Dear Friends,

How do you measure success?  This, of course, is a question that probably has as many answers as there are people.  Each person must, ultimately, answer this question for themselves.

Some people would suggest that, quite clearly, success issomething that can be measured primarily by the “tangibles” of money earned, wealth created and accomplishments listed.  They find great satisfaction in being able to point to the “bottom line” of an impressive bank account or a list of honors and awards that they havereceived.

Others tend to see it differently—very differently.  Take Oseola McCarty, for example.  She was 87 years old when she died before the end of the 20^th century.  Oseola was a maid for various wealthy families in the town ofHattiesburg, Mississippi.  She was “old school” in her determination to use a wash board instead of an electric washing machine.  It was hard work that earned 50 cents per load.  Even so, she was able, each week, to put a little bit of money into a savings account.  Oseola didn’t have extravagant taste!

Well, when the day finally came when she retired, she asked her banker just how much money she had in her account.  She was shocked to learn that she    had $250,000 saved up!

She then was faced with the decision of what to do with that money.  It didn’t take her long to determine that she wanted to give a good chunk of it away to someone thatneeded her help.  “I can’t carry anything away from here with me,” she said, “so I thought that it was best to give it to some child to get an education.”

The shy, never-married laundry woman gave $150,000 to the nearby University of Southern Mississippi to provide scholarships for students who, otherwise, would not be able to afford a college education.  It was a remarkable gift from a remarkable woman.  Oseola McCarty was guided in her decision by the thought that, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  “I know,” she told reporters, “I’vetried it.” 

When I think about what a successful life looks like, I aminclined to think of the life of Oseola McCarty who chose to use a great deal of her hard-earned money to lift other people up and make their lives better.  It was (and still is) an investment that very few others would have made.  And yet, it was an investment that we cannot help but celebrate, one that serves to remind all of us just what it means to be successful.

This coming Sunday is the day when everyone is asked tobring your Giving Cards with you to worship.  We will be consecrating our gifts (both our financial gifts and ourtime/talent gifts) at the conclusion of our service.  I hope that you will plan to attend as we “Choose Our Tomorrow” through the gifts that we offer.  I am looking forward to sharing this important time with you.  See you in Church!

Grace & Peace,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

The post A “Parsonal” Point of View first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

As we are all aware, there is a lot of talk these days about whether we are a Christian nation.  We have listened tothe debate as it rages back and forth—from those who suggest that our nation’s founders uniformly intended for Christianity to be the “religion of the realm,” to those who reference Thomas Jefferson and his insistence upon the separation of Church and State.  To be sure, there are many different angles and many different perspectives that this debate has raised for us to consider.  Not the leastof which is the question of how one determines what a Christian nation looks like (and behaves like) in actual practice.  What would the criteria be for deciding whether or not our nation is a Christian nation?  Would there be awritten test?  If so, what questions would be included?  Would they be true/false?  Multiple choice?  Or, perhaps, an essay format?

Ultimately, the question becomes, “Why is this important to determine?”  Is it important because we can then use our “Christian nation status” to deter and exclude those who are not Christian?  Are we needing to reaffirm our own privileged status while, at the same time, denigrating the status of others?  Just asking.

Setting that question aside for the moment, there is a way, I believe, to discern just what approaches or policies that a nation (ours or any other nation) adopts are actually “Christian” in their nature or not.  By “Christian in nature,” I am choosing to use the word and witness of Jesus as a working definition of what that looks like.  The Beatitudes, for example, would be a good place to start “fleshing out” just what it means to be “Christian.”

It is important for us, as Christians however, to remember that the faith of Jesus was really a Jewish faith in which the word of the law and prophets was revered.  Jesus knew his scripture and was especially mindful of the significance of the witness of the prophets in his people’s storied faith.  Therefore, what may have originated in Jewish thought, in time, became a central part of Christian thought as reflected in the teachings of Jesus.

Such was the case, I believe, for our scripture focus this Sunday.  Our reading is taken from Micah 6: 1-8 andfeatures one of the “watershed verses” of scripture.   After asking the question, “What does the Lord require of you?” The prophet answers his own question by offering severaldifferent options concerning what one might be willing to sacrifice in the Temple.  

Was it burnt offerings with year old calves?

Was it a thousand rams or ten thousand rivers of oil?

Was it the sacrifice of one’s first born?

With those questions hanging in the balance, Micah then boldly announces that God has already provided the right answer which was, “None of the Above.”  Instead, what God requires, says Micah, is the choice to “Do Justice, LoveKindness and Walk Humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8)

As I was reading through this lesson from Micah for this week, it occurred to me that, in many respects, this text might provide an excellent litmus test for helping to determine whether or not we are a Christian nation.  Even though this is a Jewish text, it is one that I believe wasinstrumental in Jesus’ own thought and formation.

So, it might be helpful to ask ourselves if we, as a nation, “Do justice?”  Do we insist on standing up for the rights of the marginalized and the poor?  Do we go out of our way to include the excluded and to defend the rights of those who live at the bottom of our social ladder?

Do we “Love Kindness?”  Is kindness a virtue that we cultivate and put into practice in our daily lives?  Are we mindful of the struggles of others and generous in our response to their needs?  Are we doing our best to help create a culture that is kind and loving?

Do we walk humbly with God?  Is the characteristic of humility one that we, as people, have taken to heart?  Is it one that we seek to put into practice in the day-to-day context of our lives?  Are we willing to “play second fiddle” to others by not insisting upon getting our own way and what we desire?

I don’t know about you, but I suspect that our honest attempt to answer these pointed questions might go a long way in helping us to determine what kind of nation we really are—Christian or not.  I will be exploring this idea a bit more with you in my message this coming Sunday.  It’s entitled; “Making the Case for Justice” and I look forward to sharing it with you.  See you in Church!!

Grace & Peace,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

The post A Litmus Test of Faith first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

There is a word that we don’t hear much about anymore in many church circles.  It is a word that used to be quitepopular.  In fact, committees were formed and conferences held to ensure that this word would remain a key word in the church’s vocabulary.  But now, that wordhas faded from use and seemingly, fallen into disrepair.  The word that I am thinking about is evangelism.

By definition, evangelism has to do with “sharing good news.”  An evangelist is one who shares good news.  This is why the writers of the gospels are referred to as evangelists.  They chose to share the good news of the gospel in written form.  And this is also why certain preaches have become known as evangelists who share the good news of God’s love and compassion for humanity.   

On a personal note, my father began his ministry as a traveling evangelist in Ohio and Indiana.  My early years were spent living, at least part of the time, in a house trailer.  So, as you might imagine, I grew up in a world that was saturated with an evangelical flavor and that is an experience that I am grateful for.  It taught me a great deal and gave a positive shape to my life.

Yet, as time has passed from those early years in the 1950’s, the meaning and message of evangelism has undergone a radical change.  Thanks, in part, to the “moral majority movement” under Jerry Falwell, the meaning of the word, “evangelical” began to change.  In fact, some would say that it was hijacked by the conservative right as it made its bid for political power in the 1980’s.

Suddenly, to be an evangelical was to identify with the Christian right and adopt their conservative dogma.  It had little to do with sharing the “good news of the gospel” and much more to do with establishing an identity as a political power for conservative political causes.

While I have always identified myself as an evangelical in the original sense of the word, it is no longer a term that I am likely to use, given the implications that it holds today.  Sadly, a significant part of my past has been co-opted by those who mean something very different than I mean when I talk about sharing the good news of the gospel.

Despite this dramatic change in cultural use and understanding, I remain committed to the idea that, as followers of Jesus, we are called to share the joy andmeaning of that experience with others who are interested in hearing about it.  Yes, even though I don’t fit the contemporary definition of an evangelical, I remain a firm believer in the importance of giving witness to our faith.  I believe that it is vitally important for us to share the good news of what we have discovered in our relationship with Jesus.

