General Conference

General Conference

On February 23-26, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church will meet in a special session in St. Louis. Over 1,000 delegates with gather to consider a way forward regarding our denomination's position and policies related to sexuality.

Watch This Video From Pastor Blair:

How Will This Affect us at Arapaho?

Whatever is decided will not change who we are or what we value.

We value: Inclusivity.
All persons are the beloved children of God. LGBTQ+ are welcomed and affirmed as beloved. We open the door wide for all to experience and embody God’s healing and reconciling love.

Christmas Invitation

Pastor Blair offers a Christmas message and invitation in this short two-minute video. Watch her explore the message of "Silent Night" and reflect on the meaning of silence in the story of Jesus' birth and in our lives today.

We hope you'll watch and share it as a way to invite friends and family to our Christmas Eve services.

Plan to include worship in your Christmas Eve plans this year. Our 5:30 service is geared toward families with children. We'll share the nativity story through scripture and the singing of our favorite hymns as the story is acted out. Children will hear a special message and the service will end with candlelight.

Our 7:30 and 11 p.m. services include Pastor Blair's sermon "God Comes Anyway," and concludes with communion and candlelight. The 7:30 service will feature music by our choir; the 11 p.m. service includes an instrumental trio.

May you experience the wonder and joy of the good news that comes to us at Christmas: God is with us! We are not alone.

Peace be with you.

A Thanksgiving Litany

A Thanksgiving Litany

By Dr. Blair Thompson-White

When I pause and reflect on all that God is doing in and through our congregation, I can't help but say, "Glory be!" and give God thanks for the privilege of serving as your pastor.

I hope you will take a few minutes this week of Thanksgiving to give God thanks for our church and pray for our people and ministries, that we may continue to be faithful in our life together and our witness of God's grace and love in the world. 

Below is a prayer that touched my heart from the Common Prayer book. May you and your family and friends feel God's presence and grace surrounding you in love.

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Give thanks to the Lord who is good.

God’s love is everlasting.

Come, let us praise God joyfully.

Let us come to God with thanksgiving.

For the good world;

for things great and small,

beautiful and awesome;

for seen and unseen splendors;

Thank you, God.

For human life;

for talking and moving and thinking together;

for common hopes and hardships shared from birth until our dying;

Thank you, God.

For work to do and strength to work;

for the comradeship of labor;

for exchanges of good humor and encouragement;

Thank you, God.

For marriage;

for the mystery and joy of flesh made one;

for mutual forgiveness and burdens shared;

for confidences kept in love;

Thank you, God.

For family;

for living together and eating together;

for family amusements and family pleasures;

Thank you, God.

For children;

for their energy and curiosity;

for their brave play and startling frankness;

for their sudden sympathies;

Thank you, God.

For the young;

for their high hopes;

for their irreverence toward worn-out values;

for their search for freedom;

for their solemn vows;

Thank you, God.

For growing up and growing old;

for wisdom deepened by experience;

for rest in leisure;

and for time made precious by its passing;

Thank you, God.

For your help in times of doubt and sorrow;

for healing our diseases;

for preserving us in temptation and danger;

Thank you, God.

For the church into which we have been called;

for the good news we receive by Word and Sacrament;

for our life together in the Lord;

We praise you, God.

For your Holy Spirit,

who guides our steps and brings us gifts of faith and love;

who prays in us and prompts our grateful worship;

We praise you, God.

Above all, O God, for your Son Jesus Christ,

who lived and died and lives again for our salvation;

for our hope in him;

and for the joy of serving him;

We thank and praise you, Eternal God,

for your everlasting love. Amen. 

~ from the Book of Common Worship, 1993.

Six Habits to Cultivate Compassion in Your Kids

Six Habits to Cultivate Compassion in Your Kids

By Blair Thompson-White

A parent shared with me recently that her deepest desire for her children is not that they become doctors or lawyers or make a lot of money. This would be fine, of course, but their career earnings are not her greatest aspiration for them. More than anything, she wants her kids to be kind and compassionate.

We anecdotally know what research has proven over and over: the home is the place of greatest influence in the emotional and spiritual development of children. Kids learn to be kind and compassionate at home from the expectations, routines, and example parents set for them. 

So what are some ‘habits of the heart’ that parents can practice at home with their kids?

Here’s a list I’ve compiled. Some of these ideas come from families whose children I observe to be kind and compassionate; some from books like The Spiritual Child by Lisa Miller; some from podcasts about parenting by folks like Jen Hatmaker and Brene Brown. 

Say Grace Before Every Meal

This means that you prioritize sitting down and eating together. Before everyone digs in, pause and say one of the greatest and simplest prayers: thanks. 

Thank you for this food. Thank you for this day. It doesn't have to be complicated but it does require you to stop and recognize the Something More than you from whom all blessings flow. 

Plan to Help Others

Put helping others in your calendar. Make serving intentional. Find a local food bank and schedule your family to serve together there every-other-month. Talk about why there are food banks. 

Help your kids to think about how each can they sort will eventually go to a family in need. Pray for those who will be receiving the food from the food bank before you eat your evening meal. 

Give Money Away

Create a piggy bank and make putting money in it a part of your routine as a family. Decide who will receive the money; perhaps the food bank where you volunteer will be the recipient or maybe you will research together a charity that works for a cause your kids are passionate about.

Instead of ordering a pizza or eating out one night each week, eat at home. Talk about your decision to eat leftovers instead of eat out. Put the money you would have spent on a meal in the piggy bank.

Do Grocery Shopping Together

When you are in the coffee aisle, show your kids the Fair Trade Certification symbol on the coffee you are purchasing. Point out the difference in price between the Fair Trade coffees and the others and talk about why you choose the former, how you have read about coffee bean workers in places like Guatemala and want to support them, how even this seemingly small decision of what kind of coffee to purchase impacts people around the world.

Grocery shopping can also help kids to learn to see beyond themselves.  

A family shared with me that they shop at Aldi’s together. Each time they go, they return their cart but they do not put it back in the lock to get their quarter back. They give their cart away along with a positive greeting to the person who receives it.

They bring an extra bag with them and give that away, too. Because there is always someone who needs a bag at Aldi’s. The kids are no longer looking at the candy at the checkout line; they are looking for a person who needs a bag.

At the grocery store or any other store, make it a point to greet the cashier and ask them about their day. Your kids are paying attention to the way you interact with those who serve you. Greet cashiers, waiters, salespeople, warmly; look them in the eye and give them a word of gratitude or a word of encouragement. 

Send Thank You Notes

Pick a time once a week to sit at the table together and write one thank you note each. When you are done, share what you wrote with one another. Why are you thankful for this person? Research has shown over and over: gratitude correlates with happiness.

Spend One Day a Month Without Electronics

A friend who is a Rabbi shared with me her family’s practice of Sabbath; they refrain from technology one day a week. They walk instead of drive. They spend time in nature. They cook a meal together and invite neighbors over for long dinner. They rest.

They remember the world will keep spinning without them for a day.

Start unplugging one-day a month and work your way up to once a week. I can tell you from personal experience that this will be very difficult at first.

Ease into it by planning the day together ahead of time. Put your phones, iPads, keys in a basket the night before. Plan to make breakfast together. Plan a morning walk. Plan a picnic and walk to the park. Plan to nap. Plan to have people over for dinner. 

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None of these ideas are revolutionary. The key is to be intentional.

Just as you commit to take your kid to soccer practice so that he or she will become better at the sport, commit to practices that cultivate kindness and compassion. 

Will your kids whine about going to the grocery store with you? Probably. Will they throw a fit about writing a thank you note? More than likely. 

Hang in there. Your example, your explanation of why, your consistency and insistence, is so important as is the support you receive from your community. Surround yourself and your kids with adults who encourage and model kind and compassionate behavior; find a faith community that does this, too. 

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What other practices would you add to this list?
Leave your ideas in the comments below. 

#ChristianAdulting

#ChristianAdulting

By Blair Thompson-White

I don't know about you but when I was a kid I couldn't wait to be an adult. I thought being a kid was kinda restricting. You have to go to school and do what your parents say and you have to rely on others for food and transportation. Adults drove cars and ate what they wanted when they wanted. They could go shopping and buy what they wanted. They could go and do things without asking permission, yes adults had freedom, oh how I looked forward to having the freedom that comes with adulthood.

The reality is that while adulthood has its perks, it isn't all party party party all the time. In fact 90% of being adult is mundane - it's paying bills and going to work and cleaning the house and mowing the lawn.

There is a new word in the dictionary that relates to this. The word is: adulting. It's still so new that spell check does not recognize it but it has officially made it into the Oxford Living Dictionary. Adulting is the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.

I want to take this word adulting and I want to create a new phase with it, the phrase is Christian adulting. Here is the definition I'd like to propose: The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible follower of Jesus, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.

Most of the time being a follower of Jesus isn't walking on water. No, it's watering the garden. It's paying the water bill on time. It's advocating for clean water and even that work, which may seem like exciting justice work, when you get down to it mainly involves sending emails and calling people and setting up meetings; mundane but necessary tasks. Doing these tasks as Christ would do them, with integrity and honesty and selflessness, that's Christian adulting.

I am reminded that the distinctive mark of the Holy Spirit isn't just in the spectacular. It is also and perhaps more commonly in the ordinary work we do. The Holy Spirit is given to us for Christian adulting. So what are the characteristics of a responsible follower of Jesus? How do those practicing Christian adulting go about doing these mundane but necessary tasks for the kingdom?

In the story in Acts 6, Stephen shows us three characteristics of Christian adulting. The early church is having a few conflicts. One conflict that comes up is that the Greek-speaking widows aren't getting enough in the distribution of food while the Hebrew-speaking widows are getting more than enough. So the disciples realize that this mundane task of waiting on tables for the widows is important. The text says the task is literally to wait on tables. So essentially the disciples realize that they need a good wait staff for the widows to make sure they get the food they want and need; talk about mundane.

But that's not what the disciples do, they aren't just looking for just anybody. They want people filled with the Holy Spirit because this, even this, is holy work. Here are the qualifications they put out there for this task of waiting on tables:

"Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task."  

Full of the Spirit? To wait on tables? Full of wisdom? Yes. Absolutely. Because the disciples know this work must be done well. They need Christian adulting, they need people who will accomplish these mundane but necessary tasks in a way characteristic of a responsible follower of Jesus.

