Education, Motivation, Transformation is the motto of the Children of Uganda. Uganda is a country in East Africa, along the shore of Lake Victoria and in the Great Rift Valley, on high plains, which intersects the Equator. It is a country of the young, with 50% of the population less than 15 years of age. There are more than 8 million orphans due to HIV-AIDS and even more vulnerable children due to poverty and disease. Today after Church, friends were sharing recent letters received from our sponsored Ugandan students, excitedly describing news in their lives to their second “far away” family. A Children of Uganda child sponsor describes a relationship where hearts are opened and lives are changed. That is what I became 9 years ago, when I began the educational support for a little girl, Josephine, in a Primary school in Western Uganda. Josephine is one of 4 children in her woman-led family. Her mother and elderly grandmother are the sole support of the group. This family has a deep faith in God and they have managed to press on through droughts, illness, thefts and poor crop yields. Hard work, determination and hope for a better future have sustained them. Josephine just completed her advance Secondary school and will be headed on to study for a future career as a Biomedical technician. Encountering a new culture and developing a friendship with long-term commitments across continents has been an important part of my life. Through the years, over a dozen other families in our Church took on this amazing role and responsibility. Letters are exchanged 3 times per year and we learn of their varied lives. Another young student, Francis, aspires to be an artist and he proudly sent pictures of his garden plot displaying its bounty in vegetables and fruit to his sponsor. He also expressed in his letter his gratitude for his new pig and her 15 piglets (a gift from his Grandmother). He wondered about the livestock and garden plot of his American family. The differences in our lifestyles are staggering, but the sparkling eyes, warm smiles and future dreams bind us in a common humanity. Our sponsored kids are the face of the future in Uganda. It is a privilege to contribute and to be an agent of change in the lives of young people across the globe. More information about Children of Uganda is available here.

It was simply a coincidence. But it was also a coincidence that opened my eyes to an incredible depth of spirit, grace, and compassion. I had heard of the marvelous work that a particular group began last year, and I was now there to witness the amazing spirit with which these people dedicated their work, in the city where I grew up. A few weeks ago I wrote about Booker T. Washington, and shared with you a tale about a childhood friend who is a professor at Tuskegee University. Well, the wife of this friend - also a childhood friend - is the Director of Global Outreach at Auburn University. This recent trip to Sekondi, Ghana was her second trip to this city we all grew up in, this time accompanied by students, faculty and administrators from Auburn University for a medical outreach. They served over five hundred (500) ailing residents of this city that is always close to my heart. Sadly, the conditions at the pediatric ward - the ward where I was born - has deteriorated to such an extent that the school has made the decision to adopt and transform it. They plan to clean the place up, paint it, restock with the necessary medicine and supplies, and in fact turn this ward upside down, bringing to light its beauty and compassion. I was invited to witness the handing over of supplies, medical and otherwise, from Auburn University to the hospital, and was also invited to offer a prayer for the unveiling of the plaque commemorating the official adoption of the ward. I wasn’t aware of this arrangement before I arrived in Ghana, but it was an exciting and proud moment for me to have been asked to participate in such a humanitarian and compassionate ceremony, one formed to deepen the relationship between Auburn University and Effia Nkwanta Hospital. Why do I tell this story? The broader point I want to share with you, especially during this season of Lent, is the idea of subverting the status quo, or what has become for us the new normal. The word "subvert" is a combination of two Latin words: sub (meaning 'under') and vertere (meaning ‘to turn’). Subvert then means to turn under, to turn upside down, to overturn, to overthrow. A wonderful imagery of subversion is what a plow does to a soil - it turns it over, letting the good soil emerge from beneath the surface, where it is hidden, into the sunlight. During a tour of the ward, I couldn’t believe that this was, indeed, a place for seeking healing and strength. The rundown and nauseating nature of the ward provided more than enough reasons why it had been chosen to be adopted by total strangers from as far away as Alabama. And this adoption is mainly for the purpose of subverting the current state of the ward... turning the soil beneath, if you will, into the bright sunlight of beauty and efficiency, so it can offer real healing and optimum service to the many hundreds of people it serves. Lent is also about subverting all that is inimical and unhealthy in our lives, that is dangerous to our very spiritual growth, nourishment, and faithfulness to God and our relationships with others. More so, it is about subverting human will - our will - if we want the beauty that is beneath to emerge. One of the powerful images described in the Gospels is Jesus being driven to the wilderness by the Spirit after his baptism, and there he fasted, was tempted, and yet remained undefiled. Maybe this is the best time to allow the Spirit to also drive us into the wilderness - the place of stillness, rejuvenation, earthiness, pure solace, and total subversion - where we refuse to be coaxed with either bread or power. As we steadily progress on our Lenten journey, part of the process is that of our continual subversion with the point of bringing out not only the best in us, but also the real in us. Remember, we are not heading to any particular destination on this Lenten journey, but to Easter - the celebration of the feast of the ultimate subversion in human history. Manny. For more information on Auburn University's Outreach project, click here.

When my bachelor uncle came to live with my parents and me, he took it upon himself to share his wisdom. At age 9, I took it upon myself to see that he did not remain a bachelor. At that point he was a Navy veteran in his mid-30s who had moved on from work as a barber to a more secure job as a letter carrier and clerk at the Post Office. I tried to make a match by introducing him to my fourth-grade teacher, Miss Cunningham. I was bold enough to tell him that it would be nice if they were to fall in love and, like in the fairy tales, live happily ever after. My uncle responded by saying, “Thanks, but no, thanks,” and seized the opportunity for a teachable moment. It was time to understand the real meaning of love. Perhaps you could call it, “Love, re-imagined.” He got out a Bible and we sat down to read 1 Corinthians 13. I listened carefully, from the opening part about speaking in the tongues of men or angels, to the closing thought: “In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love, but greatest of them all is love.” At that age, the part that stuck with me as I tried to be God-like was to be patient, kind, and envy no one. Then and now, it was a tall order. My uncle conveyed to me a number of things: an illustrated dictionary from his days in college on the G.I. Bill after World War II, a volume of the complete works of Shakespeare, a demonstration of how to use the blade and the rest of the gadgets on a pocketknife, and repeated tips on how to learn to whistle either a tune or a warning. By the time I was a teenager, he had moved out of our house and married a co-worker at the Post Office who clearly possessed many of the traits that the Apostle Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians. When their baby daughter arrived, I delighted in holding the infant and marveled at the fact that she had been named after her maternal grandmother and me. What greater motivation could there be to try to live up to Paul’s words! About that time, my uncle acquired a slim paperback with a verse of 1 Corinthians 13 in red on the white cover. He gave it to me. I kept it on my bookshelf, more approachable than the weighty Shakespeare whose plays, too, often dealt with love. My uncle and his family moved far away, to the Rio Grande Valley. I headed in the other direction to Chicago and then, after stops elsewhere, to the mid-Atlantic. Our paths crossed less frequently as decades went by. But whenever I pondered the meaning of love, I knew where to look for answers. As the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 8, “Love will never come to an end.” ~P. F.

One afternoon, we decided to break out of our housebound cocoon and go “mall walking”. We hoped to get a little exercise and to give a restless 1-year-old grandson a little adventure. And so, we ventured out. Our little 31-inch-tall Buddy has been proudly walking for the last month, so he discarded his carriage and went striding along. The wide aisles and the vast distances were amazing to him and just full of possibilities. He was wide-eyed with the glittering lights, and the soaring ceilings with sunlight streaming in. But most of all, he was absolutely delighted with the new people everywhere. He excitedly walked up to each individual he encountered, stood in their path, looked directly at them with sparkling eyes, flashed a wide smile, waved and said “Hi”. To our amazement, everyone stopped and talked with him. He made friends with cool teenagers, women loaded down with shopping bags, store employees on their lunch breaks, elderly folks taking their indoor walks, and young mothers pushing strollers. He must have engaged 30 people while striding along. He never considered anyone a stranger, just a person to incorporate into his circle of friends. He had a wonderful time. This experience was repeated a week later, when his parents took him along on a shopping expedition in a department store. Their time estimate for this errand was far exceeded by all the friendships that were newly initiated by their 1-year-old son. He was gleeful that he had the opportunity to meet and greet so many new people and everyone that he encountered left with a smile. My wish is that this joy of connecting to others could be a part of each and every day for all individuals and that the openness of a young child could be incorporated into the lives of adults. This could be a world-changing attitude.

Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. —1 John 4:11-12 (NIV) Jesus said, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. --John 13:35 How do we put that love into action? Serve one another. The Lord modeled this when He washed His disciples’ feet. Be patient with one another. This is possible because of the Spirit’s presence in us. Be courteous to one another. Even if someone is difficult or disagreeable, treat them with gentleness and love. Set an example for one another in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). Forgive one another because God forgave us. If we do not extend forgiveness, God will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:15). We are not to judge one another. That is the Lord’s job. We may be called to rebuke or reprove in love, but we are not to judge. Be subject one to another. That will mean not always having things our way. Edify one another. We are to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for one another. What a privilege to come before the Lord on another’s behalf. ~Excerpted with permission from Wisdom for Each Day by Billy Graham, copyright the Billy Graham Literary Trust.

The Spiritual Life Commission invites everyone to the first evening of our popular Wednesday Evening Lenten Supper Series, which centers on our 2019 theme - Love, Re-imagined. Each week, we will host a different individual who'll give us their perspective on this theme. This Wednesday, March 13th, we are pleased to welcome the Rev. Walter Earl Mullins as our presenter. Each Wednesday evening begins with a potluck dinner from 6:30-7:00 p.m., followed by that week’s presenter from 7:00-8:00 p.m., and finishes with an informal Eucharist from 8:00-8:30 p.m. This event is held in the Lower Level of New Brick, and we hope that you’ll join us for this exceptional series of fellowship, discussion, and prayer. If you have any questions, please email us.

Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness, So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors. Let the earth, nourished by the rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Rabbi Harold Kushner – 2003

You are here not by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed you, and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else. You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can't give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history. To allow you to fulfill His special purpose for this generation. You are the beloved.

This is the First Sunday in Lent. The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Readings for this Sunday are: Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Romans 10:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

How easy it is to get wrapped up In our own little universe The cocoon of the daily grind Of going about our business Trying to protect our turf 'Cause we're more fragile than we let on We live in fear that aggressors surround us Propelling us to not forget and not forgive Yet when we step back and Focus on the meaning of our life On the direction we want to take And the legacy we'll leave behind We do want to be kinder and Contribute to a better world Not just for us but for mankind And in the end we'll face our Maker Standing alone solely accountable For our deeds and misdeeds Responsible for our own journey For how we cultivated our heart And the goodwill we did impart When tallied will we have done enough Or will we be asking for forgiveness For barely missing a passing grade With this in mind and while it's not too late Let's take stock of what's in our heart All start practicing forgiveness, And letting go of the past as we realize To forgive is to set ourselves free. ~James Edward Lee, Sr.

We began our Lenten journey with the Ash Wednesday ritual of the imposition of Ashes on our foreheads. Throughout the world, millions of Christians willingly walked to the sanctuary, knelt or stood up, and heard sounds echoing human mortality. Within those words sit our beginning and our end. Yes, the beauty of being human is to live, and yes, it is to die as well. But within the interval of our lives are sounds of God’s call to us. It is the sound of a voice that may be pleasantly terrifying, filled with curiosity and wonder. I can picture, in my mind’s eye, Abraham’s reaction at hearing the sound of God’s call. How terrifying must that have been! Remember the story about the prophet Samuel who, as a boy, heard the sound of God’s call as he slept in the pitch darkness of the temple? Remember the story about angel Gabriel as he greeted Mary? Think about that sound. And yes, remember the shepherds who were watching their flocks by night and suddenly heard the sound, the beautiful sound about God’s glory. Remember the sound from the heavens during Jesus’ Baptism? There are so many sounds that we hear of God reaching out to us. But the question is, do you hear the sound of God’s voice? The interesting bit about the sound of God’s voice is that there’s no particular way in which it comes through to us; it may either be rugged and hoarse, or it maybe that smooth, calming voice we hear inviting us to the table of thanksgiving. In whichever way you hear the voice, I think the sound of God’s voice helps us to refocus and to ask questions... "What’s my purpose? What is God calling me to do? What is God’s plan for me? And the most intriguing question is, do I fit into God’s overarching plan?" The reality is that we often appear confused, or even lost. And this is because we long for depth, purpose, and relationships. And we believe, ever more deeply, that our longings are, for the most part, geared towards being fulfilled by the immeasurable abundance from God’s store. The point isn’t as much as God coming to us in a cacophony of sounds, rather, do we have the ear to hear any sound, and especially the sound of God’s voice? An English poet by the name David Whyte tells the story of an old Irish monk who stood alone at the edge of his monastery and heard the toll of the church bell calling him to prayer. He says to himself, "That is the most beautiful sound in the world." For it is the call to depth, to dwell in the place of imagination and creativity; it is the place where we discover our true self, and the presence of God within us. But just within the moment of the toll from the church bell, he hears the echoing sound of a blackbird calling from out in a field. He says to himself, "That's also the most beautiful sound in the world." This is the call to adventure, to set out toward new horizons, to go out into world right now, as we are, and offer our gift. Two different sounds - from a bell and a bird - but the commonality between the two is that inherent call within them, the feeling that we're being summoned, either by the circumstances of our lives or an internal, driving energy that all spiritual traditions attribute to the sound of the voice of the God who calls us. I think that the idea or the sense of being called to something, or somewhere, is the most powerful and persuasive of spiritual encounters that we can ever experience. Yes, there’s nothing otherworldly about hearing the sound of God’s voice. It is uniquely a human experience, and precisely because it is a human experience is the reason why at its heart sits the value of choice. And especially during this season of Lent, we can hear the sound of the voice that calls us to slow down, take some time for prayer, escape the tyranny of the calendar, put the phone away a little, fast if you can, and pay attention. For it is through such practices that we are able to discern the gentle nudging to attend to our lives and all that is going on around us, just so we may be able to respond with love and faithfulness. Thoughts about the two sounds the monk heard reminds me of what Thich Nhat Hanh said about being a monk: “To be a monk is to have time to practice for your transformation and healing. And after that, to help with the transformation and healing of other people.” Which sound do you hear: the toll of the bell, or the song of the blackbird, or both? Within each sound is an invitation from God, and within each invitation is an awaiting transformation of the self and of others. Lent is about hearing the toll of the bell, and the song of the blackbird. Manny.