Lent@Landmark: Day 6

We don’t learn much about Nicodemus in his night time exchange with Jesus, and 16 chapters go by without another mention of him. In chapter 19, however, we see that Jesus made an impression on Nicodemus, because he takes another risk.

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:38-42)

Nicodemus took a risk meeting with Jesus, though we don’t have any details about what happened between them afterward. What we do have is a decision by Nicodemus to step into the daylight and ask Pontius Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body down from the cross any bury him. If his connection with Jesus had remained a secret, it wasn’t anymore.

It seems he realized that Jesus was worth the risk.

Lent@Landmark: Day 5

Nicodemus needed to talk to Jesus, but he didn’t want anyone to know. We know that, somehow, he found a way to request a clandestine meeting, and Jesus agreed, because they met at night.

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." (John 3:1-2)

It was an olive branch. Nicodemus was a leader—a position not easily acquired amidst the complicated politics of first century Roman-occupied Israel. One wrong move could easily be the end of any current or future leadership role. He had much to lose, so to take such a risk means he must have come to suspect that there was also much to gain. So he reached out to connect with this mysterious teacher, to see what he was about.

Is God calling you to take a risk that you’ve been reluctant to take? Has the cost of obedience seemed too great? What would it take for you to trust that following God’s call is always worth the risk?

Lent@Landmark: Day 4

For some reason, it’s easy to forget God’s love for us. Perhaps it’s because we’re not accustomed to loving or being loved by someone that much. Here the urgency in these words expressing God’s desire to restore and enjoy friendship with us, from Joel 2.

Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…

The more common image seems to be one of a supervisor, enforcing the rules and doling out consequences for breaking them. But that is not the Spirit of the living God. Remember that God is eager for us to repent because God is eager to restore us and connect with us. Our repentance leads to God’s rejoicing!

Lent@Landmark: Day 3

We don’t do much sacrificing or suffering in silence these days. On social media we can share a hardship and almost instantly get a deluge of sympathy and love in the comments and reactions of our friends or followers.

When it comes to the sacrifices we make as a part of our discipleship, Jesus asks us to take a different approach. Consider Matthew 6:1-2.

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

The reward for our faithfulness to sacrifice for the Kingdom of God is not supposed to be pats on the back or sympathy for the hardship. The reward is the refining effect that sacrifice has on us and on the world around us. If that isn’t enough for us, we have further yet to grow.

Lent@Landmark: Day 2

Psalms of repentance always sound so thorough to me. The writers of the Psalms were pretty good apologizers! Consider Psalm 51:1-4.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

Unlike the Psalm writers, we often apologize and then unapologize in the same sentence. Have you ever caught yourself doing it?

“I’m so sorry I didn’t return your lawnmower. I thought my nephew was going to return it for me.”

“I’m really sorry about throwing the ball through your window. I thought my brother would have caught it easily.”

People measure us by our actions, yet we measure ourselves by our intentions. So our apologies usually follow the same pattern: “I am sorry for that thing that I did, but because of what I was thinking when I did it, I don’t think you should hold it against me.”

The good news is that this is easily fixed. Just do it backwards, and let the apology be the last word. Sure, you want the person to know that you didn’t intend to steal their lawnmower or burn their dinner. You didn’t intend to make their day worse. However, listen to how it sounds backwards.

“Oh no! I thought my nephew was going to return your lawnmower. I am really sorry, I should have made sure it got back to you.”

“I was sure my brother would have caught that throw, but I should have been more careful. I am really sorry about your window.”

When we let our apology be the last word, we set repairing relationships as the higher priority than making excuses and saving face.

Lent@Landmark: Day 1

At yesterday’s Ash Wednesday services, I invited the congregation to pray Psalm 139:23-24 once per day as a part of our efforts to be mindful of the things that hide in our hearts and distract us—leading us to indulge our own impulses instead of sacrificing to love and serve God and our neighbor. Give it a try—I think it’s a prayer that God would love to answer.

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Thankful to Gather, Grow, and Love our neighborhood alongside you!

Pastor Matt

Lent@Landmark

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40 days of Lent that prepare us for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It starts with our 7-9am “Drive-Thru Ashes,” with our neighbors pulling in to our Landmark Drive entrances to receive ashes on their foreheads without getting out of the car. We offer that for busy families on the way to dropping off kids at school and heading to work in case they won’t have the chance to attend an Ash Wednesday worship service in person. This allows them to still bear this ancient mark of repentance all day, bearing witness to everyone around them about the important season that has begun.

The best part of drive-thru ashes are those cars with kids in the back seat on their way to Leila Davis Elementary, our next door neighbors south of us along Landmark Dr. Invariably they look out the window at this strangely dressed guy, staring at me as they drive by. I love to imagine the conversation that happens in the car as they then ask, “Hey, what is that man doing out there?”

During Lent I’ll share a brief Lent@Landmark (Yes, I stole that idea from Ashley’s Happening@Heritage emails…) Scripture reflection on the church’s blog to help us all keep this important season ever before us, trusting that God will use it to refine us and make us the disciples, and the church, that this world needs us to be!

Thankful to Gather, Grow, and Love our neighbors in Clearwater and around the world with you!

Pastor Matt

Important Financial Update

From the Combined Faith Promise Service, 2/4/2024

By Tim Barnes

Click the logo above to watch the Happening @ Heritage recap video from Sunday morning, 2/4/2024. Click here to see the whole service.

Good morning everyone. I am Tim Barnes and serve on the Leadership Board.  The board wanted to provide you with a financial update and I drew the short straw…  That’s not true, I volunteered to make this presentation.  

But before we get into that, the Leadership Board wanted to congratulate you.  The video showing some of the things this church has been involved in over the last year was AMAZING!!  When you came in, you were given a card detailing how our community has been affected by what we have done as a church.  Those things were all accomplished because of YOU.  Volunteering your time, skills and finances, but most of all your heart for seeing God’s will in this community come to life.  Ghandi famously said to “Be the change you want to see in the world” and you are doing that, so give yourself a clap praise.

I don’t want to take anything away from the staff.  They are an integral part of coordinating those events and making them happen.  I think we are blessed with a fantastic staff and the Board is so grateful for the TEAM that we have.  This church is moving forward under their leadership, impacting our community and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  A HUGE THANK YOU to the staff.

And now let me get to the financial update.  As you know, we have been in the process of closing on the sale of building D for some time now.  Last year at this time, the plan was to close on the sale of building D in July or August.  The closing of the sale has been delayed for several reasons.  

The part of our property being sold is circled in red.

These delays have been related to issues with the city.  The first was a requirement to have the survey updated.  It took the surveyor a couple months to make that happen.  The second had to do with the city requesting that the access road between the main church property and building D be rerouted to match up with Haverford Drive on the other side of Landmark.  The buyer is in the process of getting a waiver of that requirement and hopes to have that accomplished by the end of February.  That would enable us to close on the sale of building D by the end of April.

As a result of the delay in the sale of building D, the results for 2023 were not as good as we were hoping they would be.  However, we were very close to budget.  We had an operating deficit for 2023 of $173K compared to a budgeted deficit of $166K.  The sale of building D is an important issue because every month the sale is delayed, it has a $31K impact on the operating results.  Had we been able to close on the sale in July, our results for 2023 would have been $155K better, or almost break even. 

The tentative budget for 2024 shows a deficit of $224K.  Of this amount $124K represents the cost of maintaining building D for the first four months of the year.  Excluding building D, there is still a deficit of $100K for the year.  We will need to bridge that gap through increased contributions or a reduction of expenses.  We will continue to look for ways to reduce costs and operate more efficiently, but any significant reductions would have to come from staffing.

