Out of Control

by Kurt Maerschel

For the last two weeks I have faced a situation in my life that seems completely out of my control. The worst thing is that I can’t seem to stop worrying about it. I know it doesn’t make logical sense, but we humans love to be in control.

The more I thought about this, the more I realized how little control we have. Take this weekend for example. I am planning a BBQ, and the weather predicted is thunderstorms. Yesterday I wanted to get a quick taco at the drive through, and all I found was a super long line – so anything but a “quick” taco. Take for example airplane delays - whether it is technical or weather related, we simply can’t control it. And then there are robo-calls - super annoying - yet I can’t seem to stop them with the many apps and filters I try to load onto my phone.

These examples are rather benign and funny, but life shows us much more difficult situations we are unable to control. Take for example cancer. Who gets it? When do they get it? Why do they get it? Many of these factors are out of our control. How about the death of a loved one? It does not matter whether it was an accident, or after a long known illness – it’s simply out of our control. Why is this?

I feel lost in a world that largely seems outside of my control. In fact everything around me suggests that I should be in control. The favorite Texan mantra of “picking oneself up by his/her own bootstraps” is just something we have learned growing up here. Popular culture suggests in many ways that all of us should be in constant control of everything. People show off their successful home projects on Facebook. TV Shows like “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” “Fixer Upper,” or “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” are all reminders for us on how to get our lives under control. Advertisements suggest that if we just had the right investment broker our retirement worries would be under control. We celebrate people who seem to be in perfect control of something in their lives, such as musicians or gymnasts.

As a theologian I ask myself, “What does God teach us about this?” At first glance it seemed “not a lot.” To the contrary, the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are full of rules which are enacted so we get our lives under control. But reading a little further, I realize that the Israelites wandering aimlessly in the desert and being dependent on everything to come from God is an incredible example of how people walk with God while being completely out of control. Jonah wants to stay in control by running away from God; then he is swallowed by a “big fish,” and he realizes that he is not in control. The book of Job is probably the prime example in the Hebrew Bible of how humans are not in control of their lives. And finally, it is Jesus who incarnates – meaning becoming fully human and fully God- from a position of absolute power to utter “control-lessness.” I think it shows that God wants to point us to the fact that we are not in control. This is just the way things are.

Is it good or bad? In my experience it can be both. In the beginning I felt distant from God; I had no time for God while trying to regain control over a situation I possibly could not. However, when I realized that God uses these moments so we can be drawn closer, I was able to embrace it. If you feel out of control, I would like to encourage you to follow the examples of the Hebrews and of Jesus Christ and accept the reality as it is. Embrace Jesus Christ as your companion and friend who will lead you through uncontrollable reality.

If you have questions about this article, please feel free to talk to me in person, by email (kurt@kpumc.org), or by phone (972-835-1909).

Signs of God's Love

by Ken Kelley

I’m guessing that many of you were awakened by thunder early this morning. It’s certainly rattling our house as I write this. I’m more convinced than ever that Colleen can sleep through anything (or that she’s even more exhausted than the rest of us).

“I’m exhausted” – a phrase that describes my own state of being and something that I’ve heard repeatedly this week from many of you. Maybe it’s just my corner of the world, but most of the people I’ve talked to recently have been some combination of overworked, sick, stressed out, or just plain worn out.

To put us (at least temporarily) in a better place, we’ll all probably benefit from the light-hearted philosophy of a few church signs. Here’s my favorite 10 from a list of 101 that I found on the internet:

1. Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?

2. Prayer. The original wireless connection.

3. Wrinkled with problems? Come to the Lord's House for a faith lift.

4. What is missing from ch__ch? U R!

5. Looking for the perfect gift? Find Him here.

6. Does your spiritual house need spring cleaning?

7. God wants full custody, not just weekend visits.

8. If God is your copilot, switch seats.

9. Jesus is God's selfie.

10. Tweet others as you would like to be tweeted.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Proverbs 17:22

To those of you who have more of a crushed spirit than a joyful heart right now, I pray that you’ll find peace, and I offer you these words from John Birch, a Methodist lay minister from England:

“True healing is more than restoration of flesh and blood or knitting of bone to bone. True healing is
wholeness, where body, soul and spirit unite. True healing is peace, the knowledge of God’s presence,
a hope that knows no end. True healing cries ‘Father, not my will but yours.’ True healing knows love
perfectly, a love that casts out fear. True healing overcomes, endures, for eternity.”

A Very Different Egg

by Rev. Kay Ash

As many of you know, we had to reschedule our Easter children’s activities this year because of heavy rains. Despite the rescheduled time slot to the following Saturday, the event blossomed in wonderful ways. Can there possibly be anything better than children and families running through our “looks like paradise” Kessler Park UMC campus bursting with giggles? Clearly, the Holy Spirit is moving in this place!

The Kessler Park UMC Easter Parade and Egg Hunt event has been going on long before my time. Traditionally, the parade featured a local fire truck, police presence, marching band, antique cars, king & queen, a giant bunny and lots of toddlers with tricked-out tricycles or wagons. The parade route followed a two block rectangular pattern throughout our neighborhood and usually lasted about 20 to 25 minutes. After the parade, there were age level egg hunts across our large property and finally, a picnic in Robert’s Forest with the Hamburger Man.

Most people are not aware, however, of the process required to prepare for the Easter event, particularly, the parade. To describe the process as complex is truly an understatement. So that traffic can be interrupted by the parade, which takes place on the public streets of our neighborhood, we must obtain a special events permit from the City of Dallas. Each year the permit process has grown increasingly complex. More than a dozen documents had to be filed, multiple support personnel paid and large numbers of neighbors had to be personally notified. It took several months to complete the necessary steps and the cost reached into four figures.

We finally got the necessary permit, but then, the weather happened.

That Thursday after Palm Sunday was a sad, sad day. Since heavy rains were predicted at 100% for the following Saturday, our event day, we had to cancel and reschedule for the Saturday before Easter. All of the moving parts came to a screeching halt. Our date specific special events permit was no longer valid. It was time to make lemonade out of soggy, rain-soaked lemons!

The following Saturday we put out tables of arts and crafts on the basketball court: you could decorate eggs with beans, or bling or yarn; you could paint with shaving crème or string beads into a cross. When the families arrived, something wonderful happened. Kids played, crafted and chatted while parents got caught up with their friends and neighbors. Our Easter event slowed down a little bit. I saw hugging, and picture taking, and neighbors complimenting each other’s children. I saw glue dripping, God-inspired works of art and little faces covered with melted Hersey’s kiss chocolate. In the mix of it all, one of our neighbors told me how proud she was of our church for flying the rainbow flags next to our yard sign. “All people are loved by God,” she said to me. As I gleefully agreed, I realized that the Kingdom of God was bubbling up right then and there onto our “looks like paradise” Kessler Park UMC campus. More than anything else, our annual Easter event has to provide time and opportunity for our neighbors to connect and to love each other, all to the glory of God.

It may take us some time to successfully reimagine what our annual Kessler Park UMC Easter time activities will look like over the next few years. With that said, it will be exciting to find new connections between ourselves and our neighbors. The Holy Spirit is surely on the move!