January 2023

This month, I want to share a passage from the book, It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again by Julia Cameron (the book The Spirituality and Book Group is doing for 12 weeks).
The joke runs like this:
Question:  Do you know how old I will be by the time I learn to play the piano?
Answer:  The same age you’ll be if you don’t.

I posted on Facebook recently that it was never too late to be a beginner.  A flood of “likes” came back to me…I began my own piano lessons when I turned sixty.  At age sixty-five, I still consider myself a beginner, although my teacher said I had made great strides.  Each week, I went to my lesson armed with a small notebook.  In it, my teacher recorded the assignments of the week:  “Practice the C major scale.  Practice the G major scale.  Practice, period…”

I still take piano lessons.  Every Thursday I show up at my lesson, bringing a record of the week’s practice to my teacher.  I love my piano lessons.  I am undoubtedly still a beginner, but I have made progress.  And any progress is satisfying.   As a child, I was considered one of the “nonmusical” children in a large family, where three of my six siblings went on to become professional musicians.  The piano was often “taken,” with one of my brothers or sisters playing more advanced pieces than I was capable of.  I happily immersed myself in words and books, but a bit of me longed to be a part of the melodies that danced through the house.  I have always loved a home filled with music.  Today, even at my early stage of learning, it is thrilling to be the one adding music to my home.

Often, when we say it is “too late” for us to begin something, what we are really saying is that we aren’t willing to be a beginner. But when we are willing to dip our toe in, even just a little, we are rewarded with a sense of youthful wonder.

​SERMONS AND SCRIPTURES:
February 5: Star Opposites:   Disperse, Follow, Speak out
Luke 22:35-38; Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
February 12:  Star Opposites: Ignore, Mean, Fearful
February 19:  Star Opposites: Find, Hold Accountable, Stay put, Quit
Matthew 7:7-8; Proverbs 26:4-5

June and July,  2022

A pastor noted one of the boys in the church looking at a plaque with names on it.
“Son, do you know what this is?” the minister asked. “No sir, what is it?” the boy asked.
“Those are the names of the people who died in Service,” the pastor said solemnly.
The boy looked worried.  “Was it the 8:30 or 11 o’clock service?”

I thank George Brack for this one.  But this being Memorial Weekend, or close to it when this Link goes out, I think it is important to note this is time to remember those who did die in service.  For many, memories still go back to WWII or Korean and loved ones lost in those wars.  For others, it is Vietnam.  Our present time makes us think of friends who died in Iraq or Afghanistan.  While the US doesn’t have soldiers directly fighting in Ukraine, the soldiers and citizens of that country are on all our minds today.
One of the hard things in remembering those who died in past wars is sometimes, we may feel conflicted about the particular war in which the soldiers died.  If you felt a particular war should not have been fought, if you protested the war, what responsibility do you have after the war toward those who served or those who lost loved ones in that conflict?  There have been wars that our nation engaged in that have left me concerned that ethically, the war did not measure up to Just War standards.  Just War standards were principles that Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, two famous Christian philosophers and theologians, enumerated by which a Christian could morally fight in a war.  It was designed to help Christian rulers make the decision of what wars were morally justified and what wars would just be self serving.

The 2 principles were Just Cause and Just Means.  Just Cause required that the war be authorized by a head of state with just intentions for a just cause.  It required that it be a last resort and the ruler clearly define the terms by which the war would end.  Just Means required that all efforts be made to use the least amount of military might to accomplish the ends and that all efforts to avoid targeting civilians be followed.

Those who have served will be more familiar with the term “Rules of Engagement” which is the way troops are instructed in what constitutes Just Means and what constitutes war crimes.
Contemporary ethicists have added a 3rd standard:  Justice after War.  This seeks to define what are the moral obligations of individual citizens as well as nation states once war ends.  Who pays for the rebuilding of ravaged lands and buildings?

What is owed to soldiers after their service is over but physical and mental issues are on-going?  How are war crimes to be judged and atoned?  Regardless of the morality of a given conflict, the healing of the wounds of war is a task which pacifists or just war advocates, soldiers or civilians, nation states or individuals can engage in healing.

One way our church seeks to help in this third category is by our bags for Veterans.  These are toiletry bags given to Vets that have items like soap, shampoo, conditioner, wash cloth, razors, shaving crème, toothbrush, and toothpaste.  While encouraged as a birthday tradition, it is a good thing to do on our national holidays that focus on war and its impact on those who served or are serving: Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day.  Bags and list of suggested items are on the back table by the sanctuary doors.  You can fill a bag or bring an item or two to go for a bag.  It is one way we can help our soldiers and heal the wounds of war.

May 2022

A while back, our church became a Matthew 25 church.  Challenged by Jesus’ parable where in the final judgement nations are gathered and evaluated on how they responded when they saw someone hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick or in prison.  Those who ministered to the need were praised and those who didn’t… well, let’s not go there.   Our denomination created the challenge known as the Matthew 25 Initiative where church could commit to any or all of three goals:
Building congregational vitality
Dismantling structural racism
Eradicating systemic poverty.