And Stephen is one of those chosen for this task. The text says he is full of faith and the Holy Spirit and thus he is called to ministry. Stephen's ministry career begins with waiting on tables and we know the rest of his story. He will become the first martyr of the Christian faith. Martyr means witness, he is the first witness. His life and death is so similar to that of Christ's you can't help but read the story of his life and death and remember Jesus' life and death. So what do the disciples see in Stephen’s life that we can apply to ours to excel at Christian Adulting?

The first characteristic of people who are Christian adulting is they have decided to be disciples of Jesus in order to do what Jesus does and become what Jesus is; by choice and by grace they are learning from Jesus how to live in the kingdom of God.

Stephen didn't just wait on tables, he waited on tables in the way Jesus would; he fed the widows and made sure they had what they needed. He let Jesus' life flow through his even in the most mundane tasks he did, and don't you know those widows experienced grace through him, through the way he took care of the tables with grace, compassion, integrity?

Let's say you are a teacher. As a disciple of Jesus, as his apprentice, you have to constantly be aware of how Jesus would deal with students and fellow teachers and parents, how Jesus would do the tedious tasks of cafeteria duty and grading papers and preparing lesson plans.

You have to let his life flow through yours in everything you do in the context you are in right now, in whatever your roles and responsibilities right now, you have been given the Holy Spirit so that it is possible for you to do everything you do as Jesus would. The question constantly before us is how would Jesus do what I am doing? Or even better: How is Jesus' life flowing through mine in this task, in this relationship, in this moment?

I think sometimes we think our lives are sort of insignificant you know, we compare ourselves to those who are doing mission and aid work in places like Africa or Haiti or who have jobs that seem more service-oriented or we think we're too old or too young or too busy or whatever, you fill in the blank, but the point is we sort of dismiss our current context, our current situation and place in life...we're just waiting tables, you know, what does it really matter?

It matters. The center of focus for the disciple's life is the disciples' life, you are living your life with Jesus right now, you are his apprentice right now, learning from him how to lead your life as if he were you...in your workplace, your family, your neighborhood, this community.

The second characteristic of people who are Christian adulting is they are impeccable with their word.

The words we say both internally to ourselves and outloud to others have power. Those who are Christian adulting know this. They know the power of words and so they choose to speak with wisdom and the Spirit as opposed to speaking with ego and self-interest.

When Steven starts to teach about the kingdom of God. People argue with him but the text says: "they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke." So what does he say to them?  What words does the Spirit give him to say? Words of truth and forgiveness. First, he speaks the truth to them and when they refuse to hear and scheme against him and stone him, when they become enraged with him, he doesn't return their anger with words of anger or hate. He asks God to forgive them.  

Those who are impeccable with their word use their energy in the direction of truth and forgiveness, truth and love. They do not lie to themselves or others. They know that the way we engage in conversation with others, how we disagree and express our opinion, it is no small thing...those who are Christian adulting know the power of the word, they know the Word of God wants to and needs to speak in them and through them and so they are impeccable with their word.

That word impeccable literally means without sin. Those who are impeccable with their word are without sin in the words they use. They do what they say they are going to do. When they make a promise, they keep it. Watch the promise two police officers make and what they do. This is a great example of Christian adulting: Click Here To Watch.

The third characteristic of people who are Christian adulting is they see the glory.

They see heaven from earth. They see the glory of God. That's what happens to Stephen, he can see beyond the present circumstances to the glory. He can see the hope in the midst of despair. He can see light in the midst of darkness, yes he can see the glory right here, right now.

To see the glory like Stephen you gotta do some Christian adulting.

• You give God the glory by doing your everyday ordinary mundane tasks as Jesus would do them.

• You give God the glory by letting his life flow through yours in your workplace, your home, your community.

• You give God the glory by being impeccable with your word, by thinking about what you say and letting the Spirit speak through words of truth and forgiveness and love.

• You give God the glory glory by looking for the light in the darkness and working to usher in more light.

You give God the glory by Christian adulting.

(This blog is edited from a sermon by Rev. Blair Thompson-White. You can listen to the whole sermon on #ChristianAdulting via streaming or podcast)

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Would you share a story below of someone you know who does “Christian Adulting” well?

What To Do When Your Partner Isn't Spiritual

What To Do When Your Partner Isn't Spiritual

By Blair Thompson-White

You are in church every Sunday while your partner is (fill in the blank): sleeping in, reading the paper, fishing, watching Meet the Press, mowing the lawn. 

You are attending spiritual development classes. Going on retreats. Listening to podcasts with Richard Rohr, reading Rob Bell, learning about the Enneagram. You want to talk about what you are learning with your partner, the questions you are asking, the new ideas you are exploring about God, yourself, the world. Your partner's favorite conversation topics are sports and the latest show on Netflix.  You love sports and Netflix but you long for Something More, you yearn for deeper connection with your partner.

You want a spiritual partner...but you don't think you have one. So what do you do? Here are a few ideas.

Talk To Your Partner About Your Desire for Spiritual Connection

There is a difference between partnership and spiritual partnership. All of the great spiritual teachers articulate this in one way or another: we need others help us to grow spiritually. Spiritual partners help one another to grow spiritually. 

Now...just because you are ready to move from partnership to spiritual partnership and your partner isn't there yet doesn't give you permission to be self-righteous.  This is the temptation: to think you are better than or more mature than others because you think you are further down the spiritual journey than them. Stop comparing. Communicate your desires instead. 

