By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
Every year my family decorates for Christmas on Black Friday. It is my second favorite day of the year! (My favorite is that glorious day in June when I pack the year’s last school lunch). I love seeing our home transformed from pumpkins and leaves to twinkling lights and holly!
Christmas music plays as we unwrap the ornaments for our tree. Almost every ornament has a special meaning behind it – either an activity the boys once enjoyed or a reminder of a family vacation. I enjoy reliving these experiences as I decorate.
One of my favorite decorations is a set of blocks I place in my family room that says,”Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.” The innkeeper is often seen as the villain of the Christmas story. It’s easy for us to assume that surely we would have acted differently and made room for Jesus. In truth, all of us have to make a decision: will there be enough room in our lives for Jesus, or are our lives so full of other things that we don’t have any more room for his presence?
Perhaps you have made that decision in a broad sense. You have decided that you will make room for Jesus in your heart. However, this year as I was decorating it occurred to me that making room for Jesus is a daily decision. Will we make room in our day to pray and read our Bible? Will we make room in our problems to stop overthinking and worrying and turn them over to him? Will we make room to hear his voice when we are tempted to disobey His Word? Many moments throughout every day beg that question of the innkeeper- is there room?
As the Christmas season overtakes you with its busyness and joy – I encourage you to make room amid the chaos for the one who brings peace.
By Heather Shoffstall, Director of Dutilh Student Ministry
There is a trend that has become prevalent in the past few years. “Word of the Year.” Have you heard of this? Each year, instead of looking at resolutions, you are encouraged to pray and choose a word of the year. If you google it, there are lots of websites with word ideas and processes of how to pick your “Word of the Year.” Usually, I can pick a word even before New Year’s Day. However, when 2023 began, I was not sure what my word needed to be.
You see, I was feeling as if God was calling me away from youth ministry. That my season was over as a youth director, but I wasn’t sure where He was calling me. Nor was I hearing God’s voice. This was very perplexing to me. You see, I have felt for years, since I was in high school, that God was calling me to ministry. Specifically, youth ministry. So, to be in a season where God’s call had changed was strange to me. youth ministry is where I was to be… right?
I took some time for self-reflection and to actively listen for God’s voice. I sat in “the silence;” turning off the TV, music, and the phone, and prayed. Then I opened my Bible and asked God to show me what He needed me to see. The answer? 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18: “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Not just pray but pray continually. I think I finally found my word… PRAY. So, I did. Not just any prayer, but a prayer that I will not only hear where God is calling me but also heed it.
Not as easy as you would think. You see, God was calling me away from the youth ministry that I was in. He was calling me into a season of uncertainty. That’s when I started to heed the second part of the scripture, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” This verse seems easy; pray and give thanks. Two easy instructions, but it also means to lean into God’s will, not our own. This can sometimes mean a season of uncertainty for us, especially when we can’t see the path clearly. We need to step out in faith and know that God’s got this. God knows the path; we just need to trust Him. We just need to pray and give thanks.
Looking back on this season, I know that praying is exactly what got me through it. Praying is where I began to hear God again. He is still calling me to youth ministry, specifically to Dutilh Student Ministry. I also learned that I needed to lay my burdens at the foot of the cross (and not pick them back up). To praise him in the storm. So, that is what I did. I found a reason to praise God daily. I began a new devotional that helps me to reflect on thankfulness each day. It helps me to focus on God and His promises.
As we enter November and our traditional season of thankfulness, I challenge you to heed God’s word. “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.
At the beginning of October, I was blessed to celebrate a new decade in my life—the age of 40! It has been a number that I’ve been anticipating for quite a while now. There’s always a lot of chatter and conversation around someone turning a new decade! This was definitely my experience, so much so that my twin sister and I decided to plan a family cruise this past summer to celebrate early.
With much anticipation for this birthday, I also began reflecting on the life that I have lived in my 40 years. A birthday usually gets me reflecting a lot on my past failures, successes, and experiences. This year, however, I seemed to reflect a little deeper as I recognized that I was entering a new era. Age has never bothered me, but I will admit that this specific birthday has given me a new perspective on how I live.
Life is short. We all know this and probably say this a lot in our everyday conversations. But really, life is SO short. Every moment is fleeting, and I have really begun to appreciate that the seconds turn into minutes that quickly turn into hours, days, weeks, months, and years. If I don’t slow down and really make intentional decisions, I may just miss out on God’s purpose and calling!
Julie Willoughby shares an intentional moment with her husband Tom and children Jonah and Claire.
Intentionality. The definition of this word struck me when I looked it up. One definition stated, “Intentionality is the power of minds to be about something: to represent or to stand for things, properties and states of affairs.” I loved the word “represent” in this definition because it reminded me that I am an ambassador for Christ, and what I do and say is a direct representation of my relationship with Jesus.
Intentionality is a crucial piece in how I represent Jesus. Intentional living means I am careful about the things I say and do. It also means I’m intentional about what I choose not to say or do. It also means that I am intentional with my priorities, relationships, work, and even how I spend my free time.
When I think of intentionality, I am reminded of the example Jesus set. Jesus was intentional about His relationships; He was intentional about discipling others; He was intentional about with whom He spent time; He was intentional about how He spent his time and resting. Jesus had a purpose in everything He did during His time on Earth.
The life God has blessed me with these past 40 years has been wonderful in many ways, but I’m not sure I can say it was always intentional. I want my next 40 years to be lived with true intentionality as I continue to live for Jesus and shine His light. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” I may not always know where God is leading, but I know I must follow with intentionality.
I pray that we can each live a life of intentionality where our priorities are those God places on our hearts. As author John Maxwell says, “An unintentional life accepts everything and does nothing. An intentional life embraces only the things that will add to the mission of significance.” May my next decade be one of significance and purpose for only the things that matter in eternity!
My two dogs are total opposites. They are brothers from the same litter but act so differently. As I write this, Cody is barking blindly at the bathroom door while his brother Comet watches him silently, wondering why he is barking. Spoiler alert: no one is in or near the bathroom.
Cody and Comet
However, as much as they are different, they do some things the same. If one has a toy, the other cannot have a different toy; they want the same one.
Recently, the dogs have found they love watching the construction across the street from our house. They sit on our bed watching trucks, equipment, and people move about the construction area (which they do ALL day) with great interest. I savor these moments because they are not fighting or tearing up parts of my house, as usual.
Often, I think of my dogs as my own children, just less laundry. My kids are 11 and 14, ages where they are trying to figure out who they are while being annoyed with each other. It is not uncommon to hear bickering as they take care of dishes, sit in the back seat, watch TV, or really anything where they are together or near each other. So, much like my dogs quietly watching construction, I savor those moments when my kids find things they can agree on or both like, which seems increasingly challenging nowadays.
Maureen enjoys a happy moment with Allison and Sam.
I was in the kitchen recently when I heard an Arby’s commercial come on in the other room. Suddenly, I heard them in unison saying, “Weeeee” along with the commercial. At first, I was a little confused. Then I just smiled and giggled; it was nice to hear them getting along. Every time the commercial now comes on, both kids “weeeee” in unison.
Nothing about this action is earth-shattering or life-changing, but for just a moment a day, I get to hear my kids happily getting along, and I can’t help but smile. It brings me joy.
I hope this weird little story encourages you to find the little joys in life: dogs watching construction, children saying “weeeee” to commercials, or maybe just an autumn tree with beautiful colors.
Joy is all around us, even in tough times. There are little reminders that God is all around us and always with us. We just need to be open to seeing them. As you go through the rest of 2023, look for the little joys, smile, and be thankful for the little things that make life interesting.
This September, Dutilh Church will joyously celebrate the baptism of six infants, bless 12 students as they begin confirmation, and celebrate the renewal of baptism for one adult. Since our church family includes people from various backgrounds and traditions, and since there is a wide array of beliefs and practices about baptism, I want to share some of what we believe about baptism in our United Methodist tradition.
Tom Parkinson stands at the font where John and Charles Wesley were baptized in St. Andrews Anglican Church, Epworth, England.
What is baptism?
Baptism is an act of God’s grace in which water symbolizes God’s initiative in forgiving our sins through Jesus, and God’s promise to love us unconditionally as members of His family. Along with Holy Communion, baptism is one of two sacraments in our United Methodist tradition. We believe that God is truly present in the act of baptizing, and God works through the sacrament to give us grace.
We practice baptism in obedience to the command of Jesus, who calls us to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Jesus himself was baptized by John in the Jordan river, and we believe that every Christian should be baptized also.
Baptism is all about God’s commitment to us. The water symbolizes the many ways God promises to work in our lives:
Just as water cleans that which is dirty, so God’s grace cleanses us from our sins.
Just as water nourishes our bodies, so God’s grace nourishes our souls.
Just as our bodies need water constantly, so we constantly need God’s presence and grace to sustain us.
Just as we are born from the water of a womb, so God’s grace gives us spiritual rebirth.
Because baptism is all about God’s commitment to us, and because God never fails in faithfulness to His commitments, baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for believers. We do not re-baptize.
What is the right way to baptize?
We believe there are a variety of ways to faithfully baptize individuals. For infants, we practice sprinkling, in which a small amount of water is applied to the child’s head. For older children, teens, and adults, we offer pouring and full immersion. Regardless of the mode of baptism, we always perform baptisms in public. Because baptism is an act of the whole church, we do not hold private baptisms.
Why do we baptize babies?
Baptism is an act of God’s grace to us. Since God’s grace is undeserved, and given to us free of price, we do not have to bring anything to God for God to receive us. Even before we are old enough to understand who God is, God’s love and grace for us are certain. In the New Testament, we see various occasions when entire households are baptized, including children (Acts 16:15, 16:33, 1 Cor. 1:16). For this reason, we baptize babies.
That said, we believe that baptism can be received at any time in life. While our normal practice is to baptize infants, we also baptize teenagers and adults. We respect the decision of parents who choose to wait for their children to come of age before being baptized.
Pastor Tom baptized Trevor on August 20, 2023.
What is the relationship between baptism and confirmation?
Baptism is about God’s commitment to us. Confirmation is about our commitment to God. At baptism, parents/sponsors make a profession of faith on behalf of their children, with the hope that one day they will make their own profession of Christian faith. Through the confirmation process, students learn about the Christian faith and prepare to publicly acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Since confirmation is a response to God’s commitment to us in baptism, baptism is a pre-requisite for confirmation.
What is a renewal of baptism?
In cases where an adult has already been baptized and experiences a conversion to Christ, we offer a renewal of baptism. In the renewal, the water of baptism is used as a reminder of the promises God made in baptism. The adult makes an affirmation of their own faith in Christ and is invited to remember his or her baptism. Often, in addition to the individual renewing their baptism, the congregation is invited to come and touch the water and remember their baptism as well.
In addition to clearing up any confusion, I hope these brief reflections will help you come to worship prepared to experience the joy of baptism that awaits us this month. Praise be to God for this precious gift!
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
In the space of eight days at the end of July and the beginning of August, my children, who are 23 and 21, moved into their first post-college apartments. I am happy for them and a little sentimental. My babies are grown up.
It is, for me, a season of blessing and sending. Actually, I feel that much of my time as a parent has been doing just that, blessing and sending, whether they were off to a new school or grade or even a field trip. Can you relate?
Nora (pictured second from right) graduated college in December 2022 with a double major in music and environmental studies while Danny graduated August 3 with a bachelor’s in business administration.
It also is a season of “what’s mine is yours.” The espresso machine is gone. So, too, are the game room entertainment center, coffee table, and TV, among other things. Ok, we weren’t using most of the items and it is kind of nice that our children have pieces from our home in their new homes.
The kids may not realize it, but they also take with them a piece of my heart and, of course, my constant prayers. Do you feel the same? Would you pray with me for whomever is on your heart?
Lord, please watch over your children. Let them know that they are precious in your sight and worthy of love, exactly as they are. While they look to the future, let them appreciate where you have placed them right now.
Equip them to face challenges with grace and patience. Let them know that they are never alone and encourage them to cast all their anxieties on you because you care for them. (1 Peter 5:7, NIV).
Surround them with people who build them up and let them be a blessing to others. Help them recognize the dignity of each person and value relationships, not worldly riches and fame. May they know the true happiness that can only be found in a relationship with you.
I thank you for the extraordinary gifts you have given your children. May they use these gifts for your glory.
The late poet and national treasure Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”
That is my simple hope for my children and for all of us. And while my children may not be in school right now – grad school may be in their futures – they have a lifetime of lessons in front of them and the opportunity to always do better.
Meanwhile, my husband is searching for his new T-shirts, and I, my green hairbrush…
I recently came across a great resource for educators on social media called “Joy in the Journey.” (If you are in education, please follow or visit the website joyinthejourneyteaching.com!) The specific resource I read about was a prayer journal for teachers called Prayers for the Teaching Journey. With the start of the school year coming soon and my role in education, this journal piqued my interest!
I decided to delve a little deeper and look at some of the content. Within seconds I read these words: “Pray for Your Heart.” Wow! These four words struck something in my spirit that I wasn’t anticipating. I knew there would probably be prompts to “pray for my students,” “pray for my colleagues,” and, of course, “pray for energy and patience,” but I certainly didn’t think the first thing I would pray about is MY HEART!
Pray for my heart. Yes, I was convicted by these four small yet powerful words. How often do I pray for my heart? If I’m being honest, I don’t pray for “my heart” often at all. I pray for circumstances, other people’s hearts, and God’s strength…but reading those words really convicted me to look at my very own heart.
As I’ve reflected on this wisdom to “pray for my heart,” I’ve been challenged to really pray that I would have a heart like God’s. You see, my heart can often mislead me if I am not careful. I can want things or ask for things that are not a part of God’s plan. I am reminded of Proverbs 4:23, where we are told to “guard our heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Julie poses with her children.
I can pray for my children as they enter another school year, pray for the incoming students at Dutilh Preschool, and pray for the teachers and teaching assistants, but what happens if my heart is not guarded and not in rhythm with God’s heart? My priority, before anything else, should be to pray for my heart. Then I can pray for my children and the children at Dutilh Preschool from a heart like God’s. My prayers, then, would be the desires of God’s heart, not mine.
My prayers for the beginning of a new school year start and end with my heart’s posture. I am so thankful I read these four powerful words because they remind me that I need to align with God’s desires when I pray as a mom, the director of Dutilh Preschool, and as a colleague and friend. My heart is the wellspring of life, and everything I say and do flows from it!
I want to be a woman of God who starts the 2023-2024 school year with a pure heart for God’s plans and directions, not my own! As David said it best in the book of Psalms, my prayer, before any other prayer, should be: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) May this school year be one of a firm foundation, with our hearts focused on God’s amazing plans and not our own.
Editor’s Note: Prayers for the Teaching Journey can be found on Amazon.
I have decided that I want to live the life of a cat or dog. Someone feeds you, people play with you, and you can sleep all day! I interact with a lot of pets when I give music lessons and I can’t think of a better way to live your life. Sadly though, as a human, I can’t do all those fun pet things.
I live a busy life, teaching piano lessons, working a full-time job, chasing my family, and completing coursework. There are some days that the amount of work far exceeds the time to complete it. Today is one of those days, but so is tomorrow, and the next day and the next.
Why do we feel the need to take on so much? I am a self-described overachiever, and I find myself frustrated by those who don’t make the same effort or say that my effort is unnecessary. At the end of the day, I want to be tired because I worked hard and accomplished something, not because it is bedtime.
I have been an overworking person for decades; it has become part of who I am. But I am getting a little older, a little less able, and a lot more tired. So, I ask the question, how do you undo what you turned yourself into? I don’t have the answer to this question, and I wish that I did because I do know I will find myself on Saturday furiously cleaning my house, practicing, and getting homework done for next week, instead of taking a day off.
I know that I am not the only one who works too much. You don’t need me to tell you who you are; you already thought, “Hey, she is talking about me.” Let me remind you that one of the commandments is to “remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8),” a reminder that even God didn’t work every day. He stopped and rested. But what do you do when there is still work to be done? This is normally where I would say something profound or find a Simpsons clip to give us the answer. Well, I don’t have anything earth-shattering to tell you other than take the time to rest and the work will get done later.
