A Land Acknowledgement

A Land Acknowledgement

Just as Amos called Israel to do the hard work of examining their history and addressing it in the context of present day sin, so we, the people of Arapaho UMC, are called to acknowledge our historical participation as conquerors and in colonization. With this in mind, we affirm that even when uncomfortable, we must acknowledge the rightful history of the land on which we sit.

Acknowledgement by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action. But this beginning can be an opening to greater public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights, a step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation.

Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We, the community at Arapaho United Methodist Church, begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth.

The church’s campus at the corner of Coit and Arapaho Rd. in Richardson, resides on the ancestral lands of the Wichita, Comanche, Caddo, and Cherokee People. We pay respects to their elders past and present. As you finish this reading, please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that have brought us to today.

The colonization of indigenous persons who occupied the land on which we dwell is not a myth. As we acknowledge our past, let us commit to move forward to restoration and justice in a way that honors God and all God’s children.

Orange For Luke

Orange For Luke

Greetings AUMC, the Richardson, North Dallas and online community,

When people join as members of a United Methodist congregation, two covenants are made. First, the one joining enters into a covenant to support the local church through their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. At the same time, the congregation enters into a covenant to support the individual and their family, to surround them as Christian community and offer love and grace through the mountaintop seasons of celebration and the deep valley seasons of grief. At AUMC, I know we hold this covenant sacred, and I write this letter to offer an important way for us to express this covenant in the coming weeks.

The Childs family--Beth, Derek, Luke (6), and Jacob (3)--have called AUMC "home" for many years. In November of 2020, Luke was admitted to Children's Medical Center after being diagnosed with leukemia. For the next few months he received chemo treatments in anticipation of a bone marrow transplant, which he received in March. Then, in late June, Luke's doctors discovered the cancer had returned, and Luke began another round of chemo. I'm heartbroken to report that late last week, we learned that the cancer is not responding to the chemo, and no further treatment is planned.

Luke is now at home, so that he can enjoy a few weeks with his family before receiving end-of-life care at the hospital. Beth and Derek, with the help of family and friends, have planned to make memories with Luke featuring his favorite things, including a personal plane flight, a supercar joy ride, and getting knighted at Medieval Times!

The members of AUMC have offered exceptional care for the Childs during this past year; you've prayed, delivered meals, called, texted, sent cards, delivered more meals, helped care for Jacob, and lent a listening ear to Beth and Derek. I want to call your attention to a few ways you can offer support (in addition to prayer) for Luke, Beth, Derek, and Jacob during this time:

• Orange Bows on Our Trees: Luke's favorite color is orange, so we are tying orange bows to our trees as a sign of love and prayer. You can use a plastic orange table cloth cut into strips as a weatherproof ribbon; we have strips available at the church office if you'd like to pick one (or more) up. Take a picture of your tree and send to judy@arapahoumc.org.

• Donate to Help Make Luke's Memories: If you would like to offer financial support to the Childs family as they go above and beyond in making memories, you can give directly to Beth on Venmo at @beth-childs, or you can reach out to family friend Kasey Cummings at kasey.cummings@arapahoumc.org with any questions.

• Deliver a Meal: Meals are still welcome and needed! You can find their Meal Train at mealtrain.com/trains/m69qw6.

• Learn about Providing Support in Crisis: Beth had shared the following article earlier this year, and it is an excellent resource in understanding what it feels like to be the one receiving care and support, and how we can best show our love in the days, weeks, and months to come. You can read the article here: How to Help: Supporting Someone in Crisis.

Beth and Derek asked me to say how much they appreciate all the love and support, and while they cannot respond to every message they receive, they are grateful beyond measure. If you have any questions about how to support them at this time, you can reach out to me or Kasey Cummings (kasey.cummings@arapahoumc.org).

Thank you for being a church of radical generosity and abundant care. Let's continue to live into the covenant community that God has called us to be, looking to Christ as the one who understands the deep pain that so often accompanies deep love. May we always choose the tears, the fears, the anger, the grief, the long nights of worry, all of it, every time, because the love we share is worth it. For a love real enough and deep enough that it hurts, let us ever be thankful.

We belong to each other, my friends.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Scott Gilliland

Renewal and Reinvention

Renewal and Reinvention

Written By Brian Brooks

If you grew up in the Dallas area in the 80’s or 90’s, you might remember the sadistic commercials from retailers that started the Back to School Sale TV ads the second week of your beloved summer break. An afternoon of “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Hogan’s Heroes” interrupted with these cruel reminders of our temporary reprieve. As the summer waned on, radio, newspapers, billboards, and storefronts all heralded the impending end of summer and the return to school.

But there was something exciting and magical about the coming of a new school year. Not only was there a slew of new things - school supplies, clothes, lunchbox, backpack, there was also a new outlook. I would start every year with a new mindset.

“This year’s gonna be different!”

“I’m gonna dress cooler!”

“I’m gonna get more organized!”

“I’m gonna study more!”

“I’m gonna get all my homework done on time! And this year I MEAN IT!”

New habits, new routines, new practices and new rhythms. How I long for those seasons of renewal and reinvention! 

The older I get, the more I lack those cyclical hard breaks and restarts. Work, home and even spiritual life seem to be perpetual and unending cycles without clear delineation between seasons or eras. Breaking the unending cycle of routine often requires intentionality. It’s creating those hard breaks – a vacation, a personal retreat, a weekend with your spouse or a spiritual sabbatical. Intentional breaks can be enough to help us get an azimuth check on our life and course corrections. 

My family lives for vacations. We love to travel and get enveloped in a different culture or experience. We learn perspective by living a temporary life of the locals. These are times of growth, revival and reenergizing our souls. 

It is my nature to check out of this experiential euphoria a few days before the vacation ends. I start fixating on the mountain of work waiting for me and all the home projects I’ve left undone. When I do this, I’m not acknowledging the benefit and the necessity of the break. Moreover, I’m not allowing the break to be a transformational moment from which I return renewed. 

For vacations to work right, I have to be intentional about why I’m taking this break. Months before, I have the date laid out and start planning with high anticipation. The build-up to that moment motivates me to push on through the slog of work and life. I have to remind myself of the excitement and finality of closing my laptop at work right before a vacation. It’s like that same adrenaline I used to get on the last day of school. Then it’s about staying engaged the entire time away and reflecting on experience before returning to the real world again. 

Sometimes breaks are not intentional. At these moments it’s about recognizing the moments of unplanned change – illness and recovery, loss or gaining a job, loss or birth of a loved one, isolation and reemergence from COVID, crises of faith and dark nights of the soul. While these events are mixes of pain, joy, anxiety and peacefulness, these are the opening and closing of important epochs in our life. By recognizing these major shifts we can also identify methods for renewal and rebirth. 

In 2016, I found myself at the nexus of unplanned change. My job in a municipal government had become a toxic loop of political turmoil. Public barrages attacking my character were causing painful blowback on my integrity, my family and my health. So I walked away. A fifteen year progressive career in government service, surviving a decade as a City Manager service, dropped at age 42. For a time, there were thoughts of returning. But realizing I would turn right back to the poisonous lifestyle, I chose a new career path. 

With that life altering decision came a rebirth – not just in my career, but in my complete outlook on life. That change in outlook transformed into finding a new community, a new lifestyle, new values and eventually a new faith. Family matters more than career. Joy and contentment matters more than money. People and love matter more than opinions and dogma.

Whether voluntary or involuntary, intentional or accidental breaks in our cyclical and perpetual lives are essential to renewal and growth. Don’t waste these moments. Embrace them and use them to become someone better. 

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New Questions, New Roles

New Questions, New Roles

Written By: Aaron Manes

Bowling alleys are a funny place to begin this conversation but did you know that pre-COVID bowling alleys were making more money than they have ever made? They were seeing more people come through their doors than ever before. And yet, the amount of people who were a part of bowling leagues is at an all-time low. People still go bowling, just not in leagues. 