Here's a script that avoids using words like "You should" or "You don't." That kind of language puts people on the defensive. Speak from the I-perspective. Try this: "I yearn for us to connect on a deeper, more spiritual level. I wonder if over dinner this week, I might share with you some of the things I have been learning about God and myself?" 

Tell Your Partner How You Are Growing Spiritually

Share with your partner what you are thinking and feeling but here's the catch: share only for the purpose of sharing, not for the purpose of trying to change them or trying to get them to engage in a certain way. Share simply because you want them to know you more.

Oftentimes we expect conversations to go a certain way...we expect people to react a certain way. Don't do this. 

Let go of your expectations for your partner's spiritual growth. You can't push people down the spiritual path or pull them to keep up with your speed. You can't control where they are in their journey; just be with them where they are, instead of being frustrated that they are not where you want them to be. 

Learn to be present with people where they are and you will grow spiritually. 

Find a Spiritual Director

A spiritual director will walk with you and give you the spiritual companionship you need that your partner can't give you right now. This person has been professionally trained to guide you in your faith development; you will engage more deeply with the Holy Spirit with your spiritual director's help, and this will help you in all of your relationships.

You may wonder why not just find a spiritual friend or two to talk to instead of a spiritual director...Yes, and. Yes have friends you can talk to about spiritualthings. And have a spiritual director. 

A professional spiritual director offers boundaries and accountability. You need both of these in your spiritual growth, especially if you are not connecting with your partner at home on a spiritual level. This is an important but necessary warning: what starts out as spiritual connection with a friend can lead to physical connection. Pay attention to boundaries and maintain them. 

To find a spiritual director in the Richardson area, visit the Retreat House

When your partner isn't spiritual, don't shut down. Talk to your partner. Pay attention to the space between you and your partner and do not put judgment or comparison between you and them. Put openness. Put conversation. Know that the Holy Spirit is present and working on your partner--and you. Trust God's presence and grace. As St. Francis is said to have said: You may be the only Bible people read. May you reflect God's love to your partner through your words and actions.

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What Else Would You Do?

Have you been through this? Maybe you have some helpful ideas or some prayers for others who are living through this today. Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

Apps to Aid Your Spiritual Life

Three Apps to Aid Your Spiritual Life

By Blair Thompson-White

Here are three apps that I incorporate into my routine; it is not too much to say that these apps have helped me to become a deeper disciple, living more connected with Christ, more centered in the Spirit, more mindful of God's work in the world and in my daily life.

For Your Prayer Life

In the past, when people asked me to pray for them, I would say yes immediately; my desire to pray for them was pure, however, I wasn't organized!  I would write their name on a piece of paper or type it in the notes section of my iPhone but I didn't have a systematic way of listing and reviewing names. Then I thought: there MUST be an App for that!  Sure enough, there is!  My intercessory prayer life has grown tremendously thanks to the:

Echo Prayer Manager

I scroll through the names in the morning and at night, while I am in line at the store, whenever I have a moment of pause in the day. Instead of checking facebook ten times a day, try turning to the prayer app. The app also has a feature where it will randomly pick a name on your list and send you a notification that prompts you to pray for them.  

By spending even just a few seconds on each name, you are sending light and love to them; the Christ in you is tuned into the Christ in them and it is a mystery, but when you are receiving end of prayer you can feel this divine energy as close to you as your breathing.

Pray for others and participate in this extraordinary spiritual reality of our connectedness with God and one another.

For Your Engagement with Scripture

Let's be honest: with the pace of life today it is hard to sit down and focus on reading and reflecting on Scripture. We have this great image in our minds that we will sit in our leather chair in the early morning with our well-worn Bible and take deep, reflective notes in our journal...for whatever reason, maintaining this daily discipline is difficult for most of us. Try playing this 10 to 13 minute daily reading and prayerful reflection on the lectionary text:

Pray As You Go

You'll hear contemplative music, the day's scripture reading, questions for reflection, the reading again, and more contemplative music. Also, it is all done in a British accent...it can't get much better than that! Listen to it on walks with your dog, in the car, while you do gardening, while you sit in that leather chair with a cup of coffee in the morning. 

This app is truly an entry-point for the Spirit to reach you through Scripture and reflection. Invite God to work through Pray As You Go and God will. 

For Reflecting on Your Life

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others is time to examine our life, to stop and explore our experiences, motives, fears...those who regularly go into the depths of their day-to-day thoughts and interactions live with greater awareness and intentionality; they are more tuned into the Spirit's guidance and wisdom in the present moment. 

The ancient spiritual practice of the prayer of examen has been used for generations as a way into deep personal reflection. The ReImagining the Examen app will take you step-by-step through questions that invite you to explore a moment, a feeling, an encounter from the day. You can choose from a variety of themed reflections. 

ReImagining the Examen

My husband Adam and I work through an examen from the app together once a week, usually over dinner. We find the questions to be a way into deeper connection with God and one another; we credit this app with helping us to become closer and to hold one another accountable to our desire to become Christ-like in our day-to-day living.

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Our cell phones are central to the way we interact with others today...and they can help us to connect more with God, too. How we choose to use our phones matters; apps can be a means of grace, a way through which we experience God's presence in our lives. 

I hope these apps are helpful tools for you to use in your spiritual life. May we use our phones in ways that are life-giving for us and others.

What apps have you found helpful in your spiritual life?

Please share in the comment section below.

