The One Thing That He Knows

A new song for you, on this Valentine's Day.
Thanks for the new songwriter group for their kind feedback.
Recorded last Friday...enjoy....

The One Thing That He Knows

On their first Valentines Day
He didn't know what to say

Standing in the row of cards
Suddenly, the choice seemed hard.

Would their love, so fresh and new
Grow its root, or break in two?

He loved her smile, and tender touch
But was afraid to say too much.

And the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

On their twelfth Valentines Day
He didn't know what to say

Standing in the row of cards
The choices always seemed so hard.

They fought about the kids,
What to spend, and how to live.

Sometimes, they both felt so alone.
Sometimes, they were each other's home.

But the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows.
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

Every year, always the same
We try to capture and to name
What we really can never really say
What we can just live, day-to-day.

On their last Valentines Day
He didn't know....

But he reaches for her face
That simple lifelong grace.

Distant memories still call
Like faded pictures on their wall

Of a love so deep and true
In this assisted-living room

And the one thing that he knows
the one thing that he knows.
Is that love means more
love means more
Love means more than chocolates and a rose.

So much more than chocolates and a rose.

Words and Music by Eric Folkerth
Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.

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The World's Happiest Dog

 

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$100,000

One hundred thousand dollars is an awful lot of money.

So, this morning, we pause in awe to reflect on this:

Connections has raised over $100,000 to eradicate malaria from the face of the planet.

We passed this milestone last night, at our Denton show. We're grateful to the good folks in Denton for putting us over the top, and for coming out to enjoy the great music.

I know I speak for all the members of the band, when I say that we stand in awe and amazement. The idea for this band started out with just five us us, saying "What if?"

It's grown into a beautiful thing that allows us the chance to play great music for thousands of people, provide a quality evening of entertainment, and raise money for several good causes. You can learn more about our band, its history, and its mission, by clicking here.

Today, however, we pause to specifically give thanks that we've been able to raise so much for malaria prevention. For those of you unfamiliar, you might be saying "why that cause?"

Mainly because it's an absolutely preventable disease that still kills far too many people, mostly on the continent of Africa.

When we began this work, it was to directly support a project called "Nothing But Nets," which was a project focuses exclusively on providing bed nets for Africa.

Within a few years, smart folks realized that bed nets were absolutely an important part, but to literally eradicate the disease, it would also take prevention, treatment, and education.

Thus, "Imagine No Malaria" was born, our current beneficiary of our anti-malaria shows. The ambitious goal of this project to literally eradicate the disease from the face of the planet. It can be done.

It's a joint project of our own United Methodist Church, the United Nations Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and several other very worthy NGOs.

Here's an overview video for the project:

We're honored to be partners with them in this effort, and to be doing our part to help.

Here's another short video, featuring Pauley Perrette, who plays Abby Sciuto on NCIS, and is a member of the Hollywood United Methodist Church:

Every forty-five seconds.

That means that, likely, four people have died of this preventable while you read/watched this here. In the time it takes to play a Connections' show, 113 people die.

But, here's the awe-inspiring thing. In terms of bed-nets, the funds that Connections has raised in our shows, have saved 20 to 30,000 lives!!!

We're so deeply grateful to be a part of it all.

If you've never contributed and are moved to do so, click here to donate online right now.

We want to specifically thank all of you who sometimes drive great distances to hear the band, and to all the churches who have hosted our anti-malaria shows. In addition to Denton, here are the other churches who have hosted a "Nothing But Nets" or "Imagine No Malaria" show:

Walnut Hill
Sachse
Lovers Lane
Richardson
Suncreek
Northaven
Coppell
Rockwall
McKinney
Wylie
Paris
Garland
Greenville
And, last but most definitely not least, Kaufman County.

This last group absolutely deserves special note. In two concerts, the good folks of Kaufman County, mostly small lakeside churches, have raised more than $25,000!! That's one quarter of all we've raised in this effort. Copious thanks to them, and especially to our friend and colleague, Eston Williams.


Here's the crazy thing. We're not done celebrating great milestones.

In fact, at our next show in Allen, we'll very likely pass two more significant fund-raising milestones.

Stay tuned. And come and see us.

And thanks to God, and all of you, who have supported us along this amazing journey.

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Initial Thoughts on the Situation at St. Luke's UMC

No doubt many readers of this blog will have already heard the allegations regarding sexual abuse of power by Tyrone Gordon, the former pastor of the St. Luke's Community United Methodist Church.

I've had several people, clergy colleagues and lay folk alike, asked my thoughts today, and I've been struggling with what, if anything, to write or say.

The allegations are horrible, and they should most certainly be taken with the utmost seriousness by everyone. Any allegation against a clergy, staff, or layperson of a United Methodist Church must be taken very seriously.

What got my attention, however, was that not only has Tyrone Gordon had been sued, but that St. Luke's and the North Texas Conference are also named.

This fact, primarily, is what gives me an abundance of caution, and tempers what I might otherwise wish to say at this moment.

We should all also be aware that this also changes what others will publicly say too. The filing of a civil suit will, no doubt, severely limit what anyone connected with the North Texas Conference will say publicly.

In coming days and weeks, I am sure many will find this frustrating, and perhaps even see it is a lack of leadership. In my opinion, that would be a mistake. Careful silence during an ongoing legal case cannot really be taken as a sign of anything other than what it is.

My instinct tells me that people I know and respect could be pulled into this situation, may be called to testify in a lawsuit, or could be connected in some other way not yet publicly known.
(Please understand: I have no direct knowledge, just an intuition of what could be true)

Or, it could be that none the preceding sentence is true.

Point is this: we don't know what we know or don't know.

What I do know is that, as a clergy member of the North Texas Conference, I know and love clergy, staff and lay persons from St. Luke. I know, love, and respect clergy and staff of the North Texas Conference.

So, what I am doing most actively tonight, is praying for all those involved, and giving thanks for a legal system that allows our society a chance to bring even the most challenging moral questions into a court of law for adjudication.

Here's what I'm praying for...

I pray that this situation will result in healing for anyone determined to have been subjected to abuse, harassment or intimidation. I pray, and I trust, that whatever the truth is, that truth will provide the avenue for that healing and restoration, should it be needed.

I pray for Tyrone Gordon and his family.

I pray for the good folks of St. Luke and for the North Texas Conference.

I pray for my friend and mentor, Dr. Zan Holmes.
Dr. Holmes, as you may have heard, will return to St. Luke as interim pastor, effective immediately, in the hope that his considerable skill, insight and wisdom can bring healing to that fractured church.

Dr. Holmes now lives just a few blocks away from Northaven. He's worshipped with us several times, and Northaveners will recall that he was our guest for a very special "Feast of Beginnings" last Fall.

So, this afternoon I left a card at his front door, expressing the constant state of prayer both I and Northaven hold him in, trusting that this situation is, undoubtedly, heartbreaking beyond measure for him.

I pray for all of those attempting to work through their myriad and confusing feelings at this moment, that they might have patience to allow the system to work.

I pray for those anywhere who have been abused by churches or church staffs, but who have chosen to never come forward with their stories. This story, no doubt, churns painful memories for them.

Also, I pray for all of us in United Methodist Churches who are diligently working to make our houses of worship as safe as possible for children, youth and adults.

I pray for all these persons, and I encourage you to do this same.

Sexual abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power and authority by clergy, are not acceptable in our churches and cannot be tolerated. However, we would be naive to assume that they never happen.

The best way to keep them from happening is to develop environments where these issues are talked about openly, and where plans and procedures are in place.

Ironically, we are just about to become much more public in talking through these very issues at Northaven Church. Last December, our Leadership Council reviewed our own (Northaven's) guidelines for "Safe Sanctuary."

These guidelines cover things like definitions of abuse and harassment, reporting procedures should (God forbid) an allegation against a clergy, staff or layperson ever arise.

They also set forth ratios for "teachers/students" for our Children and Youth Ministries. Over the past several weeks, as a part of our yearly training with volunteers, teachers, and staff, we've been reviewing these procedures. In January, we renewed criminal background checks on every volunteer that works with children and adults, and on all staff.

And, as a culmination of these efforts, our plan is to highlight these very issues in worship, next Sunday, February 12th. This was our plan, well before any of today's news was known.(1)

We'll plan to go forward with this, in the knowledge that it now has a relevance we could never have dreamed of last Fall.

