November 2, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

This Sunday will be an especially poignant All Saints’ worship service for me. Over the past year, several influential people in my life have died, people who were formative to my Christian journey and my ministerial calling. There is my high school Bible teacher Bruce Strickland, my high school administrator Rita Smith, and my lifelong mentor and senior pastor Jack Stroman. I have written and preached about each of these people over the last several months.

One other person I will be remembering is C. Frederick Harrison, or “Mr. Fred,” who was the longtime Director of Music Ministries at Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, my home church. Mr. Fred had a remarkable ministry, directing choirs of all ages, including the youth choir in which I sang when I was in the youth group. Every fall, we would have a Music Ministries Sunday, when all of our groups and ensembles would perform in worship, and we would celebrate the fact that the number of volunteer musicians and vocalists under Mr. Fred’s care was larger than the membership in most congregations in the Florida Annual Conference.

In the 1980s, Mr. Fred developed a close friendship with a well-known composer named Natalie Sleeth, who had become famous for her moving anthems and hymns. In the spring of 1985, Pasadena Community Church hosted a music festival honoring Mrs. Sleeth, performing many of her best-known works.

Mr. Fred requested that Mrs. Sleeth compose a special anthem for that festival, for his Chancel Choir to perform as a debut in her honor. Mrs. Sleeth obliged, and she wrote what would become one of our most beloved hymns.

It is titled “Hymn of Promise,” which she composed in honor of her husband Rev. Dr. Ronald Sleeth, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Just weeks after the hymn’s debut at Pasadena, he died. Read the deep and profound lyrics below, and watch it performed here.   

“Hymn of Promise”

Natalie Sleeth

In the bulb, there is a flower
In the seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free

In the cold and snow of winter
There’s a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see

There’s a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There’s a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me

From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see

In our end is our beginning
In our time, infinity
In our doubt, there is believing
In our life, eternity

In our death, a resurrection
At the last, a victory

Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see

After its debut in our church in 1985, its popularity soared. It became a fixture in worship at Pasadena; my dad says it is his favorite hymn. When The United Methodist Hymnal was revised in 1989, Hymn of Promise was included, just four years after its debut. To this day, it is a favorite feature of many funeral and memorial services.

This Sunday, I will join you in remembering those persons who have played an influential role in your life. I will remember Bruce, Rita, Jack, and Mr. Fred. And I will join you in remembering all the saints, that “in their death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory.”

“Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.”

Grace and Peace,

October 19, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Near the start of my ministry 25 years ago, I attended a clergy gathering at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg, Florida. The featured speaker was Dr. Paul Chilcote, a professor of Wesley Studies.

In that lecture, he spoke about John Wesley’s two conversion experiences. It was an intriguing premise. I had known about his first conversion, the fabled moment on Aldersgate Street in which he felt his heart “strangely warmed” after hearing Martin Luther’s preface to the book of Romans. In that moment, Dr. Chilcote said Wesley gained a “passion for the truth,” in which he received assurance for his salvation.

But then Chilcote said there was a second conversion for John Wesley. It occurred as he took to the streets, the open fields, the coal mines, all throughout England, preaching good news. Along the way, Wesley experienced up close the real needs of those who were hurting and suffering: the poor, the sick, the undereducated, the incarcerated. It was in this time that Wesley developed a “compassion for people.”

Chilcote said that both of these ideas – a passion for the truth and a compassion for people – gave Wesley a stereoscopic, multidimensional view of the power of the gospel. Not just to get people into heaven after they die, but to care for their wholeness and wellbeing during their time on earth.

Wesley’s two-fold conversion continues to be at the heart of what it means to be the United Methodist Church today. And it is why our denomination is so committed to not just preaching the gospel, but also to local and global missions efforts, from schools to clinics, from recovery centers to disaster relief, from peacebuilding to health and wellness efforts around the world.

MISSIONS CELEBRATION SUNDAY

So, I can think of few better people to be our guest preacher for this week’s Missions Celebration Sunday than Dr. Paul Chilcote. He continues to offer profound insights into our Wesleyan heritage and practice, especially during this time of renewal within the continuing United Methodist Church.

