Okay so this really hits today. Common threads really occurred this weekend because as you know, I am a former Methodist. Welp, thankfully my Fb experiences have been majorly good getting in touch with so many in my former youth group at Chapelwood UMC in Houston. AND as you know, the UMC and Methodists are majorly splitting up because of the gender and sexuality issues just like ELCA has done. Welp, my old church hosted one of their prominent leaders named Rev. Adam Hamilton from KC and he went there preaching and also hosting the forum about moving forward with the UMC acceptance. My youth group friends have many different opinions and leanings in their faith (the whole spectrum aamf) and several I grew up with still remain at this same church and have various leadership roles. This is where Common Thread really popped up. Many that I know went back to Chapelwood to hear him, even my old flame who was the pastor at Faith UMC until he retired recently. Several I know who totally dropped out of the faith went too and one of my best friends and Aggie roommates attended online. The Common Thread worked! And it worked well....in fact, so many of them said their ability to grasp the issue and then embrace it probably worked so much better because our diverse group was all together to do it (ha ha....just like the old youth group MYF days). I did not attend because I'm a Lutheran....but I did pray and hoped that many would be open enough to understand...I even offered to give some of our ELCA experiences and understandings. Of course, I missed them all and it would have been so heartwarming to see them in person....but it wasn't my place. They did message me back and say they appreciated my Lutheran input....AND when this was done....that we should all get together and discuss this brave new challenge in the life of God's world. So...I think there will be discussions...and fellowship and reunion long overdue...between faiths and our lives...even hopefully joy and laughter, because we were about the silliest youth group you would never want to lead back in the 70's. Thanks for reading....in fact the Common Thread makes out like a bandit as the Holy Spirit. Love ya, pam
I love your verve, Pam. You have a big heart and an incredible mind. And a champion for the grace of God. Lately, as I have witnessed the discourse in the churches, I wish we could shift the focus of the conversation to have a deep dive on what it means for the Christian community to be hospitable. Hospitality is one of the halmarks of Jesus' actions and teaching. Hospitality needs a refreshed definition for our current time. We could start with what it means to be hospitable at the Lord's Table. Are we doing anything that is driving people away from that table? Anything making people feel unwelcome? Probably. We are working at getting better at it because it is important. The struggle of that conversation can inform our other hot topic issues right now, but help us start with a common thread. Thanks for your thoughts, Pam. You are amazing.
Well thanks, but as an observer of my former youth group tribe....I was gobsmacked. I did have words online with the former "hunkster" of the bunch who is also a Methodist pastor...who also is totally against the acceptance...it was almost like he was sabotaging things, but he did not upset the meeting, so he and I discussed and discussed and then I called his struggle similar to being a Missouri Synod pastor...which he took stoically. Like any "other side" there is truly hurt and he truly is. On the other hand, several of who I call "the little ones" because they were in 7th grade when I was in 10th were totally awesome and challenging. You mentioned the altar and one of the "little ones" (who is now a practicing attorney and CPA) basically saying to the former "hunkster"...."yeah right....say you love them...you just don't want them to have privileges at the altar with the rest of us "straights"....so I left it at that. I take back what I said earlier.....you would have enjoyed this "youth" group. I do ask for one thing: prayers for the Methodist church....they are splitting. It's almost similar to Seminex in the 70's with us, etc. There will be UMC and Global (with Global being the predominant one in Africa that does not condone same sex relationships or leadership). UMC has many in the US....those that are progressive and those traditional. This is the reconciliation and mending they are going through. It's rough, but the UMC seems to be doing a pretty good job of navigating for now. Wow. The Reformation is here, isn't it? Thanks for reading, dear one. Keep you beacon light showing!
Okay so this really hits today. Common threads really occurred this weekend because as you know, I am a former Methodist. Welp, thankfully my Fb experiences have been majorly good getting in touch with so many in my former youth group at Chapelwood UMC in Houston. AND as you know, the UMC and Methodists are majorly splitting up because of the gender and sexuality issues just like ELCA has done. Welp, my old church hosted one of their prominent leaders named Rev. Adam Hamilton from KC and he went there preaching and also hosting the forum about moving forward with the UMC acceptance. My youth group friends have many different opinions and leanings in their faith (the whole spectrum aamf) and several I grew up with still remain at this same church and have various leadership roles. This is where Common Thread really popped up. Many that I know went back to Chapelwood to hear him, even my old flame who was the pastor at Faith UMC until he retired recently. Several I know who totally dropped out of the faith went too and one of my best friends and Aggie roommates attended online. The Common Thread worked! And it worked well....in fact, so many of them said their ability to grasp the issue and then embrace it probably worked so much better because our diverse group was all together to do it (ha ha....just like the old youth group MYF days). I did not attend because I'm a Lutheran....but I did pray and hoped that many would be open enough to understand...I even offered to give some of our ELCA experiences and understandings. Of course, I missed them all and it would have been so heartwarming to see them in person....but it wasn't my place. They did message me back and say they appreciated my Lutheran input....AND when this was done....that we should all get together and discuss this brave new challenge in the life of God's world. So...I think there will be discussions...and fellowship and reunion long overdue...between faiths and our lives...even hopefully joy and laughter, because we were about the silliest youth group you would never want to lead back in the 70's. Thanks for reading....in fact the Common Thread makes out like a bandit as the Holy Spirit. Love ya, pam
I love your verve, Pam. You have a big heart and an incredible mind. And a champion for the grace of God. Lately, as I have witnessed the discourse in the churches, I wish we could shift the focus of the conversation to have a deep dive on what it means for the Christian community to be hospitable. Hospitality is one of the halmarks of Jesus' actions and teaching. Hospitality needs a refreshed definition for our current time. We could start with what it means to be hospitable at the Lord's Table. Are we doing anything that is driving people away from that table? Anything making people feel unwelcome? Probably. We are working at getting better at it because it is important. The struggle of that conversation can inform our other hot topic issues right now, but help us start with a common thread. Thanks for your thoughts, Pam. You are amazing.
Well thanks, but as an observer of my former youth group tribe....I was gobsmacked. I did have words online with the former "hunkster" of the bunch who is also a Methodist pastor...who also is totally against the acceptance...it was almost like he was sabotaging things, but he did not upset the meeting, so he and I discussed and discussed and then I called his struggle similar to being a Missouri Synod pastor...which he took stoically. Like any "other side" there is truly hurt and he truly is. On the other hand, several of who I call "the little ones" because they were in 7th grade when I was in 10th were totally awesome and challenging. You mentioned the altar and one of the "little ones" (who is now a practicing attorney and CPA) basically saying to the former "hunkster"...."yeah right....say you love them...you just don't want them to have privileges at the altar with the rest of us "straights"....so I left it at that. I take back what I said earlier.....you would have enjoyed this "youth" group. I do ask for one thing: prayers for the Methodist church....they are splitting. It's almost similar to Seminex in the 70's with us, etc. There will be UMC and Global (with Global being the predominant one in Africa that does not condone same sex relationships or leadership). UMC has many in the US....those that are progressive and those traditional. This is the reconciliation and mending they are going through. It's rough, but the UMC seems to be doing a pretty good job of navigating for now. Wow. The Reformation is here, isn't it? Thanks for reading, dear one. Keep you beacon light showing!