The Oasis

Welcome to Cross in the Desert UMC

“Where God’s Love Transforms Lives”

The people of Cross in the Desert United Methodist Church welcome you to our church. We are a vibrant community that loves God and each other. We live out our faith by worshipping the risen Lord each week, serving our church and our world.

Cross in the Desert UMC Monthly Newsletter

May 2020

Change (https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/quotes-about-change)

1. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” -Winston Churchill

2. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela

3. “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the

future.” -John F. Kennedy

4. “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” -Albert Einstein

5. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve

been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” -Barack Obama

6. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” -Leo Tolstoy

7. “Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” -Steve Jobs

8. “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” -Maya Angelou

9. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” -

Socrates

10. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the

patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman

Written by Reinhold Niebuhr, the Serenity Prayer is a humble submission to the Lord, giving up the things we cannot control and trusting Him to provide just what our hearts need. Serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful and

untroubled.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

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Pastor’s Corner Everyone is on an identity journey. Over time, what you choose to believe in your heart about your own purpose, meaning and worth will constantly affect how you value your life; how you react to difficulties; and how you relate to your family and people around you.

If you define yourself by what you do, by what others say about you, or by your present feelings, then you are setting yourself up for a future of failure and disappointment. While the culture spirals into deeper confusion, God has remained timelessly clear along. To be convinced of who you really are, by the One who truly knows you, is a life-changing breakthrough that unlocks how best to live. I challenge you to take the parking brake off your past, turn on the headlights for your future and live victoriously in the amazing light of God's acceptance, abundance, and strength. Are you ready to live out your identity in Christ?

In the book of Job, after this highly respected man had suffered the losses of his children, servants, and possessions, he clung to God in devastation. But Job struggled with his own meaning in the midst of his suffering. He went on to curse the day of his birth, wishing he'd just died in his mother's womb.

Life in the midst of a pandemic with the Coronavirus can have a brutal way of stretching and fiercely testing who we are. We've all likely seen these kinds of things happen to people we know. Someone loses not only their job or a precious relationship, but also loses their reason for getting out of bed in the morning. We hear the tragic news of attempted suicide after a significant loss or a failure that took away a person's public respectability. When cherished seasons end and our positions on the team or the job are lost, we can unexpectedly spiral into a season of grief and begin looking in the mirror questioning who we are now, sincerely wondering if we have any real purpose or value left.

When our foundation is not strong, we will likely not stand firm when the toughest storms beat down on us. If we've been basing our lives and the perception of our identity on changing things, then we've been setting a trap for our own feet.

We must each come back to the truth that Jesus taught, how we must anchor ourselves on an unshakable foundation---"on the rock" knowing at some point, everything we hold dear in this life will eventually be tested, altered, or taken away at some level. As the story of Job informs us, we need to lock in our identity and anchor it in God and God's unchanging word!

Blessings,

Pastor Julius

Table of Contents

Change Quotes and Serenity Prayer.….…1 Pastor’s Corner………………………….…....2 Birthdays and Anniversaries……………….3 CITD Financial Corner…….………………....4 Announcements…………………………...... 5 April Showers Bring May Flowers…………6 John and Charles Wesley…………………...7 History of the United Methodist Church….8 Why do United Methodist Pastors Change Churches……………………………....9 COVID-19: Here’s How One Pandemic will Change Our Lives, Forever………..10

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Stephanie Kendall May 4 Bob Twietmeyer May 4 Dee Ensign May 5 Brian Moore May 6 Art Brooks May 8 Merrily Abels May 12 Christina Moore May 12 Ben Whitmire May 12 Heather Robinson May 13 Jerry Hartley May 15

Dan Miller May 15 Kevin Joy May 17 Garrett Carlson May 18 Wanda Picciotti May 18 Elizabeth Weir May 21 Jen Brown May 22 Phillip Botts May 26 Mary Ann Crist May 26 Pete Thompson May 26 Martha Bulkeley May 31 Beverly Stamper May 31

May Prayer Focus

Wesley and Golden Gates Community Centers, Phoenix

UMOM New Day Center,

Phoenix

Justa Center, Phoenix

Burt & Laura Burton May 14 Bill & Donna Cox May 15 Bob & Dorothy Sanders May 22 Dave & Carla Whitmire May 23 Peter & Gena Martinello May 24 Eric & Dee Ensign May 31 Jeremy & Jessica Wyner May 31

Communications at CITD

Our website is full of all the

latest information about the

church. Please visit it at:

www.crossinthedesert.org.

Please update your email

address with the church

office by placing it on your

attendance form.

