Saturday, December 20, 2008

What A Glorious Day!

The first Sunday back in our Sanctuary was, by all accounts, a glorious day! We had a full house and everyone was excited and thrilled by worshipping in the Sanctuary once again. So many people were involved and so many factors came together that I cannot begin to enumerate them all. Suffice it to say that God worked "all things together for good" (Rom. 8:28) on our first Sunday back.
 

It was an emotional day. I think we had grown so used to worship in the Social Hall that we had forgotten what it felt like in the Sanctuary. The ringing of the bell as we processed from the Social Hall to the Sanctuary, then the first notes of the organ and the singing of the opening hymn brought tears to many an eye (including mine!). The choir sounded twice as large as it did in the Social Hall (the acoustics in the Sanctuary are marvelous) and that new baby grand piano was wonderful. Like I said, it was a glorious day.
 

As we begin a new calendar year at Chino UMC, I am excited about what God is going to do in us and through us. The signs are there. People are hopeful. New ideas and enthusiasm are abundant. New leaders are stepping forward. The stage is set for God to move us into a new era, a "post fire" era. Starting of small groups, new outreach ministries, evangelism and mission, music programs and much, much more await us in 2009! There is no reason to rest on the "high" of that first Sunday back in the Sanctuary, because God has much more in store for us!
 

It is going to be a lot of fun as we walk forward under the guidance of the Lord. I hope you will fully enter in to the life of our church as, together, we discover what God has planned for us!


 

New Year Blessings!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

What Next? Life After the Lay Witness Mission

We had a wonderful weekend, November 7-9, as 20 lay persons from Arizona, Utah and California converged on Chino to share their lives and faith with us. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm of our congregation emerge through the weekend. So many of you have commented to me of how much our “Kindling the Flame” weekend touched you!

But what’s next? After the potluck luncheon, 23 CUMC’ers stayed to share and contemplate that very question. Out of that meeting has come some very exciting ideas and plans for our church family! Jon Burk has compiled these ideas and the Church Council has met to discuss them and make some plans. The most prominent idea was to put our heart and soul into the Thanksgiving Day Dinner that was started last year by ChUMY (Chino United Methodist Youth!). So we are committed to work on making this year’s meal even more meaningful and helpful to our community. Last September, the Church Council decided not to have a CUMC Thanksgiving meal the Sunday before Thanksgiving in order that we can put all of our energy into the Thanksgiving Day event.

Beyond that one event, the most prominent idea to come out of the Lay Witness weekend was to form small groups in the congregation, and to enhance the small groups that already exist so that more CUMC members and friends can experience, in an on-going way, the blessing of small groups. So prominent was this idea, in fact, that the Church Council has encouraged me to get started on this right away! Small groups, like those we experienced on the “Kindling the Flame” weekend are a fabulous way to help each other to grow in our Christian discipleship, both in terms of our devotional life and our missional outreach. Growing our church for the future involves both drawing new members and families to our church, but also for us to continue to grow in our Christian discipleship. People are attracted to churches which are extraordinarily committed to living out the faith they proclaim!

So the first step is to recruit and train small group leaders and homes in which to hold small group meetings. I would like to call these groups “Home Groups.” They will be offering different activities and structures to fit the different needs of different people. Depending on how many we can recruit and train, I can envision groups including such activities as: Bible study, prayer, spiritual accountability, mission outreach, book study, and/or a combination of more than one. The only limit is our imagination! I will also be reaching out to the leadership of our existing small groups (committees, choir, and other groups) to offer ideas to help make them even more meaningful. But if you feel a call to hosting a Home Group in your home, please contact me. And if you feel a call to being trained to be a leader of a Home Group (could be the host, but doesn’t have to be), contact me. We are hoping to get these groups off the ground before the end of the year!

With the re-entry into the sanctuary coming up on December 14th and so many other things happening around the church, it is an exciting time to be here! I hope you join me in looking expectantly to God for what He wants to accomplish in us and through us!

