Joy, Joy, Joy

Rev. Kimberly Burke

I am once again honored to feature a guest post by  Rev. Kimberly Burke, Associate Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Boerne, Texas. Rev. Burke is a recent honors graduate of  Southern Methodist University/Perkins School of Theology, where she received her Masters Degree. This post is Part 2 of her impressions of her experience as a missionary to Uganda, participating with the Tree of Life Ministries.  Click here to read Part 1 of this four part series. Part 3 is here.

I was overwhelmed the day of my first visit with the women’s ministry.  I was greeted with singing and dancing, clapping and praising God.  I had never experienced such raw joy, such unabashed gratitude.  I began thinking these women had no problems.  So in an attempt to get to know them, actually in an attempt to get over my nervousness of not knowing how to express such joy, I asked if they had prayer requests.  It now seems like such a typical Methodist thing to do.  But in the very back of the room a hand shot up and a beautiful glowing woman stood up and said please pray that I might be empowered to spread the gospel and the wisdom to do so.  In that moment God’s words came flowing back to me…there are women there who want to spread the gospel.  I was so thankful that perhaps I did have a reason for being here at this time and at this place and with tears streaming down my face I asked her to come forward and all 26 women gathered around. Those who could reach her laid hands on her and everyone another gathered in a grand spirit filled circle.  I prayed with a power that was not my own, for God to anoint and consecrate this woman to service, to give her courage and wisdom, guidance and authority and the tears began to stream down her face as this white woman from the other planet with no real power other than to say the words she had longed to hear by the power of the Holy Spirit, flowed over her.  And one by one their hands waved in the air to be prayed over and I realized in the midst of all of the joy I had just witnessed there was such suffering as I had never witnessed in one place.  Women who had babies die in their arms, husbands addicted to alcohol (demons they called them), women who had lost husbands, one woman whose Muslim family had abandoned her because she was a born again Christian.  Yet 17 women came forward to profess their yearning to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to be anointed. To go forth on bare feet, down dirt roads, to places where the gospel has never been heard, facing danger of persecution and isolation.  After confessing all of these horrible tragedies, many of which I realized could be cured by simple, ordinary things like clean water, antibiotics…simple ordinary things.  These women yet again leaped to their feet to praise God! To sing praises, to dance and to laugh together.  Their worries were seemingly carried away like a wisp of smoke from the very real conclusion that in the midst of it all God was there. They laid their burdens down and refused to pick them back up for tomorrow there would be more.  This moment was fresh with joy.

I wonder if you have ever experienced this kind of joy. What was the catalyst?  Can you imagine how perspectives could be changed if we actively looked for reasons to be joyful? 


(Go here to read Part 3.....) 




Linking to Jen at Finding Heaven Today

Teresa of Avila Would Be Proud

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Mr. and Mrs. Reyna with daughter Lupe at finished new home.

We attend church to worship God and to be filled with the Spirit of God; then we are to go into the world to minister to others--to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Lorenzo Lara is one person who embodies this fact. He is a good neighbor. Actually, he is more than that. He is a great neighbor. He lives in Buda, Texas, just south of Austin, where he has resided for 25 years. He is an automobile mechanic who raised four beautiful daughters and one amazing son.

Lorenzo said that about six years ago, he ran into Mike Manning and Pastor Mark Porterfield, then the pastor of Buda United Methodist Church (BUMC). He asked them what they were doing. Mark and Mike told him that they had just returned from a mission trip to South Texas. They had gone down to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to build houses for people who were in need. They indicated that they did this every year as a church mission trip. This stuck with Lorenzo.

So much so that when he encountered Mike two years ago at Buda Automotive, he told him about a neighboring family who needed help with their house. He went into details about this family of three living in his neighborhood who lived in an inadequate trailer. It was inadequate in many ways, but the biggest problem was that two of the people were in wheelchairs, but could not maneuver in most of the house because the doorways were not large enough to accommodate their wheelchairs. As a result, the man of the house was having to bathe in the backyard. He said that he was trying to help his neighbors every way that he could, but that there was more work to be done than he could do alone. He asked Mike if he and his church could help. Mike’s response was “Sure.”

Mike Manning

Mike Manning phoned Johnny Potts, the Facilities Manager and Trustee at BUMC, and asked him to come survey the property with him to list the work that was needed. Lorenzo took Mike and Johnny over to the house and they realized that there was too much to be repaired. They decided that the Reyna family needed a new house.

Johnny Potts mentioned this at Wednesday night church service at BUMC. He told the congregation that something needed to be done for the Reyna's. And slowly this seed that was originally planted by Lorenzo began to grow.

Johnny and Mike involved Jim Sweet, the Associate Pastor at BUMC. Jim visited the house and agreed that these people needed assistance. A sense of helping the people in their own community began to grow.

Then, they all talked to the church men’s group and presented pictures for these men to review to ask for financial assistance. The men’s group committed to the project, which continued to grow.

Pastor Jim Sweet mentioned the project to the newly formed Buda Ministerial Alliance and requested their support.

The church mission team decided to support this project and rather than go down to the valley to build a house for someone there, to keep all of the money and work on the local level to minister to members of their own community.

