Farewell Thank You Video from Pastor Robert - Athens First UMC

Farewell Thank You Video from Pastor Robert

(In Celebration of 37 Years of Pastoral Ministry)

June 11, 2023

“Marks of a Christian” Testimony (11-13-22) - Steve & Martha Sloan

“Marks of a Christian” Testimony 

11-13-22

Steve & Martha Sloan

Online Worship (November 6/All Saints Sunday) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

November 6 (All Saints Sunday)

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Special Announcement from Pastor Robert (10-30-22)

Special Announcement 

from Pastor Robert 

October 30, 2022

New Foothills District Superintendent Rev. Mark Chow Welcome Message 9-5-21

Rev. Mark Chow, Foothills District Superintendent

Online Worship (June 6) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

June 6

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Habitat for Humanity Thank You Video

[Ken Oehlers Thank You Video to Athens First UMC]

[Left to Right: HFH Director, Ken Oehlers; Pastor Robert; & Ken Edwards]



[Kitchen]



[One of Two Bedrooms]

March 15 Sunday Online Worship - Athens First UMC

Welcome to our March 15 online worship @ Athens First UMC!

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

Greeting From Pastor Robert

Call to Worship

L: We are grateful for these days of Lent, a time to think about the life of Jesus and the men and women who followed him.

P: We bring our doubts, our struggles, our yearnings for new life.

L: We come to give thanks to God who offers all of us a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Let us join our hearts in worship.

Hymn                                 Jesus Calls Us

                                                    

Welcome & Passing the Peace

[Blu shares God’s peace with us by reminding us that spring is just around the corner. May the peace of Christ be with each of us during these anxious times as we await the hope and promise of resurrection and new life.]

Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance

L: God of mercy, hear the prayers of your people. For every time we have attributed your miracles in our lives to our hands alone,

​P: Forgive us, we pray.

​L: For every time we promised to trust you but turned to our own way,

​P: Grant us mercy, O God.

​L: For the many opportunities to share our faith that we have ignored,

​P: Show us what it means to love in your name, O Lord.

​L: For all that keeps us from loving you and our neighbors,

​All:​Tear down the barriers. Forgive our sins and show us what needs changing. Remake us into disciples of compassion and courage. Amen.

L: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

P: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

All: Thanks be to God!

Old Testament Lesson - Psalm 63:1-8

1 O God, you are my God, I seek you,
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
    I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
    and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

Gospel Lesson - John 6:1-14

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

L: This is the Word of God for the people of God.

P: Thanks be to God!

Special Music                  I Got Me Flowers           R. Vaughan Williams

Sermon        The Twelve Disciples of Jesus: Andrew & Phillip                    
                                                                     Rev. Robert McDowell

     A friend of mine was telling me how she had been thinking about names for baby boys lately because her daughter was expecting her first child. She said that she was surprised to find that the names of seven of the disciples are still in the top 100 for most popular male baby names in the US.

     The name  “James” leads the way at  #19.  One of our disciples for today  “Andrew” comes in at #40.  And “Philip” is in the top 300 names at the place of #295.  The influence of  the disciples is still seen in the way we name our children. How else have the disciples Andrew and Philip changed our world?  How can their lives change us?

     Most of the stories about Andrew and Philip are found in the Gospel of John. They were fishermen from Bethsaida, a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  They stand out in the group of disciples because they both had Greek names, not Hebrew ones.

     At some point in his life, Andrew had left his home and had traveled down to the Judean wilderness and had become a follower of John the Baptist. Through John's introduction, Andrew  has encountered Jesus.  Andrew spends a day with Jesus and decides that he will follow him- he is the first disciple to make that decision.

     The next thing that Andrew does is to go and find his brother, another fisherman who we will know as Peter.  Andrew tells him the exciting news:  “We have found the Messiah.”

     Philip also has traveled to the region where John the Baptist is preaching. Jesus notices Philip and invites him to come and learn and be his disciple.  Philip in turn encourages his friend Nathaniel who we discovered a few weeks ago probably also went by the name, “Bartholomew,” to “come and see” all that Jesus is doing.

     Both Andrew and Philip were actively seeking God; they had left their daily routine of fishing in order for their faith to grow. Jesus recognized their spiritual longing and included them on his team.