Our Facebook page is very

active and provides the

most up-to-date

information. You can like us

at: www.facebook.com/

CrossintheDesertUMC.

If you notice any repairs

that need to be made on

the church grounds that

could cause a safety issue,

please contact Steve Ellis,

Rick Homes or the church

office as soon as possible.

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CITD Financial Corner

Coronavirus Lockdown - God Provides! The impact of the coronavirus and the resulting lockdown has certainly had a severe impact on our global and local economies. As we entered the lockdown ourselves, there were certainly concerns about how our church’s financial situation would be impacted. I am happy to tell you that we have been very blessed during this time. We were blessed on three fronts. First, our CITD Foundation made it clear that they were ready to step in to help us bridge any immediate, severe shortcomings. Knowing they were there to help step in if needed certainly relieved our concerns. Secondly, when the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan program was announced, it became clear that we might be able to qualify. We quickly prepared and were able to submit an application on the first day. We were successful in receiving a $32,000 loan which if used appropriately will be forgiven. Thirdly, the congregation has continued to generously give during this time period. For January and February, our average weekly giving was $5,935.49. For March and April, our average weekly giving was $6,328.14. Our year to date weekly average is now $6,143.36.

Date Weekly Giving Date Weekly Giving

3/1/2020 $ 7,436.56 4/5/2020 $ 7,365.00

3/8/2020 $ 11,583.95 4/12/2020 $ 8,314.25

3/15/2020 $ 4,141.50 4/19/2020 $ 4,480.00

3/22/2020 $ 3,975.75 4/26/2020 $ 4,300.25

3/29/2020 $ 5,356.00

Thank you so much for your continued support. May God continue to bless us, and I ask for His blessings and protection for each of you during these challenging times. In His service, Eugene O’Bryan, Chairperson CITD Finance Committee

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Camping Ministry

Save the date! August 14-16

We are going camping in cool Flagstaff!

Registration will start in June. All are welcome. No

experience necessary.

Dear friends from Cross in the Desert,

I will be moving to Tucson the end of May. I am going to try to be available to my kids and grand-children that live there. This is going to be a Serendipidous move - I have lived in the Phoenix area since 1976. As I am going through my paperwork, I found my baptism paper of May 12, 1996 from Cross in the Desert. Cross in the Desert church and its ministries have helped me through life. No matter what I faced, I learned that God was always with me. It has been my pleasure praying for each and every one of you! I still intend on making return trips to Phoenix, periodically. I do still plan on helping with Jessica and Ashlyn's baby showers. It has been such a pleasure to help with the online services these past couple of months. Additionally, I have asked to still be included with the Prayer Chain emails. If any of you need some one on one prayers, I can be reached by phone or email which you can find in the church directory or by calling the church office. Wish me luck as I begin this new adventure in life!

God Bless You All,

Melanie Konski

May Sermon Schedule

May 3, 2020 “Fear,” Isaiah 41:8-10 and 2 Timothy 1:6-7

May 10, 2020 “Ruth and Naomi,” Ruth 1:7-19

May 17, 2020 “God’s Word Brings Us Hope,” Romans 15:4-6

May 24, 2020 “For Such A Time As This.” Esther 4:1-17

May 31, 2020 “The Promise,” Luke 24:44-53 and Acts 2:37-39

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“April Showers bring May Flowers”

A special thanks to Jack and Judy Smith for all of the loving care they

give to our rose garden. The garden was in “full bloom“ the middle of

April—hope it stays that way when we are all able to come back to church.

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John and Charles Wesley (https://u-s-history.com/pages/h3853.htmlTop of

Form)

John Wesley is considered to be the father of Methodism. His brother, Charles, became one of the most prolific English-speaking poets, composing more than 6,500 hymns. With no intention of separating from the Anglican Church, the brothers were founding members of a small Oxford University reform group that eventually became the second-largest Protestant denomination in America.

John and Charles were born in 1703 and 1707, respectively, in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England. Their parents were Anglican rector, Samuel Wesley, and his wife, Susanna. Born the 15th child, John gained his devout faith from his mother. In addition to that, a brush with death in a house fire at age five caused him to believe he had been saved for a special mission, and that he ought to diligently work to fulfill his obligation to God.

While attending Oxford University in 1728, John and Charles were ordained as priests of the Church of England, and they faithfully kept their holy orders throughout their lives. Although they were unable to preach from most Anglican pulpits because of their evangelical style, they held services in barns, private homes and other locations.

While at Oxford, the brothers and a friend, George Whitefield, formed a group called the “Holy Club," in which they held regular Bible study, prayer and self-examination. Each member also was responsible for visiting the sick and conducting worship services to jail inmates, which was highly unusual for college-age men. The club became known by their classmates as “the Methodists," owing to their conspicuously pious ways, methodical approach to Bible study and daily prayer.