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to pray for all those I've mentioned, and for anyone else who might need help and support in this time.


(1) In fact, it was the multiple and shocking situations at Episcopal School of Dallas, Penn State, and Texas Judge William Adams that spurred us to action, not this current story. Those were to be the basis of next Sunday's discussions. This story simply brings it to a horrendous new level.

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Dear Komen Foundation...

Dear Komen Foundation...

I've always been a "Race for the Cure" fan. I've been to several, and have been deeply moved to see the thousands who turn out to run/walk. I've watched members of my family run/walk, in memory of my grandmother. I've cried tears when survivors are introduced. I even used your organization in a sermon illustration once.

But tonight, I am stunned to hear you are cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screenings.(1)

Based on what I am reading on the internet, I am not the alone.

My understanding is that you have cut off funding because Planned Parenthood is the target of a congressional investigation, launched by an untra-conservative member of that body.

This is a disturbing precedent on several fronts.

First, the political front. In a single decision, you have emboldened the most radical elements of our society, You have given them the encouragement that a mere investigation might result in groups like yours taking pre-emptive action.

Your spokesperson, Lesli Aun, said this: "We want to maintain a positive relationship with them...We're not making any judgment."

Actually, you are making a judgment. That's exactly what you're doing. Please do not pretend otherwise.

You want to "maintain relationship?" Then why do anything at this time?

Your actions speak louder than your words.

The second "front" is what you have done to split a community in this country who passionately support the health and well being of our nation's women.

Tonight, you present women and men a "Sophie's Choice" between supporting your organization and Planned Parenthood.

I know Planned Parenthood to be a fine organization the provides low-cost health services to millions of women in our country. A part of that health screening has been screening for breast cancer.

This is the funding you are cutting? Funding to prevent the very disease you claim to want to cure? This makes no sense whatsoever.

It is hyperpolitical, not a-political.

I was deeply moved by the comments of Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of a Planned Parenthood affiliate in Virginia, which was in turn a recipient of a 2010 grant from your organization. His wife, Betsi is battling breast cancer, and has been a participant in many of your races.

I think he put it best when he said this:

"...cancer doesn't care if you're pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative."

So true.

So why do you?

(1) Disclosure: In addition to being a fan of your group, I am a fan of Planned Parenthood. Once upon a time, I served as a clergy member of the Religious Advisory Committee of Planned Parenthood of Dallas and Northeast Texas.

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Running the Numbers on 2011

We've got some year-end stats now for Connections in 2011. And, the results are pretty amazing.

It was clearly our best year yet. This was on the back of our single-largest concert ever: "The Concert for AMK," last June. That one show, by itself, surpassed our fundraising for every other single year in our history. Pretty dang amazing.

This first graph shows our all-time funds raised over time.

As of year-end, we've raised $180, 547!!

This graph shows the funds raised, per-year:

As you  can see, 2011 blew the roof off of every other fundraising year we've ever had. The "Concert for AMK" was. of course, the thing that more than doubled our fundraising over every previous year.

However! When you factor out the "AMK Show," 2011 was still our second largest fundraising years ever!!

Taking out that show, for an apples-to-apples comparison with other years, not only was 2011 our second largest fundraising year, but it was only $350 from being number one!!

So, it was an incredible year, no matter how you run the numbers.

Finally, a breakdown of the funds raised, per beneficiary. Our two primary beneficiaries are UMCOR, and "Imagine No Malaria." (Follow the links to learn more about each). The "Other"category is the "Concert for AMK."

Connections' 2012 Spring schedule is now available at our website. At all our Spring shows, we're rolling out our new show: "Superhits of the 70s, Part II."

Check out the dates here, and come out to see us.

Connections continues to be an incredible gift to all of us in the band. We're grateful to be able to share great music, offer fun shows, and raise money for these incredible causes. We are profoundly grateful to the thousands of people who, simply by coming to see our shows and enjoying some music, make a difference in the world.

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What's Going On

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, yeah

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going
What's going on
What's going on

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Come on talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
What's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you ya, what's going on
--Obie Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye

(Place: Occupy Dallas, October 2011)