Many individuals make tremendous impacts upon our lives. Often it is not until their death that we, through reminiscence, begin to fully realize what they meant to us and others through the types of lives they lived — their beliefs, dedication and commitments.
During the years 1957-62, Robert H. Hamill served as pastor of Wesley Foundation at the University of Wisconsin. We knew Bob, and his beliefs, dedication and commitment affected our lives. From the University of Wisconsin, Bob went on to serve as Dean of the Chapel of Boston University School of Theology. His writing, preaching and teaching affected many individuals. His death in February 1975 caused us to reflect upon the impact of his life. Although Bob surely will be missed by many, he will, more importantly, be remembered with joy by many. He was a man of compassion and vision; he lived his Christian beliefs with zeal and intensity. With thanksgiving he will be remembered in death as in life, as Bob himself said, “the demand of death is that I turn from the past to the future, and decide all over again what my life is all about. Death intensifies my living and sends me back to all that is basic and elemental, and I find it good, very good.” And Bob’s life was very, very good.
The days of Lent cause us to focus on another very, very good life — that of Jesus Christ — a son given for the sins of the world. A man who neither asked for, nor needed, any worldly goods; one who believed in turning from the past to the future; one who knew what his life was all about; a life shared with others.
What a tribute to have said of one’s life: “It was very, very good!”.
Prayer
We are thankful for your Son and for the many individuals who affect our lives daily. Open our eyes that we may see them as you do. Open our lives that we may turn from the past to the future and thereby determine what our lives are all about. Amen and Amen.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Copy-of-Lent-Devotion-Blog-Connectors-Series-Imagery.png3001200Kylie Hubbardhttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngKylie Hubbard2021-03-21 07:00:092021-03-18 13:07:24O Death, Where is Thy Sting?
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. …He came to bear witness to the light,… that all might believe. …And the Word became flesh…full of grace and truth. …From his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace.”
With the coming of the movie, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, I went back to Hannah Greene’s original written words. Again, I was moved by the reflective and deep thoughts of this young out-patient from the hospital:
“Over the text of John Stainer’s ‘Seven-Fold Amen’, she looked out into the congregation on
Sunday and wondered if they ever thanked God for the light in their minds, for friends, for cold
and pain responsive to the laws of nature, for enough depth of insight into these laws to have
expectation, again for friends, for the days and nights that follow one another in stately rhythm,
for the sparks that fly upward, for friends . . .
Did they know how beautiful and enviable their lives were? She realized more and more that
her few spare hour pastimes provided too little in which to test and exercise her fragile ‘Yes’
to a newborn reality.”
I began to wonder – do we actually test, or exercise, our sometimes fragile YES to reality, which can be newborn for us each day?
DO WE?
CAN WE?
WILL WE?
Prayer
Thank you, God, for the gifts of our life – for the light in our minds – for friends, for the expectations of living. May we be transmitters of life, agents of Your activity, facilitators of living fully. With Faith and in hope, may we break open and see the world of opportunity that is ours as we ourselves are open. Then, through Grace and Truth and Light, may we lay claim to our greatest potential, Christ within us. Amen.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Copy-of-Lent-Devotion-Blog-Connectors-Series-Imagery.png3001200Kylie Hubbardhttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngKylie Hubbard2021-03-20 07:00:542021-03-18 12:55:52Life Within You and Me
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
It will be our hope for a better tomorrow that will keep us going today. Our faith is one of hope. In the New Testament world, God in Christ gave hope to a world which had no hope, and in today’s world we still have this same hope.
Ours is a faith that tells us no man need despair, for God is good and merciful, and active in the affairs of each of us. We don’t always have to accept situations as they are. We can help create circumstances and not merely adjust to them. Creativity is a God-given capacity. Man creates his own hopes, but God fulfills them. God is working his purposes in each of us. He will change us, discipline us, save us from futility. His steadfast love endures. Such an attitude of hope will not fail us. It is like a true compass to guide us.
Not too many days ago, while I was raking long fallen leaves in our backyard on a cold dismal day, and pondering the troubles of the world-what should appear from under the decaying leaves, but a tender green fern to remind me that no one should give in to despair or hopelessness.
There is life! There is light! There is hope! Yea, wait for the Lord!
Prayer
Dear God, help us to find new meaning in our faith as we put our trust and our hope in Thee. We praise Thee that Lent is a time that renews the vision of our life in Christ, our hope, and our joy. Amen.
One of our favorite things about the spring semester each year is celebrating our graduating seniors. And this year, we’re a special Senior Spotlight series on our blog. Our seniors answered interview questions earlier this spring and it has been so much fun learning their answers! Check back in each week to get to know our seniors better and help to cheer them on as they wrap up high school and prepare for their next steps!
Meet Mary Kate Holladay!
What high school are you graduating from?
West High School
What are your plans for next year?
Attend college (undecided as of now)
What is your favorite bible verse?
“I can do all things through who Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
If you could choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chicken minis from Chick-fil-a
If you could give some advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t take the little moments for granted- life is very precious and you should cherish it.
What are your top 3 favorite movies?
Titanic, 10 Things I Hate About You, Sound of Music
What is your favorite Church Street memory?
Getting the opportunity to start off my summer by traveling to a new place, singing to unfamiliar people, and growing closer with those around me in the youth choir.
What are you most excited about going into the next season of your life?
To step out of my comfort zone and experience new things that will help me grow as a person.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1.png10801080Jenny Crosshttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngJenny Cross2021-03-18 10:00:172021-03-18 15:45:22Senior Spotlight: Mary Kate Holladay
Our Church School Class of Fifth Graders recently studied how God reveals Himself in Jesus. The previous Sunday, Lila Boehms had suggested that the children bring a baby picture of themselves and everyone brought one, including the teachers.
The class enjoyed guessing which picture belonged to whom. They noticed how a child often resembled a parent or a brother or sister. We discussed how children also can resemble a parent by facial expressions, gestures and in the way they express themselves. One can tell a lot about a parent from observing their child.
Likewise, we can tell a lot about God by studying about Jesus. Jesus is God’s child – Jesus “takes after” God.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my father as well.”
Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, may your plan for our lives be revealed to us through the early life of your Son, Jesus Christ.Amen.
The COVID-19 pandemic sent businesses, organizations and communities to a screeching halt last March, including the vibrant community of Church Street choirs.
An active ministry, the adult choir boasts 60 members, the youth choir 50 and the children’s choir 25, and the handbells choir, on average, has 12 members at a time. Although each choir member hasn’t been present during each Zoom, the adult choir has gained three new members during the pandemic.
Once it was evident that a shutdown would cause a shift to virtual worship, Director of Music Tim Ward knew recording would be the natural starting place.
Virtual worship quickly became the norm. Organist Edie Johnson coordinated singers and musicians, while Ward recorded and music secretary Eileen Weber edited the audio and video of each virtual piece.
“We decided a long time ago, ‘we’ve got to make this work,’ and so we did,” Ward says.
Making it work has relied heavily on the creativity of Ward, Johnson, Weber and the members of each choir. Johnson says she’s enjoyed including all ages, even if it has to be virtually.
“We’ve really kept the entire community engaged even when we can’t meet in person,” Johnson says. “By having the children and the youth in the virtual choirs, it’s been able to involve a lot of people.”
Each choir soon found a way after the shutdown to sing or play to a new tune, with five recitals and countless virtual choirs produced since March 2020.
Learning new skills, getting creative
Weber wasn’t a video and audio editor prior to the shutdown. Although her previous experience was limited, she quickly learned how to separate audio from video, combine audio to make individual voices blend into one choir and then add back the video previously separated.
Each virtual choir member is sent a video or audio file to practice before recording. Weber then takes each individual member’s video submission to create the final combined piece.
“It’s been a creative outlet that I think has been so rewarding for me,” Weber says. “I’ve been more excited about this kind of work and I’m so grateful to Tim and Edie and the ideas that spring from their minds to keep all this going.”
As a member of the adult choir, Weber has also taken on a teaching role, as she helps choir members understand the best lighting and sound setups to get the highest quality video and sound.
In addition to at-home recordings, Ward has been lead cameraman on the recording of soloists in the nave and Johnson’s organ playing for worship services, and he has learned new ways to capture each music presentation. Soloists have been recorded by as many as three cameras at once, and a dancer for one of the virtual recitals was recorded from six different angles.
“I wanted to make everything up close and personal and didn’t want to record from far away,” Ward says.
Another way that virtual worship has allowed for more personal connections is through the organ pieces. Each recording shows Johnson’s face, hands and feet as she plays.
“That’s a new connection that people have made,” Ward says. “They’re able to see what Edie does, and before, no one saw it unless you got to sit by her in the choir.”
