The Pumpkins are Coming

This is my favorite time of year. Scarfs, football, indulgent coffee drinks (pumpkin spice latte anyone?) and play dates and pictures in our beautiful pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch is a long-standing Glenn tradition and is our main fundraiser for youth missions. Our pumpkins are locally sourced from an organic farm here in Georgia, so, in buying these pumpkins you not only serve our local community and global efforts abroad, but you’ll also support our Georgia economy. Win, win! Come enjoy a picnic on our picnic tables, photos in our photobooth, (#glennpumpkins) or even schedule your own party in the patch.

There are several ways you can support Glenn youth missions AND enjoy the patch: 

1.) Buy a variety of amazing pumpkins. This money supports all youth missions both local and global: Bahamas Methodist Habitat, Servants in Faith and Technology, Mountain TOP, Honduras Outreach Incorporated, Action Ministries, Trinity House, Branan Towers, Jerusalem House, and many more. This money also provides scholarships for ALL youth to participate in these life changing experiences.

2.) Volunteer for a 2-hour shift in the patch. Get to know and love our youth by spending 2 hours in the patch. Click here to sign up!

3.) Have a party in the patch! Forms here.

4.) Help unload pumpkins at our Youth and Activities Building on Sunday, October 4 and 18 at 1:00 p.m. Pizza provided :)

Hope to see you there!

Rev. Blair Setnor

Transfiguration

My two night camping venture in June of 2007 to West Virginia’s New River was intended to be recreational, theological and productive – to at last finish a draft of the final chapter of my book on music and worship. Settled into my primitive site along the river, I worked in the evening for a couple of hours on my laptop by the fire. The next morning I returned to writing, but found I could not open my research files. The previous February I had bought a new desktop pc with Office 2007. I had saved my research files in the new format, and, when packing for this trip, moved them to my laptop. As my laptop did not have the new Office, they wouldn’t open. I of course knew of this danger, but, in my haste to depart, didn’t think of it. This is what I call outsmarting myself. The error message asked if I wanted to download a utility allowing me to work with the files. My primitive camp site having no Wi-Fi, I was, as we say, not a happy camper. 

After pondering my stupidity and this colossal waste of an opportunity, I considered simply enjoying this time in nature. “Naw,” I thought, “I’ll find a network.” I drove to Fayetteville at the north entrance of the National Park, found a library, and yes they had a network. Libraries rule. I told myself it would take ten minutes. Two hours later, I left in abject failure. As Burt Reynold’s character, Lewis, said in the film Deliverance – a movie which ominously comes to mind on my backwoods trips — “machines will fail us.” The library had a slow connection and, after downloading every possible update, the utility still refused to open. I despise surrendering, but when I had exhausted every option, I gave up.

However, while waiting through seemingly interminable downloads, I wandered the library stacks. I love libraries and, from my graduate school days, they feel like home. Once, while looking up from my laptop, I saw a huge coffee table book on coal mines of Fayette County.  Therein were pictures of the night and day work forces of some 20 mines in the county, stringing along the New River. There were pictures of the communities and churches and even a band. Among them was the infamous Eccles Mine in nearby Raleigh County, which suffered several disasters. It was harrowing to read of these and the colossal toll of human life. Some believe it was named for Ecclesiastes. The bike trails I later rode went through sites of some of these now abandoned mines. There is a wedding of humanity and the land, and each manifests indelibly the portent of their storied relationship.

During another download, I perused the reference section, among my favorites. I happened on the Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible and looked up “Holiness,” the subject of one of the research files I couldn’t open. These files contain the fruits of searches I have done from online Bibles for words like “worship,” temple” and “holy,” through which I hoped to gain insight into true worship as set forth in scripture. The dictionary has an article “Holiness” written by James Muilenburg. I was pleased to see he used the word “numinous,” one of my favorites. I learned it from my great friend, the late Jamie Mackay in my early years at Glenn. Jamie was an attorney, US Congressman, literati, statesman, nature conservator, Glenn member and, most prominently, Betty Asbury’s brother! Muilenburg’s article cites theologian Rudolf Otto’s use of “mysterium tremendum” to describe the fascinating, humbling, overawing experience of approaching the presence of God. This article changed my approach as to how we might advance our experience of these divine, transfiguring encounters with God.

I pondered this on my final ride along the river. Miles from the nearest human, I surprised several wild fowl, including a turkey, who ran around clucking anxious protest at my intrusion before disappearing in the woods. Shortly, a full grown doe ran across the trail right in front of me. I thought, “two such sightings, there has to be a third – a trinity,” though nothing striking appeared for the remainder of the ride. I returned to my camp site, packed up and departed.  On the lengthy exit road, a faun entered the road some 50 yards in front of me and ran directly toward my advancing car. Incredibly, it gave no sign of seeing or hearing the car. I stopped. As I observed in incredulous wonder, finally, just a few yards ahead, it saw me, slid to a stop, looked, and ran off. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “thought has always its efficacy and every striking incident its moral.” These three signs from nature have meaning that yet escapes me. Yet, in retrospect, the faun seems to have brought a welcome farewell, a salute to the respect of my visit, and an invitation to return from the beautiful innocence of the wilderness: an encounter so intimate, so powerful, it required us both to stop, and see.

Hawthorne’s wife, Sophia, with her wedding ring, scratched “Man’s mistakes are God’s intentions” into a window of Concord’s The Old Manse, where they lived for a while. Theologically, it does not apply consistently, for God is not responsible for our failings.  However, if we stop and see, we may observe God transfiguring mistakes into blessings, and error into holiness.

Steve

Member Spotlight: In Memory of Frank Asbury

My grandfather’s name was Frank Logan Asbury III. Many of you might have had the privilege to know him during the sixty-plus years that he belonged to Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. He was the one in the suit on Sunday mornings (in the summer he and Mathew Pinson went toe to toe in their matching seersuckers) who wouldn’t leave the sanctuary after the closing voluntary until he had shaken your hand with vim and vigor (a language man, he loved alliteration) and often exclaimed something like, “Why, Pastor Alice Rogers, as I live and breathe!” even if he’d seen you no less than two days ago.

