Cancer and a God of Love (Sermons by Rev Dr Edmund Jones Book 1)

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Imagine No Racism groups across the Annual Conference are at different points in their journeys. As expected, some are half-way through this initial study. Wherever you and your group are, I hope you find the materials helpful in undergirding and equipping you in this important work.

If you have not yet joined a small group, I remind you of the expectation for every clergy member to participate and to encourage laity to do the same. You can contact your District Advocate for assistance in starting or joining a small group. For your convenience, click here for a list of District Advocates. With some groups past the half-way point, I wanted to call our attention to the future. We know that this current study is but a preparation for the ongoing work of addressing and combating racism.

What we do in these groups- while significant- will mean little unless we bring its importance home and find ways to help brothers and sisters in our local congregations and mission fields participate. Our primary goal has always been to equip local congregations to fully engage in this work among themselves and throughout the community where God has planted them to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. However, please do not wait until then. More than simply answering a question or two with your District Superintendent and on a Charge Conference form, finding ways to support and uphold one another in the work of anti-racism is crucial as we move into the future.

Remember you do not engage in this work alone. Your District Advocates, Regional Coordinators, and the Cabinet stand ready to assist you when and as needed. Do not hesitate to contact them. Again, my grateful prayers are with you, your colleagues, and your loved ones as we move through these closing days of summer and prepare to continue our missions and our ministries in the year ahead. There will be a Pre-Retirement Seminar held in October to highlight and explain the benefits available through The United Methodist Church to retiring clergy.

This seminar is intended to assist persons in their later years of ministry understand the current pension plan, health insurance options, Social Security, and moving assistance available. The deadline to register is Friday, Sept. Stepping out of the airport in Entebbe — 7, miles away -- there stood our friend Musumba Pastor Fred Muyimbwa, welcoming us, as he always does. This was our 16 th journey to Uganda since Friends, our stereotypes of Africa have to be questioned. Soaring buildings in the cities…grass huts in some rural villages.

Black-topped roads…bumpy cow paths. Generous, compassionate people, and like anywhere, folks who are still developing these characteristics. And the work is holistic: We try to support sisters and brothers in the areas of clean drinking water, health care, economic opportunities, agriculture, education, and spiritual issues. We try to lift up, not enable. The water people drank came from a hand dug pond.

Our mukwano — friend — Fred was sickened for a month by drinking from it.

March 2015

In the same area, we distributed mosquito nets to fight the scourge of malaria, which is endemic there. In Katosi, Musumba Jimy Tendo needed a new wheelchair as his old one was narrow and worn out. Buying a wheelchair in Uganda is not an easy task — it had to be purchased and transported from Kampala to Katosi but the efforts were deeply worthwhile.

In Awkamor village, Pallisa District, surgery was arranged for a father named Simon. People there live in simple thatched roof homes. Doctors put in plates and screws to repair his leg. In the same area, we arranged for three days of an agricultural seminar for well over local subsistence farmers.

Over the past year, pests have been threatening to eat their crops so our group has helped with eradication efforts. In Kavule — where a well went in last year — Pastor Charles has about six pigs to help support his family. This summer the structure was doubled in size. Forty five desks are being built. And many games of volleyball happened! In Mukono, the congregation made many bricks; we donated cement and the walls of an expanded church have gone up! In Namutumba, the fellowship had already bought a piece of land so we helped with construction of a simple temporary church.

There are many, many more stories from this summer. Working on various projects is fulfilling but the real joy is just being together with our friends. He who contracted polio at the age of eight, worked as a blacksmith, and became a pastor. A number of partners over the past two years have helped build him a modest house, adapted to his wheelchair.

These journeys are about friendship, about walking with one another over the long hau. Anything accomplished on these missions is due to the efforts of many people, including Muyimbwa Fred, his wife Robinnah, Kiviiri John, Ssuubi, Masembe Micheal, his wife Juliet, Foster, and many others. And, of course, thanks to the loving God who walks with all of us, all the time, whether we recognize it or not. Mukama akaway omukisa — may God bless you!

This is an excerpt from a longer story that Pastor Jones submitted for the Mohawk District newsletter. This past July I took part in a cross-cultural trip through my seminary, Drew Theological, and spent eight days in southern Arizona in an area commonly referred to as the Borderlands. The purpose of this trip was to better understand the issue of immigration to the U. When I signed up for the class back in January I did so solely because it fit my schedule and it checked a graduation requirement off my list.

As the months passed leading up to the trip I saw the issue of immigration becoming more and more divisive in our society and in our churches. I decided to use this trip as an opportunity to learn as much as possible about this issue with the hopes of sharing what I learned with all of you so that we might better understand it and see how it relates to our life in the Church.

We were guided by an organization called Borderlinks that works to educate people on the reality of immigration from Mexico and Central America into the U. The first thing I learned was this is not a political issue. Politicians from both parties have implemented legislation that has caused tremendous harm not only to those seeking to enter the country, but also, to the U.

Seeing this first hand made me look at the issue much differently, I decided to drown out the noise of the hour news cycle and solely look at it through the lens of a Christian. I learned that while there are some people who cross with bad intentions, this is a small percentage of the total number and these people are the ones with the means to get into the U. Most of the people trying to make it to the U. Of course, there are exceptions, but for the most part this is the reality. We performed an exercise that really opened my eyes to the economic issues in Mexico.

We went to a local Food City Supermarket in the border city of Nogales. We were broken up into groups and told to go price shop for various items. When we looked up the cost of these items in Mexico the total cost came to 1, So, while the cost of the items would be slightly cheaper in Mexico, the wages are much lower. The average take home pay for a Mexican worker is 17 pesos per hour.

At this rate a person in Mexico would have to work With more and more people trying to escape the poverty and corruption in their home countries, the U. The government put up walls along the border in the areas that were the easiest to cross, normally near cities and towns. These large walls and the strong presence of Border Patrol agents has caused people to go to more remote areas to try and cross, more specifically the deserts and the mountains.

We visited one of these remote areas near the city of Douglass and when you get five miles away from downtown the wall is replaced with easier-to-cross fencing. When I asked why our guide told us that if someone were to cross in this place they had a five-mile walk through the desert to get to the town. This gives Border Patrol more time to catch them and there is also a good chance the people will get injured or even die before they ever reach the town.

To get some idea of the conditions these people are crossing through just to get to this country Borderlinks took us to a remote spot just off the side of the road about 40 miles north of the Mexican border. This spot is where many immigrants are trying to go because once they are here, there is a possibility a friend or family member already in the U. We came to this spot and first thing we had to crawl under a barb-wire fence just a few feet from where we parked. Once through the fence, we walked one mile into the desert. We only walked one mile into the desert, but it felt much longer.

Our destination was a memorial to a young woman who was found dead in this desert, her name was Reina. She had died from the heat one mile from the road, so close to her destination after a journey that was most likely thousands of miles. As we stood and prayed at her memorial I struggled to feel the presence of God. When our group sat down to discuss the experience at the end of the day I summed it up in a just a few words, I feel like I saw what Hell is like.

I had never been in a place where the presence of God felt so far away, yet I believe God was with Reina as she breathed her last breath on the rocky desert ground. I share these stories solely to bring some clarity to a messy situation. I have no clue what the solution is. Regardless where you stand politically as Christians we should all agree that no child of God should have to work hours per week just to barely survive in poverty.

No child of God should be so desperate that they are willing to risk their lives walking through thousands of miles of desert just to have a chance at a decent life. I can say from experience of walking through one mile of desert, nobody would put themselves through that unless they felt like they had no other choice. Regardless of how you see these people, we need to pray for them. Pray for their home countries to be safer. We need to pray for the families who have lost loved ones to the desert and may never know what happened to them.

We need to pray for those who lost their lives trying to find a better way. Anointed with the blood of those seeking refuge in a land that does not want them. Each tear that falls — a prayer for healing, a prayer for remembrance. This article originally appeared in the Summer issue of the Advocate, which focused on individuals and churches throughout the Upper New York Conference who are boldly living their call. Discerning your call is a many-layered, challenging process for most of us.

To discern means more than to understand or to make a decision. Discern comes from the Latin discernere ; dis means apart, and cernere means to separate. And unlike the commanding voice, a still small voice is often easy to miss or to ignore; it requires silence, attentiveness, a deep desire to listen, and prayerful discernment.

For me, the first step is helping persons understand that God has an invitation for all of us. Part of that choice is that we choose to listen, hear, and allow God into our decision-making process. So how do we practice discernment? I need to learn spiritual disciplines and prayer practices; I need to practice them regularly so that I am making space for the silence and acquiring the ability to hear the still small voice.

Part of that discipline is reading scripture; hearing what God is saying to me today in the words I read. The role and importance of a faithful community has always been part of the Christian process of listening to and for God. God will not bring clarification and confirmation of the truth to the heart of one who is alone. Our Wesleyan heritage offers us a clear framework for our discernment process. I believe that it is also important to remember what the Christian life is about; being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Transformation is a process; one that I believe never ends. Farrington, Debra, Hearing with the Heart. It is also meant to help you develop a wellness plan for yourself based on your specific health care needs. In order to avoid paying extra on your deductible in , both the enrolled participant and enrolled spouse must complete the HQ.

More information on this program, along with more details on how to complete the HQ are also available on the Benefits - Wellness Initiatives webpage. This is what enables United Methodists to make a difference in the global community. Just as the Upper New York Conference engages in mission work all over the world so all the Conferences. Last week, members of a mission team from the Susquehanna Conference repaired houses on the Onondaga Nation Reservation, just South of Syracuse.

In fact, the Susquehanna Conference has been committed to mission work on the Onondaga Nation for many years—this year marks their eleventh visit. It rained the entire week and all their projects were planned for outdoors. That did not stop them! They switched gears and with the help of Dicky Crouse, a Native from the Syracuse area, who coordinates mission work on the reservation, they visited many homes that were in dire need of interior work.

This was his fourth visit to the Onondaga Nation. Now we do stairs and decks. And when the weather defeats us, we can paint, install flooring, and do some plumbing work. The team stayed at St. Paul provided amazing hospitality! They were up for breakfast at 6 a. She painted ceilings and walls for a few residents on the reservation. The love of Christ very evident. In addition to working on homes, the Susquehanna Conference team was able to learn a lot about Native American culture.

Mission trips like this call team members to continue such mission work. The final report of the Commission on a Way Forward has been released in all four official languages of the General Conference: English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili. The report will be presented to the Special Session of General Conference. Here is a statement from the moderators of the Commission and the President of the Council of Bishops on the release of the report:. English, French, Portuguese and Swahili. In the Nicene Creed, we are taught the marks of the church—one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

We are catholic in that we care not only for the parts of the church, but more significantly for the whole. We have refrained from commenting about the plans contained in this report until the time when our sisters and brothers could read this in their own first language. With this distribution, we give thanks that this work can now begin, and we can have a conversation that represents our global and catholic nature—more fully who we are as The United Methodist Church.

Baptism is a sacrament. In a sacrament, God uses common elements — in this case, water — as means or vehicles of divine grace. Baptism is administered by the church as the Body of Christ. No, our Church has always offered to people being baptized and to the parents of infants the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Yes, our Church does not seek to close God's table, although the historic and normal Christian order of the sacraments is baptism first - as birth into the family - and Communion following, as continuing nurture at the family table. Pastors and congregations reach out and encourage those who partake at the Table to share fully in the life of God's people, including coming to the font after appropriate preparation.

No, the baptism of a baby assumes that the child will be nurtured and formed in the faith at home and at church. How do we express our own decisions to be Christian disciples if we have already been baptized as infants? In services of profession of faith and confirmation before the congregation, we respond to God's grace by repenting of our sins, declaring our faith in Jesus Christ, and becoming professing members of the Church. No, salvation is a lifelong process during which we must continue to respond to God's grace. Baptism offers the promise that the Holy Spirit will always be working in our lives, but salvation requires our acceptance of that grace, trust in Christ, and ongoing growth in holiness as long as we live.

No, but baptism is a gift of God's grace to be received as part of the journey of salvation. To refuse to accept baptism is to reject one of the means of grace that God offers us. How can I recommit myself to Christ when I have had a powerful spiritual experience? Confirmation and profession of faith are only the first of our affirmations of faith. As we experience God's work in our ongoing lives of discipleship, we can express our commitment through participation in services of baptismal reaffirmation Baptismal Covenant IV.

Yes, baptism is the act of initiation and incorporation into the universal church of Jesus Christ, The United Methodist Church, and the local congregation, as our ritual makes very clear. Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

A few years ago, I took violin lessons with my daughter Tasha. It was a blessing to share this experience with her. It was also terrifying! I knew that some of the finest violinists in the world had played on that stage. I think the same attitude is required of those of us who are baptized. Nobody gets to sit in the audience. Ordination would refine our calling, but baptism alone defined it. The partnership of laity and clergy in ministry is one of the essential marks of being a United Methodist.

We are in this together. Baptism invites and equips us to be bold in living out our calling. It links us to Christ, to one another and to a mission of love and service to our church, neighborhood and world. The General Council on Finance and Administration GCFA guided this search, assisting us with the job postings, phone interviews, and in-person interview questions.

Selected from over 20 applicants and six final interviewees, the Council determined that Bob is the very best fit and we believe he brings an outstanding skill set to this critical position in an ever-challenging and ever-changing environment of church management and financial needs. We believe his skills will continue and build upon the solid foundation of leadership and accountability that we have in place. Bob will start as Conference Treasurer on September 4, We will introduce him to you as we get closer to that date.

The gatherings will include a presentation of the plan and process of General Conference, a time to remember our mission, and worship and prayer. Click here to find the dates and times when Bishop Webb will be in your area. This article originally appeared in the Summer issue of the Advocate, which shared stories on individuals and churches throughout the Upper New York Conference that are boldly living their call.

What do these individuals all have in common? What do their lives offer to ours? These women and men are examples of individuals who placed their faith and trust in God and boldly lived the call of God within their lives. A call that led them into places and situations they would not have otherwise gone. A call that equipped them with gifts that were used to invite others into a choice of faith in God.

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As United Methodists in Upper New York, we are called just as these men and women of the past were called. We are called to boldly live our identity as followers of Jesus Christ, to be shaped by who Jesus is, and offer with urgency and passion the truth of God through Jesus Christ to the world around us.

We continue to remind ourselves that our purpose is clear. Jesus came to serve — to offer light, truth, hope, peace, forgiveness, and life. He met sinners where they were and called them to sin no more. He touched the untouchable and loved the unlovable. He challenged the status quo of society and the Church with a call to righteousness, holiness, justice, and mercy.

Our opportunity is the same! To die to self so that He may live — to decrease so that He may increase. Like those who have come before us, we must boldly live our call! We are living the mission and striving for the fulfillment of our vision. Have we fallen short at times — of course. Have we missed the mark of being all that God desires us to be — absolutely.

But God has called us. Because of God we are enough and have everything we need for the journey! Jesus is the way and we are invited to follow that way! We are invited to believe and to proclaim that truth to others. We must boldly live our call! I hope you will take some time to look through the pages of this edition of the Advocate! Be inspired, challenged, convicted, and encouraged by the way brothers and sisters in Christ are boldly living the call! Tristan Turner will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology.

He has chosen Chemical Engineering as a major. Already having done mission work in Uganda and Guatemala, Tristan hopes to become a long-term missionary, using his chemical engineering education to help increase the accessibility to portable water. Madyson Valeski will be attending Saint John Fisher College and will be preparing for a career in nursing. Kelly Thompson will be attending the University of Nebraska Lincoln and will begin preparing for a career in law, politics, and Civil Rights. She hopes to be able to provide legal services for the less fortunate.

Katherine Bobsein will be a sophomore at Ithaca College this fall. She is pursuing a career in music and wants to be a part of a worship band. Zachary Moyer attends Houghton College; he is preparing for a career as an ordained clergy member. Emily Allen also attends Houghton College; like Zachary, she wants to go to seminary after college and pursue the path of ordained ministry.

Katherine believes God is calling her to ministry either through pastoral work or Christian teaching at the college-level. It is scholarships like the Lottie Brown scholarships that enable our young people to fulfill the path God is calling them to take. We ask that you keep each of these scholarship recipients in your prayers as they begin their steps to careers where they will continue to serve God.

Many of our youth around the Conference are leading Sunday school, youth events, local and global mission projects, serving on church committees, and leading school and community activities. They have demonstrated leadership potential, but often lack confidence, training, direction, or opportunity to develop their gifts. Soon they will be adults working in a variety of careers, be parents, and spiritual leaders.

We recognize the opportunity the church has to guide them into their adult roles by offering them the skills that will enrich their faith, build their confidence and teach them how to use their potential. Click here for a Director's Invitational nomination form.

It is a unique expression of "church" that seeks to connect unknown people in unfamiliar places with God and with each other. Over the past 1. Many of those partnerships are now bearing fruit:. Wesley's Place has many additional dreams for ministry as we seek to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to connect people with God and with each other. Reports from the Spiritual Frontier is a Path1-sponsored podcast that tells the stories of the day-to-day lives of the pioneers who a re innovating radically New Faith Communities on the spiritual margins of our country.

Hear about their glorious successes and equally glorious failures, their most beautiful stories and most pressing questions, and what God is teaching them about what it means to follow Jesus in a rapidly changing culture. You can listen to episodes by visiting www. Some New Faith Communities right here in the Upper New York Conference will be featured on this podcast this summer so be sure to check it out!

Carlos Rosa-Laguer, who will describe his vision and strategy for planting many new Hispanic house churches in Rochester. The podcast will also feature an interview with the Rev. Following the passing of the budget at the Annual Conference session, a declaratory decision was requested from the Judicial Council about the reality of charging observers a fee to attend the special session of General Conference in Due to the actions described in this article, those fees will no longer be charged.

