Lenten Journey

Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (UMH 839)
1 Corinthians 15:19-26; John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8

"Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples:
'I have seen the Lord'." (John 20:18)

Jesus, the Christ, crucified and resurrected, is with us in our joys and in our suffering. We experience him in:

· The face of new Christians in Laos, Bulgaria, Senegal, or Honduras,
· The cry of a mother whose child dies in her arms in Haiti,
· The smiles of youth as they join the church in Havana and Houston,
· The service of volunteers in free health clinics in Kansas and Panama,
· The fear in the eyes of migrants awaiting deportation in Texas,
· The hands of volunteers distributing malaria nets in Zambia,
· The relief in the eyes of families reunited after a storm in Illinois,
· The labor of church builders in Liberia, Nepal, and Latvia,
· The witness of Word and Sacrament in Serbia and Brazil,
· The hungry equipped to grow food in Darfur,
· The hope of a pastor released from unjust detention in the Philippines, and
· The worship of the living God by people of all ages and cultures.
· The faces of the Berry community

Alleluia, Christ is Risen!

Day 40 of Lent - April 3, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: 1 Samuel 3: 1 - 18

There was a time in my life when I clearly made a choice between staying in the church to work for a difference or leaving church to find another way. At that time I was torn about church and my experiences of the institution of church. I felt unable to become a strong self while remaining. It had become oppressive for me. Yet, I did not find a clear path out either. I searched and searched, from Christian Reformed through Catholicism through an American Baptist and Mennonite church, through Episcopalian and Lutheran and finally to United Methodist. And then there was that nagging call from the God who is at the same time searching for me; the call that to be who I am is to be ordained as clergy.

Thank God that I have come to be pastor at Berry Church. I am able to be more fully and completely who I am as pastor, spiritual leader, preacher, activist, mother, and partner here at Berry than at any other place before. There is change happening. At times I feel that the Holy Spirit is waiting to burst out of me and out of us, the body. The building of community, the creativity, and the struggle for justice is what keeps me in church. And then there is that call from God. I am bent to listening with all that I am.

Pastor Sherrie Lowly

Day 39 of Lent - April 2, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Isaiah 6:1-13

Whom Shall I Send (UMH 582)

Whom shall I send?
Our Maker cries: and many,
When they hear God’s voice,
Are sure where their
vocation lies;
but many shrink from
such a choice.

For who can serve a
God so pure,
Or claim to speak
in such a name,
While doubt makes
every step unsure,
And self confuses every aim?

And yet, believing God
who calls knows what we are
and still may be,
Our past defeats,
Our future falls
We dare to answer: Lord, send me!

Those who are called God purifies,
And daily gives us strength
to bend our thoughts, our skills, our energies,
And life itself to this one end

Image: Photograph by Katie Schofield © 2008 Processing by Tim Lowly

Day 38 of Lent - April 1, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 19:13-14

By the Berry Sunday School in an interview with Karen Syverson:
The question Karen asked: Why do you like to come to Berry Church?

Ben: Because we learn about Jesus.

Rudden: At Sunday School we learn about art and stories about Jesus.

Ben: Every church day teaches us about Jesus.

Rudden: We learn about all different God things and Jesus at Sunday School and church.

Ben: Pastor Sherrie and Jim teach us.

Rudden: And also Ryan.

Ben: We just don’t eat the bread and dip it in the juice because we’re hungry. We do it because we love God.

Rudden: We love God and want to be close to him.

Ben: We’re going to go play now.

Rudden: We have to go back to our club.

Evie: I would like to have church every day. Because there are snacks and I like Sunday School. I like all the people, of course.

Caely: We get to pray to God. I like Sunday School because I get to draw pictures.

Ben Peppler, Rudden Gardiner, Evie Peppler, Caely Peppler, Karen Syverson

Day 37 of Lent - March 31, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 10: 40 - 42

Faith into Action

We at Berry believe faith is not only a personal, inward hope and assurance of beliefs, but that faith is also expressed by outward actions of kindness, justice and goodness. We see that our faith in God's love and healing is poured out through us into the neighborhood and the world. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, stated that, "the goal of the Methodist movement is to reform the nation, particularly the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land." We are committed to perpetuate this vision and to spread scriptural holiness as divine love of God and our neighbor-with everything we have and everything we are.

