www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Weekly Meditation
by Christine White
Mark 4:35 - 41
Jesus Stills a Storm
On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'
This story comes at the end of a long and exhausting day in which Jesus was teaching from the boat. Jesus and the disciples are tired, so they decide to go to the other side of the lake, maybe to get a break from the crowd. As they are crossing, a storm blows in. The fishermen among the disciples understand how dangerous these sudden storms can be. The waves are getting higher, the boat is filling with water, the disciples are terrified. They wake Jesus, who is sleeping in the stern, with the words we often address to God "do you not care"? Jesus calms the storm with the words "Peace! Be still!"
In times of tumult and upset, isn't it our first reaction to feel that God doesn't care? We expect God to notice our condition and to take care of us. Just as Jesus was present in the boat with the disciples, God is present with us and concerned for us even when we don't perceive God's care.
My husband, Michael, died in 1997, the same year my Mom died. I felt abandoned and alone, not knowing who I could turn to if an emergency happened. I have two sisters who I was and am close to, who would do all they could to be there for me. But they had their own families and I couldn't be their top priority like I thought I had been to Michael and mom. I missed the security of having someone who made me feel safe.
I threw myself into Bible studies, the kind with several hours of homework each week, and daily quiet time. Gradually over the course of the next year, I once again began to feel peace and safety. I realized that what I had been missing was the illusion of security, since true security comes from within me as a result of my relationship with God. I heard God's voice whispering to me many times, "Peace. Be still. I am with you." The storms still come, but I know that I am the apple of God's eye and cannot be outside of God's love and concern, even when I may not perceive it. The same is true for you!
www.MCCGSL.org
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Weekly Meditation - June 21st
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Weekly Meditation
by Christine White
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32
O give thanks to the Lord, who is good;
whose steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those God redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of God,
God's wondrous works in the deep.
Who commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to God in their trouble,
and were brought out from their distress;
God made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and God brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank God for God's steadfast love,
and wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol God in the congregation of the people,
and give praises in the assembly of the elders.
I was blessed to be raised in a home where I always felt safe. Ron was not. For both of us, it is awesome to find a place where we can feel safe as adults, in all our "weirdness". To us that place is MCCGSL. It is our home. It is our home with or without a building, for it is the people who make it a home. Having said that, I want to add YIPPEE!! We're adding a physical addition to our spiritual home!
Our mission statement is to accept, embody and declare God's love for all. Our physical space is not intended to keep people out or to separate us from the people who need to hear of God's love for them, a love that is offered, not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are. God's love is preached by many churches, but often it is a conditional love rather than the unconditional love that is preached and practiced here.
When I was growing up, my youngest sister Kathy had a friend in the neighborhood (I'll call her Debbie) whose mother had a questionable reputation. Many of the other mothers didn't allow their children to play with Debbie. My parents were different. My Dad signed Debbie up for the softball team that he coached, drove her to every practice and game and treated her just like he did his own daughter. Our family went on a family picnic to a swimming pool every Thursday during the summer and Debbie was often included in this outing.
Many times Debbie led my sister Kathy into making poor choices. Kathy was always held accountable for her actions and told that she should use her influence to help Debbie make better choices. Debbie was also held accountable for her poor choices, but the consequences never took her outside of my parents' unconditional love.
Over the years, we lost touch with Debbie. After my Dad, died we received a letter from Debbie. We all cried as we read how the love that she received from my parents made such a difference in her live. She had made a career out of the military and credited my parents with helping her make a success of her life because they believed in her and let her know it.
There are a lot of Debbies in this world. As we accept, embody and declare God's and our love for them, we can make a difference that will change the world!
Weekly Meditation
by Christine White
Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32
O give thanks to the Lord, who is good;
whose steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those God redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of God,
God's wondrous works in the deep.
Who commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to God in their trouble,
and were brought out from their distress;
God made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and God brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank God for God's steadfast love,
and wonderful works to humankind.
Let them extol God in the congregation of the people,
and give praises in the assembly of the elders.
I was blessed to be raised in a home where I always felt safe. Ron was not. For both of us, it is awesome to find a place where we can feel safe as adults, in all our "weirdness". To us that place is MCCGSL. It is our home. It is our home with or without a building, for it is the people who make it a home. Having said that, I want to add YIPPEE!! We're adding a physical addition to our spiritual home!
