Rev. Dawn-Marie's midweek reflection

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This Sunday, we will begin a three week focus on Stewardship.  Our stewardship program is entitled, “Living Each Day as a Steward!”  

Our theme for this week is “The Steward’s Identity.”  What identity is most important to you?  Does your identity focus on your family, vocation, wealth, hobbies, education, etc.?  How important is your identity of being baptized child of God who has been called and chosen to be God’s steward.  Through the Gospel, we have our now identity in Jesus.  

We give money to the things that we most value, and oftentimes those things are temporary and fleeting.  When we give to God, we give back to Him for all he has given us.   In his book, The Book of Giving: How the God who GIves Can Make Us Givers, Pierce Taylor Hibbs says, “God is the grand giver.  All of life, in a sense, is turning us to this truth and conforming us to it.  Everything we experience draws us closer to God’s giving circle, where Giver, Gift, and Recipient dance and exchange, constantly giving, constantly receiving, constantly being a gift.”  

My prayer is that throughout the next month, we will learn what it means to be a good steward and that each of us will commit to living our lives each day as a steward.  

I invite you to begin prayerfully discerning what God is calling you to give to Cameron UMC for the upcoming year.   I pray that God will move you to do great works for the building up of His kingdom.

Let us remember that God has called us to a life of abundance not one of scarcity.  So let us be generous in all that we do. 

- Rev. Dawn-Marie

It’s October!  Along with the cooling of the weather, October brings an emphasis on Stewardship in the church.  Ok, Ok, don’t roll your eyes.  Stewardship is an important concept in our lives as disciples of Christ.  

This week, I want to share some words from my friend Brian Henshaw.  He was the Stewardship Chair at one of my previous appointments.  The following article was printed in our church newsletter.

Serving at Home?

“You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature: rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

If one of God’s most important calls to us is the call to be a servant, doesn’t it make sense that we need to incorporate that service into our daily lives?  That means being a servant our own homes.  If we don’t serve those with whom we spend the most time, those whom we love the most, then servanthood is halfhearted as best.  How can I be a servant at home?  Here are a few ideas suggested by Christians in Galatians chapter 5.

Survey your Home:

Ask yourself: is my home a place of indulgence, or service?  You see, an opportunity to serve is also always an opportunity to indulge.  Nowhere is that so true as in the home.  Nowhere is our human tendency towards selfishness seen so clearly as in the home.  What are you doing with your opportunities?  Are you taking advantage of your family?  Of their work by your laziness?  Of their forgiveness by your anger?  Of their giving by your taking? 

Surrender your Heart:

Servants surrender their heart to the guidance of God’s spirit.  What makes me into this servant-type person? God’s Spirit!  Some specific surrenders need to happen in your heart for your home to become a place of service.  Wait a minute, you might be thinking.  Isn’t this churchstuff?  What does the Holy Spirit have to do with my family?  EVERYTHING!  Ephesians 5:28 tells us “Be filled with the Spirit,” and then spends the rest of the chapter talking about what that does in our families!  Being filled with the Spirit gives us the power to make those specific surrenders that make a family strong.  He enables us to surrender our plans and our agendas and our desire to have OUR needs  met in order to love others.  Your family life does not have to be determined by how you were raised, not if you surrender.  It does not have to be governed by how it has been, not if you surrender.  It does not have to be limited to what it is now, not if you surrender.

QUESTION TO ASK:  Where is it difficult for you to surrender yourself to God’s daily direction?

Something to think about…

You will be hearing more and more about our Fall Stewardship emphasis in my upcoming Mid -Week Reflections, in worship as well as email and mailings.   I invite you to prayerfully discern where God is moving you in regards to your personal stewardship.  

Hope to see you on Sunday.

- Rev. Dawn-Marie

Happy Friday!   

I want to share with you a bit about my grandson, Charlie.   When you see him this Sunday at church, he will look a bit different.  He will be wearing a little band/or helmet.  He’s fine!   Like many babies today, Charlie has what’s called plagiocephaly (Pronounced play jee ow seh fuh lee)

Basically, it means he has some flatness on his head where it should be round.  This began with some tightness in his muscles in his neck which forced him to favor one side over the other.  The technical name for this condition is Torticollis.  Thanks to weekly physical therapy, he is now able to rotate his neck fully and is continuing to loosen that tightness in his neck.  

Torticollis and Plagiocephaly are very common these days since the recommendation for babies is to have them sleep on their back.  

I wanted to share this with you ahead of time so that when you see Sarah-Grace, Nik and Charlie on Sunday you don’t rush to assume something is wrong with him.   Charlie is really totally fine, and doesn’t even mind the helmet.   But please know that the doctors have recommended to dress him in lighter clothes than normal - even for this season - because the helmet is hot and he gets quite sweaty.   