The leadership board is asking you to pray for this church and its’ impact on the community over the next seven days.   On your way out, you will be given a faith promise card.  After prayerful consideration, we would like you to complete the faith promise card with the amount you believe you can increase your financial commitment to the church in 2024.  Whether that is by a one-time gift or increase in weekly or monthly giving.  This is a covenant between you and GOD.  Do not put your name on the Faith Promise card.  We will be collecting the Faith Promise cards in the service next week.  You can also drop them off in the mailbox outside the front door or in the office.  For those watching online, you can print the Faith Promise card from the website and mail it in or drop it by the church.  The Leadership Board will accumulate these cards and use the results to appropriately adjust the budget in a fiscally responsible manner.

Thank you for letting me take a few moments of your Sunday morning worship to keep you abreast of the financial happenings here at Heritage.

Palestine

On October 7th, 2023, Hamas soldiers from the Gaza Strip staged a horrific attack on public events and residences in southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and sexually assaulting and kidnapping hundreds more. Retaliatory attacks by Israel have killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza. Relations between Jews and Arabs in Palestine have vacillated between cold and caustic for over a century, but in these recent months they are as bad as they’ve ever been.

Whose Side Are You On?
The revolting acts by Hamas on October 7th remain worthy of the increasing worldwide condemnation they have received as new details of atrocities against men, women, and children have emerged from released hostages. At the same time, military strikes by Israel in Gaza have caused mounting levels of destruction to homes, businesses, social services, and lives. As is the American way in recent years, the conflict has been seized by politicians as an opportunity to seize in the constant obsession with winning the next election at all costs. The last few members of the U.S. Congress who believed that there were some principles more important than winning elections have retired or been voted out of office by candidates more willing to surf the waves of public outrage or drift along in the populist winds into election victories in recent years. It may seem like a tough choice—whether to sell your soul and win or keep it and lose—but it’s a no brainer if winning elections and being in power is all that matters.

So the conflict in Palestine has become another way to measure one another, to define ourselves, to pledge allegiance to one more thing in the post-Christian era in which fewer and fewer people are pledging their allegiance to Jesus. So, whose side are you on? Are you on the side of Israel and the victims of October 7th, or on the side of the starving, dying people of Gaza? A simple one-word answer is preferrable, because understanding the nuances of difficult, long standing disputes is never as interesting on TV than people yelling blanket judgements about who is good and who is evil. Who can even hear the nuances over the sound of all the yelling and the good and the evil?

Jesus did, and you can too.

What Would Jesus Do?
In an age that demands we all have an opinion on everything as long as it can be communicated quickly enough before our attention spans run out, far too many people have quickly jumped onto one side or the other without having a very good reason.

I’ve been asked a few times what a Christian should think about all that’s gone on the last couple weeks in the Middle East. With a wide variety of groups all claiming the mantle of “Christian” these days, it’s a fool’s errand to expect to give an answer that would work for everybody. Nonetheless, what I’ll do is what I always do—try my best to shepherd the church entrusted to me—Heritage United Methodist—in the direction God seems to be inviting us to go. I give God any credit for the miracle should it be found helpful to anyone else beyond that.

First, Some Basics

1. Killing, torturing, abusing, or kidnapping another human being is never a good solution to anything. It always, always, always makes things worse… for everyone. Full stop.

2. Choosing one of the options presented was never Jesus’ style. He was never boxed in, and never consented to just pick the lesser of two evils. He was never identified by his affiliations to human-made institutions. The church’s job is a prophetic one, holding up a mirror to all of the options, being honest about how none of them measure up to the standards of the Kingdom of God, and calling everyone to measure themselves by that which was most important to Jesus—love for God and love for one another.

3. To follow Jesus is to live incarnationally. He stepped into our world to be Immanuel—God with us. He did what it takes to be in complete solidarity with us by becoming one of us. We should therefore be quick to try and understand the experience of others, rather than being quick to proclaim our opinion about their experience before we have done the work to understand it.

Trying Number 3
Number 3 is a tall order when it comes to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. I tried to pull together a timeline that summarizes the history of those persons and groups who have called Palestine their home, because that’s really what it takes to try and begin to understand.

**Note: This article does not include every event that happened there over the last 4000 years. I tried to stick to moments where ownership of Palestine changed, or when a group’s connection or access to the land was affected in some way that contributed to where things stand now. Each bullet could be a history class all by itself. I confess in advance that each is oversimplified, and details are omitted so it wouldn’t take you three days to get to the end. Consider each to be an invitation to study further if you like!

Okay, here goes…

A Promised Land
Abraham—Patriarch shared by Muslims, Jews, and Christians—was born sometime before 1800 BC near the southern end of the Euphrates River. According to the book of Genesis he was the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchild of Noah, of ark-building fame. They descended from Noah’s son Shem, which is where the word “Semitic” comes from.

He travelled with his family north along the river to a place called Haran (no relation😊) before continuing on to Canaan. In Genesis 12:7, God promises that this land would be given to his descendants, thus making it “The Promised Land.”

Isaac and Ishmael
Abraham’s wife Sarah had not borne any children, and so they decided he would have a child with her maid, Hagar, and Ishmael was born.

In their old age Sarah miraculously became pregnant, and gave birth to Isaac. God promised Abraham that Isaac’s descendants would be a great nation.

Feeling threatened by the presence of another son, Sarah begged Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away so that Isaac’s birthright would be clear, which he did. However, in Genesis 22:18, God promised to make Ishmael’s descendants a great nation as well, and they settled to the east and south of Canaan.

Israel
Abraham was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob. One night Jacob wrestled with God, and was given the name Isra (Hebrew form of “to struggle”)-el (form of Hebrew “Elohim,” or “God”). His descendants would be the nation of Isra-el, Israel.

Jacob/Israel and his family left to live in Egypt after a famine chased them from Canaan. They settled there and remained for 400 years until Moses led them to the “promised land” promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:7.

Joshua led Israel to military victories over the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and it was partitioned among 13 tribes / families descended from the 12 sons of Jacob / Israel.

The 12 Tribes of Israel, named for the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel when he wrestled with God, because it means “Struggles with God.”

Israel was ruled by the Judges until the Israelites clamored to have a king like other nations did. At first God warned them against this, but ultimately relented.

Kings Saul, David, and Solomon ruled a united Israel starting around 1000 BC.

The Jewish Temple was built in Jerusalem around 960 BC.

After Solomon’s rule it broke up into the northern kingdom (called Israel) and southern kingdom (called Judah) around 930BC.

The Divided Kingdom

Ishmaelite Empires
Two empires took shape east of Palestine during this time who were descendants of the Ishmaelites: the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Both Israel and Judah were conquered by the Assyrian Empire around 720 BC. The northern kingdom would never be reconstituted, and the ten tribes that lived there became known as the “lost tribes” of Israel.

The Assyrian Empire

Judah survived, but was conquered in 586 by the Babylonian Empire. Most Jewish residents were exiled to Babylon.

The Babylonian Empire

The Persian Empire
Farther east, another powerful empire began to grow—Persia. The Persian Empire swept across all of the Ishmaelite and Israelite lands, conquering territory as far west as present day Bulgaria, and as far east as present day Afghanistan. When the Babylonians were conquered by the Persian Empire in 538 BC, exiled Israelites were allowed to return in 538 BC under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Present day Arabs in Iraq, Palestine, and the Arabian Peninsula are descended from these Persian and Ishmaelite (Babylonian and Assyrian) Empires.

The Persian Empire

The Greek Empire
In 332 BC. all the area occupied by the Israelites and Ishmaelites was conquered by the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great. The influence of Greek language and culture took root in Palestine and lasted for centuries. A Greek dynasty called the Seleucids maintained control of Israel until 142 BC. This Greek conquest is the reason that the New Testament was written in Greek, and that the most commonly used Old Testament in Jesus’ day was the Septuagint, a Greek translation. The Pharisees first rose up as a movement to push back against Greek influences over Israel’s culture and religious practices.

In 166 BC. the Jews revolted against the Seleucids. They achieved independence by 142 BC.

