Tag: Imagine No Malaria

Spread the Light – Save a Life

Imagine-No-Malaria-Logo-3Well, it has happened!

If you text a $10 donation to “Imagine No Malaria” between now and December 26th – simply text “MALARIA” to 27722 – you will receive a confirmation text and then a thank you text that includes a link to a picture of  a burning candle.

I will be making one of those text donations on Christmas Eve during our worship service at First United Methodist Church and then I will be sharing the light of this “candle” as a present to the Christ child who came into the world to “heal the sick…”  It is my small way of showing Jesus I am following him in the revolutionary movement to end malaria by 2015!  It is a disease that can be defeated if we join him.  (Granted, I have to borrow a phone for this one since I have already hit the monthly limit for donations via text!  But that doesn’t matter…what matter is my gift to Jesus!)

My invitation to you is twofold but simple – share this light as you worship on Christmas Eve. (Just make the donation at an appropriate time in worship and share your “light” for all to see!)  Maybe someone will ask you why and you can share the message with them…maybe others will join you as you share beforehand what you are going to do.  Maybe, God will show up in the midst of this and light the world with these candles that show healing.

Also, if you can, please share this message with as many people as possible, however you wish (share on Facebook, send out as an email, tweet a link…I don’t care) prior to your Christmas Eve worship services.  This blog is read by fewer than 100 people but those 100 know another 100 and so forth.  Light has a tendency to spread and this is one time I hope and pray it will spread long and far.

My hope for First UMC Princeton is that we would light enough cell phone candles (27) to join the Holston Conference in their memorial of those killed in Newtown.  We cannot do anything to bring back the lives lost their but we can stop another killer – Malaria!

Finally, I would like to thank the people at “Imagine No Malaria,” “mGive” and “United Methodist Communications” as well as a colleague in our Conference, Adam Cunningham, for helping to make this happen.  These folks are true warriors in the battle against malaria and this shows that they are committed to seeing this disease eliminated by 2015.  My prayers and my work is with them!

Getting Rid of a Killer

My heart and mind is still filled with images and overwhelmed with emotions about the school shooting in Newtown.  As a pastor, I am dealing with parents and others looking for answers where there are none but I am offering them the Hope that this season of Christmas promises and praying that we will see God’s Light in the darkness.

I have had many conversations with people about “how to stop” these kinds of things from happening – fixing our mental health system, stricter gun laws, safer schools, etc.

I want to say that I don’t have the complete answer to solving that problem.  I read a haunting article on the first school bombing which took place in 1927 where 45 students and teachers were killed.  It made me take a very deep breath and realize that this is not a problem of our generation – it is a problem of our human nature.  It is a problem that only the God we find in a manger and on a cross can solve.

Yes…we must do ALL we can to make things safer but we must also do all we can to expose the darkness to the Light so that real change can take place.

At the same time that all this has been happening, I have been meeting with a group of people who wanted to study about how they could have “A Different Kind of Christmas.”  It has been a wonderful study.  We cried a lot as conviction ran through us.  We laughed at ourselves and the ways we get caught up the commercialization of this Holy Day.  We promised to look at ways we really can change the way we celebrate this holiday. We made plans for next year so we would not be facing the same convictions. And…we talked about living simply so others could simply live.

Personally, I have made a commitment to get rid of a killer. Watch this:

At least half of everything I receive at Christmas this year will be going to rid the world of the killer that is malaria. We may not know how to stop a shooter in our schools (yet), but with just ten dollars, I know that I can buy a mosquito net that will stop this other killer from taking the life of a child. I have been “texting” donations during worship. I am setting aside money to send in to “Imagine No Malaria” and I have just been letting everyone I know that this is something that captures my passion.Imagine-No-Malaria-Logo-3

I have even gone so far as to try and get the Imagine No Malaria team to send confirmations of text donations on Christmas Eve that include a picture of a candle, so that we can have “two” candle lighting services at Christmas Eve this year.  (Those of you who go to Christmas Eve services and have cell phones…think about it…let your imagination go for a minute!)  I don’t know if the folks at INM have worked things out with mGive.org yet, but I am still praying that they will.  (mGive, United Methodist Communications and Imagine No Malaria are all great groups…I just pray that they can capture this vision as well.)

INM Logo 2At the end of our “Different Kind of Christmas” study, the group I was with gave Jesus a wonderful gift in my name. Together, our class gathered enough money to buy ten more nets.
It may not sound like a lot to you – but think of it as ten more children getting to live.  Ten more parents not having to grieve.  Ten more people laughing and hugging and celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

I think Jesus would like that!

See you on the way home…and know that on Christmas Eve, I will be texting “MALARIA” to 27722 in order to send another $10 to get rid of a killer that can be stopped.

Advent Study and Invitations

Today (and hopefully every Sunday during Advent) I will be sharing with you an Advent Study that has been prepared for us by our bishop, Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball.

I encourage you to not only use this devotional material at home, but also to follow the Advent Invitation at the end of each devotion. I would love to hear – in the comments – how following these invitations are encouraging you to have a different kind of Christmas this year.

BTW – I am “giving up” at least one gift this Christmas – both giving and receiving – in order to help “Imagine No Malaria” and the “Nothing but Nets” campaign.  I will be sending the text message “MALARIA” to 27722 to donate $10 and I will be doing this during our worship time at First UMC each week during Advent. I truly believe that Christmas is about miracles for the world and one of my Christmas wishes is for this disease to be eradicated .

An Advent Study for the
Home
Prepared for the Family and Friends of the West Virginia
Conference
Advent 2012
Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball

Advent Service for our home
FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT THE PROMISE
THE READING: As we prepare to light the first candle on our Advent wreath, our thoughts go back to the promise of the coming of Jesus foretold by the prophets. As the followers of God waited for the day when
Jesus would come, they prepared themselves for the fulfillment of this promise. They had heard God speak through the prophets and could hardly wait for Jesus’ coming. Similarly, we find it difficult to wait for
Christmas. Let us take time to prepare ourselves for the promise of this great day.

THE SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 9: 2,6
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Light the first purple advent candle)

BISHOP SANDRA’S ADVENT CALENDAR INVITATION 2012
December 2: As we begin this Advent Season I will allow God to be involved in all my preparations and activities. I will use the home Advent service. I will listen for God’s voice daily.
December 3: This season I will worship as much as possible with my home congregation and community. I will commit to daily prayer at lunchtime seeking to see where God is at work and seeking to join God there.
December 4: I’ll remember that Jesus calls us to not lose our childlike faith in God.  Today I will have some contact with children and allow myself to have fun with them on their level.
December 5: Bake (or buy) a Christmas treat and take it to a neighbor – Just to be a WV Blessing – sharing God’s love and care with someone else.
December 6: Today I will share a glory sighting, where I have seen God/Christ at work, with family and friends.
December 7: I will write a special “Good News” note to 2 persons I know to share just how much they are a blessing to me.
December 8: This day I will do something special for or with my family.