Dear Hyde Park Family,
“AHHHH-LEX-AHHHHH … STOP!”
I have discovered the joys of teaching my elderly parents how to use the Alexa app on their Amazon Echo. I purchased it for them a few weeks ago to give them a way of playing Filipino music by their favorite artists.
The lessons have gone as you might expect. It’s Alexa, not Amanda. Yes, it should understand your accent. No, you don’t have to yell. Don’t forget to start with Alexa; simply saying “Play Rey Valera” won’t do.
I will give them credit. After a few days, they figured it out. “Oh, Magrey,” my Mom told me a few days ago, “this is the best gift. We are listening to it all the time.” And then she recounts for me all the artists, all the albums, and all the songs they have listened to, most of which I’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce. My Dad, more the pragmatist, wonders how Amazon makes money allowing access to all this music. Oh, they make their money, we decided.
Then last Monday night, I had probably the best laugh I’ve had in months.
My older daughter Grace, a student at San Diego State University, reached out to let me know that apparently, my parents’ Amazon Echo had somehow logged into her Spotify music streaming service. Grace was on Spotify on her computer, and suddenly it started playing whatever my parents were listening to.
Now, you need to know that Grace is not a pretentious person by nature. But when it comes to her Spotify music, she can be fiercely protective. She has carefully curated her music selections to provide ready access to whatever playlist fits her mood and activity in the moment. She has her classical music, her Broadway showtunes, her pop hits, her select artists, albums, and genres, ready to go, literally at the push of a button. And given Spotify’s carefully crafted algorithms, she is even particular about the music that Spotify recommends for her to listen to.
This is all to say that since figuring out how to use their newly beloved Amazon Echo, my parents have been interjecting music into Grace’s Spotify account. This prompted this hilariously frantic text message from her to me last Monday:
“Okay. Yes, please fix it, because it keeps cutting out what I’m listening to, and playing songs in Tagalog, And now I’m getting recommendations for Tagalog songs, too. It is quite jarring to go from “Pictures at an Exhibition” to “Saang Linggong Pag-Ibig.”
This is easily my favorite text message of the whole year.
I called my parents, while still texting Grace, to figure out what to do. I explained to my mother that somehow, Grace was hearing whatever songs they were listening to. “Oh,” my mother said, half-concerned, “Grace would love Celine Dion.”
Uh, huh.
But here is where the story goes from merely comical, to a whole new stratosphere of hilarity. Grace discovered this problem while at work, at the tutoring center on campus where she is employed by the university. It was her night to provide background music for the center, and she had hooked up her computer to the public sound system.
So, you guessed it. All the students in the room were being treated to spontaneous musical interruptions by certain Filipino artists, along with Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Barry Manilow.
Grace was mortified.
I fell asleep laughing Monday night, and woke up Tuesday morning laughing all over again.
I don’t know what to do with this story; all I know is that writing it out and archiving it as a Midweek Message helps me preserve it for future use. Maybe someday it will become a sermon illustration. Perhaps you can resonate with the challenges of being in the middle generation, parenting your children, while also caring for your parents.
Or, maybe, you just needed a good laugh. I did, and for that reason, I’m grateful. And as one of my Facebook friends said afterwards, it is a sign of good parenthood that I can still find a way to embarrass my child 3000 miles away.
Alas, my only regret is that this was all unintentional.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
COMMITMENT SUNDAY
There’s no suitable segue into this, but this Sunday is Commitment Sunday. Thank you for filling out your Estimate of Giving Card, which you can fill out online. Our Finance Committee plans all its funding for ministries and programs based on your giving estimates, so every card goes a long way toward making a big difference. Join us this Sunday for worship as we celebrate God’s goodness and claim the bright future God has for us. See you Sunday!
Most of the time, I have to figure out what to write for my Midweek Message. This week’s message practically fell into my lap.
Last Tuesday, during our staff chapel, as we were preparing to pray for the joys and concerns submitted by the congregation last Sunday, our Business Administrator Meagan Kempton led our morning devotional with a piece she found online. It turns out that it was written by a clergy colleague of mine, Rev. Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, of Coronado Community UMC in New Smyrna Beach. Rev. Degrenia gave me permission to share this remarkably profound and timely message with you:
TWO POCKETS: HEALTHY, FAITHFUL PERSPECTIVE
A well respected and beloved Polish Rabbi named Simcha Bunim used to say, “Every person should have two pockets. In one, there should be a note that says:
- ‘For my sake was the world created.’