The Greek (Macedonian) Empire under Alexander the Great.

The Roman Empire
In 63 BC. Jerusalem was conquered by Roman General Pompei Magnus, and came under the control of the Roman Empire. Herod the Great became the King of Israel, restoring and improving the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Roman Empire

In 70 AD. the Jews revolted against the Romans in Jerusalem. Roman General Titus besieged the city and overran its walls as conditions inside became horrific. By some accounts a million Jews died when the revolt was put down. The Temple was destroyed, and Jewish temple priests and other religious leaders were killed. Other cities in Judah were destroyed as well.

“Palestine”
Other uprisings by the Jews in 115 and 132. led to the virtual expulsion of all the Jews from Israel. Rome renamed the area “Palestine,” which means “land of the Philistines,” as an insult to the Jews by naming it after their ancient enemies.

The Byzantine Empire
Palestine was under the rule of the Romans until the Empire was split in half by the Emperor Constantine in 330. The eastern half, which included Palestine, became known as the Byzantine Empire. After Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, the default faith identity of both Roman and Byzantine citizens—including in Palestine—was Christian.

The Western (Roman) and Eastern (Byzantine) Empires

The Byzantine Empire maintained control of Palestine for almost 300 years. The ruler of Persia promised to return Palestine to Jewish control if Jewish citizens living in Persia would join his army in expanding west. They reached Jerusalem and overtook it in 614. The “true cross” of Christ was carried back to Persia as a spoil of the war.

In 628, under the rule of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, the Byzantines recovered Palestine as the war with Persia ended. Both empires were exhausted by the protracted war, and agreed to a peace treaty leaving Palestine in Byzantine hands, as well as returning the cross to Jerusalem.

The Byzantine and Persian Empires

Islam
Around this time, an Arab prophet from the city of Mecca (in present day Saudi Arabia) named Muhammad reported to have received a revelation from God that was to be the completion of the partial revelations of history such as Judaism and Christianity. The new religion spread quickly and soon included all of the Arabian peninsula.

Arabian Armies Defeat the Byzantines in Palestine
United and energized under Islam, armies from Arabia moved to expand north. Heraclius sent a large army to repel them, but in 638 the Arabs captured Jerusalem, refurbished the Temple Mount, and built the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the site where the Jewish Temple once stood.

The Byzantine and Arabian Empires

Rival factions arose at times within Islam, between whom control of Palestine occasionally shifted. However, Palestine was under Islamic control for the next 400 years.

The Crusades
In 1099, the first of the Crusades resulted in the capture of Jerusalem. The Latin “Kingdom of Jerusalem” was established on Christmas Day, 1100, and for the most part held the city until 1244, when it returned to Islamic control. Over the next few decades Crusader control in Palestine grew smaller and smaller until they retreated to the coastal city of Acre. They left altogether on May 18, 1291.

The Ottoman Empire
On August 24, 1516, the majority Muslim Ottoman Empire expanded from Turkey and took control of Palestine from its previous Muslim leaders, which began 400 years of Ottoman control. In 1831 Egypt briefly took over, but in 1840 England, Russia, and Austria helped the Ottomans retake it.

The Ottoman Empire

This began a season of prosperity and opportunity for Muslim Palestine. They held seats in the Ottoman parliament, started newspapers, and established regional stability. There were occasional efforts by Jews to purchase land in Palestine that were contentious, but these disputes were handled legislatively.

Great Britain Makes Promises to Both Sides
[Here’s where the current version of the conflict begins to take shape.] Great Britain solicited the help of Arabs in Palestine against the Ottoman Empire during World War I (1914-1918), promising them independence if the Ottomans were defeated. At the same time, in order to mobilize support of the American Jewish community for the Allied cause, and to motivate Jews to fight in the Russian army, promises of a home and security for Jewish communities living in Palestine were made as well.

Palestine was heavily damaged by the Ottoman army during the war, but by December of 1917 the Allies captured Jerusalem, and by October of 1918 the remainder of Palestine was occupied by the British army, who set up a military governing administration to rule the area while trying to figure out how to keep the conflicting commitments they made to both Jews and Arabs.

Palestine in 1917

Arab Population: 530,000
Jewish Population: 95,000

Land under Arab control: 97% (White)
Land under Jewish control: 3% (Grey)

Arab and Christians Residents vs. Jewish Immigrants
In April 1920, the Allied powers agreed on how the Ottoman Empire would be divided up. In the agreement, France was given Lebanon and Syria, and Palestine was given to Great Britain. A league of Arab and Christian organizations formed to protect areas they occupied for fear of a huge influx of Jewish immigrants to Palestine should areas of land be designated for them. Political figures who advocated for Jewish settlement of Palestine were referred to as “Zionists.”

That same month, anti-Jewish riots broke out in the Jewish quarter of Old Jerusalem, with many killed or injured. British officials blamed the riot on unfounded fears over an impending influx of Jews to Palestine.

“The Year of Catastrophe”
In July of 1920 a civilian British government was established in Palestine, led by Sir Herbert Samuel, who was a Zionist. In his first year 16,500 Jewish immigrants arrived in Palestine. Palestinian Arabs referred to 1920 as the “year of catastrophe.”

In December of 1920, a committee of Palestinian Arabs met in Haifa, and set a policy that rejected any rights of Jews to occupy any of the land of Palestine. (Today this policy has developed into a core value of the leadership in Iran, and of organizations like Hamas, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hezbollah, and others.)

The (Impossible) British Mandate
A “Jewish National Fund” that began collecting funds in 1901 began purchasing land in 1921. By then 18,000 Jews had immigrated to Palestine since the end of WWI, and evictions of Arabs from purchased lands became more and more common.

In August of 1921, Arab leaders travelled to London to propose the creation of a democratically elected parliamentary government elected by the country’s Muslim, Jewish, and Christian residents. Britain’s response was a statement that part, but not all, of Palestine should become a Jewish national home.

In 1922, the League of Nations required Great Britain to place Palestine under the administration of a government that would maintain a “Jewish national home without infringing upon the rights of Arabs.” (Often referred to as the “British Mandate.”)

With Zionists in the majority among Great Britain’s political leaders, and thus committed to establishing a Jewish homeland in Palestine, Arabs were unable to get much help in curbing the land sales and immigration. Under the Ottoman Empire, the Jewish population in Palestine was fewer than 10,000. By 1922 when the mandate was put in effect, it was 84,000.

In 1929, a dispute arose over access to the Western or “Wailing” Wall, the last remaining piece of the structure that was once the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which was very close to the “Dome of the Rock,” a sacred site for Muslims. Violence broke out, killing 250 and injuring more than 500. Most of the Arabs killed or hurt were at the hands of the British military as they tried to gain control of the situation. As a result, British sentiment turned somewhat in 1930, and a plan was devised to halt Jewish immigration and limit land sales to Arabs only. However, in response to outrage from Jews in Palestine and Zionists in Britain and elsewhere, the prime minister overruled the plan in February of 1931.

As a result, 130 representatives from 22 countries gathered in Jerusalem for the World Islamic Congress, at which all nations were urged to stop hoping for the British to help them and take matters into their own hands by boycotting all trade with the Jewish community in Palestine.

The Nazi Effect
The rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s led to even greater immigration away from Europe and into Palestine. By 1936, the Jewish population in Palestine swelled to almost 400,000.

1936 saw the beginning of a large scale Arab revolt against the Jews and the British forces supporting them. Previously susceptible to forming factions and infighting, the revolt was supported and participated in by all segments of the Arab population inside and outside of Palestine. There were boycotts and labor strikes alongside the episodes of violence, vandalism, and assassination. British authorities were caught off-guard by the scale of the revolt, and sent in an additional 20,000 troops.

A major development of the revolt was the British arming their Jewish allies in what would become a precursor to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). By the end of the revolt there were 15,000 armed fighters.

