Why is the United Methodist Church Losing Member Churches?

Pexels / Pixabay

 

The problem is that the United Methodist Church has drifted away from teaching the scriptures and has fallen into the trap of interpreting socio-political issues. Such interpretation is not needed if the church is doing its job.

The Bible speaks for itself. The job of the church is to teach the scriptures in order to enable people to apply the teachings to everyday life. It is not the job of the church to rule on socio-political issues.

The only way anyone can know what anyone else’s socio-political beliefs and lifestyle are is if he is told. You cannot look at a person and tell whether they are heterosexual or homosexual, liberal or conservative, educated or uneducated, or even whether they are believers or non-believers.

Remember, “churches are hospitals for sinners, not museums for saints” (Abigail Van Buren). All should welcome those who wish to attend. Let God, through His scriptures, do the healing. The church’s responsibility is to find the best way possible to teach the scriptures to those who are so starved for the Word.

When I was in college, I studied political science. Needless to say, some students were aching to draw classes into political discussions about the anti-war movement, among other issues. Our professors did not allow those discussions to take place in the classroom. They would say, “This is not the time or place for this discussion,” then would open their lecture notes and start class. If the students wanted to preach their beliefs on the issues, they would have to wait until after class – and they did!

Don’t let socio-political causes cast a shroud over God’s word. We all need his Word far more than we may realize.

 

 

My Favorite Passenger Airplanes

Some sources say that, when today's aircraft are retired, two planes that have been flying for many more years than any others will fly their crews home: the DC-3 and the DC-9. I believe it. 

United Airlines DC-3 Douglas Sleeper Transport. The upper windows gave light and views to people sleeping in the upper berths. DC-3s without berths had only the windows seen in the colored band. (Bill Larkins. Creative Commons 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)  

The DC-3 (Douglas Commercial-3) has been flying since 1935. Yes! For 87 years. It began as a sleeper transport, flying passengers from coast to coast. Seats made into berths like those on trains. Before the advent of the DC-3, flying from coast to coast required three days. With the DC-3, travel time was cut to 17 hours. Big improvement. In the daytime configuration, it carried 21 passengers in seven rows, in a 2-1 configuration. 

World War II intervened, and DC-3s were stripped of their passenger accoutrements and converted for use carrying paratroopers. More were built with a side-loading cargo door and were used to transport cargo.  These became known as C-47s. In all, more than 10,000 DC-3/C-47s were built.

The DC-3 made her mark with the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, when she carried paratroopers across the English Channel, to France. They were led by a DC-3 known as "That's All Brother." She is still flying today, now with the Commemorative Air Force, and returned to France in 2019, the 75th anniversary of the invasion, to fly in lead position in the re-enactment of the D-Day Invasion. 

Today, the DC-3 is still being used to supply outlying areas in Canada, South America, and Africa with needed supplies and, also, to provide transportation to residents of those areas. 

A Delta Airlines DC-9 in 1970s livery

(Photographer unknown, public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The DC-9 has been flying since 1965, for 57 years. It was developed to serve regional air travel following the huge success of larger, international planes, such as the DC-8. It met even greater success than those and has been enlarged and otherwise modified from the DC-9-14 through the DC-9-95. The DC-9-80 through DC-9-95 are known as the MD-80 through the MD-95, reflecting Douglas Aircraft Company's merger with McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967.  The DC-9-95 has been known as the Boeing 717 since McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997.

Confused? You won't be after you watch this video showing Delta Airlines' last DC-9 taking off from Atlanta on its last revenue flight before settling into its new home at the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzP3HT7f2tA

This presents bare introductory information on two of my three favorite airplanes. The third? The Lockheed C-141 StarLifter. We'll talk about her another day. After all, she deserves a page of her own. 

Her Majesty and Paddington Bear

 

Eleanor Tomlinson

After watching the video in which Paddington Bear had tea with Her Majesty, Eleanor Tomlinson of Yorkshire drew this wonderful likeness of the two walking off together. Notice that the corgi broke through the line to join them and that Paddy left a trail of marmalade sandwich halves along the way.

I think the BBC video was the most wonderful way Her Majesty ever could have bid farewell to her subjects and her fans around the world. Ms. Tomlinson captured the essence of it beautifully.

Be well, be happy, be safe. Keep the faith! Keep the peace!

Let's Live Out Our Bucket Lists

AvocetGEO / Pixabay

 

A lady on YouTube decided she was tired of sitting at home all day, watching two-dimensional life on big-screen TV. Deciding to get out and tour the sites in person that she had been seeing on screen, she sold her house in Florida, bought a minivan, furnished it with her favorite coastal fabrics, and set off up the highway. At the top of her bucket list was the Redwood Forest of California. She made it! Now, she has discovered that she loves New Mexico, so much so that she purchased a one-year pass to boondock at any of New Mexico's free campgrounds -- and there are many!

Watching her videos inspired me to work on my bucket list -- at least, seeing what would be involved if I were to experience the top item on my own bucket list. I would love to fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia; catch VIA Rail all the way to Vancouver; then wind and twist my way back and forth across the US, from Seattle to Chicago aboard the "Empire Builder," from Chicago to San Francisco aboard the "California Zephyr," from San Francisco to Los Angeles aboard the "Coast Starlight," back to Chicago aboard the "Southwest Chief," and back down aboard the "City of New Orleans."

That being beyond my stamina, however, I mapped out a flight to Toronto, where I would board VIA Rail's "Canadian" to Vancouver, Amtrak's "Cascades" to Seattle, the "Empire Builder" to Chicago, and the "City of New Orleans" back down. Now, that would stretch me to my limits, but I think I could handle it as long as I gave myself time to take a decent shower, sleep in a real bed, and do a load of laundry in each city along the way.

