METNews - December 2016

Rev. Dr. Denise Smartt Sears Advent Dear Friends, We are standing in the middle of the Advent season, waiting and listening to these words: "Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord." (James 5:7) The Letter of James is offered to the church scattered throughout the Roman Empire. They are uncertain about their future. James provides a way forward that involves doing things differently. In other words James encourages the church to live differently so that they will be ready when the Lord returns. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two faced! You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God, and enjoys the results only if the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (James 3:17 The Message) My prayer is that the light of Christ will ignite within, so passersby will see that light and will want to know Christ. Only then will we be the best decorated house on the block! Our house will be decorated to reflect the ethnic, gender, and economic differences present in God's kin-dom. The blueprint is done; the invitations to the trimming party are sent; and the hot cocoa and marshmallows are ready: We are the best house on the block! We have a light that will not grow dim. Peace that surpasses all understanding. Love that accepts all humanity. Hope that our tomorrows will be greater than today. We are Easter people living in Advent time, living into our faith as those who are called, and sent to be actively engaged with God. We are building new relationships in new places, making disciples for the transformation of the world. Friends, go into all the world and be the change agents the world so desperately needs: Faith, hope, peace, and love in action, changing lives one block at a time! Blessings, Denise A. Smartt Sears

The Journey Continues,
... Responding in a Post-Election World

November 12, 2016
 

This week I have had a series of conversations with pastors in our annual conference regarding the events surrounding the recent presidential elections.  During the course of those visits, a similar statement emerged from each one – “What do you say when you don’t know what to say?”

The events leading up to, surrounding, and following the elections will be studied and analyzed for years to come.  Those events go deeper than two candidates.  This was a vote that revealed a deep and significant divide in our country.  The rhetoric beyond the debates expressed dissatisfaction, discord, disagreement, and distrust of candidates, politicians, government, and even one another.  It has left me, at times, rather pensive and reflective.  Perhaps I too have been one of the ones saying, “What do you say when you don’t know what to say?”

In thinking about that question, let me offer a few suggestions:

When you don’t know what to say, listen. Perhaps this is a season when we should all re-group and make sure that we listen, deeply and meaningfully, to one another.  On the morning of the election, some pollsters and media personalities were sure that one candidate would win in a landslide.  By evening, those same people were confessing that somewhere, somehow, they missed something.  One well-known journalist even suggested that “perhaps we were only listening to ourselves and not those around us.”  It begs the question, “How well are you listening?”  “Do you really know the thoughts and feelings of those around you?”  In order for any of us to respond to events taking place around us, whether they are good events or bad, we have to be able to understand the context.  We have to know the reality.  We have to listen.

 When you don’t know what to say, pray.I take great solace in the reality that when life doesn’t make any sense, God still does.  I find great peace in a faith which I embrace that says when I can’t figure it all out, God can.  I rest at night believing that I am held in the hands of a loving God who will not let me, or us, go.  I pour out my soul in silent, intercessory, confessional, thankful and gut wrenching prayers knowing in my heart of hearts that God listens and God cares.  In the midst of what I cannot comprehend or make sense of, God says to me, “It’s okay.  Just let me know how you feel.” It’s very good therapy to bare your soul to your creator.  It’s the best way I know to get that heavy block of burden off of your shoulders.

When you don’t know what to say, be careful what you do say.  When things happen that get the best of us, our tendency (or at least mine) is to act before we think.  How many times have you said something that you later regretted or sent an e-mail that you wished at some point you hadn’t sent?  One of the greatest realities of this season of our lives is that we have run the risk of losing our civility.  We somehow feel as if we have been given permission to say and do anything we feel like saying or doing with no regard to the harm those words or actions may cause another.  I believe that protesting is fine but it becomes wrong when violence and looting and hatred is involved.  Stating your mind is fine but it becomes wrong when you assume the role of judge and jury over another who may disagree with you.  These are days to exercise great care in the way in which we respond to those around us.
When you don’t know what to say, do what we do best.There has been a lot of unbelievable and, at times, very discouraging things that have taken place during this election season.  Things have been said that are very offensive and inappropriate.  Accusations have been leveled that have no regard for the truth.  Emotional responses have created a gap in relationships that will struggle to be repaired.  These reactions are a sad but real commentary on the way in which the human race so easily digresses into behaviors that damage and hurt others.  But what we do best is offer an open table to all who wish to come.  What we do best is open our hearts to others regardless of their background or baggage.  What we do best is offer the world an alternative – a life of grace and hope, acceptance and possibility.  In the midst of damaging rhetoric, inappropriate words, and demeaning behaviors, now is the time for us to do what we do best – offer them Christ.

When you don’t know what to say, love.I truly believe that we in the church have been handed an unbelievable opportunity to clearly, courageously, and convincingly proclaim that there is a better way than what we have resorted to in this election season.  It is the way of love. Over the course of my ministry I truly believe that, with God’s help, I have won more people into the heart of God by loving them than I have by shaming or judging them.  Love is the answer that breeds compassion, sympathy, and grace. It informs things like non-violent resistance, advocacy and justice.  We owe it to our world to offer an alternative to this mess that we find ourselves in.  We owe it to ourselves and everyone around us to raise the moral consciousness, elevate the ethical standard, and proclaim a compassionate alternative in response to what we have recently encountered.
To be honest, I can’t begin to understand how some people are feeling today. In an article I recently read by the Dean of Yale Divinity School, Greg Sterling wrote these words, “At this moment, I am particularly concerned about a number of groups: women, African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ persons, immigrant, refugees, and Muslins to mention the groups foremost on my own mind. . . As a straight white male I will not pretend to see through your eyes, but I can – and do – stand in solidarity with you.  We must all stand together to protect the most vulnerable.”  I couldn’t agree more.  We stand together because we believe that God created us as God’s children.  We stand together because we have chosen to love one another like God loves us.

In the hours this week when I didn’t know what to say, our son Ian was the one that spoke the loudest.  Our third child is a brilliant and insightful young man of deep and profound conviction.  In a Facebook post following the election, my son wrote these words:

This post isn’t gonna side with anyone, but I just want to say that real change begins at the bottom.  It begins with you. So stop crying, stop with the woe is me “what can I ever do.”  

You can do everything to make someone feel safe, to help someone succeed, to be inclusive.  You don’t need a president to hold your hand to be a good person.

Go out and get what you want to get, go out and be the change you want to see.

That’s it.  When you don’t know what to say, be a good person, help someone feel safe, love everyone without reserve, and go out there in this big, confusing, chaotic world of ours to be the change you want to see.

Thanks Ian.

The Journey Continues, . . .

Thomas J. Bickerton
Resident Bishop

Yim Installed as LIE District Superintendent

11/21/2016

BY JOANNE UTLEY
Editor, The Vision

“To God Be the Glory” was a more than fitting processional for the installation service of Rev. Julia Yeon-Hee Yim as superintendent of the Long Island East District. In his introduction, Rev. Luonne Rouse, chair of the superintendency committee, praised Yim as one whose “life glorifies the Lord.

“She has a sincere heart,” he said. “She is moving under the guidance of Almighty God.”

The Bible Korean United Methodist Church in Dix Hills, N.Y, hosted the October 16 service for Yim, who took on her new role on July 1. Yim walked up the aisle hand-in-hand with Bishop Thomas Bickerton, and they both paused to bow at the altar before going to their seats.

Music was provided by the Christ Church Worship Team and the Bible UMC Choir, both from the LIE District, in addition to a choir made up of clergy from the Korean Caucus. After the caucus sang, “My Jesus I Love Thee,” Yim applauded with glee and called the group together to snap a “selfie.” Revs. Leslie Duroseau and Sheila Beckford also witnessed to the moment through a liturgical dance.

Clergy and laity from the district presented various signs of Yim’s new leadership role, such as a Bible, Book of Disciple, and gavel.

In a message marked with humor and entitled, “W.O.W. L.I.E!,” Yim began by praising her predecessors and her family, especially her mother, who was in attendance.

“I’m like a turtle on a fence post,” Yim said with a smile. “I didn’t get here on my own . . . It is a high honor to be among you.”

She said had wondered what she would say to a sold-out crowd – a crowd “sold out on Jesus Christ.”

Yim also noted that she was sombered by the faithful witness she has been finding across the district, and raised concerns about the burdens placed on pastors and the possibility of “passion depletion.

“I’ve been there,” she said. “Peter suffered a passion failure three times, but what love Christ still had for him . . . when I look at Peter I see me.”

She suggested ways to overcome this passion depletion using the acrostic wow-wow.

W: Wait on the Lord. Too often we’re too busy working to wait. Watch and pray. Marinate, saturate in God’s presence.

O: Open up the things clogging the power line. How do we stop and get God’s full attention? With a contrite and broken spirit.

W: Worship. Do we linger much in God’s worship? Only when we do this will we be filled up as leaders. And yet we wonder why our churches aren’t excited.

O: Overflow. When we’re full we overflow, and people will see that. We’re filled up with what God is doing.

W: Win the lost. We need to witness to the world of God’s love, to overwhelm people with God’s love. We don’t want to be a swamp, but a river flowing in the love of God.

“It’s not about you, or me, or the UMC, it’s about Jesus,” Yim said. “I hope to see the churches of the LIE mobilized as centers of healing, forgiveness and transformation.

“So wait on the power, so we may overflow and overwhelm,” she said in conclusion.

