Author: Clarice Erickson

Sunday, September 6: Worship at 10:30 am. We will share communion. Church doors are open and we welcome members to worship with us. Masks are required, social distancing and hygiene protocols observed. Weekly sermons are posted on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, September 7: Labor Day. Bible Study is cancelled.

Produce Giveaway is moved to Wednesday, September 9, 5-7 pm. Location pending (either at the church or at the Iron Mug).

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”  ~ Matthew 18:20

    I've already confessed this to some of you, but here goes: I rather enjoy being in places where nobody knows I am a minister: a gathering of people I haven't met, a bar or an eating establishment, a random conversation, on and on. Likewise, I like to sit quiet and listen to other people talk – morning restaurants are good for this.

    I like to do this because quite often, as soon as people discover my vocation, the tenor of a conversation changes. Often, a sort of moral reflection arrives in the person or group, with telltale signs of straightened shoulders and tightened lips. Either people attempt to carry themselves more appropriately, or people ask questions, tell stories, or speak their piece about religion. It can quite quickly take the air out of a room. In my experience (which admittedly may be quite biased) very few people are neutral about religion.

    But then (and I love this) they get to know me. “Never met a minister like you,” they say. “Well, then, you're going to wrong churches!” I reply.

    Which gets me a-wonderin': how might I behave differently if I weren't a minister? I think of the jobs I used to have, before or in-between church calls, and the conversations I had and the friendships engendered there. I always found it easy to find common ground – something of shared interest, something in common. I've also always been quick to lend a hand, share what I have, listen with empathy – those sort of things. I'm one of those fellows that believe that people deep down are all quite good, no matter the brokenness they wear as veneer…

    Because I'm one of those fellows that believe that Jesus is walking with all those people, deep down, no matter the brokenness they wear as veneer (or no matter their history with churches or religion). There is love and care in each person, though sometimes it may seem more like tarnished brass or copper. It doesn't take a shared badge of – or belonging in – Christendom to share fellowship with another person. It doesn't take a title or a role or a name. All we have to do is care about them.

Keep in touch,

Pastor Paul 

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Saturday, August 22: Ruby's Pantry at Mission Creek Church, 521 131st Avenue W., 11 am – 12:30 pm

Sunday, August 23: Worship at 10:30 am. Church doors are open and we welcome members to worship with us. Masks are required and social distancing and hygiene protocols observed. Pastor Paul posts weekly sermons on YouTube. Sermons are also available by email, or, if you would like a copy mailed to you, contact the church office at 218-626-2570 or office@unitedprotestantchurch.org.

Monday, August 24: Bible Study/Faith Conversation, 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Masks and CoVid precautions required.

Monday, August 24, 5-7 pm, Fresh-Picked Produce Giveaway: Every Monday, the Morgan Park Community Gardens program is hosting a Produce Giveaway, free to all. This week, we'll be at the church, but in the future, locations around Morgan Park may vary. We'll try to keep you updated with the details, or check the community Facebook page, or just look for the signs on 88th. REQUEST: We're compiling a bunch of recipes to share with the produce on Mondays, with different ideas on how to prepare each veggie. Any good recipes involving fresh veggies? Send 'em our way!

For those who have been able to share offering: Thank You. It truly makes a difference. We rely heavily on plate giving of Sunday offering here, and expenses still continue. Also, we have had to cancel our regular fund raisers, so what you give, again, makes a difference.

“But who do you say that I am?”  ~ Matthew 16:15

     I know – and love – a lot of people that are not regular church-goers. Some stepped away 'round about high school in one of many waves of independence we have in that time of our life, some were pulled away by discovering alternatives in college, some were active as adults but somewhere along the way were left with a bad taste in their mouth. I love to hear their stories, and the many ways they piece together faith and religious practices in their own lives. I don't call them right or wrong. It is their story. I have mine.