The cultural fabric of how Americans operate in groups has changed dramatically over the past 70 years, and it will just continue to change. The church is not immune to this change. Scott preached back in April, and he used charts and graphs to talk about how people aren’t attending church like they used to, yet they still describe themselves as spiritual. We are in the midst of what I believe is an awakening. It isn’t just me. You can read authors like Diana Butler-Bass, David Kinnaman, and others who report the same. The work of the Holy Spirit is ongoing and is changing the way people interact with the church. 

I believe the roles of spiritual leaders have to change as well. All cultures have always had people who seemed more “spiritual.” That list might include Empaths, Witches, Medicine Men, Healers, Prophets, Priests, Pastors, Mystics, Maharishis, Enlightened Ones, and so on. The “spiritual” people in a community were in a more formal role in their society. So people would come to them for their spiritual interactions. But what seems to be happening now is happening less formally. 

The Pew Research Center reports that at least half of people in America say they have had a “religious or mystical” experience. These experiences are often not easily explained. To those familiar with the language of the Enneagram, they are intuited or sensed. The presence of God comes as a feeling for most. It’s like how Carrie Underwood sings, “Jesus take the wheel” You might hear them say, “I felt God with me.”

The language is essential here. People are “feeling” God in their lives instead of attending a formal place of worship to participate in a service. If the research is correct, this will include at least half of you in the room and watching online - you may or may not have told people about an experience you had with God. 

In 1950’s America, the assumption was that most everyone identified as some brand of Christianity. Then in 1990, a new category showed up. Forty years ago, about one million Americans reported having no religious affiliation or that they were “done” with the church. The studies aptly named them “nones and dones.” 

In the last 40 years, that number went from 1 Million to 70 Million - roughly the population of California and Texas combined. These people are religiously independent. They say they are spiritual but not religious, meaning they aren’t participating in organized religion. They are bowling, just not in a league. 

The specific shape that Christianity will be taking in the next decade is already with us; we can already begin to see its contours. Most of what we come to understand as God’s leading in our lives happens in reflection. It happens through experience. We may be attuned enough to know it while it is happening, but for the most part, we understand it after it has already passed us. 

It reminds me of Moses tucked into the rock as God passes by. That is a picture of God I like to hold on to. God is caring for Moses; Moses had an encounter with a God that is alive and moving.

In his book, “Unbelievable,” Bishop John Shelby Spong says, “People are no longer compelled by an explanation, but rather they are compelled by an experience.” American Christianity, especially in the post-Billy Graham era, has primarily concerned itself with what someone believes. However, our culture is now more concerned with what someone is becoming. 

That is what is unique here. And for me, it comes back to the spiritual roles that I mentioned before. Pastor Blair sent me this cool work that The Sacred Design Lab at Harvard put together, and these are new roles for the church. A list that once looked like this: 

Empaths, Witches, Medicine Men, Healers, Prophets, Priests, Pastors, Mystics, Maharishis, Enlightened Ones. 

can now begin to look like this: 

The Gatherer, The Seer, The Healer, The Steward, The Elder, The Venturer, The Maker

These are different kinds of roles and are accessible for everyone in this room and watching online. These roles aren’t compartmentalized. 

They do things like: 

• Bring people together (Gatherer)

• Give us spiritual vision (Seer)

• Heal systemic racism and bring in the misfits (Healer)

• Use their financial blessings to fund new opportunities (Steward)

• Be open-hearted mentors (Elder)

• Begin new ministries and outreaches (Venturer)

• Imagine new ways to present God to the world (Maker)

These roles may not have the same road maps that the more traditional roles do, but they will have a guide along the way. The Holy Spirit will be leading them.

Click Here to view the work of Harvard’s Sacred Design Lab.

