It’s not Political, It’s Christianity I am unsure of the details leading to the decision, however the article I read preceded a comment from a colleague regarding politics and the church. It seems in Texas a bishop of the United Methodist Church had been invited to speak at the Lights for Liberty event. The news story indicated the bishop had withdrawn his name from the event because of a turn toward the political as opposed to what he deemed the original intent of the gathering to

stand in solidarity with the children held in concentration camp conditions on our border. I wish I knew more about what the bishop deemed too political; however, the article did not reveal those details.A colleague asked me a couple of days ago about whether or not I received pushback from the congregation when I get too political in my sermons. He was referencing the times I have included critique of the powers that be in relation to immigration, children held at the border, LGBTQIA+ rights, racism, women’s repro-ductive rights, and other topics around equality and human rights. My response to him was something to the effect of, “These are not political issues, in particular they should not be partisan political issues, these are human rights issues, they are Christian issues the church should be speaking to, not only within the walls of the community of faith, but in the community at large and to the government who should be working to resolve the oppressive and unjust laws or lack thereof.”My point with my colleague and friend, in a broader understanding, is a church that does not have the wherewithal to venture into the political machine to affect change for the common good of all is not following the Way of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry, life, and words, as best we know, were very politically charged and pointed. I would say certainly not in a partisan way, however certainly in a justice and compassionate way. The church needs to regain its socially prophetic voice in the world and in our country today. Too many are sitting on the sidelines letting the voices of those who would collude with a corrupt government creating atrocities we see unfolding every day. If the church is unwilling to address the social injustices of our day saying, they do not belong in the worship service, or those are too political to address, the church will continue to decline into irrelevance and empty rhetoric.I will not withdraw from the work of justice, compassion, and love. I will always speak to the culture and society in which we live, affirming those moments and events promoting love and justice for all, and taking a stand against those moments and events demeaning and limiting the common good for all persons. I believe it is the work of the church. It is our work. It is the Way of which Jesus spoke. May we contin-ue on in compassion, action, and love. It’s not political. It is Christianity.Peace and Light on Our Way. Rev. Kent

Connect

7020 Cass Street • Omaha, Nebraska 68132 • 402.556.6262

August 2019

Worship ScheduleSundays

8:30 & 10:50 am, Sanctuary

Taizé Worship Saturday, August 3

5:00 pm, Mead Chapel

Pastors: Kent H. Little

Cynthia Lindenmeyer

Church Office Hours:Sunday 8:30 am - noon

Monday-Thursday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Friday and Saturday Closed

www.fumcomaha.org

“We are a United Methodist congre-gation of all sexual orientations and gender identities making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We stand in solidarity with Reconciling Ministry Network working against injustice and discrimination through peace and justice.”

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Receive “Connect” by E-MailE-mail Candice Nielsen in the church office,

Candice.Nielsen@fumcomaha.org with your e-mail address and you will begin

receiving the newsletter by e-mail.

Rev. Kent H. Little

September Fellowship Meal Picnic – Sunday, September 15, on the front lawn! Join us after second service on Sunday, September 15 for a church-wide picnic. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, and your family! For those in need of a table, we will have our picnic tables and a few round tables and chairs out, too! We will enjoy delicious picnic food and celebrate fellowship, together. A free-will offer-ing will help fund future fellowship events at the church!

We need volunteers! In order to have a church-wide picnic, we need a church-wide crew of volunteers to help make the meal a success! If you would like to volunteer, please see Candice Nielsen or email Candice.Nielsen@fumcomaha.org.

Save the Date!!

The American path of Christianity tragically deviates from social justice. From the beginning of Christ’s ministry, advocacy for the poor and oppressed ignited a movement to help bring equality to humanity. A very basic grasp of Hebrew reveals “justice” embraces a combination of the words misphat (how we would understand equal rights), and tsedaqah (how we would understand the con-cept of loving all).  In the four years I’ve been witness to the ministry of FUMC, I comprehend that tenets of the “social gospel” undergird the history of FUMC’s mercy and justice advocacy.

The Face to Face with Black History Tour illuminated the system of white supremacy that allowed American Christians to own slaves, gather at lynchings after worship and adhere to a fictional narrative that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 concluded American racism. A major objective for those who dared to go on the trip included getting out of our shaped-by-white-lies comfort zones that allow ignorance to thrive. Another aspiration was to build relationships with Omahans who experience racism every day.

