And the Wind Blew ...

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.  John 3:8

When Rev. Cammy Gaston addressed about 100 people in our Sanctuary two Sundays ago, she explained how General Conference works and the emphases of “3 Rs” that our North and Central Texas delegations would be focusing:

• Regionalization

• Removal of the restrictive language around sexuality

• Revision of our Social Principles

Few thought confidently that all three could be achieved in one General Conference given that we had been unsuccessful in four previous General Conferences spanning 20 years. Now we are one vote away from affirming a whole new set of Social Principles. That vote is expected to be as large as the votes were for regionalization and removal of the restrictive language (see Bishop Saenz’s video below) – about 90% in favor! How do we explain this tsunami of sea change? Disaffiliation of churches and delegates who would have voted, “nay” explains some but not nearly all of that shift of position by our United Methodist Church. I believe it is the movement of the Holy Spirit.

In John’s text above, the learned clergy Nicodemus is befuddled by how in the world a person can be “born again.” He knows – really – that you can’t crawl back into your mother’s womb. So, if not that, then what? That is where Jesus teaches Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit, who is forever beyond our ability to predict or control – just like the wind – but you sure know it when you feel it!

It was amazing to hear from Cammy that starting the very first two days of Conference last week, decisions both small and large were being made by an 80%+ margin that seemed to keep building on itself with shocked surprise, positivity, and growing momentum. Now there are two days left and those present would tell you that the Spirit has most startlingly been blowing in ways that have brought numerous gasps and tears of joy that we are finally acting like the church of Jesus Christ with “faith, hope, and love” (1 Cor. 13) instead of the alternatives our culture too readily offers up and even celebrates.   

This first Sunday in May we gather for the same holy communion that we did in April, but when we say that ALL are welcomed at this table, we now mean it ... officially. As our Church Council stated after our church-wide discernment process a year and a half ago around the issue of human sexuality,  “We are proud to be a United Methodist Church.”

Blow Spirit blow.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer

As we grow in Christian maturity, we come to understand that prayer to God is not transactional or quid pro quo, though there is no shortage of preachers of a prosperity gospel that would have you think that is the case. If you pray the right prayer with the right words to the right person of the Trinity, then blessings of all kinds will be yours, especially the material kind. History is strewn with disappointed and disillusioned believers who discover that God does not work that way. As a seminary professor told us years ago, God is not a “cosmic gumball machine” in which you put in your prayer and out comes your blessing.  There is no power in that kind of prayer, only disappointment ultimately.

On the other hand, healthy power in prayer begins with the daily recognition and confession that God is God, and we are not. It starts with a stance of humility that recognizes and thanks God for our daily life and opportunity to be in relationship with the God who loves us unconditionally, stands with us steadfastly, and works for all good in the world (Romans 8:28). God is the rock upon which we can confidently build our daily lives, trusting that the carpenter helping with the construction takes great pride and delight in his work. With him we stand on a sure foundation, able to withstand and prevail through the wind, rain, storms, and death that blow through our lives. That is our resurrection hope and reality – a different kind of power, and power indeed! My daily work is to ground myself through scripture and contemplation with the prayer to stay in the presence and mindfulness of Christ throughout my day and then pray the same for a world that needs that same presence and mindfulness. 

In speaking to Cammy, General Conference has begun with an overall positive hopefulness of what can be accomplished this time around. The Spirit seems to be moving as so many have prayed. Cammy herself has been moved to tears by emailed prayers that several of you have sent her. She has felt the love and the encouragement for that arduous work.  If you would like to bring a smile and maybe a tear to my wife’s eyes, you can email her at cammygaston1221@gmail.com.   

For everything that so many are praying for in this General Conference and in our world, thank you. I join you in that, and I will leave it to God to decide which prayer gets which gumball. 

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Keeping the Arms of Love Open

One emerging point of focus for our new Futurist Team is what to do with our southeast lawn and future main Sunday entrance to say that we care for you, and we care for our planet. Architecturally, the angled walls on either side of the three doors can be seen as open arms of welcome – for all. How do we leverage that? How can we build on that in clear and inviting ways, especially for rising generations who embrace the call of Christ better than their preceding generations? We must care for one another and our planet better than we have.  

Similarly, our General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina next week will work on new ways to care better for one another and our planet. There is good movement to give regions around the world autonomy to care for others better within their context rather than fashioning a “one size fits all” that is U.S.-centric. The Catholic Church has set a good precedent creating over 60 variations of the Mass tailored to the cultural context in which it is shared. We have a proposed new edition of our Social Principles and Resolutions that has been written by United Methodists from the Philippines, countries in Africa, Eurasia, and Central America in addition to the United States, representing our global peoples’ concerns and not just American concerns. This is right and just.  

 Because our polity was patterned in the 18th century after the American government model of legislative checks and balances, the process for getting to these ends is messy as together the 862 delegates (half lay people, half clergy) prayerfully discern God’s will for our church. By organization, they are the only ones who can do so.  

