Pastor’s Weekly Update
Update from Pastor Cameron
Greetings Asbury family and friends! I want to share an update with you:
I had a positive check up with my Neuro-oncologist on Thursday by way of reviewing the latest MRI of my brain tumor. Some of the margins that looked suspicious last month now look less active, and there were no signs of the tumor expanding further. So the treatments I am on (chemotherapy and Optune) seem to be working quite well.
The number of “good days” I am having seem to be on the rise each week as well.
I have also had this growing awareness of how little I in control in my life, and how just about all we control as humans is how we respond to and utilize/live each day we are given. There are some days it is plain hard to get out of bed and the only decision is whether to put my feet on the floor and start walking or not. I can’t quite remember who said this prayer in the Bible, but I’m pretty sure it was Moses who prayed, “Teach us to number our days, Oh Lord.” I have always taken this to mean that Moses and all who seek to follow God are called to a day to day, step by step journey with God through many varieties of terrain and circumstances in life. Now that I can’t take a new day for granted very easily, I see more clearly that Jesus leads us even “through the valley of the shadow of death,” and though I may tell him “I don’t want to go in there” he just reminds me that he wants me to be with him, and I want to be with him so I must confront my fears and frustrations, disappointments and failures and ask him for courage to walk with him even through the valley of the shadow. Ever notice how Jesus walks everywhere and how we are invited to walk with him by following? So life with Jesus is to the most scenic vistas of love and life, beauty and joy, as well as through the cold, dark valleys we try to avoid as the sun sets and temperatures plummet, and every little sound inspires feelings of fear and danger.
I also believe we count what we value; so in asking God to help us number our days, it is also a way of asking God to help us see the good, the value each day of life has for us. Sometimes we are blinded by our suffering and we need extra grace to help us notice the good gifts God pours out for us daily. So, I still have brain cancer, and I continue to ask God for grace to number my days so that I might stay open to receiving the abundant gifts the Lord gives daily, and I invite you to embrace each step of your own journey of faith and life in Jesus Christ. I hear wonderful things about your work in the world of “knowing the love of Jesus Christ and passing it on!” So keep up the good work, and I look forward to the day when I may return to learn and lead alongside you as we grow in the love and likeness of Jesus for all the world to see. May God bless you richly Asbury, and may we find… Joy on the journey,
Pastor Cameron Lead Pastor
Asbury United Methodist Church, Maitland
CoVID-19 UPDATE #7 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Dear Asbury,
Lately I’ve been reflecting on the metaphor of the journey. As Methodists we embrace this idea recognizing that the Christian life is a journey of growing to become more like Jesus. Sometimes we even use the word sanctification to describe how we are growing to become Christlike as we go.
Most journeys are long and many of us might be asking, “are we there yet?” Often the answer is, “five more minutes.” It seems similar to a car ride with parents calming children eager to arrive at the destination. In 2020 many of our individual journeys and the journey of our church have had plenty of moments where things take longer, don’t go to plan, or are on pause for a while. This can feel make us feel frustrated or sometimes depressed. My hope is that our spiritual journeys would continue moving forward. Are we still grateful for the grace we receive? Are we still striving to be more like Jesus each and every day? YES! We are still striving to walk with God even in the midst of difficulty.
It is true that sometimes we are tempted to stop moving forward on our journeys. Maybe you’ve felt that temptation, I have felt it when I am weary. Even though many of us are tired please be encouraged to press forward through relationships, spiritual practices, worship, small groups, prayer, and reading scripture. Please continue to pray for the 14 individuals from our church family who have been personally affected by CoVID19 and the many others suffering. It is through these routines we keep moving forward on the journey of faith even on the days when we don’t feel like it. May God give you the grace you need for the journey as we continue to faithfully follow Jesus.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinski
Financial Update
August 4th 2020
Dear Asbury,
The Covid-19 crisis continues to present new challenges to all of us each day. Our church has adapted to face the challenges of the pandemic. We have done so with courage, remembering the words of the Apostle Paul, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We have been flexible with how we do our ministry and we have not compromised our mission. We have continued supporting our mission partners like the food pantry at Hungerford elementary school, the Russell Home, the Sharing Center, the Christian Service Center, Family Promise, Christian Help, the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, and more. We have also provided community and emotional support through phone calls, livestreamed worship, adult small groups via Zoom, youth ministry, children’s ministry, and mobilized a “Hands and Feet Ministry” to support those in need. We remain completely committed to our mission, “to know the love of Jesus Christ, and pass it on!”
We understand that some of you are also going through tough times financially due to income or job loss. Asbury has supported individuals in our congregation who have financial need through the Christian Concerns Fund. Please reach out to Pastor Mike if you or someone you know has a financial need.
