August 27, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
If I were to tell you that ten dollars could save a life, would you believe me?
More importantly, would you give it?
Every year, 1 million people die around the world from malaria. It is particularly devastating in Africa, where malaria cases account for roughly half of all hospital admissions. Malaria-related illnesses also affect the economy, with an estimated 12 billion dollars per year in lost productivity, foreign investment, and tourism. Worst of all, malaria kills 1 child in Africa every 30 seconds.
The predominant carrier for the disease is the African mosquito, which is most active at night, between the hours of 10pm and 4am. Sleeping African children become unsuspecting prey to a disease that has the potential of killing them in a matter of weeks.
But the tragic irony is that malaria is entirely preventable. By supplying families with insecticide-treated nets that hang over their beds, rates of transmission drop a whopping 90 percent. Couple that with anti-malarial drugs and efforts to stem the breeding of these mosquitoes, and Africa could join the rest of the world in combating and even eliminating the threat of this disease.
And the cost of each net? You guessed it. Ten dollars.
Jesus was very clear: if you minister to the sick, the dying, the diseased, and the poor, you minister to Jesus himself. The church is called to respond to the needs of others with fervor and diligence, whether those needs be here in Cherokee, or in the most remote parts of the world.
The Iowa Annual Conference has placed a special emphasis on combating malaria by supporting a program called Nothing But Nets, an agency committed to fighting the disease one family and one life at a time by providing insecticide-laced bed nets. As of last Annual Conference, churches throughout Iowa have provided over $200,000 of support. That means 20,000 families have been saved through the efforts of Iowa United Methodists.
St. Paul’s joins the effort this Sunday, with a special offering for the Nothing But Nets program. I would invite you to be prayerful and generous with your support, and know that all of the offering will count toward our Rainbow Covenant Missions giving effort this year. More importantly, you will know that your small sacrifice will literally save a life.
For more information about the Nothing But Nets program, visit www.nothingbutnets.net.
It is still great to be the church. See you Sunday!
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
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
God and Golf
August 20, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
What a wonderful celebration we had last Sunday! We give thanks to God for all the energy and love that filled the sanctuary, as we commemorated our 150 years of ministry together. Special thanks go to the members of the History Committee (Joyce Pyle, Dee Taylor, and Marlene Kelly) for all their hard work over the past several weeks.
Among the ministers we have celebrated during this series is the Rev. Don Johnson, who served here from 1986-1990. He is retired now, and living in Oceanside, CA with his wife Marileen. An avid golfer, he recently wrote a book connecting the game of golf with the Christian life. It’s called Another Zone: God and Golf. Along with his greetings, he recently sent us a copy of the book, which we will make available in the church library.
I am not much of a golfer, and my swing is horrendous - more like Charles Barkley’s than Tiger Woods’. I can, however, see the game’s allure, and why it is so attractive to people who enjoy being outdoors and need to forget about the world’s troubles for a round or two. But I’ve never connected the game with spirituality like Don Johnson. After perusing the book, I picked up a few choice quotes, like this one from the chapter titled “Your Will Versus Relaxing”:
All kinds of mistakes happen when you force yourself beyond your capacity. One of the major things that will happen (if you are right handed) is that you will push your right hand and wrists through the ball so it will pull the ball to the left. Or, another action that results from imposing your will is hitting the ground before the club strikes the ball – you dipped your right or left shoulder in trying to hit the ball farther. Or, another possible consequence is miss-hitting the ball - - taking your eye off the ball – because you so willfully determined to hit it farther. Your anger is vented in a radical and uncontrolled swing. We all know what an uncontrolled swing is.
As your game collapses, your anxiety increases and your will to do better is intensified to the extent that your swing is out of control. To play within your capabilities is to live by grace. When you push yourself beyond your capabilities you are essentially saying to yourself that you do not accept your present skill of golf.
Living in the context of doing God’s will – the most inner part of your being – is the most relaxing and energizing stance that you can possibly have.
GUEST PREACHER THIS SUNDAY
We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Ray Kruger, retired Presbyterian minister, as our guest preacher this Sunday. He will be preaching a sermon titled, “God’s Compellingly Compassionate Love.” I will be out of town with my family for a wedding, and will be back Monday night. If there is an emergency, please contact the church office.
Have a joyous weekend, and once again, Happy Anniversary!
Grace,
Magrey
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
What a wonderful celebration we had last Sunday! We give thanks to God for all the energy and love that filled the sanctuary, as we commemorated our 150 years of ministry together. Special thanks go to the members of the History Committee (Joyce Pyle, Dee Taylor, and Marlene Kelly) for all their hard work over the past several weeks.
Among the ministers we have celebrated during this series is the Rev. Don Johnson, who served here from 1986-1990. He is retired now, and living in Oceanside, CA with his wife Marileen. An avid golfer, he recently wrote a book connecting the game of golf with the Christian life. It’s called Another Zone: God and Golf. Along with his greetings, he recently sent us a copy of the book, which we will make available in the church library.
