Wesley Pilgrimage in England - May 11-21, 2010

For details go to:
http://www.gbod.org/wesleypilgrimage

To register, please call toll free: 877-899-2780, ext. 7075

You are invited to participate in a ten-day pilgrimage into the early roots of The United Methodist Church. The General Board of Discipleship and General Board of Higher Education and Ministry are sponsoring an opportunity to:

• Immerse yourself in the ministry, theology, and spirituality of John & Charles Wesley
• Learn and pray where the Wesley’s prayed and served
• Reflect, pray, and build relationships in small groups
• Make connections between the Wesleyan heritage and the ministry of your home congregation today
• Make new friends and have fun!

If you are a Provisional Member …
Now is the time to register for this important continuing education opportunity. We have just a few $500 scholarship discounts remaining. We need to hear from you today!

Pilgrimage Leaders
Pilgrimage leaders are Dr. Paul Chilcote (Professor of Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies at Ashland Theological Seminary), Dr. Steven Manskar (Director of Wesleyan Leadership, GBOD), Rev. Anita Wood (Director of Professional Ministry Development, GBHEM), and Dr. Tim Macquiban, British Methodist Wesley scholar and minister of Wesley Methodist Church in Cambridge, England.

The Itinerary
Tues., May 11 — Salisbury
Arrival at Sarum College around 1:00 pm for lunch and introductory learning time with Tim Macquiban: “Characteristics of Methodism” & “John Wesley and the Church of England”

Wed., May 12 — Salisbury
Lectures on history and theology with Dr. Tim Macquiban and Dr. Paul Chilcote

Thurs., May 13 — Oxford
Visit Christ Church College & Cathedral, Lincoln College, St. Mary’s Church, & free time. Depart Oxford by 3:30 pm to arrive at Bawtry Hall in time for supper.

Fri., May 14 — Epworth
Visit St. Andrews Church and church yard, the Market Cross, the Old Rectory, & Wesley Memorial Methodist Church. Leave by 3:00 pm for Bawtry. Brief group session with Eucharist after supper

Sat., May 15 — Salisbury
Travel from Bawtry to Sarum College. Free day

Sun., May 16 — Salisbury
Worship at Salisbury Methodist Church (10:30 am)
Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral – 3:00 pm (optional)

Mon., May 17 — Bristol
Visit Charles Wesley House, The New Room, Bristol Cathedral, & free time
(focus on the development of the class meeting and field preaching)

Tues., May 18 — Salisbury
Closing lectures, Chapel worship with college community, Cathedral Tour, evaluation, & banquet

Wed., May 19 — London
Visit London area churches and ministries, free evening in London.
Lodging at The Royal Foundation of St. Katharine in East London

Thurs., May 20 — London
Tim Macquiban will lead us on a historic tour of Wesley’s Chapel & Home at City Road, Bunhill Field, the Aldersgate Street monument, Charterhouse School, Westminster School, & Methodist Central Hall, concluding with evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Return to St. Katharine’s for group dinner and closing worship.

Fri., May 21 — London
Breakfast & departures for London airports
[Each day will begin with a brief service of Morning Prayer and end with evening Eucharist.]
The days in Oxford, Epworth, Bristol, and London will be filled with vigorous walking. Pilgrims are strongly encouraged to bring comfortable shoes for walking on hard pavement.]


This event qualifies for 3 CEUs.
For details and cost go to http://www.gbod.org/WesleyPilgrimage. To register, please call toll free: 877-899-2780, ext. 7075.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Grace & Peace,

Steven Manskar, D.Min.
Director of Wesleyan Leadership
GBOD
smanskar@gbod.org
(877) 899-2780, ext. 1765 (toll free)
(615) 948-0650 (mobile)

John the Bell Ringer

Reflections on the Gospel lesson for the Third Sunday of Advent: Luke 3:7-18--

I think John the Baptist is alive and well today. He is easy to spot this time of year. You will find him outside of stores or in the mall. He usually has a bell in his hand.

He stands all day and night, during shopping hours, next to a black kettle ringing his bell. Many people drop their spare change into his kettle. Some even give 10s, 20s and the occasional check; while many hurriedly walk past trying to avoid making eye contact.

