SUMMER 2014

2 Summer 2014

The United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc.Contact Jeff Taylor or Kim MatthewsP.O. Box 3811 Charleston, WV 25338

304-342-2113 or 1-800-788-3746 ext. 45info@umfwv.org www.umfwv.org www.facebook.com/umfwv

Celebrate4O4OYears of MinistryIn 1974, United Methodist Charities was no more than a dream. But it was a dream filled with unrecognized potential.

Bishop D. Frederick Wertz, Founding Bishop

The founders of the United Methodist Charities were people of vision. They cared for others; thus the Foundation was born.

Rev. J. Clair Jarvis, President (1976-1982)

Long after all of us have passed from the scene, in fact as long as time continues, those yet unborn will sit in the shade and eat the fruit of the trees which have been planted.

Rev. Samuel B. Sink, President (1982-1991)

We all walk on steps built by others, and in the future may that continue to be true, so the United Methodist Foundation may continue moving foward in its unique ministry and service to the Church.

Rev. David R. Peters, President (1992-2008)

The ministry that happens through The Foundation offers opportunities for mission and ministry that would not happen otherwise. You can be a part of this exciting ministry in this Conference.

Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball

The growth of The Foundation over these forty years is due in large part to our commitment to ministry. Our goal is never to build up The Foundation for its own sake, but to have an outward focus that expands and enhances United Methodist ministries in the name of Jesus Christ in the West Virginia Conference and beyond.

Rev. Jeffrey A. Taylor, President

CONTENTS

Do you love me?Peter is bewildered - and forgiven - and Jesus is always ready to meet him - and us if we aren’t afraid. A sermon from Amanda Gayle Reed.

Re� ections from Jason VickersHe’s a card-carrying member of the NRA and the Sierra Club, and he speaks at Clergy School this Fall. Learn a little more about Jason Vickers.

Order my steps!This sermon was written for ordinands, but allowing God to order our steps is good advice for all of us. A sermon for ordination preached last month from Bishop Ernest S. Lyght.

POETRY

Living Stone — � e incarnation

God is...93 words that will make you want to create more often...by Joe Hill

Photo essay8 youth. 2 counselors. 1 teacher. Stories of faith shared via photos and quotes.

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16

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Front Cover: “Baptismal Font in Wesley Chapel” by Hannah McCoy

This photo was taken by Hannah McCoy at last month’s Documenting Stories workshop at Summer Youth Celebration. It’s amazing what can be captured with a smart phone. What an eye on Hannah’s part too! Photography (and story) is about paying attention and seeking to capture a moment or an object. Hannah, who attends First United Methodist Church in

South Charleston, WV did both of these things very well here - as did all of the youth in the workshop.Most of the photos from the workshop

spread (pages 16-17) were taken with smart phones. It’s clear that young people can and do use them to engage with life, not withdraw from it. I was inspired by their creativity and intelligence - and how they used technology - to share the story of the Gospel and their own faith. How can the church utilize the God

given gifts and graces of young people and the technology they embrace? These photos would be great additions to your newsletters, websites, worship slides or other media!

Back Cover Photo: A young camper climbs the Challenge Course at Spring Heights near Spencer, WV. The course helps teach communication, decision making, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, self-esteem, and trust.

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� ree poems by K. AlmondB & E 10Exodus 18Magni� cat 6

Lessons in retirementBill Wilson’s � rst year of retirement hold les-sons and encouragement for us all.

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REFLECTION

LAURA ALLEN

4 Summer 2014

The Mountain Circuit (TMC) seeks to share the faith story of the people of the West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Published

four times a year, The Mountain Circuit emphasizes spiritual life through the writing, visual and multimedia arts in

print and online.

Letters to the editor and items to be considered for publication

may be sent to:

The Mountain CircuitP.O. Box 2313

Charleston, WV 25328Voice (304) 344-8331Fax: (304) 344-2871

email kthaxton@wvumc.org

Resident Bishop: Sandra Steiner BallEditor: Laura Harbert Allen

Associate Editor: Adam CunninghamProduction: Ashley Perks

Contributors:K Almond

Katrina Sue AshbyHannah FullerRyan Garner

Michael HarveyJoseph Hill

Bishop Ernest S. LyghtHannah McCoy

Judy PysellAmanda Gayle Reed

Erin SearsScott Sears

Jason VickersWilliam H. Wilson

Find us online:wvumc.org

“Oh my gosh, this is the best picture I’ve ever taken,” said one of the youth in the documenting stories workshop I facilitated last month at Summer Youth Celebration (SYC) on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buck-hannon.The idea of the workshop was to explore the relationship between objects,

faith and community. This group of 8 young people, 2 counselors and me were only together for 3 hours over 2 days. In that short time, we became a creative community. We developed a common

language steeped in faith and images.Creative work - and achieving community - demand honesty and compassion.