- In the second, there should be a note that says, ‘I am dust and ashes.’”
Rabbi Bunim went on to say one must know how to use the notes, each one in its proper place and at the right time. He knows us well. When misused, we hunker down in one pocket and make a home. We use a note to justify, judge and deflect self-examination.
“For my sake the world was created – I’m all that and a bag of chips.”
“I am dust and ashes – Eeyore is my best buddy.”
But, when we open to the wisdom of the notes, we accept we are not one or the other. We realize we are both notes. Both pockets. We see the wisdom of the notes in the wisdom of God’s Word which goes back and forth, naming us and reminding us who we are – beloved and dust. We are both and we need both.
“I am dust and ashes”
When we are too proud, too entitled, too full of ourselves, too self-sufficient, we reach in a pocket and remember “anokhi afar va’efer,” I am dust and ashes.
- I am small
- I am worthless
- I am mortal
- I am unclean
- I miss the mark, I stray from the path – that’s what the word sin literally means in Greek
- I am like everyone else who has ever lived and who will live
- I need a savior
Psalm 90:3 NRSV: You turn us back to dust, and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”
Ecclesiastes 3:20b NIV: All come from dust, and to dust all return.
Luke 9:41 NRSV: “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”
In Luke 3, John the Baptist is right to remind us we are a “brood of vipers” and of our need of repentance, to turn back to God’s path, not just with our words but our actions.
“For my sake was the world created”
Then, when we are discouraged, overwhelmed and losing faith (when we feel like dirt) we reach in the other pocket and remember bishvili nivra ha’olam, for my sake was the world created.
I am a unique and beloved child of the King of kings
- Christ loved me enough to die for me and raise me to new life
- I am fearfully and wonderfully made
- I am called
- I am gifted
- I am empowered by the Holy Spirit to do great things for God
- God is using me in the salvation and transformation of the world
Psalm 8:4-8 NRSV: What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
Psalm 139:14 NRSV: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
We stand with Jesus in our baptism, water washed, anointed with the fiery dove of the Holy Spirit, named and claimed by God as beloved children.
Jesus stepped into the water not out of his need but of ours. To remind us of our great need – I am dust and ashes. To remind us who we are in Him- For my sake the world was created.
PRAYER FOR PERSPECTIVE
And then, Rev. Degrenia offers this powerful prayer, which I invite you to pray with me:
Eternal and Beautiful God,
The One who births us and names us
Grant us perspective
A holy centering
of truth, humility and our belovedness
Not too high that we fall away from you
our need of you
our need of others
Not too low that we fail to trust
to reach out for you
to reach out with you
In you, with you, for you we are
humble and powerful
unique and alike
common and regal
priceless and dust
Grant us perspective, Merciful One
A holy centering
Let no voice be too loud
Or too soft
So we may persevere in faith
in hope
in following
in becoming
Amen
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
THIS SUNDAY: MISSIONS CELEBRATION
Join us Sunday for our annual Mission Celebration. Our guest preacher is Derrick Scott. He is the Executive Director and United Methodist Campus Minister for the Campus to City Wesley Foundation in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Fl. He has been leading ministry to college students and young adults for more than 18 years. He is passionate about raising up a new generation of leaders and laborers who will live as disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world. Our Celebration also showcases the many ministries in our city, state and around the world that Hyde Park supports financially and through our volunteers.
Do you love football, playing games, food, or all of the above?
Then join us on Sunday, Oct 24 from 4-5:30 p.m. for our Merge Family Tailgate!
We’ll have all the fun of a tailgate!
All the yard games you can handle? Got em!
Pizza? Got it!
The Bucs vs the Bears? Got it!
So bring a chair, and your whole family if you want to, and have a great time with some great people!
Email Mac Charalambous with any questions!
Dear Hyde Park Family,
It’s harvest season in the fields and farms across the country, and a time of year I gained an appreciation for during my eight years serving in Iowa. Farmers are in their combines, reaping the benefits of their risk: planting last spring, waiting over the summer, watching as nature ran its unpredictable course.
Don and Jeanne Blackstone were members of my church in Cherokee, Iowa, and they invited me one day to ride the combine on their farm. Don told me it had been a good growing season that year, with the corn stalks surpassing that fabled standard of “Knee-high by the Fourth of July.”