I am not much of a golfer, and my swing is horrendous - more like Charles Barkley’s than Tiger Woods’. I can, however, see the game’s allure, and why it is so attractive to people who enjoy being outdoors and need to forget about the world’s troubles for a round or two. But I’ve never connected the game with spirituality like Don Johnson. After perusing the book, I picked up a few choice quotes, like this one from the chapter titled “Your Will Versus Relaxing”:
All kinds of mistakes happen when you force yourself beyond your capacity. One of the major things that will happen (if you are right handed) is that you will push your right hand and wrists through the ball so it will pull the ball to the left. Or, another action that results from imposing your will is hitting the ground before the club strikes the ball – you dipped your right or left shoulder in trying to hit the ball farther. Or, another possible consequence is miss-hitting the ball - - taking your eye off the ball – because you so willfully determined to hit it farther. Your anger is vented in a radical and uncontrolled swing. We all know what an uncontrolled swing is.
As your game collapses, your anxiety increases and your will to do better is intensified to the extent that your swing is out of control. To play within your capabilities is to live by grace. When you push yourself beyond your capabilities you are essentially saying to yourself that you do not accept your present skill of golf.
Living in the context of doing God’s will – the most inner part of your being – is the most relaxing and energizing stance that you can possibly have.
GUEST PREACHER THIS SUNDAY
We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Ray Kruger, retired Presbyterian minister, as our guest preacher this Sunday. He will be preaching a sermon titled, “God’s Compellingly Compassionate Love.” I will be out of town with my family for a wedding, and will be back Monday night. If there is an emergency, please contact the church office.
Have a joyous weekend, and once again, Happy Anniversary!
Grace,
Magrey
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
"There Has Been Much Done, And We Have Done So Little"
August 12, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
“I arrived at Cherokee August 18, 1858, crossed the river on a small ferry boat near the old white mill accompanied by my wife and 18 month old daughter. My wife, one of a Methodist family several of whom are noted for their deep Christian character: brave, kind, and true, endowed with energy and pluck, with her good judgment and common sense, helped me through many hard places.”
And so begins the journal of the Rev. O.S. Wight, the Methodist Circuit Rider who first preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the fledgling community of twenty residents living in Cherokee 150 years ago. O.S. Wight was a mere seven generations removed from Thomas Wight, one of the original pilgrims who lived in Massachusetts in 1635. I’ve spent some time reading through pages of his journal, and have been amazed at the stories of faith, courage, and determination that marked this early pioneer of the faith.
“My education being much limited I felt my inability to fulfill my calling. Out of my scanty means I bought books and devoted my spare time to study but made slow progress as life was a constant struggle for existence….”
“Peterson and Spirit Lake were included in my charge. I had nothing to make these trips with except an ox team. I sometimes walked the entire distance, there being no bridges. I often encountered bad mud holes and swollen streams….My wife remained at home, surrounded by all the danger, loneliness, and disadvantage of pioneer life….”
The “disadvantage of pioneer life” would ultimately claim the life of their young daughter, who died suddenly after a two-day battle with a mystery illness. She was buried “on the high bluff near the south bank of Mill Creek,” and he supposed that she was likely the first burial to ever take place in this area.
Yet despite the pain and hardship of living and serving on the frontier, Wight pressed on to fulfill the call that God had placed in his life. During his first year he preached about 50 sermons to the people of Cherokee and the surrounding area, and made it through the first year on $57.50 of support. He faithfully made visits to families throughout Cherokee, Peterson, and Spirit Lake, organized class meetings, and held prayer meetings. Among those he organized was a small class in 1866, just 4 miles northeast of Cherokee. This group would eventually become the church of which we are a part today.
Toward the end of his life, having witnessed the population of this area bloom to a bustling community of a few thousand, Wight reflected on the impact of the gospel on the people that he served throughout his years:
“(There are people here) by the thousands who are among the most prosperous, industrious, and intelligent people the world has ever known. What makes them what they are? I answer ‘the gospel of Christ.’ I said to a friend a short time ago, I have lived here so long there has been so much done, and I have done so little. He said you held the ground and we will not know until the time of (reckoning) comes who has done the most so we do what we can.”
Of all the statements in Wight’s journal, that last sentence may be the most profound for us. At times it may seem that our efforts and sacrifices pale in comparison to those made by our spiritual ancestors. We have not paid with our lives as the first century martyrs once did. We have not formulated the church’s doctrine as the early theologians have for us. We have not had to survive persecutions, inquisitions, or even harsh pioneer living. “There has been so much done, and we have done so little.”
But our efforts do make a difference. Mother Theresa once said, “God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.” And it is for his faithfulness that we remember O.S. Wight, as well as the countless pastors and lay people who forged a faith that we have inherited. And may that be the simple standard to which we ascribe today.
This Sunday, we mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of this congregation. May we approach this day with solemnity and reverence, as well as joyous celebration for the work that God has done. And may we be inspired to face a bright future with great hope and faith!
See you Sunday!
Magrey
MAYORAL PROCLAMATION
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, August 13, at 1pm in the sanctuary, as Mayor Pam Pierce offers an official proclamation declaring August 18, 2008 as “St. Paul’s United Methodist Day.” The Cherokee Chronicle will be here to cover the event, and it would be good to have a number of congregation members here.
SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
This Sunday’s special worship service is followed by a celebration luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. We give great thanks to Lee and Jan Nelson for donating the hams, and we invite those whose last names begin with A-M to bring desserts, and N-Z to bring salads. The sign up sheet is downstairs outside the church office.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Anamnesis
August 5, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
My family and I have been spending the past few days on Horseshoe Lake, Minnesota, at a cabin owned by Jessica’s family. This is a special place for her, as it prompts many childhood memories of summers spent fishing and boating, swimming and water-skiing. The shoreline beach is foot-printed with many ferocious games of beach volleyball. The boat dock is lined with stories of big-time catches, and ones that got away. The clothesline in the yard reminds Jessica of summers spent wearing nothing but her swimsuit, indoors and out, 24 hours a day. And the dining room table is etched with countless games of euchre, hearts, spades, and card houses that filled many rainy days and cloudless nights.
My first memory of the lake was fifteen years ago this month, when I met Jessica’s extended family for the first time. Walking out onto the dock, I introduced myself to her Uncle Mike, and the conversation went something like this:
“Hi, you must be Uncle Mike,” I said. “I’m Jessica’s new boyfriend.”
“Oh, hey there!” said Mike, with a firm handshake. “You must be Steve.”
“Umm…”
“No? Then you’re Rick….Mark?.....Joe?......”
“My name’s Magrey,” I said, sheepishly.
“Aw, I’m just kidding with ya’,” he said, swatting my now-slumped shoulders, nearly knocking me into the water.
(I credit Mike with this idea for a prank I swear someday I will play on my daughters’ new boyfriends.)
All of us should have locales like these that can serve as memory reservoirs – places that flood you with memories so vivid and evocative that it feels like you are reliving them the moment you walk in. Maybe for you it’s a backyard tree house, a grade school tire swing, a library bean bag chair, or a patch of grass under a shady oak tree.
Whatever place is unique to you, I believe we all share one in common. It’s the church: a memory reservoir unlike any other.
When the New Testament speaks of remembrance, it often uses the Greek word anamnesis, a word packed with so much meaning that there is no perfect English equivalent. To first century Christians, this kind of remembering was more than just “fondly recollecting,” or flipping back through one’s mental scrapbook to ponder past events. To remember something “anamnetically” was to do so with such vividness and clarity that the events of the past came alive in the present, as if they were happening for the first time.
This is exactly the word that Jesus used in the upper room, when he told his disciples to share in the bread and the cup in remembrance of him. When we partake of communion, we aren’t just retelling a fable secured in the distant past. We share in such a dynamic, anamnetic remembrance of Jesus that he is actually alive in our experience, a real presence in real time.
The church is where this kind of vibrant remembrance occurs. In every aspect of our worshipping life together, the past springs to life, and those who have gone before us join us in a mystical communion that lives in and through us.
The sermon this Sunday is based on the prophet Isaiah, who spoke words of comfort and hope to a people in exile, and offered them this call to remembrance.
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Remember and celebrate! See you Sunday!
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
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
My family and I have been spending the past few days on Horseshoe Lake, Minnesota, at a cabin owned by Jessica’s family. This is a special place for her, as it prompts many childhood memories of summers spent fishing and boating, swimming and water-skiing. The shoreline beach is foot-printed with many ferocious games of beach volleyball. The boat dock is lined with stories of big-time catches, and ones that got away. The clothesline in the yard reminds Jessica of summers spent wearing nothing but her swimsuit, indoors and out, 24 hours a day. And the dining room table is etched with countless games of euchre, hearts, spades, and card houses that filled many rainy days and cloudless nights.
My first memory of the lake was fifteen years ago this month, when I met Jessica’s extended family for the first time. Walking out onto the dock, I introduced myself to her Uncle Mike, and the conversation went something like this:
“Hi, you must be Uncle Mike,” I said. “I’m Jessica’s new boyfriend.”
“Oh, hey there!” said Mike, with a firm handshake. “You must be Steve.”
“Umm…”
“No? Then you’re Rick….Mark?.....Joe?......”
“My name’s Magrey,” I said, sheepishly.
“Aw, I’m just kidding with ya’,” he said, swatting my now-slumped shoulders, nearly knocking me into the water.
(I credit Mike with this idea for a prank I swear someday I will play on my daughters’ new boyfriends.)
All of us should have locales like these that can serve as memory reservoirs – places that flood you with memories so vivid and evocative that it feels like you are reliving them the moment you walk in. Maybe for you it’s a backyard tree house, a grade school tire swing, a library bean bag chair, or a patch of grass under a shady oak tree.
Whatever place is unique to you, I believe we all share one in common. It’s the church: a memory reservoir unlike any other.
When the New Testament speaks of remembrance, it often uses the Greek word anamnesis, a word packed with so much meaning that there is no perfect English equivalent. To first century Christians, this kind of remembering was more than just “fondly recollecting,” or flipping back through one’s mental scrapbook to ponder past events. To remember something “anamnetically” was to do so with such vividness and clarity that the events of the past came alive in the present, as if they were happening for the first time.
This is exactly the word that Jesus used in the upper room, when he told his disciples to share in the bread and the cup in remembrance of him. When we partake of communion, we aren’t just retelling a fable secured in the distant past. We share in such a dynamic, anamnetic remembrance of Jesus that he is actually alive in our experience, a real presence in real time.
The church is where this kind of vibrant remembrance occurs. In every aspect of our worshipping life together, the past springs to life, and those who have gone before us join us in a mystical communion that lives in and through us.
- When we say the Lord’s Prayer, our voices are joined with that of Rev. O.S. Wight, the Methodist circuit rider who first brought Methodism to Cherokee 150 years ago.
