Would You Know Jesus if He Called You by Name?

Transcription

1 N E W S L E T T E R O F H I L L T O P U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H April 2018 Would You Know Jesus if He Called You by Name? By Marilyn White, Chair of Missions Missions. What we know from our Bible study is that God speaks to us, Jesus calls us to serve, and the Apostle Paul reminds us that we all have talents that can and must be used in serving each other, the community and ultimately God s Kingdom. When I think of the theme for this month s newsletter, I am reminded of reports that our youth bring back from their mission trips. Some sign up knowing they are going to be in service. Others sign up because their friends have; and others sign up because they need a service credit on their college applications. But to a person, they all report back at what a meaningful experience they ve had helping others, getting to know other Christian youth engaged in service. It s as if Jesus walked beside them wherever they were and their hearts were warmed. Do you have a mission project that you are serving? Do you help with Family Promise? The blood drives? UMCOR Saturdays? The Consignment Sales? Serving food at the Rescue Mission? Surely, Jesus is calling you to serve others somehow and to come face-to-face with His children who are struggling, under-served by society, or just need a loving smile. Try one of the many mission opportunities offered and see in which one Jesus is calling you by name and that brings warmth to your heart as you answer the call.

2 Pastor s Musings Familiar in the Unfamiliar 2 Pastor Dennis Shaw Senior Pastor pastor@ hilltopumchurch.org [The Angels ask Mary]: why are you weeping? Woman, [Mary] said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabbouni! (Which means Teacher). John 20: 13b-16 (NRSV) I was in my fifties before much of the significance of this scene started to really lay claim to my soul. Every time I explore the scene again, it grows in power, its meaning sharpens a little more. Easter 2018 finds me preaching from the Gospel of John and the extract above is part of the common reading for the day. I will touch on other elements of the scene, but the centerpiece of the message is how Mary recognizes Jesus through the calling of her name. John in his beautiful writing style is looping back earlier in his Gospel where the Good Shepherd says about his sheep: "The sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out" (John 10:3). The Good Shepherd then adds, "I know my own and my own know me" (John 10:14). Mary is part of his flock, so it should not be surprising that she recognizes the risen Christ when his voice is heard calling her name. Mary is experiencing the familiar, Jesus, in an unfamiliar place, the garden outside the tomb. Because she is a member of Jesus flock, she recognizes Jesus through her called name. For Mary, here in this scene, it was the voice of Jesus calling her by name, making the unfamiliar, familiar. Life is like that, we are able to live and survive in the unfamiliar because of the familiar. Sometimes, for some of us, the familiar is television, the older the better. Remember the television series that started in 1983 and ran till 1992, about a bar in Boston, where everybody knows your name: Cheer s? Our name is a powerful force to take us to familiarity even in a place of unfamiliarity. The familiar is often best understood, experienced, in community. James Baldwin published in 1961 a collection of essays about the black experience in the United States, under the dark title Nobody Knows My Name. Baldwin s title suggests he is haunted by the absence of community, i.e. Nobody. In comparing Baldwin s essays with the Gospel of John with community, one writer suggests: (Continued on page 3) Hilltop Highlights

3 Pastor s Musings (Continued from page 2) When one's name is known and called, one is enfolded in community. When Mary's name was called by the risen Jesus, she was enfolded into the company of heaven, and she recognized the One who now lives directly within and from the life of God. That is goose bump: Jesus is calling Mary into the community of heaven. In her case, it is a community of the faithful who encounter the risen Jesus. At this moment in the John biblical narrative, it is a pretty exclusive community: her. Be not anxious: It doesn t stay that way. Do we understand, when Jesus calls us by name, it is a call to community? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. Are you ready to be interrupted by God? Here s the question: if Jesus calls you by name, would you recognize his voice? Here my Bonhoeffer twist is, would you want to recognize his voice? An industrial size dose of candor would compel many, if not most, to admit we do not truly believe that Jesus will come to us in the garden and call us by name. If Jesus does, we will do everything in our power to pretend we don t recognize the calling voice. For many, if not most, recognizing Jesus voice in the garden would scream out for immediate rejection. Jesus is calling us to disconnect from the preferred familiar, and emerge in a reality so profoundly different, so totally unfamiliar, we cannot imagine it. At least, we cannot imagine it, until Jesus calls us by name. It is important to place ourselves in spaces where we experience and affirm Jesus in our midst. We do this in hearing the body of Christ, broken for you, in the scent of the oil from the candles, in the familiar sound of a favored hymn or anthem that stirs us in places too deep to be named, in the feel of the Bible given to us in love in a confirmation class fifty years ago. Those are the familiars that help us to live in the unfamiliar and are part of how we hear the voice of Jesus calling our very names. The unfamiliar includes the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake, staying overnight for Family Promise, or creating emergency buckets at the United Methodist Committee on Relief here in Salt Lake. Easter comes, and then it comes, and then it comes again. Easter in a familiar rhythm, sound, sights and smells. However, from those familiars, we are called to serve, and that can make the familiar pretty unfamiliar. Are you familiar enough with the voice of Jesus to recognize he calling you by name, and if yes, is he calling you into the unfamiliar? If so, listen. Selah, Pastor Dennis March

4 Children s Ministry By Jason Wilden, Chair of Children s Ministry A small group of children can often be intimidating when they are armed with questions, especially if one thinks they are unsure of the subject. Volunteering to help with Children s Church or Sunday School is not a daunting task and does not require one to be an in-depth bible scholar. The lessons are straight forward and self-guided including questions and answers along the way. It is rare that a question is asked where the answer isn t readily known or covered in the lesson material. A perfectly acceptable answer is I don t know, but we can find out together. There is a team of individuals available to help answer questions, go over lesson material, and provide support when needed. Next time you are wondering about whether to volunteer to help with Sunday School or Children s Church do not be afraid, you are not alone. From the Office Learn More About Hilltop The Evangelism Team will be hosting a Hilltop Orientation on Sunday, April 19 at 6:30 pm in the Upper Room for anyone interested in learning more about the United Methodist Church and the ministries at Hilltop. If you think you d like to become a member of our church, we encourage you to attend. RSVP to sdunlap28@hotmail.com or if you plan to attend the orientation. Women's Bible Study "Anxious for Nothing" - finding calm in a chaotic world - begins Wednesday, April 4 at 9:30 am in the Wesley Room. Based on Philippians, Max Lucado helps us to reframe the way we face our fears, win the war on worry and experience the peace of God. This is a 6 week DVD assisted study. Please join us! Prayer Requests You may request prayers for yourself or a loved one to be lifted up during worship. Look for prayer request cards in the pew racks. Fill one out and hand it to Pastor Dennis or the liturgist during the Passing of the Peace. He will share appropriate prayer requests during the blessings and concerns portion of worship. The prayer requests will be added to the prayer chain on Monday and included in the next Sunday bulletin (unless you mark that you d like it kept private). Birthdays We want to recognize your birthday in the newsletter. Send your birthdays to the office, with or without the year. You may celebrate a birthday by purchasing chancel flowers, and that person will be lifted up. You are also welcome to provide and serve cake at coffee fellowship. 4 Hilltop Highlights

5 Member News Examples Two people affiliated with Hilltop have made the news lately - for good things. First is Shawn Berger, husband of Grace Acosta and father to Bella and Lily. According to Gephardt Daily, Feb 5, (and confirmed by Grace), Shawn was driving past a burning house on and joined with a mail carrier to kick down the backyard fence that allowed two women and a dog to escape. The women told Shawn their landlord was sleeping in the basement. Shawn ran into the building, woke the man, and got him out as firefighters arrived. The house suffered major damage. Second is Isaac Reese, former member of the youth group. Isaac has been very active in living out what he sees as his obligation to engage the world. He was one of the key organizers of the March for Our Lives demonstration on March 24th. Thanks Dear Hilltop Family, Thank you for all your concern, well wishes and prayers during my health issues before and after my surgery. Denny and I have felt your prayers as I have been recovering. Thank you for all your cards and flowers. It is wonderful to be in such a loving Christian family. Blessings to all, Sandy and Denny McCormick Burnison s New Address Thank you to all of our Hilltop friends for your love, prayers, cars, gifts, flowers, and hugs before our moving back to Ohio. You have been our family for the last 24 years and will really be missed. Carol & Pat Burnison s address as of April 12 will be: 5600 Canal Rd., Wooster, OH Office Administration Position with Hilltop Christian School Minimum Qualifications: Knowledge of and experience using personal computers and related software, including QuickBooks, Excel, and Microsoft Word Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, board members, and parents Ability to interact with children in a positive, friendly, and professional manner Excellent writing skills and the demonstrated ability to develop written reports and action plans Demonstrated ability to maintain a variety of complex records General Responsibilities Invoicing customer accounts Recording payments Preparing financial reports Creating and managing yearly budget Maintaining student and employee files.interested parties may send resumes to director.hilltop@gmail.com March

6 Music & Arts Ministry Jesus is Calling Us Are We Listening? By David Fleming, Chair M&A Ministry 6 David Fleming Chair, Music & Arts Ministry Celebrating 23 years of sharing our faith through music! It s that time of year again! I seem to be at Hilltop or doing something related to my Hilltop commitments nearly every day of the week. In addition to the typical four hours on Sunday, there is Gospel Choir rehearsal on Tuesday, Chancel Choir rehearsal on Thursday, various committee and leadership meetings, special events, Gospel Choir performances the list goes on. In truth, I commit a significant amount of volunteer time to Hilltop year-round, but as I have written in this space before, the additional commitment of the Hilltop Gospel Choir season from February through May makes spring my busiest time. I often think fleetingly of taking a season off or retiring from the Gospel Choir, but I never seriously consider those options because the Gospel Choir allows me to see and know Jesus in places and faces that I would never know, were it not for the community and interfaith connections we make with the HGC. I am blessed beyond measure by having been able to make this commitment for the last 13 years in a row. I truly believe that being part of the Hilltop Gospel Choir has served to give me a deeper understanding of how Jesus lives in all of us, regardless of our individual understanding of who He is. I think this understanding is fundamental to being able to recognize Jesus when He calls us by name. As members of the Gospel Choir, we are drawing the circle wide and operating outside our comfort zones. In fact, we are extending our comfort zones. It is important to push our comfort boundaries ever outward because the truth is that Jesus calls us by name every day. He can be seen in those unknown faces we encounter in the community and we must strive to give others the opportunity to see him in us. As Pastor Dennis says during baptisms, there is a piece of God in each of us that is in no one else. We all miss opportunities to recognize that Jesus is present in our lives and as humans we often labor under the delusion that we are self-sufficient. In reality, the gifts that allow us to make our way in the world come from God and we are called to share those gifts generously and use them to build his Kingdom. Ask any Hilltop Gospel Choir member why they choose to be a part of this awesome ministry and most will tell you it has inspired them and changed their lives in ways they never could have imagined. We are Methodists, Catholics, Mormons, Presbyterians, Jews, Non-Denominational Christians, men, women, young and old, living very different lives, but we are brothers and sisters bound together by the Holy Spirit. We are spreading the message of the Gospel and receiving that same blessing from those with whom we are connected by our ministry. We see Jesus in the faces of those who are moved by our music and we are moved by the music of other Gospel choirs. I urge all of you to listen carefully for Jesus calling you by name. He can and will do so in unexpected ways! (Continued on page 7) Hilltop Highlights

7 Music & Arts Ministry (Continued from page 6) Thank you, Hilltop family, for supporting the Hilltop Gospel Choir! Please mark your calendars and plan to attend our home concert at 6:00pm, Sunday May 20 th. You will recognize Jesus calling you by name and you will find it difficult to sit still! Bring a friend or neighbor! Bell Cases Thank You Thank you, congregation, for supporting our efforts to buy four new bell cases. They roll so they are easier to transport and so plushly protect our precious instruments that they are a bit hard to close. That is all good. God bless. Sandy Interfaith Music Festival Date: April 15, 7 p.m. St. Thomas More Catholic Church 3015 E Creek Rd, Sandy Special Guest Choir: Utah Oratorio Society Come listen to Choirs from Sandy and surrounding communities, as we join in praise at our annual Interfaith Music Festival. Enjoy 200 members and 6 different denominational Choirs coming together to share their favorite songs of worship. Join us for this FREE event. Before After Spring Ring On March 10th, the Hallelujah Bells performed with 250 other handbell ringers at the annual Spring Ring. They played in a few mass ring pieces and enjoyed some solos by other choirs. Please join The Hallelujah Bells, Carillon Bells, and Joyful Ringers at Hilltop on Sunday, April 29th for Bell Sunday, a day that we show our appreciation to the congregation for their continued support of all the bell choirs. Andrew Smith; Director, Hallelujah Bells March

8 Missions Chili Cook Off WOW!! $2,400 was raised, all going for the water project in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to all the contestants, eaters, and donors. Thanks to all the contestants, eaters, and donors. Right - Left: 1st place - Leigh Anne Duff; 2nd place - Trawick family; 3rd place - Carma and Colby Ewer Update on Sanctuary/ Refuge Church The Church Council asked me to put together a study group to give further consideration to taking a stance either for, against, or neutral to becoming involved in the Salt Lake Sanctuary Church Movement. We would study how doing this would affect Hilltop, spiritually, physically, and fiscally. Our recommendation would be made to the Church Council for their action. If you are interested - either for or against, this group can use you. Let me know at whitemar@frii.com. This group will be a study in civil discourse. We will hold our first meeting mid-april. If you want to volunteer to help local churches providing refuge/sanctuary to immigrants, contact Sven Haynes, sven.haynes@gmail.com. 8 Report from an Immigrant As you know, we have a number of immigrants in our congregation. I asked them to share their experience in immigrating. I hope to have several to share over the next couple of months. This first one is from Kayla and Ross Waghorn. Kayla is a US citizen and Ross is from Zimbabwe. Their report: The process of immigrating to the USA is difficult, and your chances of being granted residency are heavily dependent on your particular circumstances (such as your economic flexibility, your nationality, and the timing you have to work with). We had many advantages going in to it, making our immigration experience much quicker and easier than it is for most. Kayla s sister is an immigration lawyer, and was able to prepare our application with us. Without her support, we would not have had a clue as to what we should provide to increase our likelihood of success. There were many other factors working in our favor that we would be happy to discuss with you (there is not room to discuss everything here). The process for attaining a green card through marriage is outlined below: 1. The US citizen must petition for their spouse. This involves a form and a fee ($420 at the time we applied). It must be filed in the US, and is usually pending for 3-5 months. Along with that, you must (Continued on page 9) Hilltop Highlights

9 Missions Immigrant (Continued from page 8) submit evidence of your US citizenship and US residence (this was a bit tricky for us, as we were living in Zimbabwe), and proof of your good faith marriage. The final document we submitted for this step was 160 pages long. 2. Consular processing. This is done by the National Visa Center (NVC) and happens after the first petition gets approved. You submit another fee (around $350 at the time we applied), a form with information about the spouse applying for the green card, their biographical documents, criminal background check, and a financial sponsor in the US. This processing takes about 3-5 months. 3. The visa interview. When the consular processing is approved, the interview takes place at the US embassy in the country you are leaving (for us, Zimbabwe.) The embassy sends you an with an interview appointment, and you must drop everything and be there. You must bring original copies of all of the documents previously submitted and a medical examination with a US embassyauthorized doctor (these are very expensive), among other things. Usually, you discuss your marriage and your answers need to be consistent with each other; however, at ours, they did not wish to speak with Kayla, only Ross. date. This will be another intensive and expensive process. Our (the Waghorns) reflections: I suppose our greatest reflection on the experience is that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for someone to immigrate without significant advantages (such as family connections and financial ability). People going through this process - especially those who are desperate to immigrate due to economic, political, or religious hardship - need support, love, understanding, and compassion from those of us with the right to vote and the advantage to help and influence others. This is a very basic summary, and has not touched on most of the issues we had to address in the process. If you are interested to learn more, please feel free to ask us. 4. US citizenship. Ross will be eligible to apply for US citizenship 90 days prior to the 3-year anniversary of his US entry March

10 Youth Message Earlier this week I was helping my 2 year old use the church bathroom when she glanced down at the shoes in the stall next to us and yelled out "Hi Caitlin! How are you?" I thought she was making a wild guess and was surprised when Caitlin responded. Melissa Dolloff Youth Director youth@ Hilltopumchurch.org How did she know? How did she recognize a pair of shoes? As I thought about it, I realized it's probably an easy thing for toddlers to identify from their perspective. Shoes, feet, hands...things they see commonly headed to help them, teach them, and hold them. Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns'!" Would we recognize Jesus? I guess that all depends on how one recognizes Jesus. John 13:35 says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." As Christians we hear a lot about being 'the hands and feet of Jesus' meaning serving others and loving them well. "Part of remembering Jesus' sacrifice should be to open our eyes to those who are hurting...on the cross Jesus took on undeserved torment in total solidarity with all the world's pain. Jesus is overtly on the side of the marginalized and mistreated because he was marginalized and mistreated." -The Culture Translator. April Birthdays Marissa Miller... April 1 Katherine Phillips... April 1 Adele Robison... April 2 Lilly Berger... April 2 Rob Garrison... April 8 Galen Ewer... April 9 Gygi Olsen... April 9 Carol Reed... April 11 Rachel Dunlap... April 12 Shyana Masih... April 12 Beth Olson... April 13 Joan Hendrickson... April 14 Kiersten Anderson... April 14 Ashley Andersen... April 14 Al Rocek... April 16 Nicholas Cantrell... April 18 Jennifer Taylor... April 19 Amelia Slama-Catron... April 19 Nathan Pirwitz... April 19 Mike Montoya... April 20 Andrea Garbrecht... April 22 Matt Gentilcore... April 22 Jennifer Hines... April 25 Jim Simpson... April 26 Bill Strickland... April 27 Bob Bolds... April 27 JoAnne Myers... April 29 Gayle Ewer... April Hilltop Highlights

11 United Methodist Women What is a UMW Circle? Methodism founder John Wesley knew the key to social change would be smallgroup gatherings, and so does United Methodist Women. Just seven years after the Declaration of Independence and a mere three before the signing of the U.S. Constitution, something revolutionary took place in American Christianity. This revolution was quiet, subtle, ordinary even. It happened in 1784, when Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke brought the Methodist class meeting from John Wesley's England to American soil. The idea took off. By 1815, only three decades later, more than 7,000 Methodist class meetings were up and running. Methodism was never intended to exist without class meetings; certainly it was never expected to thrive without them. Author John Wigger called these smallgroup gatherings the "sinews of Methodism." John Wesley created- even invented we might say - the weekly class meeting to be the indispensable building block of the Methodist movement. The heart of the class meeting is one of the reasons the United Methodist Women feel it is important to have Circle Groups. groups of women that meet to pray, educate themselves on church and community concerns, study the Bible and just enjoy one another. ALL WOMEN are invited ALL THE TIME to attend a Circle group at Hilltop. We currently have two active circle, The Priscilla Circle and The Ada Circle. The Priscilla Circle was originally set-up as an evening circle to cater to working women. We just changed our meeting night to every SECOND MON- DAY at 7:00 in the Ada Room. The Ada Circle was established for the more mature UMW member. We meet every THIRD THURSDAY for lunch (12 noon) in the Ada Room as well. Sadly, our Sarah Circle (set up for stayat-home moms) and Grace Circle (for teenage girls) are not meeting at this time due to lack of interest. We would love to get them up and running again, though. If you have questions or inquiries about a circle, feel free to ask any UMW member about them, especially Sarah Burton (sb1645@hotmail.com), our President. We look forward to having you join a Circle!" What are Circles, you ask? They are March

12 Hilltop United Methodist Church 985 East South Sandy, Utah Published monthly by: Hilltop United Methodist Church 985 East South Sandy, Utah Sunday Schedule Sunday School for All Worship Fellowship Time Worship Fellowship Time 9:00 am 9:00 am 10:00 am 10:30 am 11:30 am June 18-22, :00 am to 12:00 pm Pastor C. Dennis Shaw