Living into the Easter Story

Whenever Jesus spoke in parables he often asked his listeners to discern the presence of God between two contrary positions: the narrow or wide gate, the sheep and the goats, “a man had two sons.” It’s a pretty useful and ancient instructive device that was deeply rooted in the rabbinic tradition of the day. The first Psalm, in fact, paves the way for much of the wisdom tradition, essentially saying that there is a way that leads to life, and a way that leads to destruction. Parents still embrace this tool. “You can either finish your vegetables and stay for dessert,” we say, “or you can not eat your vegetables and go to your room. Which of these ways will lead you to chocolate cake?”

I think that we can look at the Easter story through the lens of two individuals as a way to make some sense of what the resurrection means for us. On the night that Jesus was arrested, two of his closest friends, Judas and Peter, betrayed him. Two disciples who had been with Jesus for three years, listened to his teachings, and saw him perform one miracle after another, turned Jesus over to be crucified and denied ever knowing him.

Judas and Peter were both left to ponder alone the weight of their actions in the quiet of Holy Saturday. It was a crucible of sorts for their thoughts about past events and how they would shape their future. We have Holy Saturdays of our own all the time when each of us are often left to reflect on things we have done, or neglected to do—ways that we have harmed others and contributed to the destruction of people and things we love. This is where Judas and Peter were.

Judas was trapped by guilt and shame. And despite Jesus’ words that must have echoed in his mind, he lost faith in the hope of Easter. So Judas’ story ended on Holy Saturday.

But Peter’s story kept going on into Easter. After the resurrection he broke bread with Jesus again by a fire on the beach. And while it was a painful moment to revisit his denial with the one he denied, it was also a moment where Peter received the grace of forgiveness and new life in Christ.

Judas and Peter. Two images of brokenness in the light of the cross and the resurrection. Two ways to respond to the hope of new, resurrected life. Which Easter story will you live?

God's peace,

Josh

Hope for the Future

This past Sunday, it was a joy to see 22 youth kneel before our congregation and publicly claim that they have decided to follow Christ and become members of The United Methodist Church.

Over two years ago I was jokingly given the warning about our seventh grade class: "Watch out! They are wild!" Each class that participates in Glenn Youth ministry is indeed unique and this class is no different. Over these past two years of confirmation and ministry, I have gotten to know these students and they are incredibly thoughtful, hospitable, welcoming, and smart. They ask great questions and give impressive, reflective feedback. This group gives me hope for the future of our church.

Confirmation is successful only because of the wonderful commitment that many adults in our community make to stand beside these confirmands as their Friends-in-Faith. These congregants act as mentors and guides during our second year of confirmation as we focus on the theology and polity of our Christian and Methodist heritage. If you might be interested in investing in our youth, this would be an excellent opportunity. Please contact me for more information.  

Congratulations to these amazing new members! I look forward to continuing to see these youth grow and develop in their relationship with Christ and the Glenn community.  

Blair

Continuing the Procession of Faith

Her name was Egeria. She had the extraordinary opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land during Holy Week. Like many tourists, she wrote a long letter to her circle of women friends in Spain to tell them about the experience of walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  

With all of the other pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem that week, she entered into the procession waving palms and singing hymns as they remembered Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on that last week of his life. She makes a special note in her letter home that all the people chanted, “Blessed is the one who cometh in the name of the Lord.”

On Maundy Thursday, she tells her friends that she joined with others gathered to celebrate communion as Jesus did with his disciples. She tells of walking with the crowds up the hill towards Gethsemane reliving how Jesus asked his disciples to pray with him, how they fell asleep, how the Roman guards came to arrest him, Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, the fleeing of them all. 

On Good Friday, she recounts how she shuffled along with the throng as they walked the path Jesus took to the cross all the way to Golgotha. There, those who could, kept vigil as the bishop baptized new Christians and clothed them in new garments. 

She wrote her friends about the triumphant Easter celebration and the singular experience of the entire week. 

Egeria experienced the pilgrimage. She wrote home about it. The year was 384 AD. 

The year is now 2015, and we still have the extraordinary privilege to follow Jesus along the last week of his life from Palm/Passion Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday to the Vigil of Holy Saturday to the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. I encourage you to join the procession as we make this holy pilgrimage as Egeria did so long ago by attending our Holy Week services. The journey of our procession of faith continues with all of the faithful: past, present and future.

Peace and grace,

Alice

Member Spotlight: Gordon Boice

We're excited to bring you an interview with our logo designer, Gordon Boice. Did you know Gordon has a background in English Literature? Neither did we!

Where did you grow up and who/what were your earliest influences on your faith?
I grew up in Watertown, NY, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario and just 30 miles from the bridge to Canada. They enjoy as much as 200" of snow in a good winter. I still miss four distinct seasons and the clear beauty of northern sunlight. 

Church was in our family as far back as we knew. My parents and grandparents lived their faith fully and influenced me to know the truth of God's presence. College experiences vigorously challenged my beliefs, but I chose to commit my life to God's care and guidance. 

My own faith and worship experiences are eclectic. Over the years I have enjoyed being part of worship communities including Presbyterian, American Baptist, Evangelical Free Church, Assemblies of God (Pentecostal), Wesleyan Methodist, and now United Methodist. I've found our Christian community is broad and vibrant.

How did you meet your wife, Mary Lou, and what brought y'all to Atlanta?
I met Mary Lou while working in the Boston area after college. Candler recruited Mary Lou from the Boston University School of Theology just over 20 years ago.

When did you come to Glenn and what ministries have you been a part of?
I think we've been at Glenn for perhaps 10 years now. I attend the early-service and sing in the little chapel choir, participate in some of the men's activities, and lead the Ventures in Faith Sunday School class. Our family is grateful for all the blessings that we experience in the programs, the friendships, and the loving care of this community.

What is your educational background and how did you get into graphic design? When did you come to Emory and what is your role there?
I have a Bachelor's degree in English literature. I followed a life-long dream to work in the arts by assembling a portfolio of small design projects over several years that allowed me to enter the graphic design field, first as a publications producer with Emory's Office of International Affairs and then as a graphic designer with the Emory Creative Group, where I've been for 20 years. Curious readers can see my portfolio, which I've only recently moved to a digital format, at www.behance.net/gboice.

Please reflect on the first Glenn logo you designed, the Sanctuary cupola, and the inspiration for this new design.
Through a connection from an Emory project, I met Donn Ann Weber and helped with some identity work for Glenn in the nineties. I was pleased to be approached by Glenn recently to rethink the current branding. We tried several representations drawn from Glenn's architecture and environs, but none resonated with the group until I drew a stylized representation of our sanctuary cross. The Glenn working group has done a marvelous job of bringing this image to life as a symbol of our unique and special place. We hope the congregation is pleased with it and proud of their own association with Glenn.  

Gordon is married to Mary Lou Greenwood Boice who serves as Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Candler School of Theology of Emory University. Their daughter, Katie, is an undergraduate student at Emory with a double major in vocal performance and psychology. She is a Glenn youth alumna and past soloist in Glenn Choirs, best known for her role as Maria in "The Sound of Music" a few years ago. We are grateful for Gordon’s time and talent in designing the new Glenn Memorial Church logo.

Notice something new?

Glenn Memorial has a new logo.

The image you see at the top of the website has been over a year in the making. In January 2014, Glenn’s church council made the suggestion that our congregation explore fresh branding to more effectively communicate its current vibrancy.

Alice Rogers recruited the expertise of congregant and graphic designer, Gordon Boice, to guide Glenn through the process of developing a new logo. With the help of a visioning group made up of staff and laity, the goals for the new logo became clear: capture both the historic and contemporary identity of Glenn, convey that Glenn is a house of worship and Christian community, reinforce Glenn’s presence in the local community, and exhibit Glenn’s attributes  of warmth, welcome, and exceptionality.

The new logo took shape out of a carefully coordinated process involving brainstorming, a review of previous logos, and a walk around our campus for visual inspiration. The walk-around proved to be instrumental, as the chosen symbol in the logo is a reflection of the gold cross that hangs in the Chancel of our Sanctuary. As you can see, its distinct qualities are brought together in our logo: the red circle at its heart, the rays coming from the center, the fleur de lis tips on the arms, the arch in which it is framed, and the colors suggested by its materials.

The wording in the logo is intentional. The church council voted on and approved the chosen language: Glenn Memorial Church: A United Methodist Congregation. It emphasizes that Glenn is a United Methodist Christian community and not simply a named building used by a church. The word “congregation” conveys that Glenn is a body of people gathered in a shared and common purpose.

We look forward to the many ways in which the logo will take on life and come to represent and embody the warmth, welcome, and exceptionality found here at Glenn.