Chile Earthquake & UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)

Below is information on the initial United Methodist response to the earthquake in Chile. We pray for the people of Chile in this great time of need.

UMCOR Responds to Earthquake in Chile

February 27, 2010—The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is responding to the needs of people affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile early on Saturday. Preliminary reports indicate at least 147 people have died, homes and hospitals have been destroyed, and the earthquake triggered a tsunami that is rolling across the Pacific.

Bishop Joel N. Martinez, interim General Secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries said, “I have just received the terrible news about the major 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. The early reports of great destruction and widespread injuries and the increasing death count point to a need for a full response by all humanitarian agencies and governments in the coming days and weeks.”

UMOR is working with partners in Chile: Iglesia Metodista de Chile (IMECH), Ministerio Social Methodista (MISOM) and Equipo Metodista de Acción Humanitaria (EMAH) to respond with resources and support.

Bishop Martinez continued, “I received a message from the Iglesia Metodista de Chile and have expressed to Bishop Mario Martinez Tapia that we respond with our prayers, our solidarity, and our commitment to offer the resources and services of UMCOR to help the church respond.”

In an email, Juan Salazar, President of the Methodist Social Ministry in Chile, says of their initial evaluations of damage, “the information that arises each time indicates that the effects are greater than originally assessed.”

UMCOR executives, Melissa Crutchfield and Tom Hazelwood expressed via email, “our thoughts and prayers are with you all as you mobilize EMAH and IMECH in response to the earthquake this morning. We will continue to keep in touch and to keep you in our prayers. UMCOR and the people of the United Methodist Church stand with you and will help in any way we can.”

Disaster Response Training
Crutchfield and Hazelwood conducted a three-day disaster preparedness and emergency response training for IMECH district coordinators in October 2009. About 20 participants of the Chilean Methodist Church from different districts and regions engaged in the eight-hour a day training, which fostered networking opportunities with local authorities and relevant partners in the emergency response field. The disaster response training offered support IMECH, MISOM and EMAH district coordinators to build a disaster response network in preparation for disasters.

In a blog entry in the UMCOR Notebook, Hazelwood writes, “When we spoke of the use of volunteers and their value to UMCOR’s ministry of disaster response, the people of Chile knew and understood perfectly. They know what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ when there is trouble.”

How to Help
Bishop Martinez says, “I call on our generous United Methodist constituents to join in the response to the Chile Emergency Advance to strengthen UMCOR’s ability to be fully present with resources.”

At this point, it is not anticipated that relief supply kits will be needed. Financial support can be made to Chile Emergency Advance # 3021178.

Gifts can also be made by check to UMCOR and mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. For local church and Annual Conference credit, place your gift in the offering plate on Sundays. Please indicate in the memo line of the check that it is for the Chile Emergency.
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Sunday Worship Preview - March 7

March 7 - (8:15 A.M. & 11:00 A.M. Traditional Services & 9:45 A.M. Praise Service) & Wednesday, March 10 (6:30 P.M. Casual Service @ Crossroads, 2095 Fair Avenue)

Sermon - "Crosses of Jesus - St. Andrew's Cross"

Features - 3rd Sunday in Lent

Scripture - Isaiah 66:1-2; James 4:7-10; & Luke 13:1-9

Theme - Today is the 3rd part of a six-part sermon series on the theme, “The Crosses of Jesus” in which we are focusing on the meaning of several types of Christian crosses to help us journey toward the cross of Holy Week during this Season of Lent. On this third Sunday of the series, our focus is on the meaning of St. Andrew’s Cross.
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Prayer - 2nd Sunday in Lent (February 28)

2nd Sunday in Lent Prayer (Feb. 28)

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

An Example of Risk Taking Mission

Those United Methodists are at it again. Check out this video of a church involved in risk taking mission in their community.

Boom Boom Pow - The Fight Against Childhood Cancer

Tucker Haas was diagnosed with cancer when he was 2. He's been cancer-free now for almost three years. He performed the song, "Boom Boom Pow" at Penn State's recent THON charity event, which raises money to help fight childhood cancer.

Dave'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.

I used to call him old man.
That would be my dad.

It started just after my graduation from college in 1979
when he purchased a Lazy Boy recliner.

It wasn't long after that,
that the new invention of the television remote
came into his hands.

I remember telling him as an arrogant twenty something...
I can't believe that you are so lazy
that you can't get out of your Lazy Boy
to change the channel!

My, oh my, how times have changed since then,
as I look upon my satellite dish
with dual receivers and dual remotes
from my cushy sectional sofa.....

It was the Lazy Boy, I believe,
that accelerated my dad into being an old man

At first, he would begin to nod off in the chair by the 10 o'clock news.
Soon after, he was in la la land by the nine o'clock documentaries
Within a year,
nothing was guaranteed after the 8pm sitcoms,
If you wanted to know something from my dad,
you had better ask him by Jeopardy.
or just wait till breakfast.

