About the Weblog... The 100th Post

As I logged on this morning, I realized that this is my 100th post. I actually started this blog on May 26th, before I even got to Grace. As I look over the posts, I realize that some of them are quite profound, some mundane and some just plain silly. I have really enjoyed this exercise so far, and now I want to step it up a bit. For that, I will need your help in two ways.

First of all, I want the weblog to be interactive. I think this technology presents an amazing opportunity in the life of a church. Statistically, most members of the church have very little personal interaction with the pastor. For most members, a handshake on Sunday morning is the most personal time they spend with a pastor. Because of this, pastors like John and I, hear very little feedback from most of the congregation. I am not just talking about feedback regarding worship, or the sermon, or the selection of hymns. I am talking about issues that affect us and the church in our lives and in our world.

Not only do most people not have much personal interaction with the pastors, we actually have very little with each other. Grace UMC has nearly 1000 members. How many of us know all of them. So may, but how many of those people do we get a chance to talk to about things other than the weather or the temperature of the sanctuary?

Just over the last couple weeks, I have posted thoughts on poverty, a link to an article on Rosa Parks, and a link to an article about the United Methodist Committee on Relief's ongoing efforts on the Gulf Coast. I think it would be wonderful if we all had a chance to see where we all weigh in on these things.

The best way to get people commenting is to comment. Once people see that this is a safe to share, we may get more sharing.

Second, I need your help spreading the word. I can print bulletin and newsletter notices, I can mention it from the pulpit, but the best for people to hear about this space is for someone they know to tell them. Write down the address on piece of paper and give it to a friend, better yet, e-mail them the link. Even easier, at the bottom of each post, there is a little envelope, click it and you can send a post to anyone via e-mail. If you see a post that interests you, send it to someone. And don't be limited to members of the church. I believe in the power of technology for outreach. Someone outside of our church may get a glimpse of Grace through the words of this weblog (mine or yours) and decide that we might be worth visiting. It was a shabby, old church sign that brought me to God, why not a weblog.

My 100th post is probably also my longest. Thank you to all who faithfully read and to those who comment about it in person. (It is good to be reminded that someone is reading.) I thank God for all of you.

peace,

will

Make a Joyful Noise Sunday In Pictures

In case you couldn't be there.

Rosa Parks, another look

I want to pass along a wonderful op-ed piece from the New York Times this morning that takes a little deeper into the person of Rosa Parks than our text-books tend to go.

The Long History of a Bus Ride

blessings on your week,

will

More reading... not so deep this time

As I wrote in a post earlier this week, I am trying to get in the habit of writing something about the books I read. Just so you know that not all the books I read are thick tomes of systematic theology or insightful proposals to end poverty, I just finished The Broker by John Grisham.

I used to read all of Grisham's stuff but I fell out of the habit in seminary. (I had enough to read.) I like his books because, for me, they are one step away from watching a movie. They don't overly tax my brain, they just give me a chance to escape for a bit into another world. I have to do something just for fun once in a while, right?

The one warning I will give you about this book, is that it may make you want to visit Italy or at least drink more espresso.

peace and happy reading,

will

Good News for UMCOR and victims

Check out this article from the New York Times about a federal grant it will be using to help storm victims.

U.S. to Use Religious Charity to Run Storm Relief Project

peace,

will

A Good Time for a Greek Lesson

Many of your know that when the National Hurricane Center runs out of storm names (Wilma was the last this year) they move on to name storms after the letters of the Greek alphabet. Since I had to learn Greek in seminary, this is a wonderful time for us all to review.

It seems that tropical storm Alpha has already dispersed, and we are already on to tropical storm Beta.

Let's hope we don't get too proficient in Greek this year.

peace,

will

The End of Poverty

One of the things I always mean to do on this blog is write about the books I read. Unfortunately, I seem to finish one book and pick up another and totally forget about writing. But I am still trying.

I have just finished The End of Poverty, Economic Possibilities for our Time, by Jeffrey D. Sachs. If you read Time Magazine, you may have seen an excerpt in their March 14^th edition.

Sachs lays out not only how bad the problem of poverty and disease is in third world countries (eight million people die each year worldwide simply because they are too poor for the basic necessities of life[1]) he also lays out a plan to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 and basically eliminate it by 2025.

What is fascinating about Sachs is that he is not just a pie in the sky dreamer. He is a world renowned economist who had looked into the clinical economics of poverty and determined what is needed to get the poorest countries out of the poverty trap and onto the first rung of economic development.

If you have heard about or read about the ONE Campaign (there is a link on the right side of this weblog) you may have heard about the Millennium Development Goals that Sachs supports. I know that there are some who disagree with this particular plan to end poverty, but it is really hard to ignore the catastrophic problem of extreme poverty when there is something that can be done.

I really recommend this book. Even is Sachs doesnÂ’t convince you of his plan, you will learn a lot about the economic of poverty.

peace,

will

---

[1] Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty, Economic Possibilities for our Time, (New York: The Penguin Press, 2005) 1

Sometimes I don't know how Texans do it.

One of the hardest things for me to get used to as a transplanted New Yorker is how relative driving distance is. People from this giant state of Texas seem to think it is no big deal to drive 3 hours for a meeting and then drive back. Where I am from you can get into three states in that kind of time.

I have been traveling a few too many miles for my taste lately. Last week Alisha and I drove to San Antonio to fly to North Carolina. Yesterday we drove up to Austin for a meeting I had to attend and Thursday we are headed back to San Antonio for another meeting. I am starting to wish 37 had some different scenery.

It all comes with the territory. At least that is what the natives say.

peace,

will

Wilma

(Click on picture for a larger image)

We live in an amazing time. It is only a brief piece of the history of humankind that we can see storms like this from space and even begin to understand the forces at work in them. Hurricanes are frightening all by themselves. Can you imagine a time when we had no idea they were coming, how long they would last or what caused such terror to come unannounced?

Not that any of that brings any peace to those in Wilma's path. We may have figured out the what and how, but only God truly gets the why.

peace,

will

Make a Joyful Noise!

What a joy it was this morning to worship with so many from our family of faith. It was a wonderful blessing to have everyone together in one service. I look forward to more chances to do that in the future.

I am so thankful for our musicians and our witnesses that shared their gifts and their stories this morning. Wonderful things are happening at Grace.

peace,

will

Trying to get back up to speed

Click on the photo for a larger view of the sunset in North Carolina as taken by Alisha.

It always takes me a couple of days to get back up to speed after some rest and relaxation. But there is no time for slacking! This is a busy weekend at Grace. The Harvest Fair takes place tomorrow with lots of vendors in the fellowship hall, UMW baked goods in the glassway, a sneak preview of the thrift shop next door and of course, pumpkins!

Sunday is "Make a Joyful Noise" Sunday. We will have one big worship service, with gathering music at 9:30 and worship beginning at 10 in the fellowship hall. It will be a great chance to gather as one big family and worship together.

peace,

will

It's a rough life here...

in North Carolina

A Little R&R

I am posting today from Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Alisha and I are spending a little time at the beach with her family. I will upload some pictures in the next couple days.

