This article from the umc.org website is a wonderful resource for living out peace in an often unpeaceful world.
Deeper Dive Podcast (Releasing God's Best - Peace)
Randy, Debbie, and Isaac talk about peace in the context of Jesus' words from Matthew "I come not to bring peace, but a sword…"
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
About the Authors
Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
Teach Us to Pray (Releasing God's Best: Peace)
Sometimes it's helpful to pray with the assistance of a piece of poetry or music. The hymn "Of All the Spirit's Gifts to Me" is a good way pray through the influence the Spirit has on our lives. You can find the text here and background info here.
About the Author
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
Sunday Worship (Releasing God's Best: Peace)
This week we'll be exploring Galatians 5:22-25:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
A Light to My Path (Galatians 5:22-25)
Our text for the coming week comes from Galatians 5:22-25:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Question for Reflection:
What does it mean to "live by the Spirit"?
Who Is My Neighbor? (Las Vegas)
As I try to write this about the ways in which we may have reached out his week, I cannot get the mass shooting in Las Vegas out of my mind and heart. Who is my neighbor? This is the very end of Luke 10:25-37, the passage from which this section of The Daily Connection springs:
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
At the time of this writing, we don't know much about the gunman or his motive. But he was someone's brother. He was someone's son. He was literally someone's neighbor. And he was a neighbor to all of us because he was one of God's people. We may never know what caused this retired accountant and avid gambler to do what any of us would define as the unthinkable. His family hurts, also. Was there something that could have been done to have changed the tragectory of this man's life? Was someone a neighbor to him when he needed it?
And of course those who died, who are injured, who are forever traumatized, who lost loved ones.....they are the ones our hearts run to when we hear of such a horrific tragedy. There are stories upon stories of people running back in to help the injured, of off duty police officers, medical professionals, and others springing into action to do what they could to bring hope to this terrified crowd.
And yet......in the midst of this kind of world.....we are called to be the love of Christ to those who are hurt.....in whatever form that hurt takes. When we feel helpless, it's time for us to help.....help anyone......just be that neighbor......to your literal neighbors, to your friends, to your enemies.....to the homeless, to the rich, to the annoying person, to the sweetest person. We all need a neighbor sometime.....find someone today to serve in even the smallest of ways.
Here is an excellent article that reflects this spirit as we hurt from the recent violence in Las Vegas and around the world: http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/you-did-it-for-me-serving-others-in-times-of-tragedy
About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC
Love Your Neighbor (and Your Enemies)
Every so often I like to recommend a specific episode of podcast that generates good thought and conversation about what it means to love your neighbor/enemy. This recent episode of The Liturgists Podcast does an excellent job of walking through the issue of loving your enemy "through the lens of art, science, and faith."
About the Author
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
God Stories (Workcamp 2017 - Crew 19)
Several Calvary students were part of Crew 19 in Crossville, TN this summer. Hear how God worked in their lives and in the life of their neighbor as they served together.
Deeper Dive Podcast (Releasing God's Best - Joy)
Randy and Debbie talk about the fruit of joy.
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
About the Authors
Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC
Teach Us to Pray (Galatians 5:25)
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
One way to keep step with the Spirit is to get into a prayer rhythm. Last Wednesday, Carroll Bross mentioned an app she uses to help her stop and take short moments during the day to pray. If you don't have a practice like that already, the Honor Your Inner Monk app (iOS and Android) is a great way to get started. It's easy to use and fits into even the busiest of schedules.
About the Author
Isaac Gaff is the Managing Director of Worship and Creative Arts at Calvary UMC
Sunday Worship (Galatians 5:1-3,16-18, and 22-25)
This week we'll be exploring Galatians 5:1-3,16-18, and 22-25 and the theme of JOY.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
A Light to My Path (Galatians 5:1-3,16-18, and 22-25)
Our text for the coming week is from Galatians 5:1-3,16-18, and 22-25:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Question for Reflection:
How do you "keep step with the Spirit"?
Who Is My Neighbor? (Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class)
In an enlightening documentary with Bob Herbert we learned these troubling statistics: “Working hard has never been enough for Black Americans to flourish. Nearly 40% of all Black children in America are poor. The unemployment rate for Black Americans is twice that of White Americans. For every dollar of wealth in the hands of every White family in America, the typical Black family has just a little more than a nickel.”
Many Calvary folks joined others in the community at Normal First United Methodist Church this week for a viewing of this documentary, Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class.” Following the documentary, we heard the stories of three panel members who told us their stories of growing up as Black men and women and the challenges and obstacles they faced and still face.
This gathering was especially timely after a sermon series on racism and what it means to “.... Hate what is evil; cling to what is good,” and for us to “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9b, 21). As Christians, we aren’t called to simply love those who look like us, who act like us, who speak the same language, worship the same way, etc., etc., So then why are the above statistics so horribly shocking this long after the abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s? How, in 2017, can we still be talking about our neighbors’ color of skin as if it is a defining marker of some archaic class system?
This documentary can be found online and I would encourage you to watch it with your friends and families. It does an exceptional job of describing the reasons that the White middle class is so much easier to maintain than the Black middle class is to even make an entry.
When you see a Black American who is poor, what’s your first thought? What about a poor White American? We often assume that the Black person just doesn’t want to work, hasn’t tried hard enough, has spent his/her money on drugs, etc. Our first reaction to a poor White American is often much more compassionate.
If you are a White American, you may be asking yourself, “What does she want me to do about this?” I’m glad you asked! The biggest impact we might make today is to build relationships with those in the Black community. We need to break down barriers that should never even exist in 2017. If you are a person who works in Human Resources, if you have a qualified White person and an equally qualified Black person, who will you hire…..really…..not just in theory?
Here are just a few of the places that you can serve where you will find all races (including Caucasians) who could use a leg up in society…...how about giving just a couple of hours a week to volunteer at one of these:
- The West Side Revitalization Project
- Home Sweet Home Ministries
- Safe Harbor
- The YWCA or YMCA
- Faith in Action
- The Baby Fold
Do you want help connecting with any of these? You can go to here and scroll through the list of in-church and outside the walls of Calvary ministries. Find the one that interests you, click on it, and you’ll find someone to e-mail. You can also just call the church and talk to me about it and I’ll get you connected!
We can fix it, but we CAN make a difference…..one relationship at a time.
About the Author
Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC
Love Your Neighbor (UMC Disaster Response)
See how the United Methodist Church loves their neighbors through on-the-ground help when people need it the most.
God Stories (Carroll Bross on Monastic Spirituality in Everyday Life)
Carroll Bross talks about how the practice of becoming an oblate and her connection with a monastic community in Wisconsin has deepened her faith.
Resources mentioned:
Deeper Dive Podcast (Stirring the Fire - Part 4)
Debbie and Randy wrap up discussion on the last part of the series "Stirring the Fire."
Listen in your device's podcast app – Apple version here and Android version here or use the desktop-only player below.
Teach Us to Pray (Romans 12.14-21)
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” In the Christian tradition, the Prayer of St. Francis is a great starting point when praying for peace that “depends on you.” Use this prayer as a starting point for your times of prayer this week aa you deepen your commitment to “peace with everyone.”
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Sunday Worship (Romans 12.14-21)
This week we'll be exploring Romans 12.14-21.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Each Sunday you can find the live stream here or watch the archive here.
Who Is My Neighbor? (Puerto Rico)
See how the United Methodist Church is responding to the devastation in Puerto Rico.
Love Your Neighbor (Cailin Hall on Workcamp 2017)
Hear how Cailin and the group from Calvary loved their neighbor on their trip to Crossville, TN.