Any remaining shortfall could be covered through budget reductions recommended to the Commission on the General Conference and revenue from ministry partnerships. Commission members expressed concerns about the registration fees, but ultimately determined that charging registration fees was the best available alternative at the time, though concerns remained that charging a registration fee could limit attendance to those who could afford the cost.

Moses Kumar, General Secretary of GCFA, said that after the meeting, his team began to work on alternatives so that the registration fees would not be necessary. UMCom had already offered to cover all of the production costs for the event. The General Commission on Communications voted to approve the request. Delegates, reserves, official monitors required in the rules of the General Conference, Judicial Council members, hospitality volunteers, and General Conference staff will not be requested to pay this amount.

The suggested amount for the badge is not new, dating back as far as , and is optional so not the same as a registration fee. However, all attendees will be required to be credentialed to enter the meeting spaces. Convention Center staff will be monitoring the badges to direct attendees to proper seating areas based on their credentials.

The decision was made by the Commission on the General Conference for the safety and well-being of all attendees. More details of the credentialing process and a diagram of the plenary hall including seating will be released at a later date. In July of , the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church unanimously approved a resolution for every Annual Conference to confront the sin of racism in their own hearts, churches, and communities.

The taskforce worked together to form the Imagine No Racism initiative. The following article features what the hundreds of UNY Conference members participating in the initiative have been up to since the imitative was lunched in April of this year. It starts within ourselves — it spreads beyond ourselves into the lives of others and throughout the structures of our society.

We have been called to stand against the sin of racism. May we be bold! May we be courageous! May we trust God to encourage us, challenge us and equip us for this journey of justice! Webb in an introductory video to the Imagine no Racism initiative that is taking place throughout the Conference. Click here to read more about the launch day. You can also use a study session based on the launch day. Click here to view the session. Each District has created small groups who have committed to meeting six times over the next six months to ultimately understand the sin of racism so that work can begin work toward it.

Additionally, each District has an INR Advocate to assist small groups and there are also four Regional Advocate throughout the Conference to offer support. We also encouraged District Advocates and Regional Coordinators to attend. The training walked the attendees through the six sessions and how to guide them. It also gave guidance to potential concerns that might come up. The dialogue about the different types of racism and the truths of privilege provided important knowledge and a broader perspective that will help the groups as they discern new ways of working for racial justice.

The presenter did a great job explaining the goals of the curriculum and answering questions from the audience. Rather GCORR created this series to provide a starting point for the long-term work of disrupting and dismantling racism. The study sessions for small groups are designed in such a way that enables active discussion among all group participants no matter their experience with resisting racism.

There are discussion questions written for three different anti-racism experience levels:. Using these guidelines, several small groups have been meeting across the Conference. Most groups have completed the first session and have had time to reflect on it. Each small group participant was asked to sign a group copy of these rules to indicate they agree with the rules and will follow them. This curriculum shows how racism is contrary to our calling as followers of Jesus Christ. Overall, the INR initiative is off to a great start!

Small group leaders are taking initiative and upholding their commitment to meet regularly and follow the GCORR curriculum. Overall, it seems the curriculum has been well received so far. To learn more about INR and how you can participate in this initiative, visit imaginenoracism. When you have your annual local church audit done, does your auditor make suggestions about policies or procedures? Have you wondered why this is?

Many churches and small businesses too! Consider all of these systems when evaluationg your finacial risk. This will help you to understand why an auditor may offer you suggested changes in your systems and procedures. The District Superintendent installation services for the Rev. Deborah Earthrowl in the Adirondack District have been announced. It was noted that there is still a large volume of closed church records from the merged Conferences to be processed at the UNY conference archives.

As 12 churches were reported closed at the Annual Conference this year, the amount of records will greatly increase. Volunteer work in the archives will start at 9: Lunch will be at 12 p. The business portion of this meeting was followed by lunch and a slide program by Loreen Jorgensen on Wayne County Methodist churches. The tour started in the sanctuary of the Clyde Methodist Church with later additions. This is the oldest active church building in the town.

The group was told there is a hidden window of an anchor behind this window. A more colorful modern window set is in the rear of the sanctuary. The walking tour included access to Christ Community Church with a small Tiffany window. Webb sent the following letter to the Upper New York Conference informing them of some changes to take place regarding the release of the Commission on a Way Forward report.

I learned this weekend that the Commission on a Way Forward report would not be released on July 8 th as communicated by the Council of Bishops after our May meeting. The final report has been submitted to the Commission on General Conference, but the translation work is still in process. It is my understanding that a revised timeline of the completion of the translations will be coming from the Commission on General Conference soon.

It is important that the whole church receive this report at the same time. May we continue to pray for our delegation, each delegate who will participate in the special session of General Conference, and The United Methodist Church. Speakers at a forum Monday evening, June 25, at Eastern Parkway United Methodist church shared their heartbreak, frustration, and questions surrounding the separations of children and families at the U.

The forum concluded with an agreement to gather again. Forum attendees also pledged, in coming weeks, to perform at least one individual act to promote kindness and justice for migrants and refugees and to recognize the humanity of immigrants already in our community. Recently, we have experienced the words of Scripture Romans 13 being used to justify the separation of children from their parents at our borders, and subsequent deportation of immigrants seeking asylum.

Calls for denial of due process are in direct conflict with our laws. Historically, Methodists have had extraordinary concern for the wellbeing of children.

Our Book of Resolutions references several social ills related to current events. As we celebrate the birth of our nation, we are reminded of the words of our own Declaration of Independence:. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed….

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. These words, foundational to our identity as a nation, seem to be antithetical to the spirit expressed in support of a national policy which inflicts harm on others. We are blessed to be Americans, citizens of the nation that has for decades been a beacon of light and hope in a dark and threatening world.

Cancer - Chaplain & Christian Counseling Tools at SoulCare Resources

Go to your Bible. Click here to read more about how the Holy Spirit, donations, and the sewers from Whitney Point UMC who met once a week contributed to the success of their ministry. This ministry was spurred because of the Dress a Girl Around the World campaign — under Hope 4 Women International, a c 3 organization — in which groups around the world have sewn dresses for young girls in impoverished communities since When Rachel came back to the United States and news about the girls in need of dresses spread like wildfire on social media, hundreds of women offered to make dresses.

She sent 50 dresses with a high school student going on a mission trip to an orphanage in Honduras. When the student returned with photos of girls beaming with pride in their new dresses, Rachel was convinced that this could be a great ministry. Today, over , dresses have been made from sewers in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, and many other countries around the world. Dress a Girl Around the World provides patterns for ministries to use when making dresses for girls.

There are ambassadors all over the world for the campaign, and these ambassadors sew the Dress a Girl Around the World labels onto the dresses and send them to Hope 4 Women, who then hand-deliver the dresses on various mission trips. Some may question what a simple dress can do for a young girl; Dress a Girl Around the World has identified four additional amazing gifts the girls gain when they receive a dress:. This article was originally publisged in the Spring issue of the Advocate, which focused on spiritually planning our way forward to create leaders and vital congregations in Upper New York.

Leadership Academy challenged my ideas of what the role of the pastor looks like. Aaron Bouwens and his excellent choice of teachers will cause you to stretch a little bit. We have been placed into a position of leadership, and it is time we started leading and finding leaders for the cause of Christ! If I can be perfectly honest with you, the reason I signed up for Leadership Academy was because leadership is my weakest point in ministry my view and I needed some further education credits!

We are at about the middle of the curriculum and it is well worth your time, regardless of where you are in your ministry, young or old, ordained, or not. Rome-area United Methodists were not going to let this act of hate go unnoticed.

Transformation in Christ 180 UNY UMM Retreat, inspiring for men, women, and children

June 16 at the Delta UMC. The Delta UMC has a large lawn, where participants in the vigil were visible to the community. The neighborhood behind the church is the one where the letters were delivered. We want to be the light in the darkness, as Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5. A large, diverse group of people from the community attended the vigil, which included words from pastors Brian, Pat, and Deb; singing; an opportunity for others to pray; candle lighting; and refreshments.

Pastor Brian kicked off the event with an explanation of the gathering and thanked everyone for coming. When the KKK comes with hatred toward our brothers and sisters of color and seek to harm them, evil has come to our d oorstep. When they twist scripture to try to justify their hatred, we know that evil has come to our doorstep. After pastors Brian, Deb, and Pat shared a few words and prayer, attendees joined Pastor Brian in song as he strummed We shall Overcome on the guitar.

Several people came to the microphone to offer prayers and share their reasons for attending the vigil. Keith Rubino, a politician running for the th Assembly seat, traveled from Herkimer to attend the vigil. I am happy to see so many people here tonight who are willing to stand up and proudly be here in visible fashion, saying that they stand up to hate.

Because we cannot beat hate with more hate. Gwen, a worshipper at Mt. After many people offered their prayers and reflections, candles were passed out and lit, and the crowd sang This Little Light of Mine. Afterward, some people traveled to Rome City Hall to attend an additional anti-racism vigil, while others stayed for refresh ments and discussed plans to keep in touch and arrange get-togethers in the future.

Leonard discussed his experiences with racism with some of the attendees, thanking them for taking a stand. This sort of gathering is so important. Click here to learn more or become involved. An important part of participating in the Upper NY Leadership Academy, is the incredible road trip we took to one of our United Methodist mega churches in ministry in the Dayton, Ohio area. We were amazed and inspired by the leaders and presenters as they shared the honest heartaches and challenges, along with the joys of relevant ministry in the context of their communities.

Set in a retreat-style format, Leadership Academy enabled us to be away from our normal ministry settings, so we could be more intentional about learning from the gifted presenters. The informal time outside of the presentations provided us the opportunities to ask the presenters any questions we had about their expertise and thoughts on leadership. We learned from the other people in our class as we reflected and shared our ideas and experiences. We also developed lasting friendships with each other. When we use the tools that Leadership Academy gives us, we will be empowered to work with our congregations and God to plan where our ministries are going.

This brings a new level of excitement and engagement that helps to make our ministries relevant to the life of our communities. The camp has created a connection between me and God. I will always remember that God is real, God loves me, and God wants a relationship with me. I really felt a connection to Christ and I want to remain connected, I know that if I abide in God, God will abide in me. Click here to read the full report on Issuu or click here to read it if you don't have an Issuu account.

The Commission on a Way Forward Commission was formed by the Council of Bishops Council after a decision was made at General Conference to develop a committee to address the issue of division around the topic of human sexuality in The United Methodist Church. The Commission worked together to create a report to present to the Council of Bishops.

Based on this report, the Council will bring a recommendation to the special session of the General Conference to be held in February of Scott Johnson was one of the 32 people selected by the Council across the Global Connection to be a part of the Commission. First, Scott dissected the charge so that the UNY Conference members stating that it would help contextualize the recommendations made to the Council. Our theology of grace and our commitment to living the gospel offer meaningful differences from theologies driven by false promises of prosperity or rooted in fear.

December 2014

Being that we are a global church, there are United Methodists who live in parts of the world where national and cultural attitudes vary differently. In addition, every faith community must be faithful to its call and aware of its setting. The desire to be nimble enough to empower effectiveness mission is critical. Our readings of scripture, our interpretation of tradition, our multiple attempts to reason together, and our experiences have led us to different places in this conversation.

Many of our United Methodist Connection have studied and discerned their positions intentionally. The debate has been long, exhausting, and many people have been hurt by the Church as it has unfolded. Scott explained how effective the Commission was in doing the work they set out to achieve through their nine meetings. I am deeply grateful that we invested considerable time in prayer, Bible Study, and fellowship. Another resource that was helpful in our work was the Anatomy of Peace. This helped us move beyond conversations that were superficially polite, and even we struggled mightily, we were able to remain engaged.

Over the past 18 months, we developed a genuine sense of team that relied on the diversity of gifts and perspectives around our table. The report given to the Council recommended three possible plans: The report written by the Commission on the Way Forward will become public in early July. There is an urgency for people trying to determine whether the church they love can still be their home.

There is an urgency for LGBTQ sisters and brothers wondering whether they can be authentically at home anywhere called United Methodist. There is an urgency for a connection that seeks to bear witness to a God of love, hope, and joy to a hurting world, but cannot free itself from its internal struggles. Even with these powerful drives pushing us to get to this work, we must remember that there is a difference between going fast and going the right way. Bishop Webb then explained how he and Scott already met with delegates to the special session of General Conference and invited them to consider how they will be part of the conversations.

Bishop Webb encouraged churches and Districts who are holding prayer groups dedicated to the Way Forward to continue to do so. The General Conference will be held February , Bishop Webb described a Way Forward prayer initiative that relates to this date. Pray for the United Methodist Church to follow the direction that God is calling us.

The Virgin Pulse and RedBrick Health merger will create the first and only one-stop-shop for employee health, wellbeing, and benefits engagement; the combined company will have more than 3, customers across countries. As first-movers in this space, and with substantial investment from our new partner, Marlin Equity Partners, we are well-positioned to execute an aggressive growth strategy and change even more lives around the world for good.

To ensure the best possible experience for all clients, the combined company will continue to support and innovate on both the Virgin Pulse and RedBrick platforms, while making the best-in-class capabilities of each solution available across both client bases. RedBrick Health was an early pioneer in delivering outcomes-focused health and benefits engagement solutions, and is highly regarded for its customizable integration platform, digital and live coaching, health assessments, biometric screening services and award-winning experience.

With highly configurable workflows, integration capabilities, strong expertise in custom program design and a successful record of serving complex, distributed organizations, RedBrick has firmly established itself as the partner of choice for large enterprises. Together, Virgin Pulse and RedBrick have the largest customer base in the industry, with over 3, clients including public sector organizations, health plans, universities and more than 20 percent of the Fortune Global companies. The combination of the two companies also creates an extensive and growing network of strategic ecosystem partners spanning mental wellbeing, financial wellbeing, sleep, nutrition, telemedicine, cost transparency, treatment decision support and more.

RedBrick and Virgin Pulse will unite under the Virgin Pulse name but continue to operate as separate brands. The company also has global centers of excellence in multiple international locations, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Bosnia, Brazil and Singapore. The merger is expected to close this month. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

By helping employees thrive at work and in all aspects of life, Virgin Pulse is helping change lives and businesses across more than countries for good. About RedBrick Health RedBrick helps companies transform the health of their organizations by inspiring their people to be fully engaged in life and at work. Hundreds of leading organizations rely on RedBrick to measurably improve their well-being and benefits engagement, while delivering a better employee experience. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs.

Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with an additional office in London. We must acknowledge who Christ is, not based on who the world says he is or based on our ideas, our definitions, our understandings, but on who Jesus said he was in word and in action. Gregory Jones led two study sessions. The first focused on not going back to Egypt.

Egypt sounds just fine to me. The second study session focused on getting the past out of our eyes to attain an extraordinary future. Click here for more details on the recommendations. The following resolutions were also addressed through holy conferencing: Click here for detailed coverage of the resolutions that were discussed. Bulleted Daily Notes and Daily Wrap videos for use in local church reporting are available here. Are you handy and want to roll up your sleeves and help build a wheelchair ramp? Or is there another project that you would like to assemble, build, or create?

Contact Director of Missional Engagement, Mike Block , to arrange a time and date to accomplish mission projects. The Conference calendar announces when groups are stopping by, so you can plan around them or maybe even be a part of what they are doing. Blenda Smith began the report by showing a video that illuminates some of the challenges of institutional racism. For example, studies show that drivers of color are twice as likely to get pulled over. Black people are four times more likely to get arrested than white people. Legislators are less likely to respond to phone calls or emails form black-sounding names.

Am I too busy now? I left my spirit behind for all of you to continue the work? Minutes later I checked my email, another email arrived… conviction complete. I am called to be a part of this. Wickins went on to say how can he not allow God to work through him to help alleviate systemic racism. It is a vital aspect of our call to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Bishop Fisher was African-American. She had over 40 family members arrive for the installation service at a hotel that Christine had booked and prepaid for all of them going to the extent of placing fresh flowers in the room.

Gold Tried 500 Times in the Fire

And when the 48 black people entered the hotel, the person behind the front desk said there were no reservations and no rooms available. Even after showing the person at the front desk her paid receipt, Christine was told those reservations were not made. Christine had to get the mayor of Rochester involved, Bill Johnson, an African-American male who called the hotel owner and the rooms were secured. Bishop Fisher felt uncomfortable complaining about it at the start of her episcopacy in North Central New York.

In the midst of the intentionally organized chaos of our April 21 st Launch Day, you succeeded in creating about small groups. These groups will work with a curriculum designed to equip members to form discussion groups and influence conversation in local churches. We have also hired four Regional Coordinators who will serve as resource and support people as well as data gatherers for Imagine No Racism ongoing evaluation. Training sessions for facilitators and four Regional Coordinators has occurred. We are moving on in our powerful work to Imagine No Racism!

Silvers then asked all who were able to stand and together recite a vow to stand for the elimination of racism. The attendees were asked to print out and sign a copy of the vow that was available both in the Conference event app and as a hardcopy. Silvers also explained that lay persons who are eager to get involved can simply contact their District Advocates. Keep watching the Conference Communications channels for updates on the work achieved through the Imagine No Racism initiative as small-group meetings take place throughout Upper New York each month.

Webb granted him to deliver a message. His sermon was centered on Acts Chapter 3—the telling of James and John making their way into a temple when they saw a man unable to walk begging for alms. In the mean time, blessed is the man that endureth temptation! He shewed the process of refining silver, and of trying gold, and illustrated the whole verse most delightfully. May we not conclude from hence, that as gold is tried in the fire, so the human character is perfected by sufferings; and those from whom the dross is separated in this first stage of existence, are assuredly nearer to that state of pure and perfect enjoyment, where our faculties will be no longer enigmatical; and where these glorious capacities, here too frequently only inlets to pain, will find their proper gratification?

