Fear Into Fire

October 13, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

I’m not usually one to pay much attention to manufactured holidays, but today’s second annual “National Face Your Fears Day” caught my eye. [1] I have no idea why the second Wednesday in October was selected for this observance (I would think closer to Halloween makes more spooky sense). But compared to other days this month, including “Be Bald and Be Free Day” (October 14), “Dictionary Day” (October 16), and “TV Talk Show Host Day” (October 23), any invitation to proactively confront our phobias seems like a decent idea.

I don’t know what fears you might be facing, or what the best prescriptions might be for you to overcome them. I would encourage you, however, to practice some sound advice a friend of mine once gave me to overcome my own fears. Get out of yourself. Channel your anxieties into service for people around you, and use your energies to help others’ needs.

Cus D’Amato, the famous boxing trainer who groomed such champions as Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson, once said, “The hero and the villain both enter the ring with the same kind of fear. But the hero is the one who takes their fear and turns it into fire.”

Consider for a moment all the dire fears that people are facing throughout the world today: Devastation in Haiti. Childhood disease and mortality. Lack of clean water, sanitation, and sustainable agriculture. People living under harsh political and economic oppression. The headlines can overwhelm us and make us feel small. We cower in helplessness, fearful that we can’t ever make a dent against such overwhelming odds.

But what if, on “National Face Your Fears Day,” we decided to channel our anxieties about the conditions of the world and turn them into fire for the Kingdom of God? And what if making a difference in the world was as simple as pointing and clicking on the web?

Rather than getting caught up in some artificial holiday, I would direct your attention to a different kind of internet campaign, this one sponsored by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. It’s called 10-Fold, and it has a very simple premise: For ten days, October 10-19, you can learn more about mission and service projects sponsored by UMCOR. And every day you click for more information about a specific project, a partnering church or agency will donate one dollar to that effort, up to $10,000. That’s right: simply by learning more about the United Methodist Church’s work to combat global hardship and injustice, you will actually raise support for that project.

How much easier could that be?

Here’s the schedule (with, admittedly, the first three days already behind us):

October 10, Day 1: Haiti Recovery
October 11, Day 2: Children’s Health and Wholeness
October 12, Day 3: Missionaries in the US
October 13, Day 4: Missionaries Around the World
October 14, Day 5: Training Church Leaders
October 15, Day 6: Church Planting Worldwide
October 16, Day 7: Justice for Our Neighbors
October 17, Day 8: Clean Water and Sanitation
October 18, Day 9: Healthcare in Africa
October 19, Day 10: Sustainable Agriculture

All you have to do is visit www.10-Fold.org, and click on the project for the day. Using modern communication technologies like Skype, live chat, and streaming video, you can even interact with actual missionaries and agency representatives to learn more about what they are doing around the world. And, of course, you can decide to become an active supporter in their work, in any way you feel led. At the very least, be sure to click on “Support” and sign up for more information via e-mail. And every time you do, someone will donate one dollar on your behalf to that agency.

It really is that simple to make a difference. Let’s not cower in fear in the face of the world’s problems. Let’s get fired up instead.

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] www.faceyourfearstoday.com



WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Join us this Sunday for a sermon titled “The Power of Persistent Prayer,” based on the story in Luke’s gospel about the judge and the persistent widow.

YOUTH EVENT THIS SUNDAY
Attention, youth grades 7-12! Come to St. Paul’s from 4:00-6:00 this Sunday for a fun event called “Clue Night!” We’ll turn the whole campus into a giant, live-action game of “Clue,” and you can help solve a murder! We’ll begin with some light snacks and end with a relevant lesson.

GUEST ARTIST OCTOBER 24
Magrey and his family will be out of town on the weekend of October 23-24, and the Mid-Week Message will be suspended until the following week. Come hear Christian musician Jill Miller on the 24th, who will be performing during the morning service. She is a gifted artist from Sioux City, and you can learn more about her on her website, www.jillmillermusic.com.