Drawing Fish Pictures in the Sand

March 24, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
Recently, our older daughter Grace (8 years old last Wednesday!) was playing around with her recent discovery of acronyms.  She had fun taking the letters of every name in the family and assigning corresponding descriptors for each person.  I glimpsed at her sheet and saw the following acronym for my wife:
 
not Juicy
not Edible
So cool
Same as the one on top (again, not juicy)
Is a good teacher
Cool
Awesome
 
Pretty comical, I thought.  Jessica thought it was a hoot.  Then I saw what Grace did to my name:
 
Mild
Awesome
Good speaker
Really awesome
not Edible
not Yummy
 
I’m not sure what qualifies me as “not yummy,” but I suppose I’ll take it as a compliment.
 
Grace’s playful exercise reminds me that acronyms have been helpful mnemonic devices since the earliest days of human language.  The example that jumps to mind is from first century Rome, in which persecuted Christians communicated to one another through a seemingly innocuous symbol.  When a Christian was out in public and they wanted to determine if a nearby person was a fellow believer without drawing dangerous attention from Roman observers, they would use a stick or their foot to draw a swooping arc in the dirt.

Then, if the other person was a Christian, he would covertly respond by completing the picture.

To the Roman public, it would look simply like two nutty people drawing a fish on the ground.  But to the early church, this was a symbol with deep theological meaning.  Fish, in Greek, was spelled ΙΧΘΥΣ, or ICHTHUS in English.  And this word was – you guessed it – an acronym.  Separating the letters, one could fill in the following words:
 
I:  Iesus
CH:  Christos
TH:  Theou
U:  Uios
S:  Soter
 
Translating the words into English, you get the following profound theological statement:
 

“Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”

The two strangers could walk away, having found their mutual connection in Christ, while escaping certain persecution and death.  
 
Both in symbol and in sentence, the earliest Christians bet their lives on the conviction that Jesus of Nazareth was no mere human.  He was more than a compelling teacher, and more than a celebrity healer.  He was the promised messiah, the agent of a new kingdom, and the means to a restored relationship with God.  Such an affirmation demanded sacrifice and risk from these fledgling followers , more so than anything we face today.  

But we, too, are tempted to compromise our convictions for the sake of personal convenience, our devotion to God in the face of societal pressures, and our integrity and discipline in exchange for career convenience.  Put most simply, it is still easier to disown our allegiance to Christ than to be fully committed to it.  That’s why the season of Lent is so important.  It is, itself, a mnemonic device.  We remember the story of Christ’s passion with clarity and presence, and greet him with palms, eat with him at the table, betray him with a kiss, follow him to Golgotha, and experience the transformative miracle of the empty tomb.  It is a story worth remembering, and ultimately making our own.  

Let’s make this journey together, and:
 
Let’s
Experience
New
Transformation.
 
Grace and Peace,
 
Magrey   




UPSIDE-DOWN SERIES CONTINUES
We continue with our Lenten series with Jesus’ fascinating parable from Matthew 20:1-16.  Come discover how God’s grace is the great equalizer among people, regardless of their past.  The sermon is titled, “Equality:  The First Will Be Last.”
  
EASTER LILIES
We are currently taking orders for Easter lilies in honor or in memory of loved ones.  The cost is $12.00, and they will once again be provided by Rhoadside Blooming House.  Contact the church office by Monday, April 6, with your order.
 
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
This year’s VBS is called “Crocodile Dock” and promises to be the biggest and best one yet!  Come this Sunday to see how you can help with donations or your time.  For more information, contact Jill Chalstrom.  
 
GIRL SCOUTS LASAGNA DINNER
Join the Girl Scouts in the Fellowship Hall for their annual fundraising dinner.  Delicious Lasagna, and all the fixings, will be served for $7.00 per adult and $3.50 for children.  Tickets are available at the door.

Lent and the Peltzman Effect

March 17, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
Can feeling safe be bad for you?
 
In 1975, Dr. Sam Peltzman, a University of Chicago economics professor, argued that federal regulations designed to make automobile driving safer actually encouraged riskier driving. In an unexpected response to mandatory seat belts, crush-resistant windshields, and dual braking systems, people drove less safely, because they felt it was potentially less costly for them to do so.  
 
