Pastor Daryl's Cyberdesk

Life Lessons From the Prophets: Elijah - I Kings 18:16-29 and I Kings 18:30-46

2012-02-12T12:13:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we are going to continue our preaching focusing on the prophets. Those stories contained in the Old Testament about people who walked by faith and not by sight. Last week we began with Isaiah as we looked to his example of submitting to God. Today our focus is on the prophet Elijah and his example to us of how to continue following God, even when those around you don’t.

You're Cheering for Who?!?
I read a story recently about a fellow attending a major league baseball game who caused quite a bit of a stir in the stands. No matter which team made a hit or a run, he cheered. Finally, curiosity got the better of someone sitting behind him. Leaning forward, the second man asked, “Why are you rooting for both teams? Don’t you understand this game?” And the first man told him, “I live too far away to get to a ballgame like this more than once every couple of years, so I pull for both teams. That way, no matter who wins, I go home happy.” You don’t have to be much of a sports fan to know that if you have any sense of loyalty to the home team, you will not root for both sides.

Elijah's Background
Our Scripture lesson today speaks to us of a time in the history of God’s people when there was an attempt to root for both sides at once, when they tried to not only worship God but also several other false gods at the same time. This is about 135 years before Isaiah’s ministry in Israel. During this time, the twelve tribes of Israel have split into two kingdoms. The northern ten tribes seceded and formed the nation of Israel and the two southern tribes form the nation of Judah. The southern kingdom of Judah at this time is enjoying spiritual revival. But the northern kingdom of Israel has fallen away from God. They are led by a man named Ahab, who according to Scripture, did more evil than all the kings before him. You see Ahab let his wife Jezebel talk him into building a temple for the false god Baal, and led the people into worshipping idols. The people of God began to worship not just God, but false gods like Baal and Asherah at the same time.

This is the situation that God calls the prophet Elijah into. He’s called to speak God’s truth to King Ahab and the northern kingdom of Israel. Now Elijah is one of those prophets that we don’t know very much about prior to his ministry. But no matter what his background is, Elijah’s name seems to fit his ministry. His name means, “The Lord is My God.”

The Showdown with Baal
Because of Ahab’s sin, God instructed Elijah to proclaim a drought. He did and the drought came. For three and a half years the people of Israel lingered in a horrible drought. Scripture tells us that the prophet Elijah survived because of the kindness of widows and because at times God sent ravens to bring food to him. Then one day God instructed Elijah to go up and meet Ahab and proclaim God’s judgment. Elijah asked Ahab to assemble all of prophets of the false gods Baal and Asherah, which was about 850 men in total, and meet him on Mount Carmel. And then Elijah assembled the people of Israel and asked how long would they waver between God and Baal. When they did not respond, Elijah laid down a challenge for the false prophets. They would each sacrifice a young bull upon an altar and they would each call on their god. Whichever god answered with fire, would be the one true God.

And so the false prophets of Baal and Asherah sacrificed a bull upon an altar. All morning long they called on the name of Baal and danced around the altar, but there was no response. When noontime came, Elijah began taunting them. “Maybe he’s busy, or thinking or traveling, or sleeping… shout louder!” And so the false prophets shouted louder and they got so desperate that they began cutting themselves with their swords and spears to show Baal how serious they were. But Baal still did not respond.

Then Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord and put the bull on it. He dug a trench around the altar and instructed the people to empty four large jars of water upon the offering and the wood on the altar. They repeated this two more times, until the water had even filled up the trench around the altar. Then Elijah stepped forward and prayed to God. “Let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, having done everything at your command. Answer me so these people will know you are God and turn their hearts back again.”

And what happened? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sent down fire from heaven which burned up the sacrifice, and not only the sacrifice, but also the wet wood, the altar, the soil, and even the water in the trench around the altar. And when the people saw this, they fell on the ground and cried out, “The Lord is God!” Elijah then predicted to King Ahab that the drought would end and that there would be a great rainstorm, and there was.

Life Lessons
There’s a lot we can learn from Elijah. Elijah was faithful to follow God, even when the nation of Israel didn’t. And in the end, his life had a great impact on the people. They saw God through him and turned their hearts back to the Lord. Yielded lives have great impact because God can minister through us towards others.

A. Following God means doing His Work, not our own (to do my duty to God and my country)
Elijah’s ministry was received, not achieved. He didn’t try to make a ministry happen on his own. He met with God and then responded to his leading. An achieved ministry, one that is initiated by humanity instead of by God, is of no consequence in eternity and is also much more difficult to maintain. When we cease to do his work, the work gets burdensome because we are trying to perform tasks without the grace that only God can give.

To have a received ministry, we must hear from God before we act. The often repeated refrain of Elijah’s life was “the word of the Lord came to Him.” Elijah was not thinking up ideas and asking God to bless them. He was walking in a relationship with God, following Him and simply obeying what the Lord told him to do. What this makes clear is that the Word must come before the work. We need a regular diet of God’s word if we want to see Him minister through us to others.

And scouting gives each of you that word. In your oaths you pledge to do your duty to God and your country. That means that you look for that received ministry. You look for that way to help other people at all times. The lessons you are learning here in scouting are lessons that I can tell you will follow you for a lifetime. These are more than just requirements for badges. They are more than Silver awards, Gold awards and Eagles Scout ranks. They are what make you morally straight and convince you to make the world a better place. Look for ways, expect ways that your scout training can help you realize the received ministries God has in plan for you.

B. Following God means making God the focus (obedient and respect authority)
When we follow what God is asking us to do, one of the things we must realize, is that just because it is God-initiated, doesn’t mean it will be easy. There will be high places where we see God move and work in miraculous ways, that is where it is easy. But there will also be low places and sad times, that is where it will be hard.

When things go well, when life is good, when we can readily see what God is doing, it is easy to follow, it is easy to trust. But what can we do to sustain us through those hard times when things are not going well, when things can and are discouraging? Trust in God and lean on each other. Walk by faith and not by sight. The Scouting oaths call their members to be obedient and respect authority. The lessons your are learning now about depending on each other, trusting each other, and working together are vital. We as believers need to be obedient to God and respect God's authority, at all times, even when we have doubts. One of the ways God acts to encourage us and support us is through us. Believer and scout alike are called to lean on each other, trust each other, see God in one another.

C. Following God requires faith (brave and courageous and strong)
To follow God also requires faith. For Elijah to stand atop Mount Carmel and put his faith and his life on the line required incredible faith in God. After all he was not only asking God to burn the sacrifice, he was asking God to burn a water soaked sacrifice, water soaked wood, and a water soaked altar. Now for those of you that have gone camping, how well does wet wood burn? But here God burned every bit of it up. To be a believer takes bravery and courage. We are called to be counter cultural, to be in this world but not of this world, and to live by values that this world does not always reflect. We are called to love all people, by being friendly courteous and helpful, to put others above our selves, to help other people at all times, and make sure we honor God in all we do.

I think the Girl Scout Law says it best, I will do my best to be a sister to every Girl Scout. When we band together in a common cause, with a focused goal, and move in the same direction, yielding our lives to God, anything and everything is possible.

Conclusion
I know it’s hard to be faithful to follow God when those around us do not. Elijah was able to do it as he led the people of Israel. But he didn’t do it on his own and we don’t have to either. Elijah was a Spirit filled man and the same Holy Spirit who lived in him lives in every believer today.

As we strive to follow God while those around us don’t, we need to remember these three things: 1) Following God means doing his work and not our own; 2) Following God means focusing on him and not ourselves; and 3) Following God requires faith.

When we are faithful and surrendered to him, when we yield our lives to God, God can use us in mighty ways to influence others. The lessons you learn in scouts, the values we find in Scripture, when used together can help all of us find received ministries from God. You all have a purpose, you all have incredible value. Be bold for your beliefs, rely on God and on each other, and may the life and words of the prophet Elijah inspire us all once again.

Bible Challenge 02/12 - 02/18

2012-02-11T03:07:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we enter into five other epistles (or letters) of the Apostle Paul to the churches: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians and II Thessalonians, and his letter to Timothy. For me it's so interesting to read Paul's letters, realizing his heart for the churches that he has planted. Hopefully the historical information below will give you fresh eyes as you read these letters and think about the issues they were addressing.

Ephesians - Here Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus (now Selcuk, Turkey) while he is imprisoned in Rome (about 62AD) to address the unity of the church between its many Jewish and Gentile believers. Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman empire in Paul's day and home to one of the seven ancient wonders of the world (temple of Artemis). Paul started the church in Ephesus as recorded in Acts 18 and eventually he would send his young protege Timothy to serve as their pastor. One of my favorite passages is Paul's admonition in Ephesians 6 to put on the full armor of God.

Philippians - Philippians has a different tone than many of Paul's letters - it is written about 62AD to the church in Philippi (now Filippoi, Greece) which was one of the first church's that Paul ever started. From the tone of his letter, Philippi is often called Paul's "sweetheart" church. We also find here one of the most powerful and oft quoted pieces of Scripture: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).

Colossians - Colossians is directed to the church at Colosse (now Honaz, Turkey) and was probably written during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Apparently, the church had been incorporating pagan elements into their practice including the worship of elemental spirits and Paul's letter declares Christ's supremacy over the entire created universe and reminds the believers to live godly lives.

I and II Thessalonians - The last two books this week are directed at the church of Thessalonica (which still exists today in Greece) and are written probably only months apart around 52AD. Paul only stayed with this church for a few weeks after beginning it and seems to be writing the first letter to encourage them in their faith and remind them of some important doctrines of the faith. Apparently there was some misunderstanding regarding the return of Christ and the second shorter letter appears to deal solely with correcting that understanding.

I Timothy - Paul found Timothy during one of his visits to Lystra where Timothy is mentioned as a disciple. From the Scriptures it seems his mother and grandmother were Jews who had become believers; the only thing mentioned about his father was that he was Greek. Timothy becomes Paul's traveling companion going to Phyrgia, Galatia, Mysia, Troad, Philippi, Veria and Corinth. Eventually around 65AD, Paul installs Timothy as the bishop of the church at Ephesus, a post he would hold for at least the next fifteen years. Timothy was eventually stoned to death when he took a stand against a pagan procession of idols, ceremonies and songs. This first letter from Paul to Timothy seems to deal mainly with forms of worship, organization of the church, the responsibilities of the bishops and deacons, and keeping faithful amid surrounding errors. There is a second letter and we will get to that next week.

Here is the schedule:

12, Sunday: Ephesians 1-4

13, Monday: Ephesians 5 - Philippians 2

14, Tuesday: Philippians 3 - Colossians 2

15, Wednesday: Colossians 3 - 1 Thessalonians 2

16, Thursday: 1 Thessalonians 3 - 2 Thessalonians 1

17, Friday: 2 Thessalonians 2 - 1 Timothy 2

18, Saturday: 1 Timothy 3-6

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

2012-02-10T13:16:00.002-05:00

1. Preaching Series - Stories. We all have them. We have all heard them. We all learn from them. This Sunday we will continue our preaching series, Life Lessons from the Prophets, as we look to the stories of these prophets who walked by faith and not by sight. This week we will look to Elijah to see how to continue to follow God, even when those around us do not. Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!

2. Bible Study - We are continuing our Bible Study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We are using journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. It is never to late to join and we would love to have you! Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. DeNease Hicks - Tomorrow, February 11th, at 11 A.M. we will all gather in the Sanctuary to celebrate the life of DeNease Hicks. There will be reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. As you are available, I encourage you to come and support this family as we celebrate and remember this dear woman who influenced so many.

4. Scout Sunday - This Sunday, February 12th, we will celebrate and honor those young people that are involved in the Scouting Troops we sponsor here at Druid Hills UMC. In this service we will get to hear their oaths, be lead by their service, and have the opportunity to express to them, and their leaders, how much we value them and how proud we are of them. Come and join us as we pay tribute to the dedication and loyalty of these fine young people. I hope to see you there!

5. Ash Wednesday - February 22nd is Ash Wednesday. This year you will have several opportunities to mark this time of remembrance. On that day, from 7 A. M. - 8 A. M. and from 12 P. M. - 1 P. M., the Sanctuary will be open for you to come and silently pray. Pastor Daryl will also be there to offer you an imposition of ashes on your forehead. There will also be a formal service at 6 P. M. in the Sanctuary that evening. Please mark your calendars to take advantage of this opportunity.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

2012-02-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

I love how God works! All of last week, as I was preparing the message on Isaiah, there was one theme that was very strong for me; “Here I Am!” Over and over again, that idea of us presenting ourselves completely and humbly before God was so very strong. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that was what God wanted us as a congregation to hear on Sunday.

Trying to be forward thinking, I kept saying to myself, “Here I Am!” is great. It is important. It is absolutely what we should be striving for. But how? How can we at Druid Hills United Methodist, get from where we are to where God is calling us to be? What tools can we use, what prayers can we say?

As of Monday morning, this path was no clearer to me. However, God was at work. Last November I had signed up for a seminar in Gainesville, entitled Mission Centered Ministry. I did not know much about how this topic was going to be approached, but I did know the presenter and he is a very gifted teacher. And that is why I signed up for it. Little did I realize that this path I was searching for was about to be revealed.

I spent that entire day in Gainesville, listening about how to discern the nature of a congregation (purpose driven vs. preference driven), ideas to get our nature more closely aligned with where God calls us to be, ways to shift our thinking from obstacles to opportunities, how to develop a vision for mission, and methods we can employ to increase our ability for evangelism.

I was sitting there in the auditorium at Trinity UMC writing as fast as I could, in awe over how quickly and how completely my question was being answered. When I planned to speak about these prophets of the Old Testament, none of this was on my radar. But as I was working through Isaiah this “Here I Am!” premise was so overwhelming. And then God did not leave it alone. God finished what was started. Like I said, the planning of this seminar was a year or more in the making, my planning of this sermon series was done six months ago. But, God knew that I would ask this question and God knew this seminar would answer that question. This revelation was in the works before I even knew I had a question! I love it!

Our God is awesome! Our God inspires awe and when we give in, when we humbly say here I am, God will absolutely leave us trembling in awe. My hands were literally shaking as I was trying to take notes. My heart was beating fast and my mind racing. As I sit here and type this I am still trying to process it all. But the one thing I do know, is I am so glad we serve the God we do. God desires to be a part of each of our lives. God desires to work within each of us to transform us and recreate us. God delights to hear us say, Here I am, use me! God wants to be a daily part of your life!

This week I encourage you to look for ways to be used by God. Look for ways to submit to God's will like never before. Look for ways to have God's will become your will. But always and everywhere, in everything you do, expect God. God is there, God is willing, God is waiting. Let him in, let him do a good work within you, and then he can do a good work through you!

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Life Lessons from the Prophets: Isaiah - Isaiah 6:1-8 and 61:1-3

2012-02-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we are going to begin a new series, focusing on the prophets. These stories contained in the Old Testament about people who walked by faith and not by sight. The faithful followers that trusted God beyond comfort and beyond reason. To go against the grain is tough, but over the next few weeks we will look at three people who did, Isaiah, Elijah, and Haggi. Today we are going to begin with Isaiah as we look to his example of submitting to God; specifically how we submit, what has to happen for us to submit, and what our response should be to this submission.

An Inward Look
John Newton was the captain of a ship carrying captured men and women from Africa to become slaves in America during the mid-eighteenth century. He gave little thought to the enormous suffering experienced by his human cargo as they were torn from home and families and herded below decks of his ship. He gave little thought to the magnitude of the sin against God and humanity in which he was a willing participant. Until one day. As he watched his captive passengers share their meager food supplies and comfort one another, and as he heard them sing songs of their homeland, Newton's very soul was in distress. Overcome by guilt, Newton suddenly saw himself with new eyes. He realized that it was he and not his human cargo that was in bondage. It was he, not those in chains below deck, who could not free himself from the chains of slavery. He knew that he was doomed. Only by God's grace in Jesus Christ could he find forgiveness.

Of course, Newton did not "find" Christ. It was Christ who found him. It was the crucified and risen Christ who broke his chains of bondage to sin. It was the Spirit of Christ who brought Newton to his knees. It was the Spirit of Christ who led him to stop carrying human cargo and to speak out against the sin of human slavery. And it was the spirit of Christ who led Newton to respond by writing the words to a hymn that touches all of us, "Amazing Grace." Newton's words resound in our hearts: "I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." John Newton, touched by the spirit of God, began to see himself and the world around him with new eyes.

Isaiah's Inward Look
The prophet Isaiah had a similar experience 2,700 years ago during a worship service in the temple in Jerusalem. He was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah, about 60 years after the prophet Elisha’s ministry in the northern kingdom of Israel. During Isaiah’s ministry the Assyrian Empire was conquering everything in its path. The southern nation of Judah had watched in horror as the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians. And Judah was politically unstable because their king, King Uzziah, had just died.

The nation of Judah had reached a turning point. Would the people submit to God’s purposes for their lives and trust in Him for their future, or would they continue to try to go it alone and make shady deals with foreign enemies to keep themselves out of captivity? In the midst of this turmoil and crisis, the prophet Isaiah went to the temple to worship the Lord. What happened in the temple that day was the most significant event in Isaiah’s life and his ministry. No other people involved, no big showdown on a mountain, not a miraculous healing. Rather Isaiah is most remembered for an encounter that he has with God and what he learns from it.

I Saw the Lord (Isaiah 6)
Our Scripture lesson from Isaiah 6 tells us that in the year that King Uzziah died, the prophet Isaiah worshipped in the temple and had a vision of the Lord God himself sitting on a throne. So great and mighty was God that just the train, the hem, of his robe completely filled the temple. Angels were all around, ministering to him and they even covered their faces and their feet in his presence. And the angels said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

In seeing this, Isaiah calls out: “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet I have seen the King the Lord of hosts!” Surrounded by God’s glory and holiness, Isaiah begins to realize he is unworthy of this great honor of seeing God. And then one of the angels takes a hot coal from an altar and touches it to Isaiah’s lips and cleanses him of his sin. And then the Lord called out, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!”

This encounter with God in a vision is significant for Isaiah. He had spent the first part of his ministry concentrating heavily on the sins of other people, those who were without a doubt “blatantly” unrighteous. But all these obvious sins and moral failures keep Isaiah from recognizing that the sins in his life are just as horrible before God.

One of the obvious sinners that Isaiah sat in judgment of was his cousin, King Uzziah. For many years Uzziah had been a godly king, but like so many other kings before him, he forgot about God. He became so proud of all the mighty military successes and thought he was self-sufficient. In fact, he got so proud that he went into the temple and tried to burn incense on the altar of the Lord, instead of the priests. He paid dearly for it too.

Isaiah probably responded to Uzziah’s failures as we might, “I would never do that.” It’s easy to think of ourselves as righteous when we compare ourselves to others around us. But Isaiah’s encounter with the Lord changes his perspective. Think about what happened to him, the angel touched the coal and applied it to his lips, he was a prophet and his mouth was the tool of his trade. Even today we still use fire and heat to sterilize and clean things. Isaiah realizes in the very presence and glory of God that he is a sinner and God cleanses Isaiah’s mouth for his ministry.

The Result
So what was the result of this encounter? First, Isaiah’s sin was both taken away and forgiven. And second, Isaiah came to understand himself in a new way, as God saw him. And when God asks the question of who will go for him, Isaiah responds with his whole being - “Here I am, send me!”

Isaiah went on to minister for about another 40 years in Judah. Sometimes the people listened, but many times they did not. But Isaiah could be satisfied knowing that he had submitted to God’s purposes and done what God asked. According to the world’s standards of success, Isaiah’s ministry was a failure. But God measures our effectiveness by how our work aligns with His purposes. By this measure Isaiah was very effective for he fulfilled the purpose of God for his life. And today, thousands of years later, we are still touched by his life and his message.

Work in Us, Before Working Through Us
So how does any of this make a difference for us? Why do we need to look at Isaiah’s life and this particular event? I want to share with you one key lesson from Isaiah’s life: We must let God work in us, before God can work through us. Let me say that again because it bears repeating, We must let God work in us, before God can work through us.

God cannot use what has not been cleansed and purified. It was only after his encounter in the vision that Isaiah becomes truly usable for the Lord’s purposes and is given a new ministry similar to that prophesied about the Messiah who would come later. Our second Scripture lesson is a brief summary of the kind of things God asked Isaiah to do; preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for captives, and comfort those who mourn.

God has a plan for humanity. He created us to reflect his image and reign over his creation, but sin changed all of that. Genesis tells us that man was created in the image of God, but when Adam had children, they were “in his own likeness, according to his image.” They bore the fallen image of their father and so do we. The most amazing thing about our God though is that he’s gracious and merciful enough to meet us where we are. No matter how sinful we are, we don’t have to clean ourselves up in order to approach God or to come to faith or attend church. But once God meets us where we are, he wants to do a work in us. He never leaves us as he found us.

In order for God’s purposes to be fulfilled through men and women, there must be a recreation. That’s the whole point of the Christian life, the whole point of being part of a church. Once a person turns to Christ, the Lord wants to transform that person into the image of His son. He desires to change them so they can become agents of his love to those who don’t know. But before God can use us in the lives of others, he must change us. He must work in our hearts before he can work through us. Often we pray, “Lord use me,” yet we fail to recognize that the more important prayer is “Lord, make me useable.” Before Isaiah could say “Here am I send me” (6:8) he had to confess “Woe is me” (6:5).

Isaiah wasn’t the only one who struggled with this. John Wesley, the man we credit as the founder of the Methodist church had a similar issue. As a priest in the Anglican church, who had grown up as the son of a priest, John Wesley had great head knowledge of God. He was very methodical about his religion (that’s why we’re called Methodists; he had a whole list of things people should be doing). And then one night he went to a place called Aldersgate and heard the word of God preached and later he wrote in his journal that “his heart was strangely warmed.” He experienced God in a different way at Aldersgate and was never the same afterwards. He finally got it; that God needed to be able to work inside John Wesley’s heart before he could do a work through Wesley. And so John Wesley submitted himself to God’s purposes and here we are today.

I’ve seen the same kind of transformation happening in this congregation. I’ve seen people beginning to submit themselves to God’s purposes for their life, coming to understand that they need to continually be working on their own spiritual relationship to God, growing, being nurtured and fed through prayer and Bible study and Sunday school and relationships with other Christians. It is so wonderfully encouraging to watch and a blessing to be part of. But we cannot become complacent. We have to follow the example of these few, and all of us need to constantly submit and resubmit ourselves to God. Never be content that we are right, that we are doing everything correctly. Constantly and consistently, submit yourselves for examination before God. Always and everywhere conduct yourselves with an air of humility and sense of servanthood. We all need to continue in that spirit of asking God to work in us and make us usable so that we might serve Him more fully.

Conclusion
So how do we respond to all that? Maybe you are sitting there realizing for the first time, that you are a sinner in need of God’s grace. The first step towards becoming an acceptable servant of God is to believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin. You can do that today, right now in this place. There are no special words that must be repeated, just simply pray and confess your sin before God, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and ask God to continue to work in you.

Or maybe you took care of that a long time ago. You became a Christian and have been in church for the last ten or twenty or forty years or more. But ask yourself, is your knowledge of God in your heart as well as your head? Do you allow God to work in your life? Will you submit to his purposes? If you need help reaffirming your submission or rededicating yourself to God's will, you can do that today, right here.

The Christian life is about transformation into the image of Christ. So ask yourself, what does God need to cleanse in you in order to be able to work through you?

God is still calling out: “Whom shall I send?” The question is, how will we respond?

Bible Challenge 02/05 - 02/11

2012-02-04T04:41:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through I Corinthians, and read entirely through II Corinthians as well as Galatians.

In between I and II Corinthians, Paul visited Corinth another time (a painful visit) and wrote at least one other letter that is now lost. It would seem that the situation in Corinth was still complicated and Paul felt attacked. He defends himself with some of his important teachings - forgiving others, God's new agreement that comes from the Spirit of the living God, the importance of being a person of Christ and giving generously to God's people in Jerusalem, and finally ends with his own experience of how God changed his life.

The book of Galatians is thought to be Paul's earliest letter, corresponding with the events of Acts 11:30. Here he addresses a group of churches in a Roman province known as Galatia, what is now part of modern-day Turkey. This letter mainly addresses the question of whether the Mosaic law is binding on Gentiles.

Here is our schedule:

05, Sunday: I Corinthians 8-11

06, Monday: I Corinthians 12-15

07, Tuesday: I Corinthians 16 - II Corinthians 3

08, Wednesday: II Corinthians 4-7

09, Thursday: II Corinthians 8-11

10, Friday: II Corinthians 12 - Galatians 2

11, Saturday: Galatians 3-6

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

2012-02-03T10:20:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series - Stories. We all have them. We have all heard them. We all learn from them. This Sunday we will begin a new preaching series, Life Lessons from the Prophets. Over the next three weeks we are going to look at the stories of some of our greatest prophets in the Old Testament; Isaiah, Elijah, and Haggai. The stories of these prophets are about people who walked by faith and not by sight. These faithful followers trusted God beyond comfort and beyond mere reason. The lessons that we can learn from them were not only timely for the people they encountered, but timeless for us all these years later. Bring a friend and come join us, as we all learn together!

2. Bible Study - We have began a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We are using journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. It is never to late to join and we would love to have you! Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Gift Cards - For any of the ladies that are planning to go to Red Lobster with the MODELs this month, here is a way for you to help the church while having a great time with your friends. Consider buying a gift card through our program to pay for your meal. If you buy the $25 gift card, 9% will go to the church, and the card does not expire, so you can use the remaining balance anytime. If you would like to do this, please order the card by Monday, 2/6, so it will arrive in time. If you have any questions you can visit our church website and click on the Gift Card tab or contact the church office.

4. February Newsletters - The February Newsletter is available in the narthex, so please be sure to pick your copy up. There is a correction to one article; the Easter Tableau will be April 5th and 6th. You can also go over to our church website, and view it there as well.

5.Children's Home - In the bulletin this week is an insert asking people to consider volunteering during the Children's Home annual Open House. There are many tasks to do, many days to choose from, and many hands that are needed. Please prayerfully consider any way in which you might be able to reach out and offer your assistance. Also, as we get more details we will begin to plan a trip for us to go this Open House as a church, so we can become more familiar with the wonderful ministry that happens in this place. Thanks!

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

2012-02-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

I love the ages of Parker and Wesley right now. They are both very inquisitive, they both ask a ton of questions, and I frequently am amazed as I get the chance to see the world through their eyes. Those things that maybe I have taken for granted, or those things that have lost their awe, can be transformed for me, made new again for me, just because of their perspective.

This past weekend, Debbie and I took Parker and Wesley to Clergy Kids Camp. This is a weekend, held at the Warren Willis United Methodist Youth Camp in Leesburg, that is geared and designed for the children of pastors. The bonds that are created, the love that is shown, and the affirmation that is given to these children and youth, is truly something to behold.

Anyway, this past Friday we arrived just after dark and I immediately got into “task list” mode. I told the boys that we needed to check in, then after we found out where our room was, we would come right back to the car and unload. I was getting everyone out of the car, organized, and moving forward. Wesley jumped out of the van, very excited just to be at Clergy Kids Camp, and while I was finding jackets and moving very deliberately, I hear this very animated...WOW!

I instantly knew it was Wesley that let out that exclamation. My first thought was he was remarking about the main lodge, Barnett Lodge, that is under major renovations. But when I looked over, he was not looking at the lodge. He was looking up. He then cried out, “Daddy, Daddy, look at all those stars God made!” I fixed my gaze upward, and he was right. The sky was absolutely packed with millions of brilliant stars. It was gorgeous!

Left to my own inclinations, I would have filed our family into registration, unloaded the car, taken our stuff to our room, and never looked up. But having Wesley around, gave me the chance experience awe that evening. I was reminded of the creation God made. Wesley did not just remark at the stars and how many there were or how pretty they were. No. He instantly put together the fact that God made these. He was almost giving God an 'atta boy”. You could tell in his voice that he was proud of God and the good work God did with those stars. I love the way a four year old mind works!

I encourage you to never let your child-like awe disappear. Never let your ability to be amazed like a child fade away. This life can cloud our perception, taint our outlook, and rob us of its joy. Therefore, take time to be in awe this week. Take time to look at this world as God's creation. Look at the trees, feel the warmth of the sun, and the cool of the breeze, and remember God. Remember his love for you and whatever you do, never lose your awe!

Have a great week and see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 01/29 - 02/04

2012-01-28T05:25:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through Acts and move entirely through Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Most scholars believe that this book was written in Corinth at the end of Paul's second missionary journey there, somewhere around 55-56AD. The book of Romans is Paul's greatest theological legacy to the church. The longest by far of his letters, it's intent is to explain that salvation is offered through the Gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ. Since Paul has not been to Rome at this point, he outlines the good news of Jesus thoroughly so that Paul's teaching will not be confused with other false teachers.

The Main sections of Paul’s argument are as follows:

· God’s wrath revealed against the unrighteous (1:18-3:20)

· God credits righteousness to all (3:21-5:21)

· The gift of God’s righteousness results in righteous living (6:1-8:39)

· God's righteousness in the case of Israel (9:1-11:36)

· God's righteousness reflected in the righteous lives of believers (12:1-15:13)

· God's righteousness shared by Paul as minister to Gentiles (15:14-33)

Next up, we begin diving into Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. I Corinthians was written from Ephesus (16:8), a city on the west coast of today's Turkey, about 180 miles by sea from Corinth. According to Acts of the Apostles, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus. The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of 53 to 57 AD. Corinth was the meeting point of many nationalities because the main current of the trade between Asia and western Europe passed through its harbors. Paul's first visit lasted nearly two years and his converts were mainly Greeks. In the first epistle, he mainly concentrates on addressing some divisions in the church, some problems with immorality and teaching about marriage, Christian liberty, worship and resurrection.

Here is the schedule:

29, Sunday: Acts 24-27

30, Monday: Acts 28 - Romans 3

31, Tuesday: Romans 4-7

01, Wednesday: Romans 8-11

02, Thursday: Romans 12-15

03, Friday: Romans 16 - I Corinthians 3

04, Saturday: I Corinthians 4-7

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

2012-01-27T12:34:00.001-05:00

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday our congregation's very own certified lay servant, Carole Newlin will lead us in worship. Come and hear what God has shared with her as we look to the question, "Why Me?" Bring a friend and come be transformed.

2. Bible Study - Starting this Thursday, February 2nd, we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Clergy Kids Camp - This weekend Debbie, Parker, Wesley, and I will be in Leesburg attending Clergy Kids Camp. Being the child of a pastor comes with a uniqueness all its own. For example, demanding schedules of parents, uncertainty in many areas of life, and the understanding that the house they live in is only theirs for a period of time. So Debbie and I made a covenant with our boys that there would be one thing that would always be theirs, Clergy Kids Camp. This is our gift to devote that entire weekend to them. So while I will not be here in worship Sunday, I will be in a church worshiping as Daddy. They are really looking forward to it, and so are Debbie and I!

4. February Newsletters - The February Newsletter will be available in the narthex this Sunday, so be sure to pick your copy up. You can also go over to our church website, and view it there as well.

5.Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

2012-01-25T16:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very humbling day for me. As many of you know I was invited to appear before the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, for the purposes of evaluating my petition for ordination. This is a very arduous process and takes a vast amount of effort and time to complete. And as I stated Sunday, it was weighing on my mind. I truly wanted this to be a "one and done" type of experience, meaning I would pass this time, my first time, before the Board.

With my interview taking place in Leesburg, on Tuesday morning at 8 A.M., I went down Monday evening and got a hotel room. My thought was, that way I would not have to deal with traffic or possibly being late, traveling from Ocala, and would place myself in a position for a generally easy morning. However, I still expected to wake up Tuesday morning with my stomach in knots.

My alarm went off and I noticed I was rather relaxed. As the 8 o'clock hour approached I was still waiting for the nervousness. It never came. I was anxious to begin the interview, to get the process started, but never nervous about how I would perform. It took a me until I got home last night to reflect and realize why.

It was you! It was all of you thinking about me and praying for me. It was your prayers for God to be with me and the Holy Spirit to work through me. As I was waiting between interviews, as I was waiting for my decision, as I was answering the questions being asked of me, my mind was calm and the answers I was searching for were clear. I was able to focus, speak articulately, and exhibit a non-anxious presence. Your prayers for me were why everything went as well as it did. Your prayers played a vital role in the Board recommending me for Ordination. Your prayers helped me to pass!

I have always believed in the power of prayer and yesterday I was proof of it. There are numerous places in Scripture where it talks about the power of prayer, but for us today, I want to turn to Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In all we do, in all we are, go to God. There is no request too big, no desire too small. God wants to hear your desires, God wants to hear your cares, God wants to come through for you. Yesterday was a very important day in my life. A day that I will remember for a very long time. A day that was made possible by prayer, by your support, and by God's blessings!

Thank you to all of you! Your support, your prayers, your affirmations, and your love helped me more than words can express yesterday. I was never nervous, never in knots, never felt stress. You and your support of me were the reason. So, thank you again!

Have a great week!

Three Simple Questions: Who Are We Together? – Galatians 3:26 & Ephesians 4:1b-4

2012-01-22T12:26:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we are going to conclude our preaching series focusing on three simple questions, “Who is God?”, “Who am I?”, and “Who Are We Together?”. Over these last several weeks we tried to flesh out not only why we worship God, but what our role in this world should be as children of God.

Two weeks ago, we looked at the first question, “Who is God?” as we sought to realize what our understanding of God means for our lives today. Last week, we shifted our attention inward, as we sought to answer the question, “Who am I?”, as we looked at the dangers of labels and what our response should be to God's love for us. Today we will attempt to put this all together as we answer the question, “Who are we together?” as we seek to understand what community is, who makes up our community, and the strength we can draw from this knowledge.

I Love My Grannie
Have you ever been told someone was coming for a visit, and your immediate response was aaahhh! Really?!? Well at five years old that was my response when I was told that my great-grandmother, my dad's grandmother, was coming to live with us. I could just imagine that I was now going to have to share a room, that Grannie was always going to be around, and how uncomfortable was this going to be for me. I was not excited at all about this proposition.

But mom and dad explained to me that dad was going to build a suite attached to the side of the house and Grannie would have her own dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and front door. But looking back in hindsight my initial perception could not have been more wrong.

Grannie lived with us for about twenty years and the experiences that we shared together have played a tremendous role in shaping who I am today. One of the conditions she set to come and live with us, was dad had to give her a part of the backyard for a garden. He did, and she used it grow all sorts of stuff. I remember going out in the garden with her and picking what she grew. I also remember sitting on her porch shucking corn, stringing and snapping beans, and shelling peas. I remember standing in her kitchen and washing carrots, tomatoes, and eggplant. And these events themselves, while very memorable, were not what impacted me the most. It was the stories and life lessons that I was taught during those times. It was the Bible stories, the genealogy shared, and it was the tears and the laughter, that I treasure the most. I look back over those episodes and I am so grateful of what Grannie shared with me and what this woman taught me. Together we were so much better, that I would have been without her.

Love is the Key
Grannie and I shared this little sense of community together, a community that would not have lasted if it were not for the love we had for one another. For us as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to live our lives in much the same way. We are called to first and foremost to worship the One, True, Living God, the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God of Mary and Elizabeth, the God of the Gospels, and “the God made known most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”¹ The love that was shown in Christ is the love that God is by his very nature. The love that God used to create us is the same love that God uses to sustain us. And that love will provide us the confidence and trust to not only live our lives with and for God, but with and for each other, in this community and with our neighbors outside of it.

However, there is a reality we live in. A reality that Tilden Edwards expressed very well when he said, “community is what everybody wants, but almost no one is able to sustain well for long.”² Therefore, today I want us to look at who we are together in the hopes that we can overcome the barriers of this dysfunctional world and be beacons of light for this community.

First, We are Humans
A great place to start in this endeavor is to understand that we are all part of the same human family. At the most basic level, we need to acknowledge the scientific evidence that has confirmed that our ancestors all came from the same part of the world. Therefore, we are all part of one human family.

And because we are all part of the same human family, and because God created all of humanity, we are able to be a part of God's family. And as we stated last week, because we are all created by God, we are all loved by God. Loved as if we are the only person in existence. We know this because of this book. I have often referred to Scripture as God's love story to humanity. Cover to cover, story to story, we are given the picture of God's love, of Jesus' sacrifice, and of the Spirit's movement. Through this book we are shown God's love, moving us closer to the one that loved us first. For us to turn away from each other, is tantamount to us turning away from God. We are so interconnected to our Creator, his Spirit is so involved with humanity, that for us to abandon one another is to abandon God. Jesus understands this relationship because in his time here he told us, “'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31, NIV). We need to stay involved in this human family because this is where God is, this is where the Spirit is as work.

We are also a Faith Family
Just as we are all a member of the human family, once we agree to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, we become part of a faith family. However, we still seek to divide ourselves by race, status, age, and other qualifiers. And it is these qualifiers that we place in God's path, divisions that beg the same questions Jesus' apostles asked during the Last Supper. When Jesus explained that one of them was going to betray Him, they asked Jesus, “is it I?”.

And as a member of this faith family we have to be willing to place ourselves under examination. We must be willing to allow God to see us as we are, heal the brokenness that is found, and understand that just as we are all redeemed from that state, so to are all of God's children. There is no division in who is able to receive this grace and experience this redemption. It is for all humanity. It is for all of this faith family. It, very simply, is for all. So for us, that means we seek to remove the divisions amongst ourselves. We cease looking at each other and condemning one another for past actions, for outward attributes, and for previous assumptions. We look at each other, not as what we have failed to be, but for what we are, beloved, redeemed, grace bathed, children of God.

Jesus > World's Dysfunction
Now it is very easy for me to stand up here and use all of these words to tell you that Jesus loves you, that God created you, and that our Triune God loves each and every member of the human family. It is another thing for us to work through the dysfunction of the human family and show that love to each other. But we must do that, not only because we are called as believers to do it, but that is best way for the reign of God to cover this earth, us working as one.

So how do we do it? Bishop Job believes that, “if we will review and renew our relationship with God through serious study and reflection on who God is, and if we will discover for ourselves the God revealed by and in Jesus, then we will be more likely to see others as God's children, remembering that God is Creator and we are always creatures of God's creative desire to form us in God's image.”³

The answer is right there. We begin with serious study and reflection. If we are going to follow God, if we are going to know God, then we must spend time with God. Find that daily time to read the love story God has given us. Reflect on what it means for you, pray for what God wants it to mean to you, and give God the chance to answer back. Use our Bible Challenge or any other reading plan, but the one way to know who we are together is to know who God created you to be.

Next, go and live what you learn. Try out these ideals revealed in Scripture, with co-workers, next door neighbors, family, church folks, strangers. Learn what God teaches, then live it, share it, and give the knowledge away. That is where we can be a part of transforming others. That is where we can work to fulfill the Great Commission. My Grannie, sitting on her porch, shucking corn, stringing and snapping beans, and shelling peas taught me about God, taught me about God's love, and taught me that no matter what I was dealing with God would always be there. Foundational lessons I learned over vegetables. Life lessons I learned tending to God's creation.

Conclusion
There are many reasons why we struggle in this world. Reasons of our own creation, conditions that exist only in our imagination, and situations that through no deed of our own decimate us. But in all of these things, there is one truth; God is here, God loves you, and together we can change this world.

I invite you to spend time this year, living with God, through Scripture, through community, and through quiet prayer. Open yourself up to the power of God's transforming love, the life changing working of his Spirit. Allow your views of each other to be shaped, not by our own misgivings, but by the lens of God's love. And it is through these practices, it is through this giving of ourselves over to God, that we will realize the power of his love. It is then that we will speak to each other always in love, and not out of anger or bitterness. It is then that we will not cause strife in our community, but rather all be beacons of peace.

Listen again to these words of Paul, “I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit just as God also called you in one hope.” Let the love of God be your guide, let the life of Christ be your model, and let the Holy Spirit be your strength.

____________
1. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2011). p.55.
2. Living in the Presence (HarperOne, 1995), p. 61.
3. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2011). p.62.

Bible Challenge 01/22 - 01/28

2012-01-21T05:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through the Gospels and move into the history of the early church with the book of Acts.

Acts or Acts of the Apostles, is the second of Luke's major writing, showing how the disciples spread the goods news of the Gospel after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension back to heaven. The key verse for this book is Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This verses sets the tone for all of the action in the book. The first major segment is chapters 1-7 where the actions centers around the Jews in Jerusalem and Peter is the main figure. The timeline here is about 2 years from Pentecost through the stoning of Stephen. The second major segment is chapters 8-12 and shows the spread of the Gospel out from Jerusalem into the regions of Judea and Samaria. Here the central figure is Philip and his main audience the Samaritans. The timeline here is 13 years from Stephen's stoning to Paul's missionary journeys. Finally the last segment of the book in chapters 13-28 details the spread of the Gospel past the known areas of Jesus and the disciples out to the uttermost parts of the earth as Paul travels all around the Roman world preaching to the Gentiles. This covers about 14 years from his first missionary journey through to his release from the Romans.

I know you are excited to get going, so here is the schedule for this week:

22, Sunday: John 17-20

23, Monday: John 21 - Acts 3

24, Tuesday: Acts 4-7

25, Wednesday: Acts 8-11

26, Thursday: Acts 12-15

27, Friday: Acts 16-19

28, Saturday: Acts 20-23

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

2012-01-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series - Who are you? Who are we together? How are we to live with other people in community? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. This week we are looking at the question, "Who Are We Together?", as we strive to understand how to we can live with each other, how we are to treat each other, and how God can give us the strength to be in community with each other. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!

2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Charles Lee Memorial Service - Saturday, January 21st, at 11:00am, we will gather in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of Charles Lee. There will be a reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. I invite everyone to come and show their love and support to the Lee family as we remember this much loved man and member of our family.

