Matthew's Message for December 7, 2023

This morning I took some time to stop, and slow my thoughts. I sat with God. I sat with the promise of this season and of the time ahead. These moments of prayer are a reminder to me that all of creation is breaking open with God’s goodness.

In The Universal Christ Richard Rohr says “Everything visible, without exception, is the outpouring of God. What else could it really be? ‘Christ’ is a word for the Primordial Template (‘Logo’) through whom ‘all things came into being, and not one thing had its being except through him.’” What an incredible perspective on the sacred nature of all of creation!

I encourage you to find the time to connect with God in prayer over the next few days. I invite you to sit, and allow yourself to become aware of all that God is doing. 

This Sunday we gather at Chicago Methodist Senior Services where we celebrate the image of God found in those who struggle with dementia. We walk alongside these siblings in Christ as we declare that God is doing something new. I hope you can join us.

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for November 30 2023

One of the spiritual practices that I have found helpful over the last few weeks has been the act of noticing things around me. Taking the time to slow down and experience all that goes on each day. Being present to my thoughts and feelings; my senses and the world around me. The Christmas season is a time when the juxtaposition of the sacred and secular can feel so clearly opposed. Still other times it can be blurred.

The word sacred points to something dedicated as holy or set apart. Over the weeks of Advent, I invite you to begin to see all things as pregnant with the Holy. How can our experiences of this season be changed by realizing that everything is reflecting the sacred. 

This Sunday we will light the first Advent candle, and notice the sacred in the people around us. I hope that you can join us.

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for November 22

Perhaps it is because of having some time away to reflect. Perhaps it is because during this week of Thanksgiving, I am aware that I am so very thankful for where our church is going today. In any case, I would like to take a moment to update our Berry friends on where we are and where we are going.
The last few weeks have been big ones for our congregation.  We made the decision to enter into a lease to share a church home with First Vietnamese United Methodist Church in Albany Park. The work to renovate the building is going on in earnest. There is much to do, and all of it is being coordinated by Church Properties Reimagined who are the owners of the building. This building offers us a right sized space in a neighborhood that is only a few minutes from where our former building is. It is exciting to have some certainty about where we will worship in the long-term.

Over the last few weeks, we also have had a number of formal and informal gatherings with members of Big Shoulders Church. It has become clear to me that the two congregations share many values and visions for ministry. The Berry leadership board recently voted to begin the process of a merger with Big Shoulders Church. There are a number of steps to this process, but I judge that a big step is making the decision to begin the conversation. 

Both of these decisions have the opportunity to multiply our efforts in ministry. Thank you to our leadership team and to all of our congregation for your time working toward making this a reality. If you have questions around anything going on in the church you can contact me, or any of our board and we would be happy to share more details. As we move forward, I ask you to continue to hold Berry, our leadership team, and me in your prayers. I am convinced that God has work for us to do. 

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for November 9

As I sat in the circle, I wondered whether it was best to close my eyes to pray. I was, after all, in a room in that felt like a bunker in a corner of the Cook County Jail with about a dozen pre-trial detainees. Some of these individuals have been in jail for weeks, others for months. All awaiting the outcome of their trials.

I learned about this program from a friend who has been volunteering there once a week for the past few years. Since they require a weekly commitment, I had been hesitant, but the Holy Spirit kept nudging me that this was a place where I could serve. I plan to be at the jail each Monday morning as a way to engage in restorative justice in our community. 

I have found my participation to be both an unmooring and a grounding experience. Unmooring because I have never experienced anything like the array of gates and guns I need to cross to do ministry. Grounding because I have found that Centering Prayer connects me, not only to all of humanity through the detainees, but to all of creation. 

If you want to learn more about the practice of Centering Prayer being used within the criminal justice system, the film Holding Still is available on YouTube. It focuses on a diverse group of men speaking candidly about their years-long journey practicing Centering Prayer while serving time at Folsom Prison. They share their stories while highlighting the power of the practice to heal trauma and transform toxic shame.

Please pray for those who I come into contact with, and for all within our justice system.

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for November 2, 2023

In his book Falling Upward, Richard Rohr posits that our lives are divided into two halves with very different purposes. In the first half we have the opportunity to create a container for our life that answers questions of identity, security and relationship. The second half of life is a journey toward learning “what the container is meant to hold and deliver.” He offers that churches are often set up to assist people with those first half of life tasks, and fail at even informing people that the second half of life tasks exist.

Over the last few weeks, the church building in Albany Park has been beginning to take shape. New floors have been added in some places. New cabinets are being installed in the kitchen. The ceiling in the gathering space has been replaced. Through all of this, my eye continues to be caught by the stained-glass window designed by Ralph Weber, a member at the United Methodist Church of Albany Park as well as at Berry. 

This Sunday we will remember the saints who have gone before us. We will share names and offer prayers. In the Bible saints are not canonized or perfect. They are instead followers of Jesus Christ. When we remember those who have gone before us, we also remember what their lives held and delivered. In doing so we honor them while seeking to live lives of our own that are filled with meaning and grace. 

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for October 26

“Rely on your call.” This is what a colleague and mentor said to me when I was appointed to serve Berry. Those words have served me well during my time here. Although I serve this church at the pleasure of the bishop, my call is to serve God by pastoring this congregation. My call is to tell people about the incredible love that God has for them.

On Sunday morning during our Charge Conference meeting, we took a look at the year that has passed and did planning for the future. As a part of this, Berry approved the release of funds for the remaining renovations of the Albany Park Ministry Center. The decision-making process was both prayerful and deliberate. I am excited to see God active in the world through our congregation. 

I believe that God has called Berry to be a part of the transformation of the world in this place, and that the building that we are supporting is a part of that call. A building has never been the goal for me. A building simply gives us a home to do the work that God calls us to do. A home to welcome the Big Shoulders congregation as well as the entire neighborhood of Albany Park. A home to share in the joy that we have in doing the work of justice. 

There will be further discernment in the future of how we continue to rely on our own call as a congregation, but for now we take the time to celebrate what God is doing in us and through us. 

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for October 19

“This is God’s table, it’s not yours or mine. Come to the table…” These were the words that we sang as we gathered for Communion during worship in September. It helped to remind me that the table that we set is one that we are always seeking to extend. Whether it is opening a seat for a long absent friend or for a new face, the tables that we host are meant for more than those who are already here. Our purpose is always looking out for ways to care for those around us. 

This Sunday we will be lead in worship by our district superintendent Brittany Isaac. Our worship service will be our annual meeting where we will celebrate what God has been doing in our midst, and vote on the plans that have been made for 2024. It will be a time for us to remember that God calls us to be people who gather around a table. A table that is not yours or mine. A table of love, peace, grace, and joy. I hope you can join us.

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message for October 12

This Sunday is Laity Sunday. It is a Sunday when we recognize that the church would not exist if it were not for the priesthood and ministry of all. Every person on the planet is invited to share in God’s community of healing, love, justice, and world repair.   

Martha Lundgren, our lay leader and Deaconess will be leading our Brunch Church discussion. The office of Deaconess is a division of United Methodist Women that enables laity to be Christ in the world through consecration for lifetime servant ministries of love, justice and service. Brunch Church this week will connect directly to our town hall discussion. I hope you will join us.

Peace,

Matthew  

Matthew's Message - October 6, 2023

dis·cern·ment

/dəˈsərnm(ə)nt/

noun

1. the ability to judge well.

"an astonishing lack of discernment"

1. (in Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

"without providing for a time of healing and discernment, there will be no hope of living through this present moment without a shattering of our common life"

Over the past few years our world has gone through a lot. Over a million Americans have died in the ongoing pandemic. There has been a shifting understanding work as we all learned to exist remotely. 

In that time church has changed.  Berry was already going through changes with the sale of our building, but really church has changed everywhere. 

Although I have heard that some among us are tired of hearing the word discernment, it really still is the place where we are. We have found meaningful connecting in our monthly worship services at CMSS. We are in the process of working to discern if a partnership with First Vietnamese in Albany Park is God’s desire. We also have had the opportunity to welcome new faces to our midst. 

I believe that we are still finding our way. Still, I also know that we will discover new ways to be honest, compassionate and inclusive in the place that we are right now. We continue to take the next step that God lights on our way. I pray that you will continue to pray for this church as we walk together in faith.

Peace,

Matthew

Matthew's Message - September 28, 2023

There is so much that is found in scripture that points to the power of community. The commitment of the Hebrews to follow the call that God had for them as a people. The bonds of the disciples who devoted their lives to following Jesus. The very nature of God in the Trinity. When I look at the universe, I find that nothing exists on its own. Everything is in relationship.

Right now, I am on the road preparing to be a family member and a spiritual leader to my family after the sudden death of my cousin in a car accident over the weekend. It is a position I have not been asked to fill in the past. I have a lot of feelings mixing around inside of me. 

Although the preparation for this experience has been heartbreaking, the prayer and kindness that I have felt from this congregation has allowed me to show up here in the best ways I can. Thank you. You have given me a new glimpse into the beloved community that God calls us to. See you Sunday.

Peace,

Matthew