     Descriptive words for these two disciples are “seeking and sharing.” Andrew told his brother about Jesus and Philip told his friend.

     Two disciples now have become four disciples. What they had received they also wanted to share. 

     Pope Benedict wrote a book about the disciples a few years ago.  In it he says this about Philip: “This apostle encourages us to become closely acquainted with Jesus.” 

     We can't pass on our exact faith experience to someone else, but we can encourage them to get to know and to love our friend Jesus.  We can plant the seed and we can open the door.

     Philip and Andrew continued to introduce people to Jesus.  In the Gospel story for today, Jesus was facing the dilemma of feeding many hungry people. A large crowd had gathered to hear his teaching and now it was late in the day. People had become hungry and needed to be fed. 

     It was Andrew who brought the boy with his lunch of fish and bread to Jesus. He helped make a connection between the child and Jesus. Andrew was not sure where that action would lead; after all there were thousands of people to feed, and the boy's lunch was small. Andrew enabled the boy to give of himself.                                                                                                                                                                       

     On another occasion, there were Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus. The crowd was large but Philip and Andrew made a way for this to happen. They introduced these outsiders to Jesus. 

     Even though Andrew and Philip introduced others to Jesus, they themselves did not have all the answers.  They questioned and grappled with their faith. We do not have to have all the answers in order to help someone else become closer to God.

     When Jesus asked Philip how they were they going to feed so many,  Philip thought the answer was way beyond their resources. When Andrew looked at the boy's small lunch, he didn't see how that could possibly be adequate.  Like Andrew and Philip, we want to walk by faith and yet our doubts naturally arise. Will our resources be adequate? We offer up what we have and we trust that God will work through our efforts.

     In Leonardo da Vinci's painting, you will find Andrew on the left side of Jesus seated near to his brother Peter.  Andrew has his hands with palms out as if he is pushing away Jesus words that someone at that very table will betray him.  On the opposite side we have Philip who is in the threesome with James and Thomas. 

     Philip's hands are clutched tightly at his chest as if he is saying “Not me, Lord, not me.”Andrew and Philip have known Jesus for the longest time of all the disciples and the painting shows their dismay vividly. 

     The book of Acts gives us the impression that the disciples shared the Gospel with others, but we don't get many details about who went where except for Peter and Paul. Through the centuries, stories were told to fill in the gaps of the apostles' adventures.

     For Andrew and Philip, there are many extra-Biblical stories and traditions about them, especially within Orthodox churches.  They are portrayed as people with great passion to fulfill their mission: to let others know about Jesus Christ.

     Andrew and Philip did not travel together in these stories but took separate routes.  Andrew is said to have gone on various missionary trips  within the Black Sea area that included Russia, Bulgaria, Romania with his life ending in Greece.  Philip is portrayed as going to Turkey and dying there.     

     There are legends of them bravely speaking out against wrong and fighting against cannibals and snakes and horrendous storms at sea.  They are both said to have died by the hands of rulers who were upset that their wives had become Christian through the preaching of Andrew and of Philip.                      

     Andrew is said to have died on an X shaped cross which is known today as St. Andrew's cross which is the visual on the flag of Scotland. How did Andrew who was a first century Galilean fisherman ever become related to Scotland?  For those of you familiar with golf courses, no, he wasn't a pro golfer....

     There are a variety of stories of how some of his bones were taken to Scotland  from Greece and how these relics brought victory in a Scottish battle. Through this, Andrew became  the patron saint of Scotland.

     Some traditions say that Philip was also martyred for his faith by being hung upside down on a cross. The emphasis in both these legends is that Andrew and Philip both chose to die in a different manner than Jesus himself. 

     The disciple Philip was in the international news within the last ten years with this headline: “Philip's Grave Discovered.” At excavations in Turkey, at the traditional place of his death, archaeologist  believed that they had uncovered the remains of the ancient church built over his burial place. Isn't it amazing  that the interest in his life continues 2,000 years later!

     Ukraine is in the midst of internal strife and dominates our news stories today. The Ukraine is a land with a long history of Christian  faith and their traditions link them to the apostle Andrew. There are claims that he first brought them the Gospel on one of his journeys in the Black Sea area.

     Seeking and sharing, questioning and striving for more faith, obeying Jesus' instruction to go and tell: this is how Andrew and Philip followed Jesus. In the Scriptures, these disciples  are remembered by just a few stories. 

