Love Spoken Here

Monday, May 2, 2022

This is True Love. Do You Think This Happens Every Day?

February 15, 2022

Hello, church family and friends!

I’ve been thinking and praying a lot about why churches exist. Why we at Epworth, specifically, exist. What purpose God has in our motley gathering of good people who seek God in Jesus Christ together.

I mean, some of it is obvious. We exist because God called us together, in all our beautiful variety. We exist because we are spiritually nourished and strengthened by worshiping, praying, studying, and serving together. And personally, I am deeply humbled by and grateful for the inspiring worship and the real ways we serve folks in need.

But above all else, churches exist to share the Gospel.

Now, that can be well done in a thousand different ways. And it has been said that every one of us has a unique piece of the Gospel that is ours to share. But we all, every one, need to be doing it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times in all of our lives when it is much more important for us to receive the Good News than to give it. When we are hurting, or struggling, or in need ourselves, the church is a place of safety, nourishment, comfort, and healing. And thank God for that. We can and should claim that time to just be fed and comforted by the God who loves us to the marrow of our bones and beyond.

But then, it is time to get up. It is time to come down from the mountain with Jesus, up from beside the still waters, away from the banquet table, and get to work sharing what we have found.

Last night, we gathered together at the Fallon Theatre for a truly ridiculous (in the best way) interactive
showing of The Princess Bride. There were twice as many people present from the community as there were church members, including several young families. They went out of their way to let me know how much they enjoyed it, knowing that it was a gift to them given in the name of Jesus Christ. Friends, it is things that are literally this simple that open doors in people’s hearts to the Gospel. The more of us who are present and involved in things like this, representing God and Epworth, the more folks get a sense of what living in a church family looks and feels like. And they are drawn, inexorably, to Jesus through the love we share with friend and stranger.

This season, I invite you to pray with me about what God might be calling you to do, by way of sharing the Good News. It might be something like reading to the kids at HERO Club, or helping in the Food Pantry, or getting involved with Fallon Daily Bread. It might be leading in worship, helping to plan community events, or being part of a group to sit with homebound folks to give their caregivers a couple of hours away. It might be doing yard work around the church to keep it looking fresh and welcoming, or for older or disabled folks in the neighborhood who need some extra help. It could be something else entirely! God can use any of it, when we do it prayerfully and willingly, to draw people to Christ.

Each of us has a part of the Good News to share. Maybe for you it’s about healing, or freedom from addiction or harmful relationships. Maybe it’s about God’s presence in times of grief, or the Holy Spirit’s guidance when you needed it, or the power of prayer. Maybe it’s about Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness, welcoming you home like the prodigal son. Maybe it’s about the power of belonging, as a part of the Body of Christ. The Good News is broad, and high, and deep, beloved. And it’s yours, thanks be to God! Let’s share it.

In God’s unfailing love,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

ROMANS 4: Belonging, and Scout Sunday!

It’s Scout Sunday this week! We are so glad to welcome Scout Troop 1776 to help lead us in worship. Some will be receiving their badge for completing the God and Church course with Pastor Dawn, and some *might* even be giving the message! They are due to practice and prepare tonight (Tuesday, as of this writing) and it will be great to see how God works through these boys and their leaders. See you then.

If you are worshiping with us from home, either via the radio broadcast or video, we are so glad! If we can pray for you, or if there is anything you need, we would love to do that. You can call the church office at 775-423-4714, or you can call Pastor Dawn on her cell phone any time, 775-671-5553.

Believing.

February 8, 2022

Hello, church family and friends!

In a worship committee meeting recently, we realized together that we had gotten out of the habit of saying the creeds together. When I was a kid, we had to memorize them, the Nicene and Apostles Creeds, and understand the history and meanings and differences between them. We said them every single Sunday. Even now, the particular versions my church used are a matter of muscle memory.

