Sermon - July 28, 2013

Three Wishes

Sermon by Stephen Ricketts

Providence-Fort Washington United Methodist Church

Luke 11:1-13

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2013

 

I am sure you all have heard of the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp. Today the story is best known in the Disney version that features Robin Williams as the genie. The story first appeared in a French version of the Arabian Nights and tells the story of a poor boy who was tricked by an evil sorcerer into entering a magic cave to retrieve a magic lamp. Aladdin retrieves the lamp and discovers the genie of the lamp. And with the genie’s magical help, Aladdin is able to defeat the evil sorcerer and also marry the emperor’s daughter. One plot element from the Aladdin story that has passed into our popular culture is the restriction that the genie can only grant three wishes. This requires the owner of the lamp to think carefully before actually making a wish. Today it is common for children, after hearing the story of Aladdin, to dream about having three wishes.

Now, I think we all know that genies do not come from magic lamps, but that has not stopped us from making wishes. Today, the lottery ticket has replaced the genie as the grantor of our wishes. Every time some lottery reaches a really big number (usually a couple hundred million dollars) lottery fever sets in as people line up to purchase at least one ticket. And, once they have their ticket, people begin to fantasize about what they will do if their ticket is the winning ticket. Depending on the amount, fantasies range from buying a mansion to buying a major league sports team. Some people are more altruistic and their fantasies involve endowing a chair at a university or funding important medical research. My own personal fantasy is to purchase some books that are currently out of my price range. It seems that we all dream about having the resources to fulfill our wildest wishes; and, we all have “three wishes” at the ready should that magic lamp or winning lottery ticket fall into our lap.

So, after all this talk about genies granting wishes and holding the winning lottery ticket, what are we to make of Jesus’ words in today’s gospel reading? “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)” On the face of it, it seems we have found our genie in the person of Jesus. After all, he says “ask and it will be given to you” – sounds pretty much like genie-talk, right? Well, anyone who has ever asked God for a new Rolls Royce can tell you, Jesus is not in the wish granting business. So, what exactly is Jesus saying? Is he giving us unfulfillable and unrealistic expectations? Is he setting us up for a major disappointment when our wishes are not granted? Is he simply lying to us? Or, is there truth and power in these verses just waiting to be discovered?

Today, I want to look closely at these two verses and especially the three verbs in them: Ask, Seek, and Knock. I want to claim Jesus’ promise in these words and see how we can use them in our lives today. I want to take the words in a slightly different order today; I want to start with “seek” because I believe that we must seek God before we can ask something from God.

“Seek and you will find” is God’s promise to every person who wants to know more about God. The promise is given before we have any faith in God; the promise is given before we even acknowledge God’s existence. All that is required is that we seek God with an open mind; that we seek God open to the possibility of God’s existence. Some people claim they cannot find God when in reality they are seeking a god of their own creation, then when they discover that their god does not exist they deny the existence of the true Lord of Heaven. If we seek a god who hunts down and destroys our enemies then we will not find God. If we seek a god who rewards the wealthy and punishes the poor then we will not find God. If we seek a god who maintains order through fear and enjoys punishing people for even the smallest infraction then we will not find God. But, when we lay aside our pre-conceived notions of who God is and how God works in the world and simply listen then Jesus promises that we will hear God’s voice speaking to our hearts. I believe that when we seek we will find God in the grandeur of a stellar explosion and in the wonder of a single living cell. I believe that when we seek we will find that God loves all creation and cares for our enemies with the same passion that he cares for us. I believe that when we seek we will discover that God chooses to cast his lot with the poor and that God is present with them in a special way. I believe that when we seek we will discover that God wants to forgive us, embrace us, and bring us to everlasting life. God also reveals himself to those who have found God and want to learn more about God and how God works in the world. When we seek God with a faith-filled heart we find that God is always beside us; ready to walk with us through the darkest valleys and stay with us on the longest nights. When we seek God with a faith-filled heart, we find that God is present – ready to fill our lives with meaning and joy. When we seek God with a faith-filled heart, we discover God has given us the chance to grow and develop in his love and grace. Our task is to continuously seek God – to continue to study and learn more about God. And, as we seek and study, God reveals more and more of himself to us. There is always something new to discover about God because it is impossible to exhaust the infinite reality that is God. Seek and you will find. Seek and God will reveal himself to you.

“Ask and it will be given to you” is more challenging for us to understand because God’s response does not always come in the way we are expecting. We may ask for God to destroy our enemy and when our enemy survives some people claim God has not given us what we asked for. We may ask God to give us something that is destructive or harmful and when we do not receive it some people claim God has not given us what we asked for. I believe that when we ask for what we need then the Lord gives us what we ask for. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to ask for our “daily bread,” trusting that God will give us what we ask for. When we ask for those things that will bring us fulfillment and joy then God is quick to give us what we ask for. But, God wisely refuses to give us those things that will only bring us sorrow and pain, even when we ask for them. As we seek after God and learn more about God then we begin to understand the difference between what we need and what we want; we learn to distinguish between those things that bring us temporary pleasure and those things that bring us eternal joy. When we ask for the “good gifts” then God is surely delighted to give us what we ask for.

“Knock and the door will be opened to you.” I believe we have a very conflicted relationship with doors. We hate them when they are closed and we want to get through them. But, we are overjoyed when a door is open and we experience new possibilities. I believe that our challenge with this verse may come from the fact that we tend to focus on the door; and the door then becomes an obstacle to be overcome. However, Jesus’ focus is on our action; Jesus calls us to knock whenever we encounter a closed door. Think about it. The door may be unlocked, the door may be ready to swing open at the lightest touch; but, we will never know until we knock. It is only when we knock that we discover that the door is open.

All three of these verbs, Seek, Ask, and Knock call us to action. God can be found, but only by those who seek his presence. God will shower us with gifts, but only when we ask. God will open the doors that seem to block our path but only when we knock. God is not a genie we summon to do our bidding; rather God responds with his presence when we seek; responds with his blessings when we ask; responds with his power when we knock.

Today God stands ready to respond. When we seek God, we will find him. When we ask, God will provide. And, when we knock, God will open the door.

So, what are you seeking today? What am I seeking today? What are we, as Providence-Fort Washington, seeking today? Today, I want us to claim Jesus’ promise that as we honestly seek God, and his will for us, then we will find. I want to suggest that we, as a church, seek for ways that we can make an impact in our community. I want us to seek for the needs that are going unmet. Seek for the hurt that cries out for comfort. Seek for the joy that is left unexpressed. One place where I have sensed that need is in the children of our Vacation Bible School. Last week helped me see that we need to be in ministry to the children and youth of our community. We can use our resources of time and space and talent to minister to this community. You may be sensing that God is leading us in this or another direction; that is part of our ongoing conversation about being Christ’s disciples here in Fort Washington. Today, will you join me in seeking, trusting Christ’s promise that when we seek we will find?

Next, what are you asking for today? What am I asking for? What are we, as Providence-Fort Washington, asking God to give us today? Today, I want us to claim Jesus’ promise that when we ask then God will give us what we need. I want us to ask for those things, those resources, that we need in order to minister effectively in Fort Washington. Today I am asking God to enlarge our congregation. We are a small congregation and we do not need to get bigger just so we can boast about our numbers. But, a larger congregation will allow us to tackle new challenges in new ways. Again, you may agree with my prayer or you may be hearing God calling us to ask for other resources. The point is to trust that when we ask that God will give us what we need to prosper and flourish.

Finally, where are the doors that you need to knock on? Where are the doors that I should be knocking on? What doors should we, as the people of God, be knocking on today? Today, I want us to claim Jesus’ promise that when we knock the door will be open. This year at Annual Conference, Bishop Matthews called on all the churches of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to form a partnership with a neighborhood school. Bishop Matthews was not specific about the form this partnership should take, but it would seem that the school door is one we should be knocking on. I am not sure what will happen when we knock except I do know a door will be opened for us to be in ministry. Today, will you join me in knocking on the doors of our community? Christ has promised that when we knock the door will be opened.

I am not sure that seeking, asking, and knocking count as wishes, but I know God will not let us fail when we trust his promises. I know that “everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Amen.

 

This Week at Providence-Fort Washington - July 26, 2013

This Week at Providence-Fort Washington

Friday, July 26, 2013

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,

for he will speak peace to his people,

to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

Psalm 85:8-9

 

This Week In Worship – July 28, 2013

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Special Music by the VBS Children and Youth

Pastor Stephen preaching: Three Wishes

 

Summer Worship Music

Beginning June 30^th the chancel choir will be on hiatus.