It takes off every mask, and shows him in his genuine colours. The furnace of affliction refines the solid, and evaporates the unsubstantial and only assumed virtues. Samuel Walker, Christ the Purifier London: Matthews, ; curate of Truro from The variety of the means, by which the Redeemer works, is much of the important subject of Mr. Text for Sermon 1 is Malachi 3: By means of the fall, the soul of every man is by nature altogether dross and base metal; it has no gold or silver, no goodness in it Though in regeneration there be spiritual life put into the soul, and a real, vital, and powerful principle of holiness; yet it dwells with corrupt nature Dyde and Son, Temporal afflictions are not always real evils; but frequently blessings in disguise It is not the scourge of wrath, with which the unrighteous is punished, and which is the beginning of woes, but gracious chastenings, designed to conform them to the divine image, and make them meet for eternal glory.

Says roughly the same thing, , 1: Catherine Cecil, Memoirs of Mrs. And the less sense has to build upon--the more obscure and intricate our way--the more should we rest with an unlimited confidence in Him, who sits as a refiner, watching over the gold while it is in the fire, that none of it be lost: James Gillespie, Sermons Perth: Scottish Presbyterian , St Andrews. Sandford, , funeral sermon for Emma Corbet, Salop: These afflicting strokes of his hand are probations by which, according to the sentiment of an Apostle, he casts our faith into the crucible.

While you are in the midst of prosperity, it is difficult to distinguish whether it be the love of your benefactor or of his benefits which kindle your devotion, Tribulation separates the gold from the dross. It is only in tribulation that you can recognize a genuine zeal and an unsuspected piety: Sometimes it seems inexplicably severe to pious souls Art thou resolved that they should sink under the tempest?

It is his mercy that permists those fiery trials, to purify that gold, which is to adorn his own throne, for all eternity. Richard Hayes Southwell, Intellectual Freedom: As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold , so is affliction for the trial of man. William Bromley Cadogan, Discourses London: Rivington, , sermon on the death of Mrs Littlehales in Though her faith had been tried with fire, and was pure and resplendent as gold, though her hope of the resurrection to eternal life was sure and certain, and though her love was abundant towards God and men, yet she had often expressed herself to her friends respecting the passage itself through the valley and shadow of death, as though it presented something awful to her mind.

But God was better to her than her fears: William Beat, Sermons Edinburgh: Fire, it is well known, consumes to ashes every thing that is cast upon it, or changes it into its own nature, into pure fire: So the Spirit of God burns up our evil degenerate nature Fire is made use of in the purification of metals; by this the refiner separates the dross from the pure gold; So doth the Spirit of God work upon the mind God wil bring his own elect through fire and through water: Thomas and John Turnbull, This is a reference to Zechariah There is here a beautiful allusion to the purifying of gold in a furnace.

Haydock, , Catholic devotional guide quotes Wisdom 3: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: But they are now in peace. And tho' in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality. Afflicted in a few things, in many shall they be rewarded, because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace he tried them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath accepted them, and in due time there shall be respect had to them.

The righteous shall shine, and run to and for like sparks among the reeds. Wisdom is part of the Apocrypha. But who look that friend? Was it not the God, who gave him? And hath he taken more than his own? And, if a pious friend, hath he not removed him to the best advantage? Be silent when it strikes, contented when it denies, thankful when it gives, resigned when it takes away. Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Are we in a state of persecution? Thomas Wilson and Sons, on Tobias: For as gold by passing through the fire loses nothing of it's own substance, but being by this operation cleansed from every particle of dross that adhered to it, comes forth from the furnace more bright and more valuable than it was before; so Charles Caleb Colton, Lacon: Colton was an English clergyman who emigrated to America in This is reprinted in numerous Christian anthologies.

There is a progress in this assurance. They are convinced their sufferings are a trial, an ordeal. They are fully persuaded the trial will terminate, and the final result will be most beneficial: Methodist Roberts continued: They are not in the furnace of unquenchable fire, to be tormented for ever. They shall come forth with beneficial results Even so the living God puts into the furnace of affliction and tribulation for his name's sake that precious faith of his elect, the work of which he fulfils in them with power 2 Thess.

You, sir, know that it is many years since I have opposed the popular notion of sanctification, as a progressive amendment wrought in our own hearts, --an improvement into something good of that which was naturally evil. Baptist Magazine 1 August , on Malachi 3: The point of requisite purity and perfection is, when the refiner sees his own likeness reflected in the pot. How admirably does this illustrate the gracious process by which, through means of affliction, our heavenly Father carries on the work of purification in the hearts of his children.

Oliver and Boyd, , quoting 2 Timothy 4: This is a metaphor often used in Scripture; for scarcely is any thing more expressive of a believer's heart than a piece of untried ore. There is the precious metal, as we may say, in it But this new nature, like gold in the untried mass, is surrounded by dross-by the original evil of a fallen nature, and still more so by the frequent commission of sin, and by the corrupt habits formed in a sinful world To purify them, therefore, he tries them as gold is tried.

You know that the effect of fire is to loosen mixtures, and to attract similar substances; and that thus what was mixed together in the mass separates in the fire: Every particle of the dross was in the untried ore before; but the fire separates it: Desiring to purify the hearts of his people, he puts them into the fire of tribulation. Oh, then, what dross comes forth! Unbelief, self-confidence, creature-love, murmuring of heart and secret resistance to the will of God, impatience, and indirect modes of obtaining relief, and a great variety of other particles of fallen nature, appear.

And as they are seen they are repented of; for it is a distinguishing mark of the children of God, to sorrow for sin. It is a certain truth that the King of kings does: He cannot console himself with the thought, that, whatever his present trial may be, the Lord approves his way. As little can he suppose that, in such circumstances, he shall come out of his trials like tried gold: If our sufferings were sufficient to atone for our sins, what need had he to die?

Charles Abel Moysey, Lectures on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans London: Rivington et al, on Romans 5: There you have at once a plain, and a forcible idea, conveyed by the Apostle's words. Patience worketh proof; that sort of proof which is obtained by trying gold in the furnace: The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: Thou, O God, hast proved us; thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Religious Tract Society, , Malachi 3: Harper and Brothers, ; orig. Without suffering, how can they resemble the Saviour?

Is it a strange thing for the husbandman to plough up the fallow ground, to receive the seed? Such a needs be is there for all our afflictions: But, Christian, while you look for the fiery trial, so as not to be astonished at the experience--remember, you have enough to encourage you.

He who died for you, and rose again, and rules over all, has made provision for every condition in which you shall be found. As thy sufferings abound, thy consolation shall abound also. Let me remind them, that the poorer they are for this world, the more reason why they should labour to be rich for another.

They know that poverty and hardship and trouble will not by themselves save their souls Anglican Henry Hughes, Lectures on the Gospel: As Gathered from the Life of Christ London: And if it be that ye are called unto glory, if it be that, in the hands of God, this suffering shall make you perfect, and ye shall come forth from it like gold tried seven times in the fire, and if, for the elect's sake, these days be shortened, so that they be but for awhile, shall we shrink from mentioning them in our prayer? Such is the love their Saviour bears to them, that if they did not need them, he would not send them The gold requires the furnace to purge away the dross.

It is better for him than if he had not been called to suffer. Hatchard and Son, Afflictions may visit the just to correct some small and secret failing, which hindered him from perceiving the full lustre of truth at that point, and so far left him without the power of appreciating true happiness. And what can so well teach him to seek aid and enjoyment elsewhere as that correcting hand that denies pleasures here? Simpkin and Marshall, That man is born to suffer in consequence of the sin of our fore-father we all experience, but that our afflictions are more than we can endure, considering that they are relieved by the greatest enjoyment, we are far from admitting.

West, Memoirs of Mrs. They mistake who suppose that Mrs. The loss of children is only less than the greatest bereavement we can be called to endure; and Mrs. Gibson was again made to drink that bitter cup [in ]. This bereavement was attended by circumstances peculiarly distressing. On the morning of the 21st of December Mrs. Gibson gave the infant to the nurse, to all appearance, well; and behold, it was, the next instant, a corpse! Edward Bouverie Pusey, Appendices to the Sermon preached As all trial implies pain, so the trial of the most precious vessels, it may be, is to be accomplished by pains proportionate.

It seems not without special meaning that the analogy of gold is so often pointed out by Scripture. God sheweth us in this natural process an emblem of things spiritual. This experienced saint, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, compares the test of Christian faith to gold tried in the fire.

The sorrows of life operate as a touch-stone to decide the genuineness of our belief. As fire causeth the dross to escape from gold in the furnace, so affliction is made instrumental, by the agency of the Spirit, in purging the soul The woes of this day are frequently difficult to bear, they wound like an arrow and pierce like a dart Patients are not without pain while physicians probe their wounds, they feel its smarting, but this they must brook. Some, in their timidity, may shrink from the instrument of the operator, still reason will tell them that they are wrong.