In case you might not be familiar, a “creed” is a statement of belief. There have been several that Christians have used over the centuries, and there are many that are deeply meaningful. The Nicene Creed dates back to the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE; the Apostles’ Creed is shorter and more well-known, and it may be older. They are both in our hymnal, along with a couple more modern ones, and one especially fitting for us as we study Romans because it comes from Romans 8. We’ll be saying these together more often in worship going forward, especially on communion Sundays.

Anyway, it all got me thinking about believing, and what we believe in, and how that affects our lives. I ran across this from Frederick Buechner, a Presbyterian minister and poet, in his book Beyond Words.

“Believing.

Prepositions can be very eloquent. A man is “in” architecture or a woman is “in” teaching, we say, meaning that is what they do weekdays and how they make enough money to enjoy themselves the rest of the time. But if we say they are “into” these things, that is another story. “Into” means something more like total immersion. They live and breathe what they do. They take it home with them nights. They can’t get enough of it. To be “into” books means that just the sight of a signed first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland sets your heart pounding. To be “in” books means selling them at B. Dalton’s.

Along similar lines, New Testament Greek speaks of believing “into” rather than believing “in.” In English we can perhaps convey the distinction best by using either “in” or no preposition at all.

Believing in God is an intellectual position. It need have no more effect on your life than believing in Freud’s method of interpreting dreams or the theory that Sir Francis Bacon wrote Romeo and Juliet.

Believing God is something else again. It is less a position than a journey, less a realization than a relationship. It doesn’t leave you cold like believing the world is round. It stirs your blood like believing the world is a miracle. It affects who you are and what you do with your life like believing your house is on fire or somebody loves you.

We believe in God when for one reason or another we choose to do so. We believe God when somehow we run into God in a way that by and large leaves us no choice to do otherwise.

When Jesus says that whoever believes “into” him shall never die, he does not mean that to be willing to sign your name to the Nicene Creed guarantees eternal life. Eternal life is not the result of believing in. It is the experience of believing.”

Because He lives,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

ROMANS: More than Conquerors

This week, as we continue in our study of Romans, we get to what many folks, if asked, would cite as the best part of the entire letter. For some, they might even claim it as the best part of the New Testament as a whole! Chapters 7 and 8. It’s inspiring, it’s passionate, it’s bold and exciting and wonderful. We’ll talk together about what was inspiring Paul in his writing, and what this part of his letter to the churches in Rome have to say to us.

Everyone matters.

February 2, 2022

Happy February, church family and friends!

When my kids were little, there were Disney movies on repeat constantly. The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White, and more…over and over and over. Alice and Wonderland and Mary Poppins, for whatever reason, were the go-to movies when they were sick. And when we weren’t watching them, we were singing the songs around the house. Sweet and simple messages, plenty of silliness, uncomplicated fun.

What am I saying, when they were little? No, we were still doing this when they were in high school and beyond. They still do it now, out on their own!

But since they’ve moved out, I’ve kinda lost track of the Disney stuff. The newer movies haven’t really drawn my attention. So when my clergy colleagues and friends started going on and on about Encanto, it took me awhile to actually turn it on and see what the fuss was all about. Til Sunday afternoon after worship, to be specific.

You guys.

I mean, I don’t want to over-sell it here. It’s just a movie, and in a lot of ways just typical animated Disney fare. But there are layers of meaning and messages that are far from simple and uncomplicated. Deep, and good, and healing, and important.

Like, that a person can make terrible, hurtful mistakes, and still be good and loving and worthy. That the same person who makes those mistakes can also do great good. That there is nothing so broken that it cannot be healed.

That people are more than what they can achieve or produce. That you don’t have to shoulder everything. Thannnt you don’t, ever, have to be perfect. That we can be honest when we are struggling, and lean on each other.

That everyone matters, and everyone belongs. Every one.

We don’t believe in the Gospel according to Disney, friends. But sometimes the Gospel sneaks an echo of truth where we least expect it. God uses even these things to touch our hearts and make himself known to us.

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

“For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14a

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

May God surprise you, beloved, with the inbreaking of the Holy Spirit where you least expect it, to strengthen your faith, confirm your hope, and perfect you in love.