Making new connections, even over Zoom
While many have felt less connected than before the pandemic, Ward and Johnson have made sure that members’ needs are put before singing and presentations.
Rehearsals and meetings immediately started to provide connection for each choir. Ward met nearly every Wednesday night with the adult choir, and Johnson with the children’s choir every other week in the summer and weekly during the spring and fall.
In a typical year, members usually arrive, practice and then leave and don’t normally stick around to chat or get to know one another outside of who they sit next to each week.
“In the adult choir, it’s amazing to me that people knew faces, but they didn’t know names,” Ward says. “This has really allowed people to put a name with a face. I had several people say, ‘You know, I know more now.’”
Weber says she’s also created more connections in the youth and children’s choirs and the handbell choir than she had previously.
“I’ve actually learned more people than I knew before at Church Street. That’s been very rewarding to me,” Weber says. “Now I feel like I know some of the youth choir and have had a really good time joshing around with them or exchanging comments.”
Members of the adult choir are now known for offering any and all information they can about vaccines, and offer help when it comes to groceries and other tasks. Ward says that they’ve included time on each Zoom to connect and check in with each other before singing in order to provide a bridge while apart.
Johnson also invited a teacher to lead conversation related to the Alexander Technique, which is a way of learning how you can get rid of harmful tension in the body. Members learned more about ways to cope with anxiety, loneliness and other issues produced by the pandemic.
Looking forward to in-person worship opportunities, new recitals
As the church reopens for Sunday worship opportunities, Ward is excited to have in-person music at both the 8:30 am and 11 am services.
On March 14, an eight-piece ensemble sang all musical pieces for the service , and that will stay the same until Easter Sunday when additional choir members will join in the balconies.
“Your vocal chords are a muscle,” Ward says. “Just like with weight lifting, if you don’t use them every week, the muscles go away.”
Johnson and Weber echo the sentiment, adding that singing together again will help singers strengthen skills they have lost and get back in the practice of having a conductor to follow.
In addition to a return to worship, a special recital, “Mother Goose, Nursery Tunes and More” will feature clergy and staff members as characters in a variety of well-known children’s tunes, as well as the opportunity to get to know the organ in a more whimsical way
“I guarantee anyone who watches this won’t be able to help but smile,” Ward says.
The special recital will premiere on YouTube at 3:30 pm on Sunday, March 21, and a special Meet and Greet will start 30 minutes prior to the premiere on Zoom.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Copy-of-Lent-Devotion-Blog-Connectors-Series-Imagery-1.png3001200Kylie Hubbardhttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngKylie Hubbard2021-03-16 08:00:102021-03-16 15:03:43Singing to a new tune during the pandemic
The popular bumper-sticker whose inscription appears above brings a haunting question to mind. Have you noticed how quickly time passes and before you know it those you love are suddenly “just not around anymore?” The one who used to be the baby is now into soccer and basketball-diapers and baby bottles are things of the past. Our little girl is suddenly eleven and going on eighteen! Family members are located hundreds of miles away. Parents, who never grow old, have joined the ranks of the retired. Even close friends are frequently transferred and move far away.
How often do we fail to express the love we have for family members and friends? Do we just assume that they will know we love them? To be sure, we have only the best of intentions but somehow those important words go unspoken until it is too late.
In John Powell’s book The Secret of Staying in Love, there is an account of a man whose father has just died in his arms.
His mother looked at him and said, “Oh, he was so proud of you. He loved you so much.” As tears streamed down the young man’s face he realized that he wasn’t crying because his father was dead but rather because his father never told him that he was proud of him and that he loved him. The son was just expected to know the great part he played in his father’s life and the great part he occupied in his heart – but the son was never told.
What a waste! Why do we let it happen? How long has it been since we told someone how much we cared about them? Do so today – don’t wait until it is too late.
Prayer
Dear God, there is a wealth of unexpressed love in the world. Today, help us begin to say those simple but all important words that have for so long gone unspoken. Amen.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Copy-of-Lent-Devotion-Blog-Connectors-Series-Imagery.png3001200Kylie Hubbardhttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngKylie Hubbard2021-03-16 07:00:382021-03-15 15:00:50Have You Hugged Your Kid Today?
Several years ago I participated in a Walk to Emmaus, an intensely personal three-day weekend Christian retreat. Attendees, pilgrims, are challenged to silence, prayer, and contemplation with workshops, small group discussions, great meals, singing, worship, daily communion and finally commitment or “Fourth Day”.
The first event was the challenge of self-denial. Just as Jesus went into the wilderness to contemplate his mission and was met with temptation, we were asked to discover our own personal temptations. Was it pleasures “of the flesh”, personal comforts, eating, drinking? Was it personal goals, life in the world and the sometimes-overwhelming concerns of daily living? Was it power and prestige given by others and society? For me it was the surrender of self-will, letting go of my own desires and plans, and opening myself up to the possibilities of a God-filled life.
Perhaps Lent and practice of “giving something up for Lent” is more about spiritual renewal and prayer than it is about what we plan to give up. Perhaps for me it is a time to revisit my temptations and to re-surrender myself. This Lenten season might be an opportunity for you to contemplate and pray about your temptations, to discover what pulls you from a faith-filled life, to recommit yourself to the vows you said when you joined the church – “to support the church with your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness”…and then to surrender self.
Prayer
Holy God, Help me to discern your will for my life during these days ahead…to live within your will each day. Forgive my human weakness and my sin. Strengthen me to celebrate Easter with a new heart. In the name of Jesus the Christ, Amen.
“For with thee is the fountain of life, in thy light shall we see light.”
A constant wonder to behold is a fountain with its spontaneous and constant flow of life giving water. The sureness of this ever flowing stream of water brings joy and satisfaction. There are numerous kinds of fountains and each in its own way serves a purpose.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating is the tiny bubbling clear stream to be discovered deep in the rocks and ferns of the mountains. When compared to the impressive multi-lighted high leaping fountains, this tiny bubbling mountain stream might seem insignificant. Yet how like the fountain is God’s plan for man.
Some individuals in their Christian endeavor reach spectacular heights while others might be compared to the tiny mountain stream. Each serves its purpose and each is dependent upon a deep inner source to fulfill its purpose.
Christians too are dependent on an inner source, which is the love of God, to fulfill their purpose in life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give each of us the wisdom, grace and understanding to know that with thee is the fountain of life. May our love be constant and may we serve thee joyfully and fulfill our purpose in life. Amen.
https://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Copy-of-Lent-Devotion-Blog-Connectors-Series-Imagery.png3001200Kylie Hubbardhttps://churchstreetumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/main-logo-website-new.pngKylie Hubbard2021-03-14 15:00:232021-03-15 01:33:55Fountains of Life
By Dona McConnell, Director, Beacon of Hope, April 19, 2019
Under the Bridge
Read: Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
On my way to work at Beacon of Hope I pass under the bridge overpass where many homeless gather. People are hunched on the side of the street with blankets wrapped against the bitter cold. There are people of all ages and races, males and females, young adults and children. Extreme poverty does not discriminate. Sometimes it’s especially hard to bear, like a recent day when I spied a young boy, maybe 12 or 13, wearing socks but no shoes.
I hear all the arguments. “They should get a job.” “They want to be homeless.” “They are all on drugs.” All I know for sure is that no one under the bridge is happy. No one grew up dreaming of this life. No one “prefers” being cold and hungry.
So what can I do? I can’t help everyone, but I can try to love those who are sometimes hard to love. During Lent, as we reflect on Jesus’ life and death, we can reflect also on his lessons of unconditional love. Jesus’ mission on earth was based on inclusion. He loved the poor, the homeless, the lepers, the sinners. No one, not even the thief on the cross beside him, was beyond the reach of His love. As a follower of Jesus, am I not also called to love those whose lives I may not understand?
This Lenten season, I’ve decided to pray every day for someone under the bridge. I’ll pray for them to escape the cycle of pain they’re in, regardless of the reason, and to get another chance at a life of blessing. I’ll try to remember that we all deserve equal measures of mercy as children of God.
Prayer
God of love, grant us the ability to love others, especially those who are lost in the world. Help us not to turn away from their pain, but to follow Jesus’ teachings and love them.
In addition to at-home recordings, Ward has been lead cameraman on the recording of soloists in the nave and Johnson’s organ playing for worship services, and he has learned new ways to capture each music presentation. Soloists have been recorded by as many as three cameras at once, and a dancer for one of the virtual recitals was recorded from six different angles. 
“I’ve actually learned more people than I knew before at Church Street. That’s been very rewarding to me,” Weber says. “Now I feel like I know some of the youth choir and have had a really good time joshing around with them or exchanging comments.” 
