Pastor's Monthly Blog - United Methodist Church VISTA

Pastor’s Ponderings – April 2018

Posted on Mar 26, 2018 in Pastor's Monthly Blog |

Pastor’s Pondering – April 2018

The In-Home meetings have been great! More than 65 people have attended and shared their vision for the future of our church. Each gathering was asked, ‘if you had all the money and resources necessary, the best pastor and the perfect facility, what ministry are we called to do?’ Among the comments and wisdom is a desire to invite and welcome more by having a kitchen, and a large variety of programs and opportunities for younger people. You’ve shared that you want to be a church that speaks to people’s soul, offers friends and fun, and shares our faith life together!

As we look into the future, making space for others who speak different generational experiences may be important. Recently I talked about the Millennial generation and their strengths, but I thought you might enjoy hearing the generational experiences of some of our staff. I’ve asked them to share just a little to give you a snapshot of who we are and invite you to share your perspectives with us and one another. Growing into the future will require us to make room for all kinds of people.

“I, Pastor Leigh Ann, was born in 1970 and am a part of the so-called ‘Generation X.’ My generation is known for growing up as ‘latch key’ children and that is my experience. Both of my parents either worked or went to school all of my growing up years. Since my Mom was not at home, I made dinner regularly and we seldom ate at the dining room table. Sesame Street first aired on PBS two months before I was born. The best musician of my generation is Sting. He plays rock, and jazz and speaks to issues of love, social justice and world concerns.”

“I, Pastor Frank, was born in 1949, and am an early part of the “baby boomer” generation. My generation is known for living through significant social unrest and change, I was aware of and participated in various movements for social equality, racial equality, rights of women, and immigration for instance. Both of my parents were teachers, as was my adult brother who lived with us, I stayed in after-school programs and came home at the same time my parents did until junior high school, then was a bit of a latch key kid. My favorite music was classical and Broadway musicals, partly because of my brothers musical tastes. My family ate most meals at the dining room table, brother Don usually cooked, a variety of menus, from stuffed peppers to beef stroganoff. Sunday dinner was important, a hold-over from both parents being farm-raised kids. My generation has seen significant change especially in technology, I was born the year the first jetliner flew, saw the moon landing live, did math by pencil, was 16 before I had a portable calculator, now sitting at a desk with a computer with two terabytes of memory, I’ve lived through all of it.”

“I, Paula Amaro, was born in 1958, and am a part of the baby boomer generation. My generation is known as the first TV generation. My experience as a young girl was watching Walter Cronkite and The Wild Wild West (TV series). My favorite music growing up was country music. Our family didn’t eat together all the time but I cooked a lot of Hamburger Helper. One of the changes I’ve seen is that when I was under age 10, I would be gone all day playing everywhere and walking to school by myself; now parents drop their kids off at school and they are watched carefully when playing outside, not roaming all over the neighborhood.”

“I, Susan Kronoff, was born in born in 1949, and am a part of the baby boomer generation. The Vietnam War was a significant event for my generation and I thought we had an honorable reason for being there, but our politicians wouldn’t let the military fight to win. My brother was on his way there when our National involvement ended. The Beatles and always classical music are my favorites. I remember having “breakfast” for dinner: scrambled eggs, pancakes…. and Spam! When I was young, the family was the center of life; then it morphed into community; then the individual was most important. It’s all cyclical.”

Next Month… Watch for some more staff by the generations! Thank you for sharing your life at the church, as we offer God’s grace to our community and world! Blessings to you as you celebrate the Risen Lord!

Happy Easter! Pastor Leigh Ann

What Shape is Your Faith?

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 in Pastor's Monthly Blog |

What Shape is Your Faith? March 12, 2018

Shape. Do you know how to assess the right shape for the right hole? There was a toy children used to play with that required them to put blocks into a hole that correctly corresponded with their shape. Do you remember? How many children tried to put that round block in the square hole before learning that doesn’t work?

The movie, The Shape of Water just won the big award at the big award show. If you aren’t into sci-fi, or art shows or parables, I don’t recommend the movie. But the point to the movie is about loving the unexpected or finding love that fills in all the gaps in your life. The shape of water is ‘fluid’ and moves where it wants to go. There is no block to put into the right place, only trust that love finds its way.

Ok… where am I going with this? It is still Lent and Easter is coming. I wonder what the shape of faith is? Is your faith more like blocks you have to fit into the right hole or water that flows, free-form into and around all things? It seems like the right answer is one or the other, but what if the answer is both? Sometimes faith is specific and sometimes faith is fluid.

The shape of faith is the shape of the CROSS. Two boards of wood, nailed together, overlapping at one point, became an instrument for death. Jesus and many others, were hung on the cross to kill them in a public display of violent hate disguised as justice. But God interrupted the story of murder and changed it. God is the plot twist that redeems this event of history. God mocked the ones who believed they could silence God’s incarnate emissary of love to humanity. The shape of Faith is the shape of the Cross transformed into an instrument of God’s power for giving life.

The shape of faith is also the shape of HOPE. Hope is fluid and personal. Hope is fluid but always looks into the future. Hope moves where it will, when it will. The shape of faith is hope because faith always anticipates God’s intervention, and presence. Hope always waits for something to happen that will bring a good change, a new experience or a blessing. Hope waits for a new job, a new baby, a new perspective or a new place. The shape of Faith is the shape of Hope leaning forward into God’s tomorrowland.

Faith is not a prescription but a decision you make and a state of your heart. It is the CROSS and HOPE working together to create a more beautiful and holy world.

‘Now, faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1

Rev. Dr. Leigh Ann Shaw