Category Archives: eBrethren

eBrethren

Coming home

Posted on by
Reply
“The conversations and worship connect everyone on a meaningful level.” Photos by Kelsey Murray

“The conversations and worship connect everyone on a meaningful level.”
Photos by Kelsey Murray

by Rachel Witkovsky

What is YAC, and why can’t young adults of the Church of the Brethren stop talking about it?

“I love YAC,” said Eric Landram with a twinkle in his eye. “At first, you think it’s a conference celebrating the animal. But you quickly learn that it’s actually a worshipful weekend with fellow young adults in the Church of the Brethren.”

This year’s Young Adult Conference is May 23-25 at Camp Brethren Woods in Keezletown, Va. The theme is “Coming Home: For I know the plans I have for you,” which comes from Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Eric Landram, Bethany Clark, and Jessica Strawderman have been busy planning worship, and Heather Houff Landram and Laura Whitman are preparing for YAC with other members of the Young Adult Steering Committee. When asked why they love YAC, Heather said that she enjoys “seeing young adults use their gifts and talents to glorify God.” Laura added that it’s “a bunch of great Brethren people all in one place, talking about things that matter.”

Bryan Hanger, Brethren Volunteer Service worker, shared that “YAC is great because you get to meet and share with other young folks who care deeply about their faith and want to find creative ways to live it out. The time together is short, but the conversations and worship connect everyone on a meaningful level.”

In addition to the “wonderful fellowship, meaningful worship services, singing, and insightful workshops,” Tim Stauffer of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren, said that, “carpooling makes a great road trip and adds to the experience as a whole.” Jacob Crouse, member of the 2013 Youth Peace Travel Team, took Tim’s advice and hitched a ride with him on the way home last year.“When I needed inspiration, time to learn, socialize, and worship with my peers, and just a Brethren-ly fantastic break from routine,” Jacob said, “I found it at YAC.”

Register for YAC at www.brethren.org/yac . Rachel Witkovsky is director of Young Adult Ministries for Palmyra (Pa.) Church of the Brethren.

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Break through

Posted on by
Reply
Combination-500w

“Thanks to his perseverance, there are no more barriers between us and God’s love.” Photos by Mandy Garcia and Brethren Volunteer Service

by Matt DeBall

A few weeks ago, a spring cardinal moved into a courtyard at the General Offices. I know this because she immediately started flying into a window outside my office. For more than a week she persisted, knocking on the glass over and over again.

Our winged visitor reminded me of others who found themselves stuck on the outside of a calling. Joseph had a dream of being blessed by God, but repeatedly experienced injustice. Moses saw God’s vision for Israel, but received repeated “NOs” from Pharaoh and insults from his own people. Esther had a fervent hope that her people would be saved, but faced ridicule and death.

As Easter approaches, we remember that even Jesus had to break through walls as he faced an oppressive government and corrupt religious leaders. Yet he persisted, giving all of himself to display the power of God’s kingdom. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus broke down the walls of captivity, injustice, and religious arrogance. Filled with heavenly power, Jesus broke through walls of separation and made God’s kingdom accessible to all. Thanks to his perseverance, there are no more barriers between us and God’s love.

It might be a stretch to compare biblical heroes to the stubborn cardinal in the courtyard, but I can’t help but be inspired by the consistency they seem to share. The people around Joseph, Moses, Esther, and Jesus must have thought they were chasing impossible dreams. But their diligence and tireless faith can remind us to stay the course, even when it feels hopeless; to focus on God’s kingdom despite the pain, selfishness, and destruction in our world.

Through our service and speech, we can help to usher in God’s transforming peace, love, and mercy. Sometimes it may feel like we’re hitting our head against the same wall over and over again, but we must not give up. We must keep knocking, because through Christ all things are possible. Through the power of the Spirit, we will find a way. Through the grace of God, we will surely break through.

