Highs and Lows

It’s been an interesting week for me with the high of meeting our new Bishop and being excited about her leadership to the remembering of 9-11 on Wednesday. I think the people of Oklahoma will love our cowboy boot wearing Bishop with her honesty and quick wit. On the other end of the spectrum, I sat at my desk weeping as I listened to a Rabbi chanting the last phone messages from different people on that dark and terrible day in September. That recording of the chanting Rabbi was made 10 years ago and yet the words that he wrote and the messages that were conveyed still evoke a world of feeling and apply to the mess we have made of things. If you would be willing to remember in this way, you can go here. I can’t help thinking about how we have a whole generation of people who do not remember that day that forever changed us all.

Yesterday I was blessed to attend the 111Project Care Portal Day with Kay Leslie. We were informed that once again, Faith UMC, is number one in responding to needs in the state of Oklahoma. What I love about this is that I don’t have to beg you as a congregation to take on these most vulnerable children and their families because you already step up and value them. You respond to these needs with generosity, love and compassion. I give thanks for Kay Leslie and the way that she keeps this ministry in the forefront of our minds. If you would like to join our Care Portal Team as a responder, please email Kay through the church directory. In the midst of joy that we respond so well, we heard testimonies from people who grew up in foster care or adopted children and it was heart breaking to think about these situations. Oklahoma still has around 5,800 children who need placement in foster homes or to be adopted. We dream of a day when their will be more families ready to help then there are children in need.

This week we will move to Micah and this prophet from a small town outside of Jerusalem. He calls out to the leaders in both the political sphere and the religious sphere and rebukes them for the injustices that have befallen the regular people. Micah vacillates between condemnation and hope, war and the promise of peace and a call to a better way. Many of you are familiar with the most popular scriptures that have been pulled out of the book but rarely have you studied the overall context and message. I am looking forward to sharing with you all I have learned. I hope you will join us as we unpack Micah for the next three weeks.

I love you and God loves you,