Day 36 of Lent - March 30, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Luke 15: 1 - 7

Initially, I attended Berry because it was in the neighborhood when I first moved to the city. Although I had grown up in the United Methodist Church, I had never attended a reconciling congregation. At that time in my life I needed a church that would provide me with a home that would fully accept me for who I am and give me a place to grow spiritually. I came to appreciate that Berry has not used reconciliation as an excuse to disengage from the world but as one of several ways to engage and transform it for Christ. I look forward to doing my part to help Berry United Methodist Church move forward in its second century.

Submitted by Doug Renkenberger

Day 35 of Lent - March 29, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Isaiah 55:

1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor."
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
which will not be destroyed."

Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Luke 19:28-40; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (UMH 839)

Canticle of Christ’s Obedience (UMH 167)

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a servant,
being born in our likeness.
And being found in human form
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.

Day 34 of Lent - March 27, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Jeremiah 1: 4 - 10

A calling is a deep sense that your very being is implicated in what you do. You feel that you fit into the scheme of things when you do this particular work. You have a sense of purpose and completion in the work. It defines you and gives you an essential tranquility. The work that provides such a deep reward may change over time, and you may go through several periods in your life defined by a different work. Toward the end of your life you may see all the jobs you have done as fateful, composing your life work and answering your calling.”

– Thomas Moore in A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do

Image: from the book of sunday mornings - photography and processing - Tim Lowly © 2010

Day 33 of Lent - March 26, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Psalm 100

What drew me in to Berry is the music. Literally. Living on the same street, my wife and I walked by the building for 2 years without me piecing together it was a church I could attend. Then one evening I heard a brass band practicing through a basement window and I went around the corner to read the sign. We added Berry to our list of churches to visit and soon thereafter had a fantastic first visit. During that service we learned about Berry’s activism, and actions towards social justice, and I got to hear fantastic music. Afterwards we were given a tour and learned about some of the other groups that share the building, such as the Hull House Daycare, the food pantry, the African Methodist church, and some of the local organizations. A few weeks later I was playing harmonica in the Berry Worship Ensemble on a regular basis, and meeting more of the church members. Over the years our children have developed their beliefs with Berry’s help, and Sunday morning church is a big highlight of our week. I love attending a church where children are welcomed and participate in the service, and everyone is family.

Today’s believers come from many viewpoints, some literal, some symbolic, and some that might have been shaped outside a Christian church. It can be difficult for a church to thread together the traditional with the fringes, the outcasts with the status quo, the established believers with those just starting their journey. Berry weaves all of that and more together into a wonderful tapestry, with it often to great music.

Submitted by Jon Peppler

Day 32 of Lent - March 25, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Nehemiah 1: 1 – 11

Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Day 31 of Lent - March 24, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:12-19

(Part 2)

As a part of the community that is Berry, I have shared joys and sorrows, shared births, baptisms, illnesses, weddings, graduations, funerals, and all the other life events that families share. One notable event occurred when my daughter felt left out in her Catholic school as the other second graders were preparing for their First Communion. A sensitive pastor, hearing about the dilemma in a casual conversation over coffee one night, suggested that we have a First Communion for Gloria the same weekend as her schoolmates had theirs -- probably a first in the UMC, and a special memory for many of us.

That is just one example of the so many ways I have felt love and support and maybe most important, acceptance, over the years at Berry. I came to Berry without really knowing what I was looking for. I came with expectations of what it would mean for my daughter. I had no expectations that it would come to be a home for me, a place of constancy, a place where the Holy Spirit is at work in so many unique and creative ways.

