10 June 2008 by Gail Carter.

Wow……..did that make you look????  Actually, what I’m interested in is “You Catching”. 

As Lay Leader, I sit in on a lot of teams.  On most of these teams there seems to be a common theme - a need for people; people to lead, to assist, to advise, to ACT.  On the other hand, as Lay Leader, I also get to talk to a myriad of congregation members, and guess what I hear ALL THE TIME????  “I don’t know where I belong”, “I want to be plugged into what’s going on”, “I’d like to help, but I don’t know who to contact or what the first step is”. 

After almost ten months of the Leadership Team reviewing ministries and their needs, I can tell you that if you’ve got a plug, there’s a socket to match it somewhere within Glen Mar.   For example, Jeff Carter is in need of someone with financial expertise to join his Finance Team.  Can you help?  Carrie Grams is always looking for an accompanist and someone to help out with administrative duties.  Would this interest you?  Pastor John needs assistance in Adult Christian Learning.  The list goes on and on.

If you are looking for an area to share your talents, please email me at LayLeader@GlenMarUMC.org or put a note in my mailbox which is located in the little hallway on the right after you enter the front doors.  I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!!!

Gail 

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24 May 2008 by Glen Lauber.

Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, Oxon Hill, MD

May 24, 2008

Good morning from the shores of the Potomac River. We finished business this morning, resolving two leftovers from Friday and two potentially controversial issues all in the spirit of holy conferencing. The conference wrap-up is available on the conference website.

First, Bishop Schol presented a compromise on the BOOM nominations issue (see entry from day 2), which was accepted by the body. The BOOM executive committee and the cabinet agreed to add four more members.

Once that was settled balloting for endorsing a candidate for bishop commenced (see entry for day 2 on issues opened that day). Using the process agreed to on Friday, four nominations were made from the floor. Members of the conference voted for either the delegation-endorsed candidate, four candidates nominated from the floor, and “no nominee.” With 66 percent required for endorsement, a candidate was selected on the third ballot. The Rev. Peggy Johnson of Christ UMC of the Deaf in Baltimore (the delegation’s choice) will be the candidate for bishop from our annual conference when the jurisdictional conference convenes in Harrisburg, PA in July.

What remained were three petitions: a motion to change the pension system, one to encourage support of pregnancy centers, and another to support the continuation of dialog teams on sexual orientation and gender identity (see the pre-conference journal pages 58-60). The pension resolution failed and the other two passed with small amendments.

That afternoon, 18 women and men were ordained as Elders (like Andy and John) and one woman was ordained a full member Deacon (like Al and Ruth). There were also 15 provisional members who were commissioned (people working toward ordination).

The next session of annual conference will be held June 4-6, 2009 at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore.

By and large, this was one of the better annual conferences. It was a good moment for holy conferencing. The bishop set the tone from the start of the conference that gave the Spirit priority over agendas. That became evident this morning when all the controversial issues came to a head. Tomorrow I might have some reflections to share.

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23 May 2008 by Glen Lauber.

Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, Oxon Hill, MD

May 23, 2008

Greetings from Prince George’s County. Today was mostly about reports and some legislation from the two major organs of the annual conference, Discipleship and Stewardship. You can read the conference daily newspaper covering today’s events on the conference website. Some things I mention below may require further elaboration, but I wanted to keep this under 50 words. If you are curious about any of these things I suggest searching the conference website.

There was more than usual discussion over the nominations report (officers of the annual conference are elected for a quadrennium). The report was accepted except for the part covering the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM), which oversees the ordination of clergy. The BOOM slate was referred to the conference cabinet and BOOM executive committee for resolution by tomorrow.

You may be interested to know the Al Hammer will serve on BOOM for the first time, and I will start my second term as a member of the Board of Laity, and my first as an lay alternate member of the Committee of Clergy Investigation. Ruth Bell will serve on the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministries, and John Nupp will chair the Commission on Disability Concerns. Andy Lunt will serve as an alternate on the Committee on Administrative Review.