I hope all is well back on the Texas coast!

peace,

will

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins

The pumpkins are here! Grace's annual pumpkin patch us underway. After a slight delay, the arrived in the rain on Tuesday afternoon and we had a ton of eager volunteers to unload over 2000 pumpkins!

I hope you get a chance to stop by and stroll through the pumpkins. I hope you find the perfect one for your home. Remember, all the proceeds go to mission through the United Methodist Church.

I am certainly glad they arrived because it brought a taste of autumn back into my world. Growing up in Western New York, October was definitely fall. I remember trick-or-treating in my snow boots. I don't miss harsh winters, but I will always miss cool autumn days, falling leaves and that smell that you only get when it is truly fall. At least the pumpkins and a hint of cool weather have reminded me of home.

peace,

will

Harmful Rumors

I have become very interested over the last few years in rumors and urban legends and how we sometimes base our opinions and actions on information that is totally false. It seems that the victims of Katrina may have been victims of not just storms, but bad information.

This story from The Washington Post has a lot to say on that issue:

News of Pandemonium May Have Slowed Aid
(notice - this link may be invalid 14 days after this post)

I have actually been pretty shocked by the Katrina rumor mill. My inbox has been flooded with e-mails related to Katrina relief. Most of them have been stories of hope and heroism or pleas for help and support. However, some have been pretty revolting (and totally untrue) tales of rude or criminal behavior of evacuees. Whenever I receive questionable e-mails, I check them out at a website called snopes.com. They are a clearing house of urban legends.

Here is an example at snopes:

Utah Evacuees

In case you don't have a chance to read it, it is a review of an e-mail reporting on absolutely horrible behavior of evacuees taken to Utah. It also alleges that most of these evacuees were criminals, gang members and drug users. What is interesting is that none of this checks out. None of it appears to be true.

Even if there are accounts of bad behavior or even criminal behavior among evacuees, why is that so interesting? There seems to be quite a bit of bad behavior among people who haven't lost everything. A look at recent headlines points me to quite a bit of bad and criminal behavior among the wealthy and powerful.

Barbara Mikkelson, a staffer at Snopes.com had this thought.

Such characterization tends to fit more neatly into what people need to believe if they are to feel good about scaling back on the relief efforts underway — by convincing themselves recipients of their largesse are both unworthy and ungrateful, they will find it less painful to disassociate themselves than if the victims of Katrina remained in their minds sweet-faced little children, befuddled but lovable grandfathers, and struggling families who lost it all and now have nothing. [1]

I guess the point of this, one of my longest posts ever is this: Read news and especially e-mails critically. Think of the story Jesus told about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Had a reporter been walking down that road, would they have stopped to help or would they have written a story about how the man shouldn't have been there in the first place. I think most would stop to help. Watch out for the one who writes the story.

peace,

will

[1] Barbara Mikkelson, "Rest Stop", Snopes.com, http://www.snopes.com/katrina/personal/reststop.asp, accessed 11, October, 2005, internet;

The latest on a few things

I have been a little surprised at the limited media attention given to the earthquake in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. I thought I would pass along a fairly comprehensive article from Reuters News Service.

Blocked roads, hail hamper Pakistan relief effort

I also want to pass along an update from The United Methodist Committee on Relief on efforts to assist in the area.

UMCOR - Pakistan Earthquake

Also, in the wake of Katrina and in the shadow of this latest disaster, not much attention is being given to our brothers and sisters here in Texas after Rita. I want to pass along a letter from the bishop of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie.

October 3, 2005 - extravagant generosity

I think the reason there is not a lot of talk about the earthquake or the effects of Rita is that people are worn out. I understand that. In fact, I am not sure that constant media attention is always the most helpful thing. What we need is compassion and generosity. Natural disasters bring human suffering front and center. The reality is that people suffer needlessly every day. Perhaps it is best we not get hung up watching scenes of destruction and CNN and grieving. Instead perhaps we should be thinking about what we can do to help those who suffer from both the latest disaster and the daily disasters of poverty, homelessness, inadequate medical care, genocide, war, and needless violence that plague our planet every day.

Just a thought.

peace,

will

In case you missed it... this week's sermon

You can read it here.

Feel free to come back to this post and leave thoughts and comments.

peace,

will

Sunday Preview

Scripture: Mark 10:17-21

Sermon Title: “Thanks for Nothing!”

I am preaching this week on one of the most colorful narratives in the New Testament. It is one that gets ignored a lot because it brings up issues that make some preachers uncomfortable. (Jesus does that a lot.)

When things get difficult in my life, I like to go camping. So, faced with a difficult piece of scripture, I am going to talk about going camping. On Sunday I will share some of my experience (and a couple of photos) of my time in the Colorado backcountry last summer.

See you Sunday!

peace,

will

Young Adults This Week (Tonight)

If you are 18 to 30ish come on by the parsonage tonight at 7:30. If you are not 18 to 30ish, tell someone who is!

This week, we will be talking about garbage! Did you know, on average, each American throws away 7.5 pounds of garbage a day? In the U.S., each year, we use enough aluminum cans to make 6,000 DC-10 airplanes. We consume lots of stuff and we throw a lot away. Don't worry though, this isn't going to be a lecture on how you should reduce, reuse and recycle. Instead, we will look biblically at how we think about stuff and what we do with it.

If you need more info or directions, e-mail me.

peace,

will

Off it goes!

Thank you all again for putting together flood buckets and health kits for the United Methodist Committee on Relief's Hurricane Relief. The truck picked them all up this morning and after stops to pick up more in San Antonio and Austin, they will be off to Baldwin, Louisiana and the Sager-Brown Depot. (By the way, between Grace, Mathis UMC and Beeville, we sent 288 health kits and 43 flood buckets!) From there the will be sent out to Hurricane relief efforts in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. They will also help replenish the stock to UMCOR has supplies on hand if they should be needed in the future.

It is also important to remember that UMCOR works all around the world. The health kits and other supplies go to places like Afghanistan and the Congo. They are used to bring relief to displaced people and also to teach people about hygiene and basic health care.

peace,

will

A word about prayer

I came across these wonderful words about prayer this morning at the prayer website run by the Irish Jesuits. I have mentioned the site before on this weblog. You can find it at www.sacredspace.ie.

The catechism definition of prayer is useful: the raising of the heart and mind to God. Not that we need a definition. Prayer is something we do in our own way. We breathe, smile and metabolize food, without defining the operations; so too with prayer. But we can consciously put ourselves in the way of prayer. Quiet the body. One traditional method is to sit with the backbone straight, from your bottom to the top of your head, the eyes half-closed, the breathing slow and easy, the hands on your lap with the palms facing upwards in openness to GodÂ’s gifts. Then we aim to become present to God as he is always present to us. He has ears to listen to what our heart is saying.

Blessings on your week!

will

hummingbirds

(click on the photo for a larger view)
I couldn't think of a more creative post title today. Alisha and I have been really amazed by the swarms of hummingbirds who come to the feeders in the yard. Some people who have lived in Corpus for a while think this is perfectly normal, but we are still amazed.

It took Alisha a while of experimenting to get this shot. It takes a pretty fast shutter speed and the ability to manually focus. They are amazing to watch.

peace,

will

In case you were wondering...

