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November 2019 IN FOCUS November 2019 Peace in the Midst of Troubling Times By Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi Recently I attended a conference war, erosion of our pension, violence and “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but hosted by Classrooms Without Borders addiction in our communities, erosion of of power and of love and of a sound mind” entitled, “Antisemitism, Hate and Social Christian values, and so much more. We (2 Timothy 1:7). And Jesus said, “Peace I Responsibility." Christian Associates of live in a constant state of agitation about leave with you. My peace I give you; not as Southwest Pennsylvania was one of the whether our political party will prevail on the world gives do I give to you. Let not your sponsors of this two-day event held at Rodef this issue or that concern. Berenbaum heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh. The asserted that this kind of culture has led to (John 14:27). conference was one of the many ongoing some fringe elements of society to engage in responses to the massacre at the Tree of Life hate behaviors. Perhaps our work as Christians during this synagogue in Squirrel Hill. Advent season is to prepare our hearts and I agree we do live in a culture that is in minds to receive peace, power, love, and a Rabbi Michael Berenbaum, who is a writer, a perpetual state of agitation, fear, and sound mind from Jesus as we celebrate His museum consultant, and Professor of Jewish anxiety. And I know when I am agitated, coming into the world and anticipate His Studies gave a keynote address: “ Not Your afraid, or anxious, I do not exhibit my best return. Perhaps our work is to make sure Father’s Antisemitism: Where Contemporary behavior. But as a Christian attending this we are not ourselves agitated, fearful, or Antisemitism Differs and Why That Matters.” conference, I could not help but think, “We anxious and that we are not adding to the have the antidote to this problem.” I do agitation, fear, and anxiety of our world. Rabbi Berenbaum said there were three not discount that other religions, Judaism reasons why the incidents of antisemitism, in particular, have answers for agitated Perhaps our work is to point out to all we though not as prevalent as they once were, cultures. But as Christians we have specific encounter that in the midst of all of the are more intense than they have ever been beliefs around fear and anxiety. craziness that is going on in the world in the United States. Those reasons, he said, around us, we serve a God of sanity and were: order. We serve a God who has gifted • There is less of a social stigma against us with peace in the midst of troubling expressing hate. People freely express situations. Our minds and bodies do not hate against everything from Brussels have to surrender to acting out of fear and sprouts to whether or not a mother anxiety. We can always respond from a chooses to breast feed. place of peace and love. • Through the Internet, people now have Yes, that is what I am going to work on this a megaphone to express their hate Advent season as I prepare the Way of the Lord! We typically talk of fasting during • Because of social media, people have Lent, but this Advent I am going to fast from social support systems that fuel and being agitated. I am not going to absorb the normalize their hate. anxiety or frustrations of this world. I am going to intentionally resist them. I am going Rabbi Berenbaum further shared this to act as if I believe God really is in control, environment has developed because we so I have nothing to fear. I am going to focus are living in a perpetual state of agitation, on truly receiving the precious gifts the baby fear, and anxiety. It seems to me we are Jesus offers us - peace and love. O come, O constantly in fear of terrorism, nuclear come Emanuel. Team Journeys to Guatemala for Mission A late-October Volunteers in Mission trip The main goals of the journey were to build Center. Team members also went to homes to Guatemala demonstrated the power of a stronger partnership; offer stewardship to gauge the need for eco-stoves. the Methodist connection in reaching out education for pastors and church leaders, to assist and empower those facing physical and improve disability awareness by fitting The group also visited a women's center and economic challenges. and distributing wheelchairs. at Iglesia Evangelica Nacional Metodista, which sparked ideas for potential programs Jodale Barnhart, the Western PA Conference In partnership with Bethel Ministries Inter- to assist the women there. To support them chairperson for “Encounter with Christ in national, Rev. Debbie Hills of All God’s Chil- in the meantime, the Western PA team pur- Latin America and the Caribbean” led the dren Ministries in the Erie area coordinated chased sewing machines and materials. team, which included the Rev. Greg Cox, the fitting and distribution of wheelchairs to Rev. Debbie and Dennis Hills, Deborah Swin- 47 individuals. During this time, 20 people eford and Missional Engagement Coordina- committed their lives to Christ. tor Sandra Matoushaya. David Buzard from the Upper New York Conference also was Rev. Greg Cox, co-pastor of Ingomar UMC, part of the team, which worked alongside led the stewardship education workshop. WPA Missionary Richard Mrozcka and his Emphasizing the need to build trust for wife, missionary Lourdes "Lulu" Mrozcka, stewardship, he said, "you can’t take people who is assigned by Global Ministries to where you haven’t been, and you must do Guatemala. the things you say you will do.” He emphasized that “the kingdom of God will be realized in ministry when we meet the needs of those around us. When you say yes to Jesus everything changes. The importance of things in life change. When we come into a relationship with Jesus we must grow and change.” Stewardship, he added, “is about gratitude and giving thanks. Stewardship is about serving Christ and being his follower.” The team carried out a number of proj- ects, including painting the inside of the church, the Methodist Camp in Lemoa, and a classroom at the Nutrition and Learning 2 | November 2019 UMW: Meeting Needs into the Future Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi later offered a similar message about the need for women in mission and ministry. “When women gather, sometimes miracles happen!” she said during the closing worship service. “We have to acknowledge that sometimes, we have not gotten things right….We have to celebrate the good things, but we also have to acknowledge the human.” “We have to be honest about who we are right now and we have to get to a place of peace where we live in the tension of the un- known. I wish I knew what this denomination is going to look like in 2020,” the Bishop said. “Part of our witness is that we have to acknowledge that Jesus is with us in the tension. Jesus’ grace is enough to hold us in that tension. Right now there are folks who need to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. “It’s important to engage in community… to get to know and un- derstand the communities that are around our church buildings. They can reveal for us something of who God is. Then do what we need to do for Jesus right now!” “We don’t know what that future holds, but we know who holds the future. We can’t wait to see what God’s gonna do. We’ve got different narratives that include Jesus the Christ. He conquered the grave! He can conquer addiction in our communities... mass incarceration...and stop the ways we are killing our planet." Ebony Diaz, UMC executive for nurture and development, speaks “To cooperate with the grace and power he has already un- to Conference UMW annual meeting leashed in the world, we first have to really believe that he conquered the grave to bring about God’s plan for the salvation “Women organized for mission are essential for the church to of the world! I get excited about that!" be the church,” Ebony Diaz of the national United Methodist Women’s organization told Conference UMW recently at their The annual meeting provided an opportunity for UMW members annual meeting. to hear from leaders of a variety of area ministries and organiza- tions, including Patrice Tomcik of Mom’s Clean Air Force, about Diaz, UMW executive for nurture and development, was the its work to reduce methane and carbon air pollution; Rev. Liddy keynote speaker at the gathering on Oct. 26 at Christ UMC in Barlow of Christian Associates on the Intersection of faith and Bethel Park. She talked about doing a personal life review, exam- action; Cheri Pogue and Elizabeth Martinez of Church Union’s ining the decades of her own life and being amazed at how her Reading and Mentoring Network; Laura Styles of the East Liberty views changed, depending on the vantage point. She, like many Family Health Care Center; and Denise Nicole Stone, a member women — as well as churches and organizations— hit some of of the UMW national board, about Unstoppable, a group for the biggest hurdles in mid-life. That’s a time to look at what was teen and young adult women. accomplished and what is yet to be done, she said. With age, life becomes clearer.
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