Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network: December update: Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network

Dear Reconciling friends:

The Church within a Church movement is unique and not the same as RMN or Reconciling Ministry Network --- but very much akin in spirit!

Many who are RUM's or Reconciling United Methodists are also members of and active in the Church Within a Church Movement as well as other groups seeking justice for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities such as: HRC or Human Rights Campaign, Soulforce, Affirmation, More Light and other faith justice groups.. we are all seeking a more fully inclusive faith community.. we are all God's children wanting to birth new beginnings.

We are sending out the latest Devotional from Church Within a Church - for our spirits at ADVENT as we seek "Another Great Spiritual Awakening" in the UMC and in our faith communities this Advent -- it seems that change will not come without spiritual renewal of our hearts and spirits, honest conversations, collaboration, working together, coalitions, networking, rainbows of promise, along with caring and growing the circle of friends who care about those who are marginalized and not fully accepted through our barriers.

We are aware of the wounded Body of Christ with those who feel excluded from God's community and we want to make sure they do not feel excluded from God's unconditional love too -- we are hoping for a spiritual awakening that includes our hearts, minds and souls --- to seek the way to justice, reformation, reconciliation and HOPE at this advent time.

We hope that your Advent is meaningful and that you find ways to GIVE to justice work through your local reconciling group or other inclusive group, that you find ways to ADVOCATE and do ACTIONS in missions and outreach each day or that you start a small reconciling support group of friends to gather and share books, movies, conversation, stories, coffee or tea.. pain and hope.

We pray that we all remember the UM Global AIDS fund Special Offering in NE this coming Sunday on December 5 as this offering reaches out its arms of LOVE to others who are battling HIV AIDS in NE and the world! See www.umcneb.org for info on this Special offering in recent UM connects!

The website is www.umglobalaidsfund.org with an HIV AIDS Toolkit that is downloadable / info for local churches and people.

If you want to be an AIDS ambassador in your local church or on your faith journey, contact us! mvetter@charter.net ormartaw@hamilton.net or Andrew at: casemananger2@kearneynap.org today!

Peace and hope to all, Maureen Vetter and Wendy Smith, NE contacts for RMN along with PRN contacts, Main Email Contacts, Local Contacts and RUM's around NE and the world along with many others! www.RMNetwork.org See us on Facebook Groups: Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network and our new blog:

PS Thanks to all the many VOLUNTEERS who work locally and to get out info and news this year to the NE statewide reconciling network of friends! We give thanks to these folks who keep the news flowing as they have time in their busy lives! It is God's love at work within each of us.

We do all of our justice work with Volunteers and we have no budget per se.. our offerings go to RMN and our time,energy and talents are all IN HOUSE and a gift to each other and to all those who are marginalized -- we thank all of you who help in any way with a conversation, with sharing a cup of tea or mocha, with an email, with your offerings, with signing a petition, with getting together and meeting up to share God's love!

Be watching for more news from our NE local reconciling groups after World AIDS Day events, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, nature / peace / spiritual renewal / friend & family time!

----- Original Message -----

From: Church Within A Church Movement

To: mvetter@charter.net

Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 7:01 AM

Subject: December Devotion: "What Will We Birth in This Advent Season?"

Having difficulty viewing email? www.cwac.us

"A progressive Methodist-related Movement dedicated to BEing the fully inclusive church"

Resources for the Justice Journey:

December Devotion: What will we birth in this season?

Rev. Susan J. Morrison

An Advent Reflection by Rev. Susan J. Morrison

Advent! The liturgical season inaugurates a new year on the liturgical calendar and the Advent scriptures call us to watch and wait, to clean and prepare, to be ready! Yet, all too often, these admonitions are lived "externally." We watch and wait for the Christmas parties and for Santa, the symbol of the giving and receiving of gifts. We clean and decorate our houses. We prepare our shopping lists and then shop 'til we drop. And all of this is in readiness for Christmas itself, when, exhausted, we give thanks that the watching and waiting, the cleaning and preparing, the readying of season is finally over.

Clearly, the "external" scurry and flurry was not what was intended by the gospel writers. Instead, these Advent scriptures were invitations to watch and wait, to clean and prepare, to ready ourselves "internally" and spiritually for the coming of the Christ child. It is a season when the tomb becomes the womb, and the season is one of preparing for birth. It's a pregnant time when we anticipate not only the birth of Jesus but the birthing of God within ourselves. It was Meister Eckhart, the 13^th century Christian mystic, who reminded us that we are all meant to be mothers of God. "What good is it," he wrote, "if Mary gave birth to the Son of God 1400 years ago and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and my culture? We are all meant to be mothers of God."

If we are, indeed, all called to be mothers of God and to participate in bringing God's promise to fulfillment, then Advent becomes a time to ponder and reflect and discern just what it is that we will birth in this season.

Through the ages, the prophets have modeled how to be "mothers of God." Anna Howard Shaw was one of those prophets. What could have been life in a tomb became life in the womb for this woman. With determination and trust in God's purposes, she entered Boston University School of Theology in 1876, the only woman in her class of 42 young men. Surviving on milk and crackers because there was no scholarship nor accommodations for this woman-would-be-pastor, Anna knew what it meant to be hungry. Following graduation, her name was presented for ordination at the New England Spring Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held in Boston in 1880. Denied ordination by the MEC, she sought ordination in the Methodist Protestant Conference and in October, 1880, was ordained in a service that was impressive and beautiful. Cheered, reviled, abandoned, vilified, respected, threatened and companioned, Anna spent her years working for the causes of temperance and suffrage.

Anna Howard Shaw's prophetic voice was heard recently at Boston University's Marsh Chapel, as Rev. Annie Britton portrayed Anna's life and story in a brief reenactment. It was touching beyond words. Here was Annie, a 21^st century prophet, one of the first to be ordained by CWAC Movement, sharing the harrowing tale of Anna's story of ordination: rejection and exclusion by one denomination and acceptance and ordination by another. Here was Annie, a 21^st century prophet, by her mere presence, challenging the status quo, and calling her listeners to be workers for justice and inclusion. Here was Annie, a 21^st century prophet who had moved from tomb to womb in order to birth new possibilities.

I give thanks for Anna. I give thanks for Annie. I give thanks for the Church Within A Church Movement that is a birthing place for justice and inclusion, where progressive liturgy and new church starts and extraordinary ordinations and anti-racism training model being an inclusive, progressive church living tomorrow today!

May we all be mothers of God this Advent season, birthing hope and peace, justice and love, as we participate in bringing God's promises to fulfillment.