“When I started in ministry, I didn’t believe in the devil.  Then I went to church – and to a church meeting!”  “Lord, I believe; help  my unbelief!”

“Avoid spending more time on the preachment than on the character of the preacher.”

“God does not use us on the basis of our ability, but on the basis of our availability.”

Perhaps we should also phrase Jesus’ remark that “man does not live by bread alone,” this way: “Man does not live alone with bread” because remember the church is not about us; it is about God.

The trumpet stops on the rear pipe organ at Ebenezer Baptist Church heralded the introduction to this stanza of the hymn:

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found ….

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand…

“Is the church in a spiraling-free fall toward its demise by the end of this century?  And is that what drives us inward, making us so self-absorbed as we strain to save our lives, that we neglect the gospel imperative to reach out and lift up.”

The gospel does not promise everlasting life – but resurrection from the dead.  What God has in mind may not be that the church of today witnesses the ultimate coming of God’s kingdom, but what we have to offer is hope.  Hope is not the same as optimism. Optimism is what Osteen and Schuler offer; hope and confidence in God is what the Church has to offer in a world pocked by violence, consumerism, narcissism, and contempt.

God’s shalom comes without a co-pay.  The culture cannot conceive of peace without a price, but that’s what the Church offers:  God’s peace without cost or payment. And it isn’t really ours to offer, is it?  It is God’s shalom.

The church about which I am so nostalgic, the church that is dying right before my eyes, may not be what God is preserving.  The church as we know it will never be again, but God’s love for the world will always prevail.

But the most solemn of moments today came in seeing again the pictures of the March on Washington in 1963, finding the spot alongside the reflecting pools in D.C. where I sat on the grass listening to “I Have a Dream;”  touring the King Center for Social Change and Non-Violence and seeing again the pictures of racial brutality, then sitting quietly in the old Ebenezer Baptist sanctuary to listen to MLK, Jr’s recorded sermons, and ending the day realizing with Walter Brueggemann that in the final analysis what sustains us is not our own effort but our “leaning on the everlasting arms” where we are safe and secure from all alarms!

The word for today (two words, actually):  Hope –

and Shalom

jmg

A look at Old Testament Judah who confesses:

“You are more right than I.”  The issue isn’t about being right, but about being more right.  Can that be a paradigm for what it takes in order for us to grow in our convictions and faith?

Was it tongue in cheek – or straight talk – when the preacher said, “Nothing invigorates preaching more than having something to say!”

Powerful juxtaposition of the prophet Jeremiah with American slaves.  Jeremiah:  “is there no balm in Gilead?”  Slaves in hot dusty cotton fields making plantation owners rich and powerful, singing:  “There IS a balm in Gilead!”  How does one get from no balm to “yes, there is a balm?”

Conversation with a woman pastor from the Virgin Islands, who boldly stated she did not agree with all that Andrew Young said last night.  When asked what in particular,  she cited his emphasis on ordination of women in ministry and his support for gay marriage.  It didn’t seem to resonate with her that she is a woman in ministry!

Soaring music from the two sanctuary organs.  Robust singing, so hearty that you cannot hear your own voice because of the voices all around you.

Warm delightful lights filtered through wondrous modern-but-classical stained glass windows, playing on highly polished organ pipes and casting artistic shadows on the chancel.

A choir loft large enough to hold all those who worship at Immanuel on a typical Sunday morning.  Thursday evening it will be filled by the 11 choirs of the congregation, and an ensemble  from the Atlanta Symphony.

But as fine as that experience will be, it can not rival the boisterous laughter and profound preaching that has already graced this wonderfully hospitable ten-year old congregation’s sanctuary this week.

Wednesday, a rare opportunity to visit the historic Ebenezer Baptist church in downtown Atlanta, and the Martin Luther King, Jr, center.  Among the preachers for the day will be Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Eden Seminary class of 1958 (I was in the class of 1960, but sat next to him in the class we took on translation of the book of Jeremiah!  Talk about the need for grading on a curve!)

Refreshing, invigorating, informative, and inspirational.  Profound, prophetic, and poetic.  That’s the week so far, and it is only Tuesday!

Shalom

jmg

Peachtree Road United Methodist Church shook with applause and Amens from 1200 pastors.

We sang “I Love to Tell the Story” – AFTER we recovered from the massive sound of the antiphonal pipe      organs.  Opened all the way up, the organ sound actually shook the floors of the sanctuary.  The sides of the sanctuary bowed outward from the wall to wall roar of all those clergy “telling the story” in song!

