Men's ministry

The first Sunday I visited Grace United Methodist Church I asked pastor Dave Ragula, if there was a men's group that met regularly. He said no but challanged me to start one. I am a little slow on the up take, it took a year and a Promise Keepers Conferance to light my fire. It was obvious that there was a need, so with the help from some of the other men of the Church, we began testing the waters. It is now almost 2 years later and the water is just fine thanks. The men are dedicated to the idea that the father/husband should be the spiritual leader of the family. He can only be that leader if he is a man of integrity. We find our inspiritation and direction at the foot of the Cross. Our group meets in the chapel off the sanctuary during sunday school ( 9:30-10:30 ) each Sunday. This year we have been studying Patrick Morley's "Man in the Mirror". All are welcome (we have even had a few girls set in and share with us.)
If you are interested come on in.
David Johnson

Welcome to the GUM Blog

Greetings and welcome to our Church’s new Blog.

Alright, I guess we get too far into this I should try to explain what a Blog is for those who don’t know what I’m talking about. A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. So it’s a really a place on the internet were a person or a group of people (like our Church) can post articles, videos, and write about what’s going on at Grace United Methodist Church.

The creation of this site corresponds with a new effort by Pastor John to prepare and adapt for the next generation of our Church Family. I’m excited to be part of this project and believe that this blog will be a useful tool in that effort.

So what can you expect from the GUM Blog? First and foremost this site will allow use to better communicate to our Church family and the people who live in our community. Now communication doesn’t just mean what time Church is at on Sundays. This is a site where we can post articles and important issues, the season, or about what’s happening here at Church. We can also post videos of our favorite praise songs and what that song means to us. It is our hope that this site will help us share our faith.

Make sure to bookmark this site so you can check in from time to time. Also, if you have a article that would be good to share pass it along. If you would like to write something for this site, we encourage you to do so.

See you on Sunday!

Time for Change: Reflections on Lent and Easter

by Dan R. Dick

Few times in the Christian year call us to reflect on transformational change like Lent leading toward Easter. Springtime is lush with rebirth, new beginnings, and new growth. Too often, however, we want to race to the Easter Resurrection without fully embracing the Lenten process that leads there. Lent reflects the forty days that Jesus wandered in the wilderness — tempted by Satan — in readiness for a ministry destined to end in tragedy. Few of us can relate to the level of sacrifice and commitment that Jesus displayed in his forty days, yet Lent provides us with an opportunity to deepen our spirituality by engaging in regular discipline from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. The wilderness — the desert days of Lent — is the true path toward spiritual transformation.

There is a compelling metaphor that helps us embrace the wilderness and prevents us from racing to Easter. It is the metaphor of the seed. Jesus began his teaching ministry with the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) and referred to seeds and trees, fruit and branches, throughout his ministry. To see the metaphor of Christian growth and spiritual development contained in a seed is to learn valuable lessons about change and transformation. Receive these six lessons from the seed as six weekly devotionals for this Lenten season. Incorporate them into your daily meditations so that they might grow to full bloom in your heart.

Lesson One: Seeds Need a Rich Environment

A seed that lacks appropriate soil may sprout, but will quickly wither and die. Even in the best soil, without water and nutrients, growth will be limited. Without sun and cultivation, plants will decay and spoil. Seeds require a rich, healthy environment in which to grow. This applies to the environment in which we grow as Christian disciples. There must be an ongoing flow of comfort and security, challenge and inspiration, learning and service. Without such an environment, discipleship growth is stunted, stagnant, or worse, dead. We create an environment for our spiritual formation through prayer, study, worship, fellowship, and service.

Lesson Two: Seeds Can't Be Rushed

When seeds do not sprout, take root, and grow, try yelling at them. Of course, that is a preposterous idea. No one would ever think that they could somehow rush the normal growing process. Seeds require the amount of time that they require. In God's plan, the time things take is the right time. People, however, get impatient. Our culture puts pressure on us to rush through everything. We live in an age of instant gratification. Seeds teach us that we need to learn to wait, to develop patience. Christian formation is a process of seedlike growth. Patience is the key ingredient to transformational growth.

Lesson Three: All Seeds Grow at Different Rates

Plant a package of seeds, and immediately you see diversity in the rate of growth. Some sprout almost immediately and begin a steady rate of growth. Late sprouters often become early bloomers. And some normal beginners end up stunted and sickly. Growth is rarely even, and it is often chaotic. Nothing we do will change this diversity. Where seeds are concerned, we are comfortable with different rates of development. This is not always true with our attitudes about Christian believers. We often adopt a "cookie-cutter" approach to disciple making that makes some seem advanced, while others lag behind. The seed teaches us that to mature in different ways at different times is the only true normal.

