First Pulse April 2017 by First United Methodist Church

April 2017 Edition

The first half of April 2017 continues to be Lent! Easter is on April 16 (and for those of you who are storing information for crossword puzzles or trying to get on Jeopardy, Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21. Easter thus always falls between March 22 and April 25). So in April, there is a ‘before’ Easter and an ‘after’ Easter. Our Lenten journey for 2017 has focused on Healing and Wholeness. That theme will continue with the addition of a unique opportunity for our members and friends. I will be preaching on Communion Sunday, April 2 on the topic There is More to Healing than Wellness.

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Within. His book called Moving Miss Peggy, is a sensitive and helpful book for any family attempting to sort out choices that often need to be made in caring for aging parents. Robert (and Dr. Roberta Bondi, who was with us on All Saints weekend), were the faculty of the Academy of Spiritual Formation session that Pigeon and I attended in May of last year in Richmond, VA. Robert is becoming a good friend, and you do not want to miss being part of this rare opportunity for “Spiritual from neighboring churches will assist in Retreat” during Holy Week. leadership. The service will be followed His chosen topic is Preparing for by 30 minutes of meditative organ Healing through Prayer, Rest, Work music fitting for prayer and reflection and Community. Our sessions are for Good Friday. Sunday evening 5:00 - 7:00 pm, Monday evening 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Tuesday is a The Festival of the Resurrection will night off, Wednesday 5:30 - 7:30 pm, be Easter morning with both the 8:15 and Holy Thursday with communion and the 10:45 services being held in the sanctuary. The Easter message is Faith 5:30 - 7:30 pm. plus Hope equals Easter! Each session will begin with a meal. Each session will stand alone but also After Easter, I am taking a few weeks to will be connected to the other topics prepare for the extended renewal time of the week, so if you cannot take in in 2018. I will be one of ten participants all of the sessions, sign up and attend in a writers’ workshop in Shreveport, what you can! I genuinely mean this: it LA. It will be an intentional way to will be a spiritually focused week that prepare for journaling, reflecting, and you will never forget. It could very well writing during my renewal. I will also begin interviewing conductors and change your life! teachers of conducting for research, Robert’s final message will enjoying some time for reading and be at noon on Good Friday resting, and getting travel plans made. in our sanctuary. We are hosting the Community In my absence Rev. Tim Tuthill will Good Friday ser vice. be preaching on April 23 and Rev. Dr. Our service will be less Karin Orr will be our guest speaker on than an hour and focus April 30. Both of them have filled the on prayers and scripture pulpit at First Church and been well readings. Several pastors received.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, April 9. I will be preaching on the topic Healing of the Soul. Author Robert Benson will be joining with us in the morning services. Robert is the author of 23 books; probably ten of which are on my bookshelf visible to me as I write to you. His books are about paying attention to ordinary things that point us to the sacred. He writes about prayer and liturgy, baseball, gardening, and travel. He leads retreats and speaks at conferences about prayer and vocation. The books that are important to me include Living Prayer, The Good Life, In Constant Prayer, “...it will be a spiritually focused week Living With Contradictions, that you will never forget. It could Between the Dreaming and the Coming True, and The Echo very well change your life!”

inside

Intentional Faith Development

Pastor’s Message

So - happy spring, a blessed Holy Week and Easter, and a growth-filled April to us all! Pastor Bob

Radical Hospitality 1

Risk-taking Outreach and Mission

Passionate Worship 5

Extravagant Generosity 4

3 Congregational Care

Intentional Faith Development College Education Scholarship Fund “He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’” - Matthew 13:31-32 Last fall, a spirit-filled congregant approached First Church’s Legacy Team and pledged $2,000 to start an academic scholarship program. By the time pen met paper, the original pledge of $2,000 became $5,000, the result of a “deep desire to provide educational opportunities for others so they can achieve their God-given dreams.” Upon hearing of this increase, a Legacy Team member and youth leader was moved by the generous donation and added $1,000 to the scholarship. He wrote, “I have learned more from a decade working with our amazing youth than I could ever have taught them. They are a smart bunch and a large percentage of them elect to pursue post-secondary education of some kind. A dedicated fund to help our kids pursue their dreams will make sure that we are doing everything in our power to help our kids share God’s love with the world.” When a young person feels supported in their goals and dreams, their potential for growth is immeasurable. Before we know it, our youth turn into adults with refined gifts and talents that we hope they will use to nurture our church well into the future.

