Jamey's Newsletter: Sunday, May 1, 2022
I am grateful for the mentors who were permission-giving instead of setting artificial boundaries in my life. Their guidance has shaped how I have viewed leadership in my own life.
Friends, leadership is not a title but a mindset.
A permission-giving leader understands the organization's systems and boundaries. Once the limits are identified, everything else is permission. A great leader recognizes the gifts of others.
Permission-giving is essential in being a leader in your home and your organization. It celebrates initiative. It values questions and honors innovative thinking.
As a person of faith, I would rather have a couple of ideas that have failed than a faith that won’t try.
Where do you need to be permission-giving in your life today?
Jamey
Some lessons from Jonah and the Big Fish:
Hang out with God long enough, and you will learn that it is God’s mercy, not God’s judgment, that represents the biggest threat to our religious ordering of the world.
Running away seems safer than letting God’s compassion shatter his longheld convictions.
When you learn that the God who gave me a second chance is the same God who gives them a second chance, it changes how you think about them.
Will we stop running and let grace catch up with us?
Weekly Prayer
Gracious God, what a blessing to share your presence with your people in the sacred space of grace and mercy. However, if we are honest, we can sometimes be jealous of what we share and want to keep it to ourselves. We quickly divide the world between them and us, insiders and outsiders.
Forgive us for our reluctance to open our doors and hearts, especially to those different from us. We repent of our unwillingness to consider that the stranger might even become a friend. Give us the faith to walk in the way of your love. In Jesus' name, amen.
Bible Stories for Grownups: Jonah and the Whale (The Big Fish)
Meme of the Week
Dad Jokes
Today, my son asked "Can I have a book mark?" and I burst into tears. 11 years old and he still doesn't know my name is Brian.
Did you know the first French fries weren't actually cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece.
I have been thinking………..
Book Banning, Cancel Culture, and the Bible
I can honestly say I never read from the Song of Solomon to my children at night before bed. They are now nineteen and sixteen years old, and I am not even sure they know this book of the Bible exists. As teenage boys, maybe they would be more interested in reading the Bible if they did.
"You are stately as a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its branches" (Song of Solomon 7: 7 - 8).
At what age is it appropriate to read the book to children? Or should it be read at all?
According to some Jewish traditions, children under a certain age were not allowed to read the Song of Solomon. Therefore, it required some maturity before attempting to interpret the rich poetry. It also needed some nuance in understanding how language worked in the context of allegory, metaphor, and poetic structure.
How do we handle the scriptures that speak of violence? As an example, Psalm 137 has the Psalmist praising the one who commits genocide on the infants of Babylon.
"Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks" (Psalm 137: 8 - 9).
Do we cancel out scripture because it speaks to violence against children? Or do we take on the greater responsibility as parents and teach our children the value of reading in context?
Do I believe certain books of the Bible should be handled carefully around children? Yes, I do!
Do I believe that particular books in our public or school libraries are not appropriate for children to read? Absolutely!
However, I am still unclear on how to define "cancel culture." Is it a form of public accountability or a system of public shaming that has gone too far? It seems to be the answer is whoever has the public attention and the topic at hand.
If we are to have a serious debate on what is appropriate for children to read and at what age, then we need to define our goal in exposing children to literature and let us discuss how we reach that goal.
And before we decide what needs to be canceled in public discourse, we need to clearly explain why we are raising concerns and let us debate the merits of withdrawing this issue or person from the public conversation.
If we don't, we will not be able to have public discourse for fear of being publicly shamed, our children will remain biblical illiterate, and our libraries will be empty.
In the meantime, let Proverbs guide us, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
Jamey
Photo of the Week (Photos taken by me)
It's Time to Change Our Culture of Bullying
Excerpt: There is no substitute—no economic value, no health outcome, no political power, no collective achievement—that approximates the grace and transformation of love received and love given. We can’t get to justice or joy except with love. There is no other path.
How Loneliness Is Damaging Our Health
Excerpt: Loneliness, as defined by mental health professionals, is a gap between the level of connectedness that you want and what you have.
Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo The Judds, dies at 76
Excerpt: The daughters announced her death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness," the statement said.
Excerpt: Teachers are state employees, but they are not the state’s robots. When they clearly speak on their own, the First Amendment should apply. Whether they kneel in prayer or protest, it’s not just acceptable for students and parents to see teachers as people and citizens; it’s imperative. The best way to teach pluralism is to model pluralism. Let Coach Kennedy pray, for all our sakes.
For more information about Path United and how to volunteer at the Gainesville (Baker and Glover) location, contact Meredith Pierce at meredith@pathunited.org.
Happening at Gainesville First United Methodist Church
Join us for Cinco De Mayo on Thursday, May 5 for a Taco Kit Fundraiser. Each kit is $34.99 and includes everything you need to make tacos right at home. Kits will feed 4-6 people. All orders must be submitted by May 3 at 4pm.
Pick up kits in the Upper Parking lot beginning at 12:30pm on May 5.
All funds raised will go to supplies for each Preschool classroom!
Order here >> https://form.jotform.com/221084202927147
Dancing for a Cause
I need your support!
Dancing for a Cause is a collaborative event designed to strengthen community support for three local non-profit agencies serving children and families: Alliance for Literacy, Center Point, and Rape Response.
Click here to give!
Next week is Teacher’s Appreciation Week. What better way to honor teachers than supporting a book drive!
Ryan and Abby Burle are doing a book drive. The books will be donated to Northeast Georgia Medical Center NICU, SISU - Integrated Early Learning, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Click Here to purchase books.
Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. Next week, in my newsletter, I want to highlight the women in your life who have invested in you. Who has impacted you and made you a better person? Who do you want to celebrate? Please send me an email, a short explanation, and a photo of the mother-like person in your life. Email me at jamey.prickett@ngumc.net?