We are heeding this advice for Charlie’s comfort, so please do not worry about the fact that he doesn’t have socks, or long sleeves or even a blanket.  At this time, especially as he gets used to the helmet, the doctors want us to keep him in temperatures between 60-70 as much as possible.   This is a home temperature recommendation -  don’t worry - we won’t be freezing you out at church!  LOL.  

        - Rev. Dawn-Marie

Have you ever thought about how important you are to the church?   Yes, you!  Each one of us are special and are valuable to our local church.  

You may never know what impact you place on a person.  That person could be younger or older than yourself - but nevertheless, they look up to you or consider you special. 

When I think about my growing up years at Cameron UMC - a flood of memories come forth.  Some of the most influential folks in my life back then may never have known it.  Some were teachers - such as Mildred Wilbur and Carol Malzahn; others were youth leaders like Joe and Martha Fisher and Dee and Karen Crooch, and some were clergy or church staff like Rev. Harry T. Broome (and Janet) and Herb (and Judy) Brynildson.  

When you are young, you look up to the older youth and young adults.  Many role models for me  in the 70’s and 80’s were Janet Wild, Jenny Harte, Terri Harte, Sandy Stratton, Greg Lohr, Beth Holstine, Brian Crooch, and Rick Collier.  Names that bring warmth to my soul.   Then I think of those I was in the youth group with that were my fastest and closest friends like Debbie Holstine, Kim Grigsby and Sara Brown.  Doug Collier, Eric Wild, Janna Fryant, Allen Crooch and Jeff Smith were all faithful friends that I could count on.

But then I think of others who simply  modeled for me what the church was supposed to look like… people like Marionette Changes, Ginny Burrows, Bill and Velda Yehle, Silas Lee, Ruth and Bill Harte, 

Linda Calligaro, Jan and Denny Lohr, Mary Sue Smith, Marilyn Garber, Hazel Marshall, Carolyn Brown, Dottie and Jon Holstine, Donna and Stan Grigsby, Lois and Jim Wild, Karen Grabeau Spataro, Sharon Fryant, Shirley and Freddy Campbell, Peggy and Al Guggolz, Mildred Fritzinger, Jean Firkins, and Bill Padgett.   

Names and faces that have all helped to form me in some way.  Perhaps it was the fact that they always took time to ask how I was, or maybe they were the ones hosting coffee fellowship and made sure that I had a daisy shaped butter cookie and some kool aid before I left, or perhaps they were the ones that simply were there every Sunday and were witnesses to me to what a faithful Christian was.   There are some in that list that sang in the choir and modeled to me that sharing your gifts was important, there are many names I am sure I have left off - not intentionally but simply because the list would be far too long. 

I was lucky to grow up in a church that loved me and supported me along.my spiritual journey.  The halls of Cameron still fill me with a warmth and give me a skip in my step as I remember so many who have now gone on to eternal glory.  

So it is even more important for me to instill in you, those who are a part of both Cameron and Bruen Chapel, to be models of Christ so that all who enter the doors today can feel and experience God the same way I did… and do.  

I pass down a legacy of faith and kindness and compassion - because these were the values instilled in me growing up in the halls and the classrooms of the church.  

My earnest prayer is that YOU understand how very important you are to another.  When you are not in church for a Sunday, you are missed.  You may not even realize the impact you have just by showing up.  But YOU do make a difference.

As we move into the future together, may each of us take on the responsibility of being faithful witnesses of Christ to our neighbors.  

I want so much to cultivate the warmth of a community of believers to others.  But it will take more than just me to do it.  It will take all of us.  One smile.  One hug,  One expression of concern.  One phone call.  One note or card.  One time to walk away from gossip or harmful words.  One act of forgiveness.  One act of kindness. One act of compassion.  One leap of faith in our stewardship and one simple prayer that we all may live lives worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ.  

I am excited to see how Cameron UMC and Bruen Chapel UMC will be the LIGHT in our dark world.  

I cannot wait to see how we join God in God’s plan to make disciples right here right now.  

        - Rev. Dawn-Marie

As I was purging through papers in my office this week, I came upon an old Dear Ann Landers post from August 1, 1992.  I want to share it with you. 

No Excuse Sunday

To make it possible for everyone to attend church next week, we are planning a special no-excuse Sunday.

1. Cots will be placed in the narthex for those who say, “Sunday is my only day for sleeping in.”
2. Eye drops will be available for those whose eyes are tired from watching tv too late on Saturday night.
3. We will have steel helmets for those who believe the roof will cave in if they show up for church.
4. Blankets will be furnished for those who complain that the church is too cold.  Fans will be on hand for those who say the church is too hot.
5. We have hearing aids for the parishioners who say, “The pastor doesn’t talk loud enough.”  There will be cotton balls for those who say, “The pastor talks too loud.”
6. Score cards will be available for those who wish to count the hypocrites. 
7. We guarantee that some relatives will be present for those who like to go visiting on Sunday. 
8. There will be TV dinners available for those claim they can’t go to church and cook dinner too.
9. One section of the church will have trees and grass for those who see God in nature, especially on the golf course.
10. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies to create a familiar environment for those who have never seen the church without them.