“He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’” Matthew 13:31-32 To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must intend to attend or currently attend a college or university in the state of Michigan and be a member or be related to an active member of First Church. To ensure this scholarship program grows and serves students well into the future, we need your help to transition this small fund into a meaningful, longlasting endowment that will represent the love and care our congregation extends to our students for many years to come. Will you help grow this scholarship fund?

To participate by donating to this new College Education Fund, please contact Sharon Sorensen at the church office. Our students and future church leaders This scholarship fund is meant to act as thank you! Audrey Kawel a very clear message: that the people Director of Children’s Ministry of First Church value education and desire to support our youth in their Sharon Sorensen personal and professional growth. Legacy Administrator

Passionate Worship During the season of Lent, we have been exploring the topic of “healing” in its many forms and contexts, and particularly how healing, faithfulness, and prayer are interrelated. We have explored the healing acts of Jesus, the history of our understanding of healing, and the mystery of God’s healing presence in our lives. One of the hymns that we have sung at the 8:15 am service seems to encapsulate much of our ponderings. The hymn-writer and Church of Scotland minister, John Bell, has written this wonderful hymn, set to a traditional Scottish melody:

T his hymn, in a remarkably direct and sensitive manner, gets to the heart of the healing prayers and actions of a community of faith. Notice the second line of the first stanza about faith and doubt, and recall the various healing stories that have been read, particularly the story in the Gospel of Mark, where the father of the sick child cries out, We cannot measure how you heal “Lord, I believe; help or answer every sufferer’s prayer, my unbelief.” This yet we believe your grace responds hymn invites faith and doubt to unite emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. where faith and doubt unite to care. in care. And being found in human form, he Your hands, though bloodied on the cross, survive to hold and heal The second stanza is particularly humbled himself and became obedient and warm, to carry all through powerful, with its litany of cares and to the point of death—even death death to life and cradle children concerns, particularly of pains and on a cross. On Maundy Thursday, yet unborn. hurts that are not as easily discernable, we encounter Jesus’ teaching a “new such as guilt, and fear. Bell gently commandment” that you “love one The pain that will not go away, the guides the worshipper back to the another as I have loved you.” We are guilt that clings from things long presence of God’s Love, and how that reminded through the hymns and past, the fear of what the future healing love is made present through liturgies of Holy Week, that wherever there is love and acts of healing, God holds, are present as if meant to the community of faith. is present. last. But present, too, is love which tends the hurt we never hoped to We often proclaim that we are called to Eric Strand find, the private agonies inside, the be the hands and feet of Jesus in the Director of Music and the Arts memories that haunt the mind. world, to carry out the work of justice and mercy, and to be agents of healing So some have come who need in our broken world. This is the essence your help and some have come of servant leadership, and this theme to make amends, as hands which is found embedded in the shaped and saved the world are worship services of Holy present in the touch of friends. Week. On Palm Sunday, Lord, let your Spirit meet us here we read and meditate to mend the body, mind, and soul, o n t h e wo r d s f r o m to disentangle peace from pain, and Philippians 2:5-8: “Let make your broken people whole. the same mind be in you that you have in Christ John L. Bell, Words © 1989 Wild Goose Jesus, who, though he Resource Group, Iona Community Scotland; was in the form of God, GIA Publications, Inc., exclusive North did not regard equality American agent. All rights reserved. with God as something to be exploited, but

“We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world, to carry out the work of justice and mercy, and to be agents of healing in our broken world.” Haiti Mission Team being the hands and feet of Jesus >>

Risk-Taking Outreach and Mission Bonjou! - Good day in Haitian Creole! Our mission team spent a week working with Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI) in Mizak, a small mountain village surrounded by lush vegetation. Diane Gedris, Barb Groat, Marj Timmerman, Lois Walker and I were there to learn what HAPI is doing and how our church could be a partner. HAPI is a faith-based community development ministry whose mission is to empower Haitians to grow their capacity to lead with integrity, to develop solutions to their own problems, and to help their families and communities to live to their fullest potential. Our church supports Valerie MossmanCelestine, a United Methodist Deacon, who helps to manage HAPI from here in Grand Rapids. At the Merlet Center on HAPI’s campus you can see artisan women at work learning crafts that can be sold to sustain their families, young adults learning English and other trades, and children coming together to play and learn about God. On Sunday the building becomes a United Methodist Church. We came away deeply impressed with the people who were leading and caring for their community in Haiti! We worked in the maternal child health clinic and Barb taught drawing skills. We helped teach first aid to the

