JUNE NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

I wrote this article for the June Newsletter for the West Danville United Methodist Church.  You can find the whole newsletter posted on the church website at www.westdanvilleumc.org

The black flies are out in force these days, thanks to the continuing wet weather.  Plus, it’s the season for the little buggers, who love to bite us around the hairline – or anywhere they can find skin – and leave little round puncture wounds that can itch or swell or even become infected.  And DEET doesn’t even faze them!  I think they like the smell!  How I hate black fly season!  The good news is that eventually they go away with the advent of the warmer, drier weather of summer.

Anopheles mosquito

 

Not so with the female mosquito of the genus Anopheles – the one that spreads the parasite Plasmodium, which causes the dreadful disease Malaria.  Malaria was eliminated in the United States in the 1950s, but it remains a serious health problem across the globe, particularly in the developing African countries.  In tropical climates, the Anopheles mosquito is always a threat. There is no cure for malaria, and it poses a threat to 200 to 300 million people worldwide.  Infants and children are the most susceptible.  One child dies every 45 seconds from Malaria, more than one million annually in Africa.

 

The United Methodist Church is collaborating with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the global Fund, the Lutheran Church of America and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to rid the world of Malaria by 2015.  The Gates Foundation has contributed $17 million to underwrite this effort. Their gift is to pay for administration, development, staffing and public information for this initiative.  The goal is to raise an additional $75 million to use in four areas to eradicate malaria. 

(1)   PREVENTION by distributing bed nets through the Nothing But Nets program. 

(2)   EDUCATION to train community health workers and teach people how to protect themselves from malaria, and to disseminate information in countries without the luxury of TV and newspapers

(3)   TREATMENT of those who have already contracted the disease.

(4)   ERADICATION of the sources of the mosquitoes by draining stagnant pools of water.

   
      JUST IMAGINE what 11.5 million compassionate United Methodists (and their friends!) can do to empower an entire continent to achieve a sustainable victory over malaria!

  

JULY IS IMAGINE NO MALARIA MONTH AT THE WEST DANVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH!

The only good Anopheles mosquito!

In July we will have lots of opportunities to learn more about malaria and the initiative to eradicate it by 2015. We will have opportunities to explore and decide how we will support this program, as individuals and as a church.  Ten dollars buys a bed net and saves a life; $1,000 (or a pledge of $28/month for 3 years) would IMPACT 100 lives.  We will have a community concert featuring singer Mark Shelton on July 22, from 7-9 p.m.  We will have devotional materials to use, and special prayers of support for this important mission.  Watch for updates, bulletin announcements, posters of events, and be sure to visit www.ImagineNoMalaria.com and www.westdanvilleumc.org for on-going information about Imagine No Malaria.       

REFLECTIONS . . . Teh sheep d00d an shep

“The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same.”

           ~Marie-Henri Beyle, a.k.a. Stendhal, French writer 1783-1842

4^th Sunday of Easter, Year A

Good Shepherd Sunday 

April 15, 2011                                                                             

 

Acts 2:42-47                          

Psalm 23                                

1 Peter 2:19-25                                

John 10:1-10

Today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday.  It is celebrated every year on the 4^th Sunday of Easter, and it always includes a reading of Psalm 23 and a portion of John, Chapter 10.  I would like to share one simple thought with you about the Good Shepherd and the sheep, or as my title says, Teh sheep d00d an shepz.  My thoughts have to do with the shepherd’s VOICE.   The Gospel of John tells us that “the sheep follow him (the gatekeeper or shepherd) because they know his voice.”[John 10:4]   The shepherd’s VOICE is extremely important to the shepherd – and sometimes it is not his spoken voice, but a special way of whistling.  Over time, the sheep get to know the shepherd’s voice, be it a vocalization or a whistle.

The sheep of the Bible were not raised for their meat.  Primarily they were raised for their wool ¾ and a few for animal sacrifices. But mostly the sheep lived as part of the family for their life-span of twenty to twenty-five years. The sheep were treated like pets. The sheep all had names - like Ken’s cows all had to have names.  The sheep had identities and were known by the shepherd.  And they, in turn, knew their shepherd by his voice.

