February 12, 2022

 

Today I officiated a graveside service for a man who was one of my youth leaders in the early 1970's at my childhood church. Harold Glover did not have many people attending his funeral today. At 94, he outlived most of his contemporaries. Plus, he moved from Savannah after he retired, and many people lost touch with him. Based on the small crowd at the cemetery, you would have never known that Harold, along with his wife, Betty, and another couple, Bob and Betty Simmerly, had touched the lives of countless young people in Savannah as youth leaders. Back in those days, most church staffs only consisted of a minister, secretary, custodian, and church musician. Everything else (nursery, children's ministries, youth ministries, adult ministries) relied on the volunteer spirit and efforts of the members of the church. Fortunately for me and many other young people and their parents, the Simmerlys and the Glovers chose to navigate our youth group.

It was known all over Savannah that Betty and Bob Simmerly were the coolest youth leaders in town. They were loud, flamboyant, theatrical, and progressive. Young people flocked to them. Harold, on the other hand, was on the quiet side. This tall figure of a man tended to hide in the shadows—very seldom saying anything, but always there—ready to serve and lend a hand—with great humility, I may add.

Harold drove the church bus. The old, used "Blue Bus" was the butt of many jokes. It had LOTS of problems. We literally pushed it more than we rode in it. We boarded the shock absorber-less bus for a youth trip to Florida, feeling every bump along the way. When we finally landed at our destination, my sister, Wendy, who was about 16 at the time, got very sick. She was in excruciating pain.

Wendy was taken to the hospital where it was determined that the old Blue Bus had shaken some kidney stones into her system. The doctor wanted to admit her to the hospital, but Wendy wanted to go home.

The quiet Harold Glover came to the rescue. A station wagon had also made the trip in order to carry food and supplies. Harold folded down the seats of the wagon and with blankets created a bed for Wendy. Then he gently drove her all the way back to Savannah, trying not to hit one bump. Wendy said. "I wasn't sure who was more grateful to make it back home—me or Harold."

I wish I had known back in those days what I know now. After being married and raising a family, I better understand what the Glovers and Simmerlys sacrificed for our benefit. They made us a priority - they spent time with us—they let us know we were loved and cared for—even though they were trying to hold down full-time jobs, raise children, and deal with the headaches of life.

But I know Harold would have had it no other way. You could tell that he got so much joy and fulfillment out of serving. Perhaps that was the biggest impact he made on me and many others. We learned from Harold Glover that it is indeed better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). I pray that all of us at Asbury & Wesley Oak will experience the joy from giving that Harold Glover exuded and lived. When we transition from a pandemic to an endemic, we are going to need people who are willing to go the extra mile to help and serve others so we can reconnect and build relationships again. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. 

We received good news from our Health and Safety Task Force this week. Since we are doing better with Covid cases and since vaccines and the booster have been accessible, we will be taking some major steps toward normalcy. Starting a week from this Sunday, our choir will be back, we'll be having our outside Coffee Hour, and we'll even start passing the offering plates again! (And the preacher says, "Praise God!") 

Hopefully you saw the email from our administrator, Randy Canady, that gave a list of all of the upcoming changes. We, of course, will still be wearing masks, but we're excited about some of the new things we'll be able to do. Thanks for all that each of you have done to keep others and yourself safe. 

By the way, if anyone wants to join the choir, now is a good time to join. They will be just be starting to work on their music for Lent. Email Ray Ellis if you would like to know more about the choir. 

You should soon be receiving by email a survey called, "Readiness 360" that our consultant, Paul Nixon, would like every church member to fill out. The results will help Paul in guiding us, so please take the time to fill out and send back. If someone is unable to fill it out, please contact the church office.

I want to remind everyone that Rev. Claire Marich will be facilitating an 8-week study starting this Wednesday, February 16th. The study is based on Julia Cameron's book, Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Greater Connection. You don't have to be a member of Asbury to participate, and you don't have to live in Savannah because it will be a Zoom study. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with others. Please read the article on the front of the February Newsletter about the study and how to register for it. And share the news about this opportunity with others. The newsletter can be found on our website. 

Cheri and I are looking forward to continuing the tradition of leading a Renewal of Vows Ceremony for married couples on Valentine's Day. We hope all married couples that want to renew their vows will join us by Zoom at 6:00 pm on February 14th. Here is the Zoom information:

Cheri Hester (she/her) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Renewal of Vows Ceremony

Time: Feb 14, 2022, 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

The title for Sunday's sermon is, "The Dualism of God." 

I know. It sounds academic and "heady," In other words, "boring." 

But let's see what happens. Rarely is dualism - good vs. evil, for instance - boring.

I'm not sure where the Spirit will take me on this journey with Psalm 1 and Luke 6:17-26. If you have a chance, take a look at these two lectionary texts before Sunday and see where they lead you. 

Love & peace,