THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW CUMBERLAND DISTRICT Macon, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson and parts of Clay, Smith, Robertson, Davidson, and Cheatham Counties

Volume 6, Issue 2 March 2013

Cumberland District Staff Holly Roe, Children’s Ministry Director at  Rev. Tom Halliburton, First in Gallatin District Superintendent along with several other children’s ministry  Ms. Carolyn Bullock, leaders across the state came together to District Secretary launch a brand new event that took place January 20th-21st in Gatlinburg Tennessee.  Scott Hilgadiack, Editor With nearly 650 people in attendance, it was Cumberland District Review a huge success. Inside this issue: The best thing Injustice Anywhere is a Threat 3 to Justice Everywhere about this event is that it is very unique

Episcopal Area Appointments 5 and was born out of another event Announced created by three United Methodist Working with Committees and 5 Pastors over 35 years ago called Boards Resurrection. RezKidz is a one-of-a- The Theology of Social Media 7 kind worship experience where families Women in Afghanistan 7 gathered at the foothills of the Smoky Luncheon Mountains in beautiful Gatlinburg, Denomination Urged to Trust, 8 Share Leadership Tennessee, at the

Aldersgate Renewal Ministries 10 Gatlinburg Upcoming and Sponsored Convention Center Events for a two-day retreat Local Church Events 12 and renewal time One Great Hour of Sharing 13 intended to build up

Pastors Debate Value of Lenten 14 and minister to the Sacrifices whole family. Many families were touched in a powerful way. It was a totally baby, kid, and family friendly atmosphere. They had the most sought after names in children's ministry. It was like Disney Live—Jesus style! Go Fish, Dennis Lee, Tom Toombs, and FX Live ministered with powerful messages of PAGE 2 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 faith. RezKidz provided music that parents actually wanted their kids to fall in love with! With hilarious puppets and intriguing illustrations, kids were engaged the whole time. RezKidz has a theme verse and their mission is to change the hearts of moms, dads and kids one family at a time. "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." —Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NLT)

WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING? “Go fish guys + Dennis Lee = more happiness and joy than one boy can handle!!!! This is the best Christian worship event for kids anywhere. .and we are so fortunate it's in our back door. We need to take the time as parents to make our children's faith life a priority and put everything else on the back burner! If you want this for your family come to RezKidz next January. You can go to their website rezkids.com and check it out!!!" Rebecca Israel of Kodak, Tennessee “Love this event! I haven't laughed this much in a long time! Wonderful way to worship with the entire family. Praise God!” Jana Terry, Nashville, TN. You don't want to miss out on this incredible opportunity to set aside a few days and make your family's faith a priority in 2014. Mark your calendar for RezKidz 2014: January 19-20! www.rezkidz.com Make sure to “like” their page on facebook for special pricing and promotions! For more information contact Holly Roe at Gallatin First United Methodist Church [email protected] PAGE 3 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere” Every year the Martin Serves! Program at Martin Methodist College hosts a Social Justice trip on Martin Luther King Day weekend to gain further insight to the injustices that continue to exist, and to educate students about what it was like to be alive and active in the Civil Rights Movement. This year, eights students and two staff members spent the weekend in Montgomery and Selma Alabama, two significant cities during the Civil Rights Movement, being hosted by First UMC in Montgomery. The central theme of the weekend was the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The first museum the group visited was the National Voting Rights Museum (NVRM) in Selma, Ala. This museum highlighted the Foot Soldiers who marched behind MLK to gain voting rights for all Americans, regardless of skin color. Even though these people were not leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and often went unnoticed, the NVRM recognized the important roles they played in history and felt it necessary to point out their sacrifice and achievements. While touring NVRM, the students met Sam Walker, a man who was alive during the Civil Rights Movement. Walker gave a first-hand account of life during the Civil Rights Movement. Walker led the group through the NVRM and then on to the next museum of the day, the Ancient African Enslavement and Civil War Museum (AAECWM). While at AAECWM the group got to experience what is was like being captured and taken as a slave. “It’s crazy to think that what we experienced was not even half of what those people had to go through in real life,” said MMC sophomore Hannah Potts, daughter of UM pastor, Michael Potts appointed to Rehoboth UMC. After the group finished at the AAECWM, they walked across the historic Edmond Pettus Bridge where MLK lead the march that helped gain voting rights for African Americans. While walking across the bridge, silence filled the group with chilling thoughts of the events that took place right beneath their shoes many years ago. The 54 mile march started right where they were standing.

