Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6.1-16, 16-21

In a sense, the 40-day Lenten journey upon which we embark today is a journey of spiritual preparation.  This season is about death and resurrection, brokenness and redemption, endings, and beginnings.

It is a time to take stock, to reflect, to come clean before God.  There is a remarkable prayer of confession in our hymnal that says: we confess, O Lord, that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. 

So, in the words of the prophet Joel appointed for today, “Return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. “

Return to the Lord, praying as King David did, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

The Christian faith, of course, is not just a collection of ideas to be believed; it is a way of life to be practiced.  Lent is a time when we commit to come clean before God.  

And there is no sense pretending with God. God knows that you don’t have your act together.  God knows the who we are.  God knows the confused motives behind the seemingly innocent remark or gesture.  God not only knows the real you, but God also loves you. Today our scripture teaches us to “Rend your hearts and not your garments” are both counseling us to pay more attention to the content of our hearts as we enter this season of preparation for Easter.

In the words of the prophet Joel, God is telling us, “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart.”  

May this Lenten Journey guide your heart and your steps as you draw near to Christ. 

Pastoral Letter in Light of the Tragic Events in Ukraine

Please receive this word from Bishop Christian Alsted

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

There is war in Europe; Russia has invaded Ukraine, which is a free independent democracy. 

War and violence are evil and always entail considerable human costs. The Christian message points to the path of reconciliation and never to war and violence as a solution to conflicts. 

In the face of this evil, we pray for a logic different from the one based on geopolitical competition. We pray for a change of hearts and minds of leaders; we pray for de-escalation and dialogue instead of violence and war. 

The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church say: 

We deplore war and urge the peaceful settlement of all disputes among nations. From the beginning, the Christian conscience has struggled with the harsh realities of violence and war, for these evils clearly frustrate God’s loving purposes for humankind. We yearn for the day when there will be no more war and people will live together in peace and justice. —2016 Book of Discipline, Social Principles, ¶ 164

Our central conference consists of Nordic, Baltic, and Eurasian countries, including Russia and Ukraine. The Christian church is not nationalistic, and our relations with our brothers and sisters in other countries are not limited by nationality or culture. We have deep relations with Methodists in Ukraine and in Russia, and although we are influenced by our culture and the political realities, we must never allow this to hinder or break our unity in Christ.

We stand with the United Methodists in Ukraine in prayer for protection, reconciliation, and peace. We pray for pastors, leaders, and congregations in The United Methodist Church in Ukraine; may God grant that their witness of reconciliation and peace will bring strength and hope to the Ukrainian people.

We pray for Bishop Eduard Khegay, bishop of both Russia and Ukraine; may God give him the wisdom and grace that he needs in his ministry and leadership under these challenging circumstances.

In the Nordic and Baltic episcopal area, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania all have borders with Russia; and in addition, Latvia and Lithuania have borders with Belarus. In the Baltic countries in particular, the invasion of Ukraine causes great concern.

The United Methodists in the Nordic countries stand with the Methodists in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in prayer for protection and peace. May the church’s testimony of reconciliation and peace in Christ offer hope and strength to the people in the Baltic countries.

In the coming week, we will enter the season of Lent, which, in the church, is a time for prayer and soul-searching. I call on all our congregations to intercede for the people of Ukraine and for the leaders in the world who have the power to bring an end to war. I call on all our congregations to pray and fast for reconciliation and peace in the world. May God, in his grace, open our eyes to the things that make for peace, may he protect us all from the escalation and spreading of war, and may we follow him on his path of truth and peace.

May Christ have mercy on us all

Christian Alsted
Bishop

From Our House to Yours, Merry Christmas!

There are two times of year that I miss serving the local church most keenly. One, of course, is Holy Week and Easter. I miss the journey from Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter—the rhythms of the liturgy. We regularly need to hear the story that  reminds us of our why.   We need to be reminded  that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus as Paul reminds us in Romans 8. 

The other season that captures my heart is Advent. I love the pageantry of preparation for the birth of the Christ Child. I remember well the sheer exhaustion of the week of Christmas.  Multiple services on Christmas Eve. The desire to have just the right message for the occasion, knowing that there likely would be those in the congregation who were longing for something they could not even name. 

I miss serving Holy Communion to children held in the arms by their parents or grandparents.

