As new members of the "new" New England Conference, we have the joy of welcoming Bishop Peter Weaver to our beautiful state! This fall the Bishop will be making a tour of Vermont and spending a brief time in each Vermont church. Our visit with the Bishop is scheduled for Friday, October 15th at 8:30am!

The visit will consist of brief remarks from the Bishop, a question and answer time, a time of prayer and a photo opportunity. Since the Bishop will be visiting so many churches each day, we are asked not to feed him. Bishop Weaver is familiar with the generosity of United Methodists, but he does want to leave the State of Vermont in the same size clothes he arrived in!

I hope you can arrange your schedule to attend the Bishop's visit. He is excited to meet these Vermont United Methodists he's been hearing so much about! Even if you are unable to attend, you can pray for the visits and the Bishop's safe travel as he makes his tour.

This Sunday we will be talking about a Real Estate transaction. You can find the story of Jeremiah's field here. Jeremiah's cousin came to him with a piece of property that needed to be redeemed. As the eldest in the family, it was Jeremiah's responsibility to preserve the land for the future generations.

But, under these circumstances, one might wonder if there will be any future generations to occupy the land. Jerusalem was under siege. Enemy forces occupied the land Jeremiah's cousin wished to sell. Why would anyone want to buy a field knowing what Jeremiah knew?

But Jeremiah did buy it. And he not only bought it, but he preserved the deed so it would survive for future generations. Jeremiah had hope that God would save his people....maybe not in his life time, but someday.

God's plans for us might not always be clear. Yet, we are called to trust in God's ways even beyond reason. We don't have the full picture. What we are called to do might not ultimately benefit us, but might open doors of faith for the next generation. What might be holdings us back from embracing God's exciting plans? How can we show the world there is hope? Hope for peace... Hope for justice...Hope for life.

Tomorrow is the International Day of Peace. We will recognize it with a Prayer Vigil for Peace in our own Church Parking Lot at 7pm. Candles will be lit and prayers for peace will be shared from different faith traditions. The International Day of Peace has been observed since 1981.

In the spirit of peace, salam, shalom I share this reflection on Luke 17:5 by Safiyah Fosua:

Extend a Hand

If I really had faith the size of a mustard seed,

What would I do?

Would I wave a hand to hurl Mount Kilimanjaro into Lake Victoria
Just to prove that I could?

If I really had mustard-seed faith, what would I do?

Would I start by extending a hand of peace
To the church across the street
Whose sign says something different from mine?

Would I start by extending a hand of peace
To the Ol' G that terrorizes the old people down the street?
Or to the grizzled homeless man who sits on the corner with a sign?

Would I start by extending my hand of peace
To those who brawl on schoolyards
And to those who brawl on battlefields
In search of a future with hope?

Maybe I could begin by just taking my hand of peace
Out of its hiding place
Long before the moment
That I cup my hands to receive Communion.

O, Lord, Increase our faith!

I looked back on this blog to find the post I wrote following last year's start of Sunday School. You can read it here!

I celebrate, again, the full Sunday School rooms and the renewed energy in the sanctuary. I am excited for what we will offer our youth and children in learning and fellowship this year. I give thanks for our intimate, reflective summer services, while I celebrate all that fall brings in focus and enthusiasm. This year ~ as any ~ will be full of challenges and opportunities.

As I think about what lies ahead, some questions come to mind: What do you hope to see our community of faith do this year? How can we live our faith in the months ahead in our church, in our community, and in our world? How does Christ ~ as our center ~ challenge us to step out in faith?

Last Sunday, after a break of several weeks, I returned to preaching from the Lectionary. We talk a lot about the Lectionary, but not everyone knows what it is. Here is a brief description:

A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion. The use of pre-assigned, scheduled readings from the scriptures can be traced back to the early church. The Revised Common Lectionary (used by most Protestant and Catholic Churches) organizes scripture readings for worship services for every Sunday of the year. The readings for a given week include:

* Old Testament;
* Psalm;
* New Testament Letters;
* Gospel reading.

The Revised Common Lectionary is organized into three-year cycles of readings. The years are designated A, B, or C. Each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent (the last Sunday of November or first Sunday of December).

* Year A: Gospel of Matthew (November 2010 through 2011)
* Year B: Gospel of Mark (December 2011 through 2012)
* Year C: Gospel of Luke (December 2012 through 2013)

The Gospel of John is read throughout Easter, and is used for other liturgical seasons including Advent, Christmas, and Lent where appropriate.

We list the monthly Lectionary readings in the Horizon. You can also find them in a variety of places on-line including here. I encourage people to read the Lectionary Scriptures during the week, in preparation for Sunday. That way you can come to church on Sunday with an idea of what we will be talking about.... and with questions for me!