In case you have been in the gym at Grace and are wondering why all the flood buckets and health kits are still there, here is the info from the conference office:

The United Methodist Committee on Relief has asked Southwest Texans to delay their shipment of hurricane-recovery supplies for a week. With the approach of Hurricane Rita, officials at the committee's Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin , La. , have said they may send the flood buckets and health kits from Southwest Texas straight to a disaster site. That's the word from Susan Hellums, Southwest Texas Conference Volunteers in Mission coordinator. Southwest Texas United Methodists have been assembling flood buckets filled with cleanup supplies and health kits containing personal hygiene items since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Aug. 29. Items were to have been picked up Tuesday. Church members now have an additional week to gather aid items, Hellums said.

Feel free to keep bringing them in! UMCOR needs them more than ever.

peace,

This week's sermon

Better late than never... here is Sunday's sermon. As always, I apologize in advance for typos, things I said in the sermon that are not in the manuscript and things in the manuscript that were not actually in the sermon.

Your feedback is always welcomed!

peace,

will

What do you mean there is no wireless internet here?

I apologize for my blogging absence for the last couple of days. I was at a retreat at Mount Wesley. For those who don't know, that is our United Methodist Retreat Center in Kerrville. I think it is safe to call it a retreat center now rather than a camp. The have recently added a large dining facility and renovated (and air conditioned) the worship center. Fortunately there are still lots of deer running around and it is nice and quiet.

I was there for a two day retreat for something called Covenant Connection. While I am in the probationary period of my ordainment which lasts three years, I will meet five times a year with a group of my peers. Each member of my ordination class is assigned a liaison pastor who has already gone through this process. We all meet to discuss the joys and challenges of ministry, to continue our theological education and to prepare for our final ordination. The group of Lawson pastors and the people who run this group will also write an evaluation and recommendation regarding us that will go to the Board of Ordained Ministry who makes the final decision about our ordination.

This may sound complicated and cumbersome. However, when I talk to my colleagues in other denominations, who are ordained straight out of seminary with no support of accountability and listen to how hard it is for them to make it as pastors, I celebrate our system.

I love questions about the ordination process. I know it can be confusing, but it is an important part of how the larger church operates. Feel free to ask me.

I will have my sermon from this week posted later today. (I hope)

peace,

will

We are back... and mostly ready to go

Contrary to some previous announcements we will worship at Grace this Sunday morning. Some of our staff members and some of the people who help put worship together are still away, but we will work with what we have. If you stayed in town or if you have returned from wherever you evacuated from, I hope that you will come and join us this Sunday morning.

We will worship at the normal times: 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00. However, due to the failure of a compressor in one of our main AC units, we will worship in the gym.

We have a lot to be thankful for this week and a lot of people we need to pray for. Please join us as we praise God and listen to the scriptures for a message of hope and grace.

peace,

will

It is beautiful... from the air...

Here is the latest satellite image of Rita courtesy of thestormtrack.com.

Hi Rita...

I liked the turtle pictures better. Here is hoping Rita just gets tired and gives up.

In the Neighborhood

I haven't written much about our neighborhood meetings. In case you haven't heard, Pastor John and I have been attending a number of small group meetings hosted in the homes of some of our members. They are meant as a time where we can get to know people better in a smaller setting and also hear about people's hopes and dreams for Grace.

So far, the experiences have been amazing. John and I have felt really blessed to learn more about so many people and get a glimpse of a vision of the future for Grace United Methodist Church. If you haven't attended a meeting yet, I encourage you to watch the bulletin and newsletter for one in your neighborhood. If there is not one at a convenient time on your neighborhood, go to someone else's neighborhood. Also, if you are interested in hosting a meeting in your home, let me know and we will set it up.

peace,

will

Simon Squared

I've noticed that the weblog has been a little heavy lately since I have been mostly writing about Katrina relief. So, I thought I would share this. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about Simon, the box turtle Alisha brought home. Well, first of all, it's not Simon, it is Simone. She is the big one on the left. In the mean time, someone brought us another one (on the right). He is a boy so he has inherited the name Simon. Simon and Simone seem to be getting along nicely.

peace,

will

Katrina Relief Update

I have been using this blog as a clearing house for Katrina relief info for the congregation and I have a couple of timely things.

First of all, the youth will be putting together flood buckets this Sunday. If you are interested in helping them stock them, bring supplies by the church. The list of contents are listed further down in the weblog.

Second of all, I just got a request from an area church for some help. Here it is:

I received a call for help from First UMC in Taft. The Taft Housing Authority has opened up apartments for 8 families (Katrina evacuees). They need beds immediately - 6 Twin, 6 full, plus the frames to support the mattresses. They also could use towels, bedding, coffee pots, toaster ovens, etc.

They DO NOT need food, clothing, stoves or refrigerators.

If your church can help whit this request, please call Huck Nelson at 361-528-2880 or call the church tomorrow - 361-528-2131.

I know a lot of you are doing a lot of great work for victims and displaces families and I love to hear about it. Post a comments a let us all know!

peace,

will

Welcoming our Neighbors

Grace United Methodist Church is certainly a welcoming place. I don't know of anyone here who isn't happy to see a new face among us. What we always need to be thinking about though is, "do others see us that way?" When someone comes to Grace for the very first time, do they get the impression that we really want them here and really want them to come back.

It is something that we always need to be thinking about and it is something that we think about across the denomination. The United Methodist Church has a wonderful program called Igniting Ministries. The program encourages churches to really look hard at what they do to be welcoming places. They offer an opportunity for review that can lead to becoming a "Welcoming Congregation." The process for achieving that status really has the potential to help churches be the most welcoming they can be.

Our District Superintendent, Barbara Ruth has challenged all Corpus Christi District churches to become "Welcoming Congregations. " The first step is learning how. If you are interested, I encourage you to attend a training event at First UMC Beeville, Saturday, September 24 from 9 to noon. I attended a preview of the training this morning and it is really worth it. Attending the training does not commit you to anything, but it may spark your interest.

The session is free. If you are interested, just drop me an e-mail and I will add your name to the list. Let me know if you have any questions.

peace,

will

Young Adults... In The Beginning

If you are not in the 18-30ish crowd, I bet you know someone who is. We meet every Thursday evening at the Grace parsonage, hang out and eat for a while and then talk about current events and how they relate to our faith.. We have a really solid core group, but we have room for plenty more. I hope that you will help us spread the word.

This week, after sharing some fajitas we will talk about how it all started. The debate over how the origins of the world should be taught in schools rages on. We are going to be talking about evolution, biblical creationism, intelligent design and how we think about faith and science.

I think this will be a good conversation, I hope we have a good group of people!

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

As always, hard copies of the sermons are available in the glassway.

Here is this week's sermon in electronic form.

I always treasure your feedback about the sermon and/or the service.

peace,

will

Deadline for UMCOR Stuff

Expect a couple more posts today. I plan to put my sermon online in a while and I want to talk about our mentoring program (though that may have to wait until tomorrow.)

I want to, first of all, thank everyone who had been bringing Health Kits and Flood Buckets to the office. We are starting to get a nice stockpile. I have heard there are a bunch more Flood Buckets on the way. As I posted below, Grace is a drop off point for the supplies for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. We are hoping some of the other local United Methodist churches will be adding to the stock soon.

