I’ll never forget my first visit to Zimbabwe.  I was working with the Board of Higher Education and Ministry and was invited to the grand opening of Africa University.  It was an incredible trip which began in a tour of Methodist seminaries in Brazil and Argentina, then a flight from Rio to Johannasburg connecting to Harare. (I remember that some bad pizza in Rio made for a pretty uncomfortable flight!) We drove the four hours from Harare to Old Mutare, where the Methodist church has been in ministry for 100 years, passing rich farmland and amazing scenery, small villages and new towns in a nation which was on the verge of becoming one of the greatest successes on the African continent.  Africa University is a great success, in spite of the turmoil of the nation in more recent years. Because of that, I’ve watched the news reports from Zimbabwe with sorrow. It’s a tragedy to see the destruction of the economy, the agony of 200,000 % inflation and grinding hunger in a nation which should be the breadbasket of Africa. And now to watch the collapse of democracy under the arrogant leadership of a ruthless president is almost beyond belief.  Robert Mugabe was present at the grand opening of Africa University and promised a Zimbabwe for all persons, regardless of race.  How times have changed.

The pain of Zimbabwe is a graphic reminder of the gift we all too often take for granted--the gift of a nation ruled by law rather than by executive privilege and unbounded presidential authority, the confident hope for free and fair election and the assurance of a smooth transfer of presidential leadership. On this 4^th of July holiday, I will celebrate a nation where candidates for the presidency are not limited by race, gender or age and can include an African American, a woman and a 71 year old.  I will celebrate a “balance of power” between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government where presidential power is keep in check. I will pray for my brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe and for a new birth of freedom in their beautiful land.

This is my prayer, Thou God of all earth's kingdoms

Thy kingdom come on earth, thy will be done.

Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him

And hearts united, learn to live as one.

O hear my prayer, Thou God of all the nations,

Myself I give thee, let thy will be done.

I woke up this morning to the sound of the waves on Lake Michigan and the smell of beaded board.  When you are the guest preacher at Epworth Heights you literally wake up in a museum since the rooms on the second floor of the 100 year old hotel comprise a museum, all except for the “Upper Room” apartment for reserved for the guest preacher.  So I was the only guest in the hotel over the weekend and it was wonderful.

Epworth Heights residents are proud of their history and rightly so.  The community was established by the Methodists in 1894 as a center for the training of youth.  It quickly became a cloister of cottages climbing up the cliff, most of which have a view of Lake Michigan and all of which have lots of beaded board. Most of the families have been coming here for generations, evidenced by the fact that rarely does a cottage ever go up for sale, it is transferred from one family member to the next.

Epworth Heights was part of the great expansion of the Methodist movement of the 1800’s.  Methodists have never been content to just plant churches.  We have always built institutions as well—colleges like Albion and Adrian, retreats like Epworth and Bayview, hospitals and retirements homes like Bronson and Chelsea, seminaries like the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary in Estonia, Garrett and Duke. We are the heirs of this great tradition, this history, and all this beaded board.

This week we welcome Bruce Wilson, our second seminary intern for this summer.  He is from Louisiana and is currently a student at Garrett.  He will be spending most of this time at Cass Community Services, but will be living and working with us as well.  Bruce and Ryan Koch, our Duke intern, represent the new generation of young leaders for the Christian Church being nurtured and trained in seminaries we have built over the years.  Thanks be to God for the past and the future, the old and the new…and for all this beaded board.

I’ll see you in worship on Sunday—remember, we are on summer schedule with worship services at 8:30am, 10:00am and 5:00pm.

Jack Harnish

Her name is Veera Plostsadnaja.  Last week she was one of the graduates at the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary.  She sat there in her black robe and mortarboard beaming from ear to ear.  When she crossed the sanctuary to receive her diploma her family cheered and the whole sanctuary was filled with warm smiles matching hers.  She is 71 years old.

I don't know anything about Veera's story, but just imagine the changes she has seen in her lifetime.  From the World Wars to the Nazi invasion, then the "liberation" at the hands of the Soviets which turned out to be an even worse oppression; then the past decade of new hope and promise in her small nation. I realize that the younger graduates will hold the future of the church in Estonia, but she represents the hopes and dreams of a generation of saints who held the faith through difficult days and now share in the joy of new opportunity.

I am proud of the fact that we are involved in supporting the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary and I am also proud of the fact that we are raising up new leaders for the church here at home.  This spring we celebrate with Sally Meese and Jacquie Patt on their graduation from seminary.  In recognition of their accomplishment, this Sunday Jacquie will preach at the 8:30am  service and Sally will preach at the 10:00am worship service. (PLEASE NOTE THE MOVE TO SUMMER WORSHIP HOURS).  I would also invite you to hear Rev. Eugene Blair preach at 5:00pm.  Gene is a member of our conference staff and will be preaching for out "tent worship" service in "Sunday Night Alive". 

May God bless Veera and her classmates.  May God bless Jacquie and Sally. May Bless our congregation as we seek to nurture men and women for service in Christ's Church.

Jack Harnish

Carving a Church out of Concrete

4:00am…and I am wide awake.  First, the seven hour difference in time zones will do that to you, and second, here in Estonia this time of year the sun rises at 4:00am and doesn’t set till almost midnight.  I joined the work team in Kunda yesterday and I have to say they are literally carving a church out of concrete!  The old building they are renovating was a barracks beside a huge concrete factory.  It is an old block and stone building with 6 or 7 good-sized rooms which will provide excellent space for worship and ministry, but first comes the demolition, renovation and repair.  Our team has been tearing down ceilings, plastering old walls, laying new floors---incredible work, all amid concrete dust!  They have done quite a job.  You would be proud of them.

But it’s not just the building…my friend Charles Killian taught in the seminary here for several summers while he was on the staff at Asbury Seminary.  He was the first one to say “it’s like carving a church out of concrete”.  He meant the task of evangelism in a country which has the lowest percentage of people who express belief in God in all of Europe; in a country where 50 years of communism nearly extinguished any flame of faith and now a third generation is growing up without the influence of the church or Christian faith.  Kunda is a small town of about 4000 people—not one church in the whole town until recently when the Lutherans and the Methodists came to plant new congregations.  Prior to the Soviet years there was a thriving Methodist Church here, but today, they are literally starting from scratch.  Renovating a concrete plant into a church is tough, but winning people to Christ is even tougher—like carving a church out of concrete.

So we come and do what we can.  We can help provide the space.  Pastor Andrea and his small band of Methodist Christians will do the rest.  I am constantly amazed at the faith and commitment of the Estonian pastors and am so glad we are involved in the work of the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary and small congregations like Kunda. It’s amazing how God can work to carve a church out of rock-hard concrete.

I’ll be back in worship on Sunday…grateful for a country where the church is a major factor in people’s lives, grateful for our beautiful facility, and grateful for a vibrant congregation who is working to reach folks at home and round the world for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Jack Harnish

Nick Lindstrom lacks pizzazz.  He doesn't rant and rave.  He doesn't promote himself.  He just does his job.  His job is hockey and tonight we will hopefully see him lead his team to the Stanley Cup.  As the Captain of the Redwings he is a team player.  For Lindstrom, it's all about the team.

Yesterday as we celebrated Pentecost, one of the most incredible moments of the day was to see our youth present a check for $120,000 (that's right...$120,000!!) to Opportunity International to support a program of micro-lending in Ghana.  The Penny Project just keeps rolling along, collecting pennies and raising money with the goal of 23 million pennies--one penny for every person infected with HIV/Aids in Africa. At the beginning some of us thought it couldn't be done, but these kids just keep doing it, one penny at a time. It's all about the team.

Next Sunday we will honor 6 departing members of our church staff.  Each one of these persons, for individual reasons, has decided to move on in their career or to retire.  Each one of them has given great service to the life of our church.  Each one of them has brought passion, commitment and joy to their work and we have been blessed by them.  Wonderful memebers of the team. (Please call the church office to make your dinner reservations by Tuesday.)

Even as I write this morning, our mission team in Estonia is working to prepare a space for the new congregation at Kunda.  Cleaning out an old barricks, fixing up an old room, making way for the church to grow.  They are teaming with our brothers and sisters in Estonia for the sake of the mininstry of Christ.  It's all about the team.

And I could go on and on about the team at First Church.  How blessed we are and what a joy it is to be part of the team.  I hope you feel that way too.

Go Redwings! Go team!

Jack Harnish