August 30 sermon- "Dangerous church:dangerous prayer"

Dangerous Church: dangerous prayer

RUMC

August 30, 2009

I think I have told you before about the man who was so consumed with hatred of his neighbor that he prayed that the man would get everything he got twice as much.  And then he went and poked out one eye.

When I hear a little ditty like that I think that maybe prayer ought to have a warning label on it.  Why not? Everything else in our country has warning labels.  Everything from the little moisture absorbing packs that some in electronics which say “Silica Gel — Do Not Eat”.  When was the last time you thought that little packet looked appetizing?  I mean as soon as I read “Silica gel” I am ready to sprinkle it on my ice cream.  It is a good thing they tell me not to eat it.

I understand that those cardboard sun shades for your car have a warning label.  Does anybody know what it says?  Apparently it says “Warning: Do Not Drive with Sun Shield in Place."

How about we keep going and just put warning signs on everything…

• On a Magic 8 Ball: Not advised for use as a home pregnancy test.
• On a roll of Life Savers: Not for use as a flotation device.
• On a piano: Harmful or fatal if swallowed.
• On work gloves: For best results, do not leave at crime scene.
• On a palm sander: Not to be used to sand palms.
• On Odor Eaters: Do not eat.
• On a blender: Not for use as an aquarium.
• On syrup of ipecac: Caution: May cause vomiting.
• On a microscope: Objects are smaller and less alarming than they appear.

We could go on and on couldn’t we?  But the point is we put the silliest warning labels on things for no apparent reason.  I wonder if we should put a warning label on prayer.  “Warning- be careful what you pray for- you just might get it.”   Or  “Warning- problems look smaller when viewed through prayer”  or  “Warning this prayer contains active ingredients that may turn your world upside down!”

Can there be any more dangerous prayer than the one that we read this morning.  The one we pray every week?  Especially that line that says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!”  I have to ask you, do you really mean that?  Do you realize how dangerous that is?

Prayer is a dangerous thing.

Someday I may come back and preach a separate sermon on each of these, but today I want to introduce to you the  5 prayers that may be the most dangerous prayers in the world.*

SEARCH ME

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting life." (Psalms 139:23,24)

Why is this “search me” prayer so dangerous?  You know what they say- you can fool some of the people some of the time.  But you better not even try to fool God.  It is even easy to fool ourselves if we want to.  When you walk in the room for instance, and the lid is off the cookie jar, the culprit’s little hand is reaching for another cookie- and he is wearing half of the last one on his face. . .   ask them what they are doing what do they say “Nothing”  They may believe that, but mom and dad don’t.

Here we sit with our minds reaching for another lustful thought, our tongues reaching for another angry word, our fearful hearts making up another lie for the accomplice lips to speak. . .  and we have the audacity to pray “Search me O lord?”

By asking that God to search us we are practicing a dangerous honesty with God.  We are acknowledging our sin, opening ourselves up to total honesty with God, and asking God to keep us honest with ourselves.  Even when we’d rather not know the truth.  Search Me O God is a dangerous prayer because it usually leads to a dangerous truth most of us would rather not face.  God search me.

BREAK ME

In Ecclesiastes 3, Scripture talks about how there's a time for everything in life.  Verse 3 says, there's "a time to tear down and a time to build up."

Having been searched and exposed- it is time to tear down the things that impede our relationship with God.

Most  of you have known carpenters and construction workers  (especially with PCI in town) and know that their language is about as colorful as - well about as colorful as some of the farmers around here.  When I left construction and went into youth ministry that just wouldn’t do.  So my prayer was break me Lord.  Break me because my tongue is too strong- my habits are too powerful - and my will is too weak.  So break me, God.

Houses must be torn down to make way for new hospitals, plants must be plowed under in order to make way for this year’s crop, The cow has to be killed in order to harvest the meat. 

As hard as it is, sometimes we must pray the prayer “break me lord” in order to demolish the old and make way for the new creature that we want to be in Jesus Christ.    It is a dangerous, scary prayer, but we pray “break me Lord” break me.