The “Peltzman Effect” was evident in a later British study that measured how close drivers pass by bicyclists who wear helmets, as opposed to those who do not.  The conclusion:  drivers will approach those with helmets more closely, convinced that their helmet alone would lessen the potential damage of a collision.
 
And then there’s Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic:  Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What it Says About Us).  Driving in Spain, where the roads were filled with hairpin turns and few guardrails, he remembered: “I drove as if my life depended on it.”  But when the roads were wider and the traffic was less, he said, “I just about fell asleep and ran off the road … Lulled by safety, I’d acted more dangerously.”  
 
Of course, this is no argument against having such important safety precautions.  But it is a reminder that nothing replaces alertness and vigilance. A false sense of security can lead to destructive errors in judgment.
 
I’m certain Dr. Peltzman never intended his theory to be applied to matters of faith, but the Peltzman Effect applies to our spiritual lives as well.  The more comfortable we are in our faith, the more likely we are to dance on its edge.  The more we rely on God’s grace to forgive us, the more likely we are to test its limits with errant decisions.  
 
That’s why the season of Lent is so important. It calls us to strip away all of our manufactured safety mechanisms that promise comfort but angle us toward disaster:  
 
·     Our false notions of self-reliance that convince us that we are self-made;
·     Our propensity towards avarice that defines our worth by our wealth, and our status by our possessions;
·     Our dependence on political, economic, and military systems to offer a kind of security that only the kingdom of God can provide;
·     Our feelings of self-righteousness that result from being satisfied with the shallowness of our faith, rather than pushing ourselves toward mission, self-sacrifice, and witness to others.
 
Preacher and author A.W. Tozer offered a pointed summary:
 
"The answer is that we are too comfortable, too rich, too contented. We hold the faith of our fathers, but it does not hold us. We are suffering from judicial blindness visited upon us because of our sins. To us has been committed the most precious of all treasures, but we are not committed to it. We insist upon making our religion a form of amusement and will have fun whether or not. We are afflicted with religious myopia and see only things near at hand.  (A.W. Tozer, The Set of the Sail)

In faith, as in driving, comfort can lead to complacency, and feeling protected can lead to pride.  The apostle Paul was right:  What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?

So have you become too comfortable in your faith? Maybe it’s time to introduce some hairpin turns and narrower roads along your spiritual path.  Daily disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, fasting, confession, and service will invite fresh alertness and sobriety in your faith. “Enter through the narrow gate,”  Jesus said,  “for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

This Sunday, join us for our ongoing sermon series “Upside-Down:  How the Cross Changes Everything” as we explore the many ways that following Jesus inverts our preferred ways of thinking, behaving, and relating to others.  Our journey makes a stop in the book of James, which calls us to consider trials and difficulties as opportunities for spiritual maturity and joy.  If you have not done so, visit our website and download the daily scripture reading bookmark, the road map for our Lenten journey.
 
In the words of Mr. Vanderbilt, “Let’s drive as if our lives depended on it.”  Keep awake, and stay alert.
 
Magrey   

 
HELPING HANDS PROGRAM
The newly formed Caring Committee is looking for caring individuals with a desire to help folks in our church in need.   We would like to match your skills and interests with those who contact us for assistance.  Go to the website and click on “Helping Hands.” Print and fill out the survey and bring it to the church or contact Sheree Hausmann (LHSH50@msn.com).  Thank you for putting God’s Love into Action!

YOUTH CAR RALLY THIS SUNDAY
And speaking of driving:  Youth…start your engines!  Join us this Sunday from 4-6pm as we criss-cross through town on a wild and crazy scavenger hunt.  Drivers are needed to help shuttle kids around town.  Call the church office if you are available.

Reality Shift

March 10, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
So, have you recovered from losing that hour of sleep last Saturday?
 
Last weekend’s spring forward to Daylight Savings Time reminded me of Cassandra, a woman Jessica and I knew during our college years in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Cassandra grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, which, up until recently, never observed the annual time change.  
 
