New Vision of Ecumenical Partnership in Alaska

Most of us know that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to be in full communion with the United Methodist Church. At General Conference in 2008 we also made this historic step. Among other things this means that ELCA pastors can serve UM churches and vice versa. I have had conversations with Bishop Michael Keyes of the ELCA in Alaska about just such a possibility. We also are planning a large celebration most likely in January in Anchorage that will include the Presbyterian Church and Episcopal Churches.

I am grateful to be in this position at this time to have a part in working with the other denominational executives. Dr. Curt Karns of the Yukon Presbytery is an old friend and former pastor of our New Hope Church in North Pole. Dr. David Dobler of the Southeast Presbytery is a former pastor of our Jewel Lake Parish. Fran Lynch’s long ministry in Anvik is the site of the first Episcopal Church in Alaska back in the 1800’s.

Some of our dreams include joining together to train lay leaders for our native villages. Charley Brower of St. John UMC and Fawn White of Nome Community UMC are in Barrow this week for the training for Commissioned Lay Pastors of the Presbyterian Church. I have asked our Professional Ministries Unit to work on the certification requirements so our conference can raise up our own Certified Lay Ministers.

Other big, hairy, bodacious dreams include having our annual gatherings at the same time in the same venue with separate plenary sessions. We could share meals, celebrations, and training. I felt it was important for you all to know about these exciting developments. I encourage our lay and clergy leaders to consider strengthening the ecumenical ties in your community. At the January celebration we would love to display photos showing ecumenical events. Please send a few to me.

One other note. Soon we will be able to post every issue of the E-Aurora on our AUMC web site. Until then pastors may want to forward this to your congregation. Our hope is to make this broad enough to appeal to all Alaska United Methodists.

Grace and peace,

Dave

Video Parable on Laughter

Susie Smalley, my "older" sister in Kenai, posted this video today which I found remarkable. It reminded me of some of the really old parable films of the 60's. Watch this and see if you feel that this should be part of the mission of every person of faith.

Dave

Autumn Fishing on the Kenai River in Alaska

After 7.5 years in Soldotna I was appointed to St. John in 1999. That was ten years ago. For the past ten years I have not fished Alaska’s rivers or lakes ONCE! I think that may qualify as a sin. I don’t know. I have no one to blame but myself for not making it a priority. My excuses ranged from being too busy to disliking fighting traffic to get out of the city to a huge distaste for combat fishing!

On Saturday that all changed as Jon and Cindy Dawson invited me on my first float trip on the Kenai River in Cooper Landing. I had second thoughts as I got up at 6 and headed out into the blackness and rain. All along the Seward highway the wind blew and the rain pelted my truck. What am I doing? I wondered aloud.

As I climbed up towards Turnagain Pass dawn had revealed fresh snow on the mountain peaks. Only now as I rose to meet them I wondered if there would be snow in the pass and on the road. The temperature steadily dropped towards the freezing mark. No snow at the pass but the white stuff laid very close to the base of the mountains.

The float trip down the Kenai was nothing like the drive from Anchorage. Clear skies. Crisp autumn day. I love this short period where the golden colors of the forests share the landscape with white peaks jutting into the sky. It was such a gift to my soul to spend 6 hours on the river. Jon and Cindy both caught nice rainbow trout and I could tell that they really wanted me to catch one. Finally at the last stop just before leaving the river I caught a pretty arctic char.

But that wasn’t the most exciting thing. The most amazing event happened as Jon was making his final cast of the day. I had my little video camera rolling. We joked about him catching a fish, and that is what actually happened! You can check out the video here.

So the moral of this story is this. Sometimes we need to ignore all the excuses we use to stay in our comfort zone and keep to our routines. There are fish to be caught, beauty to be absorbed, and souls to be renewed if we’ll only head out into dark and rainy mornings.

Grace and peace,
Dave

Trip to Southeast Alaska

What a joy it was for me to get to know the people and places of SE Alaska. I had never been to Sitka or Ketchikan. I experienced the patience of waiting in airplanes and being diverted due to poor weather.
Ketchikan
I almost didn't make it due to weather but was able to spend about 5 hours with Pastors Teri and Ev and several lay leaders who shared with enthusiasm the long and rich history of First UMC. They have wonderful stories of ministry in Ketchikan that need to be told. I hope to be able to be with this church on Sunday when I return for charge conference. If you get a chance be sure to ask Ev about their Pigs In Mission program. It's great and easily duplicated in your church.

Sitka
Pastor Luther Oconer, Marion, and Ilena showed me gracious hospitality. Mike drove Luther and me around Sitka and we all bought some Sitka-made chocolate. Luther and Marion have connected with a few Filipino families and a new ministry has already begun. The best part of my visit to Sitka was playing with Ilena who turns 2 this month.

Northern Light, Juneau
Pastor Kim Poole and her mother hosted me in their home. I met with Northern Light's council and worshipped with them on Sunday. She had us all playing with Legos and teaching us about tithing and God's grace. People are happy to have Kim as their interim pastor.

Douglas Community UMC
I used Kim's car to zip across the bridge to Douglas to catch most of worship at this church. Pastor Imelda Ramos led a baptism for a baby that awed everyone there. After worship I met with their SPRC to talk about future pastoral leadership. Imelda and Bob will move to California next summer where she will pursue her doctor of ministry degree.

Aldersgate
Last on this whirlwind tour was worship at Aldersgate for Pastor Judy Shook's celebration of being the "settled" pastor. Previously she had been interim. There were clergy and laity from other churches and I was privileged to preach the homily.


God is certainly present and working through the many hands and hearts of Alaska United Methodists in the Southeast! I am grateful to have this experience.

Dave

Thursday Notes: Global Health

Thursday, Global Health
Dr. Scott Morris, UM pastor and medical doctor. Church Health Center, Memphis TN. Private, church run health care system.

Third of the New Testament is about healing the sick. Problem today is that hospitals in the healing business are separated from worshipping congregations. What does it mean today to be involved in a healing ministry?
James 5 – Is anyone among you sick? Call the elders and they will anoint you with oil.
Matthew 25 – goats and sheep. When we minister to the sick we are ministering to Jesus. If you want to be a disciple of Christ and you want to find him, you will find him among the sick, the poor, and those in prison. We should be looking in these places if we want to find Jesus.
Wesley understood this. Every Friday he spent time in his dispensary caring for the sick. He saw a static electricity demonstration by Ben Franklin and invented his own device he called “electrifier.” He wrote book “Primitive Physik”, widely used in the mid-19th century in America. People used to go to their pastors for healing. Darwin influenced the separation between faith and healing. Also there was a separation of body and spirit. Medicine dealt with body. Church dealt with spirit. This is a non-Christian idea.

People come to doctors today for reasons they used to go to pastors. Medicine today does not recognize spiritual dimension of life. In medicine, the spirit does not exist. You can’t MRI the spirit.

Our task as disciples is to find a healing mission. We need young doctors who will commit to healing the poor. This is not on the Church’s agenda.

Church needs to care about:
1. End of life. 25% of medicare budget is spent on last 6 months of peoples’ lives.
2. Keeping people healthy. Childhood obesity is major problem. Often the least healthy meal we eat is at church! If we don’t take care of our bodies we are not being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ! UM clergy are 20% heavier than rest of population.
3. Global health. Top three diseases are preventable. Malaria, TB, HIV. Many lives could be saved if Africans had access to condoms.

www.hopeandhealing.org News magazine from Church Health Center in Memphis.

You have to walk the walk. What are you doing to improve your health? Are you eating right, exercising? Wesley believed that riding a horse was the best exercise. Average American gains 3-5 lbs a year. Three things you can do:
1. Figure out your average daily steps. Goal is to increase that number by 2000 steps.
2. Decrease your calorie intake by 100 a day.
3. Eat three servings of dairy a day. Yogurt, milk, cheese.
IF YOU DO THESE THREE THINGS YOU WILL STOP WEIGHT GAIN AND BEGIN SLOW WEIGHT LOSS.

Notes from Superintendent School: Ministry With the Poor

Wednesday – Ministry with the Poor

Wow! We heard the most amazing, inspiring presentation from Rev. John Edgar and Donita Harris, from Columbus, Ohio. They told their story of a 6 year old Church of All People, and their sister group, Community Development 4 All People.

Ways to be in ministry WITH the poor.
Book by Rudy Rasmus – Touch (good read)
Five C’s
1. Common Sense – be reasonable about your first encounters with poor
2. Commitment – passion to invest your time and energy
3. Collaboration – use community resources to partner
Needs assessment is not the first step. Identify assets. Good question to ask the poor: What are you hoping for? Key asset is to listen to peoples’ dreams.
4. Consistency – take what you need, share what you have. Myth of scarcity. There is a divine economy of abundance.
5. Contributions – cash or in-kind. Everyone has something to contribute.

Free Store was the beginning of what is now a huge community development. Main idea is to be with the poor. God does not call us to fix their problems, but to be with them and to hear their dreams and hopes.

I invite you to check out their web site: http://www.4allpeople.org/index.html

Notes from Superintendent School on Leadership

Some of what I am learning at Lake Junaluska. This is from Gil Rendle on Leadership.

Management seeks to answer the question Are we doing things right?
Leadership seeks to answer the question Are we doing right things?

DS is asked for leadership but rewarded for management.

Convergent situation: question is same for everyone and answer is same for everyone.

Divergent is one which question is same for everyone but answers is divergent.

Cultural shift from convergent time to divergent time.

So many consumer choices that we are trained to deal with our preferences first. Going down cereal aisle with so many choices. Question is what do I need from a box of cereal?

Book of Discipline gives us more management information than we need.

In divergent environment you cannot make a decision that will not make some feel unhappy.

Leadership shift: not providing answers but asking good questions.

Best book: Ron Heifetz “Leadership Without Easy Answers.”

“We listen long enough to figure out what we’re going to say next.” -Covey

Leadership is about helping a community face its problems.

DS role is not to make churches happy with right appointments, but to meet our mission.

Superintendents walk boundary between local church and global church. We have the power of agenda. Schnase’s book is not magic. It gives people ways to have better conversations.

We need better stories.

More important to be appropriate than to be right.

Two settings leaders do their work: reactive space and balcony space.(doing vs learning).
Learn to ask questions about purpose not about problems.