As I type this morning, we are enjoying a brief rain shower. I walked outside to watch the rain and I thought of my brother, who just last night lamented the lack of rain on his crops. My mind then wandered to those whose livelihoods are bolstered by clear sunshiny days, those who work on golf courses and in construction and real estate, to name a few. Rainfall is not fair in its distribution or timing, yet it is necessary.
Water is necessary for life. We need water, the kind we drink and the kind that washes away our sins and marks the implantation of the Holy Spirit within and kisses us with the name of God. Today, we rejoiced to participate and celebrate the baptism of Emma Carly Blomquist, the daughter of Robert “Rob” and Amanda Blomquist. Her big sister is Kelly. Watching the water flow over Emma’s sweet little head, we will receive her officially into this part of the body of Christ. There will be pictures and hugs, and holiness will be visible and tangible.
I believe holiness should always be visible and tangible when God’s people gather. As a part of stewardship this year, we have celebrated God’s generosity as experienced and seen among us at SUMC. This week, we considered Fellowship as a part of GOD’S GENEROSITY. Fellowship is more than just a bunch of people in one place, it connotes community, a caring about one another, a willingness to share with one another, and hearts attuned to one another.
Sometimes Fellowship is easy and fun, like when we enjoy Wednesday NIght Meals or Circles or Men’s Grow Group. Sometimes fellowship is work and camaraderie, like when we unload the pumpkins. Sometimes, Fellowship is loving and scrupulous, like when we follow Safe Sanctuary policy.
This week, Laura and I joined fellow clergy from across the Conference for the Bishop’s School of Ministry, held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. This year, the focus was Safe Sanctuary and Sexual Ethics. I took this picture of the chandelier in the room when my head and heart were just too full.
Joy Melton, an ordained minister of the North Georgia Conference and attorney who specializes in Safe Sanctuary matters spoke to us about keeping the most vulnerable safe. It was timely and frightening.
We began by talking about the elephants in the room. Usually, we speak of one elephant in the room, that topic no one wants to talk about, that thing we all politely ignore. Rev. Melton told us that when it comes to Safe Sanctuaries, churches, have a whole herd of elephants in the room. One of those elephants is named: IT CAN’T / DOESN’T HAPPEN HERE. Actually, it does. The abuse and exploitation of children, youth and vulnerable adults does happen in South Carolina. In the Church. We cannot be too careful.
We cannot hide behind an elephant named WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER or WE ARE ALL FAMILY. Darkness to Light, a South Carolina based non-profit whose mission is to end child sexual abuse, reports that 90% of children know their perpetrator personally. https://www.d2l.org/the-issue/statistics/ It’s scary.
As we went through the ways that we can best protect children, youth and vulnerable adults, I was gratified to realize that we at Surfside UMC already covered much of these things in our policy. I admit a little bit of pride when I thought that we built a yearly review into our policy. (September 18 at 10 AM) yet, just having a policy that we review every year is not enough. We must keep the policy. We must be familiar with it. We must follow it and insist on it, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable.
The stories Rev. Melton told chilled my soul. There is evil in the world and it preys on the most vulnerable in horrible, unimaginable ways. Daily, evil lurks in hearts, looking for ways to destroy God’s people. God help us to stand firm, and may the words of Psalm 16:8 be our truth as we consider our responsibility to protect the vulnerable:
“I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Faithfully,
Pastor Scarlett