- When we sing “I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord,” we are joined by the St. Paul’s congregation of 1915, who sang that hymn when our sanctuary was first dedicated.
- When we recite “The Apostles’ Creed,” we feel the electric presence of the saints who have gone before us: loved ones, friends, preachers and lay people alike, who forged a faith upon which we stand.
- And at every moment, we remember Jesus, who lives and reigns among us, guiding our church through 150 years of ministry.
The sermon this Sunday is based on the prophet Isaiah, who spoke words of comfort and hope to a people in exile, and offered them this call to remembrance.
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Remember and celebrate! See you Sunday!
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
Thursday, July 31, 2008
"They Need Not Go Away"
July 31, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
On rare occasions, the gospel writers move from being objective sideline reporters to becoming intuitive mind readers, weaving both the actions of Jesus with his attitudes, and giving us a glimpse into the innermost workings of his mind and heart. One such passage is Matthew’s version of the feeding of the miracle:
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
The original Greek word for compassion literally means “gut-wrenching.” Specifically, it is the word “splanchnidzomai,” and is related to the splanchnic nerve that connects to the stomach. For Jesus, seeing the needs of the crowd was a punch to his gut. His reaction was no mere pity; nor was it simply “feeling sorry for them.” It was visceral and real, twisting his stomach in knots.
It is easy to envision a Jesus who keeps his emotions in check, calmly and steadily aiding the masses with commendable efficiency. But Matthew and Mark are the only gospels to share with us Jesus’ gut-wrenching motive, and it is to illustrate a point. Jesus not only ministered to but also identified with the suffering of the people. They were not anonymous victims, or numbers on a roster, or appointments on a calendar. They were real people, with real stories, and real pain.
Your storm relief team is just hours removed from returning from three days of work in Cedar Rapids. Collectively we put in over 100 hours of work in two residences and a church, removing debris and doing demolition, in the midst of a community shell-shocked by the catastrophic results of last month’s floods. Cedar Rapids alone has lost 5400 homes in only a nine-mile radius, with an estimated 1 billion dollars in total damage. We worked at St. James United Methodist Church, one of three Methodist churches severely damaged by the floods. Of their 125 families, 67 lost their homes, including the parsonage. Yesterday’s New York Times featured an article covering the latest news in Cedar Rapids, including a picture of the street where we were working. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/30cedar.html?hp)
In a word, the scene was gut-wrenching.
But Matthew’s feeding story takes a turn toward the unexpected. His is the only gospel to record Jesus’ words to the disciples that utterly undermined their expectations and intentions. After the disciples had tried to give Jesus a reality check, telling him that there was no food and little time to care for this massive need, and encouraging Jesus to cut the people loose to care for themselves, he offered this word:
“They need not go away.”
Perhaps the disciples were simply being pragmatic; we wouldn’t blame them. Perhaps they subscribed to the well-worn conviction that people like this needed to help themselves rather than wait for a hand-out; that’s a popular sentiment today. Or maybe, speaking out of fatigue and frustration, desensitized to this suffering by one massive need after another, the disciples were simply hoping that ignoring the problem would make it go away. Regardless of their motive, Jesus’ response was a reversal that must have caught them by surprise.
They need not go away. You give them something to eat.
I don’t know about you, but that word brings to me equal amounts of hope and apprehension. On the one hand, we are both empowered and entrusted with the capacity to effect positive change in the world, even against the most dire circumstances. Being the church today means providing the greatest possibility of transformation to the lives of people living in “a deserted place,” when “the hour is late.”
But if we’re honest, we carry doubts that we are the right ones for the job. Might this be too heavy a burden for such weak, fallible hands? Doubts rise:
• “What good will it do to reach out to one person in love, when millions are in need?”
• “What if I do my part, but it still doesn’t seem like enough?”
• “I’m no spiritual giant. What can I do when I have faults of my own?”
• “If I tell my friend about Jesus, what if it falls on deaf ears, or turns him away?”
• “The need is too great. What can one person do?”
It’s in these moments that Matthew would remind us of the punchline at the end, because it’s a doozy. Allow me to paraphrase:
Then, taking these seemingly insignificant efforts, he looks up to heaven, blesses them and breaks them, then gives them out to those in need. Then, surprise! All eat and are filled, and there is more than enough!
In the end, we are left with no excuse but to live out our calling as an agent of hope and possibility in the world.
When we respond to disasters and help those in recovery,
When we invite someone to church and tell them about God’s love,
When we live out our faith in our homes and our work places,
When we join in united prayer for the needs of the world,
When we advocate for the voiceless and point those who are lost homeward,
And when we do so out of a compassion much deeper than pity,
Then the hurting need not go away. We can give them something to eat.
It’s so good to be the church,
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
Matthew 14:13-21
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
15 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.’
16 Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’
17 They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’
18 And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’
19 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.
20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
RAY HAMPTON RETURNS
As part of our ongoing celebration of our 150th anniversary, we are grateful to have Rev. Ray Hampton, who served as my immediate predecessor from 2002-2007, as our guest preacher this Sunday. His wife Rhonda, who served as our choir director, will be offering the special music for the service. On August 17, we observe our official sesquicentennial, with a worship celebration at 9:30 followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. We invite those whose last names begin with A-M to bring desserts, and N-Z to bring salads.