STRETCH ME

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory.  1 Chronicles 4:10,

Maybe you are familiar with the prayer of Jabez.  It seems pretty safe- “O that thou wouldn’t bless me”  How dangerous can God’s blessing be?    If we look at the second part, Wilkerson suggests that it is not a prayer of greed but a prayer for enlargement.. Where do you need to be enlarged?  Once God has searched and torn down the things that are in your way where do you need to be stretched or grown.  Several times a week, I use this idea of the enlarging or stretching prayer praying not “enlarge my territory,” but Lord, bless me and enlarge my love.  Lord bless me and enlarge my acceptance of others.  Lord bless me and enlarge my understanding of this scripture.  You get the idea.  Lord stretch me, enlarge me, push me into new territory, prepare me for the things I think I can’t do. 

New territory is always scary.  New adventures are always exciting.  Think back to the first day of school.  God stretch me.  Think back to the first time you volunteered to be liturgist, or lead a devotion or pray in public.  God stretch me. I vividly remember the strange combination of excitement and sheer terror as I stepped into this spot to preach my first sermon here 2 years ago.  God stretch me. What is it that you are afraid to do?  What is God asking you to do that is a little scary- or a lot scary?  Pray God stretch me.

LEAD ME

With all your heart

   you must trust the LORD

   and not your own judgment.

    ⁶Always let him lead you,

   and he will clear the road

   for you to follow. Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Abraham let God lead him into a new land. The Israelites allowed God to lead them across the red sea and into the desert and finally into the promised land.  David prayed over and over “Lead me God.”  And now it is our turn.  The second  most dangerous Christians in the world (in a good way) are the ones who turn themselves over to God and pray “Lead me o God.”  The number one most dangerous are the one’s who actually follow where God leads.  I think of greats like Martin Luther, John Wesley, Martin Luther king Jr. and Mother Theresa.  But I also think of not so greats like the circuit rider whom let God lead him to what I’m sure some thought was a God forsaken wilderness to start a church that became this congregation.  What about the people who were led to start the nothing but nets campaign that has sent almost 3 million mosquito nets to Africa now.  What about Cadi Trask being led to Africa last summer?  What about … well what about you?  What are you being led to do? Where are you being led to go? Who are you being led to be. . .  by God and for God.   Proverbs says “always let him lead you.”  I know- easier said than done. But dangerous Christians pray “Lead me, Lord.  Lead me.” And then they follow.

USE ME

 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

Each of us is a unique tool designed by God to be an implement for God, and for good, if we but place ourselves in the Master Carpenter's hands, and allow ourselves to be used by him.  

Sometimes we look at the state of the world around us, and think, even pray, “Lord, do something!  Do something about this!”  But perhaps our prayer ought to be: “Lord, use me, use me to do something about this!”  “Use me, Lord, use my one and only life.  Take hold of my head and my heart and my hands, my talents and my resources, my words and my deeds, and use me for your great and glorious purposes!”  Now that's a dangerous prayer…and that's a “pray-er” that God can use! 

And he will, if you let him.  He'll use your words to encourage others.  He'll use your mind to instruct and counsel others.  He'll use your heart to show kindness to others.  He'll use your hands to serve others.  And when he does, you will discover the thrill of being a dangerous disciple used by God…A tool in the hands of the Master Carpenter. 

SEARCH ME . . .  BREAK ME . . .  STRETCH ME . . .  LEAD ME. . .  USE ME. There are no more dangerous prayers than these.

I wonder. . .  if companies have to put warning labels on silica Gel and cardboard sunshades.  Here we are with one of the world’s greatest powers at our disposal.  Do you think we ought to put a warning label on the alter rail so people see it when they kneel to pray.  Or maybe on our knees:  WARNING SPENDING TIME ON THESE KNEES, MAY BE DANGEROUSLY TRANSFORMING.  Or on our hands. WARNING: FOLDING THESE HANDS IN PRAYER MAY CHANGE THE WORLD.   