Celebrating The Resilience Of Synergy Wesley Students

Celebrating The Resilience Of Synergy Wesley Students

Written By: Brittany Burrows-Melrose

Dear Arapaho Family,

Oh, how I have missed you. What a strange and difficult past 15 months it has been. Yet in the midst of this time apart, there has been so much to celebrate. In my own life, my wife Nicole and I celebrated the birth of our twins last June, and they are quickly approaching their one year birthday! Denver and Dash have brought so much light and goodness into our lives, and remind us daily that even during a time of pain and grief, new life is springing forth. 

As your Campus Minister at the Synergy Wesley Foundation, our campus ministry at UT-Dallas, Collin College and Dallas College, I have been witness to the beautiful strength, faith, and resilience of our college students. We had our last in-person campus program on March 10th, 2020 – a powerful outdoor worship service, which we had no idea would be one of our last times to meet in person together for a long while. As the campus shut down and closed the dorms a few days later, students had to move home, and classes transitioned online. When school started back last Fall, students could decide whether to attend online or in-person. Many decided to remain at home with their families and attend classes online instead of moving back to campus. For those who did move back to campus, it was often a quiet place. Student groups were no longer allowed to meet in-person, and the in-person classes were sparsely attended. This was not the college experience they dreamed about. 

Yet God gives us the strength to be resilient in times like these, and our college students are an amazing example of that resilience. They adapted to the new challenges of online learning, and our Wesley ministry has not merely survived, but has thrived and grown during this time. In addition to our weekly online worship, we added several new online ministries. We hosted amazing speakers including Andrea Gibson, Rev. Dr. Ray Jordan, Fr. Shannon T.L. Kearns, Rev. Heather Gottas-Moore, Rev. Jonah Overton, Dr. Dawn Pleas, staff from the organizations BorderLinks and Story of Stuff Project, and best of all, our own Rev. Scott Gilliland! These amazing folks led students in a variety of programs, ranging from engaging our faith through spoken word poetry to talks on racial bias, climate change, sexual ethics, immigration, and more. Our programming has continued to expand, and we are reaching more students than ever before – more than 90 students were part of our Wesley ministry this year! Our student leaders worked hard to make sure students on our campuses knew that Wesley could still be a faith home for them, even while we were physically apart. 

So as you can see, there is a lot to celebrate! We celebrate the possibility and hope of students coming back to campus, Wesley, and church at Arapaho again this August. And we celebrate the blessings of the past year – even with the immense challenges and heartaches, we saw God working in powerful ways in our ministry and students’ lives. Here is a video of a few Synergy Wesley students you may recognize – Maddie, Gray, Zach, and Grace – sharing about their experiences at Wesley this year. May you be blessed by their joy! Thank you so much for the ways you continue to make Synergy Wesley Foundation grow and thrive. We are so blessed by you!

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Opening To Mystery

Opening to Mystery

Written By: Shelly Niebuhr

Everybody’s a wondering what and where they all came from
Everybody is worrying 'bout where they're gonna go

when the whole thing's done
But no one knows for certain so it's all the same to me
I think I'll just let the mystery be

-Musician, Iris DeMent

Years ago, when I heard this song, my first thought was, “we might want to let the mystery be, but the mystery won’t let us be.” 

Mystery is all around us, seeking us, and is even in us.

As someone who worked as a therapeutic musician for nearly 20 years in medical facilities such as hospitals, hospices, memory care facilities, and nursing homes, I was confronted with mystery daily. Mostly within in the ordinary (and sometimes extraordinary) stories I heard from the people and patients I worked with. 

A dying man once whispered to me, “A dove flew into my room early this morning. She’s going to show me the way home. I feel better about letting go now.” 

And another, “Last night a mockingbird sat at the edge of my bed and sang and sang and sang. I’m not alone. I’m going to be okay.”

A woman cloaked in the late stages of Alzheimer’s remembered some beloved crape myrtle trees from her childhood that lit up her shadowy world. “Crape myrtle trees,” she half-laughed and half-cried. “I remember their delicate fragrance, their curvy trunks. My sister and I would play beneath them.” In that moment, it was a memory worth everything to her.

