LDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH A Experience

ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUGUST 2018

Experience

DON'T BE A HERO

We like to be the hero. Summer seems like a great time to do this, especially with so many blockbuster movies about superheroes. The Incredibles 2 and A ntman & The Wasp are just two of the latest. Have you seen them yet? Batman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, the Flash, Captain America ? I'm sure we can name our favorite superhero. And what child doesn't want to wear a cape and pretend like they are saving the world from the next dangerous villain to threaten humankind. But what if thinking of ourselves as a hero is a mistake?

Every so often God will lead me to a mantra, prayer, or phrase that will offer guidance and wisdom in a season of life. I wonder what phrase God might be sharing with you in this season? Over the past few weeks, the phrase "Don't be a hero" has been stuck in my head, and I have been reflecting on what it means for my life and how to live as a Christian in today's world. Yes, you read that right, don't be a hero. We can become so focused on achievement and success we can neglect our need for rest, our need to connect with other people, and most of all our dependence upon God.

It all started with triathlon training. In this sport, it is easy to become so driven and goal-oriented that you can push your body to the brink of exhaustion and burnout. Each run, you can try to run faster. And on every bike ride, you can try to go longer. For example, if I go running and end up back at my starting point with 5.8 miles on my GPS watch, it's easy to want to push that to an even 6.0 miles,

just for the satisfaction of it. Oh and while I'm at it, why don't I make it 10k (6.2 miles)? It might be achievable on one day, but over time it adds up. This is what I call "being a hero," pushing harder every day and going beyond what my body can handle. This can steal the joy out of the sport and even lead to overtraining and burnout. I might pat myself on the back for it, but is it worth it in the long run?

The danger of seeing ourselves as the hero is that it places us at the center of the story. Theologian Stanley Hauwerwas says that one of the great myths of modern life is that we are the ones who make up our own story. He suggests that our identity should not be rooted in the story we make up for ourselves with us at the center, but rather the story we are given through being part of God's family. God is at the center of our story, not us. We are not self-made superheros, but we are human beings dependent upon God's grace for our very existence.

Philippians 2:3-5 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" (NIV). Perhaps 4 words to summarize this attitude are "Don't be a hero."

When I hear the phrase "Don't be a hero," I hope that it will prompt us to recognize our limits, to ask for help when needed instead of shouldering the load alone, to consider the gifts of others instead of relying on ourselves, and to practice humility in placing the needs of others before our own. In a culture where selfishness, greed, boasting, and self-promotion seem to dominate, humility is the counter-cultural practice that embodies our understanding of God's grace. As Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Let's celebrate God's gift of grace and salvation together: don't be a hero.

Pastor Eric

PAGE 2 CONNECTING (CONNECT WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER)

Will VanDeventer Ainsley Dickerson Hank VanDeventer Kelly Copolo Carl Chmielewski Carol Sue Cunningham John Howe Summer Stanley Idia Piacentini Rylin Kent Sierra Hunt Kelly Holland Inna Nichols Suevil Cox Carley Prenshaw

08/01 08/02 08/02 08/05 08/06 08/06 08/06 08/06 08/07 08/07 08/08 08/10 08/11 08/11 08/12

Dana Leeson Kathy Chmielewski Makenzie Carver Elena Thomas Patty Kreiselman Janae Andrews Michele Burleson Andrew Gauger Julia Rosemond Bill Vincent Daniel Cole David Leonard Billy Cole David Elder Brian Reo Suzi Caudill Marie Muir Tanner Reo Ken Morris Wendy Tillotson Debbie Crownover Ellen Venable Norma Ames

08/12 08/12 08/12 08/13 08/13 08/15 08/15 08/16 08/16 08/19 08/19 08/19 08/21 08/21 08/22 08/22 08/23 08/23 08/24 08/24 08/25 08/25 08/25

DON'T MISS OUT ON IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Let us know if you or a member of your household have moved, changed a phone number or email address, or have a different way you wish to be contacted.You may email this information to churchoffice@ or call the church office (919) 477-0509.

URBAN MINISTRIES NEEDS:

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ALL FOOD ITEMS SHOULD BE PLACED INSIDE THE COLLECTION CLOSET ACROSS FROM THE WESLEY ROOM. Financial donations are also accepted.

CANNED FOOD NEEDS FOR AUGUST: Canned pasta, fruit, and canned meat.

NEW TOOTHBRUSHES (IN SEALED PACKAGING) Look for the box located on the table outside the church office.

HELP PROVIDE A MEAL AT THE COMMUNITY CAF? FOR URBAN MINISTRIES, SUNDAY AUGUST 12.