The revolt lasted until 1939, eventually coming to an end after Great Britain’s considerable military might succeeding in killing, capturing, or exiling all of the Arab leadership, leading to the fracturing of the surviving Arab population along economic lines. Further, the strikes and boycotts led to increasing Jewish economic self-reliance, so the jobs and markets that had been abandoned didn’t return when the revolt came to an end.

Palestine in 1939

Arab Population: 927,133
Jewish Population: 445,457

Land under Arab control: 95% (White)
Land under Jewish control: 5% (Grey)

The outbreak of World War II did cause a change in Britain’s priorities. They could no longer afford to spare military resources to keep the peace in Palestine, and so they sought a way to try and get both sides to agree to separating Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab partitions, though no agreement was ever made.

Even though a few Arabs made visits to Germany and added their voices in condemnation of Jewish people, the Jewish and Arab populations of Palestine both found themselves on the side of the Allies during the war. Afterward, however, the war’s aftermath would be the next flashpoint for Palestine. While Arab leaders were unanimous in their condemnation of what was done to Jews by Nazi Germany and voiced their sympathy; they desperately argued to separate the plight of holocaust survivors from the debate over the rightful control of Palestine. They agreed that measures should be taken to care for them, but asserted that it was a European issue, and not one to be solved by committing an injustice against Arabs in Palestine.

Try as they might, their voices were drowned out amid the worldwide horror at what had transpired at places like Dachau, Buchenwald, or Auschwitz. To outsiders around the world, the obvious, natural course was to help heal holocaust survivors by “returning” them to their ancestral homeland. U.S. President Harry Truman called for the immediate immigration of 100,000 survivors into Palestine, and later the U.S. Congress called for maximum Jewish immigration up to the limit that Palestine could “economically handle it.”

By 1945 Great Britain was exhausted by the war, and was already extracting itself from many of it’s difficult to manage imperial holdings. Eager to leave the Palestine mess behind, they invited the United Nations to step in, who proposed partitions once again, with Jerusalem as an international zone under U.N. control. Zionists redoubled their efforts to bring more Jewish residents into Palestine for fear that the partitions would come with immigration caps.

The newly formed “Arab League” of Arab nations opposed giving the Jews complete control of some of Palestine, remaining committed to the assertion that all of it should remain in Arab hands as promised during World War I, now more than 25 years prior.

1947 U.N. Partition Proposal

Arab Population: 1,181,000
Jewish Population: 630,000

Proposed Arab control: 45%
Proposed Jewish control: 55%

The Nation of Israel
On May 14, 1948, the British left Palestine. The same day, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other nations recognized the State of Israel. The next day, armies from bordering Arab League nations crossed their borders into Palestine, but were soundly defeated. The result was Israel controlling about 8,000 square miles, with the remaining 2,000 square miles given to Jordan (the West Bank) and Egypt (the Gaza Strip), though neither officially annexed them as part of their territory.

Palestine in 1948

Arab Population: 1,370,000
Jewish Population: 806,000

Land under Arab control: 22% (White)
Land under Jewish control: 78% (Grey)

“The Gaza Strip” has changed hands several times over the past 70 years. It fell under Egyptian control after a 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and was captured by Israel in a 1967 war, after which Israel began settling Jews there and significantly curtailed the movement of its Palestinian residents. In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from the territory, and two years later Hamas took control of Gaza.

Since then, Egypt and Israel have imposed tight controls on their respective borders with the territory and Israel blockades it further by restricting travel by sea or air. Israel has also enclosed the territory with a heavily fortified border fence. These borders have changed very little over the last 80 years, with Israeli settlements and checkpoints expanding Israeli control and curbing economic opportunity for Palestinian Arabs.

Convincing Claims
Jews claim the right to Palestine as the ancestral homeland promised by God to their forefather, Abraham; and promised by the Allied Forces in return for help in World War I. Arabs claim the right to Palestine because they’d been living there since the war with the Byzantines 1,385 years ago, and because the Allied Forces promised them their land and their freedom in return for help in World War I.

Camp David
In 1995, Palestinian and Israeli peace talks at Camp David resulted in a framework to give Arabs some control over urban areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as seen in the next map.

Palestine in 1995

Arab Population: 2,501,920
Jewish Population: 4,522,300

Land under Arab control: 22% (White)
Land under Jewish control: 78% (Grey)

Today Israel maintains authority for the security of both. This authority is disputed by many Arab League nations, and some more extreme regimes maintain the 1920 statement as their policy, which states that Jewish immigrants have no right to claim ownership of any land in Palestine. Nations such as Iran, and groups like Hamas and Hezbollah believe that Israel does not have the right to exist, and that any violent acts committed against Israel are justified, equivalent to shooting an intruder who had broken into their home.

Palestine today.

Arab Population: 4,997,349
Jewish Population: 7,145,000

Land under Arab control: 22%
Land under Jewish control: 78%

Adding Religion
The introduction of religious fervor into the conflict is relatively recent. More recent imperial conquests of the Arab population in Palestine by the Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans, and Persians were political struggles over whether a foreign power would tax and rule them, or whether they would be allowed to rule themselves. The ill-fated promises made to the Jews and Arabs by the Allies during World War I were also about self-determination. As has often been the case throughout history, leaders desperate for a way to parlay the allegiance and obedience of their population into military might has often been accomplished by claiming that the struggle is a holy one sanctioned by God, with spiritual, eternal spoils of war to be added to any material ones they might have coming to them.

That was how the Jews managed to kick the Roman Empire out of Jerusalem for a couple years in 70 AD. It was how popes got several Crusades to happen. It’s how both sides got armies to fight the U.S. Civil War. It’s how Osama Bin Laden got 9/11 to happen. They managed it by convincing people that, if you sacrifice this life for the right cause, the next one will be a glorious reward.

This is one of the many reasons I give thanks for the Wesleyan theological heritage that gives us our mission. It’s not “making disciples of Jesus Christ so they can avoid going to hell when they die.” Our mission is “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” If this life didn’t matter, Jesus Christ never would have lived a life himself. If this world didn’t matter, Jesus Christ would have never set foot in it.

How Will it End?
Neither side will win this war. Israel’s retaliation is creating more opponents than it’s eliminating. Palestinian Arabs can keep trying brief incursions, terrorist attacks, or rocket launches, but there’s too much military might stacked against them to make any real headway.

The end will become possible when both sides realize that the other side is human too. The end will be near when there are acknowledgements and apologies. The end will arrive when there is forgiveness. The peace that follows will endure when there is grace.

So Heritage, be like Jesus, and encourage others to do likewise—because more people being more like Jesus is how it will end.

Foster Family Fun Day

In August, Stacy Guerin, our Foster Care Ministry Lay Leader, began work on putting together a Foster Family Fun Day for foster families in our community.  The goal was to provide a day of fun for children in foster care and support the families doing the hard work of fostering these children.  She relentlessly called and emailed vendors to support this event.  She rallied volunteers.  She made posters and signs.  She led an incredible team of people to provide a memorable experience for foster care families in and extremely short period of time.  We are thankful for and amazed at her dedication, time, and heart to put this event together.

On October 8th Heritage hosted Foster Family Fun Day.  We had bounce houses, ax throwing, train rides, games, skateboarding and more!  This event saw 97 children and 52 adults in attendance.  We also had 71 Heritage UMC volunteers (plus many more that showed up ready to help), 15 women from the GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club, 15 volunteers from Boards for Bros, 3 Ballroom Dancing Instructors, and 5 members of the 501st Star Wars Militia.

The GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club brought in Harbor Dish to provide a free meal to these families.  Three Brothers Pizza also provided pizza for the families.

Boards for Bros gave away a skateboard to every child that wanted one and gave skateboard lessons in the parking lot.  There was even a station to decorate your skateboard!

Check out some pics from the day!