Prayer is not for amateurs.  But you are not amateurs.  You are God’s chosen.  You are the workers God has put in this place.   God has given you the gift of prayer.  If you don’t pray those dangerous prayers, who will?

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*The “5 dangerous prayers” seem to be attributable to Bill Hybels.  Supporting material is original.

Second in the series "Dangerous church"

NRSV John 17:11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

DANGEROUS CHURCH: dangerous Savior and dangerous disciples

RUMC

September 23, 2009

We like to think of Reinbeck as a pretty safe place. And it is. It isn’t like Waterloo or DesMoines or even Cedar Rapids or Iowa City. Thank goodness that insanity doesn’t seem to have infected our community. The murders, shootings, rapes and violent crimes we read about in the paper seem a long way away. And that is a good feeling. A safe feeling. Safe is good.

On a personal note, I have to say we appreciate feeling safe here, maybe more than the average person because we were victims of a burglary while we were at home just 2 months after Amber was born. That is a frightening, awful violated feeling that I hope to never feel again. I like safety much more.

Safety, though not a particularly Christian value, has become a characteristic of so much contemporary Christianity, And often innocently enough.

It begins when we just get plain tired of dealing with the world on the world's terms. We get tired of garbage like Bob and Tom on the radio; sex and cussing in music; so we turn to KNWS Christian station- safety. It feels so good.

We get tired the soft core porn that passes for prime time television; the constant barrage of name calling and vile accusations from both sides of the political aisle. We get tired of live streaming war and death on the news, so we turn the channel and watch little house on the prairie. OH, safety. It feels so good.

We get tired of newspapers filled with tragedy, doom saying know it alls and even our own gossipy friends and neighbors. And we just want to shrink and hide in a corner somewhere.

So when we get to church we want a nice safe place to worship.

Any Christian who does not get bone tired of dealing with the world on the world's terms has probably lost some basic human sensibility. So there's no denying that we need sanctuaries; safe places to which we can retreat.

I don’t want you to mistake a safe place to retreat, however, for a safe place to hide. Jesus did not hide from the world- where most of us would have given up to live in the safety of Nazareth he faced those dangers head on.

In fact Jesus himself was a dangerous savior.

How dangerous would you have to be to have a contract for a professional hit out for you before you were two years old?

How dangerous would you have to be to in order to make the highest religious authorities in the land afraid of you?

How dangerous would you be considered if you were heard to say; “I will tear this temple down and in three days build it again.” That would go over about as well as joking with airport security about the bomb you have in your shorts.

How dangerous would you have to be to have the chief priest—you can translate that to bishop if you like—how dangerous would you have to be to have the bishop make your execution number one job on their todo list no matter how long it takes?

How dangerous would you have to be to have armed occupation soldiers stationed at you grave “Just in case”

THAT’S HOW DANGEROUS OUR SAVIOR JESUS WAS!

a. We have a dangerous savior because he knew right from wrong and he was not afraid to point it out. Our society is one which values the melting pot the, compromise, the voice of the majority. We are coming to the point that truth really has very little meaning in our society because what is true for me might not be true for you. And with is right for me in this situation is not necessarily right for you, or even me, in another circumstance. Jesus spoke out against this type of relativism and situation ethics. Saying there is fundamentally right and wrong. That made him dangerous.

b. Second Jesus was dangerous because he was an accepter. In a class conscious society, and a society that believed in clean and unclean people- in a society where foreigners were to be feared- lepers avoided- sinners shunned- and women ignored--accepting and loving all of these people is a dangerous thing. He was one who no matter what he knew about a person- whether they are tax cheats, prostitutes, the hemorrhaging woman, the dead little girl Judas, the soldier at the foot of the cross or the thief on the next cross over

c. . It didn’t make any difference to Jesus what your background, your medical condition, your nationality, or your skin color was. It didn’t make any difference to Jesus! Since he didn’t draw the lines where the authorities drew them he was considered dangerous man.

d. Jesus was dangerous because he would not blindly accept the religious tradition.

i. The tradition , for instance of the moneychangers in the temple helping people to make a good sacrifice and the chief priest a good profit..

ii. The tradition, for instance, of not picking grain or healing on the Sabbath or not touching a leper.

iii. Jesus was never heard to utter those now famous words, “But we have never done it that way before..” To the religious establishment Jesus was a dangerous man, a dangerous savior,

e. Finally Jesus was dangerous because he knew and took God's commands and God's heart seriously.

i. Not do not kill, but do not hate

ii. Not do not commit adultery but do not lust

iii. Not do not steal, but do not covet

iv. Not do not hate- but love

Anyone who takes God's heart seriously and expects others to do the same would certainly be considered dangerous in any age, anhy place, any society.

So here we sit. Safe from the garbage that assails us every day of our lives. Safe (we would like to think) from the trauma and violence and hatred that surround us. - Safe behind our stained glass. Safe in our pews. Safe in our singing, safe in our reading, safe inside and safe outside. That’s OK, but if that is where we stop we are in danger rather than being dangerous. If that is where our faith and our ministry stops we are in danger because we are spectators rather than disciples.

The real problem is that we fool ourselves into thinking that we are doing exactly what Jesus would want.

We fool ourselves into thinking that Jesus would be happy with pew potatoes --but Jesus says “Go therefore into all the world”

We fool ourselves into thinking that Jesus guarantees that we will always be safe and successful –but he tells the apostles- if they don’t welcome you, brush the dust from your feet and move on

We fool ourselves into thinking that being a disciple is supposed to be safe and easy and forget that one of Jesus greatest invitations to discipleship was “Pick up your cross and follow me.” In other words take up the instrument of death and come die with Jesus. If death isn’t dangerous, I don’t know what is.

As a church we can not be content with safe, tame, harmless disciples. We must develop dangerous disciples or die. Do you hear me? We must become dangerous disciples or the church will die.

1. Dangerous disciples love God more than anything--- more than themselves, more than their soccer teams even more than their family. In the simplest terms that means they give up whatever it takes to be growing closer to God. Do you hear what I am saying or do you want me to go stepping on toes? Developing Dangerous Disciples means giving up- sacrificing, rescheduling, or saying NO to anything that keeps you from showing your love to God.. How do we show our love to God? Both private and public worship. Let me say this as plainly as I can Being a dangerous disciple requires that you give up- sacrifice, reschedule, or saying NO to anything that keeps you from public and private worship of God. We must love God at all costs.

2. Dangerous disciples also love God's people. It is not always easy to love those with whom we are closest.. We say and do things that hurt each other’s feelings, step on each other’s toes, and neglect each other’s priorities.. That’s the ugly part of being in relationship with anyone, anywhere, and any time. Unfortunately those things happen in the church too. So get over it! Love each other with a love so strong that it is stronger than any hurt feelings. Love with a love that is stronger than any bruised ego. Love with a love so strong that it is infinitely stronger than the disappointment of not getting your own way. That kind of love is a choice. And it is a hard choice. Anyone who says love is easy has never tried it. Love is hard and downright dangerous/ I am glad to take the risk of loving you- though- because God first took the risk of loving me. Dangerous disciples love one another.

3. Finally Dangerous disciples love the world because God loved it first. If loving God were not dangerous enough, and if loving each other wasn’t dangerous enough, dangerous disciples love the world, because God loved it first. Loving the world means first and foremost loving those outside of the church enough to share our dangerous love of God with them-- and give them a glimpse of the dangerous love we have for God's children. Sharing our love for God and love for each other is no little thing. In this egomaniacal, me me me world in which we live people will look down on love, they will not understand love, and they will out of ignorance- even hate those who love. To love the world as God loves it is to risk being misunderstood, falsely accused and mocked. But love me must because that’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

If taking God seriously and changing the world is dangerous, Jesus is like high explosives. When we become disciples of this dangerous savior he hands us a bundle of dynamite-- he lights it--- and he leaves it up to us. We can stand here and pull a Wyllie E Coyote—you know look into the camera and go boom!! Or we can get out of our pews and use it. It is up to you will you be dangerous disciples?

Why didn't someone remind me to post sermons before today?