4. Spaghetti Dinner - Don't forget tonight's community wide Spaghetti Dinner, in the Fellowship Hall, from 4:30-6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door; $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 6-12 years old, and children under 6 are free. Come on out, have some great fellowship, hear some great music, and enjoy some absolutely wonderful spaghetti. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

5.Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

2012-01-18T11:01:00.001-05:00

Joy. That sometimes illusive aspect of life. If someone asked you what the word joy meant, could you give them a concise, definition, right off the top of your head? More importantly, could you tell them about how you regularly find joy in your life?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines joy as, “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.” One of the things I ask my wife, everyday, is what have you done today to find a little joy in your life. For me, I find joy in creation. Some days I just sit under the tree at church by the playground soaking up the ways I can feel God; breeze on my face, sun on my back, aroma in the air. Other days I just ride my bike in silence on my way to pick up Parker from school, and listen as God gives me things to ponder and think about. On really good days, I roll around in the backyard or on the living room floor...or both...with my boys. To hear their laughter, feel their embrace, and know they are lost in the fun we are having, is complete and utter joy for me. And on those occasions where a life is changed, a soul saved, or an eternity is secured...words are just not enough to describe that feeling.

However, I also understand that there are some days, some weeks, even some seasons, where joy escapes us. Where no matter how hard we try, how hard we seek, how hard we work, it seems joy is no where to be found. I know what those seasons feel like in my life. When I am going through those times I remind myself of Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is in your midst—a warrior bringing victory. He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing.” For me, to know no matter what I am going through, no matter how daunting my journey ahead may seem, that I have a God that will calm me with his love, is vital. Knowing that, I seek ways to see God; through prayer, fasting, quiet time, Scripture reading, in creation. In the midst of our darkness finding that time is tough, but we have to try.

So I ask you, what have you done lately to find joy in your life? Whether time has passed you by and joy has escaped you, whether you are in the midst of a tough season in life and joy has not been seen for a while, I encourage you to seek it out. And whether you find it in small doses or heaping helpings, savor it. God is here, God wants you to have joy, God will help you find it. Remember, if you have no joy, then there is no way you can give joy to others. And one of the best things about joy is sharing it with others!

Have a great week and see you Sunday!

Three Simple Questions: Who Am I? - Matthew 12:48-50 and 1 John 3:2

2012-01-15T12:43:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on three simple questions, Who is God?, Who am I?, and Who Are We Together? as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Last week we looked at the first question, “Who is God?” as we sought to realize what our understanding of God means for our lives today. Today we are going to shift our attention inward, as we seek to answer the question, “Who am I?”, as we look at the dangers of labels, who God sees each of us to be, and how we can live into being a special part of God's creation.

Labels are Strictly for Organization...Right?
In a 1992 Reader's Digest article, Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester talked about the importance of self confidence and the dangers of labeling one another. They shared a little story about Merlin Olsen. Merlin Olsen, well-known for his years as an outstanding football player, actor, and sports announcer, reports that he was extremely shy and awkward in his youth. He almost didn't try out for his high school football team because for years the other kids had labeled him 'clumsy'. One day a boy was teasing Olsen, when Olsen exploded. He chased the boy and caught him. Olsen was so astonished at his own actions, he reported, "Then I didn't know what to do, so I sat on him."¹

That label ascribed to Mr. Olsen had trapped him. A label that was not his own doing, a label that was dictating to him how he was to live his life. I am sure all of you have seen these labels in your lifetime. World leaders use them to describe other countries, national leaders use them to describe their party adversaries and other regions, and we use them to describe our family members and neighbors. Now at times these labels have positive connotations, but by and large they are negative, limiting, and dangerous.

When we ascribe a label to another person, that person vanishes. Last week we learned that the best way to understand the love of God, was to look at how Jesus Christ, God Incarnate loved those he encountered. How did Jesus treat those he encountered? Did he label them? Or did he meet them where they were? I believe that Jesus understood the inherent risks and dangers of reducing people to a label. What any of us do for a living or did for a living, is not all that we are. An act that we have committed in the past is not who we are from that day on. These blanket labels, these stereotypical boxes, are never completely accurate or permanently true.

We Are All Loved
But what is completely accurate and what is permanently true, is that we are all loved by God. When each of us are born, we all have one thing on common. We are all created by God. That in and of itself makes you special. But it only gets better. God does not create you and then leave you to wander alone. God seeks you out. God moves within your life, trying to get your attention so that he can be an intimate part of your life through events, people, emotions, and situations. That action is called grace. More specifically, it is called prevenient grace, that grace given to you by God, that is at work before you even know it is there. It is at work before you even know you need it. We celebrate that grace through baptism. When you take that vow at your baptism, or when your family takes that vow on your behalf at baptism, we are acknowledging that prevenient grace.

And what is so great about this prevenient grace is that God does most of the work. God adores you so completely that he comes to you, seeking you out through this grace. You do not have to earn it, you do not have to qualify for it, you cannot be excluded from it. It is there, all you have to do is accept it. All you have to do is say, yes!

But it gets even better! Once you say yes, everything changes. Your outlook, your life, your eternity, your responsibilities...it all changes. John 14:23 tells us, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” We will come to them and make our home with them. When we devote ourselves over to the One that loved us first, from that point on, God is with you, Jesus is with you, the Holy Spirit is with you. And when the One that is love by his very nature is with you, then you understand the true power love can have.

Tomorrow, as a country, we will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the day set aside to honor the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This man understood the power of love. I want to read for you what Dr. King said in his last presidential address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

I am concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about these, he can never advocate violence.... Though violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that. And I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love. For I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems.... I'm not talking about emotional bosh.... I'm talking about a strong, demanding love.... I have decided to love.²

The issues Dr. King was facing, the troubles Dr. King was working to resolve, for him to choose love over anger, peace over violence...that shows us he understands the power of love. Dr. King also talks about light erasing darkness. The light that Dr. King is talking about is the light we read about in the beginning of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all humanity” (John1:1-4, NIV).

That light is the light that tells us we are loved. That light is that light that lets us know we are not alone in this journey. That light is the light that is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path (Psalm 119:105, NIV). It is the light of Christ that changes everything in us and around us. So the best answer to the question of , “Who Am I?”, that I can give you, is to tell you that you are loved by God.

Now What?
So now what? Remember earlier, I told you that once you say yes to God's grace, everything changes. Your outlook, your life, your eternity, and your responsibilities. The “now what,” is what our response is to this gift of love. What are you going to do because God loves you? I would encourage you to go and do likewise.

Go find those people in this world that do not know the love of God and share it with them, through word and deed. Reach out to those that need help. John Wesley, our founder, believed that we could have no personal holiness without social holiness. Remember, just as God loves you, he loves all people. So if you can help with a social issue, hunger, natural disaster recovery, AIDs, or any of the vast amount of others, do so.

Go find those people that know of God's love but have maybe, forgotten it, and remind them. There are many reasons that people forget about God. However, it is our job to seek them out, meet them where they are, and show them that God is there. Show them the value and benefit of being in community, this community. We are all part of the body of Christ, and for us to be as effective as possible we need everyone involved.

And stay in community with each other, always acting in kindness, gentleness, and grace. That means if someone does something you do not like, harsh words and judgmental actions are not our response. That means that in all that we do, we seek to bring peace not confrontation. We do not want to be the reason there is strife in the community. We do not want to be the reason that another person falls away from God. Hatred and bitterness and judgmental attitudes are not how God treats us and they are not how we should ever treat each other.

Love Can Be Found in Prayer
So...who am I? Who are you? We are all more than a label, we are all loved by God, and we are all called to show that love to others. And to do that, to accomplish the "what now" in response to the grace and love of God, and do it well, takes strength. The best way I know of to gain that strength begins with prayer.

Bishop Rueben P. Job put it best when we wrote, “We rise from prayer transformed because we have been intimately involved with the One who not only gives us life but also transforms our lives while leading us further and further into that grand design that God has for each of us.”³

Listen, we each have a responsibility as a child of God. We are each loved as a child of God. If you need a bit more reassurance about how much God loves you, come here, right here, and ask for it. If you need direction about how and where to respond to this grace given you, come here and pray for it. This rail is your lifeline to unlock the strength found through prayer. This rail is your direct connection to love itself. This rail is a place where you can unlock the transforming power of God. It is here and ready for you to use it.

Being a disciple of Christ is not easy, responding to God's love is not easy. But we have prayer to strengthen us, the Holy Spirit to guide us, and one another to lean on. Together we can do it, together we can help build God's Kingdom here on earth, together we will do amazing things!

_________________
1. Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester. "Help Your Child Overcome Shyness" Reader''s Digest, Aug. 1992, p. 100.
2. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 43.
3. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 46.

Bible Challenge 01/15 - 01/21

2012-01-14T05:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we progress through the remainder of the Gospel of Luke and move into the last of the Gospels, John. Some of the highlights of our time in Luke this week include:

The parables about lost items (Chapter 15)
Jesus and Zaccheus (Chapter 19)
Jesus praying in the Garden (Chapter 22)
The Crucifixion (Chapter 23)
The Resurrection (Chapter 24)

The Gospel of John, written by one of the disciples, is very different than the others and so is NOT included as a synoptic or similar Gospel. While it does mention some of the same stories of people and healings and miracles, the timeline of Jesus' ministry is different than the others and John also includes large chunks of teaching (like chapters 6, 10, and 13-16) that explain who Jesus is that are not included in any other Gospels. John is clear though about his criteria for what is included within his Gospel: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But THESE are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

Here is the schedule for next week:

15, Sunday: Luke 13-16

16, Monday: Luke 17-20

17, Tuesday: Luke 21-24

18, Wednesday: John 1-4

19, Thursday: John 5-8

20, Friday: John 9-12

21, Saturday: John 13-16

May God bless the reading, the hearing and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen!

Friday Fives

2012-01-13T15:51:00.001-05:00

1. Preaching Series - Who are you? To yourself? To other people? Are you more than just a label? Do you fit neatly inside of society's preconceived boxes? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. This week we are looking at the question, "Who Am I?", as we strive to look past labels, discern who God created each of us to be, and how we can each live into being a special part of God's creation. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!

2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.

4. Carol Peterson's Memorial Service - Tomorrow, January 14th, at 11:30am, we will all gather together here in the Sanctuary to honor Carol. There will be reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. As you are available, I encourage you to come and support the Peterson family as we celebrate and remember this dear woman.

5. Charles Lee Memorial Service - Saturday, January 21st, at 11:00am, we will gather in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of Charles Lee. There will be a reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. I invite everyone to come and show their love and support to the Lee family as we remember this much loved man and member of our family.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

2012-01-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

If any of you have ever been around a 3 to 4 year old person you know that independence is a daily adventure. When Parker hit that age range, we would explore all the various things that he was gaining the confidence to try and those new challenges that he could conquer. It was so much fun to walk through that period of his life with him. Well, now our youngest, Mr. Wesley, has hit that stage. Everything we ask him to do and tell him we are going to do for him, is met with the phrase, "I can do it."

By and large everything he attempts he can do, but the one thing at frustrates him the most is his height. He is quite tall for his age but he is at the stature where most counters, ledges, and railings are right about forehead level. He can almost see over them, but not quite. Well, last week, I asked Wesley to go into his bathroom and wash his hands for dinner. We usually keep a small step stool in three for him use so he can reach the faucet and soap. This particular night, the stool was missing. Wesley, not even thinking about it, walked up and turned on the water and began washing his hands. It the middle of this activity, it registered that he could now reach the faucet with out the stool. I was met with a very excited, very wet and soapy, four year old. I got him dried off, celebrated his milestone with him, and then proceeded to follow him all around the house to all the counters and dressers and ledges so he could tell me, “I am big now!”

Now for years Wesley was not so big and he needed that stool. He needed that support and that help to do those things he knew he needed to do. Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Independence is a wonderful and necessary thing, but even better than that, is the support we gain from Christ. Support that comes in the form of encouragement from family, love from other people, and those “A Ha” ideas that come in the middle of the night. Support that comes when we need it and when we don't expect it. Support that comes when we are angry and don't want it. Support that comes in countless ways, forms, and people.

I encourage you to never get “too big” for Christ. Call His name, claim His help, and live for Him. Jesus loves you, wants to help you, and will celebrate with you when with wet soapy hands you exclaim, “I can do it”. Just remember, in good times, tough times, unfair times, trying time, and at all times, with Christ, you can do all things.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Three Simple Questions: Who is God? - Hebrews 1:1-3a and Acts 17:23b-28

2012-01-08T12:34:00.002-05:00

Introduction
I want to begin by asking all of you a question. Why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that you are, but why? Is it out of some sense of obligation? Out of habit? Or is there more? Like a sense of renewal or connection?

For the next three weeks, we are going to focus on this topic by looking at three simple questions, Who is God?, Who am I?, and Who Are We Together? as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Today we are going to look at the first question, “Who is God?” Specifically, why do we need to ask this question, how can we know the answer to this question, and what can those answers mean for us.

What's the Point?
So why would we need to spend time asking ourselves who God is? Is it not enough to say God created all things, loves all things, and wants all things connected to him? In a word, no. It is not enough. If this world was full of lollipops, rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine, it would be. But this world is not. We have to deal with tragedy, disaster, war, hatred, and violence. And it is in those things that we divide ourselves. And it is those same divisions that have invaded the church.¹ Therefore, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to go back to understanding who it is that we serve and what it is about God that draws us in and makes us want to serve him. Because it is in the answers to those questions that we can be reminded of who God is, who God calls us to be, and reassess our actions to make sure we are being who God called us to be.

Who Is God?
So who is God? What is it about God that draws people in? Over the years I have heard many descriptions from people about God. Some focus on the personal appearance of God. You know, that tried and true description of the tall guy, with the long white hair, long white beard, wearing a long white robe. There is a story of a little girl, we will call her Katie, that was in Sunday school one morning, and her teacher was asking the class what God looked like. Most of the kids started with the white hair, long beard, white robe routine. However, the teacher noticed that Katie was not answering. She asked Katie what she thought, and kind of sheepishly she said, “gray?”. Somewhat taken aback, the teacher asked how she came up with that idea. Well she said, every night we pray before dinner, “God is gray, God is good.”

But since no one has ever seen God, the physical description is not all that useful for us; fun to discuss but not very useful. That leaves God's intrinsic characteristics. For me, God at his most basic level is love. For me, everything that God is and everything that God does is out of his vast ability to love.

Love that is revealed to us though his son, Jesus Christ, not only in his actions but in his words. Words like we find in John 15:9, "As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love" (John 15:9). But this type of Christian love is not easy, in fact, it is quite demanding because of the patience and accountability it contains.

The key to this verse lies in the first sentence, “as the Father loved me, I too love you”. So to understand God's love we need to look at how Jesus loved. First, who did Jesus love? In a word, every one. Just look at the company he kept. Jesus upset many people with the company he kept. Spending all that time with those people that society decided just were not worth the effort. God's love, as shown through Jesus, was given to all people. There was no one that was not worth the effort. Today we have a tendency to avoid the trouble makers, the nay sayers, and spend our time with like minded people. Jesus, though the company he kept, did quite the opposite. He included all people.

But we must also look at how he loved. Not only did he love all people, but he did it with a sense of accountability. In some circles the word accountability could be synonymous with confrontation. To often in this world our first reaction is to confront with violence and anger. Through vile words and hurtful actions we confront. But Jesus confronted many people with neither of those techniques. He used tools such as unending grace and undeserved mercy. When people came to him, people who because of their sin, or personalities, had been segregated from society, Jesus did not ignore their sin. He confronted it, but he did it with love. He talked about their worth, he talked about how his Father loved them, and then he forgave them.

There was no room in Jesus' love for revenge, for violence, for hatred. It was and is too full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. To understand who God is, we need to look no further than Jesus, God Incarnate, to see love as it is meant to be. Jesus is our proof of what God's love looks like. It is our evidence of what God wants from each of us towards one another. It is the blueprint for a love for all, a love that demands, but a love that will last for eternity.

What Does That Mean for Us?
Knowing that God is love and that through Jesus we can understand the depth and accountability that love contains, what does that mean for us today? It means that we constantly keep reevaluating who we are as Christians. It means that we are never content with who we are as a person, who we are as a church, and what we are doing for God's Kingdom. We strive for change, for transformation, for deeper understandings of who God is calling all of us to be. Reuben P. Job, a retired United Methodist Bishop, once wrote “Far too often we are content with a god too tame and domesticated to shake us to the very roots of our being and send us out of worship trembling in awe and amazement...”²

This year, I want you to rediscover that feeling. I want you to tremble in awe and amazement when you leave this place. Never be content with where you are in your relationship with God. Strive for a deeper understanding, strive for a life of constant transformation, strive to always be in a state of learning. Come to this place, go into your daily quiet time with God, expecting to encounter your Abba, your Father, your God. This morning you have the opportunity to rediscover that awe and amazement. Come to this rail and ask for it. Come to this rail and ask the Holy Spirit to help you rediscover it.

God is bigger than words and bigger than creation. But God does reveal himself to us. Through Christ, through Scripture, and through our interactions with each other. This year rediscover God, rediscover God's love, and rediscover your relationship with him.

______________
1. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 9.
2. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 17.

Bible Challenge 01/08 - 01/14

2012-01-07T05:52:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

I pray you all rang in the new year safely and are still experiencing the hope and promise that a new year brings!

Last week we started with the Gospel of Matthew, the first of the Gospels recorded in the New Testament and is also one of the three "synoptic Gospels" (meaning similar or together because they include some of the same stories in the same sequences and the same words - John is the exception).

This week we will read through the entire Gospel of Mark. The Gospel of Mark is believed to have been the first Gospel written, about 50 AD, as the other three Gospels all quote it, but Mark does not quote the others. The author is believed to be John Mark, the son of a Jerusalem widow whose home was a meeting place for early believers (Acts 12:12). Mark most likely recorded the events as he heard them firsthand from the disciple Peter. The book's non-Jewish flavor suggests it may have been written to believers in Rome. At the time Rome had begun persecuting Christians. This book is clearly meant to encourage suffering believers. Mark shows Jesus as the suffering servant who came to die as the Savior for the world (including non-Jews). Over 40 percent of this Gospel focuses on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus' final week.

This week we will also spend some time in the Gospel of Luke. This is the first of a two part book written by the same author. The first part is an account of Jesus' life and the second part, the book of Acts is an account of the history of the early church. The author Luke was a physician who was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys. He addresses the books of Luke and Acts to Theophilus, probably a Gentile who was either a new believer or someone seeking to learn about Christ. Luke elaborates on a lot of the information from Matthew and Mark, including more parables and more stories about Jesus' interactions with people that show his interest in the non-Jewish world and the poor.

Here is the schedule:

8, Sunday: Mark 1-4

9, Monday: Mark 5-8

10, Tuesday: Mark 9-12

11, Wednesday: Mark 13-16

12, Thursday: Luke 1-4

13, Friday: Luke 5-8

14, Saturday: Luke 9-12

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, and the living out of His Holy Word!
Amen.

Friday Fives

2012-01-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series - Why do you go to church? Why do you devote your life to Christ? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. We all have different reasons for living a life of faith. For the next three weeks we will look at the questions, "Who is God?", "Who am I?", and "Who Are We Together?" as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!

2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.

4. Quarterly Honor Roll - Today, I was informed of a wonderful opportunity that is given to all of us here in Ocala, at Veteran's Memorial Park. Once a quarter the great veterans of this county, along with law enforcement agencies, and our high school ROTC programs, gather to pay honor and tribute to the veterans in our community that have passed away. It is a time to remember not only the impact they made in the lives of those that knew them, but also for the sacrifice they made for our country. The next ceremony will be this Saturday, 01/07, at 10am, at the Veteran's Memorial Park, located at 2601 SE Fort King Street. For more information you can read the article that appears in today's edition of the Ocala Star Banner or click here to read it online.

5. Carol Peterson's Memorial Service - Next Saturday, January 14th, at 11:30am, we will all gather together here in the Sanctuary to honor Carol. There will be reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. As you are available, I encourage you to come and support the Peterson family as we celebrate and remember this dear woman.

Midweek Moment

2012-01-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

I am always intrigued by the beginning of a new year. This time of year is full of hope, promise, fresh starts, and resolutions. You know, those renewed commitments to lose weight, get organized, or whatever other means we articulate to better ourselves in the new year verses the old and previous year.

But as it happens, we are only successful about 10% of the time. And when we realize that we have failed to achieve that new commitment, then some of the luster of the new year is lost, and usually we begin to sink back into those old routines, making the new year no different than the old year.

But as Christians we have hope! One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

This letter is from the prophet Jeremiah to those people in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah is attempting to show those people that even though their situation may look bleak, God will redeem this situation and bring good from it. The same thing applies to us today.

God still has plans for each of us today. Plans that will give us hope and a purpose for the future. That no matter where we find ourselves, if we seek God, with all that we are, we will find him and when we pray, God will listen. We just need to rely on our faith, that child like faith.

