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Pastor's Page Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . We have concluded a great month of May at Gardner. The special emphasis each Sunday made the whole homecoming event a great success. It was great to welcome back many former members. June is also going to be a busy month. Annual Conference. June 6 to 9. Hot Springs Convention Center. Delegates from every church in Arkansas and Pastors will meet in Hot Springs for Annual Conference from Sunday evening, June 6, to Wednesday noon, June 9. I look forward to taking your feedback from the Imagine Ministry Emphasis and adding it to the feedback from every other church. Community Clean Up Day - June 12. Look for the details elsewhere in this newsletter. Mt. Eagle Mission Trip - June 13 to 19. I plan to join the group again for the workdays. July 4. Patriotic Concert at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall with Dane Bailey. Invite someone to come with you. If you are going to take in the fireworks downtown you will still have plenty of time to get there before the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra begins at 8:30 p.m. During June and the first Sunday of July, I will be preaching from the Gospel of Luke. It looks like this: June 6 - The Worthy Rich Man Luke 16:19-31 God’s Peace Richard S. Mitchell June 26, 2010 Calico Rock, AR Not much else was happening in town it seemed. I was the only one in the store. “Would you like some garden fresh lettuce and green onions on your sandwich?” Now there's a question I haven't been asked recently. Of course I would. As a bonus the plate was also garnished with fresh radishes. I am sorry I did not get the owner's name. Been here all her life. Used to be the ticket agent for the tourist train that ran between Flippin and Calico Rock. The shop used to be busier. Some disagreement has ended the tourist train and its ticket stop. I finished my sandwich. As I paid my very reasonable $6.00 and she rang it up in the antique cash only register, the kind sandwich maker said, “We were about ready to go home before you came in, but you've pepped us up a little.” “Thanks.” I used the restroom and then went through the inside access to the dress shop next door. “Family Shoes and Dry Goods” says the sign outside. Through another doorway lies the shoe shop. Shoe repair machinery was in one corner. The smell of shoe polish emanated from rows of work boots. While looking around, that's when I noticed somebody else with me looking at shoes. When I came back through the restaurant, I was surprised to see about 8 customers seated. “Would you like turkey or ham? And I have lettuce just picked from the garden this morning.” As I opened the door I couldn't help but smile. And I got to thinking later. Life is a lot like that isn't it? One RS Mitchell
May 12, 2010 This is one of only two working windmills in the United States. It was constructed in Holland, disassembled, shipped across the ocean and up the Mississippi River. Dutch workers came from Holland and reassembled the windmill. I missed by one week the annual Dutch Festival and wooden shoes clopping along town streets. Why have a Dutch windmill and festival in Fulton, Illinois? The town was founded in 1835 by a Dutchman named John Baker. The river narrows where Fulton, IL, and Clinton, IA, are today. Baker decided it would be an ideal spot for a ferry. He called his town Baker’s Ferry. The name was changed to Fulton in honor of the steamboat inventor, Robert Fulton. The town was settled by many Dutch, some from Chicago, but more and more from the Netherlands. The town both tells its story and preserves its history through the windmill and festival. The windmill spoke to me of our Methodist heritage. Methodism was formed in England, shipped across the ocean and reassembled here in the United States. At the time Gardner Memorial was first organized, America was still experiencing a continuous wave of growth that spread into nearly every county in the United States. Today you come across something you don’t expect to see in North Little Rock, Gardner Memorial United Methodist Church. Yet here we are, telling our story and preserving our history all the while finding new ways of doing so. I think what we are doing this month with our emphasis on Homecoming is a great way to tell our story. Mother’s Day was outstanding. We had several families with four generations present. What a joy to have so many children for the children’s time to help share what a mother and grandmother is and does. This coming Sunday, in honor of Decoration Day, my message will be “Let the Flowers Speak.” I have heard several people say they won’t make it for all the Sundays in May, but want to especially be here for the Gospel Singing and Dinner on the Grounds. Hope your week is a good one under the care of a good God. Brother Rich In addition to everything else we are doing on Sunday, we will also have the opportunity to respond to the Arkansas Conference IMAGINE Ministry initiative. At 8:00 a.m., yes, a.m., we will show a video and give our feedback. If that’s way too early for you, we will repeat the session at the Wednesday program on May 19. The answers to the feedback questions will be turned in at Annual Conference after the Bishop’s Annual Address.
Tama, Iowa, northeast of Des Moines is the location of this unique bridge. It's a small bridge spanning a creek that was part of the first transcontinental highway. It was the dream of a man named Carl Fisher to have a highway connecting New York to California. It began in Times Square and ended at Lincoln Park, San Francisco. The one a kind bridge in Tama was an advertisement for the highway which was dedicated in 1915. He raised $10 million to fund the project from private companies and citizens. In the early years of the last century roads took on names. There was the Lincoln Highway, the Victory Highway, the National Road and others. In the 1920's The government took on the sensible idea to give the highways numbers. Most of the Lincoln Highway became US 30. And over time people forgot about the Lincoln Highway. If you were driving on the right road in the right place you might come across a post with a red, white, and blue striped marker and an inset bust of Lincoln. Two lane roads fell out of favor. Four lane interstates were in. Then travelers rediscovered Rt 66. In 1992 the Lincoln Highway Association was reformed to remember the first automobile road that connected one ocean to the other. On our spiritual journey we would all do well to go back to the first road that leads to heaven. It's the same one that's been around for 2,000 years. It's the one Jesus declared when he said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” There are no shortcuts. There are not throughways. No bypasses. There is only one way. Him. J.C. Jesus Christ. “He is the way. Without Him there's no going. He is the truth. Without Him there's no knowing. He is the life now and eternally. He satisfies the searching heart and fills man with his love, so rich and free.” The way of the cross leads home. This highway is for everyone, anyone who has just enough sense to know you can't get there on your own, and just enough faith to trust Him. “Whosoever believes (or trusts) in Him has eternal life.” That about sums it up for me? You? This coming Sunday is week two of Gardner Memorial's Homecoming in May. And since it's Mother's Day, my message is “What I heard mother say in the hall mirror.” And by the way. Those in the Fourth at Four study last week got me caught in a memory lapse trying to come up with the singer and band who has had such an influence on Bill Gates. The singer is Bono. His band is U2. For Christ and His Kingdom, RS Mitchell April 21, 2010 Item 1. Ready to Go. Yep. The camper is ready to go. The Power Converter in a camper provides a circuit breaker junction for the Alternating Current. It also converts 110 volts into 12 volts for Direct Current appliances like the interior lights. On our pop up camper the 12 volt side of the power converter had quit. I'm not much of an electrician, but by carefully following the instructions, marking every wire, and taking my time to make sure I had it right, I installed a new one last week. Everything electrical is working like it should. Let's go camping. Item 2. Vital Signs. Ray Roberts and I attended the Vital Signs workshop on Saturday at First UMC in North Little Rock. The speakers were inspiring. Here's a few facts I picked up while listening. Item 3. Gardner Homecoming is a great reason to invite a friend or family member to return to Gardner or come for the first time. I am looking forward to the month of May and expect God to bless us in a big way. I am so excited about it I wanted to add something to the mix of opportunities. I will be teaching a special series during the Sunday School hour called “Making Love Last a Lifetime”, written by Rev. Adam Hamilton. I think both singles and marrieds will find this a blessing. The class will be offered as an option in addition to all our regular Sunday School classes. RS Mitchell April 14, 2010 The thing about going for a day's ride is you never know whether you'll find something truly interesting or whether the whole day will be a disappointment. Last Friday I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but I wasn't disappointed. My goal was to ride a piece of the Crowley's Ridge Parkway. This is a ride I've been working on for several years. About four years ago I started at the southern end at Helena-West Helena and made my way north on the mostly gravel road. There were some nice scenic spots where you could look east toward the Mississippi. I ended at the town square in Marianna, a largely silent square with restored brick streets. On this trip, I wanted to follow the next leg of the Parkway so I headed for downtown Marianna and found the same brick streets and a silent square. The signs for Crowley's Ridge Parkway are not clearly marked, and at first I followed 79 out of Marianna for a couple of miles until I remembered 79 goes to Memphis. I turned around and took Hwy 1, surprisingly, a 4 laner most of the way to Forrest City. No scenic overlooks. This is rice country. Crowley's Ridge is much lower here and actually parallels Highway 1 on its east flank. At Forrest City, the signs for Crowley's Ridge Parkway are easy to miss. You want to look for Hwy 284 off Highway 1-B. I puttered around the forested hills and dales of the ridge around Forrest City before turning into the sun to head home. When I go on the next leg of my Crowley's Ridge ride, I'll know where to start. Not the most interesting ride I've ever been on, but disappointing? Nope. No day in the saddle is ever a disappointment. Here at Gardner I'm excited about the month of May. It's Gardner Homecoming month and each Sunday will have a special emphasis. May sounds like an interesting 'ride' that I'm sure will not end in disappointment. God's peace. March 31, 2010 Matthew 4:12-17 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, . . . . From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:23-25 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. Matthew 13:54-58 He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief. It's Tuesday and I'm thinking about the Palms from Sunday. On the first day those palms were trampled on by crowds and crowds of people. Jesus made the same journey back and forth from Mt. Olivet down the Kidron Valley up to Jerusalem each day to teach. Each day there were fewer and fewer people. The palms were trampled more and more till they were bits of leaves and branches. By the end of the week Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried. The pattern of rejection noted in the above passages was just the beginning. Jesus left his hometown of Nazareth and settled in Capernaum on the north coast of Lake Galilee. His first tour of Galilee was met with wild success. When he finally returns home to Nazareth the home