September 3, 2024

First, I want to thank our Worship Vision Team and  Music staff for helping to introduce a new Taizé Prayer service last month. As I wrote in the August article, I hope it was meaningful for you, even though it was different. I welcome your feedback and creativity

 

Second, I thank our Sunday Worship Team, Music and Admin staff, and you, the congregation, for producing a terrific Hymn Sing and time of worship on August 18th! Didn’t you learn a lot? I certainly did; the information David shared made the hymns more meaningful, IMHO (in my humble opinion per text & social media language). I hope you found it insightful. You chose wonderful stand-by’s and some we sang on the 25th! You may have also noticed that I’ve added a Preparatory Hymn between the 1st Scripture reading and Community Prayer; we stay seated for it, so it will be more reflective. We’ll be continuing themes around the beauty of worship to understand it better in September as we continue to “PAUSE” and explore sacred listening, praise, gratitude, and connection through diverse worship styles.

 

As others and I have preached over the years, the word “Church” is not just the building! Church happens wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name (Matthew 18:20), inside or beyond the building. A worship service or Sunday School class is where we can wrestle with our questions or doubts about God or his will, no matter how long we have or how intensely we have believed in Jesus. Life can be a challenge sometimes. The next few weeks will explore parts of worship like praise, lamentation, confession, thanksgiving, reassurance, memory, legacy, ritual, humility, surrender, obedience, and beauty. It’s a huge topic, of course, so this is condensed, but provocative.

 

Let me share a quote to consider from the Regional Exec. Minister of Nebraska for American Baptist Churches USA, Rev. Dr. Greg Mamula, from the MMBB newsletter. It is relevant to us as The United Baptist Church and churches all over our country evaluate declining attendance, and try to collaborate in new ways. He says: “Gathering together won’t solve the systemic issues facing our nation, but building community and coming together with trust and not fear makes us able to partner together and achieve great things.” Our comfortable worship may not be as transformative to others as we think or assume it is. May we have the courage to explore God’s leadings in this area of worship! Lend your voice and presence.

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August 6, 2024

Thank you! I was blessed by all the wonderful Happy Birthday wishes, notes, cards, calls, and generous meals! It was a great day/week, but I celebrate all month! Why not? As I reflect on this time last year, I am in a much better place health-wise, and am so grateful for your support and God’s healing. Truly, it is hard to believe I was just back to work the end of July one year ago. So many good things have happened at the church since then! Not to mention the not-so-great A/C issue or two. We have a few new Mission Center Building Usage partners (VGBC, International Dance, Kohuka Ensemble) amd have some new ones in the “pipeline!” We’ve had numerous sacred holidays with special music since then, weekly worship and Bible Study, monthly communion observances, shared the joy of baptisms and graduations at NBMBC, Mailbox Angels card-writing, several UBC Friends & Family breakfasts, monthly Young at Heart Gadabouts lunches, a playground renovation (thanks to Amerikids!), fellowship meals, concerts, supported ACCA, the Shepherd’s Center, Leland Seminary, NorthStar Church Network, BWA, CBF, MACBF, BGAV, Annandale Fire, New Hope Housing Hypothermia program, Baileys & Arlington Community Shelters (sandwich team), individual benevolence needs, started the New United Gospel Food Mission & giveaway, celebrated, grieved, and rejoiced! Whew! And we’ve just turned the “Covid Corner,” in my humble opinion. Nothing is slowing us down, not numbers, health, age, money, attitude, fear, or death. We are God’s children who have a purpose and a mission to serve our community and help others meet Jesus! Amen?

 

Another exciting thing we did this week was our first Taizé prayer worship service. It is quite popular among Christians of all ages, and comes from a village founded in the1940’s by Brother Roger Schutz, a Swiss protestant theologian. Taizé is a monastic community made up of about 100 brothers from various countries, languages, and major denominations who are devoted to prayer, Christian unity, and peaceful reconciliation. They gather together 3 times a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year to pray. Many people journey to Taizé to experience a sense of community and prayer life as well as meaningful worship. The UBC PAUSE Worship Vision Team collaborated to design and produce a contemplative experience for August’s Communion service, and it successfully combined an introduction, Scripture, sung prayers, inspiring music of guitar and piano, silence, and the Lord’s Supper to evoke our awe, God’s grandeur, intimacy, and presence with a listening attitude of peace and love. We hope to do this quarterly or in response to crisis or a national emergency. Please send in email or call me with your feedback if you were present. Let us continue to Find Beauty together!

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July 7, 2024

Happy Independence Day! There is a lot on my mind about resistance, equality, justice, and independent thought and action since the June Vision newsletter, so my longer than usual article will flow over to the next column. Please know that these are my personal reflections and not necessarily the opinions of everyone in our church. 

