Good Samaritan Take 2

08/03/08, 05:50:26 pm, by Melissa Y-D

In church this morning, Ben led a community exegesis of the Good Samaritan text, and then we did a little skit modernizing the characters. We took the new characters from the suggestions of the congregation:

The Jericho Road? I-495

Priest and Levite: a respected member of our church community and Jimmy Carter

The Samaritan: Manny Ramirez (though it was between him, Derek Jeter, and we heard some people suggest A-Rod as well).

Only in Massachusetts….

Day 1 of Exponential '08 (Bulleted Version)

04/23/08, 08:52:14 am, by Melissa Y-D

- I’m really interested in seeing how this missional-DNA-replication approach works in churches that operate from a contemporary framework. It seems as though there is an assumption that the church planters/pastors/people here all have church models that are multi-staff in that contemporary style. When Niel Cole who is from the organic church movement was on the panel discussion during the first plenary session, I kept thinking “one of these things is not like the other…one of these things just doesn’t belong” ala Sesame Street.

- Lots of these pastors seem to be in large churches, but perhaps that’s just an assumption on my part. Ed Stetzer did quote an interesting statistic: churches with congregations under 200 plant more churches than those with congregations over 1000. What can this mean for the United Methodist Churches in New England, since most of them are under 200? Wouldn’t it be great if our churches knew and understood that they don’t have to have lots of money and resources in order to plant new churches?

- Men. Thought there are lots of women present here, the church planting panel discussion during the opening plenary is all men. Even the clergy “spouses” track, each session is led by women with one discussion led by a married couple. I would have liked to see a few male figures leading the spouses track, and more women leadership up front. I actually peeked into the spouses track on the way to my multi-ethnic ministry track, and all women. Very disappointing.

- As Ben said, Andy Stanley is awesome. His vision stuff is what we should be getting in seminary. Vision statements that are more than one sentence long don’t stick and aren’t memorable. One of his points is “portable is memorable". He pointed out that no one knows what Hillary Clinton or John McCain’s vision is for America…but we all know what Barack Obama’s vision for America is (change). Similarly with the ONE campaign: to make poverty history. This is the vision that we want to bring into reality, that is a solution to a problem we perceive in the world.

- Worship…enh. The band is great, don’t get me wrong. But nothing beyond normal contemporary. It’s hard for me to worship when the songs are unfamiliar (I only knew one of them). Obvious use of Mediashout - which was really cool, and the production was done quite well. But I’m thinking…no wonder people perceive church planting as so difficult if this is the standard they want to reach week after week! And this was identified in the plenary session: the problem is that church becomes the Sunday event and not a body that multiplies.

- George Yancey’s stuff in my first track session was good. It was like a mix of Drew’s “Religion and the Social Process” course and the “Multicultural Evangelism” class I took. I think it was a good eye-opener for people here. I get the sense, though, that this is one of the smaller or the 7 tracks.

I’ll post my notes from the conference in a few days.

Thursday, thursday, thursday...

04/10/08, 07:33:21 pm, by Melissa Y-D

I haven’t written in awhile, and it seems like lately, every post I write starts with “I am alive…really…” But seriously, I am. Despite the fact that I had to put together my own funeral for a Church at Worship assignment, I am very much alive. I have fallen out of the habit of (1) posting and (2) reading other people’s blogs. So, to all of you out there, sorry.

I’m still undecided as to what to do with my other blog. On the one hand, I’d like to keep it as a different blog (about who knows what). I like blogger, I enjoy posting there and this blog seems a little stark to me in contrast. It’s been a good home and it’s got archived posts so there’s a bit of momentum. I’m already getting the itch to redesign this website for something a bit sleeker or…maybe that expresses a bit more me? Ben and I have had this conversation about professionalism and all of us having the same design…but I don’t know. I want something that lets more of me come through than just in the words that I write.

It’s a busy time of year, so here I am procrastinating. I’m reading a book on the early Methodist class meeting, and I have to say that Wesley really had something good going on. Too bad that the class structure died out over the years. We’ve lost the place for mutual accountability and discipleship. Calling the committee on finance a “small group” doesn’t cut it for me…unless you’re spending the bulk of your time together asking “How is it with your soul?” rather than contemplating “How is it with our church budget?”

Somewhere, the DNA got scrambled. Hopefully it’s not to scattered to piece it back together.

On a completely side note, the highlight of my day was driving home from school and seeing the driver of this big huge truck play intense air drums around the steering wheel, arms flailing everywhere. It was pretty cool…until he passed me and I saw he was carrying oxygen in his truck. If something had happened…oops.

Oh well. I should finish another chapter or two until…..NBC Thursday Night!!! My Thursdays are finally normal again…two hours of complete vegging in front of the television for some of the finest comedy on the networks. Now, if only I can improve the rabbit ear signal.

Until next time…

Happy Easter!

03/23/08, 07:35:57 pm, by Melissa Y-D

Christ is risen! This year was an uneventful Easter after a busy Holy Week. Easter dinner was a toss-up between Chinese and KFC (the chicken won), and then an extra long Sunday nap. My plans for the evening are to curl up with the UM Discipline (always a good time) and do some other light schoolwork. Tomorrow is the heavy lifting day; I had enough Sabbath during the first part of the week I feel justified in (1) doing taxes tomorrow and (2) all the other homework I neglected for these past two weeks. Can anyone say, “procrastination much?”

This morning, my pastor preached about the interaction between Mary Magdalene and Jesus in the garden after his resurrection. I’m always drawn to that passage of scripture; where Mary is distraught with grief and doesn’t recognize Jesus until he speaks her name - at which point she reacts with obvious joy. As my pastor was reading the passage of scripture this morning I almost teared up as I immersed myself in the story, thinking about the ways we don’t recognize Jesus…until he calls out our names, and we are invited into relationship.

I wonder what it would look like for us this Easter season to try to find Jesus in these unexpected places. After all, Jesus appeared sporadically to his disciples, often coming unannounced like on the road to Emmaus, being recognized only in the breaking of the bread. Jesus could be found in the strangers we interact with day by day - or in the people we hold close to us. What if we treated each person we encountered as if they were Christ? What would that look like?

Just some thoughts for the season…

What religion are you?

03/07/08, 03:02:59 pm, by Melissa Y-D

From time to time I like to take Belifnet’s Religion Quiz, just to see how things line up. This time, I’m an Orthodox Quaker! What are your results?

1. Orthodox Quaker (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (93%)
3. Liberal Quakers (83%)
4. Seventh Day Adventist (74%)
5. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (72%)
6. Unitarian Universalism (72%)
7. Reform Judaism (65%)
8. Eastern Orthodox (62%)
9. Roman Catholic (62%)
10. Baha’i Faith (53%)
11. Theravada Buddhism (52%)
12. Mahayana Buddhism (52%)
13. Neo-Pagan (51%)
14. New Age (49%)
15. Orthodox Judaism (48%)
16. Taoism (44%)
17. Sikhism (44%)
18. Hinduism (43%)
19. Islam (42%)
20. Secular Humanism (41%)
21. Jainism (41%)
22. New Thought (37%)
23. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (33%)
24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (32%)
25. Scientology (32%)
26. Nontheist (24%)
27. Jehovah’s Witness (23%)