For example, this past week the family and I were at Epcot in Orlando. As we came out of one of the buildings it was raining. Wesley was incredibly bummed because this meant that not only would he have to wear a jacket, but that he would get wet as well. He looked up at me and said, “why does it have to rain?!?” I started with all the answers about how the earth needs rain and the plants need rain, and he interrupted me and told me to make it stop. I told him that I did not have that ability...so he went over my head. An end-around so to speak. He asked God to make it stop. It was a brief prayer, full of faith, and offered with a gentle spirit. He was so sure that it would quit, he took off his jacket and gave it to me to put back in the bag. As far as he was concerned, he prayed, God listened, and so the rain would stop. We walked into a gift shop, looked around for about 15 minutes, and when we walked out, the only water around was what was on the ground. It stopped raining. Little Wesley, in his child like faith, understood on some level the hope that Jeremiah was talking about.

The hope that helps us understand, regardless of situation or location, God is with us. Not just as an onlooker but as an intentional participant. Not just to help us when things go awry, but so invested in each of us that he has made plans for us for the future. We just need to do our part. We need to seek out God, involve God in our lives, make God the cornerstone and foundation of all that we do and all that we are.

So this new year, I encourage you to seek out God like never before. You can do this through dedicated, daily prayer time, Scripture reading, worship attendance, and small group study, as a few examples. So do not let this year escape you. Use these tools to claim God's hope this year and draw closer to the one that loved you first!

Have a great week and see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 01/01 - 01/07

2011-12-31T05:25:00.002-05:00

Greetings All!

Happy New Year! You know what this means? It means a new year to spend reading and being transformed by God's Word. It means a new year to participate in our Bible Challenge together.

For those of you unfamiliar with our Bible Challenge, basically what the Bible Challenge is, is a reading plan. A reading plan that when followed will take you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice, in one calendar year. We read almost everyday and we read four chapters a day.

I hope that if you participated last year, you are back for more. I also hope, that if last year just did not quite work out for you, you are back to try again. And I also hope, that if you did not know about it last year, you are here to get involved in 2012.

Please do not let this exercise be filled with pressure for you. I simply encourage you to do what you can, as you can. Any time you can spend reading through the Bible with us, is time God can and will use to reach out to you. Come and join us, have fun with it, and I know you will not only learn something new, but you will also grow deeper in your walk with Christ.

This week we will start with the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is the first of the Gospels recorded in the New Testament and is also one of the three "synoptic Gospels" (meaning similar or together because they include some of the same stories in the same sequences and the same words - John is the exception). This Gospel is attributed to one of Jesus' disciples, Matthew the tax collector. And from the information and perspective he includes we can tell that he was writing to a primarily Jewish audience: he stresses Jewish law, he doesn't explain Jewish customs, and in the beginning of the Gospel he includes a genealogy which takes Jesus' ancestry all the way back to Father Abraham. There are seven main sections in this Gospel, with a prologue about Jesus' early life, five sections covering his ministry and the last section about his death and resurrection.

In light of us just passing through Advent, I hope what we talked about in worship will give a new light to this reading for you.

Here is the schedule:

1, Sunday: Matthew 1-4

2, Monday: Matthew 5-8

3, Tuesday: Matthew 9-12

4, Wednesday: Matthew 13-16

5, Thursday: Matthew 17-20

6, Friday: Matthew 21-24

7, Saturday: Matthew 25-28

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

See you soon,

Mary's Christmas: The Gift – Luke 2:1-20

2011-12-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Tonight is the night. The night that we have been preparing for this entire Advent season. Tonight is the night that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. That tiny baby, born in the most humble of ways, to come a save all of humanity. The last several weeks we have been watching this story unfold, but not from a traditional perspective, where we know everything that is happening as it unfolds. Rather, we have been looking at this story through only one set of eyes, the eyes of Mary. Tonight we will continue that practice as we experience the birth of the Christ Child and what that birth means for us today.

What a Trip!
Thus far we have watched Mary take an incredible journey. A journey not of her choosing. A journey full of doubt and questions. A journey that was anything but easy and peaceful. But a journey that she took none the less, and a journey that transformed her for the rest of her life. A journey that if we look closely can transform us as well. A journey that went something like this...

This all started back in Nazareth, as Mary was drawing water. She was visited by an angel named Gabriel who told her that she had found favor with God, would become pregnant and give birth to a son, that she was to name him Jesus, and that he would be the Messiah for which his kingdom would know no end. After a simple question of biology, she told the angel, let it be with me as you have said.

Next, came several very long, very arduous trips between Nazareth, Ein Karem, and Bethlehem. Trips where Mary more than likely asked many questions, dealt with many doubts, and experienced a wide range of emotions. In fact her last trip, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, was taken when she was almost full term. And last week we stopped this story with her arriving in Bethlehem, to a sea of humanity, and no room for them in which to stay. This resulted in Mary giving birth to her baby in a stable and placing him in a stone manger, more than likely one that had been used as a feeding trough for other animals. Not exactly what you might ultimately design for the Messiah. But it happened this way. End of story right? Baby born, angelic decree fulfilled.

The Shepherds
But the story is not over. Next come the shepherds. Now it is important that we all understand something about these shepherds. Shepherds in that day and age were not highly regarded. In fact, there was not a job lower in society, except if you were a shepherd on the night watch. Then you were considered the lowest of the low. You see, shepherds were looked down upon because they were poor, because their work made them ceremonially unclean, and in come circles they had a reputation as being thieves. So you can see why nobody wanted to be around a shepherd, much less be a shepherd.

That is why I find it so interesting the God chose to reveal the birth of his son, to the shepherds first. To that societies outcast, and to the night shepherds at that. But, these men are out in the fields, protecting these animals from the weather and any lurking predators, when an angel appeared, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests' ” (Luke 2:10-13, NIV).

Can you imagine? Scripture tells us that after that encounter the shepherds set off for Bethlehem so they could see this all for themselves, and sure enough they find it exactly as it was told to them. Mother, Father, and baby, all together. I imagine Mary and Joseph are kind of surprised to see these strange men in the stable wanting to get a look at the baby. But when they explain all they have seen and why they are there, Scripture tells us, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, NIV). I have to think these was but one more reassurance for Mary that this baby was indeed the Messiah. That everything God had told to Mary, through angels and family, has come true. The fact that Scripture tells us she treasured them in her heart, helps me to understand it this way.

Jesus could have been born to royalty. Jesus could have come with trumpet blasts and choirs of angels at his side. But instead Jesus came into this world the same way you and I did, as a baby. And he was born to a servant girl, had his birth announced by night shepherds, and was born in a stone manger. All of this tells me that God does indeed bless the meek and the mild. That God does see invaluable good in all people. He could have used the wealthy and powerful to birth and raise his Son. But God chose Mary. Because she was humble, because she was faithful, and because she had value. Regardless of who you are, where you have come from, what acts you have committed in life, Jesus came for you, specifically for you.

Conclusion
If you hear nothing else tonight, if you remember nothing else from this season, please remember this, God loves you. This gift of a babe, this revelation of God Incarnate, of the Word made flesh, is so that we might better understand the love of God. There is a reason that God picked a humble servant girl as Jesus' mother. There is a reason why God had the shepherds be the first to evangelists of this great birth.

This year, and in the days to come, I encourage you to celebrate this birth with a great deal of humility. There is power in humility, power in putting others above yourself, power in a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ that comes out of humility. Therefore, humbly open yourselves up to the transforming power of God, be not afraid of where it takes you, and then expect God to use you and work through you. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a life full of humility.

Bible Challenge 12/25 - 12/31

2011-12-24T05:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

Are you ready? This is the week....the week we finish reading through the ENTIRE Bible (plus the New Testament one more time!). Give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far - it's an incredible accomplishment that not every believer has reached.

We're only reading five days this week and switching between three and four chapters a day on the days we do read. It's all about Revelation this week. I have to confess that as a child I really didn't like this book. It is full of imagery that can be terrifying if left unexplored. It wasn't until we were in Hudson that Debbie and I decided to revisit this book and we spent three months walking folks, her in a Bible Study, me in Sunday School, through the book. And what we found this time was HOPE. Over and over again the people are given an opportunity to respond to God and draw closer to Him. Plus this is the book that tells us "The Rest of the Story" (as Paul Harvey used to say) and lets us know that good ultimately triumphs over evil. I hope you will read this book with hopeful eyes.

Here is the schedule:

25, Sunday: No Reading - Merry Christmas!

26, Monday: Revelation 5-7

27, Tuesday: Revelation 8-10

28, Wednesday: Revelation 11-14

29, Thursday: Revelation 15-18

30, Friday: Revelation 19-21

31, Saturday: No Reading - Happy New Year!

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Have a great week!

Friday Fives

2011-12-23T18:45:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been so moved by a song that it brings up emotions within you every time you hear it? For me this Advent, it has been a song by Amy Grant, Breath of Heaven. This week I want to use this space to share that song with you because the lyrics, the mental images it conjures up, have been very powerful for me.

I found this video that places the song over images from the movie, The Nativity. I encourage you to focus on the lyrics and allow the Spirit to speak to you and I pray you will be moved as I have been moved.

Merry Christmas!

Midweek Moment

2011-12-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

During worship it is not uncommon for you to hear me ask God to help us be the hands, the feet, and the heart of Jesus Christ to those that we meet. I am trying to stress the idea that while we cannot physically, nor tangibly, touch God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit, we can touch each other. We can hold each other's hand, give each other hugs, and audibly affirm each other. And it is in that moment, that Christ is flowing through us, using us, to care for each other. We are representing Christ to the people we are ministering to at that moment. We are being the physical hands, feet, and heart of Jesus Christ.

I am part of a covenant group. There are two other guys in this group with me, all pastors in the United Methodist Church, and we have covenanted to pray for each other, support each other, and be there for each other. Today one of these men were the heart of Jesus Christ for me. You see, this friend of mine, this brother of mine, was driving from his church to another appointment and felt the push to call me. He shared with me he was not sure why, but he listened, and made the call. His first question was not, “how are you?” It was, “what is going on?” After a bit of hesitation and confusion on my part, after all how could he possibly know I needed anything, I began to share. I believe his next statement will live with me forever. He said, “now I know why I was in staff meeting last week.”

He had been in staff meeting last week, listening to a training, that at that moment, seemed like a waste of time for him. The topic had nothing to do with him, was not going to have anything to do with him in the near future, but he listened. We both realized that his training was for me. The lessons he learned there were what I needed to hear today. God used him, and that training, to minister to me. What he shared with me, made so much sense, and cleared up so much confusion and internal struggle for me. It was like a literal parting of the clouds within my soul.

Folks, that is God. In all of his infinite wisdom, and grace, and love, that is God. God using each of us to be his love to one another. I am so grateful to my friend that listened to the Holy Spirit today. I am also so grateful for each of you as you listen to the Holy Spirit. I have seen it, been privileged enough to witness it, and have been blessed by it. As you continue your Advent preparations, I encourage you to be open to God, listen to the Spirit, and go when called to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus Christ.

Saint Teresa of Avila once said, "Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now."

To be called by God, to go in his name is a wonderful responsibility, and one that will bless you as you bless others. So, go with courage, go by faith, and go with God!

Merry Christmas!

Mary's Christmas: The Journey – Isaiah 43:2-3a and Luke 2:1-7

2011-12-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we continue our Advent series, Mary's Christmas. This story, the birth of Christ, is so well known. Therefore, we are going to spend our time this year looking at this story from the point of view of Mary, this very young girl that was placed in a very strange situation. Two weeks ago, we began with Mary, by looking at who she was, the situation she faced, and the lessons of faith we can learn from her. Today we are going to look at the journey her and Joseph took just before the birth of Jesus. That journey that took them from Nazareth to Bethlehem and what they endured during those days and the encouragement, perseverance, and hope we can glean from their experience.

I Don't Wanna!
Debbie and I are part of what is referred to as a clergy couple; meaning both members of the marriage are clergy, or pastors. There are a good number of us in the Florida Conference, high twenties, low thirties. However, in this district there are three of us fairly close together. Being a clergy couple comes with its own set of situations and concessions and to have others that can understand that, that live that, is a blessing. Well shortly after Debbie and I arrived in Ocala we got with the other clergy couples and proposed that we get together periodically to have dinner and form a little group together. So about once a month, usually on a Friday, we rotate serving dinner for the entire group at each of our houses.

Several months ago, one of those days was approaching. I had had a rather difficult week, was exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to do was go hang out at someone elses house. I just wanted to veg on my couch and relax. But I went, begrudgingly. As the evening progressed I could feel myself relaxing. We ended the evening, sitting out on their patio around the fire they had made in their fire pit, making smores. I do not know about you, but I love watching a fire. The colors, the embers, it is very relaxing for me. Imagine, me needing to relax, and by going where I did not want to go, found a relaxing moment better than any one I could have created at home on my own.

Life is a Journey
By going on that short journey to another person's house, I found exactly what I was looking for, exactly what I needed. You see our entire lives are a journey. Journeys of self discovery, of reflection, of growth. We are always progressing towards something. Sometimes these journeys are planned, sometimes they are not, sometimes they are welcomed, and sometimes they are not. Sometimes others dictate our journeys, as we get laid off from work, a child dies tragically, a spouse leaves. Someone once said that, “No other book is more in tune with this reality than the Bible. You could almost describe it as one long set of journeys nobody wanted to take.”¹

In our Scripture lesson from this morning we find Mary and Joseph on a journey of their own, to Bethlehem. At this point many things have happened to Mary. Remember, Mary is thought to be about 13, 14, or 15 years old and up till the Annunciation, where the angel told her that she would give birth to a son, and she was to name him Jesus, and that he would be the Messiah, she more than likely lived a fairly sheltered life. Doing the chores required of her, living in innocence, not too many worries to weight her down. But now, my how things have changed. As we talk about those changes this morning, I want us to pay attention to what Mary might have been feeling, the questions she might have been asking, and the emotions she might have been dealing with.

Mary's Journey
After the angel's visit, Mary immediately leaves for her cousin Elizabeth's house in Ein Karem, a nine day journey. Mary would not have taken this journey alone, but rather as part of a group of people, not necessarily relatives or friends, but a group none the less.

During these nine days, Mary would have had plenty of time to think, plenty of time to examine the message from the angel. Now with no video evidence, no cell phone camera recording, Mary would have to rely on her memory about the event. And those questions of, did I really hear that correctly, is this really going to happen, could begin to creep up. Remember, this immaculate conception had never happened before, she is not showing any physical sings of being pregnant, and there are no witnesses to this encounter. Not to mention that if all of this is true, her life is going to get very hard, very quick. Can you see how she might be having these thoughts?

You see, if she is pregnant, she could be stoned to death, her parents could shun her, Joseph could break off the engagement, she could be left alone to care for a child. I can only imagine the doubt, the fear, the second guessing that is running through this young girl's mind.

Then she arrives at Elizabeth's house and after seeing Elizabeth is with child, she sings the Magnificat and praises God for her blessings and the favor she has found with her Lord. But things are not suddenly all rosy for Mary. In Nazareth, Mary's hometown, she is a nine day trek from her fiance. In Ein Karem she is 45 minutes. She has more than likely never met Joseph, she certainly has not emailed him to tell him of her condition. But now, there is a very real possibility that in the three months she is staying with Elizabeth, her and Joseph would meet. How is she going to tell him, how is he going to react. Fortunately, Joseph is also visited by an angel and given confirmation of what Mary will tell him. But it still is not over. Now Mary has to go back to Nazareth, more than likely to tell her parents, but to also plan a wedding. On her nine day journey back home, more time for thinking, more time for fear to set in, and on this trip she is definitely dealing the physical complications of being pregnant.

Now once home a hasty wedding is planned. Mary is showing and there is some urgency to have Mary married prior to giving birth and with Mary spending the last three months in Ein Karem, time is running out. Now if any of you have been to a wedding that just seems to come out of nowhere, our first question is, “why?” Why are they rushing it? So I want you to imagine all of the looks, questions, false happiness that Mary might have had to deal with at her wedding. A day that I am sure she imagined much differently before all of this happened.

Now Mary gets a break right? The wedding is over, the people have gone home, and all she has to do is give birth and since she is in her home town, with her family, mid-wife of her choosing, things will be okay. Right? Wrong! Caesar Augustus decided that he wanted a census of all the people in his land and ordered everyone to their hometown to be counted. But Mary is home, so no worries. Except that she is now married to Joseph, is part of his family, and must be counted in Bethlehem. Another nine day journey, her third.

This time though, she is really, really pregnant, close to full term, if not full term. This trip, this route, would encompass little shade in the day, little warmth at night and difficult mountains to cover. Can you imagine the thoughts that are going though Mary's head this time? Why? Why do we have to be counted? Why do we have to be counted now? Could this not wait? Could you not have postponed this and let me have the baby? Why am having to make this trip for the third time? Not to mention the worry that both Mary and Joseph are both facing about whether or not they even make it to Bethlehem before the baby is born. But they do make it. But this is not over.

As they come into town, they see a sea of humanity because everyone else is back as well. Now we read in Scripture that there was no room for them in the inn. What we need to understand is that Joseph was more than likely not looking for what we consider an inn; a building with many rooms and an inn keeper. Joseph was probably seeking out a kataluma, or guest room. Most homes had them, his parents home probably had them. But for whatever reason, they were all full. That left the stable as the only place they could go for shelter.

Conclusion
This time of year we love to sing songs like O Little Town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Or Silent Night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. While those qualities may have been found eventually, for mother and child, it is important for us to know they were not always there.

But in all of these situations, in all of these journeys, there was always one constant, God. God was always present, guiding them, listening to them, directing them, and taking care of them. In those times of doubt he was there. In those times of darkness he was there. This Advent season please understand that God always walks with you...you are never alone.

If you want to feel his presence a great place to start is right here, come to this rail and seek it out. If you have lost that feeling and want to feel it again, do not leave today before coming to this rail and asking for it. Mary experienced anything but a silent night as she prepared to give birth. And even though she may have had doubts, even though she may have asked questions, she still followed God. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Is. 43:2-3a, NIV). For these are the words of God, they are true, and they can be trusted.

__________
1. Hamilton, Adam. The Journey. Companion DVD

Bible Challenge 12/18 - 12/24

2011-12-17T06:09:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

We are getting closer! This week with Christmas Eve, there are only six days of reading this week. So, by the end of the week we'll be through six more books and into the last book of Revelation.

Here is some more background information about what we will read this week.

I and II Peter - Attributed by their titles to the Apostle Peter, these are some of the latest writings to be included in the New Testament. The first letter is the only one scholars really attribute to Peter; probably written while Peter was the bishop of the church in Rome. This letter addressed to believers dispersed through five different provinces in Asia Minor (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia) is a word of encouragement to those undergoing religious persecution.

The second letter is most likely not authored by Peter because it quotes a later letter extensively (Jude). The main purpose of this letter is to identify Jesus with God and to correct a growing heresy since Jesus had not yet returned.

I John, II John and III John - These letters are attributed to the disciple John who also wrote the Gospel of John and Revelation. The first two letters were probably written in Ephesus between 95-110 AD to counter the heresies that Jesus did not come in the flesh but only as a spirit. The first letter is a general one and lifts up how Christians are to discern true teachers: by their ethics, their proclamation of Jesus and by their love. The second letter is a private one written to "an elect lady" and much speculation exists as to who this person is. The final letter is another private one addressed to Gaius to commend a party of Christians who had gone on a mission to preach the Gospel, to encourage him and to warn him of a group of other believers who are not cooperating.

Jude - This book is often attributed to one of Jesus' brothers. This 25 verse letter was composed as an encyclical letter - not directed at any one church but rather intended to be circulated and read in all churches.

Addressed to Christians in general it warns about the doctrine of certain errant teachers. Many examples of evildoers and warnings about their fates are given in some of the most strongly worded language in the New Testament. The letter concludes with a doxology (short hymn of praise) one of the highest in quality found in the Bible.

Revelation - This book is also attributed to John the disciple and probably written during John's exile at Patmos. This book is a piece of apocalyptic literature, a genre that relies heavily on visions and symbolism (like Daniel in the Old Testament).

Now...on to the schedule:

18, Sunday: James 2-5

19, Monday: I Peter 1-4

20, Tuesday: I Peter 5 - II Peter 3

21, Wednesday: I John 1-4

22, Thursday: I John 5; II John; III John; Jude

23, Friday: Revelation 1-4

24, Saturday: Christmas Eve, A favorite reading of your choice

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Blessings,

Friday Fives

2011-12-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week will continue our Advent preaching series looking at the Christmas story through the eyes of Mary. Two weeks ago we looked at Mary and the wonderful example of faith she provided in the midst of a very unique time. This week we will focus on the journey she took with Joseph, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, just prior to Jesus' birth and the encouragement, perseverance, and hope that we can glean from their experience. Bring a friend and I look forward to seeing you there!

2. Bible Study - This next week we will conclude our Bible Study series entitled, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. I invite you to come join us, on this DVD study, as we finish our journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Once again, we will join Adam Hamilton on his travels through these locations to rediscover the birth of Christ. We are looking at historical information, archaeological data, as well as some of the personal stories surrounding the birth. I am sure the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you join us and we walk along this road together.

The class will meet this Thursday December 22nd, at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is free and it is never too late to join. I know you will be changed by this series and I would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Services - This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday. Therefore, after much discussion, internally and with other churches, the Worship Committee has decided to combine our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services into one service to be held, Saturday, December 24 at 6 pm. We look forward to seeing all of you at the Saturday evening service and pray you will be moved by its music and its message.