Matt DeBall is a member of the Donor Communications team for the Church of the Brethren. He can be reached with questions about special offerings, eBrethren, the Stewardship Lending Library, and personal financial resources at mdeball@brethren.org .

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Respond

Posted on by
Reply
“God calls us to follow Jesus’ example and be fearless in our living, our giving, and our service.” Photo by Mike Lantzy

“God calls us to follow Jesus’ example and be fearless in our living,
our giving, and our service.”
Photo by Mike Lantzy

Adapted from “God’s First Responders” by Michelle Cobb.

Every day our attention is grabbed by news stories of public servants who respond to emergencies. They are known by their well-recognized garb: hats, boots, and coats that identify these persons as first responders in times of great need.

In the local church community, we also have the opportunity to be first responders—of a different kind.

God’s generosity was revealed when God gave the world Jesus Christ, who expressed the ultimate depth of God’s generosity. In turn, God calls us to follow Jesus’ example and be fearless in our living, our giving, and our service.

The local church community is a perfect place for cultivating an attitude and practice of generosity. It is the place where we are taught what it means to be stewards of all that we have, and how to offer the time, spiritual gifts, skills, and finances with which we have been entrusted.

When the soil of the heart is fully responsive to the message of God’s generosity, the result is abundant, fearless living (Mark 4:8). Fearless disciples who live their lives with this belief create fearless and generous congregations.

God also works through us to reveal God’s generosity to others. Paul reminds us that we “cannot begin to think or imagine” how this God in whom we trust will work through us and through the church to accomplish God’s will in the world (Eph. 3:20). So let us live, give, and serve fearlessly as God’s first responders. May we be easily recognized as carriers of God’s grace-filled generosity in a hurting world.

Michelle Cobb is a district superintendent for the United Methodist Church. This story was published in full in the most recent edition ofGiving magazine, a timeless resource produced by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center and distributed by the Church of the Brethren. Order complimentary copies of past issues at www.brethren.org/givingmag , and watch your church mailbox for the 2014 edition, coming in April!

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Learning

Posted on by
Reply
Photos courtesy of Chris and Jenna Horgan

Photos courtesy of Chris and Jenna Horgan

by Jenna Horgan

When I walk out of the school on Friday I feel a little bit like a rock star. Kids come running to say goodbye. “Jenna! Adios! See you Monday for music class!” I can’t leave without a giant hug from every child, and groups of first and second graders watch me walk down the street until I’m out of sight.

My husband Chris and I teach music education to over 300 children at our Brethren Volunteer Service placement in Suchitoto, El Salvador. Kids here don’t know many songs (singing is more for churches than children), so we give them the opportunity to sing, play instruments, and learn about music from different cultures.

I also regularly visit La Mora, a rural community where I teach music to another group of 75 school age children.

When I first started working in La Mora, I was uneasy about what I should do during the students’ 45-minute recess. I felt that I should work, or prepare for class—the American way. But then came little Michelle, with her pigtails and her big brown eyes. Every time I came to La Mora, she would bound into my classroom and say, “Let’s play!” I’d tell her I was working but she wouldn’t have it. “No, let’s play!”

I have never felt so loved and appreciated. The children here are so fascinated by me; they want to sit by me (all of them) and stare and ask what my favorite color is….

But sometimes I feel guilty. Receiving so much love and attention can be uncomfortable and overwhelming. Why me? Why am I so special? I don’t deserve their love.

Fortunately, these little ones are patient with me as I learn. I’m not there yet, but I have made progress. Now, when Michelle invites me to join her at recess, I accept. I talk with her and the other kids and their teachers, and though my Spanish is still not perfect, it is good to be with them. They are teaching me to not take myself so seriously. They are teaching me to rest. They are teaching me to play. They are teaching me to accept the love that I receive, and to give it back with all my heart.

Jenna Horgan is a Brethren Volunteer Service worker in El Salvador. Visit www.brethren.org/bvs to learn more and support this important core ministry of the Church of the Brethren.

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

True treasure

Posted on by
Reply
"They rejoiced in what came alive in them as they worshiped in this place." Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

“They rejoiced in what came alive in them as they worshiped in this place.”
Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

by Duane Grady

“Therefore every scribe of heaven is like the master of the household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old”
(Matthew 13:52).

Jesus discourages us from thinking of heaven and its joys as a thing to be obtained. Instead, Jesus points to what heaven is like rather than what it is. If we reduce Jesus’ teachings to a pearl or a field or a net full of fish we will despair, because the chase is over, the celebration has ended. True treasure eludes us; there is always more to discover.

The newly married couple was looking for a church in the town where they had just moved. The town provided numerous options, and they were surprised by how drawn they were to a small congregation—a church that had none of the bells and whistles their college church had provided. There was something illogical yet so right in their attraction to this church. They hungered to know more.

By worshiping there the couple discovered people who blessed them with holy conversations. Their hearts were warmed by the love that embraced them, and their minds were guided by the Holy Spirit to consider new treasures of biblical wisdom. This place looked timid and shabby at first, but now felt strong and vibrant. It was hard for them to explain, but they rejoiced in what came alive in them as they worshiped in this place. They saw the face of Jesus in the ministry that surrounded them. Soon, they began contributing themselves by sharing their ideas and enthusiasm. For the very first time, they gave without worry and received a hundred blessings.

It was like finding the best Christmas gift still under the tree. After opening it once, they realized the gift kept on giving and surprising them along the way. The joy of discovering it sustained them.

This excerpt is from this year’s Lenten devotional Real Rest produced by Brethren Press. Order it at www.brethrenpress.com today.

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Not alone

Posted on by
Reply
"Being together is reason enough to be together." Photos by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

“Being together is reason enough to be together.”
Photos by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

By Dana Cassell

Being a pastor is a lonely gig. Just ask your own pastor, if you dare. It’s a big job to be present for so many people’s every spiritual and emotional need, and at the same time, be unable to share openly with them about your own.

So it was refreshing to gather with 43 others at last month’s Church of the Brethren Clergy Women’s Retreat. We laughed, prayed, played in the Pacific, and thought intentionally about friendship, fellowship… and the lack thereof.

But pastors aren’t alone in loneliness. Melissa Wiginton guided our conversation about togetherness, and she shared a study by UCLA that says 30 percent of Americans self-identify as lonely at any given moment. Even more striking? Three out of every five American adults over the age of 45 feel consistently lonely.

What does this mean for ministry, for the church, for our own discipleship?

A couple of things. First, as I watch my own congregation delight in simple fellowship—sharing a meal, or conversation after worship—I am convinced that the church’s mission is, at base, to provide space and invitation for people to enter into deep, Christ-centered relationship.

And second, I’m struck by how restorative it was to spend time with other clergy women. The opportunity to simply be with others who are also out there, doing this lonely, beautiful work of ministry was a blessing.

Part of the gift of our Brethren tradition is the assumption that being together is reason enough to be together. This is a gift that we can share, a ministry in itself.

So next time you go to church, take a minute to thank your pastor or another leader in your congregation. And then take a step further and bring that blessing to the streets. Sometimes all it takes is eye contact and a smile for the cashier across the counter, or a classmate in the hall, to feel less alone. Imagine the blessing that a church on this kind of mission could be to a culture so filled with lonely people.

Dana Cassell is minister for Youth Formation at Manassas Church of the Brethren in Virginia. She was one of several participants in the Clergy Women’s Retreat last month, which was sponsored by the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Ministry. To support this and other uplifting denominational ministries, visit www.brethren.org/give .

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Blessings

Posted on by
Reply
Photos by Kendra Johnson, Katie Cummings, and Ron Lubungo.

Photos by Kendra Johnson, Katie Cummings, and Ron Lubungo.

An excerpt from a sermon by Christy Waltersdorff, based on Matthew 5:1-12.

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God.”

Somewhere along the way I started signing letters with the word, “Blessings.” It is a meaningful word that wishes all good things to whomever I am writing. It has the fragrance of grace—that promise of a gift undeserved.

In Matthew’s Gospel we find a list of blessings in the Sermon on the Mount. But more than that, we find a call for action, a teaching that is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, radical, subversive—just like Jesus, himself. It is not concerned with what is practical or possible, but calls us to turn the values of the world upside down.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

Matthew helps us to see that we can believe these impossible things because of what we know about Jesus and the God who sent him. God blesses us and asks us to bless others.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.”

One of my Sunday school teachers used to say that the best way to think of the Beatitudes is as “be-attitudes.” They are ways of being—nine blessings that speak the language of grace, proclaiming truth that is the opposite of truth as the world knows it.

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family” (The Message).

In his hilltop sermon Jesus addressed those who were, right then, dealing with difficult and painful realities. “Blessed are you who are poor in spirit, at this very moment, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.” Not after you die, not two hundred years from now, but right now.

That promise remains true today. God is with you no matter what happens. You are blessed right now, and you are never alone. God is a God who cares about the meek, the mourners, the peacemakers, those who suffer.

And even as they assure us, the Beatitudes call us to live as the people God created us to be, right here and right now. They encourage us to bless each other as we have been blessed by God, as an act of grace. A blessing is a prayer. It is a gift from God. Blessed are you… Amen.

Christy Waltersdorff is pastor of the York Center Church of the Brethren in Lombard, Ill., and a worship coordinator for National Youth Conference. For suggestions of ways to bless others, visit www.brethren.org/volunteer, www.brethren.org/pray , and www.brethren.org/give .

(Read this issue of eBrethren)

eBrethren

Sacred start

Posted on by
Reply
Photos by Wendy McFadden and Bethany Clark.

Photos by Wendy McFadden and Bethany Clark.

By Mandy Garcia

The doctors removed a small bone in the ball of my foot two weeks before Christmas. It was a scheduled, outpatient surgery, but knowing it was coming didn’t make the recovery any less frustrating. Being stuck at home for several weeks put an abrupt halt on my normal schedule and to-do list.

But a few days before the celebration of Christ’s birth, I finally realized that I had been given the Christmas gift I’ve always said I wanted: time to simply sit and savor the season.

It’s probably sad that I finally got my wish because I had no choice, but the fact remains that it was a very special time. I stayed still. I stared at the star on top of our tree and considered God’s leading. I wrapped myself in crocheted blankets and gave thanks for warmth. I watched my neighborhood get tucked in under a thick, white blanket, and praised God for forgiveness that covers sins with mercies white as snow. It was an “in between” time, a sacred space.

In a similar way, January can be an “in between” time for all of us—Church of the Brethren denominational ministries included. We wrap up the loose ends of the past year and get ready to dive into all the exciting things coming up in the new one. National Youth Conference coordinators and the workcamp team stay late at the office for their long awaited registration kick-offs. The Annual Conference office assembles necessities for their site visit in Columbus. And church planters (who seem to have a gift for “in-between” time) get their things in order before the Church Planting Conference in May.

This time before the gears get really moving can feel a little like being stuck at home with a broken foot. But if we frame it right, if we focus on the many wonderful things on the horizon, it takes on a feeling of holy preparation. Like the quiet calm of Christmas, this time can be a gift, sacred space, full of thanks and praise.

As we prepare to dive into this New Year, may we spend our “in between” time watching carefully for God’s leading, full of gratitude, and freely giving as God has so freely given to us.

For a list of ways that you can get involved in Church of the Brethren ministries in 2014, visitwww.brethren.org/events ,www.brethren.org/volunteer , andwww.brethren.org/give .

(Read this issue of eBrethren)