He then corrected my misunderstanding of what constituted a “good harvest.” I had always thought that the taller a corn stalk gets, the more ears of corn grow on them. Not so, it turns out.
No matter how tall a corn stalk gets, it will never have more than two ears of corn. The difference between a good and bad yield is not found in the number of ears per stalk, but in the number of kernels per ear. It’s not about the quantity of the ears per stalk. It’s about the quality of the ears themselves.
As a city kid, my mind was blown.
GROWING DEEPER
This discovery on the Blackstone’s farm has since served as a helpful reminder to me of what constitutes a healthy spiritual life. We might have the false assumption that spiritual maturity is defined only as doing more and more things for God: more works of piety and more holy deeds, like notches in our belt or check marks on a to-do list.
But it’s less about the quantity of our actions and more about the quality and depth of our actions. It’s less about growing more impressive in the eyes of others, and more about growing deeper in our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
35-DAYS OF LOVING GOD WITH ALL WE’VE GOT
As our worship series “All In” draws to a close, our 35 days of daily activities are coming to an end. I would love to hear from you how these cards have been helpful to you.
Moving forward, here’s how these cards can help. You might repeat the 35-day journey during seasons of your spiritual life when you need to recharge. You can even shuffle the cards and go in a different order, to discover new patterns in your journey.
But in the spirit of “growing deeper,” you might choose to identify the handful of cards that were particularly meaningful for you over the last five weeks. Those activities that spoke to you and resonated with you may be an indication from the Spirit. You might choose to incorporate the activities on those cards on a more regular basis – daily or weekly – and make them a regular part of your spiritual disciplines.
Doing so would lead you to creating a unique “rule of life” that you can use to frame your spiritual practices. Like planks on a trellis, those select activities, practiced regularly, could become the structure upon which your harried and chaotic life can begin to bloom and produce the beauty of God’s love.
God may be calling you into a season of bountiful harvest in your life. A season of abundance, fruitfulness, and beauty. If so, it is less about growing more impressive in the eyes of others, and more faithful in the practices that will help you blossom.
See you Sunday as we conclude our series, and happy harvesting!
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Dear Hyde Park Family,
One of the joys of offering our online service every Sunday is the new sense of connection we have with people around the country. For the last several months, a couple from Virginia named Claudette and David Collins have not only been joining us online, but Claudette has been singing in our choir. Through the wonders of technology, our Director of Traditional Worship Michael Dougherty has been able to include her in a number of our virtual choir selections. Last week, David and Claudette made the trip to Tampa and joined us for in person worship last Sunday. It was a joy to meet them, and afterwards they went out to lunch with Michael.
This is where the story gets really good.
Over the course of the lunch, they revealed that they were related to a woman named Mary Collins, who was born in 1827. She was born in Decatur, Georgia, but eventually moved to Tampa and lived in a little house in the Hyde Park area.
It was in that home – the very home of Mary Collins – where a small group of Christians began to meet to form a community that would eventually become Hyde Park United Methodist Church. That little house sat on the very property where 122 years later, God’s love is being made real each and every Sunday.
This is a portion of the newspaper clipping from 1913 containing Mary’s obituary:
“Born in Decatur County, Georgia, Mrs. Collins drove thirty-seven years ago through the country in a covered wagon to Tampa. Her husband, W.B. Collins, died soon after the Confederate war of consumption. Settling here she went to live in a little house in what is now Hyde Park, but which then was a native wilderness. Ever since she was twelve years old, she has been a devout member of the Methodist church. Before a Methodist church was organized in this city, services were held in her Hyde Park home. When the Hyde Park Methodist church was dedicated, she was one of its first members.”
Needless to say, when we heard this story from the Collins’, we were awestruck
THE FUTURE OF OUR CAMPUS MASTER PLANS
Little could Mary Collins have imagined how her property would evolve into the dynamic campus that we have today. Ever since her time, generations of Hyde Park members have been stewards of the properties and facilities of this church. And today, we have the opportunity to exercise that same faithfulness for the future.
When our recent visioning process concluded last year, it ended prior to our acquisition of the Women’s Clinic last June. Now that we have acquired the entire DeLeon block, it is time to update the campus master plans of both the Hyde Park and Portico campuses. The last time our master plans were updated was over twenty years ago.