Now that’s a hard concept to get — knowing the Shepherd’s voice, meaning God’s voice. How do we hear and ultimately get to know God’s voice in today’s world?  It seems to me that this is the number one most difficult question facing the Church today.  How do we hear and ultimately get to know God’s voice in today’s world?  This question is often asked in different words, however.  It might be the question of “How do we attract our young people?”  or “How do we reach the unchurched?” or “Why do some people come for awhile and drop out never to return?” or “Why don’t people think the church is important anymore?”  I think these questions are really questions about how people come to know, hear and listen to God’s voice in their lives — and to differentiate God’s voice from the other voices that lay claim to their lives — and then come to  respond to that voice in an active and faithful way.

A while ago I was privileged to come in contact with a very strange website that, for me at least, illustrates this issue.  The site is LOLCatBible.com. It is a blog site, which means that, with the blog-owner’s permission, other people can comment, help edit, or add to the site.  The purpose of this site is to translate the entire Bible into what the site calls LOLSpeak, or CatSpeak.  The site has a grammar and spelling section to teach people how to write in LOLSpeak, which is a combination of how people might sort of “baby talk” to their cats or kittens joined with how the creators of this “cat language” think cats might speak among themselves.  The site also has a page of very sound classical theology — written in LOLSpeak, of course.  The site was created by a young man in high school, and most of the participating translators seem to be high school or college young people along with some college or university professors.  It is an interesting site.  If you look on the back of your bulletin, you will see the translation of the gospel lesson for this Sunday.  Let me read it for you in my best CatSpeak dialect.  Keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to some Pharisees as well as his own disciples.

¹ Jebus say "k gais i is for srs, if ur in shepfold and u no goes thru dor, u is r0bbr.² but if u can goez in thru shepfold door, is ur shepfold.³ cuz that means shepfold dorman see u and all ur sheepz hearz u. cuz u give shepz names and takez them from shepfold⁴ and so the shepz hearz name and folowz cuz is shepfold gai an hear liek teh shepfold gai.⁵ but if iz no shepfold gai, sheepz no folow cos is no shepfold gai and no sowndz like shepfold guy so shepz are like: run awai! is no shepfold gai!"⁶ Teh gaiz wer liek "WAT?! Wat u talkin bout sheepz 4? We is has NO KLU wat u meanz!!"
⁷ Jebus sez agn "k, lsn srsly gais, i iz shep door.⁸ Erleer peepz was r0bberz, n sheepz was like: i no lisn 2 u.⁹ I iz door. (I iz opn door, so u no need 2 compln, k?) U goes thru me, u iz ok, n u go in n u com out n u getz nice gras n stuf.¹⁰ R0bberz d00dz steelz ur stuff n kilz u. I iz here so u can has lots of lif, an it can has abunden... ubund... lotza gudniss.1

Perhaps that seems silly to you — or a waste of time.  One critic who commented on the site agrees with that.  David Mikkelson of snopes.com wrote: 

“Sure, the Internet has more than proven itself as an invaluable tool for research, communication and business. Still, sometimes the best features of the Web are the most banal — namely those that let you kill time online while at work or school. Perhaps no other online project of the moment is greater testament to this than the Lolcat Bible Translation Project.”2

Perhaps to David Mikkelson it is a time-waster.  But it occurs to me that if high school and college kids and even college professors are willing to spend their time translating Bible passages into LOLCatspeak, they would first have to very carefully read that passage and understand it well to be able to do that.  They are, then, actually participating in one of the most clever Bible studies I’ve seen in a long time.  What better way to learn the Bible than to have to paraphrase it into other words — even “catspeak” words!    And what better way to learn the sound of God’s voice than through the study of God’s word!  And here are young people from all over, adding to this project every day — learning the sound of God’s voice through the words of the Bible.  

