29 March 2008 by Glen Lauber.

 This entry is by Melissa Lauber

They that go down to the sea in ships shall see the works of the Lord, we’re told in Psalm 107.

This coming fall, clergy and laity of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will be able to experience some of God’s more remarkable works and wonders on a cruise sponsored by Bishop John Schol.

The 11-day cruise will trace the fourth missionary journey of the apostle Paul to the city of Paul’s destiny – Rome.

The study cruise, Nov. 12-25, will explore the places, events, theology and implications of Acts 27 and 28 with stops in the ancient and story-filled cities of Athens, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Malta, Sicily and Corinth.

While seeing the sights in these cities through the eyes of the Acts 2 church, people will gain new understandings of the biblical narrative. But even more importantly, the cruise opens up an opportunity for pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage, a spiritual discipline that goes back thousands of years, involves setting off on a journey in which the traveling is often more important the destination.

But pilgrimages usually have a destination in mind. After Jerusalem and the Holy Lands, Rome is the most popular Christian pilgrimage site.

Journeying with a wide-open soul, pilgrims leave the cares of everyday living at home to open themselves to the thoughts and experiences that God provides.

In medieval times, going on a pilgrimage could open the doors of heaven. For today’s disciples, such experiences allow a chance for the sacred to stir within our lives in unexpected ways.

Medieval pilgrims wore scallop shells as a badge to alert those whom they encountered that they were traveling outside the traditional map, on a more divine path. Traveling with others, in community, shaped the road as they moved, allowing the spirit to be their compass.

To pilgrims, horizons matter.

The bishop’s cruise brims with possibility for spiritual transformation and adventure.

The itinerary includes the renowned Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, temples, and palaces, and  views of Mt. Etna from Syracuse, once known as the most beautiful of all cities. A tour of Vatican will reveal artistic masterpieces that rival any throughout history, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Pieta. A tour through ancient Rome will spotlight the Circus Maximus, the Arch of Titus and many other sites; and following a sail to the rock cost of Naples, Pompeii, the city that was buried for more than 1,500 years in the volcanic dust of Mt. Etna, will be seen uncovered.

In addition, throughout it all, the life and faith of Paul, one of the architects of the Christian faith, will be examined in the sites, sounds and sharing of stories.

The tour is sponsored by Educational Opportunities Tours. The inclusive cost is between $2,298 and 4,148, depending upon the ship cabin that is chosen.

While it is possible to be a tourist on this trip, tourists often get caught up in the anxiety of schedules and of finding the new and curious. Traveling as a pilgrim is different.

A pilgrimage insists that we approach the things we see and experience with wonder, awe and faith. It allows you to discover the life you think you ought to be living and allows new doors to open.

At some point, we all should go down to the sea in ships to see the works of the Lord. For in the end, it’s always better to travel well, than to arrive. Or, as coach and philosopher Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”  

For more information on Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey Cruise into History, visit www.eo.travelwithus.com or contact Olivia Gross at ogross@bwcumc.org or 410-309-3430. Remember to mention Melissa Lauber when you call. If enough people sign up in her name, she will get a free trip.

Posted in General Nourishment | No Comments »

16 March 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

At Glen Mar, we say every member is a minister and so I just wanted to write a note to all my brothers and sisters at Glen Mar about the upcoming Holy Week. I appreciate all the ways you help your brothers and sisters in Christ to praise God, week in and week out.

I especially wanted to thank you for all the ways we pull together on this holiest of weeks for the holiest of tasks. What do I mean “holy tasks”?

Dressing the altar, providing for the children, the powerful music, the sound and lights, the bread and juice, the hand of welcome, the hospitality, the loving guidance, the Christian care, the Word read and proclaimed, the preparation, all of it, they are holy tasks, set apart for God and our neighbors, whom we love, so that in that experience, even in that big ol’ room, people can experience the love of God and the freedom and power that comes from following a resurrected saviour. Even if you don’t have an “up front” job and even for folks who “only” are there to worship, your holy task is to be a little of Christ’s love for the person next to us: the person washing their hands at the restroom sink, the person we hold the door for….There is no more joyful task, there is no better news, there is nothing more exciting than that!

