Nor'easter

Last week the coastlines of the Mid-Atlantic states experienced heavy rains and flooding as a nor’easter compounded by the affects of Hurricane Ida came to visit. There has been considerable damage to beaches, roads and homes. Some of our churches have experienced some water damage and our Disaster Response teams have done an excellent job in responding to the crisis. I send my personal thanks to all who took part in this effort, and for those who will yet be lending aid to the clean-up. I encourage folks to also contribute monetarily to help as well.

Two weeks ago at the Council of Bishops there were bishops from all over the world, including those from the Philippines. They have experienced a typhoon this summer and there was a huge amount of property and human loss. The photographs that were shown to us of the devastation were sobering. Then one of the bishops from the Philippines said “A typhoon is an opportunity to re-order our life.” This statement hit me like a bomb. He said it was passion and faith. His faith was such that he believed that God was going to work some good from this unquestionably terrible disaster.

We may experience nor’easters and typhoons of sadness and heartache in life. It may be the death of a loved one, an illness, a financial struggle, an interpersonal difficulty. May we have the faith to trust God in the midst of it all and believe that God is re-ordering our lives for good. God’s ways are higher than our ways and God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Though we cannot always understand the suffering we experience in life, we can trust our creator to work all things together for good. May we see how God’s amazing hand can re-order our lives and use it for God’s will and purpose.

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

National Native American Heritage Month

On October 30, 2009, President Obama signed into the law a proclamation designating November as National Native American Heritage Month and he called on all Americans to celebrate November 27, 2009 as Native American Heritage Day. The following paragraphs come out of that proclamation:

“The indigenous peoples of North America -- the First Americans -- have woven rich and diverse threads into the tapestry of our Nation's heritage. Throughout their long history on this great land, they have faced moments of profound triumph and tragedy alike. During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize their many accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices, and we pay tribute to their participation in all aspects of American society.

This month, we celebrate the ancestry and time-honored traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in North America. They have guided our land stewardship policies, added immeasurably to our cultural heritage, and demonstrated courage in the face of adversity. From the American Revolution to combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have fought valiantly in defense of our Nation as dedicated servicemen and women. Their native languages have also played a pivotal role on the battlefield. During World Wars I and II, Native American code talkers developed unbreakable codes to communicate military messages that saved countless lives. Native Americans have distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and scholars. Our debt to our First Americans is immense, as is our responsibility to ensure their fair, equal treatment and honor the commitments we made to their forebears.”

President Barack Obama

Did you know: (from the Native American Communications office)

• There are over 18,000 known Native people in The United Methodist Church. The largest group are members within the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, but Native United Methodists and ministries may be found from the tip of Florida to Alaska. Native people serve the church in every capacity: laypersons, seminary professors, district superintendents, conference directors, employees of general boards and agencies, Christian educators, lay missioners and pastors. Native churches have the highest percentage of female pastors in the denomination.
• There are over 554 federally recognized (those with nation-to-nation status with the U.S. federal government) Native tribes, nations and villages in the United States. This does not include state recognized tribes, or those in the process of recognition with states or the federal government. In addition to these, there are over 500,000 people of primarily Native blood who are ineligible for tribal membership for one reason or another. Add these to the numbers of indigenous people from Central and South America and Canada, and one gains a picture of the complexity of cultures and backgrounds that represent Native people in the United States and The United Methodist Church.
• Most tribes still retain unique language, culture, religions, government and a physical tribal home. Some have lost original languages and many customs, but have retained a sense of identity as a people. There is simply no one "Indian" way of thinking, feeling, or worshipping. In order to become aware of Native people, one must be intentional in the process of ministering to them.

There is such a need to share the “truth” about issues surrounding Native peoples and Dancing with a Brave Spirit: Telling the Truth about Native America, 2005-2008 (http://www.umcgiving.org/atf/cf/%7BA5DA7032-3D61-4AF7-88B9-96B0E1145FF4%7D/dancing.pdf) is a good place to start. Other resources can be found at

www.gbod.org/nativeamerican.

As United Methodists we must recognize the need to walk softly, hand in hand, soul to soul, with our Native American brothers and sisters, to respect the roads they travel and the lessons they have to teach, not only during National Native American Heritage Month but all the time. Please enjoy this poem by Nakakakena:

Walk Softly

by Nakakakena*

When joy fills us
We will walk softly

When our hearts are rejoicing
We will walk softly

When we recognize Jesus sits, walks and stands beside us
We will walk softly

When we hear of pain and suffering of others
We will walk softly

When hearts are stricken by grief
We will walk softly

When all around us is attacking our faith
We will walk softly

When doubt fills our days
We will walk softly

When others are watching
We will walk softly

As we lead others into the path of righteousness for His name's sake
We will walk softly

Amen.

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

*Boe Harris-Nakakakena (which means 'rattles with feet') is a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Spirit Lake Dakota tribal groups. Boe travels and does presentations extensively and is known also for her gifts in traditional dance, jingle dance and Native American flute. Boe Harris-Nakakakena is a member of the St. John's UMC in Seaford, Delaware.

Copyright 2009 © Boe Harris (Nakakakena). Used by Permission. Reproduction granted for use in church worship services. Any further use beyond worship services must be with permission from the author.

Wellness Ministry/Parish Nurses

The Philadelphia Area is blessed with many churches that have “Wellness Ministries” or “Parish Nurse Ministries.” They provide many helpful and holistic services to our local churches and communities. Here are some of their ministries: blood pressure screenings, shut-in visitation, post-hospital visitation, get-well cards, wellness training, safe sanctuary training, spiritual formation, blood drives, women’s health conferences, cancer awareness programs, HIV/AIDS education, nutrition education, support groups, grief counseling, walking programs. They also have been known to install AED equipment and first aid kits at church, post health education notices inside the bathroom stalls about flu prevention, write grants for training classes and conferences and sponsor health-related Bible Studies.

One Parish nurse offered a “Blue Christmas” service on December 21st for people who have lost loved ones during the year and who are feeling especially sad at Christmas time. December 21st is the longest day of the year and during this service candles are lit as a symbol of Christ’s light even in dark times. Another parish nurse sponsored a “Walk to Bethlehem” and challenged parishioners to don their pedometers and track how many miles they walked during Advent with the goal of walking as many miles as Mary and Joseph walked on their way to Bethlehem. Some parish nurses have taken their health concerns out to the global scene and educated people about the health needs of women in developing countries and raised money to pay for medical services overseas. It seems that the possibilities are endless.

My personal experience with parish nursing comes from my years serving in a low income Deaf congregation. On several occasions the visiting parish nurse who came each week for the blood pressure screening ended up taking church members to the emergency room for extremely high blood pressure readings. They literally saved the lives of many.

The purpose of our church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Wellness Ministry/Parish Nurse ministry transforms the world!

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson