relationships

Three Weeks in Chicago

Scott Carnes Finding My Way , , , , , , ,
Three Weeks in Chicago

The past few weeks have been fun, challenging and rewarding.

In case you don’t already know, I traveled to Chicago for three weeks of classes as I work on my Doctor of Ministry in Preaching degree.  This program is a joint program of several seminaries in the Chicago area and brings together some of the best known preachers and professors for a unique program.

This marks the beginning of my second year and, so I have friends and colleagues who greeted me (and I, them).  It is a homecoming, in a way, and I feel blessed by the people who surrounded me over the past few weeks.

It’s funny, I’ve spent a few weeks with these other preachers and, yet, I feel very close to some of these new friends of mine.  I feel as though they know my life and yet they have only known me, in-person, for the length of six weeks, collectively.

Perhaps knowing a person is not about the length of time we have known them, but the depths we have gone with them?  Is it possible for two people who have been friends for just a few months to be closer than a brother and sister who have known one another for forty years?  Yes, I think it is possible that as human beings the best relationships we will experience are about depth, not length.

I hope to find opportunities to pursue deep and meaningful relationships and I hope you will join me in this journey.

Social Media Evangelism

Scott Carnes Communicating Christ , , , ,
Social Media Evangelism

(reposted from Pastor’s Posts on HudsonUMC.org)

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We are made to be in relationships.

We know this, intuitively, about God and ourselves.  Social media can enhance our relationships and create new connections. If you feel comfortable on the web you can make church a part of your online identity.

When you use a church cover picture or share a post, tweet or video: you are extending the reach of this church:  people in the community will learn about our after school program, come to the church, or, maybe, contribute to our missions.  Your virtual activity has real-world consequences.  Why not make your online opinions and relationships a force for good?  Here are a few ways you can connect your faith and your on-line life:

Facebook

These are ways that you can help get word out about our church, engage with friends and family about issues of faith, and keep yourself abreast of the happenings and theology of our local church.  By writing a 5-star review of our church, you are helping potential church-goers to see our church in a positive way and feel more comfortable visiting for the first time. There is one more way to extend our church to the world:  When we have a special event or holiday approaching at the church, of if there is something about it that touches your spirit, download our cover photo and use it on your timeline.

Last, but not least:  When you are in the building, at worship or any church event (in or out of the building) you can check in using your mobile phone.  If you snap a great picture at church, make sure you have permission of the person (or their legal guardian) and share the picture on Facebook with our church tagged as the location.  It will help people peek into the life of our congregation and make them want to be a part of it!

Yelp

Yelp is one of the first places a person might go if they have moved to the community.  Go to our church page on yelp to see our church as others would see our church.  Know someone looking for a church?  Sure, tell them about our church, encourage them to our website, but also suggest that they look us up on yelp.

Twitter, Instagram, pinterest, and others

By following the church’s twitter feed, you will not only learn about the church but connect to events of faith, United Methodism and our larger community.  It is also a great way to connect to theologians and church leaders. By following your pastor or other church people on twitter, instagram or pinterest you get a peek into others’ life and theology.

Youtube

When you find a video that you enjoy…or that connects to your faith…you can share it with friends.  Oh, and by subscribing, yourself, to our channel you will always be alerted when a new video is uploaded.

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Health Checks

Scott Carnes Finding My Way , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Health Checks

Me in the hospital in February 2012 after first neurosurgery.



I suppose everyone has a different experience of the hospital than I do / did, but for me a shift happens at some point during hospitalization. When I was admitted this last time, I was miserable. After surgery, I was hurting really bad. During my first days in a hospital I usually feel as though I need to be there. With this last ER visit and hospitalization, I could only find relief at the hospital and couldn’t imagine going home. As time goes by, though, I begin to feel better and there is finally time when I realize I can go home. A shift happens where my need for the hospital is outweighed by a need to go home.


This time I had so many ‘incidents’ that made me feel bad (like the spinal fluid leaking or migraines) that I didn’t realize how much better I was getting overall! On Saturday the doctor came in and said they were ready to discharge me when I was ready to go. I was shocked. At first I said, “no way.” I mean, I had just had a migraine that morning, but, then, I realized that my pain meds were being reduced, anyway, and there is really very little they can do for the migraines anyway. There was nothing I was getting at the hospital that I couldn’t do at home. It was an odd moment for me and I looked up at the doctor and said, “You know, it seems like it is time to go home after all.” I only wanted to clarify our at home plan for remaining comfortable and healthy.

At my in-law’s home recovering after my first neurosurgery in Feb. 2012



Sometimes it is difficult to recognize our place and what is healthy for us. Whether it is our marriage, a house, a church or organization, or group of friends we can sometimes forget to consider our own health and happiness. I think, especially in marriage, we get comfortable and stop talking to our spouses about healthiness in our relationship(s). Just like in my hospital stay where I constantly evaluated my health and situation with my wife, the nurses & doctors, and with myself; our marriages and other relationships constantly need to have healthy communication and evaluation otherwise we lose track of our health. We wake up one day and realize that we no longer have a healthy reason to stay.


To stay healthy, we can’t just talk about the ‘nice’ things…In the hospital it isn’t easy, at first, to talk about bowel movements or have someone you don’t know help you with a shower; but these difficult conversations are just as important as the easy ones. In marriage, especially, it is easy to just say the “I Love You’s” and forget to talk about the difficult things. Carrie and I try to talk about the difficult things as much as the easy stuff. It sometimes means that we fight. It sometimes means that we get angry or hurt, but, in the end, it always means that we grow in our relationship, know one another more, and have a more solid foundation for the future.


We have to keep an eye on our relationships and we have to constantly evaluate where we are in those relationships and their healthiness.