As I sit here well after the working hours have passed to finish my blog, it does seem like I am not following my own advice. But I know that I will take Sunday afternoon off, watch some TV, and hang out with my kids. I KNOW I have tons of work to do, but I need to rest; God wants me to rest, and I need to accept that it will be OK to NOT work.
So, to my fellow over-workers who are reading this, I know that it is hard to not keep pressing forward and getting the work done, but we are commanded to take the day and rest. People always say that your parents are your role models. We have no better role model than God and He rested, so we should too. So, go find your comfy place, grab a book, watch some TV, and spend time with your family or friends. You have been commanded.
By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
Not long ago, I read a meme that resonated with me: “Being an adult is saying, ‘After this week, things will slow down,’ over and over until you die.” Despite my best intentions, life never slows to a pace where I feel like I have enough time for all that is on my plate.
I recently heard a message about Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). When a fellow Jew is beaten and left for dead by the roadside, we expect a priest and Levite to stop and help, but they do not. Shockingly, it is a Samaritan, considered an enemy of the Jews, who stops to help. We often assume that the priest and Levite are bad guys. How could they be so cold and cruel? But what if they aren’t bad at all? What if they were simply too busy to stop and help? The priest and Levite both played huge roles in the spiritual and worship life of the community. Perhaps, in their devotion to their spiritual duties, they didn’t have time to stop.
Thinking of the parable this way convicts me. I like to think I am devoted to the spiritual work of helping kids grow in their faith. Are there times when I am too busy to offer loving service to people in need? I never actively hate anyone, but is it possible that the enemy of love is not hate, but busyness?
Recently, a group of workers has been digging in our neighborhood, installing conduit for fiber networking. It is annoying! Their trucks are everywhere, and my yard is being torn to shreds!
While the project is annoying, the workers are not. They work HARD. And they work in the heat of the day while wearing orange hoodies. In my busyness going from place to place, I always wave and smile, but to be frank, I haven’t spent much time thinking about them. Then I came home one day and saw my friend delivering cold water to them. They were so appreciative! Why didn’t I think to do that? Oh right! I was too busy!
I am basically a 21st-century version of a Levite. I regularly teach kids how to be a Good Samaritan. I want to be a Good Samaritan, too. God is awakening me to the truth that I cannot be busy all the time and be available to offer loving service to others. But how can I do that when I have so much on my to-do list? The place I can start is to take a moment to be still each day, asking God to open my eyes to the needs right in front of me and to make me available to serve. I think I’ll start doing that today (well, maybe after this week when things slow down…. haha! Just kidding!).
In 1993, the California Milk Processor Board hired the Goodby Silverstein & Partners advertising agency to solve a problem: In a market flooded with sugary drinks, such as Coke, Mountain Dew, and Kool-Aid, how do you convince people to drink milk?
Pastor Tom, drinking the good stuff!
The sugary drinks were colorful, exciting, and appealing. Milk, on the other hand, was plain and boring. Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein knew that the only way to make people choose milk over sugary drinks was for people to crave milk more than sugary drinks. Easier said than done! That prompted the launch of the now iconic “Got Milk?” campaign.
The goal was to make people crave milk by showing them how bad life is without it. (You can watch the first commercial ad here.) It worked. For 20 years, hundreds of TV commercials, billboards, and magazine ads showed celebrities sporting milk mustaches, while posing the question, “Got milk?”
Long before the dawn of modern marketing, the Apostle Peter developed his own, “Got milk?” campaign. Faced with increasing persecution from the Roman Empire, early Christians in Asia Minor were tempted to give up on the Christian faith in order to have greater security and prosperity in this life.
Peter makes this plea, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
The Greek word Peter uses for “spiritual” is logikos, which is a derivative of logos, the word used throughout the New Testament to refer to the Word of God. The “spiritual milk” of which Peter speaks is the living Word of God, revealed in scripture and incarnate in Jesus Christ.
In a difficult and challenging world, Peter pleads with Christians to crave the living Word of God and allow God’s Word to nourish them. He knows that it is tempting to seek temporary comfort and prosperity by renouncing the faith, but he also knows that, in the end, the “sugary drinks” of the world have no lasting value. Only the spiritual milk of the Word of God can nourish us unto eternal life.
We are living in a day and age when the world tempts us with a host of “sugary drinks.” We are tempted to find security, comfort, and hope through a variety of technologies, riches, and comforts. Peter’s message to us is that none of these “sugary drinks” can satisfy what we need most. Only the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word can nourish us. As you navigate the twists and turns of daily life, the key question is, “Got milk?”
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
No, I’m not thinking of Merlin the Magician, but Merlin R. Carothers. He wrote the books Prison to Praise and Power in Praise, among others. I have only read the latter, but it is a book that I found incredibly helpful. It taught me to praise God in the hard moments and for the hard moments.
I admit Merlin may seem a little extreme. He held that rather than pray for healing, such as for an alcoholic or for someone with cancer, we praise God for every aspect of the situation. This is because we trust that God “works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).”
I guess you could say that rather than the Apostle Paul’s “pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)”, Merlin would say to praise without ceasing.
Born in 1924 in Wurtemburg (near Ellwood City), PA, Merlin was a troubled young soldier turned Methodist pastor who served primarily as a chaplain in the military. He later established the Foundation of Praise in California, where he died in 2013.
Now I am not a theologian, and I cannot speak to Merlin’s status as a Christian authority. One thing I do know is that praising God in every situation and trusting Him with the outcome are always good ideas, even if difficult in practice.
I often forget to follow Merlin’s advice. I pray for healing without praising God for the illness that is part of His plan. I pray for deliverance from hard times without asking that I grow spiritually from the experience. However, when I look back on my trials, I see now that all the difficult times led me somewhere good.
The Bible is full of examples of people whose suffering, like ours, is temporary and produces fruit. Acts 16 says Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. Unsure of their fate but not of their God, what is their response? Acts 16:25 finds them “praying and singing hymns to God.” Later that night, they were able to witness to their jailer who, with his family, was converted.
I was blessed to discuss this blog with my sister who shared a short video of Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel, Leesburg, VA, talking about this very passage. In it, he prays, “Lord, teach me to sing in the darkness.” Find the video HERE.
What a beautiful prayer! It also reminds me of these words from James 1:2-4:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
This week, I have had the joy of watching more than 300 kids at our Vacation Bible School praising God and learning how to shine Jesus’ light. I pray that they, too, learn to praise God in all circumstances. His will, His way, and His timing are best.
There are so many movies out there that have themes that can be related to our faith. As a father of three kids ages five and under, I watch a lot of Disney movies these days. At times, Disney movies drive me a little crazy, but I have to admit that the company has a way with children’s musicals. One whose theme feels particularly relevant to my life right now is Frozen II. One of the best-known songs from the movie is “Into the Unknown.” Elsa sings:
I’m sorry, secret siren, but I’m blocking out your calls. I’ve had my adventure, I don’t need something new. I’m afraid of what I’m risking if I follow you.
Into the unknown Into the unknown
If you’ve ever felt the Spirit of God calling you (maybe like a “secret siren”) to follow, it’s usually into the unknown. This is probably why so many of us are quick to relegate the promptings of the Spirit to nothing more than a ringing in our ears. The Spirit may call us to move in a direction that’s counter to culture or popular wisdom and even seems foolish at times. We can come up with many reasons why we feel like we shouldn’t follow in a particular direction, and yet the Spirit continues to beckon in a direction we don’t understand.
About a year and a half ago, I began the process of becoming a licensed local pastor for the express purpose of better serving the student ministry at Dutilh. Throughout that process, people kept offering the same “reminder.” I was told over and over again, “This is a process, not a checklist. Don’t be too quick to assume what the outcome will be.”
Part of the licensing process includes continuing education once you have your local pastor’s license. My options were to take a series of 20 classes over the next 10 years or go to seminary. When I completed my undergraduate degree, I said I wasn’t going back to school…ever. But suddenly, when faced with the option of taking these continuing education courses (slowly, a week at a time, here and there – all the things that should have been appealing) I found myself being pulled toward seminary and being back in school again. Not only that, but while my intent, my assumed outcome, was to be licensed to further my work in student ministry, I felt the Spirit broadening my ministry aspirations.
Bud and his family were recognized at Dutilh Church during Sunday services and with a reception on June 18.
I’ve long said I didn’t want to be a senior pastor, but for the first time, that seemed like a reality I could live into somewhere in the future. I still believe I’m called to work with youth in ministry, and I feel no hurry to be the lead pastor of a church. I’m blessed that God has opened a door that will allow me to continue to do that and let me explore some areas of ministry I’ve never explored, ministry areas that are very much in the “unknown.”
One of the ways that God verifies our faith is by calling us into the unknown. All throughout scripture, God calls people to step out in faith, following Him to the unknown. In Hebrews 11, a chapter referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” we read of one character after another in the Bible who is highlighted because of their ability to step out in faith and follow God. Abraham (who was Abram at the time) has a story of really following God into the unknown. Genesis 12:1-4 tells us:
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, those who curse you I will curse; all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.”
Abram left just as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.
“Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.” Can you imagine being 75 years old and just packing up and leaving everything behind to head to something completely unknown? Right now, at 35, I’m struggling with moving my family away from our home and our extended family to follow God. And we’re just a morning’s drive away – we’re not even leaving the state, and we know where we’re going.
I can’t begin to imagine Abram’s struggle as he prepared to move, not even knowing where the journey would take them. But Abram had a faith in God that is exemplary, which is why we are told that Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham wasn’t a righteous person, but his faith made him righteous.
Sometimes following God means going when it makes more sense to stay, and other times it means staying when it seems to make more sense to go. The point of living by faith is that when God spoke, Abraham listened – even when it meant following God into the unknown.
Editor’s note: Bud Fickley will become associate pastor of youth and family ministry at First Methodist Church in Warren, PA, on July 2.
I like to bring my thoughts on unconventional things when I write my blogs, but today I am reflecting on my amazing daughter. Allison is the sweetest kid, always trying to be helpful, taking charge when someone needs to, and, for the most part, responsible for getting things done. She has struggled with some speech issues over the years and, after a year or so of working through those with a professional, she has chosen to now work on public speaking.
As a person who speaks in public regularly, I understand the struggles. I am good at telling jokes and shooting the breeze, but speaking formally is still scary. So, when Allison decided she would like to participate in church as a liturgist I could not have been prouder. She has read at several services over the last year, and her confidence builds each time; she is still nervous, but it does not stop her.
The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, however, was a rough one for Allison, but she is amazing and inspirational. If you were a part of 9:30 a.m. worship that weekend, Allison was reading the scripture, and I think everyone thought she was doing just fine, however, something overcame her; she froze and began to cry. Allison can be emotional, and I still do not understand what happened, but she was stuck in front of the entire congregation.
As I watched from the back, I was touched to see so many people rushing to help her and, after I walked to the front to comfort her, I was heartbroken to see her so upset. After the congregation graciously helped finish the scripture reading, we walked out hand in hand, and I held her once we were out of the sanctuary. She couldn’t tell me what happened, but she was upset.
Several people spoke to me after the service or checked in with me later to see how she was or offer support for her. Many people reached out and said they hoped that it would not deter her from reading again in the future.
However, if you attended the 11 a.m. service that day, you most likely had no idea that any of this happened because Allison was the liturgist for that service as well. As she read the scripture again, I was nervous for her, but she kept going, with no pauses or stopping. If you didn’t know how the 9:30 service went, you would have had no idea it happened!
Allison and Maureen Konopka
As a performer, I understand overcoming mistakes, especially in a live performance, and I know how extremely challenging it is. I was blown away by Allison’s resilience, perseverance, and faith. Many people would have said, “Find someone else for the next service,” but not Allison. She wasn’t going to let one bad experience stop her.
I am retelling this story because you probably didn’t see both sides, and to know what she did is inspirational, and sure, I want to brag about how amazing she is. Many times, we experience scary things, whether it is failure, loss, or challenges. We can find it hard to overcome these experiences and may shy away from moving forward. Allison found strength and knew God had her back. She overcame something scary, and successfully completed what she needed to. I hope Allison’s story encourages you to not shy away from your scary experiences but to overcome, trust in God, and not let one moment define who you are and the choices you make.
It is no secret that I enjoy watching The Simpsons. I have seen every episode and enjoy re-watching episodes to see what I missed or just didn’t understand at the time.
While watching Season 29 a few weeks ago, I had one of those moments where the episode meant something different to me than the first time I watched it. In Episode 19, “Left Behind,” Ned, the ever-constant faithful Christian, has a life crisis. Ned is now a widow for the second time, his business, the Leftorium, went bust, and now he has been fired from a job Homer helped him get. There is a lot more going on in this episode, but Ned finds himself at a personal crossroads, trying to maintain his faith while everything goes wrong.
Though it is an episode full of emotion, there are plenty of laughs along the way. Marge, Homer’s wife, suggests that Ned should be what Jesus was. Ned responds by listing a carpenter, fisherman, foot washer, wine creator, water walker, superstar, and a dashboard ornament. Marge looks at him and says, “No, a teacher,” to which he responds, “Like Jesus!”
Ned attempts to teach Bart’s class on The Simpsons.
Ned attempts to become a substitute teacher in Bart’s classroom, the same class his late wife taught, and his students behave poorly, causing him to quit before lunch. It is after this failure that Ned questions his faith. Previously, Ned is the ever-positive character who sees the good in any moment, although he experiences many hardships throughout the series. This is an important moment showing that everyone has a limit to how much they can take before they question their faith.
In the end, Bart helps Ned by pranking his class, causing them to behave because they are afraid that God is working on Ned’s side. Ned is grateful for Bart’s actions, but more importantly, his faith is restored, and he can look forward to the future. As I watched this episode and then rewatched it, I couldn’t help but think that others could use the inspiration of this episode.
I know many people who have had a tough time, whether losing a job, a loved one, a home, or maybe just having difficulty seeing where they fit in or what makes them happy. We all experience moments of doubt, where everything feels like it is going wrong, where it’s hard to see anything positive, but in those moments, it’s important to keep moving forward and trusting in God.
Bart’s pranks help Ned to find his faith again, not because of the pranks themselves, but because Bart had faith in Ned and showed him by supporting him. God never gives up on any of us, and we may not understand or see it, but he is always supporting us. We all experience tough times, and when we do, it doesn’t mean that God loves us any less; we just need to keep our faith and keep moving forward.
So, the next time you notice someone searching for hope, know that you can be the same inspiration for others when they are having tough times. God is always on our side. He is always with us. It might be hard to see sometimes, but you can’t see faith; you have to trust and know everything will be okay.
Watch a segment of the episode, “Left Behind,” HERE.
By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
Every year, Confirmation Sunday means saying goodbye to a group of “my” kids, as they become part of Dutilh Student Ministry. Confirmation is the crescendo of children’s ministry programming that begins in our infant nursery. By the time of confirmation, I have spent years with these children, learning the stories of the Bible, singing in the choir, playing endless rounds of Aliens and other group games, and seeing them discover how to love God, love others, and love to serve.
Editor’s Note: Dutilh’s Confirmation Sunday is on May 21. We will have one 10 a.m. service. Please join us!
Confirmation is a year-long process of deep spiritual formation for these children. I help them prepare to proclaim the Christian faith as their own. The little girls that once pulled their dresses over their heads during Easter choir performances are now diving deep into the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The little boys who built with Lego bricks in the pews are now building a foundation for life-long faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
These confirmands are also learning to serve their church. You may see them greeting, serving communion, or clearing tables at a Lenten Dinner, for example. These young people are discovering that to be a member of the Body of Christ means offering your time and gifts in service to the church.
It is an honor to be on the journey with these children. I love to see how their understanding of Jesus develops as they grow up right before my eyes. The confirmation program cements their faith foundation and tells me that they are ready to soar as disciples of Jesus.
Sarah Hogue (back row) with Pastors Tom Parkinson, Bud Fickley, and Jim Gascoine (back row, from left) and some of Dutilh’s 2023 confirmation class members at a recent event with Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi (seated) of the Western PA Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Confirmation may mark the end of my chapter with them (Fortunately, I still get to see them at church!), but confirmation is far from the end of their faith journey. As a wedding is the culmination of a season of engagement and marks the beginning of a lifetime of faithfulness, so confirmation is the culmination of a season of preparation that launches children into a lifetime of faithful service to Jesus and the church.
