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Church Called to 'Biblical Obedience'

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Church Called to 'Biblical Obedience' ‘YOUR TROUBLES WILL GO AWAY LIKE WATER BENEATH A BRIDGE’ – JOB 11:16 CEV UBaltimore-WashingtonM Conference of The United Methodist Conne Church • Equipping Disciples to Transform the World • www.bwcumc.org • Volumeion 24, Issue 8 • September 11, 2013 Simpsons to lead BWC’s Imagine No Malaria campaign By Maidstone Mulenga and Erik Alsgaard UMConnection Staff ishop Marcus Matthews has named the Rev. David and Sylvia Simpson as fi eld coordinators for the revamped Imagine No Malaria Campaign for the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Getty Images/The Washington Post Washington Getty Images/The BDavid Simpson serves as senior pastor of the On Aug. and , tens of thousands of Americans came to D.C. to commemorate the th anniversary of the March on Washington, Ellicott City Parish in Ellicott City, which includes at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Today, said Bishop Marcus Matthews, the march Bethany UMC and Emory UMC. He is also treasurer continues as God stirs the waters and we act on our certain knowledge that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” for the Northeastern Jurisdiction of Th e United You can read the Rev. Dr. Tony Hunt’s refl ection on the anniversary on page of this issue. Methodist Church. Sylvia Simpson retired from Hughes Network Systems as director of Engineering Services and is a contractor for the General Council on Finance and Administration. Both have previously served on BWC Church called to ‘biblical obedience’ staff . By “doing the right thing,” the bishop was speaking By Erik Alsgaard In addition to providing leadership for the INM, about biblical obedience, specifi cally in reference to UMConnection Staff both Simpsons will continue in their present roles. Micah 6:6 and Mark 12:28-31. In those passages, the “I’m so grateful to be able to say my work is all about bishop said, you will fi nd the heart of the prophetic ‘saving lives,’” said Sylvia. “When I look into the faces It is time to do the right thing.” witness and the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ. of small children and pregnant women who could very Retired Bishop Melvin Talbert spoke those words In a nutshell, the bishop was saying to love God and well be a fatality because of malaria, it grips my spirit.” to more than 550 people Sept. 1, during the 2013 to love one another. As BWC fi eld coordinators, David and Sylvia will Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) Convocation Th at may sound simple, but Bishop Talbert work closely with the Imagine No Malaria staff in “held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in reminded his audience that since 1972, Th e United Nashville, Tenn., to implement conferencewide Chevy Chase. RMN’s mission, according to its web Methodist Church has had language “enshrined in strategies for education, advocacy and fundraising site, is to “mobilize United Methodists of all sexual the Book of Discipline” that calls homosexuality within the Conference. Th e Global Health Initiative orientations and gender identities to transform our “incompatible with Christian teaching.” will provide a grant to BWC to support the work of Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s In fact, he said, over the last 40 years, the fi eld coordinators. inclusive love.” See RMN, page 6 See Simpsons, page 5 2 UMConnection Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church September 11, 2013 Ancient church mothers and fathers often greeted one another with the phrase, “Give me a word.” This greeting led to the sharing of insights and wisdom. Today we continue this tradition with this monthly column. By Mandy Sayers By Daryl Williams Pastor, Covenant UMC, Gaithersburg Pastor, Nottingham Myers UMC, Upper Marlboro ne Sunday morning, I heard a choir singing from riday used to mean something! It was everyone’s Genesis about God as creator. As part of the song, favorite day of the week. No matter if you were a they had a section where they whistled, third grader or a grizzled CEO, Friday was fun day. representing God getting lost in the work of You knew that the work week was over and it Ocreation, like a carpenter making a true corner or a baker Fwas time to take a break. You knew that if you could just kneading dough. make it through Friday, that everything would be okay. Th ey got some fl ack for “whistling in the sanctuary,” Th e week would be gone. Th e hassles of the work would believe it or not. I loved the idea of God at work, happily be put aside for a brief respite to relax and rejuvenate. in the “fl ow” of giving life, tracing rivers , shaping a Th e best thing about Friday was that there was nothing giraff e’s neck…sleeves rolled up, maybe, glasses sliding that you had to do the next day. Friday meant we could down the divine nose. fi nally relax. Th en something happened and Fridays Perhaps on the evening of the sixth day, God collapsed went sideways. with that feeling of “good tired” that you get after a long Somewhere along the line, Friday stopped being the productive day of labor. After all, God’s work was good … end of the work week and started being the beginning of very good. the work weekend. God wills that we should rest from our labors, but God Can we be honest? For many, Friday is no longer the also wills that we labor, that we use our gifts to bless the day that we begin to rest, it is the day that we take up world and to show Christ’s love. our weekend jobs. We start doing all the stuff around Rest and vacation and the indolent days of summer the house that we didn’t get to because we were too busy only make sense as exclamation points on our labor. and tired during the week. Our kids have dance practice, Work without rest is a sin that leads to burnout and followed by soccer, followed by a play date and then an death, but rest without work makes us feel almost evening birthday party that we are blessed to provide equally awful. chauff eur service to and from. With all that running and Part of being alive is to labor, to get in the game of working we often need a day off from our days off . living and loving and creating. Labor is the word we use Th e Bible has a word for time off , Sabbath. God for childbirth, a literally life-giving work. Hard labor is a intended for us to take time off from working and phrase we use for punishment, like Adam getting bread striving from the very beginning. Remember, even the by the sweat of his brow. what do “Labor” & “Sabbath” mean to you? Almighty took off a day after creating everything that It matters how we labor and what we labor for. We can “chitchat” with us on exists. In six days God created everything, then rested. make a golden calf or a meal for someone in need. If we Many of us have convinced ourselves that being on are the body of Christ, our labor needs to be Christ’s. the go all the time is a badge of honor. Take it from me, Lord, bless and use our labor to your ends. In the getUMSocial.com it’s not. Th ere comes a time when we all have to just SIT. words of Psalm 90: “Let the favor of the Lord our God IT. DOWN. be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands – Taking Sabbath is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign O prosper the work of our hands!” of intelligence. None of us can do it all. God intended for us to take breaks. So stop feeling bad about it, or waiting for permission and take a break. Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy, and take a break. EVENTS Second Mondays at Wesley • Rev. Cynthia Moore, Superintendent The Longevity Revolution of the Baltimore Metropolitan District, Wesley Seminary, Washington, D.C. Adult youth ministry training Oct. 24 Sunday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m., at Sharp Street Saturday, Sept. 21 “Second Mondays,” a lecture series Asbury Methodist Village Memorial UMC, 1206 Etting St. in BWC Mission Center, Fulton which is open to the public, will be Gaithersburg Baltimore. RSVP by Sept. 20 to ckumar@ Learn the nuts and bolts of youth held from September to February. Th e BWC’s Older Adult Ministries Task bwcumc.org. ministry with Rori Francis Blakeney. Cost Meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wesley’s Force will host a workshop on “Ministries • Rev. Rebecca Iannicelli, is $12. Register at www.bwcumc.org/ main campus at 4500 Massachusetts with Boomers and Beyond.” Online Superintendent of the Washington East youth-ministries. Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. A list registration is $35. Visit www.bwcumc. District, Sunday, Sept. 22, 3-5 p.m., at La of upcoming speakers is available at org/OlderAdults. Plata UMC, 3 Port Tobacco Road in La Plata. Hispanic Heritage Celebration www.wesleyseminary.edu/friends/ • Rev. Laura Easto, Superintendent of Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:00 p.m. secondmondays.aspx. the Baltimore Suburban District, Saturday, Epworth UMC in Gaithersburg Superintendents’ welcome Sept. 28, at 3 p.m.,at Milford Mill UMC, Includes worship, dinner and program Correction 915 Milford Mill Road in Pikesville. All featuring the many fl avors of Latino Worship and receptions will be held in In the May 15, 2013, issue, the Pleasant clergy should wear white robes and red culture.
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