An Hour of Prayer 1

Dear Church Family

   Today begins an attempt at a weekly letter to our church family as we continue to endure the pandemic we know as Covid-19. I am hoping to provide spiritual nurture during this very awkward time in our church life together. I hope that you can find these components of growing your prayer life helpful to your own journey of faith. They are offered to help you add to or expand your prayer life. We need a deeper connection to God, the first great commandment of Jesus, to help us navigate both the suspension of normal life because of the pandemic, and the attempts to find a way forward with the social challenges related to racism and our need to find ways to connect to our neighbors, the second great commandment of Jesus.

   On Wednesday June 24, at our AWE service, I offered how to pray for an hour, by dividing up the hour into 12 5 minute segments. It is based on an article I read summarizing the book The Hour That Changes the World by Dick Eastman. I know most of us would have a very difficult time praying for an entire hour, even with 12 five minute intervals. But each interval can teach us a segment of our prayer life that we can nurture and develop. So I offer here the beginning of the 12 steps of prayer in hopes that there is something you can gain from this. Blessings on the ways you grow in prayer.

1.    Praise and Worship. Praise and worship is an expression of admiration and devotion to God. Worship God for who God is, for God’s unfailing Word, for your relationship to God in Jesus, and God’s creation. Exalt God with your words, your whole being, and with your attitude in prayer.

   In other words, take time to remind yourself as a part of your praying time, of the ways God has impressed you. Where are you in AWE of God? What have you learned about God from reading scripture? What do you see as steps for your own walk as a follower of Jesus? How have you thought of what God could do in your life and faith? It’s good to reflect and name the ways you have seen God around you. Nature, as St. Paul reminds us, speaks to us of God in ways words may never do. Celebrate, which is another way to say worship, how God has touched your life, maybe recently or even long ago.

   Praying in 5 minute segments may be difficult, maybe a 3 minute egg timer would help you start in the right direction. Most phones and some watches have built in timers that might help you set a timer to keep you focused on prayer. Our minds wander so easily, don’t beat yourself up if you find you do change thoughts, work on bringing yourself back on track. It will give you skills in many areas as well.

   Think of your going on a walk with God to share ideas, reflect on your life and challenges and use this time to simply talk about what is going on. If you need a coach for this, look at Jesus walking with the couple from Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35) Use this time to remind yourself of what God is doing in your life.

   May your faith journey, even in the separated time of Covid-19 grow. Next we will look at #2, Waiting on the Lord. See you next time.

   I want to thank Rev. Joye Jones, for leading worship this Sunday as Elaine and I take some time off.

Blessings,  Pastor Jeff

Trinity Sunday

Hello Church Family

   I’m sharing this theological presentation in hopes that it will make our experience of Holy Communion online make a little more sense. The Church In History, continues to wrestle with the meaning and because of that tries to make sure we don’t abuse the importance. St. Paul warned us not to partake in the communion unprepared, or in poor taste, because he said, that might lead to some getting sick and dying.

   I’ve decided after much prayer and conversation, that we really didn’t expect this pandemic to affect us so much and for so long. I also know and have heard from many of you, how important the sacrament is for you. After hearing Adam Hamilton, author and pastor of our largest UMC congregation, say he changed his mind too, and decided to go with online communion, because it was so meaningful to the congregation. His experience afterwards was very moving for him as well.

   SO, I’m inviting you to be ready for our sharing in this sacrament, by providing your own elements for communion. I will pray and consecrate, to make holy, the elements you have in front of you, online this week. We will then eat the bread and take the cup at the same time online on Sunday. You may choose to use intinction, dipping the bread into the cup, or traditionally eating the bread first and then taking a sip of the cup.

   You may send me an email, after you have experienced this together, to let me know if this was helpful to you, the sharing of the sacrament in this particular way, and the information that I’ve included in this letter.

   Be Blessed, and know that I pray for you all the time.

Pastor Jeff

Theology – a question of ‘Presence’

A chief theological question or problem with the Eucharist is the question of the Real Presence. Is Christ in some way really present in the physical elements and/or ritual of Holy Communion? There is no shortage of literature for one to read that talks of the different streams of thought and debate on the question of the Real Presence. There are basically three legacy thought frameworks to consider the question of Christ’s Presence in the Lord’s Supper.

·       Transubstantiation is the orthodox Roman Catholic position: the substance of the bread and wine are changed into the substance of the physical body and blood of Christ during the prayer, while the “accidents” (see Aristotle and Aquinas) remain those of bread and wine.

·       Consubstantiation is Luther’s view. On the understanding that the bread and wine do not magically become the body and blood of Christ.  They remain bread and wine, but the presence of Christ is said to be “in, with, and under the elements.”  Therefore, in receiving the bread and wine, one also symbolically receives the body and blood of Christ. Lutheran’s essentially make the shift from actual to symbolic presence, that is, they share a symbolically invoked/achieved physical presence.

·       Spiritual Presence is Calvin’s view. Here, Christ is seen to be spiritually present by the Holy Spirit, so that the Supper is a true communion with Christ, who feeds us with His body and His blood. Clearly, this essentially abandons any notion of the ritual being an actual physical connection with Christ and plainly claims a symbolic spiritual connection and union with Christ.

John Wesley and United Methodism are aligned most nearly with Calvin’s real, spiritual presence of Christ in the sacrament. A real, albeit symbolic communion with G-d in Christ.