June Newsletter

Dear Friends,

                When summer comes, there’s a natural tendency to slow down & think about ways to vacation & enjoy life.  They don’t call them the lazy days without good cause!  It’s something that we need to rest, rejuvenate, & re-energize.  There’s a reason why Sabbath is one of the commandments!  We should take this seriously to reconnect with the God who calls to us.  It’s in those moments of rest that we hear that still, small voice whisper to the deepest passions of our hearts. 

                In the midst of the rest that naturally happens this summer, we are also taking intentional time & opportunities to dream God’s dream for our church & especially our children & youth programs.  Throughout this summer there will be both formal & informal conversations to continue to strengthen & develop the programs that we currently offer for our children & youth and also to create & develop new programs. 

                I’ve heard some of the dreams that you have whispered in conversations at Panera or at Taste of Faith…I’ve felt the excitement of the successes that we’ve seen in our children & youth programs this past year.  I know that you have been sharing with one another too!  It is exciting & encouraging to hear from people who know that young people aren’t only the future of the church, but very much the present. 

                Please continue to pray for these programs both new & existing…When you pray, please pray for the young people who have been a part of our life as a Faith Family and for those who are still on their way.  Please pray for all of those who have been serving as a part of these programs and pray for what you may hear as your role in serving.  Please pray that we all continue to dream God’s dreams for the young people in our community.  And when you hear those whispers from that still, small voice, pray for the courage to share & follow that deep calling that God has shared with you!

                I’d love to hear your dreams during my office hours at Panera (on LaGrange, next to Borders) on Tuesdays from 5-7pm or any time that you’d like to share them!  Please look for announcements about meetings and conversations around children & youth ministry in the coming weeks!

                Personally, I’d like to thank you all for your words of congratulations & encouragement in the announcement of my ordination.  The ordination service is held during Annual Conference at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL on June 10^th beginning at 7:30pm.  I do invite all who are able to join this service!  For those who are able to attend, I look forward to seeing & celebrating with you there and for those who are unable, we will celebrate after worship on June 12^th!  

Paneradventure with Travis

Me: Travis, do you want one of my cards?
Travis: Isn't your card the Bible?

Family Paneradventure

Stacey Haight: "My Masters means that I can teach people to read...What does yours do?"
Travis Haight: "I think it means she can give you eternal life."
Matt: "Yeah, we should talk about that because I have some questions..."

What do you feel?

I came home from youth group last night with the intention to watch some trash TV and head to bed...I was anxious to see the showdown between Nene Leaks & Star Jones on Celebrity Apprentice...As the show unfolded, I was kind of glad to see someone stand up to Star Jones (like I know her...), but I was highly uncomfortable with the physical tone the confrontation took...I thought Star Jones looked terrified & I wondered if Nene & Star were alone, if there wouldn't have been some fists flying...

So, I'm watching & Facebooking at the same (like you don't...) and started to see posts about the President making a speech....So, I did what everyone else did-- I went to Twitter & started to see the posts announcing the death of Osama bin Laden.  As I had CNN on in the background, I began to hear their reports-- first in sketchy details, no one wanting to say anything for sure, but soon it was put on the screen and all we were waiting for was the speech from the President.

In that half an hour or more of waiting, I went through many thoughts...I have to admit that for a brief moment, I thought..."Good, now maybe we can find normalcy again."  Which is silly-- we've found a new normal...and besides, what is normal anyway?  I was transported to my dorm room in college where I first saw the planes hit the towers...And I remember the fear that rocked the country and the world that day...I remember the inner struggles that I had with anger, grief, fear, and even a sense of humility.  As many will say, I will never forget where I was or what I was doing.  I remember in the days following the attacks and the releasing of information finding it so comforting when professors cancelled classes as usual & opened opportunities to reflect, reject, share, and be...

And of course all of the acts that would follow-- the bombs released, the declarations of war, the increased security measures, the color system...This is what became the new normal.  I think about this when I talk especially with younger folks-- children/tweens/teens...For them, this is normal-- some are too young to remember or know what happened on September 11th, much the same way that I don't remember when Kennedy was shot or WWII....we live in the next day-- we live in what has become the new normal.

And even in that brief instance of feeling some kind of relief, although I'm not sure that's what it was...My first instinct was to pray for peace.  St Francis of Assisi's words "Make me an instrument of your peace..." where the first words to flood my mind as I listened, watched, & tweeted with tears in my eyes.  Honestly, I still don't know what kind of tears they were...

And then came the responses-- some people overjoyed, some celebrating, some reflective, and some angry...There were of course the jokes that broke the tension of requesting death certificates & even chuckles that this announcement cut into Celebrity Apprentice...And I was frozen by many of the responses...It seemed that I all I could do was Re-Tweet beautiful words that I was seeing or like statuses that seemed to reflect what I was thinking...

And after the speech when CNN cut to the crowd gathered outside of the White House singing We Are the Champions...I was appalled....I couldn't believe what I was seeing & hearing....I thought that I was seeing some of the video from times when other countries were celebrating in a demise of the United States or another enemy country...I couldn't bring myself to believe that this was happening in my home.  And at the same time I wasn't surprised at all...And it broke my heart to realize that.

There have been many eloquent posts made about this...Some quoting Scripture brilliantly...Some quoting Scripture in awkward or harmful ways...Some reminding of our need to pray and not celebrate the death of another human being...And others acknowledging how gray this issue is.  And I don't know that I have anything to add other than my own story & my own acknowledgement of what I feel...

Which is a deep, profound sadness...It's an anger, but I'm not sure at who, particularly...Perhaps just the broken world in which we live....I suppose in some ways there is a fear of what will come next...And it is a prayer for peace (is that a feeling?)...It's an odd feeling...

But most of all, when I woke up this morning, I wondered if today would be different...I wondered what normal will now feel like...And I have to admit, I didn't watch The Today Show every moment, but what I did was covering the stories of the Royal Wedding & celebrity interviews....And I felt lost...How can we go back to a sense of what normal was before last night?  This is not the new normal-- it feels like a denial of the new normal...But, what is the new normal?

I don't want to live in a world of more fear...I don't want to live in a world with more anger....I don't want to live in a world with more sadness....But, then again, who does?

I don't want to live in a black & white world....even though there are times that would be nice...

But I do want to live in a world that treats every human being as an individual of sacred worth...A world that strives for peace...A world that seeks to love their neighbor as themselves...A world that puts justice above revenge...A world that loves...A world that in so many ways is the Kingdom of God fully realized...



And I'm grateful for grace for those times when I fall short & rely on fear, anger, and revenge...

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled as to console;
To  be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying we are born to Eternal Life.  Amen."

May Newsletter

Dear Friends,

                I remember when I was in school that after Easter, time seemed to go forever…Because there really wasn’t too much more time before it was summer break!  But getting there seemed to drag…..I’m not sure how teachers & professors felt, because no matter what the grade level, classes started to get just a little bit squirrelly.  Call it Spring Fever, Senioritis, Cabin Fever or whatever the days leading up to the final bell or the last paper are on everyone’s mind. 

                Many of our students are in this mode—whether preparing for summer or graduation or even summer jobs.  Especially as our college students come home, think about the ways that you can support them: celebrate their accomplishments, hear their stories, or listen to their questions about changing majors or thinking about what they want to do with the rest of their lives.  Take them out for coffee, ice cream, or even a home cooked meal (it’s probably been awhile!).  While you’re building this relationship, talk about ways that you can be supportive when they go back to school too (even though that’s the last thing on any students’ mind!).

                If you know a young adult who might be looking for a church or have questions about faith, I’d love to talk with them.  I hold office hours at Panera (on LaGrange, next to Borders) every Tuesday from 5-7pm or I’d love to meet them for lunch or dinner at a place of their choice.  If you’re a young adult currently in the church, know that I’ll be calling, emailing or facebooking you soon to set up one these conversations!  Nothing more than getting to know you better and seeing what more we can be doing to be in ministry with young people. 

                Not a young person, but passionate about helping young people explore their faith?  I’d love to talk with you too!  Let’s set up a time for lunch or coffee to chat and dream!

                Even though summer is just around the corner, it doesn’t mean break time for the Church.  We’ve got so much happening this summer with Vacation Bible School, Mission Trip to Nashville, Small Groups, Gathering for our new service beginning in the fall…There’s no time for Spring Fever!  No matter what activities that we have happening, we don’t do them just to keep busy.  We do these things to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  With each event or program that we plan, host, or develop, it’s not with our own needs in mind, but it’s keeping in mind those who are not yet here.  Those who need to hear a message of love & grace…Those who need to know that someone cares enough to listen to their frustrations…Those who need to know it’s okay to ask questions of faith without being judged…Those who need to know that the church isn’t a scary place….Those that need to find a home & family of Faith in the same way that you have found. 

                This is all so very exciting!  Thank you so much for all the support & dedication that you’ve given to the ministries of Faith United Methodist Church.  It is only with the support of the people that we are able to be the church that God calls us to be.