Love God and Love Neighbor

To my beloved community of faith, Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church,

When I arrived at Glenn in June of 2013, I found a community of faith dedicated to following the Great Commandment as taught by Jesus: to love God and love neighbor. This commitment was not just a slogan; it was not just a tag line to the church logo. I found in the people of this church a genuine desire to follow Jesus whom Scripture reveals shared the love of God with lepers, women, children, the lame, the poor, the rich, the empty, the full, the despised, the outcast, the Pharisee, the Samaritan, sinners, the righteous . . . the whole world.

This commitment to love God and neighbor has been evident in both word and deed. I have witnessed this church craft a statement and take an intentional stand for inclusivity of all who want to worship God; I have witnessed deep commitment to the care and protection of children in a world that seeks to ignore, exploit and abuse them; I have seen members stand up and stand in the rain to express deep belief in the sixth commandment; I have witnessed members wrapping their hearts and their arms around those grieving deep loss. This list of evidence could go on and on of the ways this community of faith has expressed its love of God and neighbor in a world that desperately needs to know and receive that love.

Regardless of how anyone voted yesterday, we woke up this morning in a world that still desperately needs to know and receive the love of God. There are those who will continue to be pushed to the margins; there are those who will continue to be singled out for their difference; there are those who will continue to face deep discrimination because of their skin color, their disability, their sexual orientation; there are those who will continue to need food, clothing, water, medical care; there are those who will still need words of hope and encouragement; there are those who will still need to know that they are not alone in this world; there are those who will still need the witness of God’s love.

I know that we will continue to be a community of faith loving God and loving neighbor. We need the church and the church needs us to do what we have been called to do—intentionally follow Jesus whom Scripture reveals shared the love of God with lepers, women, children, the lame, the poor, the rich, the empty, the full, the despised, the outcast, the Pharisee, the Samaritan, sinners, the righteous . . . the whole world.

Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven.” Matthew 5: 14-16

How grateful I am to know that today and tomorrow and the day after, I serve with a community of faith who has such deep commitments.

Peace and grace,  

Alice

A Conversion and an Unexpected Vocation

If there is such a thing as a theology of surprise, the life of Sara Miles is a perfect illustration.

In her book "Take this Bread," Miles writes of her conversion to Christianity. It is not a slow awakening, or a gradual giving in. Her conversion sneaks up on her. She simply wanders into a beautiful building on a reporter's curiosity, takes part in what is happening inside, namely communion, and is transformed. She writes that "Jesus happened to me."

In preparation for her visit to Glenn on November 3, take a moment to read this short excerpt from her book. It details her conversion moment and sets the stage for what she feels compelled to do vocationally after having this experience...much of which she will speak about during her time with us.

      The rotunda was flooded with slanted morning light. A table in the center of the open, empty space was ringed high above by a huge neo-Byzantine mural of unlikely saint figures with gold halos, dancing; outside, in the back, water trickled from a huge slab of rock set against the hillside. Past the rotunda, and a forest of standing silver crosses, there was a spare, spacious area with chairs instead of pews, where about twenty people were sitting.
      I walked in, took a chair, and tried not to catch anyone’s eye. There were windows looking out on a hillside covered in geraniums, and I could hear birds squabbling outside. Then a man and a woman in long tie-dye robes stood and began chanting in harmony. There was no organ, no choir, no pulpit; just the unadorned voices of the people, and long silences framed by the ringing of deep Tibetan bowls. I sang, too. It crossed my mind that this was ridiculous.
      We sat down and stood up, sang and sat down, waited and listened and stood up and sang, and it was all pretty peaceful and sort of interesting. “Jesus invites everyone to his table,” the woman announced, and we started moving up in a stately dance to the table in the rotunda. It had some dishes on it, and a pottery goblet.
      And then we gathered around that table. And there was more singing and standing, and someone was putting a piece of fresh, crumbly bread in my hands, saying “the body of Christ,” and handing me the goblet of sweet wine, saying “the blood of Christ,” and then something outrageous and terrifying happened. Jesus happened to me.
      I still can’t explain my first communion. It made no sense. I was in tears and physically unbalanced: I felt as if I had just stepped off a curb or been knocked over, painlessly, from behind. The disconnect between what I thought was happening – I was eating a piece of bread; what I heard someone else say was happening – the piece of bread was the “body” of “Christ,” a patently untrue or at best metaphorical statement; and what I knew was happening – God, named “Christ” or “Jesus,” was real, and in my mouth – utterly short-circuited my ability to do anything but cry.
      All the way home, shocked, I scrambled for explanations. Maybe I was hypersuggestible, and being surrounded by believers had been enough to push me, momentarily, into accepting their superstitions: What I’d felt was a sort of contact high. Possibly my tears were just pent-up sadness, accumulated over a long, hard decade, and spilling out, unsurprisingly, because I was in a place where I could cry anonymously. Really, the whole thing, in fact, must have been about emotion: the music, the movement, and the light in the room had evoked feelings, much as if I’d been uplifted by a particularly glorious concert or seen a natural wonder.
      Yet that impossible word, Jesus, lodged in me like a crumb. I said it over and over to myself, as if repetition would help me understand. I had no idea what it meant; I didn’t know what to do with it. But it was realer than any thought of mine, or even any subjective emotion: It was real as the acute taste of the bread and the wine. And the word was indisputably in my body now, as if I’d swallowed a radioactive pellet that would outlive my own flesh.
      I couldn’t reconcile the experience with anything I knew or had been told. But neither could I go away; for some inexplicable reason, I wanted that bread again. I wanted it all the next day after my first communion, and the next week, and the next. It was a sensation as urgent as physical hunger, pulling me back to the table at St. Gregory’s through my fear and confusion.

A Pumpkin is More than a Pumpkin

Glenn Youth helping to unload the pumpkins and beautify the patch.

The tradition of the Glenn Pumpkin Patch brings so much more than the seasonally festive orange vegetables to the front yard of the Youth & Activities Building (and hopefully to your home!). The thousands of dollars worth of proceeds support youth mission trips - locally and abroad - where our teenagers engage in service and learning together. These youth ministry traditions help our teens experience life outside our little corner of the world - where differences in culture, socioeconomic status, and more help Glenn youth grow in their relationships with one another, in their faith development, and in their Christian understanding of God's creation and care for all peoples. But that's all AFTER the last pumpkin is sold, the sticker-covered-money-box is emptied, and the tent and lights come down in November. 

In the meantime, we have pumpkins to sell! We have visitors to the pumpkin patch to meet and share about the Glenn community - our wonderful church, the amazing Glenn School for Young Children, our fabulous Glenn After School Program, and all of the missions and ministries that make us the Glenn family. Folks who pull into the YAAB beckoned by the sea of orange, thinking they will be leaving only with a gourd or two, but instead leave with a story about what Glenn means to the volunteer taking their cash/check/card. 

Cynthia Shepherd with baby Bess in 2015 & 2016.

There are photo sessions to be had - where individuals, couples, and families return year after year -  noting how the size of children grows in comparison from the smallest pumpkins to the largest. Parents sign up for a shift with their child along to help - from toddlers learning to pull up on the pumpkin stems to stand for the first time to high schoolers sitting under the tent working on calculus homework on the cash box calculator! Parent/child quality time together in the pumpkin patch where we are able to enjoy beautiful Fall weather in the "great outdoors" (even on the side of North Decatur Road!). First-time and longtime volunteers who return year after year each meet customers from the community and the church family whom they would have never otherwise met. Mysteriously, community life happens in the pumpkin patch so much more than on Facebook or e-mail!

Every hour volunteered in the patch...every dollar spent...a pumpkin is more than a pumpkin. One might just say that as we explore our Wesleyan/Methodist heritage of prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace during this stewardship season here at Glenn Church, perhaps a pumpkin is itself a gift of grace.

Susan & Blair

Come on over and buy your pumpkins, cornstalks & gourds!
Mon-Fri: 12-2pm and 4-8pm
Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 12-8pm

Sign up for a shift in the patch here.
 

In "The Gathering" Relaunch, a Chance to Refocus

What do we want it to be? 

This was the question we posed to one another at the very first meeting of The Gathering’s core leadership team. We had been tasked with re-launching Glenn’s Sunday afternoon alternative worship service and now we needed to figure out what it would become. What were the core values that would drive the vision and mission of this particular worship experience? As we talked and dreamed together, a few things kept coming up that would drive our planning: The Gathering would be a worship service that would focus on excellence with authenticity, relevance with timelessness, and community with vulnerability.

Rev. Brent Huckaby leading a planning session on hospitality. Photo credit: Kara Johnson.

If our worship is an offering to God, to each other, and to the larger community, then it needs to be done with excellence. The band should practice and be prepared, the worship space should be warm and inviting (if you haven’t seen what our environment team has done with the Fellowship Hall, make sure to come check it out!), and the hospitality team should work to make sure everyone feels welcomed when they arrive, loved while they are here, and cared for after they leave. We also began working on upgrades to the sound system that would make the service sound as good as possible.

