I spoke last week from the pulpit, during the time for announcements, about the need for all those who expect to volunteer for Vacation Bible School to turn in their volunteer forms asap because we have a new program to protect our children and everyone has to be trained.

That observation on my part got the attention of a few, mostly our youth who wondered if they have to be “trained,” too. The short answer is, “Yes.” Here is the deal.

We have had a program for the last number of years which was called “Safe Sanctuary.” That program is being replaced by “MinistrySafe,” which is the same type of program just more so. From the laypersons perspective, where “Safe Sanctuary” taught us how to keep our kids safe in the sense of safe practices, MinistrySafe helps us understand the mindset of those who would abuse children, and how to spot them.

The statistics are sobering. In the US, one in three women under the age of 18 have been sexually abused, and one in six men. Now, I have known those statistics for some time, and I have also recognized that there is nothing to say that our church’s congregation is immune for them. I step into the pulpit every Sunday knowing that there are people who are hurting sitting in front of me, and who are living with secrets. It is an humbling thought.

What I did not know was that 66% of molestation victims will not tell until adulthood, if ever. And (you might want to sit down for this)
- Male molesters preferring boys will have an average of 150 victims before prosecution.
- Male molesters preferring girls will have an average of 52 victims before prosecution.
- 85% of convicted molesters are men; 15% of convicted molesters are women.
- 90% of sexual abuse victims are abused by someone they know and trust.
- Sexual molesters will groom children and gatekeepers prior to sexual behavior (gatekeepers being those responsible for the safety of children: staff and volunteers).
- There is no visual profile for a molester. Most molesters appear helpful, trustworthy, kind and safe.

MinistrySafe is 5-part safety system for preventing sexual abuse of children.
1. Sexual abuse awareness training
2. Skillful screening training
3. Appropriate criminal background check
4. Tailored policies and procedures
5. Monitoring and Oversight

The program is administered online. The training takes about an hour and ends with a twenty-five question quiz. It’s done online, and can be done according to your schedule. It does not have to be done at one sitting. The cost is $5 per person, which the church will absorb. Every person who volunteers with children and/or youth must be trained by the end of the year. All VBS volunteers, youth and adults, must be trained before VBS.

Cori and Peg are hard at work implementing the names of their volunteers to the MinistrySafe website. Once your name has been entered, you will receive an email directing you to a link where you can complete the training and take the exam.

A couple of random thoughts:

First, I think our church will embrace this new program enthusiastically. Our church culture is infused with teachers and leaders of Boy and Girl Scouts, and they are already on board about the necessity of this program. The administrative committees of the church are not aware of it at this writing, but they are going through the program too.

Second, obviously we did not budget for this, but then, who could have seen it coming. Therefore, a personal request from your pastor: if you can reimburse the church for your training, please do so. If you can throw a bit extra in for those youth and others for whom a $5 per head expense would be a burden, please do that.

I like to end these tomes with a scriptural reference, even one addressing a situation as difficult as this. So, from Mark 10.13-16, where Jesus blesses children.

And he took them up in his arms,
laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Jesus does not touch people in the gospel of Mark. He’s touched by them, but rarely does he reach out and touch someone. That he touches children, holds them in his arms, lays his hands on them and blesses them indicates to me that they have a special place in his kingdom. They have a special place in our church too, a place that is safe.

Bill

This is my favorite time of the year. Normally, the end of March/first weeks of April is a time of the greening of the world around us. Wildflowers along Texas highways, that unique and wonderful gift of God and Lady Bird Johnson, are usually just starting to peek their heads above the ground at Easter. Full bloom is normally the second half of April and the beginning of May. However, as you may have noticed, this is not a “normal year.”

It is Monday of Holy Week as I write, and our highways are lined with bluebonnets in full bloom. I have seen signs that the second wave of wildflowers, Indian paintbrush and others, are beginning to surface. Last Friday, when I was in Muenster playing golf, I noticed a field of winter wheat that was fully “headed out” in March! We are a good one month ahead of schedule when compared to a normal year. What does this mean? It is anyone’s guess. Some have suggested that we are in for a long, hot summer. I think the opposite. I think we will have a mild summer, but that it will go on indefinitely, perhaps wearingly.

One of the unexpected consequences of this early spring is that I have been able to spend a lot more time outside in the evenings, which I do truly enjoy.

Several years ago, I had my deck covered with a metal shelter. I have planted grapes on the south side to provide some protection of the wind. The grapes have grown beyond my wildest expectation! Over the last two years they have covered the underside of my shelter. Now, sitting out there is much like sitting under a grape arbor, which is pretty nice.

Last spring, a pair of mourning dove built a nest in those grape vines. They laid an egg, but it did not hatch. Mourning dove are nervous birds and I think the activity on the deck unsettled them. Apparently, they also pretty quick to catch on because they came back last fall and raised one baby dove. This year (surprise! surprise!), we have two baby dove in the nest!

Over the weekend, mom and dad dove, which have been very faithful and caring for their youngsters, decided that the kids were old enough to fend for themselves. Rather than kicking the kids out of the house, they have moved on, leaving the baby birds to learn to fly on their own. This has really upset Joan, who thinks that the babies need to go to aeronautical school to learn to fly. I told her that she has been watching too much Walt Disney with the grandkids.

Regardless of Joan’s misgivings, I suspect the babies will figure out flying and will leave the nest in the next few days. Without mom and dad bringing home groceries from Kroger, eventually they will get hungry enough to venture out on their own. (Is there a lesson here for the parents of “twenty somethings” still living at home?) We will miss them when they do leave; they have been the source of much conversation and joy. Each time either Joan or I go out to the deck, we have checked the status of the baby dove. Easter is upon us! The world is being renewed. We might not have the anticipation of wildflowers this year, but at our house we’ve had the baby doves. And it has been a little gift from God, a small blessing for which we have been grateful.

In the 21st chapter of Revelation, the One who was seated on the throne says, “See, I am making all things new.” That is God’s promise to us in seven words. Regardless of the state of our lives, regardless of the condition of our souls, regardless if we are afraid to leave the comfort of the nest, if we allow it God will transform our lives into newness and wholeness. Just like wildflowers in the spring herald newness of the earth, or a couple of baby dove herald the newness in creation, Easter is God’s manifestation of newness in him for all who seek him.

It’s Easter, thanks be to God! See you in church!

Bill

One of the four attributes of a vital congregation, as determined by a study done by the United Methodist church, are programs directed toward children and youth. You and I know that our youth program is the future of our church and is worthy of our support. And, you have been very gracious and generous in your financial support of our youth ministries. Tonight, you have the opportunity to support our youth with your presence, too. Our youth will present tonight’s Maundy Service; Jett Beachum preaching. They have worked long and hard on this service. They deserve, and appreciate, your support.

Last night I sat in on the choir rehearsal for their Good Friday service. In a word, I was amazed! Our choir sounded absolutely outstanding (which was helpful to the narrator, who is a little weak!). This service will touch your soul.

I know that going to Thursday and Friday evening services puts a crimp in our social lives, but it is Holy Week and we ought to be able to give up two nights to support these very important and vital ministries of our church.

I’ll see you there! 

Bill

Saludos me amigos y feligresas de iglesia! I am writing from the garden of the house where I stay during my bi-annual trips to Mexico. I am here to continue my Spanish languages studies, and to have a couple of weeks of respite. It is nice in Mexico today. We had rain in the night, but the clouds are now breaking up and it is going to be a lovely, warm day. We have a cookout planned for the afternoon and it looks as if the weather is going to cooperate.

For the first time in my years of traveling to Mexico I have enhanced my ability to communicate with home. I bought the international ser vice for my Iphone; it was not expensive. So, I have been able to call Joan and my mom a couple of times. They seem to be much appreciative. (Mom told me it was 17 degrees in Tulsa and she was not interested in hearing how warm and lovely it is in Mexico!)

The interesting advantage of having international cell phone ser vice is that I disconnected the satellite data communications in favor of wifi . I am getting my email but am not getting voice mail. I guess all those messages will show up when I come home on Saturday. The advantage of all this is that I have not been able to follow the local news. I watch the national news over the internet, but the local news is a mystery. Considering that I received the “official” message from the Bishop about St. Luke’s “Community” UMC, I am just as glad to not know the local Dallas news.

As is my practice, my time in Mexico is not only respite; I brought work with me. I have just finished reading six sets of papers from six candidates for ordination. This is one of the questions they have to answer:

For the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world and the most effective witness to the Christian gospel, and in consideration of your influence as an ordained minister, are you willing to make a complete dedication of yourself to the highest ideals of the Christian life; and to this end will you agree to exercise responsible self-control by personal habits conducive to physical health, intentional intellectual development, fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, integrity in all personal relationship, social responsibility, and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God?