He loved to communicate and connect with his faith community in a plethora of ways. But apart from his sunny greetings (Carole Adams once described him as “sunny” and oh, it is the perfect word) after worship, you may not have noticed him up front very much. And that’s because he wasn’t in the lectern reading the Gospel lesson or ushering or singing in the choir (but those Fanny Crosby hymns… even Steve Darsey knew they were his favorites). The spotlight wasn’t his place (unless there was a joke to be told - “I absolutely challenge anybody anywhere to be a more masterful joke teller,” Julia Wynne declared at his 85th birthday party).

No, Frank’s place was often behind the scenes, serving the meal at Wednesday Night Supper or helping count offering money and sign checks. With a career in insurance, he was the one to call if a person or church vehicle got scratched up. He served as chair of the congregation’s first Council on Ministries, the Administrative Board and the Board of Trustees. He worked hard to get Safe Sanctuaries training in place at Glenn, and he and my grandmother, Betty Mackay Asbury, chaired the Glenn School kindergarten Board of Directors when their second child Mackay was in the 4-year-old class.

Then there were what Betty calls the “somewhat unconventional ways” that her husband expressed his love for Glenn: He would wash the signposts in front of the Church School Building when wet grass stuck to them after a mowing. He once noticed that the front steps of the parsonage needed scrubbing, so he took his bucket over and set to work. And of course, he loved to joke that his full name was actually Francis Asbury, the famous Methodist circuit rider. (Former pastor Cynthia Vaughan told us, “He was always affectionately known as ‘Francis’ to me!”)

Whether you knew him as Francis or Frank, or simply as a friendly face in worship or at supper, Glenn lost another dedicated servant when he passed away on December 18, 2013 from complications following a stroke. But his legacy of service and friendship endures. And in homage to his desire for our faith family to connect and work together – in and out of the spotlight – all generous gifts that have been given in his memory over these two years will be used to enrich the church’s communications ministry, so that future generations may enjoy a Glenn Church just as strong and devoted as my grandfather left it.

Claire Asbury Lennox

See you this Saturday?

Good Neighbor Day is this Saturday! I’m so excited for this is the day we come together and work in the community as a church family. There’s fun for everyone: toddlers to tweens to teens to adults. We partner across the generations to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Last year, I was fortunate to have Laura Reece, GND project leader, take me on a grand tour of almost every project. The energy and joy was evident at each site we visited. I helped make sandwiches at the YAAB, visited with the skaters, sorted food for Medshare, worked at the ICM Food Pantry, sang at Montclair with the Mallards – it was a blast.

For many, many years, church members Laura and Eric Reece have been at the helm of this great day of service, calling us all to join. Last year brought in a record number of volunteers – over 300! This past June, the Reece family grew by one as their first daughter, Emma Grace, was welcomed into their lives. So the Reece's have passed the torch on to other faithful volunteers such as Diane Bryant, Susan-Anne MacKenna, Kaylen Short and myself. We have tried to fill their large and experienced shoes. Even with all our organization, planning, and phone calls and emails with Laura, we have yet to reach our goal of volunteers for this year.

There are many reasons to join others in service on Good Neighbor Day. But one is certainly to honor Laura and Eric and acknowledge all the hard work they have given in years past to make this day as great as it is. Please gather with us to make this Good Neighbor Day just as great, if not better, than the last.

If you have yet to sign-up to serve, it’s so easy.

You can donate items:
- food for the ICM Pantry
- lunch supplies for the Skating or Habitat projects slated
- Good Neighbor Day Kit Assembly

You can also/or participate in one of the 12 wonderful projects:
- Skating, Singing, Arts & Crafts/Games (3 different projects – all family friendly!)
- Park cleanup (2 events!)
- Lunch Preparations for Skating or Habitat
- Sort medical supplies for MedShare (AM or PM) or pack food for ICM Food Pantry
- Sort donations at the IRC Resettlement Shop
- Assemble donations at the Ward Fellowship Hall

So c’mon! Join the Glenn Family doing meaningful work in the community.

Many thanks,

Dawn Francis-Chewning

Listening Ears! Watching Eyes!

A new chapter begins in our house...literally. The repeat stage of a toddler learning to talk. "Cereal!" "Car!" "Airpwane!" "Ye-s!" "No-No-No!" "Mine!" "Idea?" "Okay!" "There!" And yes, pretty much all of the words are said in exclamation. And then there's my personal favorite: "Church!" And then, of course, there's the baby's first that made her parents look wide-eyed at the other one with a "who dunnit?" stare:  "Shoot!" (Thankfully, yes, it was only a 5-letter word THIS time...).

As one of our Glenn church family titles every Facebook post of their child, "Little Love Sponge,"  it really is amazing how much children of all ages and developmental stages absorb from us. Whether they are non-verbal mimics of our everyday habits, our facial expressions, or our words themselves, as we all know, children really are sponges. 

So these days, you'll find the Pinson family remembering much more to bow our heads, clasp our hands, and say a mealtime blessing. We are much more regular about giving goodbye hugs and kisses in the morning now that we have a pint-size reminder to scream "kiss!" even on days when we are feeling more affectionate toward our caffeine-laden cup than our spouse. We are paying much more attention to the music on the radio in the car and to the news and commercials that we used to mindlessly have on in the background of our lives. What used to be the background noise of life is now the focal point of our "little love sponge."

And I am humbly reminded that YOUR children are watching me every time they come to Glenn Church - or run into me while they are giggling down the hallway on days at Glenn School or Glenn After School. It is my hope and prayer that each of us will soak up from our Heavenly Parent all the good that God offers us - the words, the music, the prayers, the hugs and kisses - and pass them on to all of the precious children in our midst. And if you've found yourself with a bad day where you're exclaiming, "shoot!"...no worries. In the words of my little one you can always try "again! again!".

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Colossians 3:16 (NRSV)

Grace and Peace,
Susan
 

The Little Red Hen

My mother is a teacher.  She was, is and always will be a teacher. 