But we want to be careful. In seeking for excellence we are not seeking to be “slick” and certainly not “perfect.” That’s why we desire to be authentic. The Gathering should represent Glenn and the people who worship together. So our band will rehearse but be made up of volunteers who give of their time and talents to serve. Those who are a part of our community will write the liturgy and prayers in-house. We’ll try things that seem really right but go very wrong, and then we’ll laugh about it and try something else the next time. We’ll always offer our best, and that might not be “the best,” but it will be real and it will be fun and it will be us. 

Worship should also be relevant to a person’s life. It should speak to them, through all aspects of the service, in a way that is understandable and relate-able. The message at each service should be “good news” for each person exactly where they are and apply to their daily lives. But sometimes a focus on relevance can lose sight of the fact that we are not the first people to worship together. The Gathering will stay connected to the traditions of those who have gone before. The liturgy will be tied to the church universal and presented in ways that are not threatening or confusing. The music will be progressive, eclectic, and modern while also representing the hymns and songs of our tradition (view the video clip below for a worship preview). The timeless message of Christ is one of radical grace, love, and acceptance that speaks to everyone. We’ll seek to bring that timeless message in the most understandable way.

We also believe that church should be a place of true community. We want people to come to church not just because the music is great or the preaching speaks to them, but because church is where their people are, where their life is. The church community should feel like family…like home. Your church family should be a place where you are cared for, and they should be the first people you call when you experience tragedy as well as when you have cause to celebrate. Walking into worship should feel like walking into the house of a close friend, comfortable and safe. And community happens only in spaces where we’re willing to work towards being open and honest about who we are and where we’ve come from. Where we’re willing to talk about our struggles, pains, joys, and concerns.

The Gathering will not be a perfect community. And that’s for the best. It’s only when we realize that we’re not perfect, that we are, in fact, powerless over most things in our lives and we’re all in the same boat, that we fully understand Paul’s statement that “it is when I am weak that I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9). And that’s why we’ll come to the communion table each week. Because we all know that what we really need is to be loved, to fall into the arms of a God who is only beauty, mercy, and total embrace. We’ll come exactly as we are, knowing that God will meet us, no matter where we are on the journey. When we are vulnerable and open and honest about life, then we let go of all pretenses and are truly in community together. 

Rev. Dave Speno and Charla Howard serving communion. Photo credit: Kara Johnson

This Sunday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m., we’ll gather in the Ward Fellowship Hall to worship together. We’ll begin this journey and see what happens. We’ll have a lot of fun as we seek to find what kind of community The Gathering will become. I hope you’ll join us and become a part of what God is doing through The Gathering. All are welcome.

The Gathering will worship monthly for the rest of 2016 (October 16, November 6, December 11) at 5:00 p.m. in the Ward Fellowship Hall. Weekly worship will begin in January 2017.

Brent

From the Archives: More from 1955 & 1956

We are diving into the archives again. And are once more reminded how cyclical time is. Even the first article about Glenn Youth growing and needing more space will resonate in 2016 - our Youth and Activities Building will soon see construction and renovation!

Enjoy these snippets from copies of The Spire, Glenn's original newsletter.
 

"Seniors Expanding Work, Need More Facilities"
The Senior Department of the Youth Division composed of three classes and having an enrollment of 103 members is currently engaged in a campaign to bring more young people into active participation in the group. A Sunday in January is the date set for a department-wide visitation program which will have as its objective the renewed attendance of members and former members whose recent attendance has been somewhat irregular. In Christian faith the senior department has been very active. It has sent representatives to the National Conference, organized and conducted prayer cells, been on retreats, and attended rallies. Nor has Fellowship been neglected. The members of the department have engaged in camping, swimming parties, wiener roasts, and frequent "chat and snack" sessions following the Sunday evening service. At Sunday School the Junior class, taught by Mr. James Mackay and Mr. Ed Vinson, is now embarked on a series of panel discussions on such topics as "Following the Crowd", "Drinking", "Language", "Cheating", and "Gossip".

"Young Couples Showing Interest in New Christian Homes Class"
Convincing proof that the continued growth of Glenn's Church School is limited only by available building accommodations is offered by the newly-established
"Christian Homes" class of young couples. Organized about three months ago to provide a great opportunity of Christian fellowship and study for parents of young children, the new class has become so popular that it has almost outgrown Room 141. Sparked by enthusiastic leadership of Roscoe Harris, Don Wynne and Betty Asbury, the group listed twenty-four members at a recent count. Class meetings have been marked by lively discussions which quickly reduce abstract issues to practical family problems and thoughtful analyses. A sincere invitation is extended to all couples who are young of mind to help the new class produce significant contribution to Glenn's program of vital Christian family life.

"Financial Pledge to Your Glenn Investment of Great Proportions"
 Your Pledge to support the financial program of your Glenn Memorial Methodist Church for the fiscal year 1956-1957 is an investment of great proportions. It will pay dividends, now and in the future, in the Advancement of the Kingdom locally, nationally, and across the seas. It is the belief of your Commission on Finance that the new budget of $114,500 will be subscribed by the membership because a good Christian does all that he can for others. Glenn is known as a Church that does for others. What you give is a matter for you, and you alone, to decide. The Methodist Church has set a general goal of a tenth of one's income for the Advancement of God's Kingdom on earth. Give this matter your earnest, prayerful consideration in advance of Loyalty Sunday and on Victory Sunday, you will glow with an inner satisfaction that knows no bounds.

"A Salute to a Valiant Member - Mrs. Benjamin H. Smith"
During a recent conference at Lake Junaluska, a member of Glenn Memorial was speaking to Mrs. Smith. "You mean Glenn Memorial to me," she said quietly and sincerely. And to many people Mrs. Smith does represent all that is best and most Christian at Glenn. Mrs. Smith became a member in 1935 and has been an active one in the finest since of the word ever since. The Woman's Society of Christian Service owes much of its strength and its high standing in the conference to her leadership, first as its president and later as treasurer and now as secretary of Literature and Publications. Pearl, as her friends call her, has the rare gift of presenting every opportunity of service as a special privilege. When she asks someone to do a service for the Church, she is not asking a personal favor but offering an opportunity on a much higher level. In this ability to make an individual who declines some task in the church feel that she is disappointing not Mrs. Smith personally but herself and the Christian church lies much of her strength.

Once again, our deepest gratitude to the late Bob Gerwig for gifting us his copies of The Spire, ensuring that Glenn remembers and continues to tell its story.

The Communications Team

On Pitching Fits and Forgiveness

I suppose one of these days I'll need to stop sharing stories about the preacher's kid living in my house. As a "PK" myself, I do remember eventually being embarrassed by stories about me from the pulpit and my dad did start asking my permission. But in the meantime... 

For anyone enjoying a nice, peaceful lunch in Emory Village following worship on a recent Sunday afternoon, I'd like to apologize to the interruption to your lunch. A certain toddler had her little heart and tummy set on dining at Rise n' Dine, where she has learned to love the savory stacks of sweet potato pancakes. Despite our best efforts to warn her that the wait for a table might be too long for this hot, hungry preacher's family after a full morning at church, and despite letting her know that our next and equally-as-delicious option would be to enjoy lunch at Lucky's Burgers and Brew right next door, when the reality of this "Plan B" hit her, one would have thought the world was coming to an end. The screams for Rise n' Dine while INSIDE of Lucky's were a bit much for all to bear, despite the gracious wait staff. With little hope for a timely recovery for this epic toddler tantrum, we soon became the family walking back up North Decatur Road with a wailing, flailing child. We won't discuss here the scene that unfolded of actually getting her safely buckled into her car seat for the ride home where ham sandwiches awaited us for a much overdue lunch.   

Thankfully, after a nap and some post-fury processing, the rest of day was much less dramatic. And then, out of the blue, our pint-sized food critic announced that she needed to write a note to Lucky's. She dictated the following:

Dear Lucky's,
I pitched a fit. Sorry. Thank you for my lemonade. Next time I'll be sweet. I love you.

As I used every ounce of self-control to contain my snickering as she decorated her heartfelt apology note, I couldn't help but think that this must be how God must feel about me sometimes. Now I hope that the good Lord isn't always snickering, but it does seem that when I "pitch a fit," in retrospect, it's usually an overreaction. And really, I wish I had the humility to so matter of factly apologize instead of usual verbose excuses and justifications. And how often could my apologies to others that I have harmed or hurt be enhanced by some heartfelt appreciation for their efforts and hopes to do better next time, too? 

It's all too easy to get caught up in our own desires, especially when we are literally or figuratively hot, tired, and hungry. I hope and pray for each of us that even when we find ourselves needing to apologize, we will know with assurance of the unconditional love and grace of our Heavenly Parent. And I hear the folks at Lucky's are pretty gracious, too.

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5

Susan

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Glenn is lucky to be in partnership with many Emory Village restaurants, including Lucky's! On Saturday, October 15 after our 2-5pm pumpkin unloading, we'll have a Spirit Night in the Village for dinner at both Lucky's and Saba. 10% of proceeds will go back to Glenn. Join us!

Ministry Spotlight: Snack in a Backpack

He bought a minivan.  

