Organ and Tissue Donation

In December my cousin David, age 39, died suddenly of a very unexpected heart attack.  It has been a journey of grief for all of us in the family and we will long remember his life and celebrate the gift he was to us.  Recently I called his mother and found out that she received a letter from the hospital telling her about all of the recipients of David’s organs and tissue which he donated.  David had put it on his driver’s license that he was willing to be an organ donor and after his death he gave sight to two blind people and a number of people (27) received other organs and tissues.  David’s mother was elated to think how his life continued to live on through these anonymous recipients.  Two of them wrote “thank you” letters to her.  What a cause of rejoicing in the midst of sorrow!

Organ and tissue donation is vitally important for many people who are on waiting lists around the world.  In addition there are donations of blood, platelets and bone marrow that people can give to others as living donors.  People also are able to give one kidney to someone on a waiting list and still live on with one kidney while another will get a chance to live with the donation of their healthy kidney.   A donor does not even need to be a match for the person receiving the kidney as there are ways that multiple donors and recipients can be connected in order that more can be helped.

Recently at a district meeting I met a man who is on a kidney transplant list at Einstein Medical Center.  He is waiting for a kidney and he is praying every day for God to provide.  If anyone would be interested in assisting that person with a kidney donation I can help you be in touch with him.  In addition I urge everyone to consider putting “organ donor” on their government-issued ID or driver’s license and also consider taking the time to give blood and even bone marrow when the opportunities present themselves.  Everything we are: body, soul and spirit is a gift from God for us to be good stewards.  How can you give of yourself in new ways to the glory of God?  The possibilities are endless.  

Life is Sacred

I believe that life is sacred: all life, every life, from the beginning until the end.  Life is sacred because we all reflect the image of the holy, when I look at another, I am privileged to see the sacred image of God reflected in the face of one of God’s beloved children.  This is why gun violence, any gun violence breaks my heart.  There may be little we can do to stop it, but I support actions taken to slow it down. Since 1976 the United Methodist Church has affirmed its faith through vigorous efforts to curb gun violence.  Not much has changed in the past forty years except the fact that we are still marring the sacred image with bullets.

In the past our government has chosen to turn a blind eye to the causes of gun violence, because if there are not reliable statistics kept we can make no reliable changes to our laws.  Even though the government can do more, we as United Methodists have our part to play if we want to help to be part of the solution to this growing problem.  In the resolution that our church reaffirmed there are eleven actions your church can take to reduce violence affecting the lives of children and youth.  How many have you done?

1. Gather as a community to discuss ways by which the United Methodist Church should respond to this growing tragedy, and to determine what role the church should take to facilitate dialogue to address the issue of gun violence in our schools and among our children;
2. Educate the community on gun safety, violence prevention, adult responsibility around gun-violence, and the public health impact of gun violence;
3. Identify community-based, state and national organizations working on the issues of gun violence, and seek their assistance to design education and prevention workshops around issues of gun violence and its effects upon children and youth;
4. Develop advocacy groups within local congregations to advocate for eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society with a particular emphasis upon handguns, handgun ammunition, assault weapons, automatic weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices.  These groups can be linked to community-based, state and national organizations working on gun and violence issues;
5. Support federal legislation in the U.S. Congress to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public.  Such legislation should include provisions for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate background investigation and waiting periods prior to gun purchases, and regulation of subsequent sale;
6. Call upon all governments of the world in which there is a United Methodist presence to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices;
7. Call upon the print, broadcasting and electronic media, as well as the entertainment industry, to refrain from promoting gun usage to children;
8. Discourage the graphic depiction and glorification of violence by the entertainment industry, which greatly influences our society, and recommend that these issues be addressed through education and consciousness raising;
9. Call upon the federal and state governments to provide significant assistance to victims of gun violence and their families.
10. Recommend that our annual conference makes visible public witness to the sin of gun violence and to the hope of community healing; and
11. Reflecting the traditional role of the United Methodist Church has been one of safety and sanctuary, every United Methodist Church is officially declared a weapon-free zone.

I know that there is a divergent political understanding and that some disagree with these actions sought by the United Methodist Church.  However, I hope and pray that we can agree that church cannot remain silent and inactive.  For these sake of our children and our youth let us lead them in the ways that make for peace.

Grateful for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day that we remember the ministry and legacy of Dr. King I give thanks to God for his risk-taking passion for equality for all people.  The willingness to put oneself at risk for a greater good for all is what separates great people from good people.  Dr. King was great.  The suffering, persecutions and ultimate death he experienced were sacrifices that he willingly made for the cause of justice.  No great advancement in human society happens without this powerful witness.  If something is worth dying for it is vitally important.  The lives of all people have been challenged and enriched by the accomplishments of the Civil Rights movement.  A great sacrifice has made a great gain for all people for all times.   His work goes on as people of like minds work for equality and advancement.  