The answer is, of course, “Yes,” although we expect the candidates to be a bit more expressive in their responses.

I have my own opinions about the situation at St. Luke’s. My opinions are “opinions,” therefore not worth much. I know no more about that situation than any of you. But I do have an observation.

Ever y pastor is confronted with those persons of good intent in a church who would place the pastor on a pedestal, and then insist that we live up there. There is then a separation between the ordinary life of a pastor and the ordinary lives of church members. In some cultures that separation is seen to be beneficial and necessary. There have been some in ever y church that I have served who would do the same thing to me. However, I have rejected that manner of pastoral leadership.

I think it is very important for your pastors, and Dana and I are of one mind on this, to be as human as we can possibly be among you. By accepting God’s call upon our lives, and submitting to the wishes and discretion of the Bishop, our lives are separated from you to some extent. But I feel that it is important for us to not allow that separation to grow too wide. We are keenly aware that we are fully flawed and sinful people, just like all of you. And we work very hard ever y day to live better than our sinful nature.

We have all experienced when pastors “buy into” the pedestal life and then begin to believe their own press. When this happens, the consequences are always bad.

The Sunday that I left for Mexico, I preached from the text in Mark where Jesus goes out into a deserted place in the middle of the night to pray. He had experienced a long day, and I suggested that he was worn out and needed some time away. It might be that he needed some self-centering, too. The temptation to return to Capernaum and enter into a localized pastoral ministry of some distinction would have been great. Jesus rejected that option by becoming itinerant. It was the Good News which was important, not personal glory.

This is a thought that Dana and I, as your pastors, live with every day. Thanks to you for accepting us as we are, who we are, and for helping to keep us grounded.

Gracias y paz,

Bill

In the gospel of Mark, after Jesus sends the disciples out on their first missionary journey they return “...and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (Mark 6. 30-31).

As we leave the relative quiet of summer and enter into fall and the activities that follow the school year, it is getting pretty hectic around the church. Although we have not quite gotten to the point where we are giving up any meals due to the pressure of work (though we should for the sake of our health!), the bustling activity has placed an emphasis on planning and organization.

We plan several months ahead. Today, in the third week of August, Jason and I are working on Advent worship. Peg has her youth activities lined out through to next summer. Cori and Dana are feverishly working on Lord’s Acre in September, and then looking past that to fall and holiday season activities. The Finance committee is planning the stewardship campaign which kicks off the second Sunday of September. And we are all moving toward our “all church conference” at the end of October. In the midst of those “events,” we have our normal Christian education offerings. Whew! It makes me weary to just think about it.

I am teaching/leading two classes this fall. Disciple (4) will kick off next Tuesday morning at 10 am. It is a study of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, the gospel of John, the letters of (a different) John, and the Revelation of (still another) John from the New Testament. I have not taught this particular Disciple curriculum before so it should be fun.

Wednesday nights I will be leading an informal men’s bible study at 7. Let me speak to this for a few minutes. Last year I was asked to lead a “men’s” bible study. Not a formal bible study like Disciple, but something more informal and where men could gather to be Christian men together. Thinking about that, and the differences between what appeals to men and what appeals to women, a small group gathered and began with the book of Judges. Then we did the Samuel, Saul and David saga. (I calculated that men would want to read about war, pillage, death and destruction, more war, more pillage, and the various sexual indiscretions of the great men of the Bible – without getting too misty-eyed over the whole thing.) We read the material, and talked about what all of that meant to us as Christian men. Then we held each other accountable in our own spiritual lives: what is going on in our worlds as Christian men trying to function in environments where that calling is sometimes difficult. We had a good time together.

We are beginning our “men’s bible study” the Wednesday after Labor Day. If you are interested, just show up in the church office at 7 that night with your bible. We’ll go from there.

I look forward to the discipline of teaching. I thoroughly enjoy the summer month’s respite, but my calling is to pastor a church. In a church as large as ours, it is difficult for me to be present to you in a manner more intimate than worship. I occasionally teach a Sunday School class, but because of the schedule of the morning that takes some advance planning, too. For me to know you, and for you to know me, it is important that we have time to dialogue. That works best in a bible study. It is also good for my spiritual life spend time with the bible, reading not for sermon preparation but to gain insight so to lead others to insight.

The activities of the fall season are upon us, once again. And, once again, after taking some time off in a “deserted place” to be refreshed, we are back again in the business of very full time activity. It is a good place, a good church, and I am glad to be here among you.

