I continue to be enticed by Mark’s gospel account of the life of Jesus. Wow! What a teacher! After 20 short sentences of introduction Mark’s Jesus begins his healing flurry.  Man with an “impure” spirit? Healed. Mother-in-law of a friend with threatening fever? Healed. Then those surrounding him gather everyone who was sick or demon-possessed. Healed. All of them. Then Jesus took a breather. Whew! Then a man with a skin disease? Healed. And that’s only chapter 1. I wonder if Mark is trying to tell us something about Jesus?

The people healed in Jesus’  embrace no doubt had multiple strikes against them in their day. Brokenness was physical, emotional, communal, and spiritual. My sense is that Jesus led a movement of holistic healing that elevated the broken back to personhood.  This is our legacy.

If “healing” were science we simply would pass out the right formula, encourage everyone to follow the rules, and life would be fine. Right? But healing is far from a science.  More like a dance… or a song… or lingering in the shadows of the woods on a hot day… Check out the quotes below. What are your favorite “healing” quote?

God’s healing touch to you – Bill

• It’s when we start working together that the real healing takes place… it’s when we start spilling our sweat, and not our blood.   David Hume
• Healing yourself is connected with healing others.   Yoko Ono
• I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. Billy Joel
• Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.    Buddha
• I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods.   Wendell Berry
  
  

This is what Holy Week looks like at Parkrose UMC.

Please join us for the BIG deal of new life in Christ, celebrated every day of the year.

Peace – Bill

Holy Week

• Palm Sunday – Sunday, April 1. 10:00 a.m. The “front porch” of Holy Week. Procession of palms. Lots of great music. Holy Communion for ALL GOD”S CHILDREN.
• Holy Thursday – April 5
• 11:00 a.m. “Today’s Military Chaplaincy” – given the recent tragic murder of civilians in Afghanistan, there is a growing concern for our troops abroad, their emotional health, and the role of the chaplaincy. Welcome Rev. Bob Flaherty, retired military chaplain and current pastor of Newburg UMC. United Methodist Women sponsored event – includes lunch.
• 6:30 p.m. Potluck Dinner and Holy Communion – ecumenical service at Eastminster Presbyterian Church 12405 NE Halsey Street
• Good Friday – April 6
• Walk of the Cross – Noon to 3 p.m. In the spirit of “stations of the cross” this walk of prayer will cover 2 miles of community landscape, carrying the cross to strategic locations of public interest and concern. Sponsored by Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good. (Starting point to be determined)
• Labryinth Walk and Food Drive – Noon to 3 p.m. Contemplative music and readings. PUMC Miller Hall. Sponsored by Parkrose Community UCC.
• Easter Sunday – April 8
• Easter Breakfast – 7:30-9:30 a.m. Miller Hall. Fund raiser for youth mission trip this summer.
• Easter Celebration – 10 a.m.

Because resurrection is such a big deal!

Recently, the City of Portland initiated a city-wide composting process. Because of this and the city’s effort to recycle paper, cardboard, etc… we now have literally NO TRASH. So, rather than throwing orange peals, chicken bones, and vegetable scraps into the trash, they all get mingled with yard debris (leaves, small branches, pine needles, etc) and composted.  This lovely, not-so-sweet-smelling casserole becomes the rich soil of parks and other public places.

Nothing in our trash baskets?

According to Frederick Buechner the Bible may suggest otherwise. It has a plot, Buechner says,  ”God creates world; the world gets lost; God seeks to restore the world to the glory for which God created it.” We have trash! And the Biblical story tells about the ancient account of it… “We are blind, in exile, in bondage, whe have closed hearts; we hunger and thirst; we are lost.” (Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity).

“Forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”

Lent – the 40 day season of repentance (turning to God) and preparation for the new life in Christ celebrated at Easter’s resurrection. The season begins with ASH Wednesday (February 20,2012 this year).  Many Christians chose to receive a mark of ash on their foreheads as a symbol of  human-ness, with all it’s struggle and suffering (trash basket stuff).  I like to think of the Ash of ASH Wednesday more in terms of the composting of our trash basket stuff. God seeks to transform our not-so-sweet-smelling casserole of blindness, exile, bondage, closed hearts, hunger and thirst into the rich soil of our souls. Transforming our hearts to God’s love and transforming our lives to God’s purpose – all of this for the transformation of the world we live in.

Light into our darkness; sight to the blind; liberation for captives, return from exile, healing of our infirmities, food and drink for the hungry/thirsty;…

God definitely does art, but not just in heaven. Join us in this great journey toward wholeness.