Where do you see people being denied their rights in this world?  In the spirit of Dr. King and in honor of Dr. King, be willing to risk your personal security and resources to make changes happen.  

Call to Prayer

Grace and peace to you from The Lord Jesus Christ.  I am writing to you after hearing the terrible news about yet another mass shooting in which lives of many young people were lost.  It is impossible to imagine the trauma that this act of violence has caused.  I call all of you to a time of prayer for the people affected by this tragedy and for this world of ours that often turns to violence as a response to anger and pain.  May we be instruments of peace.

Will the World Come to an End on December 21st?

We have heard for some time now that the ancient Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 and some have speculated that perhaps this is a prophesy that the world will come to an end on that day.  This would not be all that unfamiliar.  People have been predicting the “end of the world” for centuries.  I remember when the calendar turned to January 1, 2000 there was some thought that this would be the end.  A number of religious groups regularly give dates for the last day or the day of the Lord’s final coming.

The truth is we do not know when the world will come to an end.  The Bible is clear about this (Mark 13:21) but we do know that the scriptures say there will be a coming day when God will make all things right.  There will be a new heaven and a new earth and there will be no more pain or crying or war (Revelation 21:4).

During this week when we have experienced a terrible shooting incident at an elementary school and where globally wars are escalating and human suffering is great one can only hope for that day to come soon.  December 21st would be fine with me.  However, I suspect that God will give this world more time, more time to get it right, more time to win more souls for Christ, more time to make amends for our faults and failures, more time to do good.

With the time we have left in this world, let us resolve to follow the words of John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, for as long as you ever can.”

Hymn of Praise for Thanksgiving from Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

On this Thanksgiving week I give thanks to God for all of you and the amazing ministries that are happening here in the Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware Conference.  May you continue to draw strength from our amazing God, who provides us with all things needed for the work.  Here is a new hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (which can be sung to the tune of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”  The Text is Copyright 2010 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.  All rights reserved.  This is being used by permission.  For further use of this hymn you can e-mail  bcgillette@comcast.net)   For other hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette check out her website at www.carolynshymns.com.

All of life is filled with wonder, so we thank you, God of love
For the crash of evening thunder, clearing clouds, then stars above
For the night that turns to glowing as we feel the morning mist,
God, we praise and thank you, knowing every day we’re truly blessed.

For the joy of daily waking, for the gift of each new day,
For the smell of fresh bread baking, for the sound of children’s play,
For the ways we seek to serve you as we work and volunteer,
God we humbly praise and thank you for your presence with us here.

For the ways we’re blessed with plenty – love and laughter, neighbors, friends,
Nature’s wonders, seasons’ bounty, life in you that never ends.
For the ones who’ve gone before us, giving witness to your way
We rejoice in all you give us every moment, every day.

For your love in times of trouble, for your peace when things are tough,
For your help when hardships double, for your grace that is enough.
For a stranger’s gentle kindness, for a doctor’s healing skill
God, we thank you that you bless us and you bless your world as well.

For the baby in the manger, for the cross and empty tomb,
For each time a searching stranger finds at church a welcome home
For your kingdom’s great surprises - poor ones lifted, lost ones found
God, we thank you! Hope still rises, for your gifts of grace abound.

Thank a Vet

On this Veteran’s Day weekend we pause to thank the veterans of our armed services for their sacrifices made for their country.  We remember the families of veterans who serve in their own way as they support their loved one in the service.  We also need to give thanks for countless people who gave their lives in defense of freedom.  Be sure to thank those veterans that you know and meet on the street.

                

Veteran’s Day was originally known as “Armistice Day” and was established as a day to remember the end of World War I (November 11, 1918).   It was changed to “Veteran’s Day” in 1954 and was broadened to remember all those who served their country in all conflicts.  The word “Armistice” means “a temporary cessation of fighting by mutual agreement or a truce.”  (“The Free Dictionary” by Farlex)  The word literally means “arms stand still.” I am struck by the “temporary cessation” part.  War seems to be inevitable on this earth.  At the end of WW I people thought that was the war to end all wars. Sadly that was not true.  Wars rage on the earth constantly on almost every continent.  For arms to “stand still” takes an act of agreement that in my opinion is harder to come by than by military means. 

                

United Methodists believe that war is “incompatible with the teachings and example of Jesus” (Social Principles, Paragraph 165.C) and as followers of Christ we are called to the work of “armistice” that is, putting down arms through the difficult work of peace-making.  The Social Principles “insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them.”  

                

So on this day we honor those who strove to do this as they served in our military forces and we also need to observe this day by personally making a commitment to the work of peace-making in this world.  As the song goes “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”