Be Blessed!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Five Secrets of Life

I was sent this link by an acquaintance who is living with cancer. She is a clergy member of my annual conference. I pass it along to you because it is very moving and beautiful. But I also add something that I think is important, because as Christians we have a unique perspective. The “Five Secrets of Life” are given in a secular genre. But whatever is true is from God, so insofar that this is true, I believe, God has issued it. Therefore, after you have viewed the video (it’s about 6 minutes), consider my comments that follow. For me, it puts the whole thing in proper perspective.

Here’s the link: http://www.bkconnection.com/thefivesecrets/index.html

Now, after watching, consider:

1. Be true to yourself. This is the ONLY one of the five that needs any significant interpretation. Because as Christians, we believe that our “self” is corrupt. However, our “true self” is in Christ Jesus (who is NOT corrupt). For Christians, we might word this one “Be true to your true self.” So the scriptures for this are: 1 John 5:20 and Romans 12:5.
2. Leave no regrets. Philippians 3:13
3. Become love. 1 John 4:7-8
4. Live the moment. James 4:13-15
5. Give more than you take. Acts 20:35

Be Blessed!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

When a Fire is Good

In just a couple of weeks, we are going to have a fire. No, not the kind of fire that heavily damaged our sanctuary over a year ago! This fire is a good fire; this fire is about the Spirit!

“Kindling the Flame” is the name of our first (ever?) Lay Witness Mission at Chino UMC. What is a Lay Witness Mission? I’m glad you asked! It is a marvelous weekend of spiritual growth that can have a lasting and transforming impact on a congregation. It is a weekend that could very well kindle the kind of growth and vitality that our church needs to face the challenges of the years ahead.

There is a brochure included in this issue of the Tidings that will tell you a lot about our “Kindling the Flame” Lay Witness Mission, November 7-9. It includes a schedule for the weekend.

I want to encourage every member of the Chino UMC family to make every effort to attend as much of the weekend as possible. You will meet lay persons, just like you, who have developed a deep and meaningful relationship with God in Jesus Christ. You will hear about the struggles with integrating their faith in all aspects of their lives. And you will be encouraged to grow deeper in your own faith.

What have you got to lose?

Our church has a lot to gain!

So plan now to attend “Kindling the Flame”, Friday, November 7th through Sunday, November 9th. For more information, talk to me or Mac Brazelton, Frank Cookingham, or any member of the Church Council, which planned this weekend just for you!

Be blessed!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Earth Has No Sorrow (that Heaven Cannot Heal)

Our church has been through a tremendous amount of grief lately. With the deaths of Bill Mendoza and Barbara Pine we have lost two “pillars” of the church, one in the prime of life, and the other taking with her the legacy and memories of countless numbers. Even if you did not know Bill or Barbara well, if you are involved in the church at all, you are feeling the grief.

Grief is God’s way of venting the pain of loss. When we lose someone we know and love, it hurts. That pain must be dealt with, or else it could kill us. Healing begins when grieving begins. At first, of course, we are in shock and feel nothing. But as the truth of our loss seeps in, our bodies and our hearts begin to grieve. It used to be believed that you make it through a loss by NOT crying or showing other forms of emotion. But that is simply not true. In fact, to shut down our emotions (in an effort to protect ourselves from too much grief) will only serve to exacerbate the problem. Emotions that are shoved down and hidden away will always come back strike more ferociously and unhealthy later on.

One of the best things we as a church family can do during times like these is to give permission to (and even encourage) each other to grieve, and grieve well. And that means to allow for tears, anger, disbelief, and more tears. This congregation is good at allowing these things, so I’m only saying this as a reminder.

