Proud to Be in the UMC

July 13, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

John Wesley remembered traveling a great distance to meet a “serious man” who gave him some very valuable advice. “Sir,” the man told Wesley, “You wish to serve God and go to heaven. Remember you cannot serve him alone; you must therefore find companions or make them; the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.” [1]

This man revolutionized Wesley’s thinking, steering him away from the typically privatized, radically individualistic faith of his day into one that was built on connections and relationships. This perspective would become the basis for his classes and bands, the small groups that drove the early Methodist movement. It would later be an essential ingredient of Methodist polity, with churches organized into interconnected, interrelated networks.

Undoubtedly, there have been times when the United Methodist Church has been accused, perhaps unfairly, of seeming bureaucratic and overly corporate. But at our best, the connectional system is among our greatest assets, synchronizing our efforts to advance God’s mission and responding to the needs of the world with coordinated vigor. If you want to see an example of just how this is possible, receive a recent example from our own backyard.

Two weeks ago, the day after devastating flash floods hit Cherokee, I sent an e-mail updating you with the latest information about relief efforts and the need for volunteers. Our need was dire: 300 homes damaged by rising waters, with 80 of them deemed “urgent.”

After a few hours, that e-mail was forwarded to the Conference Office in Des Moines, and by the end of the afternoon, I was contacted by Conference disaster coordinator Becky Wood and District disaster coordinator Catie Newman. Within a matter of days, we were receiving daily deliveries from around the district of flood buckets containing cleaning supplies. We received phone calls and pledges of support from our District Superintendent, Bernie Colorado, Field Outreach Minister Sarah Stevens, and even our Bishop, Julius Trimble. They each assured us that we would not be dealing with this crisis alone.

Then, last week, a cavalry of volunteer teams arrived, from Hornick United Methodist, Morningside College, and Grace United Methodist in Sioux City. Over three days’ time, dozens of volunteers logged an astounding 186 work hours and essentially finished off the list of 80 urgent homes by the end of last Thursday. Aimee Barritt, a member of St. Paul’s and the county’s emergency management director, was amazed by this outpouring of support.

“I have never been so proud to be a United Methodist,” she said.

The work of the our denomination has made quite an impression on city leaders, as the city council has decided to make a formal proclamation acknowledging and thanking the United Methodist Church for its efforts.

These are uplifting developments, but they should not be surprising to us. After all, there’s a reason that our newly adopted mission statement includes this paragraph: We are Part of a Global Church: We celebrate our commitment to the universal body of Christ, and commit our support to the ministries of the United Methodist Church around the world. And there’s a reason we strive to be faithful in our apportionment giving, meeting our full requirements every year. And there’s a reason we affirm our ties to the district, conference, and general church whenever we can.

Here’s the reason: when the floods hit Cherokee, and most of the major roads into town were submerged, our community was literally surrounded by water. But St. Paul’s UMC was no island. We continued to be part of a grand, dynamic connectional system, grounded in Wesley’s belief that “the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.”

The work will continue, of course. Now that we are officially past the “recovery” phase of flood work, the county will be doing a thorough inspection of all damaged homes that will take the next several weeks. By the end of the summer or early fall, we anticipate that we will be entering the “reconstruction” phase, which will demand a different set of skills and energies to help people rebuild the damage in their homes. When that time comes, we already have commitments from groups in the state who will converge once again on Cherokee and help out people in need.

It’s the Methodist way, and it’s awfully inspiring to behold. You, too, should be proud of being a United Methodist.

Grace and Peace,

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

[1] The Heart of John Wesley’s Journal, Fleming H. Revell Co., 1903, pg. xix.



A WORD OF THANKS
Thanks to all of you who helped provide and serve meals to the volunteers who worked in town last week: Roni Timmerman, Jean Anderson, Phyllis Parrott, Penny Lundell, Betty Forest, Don Witcombe, Evan Knapp, and Andrea Cook.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
We continue our summer blockbuster sermon series “God’s Double Agents” by hearing the story of Elisha and the miracle of the widow’s oil. Follow along with a daily scripture reading bookmark, available in the narthex or the church office.

IOWA-NIGERIA PARTNERSHIP
On Sunday, July 25, we will be receiving a special offering supporting our Conference’s partnership with the church in Nigeria. Consult the missions board in the Fellowship Hall or this Sunday’s bulletin for more information.