Throughout the episode, Hawkeye chides BJ for refusing to say the word goodbye.  “We’ll come East for a visit,” BJ insists.  But Hawkeye persists in his realism.  In the closing scene he says, “Look, Beej, I know it's tough for you to say good-bye, so I'll say it. Maybe we will see each other again. In any case, I want you to know how much you meant to me.”

My approach to my last days here has been to keep it as normal as possible—working, packing and taking care of Mary Jane.  I don’t want to think too much about saying goodbye—or maybe I just want to put it off.  Goodbye’s are hard.  But In any case I want you to know how much you’ve meant to me...how much you’ve meant to us.  This is a blessed, loving and healing place.  It is home.  You are family.  And you always will be.  So it is with much love that we say...

So here are the texts that will shape the sermons between May 24 and June 21.

May 24 (Ascesion Sunday)

• Ephesians 1:15-23
• "I have heard of your faith"

May 31 (Pentecost Sunday)

• Romans 8:22-27
• "What We Don't Know"

June 7 (Trinity Sunday)

• Romans 8:12-17
• "Indebted"

June 14

• Duke Student Jonathan Page preaches

June 21

• II Corinthians 6:1-13
• "The Last Sermon: Do Not Accept the Grace of God in Vain"

I have lived in the house next to Pilmoor longer than I’ve lived anywhere except the home I lived in throughout my school years (11 years here vs. 12 there).  Considering that I came to faith in my later teens, you may not be surprised that I’ve been involved in Pilmoor significantly longer than any other church.  This place is as much home for me as anywhere I’ve ever lived.  And our upcoming departure has filled me with a peculiar mix of emotions: anxieties, fears, excitement, anticipation, sadness, nostalgia, hope and a few more that I have yet to even Identify, I’m sure. 

Things have been happening fast for us.  Holy Week and Easter brought their usual mix of events, celebrations and moments of reflection.  Then our mission trip to Biloxi, where, to our great pleasure and relief, Thomas received notice of his acceptance into the NC School of Science and Math in Durham (to our great joy and relief).  About the time of Wesley and Amanda’s first anniversary, Wesley accepted a position as a staff engineer at the Dominion Coal Terminal in Newport News.  Good news, all.

And yet all has not been smooth.  The bishop and his cabinet have encountered some difficulties that have affected the entire appointment process.  And while a few, including Mary Jane and I, have been spared much of that turmoil personally, many pastors and churches (including Pilmoor) have not.  So we anxiously await word on who the new pastor will be, trusting that this particular set of hiccups will soon be over and we can begin the hard work of transition.  In the meantime, Mary Jane has learned she will need surgery on her neck, which we hope to time so that she can be fully up and about before moving day.  Then there are the interminable parades of boxes, post-it notes, the growing pile of yard-sale items and the occasional cries, “has anyone seen my…?” 

I can’t help but feel a certain kinship with Abram upon receiving his call to leave his home and family and venture to that place “That I [the Lord] will show you.”  Surely he,  experienced the emotions of leaving a beloved home and facing the unknown—as concerned for what he might face as for those he had to leave behind.  Though we don’t know the outcome of our own stories, we do know that his story and ours share a common theme that appears over and over:  God is faithful...always.  As the spiritual heirs of Abraham, this is the promise that makes a future with hope a possibility.

      I hear folks say these days that they want to “go” quickly, quietly, unexpectedly, preferably in their sleep.  I suppose this reflects a desire to be spared the pain associated with a lingering death—and that’s understandable.  But the literature suggests that not more than a few generations ago, folks feared a sudden death, preferring to have some time...time to prepare...time to make amends...time to forgive and to be forgiven...time to say, “I love you.”  I’ve learned how important this can be for us.

      Consider the significance of that prayer.  The plain meaning is that WE provide the validation—the proof, for lack of a better word—that Jesus is the very Son of God.  In our unity, in our love for each other, we are the sign.  But consider, too, that Jesus chose to focus his energies here during his holy week prayers.  As Christians, how we treat each other says a lot about us, we know this.  But Jesus reminds us here that it says even more about him.

Therefore it is with a mixture of sadness and hope that I share the news that our time among you is drawing to a close.  On June 23, 2009, another will come in my place and will work alongside you for the glory of God.  That same day, Mary Jane and I will take up new responsibilities at Seaside United Methodist Church in Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

The Ordained United Methodist ministry, to which Mary Jane and I are each bound, is an itinerant system that is part of the apostolic ministry of God's Church.  The word "apostolic" comes from a Greek word meaning "to send out."  And indeed we are sent out--deployed in service to the church and the world wherever God's will and the church's needs direct.  The bishop, in consultation with the District Superintendents, churches and pastors, seeks to be obedient to that will in meeting the needs of the whole church.  Sometimes this means giving us the freedom and the time that we need in one place to enable growth and to bear the fruit of long tenure.  We have been blessed with that freedom and time here.   But sometimes it can also mean that we must prepare to leave the familiar ground that has become home so that we may begin to plow other fields.

Please make an extra effort to be in worship regularly as your new pastor is introduced and other important steps in this process are announced.  We have been assured by our bishop, Al Gwinn, and superintendent, Carl Frazier, that ours will be a very open process.  Along with Karen Pendt, our Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) chair, I make our commitment to you that we will do everything in our power to make this transition as smooth as possible.  We will be making regular announcements in worship, on Wednesday nights, in the newsletter, via email and through our website and Facebook page.  As SPRC chair, Karen Pendt will serve as the primary liaison between the congregation, the superintendent, and your new pastor.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me (scottwp(at)nccumc.org) or Karen (232-4047 or karen.pendt(at)ncfbins.com).  

At this point, I simply invite your prayers in the weeks ahead, for your church, for your new pastor and family, and for our family as we prepare for this very significant transition.  Finally, spend these days in a spirit of hopeful anticipation of what God can and will do here in the years ahead.  Your best and most exciting days together in Christ remain ahead of you.  You will always remain in my prayers and in my heart. 

In the peace of Christ,

Scott Wilson-Parsons,
Pastor

It seems that every year at the beginning of Lent, I am challenged to reflect on what is, for me, the most elusive of the 10 commandments.  I’m not talking about murder, theft, idol worship or even covetousness.  I’m referring to #4, right between not taking the Lord’s Name in vain and honoring our parents:  “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.” 

It’s easy to reduce Sabbath keeping to the status of a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting or Bible study.  But its not a spiritual discipline...it is a commandment.  What’s the difference?  Spiritual disciplines are good for us, they help shape us, they help draw us closer to God and to understand God.  The commandments, on the other hand, DEFINE us.  Sabbath was a gift of a day of rest for a people who had been slaves in Egypt—slaves were afforded no such luxury.  Sabbath was a reminder that God rested and enjoyed the fruit of his creation on the seventh day.  Sabbath was a reminder that the world continues with or without our labor.  Sabbath is a challenge to the idolatry that we allow to grow up around ourselves—around our work.

My experiences around Sabbath have been varied.  Personal efforts to be observant have met with mixed success.  Watching observant Jews prepare for Sabbath has been instructive.  Members of the household will work frantically to get all the housework done, all the necessary cooking done, to-do lists completed, everything out of the way so that when Sabbath comes, they can cease.

“But what about when the to-do list isn’t completed?”  Work, papers, to-do lists are left undone.  In so far as possible, they are put out of sight, in drawers or boxes or closed rooms.  And in their absence, God reminds us that we are not slaves and that our obedience to him is more significant than our career or even the money that comes from our productivity.  The to-do list never ends.  But be obedient to God during this Lent.  One full day a week, put it in a drawer and enjoy the gift of rest. 

—Scott

In May of 2008, the General Conference of our church enacted legislation that is relevant to the messages of the last several weeks.  The heart of this legislation, and its most visible effect, was to change the vows of membership for professing members of the United Methodist Church.

Every member of our church, at one time or another, has taken the vow to “be loyal to the United Methodist Church and do everything in [my] power to strengthen its ministries,” and to “faithfully participate [in the ministries of this congregation] by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service”  (UM Hymnal, p. 38).  These vows now have been altered in two significant ways.  First, new members commit to be “loyal to Christ through the United Methodist Church…” And second, we promise to participate in the ministries of the local congregation through our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

On the one hand, we might tend to minimize the alteration that these few words represent for our church.  After all, isn’t our commitment to Christ and the importance of witness understood?  Can’t it be assumed?  Perhaps.  But I tend to believe that nothing of great importance should ever ‘go without saying.’  If it is truly important, then it cannot be assumed, but must be proclaimed.  Our commitment to the church IS first of all and above all be a commitment to Christ.  And our commitment to support the church in every way must include a willingness to share with others the call of God on the lives of all his children.

After all, where would the Magi have ended up without the guidance from the Jewish teachers?  Or the household of Antioch without the guidance of Paul?  Where would Samuel be without Eli to teach him,  or the people of Nineveh without the proclamation of Jonah?  We are called to loyalty to Christ.  And we are called to bear witness—to lead others to him.  This is a fundamental part of what it is to be a Christian...and a member of the church.

     Our "General Fund" denotes the general operating expenses and budgeted mission commitments of our congregation. These funds provide for current expenses for utilities, payroll and programming. Beginning in 2009, General Fund giving will also cover up to 1/3 of the monthly mortgage expense.

     Our "Building Fund" denotes gifts given specifically for construction and capital related expenses. In 2009, any gift given to the building fund that is not specifically designated otherwise go toward principal and interest our current mortgage obligations. We conservatively estimate that this will provide for 1/3 of our monthly payment.

     Our "Building Fund Reserve" is a cash reserve of approximately $30k established for the purpose of supporting our mortgage payments during periods of lower cash-flow and to ease the transition into the debt repayment phase. In 2009, we anticipate as much as 1/3 of our monthly payment to come from this reserve.

     You may give to these funds in ways that seem best to you, and you may do so in a variety of ways, through cash/check offerings in the offering plate, through the mail, or online via credit card or eCheck via our church website.

One thing that I want to remind folks of is the fact that the new site has a login system. This allows us to restrict certain parts of our website to registered users. This enables us, for instance, to have a secure, private prayer list system as well as to limit those who may view any photographs on the site from full public access (especially those of children). Registering and loging in is straightforward enough. Click "register" then complete the information...your name and email address are required. Once you are finished, the system will generate an automated email to the email address you listed. This email will contain a link, which you should click. This will return you to our website and confirm you as a user. Then you may login at will. You should only need to register once.

New features include this blog, a news page, an editable prayer chain page (requires user login), a q&a forum, a staff page a sermon downloads page, and a newsletter download page. Ministry specific pages contain additional links, downloads and information. Please spend some time looking around the new site. Please feel free to email me at scottwp(at)nccumc.org with any suggestions.