She was a teacher by profession. Before giving birth to five children, she taught high school English. When the twins, my younger brother and sister, entered kindergarten, she began teaching kindergarten at the First Methodist Church of Conyers, GA. She later moved to the public school system where she taught kindergarten and third grade until her retirement.

She is a teacher by vocation. It is a part of her very nature to teach. My earliest memories are of my mother reading to me and telling me stories. These stories formed me and taught me lessons that I have carried through my life. I now know that my mother taught not only to impart necessary information like how to count, say the alphabet, hold a pencil, add and subtract, read, use proper grammar, etc.; she imparted life lessons through stories that she told and revisited at formative times.

One of those stories was The Little Red Hen. In this story, the Little Red Hen finds some grain and asks the other barnyard animals to help her plant it. To her question, “Who will help me plant the seeds?” each in turn says, “Not I.”  Each of her subsequent questions is met with the same response. “Who will help me harvest the wheat? Who will help me grind the grain? Who will help me bake the bread?” “Not I.  Not I.  Not I.” But when she asks, “Who will help me eat the bread,” she is met with an enthusiastic chorus of “I will. I will. I will.”

My mother told, and often repeated, this story to my siblings and me during times when we all needed to pitch in and help. She knew that we would all want to enjoy the benefits of whatever task was at hand (like dinner, for instance!), and if we wanted to enjoy the final product, then we all needed to help make it happen. And there were plenty of tasks to go around no matter our age. As young children, to help prepare dinner, we didn’t have to know how to cook. One could fold the napkins, set the table, put the ice in the glasses, pour the tea. Mother showed us that there was something each of us could and should do.

As we grew older, my mother no longer had to read us the story or retell it when its lesson needed to be reinforced. She would simply end a request by saying, “Said the Little Red Hen.”

When I consider the life of a congregation, I often think of the Little Red Hen. It is tempting to want to benefit from all that happens in the life of the church without helping to plant the seeds, harvest the wheat, mill the grain and bake the bread, but it takes everyone doing what they can (no matter their age) to enjoy a strong and vibrant church.

This Sunday, we will celebrate the myriad of ministries that take place in the life of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. Our opening procession will include knitters, skaters, builders, learners, teachers, needlepointers, musicians, cooks, ushers, athletes, greeters, pray-ers, children, youth, young adults, older adults and everyone in between! As a congregation, we will also vote on whether or not we will enter into a capital campaign to raise funds to renovate and improve the buildings from which and in which we do ministry. There are many seeds to plant, wheat to harvest, grain to mill and bread to bake. “Who will help?” asks the Little Red Hen.

(If you have never heard the story of the Little Red Hen, you may read it here.)

Alice

Ministry Spotlight: Lydia Circle of Knitters

She calls it a semi-circle. But that's really not the case. Carolyn Gilbert (far left) and the Lydia Circle of Knitters have developed a unique ministry that should be described as a full-circle. Because that's what they do - encircle others in the midst of life's seldom linear journey. 

Carolyn, where did the idea to form the Lydia Circle of Knitters originate?

The prayer shawl ministry at Glenn began in 2006 when I knitted a pink shawl for a Glenn member who was bedridden at home. I learned about this kind of ministry from friends in Lutheran and Presbyterian churches in other states. A few of us began to knit informally and give the shawls to members who were facing life milestones, health issues, or other challenges or uncertainties.

We are a unit of the United Methodist Women (UMW) named for Lydia in Acts 16:14: “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” We seek to emulate Lydia and “listen” for opportunities to respond by providing loving support to others as we knit and crochet. 

How many women participate and how many shawls have been made?

We have about 20 knitters/crocheters now, ranging from beginners to experts in their work. But we'd love to have more! All are welcome to join our monthly gatherings.

To date we have given more than seven hundred shawls as well as one hundred and fifty flannel blankets (for new babies in the congregation). All the shawls are unique and valuable and find a home in someone's arms. We especially enjoy selecting shawls that might be a recipient’s favorite color. For the past two years we have also been able to undertake a special project: producing shawls for Glenn’s high school graduates, using the colors of the universities they plan to attend.

What do the prayer shawls symbolize and what does the ministry mean to you? (Responses given by members of the Lydia Circle.)

Love made visible. Hands in service to God.

Knitting is a symbol of productivity and faithfulness to the knitter, but it is given as a symbol of love to the pray shawl recipient. We hope when shawl recipients wrap themselves in a prayer shawl, they feel God's love.

At a time when people are feeling very sickly, alone, afraid, uncertain, etc., the shawl is a tangible expression that the person is loved and supported and not alone. The warmth of the shawl is like a hug that expresses God's love. 

When I knit, I think about how the person who will receive the shawl might feel, whether their emotion might be comfort, enjoyment of the art, a feeling that someone cares about them. I knit for love - I could never do it for money. So love is completely knit into the fabric.

Can you find the common thread? It might be Love. 

Inside Out: A Pastor's Review

I want to take a slightly different approach to this post and instead offer a review of a movie I watched recently: Inside Out. I will try to keep it relatively spoiler-free. If you have already seen this movie, I hope the review resonates with you. And if you haven’t, I hope that it will encourage you to take a deep breath in the midst of back to school stress and maybe go see a movie with the people you love. 

Inside Out is Pixar’s most recent children's movie that delves into a topic that has befuddled many parents over the years: the emotions of an adolescent. The movie is about Riley, a pre-teen girl who learns how to cope with major transitions in her life. While these events unfold, layers of her personality peel back and we watch as Riley’s emotions scramble to adjust and reconfigure themselves. Her emotions - Sadness, Fear, Joy, Anger, and Disgust (pictured left to right below) - begin to discover that their working well together is critical to Riley’s overall well-being.

That is what I liked most about this movie: it helps all ages get in touch with their emotions. To be honest, I usually don't like children’s movies. I like to be challenged intellectually or emotionally when I watch a movie, which typically leads me to movies for adults. However, Inside Out is challenging and thought-provoking on both intellectual and emotional levels. I both laughed and cried while watching Inside Out, and I also left contemplating how well-balanced my own emotions are. Do I tend to lean too heavily on one default setting at the expense of another? Are my emotions balanced and equally represented?

Author and theologian Henri Nouwen articulates the metaphor of the Wounded Healer to explain that no person is without wounds. The healer is not the person absent of wounds, but rather the person who has recognized their wounds, channels them, binds them up, and seeks to help others do the same. While Nouwen’s metaphor is written specifically for ministers, I believe that implicit in it is the understanding that in order to be a healing presence, a person must truly know who he/she is. And I believe that developing emotional self-awareness, like Riley learns to do in Inside Out, is a critical part of identifying and binding up our own wounds. How can we draw strength from a wound that we have not yet identified? To most effectively and compassionately journey with others, we need to know and understand our own emotions.

Inside Out is a children’s movie that is relevant for all ages. So go enjoy a movie with the whole family after school lets out, or enjoy one by yourself if you have a free afternoon. Any story that encourages us to pause and reflect on our emotions is worth a watch.

Kaylen

Finding an Ocean of Grace

Scholars, perhaps especially theologians, are ever-looking for sources, the urtexts that form the foundations for our faith. They also look carefully at how our faith was practiced in earlier times, in hope of discerning an evolutionary line back to the days when Jesus walked the earth. They look for evidence in commentaries and stories from earlier eras. Comprehending and communicating these, the thinking goes, will help us live our faith more truly today.

I have always envied those with a liberal arts education. As mine was focused principally on music, which, in my profession, has its obvious benefits, I missed many mathematic, scientific, artistic, and literary adventures. Thus, I have spent my post-collegiate life striving to catch up.  

Early on I developed a passion for the ancient Greek epics, then the lesser known works like Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Over the last few years I have read the three Middle English monuments, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, Canterbury Tales, and now, Piers Plowman, which I finished this past April. The latter two I struggled through in Middle English. What meager success I had was thanks to superb scholarly editions with running glossaries and copious explanatory footnotes and commentaries. Among the pleasures along the way were nascent insights into the evolution of our mother tongue and maturing human consciousness.

William Langland (1332 – c. 1386) is generally considered to be the author of Piers Plowman. Little is known of Langland, though the deep knowledge of theology and the church related in the work suggests he was in some kind of religious order. The editor of my Piers Plowman edition is Derek Pearsall, an English born and educated Harvard professor. What struck me most profoundly in his notes was his exquisite command of historical Christian theology. As Piers is an allegory of the Christian life, these notes afforded many important insights along the way. Here are a few:

• “For no gult is so greet that his goodnesse is more.” This is similar to Langland’s famous quote: Omnis iniquitas qoad misericordiam dei est quasi scintilla in medio maris (All the sin in the world in relation to God's mercy is like a spark of fire in the midst of the sea). I first heard this precept, though in a different form, some 20 years ago at Candler from the renowned preacher William Sloan Coffin. In his sermon, he said, “There is far more grace in God than sin in us.” Ever since, this had been a strong comfort to me.
   
• O felix culpa, O necessarium peccatum Ade! (O happy fault and necessary sin of Adam). From Pearsall’s notes: “Necessary because it necessitated the Incarnation…from the canticle sung on Holy Saturday at the blessing of the Paschal candle (Missale 340). An allusion to the paradox of the Fortunate Fall, happily embroidered in one of the most famous of Medieval lyrics, ‘Adam lay ybowndn’. O felix culpa…” Many of us know this theological principle from the English carol “Adam Lay Ybounden,” which is often sung after the first reading in Lessons and Carols services. Yes, song texts are also important sources of historical theological insight. Indeed, the Bible itself, in addition to the Psalms, comprises many song texts.
   
• Per Euam cunctis clausa est, et per Mariam virginem iterum patefacta est (Through Eve it (the gate of heaven) was closed to all mortals, and through the Virgin Mary it was opened again). From an antiphon (chant) sung at Lauds (monastic prayer service) between Easter and Ascension. This struck me profoundly as a mirror of the more commonly known, “For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” I Cor. 15:22
   
• Langland refers to a place in Essex, England, where they had a custom of awarding a side of bacon to any couple who would swear an oath that they had not quarreled for a year! Any takers?
   
• In a section where Sloth is personified as a priest, he confesses that he can neither “solfe nor synge…” I am not surprised that the ability to sing would be considered important for a priest in the fourteenth century, as so much of the liturgy was sung, but I am surprised that solfege (the art of sight reading music via fa-so-la) was also considered a necessary skill. It makes sense as the relative complexity of liturgical music needed this level of understanding, and, after all, solfege was born in the church and western classical music evolved from the Christian liturgy. They had, as we do today, much to sing about, for there is a vast ocean of grace that God so generously offers each and all.
   
• Ac teologie hath tened me ten score tymes; 
  The more I muse theron the mystiloker hit semeth
  And the deppore I deuine the derkore me thynketh hit.
  Hit is no science sothly bote a sothfast bileue,
  Ac for it lereth men to louie Y beleue theron the bettere,
  For loue is a lykyng thing and loth for to greue.
  
  My left handed translation (with help from Pearsall):
  
  But theology has troubled me ten score times;
  The more I muse thereon, the mistier it seems
  And the deeper I divine the more obscure I think it.
  It is no science truly, but is a true belief,
  But as it teaches mortals to love, my faith is therefore the better,
  For love is a pleasing thing and loth to give pain.

Steve

Summer Scripture Challenge

Summer is a time for fun adventures, relaxing, rejuvenating, and...faith formation!? One might be skeptical of the latter given the low attendance in Sunday School and Worship services lately - ha! (Yes, we are OPEN every Sunday - join us!) During one of the most adventuresome summers of my life, I had the opportunity to hike the Appalachian Trail for 11 days through a program of Camp Glisson. And while I can't remember the name of all the trails we traversed, how many miles we hiked each day, what we cooked for dinner each evening over our camp stoves, or how to tie the special knots to create our tarp shelters, I CAN still recite (mostly) the Scripture my camp counselor helped me memorize while we hiked: 1 Corinthians 13, Philippians 4, and Isaiah 55. And I confess that this was the last time I made a concerted effort to memorize Scripture other than for seminary exams! 

