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Nov 10 2017

Mark R. Mitchell lost good friends in the massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas. Along with grieving, Mitchell — lay leader of nearby Floresville United Methodist Church and the Las Misiones District of the Rio Texas Conference — has been trying to offer practical help. “There is no expiration date on our offers of help,” he said. His words this week have had me wondering what else might not have an expiration date.

It seems as though we have come to a time when the reality of violence, specifically gun violence, is a reality that does not seem to have an end. Inevitably we become desensitized to tragedy. The feeling of helplessness and frustration can often keep us from recognizing what Mitchell found this last week - there is no expiration date to our willingness to serve and love those who are suffering.

My hope and prayer in the midst of this tragedy is that we see and respond to the pain of our neighbors by recognizing that our call to show God’s love in the world is a call that does not have an expiration date.

In regards to this past week’s events, here are few things we want you to know:

Sutherland Springs Church Shooting. All of our hearts are heavy with the news of the 26 people killed at the Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX. There are no words. Dr. Dan Flanagan from our staff made contact with the closest United Methodist Church in Floresville. We are working with their pastor, Rev. Peter Aguilar, to send prayer blankets to survivors' and victims' families. Read a United Methodist News Service story which includes comments about our prayer blanket ministry.

Your safety at church. With what happened last weekend at a church, I know many of you are wondering if you are safe coming to church. Our trustees take this matter very seriously and have been working to establish a safety plan. In fact, several of them are attending a seminar on Saturday, and they will be meeting Sunday to discuss this. Many of you are probably aware that we have several Richardson Police Department off duty officers here every Sunday. You may notice that they will be more visible inside as well as outside our church facilities this Sunday and in weeks to come. As we choose to actively not live in fear, we also want to remain alert and prepared. If you see something that seems odd or out of place, do not be afraid to alert a staff member or call 911.

This Sunday our Senior Pastor, Clayton Oliphint, will be preaching in Access as we continue our series “This is Us.”

See you Sunday!

-Julie 

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Nov 1 2017

Last Saturday my wife, Heather, and I dressed up as Beauty and the Beast-turned-prince for our church’s Trunk or Treat event. We and other church members passed out candy from the trunks of our cars and brought smiles to a lot of children. By participating in this Halloween tradition we also joined in an ancient church traditional of redeeming festivals with dark pasts.

The roots of Halloween may go back to a pagan festival called Samhain. Participants believed that the spirits of the dead roamed the earth, so they wore costumes and carved faces into turnip lanterns to hide from and ward off the evil spirits or engaged in rituals to try to communicate with them. Some of the festivals may have even involved human sacrifices.

But Halloween also has roots in celebrations like All Saints Day where Christians would pray for and remember the souls of loved ones that had died by baking "soul cakes" and giving them to poor children that would come to their homes seeking these treats. All Saints day originally took place in May, but Pope Gregory IV moved it to the fall to match the date of the Samhain festival. 

Gregory's decision reflects the Biblical theme of redemption. Sometimes God destroys something being used for bad purposes or tells people to separate themselves from it. But sometimes God redeems it, using it for good and robbing evil of its hold on whatever it is. 

People can still use Halloween practices with dark intent, but they can also redeem them. They can celebrate the lives of "saints" that have passed on, spread joy and a sense of community among neighbors as they treat children to candy, and, in the case of Trunk or Treat events, introduce new people to a church community. Candy doesn't have any power in and of itself to overcome evil, but God can use what Christians do with it to redeem a celebration with some dark history.

This Sunday at Access we’ll celebrate All Saints Day with a powerful activity to remember and give thanks for loved ones that have died. We’ll also begin a new sermon series titled, “This is Us.” Over the course of the next three weeks pastors Julie, Clayton, and I will share the distinctive beliefs that make United Methodists who we are. You’ll come away from this sermon series with a new appreciation for who you are as a Methodist and with language that will enable you to share it with others.

Who do you know that would be blessed by celebrating the memory of a loved one that has passed or by learning more about Methodism? I hope you’ll invite that person to join you at Access this Sunday!

In Christ,
Rich

Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson

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Oct 27 2017

The cold wind has blown in, and just like that, our Texas weather has gone from 85 to 55 overnight. It seems as though a new season is finally here. A season where we start by seeing a change in colors and temperature, and then we watch as the leaves fall away and we're left with a landscape that might be seen as bare.

Author Anne Lamott describes fall like this: “The colors are broccoli and flame and fox fur. The tang is apples, death, and wood smoke. The rot smells faintly of grapes, of fermentation, of one element being changed alchemically into another, and the air is moist and you sleep under two down comforters in a cold room. The trails are not dusty anymore, and you get to wear your favorite sweaters."

The trails are not dusty anymore. Fall has this way of reminding me of the things that might need to fall away so that my relationship with God is not as dusty or unclear.

This time last year, I went to a conference held in a beautiful cathedral in downtown Chicago. Being a fan of fall weather, I was thrilled to bundle up in my scarf, beanie, and jacket and enjoy the changing of seasons. At the conference, we ended by singing “Be Thou My Vision” with only our voices. I was covered in chills regardless of how many layers I had on. There was just something about hearing people of faith raise their voices together in this ancient space - a space that has heard the voices of people of faith for generations.

The conference was called “Why Christian?” And that was the simple prompt that guided the two days: why are you Christian? For me, I am Christian because Jesus gave us a vision that was not only worth believing, but worth following. I am Christian because Jesus sits with a woman at a well and tells her the same thing I am need of hearing daily: “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.” (John 4:10) I am Christian because the God of creation calls me to look at the beauty of creation and learn and grow through the seasons changing.  

In this autumn season, clarity and vision for what God is doing in our lives might come from things changing… or maybe even falling away.

This weekend as you bundle up, pray about these questions:

What circumstances are causing change in your life?
What are you learning and growing through in this change?
What might need to fall away in your life so that you might go deeper in your faith and grow closer to God?

And remember the words of that timeless Hymn that has been sung with the voices of the saints through the seasons and generations:

Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

This weekend we conclude our series, Jenga, by setting aside time to take a deep look at how our time is spent. That’s a message I need this week!

See you Sunday!

Julie