 

On the front cover, I remind us to celebrate this week and every day our Christian religious liberty and Baptist Distinctives. They were threatened over the last few years by the Southern Baptist Convention (Female Pastor Disfellowship List [no longer on SBC website] & the Law Amendment) and by Christian Nationalism (see www.bjconline.org). Thanks to centuries of independent religious thinkers, philosophers, academic scholars, curious students, and committed, quality preachers (like United Baptist’s), our distinctives held their ground; they are truly valuable to society, not just religion. Baptist Women in Ministry expressed solidarity with First Baptist Church of Alexandria, VA and Pastor Kim Eskridge in the face of the SBC Messengers’ decision to disfellowship the nearly 180 year old church. This vote occurred even before the SBC Law Amendment prohibiting women to hold the title or calling of “pastor” failed. Some of you know that I was on the original list, and due to a “clerical” [financial] error, SBC claimed our church, when in reality we have been with the CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) for 30+ years. Our Council and Board of Directors withdrew formally, and I received no threats or had any repercussions from being targeted. However, it became personal as the publicity surrounding myself and my peers threatened our safety, our God-given call to ministry, others’ benefits, and even their parsonages as addresses were shared publicly with maps and photos. Rev. Kim Eskridge and I were classmates at Leland Seminary.

 

Although the issue has calmed somewhat, the facts reveal that many fundamentalist Baptist churches do not affirm any women in leadership as Deacons, Chairpersons, or Pastors even today. I thank you for the affirmations I received during this time, a recommitment to our Baptist heritage, and for the opportunity to attend the CBF General Assembly in Greensboro, NC this year, where like minds connected to do Kingdom work in an egalitarian way. The theme was re:imagine, and their verse was the same as ours! Philippians 4:8-9 The Message: “8-9 You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

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Organizations like Baptist Joint Committee were there, eight prominent seminaries, Judson Press, CBF Latino Network, Bread for the World, Center for Congregational Health, and more. There were worship opportunities with amazing preaching, prayers (including a prayer quilt), tasteful praise bands, a children’s and adult choir, and even a mambo band with people dancing in the aisles. Imagine Baptists praising God’s goodness through movement! Folks, I think that will be what heaven’s all about – many expressions of worship, languages, and creative beauty. There was some tasteful fundraising and a silent auction with art, jewelry, and digital technology (I learned how to do a QR code, which I can teach you if you’d like). There were big conversations about calling, and small conversations about faith and the church’s future. It is time for us to embrace and reimagine this vision of God’s work in the world! Using Scripture, CBF reminded us that God is on the move despite what you hear about church decline. The Mid-Atlantic CBF was well represented too (photo); paraphrasing Exec. Coordinator, Paul Baxley, let us as UBC ask new questions, embrace new ways of serving, imagine new ministries, setting aside old fears and rediscovering the incredible gifts we have been given to serve our communities! This is collaboration. Amen? Amen!  

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June 4, 2024

Happy Father’s Day! Happy Graduation! Happy Summer! Happy Public School Music Teacher Retirement to David Evans! Yes, again this month, we have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for! When I wrote last month’s article, it occurred to me that summer was upon us, yet I had not scheduled a vacation for myself; how about you? You may be retired but you still deserve a vacation for a life reset. Other than my big Israel trip in January 2023, since the pandemic, I have a tendency to schedule a “staycation” where I can get things done at home, take day trips, walk, play, go to museums, and rest. But this May 24th marked my year heart-health anniversary, so it felt like I needed a change of scenery.

 

As some of you know, I chose Lancaster County on the good reports of Mae Smith and her family trips there. I only spent 3 days this time to get to know the area, but I assure you I will go back. It wasn’t a bad drive – 2.75 hours even in rush hour and beautiful scenery, small towns, and friendly truckers. Mostly, I shopped and admired the Amish farmland, silos, traditions, cows, horses, mules, beautiful handmade quilts, furniture, bread, jams, pickles, cheeses, and of course fresh dairy ice cream! A few of my favorite food stops were Wilbur’s Chocolate factory, James Sturgis Pretzel factory, Lancaster City Central Market, tea shop, book store, Bird-in-Hand Farmer’s and Craft Market, the towns of Lititz and Intercourse, PA. I intentionally avoided the huge Shady Maple Smorgasbord, the largest in the USA, but plan to go in the future with friends, after a few weeks of fasting to prepare! The people too were so friendly; they were hard-working on the farms and in the shops, yet also I saw people sitting on the front porch, just being. No cell phone games but just observing the world around them; resting and relaxing or contemplating the beauty of their neighborhoods. If you’ve never been, please go; next time I’ll do the buggy ride and Amish breakfasts.

 

I realize that a week’s vacation cannot make up for a rest or sleep deficit, but I found it useful to go somewhere new. I ask you to rethink what it means to rest; I am not talking about boredom! Rest includes renewal and refreshment; soul care includes a focus on God’s word and direction. Matthew’s Gospel in Chapter 11 tells us: “28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Anyone who cannot rest is basically a slave to habits or obligations. This is not about a lack of exercise, but rather rest is an exchange of energies between you and the Holy Spirit to restore oneself mentally, emotionally, spiritually, creatively, and socially. Finding beauty is restorative!

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