     But the common theme is that every one of them (fact check, Paul…EVERY one of them?…a quick mental survey and, yes, I think that is accurate) – every one of them was raised in some sort of Christian background, which is to say that they have always been aware of Jesus, since before their feet touched the floor in the pews. Every one of them has some understanding of the story, of resurrection. Each one can describe in abstract ideology what they were taught, and each one can tell you what they think of it now. I love to listen.

     But try this one on for size – this was a question I asked our Bible Study on Monday: Imagine a person from a very different culture than ours, say, from an isolated village where Christian missions are not active and religious practices take a different shape and have a different label. What if a person there had never heard of Christianity, and knew nothing of Jesus? What if that person asked you “What is Christianity? Who was Jesus?”

     We lean often on assumptions of familiarity and common reference points in our conversations on faith, but what would it be like to bring our religious descriptions back to their very basic stories and concepts. Can we do it? What would you say?

     Now let's take this a step further: admitting my bias, based on my vocation, I'm pretty sure I can answer that previous question in detail – pretty sure I can write pages and pages to tease out the various things I might describe: the history, the characters, the concepts, the sacred texts, religious practices, common morality, etc., …but…what if I had to summarize, quickly and efficiently as if, say, having coffee with a new acquaintance one afternoon. Can I do that?

     I bring it up because I have this theory going through my head that the things we might say in response to those questions, if we were limited to less than a paragraph of words, are a pretty good indicator of the things God has to work with in God's endless desire to be present and active in our everyday (not-just-Sunday) lives.

     So here's a prayer suggestion:

     Hi God…you're awesome, and thanks for this day. Hey – I wanted to take a stab on answering that question that Pastor Paul wrote about in the email – that one about describing my faith in less than a paragraph. Here goes: … …  

     (Let me know how it goes, friends)

Keep in touch, 

 Pastor Paul

Sunday, July 26: Worship at 10:30 am. The church doors are open and we welcome members to worship with us. Fellowship is shared afterward also. Masks are required and social distancing & hygiene protocols observed.

Monday, July 27: Bible Study meets at 5:30 pm. Join Pastor Paul in exploring this week's scripture in the lectionary. You are welcome to join in with your questions and thoughts. Masks, social distancing and hygiene protocols practiced.

Saturday, July 25: Ruby's Pantry at Mission Creek Church, 521 131st Avenue W., 11 am -12:30 pm.

Saturday, August 8: Western Garden Tour & Continental Breakfast-to-Go, Norton Park UMC, 436 N. 79th Avenue W. Cost is $10 day of tour only. For more information, call Kathy at 218-590-1964.

Looking Ahead: Church council discussed holding a rummage sale sometime in September. Watch for more details regarding date, time, and safety precautions. Items may be brought to the church at any time.

Have you understood all of this?  ~ Matthew 13:51

    Last week I wrote that I was taking a trip…I focused on the YES of the trip (personal healing, engagement of hope and positive memories), and not the NO of negative experience and personal challenge. I've made the rounds that I wanted to, returned to places I've always longed to return. Did everything go as planned? Of course not. A flat tire high in the mountains, two major detours on account of bridge repair and forest fire. I'm a few days late in getting home (darn auto repairs!), but I'm almost there.

    It probably isn't a shock to you that along the way I meet people, and strike up conversations. I met a gun-toting conservative (holster showing outside his tucked-in T-shirt) that spoke of our president as "the savior of our nation." I met a joint-smoking river paddler (with sandals like mine on his feet) that said "I figure the world is all (messed) up so we might as well get high and run the rapids." I met an RV-driving retiree that said "surprised they let you into Montana with that Prius of yours" and a Harley-riding biker that asked "How do you like that car? I've been thinking of getting one."

    The common theme? We shared our stories. We listened to one another. We treated one another with humanity.

    I'm sure I'm not alone in my admission that it's easy for me to make snap judgments. It is easy for me to label, and be critical. But in this prayerful journey I've made this week, I understand that every person I met had the presence of God within them, and I did my best to treat them as such.

    …Such different people, but one clear thing they all have in common: they all have stories. They all have truth. They all have fears and hopes and loves and reasons for behaving and thinking the way they do. If they seemed angry, I listened for their fears so that I could understand their loves behind it. If they seemed judgmental, I prayed that they open their hearts beyond the label and critique that has brainwashed them in our divisive culture. If they were happy, I celebrated with them. If they were grieving, I listened extra well.

    Jesus asks: "Have I understood all of this?" Well, Jesus, as far as the big picture, not completely, not yet, but maybe it's not the big picture that you want me to get right now. Maybe the real understanding comes from those moments you gave me to share with your people. I listened, like you told me to, and I like to think my biggest understanding is an appreciation of the many things we all have in common. I like to think I understand how you dwell in each of us uniquely. I like to think I understand how you teach us to respect one another, and engage one another with love.

    So…I think I heard the YES that I was listening for. And that YES, like your last word always is, is love. 

Monday, July 20, 5:30 pm: Bible Study You are welcome to join in with your questions and thoughts. Masks, social distancing and hygiene protocols are observed.

A team of people in the church is forming to explore how we might begin Wednesday "Grill's On" picnics in a safe and healthy manner. If you are interested in being part of this conversation, please contact the church.

 

Saturday, July 25: Ruby's Pantry at Mission Creek Church, 521 131st Avenue W., 11 am-12:30 pm.

Saturday, August 8: Western Garden Tour & Continental Breakfast-to-Go, Norton Park UMC, 436 N. 79th Avenue W. Cost is $10 day of tour only. For more information, call Kathy at 218-590-1964, 

…for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.   ~ Matthew 13:29

    Kind of cool to be sending out a commentary on my birthday. I'm tempted to write a spiritual reflection on this last voyage of mine around the sun, but there's another voyage more immediate on my mind today.

    As I write this (a few days early), I anticipate that on my birthday I will be in or around the Targhee National Forest in Idaho, watching the sunset reflect in gold and pink hues off the snow-covered peaks of the Grand Teton range. More specifically, I anticipate that I will be eating a giant baked potato, loaded up with goodies from a salad bar, at a little restaurant in Ashton, Idaho. And from there, it is southwest to the Sawtooth Range, where a series of alpine lakes, dotted in the midst of snow-covered peaks, have invited me back to the place where I turned twenty-one years old. There I hope (not anticipate, really, but hope…we'll see what God has in store) that I can be reminded of that awake young man I was back then, full of curiosity and questions, easily pleased by new experiences and eager to jump into the next chapter of my life.

    These little – seemingly selfish – details matter here. Here's the other way I could have written that first paragraph: I'm heading out. I need to get away for a bit. There are a lot of issues going on with family and children and transitions in life. I feel myself starting to get anxious and crabby and just need to get it all together. And the church has less in-person requirements than it has since I've been here, and I never know what the future holds, or if I will have the same health and resources to take this trip, so why not do it now? 

    Hear the difference? The first is focusing on the YES, while the second focuses on the NO. I'll be honest, the thoughts in the second paragraph  are the ones that sparked the idea of heading out there, but as a faith discipline, I try my best to turn every NO to a YES, and in so doing begin to center on joyful, not painful, memories. Happy experiences instead of things I would like to forget.

    I think I say almost every week (in some form) that God is with you all the time and wants you to feel God's grace and love. God wants you to be happy and thrive.

    So: it only makes sense to turn all of the negatives into positive ones. This is not meant to be a light and simple message of ponies and kittens and rainbows, though. This is to remind you that it takes practice and requires discipline. I couldn't have made that shift from the NO in paragraph two to the YES in paragraph one, without practice. Without prayer.

    Try it on in your faith life. If you need a hand getting going, give me a call or stop by for a chat. (Note: I'll most likely be out of cell range from Saturday through next Thursday.) I'd be more than happy to tell you how God led me in this faith discipline. I'd be more than happy to walk with you, the same.