PeacePals, 65 kids who gather Saturday morning for Bible lessons and singing, and helped them assemble their own first aid kits. We experienced English and technology classes. HAPI is a busy place serving all members of the community! Barb was impressed by the women’s eager participation as they learned to draw angels and doves. They improvised and came up with stencil patterns that could be traced and then decorated to make beautiful note cards. Barb also demonstrated water color painting and assisted in teacher training seminars. In the clinic we saw pregnant mothers (twenty the first day) who are regularly seen by the midwife and encouraged to deliver at the clinic so that if complications arise the midwife can get patients to the hospital quickly. We taught breast feeding and infant care with the help of our translator, Ulrich, whose pantomime of our

lessons resulted in great laughter and fun. We were struck by the connection, beyond words, that came each time we listened to the developing baby’s heartbeat. Our highlight was walking through the countryside doing home visits to the elderly, newborn babies and moms, as well as the homebound. From physical therapy exercises to medications, we provided what we could, while each house provided us amazing hospitality - bringing out chairs and even fresh coconuts! At the top of the mountain we saw a woman in her eighties. There was not much we could offer medically but as we departed we said in Creole, “May God bless you,” to which she replied a hearty, “Amen.” Our time reminded us that around the world there are caring, compassionate people working to serve their communities showing Christ’s love every day. We now add the people of Mizak, Haiti, to our daily prayers. Iain Charnley To find out more information about HAPI visit: www.haitianartisans.com. Join us at the 60+ Luncheon on April 17 at noon to hear more about Haiti!

Radical Hospitality

restaurants (even though I LOVE Chicken Pad Thai). I How would you rate First decided to look online for a place we hadn’t Church? tried yet. I picked one When was the last time you tried a based on its 4.5-star new restaurant? What made you go? rating. My lunch was Was it a recommendation from a just ok, but the service was amazing. friend? Was it because of a review you The woman behind the counter was friendly and personable, completely saw online? attentive to us – she made us feel like Last Saturday, my husband and I had she was genuinely glad we had joined a rare afternoon without children. her for lunch. I’d go back again. Because we have a son with a peanut allergy, we typically skip Thai This experience led me to think about how we view hospitality at First Church and how we share feedback. Imagine that you are a first-time visitor to First Church. Would you give First Church five stars? If so, are you sharing your love of First Church, your feedback, with your friends and family by inviting them to join us for worship or an event? Our Holy Week services and events provide a great opportunity for this invitation.

Or, would you give us only 4 stars? What would it take to bring us to 5 stars? What can you do to help bring us to 5 stars? Are you warmly welcoming guests and inviting them into the life of our church family? We will have many visitors this month; your kindness can make the difference between their returning after the Easter season is complete. Are you using your gifts and talents at First? If not, what gifts and talents are going unused? Your talents have the potential to make a 5-star impact in our church and community! Let’s look at ways you can share your talents and get involved. Email me at samim@ grandrapidsfumc.org. Sami Marasigan Director of Hospitality

Extravagant Generosity The annual Spring Break season is upon us! It seems a Grand Rapids ritual for many folks is to venture off to warm and sunny places to enjoy a week of leisure. If you go to the Grand Rapids airport this time of year, you will likely have difficulty finding parking in the parking deck because so many folks have jetted away! It is wonderful that many of us can think about such a trip to recharge the batteries after a lengthy dark Michigan winter. Of course, not everyone in our community can fathom such a warm weather getaway.

relatives in…LANSING! This trip was as significant for her as a trip to the Mexican Riviera would be for a lot of us! This kind of puts things in perspective, and lifts up the vast difference between the haves and have So as we plan our spring and summer vacations setting aside resources for nots right here in our community. our next big excursion, let us remember This mother was truly excited about those who are in need of a warm meal, the opportunity to take her family on a place to call home, and sense of peace that currently escapes them. a trip 50 miles up the road!

