Remembering

Summit has always been a church that honors our past. 

Before our previous building burned, we had the names of donors on the stained glass windows, the pews, and even a few doors. We respect the people who gave their time, effort, and hearts to our little church, and we will treasure their memories always. Even though our old church is gone, the memories we have of it and the people who attended it are still with us---as close to us as the reflections of light from the windows. 

Thanks to Glenn's family for providing this photo of him!

One of the people we'd like to remember and honor is Glenn Hammons. Glenn has passed away, but his family continues to be an important part of our church family, and in his memory, they donated a beautiful cross to our little church. 

Those who loved him---his wife Bennie Lou and his son Ernest--- said, "Glenn enjoyed going to Summit to church.  He had a lot of good friends that went there.  His funeral was held in the church that burned and it was beautiful service." 

We're very thankful to Glenn and his family for all that they have done for our church, and we're thankful that their memories will live on for as long as our congregation is together!

The cross donated by Glenn's family

 

Blankets of Praise

Every year on Mother's Day, the ladies here at Summit UMC gather together the best blankets they can make for the Blankets of Praise. I can't remember a year when I didn't see multitudes of colorful, soft blankets covering the altar.

So what is Blankets of Praise? 

Well, every year, the United Methodist Women of the Elizabethtown District collect blankets from their churches and gather them at one church on the Saturday after Mother's Day. At this event, the blankets are counted and blessed, and after that they are sent to children in need. 

And, according to the Kentucky Annual Conference website, kyumc.org, last year, the UMW collected 332 blankets for babies who need them. 

I'd say that's something to be thankful for. 

This year's Blankets of Praise event at our church was especially meaningful, because this year, we had a quilt from Velma, a treasured member of our church and our UMW, just as we did every year. However, Velma passed away shortly before Mother's Day, and we miss her dearly. 

It's always been very inspiring to me to see the hard work that goes into these quilts and the generosity of the ladies that create them. Every year, Joye shows us a quilt that her mother made and reminds us of what a comfort it is to a sick child to have a warm, soft blanket as protection. God's love envelopes us all in our time of need, just like a good quilt wraps around a young baby. 

Someday, I hope that this practice continues to be carried out in our church by the younger generation. This is a valued tradition that brings happiness and comfort to many people every year, and it's the little things like providing someone with warmth that reach out to people as a ministry. 

Every time I see a quilt, I think of the person who made it, and all the time and effort that went into making such a beautiful thing. I think of the spirit behind it, a spirit of diligence and hospitality, and I think of how much someone had to care to be patient and creative enough to do something like that. I have to think that someday, such effort will be rewarded, and perhaps the reward will be a smile from a child who needed a little love from a kind person. 

The Blankets of Praise event for the district this year was on Saturday, May 16. It's not too early to start planning and working for next year!

Holy Week

In my opinion, Easter is the best time to be a Christian. 

The whole world is beginning to come alive: the trees are budding and blooming, the frogs and crickets start chirping, the bees and ladybugs begin to fly, and the water soaking us from the sky causes the grass to shoot up green and growing. Winter is over; the Easter lilies come to herald news of spring. God's creation is rejoicing. 

It's during this time of rejoicing, when the shades of winter are cast aside, that we observe Holy Week, our symbolic reflection and celebration of Christ's suffering, death, and Resurrection. 

This is the time when we remember what God has done for us. 

Jesus Christ died. Cruelly. Torturously. Tragically. In fact, His death was so horrific that early Christians didn't begin to use the cross as a symbol for themselves until the 4th century, even though other groups, like the Romans, had been using the cross as an identifier for Christians for centuries. As early as the 2nd century, Roman historians called the early Christians "crucis religiosi"---"devotees of the cross," and it was already an early Christian custom to repeatedly trace the sign of the cross on one's forehead, similar to crossing oneself across the chest today. 

Yet using the cross as a symbol for Jesus' followers was tantamount to using an iron maiden or an electric chair as a symbol; crosses were equally painful and terrifying torture implements. There was literally no difference in their perceptions of a cross and the gallows---except that a cross was worse. Roman "justice" was cruel...much like the "justice" of the Pharisees.  

So when we think about Jesus' death, we have to realize that God didn't just send His Son to die for us. He sent His Son to suffer, to truly and horrifically suffer in agony and die for us. 