This is your opportunity to showcase

your musical talents during worship.

See Judy or Pastor Stephen to sign-up to provide

music during the summer months.

 

Wednesday Bible Study

A Close Reading of Genesis

The Group meets at 6:00 pm for a potluck dinner.

The Bible Study begins at 6:30 pm and ends at 8:30 pm.

 

Vacation Bible School – 2013

Come celebrate with the children and youth on

Saturday, July 27 @ 2:00 P.M.

at the

The Everywhere Fun Fair Where God’s World Comes Together

 

 

Pastor Stephen’s Blog

Pastor Stephen is again posting to his blog

http://pastorstephen.blogspot.com/

It includes recent sermons, Wednesday Bible Study notes

and HOPI-VIM updates.

 

2013 Worship Attendance Goal

Our Worship Attendance Goal for 2013 is 92.

Our average worship attendance through June 23^rd is 79.21.

 

Altar Flowers

Please sign-up to supply altar flowers.

Flowers can be used to mark any significant occasion

including birthdays, anniversaries, and memorials.

Altar flowers are $22.00 per vase and

payment is due when you request flowers.

 

Urban Ministry Update

The Urban Ministry Group is now leading Worship Services

on the Third Sunday of every month at

House of Peace

meeting at 3^rd Street Church of God in Washington, D.C.

As part of our ministry, we provide lunch and

offer hats, gloves, and coats for those in need.

We are accepting cash donations to offset the cost of this ministry.

Contact Pastor Stephen or Mi Ja for more details.

The Group will meet on Saturday, August 17^th at 9:30 am

to plan and prepare for our next trip into D.C. on August 18^th.

 

Giant Food Cash For Causes

Providence-Fort Washington has enrolled in the

Giant Food Cash For Causes Program

 

This program allows us to purchase

Giant Gift Cards at a 5% discount and then resell them for face value.

The 5% difference is then put in our General Operating Fund.

The difference between our cost and your purchase price

is also credited on your annual giving statement.

 

Pastor Stephen has some cards available for purchase

and you can order cards to be delivered next week.

The cards have no expiration date and can be used for anything Giant sells.

Please see Pastor Stephen to purchase cards or if you have any questions.

 

Charting Our Course

The Vision Committee has completed a “first sort” of all the suggestions received

and is distributing them to various groups within the church for their comments.

They expect to make recommendations for implementation of ideas soon.

We are still interested in your ideas on how to move our church forward.

 

Collection of Stamps and Labels

Don’t forget to continue collecting stamps to be used by veterans

In the Stamps for the Wounded program.  We also need box and

can labels (bar codes) for the Board of Child Care Auxiliary who

serves families in the Baltimore-Washington Conference.

 

Thank you!

Donna D., Secretary, P-FW United Methodist Women

 

Aluminum Can Recycling

We are collecting and recycling aluminum cans.

Please bring your aluminum cans in

and we will sell them to the recycling center.

 

Do you have something to add?

Do you have an announcement that need to get out to everyone in the church?

If so, please e-mail it to me (srricketts@verizon.net) and I will include it in the next

This Week at Providence-Fort Washington.

 

Blessings,

Pastor Stephen

 

Sermon from July 21st

Choosing the Better Part

Sermon by Stephen Ricketts

Providence-Fort Washington United Methodist Church

Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2013

 

I am sure the story of Martha and Mary is familiar to every woman here. It is frequently used at women’s retreats and typically the message is presented as a conflict between Martha and Mary. On the one hand there is Martha the hardworking woman of the house. Martha is the one who gets up early to shop at the market. Martha is the one who packs lunches for the children. Martha is the one who fixes a hot breakfast for her husband, works a ten-hour day, keeps a spotless house and always has a home-cooked meal waiting when her husband gets home from work. And, Martha is also the one who cannot get anyone to help her; even Jesus seems to side against her. On the other hand there is Mary the contemplative student. Mary is the one who gets up early to pray. Mary is the one who spends hours reading her Bible. Mary is the one whose prayer journal is filled with prayer requests from her neighbors. Mary is the one who has perfect attendance at Synagogue. And, Mary is the one who receives accolades from Jesus. Typically the message women hear from this passage is that they need to be more like Mary and less like Martha because Jesus commends Mary for “choosing the better part.”

