The woman grasped my hand and fervently thanked me for the wedding ceremony I’d just finished officiating. “It was just so…so spiritual.” I murmured some appropriate words while silently thinking, “Actually, it was Christian.” By the fifth time I’d heard this same word used as praise, I began to think what we had here truly was a failure to communicate. The wedding, you see, was 90% from the UMC Book of Worship and most of you would have recognized most of what I said and did. Spiritual. Clearly a word that is actually trying to say a bit more. And the bit more is: not religious. There’s a whole group of people, it seems who could be called SBNR (“Spiritual but not religious”), who seek prayer without the practice of congregational life, Presence without their presence on Sunday and consolation without the commitment to a group of people they don’t get to preselect. Shorthand: no church, no committees, no contributions. Yet there is no question but that they are seeking God ‘s presence and seeking to be better people to their neighbors.

Now there’s a place perhaps that the SBNR and us church folk can meet, even if the meeting is Saturday morning at the gym or Thursday evening at softball practice or Monday morning on the way to the inevitable meeting. What the SBNR crowd misses is what Rabbi Heschel meant when he said that the source of all good action in the world is “awe and wonder” found in worship of God. Otherwise the good leaches out of actions from fatigue and ego. What the church folk crowd can miss is that all the worship in a year of Sundays does not excuse an absence of good action in the world.

In the New Year, perhaps we can be bold enough to be both spiritual and religious, both private and corporate, both hearers and doers of the Word. Invite all your SBNR friends to worship and then work for God…together. Happy New Year in which to serve Christ together.

Pastor Susan 

January is the time we can get together and review what we did together as a congregation in 2011: what we enjoyed, what brought new people in to our community and what sent us out into the community. We need time to celebrate what went well and then we need a time to pray and talk about where we can go from here.

Loving God and Loving Neighbor is more than the title of a book and sermon series we did in 2011. It is the vision of the body of Christ and as such we don’t have to look for a new vision in 2012. We just have to look at our strategies for fulfilling that vision as Shiloh Church. This is not only something for those on ‘official’ committees of the congregation that shepherd our buildings, our funds and our relationship with the conference. It is instead something for every Christian that worships at Shiloh. It is as simple as joining us on Saturday January 14, 2012 at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall. Grab a cup of coffee and a muffin, join us at the table and talk about what we can do to love God and neighbor this winter. If the weather might be too cold for your idea, we’ll save it for our spring ministry planning time. We do this planning every season, four times a year, and then each month those interested will meet to move ahead on each idea. Have an idea? Come and find others who may want to join with you. It only takes a few people to get a ministry off the ground. Need a ministry? Just come and listen. The company’s great! Any questions, don’t hesitate to call Pastor Susan.

Happy New Year youth and youth families! We are moving into 2012 with lots of plans and excitement. We are looking to expand our ministry opportunities, with the youth, in the coming year so get ready to help your students live out The Jesus Creed! You remember - Love God and Love Your Neighbor! The Kentucky Conference sponsors a weekend youth retreat in January each year and Shiloh Youth have attended for the last few years and the kids really look forward to it. We are in need of 2 additional chaperones this year so please consider blessing us with your participation!
Mark your calendars:
Jan 4 - Youth at Shiloh - 7:00-8:30. Outreach Brainstorming Session
Jan 11 - Youth at Shiloh
Jan 18 - Youth at Shiloh
Jan 25- Youth at Shiloh
Jan 27 & 28 - Winter Blitz (card sent home from New Year’s party with more details to follow)

Thank you Jay & Erma Macht for stuffing backpacks at Liberty the busy month of December. Joy Abel and Carole & Dick Jenkins will be our wonderful volunteers for January.

Did you know that Shiloh has been asked to stuff backpacks for Goshen Elementary too? Starting in January, two extra bags will be packed with love and food and headed to Goshen each week. What a blessing for Shiloh to have the opportunity to reach out to more families in need.

Want to join in & stuff backpacks? Let Pauline Moore know. April and May are available.

My most anticipated Christmas present ever came in a box from my brother that sat under the tree for two weeks, wrapped in Christmas paper, glittering with bows . I so eagerly awaited that gift. I picked it up over and over and shook it when no one was looking. Why?. It was because it had air holes punched in it. OK, so I was four years old and not that logical. But the air holes had me hooked. When Manfred the Wonder Dog emerged that Christmas morning I was as excited as if he’d been a real dog. Many years later, he is my Velveteen Rabbit and still in my house. What have you taken out of boxes over the years? Stop and let your mind wander back. Was it a childhood surprise? A gift from your spouse your first Christmas? A handmade surprise from your children?

Do you still believe that wonders can come out of boxes at Christmas? Or are your expectations much lower: a new iSomething, fuzzy slippers, jewelry. This year we can let go of our expectations of the Season. Give our family and friends an A right now. A pass from the usual tensions. True acceptance. The family God created on that first Christmas is beyond blood and boundaries, covering timeless distances. You are part of it. I am part of it. What we can take out of the box this Christmas truly is a living gift. One that needs the air around us to breathe. One that needs our very selves to live. This year, expect more, accept more. This year see all the children of God around you with eyes of grace. Include yourself. Join the story that began “In the beginning”, crossed Egyptian deserts to reach Bethlehem, and stretches from Galilee to Goshen. Merry Christmas! Open your box. It’s time.

Pastor Susan