Hope of the World

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, March 26

By Bill Gray, March 6, 1977

Hope of the World

Read: Romans 5:1-5

Georgia Harkness, one of the great women theologians of our day, has contributed one of the most powerful hymns to our United Methodist Hymnal “Hope of the World.” This hymn was submitted and chosen (from some 500 others submitted) as the theme hymn for the second assembly of the World Council of Churches. It has become a favorite at Church Street, but I would like to encourage you to read the text as poetry. Read the text carefully to discover its deep truths.

 

“Hope of the world, thou Christ of great compassion,

Speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.

Save us thy people, from consuming passion,

Who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.

 

Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,

Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life.

Still let thy spirit unto us be given,

To heal earth’s wounds and end her bitter strife.

 

Hope of the world, a-foot on dusty highways,

Showing to wandering souls the path of light.

Walk thou beside us lest the tempting byways

Lure us away from thee to endless night.

 

Hope of the world, who by the cross didst save us

From death and dark despair, from sin and guilt.

We render back the love thy mercy gave us;

Take thou our lives, and use them as thou wilt.

Hope of the world, O Christ, O’er death victorious,

Who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain.

We would be faithful to thy gospel glorious;

Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign!  Amen.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious, we beseech thee, to all who have erred and gone astray from thy holy Word and bring them again in steadfast faith, to receive and hold fast thine unchangeable truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

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To the parents of the noisy kids in church

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nave at half capacity

Written by Caroline Lamar, church member and guest blogger.

Today was our second Sunday back at church since before the pandemic. Despite masks and preregistration, it is wonderful to walk through those doors and worship together in person. To be clear, our church never closed. We fed our community members experiencing homelessness on Thursdays, we participated in Bible study, Sunday School classes, and even choir. Our sanctuary was closed to us though, so coming back has been a bit of a reawakening for me.

Our church nursery has not yet reopened which means there are lots of kiddos in “big church” as we often call it. Today, some of those kids were quite vocal in their participation, even in times which some might have deemed inappropriate.

To the parents of those noisy kids today I have a few words I want to share with you. First of all, I see you. OK, OK, I didn’t actually see you because you were somewhere behind me in the sanctuary. But I see you because I have been you. I know exactly what you went through to get your children up, fed, dressed (perhaps dressed again if the morning didn’t go well) and to church on time, or some proximity of on time. I recognize that right now you actually had to plan ahead of time to go to church because we are registering in advance, part of our Covid protocols. We have three children who are now teens/pre-teens but I remember well the way we used to plan church attendance around feeding, naps, and snacks. I can’t imagine adding a pandemic to the mix.

So in addition to seeing you, I also want to thank you for bringing your children to church. Our pastor mentioned before her sermon today how much she loves seeing all the children. I know our pastor; she really means this. It is not a platitude. It brings her (and the rest of us) great joy to see and hear children at church. I know that when your kids got loud/kicked the pew in front of you/dropped crayons/crinkled paper/asked in a mock whisper how much longer was this going to take…that you were sweating through your shirt and second guessing your decision to even come in the first place.

We had one of those Sundays many years ago. All three kids were not in the best mood. They were restless, they were loud. We attend a very traditional worship service and I was keenly aware of those parishioners around me. I felt responsible for “ruining” their worship experience. I knew they were watching and silently judging me. That day after church an elderly member of our congregation passed me a note and walked away. I shoved it in the pocket of my coat and hurried everyone out to the car. I knew the note was probably saying I should get my kids under control during worship. Later I opened the note and it said, “You have a beautiful family.” Full stop. That little note on a scrap of paper completely changed my perspective. Kids need to be kids, even in worship, especially in worship. And while I obviously wasn’t there, I like to think of all the times Jesus preached to noisy crowds of people. I would venture to guess it was loud…small kids running around, livestock making their presence known, shouts from nearby shopkeepers. Silence isn’t a prerequisite for worship. Is it good to have times of silence? Yes, of course, but noisy kids in church do not detract from anything the rest of us are trying to do.

Because church isn’t about me. It’s not about my “experience.” It is about worshiping God and the risen Christ, and quite frankly, when I think of it that way, why are any of us quiet about it?

Our church isn’t doing congregational hymns right now, and the music is being provided by a choral ensemble. Today, as they sang the Doxology (a song that gets me EVERY single time), I could hear the little girl two pews in front of me. Even behind her mask, she was singing loudly, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It reminded me of another of my favorite hymns, “How Can I Keep From Singing?”

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

So moms and dads with noisy kids in church, please don’t stop bringing them. Let them make noise and praise God in their own ways. If you see me cast a glance in your direction, just know I have been in your shoes and I remember. And since I am firmly on the other side of that phase of parenting, I want to tell you that one day your children will get themselves dressed for church and they will join you in the pew and recite the prayers and listen to the sermon and ask insightful questions on the way home. Hang in there, you’re doing great.

This blog was originally published on Caroline’s personal blog here. 

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Paramount Power

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, March 25

By Col. Bill Willard, April 1, 1980

Paramount Power

Read: Revelation 21:1

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away…”

Last December, Rev. Eldon Moore preached a sermon concerning breathtaking events. It caused me to think back to a lonely beach in the Central Pacific some twenty years ago. The long-awaited detonation of a hydrogen bomb was at hand. I had walked away from the area where most of the observers had assembled and found a secluded spot at the lagoon’s edge. It was 5 a.m. and pitch black. I looked towards Bikini, some 180 miles to the East. At first, there was only a faint glow on the horizon; then the entire sky came alive with a glorious sunrise, not unlike some Easter sunrises I had seen. But gradually the light began to fade and within 30 seconds the total darkness returned. I stood in awe, unable to fully comprehend what I had just witnessed. Man had created a power, albeit brief, to rival the center of our solar system. How he used that power was to become a major concern of civilization from that time forward.

God’s love, as manifested in Christ Jesus, is the paramount power in the universe. How will we use it? Surely, our failure to actively promote this power is one reason for the chaotic state of our world today. God’s love is not abstract. It shines through people who are truly his disciples. Does His love glow through you?

Prayer

May the power of the Living God control and shape our lives, so that we may radiate the truth of Christ to all mankind. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Strength for the Day

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, March 24

By Mr. and Mrs. Earl S. (Margaret) Ailor, March 3, 1980

Strength for the Day

Read: Romans 8:28 NIV

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”

As 1979 began we had many things to be thankful for. We had been blessed with two daughters and two sons. Our oldest daughter was married to a Methodist minister and they had two sons.  Our oldest son had completed Claremont Theology School in California and was serving two rural churches near Limestone in upper East Tennessee as a United Methodist Minister. He and his wife, Julia, enjoyed life in a rural pastorate.

On a cold January night, we received a call from the Kingsport hospital that Albert and Julia had been involved in an accident and they needed us. As we drove through the night not knowing what had happened we asked the Lord for strength to face whatever we might find upon arrival. At the hospital our worst fears became a reality in learning our son had been killed. We were thankful our daughter-in-law had miraculously survived.

As days, weeks and months have passed we find strength in the Easter faith our son Albert had in Christ as he had proclaimed the truth that “only believe and we shall meet again.” We have also felt the prayers of our friends in Christ in our time of loss. The three children we still have with us have been a source of comfort to us. We have the faith that “blessed are those who die in the Lord,” and that our son will greet us at the end of the way.

Prayer

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything pleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  Hebrews 13:20

Thought – “Christ has taken the dark door of death and replaced it with the shining gate of life.” -Bosch

We still have many things for which to be thankful.

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Amid pandemic crises, the ‘after’ people of Stephen Ministry remain

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If you haven’t had a need for a Stephen Minister, you may not know what powerful work this 15-person ministry of Church Street does, or that their work has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

They call themselves the “after” people, comforting grieving church members after a loved one dies or crisis occurs. After the ministers visit, the family goes home and the loneliness of grief settles in, the Stephen Minister’s work begins. Each Stephen Minister is assigned one care receiver at a time to help walk that person through life after a crisis. 

Each relationship between a Stephen Minister and care receiver is confidential. A typical relationship lasts anywhere from one to two years, although some care receivers may only need guidance for 6 months. Every once in a while a relationship will last more than two years as additional crises occur after the first. 

“I can’t stress how rewarding it is to have a care receiver,” Stephen Leader of almost 10 years Doug Spencer says. “Just that relationship with a care receiver and as you watch God work in their lives and in the situation and see the healing that they go through.” 

Before the pandemic, most Stephen Ministers met with their care receiver at least once a week. Now, phone calls and Zoom meetings are more common, and happen more frequently than once a week in some situations. 

Rev. Pat Clendenen, who served as an Associate Pastor at Church Street from 1989 to 1994, offered to help the Stephen Ministry program at Church Street this year. She stepped in as the designated clergy in February, just as the pandemic started.

“It really is a calling. It’s not something that you just decide, ‘okay I think I’ll go and work in this area of the church this year. I’ll just volunteer here.’” Clendenen says. “ It truly is a calling.” 

Becoming a Stephen Minister 

Those who feel called to be a Stephen Minister participate in 50 hours of structured, intensive training developed by Stephen Ministries St. Louis. This training includes education of how to respond in certain situations, and roleplaying activities to put those lessons into action. 

In addition to these 50 hours, a Stephen Minister may decide to train to be a Stephen Leader and attend an additional week of immersive training offsite, usually in St. Louis or Orlando. These Stephen Leaders provide ongoing leadership to Church Street like Clendenen, Elaine Doss and Spencer. 

Doss, a two-time cancer patient, started her training at Fort Sanders Hospital in September 2018 with no intention to visit hospital patients because she was worried that she would not be able to minister to someone going through cancer. 

“But by the time I got through the training, I was over all of that,” Doss says. “I think that God just shows up in every single hospital room.”

Once a Church Street Stephen Minister completes training, they are assigned a care receiver by Clendenen. Most care receivers are referred by a clergy member and first contact is made by Clendenen. 

Making assignments isn’t taken lightly, and Clendenen has done her best during the pandemic to get to know both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver through phone or Zoom conversations before making an assignment.

“It has to be the right match and I have to trust that. A lot of prayer and thought goes into that,” Clendenen says. “It’s important for me to know the Stephen Minister well.” 

Each Stephen Minister participates in mandatory Peer Supervision meetings, currently over Zoom, once a month and education offerings to stay up-to-date on ways to respond to different crises. 

During Peer Supervision meetings, each Stephen Minister with a care receiver will give a non-specific check-in statement. The check-in statements allow Stephen Ministers to bring to the group any issues they have in their relationship and for other Stephen Ministers to offer support. 

“The wisdom of many instead of the guesswork of a few is found in those peer supervision meetings,” Spencer says. 

In addition to the short check-ins, one Stephen Minister each month gives an in-depth report that dives deeper into the situation, relationship and any setbacks or celebrations. The group listens to these in-depth situations and also provides support and feedback. 

Working as a team with other ministries and clergy 

There are often situations where a Stephen Minister cannot provide all of the necessary support needed for a care receiver, which is often brought to the attention of the ministry during the monthly Peer Supervision meetings. 

The ministry will often dovetail with the Parish Health Ministry Team, with many care receivers accepting care and guidance from both ministries. Additional resources like legal support, home repairs and healthcare can also be arranged using the resources of the church congregation. 

“It’s great when we can make that happen and bring it all together,” Clendenen says. “That has been a good outcome in certain situations.” 

Clendenen’s familiarity with Stephen Ministry and Church Street has allowed her to lead the ministry with ease during the pandemic. At her first appointment following her time at Church Street in Brentwood, Tennessee, she was quickly immersed into Stephen Ministry training. 

“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it. It’s a really great set of Stephen Ministers,” Clendenen says, “a very unique, diverse group and this year during the pandemic it’s been tough. We’ve had some ongoing crisis situations.” 

During the leadership training process, it is stressed how important it is to have clergy support Stephen Ministers, and Spencer says that he has been extremely impressed by Clendenen’s support. 

“I’m so thankful for Rev. Pat Clendenen. She’s done a wonderful job,” Spencer says. “We’ve had some good clergy involved with this, and Pat has knocked it out of the ballpark. She’s doing a really, really fine job.”

Clendenen agrees that without clergy support, operating a Stephen Ministry program is tough, and that she has appreciated the support of clergy like Revs. Catherine Nance, Tim Best, Palmer Cantler and Jan Buxton Wade. 

No matter when a person touches the Stephen Minister program’s process, Spencer says it’s a blessing to help those in the Church Street community see change and grow. 

“We are not the fixers. God is the fixer,” Spencer says. “We are privileged to be able to be there to watch it happen.”

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Where is Thy Sting?

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, March 23

By Mr. and Mrs. Tom (Mary Ruth) Fonville, March 18, 1980

Where is Thy Sting?

Read: John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:55

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not die but have eternal life.”

O death where is thy sting?

A father and his son were taking a drive in their car. They were enjoying the trip and being together that day. It was a warm beautiful day and the windows were down. Suddenly a bumblebee flew into the car. It was flying around, buzzing, and the boy was frantic! He was afraid he would be stung. His father was concerned too, because he knew his son was allergic to bee stings and could have a dangerous reaction that would kill him.

The father said “Don’t worry son, I’ll take care of it.” He found a place where he could pull off the road and stopped the car. He reached out his hand and calmly caught the bumblebee and then he opened his hand and let the bee go. His son was still frightened as the bee began to fly around again. His father held out is hand with the bee sting imbedded in his palm and he showed it to his son saying “You don’t have to be afraid anymore the bee can’t hurt you. See, I have taken the stinger out of the bee.”

Isn’t this what God, our father, has done for us? By Christ’s death and resurrection, he has taken the sting out of death!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love and that you love us so much you sent your Son that we should not die but have eternal life. In His Name we pray. Amen.

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The Constant Love of Christ

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Monday, March 22

By Charles E. Naff, February 17, 1978

The Constant Love of Christ

Read: Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today and forever.”

Recently, I observed a bumper-sticker which read, “Jesus Christ is coming again soon and boy is He mad.”

As Christians, we believe in the second coming, but is Jesus Christ really angry with us? Maybe at times He isn’t very well pleased, but the Bible tells us He is always a loving Lord. He loved us so much He gave His life that we could have eternal life – it is ours for the asking.

At this lovely time of the year when we celebrate perhaps the greatest day of all, let us be forever mindful of the great sacrifice made by our loving God.

Prayer

Lord, as we go about our daily lives, keep us mindful of thy great love. Teach us ever to share that love with one another. Amen.

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He Will Take Your Guilt Away

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 21, Evening

By Ann Dooley Parsons, April 12, 1979

He Will Take Your Guilt Away

Read Isaiah 53:4-6

In Isaiah 53, we see a striking description of the suffering Christ. But doesn’t this also depict humanity in its sin? Look at the words — sorrows, griefs, transgressions, iniquities and lastly: “All we like sheep have gone astray.”

This adds up to one fact: each of us has a flaw, a blemish or several. Think of yourself or those you know and love – your friends, your relatives or your immediate family. There is something imperfect about each one of us. We aren’t willing to do our share, we lose our tempers, we’re selfish, we gossip, we’re too easy or not easy enough, we’re greedy. We too have fallen short – we too have turned to our own ways – we too have gone astray.

These flaws we have create guilt feelings and because of guilt we lose our peace of mind. Somehow the joy gets rendered out of life because of these flaws.

Is there any hope? Isaiah 53 tells us there is all the hope in the world. Truly we have gone astray, but remember that there is the Lamb of God who has not. Jesus Christ has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He Will Take Away Our Guilt.

Once again read Isaiah 53 and notice the plural. ALL have gone astray and ALL have been forgiven. But don’t be misled by the plural. Each one of us must believe, each one of us must accept to receive the blessed healing.

In the words of a beautiful and familiar hymn …

Prayer

Come ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish, Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel; Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish, Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. Amen.

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O Death, Where is Thy Sting?

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 21, Morning

By Betty Craig, April 14, 1976

O Death, Where is Thy Sting?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Many individuals make tremendous impacts upon our lives. Often it is not until their death that we, through reminiscence, begin to fully realize what they meant to us and others through the types of lives they lived — their beliefs, dedication and commitments.

During the years 1957-62, Robert H. Hamill served as pastor of Wesley Foundation at the University of Wisconsin. We knew Bob, and his beliefs, dedication and commitment affected our lives. From the University of Wisconsin, Bob went on to serve as Dean of the Chapel of Boston University School of Theology. His writing, preaching and teaching affected many individuals. His death in February 1975 caused us to reflect upon the impact of his life. Although Bob surely will be missed by many, he will, more importantly, be remembered with joy by many. He was a man of compassion and vision; he lived his Christian beliefs with zeal and intensity. With thanksgiving he will be remembered in death as in life, as Bob himself said, “the demand of death is that I turn from the past to the future, and decide all over again what my life is all about.  Death intensifies my living and sends me back to all that is basic and elemental, and I find it good, very good.” And Bob’s life was very, very good.

The days of Lent cause us to focus on another very, very good life — that of Jesus Christ — a son given for the sins of the world. A man who neither asked for, nor needed, any worldly goods; one who believed in turning from the past to the future; one who knew what his life was all about; a life shared with others.

What a tribute to have said of one’s life: “It was very, very good!”.

Prayer

We are thankful for your Son and for the many individuals who affect our lives daily. Open our eyes that we may see them as you do. Open our lives that we may turn from the past to the future and thereby determine what our lives are all about. Amen and Amen.

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Life Within You and Me

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, March 20

By Mrs. Mamie Lee Finger, Jr., February 19, 1978

Life Within You and Me

Read: John 1-17

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. …He came to bear witness to the light,… that all might believe. …And the Word became flesh…full of grace and truth. …From his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace.”

With the coming of the movie, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, I went back to Hannah Greene’s original written words. Again, I was moved by the reflective and deep thoughts of this young out-patient from the hospital:

“Over the text of John Stainer’s ‘Seven-Fold Amen’, she looked out into the congregation on

Sunday and wondered if they ever thanked God for the light in their minds, for friends, for cold

and pain responsive to the laws of nature, for enough depth of insight into these laws to have

expectation, again for friends, for the days and nights that follow one another in stately rhythm,

for the sparks that fly upward, for friends . . .

Did they know how beautiful and enviable their lives were? She realized more and more that

her few spare hour pastimes provided too little in which to test and exercise her fragile ‘Yes’

to a newborn reality.”

I began to wonder – do we actually test, or exercise, our sometimes fragile YES to reality, which can be newborn for us each day?

 

DO WE?

CAN WE?

WILL WE?

Prayer

Thank you, God, for the gifts of our life – for the light in our minds – for friends, for the expectations of living. May we be transmitters of life, agents of Your activity, facilitators of living fully. With Faith and in hope, may we break open and see the world of opportunity that is ours as we ourselves are open. Then, through Grace and Truth and Light, may we lay claim to our greatest potential, Christ within us. Amen.

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