Nancy Hardin and Chris Dunkin agreed to be the coordinators for the project. Bobby Lasseter agreed to lead the construction, including designing the house. The community was solicited for support. The idea was to have this as a community project, with BUMC providing the leadership. Mike Manning said that they wanted everyone in the community who had to desire to be included to participate.

Billie Franke solicited donations from area civic organizations and restaurants. When construction began, she cooked and delivered meals for the workers. Local businesses joined the activity. According to Nancy Hardin, “we had more than forty community business donors.”

The planning stage lasted about two years. This is because the planning involved securing donations and volunteers to complete the project. Congregations and community members were asked for financial donations. BUMC men’s group donated the funds that they would normally donate to the mission trip in the Rio Grande Valley.

Originally, this project was to be called “Extreme Home Makeover”. But, someone mentioned that there is a television show with the same name. To prevent interference with existing copyrights, the church changed the name to HMR, which stands for helping, mending and restoring.

Johnny Potts and Lorenzo Lara work hard.



Bobby Lassiter and Lorenzo Lara working.

Mr. Reyna waits for his new home.

Wally Rudinski, Lorenzo Lara, Sheila Kuschke, Nancy Day, Sr. Pastor at BUMC, Mrs. Reyna, Mr. Reyna, Lupe Reyna, Associate Pastor Jim Sweet, and Nancy Hardin

 Funds were garnered, the materials were secured, and on October 1, 2011, numerous volunteers from all over the community were assembled on site.The actual construction began.   Only eight days later, on October 9, 2011, the family moved into their new house.The Holy Bible tells us that the world was created in seven days.The Buda community built a house in eight.

The frame.

Lorenzo Lara and Craig Smith work together

Construction continues.

The next day, a barbeque was held on site as an appreciation dinner for all of the volunteers.

There was more work to be completed. Demolition of the old house was done and all of those materials were hauled off to another location.

Shower:wheelchair accessible.

Kitchen and dining area.

Yesterday, October 25, 2011, the final touches were made with the completion of the landscaping.

Living Room



Working on the porch.

This project began with a neighbor helping a neighbor. Lorenzo said, “I decided to help these people whether or not they asked. I asked them how I could help them, and they wanted to know if I would mind cutting the grass.” And so it all began three years ago with this father of five being the hands and feet of Jesus in the community.

Mike Manning said, “If you really want to know who the angel was who started it all, Lorenzo Lara deserves the credit. We were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus; and more hands and feet kept joining in until we got this project completed. My dream is for this to continue in our community.”

Amen.


copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins

A Wet Ministry

 

 

 

Mark 14:13-16

And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into           the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.

14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples?

15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

16 And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

Is carrying water a ministry? It can be, as the above passage shows. We read here about Jesus sending two of his disciples into the city to prepare the Passover. This wasn’t just any meal or event. This would become the most famous and important Passover dinner in the history of time. This would become the last supper that Jesus would share with the disciples before his crucifixion and resurrection. This would be the meal that introduced the body and blood of Christ, for the first time in history.

Who was this man bearing the pitcher of water? Did he do this everyday? This man, with this menial job, had a very important job. He would lead the disciples to the setting of the Passover. Did he know this? Scripture doesn’t tell. Did he realize that his actions at that moment in time would be very important?

What if he had not faithfully done his job? What if, he had gotten frustrated with this menial task and decided that what he had to do wasn’t important and therefore, could wait until later? What if he had stopped by the house of a friend on the way to his master’s residence? What if he had decided to go see his buddies on the way? What would the disciples have done? Would they have gotten lost, or confused or ended up at the wrong place?

Jesus knew of this man and his seemingly menial job. And he knew that this man could be depended upon to carry out the duties of this job faithfully.

　

Did he know after the passover, after the crucifixion and resurrection that his faithful exercise of his job duties had been important to this story? Scripture doesn’t reveal this.


How many times in our own lives do we feel that our tasks are too menial to complete faithfully, with honor? How many times do we think that what we do is not important? We look for signs and validation from others. Do we look to God for his validation?

Colossians 4:22-24

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

The man in the first scripture followed the instruction of the second scripture in this article. He obeyed his master and performed his job in singleness of heart. Whether or not he knew it, he served the Lord and all of mankind to come.

He truly performed an extraordinary ministry in an ordinary place.


copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins

Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places-Part II

In part I of this series, I told of an example of when I ministered to someone on the job. No, I am not a pastor. I was an Assistant Manager of a drugstore at the time. But that didn’t mean that I couldn’t use that job to minister to others. I did this with many of our customers. Working in a drug store put me in a position to come into contact with many people. And many of these people were sick, because they were coming to get medicine. Any time that I got a chance to connect with someone who wanted to share, I tried to take the time to listen. It wasn’t unusual for our store to process over 1000 transactions in a day. I have never seen that many people in any one of our services at our church. So, really, I had an opportunity to minister directly to more people every day than either of our pastors did.

I think that is how it should be. We go to church to worship God, and to be fed by the spirit; to be in community with one another. Then we take our gifts out into the world, to our families, neighbors and jobs to be ministers.

