Connecting Ministries: Blown Away by Pentecost

Rev. Victoria Rebeck (left) and her friend Jerioth Gichigi, a United Methodist Deacon from Kenya.

Rev. Victoria Rebeck, Director of Connecting Ministries

Now that Easter has revived our gratitude for new life, what do we do with this great gift?

Pentecost tells us. We take the power of the Holy Spirit and follow God’s lead—even if we do not know where she leads us.

Looking back on it, from the perspective of 2,000 years later, the church’s first Pentecost seems exciting. Tongues of flame landing on everyone! They can preach in languages they never learned! What a glorious sending of Christ’s followers into the world.

When I think about this story, however, I imagine that the incident could have been  scary. We’re sitting indoors and a violent wind blows through the room? Close the windows! Flames on the top of our heads? Get a bucket of water! I just hope the doors open outward so we can make a run for it.

As frightening as this may have been, we’ve learned from the Bible that God does some of God’s best work when our world is shaken up.

We’ve been in a year of disruption together. We’ve had to quickly change to a more constricted life. The end is not actually in sight. Yet God still gives us the power of the Holy Spirit and expects us to reach the world.

It’s a holy disruption, however. It’s opened up new spaces for the wind of the Holy Spirit pass through.

As difficult as this time has been for us, it’s been more challenging for others.

Last month I received a text from my friend the Rev. Jerioth Gichigi, who is  a United Methodist deacon from Kenya. (Texting is one of their affordable forms of communication.) Though Kenya’s economy is one of the most developed in eastern and central Africa, about a third of Kenyans live below the poverty line. The internet is not universally accessible. COVID-19 seemed to be easing at the beginning of this year, but now infections are rising again, and people are limited to their homes. Church buildings are closed, and no one knows when they might reopen.

While we begrudgingly rough it with online worship, that luxury is not available to them.

“But we are trusting,” Jerioth says. And they are.

Before this, however, a great windstorm had come through their town and demolished the building of her congregation, the First United Methodist Church of Moheto.

A wind that destroys church buildings is but a puff compared to the Holy Spirit. Drawing on donations from United Methodists from other parts of the world, she and the church members are buying stones to reconstruct their church building. They have faith that God continues to work with and through them. Neither pandemics nor storms can separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Their lives are severely upended, though they were already precarious. But they have the Holy Spirit, and that gives them the power to spread Christ’s love, in any situation.

Pentecost reminds us that God often uses disruption to clear the way for something new. That is what it takes sometimes: the familiar to which we cling is swept away, making us available for something else. God was starting something new.

Our Kenyan United Methodist brothers and sisters know that God is empowering them to do something new. Let’s welcome the Spirit to blow away the old so that we can share God’s love in ways we never imagined.

Wandering Through a Pandemic

By Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator

As we approach the one year mark since the pandemic forced us all to change the way we go about daily living, I am reminded of the challenges faced by the Israelites in Egypt. While enslaved there, God protected them and provided for their needs. He sent Moses to demand their release. Each time, when Pharaoh refused, God inflicted plagues on Egypt. He turned the Nile into blood, covered the land with frogs, turned dust to gnats, brought flies into the houses of Pharaoh, and sent disease and disaster to kill Egyptian livestock and people and destroy crops. Exodus 12 reveals to us that God then brought about plague to kill all firstborn Egyptian males. Before doing so, He instructed Moses to tell the Hebrew people to cover their door in the blood of a lamb, leaving a sign of protection for their families. After spending more than 400 years suffering in slavery, God, through Moses, led them to freedom.

As they made their way to the “land of milk and honey,” the people began to question if they would survive or die in the desert. Their fear grew as the armies of Egypt pursued them. God provided a miracle by allowing Moses to part the Red Sea. After crossing the sea to safety, the people praised God but soon began to question their supply of food and water. Again, God provided, sending manna from heaven. The Israelites faced war during the exodus, and God provided them with victory. For months, God provided safe passage, eventually bringing them to Mount Sinai. And, during this time, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and covenanted with the people.

Of course, there is much more that occurred during the Israelite’s trip to the “promised land,” a trip that eventually lasted 40 years. But, each step of the way, God met them where they were. He provided for them in his own time. And, He did not keep them in the desert forever. It wasn’t easy. But, in the end, it was worth it.

As we continue to face the challenges presented by the pandemic, consider looking back over the last year. Think about the trials you faced? Did God meet you there? If you are like me, you certainly had questions. Did you take them to Him? And, did He provide you with answers? What miracles have you experienced during the pandemic?

I pray we do not have to wander through this pandemic for 40 years. The days and months ahead may be difficult at times. And, we will become frustrated and have questions. But, we must rejoice in difficult times “…knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). Remember your covenant and find hope and reassurance that God is with you, just as He was with Moses. He promised “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14). Commit to trusting Him every day. He will answer your prayers, provide for your needs, and give you rest. It will be worth it.

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Contact Doug at drc@susumc.org. Check out the Disaster Response Weekly updates at tinyurl.com/DRweekly

History Repeats Itself: The Church and Pandemics

By Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator

As everyone knows, we are going through difficult times as a faith community. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the way we meet and worship. 

In March, Bishop Park strongly encouraged every church in the Conference to refrain from meeting in person. This was done out of an abundance of caution and, at a time when we knew very little about the coronavirus. It seemed as though our sense of community and belonging had been taken from us. The joy of worship and the spiritual enrichment we received was interrupted. And, while this was difficult to accept, we as believers found new ways to worship and do ministry. 