Our mission statement is to accept, embody and declare God's love for all. Our physical space is not intended to keep people out or to separate us from the people who need to hear of God's love for them, a love that is offered, not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are. God's love is preached by many churches, but often it is a conditional love rather than the unconditional love that is preached and practiced here.
When I was growing up, my youngest sister Kathy had a friend in the neighborhood (I'll call her Debbie) whose mother had a questionable reputation. Many of the other mothers didn't allow their children to play with Debbie. My parents were different. My Dad signed Debbie up for the softball team that he coached, drove her to every practice and game and treated her just like he did his own daughter. Our family went on a family picnic to a swimming pool every Thursday during the summer and Debbie was often included in this outing.
Many times Debbie led my sister Kathy into making poor choices. Kathy was always held accountable for her actions and told that she should use her influence to help Debbie make better choices. Debbie was also held accountable for her poor choices, but the consequences never took her outside of my parents' unconditional love.
Over the years, we lost touch with Debbie. After my Dad, died we received a letter from Debbie. We all cried as we read how the love that she received from my parents made such a difference in her live. She had made a career out of the military and credited my parents with helping her make a success of her life because they believed in her and let her know it.
There are a lot of Debbies in this world. As we accept, embody and declare God's and our love for them, we can make a difference that will change the world!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Weekly Meditation JUNE 14th
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
Weekly Meditation
by Gina McAlexander
Mark 4:26-34
Jesus also said, 'The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. He also said, 'With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
I have heard many sermons on the mustard seed; some taken from this passage and some from others in the New Testament. If I am honest, I have not always liked those sermons very much. I have felt afterwards that if I couldn't move mountains with my faith, then I didn't quite measure up. I have tried to look at this passage in a different light.
I think it's great that Jesus gives us examples of what the kingdom of God looks like. We have never seen the kingdom or its king for that matter. It is interesting that the person scattering the seeds has no idea how the seeds grow but the earth knows what to do and obviously so does the seed. The next example Jesus gives us in this passage is about a mustard seed; which in His day was probably one of the smallest seeds that the people could imagine. Have you ever looked at a mustard seed? Or perhaps you have seen one of those pendants at a Christian bookstore with a mustard seed in it. It's about 2 millimeters in size. That's pretty small. Again the mustard seed knows what to do once it's planted in the ground and the size of the seed really didn't matter nor control the outcome of the seed.
Ok Jesus, that's a nice story about farming and seeds and kingdoms and such. But what does that have to do with me? I may have a garden and it's a nice illustration and all, but what was Jesus really talking about?
I think what Jesus was trying to tell us is each person already has in them what they are called to be. They may not look like it, act like it or sound like it, but it's in there. Think about this; when you look at a seed of any kind whether apple, orange, peach, tomato etc, those seeds don't look anything like what they will become at maturity, do they? If you go to a seed store and buy seed to plant flowers, each little packet has a picture on the outside of the packet to let you know what you are planting. Why is that? Because the seed never looks like what it has the potential to become; it changes appearance on the outside as it grows and matures.
Can you think of yourself as a seed? Each of us is a child of God seed, with God given talents, gifts and abilities specifically and uniquely programmed into us. We may not look, act, or sound like, but it's all in there! Just like the natural seed we plant in our gardens or flower pots, God has put in us exactly what we are to be. So let's be patient with ourselves and with others, tend the garden of our hearts with spiritual nourishment, and behold the beauty that unfolds. Amen
Weekly Meditation
by Gina McAlexander
Mark 4:26-34
Jesus also said, 'The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. He also said, 'With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
I have heard many sermons on the mustard seed; some taken from this passage and some from others in the New Testament. If I am honest, I have not always liked those sermons very much. I have felt afterwards that if I couldn't move mountains with my faith, then I didn't quite measure up. I have tried to look at this passage in a different light.
I think it's great that Jesus gives us examples of what the kingdom of God looks like. We have never seen the kingdom or its king for that matter. It is interesting that the person scattering the seeds has no idea how the seeds grow but the earth knows what to do and obviously so does the seed. The next example Jesus gives us in this passage is about a mustard seed; which in His day was probably one of the smallest seeds that the people could imagine. Have you ever looked at a mustard seed? Or perhaps you have seen one of those pendants at a Christian bookstore with a mustard seed in it. It's about 2 millimeters in size. That's pretty small. Again the mustard seed knows what to do once it's planted in the ground and the size of the seed really didn't matter nor control the outcome of the seed.