So...have you heard of our Summer Scripture Challenge?

1- Each child/group of children choose a Scripture verse (or chapter!) to memorize. Practice, practice, practice! In the car. In the bath. Hiking. Swimming. Bedtime. It's quite the boredom buster.
2- Have a grown-up video the child(ren) reciting the Scripture from memory and share with Rev. Susan OR come to Sunday School and recite LIVE for me.

Prizes:
-Each child who memorizes a Scripture will receive a "Target Dollar Spot" special surprise.
-If Rev. Susan cannot memorize the same Scripture within one week of the challenge, the child/children will receive a $10 giftcard from Target.
-If we have at least 25 children participate between now and August 2, we'll have an Ice Cream Sundae party during Sunday School on Sunday, August 2.

We've had quite a few entries so far this summer and would love to have more. You may view the current challenge videos here. Feel free to let me know if you would like Scripture suggestions - it's a big, diverse Bible and I wouldn't necessarily recommend your kiddos just picking any random Scripture. ;)

Grace and Peace,

Susan

Churches Express Support for Arson Victims

In the days following the tragic shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., several fires broke out at predominantly black churches across the South. As of this date, three of those fires have been dubbed arson, and the FBI is investigating the incidents as potential hate crimes.
 
In our country’s history, many black churches have been burned. Though church burnings are less common today, they happen with more frequency than most people realize. The complicity of silence of the white church during the rash of terrorism against African American churches in the 1960s will forever remain a blight on the white church’s witness for social justice. As clergy in predominantly white United Methodist Churches we feel it is important to speak out against violence targeting our brothers and sisters in African American churches.
                                                                                               
We condemn all racist acts against predominantly black churches and name specifically the burning of churches as heinous crimes and intolerable acts of inhumanity. The black church has stood at the center of the fight for civil rights in our country, and we express gratitude for the collective ministry and witness of the black churches, especially in the South where their very existence is threatened physically and politically. We stand in solidarity with all victims of violence. We extend prayers and support to members of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and the churches victimized by arson.
 
We feel powerless and frustrated by the situation. By its nature, terrorism strikes in unpredictable ways and places. We affirm the words of Cornell Williams Brooks, President of the NAACP, who said that the events require our collective attention and cautioned that we cannot turn a blind eye to any incident. We add our voice of faith to the calls for careful investigation, wise care and caution to protect innocent lives, and faithful generosity to help restore the buildings that have been harmed.
 
We will receive offerings in our churches through the month of August, the proceeds of which will be given through the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church to be divided among the churches victimized by arson. You may give in worship by placing a donation in the offering plate designated for this fund or you may give online here.

We invite and encourage other churches to stand with black churches and join in advocating against violence, calling for thorough investigation by the law enforcement, and working toward restoration of the churches.
 
Sincerely,
 
Rev. Alice Rogers
Sr. Pastor at Glenn UMC
arogers@glenumc.org

Rev. Bill Britt
Sr. Pastor at Peachtree Road UMC
billb@prumc.org

Rev. Glenn Ethridge
Sr. Pastor at Oak Grove UMC
gethridge@ogumc.org

                                                                                                           
This statement is made jointly by these three pastors. For more information you may contact any of the pastors directly.        

Reflections from Eleuthera

Our youth and adults just returned from an amazing week in the Bahamas. One chaperone and parent, Sara Maughan, came back with some unexpected insights. She sat in my office yesterday and declared, "That's it, I'll never miss another youth trip."

Here's more on her adventure:

Yesterday morning I asked one of my boys to pack his lunch for camp. He did so without complaint. This is notable because usually he huffs or asks me to do it for him. But last week, this boy, his older brother, and myself were on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas on a mission trip with the Glenn Youth. In addition to packing your own lunch to take with you to your work site, there were other chores to do, and a grueling eight-hour work day. My boy was getting off easy with a simple request to pack his own lunch in our air-conditioned home in Decatur, and he knew it.

Isn’t that what we hope for when we send our kids on mission trips? Some of the take-aways might be that they’ll come home with a heart full of gratitude or an awareness (and appreciation) of manual labor. Feelings of awareness and gratitude I expected, but there were some things I didn't anticipate.

As a chaperone, I wasn’t prepared for the direct sun and heat on our work site. My crew prepared a playground site for new equipment near the school. Within thirty minutes last Monday morning, my clothes were soaked with sweat and my back muscles revolted from the machete work. I looked around at my Glenn youth and thought, oh my, are we going to make it? And how? So, without letting them in on it, I leaned on them for strength. If they could keep going, so could I. I watched them handle extreme work conditions in stride. Occasionally, I made them rest and sit in the shade and I joined them. I spoiled them with a Coke day one because I joyfully discovered a small store nearby. Best Coke ever!

The kids on my work site kept me going through each workday. I relied on their humor and work ethic. I made it, despite seriously doubting myself on Monday at 9:30am. Leaning on the youth to get myself through was unexpected.

In addition to leaning on them, I grew to love them even more. Again, not expected. I knew Glenn Youth rocked, I did. I’ve hung out with this crew before, even chaperoned on other events, but this was different. These kids are simply the best kids I’ve ever seen in my life. Does that sound a bit much and over the top? Oh well, it’s true. These kids are good to the core of their being. I know they’re human and just as flawed as the rest of us. Case in point, I saw some kids screw up royally last week. There were tears and a couple of emotional fits, but I still hold a high opinion of them. They rally. They pull through. They apologize and move on. To quote Blair here, “They are comfortable with themselves.” Maybe that’s it. There is maturity with this lot which adults could learn from. They are also incredibly silly.

Eleuthera taught me a lot and filled my heart. God is good and these kids restore my faith that all will be well with the world. If kids like this exist, we’re going to be ok.

Thank you for sharing your reflections with us, Sara.

Blair

Fresh Eyes

Since I was a kid, I have been told that I have my mom’s eyes. She has beautiful eyes. They are sometimes blue and sometimes green, but they are always loving and kind. Naturally, I see any comparison to my mom’s eyes as a tremendous compliment. However, the fact that I have my mom’s eyes reveals something beyond beauty: I inherited her bad vision. We both wear contact lenses.

I’m an observant guy and a people watcher by nature, so I can’t stand not being able to see. Everywhere I go, with the exception of my few hours of sleeping, my contacts are in my eyes helping me to see. The only problem is, when you wear your contacts as much as I do, they start to get blurry and dry out over time; they become less effective until you put new ones in. Sometimes my vision actually gets worse in between doctor’s visits.

Blurry vision can, however, lead to beautiful moments. About a year ago, I went to the eye doctor and received a renewed prescription and a brand new stronger set of lenses. They suddenly allowed me to see things that I had not been able to previously see with my old, blurry outdated set. On that day, you could find me staring at leaves way up on the top of trees, amazed by how clear they looked or looking at every crack in the sidewalk wondering how I had missed them all this time.

In the same way, as the new associate pastor at Glenn, I come in with a fresh set of eyes and am able to see every single detail as if I were seeing it for the first time. Yet, I have been in churches long enough to know that over time these fresh eyes will fade. Eventually, as we settle in to a church home, we no longer see things like we used to see them. Thankfully, for most of us, any small cracks or problems that we may have once seen become blurred out by our love for the church and community found there. While for others, painful memories, disagreements long since past, or wounds not yet healed, prevent us from seeing every beautiful detail of our churches.

The beautiful and scary thing about this is that every visitor comes to us with a fresh pair of contact lenses. They have brand new eyes. They can see every small flaw and every beautiful detail. Their eyes are not yet blurred by the beautiful and heartbreaking moments that we can have when we worship and serve as a part of a community for years on end.

I realize that before I know it, I will no longer be the new pastor and my fresh lenses will begin to fade. I will need to be more diligent about seeing things with fresh eyes and hope to make this practice a regular one. I invite you to join me in the practice of using fresh eyes. Who knows what we might see!

Kaylen

Words

“Sticks and Stones may hurt my bones, but words will never harm me.” I learned this rhyme as a child when my mother was trying to teach me to ignore the hurtful things others might say about me or about my family and friends. But the truth is, words do hurt; and they can cause harm to one’s spirit. 

Sometimes words are used intentionally to cause harm. We first learn this on the playground as children call one another names to express their dislike of another child. Nicknames are given that are hurtful and cause harm to children; damage that can follow one into adulthood.  We witness the harm words can cause when teenagers belittle one other for another’s clothing choice, or hairstyle, or music preference, and any number of things that might be ridiculed. We see adults craft critically harsh words for those who express different political views, theological understandings, and world views. While no bones may be broken or blood shed, harm is done, hurt is inflicted.

Sometimes words unintentionally offend. What might seem harmless to someone creates great angst for another. The offender does not mean to offend or hurt or cause harm, and may not even be aware that a particular word or phrase is hurtful. But harm is done, relationships become strained and even broken; especially, if the one offended assumes everyone has had the same life experience as themselves and refuses to extend grace to the unintentional offender. 

Over the past several weeks, as I have read the comments and posts on Facebook concerning the topics of racism, the Confederate flag, the ruling of the United States Supreme Court on marriage equality, I have witnessed the harm words can do. I have seen life-long friends “unfriend” each other and shut down any possibility of conversation and relationship. I have witnessed people demonize those who disagree with their particular belief or opinion. I have watched people walk away from those who would never intentionally cause harm.

It is important to choose our words with care, and no one should ever feel compelled to endure intentional harm. However, I believe we must strive to maintain relationships, to be in conversation with those who may not see eye to eye, and to extend God’s grace to those who mean no harm. Maybe John Wesley said it best: “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.”

May God watch over us as we seek to live in the grace and love of the Word.

Alice

Member Spotlight: Sonya Houston

What brought you to Glenn and what keeps you coming back?

My relationship with God has always been important to me. I was raised in the United Methodist church congregation my maternal grandfather helped start. On my father's side of the family one of my uncles was a Methodist minister and so is one of my first cousins. I think I am genetically predisposed to Methodism! The decision to visit Glenn was an easy one. Once I experienced Glenn, the decision to stay was even easier. Glenn members and staff have been so welcoming! Every Sunday the sermons, songs, worship and the love I feel from God through the people at Glenn keep me coming back. 

What was your first job and what lessons did it impart that you continue to carry with you?

My first job was at Asbury Hills United Methodist Camp in South Carolina. I had just graduated from high school but I had not turned 18. Alas, I was not old enough to fulfill my childhood dream of being a camp counselor. I ended up working on the camp's kitchen staff slinging hash and washing dishes that first summer hoping that if I proved myself and worked hard I would be able to return to camp after my freshman year in college as a full-fledged counselor. It worked! That experience prepared me for my first job in television because it taught me that hard work will eventually pay off! During my senior year in college I got an internship at a station in Charleston, South Carolina and that turned into a full-time job as a producer once I graduated. I learned all aspects of television production during that first year in the business-writing scripts, editing video, interviewing guests, chasing down breaking news, running teleprompter and putting together newscasts.

Sonya is a graduate of College of Charleston. Take a look at this video her alma mater produced on her and her work.
 

You work at CNN as television producer. Tell us about the rhythms of your day and the process for getting your show ready to be aired.

Working in television news is a fascinating paradox. Every day is different, yet every day is the same. World events change in the blink of an eye, but the process to get it on the air and ready in time for my show deadline is constant. My day starts super early! My phone is the first thing I grab after turning off that annoying alarm. As Senior Producer, I start making editorial decisions about our show from the moment I wake up. I go through emails sent out by our overnight editorial staff, seeing what events have developed overnight and what might be on the horizon. I also check CNN’s website, social media and other news sites to get a snapshot of what the morning looks like. By the time I walk in the door of CNN Center I have started an outline for the newscast which airs at 12pm eastern time.

One of the many things I love about my job is the fact that everyone on the show team has input into what stories we cover and what angles or interesting facts about a particular story we need to highlight for our viewers. I love the collaborative aspect of what we do. Some members of my team are based in Atlanta and others, including our anchor Ashleigh Banfield, are based in New York. We all get together for a video conference early in the morning to discuss the stories we want to cover, the show segments and the guests we are booking for the show. Throughout the morning the show rundown changes as new stories break and new angles emerge. Our team of desk producers, reporters, producers, associate producers and writers work on aspects of the show right up until the very moment the story airs on CNN. At noon it is show time and the hour that we’ve worked all day for finally gets on the air! You might have a live report from the White House, London, Dubai, Hong Kong—really anywhere the news is happening. Once the show is over at 1pm, we’re already working on the next day-looking for interesting guests to book and more stories to cover. The job doesn’t end once I leave the building. I keep “tuned in” to events throughout the evening. And before you know it, that alarm goes off and it’s time to rise and shine again!
 

You hold awards from CNN. Describe those awards and what work you did to receive them.

I hold an Emmy Award, four Peabody Awards and a duPont Columbia Award for CNN’s coverage of the following stories: Hurricane Katrina, South Asia Tsunami, 2008 Presidential Primary, Gulf Oil Spill and international breaking news.
 

What is your favorite TV show?

Obviously, I’m particularly partial to “Legal View With Ashleigh Banfield” airing at 12pm eastern time on CNN! But for purely escapist fun “Walking Dead” is must-see TV for me. The story lines and characters are compelling. I also love seeing Atlanta locations on the show!

Many thanks to Sonya for sharing parts of her story with us and for the ways her story weaves into the fabric of Glenn.

Understanding the Secret Symbols around Glenn

It sounds like something straight out of a Dan Brown thriller – obscure Christian symbols that convey hidden meanings and messages.

Just like Brown’s protagonist, Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdon, it’s possible for us to crack the code of Christian cryptograms and symbols to learn the deeper message.

In May 2015, Dr. Anthony A. Briggman, Assistant Professor of the History of Early Christianity at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, spoke to Glenn’s New Class Sunday School on the topic of “Images of Christ in the Early Church.”

Many of us are familiar with the Christian fish symbol, used in ancient times to quietly indicate the presence of a Christian community without bringing on persecution by the Romans. Dr. Briggman explained to the class that an anchor was also an early secret symbol of Christianity, among many others. He explained that symbols are found on everything from unassuming marks on the ground in ancient Ephesus to impressive pieces of artwork displayed on historical church walls.

I asked Dr. Briggman if he could explain some of the symbols at Glenn – the ones we see every Sunday in the choir behind the ministers – the gold cross with six symbolic squares.

“Symbols by definition are meant to express something hidden or abstract,” Dr. Briggman said. “These symbols speak to the person of Christ and the sacramental rites central to the communion of faith.”

Here’s Dr. Briggman’s explanation of the Glenn cross and six square symbols surrounding it, moving from top to bottom:

The central symbol is a cross with a red sign toward the top. The glory and majesty of this golden cross is itself meant to form a telling contrast with the original, rough-hewn cross. We are meant to think of Jesus in the same way: as glorified not suffering. The letters on the red sign (INRI) constitute an acronym formed by taking the first letter of the Latin words on the original sign (Jn 19:19-20): Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum = Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (the Latin alphabet uses an I instead of J).

With regard to the square symbols. The top tier represents the central sacraments of the Christian faith, the two initiated by Christ himself: the Eucharist and Baptism.

The symbol on the top left is the most easily discernible of all: the Eucharistic wafer being dipped into the cup. The letters placed on the bread (INRI) make a strong theological statement: this is the body of Christ broken for you on the cross (where the letters also occur). By taking the Eucharistic bread and cup we participate in – somehow commune with – the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor 10:16-17).

The symbol on the top right is the traditional symbol of baptism: the scallop shell. The symbol likely has its origin in the use of a seashell to pour water over the head of the baptizand. In this case the symbol includes a further layer of meaning: three drops of water – meant to remind us that we baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The remaining four symbols have to do with Jesus.

The symbols in the middle tier combine to represent his name and title. The symbol on the middle left provides the capital letters of the first three letters of the Greek word for ‘Jesus’: I-H-S (iota – eta – sigma; sometimes the sigma is represented by a C instead of an S). The symbol on the middle right provides the capital letters of the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ: X-P (chi – rho). So the person familiar with these acronyms will read the middle tier: ‘Jesus Christ’.

We are left with two symbols on the bottom tier.

The symbol on the bottom left is formed by an ornate Alpha = Α (top left) and Omega = Ω (bottom right), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  A reference to Rev 1:8 in which the Lord declares himself to be the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. There is a further layer of symbolism here. Layered on top of the Alpha is a cross, and layered on top of the Omega is an anchor, an ancient cryptogram used to represent the cross of Christ (if you ignore the flukes at the bottom, the stock and shank form a cross).

The symbol on the bottom right is a version of the five-fold cross. It has no consistent meaning, being variously interpreted as representing the five wounds of Christ (one for each hand, one for each foot, and one for his side), Christ and the four evangelists, or Christ and the four corners of the world. 

“Symbols can be rich lenses into your theological tradition or just so much scenery – it all depends on whether you know what they stand for,” Dr. Briggman said.

We may not be the hero in a Dan Brown thriller, but understanding the hidden meanings of the symbols around us can make the message we’re hearing that much more thrilling.

Dena Mellick
The Glenn Communications Committee

Special thanks to Candler’s Dr. Anthony Briggman for sharing his expertise.

A Glimpse into Vacation Bible School

This year's G-Force Vacation Bible School is off to a strong and fun start. The week is framed around Acts 17:28a - "In God we live, move, and exist." Kids and volunteers are learning what it means to move, act, care, follow, and share their faith. One tangible way they are doing this is by collecting a Mission Offering to support Imagine No Malaria. The amount raised so far is $1,132 with a weekly goal of $3,500. Want to help them reach their goal? You may give to the VBS Missions Offering here.

But the VBS fun doesn't stop on Friday...join us this Sunday for a VBS Celebration at 9:45 a.m. in Ward Fellowship Hall, kids parading and singing VBS songs in Worship at 11:00 a.m., and a cookout lunch at 12noon! Bring a side/dessert (nut-free) to share.