There are several problems with this interpretation. First, I believe it is very unfair to women. Our society already gives women very mixed messages. Women are expected to be beautiful, sexy, smart, resourceful, and efficient. Women are expected to keep the house, raise the children, cook the meals, hold down a job, and keep their husbands happy. And, this passage seems to add one more challenge to an already overfilled life – women are expected to be spirit filled followers of Jesus as well. What is a woman to do? She can work like Martha and then be condemned for not being spiritual enough. Or, she can study and pray like Mary and then be condemned for not getting the work done.

The other problem with this interpretation is that it ignores half of the population. Many men assume they can tune out anytime this passage is being discussed. After all there are no male characters (except Jesus) in this passage; there is no obvious place for men. And our society says that the proper place for the man has always been out of the kitchen and away from domestic chores like house cleaning and diaper changing. Society has no problem when men choose to sit at Jesus’ feet. In short, this passage seems to present no challenges for the men; it is just assumed that we are supposed to be sitting at Jesus’ feet.

So, our challenge for today is to hear this passage in a new way; a way that empowers rather than imprisons women; a way that includes rather than excludes men. Our challenge is to hear this passage in a way that does not make women feel guilty when they choose between caring for their family on the one hand or serving God on the other. Our challenge is to hear this passage in a way that calls men to find themselves in this story and understand that their choice to care for others does not come at the expense of serving God.

I think the best place to begin re-interpreting this passage is by placing it in context. One of the problems of following the Lectionary is that it tends to break the scripture readings up into separate “chunks.” The preacher treats each reading as an isolated section unconnected to nearby readings. However, the scriptures are naturally connected because they tell only one story – the story of God’s love for his children. This means that passages build on and comment on each other. Particularly this week, the story of Martha and Mary immediately follows the story of the Good Samaritan which we looked at last week. I believe Luke placed them together because they have one message.

I think the title of Mi Ja’s sermon from last week captured the primary message of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan – Love Does. Her message emphasized the fact that the parable is about putting love into action. The message of the parable is that it is not enough to know the right answer; we must apply what we know. It is not enough to have good intentions; we must help those in need. It is not enough to say we love our neighbor as ourselves; we must show our love for others. At the conclusion of the passage, Jesus commanded the lawyer to “go and do likewise;” to go and love his neighbor as himself.

But, then just a few verses later we find Martha working herself to exhaustion to provide for Jesus and his disciples. How do we join these two messages that “love without works is dead” and “works without love is just exhausting?”

Our challenge in fulfilling Jesus’ command to “go and do likewise” is that loving the world is hard work. Think about what the Samaritan had to do when he found the man lying in the ditch. He had to stop, bandage him up, pick him up, walk while the man rode on the donkey and then pay for the man’s care. It is no wonder that we walk by on the other side; that kind of love sounds like hard work (and it can be expensive as well). When we use our own strength to try and fulfill Jesus’ command we are quickly overwhelmed and exhausted. Then, our challenge in following Mary in choosing the better part is that so much seems to be left undone while we are busy building up our spiritual resources. When we remain isolated in our cloister we tend to forget the real needs that exist in the world. How do we bring these two together?

The solution comes when we join these two passages together and find that they give us the strength we need to love the world and they give us a purpose and reason to be active in the world. We do need to be like Mary and chose the better part because our time with Jesus gives us strength and power. The reason we attend Bible study and Sunday school is not so that we will gain academic accolades; we study to learn more about God and God’s will for our lives. The reason we join together in prayer groups is not so we will feel good about ourselves; our prayers connect us to the suffering and needs of others. The reason we gather for Christian fellowship is not to have a good time with friends; our fellowship gives us support and encouragement to serve in the world. Our Sunday morning gatherings have two very important purposes. First we gather to praise God and to be connected to the source of our life and being; and, we gather to be filled with the strength of the Holy Spirit. The time we spend with Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet is to get us ready to work in the world.

We need to begin by following Mary but, we also need to follow the Good Samaritan and “do love.” We cannot simply leave this place on a spiritual high and waste the energy we have gained; we need to put God’s love to work in the world. The Good Samaritan did not find the man in need until he ventured out into the world; the people in need are not sitting in church – they are out there somewhere in the ditch. And, we will not find them and meet their needs until we leave this place, walk alongside the ditches of this world, rescue the suffering, bandage their wounds, and continue to be present with them until all of their needs are met.

