To Church by Boat

In 1912,  Rev. Heavener served as pastor of both Solomons & Olivet Methodist Episcopal Churches. He and his family would travel by boat from Solomons to Olivet in order to deliver the sermon in our then brand new sanctuary.

This year, the sanctuary turns 100 years old and to commemorate the occasion, the pastors took a boat to church as a reenactment of our past.

Thanks to the Calvert Marine Museum for the gift of a complimentary ride on the Tennyson - Thanks to Bunky's for allowing us to dock near Solomon's Church - and thanks to the Wilsons for allowing us to dock at their home in Olivet, where we concluded our trip with a breakfast and worship service on their back deck.

The history of our churches really came to life as we approached each church from the water, seeing our steeple while out on the river. Indeed, it brought great meaning to one of Olivet's favorite hymns "Let's go down to the river to pray"!

God Squad this Summer

Our churches mission statement “From Olivet, We Follow” allows for diverse freedom of expressions in how each of us can be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. I am delighted to see how God has inspired a small group of teens to follow Jesus into the world as the God Squad. The God Squad project is one that helps all of us pattern our daily lives after Jesus by serving God and neighbor.

The God Squad was developed out of the small group of teen girls who meet, under the leadership of Andrea Saglimbene, every Tuesday evening for Bible Study, worship, prayer and spiritual encouragement. In April, they met with me and shared a desire to widen their impact on the community and make a difference in their world. The girls designed t- shirts and called themselves The God Squad and will begin advertising their services of housecleaning, simple gardening and a neighborhood beach clean-up.

I see these girls dispelling cultural stereotypes that teen agers are lazy or uninterested in making a difference in the community. I was impressed at how they want to get to know the older people in their church and neighborhood. This summer, our whole church will launching their project that draws together multiple generations as God’s hands and feet in mission.

Once announced in church, adults stepped up and wanted to join the God Squad. Carl Zimmermann, Kit Jones, Kim Blackistone, Marge Browning, Jason Williams and Rachel Dean all have terrific talents and skills that they will be bringing to the summer mission efforts. Rachel Dean and her brother Jason Williams offered to take groups out on the water for a lesson on ecology as well as prayer and Bible Study. Marge

Browning and Kim Blackistone have been coordinating local mission teams that will help out neighbors in ways yet to be determined (talk about being led by the Spirit!) Carl Zimmermann has agreed to help with the more skilled areas of need. Kit Jones will be coordinating a mid-week, mid- morning playgroup that introduces Christian teaching through worship, song and bible stories. Several young moms and grandparents are looking forward to bringing their babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners to the Children’s Chapel that will start Tuesday morning, July 10, 2012.

The God Squad Project has been the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that descended upon a small group of teen girls. Their vision has inspired Olivet to take a big step in initiating a ministry to serve others locally. May this summer be a blessing to our community, the people we serve, and a blessing to the witness of God’s love in the world!

  Rare View from Inside the Bell Tower    

   Thanks to John Davis for this great photograph looking out over Mary & Ray's House.
John climbed up the steeple to investigate the history of our church bell, as it has been an oral tradition at Olivet that the bell was once on a ship. The only way to know for sure was to see if there was an inscription on the bell. John said he would be willing to climb up and look.
   When he got up there, he read that the bell was from Morgan Iron Works, and listed as having been a bell used on a steamboat called Ferryboat Rhine dating to 1852. It is 60 years older than the church building! 

Putting "Faulty Thinking" To Bed

Faulty Thinking.  Stinkin' Thinkin'. There are many names for it but essentially it is any of the negative "tapes" we "play" in our head.
 I first heard of it at an AA meeting fifteen years ago. A long-time sober alcoholic described the kind of negative thoughts that led up to his falling off the wagon.  "I'm a loser." "I never get things right." and eventually"Well, every time I try I fail, so why try?"  The next thing he knew he had given up the commitment to sobriety and was back on the bar stool.

Stinking Thinking is not just a problem with addicts. All of us carry on internal conversations. What we tell ourselves becomes our lens for viewing the world. Our self-talk becomes reality as we believe what we say about ourselves, even if it we never speak it aloud.

As a mom, I have watched my own kids develop faulty thinking at a young age.  My pre-school daughter already has learned to lament the stereotypical "No one likes me, everybody hates me, I should go eat worms." When she is in that "faulty thinking" mode, it is as if there is no convincing her otherwise.

I have learned that to change faulty thinking,  we must intentionally tell ourselves positive messages. We must re-program ourselves. I came up with a little song for my daughter to the tune of "Are You Sleeping" that gives her simple, repeatable phrases about God's love for her.
Tonight, as she was in bed, trying to fall asleep, I heard her from outside the room singing this song.

To the Tune of Frere Jaques

Jesus Loves Me,

Jesus Loves Me.

I Love God,

I Love God,

Holy, Holy Spirit.

Holy, Holy Spirit.

Amen. Amen.

I am not a child psychologist. I am clearly not a hymn writer. I'm just a mom and a pastor. I had a problem so I came up with this little song.