I miss looking in the eyes of those whose story had been sacredly shared in the holy space of my office at a moment when life hung in the balance as I served the sacrament.  

I miss sharing the light of a candle that had been ignited by the Christ Candle. 

In the first years of our marriage Lynn and I always made the long drive from Gainesville, Georgia to New Albany, MS, where her parents lived. Christmas Eve was a very special night with her family and it started with the Christmas Eve service at First United Methodist Church. Lavelle Woodrick was the Senior pastor. Every year, Lavelle would invite me to read the Christmas story, Luke 2, from the King James Version of the Bible. “In those days a decree went out…” 

As a seminary student, not yet ordained, I was given the privilege of serving the sacrament of Holy Communion.  I usually served the bread, Lavelle held the chalice, and together we shared the words, “The body of Christ, given for you.  The blood of Christ shed for you.”

Then to share the light of Christ with a sanctuary packed with friends and family who had nurtured my faith and my call to ministry as we sang “Silent Night”.  It was a holy time. 

In my experience, on Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday and Easter, the minister is on the receiving end of ministry, maybe more than at any other time of the Christian year. 

We still come to New Albany, MS, for Christmas. We’ve been making this pilgrimage from one place or another now for 43 years. We’ve had the great fun of having all five of our grandchildren with us this week. Thomas, Micah, Iris, Bo and Mac. Lynn has employed her teaching skills of classroom management and had all five around the kitchen table doing Christmas crafts and singing Christmas carols. The voices of children singing carols is heavenly. 

Today we will go to Oxford University United Methodist Church, where we will hear our granddaughter, Bo, sing “O Come All Ye Faithful” in the Angel Choir. Bo is four and she told us she was an angel since she sang in the angel choir. I do not dare dispute her claim. 

We will be a part of the worshipping community and we will receive the bread and wine, served this night, by our son, Chris, who is Co-pastor at OUUMC. It will be a holy time. 

This Advent season, I’ve reflected on the thought that Emmanuel means God with us. I’m wondering though, in light of what I’ve experienced over the years on this special night, Emmanuel means God embraces us with a love that will not let us go. 

I am mindful of the grief our family has experienced during the Advent season since 2013, when my nephew Gale,  was killed in the line of duty, to my father’s death two years ago, our family has longed for that embrace. We’ve longed for that embrace when we lost my mother at the onset of the pandemic, and most recently the loss of Lynn’s mother last April.  

I am mindful, especially today, of those in our clergy family who will linger in the sanctuary a bit longer because for the first time they will come home without the embrace of a spouse. 

I am mindful today, also, of those in our communities who will this Christmas be without a home because of the recent tornadoes that tore across our Kentucky and West Tennessee. 

I am especially mindful that, if Christ is to be born in us this Christmas, we will need to reach with open arms to those in need. We will need to wrap our arms around our faith. 

So, I invite you to be mindful that when we birth and cradle Christ in our own lives we will find our arms wrapping around others who need Christ birthed and cradled in their lives. 

From our house to yours, 

Merry Christmas! 

Bill and Lynn McAlilly

Responding To Stress in All Seasons

By Vicki Loflin Johnson (www.coachingtheartofwellbeing.com)

In the midst of a stressful year with our fourth major weather event in 18 months, the Global Pandemic and the challenges that have constantly been before us, I asked my friend Vicki Loflin Johnson to give us some thoughts about coping with stress and becoming more resilient. Vicki has worked with a number of our people over the last several months through her coaching cohort, The Art of Wellbeing. I offer this post to you in the spirit of help for the common good.

BM

When we are extremely stressed or overwhelmed, or in the midst of responding to a crisis, it is important that we also take some time for rest and recovery.

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Here are some simple, quick ways to help you pause, breathe, and reset: 

If you have 60 seconds:

• Close your eyes. Breathe in and out through your nose. Consciously relax your mouth, let your tongue rest. If helpful, imagine breathing out the tiredness/tension and breathing in energy/the Holy Spirit. 
• Slowly nod your head up and down (yes). Then slowly turn your head from left to right (no). With your inhale face forward; with your exhale move up/down/left/right. If you are in your car, press the back of your head into the headrest while doing this. 
• Try taking a “lion’s breath.” Inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale with your mouth wide open and tongue sticking out. Exhale as long as possible. Repeat 3-4 times.
• Take off your shoes and socks. Curl and uncurl your toes. Squeeze your hands into a fist and then open them wide. Open your mouth as wide as possible while inhaling, then purse your lips and blow out hard. Repeat these steps 3-4 times. 
• Stop what you are doing long enough to look at something beautiful—a piece of art, a plant, nature outside your window, a treasured decorative item in your home or office.  Let an object of beauty evoke a moment of awe and wonder in you.  
• Stroke your cat or your dog. Hug a friend, your child, or your spouse. 
• Drink 8 ounces of water.