Peace – Bill

Financial Challenge…
… Theological Response

Financial Challenge…

Dear Friends,
Parkrose United Methodist Church is blessed with very generous members and constituents. Financial support of the mission and ministry of our church, in the form of contributions, remains strong and consistent. We have also been blessed with a beautiful tapestry of ministry partners sharing space in our “mission center”. Together with three other Christian fellowships and one Christian Montessori School (not to mention our stand-alone ministry partner David’s Harp) we have sailed along for the past few years in the financial luxury of a mission center at full capacity.

Our most recent addition as mission center partner has been the Parkrose Community United Church of Christ (PCUCC). A few years ago they sold their Parkrose church building and have embarked on a journey toward their future. They have recently been in merger conversations with the Eastminster Presbyterian Church and will likely move sometime this spring or summer. Their departure will leave a gaping hole in our shared facility cash flow.

While replacing PCUCC in the mix of ministry partners is an option being considered, the likelihood of finding their duplicate in size and financial ability is doubtful. This financial challenge has given us the opportunity to reflect on our own sustainability.

Looking at our 2011 financial results we have cause to celebrate the contributions from constituents and members of over $146,000. However, close to $120,000 of that was dedicated to staff salaries. This leaves precious little to cover discipling program expenses, our United Methodist connectional commitments, and our fair-share of facility operating expenses. Even with such generosity and a shared-facility at capacity, we incurred a financial deficit for 2011 of just over $6,000.

…Theological Response

Lay-leadership – “But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift… So Christ himself gave the gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:7, 11-12)
New identity, new way of being – Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness one night. Jesus to Nicodemus, “Truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above”… Nicodemus to Jesus, “How can anyone be born again after having grown old?” (from John 3).

The Old Days – In the olden days of the 20th century the work of ministry was done by professionals (pastor and paid staff) and people in the church were recipients of that ministry.
The Really Old Days – But in the really old days of the 1st century (Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the Jesus Movement known as the early church), faithful followers of Christ LED ministry out of their God-given gifts and talents.
The term “born again” can simply mean taking on, in Christ, a new identity and a new way of being. In the past decade PUMC has become a congregation led by its laity. We have streamlined the administrative process into a few, trusted hands, and have freed up new leaders to assume the “work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In a recent series of surveys church leaders have identified three areas of ministry priorities for 2012: New People (new journeys, new chapters); Worship (in all occasions and events); and Addressing Poverty. It will take some time to live into these priorities, but we have truly begun the journey toward a new identity and a new way of being. (continued on next page)
Proposal
A team of your leaders has met over the past two months for discernment and prayer to consider this financial challenge and theological response. From this discernment your Budget Task Force has created a budget proposal that will be offered at a Town Hall meeting, Monday, March 5, 2012, 6:30 p.m. in the McKinnon Education Wing.

In this proposal adjustments have been made to accounts based on the mission and ministry priorities stated above, but the most significant change will come from an adjustment to staff salaries. An annual savings of approximately $25,000 is proposed from two sources: 1) reducing pastor from full-time to ¾ time (annual savings of approximately $16,500), 2) reduction in hours/salaries of administrative, music and custodial staff (annual savings of approximately $8,500).

Sustainable Mission
I am convinced that if we are engaging the work of God in the world, with boldness and with purpose, God will find a way for the institution of the church to continue to prosper. Please join us, if you are able, on Monday, March 5. And continue to keep the mission and ministry of your church in prayer.
Shalom – Pastor Bill

Other Happenings….

Ash Wednesday— Lent’s Welcome Mat—
February 22, 2012, 6:45 p.m.Service of Blessing: come as you are, stay as long as you like, leave when you’re ready. Prayer, blessing and the mark of ash as a sign of turning to God. Following our monthly community dinner. PUMC Sanctuary.

Morning Prayer— Liturgical gatherings of prayer, singing, scripture. Liturgy from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, two offerings each week during Lent.

Early Bird Morning Prayer, every Tuesday, 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.—for the early riser sojourner and those needing a lift as they travel to work. Both men and women are invited to attend! Room #1 McKinnon Education Wing
Mid-Day Prayer, every Wednesday, Noon to 12:30 p.m. PUMC Sanctuary

The United Methodist Women invite you to: “A Transatlantic Journey” March 1, 2012, 11:00 a.m. Miller Hall-Pastor Don Frueh from Parkrose Community United Church of Christ will be sharing about his “trip of a lifetime, encountering many locations and cultures” His itinerary included Lisbon, Portugal, Morocco, Canary Islands, and four Caribbean Islands. The UMW ladies will have their regular meeting at 10:30 a.m. they invite you to arrive at 11:00 a.m to attend Don’s presentation, then stay for lunch. Suggested donation $2.50 for lunch.