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
On rare occasions, the gospel writers move from being objective sideline reporters to becoming intuitive mind readers, weaving both the actions of Jesus with his attitudes, and giving us a glimpse into the innermost workings of his mind and heart. One such passage is Matthew’s version of the feeding of the miracle:
When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
The original Greek word for compassion literally means “gut-wrenching.” Specifically, it is the word “splanchnidzomai,” and is related to the splanchnic nerve that connects to the stomach. For Jesus, seeing the needs of the crowd was a punch to his gut. His reaction was no mere pity; nor was it simply “feeling sorry for them.” It was visceral and real, twisting his stomach in knots.
It is easy to envision a Jesus who keeps his emotions in check, calmly and steadily aiding the masses with commendable efficiency. But Matthew and Mark are the only gospels to share with us Jesus’ gut-wrenching motive, and it is to illustrate a point. Jesus not only ministered to but also identified with the suffering of the people. They were not anonymous victims, or numbers on a roster, or appointments on a calendar. They were real people, with real stories, and real pain.
Your storm relief team is just hours removed from returning from three days of work in Cedar Rapids. Collectively we put in over 100 hours of work in two residences and a church, removing debris and doing demolition, in the midst of a community shell-shocked by the catastrophic results of last month’s floods. Cedar Rapids alone has lost 5400 homes in only a nine-mile radius, with an estimated 1 billion dollars in total damage. We worked at St. James United Methodist Church, one of three Methodist churches severely damaged by the floods. Of their 125 families, 67 lost their homes, including the parsonage. Yesterday’s New York Times featured an article covering the latest news in Cedar Rapids, including a picture of the street where we were working. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/30cedar.html?hp)
In a word, the scene was gut-wrenching.
But Matthew’s feeding story takes a turn toward the unexpected. His is the only gospel to record Jesus’ words to the disciples that utterly undermined their expectations and intentions. After the disciples had tried to give Jesus a reality check, telling him that there was no food and little time to care for this massive need, and encouraging Jesus to cut the people loose to care for themselves, he offered this word:
“They need not go away.”
Perhaps the disciples were simply being pragmatic; we wouldn’t blame them. Perhaps they subscribed to the well-worn conviction that people like this needed to help themselves rather than wait for a hand-out; that’s a popular sentiment today. Or maybe, speaking out of fatigue and frustration, desensitized to this suffering by one massive need after another, the disciples were simply hoping that ignoring the problem would make it go away. Regardless of their motive, Jesus’ response was a reversal that must have caught them by surprise.
They need not go away. You give them something to eat.
I don’t know about you, but that word brings to me equal amounts of hope and apprehension. On the one hand, we are both empowered and entrusted with the capacity to effect positive change in the world, even against the most dire circumstances. Being the church today means providing the greatest possibility of transformation to the lives of people living in “a deserted place,” when “the hour is late.”
But if we’re honest, we carry doubts that we are the right ones for the job. Might this be too heavy a burden for such weak, fallible hands? Doubts rise:
• “What good will it do to reach out to one person in love, when millions are in need?”
• “What if I do my part, but it still doesn’t seem like enough?”
• “I’m no spiritual giant. What can I do when I have faults of my own?”
• “If I tell my friend about Jesus, what if it falls on deaf ears, or turns him away?”
• “The need is too great. What can one person do?”
It’s in these moments that Matthew would remind us of the punchline at the end, because it’s a doozy. Allow me to paraphrase:
Then, taking these seemingly insignificant efforts, he looks up to heaven, blesses them and breaks them, then gives them out to those in need. Then, surprise! All eat and are filled, and there is more than enough!
In the end, we are left with no excuse but to live out our calling as an agent of hope and possibility in the world.
When we respond to disasters and help those in recovery,
When we invite someone to church and tell them about God’s love,
When we live out our faith in our homes and our work places,
When we join in united prayer for the needs of the world,
When we advocate for the voiceless and point those who are lost homeward,
And when we do so out of a compassion much deeper than pity,
Then the hurting need not go away. We can give them something to eat.
It’s so good to be the church,
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
Matthew 14:13-21
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
15 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.’
16 Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’
17 They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’
18 And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’
19 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.
20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
RAY HAMPTON RETURNS
As part of our ongoing celebration of our 150th anniversary, we are grateful to have Rev. Ray Hampton, who served as my immediate predecessor from 2002-2007, as our guest preacher this Sunday. His wife Rhonda, who served as our choir director, will be offering the special music for the service. On August 17, we observe our official sesquicentennial, with a worship celebration at 9:30 followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. We invite those whose last names begin with A-M to bring desserts, and N-Z to bring salads.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Heroes
July 22, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
If you’re looking for a hero, try a theater near you.
‘Tis the season for blockbuster movies, and lately it’s been a fanboy’s dream: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy, Wanted, and most recently, Batman, have turned our neighborhood theater into a perpetual comic book convention.
Far be it for me to extract too much meaning out of mindless pop culture, but I have thought about a connecting thread among all of these movies. Each film’s plot is anchored on the premise that the main character becomes a hero by overcoming his shortcomings. His journey is one of becoming more than he is.
This has been the great American plot summary. We love authority that rises from anonymity. We gravitate toward politicians who can prove that they rose to power despite their past, because it makes us think we can do the same. Our cultural landscape is filled with images that reinforce the point: the rugged individualist, the cowboy at high noon, the astronaut in outer space, the home run king at the plate, the home town boy made good.