God gives us other people to help make us better people. He puts people in our lives who will influence us and challenge us. The best thing we can do is consider what gifts Bill and Barbara (and anyone else who has passed) had that touched us and made us want to be better people. What was it about their faith, their character, their essence that reminded us of Jesus? Identify those things, hold on to them, and pray for God to make you more like them. Remember, the goal of Christian discipleship is to become more and more like Jesus. Bill was like Jesus; Barbara was like Jesus. Find what it is about them that was like Jesus, and embrace it.

And when you miss them, and the emotions well up inside you, it is good to cry.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Remembering Bill Mendoza

As our church and community mourns the death of Bill Mendoza this past Labor Day, I pause to reflect on what Bill meant to me. Bill was a gentle giant of a man, humble and unassuming, who quietly walked the life of faith better than anyone I have known. He was not so interested in arguing with people as he was in accepting and loving people as they were. He took seriously God's call to care for creation, living with consistency the mantra of "Use, Reuse, Recycle"! He never threw anything away that couldn't still be used for something! His family cherishes a wooden spoon that Bill loved to use when cooking that had been worn down to half its original size. "It still works!", Bill would say.

Bill loved the great outdoors. He loved music. He loved the students he taught for over 30 years. He loved his church. But most of all, he loved his wife, Beth, their children Clair, Ben and Patrick, granddaughter Vanessa (whom he and Beth have raised) and their newest granddaughter, Alexis.

Every year, around the first of December, Bill (with help from Ben) would string thousands of lights and a huge star on the tree in front of the church on Riverside Drive. He would climb the tree and sling the lights over limbs and through branches. He did it quietly, like everything else, with no fanfare and no expectation of recognition. That is just the kind of guy he was.

When I got the call about his tragic death while kayaking on Mono Lake, a place he particularly loved, my heart broke. What a loss. The world needs more Bill Mendozas, not less. But God gave Bill to us as a blessing. We had him for 57 years, and in that time he made a difference. I hope that when I pass, people will say that of me. In the mean time, I want to be more like Bill Mendoza.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Why I Believe We Must Protect Marriage


The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline (2004) states, “We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman. We believe that God’s blessing rests upon such marriage, whether or not there are children of the union. We reject social norms that assume different standards for women than for men in marriage. We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.” (Emphasis mine, par. 161.C.)

You may have read that our annual conference (the California-Pacific Conference) disagrees with the Book of Discipline and voted recently to oppose the so-called “Marriage Amendment” on the ballot in California in November. So I am going against the majority of clergy and lay delegates to annual conference when I say that I think it is very important that Proposition 8 (the “Marriage Amendment”) passes on November 4th. In many respects, this is more important than who we select for president!

I believe this is important because at no time in history has marriage ever been defined as anything other than the union between the genders. When we broaden that definition to include unions of same-gendered persons we run the risk of destroying marriage itself. What’s to keep us from allowing the marriage of a brother and sister (as long as they plan to have no children, why not?)? The Scriptures and the Tradition of the church clearly disallow same-gender marriage. And yet, in little less than 20 years of public debate, we have reversed centuries of historic wisdom, both secular and religious. I’m thinking that we need to consider this some more!

I am willing to have “domestic partnerships” with legal standing in civil society. But if the State Supreme Court’s ruling (striking down the law that defined marriage as between one man and one woman) is allowed to stand, the state could very well force the churches to not only recognize same-gender marriages, but to perform same-gender weddings as well. And if a preacher were to speak out against it (even from the pulpit), he or she might be subject to arrest for “hate crimes!” This kind of think is already happening in Canada. If California does not reverse the State Supreme Court’s ruling, it will have a detrimental effect on the rest of the United States as far as resisting this band wagon of same-gender marriage.

I will be working to support the passage of Proposition 8 on the November 4th ballot. If you would like to get involved, check out http://www.protectmarriagesd.com/ on the internet or call (619) 660-5000 to see how you can get involved.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

A Year After the Fire

This month marks a year since our sanctuary at Chino UMC was set afire. I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and the road we have traveled together.

No one discounts the trauma our congregation has experienced because of the fire and resulting damage to the sanctuary. Already, in fact, the event has formed a new identity for us as “the church that had its sanctuary burned.” It is quite possible that my ministry here will be remembered in large part as “the pastor who sat in his office while the church burned!” I hope not, but you never know!

My hope, of course, is that we will not let our tragedy define us. Rather, I hope we will take our tragedy and, with God’s power, transform our identity to “the church that is on fire for the Lord!”

During this past year, we have heard countless “updates” on the progress of rebuilding the sanctuary. There is no doubt that reconstruction has taken a lot of my time, your time, the Trustees time and our Insurance Company’s money. But even more important than the construction updates have been the signs and wonders of God in our midst. Have you noticed them?

Two classes have gone through the “Experiencing God” course. Out of those two classes, individuals are coming alive in their walk with God, finding new and exciting ways to recognize God’s action in our lives and joining in with God to be in ministry. We have hosted a series of services with Dr. Tom Fuller, a United Methodist Evangelist who helped us learn a lot about John and Charles Wesley and, even more importantly, what Wesleyan Christian Spirituality is all about. There have been sermon series on Spiritual Disciplines, a look at First and Second Corinthians and how Paul deals with Christian Discipleship, and a series on Spiritual Gifts culminating with a Spiritual Gift Inventory and the discovery of our unique spiritual gifts. We experienced the miracle of a Thanksgiving Day meal for the community and the Sierra Service Project, to name just a couple of mission-oriented ministries that were birthed after the fire. It has been a year of focusing on deepening our Passionate Spirituality, and I think we have, as a congregation, grown quite a bit as a result.

We have worshipped in the Social Hall this entire year, and that has had a significant impact on us. We are learning to anticipate God’s presence even in a setting in which we are not accustomed to experiencing it. We are trying new things in worship and finding that God meets us there, even as He has met us in old, familiar ways. My deepest desire is that our time of exile from the sanctuary will be a time when we meet God and let Him transform us individually and congregationally into the people He desires us to be. Is that not your desire as well?

Welcome to the Continued Journey!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Another Annual Conference

Marilyn Mohnike, Kim Hidalgo, Paul McConnell and I are back from Redlands where we attended the California-Pacific Annual Conference sessions at the University of Redlands. It was hotter than blazes out there! But it was good to visit with old friends, worship together and celebrate our common ministry.


But Conference used to be more fun. I’ve been going to Conference for 30 years, and I can remember looking forward to it each year. But over the last 20 or so years, Conference has become more and more contentious. The division between liberal (progressive) and conservative (traditional) has grown deeper over the years, as the agenda for social action has been pushed harder and harder. In recent years there has been an attempt to be less contentious in our debate, but the underlying struggle between two mutually exclusive world views has remained. What results is a lot of stress and fear.


I mentioned the “agenda for social action.” I should be more specific. Over the past couple of decades, the majority of delegates at Annual Conference have shifted more to the left, socially and theologically. And the major hot-button issue has been homosexuality. But underlying the debate about homosexuality is a theological issue related to the Bible. There are those who wish to ignore portions of the Bible that condemn homosexuality, or if not ignore it, interpret it away. On the other side, there are those who want to raise homosexuality to the position of “#1 Sin.” Both are wrong. Both are extremes. But what happens at Conference is that these two positions, and variations on them, debate resolutions and statements which are then voted on, and the majority rules. Feelings are hurt, and people avoid each other because of it.


That is why Conference is no fun anymore!


In the words of Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?!” I long for the day when controversial issues no longer force a wedge between Christian brothers and sisters, and we can all move forward in the ministry of the Kingdom, hand-in-hand, with the Lord as our guide! Maybe then, Conference will be fun again.