So, last Tuesday, the Ministry Leadership Council approved the start of a discernment process, which will have the following objectives:
- Cast the net wide throughout the congregation for input, discernment, and buy-in;
- Engage key constituents;
- Develop a prioritized and time-phased set of recommendations relative to Hyde Park properties and facilities, including improvements, divestures, purchases, and usage;
- Recommendations will be consistent with Hyde Park’s vision and mission and represent good stewardship of resources that is sustainable over the long term;
- Final recommendations will be delivered to the Ministry Leadership Council for approval by the end of June 2022.
If you would like to be a part of this process, we would love for you to let us know by sending an email to questions@hydeparkumc.org.
Let us live out the example of our ancestral pioneers like Mary Collins, and carve out a future that will be claimed by future generations of this church.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
Little Dresses for Missions, a mission of Hyde Park United Methodist, heard the call from The Rev. Tamara Isidore, a pastor from Haiti who serves in Bradenton. In response to the recent earthquake and hurricane in Haiti, Pastor Isidore asked for first aid relief items to be shipped to Haiti. Little Dresses for Missions sent 200 dresses to Haiti through Faith United Methodist Church, Bradenton. The dresses were dropped off at Faith United Methodist in large plastic tubs. Billie Trocke, Hyde Park member and sewer for Little Dresses for Missions, reported the church “was delighted to receive the dresses and thrilled to get the plastic tubs. After the hurricane flooding, everything is sodden and they have no way to keep anything dry. That church works ongoing with two orphanages in Haiti, so they have need for the dresses”.
To donate other items toward this relief effort, contact Faith United Methodist Church, Bradenton, Michelle Millner, 434.770.0580 or support disaster response and relief recovery through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) who will assess the storm’s impact and respond to immediate needs.
This video series was recorded in 2020, an unprecendented year in so many ways. It provided an opportunity for us to examine racism, injustice and discrimination as we never had before. To gain a better understanding, we listened to the stories of people of color as they experienced these trials. We also listened to white people to better understanding how racism is learned in society. The videos provide a valuable insight into what must change for use to move toward the promise of liberty and justice for all.
Ann Pointer shares a poignant story of her life with a middle school friend. The two of them “got in trouble” and Ann remembers them being equally culpable in making the decision. Upon being discovered, Ann was given an out to place the blame on her friend. She said that to this day, she is haunted by this decision. Ann’s story illustrates how we are all infected by racism and demonstrates the need for us to strive to learn from past mistakes to make a better future for us all.
Anthony White shares an experience from his childhood that resulted in an interaction with the police. What happened and what he learned from it have caused him to caution his children that they might not be able to do what others do because of the color of their skin. He has helped them navigate through the society they live in and remains optimistic that good people outnumber those who fail to see the value in others.
Berton Newbill tells the story of being in the military and being denied the recognition of his rank due to the color of his skin. His initial reaction was anger because the men causing the problem were not looking at him from a military perspective, but judging him as a person who was not deserving of respect. Later, friends tried to deny his personal experience. Berton says it was even more hurtful that his friends didn’t believe him. Sharing his story allows for a broader conversation so we get to an acknowledgement that these situations exist.
Doretha Edgecomb shares the impact of growing up in the Jim Crow era and realizing the limitations placed on her hopes, dreams and aspirations based on the color of her skin. She relates the story of a college classmate who was brutally beaten simply for sitting in a bus station waiting room. In response, Doretha and her classmates organized a march to protest the attack. She realized that for things to be different, she would have to speak up, stand up and be a voice of change. Though progress has been made, we haven’t come as far as she had hoped. Change can come through legislation, but she believes that true change begins with changes in the human heart and mind.
Doretha Edgecomb is a lifelong resident of Tampa, apart from her years at a small college in Alabama. She was educated in the segregated school system during the Jim Crow years, then returned to education as a teacher, principal and member of the Hillsborough County School Board. Doretha shares her poem, “Being Black,” which speaks to her life experiences in segregated schools and society.
John Day shares a story from his youth where his mother explained the difference in describing white and black women. He accepted that as the way things were then. He also describes a current day event where he invited four men experiencing homelessness and a coworker for Christmas dinner. He shares concern for his grandson, who is black, and the need to have “the talk” with him as he gets older. John admits to not being very optimistic that we can make progress with racial injustice. For him, it begins with seeing each other as a human being then getting together to talk through these issues.
Rick Cabigas shares his experience of being on a business trip with two colleagues. At their hotel, the valets were of Filipino descent like Rick. He was approached by another hotel guest who mistakenly assumed he was a valet based on his appearance. He became very angry at the guest’s assumption. While his white colleague didn’t understand, his black colleague completely understood. Rick concludes by saying it’s everyone’s duty to make sure we move forward together.
Pastor Steve Nunn shares reflections of racial bias from his days in middle school and during a visit to the beach at Pensacola. In both cases, he was shocked at the interactions. His family was raised to be kind to others. In stark contrast, he tells the story of his great-grandfather, Julius Perry, who was lynched during the Ocoee (FL) election riots in 1920. Julius was wounded and arrested when white men came to his house. He was then taken from the jail in Orlando and lynched. Stephen’s hope is that we will be able to realize our prejudices are due to a lack of knowledge and that we can create change by educating future generations.
Tomorrow, laity and clergy from across Florida United Methodism will gather virtually for Annual Conference, to engage in the tradition of holy conferencing that is as old as Methodism itself. It will be a time of renewed connection, prayer, and inspiration, as we recommit ourselves to making disciples for the transformation of the world.
With all the uncertainty and unsettledness in our denomination, I spent some time these last few days remembering why it is good to be a United Methodist. This denomination nurtured my faith and led me to my confirmation. It was instrumental in my call to ministry, and it is the context in which I love and serve people like you. It is not perfect, and other religious traditions have their own strengths and virtues. But here are reasons why there is beauty in being United Methodist.
1. We are a People of Grace
We believe that the work of God’s grace is a lifelong process. It draws us toward God before we even realize it, empowers us to accept it for ourselves, and fashions us every day into the living image of Jesus. Our unique understanding of grace also gives room to believe in human free will. Our ability to choose God is itself a gift of grace, lest it become a work necessary for salvation. As the old hymn says, “Grace has brought be safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
2. We are a People of the Word
We believe that Jesus is the Word made flesh, the ultimate revelation of God’s love for humanity, and we believe the Bible offers the clearest witness to the person and work of Jesus. John Wesley called himself “a man of one book, and a student of many.” The Bible serves as our authority in all matters related to salvation, and we can become a living witness to the power of the Scriptures and the love of God.
3. We are a People in the Center
Our Wesleyan theological heritage is grounded in the concept of via media, which John Wesley’s mother Susannah instilled in him in his formative years. It is the “way in the center” which takes the best of two polarizing extremes and forms a creative third way, a “both/and” in matters of faith and life. This principle frees us from being drawn into dichotomous categories that divide our politics and culture, and seeks a way in the center as a witness to God’s inclusive love.
4. We are a People Who Practice our Faith
To be United Methodist means in large part to be methodical, diligent, and intentional about our spiritual practices. Since the early days of John Wesley’s Holy Club, Methodists have sought a structured, daily approach to the spiritual life. Today, that intentionality is the basis of our Discipleship Pathway: attending worship, being part of a small group, performing acts of mercy and justice, reading the scriptures, praying, inviting others, and giving generously of our means.
5. We are Connected to Each Other
Being connectional is a hallmark of our denomination. We believe that each church and every member are part of a wider connection throughout the world. The impact of service and giving multiplies when joined with United Methodists near and far. This enables us to have a broader and wider reach throughout the globe, and to care for those who are suffering. Together, we support schools, hospitals, camps, children’s homes, social service agencies, disaster relief, missionaries, seminaries, and many other missions of mercy and justice around the world.
It is good to be a United Methodist. And I’m glad to be one with you.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
MIDWEEK MESSAGE TO TAKE SUMMER BREAK
For the next month or so, I’ll be taking my annual summer break from writing the Midweek Message. For the latest updates on all our ministries and programs, stay tuned to our website.
Dear Hyde Park Family,
“Prayer means that, in some unique way, we believe we’re invited into a relationship with someone who hears us when we speak in silence.”
I recently re-read the book “Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers” by Anne Lamott, whose writing I have enjoyed over the years. Lamott condenses the mystery and beauty of prayer into the three essential components revealed in the book’s title, all of which are critical to have a well-balanced prayer life.
On Help:
“Most good, honest prayers remind me that I am not in charge, that I cannot fix anything and that I open myself to being helped by something, some force, some friends, some something. These prayers say, “Dear Some Something, I don’t know what I’m doing. I can’t see where I’m going. I’m getting more lost, more afraid, more clenched. Help.”
On Thanks:
“Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides. It means that you are willing to stop being such a jerk. When you are aware of all that has been given to you, in your lifetime and the past few days, it is hard not to be humbled, and pleased to give back.”