By denying the reality of racism, we allow ignorance to thrive and blissfully live in our white privilege comfort zones. Nothing changes, and the status-quo of inequality remains safe in its racially-motivated cocoon. I hope FUMC strives to break white silence solidarity structures, move past white guilt, and take action. The path of Jesus never embodied racial inequality. How did we lose our way?

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Dr. Cynthia Lindenmeyer

Race Relations DiscussionsTuesday, August 6, 6:30-8:00 pm

Modern Forms of Lynching

We are very excited that Monica chose our church to host her phe-nomenal art work that addresses how our society builds, or breaks, the social bonds we need when the oppressive, fragmented and violent nature of our culture pits us against each other. The paintings feature Omaha women, who will all speak on a panel Saturday,

August 10th, at the opening dinner gala at 5:00 pm. The project is designed to make one feel uncomfortable as viewers come face to face with anti-Semitism, misogynoir, immigration, transphobia, xenophobia, domestic violence, forced assimilation, and cultural annihilation. Addressing these unnatural disaster strengthens and binds our community closer together.

Turning Point – A Portrait Exhibition by Monica Maxwell

August 10-31

GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM – NO WAY

Tues, Aug 27, 6:30-8:00 pmSchool to

Prison Pipeline

Events held at: FUMC • 7020 Cass • 402.556.6262

Mercy &

JusticeReflections – “Face to Face with Black History Tour”

This was a lifetime learning experience for me. It was on my bucket list and it far exceeded my expectations. I was a teenager and young adult when the civil rights marches, sit ins, boycotts, murders were shown on TV. So seeing the exact locations of where events occurred was bone chilling and spine tingling for me. – Jan Brown

The same forces which fought against oppression and allowed people to carve out meaningful lives are just as active today as they were in the time of Dr. King and Jesus Christ. The key to thriving under such oppression is resistance. We are not a people who lynch each other but a people who try to over-come the oppression of lynching. Resistance takes on many forms. Churches work together on common issues such as housing fairness or non-profits who help inmates reenter society. These forms may go unnoticed but make no mistake they spring from the same spirit, the same God power that all resistance comes from. They are hope itself. –  Mark Darby

Conflict is an inevitable part of the human experience. Dr. King believed no conflict need erupt in violence. In a “Beloved Communi-ty”  all conflict ends with reconcil-iation, cooperating in the spirit of friendship and goodwill. My hope is that we continue to grow as a “beloved community” reaching out to others in need of support and understanding no matter who they may be. – Judy Torrens

It impacted me deeply. Seeing all of the injus-tices affected me to the core.

– Greyson Dreher It was impactful and moving. And we were able to make new relationships.

– Fletcher Dreher My favorite part of the trip was making new friends with the other girls in my room. We bonded over early mornings, card games, and the shared exhaustion of being on a bus together for a week. – Blake Dreher

History books tell a story of the past but going to the sites of many landmark civil rights loca-tions, definitely made you FEEL our country’s history. What an honor to get to do this with my children and my church family. Thank you. 

– Ali Dreher

When the Civil Rights Movement was heating up and gaining momentum in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, I was a child. In the Panhandle of Nebraska, where no black people lived, the news about it came into the house throughout the local newspaper and the black and white television news.  We did not know about the ex-tent of the mistreatment of black people: that there was nothing the least bit equal about the education received by their children; that they were at the mercy of white privilege in virtually every aspect of their lives; that white privilege had long been enforced through terrorism; and that unjust treatment was not only overlooked by the legal system, it was created by it.  All of that, we did not know. – Mary Spurgeon

It has been a busy summer at Rainbow Factory Preschool! As always, our First United Methodist Church family has filled our summer with support and love. We are thrilled to be preparing for an engaging, meaningful, and fun school year ahead! Currently, we have over 90 students enrolled, and we hope to welcome a few more friends before classes begin in September. It has been a joy to watch our natural playground become even more beautiful this summer with the help of our wonderful Mow Crew and services of The Natural Gardener. We are all so thankful for the amazing skill and support Steve, and our wonderful maintenance team Jerry and Mark. They are preparing to have new flooring installed in the preschool. Our new floors will be both attractive and functional. We are thrilled to be creating an even more beautiful space for our students.

Please stop by anytime to say hi! We would love to see you, and are looking forward to an adventure filled school year ahead!

Movie Group All are welcome to join the Movie Group as we discuss The Farewell at the W. Dale Clark Library, 15th and Douglas on Tuesday, August 13, 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to join us for the discussion and for dinner in a nearby restaurant following the discussion.

