March 23, 2023

Dear Hyde Park Fmaily,

There are two sacred observances happening within the next ten days whose juxtaposition rarely gets much attention.

The first event is this Saturday, March 25, known as Annunciation Day. It is precisely nine months before Christmas Day, and it commemorates the visit by the angel Gabriel to a young Mary, the mother of Jesus. The second event is April 2, which is Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week, whose path leads to the cross on Golgotha.

Even though the date of Palm Sunday moves around from year to year, these two events are always within proximity of each other. Considering them in tandem makes a profound statement about faithful obedience.

Chief among the many reasons we admire Mary was her willingness to say yes to God. Her fears and doubts would have made it understandable for her to choose the easier path of self-preservation. Instead, she chose to obey God, regardless of the cost and pain that was sure to follow.

Thirty-three years later – but only a matter of days in liturgical time – we find a similar scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, the son of Mary wrestled with the very same kinds of questions that his mother faced when he was conceived. It was a choice between comfort or obedience, between self-preservation or self-sacrifice, between human will or God’s will.

By linking Annunciation Day and Holy Week, we can draw parallels between these bookends of the life of Jesus. He was born of a woman who chose to obey God, just as he chose to live obediently until the end of his life.

“SING ME THE SONG AGAIN, MAMA”

We might even imagine a very young Jesus, talking to his mother about the day the angel visited her, and learning from her about obedience:

“Mama, tell me the story again of how the angel visited you.”

“Well, dear, he caught me by surprise one day. He told me not to be afraid, and that God had chosen me to give birth to you.”

“Were you afraid?”

“I was at first, of course. Nothing like this had ever happened to me, and I didn’t know what others might think. But there was something about the presence of God in that angel that gave me great comfort. I said yes, and I’m so glad that I did.”

“Why were you glad, Mama?”

“Because then I could have you in my life, dear! But more than that, I knew deep down in my heart that God was going to do great things to change the world, and that God wanted to do them through me. To exalt the humble, fill the hungry, remember the lowly: it is a privilege to be used by God in such a powerful way. We must say yes, even when it is difficult to do so. Do you understand that, Jesus?”

“Yes, Mama. May I ask another question?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Can you sing me that song again? The one you sang when you said yes to the angel?”

I’d like to think that years later, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying earnestly with a blood-soaked brow, the words and melody of his mother’s Magnificat entered his mind.

My soul magnifies the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

He looks on his servant in her lowliness;

henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

The Almighty works marvels for me.

Holy his name!

His mercy is from age to age,

on those who fear him.

He puts forth his arm in strength

and scatters the proud-hearted.

He casts the mighty from their thrones

and raises the lowly.

He fills the starving with good things,

sends the rich away empty.

He protects Israel, his servant,

remembering his mercy,

the mercy promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his sons forever.

In those moments when life is most difficult, and the pain and trauma of life have us in their grip, we often have our sharpest and clearest memories of the lessons our parents taught us. Lessons about staying steadfast in our convictions and courageous in our actions. We learn from our ancestors how to claim our future. And I think Jesus learned a thing or two about obedience from the woman whose obedience brought him into earthly existence.

It would be good spiritual preparation during Lent for us to pause for a moment, before the pageantry of Palm Sunday and the passion of Holy Week, to remember Annunciation Day, and the obedience of Mary. May she call us to a deeper place of surrender to God, just as her example did for Jesus himself.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Image Credit:

Maryʼs Golden Annunciation

Carmelle Beaugelin | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, as you may know. Like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day, it is a civic and cultural day rooted in religious history. While many people will be celebrating with all things green (including clothes, shamrocks, and even our own Hillsborough River) and an array of Irish food (Corned Beef and Cabbage?), it is nice to remember the legacy of Patrick himself, and the faith to which he devoted his life.

Patrick was not born in Ireland, but in England, then captured as a youth and enslaved for years in Ireland as a shepherd. He had little formal education, but he had a depth of spiritual experience. He escaped his captivity and returned to Britain, but amazingly, he later volunteered to return to Ireland to bring the experience of Christ to his former captors.

