Bryant's Weekly Thoughts

Bryant's Weekly Thoughts

On most Fridays, Rev. Bryant M. Oskvig sends out his e-Pistle - thoughts, comments, and expressions of what's on his mind.

To read previous e-Pistles by month, please use buttons below.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Outside my office window stands a young oak tree. I find myself staring at this oak tree every Friday as I compose these e-Pistles, and each Friday the tree and I find words to share with you. It has become my friend and muse, a visceral experience of the inspiration of the Spirit. As I stared at the young tree this morning, I began to wonder what things we have seen and what things are yet to come for us in our ministry together here.

We have both, the tree and I, have been blessed to be in such a wonderful place of ministry. The space we share is cared for and maintained well. The buildings and grounds in which we worship, work, and pray together are beautiful spaces. How nice it is to walk into our church and have the walls painted, the bulletin boards artfully decorated, and the bathrooms cleaned. The tree enjoys the presence of other trees, a nice lawn, and mulch around its roots.

The gracious space we share, the tree and you, here at Linden-Linthicum United Methodist Church is a gift entrusted to us for others. We have the opportunity to participate in the experience of grace that is this gift tomorrow, Saturday. We will gather as friends from 8am - noon to share in fellowship and share in service for our community. I hope you will join us for some raking, some cleaning, and a lot of fellowship. If you come, I am sure that we can make some time to stop and have a warm cup of apple cider together, and I will point out my tree.

In Grace and Hope,

Bryant

Friday, September 27, 2008

There is that certain smell in the air that scent of the change of seasons. Those of us with trees in our yard stare dismayed at the leaves, wondering how soon we will be getting out that rake. The appearance of orange, green, and black in the stores with the large bins of on-sale candy seeks to announce to us the upcoming celebration of sugar that is Halloween. In the produce section of our local stores and in farmers market we find the fruit of this season, the apple.

With this fruit are the desserts as well; all good with ice cream I should add. We have our apple pie, apple crumble, apple crisp, and so many other choices; the apple food stuff becoming so deliciously present at meals.

But for me, one of the finest moments of apples and the fall is that fine cool fall day, perhaps after all the leaves are raked away or the apples all picked and place in the car, friends gathered in sweaters sharing a warm cup of apple cider. There in that moment is celebration of creation that you can taste, is the mutual support and joy of fellowship you can feel in the warmth of your hands, and is the sweet smell of goodness. In that moment is grace.

It takes things like apple cider, good friends, and a dessert or two to remind us that life has been filled with grace. There in the midst of the everyday, in the midst of the best parts of life, we recognize the abundant love of God in the ordinary, in the common, in a fruit.

In Grace and Hope,

Bryant

Friday, September 19, 2008

"That cow has horns!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you think we should be worried?"

"I hope not."

We were out in a pasture heading toward a chicken house, when we discovered that cow looking at us. In all honesty, I had a moment when I wondered whether this really was a good idea; there I was in Massachusetts with eleven youth feeding pigs, collecting eggs, and walking through pastures that had cows with menacing looking horns. I wondered, "How did I get myself into this?"

Our discipleship in Christ invites us to grow in new ways and try new things. There on Overlook Farms in Massachusetts, these youth grew in their understanding of farms, but more than that, they grew in their
understanding of the needs of others. In that moment in those fields, the families of Guatemala were some people over there but were neighbors who shared this same experience in their lives. The experience of waking in the morning, feeding the chickens, collecting eggs, cooking food over a fire, repairing things on the farm, and finishing the day by sleeping on a dirt floor in a stucco hut. They were our neighbors, and their needs became our needs.

This Sunday our Mission Team will share from their experience on the farm. They will name those new skills they developed on the trip, like milking a goat. The team will also share from their
understanding of the needs of neighbors in countries around the world, and their commitment to share from their abundance with these their neighbors.

Can you imagine the first time Jesus told the Good Samaritan parable? "Who was the neighbor to the beaten and robbed (Jewish) man?" The guy from another country, a Samaritan foreigner, who happened to being walking down that same road who shared from his abundance...

Sometimes you remember who your neighbor is when you are standing in a field with a gentle and meek cow that likes chicken feed and just happens to have menacing looking horns.

Bryant

Friday, September 12, 2008

All of the small things add up to meaning so much. It is the smile of that person who opens the door for you when your arms are full. It is the honest question of, "how are you?". The warm cup of coffee with a
cookie and a good conversation is another of those things. Children's laughter as they dodge their way through the legs of those same adults drinking coffee adds to the meaning. Heads bowed in prayer, voices
lifted in song, bread broken and cup shared, and this list could just keep going on and on. Opening the doors of the church really does share the best part of who we are with the world.

I often meet people who have questions about the church gathered. They raise issues about the hypocrisy of some believers; they will challenge some of their perceived teachings of the faith, and mostly, what they really want to know if they HAVE to get up on Sunday morning. "Isn't it enough that I am a good person; isn't that all God really wants?"

"And what does the Lord require? To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God."

That may be enough - but, it is missing out on the best part. Inside these doors, Sunday by Sunday and week by week, we grow together in our faith of Jesus Christ with the children. Inside these doors, Sunday by Sunday and week by week, we lift one another up in prayer and develop supportive friendships that weather all the storms and celebrate the sunshine. This is a true joy of the Christian faith to be called together as the church. It happens Sunday by Sunday and week by week. Why would anyone want to miss out on being inside these doors, Sunday by Sunday and week by week?

So, I will see you on Sunday for the best part!

Bryant

For more information:
Linden-Linthicum UMC
12101 Linden Linthicum Lane
Clarksville, MD 21029 US
Email: llumc@l-lumc.org

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