Our church took on all three.  In the pandemic, it was hard to maintain congregational vitality.  So many of our traditional events could not happen.  Ministries were really challenged to figure out new ways to do the important work of fellowship, mission, education, worship, maintaining the property, caring for each other and honoring our commitment to Earth Care.  Thank goodness for Zoom, but even more, thank goodness for the resilient creativity ministries and members showed in keeping us together and energized.  Meetings, worship, Bingo, Bible studies, classes, choir practice all on Zoom.  Distanced outdoor events for Worship and Fellowship and Art 4 All.  Working on major property issues and relandscaping.  Repairs on Hope House.  Drive ups for food drives, worship, honoring deceased members, offering stewardship pledges.  Drive through Living Nativity.  We even took on the tasks of repairing the Hope House and, taking out the berms.  Fifteen hundred books for kids. Recently, offering partnership with a new Scout troop and 6 dens.   It was such a crazy time, but it kept us on our toes and that kept us vitalized in ways we never anticipated.  Initiative #1, something we have always done but now in a new way.

​In the midst of the pandemic, speakers on Crossroads from the community, opened our eyes to ways racism was not only openly expressed in the past, but had gotten built into structures that we had not noticed, causing continuing disparity in opportunities and treatment.  That realization led to some connections with a primarily African American church.  We partnered in providing a breakfast and toiletries to homeless people on a weekly basis.  A letter of  apology was given and deeply appreciated by our partner church.   These are ways we are working on undoing racism or as Initiative #2 states: dismantling structural racism.

As the pandemic began to wane, plans to help house some of the chronically homeless most at risk emerged in a partnership between the City of Ocala, Interfaith Hospitality and area churches.  Some of the homeless are now getting an apartment and being “adopted.”  We are one of the churches in this new initiative.   This along with our continuing providing meals and food for Interfaith Shelter and food warehouse are the ways we are attempting to address Initiative #3:  eradicating systemic poverty.
A lot has happened and continues to happen.  Hang onto your hat.  The wind of the Spirit is blowing.

March 2022

By the time this Link has gone out, the Officer Retreat will have happened, and we will have processed your evaluations as a Session under the leadership of Margaret Spontak.  Thank you to all who filled them out.  Surveys are like voting, your voice only gets heard if you take the time to do both.  We will be processing what the results were and you will hear more in the days to come.
Easter is late this year (April 20) and so we begin Lent (the 40 days before Easter minus Sundays), as a church by doing more introspective activities.  The Crossroads will be reading and talking about The Fourth Gospel by Bishop Spong.  Sermons will discuss the 7 Deadly Vices and their countering virtues.  There will be a three-part Bible Study Wednesday mornings on Zoom about the Fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians 5.  There are special night services on Ash Wednesday (March 2) and Maundy Thursday (April 14).  Of course, we culminate the season with Easter Celebration.  We celebrate that our homebound and friends at a distance are able to join in by the Zooming of services and many other events.
As we make the inward journey, we also continue to do the outward activities that benefit the community.  Breakfasts continue to be prepared by teams of 4 every Tuesday for the hungry who come to St Paul AME.  Snacks are taken to our first responders.  We await news on when we will help a new resident who will be housed at the apartments being overseen by Interfaith Hospitality Network.  Birthday bags for vets, groceries for Interfaith and Domestic Violence, gas cards for parents of kids at Kimberly Center, and pudding for school kids are delivered monthly by members.   Art packs and activities are planned and done by Art 4 All.  Hope House will be opened officially on March 27.  Our new Scout pack and dens are welcomed on Monday nights as they meet in the CE building and Fellowship Hall.  There will be special projects for kids in the community:  dress a bunny and Earth Day pack for a community preschool.  The challenges of making the playground safe and resurfacing the parking lot for all our new traffic, are major property focuses.  With Earth Day following on the heels of Easter, worship and educational events are anticipated for the late spring both indoors and out.

LENT IS COMING
February 2022.

We will start the 6 weeks of preparation for Easter with an Ash Wednesday Service on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 PM. Lent is a time of spiritual reflection and the theme this year is The Seven Deadly Sins and 9 Spiritual Fruit. The Deadly Sins are gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, lust, anger, and pride. These have been traditionally discussed since the Middle Ages. The Spiritual Fruit come from Galatians 5: 22-23 and are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Perhaps some of you have a Star word based on one of these virtues that Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit.” Hope this sermon series will deepen your understanding and appreciation of those terms. Ash Wednesday starts the 40-day pilgrimage to Easter (minus Sundays). On Ash Wednesday, a person’s forehead or dominant hand is marked in the sign of a cross with ashes made from palm branches.

The ashes mean several things. First it reminds us of our mortality. “Ashes you are and to ashes you will return.” No one lives forever.

Second, it is a sign of repentance. In the Hebrew Bible, people would tear their clothes and pour ashes on themselves as a sign of sorrow and repentance.

Third, since palm branches are used for the ashes traditionally, it reminds us of how the cheers and acclaim of Palm Sunday for Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem, 5 days later turned into jeers and calls for his death. It reminds us of how fickle we can be in living out our commitments sometimes.

These 40 days are often days of fasting from a particular food or luxury item. Sometimes people use the 40 days to try to establish a good new habit in their lives. Ash Wednesday is the day the new commitment or fast begins.

However you choose to practice Lent, let it be a time of deepening in your relationship with God through Christ