And I believe there is something about summer, with its magical mixture of play and space that encourage both of them to fl ourish.This group of young people were able to be honest about their own photos as

well as the ones taken by their peers. What worked? What did not? The discus-sion fl owed naturally, as did and their stories of faith and life.“This reminds me of Jesus’ baptism because of the way the light shines

around the baptismal font...kind of like a path to God,” said one student about the cover photo. A discussion ensued on the symbol of the baptismal font as a portal to a different sort of community with God and covenant at its center.The photo that became known as the “caution tape” picture (pg. 17) provoked

the question of what might have happened to the bench. We talked about the warning signs that we in the church put up that newcomers see - and the ones they don’t. The workshop shifted our perspective, and that word is a good encapsulation

of this issue of The Mountain Circuit. Bishop Ernest S. Lyght preached during last month’s ordination service at

annual conference, and his sermon, though directed toward those being or-dained and commissioned, holds words of wisdom for all of us. Will we “order our steps,” and be open to the Holy Spirit’s lead as he suggested? Will we un-derstand that God fi rst calls forth our gifts and graces?I hope that when you read his sermon, which begins on page 5, you receive

fresh insights about your own faith journey.“What would it take for you to hear another into freedom?” is the question

posed by K Almond in a poem on page 15 entitled “Exodus.” It’s one of four po-ems by Almond that you will fi nd scattered through this issue. Each one offers a different angle and observation about life, and at times, her poetry challeng-es us to think about society in ways that are uncomfortable (B & E, page 10).There’s also a sermon from Amanda Gayle Reed, and writing from Scott

Sears, Joe Hill and Bill Wilson. I spent many summers as a child reading books perched on the limbs of maple

trees - because I had time. I hope you will fi nd a quiet corner and the time to read through this issue, which intentionally contains several long-form pieces.Happy Summer Reading!— Laura Allen

FROM THE EDITOR the mountain circuit

volume 1, no. 3 Summer 2014

Summer reading

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5Summer 2014

Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are go-ing. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ [John 14:5-6]

As human beings, we learn to take steps to move from one place to an-other, from one level to another. We call this process walking. So, when we are in motion, because of our steps, we want our steps to be firm and steady. Most of all we want our steps to take us in the right direc-

preached by Bishop Ernest S. LyghtWest Virginia Wesleyan CollegeJune 15, 2014

ORDERMY STEPS!

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Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand. [Ps. 37:23-24]

All our steps are ordered by the Lord, how then can we understand our own ways? [Proverbs 20:24]

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tion; we don’t want to take a misstep. Perhaps we make a decision to side-step someone or something. Unfortu-nately, we are not always sure about what direction is the right one.I remember our son Eric’s first

steps. Those baby steps were unsure and wobbly. It was not long before his steps became steady and sure. I watched him grow and develop as a basketball player, able to dribble the basketball in front of him and behind his back. He developed a sure and de-pendable step.Brothers and sisters, I want to sug-

gest that we are like our children when it comes to our spiritual jour-ney. As one matures in the faith, our steps are not always sure. Should we backstep or sidestep or should we step forward? God would have us move forward. God would have us al-low God to order our steps so that we can go God’s way and do God’s will.John Wesley, the father of Method-

ism was a very talented man, in my opinion - an organizational genius. But you know, Wesley had some problems early in ministry. He had to admit that he was struggling with his faith.Brothers and Sisters, rest assured

there will be times when you will struggle with your faith. Education notwithstanding, degrees volumi-nous, you will struggle with your faith.Wesley struggled with his faith and

a dear friend simply told him, “just keep on preaching, preach faith; and one day you will attain faith.” And so Wesley had his Aldersgate expe-rience where he entered onto a new path, where he allowed God to order his steps. Wesley was a spiritual gi-ant from my point of view, but not at the beginning. It occurred over a pe-riod of time. It occurred due to prayer and immersion in God’s word.Bishop Steiner Ball asked you the

historic questions last evening. The first one is: Have you faith in

Christ?”That’s a question I hope you ask

yourself over and over again. You cannot assume it; and you did not get faith in Christ because you got a good education.I don’t care what degrees you have.

That doesn’t give you faith in Christ. I don’t care if you can read the scrip-ture in Greek or Arabic; that doesn’t give you faith. You’ve got to struggle with God’s word and allow God to be present in your life. Allow God to mold you and guide you along the way.And I’ve got news for you brothers

and sisters. I’ve been on this journey for awhile, but I’m still struggling with God’s word. Asking God to use me, to be present in me; asking the Holy Spirit to guide me and make me anew.There are three thoughts I’d like to

share with you.

God’s Call

It’s God’s Call. Let me be clear. God calls us for the work of ministry. We do not call ourselves. It’s not your call, it is God’s. If it’s your call, qui-etly slip out the side door. It is God who calls you.There are three persons I have al-

ways admired when I read the scrip-tures regarding call. First, when I think about God’s call

I am reminded of Moses. Moses was minding his own busi-

ness, taking care of the sheep, stay-ing out of trouble when God called him to do God’s work. God wanted Moses to go into Egypt as God’s per-sonal representative to carry the message: “Free my people; let them go!”Like you and me, Moses resisted at

first. Finally, Moses relented and ac-cepted the challenge. But God did not send him alone. God went with him; God stayed with him. God did not expect Moses to know the way; God showed him the way. You don’t have

MagnificatBased on Luke 1:46-55 My soul glories in the greatness and graciousness of God.Glory! Glory! Glory!My spirit finds its joy in God for God has seen me and loved me, humble and human as I am. From now on everyone will call me blessed and beloved.God has touched me and holy is God’s name.What mercy is there when we turn to God in awe.What steadfast loving kindness from God, generation to generation, womb to infant to ancient one and on.