Responding to Disaster – Wherever it Comes

11/21/2016

Long-term recovery is just that . . . long. 

Saturday, October 29 marked the fourth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s devastating arrival on the northeastern shoreline. On that weekend, communities throughout New York and Connecticut gathered to remember, offer support, and recognize both the achievements and the challenges facing the continuing recovery effort. 

For too many families the anniversary represented the fourth year they have been unable to return home, or worse – the fourth year of living in damaged, moldy, unsafe conditions. Heading into their fourth winter since Sandy, there are still several thousand families who have not yet received – or have been denied – assistance from government-backed rebuild or (required) elevation programs. 

Through June 2016, the NYAC Sandy Recovery Ministry provided assistance to more than 1,550 Sandy-affected families including more than 100,000 volunteer hours. Though having downsized this past July, the ministry continues to provide assistance to Sandy-survivors through its collaboration with CT Rises, the Connecticut Long-term Recovery Group, and the St. Bernard Project (formerly Friends of Rockaway) in New York. At this point, the majority of requests coming through the unmet needs tables are for temporary relocation rental assistance, mortgage assistance, and licensed contractor services. 

For most, it will still be many months before they will be able to return to their homes. 

Hermine and Matthew 

Meanwhile, homeowners, business owners, and many others in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are only beginning their recovery process. As of November 2, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had received almost 161,000 applications for assistance, with more than 150,000 of those the direct result of Matthew. These numbers reflect only those who have registered with FEMA. This number will only increase as time goes on. Out of the news are areas of West Virginia and Louisiana, severely affected by rain and storms earlier this year. As with Sandy, these recovery efforts will extend for years. 

Despite the resources available through federal, state and local agencies, the voluntary and faith-based sectors are, and remain, a critical part of any recovery effort. A FEMA senior voluntary agency liaison has put out this plea, “As Matthew and Hermine fade from the national news please know that the disasters in each of the states are in need of volunteers and financial donations for recovery which is just beginning.” 

A Call to Action 

Friends, as so many came to assist us following Sandy, the call goes out for us to respond in a like manner. At a recent Metropolitan District Council on Ministries meeting, I challenged the district to develop and send a response team to one of the recovery areas next spring. I put that challenge out to each of our districts, to each of our congregations, to all of our early response teams, to former team leaders and members as well. If need be, we have experienced persons who will work with you and walk you through the process. 

What a testimony it would be if we could send out a team a month throughout the spring, summer, and fall of 2017.

If you are willing to serve as a team leader for an early response team (ERT) or long-term recovery team please contact Tom Vencuss at tvencuss@nyac.com. 

And remember - that for so many, long term recovery is just that . . . long! 

May God inspire us, lead us, and bless us in this work.

Tom Vencuss

Coordinator of Disaster Recovery Ministries

Update on Haiti

Recent reports are that more than 1,000 people have died and 800,000 people are at risk in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Matthew. The areas most affected were on the western part of the island, many of which were already fragile agriculture and economic communities. Matthew devastated farms, crops, livestock, and homes; compromised water sources; and took lives. Cholera and exposure are both concerns.   Further complicating recovery efforts is the fact that there is one major road leading into the recovery area and several bridges were compromised or destroyed. It has been described by international aid agencies as a humanitarian crisis. Yet, it has largely been out of the news.  

UMCOR has been working through its in-country coordinators, and convoys of trucks from the Methodist Church of Haiti in Port au Prince have been going into the recovery area, bringing emergency food and water, tarps, medical assistance, and other supplies. Volunteers with long ties and experience in Jeremie have been flying in with chainsaws, emergency supplies, and other equipment. The situation remains critical.

Rev. Tom Vencuss, our disaster response coordinator, who coordinated the UMCOR/VIM earthquake response program, has been working with leaders of the Methodist Church of Haiti and mission volunteers to develop a structure and plan for the deployment of volunteer teams into the recovery areas. Volunteer teams will not be deployed until January at the earliest.

Tom and Wendy Vencuss, coordinators of Mountains of Hope for Haiti, the NYAC mission in Haiti, will be in country November 15-21 to meet with church leaders, visit the recovery area, and assess the situation for volunteer engagement.

If you are interested in leading a team to Haiti please contact Tom at tvencuss@nyac.com.

Go to these links on the conference web site for additional information and updates:

Training and response information

Bishop Bickerton’s suggests ways to respond

Hurricane Matthew: Report #2 from Eglise Méthodiste d’Haiti

Jazz-playing pastor keeps the faith and the beat

By Sam Hodges
Nov. 9, 2016 | UMNS

2016 -2017 Metropolitan District
Church Conference Schedule

(v. 11.2.2016)

Employment Opportunities

COMING EVENTS

SAVE THE DATE