Hicksville Grace UMC

Greg’s Gracicles March 2010

Greg Wack — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:51:46 +0000

The day I’m writing this is Monday, February 22. Last night I watched an interview NBC sports personality Bob Costas had with the U.S. speed skater Apollo Ohno. Bob Costas asked Apollo about the rivalry he has with the Korean skaters. Apollo’s remarks were very interesting and informative. He smiled and said that everyone forgets that the skaters are friends and compete against each other all the time. They respect each other and also realize that somebody wins and others don’t. He also said that fans and the media make way too much of the rivalry. The athletes might get caught up in the emotions of a big race, but they will always be friends and always respect each other. They don’t like their competitive nature to be pushed too far by fans and the media until it becomes a misperceived, heated rivalry. Many of the Olympic athletes are just like that. They like to win, but they also know they are part of a larger community of athletes.

What can we learn from them? What does Jesus teach about that?

Greg’s Gracicles February 2010

Greg Wack — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:01:29 +0000

Legendary blues artist Bo Didley penned these words as the title to a song: “Who do you love?” So, who, or what, do you love? In a book I’m reading, a group of seminary students are sitting at a table in the seminary dining area. Their conversation is all about criticizing the church and church people. One of their teachers has overheard the conversation/criticisms and stops to offer this point: Do you know that God loves the church as much as God loves you? In all their conversation they hadn’t talked about that. How often do we think about that regarding anyone or anything or even ourselves?

In this month that hosts Valentine’s Day, let us all think more about what Jesus’ greatest commandment means. Love God with all that you are. And, love your neighbor as yourself. All of this because God does. The next time we want to criticize or make fun of someone, let’s stop and remember that God loves them as much as God loves us. Let’s also remember those other words Jesus said: whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Him. While God can handle the worst we can give Him, it doesn’t mean He likes it or we should do it. The same goes for the people around us.

There IS a God, and He IS serious about Bo Didley’s question and how we answer it, and live our answer.

Dear Lord, if we get no other help, please help us to love You, one another, and ourselves. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Greg’ Gracicles January 2010

Greg Wack — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:50:38 +0000

Dateline: January 4, 2010—The Burj Dubai (the world’s tallest building) opened today.

Almost two years ago, my wife and I were in Dubai when we visited our son Joel who lives in neighboring Abu Dhabi. As we approached Dubai on the highway, we could see what looked like a giant finger raising and pointing upward in the sky. On almost any day, people from miles around will see this building as if Dubai was proclaiming: “Here we are!”

Our son told us that the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, which is a father and his sons, have determined the approximate value of all resources of their country and are planning and working to make sure there is a sustainable income and value to the region for many years to come. They greatly admire the United States and are emulating us to some extent, hence their name. Their dreams do include a raised standard of living for everybody, not just themselves, and they are working on creating that kind of environment.

What future are you, I, and we planning for and working toward? As disciples of and for Jesus, is it a future, and a present, that raises a finger high enough for all to see that proclaims “Jesus is here!”?

Yes, part of the motivation in Dubai is to make things bigger and better than anywhere else. Are we proclaiming a life and inviting everyone to join us as we build a life modeled as Jesus taught, which is bigger and better than anything else, anywhere?

Do we emulate Jesus above and beyond anything or anyone else as we pursue happiness in life?

Three words that will guide my life this year are: feed, love, and share. Feed on God’s love, Love God, and Share God’s love with everyone! Nothing else really matters.

Greg’s Gracicles December 2009

Greg Wack — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:01:13 +0000

As I write this, it’s Monday, November 23. Some of the major cable television networks have begun, and have already began, running Christmas movies. We watched one of these movies last night that was all about the notion of grace. It was about looking past imperfections and human expectations to look into our hearts.

Christmas is as much about unhappiness as it is about happiness. Jesus came to pave a path from the unhappiness of sin, mistakes, and misguided human expectations to a path of life and happiness in God’s love.

The cultural ideal of Christmas might be hard to find, but the true joy of Christmas remains abundant. It cannot be taken from anybody, and it is there for everybody. The peace and happiness that can only be found in God’s love is a gift that is always under everybody’s tree, whether the tree is real or imaginary. The grace that wipes away sin, mistakes, and unmet expectations is in the air waiting for us to let it work in our lives.

One of, if not THE, primary human desires is happiness. If you want to experience, and share, happiness this holiday season here are some steps to do so:

* Enjoy the company of your family and friends. This might mean forgiving and/or forgetting things they’ve done, or do, that you don’t like. * Watch at least one good Christmas movie. If the spirit of Christmas makes you laugh, laugh out loud with gusto. If the spirit of Christmas brings a tear to your eye, let it flow. (Yes, guys, it takes a lot more courage to let a tear roll than to pretend we’re too tough for emotion!)