In legislation, the conference agreed to continue the study of male-female clergy “Remuneration, Mobility and Retention” inequities. The conference did not approve making the Safe Sanctuaries Committee permanent.

Also, the conference approved the 2009 budget of $18,829,745, an increase of 2.97 percent (see more in the Pre-Conference Booklet). The conference receives money from local churches through apportionments. A church adds up how much of their operating budget was spent on themselves (not mission or ministry, but salaries and utilities, for example). Then that figure is multiplied by a “benevolence factor.” The result is what they pay to the annual conference. The benevolence factor for 2009 was set at 22 percent, reduced from 22.5 percent for 2008. Glen Mar Church is paying $186,348 in apportionments this year, based on 2006 data.

The conference conducted a comprehensive study of the apportionment formula and will report its findings at a special session of annual conference in the fall. They were also instructed to explore the rising costs of utilities and how they affect apportionments.

The last bit of business surrounded the process for endorsing a candidate for bishop from our annual conference. Every four years new bishops are elected to replace retiring bishops. Each annual conference may nominate or not nominate somebody for consideration. Normally, the delegation of people elected last year to represent the annual conference at worldwide and regional quadrennial meetings select somebody, that person is presented to the annual conference for endorsement, and that person is endorsed. This year, there was interest in nominating people from the floor (perfectly legitimate), but the process to handle this was unclear. Considerable time was spent today perfecting the process. We decided to start nominations and voting tomorrow.

In other events, we celebrated the full inclusion of the Bermuda churches, Centenary UMC and Marsden UMC, into the Northeastern Jurisdiction, following action at the 2008 General Conference; and as two new churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and Bishop Schol led a participatory exploration of the history of the church through small groups answering, “What would be some key markers or milestones for the Baltimore-Washington conference and what have we learned from them?

There was an update on Nothing But Nets. The conference distribute more than 7,100 nets in Zimbabwe and raise thousands of dollars more for the next shipment of nets. Also, the Rev. Byron Brought campaigned for stopping slots in Maryland when it comes up as a referendum this fall.

Members of the conference shared a number of things about the conference’s stewardship efforts for which they are thankful. Among the causes for gratitude were: loans and grants given to local churches, the HOPE Fund, the United Methodist Foundation; and the fact that this is the 11th year that the Baltimore-Washington Conference has paid its full apportionments to the General Church. The day was capped off by a multicultural festival celebrating the conference’s diversity, which includes Hispanic, Korean, Russian, Deaf, African-American congregations.

It was a long, good day. Reflection will come later.

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22 May 2008 by Glen Lauber.

Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, Oxon Hill, MD
May 22, 2008

Andy Lunt, Dottie Byers, Al Hammer, Karol Hess, John Nupp, Lynne Phillips, and I are here at the Gaylord Hotel at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, participating in the annual session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church. It’s a nice hotel. Ruth Bell is recovering from knee-replacement surgery and is unable to be present this year.

My intent is to write a Blog entry for each day of the conference while I am here. However, I may decide to go back and update a day’s entry (not add a comment, but edit the initial entry) if I get more information, have more to say, or perhaps decide to add a link to a website, so be sure to check entries you may have already read for changes.

An Annual Conference is a region of hundreds of churches led by a bishop (ours is Bishop John Schol of the Washington Episcopal Area). All of the clergy in that region and an equal number of lay people, who are “Members of the Annual Conference,” meet annually to make decisions about ministry in the conference, and approve the budget to support that ministry. Our four clergy are members of the annual conference by ordination. The other four of us are those who are elected and sent by Glen Mar Church to be lay members alongside the clergy.

Preparation for this conference started over a year ago. To read about the issues coming before the conference, read the conference daily newspaper for Thursday.

Clergy and laity met in their separate sessions this morning for worship, fellowship, lunch, and business. Delores Oden is the conference lay leader. The laity heard reports from the United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, lay speaking leaders, deaconesses and home missioners. Our guest speaker (whose name I have lost) preached on the importance of preparation for the hard work of ministry, especially a Gethsemane experience for spiritual preparation, and a Calvary experience that challenges our mettle.

