Matthew 16: 21-28
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
Good news and bad news always seem to come together in a mix. Maybe there is no such thing as just plain old good news. It’s always bad news too. It just depends on how you look at it. The bad news is that all good news is mixed with bad news. The good news is that all bad news is mixed with good news. You just have to change your perspective a little.
Matthew 16: 13-20
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
What makes a person a Christian?
That’s a complicated question, and I suppose there are many different ways to answer it. In fact, if you think about all the different denominations and divisions in the church, one way to understand all that is that all these different groups have different opinions as to what really makes someone a Christian.
In the Methodist Church, we tend to emphasize the spiritual life, the need to grow and deepen one’s faith, the importance of spiritual practices and disciplines, combined with a serious focus on social concerns, the belief that social holiness and personal holiness are linked, that our goodness or lack there of, ends up reflected in our society and culture. In a nutshell, that’s our angle on this question of what it means to be a Christian.
Is it right for you and your family?
(this article adapted from a fact sheet prepared by Ellen Andrews at theCt. Health Policy Project.)
The state began taking applications for the Charter Oak Health Insurance Plan to cover uninsured Connecticut residents on July 1. Coverage is expected to begin September 1.)
There is a lot we still don’t know about the plan, but it may be a good option for you if you need health insurance. Charter Oak will cover: Hospital care, doctor and clinic visits, X-rays and lab tests, prescriptions within limits, some mental health & substance abuse services. However, it may not be a good deal for everyone. Before signing up for the Charter Oak Health Plan, consider these the following carefully:
1) You are not supposed to be eligible for Charter Oak if you have had any health insurance in the last six months. Some exceptions apply.
2) The Charter Oak program does not cover all bills completely. In addition to monthly premiums (on a sliding scale from $75 -$259/mo), members are responsible for an annual deductible ranging from $150 to $900 for an individual and $300 to $1750 for families. Furthermore, once members have met their deductibles, they are still responsible for co-pays for office visits, hospital stays, and outpatient surgical procedures.
3) Charter Oak has an annual limit of $7500 for prescription medications and a $100,000 total maximum benefit for the year. After reaching those caps, members are responsible to cover their healthcare costs themselves.
4) If you need to see a specific provider to continue your care, check first to see if he or she will take the Charter Oak insurer you are considering.
5) Dental and vision care are not covered in the Charter Oak plan. Services to treat mental health or substance abuse problems are limited in Charter Oak.
To learn more about whether Charter Oak can work for you, click on the web site referenced above or call the Consumer Health Action Network toll-free at 888-873-4585. To signup for Charter Oak call toll-free at 800-656-6684.
Center City Churches is now Hands On Hartford. Center City Churches has run significant feeding ministries in downtown Hartford, as well as Peter’s Retreat (a residence for AIDS patients) and the Center for Youth. This year Center City Churches became Hands On Hartford, adding a community engagement program designed to connect volunteers with service opportunities in the Hartford area. Our church has been a member of Center City Churches for many years, and plans to remain involved with Hands On Hartford. We believe they will be creating exciting new opportunites for us to be engaged in meaningful ministry, and have increased our financial contribution to the organization in our 2008 budget to reflect our optimism. Check out the new Hands On Hartford web page to learn more.
Our programs continue with enthusiasm! Another trip to Haiti is being planned through the Wethersfield Methodist Church in the fall. We will continue to collect medicine, soap, towels, vitamins, antacids, creams, etc (there is a more detailed list available next to the Haiti donation box in the hallway). We had a great donation in the spring, so let us continue to support this project, as we have always done.
Matthew 15: 21-28
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
I remember the power I felt when it was communicated to me that I was better than some people. In the culture in which I grew up, such communication is usually subtle, and you learn your place in the pecking order of the world. But sometimes it’s not so subtle, and you learn the language of racism, the ebbs and flows of sexism, and the tingling sensation of dominance racing in your veins.
Matthew 14: 22-33
Rev. Bryan Travis Hooper
What do you expect from life?
I think the answer to that question, to a large degree, determines what you get from life. It’s not the only factor. You were born into a certain economic class. You were given certain gifts and graces. You were blessed with a certain genetic composition. But all of those restrictions and limitations have been overcome by others with great expectations. Peter had no training in water walking. There wasn’t a gene in Peter’s body that gave him the power to walk on water. Peter simply took a first step.
And I’m not talking about marriage.
I’ve been working a lot behind the scenes with Hands On Hartford. HoH is the reborn Center City Churches. With the new name comes a new initiative – civic engagement. “Civic engagement” has become quite a buzz word lately, with communities all over the nation discovering the value of inviting, encouraging and supporting people to make tangible differences in their neighborhoods.
HoH hopes to be the leader in Greater Hartford for civic engagement. Recently, I noticed that my seminary, Drew, is hosting a conference in October with a focus on civic engagement. Could this be a movement of the Spirit! I hope so. I am planning on going, to learn more about the topic, to share the new initiative in Hartford, and to hear about our Wesleyan mandate to be engaged in our community.
If you can get some time free in the middle of the week and would like to join me, send me an email.
The Cooperative School of Christian Mission for 2008 (July 24-27) is over, but the “high” goes on! Over 300 women, men, youth and children attended; six women from our local United Methodist Women’s unit and Pastor Bryan represented our church. Highlights include: inspiring worship; lively music; renewed and new friendships; meaningful study programs; communion celebrated by Bishop Park, and diversity aplenty!
The entire group participated in the spiritual growth study, “I Believe in Jesus.” It was marvelously well conducted. Using the book by the same name, we looked at our own personal response to the question – “Do you believe in Jesus?” We also explored the topic of postmodernism as it relates to present day church, involvement and mission outreach. A powerful video, “Ecclesia,” (Fast Forward: A History of the Church) was shown.
The study of “Native American Survival” delved into the plight of Native Americans, historically and today, including the role the church has played and how the United Methodist Church is involved today. Native music, customs, stories were featured. We even had a Native American dish of quinoi and roasted vegetables for dinner one night. A reenactment of a Tribal Counsel was held, dealing with casinos and gambling.
Pastor Bryan taught one the classes on Israel/Palestine, the second year this course was offered. (See his blog for more information.) A meal of Middle Eastern food was served which included hummus, tabouli, roasted eggplant, and fish.The children and youth presented an evening of spirit-filled entertainment featuring much energy! Singing, liturgical dancing, piano music, Christian rap, recitations of personal thoughts and poems, all contributed to a special time together….I am looking forward to next year’s School of Mission! Please join me!!
This weekend, I grabbed Buster and took off to the Northwest corner of Connecticut. Together, we ascended the highest mountain in Connecticut – Bear Mountain. Bear Mountain is not the highest point in Connecticut, but it is the highest mountain that is totally in Connecticut. Nevertheless, it’s not really all that high.
It was a challenging hike for me, being that I’m rather out of shape, but Buster had no problems. He loved pushing up the mounting and he zipped right back down. I sweated like a pig, drank more than my share of our water, needed to rest frequently. But when I got to the top, I was rewarded with a wonderful view.
When you can take a couple of hours and climb a mountain and get a view of creation that is free of any signs of human civilization, you can count yourself blessed. Nature always rewards me with beautiful reminders of God’s majesty and wonder.
The down side: even on top of Bear Mountain my phone had full bars. I could have held a teleconference right there! Wait a minute – that’s a great idea! Next committee meeting we have – I’ll attend from the top of Bear Mountain.
There are not many days of summer left – I encourage you to get out there and experience this great planet we live on in whatever ways you can!