4. Donation Request - We received the following request from the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. If you have any of these items and would like to donate them to this cause, please drop them by the church office and we will make sure they get delivered.

Hello folks!

We have always depended on our Client Welfare money to support our behavior management and other activities with youth. That fund is now almost dry. Therefore, we are seeking donations of:

Any Christmas decorations you may be throwing away or getting rid of this year…we can store them till next year.

Any scrapbooking supplies, paper, glitter, etc. that you might be getting rid of.

Donations of games, journals, poster board, writing paper, envelopes, etc.

Donations of basketballs

Thank you all for your consideration!

5. Christmas Drive-Thru - Belleview UMC is hosting their annual Christmas gift to the community; their Christmas Drive-Thru. It is a Live Nativity of six scenes that you can drive through. It will run from December 15-17 (Thurs-Sat) from 7-9pm each night. I encourage you to invite your friends, family and neighbors and go on out and experience the Nativity.

Have a great weekend!

Midweek Moment

2011-12-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

1990

This past weekend I was given a very special honor. Some of you may remember a few months back how I was surprised by my two best friends when they showed up for worship with us. I had no idea they were coming or even entertaining the idea of coming to Druid Hills; much less both at the same time. These two men are very special to me. You see we all met in the sixth grade at Lopez Elementary in Seffner, Florida. We had each joined the orchestra and there began our friendship, Mike and Jonathan playing the violin and I playing the double bass. We became fast friends and through high school we did everything together. We not only played in the orchestra together, we ran track together, we ran cross country together, we even went on triple dates together (maybe that is why none of us married our high school sweethearts!). We spent time hanging out at each others houses and our parents even worked together raising this motley crew. We each had multiple mothers and fathers, and several adopted siblings. We were affectionately dubbed “The Three Amigos”. We were inseparable!

But then time happened. Jonathan moved away first, to Sarasota. Mike and I visited once, trying to stay in touch. Then Mike was next, enlisting in the Army and very quickly being stationed to Germany. Time happened. Life happened. We lost touch. We lost each other.

However, about a year ago, we reconnected. Unfortunately, it was the death of Mike's dad that allowed Mike and I to reconnect with each other. Shortly thereafter, we both found Jonathan on Facebook, in Jacksonville of all places. We began emailing, texting, and calling each other. However, every time we planned to get together, life would happen again and the plans would fall through. Until that Sunday. Until Jonathan and Mike got together, committed to meet each other in Ocala, halfway between Jacksonville and Seffner, and reunite “The Three Amigos”. We went to Five Guys for lunch that day, and it was like we were back in high school all over again. We began to tell the same jokes, our conversations were easy and flowing, the memories came flooding back with uncanny vividness. It was awesome!

2011

Well this past weekend I was given a special honor. I was asked to perform the marriage of Jonathan to his fiance, Tanya. Together again, Daryl the pastor, Jonathan the groom, and Mike the best man. To be able to reconnect with these two dear friends, for all of us to take part in a very important event in the life of Jonathan, and for all of us to be able to spend that dedicated time together, there are no words to describe how wonderful, uplifting, and necessary it was...for all of us.

This weekend got me thinking about our relationship with Jesus Christ. How often do we find Jesus, latch on to the transformation that happens the first time we fall in love with him, but then get sidetracked when life happens? We fall away, often times unintentionally, but we still fall away. Then months, years, decades, pass and nothing. No contact, no conversations, no nothing. But the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:35, 37-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The love of God through Jesus Christ is eternal. So this Advent season, I encourage all of us to renew our relationship with Jesus. As we prepare ourselves for the birth of Christ, let us all remember that the relationship we have with Jesus, is forever. Just because life may take us away, Jesus is always waiting. Do not let “life” take you away anymore. Find Jesus, turn back to Jesus, and those conversations will flow again, that power of his love will encompass you again. It will be like he was always there...because he was.

Have a GREAT week and I will see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 12/11 - 12/17

2011-12-10T05:33:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

We're making a lot of progress again at the end of the New Testament. This week we finish up the last chapter of II Thessalonians and progress through some of Paul's other letters addressed not to churches but to people: I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon. Then we move on to another large book often attributed to Paul - the book of Hebrews. Finally, we will begin our journey through James.

I and II Timothy - Paul found Timothy during one of his visits to Lystra where Timothy is mentioned as a disciple. From the Scriptures it seems his mother and grandmother were Jews who had become believers; the only thing mentioned about his father was that he was Greek. Timothy becomes Paul's traveling companion going to Phyrgia, Galatia, Mysia, Troad, Philippi, Veria and Corinth. Eventually around 65AD, Paul installs Timothy as the bishop of the church at Ephesus, a post he would hold for at least the next fifteen years. Timothy was eventually stoned to death when he took a stand against a pagan procession of idols, ceremonies and songs. The first letter from Paul to Timothy seems to deal mainly with forms of worship, organization of the church, the responsibilities of the bishops and deacons, and keeping faithful amid surrounding errors. The second letter seems to be more of a personal goodbye as Paul is nearing the end of his life.

Titus - Titus is mentioned in Galatians as one of Paul's traveling companions to Jerusalem. He was then dispatched to Corinth and later went to Crete as the bishop there. This letter mainly deals with the requirements for bishops and elders in the church.

Philemon - Philemon was a wealthy Christian and leader (possibly bishop) of the church in Colosse. This is the shortest of all Paul's letters and deals mainly with the topic of forgiveness.

Hebrews - The author of this letter is not known or identified although many associate it with Paul or suppose it to be written in his style by one of his followers. The book provides a unique look at Jesus as both exalted Son of God and high priest of the people. Most believe the title to be a reference to its original audience: Jewish Christians of the second century who are apparently being tempted to avoid severe persecution by "shrinking back" in their faith. It is a letter written with hope and perseverance in mind.

James- Most believe the author of this letter to be James the brother of Jesus. Many people wrestle with this letter because it appears to contradict Paul's stance on justification by faith alone. James emphasizes works, but not in the sense of justifying oneself before God; rather in the sense that works are evidence of a person's inward faith.

Here is the schedule:

11, Sunday: II Thessalonians 3 - I Timothy 3

12, Monday: I Timothy 4 - II Timothy 1

13, Tuesday: II Timothy 2 - Titus 2

14, Wednesday: Titus 3 - Philemon - Hebrews 2

15, Thursday: Hebrews 3-6

16, Friday: Hebrews 7-10

17, Saturday: Hebrews 11 - James 1

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fives

2011-12-09T11:45:00.001-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week will celebrate Advent through song as our choir presents the Advent Cantata, Beautiful Star. I encourage to come and be moved by the songs and transformed by the music. Bring a friend and come and join us for this very special event.

2. Bible Study - We are in the midst of our Bible Study series entitled, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. I invite you to come join us, on this DVD study, as we journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Each week we join Adam Hamilton on his travels through these locations to rediscover the birth of Christ. We are looking at historical information, archaeological data, as well as some of the personal stories surrounding the birth. I am sure the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you join us and we walk along this road together.

The class meets each Thursday through December 22nd, at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall. However, on the 15th, we will meet in the sanctuary due to the new floor being installed in Fellowship Hall. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. It is never too late to join and I know you will be changed by this series and I would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. In order to guarantee delivery by the 25th, your order must be in by noon, on 12/12. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Christmas Services - This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday. Therefore, after much discussion, internally and with other churches, the Worship Committee has decided to combine our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services into one service to be held, Saturday, December 24 at 6 pm. We look forward to seeing all of you at the Saturday evening service and pray you will be moved by its music and its message.

5. January Newsletter - If you have an article that you would like to include in the January edition, those articles are due Sunday, 12/11.

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!

Midweek Moment

2011-12-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

This evening as I was driving home I heard this song, One Last Christmas, by Matthew West. My mind was racing about so many other things that I was hardly paying attention to it. However, when the song was over, the DJ mentioned that it was based on a true story. That got my attention and when I got home I looked it up on the internet to see what it was about......and I was blown away.

Here is the song and the story....

The love this community showed Dax was truly what it meant when Christ told us to love our neighbor. May each of us show that same love to all we meet, may each of us receive that same love from all we encounter.

God bless you all!

Mary's Christmas: The Annunciation – Luke 1:26-33 and 34-38

2011-12-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we begin our Advent series, Mary's Christmas. It goes without saying that this time of year is special. This time of year contains so much magic and excitement, not only within the religious tradition, but overflowing into the secular as well. This year I want us to spend our time looking at this story from the point of view of Mary, this very young girl that was placed in a very strange situation. My hope is that as we do this we will add a layer of magic back to this time of year and develop new understandings as we prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ child. Today, we are going to begin with Mary, by looking at who she was, the situation she faced, and the lessons of faith we can learn from this her.

Who Are You?
I want you each to take a moment and think back to your childhood home. Think back to the place where you were born. Are you there? Can you see it? I want you to capture as much of that place in your mind's eye as you can. I want you to remember rooms of your home, your favorite hang out, the familiar smells, and the feelings you had growing up there.

For some of you, this may be one place. For others of you, it may be several places. And yet for others, you may not want to remember your childhood home at all. You see the reasons we have these feelings, the reasons our feelings range the spectrum, is because we are shaped by those places, good and bad, dangerous and safe.

For me, my childhood home is a singular place. I have been told I am somewhat of an anomoly. You see, I was born in Florida and from what I am told there are not too many of us around any more. I was born in Tampa, raised in Tampa, and my family still lives there. When I was five my parents and I moved to a little town on the outskirts of Tampa, called Seffner and the home we moved into is still the home that my Mom and Dad live in today.

When we moved to Seffner, my younger brother was not around yet, ahh...the good 'ol days. The main intersection in town was a tiny two lane road with the four corners containing cow pasture, cow pasture, orange grove, and cow pasture. Fast forward to today those same four corners, sit on a four lane highway and it is 7-Eleven, Winn Dixie, Taco Bell, and McDonald's.

But back then I rode my bike everywhere, and Mom and Dad did not have to worry. Everyone knew each other, we looked out for each other, and we lived our lives together. It was not uncommon for neighbors to talk across fences, to catch up with friends as you drank a soda outside the hardware store, and the reality was that you hardly ever saw a strangers face. You cannot do those things in Seffner anymore.

We often acknowledge that we are shaped by the people we grow up around. But we also are shaped by the places in which we have lived and grown up. Even in the United States, different parts of our country have different practices and customs, different values and beliefs, even different words for the same items.
When my wife Debbie and l traveled overseas in 2009, I began to realize how much Jesus’ humanity was shaped by the places in which he lived; Bethlehem where Jesus was born, Egypt where he spent time as a child in exile, Nazareth where he grew to adulthood, Jerusalem where he made his temple pilgrimages as a faithful Jew and where he was later crucified. Being in those places helped me to see and understand Jesus in a whole new way. This year as we look to these events from one point of view, through Mary's eyes, I pray we all see Jesus in a new light, are transformed in a new way, and the hope, peace, joy, and love of this season is renewed within us all.

Who is Mary?
So let us begin our Advent journey by looking at Mary. In our Gospel lesson from Luke, the story begins as an angel visits this young woman named Mary in the town of Nazareth to give her an amazing message. She is told she will be with child and will give birth to a son she is to call Jesus. That child will be the long-awaited Savior and Messiah.

You have to know a little something about the geography of this area to understand why it is so surprising that God would choose Nazareth. Nazareth then was just a poor tiny village of a few hundred people, located a few miles southeast of a bustling city called Sepphoris. People had settled in Nazareth because of the water source, a fresh spring. Debbie and I visited that spring on our trip, although it looks quite different now with the Greek Orthodox Church of the Anunciation built over top of it. But the people of Nazareth most likely worked and shopped in Sepphoris. In fact, at this point in time, Sepphoris was thought to be a large wealthy city with strong Roman and Greek influences to its culture and that the people of Nazareth, these few hundred people, made up the servant class that served the people of Sepphoris. So is it any wonder that in John 1:46, Nathaniel makes the comment, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (NIV). After all the people of Nazareth were not thought of as important people, as world changers. They were looked down upon as slaves, as servants.

But it’s interesting to look at these two places today. Sepphoris is dead. What you see is the ruins of the town that have been excavated from the land. It is Nazareth that is the place bustling with activity, boasting a population of about 70,000 in the city limits and about 200,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Perhaps it has something to do with the name of the town and its connection with a prophecy about the Messiah. Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word “netzer” meaning “branch or shoot that would come forth from a tree that had been cut down.” And in Isaiah 11 the prophet foretells that “a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a branch will bear fruit.” Little did the people of Nazareth know then that one of their own would be the branch from which Jesus, who described himself also as our source of living water, would come. But from this second class town, from this line of servants, from this shoot from the tree of Jesse, we get Mary and through her acceptance and obedience she becomes part of the plan to bring forth the Messiah.

Nazareth...really?!?
Not only does God choose a humble place, he chooses a humble person in Nazareth. There is nothing special about Mary on the surface that would set her apart from the other women of the town. She is a young woman betrothed to be married. But her actions indicate that she lived into the meaning of her name “one who trusts.” When the angel speaks of this incredible thing that is about to happen to her, Mary could have refused, she could have argued, or offered up excuses. But she instead she asks a single question about biology, and is told it will happen through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is also given a sign of proof; her older cousin Elizabeth, thought to be barren, is already six months pregnant, “for nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responds to all of this with great faith by saying, " I am a servant of the Lord, may it be with me as you have said.” And the angel departs.

With those words she has changed the whole course of her life. The law said that women who were engaged and found to be pregnant by someone else were to be stoned to death. She said “Yes” knowing that might be a result. She said “Yes” knowing that some women die in childbirth. She said “Yes” knowing that it might mean the end of her relationship with Joseph and all of her hopes and dreams for marriage and a future. Despite all of this, the fear, the trepidation, the uncertainty, she does not rebel, she does not beg out. She says yes.

Conclusion
This young girl, barely a teenager, is thrust into an incredible situation. But through her humility, through her faith, through her obedience, she becomes one of the greatest examples of faith the world has ever known.

In his book, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem, Rev. Adam Hamilton tells a story about a Christmas pageant one year at a church. Dozens of children had come out for the chance to sing and dance and dress up. Little boys were fighting over the chance to be wise men, shepherds, even the animals. Little girls were anxious to have the prestigious role of Mary. There was even a little competition to be part of the angel chorus if you didn’t get any of the other roles. But as everyone was getting ready, the pastor got all of the children's attention and asked the all important question: “Do you think Mary wanted to be Mary?”

“Do you think Mary wanted to be Mary?” Probably not. I’m sure she had hopes and dreams for her own life. Answering God’s call meant setting aside her own plans. This morning I do not want you to struggle. I want you to be Mary. A great place to take that step, to live as Mary did, is right here at the rail. I want all of us to be able to look to God and say yes. Mary is a reminder for us that Christmas is not about what we buy or where we eat or whom you spend the day with. It’s about your willingness to say to God…..“Here I am Lord. Use me according to your will.”

Bible Challenge 12/4 - 12/10

2011-12-03T05:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

We're in our last month of reading now and by the end of the year we will have read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice! This week we finish up the last two chapters of II Corinthians before reading six other epistles (or letters) of the Apostle Paul to the churches: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians and II Thessalonians. For me it's so interesting to read Paul's letters, realizing his heart for the churches that he has planted. Hopefully the historical information below will give you fresh eyes as you read these letters and think about the issues they were addressing.

Galatians -The book of Galatians is thought to be Paul's earliest letter, corresponding with the events of Acts 11:30. Here he addresses a group of churches in a Roman province known as Galatia, now in modern-day Turkey. This letter mainly addresses the question of whether the Mosaic law is binding on Gentiles.

Ephesians - Here Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus (now Selcuk, Turkey) while he is imprisoned in Rome (about 62AD) to address the unity of the church between its many Jewish and Gentile believers. Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman empire in Paul's day and home to one of the seven ancient wonders of the world (temple of Artemis). Paul started the church in Ephesus as recorded in Acts 18 and eventually he would send his young protege Timothy to serve as their pastor. One of my favorite passages is Paul's admonition in Ephesians 6 to put on the full armor of God.

Philippians - Philippians has a different tone than many of Paul's letters - it is written about 62AD to the church in Philippi (now Filippoi, Greece) which was one of the first church's that Paul ever started. From the tone of his letter, Philippi is often called Paul's "sweetheart" church. We also find here one of the most powerful and oft quoted pieces of Scripture: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).

Colossians - Colossians is directed to the church at Colosse (now Honaz, Turkey) and was probably written during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Apparently, the church had been incorporating pagan elements into their practice including the worship of elemental spirits and Paul's letter declares Christ's supremacy over the entire created universe and reminds the believers to live godly lives.

I and II Thessalonians - The last two books this week are directed at the church of Thessalonica (which still exists today in Greece) and are written probably only months apart around 52AD. Paul only stayed with this church for a few weeks after beginning it and seems to be writing the first letter to encourage them in their faith and remind them of some important doctrines of the faith. Apparently there was some misunderstanding regarding the return of Christ and the second shorter letter appears to deal solely with correcting that understanding.

Here is this week's schedule:

04, Sunday: II Corinthians 12 - Galatians 2

05, Monday: Galatians 3-6

06, Tuesday: Ephesians 1-4

07, Wednesday: Ephesians 5 - Philippians 2

08, Thursday: Philippians 3 - Colossians 2

09, Friday: Colossians 3 - I Thessalonians 2

10, Saturday: I Thessalonians 3 - II Thessalonians 2

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Have a great weekend,

Friday Fives

2011-12-02T14:43:00.003-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will begin our Advent preaching series, Mary's Christmas. This series will take us on a journey through the story of Advent, through the events of Christ's birth, all through the eyes of Mary. Come and join us as we look to this wonderful story, through the eyes of a young girl, through the lens of a faithful servant, through the experience of one of God's chosen. Each week we will look to a different character through the eyes of Mary, beginning this week with Mary herself. Bring a friend and come and join us for worship.

2. Bible Study - We have began our new Bible Study series entitled, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. I invite you to join us, on this DVD study, as we journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. We will join Adam Hamilton on his travels through these locations to rediscover the birth of Christ. We will look at historical information, archaeological data, and take a personal look at some of the stories surrounding the birth. I am sure the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you join us and we walk along this road together.

The class will meet each Thursday through December 22nd, at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. It is never too late to join and I know you will be changed by this series and I would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. In order to guarantee delivery by the 25th, your order must be in by noon, on 12/12. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Open House - On behalf of my family I would like to invite each of you to come by the parsonage, this Sunday, 12/4, from 12pm-1:30pm for our open house. Come to worship at 10:30am, stay for lunch afterwards, and then come on by and see what the parsonage looks like all decorated. You are invited to come and enjoy some light refreshments and spend some time in fellowship with one another.

5. December Newsletter - The December Newsletter is available in the narthex so be sure to pick your copy up. You can also go over to our church website, and view it there as well.

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!

Midweek Moment

2011-11-29T18:08:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. Thirty-eight years ago today I came into this world, born to set of very nervous, very excited parents. I have had many wonderful experiences in my life as well as many experiences filled with grief and sadness. My life, up to this point, has taught me many things.

For instance, from a young age I was taught about manners and why they are important. I was also taught about responsibility and how that character trait would benefit me throughout my life. My life lessons continued as I was taught about respect and how to give it to all people. However, most importantly, I was taught about God and the importance of cultivating my own personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

But there is one aspect that runs through all of those lessons. And that is the need, importance, and benefit of community. The strength that we gain when we live our lives together, is life changing. Those experiences in my life that have been filled with grief, without my community, would have destroyed me. But it was in that community that I found joy again, that I found hope again, that I learned how to laugh again.

God does not wish for us to live this life alone. God did not create us to live this life alone. Time after time, Scripture refers to humanity as parts of a body, each one necessary, each one unique. Jesus himself, lived his life on earth as part of a community. Our very understanding of God, is in the form of the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are not only meant to live together, but minister together as well. Each of us using our own special gifts, our own unique talents, working together for God's glory.

This past week I received a birthday card from you, my church family. There were so many signatures and birthday wishes inside! I felt very loved as I read that card and all of your names inside. So from me to you...thank you for allowing me to walk with each of you in ministry. Thank you for thinking of me on this special day. Just...thank you.

Alone we are in trouble...together we are invincible!

Have a GREAT week and I will see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 11/27 - 12/3

2011-11-26T05:22:00.000-05:00

Greetings All!

In this upcoming week we will be reading all of I Corinthians and most of II Corinthians. I Corinthians was written from Ephesus (16:8), a city on the west coast of today's Turkey, about 180 miles by sea from Corinth. According to Acts of the Apostles, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus. The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of 53 to 57 AD.

Corinth was the meeting point of many nationalities because the main current of the trade between Asia and western Europe passed through its harbors. Paul's first visit lasted nearly two years and his converts were mainly Greeks. In the first epistle, he mainly concentrates on addressing some divisions in the church, some problems with immorality and teaching about marriage, Christian liberty, worship and resurrection.