folks are skeptical. “Who does he think he is?” The downward spiral begins until soldiers are mockingly challenging the “Son of God” to come down off the cross, if he can. He dies between two thieves and is buried. No deeds of power in that place, but . . . . . March 24, 2010 I looked forward to taking North Little High School's Key Clubs to their annual Leadership Conference. I am especially grateful to the church for allowing me to use our church bus to transport these kids. At the Conference they have fun, but they also learn how Key Club works and what their responsibilities are. I enjoy being a part of their lives for a couple days. While the Conference itself was positive, we were there in the shadows of unfortunate news. The one sound you don't want to hear while driving a bus is “bang-thwack-thwack-thwack”. That was the sound of the left rear inner tire blowing out. But there was much to be thankful for. First, it was one of the rear tires where there are two tires on each side, not the front. Second, it happened on the short section of Interstate 44 where I had a safe shoulder to stop and inspect the damage. Third, we made it the last 60 miles without another blowout. Fourth, there was a tire shop within 5 miles of the Conference location near Lake Ozark, MO. Fifth, the tire shop has at least one regular customer who puts new tires on his boat trailer every two years with very few miles on them. They had one of the customer's near new tires for half the price of a brand new tire. Sixth, we safely navigated the return trip in a snowstorm. The biggest blow to our youth came on Saturday when one student received a phone call saying 4 North Little Rock High School students, Terrence Duckworth, Shea Lao, Robert Johnson, and Chris Adams, were killed in an accident while traveling to Florida for spring break. I was glad I was there for that moment. I asked if they wanted me to Now safely home I reflect on the unfortunate events of the weekend and I think of what Jesus said to the disciples. “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Yes, He is. Chris Adams was a member of Silver City Church. His funeral service will be at Gardner on Saturday, March 27 at 2:00. *** March 17, 2010 Still have the Little Rock Marathon on my mind. If they gave out awards for the longest sign, Gardner Memorial UMC would surely have won. It takes a long sign to say “Gardner Memorial United Methodist believes you can do anything with God's help.” Nathan's 3 piece band was great. How long does it take 5,000 marathoners to pass the three mile mark? It takes about an hour. Being in front of Verizon Arena turned out to be a great vantage point. We could look across the river and see the runners start the race. By 10 minutes after 8 they were starting to pass our spot. As 5,000 plus runners passed our cheering spot at the 3 mile mark I noticed there were several different types of runners. First were the winning types. The winner of the race was already well out in front. He paid no attention to us. His eyes were focused ahead. The first few hundred after him were serious type runners. Their eyes were also on the finish line. But then gradually the runners changed. The pace of packs slowed as each passed. More and more runners were inspired by the band. More and more runners paid attention to our cheers. The ability of the runners changed as more and more passed us. Runners toward the front had plenty of air. They breathed easily. They were out for a fling. As the middle runners and the end of pack runners passed you could see the faces change. Some were starting to struggle. They were running out of air. Would they finish? The pace continued to slow and the stream of runners became thinner and thinner until at last some were at a slow jog and a few more at a fast walk. Finally, at the end three middle age women closely followed by an official “I'm behind the last runner” police kind of scooter came. The women were out for a walk. But at three miles you could tell they might not walk all 26.1 miles. I'm guessing they made their own finish line somewhere up some hill on the other side of the river and called it a great day. When you're facing 26.1 miles, just to be in the race is a victory. Now, go back through what you've read and replace 'runner' with 'Christian'. What kind of race are you running? Invite someone for our Easter week services. *** March 10, 2010 There's always a surprise when you take the road taken by few others. The next time you go through Vilonia on Hwy 107 go straight through the US 64 light onto Naylor Road. The road rises and bends around several ridges. The last one holds the surprise. You come around the ridge in a left hand curve as it descends to the valley floor. A panorama unfolds before you that makes it worth stopping. It's a 20 mile or more view to the far horizon. On a distant ridge you can faintly make out the squarish outlines of a town. Which town it is I do not know. I pulled over and stopped, dismounted, and snapped a couple of photos. There's nothing really spectacular in this vista. And really you're not that high, maybe 400 feet above sea level. But you can see a long way. I notice from time to time life is sprinkled with God-is-here kind of surprises. You are going about the ordinary activities of life and suddenly, you have the thought, “God is here.” It may be a friend calls and needs your prayer. You may be holding your grandchild or your child. You may be sitting in an ordinary worship service. Suddenly a word of a Scripture verse speaks, really speaks to you. Or maybe it's a phrase from a hymn. Maybe it's during communion you have that sense – God is here. You were doing the most ordinary thing when God came in. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I think there is something else also in the long view from that ridge. You get a little sense how big the world is. And you realize you are part of something that stretches on before you for thousands of miles and trails off behind you for thousands more. And there are higher places where you can see farther, but they all remind you how big the world is and how small you are. How much greater to know there is a God who encompasses all of it and more. God wraps his arms around the world and he wraps his arms around you, the little spot you are in, the little spot I am in. We are held in the everlasting arms of God. ***
Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? We have. I have been especially interested in the story of Bode Miller. He grew up in Vermont. His parents built a "Whole Earth Catalog" type house in the mountains of Vermont. I'm not sure they even had running water. He grew up a very independent spirit. How could he help it growing up in a family living off the land as much as possible with as little support as possible from the outside world. He entered the 2006 Winter Olympics as one of the best American skiers with one of the best chances of winning medals. In his interviews he disparaged the money of the Olympics, the show of the Olympics, the medals of the Olympics. He said none of that was important. He lived apart from the rest of the team. He did his own How different this year has been. He has stood on the winner's podium three times. He has won a gold, a silver, and a bronze. He still says medals aren't important, but something has changed. What? For one thing he's married and is a father now. For another, he seems to have got hold of the Olympic Spirit, doing your best for the country you represent. Or is it more than that? It's not just a country, it's us, Americans. Bode Miller carries us on the tails of his skis. It seems to me the church suffers the same kind of thing. Some people knock the church over and over again. It's not perfect. There are too many churches. It's too much about money. On and on. They degrade the church and at the same time they degrade their own value. How different when we embrace the church as the place where Christ is at work. Sure it has its faults. There are no perfect denominations. There are no perfect Christians, but we are seeking Christian perfection. When we elevate the importance of the church, lo and behold, we elevate our own importance and the possibility that as imperfect as we are, we are the bearers of Christ through his church. ***
On the continuing theme of un-expectations, this is chapter 2 in our continuing saga of UN-EXPECTATIONS. When we last left our hero he had signed off from the warm confines of his church office while observing large fluffy flakes of snow falling on the church courtyard. Little did he know what was to come next. He left the office about 1:00 p.m. and saw the snow had turned to rain which he thought would be better. On approaching the snow covered pickup he first took the small broken ice scraper and, using it as a mini snow shovel, he cleared the window and hood. Every press of the gas pedal makes the rear end slide to the right. Rain had turned crunchy snow into something like liquid ice. The right turn onto Pike? OK. Light at 22nd? OK. Now which approach up Scenic Hill? Our snow Being an observer of snow and being a participant in snow are two completely different things. It is, of course, true for everything. And it is true of the church. Church is made up of those who observe and those who participate. Those who sit on the sidelines and observe miss out on a lot of the action. Those who participate get in on the fun and have a richer memory bank. Participants are able to say with the Psalm. These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Psalm 42:4 RS Mitchell ***
January 13, 2010 RS Mitchell
If you would like to contribute to the disaster relief effort following the earthquake in Haiti, please mark your envelopes “Haiti” or UMCOR and we will send it on to them. RS Mitchell
Ah, a new year, 365 fresh unused, uh, what, it's already January 6? 359 fresh unused days. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it. It's January 6 and I'm already behind. Is that how you feel? I think I'll take another look at the Scripture lesson from last Sunday. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Today's thought is growth doesn't happen all at once. Physical growth happens little by little. Remember visiting distant aunts and uncles and hearing “I can't believe how much you've grown!” You didn't know you were growing either. Wisdom doesn't come all at once. We learn one thing at a time, little by little, lesson by lesson. Another word for favor is grace. I like to think of grace as something like the air we breathe. Try this. The atmosphere 'favors' us. It provides the oxygen we need. The atmosphere is equally available to us, yet we all use it to a different degree. Usain Bolt is making different use of air in a 100 meter sprint than I do in 9 seconds of sitting at my computer typing this sentence. The air, the atmosphere is helping both of us, but we are working at a different pace. God's favor, his grace, is God's gift to us. We don't all use it the same. One preaches with words. Another preaches by living. We avail ourselves of God's grace one bit at a time. Some of us use more, some less, but it is equally available to all of us. You can't say, let me breath all the air I need right now, at once. We can't handle it. Neither can we handle all God's grace at once. To paraphrase a verse from Deuteronomy. It's line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. Our minds are amazing. We can make ourselves think 'Tomorrow is December 31, 2010.” And we can instantly be overcome by the unknowns of the end of the year. Thankfully the year doesn't happen all at once. No wonder Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough trouble of its own. It doesn't matter how many days are in the year. I can only live them one at a time. It doesn't matter how much of God's grace is available. The thing to know is I have all the atmosphere of grace I need for today. The new year is not over, it's just beginning. Drink it one sip at a time. Thanks, I'll