Love and blessings,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

ROMANS: A Very Costly Gift

Some would say Paul’s letter to the Romans has done more to form Christian theology – that is, our understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the meaning of salvation, and more – than anything other than Christ himself. So we are taking our time with it, exploring Paul’s letter just a bit at a time. After swimming in the toilet last Sunday (that metaphor still seems so perfect to me) and reading the first 3 chapters of Romans, this week we will spend time in chapters 4-6 focusing on God’s promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

If you are worshiping with us from home, either via the radio broadcast or video, we are so glad!

If we can pray for you, or if there is anything you need, we would love to do that.

You can call the church office at 775-423-4714, or you can call Pastor Dawn on her cell phone any time,

775-671-5553.

The Gospel According to Paul

January 25, 2022

Hello friends!

I’m sitting today in what’s called the Gathering of the Orders, a required “retreat” for all clergy that’s held once a year the last week in January. Ordinarily we gather somewhere in person for three days mid-week, but of course covid has put the kibosh on that for the past 2 years. So many pros and cons to doing it via Zoom, and seeing each other on a screen…it’s definitely much more economical, and it’s certainly safer and more efficient, but its also awfully easy to get distracted and impossible to really connect with friends and colleagues.

The theme of the day, though, is lovely. We are considering together Isaiah 43, and hearing speakers on different portions of it. The Bishop spoke powerfully about being called by name, our keynote speaker gave a message about the healing effects of compassion, another speaker talked about walking through the fire and God being with her. And just an hour or so ago, my friend Angel Rivero spoke about being a witness.

Angel is a sweet, soft-spoken, powerfully faithful young man whom I met a few years ago, as part of a yearlong class on church planting and church growth. He is a second generation Mexican American, and his vision at the time was to plant a church that ministers uniquely to people like himself: straddling two cultures, loving both, having a passion for justice, yearning for Christ. But he can and does minister effectively to all kinds of people.

Angel is also gay. Before he became Methodist, he was a minister with the Seventh Day Adventists…but when he realized he was gay, he was kicked out of the ministry and the church. He still felt a strong call to ministry, though, so he went to seminary the same place I did (about 10 years after me), and met some of my favorite humans who affirmed his call and formed a strong circle of support around him. He was ordained in the United Methodist Church 2 years ago, with great joy.

He told us the story today of serving the church he serves now, and the avalanche of hate mail he started to receive because he is gay. Not from the church, they are 100% behind him, but from the community. How scary it got, how demoralizing and exhausting. How his relationship with God and the support of Christian friends continues to keep him focused. How important each of our unique Christian witness is, and how God surrounds us with support and guidance so that God’s word is faithfully spoken even during the worst hardship.

Our lives are full of joys and hardships, both of which can distract us and steal our focus. May God surround each of us with good people who love and support us, who are a healthy and positive presence in our lives, who help us clarify our own unique witness. And may God use that witness to make the Gospel real and alive in the place God has planted us.

Love and blessings,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

ROMANS: The Gospel According to Paul

This week, we begin a 6 week study of the book of Romans. Some would say Paul’s letter to the Romans has done more to form Christian theology – that is, our understanding of who God is, who Jesus is, the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the meaning of salvation, and more – than anything other than Christ himself. So we will take our time with it, exploring Paul’s letter just a bit at a time. As we begin, you might like to read the first 3 chapters of Romans, and listen for how God might be speaking into your life today.

Sabbath Freedom

January 18, 2022

Hello friends!

Holy baloney, you guys. I am sitting in the infusion center in Reno, and it’s the VERY LAST TIME I’ll be doing this. Every 3 weeks for a year. And in about an hour, I’m free!!!! What a crazy thought. Halleluia.

In worship this month, we’ve been talking about healthy, Christ-centered life. God has given us direction for spiritually healthy living, rhythms of work, rest, and worship that give rest for our souls and open the door to joy. I’m thinking particularly about rest, and how vital it is to us. Spiritual, emotional, and physical rest. What I’m realizing is that it’s not just “rest” per se…it’s an exercise in freedom.