You will certainly want to join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we recognize and pray for all our missions partners. We will also have available two of his latest books, Multiplying Love and Active Faith, which he will be available to sign after each service.

This Sunday will be one of great joy and celebration, and I am thrilled to have you hear from one of our most inspiring and compelling United Methodist voices today.

See you Sunday!

October 5th, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

How noisy is your life?

 Bernie Krause is a noted “soundscape artist,” producing albums of sounds found in nature. He has said that in 1968, in order to get one hour of natural sound – no cars, planes, or machines of any kind – it took about 15 hours of recording time. Today, to get that same hour of natural sound, it requires over 2,000 hours of recording time! We are bombarded by the sounds of a noisy world, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape it.

But this is nothing compared to the noise within us. If it were possible to make a soundscape recording of your mind and heart, how long would it take to record an hour of mental and emotional quiet? Probably even longer than 2,000 hours, right? We hear the constant drone of deadlines, pressures, and to-do lists, along with the heavy pulsing of anxieties, sadness, and fear.

 Over and against this backdrop of noise, the scriptures call us to observe a command rooted in the earliest days of creation:

 “So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his.” (Hebrews 4:9-10)

 Wayne Muller, in his classic book: Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest and Delight, offers this poignant reminder to live a life shaped by intentional spiritual rest:

 “Like a path through the forest, Sabbath creates a marker for ourselves so, if we are lost, we can find our way back to our center. ‘Remember the Sabbath’ means ‘Remember that everything you have received is a blessing. Remember to delight in your life, in the fruits of your labor. Remember to stop and offer thanks for the wonder of it.’ Remember, as if we would forget. Indeed, the assumption is that we will forget. And history has proven that, given enough time, we will.”

 What might it mean for you to recapture this ancient practice of renewal and re-creation?

• It could mean having a silent retreat, for a day or a weekend. No cell phones, no laptops, and no talking.
• It could mean going without television or internet for a period of time, using the time instead in the quiet of one’s home or the outdoors.
• It could mean simply carving out a fixed amount of time each day – 30 minutes, or an hour or more – to intentionally retreat, listen for God, and be quiet.

One of the foremost authorities on spiritual disciplines, Richard Foster, suggests that homeowners actually build into their home plans a specific room for solitude. Just like there are designated rooms for eating, sleeping, and entertaining, he suggests creating a space that offers a place of uninterrupted silence. In lieu of a whole room, the family may have a designated chair or sofa where the person is not to be interrupted.

 Living Sabbath requires intentionality, and it need not be exclusively defined by an hour at church on Sunday morning. Rest, renewal, and re-connection with God ought to happen regularly, without fail.

 Happy Sabbath keeping,

THIS SUNDAY: GOOD AND FAITHFUL LOVE
We continue our worship series “Good and Faithful: Life Done Well” with an exploration of love, one of the five core qualities of Christian ethical and moral character. We will also be integrating a story and song from live musical theater. To watch all the prior services in this series, click here. For additional resources for each of the themes of these series, including video clips of the songs, click here.

September 28, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

But let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:24)

Years ago, I had a seminary instructor say that no prospective minister should graduate from seminary without being able to fully explain the biblical concept of justice. It is, in his opinion, the single most important theological idea in the Christian faith.

What do you think of when you think of justice? Maybe the first image that pops into your mind is the Lone Ranger or Dirty Harry. Perhaps it’s something like vigilante justice: an eye for an eye, dishing out to people what they deserve.

When the Bible speaks about justice, it’s not like that. It’s not about retribution or revenge. Jesus said, “You say an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say, pray for your enemies, and bless those who persecute you.”

In the Bible, the opposite of justice is not injustice, or even mere criminality. It is brokenness. A world that lacks justice is fractured and tarnished, from its most basic units to the widest scale:

• It is a family where members are no longer willing to speak to each other.
• It is a community where opportunities for people to thrive are diminished, and there is a growing gap between the flourishing and the suffering.
• It is a religious environment in which churches are part of the problem, rather than the solution.
• It is a planet where the environment is hemorrhaging from misuse and abuse.

And the only thing that can bring a remedy to this brokenness is not revenge or retribution. God’s remedy for a broken world is a more wholistic vision of justice.

