"You Don't Know Me"

In an effort to be more mellow and in touch with feelings, I was listening to The Best of Ray Charles and one song popped out at me. While I understand it’s supposed to be a love ballad, I couldn’t help but hear the lyrics, “you don’t know me,” and thinking, that’s right, I may not know you, but I want to help you.

This past Christmas, many times I put money in the bucket for the Salvation Army. I don’t know the recipients, but I still want to help.

I may never meet a World Communion Scholar. Sure, I could say, “I don’t know you” and therefore not give. However, my heart says even though you don’t know them, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give.It is my hope that in 2009, even though “you don’t know me,” you will still give to worthy causes that truly make a difference in people’s lives – such as the Special Sundays, The Advance, V-Day.org or Heifer International.

Why can’t every day be Christmas?

I’ll be showing my age if I talk about a Christmas movie from my childhood, “There Once Was A Christmas That Almost Wasn’t” (1966). The movie contained a song that has stuck in my brain all these years, crowding out things my wife and boss might think are important. Imagine that…

Why can’t everyday be Christmas?

The practical answer, of course, is that if everyday were Christmas, it wouldn’t be special anymore. Wouldn’t make our hearts beat faster, wouldn’t keep us up at night with the excitement of how someone was going to react to that very special gift. There wouldn’t be a season of preparing for Christ’s coming, anticipating, and the joy of that birth and the exclamation point in the story of our salvation.

I think about that song, though, when I see the spirit in a person that is so prevalent this time of year. We give generously. We don’t pass the kettle without putting in a buck. We give food baskets. We volunteer at soup kitchens and shelters. We visit the sick, infirm, elderly, those in prison. We give of ourselves so generously.

That’s the part that would do well to last all year round. Those folks who are shut in or locked up will still be there in January; and the food pantry shelves will be pretty empty in February and March. The soup kitchen will need a few extra hands come April, and so on…

So while I believe it honors Jesus’ birth to celebrate it once a year (it isn’t one day, by the way, but a 12 day season) I think it honors Jesus life and ministry when we carry that spirit of compassion and generosity through the whole season. Why not? Why can’t every day be Christmas?

--Ken Sloane, Director of Communications Ministry Team, United Methodist Communications

Do we really need another "thing"?

How many boxes of chocolate covered cherries will be bought this year for Christmas?

What about another coffee mug or tie tack?

Do you ever find yourself buying things for people because you can’t think of anything else?

What about making a donation to a worthwhile cause in their name? This saves the recipient yet another mug to clutter up their cabinet and it allows the giver to do something to better the world. That is exactly what a family in Temple, Texas did. Instead of buying presents for one another, they put that money toward a charity.

Imagine the number of bed nets that is eradicating malaria that could be bought. Or imagine the number of scholarships that could be awarded through the United Methodist Student Day Offering.

This year, rethink church and rethink giving. Think more about the impact of your gift rather than the material value. Personally, I don’t need yet another pair of fuzzy slippers. I’d rather my family purchase a bed net.

Face the sun and Son!

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. - Maori proverb


The Maori people are native to New Zealand. I thought this proverb was very interesting. Too often, I think we find ourselves in a state of disarray with our back to the sun so that the shadows are projected in front of us. You can also think about this in a different sense – when we have our backs to the Son. Isn’t that what usually happens? When we turn our back on God, doom and gloom begin to appear in front of us. However, when we turn around and face the Son, that doom and gloom turns away and behind us and we can look to a bright future. Much like when we turn and face the sun – the shadows fall behind you.

What does this have to do with Connectional Giving you ask? Part of being facing the Son is giving of our time, prayer and offerings. Doing this is abiding by God’s mandate to give back a portion of what he has given us.

Do you find that when things aren’t going your way that you fall behind on your giving and fall out of the shining light of the Son? By giving generously through the hard times, we can continue to see the bright future – a future with hope. I’m not saying that it will only be sunshine and roses with the Son, but it’s so much more worth it than the doom and gloom of turning your back to the Son.

It is my prayer for you that you will always turn your face to the Son and sun and let the doom and gloom be forgotten.

--Tracy Wood, Web Content Coordinator, United Methodist Communications

Just Imagine...

I was listening to "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me and it got me thinking about imagining what we could do if we all gave or if we all took just enough.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and people across the United States will go without food because they can’t afford food. Other people will waste plates and plates of food because “their eyes are bigger than their stomach.” Imagine the number of people we could feed if we just too what we needed from the table. Or, imagine what we could do if we took the money from the left overs and gave that to someone who could truly benefit from the money.

I don’t mean the man begging for alcohol on the street – rather the family scraping to make the rent that doesn’t have extra money for bread and milk each week. Or the single father of 3 children who can’t provide clothes that fit. Or the woman in the battered women’s shelter who is trying to start her life over – free from abuse.

Just imagine what we could do if we all gave.

Just imagine.

This Thanksgiving, I hope and pray that you’ll see the need and give to a charity, shelter, church or the United Methodist Student Day offering. Giving the gift of education to persons who would otherwise be unable is giving the gift of hope and future. They will be forever thankful.


--Tracy Wood, Web Content Coordinator, United Methodist Communications

Too Much Stuff?

For those of us living in the United States, we’re entering into what is often called “the holiday season.” Like there is a season for holidays, or holy days. As if each day wasn’t holy in its own way.

These days that encompass Thanksgiving and Christmas (and on to New Year’s Day) get lumped together because one launches the shopping season and the others mark it’s conclusion. If you have any money left by the time you reach the end of November, prepare to see it vanish by the time the calendar year comes to a close.

Maybe this was obvious to everyone else, but this year I am struck by the contrast of a day where we celebrate the multitude of blessings we have, giving thanks to God for gracious love and goodness, and before the turkey and pie have been digested and before we have concocted our first configuration of leftovers, we launch into a frenzied attempt to acquire, consume and collect more stuff. At anytime, the sanity of this could be questioned, but the timing here leaves me amazed.

Have you ever heard Eric Bibb’s song, “Too Much Stuff”? It’s a good listen as we get ready for this season of consumption.

Is there any way out of this insanity? Actually there is. On the day after Thanksgiving, stay home, make yourself a sandwich, sit by your computer, and visit the website for The Advance. Have your Christmas list by your side – most of those folks are people who already have too much stuff. Then make donations in their name to United Methodist missions.

· 100% of your gift goes to people in need.
· All of the Advance’s operating expense comes from World Service Fund apportionments.
· Your gift can be acknowledged with an email or you can print out a beautiful card.

You will have done something extremely appropriate for the season that falls between the remembrance of our blessings and the birth of the Savior!

-- Rev. Dr. Ken Sloane, Director of Communications Ministry, United Methodist Communications

It's a call, not a choice

As I was having a conversation with a colleague of mine, Nancy, she was expressing that her vocation of ministry was a call, it wasn't a choice like going into law or medicine or information technology.

And I have to agree with her.

To go into ministry, you have to be called into the field. It's not a vocation that someone goes into for the money or fame. There's a high level of personal satisfaction that has to drive this call, as well as the call from God.

But what if you don't have the call? Is all lost?

Heaven's no. By giving to your church, you're enabling those who have gotten the call to minister with those who are lost. You can help missionaries in Africa spread the news of Christ through an AIDS seminar. Or help in the resconstruction of hope from those who lost everything from Hurricane Katrina.

You can even give online to Special Sundays - including One Great Hour of Sharing, Peace with Justice Sunday and United Methodist Student Day. United Methodist Student Day is November 30, 2008. Your gift truly makes a difference in the lives of students!