The Wesleys' mission to America began in 1735, when John was approached by General James Oglethorpe to serve as a minister for a new parish in Savannah, Georgia. Assuming he would preach to Indians and convert them, John set sail to the haven for persecuted religious sects and penniless debtors in Georgia. Charles went along to serve as secretary of Indian Affairs, with duties as secretary and chaplain at the nearby settlement of Frederica.

Unfortunately, the Wesley brothers became entangled in rumor-filled, intra-colony disputes that involved female colonists, and their days became numbered. Charles left Georgia in July 1736 and John left in December 1737. Left behind was his legacy of the establishment of Christ Church, the first Anglican Church in Savannah.

While the Wesleys continued to preach for reform of the Anglican Church in England, nonordained Methodists arrived in the Mid-Atlantic colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, and formed “societies." Methodism spread throughout the colonies, and so did the need for additional preachers. Wesley sent several preachers so that by 1773, there were 1,160 Methodists who were served by 10 preachers. Attracting mostly poor farmers in areas neglected by the Anglican Church, circuit riding was promoted as a way of reaching them, and by so doing, increased American Methodism to 214,000 by 1816.

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Owing to a lack of strong leadership, and the scarcity of regular sacramental worship, Methodism in America splintered from the Anglican Church and began the Methodist Episcopal Church of America in 1784. The English Methodists formally separated from the Church of England in 1791, after Wesley’s death, then formed the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

Charles more strongly opposed a split from the Church of England than his brother, and disagreed with other beliefs that John held. Even so, the brothers remained close, until Charles died on March 29, 1788. Charles left a legacy of some 6,500 hymns. Many of them continue to be sung, including “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” and “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

An avid journal writer, John wrote of a personal transformative experience on May 24, 1738 when he felt his “heart strangely warmed," during a small religious meeting of the Moravians on Aldergate Street in London. In his diary, he also wrote that “I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

Upon that spiritual awakening, John began to preach to others about his enlightenment experience, which led to forgiveness of their sins, personal discipline and steadiness in the face of death. Converts came together for Bible study, prayer and self examination that led to some becoming ordained preachers. Those preachers were brought together to discuss reforms within the Church of England, and for mission work. Some of the adherents traveled to the colonies to spread the news of scriptural holiness.

Although John Wesley earned some 20,000 pounds for his publications, he used little of it on himself and died a poor man in March 1791, following a short illness. At the age of 48, John had married a widow, Mary Vazeille, who left him 15 years later. They did not have children. His life’s work resulted in 135,000 members and 541 itinerant Methodist ministers.

HISTORY OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (http://www.gcumm.org/files/uploads/umc_history_and_polity.pdf )

The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 with the union of the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Church. The Evangelical United Brethren Church, established in 1946, represented the union of two U.S. born denominations: the Evangelical Church and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. These two churches originated among German-speaking people during the great spiritual awakening in the late 18th-century.

Jacob Albright of Eastern Pennsylvania was a lay preacher who gathered followers in the early 1800s. These “Albright people” formed the Evangelical Association, later to become the Evangelical Church. The Rev. Philip Otterbein, ordained by the German Reformed Church, started the United Brethren Movement in the late 1700s.

The Methodist movement began in England in the early 1700s, under Anglican clergyman John Wesley and his followers. Wesley did not officially organize a new church but sparked a renewal movement within the Church of England. Methodism spread from England to Ireland and the colonial United States. Around Christmas 1784, some 60 ministers gathered in Baltimore and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, with the word “episcopal” referring to the church’s administration by bishops. The denomination grew rapidly and was known for its circuit rider ministers. With rapid growth, differences were inevitable. In 1830, a group, largely moved by an insistence on lay representation, separated and became the Methodist Protestant Church.

In the late 18th century, racism in the church caused some groups of African-American Methodists to leave and form their own denominations, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church Zion. In 1870, another division in the parent church led to the creation of a third black Methodist denomination, known today as the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1844, the Methodist Episcopal Church split again over the issue of slavery. The offspring denomination was the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The north and south factions churches reunited in 1939, compromising on the race issue by creating a segregated system. The Methodist Protestant Church was part of the merger. Alongside the five geographic jurisdictions, an overlapping Central Jurisdiction was formed for African Americans. It was dissolved in 1968 with the merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches.

