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April 3, 2025
Last night we had our last official The Bible Year event. It was another delicious meal with lots of meaningful conversations. It’s been a year of that. I am very grateful for Mary Mallick suggesting The Bible Year and for what she and the other staff members and volunteers did to make sure we had good meals and good discussion. Thank you, also, to Becky Forrest for leading the weekly Zoom discussions. And, thank you to all the classes and individuals who participated in the study. We all have grown through the process.
As we did, many of us found lots of timely correspondence between what we were reading and what was happening in our lives. Frequently it seemed the right passage was read on the day it needed to be. There were also overarching themes that suited personal experiences.
As we enter a time of celebrating the ministry of the Reverend J.T. Brown and pray God’s blessings on J.T., Kate, and Margaret as we anticipate their move this summer, having read the Bible this year, we might recall that God called Abram to leave a place of comfort and familiarity to go to a new place where he was blessed to be a blessing.
A theme that stands out to me right now is the repeated call to sabbath and renewal. Throughout the Bible, from the 10 Commandments to Jesus separating himself for time to pray and be restored, we see that God built into the rhythm of life to work and to rest, to pour out and to be poured into.
The United Methodist Church (like most denominations, as well as academia, and, increasingly, corporations) recognizes that it benefits individuals and those they serve alongside for people to take renewal leaves. These leaves are longer than the Biblical command for weekly Sabbath time. The extended time helps us and those around us know God is more than capable of keeping the world going well without our constant attention to it; they also afford us more refreshment, as well as space to listen and be creative.
I am very grateful that the Staff Parish Relations Committee has granted me a renewal leave, which will be May 6 through June 29 of this year. It is something that I believe will benefit Belin Memorial, my family, and me. I will complete 24 years of fulltime ministry this summer, the most recent of which has included attempting to lead through a pandemic and significant denominational challenges. There have been times of joy and rest, but there have also been plenty that wearied my mind, body, and spirit.
I want to be renewed and reinvigorated for God, for you, for my family, and for me, and those weeks away will help greatly.
While I’m on leave, I will participate in a preaching continuing education event. The theme of it is, “Preaching to Heal the Divide.” I also plan to visit some Civil Rights sites in Alabama and Georgia with a college friend, go with my family to Virginia and bicycle the Skyline Drive with my son, attend Annual Conference in Greenville, have some time on the beach, and do a few of those chores around the house that I say I would do if the world paused for a week.
Of course the world won’t pause, nor will Belin Memorial’s ministry. I am grateful that this leave will happen while pastors J.T. and Sandra are both serving at our church. I am grateful that the Pastoral Cabinet is supportive of all three of us and will do even more to help me have this leave. I am grateful that you are a congregation of ministers who are devoted to God through the ministries at Belin Memorial and will continue to do your part, regardless of which pastors are around.
Speaking of doing our parts, there are plenty of good ministries upon us, such as:
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Keeping the beautiful Belin Gardens in good shape; you can help - contact Henrietta Huff to volunteer.
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Belin Youth will be selling Blessing of the Inlet T-shirts this Sunday, April 6, in the FLC between the services. Blessing T-shirts will be $20.
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United Methodist Men will also be selling Good Friday Fish Fry Tickets this Sunday, April 6, in the FLC between the services. The Fish Fry tickets are $18.
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Wednesday’s Lenten Service on Wednesday, April 9, at 12 Noon, led by our guest preacher, the Reverend Tyler Strange, who is leading a new church start in Carolina Forest.
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A fun day bus trip that Mary Mallick is planning for Thursday, April 17. Enjoy the Spring air as you pick strawberries and have a light lunch. Contact Mary for more information.
I look forward to the meaningful weeks ahead, to the time of rest and renewal that begins for me next month, and to returning to serve God alongside you in July.
With a grateful heart,
Will
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