North Shore United Methodist Church April 2019 1 “Making a Way in the Wilderness” 18 Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. 19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. - Isaiah 43:18-21 In 586 BCE, Isaiah and his contemporaries watched as the city of Jerusalem was laid to waste by the Babylonians, its inhabitants either killed or forcibly exiled, and the Judahite culture at risk of being subsumed by the Babylonians’ gentile culture. We today cannot begin to comprehend the terror and heartbreak that the people of Judah faced during such tumultuous times. The quoted words above from the Book of Isaiah were likely written by one of his students, but attributed to him (a common practice in the ancient world) while the people of Judah were away in exile in Babylon. The earlier chapters of Isaiah (chaps. 1-39) likely were written by Isaiah himself before and during the actual assault of the Babylonians on the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. The author of this section of Isaiah speaks in God’s voice casting a vision of a time yet-to-come in which God will restore the people of Judah back to their homeland, thereby assuaging their current crisis. Continued on next page
Transcript
North Shore United Methodist Church April 2019
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“Making a Way in the Wilderness”
18 Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise. - Isaiah 43:18-21
In 586 BCE, Isaiah and his contemporaries watched as the city of Jerusalem was laid to waste by the Babylonians, its inhabitants either killed or forcibly exiled, and the Judahite culture at risk of being subsumed by the Babylonians’ gentile culture. We today cannot begin to comprehend the terror and heartbreak that the people of Judah faced during such tumultuous times. The quoted words above from the Book of Isaiah were likely written by one of his students, but attributed to him (a common practice in the ancient world) while the people of Judah were away in exile in Babylon. The earlier chapters of Isaiah (chaps. 1-39) likely were written by Isaiah himself before and during the actual assault of the Babylonians on the Kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. The author of this section of Isaiah speaks in God’s voice casting a vision of a time yet-to-come in which God will restore the people of Judah back to their homeland, thereby assuaging their current crisis. Continued on next page
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With this frame in mind, how bold of God to speak through the writer of Isaiah instructing the people to “...[no longer] remember the former things”! When we face adversity in life, how easy it is to dwell on those moments of crisis—even allowing them to fester in our minds—which can then leave little room for hope to take root. Instead, God desires for the people of Judah not to give up on hope: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs up, do you not perceive it?” I wonder if the people of Judah said at the end of that question, “No, we don’t perceive it! How could you say such an audacious thing in the midst of our terrible circumstance?” Friends, we face a crisis of our own within the larger United Methodist Church in the wake of General Conference 2019 (GC2019) due to the tragic passing of the Traditionalist Plan. To recap, this new plan tightens bans on bishops ordaining candidates for ministry who identify as LGBTQ+, clergy officiating at same-sex weddings, and those same weddings occurring in UMC-owned churches or buildings. These prohibitions have been in our UMC Book of Discipline since 1972; however, many bishops and clergy were ignoring/dissenting from these prohibitions due to the convictions of their conscious. This caused a small-but-well-organized-and-funded band of our denomination called the “Wesley Covenant Association” (WCA) to push for the tightening of bans related to these matters. Like the people of Judah before us, we stand in a middle-space right now as we wait to see how the dust settles on the other side of these events. It can be easy in such a time, like the exiled Judahites before us, to wonder if God is still at work and moving for the greater good of God’s people. But let us remember as people of faith that it is often nearly impossible to perceive how exactly God is moving in the present. Usually, it is only years—sometimes decades—later when we can begin to wonder if God’s invisible hand was at work here or there, making good emerge where none seemed to exist initially. Rev. James Harnish, a well-known UMC pastor and author, was quoted recently for thanking the WCA for what they did at GC2019 as it is causing centrist and progressive United Methodists to band together for the sake of LGBTQ+ inclusion in a way that hasn’t occurred in the history of our denomination. Though we presently stand in the wilderness as a denomination, could a “new thing” be emerging by God’s almighty hand of grace? Such a question may seem far-fetched; but the writer of Isaiah dared to hold to such a hope, believing that God was both powerful and bold enough to realize such a vision. Can we do the same today? Grace & peace,
Scott S. Himel, Pastor
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Pastor Scott leads a 4–week study of the book
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General Conference 2019 and what now By Lisa Goodale
Pastor Scott asked me to share some information in response to the decision of the General Conference relative to LGBTQ+ persons. Our congregation has expressed its openness by becoming a Reconciling Congregation several years ago. Nevertheless, many of us are struggling with what the decision means for us as a United Methodist congregation and personally, and many of us are seeking information and reassurance. I want to recommend to you a reflection by Bishop Karen Oliveto of the United Methodist Church’s Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone Conferences entitled, To those who are contemplating leaving the United Methodist Church. One might not blame Bishop Oliveto, a lesbian, for cynicism or anger right now. I have no doubt she – like many of us – feels both. But she speaks of why she chooses to stay in the United Methodist Church, and her words (slightly abridged here) give me hope. (Read the entire reflection at the website below by
copy/pasting the information on a blank web browser page: https://www.qchristian.org/blog/to-those-who-are-contemplating-leaving-the-united-methodist-church?fbclid=IwAR3ITWcgO6TKBIXDl0uo5jU8iDcDPxDmh9EOWVNPt2EB_inHxo6T5TY6Ha4) “I write this letter with an aching heart. I have heard the pain in the voices of so many of you, wondering if it is time to ‘shake the dust off’ and leave your local church. As your bishop, I cannot ask you to stay in a place where your soul cannot be at rest. However, I will share with you why I, as a lifelong member of the UMC and as a lesbian, choose to stay.“I stay because I know that the actions of General Conference are not a reflection of the church that has raised me, enveloped me in God’s grace, nurtured my walk of faith as a disciple of Jesus, and encouraged my call. Most United Methodists in the United States are appalled at the turn our denomination has taken. For them and for me, it is an affront to the very ethos of Methodism itself. We are not biblical literalists, as this vote implies. Nor are we a tradition grounded in rules and punishment. We United Methodists have always been about grace, grace and more grace. I am staying because I want to reclaim the best of our tradition for the generations that come after me …
“ … there are some of us who have been living with the church’s rejection for a long time! Yet, we continue to be called to this church. Within our local churches, there is a commitment to welcome and care for every child of God. I stay so our churches can provide deeper care and greater witness to those feeling the sting of judgment and rejection.