try to remember that. Brother Rich Mitchell's Meanderings. . . December 2, 2009 The journey has begun. We are embarked on a new Christian year and a year long celebration of the 225th anniversary of Methodism in America. While thumbing through one of the volumes of Wesley's writings, I came across a brief chapter entitled “Remarkable Providence”. If this 'remarkable providence' had not happened you and I would not be part of the Methodist Church. On the night of February 9, 1709, when John was age 5, the family's home in Epworth, England caught fire. Sparks from the roof landed at the feet of one of John's sisters. She alerted her parents. Two children were with Mrs. Wesley. They got down the stairs. The other five, including John, were in another bedroom with a maid. The maid carried the youngest one and bid the rest to follow. At the front door, Mr. Wesley discovered the keys were still upstairs. Up he went and as he came back down, the stairs caught fire. The rush of air from opening the door fueled the fire even more. Some of the children went out windows. Mrs. Wesley ran through fire out the door. That's when Mr. Wesley heard John's cry from upstairs. He tried to go back, but the staircase was about to crumble. He knelt and committed John to God and escaped the burning house. When they assembled outside, John, who had been asleep the whole time, appeared in the window. They had just enough time to lift a man on another's shoulders to retrieve John through they open window. As soon as they got him out the whole roof collapsed inward. They took John to the neighbor's house where he concluded his “Remarkable Providence” in this way. - "When they brought me into the house where my father was, he cried out, 'Come, neighbors, let us kneel down! Let us give thanks to God! He has given me all my eight children: Let the house go; I am rich enough.' “The next day, as he was walking in the garden, and surveying the ruins of the house, he picked up part of a leaf of his polyglott Bible, on which just those words were legible: . . . 'Go, sell all that thou hast; and take up thy cross, and follow me.'" Why did Wesley title this "Remarkable Providence?” It wasn't about him. It was about God. When we are tempted to say, "No Wesley, no Methodist Church." Wesley would remind us. "No God, No Church At All."And we at Gardner can echo. It's not Mr. Gardner or Rev. Gardner. It's the True Gardner who makes Gardner Memorial UMC possible. "No True Gardner, no garden." Bro. Rich November 18, 2009 I am looking forward to beginning Sunday’s Fourth Sunday at 4:00 study on the book, Reclaiming the Wesleyan Tradition, a study of the sermons of John Wesley. Here’s an entry from his journal for Monday, July 12, 1779 - “I preached at Crowle; and afterwards searched the church-yard to find the tomb of Mr. Ashbourn. We could find nothing of it there. At length we found a large flat stone in the church; but the inscription was utterly illegible, the letters being filled up with dust. However, we made a shift to pick it out; and then read as follows: - I had to laugh when I read this. Just imagine. Well, I can’t imagine any pastor of Gardner Memorial ever wanting to put this on his tombstone. But speaking of the past. Remember where we were a year ago? At this time last year we were holding services in the fellowship hall. Contractors had completely tore apart the sanctuary. Plastic blocked off the entrances while a crew removed all the asbestos, laid a new tile floor, and refinished the pews. I rejoice that project is behind us. I noticed two incidents of providential reinforcement in the Upper Room the last two weeks. During the week I preached on Growing in Discipleship through Giving, one of the Upper Room devotions was on tithing. On Sunday just past, the Upper Room devotional was about volunteering which presaged the emphasis on Growing in Discipleship Through Service. That is providential, not coincidental. What is coincidence to others is a providence to God’s children. This Sunday is the last in this series of Growing in Discipleship. The final emphasis is on Witness. To go along with this these, Brother Greg Sublett, Pastor of Silver City Church, will give a 5 minute testimony. We will close the service with a Prayer of Dedication for all our commitments we have made for the upcoming year through our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service and Witness. Finally, since the next newsletter will come after Thanksgiving, let me wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. May you know the joy of loving, and being loved; in your family, in God’s family. Brother Rich ***
Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . Leftovers. Do you eat them at your house? We do. Very seldom does something stay in the fridge long enough to go bad, but sometimes it happens. Before this leftover from last Sunday’s worship service goes bad, let me share it with you. I was thinking about the ‘what’ of our prayers. The Psalmist had a prayer of praise. Job prayed for his friends who needed forgiveness. Hebrews reminded us Jesus Christ is ready to save those who approach God’s throne. (We approach God’s throne through prayer.) Bartimaeus asked for Jesus to heal his blindness. Bartimaeus had a personal need. And he asked. Boldly. I wondered how bold I am in my prayers? Or do I limit God by what I do not pray? Here is what I am thinking. If I do not pray about something haven’t I already decided God is not going to answer that prayer. Would I be more faithful if I prayed and let God decide which prayers to answer? We know not all prayers receive an answer, or, at least, not the answer I want. In the case of Bartimaeus the crowd had already decided Jesus would not answer Bartimaeus’ prayer for healing. But Bartimaeus shouted out anyway for mercy. He asked. Jesus answered. But if Bartimaeus had not spoken up it seems Jesus would have kept walking. In San Francisco (bear with me, S.F. will wear off soon) we ate at a wonderful Italian Restaurant. I hate to say this, but I rarely remember the foods I eat. I can still taste the pasta I ate that night. The choir anthem is often like that for me. The words and the music seems to linger in my soul for days. Brother James’ Air is like that. Such an inspiring setting for the 23rd Psalm. It’s hard to tell someone about experiencing a song. You almost have to be there yourself. God’s peace, friends,
“Yes, we can.” I am thinking of Bob the Builder when I think of a few of the experiences during the annual camp out on Petit Jean Mountain. Yes, we can - sleep in 36 degrees with no heat if we have a super thick comforter and sleep with 2 or more layers of clothes. Yes, we can - hike the Cedar Falls Trail after waiting 151 minutes past the announced start time only to discover at Cedar Falls that you left ahead of the main group. Yes, we can - survive an encounter with a friendly bear on the Bear Cake hike, especially when the bear is wearing a human costume under a Chew-Bacca costume. Yes, we can - have church when it’s what, maybe 45 degrees. The Petit Jean camp out was a great time of fellowship, fun, inspiration, and lack of complaint about how hot it was. Next year that might change because it will be earlier. Put it on your calendar for the first week end of October, 2010. The next 5 Sundays will comprise our annual stewardship emphasis. I will be emphasizing our five fold membership commitment to support the church through our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service and Witness. Each Sunday we will have an opportunity to respond by turning in a commitment card related to the weekly emphasis. October 25 will emphasize prayers. The Scripture lessons are Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Psalm 34:1-8; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52. November 1 will emphasize Presence. We will also have moments in the service to honor our members who now count their Presence in His Presence. The Scripture lessons are Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44. November 8 will emphasize our financial commitment through Gifts. The Scriptures are Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44. November 15 will emphasize Service. The Scriptures are 1 Samuel 1:4-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8. November 22 will conclude the stewardship emphasis with Witness. The Scriptures are 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37. Questions to ask when reading the weekly tests. What do these Scriptures say about the week’s theme? Assume you were going to give a talk on the week’s theme, what verses would you choose? Brother Rich ***
Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . October is an exciting month of the year. It’s the start of the decorating season. Let’s start out with orange and black. One of our neighbors on Scenic Hill has already begun her annual ritual. Seats sliced from a tree are dotting one corner of the lot. Soon many objects associated with Fall will occupy one corner of the yard to the other. Hopefully the trees will get in the act with their full color display. Also in October we will once again have our Annnual Camp Out on Petit Jean Mountain. Quite a few of us will stay the weekend and emerge from cabins and campers for the BBQ lunch on Saturday. (See elsewhere in the newsletter for details). We also have some hikes planned and other activities. It’s a great event to invite your whole family for a wonderful day of food and fellowship. I am especially looking forward to the Sunday worship service in the open air pavilion. The Wednesday following our campout we will have our Charge Conference. It’s our opportunity to share with our District Superintendent, Reverend Phil Hathcock, what’s been happening at Gardner during this year and what we expect for next year. I encourage all committee chairs especially to be present. On the Sunday before Charge Conference, I will share My Journey of Faith as a Pastor in the United Methodist Church. That will be October 11. Brother Rich
Mitchell’s Meanderings. . . Last week was a great week in the life of Gardner Memorial UMC. In addition to the regular ministry we do of feeding the hungry and caring for the sick, we added even more. Last Wednesday we invited Argenta UMC and Pastor, Will Choate, to share our Wednesday Fellowship Meal. During our program time we stayed in the Fellowship Hall and asked a member of Argenta to sit at each table. Argenta and Gardner members shared with one another how we came to be involved in our respective churches, what a typical worship service is like, and what we are doing to minister to others in the name of Christ. Then we prayed for each other. I thought the table decorations were so fitting. The centerpiece was a piece of green burlap topped with a flower in a small clay pot. It spoke to me of the simplicity of sharing the table with other Christians and spoke to the principle of simplicity which is one of the marks of Argenta UMC. We pray that God will bless Argenta UMC in every possible way. It’s exciting to have a new church so close to us. As we are discovering in Arkansas United Methodism, one of the best way of making new disciples for Jesus Christ is to start new churches. When Saturday came, I’m not sure what I expected, but I didn’t expect 70. Sharon and I loaded some tools, a rake, shovel, nippers, gloves, etc. and came to the church. Soon the parking lot was holding quite a few cars. We asked people to sign up and list the group they were with. We divided them up and sent a work group to each alley block. By the time the morning ended, we had 70 volunteers representing 9 churches, the Holt Neighborhood Association, Argenta CDC, and our Ward Alderman, Beth White. Centennial Bank and Liberty Fellowship provided the lunch. Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled on 18th Street (old McRae School) provided space for lunch. We cleaned up 8 blocks of alleys in the Holt Neighborhood. It was pretty exciting to see the piles of trash, debris, and vegetation at each end of the alleys. It was an example of how a small seed grows into something great. Holt neighbors expressed a need for their alleys to be cleaned up. The North Little Rock Ministerial Alliance bolstered by City Fest Season of Service (Louis Palau Ministeries) adopted it as a project for our churches. AEDD offered their space. Other people found out about the project and what began with handful of people ended up a project of 70 people for 5 hours on what was supposed to be a rainy Saturday. Well done, good and faithful servants. Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . September 2, 2009 “And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings. Bear you on the breath of dawn. Make you to shine like the sun,. And hold you in the palm of His Hand..” This is one of the phrases from the beautiful anthem our choir sang last Sunday, “On Eagle’s Wings”. The arrangement by Mark Hayes seemed to evoke the presence of God,. The words are drawn from Psalm 90 and Isaiah 41. God as our keeper, protector, is a common theme in the Bible. I am reading through the Bible again. My plan is to read three chapters in the Old Testament, one Psalm, and one chapter from the New Testament each day. I recently finished Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is part of the first five books of the Bible. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, starts with creation and tells the story of how God chose Abraham and his descendants to be his people. By the end of Genesis, the people of God, then called Israelites were slaves in Egypt. The next four books of the Bible (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) tell the story of how the Israelites got out of slavery. God chose Moses to take on this task. Deuteronomy is a series of sermons given by Moses at the end of his life to the People of Israel. Moses has been leading the Israelites the last 40 years of his life. Moses reviews God’s dealings with his people which is how Deuteronomy gets its name. Deuteronomy literally means Second-Law because the 10 commandments appear a 2nd time in this book. The first time is in the book of Exodus. While reading Deuteronomy I noticed something I don’t remember noticing before. I knew chapter 6 contains what the Jewish people call “The Shamah”. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you might.” What I saw reading through this time is this command is stated in several different ways at least 10 different times in Deuteronomy. When somebody repeats something it tends to be important. Loving god is important. How do we love God? We keep the commandments, worship, make time for devotion, we pray, we study and read the Bible We love others. September is going to be a busy month. We have many opportunities to serve. Again I remind you of a new opportunity on September 12 to clean up alleys in our church neighborhood. We will meet in our church parking lot at 9:00. Bring rakes, shovels, weed-eaters, etc. We will work until 1:00 and then go to 1300 West 18th Street for hot dogs and drinks provided by AEDD. Next Wednesday, September 9, will be a special program in cooperation with Argenta UMC. Over supper we ill hear about their church, offer ways we can support their ministry, and hear how they would like us to support their ministry. If you haven’t responded to the Here I Am form, please do so. Your Lay Leadership Committee will use these and our prayerful knowledge of our congregation to make nominations for committees and offices of the church for 2010. Brother Rich *** August 26, 2009 I’m not a great one for keeping my motorcycle polished. I’ve been noticing a build up of bug-splat on the windshield and on everything else. That’s one annoying thing about a motorcycle. There are so many little surfaces that collect bugs. Besides the windshield, the front forks, highway bars, part of the handlebars, the front wheel, front fender, front brake, all have little nooks and crannies where dirt and bugs tend to collect. It’s just about time for a washin’. Which reminds me . . . Time for my least favorite part of the church year as a pastor. Getting ready for Charge Conference. But like a lot of things in life, whether you enjoy it or not is not the point. It’s an important part of church life. One task of Charge Conference is to vote on officers and committies for the upcoming calendar year. In preparation for this, you will find a “Here Am I” list of committees and officers included in this newsletter. Please check off the areas you would like to serve and return to the church office. We will also have them available in Sunday School classes and in the Sunday bulletin. The Lay Leadership Development Committee will meet on Sunday afternoon, August 30, at 4:00. We will nominate officers for our administrative committees, so we especially need to know if you would like to serve on an administrative committee. I feel better already just knowing we’re a step closer to putting Charge Conference behind us and getting on with ministry. Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . August 12, 2009 I want to point out a couple of web pages I use almost every week. When selecting hymns for worship services, I use a website called nethymnal.org. You can read the words and listen to a MIDI sample of the tune for thousands of hymns. You can search by title or part of the words of a verse. This is how I found the words to the hymn I used last Sunday. Another site I like to use has many translations of the Bible. It is bible.oremus.org. On this website you can choose different translations and search for specific words, phrases, or enter a reference and it will display your results. For last Sunday I was trying to find the other places in the gospel of John where the word ‘complain’ is used. Do you have a web site you use in Bible Study, etc.? Tell us about it. And of course, don’t forget the websites for the Arkansas Conference of the UMC, arumc.org, and the web site for the general United Methodist Church, umc.org. You can spend hours exploring the history, what we believe, ways to serve, etc, etc. So, happy websurfing. I am so proud to be the pastor of a church with so much going on for missions. You raised nearly $2000 through the catfish dinner last Saturday. This is going to help provide down payment assistance for Argenta CDC applicants. My thanks to everyone who sold tickets, prepared fish, served the meal, set up, cleaned up, stayed up, and held up. On August 22 we are hosting a brunch at 10:00, that’s next Saturday, for Argenta UMC. Remember, Argenta UMC is the new United Methodist Church meeting at the Starving Artist Café on Main Street in downtown North Little Rock on Sunday nights at 5:30. In our brunch we are going to hear more about Argenta UMC, explore ways we can help their congregation, and spend time praying for one another. We would like to see at least 4 people from each Sunday School class attend the brunch. On Saturday, September 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the North Little Rock Ministerial Alliance is sponsoring a Community Clean Up Day. We will be cleaning out several blocks of alleys in our church’s Holt Neighborhood, We are having a great time in our prayer group meeting on Sundays at 6:30. I invite you to come. If you don’t come to the group, I encourage you to use the weekly guide in your private devotions. I would love it if you would share with me your own insights. Brother Rich *** August 5, 2009 My journey for this week took me to Davidson Camp Meeting, near Hollywood, which in turn is near Arkadelphia. The site is deep in the woods and fed by a spring, which feeds a fountain and abundance of water. For decades the natural springs provided water for the camp, then supplemented with wells. Last year, city water was brought from highway 26, about a mile away. Mr. Ezra Wingfield helped me figure out where campsite 205 was and had the secret to electricity, the correct adapter for my electric hookup. The center of the camp is the tabernacle, a rustic, open sided, rough The songbook for the service looked familiar, the Cokesbury Hymnal. Except these were new with a paper cover and retitled “Spiritual Life Songs”. Rev. Charlie Williams preached with vigor. He was introduced The tabernacle is ringed by rustic cabins, and campers are parked between and around the cabins. The campground with about 20 campsites is circled by the creek which became a great concern on Saturday afternoon, at least it was a concern to me. It had flooded on Thursday. About 1:30 the creek started rising about an inch a minute. I broke down the camper and decided to leave earlier than I had planned, but not before attending the 11:00 service which I found a great help to me. He preached on the excuses Moses tried to give God when God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. My own excuses didn’t seem as forceful. I found myself reaffirming my own call to ministry. Looking ahead. Brother Rich *** July 22, 2009 I want to invite you to embark on a different kind of journey this week. The motorcycle trips I write about usually begin in one of two ways. I pick out a destination, map it out, and go there. I plan a couple of stops along the way. Or I just start riding and see where I end up. I want to invite you to join me in a purposeful journey of prayer. Actually, it’s not just me. Bishop Crutchfield calls all of us to prayer for our churches and the Arkansas Annual Conference. At Annual Conference back in June, one of the exciting moments was when pastors who are beginning new United Methodist Churches lined up across the platform. These included churches from one end of the state to the other. Argenta UMC in downtown North Little Rock with Rev. Will Choate is one of those churches. The exciting thing about these new churches is they are making new disciples of Jesus Christ. That is what the church is all about. People inviting people to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, when you broaden the picture to every United Methodist Church in Arkansas, we are actually losing members. Gardner Memorial is like this. We thank God for our new members, but because To address this issue Bishop Crutchfield has issued “An Apostalate of Prayer”. Apostle is a word meaning one who is sent on a mission. Our bishop is calling us to a mission of prayer to discern how God can use all our churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ. I invite you to join with me in this. You will find the first guide for the week of August 1st to 8th in this newsletter. Each newsletter will include the upcoming week’s guide. In addition, I invite you to join me in a small group discussion and prayer using the weekly guide on Sundays at 6:30 beginning August 2. This will follow the UMY Meeting. If you would like to be part of a small group meeting at another time, let the church office know and we will announce it. I hope you will take up this mission both privately and in our small group setting, a mission to pray. Richard Mitchell *** July 8, 2009 Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . On Sunday I gave a two part sermon on a theme I am now renaming “Powering Through Weakness”. The Apostle Paul had something he called a ‘thorn in the flesh’. He prayed that God would take this from him, but In the gospel reading, Jesus could do no great miracles in his hometown except he healed a few sick people. In one of only two places where Jesus is amazed at anything, in this story He is amazed at their unbelief. Instead of entering a period of self-doubt, Jesus sends out disciples and tells them to do the things he could not do in his hometown, heal the sick, cast out demons, make people well. The 3rd part of the message I omitted and am presenting here, came from King David. In a nondescript passage from 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, David is anointed King of Israel. Two items of note in the text say David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. Stop. That means David was 70 when he ceased being king. Wow. Then it says David reigned 7 years at Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem. David’s weak Here are three ways to power through our weakness. A direct application of grace, commissioning others, waiting it out. I am reminding myself to go and do likewise. I trust you will find the grace of God sufficient for this week. Bro. Rich *** June 24, 2009 My Father’s Day highlights came from my two granddaughters this year. I finally got a hug from Clara and Mallory’s cuddle just seemed extra special. We watched Mallory and brothers on Friday night while Mom and Dad went out. After supper, I saw Mallory on the swing in the yard and went and sat with her. It’s indescribable when your granddaughter scooches as close as she can, looks up at you with a smile that makes her eyes smile, puts her arms around you as far as they will reach and says “I love you, Grandpa.” Clara and Cameron brought their Mom and Dad over for watermelon on Father’s Day. I could see from the first part of the visit, Clara was getting warmed up. As you know since the day she was born she has been In 2 Peter 3:8 we find this exhortation from Peter. “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9) The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. . . . 14) Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; 15) and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.” God is infinitely patient with us. I talked with someone recently who told me he was not on good terms with God. He had some issues with God. He was upset with God. “And how is that working out,” I asked. “Are you happy? Are you going to win?” He agreed it was not working out that well. Just like I had to wait for a hug from Clara, God is waiting, patiently waiting like the father who waited for the prodigal son to come home. God waits for us. He will welcome us home with a hug that forgives our rebellion and wraps love around our hearts. Every day God gives us is another chance to come to God like a Clara hugging her Grandpa. Last Sunday was another outstanding day of worship at Gardner. We had many Fathers present. I hope you will enjoy the devotional book you received and draw strength from God through it. This coming Sunday’s Brother Rich *** June 17, 2009 It is the last morning of Annual Conference. We disposed of the last amendments sent to us from General Conference. Fortunately there was only a small amount of debate and it looks like we will finish conference business close to the 1:00 p.m. adjournment time. (Oops, the bishop just announced we are running a little behind.) I always find Annual Conference incredibly inspiring. I leave every time thankful to serve such a great God and church. One of the highlight moments for me was the 17 pastors lined across the platform who have started, or who will start, new United Methodist churches in Arkansas. The Arkansas Conference's purpose to find new pastors is bearing fruit. Among them was Will Choate, Argenta UMC pastor. We will be holding a prayer brunch for their church on August 22. There were also 9 new Elders ordained last night and at least 10 who entered provisional membership. That means in two years they will complete all their requirements and be fully ordained. It's been a great Annual Conference. Last Sunday was such a great day. I think we were all inspired by the music AND the non-preaching. There was a sermon in every song and it was most appropriate to let the music speak to us. This coming Sunday will also be a special Sunday. Father's Day is also Youth Sunday. Our youth planned the service and will lead the service. Your presence will be such a support and encouragement to them. Richard Mitchell *** June 3, 2009 They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Squirrels know this. Oh, how proud I was of myself to have put up a squirrel proof bird feeder. Remember? It was last summer when we first moved into the parsonage. Last fall Sharon and I went to North Carolina to see Sharon’s Dad and Step-Mom. I brought back a largish planter with ferns in it. Sharon brought back some acorns from the 150 year old tree (Not sure of it’s I think it was Saturday I got the first report. As Sharon walked past the acorn pot, something seemed to be missing. Where’s my oak tree? Then she looked closer. There was a hole in the dirt where the oak sprout was growing. Who digs up acorns? You know the answer. There won’t be a North Carolina oak tree in Arkansas. Yet. What is to be done? Absolutely nothing. Smile. Let it hit your funny bone, not your trigger finger. Anchor your acorns, especially during that first year. Yesterday’s service was above and beyond. I was overcome with emotion at the first hymn, “Spirit of Faith, Come Down”. This hymn is a typical example of the genius of the Charles Wesley hymns. Follow that hymn and you know the gospel from beginning to end. I heard many comments about the choir singing “There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit”. Very moving. Next Sunday is Graduate Honor Sunday. We will recognize our graduates. I will also be preaching a special message on Living Life with Purpose to finish up the preaching series on “Our Greatest Needs”. By the time you get this Sunday will almost be here. I trust it has been a good week for you and that Gardner is in your Sunday plans. ***
May 27, 2009 We had some of our family over for Memorial Day. We included servicemen in our family prayer over the steaks. Before we could get to that prayer and those steaks, I had to pay some serious attention to the grill. There have been some new developments since many of you ate hamburgers cooked on that grill. A gaping hole on the left topside of the burner gave my grill some unusual cooking abilities. I don’t know why, but folks just don’t appreciate the ability of a grill to cook the left end of a steak well done, the center of the steak medium, and the right end of the steak rare. It’s too bad because to let a grill get to the point where it can cook this way takes years of development and endless patience. Time and time again you must overcome the urge to clean your grill. You must wait and wait and wait. But I digress. In the interest of catering to the masses I decided we needed a new burner or a new grill. I got a good size scoop shovel and cleaned up the blackened glop from the inside of the grill and discovered the metal of the grill box was still in pretty good shape. No rust through anywhere except the burner. Did I still have the spare burner I had purchased years ago? No, we put that out in a yard sale. No. I remember thinking I’ll hang on to it. I first got the spare burner about 10 years ago, but the grill I intended for it was too far gone. We have been moving the spare burner for 10 years. We moved the spare burner from Miller County (Texarkana) to Pulaski County (Little Rock) to Lonoke County (England) and back to Pulaski County (North Little Rock). Moisture had glued the instruction pages together, but the burner parts were pristine. Out with the rusted out mass. In with the shiny new. And batta bing, batta bang, a good as new grill. Yes, there is something special about eating an evenly cooked steak. I was thinking about how the burner of a grill is like the heart of the grill. The grill doesn’t work unless it has a good burner. A broken burner is a sure sign of a broken grill. My grill needed a new heart, so to speak, much as we need a new heart. Through the prophet, Ezekiel, God promised he would give Israel a new heart. This is what we need isn’t it? We need new hearts. We need someone to take away our rusted out, broken, failed hearts and give us new hearts. God gives us a new heart when he forgives. God gives us a new heart when he gives us His life in Christ. A person with such a new heart can live up to one’s full potential. Ezekiel 18.31: Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 36.26: A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Psalm 147.3: He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds. Richard Mitchell ***
May 13, 2009 No rides by motorcycle to report on this week. The farthest I got from home last Friday was the auto parts store. It’s time to do some preventive maintenance on the pick-em-up truck. I will replace the serpentine belt and radiator hoses. I will also be replacing the coolant. This is a straightforward job requiring minimal mechanical skill. The radiator hoses are held on by simple clamps. You compress the ears of the clamp with a pliers and slide it down the hose past the hose-neck (I’m not sure of the proper mechanical name). The bottom hose has a T fitting that a smaller hose attaches to from the thermostat housing. In all, there are five clamps. Easy. When you do this in your garage you need the skills of a contortionist to reach the awkward clamp locations. I used 5 different sizes and shapes of pliers to wrestle the factory clamps down the hoses. Of course, there are other hoses and engine parts in the way. After several hours my respect grew for the professional auto mechanic. I was thinking it would take me a couple hours. In all I spent 5 hours flushing the radiator, removing and replacing hoses, refilling with coolant, and going for a test ride. When I made my profession of faith in Jesus Christ and purposely began living the Christian life, I thought I would be a lot farther along in my spiritual journey than I am. I didn’t think it would take this long to become a mature Christian. And you know what, I don’t think I’m there yet. I am disappointed in myself at how often I have to ask forgiveness, how many times I come up short of the full stature of Christ. To be like Jesus Christ is the goal of every Christian, but the Christian life is one that takes a life time. Fortunately the Holy Spirit is our helper. Day by day and moment by moment we are kept by his grace. Ephesians 4:11 “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13) until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14) We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15) But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16) from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” (NRSV) What a wonderful day Mother’s Day was Sunday. The service began with a bit of confusion on my part, but soon smoothed out. It was a joy to see so many in worship to honor the God of our mothers. And it was a special joy to welcome new member, Tina Ryan, into the fellowship of Gardner Memorial UMC. I know many of you welcomed her following the service Sunday. May you know the presence of God’s Spirit in all you do this week, ***
May 6, 2009 My thanks goes to Bro. John Alston for leading and preaching Sunday worship. And it was a great delight to make it back in time for the 62nd Annual Gardner Memorial Indoor Picnic. The rain drove us to the The fellowship and welcoming arms of the picnic reminded me of something the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the church in the city of Colosse. “In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” (Colossians 1:3,4) You are examples of what the church should be. You welcome newcomers. You invite others. You feed the hungry through the church food pantry. You heal the sick through the free medical clinic. You meet for fellowship. You look for ways to extend the Kingdom of Christ. You do this because of your hope laid up in heaven. In my prayers I give thanks to God for you. This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day and I will be continuing my sermon series on Our Greatest Needs. This week will be “The Need to Love and Be Loved.” The sermon for last Sunday, “Our Need to Live with Purpose” will be added on at the end of the series. I want to welcome new readers of the Gardner Messenger. When you invite someone to church, do what I do, ask if you can put them on our newsletter mailing list. Let the Gardner Messenger keep everybody you know in touch. A number of my family receive the newsletter. In fact, I was able to read last week’s newsletter at my Uncle Jim’s in Lancaster, Ohio, on Saturday. That was pretty amazing since some of our folks right here in Arkansas don’t get it for a week. This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. Remember, your mother would love nothing more than to see you in church on Mother’s Day. RS Mitchell ***
April 23, 2009 Yes, I lost my cellphone and it was my own dumb fault. If the hike was not so long, 8 miles, I might have gone back when I realized it was missing. I found out before the last mile and I could have gone back, but when you’ve hiked 7 miles and you might have lost it three miles back, adding 6 more miles is too many miles. What I’m stuck on, is the moment I realized my phone was missing. The Sunset Trail is a loop. The last part runs along Whittington Avenue Park. I stopped at a park bench for a rest before hiking up West Mountain to finish the loop. While sitting there a woman and a man walked by. I said hello, she looked at me, stopped and pointed at me. “I know you,” she said. I did not recognize her at all, but after a minute we figured it out. Martha Langston played piano for an early worship at St. Luke UMC when I was there in 2003. When we parted I decided to call Sharon and tell her who I met. When I reached for the phone, it was not there. In a flash it came back to me. I was reliving reaching into the pocket and getting that snack bar. Ready for a big jump? Peter knew what that was like. Jesus knew something about Peter. Peter did not know it about himself. “Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.” Peter was sure he would never do that. He stood outside while Jesus was on trial. He denied Jesus the first time. He denied Jesus the second time. He denied Jesus the third time. Just then, the cock crowed. In a flash it all came back to Peter. He remembered what Jesus said. He relived that moment. Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. Fortunately for Peter and for us Peter listened to Jesus. He admitted Jesus was right. Peter listened to Jesus when Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep.” Peter must have often said of prayer something like, “Thank you Lord for a second chance.” Coming Up April 26 I will continue my preaching series. This Sunday is “Our Greatest Needs: To Know and Be Known” *** April 15, 2009 We had a wonderfully meaningful journey during Holy Week leading to Easter. I look back and see our children walking on the oval track of palms in front of the altar saying “Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes Easter Sunday is the beginning of the Easter season. During the Easter Season I will be preaching a sermon series called “Our Seven Greatest Needs”. These provide a great way to extend invitations to church. April 19 To Forgive and Be Forgiven John 20:23 My prayer during these special Sundays is that God will continue to grow our faith in the resurrected Christ. Richard Mitchell *** April 8, 2009 In January, I wrote one of my newsletter articles about a hike in Burns Park. At one point there is a pretty Going up to Jerusalem with Jesus, the disciples were on a great trail. What a view they had. They thought they were a lot higher than they were. They thought King Jesus was going to be crowned. They didn’t expect a crown of thorns. They thought Jesus was going to receive a ruler’s scepter. They didn’t expect him to be beaten with it. They thought Jesus would rise to the top. They didn’t expect the top to be a cross. They thought Jesus would appoint them to his cabinet. They didn’t expect to be hiding behind one. From above you can have a misperception about how high you really are. Jesus was also on a trail with a view. From the top of a cross, he took in the whole world. He saw the river of humankind flowing downstream driven by selfwill to a destiny without God. From the top of the cross, Jesus saw our manmade city towers. No matter how high they reach, their elevators do not elevate the soul. From below, the cross doesn’t look like much, but if we take our proper place on our knees, we see how far Jesus sees from the top of the cross. From the top of the cross he takes in the world. We must stop pretending we are on top, in control, in charge, masters of our own destiny. We need to take our proper place at the foot of the cross, on bended knee, and say “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” We need see no higher than the top of the cross to be on top of the world. Richard Mitchell
*** March 18, 2009 I’ve still got a couple of stories from Florida. I made a point of going through Enterprise, Alabama.. I intended to stay at the Boll Weevil Inn, but only made it to Montgomery, AL on my first night. The next day I did ride into Enterprise, AL, and got my pictures of the Boll Weevil Statue, the world’s only statue dedicated to an agricultural pest. In 1915 the boll weevil devastated the cotton crop of Coffee County, AL. The town turned to peanuts among other crops and continued to prosper. They erected a statue in 1919 of a woman in a flowing gown with her hands raised over her head. The following plaque is affixed to the base of the statue: "in profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.” Thirty years later a giant boll weevil was cast and placed in her hands. The story of the boll weevil in Enterprise, AL, is one way of looking at the story of the most well known sign of the church, the cross. The cross is the sign of death. The cross was the instrument of death. But Christ turned the cross into a sign of redemption, of salvation, of forgiveness, when he rose from the dead on the third day. We boast in the cross of Jesus Christ, as the apostle Paul, did when he said “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” We claim the cross as Christians. We wear it as jewelry. We hang the cross on the wall. We worship in a cross shaped church at Gardner Memorial UMC. The sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has turned the cross from a sign of shameful death into a sign of triumphal life. We echo the hymnwriter who said “In the cross of Christ I glory towering o’er the wrecks of time. All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime.” See my pictures of the boll weevil and the rest of Florida at: http://arcircuitrider.com/RevRoadkill/Florida_2009.html. Richard Mitchell *** February 18, 2009 On Monday I put on my rain jacket, slung my brief case over my shoulder and proceeded to walk. It was about a 30 minute walk. Just as the weather had forecast, it started to drizzle. Heavy rain was called for throughout the day. It would end by the time the last conference event concluded at 9:00 p.m. The temperature was mild, maybe mid 50’s, the warmest it would be the entire week. As I walked I could feel a bit of sweat on my back. As I approached the thick black line, I realized it was not what I thought it was. When I saw it on the satellite map, I thought the black line was a drainage ditch. The black line turned out to be the shadow of a 12 foot cement block wall. You could tell the spot where there used to be a gate through the wall. It was closed. At the end of the wall the line continued by an 8 foot chain link fence for about 100 yards and then edged along a thicket of brush. I seemed to have two options, climb over the fence or walk the extra mile. I walked along the fence and looked for a spot to climb over, but couldn’t get a foot hold. On the way back at the junction of the chain link and cement wall I noticed an extra bar.. I managed to get a toehold, balance myself at the top, let go with one hand to move my briefcase bag, grab with two hands again, and drop on the other side. I walked through the parking zones of the apartments and through the security gate at the front of the complex. Thankfully it was open and I went on to the conference. And of course, I wondered something. I wonder if people perceive our church as a forbidden place behind walls and fences? How easy is it for someone to come in? Are there physical barriers? Just how welcome is our welcome sign? How determined does someone have to be to be a part of us? I’d like to think every ministry, every group, every class is a door into the church. Make the walls low and let them grow from the inside into the great expectations of God. But sometimes it’s up to you to leap over a wall, to overcome whatever obstacles are in the way of getting to God. Here’s to walls, those who leap over them, and those who knock them down so we don’t have to leap. A new restaurant has opened on the corner of 18th and Pike. The Summons Family Restaurant has a full menu and friendly service. Last Saturday they were cooking up some fabulous ribs. Go in, order something. Tell ‘em Rev. Roadkill sent you. I saw Dee post the attendance for last Sunday. There were 127 of you in worship. Thanks be to God. Richard Mitchell *** February 11, 2009 Pedestal Rocks. Sounds interesting. 2.6 miles. Add the King’s Bluff Loop for a total of 4.3 miles. Sounds do-able. Just what I need for the third leg of my exercise regimen this week. Two visits with Dr. Treadmill, and one in another amazing Arkansas wonderspot. Take 1-40 west, 7 north at Russellville. There are a few casualties along the way. Booger Hollow still boasts a population of seven plus one coon dog, but it’s closed. Mack’s Pines seems to be making a run to take over with a cafe and cabins. It’s still worth stopping at Hankins Country Store at the Highway 16 Intersection. It’s closed, but there’s a wonderful diorama of Alum Cove Natural Bridge in a glass enclosed case under the front porch. Turn right from Highway 7 onto Highway 16 and go six miles. Look for the Pedestal Rocks sign. The hike has no real steep sections. The pedestal features are spectacular. How do you describe these pedestals? They are columns of rock averaging about 50 feet in height. Some are separated from the bluff by a couple feet, making it look easy to step across. Others are an eight foot jump. You wonder if somebody hasn’t tried. Some have anvil shaped tops. Others begin at a broad base and narrow toward the top. They’re all wonderful and leave you wondering at the forces of nature that made these rock features possible. On the two hour drive back home, I thought about how unique you and I are. We are each shaped by unique forces. The genetic contribution is one force. Our siblings are another. Even children in the same house are all different. How our parents rear us is another force. Church and school add something. Television and the Internet add their part, too. Throughout our lives we are constantly being influenced. We are so different from one another. Yet those rock formations tell us something else also. They are all the same kind of rock just as we are all made out of the same stuff. We are body and soul. We relate to each other, to the earth, and to the God who made us. We want to know the world around us and we want to know the God who made us. Yet we are unique. It’s like the Psalmist said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Brother Rich *** February 4, 2009 I am at a Minister’s Conference this week and appreciate Bonnie Tatom filling the pulpit on Sunday. I know you will be blessed through Brother John’s ministry next Sunday. I have been making this annual trek, with few exceptions, since graduation from seminary in 1991. Minister's Conference is a time to renew, learn, be challenged, worship, and get in touch with where God's Spirit is moving in the church. Until last year a trip to Asbury Theological Seminary involved a trip to the heart of Kentucky near Lexington. This is famed bluegrass country. White fences and steepled barns show how well off the thoroughbreds are. Drive 30 minutes south to Wilmore. Another 30 minutes past Wilmore is a remarkable 300 foot deep gorge cut by the Kentucky River, but that’s another story. Wilmore is a small town and it would be even smaller if not for the college and seminary. Going to Asbury was a chance to visit my extensive family in Kentucky and Cincinnati. I would stay with an aunt near Lexington, spend a night on my grandparent’s farm and spend another day visiting family in Cincinnati after the conference. Last year brought a big change. About 7 or 8 years ago Asbury opened a campus in Orlando. At the time I paid it little attention and wondered why they were doing this. Last year was the first year for the Conference to meet at the Florida campus. Considering the round of bad weather we just had, it will be nice to be in Florida. You can be sure I’m thinking of you right now as you read this. But it’s different. I have a few motorcycle friends I’ll get in touch with. I’ll soak up some sunshine. Thankfully the round of bad weather came last week and not this week. Sending you at least one ray, Brother Rich *** January 28, 2009 It’s not often you feel you are part of history. I think every person in the United States of America felt like they witnessed something historic yesterday. Here at Gardner we set up an LCD projector to a computer and watched the CNN coverage of the inauguration. It was like having a big screen TV. We watched the oath, mistakes included and then the Internet connection messed up. We got only bits and pieces of the Inaugural Address. We lost some of the words, but got the flavor. The big message is the one we have heard over and over again. A 10 year old boy at the inauguration was asked what he thought was important about the new president. He answered something like this, “In America anything is possible if you set your mind to it.” We could say there are many words that define anything is possible. One such word is surely ‘yes’. ‘Yes’ opens new doors. ‘yes’ expands opportunity. ‘Yes’ is a step forward. ‘Yes’, it is possible for an African-American to become president. ‘Yes’, it is possible for a woman to be a lawyer. But you can’t do it alone. Your ‘Yes’ needs the ‘Yes’ of someone else. ‘Yes’, come in. ‘Yes’, here’s a chance. ‘Yes’, I’ll try it. It needs a ‘yes’ on both ends. You have to say ‘yes’ to yourself and somebody, maybe a lot of somebodies, have to say ‘yes’ too. But it doesn’t stop at ‘yes’. It takes more than a ‘yes.’ You’ve got to work. You’ve got to try. You’ve got to prove yourself. You can have all the ‘yeses’ in the world sitting in your lap and do nothing with them. In America, it take ‘yes’, but it takes work to go along with it. We know what that’s like as Christians. I love the verse in Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20. “In Him (Jesus Christ) every one of God’s promises is a ‘yes’.” Jesus Christ is our ‘yes’. God says ‘yes’ to forgiveness. God says ‘yes’ to loving us. God says ‘yes’ to life. And added to the ‘yes’ is some work on our part. Paul told the Christians in the city of Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” A better translation might be ‘put your salvation to work’. The president has taken an oath of office. Now he is going to put it work, or, he is going to give the presidency a workout. That’s what every president does. As a Christian you have been given a big ‘yes’ from God. You have been given the gift of salvation. What are you doing with it? How you answer that shows how you are working out your salvation. (See the photo of the event at Bro Rich’s Weblog at www.arcircuitrider.com) Brother Rich *** January 21, 2009 No walks today, no hikes, no traveling anywhere. I’m standing by the baptism font in the sanctuary of Gardner Memorial United Methodist Church. I was inspired by the talk given by Rev. Aubrietta Jones at last Wednesday’s service. If you are not coming for these services you are missing lots. Anyway, Aubrietta is co-pastor with her husband Jeff Warwick to one of the newest United Methodist Churches in Arkansas, Christ United Methodist Church. They are meeting at Magness Creek Elementary School on Hwy 5 west of Cabot. She described how they set up for their congregation of about 100. The sound system, chairs, and equipment they need to set up a nursery, worship space, Childrens’ and Adult Sunday School are stored in rolling cabinets. They rent a moving van and haul the cabinets from the storage facility to the school every Sunday morning. It takes about an hour to set up. Two Sundays ago we had a beautiful service remembering our profession of faith in Jesus Christ and our baptism. In that service we reaffirmed our faith in Christ. Hearing our speaker last week and remembering our service of reaffirmation renewed the desire in my heart that others would be baptized at the font. There are adults somewhere who need Jesus Christ. There are children. There are youth who need Jesus Christ. They are on our street or a street near us. I have many items on a prayer list, but there are also people on my list, people loved by God in Christ who need Jesus Christ. I am praying for them, praying they will believe in Jesus Christ, make their profession public through baptism, live and tell others of faith in Jesus Christ. Join me? Bro. Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . January 14, 2009 They were minding their business. They had no reason to change or want to change. We have no reason to believe they were unhappy. Then he came. He changed everything. He said ‘follow me’ and they followed. They dropped everything and went everywhere with him. When the disciples met Jesus he was not the answer to their angst. They were not meeting trying to figure out how to change the world, how to invent a new religion, how to tear down the temple, how to do away with a religious system that had worked for several thousand years. They were pursuing the livelihood given to them by their fathers and their fathers before them. They went to synagogue, made their sacrifices, and lived by the law. Until he came. He came and everything changed. The disciples were anchored by hearing from a child, “The Lord our God is one Lord.” Jews were monotheists. They believed in only one God. The first Christians also believed in one God. But they had to ask themselves about Jesus. What did Jesus say? What did Jesus teach? What did Jesus believe about himself. It was clear Jesus made himself equal to God. The disciples did not have to let go of God, they had to add Jesus to the equation. They had to believe in God and in Jesus Christ. The church would eventually call this the Trinity. God shows himself to us in three persons, as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Yet all three are manifestations of the same God. Jesus changed everything. He helped us relate to God. In Jesus, God became flesh. In Jesus, God became words. In Jesus, God became The Word. In Jesus, God became someone we can trust. In Jesus, God became someone we follow. In Jesus God became Someone. Thanks be to God. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Without was not anything made that was made. The Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. (From Gospel of John, chapter 1.) Sunday was another great day of worship at Gardner. In the children’s time I showed Sophie a video I took on my Friday hike to Pinnacle Mountain. I was touched by Sophie’s rapt attention to the silent video. (Still haven’t figured out what happened to the sound.) What a treasure the world is. Every corner is full of some glorious thing, even the corner where you are right now. God’s peace. Brother Rich *** November 26, 2008 What a great day of worship we had yesterday. I heard so many positive comments about the message of the day on giving. The inspiration for the message came from the book “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations,” specifically the chapter on Extravagant Giving. The last message in this series will be next week. The theme will be “Risk Taking Mission and Service.” Here’s the weekly update on the sanctuary insurance claim work. The pew installers say they will be here next Monday, December 1, to reinstall the pews. They think they can finish in 3 days. That will leave the carpet layers 2 days to finish. So, December 7 is still looking good for returning to worship in the sanctuary. In other exciting news Sharon and I have moved into the digital television age. We got the Zenith digital converter boxes from Radio Shack. The government coupons reduced the cost to $20 each. Hooked them up and, wow, what an improvement. The set top antenna from before did not get all the stations. Now we not only have more stations but the picture is absolutely clear. I’m pretty amazed. I can actually see the steam iron smooth out those wrinkles, the super plastic convection oven cook that turkey, and the amazing vacuum cleaner gobble up marbles, sand, whatever else the grandyuns will drop by the bucketful. Pretty exciting. Seriously though, one of the stations we really missed was PBS. Since the antenna collapsed in Redfield earlier this year, we hadn’t been able to get the station. One of the first programs I watched on Saturday afternoon, after about 6 months without PBS, was Nature, a program about eagles on the Minnesota end of the Mississippi. It was extraordinary. Eagles are making a comeback. I was thrilled to see that conservation efforts can make a difference. But I was also moved by the power of moving pictures to help us see the every day life of eagles. Television is like so many things in life isn’t it? It can help you soar with eagles or be as mundane and uninspiring as commercials for things we would rarely use and hardly need. Same for Thanksgiving. It can be a day at the feeding trough, or a day to truly give thanks. Brother Richard Mitchell *** Mitchell’s Meanderings . . .October 15, 2008 It’s Tuesday evening. I’m sitting at a table in the drawing room of Wesley Hall at Mt. Sequoyah. If you haven’t been to Mt. Sequoyah, it’s lovely. The leaves are just starting to turn. It almost feels like the trees are changing while you are looking at them. Wesley Hall takes you back 80 plus years. The original fixtures with the porcelain handles are here. The clawfoot bathtub is here. If you like the era like I do, you’ll find it a solace to the soul. It takes you back to a time when the world marched at a slower pace, when people took time to well, take time, sometimes for nothin’. Forced quietude. The dining hall is lively and the meals are good. That’s where the noise is, the noise of laughter, talking and clanking dishes. I found another quiet place this morning before dawn. I walked Skyline Drive that loops around the mount. On the west side is a park with a lighted cross. To the right of the cross was the full moon and below, the lights of Fayetteville. The thing that caught my attention was the white light of the cross matched the white light of the moon. I paused and drank in the scene. There they were, all the lights of night. And I had a feeling you and I were in the scene, too. The moon reflects the light of the sun onto a dark world. The church, you and I, reflect the light of the cross onto a world darkened by sin. I’m here for a week of continuing education, hearing exciting stories of pastors who have started new United Methodist Churches from across the country. A pastor launched a church in California. On the first Sunday out of an attendance of 54 there were 7 people who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ. Another pastor launched a church in Virginia. He believes the success in his church comes from the pastoral visits he makes. Hopefully, by the grace of God, I’ll be able to reflect a little of the light of learning on to you. I’m looking forward to the church camp-out this coming weekend at Petit Jean. Should be a great experience. Don’t be surprised if something Petit Jean ends up in church on Sunday morning. Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings . . . October 8, 2008 I have received several positive comments about Sunday’s service. I wanted to use several readers to emphasize we are all ministers, servants. It was my prayer going into the service that the different ways of presenting the Scripture Readings opened up new paths for our ears to hear the Scripture. My thanks to our readers, Bruce Ingels, Susan Pittman, Joy Cameron, Gene Lemley, Cliff Riggs, Billie Layne, and Nettie Goss; and to our mime-ists (I don’t know if that’s a word) Jennifer Pittman and Katie Armstrong. From time to time we’ll do something similar. What a treasure the Scriptures are to us. We ought to read something from it every day. Try reading something from the Old Testament and something from the New Testament every day. One of my favorite quotes about the Bible from John Wesley is his preface to his book of standard sermons: “To candid, reasonable men, I am not afraid to lay open what have been the inmost thoughts of my heart. I have thought, I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God: Just hovering over the great gulf; till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing - the way to haven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way: For this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri. (A man of one book). Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men, I sit down alone: Only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read? Does anything appear dark or intricate? I life up my heart to the Father of Lights: -- “Lord is it not thy word, ‘If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God?’ Thou ‘givest liberally, and upbraidest not.’ Thou hast said; ‘If any be willing to do thy will, he shall know.’ I am willing to do, let me know, thy will.” I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remains, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God; and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak. And what I thus learn, that I teach.” The language is 18th century, but the passion fits any age. Our Wednesday Program Committee puts together an excellent program every week. We have had some great speakers on some great services in our community. Just for example, the program last week on helping adults learn to read was great. Our speaker told us one of the most given reasons for learning to read is to be able to read the Bible. I met a person who wanted a Bible last week. On Wednesday during the Food Pantry hours, I was studying and heard some of the folks talking on the porch outside my office. After a few minutes the thought kept occurring to me, You should offer them those New Testaments you have. I resisted at first, but the thought was persistent. I grabbed a few and went to the door. I said “Hello.” “Are you the pastor?” “Yes.” “Do you have a Bible?” I was pretty amazed that was the first thing he said. I told him that was exactly why I had come out and gave away those Bibles. I wondered how many opportunities I have lost to do some good because I ignored that small voice that said, “Go, do serve, love.” A small voice for His Voice, Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings. . .October 1, 2008 A gospel song from 20 years ago says “I love the thrill I feel when I get together with God’s wonderful people.” You know, you can’t but start to feel that way the more Sundays you worship at Garner Memorial. The quartet’s wonderful “He’s a Personal Savior” made me think of the testimony of John Wesley. Wesley had gone to a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, England. Wesley was listening to someone reading the introduction to Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans. “About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” (Wesley’s Works, Vol I, p 103) When you can say my, me, mine; that’s personal. This coming Sunday, October 5, is World Communion Sunday. We will be a part of Christians from every denomination sharing in this sign of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to this worship service. We will hear Scripture Readings from the Old and New Testaments and the Gospels. We will have more singing than we usually do. I think you will be blessed as we share communion once again. I know you are probably wondering when work is going to begin on the sanctuary asbestos abatement. The claim was submitted to the insurance company several weeks ago and we expect to hear any day. We’re still hoping to get this all finished by Christmas. This Sunday is also our last scheduled hamburger cook-out. What a joy these have been. Yes, they have been some work, but they have been well worth it. We have shared our story of faith and heard yours. And there is something that draws us closer together when we have the opportunity to share our faith with one another. You have heard me comment several times about Hurricane Ike. Sharon and I spent some time on Galveston Island in August of 2007. We walked the beach. We shopped in a white wooden gift shop mounted on pilings on Seawall Boulevard. Sharon took my picture sitting in a deck chair looking out on the Gulf. We ate at Guido’s. We walked under the concrete ramp that went up to the Fragship Hotel. We saw the film about the 1900 hurricane and imagined the entire island covered with water. It didn’t seem possible. It’s possible. When you’ve been there, you almost feel like the hurricane happened to you. The gift shop where I took my photo has been featured in several pictures. All you see are a few floorless white walls on piers. Reports are now saying there are possibly hundreds of people missing, swept away. In addition to the ones I mentioned in Sunday’s sermon, I read today about two friends who separated to run some errands before the storm surge. One has not been heard from since. I know your prayers join mine for them. With prayers you know what it means to have a personal Savior. Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings... September 24, 2008 What a day of worship Sunday was, highlighted by the uplifting “You Are My Hiding Place”. Thank you Cliff, Katie and Caroline. It is such a joy to be a part of great worship every week at Gardner Memorial. You truly offer yourselves in the service of worship. Sunday was also the last day of summer. Hard to believe, again, that another summer is past. Our thoughts turn to falling leaves and going back to school, less light, more darkness, cooler weather, giving thanks, Christmas and getting ready for 2009. Oh, speaking of 2009, it’s time again to consider the stewardship of our time, talent and treasure. You will see in this newsletter the “Here I Am - Use Me” check list. In addition to volunteering for the Medical Clinic and Food Pantry, there are many other ways to serve. Please give prayerful thought to how you want to serve and return the check list by October 12. Persons being asked to serve an elected position by the Lay Leadership Committee will be contacted before election at Charge Conference on November 5. The entire roster of officers, committee members, and service teams will be included in the 2009 church directory. We’ve all given some attention to the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. The scenes of devastation on Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston, East and Trinity Bays are shocking. Several United Methodist Churches were destroyed. Beach side and bay side homes were washed inland by the rolling storm surge. One retired Coast Guard veteran survived by clinging to a telephone pole, and finally a picnic table through the night as he drifted into the bay. I wondered how many people died who did not have the expert survival and swimming skills he had. There are opportunities to do more than read and watch the stories of people. You can also help and give. We will send on any gifts designated for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). If you are interested in serving “hands on”, let the church office know. We can direct you to the right person. In this year’s election one issue on the ballot will be a statewide lottery proposal. Bumper stickers calling for a “no” vote are available in the church narthex. Other materials are also available to help explain why United Methodists are opposed to the lottery. One of our recent Wednesday speakers give an excellent talk on opposition to the lottery. May the presence of God brighten your days.. Brother Rich *** Mitchell’s Meanderings...September 10, 2008 Turning tragedy into triumph is part of what shows we are created in the image of God. I was privileged to be part of something like that last week. Conway High School was blessed with the talent of a young man named Kelly Burger, a cross country star. To Kelly, long distance runners were the only real runners. He was a long distance runner. He was a winner of many races. He had a future in running. But Kelly’s life was cut tragically short almost a year ago in a highway accident. To honor Kelly’s memory, his family decided to do a 5K run, Kelly’s Bass Kickin 5K.” One of Kelly’s other loves was fishing. Steve “Wildman” Wilson agreed to emcee the race festivities. Some of the funds from the race will buy running shoes for Conway High School track teams. To honor Kelly’s memory I promised his mother I would run the race. Letting myself get way out of shape means I’ll never “run” a race in the sense I used to think of running. I do finish and I did finish Kelly’s race last Monday, Labor Day. I was way behind the winner. I did 37+ minutes. The first place winner was something like 16 minutes. The first place in my age group was 23 minutes. But I did finish. I did keep my promise. You can check out Kelly’s story, see the results of the race, and see pictures on the Internet at kellysbasskickin 5k.org. Yes, I am in there. Keep looking. Tragedy to triumph. Sin to forgiveness. Death to life. Darkness to Light. God made us want to turn one into the other. Praying you will have a blessed week Brother Rich P.S. Thanks to the person or persons who have participated in the Pastor Elevation Project. The additional cushions are making quite a difference. I can see you. Can you see me? *** Well, what can I say? Sunday was eventful. I knew about the Big Man. I heard about the Big Man. But I wasn't ready for the Big Man. I have been trumped. I promised you could get a fish dinner if you brought my business card and $10.00, but don't forget the $10.00. Ray's cards are actually worth something. With his card, you get a $2.00 discount. Who could possibly pass up $8.00 per ticket with the special "Big Man" business card? I wouldn't be surprised to see a record breaking ticket count on August 23. Our youth participated in the 2nd Annual Big Dam Bridge Walk for Methodist Family Health Systems. They deserve all the extra praise you can muster considering it was hot enough to fry eggs on the bridge. Seven youth and several adults attended and followed up with a suitable splash at Wild River Country for the annual Arkansas Conference UMY Lock In. Sharon and I are looking forward to our cookouts with you. This Sunday the youth class will meet with us at 5:00. All other cookouts will be after church. I have been asked by several what to do if you can't come the Sunday assigned to your Sunday School class. Just come any Sunday. Last Sunday you received information in your Sunday School class about the new church beginning in downtown North Little Rock working under the name Argenta UMC. The Associate Pastor at First UMC, North Little Rock, Rev. Will Choate, has this vision and has been appointed to begin this work. Churches in the area are asked to support the church in a variety of ways beginning with prayer and adding onto that various levels of financial commitment. It will be quite a few months before anything official begins. They want to reach young adults in their 20's and 30's with a non-traditional church. I am looking forward to another great Sunday of worship. The preaching will come from one of these four Scriptures Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 (Joseph reveals himself to his brothers); Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b; Romans 10:5-15 (Righteousness, Faith, Saved, Good News); Matthew 14:22-33 (Peter gets out of the boat). Richard Mitchell
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