Here is the first in the dangerous church series.

Dangerous church: dangerous God

August 16^th 2009

Rumc

Boy it’s nice to be in church isn’t it? It’s comfortable- are you comfortable, not too hot, would you like a pillow. How about a foot stool?

Is the light OK, how about the pews- too hard? To straight up and down? Is cliff here- maybe we can get the trustees to consider installing a lazy boy for each of us? That way we could be comfortable on Sunday morning.

Who among us doesn’t like to be comfortable? If uncomfortable was a good thing you ladies would still be wearing corsets. Men would still be wearing hair shirts, and children would enjoy sizzle of their legs on the shinny aluminum slide on the hottest summer afternoon. We all value safety, and comfort, and restfulness and calm.

But I’m sorry that’s not what we are talking about today.

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Although the church ought to have a core of safe, relationships where we take care of each other and watch each other’s backs and nurture each other-- you have done a great job with that. But if the church stops there it is not the church.

I want to tell you today that I don’t want to belong to a safe church. I have belonged to safe churches all my life and do you know what happens in safe churches- NOTHING.

I’m tired of leading a safe church-But if being a safe church means we can’t say anything that is going to ruffle feathers I don’t want anything to do with it.

If being a safe church means that we can’t address the important issues of the day because it might be controversial I don’t want anything to do with it.

If being a safe church means that we only do things the way have always done them, I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

If being a safe church means building a privacy fence around your relationship with God, I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

If being a safe church means that we can’t make mistakes, I don’t want to have anything to do with it.

It is my job to tell you today that we can not afford to be a safe church. We can not afford to play it safe. We can not afford to value safety over faithfulness.

This series will argue that we worship a dangerous God, we follow a dangerous savior, live in a dangerous world, have a dangerous mission, are called to be dangerous disciples, experience dangerous transformation, dangerous generosity, and dangerous devotion. And if we are to be faithful to who God calls us to be; we must be a dangerous church.

We must reject the popular and easy attitude that all is well and we just have to keep doing what we have always done. If we do that they say that by 2020 the rural church in America will be dead- a mere shadow of itself with 75% of you dead or moved.

We must reject the warped separation of church and state which has come to mean keeping the church out of everything important.

We must reject modern Christianity that has abandoned the biblical principles of righteousness and justice- that has abandoned its historical roots that lead John Wesley to go to the people who needed the message and preach on stumps outside the factories.

We must reject safe Christianity and reclaim the courage of the circuit riders who rode right behind the pioneers to settle the west.

“Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors” was a great idea but it wasn’t very successful because many of our churches lacked the first two and opening our doors revealed empty pews, empty faith and empty ministry.

I reject business as usual in the church- and from this day on I refuse to lead in a safe church in a dying denomination.

And I hope you do too. That’s what I’m counting on anyway.

But we have to back up and see why this is important. This is not my agenda. This is not my soapbox. This is not my program. In fact it is not a program at all. We are going to start the process of rethinking what it means to be church. And today we start with the startling reality that we worship a dangerous God.

If God were a God who played it safe God would never have created us. That’s the truth. If God wanted to play it safe at the very least he would have created robots or puppets. But NO- God took a chance from the very beginning, creating human beings in his image. In other words with free will. With the ability to choose right or wrong- love or hate- obedience or sin- joy or despair- worship or distain- God or No God.

If God was a safe God there would only be one road to follow. If God were a safe God, there would have been no serpent, no fruit in the garden, and no ability to choose.

But lest you think that was some kind of Divine faux-pas; that is the way God has operated through all of history.

Who forced Noah to build an ark? Could God have done it? Sure.

Who destroyed Abraham’s home so he would have to take his family and cattle and move to a new land? Could God have operated that way? SURE.

Who picked up Moses and magically transported him to Pharaoh’s court so Pharaoh would listen to him about freeing the Israelites? It didn’t happen that way? Isn’t that a little strange? Wouldn’t that have been a safer route to go than the burning bush? I think so- but God IS NOT INTERESTED IN TAKING THE SAFE ROUTE.