I was thinking about what I’d want to say to you and to all the folks at Glen Mar about Easter, and I thought about how it is every year, with the people streaming in, all the faces and hands stretched out for bulletins, all the chairs, all the ties and dresses, and how it’s either 90 degrees or 40 degrees outside. We studied the Feeding of the 5000 in my leadership class a couple weeks ago, and the metaphor we used was, that Jesus, “embraced the crowd.” He turned to them before he “knew” them, without regard for their “goodness” or anything about them, and offered them compassion and hospitality. We need to open our arms wide and “embrace the crowd” that comes on Easter, offer them hospitality, and share what we have with them in love. If there’s ever a Sunday to smile at someone, or to talk to the person next to you in the row, this is the one! Ask them what service they go to! We’re all in there together, so you won’t look funny! If they say this is my first time, invite them to worship next Sunday!

I know that your constituencies and you have many things to do on Easter, but I’m hoping that we can all let the joy in our hearts show on that Sunday, everybody in the congregation, from Bishop Schol to that set of grandparents in the last row by the door. We are one church, all the time. On Easter, we show on the outside, how God made us on the inside: one body in Christ, one family in God, beloved, redeemed, and free.

This week as we rehearse, unload equipment, hunt for missing napkins, figure out what’s causing that bizarre problem that we’ll only find out about on Sunday, as the kids enjoy spring break and as people commit their time and their gifts to this Holy Week, I hope we can remember that Jesus has already done the hardest part. When I get out of my car on Easter morning, I’m literally shaking with excitement. Because I know the tomb is empty, and because like Mary Magdalene “I have seen the Lord.” I have seen him at Glen Mar, in the cribbery and the Bible study, at the communion table and Celebrate recovery, at youth group, and in the fellowship hall, at the budget meeting, the staff meeting, and on the mission trip and at Carpenter’s Kitchen. I bet you have seen him too! Thank God and thank you for that gift we give each other, and praise God that God has brought us all together to proclaim, all together, with one voice and one heart, Christ is Risen!

Posted in Worship, General Nourishment | No Comments »

7 March 2008 by Glen Lauber.

The worst thing anybody can do to Sabbath is legislate it, either in civil government, or church law. Reflect on where that has put Sabbath in the minds of Christians, never mind everybody else. Sabbath today is grotesquely misunderstood and taken for granted; one of those things that only religious Jews and “whacky” Christians do. Sabbath is often seen as a quaint old custom, belonging to an earlier time when people weren’t so busy. But Sabbath is also remembered with longing, thinking back to the good old days of the Blue Laws, where others decided what Sabbath was for you. But, I am not interested in how we got here, just how we get out of here. Sabbath is not a joke, and it is not something to be either ignored or endured. Sabbath is a celebration, and a form of worship. 

Here at Glen Mar Church, we have had experiences with two books on Sabbath. The first, Keeping Sabbath Wholly, by Marva Dawn, was the basis for a five-sermon series in the fall of 2006 by Andy Lunt called, “Life in the Fast Lane,” the first of which can be found here. Audio copies of the sermon series may be purchased in the church office. The second book is being studied now by the Sunday 9:15 adult Bible study class lead by John Nupp, and is called, The Rest of God, by Mark Buchanan. While the two books are different, they are complimentary. The common starting point for each is the heart of the matter; that Sabbath is not a time but an attitude; it has a heart. Do we as Christians (or Jews, or Muslims) have a Sabbath heart, or do we continue to see Sabbath as an item on a checklist to be “done?” 

“Legalism” is an excuse many of us enjoy using to avoid doing inconvenient things, such as observing Sabbath, or tithing, for example. Legalism is what we (Christians, Jews, and Muslims) do to a commandment from God. God never intended for us to do what was commanded without heart. God always intended for us to obey commandments with love for God and for each other. This is what it means for Christ to not abolish the law, but fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In confronting the religious leaders, His argument was not that the law was invalid (it came from God, after all), but that our application of it was corrupt, heartless, loveless, judgmental. Try this sometime: when you come across a piece of Scripture that is a list of behaviors, laws, or rules (such as Ephesians 4 or Exodus 20), read it, and then go read 1 Corinthians 13. Put them in a bowl and mix well. That’s my idea of justice and mercy; of law and love. 

How do you see Sabbath? What was your experience when it was forced on you, or when you were free to choose it? Are you willing to consider developing a heart for Sabbath? 

Posted in General Nourishment | 2 Comments »