"Midweek and Two Stories of Children and Us" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 12/26/2018

Good morning everyone—
Are you still feeling the glow of Christmas?  Worship here at WDMUMC was wonderful.  At 5 pm families and children filled the pews.  Morganne, our Christian Education, and Discipleship Director led the children through the story of the first Christmas.  We celebrated the baptism of a sweet little girl just a few weeks old and she reminded us of how small and vulnerable Jesus was on that first Christmas.

At 9 pm our bell ministry led us through worship.  We read the story of the birth in Luke and sang carols and waited for the arrival of the light of Christ.  Olivia, a young girl, danced down the aisle carrying the light.

In both services, the sanctuary grew dark and we held candles in our hands and sang “Silent Night,” our faces aglow in candlelight.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
’Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, oh, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

And the good news of Christmas fills us.  God is with us.  Hope, joy, love, peace, God’s goodness has flooded the land in the birth of this child.

Later at home, I read the headlines:
An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in United States custody early Christmas Day, the second death of a child in detention at the southwest border in less than three weeks,  The New York Times, Dec 25, 2018.

And I can’t make the birth of one child, our Holy Prince of Peace, fit in a world where an eight-year-old child dies.

I know. I know.  Border security.  Immigration policies.  Politics.

But our policies and our politics aren’t working if the youngest among us are dying.  No animal species on earth can exist if their children are dying.  No human species should allow it.

I pray, of course, but a prayer offered to God should lead us to action, and honestly, I don’t know what to do.  The hatred and evil seem too big.  It is too easy to shrink back in the complexity of it all.  Too often blame is simply shifted from parents to the government.  Inertia seems easier.  My hands folded in prayer seem empty.

I am living in the glow of Christmas and grieving the darkness we have come to accept.  I find myself looking into the manger, begging that baby to lead us.  And then wondering if I would be brave enough to follow.  Still, I will keep praying for children, praying as we sang on Christmas Eve, Holy God, lend they light, lend thy light.
And watching for what God might be calling me to do.

Blessings,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines,  Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.
We worship this Sunday at 8:30 and 11 and we would love to worship with you.

"Midweek and Ready for Christmas" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 12/19/2018

Good morning—
“We live only as God comes forth to meet us, bringing, again and again, the fresh gift of life.  Always we live toward the future.  It is not enough to live out of our past experience.  That would be like living tomorrow on the food we had yesterday.  Every day is meant to be a day of Advent—with a fresh supply of grace richly provided and immediately at hand.”   Those are the words of Bill Cotton, sharing the wisdom of his teacher, Fred Gealy.

This is the season of Advent and these words are the lesson I have learned this year.  I entered Advent tired and a bit discouraged.  Lots had been happening and I was having a hard time making it through what is wrong in the world to find what is right. 

And then I encountered lots of people who spoke of hope, love, joy, and peace in tangible change-the-world terms.  Of course, all this was really God speaking through the hearts of God’s people.

Where else could hope, love, joy, peace come from but God?

So thank you to the Chicago Cab driver who is sorting out good and evil.

And thank you to the prophets Malachi, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Isaiah who stood up in a world torn up and tightened up by greed and selfishness and violence and shouted hope, love, joy, and peace.

And thank you to Lance Henning, the director of Habitat, and retired Judge Constance Cohen, who speak hope, love, joy, and peace into homelessness and poverty and abuse and brokenness.

And thank you to Charlie’s Filling Station for filling our cupboards with food so that we can fill our little pantry and fill the stomachs of the hungry. 

And thank you for the hundreds of ways we celebrate this season, with children who sing and bells that ring and candlelight and "O’ Little Town of Bethlehem" played on the piano with such heart that it transports us to the dark streets of an ancient village looking for a manger. 

And thank you to the grieving who came to the Blue Christmas Service and held out their losses to God knowing that even tears are an acceptable offering to God.

And thank you to Jesus who told us to “stay alert!” because God’s kingdom IS coming.

And thank you for the way you gather here at the church and reach out a hand to one another.

And thank you for the way you move into the world and reach out a hand to one another.

And thank you to God,

For coming forth to meet us.

For bringing us, again and again, the fresh gift of life.

For the fresh supply of grace richly provided and immediately at hand.

Advent has done its work on me.  I am ready to celebrate the arrival of Christ.  I hope you are too.

Every blessing,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org

This week at WDMUMC:
Tonight!  Midweek Refuel!  Ham balls and good fellowship are on the menu.  Supper at 5:30.
Chancel Choir meets tonight at 7:30.  Have a song in your heart this season?  You are always welcome to join the choir.

Sunday Worship
Our 8:30 worship will be a traditional service with Lessons and Carols.  Love Christmas carols?  Come and join in the joy of the season.
Our 11:00 worship will explore Mary’s song, Luke 1:46-55.  Mary learns that she is going to have a baby.  Her world is turned upside down.  She will be disgraced.  This is a risk-it-all situation and she responds with a song.  We should all listen.

Christmas Eve Services
5 pm Family Worship.  Our children will re-live the story of the first Christmas.  We will also celebrate the birth of the Christ child by celebrating the baptism of a baby girl.  Joy!
9 pm Traditional Worship.  In this service, we will again hear the wonder-filled story of Christmas and watch for the light of Christ to enter the world.  A very special service. 
Both will conclude with candlelight and the singing of "Silent Night."  We hope to share this holy night with you. 

Memorial Service for Kenneth Eshelman
                Kenneth Eshelman was a long time member of WDMUMC.  He raised his family in this church.  In recent years he has lived in MO.  Kenneth died at the age of 93 on December 15.  His funeral service will be held on Friday at McLaren’s Funeral home at 2 pm.  Please hold the family in prayer.

"Midweek and the Staff Holds a Christmas Pagent" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 12/12/2018

Sometimes the very thing we need is right in front of us.  Our hearts might whisper “I need friendship,” “I need hope,”  “I need encouragement,” “I need laughter” and the answer is closer than we realize.

Today a bunch of the retired guys from the church met for lunch.
One of the circles had a holiday party.

Santa stopped by to visit the preschool.

Our mission team reported that 45 toys, a bag of hats and gloves, a bag of socks, $150 in checks and approx. $1250 in gift cards were delivered to West Des Moines Human Services.  Our preschool families joined in and collected box of hygiene supplies too.

And each day, the church staff is working to get the church ready for you and ready for Christmas.  I get to work with this amazing bunch.

“I need friendship.”  “I need hope.” “I need encouragement.”  “I need laughter.” Sometimes the answer is as close as simply looking around.  God’s good gifts surround us.

Merry Christmas to you from the staff of WDMUMC!


From left to right:  “Angel Rachel Olson, “Wise Person #1” Tonia Mateer, “Star” Pastor Cindy, Mary Angela Rothfus, “Joseph” Morganne Reinboldt, “Shepherd” Nancy Setchell and “Wise Person #2” Linda Plummer.  Note: these wise persons brought practical gifts, soup and a cup of coffee.
PS:  Thank you for the wonderful basket of “relaxation.”  I loved it!
Blessings,

Pastor Cindy

Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org

We worship at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday and we would love to worship with you.

This week at WDMUMC:
Midweek Re-Fuel!  Hot Beef Sundaes for dinner!  Great comfort food! And lots of activities for all ages all evening.

Sunday Worship:  God promises us joy.  This Sunday we will look at joy in the most unlikely of places.  Constance Cohen, retired Judge from the 5th Judicial District will tell us how she has seen joy in the juvenile courts.  Read Zephaniah 3:14-20 to prepare.

Blue Christmas  For those who have experienced loss this year, Christmas may not be a time of excitement and celebration.  On Monday December 17 at 6:30 we will hold a “blue” Christmas service. Also we have a blue Christmas tree in the café and you are invited to write the name of a loved one or the loss you are feeling on an ornament and hang it on the tree.  God is present in our sorrows.

"Midweek and Looking Ahead" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 12/04/2018

Hello!
Do you look forward to the future?  Not just the weekend ahead or Christmas, but the big future, what is coming toward us?

I love the prophets in the Old Testament.  Elijah, Nathan, Isaiah, Micah, Deborah, Ezekiel, Amos and more.   They were these curious, quirky realists, who were completely unafraid to see what was actually happening in the world, the rumble and the roar, the human not-so-goodness.  And in the midst of the mess, they also heard God LOUD AND CLEAR!  And once they heard what God was saying, it was impossible to silence them.  They spoke the truth of God, never mind what people would think.  They spoke against greed and for generosity.  They pointed out selfishness and pointed toward mercy.  They held up a mirror even if no one really wanted to look into it.

I bet they were not invited to many parties.

And despite all this, as I read the prophets, they all seemed excited about the future.  Even in the middle of a disaster, they pointed out on the horizon and declared that God was on the way. They were warriors for hope.  They use the word “will” a lot.

Micah 5:4   He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
        in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
        They will dwell secure,
        because he will surely become great throughout the earth;
         he will become one of peace.

During this season of Advent, the prophets seem to show up again, pointing toward Christmas and all the Christmases beyond.  Something good is on the way.  The will of God.  We can look forward to the future.  Even if we are curious, quirky realists, we can look forward to the future and God will find us. 

Every blessing to you in this season of Advent,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

We worship at 8:30 and 11 and you are invited!
Visit us at wdmumc.org or like us on Facebook.

This week At WDMUMC:
MidWeek Refuel is cooking up a great meal on Wednesday night.  Supper starts at 5:30!
And it is never too late to join the choir!  They meet at 7:30 in the sanctuary.  They will be singing their way to Christmas.
And on Sunday:  we will be celebrating the gift of love as Lance Henning from Habitat for Humanity joins with Pastor Cindy in sharing the message.