Author Archives: Kim Reisman

By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman

One of my favorite Holy Days is Pentecost, partly because (thankfully) it hasn’t been co-opted by western consumerism. Maybe that’s why it comes and goes without too much attention. We don’t have weeks of lead up like we do for Christmas or Easter; and the Holy Spirit definitely doesn’t have the economic punch of Santa or the Easter Bunny.

Pentecost is usually only recognized on a single Sunday and then we move right into “Ordinary Time.” In 2020, it fell on May 31. With everything happening in our world right now, my hunch is not very many of us noticed. 

And yet this one day, and what it marks is integral to understanding Christian faith. This is especially true when it comes to showing and sharing the love of Jesus. Without Pentecost – that miracle of communication – faith-sharing is reduced to a mechanistic step-by-step procedure filled less with love than prescription. But when the Holy Spirit comes, everything mechanical is blown away, and we’re left with the miracle of mouths and ears.

This isn’t new information. Christians celebrate that the Holy Spirit descended on the followers of Jesus, empowering them to speak boldly about his life, death, and resurrection. We celebrate that when the Holy Spirit descended, all the people gathered in Jerusalem for Shavu’ot heard the followers of Jesus speaking in their own language – even though there were Jews from many different lands who spoke many different languages. It was a miracle of communication because it was a miracle of understanding. Everyone was able to understand the good news of Jesus Christ.

Grasping that miracle is an important part of showing and sharing the love of Jesus. When we share the good news of Jesus Christ, we want it to be in a language that other people can understand. We want the words of our mouths to be understandable to the ears of those we hope to reach.

Again, nothing new here, but every now and then it’s important to look at things from a different perspective. What if God isn’t just interested in our mouths, but also in our ears? What if the ongoing Pentecost miracle of communication needs to involve not just what we say, but what we hear as well?

When the Holy Spirit descended that Pentecost morning, it landed on a tiny, frightened, unpopular group of people. They were lying low, staying out of the way, not knowing what the authorities would do next. There weren’t very many of them compared to all the rest of Jews gathered in Jerusalem. They were in the minority, working class Galileans with little power compared to everybody else. These were the mouths the Holy Spirit empowered to speak.

Then there were all the ears that heard on that day. They were from all over. Some were devout Jews who had the means to travel from as far away as Rome. A privileged class. Others lived in Jerusalem – mainstream Jews and maybe even some of the religious elite, like the Pharisees or Sadducees, who had been marking this festival year in and year out with little change. These were the ears that the Holy Spirit empowered to hear.

In these days of crisis and challenge, I’ve begun to wonder who we (at least those of us who identify as white in the global West/North) look like. Are we more like the ragtag group of Jesus followers, with little power, in hiding for fear of what the authorities might do? Or are we more like the visitors from Rome or the other mainstream folks living in Jerusalem, routinely celebrating another religious holiday with little worry or thought of danger? Are we more like the mouths who were empowered to speak or the ears who were empowered to hear? 

The global Christian landscape has been changing for quite some time now – shifting significantly south and eastward. In the face of such dramatic change, perspective is crucial. Does the Holy Spirit desire to loose our stammering tongues, filling us with the courage and boldness necessary to speak? Or, is it possible that the Holy Spirit is leading us to become the ears that hear? Is there a word from the Lord that can only come to us through the power of the Holy Spirit opening our ears to voices we have not noticed or have been unwilling to hear? 

There are many in the Christian family who resemble the mouths empowered to speak on that first Pentecost day. And there are many as well, who think they are the mouths that spoke, but who actually bear a closer resemblance to the ears that heard. How might our witness be strengthened if we opened ourselves to the miracle of mouths and ears embodied in Pentecost? How might the way we follow Jesus change if we were willing at every step, to discern which was most needful of Holy Spirit empowerment – our mouths or our ears?

As we continue to live out our faith in the midst of divisiveness, fear, and the threat of illness and death, I pray for that kind of discernment – that all of us would be open to the Holy Spirit’s ongoing miracle of mouths and ears. 

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak…and they all heard in their own languages. (Acts 2:4, 6 – paraphrased)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator border_width=”6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman

A significant aspect of the Embrace understanding of showing and sharing the love of Jesus is the idea of interdependency – the idea that human beings flourish in the context of relationships with others. Rather than focusing solely on our independence, to truly thrive, we must recognize that we are interdependent – both separate and connected to those around us. 