I hope that this brought you some grins and giggles.  But I do wonder, why we have to make so many excuses about going to church.   Jesus gave his life for us, we should be able to give him at the very least an hour or so a week.  In fact, as faithful disciples, we should be devoting time for God each and every day.   

Sunday should be a time that we expect to encounter God.  And that is something we don’t want to miss.  

I believe worship should be fun and engaging.  Yes, sometimes your toes may be stepped on - but that’s how the word of God works.  Worship is not supposed to be comfortable, it is supposed to wake us up and get us moving to do God’s will.  

That may be scary at times, but more than not, it is exciting and life giving…

My challenge to you is to not just come to worship, but participate in worship - come expecting the Holy Spirit to move you to do great things.

        - Rev. Dawn-Marie

P.S. Please take a moment to view the short video above and think about your personal response to being a disciple of Jesus Christ in terms of financial giving.. This video was made by the Catholic church but is a beautiful way to define STEWARDSHIP.

Good sleep is critical to our health - both physical and mental.  As a grandparent who is sharing the responsibility of raising my grandchild, I completely understand the need for SLEEP!   

Charlie is 8 months old now and for a brief period of time he was able to sleep all night.  But gone are those days (at least for now.)  He’s in what they call the regression stage.  He’s teething too - which doesn’t help.  Last night, I thought we had died and gone to heaven because Charlie actually went to bed fairly early and easily.  But alas, it didn’t last long.  He was up at 12:30 am and again at 4:30 am.  Usually he is up and back down quickly after a change and a new bottle…but he would have none of that at 4:30 am.  He was ready to play and move about.  This Gi Gi was not!   

I wonder how often our bodies just need a little TLC.  Some extra sleep to rejuvenate our bodies.  Unfortunately, I am not a nap kind of person.  I find it difficult to just lay down for a “quick” power nap and then “TA DA” life is better.  I envy those that can do that.  I cannot.  

I do occasionally need and take a nap on Sunday afternoons. However, on those days I need to sleep for two to three hours, not just a quick minute.   If I don’t sleep long enough I wake up drowsy and disoriented - which is never fun.  The occasional good hard naps that I manage to get are actually rejuvenating.  In fact, on those few occasions, I can power through a days work in a matter of hours.

Sleep is important.  Rest is critical.  God himself rested after he created the world.  In fact, God rested a  complete day.  Sometimes we call this rest, sabbath.  We, as believers, are called to honor the sabbath and keep it holy.   It’s not an option.   

The Bible presents sleep as a precious gift from a generous God, providing refreshment for the body and a time to entrust oneself to Him.  It is also a symbol of peace.  Psalm 4:8 and Psalm 127:2 tell us that trusting in God brings a sweet and peaceful sleep assuring the believer of safety and God’s provision.   Sleep also restores our spiritual connection.  We are told that through prayer and trust we can experience deep rest in God’s care, and when we cast off worries it is a  daily reminder of God’s presence and love.  

In the Gospels, one of the most remarkable images of our Savior, Jesus, is of him in the storm tossed, wave-battered boat “asleep on the cushion” (Mark 4:37-38). He could stay up all night when needed, but he was not above taking a nap the next day.

The next time Charlie awakens in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, I am going to try to remember that though I may be sleep deprived that day, a nap might just be what I need most.  And that will be ok.   

My prayer is that we will all learn to truly rest in the Lord…whether that means we need to learn to trust in God in all things or whether it means we simply go take a nap.         

-   Rev. Dawn-Marie

It is hard to believe Labor Day weekend is here already.   Where does the time go?  Labor Day weekend is so much more than just the end of summer.    I want to share a bit of history with you that I found online. . . 

Labor Day, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal chapters.

In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages.

People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.

As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay.

Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed. Others gave rise to longstanding traditions: On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.

The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view. On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives.

On June 26, the American Railroad Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the Pullman strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers.

In the wake of this massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law. More than a century later, the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified.

Many credit Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first proposed the holiday.

Maybe you remember learning about this history in school.  It’s definitely an important thing to remember.  We’ve come a long way since then.

So as we approach this important weekend, take time to give thanks for your job and for all the jobs that make our lives easier.  Thank God for the laws that keep us safe and allow kids to be kids.  

Enjoy the end of summer, but remember to be grateful for the vocations and professions we have.

If you are retired, take some time to give a shout out to those who are still working tirelessly to make the world a better place.        

      - Rev. Dawn-Marie

P.S. Did you watch the video above? Sharing your faith doesn’t have to be awkward - come to church and learn more about how to SHARE your faith.