In my understanding, this witness is not about coercion or manipulation.  It is not about handing out tracts todetermine whether someone is saved and going to heaven.  Those approaches, I believe, have done more than their share of damage over the years.

Instead, the true inspiration for sharing faith comes from the fact that we have the opportunity to share with others (who are interested) that we have experienced love, a meaning and a purpose that has changed our lives and might just change theirs as well.  It was D.T. Niles, the famous missionary to India, who described this idea of sharing faith as, “Nothing more than one beggar telling another, where to find bread.”  This simple statement, I believe, puts the matter of sharing faith in its proper perspective.

 In our scriptural focus for this coming Sunday’s worship service, the disciple of John the Baptist follows after Jesusand when he notices them, he simply asks, “What are you looking for?”  They then reply, “Rabbi, where are youstaying?”  Jesus then responds, “come and see.”  (John 1: 35-51)

Three simple words of invitation.  Three simple words that would change everything for those who choose to accept it.  As a result, a simple invitation would betranslated into a movement, a movement that, with the passing of time, would change the world.  Christianity had been born.

In my message this week, I plan to highlight the importance of sharing our faith in the most simple and basic of terms.  When all is said and done, sharing our faith with others is as simple and significant as offering, to them, the invitation to “come and see.”  That is, you see, all that is really needed to share the good news of the gospel with others.

Grace and Peace,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

A REMINDER!!  STAY FOR LUNCH THIS SUNDAY!!

Immediately following worship, we will be hosting a LUNCH for our entire Church family in our Fellowship Hall.  We hope that you will stay after for some excellent food, some good conversation and the inspiration that comes in sharing our hopes and dreams for ourcongregation’s future.

This will not be a lengthy, drawn-out process, but instead, an opportunity for us to compare notes as we seek to prepare ourselves now for the future that we dream about.  We will plan to finish with our scheduled program by 1:00 pm.

Plan now to attend as we prepare to CHOOSE OUR TOMORROW!

The post COME AND SEE first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

It’s not the way I was hoping that we would begin our newyear.  I was hoping for the lingering warmth of “season’s greetings” and the untainted hope of a fresh start as we try to figure out how we can best live together in peace and understanding. God knows just how much we need the unbridled idealism of daring to believe that we can help to make our world a better place!

But it wasn’t to be.  Instead, our current news cycle has been co-opted, perhaps by design, by news of an invasion (“police action”) of Venezuela and the plan to “run thecountry,” at least, for a while.  What happened to “peace on earth” and “good will to all?

The celebration of Christmas peace, hope, joy and love now seems like a fading memory.  Suddenly, the smelling salts of reality have snapped us out of our Christmasreverie.  Like it or not, we are forced to contend with the world as it is—not as we have dared to hope that it wouldbe.

You will have to pardon me, but I am not accustomed to witnessing this kind of blatant, unilateral action on thepart of my country.  It has left me feeling frustrated, angry, disappointed and embarrassed.  This is not who we are, and it is not what we stand for.  Given the fact that congress was not even consulted about this venture, a strong case can be made to suggest that this action violates our Constitution—no matter how the perpetrators scramble to frame it and make it more palatable.

No, this is not the way that I was hoping to begin the New Year.  But it is what it is, as they say, and I will not keep my head in the sand any longer.  It is time to speak the truthand trust that the truth will, ultimately, prevail.  While it may seem that the chances of that happening are growing dim, that will not be the case if enough people raise their voices in opposition.  That is why I raise my voice and invite you to do the same.

As those who follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we are clearly called to refrain from violent aggression andwarfare as we work to promote understanding, respect and justice with all who are our neighbors, both local and global.  Let us pray for the courage and the wisdom to do just that in the days that lie before us.

Grace & Peace,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

*********************************************************************

A POETRY P.S.

This past Sunday, I suggested that choosing to read poetry for a month might be a good “micro-resolution” to makeas we move into the New Year.  I believe poetry offers a creative incentive to think and to see the world and our lives from different angles and perspectives.  Ultimately, I believe, it opens the door that enables us to betterunderstand ourselves and the world around us. 

In light of that invitation, I would like to share a prayer poem that speaks about the emotional upheaval that many of us have experienced during this past week.  It is by Steve Garnaas-Holmes (Pastor Steve), and it is entitled,“Outrage.”

Outrage
O Broken-Hearted One,
       we cry out to you.
Our anguish overspills all speech;
       our outrage escapes our words.
Yet you hear, for it is your own cry;
      the pain and the sorrow are yours.

The powerful worship idols
       of violence and lies.
They defy you in their golden palaces
       and murder you in the streets before us.
We long for the justice you promise,
       we yearn for the peace you offer us.

Enfold us in your righteousness,
       so we are not swallowed up in their evil.
Do not let our outrage become mere rage,
       do not let our resolve become resentment.
Still our hearts with your steady peace,
       steel our nerves with your serene wisdom.

As we breathe the fumes of cruelty,
       may our hearts be clear and merciful.
As shadows engulf us,
       may we still be your light.
In a time of despair,
       may we be alive with hope.
May we resist what is hurtful
       and disrupt it with gentleness.

O Slain and Risen One,
       fill us with your blessing,
send us with your love,
       and accompany us with your courage.


Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

The post A “Parsonal” Point of View first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

There was an article in the New York Times many years ago that shared the story about David Storch, a musicteacher, who borrowed a copy of the score of Handel’s “Messiah” from the Brooklyn Public Library.  Through aclerical error, however, the transaction was not recorded.  As it turned out, there were several other requests for the score, and the library staff, unaware that it had been checked out, spent many hours searching in vain for it through the stacks.

On the day that David Storch returned it, placing it on the circulation desk, he was astounded to hear the librarian spontaneously and joyfully shout out, “The Messiah is here!  The Messiah is back!” When she did so, Storchnoticed that every head in the silent library turned toward the voice, but then, within a few minutes, went back to their work.

It’s an old story, but it is one that continues to remind us that the news of the Messiah’s arrival is often news that fails to grab our full attention.  We are so easily distracted by whatever happens to be in front of us that we fail to really appreciate John the Baptist’s announcement that the “Messiah is here!”  Instead, we allow the focus of our thoughts to be directed elsewhere as we return to “business as usual.”

But what if we choose not to be distracted?  What if we chose to allow this ancient bit of good news to occupy our central focus?  What would our lives look like if they weremotivated by the understanding that, in Jesus, God has demonstrated, once and for all, that “the love which came down at Bethlehem” is love that changes everything—including the way in which we choose to live our lives in this present moment of time?

This Sunday in worship, we will celebrate the fact that “The Messiah is here!”  Our focus on this, the fourth Sunday of Advent, is appropriately placed upon the love that the Messiah ushered into our world.  I don’t think I need to remind you that this focus could not be timelier.  In a world that is so easily distracted by its trivial pursuits, we will plan to celebrate this gift of love as we light the Advent candles, sing the carols of Christmas and reflect upon the ancient stories of scripture.  It will be a very special time to share together, and I hope that you will choose to share it with us.  Sure, there are other things that you could be doing, but allow me to ask, “What could be more important than taking the time to celebrate that the Messiah is here and at work in our world?!

I look forward to sharing not only this celebration with you, but also the one that will take place at our traditional candlelight service on Christmas Eve (7:00 pm).

The Messiah is here!  It’s time to celebrate!!

Peace & Joy,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

The post Too Busy to Notice??? first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

During my backpacking days, I learned to appreciate the value of a well-placed trail marker (also known as a “duck”).  When hiking through snow or over large stretches of granite slab, those trail markers kept us from wandering off in the wrong direction on more than a fewoccasions!  They kept us pointed in the right direction.