So, this morning I want to invite you to follow Mary and spend some time sitting at Jesus’ feet. I want to invite you to set aside some time this week and simply listen to his words. I want to invite you to set aside some time to just absorb his teachings. I want to invite you to set aside some time and simply relax in Jesus’ love. I want to invite you to open yourself up to the power of the Holy Spirit and let it fill you. You can spend this time with Jesus in a variety of ways. You might want to be part of the adult class at Vacation Bible School. You might want to set yourself the challenge of reading one of the gospels. You might want to take the extended prayer list from the bulletin and make it part of your morning devotions. You might want to spend thirty minutes alone outside listening to the sounds of nature. The invitation is to be deliberate in spending some time sitting at Jesus’ feet; and, let that time refresh you and fill you with God’s power.

This morning I also want to invite you to follow the Good Samaritan and meet the needs of someone in the world. I invite you to become aware of the issues that trouble our inner cities and find out how you can be directly involved. I invite you to become part of the group that traveled to the House of Peace this morning and join them in their ministry to the homeless of D.C. I invite you to increase your giving by giving to a specific local mission. I invite you to find a volunteer opportunity in our schools or hospitals. This invitation is to be deliberate in following the Good Samaritan and “do likewise” for our neighbors.

The story of Martha and Mary is a story about choices. But it is not about choosing between Martha and Mary; it is not about choosing between study and action. It is about choosing to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with his strength as we study. It is about choosing to allow the Holy Spirit’s power to flow through our lives as we serve in the world. Together with the story of the Good Samaritan, Martha and Mary call us to choose the better part; call us to allow ourselves to be filled with God’s Spirit; and call us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Amen.

Hopi VIM - Sandy's trip home

Here's a pic of a tunnel thru the Rockies -- today (Sunday, 7/14) I drove from Fruita CO to my brother's place in Parker CO (about 5 hours)

Hopi VIM - Sandy on the road home

Saturday, July 13, I drove northeastward from the Hopi Res, thru the Navajo Res, Hwy 191 north thru Utah, east on I70 to Fruita, CO, where I stayed overnight with a cousin and picked up 12 boxes of peaches. At least 9 boxes will be delivered to family; I hope to get home to Upper Marlboro with 2-3 boxes of peaches. See below, I got all 12 boxes in my cab, drove across the Rockies, ran my AC kinda high for the peaches and nearly froze myself. Actually, after the arid 100+ degree days on the Hopi Res, the AC felt good.....:):)!!

Hopi VIM - Sandy on the road again

As I headed toward the Four Corners through the Navajo Res, I saw plenty of "open range" horses, sheep, and cattle.

Hopi VIM - Sandy on the road again

We all left Hopi Land on Saturday morning, July 13th, at about 7:45 a.m. PDT--17 members of the team flying out of Flagstaff to Phoenix to BWI; my homeward trip via CO/WY/NE to visit family. Well, Merle told me about this short-cut dirt road (see below). It was about 30 miles long; sometimes I had to slow down to a creep; and sometimes I was able to drive along the far right side to avoid some of the wash-boardiness but had to speed up to ensure that I would not get stuck in the deep sand. In spite of the challenges of the Low Mountain (dirt) Road, just east of Polacca, I'm certain it saved me at least an hour and maybe up to 75 miles. Once I exited the Hopi Res and entered the Navajo Res, it did convert into a nice asphalted road.

Hopi VIM - Veteran Memorial

Sandy, Darlene and Carol visited the Hopi Veterans' Memorial Center. This Wall of Honor is dedicated to all Hopi and Tewa (relatives to Hopi) men and women, past, present, and future, who have served, are now serving, and will serve honorably and dutifully in all branches of the United States military. This memorial includes plaques with names of those who sacrificed their time, and sometimes their lives in WWI, WWII, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Era, or the Persian Gulf War--all for love of country, home, freedom, and democracy. (Dedicated 5/25/1998)

Hopi VIM - At the Art School

An awesome quilt made by several Hopi women at the Art School

Hopi VIM - Basket Weaving

As Stephen mentioned, we visited a Hopi Art School run by Robert Rhodes. Below, a Hopi woman is starting a basket which will be multi-colored. It is made from the yucca plant and some of the colors may be made from wild spinach (black), a marble-like clay (white), as well as other clays or plants for other colors.