Half a million children are in foster care in the United States.  Statistics show that on average 1,600 children are in foster care in Pinellas County each day.  Heritage is able to provide support to the foster care community in large part to the financial giving of the congregation.  I am honored to be part of a church that prioritizes care for those that are most vulnerable among us.  

Special thanks to our sponsors:  

Dr. Maggie Davis Pediatric Dentist

drmaggiedavis.com

3840 Tampa Rd, Palm Harbor, FL 34684 · 

(727) 786-7551

Harbor Dish

harbordish.org

3380 SR-580 E, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 ·

(727) 796-8286

Seminole Subs

2298 Main Street, Dunedin, Florida  34698 

Three Brothers Pizza

3436 Tampa Rd., The Village at Lake St. George, Palm Harbor, FL 34684

(727) 474-3797 -Takeout / Delivery

Star Wars 501st Legion

501st Legion - Vader's Fist

B2B Digital Marketing Agency

Theb2bmix.com

GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club

Clearwater, FL 33766
727-238-5702

Pastor Matt Wrote a Book, and the DRP Just Can’t Put it Down

A Pastor, a Worship Director, a Youth Director, and a Couple Dozen Teenagers Walk into an Ice Rink…

It’s like the start of a joke. Surely there’s a punchline on its way, right?

No, it’s not. Broomball is no joke.

Having retired from my career playing soccer for my treasured Lost Soles every Sunday night, I found myself on the first Sunday night of my retirement standing on ice, holding a de-bristled broom, trying to use it to swat a deflated volleyball into a mini hockey goal. It was more exhausting than ten soccer games, and I woke up with soreness in places that were never sore from soccer. I even aggravated a lingering soccer injury, and I’m pretty sure I made it worse, but it didn’t matter. It was an awesome way to start my soccer-tirement.

Playing broomball was a ton of fun, but that’s not what made yesterday so great. It was great because I was reminded of the great spirit that exists among our students. I know there were far more of them back in the 1990s and 2000s. Some went with their families to others that aren't UMC churches, some got out of the habit during the pandemic, and some went with friends to other youth groups. Some liked other pastors and youth directors more, some felt there was too much Jesus and not enough fun, and some felt there was too much fun and not enough Jesus, etc. Every student who leaves for whatever reason has a ripple effect on the tenuous social culture around them, and on top of that, when they're gone a while it's always a little socially weird to come back.

What has been built in our youth group by Peggy, Jason, interns, and adult volunteers is a sincere family of brothers and sisters who are not just here consuming entertaining church or youth group experiences. They are learning the purpose of them, and they are learning how to provide them for others. They're having successes in doing so that have boosted their confidence, and they’re having a lot of fun together along the way.

It's not the 400 kids of Heritage's youth groups of legend. Most of the time it's not even 40. It is absolutely, however, the kind of group that God can use to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I give abundant thanks for the opportunity to see God already doing so week in and week out.

One thing is abundantly clear. This group is no joke.

KOINONIA

Hello! My name is Josie Barr. I am a Freshman at East Lake High School. I take part in the Student Ministry here at Heritage. This past weekend I, along with several others here at Heritage, including the Worship Band, attended the Koinonia fall retreat at Warren Willis camp. 

The iconic cross on the lake.

What is Koinonia, you ask? /Koy-nohn-ee'-ah/ A Greek word meaning to be drawn together by intimate participation. It is often used to describe the idealized state of fellowship, community, prayer, and service. It is geared towards UMC middle and high school students across the state of Florida. There were over 430 kids, some coming from as far away as Miami! This year Koinonia's theme was “Community in Chaos”. We learned how to build a community to help us through the chaos of this world and how important it is to have that community. We can’t do it alone.

This retreat is held during the transition from summer to fall so you can still enjoy the many activities offered at Warren Willis. There was everything from wall climbing to canoeing to bracelet making. Truly something for everyone.

Silent Disco

Color war

Warren Willis is located in Fruitland, Florida on 47 acres of wooded land. It is roughly 2 hours away from Clearwater and sits on beautiful Lake Griffin. This UMC camp originated in the 1940’s after WWII. After Methodist movements and young adults traveled the state to put on programs for children and youth, it was “so successful that in 1944, the Methodist Conference in Florida formed a committee to look for a suitable property to build a permanent campus for youth ministry.” And so, the campsite was found.

This retreat was a great way to build a strong community of lasting friendships. Our worship team led the music this weekend and it was truly amazing!!   The speakers there really dive deep into the theme. As I mentioned, this year was “Community in Chaos”, and they really helped deepen your relationships with others and God. At this retreat, we picked from workshops within subjects or things you are interested in. Some of the ones from this year were Barbie and the Bible, Faith in Action, Exploring a Call, and so many more.

The workshops I took there were Barbie & the Bible, and Faith in action. Both workshops impacted me, and I got a lot from both.

From Barbie & the Bible, we were referring to the book of Genesis looking all the way back to the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. We talked about how Barbie land was almost like the Garden of Eden where there were no imperfections, no hate, and no standards. When Barbie and Adam and Eve used their freewill and took the other choice, we felt hate, and we felt those standards. What I took away from that workshop is God doesn’t give us those choices to deter us away from him, he gave us the freewill to grow closer to him. This class really emphasized that no one is perfect, including Barbie!

The last workshop I took was Faith in Action: moving beyond belief to make an impact. We were in a few different scriptures but the main scripture we looked at was Nehemiah 5. It talks about the economic oppression the Jews were facing at the time, and much more. But the overview of it all was that Nehemiah and many others were helping the Jews that had trouble keeping up with paying the nobles and officials at the time. In the class we talked about how we can show people in our community faithfulness, mercy, and justice. And what stuck out to me is Nehemiah used those three things to show how others, like the nobles and officials, how to be there for the people in the community instead of putting them down and by doing so showing them Gods faithfulness, mercy, and justice and with that how we can succeed.

Overall, this camp is such a great experience and I’m already looking forward to next year!!

Shania

“Praise Time Live” at Warren Willis Camp.

Monday

A 7th grader named Shania sat in the middle aisle seat, in the front row in the chapel at Warren Willis Camp last Monday night.  It was basically the closest seat to the speaker that there was in the room, and that week, the speaker was me.

She was so attentive you’d think I was giving out winning powerball numbers or something.  She was hanging on my every word, and afterward came up and asked if she could give me a hug, which she did.

Tuesday & Wednesday

Tuesday night, she sat in the same place, paid the same attention, asked the same question, and gave the same hug.  Wednesday night went the same way too.

Thursday

On Thursday I found myself hanging out with her group of campers as they learned sailing.  Observing her interacting with others, I noticed what I call “clergy symptoms.”  Other kids asked her for guidance.  Her attentiveness in worship, her good questions, compassionate and encouraging interactions with others were all evident.

An idea came to me when I heard that Heritage Intern Mitchell Johnson would be coming to camp that day.  I asked him to get me one of the “stained glass cross” necklaces hanging in my office that our acolytes wear.  

The cross necklaces acolytes wear at Heritage, and that Shania now wears as a reminder of God’s call.

Thursday night I offered the chance to students to come to the altar railing and pray.   Shania was one of the first ones to come forward.

Friday

Friday night was the last night of camp.  There was some sadness among the students about the week almost being over.  During the music and message some kids even cried, including Shania.  It was amazing how the Holy Spirit moved among these 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, and especially how connected to the Holy Spirit Shania seemed.  

Worship ended with me celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Every year my tradition is to start putting on my clergy vestments while sharing the last few words of my Friday night message, and then to lead the students through the traditional Communion liturgy.  The last thing I put on was the acolyte necklace, and I wore it for the rest of the service.

Shania seemed transfixed by the traditional elements.  She hovered in the crowd that came forward to say goodbye, and looked like she wanted to say something, but didn’t.

Later that night there was an end of the week party.  Shania was playing basketball with a friend, and I walked over to her to talk to her for a moment.

