Some of you have asked how my life is going as I serve as a Brevard County assistant public defender in addition to pastoring at Grace. While the short answer is “extremely busy”, the longer answer is that both settings are rich and meaningful, filled with opportunities for connection with people from all walks of life. Both settings give me the opportunity to serve people, and service in the court system is truly needed. The pandemic has caused the number of pending cases to increase dramatically, and the court calendars are filled with people who cannot afford an attorney. Many of my cases involve people who for a variety of reasons do not have a valid driver’s license. Navigating the requirements of the DMV can be as complicated as any other legal matter, and most of my clients have difficulties understanding how to get a license reinstated. Imagine how difficult it would be to live in our area and to rely exclusively on public transportation!
I have observed that many people who have cases in the criminal justice system struggle with some form of mental illness. It saddens me to see that even now, in 2022, people are ashamed to admit and to discuss mental health challenges. If we could treat mental illness the same as high blood pressure or diabetes, for example, perhaps more open conversation would promote more people staying on proper medication and avoiding the life-destroying consequences of self-medication or no medication.
Regardless of the specific circumstances of the cases I encounter, there is one consistent thread through every experience. Court matters create stress for people, and these people are hungry to be treated with dignity. It is an important time for my clients to be treated as children of God, made in God’s image and loved by God, regardless of the mistakes they have made in life. I get to be a part of this journey every day, and for that I am grateful!
Starting this weekend, Grace will be the first Family Promise host church to provide housing for families since the pandemic began. This wonderful ministry engages so many of you and the opportunity to witness God change the lives of these families is so encouraging. I have learned from our previous hosting opportunities that people from all walks of life may end up without affordable housing, and the children of these families are typically too young to comprehend the challenges their parents face. Thank you Debbie Zipperly and Cheryl Malloy, and all our volunteers, for your work with our partnership with Family Promise. You are the hands and feet of Jesus!
This Sunday, January 23, our scripture passages are Psalm 19: 1-5 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-21. I am working on a message entitled “The Weakest Link.” What do we mean when we say that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link? How does this apply to the church? I depend upon your prayers each week as we worship and serve together, so please keep them coming.
Finally, please take the time to call one or two friends whom you haven’t seen in a while and invite them to worship. Some people still choose to worship online, and I am grateful that we have that opportunity. But we need people who will consistently attend worship in person at 9am and 11am. Do you have children or grandchildren who would be willing to attend our 9am or 11am worship service? If so, invite them and come with them so that they can experience worship. I often hear people lament the fact that younger families do not attend church regularly. Let’s ask ourselves what we can do to encourage their participation and then go do that!
Thank you all for continuing to support Grace UMC with your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness! Together, we are the hands and feet of Jesus!
Steve Hart