Please remember in prayer these members of Our Church FamilyFor Continued Healing: Dean Barnett, Roger Burns, Milton Davison, Joyce Ellis, Ella Gerber, Doro-thyann Haar, Charlie Harper, Marvin and Suzanne Morgan, Mike Niemants, Eleanor Ruge, Barb Winfield.Sympathies: To those whose loved ones have transitioned to new life: Dot Neill (mother, Marjorie Neill), Cece Mickells (brother, Michael Bonnaci), Connie Lofgreen, Lyda Lohmeier and family (father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Denzel Lofgreen), Marj Phillips (sister, Roberta Marsh). New Members: Fred and Gretchen Hutchen joined July 21.Births: Codi Mae, daughter of Robyn and Tyler Burnett

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ngSubmit your prayer requests to:Marylin Stewart at MarylinS@aol.com or call the church office at 402-556-6262 x1001.Please follow these brief guidelines when submitting a request for the Prayer Chain: • For yourself: Give a brief statement of the need - illness, grief, crisis.• For others: Use names without describing the need. Give the first or full name and relationship -

friend, brother/sister, spouse/partner, parent, child, etc.• Get permission from the person to be listed on the Prayer Chain before contacting Marylin or the church.

Attendance for June/July Total Attendance 1st Time Visitors

6/23/19 ........................240 ................................46/30/19 .......................263 ................................77/7/19 ..........................264 ................................4 7/14/19 ........................281 ..............................25 7/21/19 & 7/28/19 will be in September’s Connect.

Donation Box

Update from Rainbow Factory Preschool

Refugee Family ArrivesImagine furnishing an apartment in less than two weeks. Everything from a hammer and nails, beds and dressers, toothbrushes, plates and stamps. Quite a daunting task for two or three, but together dozens of you have pitched in with your donations of household furnishings, financial gifts, elbow grease, muscle power and pickup trucks to prepare a new home for a Karen refugee family of four, orig-inally from Myanmar, who arrived this past week.Thank you for making it possible for FUMC to part-ner with Lutheran Family Services to welcome them. Our care team will continue to visit the family at least weekly for the next six months or more to help them transition to their new life here. If you would like to be a part of this important and rewarding ministry, please call Carol LaCroix at 402-551-2177 or Cynthia Lindenmeyer at 402-556-6262. Immigrant Ministry Team.

We are focusing on collecting

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Faith Studies@ First

VBS Week Thank You’s ReNew Vacation Bible School (VBS) was a Small but Mighty Success!

Our first big thank you goes to Kelly Wanzenried! This super grandma continues to lead our Faith Time teachers as a magnif-icent example of commitment and service to her church. Fellow Fantastic teachers and caring ministers, Becky Morton, Sophie Wojcik, Paige Toller, and Cama Charlet completed our team.

We had various age groups throughout our 4-day class week. We peaked at 19 kids and were never lower than 17. The goal was to bring back a small but mighty version of a tried and true church week of VBS fun, singing, running, playing, learning, and sharing. Mission accomplished!

Joellen Zuk and youth Ben D. kept the kitchen organized and clean all week. Special guest cooks included Paul Ing, Nancy and Walt Coziahr, and Annette Dickman. All of their meals were home-cooked feasts of taste and nutrition.

On Friday, we capped VBS week with a big bouncy party. We had Bounce House games in the Commons, The Big Garden Food Truck outside, and a bike rodeo hosted by two Bicycle Officers from the Omaha Police Department.

We are looking for a bigger event next year with the same quality experience.

Do you have a small group idea in mind? We want to hear from you! Continuing through mid-Au-gust, our Welcome and Support Team will be offering sign-up sheets in the Commons to inspire different small groups for FUMC members and friends. These groups can be inspired by any-thing that may spark interest and encourage fellowship between you and other members of our

community. As with all our groups, you do not need to be a member to participate, or even lead a group! We want to empower our community of faith to grow in their development with God, and with others. Start brainstorming your ideas, and share them with us on the sign-up sheets in the Commons on Sunday mornings now until August 18. For more information or to submit your group idea via email, contact Candice Nielsen, Director of Membership and Com-munication, at Candice.Nielsen@fumcomaha.org

Nearly 400 gathered to hear Mirabai Starr speak of the connection be-tween mysticism and activism, and of contemplative practices as a door-way to the mystic heart, which resides in each of us. You may be inter-ested in exploring further your own relationship to the mystical and the connection between contemplative practices and social activism. Sacred activism involves embracing fierce feminism, which Mirabai embodies. The fierce and tender voice of the feminine is needed for massive trans-formation, and based on the reception of Mirabai’s book,Wild Mercy, many are seeking release from a mechanistic way of viewing the world. When asked how she endures personal and cultural sorrows, Mirabai responded, “Spiritual practices that include contemplative prayer, sacred walking and writing poetry.” To learn more about spiritual practices, come to the Parlor or gather in the Chapel for contemplative prayer during the Faith Studies time (9:35-10:35 am) on Sunday mornings.

An Evening with Mirabai Starr

Pioneer SundayA Pioneer Member is an individual who has been in the Meth-odist tradition for forty or more years. Our faith community is blessed to have over 100 members that qualify as Pioneer Members. This large group has given of themselves and their resources in good times and in difficult times. They have kept our church alive so that the mission and ministry can continue through the current and future generations. They bring to the table a wealth of experience, wisdom, and leadership to help all of us build a better and brighter future for our faith community and beyond. We are all honored to share our space, our pews, our time of worship with them. If you are a Pioneer Member, or know a Pioneer Member, we encourage you to join us on Sunday, August 11 at either service as we recognize these individuals. If you are a Pioneer member, and your name is missing from this list, please contact the Front Office by calling 402-556-6262 by Tuesday, August 6 so we may have our records updated before the August 11 services.

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Hospitality Servers Needed We are in need of volunteers to pick-up donuts, make the coffee, and set out the treats on Sunday mornings. This vital ministry fuels our Hospitality Hour, and provides a space for meaningful conver-sation and fellowship to occur. If you enjoy a coffee, bagel, donut, or tea on Sundays, please consider volunteering to continue this mission. Training is available, and Sundays without servers are quickly approaching. Sign-up today by contacting Candice Nielsen at Candice.Nielsen@fumcomaha.org or call 402-556-6262.

81(57) Roberta Miller81(37) Lucy Wood78(33) Dene Pruett77(66) Elna Peirce76(52) Coyner Smith76(50) Joan Clark76(39) Ruth Kruse75(47) Marvin Morgan75(11) Elouise Green73 Nev Fredrickson73(39) Marian Horton73(20) Iola Mullins72(52) Donna Smith72(23) Joanne Burns72(20) Loren Mullins70(41) Nancy Coziahr70(54) Juanita Edwards70(3) Daryl Mackender69(49) Marilyn Hansen 69(19) Bonnie Wallace69(12) Howard Surber68(55) Sally Hanson68(53) Marylin Stewart68(47) Suzanne Morgan68(23) Roger Burns67 Dean Hesselgesser67(30) Don Bredthauer67(15) Dave England67(3) Diane Mackender67(3) Ron Roemmich67(3) Berdeen Roemmich

65(17) Linda Fuchs64(33) Joan Pruett64(21) Ken Rood62 Jean Morrison61(19) Susan Davies60 Louis Seybold60(55) Eileen Johnson60(47) Bob Dorr60(44) Mildred Plumb60(23) Judy Nauman60(22) Sue Rood59 Kay Bain59 Gordon Fredrickson59 Emogene Whitten59(51) Jane Young59(11) Marj Phillips58 Shirley Carpenter58 Florence Sanders58(46) Mark Schulze58 (41) Mary Bahney58(19) David Davies57 Rosemary Hroch57 Burt Jay57 Eva Jay57(41) Dave Dow57(29) Carol Windrum56 James Rasmussen56 Fred Richart56 Carol Richart56 Joellen Zuk55 Gene Dixon

55 Jan Dixon55 John Ringwalt55(47) Joyce Ellis55(30) Barb Bredthauer55(9) Kym Kurth54 Del Bowden54 Mary Kay Bowden54 Gloria O’Dowd54 Marilyn Offutt54 Barb Winfield54(53) Diane Estes53 Ric Jensen52 Debbie Fredrickson51 Loren Terpenning51 Ronna Venn51 Bruce Young51(39) Michael Rosenthal51(26) Tim Fickenscher50 LeighAnne Scharp50 Jean Wilmoth50(16) Ed Pearce50(9) Barry Burt49 Karen Heimuli49(36) Karma Nehrig48 Kevin Bain48 Sheran Cramer48 Paul Halverson48 (41) Dale Bahney47 Donna Dobson47 Clif Ellis47 Jeanne Fredrickson