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Why do United Methodist Pastors Change Churches? (https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-why-do-united-methodist-

pastors-change-churches)

Our unique system of deploying clergy has its roots in the earliest days of Methodism. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, preached up to 40,000 sermons in his lifetime. He was an "itinerant" preacher, traveling from town to town in England, setting up Methodist societies. "John Wesley believed that itinerant preachers who moved from place to place were more effective than those who settled in, grew comfortable, and wore out what they had to say," says the Rev, Belton Joyner. In a letter to the Rev. Samuel Walker in 1756, Wesley wrote, "We have found by long and consistent experience that a frequent exchange of preachers is best. This preacher has one talent, that another; no one whom I ever yet knew has all the talents which are needful for beginning, continuing and perfecting the work of grace in a whole congregation." In the early days of Methodism in America, a pastor — most often a circuit rider — might be appointed to half of a state or more. His appointment might be for only three months, after which he moved to another circuit. Thousands of the oldest United Methodist congregations today trace their history to a circuit rider. These riders traveled from place to place to begin Methodist societies. Eventually, especially after the establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784, most of these societies became congregations. This practice continued and became the basis for the itinerant system The United Methodist Church uses today. United Methodist pastors are sent, not called or hired. "Itinerancy" refers specifically to the commitment by pastors to go and serve wherever their bishops send them. ”Appointment" is the action taken by bishops. These are different, yet related. Clergy in The United Methodist Church commit to serve where their bishop appoints them. Appointments are typically for one year at a time, though the bishop may move any itinerant pastor at any time. The goal of the appointment process is to match as much as possible the gifts and graces of the particular pastor or deacon with the ministry needs of a particular congregation or ministry setting. In this "serial leadership" of consecutive pastors and deacons — no two are alike — over time, the combination of skills blends to form a broad base of developed ministries. While bishops make appointments, they incorporate a consultative process outlined in The Book of Discipline that includes district superintendents, clergy and pastor/staff parish relations committees. The needs and desires of clergy are considered, but the mission of the church comes first. Joyner explains, "In a connectional system such as United Methodism, the question from any individual congregation or from any individual [clergy] is not, 'What is best for me?' The question is 'What is best for us, the whole connection?' The one who has oversight, the bishop, makes those decisions. (The New Testament word for bishop is episkopos, which means 'the one who can see the whole picture.') "The changing of pastors brings different and often-needed gifts to the local church (1 Corinthians 12:4). The changing of settings can keep a pastor refreshed. The missionary journeys of Paul are surely a reminder of that (for example, Acts 13:2-14:7; 15:36-18:22; 18:23-21:19)."

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COVID-19: Here's how one pandemic will change our lives, forever (https://www.zdnet.com/article/covid-19-how-one-pandemic-will-change-our-lives-forever/)

The coronavirus will leave an enormous impact on how we consume, how we learn, how we work, and how we socialize and communicate. All concerts are canceled. So are sporting events, major conferences and conventions for every vertical industry imaginable. Restaurants, bars, and movie theaters have been ordered closed by city officials. Entire countries are being placed under quarantine, and people are hoarding supplies. Welcome to the brave new world of COVID-19. While it is too early to assess the damage caused by this global pandemic, there are signs that it will permanently change the way society functions. From its impact on the global economy to our daily lives, COVID-19 will leave an enormous impact on how we consume, how we learn, how we work and how we socialize and communicate.

Streaming becomes the new way forward for content consumption

Streaming content online has become massively popular over the past decade. As movie theatres close and live events get canceled left and right in the face of a global pandemic, streaming will become an even more critical and dominant way to deliver content to the consumer. From concerts to sporting events, what was once considered prime events for large in-person audiences will be forced to stream them to homebound fans instead. Although live events will eventually return after the current crisis, I predict that more fans and consumers will instead stay in the comfort of their own homes and watch events that are streamed or broadcasted live instead of paying for expensive tickets, lodging, and even more costly concessions to attend events in person. Streaming movies at home, already a popular option, will surge in popularity, with companies like Netflix and Disney reaping the benefits. At the same time, the live entertainment industry and theatre business will suffer.

Social media as savior or societal destroyer

Society runs on information and connections, and we live in an age where both are immediately accessible, anytime, anywhere from a multitude of devices. With platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, users can share information with only a simple click. However, as good as social media (and the internet at large) is for sharing information, it is also terrible at filtering the right information to share. In just a few weeks, social media platforms have plenty of misinformation. Social media has struggled to deliver the correct information and prevent incorrect information from trending. Platforms must strengthen their moderation policies and actively censor content what are false, defamatory, and outright fabrications. Only through the right information can the public understand what is going on and increase their chances of survival.