When student ministry steals my kids, they are taken into deeper waters and are accompanied through some of the most challenging years of their lives. Student ministry is the next step in their faith journey. Now they will learn to rely on God for all things, building on the foundation we laid during all those years together in children’s ministry.
While I jokingly refer to confirmation as the moment when student ministry “steals” my kids, I know that it is in fact a good thing. For when all is said and done, I am only successful as a children’s ministry director IF student ministry steals my kids!
Recently, our student ministry team began reading Dangerous Wonder by Michael Yaconelli – one of the pioneers of modern youth ministry. It’s a book all about how we regain a childlike faith that looks at the world with awe and wonder and believes that anything is possible. In the introduction, Yaconelli tells a story from his childhood when he still thought he could be like Superman, donning a cape and taking flight. Unfortunately, his story ends like all our childhood fantasies end – one day we cease to believe. He writes these words:
Then came a day when, without warning, without provocation, I woke up, never to wear a “cape” again. Wherever the knowledge came from, it came nonetheless, and from that moment on I knew flying was nothing more than a childhood fantasy. I would never fly…there is no Superman.
Michael Yaconelli in Dangerous Wonder
This image of Bud Fickley was altered using a different kind of knowledge – artificial intelligence.
Looking back on my childhood, and even as I watch my children grow, I can see moments where childhood wonder shifts, where dreams give way to reality, and where we lose that sense of awe and wonder at the world around us. What adult doesn’t envy the naive wonder and imagination of a child? A belief that anything is possible, and nothing is impossible, so long as I believe with all my might?
“That’s not real life.” That’s what the world tells us anyway. The more knowledge we gain, the more we understand why the world only works in certain ways and why some things are simply impossible. But what if the Bible tells a different story? What if Scripture expects us to believe that nothing is impossible? It actually says those words.
In the story of Jesus’ birth, when Mary asks how she’ll have a child when she’s still a virgin, the angel tells her, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Nothing. The angel could have said something like, “This thing isn’t impossible for God,” but instead makes a broad and sweeping statement. What if we believed that statement like children believe they can be Superman?
John records Jesus saying, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I’m going to the Father.” (John 14:12) In Matthew 17:20 Jesus tells the disciples, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Do we believe that Jesus’ statements are true? Or has our knowledge of the natural world separated us from the wonder of God’s power over creation? I have to admit, over time, the more I know about the world around me, the less room my brain allows for the unknown. When things don’t have an explanation that I find to be valid, I go looking for one. For many of us, if we hear a story about ghosts or spirits or some other unexplained phenomena, we immediately try to explain it away or ask the person about “more realistic” causes for what happened.
While the Bible never actually says to have childlike faith, Jesus says, just nine verses later in the book of Matthew, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” How does being like a child enable us to enter the kingdom of heaven? First, children have a humility that many of us, myself included, could learn to emulate. The more we know, the more we do, the more we accomplish, and the more we rely on ourselves and on our own understanding. Children don’t have the experience to rely on themselves. They trust in the wisdom and knowledge of parents, teachers, and “big kids” to help them navigate their world.
The second, and maybe most important, way being like a child enables us to enter God’s kingdom is that children are open to the impossible. Their minds are not locked into a particular understanding of reality, so they accept what could be. I can make a stuffed animal “disappear” by hiding it while my children aren’t looking. My three-year-old believes it’s gone. My five-year-old isn’t so sure. There’s a part of his mind that wants to believe in the impossible, that daddy made a stuffed animal disappear, and a part of his mind that has acquired knowledge that says daddy can’t make a stuffed animal just go away.
Knowledge is a powerful tool for understanding this world. God has given us the ability to understand profound things about creation as a way for us to know God more. But, when what we think we know beings to drive a wedge between us and our creator, it’s time for us to take a step back and recapture the wonder of being a child, to once again find awe in the world around us, and to open our minds to the impossible. Because for God, NOTHING is impossible.
I am a proud citizen of the United States of America, the most prosperous nation in the history of the world. We enjoy more conveniences and luxuries than almost any people group in history. And yet, for all our prosperity, we do not seem to enjoy our lives.
Our 24/7 culture creates the constant worry that we are not doing enough, or that we do not have enough. Many of us feel overwhelmed and overcommitted, constantly rushing from one thing to the next. We fear that if we slow down, even for a minute, we will quickly fall behind. Our culture lifts up as heroes the workplace martyrs, who grind themselves into the ground to get the job done. We talk in glowing terms about the person who is always willing to put in the extra hours and sweat equity.
Don’t get me wrong. There is virtue in hard work. There is just one problem: the 24/7 pace of our culture is a violation of God’s will. God did not design the world to be a 24/7 operation. In fact, God designed the world to be 24/6.
“Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12). This is the most ignored commandment in the Bible.
As a pastor, my church would be outraged if I knowingly and willfully ignored any of the other Ten Commandments. If I worshiped a different God, lied, stole, or murdered, they would likely remove me from my position. But if I work seven days a week and never slow down to observe the sabbath, chances are they will forgive me, maybe even praise me. “Look at Pastor Tom,” they may say, “he works so hard and cares so much.”
The noun “sabbath” is derived from the Hebrew word sabat, which means “to stop, cease, or rest.” It is used in Genesis 2:2-3, “God rested (sabat) on the seventh day from all the work he had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on the seventh day, God rested (sabat) from all the work he had done in creation.”
Why did God rest on the seventh day? Was God tired and worn out? By no means! God rested because rest is meant to be the pinnacle of creation. God “blessed” the sabbath because God knows that rest is a blessing.
True rest means being at peace and enjoying all the benefits of God’s creation. It means stopping our labors and delighting in the world that God has made.
When we adopt the pace of a 24/7 culture, we rob ourselves of the blessing of rest. God designed us so that our lives go better when we take a day of rest.
It is easy for us to push back. A day of rest sounds nice, but what do I do when my employer makes me work, or when I have deadlines to meet? What is more, we struggle with what it means to rest. Can I mow my grass? Is it ok to check email? How can I possibly obey the sabbath commandment in 21st-century America?
Here are five practical suggestions for experiencing regular sabbath rest:
Pick a day of rest every week and observe it. For 2,000 years Christians have practiced the sabbath on Sundays because it is the day of resurrection – the Lord’s Day. In our 24/7 world, it can be hard for some to practice the sabbath on Sunday, so you may need to choose a different day.
Include worship as part of your sabbath practice. Part of the way we find rest is to delight in the presence of God. Worship invites us to be restored by the Word of God.
Unplug from work and the demands of the world. Avoid being available to everyone for everything, as you are the other days of the week.
Practice delight. Relish in the goodness of God and open your eyes to God’s goodness in others. Enjoy an ice cream cone. Take a leisurely walk. Laugh with your kids as they play in the backyard. Whatever you do, allow yourself to let go and experience delight.
Invite others to join in. Sabbath is a communal practice and works best if you invite others to rest with you.
I readily confess that I struggle to practice sabbath. I too feel the pressure of the 24/7 culture. But that is no excuse for blatantly ignoring one of God’s commands. God gave the 10 commandments for our good and I ignore them to my peril.
For the past two years, I have shared the reasons why dandelions are in fact the true Easter flower and should have their rightful place among all the other beautiful Easter lilies, tulips, and daffodils that adorn the front of our sanctuaries Easter morning.
Jack Sheehan, a member of Salem United Methodist Church in Wexford, has been placing one on the altar and sharing his unique spin on this for almost 45 years. I worshiped there this Easter with my mom’s family members, who were visiting from eastern Pennsylvania. Jack says that dandelions are a true symbol of the resurrection because nothing you can do will ever kill a dandelion.
Since Dutilh Church’s Lenten study, “How to Be a Transformed Person,” may be on many of our minds now, let me suggest that aside from a symbol of resurrection, dandelions are also a symbol of transformation. As the seasons change, one of the first signs that spring has arrived is that dandelions are everywhere. It is possible to prevent them from growing in unwanted places, sometimes with great effort, but they show up anyhow.
Imagine what the world would be like if everywhere you went you saw a transformed person demonstrating the love of Christ to you! Often a child’s first expression of love, picked for his/her mom, is a dandelion.
After transforming the field around them into a beautiful yellow color, dandelions don’t stay that way. They go to seed and allow the wind to spread their seeds to other places, so they multiply in number the following year. Though this might seem like a less-colorful version of the flower’s original state, it provides just as much appeal to children, who love to blow on them. Most importantly, dandelions continue this cycle of transformation over and over again as long as they are deeply rooted in good soil and receive nourishment from the sun and the rain.
Even the fact that many people identify the dandelion as a weed and not a flower is part of its transformational nature. When we recognize that those parts of our imperfect human nature can be used by God, we are able to humbly offer ourselves for His use in the lives of others. The flower can be used for dandelion wine; the leafy part of its nature makes a very healthy salad; and dandelion tea, made from the root of the plant, has many medicinal benefits.
There is a real connection between resurrection and transformation because the disciples were truly transformed people after Christ rose from the dead. Peter, who fled from the scene and then denied Christ three times due to fear on the night of his arrest, spoke boldly about the risen Christ to thousands of people in Acts 2, cured a lame man in Acts 3, challenged the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, brought the gospel to Cornelius, a gentile centurion, in Acts 10, and wrote two letters (1 Peter and 2 Peter) to persecuted Christians in the Roman empire.
In case you aren’t aware, the mission statement of The United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” There has been a lot of media recently that portrays the church in an ugly light with many congregations voting to disaffiliate, but the truest message of Easter is that following Christ can and will make all things new!
The last verse of Natalie Sleeth’s “Hymn of Promise” in our hymnals puts it this way:
In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity
In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see
This year, allow dandelions to remind us of how God transforms each of us and our church into something completely new, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” John 13:8 (NIV)
I always look forward to Holy Week. My favorite day to attend church besides Easter is Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, which I experienced for the first time in the late 1990s.
I was nervous back then. The church I attended practiced foot washing. Lucky for me, foot washing at that time meant slipping off one shoe and having water drizzled on my foot. I stuffed my wet-sock-clad foot back in my loafer and went on my merry, if slightly uncomfortable, way.
That practice changed over the years to actual foot washing, and I realized just how challenged I am to submit to it. There are many reasons people feel uncomfortable with foot washing. For me, one is because my feet are not pretty. I like to keep them covered!
Jesus instituted two practices at the Last Supper: Holy Communion and foot washing. When I think about it, both had to have made the disciples uncomfortable. Eating bread as His body and drinking wine as His blood? Unsettling. Washing each other’s feet? Humiliating. That necessary task was reserved for a servant or someone of low social standing.
The fact that Jesus, the highest-status person in the Upper Room, would humble himself to serve – and shortly after become the ultimate servant leader on the cross – surely made the disciples uncomfortable. Peter’s initial response was a prime example. Notice that the disciples, in making preparations for the meal, neglected to arrange for someone to do this task, and none offered to take the lowest place as Jesus did. Talk about teachable moments!
I recognize that Jesus’ teachings can sometimes make me feel uncomfortable and challenged, too. Only when I dig deeper can I begin to grasp the significance of the Last Supper command to “wash each other’s feet” in John 13:14. Fun fact: “maundy” is short for the Latin “mandatum,” meaning “command.”
While we are baptized in Christ and redeemed by His sacrifice, we walk in a broken world tainted by sin. We can’t help but pick up some of this “dirt.” We need daily cleansing – forgiveness and grace – to be clean. And we need to wash each other’s feet, forgiving and loving each other as Jesus calls us to do.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 (NIV)
I now have a deeper appreciation of foot washing. To me, it represents humble service – allowing myself to serve and be served – as well as forgiveness and love.
Will I submit to foot washing this year? I am not sure. And that is ok. I have never been to a church where I felt pressured to participate. And to borrow from the musical Hamilton, I do like being in “the room where it happens.”
At Dutilh Church, we will be able to visit foot or hand washing stations this Maundy Thursday at our 7 p.m. service. It will be the same. No pressure, just the opportunity to become like one of the disciples.
Does all this washing make you uncomfortable? Try to remember that Jesus sometimes calls us to be uncomfortable. Not there yet? Simply sit and appreciate the moment.
I am a planner. I like knowing what to expect, having a plan, and being organized in executing my plan. One of my biggest fears is walking into something for which I am not prepared. Can you relate? Perhaps you are a little more spontaneous; I admire that about you! Unfortunately for me, this personality trait runs deeply into a lot of areas in my life, especially in my spiritual life. I love to tell myself and God that I trust him with all my heart, but if I’m being totally transparent and honest, I don’t think I always do. I love to trust him in the mountain-top experiences, but sometimes my faith can waiver when I’m traveling through the valley.
Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs 31 Ministries shares, “The journey doesn’t have to look exactly like we thought it would to be good.” This has resonated so much with my spirit these past few months. As I mentioned, the “planner” in me likes to know the direction and usually has a few ideas to share with God about my journey. However, God has been teaching me that the journey He has set before me is going to be good, even if my circumstances or perspective is different from what I see as “good.”
I recently attended the Graceful & Grateful “IF: Gathering” retreat at Dutilh, and God took this time to continue His work in my life as the leaders talked about the Shepherd leading us! I like to have a plan, but do you know what I realized? My plans are not God’s plans. When I lay my own plans down and surrender them to God, He can really get to work on His best plans for my life.
Julie feeds a lamb.
I was reminded at the retreat that our Good Shepherd leads us. It was convicting to my Spirit when I heard this because I know so many times I’m the one trying to lead, and then I invite God to lead along. When I remember the analogy of the shepherd, I clearly see how silly it is for a sheep to lead. The sheep doesn’t know the way, tends to wander, becomes restless, and does not set boundaries for itself the way the shepherd does.
What a comfort and relief it is to know that MY personal Good Shepherd knows the way, has THE best plan for my life (not my plan), and is going to guide me through every twist and turn. I don’t need to know the plan because I know the One who directs and makes the plan – my Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23 says:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
I am so thankful that our Shepherd gives all I need, “makes” me rest, guides me on his path, and refreshes my soul. I don’t have to be burdened with the details of the plan because God is working it out. I am going to go through the valley and experience some hard things, but that’s all a part of the path God has set before me. I also know God’s got a plan and He’s going to work out all things for His glory and for my good! (Romans 8:28)
My prayer for each of us is that we trust the process and trust God in HIS plan, not our own. It may not always look like we pictured, but we can know that it’s good because we are in the hands of the Good Shepherd!
Almost a year ago, we adopted two dogs, Cody and Comet. They are brothers and the breed cavapoo: Cavalier King James spaniel mixed with poodle. The easiest way to describe them? They look like teddy bears! Both are absolute sweethearts, but they couldn’t be more different. As I write this, one sits with me in the basement; the other is upstairs in the crate, much to his dismay and his brother’s.
I wrote last year about my dog Johannes. He was a goofy, weird little dog, but in his own right, he was a great companion. Johannes would sit under the piano bench when I practiced, sat under my chair when I worked, and when I sat on the couch, you guessed it, he was under the footrest. We had Johannes for 14 years before he passed and I didn’t realize how much I was used to him.
Cody and Comet, brothers and friends
Now that we have new dogs, each day is unpredictable because they are wildly different from Johannes. Cody and Comet are a little over a year old now and love to play and “fight.” Their favorite thing to do is to run around the house at all hours at warp speed, taking out furniture, area rugs, and people who might be in the way. They won’t eat at the same time; they take turns. We have two dishes, but only one dog can eat one at a time from one dish. One is well-behaved, and the other is more “free-spirited.”
I often find myself comparing Cody and Comet with Johannes, and his predecessor Bailey, because they are so different. Johannes wasn’t much for playing. You could throw a toy, and he would get it and then leave the room. He was a bit of a jerk. Comet loves to play fetch; he will run for the ball and bring it back to you all day if you let him. Cody loves to chew on things, usually toys, sometimes the area rug or my blanket, but he could sit for hours chewing on a bone or rope.
The one thing I can say is that the love and loyalty all our dogs had or have are the same. Oddly enough, none would/will eat when I am not home. Once I arrive and we said, “hello,” they ate/eat like hogs. Also, the dogs all could be found waiting for me by the door, following me to the bathroom, and sitting with me while I practice and work.