Meanwhile I was a night owl.
I loved staying up till midnight and beyond.
The late night news,
The Tonight Show,
and later on,
the Letterman Show,
they were all staples of my daily schedule.

Over the years,
I have remained a night owl.
That is until I began building my house this year....

If there were an awards committee
for the best first halves of movies,
I should be on it.

Start a flick after 9pm???
you might as well ship it right back to the video store.

Olympic coverage till midnight????
you might as well award the gold by sunset.

American Idol??
Please....
the furthest I have made it into that show is:
This...........
is.............
American......

Lights out.
Game, set, match.

I have really tried to stave off my senior citizen evening nap.
After working a full time job ,
and coming home to construction,
I have come to cherish an hour or two of relaxing in front of the TV before bedtime.

Against every doctor recommended diet,
I have found that eating late night dinners helps.
It's quite a feat to fall asleep while eating.

Turning the temperature down helps too,
nothing like trying to fall asleep while you are shivering.

But I have found that the best solution to avoid being like my dad,
is to remain upright.
No lying down on the couch,
no pillows,
no blankies.....

That was till last evening.

I was sitting upright at full attention at 7pm,
soda and snacks in hand.

Nothing like a good hockey match to get your blood going.

USA versus Canada!
Olympic medals at stake!
Patriotic pride on the line!
Let's get fired up!
USA! USA! USA!

I woke up in the third period
with drool running down my cheek.

I have officially become my dad.

Then I realized.....
He may have ended the day in a Lazy Boy,
but he was anything BUT lazy.

His evening snores trumpeted to the world
that he had put in a hard day's work.

His evening nap
was a recognition of all the energy
he expended daily for his family.

I also realized,
there isn't anything wrong
with being like your dad.
Not when your dad was a man of God.

As children of God,
we are all called to model our heavenly Father,
as exampled in the flesh by Jesus.

We are even told in the Sermon on the Mount,
to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.*
That is, perfect as in mature,
casting off those qualities
that lead to destructive ends.

I used to call him old man.
Now I realize there's nothing wrong with that,
not if those advancing years leads to spiritual maturity.

So call me old man,
or whatever you want.
Just don't call me after 8pm.
It will probably go right to voice mail......

*Matthew 5:48

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A Lenten Message from West Ohio UMC Bishop Bruce Ough

CALL TO PRAYER AND FASTING

I am Bishop Bruce Ough. Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are about to enter the season of Lent. This is a season that begins with ashes pressed upon our heads and ends with the triumphant song “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!” Lent is:

• a time of self-denial and return to disciplined living;


• a time to repent and experience God’s extravagant forgiveness and mercy;


• a time to be set free from past patterns of self-indulgence and negative behavior;


• a time to embrace a life of joyful holiness.
  
  The pattern of Lent was set by Jesus during his forty days of solitude, prayer and fasting in the Judean desert. This was an essential period of preparation for his public ministry. And, throughout his ministry, Jesus urged those who wanted to become his followers to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
  
  Jesus is calling us to live as he did. Jesus is calling us to deny our preferences for the sake of His kingdom purposes. Jesus is calling us to die to our selfishness so that others may have a more abundant life. Jesus is calling us to address the problems and issues people face – disease, poverty, prejudice, hunger, loneliness, hatred, fear, sin-sick hearts – with an extravagant generosity, compassion and love that the world will consider strange and wonderful.
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• Jesus is calling us to live out of God’s abundance,
  when the world says hoard your resources.


• Jesus is calling us to witness for peace,
  when the world is mad with war and violence.


• Jesus is calling us to seek justice,
  when the world says look out for yourself.


• Jesus is calling us to proclaim hope,
  when the world embraces doubt, despair and cynicism.


• Jesus is calling us to offer salvation,
  when the world offers false security.
  
  This Lent, I am calling upon every United Methodist in West Ohio Conference to embrace the pattern of Jesus and enter into forty days of prayer and fasting. I invite you to fast at least one day a week and offer your savings to the poor. Pray for God to give us a “heart for the lost.” Pray that God’s “house may be filled.” Pray for and offer your lives for the desperate and dis-spirited people of Haiti, and around the world.
  
  As we move ever deeper into our Lenten journey, I invite you to prayerfully seek ways to live that bring abundant life to others. I invite you to lose your life for Jesus’ sake, so that your life may be whole, complete, joy-filled, saved.
  
  And, so I pray for each of you:
  
  Almighty God,
  Pour out your Holy Spirit and
  anoint your faithful servants.
  Cause your good gifts to flow
  in and through their lives and ministry.
  Receive their prayers and fasting
  as a holy and living sacrifice
  that others may have abundant life.
  Prepare your people during these days of Lent
  for the inexpressible joy and
  triumphant hope of the Risen Christ,
  In whose name I pray. Amen.

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