See you in church! Bill

Long years ago I was the “operating manager” at the Montgomery Ward store in Blue Ridge Mall, Kansas City. The operating manager was responsible for everything in the store except sales, which meant that all the “leased department” income was mine. In that store we had a beauty salon, cafeteria, optometrist, and a company that sold headstones or grave markers. Most of the time their needs were minimal. I made sure that their facilities were painted, that the carpets were cleaned and the hard-surfaced floors were waxed, light bulbs changed on a regular basis; those types of things. And, when needed, I would add one of their “sales” or “special offerings” to the audio announcements which played about every 30 minutes across the store.

I replaced the hard-surface floor where the headstones were with green AstroTurf, but I could not convince the manager to let me puts mall mounds of sand under the carpet to simulate a grave. I thought it would be pretty neat, but he was concerned about the “boss,” my store manager.

Each year the headstone company offered “grave blankets” at Christmas. It was incredible to me but people actually bought these grave blankets to cover their “dearly departed’s” graves so that they would not get too cold in the winter. (This was Kansas City; it’s like northern Canada in the winter!) It was a nice income producer during a time when they did not sell too many headstones.

Anyway, one Christmas season I put an audio announcement on the system to the effect that “Montgomery Ward covered your needs from birth to death. Check out the specials on grave blankets in the tombstone area.”

That announcement lasted until my boss came to work at noon.

Well, we in the church meet your needs from birth to death – as you know. One of the more fun duties that we are called upon to do is to perform weddings. If you have not been involved in a wedding lately, you might not know that there is quite a bit involved from the church’s standpoint. We have a mighty crew of “wedding coordinators”who have overseen this part of our life together for as long as I have been here at Plymouth Park. They are becoming weary, however, and we need a new crop of wedding coordinators to take up this mission of our church. I am appealing for help.

To help you, we are making some changes in what has been our tradition which will take effect in the spring of 2012. We are not going to involve ourselves in the work of florists or ordering of invitations.There are businesses that do this much more effectively than we can. We are also going to put our cost structure on the website. Initial calls for availability of the church will be handled by the church secretary, and then the prospective wedding will be passed along to Dana and to me. The wedding coordinator will then be responsible for coordinating the rehearsal and wedding. Hopefully this will take much of the time consuming work out of the process for the coordinator and make the job so that more of you might want to be involved.

Did I mention that this is a paying gig?

The only wedding mentioned in the bible is the wedding at Canain Galilee in John 2.1-11. What is interesting about that wedding is though we know the identity of some of the guests; we do not know who got married. We do know that there was a “wedding coordinator,” a wine steward, who worked with Jesus to insure that the party would continue. If you think that you might be interested in this work, let me know.

See you in church!
Bill

After God allowed the waters to come back over the Red Sea and drown Pharaoh and his chariots, there was a celebration.

Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.  And Miriam sang to them:

“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea!”

The people who study these things are convinced that this verse is one of the very oldest in all the Bible, if not the oldest.  It would suggest that celebrations accompanied by music and dancing are very ancient in the Hebrew traditions.

King David is said to have been a writer and singer of psalms.  Our Book of Psalms, which we read as poetry, is actually the hymn book of the Second Temple.   The 150^th Psalm reflects the ancient tradition of hymnody in our worship history.

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary; . . .
Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe! . . .
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Our church has a great history of praise with music. One of the constant stories that I’ve heard in my near six years here is of the great choirs of the past, and the choir tours to Europe. 

When Jason and I have collaborated by using hymns to accent the sermon, then when he and I look out into the congregation at the end of the sermon, we know that music touches you in a manner that liturgy or preaching does not.  Music is huge in our tradition and in our individual spiritual lives.

How sad, then, to see our choir wither away.

The reasons for the choir’s withering are numerous, and each and every one of them is valid.  That we can validate what is going on does not solve the issue, however.  Our choir is withering away, and the only thing that will cause that decline is to “repent,” to turn from the path which is leading to our demise, for new people to join the choir.

I will not stretch the exegesis by saying participation in the choir is easy.  It’s not.  Nor will I suggest that there is no commitment involved. There is.  I can say that we have an outstanding director in Jason, and an outstanding accompanist in Ken.  I can also say that commitment to worship brings its own rewards.  I can only speak to my part, but I know that being part of worship is more than simply standing up front.  It does affect one’s spiritual life, and in an incredibly positive way.

