Flying Solo?

During this month, our Home Team began more earnestly to prepare ourselves through prayer. Some of us paired up with members of the Mission Team so that we could lift up our concerns and praises in prayer. As we gather together in pairs and in groups, we are called to reflect on the blessings of praying in community.

"Christians who fly solo usually crash. They set off to storm the heavenly places by themselves by usually come spiraling down, burned by the sun and by their own spiritual pride. Christianity has always known that we need each other for this long and perilous journey, and that we need to be accountable to each other. So from the earliest times, Christians have gathered together in communities, first in the deserts of North Africa, then in the monasteries founded under the inspiration of St. Benedict, then later in various spin-off communities such as the Cistercians and Franciscans, and in our own day in new communities exploring a contemporary expression of community life, such as at Iona and Taize.

And of course the most common form of Christian community, covering every part of the globe, is the local church -- that place where the values of the kingdom of God are tested daily. This si where we can learn the importance of prayer, and the first rule of the spiritual journey -- that we travel together.

Do you think of yourself as an individual believer who sometimes joins other individual believers, or as a member of a family of believers, sometimes operating alone?"

- taken from How to Pray, by John Pritchard

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Not Just Us, but Many

CCUMC chose this summer to embark on a mission trip to Uganda. But, did you know that there are hundreds if not thousands of opportunities to engage in mission work and outreach through the United Methodist Church programs?

United Methodists have believed, from the beginning, that each of us is called to participate in the outreaching ministry of Jesus Christ. John Wesley described this work in simple, practical terms: "Do all the good you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can."

Putting our faith into action is at the very heart of our Christian calling. By volunteering to serve through programs such as United Methodist Volunteers in Mission or the Mission Volunteers program of The General Board of Global Ministries, every person in the church has the opportunity to serve and to live their calling more faithfully.

Volunteers embody Christian love in action by bringing their diverse talents to mission programs, local outreach ministries, and emergency response and recovery work around the world.

If you are interested in learning more information, visit the UM Volunteer site. Here are links to two very interesting volunteer opportunities:

Global Justice Volunteers: This program provides young adults, 18-25 years old, opportunities to live and learn alongside people whose lives are shaped by justice work. Global Justice Volunteers volunteer at the grassroots level for a set term of 2-3 months. In spring of 2008, GJVs were placed at sites in Hong Kong, Korea, and China. Way cool!

NOMADS: Do you have an RV? Do you like to volunteer? The NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service) program offers persons with recreational vehicles the opportunity to share their time and skills in meaningful Christian service at United Methodist-related mission agencies, camps, churches, and in disaster response. Spending up to three weeks at a project site, NOMADS enjoy fellowship with other Christians while traveling with a purpose. What could be better?!

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St. Patrick's Breastplate, for our team members

“Christ be with me, Christ within me;
Christ behind me, Christ before me;
Christ beside me, Christ to win me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger;
Christ in hearts of those who love me;
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

This prayer flips upside down a lot of things that we normally think about when we prepare for a journey. Sometimes, we think going on a mission trip means we are "bringing" God "to" a people, a place, a culture, a time... But God is every where and can be found anywhere -- even "in mouth of friend and stranger". That could mean Christ is embodied in the person who is a friend, and also the person who is a stranger, someone you don't know.

And, Christ is within us just as Christ is within those we visit. Christ goes before us to prepare, and Christ follows behind to push us when we can't take that next step.

Let us prepare ourselves, ladies and gentlemen, for we are falling excruciatingly in love with the work God has called us to do. And the Spirit will catch us when we fall.

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Mission Trip Prayer Calendar: May 2009

As we enter into May, all of us on the Mission Team, the Host Team, and the Home Team continue with our preparations for the summer mission trip to Kumi. We begin this month's phase of preparations with a Prayer Calendar. We join in the mission trip with our prayers, knowing that the while Uganda is not our only focus during the summer months, but believing that prayer and ministry are intertwined and that, as Henry Nouwen says, both are "manifestations of God's all-embracing love".

The calendar offers suggestions for prayers that focus on different phases of preparations, for prayers that focus on individual team members, for prayers that focus on specific aspects of the team's time in Uganda, etc.

As a prayer tool, the calendar helps us meditate on one issue related to the mission trip and then asks us to expand that issue beyond the trip into the larger contexts of our faith community, our nations, and our globe. For example, on June 16th, we are asked to think about where the team will sleep while they are in unfamiliar territory in Uganda. In lifting up prayers for their accommodations and lodgings, we hope that arrangements will be smooth and uncomplicated. Then, on June 17th, we are asked to reflect beyond just our immediate concerns for the team's welfare. As a community of believers who care for the well-being of all God's creatures, we need to also reflect upon, and pray for, all people who are in need of shelter, warmth, and comfort -- whether they be in Uganda, in California, or in any other city around the world.

Another example can be found in the three-day prayer cycle of May 21st-May 23rd. On May 21st, we will pray for good health for all team members; on May 22nd, we remember in prayer all who are sick, dying, or in need of spiritual healing; then on May 23rd, we pray specifically for the children suffering from Aids/HIV, malaria, malnutrition, etc. In this instance, the calendar serves as a tool to name general concerns that individuals can then pray for with very specific and concrete things about health, healing, sickness, etc., which we should remember and lift in prayer.

For May, we begin with the following prayers:

Prayers for May 10th - May 16th
Pray for vision, clarity & creativity in Mission work at CCUMC
Pray for mission work at local, national, & global levels during these summer months
Pray for safety of all Christian volunteers engaged in mission work outside their countries
Pray that team’s UMVIM applications will be in good order for acceptance
Pray for clear discernment for appropriate host gifts; pray for the shoppers
Pray that you will discern the spiritual gifts you can offer to help Mission work
Pray for Spiritual inspiration for VBS leaders

Prayers for May 17th – May 23rd
Pray for Donna Chan Chu as she prepares for this journey
Pray for Mission team’s families & pets left behind
Pray for mission team’s co-leaders as they handle administrative tasks & represent the team on journey
Pray for leader of our church as they lead us in Christian living
Pray for good health for Mission team during the trip
Pray for the sick & in need of healing
Pray for children suffering from Aids/HIV, malaria, & malnutrition

Prayers for May 24th – May 31st
Pray for Peter Chu as he prepares for this journey
Pray for Finances- related issues for all phases of the mission trip
Pray for funds to continue YCVM construction
Pray for the trip treasurers as they manage team expenses
Pray that all team members will find peace & joy on this trip
Pray for trip photographers; pray that we will all recognize faces/places of joy & love
Pray for trip videographers; pray that we all can recognize sights and sounds of peace & reconciliation
Pray for Aeri Lee as she prepares for this journey

If you wish to receive a hardcopy or an electronic copy of the 2009 Mission Trip Prayer Calendar, let us know in the Comments section.

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