We are a nation built on notions of individual achievement: overcome your shortcomings, and you can rise to greatness. There is a hero in you waiting to emerge.
But what has this mentality done to the Christian faith in our culture?
I suggest that it has brought a radically privatized, individualized dimension to American Christianity. It means that we have transferred the hero’s narrative to our own journeys of faith. We think, “If I can just get my life right with God, if I can just live the kind of life I’m supposed to live, then I can do great things for God.”
So, we get bestselling books that tease us in that direction. Their titles are dead give aways to this trend:
We might as well have a book titled, How to Become a Spiritual Superhero and Rise Above Being Just an Ordinary Nobody. It would be an instant bestseller.
The Christian church has had to deal with this kind of ultra-privatized spirituality before. In fact, it didn’t take long before the fledgling Christian movement had to deal with a belief system called Gnosticism, which was growing in popularity among those who believed that ultimate power and ultimate light were to be found through a radical turn inward. Gnostics believed that the way you find that power is by discovering it in you, overcoming your fleshly barriers, and expressing it. We see this on the big screen: When Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Clark Kent break out of the confines of their alter egos, they become superhuman. Otherwise, they are ordinary - and vulnerable.
There are several problems with having this as a guiding narrative for the Christian faith journey. First, ours is an incarnational faith. The task of the Christian is not to escape what it means to be human, but to be “living sacrifices” to God, embodying God’s love with every aspect of our being.
This is the problem with that tired cliché: “I’m a spiritual person; I’m just not that religious.” What this suggests is that it is possible to be a Christian inwardly without being a Christian expressively or relationally. This form of modern-day Gnosticism suggests that we can believe the right things without practicing the right things.
Second, a full and complete reading of the Bible will not allow us to view the Christian faith so individualistically. When Jesus is proclaimed as Lord in the New Testament, he is not just the In the Garden Lord that “walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am his own.” He is also the “Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all Nature.” His rule is over all of creation, and over all peoples, despite our tendency to think that it’s just all about “me and Jesus.”
Third, ours is a faith rooted in community. Whenever the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always in the context of its work in and through the community of faith. Spiritual gifts are given for the work of the church. The fruit of the Spirit is given for the edification of the community. The letters of Paul are written to communities faith, not just individuals, and they are meant to strengthen their love for each other and their commitment to their mission. That is why, in order to grow most consistently in your faith, you should do so in the context of community: in worship with others on Sunday and studying the Bible with others in a small group.
Ultimately, this vision of an alternate community is one of the most subversive aspects of the Christian faith to modern American culture: the world will not be transformed by the sum effect of individual “heroes” rising beyond their inadequacies. It will be transformed by the collective work of the body of Christ: a wholly distinct community that advocates and models a radically different ethic, based on the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
We are, together, more than we can ever be on our own. We need each other to grow in our faith, and the world needs the full complement of our individual gifts in order to effect change in the world around us.
This is why it is so important for us to enter this celebration of our 150th Anniversary with the acknowledgment that the kingdom of God is advanced in and through the collective efforts of a committed community of faith. It is a work not just relegated to a long string of appointed pastors, or a few memorable, prominent Christians. It is, in fact, built with the joint efforts of ordinary, every day followers of Jesus, just like all of you.
The world needs a hero, and the body of Christ can provide one. Indeed, it still good to be the church.
Grace,
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
ST. PAUL’S TURNS 150
We begin our Sesquicentennial Celebration this Sunday with the return of Rev. Bob Davis, who served the church from 1977 to 1986. He will be preaching one of his famous “Sermons in Song,” and the service will be followed by an ice cream social and games for the children. Rev. Ray Hampton joins us on August 3, and our Sesquicentennial Service is on August 17.
STORM RELIEF UPDATE
A team from this church is leaving next week, July 28-30, to spend a few days in the Cedar Rapids area. You can support the team through your prayers and your contributions of time and materials for their work. Consider contributing toward the fund to pay for gas, meals, and (designate checks to “Storm Relief Team”). A list of items needed for the team’s recovery work is available in the church office. At this time, donations of clothes food items for the victims are not advised. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
If you’re looking for a hero, try a theater near you.
‘Tis the season for blockbuster movies, and lately it’s been a fanboy’s dream: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy, Wanted, and most recently, Batman, have turned our neighborhood theater into a perpetual comic book convention.
Far be it for me to extract too much meaning out of mindless pop culture, but I have thought about a connecting thread among all of these movies. Each film’s plot is anchored on the premise that the main character becomes a hero by overcoming his shortcomings. His journey is one of becoming more than he is.
This has been the great American plot summary. We love authority that rises from anonymity. We gravitate toward politicians who can prove that they rose to power despite their past, because it makes us think we can do the same. Our cultural landscape is filled with images that reinforce the point: the rugged individualist, the cowboy at high noon, the astronaut in outer space, the home run king at the plate, the home town boy made good.
We are a nation built on notions of individual achievement: overcome your shortcomings, and you can rise to greatness. There is a hero in you waiting to emerge.
But what has this mentality done to the Christian faith in our culture?
I suggest that it has brought a radically privatized, individualized dimension to American Christianity. It means that we have transferred the hero’s narrative to our own journeys of faith. We think, “If I can just get my life right with God, if I can just live the kind of life I’m supposed to live, then I can do great things for God.”