Four Faithful Ways to Disagree with Someone

Four Faithful Ways to Disagree with Someone

By Blair Thompson-White

A friend shared with me that she is dreading family time because her uncle will be there touting political opinions she strongly disagrees with...maybe you can relate.

Maybe like her you have tried various approaches in the past but nothing has worked so far: not speaking up when he says something you believe to be wrong doesn't sit right with your soul and arguing with him only raises your blood pressure and makes your mom say things like, "Honey, I wish you wouldn't cause trouble."

So what is the best way to disagree with someone?

1. Set the ground rules at the beginning. 

Try saying something like: "I'm glad to see you and I want you to know that I respect you and your political beliefs. I wonder if we might talk about these important issues, but do so in a way that makes us both feel heard. I'll ask you questions and listen to you and then you do the same for me. I won't attack you or your ideas or use language that is belittling or mean. Let's try to model for our family how we can still have meaningful conversation but not hurt one another."

If your family member won't agree to this, it is as simple and challenging as setting a boundary. Say: "I'm sorry, but I won't be discussing anything political with you today." This may lead him to try to bait you with a comment he knows will make you want to engage. Catch yourself before you do and say again: "I'm sorry, but I won't be discussing anything political with you today."

Remember when Michelle Obama said, "When they go low, we go high"? The high road is refusing to engage in conversation that devalues either party involved. Creating boundaries between you and the other is ultimately life-giving for you both and the faithful thing to do. 

For a great book about boundaries, read Boundaries by Henry Cloud. This is a must-read for everyone in a relationship with anyone...so literally every human being would benefit from reading this book.

2. Strive for greater understanding. 

This is opposed to striving to convince someone that your position is the right one. Your uncle isn't going to change his mind because of a point you make. Take your desire to convert him to your side out of the equation. Instead, ask questions that help you to see where he is coming from; how his experiences, fears, and desires, shape his way of seeing. 

Repeat back to him what you hear him say so he knows that you are listening. Most people just want to be heard; show that you are hearing him. 

The space we cultivate between us and another person is critical. If we create positive energy in the space, it is more likely that a positive conversation will ensue that will lead to greater understanding on both sides. Maybe he won't change his mind about immigration policies but he will have more empathy for the immigrant...and that's not nothing.

3. Share stories, not statistics. 

When you hear comments about whole groups of people that dehumanizes them, don't let it slide. Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it this way: "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” 

I learned this lesson from a pastor who ministered to prisoners. He said one time he was in a group of prisoners having casual conversation and a prisoner made a derogatory comment about women. A week later, he heard the same prisoner saying the same comment to another group, only this time he added: "And the pastor agrees with me!" Silence can be taken as support of a position. The pastor told me that while it can be exhausting to constantly call out comments that are inappropriate, it is key to making the world a bit better.

Instead of remaining silent, make it personal: "The people you are talking about are some of my closest friends." Our faith tells us that each person is a beloved child of God, no matter what. Our responsibility is to speak this truth into conversation, to remind others that the 'other' is precious in God's sight, too. 

4. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. 

The Holy Spirit is our ever-present helper, counselor, advocate, wisdom-giver. When you are not sure what to say, or how to respond, or you feel your heart-rate rising, take a breath. 

Remember the word for breath in the Bible is the same as spirit. God is as close to you as your breathing. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you clarity of thought and the right words to say and they will come. Go for a walk and pray for guidance, and listen. Let your inner teacher tell you what is the right thing to do.

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How we engage with people who see things differently than we do is really important. 

Jesus told us to pray for our enemies because he wanted us to always remember that they are human beings, too; they are loved by God, too. May we embody God's grace for all in how we talk with others with whom we disagree, not shying away from sharing our perceptive but doing so with love.

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Do you have tips that you use? Leave a comment below.

Three Books to Read This Summer

Three Books To Read This Summer

By Blair Thompson-White

These three books are great summer reads for your spiritual growth. I've included some discussion questions for each book as a resource for your personal reflection or small group conversation. 

1) Everything Happens for a Reason...And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler. 

This book, released in February, is a New York Times Bestseller. I am recommending it to anyone going through a difficult diagnosis, anyone who knows someone going through a difficult diagnosis, all medical personnel, all clergy, all who have been exposed to messages of the prosperity gospel...ok basically everyone. 

Everyone should read this book. (purchase now on AmazonSmile)

Here's the synopsis: Kate is a scholar on the faculty of Duke Divinity School. Her primary research is about the prosperity gospel in America. At age 35, she is diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Her candid account of her journey through cancer is remarkable; the way she articulates the problems with the prosperity gospel's take on her illness is right on. 

Reading this book will give you language for speaking out against the prosperity gospel and deepen your empathy for those going through cancer. The prosperity gospel preaches easy answers to life's hardest questions; Kate's witness gives weight to the power of deep, abiding faith that is able to sit with uncertainty and still be more than ok.

Discussion questions: 

• Kate says a lie she's loved is that "everything happens for a reason." What are some of the lies you've loved? Why and how has your perceptive on these 'lies' changed?

• How does Kate's account of her experience with cancer relate to your difficult experiences? What do you learn from her? 

• How should we care for others going through cancer and other diagnosis? What is a list of do's and don'ts for how to help and not hurt?

2) Gratitude: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass

Politics is so gross right now, so divisive; there is so much ugly in our country and world...and yet, Bass has written an entire book on gratitude. She admits this topic may seem out of touch with what is going on in the news today.