God’s arm is strong and sure.God scatters the proud, the self-possessed.God casts the Powers That Be from their places of privilege.God lifts up the lowly and the least, the unpossessing who are ready to lean on God. God fills the hungry with a feast of fine food.Those who are full of wealth and self have no room for God so leave yet hungry.God loves God’s People.God remembers the promise, a promise for all, a promise forever. K Almond

to discover everything on your own; turn to Jesus and you will get some answers. I like the call of Moses.But I also like the call of Saul.Saul was a very erudite man. He

probably knew as much about chris-tianity as the Christians did. But one day, God encountered Saul; and he had an experience on the Damascus road. As a result of that experience, he was blind for several days. Saul was confronted with his own sins and came to the understanding that God wanted him to change his ways and lead a new life. His name was changed from Saul

to Paul. There was no more ardent preacher of the Gospel than Paul - missionary - preacher extraordi-naire. One who so deeply believed in Christ that he felt he was untimely born and acted as though he were one of the original disciples. That’s how steeped in the Gospel he was. And that’s a good thing. He came to know Jesus.Then there’s another person whose

call we don’t talk about. It’s the call of Mary to be the mother of Jesus. What a call. There again, like Moses, minding her own business, getting ready to be married. And along comes the Holy Spirit

who tells her she is going to be a new mother...and not in the conventional way. Mary answered the call and was faithful to it. She loved her son and she stood by him. That was the call that she responded to.Think about your call. It may not

have been dramatic like the call of Moses, Paul or Mary. But that not-withstanding, God has called you for the work of ministry.It’s God’s Call.

Your Call

Now, secondly, it’s your call. But I don’t mean by that what you think I might mean. You have said “yes”

to the call; you have told the Board of Ordained Ministry that you are ready. You have answered yes to the questions the bishop has asked of you. You’ve gotten all dressed up in a white robe and you have come here today to proclaim that you are ready.But I have the audacity to ask you

one more time: Have you faith in Christ?You know what the second question

is, don’t you? Are you going on to per-

fection? Or are you stuck someplace? I hope that you never get stuck, but if you do, keep praying until God un-sticks you. And moves you forward, ordering your steps along the way.—-When Jesus calls us, he asks that

we deny ourselves. That means you put others first. Love God. Love oth-ers. Love yourself. If you get that triad straightened out, you can do the work of ministry. But you have to deny yourself. Ministry is not about you. It is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Go forward in the name of Je-sus. Then, you are going to have to pick

up your cross. I want to be careful here, because

you are going to bear some crosses. If you don’t believe me, you just stick in ministry for awhile. But I want you to know that when you bear the cross that has come your way in ministry, God is with you.You won’t have to bear the cross

alone. MLK had to bear a cross, but God was with him. Even though he

was assassinated, God was with him, and his ministry continues on to this day.

Follow Jesus

Thirdly, follow Jesus.We don’t always like to follow peo-

ple. We don’t necessarily like what the bishop, cabinet, PPRC tell us. We want to do our own thing!You lay people ought to be in cabi-

net when appointments are being made. One of the toughest jobs in the United Methodist Church today is making appointments. I won’t go through the litany that is couched in the rationale that preachers as to why they should not be moved. But, I’ll give you one example.The bishop and the cabinet spend

a lot of time in prayer. The one that always got a rise out of me, a little chuckle, is when people would say: “I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer, and God is not leading me in this di-rection.” What has God been telling us on the

cabinet? God’s told the preacher one thing and the cabinet another.Jesus says you have to follow me.

When we follow Jesus, it’s often a dif-ficult task. When we follow Jesus, we will likely go to places where we nev-er dreamed of going. And when we get there, we discover that it’s o.k. It’s o.k.So then, it’s your call. You are going

to have to deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus.

John Wesley made a comment about his call. He said, literally, that he had two calls. The first call was was his ordination by the bishop: “Take thou authority to preach the Word of God.” Then he said that he had a second

call, which he described as his ex-traordinary call. Wesley suggested

7Summer 2014

“...I have the audacity to ask you one more time: Have you faith in Christ?”

SEE LYGHT ON PAGE 18

LONG READS

By Amanda Gayle Reed

8 Summer 2014

Wolf Creek American

Indian Village and

Museum

Photo: Laura Allen

Do you watch The Big Bang Theory?Sheldon Cooper, one of the main char-

acters, is one of the funniest, quirkiest people to ever exist, whether real or fi ction. And one of his most consistent quirks goes a bit like this:Sheldon walks into the living room

of his apartment and fi nds one of his friends sitting on the end of the couch that he has called dibs on, and he mat-ter-of-factly states,“You’re in my seat.”It doesn’t matter if every other seat

in the house is open and available. It doesn’t matter if the person in his seat is mortally ill. Sheldon wants his seat.It’s a constant ongoing joke in the se-

ries— Nobody, but nobody sits in Shel-don’s seat.Try to argue with him and he lights

LOVEDO YOU

ME?

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into a long diatribe about it being the optimal seat for watching television, playing video games, it gets a cross breeze in the summer and in the win-ter is close enough to the heat to stay warm, but far enough away not to get too hot.It’s lunacy. Anyone can see that.On more than one occasion Sheldon’s

friends accuse him of being crazy. (He’s not crazy, his mother had him tested). In the end, it’s always easier just to

move and Sheldon happily sits down in his seat and order is restored to what had just a moment before been a cha-otic world of change and uncertainty for the quirky young genius.And we can laugh at Sheldon. We can

call him crazy. We can shake our heads

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and wonder if it would really kill him to sit somewhere else, just once.But look at how we always go straight

back to our favorite pews every single Sunday.You know why?It’s not because we’re all a little bit

crazy like Sheldon Cooper… It’s be-cause we like familiarity.Even the most adventurous among us

appreciates the comforts of the famil-iar.We can go globetrotting all over the

world, sail the high seas, climb the highest peaks, and hike into the most remote areas of the Rain Forest… but we have to admit, nothing feels quite as good as coming home to your own bed.We are creatures of habit… sitting in

the same places, doing the same things, finding comfort in routine…And the disciples were just like us.So, if this story feels familiar, it’s be-

cause it is.Everything about the story of Jesus

meeting his disciples on the shore af-ter the resurrection is a sort of re-en-actment of scenes we have already seen before.Not really knowing what else to do,

and probably looking to get away from the world for a bit, the disciples take off on a fishing trip.Jesus appears on the shore, and hails

the fishermen—the same way he did at the very beginning of the gospel story—beckoning them not to give up, but to cast their nets to the other side.And just as we’ve seen happen al-

ready, the nets come in full. More than full… they are overflowing with their bounty. The very fact that they didn’t rip and tear is a miracle in and of itself.It is at this point that one of the dis-

ciples, the “one whom Jesus loved”—the more contemplative one, recognizes who that guy back on the shore is.And in a story that is as typical and

familiar as possible for people who know the attitudes and personalities of

the disciples, the contemplative disci-ple, John looks at the one who might’ve been diagnosed with ADHD if he were around today (I’m talking about Simon Peter) and says, “That’s Jesus over there.”Well—John might’ve been content

with waiting to get back to the shore while safely seated in the boat, because John had a much calmer personality and he knew Jesus wasn’t going to go anywhere.But Simon Peter can’t contain him-

self. He just jumps overboard and swims back to shore.And did it ever feel good to get to that

shore, (whether you’d come the exuber-ant way Peter had, or the more sensible way John had) and to see such an old friend.Jesus was ready for them, too—I’ve

always suspected Jesus might be a Methodist because of the way he seems to enjoy having fellowship meals with his friends…He’s got a good fire going and he’s got

bread toasting, and he’s got fish frying and is ready to add some of the disci-ple’s catch…The smell, after a long night of fish-

ing must have been intoxicating to the disciples.And it was familiar.Because this is what Jesus was al-

ways doing. He had always had a pur-pose, but he always took plenty of time to foster that relationship with his fol-lowers, teaching them, guiding them, and simply getting to know them.They are no stranger to sharing a

common meal with Jesus.How nice it must have been, to have

their needs met, and in such a way that seems to intimate closeness and friend-ship.But, sometimes, even the familiar can

be a little uncomfortable to deal with when it forces us to remember those moments of our lives of which we are least proud.

10 Summer 2014

And that’s exactly what happens.The same disciple that couldn’t wait

for a boat to be rowed back to shore finds himself in a familiar place.Jesus looks at him and says, “Do you

love me?”Well—it goes without saying, don’t

you think? Peter had swam back to shore just to get to Jesus. I mean, the man is still dripping wet…So Peter says, “You know I do.”And then comes the command that

isn’t so unfamiliar, either. “Feed my sheep.”They’d heard Jesus talk about the

people of this world as sheep, and him-self as the Good Shepherd. They knew what he wanted. In the upper room he had told them to go and make believ-ers of all people. So Peter couldn’t have been startled by Jesus’ request.But what does startle Peter is the next

question: “Do you love me?”What was this all about? Peter had

just answered that question. And it was a question that he shouldn’t have had to answer because his actions of the day had already spoken loud and clear.So Simon Peter, a little defensively

now, says, “You know I do!”And Jesus repeats the command to

feed his sheep.But no sooner than the command was

out of his mouth, here comes the third question: “Do you love me?”What was Jesus playing at? Was he

trying to determine Peter’s answer by the law of averages? Did he not believe the first two answers? Did he really expect Peter to answer any differently this time?Peter is visibly hurt at this. We would

all be.But it’s clear Jesus isn’t teasing. He’s

standing there, looking Simon Peter square in the eye, expecting an answer. So, unable to hide his sense of wound-edness, Peter says, “Lord, you already know everything…You know I love you.”

And then it came… something fa-miliar, something healing, something amazing.It burst out of the quiet moment on

the shore that morning the same way it had burst out of the horror of that dark night not too many days ago—Then it had been a rooster crowing, re-

vealing that despite his best intentions Simon Peter, just as Jesus had said he would, had denied his friend, his teach-er, and his Lord three times.But now—as the sun rises over the

lake and the morning dew begins to lift and the world slowly stirs to life for a brand new day, Jesus says for a third time, “Feed my sheep.”

For each denial Jesus had offered a reprieve, a chance to set the record straight, and the honor of being en-trusted with the mission Jesus had be-gun.Three times had completed the deni-

al… and three times had completed the forgiveness.This is what Jesus does for us in our

lives.He meets us in familiar places—in the

innocent face of a child who steals our heart—in the warmth of a close mo-ment with an old friend—in the comfort of a time of devotion—in the promise of an early morning sunrise or the beauty of an evening sunset…Jesus meets us in familiar places, and

often times, it is the last place we would be expecting him.But he meets us there.Whether it is at our communion table

in worship or at the family table after a hectic day, Jesus is coming to us, and beckoning us into a closer relation-ships.All those foolish moments of denial

we had uttered in the darkness of the night that had scattered us is being for-given as Jesus, time after time, gives us the chance to acknowledge our love and accept his mission.Easter is still not over, folks. The sun

rising on the disciples and Jesus having breakfast with them on the shore re-minds us that it is still just beginning.And if we are willing to calm down for

a moment and to take a good hard look like John did, we’ll find Jesus is calling to us.And if we aren’t afraid to come to

him like Simon Peter did, we’ll find that he’s offering to set things right and he still trusts us to be his follow-ers, to carry such an important mes-sage to everyone we meet—to let the world know that a new day is dawn-ing, and the same ol’ God is offering us a brand new life.Amen.

B & E

“Here’s your new home.”At least it is not an institution—not a jail or a half-way house or a “home” made of concrete and rusty iron.

Home X 37. “Mom” X 37 but most of them do not even get close. Too many kids for them to even notice and name let alone hug.

Age 18. Adult. Alcohol. Meth.Prison for 3 years. Breaking and Entering. Now to Hope House,A half-way house, not all institution.The most home he has known. “When did you let the tattoo man stick his needles into your arm?”“Why did you write that word in your flesh?”Family.

K Almond 10 Mar 2014

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11Summer 2014

For as long as I can remember, I have sensed the presence of God most profoundly in creation. To be sure, the sacrament of Holy Eucharist brings creation into worship. But the place in which I have encountered the real presence of the risen Lord most dra-matically is in the woods. Yesterday, I needed to be outdoors, if only for a few minutes. I needed to be in the fellow-ship of trees.I can’t explain it, but trees are a

means of grace in my life. Time and again, I have experienced the mystery and magnitude of God in the fellow-ship of trees. For instance . . . When we lived in North Carolina, we

attended Central United Methodist Church in Concord. To this day, it is one of my favorite churches in all the world. On both sides of the sanctuary are clear glass windows that stretch from ceiling to fl oor and that fi ll the space with cre-ated light. Just outside the windows on the left-hand side is an enormous oak, whose fellowship I particularly enjoyed during the prelude and postlude each Sunday, which is to say, when no hu-

LONG READS

There is a walking trail through some woods directly behind the church I attend every Sunday. Yesterday, during worship, I took a ten minute walk on that trail. I wasn’t upset or angry over something that happened in worship. I wasn’t protesting anything. I simply slipped out quietly as though I was going to the restroom, and I returned quietly. I don’t think anyone besides my wife noticed that I was gone, and she didn’t ask any questions. By Dr. Jason Vickers

On trees, welders &

theologians

A maple tree offers shade on a hot afternoon during

Summer Youth Celebration. Photo: Hannah McCoy

12 Summer 2014

man being was talking. I could give many other examples. As

a child, I enjoyed the fellowship of the pine trees in my native Georgia. And I have never been more in awe than I was one afternoon in Muir Woods. Then again, the Olive trees in Geth-semane were overwhelming. Here in Ohio, I have come to know and love the fellowship of the Emerald Ash that populate our back yard.So in addition to being a redneck, I am

also a tree-hugger. I am a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association and the Sierra Club. Just last month, I paid my membership dues to the Wright-Patt Rod and Gun Club and made my an-nual contribution to the National Parks Foundation. If that sounds absurd, then perhaps it is because we now live in a cul-ture of presumed polarization. And so I long for those moments which

can be so hard to come by... moments when no human being is talking... mo-ments when I am alone with the trees... and with God.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2013A THEOLOGIAN AND A WELDER: SOME THOUGHTS ON “REACHING” MILLENNIALS

My friend is a welder, and a really good one at that. He is just 20 years old, but he has assembled the second largest da-

tabase of welding videos on the internet. He has more than 23,000 subscribers and more than 7 million lifetime views on his YouTube Channel, ChuckE2009.In some ways, we have very little in

common. I don’t know beans about welding. And my friend doesn’t know much about theology (though he is most certainly a better theologian than I am a welder). I’m an ordained United Methodist elder. He is a lay person who doesn’t seem to be espe-cially interested in church stuff. Most of all, I am a GenXer and he is, wait for it — wait for it — he is one of them — a Millennial! There’s been a lot of talk lately about

Millennials, especially among Chris-

tian clergy. Church leaders are turn-ing to sociologists to help them figure out how to “reach” Millennials. So how did I “reach” this particular

Millennial? I have never thought of my friend ei-

ther as a Millennial or as someone who needs to be “reached.” I’ve only known my friend for a short time. We came to-gether out of a mutual interest in skeet shooting. Since then, we have eaten together, grilled out together, listened to music together, and just spent some time getting to know one another.The other day, my friend picked me

up from the airport. Today, we went pheasant hunting. Afterwards, I helped him pick up and haul some metal for a future welding project. I have no idea what we will do tomorrow. He said something about going to a gun show. But it doesn’t really matter. Just like

generation gaps and vocational gaps don’t really matter. What matters is an openness to possibility, especially the possibility of friendship.

