Alberts' Angle
"Knowledge is Power"

Last year about this time, I was entering into a new experience: four months of duty on the Maricopa County Grand Jury. Believe me, this was no picnic in the park. Now with time and distance, I can see, not through a mirror dimly but with the clarity a rearview mirror affords, what I needed to glean for ministry. Hundreds of hours of tesimony to man's inhumanity to man and woman's hard-heartedness and hard-headedness right here in the Valley brought home again the necessity of proclaiming there is "a more excellent way."

It further endangered in me a concern for the welfare of our children in a challenging world and an awareness that few of us really know, parents and pastors included, who and what's going on around us, hiding in the shadows. Didn't Jesus tell us, "For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so their deeds may not be exposed (John 3:20)?"

Actually, much of what was wrong is occuring in plain sight, but we are not clued in enough to interpret what we are seeing. Whether the signs of the times are written in gang symbols, texting abbreviations, code words, slang or signs we need to learn today's vernacular and read the telltale symptoms of real and present dangers. I believe that older children, youth, parents, grandparents, teachers and preachers and a host of others REALLY need to take the blinders off and not remain willfully ignorant when there is so much at stake. Equipping ourselves to fight the good fight is an act of love for others and ultimately, devotion to God.

You can read elsewhere on our Web site about the specifics about "Children in a Challenging World" that will be held on four consecutive Sunday evenings in August. While St. Matthew has put this program together and is bringing in recognized outside experts, our intent is to offer it in the widest circles within our community for the good of families and children. Folks do not need to be related to this congregation and its ministries to be warmly encouraged to attend and be deeply welcome.

Recently, a woman noticed a flier for these events in a member's home. Seeing the topics included current information on drugs, gangs, cyber-bullying, social networking and computer use, and the over sexualization of our culture, she realized these were all things she needed to know about as a concerned parent. Where could she get up to date without having either she or her child have to learn in the school of hard-knocks? She called St. Matthew UMC to sign-up. I wish that many others beyond our church will do the same. Even more than that, I hope that our own youth, member parents, professionals, and friends of kids will seek this information while it is readily available and easily found.

SIGN-UP TODAY. You will be glad you did. I will be glad you did. God will be pleased you did too.

Pastor Dave