Support Campus Ministry...

Having been a former student at one of our United Methodist schools in Indiana and having been active in a campus ministry program at that school…and having decided to pursue ministry while at this school, I STRONGLY support and encourage your support of our campus ministries in Indiana. For more information and to see videos, visit: www.inumc.org/campusministry. With the recent unification of the two Indiana Annual Conferences, most all programming funds were stripped from the Conference budget. One of the items getting completely removed from the budget was Campus Ministry. As former Vice-Chair of the South Indiana Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry this has devastating effects on our campus outreach ministries – including things like the Wesley Foundation at Purdue and similar ministries at ISU and BSU, not just DePauw, Evansville and UIndy. Campus Ministry monies help fund staff (Chaplains) and programs at the various institutions.

If you are interested in supporting Campus Ministries (UM-related) throughout Indiana, you may write checks payable to INUMC (memo: campus ministry) and mail to:

The Indiana Conference of the UMC

Attn: Campus Ministry Offering

301 Pennsylvania Pkway, Suite 300

Indianapolis, IN 46280

Thank you!

World In Prayer for Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010

Come! Peace of God, and dwell again on earth,
come, with the calm that hailed thy Prince's birth,
come, with the healing of thy gentle touch,
come, Peace of God, that this world needs so much.
- "Come! Peace of God" (May Rowland, 1935)

In Juarez, Mexico, may your peace, O God, come through your workers there to alleviate the powerful cartels that are now taking control of drug rehabilitation centers in order to recruit hit men and smugglers.

For Northern Ireland, we give thanks, O God, for your peace that is present in the recent agreement by Protestants to accept a comprise plan with the Catholic minority to save the power-sharing government.

In the United States, as they begin celebrating Black History Month, that the work toward reconciliation and full inclusion of others in God's creation that are still oppressed be ameliorated.

For Africa, where strife is still a way of life for many, may your peaceful presence, O God, be brought throughout the continent. As examples are set forth this week in celebration of Nelson Mandela's 20th anniversary of freedom and the uncovering of a monastery in Egypt that demonstrates a peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians 1600 years ago.

In China, animosity continues with Tibet, but despite protests in Beijing, President Obama has agreed to a discussion with the Dalai Lama at the White House later this month.

For Canada, where the possibility of terrorist attacks at the Olympic Games have placed an unexpected financial burden upon Vancouver and the country, may your peace, O God, extend to such an event that should be bringing the countries of your creation together, and not dividing them by fear.

In Haiti, as clean-up continues and help pours in from around the globe, O God, be with all your children there, and peacefully lead those trying to help in your name into paths of righteousness. For the 10 U.S. missionaries currently in custody, may the truth of the events be known and your love and mercy extended.

For India, we praise the peace, O God, you are bringing to the leaders of India as they offered on Thursday to resume high-level peace with talks Pakistan.

With all these in mind, along with other concerns we lift before you now....

Help us to face challenges and struggles against any enemy we may have - real or perceived -

Lift us to be your bearers of peace in light of all that is inhumane or full of injustice.

Come! Blessed Peace, as when, in hush of eve,
God's benediction falls on souls who grieve;
as shines a star when weary day departs,
come! Peace of God, and be within our hearts.
- "Come! Peace of God" (May Rowland, 1935)

UMC's Volunteer in Mission to Haiti, registration

Mission Volunteers in conjunction with the Jurisdictional UMVIM Coordinators and GBGM staff have recommended and instituted a National Database for volunteers wishing to go to Haiti, when we are invited in. I have received names and emails from many persons and would ask that you go to this website and register your intent to volunteer in Haiti in the future, along with your skills and aptitudes for being a United Methodist Volunteer In Mission. Once a week the database will be forwarded to your Jurisdictional Coordinator so we keep everyone in the loop.

Please register online even if I already have your name as the data base includes more information.

Blue Advent Color

Greetings!

Following the Worship Services on Sunday, I received several questions from people asking me about the blue candles. As long as I’ve been around Bradley I have noticed the use of blue paraments (the dressings on the pulpit and communion table), but this is the first year for blue candles in the Advent wreath. I started off trying to remember who all asked the questions, but after the 8:30 service, I could no longer remember who all had asked, so I’m sending an e-mail for explanation to my Bradley e-mail master list.

So, here’s an explanation into the use of the color blue for Advent.

Historically, the primary color of Advent has been purple – most significant of penitence and fasting and lesser significance of royalty. Purple is still used in Catholic churches for Advent and still is the color for the season of Lent. In recent years, many Protestant churches are using blue to distinguish the Season of Advent from Lent. Also, royal blue is the primary color for royalty and as the western church has shifted from placing a large penitential aspect on the season of Advent (reserving it for Lent), the emphasis has become primarily on hope and anticipation. In older Protestant tradition a pink candle was used on the third Sunday of Advent and was used to symbolize “joy.” However, if you trace its roots, you’ll find it originates from the Catholic Church some say it symbolizes the Assumption of Mary and in other Catholic resources, you’ll find that long ago, the pope had the custom of giving someone a rose on the fourth Sunday in Lent. This led the Roman Catholic clergy to wear rose-colored vestments on that Sunday. The effect was to give some relief from the solemnity of the penitence originally associated with Advent. Regardless, the pink originates from Catholic tradition, not Protestant tradition.

The candles really have no more meaning that whatever a local church or pastor wants to ascribe to them. It really was just a way of counting down the Sundays, but over the years, they have been given “traditional” meaning and people think “that’s the way it should be.” The idea of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace is not anything other than what got picked up by the most people, BUT the wreath is flexible. It’s decorative and it sets up Advent and the Sanctuary to be just a little different from other seasons of the liturgical calendar.

I hope this helps answers most of the questions….

Happy Advent!

Community Fundraising Event @ Bradley

GREENFIELD, IN - This Wednesday, Nov. 11, Bradley United Methodist Church will be having their last Annual Harvest Meal along with a Kiddie Nickel Carnival, Silent Auction and Scholastic Book Fair. The Carnival, Auction and Fair will be open from 5-8 p.m. with a German fare meal being served from 6-7 p.m. This is an evening open to the community to help benefit the Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen, Hope House, Bradley Preschool and Deaf Interpreter Dave Calvert. Funds from the donation-only meal will help benefit Calvert’s trip to Germany for 2-weeks as an interpreter (fluent in English, German and American Sign Language) with a German honor deaf student in Indianapolis who has been granted this exchange program, but is unable to go without his interpreter. The student’s travel is covered, but not Calvert’s. Young children are encouraged to bring nickels to play the many carnival games and win prizes. Items in the silent auction will include a Colts crystal necklace, $100 gift card to Wal-Mart, movie tickets, a round of golf at Hawk’s Hill, along with many other gifts and certificates. The Scholastic Book Fair, designed to benefit the Bradley Preschool, is open to the public, but home-schooled families are especially encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. It will also include public hours on Friday, Nov. 13 from 5-9 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.