The Friday morning pickup from the Atlanta Community Food Bank was getting too heavy for his old one. The boxes of granola bars, cans of sweet potatoes, and cartons of milk had outgrown it.

Specifically for Snack in a Backpack’s food runs, Miles Smith bought a teal Honda Odyssey. It is parked between the Sanctuary and Church School Building each Friday afternoon. Making runs to and from the van, down the amphitheater ramp and back up again, is Miles in his unmistakable yellow t-shirt. His pair of thick gloves and sturdy sneakers help him unload the weekly haul with ease.

The van has just come from West Atlanta, a route so familiar and a morning so routine. He knows the staff member at the check-in desk by name and can guess what food he might be able to snag, including its probable price and quantity. He knows which loading bay to park the van in and how the boxes should be stacked to ensure it all fits. He knows where to put the empty pallets once he’s done loading and can guess if he came in over or under budget.

Miles checking in at ACFB.

Making a plan for loading. It's a Tetris-like art form.

All packed!

When the food arrives at Glenn, it is stored in a room behind the Ward Hall stage. A room whose organization and design now reflect Miles’ handiwork. A couple weeks ago, he spent days in that room. Miles reimagined the placement of shelves and installed new ones so that more food could be stored. He’ll take you on a tour of the storage room, too, and with pride. Walking through the aisles as if you were in a grocery store, he’ll point out how Snack in a Backpack tries to stock healthy options for the kids rather than just sugary snacks. He apologizes for a flat of canned peaches…they are packed in syrup.

Miles will tell you that this is his way of giving back. His contribution. Ask him to be a lay reader and he’ll tell you no. Ask him to serve on a committee and he’ll tell you no again. Not his set of gifts, he’ll say. What he can do, though, is take trips to the food bank and ensure that there is enough food to be packed in plastic bags on Thursday nights.

Miles is far from the only one who volunteers time and energy on behalf of this ministry. Most of the fresh fruit packed into the meals comes from Your DeKalb Farmers Market, faithfully purchased by Fleming James and Marion Dearing. Maintaining connections and communication with the schools and volunteers is handled by Deborah Marlowe and Jane Thorpe with patience and persistence. The Ward Hall has to be readied for packing with tables set up, bags set out, and plastic bins ready to fill, overseen by regular volunteers like Kathy Arvidson. And then the bags of food have to be dropped off at each school - Fentress Waits handles delivery at one, Georgia Messenger Service donates delivery to the largest school - and into the hands of those this ministry exists to serve.

Fleming James with his fresh fruit delivery.

Just a sampling of what kinds of food are packed.

Deborah Marlowe (left) overseeing a Thursday night packing this summer.

Since the spring of 2011, Snack in a Backpack has gone from serving one school to, this fall, serving five with the hope of adding a sixth. This growth from a handful of children to close to 250 has meant that dedicated volunteers are a gift. The success of this ministry, like all others at Glenn, relies on many hands and many coordinated tasks. The mission of Snack in a Backpack is simple and straightforward in concept: feed children. But week in and week out, it is a repeating cycle of collaboration and commitment and a hefty dose of care.

As the program grows and more children (and sometimes their families by extension) are fed, consider taking on a part in the process. You will not be asked to purchase a new vehicle. But you will be asked to come with a spirit open to being surprised at the ways you are able to give back. And as you work to feed children in this community, who knows, your soul might be fed as well.

If you'd like to begin serving with Snack in a Backpack, there are many roles to fill: food pick-up during the week, Thursday set-up and packing, and Friday drop-offs. Contact Deborah Marlowe to learn more.

Who Is Our Neighbor?

Do you remember your childhood neighbor? The one who helped you up from the concrete after you fell off your bike? What about your next door neighbor? The one you helped in a moment of crisis: “The cupcakes for John’s school party call for two eggs! Can you spare me one from your fridge?” Or what about your down-the-street neighbor? The one whose lawn more closely resembles a forest? Or, conversely, the neighbor whose green thumb makes yours look purple?

The concept of neighbor seems so basic. Who is in your general proximity? Who are you sharing a season of life with? But when paired with Christian teachings of hospitality and sacrifice, being a neighbor becomes more nuanced. Just as Glenn Church is not defined by our building, our neighbors are not defined by our address. As people seeking to live a life of genuine faith, being a neighbor means embodying a spirit of neighborliness - choosing to provide friendship, care, and support to anyone, anywhere. As we learn to recognize a neighbor in everyone, our neighbors become less defined by street names and sidewalks and more by the posture of generosity we extend to all.

As a church body whose central vision for our life together is “Loving God, Loving Neighbor”, our identity as a community is shaped by how well we love our neighbors. And as Jesus reminds us in the Gospel according to Mark, that is a lot of love: “You shall love your neighbors as yourself.” The love we extend to others should mirror the love we have for ourselves. And God is honored in those acts of love.

Glenn has found countless ways to love our neighbors: packing lunches for school kids in need of a weekend meal, offering space for an AA group to gather, serving communion to homebound members of our congregation. We live into our vision well, and often. So why do we set aside a whole day each year to engage in acts of service and call it Good Neighbor Day?

It is a day devoted to remembering and claiming our collective identity. To claim our value of service to others over service to self. To claim our hopes of getting to know our neighbors all over Atlanta and forming meaningful relationships. To claim that each person bears the image of God and that alone is enough to be called neighbor.

Join us this Saturday, September 10, to serve alongside the neighbors you already know and commit to meeting some new ones along the way. Be reminded of our identity as those in service to God and God’s image in each created being.

View the list of projects here and see below for a video of all the fun Glenn had last year on this great day of service.

Geothermals and Worship

Among the most famous wonders of Yellowstone National Park are its geysers. On a visit some years back, I witnessed Old Faithful and saw many areas where hot water and steam were pouring from the earth. Hot tubs and steam rooms are staples of my physical/spiritual regimen at the YMCA, but they do not compare to these striking natural phenomena. Some historic native Americans believed they were the result of combat between infernal spirits. Certainly they appear singularly spiritual.

I once read an article in the Times on the Delphic Oracle. A geologist had visited there and observed that it appeared to lie atop a geological fault. He investigated and found that this fault permitted the escape of subterranean gasses that affected human consciousness. Thus, he reasoned, ancient people had found this place afforded unique spiritual insight and, over time, it became an important oracle. That there may be a physical explanation for this evolution does not lessen the verity of the tradition or the value of prophecies there gained – for God does speak through the physical world.

We Western Christians do not consult oracles, but we do worship in holy places like Glenn. We do not have steam, gasses, or water erupting from the earth, but we do have preachers, readers and singers venting God’s truth. 

As I understand the history, consulting the oracle was not a walk in the park. At Delphi, you had to walk up many steps to get there, an exhausting ordeal. This was intentionally a part of the religious observance. This, I believe, was partly a virtue of physical discipline – allowing the body to participate with the mind and soul, and in part a virtue of sacrifice: worship requires sacrifice. Similarly, for singers, prophecy requires the physical discipline of keeping voices and bodies fit to sing well, the physical rigor of rehearsal where the music is mastered, and for clergy, the discipline of liturgical preparation and preaching, and for leaders and congregants, the sacrifice of time, concentration, and devotion.

As the movement of rock and gasses deep in the earth, through complex, powerful alchemy results in geothermal emissions, so the ancient art of worship working through time and spiritual forces arises through our preaching, praying and singing in worship. Worship is older than humanity and its evolution through the advent of Christianity to our day brings a theological potency beyond mortal ken. We can but strive to receive these with a discipline and care that honors the ancient and challenge-worn journey of God’s truth, so that we, with the fidelity of Old Faithful, may proclaim, receive, and live the Gospel, for ourselves and the world.

Steven Darsey

The Sacred Space in Room 200

Early in the morning, the stairwell down to Room 200 is quiet. Four days a week I descend those stairs, as I have for 24 years, taking in the peaceful moments leading up to the energetic and noisy hours to come. If I’m the first to arrive, I unlock the door, flip on the lights, open cabinets and start setting up for the very youngest of Glenn School’s students, aptly named Caterpillars and Butterflies. If my co-teachers, Dana and Laura have arrived before me, things are already underway and we chat in that comfortable and easy way of friends who have worked together for years and look forward to what the day brings. For me, this time with Dana and Laura is the first blessing of the morning.

The children arrive at 9:00. To a less practiced eye, our mornings spent with as many as nine small friends, age one year or younger, might appear to be “just babysitting” – an ordinary gathering in an ordinary space. We are, in fact, totally immersed in our own universe. Exploration is happening at a remarkable pace as our little pioneers investigate everything around them with all their senses. To us teachers, the atmosphere is practically crackling with the explosive formation of synapses. We facilitate and witness the literal expansion of each child’s universe on a small scale and sparks fly; it’s a physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual experience. To slip into this stimulating world of newly wired and burgeoning personalities is the next blessing of the morning.

It can appear chaotic if you stick your head in the door of Room 200, especially early in the school year. And, truthfully, it is chaotic at times. Some little ones arrive in our class in late August barely able to sit up, not mobile at all and unaware that “separation anxiety” exists … yet. Some children plunge into this unknown experience with confidence, approaching the new adults in their lives with interest and the shelves of toys with eagerness. More commonly, uncertainty and anxiety at being separated from beloved parent or caregiver is a raw feeling that must be expressed – loudly by the children, more subtly by parents. Each child – and each parent – settles into the routine on their own terms, in their own time. Trust builds, anxiety recedes.

Our days together in Room 200 are rigorous – full of physical activity, emotional ups and downs, strong affection, happy humor, social blossoming and fun. We talk and sing to our small friends throughout the morning, knowing that language will eventually ignite for them. In the meantime, the real communication comes in the language of smiling, crying, whimpering, screeching, laughing, babbling, grabbing, pushing, touching, hugging, patting, tasting, eating and giving in to sleep. We do our best to intuit, read faces and body language, to discern if someone is hungry, tired, or desperately missing mom and dad. Laura, Dana and I often exchange looks across the action, acknowledging our complete wonder at the daily growth and changes in these smallest of people and the blessing of being connected to them at this time in their young lives. 

Our class is a thoughtfully designed introduction to the wider world and our goal for each child centers on trust. Being able to enter Room 200, separate happily from parents, and become engaged in exploration and play, demonstrates a child’s trust of us and of the classroom as a safe and fun place to be. Sometimes it’s the first experience away from mom and dad and we’re careful to respect this and meet each family where they are in this process. To this end, Laura, Dana and I offer comfort, encouragement and reassurance for the journey. We shepherd our little friends along a new road and on the way we are blessed to witness small miracles on a regular basis. Tiny hands and feet; strong lungs and loud cries; beautiful, soulful eyes; little pearls of teeth popping through gums; radiant smiles; small cores strengthening to sit up, turn over, crawl; strong legs, balance and confidence working together to walk; expressive babbling evolving into recognizable words…really, the list is endless. And to help a child move from that initial anxiety, which is often profound, to real delight at arriving ready to play, tossing a wave back to mom or dad, is what we call among ourselves “the miracle of the Baby Room.”

Not only do we marvel at each individual child developing, we also witness the class coming together to form another entity entirely: community. Watching each small “me” coalesce into an “us” is fascinating and well, a blessing. Separate and unconnected at the beginning of the year, the children begin to recognize and reach for each other, learning and saying their friends’ names. Curious exploration of other evolves into “I know you” and “I’m happy to be with you.” As the year progresses, the class often moves together as a small herd, roving around the room as one. Laura, Dana and I see social connections form and friendships begin. And to watch a child identify a beloved “blankie” of another, pick it up and deliver it to that friend across the room with the clear purpose of comforting that friend is deeply touching. We are no longer just aware of each other; we are connected to each other.  

At the end of each day after the children are gone, Dana, Laura and I restore order to the room, replacing the toys on the shelves, wiping down surfaces and reflecting on our day. When we’ve had a last look around and turn off the lights, in the dark and quiet room we can still see the sparks fly and feel the reverberations of the sacred in the ordinary space of Room 200.

Nancy Asbury

Nancy has taught at The Glenn School for over two decades and is a long-time member of Glenn Church. As the new school year approaches and new faces come to call the baby room home, we are thankful to Nancy for her insightful and creative reflection on her work with Glenn School children.

Getting Candid with Our Candler Interns

As a congregation, there are a lot of perks to being on Emory's campus and being around the corner from one of its graduate schools, Candler School of Theology. To name just a few, Candler professors graciously lead us in a lecture series each summer, their world-class Pitts Theology Library resources are at our fingertips, and each year, students in their Contextual Education program join us as ministerial interns. Our congregation serves as a space to put their classroom knowledge into practice, and to perhaps learn some things about ministry that the classroom might not offer!

We have valued the opportunity to be a ConEd site for Candler students in years past and look forward to what these new interns will bring to the life of our congregation this coming year.
 

Meet Nick Georgian

Nick taking a selfie at Niagara Falls with the youth this summer on their Choir Tour.

Nick Georgian is a second-year Master of Divinity student. He is originally from Mississippi and has impeccable manners to match his southern roots. Nick is seeking ordination as an Elder in The United Methodist Church.

Best book you’ve read recently…
The best book I've read recently is Kevin M. Watson’s A Blueprint for Discipleship: Wesley’s General Rules as a Guide for Christian Living. Dr. Watson’s book served as the foundation for our discussion during the summer Gathering at 5:05. This book was very insightful and opened my eyes to see what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I also witnessed the growth of the bible study participants as we journeyed together, finding a new understanding of true discipleship.

Favorite class at Candler…
My favorite class at Candler so far has been Theology of Wesley and Methodism taught by Dr. Rex Matthews. It has opened my eyes to see why I am United Methodist. I have been active in the United Methodist Church most of my life, but never truly understood what it means for me to be a part of the Methodist Church. This has better prepared me to be a future Elder in the UMC and to be a faithful disciple and member of the Methodist tradition.

Most moving moment in ministry so far at Glenn…
The most moving moment I have experienced so far at Glenn is through being a part of both of the youth trips this summer. I was blessed with the opportunity to go on the youth choir tour in Toronto, OR and the youth mission trip in Gatlinburg, TN. During both trips I had the great privilege of getting to know such an amazing and talented group of young men and women. I witnessed God’s wonderful acts through each person in the group, whether that was through a worship service, singing, playing an instrument, working on a house or building a handicap ramp. Glenn youth is an amazing group and has shown me the joy of being part of ministry and the power of youth ministry. I can’t wait to get to know each of the youth members better.

Your goals and dreams for your time with us…
I hope to continue to grow the bond God has created within the youth and the congregation. I look forward to working with and learning from Rev. Dr. Alice Rogers, Rev. Susan Pinson and Rev. Blair Setnor, the best mentors I could ask for.

I am excited for the opportunity to serve in various ministries at Glenn and to work alongside other wonderful interns, such as Tiffania, Sara and Stewart. My hope and prayer is that I continuously show God’s love and grace to all and further God’s Kingdom. I cannot wait to see all that God has in store for me at Glenn. 

Meet Sara Maughan

Sara (far left) with classmates and her favorite Candler professor Brent Strawn.

Sara is a second-year Master of Divinity student. She enjoys being outside, watching movies, and napping. Seriously, she's phenomenally good at napping. She and her husband, Chris, and their sons John (14), Eli (12), and Austin (5) are members of Glenn.

Best book you've read recently...
Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Nadia Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church. She is a recovering alcoholic and minister who really knows how to tell on herself. If you appreciate stories with foul language, truth, and the work of the Holy Spirit, I strongly recommend this book.

Favorite class at Candler...
Duh! Old Testament with Dr. Brent Strawn. The class that really turned my world upside down in my first year was Dr. Strawn's Old Testament. He successfully imparted on me the significance of this book and the absolute relevancy of it right now. However, Dr. Matthews' class on the Theology of Wesley and Methodism is a close second. I'm taking his class right now as an A term (full semester class condensed into two weeks). And I've got to say, I love Wesley and the people called Methodists!

Most moving ministry moment so far at Glenn...
Any moment with the youth of Glenn. They are just completely awesome.

Your goals and dreams for your time with us...
To show up and do the best job I can at whatever Alice, Blair, Susan or Brent have called me to do.

Meet Stewart Voegtlin

Stewart (second from right) playing a late night game of cards with a late night meal at Waffle House on the Youth Mission Trip to Tennessee this summer.

Stewart is a 2015 graduate of Candler with a Masters of Theological Studies (MTS). Intern turned assistant director for our youth ministries, Stewart is also a member of Glenn with his wife, Katrina, and their son, Trey. Stewart loves Glenn, but would choose a trout stream if given the option on a Sunday morning.

Best book you've read recently...
I always read in batches, so I have two. The first is a book I read my first semester at Candler, and have re-read several times since then (it honestly gets better with every read): Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm. Dillard’s language is stealthy and sticky; if you’re prone to blowing through prose instead of meandering, some of her power may be lost on you. If you deliberately slow your pace, you’ll find you come to a standstill at times, especially when Dillard describes seemingly ordinary events, such as a moth drawn to a flame, in extraordinary ways. The moth doesn’t just vanish in the flame; it is “curled, blackened, and ceased, disappearing utterly,” only to resurrect instantaneously in the “glowing horn shell of…abdomen and thorax---a fraying, partially collapsed gold tube jammed upright in the candle’s round pool."

The second book is Language in Literature by the great linguist Roman Jakobson. One of Jakobson’s many strengths is his mastery of subjects other than linguistics, which, of course makes him a better linguist. This book serves as exhibit A: through Language in Literature Jakobson performs deft structural analyses of wildly diverse poetry from Yeats, Blake, Baudelaire and more, and convincingly makes a case for the connection between poetry and experience, which has compelling ramifications for the work of Homer, much less Biblical authors….

Favorite class at Candler...
I have two: the first was Paul’s letter to the Romans with Luke Johnson. My best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer my first semester at Candler, and exegeting Romans in Greek was the best therapy I could ask for. It was a weird semester, with Emory closing frequently due to snow and ice. I have fond memories of sitting in the hospital with Rob, reading from the Greek text while he slept, and clawing through my lexicon at home in the early morning hours while folks sledded down the street on broken down cardboard boxes.