“I stay because of our young people. Last Sunday, I worshipped at St. Andrew and was asked by Pastor Mark Feldmeir to come lead communion. Robin, my spouse, and I stood with bread and cup and offered the elements to those who came to receive. All the youth stood in line to receive from us. Many were sobbing. How could the church that had taught them about God’s love for them suddenly make this love conditional? Many collapsed in my arms in tears, their hearts breaking. I stay so that our young people will inherit a church where every child is beloved, where no one is turned away, where Christ’s table is wide enough for everyone.
“I stay because there is no place else for me to go. Our United Methodist way of living our faith in practical ways is found in no other denomination. We are the people who embrace Wesley’s understanding of personal piety and social holiness. I want our churches to give witness to this even more boldly.
“I stay because, since the decision, I am seeing United Methodist Churches across our connection saying “NO”! They will not allow a vote at General Conference to derail their ministries or commitments to love all people. The Holy Spirit is up to something. I want to be a part of it, and I hope you do to[o].”
Reconciling Ministries Network https://rmnetwork.org/, or on Facebook Northern IL Annual Conference of the UMC https://www.umcnic.org/ NIC Reconciling United Methodists, on Facebook
THE PAN AMERICAN RURAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES (PRHeSS) held a charitable Prayer Breakfast on
Saturday, March 9th, 2019 at the Transformation Community UMC of Harvey, Illinois. Reverend Scott S.
Himel, the Senior Pastor of the North Shore UMC (NSUMC), provided an eloquent and poignant message to
the distinguished guests in attendance. A few members of NSUMC were present at the breakfast representing
the church.
PRHeSS and NSUMC hold a strong bond, which began many years ago, when Rev. Dr. Barbara Javore, Deacon
of NSUMC and Dr. Sam Kormoi Founder of PRHeSS met at a gathering of the Northern Illinois Conference of
the United Methodist Church. Dr. Sam, along with his wife Mary, had a dream to help their native land of
Sierra Leone recuperate from a horrific, brutal Civil War which lasted 11 years, until 2004. They both started
PRHeSS in 2007.
The organization is dedicated to improving sanitation through quality healthcare services, and to promote
human empowerment through education and economic development. They strive to restore hope and dignity to
present and future generations of rural Africans.
A part of this dream has been achieved through the building of the Henry Kormoi Memorial PRHeSS
Community Hospital, a 30-bed clinic, and Outreach facility serving 8,000 to 10,000 residents of Fallay Wujah
Section. The hospital treats infectious diseases, Malaria Parasites, other preventable illnesses that are the
greatest killers of sub-Saharan Africans. This area of the world has one of the highest infant mortality rates on
Earth. NSUMC is proud to claim that the dream has become a reality, in part, through the financial assistance
the church has provided to Dr. and Mrs. Komoi. Please see below a few of the pictures taken of the gathering.
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Rev, Scott S. Himel Rev. Dr. Barbara Javore
Deacon
Dr. San Komoi Mrs. Mary Komoi (FACING THE CAMERA) FROM LEFT; Scott Javore, Rev. Himel,
Mary Figueredo
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Sunday, April 28, 2019, ~ 3 pm
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall
Music Building
Northern Illinois University
550 Lucinda Avenue
DeKalb, IL 60115
Cost: $10.00 per person
What is the Defiant Requiem? Defiant Requiem – Verdi at Terezin is not just a performance of the Verdi Requiem, but a tribute to those courageous Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II, who performed the work while experiencing the depth of human abuse. With only one single smuggled score, and endless replacements of the performing forces as they walked to their death at Auschwitz, conductor Rafael Schächter drilled the music into each performer’s memory and performed the oratorio a total of 16 times, including one performance before senior SS officials from Berlin and an international Red Cross delegation. Maestro Schächter is quoted as saying to his choir, “We will sing to the Nazis that which we cannot say to them.”
How did Defiant Requiem come to be? The Defiant Requiem is a combination of narration, music, and multimedia elements that offer new insights into works of the traditional orchestral repertoire. Its premiere was given on April 20, 2002 at the Portland Expo Center with the Oregon Symphony. PLEASE SIGN UP THE
lthough April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the
Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news, or who failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “Poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person. Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated
in ancient Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There’s
also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere when Mother Nature fooled people with changing unpredictable weather. April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them. In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations, and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In
1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had
agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty
Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.