In a similar fashion, our Advent trail markers of Peace, Hope, Joy and Love are helping us to stay on the trail that leads to Bethlehem and the celebration of the birth of a baby who would become known to the world as Jesus of Nazareth.  Thus far in our Advent journey, we havebenefited from the direction provided by the trail markers of Peace and Hope.   This week, our focus turns to the trail marker of joy and the invitation that it offers.

When you think of joy, what do you think of?  Usually, we tend to think in terms of something that is pretty exciting,something that provides us with a burst of happiness and laughter, something that makes us want to celebrate.  We may think, for example, of the joy of a birthday party or the joy of celebrating a graduation or a promotion.  We may think of the joy that comes to us when our team wins the big game and we can celebrate with other fans.

To be sure, those are joyful moments, without question.  Yet, the joy that comes to my mind as I prepare for worship this Sunday is a joy that reaches a little deeper into the experience of living, one that is not necessarily contingent upon everything working out in the way I want it to work out.  In other words, I am thinking about a joy that can be present even amid the most challenging and difficult times.

This experience of joy, you see, can be found in simply knowing who you are and whose you are.  It can come from realizing that, even in the most difficult of moments, God Spirit is present and it is God who holds us—even then—in the palm of God’s hands.

In our scripture reading from Isaiah 35 this week, the prophet anticipates the coming day of joy when the people of Israel will return from their exile.  It will be a day, he suggests, when “The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom.”  He than goes on to suggest that on that day, “the eyes of the blind and the deaf shall be opened, then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”

Finally, at the conclusion of this passage, Isaiah writes that, “The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy will be upon their heads;  they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

You get the picture.  Even in moments of darkness and struggle, there is joy to be found in the anticipation of what is yet to come.  As long as God is at work, Isaiah suggests, there is reason for joy.

In my message on Sunday, I will be talking about the ways in which Jesus became the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision.  When the disciples of John the Baptist asked him if he was the One to come or if they should look for another, he simply replied:  “Go tell John what you hear and see.  The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead areraised and the poor have good news brought to them.” (Matthew 11: 4-6)

Jesus is here suggesting that the joyous signs of his ministry are those that match up with the vision that Isaiah had lifted centuries earlier.  In effect, Jesus is saying that, in his ministry, the time of joy and celebration that Isaiah had envisioned had finally come to pass.

As you prepare for worship this week, I invite you to consider your own definition of joy and what it looks like in the every-day circumstance of living.  Is your inspiration for joy something that is fleeting, something that is here one moment and gone the next?  Or, does it have a staying power that is rooted in your faith and confidence that, even in difficult times, God is still at work?

That, it seems to me, is what the joy of the Advent season is all about—a joy that is not dependent upon everything going our way, but instead, upon the knowledge that God has our back—and that God is at work, in and through us—to help us realize the future that we have dreamed about.

Peace & Joy,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

The post When you do things from the soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

Gratitude.  It’s a word that tends to pop up in various conversations at this time of year.    As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many of us, on cue, are inclined to think about and express the gratitude that we may feel inside of us.  In fact, it happens rather easily, even effortlessly as gratitude is named and expressed.  We may even share in the dinner table ritual in which each person is invited to share what they are most grateful for.

While this is a wonderful tradition and one that is never too late to initiate, I often wonder why so many of us are inclined to observe it only at this time of year.   Why couldn’t this become a weekly ritual in which we take time on a given day of the week to simply express our gratitude for the gifts of life that we have been given—the people, the relationships, the creation and the things that provide meaning and purpose in our lives.  Surely, that is not too much to ask!

I have a strong suspicion that, if we did that, if we would take the time and make the effort to express our gratitude for these good gifts, we would find that we are much happier and healthier in our living.  As Richard Paul Evans suggests, “There can be no joy without gratitude.”  This is not, I think, merely a pleasant inspirational statement, it is a simple fact of life.  Unless we cultivate the attitude ofgratitude, we will discover that our lives are often devoid of the joy that provides the spark of happiness—the spark that makes life truly worth living.  Choosing to practice gratitude, in effect, opens the door to the more joyful aspects of living.  It helps us to savor and more fullyappreciate the lives that we have been allowed to live.  And there is something that is indeed, joyful about the choice to do that.

So, with this thought in mind, I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to God—and to you—for the privilege that I have of being your pastor.  You may have heard that I recently announced that, “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise (or the Bishop object), I will continue to serve as your pastor for the next church year (July 1^st 2026—June 30^th 2027).  This is a decision that Susan and I have recently made and we are pleased to let you know that I will continue in my role as pastor for another year.  While I wasn’t quite sure what to expect inmy retirement years, I have been blessed to discover this congregation and the opportunity that I have been given to serve in this role.

Susan and I are, indeed, grateful for your warmth, your kindness, and your energetic spirit.  I absolutely love the fact that you are a congregation that chooses to be open, inclusive and progressive in your thoughts and actions.  There is no other place that I would rather be!

So, it is with joyful gratitude that I write this memo to you.  I trust that you will have a wonderful holiday that is filled with plenty of occasions to reflect upon and express the gratitude that is within you.  

I am looking forward to this coming Sunday and the opportunity to share in yet another season of Advent together.  It is a gift that I do not take lightly.  Thanks be to God!

With Grace and Gratitude,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn

The post There can be no joy without gratitude first appeared on Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

This coming Sunday is one that is celebrated in various churches as “Christ the King Sunday” or “The Reign of Christ Sunday.” It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year and the following Sunday, the first Sunday of the Season ofAdvent, represents the first Sunday of the liturgical year.  Now, the significance of all of this is not exactly something that I have paid too much attention to over the years.  But, as this Sunday approaches, I have been thinking about its true significance in a time and place such as our own.

It was originally instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in the aftermath of World War I and the collapse of the four major monarchies of mainland Europe.  It was intended to challenge the rise of secularism and atheism around the world.  Over the decades since that time, the idea of celebrating the royal rule of Christ has grown in its appeal to the point where several Protestant Churches, including the United Methodist Church, have observed “Christ the King Sunday.”

I must admit that while the use of the term “king” seems outdated to me, I can still understand its original intention.  It was a way of suggesting that, ultimately, it is the “rule” of Christ that commands not only our attention, but our allegiance as well.  To suggest that Christ is king is to suggest that only Christ is worthy of that allegiance.

The problem that sometimes occurs with this terminology is that our understanding of what actual kingship means can vary greatly from person to person.  For some, the image of a ruler on a throne with a golden crown in place on his head comes to mind.  For them, Jesus is the triumphant, victorious ruler who reigns in glory, splendor and might.  That has become a fairly popular image of Jesus in our current religious landscape.

There is, however, another image of Jesus as king that is quite different from this triumphant picture.  This image conveys a more lowly and humble understanding of what the kingship of Jesus was (is) all about.  We find that it is this picture that emerges in the gospel accounts of what we refer to as “Palm Sunday” and the crucifixion of Jesus.  As an illustration of this fact, our Gospel reading for this “Christ the King Sunday” is taken from Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23: 33-43).  In this account, Jesus is crucified between two thieves as soldiers cast lots for his clothing while chiding him for not being able to save himself.  It is, of course, a very dark and humiliating moment for Jesus, one that is difficult for us to imagine.

And yet, Luke uses this text that is used to describe the nature of Jesus’ kingship as he is crucified under the sign placed above him on the cross, “The King of the Jews.”

What we have, then, is two very different understandings of what it means to be king.  One emphasizes glory and splendor while the other emphasizes humility and suffering.  

As you prepare for worship this Sunday, I invite you to reflect upon your own understanding of what it means to refer to Jesus as “King.”  Which of these two very differentunderstandings do you most closely resonate with?  And what are the implications for the ways in which you choose to follow him?  While this is not an easy question to answer, I believe that it is important that we try.  I look forward to comparing notes with you this Sunday in worship.

See You in Church!

Grace & Peace,

Ron

Rev. Ron Dunn 

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