The second was a directed study on prayer with Don Saliers. We built the reading list as we went, starting with the Greek of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and Luke, and then moving to Tertullian, Origen, Merton, Rahner, Barth, Schleiermacher, and others. The discussions were held on Saliers’ back porch, usually over tea, and were never restricted to the readings, of course. Saliers is a bottomless reservoir of information; he effortlessly seasons all discourse with allusions to an ever-expanding list of luminaries, which is to say while we may have been discussing the Lord’s Prayer, we also discussed Dickinson, Emerson, Thoreau, Yeats, and Kant. This was easily one of the great intellectual experiences of my life.

Most moving moment in ministry so far at Glenn...
Surprise: I have two. The first was being served communion by Ellie McQuaig and Katie Cole at the youth led advent service: two young women I love and admire, a paper cup half full of grape juice, and a half-frozen hunk of sweet, yeasty bread. That’s thanksgiving in the truest sense of the word.

My second was the first worship service Blair presided over after being ordained. Ben Ladner played Mumford & Son’s song, “The Wind Beneath my Feet,” and Sarah Napier danced. But Ben didn’t just play the song; Sarah didn’t just dance. I nearly bit my tongue off trying not to cry. When I looked up, Blair was pretty much weeping, so I figured it was permissible at that point. I don’t know if ministry can be more moving than that moment.

Your goals and dreams for your time with us...
My goals and dreams have always been the same: to be as beneficial to the kids I work with as they have been to me. 

Meet Tiffania Willetts

Tiffania (third from right) trying to teach Sunday Schoolers a thing or two about cooking.

Tiffania is a second-year Master of Divinity student and is passionate about empowering leaders of all ages in the local church and helping churches to engage with their communities in new ways. Originally from Florida, Tiffania is seeking ordination as an Elder in The United Methodist Church.

Best book you’ve read recently...
At the beginning of the summer I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for some lighter fare.

Favorite class at Candler…
History of Methodism. I was really inspired by the roots of Methodism and the role of small groups in the success of the Methodist movement in the 1700 and 1800's.

Most moving moment in ministry so far at Glenn…
Children's Sunday School has been such a blessing this summer. The children at Glenn have taught me so much in only a few short weeks!

Your goals and dreams for your time with us…
I would love to continue to get to know the people at Glenn, of all ages. I have really enjoyed the time I have spent with Glenn Next young adults, the Care team visiting homebound members, the missions team, and many others in worship. I want to continue to learn from the Glenn church family the many ministry skills I can't learn in the classroom.

Jesus Christ, King of All Humankind

This past July was a busy month for our youth. Not only did we head to Toronto for a choir tour, but 35 youth and adults spent a week in Gatlinburg, Tennessee with Team Effort. The group worked on two homes for the week. The work we completed included finishing the siding on a house, painting, building a garden box and planting several vegetables, and building a 52 FOOT RAMP! And each day on the work site, our youth brought their instruments to serenade the home owners.

For worship on Thursday evening, the leaders of the camp asked our youth if they would like to help lead worship. With only 15 minutes to prepare a piece, Ben Ladner, Ian Maurer, and Sam McKlin wrote and performed, "Jesus Christ, King of all Humankind." The talent these young men possess is astounding, as is confirmed by the applause and standing ovation they received at the end of their performance:

Verse 1
Born in a manger in Bethlehem
Wise men and shepherds came to worship him
Born the fruit of Jesse's stem
Gonna be the king of Jerusalem

Chorus
Jesus, Jesus Christ King of all humankind

Verse 2
Became a rabbi and served a spell
Fixing up the government and law as well
Healed him a blind man and the women at the well
Sent from God on Earth to dwell

Verse 3
Went to the garden and Jesus prayed
Slept with his disciples but he was betrayed
Nailed to a cross in a tomb was laid
Ascended into heaven and we were all saved

The Youth Choir program at Glenn has a long history of good talent like this. Natural talent, sure, but also talent that is cultivated and nurtured. Wes Griffin, director of the youth choirs, takes time with each youth and helps them find their unique voice...or instrument!

They kick off a new year this Sunday night. Youth at all levels of ability, at Glenn and in the community, are welcome to take part and make music together.

Blair

Creating Covenant

As we approach the start of a new Bible study offering this fall on the topic of covenant, we recognize that covenant is both a basic tenet of our faith and a complex theological idea. In it we share a common identity, but it also manifests itself differently in each of our lives.

Rev. Dr. John Patton will help to lead this in-depth study, one that “focuses on our relationship with God, with each other, and with the world around us…using the biblical theological concept of covenant as a key interpretive theme for understanding the relationship between God and humankind in the Bible and in life today.” Structured around three eight-session segments, the first this fall will center on creating covenant.

Glenn member Don Pollard is excited to take part in the Bible study. Don’s understanding of covenant is influenced by his personal relationship with disability, as he is an incomplete quadriplegic. He suffered a brainstem injury from an automobile accident when he was a year and a half old, leaving him impaired in multiple limbs.

The creation of covenant relationships is shaped by our own experiences. Don’s unique experience with disability has led him to reflect on covenant in three ways - belonging, acceptance, and equality:

To belong is an ingrained need from birth. Early humans grouped themselves together for protection which bred stronger feelings of membership. Students form cliques naturally in school with whom they feel comfortable. These bonds might or might not last into adulthood, but the continuous need to belong doesn’t stop at a certain age. Our need for communion, to feel like we are needed at the table and that we belong at the table, feeds this desire.

The fight for disability rights is a fight for belonging. For too long, people with disabilities have been shunned from society because of the uncomfortableness that we seem to impose on the world around us. The desire to simply belong has been misconstrued as invasiveness. I can guarantee that all that is wanted is to feel like we have a place. Simply provide a seat at the table, with proper access to the seat, of course.

Some may find acceptance too akin to belonging but I believe it is different in my context. I belong to the Caucasian race, to the male gender, and to a Southern family heritage. But I do not take acceptance for granted within these sectors. For example, regarding gender roles, not all men have looked upon me as their equal because of their perceptions of my disability; their actions and body language speak loudly.

Belonging and acceptance both relate to equality, but there are gaps: can you automatically have equality if you have belonging? I don’t think so. Does equality present itself when acceptance is added to the mix? I don’t think so. How then does equality happen?

To put it plainly, equality happens when all people are thought of as equal.

The society we live in shows us that this is not easy to achieve. I think the term can get defined by one’s specific perception, which then becomes rampant and overtakes truth. To say I’m equal to you does not take away your unique qualities. My disability doesn’t make you more enabled and neither does another’s disability diminish or embellish my disability. We are all equal at the table. As 1 Corinthians 12:21 says: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’”

To achieve covenant, we have to first feel a sense of belonging. This hopefully leads to a sense of acceptance, and if processed correctly, can breed equality. I feel that Glenn embodies the spirit of covenant in many ways.

Covenant Bible study is open to people with a variety of backgrounds in the study of the Bible, and there is no one theological understanding of scripture that is necessary for everyone to hold. What is important, however, is an assumption that scripture holds meaning for each of our lives and a commitment to discovering that meaning anew.  

Covenant Bible study begins on Sunday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 401 of the Church School Building. If you are interested in joining, please contact Rev. Susan Pinson.

Eternal Questions

Toward the end of the movie “Time Bandits,” young Kevin asks the Supreme Being why there has to be evil. The Supreme Being is played as a doddering old English gentleman in a vested tweed suit by Ralph Richardson. He answers the boy: “I think it has something to do with free will.” 

I watched that movie at 16-years old, a budding agnostic, and that line grabbed my attention the way water calls a divining rod. It was the first plausible explanation I’d heard for human suffering that jibed with the existence of God – and it was a huge comfort. 

A couple Sundays ago during Prof. Pat Graham’s lecture on Erasmus’s Greek New Testament I was reminded of that scene. (Click here to read more about Glenn’s Summer Lecture Series.) Dr. Graham pointed to free will as the central question of the reformation, noting publication of a dual volume in the early 16th century: On the Bondage of the Will by Luther, paired with On the Freedom of the Will by Erasmus. Luther’s perspective on free will gives me plenty to consider and the pat answer from the movie begins to sound a tad simplistic. How would Luther explain evil in the context of predestination?

There are three more lectures this summer – lots of opportunity for me to further reform my presuppostions about Christianity, and to form more questions.

July 31: Won Chul Shin - After Reformation: Pietism and Its Influence on John Wesley

Won Chul will look at Philipp Jacob Spener’s proposals for “new reformation” or “second reformation,”and explore how the Pietist movement to reform/revitalize Christianity played a significant role in John Wesley’s understanding of theology, Church, and ministry.

He says that in preparing for his talk, he “discovered that the idea of reformation is not a single event, but a continual renewal. Pietism was part of this continual renewal of Christianity and Church. Although I found that the divisions of society are often reinforced by the divisions of Church, I was impressed by Spener’s Pietist vision: the renewal of society through renewal of Church. I hope we also become part of the continual renewal of Christianity and Church known as the Reformation.”