This interwoven nature of being human stems from the very first moments of creation. From the very beginning God has been about the process of separating and joining. Genesis tells us that God separated the light from the darkness and joined all the waters together in one place so that dry land could appear. Like God’s original creative process, the process of human spiritual and emotional growth is one of separating and joining. As we grow into adulthood, we separate in all kinds of ways, forming healthy boundaries and asserting our unique identities. We also join in all kinds of ways, connecting with others for continued nurture, joy and love.

For a variety of reasons, these days it seems our interdependence has been disrupted. Instead of a healthy balance between separating and joining, the ongoing pandemic and the continued global unrest have imposed a deep, yet artificial separation. COVID19 has forced us to socially distance. Once common greetings like handshakes and hugs are just not done. The global reckoning with the sin of systemic racism and the politics that surround it has drawn sharp lines in the sand between us. Civil conversations have become more and more difficult.

And yet we are profoundly social beings. Whether we realize it, or are willing to admit it, or not, we need one another. We need connection.

A significant part of spiritual maturity is recognizing the importance of interdependency and connection. As we grow in our faith, we look to others to guide us – those who may be a step or two ahead of us on the spiritual journey. In the same way, as we mature in our faith, we realize that we are the ones who are now a step or two ahead, so we find ways to offer a hand to those who are following behind us. 

In these difficult days of artificial separation and false divides, recognizing our interdependency is more important than ever. Our world needs spiritually mature people who reach out to those who are struggling – people who can overcome the challenge of social distancing to make connections and offer nurture and support to others. The world needs to see spiritually mature people living in ways that make it clear that following Jesus transcends the false divide of party politics and societal polarizations. 

In all times and places, but especially now, as we follow Jesus, a couple of questions need to be at the forefront of our minds – who is looking to me in these moments? Who am I encountering on a regular basis that needs of a word of hope or clarity? How can I make that connection?

God has created us as interconnected, interdependent, human beings. My prayer as we continue to navigate the challenges of 2020, is that we would realize that truth. And even more importantly, that the Holy Spirit would empower us to actively live out that truth.

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By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman
August 3, 2020

Recently, I had the honor of preaching at the annual gathering of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries. What a blessing! ARM is an organization in the Wesleyan Methodist family that is committed to enabling followers of Jesus to grow through experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. They focus their energy on personal renewal, church renewal, and pastoral renewal. It was wonderful to be able to bring the Word of God to over 1200 people despite having to adjust to an online format. God is so good! For the first time, ARM was able to engage an international audience through the wonders of technology. People from as far away as Peru heard the Gospel and joined in prayer and sharing.

In these challenging days of social distancing and the need to adjust to new ways of doing things, it may seem like we are unable to make a difference. But the Holy Spirit is still moving and lives are being transformed! It is clear that God is using WME and organizations like Aldersgate Renewal Ministries to reach people despite the various crises that are unfolding in our world. Our reach is growing beyond what we could imagine in our old ways of working and God is leading us toward new and exciting horizons.

God is good. Yes indeed, all the time![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator border_width=”6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

A Response to Recent Events in the United States
By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman
June 1, 2020

Events in the United States often impact the rest of the world. Though World Methodist Evangelism is a global organization working through a network of 80 million Methodist Wesleyans in over 130 countries; I feel it is important to speak out on the current unrest unfolding in the US.

I have been trying to mentally and emotionally process what has been happening recently in my country, the United States: to comprehend the storming of government buildings and escalating threats of violence. It demonstrates the universal human response when people feel their rights are being denied or their freedoms restricted. When I think about US history, it makes sense. We Americans have always protested injustice. From the American Revolution to the Civil War, when we believe our freedoms are being taken away, we protest. When we feel the government is “treading on us,” or limiting our rights, we protest. All of us can understand the anger and frustration that arises when we feel the government is exerting too much control over our lives.

It makes sense on the one hand, but I’m confused on the other. Because I never thought armed protests and people with AK-47s storming a state capital would happen over the issue of reopening hair and nail salons or being asked to wear a mask.

Now, protests have occurred again in my country – many peaceful, but not all. And they too have been in response to restricted freedoms, denied rights, and excessive control. We ought to all be able to understand how that feels, at least to a certain extent. Afterall we are all human.

But there is a difference here.

I’m part of a global Methodist Wesleyan movement that has not shirked the responsibility of speaking truth to power. My personal mentors in this movement fought Apartheid in South Africa and Jim Crow in Mississippi. They taught me to understand that, in contrast to people protesting in response to lockdowns and masks, what is happening at this moment is in response to a much deeper spiritual problem.

Some call it racism, but for me that’s too general a word to describe the US context. The spiritual problem besetting this country is white supremacy. It’s not a new problem, and it’s not the domain of the alt-right. Our country was founded on the assumption of white supremacy. It undergirded the Doctrine of Discovery which was crafted in the mid-15^th century and continued to be used until the mid-20^th century. It influenced the drafting of the US Constitution, was a foundation of the slave trade, and was the germ of the idea of America’s manifest destiny.

For the four centuries since the first enslaved Africans arrived here the assumption of white supremacy has been our spiritual problem. For the 155 years since those enslaved Africans were first emancipated it has been our spiritual problem. For the over 5 decades since the voting rights acts were passed, it has been our spiritual problem.

The assumption that people who believe themselves to be white are superior to others is the scaffolding on which our society has been built. It has infected us to such a degree that we have great difficulty recognizing it as sin, and many have already stopped reading this because I’ve suggested that it is. And yet, whether we are willing to admit it or not, this enduring sin of white supremacy is continually laid bare by the ongoing killing of those labeled black. From the disregard for Africans kidnapped into slavery through the murders of Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, and Aiyana Jones, to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and most recently George Floyd.

As a Christian, American, and one labeled white, the most painful part for me in this most recent of tragedies, is the reminder that the church identified as white has been for the most part silent regarding this besetting sin of ours; and because of that silence, we have been complicit in its consequences. Through our white flight, we’ve created bubbles of white privilege, quarantined ourselves from suffering, and consciously or unconsciously put ideology – including the ideology of white supremacy – over the call of the Gospel.

As Christians, we believe the Spirit of Jesus lives in each of us – we celebrated that belief only a few days ago on Pentecost Sunday. When Jesus first spoke of the Spirit, he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

If the Spirit of Jesus lives in us, then we are to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to captives, and to set the oppressed free. And yet, George Floyd’s gasps of “I can’t breathe!” illustrate with overwhelming clarity, that we have not done so.

The reality of life in America is that nothing changes unless enough people identified as white want it to change. That means the question for Christians in America is are we willing to break free from the narrative of white supremacy? Are we willing to admit that if all lives really matter, then Black. Lives. Matter. Are we willing to trust our black and brown sisters and brothers when they tell us that there is another narrative of life in America and that it involves over-policing, poverty, environmental catastrophes, food deserts, and little access to health care and proper education? Are we willing to trust them when they tell us that they were deemed “essential workers” until they got sick, and then were turned away when they sought testing or treatment for COVID19?

If the Spirit of Jesus is alive in us, we must be willing to believe that our sisters and brothers identified as black and brown are telling us the truth about their experience in this country.

I believe them. And because I believe them, as an American I will do the following things:

• Call my friends identified as black and brown to offer solidarity and care.
• Lead WME in a way that honors and nurtures the gifts of all people.
• Work to end educational inequality in this country.
• Work for processes and procedures that ensure the right of every US citizen to vote and to have equal representation.

There is so much to be done, but as a Christian, American, labeled white, I can start with this.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator border_width=”6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman

Recently I discovered that a very effective way to learn the game of chess is to begin by playing without the Queen. Because the Queen is the strongest chess piece, players often lean heavily on her for their overall strategy. Learning to play without her, however, forces you to recognize the value of all the other pieces on board, and enables you to see that there is much more to chess than the Queen.

I believe the challenges created by the COVID19 pandemic these last several weeks have revealed something of the church’s “chess” strategy. As restrictions on gatherings of people have tightened, churches have felt compelled to explore professional live streaming or at the very least Facebook Live. The quest to create a virtual worship experience has been the dominant theme across Christian social media, accompanied by a palpable undercurrent of anxiety. And that anxiety continues to amp up the closer we get to Easter. Our weekly worship services it would seem, are the Queens on our chess boards.*

And yet, just as a chess set is much more than the Queen, the church is much more than weekly worship.

Of course, this is not to say that worship is unimportant. Regular connection to the gathered community of faith is a vital part of following Jesus. Indeed it’s one of the essential values of showing and sharing the love of Jesus. So it’s a good and valuable thing that leaders are looking for creative ways to provide that connection.

However, the pandemic we’re currently facing requires more than the power of the Queen. It requires every aspect of being the church – every piece of the chess set. These other aspects have always been a sweet spot for the church. In fact, history shows us that the Church often loves best when things are at their worst. We feed the hungry, tend the sick, reach out to the lonely, create relationship and connection where there was none (even in our age of zoom and facetime). These chess pieces have long been a vital part of our ability to reach the hurting world around us, and we would do well to waste no time in focusing intently on them as we face these challenging days.

Moreover, in addition to all this, COVID19 has raised a multitude of questions that remain even in the midst of feeding the hungry and tending the sick. Why is this happening? Where is God in the midst of the suffering? Is he really in control? These are questions that neither science, nor medicine, nor the government are able to answer. These are questions that only faith can face. And how we face those questions and how willing we are to walk with people as they ask them, will be crucial to our witness in these difficult days and beyond.

So, where is God in the midst of this? How are we to understand the suffering that is happening all around us? Though the answer may feel impossible, it is no less true. God is here, in the midst of the suffering, pain, fear, and confusion. God is here.

There are many images that hold meaning for Christian faith, but there is one central, powerful image that sums it up more than any other – a naked, bleeding, suffering, divine-human being hanging on a cross.

Our God knows suffering.

In becoming human in Jesus, God descended to the very depths of our humanity, sharing all of it, even the worst of it. All for love’s sake.

Colossians 1:16 tells us that “through [Jesus Christ] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see… Everything was created through him and for him.” (NLT) While on earth, the man Jesus healed and restored, calmed storms and walked on water. Yet he did not abolish all disease or disaster. He saves us from our sins, but not from our suffering and death. He didn’t even save himself from that. Instead he died naked on a cross.

The cross is the way through, in all times but especially in these times.

Our crucified God fully enters into suffering – not just for us, but with us. As followers of this crucified God we enter into the suffering of others as well, so that they might know that they are never alone. So that as we carry our own portion and are willing to help others carry theirs, they might see the God who carries us all.

*Thank you to my good friend Zach Szmara for this wonderful analogy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator border_width=”6″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

By Rev. Dr. Kimberly Reisman

In March the Order of the FLAME gathered at Epworth by the Sea for its annual week of Holy Spirit inspired worship and learning. What a blessed time!

As always, our goal at the FLAME gathering is to plant the DNA of evangelism into young leaders so they see themselves appointed not only to their local congregations, but to their entire communities – reaching out in holistic ways to their neighborhoods and beyond. We had outstanding teachers help us explore preaching, teaching the bible, reaching out to the “other” in our contexts, racial reconciliation, and spiritual healing – to name just a few of the topics covered.

The teaching and worship at our FLAME gatherings is always extremely rich and meaningful. And yet, I am always most encouraged by the relationships that form as people connect with each other in a deep and lasting way. This year was no exception. I was particularly encouraged when I met Micah, an AMEZ pastor from Alabama who arrived quite worn out from the demands of his ministry. As he sat at his table awaiting the beginning of the first session, Keith, a UMC pastor from Virginia sat next to him.

Keith is a member of the FLAME who chose to return this year. He wasn’t sure why he decided to come, but the Holy Spirit kept nudging him. When he had attended the FLAME several years ago, he had felt exhausted from ministry and had been contemplating giving it up, but the FLAME gathering had reenergized him in a powerful way. As he traveled to Epworth, he felt that his experience might be part of why he needed to be there.

Turns out he was exactly right. As Micah and Keith shared and prayed together, they were able to connect in a way that only the Spirit can accomplish, and both left renewed, refreshed and revitalized for ministry.

The Order of the FLAME is a unique gathering in that regard – a boundary breaking gathering where denominational lines, racial and ethnic barriers, and cultural obstacles all fade in the presence of the Holy Spirit. A gathering where leaders who might otherwise have never met, are able to minister to each other, learn from each other, and partner with each other for the glory of God and the spreading of the Good News.

We received many blessings during the 2020 Order of the FLAME and even welcomed a fourth “generation” leader whose father and three brothers are also members. We’re grateful for the way God, year after year, brings a new diversity of people to Epworth by the Sea, binding us together through our faith in Jesus Christ, shaping us into a reconciled people joined together by our commitment to being mission evangelists in our communities, and empowering us as a Holy Spirit led people linked together by our willingness to become channels of God’s prevenient grace to all people.

Planning for FLAME 2021 is already underway. We will gather March 15-19, 2021 on St. Simons Island, Georgia. If you’re a member of the Order of the FLAME, we encourage you to make plans join us and to nominate a promising young leader to participate in this transformative experience.

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