Rev. Dr. Jason Vickers is Associate Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton Ohio. He will be in West Virginia for Clergy School at Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston October 14-16.

About Jason Vickers • Teaches at United Theological Seminary in Dayton Ohio • Is a member of the Sierra Club AND the NRA (read the blog post in this issue entitled “Trees”)• Quote: “We are reluctantly beginning to acknowledge that the professionalization of ministry has both assets and liabilities. After more than a century of commitment to higher theological education and to a rigorous credentialing processes for clergy, we now see that we may have unwittingly discouraged the laity from active participation in the work of ministry.”

Dr. Vickers will speak at the 2014 Clergy School October 14 - 16Visit wvumc.org/info/ClergySchool for more information and to register.

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13Summer 2014

When Rev. Dr. Bill Wilson re-tired last year, he began post-ing thoughts and insights on

his faith journey to Facebook. I asked him about this new practice in the email inter-view that follows. I invite you to read some of Bill’s reflections from the past year, which are printed here. It was clear to me from reading his postings throughout the last year that something else was at work here. As Bill reflected on his experience and on the life of faith, it was easy to see the connection between modern life and the ancient practice of spiritual formation.

LHA: Why did this become a practice after retirement? You didn’t post much to FB before that event – and I am just curious as to what changed.WHW: As I continued my Benedictine Oblate daily rhythm in retirement, the hours of prayer ordered my day. As I sat and reflected day by day I felt the need to express my thoughts and share them with others. I became aware of the rich foundation and depth of our faith and

How

Reflections by William H. Wilson

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saw that social media was a way to share - to continue to teach, tell story, and chal-lenge as I have done in my ministry.

LHA: How did this practice help you move into a new season of your life?WHW: I found that expressing my

thoughts was a form of continuing to share my faith without a congregation, or staff community or Cabinet colleagues.

LHA: Do you think what you have learned and shared can help oth-ers? How?WHW: I believe that we are living in

can I

be?Transitions in life often have much to teach

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a time of rapid change in community, church and how we communicate the faith. The Christian tradition for cen-turies is full of writings and expres-sions that speak clearly to the strug-gles and experiences of this generation. My postings in the “modern” social me-dia has been purposeful to draw others back to the depth of our faith.

LHA: Why is it important for you to engage in the practice you have created in the past year? Why should Christians engage in a spiritual discipline?WHW: Spiritual discipline is about be-ing engaged in learning, as the word “disciple” literally means “learner”. The practice of spiritual discipline is about learning and listening - the key to a relationship with God. Common disciplines like prayer, meditation, journaling quiet reflection can be en-hanced by reading, reflecting, express-ing thought in social media. Fellow disciples sharing the depth of faith through the classic writers, saints, etc can be meaningful practice. I would say also, that the expression

- “there is nothing new under the sun” rings through my postings. As our gen-eration continues to develop more and more with sophisticated media and re-sources for learning, there is something to be said for the centuries old expres-sions, thoughts and teachings.

MUSINGS FROM BILL WILSONLooking back at the first year of my official retirement I reflect on what I would call “liturgical seasons of retire-ment.” I am thankful for 45 years of active ministry, and have loved the moments, days, weeks and months of being centered and focused during re-tirement. I have made an intentional choice in my United Methodist/Wes-leyan centered life, and my Benedictine experience, to structure the retired life

around the Liturgy of Hours – the daily cycle of prayer. I found myself asking the subtle questions – “What will I do?” “How can I be?” “What changes in my life routine will need to be adapted?” I found the liturgical rhythm of the Church year and the daily discipline of Benedictine prayer to be the direction and centering that I have needed. My regular journaling includes literally praying in the writing, and it became richer and fuller. I chose to share some of those private spaces in social media by posting a “reflection” on Facebook. These are some of those postings/ jour-nal entries. Maybe they will one day to lead to a blog. . .

ORDINARY TIME (Summer) July and August

A pEACEFUL DAY AND DURING Night prayer praying for those who have had a bad day. “Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake;

watch over us as we sleep, that awake,

we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May The Lord grant a peaceful night and a happy death to us and all our absent brothers and sisters. Amen.” — July 8, 2013

TODAY REMEMBERING THE LIFE of St. Mary Magdalene; thankful that she was the first to see the Risen Christ - truly the first to “proclaim the Risen Christ”. Thoughts and prayers today for all women in ministry. Prayers for our bishop, San-dra Steiner Ball, and many of our women clergy - several who have taught, inspired and formed me in faith. Thankful for the work of United Methodist Women who formed and informed my life in ministry; and for the important work of our Gen-eral Commission on the Status and Role of Women (which I was humbled to serve on for 8 years). O God, bless all women in ministry, clergy and lay, with the memory and spirit of St. Mary Magdalene. Give them and all of us strength and courage to be disciples of your gift, Jesus Christ. Amen. — July 22, 2013

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15Summer 2014

“Special lectio divina” — for the first 22 days of my official retire-ment I have done a special reading and praying of the Scripture (lectio). Psalm 119 with its 176 verses is an acrostic poem/hymn. Using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet which divides the verses into 8 verse sections - total 22. Praying each morning the 8 verses and doing contemplative lectio with a word or phrase keeping me in the day. Very special and has been attention to my soul along with rest, exercise, and good diet - mind, body and soul. My paraphrase from verse 175 - “Let

me live that I may praise you (O God), and let your Word help me.” — July 23, 2013

one of my favorite hymnS from ancient hymnody - from St. Am-brose, 4th century - “Father of Church song”: “aurora jam spargit polum” -- “The dawn now spreads its rosy hue,

Daylight descends upon the earth; Morn’s shining rays their course be-

gin; Farewell to darkness and to sin. - May phantoms of the night be gone, All trace of guilt be cleansed away; What-ever weighs upon our heart, Let it with darkness now depart. - Then when that final morning comes, Humbly and hopefully we ask: To see, illumined by new sight, What we now sing by early light. - Praise be to God Creator and the Son, and Holy Spirit equally, The Triune Godhead Three in One, Now and for all eternity. Amen.” — July 27, 2013

thoughtS from Sr. Joan Chittister, one of my favorite Benedic-tines (second only to the monks at St. Meinrad) - commentary on the daily reading of The Rule of Benedict:“Holiness is not an excuse to avoid

responsibility. Spirituality is not an escape from life. Spirituality leavens life. Spirituality is what stabilizes us in the middle of confusion and gives us energy to go on doing what must be done even when the rest of life taxes and fatigues and separates us from our own resources.” (Insights for the Ages-The Rule of Benedict) — Au-gust 2, 2013

daily Benedictine reading of Rule of St. Benedict: “. . . every time you begin a good work, you must pray to God most earnestly to bring it to perfec-tion. In God’s goodness, we are already counted as God’s own, and therefore we should never grieve (God) by our evil actions.” (The Prologue)My favorite commentator on The Rule

is Sr. Joan Chittister: “Benedict re-minds us that life is short, that we don’t have time to waste time, that some things are significant in life and some things are not. We all have to ask our-selves what time it is in our own lives. We each have to begin to consider the eternal weight of what we are spending life doing.” — September 2, 2013So my retirement having begun,

moves on . . .

compline thoughtS and prayers! One of the monks at St. Mein-rad Archabbey, where I am an Oblate, translated the ancient night hymn of the 5th-6th century (one of my favor-ites) - “Te lucis ante terminum”:“To You, at this, the close of day, Cre-

ator of all things, we pray that You, as You are ever kind, may guard and keep both heart and mind. Dispel the terror of the night, and

sleepless worry put to flight that we may find our rest in You and rise re-freshed to serve anew.Let God be blessed, who gives the

night, revealing ancient worlds of light. To Father, Son, and Spirit praise: the Source of all our nights and days.” (Fr. Harry Hagan, OSB) — September 29, 2013

traveling theSe early dayS of summer just as I experience one full year of retirement, I am drawn in my “lectio” to seeing life as journey and a path.One of the monks at St.Meinrad Ar-

chabbey where I am a Benedictine Oblate, Br. Francis, writes and edits publications in a series called Path of Life. The guiding Scripture text of that series has become my life theme inthese days, weeks and months - “. . . You show me the path of life. . .the fullness of joy in your presence.” (Psalm 16:11)This first year of retirement has

taught me much, and summarized from the writer of Proverbs - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge (God), and (God) will make straight your paths.” (Prov-erbs 3:5-6)O God, give us traveling mercies in

travels and moves in these summer days, and your grace in the travel along the path of life. Watch over all in need, and surround us all with your grace and peace. Guide us, O God! Amen. — June 23, 2014

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PHOTOS

SYC photo essay from the documenting stories workshopClockwise from top left:These young storytellers really took to heart the assignment to capture images and relate them to community, life and faith. View more photos at flickr.com/wvumc. Look for the SYC Storytelling Workshop collection.

Through the GlassHannah Fuller, St. Paul’s UMC Nitro, WV

Chapel PanoramaRyan Garner, Suncrest UMC Morgantown, WV

Chapel WindowErin Sears, First UMC Princeton, WV

Caution!Hannah McCoy, First UMC, South Charleston

Fountain and ChapelMichael Harvey, Saint John UMC, Scott Depot“I stood inside the fountain and waited for the water to fall at a pace where I could capture single drops of water. Together, those drops, like us make a stream of community.”

Balm in GileadErin Sears

Stone with Flip-flopsKatrina Sue Ashby, New Life UMC, Wheeling, WV“Being healed from broken.”“No matter what has happened to cause us pain, we can heal and walk away.”