In between I and II Corinthians, Paul visited Corinth another time (a painful visit) and wrote at least one other letter that is now lost. It would seem that the situation in Corinth was still complicated and Paul felt attacked. He defends himself with some of his important teachings - forgiving others, God's new agreement that comes from the Spirit of the living God, the importance of being a person of Christ and giving generously to God's people in Jerusalem and finally ends with his own experience of how God changed his life.

Here is the schedule:

27, Sunday: Romans 16 - I Corinthians 3

28, Monday: I Corinthians 4-7

29, Tuesday: I Corinthians 8-11

30, Wednesday: I Corinthians 12-15

1, Thursday: I Corinthians 16 - II Corinthians 3

2, Friday: II Corinthians 4-7

3, Saturday: II Corinthians 8-11

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

2011-11-25T13:04:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will celebrate Hanging of the Greens during worship. Come and join us as we transform the sanctuary from dark and undecorated to bright and beaming with the hope of Advent. We will completely decorate the sanctuary during our time together and you will hear the meaning behind each of our decorations. This is truly a wonderful service and I hope you will be able to attend. In fact, bring a friend and I will see you there.

The class will meet again this Thursday, December 1st and meet each week through December 22nd. The class is offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall and the cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. It is never too late to join and I know you will be changed by this series and I would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Open House - On behalf of my family I would like to invite each of you to come by the parsonage, next Sunday, 12/4, from 12pm-1:30pm for our open house. Come to worship at 10:30am, stay for lunch afterwards, and then come on by and see what the parsonage looks like all decorated, enjoy some light refreshments, and spend some time in fellowship with one another.

Midweek Moment

2011-11-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

As we embark on this Thanksgiving week I want to encourage you all to spend some time reflecting on what it is you have to be thankful for. It is important that we keep our blessings in mind so that when we spend time with God we can devote a portion of that time in a thanksgiving posture and list those things God has placed in our lives that are a blessing to us.

I have many things in this life for which to be thankful. I have my wife, Debbie, who holds our family together, loves me unconditionally, and is truly the best partner I could ever have. God placed us together at the tender ages of six and four, and because of that we have a lifetime of shared memories. Debbie you truly are my best friend and I thank God for every day that you and I have together. I am thankful for my boys, Parker and Wesley. The joy I feel just looking at the two of you overwhelms me. Your zest for living, your accomplishments in school, and the way you both keep me young, is awesome to witness. You boys truly are a gift from God and I am the one that is blessed by you. For my parents, Wayne and Joyce, who taught me those tough lessons, who supported me through all my endeavors, who celebrated with me in all my accomplishments. Mom and Dad, you two are the reason I am the person I am today. You taught me morals, you taught me about putting others ahead of myself, you taught me that love is the greatest influence in all the world. You taught me to dream and reach for the stars. You showed me the importance of dedicating my life to God and helped me be open to God's calling on my life. You both gave me an incredible foundation for life and I am forever grateful to you for that. For my brother, Daniel, who has consistently modeled devotion to others, and an attitude of life that anything is possible, I thank you for keeping the dreamer in me alive. I treasure our relationship and thank God that you are a part of my life. And I am thankful for my church family at Druid Hills. For the grace that you have shown me as I have grown, for the unconditional love you have so easily given to my family, and for the conversations I have had with a few of you this week, I am sincerely grateful. The concern you have for me, the support you have shown for me, and encouragement you give to me...my cup runneth over.

I love each of you and could not imagine my life without each of you being a part of it.

I have a tremendous amount of things to be thankful for in my life. I live a blessed life full of family and friends and I thank God each day for everyone of you.

Have a tremendous Thanksgiving and may God bless you all as much as you have blessed me!

Kairos: Learn It – Romans 12:1-6 and 12:9-21

2011-11-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today, we are going to conclude our preaching series on time. That aspect of our life that challenges us , confines us, and at times rules us. Last week, examined how possessing an understanding of the two types of time, chronos and kairos, can help deepen our understanding of God and God's will for our lives. Today we are going to apply those lessons to the five practices of the Methodist Way to see how they inform one another.

Christ is the King
Today has been a wonderful reminder, a tremendous opportunity for us experience the high points of the Christian calendar. We have read Scriptures about and sung songs dedicated to the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. And for me this helps to reinforce the reality that Christ truly is the King. That Christ is the ruler of us all. So what does that have to do with kairos time and with the five practices of the Methodist Way? I am so glad you asked!

Kairos
In looking at time, if we understand that Christ, that God Incarnate, is in control, that will help us to let go of the reigns. It can help us give ourselves permission to let go of our own assumed power. When I was a chaplain at Tampa General, my biggest fear going into a room was whether or not I was going to have the right words, the timely words, to help the person I encountered. My first few visits with patients, were horrible. I prayed that since I was sure I had not helped them, please God, do not let have done more harm. Eventually, I shared these concerns with my supervisor. He gave me a great bit of advice. He told me that when people are hurting, if you simply take their hurt, hold it in the palm of your hand, walk with them, empathize with them, pray for them, and love them, when they are ready, they will take that pain back and be able to deal with it. He told me that I did not have to alter it, make it go away, or fix it. What a relief! I no longer had to worry about fixing other people's hurt. I simply had to walk with them through it. God will fix it. While I could be a vessel, it was no longer only on me. Giving myself permission to not have to have all the answers was extremely liberating.

It is the same with our understanding of time. If we will abide by the reality that God is the one that is truly in control, that we do not have to have all the answers about when things will get done, how opportunities will present themselves, then we free ourselves to be obedient. We free ourselves up so we can focus our efforts on doing whatever it is God has called us to do.

The Foundation
I want to share with you one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It comes from the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 1-4 and 8, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Christ tells us, “neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me”. If we go off on our own, without Christ; if we go off on our own, dictating the time and the season in which we feel things must occur, we will not bear fruit.

It is well known that the United Methodist Church has gone off on its own a bit and we are in decline. Let me share with you some numbers about where we stand as a denomination.

In the US, between 1998 and 2008:

Average weekly worship attendance has dropped 7%
Professions of Faith have declined by 25%
Baptisms have declined by 31%
The number of congregations have decreased by 6%
Our membership of persons 65 and older doubled and our membership of persons 18-44 was cut in half
90% of our members are white – our diversity has not increased in the last ten years
The average age of clergy rose from 49 in 1998 to 54 in 2008
Local church expenditures have increased by 49% over the period and by 64% per average worship attendance

I do not share these numbers with you to scare you, just to inform you. Our denomination is in no worse condition than any of the others out there. Sure each groups has their mega-churches and their churches that are growing, but by and large things need to change, or in 30-40 years there will be nothing left to change.

How Do We Bear Fruit?
Therefore, we have been charged by our denomination, “to redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increasing the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”2

Here is where our five practices come in, Passionate Worship, Radical Hospitality, Salty Service, Intentional Disciplining, and Extravagant Generosity. At Charge Conference today, after consultation and discussion with the leadership of this church, we are going to submit advancement goals in each of these practices on behalf of our church. These goals are not radical, but do represent our desire to see our numbers increase in each area. For Passionate Worship, measuring our weekly worship attendance, we want to grow 4% a year for the next four years. That means we want four new attenders every year so that our 105 member average now, grows to 121 by 2015.

For Radical Hospitality, that area that measures our Professions of Faith, those people that join our body and have never been a member of a church before, we want to bring in six in 2012, seven in 2013 and 14, and eight in 2015.

For Intentional Discipling we want to increase the average number of people involved in these type of discipling groups from the 44 we have now to 50 in 2012, 55 in 2013, 60 in 2014, and 65 in 2015.

For Salty Service, that time we spend serving others outside of these walls, we want to increase by two people a week, each year. That represents an increase from the 13 a week we average now to 15 in 2012, 17 in 2013, 19 in 2014, and 21 in 2015.

For extravagant generosity, the amount we give to the church, our goal is to see a $1500 increase each year over where we are now. That represents a 1% increase each year.

All of these goals will be printed in next month's newsletter and I share this with you because I want all of us to be on the same page. All of these goals are attainable, and if we see an increase in one, chances are we will see an increase in all of them. I also tell you this so when you see some changes to the way we do some things, over the next four years, you will have the chance to embrace them rather than resist them.

Please Pray!
So over the next four years look for ways to be attached to the branch. Can you imagine the wonderful things we can do, the number of lives we can change over the next four years, if we are all attached to the branch that is Jesus Christ. I am so excited about you. I look out over this congregation and I see people with the gift of teaching, I see people with the gift of compassion, I see people with the gift of generosity, and a whole host of others. Folks, we are blessed here at Druid Hills. The experience we have, the love we have, is incredible.

I want you all to know where we are heading so we can go there together. The only way for us to get there is together. If we work together, each of us doing what the Holy Spirit has equipped us to do, each of us treating one another with love and respect, each of us seeking out the heart of God, these numbers will not matter. Because we will be so far ahead of them. I want this body to be strong, connected, and full of the power of God.

So, if you are unsure of where you fit in, if you are unsure of what you can do, if you have any questions at all about your place here, and you all have a place, come to this rail and pray. Each of us has a gift for this body, come and ask God to share what it is with you, to give you the strength to use it, to show you where and at what time to use it. Together these goals are easy, together this world will be changed, together we can show Ocala that Christ truly is our King!

Bible Challenge 11/20 - 11/26

2011-11-19T05:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

This week we finish up our journey through Acts and move almost entirely through Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Most scholars believe that this book was written in Corinth at the end of Paul's second missionary journey there, somewhere around 55-56AD. The book of Romans is Paul's greatest theological legacy to the church. The longest by far of his letters, it's intent is to explain that salvation is offered through the Gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ. Since Paul has not been to Rome at this point, he outlines the good news of Jesus thoroughly so that Paul's teaching will not be confused with other false teachers.

The Main sections of Paul’s argument are as follows:

· God’s wrath revealed against the unrighteous (1:18-3:20)

· God credits righteousness to all (3:21-5:21)

· The gift of God’s righteousness results in righteous living (6:1-8:39)

· God's righteousness in the case of Israel (9:1-11:36)

· God's righteousness reflected in the righteous lives of believers (12:1-15:13)

· God's righteousness shared by Paul as minister to Gentiles (15:14-33)

Here is the schedule:

20, Sunday: Acts 16-19

21, Monday - Acts 20-23

22, Tuesday - Acts 24-27

23, Wednesday - Acts 28; Romans 1-3

24, Thursday - Romans 4-7

25, Friday - Romans 8-11

26, Saturday - Romans 12-15

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word.

Friday Fives

2011-11-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will conclude our preaching series aimed at helping us better the understand the difference between our understanding of time, chronos, and God's time, kairos. Last week we sought to build a foundation of understanding. This week we are going to look at how our application of the Five Practices of the Methodist Way can be rooted in our understanding of kairos time. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

2. Bible Study - Yesterday, we began a new Bible Study entitled, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. I invite you to join us, on this DVD study, as we journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. We will join Adam Hamilton on his travels through these locations to rediscover the birth of Christ. We will look at historical information, archaeological data, and take a personal look at some of the stories surrounding the birth. I am sure the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you join us and we walk along this road together.

The class will meet again on Thursday, December 1st and meet each week through December 22nd. The class is offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall and the cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. You can register one of three ways; online at our church website (click here), using the insert in the bulletin, or by calling the church office. I know you will be changed by this series and I would love to see you there! It is never too late to join!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Charge Conference - Our Annual Charge Conference is Sunday, November 20th at 4pm, and will be held at First UMC, Ocala. This is a part of the business side of the church where we officially submit the leadership of church for next year, celebrate our growth over the past year, and celebrate our hope in the year to come. I invite to come out and show your support for Druid Hills with your presence. Two years ago, when we had this cluster before we had the largest contingent present...let's do it again!

5. Service for Faye Pippin - Tomorrow at 11am we will gather here at the church to celebrate and remember the life of Faye Pippin. I invite you all to come out and show your care and support for the family as we say goodbye to this wonderful saint.

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!

Midweek Moment

2011-11-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today I witnessed something truly wonderful. You see, I was invited to a Thanksgiving lunch. This lunch was tremendous for so many reasons. I am sure your first question is, how was the food? Spectacular! And the company? Even better! But neither of these qualities alone, are what made this experience so wonderful.

I am sure many of you have heard the command to love others as you love yourself. Today I witnessed that decree, in all of its majesty and wonder. It started to become apparent to me as we sat down to eat. I could hear tidbits of various conversations and most of these conversations were about the lives this particular group lived together. I heard stories about loved ones no longer with us. I heard stories about jobs these people had done together. I heard about accomplishments and achievements. Little did I know, that was just the beginning. After everyone finished eating, they got up and started visiting with each other around the room. Carrying their conversations with them as they visited. I heard more stories, more compliments, and witnessed more bonding. This group of people were living out, love others as you love yourself, right before my very eyes. They were not talking to hear themselves speak, but asked questions about each other, and were genuinely interested in each other. But it got better. Someone had to leave. Now I am not saying it got better because someone left, but it was how this person was treated when they announced they had to go. Everyone stopped their conversations and said good-bye to them. They shook their hand, wished them a Happy Thanksgiving, and patted them on the back. They took the time to let that person know, they were important.

I was so moved, so humbled, to be able to eat with this group of people today. They showed me, reminded me, what valuing another person truly looks like. It was so wonderful to witness that today, to experience that today. Today was not about tasks, or time, or obligations. Today was about friends, and love, and concern for one another.

As we progress through Advent this year, I pray you have the opportunity to feel what I experienced today. In the midst of the hustle, in the grip of the bustle, take the time to love one another. Be reminded that God loves us so much, that God came in the flesh, to express that love for us. Love each other, be kind to each other, always treating each other better than we treat ourselves.

Have a GREAT week and I will see you Sunday!

Kairos: Learn It – Acts 2:43-47 and Philippians 2:1-2

2011-11-13T12:35:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today, we are going to spend our time together talking about time. Scientists, physicists, mathematicians, all spend their lives working out time theories, time equations, or time behaviors. The rest of us spend our time being challenged, confined, and at times ruled by time. Today we are going to break this concept down just a bit and examine how time can impact and enhance our lives as believers. Specifically, we are going to look at two types of time; chronos and kairos, to help deepen our understanding of God and God's will for our lives.

Run Hard, Run Fast, Run Far
For any of your that have taken a Bible Study with me or have heard me talk about my call into the ministry, you know I did not go in expeditiously or enthusiastically. I ran. I ran for 10 years away from where I believe God was calling me to go. Part of that was fear, not believing that God had or could equip me for that calling. Part of that was pride. When I first got my call, after the initial anxiety, I was excited. I immediately began the process. I called the District Superintendent, got my mentor assignment, and met with my mentor for almost 8 months. Then our schedules, mine and my mentor's, began to conflict. I also began doing poorly in school. These difficulties bested me, and I quit. Not purposefully mind you, I just stopped calling, stopped pursing, and I just let the whole thing fade away.

My preference would have been to have gone straight from high school, to college, to seminary, to a full time appointment. Had I done that, then this would be the beginning of my thirteenth year in ministry, not my third. But there are many lessons for me to learn from this, and for us as a congregation to learn from this.

Time: What is it?
In Scripture there are two terms used to indicate time, chronos and kairos. Chronos is that linear time that we live under. It is where we get the word, chronology. In chronos time, we observe things like morning and night, winter and fall, early and late. It is all very linear in nature and one event cannot come before its due time. The clock is the guardian of chronos time because 2pm today cannot happen before 10am today. Within chronos time we understand deadlines, future and past events, and order.

Then we have kairos time, that time that reflects God's perfect will. That concept of time where events and circumstances only happen within God's divine choosing, not by the clock. The whole Gospel of John is a case study in the insistence of humanity to follow chronos time and Jesus' push to only act in kairos time. Story after story we read about people pushing Jesus to do this act, heal this person, perform this miracle, and they are always met with something along the line of, “now is not the time.” In John, chapter 2, Jesus is at a wedding party and they run out of wine. Mary, Jesus' mother, comes to him and explains what is going on, and Jesus' response is, “My time has not yet come.” In John 7:6-8, his disciples are urging him to go into town, to a festival, and to reveal who he is; make it certain to everyone that he is the Messiah. His response, “my time has not yet come” (NIV).

Time and time again in Jesus' early ministry, as he is healing people, he tells them, go and tell no one of what you have seen here. This is not because Jesus does not want God to receive praise and glory for these might acts done in God's name. But because it is not yet time for these things to be shared with the community at large.

But Why Kairos Time?
God's wisdom is such that he understands the perfect time, the proper time, and the only time, certain things need to happen.

Did you know that 400 years passed between the last prophet of the Old Testament and Jesus arriving on the scene? That is 400 years of silence. That is a lot of chronos time.

So why does Jesus come when he does? Why that moment? What made that moment so special? Because it is the first, perfect kairos moment in all of human history. It was the right time for Jesus to come, to perform all those miracles, do all that Jesus did in the name of his father; because it was there and then, that Jesus doing all of this, in this tiny town would spread all over the known world. This was the first perfect time that there was a common language among the people, that writing was widespread, that there was relative safety and peace because of the Roman Empire, that there was a great road system that enabled travel for people and stories. All of these circumstances worked together to make that era, that place, that community the perfect place for Jesus to come to.

Had God acted at any other time, this perfect coming together of culture, communication, and infrastructure, would not have been there. The message would have been lost, diluted, or even silenced. But God knows this and acted accordingly. There was never a chance that God would have missed acting in kairos time, his perfect time. This was the first possible moment when this news, and these miracles, would be able to travel farther than its surroundings. This was the first kairos moment for Christ to come, and God acted.

Our Struggle
We struggle with this though. We live in a society of instant gratification, of “I want it now”, of instant downloads, of instant news. We do not understand that there is in fact a season for everything under heaven.

Take prayer for instance, we pray in chronos time. We want to God to answer our prayers now and in the way we want him to. We do not do well with waiting for God's time. And that can and does infuriate us because we do not understand it. It is so easy for us to live by, give into, and fall victim to chronos time. But we must be patient. We must remember that God has a plan, that God has all the information, and that God truly does know best.

Conclusion
I told you earlier, if I had gone straight through school, college, and seminary, I would be entering my thirteenth year in ministry, rather than my third. But had I done that, we would not be together today. That detour I took allowed me to learn many things, experience many things, become the person I am today. God did not waste that time for me, but redeemed it for good and he has shown me how it can help our cause today.

I believe that it is God's time for me to be here now. I believe that for what God has equipped me for, and what this church needs, are part of God's kairos time. This is the perfect time for you and me to be together. Had I come here 13 years ago, straight out of school, it may have been a disaster, working in chronos time. But by waiting, by seeking to follow God as God leads, I believe we have grown together, meshed together, to do a mighty thing for the Kingdom.

So I ask you, what is our kairos time? What is God calling us to do now, in this season? Be open to the Holy Spirit, be bold in your faith. Do not miss God's perfect timing. Because it is in that kairos world, that God is at work, the Spirit is active, and this Kingdom is doing amazing things!!

Bible Challenge 11/13 - 11/19

2011-11-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through the Gospels and move into the history of the early church with the book of Acts.

Acts or Acts of the Apostles, is the second of Luke's major writing, showing how the disciples spread the goods news of the Gospel after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension back to heaven. The key verse for this book is Acts 1:8: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This verses sets the tone for all of the action in the book. The first major segment is chapters 1-7 where the actions centers around the Jews in Jerusalem and Peter is the main figure. The timeline here is about 2 years from Pentecost through the stoning of Stephen. The second major segment is chapters 8-12 and shows the spread of the Gospel out from Jerusalem into the regions of Judea and Samaria. Here the central figure is Philip and his main audience the Samaritans. The timeline here is 13 years from Stephen's stoning to Paul's missionary journeys. Finally the last segment of the book in chapters 13-28 details the spread of the Gospel past the known areas of Jesus and the disciples out to the uttermost parts of the earth as Paul travels all around the Roman world preaching to the Gentiles. This covers about 14 years from his first missionary journey through to his release from the Romans.

Here is the schedule:

11/13: Sunday, John 9-12

11/14: Monday, John 13-16

11/15: Tuesday, John 17-20

11/16: Wednesday, John 21 - Acts 3

11/17: Thursday, Acts 4-7

11/18: Friday, Acts 8-11

11/19: Saturday, Acts 12-15

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word!

Friday Fives

2011-11-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will begin a new two week preaching series aimed at helping us better the understand the difference between our understanding of time and God's time, or kairos. We operate out of a liner understanding and over the next two weeks we will look at how God does not and what that means for us as believers. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

2. Bible Study - On November 17^th we are beginning a new Bible Study entitled, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. I invite you to join us, on this DVD study, as we journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. We will join Adam Hamilton on his travels through these locations to rediscover the birth of Christ. We will look at historical information, archaeological data, and take a personal look at some of the stories surrounding the birth. I am sure the most amazing moment in history will become more real and heart-felt as you join us and we walk along this road together.

The class will meet on Thursdays, beginning November 17th, and last five weeks. We will not meet on November 24th, but will resume December 1st, and wrap up the series on December 22nd. The class will once again be offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm, in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. You can register one of three ways; online at our church website (click here), using the insert in the bulletin, or by calling the church office. I know you will be changed by this series, so sign up learn with us, and I would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Charge Conference - Our Annual Charge Conference is Sunday, November 20th at 4pm, and will be held at First UMC, Ocala. This is a part of the business side of the church where we officially submit the leadership of church for next year, celebrate our growth over the past year, and celebrate our hope in the year to come. I invite to come out and show your support for Druid Hills with your presence. Two years ago, when we had this cluster before we had the largest contingent present...let's do it again!

5. Commitment Cards - Three weeks ago we concluded our annual focus on Stewardship. If you would still like to turn in your commitment card you can bring them to the church office, or simply drop them in the plate on Sunday morning. I encourage all of you to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to respond with not only your treasure, but your time, talents, gifts, and witness as well.

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!

Midweek Moment

2011-11-09T14:59:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You need to stop and smell the roses!” I am sure most of you have heard that at one time or another. This cliché is meant to help remind us that there is a benefit to enjoying and being part of our world as it happens.

I bring this up because of where we find ourselves on the calendar. This is by far one of the busiest times in the life of this church and in most families. For us, we have just finished the Pumpkin Patch and the Block Party. Now we are gearing up for the church wide Thanksgiving Dinner. In a little less than two weeks, we will participate in our annual Charge Conference at First UMC, Ocala. In a little over two weeks, Advent begins, and then Christmas is right around the corner! Can you believe it?!?

I find myself so caught up in preparing for what is next, that it would become incredibly easy for me to totally gloss over the event itself. When an event I have been prepping for arrives, my mind wants to take off to the next event, running the risk of ignoring the moment that is happening right in front of me. Does that happen to you? Do you often miss the forest for the trees? Do you find yourself so caught up in “what's next” that “what's now” totally escapes you? How often do we miss today because we are worried about tomorrow?

Did you know Jesus talked about this? In Matthew 6:34 Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NIV). This was part of his Sermon on the Mount as he was teaching the people about the unnecessary energy spent on worrying.

Jesus told the people, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I believe that Jesus tells us this because he knows that God has built so much beauty and opportunity into each day, that Jesus does not want us to miss it. I believe that God loves us so much, that God does not want us to miss out on what is here, worrying about what might be around the corner. If we first seek God, and spend our time there, then some of the things of tomorrow will no longer be ours to worry about. Now, we have to be mindful of tomorrow. We have to be responsible stewards and plan for the future. But we do not have to let the future plan us.

God is at work everyday, in all sorts of ways. If we allow ourselves to become so worried about tomorrow, then we run the very real risk of missing what God is doing today, of what God wants to do through us, today. So I ask you, “have you stopped to smell the roses today?” God planted them for you. God wants you to enjoy them. You are God's creation and you are loved. I encourage you to take the time to enjoy today, experience today. After all, God made it just for you!

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

All Saint's Day: To the Cloud! - Matthew 5:1-12 and Hebrews 11:39-12:2

2011-11-06T12:35:00.000-05:00

Introduction
Today we are going to take time to celebrate and observe an oft-forgotten day in the Christian calendar. A day meant to bring remembrance and honor to those people no longer with us. Today we observe All Saint's Day and the impact those saints had in our lives of faith and specifically how their example drives us today helps us to find encouragement in lives lead for Christ.

In The Beginning...
All Saint's Day was not always about lighting candles and remembering those that have passed on. In the early days of the church it was customary to celebrate feast days for those who were martyred for their faith. Eventually because of persecution, there became too many to celebrate separately and so the church moved to a common day of remembrance for all of the departed saints. Gertrud Mueller Nelson explains All Saint's Day this way: "All Saints Day is the celebration of those who have contributed successfully to the creation of the kingdom. The saints were not perfect, but they were whole, holy, and they were certainly human. They lived their unique fate with creativity and participated in the evolution of human consciousness" (To Dance with God, by Gertrud Mueller Nelson [Paulist Press, 1987], 223). So, today is the day we honor and remember those saints, those people whom we admire, respect, and have lived a life dedicated to the building of God's Kingdom. And one way we honor them is by the candles we lit earlier to remember the names of the faithful from our own congregation who have passed away in the last year as well as a candle for those that were not members here but still had a tremendous impact on each one of us.

Who is a Saint?
Those people we call saints, why do we bestow this designation to them? What does a person have to do for us to consider them a saint? Depending on the context and a person's background there are various answers to the question of who is a saint. Ms. Nelson says they are people who, “were not perfect, but they were whole, holy, and they were certainly human. They lived their unique fate with creativity and participated in the evolution of human consciousness". However, Jesus takes it a bit further in our first Scripture lesson this morning. As our story opens, Christ is walking up the mountain side with his disciples and he begins preaching what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. He starts with the beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10 NIV). Jesus outlines it for us right here. Those of us that have the traits that this world mocks, those of us that have the traits where we put others first, those of us that have the traits that allow us to thin the veil between Heaven and Earth, those are the people that understand what it means to live for Christ. Those people are the saints.

Who are Your Saints?
Each of us have people in our lives, now and from the past, that were our saints. I personally have many saints that have influenced me over the years. But there is one in particular that I want to share with you today, Anne Kirkwood. I love Anne. She was a member of my home church and as a child I would spend time with Anne every week.

My mom was our church Administrative Assistant and each Friday I would go with mom to Anne's house so we could take her all of the unfolded worship bulletins for that weekend's service. Then, bright and early on Sunday morning, Anne would place them in the sanctuary, neatly folded. That was my introduction to this saint. Each week I would see Anne. Each week she would always greet me with incredible kindness. Each week, no matter the number of bulletins, she would thank my mom for bringing them over and promise to have them in the Sanctuary, folded by Sunday morning.

Eventually, Anne became a babysitter for me and my brother and it was in those times I really got to know her. Just to give you an idea of how loving Anne was, when she began babysitting for me, Anne was in her seventy's and had arthritis in her knees pretty severely. But she never failed to get on the floor and play cars with me or any other game I could dream up, any time I was over at her house. It was during these times that she would talk to me about her faith, her childhood, and her hope in the future. And it wasn't just me that she talked to about these things. Anne would sit in the church kitchen every Sunday morning, after making fresh coffee and orange juice, and talk to whomever came in and sat down. You said hello and she took care of the rest. If you did not know Anne when you said hello, you loved her after you did. Every time I would sit and talk with her I would come away more impressed, more in awe of how she lived her life. If I misspoke or behaved poorly, Anne would straighten me out. However, the kicker was you never knew that was what she was doing. She had a way that made you love her even more after she corrected you. There was never any presumptuousness, arrogance, or anger. Just love. And you knew it. You could feel it. Anne lived each day, building for God, through her words, her love, her acceptance, or any other tool she could use. God's love and God's glory shone though Anne in awe-inspiring ways. For me she is a saint, a person that actively built the Kingdom of God, and that I look up to, then and now.

To The Cloud!
Several years ago Microsoft ran an ad talking about their wireless servers. These servers are where people could store their information and then pull it up from anywhere in the world. These servers were supposed to help people access their information when they were away from their home computer. Basically you would no longer store information on your computers hard drive, on in its memory, but on their servers. They called it the cloud. Any of you remember those ads? One commercial in particular showed a couple that was stuck in an airport, bored and needing something to entertain them. They remembered they had unwatched TV shows on their computer at home, but at this point they were not home and now out of luck. But then they would play some corny transition music and show you how happy they would be if they used the cloud because then, even though, they were stuck in the airport, they could access the cloud and watch those stored TV programs on their laptop, in the airport. All of these commercials used the catch phrase, “To the cloud!” Everything was better in the cloud. Every one was happy in the cloud. The cloud was the answer to all of our problems. However, I pose to you this morning that Microsoft, stole our idea.

As Christians, we had the cloud first. From our second Scripture lesson this morning, we are introduced to our cloud, the cloud of witnesses. Listen to these words from Paul, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. God, our creator, wants all of us to be close to him. God wants all of us to enjoy the benefits of being in relationship with him. These saints that we remember and honor today show us how this is done.

If any of you were to ask me for directions to a particular destination and I said something like well you go down a bit and when the road begins to wind you turn there, go out yonder for a spell, look for the rickety fence, veer left and it is just a ways on the left; how many of you think you could get to your destination with those directions? You might make it, eventually. But if you did it would probably be with a lot of frustration, several wrongs turns, and a hefty amount of wasted gas and time. But if I tell you go 1.3 miles, turn right, travel 2.5 miles to Bass Street, go left and your destination will be a .25 mile down on the right, how many of you would get there more efficiently?

That is the benefit our of cloud. We have people, like Anne Kirkwood, that show us how to go, give us specific instructions, through thought, word, and deed, and model for us what it means to be a disciple of Christ. They are by no means perfect people, but they are sent by God to help us find eternity.

Anne is just one of the saints in my life who helped bring me to where I am today in my faith-journey with God. You will never read about her in any church history book. There will never be any days of commemoration in the church calendar set aside to honor and remember her. No, she was just an ordinary person like you and me, but in the course of seeking to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, in striving to love the Lord with all her heart, soul, strength, and mind, she ended up touching my life in ways that changed me and had a profound effect on the person that I am today. For by her example and witness and faithfulness to the love and grace of God, Anne made an indelible mark on me.

Conclusion
So I ask you today, as we honor those that came before us, are you a saint to someone? Are you striving to live the life that Christ preached about on the mountainside? Are you striving to live the life that Christ sacrificed himself for? Those are the questions that we need to constantly ask ourselves. To be a disciple of Christ means that we will do things not generally respected by this world.

I encourage you to take this week and think of the saints that you have known in your life. Those people that have come before us have provided us with a legacy worth remembering, worth passing on. Let us make it a point to remember them everyday and take what they have taught us and pass it on to the next person in the race so that God may continue to be glorified and the Kingdom may continue to be strengthened.

Let us also take time and thank God that they were placed in our life, even if only for awhile. These saints are what drive us and encourage us today. These saints are what it looks like when God is in control. These saints will keep teaching us long after their time in our lives are over. I pray you find hope in your saints, comfort in your saints to know the race you are running will lead to where you want to go, and that through your saints you will find the strength to persevere.

Bible Challenge 11/6 - 11/12

2011-11-05T05:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings All!

We're over halfway through the Gospels now, with Matthew and Mark done. This week we will also finish Luke and turn our attention to John.

Gospel of Luke - Some of the highlights from our reading in Luke this week include:

Jesus' teaching about loving our enemies (chap 6)
Healing of the demon-possessed man (chap 8)
The transfiguration (chap 9)
Parable of the Good Samaritan (chap 10)
The parables about lost items (chap 15)
Jesus and Zaccheus (chap 19)
Jesus praying in the Garden (chap 22)
The Crucifixion (chap 23)
His Resurrection (chap 24)

Gospel of John - John's Gospel, written by one of the disciples, is very different than the others and so is NOT included as a synoptic or similar Gospel. While it does mention some of the same stories of people and healings and miracles, the timeline of Jesus' ministry is different than the others and John also includes large chunks of teaching (like chapters 6, 10, and 13-16) that explain who Jesus is that are not included in any other Gospels. John is clear though about his criteria for what is included within his Gospel: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But THESE are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

Here is the schedule:

6, Sunday - Luke 5-8

7, Monday - Luke 9-12

8, Tuesday - Luke 13-16

9, Wednesday - Luke 17-20

10, Thursday - Luke 21-24

11, Friday - John 1-4

12, Saturday - John 5-8

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His Holy Word.
Amen!

Friday Fives

2011-11-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will spend our time in worship honoring and remembering those mentors in our lives as we commemorate All Saint's Day. A day that is often over-looked, we will use our time to look at how the examples of those saints we know help drive us today and help us to find encouragement in our lives. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

2. Bible Study - We are continuing our Bible study entitled, “Yes Lord I Have Sinned But I Have Several Excellent Excuses” by the Rev. James Moore. Sin is something that affects all of us and this study will help us learn how to take ownership of our sin, be more readily able to recognize temptations in our lives that will lead to sin, as well as help us understand the hope and grace that is ours through Jesus Christ. Next week we will focus on the sins of presumptuousness and losing our spiritual balance. The class will run through November 10th and will be offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm each Thursday. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. If you would like to come, just show up! It is never too late to join and we would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. Block Party - Our Annual Block Party is tomorrow, 11/5, from 2-5pm. Come on out, have some fun, and bring a friend. This is a great way to introduce people to who we are and allow us to love on them for a spell. This is our chance to tell our community that we are here, that God loves them, and so do we. I encourage you to come on out and show your support for our family and spread God's love to those that we will encounter. I hope to see you there!

Midweek Moment

2011-11-01T17:18:00.005-04:00

I am sure many of you have people you look up to; people that stir within you the desire to constantly improve yourself. At work, there are those people that always maintain a high efficiency and seem to always be on top of things. In families there are usually those members of the group that throw the best parties, say the nicest things, or have the most beautifully decorated homes. However, there are also those mentors that we have in the faith.

Have you ever thought about those people that inspire you by their extravagant generosity, incredible Scriptural knowledge, or possess that bubbly personality that is so endearing that everyone just cannot get enough of it? I ask this question because today is All Saint's Day. A day that Gertrud Mueller Nelson explains this way: "All Saints Day is the celebration of those who have contributed successfully to the creation of the kingdom. The saints were not perfect, but they were whole, holy, and they were certainly human. They lived their unique fate with creativity and participated in the evolution of human consciousness" (To Dance with God, by Gertrud Mueller Nelson [Paulist Press, 1987], 223). Today is the day we honor and remember those saints, those people whom we admire, respect, and have lived a life dedicated to the building of God's Kingdom.

I personally have many saints that have influenced me over the years. But there is one in particular that I want to share with you today, Anne Kirkwood. I love Anne. She was a member of my home church and as a child I would spend time with Anne every week. My mom was our church Administrative Assistant and each Friday I would go with mom to Anne's house so we could take her all of the unfolded worship bulletins for that weekend's service. Then, bright and early on Sunday morning, Anne would place them in the sanctuary, neatly folded. That was my introduction to this saint. Each week I would see Anne. Each week she would always greet me with incredible kindness. Each week, no matter the number of bulletins, she would thank my mom for bringing them over and promise to have them in the Sanctuary, folded by Sunday morning. Eventually, Anne became a babysitter for me and my brother and it was in those times I really got to know her. Just to give you an idea of how loving Anne was, when she began babysitting for me, Anne was in her seventy's and had arthritis in her knees pretty severely. But she never failed to get on the floor and play cars with me or any other game I could dream up, any time I was over at her house. It was during these times that she would talk to me about her faith, her childhood, and her hope in the future. And it wasn't just me that she talked to about these things. Anne would sit in the church kitchen every Sunday morning, after making fresh coffee and orange juice, and talk to whomever came in and sat down. You said hello and she took care of the rest. If you did not know Anne when you said hello, you loved her after you did. Every time I would sit and talk with her I would come away more impressed, more in awe of how she lived her life. If I misspoke or behaved poorly, Anne would straighten me out. However, the kicker was you never knew that was what she was doing. She had a way that made you love her even more after she corrected you. There was never any presumptuousness, arrogance, or anger. Just love. And you knew it. You could feel it. Anne lived each day, building for God, through her words, her love, her acceptance, or any other tool she could use. God's love and God's glory shone though Anne in awe-inspiring ways. For me she is a saint, a person that actively built the Kingdom of God, and that I look up to, then and now.

I encourage you to take this week and think of the saints that you have known in your life. Take time and thank God that they were placed in your life, even if only for awhile. These saints are what drive us and encourage us today. These saints are what it looks like when God is in control. These saints will keep teaching us long after their time in our lives are over.

Anne, I miss you and I love you!

Jesus Speaks to Modern Problems: Limited Vision - Luke 5:1-11 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

2011-10-30T12:43:00.001-04:00

GOD’S CALLING ON MY LIFE
I was a senior in high school when I first felt called into the ministry. It was October and we were in the middle of a fall revival at church. It was the last night of the revival and I had decided to stay home. I had been to all the other nights of the revival and I needed to study for a test at school. So my parents left and I sat at my desk in room trying to study. But I couldn’t concentrate. It got to the point where I almost couldn’t breathe and I knew that I needed to be at the revival. So I walked to church – you could see the church from my front yard – we only lived four houses down and across the street from it. I slipped in and sat towards the back since I was late. The minister was speaking about surrendering to God’s call upon your life and as I was sitting there I got the most profound sense inside of me that I needed to turn the direction of my life over to God. I had felt for a long time, ever since I was in second grade, that God was somehow going to use me in ministry, but I didn’t know what that meant. I figured I would grow up to teach in a Christian school, because I loved school and the teaching that I did with kids at church. I responded to the invitation to go down to the altar and pray and while I was there I felt God speaking to my heart that I was supposed to go into ministry, into pastoral ministry. And a great sense of peace enveloped me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to that, but it certainly felt like the right thing to do. My pastor came and I shared with him what I was feeling and he prayed with me.

I wish I could say that everything from that point on was smooth and easy. It wasn’t. Sometimes I wandered and wondered about my calling. While I had sung solos in church for years, I couldn’t imagine standing up in front of people and preaching – I knew I could do the administrative stuff and visit people and lead Bible study – but not preach. Another obstacle was that I’d only met one female pastor in the United Methodist Church. And the Baptist high school I attended was not supportive of women in ministry – unless they married a pastor, served as a teacher or as a church musician or secretary. It took me a while to overcome those barriers in my mind. It was two years before I had worked my way through those issues and was ready to start the candidacy process to be a pastor. It took getting hit by a drunk driver in a parking lot to wake me up and help me realize that I’d never be really happy until I followed along with God’s calling on my life to be a pastor in the United Methodist Church. It wasn’t what I had planned, but the last ten years as a pastor have proven that I am right where I am supposed to be.

GOD CALLS SOME FISHERMEN
Last week we talked about the end of Jesus’ ministry and Peter’s failure and redemption. But this week I want to go back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when he first called the disciples. The people in our Scripture lesson this morning from the gospel of Luke were called out by Jesus to do something beyond the scope of their limited vision as well. In the beginning of the story, Simon Peter and the brothers James and John are fishing for fish and by the end of the story Jesus has called them to be fishers of men.

When we first meet them, they are frustrated fisherman. They have been out all night by the Lake of Gennesaret (another name for the Sea of Galilee) and they have caught nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. This was their livelihood and there was nothing to show for a long night’s work. Dejected, they are now sitting on the shore cleaning out their nets. Jesus has been teaching and people are crowding around him. He approaches Simon Peter and asks him to put the boat out a little from shore. Jesus is able to get a little distance from the crowd and keeps teaching while in the boat. I find this pretty interesting. Simon Peter apparently knows who Jesus is – in the Gospel of John we find out that his Peter’s brother had first been a follower of John the Baptist – and so Peter is not put out in the least when Jesus asks him to put his boat out in the water. Simon does it and patiently listens to Jesus teach.

When he’s done talking to the crowd, Jesus asks Simon Peter to put the boat out into deep water and “let down the nets for a catch” (Lk. 5:4). Here Simon Peter starts to protest a bit: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything” (Lk. 5:5a). But as if he thinks better of his words while he’s speaking, the next thing he says is: “But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Lk. 5:5b). There were certainly reasons for Peter to be skeptical. After all, the experience of the previous night seemed conclusive. As a professional fisherman, Peter knew the lake. And he knew that sometimes even the best fishermen get “skunked.” He could have said, “Sorry, Lord, but it’s not worth the trouble.” Or “I’m the expert here.” But he goes fishing, not because it makes logical sense to him, but because Jesus says so.

And Scripture tells us that after letting the nets down, “they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink” (Lk 5:6-7). Please note that the fish were there all along. It’s not as if Jesus created the fish on the spur of the moment. Those fish were in the water the night before; Peter just couldn’t find them. But when Jesus is in the boat with men, everything changes. Everything is happening according to God’s plan. Peter’s failure paved the way for him to understand what he could do with Jesus’ help.

And a catch like that is what fishermen dream about. They spend a lifetime fishing in hopes that maybe one day something like this will happen to them – no exaggeration necessary here about the catch. But interestingly enough Simon Peter wasn’t bragging about the catch. But he’s overwhelmed, astonished. He sees Jesus for who he really is – the Son of God – and he says to him, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Lk. 5:8). Like most of us, Peter thought in “man-sized” categories, not “God-sized” miracles. He had room in his mind for anything he himself could handle. But when Jesus got involved, the results were more than he could wrap his mind around and it drove him to his knees in desperate prayer.

Interestingly, Jesus ignores Simon’s protest of unworthiness and says to him: "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they (Simon Peter, James and John) pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him” (Lk. 5:10-11). By trade Simon Peter and James and John were fisherman. And now Jesus is giving them a new occupation. Before they had fished on the seas for actual fish; now they will fish on land for the hearts and souls of men.

LESSON 1 – GOD STILL CALLS PEOPLE NOW
This Scripture lesson of these frustrated fishermen this morning really speaks to my heart. And there’ are several things that I think we need to consider in light of this passage for our own lives. The first is this – God called people then, and he still calls people now. What is that call? The original call was for the fishermen to come and follow him – to be Jesus’ disciples, that means students, followers. Nowadays we who have accepted that call refer to ourselves as Christians, bearing the very name of Jesus Christ himself as we move in this world.