Our jobs, and civic groups are frequently a place to meet up with others. Don’t forget social media. I have shared many a prayer request for others on facebook. Anywhere that you encounter people, you have an opportunity to minister to someone.

Here are 5 tips for ministering to others in ordinary places:

1. Don’t wait for a special time or place. Minister right where you are: football game, grocery store, your job, waiting in line.

2. Ask someone how he or she is doing. If you say this on the run, you probably won’t get much response. But is you take the time to actually stop what you are doing, look someone in the eye and sincerely ask them how they are doing, they will tell you. This is an opportunity to hear concerns. Make sure to listen. Don’t try to solve the problem for them, Most of the time, the problem is much more complex than it sounds. Offer to pray daily for this person, and then do it. Sometimes, you may want to add his or her name to a prayer list. I always ask for their permission before I do that. I have never had anyone to tell me no. Sometimes, I may keep the request on a prayer list anonymous. For example, I might say, “Please pray for Eve, who is going through a difficult situation. God knows the need.” And that is enough.

3. Simple acts are ministries: a smile, a touch, a hello, a hug, saying bless you, offering to pray for someone, taking someone to dinner, babysitting, mowing a lawn, making a phone call, and of course, cooking a casserole.

4. Don’t neglect to minister to your pastors. As members of the body of Christ, if we do not minister to our pastors, who will?

5. Be open to receive the ministry of others. I have to be ministered to in times of trouble. I definitely need the prayers and shoulders of my fellow Christians. I lean on others and hopefully, I am there for them to lean on me.

In June, a good friend of mine was commissioned as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church. She had just graduated from seminary. I texted her after she graduated and told her, “Now that you have finished school, be sure to teach me everything you learned.”

She answered me and said, “Sure! I will! It is very simple: 1. Love God. 2. Love others. That covers it.” I think that she is right.

Starting next week, I am going to feature a ministry on Wednesdays on this blog. I am looking for the ordinary place where we might not think of someone ministering. If you know of someone who has ministered to someone in an ordinary place, let me know. I would love to hear your story.
copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins

Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Places-Part 1

“When you touched my hand, and told me that you would be praying for me, I felt something. I think that when you touched me, I was healed. I think that you are a prophet.” These are the words uttered to me by a customer as she held my hand. I kind of jumped back at that comment. I assured her that I am not a prophet. Hearing that actually almost scared me.

These are the words uttered to me by a returning customer. I worked as an Assistant Manager at the second busiest Walgreen’s in the capital city of the second largest state in the United States.

This store was always hopping. One day, I was called to do a refund of a box of hair color for an elderly lady. The first part of the transaction involved finding out the reason that a customer needs a refund. This usually led to some interesting stories.

I asked the lady why she needed a refund. She explained to me that she had shopped at the store recently and had hurriedly grabbed the wrong color. She seemed to be distracted by something as she spoke. I smiled as I told her that I would be happy to complete the refund for her. So I began scanning the product as I entered the proper codes into the cash register. While I did this, she continued to talk.

She explained that she had been in a hurry because she was unusually stressed. She had been experiencing some health problems. Tomorrow, she would be having a biopsy. The deep lines in her forehead and brow revealed her anxiety as she conveyed her concern. I could hear announcements coming over the store speakers as we talked.

I completed the refund by counting out her money to her and asking her to sign the refund receipt. After she signed, I gently took her by the hand and told her that I would pray for her and I would lift her name up in prayer at our Wednesday night church service. The lines in her face seemed to smooth out at the promise of prayer. I thought that I saw a gleam of hope in her eye. I thanked her for her business and she thanked me for my concern as she began to exit the store.

I took her concern home and prayed for her as I did many of our customers who confided their concerns to me. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence. I found that sometimes all I had to do was to ask someone how they were doing, and if they had a worry or a concern, frequently they would share this concern. Sometimes, talking about a problem helps people to cope with something that may seem insurmountable. And for some people, sharing this information with a stranger is easier than sharing with a family member or friend. And then, some people are lonely and don’t have anyone to share concerns with.

I also lifted her name up in prayer at our Wednesday night service. I continued to pray for her along with others for several days.

The next week, I was at work and had to run a register because the store was very busy. I looked up to see my next customer and saw the same lady in my checkout lane. She had a smile on her face this time as I rang up her few sundries. She asked me if I remembered her and I said, “ Yes, of course I do! I did a refund for you last week!”

She said, “Well, do you remember that I told you that I was having a biopsy?”

I answered, “Yes I do.”

She talked hurriedly, energetically as she said, “It came out clear. There was no cancer! I am so relieved! You know, when you touched my hand, and told me that you would be praying for me, I felt something. I think that when you touched me, I was healed. I think that you are a prophet.”

I kind of jumped back at that last comment. I assured her that I am not a prophet. Hearing that actually almost scared me. All I did was to listen, touch and promise. Then I followed up my promise with prayer. I requested prayer for her at church. It was as simple as that.

I assured her that I was not a prophet, but that I had prayed for her. Sometimes a listening ear, a touch, a kind word and a prayer are all it takes to re-establish hope in the lives of others.


copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins