Greetings from Austin Texas!

This afternoon, I arrived in Austin, Texas after an incredible series of meetings all around the Gulf Coast.  

It began with time in Savannah and a group from Asbury Memorial Church.  Asbury is a downtown congregation that is devoted to reaching those who live on the fringe of religion.  They minister to many folks who have questions, who are looking for a place to call home.  A substantial part of their ministry is devoted to working with and supporting the gay and lesbian population of Savannah.  I had scheduled a visit there, and expected to meet with one or two folks.  When the congregation found out about my trip, fifteen people showed up to spend the afternoon with me, each telling me their story.  Here is their picture.

It was simply phenomenal.  There were many wounds but they had found a community that they called home which was a source of healing to them all.  They were incredibly kind, open, and generous with their time and with me.  I felt honored to have some time with them.

Last Sunday, I visited with Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville Beach Florida.  After a rousing 11:22 service, we all walked to the beach where 70 people were to be baptized.   Just as they were about to begin, a huge storm came up and they had to postpone.  I was still able to have some incredible conversations with the folks. 

On Tuesday, I spent some time at a church near Pensacola Florida.  I visited with several folks, but meet April Fisher.

 Her story is long but let me just briefly say that she came from horrendous circumstances.  For an hour she told me a story that made me constantly make sure my mouth was shut.  But then, after a miraculous intervention from the Lord, she found hope and life.  Now, she is a successful mother and student in Disciple Bible study.

Yesterday, after crossing the Mississippi.....

I spent some time with the gracious people of St. Lukes UMC in Shreveport Lousiana through the gracious hospitality of Lynn's sister and brother in law, Frank and Mary Hughes.

Believe me, there are many more stories to tell….wish I had time to tell them all.  I miss all the folks at Woodlake and hope and pray you are doing well!

P.S....here is a deep theological/kingdom question to ponder.  I ran across this sign last week.  Would you really want this in front of your church?????

The Power of a Letter…..

Meet Julianna and Gabrielle Lupacchino…..

I met them this morning at a United Methodist Camp just outside of Savannah.  There, in the midst of the Southern moss and marsh grass, they told me their story.  It is a long and powerful one, but one that was enabled in many ways, by a simple letter.  During of time of change, disruption, and hard circumstances, they began to wander away from their church.  Their youth director simply wrote them a letter, checking on them, inviting them back.  He didn’t even remember writing it.  Gabrielle (on the right) keeps it in her Bible.  They say that letter brought them back to the church, where they then attended a Youth Conference in Daytona and were then discipled at a local Starbucks by another youth member.  Today they are leaders in their youth program.

The Power of Love…..

Meet Lorie Williams…..

Lorrie was going through a time of marital struggles and employment changes.  Her husband was struggling with many different things.  Despite his mistakes, this local church, Conyers United Methodist Church, welcomed him in and “loved on him…”.  She came from a very different church background and figured that if they could love him, she could stay.  She has been at the church ever since, and looking for what the Lord has next in store for her.

The Power of Love (Part II)…

Meet Robert Moore…..

Robert came to the church with a life time restraining order against him by his ex-wife, a prison record, and a lifetime of addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol.  When I met with him, he pulled out a pile of cards that his church had sent to him, like treasures from a box.  His church had loved him in the midst of it all and he discovered the healing power of Jesus in this suburban Atlanta congregation.  Today, he leads several ministries in this church and is the chaplain at the local prison. 

There is much more to tell…..more to follow!

            This afternoon, I arrived here in Atlanta.  I will be meeting with several folks tomorrow to hear their stories before heading off to Savannah. 

            I had several reflections while driving through the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina this morning. 

            First, how thankful I am to the many folks who have enabled me to have this opportunity.  I am humbled by this incredible gift of time that I have received.  I am able to do this, not only because of the generous grant, but more importantly, because so many folks are enabling me to do this.  My wonderful wife Lynn is taking care of things at home for six weeks by herself.  My kids are all making those complicated fall transitions into school, work, and other things without their Dad being physically present.  The staff of Woodlake Church gave me an incredible sendoff on Tuesday, as the whole church did on Sunday. 

            Time away can be such a powerful thing.  I am thinking about how three months ago I was in the middle of General Conference.  It was simply an awful time.  Everybody was fussing over multiple things for two weeks.  At the end of those weeks, we accomplished virtually nothing, despite very high expectations.  At the end of those long days, my friends and I would walk out of the gathering, reflecting upon the battles of the day.  We would often remark that there is a whole world out here that knows nothing of what is happening in Tampa, and frankly, is totally unconcerned. 

            Somehow, remembering that was refreshing…simply because it offered perspective.  The things that had consumed us took on less priority when we moved outside the doors of that coliseum.

            Perhaps that is one of the gifts of vacation and time away.  We have the opportunity to garner a larger experience that restores a reasonable and healthy perspective.  In the larger picture, things that consume us become smaller.  When you think about it, it is also one of the premier gifts of faith.  When things consume us, in prayer and worship, we turn to a God who is not only larger than those consuming things, but also is in control of those same anxiety producers.  In this God, there is an accurate and restoring perspective that in the words of Psalm 46, enables us to “be still and know that (he) is God”.

            This is my prayer for my coming weeks, that I can continue to find this healthy perspective, but more importantly, be reminded of the God who reigns over the church, even within our denominational struggles.

            And speaking of perspective, I thought it might be nice to introduce my driving companion:

            It seems that no self-respecting Methodist pastor should depart and head off for a journey without a John Wesley bobble head…

            As you can see, John and I are looking forward to all the new sites and perspectives as we cross the country!

In Christ,

Pete

Join Me On A Journey

                There is a first time for everything and this is the first time for me speaking through a blog!  But I am excited as this offers a great option to keep in touch with you as I make my way around the country.

            Just to offer a quick introduction, or perhaps update, this year, Woodlake United Methodist Church and I have received a grant from the Lilly Foundation to take a three month sabbatical journey.  For the next six weeks, I will be circumnavigating the United States, stopping in multiple cities throughout the country to listen to stories of lives that have been changed by the power of Christ.  For so many years, we have been listening to all the stories of struggle around the United Methodist Church.  I will be headed around the nation with the conviction that Christ is not finished with this church yet!  There are still multitudes of people whose lives are being changed every day despite the negative headlines about our church.

            So, I hope that throughout these weeks, you will join me as we meet these people.  From Atlanta, to Jacksonville Florida, El Paso Texas, Seattle Washington, Sheridan Wyoming, Detroit Michigan, and New York City to name just a few, we are going to be meeting all sorts of folks from different backgrounds, but folks who share a common theme; a life that has been changed in a powerful way by Jesus Christ through my local church.  

Pete heading off on his journey!

            I hope and pray that this blog will help us to meet all these folks as God carries us together to share these great stories of hope.  I'll talk to you on the road...until then!