On Wow:
“Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, “Well, that’s pretty much what I thought I’d see,” you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. […] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.”
THREE-FOLD PRAYER TO A TRIUNE GOD
Lamott’s book is a reminder to me to not let my prayer life focus only on one category at the expense of others. When my prayers are mostly about Help, God becomes little more than a giant vending machine, there to do my bidding if I simply have the correct change. Focusing only on Thanks without the other two can blind me to the needs of others and the world beyond myself. When I only pray Wow, it is too easy to forget my responsibility and capacity to make a difference.
Help, Thanks, and Wow are all needed for a balanced prayer life.
In a way, this three-fold pattern for prayer is a kind of reflection of the trinitarian nature of God, whom we worship as part of Trinity Sunday this weekend. We celebrate God the Father, who has created all things and fills the world with wonder (Wow). We celebrate God the Son, who has saved us, doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves (Thanks). And we celebrate God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens and empowers us to meet the needs of others in service and love (Help). Join us for Indoor Worship at 9:30 a.m. or for Online Worship at 9:30 and 11 a.m.
So, just as we have been created in the image of a triune God, how will you make this three-fold prayer a way of life? As you and your loved ones continue to live through these uncertain times and re-emerge into life beyond this pandemic, how might you make these three essential prayers a pattern for your daily living?
What are you praying for?
What are you grateful for?
How are you in awe of God?
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey deVega
Senior Pastor, Hyde Park United Methodist
I’m not sure who decides such things, but on the National Day Calendar website, this past week contained several unusual observances: Monday was National Clean Your Room Day, followed by National Eat What You Want Day. Who knew that yesterday was National Odometer Day? And how exactly does one celebrate that?
For what it’s worth, today is an odd convergence of four celebrations: National Crouton Day, National Apple Pie Day, National Fruit Cocktail Day, and National Frog Jumping Day. Sounds like the makings of a very weird party.
But there is one observance that caught my attention: Tomorrow is National Decency Day.
In 2017, a parent in New York named Lisa Cholnoky had grown weary of the caustic nature of our public discourse, particularly online and in social media. She started a simple campaign in the form of a button she created and wore every day, containing the single word “decency.” The buttons became viral, as did her non-partisan, grassroots movement, which you can learn more about on their website Their mission is simple: “To inspire decency in our everyday life, in our conversations and our actions.”
Their efforts were recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in September 2017. And in 2019, National Decency Day was established to “celebrate the basic standard of civility that every American deserves.”
They offer three simple guidelines for practicing decency and civility in our interactions with others:
A: Active listening
B: Better understanding
C: Compassion
CREATED TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
In John 15:9-17, our Scripture text for this Sunday in our “New Creation” worship series, Jesus said that our relationships with others ought to be life giving and loving, rather than hostile and divisive. “My command is this,” Jesus said. “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
We are connected to God and to each other, as a vine is connected to branches. So, we are called to lean into that connection, despite our divisions and disagreements, to become an interdependent community, strengthening and encouraging each other. In other words, every day should be one of decency.
So, Happy Decency Day tomorrow, friends. Let’s make an extra effort to model civility and compassion in our interactions with others, every day. And in all things, let us love one another.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey deVega
Senior Pastor, Hyde Park United Methodist
INCREASED SEATING FOR SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
Our Ministry Leadership Council Executive Group has approved an increase in the number of people who can attend Sunday indoor worship services. The total number of available seats has been increased by the number of people attending who are fully vaccinated (two weeks have elapsed since the final vaccination). You will find a space on the RSVP form for you to provide the number of people in your reservation who are vaccinated. Sharing this information will allow us to welcome more people into worship. The information will not be retained, but only used to determine capacity. See you Sunday! RSVP here.
Our Florida Conference Bishop Ken Carter has also provided helpful guidance to churches, following Governor DeSantis’ recent announcement lifting local government mask mandates. You can read Bishop Carter’s statement here. As we eagerly and steadily increase worship seating capacity and resume indoor ministries, we will continue for now to practice mask wearing and social distancing, in accordance with direction from the CDC, which has guided our Executive Team since the start of the pandemic. We believe that doing so lives out our faithful Wesleyan understanding of doing no harm, which is one of John Wesley’s three simple rules. It is also a way to love God and love all, fulfilling our mission of making God’s love real.