Second, I want to let you know that we are now on a bit of deadline. Monday, September 19th is now the day we plan to ship these supplies to either Louisiana or Houston. UMCOR's main depot is in Louisiana, but they have secured warehouse space in Houston so our supplies may go there first. So, if you are planning on putting together some kits, please have them to the office by Sunday, September 18th.

Due to the scope of this relief effort, I believe we will continue collecting materials after this date. However, anything we collect after this shipment, we will have to ship ourselves and that can get pretty expensive.

If you want to know more about the Flood Buckets and Health Kits, all the information is in previous posts below.

peace,

will

This Sunday

Most of you get this by e-mail, but here it is for those whose don't:

Sunday Preview

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Sermon Title: "The Ultimate Witness"

In Psalm 137, the Psalmist asks, "How could we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?" The question reflects the sorrow of God's people in Babylon, wondering how they could carry on in the midst of their exile. Last week, I thought of this Psalm as I considered the question, "how do we praise God in the midst of terrible tragedy?" This week, the Psalm remains with me as I consider, "how do we remember one tragedy in the midst of another?"

The answer to both questions lies in thinking about what it is we can be thankful for, even in the midst of sorrow. This Sunday we will give thanks. On the fourth anniversary of September 11th 2001, we will remember and give thanks. We will pause in the service to remember that day, those who were lost, those who still suffer. We will also give thanks. We will give thanks for the ultimate witness of love that we all experienced in the selfless acts of bravery and kindness that so clearly marked that day and the days that followed.

In particular, we will give thanks for the men and women who sacrifice and serve specifically to protect us and heal us. We will lift up the service the members of our community who work as firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, anyone who works on the front lines helping us when we need it most. If you have friends and neighbors who serve in this way, please invite them to join us. We will also have a reception in their honor following the 11:00 service.

This Sunday, we will also continue to receive donations for the flood recovery efforts of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. You may put checks in the offering plate. Just mark them "Hurricane."

Grace UMC is also now the district collection point for much needed flood buckets and health kits. If you or your small group would like to assemble some, all the information is available on handouts in the breezeway, in this week's newsletter or online at www.umcor.org. Feel free to e-mail me at pastorwillrice@gmail.com with any questions.

See you Sunday!

peace,

will

Update from UMCOR

UM relief committee calls for specific supplies to meet shelter needs
September 8

The United Methodist Committee on Relief issued a call Thursday for the following items:

+ Health Kits

+ School Kits

+ New Twin Sheets

+ New Pillows

+ New Blankets

+ Air mattresses

Health Kits and School Kits are collections of specific items that can be found on the relief committee website at: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/kits/ . (Note - info on health kits can also be found further down on the weblog)

The Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin , La. , needs the items to meet needs of tens of thousand people in shelters along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.

Four Southwest Texas sites have agreed to be collection points for health kits, flood buckets, blankets and other items intended for Sager Brown Depot:

+ Austin : Memorial UMC, 6100 Berkman Drive .

+ Corpus Christi : Grace UMC, 11222 Leopard St .

+ McAllen : Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley , 2601 Zinnia.

+ San Antonio : Windcrest UMC, 8101 Midcrown, Windcrest

Susan Hellums, Volunteers in Mission coordinator, is arranging to have a truck take the flood buckets, health kits and other items to Sager Brown later in September.

If you have things that you want to give, I would be glad to have someone come pick them up if you can't get them to the church.

peace,

will

Flood Buckets

The United Methodist Committee on Relief's number one and two needs right now are money and health kits. In the post below I talked about health kits. Flood buckets are there number three need and will be a continuing need even after the long clean up from Katrina.

Grace UMC is now a drop off point in the Corpus Christi area for health kits and flood buckets. If you or your group want to assemble either of these, you can drop them off at Grace 11222 Leopard Street. Call for more info at 361-242-3333. Since the details of the Health Kit are listed below, here is the info on the flood buckets:

A flood bucket contain the following items (all items should be new) :

5 gallon bucket with resealable lid
5 scouring pads
Bleach – two 1-quart or one 82 oz bottle
7 pack sponges
1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz bottle
1 scrub brush
Disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz bottle
2 pair latex gloves
18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes)
50 clothes pins
Clothes line (two 50 ft or one 100 ft)
5 dust masks
1 pair work gloves
Liquid laundry detergent (two 25 oz or one 50 oz bottle)
24 bag roll of heavy duty trash bags (33-45 gallon)
1 Insect repellant spray, 6-14 oz can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps)
1 Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps)

In a separate envelope, please also provide $1.50 per bucket to cover distribution costs. You can make that check out to Grace UMC and we will send one check with all the kits.

Some people have asked me about the buckets themselves. Home Depot has them. The buckets can be found all over the store. The lids are in the paint department. Let me know if you have any questions.

peace,

will

What We are Doing...

Thank you to everyone who is helping already with the relief effort. On Sunday alone, we raised over $4500 for UMCOR and local assistance. I am told that checks continue to roll in.

We have already distributed a number of health kits to local shelters. This is a continuing urgent need. The UMCOR-Sager Brown depot supplies these not only for relief efforts here in the U.S., they send them all over the world. Their resources are tapped and they cannot get them fast enough. We will be able to have these trucked right to Louisiana to restock the warehouse.

A Health Kit contains specific items:

1 hand towel (15"” x 25"” up to 17"” x 27"”)
1 wash cloth
1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz and up)
1 toothbrush (single brush only in original wrapper; no child-sized brushes)
1 large tube of toothpaste (4.5 or larger, expiration date must be 6 months or longer in advance of the date of shipment to Sager Brown)
6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages

All items should be placed inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag. No money, notes, religious or political literature, or other items should be placed in the kits. In a seperate envelope, please also provide $1.00 per kit to cover distribution costs. You can make that check out to Grace UMC and we will send one check with all the kits.

You can bring completed kits by the church, or if you need, I can pick them up.

You can read more about it here.

I will let you know as soon as I can the date the truck will be going. However, we can keep working past that. While the acute need will subside, UMCOR will always need these.

Thank you for all you are already doing.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

Is available here.

peace,

will

More local Katrina relief information...

If you are interested in helping locally, either with your time, money or food, clothing and supplies, you can go to the following website for all the information:

www.cctexas.com

Either click the link about or go to cctexas.com and click on the Kartrina Assistance link.

I would love to now what people are doing. Feel free to post comments about what you are doing in the wake of this disaster.

peace,

will

Urgent Need - Here in Corpus

First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi is hosting displaced people from Hurricane Katrina. They are in need of a number of supplies and volunteers. If you would like to help, here is the information.

There are a number of additional ways to help in the Corpus Christi area. This link takes you to the full list provided by the Caller Times.

peace,

will

Better words than mine...

My dear friend Jen Austin has posted some wonderful words relating to hurricane Katrina on her weblog. You can read them here:

Katrina's Cause and Effect

peace,

will

Still more information

If you are interested in assembling flood buckets or better yet assembling a team to assemble flood buckets, it looks as though the conference will be helping us to get them to where they need to go.

Here is what you need to know about the flood buckets.

Please e-mail me if you have questions.

peace,

will

Continuing Updates on Katrina Relief

The latest is that there may be as many as 25,000 refugees headed to San Antonio. Corpus Christi officials are beginning to prepare for the possibilities of refugees coming to Corpus Christi in the near future. The best way to help continues to be through cash donations.

The United Methodist Committee on relief has already raised $570,000 online. You can read here about fund raising efforts and where the money is going here.

Click here to donate to UMCOR

Our Southwest Texas Conference Bishop Joel Martinez has posted a message about the disaster response, you can read it here.

I will continue to post here as I hear about more ways we can help. I know people are interested in helping in a physical, hands on way. There will be opportunities to serve, I will try to get you the information as soon as possible.

peace,

will

Katrina Update

I have been getting lost of questions about how people can best help with the relief effort following Hurricane Katrina. This is the latest update from our Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Katrina Update from Southwest Texas Conference.

I will continue to post updates here.

peace,

will

More sad news...

Sometimes when one disaster overwhelms us, we can totally overlook another.

Hundreds of pilgrims killed in Iraq stampede.

A Deep Sadness

I am struck with a deep sadness this morning as the full impact of Hurricane Katrina begins to sink in. I realized after December's tsunami that with catastrophic events, it takes a number of days for people to truly understand. Even if we watch all the media coverage, for many, it takes a certain amount of time before the events become real and they are able to begin to process the full emotional impact. I think in a day of information overload, it may be how our brains protect us. But now, beginning to see how bad things are, and beginning to connect with the emotions, this is overwhelmingly sad.

We all have different ways of coping with news like this. For some, it is to reach out and do whatever they can to help. What helps most in times like this is money. I am working right now on an opportunity to give toward relief efforts on Sunday.

If you want to start now, you can give through the United Methodist Committee on Relief in a couple of ways. You can write a check and bring it by the church. Just mark in the memo line:

"UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global"

You can also drop a check with the same notation in the offering plate on Sunday and we will get it to UMCOR. You can also give on the web, through the mail or over the phone by going to this link:

UMCOR: Hurricane Relief

Because of faithful giving of United Methodist Churches throughout the year, UMCOR's operation expenses are already covered. Therefore 100% of this giving goes directly to hurricane relief.

I hope you can come to worship on Sunday where we can pray about this together.

peace,

will

Meeting the Challenge - Update

Well...

I am excited that I was taken seriously when I made the challenge that we all step up and get involved in serious Bible study. Not only have sixteen people committed to join me in Disciple I, I actually have 20 currently signed up and at least two waiting for a spot.

Pastor John's Disciple III class is also filled beyond capacity and there are at least two waiting for a spot in there.

As of now, I am not going to take any more registrations for either class. However, that does not mean you should give up on Bible study. We will continue to offer additional short-term opportunities to study throughout the year. We also have a number of Sunday school classes and small groups that meet throughout the week. If you are looking for somewhere to learn in community, let me know and I will try to help you find your way.

peace,

will

In the Neighborhood

John and I had our first "Neighborhood Meeting" last night. I think it went better than we had even anticipated. One of the things that we really miss out as pastors in a large church like Grace is an opportunity to visit with people. There is so much we can learn from each other and there is so much more we can do as a church when we have a chance to communicate.

We will be continuing to meet in small groups in homes throughout the fall and probably into the winter. Watch the Grace newsletter for dates and times. If you can't find one you can get to, you can host one in your own home.

peace,

will

Turtles in our midst

There is a new resident at the Grace parsonage. Alisha found a turtle on a speed bump in our neighborhood. She figured it wasn't going to do very well against the cars and golf carts in the neighborhood so it is currently living in the atrium outside of our bathroom.

Alisha has named him Simon and he seems to be eating all of our veggies and some of Bodhi's dog food.

I will let you know how he (or she... I haven't checked yet) settles in.

peace,

will

Earth's Core Rotates Faster than Surface, Study Confirms

Earth's Core Rotates Faster than Surface, Study Confirms

You know, I am always looking up, but rarely thinking about what is below me. The earth is a fascinating place and I have a lot of respect for people who think about how it works.

I came across this article this morning. Some verfication and new details on the stuff we learned in middle school science class. I bet most of us haven't thought about it since then!

peace,

will

Stories

You know, I read a lot. Part of why I read is so that I can find ways to better articulate the good news of God's grace. As I read and understand at a deeper level, I hope that I can communicate the way that God is at work in our world, pursuing us, loving us, and transforming us.

What I find though is that all these books, mostly written by very smart people aren't nearly as good as the stories that people tell me of God's work in their lives. I have had a chance to meet with a couple of really amazing people this week. These are people whose lives have been harder than most of us can imagine. When they tell their stories I begin to see a clearer illustration of the amazing grace of God than I can read in any theological text (theological actually translates -"words about God.") When people really open up and share their walk with God, I know I am really walking on holy ground.

Perhaps there is someone out there who can see God through your story. Or, perhaps there is someone's story out there that will reveal God to you, if you are willing to listen.

peace,

will

Meeting the Challenge

I made a challenge in worship two weeks ago that we be a church that studies the Bible together in small groups. I am pleased with the number of people who have responded to that challenge by enrolling in Disciple Bible Study. I made a specific challenge for 16 people to join me in Disciple I on Tuesday nights. I now have enough people to form a class, but I am still not backing down from that challenge. I am looking for a few more people to fill that class.

Teaching Disciple is one of the most rewarding things I do as a pastor. Most people just don't know how rich, complex and enlightening the Bible can be. The purpose of Disciple I is to open the Bible up to you in new ways. We read the text, but we also look at the background and context. We are informed by scripture and by the history of God's people and we are also informed by each other. It is by reading together and beginning to see scripture through each other's eyes that the word of God comes alive with a message for our lives today. If you think Bible study is boring, I assure you, Disciple will change your mind.

There are also a number of openings in Pastor John's Thursday evening Disciple III class. If you have already taken Disciple I, I really want to encourage you to consider studying with John. Studying the Bible is a lifelong journey and this is a wonderful opportunity to take the next step.

If you want to register you can e-mail me or call the church office at 361-242-3333. The deadline to register is this Sunday.

peace,

will

A Blessed Sunday...

We had a wonderful Sunday of worship this week. I would say we had the largest attendance we have had since John and I got here in June.

A few people have asked me about John's sermons. They are available in print form in the glassway between the education building and the sanctuary. I am going to work this week on getting those online as well.

My Tuesday Disciple I class and John's Thursday Disciple III class are both filling up. We both have a few spots left. If you are interested in either one, I suggest you let me know this week. My class is limited to 16 and I am not sure where John has set the cap on his, but it is probably about the same.

Have a grace filled week.

peace,

will

Remembering to Rest

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work-- you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Bodhi brings us this reminder that while God created us for work and for recreation, God also created us for rest. Rest is part of God's design for us. Bodhi and I hope that you find some time this week to just rest in God's presence.

peace,

will

Young Adults - Talking about Video Games

If you are 18-30ish (I am about to turn 34 and they still let me come... then again, it's my house) join us this Thursday. If you are not, I bet you know someone who is!