Impressive jazz musical interludes by a quintet, a thoughtful beautifully shaped sermon asserting that a pivotal moment in faith comes when the father of a tormented child confesses “I believe; help my unbelief,” after which the evening ended with a standing ovation for the witness and speech of Senator/Mayor/Ambassador/civil rights associate of Martin  Luther King, Jr. – the Rev. Dr. Andrew Young.

And so the first day of the 2012 Festival  of Homiletics, Atlanta, GA came to an end, and we rest now in order to absorb another day of fantastic sermonizing, lectures, music, and worship.

United Church of Christ clergy are evident in leadership here.  Dr. Young is ordained UCC.  Musician and pastor Dwight Andrews, whose quintet provided the worship music, is UCC.

Walter Brueggemann, generally regarded as one of the greatest Old Testament scholars in the world, was ordained UCC and will preach on Wednesday.  Lillian  Daniel, pastor of First Congregational, Glen Ellyn, IL, host of public television  program “30 Good Minutes” (30goodminutes.org), Stillspeaking devotional writer (one of our favorites), will preach an Ascension Day service accompanied by all the choirs of the 7100- member host church and an ensemble from Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

While wandering among displays of literature and books, I found a room with every wall up to ten feet high, and every table, covered with beautiful liturgical stoles and paraments designed for every season and every occasion.  On top of a corner filled with boxes filled with even more fabrics was the Jesus Doll!  The Rev. Brenda Grauer, founder, owner, seamstress,  workshop leader, guru of liturgical arts and practices, was present in person with these goods from her studio In Stitches.  I got a big hug from Brenda.  Little did we suspect when she was a student in Christian Education classes which I taught at Heidelberg University in the mid-sixties, or when she was the guest artist at our first ever festival of liturgical arts at St. John’s UCC, Newport, KY, or when  I received the Shalom stole I wear at Immanuel Church (it is one of 4 In Stitches stoles I have) which was commissioned as a gift, or even when I participated in her ordination at the Federated Church of Chagrin Falls, OH, that her teaching and her work would by now be international in scope.

Brenda showed me wonderful handpainted stoles made by Nicaraugan women, to whom she is teaching sewing and design, so they can sell their work and make a living, at the same  time as they make witness to a faith which has sustained them in times of deep and desperate poverty.

Tomorrow, watch this web-spot for reflections from the second day of the Festival of Homiletics.  It is an awesome time of refreshment, stimulation, and insight into the sacred art and act of preaching and leading worship.

Shalom

jmg

Our faith journey encourages us to love and serve one another with God’s powerful and generous care. The ways we can serve are limited only by our own passions and interests. Find your best opportunity in the articles which follow – or contact the church office if you have other skills and interests to offer.

Altar Guild

Who makes the chancel and altar areas of the church attractive and orderly? The Altar Guild. This dedicated group prepares both the sanctuary and the chapel for worship every week. They also provide for the celebration of the sacraments, and are available to assist at memorial services, funeral services, and wedding parties when held at the church. We believe that aesthetics are an essential element in the worship of God. To help us experience the beauty of God’s love, our Altar Guild members oversee the furnishings used in worship settings, arrange flowers, and setup for special and seasonal worship experiences, as well.

Greeters

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)

Hospitality is an essential feature of our faith expression. Greeters are the first contact members and visitors have each Sunday at church. Greeters provide a warm welcome, while helping connect friends, members, and neighbors who arrive for times of worship. They also help guests find their way around our facility.

Ushers

Ushers make sure you have a worship program when you come to worship. But even more, our ushers assist those who have special needs or have difficulty managing doors and exits. Ushers make sure lights and sound equipment are working, provide hearing assistance devices to those who need them, and gather up our offerings when we are ready to present them for dedication. Elders of the church serve as ushers on days when Holy Communion is served. When there are emergencies during a worship service, the ushers are available to help us.

Office Assistance:

Do you have great organizational, communication, editing, or other clerical skills? You can help with preparation of mailings, reports, worship programs, and help edit articles, file materials, and assist with telephone messages.

Sew-ers

Every Thursday morning there are sew-ers at work on quilt-making, and sewing puppy

pillows, tote bags, pinafores, and hats for patients at Riley Hospital. They also make bibs and lap robes for residents of The Altenheim. When commissioned to do so, the Sew-ers do quilting for members and friends. Christmas time brings out handmade Christmas tree skirts, festive placemats, and bright table runners for sale.

Pray Shawl

Those interested are developing a prayer shawl ministry. Warm shawls prepared with love and prayer are knitted or crocheted, then dedicated before being delivered to those who are homebound, preparing for surgery, or have times in their lives when a grace-filled prayer shawl will provide comforting reminders that each is held in God’s warm embrace.

Fellowship Activities:

Growing in faith involves making connections with one another. The fellowship committee plans and hosts fun events throughout the year which help members and friends strengthen their relationships with one another. Through activities like an all church birthday party, a mother/daughter/friends banquet, and church picnics, we build friendships and get to know one another in new ways. If you enjoy planning parties, this may be the group for you.

Hearts and Hands

The Hearts and Hands committee offers the members and friends of Immanuel an opportunity to participate in many different types of outreach to the community – local, national and worldwide.

Children’s Activities: Children from the neighborhood, IPS School #31, church family and friends are invited to participate in a morning of inspirational games, crafts, stories, and snacks several times a year – Mardi Gras or Valentines Day, Easter (More Than Eggs), summer (Back To School Bash), autumn (Pumpkins Galore), and Advent

Mission Trips: Mission teams are organized to travel to areas that have been affected by natural disasters such as flood, tornado, and hurricane damage.

Fourth Fest: An Independence Day celebration which includes music, food, games and a place to enjoy the city fireworks. All activities are free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Supper with a Friend

Let us break bread together in harmony,

            Share God’s love through fellowship, and

                        Make connections we never thought possible.

Every month since October 2007, Supper with a Friend draws a room full of friends and neighbors who enjoy a wonderful tasty dinner together. Because many people have a hard time making ends meet by the end of the month, this free meal is scheduled on the last Wednesday of each month. It is open to anyone who walks through the doors. Sharing a meal and conversation, as well as providing a Christian atmosphere of fellowship and conversation, allows us to know our neighbors and our neighbors to know us. We encourage healthy relationships as we serve our brothers and sisters with the love of Christ and share our faith openly.

We are blessed with many wonderful volunteers; great chefs that prepare the meals, people who serve the meals, as well as clean up, and whose donations of time, food and money insure this ministry will continue. In addition to the meal, we have volunteers who offer free haircuts and provide a children’s activity. Our volunteers come from many different backgrounds and faith communities, each one filling the evening with genuine grace-filled welcome

This ministry creates conversation, friendships, a sense of community and personal connections. As a result some people have joined our church community, and everyone enjoys a wonderful meal. A prayer service is available to meet the spiritual needs of anyone who wishes to attend.

Supper with a Friend is on the last Wednesday of each month from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. The prayer service is in the chapel from 6:30pm – 7:00pm.

• Youth Fellowship information
• Children’s Day plans
• Church camp information
• New ministry opportunities

Color

Black/white

Are you looking for some quiet, sacred space in your busy life just to pray? Come join us the last Wednesday of the month in our chapel for a service of prayer. It is a time to just “be still” and know God.

FOOD FOR BODY AND SOUL The last Wednesday of every month come gather for dinner with family, friends and neighbors. This is a free meal to nourish the body, and to help build community in our neighborhood. Friends and neighbors share music and even free haircuts. We have a prayer service in the chapel at 6:15 pm to also feed spirits hungry for God’s care. Come be our guest!

In his book titled House Divided,  Mike Lawson writes:   “…(he said) the human race was incapable of any sort of lasting peace, that there would always be some tribe determined to destroy some other tribe because of greed or ideology or religion or bigotry. And when it comes to solving conflicts with words rather than weapons, he maintained we haven’t advanced since the days when we killed each other with clubs and stones.  Today’s stones, however, are radioactive”  (p. 81)

Is Mr. Lawson’s observation  right?

There is that old uncontested cliché that when we operate on an “eye for an eye” basis, what we really get are two parties with only one eye each.  Peace does not flourish in a climate of vengeance.

Our theme in the worship services was that the Church is called to be a community of reconciliation.  We are called to be ambassadors – agents – the body of Christ which relates to the world around us in a different manner than the world tends to relate to itself.

In our Bible studies this past week we observed that

without reconciliation there is no peace;

without peace there is no reconciliation;

without forgiveness there is neither peace nor reconciliation.

The work of making peace, reconciling and forgiving is difficult.  It can be controversial, It can test our stamina and our will.  But what keeps us going forward is this dream:

“I dream that in some generation a child studying history will ask ‘Mom, what is  war?’”