Hopi VIM - some of our friends

Plenty of free roaming "Res" dogs; these hang out around the Hopi Mission School, specifically staying cool near the entrance to the Mission Visitor Center where we lodged.

Touring with Merle

This is called the "Twin Towers" on the Hopi Res

Touring with Merle

Merle is explaining Prophecy Rock

Touring with Merle

Team members check out terraced gardening on the Hopi Res

Pastor Stephen @ Lowell Observatory

HOPI VIM - July 5th

On Friday, July 5th - A pic of Pastor Stephen at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. Although it was mostly overcast, we were able to see Saturn via telescope.

Sandy

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday and on the way home

I still need to write up Friday's activities. But, that will have to wait until we get home. In the meantime, we left Hopi at 7:30 am. Our flight from Flagstaff to Phoenix was short and uneventful. As of 4:30 pm (east coast time) we are in Phoenix awaiting our flight go BWI. We should arrive at about 10:30 pm.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone and telling you all about our time in Hopi.

Hopi VIM Thursday Update (just a little late)

I know this is a little late in coming but I will try to catch up all of Thursday.

Since we are such a large group (18 people) we frequently need to break into two groups to avoid overwhelming the sites and people we visit. Thursday was no exception - we divided into two groups with one group taking an extended tour with Merle and the other group visiting Bob Rhodes and the Hopi School.. I was in the second group. Friday, I will be part of the group that goes with Merle on the tour.

We began our day visiting Bob Rhodes. He is an educator who settled in Hopi over 40 years ago and is convinced that we are doing education wrong for the Hopi. Instead of taking the Anglo model of school and imposing it on Hopi he wants to take the traditional Hopi ways of learning and incorporate Anglo content.

Cheryl and Bob outside Bob's office

Bob lives on the edge of First Mesa and has a stunning view out his front window. We spent about an hour with Bob while he explained what his is attempting to accomplish. One thing he has done is to work to have master Hopi artist teach their arts so they are not lost. While we were there there was a class in one form of traditional Hopi basket weaving. The class was comprised of adult women who were working on creating small baskets. For most of them basket weaving is an art practiced by their grandmothers but something that is in danger of being lost.

Hopi woman weaving a basket

After our time with Bob, we returned to the Hopi Mission School and waited to have lunch with the other group. After lunch we went shopping at some of the local Hopi shops.Some purchase native crafts from the local artists and then sell them. Others are run by the artists themselves. While at Rising Sun Gallery (http://www.hopisilver.com) we talked with the owner Weaver Selina who is a silversmith. He showed us how he creates the Hopi inlay jewelry.

Dinner was a traditional Hopi dinner provided by Robert and Caroline Lomabalaquihoya. Dinner was a "Hopi taco" which is a large (plate sized) piece of fry bread topped with beans and ground beef cooked together. This was topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and onions. This  was a very tasty and filling meal.

After dinner Robert brought in some the the Katsina Dolls he has made. His are in a very traditional style. Here is the Corn Katsina I purchased from him:

While Robert was speaking to us after dinner we had a rain storm come through. The rain is always welcome here even when it comes for just a few minutes. 

Rain heading our way

I will post again later today after what promises to be a very full day.

Wednesday Hopi VIM Update

Today some of us returned to KUYI to continue some of the work we started yesterday. I entered some more playlists and was joined by Carol and some of the youth. Another project for the youth was moving some unused furniture out of the main building (actually a double wide trailer) and into a storage shed. There was more sign painting as well. About 2:00 the rest of the team arrived and Richard (the station manager) gave us a brief tour and explained the philosophy of the station.

At KUYI with Richard and Thomas

Next, we went over to the Hopi Health Center - really a small hospital. While they are not set up for much impatient care, they are prepared for pretty much anything and provide one-stop-shopping for all health needs including dentistry, eyes, pharmacy, therapy, dialysis, and community health. It is a very modern and attractive building.

Hopi Healthcare Center

Some old friends from previous mission trips joined us for dinner.Tonight's dinner was spaghetti, salad, and fruit salad. Very good meal.