* Sing some Christmas carols, or at least joyfully listen to some. * Talk to some kids about Christmas, or, eavesdrop on kids Christmas conversations. Uninhibited, unimpeded Christmas excitement is contagious! * Speaking of kids: Come and watch or help with our Kids Christmas Activity Time on December 13 from noon to 1 PM. * Help someone else have a Merry Christmas. There are numerous ways: Right here you can donate a box of cereal, a dozen sugar cookies, toys, money, etc. to our Hicksville community Christmas project efforts. * (Shameless plug: God see “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Huber Opera House.) * Come to any of our holiday worship services, especially our Christmas Eve service! * Most of all, in any and all of these things, find a way to let God’s grace and love wash over you and experience that joy, even in the @#%^& of life!

Greg’s Gracicles November 2009

Greg Wack — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:40:47 +0000

What is good news? You may have heard that the word “gospel” can mean “good news”. The Gospel of Matthew is “the good news of Jesus as told by Matthew.” What is the good news of Jesus as found at Grace United Methodist Church in Hicksville, Ohio?

We have new families, new Sunday School classes, new looks, and possibility abounds in and through the ministries of Grace! In the midst of financial struggles we have been able to cut some expenses, have people think creatively to come up with fundraising projects that help the church and the community, and we are moving forward in our mission to follow Jesus! Our worship services are probably as vibrant and passionate as they’ve ever been with the help of these kinds of things: Our Chancel (adult) and Chapel (kids) choirs are going strong. Altar-ed Sound, our praise group, regularly provides various kinds of praise music, we have special music every week, and we have a meaningful time of singing praise music each week! The free soup supper, started by Lila Wittig, continues to provide food and company for people of our community! We continue to have some of the tried and true ministries that have been the foundational ministries of Grace throughout the years!

We still have our struggles, both financially and otherwise. We won’t be able to pay our full apportionments (the funds we send to our conference of the United Methodist Church to help support denominational resources and ministries) and we are always struggling to resource some of our vital ministries such as Christian formation and education.

All in all, there is more than enough good news to go around! Grace UMC is a vital Christian faith community in Hicksville with ministries that make a difference in people’s lives! As such, we continue to be a good investment of your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service! In this month of Thanksgiving, thank you for your past, present, and future support of all we do!

Greg’s Gracicles October 2009

Greg Wack — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:55:01 +0000

Greetings! Well, we’re deep into football season! We’re also ready to get into harvest season. We’re also in the Fall season, getting ready for the Winter season. All these seasons mean different thing to different folks, but everybody has feelings about them.

Right now, in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, we’re in the midst of Charge Conference season. Our Charge Conference will be on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Defiance. I’ll be honest, I don’t like Charge Conferences. But I do like what they stand for and what they can mean for us.

Charge Conferences remind each congregation that each person in that congregation is part of a team that is vital to the lives of the people in their community. They remind each congregation that our church is part of a team of churches known as the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. And, they remind us that our number one purpose is to do the will of God as we follow Jesus Christ. (Maybe Charge Conference time should be rally time that inspires all of us around these things? Then we could simply turn in vital information with the other vital information on the year end reports? Oops, did I say that out loud?)

Along these same lines, another important date for us is October 19, 2009. On that evening, Bishop Bruce Ough will be in our District. He will be at Shawnee United Methodist Church, in Lima, at 6:00 PM. We also have our Administrative Council meeting that evening, however, I will be going to hear the Bishop. This is not because it will look good or that I’m supposed to go. It is because, as a speaker and motivational leader, Bishop Ough is that good! I would love to be accompanied by several people from our church. If you would like to go, please contact me as soon as possible and we will make arrangements.

Grace United Methodist Church is an exciting place to be with exciting disciples of Jesus Christ! Let’s keep the excitement going!

Greg’s Gracicles September 2009

Greg Wack — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:18:16 +0000

Can you read my mind? Do you wonder what thoughts are rambling around the emptiness of my brain? One way to find out is to read the postings on my office door. Another is to come right out and ask me. I’m going to help you out right now.

A pastor friend of mine (Rev. Bruce Cole, senior pastor of Faith Community Church in Huntley, Illinois) recently posted this on his Face Book page and I put on my office door:

“Faith is believing that one of two things will happen: there will be something solid for you to stand on—or—you will learn to fly.”

The imperative of this sentence is that, with faith, something is going to happen. Faith isn’t something to carry in your pocket for good luck. Faith is a word to decorate our house with to make people think or say ,”Awww.” Faith is a way of life that believes something is going to happen. As Bruce so nicely puts it: we will either find something solid to stand on, or, we will learn to fly.