So yes, it’s obvious I believe dogs are great. When you think about it, pets are a great example of the loyalty we should display in our faith. If you were asked to give up your favorite electronic device for your faith, could you? I know my dogs would give up their toys for me if they had to. Why is it so hard for us to be just as loyal and faithful? We need to model the loyalty our pets show us in our own lives and, especially, our faith. We need to think not so much about ourselves but about Christ and his commands.
As we head toward the beauty of Easter, I encourage you to approach your faith the same way your pet would, with unconditional love, excitement, and devotion.
By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
We hear a lot about keeping Christ in Christmas, but how do we make sure that Easter is about more than baskets, egg hunts, and the Easter Bunny? Here are four simple ways you can keep Jesus at the center of your family’s Easter celebration:
Have your entire family take on a Lenten discipline. We are only halfway through Lent, so there is still time to do this! It can be as simple as reading a family devotional together, or not serving dessert on certain nights as a way of fasting together. Whatever you do, allow it to be a time to remember the whole reason for Easter: because our sin means we need Jesus to save us.
Use resurrection eggs this year. Are you going to dye Easter eggs with your family this year? Add some resurrection eggs to your collection. Each egg contains an item that walks through the events of Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday in a kid-friendly way! You can find many varieties of resurrection eggs on Amazon.
Attend Holy Week services. From the exuberance of Palm Sunday to the intimacy of Maundy Thursday, to the heartbreak of Good Friday, Holy Week services invite us to stop and reflect on all that happened to Jesus before the joy of the resurrection. Don’t short-change the miracle of resurrection by skipping all the steps before it. We have a full slate of Holy Week services at Dutilh. Check out the schedule here.
Before baskets….read the real Easter story! Before your kids hunt their Easter baskets this year, take five minutes and read the story of the empty tomb, found at the end of each of the gospels! Remind the kids that this story is the real reason for our Easter celebration.
Along with the beginning of spring, daylight (and hopefully sunlight!) lasting longer into the evenings, Easter brings us new hope of a Savior who conquered death. I encourage you to take some time to relive the miracle of the empty tomb and the promise of new life it brings for us.
On the heels of Pastor Tom Parkinson’s blog on the revival at Asbury University (read it here if you haven’t already), and after reading headlines about things like Chinese spy balloons and heightening tensions between Russia and the rest of the world, I couldn’t help but be drawn to Jesus’ talk about wars and rumors of wars. Found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus takes time just prior to his arrest to address comments about the temple.
In Jesus’ day, the temple was the center of Jewish religious practice and social life. It served as a hub for much of society, so when Jesus says, “As for the things you are admiring, the time is coming when not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished” (Luke 21:6), people are shocked. This isn’t the first temple, and the last time the temple was destroyed, the Israelites ended up in exile. Understandably, the disciples want to know when this will happen.
Jesus proceeds to give a description of what is to come. In Matthew 24, we read:
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:4-7 (NIV)
I’m sure you’ve heard people quote passages of scripture like this and point to why this war, or that natural disaster or some other thing is a clear indication that we’re in the end times. But doesn’t Jesus start with the words, “Watch out that no one deceives you?” Other parts of the story as recorded in Matthew 24, as well as Mark 13, and Luke 21, give enough detail about how people will try to deceive to leave me with the impression that if we have to wonder if this is the end time, if someone has to explain why this is it, if it’s not completely obvious, then the end time is not here. Maybe equally important, Jesus tells us a little later in the chapter that no one knows when the end time will come, no man or woman, not any of the angels, not even Jesus, but only the Father in Heaven.
But there’s something much more important buried in these verses, something that is all too easy to gloss over because it’s not headline-worthy. Matthew 24:12-14a says, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations…” In the next chapter of Matthew, as well as in the book of Luke, Jesus tells a parable about keeping our lamps burning. We’re called to shine the light of Jesus right up to the last day. If, when the last days come, we’re not found standing watch with our light shining brightly for Jesus, scripture says we will be judged for that.
What if we spent less time focusing on whether this war, or that rumor, or that earthquake is the start of the end times and we spent more time making sure the “gospel of the kingdom” was being preached in the whole world? I look at things like the revival taking place at Asbury, the other revivals that have followed, and even the hunger for God’s word expressed by our students at Dutilh Church, and I wonder if we’re doing enough to preach God’s word.
Don’t get me wrong! Every Sunday morning, the word of God is faithfully preached from the front of the sanctuary of Dutilh Church. Of that, I have no question. But what about the rest of the week? Are we, the people of Dutilh Church, preaching the gospel, in action and in word, when we go to our homes and our schools, and our places of work? When I’m at the grocery store or the gas station or one of my kid’s events, am I, as Peter says I should be, “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have?” (1 Peter 3:15).
If the end times are being talked about and our focus is on anything other than the question, “Have I shared the gospel of the kingdom with everyone I can?,” we’re focusing on the wrong thing. The end times will take care of themselves – the time is not for us to know. But while we’re on this earth, we have a clear responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone who will listen, making disciples who Love God, Love Others, and Love to Serve.
On the morning of February 8, students and faculty at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY, gathered in the Hughes Auditorium for chapel. Chapel services are a normal part of the university’s rhythm, occurring at least three times a week. But this service was unlike any experienced in decades. At the end of planned worship, attendees did not leave. They stayed and continued to pray, sing, and testify to God’s Spirit. Nonstop worship continued in the auditorium, and only on February 18 did the university unveil a schedule, updated on February 19 and still subject to change, to bring the event to a close as it encourages attendees to go and share their experiences.
This revival has seen thousands of people from all over the country coming to Asbury to worship. Written testimonies have flooded social media describing people of all ages being moved to tears, feeling a sense of joy and peace in Christ that surpasses understanding.
There has been no leader of worship. Musicians have rotated in and out as a team of volunteer students loosely coordinate behind the scenes. There have been no special lights, smoke machines, theatrics, or lyrics shown on screens. The worship has been simple yet profoundly moving. Thousands of people have prayed and sang, offering testimony to God’s work in their lives. Many described feeling the weight of God’s presence descending over the auditorium, tabernacling there as in the days of Moses.
Asbury, a nondenominational Christian University, posted this Feb. 10 photo on its website.
At the center of it all have been college students from Gen Z, many of whom testify to experiencing a release from anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. More college students had been arriving by the bus-full daily to experience the presence of God in this place.
For most of my life, I have been part of churches that have prayed for revival. “Revival” is the term used to describe moments when the Holy Spirit reawakens the spiritual fervor of believers who have grown complacent in their faith. It is accompanied by “awakenings,” when the Holy Spirit rouses nonbelievers to a first-time experience of the truth of Christ.
I have read about great revivals that have taken place across history, particularly in our country during “The Great Awakening” of the 1730s-1740s. I have been part of church services aimed at inviting the Holy Spirit to revive us. But in my life, I have never experienced a revival like the one at Asbury University.
How do we make sense of this? I want to share three simple reflections on the Asbury revival:
1. I cannot explain this. As a pastor and student of biblical theology, I love to try and provide explanations for the workings of God. I cannot explain what I have been hearing out of Kentucky. Why has God chosen to move in this place at this moment? What is it about Asbury University that made it the place where God’s Spirit broke out in this way? Other revivals have occurred there, most notably in 1970. Why are people of all ages showing up and testifying to the same palpable sense of God’s presence? There are no explanations I can offer.
Asbury University website photo from the 144-hour February 1970 revival
Some have expressed skepticism at this revival. We have all seen enough fake news to question anything we see on social media that sounds unbelievable. The skepticism we may feel is not unprecedented. In the book of Acts, the Spirit of God broke forth as Peter and John performed miraculous healings and preached Jesus in Jerusalem. The religious leaders were left scratching their heads, flummoxed about what to do.A Pharisee named Gamaliel said, “If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:38-39, NIV).”
We do not need to be able to explain what is happening at Asbury. If it is the work of God (and I believe it is!), then we simply need to stand in awe and be prepared to cooperate with whatever God might call us to do to participate in and support this revival.
2. We need this! Gen Z is the post-9/11 generation. They have never known a world that is not living in fear of terrorism. They have grown up in the technological age, with rapid advances in social media and artificial intelligence. They have only experienced an increasingly secular culture, and many of them have not grown up in church or have had a negative experience of church.
To hear the testimony of thousands of students from Gen Z being moved by God’s Spirit to pray for one another, fall on their knees in repentance, and surrender their lives to God is nothing short of good news! In an era of political polarization, social division, and great uncertainty about the future, we should celebrate a movement of God that is awakening the hearts of the upcoming generation. We need this! God is answering many prayers through this revival!
3. Watch for the ripple effect. Historical precedent shows that when revival breaks out in one place, it spills over into other places. That is already happening through the Asbury revival. A similar revival has erupted at Lee University in Tennessee and the list keeps growing. As thousands of people leave Asbury and return home, testimony to God’s grace will be shared across the country.
In Acts 4, the early church experienced a fearful time after John and Peter were arrested for preaching about Jesus. Following their release from prison, the believers experienced a reviving prayer. “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31, NIV). When God’s Spirit falls afresh on people, they are emboldened with evangelistic zeal and courageously share God’s Word with others.
My prayer is that in the days and months ahead, the Asbury revival will cause a ripple effect that will touch every corner of our nation, and that we will continue to hear testimony to God’s Spirit capturing hearts and transforming lives. Oh, that such revival would even spill over to Cranberry Township, the place I call home! May it be so!
More than 300 camp and retreat leaders met at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simon’s Island, GA, from January 23-27. Fun facts: famed evangelist brothers John and Charles Wesley, who started the Methodist movement, engaged in ministry on St. Simon’s Island in 1736-37, and Epworth by the Sea is now a United Methodist Conference Center.
Epworth by the Sea is a conference, retreat and vacation center.
Most, but not all, attendees were United Methodist professionals who regularly meet every other year to support each other, learn new skills for ministry, and be inspired by the vital ministries that face unique challenges. I have been privileged to attend about five of these since 2001, including the one held at Jumonville Camp & Retreat Center, Hopwood, PA, in October 2021. As with most camp experiences I have had over my lifetime, it is hard to share with others who weren’t there how really cool it always is. However, the theme, “Dive Deep,” which was integrated into every worship service, reminded us that Christian camping, though it faced many challenges during the pandemic, is uniquely able to rely on:
a God who is acknowledged by the psalmists as one who always comes through, even in the direst of circumstances,
a God who created the entire world out of chaos and made us in His image with that same creative power when we rely on Him,
Jesus, who meets a woman at a physical well and offers her “living water” that will never run out, and
Jesus, who told the disciples to drop their nets on the other side of the boat after fishing all night and catching nothing so that they could experience abundance beyond measure.
We were given new skills for marketing to a larger audience, increasing our financial resources through good stewardship and additional programming ideas to add to an already extensive repertoire, etc. Leaders shared their expertise with other leaders in 47 different workshops, but by far the best one of the six I attended was “Being the BRIDGE in Today’s UMC.” I shared this at Dutilh Church’s Town Hall meeting on Monday, January 30, but I thought it was worth sharing here as well.
Camp leaders meet to discuss common goals.
Jessica Gamaché, director of the United Methodist Camp and Retreat Ministries Association, lives in the Pittsburgh area and has worked hard with Sandy Stewart, a Dutilh member currently serving as chairperson of the Jumonville board, and myself, among others, to navigate the potential threats that disaffiliation might have on churches that have always supported camp and retreat ministries.
Jessica accurately portrayed the reality that camp and retreat ministries are completely focused on providing a Christian community in an outdoor setting that enables all participants to personally meet God. Bishop Peter Weaver, a retired United Methodist bishop who accepted Christ at the foot of the Jumonville cross, called camping an “Environment of Encounter.” Jessica shared an acronym for BRIDGE that could not only serve camping but inform all of us as we walk into an unknown future and work at remaining faithful in the journey:
Be who you are – Stay true to who you claim to be as a Christian community.
Read or watch – Remain informed about all sides of issues and don’t simply consume information that reinforces your current perspectives.
Invite – Continue to welcome people no matter what their theology, lifestyle, or political leanings.
Dialogue – Engage in a healthy dialogue that enriches participants without becoming divisive.
Grow in your mission – Focus on your goals for ministry that always provide for new growth opportunities.
Environment – Provide a safe space for all participants to live together with acknowledged differences.
The Pittsburgh area is known for its bridges, so as you are driving around this week, contemplate how that acronym can be beneficial to an ongoing healthy United Methodist camping program and how it can help all of us learn to be in loving community with others who differ from us.
Note: “Camping month” at Dutilh Church started Sunday, February 12, and concludes on Sunday, February 26, with our Camp Fair after both the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services. Please join us and discover the great opportunities for camping this summer.
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)
If you live in the Cranberry Township area, you may be one of many people frustrated by pinhole leaks in your copper plumbing, at least according to Facebook group posts. I know my husband and I have had four fixed in recent years, two of them within the last two weeks.
This common and pervasive problem led me to think about how I can relate a pinhole leak to faith. A pinhole leak by name alone seems like something of small consequence. However, it cannot be ignored. You must replace the affected pipe quickly because if you don’t, you may end up with a soaring water bill, soggy drywall, mold growth, and more. I am not a contractor, but let’s just say, a pinhole leak left uncorrected can do major damage to your dwelling and cost you dearly.
So, too, can sin. Sometimes I find myself desiring praise from others. Seeking acknowledgment and wishing to be “seen” may not be evil. However, left unchecked and not brought to the Father, the need to point to oneself can spiral into the dangerous sin of pride and a spirit of discontent. Like all sin, it becomes a barrier to a relationship with the triune God. I don’t want to give the devil a foothold or quench the work of the Holy Spirit within me!
The most recent pinhole leak at the Gavaghan residence was fixed on Saturday, January 28.
Dutilh’s current sermon series, Reset, is helpful in that I am reminded to reset my priorities (January 22) and reset my relationship with God (January 29). It also leads me to ask the questions:
Do I believe God sees me and my efforts? Do I trust in His provision for me at all times? Isn’t it He who has equipped me to serve according to His pleasure? Am I not grateful that He has seen fit to bless me with more than I deserve? He gave me the greatest gift, after all, Jesus.
Thankfully, God is patient with me as He reveals, and I work to bring Him, my pinhole leaks. As I strive to fix them, with Him through whom all things are possible, I am encouraged. And I am reminded of this verse:
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NIV)
As we are gearing up for our annual Open House and Registration at Dutilh Preschool, I have been reflecting on all of God’s goodness, provision and faithfulness. In the last two years, God has given me such a meaningful purpose in taking the charge of rebuilding Dutilh Preschool. This is a responsibility I don’t ever take lightly. As God’s word says, we are called to, “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6, NET).
When the pandemic disrupted many areas of life in 2020, Dutilh Preschool was right in the crossbows of that disruption. Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 and knowing a big renovation project was underway for 2020, Dutilh Preschool made the decision to close for the year.
Julie Willoughby (bottom row, far right) leads Dutilh Preschool’s teaching team.
I stepped into my role as director in March 2021, when the decision was made to open Dutilh Preschool for the 2021-2022 academic school year, and God had big plans for this reopening. It has been such a humbling and rewarding journey! I remember interviewing for my position, walking through the church’s big construction project and wearing my mask. It was an exciting time but definitely a time of uncertainty.
God blessed the start of this newly renovated school abundantly. From a gifted and experienced staff to a new space with the use of technology and an elevator, to an amazing group of families – it was a time when God was working in unbelievable ways.
God has used our school to truly be more than just a school that provides excellent academic learning for children – He has used it for ministry to bring glory to His name. As you may know, Dutilh Preschool has a dual purpose: to provide exceptional academic experiences while teaching children to love God, love others and love to serve. This purpose and mission have driven us to really be God’s hands and feet. As preschool staff, we carry the powerful responsibility to set a strong foundation for our littlest of learnings, both in kindergarten readiness skills AND in their faith.
Last year, I had a front-row seat to watching the staff of Dutilh Preschool create beautiful and meaningful learning experiences that really set our children up for success. I also had a front-row seat to watch our staff and volunteers at Dutilh Church provide faith-forming lessons and activities that have been an amazing part of our ministry here at Dutilh Preschool.
Julie talks to preschoolers about loving others through the preschool’s monthly mission project.