August 7: Tom Elliott - Methodist Reformations

Prof. Elliott’s talk is a fitting sequel to Prof. Shin’s. He’ll touch on United Methodism’s origination as a renewal movement within the Church of England and then cover the decisive periods in its history since it became a church in North America. Some of these – granting women full clergy rights and eliminating all forms of segregation within the church – have been positive and some less so, but all have been “re-formative” for the church. He’ll highlight the theological issues and implications for each and ask questions about what may lie ahead with the issues we face as a church today.

“That’s going to be the next reformation,” he says. “God is leading us to this but it’s very contentious. At this point, the Church is taking time to consider where we are and looking at all the implications of a way forward. The decisions we make have to do with the form and shape of church – that’s re-formation. Wesley said, ‘A Methodist is one who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him.’ That’s essential Methodism and so my question is, why are we having the struggle? We could struggle with the fact that there are children who don’t have food on the table. If love is really the essential thing, then what’s our issue?”

August 14: Joel LeMon - Reformation and Art

Prof. LeMon will speak about Lucas Cranach the Elder and the complex relationship the reformers had with art. His talk will be an early version of a lecture he’ll deliver as part of Emory’s Reformation Day festivities on October 27, which will celebrate the arrival of a copy of a Lucas Cranach altar piece at the Pitts Theology Library.

He’ll be considering reformation art, especially that of Cranach, whose work was widely circulated and appreciated by many reformers. The encapsulation of important reformation concepts in Cranach’s famous Law and Gospel (or Law and Grace) makes it one the key images of the reformation.

“Other factions within the reformation had an explicitly iconoclastic program,” Prof LeMon says, “as seen most vividly in the Beeldenstorm, which included vandalism and whitewashing of churches during the Dutch revolt in the mid-16th century.”

Beeldenstorm in een kerk, 1630, by Dirck van Delen

“I’ve long been interested in how artists function as interpreters of Biblical texts and how ancient art informs literary images and in what images live behind the text.” he says. “We’ll be talking about why there was such a strong reaction to religious art during this time. Images seem to have power, otherwise, why would you destroy them?”

The more time I spend listening to Candler’s theologians, the fewer answers I find. But oddly the questions keep getting more interesting and sometimes more edifying than the old answers.

Hope to see you at one of the summer’s final three lectures!

Irene Hatchett
Communications Team

Family is Family

Nashville singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves captures the love/not-so-much-love feeling that many experience in living with the many different members of family:  the “I can talk about my family, but you can’t” stance we take; the “she may be my crazy aunt, but I love her” defense we offer; the “good Lord, is HE coming to the wedding” reaction versus the “where IS HE” response when he doesn’t show. Many people understand the loyalty versus disappointment that members of the same family often feel about one another. The refrain of Musgraves’ song, “Family is Family” proclaims:

Family is family, in church or in prison
You get what you get, and you don't get to pick 'em
They might smoke like chimneys, but give you their kidneys
Yeah, friends come in handy, but family is family.

I spent this past week at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina with my Southeastern Jurisdictional United Methodist family, and it truly felt like a family reunion. Three hundred and seventy-six delegates came from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. We gathered to elect five new bishops who will oversee our Annual Conferences. Many of these delegates have attended the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference for many years and know one another across conference lines. Greeting one another felt like a reunion among aunts, uncles and cousins. Matriarchs and patriarchs from various conferences were addressed with respect and admiration. The “are they still as ornery as they used to be?” delegates were greeted cautiously. Old friendships picked up quickly where they had left off and new delegates were introduced to others as one might introduce a new in-law. 

Lake Junaluska view. Photo credit: North Georgia Conference Communications.

We took our seats in Stewart Auditorium to begin the business of the SEJ Conference, but we first did what this particular family does first. We entered into a time of worship. We sang of our faith and celebrated our place and acceptance in the family of God. We shared the holy meal of communion with our United Methodist family members. And then we began our work together.

It was obvious that we come from different theological commitments, that we all do not agree on how we think this family should live together, and that many of us think that the “other” person is the crazy aunt or uncle. But at the risk of sounding too sentimental, I truly felt like we operated like a family committed to finding the best way to live with one another in all of our differences and through our disagreements. We did good work. We elected five bishops who represent the diversity of our family. And we did that all in one day!

On the left, Sue Haupert-Johnson, bishop-elect for the North Georgia Conference. On the right, Sharma Lewis, bishop-elect of the Virginia Conference. Photo credit: North Georgia Conference Communications.

As I drove out of the mountains of western North Carolina and into the piedmont of Georgia, my heart was filled with gratitude for my Methodist family in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. The disappointment I felt after General Conference was replaced with a profound sense of hope. I believe that if we were left to our own devices, we could find a way through the current impasse the global United Methodist Church is experiencing. I believe that we could find a way to remain a family and allow the crazy aunt, the curmudgeon uncle, the renegade cousin and the confused niece or nephew to sit at the same table and partake of the mighty grace of the one who is the head of our family, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Let us continue to pray for our family and for all who want a place at the banquet table - even this eccentric Aunt Alice. 

Give Me All the High Fives

The list of elements that make for a perfect trip might include seeing ‘must be seen’ sights; a purpose that binds the group; comradery among the group members; beautiful weather; unique and amazing experiences; not losing anyone; and laughing a lot (and I mean a lot). Well, then the Youth Choir trip to Buffalo, NY and Ontario, Canada may have been a perfect trip.

Thirty-six youth and 7 adults flew to Buffalo on June 25, loaded our bus for the week, and met Kelly Hinds, the world’s best tour bus driver. Our first stop was the Anchor Bar and Grill, home of the Buffalo chicken wing. We crossed the border (passports? Yes!) into Canada and spent two wonderful days in Barrie, Ontario, a more rural area in northern Ontario. The choir’s first scheduled performance was at Celebration Anglican Church with enthusiastic interaction between the congregation and the choir. What a wonderful time of worship. God was present and there was a wonderful sense of community.

Sunday afternoon provided a first for all group members: swimming in a Canadian lake (yes, it was cold). In the evening the generous congregation of Celebration church, led by Mary Ellen Huckabee’s friend and former college roommate, Linda Soltis, fed us dinner in a park at the edge of Lake Simcoe. After dinner we sang for the congregants who fed us and for families who lingered at the park at the end of a day playing at the beach at the lake’s edge. Sunset, music, fellowship. A perfect day.

Next stop: Toronto! We spent two days exploring the city, first at museums and sights the youth chose. For lunch Mary Ellen and I walked to China Town with our group of 18 and ate in a very authentic dim sum restaurant. Lots of first time tastes and experiences (“What is this?” “Can I use a fork instead of these chopsticks?”) A scavenger hunt in the afternoon provided a chance to explore downtown Toronto in small groups. On Tuesday the group spent the day at the Toronto Science Center which included our next performance and the surprise arrival of Blair Setnor just before the singing commenced. Her arrival pushed the group to new heights of energy and excitement.

To end the day we rode the ferry to Centre Island, off the edge of Toronto on Lake Ontario. The beautiful Toronto skyline and weather, plus a little ‘manhunt’ time in a park on the island made this a beautiful interlude of the trip. While waiting for the return ferry some of the boys played ‘Dat Boy’, a game they invented using 16 ounce water bottles. They were rambunctious, focused and inventive. Onlookers laughed and cheered for them and the chaperones had yet another opportunity to hear strangers compliment our group’s behavior and personality.

On Wednesday we departed Toronto for the Niagara Falls area. The group toured and stayed at Niagara College, home of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute, a training school for culinary students, before heading over to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. If you have seen Niagara Falls you may be able to picture our reaction. We were truly stunned by seeing one of the seven wonders of the modern world. I think most of the group, including chaperones, will say that the best part of the trip was riding The Hornblower, the boat that takes you to the base of the falls so that you are surrounded on three sides by the powerful spray of the falls. We all wore matching red rain ponchos provided by the boat company to keep from getting soaked. There was much hooting and celebrating, wet photographs and joyful excitement, which led Candler student and chaperon Nick Georgian to yell out, “Give me all the high fives.” The group readily complied, giving every single one.

On Thursday we returned to the United States. While crossing the border back into the United States we were scolded by a border guard to be quiet. We did remain quiet until we got back on the bus where the infectious energy of the group spread again. The bus rides fostered our community spirit throughout the week. In the afternoon we divided into two groups and sang at an assisted living center and an adult day care center. At both centers the youth were wonderful, first in engaging the clients and residents in conversation and then sharing their musical gifts.

On Thursday night we attended the Buffalo Bisons game. In April we had requested to sing the national anthem at the game. After much back and forth with Bisons staff members, including sending them audio of the choir singing (to prove we had the chops), we were told that we were approved to sing the national anthems. Did you notice that ‘s’ on the end of anthems? As the Bisons are a minor league team of the Toronto Blue Jays they sing both the Canadian and US National Anthems at each game. No fear; only joy. Wes chose beautiful arrangements of each anthem and the choir learned them in a short time. They were amazing. The excitement and adrenaline of singing and watching the game produced a high octane “Katie Cole”, a Glenn original free-style rap song, on the bus ride back to the hotel.