I’ll never forget the day a bunch of us tried to explain to her what Daylight Savings was, and that she needed to adjust her clocks like the rest of us.  It all seemed utterly ridiculous to her.  “I need to do what?” she stammered.  Wake up an hour earlier, change her whole time reference, have more darkness in the morning, more daylight at night, and call it normal?  How could the whole country be in on something that had been hidden from her for her entire life?   And how could she be sure that this wasn’t just some outrageous joke we were all playing on her?  Cassandra was right to be skeptical, for this time shift was no small matter.  It would demand a change in her pattern of behavior, her frame of being, her way of life.  Readjusting her biorhythms would take much longer than simply resetting her watch.  
 
I think about all this in light of this Sunday’s scripture text, the classic Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5.  I wonder if skepticism and bewilderment are accurate descriptors for how the first followers of Jesus would have received these greatly provocative, highly controversial words.  Jesus wasn’t just calling for minor adjustments to their lives, but a comprehensive and definitive realignment of their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships with others.  This was life-altering stuff.
 
Imagine what the responses must have been:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit?  Those who mourn? The meek?  Are you kidding?  This makes no sense!  Am I missing something here?”
 
Jesus was calling for a fundamental shift forward in the way his followers behaved.  No longer to be aligned with the standards of the world, but to a new set of ideals framed by the Kingdom of God.  It called for a complete inversion of conventional wisdom and cultural norms.  The hungry would be filled, the persecuted rewarded, and the meek inheriting the earth.  All of this must have come as a seismic shock to those still stuck in standard time.  

John Wesley captures how much this must sound like folly to those on the outside looking in:   
 
But all this wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. The whole affair of mourning and poverty of spirit is with them stupidity and dullness….And it is no wonder at all, that this judgment should be passed by those who know not God. (John Wesley, “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.”)
 
Forget about merely losing an hour of sleep here or there; the Sermon on the Mount calls us to an entirely different way of viewing reality, just like two men who view a situation in stark contrast:  one who sees a canyon below, and the other level ground.  Wesley continues:
 
Suppose, as two persons were walking together, one should suddenly stop, and with the strongest signs of fear and amazement, cry out, "On what a precipice do we stand! See, we are on the point of being dashed in pieces! Another step, and we fall into that huge abyss! Stop! I will not go on for all the world!" -- when the other, who seemed, to himself at least, equally sharp-sighted, looked forward and saw nothing of all this; what would he think of his companion, but that he was beside himself; that his head was out of order; that much religion (if he was not guilty of "much learning") had certainly made him mad!  
 
Throughout this Lenten season, we are exploring the various ways that the cross challenges us to see reality, and calls us to be realigned with the values of God’s kingdom.  It is called “Upside-Down:  How the Cross Changes Everything.”  And this week we make a stop on the mountaintop, to hear these provocative words of Jesus, with particular focus on the seventh beatitude:  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  
 
Together, let’s spring forward, into a new life of commitment and discipleship.  
 
Grace and Peace,
 
Magrey


Matthew 5:1-11
1  When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2  Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.


PROPERTY ACQUISITION UPDATE
Under the authority given by the recent Charge Conference, the Building Committee and Board of Trustees have entered into a contract with Lundell Construction for the purpose of demolishing and clearing the two recently purchased 6th St. properties at a cost of $25,000.  This is significantly lower than the amount approved at the Charge Conference.  Demolition is expected to begin anytime in the near future.

NEW PRAISE BAND AT ST. PAUL’S
We give thanks to God for Dr. David Klee, professor of music at Buena Vista University, who has offered to develop a new praise band at St. Paul’s.  The Administrative Board two weeks ago approved the addition of this new program to our worship ministries, and we are currently looking for vocalists and instrumentalists for this exciting new opportunity.  We are particularly looking for drummers, guitarists, keyboardists, and horn players.  If you are interested, please contact David at klee@bvu.edu.  David will be promoting the new ministry in an upcoming article in the Chronicle and in a Cherokee Connection radio spot a week from Thursday.

YOUTH CAR RALLY
Attention, youth grades 7-12!  Buckle up and start your engines!  We’ll gather from 4-6pm on Sunday, March 22, for a crazy time scouring the town for our next car rally!  Come along, and bring a friend!  Adult drivers are needed to help escort teams around town.  If interested, please contact the church office.