Pandemic History

This isn’t the first time the church has faced a pandemic. This certainly isn’t the first time the church has found itself resorting to different methods of doing ministry.

We know of plague and disease afflicting believers in Biblical times….pestilence in Egypt (Amos 4:10) and plagues during the exodus (Exodus 11:1), just to mention a few. And, we have experienced pandemic in more recent times, including the Spanish Flu in 1918, the Asian Flu in 1957, an avian influenza in 1968, and H1N1 in 2009.

 In 1918, the Spanish Flu spread throughout the world, eventually making its way to the United States lasting from February until April 1920. In the state of Indiana, health officials mandated a statewide quarantine beginning in October 1918. While this occurred over 100 years ago, there are some similarities and differences that should encourage us as we move forward.

Similarities and Differences

In 1918, a much less technologically capable society found ways to maintain individual faith and build community spirituality. Religious leaders worked together with local leaders and businesses to console and unite congregations and communities. In particular, they worked with the press and local newspapers to encourage individuals and families to read and study Scriptures or complete Sunday school lessons. Some churches promoted the time in quarantine as an opportunity to pray for the church and the nation. Pastors suggested their congregations spend the time usually spent attending church on Sunday, praying and meditating on God’s word.

As the pandemic continued, newspapers began to print worship resources in full-page ads, including hymns, scripture lessons, and sermons. And, historians note that one particular pastor collaborated with the telephone company to “facilitate dial in services” for his congregation to ensure that faith remained the focus of people’s lives. Some churches even hosted open air services. Sound familiar?

In November 1918, some faith communities slowly re-opened but, they reduced the length or number of services they held. They mandated the wearing of masks, and a portion of services were dedicated to providing congregations with instructions about dealing with the pandemic, addressing good personal hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting, and the limitations of public gatherings.

Unlike in 1918, there was no vaccine or antibiotics to treat the associated symptoms. Today, we have a well-developed health care system. Today, we attend virtual, live streamed worship services. We connect through apps and use a multitude of social media platforms to communicate. And, we spend countless hours on ZOOM meetings. 

Remembering our Past, Moving Forward

So, as you can see, the church has faced pandemics before. Has it been challenging to maintain our spiritual enrichment, while continuing to experience community worship? Of course! But, as in the past, churches continue to be creative as they address those challenges and bridge the gap.

In his letter to the Conference in November, Bishop Park re-emphasized that we, as a Conference, should continue to continue these practices. And, like their predecessors, our pastors, church staffs, and ministries will persevere, do their best to meet congregational and community needs, and make every attempt to keep them safe and healthy. 

As we look to a future that includes effective treatments and a vaccine, it is important to remember our past. It is also important to do our part and collectively unite with our leaders as they seek to do what is best for our spiritual and physical health and safety. Wear your face coverings…maintain social distances…be creative as you worship and fellowship…and, most importantly, pray for God to intervene and inspire those tasked with moving us forward to a time when we can return to in-person worship with the community of believers who are called Christians and United Methodists.

***

Bibliography

History of 1918 Flu Pandemic. (2018, March 21). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm

Past Pandemics. (2018, August). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html

Rogers, K. (2020, December 3). For churchgoers during the Covid-19 pandemic, a deadly lesson from the 1918 flu. Retrieved from CNN Health: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/health/churches-covid-1918-lesson-wellness/index.html

Contact Douglas Hoy, Disaster Response Coordinator, at drc@susumc.org

Sharing Sweetness During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

By Pastor Hannah Pratt Sledge

Chelsea and Jack Hoover (youth from Aldersgate UMC, Mechanicsburg) responded to the COVID crisis by developing a “Cookie Challenge” outreach project. Chelsea spent most of spring 2020 baking because “there was nothing else to do”, but eventually her baking exceeded the bellies of her family and friends and was in danger of contributing to their “quarantine 15”! With the help of Pastor Jan Hughes and Pastor Hannah Pratt Sledge, Chelsea and Jack created the Cookie Challenge! 

Once a month, Jack films a video to be posted to social media, challenging their friends and family to join them in baking cookies for those in need. Individually bagged cookies are then collected and donated to Community Cares in Carlisle, the Blessing Box program in Mechanicsburg, and an essential food distribution site in Allison Hill.

Aldersgate Church and their Revolution Youth have been partners in collecting cookies along with Jack and Chelsea’s friends from school and other activities. Over the summer, Jack and Chelsea enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the distribution of the cookies in Allison Hill with friends from the Journey Church in Harrisburg. 

For their Christmas Cookie challenge, Jack and Chelsea had a goal of giving all the families at the Allison Hill distribution site a dozen Christmas cookies while continuing to share with the programs in Carlisle and Mechanicsburg. This time, the youth at Calvary UMC in Harrisburg joined in to help and together we were able to give 150 families a beautiful assortment of Christmas cookies.  

 

The total number of cookies donated since the beginning of the cookie challenge in May is 7,015!

Jack and Chelsea have heard amazing stories from bakers as they’ve creatively responded to the challenge. Cookies have been prayed over. Inspirational and kind messages have been written on the bags for the cookie recipients. They have been blown away by dedicated bakers who contribute every month. Their most significant experience has been the opportunity to connect with so many people through this project. The community’s response and enthusiasm to the challenge has been inspiring and the outcome exceptionally sweet.