Never Doubt the Grace of God
by Rev. Stephen Carl
A college roommate of mine who lives in St. Louis and is a business consultant has a blog entitled “Often wrong, never in doubt.” He was raised a Baptist, but his blog title sounds like agood Calvinist: those whose convictions are reinforced with a certainty (never in doubt) that borders on stubbornness– something that isn’t admirable in a postmodern wishy-washiness. But there is an equally strongly held conviction that one is flawed (often wrong) in a way that affects one completely–that there is no dimension of one’s self that is pure and undefiled by one’s skewed nature. This doesn’t mean that everything we do, or even most of what we do, is bad. We may even be quite virtuous. It does mean, however, that all we do is laced in some way with our ego needs–orbiting our own motivations and appetites.
When I first saw my friend’s blog I thought “Yes, I remember our often heated arguments about various issues and how I would walk away thinking that this guy I shared a room with was impossible. He, of course, was probably thinking the same thing. “Never in doubt” could easily mean that one doesn’t question one’s opinion or viewpoint even when there is clearly evidence that refutes it.
But what if “often wrong, never in doubt” was more a confession . . . of sin and of faith? What might be virtuous about the claim “often wrong, never in doubt” is that one’s doubtlessness is the grip one has on the grace and mercy of God. That I never doubt God’s love offers me the freedom and humility to admit when I am wrong. It offers me the ability to speak, without compromise, what I believe . . . knowing that even though I may be wrong I am still forgiven and able to admit my foolishness.
The Gospels offer us a glimpse at our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose life was an example of what our relationship with God should be. The one thing that Jesus seemed to categorically condemn was the one who was often wrong (a sinner) condemning others (equally sinners) of some infraction. He ate and drank with sinners, healed those whose diseases and disabilities were thought to be the consequence of their sin, forgave taxcollectors and prostitutes. He wonderedout loud how anyone with a log in his or her eye could be trusted to identify the speck in someone else’s?
We live in a time of many questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ–who is “in” and who isn’t, who has the answers and who is misleading, what is worshipful and what isn’t. The PresbyterianChurch (USA) is approaching in another month the meeting of the GeneralAssembly, during which many of thesequestions will be raised and answers sought.There will be division and arguments.
Let us remember that in every era the people of God
have faced divisive issues–some we wonder
about today, just what
was the issue? What
were they arguing about?
Why the heated debates
and hostile name-calling?
The apostle Paul wrote
heartfelt letters to the
early gatherings of believers
exhorting them to get
passed their bickering and
focus on what matters: the
forgiveness and mercy of
God demonstrated in Jesus
Christ.
Let us pray for brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for wisdom and humility and convictions and trust. Let us pray for ourselves. Pray for the abundant love of God that overwhelms our disagreements so that together we might be in unity as we plant Gospel seeds. Remember, though we may be often wrong . . . we should never be in doubt of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Seeking the One Who has Found Us Already
by Rev. Cathi King
I search for God, elusive, hidden God, I long to dwell in the heart of Mystery . . . (Joyce Rupp)
“When you search for me, you will find me; when you search wholeheartedly for me, I shall let you find me.”
(Jeremiah 29:13)
I used to love to play hide and seek when I
was a child, and its variations: Sardines in a Can,
Ghost in the Graveyard . . . but I never liked to be “it.”
For me, and I suspect, many children, we’d rather have
people looking for us than looking for someone else. In
general, it’s a less anxious experience. Rarely do we like
looking for lost things.
I’ve had nightmares about losing my purse, spent hours looking for my keys, driven aimlessly trying to find a destination, wandered arou nd and around blocks searching for a parking space . . . and none of these experiences has ever been restful . . . all have been anxious . . . precious minutes wasted.
The Wall Street Journal once reported that the average business executive spends six weeks annually looking for lost information due to messy desks and files. That’s one hour per day, and in a business setting, that translates to lost momentum, lost productivity and lost money, not to mention the intangibles like lost confidence, credibility and professional image.
The very idea of searching carries a nuance of discontent. Yet the Bible is filled with stories about searching and seeking as blessings . . . activities that lead to celebration . . . disciplines of the spiritual life. Let me throw out some biblical stories of seeking, along with some questions for us to explore:
• Luke 15 (three lost stories)
• Matthew 5:1–10
• Matthew 7:7–8
› Who’s seeking and who’s finding?
› What’s being sought?
› What’s the goal of the search?
And, just for further reflection, some quotes from Joyce Rupp’s book, May I Have This Dance?