The spread of telecommuting and online learning

As a strategy to contain potentially infected people and prevent the virus from spreading further, businesses and schools will heavily rely on the internet to keep business running. From online learning to telecommuting, many aspects of our daily lives that used to involve face to face contact will be moved to cyberspace. This shift to internet-based work presents both advantages, challenges, and potentially a detriment to the education and business communities. For some businesses, telecommuting can be a boon for their bottom line. Imagine a company that can run its entire operation staffed by workers who work from home. No need to lease large office spaces. No need for long commutes. Flexible hours and working in your pajamas. With telecommuting, you can hire a geographically diverse group of employees without worrying about where to house them or relocate them. In terms of education, online learning also comes with some advantages. With the rapidly spreading virus and a campus full of people in close contact, schools have no choice but to turn to online classes as an alternative, albeit temporary, solution. By letting students learn from home, colleges can allow more students

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to take the same class simultaneously, while students who missed lectures for any reason can make up with video streaming. On the other hand, not everything can be solved by moving online. Businesses in personal services, retail, and food and beverage businesses will suffer under this crisis, as personal interaction is still an essential part of those industries. Although, I suspect delivery platforms such as Amazon and UberEats are likely to see a boom in business as people are confined to their homes.

Meanwhile, although some classes can be successfully taught online, specific disciplines are impossible to instruct through the internet. From lab work for chemistry to the arts, these classes must be conducted in person. The closing of campuses would also negatively impact students, who paid thousands of dollars to colleges for room and board. Worse, for many international scholars, campus closures might mean they have nowhere to go.

A social species learning to communicate without personal interaction

Communication is more than just words. While many of us text, email, and speak on the phone on a daily basis, a large part of human interaction is based on observing non-verbal indicators, such as body language and facial expression. Without them, we are unable to detect specific nuances such as sarcasm, anger, or humor. This might become a challenge as many people are confined to their homes with only phones and computers as our only ways to connect with each other. On the one hand, there are tools on hand to eliminate the gap. Most phones have cameras now, and Facetime and video conferencing can improve the quality of remote communications and alleviate misunderstandings. However, the use of video would largely depend on your connectivity and connection speed, which leads to my final point:

The reality of a woefully inadequate internet infrastructure

When confronting a fast-spreading pandemic, isolation and self-quarantine can be an answer to prevent its spread. For preserving human connections, the internet is an essential tool. Thanks to it, online learning, streaming, and telecommuting are all technologies available to us. Unfortunately, for all these methods to be appropriately deployed, we must have a network that can sustain such bandwidth, and for many Americans (and beyond), the infrastructure is severely lacking. While many of us who live in cities have Wi-Fi and high-speed internet available, people who live in rural areas do not, leading to a potential gap of information in times of crisis. Furthermore, older adults whose survival depends on adequate information are unskilled in navigating online, leaving them vulnerable to hucksters and false information.

Those who are poor and less educated are also likely to be less well connected, leaving them less informed and more vulnerable. Poor students might find themselves unable to participate in online courses, and some workers might find themselves unable to afford the connections necessary to telecommute. To repair this information gap, the government and private enterprises would have to spend billions on extending home network coverage to millions of people at an affordable cost, but is there a political will to do so? COVID-19 virus disease is serious. It is officially a global pandemic, and it has already disrupted many facets of our lives, encompassing work, school, and entertainment. While it is too early to determine the long term impact of this crisis, I am confident in saying that this crisis will trigger drastic changes in our lifestyles going forward.

Some industries will prosper during the crisis, while others will suffer significant losses. Some workers might benefit from telecommuting, while others might lose their jobs due to declining business in their sector. Thanks to our information network, many of us will continue to connect despite our isolation, while those who lack access to the internet will fall behind. Regardless of the duration and severity of COVID-19, it will have a lasting impact on our society.

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Cross in the Desert United Methodist Church

12835 N. 32nd Street

Phoenix, AZ 85032

Phone: 602-992-1960

Fax: 602-992-1967

E-mail: citd@crossinthedesert.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossintheDesertUMC

Cross in the Desert Staff

Pastor Julius Keller pastor@crossinthedesert.org

Lay Leader Ruth Larson-Hummel layleader@crossinthedesert.org

Coordinator of Children’s Ministries Connie Bruhn children@crossinthedesert.org

Youth and Technology Coordinator Kevin Joy youth@crossinthedesert.org Administrative Assistant Linda Moore linda@crossinthedesert.org

Financial Secretary Alice Easter, finance@crossinthedesert.org Communications Dinah Brooks, dinah@crossinthedesert.org Music

One Flock Choir Director/Worship Leader

Jeff Bulkeley

Praise Team/Worship Leader Jeremy Wyner

Director of Bell Choirs Julie Wagner

Accompanist for One Flock Choir Stacey Elsasser