                                                                  

         Jesus said:  “My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.” [John 10:27]  Jesus guarantees us that we have a name and that he knows our name. He is the good shepherd. Over time, with the deepening of the relationship, the sheep and the shepherd know the voice of one another. We understand this because the closer we are to people, the more we know the sound of their voice. They don’t have to tell us their name on the telephone; we know their name because we know the tone of their voice. And so it is with God; God hears our voice and knows our voice by its very sound. And we know the sound of God’s voice:  the voice of God in the Bible, the voice of God in prayer, the voice of God speaking through those who live by God’s love and share that love with others.  By experience, we learn to know the sound of our LORD’s voice. 

         Jennie Gordon, a member of the worship-revised common lectionary list, has written a poem entitled “how will we know your voice?” that I would like to share with you in closing my Reflections:

how will we know your voice?

                              

amidst the din of a thousand others

drumming their droll into our ears

jumping fences, crashing parties

sneaking in when the gate’s ajar

here; just try this, it’s what you need,

with this, success is guaranteed …

and then leaving us, fox-quick

hungrier than before

somehow sold-out, depleted

flattened, fleeced and cheated,

how will we know your voice?

it holds the breath of all beginnings

fills the cup with love outpouring

binds the broken, finds the lost

feeds the hungry, pays the cost

a still, small voice that dampens storms

ageless and timeless, since life’s dawn,

your tone the same

you are the one who speaks our name

            © Jennie Gordon 2011 [used with permission] 

                          

                                                               

EndNotes:

1  Jon 10:1-10 LOL Ca Bibl Translation Project. http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=John_10

2  Mikkelson, David, http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Press

________________________

© Carol J. Borland, Interim Pastor, West Danville United Methodist Church, West Danville, Vermont.  April 15, 2011 Good Shepherd Sunday, Easter 4A

REFLECTIONS . . . On Coming Into Belief

    

Second Sunday of Easter, Year A
May 1, 2011   

 

Acts 2:14a, 22-32                    

 Psalm 16:5-11                                   

1 Peter 1:3-9                                       

John 20:19-31

"I am never sure how, or why,

Jesus has come to me and stood

in that sequestered place of fear and forgetfulness, 

but he has again and again."

           ~Peter Woods, "Is It Really You?  I am listening 

In our Gospel lesson for this morning we hear about the disciples’ first encounter with the risen Christ. It is Easter Sunday evening, and the disciples are hiding behind locked doors because they are afraid of the authorities. Suddenly, and quite supernaturally - and John emphasizes this by mentioning the locked doors - quite supernaturally, Jesus stands among them, and he greets them. “Peace be with you,” he says, and then he breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

This passage from John provides a different perspective on the gift of the Holy Spirit and the beginnings of the church than the story in Acts.  In Acts, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples and those gathered on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Christ’s resurrection - and it comes like a violent wind from heaven and dancing tongues of fire, and it fills the house where the disciples are sitting.  The reading from Acts for this morning is the message that Peter preached to the Israelites gathered there right after the Holy Spirit rushed upon them.  John, however, doesn’t mention the Pentecost experience.  John sees the establishment of the church as inseparably linked with Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension.  For John, the Holy Spirit comes as a breath from the Risen Lord - after a greeting of “Peace.”  And it happens on that first Easter Sunday.

The second half of this particular account in John’s gospel has Jesus appearing to the disciples a week later, and there are some notable differences in this encounter. First, there is no mention of the disciples being afraid. Second, this time Thomas is present.  And Thomas, remember, does not believe the story of Christ’s resurrection. He’s been told about it.  He’s heard sincere and valid testimony from people he trusts.  But none of this makes a difference. “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” [NRSV] That’s what Thomas says. And suddenly Jesus just appears, this time through shut doors - no mention of locks, though - and he confronts Thomas with his unbelief.  Jesus says “Hey Thomas! How about this? Here I am. If you need to see and touch, then go right ahead!” Thomas responds with the most powerful and complete confession in the John’s gospel: “My Lord and My God!”