He had a knack for connecting the truths of the Christian faith with commonplace aspects of Irish culture. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter because the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He superimposed a sun (a powerful Irish symbol) onto the Christian cross, so that it would seem more natural to the Irish; the result was the iconic Celtic cross. His most famous connection was between the three-leafed clover, or shamrock, with the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

Most importantly, Patrick reminded people of the presence of Jesus Christ, who offers us protection and guidance. His prayers include one of the most famous prayers ever written, which is now commonly known as the Prayer of St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It is a prayer that speaks of Christ’s constant companionship and assurance:

Christ ever with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me

Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me

Christ to my right side, Christ to my left side

Christ in his breadth, Christ in his length, Christ in depth

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me

Christ in every eye that sees me

Christ in every ear that hears me.

No matter what you are going through today, know that Christ is with you, before you, behind you, and within you.

And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, which has been commemorated by the United Nations since 1975 and endorsed by our denomination’s United Methodist Women (recently renamed United Women in Faith.) It is a global celebration of women and an acknowledgment of the disparities and injustices experienced by women around the world.

In my prior church in Cherokee, Iowa, we would observe this day every year on the Sunday after International Women’s Day. We would begin the service with the ringing of bells and the offering of the following prayer that we wrote together. I invite you to offer this prayer as well.

Every day, but especially on this day, I celebrate my daughters Grace and Madelyn, and women everywhere, with a shared commitment to work toward a just, equitable, and peaceful world.

A Liturgy for International Women’s Day

Eternal God, who created us all in your image, and who desires justice and mercy for all your people, hear our prayers for women around the world.

For those lacking opportunities for education, access to health care, and the right to vote,

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those struggling for economic, political, and social equality,

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those yearning for freedom from violence, and those subject to human trafficking,

Lord, hear our prayer.

For those suffering in poverty, and those hiding as refugees,

Lord, hear our prayer.

Hear us in our silent prayer for women near and far, that they may achieve their full potential as your children, created for your purpose.

(Silent Prayer and the Ringing of Bells)

Hear us, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom there is no male or female, and who taught us to pray, saying together:

(The Lord’s Prayer)

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

Did you know that there are probably other people who attend Hyde Park that live near you? We want to help everyone connect during the month of March! Connect across neighborhoods where people from Hyde Park United Methodist will gather with each other over food and conversation. Will you host? When will you attend? Learn more and sign up today!

Dear Lenten Pilgrims,

My friend Rev. Jan Richardson is one of the coolest clergy colleagues I know. She is a United Methodist minister, an internationally regarded artist, and the director of The Wellspring Studio, LLC, in Winter Park, Florida. Her artwork has been called “breathtaking” by The Chicago Tribune and is featured in numerous published collections. She is also an amazing speaker and retreat leader.

One of my favorite pieces by Jan is called “And the Table Will be Wide.”  I knew that at some point during our Lenten worship series “Meeting Jesus at the Table,” I wanted to share it with you.

Take a look at the image. What parts capture your attention? What does this piece tell you about who God is, and about our relationships with each other and with God?

It is a dinner table, with an unmistakable reference to holy communion. But notice that the table is round, not rectangular, like most communion tables, or the iconic table in Davinci’s The Last Supper. The legend of King Arthur contained a round table because it was believed at that time to represent the earth, in which people from all walks of life were welcome and present.

So, in Jan’s image, there is a wide diversity of people, each with a seat at the table. (Including a cat!)

As we prepare for the next stop in our Lenten journey this Sunday, which will include an invitation to the communion table, I invite you to ponder the image, along with Jan’s powerful accompanying poem.

And the Table Will Be Wide

A Blessing for World Communion Sunday

by Jan Richardson

And the table

will be wide.

And the welcome

will be wide.

And the arms

will open wide

to gather us in.

And our hearts

will open wide

to receive.

And we will come

as children who trust

there is enough.

And we will come

unhindered and free.

And our aching

will be met

with bread.

And our sorrow

will be met

with wine.

And we will open our hands

to the feast

without shame.

And we will turn

toward each other

without fear.

And we will give up

our appetite

for despair.

And we will taste

and know

of delight.

And we will become bread

for a hungering world.

And we will become drink

for those who thirst.

And the blessed

will become the blessing.

And everywhere

will be the feast.

Blessings on your Lenten journey, and see you Sunday! There is a place for you (and everyone) at the table!

Magrey

Did you know that there are probably other people who attend Hyde Park that live near you? We want to help everyone connect during the month of March! Connect across neighborhoods where people from Hyde Park United Methodist will gather with each other over food and conversation. Will you host? When will you attend? Learn more and sign up today!

Dear Hyde Park Family,

This Sunday I’ll be preaching on the fourth day of creation, when God created the planets, stars, sun, and moon. Prior to Sunday, I would love for you to take 30-minutes to watch a short documentary film titled Cosmic Voyage. I originally saw it on an IMAX screen 25 years ago and immediately fell in love with it. Since then, the film has been made available on YouTube,  and I recommend it highly.

In essence, the film takes us on two voyages, the first on a macro journey into outer space. It travels a mere forty-two steps from a courtyard in Venice, Italy, to the outermost edge of the visible universe, with each step a power of ten in greater distance.

Then, the film takes us on a corresponding journey inward. Again, within a matter of steps, we travel into the micro world, past the smallest objects visible to the naked eye, into the world of cells, atoms, nuclei, and the edge of the unknown world: quarks and quantum energy.

From Galileo, who first fashioned lenses into the telescope and looked upward, to Anton Van Leeuwenhoek, who first fashioned lenses into the microscope and looked downward, we can see the awesome mystery and majesty of creation, along with the limits of human understanding.

This all reminds me of the words of Psalm 8, which I often think about as the “telescope and microscope psalm.” It first takes us on a macro journey outward:

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven! When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made, the moon and the stars, that you set firmly in place, what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them? (vss. 1, 3,4)

Then, the psalmist takes us on a micro journey downward into the beauty and mysteries of the earth:

You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet—all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea. (vss. 5-8)

And the psalm concludes with these beautiful words:

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

 I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we discover the splendor of the heavens and the mysteries of creation. I’ll be referencing the amazing discoveries by the James Webb telescope and the writings of Nobel Prize winning astrophysicist Frank Wilczek.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS ON FEBRUARY 5

And join us a week from Sunday, February 5, for our first ever blessing of the animals at 3pm on the Magnolia parking lot of the Hyde Park campus! We will be observing it in conjunction with Day 5 of our creation series, when God created the plants and animals. You are welcome to bring your pets to a fun, casual, and informal time, where clergy will offer a word of blessing for your pet. This would be a great occasion to bring your human friends (and their furry friends)

We cannot wait to see the beautiful zoo of creatures on that day!

See you Sunday!

Magrey

BUDGET APPROVED LAST SUNDAY (AND THANK YOU!!)

We give thanks for the work of the Finance Committee, Generosity Team, the Church Conference, and the faithful stewardship of this congregation in approving the 2023 Ministry and Missions Budget last Sunday afternoon. The Finance Committee always feels most comfortable proposing a budget that is 80% underwritten by estimates of giving. Last year, we reached a high-water mark, with a budget that was 85% underwritten by pledges.

This year, thanks to an amazing generosity campaign and your faithfulness, we are moving forward with a budget that is 87% underwritten, with a higher number of total pledges, higher average pledge amount, and higher overall dollar total than last year. We are so grateful to you, and to the Spirit who is moving us into the bright future ahead. Thank you!

Dear Hyde Park Family,

In Celtic spirituality there is a term called “thin places,” where a person experiences the God’s presence more readily than in any other place. Travel writer Eric Weiner describes them as “those rare locales where the distance between heaven and Earth collapses.” These places range from religious venues to outdoor scenery to childhood settings and everywhere in between.

Do you have such a “thin place,” where you sense the presence of God most closely to you?