I have come to realize that Berry is indeed a unique place. It is a community, and a community that is constantly in motion. As an urban congregation, people come and go. People touch our lives, some deeply, then move on. But the essence of Berry remains though pastors change, members change, children grow up and others are born. Berry is a community. And more importantly, Berry is a community with room for everyone, those with strong faith, seekers and those whose faith wavers, for the churched and the unchurched. It is a place where we can come when we are strong in our faith; it is a place where we can come when we are struggling, doubting and in need of support. It is a community with room for old and young, a reconciling community. It is a community that has enriched my life and one which I am proud to be a part of.

Submitted by Ellen Feliciano

Day 30 of Lent - March 23, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 13:18-23

(Part 1)

Coming to Berry was the first church choice I made for myself. My daughter was nearing 2 years old and I wanted to raise her in the church, as I was raised. The choice to visit Berry was easy, since we live one block away and I had been raised as a Methodist. I had no idea that first Sunday when I walked in to the sanctuary and sat among tiny Memorial Day weekend congregation, what an important place it would become for me and my family. The small but mighty choir made me want to come back. Just a dozen people, but they sounded like three dozen.

I came to Berry with no clear idea of what I was looking for; I had not been active in a church in some time, and I did not visit other churches. So I really had no idea of the uniqueness of Berry--that came much later. I have had the opportunity to participate in many of Berry’s ministries over the years, singing in the choir, teaching youth, and later adult Sunday School, helping with neighborhood Halloween parties, serving on various committees, leading a Christmas musical, participating in Disciple classes, Lectionary Bible study, and a Women’s Spirituality group, serving as a part of the Fine Arts Task Force which eventually became the Lincoln Square Arts Center.

Although I came without knowing what I was seeking, I was indeed a seeker in a true sense. It was because of the groups, the activities, and most of all the relationships I formed along the way that I was induced to stay. Because I stayed, I have been able to learn and grow. When I came to Berry I had no idea that I was good soil, ready to hear and understand. But nonetheless, the seed was planted and nurtured and over time it has grown.

Submitted by Ellen Feliciano

Day 29 of Lent - March 22, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read Micah 6:6-8

When I started attending Berry with Ted and Cadence in the fall of 2005, I came with a heavy baggage of doubt regarding my personal experience with the Christian faith. Since the beginning, Berry has been a place of healing and a safe haven for me to have my doubts and questions without fear of being judged. It's truly become a family and home for us.

I am grateful for the support I’ve received from the Berry community as a parent, especially to a very rambunctious, spirited child like Cadence. I feel so much less alone in trying to make compassionate parenting choices because of my friendships with other parents at Berry, as well as the generosity and compassion of the whole Berry community. This is a place where I know Cadence will feel safe to be herself as she grows up, and that is truly a great gift to any child.

I see in Berry the genuine embodiment of Micah 6:8--to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. The collective heart and spirit at Berry is so big and generous, and it means so much to me to be a part of that.

Submitted by Sarah Rhee

Sunday, March 21, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126 (UMH 847), Philippians 3:4b-14,
John 12:1-8

Because the Last Supper was celebrated during the Feast of the Passover, which is calculated on the phases of the moon, Easter is called a movable feast. Lent is scheduled backwards from Easter. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon after the spring equinox. The forty days of fasting and penitence during Lent do not include Sundays. Christians always celebrate Sunday as the day Jesus rose from the dead, so it is never a day of fasting.

Many Northern Europeans celebrate the day before Ash Wednesday, mardi gras (French for Fat Tuesday, also called Shrove Tuesday), by eating up everything good in the house that medieval Christians believed was inappropriate to eat during Lent (eggs, butter, cream, meat). This celebration has expanded into all sorts of festivals all over the world, although most modern Christians do eat some - or all - of those foods during Lent.

Lent is a time of stripping down to essentials, as each Christian focuses on his or her individual relationship with God. It is a time when Christians remember our baptisms, when Jesus washed away our sins, giving us newness of life to celebrate in the triumph of Palm Sunday and the glory of Easter. Many early Christians were baptized on Easter Sunday, so Lent became a special time of study and prayer in preparation for their baptisms. Later the entire congregation joined in the study and prayer as they looked forward to the anniversary of their baptisms on Easter.

Day 28 of Lent - March 20, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: 1 Kings 17: 1 – 7

God gives each person the skills and the tools needed for the work to which they are called. Elijah is an example of a person who was fitted well to his role. God gave him the strength and courage to deliver an unwanted message to the powerful and evil King Ahab. He stood firm and told Ahab that there would be neither rain nor dew these years, except by God’s word. At that time, Baal was thought to be in the power of the god of death and sterility. Elijah’s message to Ahab was that Baal has nothing to do with bringing rain, but rather God controls the rain and the drought, and ultimately life and death.

Then after delivering his message, God told Elijah to hide himself by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan. While there, Elijah drank water from the Wadi. So the faithful prophet was rewarded in the time of drought with the water that he needed. And God sent ravens to bring meat to Elijah. God could have chosen to send angels to feed Elijah, but instead chose ravens, among the meanest of creatures.

Just as God used the ravens, God can use the lowliest of humans to fulfill the divine purpose. And God equips us for the challenges, just as Elijah was equipped. And God provides a river of living water that will not fail us.

Image: Beloved, Tim Lowly © 2004, acrylic on panel, 31.5" x 24"

Day 27 of Lent - March 19, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Luke 22:14 - 20

Over thirty years ago, the late Henri Nouwen wrote a small book entitled, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life (New York: Image Books, 1975). According to Nouwen, he wrote the book to respond to the question, "What does it mean to live a life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ?" He wanted to give expression to what he believed to be the primary task of a spiritual life, that of "reaching out"— toward self, toward others, and toward God.

In the midst of a turbulent, often chaotic, life we are called to reach out with courageous honesty to our innermost self, with restless care to our fellow human beings, and with increasing prayer to our God. To do that, however, we must face and explore our inner restlessness, our mixed feelings toward others, and our deep-seated suspicions about the absence of God. (Nouwen, p.15)

What I found most profound about the book was Nouwen’s use of the notion of "hospitality" to describe the aim of our reaching out to others. I had not previously connected hospitality, especially its biblical significance, with the direction of the spiritual journey. Now, years after I first read Nouwen’s book (one of his most insightful, I think), my reading of Scripture is nearly always done with an ear tuned to talk around a table, to invitations for dinner, and to miracles involving food.

I invite you during this season of Lent to pay special attention to how Christ is made known—to you and to others—in the breaking of bread. On his way to the cross, Christ is often around the table, teaching, listening, and in some way or another, reaching out to those in search of God’s kingdom.

As you make your way toward the cross this season, take time with Jesus at the table. He is reaching out to you.

By Rev. Mark Price
From www.umc.org

Day 26 of Lent - March 18, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read Genesis 28: 2 - 4

On Picking "Berry"s

As a long term member of Berry UMC I have chosen to Pick Berry as my church home. About 9 years ago I was drawn to move out of the neighborhood, and tried the neighborhood churches at the new home. Now I drive about 8 miles to attend services and events at Berry, usually several times a week. So the question has come up - why do I continue to Pick "Berry"s?

Berry Church is a wonderful open and friendly place. It's "Berry"s (the people who come here) are exceptional. There is love in this congregation that welcomes you in, and makes you want to linger and savor the feeling. There is no rigidity, no artificial fixed rules to wall you in.

And there is incredible talent here: talent of all sorts - art, music, theatre, organizational, speakers, cooks, tradesmen, spiritual leaders, and so many more I cannot express. And all of these Berry's are willing to share their talent and skill and friendship and love.

And perhaps the most important - I Pick "Berry"s because it has become Home. Shelter from wind, rain and hazard. A place to meet and make friends. A place to share what I have to bring, talent or burden, in a safe environment. A place to rejoice with friends the little victories, and to get help to lift the blues of failure. While I coach others in business matters, the "Berry"s coach me in life, lifting my spirits, filling the voids with joy and love.

And so to all my existing "Berry"s - I can only offer my deep felt thanks for being there, with the thought that I'll be there for you on another day. This is community. I Pick "Berry"s.