Yes, John the Baptist is alive and well. His incarnation is the many volunteers who ring bells and shake tambourines to collect money for the Salvation Army and its ministry with the poor and homeless people of our world.

Just like John, who preached in the wilderness of Judea so long ago, the bell ringers of the Salvation Army are witnesses today that all is not right with the world. That there is a sickness in this world called sin.

This sin-sickness manifests itself in systems of greed, domination, violence, and oppression. Everyone suffers from this sickness; no one is immune. The good news, given to us by John and the bell ringers, is that God has given the world the only cure that is effective against the ravages of sin.

That cure is Jesus Christ, God's son whose birth we celebrate this month. John introduced him to us. He told us how to be cured of our sin-sickness.

Repentance; turning away from the sin-sick systems of greed, materialism, fear and violence. And turning toward the One who loves the world, who forgives, and accepts you as you are, without price or merit; that One is Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of the world.

Jesus will show you the way to healing, abundant life, and freedom. The way to begin the cure is to do what John told those who came to see him in the wilderness to do: "If you have more clothes than you need, give the stuff hanging in your closet and laying around in your drawers to those who have nothing. If you have more food than you need, give food to those who are hungry and have no money to buy food to feed themselves and their children."

When you move from a life of getting and holding on, to new life in Christ, the life of grace, the life of openness to the world and giving freely, your healing has begun.

The next time you hear and see a Salvation Army bell ringer, give them a smile, wish them a merry Christmas, and drop a generous gift in their kettle. Better yet, volunteer to be a bell ringer or to help distribute food, clothing, and love to the growing numbers of hungry, ill-clad, and neglected neighbors among us today. Be and witness to the good news that is Christ.

And remember John in the wilderness who came to point us to the source of our healing, and the healing of the world, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Advent is like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is the story of a man who lives his life backwards. He begins life in the body of an old man and dies in the body of a newborn infant. Its an amazing, well-crafted story that is well worth seeing.

I mention this film because it is a good way to understand the season of Advent that began this past Sunday. When we read the lectionary lessons for the four Sundays of Advent we see that they move backward through time. They begin with the adult Jesus, near the end of his earthly life, teaching about the coming end of time and the reign of righteousness and justice that characterize the reign of God he inaugurates with his life, death, and resurrection. By the fourth Sunday of Advent we encounter the unborn Jesus in Mary’s womb.

Advent begins the Christian calendar year by giving us a glimpse of God’s destination for history. This is done because we cannot really make sense of the story of Christmas unless we see where it is taking us. Advent is the season for hearing, reflecting, praying, and preparing for the coming again of Christ the crucified and risen King, Prophet, and Priest. Only when the church takes time to deal with God’s destination for history can we truly begin to understand the meaning of the incarnation we celebrate at Christmas.

Laurence Hull Stookey gives a wonderful explanation of the meaning of Advent in his book, Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church:

“The First Sunday of Advent is regarded in the Western Church as the beginning of the liturgical year. But Advent is first of all about the end of time. Because the term itself means “coming” or “arrival,” and because it precedes Christmas, many have misunderstood Advent to be exclusively a time to get ready to celebrate the coming of a child at Bethlehem. In fact, the primary focus of Advent is on what is popularly called “the second coming.” Thus Advent concerns the future of the Risen One, who will judge wickedness and prevail over every evil. Advent is the celebration of the promise that Christ will bring an end to all that is contrary to the ways of God; the resurrection of Jesus is the first sign of this destruction of the powers of death, the inauguration and anticipation of what is yet to come in fullness. As such, the opening Sundays of Advent bring to sharp focus themes that in the lectionary system have been accumulating for some weeks; for as the lectionary year closes, the Gospel readings, in particular, deal with signs of the end.

“…the sacred story, to be understood aright, has to be read backward. Just as the birth and ministry of Jesus are incomprehensible until we know of the Lord’s death and resurrection, so too the whole of the past is muddled unless first we have a grasp on the nature of the future” (Laurence Hull Stookey, Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, pages 121-122).