Ready or Not

February 25, 2009
 
Dear St. Paul’s Family,
 
Man, oh man.  I think most of us are still buzzing about last night’s festivities. What an incredible night!  Be sure to read the end of today’s Mid-Week Message for more about the Great Cherokee Pancake Race and Shrove Tuesday Service.  But first….
 

ASH WEDNESDAY

For years, people have told me to enjoy my children while they are still young, because they will grow up so fast.  That has certainly been true.  But in the Christian liturgical cycle, no child grows up faster than Jesus.  Just two months ago today, we were basking in Bethlehem starlight, celebrating his birth.  And now, just two months later, thirty years in gospel time, we are preparing for the journey to Jerusalem.
 
Ready or not, it’s time for Lent.  
 
It is worth noting some significant differences between Christmas Day and Ash Wednesday.  Christmas is predictable: without fail, it is always on December 25.  We order our lives and our calendars around it.  It never backs into November, never slides into January.  School semesters always break for it, retailers bet on it, and families plan travel around it.  There is something constant, and comforting, about this holiday fixture.
 
But Easter moves around.  Independent of our secular schedules, it is – are you ready for this – on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox on the 21st of March.  This means that Ash Wednesday can occur as early as the first week in February or as late as the second week in March. That’s a variation of nearly 35 days!
 
What this means is that Lent often sneaks up on us.  It catches us off guard.  It can disrupt our planning.  Sometimes the schools have spring break during Holy Week, and sometimes they don’t.  Sometimes the stores have lots of time between their Valentine’s chocolates and their Cadbury Easter eggs, and sometimes they don’t.  Whereas Christmas is comforting in its constancy, Lent can be devious in its elusiveness.
 
And when you think about it, maybe that is an accurate reflection of how we live our lives:
 
·     We can know with precision the exact date, and even the time of our own births.  But we cannot know with the same certainty the moment of our deaths.
 
·     We can know with certainty God’s constant love and faithfulness.  But we can be quite blind to the sin that germinates and blooms within the subsoil of our existence.
 
·     We can know with absolute conviction what God has done for us through Christ.  But we can be quite ambivalent in committing ourselves to that same Christ.
 
·     We are quick to bask in the life, light, and joy of knowing Jesus.  But we are caught off guard when that relationship calls us to humility, sobriety, and self-sacrifice.  
 
For the secularized Christian, what Wesley would call an “Almost Christian,” celebration is a given, but discipline is elusive.  A life of mere good deeds and a life of sincere, committed faith can be eons apart.
 
Regardless of how subtly this Lenten season has snuck up on you, we are all here together, to begin a 40-day journey marked by an invitation to look deeply within our lives and find what resides within the shadowy parts of our souls.  Ready or not, we enter into a time of acknowledgement, confession, surrender, and ultimately, transformation.
            
I invite you to begin the journey with a special Ash Wednesday service tonight at 7:00, which will include the imposition of ashes.  And then, this Sunday, we start a new sermon series called “Upside Down:  How the Cross Changes Everything.”  We’ll explore the many ways that following Christ inverts many of our ingrained patterns of behavior, and flips conventional wisdom on its ear. We’ll begin with a sermon focusing on forgiveness, and Christ’s astonishing command for us to forgive people “seventy times seven” times.  
 
Come along for the journey, and invite an unchurched family member or friend to come along.  This will be a powerful, deeply meaningful time together.
 
Ready or not, let’s observe a holy Lent.
 
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

 
Upside Down:  How the Cross Changes Everything
 
Lent 2009

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.                                                                         (Matthew 16:24-25)
        

Repentance:  Inward Turned Outward
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Ash Wednesday, February 25
Service at 7:00pm
 
Forgiveness:  Seventy Times Seven
Matthew 18:21-22
March 1
 
Servanthood:  The Way Down is the Way Up
Philippians 2:1-11
March 8
 
Peace:  Anger’s Antidote
Matthew 5:1-11
March 15
 
Joy:  Anxiety Upside Down
James 1:2-4
March 22
 
Equality:  The First Will Be Last
Matthew 20:1-16
March 29
 
Obedience:  Losing Life to Gain It
Matthew 26:36-46
Palm Sunday, April 5
 
Love:  The Greatest Commandment
John 13:1-20
Maundy Thursday, April 9
Service at 7:00pm
 