17Summer 2014

18 Summer 2014

LYGHT FROM PAGE 7

that this was the work of God done through him. Not because of him - sometimes in spite of us - God is able does extraordinary work. In other words, God ordered his steps. Are you open to God’s extraordinary call?Finally, are you stepping with Je-

sus?

The contemporary gospel song, “Or-der My Steps” is a guide for us as we launch on the journey of ordination in the United Methodist Church.

Order my steps in Your Word, Dear LordLead me, guide me every daySend your anointing, Father, I prayOrder my steps in Your Word, YesOrder my steps in Your word.I want to walk worthy, my calling

to fulfillYes, order my steps LordAnd I’ll do Your blessed willThe world is ever changingBut you are still the sameIf you order my steps, I’ll praise

Your name.

God will order our steps when we walk with Jesus. In part when we walk with Jesus, we see God’s will and we strive diligently to do God’s will, even when it seems contrary to our personal desires.When I look back, I can see how God

ordered my steps over the years. My vi-sion and insight, of course, are sharp-er now than they were back then. I am more willing now than then.First, when I was a college fresh-

man, I frequently attended the local Methodist church near the campus. When I became a sophomore, I be-gan to attend church at the campus Christian Center. Rev. Cornish, a Methodist minister, took me under his wing and provided an opportu-nity for me to serve as his liturgist. I believe that God ordered my steps in a way I could not see at the time.

Second, I believe that God ordered my steps when I began to discern that the career path for me was ordained ministry and not a public school teaching career. By my senior year in college, I knew that I wanted to go to seminary so I applied to Drew where I received my theological education.Third, as I approached my senior

year in seminary, I wanted to pursue a PhD, so I applied to Drew and was accepted. As a result of a rift between the seminary faculty and the univer-sity administration, the majority of the faculty resigned, including the professors that I had hoped to study with. I decided to fix my attention

Exodus “Get the hell out.” The chaplain in loving audacity came back again the next day. “Get the hell out.” Respectful retreat. Then new day, new try. It was the fifth day Waters of the inner ear parted. “Ah, what hell? Tell me please.”And the rage cracked open and the tears began. And the venom was spent. And the dry land opened to the other side.And the evil enemies were mired in common, everyday mud. What would it take for you to hear another into freedom? What would it take to leave hell on the far shore? K AlmondJuly 13, 2005

on parish ministry, rather than a seminary teaching career. I believe that God ordered my steps in a new direction.Fourth, I always assumed that I

would serve as a pastor in my home conference, the Peninsula Confer-ence. I believed that God was or-dering my steps when I made that crucial decision to transfer my con-ference membership to the South-ern New Jersey Conference. Fifth, surely God was ordering my

steps when my bishop asked me to transfer from the Southern New Jersey Conference to the Northern New Jersey Conference to serve St. Marks United Methodist Church in Montclair, New Jersey. God had a vision that I could not see, but with some trepidation, I followed God’s leading. It was the right thing, it was the best thing, because God was ordering my steps.Sixth, I never thought that I would

be a district superintendent or a bishop. But God had other plans. I believe that God was ordering my steps in that transition from local church pastor to district superin-tendent to bishop.I have always asked God to lead me

and guide me along the way. Forty-eight years ago I was ordained as a Deacon. God has been with me ev-ery step of the way. I did not always understand God’s ways, but looking back now, I can see that God always answered my prayers and ordered my steps in God’s word.Sisters and Brothers walk worthy

and fulfill your calling, allowing God to order your steps in the work of ministry.Throughout these 48 years of or-

dained ministry I have been tramping:

I’m trampin, trampin, Trying to make heaven my home.I’m trampin, trampin, Trying to make Heaven my home.Hallelujah, I’m a trampin,Trying to make Heaven my home.

19Summer 2014

Living Stone - The Incarnation

1 Peter 2:4-9

You sat there throughout eternity -You never “were not;””You always “have been:”You forever “will be.”And to eyes shaped by the ever changing seasons of Creation and livingYou seemed to me to be that which always held fast,stayed firm,never moved.This image of You gave me something solid upon which to placemy fleeting thoughts and ever changing life.

And the earth moved.Or the heavens shook the earth.(I cannot know which…)

And the Eternal chose to inhabit a shell destined for decay.You – You walked upon the earth -a living stone among dying people.

And the earth shook.Or the heavens moved.(I can know this – the Stone Lived.)

I cannot know how or why but I can know this:The immortal took on lifeTo give to the dying ones like meHope of life that does not end – the life of living stone.

My prayer is this:Let me be changing, beating, breaking, grieving, moving, laughing, Living.Let me have the hope of the unmoved, unchanged, eternal, forever, Stone.— Scott Sears

God is the steadiness and order of creation. At the same time God is the wildness of life. God is the impulse that sustains the routine and breathes the unexpected. God is the wild energy of dream and imagination, the artist’s inspired moment, the intellectual’s moment of genius, the lover’s creative moment of self-giving or forgiving. God is the sustaining force of the motions of the creation, the advancing force by which life grows, adapts, survives, and breaks forth in new forms. God is the bottoming foundation and the funding power of life. — Joe Hill, pastor of Crossroads UMC near Huntington, W.Va.

God is…

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