Embracing and living the season of Advent is a powerful way for the church to be a living witness to Jesus Christ who is the crucified and risen King, Prophet and Priest; the One who came as a helpless infant born to poor peasants of a conquered and oppressed people and the One who is coming as judge and ruler of God’s reign on earth as it is in heaven. Living Advent will help the church to be more than a mirror image of the culture of consumerism and self-indulgence in which it is called to witness and to serve. How can the church “transform the world” when it is, particularly during this season, a reflection of that world?

The Mission Has a Church

“The church doesn’t have a mission. The mission has a church.”

It is very difficult to be a Christ-centered church in a culture that is steeped in consumerism and individualism. It is much easier to fit in and go with the flow. It is much easier to be a “bless me” club that focuses its energy and resources on serving its members. To attract the maximum number of people churches offer attractive programs designed to help members to feel good about themselves and to be successful in life. They offer services such as coffee shops, book stores, sports teams, and others that appeal to member interests. The church that is successful in the market focuses on the customer and strives to keep the customers happy.

It is very difficult to be a Christ-centered church in a consumer culture because its mission is to transform, not fit into and accommodate, the world as it is. When the church becomes a distributor of religious goods and services its focus is in the wrong place. Such churches tend to adjust the gospel of Jesus Christ to match what ever the culture deems to be important. When people come to most North American churches they expect to be served, comforted and blessed. The church, therefore, responds by focusing its energy and resources upon the work needed to serve, comfort and bless more and more people. Leaders expend all their time and energy to find more and more creative ways to attract more and more people to the church. I say the focus in such a church is in the wrong place because it is upon the people in the church itself. God becomes little more than a marketing tool that attracts people to a “bless me club.” This is described by U2 in their song “If God Will Send His Angels”

Jesus never let me down
You know Jesus used to show me the score.
Then they put Jesus in show business
Now it's hard to get in the door

The real mission of the church is doing all in its power to get more people to join and to give so that it can develop more programs to attract more people. In a culture that measures success by numbers and dollars, it is very difficult to be the church of Jesus Christ.

The Christ-centered church is not a “bless me” club. Certainly, the people who come to its worship services and participate in its programs and ministries are helped, comforted and blessed. The key, however, is that is not the focus of its programs and ministries. The church’s focus is on participating in God’s mission in the world. Christ-centered churches understand that they exist for the benefit of Christ and his mission.

“Bless me” club churches are shaped by the General Rule of Pastoral Prudence, “The absolute minimum in obligation in order to keep the maximum number of people.” Christ-centered congregations are shaped by the General Rule of Discipleship: “To witness to Jesus Christ in the world, and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The majority of energy and resources are directed outward, toward the world that God loves and not so much on the church. This is because Christ-centered congregations know that the church is a means to God’s end and not the other way around. The church is a living, breathing flesh and blood organism, Christ body in, with, and for the world. Its members are connected to one another in order to be sent into the world as Christ’s ambassadors who use their spiritual gifts in ways that contribute to the body’s mission in the world.

Christ-centered congregations understand “The church does not have a mission. The Mission has a church.” The mission of the church is to cooperate with, be a channel for, and be a participant in God’s mission in the world. This means the Christ-centered congregation is missional, just as Jesus Christ is missional. The life of a missional church is centered in the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Members are equipped to live lives that are good news to the poor, open the eyes of the blind, and proclaim liberty to prisoners and the oppressed. Christ-centered, missional congregations are sign communities of the reign of God that is among us and is coming. It doesn’t exist to point the world towards itself. Rather it lives to point the way to God and to welcome the world to life in God’s household.

In Memory of Dr. James C. Logan

Dr. James C. Logan was for many years a fixture at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Jim died on Saturday night, October 17. He was 77 years old.

Jim was a gifted teacher, theologian, and scholar. He was generous with his time and energy, especially on behalf of his students. He served as the first E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Wesley. The evangelism chair is now named for him.

Jim was the teacher who introduced me to John and Charles Wesley in a way that changed my life and the trajectory of my career. He made me, and many of my classmates, proud to be Methodists. I am saddened by news of his death.