Before we talk about how the pandemic has impacted the church financially, it is important to thank each of you who have continued to support what God is doing through Asbury by investing your time, talent, and treasure. Asbury could not carry forward our mission without your faithful support. The shutdown has impacted the church financially. Those of you who pledged have been very faithful in your giving as we have received 94% of the budgeted amounts. The contributions from those who donate through envelopes (not pledging) and cash or checks in the collection plates are now expected to be over $100,000 dollars less than last year. Beginning in June and continuing with July, contributions have dropped from an average of $86,000 per month to $51,000 for those two months. This has resulted in deficit spending for June and July of about $25,000 per month. If this trend continues it will be difficult to sustain the ministry in the current form.
Your church leadership has diligently pursued ways to mitigate the impact of the decline in giving by applying for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The church was accepted for the PPP program through the federal government and these funds have allowed us to continue paying our church and preschool staff. We have also continued investing in ministry through new livestreaming equipment and in our lakeside worship center as a gift for our community.
In addition, the church has been able to reduce expenses. First, starting April 1, 70% of Pastor Cameron’s salary and benefits are being covered by disability insurance. Second, some expenses such as electricity and supplies are lower due to the church campus not being used. And finally, the church staff and leaders have been very careful in making only essential purchases during this time.
Your continued financial support is vital. The ministry of Asbury is dependent on our collective generosity. We have many opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus during this difficult season. Please consider mailing in your offering or giving online through the church website. Thank you for investing in our mission, “to know the love of Jesus Christ and pass it on!”
Grace and Peace,
Derek Scott (Finance Committee Chair)
Rev. Mike Luzi
CoVID-19 UPDATE #6 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
This past week I read the Easter morning story from the gospel of Mark. Three women go to the tomb to find the stone rolled away then an angel tells them that Jesus is alive! The angel commands the women to quickly go and share the good news. “So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” (Mark 16:8) What!? These women just heard the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and “they said nothing to anyone” because they were afraid.
Fear is a powerful motivator and it was at work in the reaction of these followers of Jesus. We know that certain types of fear are healthy. For example, fear of touching the hot stove protects us from getting burned. We also know that fear often works in unhealthy ways. It can overwhelm us, distract us, and distort our vision. One of our challenges as followers of Jesus is how to discern when to have courage and when to be afraid.
I am glad to share with you that the Church Reopening Task force is not motivated by fear. The team is motivated by the wellbeing of the Asbury community. This past week the team met and voted unanimously to remain in phase 1 of our reopening plan. The team will continue to meet twice a month to continue the work of reopening as soon as it is safe to do so. This week when you feel fear creeping in, I challenge you to notice then ask God to give you discernment and courage.
Rev. Mike Luzinski Associate Pastor
CoVID-19 UPDATE #5 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Asbury Family,
I still miss you. I miss the joy on your faces when we gather for worship. I miss the beautiful sound of our church singing together (even if some of us sing a little off key). I miss the normal rhythms of life together. I suspect you are missing some of your routines as well. I grieve the things that we are still unable to do safely and I have great faith in God as well as the resiliency of the people of God.
This week I have more news to share with you about our church community. Yet another member of our community has been personally affected by the corona virus. As of today, we have had eight people from seven different households who have tested positive for CoVID19. This past week a member of our community who lived at a local long term care facility passed away after becoming ill with CoVID19. A memorial service for Joyce Mcleod will take place at 11am Monday in Sanford at Baldwin- Fairchild just off State road 46. Join me in praying for the Mcleod family and the other families who have been affected by the pandemic.
With sadness I also share the news of the passing of Mary Louise Kennedy, her family will be holding services in Chicago. Please lift up the Kennedy family in your prayers and support them however God leads you.
Even in the midst of grief, your church leadership team continues forward with the work of ministry. Our Laity Council and other leadership teams continue meeting via zoom as we plan to resume worship and other on campus activities as soon as we are able. I am glad to share this week a meeting was held to see if Asbury is able to serve as a food distribution site for a local partner organization. Thank you for continuing to faithfully support Asbury. Without your support we would not be able to accomplish our mission.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinski
CoVID-19 UPDATE #4 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Dear Asbury,
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to give us our “daily bread.” I think Jesus is talking about a lot more than just food. Jesus is talking about asking God for the grace we need to get through each day. I’ve been asking God for the grace of endurance and strength. It has been another difficult week, new cases of CoViD19 continue to rise at a rate of doubling every 7-10 days in Florida. The church reopening team voted on Wednesday to keep the church campus closed in the interest of safety. That team will meet again in mid-July to continue evaluating if it is safe to resume on campus activities. At this point in time, August looks like the earliest we may be able to resume in person worship. Let us continue to pray for God to work through us as vessels of healing, hope, and peace during this difficult season. May God give you the grace of daily bread so you have the strength you need to know the love of Jesus Christ and pass it on!
