Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
New Orleans- Congress on Evangelism -Part 1
The Congress on Evangelism January 5-8
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans
FUMC and the Austin District of the UMC sent me to the Congress on Evangelism to learn what I could and report back. I've reported on this to a couple of Sunday school classes, but figured this might amuse the 3 of you who read my blog as well. The theme of the week was Restore, Rebuild & Renew. “…they replied, “Let us start rebuilding,” So they began this good work.” – Nehemiah 2:18
All of the key note speakers spoke to this theme in one way or another.
Tuesday, January 5th
I arrive in New Orleans only to discover that it will not be warmer in this southern city than it is in Austin. In fact a cold-spell is covering most of the United States and it is as cold in New Orleans, LA as it is in Denver, Co. Genius that I am, I did not bring a coat. This leads to a walking tour of the area around the fabulous Roosevelt Hotel (freezing the entire time) where I find a very warm jacket at Foot Locker for $32. Score! The hotel is one of the most beautiful I've ever stayed in. It has just been restored to its pre-Katrina, art-deco splendour and I'm in awe. Thank you Congress on Evangelism for not being at the Motel 6.
I am still cold later that afternoon so I decide to have dinner in the hotel to avoid a trip outside. A sweet Methodist couple from Punxatawny, PA invite me to eat with them, for which I am grateful. I learn about Phil the groundhog and what a wonderful life he leads. The food is wonderful, but it is in incredibly tiny portions (which leads me to eat at McDonalds at 9:30 at night after the service- I am not proud of this but it was close and it was really cold out!).
Every evening started off with worship led by choirs from the surrounding UM churches. It was sublime and emotional. The key note speaker the first evening is Pastor Rudy Rasmus, of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX. http://www.pastorrudy.net/ Rasmus took a church with 9 members and turned it into a church with 9000 members. Rasmus is a dynamic preacher and perfect to kick off the conference. There are 620 attendees with perhaps 10% African Americans. I meet people from Montana, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and of course, Louisiana. Everyone loves Pastor Rudy by the end of his sermon.
Rasmus has a small goatee with 3 braids, I'm not going to lie, it looks odd. Rasmus laughs and explains that it is his way of spotting judgmental people from 10 feet away. If they look at him and move in the opposite direction then he knows they don't like jazz musicians... and people who look a little funky. This is the gist of his message. He wants to start a “love revolution”. He says that we can only rebuild when we remember that Jesus used people on the margins of society and put them at the center. Rasmus equates Jesus with unconditional love. He reminds us of John 3:16 AND 17 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans
FUMC and the Austin District of the UMC sent me to the Congress on Evangelism to learn what I could and report back. I've reported on this to a couple of Sunday school classes, but figured this might amuse the 3 of you who read my blog as well. The theme of the week was Restore, Rebuild & Renew. “…they replied, “Let us start rebuilding,” So they began this good work.” – Nehemiah 2:18
All of the key note speakers spoke to this theme in one way or another.
Tuesday, January 5th
I arrive in New Orleans only to discover that it will not be warmer in this southern city than it is in Austin. In fact a cold-spell is covering most of the United States and it is as cold in New Orleans, LA as it is in Denver, Co. Genius that I am, I did not bring a coat. This leads to a walking tour of the area around the fabulous Roosevelt Hotel (freezing the entire time) where I find a very warm jacket at Foot Locker for $32. Score! The hotel is one of the most beautiful I've ever stayed in. It has just been restored to its pre-Katrina, art-deco splendour and I'm in awe. Thank you Congress on Evangelism for not being at the Motel 6.
I am still cold later that afternoon so I decide to have dinner in the hotel to avoid a trip outside. A sweet Methodist couple from Punxatawny, PA invite me to eat with them, for which I am grateful. I learn about Phil the groundhog and what a wonderful life he leads. The food is wonderful, but it is in incredibly tiny portions (which leads me to eat at McDonalds at 9:30 at night after the service- I am not proud of this but it was close and it was really cold out!).
Every evening started off with worship led by choirs from the surrounding UM churches. It was sublime and emotional. The key note speaker the first evening is Pastor Rudy Rasmus, of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX. http://www.pastorrudy.net/ Rasmus took a church with 9 members and turned it into a church with 9000 members. Rasmus is a dynamic preacher and perfect to kick off the conference. There are 620 attendees with perhaps 10% African Americans. I meet people from Montana, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Georgia, and of course, Louisiana. Everyone loves Pastor Rudy by the end of his sermon.
Rasmus has a small goatee with 3 braids, I'm not going to lie, it looks odd. Rasmus laughs and explains that it is his way of spotting judgmental people from 10 feet away. If they look at him and move in the opposite direction then he knows they don't like jazz musicians... and people who look a little funky. This is the gist of his message. He wants to start a “love revolution”. He says that we can only rebuild when we remember that Jesus used people on the margins of society and put them at the center. Rasmus equates Jesus with unconditional love. He reminds us of John 3:16 AND 17 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I don't think of myself as a perfectionist. My house isn't particularly tidy, and my office, try as I might, is cluttered and unorganized. I don't expect perfection from my friends, and I'm usually not too hard on myself when I screw up. But lately I've noticed a tendency in myself that I'd never noticed before. A need to be perfect.
John McMullen's last sermon here at FUMC touched on how the need for perfection can paralyze you into inaction and then our new Pastor John touched on that topic again. That's what happened with this blog. I've been reading so many other blogs that I've given up on writing one myself because I can't measure up to other peoples writing.
I cannot tell you the number of times that I've told my children not to compare themselves to others, and yet I've spent months doing it. Nothing good comes out of beating yourself up because you have not done what the president/movie star/your 2nd cousin has done.
My Greek class is another example of my issues with perfection. I try not to be prideful about most things, but my school work is something that I tend to be pretty proud of. I do well. I expect an A or B+ from myself. Never mind that I work full-time, and have a family, and like to spend some time with my friends, and try to take care of myself physically. Surely I can do everything. Apparently I've been supermom in my own mind.
Until Greek. Greek has beaten my ego to a pulp. I've never been in danger of failing a class. NEVER. I've never had my hair fall out because I am so stressed. I've never encountered a situation where I've given my all, and still found myself floundering. Yet, (and here is my real problem) there are others in my class who are doing just fine.
Ouch.
Who said that I had to be at the top of my class? Who said that I had to compare myself to other people? Who said I had to be perfect?
Not God.
So here is what I think I'm learning this summer. If God can love me despite my many inadequacies, then I should, at the very least, give myself a break. I am not perfect. This is not news.
So I will continue to share some of my random thoughts about membership here for you. Just don't expect perfection. Ha.
John McMullen's last sermon here at FUMC touched on how the need for perfection can paralyze you into inaction and then our new Pastor John touched on that topic again. That's what happened with this blog. I've been reading so many other blogs that I've given up on writing one myself because I can't measure up to other peoples writing.
I cannot tell you the number of times that I've told my children not to compare themselves to others, and yet I've spent months doing it. Nothing good comes out of beating yourself up because you have not done what the president/movie star/your 2nd cousin has done.
My Greek class is another example of my issues with perfection. I try not to be prideful about most things, but my school work is something that I tend to be pretty proud of. I do well. I expect an A or B+ from myself. Never mind that I work full-time, and have a family, and like to spend some time with my friends, and try to take care of myself physically. Surely I can do everything. Apparently I've been supermom in my own mind.
Until Greek. Greek has beaten my ego to a pulp. I've never been in danger of failing a class. NEVER. I've never had my hair fall out because I am so stressed. I've never encountered a situation where I've given my all, and still found myself floundering. Yet, (and here is my real problem) there are others in my class who are doing just fine.
Ouch.
Who said that I had to be at the top of my class? Who said that I had to compare myself to other people? Who said I had to be perfect?
Not God.
So here is what I think I'm learning this summer. If God can love me despite my many inadequacies, then I should, at the very least, give myself a break. I am not perfect. This is not news.
So I will continue to share some of my random thoughts about membership here for you. Just don't expect perfection. Ha.
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