Sometimes I think that we in the church have the tendency to think that only pastors are called to be “in ministry.” But the reality is that every person who accepts Jesus’ call to follow him is called to ministry. For some of us that calling is to be a pastor and to help shepherd other believers. But that doesn’t make my calling any better or more important than your callings to ministry. For most people, the call of Jesus Christ to “follow him” means letting of our old lives of sin. It means going back to work tomorrow morning with a new determination to serve God on the job. It means going back to the classroom determined to be a disciple for Christ no matter what anyone else may say or do. It means going home to your family and sharing the love and faithfulness of Christ with them through your words and actions. It means going to work and living a life where your actions match your words of faith so that others may see.

LESSON 2 – GOD CALLS US INTO DEEP WATER
God still calls. And second, God often calls us into deep water. By deep water, I mean areas outside our comfort zones, places where there is sometimes risk, called to activities that are not always easy. Just imagine that God sent you a pretty clear order today to pack up and move to Canada. Now, if the Lord sent me that message, I would ask him to put it in writing. But when we look back in the Old Testament at the book of Genesis, we find that God sent just such a message to Abraham – “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you." (Gen. 12:1) God called Abraham into deep water and Abraham took the risky step of faith to follow where God was leading, even though it meant leaving behind everything that was familiar and safe to him and going out into the unknown without any tangible proof of what or where God was calling him to.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, experienced God’s calling to deeper waters. A pastor’s kid, a pastor himself, he knew there was something missing from his relationship from God. Wesley wrote in his diary one day in May, 1738, "I went quite unwillingly to divine services on Aldersgate Street." Well, that night on Aldersgate Street, John Wesley’s heart was strangely warmed and he experienced God in a totally new way and because of that he launched a renewal movement within the Church of England that would eventually grow to become the United Methodist Church. It was amazing to me to stand in all of the Wesley sites in England this past summer and realize that we wouldn’t be sitting here if Wesley had been content in the shallow waters of his own limited vision.

If I had stayed in shallow waters, if I had followed my vision for my life, I could certainly have served God – as a Christian school teacher and a faithful active local church member. But in my life, God was calling me to deeper waters. When I surrendered my will to God’s and began to let him set the vision for my life, he stretched me way out of my comfort zone, and that was a good thing.

LESSON 3 – GOD DOESN’T CALL THE QUALIFIED; HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED
God calls. He often calls us into deep waters. And finally we have to remember that God doesn’t call the qualified, but qualifies the called. Many of us feel unworthy of serving God. We believe in him, we love him with our whole heart, but we don’t really feel qualified or spiritual enough to lead, let alone follow. But the wonderful thing about the great God we serve is that if God asks you to do something, he will give you the resources and equip you for the task.

When you look throughout Scripture, what you find is that God often calls some of what we feel are the most unlikely candidates to do extraordinary things for him. In Exodus, God sent Moses to demand freedom for the Hebrew people from an Egyptian Pharoah. But Moses had several reasons – EXCUSES – as to why he could not go and God answered every single one. One of Moses’ excuses was, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent." And with remarkable patience the Lord replied, "Who gave man his mouth? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Ex. 4:10-12). There’s no excuse we could come up with that would be new to God or that God cannot answer.

Remember our Scripture lesson from II Corinthians? “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (II Cor. 4:7). We are the jars of clay. Pieces of pottery that can be easily broken. Nothing special or remarkable about these everyday containers until they are filled with the power of God. God often does his best work through those who seem unqualified because it is then that his glory shines brightest and best – when others know you couldn’t have done it on your own but were guided by supernatural help. Need more examples?

When God called Gideon to lead Israel in fighting against the mighty Midianites, Gideon only had an army of 300 against tens of thousands. It seemed insurmountable odds. It seemed stupid and foolish. But God gave them the victory.

When the entire army of Israel hid in their tents when faced with the prospect of doing battle with the great Philistine giant Goliath, God called a young shepherd boy named David to fight. No armor, no sword, just a small stone and slingshot. And God gave David the victory as the giant went down.

When God called Saul the Pharisee to serve him, he was traveling around persecuting Christians – arresting them and in some cases helping to execute them for their beliefs. And yet after encountering God on the Road to Damascus, Saul turned his life around as the Apostle Paul and became the early church’s greatest missionary.

CONCLUSION
And just as God qualified those he called in Scripture, he qualifies and equips us still today for his work in the world. Giving us the heart, giving us the love, giving us the words to say, giving us the strength through the Holy Spirit to put aside our own limited vision and cast out into deep waters.

It was no mistake that the first word Jesus spoke to Peter and the other disciples before saying “Come, follow me!” was “Don’t be afraid!” Getting past our limited vision and casting into deep waters is often scary at first. We’re so aware of our own limitations and problems. Yet God calls to us still saying, “Don’t be afraid! Come, follow me!” It is God’s call, God’s work and God’s miracle. The invitation doesn’t begin or end with us. The One who calls us is the One who knows that he only has imperfect people to call. For our part, we simply have to decide if we are going to follow where God leads. None of us are ever good enough, but God is good enough. And that’s where we must start and finish if we want to cast off limited vision and see what God has in store for us.

Bible Challenge 10/30 - 11/05

2011-10-29T05:27:00.000-04:00

Greetings All.

We're working our way through the Gospels this week, finishing up Matthew, reading the entire Gospel of Mark and reading a few chapters of Luke.

Gospel of Mark
Mark is believed to have been the first Gospel written, about 50AD, as the other three Gospels all quote it, but Mark does not quote the others. The author is believed to be John Mark, the son of a Jerusalem widow whose home was a meeting place for early believers (Acts 12:12). Mark most likely recorded the events as he heard them firsthand from the disciple Peter. The book's non-Jewish flavor suggests it may have been written to believers in Rome. At the time Rome had begun persecuting Christians. This book is clearly meant to encourage suffering believers. Mark shows Jesus as the suffering servant who came to die as the Savior for the world (including non-Jews). Over 40 percent of this Gospel focuses on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus' final week.

Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke is the first of a two part book written by the same author. The first part is an account of Jesus' life and the second part, the book of Acts is an account of the history of the early church. The author Luke was a physician who was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys. He addresses the books of Luke and Acts to Theophilus, probably a Gentile who was either a new believer or someone seeking to learn about Christ. Luke elaborates on a lot of the information from Matthew and Mark, including more parables and more stories about Jesus' interactions with people that show his interest in the non-Jewish world and for the poor.

Here is the schedule:

30, Sunday - Matthew 21-24

31, Monday - Matthew 25-28

1, Tuesday - Mark 1-4

2, Wednesday - Mark 5-8

3, Thursday - Mark 9-12

4, Friday - Mark 13-16

5, Saturday - Luke 1-4

May God bless the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen!

Friday Fives

2011-10-28T12:59:00.000-04:00

1. Preaching Series – This week is our Fifth Sunday Swap and while I am at Belleview UMC leading worship, you all will be blessed by having Pastor Debbie lead you in worship. Come and hear as Pastor Debbie shares with you what Jesus has to say to our problem of limited vision. I know you will moved, challenged, and certainly uplifted by her gentle spirit and loving presence. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

2. Bible Study - We are continuing our Bible study entitled, “Yes Lord I Have Sinned But I Have Several Excellent Excuses” by the Rev. James Moore. Sin is something that affects all of us and this study will help us learn how to take ownership of our sin, be more readily able to recognize temptations in our lives that will lead to sin, as well as help us understand the hope and grace that is ours through Jesus Christ. Next week we will focus on the sins of presumptuousness and losing our spiritual balance. The class will run through November 10th and will be offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm each Thursday. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. If you would like to come, just show up! It is never too late to join and we would love to see you there!

3. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

4. November Newsletters - The November edition of our church newsletter will be available Sunday in the narthex, or immediately today on our church website, under the Church Publication tab. Please to be sure to pick your copy up and help save us the cost of postage of mailing them out.

5. Commitment Cards - Two weeks ago we concluded our annual focus on Stewardship. If you would still like to turn in your commitment card you can bring them to the church office, or simply drop them in the plate on Sunday morning. I encourage all of you to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to respond with not only your treasure, but your time, talents, gifts, and witness as well.

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!

Midweek Moment

2011-10-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

This past week in worship Becky Klotz and Ellen Sisson talked to us about their journey in becoming a part of this body of Christ. They mentioned all of the different aspects that they encountered that lead them to feel Druid Hills was the place for them. They used words like, compassion, love, and welcoming.

For our part of the body to be these things; to be compassionate, loving, and welcoming, it takes many people. It takes many people coming together, using the various gifts that God gave them, and actively participating together in order to truly be successful. You see for us, as a community of believers, to effectively reach the least, the lost, and the last, we need to work together. You can not do it by yourself. I cannot do it by myself. God has given each of us different gifts and when can can work in concert with one another, then the magic happens.

I stole this picture from a pastor friend of mine. It is six young people using their hands to form a cross. And it helps make my point. For us to be the cross of Christ we need to work together. If anyone of those young people were not there, using their hands, the cross would be incomplete. For us to be the cross of Christ, that means that we love each other as we love ourselves. It means that we put the needs of others above our own...always. It means that we seek to show others no matter their past, they have value to us. It means that we put our selfish desires aside and we seek to follow God's will. It means that we empty ourselves out for the one that sacrificed himself for us. It means that it takes all of us, doing all of these things, to be the cross of Christ for others. If we missing just one piece, then our cross in incomplete.

When we as the body can put all of our trust in God, when we as the body can step out on nothing but faith, when we as the body can be in this world but not of this world, then amazing things will happen!

This week I encourage you to spend some quality time looking for how you can be a part of the body of Christ. What role can you play, along side others, in reaching out in God's name? What mission can you plug into that will allow you to bring the type of forgiveness that Christ preached during his ministry on earth? What example can you bring into a group that will allow the Holy Spirit to be moving and active within that circle?

This world is full of challenges, challenges that can be overcome when we all work together, as one, as the cross of Christ.

Have a great week and I will see you soon!

Bible Challenge 10/23 - 10/29

2011-10-22T05:19:00.000-04:00

Greetings All!

This week is the turning point!!! At the end of the week, we'll have made it through the entire Bible and start over again in the New Testament.

Here is a bit of info for you about you will read this week.

Malachi - The last of the books of the Old Testament, Malachi is named for a prophet. And the name means "My messenger or God's messenger." There is virtually no biographical information concerning the author in this book and very little historical information for placing it as well. We can infer that Malachi was a prophet in Jerusalem at some point after the return of the exiles and probably before Nehemiah. He speaks out against lax religious and social behavior of the Israelites, in particular the priests.

Gospel of Matthew - Matthew is the first of the Gospels recorded in the New Testament and is also one of the three "synoptic Gospels" (meaning similar or together because they include some of the same stories in the same sequences and the same words - John is the exception). This Gospel is attributed to one of Jesus' disciples, Matthew the tax collector. And from the information and perspective he includes we can tell that he was writing to a primarily Jewish audience: he stresses Jewish law, he doesn't explain Jewish customs, and in the beginning of the Gospel he includes a genealogy which takes Jesus' ancestry all the way back to Father Abraham. There are seven main sections in this Gospel, with a prologue about Jesus' early life, five sections covering his ministry and the last section about his death and resurrection.

Here is the schedule:

23, Sunday: Zechariah 11-14

24, Monday: Malachi 1-4

25, Tuesday: Matthew 1-4

26, Wednesday: Matthew 5-8

27, Thursday: Matthew 9-12

28, Friday: Matthew 13-16

29, Saturday: Matthew 17-20

May God bless the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen!

Friday Fives

2011-10-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

1. Preaching Series – This week we will celebrate Laity Sunday! We will be lead during worship by the laity of the congregation as we celebrate the vitality, the gifts, and the graces, that you all bring to our body of Christ. I encourage to come and see each other in action as you pray for us, preach to us, and lead us in song. I am sure it will be inspiring, refreshing, and so meaningful to us all. Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!

2. Bible Study - We have begun our Bible study entitled, “Yes Lord I Have Sinned But I Have Several Excellent Excuses” by the Rev. James Moore. Sin is something that affects all of us and this study will help us learn how to take ownership of our sin, be more readily able to recognize temptations in our lives that will lead to sin, as well as help us understand the hope and grace that is ours through Jesus Christ. Next week we will focus on the sins of overreaction and the sins of hostility. The class will run through November 10th and will be offered at two different times: 10:00am and 7:00pm each Thursday. The cost is free. If you would like the book, which is not required, it is $12. To register for this class, you can register on the website by clicking here - Bible Study Registration or contact the church office. It is never too late to join and we would love to see you there!

3. Pumpkin Patch - The pumpkins are here! And the patch is in full swing! If you would like to help there are many ways; reading stories to the children's groups; working a shift selling the pumpkins; and several other ways. We need everyone's help to make this a wonderful experience for all. Please see Roy Baugher or call the church office to sign up to help.

4. Pumpkin Patch Photos - Jennifer Walker is the new photographer for the Pumpkin Patch. Meet Jen at the patch: Fri. Oct. 21, 4pm-dark; Sat. Oct. 22, 4pm-dark; Sun. Oct. 23, 2pm-4pm. No sitting fee! Easy online ordering! If you have any questions, please contact Jen at 572-3171 or by clicking here for her website.

5. Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allows the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office.

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Stewardship – Commitment: Taking a Leap of Faith - I Kings 17:8-16 and Matthew 6:25-34

2011-10-16T12:45:00.000-04:00

Introduction
Today is our last Sunday in this series of stewardship and it’s going to culminate in the dedication of pledge cards at the altar regarding our time, talent, territory and treasure.

Two weeks ago, we began our look at stewardship with the principle of Management, getting it straight in our heads that God owns everything and we are just the stewards or managers of it all. We looked at what we have in our hands to offer back to God and challenged ourselves to discover the best ways to use those gifts. Then last week we continued by looking at the principle of Investment as we explored some of the whys of giving: 1) It keeps our hearts in the right place, 2) it benefits the needy/serves as a witness; and 3) it glorifies God. We also explored some of the hows, the actual application for our giving, using the guideline of sowing and reaping and the practice of tithing. Today we are going to wrap this series up by looking at the commitment God calls us to make by looking at the difference between giving and understanding.

Taking the Plunge!
Commercials on TV are meant for you to remember them and its amazing what certain catchy jingles or images we remember. One that stands out for me is the Nestea commercial. The commercial shows a man on a hot, sunny day standing next to a shimmering, blue swimming pool. He is dressed in a suit with sweat pouring off his face. With his back toward the pool, he grasps a glass of golden tea that jingles with ice cubes. Then, in slow motion, the man, as he drinks the tea, falls backward into the pool, clothes and all. He hits the pool with a gigantic splash and lets out a contented “Aahhh!” Television viewers then hear a background voice-over: “Take the Nestea plunge!”

For us to be good and faithful steward, is for us to take such a plunge. Because being a good steward of all the resources God has entrusted us means living by faith, indeed living by trust. We have to let go of what we have, grasp God’s promises, and then lean back and take the plunge. In those moments of risky, reckless abandon, we discover how much God and others care for us. We also find out how much we care for others.

The Widow of Zarephath
The woman we meet in our first Scripture lesson today took this plunge of faithful stewardship. The Bible doesn’t give her a bona fide name; it only identifies her as the widow of Zarephath living in Sidon, north of Israel. She receives a visit from the prophet Elijah, who has fleed Israel’s king. Evidently, Elijah told Ahab that it was Yahweh who controlled the rain, not Ahab’s chosen god, Baal, and that did not go over so well. Elijah promised a long drought to prove his point, and the drought came. So Yahweh sends Elijah north for protection and points him to our widow. Yahweh promises Elijah that this widow will feed the prophet during the drought.

There are several things we need to understand about this widow. One, because Sidon was a Baal-worshipping community, we can reasonably assume this widow was loyal to Baal and the Lord did not choose her for any particular devotion to Yahweh. Two, we also must remember that she too suffers under Yahweh’s imposed drought. Three, as a widowed woman in that time, without the help of a husband, we are certain her life was difficult to begin with, without a full-blown drought making matters worse. Finally, to add to her worries, she also has a son to care for and no resources in which to aid her.

We find her searching for left-behind sticks of firewood in order to make one last fire so she can shape her last handful of flour with the last bit of cooking oil. She is resigned to death, for this is the end. Then suddenly, Elijah, a stranger, approaches and asks for a drink of water. The widow retrieves a drink for him and Elijah goes on to press his luck asking for a morsel of bread. At this the widow protests: “But… I have enough only for one more cake and that will be the last meal I will make for my child and me.”

Elijah then has the gall to tell her to make a cake for him first and then make one for her and her son. And if that was not enough, Elijah then tells her to do this and not to be afraid. This woman lived fear, fighting to scratch out a life for her and her child and now at the end of her resources, she is facing a death of hunger and want. Why should she share this last ritual of eating and drinking with a total stranger?

As she stands at the gate to the city with the prophet, the widow faces a huge decision. “This man says his ‘god’ has a word for me. This ‘god’ will not let my flour or oil be used up until the rains return. I don’t know his ‘god.’ But what if I took the risk? What if I shared my flour and oil and gave this man something to eat? Would the promise of this ‘god’ come true for my child and me?” Something clicks and she receives a word, a kindling of hope. The woman at Zarephath takes the plunge. She turns, goes, and makes a little cake, giving it to Elijah first. “And the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of fat oil, according to the words of the Lord.”

Giving – The Difference Between Understanding and Practice
This widow was faced with a decision. The same decision we face as we try to become faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us. We can hold on to who we are, rely in our own strength to care for our needs and grip what we have so tightly our knuckles turn white. After all, that does seem like the most prudent option, even though that really is a dead-end. Or we can open our hands and let go of what we have. Thereby, choosing to take the plunge into a future with God, standing on his promises to provide for our needs. The widow of Zarephath took the plunge. She found a jar of endless meal and a jug of never-failing oil to last her and her son through a drought.

Most of us understand with our minds all the principles of giving and the reasons we should tithe. But we often find it hard to give and put the things we know into practice. And that’s because we’re scared. Because stewardship and giving ultimately comes down to a question of faith – CAN WE REALLY TRUST GOD TO TAKE CARE OF US?

Jesus himself gives us the answer to that question in Matthew 6 as part of his teaching called the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus questioned why people worry about what they will eat and drink, about their bodies and what they will wear. Jesus said our lives are about more than food and our bodies are about more than clothes. He then gives us two wonderful examples from creation of how much God loves and cares for what he has created. He talks about how the birds of the air are fed, even the littlest tiny bird is taken care of by God. He describes how the lilies of the field and the grass itself is beautifully clothed, and it doesn’t even have a long life span. He then tells us that we are certainly more valuable to God than the birds and the grass, for after all God sent his only Son into the world to die that we might have life with him.

The message from Jesus is this - we can trust God to take care of us. Why? Because God created us and he loves us and our Heavenly Father certainly knows all of our needs. And furthermore, the message of Jesus which is confirmed elsewhere in Scripture is that God doesn’t want us to be consumed with trying to work out the details of our needs for ourselves. What God wants, is for us to seek first His kingdom and in return he promises that he will see to the needs of our lives.

So can we trust God to take care of us? The answer according to Jesus is, ABSOLUTELY YES. I’m not saying that being a faithful steward is easy. Sometimes it’s scary. And I’m not saying that being a faithful steward means you’ll get everything you’ve ever wanted, because you don’t. But God is faithful to supply our needs when we are faithful to remember the principles of giving and give back to God as he has asked.

Learning to be faithful stewards is like learning how to walk. The muscles in our legs have to grow stronger in order for us to walk, and then our coordination has to improve for us to be able to walk well. In our lives of faith, our spiritual muscles and coordination require development too. Being a faithful steward isn’t always easy. In fact, at the beginning, it can be downright scary trying to take those first few steps on wobbly legs. There will be bumps in the road, times when you’re tempted to bail out because it seems too hard. It may mean rearranging your priorities and your budget for a few less meals out so that you can tithe to the church. But if you keep working at it, eventually the muscles of your faith grow enough so that you can stand and walk without fear.

Being a faithful steward isn’t about manipulating God into a corner so you can have everything you’ve ever wanted. God is faithful to supply our needs when we are faithful to remember to give. We have Jesus’ own assurance that God provides for the animals and the grass and that we are far more valuable than these.

Will You Walk Out in Faith?
With all that in mind this morning, my question to you is this - what is God asking you to risk? What are you holding onto that you could “let go and let God?” Our challenge for this upcoming year is to follow the example of the widow from Zarephath and take the plunge of faithful stewardship. We know God will be faithful to supply our needs so we can be faithful to do as God has asked.

I invite you to take that first step of faith today. If you haven’t already done so, you can fill out a pledge card this morning while we sing our final hymn. And as you do this, I want to challenge you to give with confidence. If you have never given regularly before, maybe this means next year you give faithfully one, three, five, or seven percent. If you are currently a giver, maybe that means you strive to be a tither next year and give the ten percent. If you are already a tither, maybe that means you go up a bit in your gift.

But whatever you do, do it prayerfully, do it confidently, and do it out of gratitude for what God has already done for you.