I’ve found mystery usually appears in unexpected places, in unexpected ways, and has many guises: the natural world, truth, love, wonder, beauty, compassion, silence, music, paradox, forgiveness, service.  

Mystery almost always surprises me. When I encounter it, my inner and outer worlds grow and deepen—and often times, I am challenged. 

A patient I worked with once said, “Everything’s okay, even when it’s not okay.”  This, from a woman whose body and heart were broken in a hundred different ways. 

How could everything be okay when the world is falling apart around us? When we’re falling apart?  

It would take time, meditation, silence, and prayer before I began to grow into the profound mystery that she embodied.

My first taste of mystery came from beneath an apple tree in my grandmother’s fruit orchard, where I often played as a child. One morning a jack rabbit bolted out from a cave my cousin and I had built under it. 

I fell back with a surprised thud and watched her as she raced into the field. She stopped about a hundred yards away and turned towards me. 

The morning sun shone through her large, lit-up ears, and in them, I saw tree limbs, little rivers, and leaf patterns; I was nearly overwhelmed with the wonder of it!

I blinked and she ran, disappearing into the sun. It was minutes before I could move. The mystery of that moment marked me for life, and I have sought such moments ever since. 

And yet, I’ve learned opening to the mystery is more important than the “finding” of it. 

As Kierkegaard said, “you cannot have the truth in such a way that you catch it, but only in such a way that it catches you.”   

Allowing myself  to open to, and be caught by this mystery, has perhaps, been the most important part of my spiritual journey. Everything else flows from this openness, this mystery.  

St. Augustine wrote, “The journey to God has an end. The journey in God has no end.” 

There is no end to the depth, breadth, and height of Mystery. 

Let it catch you.   

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About The Author

After 20 years of working as a therapeutic musician in medical facilities, I lost my job (sadly) in early 2020 due to Covid-19. Since then, I’ve become a contributing writer for Guideposts Publications and Al Jazeera World News, and am working on a book.

I’m a long time member of AUMC (I’ve lost count of how many years) and love my church family! I taught yoga at AUMC for 11 years, served on the Church & Society committee, and have sung in the choir. I enjoy reading, gardening, yoga, hiking, and anything to do with the natural world. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband Ralph for 23 years.

The Attack On The US Capitol

Responding To The Attack On The US Capitol

By Rev. Scott Gilliland

Like so many of you, I watched Wednesday's violent attack on the US Capitol--an attempted coup--and felt horrified, angry, ashamed, afraid, and grief-stricken. Ultimately I found myself holding many questions as to what such an event reveals about the state of our nation and ourselves.

I think we should be clear that this was not an isolated incident, but rather an easily-seen symptom of deeper-seated sins that plague us as a collective people. My friends, we cannot remain silent nor passive when presented with a culture that:

• Replaces power-at-all-costs partisanship for functional politics,

• Uplifts conspiracy theories and rejects facts,

• Demands unquestioning loyalty and refuses critique,

• Calls for peace without establishing justice,

• Seeks to confirm biases rather than engage in dialogue, and

• Dehumanizes opposition resulting in eventual violence.

I know that I share blame for helping contribute to these sins--through my own actions or lack thereof--and we all could confess to personal culpability in our cultural failures.

Confession leads to repentance (changed behavior), and as followers of Jesus, we are called to walk humbly, seek truth, offer accountability, engage others openly, embody justice, and love in word and action, including our "enemies."

Jesus so often calls his followers to intentionally live counter to their prevailing culture. My prayer is that we could offer a counter-cultural witness in this moment as our nation wrestles with its future and our world watches on.

Lastly, let us pray for and receive the endurance of the Spirit, knowing that the work of personal healing and collective renewal that we have before us will be long and arduous work. Our work is not conditional upon who occupies the White House; it continues until heaven is at home upon on the earth.

We need change.

We need healing.

We need renewal.

May we embrace this as the work of our lifetimes.