 I ask you to pray for our Futurist Team as it peers into the future and seeks to discern the mission, structure, and strategies to get there. 

I ask that you pray for Rev. Cammy Gaston and the other 861 delegates to General Conference as they peer into the future and discern the mission, structure, and strategies to get there.

At the end of the day, both groups want to keep the arms of love open for all persons and for our planet, for the sake of the risen Christ and his call upon all of our lives.  Amen.  

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Birds Flock – United Methodists Conference!

From April 23 to May 3, 862 delegates (half laypeople and half clergy) will flock from around the world in Charlotte, North Carolina, to address a myriad of issues that affect all of us in the United Methodist Church. Because of Covid and the canceled 2020 General Conference, it will be our first, full General Conference since 2016. It stands to reason there is a lot of work for them to do. But really, it is simply a scaled-up version of what we do every year in our Annual Conference locally as well as our local Charge Conference – we conference!  

Since the (Protest)ant movement began with Martin Luther in 1516, we have stood firmly on the belief that God speaks through all of God’s people and not just some, like a pope or a bishop. We believe that all people are called by God through their baptism to serve alongside others in the church for the sake of Christ’s mission. Some are called to lay ministry, and some are called to set-apart ministry (clergy), but all are called to work together for the health and mission of Christ’s body, the church, at the local, regional, and global levels. We believe this system makes us a stronger connectional church. Now to be certain it is messy, as collaborative human processes are, but they are also creative, synergistic, and even inspired, especially if the Holy Spirit is present (see Acts 2).  

Every four years, every United Methodist conference nominates and elects an equal number of clergy and laypeople to represent us all at General Conference. One of my proudest moments in 2016 was when my wife, Rev. Cammy Gaston, was the third person and the first woman elected to our Conference’s delegation. It spoke to the high regard with which she is held in our North Texas Conference, having served five years as a District Superintendent and six years overseeing leadership development with the Bishop. Consequently, I am very proud for her to be able to educate us at FUMC Plano on Sunday, April 21, about the larger issues facing them and us when they begin their work in Charlotte on April 23. I invite you to come on April 21, right after the 9 a.m. worship service in the Sanctuary, to listen and learn about how our church works on a global scale and how that impacts our work at the local level.  

Moreover, I ask that you pray. There is so much hurt in the world and so much good to be done. Pray that the Spirit comes mightily upon that General Conference and surprises us all with the Spirit’s grace and movement, that the delegates might hear one another and act with one voice as that first conference did in Acts 2. 

In the meantime, I look forward to our flocking together this Sunday to praise God in these Easter days. It’s what we do!

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Easter – More than a Sunday Spectator Event

When I was young in the 70s, we sang an Easter song by Donald Marsh with the refrain:

 Ev’ry morning is Easter morning, from now on!

 Ev’ry day’s resurrection day, the past is over and gone!

 Goodbye guilt, goodbye fear, good riddance. Hello Lord, Hello sun!

 I am one of the Easter People! My new life has begun!

It was kind of campy but also kind of catchy – the kind of song that had you snapping your fingers or tapping your toes because it just made you smile and feel good! I think my longer-term appreciation for the song came however from its longer-term theological truth: ev’ry morning is Easter morning, from now on! More than a once-a-year event, Christ’s resurrection from the dead created an every-day reality that gave the believers a new perspective on everything around them. Biblically, that new reality of Jesus kept emerging to different people in different ways for 50 days until Pentecost. And it gave the believers still another and eternal reality: living their faith together in the Spirit as the church, reaching out to others in need – just as Jesus had done. The church at various times has lost sight of those essential truths.  Every year, FUMC Plano intentionally places those truths squarely in front of ourselves:

• We joyously worship the risen Christ on Easter Sunday.

• We joyously go out in service to others the next Sunday.

It’s why we call it, “Mission Together.” It enables us to live out our Easter days together … for others. We think the “together” piece is so important that we hold only one worship service – this time with communion – so that we can worship with those in our church family we don’t normally see, and then go serve with them.  

So let go of any fear and guilt and instead, wear (or buy) your church t-shirt and blue jeans, worship together and then GO, as one of the Easter people … together, confident that Jesus will be waiting ahead of us wherever and in whomever we go to serve.  

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

He is risen!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Come and see.

Matt

Invite Someone for Dinner … or Donuts

Always a good idea, right?  But an especially good idea when it comes to church. 

 We are having conversations about best practices to get “our brand” – “out there.” We have together discussed yard signs around Easter, catchy phrases on our corner LED sign (people seem to like the humorous ones), stand-out feather flag signs at our entrances, the right look on Facebook and Instagram, and upping our worship live-stream game (which we have done well). All of these are worthy of reflection, conscious effort, and investment. 

