Fire!
In the past couple of weeks, our travels have taken us into the drought stricken areas of west Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.  As prevalent as the drought have been the wildfires that have burned in and out of control in several of these areas.  Returning south from Colorado, we were warned that I-25 might be blocked due to the fire burning near Raton, NM.  We were able to travel through, however, at a much reduced speed and in full view of smoldering acres and consumed landscape.  The pine trees of course, were the worst to behold.  They were like wooden matches someone had let burn to the very end of the match, then placed in the ground by an unseen hand.  After having spent a few cool days under Colorado pines, our hearts were grieved by all we saw.  But I also remember something I learned years ago about forest fires.

There was a time when forest fires, as devastating as they are, were part of nature’s way of cleansing and clearing the forest. Our days of the forest for human habitation and its accompanying fire control has had some unintended consequences.  For one, the forest becomes even more vulnerable to burning larger paths and acres when fires do not clear away dead branches, leaves and etc. from the forest floor.  Larger piles of fuel often mean greater swaths of burn.  Second, predators are no longer eliminated from the forest and their accompanying dangers can be as devastating as the fire, though slower and more subtle.  The pine bark beetle is one such predator, and one needs not travel too far north into the Pikes Peak National Forest to find pines dead and dying from their predatorial occupations of the trees.  The trees slowly die and become gray sticks of lifelessness.

There is one more interesting aspect to the beetle.  Did you know that healthy trees are under no threat from the beetle?  The beetles only attack trees that are somehow weak, diseased, over-crowded or otherwise compromised.  Healthy trees are under no threat.  However, the absence of either freezing weather for days on end (some say it would take two weeks of sub-zero temps to kill the beetles) and the absence of fires brought on by our preservation efforts and suppression systems ensure the continual operation of the beetle and their devastation.  If you’ve seen the new flooring craze of “blue” pine flooring, it is we humans who have found a way to harvest trees killed by the beetles and create a new decorating line.

As we drove, we found ourselves making our observations of fires in complete silence.  Something about the landscape and results of the fire called for it.  I found myself singing Rippon’s hymn, “How Firm a Foundation” (#529 in our hymnal).  The fourth verse reads:
“When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
my grace all sufficient shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design,
thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”

I found some parallels to our spiritual lives in all the devastation by fire and beetle, so I am sure that is what brought the hymn to mind.  If we think of our own lives as the pine trees, isn’t it true that sin most often enters our lives and seeks to destroy us in the areas of life we are weakest.  If the fire of God’s Spirit, which we just remembered at Pentecost, does not consume that which is impure in us, we will most likely die in our sin and our salvageability is nil.  Isn’t it often the truth that we avoid the white-hot holiness of God, either because we believe God may want to harm us, rather than refine us?  Or is it true that we often desire our sin more than we desire God’s holiness?  But then we have to ask, how would we rather appear – as well nourished lives that reflect the beauty of what God is doing in us, or as burned-out sticks, full of damage from our beetle-like sin?  Would we rather be strong witnesses of the power of God’s refining fire or something less, something more vulnerable, something dying from the inside out?

See you soon in the place where we will celebrate God’s Spirit and refinement.
Pastor Mark

What a week!  Panda-mania Vacation Bible School reminded all of us – young and old alike that God is wild about us! The entire campus was buzzing with activities, songs, Bible stories and crafts. More than 225 children and 100 teen or adult helpers participated. We understand in a new way now – that God made us, God listens to us, God watches over us, God loves us no matter what, and that God gives us good gifts. We have collected bins full of classroom supplies, books, crayons, markers and more for Centro Santa Catalina this week. The decorations from the sanctuary and narthex are already on their way to Vista Ysleta UMC – and curriculum and station materials and props are being saved for First UMC Fabens.  What a week indeed. Good ministry beginning right here at Western Hills UMC in El Paso that will extend down into the lower valley and reach across the border to Centro Santa Catalina.

This Sunday in worship we will be able to hear Rev. Martin Reeves tell us about his work in a place far from El Paso. Martin is a missionary to Peru, who together with his wife Tracy have been blessed with seven beautiful children. Much of their ministry is focused on growing the Body of Christ through children’s ministries, discipleship groups, church planting and leadership training. Come to worship – ready to celebrate all that God is doing in El Paso – and around the world. Remember too that it’s Father’s Day. I know your Heavenly Father would love to spend some time with you in worship.

IHS
Amy

Let’s go get some breakfast

I heard a story recently of two neighbors.  One was a Christian (Tom) who attended church, the other (James) did not believe or like organized religion.  Most of their conversations were in passing, but at times they would engage in deeper conversations about life, family, job, etc. over their backyard fence.  One day, James came to Tom’s front door and shared that his father had died.  He asked that his neighbor pray even though he did not believe.

Later in the evening, Tom noticed James leave his home to go walk along the river front.  Tom followed.  James noticed that he was there, but was not sure why.  Tom did not bother James, he just followed behind.  Maybe it was to make sure he was safe, maybe it was for some other reason, but he was there none the less.  As the night broke into morning, Tom approached James and simply said, “Let’s go get some breakfast.”

John Wesley’s fear about the people called Methodist was not that we would cease to exist, but that we “would have all the form of religion but without the power.”   2000 years ago, God empowered the church with His Spirit.  Today, the world encounters a church that still has access to this power.  How do our lives reflect the power of the Spirit and the love and grace of Jesus Christ?  How does our church prove to the world that we are The Body of Christ?  What are we doing with the power given us by God?  Someone in our lives is longing for us to take them to breakfast.

Look forward to seeing you all this Sunday at Western Hills.
Pastor Bill Case

Patience
Most of us will remember that sermon series during the Lenten season in which we thought about our lives before God from the perspective of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Cardinal Virtues.  As we closed that series with a message about the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5), I published for you a few statements referencing the fruit of the Spirit in their relationship to Love.  I wrote that Patience was Love’s Endurance.

Several members of our congregation have been loving God and Western Hills UMC in an enduring manner as we took time to find the person God was calling to be part of the Western Hills UMC family and direct its music ministry.  We had a false start in March, but now God has blessed us with the quality candidate we believe God has called to us. The best part is, he believes it too.

Mr. Jim Regin (Ree-gin) and his family will be joining our family by or before July 15^th.  There are many things, of course, to be accomplished by them before moving – most importantly, the sale of a home in Salem, Oregon.  His wife Chantal, their two children and the one child “on the way” will be coming to El Paso in the near future to scout out a new place of residence for the family.  As they come, I have invited them to allow us to host them in whatever means they may need.  Soon enough, we will welcome them to Western Hills UMC with an “open-armed” reception as he joins the staff.

Jim hails from southern California, holds a Master Degree in Music from San Jose State, specializing in choral conducting.  He is a very accomplished and published composer, he plays a great jazz piano, and has the chops to direct our accomplished Chancel Choir.  He has served churches in San Diego, Lake Oswego and Salem, Oregon.  We believe his chemistry is right for us, that his competency is well developed, his references and our experiences with him point to good Christian character, and his future contributions at Western Hills UMC look to be exciting.

Please continue in your prayers for Jim and his family as they seek to make their transitions and trek to El Paso.  Best case scenario, Jim will be on board just after the Fourth of July weekend.  Thanks so much for your prayers and thank you for the continuation of them.  The greatest gift you grant any of us who serve on the staff is the gift of your prayers.  Finally, offer your thanks to God that our search is over.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark