United Women in Faith: Special invitation from Sally Vonner
Try to connect with this .. It will be a good sign…
Blessings,
Dan Gleckler
Join Sally Vonner on October 30 as she shares her message encouraging all to bring their best to our communal table where we can celebrate one another and the gifts each of us bring.
Wednesday, October 30th, at 8 p.m. ET
Bishop's Message on Political Participation
October 22, 2024 | This Election Season, the Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us
[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor.
he sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
— Luke 4:16-21
Beloved of God,
Grace and peace to you. As we prepare as a church and a nation for the pivotal election on Nov. 5, we stand on the edge of an opportunity. As I stated prior to the presidential election in 2020, our constitutional republic, supported by a democratic form of government, affords every eligible individual in the United States the right to vote. That right is central to our way of life. Our democracy is founded on the belief in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Prior to 2021, many Americans had not witnessed first-hand violence or civil disobedience arising from an election cycle. Some did not think it was possible within our borders. It is lamentable, but that naïveté has been replaced with the lived experience that we are not immune from political unrest and that a peaceful transfer of power is not guaranteed.
Therefore, people of faith are called to lift their voices and bodies to pray, create spaces for free and civil discourse and continue to be stewards of justice.
Our Social Principles state, “Our involvement in political systems is rooted in the Gospel imperative to love our neighbors, to do justice, and to care for the vulnerable. As United Methodists, we acknowledge that love requires responsible political action and engagement aimed at the betterment of society and promotion of the common good.” While partisanship is inappropriate within the faith community, our Social Principles encourage churches, “to equip their members to be effective advocates for justice in the wider world.” We live beneath the promise and power of our discipleship when we harmonize Christianity with injustice.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be good stewards of our liberties and our pain. Just as Christ stood and intentionally read from the prophet Isaiah in establishing his ministry and his public witness, he also cautioned his disciples that violence was never the answer. He admonished that violence will only beget more violence. It is antithetical to a cruciform life.
We exemplify responsible stewardship when we engage in healthy discourse, listen for understanding and resist the trap of certitude. We cannot allow our pain, or even our fear, to entice us to violence. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., so aptly taught, we must find a way to peacefully coexist with mutual respect or endure disastrous consequences as the fruit of our division and conflict. Those baptized in the waters of regeneration, transformation and love must always choose the former.
As leaders in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area, we encourage our clergy and lay leaders to be actively engaged in our democratic process. This is not a time to shrink or regress; rather, this is a time to offer a prophetic and loving alternative to hateful and unjust rhetoric. We are called to be bold witnesses of God’s grace, justice and righteousness. While doing so, we know we are called to a higher standard of engagement and interaction with our neighbors, even those with whom we may disagree.
We are to be visible sacraments in the world; the living, breathing, walking translation of God’s Holy Word. This is paramount because only transformed lives, transform lives.
In this election season and beyond, may we stand in prayer with one another as we live our faith out loud, knowing that God is with us. The spirit of the Lord is upon us.
Blessings and Peace,
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area
The United Methodist Church
UM News: Friday Digest - Sep 27, 2024
Powerful message from Bp. Tom Berlin of Florida Annual Conference.
Dan Gleckler
Florida, South Georgia conferences
Bishops pray as Helene response starts
LAKELAND, Fla. — Bishops Tom Berlin of Florida and Robin Dease of Georgia offered prayers ahead of Helene making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, the most powerful storm to strike Florida’s Big Bend region since records began being kept in 1851. Damage assessments were just beginning as Helene made its way inland with tropical-storm strength winds and floods in multiple states. As of midday Sept. 27, at least 25 people were confirmed dead because of the storm and more than 4 million people were without electricity across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and southern Virginia. UM News plans to have more coverage of the hurricane response in the days ahead.
Church's comics shop builds community
Check out the article on comic books.
Dan Gleckler
United Methodist Communications
Church’s comics shop builds community
OKLAHOMA CITY — Comic book fans are often stereotyped like the snobby Comic Book Guy character from “The Simpsons,” so a church investing in a comics and gaming store as a form of outreach and community intervention may seem like a bad idea. Fortunately, Village United Methodist Church doesn’t buy that stereotype and its store has become an important location for building community and nurturing spirits. The Rev. Ryan Dunn has the story.
UM News Digest - Aug 21, 2024
Note the inspiring story of the new Georgia congregation after disaffiliation; also the obituary on our conference colleague, Bill Holmes
Dan Gleckler
P.S.: Please note: Perkins is my seminary, from which I graduated the year before Kennedy’s assassination. Bill Holmes’ son is a recently retired member of our Annual Conference. My hometown is 70 miles north of Dallas. Like Bill, I’ve never been able to escape the obligation Bill mentions in his recollections.
South Georgia Conference
Newest church constituted in South Georgia
THOMASVILLE, Ga. — After being displaced by disaffiliation, a group of faithful United Methodists in Georgia felt called by God to something new. What just a year and a half ago felt like an unknown became a reality on Aug. 7, as more than 50 people gathered to celebrate Grace United Methodist Church’s founding. Kelly Roberson has the story.
Baltimore-Washington Conference
Pastor who ministered with US leaders dies
FREDERICK, Md. — The Rev. William Arthur Holmes died Aug. 9, eight days before his 95th birthday. He was a United Methodist minister for 46 years, leading churches in Arkansas and Texas before serving as senior minister at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in the U.S. capital. His congregation included members of Congress, a Supreme Court Justice and others in government service. While a young pastor at what is now Northaven United Methodist Church in Dallas, Holmes delivered a sermon immediately after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination that made national news and brought death threats. Baltimore-Washington Conference staff have the story.
Methodist Federation for Social Action
This is solid ground. Peruse and pray, and of course, share ideas on our involvement/support of this more-than-century-old social justice ministry by our denomination.
Dan Gleckler
Dear Justice-Seeker,
This issue of MFSAVoices is jam-packed with resources and information. So much so that it won’t all fit in your email message so be sure to click view entire message at the bottom of this email to view the entire issue. Our newsletters are designed to be used all month long. So take a quick glance and take note of important dates to add to your calendar but also come back in the following weeks to work your way through the action items.