We will join together again this Thursday at 7:30 at the Grace Parsonage for fellowship and discussion. Food will be modified pot luck again, which means bring something if you can. I will try to have some sort of meat. We have a ton of chips and salsa and I think we are doing pretty good on sodas, although I am sure we could use more. If you can, bring some snacks or desert (or even more meat if you like) to share.

Here is what we will be talking about:

This week, we will be talking about video games. A lot of the games out there now have quite a bit of violent and sexual content. Instead of just saying, “video games are bad, we should stop playing them and make sure our kids don’t play them,” we are going to ask a question. With the prevalence of sex and violence in many of the games today, should Christians avoid video games or do they have benefits in moderate use?

This should be a good discussion. It may be a good week to invite someone new.

If you need more info or directions, e-mail me. See you at the house!

will

Blogging Pressure

Since the Witness article, I have noticed a bit of an increase in the number of visits to the weblog. I suddenly feel as though I should be posting something meaningful. But, you know, sometimes I don't have anything meaningful to say.

If you are considering Disciple Bible Study, (See post below) today would be a great day to sign up. You can register via e-mail for the Tuesday night Disciple I class. E-mail me and I will e-mail you back a registration form.

peace,

will

Sermon for 8.14.05

This Sunday's sermon is now posted, complete with typos, other errors and some things I may or may not have said.

You can read it here.

As always, your thoughts, comments, and questions are always welcomed!

By the way, if reading the sermon piques your interest in Disciple Bible Study, send me an e-mail and I will get you all the information (and a registration form if you want one.)

peace,

will

Drawing Some Attention

Welcome to all who have found their way to the weblog after reading about it in the United Methodist Witness. They did a nice article about it this month. You can read it online here.

I will have this week's sermon posted either later today or tomorrow. I am still working on making it look like what I actually said.

peace,

will

This Sunday

In case you don't get the Sunday Preview e-mail, here is what is going on this week:

Sermon Title: "Disciple is a Verb"

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

We talk a lot about our need to make disciples and we often limit that discussion to how it is we can best spread the word of God. But I think we might be missing a step. In order to make disciples, we need to first be disciples.

This Sunday I will be talking about three things disciples do. I will also suggest some very practical things that we can do to deepen our own discipleship.

This Sunday is also "Rally Day." It is time for all of our children and youth to move to their new classes and a perfect day for adults to think about Sunday school and other educational and spiritual growth opportunities. We will also begin registration for our Disciple Bible Study offerings for this year.

abundant grace and peace,

will

It's Like a Circus (cause it is a circus)

In celebration of Alisha's birthday we went to the circus last night at the American Bank Center Arena. I know there are some that are opposed to the circus due to the treatment of the animals. I understand where you are coming from, but let me say a couple of things.

First, I think Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey is making a good faith effort to provide the best possible living and working conditions for the animals in their shows. I believe the trainer have a genuine affection for the animals and do whatever they can to keep them safe and healthy.

Second, I think that Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey is doing some good work in the overall conservation effort for these animals globally. As sad as it sometimes makes me to see majestic elephants doing tricks for my pleasure, I have to also realize that without agencies like the Center for Elephant Conservation (started by Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey) we might someday reach a day when these animals don't exist.

Before we put all the blame on the circus, we need to think about how our individual and corporate choices affect these and other grand animals around the world. I always hold on to the hope that a child sitting in the audience will see those lions and elephants, fall in love and grow up to find a way to ensure their future.

What do you think?

More on the circus later.

peace,

will

Young Adults - Back on this week.

If you are 18-30ish (I am about to turn 34 and they still let me come... then again, it's my house) join us this Thursday. If you are not, I bet you know someone who is!

We will join together again this Thursday at 7:30 at the Grace Parsonage for fellowship and discussion. Food will be modified pot luck, which means bring something if you can. I will try to have some sort of meat. We have a ton of chips and salsa and I think we are doing pretty good on sodas, although I am sure we could use more. If you can, bring some snacks or desert to share.

Here is what we will be talking about:

I don't know if you caught it in the news a few weeks back, but the Supreme Court handed down a decision regarding eminent domain. For a while, it has been the case that the government had the right to force you to sell your home or property if they needed to do something for the greater good, like build a road or a bridge or a fire station. With the new ruling, the government technically has the right to force you to sell your home or property to promote economic development. What this means, in plainer language, is that you could find and buy a nice home, in an area you like, fix it up just right, begin to raise a family there and one day, the government could come along and tell you that you have to sell them your house and move because they want to sell it to a company that is going to put in a strip mall. And you would have no choice.

This may sound unimportant if you don't own a home or property, but it really gets at the root of how we look at private property and the idea of the greater good. I think we will have a great discussion.

Next week, by request, we will be talking about the prevalence of sex and violence in video games and what we should think or do about it.

E-mail me to let me know that you are coming or for directions or more information or just show up!

peace,

will

Disciple I

I wrote a couple of days ago about Disciple Bible Study and I want to let you know that I have decided to offer it on Tuesday nights from 7-9:30. I know that time won't work for everyone who wants to take it, but I had to settle on something.

There will be a 1 hour orientation session on August 30th and the class will officially begin on September 6. The class is limited to 15 people. So, if you are interested, e-mail me soon.

peace,

will

Back and Ready to Go

I am arrived safely back from Dallas. I am pretty revved up after the School of Congregational Development! This was a pretty impressive conferences with some amazing ideas and visions for the growth and emergence of the Church.

If the growth of the church and reaching out to the people of our community is something that is on your heart, I hope you will come talk to me about it. Some people totally avoid the issue because they aren't comfortable with "evangelism." It is not always about going door-to-door to ask people to come to church. A lot of it is just creating a place where people can feel comfortable and safe to explore that internal invitation that God is already giving them.

Blessings on your week!

will

A Little Light Reading

I tend to get a lot of reading done while at conferences. It is not that I read during the seminars or that I skip the seminars. It is just that, when away from home, there is less to be done. When I wake up in the morning, it takes me a total of 15 minutes to get ready and get to breakfast downstairs at the hotel. When I get back to the room at night, there is no lawn to be watered or cut or anything else.

I just finished reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. Some of you may have read this when it came out back in 1986, but I just got around to it. Hawking did a wonderful job of explaining how everything works in a way that even I could grasp (mostly). What was most interesting for me though, and the reason I bring it up here, is his references to God. It would be hard for me to guess, just from reading one of his books to tell what his theology is, but he does have one. God enters into the equation, somehow.

I was also fasinated how our understanding, or lack of understanding, about how things work or how things are, can potentially place us in a limited framework of understanding about everything. Think about it this way: would you perception of God differ if you thought the world were flat? What if (and this example is from the book) you thought the earth was carried around on the back of a turtle? Mine might.

I also look at it this way. How can I pretend to know the mind of God, if I still can't wrap my head around the way the very building blocks of creation work. Hmmm.

Perhaps I have been at the seminar too long.

peace,

will

Sitting in Dallas

In case you have been wondering where I am, I am in Dallas this week at a conference on church growth and development. I love these conferences because I always learn a lot and meet great people. But, there is always too much sitting. The routine is always the same every day at every conference: eat, sit, eat sit, eat, sit, sleep. It is not all that good for the body.