That's how sinful we are. Think about all the lambs and pigeons and doves and other animals that the Israelites had to sacrifice. The parts of the Bible that deal with Hebrew law are ridiculously long and boring because they had to sacrifice animals, ritually purify themselves, and live in fear of being unclean. The Israelites had to kill animals periodically just to make sure that their sins were forgiven. But even slaughtering all those lambs and doves couldn't help, because the people of the world, Jews and Gentiles alike, were still so sinful that Jesus had to be slowly tortured to death to save us from our own fallibility and weakness to temptation. 

Do you see how easy we have it? If we do something wrong, we can find a quiet place and say, "Hey, God, I'm sorry. I did something wrong, and I repent. Please forgive me." And you know what happens? We're forgiven. No catch, no loopholes, no hoops to jump through. If we confess our sins, repent, and change our ways, we are forgiven. That's it. Cut, print, end of story. God lets us in. 

"And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:27-28)

Jesus' blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. If we repent and turn away from sin, we are forgiven. No sacrifice necessary---because Jesus was the ulimate sacrifice. He was Heaven's perfect Lamb. 

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." (Matthew 27:50-51)

When the temple veil was rent, we gained a direct, one-on-one relationship it with God. We don't need priests or Pharisees or pigeons on the altar. We can speak to God in prayer, like children speaking to their Father, or like someone talking to a friend. 

That's all because of Jesus. Because He gave Himself up for us, and was willing to take everything we threw at him, all of our sins across the millennia and across the continents, we don't have to die and suffer for eternity. 

A famous Irishman that I admire (Bono) explained it like this:  

"The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross."

But the story doesn't end there. The Resurrection conquered the cross; the cross is no longer an instrument of despair, but a symbol of joy. He lives!

Before Jesus was risen, people died and stayed dead. When Jesus came, He changed all of that. No longer was the grave the end of the line; no longer was Death the conquerer. 

"Where, O death, is your victory? 

Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) 

Jesus was resurrected, and because of this, we can rejoice! Not only have we been forgiven and not only have we been given the greatest love imaginable, but we have also been given the gift of eternal life. 

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26)

In that Scripture, Jesus was speaking to Martha about the death of her brother Lazarus, the man whom Jesus would bring back to life. 

"She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.'” (John 11:27) 

Martha believed. I believe Him, too. 

I also believe that with this gift, we have been given responsibilities as Jesus' disciples. 

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20) 

Is Easter really the best time to be a Christian? 

Easter is the time when we celebrate our forgiveness, when we sing praises to God, when we show thanks for God's love for us, and when we remember those brave disciples who have led us here. 

Here at Summit UMC, we place lilies on the altar to remember the disciples who passed on before us. Those disciples, our loved ones, will be with us in Heaven. They have brought us here, to this day. 

Now it's our turn. This year, we will follow God's command and bring disciples to Him, because the truth is that every day is the best time to be a Christian. 

Celebrating Women's History Month

This month is Women's History Month, and to celebrate, I would like to mention some of the amazing women we have at our church.

• First, there's my Aunt Wanda, our church matriarch. She coordinates cards for people in the community, she helps organize potlucks, and she's great at getting things done. 

• Then there's Wanda N. She was instrumental in helping our church rebuild, and her expertise has been very important in taking care of our new church building. She's also our Sunday School superintendent. 

• My Aunt Jake is the oldest member of our congregation, and every time you see her, you feel a part of the spirit of the old church.

•  Phyllis is our pianist, and she also leads the adult Sunday School class sometimes.

• Pat N. is our organist, and she's our fearless leader here in the Cave.

• Pat P. is our fabulous substitute teacher, and we love to discuss the Bible with her.

• Velma was responsible for setting up the outreaches that we had at the community center before we had our new building, and she also began the Thursday night meals for the community.

• Geraldene takes care of making sure that bereaved families have meals, and that is such a blessing. She's a light when many families are going through their darkest moments.

• Bennie Lou is our fantastic UMW leader, and she always makes sure that everyone is organized for meetings and conferences.

• Joye is our amazing Children's Church leader and she teaches the young kids' Sunday School class! She's also a lay speaker and sometimes gives the message when the preacher can't be there.

• Julia is our church secretary and one of the keepers of our church's history. She's amazing at gathering the historical documents of our church and recording the minutes at meetings. She can tell you a multitude of beautiful stories about our church and our church family, including those who have gone on.