As we look forward to our 2023-2024 Preschool Open House and Registration on Saturday, February 4, I am so excited and hopeful for all God will do here to bring glory to His name! Our families, our staff and our volunteers have been incredibly bright lights for Jesus as they help our children build a strong foundation of faith and academic skills.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
We are so hopeful for God’s continued faithfulness and goodness for 2023-2024 and can’t wait to see how He continues to use Dutilh Preschool as His hands and feet for our next generation.
I like to write my blogs when I feel inspired by something – a movie, a TV show, or an interaction. I wrote my blog; it was all finished and then I had that moment in the car when I realized, nope, I was supposed to write about a song instead.
Maureen Konopka
Music is transformative. Sometimes you can be moved by an instrumental melody, a beautiful harmony, or a song’s lyrics. The song, “I Can Feel You,” by Jenn Johnson and Bethel Music came on while I drove to work recently and my first thought was, “Darn, this song goes great with the sermon from January 8 (Drifting, from week one of the sermon series, Reset).” As the song progressed, my second thought was that I wasn’t sure when the last time was that I heard a saxophone solo in a contemporary song. But, as the song concluded, I thought that it was an amazing and powerful song to bring in a new year and reset.
I know personally, I am worn out, feeling overwhelmed by lots of things, and sometimes I feel like I am fighting so many battles alone, but this song reminds me that I am never alone. Over the last several years, I have grown in my faith and truly feel that God is always with me, through all the crazy things that I do, and it gives me strength and comfort as I go through my day.
“I Can Feel You” is a great reminder of God’s presence with us. The song says:
“Then through the shadows Your light appears. I’ve known You’re with me But now it is clear. I can feel You Jesus all around Like sun on my skin Warm to the touch. Here You surround me. I am held by love. I can feel You, Jesus, all around.”
Have you ever had a moment where things are overwhelming, you take a deep breath and then you feel OK because God is with you? This song is that moment.
I know that contemporary music is not everyone’s preference, but this song’s lyrics are relatable to everyone, even if the style is not your favorite. I encourage you to give this song a listen and truly focus on the lyrics, enjoy the saxophone solo too, but in the end, I hope you feel God with you wherever you are and know that you are not alone.
By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canadian geese causing the engines to fail. Chelsey Burnett Sullenberger, better known as “Sully,” was able to glide the plane to a safe landing on the Hudson River.
Asked how he could so quickly and heroically act to save so many lives, Sully remarked, “For 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in the bank of experience, education and training. On January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”
Most of us will never be faced with landing a jetliner on a river, but nonetheless, we can relate Sully’s experience to our faith journey. We never know when our “bird strike” is coming. God does not promise us an easy life but does promise to be our anchor and source of peace amid challenges. If we invest in our relationship with God, making regular deposits in the bank of faith, we will have enough to make large withdrawals when we need them, leaning on our faith, just as Sully leaned on his education and experience.
How do we “invest in our faith?” There are many ways: prayer, daily Bible reading/devotionals, attending worship and serving in the church or community – just to name a few. Another way that we often overlook, but that can be crucial, is by participating in a small group.
Small groups are gatherings of six-12 people for the purpose of mutual encouragement, support, prayer and Bible study. At Dutilh Church, we often refer to a small group as a “Life Group” because these groups empower us for all that life throws at us. When you invest your time in a small group, you form intimate relationships with people who will pray with, teach, challenge, inspire and encourage you, even as you do those things for them in return.
By investing in a small group, you will have friends who will support you during a “bird strike.” You will not only have sufficient balance in your faith account, but others will come alongside you to “loan” you some of their balance and support you through a hard day.
This year, I have the privilege of taking on the task of organizing our small groups at Dutilh Church. We have many small-group opportunities available already with more to come in the future. If you aren’t already connected, reach out to me, so I can help get you connected! Email shogue@dutilhumc.org.
I remember when I was growing up, during lunch recess we would often play football outside the school. We would eat lunch quickly so we could get outside with as much time left in the lunch period as possible to get in a game of touch football. While most of the rules in the game were pretty easily agreed upon from the outset, there was one rule that never seemed to have any consistency – calling a “do-over.”
It might be that one team would have a terrible kick-off, the ball dribbling just a few yards before it was recovered by the other team, and inevitably someone from the kicking team would yell, “Do-over!” The result was an argument between teams about whether such a call was valid. Or maybe a team on offense would yell, “hut,” before the defense was ready and, particularly if the offensive play was successful, the defense would yell for a do-over. The claim was, “we weren’t ready,” but nonetheless, the same argument over validity would ensue. In a casual game of golf, we might call it a mulligan and other sports have their own variations. In all of these cases, the fact remains that when we’re not playing our best, and we feel we can certainly do better, we want the opportunity to do just that – play better!
The same is true in life. I don’t particularly care to enumerate the number of times I reach the end of the day and can look back at moments in the previous 18 hours when I would have liked to have done something different. I wish I had handled a moment with my kids better. I recognize inefficiencies in my workflow that led to not getting certain things checked off the to-do list. I didn’t demonstrate grace, or kindness, or love, to my wife in the way she deserved. I didn’t give someone the attention they deserved because their problem just didn’t seem important enough. The list could go on for days. If our God was the type to keep records of such wrongs, I can’t imagine the filing cabinets I could fill with just those types of sins.
Luckily for you and me, we serve a God who believes in the opportunity to call, “do-over,” to reset. In chapter 25 book of Leviticus, a book in the Old Testament that comes just after God delivers the Israelites from Egypt, God prescribes to His people a Year of Jubilee. The Jubilee was to come every fiftieth year and it was to be a year when things reset. We have to remember that, when God’s people came out of Egypt and headed for the Promised Land, God determined who got what land and God established how life ought to be. In the midst of this, God recognized that, for a variety of reasons, those things would change and God prescribed the mechanism for putting things back to the way He wanted them. The “reset” was to be so substantial that the Israelites are even told to base the value of land and other property on how long it would be until the next year of Jubilee. Land bought for 15 years is a lot more valuable than land purchased for three years until the property reverted to the original owner.
Sermon series art by Betsy Pedicone
As Christians, we have the opportunity to experience a reset with God every time we repent, and each Sunday when we come to worship, we mark a distinct opportunity to make things right with God. Beyond that, I think the new year is a great chance for us to intentionally reset. We’ve just celebrated Christmas, a season of love and hope, many people are making resolutions for a better year ahead, and many of us just need to give ourselves permission to make a clean start.
I’m really looking forward to the series we’ll be kicking off on January 8, “Reset,” where we’ll be looking at parts of our lives that we might need to reset. It’s going to be a series of hope for many of us as we recognize that we’re not alone in needing to start over sometimes. I hope you’ll make a point of prioritizing being a part of this series, or at the very least, giving yourself permission to reset in a few places in your life. God’s people have always needed to reset. God even sent his Son so that we might be able to claim a new and renewed life through Jesus. It’s never too late to call a “do-over,” to take a mulligan, to ask for forgiveness from God and the people in your life, to reset.
As I reflect on 2022, Bob Dylan’s famous song comes to mind, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Nearly three years have passed since the covid-19 pandemic began. Even as the worst of the disruptions are more than a year behind us, the world has yet to find a “new normal.” Change is happening at a blistering pace, and many of us are struggling to keep up!
I am palpably feeling the effects of change in our church. Many have returned to in-person attendance, yet so much feels different than it was before. A few weeks ago, we experienced a Sunday morning internet outage and realized that we are in an age where we struggle to worship together without the internet. Not only do we lose connection with our online congregation (about 20 percent of our attendance), we also impede our ability to have a “normal” worship experience in the building. Online worship is here to stay, and we are still figuring out how to navigate all that means for our church.
Beyond technological change, our church is also experiencing significant changes in leadership. Pastor Jim Gascoine is retiring after more than 13 years as our Associate Pastor. We have restructured our staff team and added Mark Studeny as our new Director of Facilities and Administration. One-third of our Leadership Board is turning over as Larry Heckathorn, John Mazzoni and Lisa Frick finish their terms of service, and Kristy Harrison, Garrick Barnett, and Ben Murray take on new roles. At the denominational level, The United Methodist Church is going through a difficult season of change, and it is unclear how those changes will trickle down to Dutilh Church.
Amid this sea of change, it is hard to predict with certainty what 2023 will look like – for our world or our church. What we can say with certainty is that it will be different.
All of us have different reactions to change. Some embrace change – even seek it – for we know that change brings opportunities for growth and development. Others resist change, fearful of the unknown and clinging to the comfortable and familiar. Many are somewhere in between – open to change that can make our world and church better, but hesitant and cautious about the uncertainty change brings.
The scriptures are clear that change is part of God’s design for the world. As the wisdom book of Ecclesiastes says:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
In a world of constant change, the scriptures also teach us that we can find an anchor in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” James reminds us that our heavenly Father “does not change like the shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Jesus himself teaches us, “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35).
How do we navigate a season of change? We lean into our relationship with Jesus Christ, for he is our anchor, the constant who can keep us grounded no matter what is happening around us. As we embark on a new year in which we will continue to experience change, may we find strength, comfort, and stability in Jesus Christ.
This is my final opportunity to write to you all as the Associate Pastor of Dutilh Church. In two weeks, I will finish my tenure here and join the ranks of the retirees.
It has been quite a journey for Joyce and me. In total, I have served five churches over 41.5 years: two years as a part-time student assistant pastor, and 39.5 years as a full-time pastor. I am finishing 13.5 years here at Dutilh Church.
Jim and Joyce Gascoine
It is hard to sum up all those years and put that all into perspective. But I can at least say this: Dutilh Church has been an absolutely great experience for me, and a great church to serve.
It is commonly thought that a good pastor will grow a good church. But I am convinced that the opposite is also true: a good church will make a good pastor. I am thankful for how you, the congregation of Dutilh Church, have pushed me to grow both as a pastor and a follower of Jesus Christ. I am clearly a better pastor and leader because of your encouragement.
We’ve experienced both success and failure as a church. Some ministries continue to have a very positive impact; others did not work out as we planned and no longer exist. But the one thing that I have loved about this church: even when we experience failure, we don’t quit. We just look for the next new ministry into which God is calling us.
Now, what will the future bring? First, you have received several communications from our Leadership Board about changes in our staff structure. I am convinced that we are now positioned well for coming challenges. And I have to brag on your church staff: they are among the BEST people I have ever worked with. And, as a group, they are The Best.
As we move into 2023, I may not be around a whole lot, at least for a couple of months. Joyce and I need some time to transition into retirement. And it has occurred to me that although I have some great pastor friends, I have never heard them preach or lead worship! So, Joyce and I are going to have fun worshiping with our friends in January and February.
But we’ll be back. I fully intend to remain active as a member of Dutilh Church. I realize that might be somewhat of a difficult transition for all of us – moving from pastor to worshiper and attender. But we’ll make it work!
Beginning in 2023, I will be doing exactly what I have encouraged all of you to do over these past years. I will be growing in faith and in my relationship with Jesus as I attend and participate in worship.
I will grow and learn as I participate in small group ministry (the Thursday Bible Study, my men’s small group and Faithful Followers).
I will grow in faith as I serve Jesus through our church. Bud already has me signed up as an adult volunteer for the Student Ministry, and Sarah says I have to keep coming to summer camp. PS: no problem, those are both ministries I love! I will be on the visitation team and will, on occasion, help in worship.
And Joyce and I will very likely serve in other projects and ministries throughout the year.
Finally, let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year full of God’s blessings. See you in church!
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Matthew 11:25 (NIV)
Advent – preparing our hearts to receive the Lord. It is hands-down the most challenging season for me. When is there time to fully prepare (or repair!) my heart to receive the Christ child? Anyone with me?
Each year, I say I am going to start and finish my Christmas preparations early, and I never do. My greeting cards are not even purchased let alone sent, and I need to do some serious shopping for presents. And, for me and many others, there are the extra events to fit into the schedule: Christmas concerts, parties, etc.
During Advent, I can find it even harder than normal to spend time in contemplation and prayer. Truth: while I do spend time in the Word, I often read it without taking it into my heart and letting it change me. I simply sail on to the next thing on my to-do list. Then I try to give to others from a place of spiritual depth that just doesn’t exist; I haven’t filled my cup. I am trying to squeeze blood from a turnip or water from a rock!
There is one Christmas preparation that I don’t typically delay and that is decorating. My favorite decoration is our stocking holders. I don’t remember where I bought them, but they are gold-colored metal letters N, O, E and L. Yes, the letters spell “Noël,” which, according to the fine folks at Merriam-Webster.com, has its roots in Latin – from the word “natalis” or “birthday” – and is French for “Christmas” or “carols.”
On the surface, there isn’t anything noteworthy about the stocking holders; they are plain. But they are special to me because of what my daughter, as a small child, did with them. Nora was about five when she informed me that I had the letters in the wrong order. Well, she always was a bright girl, so I had to hear her out.
I said something to the effect of “What order should they be in?” And this I won’t forget, she said, “N-L-O-E for ‘New Life on Earth’ – Jesus!” Well, I couldn’t argue with that, and that is how the letters have been displayed ever since. Nora is now 22.
So, as I gaze at the letters each morning in Advent during my attempt at quiet time (before launching myself into a self-inflicted frenzy of preparations), I remember that Christ is the new life who brings me to new life in Him. I don’t need to prepare my heart, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. I merely need to be still and open to the Spirit’s leading.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
My prayer for all of us this Advent is that we arrange our hearts and minds so that they are in the “right order.” Let us be open to receive the gift of new life that Christ brings. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
A few weeks ago, I was feeling anxious about a situation and wanted to “fix” it quickly. Have you ever felt this way about a circumstance in your life? You want it resolved as soon as heavenly possible? 😊 Yes, that was me! I wanted to resolve it and move along my merry way. I like to check off these types of things on my “list,” so I found myself writing an email to try and fix the situation I was experiencing.
I typed the email and it felt good to get out some of my concerns, and dare I say, some of my “feelings.” I called my husband and told him I’d be sending him an email to proofread. He told me he’d read over it and get back to me.
Julie and her husband Tom
Later that day he sent me a text message that said, “This sounds good, but maybe you should sleep on it?” Oh? Sleep on it? Hmm. I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to wait a whole day to find a solution to my predicament. I was hesitant to do this but decided to heed my husband’s advice and sleep on it.
Stepping away from the situation that had me worried, concerned, and confused allowed God to step in and intervene. You see, God’s grace and mercy stepped into the place of my anxious feelings. Sleeping on it was exactly what God wanted me to do. During that time of waiting, I went to Him in prayer, and He showed me a different perspective and allowed the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. The next day God gave me such a peace about the situation that, when I went to reread my email draft, I found myself not feeling the same concerns I had only 12 hours before.
God’s grace is such a powerful thing. Our feelings can be fleeting, even blind, to what the reality of a situation really is sometimes. Feelings are okay to have (God did create them, right?), but God’s truth can sometimes be skewed when our flesh tries to take over. Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) reminds us, “The heartis deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
The heartis deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
Sometimes God wants us to take a powerful “pause” so we allow Him the space to speak into our lives and into each situation. Taking time to step away and pray for God’s guidance allowed Him to remind me of His faithfulness and goodness. The situation I found myself in was one that I gave over to God and He handled it in HIS way. Phew, I’m so glad God is good and that He took it over. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV): “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I thank God that He used my husband to speak the words, “Sleep on It.” Resting in God’s presence and going to Him in prayer will always help us in those difficult circumstances. God’s ways are always the best ways, and I was so grateful that I gave time for God to work on my heart. I’ll leave you with a funny, but very powerful, saying: “Go to the throne before the phone!” In this case, I needed to go to the throne before an email, but you get the idea. Let’s go to God in prayer for guidance. He’ll always make our paths straight.
My absolute favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas, with music by Irving Berlin. When I was a child, we would watch it before going to bed after Christmas Eve Mass. My Dad would then call everyone a “weirdsmobile” for the next month or two. I know that I am not alone in loving this movie; I have had lots of conversations with many people about this gem.
Though I have seen it probably more than 100 times—I’m watching it while writing this blog—it still brings a tear to my eye. The act of kindness that the two lead characters pull off is simply heartwarming and the miracle of the snow that will save the ski lodge just takes it over the top.
The underlying message that no person is too small is a really touching topic. The two main characters, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, left the U.S. Army after World War II and are now famous performers. And, they take the time to help so many people instead of doing what is best for them.