Limited Church Office Hours– Through March 19, 2012 our office hours will be limited to the times Pastor Bill is at the church. Corinne, our administrator, will be co-leading a team of 32 persons with her husband Pastor Tom Tate. The group who have been meeting for study for the past 16 weeks at Rose City Park UMC will be traveling throughout Turkey on a spiritual and educational tour. If you have any building usage needs please contact Dean Creech at 503-255-6466

Joe Paterno died last Sunday, January 22, 2012, of lung cancer at the age of 85.  The Washington Post ran an article that reported a last interview with Paterno, as he attempted to explain his lack of action in reporting the sexual abuse when he discovered it. “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid I might do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was”, he said. (Oregonian Editorial, Jan 23, 2012)

Have you ever wondered how weird our faith seems to this world? When sharing his vision for the kingdom of God, Jesus told parables about losing stuff, not winning the championship. The loss isn’t the end, but just the beginning. There is a search, with some sense of urgency, then a big party is thrown when it’s found (Luke 15 – sheep, coin, pearl).

Richard Rohr, in his wonderful book Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life says this, “Life, as the biblical tradition makes clear, is both loss and renewal, death and resurrection, chaos and healing at the same time; life seems to be a collision of opposites… Truth is not always about pragmatic problem solving and making things “work,” but about reconciling contradictions.”

Rohr reminds us, seemingly countless times in this book, that it’s not IF we lose/fall/fail/falter but WHEN we do. It’s part of our DNA as human beings.  And it is the key that unlocks the kingdom of God.

No disrespect to Coach Paterno, but maybe the best legacy we can pass along is the ability to hold in tension the  contradictions of life;  grow from our suffering, heal from our brokenness, rise from our disasters.  And maybe that will empower us to risk doing the things we need to do.

Peace – Bill

As we enter 2012 I wanted to take a moment and savor the view back into 2011 and venture a look into what might be in store for Parkrose UMC in the new year. There is much to be thankful for, and much to look forward to.

I have had some great spiritual coaches and mentors. That’s the way I see my ministry, as coach/mentor. Over the last couple of years we have been using the focal points of Intentional Faith Development and Addressing Poverty to talk about what’s most important in our calling to ministry. It also has helped define my coaching/mentoring focus. One of the most difficult gigs I have had in my 20 years as pastor, is in the area of Intentional Faith Development.

Intentional Faith Development is about the path of spiritual growth. Richard Rohr, in his book Falling Upward calls it the “further journey.” It is the journey that opens the soul to, and creates in the process, the realm that Jesus called the kingdom of God. Seems pretty straight-forward to me. God seems to always have lessons for me to learn, new ways for me to be and do, and there are always new horizons to be explored. I’m not sure why it has been such a difficult concept to grasp. Could be my inability to articulate the image or could be that good church people easily find a safe, comfortable “parking place” on the pathway of faith. Probably some of both, I imagine. But in any case, in 2011 we had a breakthrough.

Looking back with gratitude:

Intentional Faith Development. I think we finally found a way to imagine Rohr’s “further journey” that makes some sense. We came up with a simple model that seeks to describe three distinct experience areas along the spiritual pathway. It affirms that we are all along the path and at each stage God’s grace is nudging us forward. How do we engage people just beginning the journey and needing a place of safety to seek answers to difficult life questions? How do we walk with folks who are beginning to grow in faith through bible study, prayer groups, and community ministries? How do we assist sojourners to find the giftedness that God has given each of us, and begin to take some risks to put those gifts to use in God’s service? I am deeply grateful for the patience shown me in these years that allowed our team of leaders to conjure up this model. Thank You! Living into this model in its fullness will be a challenge in 2012.

… And just about the time I get discouraged, ready to give up… I am awe-struck by our folks who truly care for others enough to risk relationships with the most vulnerable…

Addressing Poverty Ministries. I have talked long and often about our Addressing Poverty Ministries. Monthly Community Dinner and our Neighborhood Food Pantry, are two newcomers in 2011. Growing in numbers. Deepening in relationships. Knowing names and sharing life stories. I am deeply grateful. Also for the  four small groups, Chancel Choir, Monday a.m Bible Study, Wednesday Craft Group, and WINGS (Women In God’s Service) who sponsored families (recently off the streets and into housing) with a little Christmas compassion. Thank You!

Worship: In January 2011, we re-inserted into our Sunday worship experience, an unscripted, open-mic time for worshipers to offer words of witness in response to the invitation, “How have you experienced the power and presence of God recently?” Into this mixture of great music and message comes this often passionate, surprisingly open/honest, witness to how hard life is sometimes but how good God is always. It is my humble opinion that this meaningful addition to our worship reflects two emerging qualities: 1) a deepening sense of trust within our gatherings, and, 2) collective and individual growth in the “further journey”. Thank You!