Speaking of our church history, it's important to remember the important women of our church who have come before us. My Aunt Mil, Helen Hart, Edna Hodge, Reba Heath, Alberta Self, and so many others dedicated much of their time, effort, and love to our beautiful little church and its congregation. Many of them stayed with our church until the end, and are now buried in the Summit Cemetery.

Life would not be the same without Julia looking through her archives for Decoration bulletins from 30 years ago, or without all the ladies gathering together to lay out the dishes for Fifth Sunday lunches, or without Wanda N. peeking in on the Cave to see if we need a teacher. Life wouldn't be the same without Aunt Mil's punch recipe and it wouldn't be the same without Nadine Hart's organ being played during Sunday services. Our church wouldn't be the same without all of the women of our church making it a better place.

Without all of these amazing women, both past and present, our church would not be what it is today. Every one of the women in our church contributes their unique talents and spirit to our little corner of the world, and without them, we would be lost.

One thousand thank-yous to all the wonderful ladies who help make Summit UMC our home!

Clips from the Cave

This week represents a big step for the Cave.

On Sunday, we started working in our new Sunday School book and began studying the unsung heroes of the Bible. We'll be studying heroes like Enoch, Gideon, and Deborah, who don't get as much attention as heroes like Moses and Elijah.

However, transitioning to a new area of study also means that our time with Dare to Be a Daniel is over.

Finishing these thirteen lessons has been a great process for us that has allowed us to think a little more deeply about the way we interact with the "outside world" and plan for how we will share Christ with others. We've learned about treating people with respect while standing firm in our beliefs; we learned about keeping close Christian friends to provide us with a support system; we learned about how to be strong in the face of temptation and how to talk to God through prayer; we learned how to be heroes of the faith; and we learned how to tell other people about God.

There are four steps. 

Step One is knowing that God loves us. God wants us to have an abundant life and He wants us to do His will.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Step Two is knowing that sin separates us from God. Nothing we can do, no good works and no other religions, could ever bridge the gap between us and God.

Step Three is knowing that Christ died for us. Christ is God's bridge between us and Him.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Step Four is repenting of our sins, accepting Christ, and living the life God wants us to live.
^"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Now that we have finished learning the steps and begun to spread God's Word to the world around us, we're ready to continue to learn about the Bible and all the heroes out there who provide examples for us on how to be brave workers and disciples for God, just like Daniel.

(And we also got these cool certificates to celebrate our completion of the program!)

Thanks to Pat for organizing and teaching our Sunday School class here in the Cave! We're looking forward to all the new things we can learn from the Bible.

Celebrating Candlemas

This week, we had a very important holiday. No, I'm not talking about Groundhog Day (although, that day is extremely important). I'm talking about Candlemas!

When I told my mama that I wanted to do a blog post on Candlemas, she said, "Do we even celebrate Candlemas?"

Well, the answer to that question is both yes and no. In the Methodist church, we don't really follow along with most of the traditions regarding Candlemas. Most of the traditions for this holiday stayed behind in England and the rest of Europe. But we do, however, celebrate the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple. ...Which is a lot longer to say than Candlemas.

The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was the day when, well, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple. According to Jewish customs, women were unclean for forty days after giving birth. After forty days, women went to the temple or synagogue for ritual cleansing. Also, even though Jesus would have been circumcised and named eight days after His birth, it was custom to take the newborn babies to the temple along with the mothers after forty days so the babies could be blessed. Since we symbolically celebrate Christ's birth on Christmas, we celebrate the Presentation of Jesus forty days after Christmas, since we don't know the exact date.

According to Luke 2: 22-38:
       "When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”),  and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
         Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

                             “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
                       you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 

                              For my eyes have seen your salvation,

                           which you have prepared in the sight of all nations

                         a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
                           and the glory of your people Israel.”

       The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

      There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,  and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."

It's interesting that Mary and Joseph sacrificed two pigeons or doves, because as the Scripture mentions, that is the sacrifice for the poor, who could not afford to sacrifice a lamb. As we discussed in a previous blog post and Bible study, this may indicate that the Three Kings had not yet arrived to bring gifts to Jesus.

But the point is, the Presentation at the Temple is important. Jesus was recognized by an elder who had received messages from God and by a prophetess---important people in the Jewish world---as being the Messiah. And this is in addition to the shepherds and wise men. Jesus' life on Earth began in a manger without ceremony, but He began His mission right away. He was the Messiah, and the testimonies of these educated Jewish elders affirms it.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in Mary's shoes that day, having an elder praise God that he had lived to see her baby, and having a prophetess give blessings to Him. How amazing, and bizarre, must that have been?

Since this was such an auspicious part of Scripture, it was, of course, celebrated by the early Christians, starting somewhere in the 5th century.

In the old traditions, Candlemas was the day when the priests would bless the candles (usually beeswax candles) that would be used in the church for the rest of the year. Some of these candles would be given to members of the congregation for use in their homes, and according to Polish traditions, lighting these candles and placing them in a window during a thunderstorm will keep the house safe. In Eastern Orthodox churches, Candlemas is a day to bless women who have just gone through childbirth, the way Mary sought blessings from the Temple.

There are other Candlemas traditions that have to do with preparing the fields for planting. In the Middle Ages, farmers would often say a prayer while preparing their plows. Then they would bury holy water and bread beneath the first furrow they plowed, saying another prayer giving thanks to God for the Earth and asking Him for a plentiful harvest later in the year. In Ireland, Candlemas is an extension of St. Brigid's Day, which is on February 1. According to legend, St. Brigid founded the first convent in Ireland, and people would celebrate by placing a loaf of bread on the windowsill for St. Brigid, along with corn for her cow. Even today, people weave St. Brigid's crosses, which were originally made from wheat stalks and were used to protect homes from fire and lightning.

Traditional foods to serve for Candlemas include pancakes, crepes, and cakes, since they are made from grain and are round and golden like the sun, which gives us light, much like a candle.

The candles were blessed because candles are a symbol of light, and Jesus is, as Simeon said in Luke 2, "a light of revelation" for all people who seek to be saved.

Lessons from LACE: The Final Chapter (For Now...)

Back in December, I attended the last lay speaker training session and became a certified lay speaker.

The last session was at Stovall UMC, and I can't thank them enough for their wonderful hospitality. In fact, I can't thank any of the host churches enough for letting all of us hopefuls crowd into their sanctuaries and fellowship halls and use their heat, food, and, perhaps most importantly, their coffee. Thank you for everything!

For our last session, a lady who worked with the United Methodist Church on the national level spoke to us about organizing ourselves in teams.

She challenged us to rethink the idea of a committee. Instead of being a group of people who get together---usually in a bad mood---to do business, an effective committee should be a group of people who take an interest in each other and enjoy solving problems together. Each member of the team should get an equal say and equal time to speak up, and the team should take time to talk and pray with each other before beginning a meeting. Team members should be friends, first and foremost.

A team that can get along outside of the meeting table is a team that can function together as a unit, and a cohesive group will be more productive than a group that doesn't want to be there.

I've mentioned this before, but I felt like our guest speaker was saying this again: If you don't want to be there, don't be there. Let someone who has a willing heart and the desire to do it take over. Find something you enjoy doing. If you do want to be there, take an active role. Participate. Communicate with your team members.

Communication is key to a healthy church. Building relationships with the team members and the other members of the congregation is the way to get the church to stick together. After all, as we said after the fire, a church is not a building. The church is the people.

Another issue our guest speaker addressed is that often, we reject ideas that committees come up with for one reason or another, but especially for this reason: "We've never done it that way before."

Teams who are thinking of new ideas for their church should always try to balance new ideas with the traditions we know and love, and other church members should keep an open mind in finding new ways to grow the church. We all have to work together to make progress.

Probably the most important area in which we must make progress is the growth of the church.
 Growing the church, however, is also one of the most difficult things to do. How can we help our church and its ministry grow?

One of the suggestions given to us by our guest speakers was essentially the same idea being promoted by the United Methodist Church right now: to rethink the way we look at church. The church is not a building. The church is the people. The church, therefore, needs to be a cohesive team of friends and not a "committee." In order to make the ministry of our church grow, we have to take an active role in serving the community and its needs. It will be a process of trial and error; some ideas will make a difference, and some won't work. Some ideas will be more difficult to put into practice at first. The results will probably not be immediate. It will take a lot of time to see the impact the church's ministry has.

But the impact will be there, and that will make everything worth it.

After our guest speaker discussed building teams and relationships within and outside of the church, we again broke off into our small groups. For the last session, we each gave a practice sermon.

It was amazing to listen and see what my fellow group members came up with. We had a sermon on death and the afterlife, and a sermon on forgiveness. Several of us shared their conversion experiences. Equally amazing as hearing my group's sermons was seeing the support that everyone shared for the person speaking. Our group's "classroom" was a very safe place to try out public speaking; there were cheers instead of catcalls and plenty of applause. I finished my sermon feeling good about myself and my life and my friends in faith.

The most poignant moment for me that day---perhaps for the entire course of training---was when I mentioned in my sermon that I had never had a "conversion experience" the way most people think of them, since I was brought up in a Christian home and can't remember not having faith. One of my group members said to me:

"Good. Because life before faith is nothing but pain."


That got me thinking about how thankful I am for my life, my family, and my faith, as well as my church. And how thankful I am to have met all the wonderful people who attended lay speaker training with me, all the discussions we got to have, and everything I learned.

It was a beautiful and memorable experience for me and I will never forget it.

I hope that my little journey can someday make a difference to someone else, and I hope that I cross paths with more people and have more experiences like this in the future.

Thank you for everything!

Love,
Rachel

Star of Wonder, Star of Light

Well, are you ready for the end of the Christmas season?

But Rachel, you ask, hasn't the Christmas season ended already? You know, back in December?

Good question! But the answer is actually no. The Christmas season is not over. 

The Christmas season ends with January 6th: Epiphany.

The evening of January 5th, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, is the eve of Epiphany. In England, they call it Twelfth Night. (Shakespeare, anyone?) Twelfth Night is a celebration of the journey of the three Wise Men and a preparation for Epiphany. In colonial America, Christmas wreaths were kept on the door and Christmas trees were kept up until January 5th. On Twelfth Night, they were taken down to prevent bad luck, and any edible decorations were given as gifts. In England and other parts of Europe---and in New Orleans as well---a King cake is served to celebrate the day. A bean or small trinket is baked inside the cake, and whoever gets the slice with the "gift" inside becomes king (or queen) for a day.

Why have such a celebration on the night before Epiphany? Because Epiphany is not just the end of the Christmas season. It is also a day of celebration in itself.

January 6th is the day we remember the Wise Men visiting Jesus Christ. In Ireland, on Epiphany, the Three Kings are not added to the Nativity scene until this day. Latin America and Spain, as well as a few other European nations, give gifts on this day instead of Christmas. In Spanish, Epiphany is called "El Día de Tres Reyes," or Three Kings Day. The Tres Reyes bring gifts to the children instead of Santa Claus. Every culture has different names for the Wise Men, but we English-speakers call them by Latin names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. Traditionally, they are used to represent old age, middle age, and youth; and they represent Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In the United Methodist Church, we don't always celebrate Epiphany on January 6th. Even though Epiphany always falls on this day, this day---like Christmas and other important days---is not always a Sunday. This year, Epiphany Sunday fell on January 4th, and this was the day our church remembered the Wise Men.

Why do we end the Christmas season with the Three Kings, Rachel? Why not just end it with Christmas? We talked about the Wise Men on that day, too.

Another excellent question. And my answer: I don't really know.
Much of what we do to celebrate in church comes from traditions handed down to us by our ancestors, who celebrated these days in church because their ancestors did. So I don't have a 100 percent accurate answer for you. What I can give you instead is a theory.

My theory is this: we end the Christmas season with the Three Wise Men because the Christmas story doesn't end with the day Jesus is born. Jesus' story, like most people's, doesn't begin and end in a single day. The creation story in Genesis took seven days. Isn't it fitting that the story of the Creator takes longer? Jesus was born, and angels sang, and a star shone in the sky. And that was one day. Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem as a baby and Simeon wept. That was many days later. And then, somewhere between Day 40 and Day 730, three Gentiles from foreign nations found a young child that they knew was the Messiah, and they worshiped him. And that was another day.

But it was more than just an ordinary day. It was an end, but also a beginning. The story of the Wise Men ends the Christmas story because it also begins the story of Jesus' ministry. These three non-Jews, who knew only bits and pieces of Scripture, were converted that day to believers in the Christ child. And when that child grew up and began to preach, He spoke not just to the Jewish people, but to all people. He spoke also to Gentiles like the Wise Men, and like us.

Epiphany is a day of transition from the story of Jesus' birth---the miracle that gave the world hope---to the story of Jesus' life, the story that gives ALL PEOPLE hope.

That is why, near and far, we celebrate the Wise Men and all they symbolize on January 6th.

Happy Twelfth Night!!!