Crucifixion:  The Covenant of Grace
Matthew 16:24-25
Good Friday, April 10
Service at 7:00pm
 
Resurrection:  The Great Reversal
Mark 16:1-8
Easter Sunday, April 12
Services at 7:00 and 10:10

                       
 
 
 
WOW!  WHAT A TIME!
What an amazing, memorable day we shared together yesterday!  In all, about 80 racers and hundreds of fans participated in the first annual Great Cherokee Pancake Day race, followed by a standing-room only Shrove Tuesday service.  The pancake supper served 300 people, and brought in over $2,200 for the two local food pantries.  There was such a tangible feeling of joy and goodwill on the streets and in the church, and everyone was buzzing about St. Paul’s efforts to put on such a great day.  Be sure to catch today’s radio and newspaper coverage, and if you missed KTIV’s great segment last night, watch the video at http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9900778   To view the first batch of pictures from yesterday’s event, check out our website.  Great job, St. Paul’s!
 
CHARGE CONFERENCE APPROVES PURCHASE
At the charge conference convened by our District Superintendent Berne Colorado last Monday night, the church unanimously approved the purchase of the two 6th Street properties south of the church, which will be demolished and prepared for parking adjacent to our accessible west entrance.  The Building Committee will now work on securing a company to demolish and clear the properties.
 
ST. PAUL’S ACHIEVES THIRD-MILE GIVING
As announced during worship last Sunday, St. Paul’s exceeded the amount needed to achieve third-mile giving towards local and global missions through the Iowa Conference’s Rainbow Covenant Missions Giving program.  This is the first time St. Paul’s has achieved this goal, which is the highest possible status for missions giving in the conference. We give thanks to God for the generosity of the people of St. Paul’s.
 
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
This Sunday we receive our annual offering for the One Great Hour of Sharing, which supports the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  UMCOR provides aid and relief to people who have been affected by catastrophic disasters all around the world.  

The Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race

February 17, 2009

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

What a difference twenty months has made for this Florida-born, suburban-bred, Iowa newbie transplant.  

Since coming to town, I have attended two pork feeds, offered the invocation at a rodeo, performed a wedding in a refurbished barn, and ridden a combine.  I’ve learned that the people of Iowa are just as solid, salt-of-the-earth, and honest as they are rumored to be, and have even taken a liking to this crisp, clean, winter air.  (Unless my nerve endings are too frozen to know any better.)

But after all of this, nothing – and I mean nothing – could possibly have prepared me for my first pancake race.  Next Tuesday, February 24, a crowd of women dressed in skirts, aprons, and head-kerchiefs will race 415 yards in possible freezing temperature, while carrying a cast-iron skillet and a pancake.  In a Shrove Tuesday tradition harkening back to Olney, England, Cherokee will join communities large and small around the world in its first annual Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race.  And standing at the finish line,  greeting these heroines in house dresses, will be yours truly, ready to award the winner with the traditional “Kiss of Peace” accompanied by the words, “The peace of the Lord be always with you.”

If they offered a class in seminary to train me for this, I should have taken it.

There are many reasons why I am looking forward to the big race.  First, anticipation for the event has generated major buzz throughout the town.  The newspaper, radio, and Channel 4 news are all committed to covering it, and pockets of people all over town are talking about the biggest thing to land in Cherokee since Pilot Rock.  This has all produced some very positive exposure for the church, which is always a good thing.

Second, this is a worthwhile fundraiser.  After the Shrove Tuesday service and awards ceremony, we will gather for a pancake supper down in the Fellowship Hall, where folks can leave a free-will donation.  All of the proceeds will go to support the food pantries at both Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Mid-Sioux Opportunities, Inc.  The idea that other people’s food pantries will be replenished on a day usually set aside for cleaning out your own is deliciously ironic.   