In the very first part of Genesis, after God has finished all of that work of creating, God looks out over
everything and calls it good. And then chapter 2 begins with God resting on the seventh day, making it holy. Last week in worship we talked together about how sabbath is thus about much more than going to church: worship yes, absolutely, but the central point of all of it is to look out over all of God’s creation and see that it is good. The people of Israel marked the sabbath and made it holy with singing, with dancing, with delicious food shared with friends and family, with wine and prayer and laughter. Giving your spouse an extra measure of affection and appreciation on the sabbath was (and is) considered a mitzvah, a religious duty. Playing with your children and grandchildren, too. All of this isn’t about sleep or relaxation exactly – although that too, certainly – but about freedom from the obligations of work, in order to enjoy the best parts of the life God has given us. Time to taste, and see, and hear, and smell, and feel, and know that God is good.

In my study about sabbath, I ran across a book about the sabbath called “24/6” by Dr Matthew Sleeth, MD. He’s an interesting guy. A former emergency room physician, he left that field some years ago to preach and teach about healthy living and creation care. He works as a medical missionary in Africa, too. He writes that his and his family’s lives were dramatically transformed by adopting “sabbath practices”: one day a week to focus on God and on each other.

“How can we possibly have “ears to hear” when we are plugged in 24/7? If we never take time to “be still and know” God, how can we grow into mature spiritual beings? The solution is simple. And it is endorsed by the Great Physician Himself. In fact, He invented it. It’s called rest. And like all good things, rest is a gift from God.”

Before I got settled today here in the infusion center, I met with Martha, my fantastic nurse practitioner. (She’s originally from Cameroon and has the coolest accent.) She talked about health going forward, now that treatment will be complete: healthy food, regular exercise, and most of all rest. I’m so glad to know that, in God’s prescription for healthy living, rest is about claiming the freedom to enjoy all that God has given! Sounds like an outstanding new year’s resolution to me.

Love and blessings,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

RHYTHMS: Finding Rest for Our Souls

This Sunday we complete our Epiphany worship series about the rhythms of life, what the Bible says about finding balance and peace, and what God tells us about work, rest, and worship. As you prepare your heart for worship, you might like to pray with Psalm 42, Matthew 9:9-13 and Micah 6:6-8. You’ll be amazed how God can speak into your life, when you take time in the quiet to read scripture and pray.

RHYTHMS: Finding Rest for Our Souls

January 14, 2022

Hello friends!

It has been a very interesting week, here at the Blundell household. Dennis and I managed to catch some kind of no-fun-at-all upper respiratory thing. It doesn’t appear to be Covid (although who knows really) but we still have stayed home and done our best not to share it. We feel just fine now, thank goodness, but it was a pretty gross few days! Anyway, that’s why this newsletter is a bit delayed. Glad to be back to it.

We have a bunch of really fun and interesting stuff happening in the life of the church, which you will see in the next couple of pages, not least of which is that we have been nominated for 2 community awards! Outstanding Nonprofit, and Outstanding Helping Heart. Isn’t that great! Thanks to the love, dedication, and hard work of a bunch of our congregation members, it is one way to know that we are
serving our community well in the name of Jesus Christ. We don’t need any kind of award, but the recognition in the paper and social media and whatnot gives us the opportunity to make sure folks who need us know that we are here. It amazes me constantly how many people in town still don’t know about Fallon Daily Bread, or Epworth Community Food Pantry, or that we offer folks the ability to take showers and wash clothes for free. Go to FallonChamber.com and click right where it tells you to get to the place to vote. And vote for our local businesses in a bunch of categories while you’re at it!

All of this gets me thinking about how and why our faith leads us to take care of each other. It’s something I find myself in lots of conversations about, outside of church, and I’ve mentioned before how strange I find it that some branches of Christianity find efforts to serve and help folks in need to be somehow suspect. A distraction from the sharing of the Gospel, they say. And I do see what folks mean when they worry that focusing on the needs of this moment and this world can distract us from the important work of sharing the Good News of everlasting life in Jesus Christ. But to me, the two things can’t be divorced from one another. The Bible as a whole and Jesus’ ministry in particular is filled with both, all tied up together.