An excellent afternoon worship experience was organized and led by young adult clergy and laity. The preacher was Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the Desert Southwest Episcopal Area. Bishop Carcaño preached on, “Do We Dare to Have the Mind of Christ,” with specific application to immigration policy.

Business began at 4 p.m. with the convening of the conference and Bishop Schol’s State of the Conference. He described how United Methodists throughout the Baltimore-Washington Conference are living out their discipleship in bold, audacious and extreme ways, serving like Christ as they grow mission, disciples, spiritual leaders and churches. An article on the address and its full text are available on the Conference website. The bishop cited many exciting ministries in the conference, including PATH, in which Glen Mar Church actively participates.

After dinner, Bishop Jane Middleton of the Harrisburg Episcopal Area taught the conference on “Living the Wesleyan Way.” The Wesleyan Way is practicing John Wesley’s three simple rules: Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in Love with God.

In particular, I want to bring to your attention, The Advance, a mission support tool of the denomination, which uses 100% of your contribution in mission. Its overhead costs are born by the denomination. See their video.

The last piece of legislation was the approval by the body of a committee proposal to reduce the number of districts from nine to eight. Districts are sub-divisions of an annual conference led by clergy appointed by the bishop to help the bishop oversee hundreds of churches and clergy. The bishop has approved the committees proposed realignment of churches between the eight districts. The impact on Glen Mar is that we will move from the Washington-Columbia District to the new Central Maryland District.

Well, that’s enough for the first day. Today will be longer and harder, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. I already know that I will be updating this entry…there are details I will be tracking down. 

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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.

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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!

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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? 

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15 February 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

My 6-year-old son is a budding theologian.  Just between us, he’s going to be my secret weapon when I take Systematic Theology. Last year around this time when his kindergarten class studied Martin Luther King, Jr. he marched out of school talking about him a mile a minute, so I say,”He was a good man who stood for justice and peace.”   And my son looks at me with his serious face on and says, “Mommy, justice is a ‘God-word,’ just like love.”  I so hate it when he’s smarter than I am.

As we prepare for Valentine’s Day, I can’t help but think about love.  I know Valentine’s Day is supposed to be based on a saint and everything, but it strikes me in practice as a “Hallmark holiday” somebody stuck a robe on and started calling “Reverend.” When I see all that red cellophane and all those stuffed bears clogging up the CVS aisle, it actually makes me a little sad.  Will a little sucrose heart-shaped vitamin with “Be Mine” stamped on it really be the cure for what ails us in the love department?  Can a Whitman’s sampler really get us through a long dark night of the soul? (“Yes, yes it can!” I hear the chocoholics shout).

Maybe our task as pastors and preachers is to point folks away from the temporary sugar high of the Valentine’s Day culture to a God who wants to say to every yearning heart, “Be Mine.”  Maybe we can use this Hallmark holiday to acknowledge the valentines from God that have been tucked into the corners of our lives: all those good gifts of God that go  unnoticed over time. God’s valentines often come in human packages, in our families and friends, in our pastors and teachers, in our congregations and even in our enemies. Maybe we can explore more deeply the kind of love with which God so loved the world and what that kind of love means for us  and our life together.  This deep love sits with those who suffer and reaches out to people who are lost, lonely, and in despair and refuses to abandon them even when they prove difficult to love.

By all means, we should express our love and appreciation to people in our lives this Valentine’s Day.  We don’t do that nearly enough.  But we also need to remember that love is washing feet and sitting with and praying through.  Love is not cute or heart-shaped.  Love is a God made flesh that was killed on a cross and was raised from the dead.  It is a lenten journey and an Easter proclamation.  It is serious life-claiming, life-changing, business.  Love is, first and foremost, a “God-word.”

And that’s why we exist as a church, to love the world like that. A real valentine, a real hope, a real dose of God’s death-defying life-giving love.

