Take Off Your Shoes

Take Off Your Shoes
Dave McGhee – April 14, 2012

At the last supper before his death Jesus told his disciples many things; there are two of interest here. First Jesus, the Master, humbled himself to wash the feet of his disciples or students. (John 13:3-17) Second he told them to show the world his love by sharing it. (John 13:34 – 35)

There is also a little story I just heard this Easter.

She thought God created the job for her. It used her gifts in ministry to a group of people for whom both God and she had a special love. But the field in which she worked was rocky and grown up in briars. At the end of each day, her feet were bruised and cut. Was she to endure?

So she came to see me. It was Holy Week [the week before Easter]. Our worship center had a small bowl of water and a print of “The Washing of Feet” by Sieger Koder. She looked at the print and quietly said it was an answer to prayer. She had quickly perceived, as she said, “The face of Jesus is seen only in the feet of His disciple.” – Unknown

This Easter when I read these verses and story, and viewed the picture it was an answer to my prayer. I was struggling with my own response to Jesus’ call. Who was I supposed to help? What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to go? The answer was made plain. We are not to worry about these things. We are simply called to love one another throughout our daily walk; responding to events and God’s nudging as they happen. Simple, but difficult.

We humans are strange; we attempt to over control our lives. We separate and isolate the different parts of our life; home, work, school, activities, charity, and church. We also try to protect ourselves by limiting what we see, hear, and pay attention to. We build fortresses like privacy fenced yards, private commuting, and cliques of friends. We put on armor like emotional detachment, sunglasses, clothes that define image, and bury our faces in iPhones. When we do offer assistance it is typically on our terms and often with limited interaction.

What would happen if we took off our protective shoes as we went about our daily business like the woman in the story? What would happen if we let ourselves see, hear, and experience the people, events, and God’s movement that surround us daily? Most of Jesus’ ministry, if not all, happened while he was going somewhere and when he stopped to listen. What would happen if we were as attentive and responded as our hearts and Jesus would have us respond?

"My Own Little World” – Matthew West

Faith Outreach 2010

The restructuring of Faith’s outreach website to align more closely with the outreach budget is complete! The Outreach Committee feels this is an important step for several reasons.

• It significantly increases the transparency and accountability of the committee’s management of the offerings entrusted to it.
• It provides, in one easily accessible location, the background information for each of these outreach areas budgeted for this year.
• It provides information that is important not only for Faith members to discern where God might be leading them to participate, but also to visitors and seekers trying to determine if Faith Church will be their new church home.
• Given our recent changes in demographics and resources it provides a much needed snapshot of where our outreach areas are as we discern what those areas should be in the future.

However, outreach and mission are not about budget alone! As followers of Christ, and Presbyterians, we are called to not only send money but to walk among those in need. This is clearly stated in this passage from Matthew.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:35-40)

The Presbyterian constitution also states this thorough the “Great Ends of the Church” as well as its description of the Church’s mission.

Many of the outreach background descriptions have not been able to describe exactly how Faith members are personally involved in those ministries. This is information that must come from you, Faith’s members, as to what you are doing. The Presbyterian Church is a connectional church dependent on community. Your stories of how you are participating in God’s work are the brightest examples of witness to God’s love and allow others to join with you in forwarding God’s Kingdom! It is through your stories, along with prayer, that Faith Church and the Outreach Committee can discern what ministries God is calling us to in the future.

Please keep Faith’s outreach ministries and the Outreach Committee in your prayers! And keep checking the Faith Reach website as we collect those stories and offer invitations to your participation in God’s work. Thank You!

Faith's Budget Process

Faith's Budget Process
Dave McGhee

I have been having a short conversation with some South African friends concerned about some budgetary issues in their small but growing congregation. They asked how we raise funds over here. I thought my response would be a good thing to place here on our blog site. These things always seem to be taken for granted, or talking about them frowned on, but I feel its important to openly present them in a faithful response to stewardship in God's Kingdom. So here is my response:

Friends,

As for budgeting, Faith Church and most PC(USA) churches have a Stewardship drive in the November time frame. This is the time where Church members make their yearly pledges to the Church's budget. Some tithe, most don't make the full 10%, a few go well over. A sizable portion don't pledge but do contribute regularly. The Session of Elders then puts together an operating budget for the next year based on those pledges. We just finished up that process and presented the budget to the congregation last week.

We also are blessed to have a strong tradition of giving directly to particular mission or outreach efforts outside of the yearly pledge. That may be a uniquely Presbyterian thing? But I believe it is also more true of the younger generations that desire more control over where their money goes. Stewardship is an interesting mix of personal control and trust in God, and everyone is at a different place on that journey!