“Do you mind if I ask… have you ever had the feeling that you might be called to be a pastor someday?”

Her eyes went wide a second, and she smiled and nodded her head that she had.  It was like something had been bottled up in her soul for a while waiting for someone to notice it.  Her smiling sort of became uncontrollable.

I had the acolyte necklace she’d seen me wear during Communion in my pocket, and took it out.  “In that case, I have something for you.”  Her eyes got even wider when she saw it.  I put it over her head, and she held the cross in her hand and looked at it closely–hardly able to believe that she was wearing something a pastor would wear in a worship service.

I told her that she had a few years to go, with high school and college still ahead, but she seemed to have those clergy symptoms I noticed, and to call me if that call was still there in a few years. She happiliy said she would.

Saturday

On Saturday, after the students had all gone home, I discovered that my daughter, Jenna, had been Shania’s group’s camp counselor that week.  She said, “You made a serious impression on Shania.  She wore that necklace all night, and couldn’t stop talking about it.” Jenna ended up giving my contact info to Shania’s parents when she told them about my observations and offer. I have a feeling I’ll be writing a follow up blog article in a few years when she calls!

That Was All You

You did that, Heritage. You made it happen because you and others at Heritage United Methodist Church believe in raising up the next generation of the church of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our world.  Warren Willis Camp is a great example of the ways your financial contributions make a difference, and make becoming a pastor someday a possibility for students like Shania.  On top of that, your contributions fund our internships, and there were five college students (three former interns) serving as counselors at the camp this summer. 

Warren Willis Counselors from Heritage: Amanda, Ashley, Paige, Ryan, and Jenna

Your contributions allowed more campers from Heritage to attend camp this summer than we’ve had in more than a decade.  Your contributions allow me and other staff members to spend time at Warren Willis Camp as speakers and adult leaders, and allow us to spot and encourage future leaders of the church like Shania.  Further, it's one of the ways that Heritage is overcoming challenges and becoming a leading church in our conference and denomination.

Heritage leads as our pastor, Rev. Matt Horan, addresses Bishop Tom Berlin and the 2023 Florida Annual Conference.

The departure of many of Heritage's largest donors over the last few years has vastly reduced our income.  Your staff and lay leaders have worked hard to cut budgets, apply for grants, and develop other fundraising streams so that our expenses are brought in line with our decreased income.  However, my hope and prayer is that God would continue to sustain and carry us, as we’ve been carried thus far, and see our church continue to become the growing, gathering, loving place our neighborhood needs despite our financial challenges.

Every contribution is a sacrifice–when you give to Heritage it means you’re not buying something else.  I am immensely grateful for your giving to Heritage, and for the difference it’s making. We have another group of great new members joining in the coming weeks, VBS was bursting at the seams with awesome students and volunteers, great stories abound from our youth mission trips, our foster care ministry model has been approved by your Administrative Council to roll out next month, and construction projects are going on all around us as we build for the future. There are many causes for hope at Heritage United Methodist!

I am humbled to be your pastor and honored to be the church with you.  Susan, Jenna, Ashley, and I are privileged to tithe alongside you so that ministries like Warren Willis Camp and many others can have an enduring impact for generations to come.  I cannot thank you enough for your generous financial contributions to God's important work through Heritage United Methodist Church!

Sincerely,

Pastor Matt

Picture #16

“One of these things is not like the others.”

I can’t hear that phrase without a song playing in my head (and hanging out for a bit) that was first put there by Sesame Street in my very early years.

These days at Heritage, you can’t walk down the hallway toward the church parlor without that phrase, or song, coming to mind. You may have seen the photos on the wall of all of the pastors that have been appointed by our bishops at Heritage since it was first planted in 1976. If you start at the parlor and walk toward the staff offices, you’ll pass them in chronological order.

• Bert Blomquist, 1976-1981

• Jim Maxfield, 1981-1985

• Floy Ekin, 1983-1993

• Richard Nussel, 1985-1988

• Bob Breuer, 1985-1988

• David Landers, 1988-2011

• Curtis Collier, 1991-1995

• David Davis, 1998-2007

• Steve Ezra, 2003-2008

• Donald Jones, 2008-2015

• Brandon Wise, 2008-2010

• Josh Bell, 2011-2014

• Charles Engelhardt, 2011-2017

• Dan Johnson, 2017-2018

• The current guy

Then you come to the most recently added face on the wall. When you do, that phrase—and maybe even the song—comes to mind. One of these things is not like the others.

Why is This One So Different?

This picture is not like the others because of a 2000-year misunderstanding of two passages attributed to Paul that are preserved in the Bible. The first is 1Corinthians 14:34-35, and the second is 1Timothy 2:12.

Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (1Corinthians 14:34-35)

I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man, she must be quiet. (1Timothy 2:12)

1Corinthians 14:34-35 actually began as what’s known as a “marginal gloss,” which is a note in the margin added later on. It was then mistakenly copied into the text by subsequent scribes. In some manuscripts it appears as verses 34-35, and in others it appears after verse 40, revealing that there wasn’t even clarity about where it should go when it was copied in.

1Timothy 2:12 comes from a letter treasured as Christian Scripture, but that is widely believed to not even have been written by Paul in the first place. It has vocabulary, sentence structure, and even some theology considerably different than those letters confidently ascribed to him. It is more a match to other writings from the early second century. 1Timothy wasn’t even included in early lists of Paul’s letters until Iraneus referenced it in 180 C.E.

The writing of these passages occurred at a time when early Christians were trying to make inroads with Jewish audiences in whose synagogues women were not allowed to teach or speak in the years following Paul’s ministry. In this context, it makes sense that they would have made efforts to navigate differences of opinion on this issue at that time. However, this is inconsistent with other writing known to be Paul’s in which women lead and speak in congregational worship (e.g, Rom. 16:1-2, 3-4, 7; Gal. 3:27-28; Phil, 4:2-3; Acts 5:1-11; Acts 18:8-28).

Unfortunately, throughout the centuries these two passages were given more authority than the many writings of Paul that contradict them; and even more unfortunately, are still given more authority today in denominations and cultures around the world, as well as some right here in Clearwater, Florida.

Finally Getting it Right

While Jesus and Paul both equipped women for leadership roles, most of the church was slow to come around. In 1761, John Wesley was moved by the story of—and arguments for—making Sarah Crosby the first Methodist woman to be licensed to preach, and he did so. Thanks be to God women are licensed to preach in the United Methodist Church, because they’ve been missing from our church pulpits, and from our hallway wall, until now.

The 16th picture on the wall is of Rev. Janean Briseno, the first woman appointed as a pastor at Heritage United Methodist.

One of our acolytes looks up at the first woman appointed as a pastor at Heritage United Methodist, Rev. Janean Briseno, as she helps her celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time.

I have known Janean for almost five years now, and it’s clear to me—and everyone who meets her—that she is not motivated by being a pioneer. She did not set out on the journey for her own licensing as a way to break a barrier or champion the cause of having more women in leadership roles. She would affirm and support those who are called to that effort, and is grateful for the efforts of those women who paved the way and sought such a license when it was even more rare than it is today.

Janean is motivated by seeing more people enjoy friendship with Jesus. She did not attend Vacation Bible School or Sunday school growing up—establishing that friendship in her high school and college years. She remembers life without it, rejoices all the more in that friendship now, and is eager for others to have it and rejoice in it as well.

So if becoming the first woman to be appointed as a pastor at Heritage was a ceiling limiting her opportunities to preach and teach people about life as a friend of Jesus Christ, she was more than happy to crash through it.

On this International Women’s Day, the members and friends of Heritage United Methodist are more than happy she crashed through it too. —MH

How We’re Different

“All churches seem the same to me. What makes your church any different?”

Do you have an answer to that question? Do you know how to articulate what’s different about our church that sets it apart from others, and why someone who’s tried church before might want to give us a try?

When they hear them, our distinctives will lead many outside of the church to give us a try, and discover that there are alternatives to Christian Fundamentalism as a way to enjoy friendship with Jesus Christ.

Christian Fundamentalism
Christian Fundamentalism started as a reaction against the Theory of Evolution at the 1910 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, but came to influence many Methodist (and other) churches throughout the 20th century.  Christian Fundamentalism is based on a series of “test questions” that measure whether someone is truly a Christian.  They include:

1. Do you believe that the Bible is free from errors, and is literally true except in places where it says otherwise (such as a parable)?

2. Do you believe that the conception of Jesus was a miracle performed by the Holy Spirit, and that Mary became pregnant with him without the involvement of a human father?

3. Do you believe that Jesus’ death on the cross served as payment for the penalty owed to God for your sin?

4. Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

5. Do you believe that Jesus really performed miracles?

A good case can be made for any of these beliefs.  I’m a personal subscriber to somewhere between 3 and 4 of them.  Yet Christian Fundamentalism has not been a good influence on United Methodism.  Here’s a few reasons why:

First, it prioritizes getting people from earth into heaven, rather than getting heaven into earth, as was prioritized by Jesus. United Methodists view personal and social holiness as equally important, which is why our mission is “making disciples of Jesus Christ (personal) for the transformation of the world (social).”

By contrast, those churches leaving the United Methodist church have changed this mission statement to “making disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.” It’s a double helping of personal holiness, removing “transformation of the world” as the result of their disciple-making; replacing it with a resulting change in their personal behaviors instead.

Second, it teaches that salvation hinges on our having a moment of mental agreement to, and public pronouncement of, the 5 doctrines above, placing salvation in our hands rather than God’s.  We are saved by grace–through faith, and “not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Third, it creates a culture in our churches by which we have switched on a constant “belief radar,” and we use this radar to measure the validity of each other’s faithfulness.  Today, Christian Fundamentalists in United Methodist churches scrutinize sermons and other communications of Christian authors, pastors, or other leaders with questions like these in mind to measure how “liberal” or “conservative” they are.  Neither of these words are helpful as a way to identify ourselves.  Our identity should be in Christ alone. As this measuring one another increased in importance, we retreated from our world transforming efforts, selling our hospitals to corporations, giving up our orphanages to the “foster care system,” etc.

Fourth, its standards measure what you think, rather than how you live. It’s goal is correct thoughts, when Jesus’ goal was loving actions.

Fifth, it teaches people to see churches, denominations, seminaries, etc., as “watering down” or “adding things” to the Bible; when Christian Fundamentalists “just read the Bible and do what it says.”  The work of archaeology, linguistics, writing conventions, anthropology, and other disciplines help put the stories of the Bible into the context in which they were written.  By considering (1) who wrote this, (2) to whom, (3) when, and (4) why, we can be better prepared to discern how to apply the lessons of these stories from ancient cultures in our present day.  

A key difference is the United Methodist practice of “holy conferencing.” It's the way we come together to consider how to apply the Scriptures today, with our decisions on these matters recorded in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.  We address an issue by starting with Scripture, by also considering reason, tradition, and experience; and then by observing the fruit of the Holy Spirit produced (or not produced!) by our application. By this process Methodists worked to abolish slavery while other denominations defended it using the Bible. By this process Methodists invited women to become leaders and teachers and preachers in the church, while other denominations used the Bible to keep them from using their leadership gifts. By this process we are now considering how LGBTQ persons might find a peaceful and affirming home in the United Methodist Church, while many have used the Bible to condemn them instead.

Sixth, it promotes an unhealthy fixation on predicting the timing and nature of the end of the world.  Fundamentalists often assign themselves an identity based on their prediction of how and when the end of the world will come, when our identity should be found in Christ, who calls us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and our neighbor as ourselves–regardless of whether the return of Christ will be tomorrow or in a zillion years.

Seventh, it has created an oppositional posture within the church toward the world around us.  Fundamentalists use warfare language against those who do not share their views, lumping them into a conspiracy to attack and destroy the Christian faith, rather than seeing them as potential partners that could be inspired by the words of Christ and the mission of the church to join us in charity and service to those in need.

Eighth, Fundamentalism has inspired the rise of the lobbying efforts of political groups to pass laws that make people behave like Christians without first becoming Christians.  These groups have packaged together and endorsed a collection of political views (gun rights, taxation, entitlements, immigration, education, capital punishment, abortion, etc.) that they think should be standard for people who follow the Bible. By claiming that these are God’s stances on these political issues, by giving funding and endorsements to political candidates in exchange for espousing their platform, and by employing the oppositional warfare language mentioned above, our political discourse has been changed from a “team of rivals” debating and exploring the merits of various solutions for America’s challenges to battles of “good vs. evil.”  Further, a disturbing similarity has begun to appear between our nation’s deteriorating political discourse and the dehumanizing way that brothers and sisters in Christ speak to each other when they disagree.

Ninth, as an approach founded in the Presbyterian Church, it promotes views consistent with “predestination” and the sovereignty of God over all things, as opposed to the Wesleyan view of “free will.”  The influence of Christian Fundamentalism on Methodist Churches has allowed “everything happens for a reason” or “God is in control” language to overshadow the critical contributions of Wesleyan Christianity that teach of God’s grace.  The Wesleyan approach is that God does not cause the misfortunes of the world for some greater purpose–he invites us to walk through them strengthened and equipped by the “means of grace” (prayer, fasting, sacraments, Scripture meditation, small group participation, attendance at corporate worship, generosity, service, evangelism) to move forward in the direction of healing, hope, and peace that will sanctify us along the way.  God does not force or coerce us–he invites us, giving us the free will to accept or reject the invitation to enjoy friendship with God.

Tenth, Christian Fundamentalism has changed the form and function of the “Wesleyan Class Meeting.”  These meetings were intended to be gatherings in which Methodists would share their struggles and successes, joys and pains, temptations and victories.  They worked together in order to live lives that “Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God,” and these class meetings were truly life giving and transformational. These have been replaced by gatherings called “Bible Study,” which are focused on receiving information about the Bible that reinforces what we already think and who we already are.

There is good that has come out of Christian Fundamentalism.  A lot more good, however, would come out of United Methodists remembering who we are, how we’re different, and the important contributions we make to the global conversation about who Jesus was and the difference following Him can make in the world today.

There are people out there for whom Christian Fundamentalism works.  The ironclad certainty and black and white perception of what is true and what is not surely provides soothing clarity and reassurance.

There are many, many others, however, who crave something different; but don’t even know it’s out there because they assume all churches are Christian Fundamentalist.  United Methodism’s ability to step into the grey areas and be fully present with people who are struggling or suffering is an important gift that we must boldly offer to those hoping for another way.

Wesleyans are called to be at peace with our imperfect incompleteness. We are called to “go on to perfection,” emptying ourselves of selfishness and replacing it with love for God and love for our neighbor. It’s okay if we’re still in process. It’s okay if we’re still figuring it out. Wherever we might be on our journey, we know that God is still speaking, still shaping, still sanctifying, still forming, still inviting us forward; and is giving us important work to do along the way.  Let’s welcome all the other imperfect, incomplete people out there to join us in our work, in our hope, in our process, and in our peace. –MH

Heritage Leadership Orientation 2023

Doing Our Part

Dear Members and Friends of Heritage United Methodist Church,

Happy New Year! I am eager to embark on this new year with you as we work together to design and build the New Heritage that will make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by providing a gathering, growing, and loving place for our neighbors next door and around the world.

Shortfalls 
Agreements are signed and the sale of the D building will take place this coming summer, which will give us financial relief from the mortgage and excessive expenses of its operation.

However, there are many opportunities for disciple-making, world-transforming ministries happening now that we’ve supported over the years alongside our brothers and sisters of the United Methodist Church to which we have not yet contributed.  These are impactful ways Heritage has led our denomination in service to those in need for many, many years, and the deadline to contribute our share of these ministries for the 2022 year is this Friday, January 6. I hope that you might prayerfully consider a financial gift toward one or more of the following opportunities.

From Campers to Collegians
For example, we share in the funding for the camps and retreats that help people of all ages grow in their faith, the United Methodist Children’s Home that gives a safe and secure place where children without families are loved and supported, and the Wesley Foundations at colleges and universities throughout the conference, most of which have college students from Heritage attending them every week!  Heritage's share of these ministries would be met for this year with a contribution of $35,124.

Innovation and Connection
The has been a leading church in our region since it’s inception in 1977. We help fund the starting of new churches and extension ministries, including sponsoring “fresh expressions” of what the church might be to introduce new people to the love of Christ in new ways.  Further, as a connectional church, when one church is in need, all of our churches are in need.  Every year we help to fund gatherings at which the Florida Conference is governed, and administrative and legal assistance for churches that need it.  Heritage's share of these ministries and resources would be met for this year with a contribution of $11,478 to the Florida Conference and $458 to the Southeastern Jurisdiction, of which Florida is a part.

Clergy Senders
Each year we help pay salaries and expenses of the missions and relief workers we send around the world so that 100% of responses to appeals for help with disasters can go to those specific people in need.  Our churches also send chaplains into hospice facilities, police and fire departments, hospitals, and to the front lines with our armed forces.  Heritage's share of these ministries would be met for this year with a contribution of $5,619.

Making a Difference Through Partnerships Around the World
The United Methodist Church is connecting with other denominations to collaborate in serving the world we share through membership in the National and World Councils of Churches, and has established partnerships with other denominations including the

• African Methodist Episcopal Church  

• African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church  

• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)  

• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church  

• Episcopal Church  

• International Council of Community Churches  

• Presbyterian Church (USA)  

• United Church of Christ  

• Moravian Church Northern Province

Heritage's share of these ministry partnerships would be met for this year with a contribution of $2,467.

Future Pastors in the Pipeline
We help people answer God’s call on their lives to professional and/or ordained ministry.  There are thirteen United Methodist seminaries, and we contribute to help keep tuition costs affordable for the current and future students that will one day lead our churches.  We also support schools for training local pastors like our own soon-to-be Rev. Janean Briseno, and help offer scholarships and regional conferences and events that help our leaders become more effective.  Heritage's share of these ministries would be met for this year with a contribution of $6,060.

U.M.C. H.B.C.U.s
Our eleven United Methodist Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have given the opportunity for college education to those generations of students who might not otherwise have had the chance, including Florida’s Bethune-Cookman College.  Heritage's share of supporting these schools would be met for this year with a contribution of $2,801.

Hope for a Whole Continent at Africa University
We contribute to the continent-transforming work of the United Methodist Church’s Africa University.  Students come from Burundi, Kenya, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Batswana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, Liberia, Cameroon, Mali, Uganda, Benin, and Rwanda.  It offers education so that students can invest their newfound skills and abilities in helping develop the nations they call home.  Heritage's share of funding Africa University would be met for this year with a contribution of $630.

Gulf-Central
Finally, within the Florida Conference we are in the Gulf Central District, which is made up of about 70 churches and extension ministries supported by our District Superintendent, Rev. Emily Hotho, and other district staff members who provide support for churches, clergy, and lay leaders in a large variety of ways.  As a leading church in our district, Heritage's share of our district's operations would be met for this year with a contribution of  $5,782.

Our Tithe Together
Heritage has a long history of generous leadership in our district and around the world.  Would you consider making an additional contribution toward helping us do our part to fund the many ministries we share with our fellow United Methodist churches?  

To Contribute:

1. Online, click here.  When you choose “one-time” or “recurring,” a “notes” box will appear where you can indicate which of the partnerships you’d like your contribution to support. 

2. By cash or check, write in which of the partnerships you’d like your contribution to support on the memo line or on a giving envelope

3. By text message, text the word GIVE  to (727) 275-2860. You will receive a response with a link that will take you to a page where you can enter your gift amount.  When you choose “one-time” or “recurring,” a “notes” box will appear where you can indicate which of the partnerships you’d like your contribution to support. 

Thank you for your consideration of this opportunity to accomplish our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

Sincerely,

Pastor Matt

Your UMC GPS

The United Methodist Church is 12,719,550 members in 32,148 local churches on four continents. Could you find Heritage UMC in this great big United Methodist world of ours?

“I look upon all the world as my parish. In whatever part of it I am, I judge it my bounden duty to declare—unto all that are willing to hear—the glad tidings of salvation.”

— John Wesley, 1703-1791

The World

Every four years delegates representing all of the United Methodists across the globe gather for General Conference. It is a time to pray, discuss, and discern how the Scriptures should be applied to address the challenges facing people in the world today. This process of conferencing is then recorded and published to guide churches for the next four years in the United Methodist Book of Discipline and the Book of Resolutions. With General Conference cancelled in 2020 due to the global pandemic, the UMC is currently still governed by the 2016 editions of each.

Anyone looking at a map of the global presence of The United Methodist Church will notice some significant grey areas, especially in Latin America and Asia. The UMC does not have annual conferences in these areas. Instead, it has connections to affiliated Methodist denominations here and elsewhere throughout the world. The UMC maintains ongoing relationships with these other denominations, especially through Global Ministries and the Council of Bishops.

In most cases, these denominations have historical ties to the UMC and its predecessors but became autonomous, mostly in the 1960s. In some instances, formerly Methodist or EUB churches have merged with other denominations to form united or uniting churches. Four of these affiliated Methodist denominations have a special status as concordat churches. There are also many Methodist churches who are members of the World Methodist Council but are not affiliated denominations of the UMC.

This is a map of the UMC presence (including current mission initiatives), concordat denominations, other affiliated Methodist denominations, and affiliated united denominations. It offers another perspective on the global extent of the UMC. (Source: UMGlobal)

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The United States

There’s no formal grouping or gathering of annual conferences across the country, though this common citizenship does produce an informal one that results in more frequent collaboration and collegiality.

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The Southeastern Jurisdiction

The United Methodist Church in the United States of America is subdivided into five “jurisdictions,.” Jurisdictional Conferences meet every four years (the same year as General Conference), with the same delegates to that year’s General Conference in attendance. The primary work of Jurisdictional Conference is the election of Bishops. Every annual conference is led by a Bishop, and together (along with retired Bishops, as it is a lifetime election) they all make up the “Council of Bishops,” which gives guidance to the UMC on issues that arise in between General Conferences.

The Florida Annual Conference is one of 14 annual conferences that make up the Southeastern Jurisdiction, including:

• The Alabama / West Florida Annual Conference

• The Central Appalachian Missionary Conference

• The Florida Annual Conference

• The Holston Annual Conference

• The Kentucky Annual Conference

• The Mississippi Annual Conference

• The North Alabama Annual Conference

• The North Carolina Annual Conference

• The North Georgia Annual Conference

• The South Carolina Annual Conference

• The South Georgia Annual Conference

• The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference

• The Virginia Annual Conference

• The Western North Carolina Annual Conference

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Florida Annual Conference

Over 700 churches with more than 280,000 members from African-American, Anglo, Filipino, Haitian, Hispanic, Korean, Native American, Russian and Vietnamese backgrounds constitute the highly diverse Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

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The Gulf-Central District

The Gulf-Central District includes Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, and parts of Manatee, Polk, and Pasco as well.

Amazon Smile

As we approach the busy shopping season, please remember that you can help Heritage receive funds by signing up for Amazon Smile. What is Amazon Smile? It’s a way to shop through Amazon that allows you to select an organization of your choice for giving. Once you are signed up and have selected Heritage as your organization, Amazon will donates funds when you make a purchase simply by shopping through the Amazon Smile link. Follow the instructions below to sign up via your desktop or mobile device!

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