Pricey? You bet! Well beyond my tax bracket. But I surely did enjoy dream of sitting in one of VIA Rail's refurbished Budd Company dome cars and watching us roll through the Canadian wilderness -- instead of watching videos of other people's rail journeys.

Also on my bucket list is to fly to Adelaide, Australia, and catch the "Great Southern" railway to Brisbane. No, I don't think I'll ever get that far, but it surely is a nice thought. You see, there's a wonderful park located behind the Sydney Opera House. I'd love to sit out there and just take it all in.

Of course, one never knows. I never would have dreamed of ever getting to Hawaii even once, let alone twice! Turn off the videos, lady, and start making your dreams come true -- at least, the little ones.

Be well, be happy, be safe. Keep the faith! Keep the peace!

Photo Credits:

Top: AvocetGEO / Pixabay

Bottom: Roger Puta / Wikimedia Commons / public domain

Roger Puta / Wikimedia Commons / public domain

Signs of Autumn

 

Aaron Burden / Unsplash

I sensed movement outside my window yesterday and looked around, expecting to see a bird. Instead, I saw a leaf falling to the ground. It wasn't the first -- I told you about the leaf that came to call last week -- but it was a reminder, along with the nippiness in the air, that it really is autumn. 

Summer has departed, both officially and realistically, taking with it its soaring temperatures. Now, high temperatures are a brief foray into the low-80s, due to make an appearance this weekend or early next week. For now, the daytime highs are ranging between the low- and mid-70s, while nighttime lows are dipping into the low-40s.

October usually brings rain. We need it, but I pray that it comes without the thunderstorms and tornadoes that too often mark the change of seasons from hot to cold and from cold to hot. When we lived in Northern Virginia, October rain was slow, steady, and cold! By the last day of October, the last leaf had fallen, and by the middle of November, we might well have seen the first snowfall.

Hopefully, we won't see that kind of weather here. I donated my heavy wool coat to the homeless when we were in South Louisiana. There, sweaters and jackets sufficed for very nearly the entire winter, although that particular winter was very cold. I pray that the coat made that winter just a little bit more bearable for someone.

About the picture, it reminds me of something an Air Force colonel told me our first autumn in Northern Virginia. I was completely stricken by the beauty of the changing leaves. I'd never seen such vibrant colors before. He agreed that Virginia has beautiful autumns but not nearly as beautiful as his native New York autumns. But, then, he agreed that Virginia has more beautiful spring times with the glorious blossoms on their fruit trees. I couldn't argue with him on that point.

 

Written September 29, 2022

Prepping for Whatever May Come

Sidney Riggs / Unsplash

 

An official "cold" front came through last night, complete with thunder and lightning and, yes, some much-needed rain. And all the world said, "Ah-h-h!"

We've been working on our prepper plans. With the scale of the project threatening to launch into outer space, we found it necessary to scale it back to preparing for two weeks without public utilities or access to groceries. With the changing weather patterns, it seems necessary to have more than the two flashlights and transistor radio that my dad kept for such events.

We nearly have enough canned food and water and have purchased electric candles (probably need more) for lighting, as well as a solar-powered emergency radio. Small bits and pieces are on hand, as well; all will be merged with our existing first-aid kit and hurricane supplies from our years in South Louisiana.

We still need to purchase a propane heater to sit on the hearth of our unusable fireplace (needs work) and a portable power station to run a two-burner cooktop (already here) and a 12-volt fridge (yet to be purchased). It also should allow me to use my computer in short spurts, although if the power is out, so will the Internet be out. Alas!

Here's the interesting part: Along the way, it has been necessary to research how people lived in the days before households had a ready supply of electricity and water. If our ancestors could see us now . . . Go ahead, ancestors. Have a good laugh.

On the bright side, a little bird came to visit me on Friday morning. He was scouting about for his breakfast and stopped to say hello before he checked to see whether the junipers held anything of interest. The birds and squirrels left during the heat of the summer. I'm hoping they will return and have ordered a squirrel feeder to supplement the bird feeder, as well as feed for both. That will be my project this autumn. Still needed: a bird bath and a shepherd's hook to support the feeders.

 

Written:  September 25, 2022

One of the Hardest Lessons to Learn

 

Ethan Johnson / Unsplash

The workforce tells us that we should fight hard to make our way to the top of the career ladder. No matter what is required, we should aim for the highest position and the largest salary possibly attainable.

There's just one problem with that methodology -- or philosophy, if you will.  It causes us to become insensitive to the people around us. We begin looking down on those whose scramble to the top isn't as quick or as successful as ours. We stop trying to help newcomers learn the ropes, telling ourselves, "Well, no one helped me!" If we are honest with ourselves, we can remember times when someone did help us.

Interestingly, as we get older, we come to realize that competition in the workforce really isn't about ranks and salaries. It's about how we did our jobs. Did we do our very best or just enough to get by? Did we lend a helping hand or a word of encouragement, or did we hang onto that "Well, no one helped me!" approach?

Stop and take a few minutes to make a list of your accomplishments. Then, pick out the ones where your competition was not against your coworkers, but against yourself. Did you do better today than you did yesterday? Did you turn out a better product this year than you did last year? Did you return to work a few minutes late after lending a helping hand? 

Remember: No one ever won a race by looking back to see how the competition was doing. As the old saw goes, be nice to the people you pass on the way up; they are the people you'll meet on your way back down.