I have a few. There is a prayer labyrinth at the United Methodist Life Enrichment in Leesburg, Florida. There is the backyard of my parents’ home in St. Petersburg, where memories of my childhood seem vivid and real.

By far, the most sacred thin place for me is on Pass-a-Grille Beach, a few steps away from the Gulf of Mexico. It was there that I first sensed God calling me to ministry in 1995, where I heard the closest thing to an audible voice from God that I’ve ever heard. “Magrey, I want you to be a preacher.” When I want to remember my calling, I return to that beach.

It is there that I walked on countless occasions to pray about whatever burden I was carrying and sense God’s direction in my life. It is there that I have sat with a computer to write some of the most important sermons I’ve ever preached, including my Large Church Initiative sermon in 2013 and my installation sermon in 2015. It is there that God has inspired me to write important pieces for this church and for the wider Conference and denomination.

GOD’S GIFT OF THE LAND

Thousands of years before the Celts, the Hebrew people also had a strong connection between God and the land. The Bible is filled with instances where they experienced the sacred in thin places, connecting them to the promise, presence, and provision of God.

In our worship series on the seven days of creation, this Sunday we will explore day three, when God created the land and the seas. We will remember what a gift the land, the seas, and the environment is to us, and discover ways to be proper stewards and caretakers of it.

Join this Sunday, as you think about those special places where “the distance between Earth and heaven collapses.”

I would love to hear what your thin places are.

See you Sunday!

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

Are there certain fragrances that evoke strong memories for you? 

I was surprised to learn recently that the same part of our brain that processes our sense of smell is the same as where we store our memories. Your olfactory bulb is connected to both the amygdala (which processes emotion) and the hippocampus (which is linked to memories). 

It is why, when I smell a particular musty, stuffy kind of odor, I am immediately transported back to my aging dormitory hallway in seminary. It’s also why the scent of a certain cleaning agent brings me back to my kindergarten classroom in the 1970s. And it’s why the smell of chicken adobo puts me right back at my childhood dining room table. The list could go on and on for me. 

What fragrances conjure those kinds of memories for you? I’d love to know. 

THE AROMA OF CHRIST

It’s interesting that our other four senses seem to get more play in the scriptures. We read a lot about sight (blind people being healed, Jesus as the “light of the world”) and touch (the Word made “Flesh,” and the touch of his scars to prove his resurrection). The command to hear (“Shema”) is one of the most prevalent words in the Old Testament, as are the numerous stories about eating, drinking, and tasting. 

But the power of smell is not showcased nearly as often. There was the odor of Lazarus as he emerged from the grave, and the fragrant perfume that was poured on Jesus’ feet at the anointing of Bethany. But there’s not much else.

In fact, Paul uses the Greek word for aroma (“euodia”) only three times in his letters, and one of them happens to be in 2 Corinthians 2:15-17, which is our scripture text for this Sunday: 

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one group a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

So, here’s what I’m wondering: How might your life and this church be a sweet fragrance for others? What impact can we make in the name of Jesus, such that others will have enduring memories of God’s love for them? 

THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIVING

One answer comes in part from our 2022 Impact Report, which shares the amazing ways that you have been a part of reaching others in our community and around the world. Read it and give thanks for how God has been at work through the people of Hyde Park United Methodist!

Together, let us offer ourselves to God, that others may experience the transformative, memorable aroma of Christ. 

Grace and Peace, 

Magrey

Dear Hyde Park Family,

This Sunday we begin a new worship series titled “Living with Gratitude.” It is a continuation of the leadership theme with which we started the year, based on Diana Butler Bass’ book Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks.

Each week, we will explore a different aspect of gratitude, encouraging us to make it a way of life and a central aspect to our faith. So, as we enter this new series, here are two specific, practical aspects of gratitude you can begin practicing each day:

1. Be as Specific as You Can.

There have been seasons of my life when I have maintained a gratitude journal, in which I intentionally write down two or three things I am grateful for every day.