In Christ,

Scott

Why Everything Is Spiritual

Why Everything Is Spiritual

By Aaron Manes

Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, often includes spiritual exercises in his books. In one of his spiritual exercises, he invites us to spend 30 minutes in a guided meditative prayer. For the first 10 minutes you breathe and repeat “Jesus is God’s Beloved.” For the next 10 minutes you repeat “I am God’s Beloved,” and for the last 10 minutes you say “Everyone is God’s Beloved.” Think about that. For 20 minutes we are invited to say that not only are we God’s beloved, so is everyone else. It is here that we are able to identify with Jesus who, before his ministry begins, is called beloved by God. 

Jesus didn’t have to do anything other than be alive, wading out into dirty water. Can you see it? Jesus walking  into a muddy river toward a crazy man named John who has cricket parts in his beard. This guy has to smell horrible but Jesus presses on. In the midst of this scene, Jesus is girded by a voice that tells him he is beloved. He is God’s child.

In his book “Everything Is Spiritual,” Rob Bell tells us about his grandparents, his college years, the ups and downs of ministry and how he and his wife ended up in California after pastoring a mega-church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the midst of these stories he is reflecting, listening, and looking for the divine moments, no matter how small they may be.That is the work of spirituality. 

Richard Rohr is quoted as saying, “God comes to us disguised as our life.” So often we go to church or some other spiritual event and hope to experience God there. But the reality is that our lives are already holy. We are God’s beloved. That is the gospel. Bell tells us that even at the cellular level you can find connection to something infinite.

So today, reflect on your own story. Breathe in the fact that the universe has expanded to create and include you. You, your family, your neighbors, your community - they are all beloved. They are all spiritual. You don’t have to go somewhere holy to find God. God is there, disguised as your life.

Click here to connect with Aaron | Leave us a response in the comments below

The Greatest Privilege

The Greatest Privilege

By Rev. Cathy Sweeney

At Arapaho UMC in Richardson, Texas, we are in the middle of a sermon series titled, “Unmasked.” We are acknowledging various attitudes, feelings, and actions that need to be unmasked in our world right now. This past Sunday’s sermon was about Unmasking Justice, listen to Pastor Scott share about it if you’d like.

I was struck by his first point about problems we may encounter when we unmask justice. Here’s what he says:

“The greatest privilege is the ability to “move on” from an exposed injustice.
The call of Jesus is to take a sustained look at injustice in a culture of sound bites.”

What’s he saying here? Perhaps it’s this:

Speaking out, then going back to the routine in our lives, isn’t fully unmasking justice. Why? Because unmasking justice is a long term commitment. It’s not just a “re-tweet” or “share” on social media. Injustice is something we will encounter over and over, time and again, in our lives and beyond. It’s not a one time thing.

I spoke about this recently in response to George Floyd’s death, and the response from those who were calling out the injustice of the incident. I was asked to share a short devotional as part of a series of devotionals on lamenting. I chose to reflect on the biblical story of Ruth in that devotional, which you can hear on Facebook, or you can read on here:

The story of Ruth is not just about Ruth. The story begins with a famine that forced a man and his wife, Naomi, out of Judah and into Moab (current Jordan). So they were in a strange land. Over time, they had 2 sons, and the sons married women named Orpah and Ruth (who would be Moabites, because that’s where they are living now). In a series of tragedies, Naomi’s husband dies first, then her two sons die. The women are left without husbands, which is not a good place to be.

So Naomi decides to leave the land of Moab and return to Judah. Both of her daughters-in-law are initially willing to join her, but Naomi encourages them to stay, so that they would have a better chance at finding husbands. (Yep. She said it. I’ll talk about that at a later date, this ‘women only have value if they are married’ challenge.) Naomi didn’t just say it once, she said it a few times. “Go back,” she says, “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” (And again, let’s just acknowledge that this statement is at best, problematic, when expressing that all are children of God in their own right, not dependent on another human being. We are called to be in community, and we need each other, to be sure. But a woman’s value is not based on her marital status.)

Orpah takes Naomi’s advice, kisses her goodbye, and returns home. Ruth, on the other hand, is in this for the long haul. Here’s what she says to Naomi (1:16b-17b, NIV):

“Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.”