The temptation would be to write a book about gratitude that is all 'pie-in-the-sky,' meaning real nice to read about but not too real-world in practical application. Bass has not done that at all and that's what makes this book about gratitude stand out. 

If you are expecting her to tell you to start a gratitude journal, well she does mention that--BUT--she goes way deeper than that, offering historical perspective on gratitude and reciprocity in the ancient world and its influence on our politics today. (purchase now on Amazon Smile)

It is not too much too say that reading this book may not only transform you...if enough of us read it, it may well transform our church and American political system.

Discussion Questions

• What would it look like for you to focus on gratitude? For schools, businesses, churches to focus on gratitude? For our country to focus on gratitude? What would shift in our interactions and transactions if our society designated "a year of gratitude"?

• What intentional practices of gratitude might you begin to implement? 

• How might our politics be different if we moved from the game of tit for tat to that of neighborly reciprocity, to gift and gratitude?

3) How to Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living by Rob Bell

Rob Bell's most recent book "What Is the Bible" is excellent and popular and also one that I highly recommend...you may have missed his previous book How to Be Here. This quick-read is simple and profound, as we have come to expect from Bell. 

This is a great read for the summer because summer is a great time to focus on being present in the moment. Summer may also be the right time to reset some of those work and family routines and habits that are not working and not sustainable to living a truly fulfilling and meaningful life.

How to Be Here is incredibly practical. For example, you won't read his insights on Sabbath and feel guilty that you don't take it; rather, you'll feel equipped to take the next step to creating a life that is more intentional about rest. (purchase now on Amazon Smile)

Discussion Questions:

• When you listen to your life, what is your "ikigai": what is it that gets you out of bed in the morning? How does this influence how you spend your time?

• Bell says we get stuck because we don't know all the steps ahead. He says you don't have to know the 17th step, you just have to know the first step. What makes you stuck right now? What is the first step you are being led to take at this time in your life?

What Are You Reading?

I hope you'll use the comment section to share your reflections on these books and offer other titles you recommend. May what we read this summer inspire our spiritual growth!

Three Faithful Responses to the Separation of Families at the Border

Three Faithful Responses to the Separation of Families at the Border

By Blair Thompson-White

Children are being separated from their mothers and fathers at the border. 

This story from NPR offers startling statistics--2,342 children have been separated from their families--and reports dramatic details that one has to read twice in order to believe: agents telling children they are getting a bath in order to lure them away from their parents; parents being taken away without clear information about where their children are going.

Even more startling than pictures of children crying is the sound of their weeping, heard in this seven minute recording. I heard it while in the car and it cut right to my heart; after ten seconds of hearing the inconsolable children crying "mommy" my instinct was to turn the channel to a music station. The temptation is to try and numb our feelings, to turn the news off about what is happening to these children and families. 

Our Christian response begins with tuning in and turning towards this terrible story. It is our responsibility to stay tuned in and to let our hearts break. The word compassion means 'to suffer with.' Let yourself suffer with these children and families and when people ask you why you feel so deeply for them, say:

1) These are God's children. We believe that each person is a child of God, no matter where they are from or their color of skin; each person carries the divine image. The divine DNA is in each of us; we are all connected!  The crying child is my child. The mother torn from her two-year-old is my sister. Their pain is our pain. This is our family.

2) Ending this cruelty is ours to do. We have the power and the responsibility to stay informed, to keep talking, to keep praying--and to take action.

Some actions I have taken include: Calling my representatives; sending a letter to the White House and Department of Justice (click here for a template); donating to Justice for our Neighbors, a United Methodist-sponsored agency that offers high-quality immigration legal services to these separated families. 

All of us can do something. I read one story about a group of children who put together a bake sale to raise money for lawyers sponsored by Together Rising, another organization working tireless to fund legal help for these families.

Jesus has no other hands or feet on earth but ours. We are given the power of the Holy Spirit to make this right in Jesus' name right now.

3) Scripture gives us the greatest commandment to love God and love others. It is NOT complicated. Why get so passionate about the plight of these children and families? Because Jesus said "I am them" in Matthew 25. When we look into their eyes and hear their cries, we are encountering the living Christ. 

The Bible tells stories of religious folks who got mixed up and put the law over love. We will not get mixed up. 

As Martin Luther King, Jr. said: the time is always right to do the right thing. It is clear what the right thing to do is. 

Children and families should not be separated.

We will not numb. We will not tune out. 

We will pray, think, and act until the sound of weeping is turned into shouts of joy.

---

READ NEXT:

The Social Community: Rights of Immigrants (The Methodist Perspective)

Texas Faith Leaders Rebuke Trump administration's "zero tolerance" Policy

Churches, especially in deep-red Texas, often sit out partisan squabbles. But the issue of family separations is not a political one, some faith leaders say — it's a humanitarian and moral crisis.

Originally Posted by The Texas Tribune
Written by Emma Platoff

There’s a new road sign outside Arapaho United Methodist Church in Richardson.

“Please don’t use scripture to justify policies that harm families,” reads the sign.

The message, which was also posted to the church's Facebook page, seems directed at one person in particular: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who this week used scripture — Romans 13 — to justify a new policy of "zero tolerance" at the country’s southern border, a strategy that has resulted in hundreds of children being separated from their parents. The text, Sessions said, says “to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.” But the word of God, many people of faith counter, instructs followers to “love thy neighbor.”