After several pictures and many awe-struck faces, the group loaded into the van to head to the last museum of the first day, The Loundes Interpretive Center (LIC). The LIC, a museum about halfway between Selma and Montgomery, focused on what it was like for these Foot Soldiers living in tents on the side of the road for several days. As the group toured LIC, they understood the significance of what happened on this road from Selma to Montgomery. During reflections later that night, the students talked about how powerful and life changing this day was. “It shocked me to hear the amount of hatred that came from one group of people,” said student Joshua Bosnak. PAGE 4 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 The next day, the group went to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the church where MLK pastored in Montgomery, Ala. The congregation was very welcoming and made everyone feel at home. Being in the church where MLK served was a powerful and humbling experience for the group. After worshiping with the congregation at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the group went to the Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC). As they toured the art exhibit, the message “the march continues,” was engraved in the heart of the MMC students. This message is not just for civil rights in America, but all across the world.

In reflection later that day, the group focused on discrimination that still exists and what they, as a group or individuals, could do to help end it. “The first step,” said sophomore Ola Bradford, “is being strong enough and willing enough to point out that discrimination does still exist.” After the reflection the whole group made a commitment to helping end discrimination. Each person in the group chose a color of paint, put their handprint on the poster and wrote phrases that described what they would do to “discriminate against discrimination.” “Educate,” “keep an open mind,” “Love everyone,” “Be compassionate,” were all phrases that filled the poster and the hearts of the students on this trip. The next morning the group packed their luggage, experiences and strengthened friendships to take home with them. The last stop before heading back to Martin Methodist College was the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Ala. There the students gained insight to the evening Rosa Parks was arrested and the significant things that happened because of her activism. “My eyes were opened to the injustice still happening in our country and what the people in Selma started is not yet finished,” said MMC sophomore Zach Moffatt. “It’s up to our generation to help finish it.” -Written by Kara Abrams, Sophomore from South New Berlin, New York- VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW PAGE 5

Bishop Bill McAlilly announces new 2013-2014 Nashville Episcopal Area appointments, effective July 1, 2013

In the Memphis Annual Conference, Tom Hazelwood has been appointed as the new Director of Connectional Ministries. Tom is currently the Associate General Secretary of UMCOR.

John Bonson will be retiring at the Memphis Annual Conference in June.

In the Tennessee Annual Conference, Max Mayo, Senior Pastor at Cookeville First United Methodist Church, has been appointed as the new Cookeville District Superintendent.

Roger Hopson, Executive Assistant to the Bishop, has been appointed as the new District Superintendent for the Clarksville District.

John Collett has been appointed to serve as the new Executive Assistant to the Bishop in the Episcopal Office.

Harriet Bryan, Senior Pastor at Salem United Methodist Church, will serve as the new District Superintendent in the Nashville District.

Working with Committees and Boards by Alan Rudnick

One of the least glamorous jobs of any church leader is attending board or committee meetings. Understanding the purpose, vision, and goals of each ministry board or committee is immensely helpful in making the most of time spent in meetings. Meetings are inextricably linked to church work, and everyone desires that their meetings be effective. Yet few leaders are taught how to run them. The following suggestions can help you master meetings, whether you are leading or attending.

Take quality notes

Take good notes on the essential facts, places, people, and ideas. Do not get caught up in recording minutiae. Just write down phrases or words that strike you as important to the discussion. Be sure to record any decisions that are made, any actions that are approved or assigned, and the dates and times for related events or future meetings.

Be on time

Starting and ending a meeting on time will encourage your committee members to come back. Create incentives for others to get to the meeting on time. Who wants to waste time waiting? Or worse, the committee might have to waste time to bring you or others up to speed on what has happened in the meeting. PAGE 6 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Stick to the agenda

People will mentally check out of a meeting after about an hour. Have an agenda and stick to it. Have a stated beginning and end. If a longer meeting is scheduled, plan to take a break midway through. This will encourage the committee members to stay focused. If there is not enough time for a topic, table it until you can give it due attention in the next meeting.