Moment by moment, it comes down to asking ourselves “what would be the most loving choice be, right now?” From the simple, kind ways we interact with strangers, to how we spend and donate our money, to how we parent and grandparent, to how we act on the things that stir our heart, our Christian faith isn’t only about getting to heaven after we die. In the words of my friend Ed Stallworth, it’s also about bringing a little heaven here to earth. Like, by giving people the gift of love and dignity through good food and clean clothes and a shower. And by wearing a mask all the time, especially at church, so that we don’t share cooties with people whose immune systems are fragile. And a thousand million other ways that we can be salt and light.

See you in worship, beloved.

One in the Spirit and one in the Lord,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

RHYTHMS: Finding Rest for Our Souls

Happy New Year!

January 4, 2022

Happy New Year, church family and friends!

Dennis and I are just back from a really nice visit with my 30 year old baby boy up in Washington. I remember how much I love spending time with that guy. His giggle, his kindness, the way we talk together, his perspective on things…so nice. I also remember how much Dennis and I both really dislike driving in the snow. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Stressful, but worth it. And now it’s very good to be home, with the holidays behind us and back into the comfortable rhythms of our ordinary life.

I’m just gonna toss this out there: the middle of winter is a very strange time to begin a new year, really, especially when it means making changes or plans for new endeavors. Ancient societies usually celebrated the new year in the spring or the fall…at planting time, or at the harvest. Which makes a lot more sense, to me at least. After the deadly cold and scarcity of winter, we emerge with hope in the spring and see how the world is waking up…naturally, that’s a time we’d be thinking of newness and life and exciting new ideas. The Roman calendar marked the new year exactly then, at the spring equinox, until Julius Caesar instituted some reforms to bring the calendar better in sync with the actual seasons and made January first – the month honoring Janus, the god of beginnings – New Year’s Day.

Autumn makes sense to me, too, as the start of the new year. After the work of planting and nurturing and harvesting, working to lay aside enough to endure the winter months, it makes sense that many ancient societies would sit back and take stock. Give thanks. Make sacrifices, and pray, and look forward to the new year. Ancient Israel established their new year then, at the end of the harvest in the fall, with ten days of awe (that is, thanks and praise to God) and repentance. Before moving into a winter season of cold and dark, in close quarters with family and neighbors, they made an intentional practice of giving and seeking forgiveness. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is still practiced this way, seeking forgiveness from God and neighbor, forgiving others, and resolving to be more faithful in the coming year.

But winter? (Or in the southern hemisphere, in the middle of summer?) No. That’s weird. It doesn’t feel right. I mean, I realize that Jesus is born and we mark this time of Epiphany by being aware of the Light dawning…days growing longer and the darkness receding, literally and spiritually. I get it. But to me, in my bones, winter is a time for storytelling, and cooking, and creating. A time for family, and friends…for introspection, and appreciation. For love, and care, and gratitude. Not to do or achieve something new, but to see and love what already is. To be slow, and careful, and attentive. To love both the darkness and the light, because God is powerfully present in both.

Of course, I am very weird myself, so maybe none of this rings true for you. Maybe this is a perfect time for you, to make resolutions and have renewed energy for life. If so, then swell! But one note of caution, as you make your plans for the new year: be gentle with yourself. You are loved and loveable, exactly as you already are. And life is good.

Raising my Ebenezer,

Pastor Dawn

Worship Any and Everywhere!

RHYTHMS: Finding Rest for Our Souls

This Sunday we begin a new series! We’ll talk together about the rhythms of life, what the Bible says about finding balance and peace, and what God tells us about work, rest, and worship. As you prepare your heart for worship, you might like to pray with Colossians 3:23-24, and the second chapter of Ecclesiastes. You’ll be amazed how God can speak into your life, when you take time in the quiet to read scripture and pray.