In case you are intersted in what the conference is about, you can go to the website.

I am sure you will be hearing a lot about what I have learned in sermons and conversations.

I hope you are having a blessed week!

peace,

will

No Young Adults this Week

Since I will be at a conference all week, the young adults group will not be meeting. We will be back on next week. Watch this space for all the details.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

I am running behind again this week. I took a whirlwind trip to Austin to see my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew before they went back to France and my Dad before he went back to New York. Now I have one day before I head to Dallas for a church growth conference.

But, I have found time to post this week's sermon. Here it is.

Hard copies of the sermons are also always available in the glassway of the church.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts and comments, so post away!

peace,

will

Working on a Saturday

I am spending my Saturday working on my sermon for Sunday. I usually like to be done long before Saturday, but some weeks it just doesn't work like that. Some weeks, like last week, get really busy and there is no time to work on a sermon. Other weeks, like this one, there is plenty of time, but it takes a while for the inspiration to come.

Part of me envies people who can just sit down and write. If I feel inspired it can just come pouring out. If I don't, I really can't force it. Sometimes it is easier when I work at home. When I hit a dry spell, I can go move the sprinkler or fix something in the garage. Then, hopefully, I can start hearing the Spirit again.

I hope to see you tomorrow. Peace,

will

Disciple, Planting The Seed

I am a huge fan of the Disciple Bible Study program. I know many people at Grace have already taken one or more of the courses. For those who haven't, Disciple is a series of long-term, in-depth Bible studies. The first course, Disciple I, is 34 week overview of the Bible. It is more than just Bible study, it is truly a transformational experience. Most people who go through the course not only learn more about the Bible than they ever knew, they learn about themselves and grow in their relationship to God and others.

The reason that I bring this all up now is that I plan to lead an evening session of Disciple I this fall and I want you to start thinking about it now. I limit my classes to 15 people and I am hoping to have a full class. I am still thinking about what night it will be. Right now I am leaning toward Tuesday.

If you have already taken Disciple I we are planning to offer some additional classes this fall as well. So far, I think there may be interest in sessions of Disciple III and IV.

Let me know if you would like to know more about Disciple.

See you Sunday!

peace,

will

Young Adults Tonight

We will have another gathering of young adults (18-30ish) at the parsonage tonight. The new, official time is 7:30, however, if you are coming from work and it is easier to get there a little earlier, you are welcome to get there early.

It is potluck this week. So, bring something if you can. I will have some chips and there are still a bunch of sodas in the fridge. If you can, let me know what you are bringing.

This week we will continue our new series of current events based studies. This week, we will be talking about the environment, discussing its current state and thinking about what the Bible says about our role in protecting it. This should be a great discussion, feel free to invite someone who might be interested.

peace,

will

This Sunday

Many of you recieve a weekly Sunday Preview e-mail. I realized today, that there are some who either don't get it, or it gets lost in the giant vacuum of the inbox and they don't get a chance to read it. So, I will try to remember to post it here as well.

Sunday Preview - Sunday, July 31, 2005

Sermon Title: "Multiplying Hope"

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

When I watch and read the news, I feel helpless, nearly paralyzed. There is so much hurt, pain and despair in the world, in an effort to reach out as Christ's hands and feet it is hard to figure out where to start. This week, in a story about a hungry crowd, a little food, and a God who sees beyond limitations, we will listen together for a message of abundant hope.

blessings on the rest of your week,

will

Following Up on Sunday

On Sunday, the message was about prayer. Part of what we talked about is how some people just don't know where to start. So, I figured it might be helpful to talk about places to start.

One of the best places to start (and continue) your prayer journey is the Upper Room. The Upper Room is, of course, where Jesus and his disciples shared the last supper. The Upper Room is a ministry of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. They provide a giant number of resources to help lead and guide us on our spiritual journeys. They provide everything from daily devotions, to books, they even oversee the Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis programs.

If you are looking for a place to get started, I highly recommend their Daily Devotional Guide. I know many people who have using this as a guide for years. They come in a book form (both small and large print) and are available at the church. (They are kept on a little table just outside the sanctuary.) The same text is now also available online. You can even subscribe to have it sent to you via e-mail.

If you are looking for a way to get started on or enrich your prayer life, I recommend you check out the daily devotionals and all the other things the Upper Room has to offer.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

Alright, Bodhi is home resting from his stressful day (see post below) and I am back in the office and have my sermon ready to go.

You can read Sermon #3 - "On a Wing and a..." right here.

Feel free to post any questions or comments about the sermon or prayer in general.

Have a blessed week!

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon - Not Yet

I like to get Sunday's sermon posted first thing Monday, but...

Bodhi had to go to the vet. And how can you say no to that face? He is doing fine, he just needed his shots and a check up.

Bodhi is about 9 years old, and if you listen long enough, you will hear him come up in sermons. He has been a lot of places with me, physically and spiritually.

I will post the sermon soon. May God's peace be with you.

will

Young Adults Tonight

My wife Alisha and I will be hosting another gathering of young adults (18-30ish) at the parsonage tonight. The new, official time is 7:30, however, if you are coming from work and it is easier to get there a little earlier, you are welcome to get there early. We will be eating something, though I am still thinking about what. Feel free to bring canned soda to restock the fridge.

Tonight we will be starting a new series of current events based studies. Each week will be a new topic. This way, whenever you come, whether you are new to the group or have been away for a while, you won't have to catch up.

This week we will be talking about how we, as Christian engage the media. What are the tools that can be helpful to people of faith as we engage the media today. It should be a great discussion. I hope you can come.

peace,

will

While John is Away

Pastor John is off on vacation for a couple of weeks and has left me minding the ship. I have been working with John for over three years now and I am used to the pattern. It usually happens, when he leaves town, that things get very, very busy. So far, since he left last week, it has been pretty quiet, but I never want to speak too soon!

So far this summer, John and I have enjoyed some time to get settled in. We will get a lot busier in the fall. We have a lot planned including neighborhood meetings, Disciple Bible study and a number of other long and short term educational and fellowship opportunities. We have already met many people, but we are both looking forward to opportunities to get to know you all better is some smaller groups. We hope that when a chance comes along you will join us.

I hope you are having a great week! Enjoy the rain that is coming.

peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

This week's sermon is now available. You can find it online here.

Thanks to Cathy Roznovsky, you can also find hard copies of all of John's and my sermons every week in the glassway.

If you have any questions or comments, e-mail me or post a response to this post.

Emily

We welcomed a new girl into the family a few months back. My niece, my youngest sister's daugther is named Emily. Now Emily, the niece, hasn't been to Corpus yet. I think I would be much happier to see her the Hurricane Emily. Looks like she may visit Mexico instead.

peace,

will

Young Adults

We had a great group of young adults last night at the parsonage. Thanks to everyone who came and especially to Pete who took over the cooking duties!

We will meet again next Thursday, 7:30 at the parsonage. We will be talking how we, as Christians engage the media.

Have a great weekend.

peace,

will

Sabbath Revisited

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about sabbath and the importance of resting in God. Whenever I talk about sabbath, it always raises questions. As grace would have it, Interpeter Magazine, a publication of United Methodist Communications has an excellent article this month called "Reclaiming Sabbath." You can read it online here.