    What stands out in your life?  If your years of faith had to be described by one story, what would it be?

     One legend of Andrew is that he had such eyes of compassion that he saw something of Jesus in everyone.  Once he thought the captain of the ship was Christ himself and that is why they sped across the waters, and arrived safely at their destination. Another time Andrew thought the peddler on the docks was Jesus and so he treated him with great kindness.

     In my own life, there are stories that I would not want to be remembered by. And I have not been chased by lions, or shipwrecked at sea, or have preached to thousands.  But I hope that along the way I have shared some love of Christ, and because of that, someone has wanted to know more about him.  What story would you want to be remembered by?

     There is a prayer that honors what Andrew and Philip did.  It reads “O God, give us grace to follow Jesus without delay and to bring those near to us into his kingdom.”

     May that prayer be seen in each of our lives.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Both Andrew and Phillip were disciples who were willing to seek and share their faith with others.

In what ways have you shared your faith with others? In what ways are you willing to seek a deeper faith?

Who are the people in your life who have been like Andrew and Phillip and introduced you to Jesus?

Say this simple prayer which is a traditional prayer in honor of the disciples, Andrew and Phillip: 

“O God, give us grace to follow Jesus without delay and to bring those near to us into his kingdom. Amen.”

Hymn                            Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

O Lord, we want to be Christians in our hearts. We want to be more like Andrew and Phillip who took the time to invite others to encounter your healing and saving presence.

As we think about Andrew and Phillip, we are mindful of the overwhelming news of significant health concerns facing our world. We especially pray for those who are most vulnerable to the corona virus that is spreading rapidly in our communities. We are reminded of how interconnected the world is with how easily viruses can be spread from person to person.

But Lord, we are also reminded that you are the one to whom we can turn during times of uncertainty and fear. You are the one who took just fives loaves and two fish and fed the multitude, thanks in part to a young boy who was brought to you by Andrew. You are the one who encountered people from the crowd who were brought to you by the disciple, Phillip. O Lord, may we be like Andrew and Phillip who invited others to encounter your healing and saving presence.

Sometimes our discipleship involves very simple things like doing extra cleaning in our church to provide a healthy church environment, making Easter goodie bags for our home-bound members, checking on the well-being of a neighbor, feeding the hungry, and participating in an online Sunday worship service. In all these ways, we are your disciples. We are inviting others to encounter your healing and saving presence.

In these anxious times, we especially pray for world health experts and community leaders in determining the best courses of action for helping to stop the spread of this virus. Help each of us to be attentive not just to our own needs but to the needs and fears of others. Draw our attention to “The Last Supper” painting and how you remained calm even during a very anxious and fearful time.

And at this time, I invite each one of us to extend our hands in front of us with our palms facing upward like Jesus is depicted in the painting, and silently offer to him any fears and anxieties that we may be carrying in this moment. As you name those concerns, allow them to be lifted to our gracious and loving Heavenly Father who is more than able to fill our hearts with peace.

And with our palms still being extended, I invite us to pray the prayer that he invites us to say together…. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Church News

1. Thank you for joining us for our online worship! Athens First UMC is joining a thousand churches in our West Ohio Conference at the urging of our Bishop Gregory Palmer in canceling in person worship services March 15 and 22 to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Join us again next Sunday, March 22 for another online worship service on this Nikos blog as we continue our “Twelve Disciples of Jesus” season of Lent series. We hope to resume our 9 am & 10:30 am worship schedule on Sunday, March 29. We will keep you updated through this website as well as through our church’s social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.)

2. We are encouraging one another to refrain from shaking hands and hugging as well as keeping an acceptable distance to help in stopping the spread of the virus. We have also decided to use a new Holy Communion method that will include the use of sealed wafer and juice cups. Thank you for helping us to have a healthy church environment.

3. In consultation with the Athens Count Health Department, we will be able to offer Monday Lunch on March 16 but will need to suspend it at least through the beginning of April due to the health concerns of both our volunteers and those we would be serving.

4. We have also canceled several upcoming church events these next several weeks as well as our Growing Tree Pre-school which was scheduled to open again this week. The preschool will remain closed the next three weeks in line with Athens City Schools. 