Many of us take a lot of things for granted, not comprehending the financial choices facing so many people. The daily struggle to make ends meet trumps any thoughts of a I am reminded of a family I was told “vacation.” It is a fact that many of about at MLK Leadership Academy a the families served through our MLK few years ago. A mother was all excited ministry have never been out of Grand for Spring Break week. When asked Rapids or even to the west side of the where she was headed, she excitedly river! said she was taking her family to visit

The ministries supported by First Church are actively witnessing for Christ every day, all year long. Let us all remember our call to spread the love of Christ through our generous gifts of time and treasure, even as we find time to enjoy a little rest and relaxation ourselves! Chris Hawkins Finance Committee

Congregational Care Thank you! Love, Dorothy

her family and Pastor Amee arrived. and I left after she made me promise Dorothy then sent me home to “feed yet again that I would thank everyone Dorothy Wimmer – her name brings my husband a late lunch!” Even at a for her. a lot of smiles and fond memories time like this, she was more concerned So here is that thank-you from to many in our congregation. How about others than herself. Dorothy with love to all of you! many of us received uplifting cards and notes when we had surgery, got Monday morning, I visited Dorothy Whether you brought her to church, married, became new parents, lost a in ICU at Meijer Heart Center. Her helped her in the hallway that Sunday, loved one, went on a mission trip, or eyes opened right away and she started called 911, did CPR, found the phone “just because?” Dorothy felt called to asking me questions about Sunday. numbers in her purse, sent her a card, care not only for her family and friends She wanted to know the names of were her Stephen Minister, visited but also her church family, all without everyone who had helped her at her in the hospital, prayed for her, fanfare. She simply cared because church. I thought she wanted to send or attended her funeral, you were the each of them a note so I started to body of Christ caring for Dorothy and that’s what a Christian is called to do. write the names down, but instead, her family. Now we are charged with Recently, the role was reversed when she made me promise to thank all of carrying forward Dorothy’s legacy of we were called to care for Dorothy. them for her. Watching her heart on compassionate congregational care. On Sunday, March 12, Dorothy had the monitor, I was fairly sure there was Let’s do that with a smile! some difficulty making it up the just too much damage this time and I ramp into the sanctuary for worship, believe she knew that, too. We recited Peace and joy! Marj Timmerman RN stopped to catch her breath, and then Psalm 121 together by memory, I Director of Congregational Care her knees buckled. Several of her dear offered a prayer, she kissed my hand, church friends were there to catch her “My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and and then our First Response Team responded, getting her safely back earth.” Psalm 121:2 down to the north lobby area where there was more room and fresh air. As her condition continued to decline, 911 was called, EMS quickly arrived, and CPR was begun. Ten minutes later, Dorothy was on the way to the emergency department by ambulance. Pastor Bob stopped worship and led the congregation in prayer for Dorothy, and at about the same time Pastor Amee prayed with the First Response Team and staff in the north lobby. I arrived in the emergency department about 5 minutes behind the ambulance. I was taken right back to Dorothy and found her awake and talking! It was amazing! She smiled, said she knew I would come, introduced me to the staff and didn’t let go of my hand until she had to go to x-ray. She told the staff about being at church, feeling short of breath, and then being surrounded by her “church family angels” who cared for her. Once she was stable enough to move to a regular emergency department room,

April 1 - April 8 Cuba Trip Sunday, April 2 Communion Sunday Blood Pressure Sunday 8:00 am – Infant/Toddler Nurseries 8:15 am – Sunday Worship 8:30 am – Children’s Chapel 9:15 am – Church School for all ages 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 10:45 am – Children & Worship and Shine: Sensory Room 5:00 pm – The Echo Within, Jr High and Sr High Youth Group Monday, April 3 10:00 am – Worship Design 11:00 am – Retiree Bible Study 11:00 am – Executive Team 1:00 pm – Staff 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry Training 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry 6:30 pm – Methodist Connection Steering Committee Tuesday, April 4 7:00 am – Work Program 5:30 pm – Staff/Parish Relations Committee Wednesday, April 5 12:00 pm – Staff worship 6:30 pm – Jesus in the Gospels Thursday, April 6 9:00 am – Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 6:00 pm – Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Saturday, April 8 10:00 am – Palm Sunday Brunch set-up