Eternal God, you have shared with us the life of James Logan.
Before he was ours, he is yours.
For all that James has given us to make us what we are,
for that of him which lives and grows in each of us,
and for his life that in your love will never end,
we give you thanks.
As now we offer James back into your arms,
comfort us in our lonliness,
strengthen us in our weakness,
and give us courage to face the future unafraid.
Draw those of us who remain in this life closer to one another,
make us faithful to serve one another,
and give us to know that peace and joy which is eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Discipleship is Like Riding a Bicycle

This past September I rode my bike in the FedEx ‘Rock-n-Roll’ MS 150 Bike Ride. 430 people rode 74 miles from Graceland in Memphis to Tunica, Mississippi on Saturday. On Sunday morning we rode 76 miles back to Graceland. It was a great event that raised over $410,000 to fight and treat Multiple Sclerosis.

My goal for the Sunday ride was to simply finish. As we set out in the morning I rode alone, trying to maintain a stead speed at around 15 miles per hour. After about ten miles a paceline of about 20 men and women passed me. Near the end of the line one of the guys asked, “Do you want to jump in here?” I said, “Yeah! Thanks.” With that I shifted into a bigger gear and took my place in line.

Riding with that paceline enabled me to increase my speed from 15 mph to 22 mph with relatively little effort. We rode as a group for about 25 miles and broke up when we came to “the wall,” the one big hill climb of the day.

A paceline is a small group of riders riding in single file. They try to stay as close as possible to each other. Each rider tries to keep his or her front wheel inches from the rear wheel of the rider in front of him or her. Each rider takes turns in the lead. Riding this way reduces wind resistance and saves as much as 15% in energy output. A small group of riders in a paceline will go faster with less effort than riding individually.

Riding in a group also means that each rider must communicate clearly with the group. The leader must tell the riders behind him or her when he or she is slowing down by shouting, “Slowing” before applying his or her brakes. The rider behind repeats the warning so that everyone knows what is about to happen. This is done to prevent any rider from touching the slowing rear wheel of the rider in from of him or her with his or her front wheel and causing a both riders to fall.

Paceline riders also warn one another about hazards such as potholes, gravel on the road, railroad tracks, and approaching automobiles. This is done to protect one another from harm and to preserve the integrity of the paceline.

As I reflected on my experience I realized riding in a paceline is a lot like discipleship. The journey of discipleship is best taken with others. It can be done alone, but not very well, and with great difficulty. This is why the congregation promises to surround each member with a community of love and forgiveness.

Christians who travel the journey of discipleship together listen to and watch out for each other. They warn one another about hazards and dangers along the way. They offer encouragement and watch over one another in love. Disciples share a common destination (the reign of God) and do all in their power to help one another get there. Riding in a paceline can teach us a lot about discipleship.

U2 - Evangelists of the Reign of God

I experienced U2 live for the first time on Tuesday night (October 6) with my 15 year old son, Noah. We made the four hour drive from Nashville to Atlanta, arriving at the Georgia Dome about an hour before show time. We had floor tickets so we took up positions very near the outer catwalk of the immense “Space station” stage designed for the 360 Tour. There was a festive spirit in the crowd. Some of which was fueled by the ubiquitous beer vendors.

U2 took the stage after an impressive set by their opening band, the British trio, Muse. Larry Mullen, Jr. walked onto the stage, took his seat behind his drum kit and began to play a driving solo. He was soon joined by Adam Clayton’s bass and the Edge on guitar. Last on the stage was Bono. He walked to his microphone like a boxer ready for a fight. As soon as he grabbed the mike the band broke into an impressive performance of “Breath” from their latest record, “No Line on the Horizon.” This was followed by “Get On Your Boots” and the classics “Mysterious Ways,” “Beautiful Day,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Bono concluded “Beautiful Day” with a stanza of the Lennon & McCartney “Blackbird.”

The stage, which looks like a giant space ship, gives the band the ability to get close to the audience. It offers excellent sight lines and a catwalk that extends out into the audience. Several times during the show all the band members walked around the catwalk and interacted with their fans. Even Larry Mullen was liberated from the drum kit during the performance of a re-mix version of “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.” He walked around playing a handheld drum. I also noticed that the drum kit platform rotated to allow Mullen to occasionally see the fans behind him. Bono, of course, used the entire stage. He was everywhere; running, jumping, singing. At one point he pulled a woman out of the crowd and danced with her.

U2’s set list that covered most of their recording career. They closed the main set with Bono talking about the importance of non-violent resistance to oppression, acknowledging the people of Iran protesting a stolen election. The stage was enveloped in green light while images of the recent struggle in Iran were projected on the huge video display above the band as they played “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.”

Bono then acknowledged that Atlanta was the home town of one of the greatest leaders of non-violent resistance, The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of Dr. King, he sang MLK (from the “Unforgettable Fire” album). Finally, an appeal was made for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese leader who has been under house arrest for over five years. Bono sang “Walk On” while about 50 people walked onto the catwalk holding a mask of Aung San Suu Kyi in front of their faces. This marked the end of the main set.

Immediately before the band came onto the stage for the first encore, an image of Bishop Desmond Tutu’s smiling face appeared on the 360º video screen. He told us that we are all “One” in our common humanity. We are responsible for one another. Tutu joyfully told the crowd of the thousands of lives that have been saved in Africa with the advent of HIV/AIDS drugs and mosquito nets. Many of those children who are alive today will become doctors and scientists and leaders who will solve many of the world’s big problems. Tutu told us that anything is possible when we all work together as “One.” Then the band returned to the stage and played “One,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

U2 played two three-song encores. It was a great show. Noah and I had a wonderful time. It was worth all the effort to get there.

As I reflect upon what happened that night, as I look at the set list, and Bono’s appeals for non-violence and inviting his fans to participate in non-violent resistance of oppression, saving lives and helping to prevent disease, it dawned on me that we had been part of an evangelistic event. Certainly, on the surface the evening was a very good rock concert. But when you look below the surface through the words of the songs, the talk of non-violence and an invitation to participate in the work of saving lives, ending war, and resisting oppression I realized that U2 is a powerful evangelist for the reign of God.

U2’s songs tell stories about faith, doubt, hope, suffering and love. They sing about the world as it is and the world as it will be. At several points in the show Bono segued from one of his songs into a gospel song (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me & Sunday Bloody Sunday - People Get Ready). Near the end of the show, following his performance of “One,” he sang the great gospel hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Many in the crowd joined him. The entire concert was a powerful presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ: the good news of the coming reign of God on earth as it is in heaven. It concluded with an invitation to participate in the work of preparing this planet for the coming reign of God.

Bono tells us that the kingdom of God is breaking out all around us. We can see it if we have eyes to see and hear it if we have ears to listen. It is in the Iranian people protesting a corrupt authoritarian government through non-violent demonstrations. It is in the gentle witness of Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest in Myanmar for the crime of winning an election. It is in the work of countless people distributing life-saving drugs to fight HIV/AIDS and mosquito nets preventing Malaria in Africa.

U2 is proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. They don’t sing love songs about Jesus. While it is clear in the words of many of the songs that Bono has a deeply personal and intimate relationship with Christ, he doesn’t sing about accepting Jesus as a personal savior. On the contrary, his songs are more genuine evangelism because they tell stories that emerge from the gospel Jesus himself preached and lived, the reign of God. The relationship with Jesus comes when people respond to the good news and participate in the way of Jesus, which is the way of self-giving love. People will meet Jesus when they open themselves to their neighbor, especially the neighbor who is poor or sick or oppressed or mourning.

Jesus was the evangelist of the kingdom of God. The kingdom broke out everywhere he went: people were healed, sight was restored, the oppressed were set free, and the dead were raised. Jesus’ life is love incarnate; loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. This love is the good news at the heart of U2’s music and their live performances. It is the character of God and of God’s kingdom.

If evangelism is proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that it is good news to those who hear it, and inviting people to participate in Christ work of preparing this planet for the coming reign of God, then U2 is an evangelist.

U2 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA
October 6, 2009

Main Set:
Breathe
Get On Your Boots
Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day - Blackbird
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Stand By Me
Stuck In A Moment
No Line On The Horizon
Magnificent
Elevation
Until the End of the World
The Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (remix)
Sunday Bloody Sunday - People Get Ready
MLK
Walk On

Encore(s):
One
Amazing Grace
Where the Streets Have No Name
Ultraviolet
With or Without You
Moment of Surrender