In Texas’ liberal urban centers and its quieter, more conservative corners, God has increasingly entered into an emotional debate over the Trump administration’s immigration policy, particularly as stories continue to emerge of separations that have taken a nursing child from her mother, kept a disabled teenager thousands of miles from his grandmother for almost a year and even led to a suicide.

Continue reading >>> READ FULL ARTICLE

Four Messages to Our LGBTQ+ Brothers and Sisters:

Here are 4 messages from Pastor Blair to our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters: 

By Blair Thompson-White

1. As a representative of the Church, I am sorry for the ways the church has hurt you. 

I am sorry if you have received messages from a church that have made you feel or believe that you are anything less than fully loved and fully accepted. 

You are loved. You are accepted. 

If you are currently a part of a congregation that says anything other than that, find a different faith community. We exist. 

2. We affirm and celebrate that you are a child of God, created in the image of God. 

You being you gives God praise!  You are a light, a blessing, a gift to the world just as you are. If you worship with us, you won't be treated any differently than anyone else. 

All are invited to come to the communion table. There are no rules. Everybody is in!  There is grace for all! 

And if you stick around our congregation long enough, someone is bound to invite you to be on a committee...don't say I didn't warn you. In all seriousness though, you have gifts and grace that are needed for God's work in the world.

3. We do not / will not ever interpret, teach or preach the Bible in ways that harm you. 

We actively teach and promote different interpretations of the 'clobber passages.' Matthew Vines does an excellent job working through these passages in God and the Gay Christian. 

Our tradition doesn't read scripture without considering its historical context. We rely on guidance of the Holy Spirit as we use our minds to study and reason and our experience to interpret the meaning of the text for today.

For more information on scriptures that emphasize the "value of love over the law, the God-belovedness of all people, and the special affirmation of those who have been historically rejected as unclean or unholy" read this article by Layton Williams.

4. We will continue to work to be agents of reconciliation, supporting efforts to eliminate discrimination and disenfranchisement of LGBTQ+ persons in the church and world. 

There is work to be done to promote equality for all; this work requires thoughtfulness and intentionality in order to be truly transformative for us and our world.

I am committed to this work; we as a congregation have a history of being open, truly open for conversation, for deep and thoughtful questions, for listening and learning with open hearts and minds and for doing the often difficult work that needs to the done in order to transform the world.

--

May you, my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, know that you are not only loved by God but that God delights in you and may you find a community of faith like the one I am proud to be a part of at Arapaho UMC that strives to embody God's love for all.

What Do Methodist's Believe About Gun Violence

Jesus’ call to his followers to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) is tied to intimate relationship with God, and echoes God’s dreams for peace for all of creation as expressed in Micah 4:1-4.

Micah’s prophetic dream points to a time when all peoples will journey to God’s presence so God “may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths” (4:2). Micah describes God as the final judge and the nations will travel to God’s presence out of their desire to live in peace without violence and bloodshed.

The stunning imagery of Micah’s dream is the transformation of weapons into instruments of harvesting food that occurs after the judgments are handed down to the nations. The transformation is not complete until the nations participate in their own transformation. The work that went into creating the weapons will be matched by the human effort it will take to transform those weapons into peaceful instruments. God does not collect or hide the weapons from the nations, nor does God transform the weapons outside of human effort. The text states that the nations themselves, “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”

Violence, in so many ways, is fueled by fear and self-protection. Iron plows and pruning tools can be used as weapons. Yet, in Micah’s vision, genuine peace and security are given to all people by God after the weapons of violence are transformed: “they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.” Culture as well as weapons will be transformed: Indeed, “neither shall they learn war any more.”

Whether it happens in the towns of northeastern Nigeria, a suburb in the United States, the streets of Australia, or an office in France, gun violence has become an all-too-often frightening phenomenon. We need the reality of Micah’s vision more than ever.

Small arms include assault rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns, grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns, among other weapons (Small Arms Survey, http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/weapons-and-markets/definitions.html). Nations encumbered with violence from small arms face the greatest obstacles to delivering social services to those who need them the most (Ibid.). Armed violence contributes to crime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, gender-based violence, racial and ethnic conflicts, systemic economic inequalities, persistent unemployment, and human rights abuses among other social maladies (Small Arms Survey, http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/armed-violence/social-and-economic-costs/impact-on-development.html). In many countries small arms are the greatest hindrance to food security.

One crucial step toward curbing this violence on an international scale is the Arms Trade Treaty that passed the United Nations in 2013. Its focus is to prevent arms from being traded into already dangerous situations. The treaty does not regulate the trade of small arms within nations. In adopting the treaty, the 118 nations that signed it and the 31 nations that have already ratified it are stating that gun violence is a universal problem devastating lives and creating tremendous instability in nations and entire regions in the world (http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/t/att/deposit/asc).

Gun violence also greatly affects families and individuals. One of the most prominent forms of gun violence is suicide. Worldwide, there are nearly one million suicides every year, which amounts to more than 3,000 per day (World Health Organization, International Association for Suicide Prevention, http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/, Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day is September 10,http://www.iasp.info/wspd/). While not all of these involve firearms access to firearms makes suicide more attainable for many who attempt it.  Indeed, firearms are the most frequent method for suicides in countries where firearms are common in private households (World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/9/07-043489/3n/).

When domestic violence incidents involve the use of firearms the results are often deadly. “Gender inequality, tolerance and cultural acceptance of the use of violence against women, and common notions of masculinity that embrace firearms possession (which may be supported by both men and women) all combine to create a climate that places women at risk of Intimate Partner Violence involving firearms” (Small Arms Survey, http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2013/en/Small-Arms-Survey-2013-Chapter-2-summary-EN.pdf). A US-based study of mass shootings between January 2009 and January 2013 revealed that 57 percent of the incidents involved the killing of a family member, or a current or former intimate partner of the shooter.

As followers of Jesus, called to live into the reality of God’s dream of shalom as described by Micah, we must address the epidemic of gun violence so “that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in God’s paths.” Therefore, we call upon United Methodists to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context.

SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. For congregations to make preventing gun violence a regular part of our conversations and prayer times. Gun violence must be worshipfully and theologically reflected on, and we encourage United Methodist churches to frame conversations theologically by utilizing resources such as “Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities: Reflections on Gun Violence from Micah 4:1-4” produced by the General Board of Church and Society.

2. For congregations to assist those affected by gun violence through prayer, pastoral care, creating space, and encouraging survivors to share their stories, financial assistance, and through identifying other resources in their communities as victims of gun violence and their families walk through the process of grieving and healing.

3. For individual United Methodists who own guns as hunters or collectors to safely and securely store their guns and to teach the importance of practicing gun safety.

4. For United Methodist congregations that have not experienced gun violence to form ecumenical and interfaith partnerships with faith communities that have experienced gun violence in order to support them and learn from their experiences.

5. For United Methodist congregations to lead or join in ecumenical or interfaith gatherings for public prayer at sites where gun violence has occurred and partner with law enforcement to help prevent gun violence.

6. For United Methodist congregations to partner with local law-enforcement agencies and community groups to identify gun retailers that engage in retail practices designed to circumvent laws on gun sales and ownership, encourage full legal compliance, and to work with groups like Heeding God’s Call that organize faith-based campaigns to encourage gun retailers to gain full legal compliance with appropriate standards and laws.

7. For United Methodist congregations to display signs that prohibit carrying guns onto church property.

8. For United Methodist congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence. Some of those measures include:

• Universal background checks on all gun purchases

• Ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty

• Ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers

• Prohibiting all individuals convicted of violent crimes from purchasing a gun for a fixed time period

• Prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun

• Prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun

• Ensuring greater access to services for those suffering from mental illness

• Establishing a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession

• Banning large-capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled

• Promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety.

ADOPTED 2016

See Social Principles, ¶ 162.

From The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church - 2016. Copyright © 2016 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.

5 Prayer Ideas For Your Home During Lent

The Church Calendar offers us time to create spiritual practices for ourselves and our families during its seasons. Lent offers a unique opportunity for prayer. Here are five ideas you can use this Lenten season to enrich your prayer life in your home. 

The Lord’s Prayer at Breakfast: This prayer shapes our daily expectations regarding God’s reign, our daily food, receiving and giving forgiveness, and making it through trials. Our family ends the prayer with “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we receive our day.” This closing, which Dallas Willard apparently practiced, helps us recognize the role of the Trinity in our lives as well as posturing ourselves for receiving what God gives rather than what we hope to take for the day.

A Lenten Centerpiece: One idea is to place a small tray filled with sand to remind us of trials and temptation. Then add a small wooden cross to remind ourselves that we have died to the world and sin. Also, a small bowl of water recalls our baptism. Finally, a small candle reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the wilderness.

A Mezuzah: God instructed his people in Deuteronomy 6:9 and 11:20 to write his words on the doorposts (mezuzah in Hebrew) of houses and gates as a visual reminder to live by his word when going out and coming in. Consider using one or affixing some other object near your door to remind your family of his word. Say a brief prayer and touch it as you leave and enter.

A Body Prayer: For each child, touch their head, eyes, ears, mouth, heart, hands, and feet. As you do, pray that God will lead them and that they will seek after him with each part. For example, when touching near the child’s eyes, pray, “Lord, help my daughter or son to see you working today.”

A Rhythm Prayer: Each day at the same time, pray for another person for all 40 days of Lent

Read Next: What Do Methodists Believe About Lent?

What Do Methodists Believe About Ash Wednesday?

What Do Methodists Believe About Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us to realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During some Ash Wednesday services, the minister will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified purification and sorrow for sins.

It is traditional to save the palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service to burn to produce ashes for this service. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin or hurtful or unjust characteristic. The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned with the palm branches. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.

— Adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship

Read Next: What Do Methodists Believe About Lent?

What Is Shrove Tuesday?

What Is Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. It's a day of penitence, to clean the soul, and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins. But there's more to Shrove Tuesday than pigging out on pancakes or taking part in a public pancake race. The pancakes themselves are part of an ancient custom with deeply religious roots.

Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them. When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven for them and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them.

So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Giving up foods: but not wasting them. In the old days there were many foods that observant Christians would not eat during Lent: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off.

The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras; meaning fat Tuesday. Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour.

The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year:
Eggs ~ Creation
Flour ~ The staff of life
Salt ~ Wholesomeness
Milk ~ Purity

Read Next: What Do Methodists Believe About Ash Wednesday