Lesson Four: Change Happens in Stages

Examine any plant as it grows from seed to maturity, and you will find that it is hard to believe you are looking at the same plant. While the growth follows a smooth process, it proceeds through distinct stages. These stages are marked by unique characteristics and are a measure for the relative health and well-being of the plant at any given time. Our spiritual development progresses through stages as well. Belief and inquiry deepen to devotion and discipleship. Learning and following evolve into teaching and leading. Growth within the community of faith matures to a life of service in the world. We move through ages and stages of faith development as we grow from seed to sapling to fruit-bearing tree.

Lesson Five: Seeds Contain the Past and the Future

Each seed is the product of previous generations and contains within it all the genetic code for the future. Seeds are filled with the information that yields transformation. Each generation builds upon the last and lays the foundation for the next generation. The Word of God is the information we contain — passed down throughout the ages and preserved in us for the future — that holds the power to transform us. When we give ourselves time to grow, we unleash the God-given power to become mature Christian disciples.

Lesson Six: Seeds Have a Purpose Larger Than Themselves

Growth is not the purpose of a seed, but a means to an end. Unless seeds give rise to new seeds, they fail to fulfill their purpose. Transformation never happens for its own sake. Change happens to lead us to a new place. Growth occurs that we might not only know more, but that we might do more. Seeds are judged, ultimately, on the fruit that they bear. Christians may never content themselves with growing in their knowledge and love of God. Growth that fails to lead to a change in behavior is cancerous, not healthy. We grow for a reason, and that reason is something much larger than any individual's needs.

The lessons of the seed help us see Lent, not as a time of sacrifice and denial, but as a time of preparation and anticipation — preparation for the work to which God calls us and anticipation of the fullness of life that God promises.

Dan R. Dick (ddick@gbod.org) is the director of congregational planning and leader development for the General Board of Discipleship.

(March 2, 2000)

Lent 101

By Penny Ford

Lent is a season of the Christian year when people are invited to simplify their lives to focus on their relationship with God in Christ.

Where does the concept of Lent come from?

At Jesus' baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus hiked into the wilderness. Maybe he needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe he was searching for direction and answers. Maybe he needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God, and himself, more clearly. For whatever reason, Jesus retreated into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray. While he was there, he was tempted by Satan and found the strength to make some tough decisions. He also found clarity about God and what kind of person God wanted him to be.

What does Lent have to do with me?

It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of work, school, relationships, and family. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol or other things. We run from silence because we're afraid of being alone with God. So, like Jesus, we need to take some serious time to pray and figure out where God is in our lives, and where God is calling us to serve. We need to re-focus our lives to be more in line with God.

How do Christians celebrate Lent?

It's different in different traditions. But generally it's a time to return to Christ by cutting out all that distracts us. For some people that means giving up something like candy, TV, soft drinks, beer, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. Others take something on and collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to help children, or decide to be kind to someone they don't like. Whatever "stuff" is given up or taken on, the intent must be to draw us closer to Christ. Lent is a resolution to simplify our lives, and to return to the One who loves us -- Jesus.

When is Lent?

It's the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays (you math geniuses), because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it's about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time).

What does "Mardi Gras" mean?

Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." It refers to the day before Lent starts. and since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the day before is always a Tuesday (duh). And it's called "Fat" or "Great" because it's associated with great food and parties.

What do Mardi Gras parties have to do with Lent?

In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn't want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. So they used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it's origin, and hang onto the true Spirit of the season.

So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday?

Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our Loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person's forehead with ashes.

Why ashes?

In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance:, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear "sackcloth" (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.

Where do the ashes come from?

On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less then a week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday, burning them, and mixing them with a little water (like tears). It's symbolic.

What do Christians do with ashes?

At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus' resurrection (life after death) and forgiveness. It's a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God's forgiveness as we return to Jesus.

COOL THINGS TO DO FOR LENT

1. Skip one meal a day and give the money to the poor.
2. Start a prayer "rhythm." Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, see a commercial, or check your e-mail.
3. Read a chapter in the Bible a day. (Matthew is a good book to start with).
4. Forgive someone who doesn't deserve it (maybe even yourself).
5. Give up beer or sodas. Give the money you save to the Red Cross.
6. Spend thirty minutes a day in silence.
7. Write someone a thank you letter.
8. Say one nice thing to someone each day.
9. Pray for others on your way to work or school.
10. Volunteer one afternoon a week at a local shelter, tutoring program or Habitat for Humanity.

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Penny Ford is a United Methodist campus minister at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. She likes traveling, sci-fi, late nights, and chocolate milk. She is also a nationally certified licensed massage therapist (really).