Although I receive much "fluff' via email, this story from a friend touched me. See if you feel the same!

This is a very good example of a "God-incidence" (similar to what many people call a "co-incidence"). I'm sending this to those who truly appreciate the difference between the two terms. If you take the time to read it, you will be glad you did.

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS - The song that silenced the cappuccino machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth. For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing. It was a fun, low-pressure gig; I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in.

During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked. "No," I replied. "we love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?" To my delight, she accepted my invitation.

"You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?" "Well... do you know any hymns?" Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one." "Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one." "Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?" My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing, "Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?" The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

"I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me." When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get something' to drink, just like you.

But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!" "Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said. "Why is that?" "Well," she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song." "Really!" I exclaimed. "Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual... "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?" She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.
 

For the only cause that matters,

M. Bert Kite, Superintendent 

District Superintendent Bert Kite has announced that the Central District Conference will be held on Sunday, December 14 at 3 p.m. at Southport UMC, (1947 E Southport, Indianapolis, IN). At this meeting the 2015 District budget and District leadership will be reviewed/approved. 

In order to involve leadership from many parts of the conference, the election of delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conferences shall begin in local congregations, continue in districts, and conclude at Annual Conference.  Local congregations may submit names of potential lay delegates to either of our District Lay Leaders, Doris Clark or Anthony Swinger.  Potential clergy delegates may submit their names to Bert Kite.  There will be a Willingness to Serve form which will need to be submitted along with the name.  That form is not yet available.  

Local churches who would like to have a speaker come to their church to inform their congregation about Africa University and the Indiana A.U. Campaign can contact Ruth Ellen Stone at ruthellen1@juno.com or 317-839-8837. For more information, please click here.

The Indiana Annual Conference committed to support Africa University through a $1.6 million campaign to endow scholarships and a Chair in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We thank those churches that made a commitment to support the campaign during Annual Conference, and would like those churches to now indicate the amount of their pledge. We are also asking churches who have not made a commitment to prayerfully consider making a pledge. 

During a visit to Africa University in March 2015, Bishop Coyner will report on the progress we have made with the Indiana Campaign. Our goal is to have the $1.6 million pledged before Bishop Coyner visits Africa University.