Here's a glimpse into their week:

Thank you to all of our generous and hard-working volunteers for making this week possible!

Susan, Erin & Aaron, and Jessica
VBS Chairs

Preparing for God

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. For God will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.” Psalm 85:8

It is often my habit when Wes is directing the Women’s Chorus to attend Sunday school. Two or three years back, I visited The New Class. Kempton Haynes, long-time member, United Methodist Minister, pastoral counselor and therapist, was in charge. There was a fine lesson, and as it concluded at 10:40 a.m., Kempton promptly stood up and dismissed the class and invited everyone to move on to our 11:00 a.m. service in the sanctuary. As I had wanted to make my exit for the same reason, and worried how I would do so without appearing rude, this delighted me. Actually, I was shocked, happily so, that Kempton and this class showed so much commitment to the worship of God.

From that morning on I looked for Kempton in the sanctuary on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. He was always there or shortly thereafter, moving into a center pew and sitting quietly in the character of prayer until 11:00 a.m. Why? I asked him to write his reasons, and with his permission, I copy them below.      

It is important for me on a Sunday morning to make a transition from the interaction of the Sunday School hour, as delightful as that may be, to a still space in which I can, not focus, but “unfocus.”  This allows me to let the prelude take me where it will…  Kempton Haynes, March 13, 2014.

There are others in the sanctuary as well, taking similar advantage of this time before the Call to Worship. This is the ideal time to pray. There, on the day our forebears and we designated, in the holy sanctuary our ancestors fashioned for this purpose, in the company of our Christian sisters and brothers and the angels, we come to encounter God. It doesn’t matter that during this time our prayers are not coordinated temporally or cognitively with others. The confluence of place, the spiritual and corporal presence of fellow worshipers, and God magnifies our prayers exponentially. Possibly even more important than offering formal, private prayers is simply to sit in silence, apprehending the moving voluntaries and the awing holiness of our sanctuary. And, as Kempton said, to “unfocus.” With heart and soul open, in the beauty of holiness, we may release and engage our souls with God. Though silent, this is nevertheless profoundly social and communal, for it effects a holy, spiritual propinquity among our sisters and brothers and the Holy Spirit. This is the only such opportunity we have each week; it is priceless, to be valued above all things, for everything depends on our relationship with God. 

While we may not be able to rationally articulate what we have learned, for, as in Paul, this inspires “sighs too deep for words,” this unfocused time with God prepares us to “hear what God the Lord will speak” in the ensuing service. God will respond and bless and strengthen us to proceed in His will and grace as we move from worship into the world. 

Steve

On Trying to Walk on Water

I'm writing this blog post after several unsuccessful attempts to make good on a foolish boast to my son Luke that, if you hit the ocean with enough speed, you can run a couple steps on top of the water before sinking to the bottom. Intuitively we both knew it could not be done. But that did not stop a small seed of hope from being planted every time I sprinted down the sand toward the breaking waves. Maybe, just maybe, the next time it would work.

The obstacles to walking on water arise well before our feet ever get wet, however. The likelihood of failure...or even just the slightest possibility of it...usually is enough to keep us planted firmly on solid, familiar ground. And to make water-walking even more of a challenge, it's often the case that should we decide to try it, others will gather around to see whether or not we can.

In my experience as a pastor, inviting someone to open up and share their faith--not to share an explanation of the faith, but to share their own experience of it--is, for many, like asking them to try walking on top of Lake Lanier. There is hesitation, nervous laughter (oh, I don't normally do that), and a great fear of looking dumb. Vulnerability is not a popular practice in our culture or in our churches.

But two Sundays ago I saw a group of Glenn members come together and do the unpopular work of being vulnerable about their personal faith and their beliefs about how the church should respond to a sensitive matter. One by one, men and women, young and old, stood in front of their longtime friends, their peers, total strangers--all brothers and sisters in Christ--and said out loud, "Here is my heart. This is what I feel." It was difficult. It was emotional. And it was beautiful.

Brene Brown, a researcher of shame and vulnerability in Houston, says, "Our capacity for wholeness is only ever as great as our capacity to risk brokenness." I don't think anyone would argue that they wholly walked on water that afternoon. But neither did anybody completely breakdown and sink. Instead we discovered through grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, that we can risk being vulnerable, we can struggle as one body made up of many parts, and together we can stay afloat. That movement of God's love is what has forever bound male and female, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, and it is what binds us all still, no matter what differences try to set us apart.

Josh

Growth at The Glenn School

Today was the last day of The Glenn School for my 11 month-old, Geoffrey. It was bittersweet, his first of “graduations.”  Nancy Asbury, often dubbed the “baby whisperer” handed him to me as we chatted about his day. I thanked her for the precious pictures she and all of Geoffrey’s teachers had taken over the months and put together in a photo book for us. As I held him, he leaned back toward Nancy and outstretched his arms for her to take him back. She did. 

Geoffrey entered The Glenn School this past January. As a first time parent, I was of course nervous about the transition to a new care situation. Yet, everyday, as I dropped him off, I saw how much he loved school and how much he was growing and developing. Geoffrey was the youngest baby in the “baby room” and for most of this semester he was pretty stationary while the others had mastered crawling and walking. He was somewhat of a commodity with the other children. His friends would bring him toys, and yell, “Geoffrey!” as he entered the room. One special day, he was even greeted with several hugs from his older friends. 

The vision and goal of The Glenn School is to meet children where they are developmentally and to provide excellent play-based care; they seek to nurture the child and family, empowering a confident, responsible and caring learner. This has absolutely been our experience at The Glenn School. 

I am the Minister of Youth and Hospitality at Glenn and I am also a proud Glenn School parent. I am thrilled that The Glenn School is a thriving ministry of Glenn Memorial UMC and I look forward to watching my child continue to explore, grow, learn, and love with the most excellent teachers and staff around.

A special thank you to the baby room teachers Nancy, Laura, Barb, and Dana and Director Cherry, and staff Sherrie, Latise, and Beth for your most excellent guidance and care! For more information on The Glenn School, please visit their website or feel free to email me!

Blair