We have been blessed to have members who honor their pledges. I believe this is a result of their strong faith in God as well as an honest, faith driven, no pressure, and confidential approach to the pledging process. The faithful use of those funds for the Church's work by the Session is an important component to that mutual trust.

Special circumstances sometimes call for monetary pleas. We've been fortunate in our history that these have mostly been for special mission efforts. We have also had Building fund drives where we have asked for a separate pledge from members to support expansions of our facilities.

Last year was a tough year. Membership dropped significantly, quite honestly due to some internal conflict. That resulted in income being lower than planned but expenses were not. We made some tough choices and tightened our belts and managed to make it through. Praise God! Keeping God front and center in all those decisions not only got us through but also resulted in a strong pledge response for this coming year. Trusting in God may not make short term sense but always comes out ahead in the long term!

Blessings in your efforts to spread the Good News!
Dave McGhee - Faith Church

Comfort in the Aftermath?

*** This is a repost of a post on my personal blog. ***

In the aftermath of a disaster like the Haitian earthquake where could comfort possibly come from? Does it come from the millions maybe billions of dollars in aid beginning to be amassed and directed toward relief? Does it come from the multitude of relief organizations as well as the US Army responding and gearing up for future response? Does it come from the billions of prayers offered up for those suffering, affected, or responding? Does it come from the words of the Gospel shared by relief workers?

I was struck by this news article from Reuters, “Hymns, Children's Cries Fill Haiti's Night,”.

"The chanting and clapping, mainly by women, echo from hill to hill, street to street, as Haitians pray for their dead and ask God to spare them more suffering after an earthquake that has killed thousands and flattened much of the capital.


While the widespread singing provides comfort, the jarring shrieks and sobs of injured children -- some lying in the street clutching bloody gashes -- are a haunting reminder of the untended suffering in Haiti." - Reuters

The faithful inclination of the Haitian people (predominantly Catholic) to reach out to God in a uniquely Haitian way moves me.

The shear enormity of such a disaster overwhelms. It certainly overwhelms those physically affected. But it also overwhelms the rest of us who feel the natural human desire to help. Yet we all respond differently to that initial reaction. Some simply cannot deal with it and block it out. Some create some protectionist rationalization that allows emotional detachment. Some jump in full bore. (Those that have prepared for that will be of benefit, those unprepared may not? But that might just be my personal rationalization?) Some respond out of guilt, or a sense of reciprocity or karma.

As Christians our first and foremost response should be prayer. We pray first that God covers those affected with his grace. We do this out of a sense of and acknowledgment that God is sovereign over all. We know that God did not cause this. Yet we know in a fallen world, separated from God, that these things happen and God will use these events to bring us back together with him. We also know that a significant part of God's grace on those affected will be worked through us, his church established through Jesus Christ. We therefore secondly pray for instruction on what each of us individually and  as a church are supposed to do.

It is through this comfort of God's sovereignty and unity in the church that Christians are able to function so effectively in times such as this. In this faith comes comfort that the donations of a single pair of shoes or the simple act of assembling a hygiene kit are adequate responses in overwhelming times. It is this prayer for discernment made in faith that those with the gifts of resources, or those with the gifts of organization, or those with the gifts of healing and comfort are given their marching orders in God's army. All these things flow together within God's church to allow all of us to feel his comfort and become a world wide force that provides comfort in overwhelming times. It is also in times like these that individuals and churches are drawn in to recognize their individual missions even after this catastrophe has passed. This is reflected in the work of thousands in developing denominational disaster response teams, such as the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Agency or the Catholic Relief Services or any of the many other denominational organizations. These larger groups again demonstrate how God flows individual gifts and efforts into a world wide responsive force.

So I urge you to use this opportunity to develop a relationship with Jesus. Talk or pray with him to find out what you are supposed to do right now and take comfort that whatever that may be is enough even for something as overwhelming as this. I also urge you to continue developing that relationship to learn what Jesus wants for you in the future and to find your place in his church that continues to provide assistance and comfort even after the news agencies grow weary of reporting  this disaster.

Blessings of the Peace of Christ,
Dave McGhee

RESPITE MINISTRY

By Linda Rass

The word respite is defined as “an interval of rest or relief”. That is exactly what we do at Faith for families in the community that have a child with a disability. This ministry offers families the opportunity to leave their children with us for up to four hours on the third Friday night of the month. It is not just the child with special needs, but also their siblings.

Through this ministry we have been able to watch the kids grow and mature, as well as formed relationships with the families. We have celebrated successes with them and have prayed with them when there have been other problems. And through it all, the impact on the church budget is less than $50.00 per year.

Over the past few months we have been going through some reorganization and implemented a few changes. We have also had some new volunteers, but are still looking for a few more people. We want to have two teams of volunteers (15-20 per team) so that you only volunteer every other month which is about 5-6 times per year. This ministry is one that can involve your entire family, because we love having children from our church family play with all the other kids.