Biblical justice is closely related to the Hebrew word shalom. We most commonly translate that word as peace, but there is much more to it than that. It is more than just the absence of conflict; it means bringing healing and restoration.

• Justice is what happens when a perpetrator confesses, a victim forgives, and a relationship is restored.
• Justice is what happens a cycle of revenge is broken with a surprising act of grace.
• Justice is what happens when people see themselves as connected to each other and the earth rather than exercising domination.
• Justice is what happens when warring parties see the image of God in each other, and therefore see one another as equals.

We’ll explore this theme further as part of our worship series “Good and Faithful,” and discover how justice is a central part of Christian character. And, as with every Sunday in this series, we’ll bring in a story, illustration, and song from live theater. Additional resources for each of these themes can be found here.

Grace, Peace, and Justice,

September 21, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Today is the feast day of St. Matthew, the person traditionally credited as the author of the first gospel. Born into the Hebrew tribe of Levi, Matthew was a tax collector who met Jesus, became his disciple, and wrote an eye-witness account of his life, death, and resurrection.

Matthew’s gospel is similar in many ways to the others, especially Mark and Luke. But there are passages that are unique to his: the Sermon on the Mount, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, and most especially, the Great Commission.

But one special passage that catches my attention today is in Matthew 11:18-20, about exchanging the burdens we are carrying for the lighter yoke of Jesus. I suspect it’s one that you need to read and reflect on today:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I invite you to read this scripture a few times, slowly and prayerfully. Note what is happening in your body to indicate the heavy burdens in your mind and heart. Envision accepting the invitation of Jesus, literally handing over those burdens and exchanging them for the lightness of God’s love and favor.

Remember that Jesus never promised us a life free from burdens. Jesus instead offers us a lighter one. Imagine the feeling of letting go of a 30-lb weight for a 5-lb one. Your muscles have been both fatigued and conditioned by the heavier weight, so picking up the lighter one feels so much freer, maybe even joyful.

This is the kind of life that God desires for you.

THIS SUNDAY: SACREDNESS OF LIFE

We continue our worship series on Christian ethical and moral formation called “Good and Faithful: Life Well Done.” This Sunday we will be focusing on the sacredness of life. We will again tie it into stories, illustrations, and songs from live theater, to help these ideas come to life.

We invite you to click here for additional weekly resources, including lectures by Dr. David Gushee, who wrote Introducing Christian Ethics, on which this series is partially based. The website will also have links to YouTube clips that feature songs from the musicals we are referencing.

Grace and Peace,

September 14, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

In case you missed worship last Sunday, we introduced our current fall series “Good and Faithful: Life Well Done.” It is a series that explores Christian character, based on a book by Dr. David Gushee titled: Introducing Christian Ethics: Core Convictions for Christians Today. Visit our website for resources that supplement the series each week, including a link to purchase this book.

I had not read a book on Christian Ethics since my seminary days, but I picked it up from a recommendation of a friend, and from the book’s reputation for addressing many controversial, polarizing topics of our day from a Christian perspective.

When I got to chapter 8 in the book, the part that explains five qualities that constitute the moral core for Christian people, I knew I had to explore these five ideas with you in this worship series:

1. Truthfulness. What does it mean to be a truthful person? And how do you hold on to truth in a time when there are such competing and contradictory notions of what is true? We will talk about that this week.

2. Sacredness. What does it mean to live as a sacred child of God, and see others as just as sacred? And how do we preserve the sacred dignity and worth of others, in a time we are just as prone to dehumanize each other? We will explore that theme on September 24.

3. Justice. What does it mean to be a just person? What do we mean by justice, in a world that has vastly different definitions of it, from retribution to redemption to reconciliation? We will explore that idea on World Communion Sunday, October 1.

4. Love. What does it mean to be a loving person? Given the wide spectrum of understandings of love, how can we agree on what it means to act in loving ways toward each other? That will be on October 8.

5. Forgiveness. We will round out our series on October 15 with maybe the hardest question of all: How can we be a forgiving people? Despite the harm that we have done to each other, how can we make forgiveness a central part of our character, and be agents of reconciliation in the world?