I just looked outside and we might even get rain tonight.

More later.

Hopi VIM Update

Today was our second "work" day. We divided into two groups; one group went up to the Hopi Mission School while the other went over to the Hopi Radio Station - KUYI (http://www.kuyi.net - you can listen to them here).

Sandy stayed around the school and did laundry for the team so we all have clean clothes. I was part of the group that went over to KUYI. We had three tasks. First, repaint the sign (here is what the sign will look like when it is freshly painted:

Lynne, Barbara, and Beryl took on this task.

The second task was to copy off any usable files from an old computer - i took this on and it really did not take too long. The third task was to input playlists into their computer (this is used for royalty payments to artists). Norm and Cheryl

started on this and I joined in around lunch time. My biggest challenge was researching rap artists to enter the data on the playlist - quite an education.

On the way home they played Christian Music (This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me (in Hopi) and several other hymns.) They also play some fiddle music for Lynne who teach violin.

There is still more to do so I suspect some of us will be going there tomorrow.

HOPI VIM Update

Hello,

I wanted to give you an update on what we have been doing since Saturday.

On Saturday we left Flagstaff and went first to the North Arizona Museum which celebrates the land and culture of the region. This particular day they also had a Hopi Festival at the museum with many Hopi artists / vendors and also some Hopi Singing.

When we left there we went to the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately it was raining when we arrived at the overlook but it eventually cleared up and I got a few good pictures.

After leaving the Grand Canyon we drove on to Kykotsmovi on the Hopi Reservation. We spent Saturday evening getting settled in.

On Sunday we went to a church service in a nearby village. In the afternoon we were escorted by two Hopi men to a religious dance - dances of this type are usually closed to outsiders and no pictures or even sketches were allowed. It was a very moving experience.

On Monday we began our work here. I helped out with some projects at the Hopi Mission School (where we are staying). Other people helped clear out a shed and bag up donated clothing. Another group went to help weed an area for a Hopi woman. In the evening we had a cookout where we invited members of the community to stop by.

The area here is very different from Fort Washington. Here is a photo of what it looks like from where we are staying.

We now have access to Wi-Fi so I can post more soon.

Stephen

Hopi VIM dinner

Here is the Hopi VIM team at dinner in Flagstaff.

Lunch in Flagstaff

We made it to Flagstaff. Sandy was waiting for at the airport. The whole VIM team is now in Arizona.

Hopi VIM checkin

We are gathering at BWI. We should be on our way soon.

Another Update from Sandy

Ahhhhh, the breeze is cool and fresh this morning....isn't God good!!!!! Day 1 I traveled 839 miles to Jackson TN; Day 2 I drove 827 miles to Amarillo TX; today I will drive about 550 miles to Winslow AZ where I will stay over for 2 nights and celebrate the 4th of July. Winslow is about an hour east of Flagstaff; I look forward to seeing you all on July 5th. Be blessed; I am...He is so faithful!!

Today's lesson: AZ = Arizona; AR = Arkansas; AK = Alaska. :):)

Whoops, I'm in AK--headed for AR

Updates from Sandy on the road

Our Father God gives us each day new; He is our light. The rising sun this morning (day 2 of my drive to Hopi-land) was incredibly bright orange--near blinding in my rear view mirrors. Blessings to you all from West Memphis, AR. Sandy

Hopi VIM - Update from Sandy

My brightest, most awesome God moment today was a full rainbow at 6:10 am near Manassas VA.

At 4:00 pm I'm about 30 miles east of Nashville and 160 miles from my Day 1 destination of Jackson TN (about 80 miles east of Memphis).

I've been driving in and out of rain all day; let's pray for a "bundle" of this rain to shower our Hopi friends and drench the wildfire near Prospect AZ. Pray for the families of the 19 firefighters lost , the over 200 homes lost and for the safety of the firefighters that continue to fight this fire.

And, no I'm not texting while driving but nee dto get back to clicking off miles.

Blessings,

Sandy

Hopi VIM Commissioning at Providence-Fort Washington UMC

Sandy and Pastor Stephen at Providence-Fort Washington commissioning service on June 30, 2013.

Hopi VIM has begun

The 2013 Hopi VIM trip to Hopi has begun. Sandy left early this morning. The rest of us leave Friday.

Please pray for a great trip, safe travels and cool weather.