However, the most effective practice is still the personal one where, like Jesus said to the young men (John 1:39) and Philip said to Nathanael (John 1:46), “Come and see.” We simply are more inclined to believe the experience of another whom we trust than any advertisement. Christmas Eve surprised us three months ago when, on a rainy day, we packed the Sanctuary at the 7 p.m. service, welcoming in total some 40-50% more people than we anticipated. Easter will likely be similar, especially if YOU are doing the inviting.

Times together are always a bit more special over a meal shared, especially when someone invites us to that meal. Invite someone you know to come for “dinner” next week on Maundy Thursday in our Gathering Area (RSVP here). It will be intimate and special as we remember together the first Last Supper. Invite someone you know to come for donuts (and a whole lot more) on Easter for the Sunrise service at 7 a.m., 9 a.m. for Modern service, and the 11 a.m. Traditional service. 

Don’t assume people have a place to go during Holy Week – many do not; and even if they do, they will greatly appreciate your grace in thinking about them. So invite someone for dinner … or donuts next week to come and see and enjoy a double-blessing.

"Does it get any better than Easter?"

Yes! It does when we commune with Christ and one another on the Thursday and Friday before Easter.

In a repeat of last year, our Maundy Thursday service will be a different type of worship service. “Passover Around the Table” will be held in the Gathering Area around tables where we will have a service of scripture, song, and samplings of a Seder meal. We will reenact the words spoken the last evening Jesus Christ spent with his disciples and share Holy Communion just like Jesus did in the Upper Room. You can RSVP for this event here!

By participating in worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we more keenly feel the deep love Jesus had for his disciples and for us. Few of us have been to the Holy Land, but all of us can walk more personally with Jesus as he agonized and suffered for us on Thursday and Friday.  

These plus the continuous Prayer Vigil that we will have from Good Friday night to the Easter Sunrise service (sign up for your one-hour time slot here!) prepare us to experience the Easter triumph in a deeper way that is not possible without experiencing Maundy Thursday's and Good Friday's setback and loss. I encourage you to try them this year. Life is better when we share significant moments in intimate settings with people who care for one another. I promise you that your Holy Week will be better for it.

Connecting God and Grace to self and community, 

The Answer, My Friend, is Blowing in the Wind

“ The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

— John 3:8

We went from 94 degrees one day with wildfires in the panhandle to freezing temps and snow. I shook my head thinking about what this portends for our summer. Thankfully, the National Weather Services says there is little correlation.

The difference-maker is how much rain we get in the next three months (now you know what to pray for!). Beyond thinking with empathy about our allergy-sufferers, I have thought about the correlation with the text from John stated above:  like the weather in Texas, the appearance of the Spirit is one that no one can predict but you know it when he shows up!  As a mentor pastor said to me years ago, if it walks like a goose, sounds like a goose, then …

I reported to our Staff-Parish Relations Committee last night that we hit again a new high, in-house attendance of 367 last Sunday. We continue to welcome and engage new persons and new families into our connections. We have five persons signed up for our #BeUMC 101 membership class. 143 people have bought tickets for the Wellspring fun-raising dinner Saturday night.  A major new mission project is being tackled by our Mission Service Group. A new Construction Management Team has been formed to oversee the work that is coming this year.  A new investment team has been formed on our Finance Committee to oversee our newly invested capital monies from the recent land sale. All of these I attribute to the Spirit blowing amongst us, creating new and life-giving opportunities for so many, including ourselves in the process. I had another mentor once say, “Church is what we do six days a week; Sunday is when we celebrate.”

This Sunday, we celebrate Jesus the Christ with song, liturgy, word and holy communion. We will remember how the Spirit blazed within him and through him when he showed up at the Temple in Jerusalem, loudly reminding us of what the main thing is: paying attention to where the Spirit it blowing … minus the allergens!  See you in worship!

Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

That’s the more Presbyterian version of the line in The Lord’s Prayer. With the closing and funding of our land sale, this line took on a new meaning for me in this season of Lent and confession.

With the stroke of a pen, the $3.5 million of long-term debt that we were carrying as a church was reduced to $750,000 – a long-held desire by our church for 20 years since the purchase of this property and the construction of its buildings. Without the sale and with higher interest rates, our debt service for 2024 would have been more than $210,000. With the reduction of debt, our debt service will be $64,500.  A portion of the sale will go toward the costs of a new Yardbird shed and storage space, architectural fees, and incidental costs like temporary storage. The remainder of the sales will remain in an interest-bearing account with Texas Methodist Foundation which we can use only for capital replacement or new work. It is NOT money we can use for our budget, i.e. personnel, program costs, utilities, etc. 

What is the upshot of this?

Though Easter/Christmas has come early for FUMC Plano, the impact on our budget is small and the need for all of us to maintain our giving remains. The proceeds buy us time as a church while we work to create a new “business model” that is sustainable long-term. Our Futurist Team and Finance Team will be studying the issues involved, such as greater rental use, in the months ahead as we want to be God’s very best stewards of this good gift and of all our gifts that enable Christ’s love to be shared in effective and transformative ways.  Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your support, and thank God from whom all blessings flow!