Throughout the week the youth sang on Wes’s command, in concert, spontaneously, in small groups, known songs and created songs. God sang through them, and they expressed joy and Jesus through music. Glenn UMC lived through our youth. People frequently complimented the youth, smiled at their interactions, complimented them to the chaperones. The chaperones were proud of them. Parents and all of the Glenn community should be proud of how Glenn demonstrated our commitment to loving God and loving neighbor with our heart, mind, soul and strength. Wes Griffin brings out the best in them as he has for over 30 years. What a wonderful ministry.

The choir thanks all of the parents, friends, donors, and members of the church who supported this tour. We felt your prayers and excitement for us throughout the week. This is one of the most wonderful ministries Glenn offers to its youth and to the communities with which the youth engage. Thank you. We give Glenn all the high fives!

Jana Ladner

True Friendship

What a whirlwind of emotions many of us have experienced this past week with the joys and celebrations of the holiday weekend where we gave thanks to God for this time and place in history, for so many of us enjoying the freedoms we find in our faith in Christ and for those of us living in the United States of America, as we celebrated Independence Day.

My weekend was full of laughter and fun - splashing in the swimming pool with my daughter as she squealed in delight and chased her little toddler friends and relished in the simple joys of ice cream, watermelon, and hot dogs - staples of 4th of July traditions, of course. Yet each night after I tucked her safely into bed and would have a chance to catch up on the news, my heart would break all over again and the tears and prayers would mix together with sighs and moans as my newsfeed was filled with the stories of more violence. More terror. More guns. Orlando. Istanbul. Dhaka. Baghdad. Atlanta. More grieving parents whose lives are forever changed as grief and sadness replace the simple joys of childhood. I wanted to pray, but found I had no words.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Romans 8:26

And then the morning would come again and Cheerios and building blocks and blowing bubbles ensued. My little one asked in eager anticipation which friends she would see at Sunday School: “Will Frances and Margaret be there?” “Will my church friend Ms. Mudie be there?” (as if she has another friend named Mudie?!). She was so excited to be reunited with her little friend Mae who was in town visiting and that Ali, Sara, and Claire and Kathryn all met up with us at the pool. The photos we captured of these toddler friendships are too cute for words to describe and the grown-ups sat around and laughed and pretended for an afternoon that our lives weren’t full of the stresses of potty-training, sleepless nights, tantrums, worries about finances and safety, and the very real mom and dad-guilt about nutrition for children who somehow seem to survive off of a diet consisting primarily of popsicles and cheese puffs.

These joyful and somewhat carefree moments of the weekend are juxtaposed with the sorrow and heartache, fear and anger, awe and respect I feel as I have learned more about Emory University student Faraaz Hossain who sacrificed his very life in the face of evil to be with his friends, even as death loomed for all of them. From what we know from his family and friends and leaders here at Emory, Faraaz was a faithful Muslim and remarkable student leader at Oxford College. His character shone forth in the most heartbreaking way as he laid down his life for his friends.  The words of Jesus keep ringing in my ears:

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

More than creating any holiday traditions - trite or solemn; more than teaching my daughter to be proud and thankful for the freedoms she has because of her nationality; more than I want her to know and love and question and apply our Christian Scriptures to her life; I want my child - and all of the children entrusted to our care through the vows of baptism here in the Glenn Church family - to know that kind of friendship and love that never fails. No matter our beliefs, no matter our nationality, no matter our sexuality, no matter our socio-economic status, no matter what the future holds. No matter if our words fail us in our prayers. No matter when we fail our children in big and small ways. God’s love never fails and this is the hope and promise we will cling to whether our days are full of mourning or dancing. When my daughter’s incessant questioning of “why?” turns from the silly inquiries of why we can’t have ice cream for breakfast to the more serious questioning of “why?” in the face of the reality of sin and suffering in this world, I hope and pray I will have the courage to answer her questions with love this way:

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long;  we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

Grace and Peace,

Susan

Invitation from Emory University Religious Life: On Thursday, July 7, at 1:00 p.m., we will gather in Emory's Cannon Chapel for an interfaith Vigil for Dhaka. Together, we offer hope to one another and embody for the world peace and compassion. You may also join us through a livestream feed. Let us continue to hold Dhaka and the families of Abinta and Faraaz in the light as we offer prayers for peace all over the world.

All Singin’ Folks is Good Folks

While researching the singing tradition in my mother’s family for my master’s thesis, I interviewed my great aunt Ada Cunningham in rural Union County, North Carolina. As gaining information on my great-great grandfather, whom she had known, was my initial object, early in the interview I asked if he were a good person. She said, “Uncle John”? I said, “Yes.” She replied, “Oh, all singing folks is good folks.” 

Glenn is “singing folks.” As a congregation, we sing very well. I have heard visiting clergy over the years complement our congregational singing. When Timothy lays out on particular stanzas, I love hearing the congregation sing out in strong four-part harmony. Those who don’t read music sing the melody and those who think they can’t sing make a joyful noise all the more strongly: all singing “lustily,” as John Wesley admonishes. 

In addition to every Sunday congregational hymns, we have other opportunities to sing. There are the Women’s and Men’s Choruses, open to everyone, the all-volunteer choir for the 8:30 a.m. service, and the “Hallelujah Chorus” on Easter, when this year a record number came up and sang: I estimate nearly 100 over and above those singing in the Chancel Choir. All of these would be welcomed into the Chancel Choir. 

The Chancel Choir includes members at all levels of ability. Certainly we have some of the finest soloists in the region, but the many volunteers, ranging from beginner to advanced, comprise the heart of the choir. Anyone willing to help the choir offer music for the worship of God would do well. Certainly anyone who negotiates the Hallelujah Chorus, even if imperfectly, is qualified. If those 100 singers joined the choir, our singing, our theological depth, and our evangelical reach would leap exponentially.

This year, the Atlanta Symphony commemorates the 100th anniversary of Robert Shaw’s birth. We are fortunate to live in the city where he culminated his life’s work. He once described himself as a kind of “vessel.” I would add, “prophet,” for, while his medium was music, theology was the driving character within his music. His work was on the world stage; our arena is more focused, yet nevertheless carries world implications. Shaw is quoted as saying something like this: if the arts are to have the redemptive qualities for which they are intended, they must be practiced in a particular context. Our context is the worship of God within the congregation of Glenn Memorial UMC.

As congregation and choirs, when we sing the true songs of God with heart and mind, we tune our souls with those of our sisters and brothers and the Holy Spirit; and, via our interactions with others without the church, this holy, spiritual consonance resounds so that “our sound is gone out into all the world.” This is clearly seen in our children and youth choirs, as they learn and are bred to the prophetic musical traditions of the church, and presently, tangibly as Wes and our youth choirs carry our singing into Canada on the Youth Choir Tour. Shaw: “when one lovingly and earnestly obeys the laws of great music, there is always the chance that the flesh will be made word and dwell among us."

Augustine said, “the one who sings prays twice.” Aunt Ada understood it too.

Steven Darsey

Bound for Greater Things - Reflections on Annual Conference

Glenn was well represented this year at Annual Conference, June 7-9, in part because of our wonderful lay delegates. The gathering of both clergy and laity from all over North Georgia is packed with worship services, business meetings, legislative sessions, and surprise appearances from the John Wesley bobble head. 

Read below for reflections from those that attended Annual Conference on behalf of Glenn.

From left to right, some of our lay delegates: Roberta Shoup, Dena Mellick, Ginger Smith, Carole Adams. Photo credit: Joseph McBrayer.

When clergy and lay members gathered for the 150th session of the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, they did so under the banner of the conference’s theme, “Bound for Greater Things,” taken from John 14:12-14.

Conference by the numbers could seem overwhelming: 264 pages of reports and information in our conference notebooks (plus a whole separate booklet of nominations for roles in the work of the Conference), 60+ reports presented by individual speakers and groups, 14 hours spent in five business sessions, and ten worship opportunities, along with four United Methodist history quizzes, two big receptions, and countless prayers.

Some reports reminded us that our church is a serious business enterprise. We heard that the conference’s retirement obligations are currently fully funded, and it was reassuring to learn that our church has experts working on equitable compensation and minimum standards for parsonages. Other reports educated us on the breadth and depth of the conference ministries that reach so many beyond the walls of our churches. We heard about church development, camping, retreats, children’s homes, health care, senior living, and services for the homeless and hungry. We received updates from the General Board of Global Ministries, which is moving its headquarters from New York to Atlanta, and to consider the engagement opportunities this move offers to the Conference.

This was my first opportunity to attend Annual Conference, and one lasting impression for me is the arc of shared worship experiences that took us from the present to the future to the past and back to the future. On the opening day, we participated in a welcoming worship service that included the sharing of communion. That evening, we celebrated the licensing, commissioning, and ordination of the newest clergy who will serve the church into the future. The next day, we reminisced with retiring clergy and remembered clergy, spouses, and lay leaders who have died in the last year. Conference concluded with special liturgies noting church closings and mergers, fixing appointments, and sending clergy forth in service to their new churches.