47(12) Ivan Richardson47(12) Marlys Richardson46 Marilee Garrison46(1) Kent Little46(1) TruDee Little46(new) Fred Hutson45 Rusty Rushton45 Russ Terman-White44 Carmen Burr44 Julie Farmer44 Peggy Holloway44 Jim Horrocks44 Ruthie Lees43 Karen Goehring42 Bart Burroughs42 Lawrence Venn42 Jo Weaver42 Rowen Zetterman42 Joanie Zetterman41 Dave Coziahr41 Walt Coziahr41 Lisa Ellis41 Jean Hansen41 Carol Rushton41(new) Gretchen Hutson40(20) Cindy Gray40(16) Kimberly Pearce40(new) Kevin Wycoff40(new) Paige Wycoff

Total continuous membership in the Methodist tradition(Total continuous membership at First United Methodist Church-Omaha)

SpiritualitySpiritual Practices @FUMCAll Spiritual Practices will return to the Mead Chapel starting August 3 unless otherwise noted.

• Yoga Foundations – Mondays, 9:30 am, Thursdays, 6:15 pm• Tai Chi for Balance – Tuesdays, 3:30 pm• Meditation – Wednesdays, noon• Taizé Worship – First Saturday monthly, 5:00 pm• Centering Prayer – Sundays, 9:35 am• Labyrinth, Garden & Gazebo – front lawn 24/7• Zumba – Wednesdays, 6:30 pm, the Commons – Resumes August 7

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Tuesday, August 20 • 10:00 am, ParlorOur Honor Thy Self program in August will be presented by Joy Johnson Brown. Joy will talk about her Boob’s Book XI, The Gun Found At Mark’s. Please plan to join us August 20 in the Parlor at 10:00 AM. All women 60+ welcome!

Questions: call Ruthie Lees at (402) 991-3168.

Honor Thy Self

We give thanks for your continued patience during the much-needed renovation of the Mead Chapel. We are so excited to share with you our newly updated sacred space! The new carpet is in, the paint is dry, our new LED lighting has been installed, and the hole in the ceiling is gone! Starting August 3, all activities will return to the Mead Chapel. On Sunday, Au-gust 11, after second service, we invite all to gather within the Mead Chapel for a special Dedication of the new space. We encourage all to take a peek into the Chapel and see all of the beauty and care given to the space.

A special thank you to our Building Manager, Steve Nehrig, our Building Staff, and all the helping hands who made this renovation possible.

Mead Chapel Reopening and Dedication

Chancel Choir Kick-Off and Party – Chancel Choir is getting ready to resume its fall rehearsal schedule, and what better way to begin than with a party? As it so happens, the last week of August also coincides with the birthday of the Director of Music Minis-tries, Mark Kurtz, and so there will be a birthday party/extended rehearsal evening on Wednesday, August 28, from 5:30-8:30 pm, to prepare music for the upcoming fall Sundays and to celebrate Mark’s birthday. Dinner will be provided, so there is no need to bring anything. If you haven’t sung with the choir before, but would like to try it out, this would be a great opportunity to come meet everyone and get an overview of what we do. If you have any questions, please contact Mark.Kurtz@fumcomaha.org. Hope to see you there!

Youth Choir Kick-Off – This fall, we would like to try a new rehearsal schedule with the Youth Choir (7th through 12th grade). The idea is to begin with a special kick-off rehearsal as part of United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF) Sunday evening, August 25 from 6:00-8:00 pm, in which we would learn all of the music for the fall. Then, instead of meeting every Sunday after the 10:50 service, we would meet only on the Sundays that we sing for church, during the Faith Studies Hour. Therefore, we would really like to see all of our singers at the kick-off on August 25, since that will be an important opportunity to learn upcoming music. If you have any questions, please contact Mark.Kurtz@fumcomaha.org. Hope to see you there!

7020 Cass StreetOmaha, NE 68132-2601

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage Paid

Permit #105Omaha, NebraskaReturn Service Requested

August 4 – Mirabai StarrAugust 11 – Rachel Naomi RemenAugust 18 – The Apostle PaulAugust 25 – Edward HayesSeptember 1 – Teresa of AvilaSeptember 8 – St John of the CrossSeptember 15 – Hildegard of BingenSeptember 22 – Meister EckhartSeptember 29 – Julian of Norwich

Listening to the MysticsJoin us for our August and September Sermon Series