Submitted by Judy Yates

Image: berry tree (for sherrie) by Tim Lowly

Day 25 of Lent - March 17, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 18: 21 - 22

We believe in living deeply, laughing often and loving always.
We believe we were brought together to support and care for one another.
We believe in celebrating together – Our faith, our heritage, our traditions.
We believe that everyone’s feelings count and that the uniqueness of each of us strengthens all of us.

We believe in the power of forgiveness to heal and in the power of love to carry us through.

Day 24 of Lent - March 16, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: Luke 12:32–39

Money plays a major role in our personalities. It influences how we live, how we relate to others, our goals and the way other people see us. Contrary to popular culture, though, it is our philosophy toward money rather than how much money we have or do not have that exerts these enormous influences.

Herb Miller, in the book ‘Money Isn’t Is Everything’ suggests that how we think and feel about money falls into one of four general categories:

Some people feel that money isn’t important, and money doesn’t buy happiness.
Some people feel that money is the most important thing in life
Others believe that life is like two lanes of traffic; money is important in the material lane, but not in the spiritual lane. You move into the spiritual lane to connect with God, but back into the material lane to be in touch with the real world.
Jesus held a fourth view; Jesus said that money is everything in a spiritual sense. He said that the way we think and behave with regard to money impacts us both physically and spiritually. Its use and misuse affect our relationship with God and affect the quality of our lives.

Jesus’ insistence that money is both physical and spiritual explains why he spoke of it so frequently. According to Miller, 27 of Jesus 43 parables refer to money and possessions. One out of every 10 verses in the four Gospels deals with money. This focus isn’t unique to the New Testament. The Bible includes 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, and 2,000 verses on money and what it buys.

The Yaguey tree in Cuba is a living parable illustrating Jesus view on money. The Yaguey tree begins its life when a bird or the wind deposits its seed in the moist crevice on the trunk of another tree. The seed takes root and begins to grow. Its thin string-like roots go down the tree and eventually find the earth. Then, the Yaguey begins to grow upward. New roots form, gradually creating a net encasing the host tree. Slowly, the outer tree strangles the inner tree, and the parasite that arrived as a guest becomes the only tree remaining alive. That is what Jesus says happens to us if we do not unselfishly practice the giving of our money to help the less fortunate. The guest in our pocket becomes commander in chief. What we have overtakes us, with eternal consequences.

Sometimes we as humans behave as though we have all the time in the world, thinking that we can slide by for a time, and then turn ourselves around without consequences. The verse that we read makes it very clear that every day matters. Like the roots of the Yaguey tree, our attitude toward money grows daily, overtaking us. We do not know the day or the hour when we will be called to account. We need to live each day in a way that ensures that the roots do not get the opportunity to take hold and that we will not be strangled by the guest in our pocket.

Day 23 of Lent - March 15, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:4-7

There is just something to be said for the beauty of being in the right place at the right time.

We first attended Berry in April of 2008 and I was looking for community, connection and a way to ground myself in the neighborhood. I was really ready to be planting roots both literally and figuratively. I had found my home in Chicago at long last and I was open and ready to find my spiritual home too. Berry provided me with a beautiful garden within which I could plant roots and grow in the sunshine. Little did I know how fast I could grow in such a garden. Berry's spiritual garden, in a warm and safe bed, was the perfect place for me and my family. I really truly have felt that my flower fit right in with the beautiful garden already at work, growing, beautifying, aerating, the space within and without. I believe Berry's spiritual garden is flourishing, even in the cold of winter. The soil is rich, the colors are vibrant and diverse, the roots are strong and deep.

I've never felt such a closeness, or warmth from a spiritual community before. Here at Berry I've been inspired to do and share more of myself than I had ever been able to before. I was ready and open and thank God that the Miracle of Berry had open arms and seemed ready for me too. I could go on and on, I can't say enough about Berry and my experience here. About how deeply and passionately I feel after less than a year here about participating in our community and doing right by it now and for generations to come.

Submitted by Diane Schoff Brooks

Sunday, March 14, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Read: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; II Corinthians 5:16-21;
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

The color used in the sanctuary for most of Lent is purple, red violet, or dark violet. These colors symbolize both the pain and suffering leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus as well as the suffering of humanity and the world under sin. But purple is also the color of royalty, and so anticipates through the suffering and death of Jesus the coming resurrection and hope of newness that will be celebrated in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Some churches use grey for Ash Wednesday or for the entire season of Lent, or for special days of fasting and prayer. Gray is the color of ashes, and therefore a biblical symbol of mourning and repentance. The decorations for the sanctuary during Lent should reflect this mood of penitence and reflection. Some Anglican churches use unbleached muslin, which can range from white to beige, with accents in red or black for Lent to symbolize this same spirit of penitence.

Day 22 of Lent - March 13, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 13:33-35

I have been attending Berry since I was about five years old. Obviously this means that I initially did not attend by choice, but I am thankful that my mom made it for me. Ever since the first time that I attended, I have considered Berry my church home. Attendance here has made is possible for me to participate in many activities that have allowed me to not only have fun and meet great people, but to simultaneously grow in my faith with God. I can remember praising God through song during children's choir, learning Bible stories about Jesus and prophets during Sunday School, leading others in worship when I was given an opportunity to be liturgist, and pushing myself to explore my beliefs and faith during confirmation class.

Although I no longer attend Berry on a regular basis because I am away at school, these experiences are still a part of me and have helped shape my walk with Christ.

Another thing that I did not realize until college when I had something to compare Berry to, is that Berry is truly a one of a kind church. Our accepting nature makes us stand apart from more 'traditional' congregations because our openness is truly an example of what Jesus meant by "Love your neighbor." We do not condemn or judge what other churches might turn their back on which makes Berry an extremely strong family. This allows members and friends to lean on one another in times of need or for growth and understanding of God.

Submitted by Emilie Bowman

Day 21 of Lent - March 12, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Read: Matthew 18:12-14

(Part 3)
The United Methodist Church’s motto is Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. For some it is just words, for others it is action. I like the saying that "we judge ourselves by our intentions while the world judges us by our actions." Or as scripture says, not "just in words or speech but in deeds and truth."

Pastor Sherrie opened a door and she had an open heart and open mind.

She invited me in, she welcomed me on the journey of faith, her willingness to open the door to pursue and use my gifts and talents led to something greater. Offering healing, opportunity, possibility, empowerment.

You remember the show or maybe you still watch it. The Price is Right?

Bob Barker used to say ‘Come on Down.’ Jesus did that all the time. You afflicted, come on down, I will drive out those negative voices that enslave you. You a leper you come on down here and let me touch you. You a woman, you want to learn about God’s love for you, come on down. You lost, those 99 sheep just up and left you. Come on down.

You have dreams, visions, talents and gifts you want to use and express your creativity in a safe and welcoming place, you come on down. The door is open, our minds are open, our hearts are open and if they aren’t we will keep praying that they will be.

Submitted by Jerry Miller

Image: Celebrant, Tim Lowly © 1987, tempera on panel, 15" x 11", private collection, New York

Day 20 of Lent - March 11, 2010

berrycapitalcampaign@gmail.com (Berry Capital Campaign) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Read: John 10:11-18

(Part 2)

They say if you are out of work don’t stay home and get depressed but take action and if you can’t find work do something that you enjoy, something that interests you.

So I went to the pastor at Berry Memorial United Methodist church and told her that I wanted to do a play. And she said, “that’s wonderful, let’s do it.” She opened the door and that is why I am in the ministry today and continuing to do arts and evangelism. This pastor also had an open heart. I remember that I had come to the church and it was Ash Wednesday and I had forgotten about the service or had a prior commitment. But I saw her in the office and she said come here, and she took the time to put the ashes on my forehead and pray for me. She had an open heart. And this pastor also had an open mind.

She befriended a parishioner who was challenged in some ways to almost every church event she attended. And I thought boy that is really admirable. But it gave me an open mind to become friends with that parishioner and he today is still a wonderful friend. And the next pastor at the church helped me get appointed by the District Superintendent as part time fine arts minister and helped me get employed as a part time secretary at the church. She was open to my ministering alongside of her.

Submitted by Jerry Miller