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8 February 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

The service was Wednesday night and I thought it was awesome in every way.  I loved having Pastor Ruth up there imposing ashes with Andy.  She’s a gift and a treasure.

When I consider the commitment we’ve made to pray and work together leading up to the opening of the new building, I’m so excited about what will come of it.

I wanted to share an email I got from Bonnie Smith this morning.
They Should Have Used Tape

The Ash Wednesday Service certainly did put me in the right frame of mind for the season of Lent.  A story comes to mind at this season that I would like to share.

When my first grandchild, Callie, was about 3 ½ years old I was talking to her, asking her what she learned in Sunday School that day.  She looked up at me (of course she had the sweetest expression on her face) and said:  “Nana, did you know that they put stickers on Jesus’ head and pushed it down real hard so that it would stay on?  It made him bleed!  They should have used TAPE.”  At first I commiserated with her and gave her the biggest hug!  Out of the mouths of babes!  I have never forgotten her statement, “They should have used tape.”  She was too young to understand the whole meaning of the Easter story but saw the way He was hurting and thought her idea of using “tape” would at least stop the bleeding.  I might add that Callie was a tape fanatic! Ha! Ha!

When I think of this story I realize that I/We can “stop the bleeding” by being a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ:  by feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, sharing our faith with someone that is hopeless and in despair, praying for the sick and for those who mourn.  We can use our talents to glorify God in our homes, place of worship, schools, workplace and the community.  Sometimes this seems like a tall order.  But, just think if each of us did our part, there might be more peace and love to go around for everyone!  He shed his blood for us, this is the least we can do for Him!

Blessings,
Bonnie

I like the portrait of a church designed to “stop the bleeding” by sharing the love of Christ and making a difference in the world!  As we journey on in Lent, I am so excited to hear what folks discover in the course of their time of prayer.  Post comments and reflections in the 100 Days of Prayer category if you want to!

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30 January 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

The LCI conference closed with an address from Dr. Peter Storey, past President of the South African Council of Churches and former Methodist Bishop in South Africa where he was part of the church’s struggle against apartheid. I thought his talk was the best and most awful thing I’d heard in a long time. I had to wait to blog on it until I had recovered.

Have you ever just been going through your life and suddenly the Gospel hits you in the face? It was like hearing a Pauline letter. I cried right there in front of the church staff and everything. Crying in public is something I try to avoid.

He talked about the struggle in South Africa, the Church on trial on trumped up charges by the government. He described church leaders from around the world descending on a dingy country courthouse to stand with the local church representatives, an example of what the Church can do when it takes its mission seriously and stands united.

But he also talked about white South Africa during apartheid in a way that drew some disturbing and accurate parallels with America today. Instead of seeing all humanity as one community, we are quick to divide along economic, racial and social lines. We are blind to those problems we do not want to see. We live in a big bubble of privilege that comes from being a part of a rich First World powerful country. If the church is to do its job, we need to begin to see the people we don’t want to see, to come to know them and realize that they are Christ for us.

He talked about many prosperous communities being like the man born blind, whom Jesus touched twice, once and the man could see shapes, twice and he could see clearly. Perhaps the American church needs to be “touched by Jesus a second time,” he said.

It made me ashamed for the ways in which I have become complacent–my own unwillingness to see and act in the name of the Gospel. When I called Eric afterwards, I said, “I feel wretched.” He said, “Honey, that’s great! What a gift!” (Yeesh). But what he meant was, the Gospel of Jesus is supposed to knock a person off her horse from time to time in order to bear some good fruit for God.

And in the end, I think God is working at Glen Mar to make sure we are about the ministry of Christ in the world, doing Church, not playing Church. Speaking truth to power, not talking to ourselves.

I think that’s why God has given us the new facility, to do and be the Church in new and kingdom of God sorts of ways. I pray that I might be faithful to those vows made at my baptism and that my own work in ministry would bear some fruit for God.

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