Most of the objections to joining a choir, once we get past the commitment part, generally fall along the lines of “I can’t read music,” or “I can’t sing.”  As a person who cannot do either of these things (I have three notes that I can sing on tune and try to hit them at least once every Sunday!), I know that Jason and Ken have an amazing ability to not let those objections stand in the way of someone participating.  They can find a place for almost everyone to sing in the choir.

So, here is what we propose.  Our choir will be taking its summer recess around June 15.  They will begin rehearsals again in August.  During the break, Jason will be offering a mini “choir camp” for those who might be interesting in joining the full choir in the fall.  During this six week mini-camp, he will work with you on the kind of voice you have, placing you in the choir, and introducing you to the basic anthems the choir sings.  Then, when the choir begins again in August, you will have some experience upon which to stand and sing.  It’s an opportunity for all of us.  I encourage you to speak to Jason or to email him at Jason@ppumc.org and let him know of your interest.

The alternative is that one Sunday, unbeknownst to you, he and I will circulate among you as we sing a hymn and will drag you kicking and screaming into the choir.  J

See you in church!  Bill

Columbarium and New Chapel

At long last, and after a lot of work by a number of people, we are now able to begin sales of the columbarium niches in the new chapel/columbarium.

At the “All Church Conference” last October, the Columbarium Committee presented to the church a plan to remodel the current chapel into a chapel/columbarium. The existing chapel is not a very useful worship space. It is small room, with a low, “popcorn” ceiling and surface mounted fluorescent lighting fixtures. The door is offset to the center of the room, which does not allow for an aisle. The door also is mostly solid and does not allow for any illumination. It is not a very appealing place. In fact, it is so obscure that most people do not know that it even exists.

The plan of the chapel/columbarium committee is to expand the room slightly in size, and expand it greatly in height. Instead of a flat ceiling of barely eight feet, it will have a peaked ceiling that will be 16 feet at its uppermost height. Instead of painted sheetrock and painted block, the new chapel will be white marble walls with a grey slate floor. It will have a cross on the far wall which will be back-lit and illuminated all the time. The existing solid wood door will be replace with two glass doors, centered to the room and to the center aisle in the room, and with a cross and flame etched in the glass. We are including with this column an architect’s rendering of the inside of the proposed chapel from Ware Architecture.

The new chapel will be a lovely place for small weddings and funerals, and for a columbarium.

A columbarium is a place to inter the ashes of our beloved saints who have transferred their membership from the church on earth to the church triumphant. Many United Methodist churches in our area (Northhaven UMC, First UMC, Richardson, and First UMC, Denton, among others) are building columbarium’s to house the ashes of those members of their congregations who are deeply attached to their church and not so attached to their homes of origin. This is a particular issue for preachers who give up a connection to a “family homeplace” for the life of itinerant ministry. We often become much more connected to our churches than to the town were we grew up. Rev. Bill Crouch had his ashes interred at First UMC, Denton, a church which he served for many years and to which his family continues to have deep connections. Joan and I plan to buy a niche and have our ashes interred here at Plymouth Park.

Many of you have expressed a similar need. For so many of us this church is where we live. It is where our friends are. It is the site of our most cherished memories. It is the place where we have spent so much of our time, directed so much of our prayer, and given our gifts to God. It is where we want to rest when our time of struggle in this life is completed. In the long history of the church, the church grounds are where the faithful have always desired to be buried. We are adapting that long history and tradition to our world and our time.

The chapel will be renovated at no cost to the church. It will not affect the church’s budget. We will pay for construction with the sale of the first forty niches at a cost of $3000 each. After the first forty are sold, the remaining niches will be sold at a cost of $3500 each.

The chapel/columbarium will be constructed to hold around 190 niches. Therefore, once it is built the continuing sale of niches will provide monies for maintenance and upkeep, and then a considerable fund will accumulate over the years to be used for projects as the Church Trustees and the Committee on Finance determine.

Now, let me make one point very clear. We are not going into competition with any funeral home. Some of our sister churches who have constructed columbarium’s sell urns. We are not going into that business. Our whole focus and entire purpose is to provide a resting place for the ashes of church members, their family members, former pastors, and friends of the church (as determined by the Columbarium committee). With that we will be building a chapel which will be a place of peace and of prayer.

If you are interested in what the chapel will look like or how it is to be constructed, I have a mock-up in my office. If you are interested in buying a niche, all the documents are ready. And I am ready and willing to speak to you about filling this need.

See you in church!

Bill