Aldersgate is providing a chicken pot pie dinner for about 250 guests. We need 25 chicken pot pie casseroles in disposable aluminum trays, salad, fruit, and cookies for 250 people.

We also need at least 10 folks to go with us to serve the meal. Wear a baseball hat to serve or we will provide a hair net for you.

All food should be at the church hot and ready to serve no later than 4:30 pm.

Our volunteers will take it to the Community Caf? and serve our guests.

The menu is salad, chicken pot pie, fresh fruit, cookies and drinks. The chicken pot pie recipe serves about 10 people. You can pick up copies of the recipe on the Welcome table along with an aluminum pan to bake it in.

If you would like to volunteer to cook or serve, please email Mary Taylor at mary@ or call 919-225-0528. You can also click here: https:// go/20f0549afad28a02-august.

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Live Gratefully, Give Generously

THINGS TO PONDER

If you drink about 6 ounces of water, you have swallowed approximately 6 x 1023 (1023 is 1 followed by 23 zeros) molecules of water. Molecules and the atoms that make up the molecules are small, aren't they?

On the other hand, our universe is large! The observable universe (just the part scientists can see) contains more than 2 trillion galaxies and is estimated to have a diameter of about 93 billion light years. Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second, so you don't even need your calculator to realize that our planet is a tiny part of a very big thing.

The earth is thought to contain about 8.7 billion species of plants and animals, and over 86% of the species are still to be discovered!

Now comes the good part, or maybe I should say the God part. It is my belief that God is incarnate in everything He created. That means that the DNA of the Divine is hardwired into each of us. There is no separation (God up there and us down here). Each of us is unique and uniquely gifted, so I think it follows that doing our inner work (prayer, introspection, contemplation, and meditation) is what will allow us to be more enlightened and more productive partners in sharing God's love.

The saying, "There is enough for everyone's need, but never enough for everyone's greed" (attributed to Mahatma Gandhi) is certainly true. Daily we see the exploitation of persons, groups, countries, and the resources of the planet itself to the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. Jesus introduced a new paradigm attempting to shift from an economy of scarcity (gather, hoard, protect all you can) to an economy of abundance (eg, the loaves and fishes, grace). It cost Him His life. As a community of faith, we have a choice to be part of the problem or part of the solution. I pray that we may live gratefully and give generously.

Roy Swaringen

WNL DINNER HOSTS NEEDED

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In just a few short weeks, our Wednesday Night Live dinner and classes will resume. It's time for WNL dinner hosts to sign up for their preferred dates. Cooking a meal for your church family is a wonderful way for your group to provide a needed service, raise some funds for a mission area of your choice, and enjoy great fellowship together. Please contact Barbara Atkinson at habnc@ to select the dates for your group to provide a delicious and much appreciated meal. The best dates always go fast, so sign up early!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE--SAVE THE DATE

STARTS SEPTEMBER 12

Wednesday Night Live is a church-wide program of fellowship and spiritual formation for the entire family. Every Wednesday, starting September 12, we will gather in the Family Life Center for dinner from 5:30-6:30. Following dinner, we will have classes for all ages from 6:30-7:30. Nursery is available for children age 0-3. Some of the classes we will be offering include "Fear of the Other," a book study led by Rob Hogarth and an evening prayer service that focuses on worship, prayer, and meditation. The full schedule and detailed class descriptions will be available soon. In the meantime if you have questions, please contact Pastor Eric, eric@.

FEAR OF THE OTHER * In this class based on the no-nonsense book by Bishop Will Willimon, you will be invited to consider the gospel command to love (and not merely tolerate) those considered to be "Other" or outside mainstream Christian culture. Rooted in the faith of Israel and the Christian story and vision, Willimon brings a Wesleyan perspective to bear on what may be the hardest thing for people of faith to do: keeping and loving the "Other" as they are, without any need for them to become like us. This class will be led by Rob Hogarth on Wednesday evenings.

WEDNESDAY VESPERS * One of the classes for Wednesday evenings in the fall will actually not be a class at all. Instead it will be a focused time of worship, prayer, and meditation from 6:307:20 during the normal WNL class time. The wor d "vespers" comes from the Latin word meaning "evening." In the Christian tradition, Vespers has come to mean a service of evening prayer whether it be sung by choirs in medieval cathedrals, said by small groups gathered in homes, or recited by individuals seeking to be faithful in prayer. The focus with the Vespers service will not be on "learning" how to pray but rather to actively participate in the spiritual practices that allow us to connect with God. We hope that this will be a transformative and renewing time in the middle of the week to focus on God and to be empowered by God's grace.

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