The best advice I have ever received about keeping a gratitude journal is “the more specific, the better.” It is easier (and important) to be grateful for broad, general things, like your family, your health, your job, and other basic necessities. But research has shown that the more details you can give about specific experiences of gratitude, the more aware you will be of such blessings in the future.

For example, in my own gratitude journals, I have noted the following:

• The feeling of my bare feet on a newly cleaned floor, or the feeling of waking up in freshly cleaned bedsheets.
• Walking in the front door and seeing both my dogs wagging their tails in perfect sync.
• The rays of sunshine that poked through the trees as I was walking around my neighborhood, just as I was listening to a beautiful rendition of a favorite praise song.

2. Try the Daily Examen Prayer.

Many Christian communities observe the Daily Offices, a rhythm of daily prayer that aligns with different moments of the day. One of the evening prayers is called the Daily Examen, which is a structured way to end the day, reviewing it with prayer and gratitude. The following uses the pattern prescribed by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Begin with a pause and a slow, deep breath or two; become aware that you are in the presence of the Holy.

Thanksgiving:

What am I especially grateful for in the past day:

• The gift of another day…
• The love and support I have received…
• The courage I have mustered…
• An event that took place today…

Petition and Review:

I am about to review my day; I ask for the light to know God and to know myself as God sees me.

• Where have I felt true joy today?
• What has troubled me today?
• What has challenged me today?
• Where and when did I pause today?
• Have I noticed God’s presence in any of this?

Response and Look Ahead:

• In light of my review, what is my response to the God of my life?
• As I look ahead, what comes to mind?
• With what spirit do I want to enter tomorrow?

I would love to hear what practices and rhythms you have developed to incorporate more gratitude into your life. May your days ahead be filled with awareness of God’s blessings and enable you to live with a grateful heart.

See you Sunday!

Magrey

CELEBRATION OF IMPACT 2022

Be sure to check out our website for our exciting 2022 Impact Report, celebrating the amazing ways your generosity has made a profound difference in our community and around the world. You can also turn in your estimate of giving for next year, before our annual Commitment Sunday on November 20.

JURISDICTIONAL CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK

Next week, United Methodist delegates from around the southeastern United States will be gathering in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, to elect new bishops for our Southeastern Jurisdiction. Pastors Vicki, Justin, and I are serving as delegates, along with Pastor Sally’s husband Clarke Campbell-Evans. Please keep all the delegates in your prayers as we do this important work. There will be no Midweek Message next week and will resume the second week in November.

Thirty years ago, I was in a small group Bible study in college, in which the leader was talking about Matthew 28:18-20, our scripture reading for this Sunday’s Missions Celebration. Jesus utters these iconic words to his disciples:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

My Bible study leader pointed out an insight on the first word in that sentence that I have never forgotten. He said that in the Greek, the tense of the word “go” is better translated “as you are going,” rather than simply, “go.”

This nuance makes all the difference in, well, the world. Jesus was not telling his disciples that engaging in missions is solely relegated to programs at a distance. Missional engagement is primarily a way of being,an orientation of one’s life in alignment with God’s love for the whole world.

It means that we are called to make disciples as we go about the everydayness of life, not just in our support of mission partners and agencies working around the world.

THIS SUNDAY: MISSIONS CELEBRATION

To give us even greater insight into this text and to inspire us with the work of the worldwide connection of the United Methodist Church, we are eager to welcome the Rev. Dr. Martyn Atkins as our guest preacher this Sunday.

Dr. Atkins has 40 years of experience in British Methodism, as President of the Methodist Church in Britain, as well as professor and President of Cliff College, a Methodist institution. He was Superintendent of Methodist Central hall, Westminster, working closely with Westminster Abbey and Parliament. He is also a leader in the Fresh Expressions movement and the World Methodist Council.

He is currently serving here in Florida, as the interim pastor of Lighthouse UMC in Boca Grande, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Ian. We pray for his congregation and his community, as we welcome him this Sunday to offer his insights and wisdom.

See you Sunday!

Magrey