Third, it is great to see churches cooperating together with an ecumenical spirit.  Clergy from the Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, and Evangelical Free churches will all be present to help officiate some part of the race.  But let the record show that only this minister will have the privilege of delivering the kiss to the winner.  (Which, incidentally, is the only reason my wife will be competing.  Not because she is desperate for a kiss from me, but to make sure I don’t kiss anyone else!)

But here is the biggest reason I am most excited and most proud of the event coming up.  From its genesis to its implementation, this event emerged from the vision of a handful of lay people in the Sunday morning adult class.  Months ago, they dreamed up the idea and worked to make it a reality, securing approval from the city council and local police chief, and coordinating details large and small to make it happen.  My job has been quite simple:  Clear the way to make sure they had what they needed, and do everything I could to promote it.  (Except wear the poofy chef’s hat in church.  I do have my limits.)

This idea came from the grass roots, just the way it should be.

I want you to know that in this congregation, good, spirit-driven ideas for ministry can come from anyone at anytime.  God does not grant exclusive ability of dreaming up new ideas to only ordained clergy.  Lay people just like you have the ability to receive a divine spark of creativity and initiate a brand new program or ministry in the church.

It may be that the next bold initiative of this church may be residing in your spirit, tucked in and among your deepest passions and your most latent abilities.  If you have such an idea, know that this is a permission-giving church, where we will remove as many barriers as possible to help you shepherd your vision to fruition.  

The parameters are simple.  It just needs to follow our mission.  It needs to put God’s Love into Action in one or more of the following ways:  1)  Transform a person’s life, 2)  Improve the community around us, or 3)  Change the world.  Beyond that, there is wide latitude for you to use your passion and the creativity of the Holy Spirit to watch God work in and through this church.

I am very grateful for the passion and energy that several in this church have put into making next week’s event possible.  And I am even more grateful to be serving a church where great ideas can come from anyone at any time.

Maybe yours is next.

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





PANCAKE RACE REGISTRATION
Today is the last day to turn in your registration form for the big race.  Forms are available at the church office, in the Wellness Center, City Hall, or the radio station.  Or, you can find them on our website at cherokeespumc.org.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
We mark the start of the season of Lent with a service of word and the imposition of ashes on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:00pm.  Join us for this meaningful worship service.  

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
We conclude our sermon series “Life’s Three Big Questions” with the final of our five value statements.  Come hear about how we are part of the larger body of Christ around the world with a sermon titled “Who are We?  A Part of the Global Church.”  We will celebrate all that St. Paul’s did to put God’s love into action in mission and service in 2008, and give you a chance to take part in the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering.

Fewer Sales Pitches, More Free Samples

February 10, 2009

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

I realize the Super Bowl is old news by now, but I’m still thinking about a by-product of last week’s big game.  

If you watched the commercials, you may have caught the one for Denny’s Restaurant advertising a free breakfast to anyone from 6am to 2pm the following Tuesday.  Throughout the country, millions of people crammed into their nearest Denny’s for what was essentially a free $5.99 meal. Putting aside the marketing benefits this publicity stunt produced for the restaurant chain, I was fascinated by how this move elicited an overwhelmingly grateful response among the 2 million people who stood in line.  Newspapers the next day chronicled the reactions:

    "It's a great day," said Carolyn Mieritz of Phoenix, Arizona.  “This is unbelievable.”
    “It’s definitely a blessing,” said Josh Richardson, of Greenville, South Carolina.
    “I’m very grateful,” said Jennifer Haslam, of Newark, Delaware.

Such is the reaction when people receive a surprising gift, with no strings attached.  

Denny’s isn’t the first company to tap into the power of the genuinely free gift.  In the book Made to Stick:  Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath, I am reminded of the example of Nordstrom’s department stores.  What would compel people to continue shopping at a high-end luxury store whose goods are often more expensive than other retailers?  The answer:  surprising and complimentary acts of generous customer service.  

Past Nordstrom’s employees have:

•    Ironed a new shirt for a customer who needed it for a meeting that afternoon;
•    Cheerfully gift wrapped products a customer bought at Macy’s;
•    Warmed customers’ cars in winter while they finished shopping;
•    Made a last-minute delivery of party clothes to a frantic hostess;
•    And even refunded money for a set of tire chains – although Nordstrom doesn’t sell tire chains.