Sunday, April 9 Palm Sunday 8:00 am – Infant/Toddler Nurseries 8:15 am – Sunday Worship 8:30 am – Children’s Chapel 9:15 am – Church School for all ages 10:00 am – Palm Sunday Brunch 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 10:45 am – Children & Worship and Shine: Sensory Room 11:45 am – Palm Sunday Brunch 5:00 pm – “Preparing for Healing with Robert Benson” — Prayer Monday, April 10 10:00 am – Worship Design 11:00 am – Retiree Bible Study 11:00 am – Executive Team 1:00 pm – Staff 5:30 pm – “Preparing for Healing with Robert Benson” — Rest Tuesday, April 11 7:00 am – Work Program 6:30 pm – Missions Commission Wednesday, April 12 12:00 pm – Staff worship 5:30 pm – “Preparing for Healing with Robert Benson” — Work Thursday, April 13 Holy Thursday 9:00 am – Moms and Mufﬁns Date 5:30 pm – Holy Thursday Service, Communion, and Retreat: “Preparing for Healing with Robert Benson” — Community Friday, April 14 Good Friday 12:00 pm – Ecumenical Good Friday Service Saturday, April 15 8:30 am – Feeding America

Mark your calendars Sunday, April 16 Easter Sunday 8:00 am – Infant/Toddler Nurseries 8:15 am – Sunday Worship 8:30 am – Children’s Chapel 9:15 am – Continental Easter Breakfast 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 10:45 am – Children & Worship and Shine: Sensory Room Monday, April 17 11:00 am – Retiree Bible Study 12:00 pm – 60+ Luncheon 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry Training 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry Tuesday, April 18 7:00 am – Work Program Wednesday, April 19 9:00 am – Caring Connection 12:00 pm – Staff worship 5:00 pm – Stephen Leaders 5:30 pm – Jesus in the Gospels 6:00 pm – Young Adults Group: Bowling Thursday, April 20 9:00 am – Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 5:00 pm – JFON Clinic 6:00 pm – Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Saturday, April 22 10:00 am – Moms’ Group Earth Day Clean-Up Sunday, April 23 8:00 am – Infant/Toddler Nurseries 8:15 am – Sunday Worship 8:30 am – Children’s Chapel 9:15 am – Church School for all ages 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 10:45 am – Children & Worship and Shine: Sensory Room

12:00 pm – “Storytelling in the Classroom” Teacher Training 12:30 pm – MLK Spring Outing set-up 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group Monday, April 24 8:00 am – MLK Spring Outing 11:00 am – Retiree Bible Study 5:30 pm – Building Committee 6:30 pm – Stephen Ministry Training Tuesday, April 25 7:00 am – Work Program 8:00 am – MLK Spring Outing Wednesday, April 26 8:00 am – MLK Spring Outing 12:00 pm – Staff worship 5:30 pm – Young Adults Group: Project Kindness 6:30 pm – Jesus in the Gospels Thursday, April 27 8:00 am – MLK Spring Outing 6:00 pm – Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm – Chancel Choir Sunday, April 30 IHN Week Begins 8:00 am – Infant/Toddler Nurseries 8:15 am – Sunday Worship 8:30 am – Children’s Chapel 9:15 am – Church School for all ages 10:45 am – Sunday Worship 10:45 am – Children & Worship and Shine: Sensory Room 12:00 pm – “Teaching Bible Skills” Teacher Training 3:00 pm – Folias Music in Concert 5:00 pm – Jr High and Sr High Youth Group

PREPARING FOR HEALING WITH ROBERT BENSON

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First United Methodist Church 227 Fulton St E Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3236

PERMIT #354 GRAND RAPIDS, MI

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

HOLY WEEK AT First United Methodist Church More details and RSVP online at www.grfumc.org/healing

! a i u l e l l A

Join us for worship during Holy Week!

Palm Sunday Services: April 9 – 8:15 and 10:45 am “Healing of the Soul” Pancake Brunch at 10:00 am and 11:45 am

Holy Thursday Service: April 13 – 5:30 pm

“Preparing For Healing: Community” with Robert Benson. Evening retreat begins with a meal and includes communion. RSVP at www. grfumc.org/healing.

Ecumenical Good Friday Service: April 14 – 12:00 pm

This service will begin and conclude within the hour and will include guest author, Robert Benson, as well as downtown Grand Rapids clergy. Following the service, there will be 30 minutes of meditative organ music with First Church organist, Eric Strand.

Easter Sunday Services: April 16 – 8:15 and 10:45 am “Faith PLUS Hope = Easter”

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