Naomi had become Ruth’s family. They had grown to love each other as mother and daughter. They had experienced grief together. Ruth had a choice. She could stay where she was comfortable, return home, and likely marry someone. Or she could stand by Naomi, journey to an unfamiliar place, and continue to be in relationship with her, until death.

Ruth is clear in her actions. And my brothers, sisters, and siblings, we should be, too.

I’m speaking mostly to my white siblings here: are we unmasking justice when George Floyd is killed, then retreating to the comfort of our own homes? What do we do, then, when Jacob Blake is shot and killed? Are we not also family? We, too, have a choice. We can stay where we are comfortable, return home, and wait for the next incident of injustice. Or we can stand by our siblings, in perhaps an uncomfortable place, and continue our journey together. Just like Ruth and Naomi.

What’s our action that says, “Your people will be my people, and your God my God?”

I submit that our action to unmask justice comes from our hearts and from a faith that truly believes that every person is a cherished child of God.

It’s in gathering together, sharing a meal, and learning more about each other. It’s in the action of building community – a Beloved Community in which we can all walk without fear of each other and in which we can grow in love. It’s a community that becomes family.

Because when we build family, it’s a whole lot harder to return to our comforts when our brothers, sisters, and siblings are dying in the streets. When we build a family, privilege is no longer being comfortable. The greatest privilege is in the honor to stand with each other, until the Beloved Community is complete.

—- Originally published here.

July Ministry Update

July Ministry Update

Greetings AUMC Family!

Well, I have now served as your pastor for almost one whole month, and I continue to say my excitement in calling AUMC home only increases. As someone experiencing our church as a “new member,” let me say that our signature hospitality and warmth, passion for local and global justice, and commitment to building authentic Christian community shine through in both word and action.

I have now enjoyed over a dozen listening sessions, and have received so many stories and dreams, as well as helpful feedback. One thing I’ve heard consistently is a desire to be regularly updated on the leadership, direction, and decision-making of AUMC, since we’ve lost all that typical “hallway talk” that used to keep so many of us informed. We’ll send out these monthly AUMC Ministry Updates moving forward so that we can all be aware of the great work that continues even in the midst of a pandemic!

“We Miss Each Other!”

That’s the comment I’ve heard most in my Listening Sessions. Several weeks ago, AUMC assembled the Safe Return Task Force, composed of staff and lay members. I want to remind us that we’ve decided as a congregation that we will use the Dallas County COVID Color Coding system (say that five times fast!) as a guide for our reopening strategy. Currently we are in the “red” zone, which means no in-person Sunday worship and only gatherings of 10-or-fewer people on campus that are deemed necessary. Bishop McKee has said that churches in our district will not resume in-person worship until at least after Labor Day Weekend, and he will send an update in August. We will send more information on our safe reopening plans in the coming days and weeks, so that we can know what life will be like on campus this fall as in-person gatherings are possible. 

Investing in Online Worship!

While this season has been challenging, there is a lot to celebrate as well! It’s been said before, but our online worship experience continues to increase in quality and reach. July would typically be a “slow month” in the world of Sunday worship, but this month has been our highest average live attendance this year! We can credit that in large part due to Aaron Manes’ leadership and his team of tech volunteers who have taken us from a single iPad in March, to a multi-camera, multi-location experience of excellence in worship.

We know that online worship is not just a temporary solution to the pandemic, but a trend that will continue permanently into the future. Even prior to COVID-19, most visitors do not attend in-person worship until they’ve seen a church’s online presence. Our Leadership Board has decided to invest in online worship by upgrading our Sanctuary in a few key ways. First, we’ll be adding a robust lighting system that will allow for consistent, attractive lighting in the space, greatly improving visibility both in-person and online. We are also upgrading our sound board to allow for crisp, clear, and reliable sound in worship. Lastly, we’re adding a sophisticated permanent camera to give us greater flexibility and to allow viewers to see more of our beautiful Sanctuary. 

Zoom-ing our Small Groups, and Training Available!

I am so impressed with how our AUMC family has adapted to this online-only season. Many of our ongoing small groups and classes have transitioned to Zoom meetings or other online forms of gathering, and I want to encourage all of us in that work. Of course, we’re working to safely gather in person, but I want to challenge us to see online ministry as a viable part of our church’s future, and use this time to get acquainted with this new platform for reaching those who may be unable to connect with us in-person.

If you need training on how to use Zoom so that you can participate, our United Methodist Men (UMM) have volunteered to assist you. Reach out to Judy Swope (Judy@arapahoumc.org or call at 972-231-1005) and she will get you connected to a volunteer.

The Day School

I want you to know that with the full support of AUMC leadership and the Day School Board, Kara Ross (Day School Director) has made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the 2020-21 school year for our Day School. I believe Kara made the wise, challenging, and ultimately right decision, and I am so grateful for her leadership in this impossible time. We know that the Day School means so much here at AUMC and in our broader community, and while this lost year is certainly something for us to grieve, the response from families has been incredibly supportive, and we know that next year we will celebrate like never before the joy that our Day School children bring! 

Roof Repair and Van Transition

As part of the Grace For All Campaign, we committed to repair our Sanctuary and adjacent flat roof, and thanks to your faithful commitments and generous support we can make good on that vision. We can now confidently say that in the coming weeks, the roof will be repaired! It is a significant project, and I’m so grateful to the members of the Building Maintenance Team (BMT) who have overseen this process. Also, in an effort to save ongoing costs and provide improved transportation, the BMT has decided to sell our two existing vans (and stop paying insurance on parked vans!). Once we know transporting individuals will be needed again, the BMT is prepared to purchase an improved vehicle that will better meet our needs. Thank you BMT for your faithful work!

Finances

Not only were we able to celebrate the retirement of our debt in June, but additionally our July 2019 - June 2020 fiscal year is in the books, and I have some good news and a challenge for us. The good news is we were able to end the year with a balanced budget, but the challenge is that to get there we had to draw from some of our reserves. Additionally, we know that some of our typical streams of revenue for church operation (like the Day School) may not be available this year as they have been in years past. What this means is we have the opportunity to come together and step up as those who love the mission and ministry of AUMC to ensure our church is well-funded this upcoming year.

We have seen a tremendous response to online giving, and many of our donors have signed up to be recurring donors for the first time. Thank you, to those who have stepped up in this way, to ensure our church operates from a position of financial strength not only during this pandemic season, but far into the future as well. To those who may not yet be giving, I want to invite you to join me in showing your support for AUMC’s ministries through financial generosity. I believe in tithing--the regular offering of our financial resources to God’s work through the Church--and plan to give regularly as a part of the AUMC family. For me, that looks like 10% of my income, but it took me time and prayer and discipline to get to that place in my faith life. No matter what you are prayerfully able to give, know that your gift matters and makes a difference in the life of our church, community, and world.

You can give online at www.arapahoumc.org/donate, mail in a check to Arapaho UMC, 1400 W Arapaho Rd, Richardson, TX 75080, or you can use your phone and text the word “GIVE” to 972-483-2862.

One month in, and I truly feel like a member of the AUMC family. I’m so grateful for the tremendous leadership throughout our congregation, and remain hopeful that God will continue to work in mighty ways through our shared ministry together here, as the people and place called Arapaho UMC. Worship continues this Sunday at 11:00 am at www.arapahoumc.org, on our Facebook page, and on our YouTube Channel. See you there!

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Meet Pastor Scott Gilliland

Get to know Pastor Scott a little more through this fun and inspiring interview! Pastor Blair tries to be Krista Tippet again (if you don't know her, check out the On Being podcast from NPR) and asks Pastor Scott about the religious and spiritual upbringing of his childhood, his call to ordained ministry and his favorite scripture passage. Near the end, Pastor Scott does a rapid-fire question round where he answers: what is your favorite restaurant, what is your favorite concert, what are you reading right now, and more!