Truthfulness, Sacredness, Justice, Love, and Forgiveness. All five of these qualities are found throughout the teachings of Jesus, and together they form a composite sketch of how Jesus would define the virtues and the ethics of the Christian moral life.

And as I mentioned last week, each of the services will include stories, songs, and illustrations from famous musicals. (Last week’s in-person rendition of “Light of the World” from Godspell was a hoot!)

We look forward to what Broadway will bring us this Sunday! See you then!

Grace and Peace,

September 7, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts.”

(Shakespeare’s As You Like It)

One of the most joyful parts of living in a small town in Iowa from 2007 to 2015 was it gave me and my two daughters a chance to be involved in community theater. I’ll never forget how, within the first several months of our arrival, one of the directors stopped by my office and said:

“Magrey, we’ve always wanted to do a production of The King and I. Would you be interested in the role of King Mongkut? You wouldn’t even have to audition. And your daughters can play your children.”

Over time, we had roles in many other productions. I was the Ghost of Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol: The Musical (they even flew me on and off stage, much to the grunting chagrin of the stagehands), part of the ensemble in Les Miserables, a pirate in Peter Pan, and Gary Lejeune in the riotous Noises Off! (which involved a nightly pratfall down a flight of stairs. I still have the elbow and knee pads.)

People talk about “getting bitten by the theater bug,” and that certainly happened to me, Grace, and Maddy. Over time, we’ve seen countless productions here in Tampa, up on Broadway, and over in London’s West End. There is something powerful, even magical, about seeing performers on stage, rendering beautiful music and telling powerful stories.

A SPIRITUAL SPECTACLE

Early in my ministry, I heard former Florida Bishop Timothy Whitaker give an ordination sermon at Annual Conference, in which he unpacked 1 Corinthians 4:9. In it, Paul uses a word he uses nowhere else in the epistles:

“I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all … because we have become a spectacle to the world.”

Bishop Whitaker said that word “spectacle” is the Greek word “theatron,” which comes from the world of live theater. To be a “theatron” is to be used by God to showcase for the world the subversive, counter-cultural characteristics of the Christian life. To be humble instead of

haughty, and self-sacrificial instead of self-aggrandizing. Basically, it is to follow the example of Jesus, who established the role that we are to play.

He quoted the first century Greek philosopher Epictetus: “Regard yourself as an actor in a play … Your task is only to play well the part you have been given; the choosing of it belongs to someone else.” Epictetus taught that God chooses the role we are to play, and it is our task to perform it well.

GOOD AND FAITHFUL: LIFE WELL DONE

These ideas will come together for our new fall worship series that starts this Sunday, called, “Good and Faithful: Life Well Done,” which explores aspects of Christian character, ethics, and moral formation that God expects us to showcase as a “theatron” for the world.

Each week, we will connect these themes with stories and illustrations from well-known theatrical productions, including musical numbers as part of the sermon. It will be a way for me to share some of my reflections on my renewal leave last summer; I am very excited to explore it with you.

To keep up with book recommendations and theatrical references throughout the series, you can visit our website.

“Break a leg,” and see you Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

August 24, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Well, here’s an opening to a Midweek Message that I never thought I’d write:

“Happy National Waffle Day!”

I normally overlook these kinds of special recognitions, likely manufactured by restaurant and food industries to promote their products. But for some reason, my email inbox this week was inundated with local breakfast eateries advertising today’s special day. (It may have something to do with the fact that I generally go out for breakfast on Wednesday mornings as part of my weekly sermon-writing routine.)

For what it’s worth, today is sandwiched (pun intended) between yesterday’s “National Cuban Sandwich Day” and tomorrow’s “National Banana Split Day.” Its historical roots are connected to an inventor named Cornelius Swartwout (Great name!), who received a patent for his new invention – the waffle iron – on August 24, 1869. For 154 years, Mr. Swartwout’s invention has graced countless kitchen counters, ubiquitous Waffle House franchises, and hotel breakfast stations.

So, what’s the religious connection? Well, I’m glad you asked!

There’s two. The first one is comical. National Waffle Day is apparently celebrated in different countries on different dates, including Sweden, who observes it on March 25. Why? Well, March 25 is the Christian church’s Feast Day of the Annunciation, which in Swedish is pronounced “Varfrudagen.” (Try to say it; it’s fun.) Over time, many fast-talking Swedes began mispronouncing it as “Vaffeldagen,” which means – yep – “Waffle Day.”

So, in Sweden, the holy day of observing the grand visitation of Mary by the Angel Gabriel was transmuted into a day of honoring the crisp, crevassed doughiness of Cornelius Swartwout’s invention. (By the way, neither of these words should be confused with “Vaffeljern,” which is how you say “Waffle Iron” in IKEA.)

Anyway, here’s the other religious connection. In Medieval Europe, churches began tinkering with the wafers used to celebrate the sacrament of holy communion. (You can see where this is heading. Wafer and Waffle have the same root word, Weben, which means, “to weave.”) Over time, they modified the irons they used to press the wafers into flat discs, inscribing into the metal images of crosses, biblical scenes, and other religious symbols.

These “religious waffles” were often enjoyed at the end of meals, not only as a final treat, but also as a kind of prayerful reminder of the divine source of the meal itself.

Regardless of whether or not you enjoy waffles, and even if you don’t observe National Waffle Day, I hope each of us can take a moment to give thanks to God, who gives us both the food on our plates and the capacity to delight in it. And just as we often say a prayer of thanks before we eat, it may not be a bad idea to take a page from Medieval waffle practice, and also give thanks to God after the meal is over.

Come to think of it, “Medieval waffle practice” is also not a phrase I thought I’d ever use to conclude a Midweek Message.

I think I’ll go celebrate with a waffle.

Grace and Peace,

Dear Hyde Park Family,

It is with a sad, but grateful heart that I share the bittersweet news that Rev. Vicki Walker has announced her departure from serving on staff here at Hyde Park United Methodist. As she shares below, she has discerned a new way to live out her ministerial calling. I am glad to note that she will continue to be a part of our congregation as a fellow worshipper and disciple among us.

Her last Sunday will be on Sunday, September 24, when we can look forward to a joyous, albeit emotional, celebration of her ministry among us.

It is impossible to capture in words the impact she has made as a pastor, director of adult discipleship, and leader of our missions and outreach efforts. Her twenty-four years of ministerial service make her the longest-serving clergy in the history of Hyde Park United Methodist.

I hope you’ll join me in thanking Vicki and celebrating all she means to us.

Grace and Peace,

June 22, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Family,

I am extending an invitation for you to join me on a very special trip next year. I have been asked by Educational Opportunities to be the guest lecturer on a 10-day cruise exploring the Journeys of the Apostle Paul, from September 21 to October 1, 2024. (Note, that is next fall, not this fall.)

As one who has never been on a cruise ship, let alone traced many of the cities of Paul’s missionary journeys, I am excited to be asked to offer this program, and even more thrilled at the prospect of having people from Hyde Park join me. Our Primetimers senior adult ministry has already agreed to make this their major trip for 2024.

We will be aboard the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship with Royal Caribbean International and travel to cities in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Along the way, I will offer three lectures about the life, ministry, and travels of the Apostle Paul as he shared the gospel and planted Christian communities throughout the first century Greco-Roman world.

Here are some details on our itinerary:

September 21-22: Depart from the U.S. and arrive in Rome

September 23: Naples (Pompeii)

September 24: At Sea

September 25: Mykonos

September 26: Athens and Corinth

September 27: Ephesus

September 28: Santorini

September 29: Chania and Crete

September 30: At Sea

October 1: Return to the U.S.

For further details on what we will see in each of these cities, and for information about the optional pre- or post-tour time in Rome, visit the Educational Opportunities website. The cost starts at $3,999 per person, which is an all-inclusive cost for the cruise as well as international airfare.

We will have an information session including a representative of Educational Opportunities on Sunday afternoon, August 27, at 2pm at the Hyde Park campus.

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to be on our contact list to receive updates along the way, send us your information here.

Or, contact me or our Pastoral Administrative Assistant Kim Harcrow (kharcrow@hydeparkumc.org) with any questions you may have.

Grace and Peace,