On the same principle believers will see it their duty and their privilege to submit to the faithful discipline of God. He was amazed when he contemplated his great approaching struggle, and in his astonishment he tasted the cup of sorrow. And is it unreasonable, then, that every one of his disciples should feel as in the furnace, and pant as in the flame? If the trial of gold be an important thing in the way of preparing it for ornament and beauty, sbould believers complain when they are purifying and perfecting for a palace and a crown?

Gold though durable, like every thing earthly must perish, but the effects of Christian refining will sustain the lapse of time, and the incalculable infinitudes of eternity, they will go on in perpetual progression adding lustre to lustre. The furnace may seem heated seven times more than usual, and the strength of the fire may appear intense, yet none of the gold will escape, the dross will only be removed; the soul will be purified, but not destroyed; the spirit chastised, not injured; like the bush in the desert it may burn but it will not be consumed, it will go on to perfection, and advance, like a star increasing in magnitude till, at last, it emerges from its sinful tabernacle into the immediate presence of its God, a spotless trophy of a Saviour's love.

Ball, Arnold and Co. A few sighs, and groans, and tears, and resolutions, extorted by the pains of a sick bed, or produced by the apprehension of approaching dissolution--a few feeble wishes, in such a season, for peace with God He will, from that period, exhibit a newness. Jackson and Walford, cites Psalms This is illustrated by the metaphor of metallic purity. Silver and gold occur native, in the proper metallic state; yet, even in that case, they cannot be got free from the stony substances which inclose or penetrate them, without the art of the refiner: James Nisbet and Co.

Winslow asylum director: The most beautiful features of the human mind are developed in suffering; the ordeal through which we pass, however repugnant and abhorrent it may be to our feelings, produces a moral regeneration in the character. It is the furnace in which the gold and the silver are purged from their dross; while the Refiner sits by, regulating its intensity, watching the important process, and waiting only till the precious ore is pure enough to reflect his image.

And truly there is much base admixture left behind in that furnace. The sordid, and the earth-born, and the carnal of our nature is consumed. London, , novel about a mill worker: The novel ends with Helen on her death bed, promising to see her family in heaven; the attending physician remarks: On the contrary, they are proofs that God dealeth with us as with sons Cast the rough golden ore of the mine into the furnace, and if it come out diminished in bulk, it will only be because the dross is gone, and it is now nothing but pure gold.

Crush the aromatic shrub, and you will but cause it to give out a stronger and a sweeter fragrance. And we subject those records to the test of Scripture, reason, and conscience, that we may, if possible, extract them. And we look to the aid of the Divine Spirit to help us in our inquiries.

While certainly it is our belief that such a process would show that the gold bears very, very little proportion to the dross; and that to the great majority, such a search would be as unprofitable as laborious. There is danger, indeed, in the search to all; for the same feelings and prejudices which originally caused the dross to accumulate, are still alive to operate in its favour, and make men often prefer it to the pure gold. Here, then, is the great difference between us and our opponents, that we allow men to judge of that which comes to them by what is called church-tradition, by the light of Scripture, reason, and conscience, and do not allow it to assume the character of an unwritten Word of God, and so to bind the conscience to belief in whatever it may deliver.

John Steel, Reminiscences of a Friend: Alfred Williams, Sermons London: What sinful presumption is this! How forcibly does the patriarchs Job allude to this By this means the dross is consumed, and whatever gold or silver is contained in the ore, is purged or purified from the baser substance with which it was before blended, and preserved for any purposes to which those precious metals are applied.

The refiner casts the ore into the furnace, not to destroy the gold or the silver that is contained in it, but to prove its quality and fineness, and to extract it from the ore in a state of perfect purity. And he watches the furnace all the time that the process is going on, that its heat may not exceed the due degree, nor the metals be left in it too long. Whatever comes forth from the trial is precious gold, fit for the royal crown, or to be wrought into the noblest vessels.

John Gother, Spiritual Works London: Thomas Gwin, Will and Testament Sowle, ; new eds , Affliction is a seal of his adoption, and no sign of reprobation. The purest gold is oftest tried, the sweetest grape is hardest pressed and the truest Christian is heaviest crossed.

But O how soon will the Christian forget all his groans when he comes to heaven! Bernard Lintot, ; new eds. Brighter from her Disease she shines, As Fire the precious Gold refines" If the furnace for a season tried, Shew forth in me thy love's almighty power: Or with thy servant in the flames abide! And give me patience in the trying hour. When thoroughly purged, let me as gold refined Come forth, and shine before the fallen race: A chosen vessle for thyself designed, To teach the world the lessons of thy grace" So Christians do this truth possess Undoubtedly to hold; That God will try them more or less, If they are his true gold" Oh, for a more submissive mind; Then like the passive gold; We'll melt, and leave our dross behind, And take the heav'nly mold" John Moon, Preacher of the Gospel" Before I ministered 'in holy things;'?

It wean'd my heart sufficiently from earth, To choose the pittance which my office brings, In preference to wealth, and all that kings Can give of honour, or exalted rank: It tore and tarnished my aspiring wings, As light'ning scathes the eagle's, till I sank From my high eyry to the humble bank The purging fires which purify my dross: They burn intense, but all their flames impale Only the allny; searching to assail The deep recesses of incipient sin, Until the gold, no longer gross or pale, Shall shew itself to heavenly gold akin, Burnish'd without, and genuine within" 5: When the fire burns intensely, the dross is remov'd, And the metal flows pure from the test; 'Tis thus I will try to the end my belov'd, Then shall they ascend to my rest'" Charles Haselden, ; orig , poem "To a Mourner": Does not thy faith strike deeper roots?

Blest who that faith possess! Are there not formed the peaceful fruits Of righteousness? The process I behold, And joyfully admire, Through which thou wilt come forth as gold Tried in the fire. Concealed from man the dross may lie, Now with the metal mixed; But on it the Refiner's eye Is calmly fixed. Nor will He leave, this thought is joy, The gold He thus refines, Till in it, pure from all alloy, His image shines" John Robertson, , hymn "for those who watch the bed of fatal, but long protracted illness" Anglican evangelical: A different hymn in the same collection Hymns for Invalids refers to "the streets of shining gold" in heaven John Bryce, ; died To Alexander Gordon, , on persecution by orthodox Presbyterians: Every man is a believer in day-light: What a trial of gold is it, to smoke it a little above the fire!

Lefevre, An Extract of Letters Bristol: William Pine, ; originally published anonymously, , shortly after her death letter to a friend, Is there a joy absolutely pure? John Newton, Christian Correspondence Hull: George Prince, samples two letters from Montagu Pennington, Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Rivington, , letter from Elizabeth Carter to a friend re the death of Lord Lyttleton in From a world which so little deserved his virtues, he is removed to the applauding society of saints and angels, and to the righteous Judge who will reward them In all the conversations upon his misfortunes, to which I have been witness, I do not recollect ever to have heard him utter a single murmur or complaint.

Quaker Christian's Elegant Repository London: He will try me as gold, and bring me forth when meet for himself" Conner and Cooke, But in the crucible of human life, the Surest gold is tried by the strongest heat, and I can only ope for the continuance of your present family blessings to one so well formed to enjoy the pure happiness they afford.

Hamilton, Adams and Co. Let us trace up every stream of earthly comfort to the fountain of eternal love. In the world above, the inhabitant shall no more say, 'I am sick. I trust, my dear sister, that you have had much of your Saviour's presence in the fire, and that you will come forth from it as gold purified seven times. John West, Memoir of Mrs. What would it be but for the bright hope? The work must be done;--the great work--the sanctification of the soul--though the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual, it must be done, if there be any gold, that the dross at length may be consumed.

But, dear sister, let the thought cheer your heart, that it is but for an appointed time. To a different sister, I think of all God has done for us, of all he must do in us, to make us meet in Christ in that glorious state of inheritance which he has purchased for us with his own blood, till I tremble; while at the same time I am filled with admiring gratitude and love Will he wait for this until the full number of his redeemed people shall meet in heaven, and together sound his praise?

Is it not rather as he watches the gold in the fire, purifying, refining, stirring until his own image is reflected there? Let us rejoice, then, in the midst of our tears. Anne Ross Collison, Memoir of Mrs. What a test to our faith, and hope, and love, and patience, is the furnace of affliction! Methodist Isaac Beeman, Remains John Eedes, , letter to a friend, 28 Nov The Lord's furnace is in Zion, and he has said that he will bring the third part through the fire, and try them as gold is tried, and purify them as silver is purified.

But it is also said that he sits by the fire and regulates the heat, that no temptation should befal his but what is common to those of his household, and promises to make a way for their escape that they may be able to bear it. But we often think, how shall we be able to bear it? A few weeks past, I thought I had obtained leave to depart: Decaying, sluggish nature, shrinks from the purifying fire: Letter to a friend in Death is thinning every circle.