Bob and Phil risk a lot to help two sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen) Haynes, whom they meet in Miami. Though they have just met, Bob and Phil dress up like the sisters, run from the law, and give up their train tickets to help them. There is some obvious attraction, which doesn’t hurt the cause, but with all the complications, they didn’t need to help them; they could have walked away.
After their troubles in Miami, the four lead characters travel to Vermont. There, Bob and Phil find former commander, U.S. Army Major General Tom Waverly. He is now the owner of a ski lodge that is struggling due to the warm weather. The quartet decides to put their lives on hold and put in weeks of work, and money, to help Waverly save his business.
The story for White Christmas is great, however, the songs enhance the story and make the telling more powerful.
No one can deny that Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are amazing singers. All the singers in this movie are amazing, though the character Judy, played by Vera-Allen, is sung by Trudy Stevens. I can sing every White Christmas song, too, and a few years ago, when Pastor Tom requested we sing “Count Your Blessings” at church, initially I didn’t think of the hymn. Immediately I thought of the song from White Christmas, “Count Your Blessing Instead of Sheep.” Obviously, we needed the hymn, however, I learned the song from White Christmas to play for the offertory because it belonged in worship, too.
While fighting off the obvious attraction, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney (Betty) sing about “Counting Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” while sharing a late-night snack. The song says, “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings. When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.”
I wish this song was in the hymnal as it serves as a great reminder to not only be thankful for what you have, but it is full of trust, knowing that things may not be the way you want them, but that the Lord will help you through. Bob Wallace has everything—fame and fortune—however, he doesn’t flaunt it; he is thankful and uses his blessings to help others and encourage others to do the same.
This movie is so much more than just a holiday film; it is a reminder that others are as important as you. You may be blessed with good fortune, but you can use your good fortune to bless others. As we approach this holiday season, let’s try not to get caught up in all the decorations and gifts, and consider what it is supposed to be about: celebrating the birth of Jesus, who showed us that helping others is more important than doing what is best for ourselves.
I love Christmas. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Of course, you’ve got the kids jingle belling (I assume that means singing “Jingle Bells”—you can tell me if I’m wrong) and everyone telling you to be of good cheer. Who can forget about all the mistletoeing and hearts glowing? It really doesn’t get any better. And maybe that’s why we’re so quick to want to get into the Christmas season. It just seems like you can’t get enough of Christmas. More and more, it seems like the décor sections in stores transition directly from Halloween to Christmas and so, too, do the candy aisles.
AND YET… How easy is it for us to forget about thanksgiving?
It seems like stores have scaled back this year on when they’re opening for “Black Friday,” but do you remember the years of major retailers opening their doors on Thursday at 5 p.m. (or sooner)? Right in the middle of the day when we’re supposed to be celebrating all we have to be thankful for, advertisers are telling us, “You don’t have enough.” Now, instead of advertisers opening their doors earlier and earlier for the holiday shopping season, we’ve moved it into the beginning of November with “early Black Friday deals.”
When I asked the question, “How easy is it for us to forget about Thanksgiving?,” I’m sure you didn’t forget that your family has a big celebratory dinner planned for the fourth Thursday of November—though maybe this is your reminder that if that bird isn’t thawing yet, you have some work to do. I’m not talking about Thanksgiving; I’m talking about thanksgiving. Did you catch the lowercase t’s in the title and other places?
“The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1914) by Jennie A. Brownscombe
Take a trip back to the earliest celebration of Thanksgiving, and you find that it was generally incorporated into a worship service of some sort and happened multiple times each year. Even if you consider what we refer to as the “First Thanksgiving,” we have to remember that these folks were celebrating the fact that they were going to live through winter. When was the last time you considered just being alive something to truly celebrate?
When we take time to acknowledge all that we have, and have in abundance, it can make it easier for us to begin to see the differences between needs and desires in our lives. Back in the Old Testament book of Exodus, God gave his people those pesky little rules we call the 10 Commandments. You might recall there’s one there about “coveting.” I love the way the Common English Bible translates it:
Do not desire and try to take your neighbor’s house. Do not desire and try to take your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox, donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.
Exodus 20:17 (CEB)
“Do not desire…” I don’t know about you, but my brain reads the word “desire” differently than it reads the word “covet.” I can brush off the idea of coveting pretty easily, but when you start talking to me about desiring things, the things of other people—the latest iPhone, a new car, a few less pounds—that’s a very different thing. I can’t brush that off as easily.
The book of Proverbs 11:24-25 (CEB) says:
Those who give generously receive more, but those who are stingy with what is appropriate will grow needy. Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
When we give generously, we recognize just how much we have and how much our needs have been met already. When we see that our needs have been met, it brings clarity to the difference between our needs and our desires. When we recognize that our desires are not things we actually need, we are led to stop seeking worldly things and we find space to seek after Godly things.
This week is Thanksgiving (with a capital T), which is a natural time to stop and focus on thanksgiving (with a lowercase t), but it shouldn’t be the only time our focus is on remembering all we have. In the coming weeks, we’re going to celebrate Christmas as well, which should be another opportunity to remember just how much God has given us and how much we have to be thankful for. Praise be to God.
At Dutilh’s annual church conference in October, we were reminded that our local church considers annually how we align our ministry and mission with the five focus areas of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference:
Developing principled Christian leaders
Creating new and renewed congregations
Engaging in ministry with the poor
Promoting abundant health
Dismantling racism
Much could be said about how we engage in every one of these endeavors in concrete and meaningful ways as part of a connectional denomination whose primary strength is that much more can be done together than apart. It is also good for us to be reminded that these five focus areas are designed to unite us in ministry and mission rather than divide us.
The Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church became the first Conference nationally to include “Dismantling Racism” in this list in 2007 and, therefore, the Conference held an Anti-racism Summit on October 20-22, which I attended virtually. Naturally, it is hard to capture all that I learned, so I will share only a snapshot of the experience. I know that racism has become a “hot” topic, especially in the political arena, but I have been trying to simply learn what it means to see things from the eyes of “the other.”
I recall my daughter’s experience in going to the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders during her Mission of Peace trip to China with other youth from our Northeastern Jurisdiction, none of whom were also Chinese. She said afterward, “These were my people,” explaining why she was affected more deeply than her peers.
Carlen with her daughter, Mei-Ling
I know very little about being a victim of a hate crime, but for her, the 339% increase in hate crimes toward Asian Americans last year (2021 vs. 2020, reported by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism) has changed her daily reality. Hate crimes toward other people of color continue to rise as well. As I listened to the personal stories that various Native, Latinx, Asian, and African American presenters shared about trauma, systemic practices, and historical roots, I felt a stronger desire than before to lament our past and care about a different future.
Both Pastor Tom and Pastor Jim have publicly addressed that racism is a sin. We recently finished studying the book of Galatians on our Wednesday night Fall Feasts, and Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This Summit was another reminder that we are all part of the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:26, Paul says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
As we at the summit signed the prayer, “Wash over us, O God. Flow through us that we may bring healing to a wounded world,” I was reminded of how the fruit of God’s Spirit, which we have been learning about on Sunday mornings in our Fruitful sermon series, can change the current reality one person at a time, one prayer at a time, one relationship at a time, and one day at a time.
A favorite Bible song from my childhood was the one about Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” who had to climb up in a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). Perhaps my affinity for the song is because I, too, am a “wee little man,” and can resonate with the need for a step stool to be able to see over a crowd! More pointedly, I like the song because I can see myself in Zacchaeus’ spiritual struggle.
I have spent a great deal of my life trying to see Jesus, longing to be obedient to his will and to follow him in the way that leads to eternal life. Yet, just like Zacchaeus, I find that I cannot see Jesus on my own. Every step of the way I need the help of others who can show me the way of Jesus. I need a big strong tree, with a solid root system, that can prop me up so I can see Jesus clearly.
A mighty sycamore tree
I was 14 years old when I preached my first sermon. I believe whole-heartedly that God called me to be a preacher, yet I have never heard God say that to me directly. I did not lock myself all alone in a room and hear the voice of God booming from the sky telling me that I need to preach. Instead, I heard God’s voice through the words of others. It was the influence of other people in my life that made me aware that God was calling me to preach.
Every facet of my faith in Christ is directly connected to the help of others. I have been taught, mentored, coached, prayed for, advised, counseled, loved, forgiven, and encouraged in every step of my life’s journey. As the author of Hebrews says, I am surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses,” standing on the shoulders of those who have made my faith and life possible (Hebrews 12:1).
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
Hebrews 12:1
Last week, Christians around the world honored All Saints Day. In the New Testament, a saint is defined as anyone who believed in Jesus and followed his teachings. On All Saints Day, we remember and honor the memories of those believers in Christ who have died in faith, and whose witness forms the tree upon which we can stand in order to see Jesus more clearly.
Who are the saints that have propped you up to help you see Jesus? We have certainly all been helped by the giants of the Christian faith; people like Peter, Paul, and John – apostles of Jesus who wrote much of the New Testament. But beyond these widely recognized names, we can point to people in our lives who told us the stories of Jesus and helped us to see him clearly: parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, mentors, pastors, and co-workers. Every believer in Jesus is lifted up by the testimony and teaching of others.
In this month of thanksgiving and gratitude, may we all recognize that “cloud of witnesses” – the mighty sycamore tree of saints who have lifted us up so that we might see Jesus.
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
About a decade ago, my husband and I put an addition on our house. At the time, I secured the help of a talented decorator—because I have no taste, or rather vision, when it comes to that type of thing.
The addition features a small office/music room, bathroom and, ta-da, a spacious great room. Really, it should be called the “game room.” My husband is a hunter and that is the only room in the house where the “game” is displayed. Think antlers and taxidermy mounts.
Anyway, I will always remember planning this room with the decorator. She said something along the lines of, “You need to paint it a dark, bold color. If you don’t, there will be something not quite right about the room. You won’t be able to put your finger on it, but it will be the paint.”
This advice reminds me of God. Everything in my, or your, life may be going perfectly. You have the job, the house, the friends and the family that you have always wanted. But something is missing. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you are not completely satisfied. Chances are, what’s missing is God.
I had this realization after I gave birth to my first child. That, for me, was the pinnacle—I had always dreamed of being married and being a mother. But even though I had everything I wanted, something was missing. It was a connection with God. I had been haphazardly seeking Him and that needed to change. I began studying His word in earnest, and He sent me godly people and opportunities to go deeper and draw close to Him.
Yes, the great room is painted the right color, and so now is my life because I view it through a lens of faith in God. He is the only one who satisfies, who fills the space properly and with the right color. No room or life is complete without Him.
In the middle of October, Joyce and I enjoyed a vacation. We traveled with good friends, another United Methodist pastor and his wife.
On our first day of travel, our friend got an alert that someone had opened a Gmail account using his name and was emailing the members of his church soliciting donations of gift cards for an “emergency need.” Yes, it was a typical scam.
While I was driving Interstate 70 through Ohio and Indiana, he was on his cell phone trying to undo the damage. He had to call his church office and have them send an email blast out to the church membership alerting everyone to the scam. He sent group emails to people on the contact list of his personal email alerting them also. It took a lot of effort.
I am back from vacation for just a few days and Pastor Tom has the very same thing happen to him!
What a world we live in!
Associate Pastor Jim Gascoine
These incidents started me thinking about how we handle things here at Dutilh Church. After all, anyone can become the victim or target of a similar scam.
With all the opportunities for fraud, scams, misuse of funds, and so forth, can you trust that your church will act with integrity when it comes to handling your money and your donations? That is an appropriate question to ask.
We have seen numerous individuals and organizations fall from grace because of some form of financial fraud, or just simply because of shoddy procedures.
And to answer: I am confident in saying that Dutilh Church has put into place a set of policies and procedures that require us to act with the highest integrity when it comes to properly handling your donations.
Pastor Tom and I will never email you from personal email accounts soliciting donations of any kind (especially gift cards!). Such an act is inconsistent with integrity – we won’t do it. If you get a solicitation that appears to do this, it is not from us; it is a scam.
Any appeal for donations, or for support of special projects will always come from an official church email account. And you will be able to verify the accuracy of any fund appeal by checking other information outlets: the church’s website, worship announcements, or just by calling the church office.
Dutilh Church will be as transparent as possible when it comes to our annual stewardship campaign. We’ll tell you what you are supporting, and what our goals are for the coming year. We will act with integrity.
And when you give, we will handle your gifts properly. Dutilh Church has internal controls in place detailing how to handle offerings – how to count, record and deposit donations.
Dutilh Church will be as transparent as possible when it comes to our annual stewardship campaign. We’ll tell you what you are supporting, and what our goals are for the coming year. We will act with integrity.
Jim Gascoine
Other aspects of our internal controls put guardrails around our procedures for cutting checks and paying bills. Our internal controls can be thought of as a set of checks and balances that ensure we act with integrity and accountability in financial areas.
Why is this important? Why do I need to stress this?
We all know that we live in a world full of scams, phishing and cons. We all know that we live in a world where too many leaders and organizations are happy with the easy and convenient, even if that is not a way that demonstrates integrity.
We will NOT be that person or that church.
Joyce and I tithe our income. And because I work with our internal controls daily, I know that my gifts are handled securely, safely and with integrity. We will continue to support Dutilh Church in the coming years with that same confidence.
My story. Your story. It matters. God has a purpose and plan for each of our lives, and the story God has written for your life is one we should not question because his ways are so much higher than ours.
Last month, the children at Dutilh Preschool worked hard on memorizing our September memory verse, which comes from Psalm 139:14a: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Yes! We really are! God doesn’t make mistakes. God doesn’t make things without intentionality and purpose. That’s some good news, isn’t it?
Julie shares a story with a Dutilh Preschool class.
But, if I’m being honest, it doesn’t always feel like the plans He has for us are always good and wonderful, right? There have been times in my life when I have questioned His plans, especially when I’ve been hurt or have had to endure something that was difficult. We don’t always understand or even agree with the things that are happening, but do you know who DOES understand? GOD! Our story—our unique upbringing, strengths, weaknesses, and family dynamics—all play a role in how God wants to mold us for His glory.
You see, I have a story. It may not be anything like yours, but it’s the story God has created for my life. Although God has given me so many blessings throughout my life, I’ve also had my share of heartbreak, abandonment, struggles, and disappointments.
My story has become my testimony to the unfailing and unconditional love of my Abba Father, but my story also includes a time in my life when I was ashamed that I didn’t have an earthly father who was active and present in my life. My earthly dad left me, my mom, and three siblings when I was in late elementary school. He moved away to a different country and lived a life there with his new family.
My story has become my testimony to the unfailing and unconditional love of my Abba Father.
Julie Willoughby
I was recently at a Jeremy Camp concert where Katy Nichole opened with some of her amazing songs and said that our stories aren’t always easy to share but always worth sharing—even if they just help ONE person. Tears began streaming down my face as she said these words because I have been, at times, embarrassed, about my story.
This absence of an earthly father was devastating and caused a lot of conflict in many ways, but it did something I didn’t expect. It gave me my testimony! You see, the absence of an earthly father gave me the ability to see how desperately I needed my Heavenly Father—my Abba. Through the years I struggled with abandonment, God brought different people into my life who helped me grow spiritually and learn all about God’s deep love for me. I understood just how much I needed God’s love, so much more than the love of my earthly dad.
I also was able to share my hurt with others who were going through something similar and encourage them with the hope I found in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV) says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
How amazing it is that God uses suffering in our lives to not only help us grow in our faith but to help others as well? Our stories have a ripple effect and can alter not only our own lives for Jesus but the lives of those with whom we are bold enough to share our stories. I think Rick Warren says it best, “If you give it to God, He transforms your test into a testimony, your mess into a message, your misery into a ministry.”
It may be scary to share your story, but it’s a story only YOU can share. I pray that God will give you the boldness to share your story with someone soon. It may encourage someone to be reminded of God’s grace and love in all circumstances.
What you may not know about me, but my family sure does, is that I love crime shows. I love watching fictitious shows, news-crime shows, and documentaries. I am fascinated by many aspects of the whole thing, especially how people solve crimes. I also find myself baffled by the things people will do for their gain, and many times it saddens me and leaves me asking, “Why?”