Only statues find something solid to stand on so that they’ll not be moved. People find solid places on their way to something else. This isn’t my idea, or Bruce’s idea, it’s God’s way of doing things. the only time God ever gave someone a solid place to stand and not move was with Lot’s wife, after he turned her into a pillar of salt.

Somebody in another state is thinking” “O yeah, well the only time we fly is when we’re in a plane!” Absolutely! Amen! Guess what? The “church” is a flying machine! God invented the “flying machine” when He gave people the notion of faith. “Flying” isn’t meant to be literal (repeat that in your head). Flying IS meant to point toward things we can do that somebody doesn’t think we can do that will impact the world in a positive way.

In the Bible, God is pretty clear about something: Faith is a necessary ingredient for every disciple. There are no exceptions!

With faith, we at Grace are going somewhere! Thanks for what you’ve done in the past! Come join us as we move into the unavoidable future!

Greg’s Gracicles June 2009

Greg Wack — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:24:05 +0000

Our granddaughter Cecilia is beginning to talk. She can carry on short conversations with us, but isn’t ready for anything lengthy. There’s a lot of parroting going on. She repeats what she hears with an air of confidence that makes us think she understands every word she has just repeated. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, Cecilia is extremely flattered with everyone around her!

I’m a little disappointed . She’s moving from pioneering conversations to conversations that are, to a great extent, borrowed from the people around her. Yes, I know that’s the way it’s been since the beginning of time. It’s central to our nature as human beings. When toddlers babble they are simply trying to repeat what they don’t quite know how to say yet. They don’t let that hold them back, they go ahead and talk anyway. I will miss my “conversations” with Cecilia, as I have with all our kids and grandkids, in which they bravely go into the world of conversation, whether they speak real words or toddler words.

It’s also central to our nature as disciples of, and for, Jesus to learn how to live and speak by imitating. We are called to be “imitators” of Christ. Jesus wants us to have the best of both worlds: 1) Be imitators of Him. 2) Be faith pioneers in the world.

So what does this mean? First off, I dare you to read the New Testament this summer. Read it and learn what it means to truly be an imitator of Jesus, rather than simply an imitator of other Christians. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Jesus first always!) Secondly, pray and dream about how you can be a faith pioneer. When was the last time you “babbled” about Jesus?

What do I mean? You read the New Testament. You pray. You figure it out. You will make a positive difference in the world around you ! Refocus on discipleship.

Greg’s Gracicles May 2009

Greg Wack — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:58:30 +0000

United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase has written a book that is changing the heart of United Methodism. The book is called The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Some of you have probably heard the practices, our bishop has been outlining them from the beginning of his ministry in the West Ohio Conference.

The five practices are : Radical Hospitality, Risk Taking Mission & Service, Passionate Worship, Nurturing Faith Relationships, and Extravagant Generosity. These are not simply ideas that came to Bishop Schnase. These practices are grounded in the Gospels and in the life of the early church, led by the Apostles.

This month, let’s take a look at the first one - Radical Hospitality. We’ll begin with a factural journey in the dictionary. Radical - favoring or resulting in extreme or revolutionary changes. Hospitality - an instance of being hospitable. Hospitable - environmentally favorable to growth and development.

So, basically, we’re talking about going over the edge in creating an environment favorable to Christian growth and development. This means we do this not just for the members and regulars of our church, it’s for absolutely everyone who walks into our ministries. This also means we do this not just for those who come to us, but we go to those who need what we have. And, it also means that we do more than the “daily minimum requirements” for hospitality. In other words, we do more than is expected of us, and more than even we expect of ourselves.

Jesus said; whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him. Most importantly, He also said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Join me in trying to live this out better and better each day! Next month we’ll talk about Risk Taking Mission & Service.

In Jesus’ love,

Greg

Greg’s Gracicles April 2009

Greg Wack — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:01:31 +0000

A family bought a new refrigerator. The old one was still in pretty good shape, so they didn’t want to just junk it. The husband rolled it to the end of their driveway and put a big sign on it: Free - You Haul. A week later it was still there. He changed his tactic. He put a new sign on it. Good Refrigerator - $50.00 - You Haul. The next morning they got up to find that someone had stolen the refrigerator during the night!

Anytime a community has a day of unlimited trash pick-up, the night before the actual pick-up is a flurry of people driving around the town “picking up” anything they think they might use.

If I uncovered a pallet of solid gold bricks some Sunday morning during worship, and informed everyone that every family could take one, there wouldn’t be any left would there?

In an instant, God could make every used appliance, all our junk, and every ounce of gold disappear. Despite that fact: Nobody rummages through our trash looking for pieces of faith that we’ve tossed away. Nobody is waiting in line on Sunday, or any other day, to receive God’s free love and grace.

Easter Sunday is just around the corner. What are you going to do with our celebration of Jesus’ victory and offer of free love and grace to all of humanity?