Who struck down Pharaoh and put a new kinder, gentler ruler in place when the Israelites cried out from their slavery. No one? Hmm. Don’t you think God could have done that?

Who kept the people of Israel from having a king because it was a bad idea? Not God! Could he have struck down the leaders who called for a human king? Absolutely.

Who kept Jonah from getting on the ship going the opposite direction God asked him to go? No one? Well, couldn’t God have just made that ship late so Jonah wouldn’t have the choice? I suspect so!

Do you see that God is not a God who has been known to play it safe?

How about the Exile? When the people were unfaithful, God allowed them to be carried off to a different country. Could that have backfired? Yep, did that stop God? NO.

Then, get this- when the people got to comfortable offering their calves and grain, and thought they had the world, including God by the tail. When the worship of God became a safe ritual with little or no faith- with little or no justice- with little or no righteousness-- with little or no danger that anyone would be touched, affected or changed - God said “you offerings mean nothing to me- what does the lord require”-

⁷ Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:7-8)

It is not the old rituals, the customs, the way we have always done things, the comfortable, the easy, the safe, or the secure that pleases God.

God is a God who takes risks, embraces the unknown, pushes people out of their comfort zone, requires a leap of faith, imposes a cost on discipleship, and is not satisfied until we have left everything behind- our comfort, our security, our traditions, our possessions, our desires, our will, our greed, our selfishness, our stubbornness, our pride and our lives. EVERYTHING must be laid aside in order to follow the God who risks everything in order to be in relationship with you. But that is the subject of next week’s sermon.

Are you ready? Are you ready to embark on this journey with me? A journey that is as exciting as any you could imagine. I don’t know when we will arrive because like Abraham God just says “GO.” I don’t know where we will land; because God just says “Go” I don’t know what we will look like when we get there. There is a good chance that we will be bruised. There is a good chance that we will get lost along the way. There is a good chance that we will end up backing up because we went down a dead end. But I can guarantee that we will not be who we are today. I can guarantee that we will not be where we are today. And I can guarantee that whoever we are and wherever we land, God will is already there waiting for us. Preparing for us. Calling us. and leading us to rethink what it means to be church.

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God- it is just a joy to be in your worship today. What a privilege to sing your praises, hear your word and pray to you. The options you lay before us are awesome- faith or doubt- life and death- love and hate. Lord help us to be faithful in all things. We do not want to make church all about us, but all about you. We do not want our congregation to be a social club, but the body of Christ. We do not want to be those who choose the easy way, but those who choose the right way- your way- the disciple way.

The needs of those near to us are overwhelming. We can’t begin to name all the persons who need special attention. You are faithful and just, though, and already know those needs before we pray. Make us faithful in being answers to our own prayers as you call us. Send us out with quick feet, gentle hands, gentle tongues, and kind hearts to speak your word of hope and salvation to persons who are broken and hurting.

We give you all the thanks an praise lord. We honor you and give you all the glory, Lord, Hear our prayer.

"A PORTION MEANT FOR. . . "

This comes directly from the Treasurery Notes.  A publication of the treasurers office of the Iowa Annual conference of the United Methodist Church.  Charles Smith- Treasurer.

In this issue of the Treasury Notes, I will brieflydescribe the section that we call General ChurchApportionments. The amount owed comes to theIowa Annual Conference from the General (World)Church, and as a Conference we are required toinclude them in the Conference budget and pass thisamount on to the local congregations withoutreductions. The funds supported by this amount are:

The World Service Fund, as the name suggests, is the way congregations give their share andparticipate in God’s work around the world. This fundhas been described as the “heart of the Church’sministry together.” For the 2009-2012 quadrennium,the General Church program agencies havecollaborated in an effort to place an emphasis onareas of ministry for the church. They consist of thefollowing: (1) leadership development which helpsenable our clergy and laity to develop the skillsneeded for ministry in the 21st century; (2) churchgrowth which is extending the outreach of thechurch’s ministry by starting new congregations andhelping existing congregations develop ways forgrowth within their community; (3) ministry with thepoor by partnering with the poor to seek justice andaddress the causes of human suffering that resultfrom poverty; and (4) global health by helping bringhealth initiatives and health and wholeness through aconcerted effort to end preventable diseases.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$82,611,000 with Iowa’s share being $1,158,519.