Now, does any of this make sense?  Why would Nordstrom’s employees go to such outlandish lengths to reach out to customers?  And why would Denny’s give away 5 million dollars of breakfast food – for free?

Maybe, in a world saturated with false promises and strings-attached offers, we’ve grown cynical to the idea that free might really mean free.  And every once in a while, when a surprising gesture of uncommon generosity breaks through, we stop and pay attention.  

Somewhere, there’s a lesson here for the church.  Jim Harnish, the senior pastor at my previous church, is fond of saying that when it comes to sharing the gospel, the church needs to make fewer sales pitches and offer more free samples.  Maybe we should take a page out of the Denny’s and Nordstrom’s playbooks and realize all of the free samples at our disposal:

•    In offering forgiveness where others would expect retribution.  
•    In forming true friendships in a culture of increasing isolation.
•    In welcoming others with uncanny hospitality and open-mindedness.
•    In introducing people to a God who, since the very beginning, has specialized in joyful surprises.  

The church must never lose its ability to surprise.  To share with the world  something greater than a six-dollar breakfast or freshly pressed shirt.  We alone can offer the gift of God’s grace, which no one deserves, no one can earn, and that God gives freely and eagerly to a hungry and hurting world.  If we ever did get about the business of offering this free gift and making it known, imagine the lines snaking around the corners.  If we really did our job of transforming lives, improving the community, and changing the world, imagine someday hearing these same responses:

     “It’s a great day.  This is unbelievable.”
    “It’s definitely a blessing.”
    “I’m very grateful.”

May God strengthen us for holy task, so that responses like these will come – as no surprise.

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
Fax:  712-225-1276
http://www.cherokeespumc.org



PROPERTY ACQUISITION UPDATE
The church is moving forward with plans to add additional property for the purposes of expanding parking adjacent to the handicapped-accessible west entrance.  Read through the following “Frequently Asked Questions,” and direct questions and comments to Magrey, Dave Appleby (Trustees), John Cook (Finance), or Keith Willis (Building Committee).

Q.  What properties are being considered?
A.  The two houses on 6th Street, adjacent to the south alley of the church.  They were purchased by a consortium of church members years ago with the intent of selling them to the church in the future.

Q.  What are the terms of the purchase?
A.  The sale price is $25,000, with terms of the transaction involving a five-year, unsecured note, interest-free, with no payments necessary until the end of the five-year term.  Whenever payment is made, the consortium would use that money as seed money for possible future acquisitions.

Q.  What will be done with the properties?
A.  The properties would be demolished and the ground leveled to provide additional parking for those who prefer to use the accessible west entrance.  The Building Committee is receiving a number of bids for demolition, and should have one to recommend at Charge Conference.  The current bid for demolition stands at $45,000, but we are confident that the final bid will come in much lower than that.

Q.  Does this fit our mission?
A.  This is a key piece of the “Facilities and Campus Renovations” segment of the 20/20 Vision Plan that was adopted last Fall by the church.  It will greatly enhance our hospitality to people with special parking needs.

Q.  How will the church pay for this?
A.  The Finance Committee will explore a number of options, but the likely scenario is that the money to purchase the property may be lumped into a larger Capital Campaign that will start in the next 18-24 months that will include renovations to the education wing and Kitchen/Fellowship Hall.  The cost for demolition may need to be secured in the short-term through a bank loan.

Q.  What is the timeline moving forward?  
A.  Because estimates for demolition are lower during the winter, we are wanting to move efficiently and quickly.  The Administrative Board will be meeting on February 19, and our District Superintendent Bernie Colorado has called a Charge Conference for Monday, February 23, at 7pm for the church to take action on this.  Every member of the church is a voting member of the Charge Conference.

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 and on the website.

NEW FAX MACHINE
The church has a new fax machine, and can receive faxes via 225-1276.  Please use 225-3955 for all regular phone calls to the church.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
We continue our worship series “Life’s Three Big Questions” with another sermon based on our new value statements that define the unique character of the people of St. Paul’s.  Come hear a sermon titled, “Who are We?  A People in the Center,” based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-17.

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.