Ok Jesus, that's a nice story about farming and seeds and kingdoms and such. But what does that have to do with me? I may have a garden and it's a nice illustration and all, but what was Jesus really talking about?
I think what Jesus was trying to tell us is each person already has in them what they are called to be. They may not look like it, act like it or sound like it, but it's in there. Think about this; when you look at a seed of any kind whether apple, orange, peach, tomato etc, those seeds don't look anything like what they will become at maturity, do they? If you go to a seed store and buy seed to plant flowers, each little packet has a picture on the outside of the packet to let you know what you are planting. Why is that? Because the seed never looks like what it has the potential to become; it changes appearance on the outside as it grows and matures.
Can you think of yourself as a seed? Each of us is a child of God seed, with God given talents, gifts and abilities specifically and uniquely programmed into us. We may not look, act, or sound like, but it's all in there! Just like the natural seed we plant in our gardens or flower pots, God has put in us exactly what we are to be. So let's be patient with ourselves and with others, tend the garden of our hearts with spiritual nourishment, and behold the beauty that unfolds. Amen
Monday, June 8, 2009
Remembering Aileen Garms
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
The community at MCCGSL wishes to express our prayers for Rev. Bev Stephenson in the loss of her partner of nearly 30 years, as we remember the very special Aileen Garms.
Aileen Garms passed away on May 12, following an extended battle with lung cancer.
She had been a member of MCC of Greater St. Louis since 1981, and also has ties to the MCC congregation in San Antonio, Texas, where she served as a board member for 10 years.
Honorary Donations may be made to the "Building Together" capital fund
http://www.mccgsl.org/
Marjorie Aileen Garms
Date:
January 4th, 1939 - May 12th, 2009
Death Notice:
Garms, Marjorie Aileen, of St. Ann, MO. born Jan. 4, 1939 in Cotulla, TX, passed away Tues., May 12, 2009. Parents: Aldon Garms (deceased) and Margie Garms (nee Oakes). Beloved lifetime partner of Rev. Bev Stephenson. Sisters: Kathleen Hill of Colorado, Betty Fairly of Martindale, TX, and Fran Jackson of Canyon Lake, TX. Survived by other relatives, nieces and nephews. A retired teacher and coach and Coach of the Year from Texas, and member of Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis. --------------- Service: Please contact the church office for date and time 314-361-3221. Any gifts/donations are to be made to the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis Building Together Fund. On line guestbook at http://www.hutchensmortuary.com/
The community at MCCGSL wishes to express our prayers for Rev. Bev Stephenson in the loss of her partner of nearly 30 years, as we remember the very special Aileen Garms.
Aileen Garms passed away on May 12, following an extended battle with lung cancer.
She had been a member of MCC of Greater St. Louis since 1981, and also has ties to the MCC congregation in San Antonio, Texas, where she served as a board member for 10 years.
Honorary Donations may be made to the "Building Together" capital fund
http://www.mccgsl.org/
Marjorie Aileen Garms
Date:
January 4th, 1939 - May 12th, 2009
Death Notice:
Garms, Marjorie Aileen, of St. Ann, MO. born Jan. 4, 1939 in Cotulla, TX, passed away Tues., May 12, 2009. Parents: Aldon Garms (deceased) and Margie Garms (nee Oakes). Beloved lifetime partner of Rev. Bev Stephenson. Sisters: Kathleen Hill of Colorado, Betty Fairly of Martindale, TX, and Fran Jackson of Canyon Lake, TX. Survived by other relatives, nieces and nephews. A retired teacher and coach and Coach of the Year from Texas, and member of Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis. --------------- Service: Please contact the church office for date and time 314-361-3221. Any gifts/donations are to be made to the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis Building Together Fund. On line guestbook at http://www.hutchensmortuary.com/
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Weekly Meditation June 7th
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Weekly Meditation
by Kelly Durbin
Romans 8:12-17 from the Message Bible:
So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa, or Mama?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who God is, and we know who we are: Parent and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us-an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
I love to read the Message Bible just for fun. It is freeing, poetic and touches my soul on a level that transcends intellect and cuts right to the heart. In this passage, we are eloquently reminded that when we are in Christ, our old "do-it-ourselves" kind of life needs to die. We need to bury self interest, get rid of our agendas, and follow the Spirit of God that is calling us to live a new kind of life, a life of love. Living a life primarily focused on ourselves, doing what "we" want and getting the "things" we want is doing exactly what this passage suggests; it's grave-tending because the things of this physical world are temporary, and as my Granny would say, "won't amount to a hill of beans!"
God did not give us a spirit of fear, indeed! By living a life safely in the arms of a loving Parent, we are free. I love the concept that our new resurrection lives are adventurously expectant, that we are to live asking God, "what's next?" full of wonder and excitement to face whatever life may offer in the moment. For you see, we will not face any challenge that Christ is not there to go through with us. And the very worst of this life cannot take from us the promise of the wonderful inheritance that we will receive as brothers and sisters, joint heirs with Christ.
How do we know what God has in store for us? God is so full of grace to have sent the Spirit to touch our spirits and confirm or "bear witness", to testify who we really are! For many years, I struggled to believe that God really loved me. I was told if I didn't follow certain "rules" I was not a child of God. I had a picture in my head of a judgmental and angry God who stood ever ready to punish when I made a mistake. I knew I would never be "good enough" to be in relationship with God, to be able to stand in God's presence. That was about the only thing that I had right; that I would never be good enough in my own right. It was when I finally understood that God is not surprised by my weakness or my flaws, and that I can turn them over to Christ who God gave as the perfect lamb to carry them, that I could be free -free to live a life, giving love.
It's not always an easy life, because dying to self is never easy. Always loving others as Christ loves us is sometimes not so easy either, especially when others don't act or behave in ways that we find lovable! But the mystery is this: according to I John 4:18-21, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. I John 5:3-4 continues: For the love of God is this, that we obey God's commandments. And God's commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. Let me repeat that...For the LOVE of God is this, that we obey God's commandments which are NOT burdensome because love is never burdensome. Accept God's love today and begin your expectant adventure...
Weekly Meditation
by Kelly Durbin
Romans 8:12-17 from the Message Bible:
So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa, or Mama?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who God is, and we know who we are: Parent and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us-an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
I love to read the Message Bible just for fun. It is freeing, poetic and touches my soul on a level that transcends intellect and cuts right to the heart. In this passage, we are eloquently reminded that when we are in Christ, our old "do-it-ourselves" kind of life needs to die. We need to bury self interest, get rid of our agendas, and follow the Spirit of God that is calling us to live a new kind of life, a life of love. Living a life primarily focused on ourselves, doing what "we" want and getting the "things" we want is doing exactly what this passage suggests; it's grave-tending because the things of this physical world are temporary, and as my Granny would say, "won't amount to a hill of beans!"
God did not give us a spirit of fear, indeed! By living a life safely in the arms of a loving Parent, we are free. I love the concept that our new resurrection lives are adventurously expectant, that we are to live asking God, "what's next?" full of wonder and excitement to face whatever life may offer in the moment. For you see, we will not face any challenge that Christ is not there to go through with us. And the very worst of this life cannot take from us the promise of the wonderful inheritance that we will receive as brothers and sisters, joint heirs with Christ.
How do we know what God has in store for us? God is so full of grace to have sent the Spirit to touch our spirits and confirm or "bear witness", to testify who we really are! For many years, I struggled to believe that God really loved me. I was told if I didn't follow certain "rules" I was not a child of God. I had a picture in my head of a judgmental and angry God who stood ever ready to punish when I made a mistake. I knew I would never be "good enough" to be in relationship with God, to be able to stand in God's presence. That was about the only thing that I had right; that I would never be good enough in my own right. It was when I finally understood that God is not surprised by my weakness or my flaws, and that I can turn them over to Christ who God gave as the perfect lamb to carry them, that I could be free -free to live a life, giving love.
It's not always an easy life, because dying to self is never easy. Always loving others as Christ loves us is sometimes not so easy either, especially when others don't act or behave in ways that we find lovable! But the mystery is this: according to I John 4:18-21, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. I John 5:3-4 continues: For the love of God is this, that we obey God's commandments. And God's commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. Let me repeat that...For the LOVE of God is this, that we obey God's commandments which are NOT burdensome because love is never burdensome. Accept God's love today and begin your expectant adventure...
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