It is said, the trial of faith is 'much more precious than gold. Earnestly do I long and pray for grace to qualify me for a profitable use of this continued discipline of my heavenly Father, that I may come forth as gold purified. Lane, , letter from Fletcher to Charles Wesley, 22 March, And probably the Lord puts you secretly in a crucible, that you may go forth as gold seven times tried in the fire. May he lay his hand upon you and fill you with his strength! English Methodist theologian, William Romaine, Works London: Chapman, ; rector, St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, a London Anglican church , to a female congregant in He keeps you low in body: He tries your faith, not for his own sake, but for yours He sits as a refiner over the process.

The furnace shall not be a bit too hot. The gold shall not lose an atom: Romaine , letter to a congregant It is great, an uncommon great trial: He puts it into the fire, like gold, that, upon trial, it may appear sterling, and that, losing nothing but dross, we may learn to trust him better. Anne Bury, Cardiphonia J. Buckland, , letter from John Newton to Bury in Park, Memoirs of William Stevens London: Gold is tried in the fire, and for every trial it comes forth the purer, as you have the satisfaction to find. He rebukes, but it is in love; he chastises, but it is in judgment, not in wrath Bonar, Memoir and Remains of the Rev.

Robert Murray M'Cheyne Dundee: What imperfection, what sin, mingles with all we have ever done! But are we really fruit-bearing branches of the true vine? Late of Edinburgh New York: I attempt to roll my burthen upon him, and believe he will not suffer me to be materially moved. The surface of my soul is much agitated, but at bottom are the grounds of safety, comfort, and joy, as usual.

The present is a season of heaviness through manifold temptations. O that I may be brought out of them all as gold tried in the fire! Joseph Beaumont, Memoirs of Mrs. Mary Tatham , Late of Nottingham London: Such as are not willing to suffer, are not the true friends of the cross of Christ; and the perverse and rebellious, who bring sufferings upon themselves, will not willingly endure, or bow beneath the rod; yet, if such humble themselves when they are chastened, and amend their ways, they shall find favour: Duncan, Longman and Co.

Walker's married life became soon a life of trial. She thought she had learned that it was to be through much tribulation she was to enter into the kingdom; she now found that, to make it so, it was to be continued tribulation. Quotes her diary, The history of no times seems to record such strange events. Multitudes, multitudes, are hurried into eternity. At home, too, there are alarming appearances. A general spirit of disaffection prevails to our good and salutary government; the lower classes, dissatisfied, would usurp the dignity of being highest. In she was approaching death: My Jesus meets me in the flood, and will bring me safely through.

This is the trial of faith, but it will stand the trial; I shall come forth as refined gold. I am the happiest of women! Edward Stallybrass, Memoir of Mrs. Stallybrass , Wife of the Rev. Edward Stallybrass, Missionary to Siberia London: Petersburg; she fell ill as she was about to head east: But I am not satisfied with this, though a useful lesson.

I do crave to be more conformed to the will of God. I do wish to come out of this affliction like gold purified, and fit for the service of God. Mine is a high and holy calling. O for a sanctified heart, to fulfil the duties of it! O for more of the mind and Spirit of Christ!

Congregational Elizabeth Lachlan, Jehovh-Jireh: Houlston and Stoneman, diary entry from , London: Job Scott, Journal of Life and Travels New York: John Hancock, ; orig He knoweth the way that I take, and when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as Gold, saith patient Job. Angus and Son, ; orig. John Agg, , hymn based on Job Robert Traill, Works Glasgow: Johnson, ; hymn based on Job With joy let each afflicted saint This cheering truth behold: This privilege, dear Lord, I claim; Nor am I here too bold, That from the trying, fiery flame I may come forth as gold. Whitfield, ; on Job: Whittingham, on Job: This consideration proves also, that the sufferings of the damned cannot be corrective, because they are not proper subjects of corrective suffering.

Your heavenly Father knoweth the way you take, for he is leading you in it ; and when he has tried you, he will bring you forth as gold. Only hold fast your integrity. Welsh Baptist preacher ; translated from Welsh by J. Allman, on lesson of Job: William Edward Painter, on Job What a dreadful state is that man's condition, who, after many warnings, is at last given over to a reprobate mind! Anglican Death and Illness. William Pine, ; originally published anonymously, , shortly after her death includes in a letter to a friend from an original poem: Quoted by Hannah Ball , attached to: Also quoted in a letter Sarah Broster from a friend following a death in the family, Turner It seems as if the Heavenly Refiner would take him out of the furnace, to place him in His heavenly cabinet.

Francis and Rivington, includes Zech William Huntington, Works London: I love him dearly, but I will not nurse his pride, nor humour him in his folly. Watts's Hymns, the Pilgrim's Progress, with notes by the Rev. Burder, and the Youth's Magazine, were likewise much blessed to him. When his illness prevented him from reading, he would say, what a mercy it was he could recollect what he had read and learnt. He had early committed to memory the following Hymn of Dr. Simpkin and Marshall, ; memoir by James Buckley on Roberts in Roberts into a further trial of his faith, for which the premonitory admonition of his Divine Lord had prepared him: He believed it to be through the goodness of God, that he was thus dealt with, in order more and more to wean him from all outward connections and nearest ties of nature; that, being as the pure gold refined through the furnace, he might with triumph join the redeemed that were gone before, which he at times had a foretaste of; but the time when, as he himself sometimes expressed, he did not then see, believing it to be consistent with divine wisdom to keep it hid from him.

The agonies that she endured, were such as no tongue could tell: The anchor of her soul maintained its hold, sure and steadfast; and this anchor was the Gospel of Christ, as understood and embraced by Christian Unitarians. Hawkes had scarcely entered upon the year , when it pleased God to visit her with an attack of illness, by which she was confined nearly two months. Let the dross be burnt up, that I may come out purified as gold. She wrote a friend in Henry Edward Manning, Sermons London: But from all this Though worn with chastening, be not faint! Not one complaining word ever escaped his lips Is it not a proof that the Lord treats me like a dear child?

My God sees that I want the furnace! Hurst, Robinson, and Co. The great enemy of souls was permitted to assault her with ideas of the most distressing kind. She was led to doubt the reality of her former experience. She feared she had been a hypocrite before God, and this terrified her to a very high degree. Her sleep was broken, and the agonies of her mind sometimes made her body tremble. How difficult to endure! Legh Richmond, Annals of the Poor London: The design is not to eulogise her character At this time she was seized with an attack of determination of blood to the head, which much depressed her, and threw her mind, for a short time, into a state of great excitement in regard to the state of her heart towards God, and the foundation on which her faith had been reared.

God, in his loving-kindness, smiled, however, upon the dark cloud; his promises broke through it; the day, the unclouded day, arose upon her mind; and she came forth from the fiery trial that tried her as gold purified seven times. The most prosperous and happy of our race never depart out of life, without drinking more or less deeply of the waters of affliction and sorrow But, however severe and protracted the distresses of our condition may be, they are not without their use to the Christian. If he has been sharply tried and long kept in the furnace, the gold shines with brighter lustre in the regions above.

Death is the last foe the Christian has to encounter. The weary arc at rest when they have fallen under the stroke of this all-conquering foe. Inexpressibly distressing as it must have been [for his wife] to witness so much suffering which she could neither ward off nor alleviate This hymn was written by Charles Wesley, Methodist James Peddie, Discourses Edinburgh: William Oliphant and Sons, The Lord Jesus was the same in death as in life. In that hour, which puts to the severest test the character and principles of men, he showed the same piety toward God, and the same benevolence towards men, the same meekness, and faith, and patience, as ever.

Wlien melted in the furnace, no dross appeared; all was pure gold. At the foot of the cross they must have seen, must have heard, much that indicated the extreme pain he suffered; that there was an internal conflict with spiritual darkness and with strong temptation, as well as an outward conflict with bodily suffering. But did they, could they, see or hear any indications of distrust in God, or of a vindictive spirit against his murderers? But the true gold sustains no loss: Approvingly quoted in Imperial Magazine 2 Plagiarized in Fleetwood Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, ; on Platonism: TRUTH never fears and enquiry John Goldie, , Kilmarnock wine merchant and writer on natural theology.

The Permission to try base , and not sterling Gold, carries an Inconsistency with it: How are we to distinguish, till we have tried them? Robinson, ; Bampton lectures: The Roman empire was at that time in its full glory; and a long and profound peace, together with the patronage and encouragement of authority, had contributed to raise the arts and sciences to a height unknown before; and which later ages, with all their boasted improvements, have scarce been able to exceed. At such a period did the religion of Christ invite, and endure, the test of the severest scrutiny: Excerpted in Miscellanea Sacra William Sleater, vs Price, Priestley, and Paine: If it subject the gospel to every species of criticism and scrutiny, it subjects it, in fact, but to ultimate illumination.

Long since would Christianity have fallen, had it not been formed to bear the test of the most rigid enquiry A Poem in Six Parts Edinburgh: Being free of grosser vices, sins of omission So far as these employ salacious reasoning to impose on the igorant and unwary, the better they are known the sooner will they sink into contempt--Error cannot abide the light, but flies to shade and subterfuge: The reformers did much, we have done more, and more still remains to be done by future ages. If they are, they will come forth from the trial, like gold from the fire.

