear.  It was one of Jesus' boldest moves - an emotional reaction at this highly dramatic space of time when it seems that everyone was watching his every move.  He must have been frustrated, Jesus must have just plain been done.  Done playing the games that society had demanded of him, done keeping his mission out of the light of day, just plain done.  

Do you ever feel like that?  I do. Sometimes situations seem so chaotic, so utterly broken, so hopeless, so maddening that we just have to act, to say something, to turn over the tables of injustice.  There are some tables I'd love to turn over in my larger church context.  These are the things that we are so distracted by, so entrenched in, so afraid of, that we have become unable to focus on what it is that we are called to do as the Body of Christ in the world today.  The tables in the temple of the UMC are keeping us trapped, stuck, and limiting our ability to live out our own theological truths.  

Here are some of the tables I'd love for Jesus to turn over:

• TABLE ONE:  FEAR OF SCARCITY.  When we are afraid that there will not be enough to go around we make rash decisions about what is most important.  We begin to hold onto the things that are most important to us, rather than what is best for the health of the whole.  Often the things we grip are the very archaic understandings and "things" that got us into the space we find ourselves.  When we operate out of scarcity it is impossible to think creatively or come up with God-sized vision or hope.  

• TABLE TWO:  JUDGMENT.  Judgment is also often rooted in fear and an attempt to maintain control or to keep things manageable or the same.  We judge based on our understanding and experience of what is right and wrong, often without regard for the "other."  Some judgments are helpful and keep us safe, but right now our church is divided and trapped by useless judgment.  We will not welcome people into our fellowship if they don't love who we want them to.  We won't allow persons called by God to preach, to do so if they are in loving relationships that are different than what we have been used to.  Judgement causes us to look backward to the 'good ol' days' though those days are long gone  (or never really existed) and this prevents God from doing a new thing in our midst.  We are so busy deciding what God would do, that we seem to be forgetting that it's God that judges, it's God that calls, whether we like it or not.  Imagine what could be accomplished through the UMC if we set our judgments aside looked beyond our differences, and stood together to bring light into the darkness of the world.  

• TABLE THREE:  SELF PRESERVATION.  This one is more personal for me than it should be.  In a denominational system that was built upon "boots on the ground" ministry with and for all people, we have become a top-heavy, slow-moving institution.  What if we tipped this institution on its head, giving the local churches the power and authority, asking those who reside "above" us in the hierarchy to think out of the box, to work with and not against the little people (like me) at the very bottom of the food chain?  What would it mean for funding to be sufficient for dreams to become realities for small communities of faith, for budgets to be less focused on paying the good old boys and more focused on listening to the movement of the Holy Spirit.  Yes this would mean change, yes this would mean ministries may stop, but it also means that we could have some space for new birth, for cooperative ministries, shared power, and relationships based on listening and trust.  

• TABLE FOUR:  CONVENTIONALITY:  Jesus was not a conventional Messiah.  He was not concerned with living into the Messianic identity that the people desired.  He wasn't in ministry to please the establishment or further the Pharisaic notions of rule-following faith and obedience.  He did what he was called to do and he did it in the name of the God who called him to act, to love, to live and he didn't apologize.  We can't be so afraid of failure that we become meek, politically correct, and voiceless.  This is what makes ministry so much fun, and so terrifying at the same time.  When God gives us ideas, when the Spirit takes us places we've never dreamed, when we face the giants of budget cuts and buildings falling apart, that's the very time we must think and embrace something new.  Change our hearts, Oh God....help us not only to think bigger, but to take the steps to make unconventional ministry the new norm.  Friends, we can't become so concerned with keeping things comfortable that we allow ourselves to be held hostage by the past.  Standing still, or looking back leads to death.  

There are other tables that need to be turned over.  There are tables in our own lives that prevent us from fully living out the life of discipleship that God has in store for us.  We are a work in progress, but can only reach our God-potential when we, like Jesus, look beyond the boundaries and barriers that keep us separated and divided and stay true to our call to LIVE our faith, to be uncomfortable and open minded, to be Spirit-led, to speak for those who are voiceless.  

We are living in a time of chaos, in a time where truth is hard to discover and uncover.  The time is now for us to get over ourselves and be the church God has called us to be.  

See, this is the thing that taints you when you work with college students.  They're not afraid to dig deep into their beliefs, they know what kind of church they want, they know that living faith is the only kind of faith to have in response to Jesus, and they make those of us "older adults" that  love them realize that life is too short to sit around assuming we know what God wants/thinks.  

My prayer for today is that Jesus would turn over the tables in my life and in the life of the UMC, that we would boldly and courageously step into the future as the church that offers grace, mercy, freedom, salvation, and hope to ALL people.  

Boy do we have a long way to go.