The Ministerial Education Fund was established bythe l968 General Conference as a means of engagingthe total membership of the church in an effort to trainand recruit clergy. The fund provides support for thethirteen United Methodist seminaries within theUnited States, local pastors’ Course of Study, andcontinuing education of active clergy and initiatives ofthe General Board of Higher Education and Ministrythroughout the world. Twenty five percent of thisapportionment stays within the Iowa AnnualConference to provide support for ministerialeducation.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$28,280,000 with Iowa’s share being $396,593.

The Black College Fund was established by the1972 General Conference. The objective of the fundis to provide financial support for institutions of highereducation that have historically served theeducational needs of black students. Most of the 12colleges supported by this fund were founded afterthe Civil War. For many years, the Iowa Conferencehas kept a special relationship with one of thecolleges. Many individuals and local congregations inIowa besides supporting the Black College fund alsoprovides special gifts to Rust College which is locatedin Holly Springs, Mississippi.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$11,282,000 with Iowa’s share being $158,216.

The Africa University Fund was established by the1988 General Conference. This fund supports AfricaUniversity which opened in Zimbabwe on March 23,1993. The student body has now reached aneconomically sustainable enrollment level of around1,200 students. Capital improvements are now beingfunded by grants from governments, foundations,annual conferences and individuals. The apportionedfunds are used to support the operating budget.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$2,525,000 with Iowa’s share being $35,410.

The Episcopal Fund provides support for all activeand retired Bishops in all parts of the world. The fundpays the following items for each Bishop: salary,health and pension benefits, travel expense, movingcosts, a portion of the office expense, some officeequipment for the Bishop’s office, a grant to theAnnual Conference for a share of the Episcopalhousing fund, some support for renewal leave,continuing education, and a sabbatical leave. Thefund includes a provision for emergency evacuationexpenses and other expenses if the safety andwelfare of the Bishop and his or her family is at stake.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$21,210,000 with Iowa’s share being $318,662.

The General Administration Fund financesgeneral church activities that are specificallyadministrative in nature. The specific budget itemsinclude interpretation resources that are used by theUM Communications to promote these funds.Support for the General Church Treasurer andAdministration offices, which provides for legal needs,maintaining the UM trademark and propertyinsurance fund. The cost of holding the GeneralConference every four years is in this fund,maintaining the General Commission on Archivesand History, historic sites, heritage landmarks, andthe cost of the Judicial Council.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$8,951,000 with Iowa’s share being $125,527.

The Interdenominational Cooperation Fundprovides basic support for ecumenical agenciesthrough which the United Methodist Churchparticipates in God’s mission with other Christiancommunions. This fund supports the National Councilof Churches/Regional Ecumenical Organizations,World Councils of Churches/ InternationalEcumenical Organizations, Christian WorldCommunions/Methodist Unity, the World MethodistCouncil, Pan-Methodist Commissions including theCommission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation, andUnion and Churches Uniting in Christ.The 2010 total apportionment for this fund is$2,201,000 with Iowa’s share being $30,866.

The Iowa Annual Conference also includes the NorthCentral Jurisdictional Fund in this apportionmenttotal. The Jurisdictional fund primarily supports theJurisdictional Conference which meets every fouryears, and the committees that are needed toorganize and hold this event.Iowa’s share of this fund for each year ofthe quadrennium will be $25,036.

Iowa’s share of the 2010 apportionment for theGeneral Church is $2,248,829. In 2007, lay andclergy members of the Annual Conference voted topay the General Church apportionments at 100%even if all local congregations had not paid this fundat 100%. Therefore, a Contingency fund in theamount of $355,000 is included in this apportionmentto cover a shortfall in local church payments. Asmore and more local congregations reach the goal ofpaying this fund at 100%, the Contingency Fund canbe adjusted which helps all of us.