Joy!

For the final Supper of 2010, we reflected on Joy. Over a simple meal of bean soup and sandwiches, we shared about what gives us joy and when joy is hard to find.

We then watched this video, which Eric and Ricardo made last week in Beaverton:



Considering that many of us (at dinner and in the video) expressed feeling joy when things are going well and not feeling joy when life is tougher, we reflected on a few scripture passages together.

Luke 1:46-48 (The Message)

⁴⁶And [when she learned that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit] Mary said,

I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.

Matthew 2:9-11 (New International Version, ©2010)

⁹ After they had heard the king, [the wise ones] went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Psalm 146:5 (New Living Translation)

⁵ But joyful are those who have the God of Israel^[a] as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.

It turns out, being joyful might not have as much to do with our circumstances as it has with God showing up. And God is always showing up! How about that? Maybe the last lady in the video didn't say this exactly, but I think she's on to something. We had some interesting conversation, that's for sure.

The young ones expressed their joy with colors and shapes and sprinkles. Mmmmm.....


On a somewhat related note, whenever Eric and I would talk about joy in preparation for The Supper, one of us would start singing the song below and I would get it in my head. I saw Lucinda Williams when she opened up for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers a few years back. Good stuff. I think our joy is in Jesus, but, who knows, maybe yours is in West Memphis. Let me know if you find it :)

May your Christmas be filled with wonder and, of course, joy!!!

Family portraits

Katie Casey, a member of Cornelius United Methodist Church and an excellent self-employed photographer (see some of her photos on the Infinite Expressions Photography facebook page) recently set aside a day to take Christmas portraits for families in the church and community.


When all was said and done, Katie took photos for 21 families, many who are guests at the Community Table Food Pantry. The Community Table offered one free 5X7 and folks could choose to order more prints at very low prices if they wanted (all of them did order at least one or two more).

After the shoot, each family had the chance to see their photos on a computer and choose their favorite(s).

What a lovely day! I smiled so much as I watched folks scrunch together with their most-loved, some spiffy in their matching outfits, some kiddos defiant, some incredible hams, some just precious beyond words. One family brought their gorgeous 3-week-old for his first photo shoot. Many of the families would not have otherwise afforded a photo session with a photographer.

I can't wait for tomorrow, when I'll get to see the finished products and be there to see the faces of folks when they see themselves with their families, smiling away.

What a gift to be present for a generous offering of incredible talents and, of course, the most coveted of all: time and presence.

No human is illegal

Read this article on the United Methodist Church website about a campaign to drop the "I-word" when talking about immigrants and immigration. Our language makes a difference and, as it says on my very favorite t-shirt, "no human is illegal":

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8954039

Feasting

There's nothing like sitting at table with 30 other folks, digging into a mountain of mashed potatoes and vegetarian meatloaf and sharing about our lives, followed by some football on the big screen. And, of course, playing a little UNO and Yahtzee after the pumpkin pie.

Be grateful

I heard someone say yesterday that Thanksgiving is not about "feeling grateful" but about "being grateful." It is something we cultivate. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So even in the midst of difficult times, especially in the midst of difficult times, we are called to stir up thankfulness, to choose gratitude. Afterall, when Jesus gave thanks before breaking the bread and sharing it with his friends, he was facing the hardest days of his life.

At The Supper, we practiced cultivating thankfulness in multiple ways, including writing notes of thanksgiving, as the folks in the above picture are doing, reflecting on where we do experience abundance, and considering areas of our life where we'd like to be more grateful.

I'm reminded of an old song that my school gospel choir sang: Be grateful.

Developing leaders for Hispanic Ministry

These three gifted folks, Barbara, Eliser and Bonnie, have recently completed Module I, the first series of National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry courses to empower lay people to engage in ministries with Hispanics and Latinos. Through active participation in the hands-on workshops, held on Saturdays over the course of a month, these dedicated leaders practiced the see-discern-act methodology of looking at the world and looking at scripture, and created plans for starting and expanding ministries in Tillamook, Cornelius, and Beaverton!

It is a celebration to have dedicated lay people developing their skills for these valuable ministries in the Oregon-Idaho Conference!

Telling the story

A great article came out today on the UMC Spanish Portal about The Supper/La Cena:

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5801443&ct=8862359