It was an honor to represent Glenn and I hope what I learned will be of benefit to our church as well as to my own spiritual growth. it was wonderful to see so many Glenn and Emory folks taking such active roles at conference, and it was a renewing experience to return home to Glenn where so many are doing so much to transform the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
                                                                                                                                              Ginger Smith

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James Agee liked to say he had an awareness of the sacred - in people, in places, in ordinary things. He liked to say this awareness was the recognition of God’s presence. Way before Agee liked to say these things, William Blake said them with less words: Everything that lives is holy. To understand what Blake said, however, we must use more words: God makes God’s home in all persons and places and things.

Indeed, God makes God’s home in Bishop Mike Watson. We saw God in his smile, and heard God in his Amen and Hallelujah. God makes God’s home in Bishop Bill McAlilly. We heard God in his sermons about ordinary persons and places and things. God makes God’s home in the joy of Blair Setnor and Josh Amerson. We have long heard God in their calling, and seen God in their devotion to that calling. And we also saw the love of God in their faces when they knelt and were ordained.

God makes God’s home in the four youth I chaperoned. I heard God in their songs and stories. I saw God in their willingness to lead: to pray and to preach. I heard God in their questions. I felt God in their confusion and frustration, and I found God in their quick willingness to forgive, and their quicker surrender to laughter. 

God makes God’s home in the unwanted, and despised. We heard God’s voice in those who stood and spoke in support of those who have no voice. We saw God in the tears of both adult and youth, and in the support they gave each other. We heard God, too, in the voice of dissent. We heard both confusion and certainty, and we heard God guiding them slowly but surely to resolute truth.

God makes God’s home in the smiles and laughter and prayers of Alice Rogers and Susan Pinson and Ellie McQuaig. God makes God’s home in a two dollar cup of Chic-fil-A coffee, and a bottomless candy bucket passed around by Sam Halverson. God makes God’s home in the reason and care and resourcefulness of Mathew Pinson. God makes God’s home in the puckered, printed cotton fabric seersucker, that allows God’s people to truly become as one (but only on Thursdays).  

God makes God’s home in overused slogans - such as Bound for Greater Things. We find God in its exhortation: calling us to “bound” - to leap, or spring towards that which is greater than us. But we also find, and perhaps should heed, God’s warning in the dual nature of this slogan’s noun, meaning to be “bound” - limited, restricted, kept or cut off from that which is greater than us.

It is my prayer that all who attended Annual Conference not only find God in all people, places, and things, but also come to an understanding: what limits or restricts us from that which is greater is not God, but rather ourselves.

Stewart Voegtlin

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It was an honor to represent Glenn as a lay member at the 150th anniversary of the North Georgia Annual Conference June 7 - 9. While there were some disappointing moments, they were mostly outweighed by the encouraging experiences. As a first time attendee at the North Georgia Annual Conference, here is what stood out to me.

The positives:

- Seeing Rev. Blair Setnor and former Glenn minister, Rev. Josh Amerson, ordained and spending time with fellow lay members and our amazing ministers.

- Seeing Glenn represented so well. Mathew Pinson presented on the main stage multiple times as the Delegation Chair and Conference Lay Leader. Glenn’s Ellie McQuaig delivered a prayer ofthe final day of the conference. Glenn members were also visible in their signatures of support for the “Resolution Against Human Trafficking to Help End Suicide an Homelessness Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Youth.”

- The ongoing connectional work of The UMC. We heard reports on organizations (many supported by Glenn) helping those in need.

The not so positive:

- Witnessing the aforementioned resolution significantly altered. The resolution sought to “follow a Biblical mandate of hospitality to the stranger and edification of the least, the lost and the hurting; and in order to prevent suicide, sexual assault, trafficking, and to end homelessness of LGBTQ youth…” An amendment was put forward to remove any reference to sexual orientation or LGBTQ and instead, substitute “at-risk youth.” One of the signing clergy said in opposition to the proposed amendment to the resolution, “We ask you to see them,” pointing out that LGBTQ youth were “uniquely at risk.” However, the amendment and the revised resolution removing any mention of LGBTQ went through.

- Sitting separately from our clergy. Clergy and lay members sit in different sections in the conference hall, similar to our separate political parties sitting across the aisle from each other in Congress. While I’m sure there is reason for this, it didn’t feel quite right.

Overall, I’m so proud of the work Glenn is doing, and I was grateful to be able to travel to Athens!

Dena Mellick

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This year at the North Georgia Annual Conference, there were many reasons for celebration! First, of course, and most importantly to our Glenn family, were the ordinations of Blair and Josh and the commissioning of Kathy Brockman. How proud we all were!

The worship services were focused on hope and our individual and global missions of being bound for greater things. The memorial service was especially tender for our group because Jim Fowler, James Styles, and “Tuck” Jones we all remembered.  Ginger Smith and I participated as bell ringers and as each name was called for clergy, spouses, or significant conference laity leaders, a different tone of bell was rung. Finally one chord was played on the bells. I was reminded of all the saints with whom I have attended Annual Conference and missed their wisdom, laughter, and fighting spirits very much: Mary Tierney, Eleanor Richardson, and Frank Asbury. I remembered Sally Daniel and the year she was posthumously presented a special award for her work with the gay community at a time when few others were so active. 

Our bishop and his wife were honored as he retired to move on to greater things. Mathew Pinson invited the director of UMCOR to speak at the laity luncheon and it was very interesting to hear our newest Atlanta neighbor talk about the plans of this important UMC agency and their work. I predict Glenn will connect with this group and we too will be bound for greater things soon!

Lastly I want to thank Robert Gilileo, on behalf of the whole conference, for his tireless efforts at technology and lots of other elements to help our meetings run smoothly. He is an amazing volunteer who really kept the “show” going! It was delightful to share the conference with our Glenn delegation.

Carole Adams

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For many years I attended Annual Conference with my husband, Donald E. Shoup, clergy member of the North Georgia Conference. More recently I have served as a lay member delegate from Glenn.

We were proud of Glenn member Donn Ann Weber who served as secretary of the conference and was re-elected to that position for another year. Mathew Pinson has served as our Conference Lay Leader and head of the North Georgia delegation to the recent General United Methodist Conference in Portland. He presented an excellent report of that very important conference.

Former tenor in Glenn's choir Timothy Miller gave us glorious music during the Service of Remembrance when deceased clergy and spouses were remembered. At another service, forty retirees representing 1,268 years of ministry were recognized. 

We were especially proud of Blair Setnor as she was ordained Deacon in Full Connection and Josh Amerson as he was ordained Elder in Full Connection.

The next North Georgia Annual Conference will be held June 13-15, 2017 at the Classic Center in Athens, GA.

Roberta Shoup

A Creative Response

In 2004, Barbara Poma lost her brother, John, to complications from AIDS. As a way to memorialize his life and create a space of refuge for others in the Orlando gay community, she founded a nightclub and named it Pulse. “The Heartbeat of Orlando” became a sanctuary for those in need of safety and support.

In response to her suffering and loss, Barbara decided to create.

Creation is a surprising response to loss. We might instead anticipate visits from denial, fear, and anger. We might even feel more comfortable remaining in the memories, unable to envision a way forward. While the manifestation of grief looks and feels different for each one of us, Barbara’s decision to create space for lives to flourish as a response to suffering is inspiring.

In 2016, just this past Sunday, 49 lives were taken in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub. What was created to be a place of safety and acceptance suddenly came to embody the worst parts of humankind: hate, entrapment, denial of life. The whole world now grieves those lives and is grappling with a response to such horror. We reach for soothing words, but they seem elusive, and when found, empty.

In response to this suffering and loss, might we decide to create as well?

The act of creation is no stranger to the Church and its people. We worship a God whom we often name explicitly as Creator, the one who created us and continues to create amongst us. God also gifted us with the ability to create, even to the point of being co-creators of God’s own work in the world.

Being tasked with creating alongside of God is an integral part of the Church’s identity and requires that we learn to develop a strong sense of imagination. Because the fullest and truest embodiments of justice, reconciliation, and peace have yet to unfold - and we continue to face attitudes of exclusion, acts of violence, and ideologies of hate - we must summon up a vision of what can be, what should be, and faithfully walk toward that hope.

Using our creative imaginations may or may not look like founding a nightclub. Our responses will reflect our unique concerns and dreams for change. But we must allow our imaginations to prompt us, move us, and challenge us to ask: What could this world look like instead of what it is now?

A creative imagination not only requires the movement of our minds, but also the movement of our souls and our bodies. If our action stops with thoughts and opinions, our partnership with God in working to renew the world is weakened. Might we envision the use of our voices, our hands, our time, and our collective being as the Church to create flourishing where there is loss?

The spaces where a creative imagination is needed are numerous. We find a need for newness deep within our own selves, simmering in our families and churches, and also on broad display in events such as the tragedy in Orlando. There is no shortage of work to be done, new ideas to be had, fresh perspectives to take, and acts of re-creation to emerge.

How will you create?

Vigil in downtown Orlando. Photo credit: Adrees Latif/Reuters from abcnews.com

The Glenn Staff and Communications Team