Many stories in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures tell of seeking and finding. Always it is the discovery of a truth already present: the Beloved One is ever near. (p. 97)
The seeking and finding that we do is actually a discovery of a truth already present. (p. 97)
God always takes the initiative of seeking, placing the desire in our hearts to be found. (p. 100)
In hide and seek, I always preferred to be the one hiding. It’s much less anxious to know where you are and quietly sit, waiting to be found… unless the search goes on too long. That’s when the anxiety settles in for the one who is hidden. Fear joins loneliness as the questions emerge: “has the search been abandoned?” “Is everybody off somewhere playing and I’ve been forgotten?” “Why can’t I hear anybody? Have they gone home?”
One of my favorite hymns includes the line: “You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance; whenever I am afraid I will trust in you . . .” These days, I’m yearning to dwell in the heart of God . . . to just rest there . . . be content there . . . according to the biblical witness of Psalms: “You are my rock . . . my refuge . . . my shelter . . . my fortress . . .” But these same Psalms also testify to the elusive nature of God . . . extended silence . . . distance and absence . . . forsakenness. The irony is that the one we most passionately seek is the one who has already found us. Perhaps the goal of our search is to live more fully into the knowledge, assurance and celebration of being found.
Midweek Dinner and Worship Keeps Us Connected
Wednesdays, June 30, July 21, August 25 Dinner at 5:45 pm; worship at 6:30 pm
On Wednesday, June 30, Wednesday Night Live! Chef Extraordinaire Brad Webster cooks for us. Following dinner, Jeff Flynn and Ross Williamson will share their stories of life and faith during this first of our summer Praise and Prayer services.
Come as you are to share a meal and to worship together. Invite your neighbors, friends, family members and even casual acquaintances. Childcare for infants to 4-year-olds is provided.
Plan also for two more summer Wednesday dinners and Praise and Prayer services on July 21 and August 25. Encourage others to come along and experience these refreshing times of worship and conversation.
This year’s vacation Bible school program,
Saul to Paul: A Journey to Share the
Good News of Jesus Christ with the
World, takes place Monday–Wednesday,
June 21–23, 5:30–8:30 pm. Children ages
4 through 5th grade are invited to
participate. There will be childcare and
modified programming for younger
children of adult volunteers. The cost is
$10 per child for the three nights, which
includes a simple supper each evening.
Online registration is available for adult and youth volunteers as well as for children. Sign up now for a journey to learn about Paul’s faith and our own. Printed registration forms are also available in the entrance to the fellowship hall.
The last round of new officer bios is presented
Margaret Klammer was recently installed as an elder to serve on the Endowment Committee.
She is also continuing in her role as the Clerk of Session.
Margaret grew up in Forest Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and came to Ann Arbor with her family in 1963. She attended junior high here and graduated from Huron High School. After high school, she began her college career at Valparaiso University and completed it with a bachelors degree in business administration from Eastern Michigan University. She has a brother who lives with his wife in California, and a sister who lives with her husband in Oregon.
For Chapter One of her business career, Margaret worked for eleven years at Bechtel Power Corporation in Ann Arbor. She was then a business analyst at EDS for 22 years, providing IT services to GM. During those years, she worked in Detroit, in Ypsilanti, at the EDS offices in Troy, and at the Rennaisance Center in downtown Detroit.
In November of 2007, she began Chapter Two of her career, when she accepted an early retirement option from EDS. After some restful time off and a job search, Margaret took a position as senior assistant in the University of Michigan Office of University Development.
Margaret joined Westminster in 1988 and has been consistently involved ever since, saying, “The church family has become my extended family.” In her years with the church, she has been both an elder and a deacon, has served as the Clerk of Session since 1992, sings with the Celebration Singers, participated in six mission trips to Mississippi and Louisiana to assist with the rebuilding after Katrina, helped teach confirmation classes, serves on numerous committees, created the beautiful banners and paraments for the front of the sanctuary, and is a key person in keeping our church gardens watered and maintained.
John Mason is an elder serving on the Membership Committee.
John was raised in Imlay City, a community about halfway between Port Huron and Flint, and grew up in the Congregational United Church of Christ there. He has a bachelor of arts degree in music and a masters degree in music education, both from the University of Michigan. John met his wife, Nancy, now a faculty member at the U-M College of Pharmacy, in high school where they both played in the band. John taught music in the Northville schools for six years, and is now finishing his 32nd year as band director and teacher with the Saline schools. John and Nancy, individually or together, have been active in Westminster committees and programs including the Memorial Gifts Committee, the Youth Committee, Sunday school, music programs, and Session.
The Masons have two sons that some of the longtime members of Westminster watched grow from infancy through adulthood. Matt is now a fifth year senior at Western Michigan University in the Aviation School, and Mike is a freshman at Washtenaw Community College. There is also a fairly new member of the family, a year-old chocolate lab, Snickers, that has become John’s enthusiastic hunting companion. John’s dad worked with the Michigan DNR as a fisheries biologist for over 40 years, and John has inherited some of his father’s love for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and the outdoors in general. John and Nancy also enjoy concerts, travel, and just being with the family.
Westminster women explore the work of the Holy Spirit
by Robin Hess
On April 30 and May 1, forty Westminster women met for a spring retreat to study the topic, “Come Holy Spirit: Set Us on Fire.” We kept the time short but used it well for multi-media presentations, study, discussion, praise songs, a bonfire, a project of sharing and encouragement and two stirring testimonies. Cathi King led three related sessions on (1) the Spirit at work within us (Burning Hearts); the Spirit touching our church (Fire Up, Church!); and the Spirit sending us out to energize the world (World Aflame). Each session included time for singing led by Gail Arnold and a flute choir of many of our favorite “Holy Spirit” hymns, and for discussion, prayer, reflection, small group sharing and writing in our retreat journals prepared by Cathi King and Marti Burbeck. Friday evening activities were capped by a short walk through the woods to a lovely bonfire overlooking Weatherwood Lake disappearing into the twilight. The weather and the stars were perfect; scripture readings by flashlight, harmonious singing and s’mores made the night special indeed.
Saturday began with another shared meal in the bright sunroom with a spectacular view of the lake through the rainwashed new leaves. We explored fire as warmth, illumination, purifier and refiner, animator, creative spark, and a symbol of hope. Cathi shared a variety of Bible verses, quotations from theologians and activists, poetry, You- Tube videos and challenging and probing questions for us to ponder. The highlight for me was the sharing of faith journeys by Eileen Helm and Linda Brown. Each story was a beautiful illustration of a life open to the moving of the Spirit, with patience, persistence and trust through challenging and troubled times. These sisters’ stories were moving, poignant and humorous–a precious and fragrant offering.
What a rich symbol, the flame! Powerful, changing us, warming those around it, always reaching upward from a constant source, testing and refining. Now we seek a way to share what we discovered about God’s Spirit. Some of us have begun prayer partnerships in various forms. Others seek continued opportunities to discuss the church afire. The women’s book study, May I Have This Dance?, is one way to continue our reflection and discussion on some of these issues. What is on your mind? You are welcome to continue the discussion or join in. Retreat booklets will soon be available in the public office for those who could not attend to use in exploring this topic. Warm thanks to Sharon Flynn and her team of planners for creating a flowing and diverse retreat experience and to Marla Johnston and Deborah Campbell who surrounded us with images of fire and spirit.
But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house– make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” (Luke 3:16–17, The Message)
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Adult classes continue thru summer
BIBLE STUDY An in-depth discussion of the rich Old Testament book of Exodus, full of stories and meaning, undergirding our understanding of the nature of God. The class will continue meeting through the summer, and will pick another book of the Bible to study after completing its study of Exodus. The class meets Sunday mornings in room 32 on the lower level.
CREATION CARE/SUSTAINABILITY We will learn about how we are called to care for God’s creation and what that means for us as Christians making decisions in our daily lives. The class meets Sunday mornings in room 30 on the lower level and is led by Andy King and Roger Vance.
SUMMER SUNDAYS AT 11 AM Informal discussions and coffee fellowship will take place after some of the summer worship services. Please watch The Westminster Weekly for dates and details.
We are seeking new members for the Adult Education Committee. We appreciate and need people with a range of interests and perspectives, and of varying ages, in this group. You are not required to teach a class; we welcome people with a passion for exploring new ideas. Our committee includes Cathi King, two elders (currently Jay Hess and John Ellis) and any others (who do not have a specified term)–hopefully you! Watch The Westminster Weekly for information about a barbeque planning meeting.
Westminster’s Sharing Garden is underway: The first of the raised beds were built in April. We’ll share our produce with the hungry of our community: members of Riverside Community Gathering, and clients of Hope Clinic and Food Gatherers. Watch for more digging, planting, weeding and harvesting dates!
Moving Made Easy: The Dynamics of Senior Moving and Downsizing
Sixty Plus Club, Friday, June 25 Lunch and program beginning at noon St. Andrews Fellowship Hall
Seniors make many challenging decisions about moving and downsizing, and it can seem like a daunting task. Bryan M. Neal of Assisted Moving L.L.C. will discuss strategies for determining what to keep, what to pass on to family members, and what to discard or sell. RSVP to Marlene Pelkki (769-3061) or to Bonnie Terpstra (668-577).
Thank you . . .
. . . to Letitia Boyd, Sue and Jon Curtis, Berta and Steve Kennel, Margaret Klammer and Phyllis and Tim Rogne for maintaining the flower beds on our church property this summer.
. . . and to the members of the Children’s Committee who gathered on May 15 to spruce up the playground. They repaired ground cover, leveled mulch and tightened nuts and bolts, all of which will help keep our children safe while playing on our grounds.
April finances are reported
| Pledges received | 58,597 |
| Other income | +6,276 |
| April expenses | −51,775 |
| Receipts minus expenses = | $13,098 |
| Year-to-date balance: | $7,803 |
Questions or concerns? Please contact Jeff Kennedy, Treasurer, or David Hammond, Financial Secretary.
Hospitality Meditation
Not Enough
This one in a series of meditations on hospitality taken from the book God’s Welcome: Hospitality for a Gospel-Hungry World, by Amy G. Oden.
When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:15–21)
The anxiety of the disciples is one we know well: we don’t have enough to meet the needs before us. We all know the panic of unexpected guests who show up for dinner–will we have enough food to go around? The feeding of the five thousand seems to be a magic trick, but the simple wisdom of the story reminds us to trust that whatever we have is enough. We simply share whatever we have.
Many church families live with a constant chorus of “not enough.” The “not enough” mantra can become oppressive and overwhelming: We don’t have enough to (fill in the blank: welcome visitors, help the homeless, feed the hungry, talk to our neighbors, share God’s welcome). In a sense, this is true. As the disciples say, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” But in another sense we have everything we need, because all we ever have to offer is God’s welcome. We share that welcome in many forms, but at its base, it is still God’s welcome, with or without the bells and whistles.
Jesus’ feeding in the gospel story radically challenges the cultural messages of “not enough” that bombard us. The view of ourselves that we are not thin enough or smart enough or together enough or whatever-they-are-selling enough seeps into our bones. We have internalized these hypercritical voices and they paralyze us, putting “enough” always just beyond our reach. Tragically, the defeatist refrain that we can never do or be enough undermines God’s welcome. The refrain undercuts the simple, sometimes small, usually not glamorous, steps we can take to welcome. Jesus says to the disciples who believe they don’t have enough, “Bring to me whatever you have.” Jesus meets them where they are, with the little they have, blessing it and using it.
So it is with gospel hospitality. God’s welcome tells us we are children of God, blessed and welcomed into God’s life. Living in God’s welcome, we trust the working of the Spirit instead of our own achievement. We let God fill the gaps of our inadequacies. When the fears of “not enough” dominate, return to your experience of God’s welcome in your own life as a touchstone. God has already proclaimed that you are enough! God has already received you fully into God’s own life. Lean back into God’s arms, into God’s welcome, and let that be enough.
Experiment The natural world offers us wonderful reminders to trust that whatever we have is enough. Sit in your yard or park and examine the various plants you encounter–tall, stalky flowers; low, creeping vines; small bushes, tall trees, dry grass. Pick two or three plants to draw. Artistic talent doesn’t matter here; use the eyes of your heart to draw one of the plants on paper. As you draw, meditate upon its origins: a seed or a tuber, flung on the ground by the wind or a bird or a person. A tiny beginning, hardly the flourishing life it appears now. Then draw from your imagination what its origins looked like. This small beginning was enough.
Other items of interest on our web site
Sign up now online for Westminster’s Vacation Bible School 2010. Use the links to volunteer and child registration forms on the Weestminster home page.
Soon to be added to our site: comment and conversation pages for sermon audiofiles. Listen to the Sunday sermon at church, and again on your computer or mp3 player if you like, then offer reflections and join the conversation online. A link will be prominently displayed once these pages are created.
Information about Westminster news and events is kept up to date on the News page. You’ll find focused updates about specific groups (e.g. Men’s Fellowship, Women’s Ministry, Sixty Plus Club, and so forth) on pages devoted to each of those groups.
Sermon recordings are placed online early each week. You can listen on your computer or on your MP3 player; subscribe to the RSS feed to automatically receive the podcast as soon as it’s online.
For the most up to date calendar information, check the online calendar.
The Westminster Weekly, plus sermon title and Sunday Bible readings are placed online on Fridays. Get the week’s news early, and give God opportunity to prepare your heart for Sunday’s worship.
Westminster Presbyterian Church 1500 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-761-9320 | westpresa2.org