Lawson was a leader in the Associate Synod, a Presbyterian splinter group est ca Christianity will then be left to its own strength, unincumbered by that worldly policy with which it has been forced into an unnatural connexion. But let this be our consolation, that she will come forth from the controversy, like gold from the furnace, purified and exalted.

Thomas Belsham, A Review of Mr. But of this issue, I have not the smallest apprehension. The gold was only separated from its dross. Quoted at length in British Critic John Martin, Letters on Nonconformity London: In Eight sermons, preached before the University of Oxford Oxford: But, though we assert our own fidelity, we presume not to judge those, who, countenanced by the solemnity of deliberate and national decisions, have thought it best to adopt a different communion.

That they have abandoned the one Apostolical Church is too true. But if they did it not to gratify a spirit of party, or of pride; and if they have approved themselves to be in other points generally pure in faith, and illustrious in obedience, shall we prescribe bounds to God's forgiveness? Quoted at length in Imperial Review Her formularies contained devotional compositions, not more venerable for their antiquity, than valuable for their intrinsic excellence, being at once simple and energetic, perspicuous and profound.

What then was more suitable to the sober spirit of reformation, than to separate those precious remnants of ancient piety from their drossy accompaniments,--and, while these last were deservedly cast away, to mould the pure gold which remained into a new form, fitted at once to interests and to edify the public mind? False brethren, tho' many in number, never promote the interests of true religion.

Public utility and truth, were the motives that induced the State to enter into alliance with the Church: Anglican William Hazlitt Sr. The spirit of error, we have seen, is fettered by prejudices, and is either determined to examine nothing, or not to yield to the most positive evidence. This spirit makes enquiry only to evade truth, and be confirmed in old opinions. Kirkby Lonsdale et al. Knowing the importance of the apostles' doctrine if true, they judged it, not only expedient, but due to the greatness of their message, to receive the Word.

They admitted them into their synagogue, and with all readiness of mind, with a cheerful disposition of heart, listened to their preaching They brought the doctrine of the apostles to the test of God's holy word. This they did, not superficially, but carefully In a Series of Controversial Sermons London: Keating Brown and Keating, ; orig. Thomas Gisborne, The Substance of the Speech Davies, , speech at meeting to form a Staffordshire Auxiliary Bible Society: Parts of it undoubtedly were subsisting: But they were buried under the rubbish of' ignorance and superstition.

When the light of the Reformation appeared, when the Bible was circulated, then came forth our Liturgy: Perkins and Marvin, , orig. The same process therefore that melted away the dross, would serve only to purify the gold. Accordingly, the authenticity of the Bible, more especially of Christianity, was assailed at all points, by a host of free-thinkers and sophistical reasoners, with a versatility of skill unknown to its ancient adversaries, and a zeal as indefatigable in its exertions, as it was bold and ingenious in its contrivances The result has proved how little Christianity has to fear from the malice or the subtlety of its bitterest opponents A less plain and decisive rule of Faith and action would not have sufficed for the people whom Moses had to lead to the borders of the land of promise: Prompter ; letter to Melbourne Home Secretary from Joshua Hudson, representing Ashton dissenters, on behalf of Robert Taylor, a jailed dissenting minister: Educational Magazine 1 , art.

Whether we descend into the arcanum of nature, or whether we would dive into the mysteries of revelation, we are alike perplexed. But as in the natural world, all that is really good for us, becomes more truly valuable and serviceable the more we become acquainted with its properties and uses, so in the spiritual world all that is of importance to us is made doubly advantageous when it is separated and cleansed from the rust which ages have thrown round it, and is restored again to its native beauty and pristine purity.

All manner of objections have by them been urged, and have been considered by the world; and still this religion prevails Parker, , defending Book of Common Prayer vs dissenters: Bohn, , anti-Tractarian: How many of these legends will come forth from the furnace of inquiry as gold purified? One in a thousand may, perhaps, occasion a reasonable man a moment's perplexity; and he may even excuse himself from any endeavour to offer a satisfactory explication of it. Such instances of the "inexplicable" are not wanting in the round of human affairs. Seeley, on Church of England: Those who love Christ, and love each other for his sake, when they find the truths they cherish reflected in each other's hearts, will be drawn by degrees into full and perfect union.

Anglican William Simcox Bricknell ed. Strauss's famous Leben Jesu. We think, indeed, that we could have done quite as well without it, and are of opinion that the translator might have employed his talents to much better purpose. Quote is from Lucian. But, to the generality of readers, the task is out of the question; still, if it were not so, it is very doubtful if any great benefit could arise from it.

British Quarterly Review If in the fiery process before it, Christianity is to come forth as gold, there mast be more--much more done to separate between its pure gold and the dross thus adhering to it. But the internal beauties, which depend not on the particular construction of tongues, no change of tongue can destroy.

Quoted in first ed. This is the divine fire, whereby we may and ought to examine all things; which makes the pure gold to shine, and which consumes all the rest. Pictet was a Swiss Reform protestant from Geneva ; was first English transl of this book. O what then must personal possession be! The dross of my cross gathered a scum of fears in the sire, doubtings, impatience, unbelief, challenging of providence as sleeping, and not regarding my sorrow; but my goldsmith, Christ, was pleased to take off the scum, and burn it in the fire.

And, blessed be my finer, he hath made the metal better, and furnished new supply of grace to cause me hold out weight; and I hope he hath not losed one grain Weight, by burning his servant. Now his love in my heart casteth a mighty heat: Watson returns to Daniel Purity; God lets his children be in the furnace, that they may be partakers of his holiness The pure gold was to be tried in the furnace of adversity. Alexander Knox, Remains London: James Duncan, ;letter from John Eedes, , letter to a friend, 29 May Macquistan, , to J.

Thomas Jones, The True Christian: Generally, deep sufferers, the tried and tempted God has a furnace in Zion, where he purities his children; and when they are tried, they shall come forth as gold, purified seven times in the fire. The very best generation of Jews were those that suffered in the wilderness for forty years. Pharaoh had plenty of plagues, but was none the better for them. The Son of God must be with his servants in the furnace, before it can do them any good Robert Shittler, National Religion: This going and coming in, amid all the toils of the city, the agony of the plague, the horrors of the thirsty tyrants , the fierce democracy abroad, the fiercer ill at home, the saint, the sage of Athens, was still the same.

Such trials prove the soul as gold is proved. The dross perishes in the fire; but the virgin metal, it comes brighter from the flame. What is it to such a man to be scourged, forsaken, his name proverb, counted as the offscouring of the world? James Paterson, Sermons Edinburgh: We all love the reward, but we shrink in, and shudder at the sight of the firy trial, the one is sweet, the other is bitter; he deserves not the sweet, who will not take the sour.

John Witherspoon, Sermons Edinburgh, n. Julian noticed this, and tried to suppress Christianity by ignoring it and encouraging Judaism instead viz restoration of temple. It persecutes by its calumnies those by whose lives its false maxims are condemned: Butler on Saint Teresa of Avila: For these afflictions God made her very ample amends; for theu were always followed with a great abundance of favours, and her soul seemed to come out of them like gold more refined and pure out of the crucible, to see our Lord within herself. Butler on Saint Winebald, 8 th century English Benedictine monk: For this in the earnestness of our desires we ought to pour out our tears day and night.

Life of Baroness de Chantal London: James Raine, Saint Cuthbert: Cuthbert, who was buried in the cathedral at Chester-le-Street, County Durham. But the hair would immediately, after the fashion of gold, glisten in the midst of the fire, and undergo neither injury nor diminution; and after the lapse of an hour, when removed by the scissors, it would, to the great astonishment of all, lay aside the brightness of gold, and assume its former character If any trick was ever played with the bones of St.

Those present collected his bones and buried them. Same passage from Eusebius summarized in Staughton Evans, Biography of the Early Church London: Rivington, on Polycarp: At the same time an exquisite fragrance, as of frankincense and other spices, issued forth, to the great comfort and delight of his flock. On seeing the resistance which his body offered to the flames, his impatient enemies ordered him to be run through with a sword.

The quantity of blood issuing from the wound was so great as to quench the fire. Thus the body was preserved; but his followers were not to have the satisfaction of paying it the last honours. Richard Burnham, Pious Memorials: Oliver, on John Bradford, burned at stake , who wrote his mother from prison: The History of Mademoiselle de St. Edmund Parker, ; orig. If the Church is cast into a furnace, in that furnace she only loses her dross, and is brought out of it, as gold tried in the sire, purisied seven times. Let not her enemies rejoice over her: There is no counsel or might against the Lord, All created power is upheld and limited by him, and therefore can never act without his wife permission: Laetitia Matilda Hawkins, Rosanne: Rivington, , description of a Huguenot woman whose parents left France after revocation of edict of Nantes One of them was a tailor, for working on a saint day.

The king, Henry II.

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