If you have 5 minutes:

• Practice “ratio breathing.” Inhale to a slow count of 3 or 4. Exhale twice as long to a count of 6 or 8. This breathing technique has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and heart rate.  
• Gaze out a window and let your eyes be soft. Ask yourself a question and listen: “What am I feeling right now?” If you feel up to it, you can also ask, “Oh God, what are you inviting me to do next?”
• Play with your dog.  Do something silly with a child.
• Lie down on a carpet, rug, or yoga mat and pull your knees into your chest (do not cross your ankles). Hold onto your knees or shins and pull your knees as close to your chest as is comfortable. Let your low back completely flatten to the floor. If your chin juts toward the ceiling uncomfortably, place a folded blanket or low pillow under your head. Close your eyes and breathe. 
• Watch a funny video that makes you laugh.  Save those cute little animal or baby videos for just such a break as this! Laughing restores us!
• Look at your list or think through all the things you think you have to do and ask:  “What is one thing I can say no to?”

If you have 10 minutes:

• Walk in silence. You can set your timer for five minutes for one direction and then turn around, but try not to look at your phone.  If you feel like it, skip, dance, or wiggle while you are walking. 
• Make a gratitude list. Write down even most the obvious things you are thankful for until you run out of ideas.  Or list the people who have done something nice for you that day. An ideal time to practice a gratitude journal is at bedtime.
• Take a “hot beverage” break.  If you are planning to have a cup of coffee or tea, try your best not to multi-task while you are drinking it.  Try not to look at your phone.  Just relax and enjoy the drink. 
• Practice allowing your feelings rather than trying to control them. Notice what you’re feeling and name it without judgement. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, etc. A wise leader once said she would set a timer when she needed what she called a “pity party.” She would allow herself a certain amount of time to experience her painful or negative feelings; but interestingly, once she allowed them, they sometimes lessened or dissipated altogether by the time the timer went off. 
• Stretch your body before getting into bed at night. Start by clasping your hands in front of you and then flipping them outward. As you inhale, raise your interlaced hands above your head as far as you are able. Exhale and lean to the right. Inhale, return to the center. Then exhale, and lean to the left. Again inhale and return to the center. Next, get down on the floor and do any gentle stretches you know. Set a timer. You will be surprised how fast 10 minute goes by. 

If you have 15 minutes:

• Practice a longer version of lying on your back with your knees pulled into your chest.
• Write like a psalmist. Get a blank piece of paper and write whatever comes to your mind for 15 minutes. You can start out by lamenting or complaining. Don’t worry! You can throw it away when you are finished. Be sure to allow 60 seconds at the end for praise and thanksgiving.
• Set a timer and move slowly around your kitchen, office, closet, or living space—sorting, ordering, picking up, throwing things away.  Rather than think of this as cleaning or organizing, just piddle and see what happens in 15 minutes.  Take a minute to observe how ordering one small part of your life affects your emotions. 
• Block 15 minutes a day for fully connecting with your closest relationships. This is important even in good times but especially in times of crisis. For those you live with, be sure to put down your devices and look them in the eyes. For those who are away, use FaceTime or videoconference to connect if possible. Prioritize calling a friend who can listen to you as well as expect you to listen.  
• If you need to connect with loved ones or others who deplete your energy, visualize putting on your spiritual armor before calling. Ask for protection so that you will not “take to heart” whatever comments might normally trigger reactive feelings. Your spiritual armor can be light and porous so that you will be able to listen and respond but not be wounded.  

Choose one or two of these ideas to try and then observe what affect they have on you.  Use this list to generate your own ideas!  Ideally, you might choose several of these very short rest and recovery practices each day. 

For more support and encouragement in challenging times, consider joining one of the January group coaching cohorts of The Art of WellBeing by visiting: http://www.coachingtheartofwellbeing.com.