Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, June 26, 2022
Early in my ministry, I got a call before sunrise on Easter Sunday from the local police chief to meet him at the hospital. As I arrived, the police chief told me that the young lady had tried self-harming and was distraught. She had gotten my name from a friend who attended our church and wanted to speak to me.
She confided in me that she had been brutally raped and kept it from her family. But now, she discovered that she was pregnant. Her attempted suicide resulted from the weight of guilt and shame pressing down on her to the point that she felt she had no other alternative to stop the pain.
This was Easter Sunday. In a few hours, I would stand before a congregation and declare that hope was a possibility because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But before I would preach, I found myself standing bedside of a young lady who had lost all hope.
This encounter haunts me whenever someone wants to ignore the complexity of human life and make decisions that either politicize or ignore the terrifying things humans do to the bodies and souls of other humans.
Navigating life's moral and spiritual terrain requires grace, wisdom, discernment, and community.
I am pro-life. However, this implies that we live in a world where women and children are safe and free to flourish to their God-given potential. And if we are not there yet (and we are not), we strive to create a society where women and children are safe and provided for and given the resources to live abundantly.
We cannot end abortion until we address the concerns of what leads a person to seek the choice. But unfortunately, we will never get to the heart of the matter by masking it through criminalization or playing this game of zero-sum nature in politics. Neither will we get there by allowing the extreme voices on both sides of the political discussion to set the terms of the debate.
As a pastor, I am praying for and willing to commit myself to remake our world as a more hospitable place for women and children and shaping a culture where families thrive.
Anyone with me?
"I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully." - Jesus (John 10:10)
Jamey
Prayer of the Week:
God, who looks upon the scared and vulnerable, listens to our hearts' cries; we come to offer our pain to you.
In a broken and cruel world, may your light shine through us. In a world desperate for empathy and compassion, may the love of Christ flow from our actions and our words.
Forgive us for being a society that lets children go to bed hungry and where the poor are seen as a nuisance. Forgive us for failing to value the lives of children with disabilities and ignoring the voice of the neglected.
Please give us the wisdom to recognize the lies and the courage to turn toward the truth. And in the end, may we love as you have loved us. Amen.
Happening in Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville First United Methodist Church
The Chancel Choir of Gainesville First United Methodist Church and Believers Concert Band combine to present a stirring program of patriotic music celebrating America’s heritage and freedom. Program highlights include settings of America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and Stars and Stripes Forever.
Meme of the Week
Dad Joke
My neighbor has two Dobermans called Rolex and Timex. They are watch dogs.
What do a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common? They are both Paris sites.
Photo of the Week (Photos taken by me)
Book I Am Reading this Week
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks
Drop off canned goods at Gainesville First United Methodist Church
(If you are not in Gainesville, consider doing a canned food drive in your community)
Question Reflection (and yes, I actually think about these things)
What is one item on your bucket list? Leave answer in the comments.
Weekly Blessing
May God give you the strength to provide refuge for those needing to come out of the storm of hate. May God bless you with wisdom to guide those who feel lost in the chaos. Finally, may God give you the gift of joy to lead others to abundant life.
Shareable Social Media Post (Right click and save)
To go to the Holy Land! Hopefully in 2023.🙏
Also to see the Fall color in Vermont one day.