For more information on Faith's Accessibility and Respite Care Ministries see Faith Reach Respite Care Background

Faith Reach needs your help. We need your personal stories!

I was doing some clean up and found this in a Facebook Note. It is worth repeating here...

Friends of Faith,

Faith Reach needs your help. We need your personal stories!

Faith Reach was started to communicate the outward work that God is doing through Faith Church. It has 3 major goals.

* Provide regular news and invitations of opportunities for you to get involved.
* Provide background information on the ministries that we are inviting you into.
* Provide an avenue for you to tell your stories about how God has impacted you or impacted others through your involvement in outreach ministries.

We are well on our way in providing the first two goals. However, they mean nothing without your stories! Without your stories, Faith Reach is just another website and the invitations are hollow. As Christians we are called to share the Good News. That is done most effectively by telling our personal stories of how God has worked in our lives. That is the way these ministries, these invitations, and this website will become an active part of God's plan.

The Personal Stories link on Faith Reach takes you to it's sister blog site. There are several stories there now; like a story from the returning South Africa team, or experiences at the Downtown Rescue Mission worship service. These stories make these actions personal, connectional, and give glory to the Christ that works through them and us.

So, please share your stories. Contact me and I'll help you get your story told. If you wish to remain anonymous on the web, we can do that, but the story itself is important. Just drop me an email at ms@presby.org

It is through your stories of "Christ in you" that life will be breathed into these "Dry Bones" of electrons on a page (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

Thank You!

In His Service,
Dave McGhee

2009 Operation Hungry Homeless Christmas Banquet

by Dave McGhee

I and several others from Faith spent about three hours at the 2009 Operation Hungry Homeless Christmas Banquet on Saturday December 12th. This is an annual event in which a number of local churches involved in ministry to the homeless work together to provide a hot meal, access to donated clothing, and some loving attention to some of Huntsville’s most marginalized citizens. This is a sister event to the Homeless Picnic in July that I reported on previously here. The cold wind and impending rain outside contrasted with the warmth and friendliness inside gave ample evidence of the need for such an offering.

St. Bartley Primitive Baptist Church organized and hosted the event this year. A number of other churches were also involved. Faith provided drinks and ice as well as about a half dozen bags of clothes. St. Bartley is typically one of the main organizers of this event. This year however they also hosted the event. Faith Church has hosted the event for the past several years but due to the Fellowship hall fire, along with timing and logistics, we could not make that offer this year. This loss was sorely missed within this community of providers. St. Bartley did a magnificent job!

Frank has a wonderful “God thing” story to tell! So if I can’t convince him to share it in this blog, please get him to tell you about it!

Once again, as I did in the summer picnic article, I need to remind us (and myself) to throw out any stereotype ideas we have of the homeless! These were clean, friendly, and very polite folks that could easily be you or I. And to be brutally honest, the worst smell was some alcohol breath which I’m sure you’ve already experienced at one of this year’s Christmas parties. Philip, Billy, Howard, and I helped out with the men’s clothes. We had some time to take stock of what was there and had the pleasure of helping these gentlemen find what they needed. I say gentlemen and I mean it. They were very polite, taking only what they needed, helping each other find what they needed and minding each others bags on occasion. Acquaintances shared greetings and travel tips and points of contact in other cities like Chattanooga and Nashville. Every one thanked us and more than a few wished us blessings and a happy holiday!

Here are a couple observations regarding needs for future clothing donations. Socks are always in high demand! Any Boy Scout or infantryman will tell you dry socks are the key to life. Also there were lots of requests for underwear shorts. With Faith’s resources, I would think that focusing our future clothing contributions on new socks and underwear would be very welcome? As far as men’s pants sizes, 30-34 waist sizes are in high demand.

I almost didn’t go to this event. I knew I had a good experience at the summer picnic, yet these stereotypes we have can have a powerful hold on us. Additionally I am not a great people person and last week was very long week with lots of people interactions that wear me out. These anxieties along with trying to find a new place in a “questionable” neighborhood just about had me convinced not to go. The Lord convinced me to trust in Him and go. And I found myself being very amiable and having a pleasant time! I even started to recognize some faces of folks from St. Bartley. Tim from St. Bartley made me feel very welcome. Thanks Tim! I hope this becomes a regular thing.

In closing, Frank relayed to me that the number of folks served at this banquet peaked a number of years ago at around 400. He shared, that was a particularly good year of cooperation, support, and participation among folks serving this community. This tells me that this need is all about the supply of willing providers. The demand is always high. I heard just recently (I wish I could remember from whom) that the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11), but no where does it say they should be the same poor! In sharing the Kingdom we should be continually helping the poor move ahead.