  I think everyone has heard the expression “doubting Thomas” - usually accompanied by the admonition not to be one.  The usual way of looking at this passage is from the perspective of Thomas and with the emphasis on his “doubt.” We view Thomas, the one who doubted, with a judgmental eye.  After all, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” [NRSV] Jesus expresses this blessing in a verse that seems to contrast the believers - the blessed ones - with Thomas who, by inference, is not as blessed because he needed to see Jesus in order to believe.  We see Thomas as a kind of second-class believer. 

This is how we traditionally have read this passage - from a perspective that casts a negative tone on doubt. “Why do you doubt, Thomas? The rest of us don’t need to put our fingers in his side. We believe on the basis of the testimony of others, and we’re blessed. Why don’t you?” From that perspective, Thomas becomes a model of discipleship that isn’t quite up to par with the rest of the disciples.

  Most translations of this passage use the word doubt.  Jesus tells Thomas, “Do not DOUBT, but believe.”[NRSV] I found it extremely interesting to learn that the word ‘doubt’ does not appear in the Greek.  A literal translation from the Greek would read more like “do not be without faith, but with faith.” Eugene Peterson translates it, “Don’t be unbelieving.  Believe.”[Peterson]

I think that changes things a bit.  For one thing, the negative connotation to Jesus’ words to Thomas is gone. Besides, even though Mary Magdelene told the other disciples about her encounter with the risen Lord at the garden tomb, they did not believe. But they don’t get labeled doubters.  And they don’t know what to make of her account, so they cower in fear behind locked doors.  Incidentally, an archaic definition of “doubt” is “fear.”  It isn’t until Jesus appears before them and breathes the Holy Spirit into them that they abandon their own fear. So it isn’t hard to follow that Thomas also fails to believe on the basis of the testimony of others as well.   No.  Thomas is quite clear about what he needs in order to believe:  “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.” [Peterson]  I talked about this a little last week - our very human need to have permanent, concrete, physical evidence, and how that need keeps us from seeing anything beyond that need.

But look at the way Jesus handles Thomas’s request and needs.  He turns to Thomas, greets him and says, “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side.  Don’t be unbelieving.  Believe.” [Peterson] “Stop being without faith, and be with faith.” There is no judgment or condemnation in Jesus’ words.  Instead, Jesus is meeting Thomas’s needs. I’m sure Thomas would like to be faithful, to believe without seeing, but he can’t. So Jesus gives Thomas what he needs for faith. He not only appears to him, but he offers to meet every condition that Thomas has made. Touch me, feel my wounds and then - have faith.

For many of the people hearing John’s gospel for the first time, these words of the risen Christ are words of comfort and assurance. Living years after the last disciple saw Jesus with his or her own eyes, they are faced with the same circumstance as Thomas. They are challenged to believe, to have faith in Jesus Christ, without ever seeing for themselves. But this passage assures them that Jesus will offer them what they need to have faith - to go from unbelieving to believing.

And so it is for us.  We do not see Jesus face to face in the flesh. We won’t ever have the opportunity to examine and feel his wounded hands and side.  But that doesn’t matter. This story of the unbelieving Thomas tells us that Jesus also offers us what we need in order that we may believe, that we may have faith. God meets us on our terms, on our turf, so that we too, can be blessed. 

Peter preached about Jesus’ resurrection at that first sermon to the Israelites on the Day of Pentecost.  And when he wrote his first letter to encourage the Christians of the early church in the midst of severe persecution by the Romans by the Emperor Nero, he had this to say to them:

“Although you’ve never seen him, you love him.  Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words.  You are receiving the goal of your faith, your salvation.” [1 Peter 1:8-9, Common English Bible]

RESOURCES:

____________________________

Peterson, Eugene H.  The Message-The Bible in Contemporary Language. NavPress, 2002.

The Student Bible – New Revised Standard Version.  Zondervan Publishing:Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.

Common English Bible, New Testament.  Abingdon:Nashville, 2011.