http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/ Andy's Blog: A Personal Word en hsmith@trinity-umc.org Copyright 2010 2010-02-23T16:29:05-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_23_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_23_2010/#When:15:29:05Z They were showing reruns of Forrest Gump on TV last week. It is one of my all time favorite movies. It shares the story of a young man who is mentally “challenged,” but whose life in every other way challenges us.  In the movie, Jenny is a young girl who rescues Forrest from the bullies on the school bus. They become life long friends. But as they grow up, it is apparent that Jenny is the one who most needs rescuing. Terrorized by an abusive, alcoholic father, Jenny spends much of her life running. She leaves home in search of love. Through the years, Forrest continues to cross paths with Jenny as she bounces from one relationship to another. She, too, becomes an addict. The only fixed point in her life is Forrest, who continues to believe in her innocence and goodness, and he continues to love. But Jenny continues to run and search. It takes a terminal illness for Jenny to realize that the love she has been searching for was right there waiting for her all the time. It was the love of Forrest who was simple and not very smart, but who knew what love was. They married, and for a few brief months before her death, Jenny finally discovers the peace that only love can bring. The season of Lent is a season of return. It calls us back to the basics of life. The good news of the gospel is so simple that we can miss it: the one constant in life is God’s love for us. We can try to find that core love in lots of other ways, and come up empty.  Yet no matter where we run, how lost we become, His love is there waiting for us when we are ready to return and receive it.  2010-02-23T15:29:05-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_16_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_16_2010/#When:20:24:18Z Just one day is not much in the grand scheme of things. If we live to be 75, we will have lived 27,750 days – one day just like the others for the most part. But there are those single days which stand out, because on that single day something happens which shapes all the days that will follow. Several summers ago, I stood on the beaches of Normandy in France, where 60 plus years ago the allied armies launched their invasion to liberate Europe from the Nazi tyranny. D-Day was perhaps the single most important day in the 20th Century. Within that 24 hour span of time, the course of history shifted towards freedom. The decisive battle was fought and won. As Christians, we have our D-Day – the last day of Jesus’ life among us. Jesus is believed to have lived to the age of 33. The gospels devote most of their attention to just three of those years. And of those three years, the primary focus was on just one day – the day Jesus was crucified. In 2 Corinthians Paul writes, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” At the cross, something happened that forever altered the course of history. On that day, the Gospels declare God acted decisively to bring about redemption; to free us from sin and death. No other event has had more impact on history than what happened on that day.  Our theme for Lent this year is “24 Hours That Changed the World.” During this season, we will walk with Jesus. Sit beside him at the Last Supper. Pray with him in Gethsemane. Follow him to the cross. Deny him and desert him. In that journey, there is the promise that we will be changed.  I invite us all to enter this Lenten season open to what God wants to do in us and through us. Make worship, Bible study, and prayer your top priorities in this season. May these 40 days shape all of the other days of our lives.  2010-02-16T20:24:18-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_8_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_8_2010/#When:18:38:10Z A vital part of our mission at Trinity is to GO in order to serve Christ in the world.  The recent church survey we completed in January, revealed that we are living out this mission. 64% reported that they had participated in an outreach or mission project in the last year! For 20% of you, this is an ongoing, recurring participation. 25% of you participated in last year’s Great Day of Service, 37% worked with the homeless though Birmingham Hospitality Network, and 35% worked with the Church of the Reconciler. A few weeks ago I challenged us to respond to the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Haiti. Thus far, you have given over 1,100 health care kits to be shipped to Haiti by United Methodist Committee on Relief. In addition, $23,500 has been collected for the ongoing recovery in that nation through the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Most of our outreach efforts are local in nature. During Lent we will partner with Council Elementary School in Ensley to work with their students, as well as work on their facilities. Our hope is that this relationship might continue. This summer, there are two opportunities to be a part of an international mission trip. Last year, we helped to purchase land in Zambia to be used to construct a compound for the Methodist Church in that nation. It will also be used as a training center for SIFAT, an Alabama based ministry which teaches appropriate technology in third world nations. Our team will help to construct a wall around the new Methodist center. Another mission team will travel to Bolivia where they will be digging wells, teaching people how to build stoves, and working with children. International mission trips can be life transforming in helping persons move beyond their comfort zones. If you would like to travel with Jesus and our team to Zambia or Bolivia this summer, contact Dave Barnhart.  In Matthew 24, Jesus invites us to join him in his ministry to the least of these. We as a church, take serious that mandate to be a part of what Jesus is doing to heal and redeem the world.  2010-02-08T18:38:10-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_2_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/february_2_2010/#When:18:50:53Z Back in January, we took a survey. We asked you some questions, actually a lot of questions, about how we are doing, what we do well, and what we need to do better. 511 of you responded. Here are some things we learned: • 54% of you are under the age of 45 • The greatest number of you (63%) typically attend the 8:45 AM service • 89% agreed that all of the elements of our worship services (music, prayers, sermons, bulletins, visuals) were good • On improving worship, we had responses like: sing more hymns we know, and sing more new hymns! Most of you could think of no ways in which we need to improve our worship.  • 70% of you attend Sunday School 3-4 times a month • 65% of you were involved in some outreach/mission project last year • 46% of the men have participated in one of our Trinity Men’s events • The main reasons people love Trinity are: 1) worship 2) relationships 3) general sense of vitality 4) small group or Sunday School • 76% have heard of our prayer ministry and 53% use the weekly prayer list • You told us that Trinity excels at children’s ministry, youth ministry, music, missions, preaching, and lay involvement • 86% told us that we do welcoming and hospitality better than other churches • The single most memorable service/events you attended were: A Night in Bethlehem, Christmas Eve Services, Holy Week Services, and Alpha • 63% of you who have children, believe our children’s program needs no improvement! • The perception of Trinity in the wider community is positive, friendly, active and growing • Some “holes” and areas given for improvement: single’s ministry, college ministry, and support groups There are lots of other specific responses and ideas that we are looking at from the survey. Overall, the thing we learned is that most of you feel we are doing well. In this kind of anonymous survey, people have the opportunity to complain, list pet peeves, and get issues off their chest. We received very little of that. You provided us with very useful feedback that we are using to build a stronger Body of Christ.  Thank you for taking the time to tell us how we are doing and what we need to be doing! 2010-02-01T18:50:53-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/january_19_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/january_19_2010/#When:06:27:07Z We have all been moved by the pictures of the recent disaster in Haiti, already the poorest country in our hemisphere. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake which struck that nation last week left tens of thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands homeless.  Among the fatalities were United Methodist missionaries Rev. Clinton Robb, who organized missions volunteers for the church, and Rev. Sam Dixon, head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. They were in Haiti to attend meetings about ongoing mission work to that nation. Both lost their lives when the hotel in which they were meeting collapsed. Jean Arnwine was a member of a 12 person Medical Mission Team from the Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. That church has been sending teams to Haiti since 1976. Arnwine, on her first trip to Haiti, died from injuries sustained during the quake. We mourn the loss of these and the many thousands who died. We also remember that Jesus told us that even as we have done it unto the least of these…we have done to Him. The United Methodist Church is already sending supplies. We will be present in Haiti for many years to come to help with rebuilding. Right now, we are asking these things: • Health Kit Assembly - Health Kits are being sent now. You can assemble these kits or bring items needed for them to the church (There are collection bins around the building). See page 4 for details and a full list of items needed. • Money - We will be working through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in the short term and long term. I am asking and praying that Trinity give at least $30,000 to a special offering for this purpose. You can mark your checks Haiti and mail them or drop them in the offering plate. • Pray - It is hard to even imagine the magnitude of suffering we are witnessing. Let us pray for healing and hope for God’s children in Haiti.  Let us be a part of what God is doing to bring that healing and hope in the midst of disaster. 2010-01-19T06:27:07-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/january_5_2010/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/january_5_2010/#When:05:42:36Z One of the movies we went to see over the holidays was the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey. It offered a new twist on an old story of villains and heroes. It was full of action and special effects and it was lots of fun, if you like this kind of film.  As the movie reached its climax and resolution, with Sherlock getting his man, not all the loose ends were tied up. There was a sub plot, involving yet another bad guy, which was not resolved. As the credits were rolling, I thought to myself – “sequel.” The producer intentionally left part of the story unresolved because he was setting us up for a sequel...another film to take up where the action left off. I am willing to bet that sequel and perhaps more like it are already being written.  2009 has come to an end. No doubt for most of us there were successes and failures, good times and bad times. Hopefully at year’s end, we left much resolved. But, I am also willing to bet that most of us entered the new year with some loose ends that still have to be tied up. There are ongoing issues – things still to be settled. In that sense, 2010 will be a sequel – a continuation of the story and a new chapter.  The Gospel is inherently future oriented. The good news of Jesus is that he offers forgiveness and grace as a way to heal the past and open the door to a new and different future. We Methodists talk about “sanctification” – the ongoing work of God in our lives by which we are conformed to Christ. This is a process. It doesn’t happen all at once. The point is that the story of our lives is still being written by God. There is always a sequel, even at the end! It’s called resurrection. As we enter this new year, I invite you to ask what chapter God is trying to write in your life this year. 2010-01-05T05:42:36-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_14_2009/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_14_2009/#When:18:45:53Z One of my favorite Christmas poems is found in the book Kneeling in Bethlehem by Ann Weems. She writes: In each heart lies a Bethlehem, an inn where we must ultimately answer whether there is room or not. When we are Bethlehem-bound we experience our own Advent in his. When we are Bethlehem-bound we can no longer look the other way conveniently not seeing stars not hearing angel voices. We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily tending our sheep or our kingdoms. This Advent, let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us. In the midst of shopping sprees let’s ponder in our heart the Gift of Gifts. Through the tinsel let’s look for the gold of the Christmas Star. In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos, let’s listen for the brush of angels’ wings. This Advent, let’s go to Bethlehem and find our kneeling places. 2009-12-14T18:45:53-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_8_2009/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_8_2009/#When:13:22:13Z “It’s not your birthday.” That was Mike Slaughter’s Advent message to his con- gregation of 4,500 at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio. He pointed out that although the tradition of gift-giving started out with Saint Nicholas’ gifts to the poor, our tradition has evolved to be primarily about giving gifts to ourselves. We buy gifts for our own family – the very people who are likely to buy gifts for us. As if it were our birthday, instead of the Son of God’s! So he made a simple challenge to his congregation: calculate the amount of money you are spending on gifts to your friends and family...and give that amount to the poor. People who took the challenge seriously said it made them re-evaluate how and why they give at Christmas. Some cut back their spending. Others found themselves to be more generous than they ever expected. Since that challenge, their church raised over three million dollars for refugees from Darfur. Your donation to the Christmas Gift of Joy goes to support Trinity’s second-mile efforts. We support a number of partner agencies as well as our own in-house mission efforts. Because of your generosity in 2009, you have: • fed people at Church of the Reconciler 5 days out of the week • provided education, shelter, and resources to young mothers through Babies First • kept premature babies warm with clothes made through Baby Love • sheltered and fed people through the Firehouse Shelter • provided health care through the clinic at M-Power • supported Camp Sumatanga • supported Camp Wesley in Latvia All of this is due to your generosity and the second-mile giving you have done at Christmas and Easter. Yet, part of the reason we give is not because of the good we do. It’s because we have an urge to give, an urge given to us by our Creator. So this year as you make your budget and do your shopping, remember: “it’s not your birthday!” 2009-12-09T13:22:13-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_1_2009/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/december_1_2009/#When:16:55:09Z For some folks, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year.  Decorations, festive parties, food, presents – what’s not to love about it? But instead of “Happy Holidays,” for many, the experience is one of “Harried Holidays.” The holidays are one of the most taxing and tense times of the year. There are many things that cause stress during the holidays. Here are just a few: 1) Finances – especially in the current economic decline, the added expenses of the season can bring added stress. 2) Painful memories – the loss of a spouse, a parent, or a child is felt in a keen way during this season. 3) Too many activities – on top of taking care of everyday activities and chores, we find ourselves taking on all those extra holiday preparations. 4) Overindulgence – need I say more. 5) Being alone 6) Relationships – tensions in families can intensify during the holidays.  Some hints to handle the stress: 1) Be realistic – the holidays don’t have to be perfect. As families grow and change, traditions may need to change also. Be realistic with things like your budget and getting together with families and others. 2) Acknowledge your feelings – if you have suffered a loss, know that it is normal to feel sad. It’s okay to grieve. 3) Stick to a budget – decide how much you can afford to spend and stick with it. 4) Learn to say no – you don’t have to do it all. Saying yes, when you should say no, can leave you feeling resentful. 5) Keep healthy habits – keep to your exercise and sleep routine, and watch what you eat.  6) Take a breather – plan ahead for your activities and plan some time to be by yourself to clear your mind and focus.  7) Reach out – if you are feeling alone, seek out others by volunteering or attending social events.  8) Remember the reason for the season – one church I am familiar with follows the theme “It’s Not Your Birthday.” For Christians, this should be more of a Holy Day than a Holiday. Keep focused on keeping Christ at the center and allow that to guide you through your decisions and preparations.  2009-12-01T16:55:09-06:00 http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/november_24_2009/ http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/news/andys_blog/november_24_2009/#When:17:04:05Z Last week, best selling author Donald Miller was at Trinity talking about his new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. This book came about after Miller was offered a movie deal based on his best selling book Blue Like Jazz. In the process of working with a film writer/producer, Miller discovered that his life was rather boring, which in turn led him to ask, “what makes up a good story?” For film makers, there are three elements to a good story: 1) There is a character who wants something intensely. 2) There is conflict – those things that stand in the way of the character getting what he/she wants. 3) There is the “save the cat” scene where the character does something good and noble, like saving a cat. This leads to the resolution, where the story comes to an ending.  Donald Miller then asked us to apply this model to our own lives. What kind of story are we writing? What makes for a good story? He writes, “If you aren’t telling a good story, nobody thinks you died too soon; they just think you died.” Maybe it’s just coincidence, but our Advent sermon series this year will focus on Christmas movies. There is something about this season which draws movie makers to tell a story.  The cynical side of me says it’s because they know they can make money doing so. But the other side of me says that there is something about the Christmas story itself which excites and invites the imagination.  As Christians, we have a story, a great story, which has all of the elements about which Miller writes. It’s the story about God’s great desire to love us, our rebellion against that love, and God’s movement to save us. It is through the lens of this story that we interpret all other stories. Each Sunday in Advent, join us in worship – both traditional and Contact – as we look at the Christmas story through movies. 2009-11-25T17:04:05-06:00