5. As far as other smaller scale church meetings such as small groups and other events, we are leaving these decisions up to the discretion of the event leaders. We do strongly urge groups who do continue to meet to refrain from shaking hands and to keep extra distance from each other to help curtail the spread of the virus. The Athens County Department of Health has informed us that groups of more than ten people discontinue meeting in person together. Please let our church office know if your group will not be meeting during this time.

6. For any prayer needs during this time, we are encouraging people to rely on our email prayer chain. Those requests can be sent to Vicki Butcher, one of our prayer coordinators, butcherv@ohio.edu

7. Our church office hours will be limited the next two weeks due to scheduling conflicts, but we have plans to check voice messages and emails on a daily basis. The church building will remain open, Monday through Thursday during this time even though our Sunday services are canceled due to coronavirus concerns. 

8. One of our church members, Bernie Cooley passed away on March 12. At this time, there are no details regarding a funeral service. We lift up the Cooley family in our thoughts and prayers.

9. Join us each Sunday for our online services and stay updated through our church’s email Connections newsletter and social media pages.

10. Let us offer our gifts to our gracious God.

Offering Our Gifts

[We are grateful for the continuation of your financial gifts to support the ministries of Athens First UMC, especially during these couple of weeks when we are not meeting in person for worship. Checks may be sent to the church and we also offer an online giving option on our church website. The link for setting up online giving is https://osvonlinegiving.com/2927.]

Closing Hymn            Go Make of All Disciples

Benediction

Join us back here next Sunday (March 22) for our online worship!

[For the 1st two sermons of our “Twelve Disciples of Jesus” sermon series click here for March 1 and here for March 8.]

Capital Campaign Celebration Message (April 7, 2019)

[Our church celebrated the completion of the three-year capital campaign with a church meal after worship on Sunday. The campaign helped us to add a handicap sidewalk cut-out, a new front entrance kitchenette, an expanded glass entrance, a completely renovated sanctuary, an elevator for all floors, an expanded 3rd floor mult-purpose space, and a new pastor’s office on the 2nd floor. Due to unanticipated construction costs and some church members who have died or moved away over the past few years, we announced on Sunday that we are short by $25,000. Based on the spirit of the people at the celebration meal, there is no doubt that we will reach that goal by the end of the year.]

Today is a day about saying thank you to everyone who has helped to make this day of celebration possible. It’s very fitting that today’s worship theme was about generosity because without your generosity, we wouldn’t be where we are today. It’s also a day to thank God who has blessed us richly through our three year capital campaign journey. In the words of the song, “The Color Purple” which our choir sang for our capital improvements dedication Sunday in February of 2017, “Look what God has done.”

Our presentation is going to be brief but I do want to offer some words of historical context to help us celebrate our more recent building improvements. Plus, I love history, so there’s that. 

This past Monday, was the birthday anniversary of Rev. James Quinn, the Methodist Circuit Riding preacher who started our church back in 1800, three years after the founding of Athens and four years before the founding date of Ohio University. Yes, our church and our surrounding community are that intertwined. And by the way, James Quinn, our founding pastor from 1800 and our own Rev. David Maze look a lot alike, like they could be twins or something. 

From 1800 to 1814, those first handful of Methodists met weekly in someone’s log cabin. When they met, they would have simply shared how they experienced God since the last time they met and they also encouraged each other to live out their faith. And footnote. This is exactly what we are seeking to do through our small groups, where we share how God is present in our everyday lives. That’s at the very core of what it means to be a Methodist. We share how God is at work in our lives with each other.

This handful of Methodists grew to a point where they needed a larger space to meet and so they built their first church building in 1815. Over the course of our two hundred plus year history, our church has had four church buildings, the one we are in being built in 1958. As many of you know, the reason this needed to be built was because of a fire in 1955 that destroyed the building before this one. 

The first worship service in the new building was held on February 9, 1958, sixty-one years ago at a cost of $850,000. Thanks to insurance money from the fire, the congregation needed to raise only $648,000 which ironically is about the same amount of money that our church needed to raise for our recent three year campaign.

It took two campaigns over a span of twenty-three years for the congregation to pay off the building we are in today. They paid it off in 1981. 

Thirty-five years after that campaign was completed our church began a major capital improvement campaign which has included the front sidewalk curb space, our front entrance kitchenette, the expanded glass entrance, a totally remodeled sanctuary including air conditioning, the addition of an elevator to all floors of the church, an expanded 3rd floor multi-purpose room, and a new pastor’s office on the 2nd floor.

The name of our three year campaign has been, “Putting Athens First.” We decided to go with that theme because it’s a play on words of the name of our church, “Athens First” and it reminds us that God has placed us in this unique spot to “put Athens First” by reaching out to our surrounding community with God’s love.

The mission component of the campaign helped us to hire two staff people to begin our monthly Athens First Saturday Community Involvement as well as other college student and community ministries. Several people were part of Athens First Saturday yesterday with projects here at the church as well as out in the community. Athens First is continuing to put Athens First and that will continue.

Many of you received a letter in the mail this past week to thank us for our pledges and our gifts toward our capital campaign over these past three years. All of these gifts have been greatly appreciated. Thank you.

May the words from the song, “The Color Purple,” continue to remind us of how blessed we are as the people of Athens First. Let us pray. 

Generous God, look what you have done by giving us this beautiful space in which to worship and serve you. As beloved former pastor, Rev. Dan Kiger said about our campaign when he preached here just a little over three years ago, help our church to always be a haven of blessing and peace for the people of our community. Thank you for the gifts and the generosity of your people and may we continue to be like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus who offered their very best gifts to Jesus. It is in his name that we offer our honor, glory, and praise. Amen.

The Company of Praise Youth Choir from Stewartstown, PA Concert Highlights

[The Company of Praise Youth choir from Stewartstown, PA posing for a picture in front of Ohio University following our 10:30 am worship service. They are from Stewartstown UMC which is Pastor Robert’s home church. His brother, Rev. David McDowell is the Music Director. They spent their spring break offering concerts at Morrison -Gordon Elementary, the Stewart community center building in Stewart, Ohio, and the Ohio University Unity Concert at Athens First UMC. They spent their days working at Good Works, Habitat for Humanity, the Food Pantry, and Rural Action. Their mission is to share God’s love through song and service. We were blessed to have them!]

[The Company of Praise singing one of their concert songs, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” at a Morrison-Gordon Elementary assembly on Friday. They also helped with projects in the classrooms.]

[The Company of Praise joining the Ohio University Choral Union and Logan Elm High School Choir in this rousing arrangement of “Jacob’s Ladder” which closed the concert. The instrumentalists in this song were from the Company of Praise.]

[And singing the song, “Only the World” at the Stewart, Ohio Community building that included a covered dish meal and ice-cream social after the concert!]

[Top Left: Performing at the Stewart, OH community center. Top Right: Performing at the Ohio University Unity Concert hosted by Athens First UMC. Bottom Left: One of their work groups helping at Southeast Ohio Habitat for Humanity. Bottom Right: Preparing to sing at the Athens First UMC 10:30 Sunday worship service.]

Trey Pearson Interview - Athens First UMC

[Trey Pearson, the founder and former lead singer of the Christian band, “Everyday Sunday” made a surprise visit to our worship service on February 17 and sang. Trey came out about three years ago. The song above is “Silver Horizon” from his CD, “Love Is Love.” Trey also sang “Hey, Jesus” at the end of the sermon. Click here. Below is an interview we had with Trey during his visit with our church. This was timely since a special General Conference of the United Methodist Church is being held Feb. 23-26 to focus on the issue of same sex relations.]

You were born and raised in Columbus, Ohio which isn’t too far from Athens. How familiar are you with Athens and this area of Ohio?

I am a little bit familiar. I’ve been there a few times, and driven through many times on my way south, or coming home from tours. My main connection would be the Wesleyan church there I’ve been to a few times when I was younger, and performed there before.

What helped you to reconcile your sexual orientation with your biblical and Christ-centered faith?

I think from failed experience and an insatiable desire to understand my faith and relationship to God as a Christian. Growing up as a Calvinist, getting into a Wesleyan church as a teenager, and then continuing to progress thanks to people like Rob Bell and Adam Hamilton, I just continued to peel the assumptions that I grew up with in my faith and understanding of the Bible, and how it works.

You have experienced a lot of negative reaction from evangelical Christians when you came out. How has your faith sustained you during this very challenging time of your life?

As much as I grieve sometimes how long it took me to accept myself, I am very glad that I had done the leg work to understand why I believe what I believe. That has given me a foundation to know that I am loved and worthy of love. Even when people throw a theology at me that is contrary to that, I am very thankful to have continued going past being in that place.

How has your faith grown since you shared with the public that you are gay?

I have seen how sharing my truth has helped as an element in other people’s journeys freedom. I still see things happen in a beautiful way that reminds me what it means to be a part of a body of others, and our Divine reflection of the Christ. It has helped me see even more so how we are all created in God’s image, and how wonderful that is.

What’s been the response of your friends and family since you came out? 

It’s a mixed bag. My oldest sister and her husband have been wonderful, and my sister has been my rock. It has been really difficult on the rest of my family, and I have lost a lot of friends, or a lot of those friends have kind of gone silent. But I have been able to slowly build a beautiful chosen family over these last couple of years, and I am very grateful to have the wonderful people around me that I do.

What helps you to be gracious toward Christians who disagree with you in how you interpret the scriptures, especially those scriptures that seem to be anti-gay?

I think the one thing that I try to remind myself is that I used to be where they are because that was the systemic belief I was raised in. I didn’t know how toxic, hurtful and damaging those beliefs were growing up, and it took having to go through some really difficult times to finally get to a healthier place. So I try to remind myself of why so many people are still in that place, but also why it is so important to speak truth about the reality of what those beliefs can do to people.

Your more recent solo album, “Love Is Love,” expresses a lot of your sorrows and joys during this significant time of transition in your life. What was the process like in writing those songs?

I think it was therapy for myself to write these songs. I had to find ways to express all of the emotions I was going through. It was quite a traumatic time to realize my life was about to never look the same, and to accept all of the things I had lost by not accepting myself sooner. But it was also quite freeing and liberating to finally be able to dig down and be so honest with myself, and then other people. 

You mentioned that you are aware of our denomination’s special General Conference this week where they will decide on issues related to same sex marriage and the ordination of those who are gay/non-celibate. What would you like the 1,000 delegates to consider in addressing these very important issues this week?

When you grow up wondering if you are different, and if you are different realizing that people will think there is something wrong and broken with you, it is very likely it will do a lot of damage to your mental health and development as a child. Kids should not grow up wondering if they are worthy of being loved, or worthy of being able to fall in love. A church rooted in following Jesus and loving your neighbor should continue to seek if their teachings are producing good fruit or bad fruit. If we ever find our teachings are destroying lives like we have with the LGBT community, we should do the same as what we have done in the past, and choose to do better. This is not the first obstacle we have had to overcome as a church. From slavery to treating women as property to so many other things, we need to see that what we have done in the past is not good enough, and that we can do better.

Regardless of what the special General Conference decides this week, what words of advice would you offer to Athens First in how we can be the most welcoming congregation we can possibly be to all people in our community especially the LGBTQ community?

I would encourage you to find ways to show the LGBTQ community that they are just as worthy of love as anyone else. If there are things within your denomination that cause questions to that, I would continue to speak up in ways that show that we can do better and that we will.

You have been touring the country to help provide a safe space for those who are  struggling to reconcile their sexual orientation with their faith. What has this experience been like and how have you seen God at work?

It’s been extremely wonderful to get to go out and share my story, but it has been just as powerful to hear others all over the country, and around the world, share their stories back with me. Truth leads to freedom. I am so thankful to be in a place where I can just be fully me, and share my truth. I love that I get to do work and create art that helps people continue to experience theirs as well.

Sunday Worship (Feb. 10) Kappa Phi & Small Group Emphasis Sunday - Athens First UMC

[Today was Kappa Phi & Small Group Emphasis Sunday. Our theme was “A Loving Faith” which is one part of our three-part discipleship strategy to have a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith. The services were led by Dave Bayless, one of our Leadership Board members who is also a small group facilitator for one of our seven small groups. Members of Kappa Phi who meet in our church also helped lead the services. Below are some of the highlights which were many from our day.]

[Dave Bayless offered the sermon in which he encouraged people to get involved in our of our small groups. We are especially encouraging people to join a small group for our 7-week season of Lent series, “My Fears Relieved” which begins the week of March 10. For a complete list of our small groups, click here. Dave concluded his sermon with this thought about the importance of being involved in a small group. He also offered these quotes from people who are currently involved in a small group through our church.]

Meeting with our very small group has become important to me. 

Through Small Group, I feel reaffirmed in my halting spiritual path. 

Our leader prays aloud in such a beautiful way. Also, I like to observe him because he is a master at giving affirmations. He always has a compliment, a caring question or word of support. He is a good model for me. I thought I was a fairly positive person but his active listening and proactive style of interaction teaches me much. 

Another member of our group sometimes shares struggles he has had in his difficult life. He reminds me that life is not easy for many people. He broadens my view  of the world. I am reminded anew of the many ways I have been blessed through the talents, situations, family and relationships God has given me.

Another member of our group helps those at the fringes of our society. I admire his willingness to reach out and care for those whose lives are so very complicated by hungry, poverty, drugs, abuse, and incarceration. He shows God’s love to and prays for people in extreme need. I question my own willingness to self-sacrifice my comfortable life-style.

Members of my Small Group cause me to do some soul-searching. I admire them and see their actions as expressions of God’s love. They show me different ways to be more Christ-like. I have much to learn from them.

I like the opportunity to meet with Christian friends who know me in depth.  Who understand my fears, and why I am afraid.  Who understand my doubts and why I doubt.  Who understand my hopes and the reason for my hopes.

Participating in a small group has helped me have a more loving faith:

> when we plan and host a Lindley Inn Service and speak with and sit with the residents;

> when we send greeting cards and valentines to members who are in care facilities or cannot easily leave their homes;

> when we discuss questions on a given sermon and share our thin place moments;

> when we gather together as a small group for a potluck dinner

Small group helps me stay grounded in my faith.  No matter my mood or how my week has been, our small group helps me re-focus and appreciate so much about life and our faith experience.

 

Small group for me is an opportunity to sit with friends in a non-threatening setting to listen and share and learn from each other.

We start each session with prayer followed by sharing important events, both positive and negative that are impacting our lives,  a :"soul check" if you will.

We share achievements and also disappointments and by doing so move towards a "peace" that arises from growing to understand that despite what we might individually think is an enormous overwhelming situation or condition in our own lives or in the lives of others important to us,  by sharing with others, the "me" in the situation, becomes the "we."  By sharing, we learn that triumphs and tribulations are shared by all, that we all have good days and bad days, We learn that we all have health issues, that we all have regrets, that we all have memories of what seemed like simpler, more peaceful, less complicated times with parents and friends and family. Sometimes I arrive at small group carrying something that puzzles me deeply, that I can come to understand better as a result of the insight or experiences of another small group member. 

Through Pastor Robert's sermon questions, we get the opportunity to share personal reflection and through the group give-and-take come to better understand scripture and the enigma that the Bible sometimes seems to be.

 

Small group gives me a chance to get to know and talk with folks that I wouldn’t normally see on a regular basis.  It’s interesting and encouraging and sometimes convicting to hear what the group members have to contribute each time we meet.  Our loving faith is exercised as we discuss how we experience God’s love for us,

how we show our love for God, and how we share God’s love with those around us.

Small group is anchors me in my faith and to the church. It is the place where I can openly discuss my faith with other Christians; I support them and am supported by them. There is so much love in this group for which I am grateful. It is an important extension of our church.

The members of our small group quickly became friends and felt comfortable sharing feelings, experiences and support that came from the heart.  As we got to know each other we began a faith journey together to support each other through death of family members, cancer, family problems and illness.  We have become ”a faith family” that helps us experience God’s love through our interactions with each other and serving together when we are monthly hosts at the welcome coffee time.  Each day we walk with God but we also know that our small group is praying for each other especially when our journeys take us on rocky paths.  Thank you for creating the small groups and I hope more people will benefit from these faith communities in the future.

[One of the Kappa Phi members offered her testimony on how Kappa Phi and Athens First help her to have a more loving faith.]

[Not only was this a Kappa Phi & small group emphasis Sunday, we were also celebrating our church’s 61st anniversary of the first worship service in our current building as well as our 2nd anniversary since the completion of the remodeling of our building. Our Chancel Choir sang “The Color Purple” which they also beautifully presented for our special service two years ago.]

[Kappa Phi sang, “Lord I Need You” to help remind us that this is at the heart of what it means to have a loving faith.]

[Kappa Phi members with Pastor Robert for our Kappa Phi/Small Group Emphasis Sunday]

[We had plenty of worship greeters this morning!]