Stop engaging discussions that go nowhere

“Who headed up Vacation Bible School last year? Chris? Remember the time when …?” Congregations process people, places, and events through memory and story. It is healthy to think about the good times or bad times in order to gain perspective about a future ministry. However, do not waste 25 minutes talking about Chris’s exploits. If board members want to reminisce, politely ask them to save that for after the meeting.

Use technology when possible

Why meet when an email or an online survey instrument, such as Survey Monkey, can poll a committee on a topic? Use technology whenever possible to circulate meeting minutes, give consent on the agenda, or share ideas. Digital storage websites, video conferences, and online meeting software can allow committee members to meet remotely. Technology can never replace a face-to-face meeting, but it can enable committees to better use their time.

Speak your mind — with reservation

If you hear something that piques your interest or concern, say something! Do not be a passive presence in a meeting; as a leader in the church, you have something to add. If you hear a committee member criticize someone else, gently remind that committee member to speak with love and grace about others in the church. If an idea is presented that is problematic, do not immediately quash it. Ask open-ended questions — questions that require more than a yes or no answer. Let the discussion encourage the presenter to think through the idea and present it again after he or she has worked on it some more.

Do not dominate, and do not let others dominate

You may be a committee chair or ex-officio member of a board, but that does not mean you are allowed to dominate the discussion. Next time you are in a meeting, record how much time you spend talking. Do you make more statements or ask more questions? Be honest in your self-assessment. If you see another person controlling the discussion, ask those who are silent in the meeting what they think. Some people need to be invited before they will volunteer an opinion.

Be a spiritual guide

Make sure the meeting opens in prayer — and return to prayer if an important decision needs to be made. Share a devotion, meditation, or Scripture than can encourage the group in its work. If you hear a pastoral care concern, act on it and communicate the concern or need to the pastors. Encourage the committee in its work, and let each person know her or his time is valuable.

Used with permission from Lewis Center for Church Leadership: http://www.churchleadership.com/default.htm

Alan R. Rudnick is senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa, New York. He participated in the Lewis Center for Church Leadership’s Lewis Fellows leadership development program for young clergy in 2010–2011. This article is adapted from The Work of the Associate Pastor by Alan R. Rudnick. Copyright © 2012 by Judson Press. Used by permission of Judson Press, 800-4-JUDSON,www.judsonpress.com. The book is also available at Amazon.com andCokesbury.com. PAGE 7 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

The Theology of Social Media by Thomas G. James Social media outlets have become indispensable resources to church leaders seeking to be faithful to the Gospel in the modern world. While there are practical reasons for implementing social media as part of our ministry models, the more fundamental reasons are theological. We were created to be in relationship with one another. Our need for relationship is part of the image of God in which we have been formed. Relationships help us embody the image of God in which we were created. By deepening our relationships, we convey our deep love for Christ. Social media can facilitate deeper interpersonal relationships by turning one-way communication into interactive dialogue among individuals, organizations, and communities.

As Christians, we enter into relationships with the hope and expectation that we will encounter the love and grace of God through our interactions with others — and that those with whom we relate will also. “Whoever sees me sees the one who sent me,” says Jesus (John 12:45). When we build relationships through social media, we give witness to the world about how God is working in our lives. And with an estimated 500 million on Facebook, and over 140 million Twitter users active each month, not to mention participants in the many other social media outlets, what a world we can open ourselves up to!

Building and maintaining relationships is also a missional imperative. Social media outlets provide new eyes to see and new ears to hear the needs of our neighbors and those in the surrounding community. On a larger scale, they help us discern the issues present within our society. While social media cannot replace personal interaction, network posts offer a glimpse of people’s current struggles. Social media outlets provide a new way of hearing and discerning these needs.

In our changing world, these new technologies can enhance the mission of the church by allowing us to initiate and cultivate new relationships among broader networks of people. Social media outlets have become important instruments of faithful and fruitful ministry as we seek to build relationships and make disciples.

Used with permission from Lewis Center for Church Leadership: http://www.churchleadership.com/default.htm

Thomas G. James is minister of mission and contemporary worship at Centreville United Methodist Church in Centreville, Virginia. Previously, he served as resource manager for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. This article was adapted from an article that originally appeared in the Virginia Advocate and is used with the permission of the author and publisher.

Women of Afghanistan Luncheon at Rehoboth UMC The Rehoboth UMC women’s ministry (LIFT) would like to invite you to join us on April 27th, 2013, for the “Women of Afghanistan” luncheon. Our speaker will be Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder from the TN Department of Veterans Affairs. Grinder retired as a Colonel from the Tennessee Army National Guard with over 35 years of service. She is an Operation Enduring Freedom Combat Veteran, having served for over ten months throughout the country of Afghanistan. The event starts at 9:30am with registration and snacks, Grinder will make her presentation, with a boxed lunch to follow. Cost is $10, please make checks out to Rehoboth UMC, and put LIFT/Women of Afghanistan in the memo. Please send checks to Rehoboth United Methodist Church 2601 Cages Bend Road Gallatin, TN 30766. Childcare will be provided for children ages 5 years old and under but reservations are required. Deadline for registration is April 15, 2013. For more information, please contact the church office at 615-822-3966 or [email protected]. PAGE 8 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 Denomination urged to trust, share leadership A UMNS Report By Heather Hahn*

7:00 A.M. Jan. 28, 2013 Don’t be surprised if you hear church leaders use the phrase “adaptive leadership” multiple times during the next four years. That phrase served as the recurring theme of the 2013 Quadrennial Training Event, which drew nearly 1,000 United Methodists to the Gaylord Opryland resort in Nashville, Tenn., from Jan. 17 to 20. Put another way, the gathering attracted almost as many people as were delegates at last year’s General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly. Since 2005, the United Methodist Board of Discipleship has sponsored the event every four years for annual (regional) conference leaders, bishops, agency staff and other church leaders, mostly from the United States. One of the The Rev. Pat MacHugh (right) helps prepare meals for guests of Open gathering’s main goals is getting denominational leaders on Table, a Nashville, Tenn., nonprofit organization, as part of a service the same page as they head into a new period in the life of opportunity during The United Methodist Church's 2013 Quadrennial the church. Training Event. She is joined by the Revs. Victoria Rebeck (left) and David Abbott. UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. “My hope for the event is to give people a shared language,” the Rev. Susan Beaumont, one of the event’s main speakers, told United Methodist News Service. She is an ordained Baptist minister and senior consultant with the Alban Institute, which provides resources to develop U.S. congregations and clergy. “What I have found is when people have a common language to talk about something they’re experiencing and they can articulate it, 90 percent of the time they can move forward,” she said. “Where people get stuck is when they’re experiencing something they don’t know how to give language to.” Germany Area Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, offered another goal for the gathering. She was speaking to the Connectional Table, which met immediately before the training event and coordinates the denomination’s ministry and resources. “I hope we can help each other to build trust,” she said. “I think this is one of the most important challenges for us in our denomination that there is so much mistrust.” She hoped the event would remind the church that “all United Methodists are called by God, and together, we can learn how to be better witnesses of God’s love and God’s grace.”

What is adaptive leadership? Beaumont defines “adaptive leadership” as the ability to mobilize people to tackle tough challenges and thrive. Adaptive leaders, she told the gathering, build up their organization’s ability “to live in a less predictable, more ambiguous environment and learn to adapt to changing circumstances as a way of life.” Such leaders, she said, make space for the ideas and initiatives of people who often are at the margins of their organizations, outside the usual lines of authority. They frequently lead, not by taking charge, but, rather, by connecting people. Raleigh (N.C.) Area Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, another event speaker, offered an example of adaptive leadership from her time as a district superintendent. In 2003, a pastor who had never been to Africa told her he felt God calling him to care for orphans on the continent. He then asked Ward whether she knew anyone in Africa. Ward at that point knew only one person, a Zimbabwe conference treasurer. But she was able to connect the two men, and the pastor traveled to Zimbabwe. The conversation she facilitated was the beginning of the creation of ZOE Ministry, which helps children and youth orphaned by AIDS and other causes to become self-sufficient. PAGE 9 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

“Most of the time,” Ward said, “we’re adaptive leaders by About adaptive leadership mistake.” Dr. Ron Heifetz, a physician and founder of the Center United Methodists, Beaumont added, can take a lesson from the for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, developed and popularized the con- spiritual “Wading in the Water,” with its refrain “God's going to cept of adaptive leadership. trouble the water.”

His work has since garnered a following among both “My friends, I’m here to tell you God is already troubling the business and religious leaders. During the previous waters,” she said. “We don’t have to figure out where the four years, many United Methodist bishops studied adaptive leadership is. It’s there. Our problem is that too many of his work. us are trying to settle the water back down.” “All this adaptive stuff, it so translates to the world of Why leadership matters church that denominational structures everywhere are starting to talk a lot about this,” the Rev. Susan Without question, The United Methodist Church faces choppy Beaumont, senior consultant with the Alban Institute, waters. told United Methodist News Service. Even as the denomination grows in membership overall, most “The United Methodist Church is a bit farther along U.S. conferences have seen their membership and church into the dialogue than other denominations.” attendance decrease for decades. That trend affects more than United Methodists. Religious groups across the United States — including the Roman and the Southern Baptist Convention — have reported declines, the Religion News Service reports. An October report by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that in the last five years, the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated in the United States has grown at a rapid pace — from slightly more than 15 percent to just less than 20 percent of all U.S. adults. Many United Methodist conferences in the United States also are dealing with reduced budgets and the difficulty of trying to figure out how best to use limited resources. Such struggles often are part of adaptive leadership. Beaumont told those gathered that adaptive leadership is not primarily about managing change; it is about managing loss. But, she also stressed, everyone at the gathering had a leadership story to tell, and she encouraged people to share their stories. Working together and with God Much of the event included time for conference leaders to gather into small groups and discuss the leadership needs and challenges in their areas. Los Angeles Area Bishop Minerva Carcaño attended the previous quadrennial training session in 2009 as well as this one. She said the 2009 event was more about depositing information in those gathered as though they were a bank. “This was more of a model of bringing forth from each one of us that which we know already rather than feeding us information,” she said. “That’s a significant change, and that’s a good change.” One recurring theme of the 2013 gathering was the need, not only for more trust among church members, but also for more trust in God. Speakers continually reminded those gathered that they were not facing their troubles alone, and they should be willing to take risks, knowing God is present. The Rev. Jasmine Smothers, associate director of connectional ministries in the North Georgia Conference, highlighted that idea during the event’s closing worship. “At the end of the day, no matter what we do, no matter what we say, your God reigns,” she preached, citing Isaiah 52:7. “Go from this place, knowing … who you are and whose you are, and no matter what you do, you can’t muck it up so bad that God can’t fix it.”

*Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service.

News media contact: Heather Hahn, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. PAGE 10 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2 Aldersgate Renewal Ministries Upcoming and Sponsored Events Located at 121 East Avenue, Goodlettsville TN 37072 | 877-857-9372 | aldersgaterenewal.org | [email protected]

We’d love to see you at the 2013 Aldersgate conference! If you’ve never been to one of the 34 previous conferences and would like to know what to expect, call the Aldersgate Renewal Ministries office [877-857-9372] for a free promo DVD. Leif Hetland

GlobalMissionAwareness.com Confirmed keynote speakers are:

Visit aldersgate2013.org for equipping session speakers, more information on the children’s and Harvey Brown youth ministry and to register. See you in Lexington! ImpactMinistries.org

Bobby Cabot

Kingdom Life Healing Ministries

Lee Ann Williamson ChristianWorldMission.com

PAGE 11 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

How many pastors do you know who could use three nights away with their spouse with an opportunity to return to their first love, re-ignite the flame in their marriage and reclaim their call to ministry? Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM] is offering a minister and spouse renewal retreat in Goodlettsville, TN, April 2-5, 2013 for that very purpose. The registration is just $199 per couple and includes hotel, meals, programming and a special date night!

The ARM Minister and Spouse Retreat is designed specifically for participants to be refreshed and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Participants will be invited to return to their first love and renew their personal walk with Christ through times of prayer and worship. Ministry will be offered to rekindle the flame in marriages through teaching and time in small groups. Lastly, participants will experience the opportunity to reclaim their call to ministry. They will regain perspective as they answer again the question, “Why did I ever get into ministry?”

Return to Your First Love Renew your personal walk with Christ through times of prayer and worship.

Rekindle the Flame in Your Marriage Revitalize your marriage through teaching and ministry. The schedule is structured specifically for you to have a relaxed dinner date alone with your spouse (included in your registration).

Restore the Power to Serve Regain fresh passion to serve and allow God to reignite hope and vision for the future. Leadership includes ARM staff and selected clergy couples seasoned in successfully navigating the challenges of marriage and ministry.

While families are very important to us, the content of the retreat necessitates that couples attend without children. For the benefit of all participants, please make childcare arrangements at home.

ARM will send your hotel information with your confirmation.

2.0 CEUs for 20 Contact Hours of Instruction, Small Group Interaction, Worship and Prayer are offered for participation. Registration is limited, so register early!

Visit our website at aldersgaterenewal.org/msr for more information, testimonies and to register. Or, call our office at 877-857-9372. To be added to Aldersgate Renewal Ministries database and receive updated emails regarding events, please go to http:// aldersgaterenewal.org/contact-us/join-mailing-list OR email [email protected]. PAGE 12 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Local Church Events Weekly Schedule Lafayette United Methodist Church 506 Bratton Avenue Praise & Worship P.O. Box 122 Lafayette, Tennessee 37083 th Phone: 615-666-3497 Starting March 16 E-mail: [email protected] Saturdays at 5:00 PM

Come as you are and celebrate Christ with us!

Sunday School at 9:45 AM for all ages!

Traditional Worship - Sunday Morning at 10:55 AM

Bible Study each Monday night at 6:00 p.m. starting February 4

Lafayette UMC and the Hispanic Church “Siloe”

will have a joint worship service on November 19 at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

THRIVE Student Ministries Presents “Murder at Mike’s” Mystery Dinner Theatre Sunday, March 3rd at 5:30pm Gallatin 1st United Methodist Church 149 West Main St Gallatin, TN 37066 in Ramsey Hall Tickets on sale by contacting the church office at (615) 452-1922 or [email protected] Adults: $15. Kids: $10. 3 yrs and younger: Free

Where: Lafayette United Methodist Fellowship Hall When: Friday, March 15th Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Call 666-3497 For more information

PAGE 13 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

PAGE 14 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Pastors debate value of Lenten sacrifices By Heather Hahn* 1:30 P.M. EST Mar. 3, 2010 | LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (UMNS) Renewing a centuries-old debate, Arkansas pastors have taken to the Internet to discuss the spiritual value of making personal sacrifices such as giving up chocolate or television for . The conversation started when the Facebook page of Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock posed the question of whether anyone was planning to give up social networking for Lent. “Seriously?” wrote the Rev. Danyelle Trexler Ditmer, pastor of Atkins First and Bells Chapel United Methodist churches in Arkansas.

“I have to say that is a very poor view of the Lenten discipline of sacrifice. It’s like giving up chocolate. In what way will that help you grow closer to God? Instead, let us all endeavor to follow a Holy Lent whereby we honor sacrifice by taking on disciplines that will enrich our life with Christ and help us more fully appreciate the suffering and death of our Lord and the glory of resurrection on morning.” The Rev. Russell “Skeeter” Hull, pastor of Nashville First and Bingen United Methodist churches, had his own take. “I don’t argue anything that you say,” he replied, “but I think that to say giving up chocolate or social networking would be random or of little value is going a bit far. The idea of the Lenten sacrifice is to make time for us to do exactly what you are talking about in your previous post. If it is social networking, TV, telephone, breakfast — WHATEVER it is — it’s about creating a time to be in prayer or the Word.” Reformation debate The pastors were engaging in a debate that was part of the Protestant Reformation.

In 1522, followers of Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli publicly rejected Rome’s prohibition against eating meat during Lent by eating sausages not long before Easter (and were arrested for their trouble). Harvard University historian Steven Ozment has said for 16th century church authorities, the Lenten menu was tantamount to burning a flag today. The act of defiance is often cited as the start of the Swiss Reformation.

William B. Lawrence, dean of the Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, said that Zwingli — like his contemporary Martin Luther — rebelled against what he saw as the increasingly arbitrary rules of the Roman Catholic Church. Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. A UMNS photo by Kats Barry. View in Photo Gallery These rules failed to draw people closer to Christ, Zwingli argued. “In a word, if you will fast, do so; if you do not wish to eat meat, eat it not; but leave Christians a free choice in the matter,” he preached. There is a strong biblical base for , particularly during the 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter. Jesus, as part of his spiritual preparation, went into the wilderness and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, according to the Gospels.

The Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches continue to have fasting “Which is better: to give something rules during Lent. But as a result of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the up for Lent or do something new for Catholic Church has shifted its approach toward more personal responses to Lent? The answer would be both.” penitential practices. -- William B. Lawrence PAGE 15 THE UNITED METHODIST REVIEW VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Catholics were encouraged to substitute a meaningful act of penance as an alternative to not eating meat on Fridays year-round. The church still asks Catholics not to eat meat on Fridays during Lent and to fast — eating only one full meal — on and Good Friday.

However Christians come down on the question of fasting, Lawrence suggests that the 40-day season involve some spiritual devotion on the mystery of Christ’s sacrifice. “Which is better: to give something up for Lent or do something new for Lent?” Lawrence said. “The answer would be both.” Wesley endorses fasts founder John Wesley wasn’t content to limit fasting only to Lent. He fasted twice a week — on Wednesday and Friday — said the Rev. John Farthing, retired Hendrix College professor and now senior pastor of Greenbrier First United Methodist Church. “His fast did not involve abstinence from food altogether, but allowed for limited consumption of food and drink,” Farthing said. Wesley also advised moderation because he didn’t want Christians to fast so severely that they damaged their health. Still, Farthing points out that Wesley’s idea of moderation would seem quite Karen Crutchfield ascetic by today’s U.S. standards. Wesley was adamantly opposed to overindulgence. He also criticized the common Lenten practice in 18th century England of abstaining from pleasant food. In short, Wesley — like Ditmer — was not a big fan of giving up chocolate for Lent. “I take that to mean that Wesley sees such minimal fasting as a trivializing of something important,” Farthing said. “I think the absence of an emphasis on Lenten fasting reflects Wesley’s desire for fasting to be an integral part of the Methodist lifestyle rather than just an annual observance.” Focusing on God The Rev. Clayton Bulice, senior pastor of Primrose United Methodist Church in Little Rock, suggested that fasting should be more about doing something good than doing without. He cited Isaiah 58:6: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?” Others find going without helps their spiritual journey. Bishop Charles Crutchfield and his wife, Karen, usually fast one day a week. The Crutchfields will often begin a 30-hour fast following a noon meal and not eat until dinner the next day. “For me, fasting is a way of focusing on God,” Karen Crutchfield said. “It is an addendum to prayer and helps me recognize my human limitations. It helps get ‘me’ out of the way so I can listen to God. Fasting is an act of repentance, discernment and humility. My focus during fasting is intentionally not on myself and my needs, but on God. Any hunger pains or discomfort become a reminder to pray.” Karen Crutchfield added that it doesn’t matter what a person gives up as long as God is the focus. “It is certainly not an achievement,” she said. “To be able to fast is another gift from God.” *Hahn is editor of the Arkansas United Methodist. News media contact: David Briggs, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or [email protected].

Resources: Meat during Lent Resources for Lent and Easter What is Lent and why does it last forty days?

Comments will be moderated. Please see our Comment Policy for more information. CUMBERLAND DISTRICT UNITED METHODIST CHU RCH Check out our updated web page: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 477 http://cumberlanddistrictumc.org/. If you have Hendersonville, TN 37077 any suggestions or corrections please email District Office Location: Scott Hilgadiack at [email protected] . 525 New Shackle Island Rd Hendersonville, TN 37075 (Inside Good Sheppard UMC)

Telephone: 615-822-1433 FAX: 615-822-3729 Deadline for the next Cumberland District Review, March 18, 2013. Please send any information you wish to be printed in this edition to [email protected] or to [email protected].

Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.

Prayer Request: