The Word, as read by Scott Hagan

Prayer for GOD's People

2012-02-14T09:31:00.001-05:00

O GOD, our Father, we know our own weakness.
Our minds are darkened, and by ourselves we cannot find a know the truth.
Our wills are weak, and by ourselves we cannot resist temptation, or bring to its completion that which we resolve to do.
Our hearts are fickle, and by ourselves we cannot give you the loyalty which is your due.
Our steps are faltering, and by ourselves we cannot walk in your straight way.
So this day we ask you,
To enlighten us;
To strengthen us;
To guide us, that we may know you, and love you, and follow you all the days of our life.
Give to your Church your blessing and your protection.
Guide her in her thinking, that she may be saved from the heresies, which destroy the faith.
Strengthen her in her witness, that she may bring no discredit on the name she bears.
Inspire her in her fellowship, that those who enter her may find within her your friendship and the friendship of their fellows on this journey.

- From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay

We Could Be The Champions

2012-02-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

Imagine if championship-caliber teams or athletes aimed for lesser goals. Imagine if John Wooden's UCLA teams had been fine with collecting some wins, but not striving for more. Imagine if Jesse Owens or Jackie Robinson had been content to play only with persons of their color, instead of running through color barriers. Imagine if the next great Olympic female gymnast, in middle school now, gave up on her sport in order to catch up on reruns of the latest reality show on television.
Could it be that we have settled for something less than the best for us? That comfort, false modesty, or ignorance have won out? I read these words this week during my morning devotional:

If you asked twenty good men and women today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, they would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive.... The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself. We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory, 1941)

We could be the champions, too, if we did not settle for gains, goals, and desires far lesser than what God has placed out in front of us. Instead, we're too easily pleased with less. Must we strive for God's best? Must we struggle and compete to win? Yes. Paul says we are to press on toward the prize and disregard every hindrance as we run the race with perseverance (Philippians 3, Hebrews 12). Grace and Peace, Scott

We’ve been here before, but who wins this time?

2012-02-01T09:07:00.003-05:00

We’ve been here before. It is amazing how things repeat themselves. Sometimes we feel like we can predict the future simply because we’ve already seen it so clearly in our past. The repetitive nature of things can be found all over.

Take this weekend’s Super Bowl XLVI, for instance. We’ve already seen this game before. In fact, Super Bowl marks the 13th Super Bowl that is a rematch of a regular season game. In case you are wondering, the loser in the regular season is 7–5 in these games, including 5–1 the last six times this has happened. This bodes well for the Patriots, since the Giants won earlier this year on November 6. But, not only have we seen these two teams compete already this season, many fans remember they faced each other in a Super Bowl a couple of years back. This is the sixth Super Bowl in which that has happened. Both head coaches (Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick) and both starting quarterbacks (Eli Manning and Tom Brady) were in the same roles back 1998. The entire storyline, and certainly the commentary before and during the game, will be about the frequent times these opponents have faced each other.

Which brings us to the Gospel.

Isn’t it very similar in our own lives, too? We continue to face some of the same opponents. Our storyline is fond of repeating itself, isn’t it? And, it is not just us? How many of us have loved ones and friends that confide in us, and share their lives with us? How often do the frustrations and challenges they share with us repeat themselves? It is the same people, or the same situation, or the same stumbling block that continues to prevent them, and us, from moving forward.

What are your adversaries? Gossip? Self-control? Greed? Stubbornness? An unhealthy appetite? Laziness? Arrogance? Isn’t it true that the same opponents line up against us, time and time again? In the contest of eternal proportions that is being played out in our souls, we’ve been here before, but who wins this time?

We are the victors, in Christ. That is the Good News. That is the promise. 1 John 5 says it this way, “For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.”

May you face the opponents of our souls, that seek to crush the abundant live that Christ offers to each of us, and place your faith in the One who has already conquered death. He is Jesus. Love wins. Grace and Peace to you, Scott.

SOTU

2012-01-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution commands the president of the United States to annually come before Congress to present the state of the union, or what is called SOTU. Our founding fathers knew, like we do, the immeasurable value of taking time out to reflect where we have come from, where we are, and where we are going.

A year ago I introduced three core values that I believe remain at the center of where God desires us to focus: personal discipleship, excellence, and sustainability. They remain central to the modern realities of living into Christ's great commission to the church. Eugene Peterson interprets it this way:

"Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." (Matthew 28).

We must first be those who are being trained and made into disciples ourselves. We cannot lead people to a place we have not been or will not go ourselves. Secondly, we must be stewards of the resources and blessings God has given us, which means we must do church in a sustainable way. No longer can we take on all things; we must take on the right things for us and allow someone else to do the others. Finally, we must do all ministry with excellence, because the globalization of the world has surely elevated everyone's expectations about quality.

As for specific areas within our church, I will touch briefly on a number that merit our attention:

Ministry with Families of all sizes - it is a concept called Orange, and we asking everyone to begin to Think Orange. It starts next Wednesday, February 1 after supper.
Sunday School - participation has increased, thanks to the consolidation of our morning worship services, and to the opportunity to start two new classes. It is in this hour that people are able to learn and witness what being a disciple of Jesus looks like in the world. This Sunday's gathering of our SS teachers and leaders intends to further inspire all of us to pursue excellence in this critical ministry.
Missions - our new emphasis on involving every person in serving with our hands in a variety of ways is already showing results. Let us remember, we gather to grow in order that we go to serve. The church fails when it remains here without going out there.
Finances - the way our people have committed to stewardship is moving us back toward sure financial footing. 2011 saw great generosity, as we paid our Conference apportionments, paid our bills, and even paid back some to ourselves. We are improving, but each of us must continue to be faithful.

The state of the church is good, not yet great, and in constant need of grace. But we take comfort in knowing, best of all, God is with us. Grace and Peace, Scott

Thank You Jim Morpeth, founder of Country's Barbecue

2012-01-10T14:09:00.003-05:00

I want to begin by saying thank you, then take a couple of moments to say why. So, here goes, "Thank you, Jim Morpeth." I read the piece that ran on Monday in the Ledger-Enquirer (find it here), and I was impressed and appreciative.

   As for why I am thankful, let me be clear; it is not only for the amazing food served up at any of your three locations. I love your food. I especially love the skillet apples...I have some every time I dine with you and your great team of co-workers. I am also thankful for your sponsorship of last month's Reindeer Run to support the Children's Miracle Network...my wife and I and our two boys had a great time! But the neither the delicious meals you serve up or the charity work you do are what is prompting me to write a note of thank you today.
   I want to thank you for being generous with your praise of others. Specifically, in the article in the Ledger-Enquirer (you really should read it here), you seemed to naturally flow into talking about others in the community and sharing your appreciation for them. I loved it. It was genuine, and it was classy. It is not something that happens enough, anymore.
   You made three different references to our great downtown community. Your first reference was to another dining establishment around the corner from your Broadway location: Fountain City Coffee. Not only were your complimentary, but you were specific in your praise. That is how to be genuine and to build others up. You then made a quick mention of the local vendors who participate in the sidewalk market when the weather is warmer. Finally, you finished with a great word of affirmation for the Springer Academy and the work of Ron Anderson. I know we've had folks from our congregation who have participated in it, and they share your deep thankfulness.
   Jesus taught and modeled such behavior. One fascinating story that comes to my mind is told in Mark 9. The disciples tell Jesus about another person, outside of their own inner circle, who was doing good work on his own, and they wanted Jesus to help them put a stop to it, but he wouldn't. The truth he shared that day that he wants us to know is this: every person working for good in the world is working on the same team!
   So thanks for seeing the world in such a glorious, and grand manner. Thanks for sharing with all of us your humility and appreciation for what others are doing. Thanks for reminding us that we are not all working against each other...that good deeds should be celebrated by everyone. Grace and Peace, Scott.

Five Non-negotiables

2012-01-01T23:22:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon a letter, over the holidays, that I wrote back in 2003. In the process of an interview for a possible position within the church, I was asked by a pastor in South Georgia to list five non-negotiables in my life. I have included the list.

Five non-negotiable things in my life:

My covenant with my wife, Julie. I will not negotiate in terms that would do anything to damage the promises that I have made with her, or that she has made with me. That does not mean that situations will arise within each of our lives that require that we go back and restate what our promises were. Yet my promise to be there for her requires that I consider deeply how I am interpreting the other claims upon my life.
My presence in the life of my son, Sam.* While not entering into a public covenant like that of wedding vows, we are in many ways more intimately connected in these years ahead because of need for guidance, protection, and instruction as he grows.
My faith in God. I believe in, and am shaped everyday by God the Creator, that has sought me through grace to be renewed in his likeness. He extends that same love to every person.
My passion for the church. I will not allow anything to turn aside my deep conviction that the church is a great gift to the world, and is God’s great vehicle for sharing and being the healing, transforming, and saving power that is given through Christ Jesus.
My deep belief that all people are included in God’s grace is non-negotiable.

* - This one only lists Sam, as Jack was still two years from entering the world; Jack makes the list now, too!

I offer these as encouragement to consider what things in your life are non-negotiables. What are the boundaries for where you will go? How do the rock-solid commitments you have made influence your everyday life, your plans for the short-term, and your dreams about the distant future? I think the abundant life that Jesus talked about included such commitments and non-negotiables. His choices, made in the everyday living of life, emerged from a deep sense of knowing his place and his direction. The Gospels are filled with the difficult choices he made, and then often the reasons he offers for why he is doing one thing over the other.

At the core of my non-negotiables is my family and my faith. Many of you would have these on your list. We are going to be talking about new ways to bring the faith of the church and the heart of the family together in 2012 here at Epworth. It is a concept called Orange, and I am excited about it. May God use it to solidify the non-negotiables in the lives of all of our people and grow us for God's glory.

Ponder It A Bit Longer

2011-12-27T15:21:00.002-05:00

This example of procrastination turned into stewardship first appeared in the New Yorker magazine.

For many folks, Christmas ended on the 25th. I was amused to see people proudly post online that they had already de-Christmased their homes on the 26th...taking down the wreaths, tree, ornaments, nativity scenes...in order to get things back to normal. For others, Christmas ends a little later on, but truthfully few still observe all twelve days of Christmas that actually start on December 25th. Instead, we all have our own schedules and ways of ending things.

Can you remember how the first Christmas story ends? Luke 2 says, "all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Something about that line about Mary is interesting to me. It says people were amazed at the moment - the baby, the manger, the pitiful surroundings, the shepherds, the star - but that Mary apparently hung on to it all longer than just the moment. She kept it. Christmas was longer than a day or even a season.

Some of you are saying, "Sure she did, she had a newborn on her hands and did not have a choice." But I don't think that is what Luke is talking about. I think he wants us to know that Mary was paying attention, and that the implications of the significance of that first Christmas were not lost on her. Things had changed; not just for her but maybe for the whole world.

We could learn from Mary. It is worth remembering that out of all the women on earth, God did choose her to bring the Savior into the world. We all could stand to allow the truths of Christmas to linger a little longer in our hearts, too. God becoming flesh and blood, as the writer John tells the Christmas story, is something new altogether. God has done a new thing. Maybe we can take our old ways...and packed them up with all of those ornaments and decorations. Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Sing. Now. Be Merry.

2011-12-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

drawing by Ed Fisher, appeared in the New Yorker magazine

   Christmas is drawing close...it is here. For many folks, this cartoon captures the truth. We feel like a part of the herd, pushed forward and told to "sing now." It is Christmas. Sing. Be merry. Have a good time.
   But, we resist. For good reasons. We know better than to dictate feelings and emotions to others. It does not work. And, besides, some people find it hard to be merry all of the time during this time of the year. Memories are strong, right now, and those memories take us back to when loved ones were still with us and things were different. The holidays can be difficult. We would be remiss not to respect that truth. I believe we must be ever vigilant to reach out to those who hurt and extend our care and compassion, especially now.
   Beyond our respect for the feelings and context of others, I read into this cartoon another element of modern celebrating that had little place in the original Christmas story: the sense of awe. Stories of the first Christmas, from Matthew and Luke, are both filled with moments of surprise and wonder. There were angels making startling announcements to both Mary and Joseph. Elizabeth and Zechariah get the surprise of the their lives, when told they have have a son named John. An angelic chorus directs shepherds to cave used as a stable, of all places, to find a child just born. All the while, we're told God's plan to redeem all of the world is being put on full display. The first Christmas was anything but rote.
   In the midst of all of the emotions and busyness of the season, may we move at our own pace toward the scene being played out before us. May we gaze with awe at how the God of the Universe is choosing to reveal himself to us this year. Grace and Peace to you.

Guide to Lectio Divina

2011-12-09T16:10:00.001-05:00

This is a practice I have recently begun, and I thought I'd share it...this overview comes from the monthly devotional book Give Us This Day.

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Choose a word or phrase of the Scriptures you wish to pray. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as you have no set goal of “covering” a certain amount of text. The amount of text covered is in God’s hands, not yours. Read. Turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow says, “I am for you today.” Do not expect lightning or ecstasies. In lectio divina, God is teaching us to listen, to seek him in silence. God does not reach out and grab us but gently invites us ever more deeply into his presence.

Ponder. Take the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. Do not be afraid of distractions. Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself that, when they rise up during lectio divina, are asking to be given to God along with the rest of your inner self. Allow this inner pondering, this rumination, to invite you into dialogue with God.

Pray. Whether you use words, ideas, or images—or all three—is not important. Interact with God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. Give to God what you have discovered during your experience of meditation. Give to God what you have found within your heart.

It is not necessary to assess the quality of your lectio divina, as if you were “performing” or seeking some goal. Lectio divina has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.

—Fr. Luke Dysinger

Luke Dysinger, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, California.

Our God is an Awesome (and Enormous) God

2011-12-06T13:53:00.001-05:00

A new article in the journal Nature this week reveals the latest and largest discovery in the universe in quite some time. Scientists have found the biggest black holes known to exist, each one 10 billion times the size of our sun. A team led by astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, discovered the two gigantic black holes in clusters of elliptical galaxies more than 300 million light years away. Described as "monstrous", by Berkeley astrophysicist Chung-Pei Ma, they are almost twice as large as the previously largest black hole. Dennis Overbye, science reporter for the NY Times, writes, "Black holes, regions of space where gravity is so intense that not even light can escape from it, are among the weirdest of the predictions of Albert Einstein’s curved-space theory of gravity, general relativity — so weird that Einstein himself did not believe it. He once wrote to a friend that there ought to be a law of nature forbidding such a thing." That is dark and that is large.

Black holes define complete darkness. The message of the season of Advent, on the other hand, is the light of Christ that enters the world to drive out the darkness from among the world and the souls of women and men. That is precisely how John's Gospel begins. But, I cannot get over how large that is: 10 billion times larger than our sun.

___________

Sara Renner's senior lecture recital last week at Columbus State's Schwob School of Music was really well done. I was joined by a group from Epworth and we were all impressed. The first half featured Sara teaching on the history, impact, and theory of her chosen piece of music, followed by her performance of it. At the break in between, I turned to those around me and said, "We have witnessed the truth of God. For just when we thought we knew it all, or at least a lot, we sit and listen to an entire lecture on a subject that we nothing about!" We were all blown away. In that moment God was reminding me, through this gifted musician and friend, that I am very small and God is not.

God captivates me with song and with size. If a black hole is that large, then how much larger is the God who can not only conceive of it...but with just a word create it? Advent calls us to prepare for the coming of the One who is light and life. May we delight at such a thought!

Finding The Things That Are Right

2011-11-28T15:13:00.001-05:00

There is a social media explosion happening in the world. Many people know it by the names of the most popular websites like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and maybe Flickster or Tumblr. People increasingly visit these sites to connect, to be inspired, to vent, to learn, and to seek advice. For as radical and even unconventional as this may seem to many, social media is becoming the new best friend/news outlet/therapy session/matchmaker/communications tool for hundreds of millions of people around the world. People are increasingly learning and commenting about the world online.

One of the social media platforms rapidly gaining in popularity is a site called Pinterest.com; it has grown 800% since March of this year. I first learned about it from Blaire Morris, and joined it a couple of weeks ago to 'stay hip.' Pinterest is like an online scrapbook that you share with your friends. Pinterest allows you to keep all your ideas and inspirations in one visually appealing place called a board. People create them about all sorts of topics, but many are about fashion, decorating, art, or photography. Since I know very little about any of those, one of the first boards I created was called "Things Right in the World." I have images of Mother Teresa and Methodist missionaries at work, among others.

Good things are a topic that gets far too little attention. Bad things get more attention than good. Our eyes, our ears, and and our minds are trained to see, hear, or notice the mistakes, errors, and failures. It is especially true when we talk about the world. We are quick to talk and agree about all of the things that are going wrong, but when pressed to talk about what is right, it is much harder to find consensus.

Our Missions Committee wants us to see good things and offer our support. Helping our neighbors in great need this Christmas season makes my list of things that are right. The Epworth Christmas Offering goes to support three of our key partners in ministry with specific goals in mind: Open Door Community House ($2000), the Wynnton Neighborhood Network ($1000), and Brown Bag of Columbus ($1000), and the total received will be shared among them. I received a $500 check this past week for this very effort that, when combined from the Love Light Sunday offerings, puts over $1000 towards our ambitious goal. If you feel led to give beyond your regular contribution to Epworth making a gift in honor or memory of loves ones, or you can receive a certificate to give as a present at Christmas.

May we be those who see the right and name it. May we be those who see good happening...and join in. Grace and Peace to you.

Winning

2011-11-20T15:17:00.001-05:00

More and more, winning is seen in anegative light. Rightfully so, as somepeople see winning as so important that playing within the rules or thinkingabout others are ignored. Of course,Charlie Sheen made the phrase infamous in a rant earlier this year, as helashed out at coworkers and his bosses over their unwillingness to enable tohis craziness any longer. ‘Win at allcosts’ is the creed by which some folks live, and it has expanded the bounds ofwhat success looks like beyond decency and morals.

It is a shame that winning has beenbrought low by those who have only their gain in mind. Instead, I’d like to think of winning as thegoal for every team, group, or organization. Not to make others losers but surely to give every person a goal inwhich to strive. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, this week, set the all-time records forwins in men’s college basketball (read the story here). He earned seven of his record 903wins from the twelve games he coached against the Georgia Tech teams on which Iworked! Nonetheless, he makes winning something to be admired.

What does winning look like for ourchurch? What is the goal that everyperson in the church is pulling toward? If our journey were seen as a race, do we agree on where the finish-lineis located? Are we all headed in thesame direction? I have said before,

A win happens every time a person islead into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and then sent out to bringabout change for the Kingdom.

Of course, this requires a team effort. It calls for the right equipment, the right strategy, the right people, and a united Spirit. We have so much of that right here. Just like any other team event, winning for the church takes time and it takes determination.
I have been so blessed to stand alongside the great women and men of this church as we seek God’s Kingdom wins. I’m looking forward to the distances we’ll run together towards the goal stretched out before us. Grace and Peace, Scott

The Season of Advent

2011-11-20T15:11:00.001-05:00

   The Four Sundays of Advent make up the first season of the Christian year. Advent derives from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” The season proclaims the comings of Christ.
   The church uses these four weeks as a time to prepare for Christmas. I believe firmly in this idea - we need to get ready for what God has in store for us on Christmas. Not another present under the tree, not the car in the driveway with the oversized bow on top as the television commercials would have us believe - but the coming of a Savior to win us away from slavery to sin and death and back to the freedom to live. We are preparing to celebrate once again, the birth of One who comes continually in Word and Spirit to us.
   But Advent is not only about Jesus’ birth in that manger, as if we should keep our eyes fixed on the rearview mirror of history. It is in God’s plan that Jesus comes again, a second time. Advent is equally about the time Jesus did come then and the time He will come again. We celebrate the two comings of Christ. We will spend some time in these four weeks recognizing the One whose return in final victory we anticipate.
   Each year Advent calls the community of faith to prepare for these comings. So worship is a little different for these weeks - because we are different. While the world busies itself with preparations for presents or parties, the church pushes past some of that to see beyond. We want to gaze into the truth God has for us.
   We begin worship this week by lighting candles and reading scripture. Candles remind us that Jesus comes as light of the world - and that we too often find ourselves walking in shadows and darkness. I believe the church is obligated to proclaim, “We need a Savior.” Let us enter into the season of expectantly preparing for His arrival.

Form Follows Function

2011-11-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

It was the Americanarchitect Louis Sullivan who coined thephrase in his article The Tall Office Building ArtisticallyConsidered in 1896. Later one of his students, Frank Lloyd Wright,would revise it to say, "form and function should be one, joined in a spiritualunion." I remember the quote first entering into my academic life as asophomore enrolled in an industrial design class in college. I recall nameslike Herman Miller, Charles Eames, and the Bauhaus movement. My appreciation for great furniture, spectacular gadgets, andsoaring architecture grew. The Eames Lounge Chair captures the concept ofform following function perfectly. From shape to materials and even to theprocess by which it is manufactured, the function of the object determines sovery much about the form that it takes.

I have been struck how much this concept drives theway I think about the church, or my ecclesiology. I very often find myselfturning to fundamental ideas about why we do a thing when I am asked about howwe might do that very thing. Consider these examples:

Preaching - is intended to build up, teach, and inspire us as members of the body of Christ on earth. While those functions can each demand their own devices from time to time, are there particular ways and methods for how we can best achieve effective preaching in the church that help us to achieve all three? What role do trust, relationships, knowledge, and authenticity play? What about style, attire, length, and even location?
Stewardship - was the topic Jesus taught upon in his conversations with the disciples, the crowds that followed him, and even the critics that challenged him. It is one of the most delicate subjects to deal with still today, yet it remains at the center of how we relate to God and each other. What details about how we talk about stewardship and go about leading each other to excel in this area are important? Honesty, fairness, truth-telling, and confidentiality come to my mind. How about yours?
Welcoming Guests and Members - is something about which we pride ourselves. It functions as a way to learn names and connect in deep ways with other people's lives. Some forms are in place: greeters at the door, nametags in the hallway, passing the peace in worship, connection cards, and follow-up from the pastor for new visitors. What other forms should we consider in order to achieve the function of helping people know our great desire for them to feel welcomed by God into Epworth?

As I read some of the most important sections of theNew Testament, whether in Matthew 28 on disciple-making, 2 Timothy on teaching,or Matthew 6 on prayer, so much of the Bible describes functions for the churchand the forms they should take.

Are their areas and forms in your life that no longerserve their purpose or function? Have you audited your forms lately to see thatthey still balance with the purpose and functions you are called to achieve?This is a good question? Peace to you on the journey.

Super Heroes and Super Pets Are Not Real

2011-10-25T11:54:00.001-04:00

Molly, our 4 year-old Maltese-Bichon guard dog, watched me as I pulled backwards down the driveway of our home the other day. With my daily list of have-to's and want-to's accumulating in my mind, I couldn't help but compare my day with hers: Molly will nap on the couch, exit her dog-door, circle the yard, bark at some kindly passing neighbor, return inside and nap some more, only to repeat this beautiful cycle throughout the day until we return. Oh, the life of a domesticated pet!

But it has not always been that way; some years ago, Molly had a secret vocation. She was playful pet around our home, but when bedtime stories were being told, she became SuperMolly. The tales of her adventures were legendary among two little boys I am quite fond of and her daring escapades were...daring! In those stories she'd make her way outside, round the corner of the house, and then take to the air to find the bad guys and win the day.

I am struck by a couple of points as I take a trip down memory lane, thinking back to when Sam and Jack and their dad were all younger. The first is, super pets would make for a great movie idea or even television series (which is probably why Disney released Bolt on the big screen in 2008 and they have had Perry the Platypus saving the day on their hit show, Phineas and Ferb, for over three years now). But second and more importantly, none of it is real. Despite their popularity, those super heroes are fictional and the stories are made up.

Super Heroes are made up but the battle between good and evil is very real. I understand the story goes like this: God's love for each of us throughout history is the continual strike against the force that would seek to do us eternal harm. Our choice to accept this undeserved love of God is our best possible response to grace, and nevertheless we remain in the midst of a struggle between good and evil. Paul, a first century expert on how this struggle plays out in the life of every woman and man, went so far as to admit that he was unable to choose the right in the face of wrong in many cases in his own life (Romans 7). But all is not lost, said Paul, thanks to Jesus' work on the cross. We are far from super in our ability to resist temptation, but with the Holy Spirit we act powerfully to bring the Kingdom of peace and righteousness closer to reality.
I still love telling and hearing stories of super acts of heroism that defeat the bad guys. They provide comfort and even inspiration. We are attracted to Super Heroes because it is easy, but the truth is much more difficult to believe: we are the ones called to fight the good fight against injustice and harm.

A Matter of Inches

2011-10-11T11:06:00.000-04:00

We need our space. More specifically, we need our space in order to be able to see things clearly. From the world of anatomy we learn that the term for this space, or distance, is the amplitude of accommodation. It is a measurement of the eye’s ability to focus clearly on objects at near distances. Our eyes have “ciliary body” tissues that contract and relax to adjust the lens of each eye in order to focus well. Each person needs a certain distance to be able to see clearly. While it is not something any of us are thrilled about, in fact, the distance needed to focus on object up close gets longer as we get older. The amplitude of accommodation for a child is usually about 2-3 inches, for a young adult 4-6 inches, for a 45-year-old adult around 20 inches, before going up to as much as 60 inches later in life. This gives new meaning to needing our space, doesn’t it?

Regardless of how the numbers vary, the truth remains; everyone of us can see the world more clearly when viewing it from some distance. We need distance to get perspective. Our minds oftentimes need the same thing. How many times have we been helped by stepping back to see the bigger picture? When we are able to focus beyond the object in front of our vision to see the surrounding context, we are so much better able to assess the situation. It has happened countless time when we sit opposite a trusted friend and shared our story, only to find that hearing it out loud and gaining their perspective sharpens our ability to understand and comprehend. This is where growth happens. This is where clarity is achieved.

That is exactly what our annual Charge Conference this week allowed our leadership at Epworth the chance to do; step back, and get some perspective. When we take a step back, we are able to look back and see where we have come from. We are also able to look forward and see where it is we are going. The beauty of being able to allow our eyes to see both directions is truly a gift of God. For it is God who has placed us in His great story, that has a clear beginning and end, and it is God who wants us to find our place in His story of the world’s redemption.

Let us offer words of appreciation to all of our leaders who have served with distinction this past year, and to all of those who are continuing on or joining their ranks in the coming year. Also, a special word of thanks to Susan Snider, our really great Church Administrator, who helped compile numbers, lists, signatures and names to allow our night to be one of celebration. Most of all, let us give thanks to the One who showers us with time and talent that the great work of the Kingdom might happen.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Sometimes, Winning Happens Later On

2011-10-04T15:40:00.000-04:00

Brief remarks about the Atlanta Braves on Sunday were acknowledged by nearly everyone in worship that hour. Further proof that the Braves remain America's team and their progress is followed by a majority of folks around these parts, whether they are winning or losing. In the past month, they were mostly doing the latter.

The Braves missed the National League playoffs last week after leading the wild-card race by 8 1/2 games on September 5. The blame is spread everywhere from pitching and hitting to injuries and even a hurricane in late-August. Read more here in the AJC. For what it is worth, I saw lots of hope for the future. I saw a wealth of young talent, called up from the minor league teams, take the field and contribute right away. I am thinking about Constanza, Minor, Vavarro, Teheran, and Vizcaino. They all contributed, not to mention the daily efforts of Freeman and Kimbrel, both rookies this past year. If you can get past the recent bad news, the future can be seen with great optimism.
I think another reason we can relate to the recent woes of the Braves is that their struggles sometimes mirror our own. We have been the ones who have dropped the ball and struck out. We have gotten it wrong, and even looked ugly doing it. Despite all of that, we desperately cling to hope in the future.
The scriptures tell of just such a story happening in the early church: it is the story of John Mark. A companion of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, John Mark left the trip before it was completed. This past action was the cause of a split between Paul and Barnabas when they began making plans about a second trip, for Paul was adamant that the young man would not accompany them (Acts 15). Yet, despite his failings of the past, this young disciple would later become one of Paul's trusted aides in winning souls and cities for the kingdom (2 Timothy 4), to say nothing of the fact that he would author the first-ever written account of Jesus' life that we know as the Gospel of Mark.
Sometimes, failures are the reality and the wins come too far in between. Sometimes the future seems far off. Other times, if would just allow ourselves the courage to hope with a vision for what will be, the truth is that what is coming is greater than we could imagine. Let it be...for our lives and for our church's relationship to our community (and for our Braves, too!).

Poverty Rates and A Holy Meal

2011-09-27T13:41:00.002-04:00

Last week, it was reported that Georgia had the third-highest poverty rate in the country at 18.7 percent, with more than 1.8 million people counted as poor. Last year, according to Census Bureau figures, Georgia’s poverty rate reached its highest point since 1983, as stubbornly high unemployment and the housing crisis put intense pressure on strained finances. The figures include 61,000 more Georgians than a year earlier, and left our state with the third-highest rate among US states (read more here in the AJC). I serve a church that is growing people who want to change these numbers for the good.

Jesus said the poor will always be with us (see Mark 14). Why? Is it because some will always make bad choices that move them into poverty? Is it because there will always be circumstances, beyond our control, that will strain what people have in the moment? Is it because our competitive human nature will always create systems that result in winners and losers, even when entire households are counted as the latter? We don't know, exactly, but one ancient Rabbi did suggest our sins contribute when he said, "If thou shalt obey the words of the Lord, there shall not be a poor man among you: but thou wilt not obey; therefore a poor man shall never be wanting among you" (Rabbi Ibn Ezra).

The first New Testament churches included those who were lacking in material possessions or monies. It was among entire crowds of varied peoples that the Spirit gathered the first converts to the teaching of Christ as the crucified and resurrected Son of God. The historical book, Acts, tells how members within the church would share with each other because not everyone had enough on their own.

Later, as the church continued to sort through how its life together will look and operate, we read Paul's first words on celebrating Holy Communion. They are recorded as words of sacred practice and brilliant theology. He is instructing the church that every person should be included. It seems some people would rush to the meal they shared as a part of worship in order to eat first and have plenty, which left others out (see 1 Corinthians 11). There in the middle of Paul's instructions that shape how we still today celebrate this sacrament, we find poor people. They are always with us. Often, they are us.

On this first Sunday, when the global church celebrate World Communion Sunday, may our eyes be opened to how connected we are, how best we can include each other, and how poor we remain apart from the grace of Christ. I encourage you to be present in worship this Sunday to celebrate.

BREAKING NEWS: John Travolta's Vintage Mercedes Stolen

2011-09-20T15:13:00.003-04:00

It seems John Travolta's vintage Mercedes sports car has been stolen. It happened in Santa Monica, California. Travolta parked the car on a residential street Sunday afternoon and stopped in at a nearby Jaguar dealership for about 10 minutes. When he returned, he found an empty parking spot and no sign of the car, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280-SL. You can read about it here in the AJC. There, you can also read about the efforts to have Troy Davis' execution stopped, a shooting at a preschool, deals on travel packages to Canada, a 3-year-old who fired a shotgun inside a automobile, a review of the first night of Dancing with the Stars, the latest on Charlie Sheen and Ashton Kutcher, and plenty of talk about the Atlanta Braves' recent woes.

It is staggering to think about the limitless stream of events and stories happening right now... How does any one newspaper decide what to cover and what to leave off? I think editors have a difficult job. This struggle extends out to a wide-range of media: newspapers, television, radio, and even internet sites. In one way, their task is reactionary: they print the news as it happens. In another way, they have some discretion as to what to send reporters out to cover. They have to think about sales, so winnowing down the list of topics must include some thought about public interest and preference; Columbus' residents are not interested in local politics of Saskatchewan.

In a real sense, we all have the same challenge, though. Each of us makes decisions daily on what gets our attention. What will we listen to on the television in the morning, in the car as we drive, or at night when we sit down to unwind? What stories do we read in the paper or online? I am no different; I get my print news by browsing the headlines that come across my twitter feed, where I follow news agencies around the country and world. I tune into one specific station on the radio, too. I am making conscious choices about what I tune into, with my ears or eyes.

From a very young age, we have learned that gaining and keeping attention is power; think about a young child calling their parent's name over and over and over again. It has been true across the ages. We grant power in our lives to those people and things to which we give our attention. Jesus said using our eyes can lead to destruction, and went so far as to suggest serious steps to prevent it from happening in Matthew 5. The Hebrew prophets proclaimed that we must give attention to the commands of God (see Jeremiah 7) and pointed to heartache and suffering when we failed.
So....pay attention! Avoid gossip. Listen to people who speak the truth. Avoid conversations on trivial matters. Tune into news that matters. Read good books and lengthy articles that expand your mind. Do all of these things that you might use the gift of your time and your mind for the glory of God, and not for the glory of something so much less.

Back to the Future

2011-09-14T08:55:00.000-04:00

I have some questions about that first Sunday morning, 51 years ago.

What was the first song that the congregation sang?

What was the sermon about on that first Sunday together?

Did the preacher stand behind a podium or just out in front of the people?

How much money was placed in the offering plate?

Actually, what did they use for offering plates?

How many children and teenagers were present?

How many first-time visitors returned the next week?

How long before the first person was baptized?

What were the people most excited about?

Could they have ever dreamed what they started on that day would end up here?

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd captured our imaginations in the 1985 movie, Back to the Future. Fox's character goes back and nearly alters the future, forever. In this Homecoming week, my reason for going back with these questions is more educational and much less gripping than that Hollywood classic. Wouldn't you love to travel back in time and see what the people were doing and learn about what they were thinking? What unique personalities, spiritual forces, and acts of God's grace must have all come together for a band of forty-nine people to gather in a home on Rosemont one Sunday, and then three years later gather for worship in their own building with five times number on roll? It did not stop there; Epworth saw 75 people join by Profession of Faith in the five years that their second pastor, Rev. Don Kea, served. It is amazing to think about it.

This much I do know. It took hard work. It took lots of forgiveness. It require leadership, on both sides of the pulpit - whenever it was they finally got around to having one of those. It took vision. Vision for ministry is the aspect I have dwelt upon for the better part of seven months now. I think I'm on my eighth book specifically on the topic of shaping and casting vision, but more importantly have had twice that many conversations with folks within the church about what it might look like. Churches do not get started without vision. Churches do not continue and thrive without it, either.

On this Homecoming weekend, 51 years after Epworth was first started in this very neighborhood, I am reminded of Paul's prayers to the first churches. Like Paul, my prayers are saturated with thanksgiving. I am thankful for those who came before us and for those who are with us now. My highest prayer is that the One True God who was worshiped on that first Sunday might be present and glorified on this and every Sunday we gather.

Grace and Peace, Scott

I Was In My Office

2011-09-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

I was in my office, upstairs in the old home where the Fayetteville First United Methodist Church offices were located, when Gail called up from the front desk over the intercom. She asked me if heard about what happened in New York a few minutes ago, and told me to come downstairs. A television had been set up in the sitting area up front and the images it showed were unbelievable.

I remember watching for a few minutes, and then going back upstairs to my office. This is terrible to admit, but I remember thinking that I needed to get back to work on that Tuesday morning because I had a lot to do. It was the first week back at school for me at seminary and that, combined with my full-time position as minister with students at this busy church, meant I spent most days trying to keep up. So, I climbed the stairs and sat down to try to get something done. Within a few moments, I was back downstairs watching and soon was home with Julie and Sam, who was about 10 weeks old at the time.

None of us will never forget that fateful Tuesday morning when images came through television screens of the unimaginable. Planes, buildings, terror, and soon the awareness that thousands of lives were lost and the conflicts that had long raged overseas had breached our shores. September 11, 2001 was a day that changed things. Like a declaration signed, a cannon shot, a bomb dropped, a speech given, or a giant step taken, it was a moment that we will remember.

It was a day of loss that, over time, led to days of hope for many people. Others are still found living between loss and hope. Where are you on that spectrum? Where am I? Can we turn our remembering of the past into energy and passion for our future? That is a question for more than just this coming Sunday. I offer this prayer from some of the resources United Methodists will be using this weekend:

A Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11
O God, our hope and refuge, in our distress we come quickly to you. Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided, replaced now with an emptiness, a longing for an innocence lost.We come remembering those who lost their lives in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants who demonstrated the greatest love of all by laying down their lives for friends. We commit their souls to your eternal care and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.We come remembering and we come in hope, not in ourselves, but in you.As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken, we are reminded of the illusion of security.In commemorating this tragedy, we give you thanks for your presence in our time of need and we seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth, our guide and our guardian. Amen.

(www.gbod.org/worship, written by the Rev. Jeremy Pridgeon)

Take a Day Off

2011-08-30T10:51:00.001-04:00

   This can be misunderstood, especially coming from the church or the pastor. But it means what it says...take a day off. Stop working.
   The Law says you must rest. Well, not exactly. But Labor Day was made an official national holiday by an Act of the United States Congress in 1894. The holiday originated from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man" in 1882. It is still celebrated as a day of rest for most people. It use to be a boundary for fashion, but my wife, who regularly instructs me on the subject, says those days are gone. It also marks the symbolic end of summer for many, though on this last point we here in Columbus take issue for a couple of reasons: school started back four weeks earlier and the hottest days of the year seem to have no end in sight. Many of us will celebrate with picnics, barbecues, afternoon naps, playing in the water or heading out of town one last time.
   Regardless of how you choose to spend your day, this Monday is a national holiday for a variety of great reasons beyond the law. I am reminded that our Congressional leaders were not the first to publicly declare that take time off to rest was important. God did the same thing a few years before that.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. - Exodus 20

God believed taking a day off was so important, he made it a commandment for his people. Right alongside murder, idolatry of false gods, stealing, and adultery is the sin of working too much. I think it is because those who work all the time begin to believe that the world might stop if they did. Or maybe it is because God knows best how we are made and taking time to rest and remember our Maker is a matter of life and death? Either way, it is something we all need to do.
Take a day off from work, and use it reconnect with joy, hope, and your value apart from your work. This is the stuff of God. This is what we are about. Grace and Peace, Scott

Arab Spring

2011-08-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

What started with one man's protest over his vegetable cart being unlawfully seized in the small Mediterranean nation of Tunisia, almost identical in size and population to Georgia, has blossomed into a movement of young and old alike, who are pushing for some of the largest human rights reforms the world has ever seen. First in Tunisia, then later in Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, to name a few, a wave of public demonstrations and protests call for everything from granting basic human rights to total regime change (here is an interactive timeline). The protests have in common the use of social media, such as Facebook,Twitter, and YouTube, to organize, communicate, and raise awareness in the face of state attempts at repression and internet censorship. Many of us are watching this week as rebels in Egypt have pressed in on Muammar Gaddafi's position and power in Libya in an effort to deport or detain him for trial.

We speak often of the seismic changes that are happening around us, particularly in regard to technology and telecommunications, and how they are impacting our culture and our homes. Yet, these recent global cultural shifts are historic compared to those in the US that typically garner media attention (another Hollywood couple is breaking up, another political figure said something today they will flip-flop on tomorrow, or another super-fast mobile device that will change everything is being released). Here we are seeing, possibly, the largest worldwide effort by occupied citizens to overthrow governments and dictators, ever. Change is in the air and the name for this change hearkens to the warming of the earth when winter gives way to spring.

What does all of this mean for us? How will it impact our nation and our freedoms? How will it affect our resources and the resources we need to maintain our lives (we think immediately of energy)? How will these shifts change our national expenditures abroad, and what impact will that have on our deficit and, subsequently, our ability to create jobs in the short and long terms? What does this mean for our souls? What does it mean to see oppressed peoples find their voice and, in some cases, find new freedoms that had previously been denied them? How do such significant events abroad shape what we follow and call significant here?
John Donne gave us a glimpse of the truth when he wrote, "No man is an island entire of itself." We believe the same about humanity and say even more in regard to our belief about God. God is One, as our Savior and our Scriptures repeatedly assert, and our growing relationship with God draws us into deeper connections with one another. Let us pray that all people, everywhere, be granted freedom to work, to worship, to live, and to grow into the grace-filled, abundant living God has created all of us to receive.
Grace and Peace to you.

Painting Is Easy...Prepping Walls Is Not

2011-08-16T10:03:00.027-04:00

"We like painting." Harold Morris and I came to this agreement last Sunday as we were preparing to turn an old office into something new. Painting offers nearly-instant gratification in a world where most things take much longer. Painting is also very cheap - this day we were using a free gallon of extra paint that the church has kept from a previous project - and so the return on investment is high.

Painting a room is more of a short-story than a novel when compared to building a wall, repairing a foundation, or replacing a roof. But even short stories take some time to develop.

We knew we'd be done in no time once we got started painting, and we were right. I offered to climb the ladder and cut in the ceilings so that he could roll the walls quickly. We applied the paint thick the first time and, afterwards, touched up a few places that needed it. All in all, painting those walls was easy...but prepping a room to paint is not.
Preparing a room, or a window, or a surface to paint takes time. Most of our time was not spent with a brush or roller in our hands. Most of the time was spent preparing to paint. If you do it right, you never get started painting quickly. First, we found ladders, fans, brushes, buckets and gathered the supplies we would need. We removed wall covers for switches and plugs and then patched up some holes that marked where photos and frames once hung. Scraping the window, which had suffered decades of rust from encroaching moisture, took an afternoon. I was reminded again - painting is easy, but prepping takes time.

"Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way."

This poetry of Isaiah 57 is constantly with me as I think through these truths. God's desires for us do not become reality without time spent preparing our hearts for his grace. There are obstacles and blemishes and damages that require our attention before the final stages of transformation can take place: otherwise the change is only on the surface and time will soon expose our shortcuts. The writer of Hebrews says we should lay aside every sin that clings to us so we can finish the project laid out for us. In the church we call that project redemption.

Well, the short story of our afternoon project has not come to an end yet. Even as I write, Buddy Dunn is down the hall applying a second coat of paint to that window. Equally, I know, that the work God is putting into me and to you will continue on for a lifetime.
Grace and Peace to you.

Good News...but from where?

2011-08-09T14:50:00.000-04:00

I joyfully opened the boxes that arrived the previous day. Along with new microphones, new cables, and even new amplifiers, our shipment included a new mixing board. It was a Yamaha MG206 with ten more channels than the previous one we were using.

Yamaha MG206 Mixer

   As the name implies, a mixing board allows the inputs to be mixed into one unified sound before being outputted to the speakers. A channel on a sound board is the name for the place where an audio signal comes in before being tweaked and modified and then sent out with any/all of the other signals to produce the sound everyone in the audience hears. Live music, like the inspiring kind delivered every week in worship, can be understood as blending a variety of inputs to create a beautiful output.
   Which makes me think...
   There are good things happening in the world. I promise. I know it. You know it. But you wouldn't know it from the coverage given to these acts of goodness and grace by those in the news. Most of the news seems bad, most of the time. These are the inputs that many of us hear most of the time. And, it is not only the news outlets that are pushing such negativity our way. We have friends who dwell on the negative. Our own thinking can veer that way, too often. Some weeks it seems all we hear is negative.
   If mixing live music beautifully depends on the beauty of the inputs that come in, can the same be said of our own lives, and our own minds? I think so. When every message we hear, or read, or consumer, is one of bad news or one that causes angst, creating a beautiful sound is all that more difficult. Over time, it might become impossible. Jesus taught that there would be tragedy and trouble in our lives (Matthew 24) but he went on to encourage his disciples to gather in order that Good News might be proclaimed.
   Let me be clear - we must intentionally place ourselves to receive the inputs of Good News that God is so diligently sending our way. This can happen in countless ways, but the church believes it happens best, over time, in a small group setting. Put another way, you need to be in Sunday School or a small group that weekly delivers Good News into your life.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

If You Build It...

2011-08-02T11:33:00.000-04:00

We want good things spoken about us. We want people to say kind things. We want them to say significant things.
Beyond words, we want people to think good things about us, and feel a certain way about us. We want our parents to be proud of us. We want our children to be proud of us. We want people to think highly of who we are and believe in that for which we stand. We want to live wit excellence.
We want people to remember us. We want to leave a legacy. To believe that our time here, or there, or wherever, was spent well and that it made a difference. We want others to be able to sustain our dreams beyond our lives on earth.
Beyond the here and the present, we want these words, thought, feelings and memories to survive us. But how? How do we shape a life that causes that? What can we do to shape the life of our dreams - the life that others notice for the good?
   We believe that history has shown repeatedly certain core elements that every life shares in common. What are they? How can we find them? How can we see them already present in our own lives? Is it too late for me? Did I miss my opportunity to live the life of my dreams? (What would it be like to meet Kevin Costner?)
   With a nod to Field of Dreams, the 1989 film that starred Kevin Costner, the teachings in worship in August will delve into the concepts of calling, faith, forgiveness, and vision. They are found throughout the movie, throughout the Scriptures, and even throughout our own lives.
   Join us in worship for truths that our lives are yearning to hear, and on Friday, August 12 to screen a movie that was an instant classic.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Prayer For Our Country

2011-07-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Our words must be connected to actions. If prayer is in some ways 'talking in the dark', as Steve Harper rightly proposes, then one high purpose of such talk leads us to action in the light of day. Our prayers are given flesh by our good works. We are called to be those who act on what we say. We are called to partner with God in redeeming the world, offering peace, and ending suffering. God desires to use us to answers prayers.

Our prayers for some time have been directed toward our nation's leaders. We pray that solutions would be found, agreed upon, and progress would be made. Deadlines call for action. Yet measurable action, it seems, has been hard to come by. How can we, as individual citizens, give action to our spoken prayers in order to influence those who represent us?

Let us start with finding one good thing in the 'other' side.
Then let us find another.
Let us commit to listening. Here. At home. Where we are now. To those closest to us.
Let us not be those so far to one side or the other that our pride prevents us from seeing across the divide we've created.
Let us present ourselves as those who seek the right in a manner that is not wrong.
After all of these acts are undertaken, let us continue to pray.

I offer this historic prayer of the church for us all. Grace and Peace, Scott

Prayer For Our Country

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion us into one united people. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BigStuf

2011-07-19T12:36:00.000-04:00

A great group of our students, led by Ben Hale and his awesome team of adults, depart this Saturday for their summer spiritual retreat. This is one of the eight separate youth camps that will be held this summer in Panama City Beach and are considered by many to be the very best in the country. Epworth will be joining 1500 other students and adults this week. Every summer churches from Miami to Michigan and Tallahassee to Texas travel great distances to attend. The cost of the retreat, paid in part by the students and supported so graciously by this church through fundraisers and contributions, covers their lodging and all of their meals, worship and teachings twice a day, entertainment and recreation. They call the retreat BigStuf.

Julie and I first attended a BigStuf camp in the summer of 2004 as adult counselors with the students at Albany First. We had a great week and my experience there confirmed my hunch about the peculiar name of the retreat; BigStuf is where big stuff happens. Some students make decisions to live as disciples of Jesus and accept Jesus as Lord. This is big stuff. Many students get honest about their behaviors and troubles and the underlying fears that are cause them. This is big stuff. Countless friendships are made for the first time, and, very often, friendships that have ended are renewed. People ask for forgiveness from parents, begin reading their Bibles with discipline, pray with passion, and return home seeking to live differently. All of this is big stuff.

I believe the same can and should be true of the local church every week, too. Of course, that is harder to achieve than to say. But, what if we arrived every week aware God's power to change lives and redeem circumstances is freely available to us all? What would happen if we believed that lives were being changed and that one of those lives was mine? What if we departed more committed to Jesus and to living as he taught us? What if we practiced forgiveness, prayed for patience, put down our fears, and partnered with God to see our own lives changed? It could happen. As United Methodists, we believe with great conviction that big stuff can happen every time the people of God gather, whether it be in worship, in Sunday School, over breakfast or at a workday.

Our young people leave on Saturday and they will return on Wednesday. Let us pray all this week that they do not return the same. Let us pray that the big stuff they encounter changes their lives in big ways, forever. Let us pray they encounter the One True God. Let us pray the same for ourselves every time we gather here as the church of Jesus. Grace and Peace, Scott

We fought so hard against the small things...

2011-07-12T15:06:00.000-04:00

We fought so hard against the small things that we became small ourselves. - Eugene O'Neill

Let's consider two stories.
The first is happening across Europe, right now. A number of European nations are facing the worst financial times their countries have ever known. Greece is on the brink of complete collapse because of their overwhelming debt. One report is that the value of Greek bonds potentially at risk is worth $154 billion US Dollars. The internal conflict between their citizens, who appear resistant to the changes necessary to steer them away from the cliff, and their elected leadership has led to deadly violence. In addition to Greece, Portugal and Ireland are both in dire financial straits. But, added to these unfolding tragedies this week is the news that Italy is now on the brink of a collapse, and that the other nations of the European Union will soon be asked to help bail them out. You can read about it here in the New York Times. We would agree this is weighty and significant. These are big things. Unfortunately, the second most significant player in the EU based on strength of leadership and finances is distracted right now. Many Americans have been following the news out of London about the tabloid newspaper scandal there which is exposing the fact that journalists were tapping the phones of prominent officials and then essentially blackmailing them for information. It has gotten ugly all the way up to the office of Prime Minister, the highest in the nation. Now, I don't know everything going on over there, but it seems to me that the financial crisis in Europe would be helped if the best and brightest were able to focus on the big things needing the most attention. Alas, in England they are caught up in the small things.

The second story, equally true, happened some time ago. Jesus, walking out in front of his disciples as they traveled, overhears their conversation. He later asks them what they were talking about and they sheepishly admit to arguing over who among them was the most important (Mark 9). The tragedy is that they are fighting about a small thing, when just two chapters before Jesus formally started preparing them for what will come later in Jerusalem. He will willingly sacrifice his life to set into motion the very acts of God that, one later writer describes, will bring about the redemption of the universe (see Ephesians 1:1-7). All things will be restored because of what Jesus will do, but on this day the disciples are arguing about something selfish and petty. Focusing on small things can reduce the size of a person.

The lesson for my life is easily grasped. What size are the things I am wrestling with? Am I engaged with matters that really matter, or am I focused on small things that potentially cause me to become small myself?

Grace and Peace, Scott

Communication Is Explosive: Handle With Care

2011-07-05T14:24:00.000-04:00

When July rolls around you can watch fireworks in your backyard or from across the street. If you want to see the big explosions in Columbus on the Fourth, you gather with thousands to see the professionals light up the night alongside the Chattahoochee River. Known as Thunder on the Hooch, it has been sponsored by WTVM for thirteen years now.

Our family opts for the (safest) loudest, brightest, and highest, so we headed downtown on Monday for the show. I quickly glanced at the Ledger-Enquirer for any details and read, "At dark, fireworks will light the skies over the river." After we parked, we ran into Mike, Julie, Merritt, Mason and Dot. Mike said we simply needed to find an angle to see the Dillingham Street Bridge, because that is from where they always shoot them.

Imagine our surprise when the sound of the first firework exploded but no lights could be seen. It seems the Thunder on the Hooch was just that - all sound and no sights. After years of shooting the rockets from literally the middle of the river, this year the launch-site had moved inland. I learned the next day that they were launched from Golden Park. Thousands of us gathered on the river could not see the very thing we had gathered to watch. Instead, we ran up the hill and were still only able to see only those shot highest in the air, while missing many of them. Our boys loved it, but I had to ask "What happened to an event on the river."

The lesson literally bursts off the page. Communication is key! When we don't communicate well, people miss out. We can have the best of intentions. We can even attract a crowd. However, people get left out when we fail to communicate the details. Feelings can be hurt, anxiety can rise, momentum can be lost, and the future is less solid when good communication takes a back seat.

This has been true of the church on occasion. But, I look on with pride and joy when I see us get it right. We have something to show that the world would stop to see. We offer the greatest and brightest displays history has ever seen - lives changed forever by the love and grace of God. May we stay ever committed to the responsibility we have to communicate the details of where it is happening and why. The ministries of our church exist for this mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Grace and Peace, Scott

Judging By Your Appearance

2011-06-27T22:16:00.000-04:00

We remember the good ol' days when children moved about in a community under the watchful eye of adults everywhere who knew exactly whose they were. Our parents warned us that our actions would be reported back to us because people knew us. Those were good days, but by and large, those days are gone. Towns have become cities, and some folks can go about their business all day without running into someone they know. Our lives are much less connected than they used to be. We are even surprised now when we come across someone we know, or who knows us.

Standing in line at the office supply store recently, I was greeted by some surprising words. I can hear your best guesses right now: Would you like to add an extended warranty to this pocket protector? or Did you know we're offering a two for one special on slide rules today? Wrong. The woman checking me out said, "Are you a pastor? You look like a pastor."

I have heard these words before, and on occasion, under very similar circumstances. Yet for however often I hear them, I always seem to walk away with unanswered questions in my mind.

Donning no clerical collar or embroidered shirt, what about my appearance makes me look like a pastor? Surely it is not the attractive hairline, for both Charles Stanley and Billy Graham looked very much the part with their full heads of hair.
If I was correctly identified with some office that is generally considered one of good morals and ethics on a day I'm acting on good behavior, then what is my behavior like in all of the other moments when people take me to be something else?

   I'm less interested in how she correctly knew my vocation than the larger principle for all of us: How will the world recognize us? Do all Christians walk through life this easily recognizable? Should we?
   Parks Cousins is quoted as saying, "How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us." I think he speaks the truth. If we are seen on the outside for what we are carrying around on the inside, then what are people seeing when they observe us? My thoughts return to song written a few decades back that proclaims that they'll know we are Christians by our love.
   Instead of longing to return to a time when we were all known around the neighborhood by appearances given us by our parents, let us pray to reach a day when we in the church are know for our greatest possession: the love and hope we have in Jesus Christ. They will know we are Christians by our love. Grace and Peace.

50 is a Good Number

2011-06-14T22:35:00.001-04:00

Vacation Bible School is bigger. Vacation Bible School is about singing, dancing, running, jumping, praying, learning, doing, undoing, making, talking, learning, listening, and lots of fun.

It is noteworthy, living in a world stricken with financial fears and concerns, that nary a nickel will come into the church coffers in the next decade from any of the children who attended this week's Vacation Bible School. Jesus speaks in Matthew 25 about the 'least of these' around us: those whose outward appearance regularly causes us to look past them or ignore them altogether. In many ways, children most perfectly describe the concept of the least of these. They take up more time, money, and energy than they give back in the short-run. So, why would the 50 folks listed below give up the better part of a week to be present and active at VBS?

Vacation Bible School is bigger than any short-term payoff. VBS is about winning in our long-term mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ of all ages to help transform the world for God's Kingdom. Help me this coming week by saying a word of thanks to these volunteers who helped accomplish our mission in a big way at VBS.

Alyssa Morris
Amanda Morris
Andrea Carbaugh
Barbie Morris
Ben Hale
Blake Waters
Brittany Farmer
Buddy Dunn
Carolyn Gambill
Cheryl Jandreau
Debra Ledbetter
Diane Champagne
Diane Morris
Dot Merritt
Elizabeth Ledbetter
Frances Phillips
Fraser Woolridge
Gary Ledbetter
Harold Morris
Hayden Minix
Hayden Newman
Helen Howard
Helen Pharris
Jackie Jenrette
Janie Nellums
Jean Morris
Jeanne Guilbeault
Josh Simmons
Julie Hagan
Kyle Jackson
Leslie Morris
Lyn Pharris
Margaret Gosden
Maria Hale
Martha Conklin
Matthew Ledbetter
Melonie Phillips
Natalie Morris
Nicole Farrar
Payton Mobayyeni
Reese Phillips
Regina Bridges
Robert Conner
Sara Renner
Scott Hagan
Skylar Smith
Susan Dunn
Suzy Revell
Vicky Griffin
Walter Champagne

Annual Conference 101

2011-06-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

John Wesley, founder of Methodism

In the very beginning of Methodist history (the 1700's) there were no local Methodist churches, only Methodist preachers who traveled from place to place preaching to crowds a message of Repentance and Good News. Methodist preachers would then organize small groups for the new believers to stay connected and learn both to study the Bible and make offerings to support ministry. Eventually local churches were started, and within a couple of decades Methodism came across the ocean and spread like wildfire across the American colonies. Back then, Methodist preachers met annually at a conference with leaders, like John Wesley in England and Francis Asbury in the colonies, to give reports of their ministry, to be held accountable, and to be inspired.

The first annual conference in America was held in 1784. Ever since then, regional groups of Methodists have gathered every year for Annual Conference. The South Georgia Annual Conference met this Sunday through Thursday at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. Laypeople and clergy from every charge are represented. Epworth and the Columbus District were represented by Jeanne Guilbeault, Lillian Wooldridge, Becky Britton and myself.

Most actions taken by the 'body' will be expected and the unexpected ones will be talked about for a few days and then be forgotten. Some of the reports will bring applause, some tears, and a very few will bring debate. We will also be voting for delegates to represent us in 2012 at General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference. But the best stuff of conference is not in the legislative action or the balloting; the best stuff comes elsewhere. We will begin each day with a Bible Study, and pause for worship a couple of times a day. Monday night a new class of preachers, some young and some not, step forward to be ordained as Elders into the traveling ministry of the United Methodist Church. And in between every session and around every meal that the over 1500 persons in attendance enjoy, there will be exchanged fellowship, encouragement, and more than enough grace to send us all back to another year of great ministry together.

Conferencing is one of the cornerstones of how we Methodists practice our beliefs. We remember Jesus' promise to be present with us when we gather (Matthew 18:20). Grace and Peace to you.

A Good Rain...

2011-06-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." Deuteronomy 32:1-2

Any number of my neighbors drove by in cars, rode by on bikes, or passed by on foot that evening I was out in the front yard. I waved to everyone I made eye contact with but probably missed some. I was otherwise occupied. I was pulling weeds from the lawn. I was doing it right: pulling them up by their roots. There I was, stooped over the lawn plucking weeds from the grass. I was using a tool, basically a long metal spike with a curved handled, but my efforts were not made easier and effective because of any man-made device. There was something more going on. You could say it was just below the surface.

It had rained earlier that day, and the ground was still soaked from the downpour. It was the kind of rain that soaks in, and stays around. It was the kind of rain our yards needed, but more importantly for the task I was undertaking, it was the kind of rain that loosened the earth and allowed me to easily pluck weeds with roots and all. It was a good rain.

Is this a translatable principle for our own lives? If a good rain has the power to loosened the soil in order for weeds to be easily pulled, are there events or circumstances in our lives that can also loosen our souls for the good? Don't we know that over time our inner-being has a tendency to harden? We get jaded to surprises, we get dulled to grace, and even resent those moments when God is working to change us for the better. I wonder if there is an equivalent good rain for our souls that can help us go about the spade-work needed to root out the evil that finds corners in which to hide. I am thinking about jealousy, animosity, gossip, arrogance, lust, laziness. What items would you add to the list? What weeds have taken root in your life that need to be addressed? I know I have mine own, and have been working in the past three months to address some of them. I've even enlisted the help of others in the work.

The high temperatures and stifling humidity outside will keep most of us from the hard work of pulling weeds in the coming months in our yards, but what is stopping us from working on our hearts? May God send a good rain, a conversation with a friends, a passage from Scripture, or a moment in your day, that makes the hard work of living an abundant life a little easier. Grace and Peace to you.

It All Started To Remember John

2011-05-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

Decoration Day, circa 1927

It was on a spring afternoon nearly 150 years ago that the family stepped off the wagon bench and made their way across the cemetery to find the crude marker erected for John. He would have been brother, son, maybe even husband and father. However he was related, on that afternoon, he was being remembered. John would have been one of the hundreds of thousands that were similarly remembered at cemeteries planted on the very soil of the battlefields of the Civil War. John, William, Robert, Levi, Archer, Josiah, Ralph, Lemuel. Just a few of the names of those memorialized in cemeteries after that war.

One story is told of three women in Columbus, Mississippi in 1866 who decorated the graves marking fallen from both sides with flowers. The US Department of Veteran Affairs even gives our Columbus, Georgia a nod as possibly being one of the first cities to observe the day - a distinction that apparently is hotly debated. By 1868 the practice of decorating soldiers' graves had become widespread in the North, with the first official observance probably in upstate New York in May 1866. It is noted that in both the North and South the earliest Memorial Day celebrations were simple, somber occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. It was known as Decoration Day for the first many decades of its observance.

Regardless of the name of the day, or the soldier memorialized, the tradition that was started for one war has been extended to the wars and conflicts since. It has also been extended out from the families of fallen soldiers to families of thankful Americans everywhere. No longer can we leave the work of Memorial Day only to those most closely affected. My prayer is that the memorials we offer last longer than cut flowers. My prayer is that we would be unfailing in our prayers of thanksgiving and efforts for peace.

The church joins in this weekend to remember and say thanks. We say thanks to those who have served, to those who are serving, and we remember those who gave their lives in our nations efforts at establishing freedom. The Scriptures use the word Remember over 200 times. Apparently GOd knows that even the command to remember is something we will forget. It is a theme and an action we must continue to pick up and carry on. Grace and Peace to you.

What We Call Change Graduates Call Normal

2011-05-17T21:54:00.006-04:00

For this week’s graduates…email has always been the preferred form of sending a message. Michael Jordan is really only known for his line of Nike shoes and apparel. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess in England. Wired telephones connected to the walls exist in case your cell phone battery goes dead. Czechoslovakia has never existed. American companies have always done business in Vietnam. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space. Cold War? A slide show involves a computer...Kodachrome what? Computers have always come with CD-ROM disk drives. Gasoline has never sold for less than a $1.50...

It is amazing how things change. The truth is, every one of us has a list of things that have always been normal that would have astonished previous generations. Considering how assuredly things do change, we should be more amazed that people are amazed at change in the first place.
The same is true for our church, of course. The normal we know now was new and cutting-edge not too long ago. Bulletins on the website? Pews in the Sanctuary? Sunday School books people could take home? A Fellowship Hall large enough for everyone to fit into?

The same is true for worship, too. Not very long ago, Methodist churches did not have organs, did not sing from hymnbooks, did not recite creeds, and certainly did not have sanctuaries. All of those moderns changes have come about in the last 100 years for most Methodist Churches. The normal we know would have been unheard of to the folks who came before us.
Jesus included the need for change in his teaching when he said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3).

The prayer for our church extends to those graduating from high school and college: that we stay current and true to ourselves by clinging to what matters most and letting the rest pass away. Like acid-wash jeans or mullets as a hairstyle. Grace and Peace, Scott

One Last Word Is Not Enough

2011-05-10T15:42:00.000-04:00

Ben and Katie Gosden, Emory University 2011

I was blessed and humbled to be present as Ben Gosden walked across the sanctuary on the campus of Emory University this week and receive his diploma from seminary. I was blessed to return to a place that meant so much to me, and to so many before me, and to watch the joy on the faces of graduates and their loved ones as they experience the achievement of dreams, goals, and callings. I was equally humbled to sit there as one who represents many: for our church rightly takes pride in Ben's ministry and the ways God is using him even now to advance the Kingdom. Sitting alongside Ben's mom, his wife, and other family, it was a great day.

Of course, graduation ceremonies entail more than just passing out diplomas. At Emory that means prayers offered by Bishops, scripture read by professors, anthems sung by choirs, and...the proverbial keynote speaker. We sit and listen to someone give their very best effort at summarizing what this day means. It is no easy task. How can you capture such an event in ten minutes. Or even twenty?

The truth is that one last word is not enough. There is nothing profound enough to linger in our minds. There is nothing witty enough to capture our attention, especially over the sound of fussing babies. There is no one word or thought that can sum it all up.

Jesus, who was the very Word of God come to life with flesh and blood, knew this. Each of the four Gospels offer something of Jesus' parting word to us. One last word is not enough. John's Gospel takes those last words and stretches them out over five chapters in John 13-17, but even that is not enough as Jesus picks teaching again on the lake shore in John 21. Which is why Jesus promises and delivers on the Holy Spirit, God present with us now that Jesus has ascended to heaven. By the power of the the Holy Spirit, God is present with us tomorrow. God is present with us after the party is over.

The last word I left Ben with on Monday was that we were proud of him. But by the grace of God that is not the last word. God's is still speaking to Ben, still speaking to the the churches he will serve, and still speaking to the church that helped to shape him. May we listen for the new Word God has for us this day.

God's Truths Burst Through All Around Us

2011-05-03T13:57:00.032-04:00

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.

Matthew 28:1-6

We had a great group gather on Sunday evening to watch one of Disney's latest hit movies, Tangled. We invited the families from Allen Elementary to join us, and many of them did! What a privilege to be host to our neighbors for a night of fun.

   Near the end of the movie, when things are still in doubt, there comes a moment when the only thing that will save the day is a miracle. Evil seems to be winning and the good guys need something divine to happen. Just then, when all hope seems lost, a ray of light begins to shine in the darkness. Death is conquered, and light burst forth into the room and into the life of the hero who previously lay lifeless. I turned to Lillian Woolridge, sitting next to me, and asked, "Have you ever wondered what the moment of Christ's Resurrection looked like?" She looked back at me, thinking I was crazy, and we continued watching the movie.
   I cannot help it; the themes of God's Holy Scriptures seem to appear in the most random, and often most divine moments. Redemption, forgiveness, peace, creation, discipleship, faith, doubt, fear, plenty, sacrifice...these are the truths and concepts we read in the bible, and see lived out around us. For a moment on Sunday night, sitting in a crowd watching an animated movie, I was drawn closer to God’s grace on that Easter Sunday morning that Matthew captured with the verses above.
   We claim that the Bible is the Living Word of God. Maybe this is one part of it: the truths of the Bible are alive because they continue living on in our lives. I pray that as we move outward from Easter, we do so with eyes wide open to the amazing stories of redemption and triumph God is delivering around us, even now.

A (Slight) Majority of the World Believes in Supreme Being (or God)

2011-05-03T13:57:00.002-04:00

We stand in the bright light of Easter, as the move past Sunday and into the Season that is marked by celebrating the resurrection and what it means for all of Creation. A generous portion of attention is given, around Easter and Christmas, to topics of faith and religion in the press and amongst the people, and this year is no different.

Our new series, which started Sunday, Unwavering Faith in an Uncertain World, caused me to pay attention to a new poll released on the Monday after Easter that offers a snapshot of the faith and beliefs of 23 nations, including the US. I am sorry for the excessive use of parentheses in the title, but you will see that some headlines require some extra explanations to be accurate. Here is the raw data from the world's citizens surveyed:

51% definitely believe in a ‘divine entity’ (though 6% think there are multiple ones)
18% don’t believe in a god of any kind
17% just aren't sure about their belief in any god
41% believe in human evolution to explain how we got here
28% believe in creationism; the universe is the work of a Creator

These are stark figures, and my guess is that they are generally accurate. I am not sure exactly what to do with them. These numbers can be taken as a punch in the gut, or a firm slap on the behind pushing th Church back out into the world to witness to the love of God and the work of Christ. Donald Miller, a thinker and writer, drills down even deeper amongst tat first group at 45% when he says, "the very scary thing about religion, to me, is that people actually believe God is who they think He is. By that I mean they have Him all figured out, mapped out..." and placed neatly on a shelf in a category (page 20). This makes the poll results even more stark.

What can we say to all of this in light of the Easter we have just celebrated, again? Lots! We believe in the miracle that has happened in our lives - we have been rescued from lives that were perishing to lives that are abundant and eternal. We worship the One True God, who did create heaven and earth, and continues to work to redeem all of Creation for His amazing glory. Our gathering for worship is truly a counter-cultural practice; we are setting ourselves apart.

What we do as a matters. The way we talk about faith and about God, matters. The details matter. Our lives as Christians in the world - literally taking the love and witness of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet - matters. Christ is Risen...oh, that the world might know.

Grace and Peace, Scott

Trust and Faith

2011-04-20T08:32:00.001-04:00

   I have a place where I take our two vehicles for service. I've been using them for three years for service and maintenance and have even purchased tires three sets of tires from them. Everyone who has ever had the blessing of being a car owner knows that it comes with an equally weighty responsibility. Automobiles are made of materials that break down over time and require regular attention to prevent something serious from happening. It is a safety issue. It is about trust.
   Tires and brakes are the most critical components to maintaining safety. Staying connecting to the road and being able to stop precisely when needed basically capture our must-haves when we get behind the wheel. I desperately want to trust the craftsmanship of the parts one my car, and the skill of the technician who is doing the service work. Every time I put pressure on the pedal to go, I am trusting that things will work as they are supposed to. I have faith that what needs to happen, will happen.

   In the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus of Nazareth grew up reading and memorizing, and later teaching from, the trust relationship between God and people was held together by faith in the other. Two words were used most often to describe this fidelity, hesed and 'emeth, specifically translated as 'steadfast love and belief'. One scholar has proposed that the people's very understanding of faith in God sprang from the conflicts and wars they lived through and conquered over. The people literally had faith in God because God would show up and deliver. Their faith was initiated by God's faithfulness.
   Could the same be said of us today? What is our faith grounded in? What do we believe in? Do we believe God when he says he will deliver us? When we are told it will be all right, in the end? Do we believe in life over death? What about when our spouse gets sick? When there are complications at birth? When we see a parent lose a child? What is our testimony of God in the modern conflicts and wars in which we are engaged?
   Easter marks the greatest moment of God's faithfulness to us. God delivers in a mighty way. Along with inspiring music and great fellowship, we'll begin a new teaching series around faith, Unwavering Faith in an Uncertain World. I want to teach on how to face the toughest of situations with our faith not only intact, but stronger than ever!
   I have faith I'll see you Sunday! Scott

We Must Have a Goal In Mind

2011-04-19T09:13:00.000-04:00

   I am adamant about this; we must have an end in mind when we start a thing. We must continually return to that goal as we move along, otherwise we will begin to veer from why we exist. We are stewards of the resources around us and must choose wisely with every decision in order to get the most of our what we have in order to achieve what we want.
   I believe our church is about shaping and inspiring people to go into the world as followers of Jesus Christ living lives of significance. This is our goal. This is the hoped-for end. This is the product our process is seeking to create: lives of significance. Jesus called it abundant living (John 10:10).
   I offer these three examples of how we are doing:

Jack Phillips dropped by the church office about two weeks ago to talk some about church finances. Jack started this year as the Finance Committee Chairperson, and is doing a great job of learning and leading us. I was coming in from a hospital visit, and he had to wait a few minutes. After we had talked for just a short time, he explained that he needed to leave for his next appointment, as he is a part of the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program. He was carrying someone undergoing treatment to their next appointment. While Jack is a leader within our church, he is just as committed to serving outside the church.
Mandy Revell spent some time with 215 dogs last weekend because it is one way she can honor her grandfather and change the world, too. After serving as a board member for the local Relay for Life and often being the volunteer that had to turn away pets from the annual May event, she decided to organize a fundraising event that would include our "best friends" in a great cause. The 3nd Annual Relay for Dogs held last Saturday, the event Mandy dreamed up, was another amazing chapter in a story of how to combine passion with purpose. This is living with significance.
Barbara Stubbs heard about a project getting started down at Rose Hill UMC and wanted to be a part of it. That was just over a month ago, and this past Thursday the part she played was to gather a group from Epworth UMC to prepare and serve meals to nearly 100 hungry persons who live around and/or call Rose Hill home. Everyone was welcomed by name and given cups of hot, delicious soup, bottles of water, a bag with food for now, and another with groceries for later. All in the name of Christ. The best part was that it happened because Barbara inspired others to join her: lives of significance are lived in community!

