Bahamas Mission Trip - Day #2 (Monday, January 31)

Here are the highlights from each day of our Lancaster, Ohio First United Methodist Church Bahamas mission trip to the island of Eleuthera January 30 - February 5, 2011. We partnered with the Bahamas Methodist Habitat mission outreach ministry during the week.

Day #2 - Monday, January 31

Helped rebuild a house for a family of 7 whose house had burnt down from an electrical fire.

Drywall and installing new windows and doors.

Went to Rainbow Beach on Caribbean Sea side of island. Saw a beautiful sunset.

Heard a presentation on the ministry of Methodist Habitat and the Methodist Church in the Caribbean.

Bahamas Methodist Habitat:

Est. 1992 after Hurricane Andrew.

Methodists in Bahamas come from English Methodists and are not directly connected with the world-wide United Methodist Church.

Started own conference. Wanted to be more congregational focused.

From hurricane relief, went to sub-standard housing relief work.

Camp Symonette Mission and Retreat Center:

Hosts Methodist youth summer camps for conference.

They like to use Mother Teresa's quote - "Come and See." When we "come and see" we are able to see the pain and brokenness and to make a difference in the lives of others through Jesus Christ.

The video shows some of the window work our team did during the first two days.

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Davie's Deep Thoughts

Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.

Life is confusing enough,
do we need to make it more confusing?

I wake up each day to a world
where the rules are constantly changing.

I can't even get past breakfast
without wondering if I am doing the right things.

Am I eating healthy
or am I chewing myself one step closer to the grim reaper?

Eggs used to be healthy,
then they weren't,
now I think they are again.

Margarine was better for you than butter,
then they turned that around.

I opened the newspaper
and found out that my cell phone
might be radiating waves into my brain.

A commercial on the TV told
me I had better get a radon detector
TODAY.

I turned on the internet and was told
that kittens are dangerous!

It seems that kittens often carry toxiplasmosis,
a parasitic disease,
that is transmitted through fecal material.
It can cause inflammation of the brain,
scarring of the eyes,
and skin lesions.

Let's just call the kitty litter box
deathtrap #471 in my house of horrors.

My inclination was to crawl into bed
and hide under the sheets...
that is, until I learned that certain detergents
can give you a rash.

It takes courage to get up and face the world every day,
let alone make decisions how to live in it.

As I drove to work,
A car passed me going the other direction
driven by a man who was shaving .

Now I consider myself a multi-tasker,
but my anxiety level went up another notch.

Surely when I got to work
I would feel secure and safe......
after all,
I work at a church.

I walked up to the entrance,
when I saw posted on the door....(see picture above)

and I realized that I had left my respirator at home....

Life is confusing,
and conflicting.
At times, do we make is more confusing than it needs to be?

It's hard to know sometimes what is right and what is wrong.....
what is good for you,
and what is bad for you

Some say that people of faith need to live black and white
in a world where it all seems gray.

I say that we need to see the gray in a world
that is forever black and white.

Politics, social topics, religious views.
There are so many things that offer us opposing views
the world is filled with black versus white.
And we are left to choose.

Is there anyone who thinks abortion is always the answer?
Is there anyone who thinks abortion is never the answer?

Should political views need to be to the extreme left or right?
Should Christians agree on all social issues?

Probably not.

The Pharisees made it their life goal to entrap Jesus into black or white answers.
He never fell into that trap.

Nicodemus tried to take spiritual truths
and whittle them down to specific life situations.

Nicodemus wanted to know whether to choose butter or margarine.
But Jesus wouldn't give him a dietary recommendation.

Instead, He gave Him eternal Truth.
Truth that embraces all of life
and reveals itself to all of humanity.
The only thing that Jesus asks for,
is a surrendered heart.

So the next time you need to make a decision,
about your breakfast,
about your choice of pets,
about your vote in a political election,

remember,
it's not so much about the choice you make,
as it is about who is guiding you in your choosing.

I need to get my respirator,
so I can get back to work.

If you abide in My word,
the, you are true disciples of mine;
and you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31b-32

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Bahamas Mission Trip - Day #1 (Sunday, January 30)

Here are the highlights from each day of our Lancaster, Ohio First United Methodist Church Bahamas mission trip to the island of Eleuthera January 30 - February 5, 2011. We partnered with the Bahamas Methodist Habitat mission outreach ministry during the week.

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(Day #1) Sunday, January 30

We left a wintry mix day in Ohio at 3 A.M. to drive to Columbus to make our 5:30 A.M. flight to the Bahamas. Landed in Nassau and spent a couple of hours in the bright mid 70's sun. Took a short plane ride to the island of Eleuthera where we met our mission host team.

From northern part of island where we landed, they drove us about an hour to our mission camp site. Along the way, we stopped at Glass Window Bridge, the most narrow land mass in the world with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west. What a beautiful view!

After dinner which included their famous Conch(pronounced "conk") shell fish, we were told about our mission for the week - to help rebuild a house that had been destroyed by a fire for a seven member family.

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Sunday Worship Preview - February 13

February 13 - (8:15 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. Traditional Services & 9:45 A.M. Praise Service) & Wednesday, February 16 (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Movie Month: The Enchanted Cottage"

Features - 6th Sunday After the Epiphany

Scripture - I Samuel 16:2-12 & Isaiah 53:1-7

Theme - Starring Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire, this 1945 movie classic involves a war pilot who is disfigured by war wounds and hides from his family because he is ashamed of how he looks. While renting a cottage, he develops a relationship with a shy young woman and together they discover a love that is deeper than what either of them could have ever imagined. “The Enchanted Cottage” is a movie that will help us think about how God’s love is the deepest kind of love there is.
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Just because there's pink sand doesn't mean you can't pray!

Our church is sponsoring a ten member mission team through the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM) to help improve the living conditions of the people in Eleuthera, Bahamas. This is the second year in a row our church has sent a mission team to this beautiful area of the world.

A friend of mine jokingly said, "It's going to be hard to pray for this mission team since they will be in the Bahamas during the cold of winter." And I responded, "Just because there's pink sand where the mission work is being held doesn't mean you can't pray for us."

When I was on the plane heading for a mission trip in 2009, I sat next to a teenager who was part of a different group going to serve in Guatemala as well. I asked her if this was her first mission trip and she said, "Oh no. I go every year." When I asked her where she went last year she said, "To the Bahamas for a mission trip." I couldn't help but laugh because that pink sand/blue water image immediately came to mind. And she said, "There is so much poverty on that island and we were able to help a lot of people."

The mission team to the Bahamas will be working with the Bahamas Methodist Habitat just as they did last year. So let's pray for the Bahamas mission team, pink sand and all.

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Sunday Worship Preview - February 6

February 6 - (8:15 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. Traditional Services & 9:45 A.M. Praise Service) & Wednesday, February 9 (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Let Your Light Shine"

Features - 5th Sunday After the Epiphany & The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Scripture - Isaiah 58:1-10 & Matthew 5:13-20

Theme - Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. What does that mean for us? In what ways might God be calling us to shine the light of Christ in our broken and troubled world?

Bible Study Summary - Sunday's Upcoming Scriptures

Here at Lancaster First UMC, I am privileged to be part of two weekly bible study groups that study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday worship services.

Last Sunday’s Sermon – “It’s Not too Late: To Rejuvenate the Church”
This Sunday’s Sermon – “It’s Not too Late: To Participate in Ministry”

Jeremiah 1:4-10
- This scripture has a lot of meaning to me – Read it during a retreat during college and it led me to accept a calling into the pastoral ministry.
- Context of Jeremiah – Prophesied in Judah during turbulent times of late 7th century and early 6th century B.C. Saw the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. But also offered words of hope that God would one day redeem Israel.
- We as the reader know that Jeremiah has received a legitimate call from God. Later, he will be challenged and labeled a false prophet.
- Jeremiah tried to use his “youthfulness” as an excuse to not respond to God’s calling.
- Key verse for me during the college retreat – “I have put my words in your mouth.”
Preaching is being God’s voice to God’s people. Biblical preaching is very difficult. One needs to speak God’s words which are often times challenging and uncomfortable.
- My personal calling into pastoral ministry – home pastor planted the seed to listen for God’s voice. Friends in college noticed that I might have gifts for pastoral ministry.
- The importance of having both an inner and an outer calling.
- Local churches are often the place where young people begin feeling the nudge from the Holy Spirit to enter into pastoral ministry. What can the church do to encourage young people to consider pastoral ministry?

Matthew 28:16-20
- Context of Matthew’s Gospel – Matthew is writing from a very Jewish perspective in which he sees the coming of Jesus as part of God’s central plan to bring redemption through Israel to the world.
- The Great Commission begins on a mountain. For Matthew, significant things happen on mountains – transfiguration, temptation, sermons.
- It’s curious that the disciples are hesitant to continue on with Jesus’ ministry. But then they worship him which is appropriate since this text is to remind us of chapter 1 where Jesus is known as Emmanuel, “God with us.” Did Jesus’ reminder of his name help the disciples in their hesitancy?
- Jesus’ has all authority in heaven and in heaven. He has the authority through his victory on the cross over sin and death. This is why new life and eternal life are possible. This text reminds us that Jesus is already running the world and not just some time in the future. Even though the world is still not transformed, through Jesus, it is being rescued. Through the Great Commission, we get to participate in this rescue!
- Great Commission – 1) Make disciples – invite and help others to follow Jesus 2) Baptize – This marks us out as followers of Jesus. 3) Teach – Specifically, Matthew has in mind the Sermon on the Mount earlier in the Gospel.

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