March Madness

The term March Madness came into common parlance in connection with the NCAA basketball tournaments for both men’s and women’s basketball. The wild psyche of the NCAA basketball fans is in full swing during the month of March. I know, my sister is a fan; I have seen her in action at a College basketball game. But March madness was not born of the frenzy over championship basketball, even if it is a dynamite marketing strategy. Lewis Carroll’s March Hare, who you will remember spends every waking hour at a perpetual tea party in the company of the Mad Hatter and the sleepified Dormouse must be the prototype for notion of madness in the month of March. Carroll created the character based on a phrase in common usage in Britain in the 1860’s “Mad as a March Hare.” According to those who observed the behavior of rabbits in the mating season as far back as 1546, it resembled a Lagomorphic boxing match between the male and the female of the species, thus the madness idea. Maybe that explains the bunny with the egg basket always showing up in March and April. Historians remark that the straw on the March Hare’s head in Sir John Tenniel’s illustration from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” symbolized madness in Victorian Times. The mad behavior at the tea party is marked by the March Hare repeatedly offering tea to Alice, then taking it from her hands just as she is about to take a sip, along with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare trying to stuff the sleeping Dormouse into the tea pot. Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was the Rev. Charles Dodgson, an ordained Deacon in the Anglican Church, as well as a mathematician. Juxtaposing these career choices with the slapstick, silliness and absurdity of the Alice adventures reveals a man who almost seems to have two identities or lives in two worlds. English professor Richard Kelly writes that Carroll’s poetry reveals that he both “prizes and mocks rigidity.” A compulsively tidy bachelor, orderly in his writings, he lets loose in his most famous children’s story his delight in creating absurd, eccentric and maniacal characters for his young heroine to meet, endure or win over, along with fantastic situations for her to get into and out of. Victorian Era England was fraught with rigid rules dictating appropriate social behavior for adults and children. Most children’s stories contained lessons in morality or focused on good behavior. Carroll’s Alice fights between living securely within the rigid rules and societal convention and the necessity of learning how to bend, and even reshape herself (quite literally), in order to get where she wants to go. In chapter 5, The Caterpillar asks Alice over and over again: “Who are You?” In chapter 6, Alice asks the Cheshire Cat : “Would you tell me please which way I ought to walk from here?” The Cheshire Cat answers: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” Alice: “I don’t much care where.” Cheshire Cat: “Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk.” Alice: “—so long as I get somewhere.” CC: “Oh you are sure to do that if you only walk long enough.”

In the life and history of the church, the old ideas have wrestled with new ideas; rigidity or inflexibility masquerades as stability jockeying for position over the changeable nature of all things. Emotions curse and rail against reason and necessity and we feel like the rug is being pulled out from under our feet or we are falling down a rabbit hole. We don’t want to hear talk about: having a little faith, or if we trust the process and have a little patience things will turn out alright, or we will get through this together.” The fact is, we don’t want to get through this; we don’t want to be moved. We don’t want the pot stirred or the apple cart upset. We don’t want to be obliged to move to another chair at the mad tea party just because the Mad Hatter says it is time to do so. BUT—we follow a savior who was an apple-cart upsetter. We embrace a savior who some would have said was as mad as a March Hare—had they known the expression. We are told that this Jesus took his disciples to places they were so very afraid to go, nevertheless they followed him. We are challenged always to see what lies ahead through the eyes of Jesus. He taught us that faith doesn’t just entail sacrifice, faith expects it. Was the church built to serve our needs or the needs of those who do not know the savior that we know? Our job is not too complicated, but it can be daunting. We are to demonstrate God’s love for all, in word and deed, in thought and action. In this season of Lent, we are called to take seriously the question of the Caterpillar: “Who are we?” And further, we must seek to understand the advice of the Cheshire Cat:”You are sure to get where you are going if you walk long enough.” Ask yourself this question: Does the expression on my face— do the words from my mouth— tell of God’s incredible love for every individual soul that exists on this mad, mad world? We do grave harm to one another when we question who among us is qualified to serve the church. We are all on this adventure together, let us do our best to accept and learn from one another.

Blessings, Rev. Amanda

METHODIST MONDAYS AND OPEN BIBLE STUDY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

A Three Week Study on the book “Three Simple Rules”

Methodist Mondays March 1, 8, 15 At Two times 10:00am and 7:00pm

The three-week investment in this short study is recommended for all of those persons who hold leadership positions in the church and who are serving on committees. The persons who participate in this study of the “Three Simple Rules” will be asked to share the study with another group of persons, so that everyone has an opportunity to engage in discussion of this book. THESE BOOKS ARE IN THE CHURCH OFFICE, GET YOURS TODAY. (New members may already have them, as they were given to you when you joined the church.)

Open Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke. This will not be a structured study. We will read and discuss the scripture together. This Bible study will be held Sunday evenings, at 5:00pm in the church sanctuary. It begins on Sunday, February 28th and runs indefinitely. Please call the church office to RSVP (760) 327-5931.

FEBRUARY

Feb.7....Did you know that the antonym of the word tradition is innovation? Innovation is about novelty, modernization, improvement, advancement and originality. Now that is certainly a broad definition. The United Methodists launched their “Rethink Church” campaign encouraging church folks to become more hands-on in their work and in 2009 members of this congregation joined Craig Miller’s effort to “Innovate Church” which seeks to help congregations move ever forward innovating to keep the good news vital, fresh and alive for the generations to come.

