fumchurstblog

My Prayer

I was reminded recently about the power of a Prayer Walk and decided this morning to do one through part of the church. A prayer walk can take place anywhere – a school, a neighborhood, an office, a church, a park, a mall, a hospital. As you walk, stop and notice the spaces, people, or…

Don’t Hide It Under a Bushel

Since I was a child, I have had large feet. My feet grew longer faster than I grew taller. There was a time when my foot to height ratio was especially awkward. I became ashamed of my feet at a very young age. They are big. They are shaped funny. I trip over them constantly….

Men Are Not Supposed to Work in the Kitchen

In Africa, a woman is commander-in-chief of the house. She works with her children and any relatives living within the house. Some women work in the fields, some in the markets, and others in the public and private sector. The men go to work and when they come back home, their duty stays at the…

Help Me to Say “Yes”

I am afraid of saying ‘Yes,’ Lord.Where will you take me?I am afraid of drawing the longer straw,I am afraid of signing my name to an unread agreement,I am afraid of the ‘yes’ that entails other ‘yeses.’And yet I am not at peace.You pursue me, Lord, you besiege me.I seek out the din for fear…

A Perfect Noise or a Joyful Noise?

When I was in third grade I briefly sang in the school choir. I was so excited about choir because I loved music (and so did my good friend). On our first day of choir, my friend and I proudly stood side by side on the front row (because we were tiny and it was…

Turn, Turn, Turn

To everything (turn, turn, turn)There is a season (turn, turn, turn)And a time to every purpose, under heaven Written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s, the song, Turn, Turn, Turn was recorded by several artists with limited success. It wasn’t until the band, the Byrds, released their version that the song became an international…

In moments like this….

This week in our community has been painful. The deaths of loved ones including Londyn Tippett and Lauren Bajuk have caused unimaginable grief, turned worlds upside down, and left us grasping for any certainties that can give us stable footing. In moments like these, it’s hard to force words up on to a screen. I’m…

Abundance in Georgetown, TX

The Holy Spirit is moving in Georgetown, TX. Youth Mission Trip is a tried and true tradition in the United Methodist Church and it dually serves two purposes: loving our neighbors through acts of service, and building community in the churches on mission. God plays a role in filling us up with an abundance of…

Encountering the Holy

If I were to ask you what images pop into your mind when you hear the words ‘sacred’ or ‘holy’, what would you describe? If you are like me, and grew up in a mainline protestant church, maybe you think of a sanctuary – tall ceilings, colorful windows with the light shining through at just…

Staying Open

In journalism school, we learned how to ask questions that opened up conversations instead of shutting them down. We were trained to avoid leading questions and to enter conversations with open minds. You never want to assume you know what people want to share with you. Asking only open-ended questions allows the speaker to direct…

Tshiluba Proverbs and Their Meanings

As elsewhere in Africa, proverbs are an integral part of Luba culture in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Passed on from generation to generation for centuries, they are still used today and are much a part of everyday speech. They are used to illustrate ideas, reinforce arguments and deliver messages of inspiration, consolation, celebration and…

Weeping Wildflowers

Weeds. It’s a constant battle to keep them out of my yard. I mulch and fertilize, but still have weeds that pop up here and there. However, there’s one particular “weed” that I never pull up. In fact, I love and nurture it. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Widow’s Tears (Commelina erecta) gets…