Recently, I watched a documentary on Netflix called, “The Girl in the Picture.” I will spare you all the details, but a girl is found near death on the side of the road, and the police struggle to identify her because she was kidnapped as a child and had been living under many aliases over the last two decades. The reason this particular documentary stuck with me was that, as you get to know the young woman, you find how amazing and kind she was despite the evil and horrors around her.
The documentary is filled with high school friends, co-workers, and family who speak of how the young woman touched their lives. A high school friend said she would leave him notes in his locker every day to encourage him, and that changed his life since he was being bullied at school.
This young woman was also hard-working, with straight As and school activities. She received a full scholarship to her desired college, though she never went.
To those in her life, she was full of love, kindness, and compassion, the kind of person you wanted in your life. They had no idea what her life was truly like or who she was.
So why am I bringing up a crime documentary in a church blog? Because I could only think of Jesus while I learned about the life this woman led. In the face of all the bad around her, she continued to show kindness and compassion. If you watch the documentary, you learn that she endured a lot to keep others safe, and through it all, she remained kind and caring.
You may cry as you learn about the atrocities that she faced. You may also cry because, despite everything, she was still full of light amidst the darkness in her life.
On Good Friday especially, we remember that Jesus gave his life for us. He had done no wrong; he cared for everyone, and he made the ultimate sacrifice. I am not calling this young woman Jesus or anything, but I was moved by her strength to treat others the way she wanted to be treated, despite her circumstances. I imagine she pulled strength from her faith, although the documentary does not delve into her religious beliefs. I can’t imagine she could be that strong of a person without a deep faith in God.
I invite you to consider the things in your life, good and bad, and how they have caused you to act. I know that I have been through hard times and have not been the best person. I think back to those times and wish I had been kinder and made better choices. Watching stories like “The Girl in the Picture” helped me remember that we are never alone and kindness matters. God is with us through the good and the bad. As you face adversities and triumphs, I hope you remember that God is with you, and he asked us to do one simple thing, to treat others the way you wish to be treated.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
A recent study found that 75 percent of youth active in the church leave between the ages of 18 and 29. As a Children’s Ministry Director who attempts to lay the foundation for lifelong faith in our children, I am devastated by this statistic. Rather than wallow in grief, I am choosing to focus not on why the 75 percent leave the church, but on why the 25 percent choose to stay. I want to focus on what I can do to help 100 percent of the children at Dutilh be lifelong followers of Jesus.
According to Josh Denhart of KidMin Science, these are the markers of youth and young adults connected to Christian faith from 18-29 years old:
They eat dinner five nights a week as a family.
They served WITH their families in a ministry.
They had one spiritual experience in the home during the week.
They were entrusted with responsibility in ministry at an early age.
They had at least one faith-focused adult in their lives, other than their parents.
Eating dinner five nights a week as a family may be challenging with sports and schedules that run you all in different directions every night of the week. I know that from personal experience. My advice? Do your best. And, if some of you are eating at different times, make sure no one eats alone. My parents would often eat without me when I was in high school activities or working late. When I came home, I would eat, and my mom would just sit and talk with me. The conversations that happen during that time are more important than the actual eating.
Sarah leads a children’s group on September 21, 2022..
Serving with family in a ministry is something we strive to make happen at Dutilh. From greeting, to collecting the offering, to workdays, to food ministry, we aim to give a variety of opportunities for families to serve together.
Having one spiritual experience in the home during the week can be another tough one because of crazy schedules. It can be as simple as bedtime prayers, a family devotional time, or a spiritual discussion over dinner.
Entrusting our young people with responsibility in ministry at an early age is also something we aim to foster at Dutilh. Children’s Sabbath and DSM Sunday, when the young people take over the service – including the preaching – is one way that we allow the kids to be responsible for ministry. There are also many service opportunities that our young ones take part in on their own.
In addition, we involve both children and youth in components of our worship service every week, from being in the band, to helping in the media booth, to reading the scripture, serving communion, greeting, and ushering. We are constantly looking for ways to plug young people in, so they feel like church is personal to them.
Sarah (far right) poses with the 2022 confirmation class.
Having at least one faith-focused adult in their lives, other than their parents, is accomplished through our confirmation mentor program. As you may have seen recently during the confirmation blessing service, we have unrelated adults partner with our confirmands to walk through the confirmation year together. I can attest that my own son’s relationship with his mentor has transcended that year, and they still get together every now and then. As Paul was a mentor to Timothy in the New Testament, we aim to model that kind of relationship for our young people.
I consistently pray for our young people that when they graduate, they will be among the 25 percent who stay engaged in the body of Christ. In my role as Children’s Ministry Director, I pledge to do all I can to help our church create an environment where children and youth can be fostered in all the practices that create lasting faith. I pray that you will lead your children and grandchildren to be engaged in children and student ministry at Dutilh, so we can do this work together.
I love singing (sometimes to the annoyance of my wife and children). I love playing music – if you know me, you probably know I play quite a few different instruments. I love listening to the music of nearly any genre (death metal might be my one hold-out, but I must admit the musicality of the genre is pretty incredible). Music is a powerful force in my life.
Whether you realize it or not, I’ll bet music has a pretty powerful impact on your life as well. I’ll bet music has the ability to change your mood. Have you ever been in the middle of a bad moment in life – maybe you’re having a terrible day – but the right song comes on, and suddenly, things start to look up? Me, too.
Have you ever been in the middle of a bad moment in life – maybe you’re having a terrible day – but the right song comes on, and suddenly, things start to look up?
I’ll bet you also use music to deal with your mood (good, bad, or otherwise). Maybe in the middle of that same terrible day, what had you listening to music in the first place was that you just needed something to match your mood. My bad-day music is a band called Skillet. If you like good hard rock, give them a listen.
My point is, we all seem to be able to relate to music, even if you’re not the best musician or vocalist out there. It seems God created us to be impacted by music. Something like 1,150 verses in the Bible reference music in some way. I can’t imagine music would show up in scripture that often if we weren’t created in a way that caused us to be impacted by it.
I’m sure you’ve likely heard scriptures like,
Sing to the lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth. Psalm 96:1
or
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Psalm 98:4
But what about this verse from Colossians 3?
The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
It might seem strange to think we should teach and warn (some translations say “admonish”) with song and yet, as a parent with kids who are five and almost three, it’s amazing how many things we teach through song. When kids are told something at a young age, it seems there’s a small likelihood it will stick, but put it in song, and it will be there for years.
When it comes to learning things like the ABCs or the days of the week and the months of the year, the power of music is incredible. But what about when we learn things through song that we probably were better off not learning? If you listen to some music that’s popular today, this phenomenon can be pretty easy to identify. But, if you go back and read the lyrics to songs from Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, and The Rolling Stones, you might be amazed at what those words say.
I’m not suggesting you stop listening to anything that isn’t explicitly Christian, but I would suggest you stop and think about the impact the music you listen to could have on your way of thinking and worldview. I regularly remind our students that just because a song is “clean” doesn’t make it ok, and it definitely doesn’t make it good.
Bud plays the cajón with the Dutilh Student Ministry (DSM) band.
The music we listen to drives us in life. How often do you leave worship with a chorus, or a verse, stuck in your head for the next few days? I love when that happens. But as often as I have a song from worship in my head, within a day or two, it’s usually a different song. If I’m not careful, what’s stuck in my head next may not be something that continues to draw me closer to God. In fact, it could be something that causes me to look at some part of His creation in a way that isn’t pleasing to Him. It’s important that we’re careful about the music we allow to drive our thoughts and emotions.
Never underestimate the power of a personal letter.
A little over a year ago, one of my spiritual mentors died. A month after his funeral, I was stunned to receive a personal letter from him. He wrote it several months before his death, with instructions for it to be sent to me upon his passing.
There was only one purpose to the letter: encouragement. In simple yet profound words, he narrated how I blessed his life, the gifts of God he saw in me, and challenged me to embrace those gifts and remain faithful to God’s call on my life.
I wept as I read the letter. I now keep it as a treasured possession – an artifact of God’s grace. On days when I am feeling down, inadequate, or uncertain about myself, I pick up that letter and read it. The words continue to encourage and inspire me.
Whether written to be delivered posthumously, on a special occasion or simply because someone was on your mind or heart, there is great power in personal letters. They are an incredible tool of God for the ministry of encouragement. What I love about personal letters is that it does not matter your age or ability, everyone can send words of encouragement to people in their life. The words do not need to be eloquent for them to have power. They simply need to be said from the heart.
Whether written to be delivered posthumously, on a special occasion or simply because someone was on your mind or heart, there is great power in personal letters. They are an incredible tool of God for the ministry of encouragement.
My favorite book of the Bible is 2 Timothy. It is a personal letter written by the Apostle Paul to his young understudy in ministry, Timothy. Paul writes from a prison cell, fully aware that this is likely his final communication with Timothy. He expresses his heartfelt love for his mentee, names the gifts he sees in him, and offers him sage advice and encouragement.
Paul’s letter to Timothy sets a model for us that has been passed down through the generations. Personal letters are a powerful form of ministry – a meaningful way to share the gospel with the people we love the most.
As the fall comes upon us, and we busy ourselves with the mountain of activities that accompany this time of year, I encourage you to think about ways you can use letter writing to bless and inspire others. Here are some ideas:
Write a note to your children or grandchildren and tell them about something you see in them that makes you proud. Stick it in their lunch box or backpack so they stumble upon it by surprise.
Write a note to your spouse or significant other and acknowledge all the things they do to bless your life.
Write to a mentor, teacher, or friend from your past who has made an impact on your life. Tell them how they have shaped the person you have become, and express appreciation for all they did for you.
Write to a co-worker who you know has been handling a lot of stress. Tell them that you see what they are going through and that you are praying for them.
Write to someone you had a conflict with in the past and offer forgiveness.
Contact the church office and ask for the name and address of someone in our church who is homebound. Write them an encouraging card and let them know they are remembered and prayed for.
There are countless examples of notes you can write that can make a real difference in someone’s life. In a world where we often feel powerless to do anything of lasting value, the simple act of writing a note may have a more lasting impact than anything else we can do. By God’s grace, there is great power in a personal letter.
I want to give a “shout out” to Julie Willoughby, our Dutilh Preschool director, for her blog two weeks ago. She wrote an excellent piece about the power of words. If you haven’t seen it, check out HERE.
Julie dealt with the subject of the power of words from a personal perspective; that is, how we interact with others on a personal level. I want to build on what Julie wrote because I am convinced that as followers of Jesus Christ, this area of our lives is critically important.
I urge that we do all we can to avoid what I call the “Humpty-Dumpty Syndrome.” My point is based on a conversation from Lewis Carroll’s book, Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Alice in Wonderland.
“‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ ‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’”
Alice’s reply is an accurate diagnosis of a deep-seated problem in our society: we make words mean too many things. Or, better put, we use words without clearly defining what we mean.
Over the past couple of months, I have had conversations with Dutilh Church members about these issues: gender identity and sexual orientation, immigration, abortion, and the upcoming elections. And those are just some of the “hot-button” issues currently being debated in our society.
Every one of these issues has a set of phrases and terms central to the debate on that issue. What happens if we don’t understand the words we use? Or, perhaps as bad, don’t understand the words that others use?
We could be in a conversation with someone, both of us using the same word or phrase, but meaning totally different things by it. Result: we talk right past each other, and there is no hope of resolution, understanding, or progress.
Keep in mind that I am not saying we must agree with those who disagree with us. But how in the world will we be able to clearly express our biblical perspective if we cannot define what we mean by what we say?
As I have said in previous blogs, I firmly believe that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have a message that can transform people and change our world. It is worth the effort to work hard to make that message understood.
And that does mean being informed of what we speak and clearly expressing our views and positions. No Humpty-Dumpty words!
By Beth Gavaghan, Director of Communications/Marketing
Have you ever participated in a dreaded activity out of love for someone else? You find yourself agreeing to do the very thing you told yourself you would never do again. That was my situation on my recent family vacation to Puerto Rico. My husband joked that I should call this blog post “Immeasurable Joy” because my joy was too small to be measured. Yes, there is a reason for including a pained picture of myself on a horse.
Beth rides Reuben in Puerto Rico.
My issue with horseback riding did not start out that way. Early in our now 26-year marriage, my husband Patrick and I spent a weekend at Nemacolin Resort, where he bought me a riding lesson. It was great fun. My instructor taught me to guide my horse to trot, gallop and do the basic commands. So, when Patrick suggested we spend a day horseback riding in Aruba for our first anniversary, I was all in.
Now this was 25 years ago, and I don’t remember the name of the outfit we used and, even if I did, I wouldn’t include it. I’m hopeful they improved or are no longer operating. Many of their horses were skinny and not well-behaved—obviously not the horses’ fault. My horse was skinny and angry. He kept biting and nipping at whatever horse was near us. My situation was better than that of a fellow rider. Her horse took off galloping perpendicular to our group while she screamed a word I can’t include here.
My only consolation during that miserable Aruba horseback ride was my commitment that I would never get on a horse again. A couple of years later, we visited Colorado and while my husband rode a horse, I went rollerblading. The memory was too fresh.
Flash forward to this August in Puerto Rico with Patrick and our two young-adult children. My husband is a planner and on the first full day of vacation, we visited the resort tour desk to schedule activities. Our daughter’s eyes lit up at the prospect of horseback riding. Before I knew it, I found myself agreeing to a two-hour ride through the national forest. Luckily, there was no option for a full-day ride. I could do two hours for my daughter and the prospect of a shared family experience, right?
His name was Reuben, and he was not skinny or angry, although he was stubborn and tried to take the lead. He kept dipping his head toward the ground so I would loosen the reins. A young guide (I never did catch her name) rode up alongside me and instructed me to let Reuben know I was in control. I was nervous, and he knew it. I kept thinking of two things: the verse, “perfect love casts out fear, 1 John 4:18 (NIV),” realizing all the while that it had nothing to do with my situation, and, if nothing else, I would get a blog post from this experience. Bingo.
Reuben tolerated me. If he could talk, I am certain he would have expressed his disdain. He allowed me to guide him. He followed the herd because he was trained. He was a stubborn horse, but a good horse, as my young guide said.
Several times during the ride, I lagged behind the group and the young guide would come up beside me. She would click her tongue and Reuben knew to catch up. I harbored no illusions about being in control. Much like how the sheep knew the shepherd in John 10:27, Reuben knew her voice and followed her command.
The family enjoys a break during the horseback ride.
What did I take away from this experience? I was reminded that love doesn’t exist without sacrifice, sometimes small on my part and sometimes large. Also, there are times when the benefit—in this case, a shared family experience—is worth suffering a little discomfort. Lastly, I am reminded that I am not ever really in control, but I have a Savior who is. He loves me sacrificially and perfectly and works all things together for my good. I need only to listen for his voice and follow.
Have you heard the proverb, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard it and maybe, even maybe, you found yourself saying it to others who have shared hurtful words with you. It’s an easy way to pretend words don’t hurt us. I mean, they are just words, right?
This is what I used to try and tell myself when someone would speak unkind words to me on the bus, or when I was told I couldn’t sit with someone at lunch, or when I was told I wasn’t as smart as my classmate. These words, while I knew couldn’t hurt me in the same way as sticks and stones, left even a stronger pain: a pain in my heart.
You see, the words we say, whether in anger or love, have a lasting impact. They matter. They can tear others down or build others up. Words are even more powerful than sticks and stones. The wounds that words can inflict sometimes leave scars big enough to last a lifetime.
Julie, sporting her superpowers at Dutilh’s 2022 VBS
As a new school year begins at Dutilh Preschool and in schools across the country, I am reminded of how powerful words are when we communicate with children, parents, and colleagues. It’s easy to speak words without really praying or thinking. It’s easy for our emotions to spill out into words. These words can be positive and uplifting, but those words can be discouraging, defensive, and unkind if we aren’t careful.
Can you relate? Have you heard the phrase, “Insert foot in mouth?” As silly and funny as this phrase is, there’s a lot of truth to it. The moment we say something we didn’t really think through or didn’t say in love is the moment we wish we could push those words right back in! You see, after words are spoken, there’s nothing you can do to take them back. They are out there and can quickly make a permanent landing place in someone’s heart. The words spoken to our children, family, friends, and also the cashier at Costco have power. What will we do with our words? Will we use them to encourage or tear others down?
I recently read something that really resonated with me. The story was about a mom talking to her daughter the night before her first middle school year. She shared this:
“I gave her a tube of toothpaste and asked her to squirt it out onto a plate. When she finished, I calmly asked her to put all the toothpaste back in the tube. She began exclaiming things like, ‘But I can’t!’ and ‘It won’t be like it was before!’ I quietly waited for her to finish and then said the following:
‘You will remember this plate of toothpaste for the rest of your life. Your words have the power of life or death. As you go into middle school, you are about to see just how much weight your words carry. You are going to have the opportunity to use your words to hurt, demean, slander, and wound others. You will also have the opportunity to use your words to heal, encourage, inspire and love others.’”
God’s word gives us wisdom on this. Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Although encouragement can come through actions, encouraging words also build others up! We have the power of the Holy Spirit every day to be a light of encouragement with the words we say. It’s not always easy and we will mess this up from time to time, but what a great time of year to be reminded about the power of words.
I know someone else, much more important than myself, that believes words also hold great value. His name is God! God values words more than anyone. Prayer, song, and especially God’s actual living Word are all great examples of how God uses words to speak life into our hearts. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
God’s Word is the way in which we can build an intimate relationship with Him while also learning how to speak truth with love, grace, and kindness.
My prayer for each of us this school year, as we love those around us, is to ask God every day how we can encourage one another. My prayer is also that God would help us guard our words and use them only when He wants to use them. Psalm 141:3 (ESV) says, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” May God help us to use our words intentionally and in a way that builds others up.
“Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24
It is no secret that it has been a challenging year for me physically. I have spent the last year in pain, unable to move well, and just not living the way I used to. However, if you have seen me recently you probably have noticed a change in how I walk and, some have mentioned, my demeanor, and that is thanks to putting my faith in something despite being skeptical.
At an appointment in April, the doctor’s recommendation for me was a nerve block to help relieve my sciatica pain. Knowing that wasn’t going to solve the problem, my husband Eric and I started to consider other options, so we contacted The Disc Institute of Pittsburgh to see if the professionals there could help. I went in for my evaluation and orientation – you aren’t given much information up front – and, at the end of these two events, I found myself skeptical of the whole thing.
What they do is teach your discs to work correctly again so they can heal. It is a process that you do three to five times a week and, over the course of 50 treatments, you feel better, not a 100 percent, but considerably better. The kicker is that you won’t start to feel better until after half of your treatments. I found myself wondering if I could believe in a treatment where I wouldn’t see results for six weeks. Eric and I talked it over and realized we didn’t have many options left, so we would give it a try.
On June 1, I began my journey at 8 a.m. I learned the routine and continued to feel skeptical. The process is not painful, but it certainly would aggravate my sciatica, and I would be in pain after the treatments. During the first six weeks, not much changed. I would notice a little less nerve pain; I could roll over in bed a little easier, but for the most part, I was the same. But as promised, by mid-July, I started to notice bigger things. I could walk farther, much to the relief of my puppies. I could get dressed easier. I could almost touch my toes! Remember, overnight I went from walking about four miles each day to not being able to walk much at all, so, for me, these little things were a big deal.
By the time you read this, I will have completed all my treatments and found myself humbled by the experience. My skepticism has been proven wrong; the disc-reteaching process has given me a lot of relief and a lot of my life back. There are things I still cannot do and should not do (Dee, I won’t pick up handbell tables). But I can walk my dogs, pick my feet up to pedal the piano, ride my bike, and all the things that for a while I wasn’t sure I would ever do again. But more than just feeling closer to my old self again, I grew as a person, spending time with the people at The Disc Institute. The patients and employees became friends, talking, laughing, watching Deal or No Deal, and just supporting and cheering each other on.
I thought I would write about this experience not just to update everyone on how I was doing, but to remind you to have faith. I was feeling hopeless about my situation a few months ago and had accepted that it might just be the way I had to live for the rest of my life. And to be honest, I was OK with it. The situation could always be worse.
Comet
Cody
Thankfully, that wasn’t God’s plan. It was definitely a challenge to believe in the process and have faith it would work, but God sent me to The Disc Institute for a reason. It was not to just get better, but to bring smiles and laughter to the employees and patients; trust me I caused lots of shenanigans while I was there.
I hope my story inspires you not only to trust God and have faith that he has a plan, but to keep that faith even when you don’t see the plan. Maybe you can even cause some shenanigans along the way.
When Bud Fickley first reached out to me about if I had considered an internship for the summer, my response was, “I think my schedule this summer is way too involved for any internships, unfortunately.” The next text exchange we had almost a month later started with him saying, “So excited to hear you’ll be interning with us this summer!” I love the irony behind the start of my internship here at Dutilh.
Over the course of the summer, I’ve learned a number of things by being involved in Dutilh’s ministry, both actively and behind the scenes. I want to highlight the three main things I’m taking away from this amazing internship.
There are times for watering and times for harvest.
During my internship, as some know, I participated in three back-to-back-to-back summer camps affiliated with a number of churches and ministries. At these camps, there were different responses to the sermons and worship services. Some nights the campers were crying and confessing sins to one another in really powerful moments. Other nights, students would just say, “Okay, that was a fun day!” and move on with their lives. This discrepancy frustrated me. I wasn’t getting the same response I desired across the board. Through this, I was reminded of a passage of scripture you probably have heard or read before: “So, neither he who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NIV).
Sam (front row, right) at Dutilh’s Youth Week
That end part is the key. God is the one who grows. All I am meant to do in life is to plant seeds and water. The One who grows will know the time to harvest. It’s an inglorious part of ministry not talked about all that often, but wow, it’s relieving! My whole job is to be faithful with the crops I’ve been given, and God will take care of the rest.
Character is greater than performance.
Sam preaching
When I was writing a sermon to deliver to the congregation, I immediately started to think of trendy phrases or teachings I could use. I wanted to say everything the right way. That’s when I saw a quote from a pastor that said, “If you have a desire to preach with no desire to study the Word of God, then you have a desire to perform, not to pastor.” It was such an incredibly convicting moment. In response, I tried my best to study and dive deep into the scriptures. This builds character. This develops habits that build character.
When Paul addresses Timothy (1 Timothy 3) and writes about qualifications for overseeing a church, nearly every single attribute mentioned is something that speaks directly to one’s character, not their ministry accomplishments or performances. I don’t want to be remembered for anything I have done. I want to be remembered for who I represented and if I lived up to the standard He set for my life.
I MUST identify solely with Jesus.
I hope you don’t remember my time here as something notable that happened at Dutilh. I hope you don’t remember my name and think I had a good sermon one time in the summer. My ministry efforts are never for Dutilh. They are always for the Kingdom. In fact, this ministry is not even my own. It’s God’s. My hope for everyone reading this is that as I go back to college, you would be thankful to God for the work He is doing in our community, our church, and the lives of our congregants.
Don’t commit yourself to working day in and day out for Dutilh. Commit yourself to working day in and day out for God. Realize there is a greater Church and a greater Kingdom you’re working for. Identifying with Jesus rather than with the name of a church, the success you’ve achieved, or the group that you’re part of, will lead to insurmountable joy and give you unbelievable amounts of purpose.
Thank you to every staff member, board member, church member, and first-time guest, for being part of the ministry efforts here and giving me numerous opportunities to pour into your lives these past three months. I’ll see you all soon. 🙂
by Heather Shoffstall Director of Student Ministries
Whether we like it or not, 2024 has arrived! As I page through my calendar for the next couple of months, I know that the new year will be just as busy as last year. The days fill quickly! I don’t make resolutions, but I do make goals for the year. One goal I have each year is to identify how many books I am going to read. In 2023, I read 90 books… almost 27,300 pages!
I love to read! Actually…it’s more that I love to listen. I mostly listen to audio books, but I consider that reading too!
I love to get lost in Historical Fiction or the newest Contemporary Romance novel. While I will read a good business or self-help book from time to time, novels are my favorite. Being immersed in the world of story is a gift!
Of all the books I read last year, do you know what book was not on my reading list? You guessed it! The Bible!
I have read the Bible from beginning to end before, but I never list it on my Goodreads app as a book that I “want to read” or on my “currently reading” shelves. But shouldn’t the Bible always be on my current reading list? What would happen if I spent as much time reading the Bible as I did the newest best seller? Don’t get me wrong, I read parts of the Bible all the time, especially when I am prepping a lesson for DSM or prepping a sermon. But what I haven’t done is make it a priority for my everyday reading.
That is why I am so excited to begin THE BIBLE IN 365, our church’s guide to reading the entire Bible in 2024. I am looking forward to reading the Bible everyday, and getting lost in the stories that I remember from Sunday School and some that I forgot about. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is 1824 pages of faith-shaping narrative.
I think I’m ready to move the Bible to my “currently reading” shelf. Wait… I think I will change that to the “continually reading” shelf. Who wants to join me?
The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. The joy of Christ’s birth, the time I have with family, the Christmas carols we sing, the laughter of playing games and making cookies…they are all so precious to my heart.
While it is a joyful time, the Christmas season is also a time when the world puts pressure on us. Christmas tends to get commercialized and can easily become more about all the material things rather than about the savior. We can get caught in the trap of wanting more, even if it’s for good reasons, like blessing our children or being good and generous hosts.
The Willoughbys are counting their blessings this Christmas season.
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want but the realization of what you already have.”
Author Unknown
When we get into the game of wanting more, we often find ourselves starting to compare what we are doing to what others are doing. We tend to think that the “grass is greener” where others stand and that our blessings just aren’t good enough.
Comparison is something I’m very familiar with. The comparison game was always played when I was growing up because I have a twin sister. Family, friends, and even strangers would always compare me with my sister. They would compare our physical traits, our hobbies, our successes, our failures, and a host of other things! Comparison can leave you feeling inadequate, discontent, and even exhausted.
It’s easy to compare yourself to other people and circumstances, especially around the holidays. Is my Christmas as special as theirs? Did I get “enough” presents for my family? Is my house as nice as their house? Did I do enough with my family to make it special? The list of comparisons could go on and on! Comparison is a trap that can lead to selfishness, depression, and even sin.
When we compare our lives with those around us, it’s easy to see what we don’t have instead of what we DO have. I am reminded of when the apostle Paul encouraged the church at Corinth not to compare themselves to others. He tells them in 1 Corinthians 12:27: “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” Comparing our gifts and ourselves to others and their gifts causes division and robs us of joy. God knows exactly what we need, and He has given us more than we could ever ask for. He also has gifted us in different ways.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:27
As we celebrate the holiday and take time to reflect on 2024, my prayer for each of us is that we would be intentional with gratitude for all God has blessed us with. I also challenge us to see ways in which God has gifted us and focus on using those gifts rather than comparing our gifts with others.
Paul shares earlier in Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12: 18-21) that, “In fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” I love this analogy to the body. We all play a part in God’s kingdom work, and our gifts are just as important as the other “parts” or gifts of someone else. May you be encouraged to shine your very special light and to experience 2024 with gratitude, not comparison! “Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want but the realization of what you already have.” (Author unknown)
“In a world that can sometimes be overwhelming, the beauty of Christmas music offers a respite for our souls.”
Hey there, dear church family! That magical time of the year is upon us once again, and there’s a special joy that comes with the Christmas season – a joy that’s beautifully amplified by the timeless melodies of the festive music of the season. Let’s take a moment to tune our hearts to the harmonies that have echoed through centuries, making this season even more sacred and joyous.
Think about our Christmas Eve services, the soft glow of candlelight, the warmth of fellowship, and the soul-stirring sound of “Silent Night” as it cuts through the silence and darkness. In that moment, it’s not just a song; it’s a sacred expression of gratitude and reverence. Christmas music has this incredible ability to cultivate an atmosphere of worship, inviting us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas – the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And let’s not forget the joy of joining our voices together in praise. Whether you’re a seasoned hymn enthusiast or someone who just loves to hum along, there’s a sense of unity that comes from lifting our voices in worship. The sound of everyone coming together to sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” or “Away in a Manger” creates a beautiful symphony of faith. It’s a reminder that, as a church family, we are bound by a common love for Christ, and our voices collectively proclaim the joy of His arrival.
Christmas music also provides a beautiful backdrop to the various aspects of our celebrations. From the majestic strains of “Joy to the World” to “What Child Is This?”, these hymns infuse our festivities with a sense of sacredness as we consider the Savior’s miraculous birth. It’s like the music becomes a sacred thread, weaving through the moments of our Christmas journey, reminding us of the profound significance of this season.
In a world that can sometimes be overwhelming, the beauty of Christmas music offers a respite for our souls. It’s a reminder that, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, there is a timeless and unchanging truth we can anchor ourselves to. The melodies that have been passed down through generations carry with them the essence of faith, hope, and love – the very foundations of our Christian journey.
So, as we embark on this festive season together, let’s savor the joy that Christmas music brings to our hearts. Let’s allow the hymns to be the soundtrack of our worship and celebration, connecting us to the heart of the Christmas story. May the melodies of this season resonate not just in our ears but in the depths of our souls, filling us with the joy that comes from knowing and celebrating the birth of our Savior.
What would Thanksgiving be without actually taking a moment to pause and give thanks for the blessings we have received? While the day is filled with cooking, watching parades and football games, and feasting with family and friends, it is the quiet moment spent reflecting and giving thanks that is the most important part of the day.
A favorite tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables is to have everyone share something they are thankful for, and share a brief prayer of gratitude to God just before enjoying the prepared feast. But how should we pray? What should we say to God? How can we maximize the meaning of that moment of thanksgiving?
As you prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I humbly offer the following Thanksgiving prayer for use around your dinner table:
Gracious and loving God, we gather to say thank you for the abundance of your blessings. Through your grace and mercy, you have enriched our lives in countless ways.
We thank you for the blessings of food and shelter, and we remember those who are hungry and live without a home.
We thank you for physical health and strength, and we remember those who are sick and in need of healing.
We thank you for friends and family, and we remember those who feel lonely and isolated.
We thank you for freedom, and we remember those who live under oppression.
We thank you for all the blessings of our lives – both big and small:
(Have each one around the table share one thing they are thankful for).
And now, holy God, help us to use the many gifts you have given us to bless others, that your light may shine through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry and Member Formation
Do you remember what it feels like to be the newbie? At one time or another, we have all been the new people in the room, looking around at an established group, wondering how best to break in. Even when group members are kind and hospitable, it is still a social and emotional adventure. The group has a shared history you are not part of. It takes time to build a history with the group that includes you. This happens at all stages of life. For young and old and everyone in between, joining a group means finding your way through being a newbie.
At this time of year, many of our church kids are experiencing this as they start new classes and programs. I know how hard it can be to coach kids through being the newbie. I also know that the connections they build as a group are so meaningful that it’s worth enduring those occasionally uncomfortable early moments. Every component of our children’s ministry (from Sunday classes to fourth- through sixth-grade small group in FISH and first through third grade in FISH Jr. to special events) is designed to help kids build deep and lasting connections.
Dutilh offers many opportunities for kids to make connections.
Recently, a parent shared that her daughter’s close friendships in our teen program, Dutilh’s Student Ministry (DSM), were made possible by the connections she made during children’s ministry programming. Participating in children’s ministry gave her a solid group to transition with into DSM. Because she invested in connections early on, she did not have that newbie feeling when she aged up to the next level of our ministry.
I have noticed that it is much easier for younger children to be the new person in the room than for teenagers. As a parent, you have more influence over your kids’ schedules when they are younger. Once they are a teenager, it can be a real fight to get them to be the newbie in any group. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! That’s why I feel it is so important for kids to be involved in our children’s ministry at Dutilh from an early age. From the day they are born, we are trying to help them make the connections that will make their faith experience long-lasting and rich.
September is a season of new beginnings: a new school year with new schedules and new opportunities. I pray that parents will make getting their kids connected at church a part of their routines. It can make a world of difference.
Oh, and by the way, adults need connections at church, too. Through small groups, the Graceful and Grateful women’s ministry, the men’s ministry, and the Faithful Followers senior adult ministry, Dutilh seeks to create meaningful connections for adults. If it is hard for our kids and teens to be newbies, we know it is even harder for adults. But it is worth it! If you are an adult seeking connections at our church, take the leap and join a group today!
For more information on Dutilh’s children’s ministry or adult small groups, email Sarah at shogue@dutilhumc.org.
Dutilh Church 