(borrowed from my wife’s well-thumbed tattered copy of  Peacemaking Day by Day)

Shalom

Pastor Gantt

33  letters to Senators and members of the House of Representatives.  More on the way because some folks are working on them at home.

A fine presentation by Mike Hastings and Sharon Hedegard from the Bread for the World committee.  Refreshments of Rice Krispie and cereal snack bars.

If you were not in church Sunday, April 29, that’s part of what you missed.  You also missed the presentation of an impressive certificate.

Immanuel UCC has been recognized for contributing the second highest per capita gift to Our Church’s Wider Mission (the basic support fund for the Indiana-Kentucky Conference and the United Church of Christ globally).

Two things about this award are remarkable.  One, considering the assets and resources of some of the other United Churches of Christ in central Indiana, Immanuel’s gift is all the more significant.  And two, remember that “per capita” means the total OCWM gift was divided by the total official membership of the congregation – not by just the number of those who made contributions.   Recognizing that over the past few years Immanuel has lost active participation by a great number of persons whose names are still part of that official record, we can see that those who do support the congregation are making truly sacrificial gifts.

As I said in Sunday’s sermon, that isn’t even all the story. OCWM is only one benevolent undertaking of the congregation.  A look at the 2011 annual reports indicates that around $43,000 was given to projects outside the walls of Immanuel – which translates to $173+ per capita.

These dollar signs do not include donated food, volunteer hours, goods of all sorts including home repair materials, and other gifts members make individually or through groups within the congregation.

Our spring Bible study series considers images of the New Testament church.  Many of our references point out that over 2000 passages in the scripture have to do with providing assistance to those who are not well off, who need a hand up, who languish near the margins of society.  We call it a sign of the growing Kingdom – realm – of God when the focus is on those who cannot “pay us back,” as in Jesus’ recommendation that when we throw a banquet we should invite the poor, the lame, the crippled, the blind rather than those who can reciprocate by inviting us to their big parties.

Immanuel does that.  Our multi-cultural multi-racial socio-economically diverse congregation majors in welcoming – and serving – all in the most hospitable way possible.

They say pride goes before a fall – so as a congregation Immanuel should be cautious about the temptation to be smug.  However, as interim pastor,  I had nothing to do with these achievements. So it should be OK for ME to be proud of  IMMANUEL!     I pray God is, too!

Carry on, faithful servants.  Be about God’s business, and the rest will fall into place.

Shalom,   jmg

Here’s where we were on Sunday, April 22.  At Immanuel UCC, we are working on New Testament images of the church, and this week focused on what we could learn from the Gospel of Matthew.

In the 8:30 contemporary worship setting, we reflected how frequently the opportunity to rejoice in our diversity of experience and thought is forfeited to church bullies who create a toxic environment which in its own turn leads to the “killing” of congregations and clergy.  Matthew 18:15-16 reminds us that the best way to treat matters which injure the relationships and the ministries of the church is face to face, one on one.  If the effort fails, the church is called on to pray and do lots of forgiving.

In the more traditional worship service at 10:30, we explored how curious it is that we construct detailed guidelines for handling our endowments, the use of our property by non-members, and our audits.  But standards for membership, by comparison, are minimal and even at that minimally observed.  Perhaps by so doing we provide a contemporary illustration of what Jesus meant in saying, “where your treasure is, there will be your heart.”

At both services of worship, the church envisioned in Matthew was identified as a household of justice.  But Matthew’s notion of justice has more to do with right relationships – doing the right thing – than with creating a level playing field.  In Walter Brueggemann’s insightful interpretation of scripture, the church is to embrace distributive justice rather than the culturally endorsed notion of retributive justice.

Retributive justice is a system of rewards and punishments in which compliance and obedience are met with rewards and honor, while dissent and defiance earn one’s just deserts.  It’s a “law and order” perspective against which stands the beatitudes of Jesus’ teaching, a plethora of parables about possessions, landowners, merciful dealings with one another, capped by Matthew 25.

“Inasmuch,”  says Jesus, “inasmuch as you do it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you do it to me.”  That’s what distributive justice looks like.

The church, seeking to live up more faithfully to its calling to be the Body of Christ, will be measured by how it fed, sheltered, comforted, and empowered the powerless and the vulnerable.

At Immanuel we say we are on a love walk: loving, growing and serving as the Body of Christ.  Being a Matthew church – a household of justice where righteousness means doing the right thing rather than prizing piety – is a major part of that love walk.

We can do it.  We can be a faithful partner in the pursuit of God’s peaceable realm.

Shalom

jmg