Rev. Mike Luzinski
CoVID-19 UPDATE #3 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Dear Asbury,
I am so grateful for the way God continues to lead us forward even in the midst of adversity. This week the Asbury family has experienced more adversity. Two members of our community from two different households have tested positive for CoVID19. One person is a member of the congregation and another a member of our staff team. I invite you to pray for healing and patience as these individuals spend time in isolation with their families. You might be reading this and asking the question, "was I exposed?" The answer is no. Notifications have already been sent out to those who have been indirectly exposed to these individuals in the last two weeks. If you have not already been contacted then you have no risk of exposure. Furthermore, the church will not disclose the identities of the individuals who tested positive due to HIPAA.
Now is a time for caution and patience. I am reminded of the famous words of John Wesley, "Do no harm." We as a church are seeking to love our neighbors by mitigating the spread of this virus. In compliance with the recent Orange County executive order, Asbury is requiring masks to be worn on our church campus. We have many other safety protocols in place. The church has delayed our reopening for small groups (phase 2) and in person worship services (phase 3). At this time there is a tentative date of July 6th to reopen the church for small groups.
Please join me in prayer for our community and those who are suffering all over the world from the pandemic. This week in worship we will continue to talk about prayer because it is one of our greatest tools in moments when we feel out of control, fearful, and unsure of what to do next. Lord Jesus continue to work through us as individuals and as a church to offer healing and hope.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinsk
CoVID-19 UPDATE #2 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Dear Asbury,
Lately things have been changing so quickly. It is often hard to keep up. Just twelve days ago our church leadership made decisions about our reopening plan. In the time since, the weekly totals of new Corona Virus in Orange and Seminole Counties has doubled the previous peak in early April when we went into shut down. As a result of the new information, the church has postponed Phase 2 of our reopening plan to Monday July 6th in the interest of the safety of our members and community.
As a church we are praying for those who have been harmed by the pandemic in our local community and around the world. We pray for those who are sick, those who are afraid, those who are hurting financially, and those who are exhausted. Lord Jesus come to bring healing and hope. Give us a vision of a new future we can live into together on the other side of this deep pain.
When I am not sure what to do next, I stop for a moment and pray. Prayer is easy to do and we can do it in a lot of different ways. Lately I’ve prayed while reading the news, talking about reopening, sitting in silence, and while walking my new dog Luna. There are so many different forms of prayer and ways we can pray to God. This Sunday we enter into a new sermon series called, “Teach Me How to Pray.” In the series we will reflect on how Jesus taught us to pray in the Sermon on the Mount.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinski
CoVID-19 UPDATE #1 // A Letter From Pastor Mike
Uncertainty remains a theme in my life. There are so many things I don’t know and things I can’t control. I don’t know when the threat of CoVID19 will pass. I don’t know how are country will respond to the racial divisions and injustices that have been exposed. I don’t know what the future holds in many parts of my life. In 2020, I don’t have to ask you if you can relate because I know you can. A friend of mine once called worrying about all the what if questions “negative meditation.” I found that insight helpful because it named the consequences of worrying. When I find myself leaning towards negative meditation I attempt to ground myself in the present moment. God has given me the gift of today and that is something to be grateful for. Furthermore, I ground myself in the things I can control rather than the things beyond my control. That leads me to one of the questions that has been asked quite frequently lately.
When is the church campus reopening? I have fielded that question many times lately and I have exciting news to share with you. The laity council voted last Sunday to approve a tentative plan to reopen our church campus in phases. We hope to open the campus to small socially distanced groups in on June 22nd. We hope to offer in person worship on Sunday July 5th. Throughout this season the leadership team of Asbury has worked hard to balance our desire to gather as a community with the necessity of keeping our church and community safe. I am so grateful for the wisdom of Asbury’s leadership team who are faithfully guiding us forward. Even though we have a plan with set dates, we continue to closely monitor the new infection rates in Florida. The infection rates are currently on the rise. This is concerning and the leadership team may need to adjust our plans if new information gives us reason to believe the risks of gathering together have increased. We can’t control the corona virus infection rates but we can control how we respond to it. May we the church respond with grace and peace to the uncertainties we face.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinski
Racial Injustice // A Letter from Pastor Mike
Dear Asbury,
Worship this past Sunday gave me goosebumps and brought me to tears. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit of God as we celebrated Pentecost while lamenting the sin of racism. It is clearly evident that people are crying out in pain in many different ways. What is the role of the church in our current cultural moment? God calls the church to denounce sin in all its forms and proclaim the good news of the gospel with our actions and words. Our Bishop, Ken Carter articulated it well. “We begin by acknowledging that racism is sin and antithetical to the gospel. We confess and denounce our own complicity. We take a stand against any and all expressions of racism and white supremacy, beginning with the racial, cultural, and class disparities in our state and country that are highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic. We sound the clarion call for the eradication of racism. We challenge governmental leaders who fan the flames of racial division for political gain. We examine our own attitudes and actions; all change begins with transformed hearts continually yielding to the righteousness and love of God.”
In the United Methodist Church we ask a poignant question to those who are about to be baptized. “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?” If you were baptized in the United Methodist Church you answered “I do” to that question. This is a moment where we the church have an opportunity to follow through on our promise.
Talking about what is happening in our country can feel overwhelming and we might be unsure of what we can do. I’ve found some patterns in scripture that might be helpful. First, we must listen to the pain. The curfew alerts we received on Sunday evening for Orange County were a tangible reminder of the anguish in our own community. May we faithfully follow God by hearing the cries of those in pain. (Exodus 3:9) Second, may we look inward and ask ourselves, have I contributed to the pain others are experiencing? Our Methodist history of race relations is not great. We have missed the mark on a number of occasions. One example is ministry of Richard Allen a black man who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1794 after being forcibly removed from the altar during church because the white people were not done praying yet. To this day the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church have not come back together again. For this I lament and repent.
The third thing we can do is repent and celebrate the vision of beloved community given to us at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit gives us power to cross boundaries and create fruitful Christian community. God gives us hope that things don’t have to stay the way they are and we can be instruments of change. We begin our repentance by naming the good news of the gospel, every person is made in the image of God. Every person has dignity and worth. Jesus proclaims this good news and proves it by doing ministry with those at the margins of society. (Luke 8:43-48) The ministry of Jesus and the church are aimed to make the good news of God a tangible reality here and now. I believe in a God who values justice as a path to peace and I believe Jesus would flip tables (Mark 11:15) if he watched the videos of George Floyd’s death, police brutality, and violence we see all over the internet/news. May we too as followers of Jesus Christ be instruments of change that bring about justice and peace.
How do we become instruments of the Holy Spirit to enact the vision of beloved community? In wrestling with that question I must begin by confessing there is a lot I have to learn and a lot we have to learn. As a white pastor leading a predominantly white church, I must acknowledge there is a lot I don’t know about racism and race relations. It is faithful to admit this and to seek to learn more. Here are some resources I am using to learn more and continue dialogue.
Sign up for a Zoom small group discussion on race starting Monday June 8th at 6:30pm. The class will read “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo and be cotaught by Pastor Mike and Alina Saucedo. Email PastorMike@Asburyumc.com to sign up.
Read the Statements from our Bishop, Ken Carter
An Interview with Dr. Robin DeAngelo on improving racial awareness
The 1619 Podcast on the History of Slavery in America
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Mike Luzinski
Letter From Pastor Cameron
"Greetings Asbury Family!
First, thank you very much for your ongoing prayers, love, and support as my family and I walk the journey through brain cancer together. Specifically, thank you for your many prayers, cards, gifts, and for attending a drive by birthday parade through my neighborhood. That made my 50th birthday brighter for sure. I truly miss being with you all and miss the privilege of leading the congregation as we seek to walk with Jesus! Pastor Mike and Larry have shared with me many ways each of you continues to "know the love of Jesus and Pass it on!" and it encourages me and makes me proud to be your lead Pastor; so keep up the good, creative work of the Holy Spirit while pursuing Jesus' mission to all of those around you! I want to be sure you also know how proud I am of our paid and unpaid staff (laity council and leaders) teams who are really stepping up in challenging times to make sure the work of Jesus Christ continues. I know everyone is inconvenienced at this time with the Coronavirus lock down. Please take a brief moment and thank Asbury's paid and unpaid staff when you think of it. I'm very proud of them and all they are handling, especially while I am out of commission on disability leave. Speaking of that, I want you to know that I am most concerned about regaining my health and strength. To that end, I am depending on my medical team to help me know when I can drive again, when my immune system can handle being in public again, when I can function well-enough to fully engage my work again, which I am looking forward to. At this moment, I have not been cleared to do any of that.
As for my progress, I have finished 22/30 chemo and radiation treatments. In mid June I will have another scan to measure what affect my current course of treatment is having on the tumor and help us discern the next phase of treatment. The best thing I can do is diligently pursue the course of treatment in front of me and stay in close consultation with my neuro-oncologist regarding other potentially helpful treatments and make the most informed, prayerful decisions possible. Please continue to pray for the supernatural healing work of Jesus to work in me. I continue to pray for Asbury, and I look forward to being with you again as soon as possible! May we all find the peace of Christ."
Peace of Jesus,
Pastor Cameron
General Conference 2020 Postponed
UPDATE:
Because of COVID-19, the 2020 General Conference of the UMC has been postponed until next year. Let us all focus on each other as we get through this challenging season that the corona virus has brought.
Peace be with everyone.