Let me know what you think.

Grace and Peace,

will

I'm Back - What a Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend at the boy's Chrysalis. Thank you to everyone who worked, helped and prayed this weekend and in the week's leading up to it.

If you are a youth and want to know more about Chrysalis, go here. If you are and adult and would like to know about the Walk to Emmaus, go here. And of course, I am always glad to answer questions or talk more about it. Also, if you have been on a Chrysalis flight or journey or a Walk to Emmaus and have questions or are seeking guidance in continuing your spiritual journey, please feel free to contact me.

Blessings on your week!

will

I haven't skipped town

My lack of entries shouldn't imply that I have skipped town. I am at the boys Chrysalis Flight this weekend. I can actually post from my cell phone, but I haven't quite gotten comfortable with that. I will still be at the flight on Sunday, so John will be your solo host on Sunday.

I will be back next Sunday talking about gardening.

peace,

will

Young Adults

I am firing up the grill and inviting the young adults to the parsonage tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 6:30. If you are 18-30ish (we won't check your I.D.) drop me an e-mail so we are sure to have enough food and chairs and come on by. I will e-mail you back directions if you need them.

We are just going to have some food and fellowship and talk about what sort of things we might plan for the future.

If you are not in the age group, pass the word along to someone who is. Or, if you are interested in helping with young adults ministries at Grace, let me know. We will take all the help we can get.

Grace and Peace,

will

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
'Til the rain comes tumbling down

Name the tune, who sang it, or the show it was sung on and win. (Once again, I have no prize.) Name the album it was eventually on and you get double points.

This song popped into my head as I was working on a sermon on the parable of the sower for the 17th while also thinking about my lawn (which is starting to turn green) and the flower beds behind the parsonage that need some serious tlc.

Happy singing and gardening,

will

Sunday Worship

I was happy to see lots of people in worship Sunday even though it was a holiday weekend. I think the energy in worship is really wonderful at Grace. So many people who come on Sunday seem genuinely glad to be there. Trust me, that is not something to take for granted!

I love to hear feedback on the entire worship experience. If you ever have comments on the services or even questions, feel free to post them, or e-mail me.

A note about posting. Anyone can post a comment. You don't have to be a member of the blogger community. I always maintain editorial control. I rarely delete any posts. However, if I find anything inappropriate for any reason, I will just remove it. If I ever delete your post, please don't take it personally, or assume I don't think you comment is important. Feel free to e-mail me and I will explain why. With that said, comment away!

I hope you got a little extra time this weekend to rest and enjoy God's creation.

Grace and peace,

will

Sacred Space

One of the things I will try to do on the weblog is point out things online that I find useful, or at least interesting. The site I want to point out today is Sacred Space. You can find it at http://www.sacredspace.ie/

The site is run by the Irish Jesuits and is really quite and impressive ministry especially given the number of languages they translate it into. The method of prayer is loosely based the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

If you are looking for some direction in your prayer life or are just interested in some different modes of prayer, I highly suggest you check this out. If you just aren't comfortable praying in front of your computer, they also offer a book on the website.

Grace and Peace,

will

Sabbath? Is that really a commandment?

I try my best to model God's commandment that we take sabbath and rest. See Exodus 20:8-11. (Notice what a long commandment it is!)

Most people traditionally consider Sunday the Sabbath, but pastors don't get all that much rest on Sundays. So, Thursday is sabbath for me. You won't see me around the office much or find me returning many phone calls.

You will hear me talk and write about sabbath and our need for rest in general. I hope you find some time this week to rest in God's presence. As for me, tomorrow I will be fishing and napping.

peace,

will

The Grace the Surrounds Us

I have mentioned to many of you in person, but I had yet to write anything here about how much Alisha and I appreciate the warmth of the welcome we have received. From the moment we pulled up to the curb in front of the house we were made to feel welcomed and appreciated. We can't says thanks enough for all the hard work everyone did to get the parsonage ready. We were also grateful to receive food and drinks and snacks to sustain us while we unpacked.

It wasn't just a one day welcome either. In the last couple of weeks we have enjoyed your hospitality in the form of food, more help with the house, warm welcomes and even a chance to see the Hammerheads play their final game of the regular season. Just this morning I received a new, more suitable chair for my office.

Your hospitality toward Alisha and I tells me about the kind of wonderful place this is. The gospel calls us to radical hospitality. It is at the center of the message if grace. I witnessed that with our arrival and have already seen many instances of it toward others.

Hebrews 13:1-2 reads:

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Thank you all for being active participants in the grace that surrounds us all!

Grace and Peace,

will

This Week's Sermon

Alright, I figured out a way to post my sermons for anyone who wants to look at them. They are hosted on a separate blog found at http://gracesermons.blogspot.com. I have turned off the comments option on that site. If you have a comment or question, come back to this page to post it.

This week's sermon is up and can be found here.

I apologize in advance for typos, mistakes, or things that I said in worship that are not in the manuscript.

If you were in worship today, I hope that through the message, the music, the scripture, the prayers or just through being with other believers, you were able to deepen your relationship with God.

Grace and Peace,

will

A shot from the work crew at Wesley UMC. 

Some photos pastor John took at a Sea City Work Camp site. Name all four campers and win a prize. OK, the only prize is that I get to post them here on the blog. :~)  

Getting ready for Sunday

This Sunday will be my third here at Grace, but it will be the first time that I preach. In some ways, I feel like I am getting back from vacation. At my last appointment, I preached every week during our evening service. Some Sundays I would double up and preach morning and evening, usually with different sermons. So, the last couple of weeks have seemed pretty easy.

I will be preaching this week from Mark:1-8. I will be revealing a bit about myself and how I got to where I am. This week's message focuses on the excitement of the Gospel. I get really excited about the message God has for us and I am going to try and share that excitement.

I hope to see you Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

will

Here We Are To Worship

If you do nothing else in relation to the Sea City Work Camp, you ought to come to worship in the evening. The worship is really powerful and you can feel the energy begin to build as the teams begin to grow closer together. I think we can all use a few extra chances to worship. Sunday morning is great, but as God truly becomes the center of our lives it really makes sense to want to be in worship a little more often.

peace,

will

What a way to get started

It is quite a blessing to have Sea City Work Camp coincide with my first couple of weeks here at Grace. If you haven't heard about Sea City, you can read more about it the website.

It was really a privilege to be part of opening worship last night. The excitement and energy in the room was totally uplifting. This is the type of enthusiasm that should pervade all we do as Christ's church. Sure we can't be that excited every moment. But if we are bored or lethargic, if we are not excited about coming to church or using our gifts to serve the church or in mission, then it is time to think more about what we are doing. It is time to try and reconnect with the power of the Spirit that draws us together in the first place.

We will be talking more about this topic on Sunday morning. I hope to see you there!

Grace and Peace

will

I am catching up a bit on photos. This is a picture taken by John Wright of my commissioning on June 4th. That is Bishop Joel Martinez performing the commissioning.  

First Sunday

Today was the first Sunday for John and I at Grace and everything went wonderfully. It is a bit nerve racking to lead worship at a new church since you are the one in a charge and the one who has been there the shortest amount of time.

More soon

will