Looking forward with anticipation:

Addressing Poverty Ministries:  There are significant questions that linger in the air of our poverty ministries. How can we move deeper in relationship with participant in our community ministries? How might we  address the causes of poverty as well as their symptoms?  How does healing the trauma of poverty play into wholeness and well-being? How might we practice this healing art that is part of our heritage?

Ministries with Children and Families: Our ministry with children is strong and healthy. Our children are growing up and we need to be responsive to their changing needs. Nursery kids are approaching 3 yrs. 3^rd graders moving up. How might we bring young families together to explore journey of faith options for themselves and their children? Seems like time to get a leadership team together to ponder the opportunities!

Financial Sustainability: We are a generous congregation with a strong showing in our budget campaign last fall. More households are giving.  New members are pitching in. I am convinced that our financial strength is a directly related to the relevancy and meaningfulness of our ministry. It is a credit to the faithfulness of our people. Thank You!

Our facilities at PUMC were constructed for a congregation of several hundred, we are a congregation of about a third of that. So our facilities have been successfully turned into a mission center for several small Christian fellowships in addition to us. We continue to give thanks for our ministry partners, Vida Abudante Hispanic Church and Oromo Church Seventh Day. For the last couple of years we were joined by our sibling Parkrose Community United Church of Christ (PCUCC).  This mission center approach for the past couple of years has been a luxury. We have sailed along without much concern about how to finance our ministry.

However, our friends at PCUCC, will be leaving us sometime this spring or summer. They are in discernment with the Eastminster Presbyterian Church about joining forces. Their stop with us has been part of their journey toward the future. This loss will reduce our income some $22,000 annually. We have a team of leaders meeting over the next couple months to explore options. We ask for your prayers.

In the beginning, the first words of God were to call forth light out of the “soup of nothingness, bottom emptiness, and inky blackness.”(Genesis 1 The Message) Very impressive. That’s the way God has always worked.  Much later, Jesus wondered why his disciples were worried about what was to come.  Every time I start to worry or wonder, I get a reminder that Jesus didn’t call us to be successful… just faithful. 2012 will present some significant challenges, no doubt, but it’s going to be a great year.

Shalom to all in the new year –

Bill

Hopeless? Dead end?

Hardly… for in God’s kin-dom the night is always darkest just before the dawn.

At the manger in a back alley in ancient Bethlehem, a cosmic convergence was taking place. The witness of the prophets of old showed up with a message of radical hope. Angels with a message of peace and encouragement set the light on a new path. And the poet’s prayer “Restore us, O God. Make your face to shine on us, that we might be saved” is answered.

This Christmas story of God shattering the darkness with light and healing brokenness with forgiveness and love, continues to be played out in every generation, including our own.

The soon-to-be-mom mentioned above is, of course, Mary. But we see her and her family in our neighborhood food pantry and they regularly joins us for our monthly community dinner.  She may be one of the many who  live in our East Portland apartment complexes… or she may exist temporarily in some back alley, waiting.

Please join us for the Cosmic Convergence at the Manger on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2011, 7 p.m. We’ll shatter the darkness with some great music, a word of encouragement and hope, and candlelight as we celebrate the in-breaking of God’s abundance and grace into our midst.

Christ the savior is born!

Peace – Bill

P.S. – join us Christmas morning for brunch in Miller Hall. We’ll sing Carols to our hearts’ content. Sunday, December 25, 2011, 10 a.m.

Every child knows the story of Christmas is about Jesus’ birth. But the story of Christmas is a deeper, richer story of mystery, awe, hope and promise.

At Parkrose UMC, we invite you to join us for the season of Christmas, to find something NEW in this familiar story…

Sunday worship 10 a.m.

Find something NEW in a familiar story

• Hope – the Prophets; … from darkness to light, Nov 27
• Peace – the Angels; … from chaos to order, Dec 4
• Joy – Zechariah and Elizabeth;… dreams and visions, Dec 11
• Love – Mary; … from brokenness to wholeness, Dec 18
• Christmas Eve (Fri, Dec 24: 7 p.m.) – The Manger; … Born where?

Healing for the Holiday

Sunday, Dec 4

After worship we’ll have our healing center set up including massage chair, blood pressure station, coffee/tea and more to get your Christmas season launched in quiet and peace. Healing touch for mind, body and soul.

Parkrose Community Dinner

Wednesday, Dec 14, 6 p.m.

Free community dinner. Open to all. No shortage of space or food or love at this Inn.

Carol Festival

Sunday, Dec 18, 2 p.m. (PUMC sanctuary)

Sing along with timeless Christmas Carols. Share dessert and fellowship.

PUMC Choir at the Grotto

Tuesday, Dec 20, 5:15 p.m. (NE 85th and Sandy)

Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights. Don’t miss it!