You could change the words to fit your child's theology. Maybe "Holy Spirit" is too fancy for your three your old - so substitute "Always Always With Me" or some other sort of thing. If your kid is like mine, she will add new verses of her own. I heard her throwing in "Mommy Loves Me" after a while, for instance. Whatever anchors her to the Love of God - mommies and daddies are those anchors for children.

In other faith traditions, this little song might be considered a mantra, words that are repeated to bring about inner transformation. As a Christian, the Bible invites me to set my mind on things above, not on things of this earth. (Colossians 3:2)  Stinking thinking, therefore, is not for Christians. We are supposed to set our minds on the love of God, although human nature will want to tug on us to believe life is hopeless and miserable.

I wanted to share this because someone else may need help with calming an anxious child - May the peace that passes all understanding dwell richly in your child's heart!

Just Another Day at Olivet

US Navy Blimp Over Olivet

Olivet Church looks to be an ordinary place - a little church in a quiet neighborhood. But God continues to surprise me with extraordinary blessings wrapped in the "ordinary packaging" of a country church.

It's quiet here, but many visitors drop by. Just today, a stranger was walking down Olivet road taking pictures. He stopped in to tell me he was sightseeing all the way from Scotland (not the one by Point Lookout, either!).Then there are the visitors who circle our sky - like the US Navy blimp that spent quite a long time in our neighborhood last week.
Simple miracles happen at Olivet all the time. For instance, there was the Miracle of Pickles. A kindergartner heard the cries of a cat coming from beneath the church. He and his grandma discovered that a cat had become trapped and couldn't get out.    With the help of church members who cut him an escape hatch, the friendly cat named Pickles was rescued.

Pickles' story began the week before, when I was praying for dirt so that we could fill-in a gap under the church. Miraculously, a bulldozer
appeared. It was heading to the end of Olivet Road to move dirt from the site of James Dodson's old store.    The driver offered us a pile of dirt for our hole. What a gift! It seemed to be sent from James Dodson himself to meet the needs of the Olivet Trustees!

The Hole Filled In with Dirt

The only problem was nobody knew Pickles was napping beneath the church, he never knew his entrance way had been blocked. It took a little boy, almost five days later to discover him. He is now safe and the hole is closed up.
This week's miracle is just as exciting. Our Governing Body launched a fundraiser for the renovation of the church hall and set up an on- line giving website. Within three days, contributions started coming in as we posted the requests to facebook and email. To date, we have over $2,000. Inside this newsletter, read more about this initiative and what is involved.
Olivet was named for the holy spot outside Jerusalem where people encountered God. Here at Olivet, we also encounter the holy. In simple, ordinary ways, God reminds us that his love for us is always a miracle.

Baskets: Not Just for Easter

Gift Basket Ministry - Pouring Out God's Love for Others

It began with the question, "What more can we do to show God's love?"

How many times have you been praying for a person or family - and after sending cards, lifting their names in prayer at worship, you just want to express in more ways how much God loves them? And how much the church loves them too!

This happened on two separate occasions this month - when several church members finally came up with an expression of God's love that could be tailored just for the person. "Let's put together a gift basket with tokens of love (the prayer cloths, the pocket crosses, for instance) from Olivet."

In March, two families going through difficult times became the recipient of these unique Olivet baskets filled handmade crafts, prayer blankets, gift items and more. Each basket was prayerfully put together as people in the church were invited to contribute an item. We recieved an outpouring of items - girl scout cookies, hamemade prayer cloths, candies, Olivet pocket crosses, inspirational refrigerator magents, kids bubbles, toys, blankets, lotion and more.

Would you like to take part in this outreach?

We would love to see it continue! Here is how you can get involved.

(1) Be a Contributor on Call - tell the church office secretary Bonnie that you would like to be called upon when a basket is being created. You will be told to pray for the persons and invited to give an item of your choice, bringing it in to the church.

(2) Provide a Basket - Do you have baskets that you would like to donate for this ministry. Bring it to the church so we can use them for future occasions.

(3) Provide gifts - Do you do a particular craft that might be nice to include? Or have gift items in your home that might be nice to include in a gift basket? Handmade items, new gifts, tea towels, or other non perishables can be brought to the church office.

(4) Name a Recipient - Do you know someone who needs to be showered with love and care? We have had so much joy putting these together, we would love to assemble more baskets - all we ask is that deliver it yourself on behalf of the church. Every basket will include a handwritted letter from the pastor ion behalf of your congregation.

Thanks to Food Lion for their recent contribution of $20 Food Cards - this was included in the recent gift basket for a local family in need.

We’re not ashamed to have this confidence, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5

Video Testimony

Watch the personal story of Bob and Eva who were told that Bob was going blind. Doctors said he could try a cornea transplant, but with much risk. After three transplants (one failed) He regained 20/20 vision in one eye and 20/40 in the other.

In this 10 year experience, a pivotal moment came for him when he surrendered over to God the "outcome" and just prayed for strength to make it through.

Both Bob and Eva describe how God answered the prayer and gave them strength - a strength that came through the many people, friends and family who helped them - as well as the 3 organ donors who made the greatest sacrifice so he could see.