September 24, 2013
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
“Nature does not proceed by leaps and bounds.” - Carl Linnaeus
Grace was eager to come home from school yesterday to demonstrate what she learned in Mrs. Rochleau’s science class. She said it quickly, each word rolling off the tongue with a confident cadence and precise diction:
“Kingdom, Phyla, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species,” she trumpeted, proudly. The old biology major in me couldn’t be prouder.
She had memorized the essential categories of the timeless classification system developed by Carl Linnaeus, the 18th century Swedish biologist known as the father of modern taxonomy. His work was based on a simple premise: the more we can classify specific details of every organism, the better we can appreciate both the interconnectedness and diversity of all of life.
I asked Grace if she could categorize human beings, and she correctly identified our genus species name as homo sapiens. Eventually, she will be able to complete our taxonomy, as Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Primates, Genus: Homo, Species: Sapiens. Once she is able to do this, she will be able to see how we fit in the grand scheme of all living things.
Grace’s eagerness to learn this classification system made me think about our own identity as a St. Paul’s congregation. It may be a crude analogy, but we can classify our existence as Genus: St. Paul’s, Species: United Methodist, Order: Wesleyan, Class: Protestant, Phylum: Christianity….
…. and then, of course, Kingdom: God. We are all part of the Kingdom of God.
A DISCIPLE’S PATH
Just as learning the Linnaean Classification System helps humans see their place in the world, discovering who we are as United Methodists clarifies our place in the Kingdom of God. That is why, starting October 6, we will begin what may be the most important series I have offered in my six years as your pastor. It is a six-week series that will help us learn more about what it means to be United Methodists committed to Christ through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness, which are the vital components of our membership vow.
The series is called “A Disciple’s Path,” based on a curriculum distributed by the United Methodist Publishing House. It is written by my good friends, Rev. Jim Harnish and Rev. Justin LaRosa, and developed at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, where I served prior to coming here. To date, A Disciple’s Path has been used by over 4,000 churches across the country, helping its members grow in their commitments to Christ and remember their mission and purpose as a congregation.
A critical part of this series will be your participation in a weekly small group. I am grateful to the following people who are volunteering as facilitators of these groups, as they will host and guide conversations that will take your discipleship to the next level. They will start October 7, using a workbook that will be available for purchase. To secure a spot soon, please respond to this email or contact the church office with your preference.
· Sheree Hausmann and Jenny Burroughs: Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30, Home of Sheree and Louis Hausmann
· Connie Hankens and Meribeth Adams: Tuesday afternoons, 1:00-2:30, Church Library
· Bruce Dagel and Magrey deVega: Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:00, Church Library
· Dave and Linda Appleby and Linda Burkhart: Wednesday afternoons, 12:00-1:30, Church Library
· Laura Benson and Missy Jenness: Wednesday evenings, 6:30-7:30, Church Library
STEADY GROWTH, ONE STEP AT A TIME
Linnaeus once said, “Nature does not proceed by leaps and bounds.” It is rare, if not impossible, for organisms to develop new characteristics with any degree of suddenness or spontaneity. For life to advance to greater levels of complexity and achievement, it must do so with hard work, gradual change, and steady commitment.
That’s precisely the way we grow as Christians. John Wesley said, “Every one, though born of God in an instant, yet undoubtedly grows by slow degrees.” The sanctifying grace of God empowers us to make daily, deliberate choices to grow in our faith, deepen our commitments to God, and live into the image of Jesus Christ. That is my ultimate hope for you, and why I would urge you to participate in A Disciple’s Path small group. Step by step, let us take the path that will strengthen our discipleship.
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
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
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