Feb. 21...When we look for comfort from the things of this world, we are often soothed by soft things, sweet things, things that dull our senses, activities that physically exhaust the body, release its tensions or relax us into sleep, removing us from the stresses, strains and anxieties of the world. Lent is a time turning to God and discovering the love and comfort that the world can not and will not provide.

Feb. 28...The word for parodidomi is the Greek word which translated surrender in the English. But surrender is a French word which was first used in 1487. The Greek word appears numerous times in the New testament, but only once is it translated surrender. The other words used to translate it are: to deliver, deliver up, to give over, commend, commit, entrust and betray. During lent we are called to deliver ourselves up, to give ourselves over to commit to God’s leading even to the discipline of tithing.

MARCH 28th PALM SUNDAY 9:00am and 11:00am

On this day we remember Jesus triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Service times are altered slightly on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday due to increased attendance and the need for a little parking wiggle room.

APRIL 1st MAUNDY THURSDAY 7:00pm

On this evening we commemorate Jesus’ last Supper with his disciples, remembering with them the Passover and the feast of the Paschal* Lamb, realizing in that same moment that Jesus was becoming for us the Paschal* Lamb.

*(Paschal=Passover)

APRIL 2nd GOOD FRIDAY 7:00pm

On this evening we remember Jesus’ Crucifixion. We will be presenting a play entitled “No Name in the Street.” by James Baldwin.

Don’t avoid Maundy Thursday or Good Friday Services; they make what comes after so much more meaningful.

APRIL 4th EASTER SUNDAY (All Services are Communion Services)

Note: If you are an even earlier riser and can’t make it to the services in Palm Springs, Rev. Amanda will be preaching the 6:00am Sunrise Service at Forest Lawn in Cathedral City, then on to Palm Springs.

The custom of handing out palm crosses on Palm Sunday serves to remind us what awaits Jesus following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The cross looms in the all too near future. It is a symbol of Christ’s passion which is both triumphant and tragic.

You are invited to come and help us make these symbols of Holy Week on Saturday, March 27th. The specific time will be announced next week. Call the office and volunteer to help us make 400 crosses.     

Come and be part of the fun! Chrysta Wong-Sierra will be coordinating our trip through the Galaxies, and we need space travelers to help us launch this great program. Artists and story tellers, scientists and more are needed for this fantastic journey to encounter with our amazing God.

If you want to help us build our space ship, or be part of this week of fun in any way, call the office and give us your name and we will keep you posted when our Blast-off Countdown and planning meetings begin! Thanks.

The February meeting of the U.M.W. was very unusual. Fifteen of our members met with candy-expert Lena Mathews, and we learned a bit about making molded candy. We made various colored chocolate candies. Our efforts were presented for sale during the Golden Weds reception. It was agreed that all enjoyed the time enough to want to try it again. Our March meeting promises to be interesting. Come, ladies, on March 3rd to the Fellowship Hall at 10:00am, and hear Pat Hogan as she tells us about Kairos Outside. Ruth Pitts-Litman is preparing the service of Prayer and Self Denial; the collection from this meeting is dedicated to the Mission work of the U.M.W.

We, along with the Youth and Mission & Outreach Committee, met on Feb. 13th to prepare Health Care Kits to be used by UMCOR in the relief efforts in Haiti.

A new program is being introduced at the March meeting. President Lorna Range will explain the book study. We will be reading “Half The Sky, Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women World Wide.” This book tells of the oppression of women and girls in other countries.

So you see, we in U.M.W. are introducing new programs, hoping to interest others to join us in our efforts to “….develop a supportive fellowship and to expand the concepts of mission….”, as stated in our Purpose. Wouldn’t you like to join us: we are saving a chair for you.

Sponsored by the Mission & Outreach Committee

April 4, 8:00am-10:30am, $5 per person.

Tickets are available NOW in the church office, or purchase one from any member of the Mission & Outreach Committee.

Proceeds from the breakfast will help cover our pledges to the Aid’s Assistance Program, Well in the Desert, and the Heifer Project.

Get your tickets early!    

TOP 10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHURCH LIBRARY:

10.The Library contains 2,222 items.

9. The largest category is the combination of books for Juvenile, Youth and Young Adult: 608.

8. There are 27 DVDs, 31 CDs, and 68 Video tapes.

7. UMW has 117 books in their collection.

6. We have exactly the same number of novels as mysteries: 394.

5. It takes 15 separate steps to process a book ready for circulation.

4. 98% of our books are donated.

3. 98% of patrons do not put the date on the book pocket.

2. Withdrawn books are donated to the Friends of the Palm Springs Library for their annual book sale.

And the Number 1 thing to know about the Library is…

1. The Library Ladies love their patrons and would like to see more of them more often.

Since one month represents only 1/12 of the year, it is difficult to see trends or to draw conclusions from the results of our operating for such a short time span. Probably the best thing that can be said is that we have completed the month with no major variances, favorable or unfavorable, from our yet-to-be-finalized Budget for the year, and for that we give thanks.

We are still reviewing budget estimates in both the Income and Expenditure categories. It is our goal to finalize the figures at our meeting in March. The Fund Drive produced an increase in the number of pledges but as of this date, the dollar of the 103 pledges is approximately $18,000 below last year’s final tally of $222,450. (If your estimate is yet to be submitted, please submit it to Mary Faith Cripps as soon as possible, in order that it may be considered in the Budgeting process.) As I have mentioned in the past, we need to keep our Expenditures in close proximity to our Income, as there are no reserves to cover deficiencies. We are currently endeavoring to close a gap of less than 10% on an Expense Budget in the $375,000 range. We appreciate your help.

For the Finance Committee, Harold Breidenbaugh