So, we get bestselling books that tease us in that direction. Their titles are dead give aways to this trend:
- Your Best Life Now (Joel Osteen)
- The Purpose-Driven Life (Rick Warren)
- Facing Your Giants (Max Lucado)
- Look Great, Feel Great (Joyce Meyer)
We might as well have a book titled, How to Become a Spiritual Superhero and Rise Above Being Just an Ordinary Nobody. It would be an instant bestseller.
The Christian church has had to deal with this kind of ultra-privatized spirituality before. In fact, it didn’t take long before the fledgling Christian movement had to deal with a belief system called Gnosticism, which was growing in popularity among those who believed that ultimate power and ultimate light were to be found through a radical turn inward. Gnostics believed that the way you find that power is by discovering it in you, overcoming your fleshly barriers, and expressing it. We see this on the big screen: When Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Clark Kent break out of the confines of their alter egos, they become superhuman. Otherwise, they are ordinary - and vulnerable.
There are several problems with having this as a guiding narrative for the Christian faith journey. First, ours is an incarnational faith. The task of the Christian is not to escape what it means to be human, but to be “living sacrifices” to God, embodying God’s love with every aspect of our being.
This is the problem with that tired cliché: “I’m a spiritual person; I’m just not that religious.” What this suggests is that it is possible to be a Christian inwardly without being a Christian expressively or relationally. This form of modern-day Gnosticism suggests that we can believe the right things without practicing the right things.
Second, a full and complete reading of the Bible will not allow us to view the Christian faith so individualistically. When Jesus is proclaimed as Lord in the New Testament, he is not just the In the Garden Lord that “walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am his own.” He is also the “Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all Nature.” His rule is over all of creation, and over all peoples, despite our tendency to think that it’s just all about “me and Jesus.”
Third, ours is a faith rooted in community. Whenever the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always in the context of its work in and through the community of faith. Spiritual gifts are given for the work of the church. The fruit of the Spirit is given for the edification of the community. The letters of Paul are written to communities faith, not just individuals, and they are meant to strengthen their love for each other and their commitment to their mission. That is why, in order to grow most consistently in your faith, you should do so in the context of community: in worship with others on Sunday and studying the Bible with others in a small group.
Ultimately, this vision of an alternate community is one of the most subversive aspects of the Christian faith to modern American culture: the world will not be transformed by the sum effect of individual “heroes” rising beyond their inadequacies. It will be transformed by the collective work of the body of Christ: a wholly distinct community that advocates and models a radically different ethic, based on the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
We are, together, more than we can ever be on our own. We need each other to grow in our faith, and the world needs the full complement of our individual gifts in order to effect change in the world around us.
This is why it is so important for us to enter this celebration of our 150th Anniversary with the acknowledgment that the kingdom of God is advanced in and through the collective efforts of a committed community of faith. It is a work not just relegated to a long string of appointed pastors, or a few memorable, prominent Christians. It is, in fact, built with the joint efforts of ordinary, every day followers of Jesus, just like all of you.
The world needs a hero, and the body of Christ can provide one. Indeed, it still good to be the church.
Grace,
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
ST. PAUL’S TURNS 150
We begin our Sesquicentennial Celebration this Sunday with the return of Rev. Bob Davis, who served the church from 1977 to 1986. He will be preaching one of his famous “Sermons in Song,” and the service will be followed by an ice cream social and games for the children. Rev. Ray Hampton joins us on August 3, and our Sesquicentennial Service is on August 17.
STORM RELIEF UPDATE
A team from this church is leaving next week, July 28-30, to spend a few days in the Cedar Rapids area. You can support the team through your prayers and your contributions of time and materials for their work. Consider contributing toward the fund to pay for gas, meals, and (designate checks to “Storm Relief Team”). A list of items needed for the team’s recovery work is available in the church office. At this time, donations of clothes food items for the victims are not advised. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Storm Recovery
July 15, 2008
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
The apostle Paul begins his second letter to the church in Corinth with the notion that when anyone in the body of Christ suffers, it is a joint suffering with the whole Christian community:
If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. (2 Corinthians 1:6-7)
As we continue to watch fellow residents of Iowa clean up and recover from devastating storms and floods around the state, we are reminded that all of us share the mutual burdens of suffering and consolation.
From July 28-30, members of this church will be heading to the Cedar Rapids area to assist in the recovery efforts. We are grateful for the many ways that people in this church and in this community have come together to put these plans together. Holzhauer Motors is donating a 15-passenger van for us to transport personnel and supplies. HyVee Drugstore has donated supplies for a first-aid kit. We are partnering with Morningside College in Sioux City and led by the Rev. Kathy Olson, who is a trained leader with the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Many of you have already contributed many items for the trip. We are coming together as a church and community, to join in the consolation of those in need.
If you would still like to help, there are a number of ways to take part:
1. Join us on the team. We will primarily be responsible for debris removal, and we are in particular need of men who can assist with larger items. While our trip is scheduled for three days, you can come for just a day or two, depending on your schedule. Volunteers need to be at least 14 years old to participate and a recent tetanus shot (within the last five years) is required.
2. Make a financial contribution towards the team’s cost for the trip. We can certainly use assistance in paying for gas, meals, and supplies needed to do our work. Make your checks payable to the church and designate them for the “Storm Relief Team.”
3. Donate or loan out any of the following items that we will need for our work. Note that at this time, clothing and food donations for the victims are not advised.
Items for the Team:
Items for Debris Removal:
Items for Cleaning (a.k.a “flood buckets”)
For regular updates on recovery efforts throughout the state, visit the conference website at iaumc.org.
Together, let us fulfill Paul’s call to share in the suffering and the consolation of others.
It’s still great to be the church!
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
PSALM SERIES CONCLUSION
This Sunday is the last in our sermon series on the Psalms, and we conclude with a sermon on trust based on Psalm 121. These words have reminded generations of Christians of the power and provision of God in times of need. Come to church this Sunday with whatever burdens you are carrying, and join others in receiving the comforting words of this passage. This would be an excellent service to invite a family member or friend you know who is dealing with difficulties in their lives.
Psalm 121:1-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.
MEN’S EVENT AT ST. PAUL’S
We are hosting a gathering of United Methodist Men from around the district this Saturday, July 19, from 2:00-5:00pm. All men in the church are invited to attend. Volunteers are needed for parking, greeting, providing refreshments (snacks or desserts), and serving in the kitchen during the break. Please let the church office know of your availability.
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
The apostle Paul begins his second letter to the church in Corinth with the notion that when anyone in the body of Christ suffers, it is a joint suffering with the whole Christian community:
If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. (2 Corinthians 1:6-7)
As we continue to watch fellow residents of Iowa clean up and recover from devastating storms and floods around the state, we are reminded that all of us share the mutual burdens of suffering and consolation.
From July 28-30, members of this church will be heading to the Cedar Rapids area to assist in the recovery efforts. We are grateful for the many ways that people in this church and in this community have come together to put these plans together. Holzhauer Motors is donating a 15-passenger van for us to transport personnel and supplies. HyVee Drugstore has donated supplies for a first-aid kit. We are partnering with Morningside College in Sioux City and led by the Rev. Kathy Olson, who is a trained leader with the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission. Many of you have already contributed many items for the trip. We are coming together as a church and community, to join in the consolation of those in need.
If you would still like to help, there are a number of ways to take part:
1. Join us on the team. We will primarily be responsible for debris removal, and we are in particular need of men who can assist with larger items. While our trip is scheduled for three days, you can come for just a day or two, depending on your schedule. Volunteers need to be at least 14 years old to participate and a recent tetanus shot (within the last five years) is required.
2. Make a financial contribution towards the team’s cost for the trip. We can certainly use assistance in paying for gas, meals, and supplies needed to do our work. Make your checks payable to the church and designate them for the “Storm Relief Team.”
3. Donate or loan out any of the following items that we will need for our work. Note that at this time, clothing and food donations for the victims are not advised.
Items for the Team:
- Monetary contributions for gas, food, and supplies
- Bottled water
- Hand sanitizer
- Airbeds w/pump
Items for Debris Removal:
- Grain Shovels
- Utility knives and blades
- Wheel Barrow
- Hammers
- Dolly
- Extension cords/power strips
- Construction garbage bags
- Shop-vac with dust bags and for water removal
- Reciprocating saw (battery powered helpful)
- Tape measures
- Jig saw
- Assorted tapes (electric/duct/plumbers)
- Floor squeegee
- Carpet knives and blades
- Crow bars
- Sledge Hammers
- Drop Lights
- Push brooms/dustpans
- Drills (battery powered helpful)
- Skill Saw
- Step ladders/work platforms
- 4 or 6 ft levels
- Chalk/chalk lines
- Assorted screws/nails
Items for Cleaning (a.k.a “flood buckets”)
- 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid
- Bleach (two 1-quart or one 82 oz. bottle. Do not include bleach if you are shipping the bucket through the US Postal Service, UPS or FedEx)
- 5 scouring pads
- 7 Sponges
- 1 scrub brush
- 18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes)
- Liquid laundry detergent (two 25 oz. or one 50 oz. bottle)
- 1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz. bottle
- Disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz. bottle
- 50 clothes pins
- Clothes line (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.)
- 5 dust masks
- 2 pair latex gloves
- 1 pair work gloves
- 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon (remove roll from box before placing in bucket)
- 1 Insect repellant spray, 6-14 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. See Special Requirements below.)
- 1 Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps.)
For regular updates on recovery efforts throughout the state, visit the conference website at iaumc.org.
Together, let us fulfill Paul’s call to share in the suffering and the consolation of others.
It’s still great to be the church!
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
PSALM SERIES CONCLUSION
This Sunday is the last in our sermon series on the Psalms, and we conclude with a sermon on trust based on Psalm 121. These words have reminded generations of Christians of the power and provision of God in times of need. Come to church this Sunday with whatever burdens you are carrying, and join others in receiving the comforting words of this passage. This would be an excellent service to invite a family member or friend you know who is dealing with difficulties in their lives.
Psalm 121:1-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.
MEN’S EVENT AT ST. PAUL’S
We are hosting a gathering of United Methodist Men from around the district this Saturday, July 19, from 2:00-5:00pm. All men in the church are invited to attend. Volunteers are needed for parking, greeting, providing refreshments (snacks or desserts), and serving in the kitchen during the break. Please let the church office know of your availability.
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