Be Blessed!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Sermons

I've decided to quit publishing my sermons on this blog. Instead, I will post them (as .pdf files) on the church website: http://www.chinoumc.org. Look for the "Sermons" link on the left-hand column.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Same-Gender Marriage

The recent ruling by the California Supreme Court striking down a state law that was approved by the voters of California a few years ago which defined marriage as between one man and one woman will no doubt cause a great deal of controversy. I am fully aware that there are good, moral people on both sides of this issue. I am also aware that our congregation is not of one mind on this issue. And so I address the matter with some fear and trepidation.

On the one hand, it seems that the dictates of fairness and human compassion would lead one to celebrate the court’s decision. After all, aren’t all people “created equal” and all entitled to “equal rights?” Isn’t the attempt to exclude homosexual people from marrying each other just another form of discrimination? Aren’t we going through some of the same moral enlightenment that we did in the 1960's when the Civil Rights movement took the country by storm?

These are persuasive arguments.

Fairness and compassion have replaced truth and wisdom as the guiding principles of modern moral thought. The four justices of the California Supreme Court who voted to overturn Proposition 22 acted out of an extreme sense of fairness and compassion. But I honestly wonder how wise it is and what relationship it has with truth.

My concern is with the redefinition of “marriage.” In all of history, no system of philosophy and no major religion has ever defined marriage as anything other than a union of male and female. Granted, in ancient times, polygamy was permitted and encouraged. But never were persons of the same gender united in a relationship termed “marriage.” And yet, in a very short period of time (can you imagine anything like this happening 30 years ago?), four state supreme justices and millions of their supporters have succeeded in changing something that has stood for millennia. I submit that no one can know the upheaval that this will cause in our society if it is not over-turned.

The United Methodist Church, through the General Conference, recently reaffirmed its stand against same-gender marriage, affirming that marriage is to be defined as between one man and one woman. It further reaffirmed the prohibition of United Methodist ministers conducting same-gender weddings, or allowing same-gender weddings in United Methodist churches. There were efforts to change that stance, but they failed. The Judeo-Christian Scriptures consistently affirm marriage to be between male and female persons. If the decision of the court is allowed to stand (if a constitutional amendment either at the state level or the federal level defining marriage as between a male and a female is not passed), it will not be long until those who hold to traditional, biblical values and who refuse to conduct same-gender wedding ceremonies, and churches that refuse to allow such weddings to be held in their buildings will be labeled “heteosexists” and will most likely convicted of “hate speech” for voicing traditional values.

To assume that this is simply a matter of fairness and compassion is naive. I call the congregation of Chino UMC to pray, seriously pray about this. Consider what upheaval this decision may cause society and the church. Pray for those wounded by years of perceived unfairness who feel vindicated by this decision. And pray for those who are wounded by the decision itself. Let us search the heart of God for wisdom and truth.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

God's Grace Even in Jail

This past weekend, I was once again involved in the Epiphany Ministries weekend at Stark Youth Correctional Facility in Chino, and once again, God showed up in a big way! It amazes me each time, but it shouldn't. God's grace is especially available to those for whom life is hard.

And life is very hard for young men who are incarcerated!

The weekend is much like a "Walk to Emmaus" or Cursillo in some traditions. It is essentially a short course in Christianity with a large dose of hospitality and love thrown in. The young men are surrounded by people who show love to them--real love, the kind that Jesus demonstrated. For many of them this is the first time anyone has ever loved them. Most of them have been abandoned in some way or another, abused or otherwise forgotten. They have turned to abusing others and have been caught. For most, love was never a part of their lives.

The difference between when they first walked in on Friday morning and when they walked out on Sunday evening is nothing less than miraculous. Young men who were hardened (or trying to be) in order to protect themselves on Friday morning, find that by being loved they can show love in return and enjoy themselves. One young man said it best: "Here, I don't have to worry about who's behind me!" I told him, "That's right! Jesus has your back!"

Thank you for all who prayed for the weekend. And thanks to all of the team members who worked very hard to make it happen. But very special thanks to the Lord for truly making it all happen, for the young men, for the staff at the facility, and for the team.

It was amazing!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

We Are Never Alone

I want to share this story with you. May it teach us how very close God is to us each and every day!

Be Blessed,

[Pastor] Glen

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each boy must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man. Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone.

Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Quest

Just this past month, and quite serendipitously, I was able to go on a five and a half day retreat in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. When another continuing education event that I was planning to attend was moved, and I had already bought the plane tickets, this event (called The Quest) became available. I attended with one of my best friends, who now lives in Pennsylvania!

The Quest is all about getting free and stepping up to the responsibility of being a man of God. If you have read Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, you will know the basic thrust of the program. We had worship, teachings, times of prayer and reflection, confession and repentance and much more. They fed us a lot, too! I’m not supposed to tell you very much about the Quest so that others can go and be blessed too.

On one day, we fasted and spent the whole day out in the woods. It was a wonderful experience in prayer and reflection. The high point of the day was reading letters that many of my friends and family members sent to me. God spoke through those letter to my heart! I heard God say that I am loved, valued, cherished and appreciated; all things that I needed to hear! As gracious as people are to express their appreciation of me, I still get into a place where I wonder. But being quiet before the Lord allowed me to really hear His voice through their voices. It was an awesome experience!

It happened at just the right time, and the circumstances were just so perfect, that I have no doubt it was “a God thing”! The more we trust God and let God work in and through us, the more we find God’s amazing grace. I probably would not have gone on The Quest if I was not already going back east (for meetings in Nashville) and the previous conference had not been moved! It was truly a “divine appointment” for me and just the right time.

So, I encourage you to listen carefully to God, and follow His leading. This life is way too short to let opportunities that God has planned especially for you to slip by! In this holy season of Easter,

Be Blessed!

Find out more about The Quest at www.fellowshipofthesword.com/

Friday, February 8, 2008

A Day When America Works

This past Tuesday, Election Day, my church hosted a polling place and offered hospitality to voters and poll workers all day. It was a rather simply outreach: coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bottled water and cookies. Perhaps more significant was the friendly smile and a happy "good morning" to those who came to exercise their citizenly rights.

We met some wonderful people. There was no talk of politics (not allowed that close to the polling place), not really any talk of religion. Just friendly talk and friendly smiles. It was really nice.

But what I gained most from the day was a new hope in America. Americans still believe in democracy. Americans still vote, and they still care.

There was a steady stream of people coming to vote. Even though "they" say about half of voters vote by absentee ballot, there are still lots of people who come to the polls to vote. I still vote at the poll because there is something good and satisfying in voting at my neighborhood polling place. Apparently I am not alone in that thought.

So, that's all I wanted to say. Election Day is a day when America (and all that America stands for) still works, and works well. God bless America; America, bless God!

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Be It Resolved

As the new year begins, it is a very good time to re-examine our lives and make decisions that enable us to grow as persons and as children of God. Here are some suggestions you might consider.

1. Resolve to know God better. You do this by giving yourself over to His plan and work. Spend time, often, reading the Bible. Spend time, often, in prayer. Spend time, often, working with God to achieve God’s purposes. Start the year off right by attending and participating in the Wesley Covenant Service on January 6th (see article elsewhere).

2. Resolve to know others better. You do this by making yourself available to others, revealing who you are and offering your gifts and talents to others. Spend time with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and others. Get to know them, and let them get to know you. Relationships are very important.

3. Resolve to know yourself better. Spend time, often, in self-reflection. Pray about the growth edges of your life, asking God to refine you. Seek inner healing of your emotional and spiritual wounds. Work on the parts of YOU that need work. Resolve to be a better you in a year than you are now.

God wants to bless you, and He wants you to be a blessing to others. Make 2008 a year in which you grow closer to God, to others and to yourself. You are a precious child of God!

Happy New Year!