Keep in touch, friends

Pastor Paul

He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, 'Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"

A big thank you to the guy who keeps the church yard mowed, and to the people who keep the flower beds watered while we wait for it to rain on Duluth. Thanks also to our cleaning crew. It's amazing how messy Pastor Paul can be.

11 am-12:30 pm:  Ruby's Pantry at Mission Creek Church, 521 131st Avenue W.

4:30 pm: Tina M., a regular attendee at Wednesday evening potlucks, will be celebrating Confirmation into the Catholic faith and First Communion at St. James Church (715 N. 57th Avenue W.). Picnic/potluck/bonfire to follow at the home of Amy Johnson at 6:00 pm. Feel free to join us in a healthy way, or drive by and wish Tina well. If you do join in, please BYOB, lawn chair, a mask, and some contribution to the table if possible.

Worship at 10:30 am: The doors to the church are open and we are welcoming members to worship with us. We are sharing fellowship afterward as well. Social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place.

11:00 am: Church Council will meet right after worship.

Monday, June 29: 5:30 pm: Bible Study meets (note that time is changed to accommodate a change in schedule for some regular participants). Join Pastor Paul as we explore this week's scripture in the lectionary. You are welcome to bring your questions & thoughts and join in. Social distancing and hygiene protocols are in place. 

A church member advises that when she entered the church for the first time in months, she felt the presence of God in a way she had not felt anywhere else. This led to thinking of how we can open the church, in this challenging and stressful time, to those in need of a sanctuary for quiet prayer. Would you be interested in spending some quiet time hosting church space for people who need a space to pray? Volunteers would welcome visitors, inform them of the hygiene protocols in place, and help assure things are kept clean and sanitary. If you are interested, please call or write the church with a schedule of when you would be available. 

OFFERING: 

For those who have been able to continue with your offering: THANK YOU. We rely heavily on plate giving to meet our building & maintenance expenses, and there is no endowment to see us through lean times. Presently, we are in a lean time. Our income is down for the month of June. What you can give makes a difference. Thanks again.

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."    ~ Matthew 10:40

   Well, I just blew it. Darn. I thought I had it all together and centered on kindness and love and then I go and say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and… – well, you don't need to know the details, just that when all was said and done I felt dejected and defeated.

   So I brought it to my morning prayer: "Hey God! You're awesome, and thanks for this day, but man oh man, do I feel dejected and defeated!" And I hear in response the same sort of logic I would give to my children, or we would give one another: "Get back out there and try again." It was one mistake, one error on the field, one missed note in the recital, one awkward encounter, one misspoken word, one time that you lost track of your centering love. It was one day. One experience that had the power to send me in the wrong direction and knock me down.

   Only one. So I get back up and I step forward into the next day. I am not defined by one failure, none of us are.

   But then I consider how we tend to behave toward people we deeply respect, say, a person with great gifts or talents or kindness and love that we thought had it all together. Then, all of a sudden we hear some dirt about them (you know, they got caught doing something bad or an acquaintance gave an interview that painted them in a different light, etc.). We tend to be quick to write them off.

   And if we do that to mentors and heroes and such, how much quicker are we to write off our lesser acquaintance, or the stranger for that matter? We are a people that seek understanding over judgment – it's all at the core of Jesus's teaching and ministry. We are a people that understand that one less-than-ideal experience does not define a person. Can we welcome those people as Jesus would? Can we look past snap judgment and see the whole person? I think the words on the church sign right now put it best: "We all still have a lot to learn." I know I do.

   Oh, and don't worry, I'm not in trouble. I claimed my errors and repaired the brokenness and gave a sincere apology and did what I could to make things right. And the good thing is, I'm all the wiser for it. There will be a next time. Pretty sure I'll do better.

   Thank you, God, for that.

Keep in touch, friends

Pastor Paul