The Long Arch of Grace

February 3, 2009

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Since turning 36 a few weeks ago, I’ve come to the humbling realization that I am not a young man anymore.  

I had been hearing for years now about the dearth of young clergy in the United Methodist Church, often defined as pastors under 35 years old.  I had prided myself in being a prized rarity; but, alas, the church has just lost another one.  Nielsen ratings executives have convinced us that 18-35 year olds are the goldmine demographic – the “young adults.”  And just yesterday, my wife came to realize that since we met each other when we were 18, we’ve known each other for half our lives.  We might as well be Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn.

Now, lest you think this message is all about the mournful musings of a recent Middle-Ager, it’s not.  It’s really more about the timeless grace of God.

Last week, I spent time with the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.   It is always a highlight of the year for me to reconnect with friends and colleagues and do the important work of evaluating candidates for ministry.  At the end of the week, I had the privilege of leading closing worship, during which I preached a sermon that centered on the great theological word, “therefore.”  (I hope the sermon was more interesting than how I just made it sound.)

After the service, my friend Rev. Sylvia Russell, with whom I served on a church staff prior to my going to seminary, stopped to tell me that my sermon triggered a poignant memory for her.  She remembered that the word “therefore” was the favorite word of Rev. Ed Norman, who served my boyhood church in the early 1980’s.  He frequently anchored his sermons on that word, as a linguistic and theological lynchpin in his communication of the faith.  

Sylvia’s memory prompted my own recollections of Ed.  As I remember him from my childhood, he was everything I thought a pastor should look like and talk like.  He had a kind face and understanding eyes, and a soothing yet commanding pulpit voice that offered equal parts credibility and gentility.  And he had a warming welcome for everyone he encountered.

But here’s how I really remember Ed Norman today.  Without him, my parents would never have joined Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, FL.  And without Pasadena, I would never have gone to a United Methodist Church in my youth.  And without my youth experience at that church, I never would have been confirmed as a member and fallen in love with the Wesleyan faith.  Which means I never would have been called into ministry, and I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, exactly what God has called me to do.

And the idea that Ed Norman’s favorite sermon-word would somehow creep into the vocabulary of a certain, no-longer-young preacher serving in Cherokee, IA, is both astounding and humbling to me.  But it shouldn’t be surprising.  I guess God’s grace has a way of moving forward, and full circle, at the same time.  

It’s funny; turning 36 is no big deal in light of eternity.  We tend to measure time ego-centrically, as if anything that happened prior to our arrival on earth is ancient history, or as if anything that doesn’t affect us in the present moment is irrelevant.

We live life in pixels; grace zooms out in a glorious wide-angle.  Our lives are like tiny specks of sand; grace perceives the hourglass in full.  We live in the short-term; grace travels the long arch of time.

It makes me appreciate even more the reflections of one of the wisest humans who ever lived, who mused:

I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.   (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11)

God’s grace is the imperceptible thread that links your story with the lives of countless spiritual ancestors.  And it will ensure your impact on those who will follow you long after you are gone.  It binds humanity together into the sweeping narrative of God’s love for all creation.  No matter how young you are or how old you feel, you will always be a part of it.  

Grace, indeed,

Magrey   

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA  51012
Ph:  712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org




THE GREAT CHEROKEE PANCAKE RACE
Attention, race fans!  Gentlewomen, start your frying pans!  The first-ever Cherokee Pancake Race will take place on Shrove Tuesday, February 24, at 5:30pm.  This event carries on a tradition from Olney, England, in which women dressed in aprons and kerchiefs carry cast iron pans and pancakes along a 415-yard race from City Hall to St. Paul’s.  After the race, prizes will be awarded at a Shriving Service in the sanctuary that will prepare us for Lent, followed by a pancake supper where we will receive free-will donations to support the local food pantries.  Registration forms for racers are available at the church office.

YOUTH GROUP THANK-YOU
Thank you, St. Paul’s, for the great response in supporting the youth group’s upcoming ski trip to Mankato.  The cinnamon roll sale brought in over $600.00, which will greatly offset the cost of the trip and make it affordable for more people to come.  Thank you!

YOUTH VALENTINE’S PARTY
Youth grades 7-12 are invited to join us for a fun Valentine’s Day part from 5-7pm this Sunday.  Come play fun Valentine’s games, and hear a lesson on true love.  

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Join us as we continue our sermon series on “Life’s Three Big Questions” with a sermon called “Who are We?  A People Who Welcome.”  This is the third of our value statements that define the character of St. Paul’s UMC, and we will hear about the Parable of the Great Dinner in Luke 14:12-24.