I am inspired by the abundant living I see. May we all invest the abundance we have received into living the desires God has for us. Grace and Peace, Scott

Is Easter Tardy?

2011-03-31T07:01:00.000-04:00

Despite all of the admonitions from mothers everywhere to rise and shine, or that the early bird gets the worm, sometimes great things happen more late than early. That can be said this year for Easter. Easter 2011 will be celebrated at an unprecedented late date. Let me explain…

   The date for Easter in Western Churches has been set based on when the full moon crosses the celestial equator since the year 326 AD.  This is the date when day and night are equal in length everywhere.  Easter Sunday can fall from March 22 to April 25.  This year it will be April 24.  Easter has not been celebrated on the 24th since 1859!  What is even more significant is that it will only occur this late on the calendar twice in again in the next 150 years.
   Since Lent is the season of preparation for Easter that begins 46 days before Easter, we celebrated Ash Wednesday on the 9th of March. We observe Lent for 40 Days, taking the Sundays off from our sacrificing because the Church believes that every Sunday is like a little Easter, where we worship and proclaim the Risen Christ.
   Which raises a question. How many of us think about our faith in terms of needing to prepare for something? Don't most of us think about faith as something we just do, or our belief in Jesus' Resurrection as something from the past? It is true that faith is the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11). But, Paul also writes that we are to work on our salvation (Philippians 2) as though it was a process of grace and not something attained in a moment. Faith that leads to salvation is both an unseen reality that cannot be grasped with our hands as well as a destination that we are journeying toward.
   The further I travel along in life and in ministry, the more I am convinced that God's best desires for us are that we would not stop. We are encouraged to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3)." For some of us, this is news. We have for too long lived as though our best days with Jesus happened once long ago and will not happen again for some time. I believe they should be happening right now, too. I believe we are called to be the church that is seeking after Jesus in the present.
   May we be those who are preparing for the great days ahead, whether they come sooner or later, and may we continue the Lenten journey toward Easter...
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Doing Life Together Means Occasionally Going Backward

2011-03-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

What happens when things start going the wrong direction? Take, for example, conversations. We have a sense of direction when talking with others and can feel them going up or down. What happens when we feel a conversation going down a path we did not intend because the 'other' wants to go backward and talk about the past?

How do we respond when things get tense? Awkward? Uncomfortable?
Is it fair for someone to ask about our past?
How do we respond when someone turns the conversation back onto us?

   This very thing played out in public this week when Chris Brown, a singer and entertainer, sat with Robin Roberts, one of the hosts of ABC News' Good Mornings America. If his name sounds familiar outside of his career, it was probably related to charges against him for domestic violence against his girlfriend back in 2009.
   Before plugging Brown's latest album and chart-topping song, Roberts wanted to go back there and check in with him on how things were going. Brown was agitated by the question and sought to avoid the topic all together, saying "I think I'm past that in my life, and am here to talk about the album." Unfortunately, the past came crashing into the present when afterward he smashed a window and trashed his dressing room, apparently still upset that Roberts would go there with him while on camera. You can see the interview at this link.
   I offer this not to demonize. It is a reminder for all of us because we have all been there before. We have been the one offended when others want to talk openly about topics we'd prefer to get past or keep hidden. We are fine to talk about the good but the bad is off limits. I highly recommend the book, Crucial Conversations, on this topic.
   Is this Okay? Is the closed-off life acceptable? Or is there support in God's Word for living better together? I find a mandate for mutual accountability in a wide collection of verses of the New Testament talking about life with one another. Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom," and 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing," and finally James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."
   I believe we have moved too far inward. How are we to grow if no one offers direction? Does all direction come from within? Are we willing to allow trusted friends to correct and encourage us in order that we might grow? According to the Scriptures, God intends to lead us and shape us with the help of one another. This is the abundant life. This is life on the journey together.
   Grace and Peace to you, Scott

In the Good and the Bad, Where Do You Turn?

2011-03-16T06:53:00.000-04:00

It is now easier than ever to stay connected. Through the advances of technology, specifically telecommunications and high-speed transmission of data and signals, we are able to see and hear the news from nearly corner of the world and even out into the galaxies. This new ability to connect has opened up amazing new possibilities that we are just beginning to explore. We are now able to peer over the fences of the world to see and learn and know even more.

This new accessibility leads us back into some well-worn ruts, however. Take happiness, for instance. We have always been too interested in keeping up with our neighbors. We have always turned too quickly to measuring against someone else's reality rather than searching our own hearts for answers to how we are doing (think of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4). Thomas Merton wrote,

Why can we not be content with the secret gift of happiness that God offers us, without consulting the rest of the world? Why do we insist, rather, on a happiness that is approved by the magazines and TV? Perhaps because we do not believe in a happiness that is given to us for nothing. We do not think we can be happy with a happiness that has no price tag on it.” Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 1966

We look to others for approval and affirmation of our right place in more than just happiness, though. We do the same in difficult times, don't we?

Our world right now is overrun with sadness. It comes in cycles, but this cycle seems to be particularly deep and more disturbing. The earthquake that rocked Japan and the resulting tsunami have shaken every person alive. The continuing coverage of terror, desolation, and possible nuclear crisis appears to have no end. Combine with it national debates and bad-behavior in politics, with local stories of taxes, murder, and failing test scores, and we are overcome by a wave of negativity.

So where do we turn when things go wrong? Your answer to that question will shape your whole life. If you listen to the rest of the world, then our views will naturally follow those of the world. Right now much of the world is taken by pessimism, dejection, terror, anger, resentment, and despair.

The scriptures tell a different story. In the midst of heartache there is hope. In the midst of desolation there is promise. When things arrive at the worst they could be, God is present in amazing ways. From the days of Noah, to Moses and captives in Egypt, to disciples scared and running for their lives from a hill in Palestine, God is at work saving the world. This is not the lead story on the news channel, and it probably not what the guy behind you in line is saying, but it is the truth. It is the Gospel. It is the Good News that will save the world. God is present, even in the storm.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Lent is Here

2011-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

We begin the Season of Lent next Wednesday on a day known as Ash Wednesday, so significant that one city prepares all year long for the party* that begins the night before.

What is Lent? Lent is a forty day period, excluding Sundays, during which disciples of Jesus Christ prepare themselves spiritually for the remembrance of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. The name is derived from the Old English, lengten, a reference to the lengthening of the days in the spring.

Beginning in the second century, Christians would undergo a brief period of fasting and prayer in preparation for Good Friday and Easter. By the fourth century the period had been extended to forty days to coincide with the forty days that Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. The number forty also corresponds to the forty years of the Exodus, during which the people received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

It was common to fast from meat and dairy products during Lent, and many Christian converts made their first professions of faith in Jesus as Lord. It was also a time of repentance for those who had abandoned the faith. The season is a time for more intense and intentional spiritual growth during which we remember the message, the life, the suffering and death of Christ.

This Wednesday we'll hold our annual Ash Wednesday Service beginning at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary, where we are marked with ashes as a sign of our desire to repent of our sin and follow Jesus, and offered the chance to write out our prayers of confession and then destroy them following the service. I invite you to attend this special service. It will begin at 7:00 PM. It will be brief, but the experience will stay with us. It will be a time spent well in preparation for Easter.

In the tradition of the ancient church, we're inviting you to do three things this Lent:

1. Be in worship every weekend you are in town.

2. Give up something as a fast and expression of your faith and identification with Jesus' suffering.

3. Join the whole church in reading through the complimentary devotional book, The Exodus to Lent, available at the church this Sunday.

Join us as we start this journey on Wednesday. Grace and Peace, Scott

* New Orleans is the city, and Mardi Gras is the party.

The Grand Ole Opry

2011-02-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

There in the center of the stage is a circle of hardwood, stained a lighter color than the rest of the floor, on which the performer stands and entertains. It is a section of the floor of the Ryman Auditorium, where the Opry called home for 31 years, that was moved to the new home back in 1974 in order to expand and allow for more people to enjoy this national treasure. It is one of the ways the leadership of the Opry House sought to keep traditions while keeping up with the times.

Julie and I attended the Grand Ole Opry for their Friday show this past weekend, and were treated to amazing performances and timeless acts. The show is still essentially a radio program, like its first days 85 years ago. We sat in pews, like every audience has since 1943 when it moved to a coverted worship center. We saw country stars like Vince Gill and Terri Clark and the legend Little Jimmy Dickens. He joined the Opry in 1948 and turned 90 a couple of months ago!

Apart from the great music, the thing I found most interesting was how the Opry's love of tradition has not prevented innovation from adding to the experience. There are lots of examples:

Three large projection screens are found prominently on stage
HD lighting along the back wall to enhance video-taping and the TV broadcasts
State of the art audio-visual equipment so the sound is always first-class
Every radio commercial ended the same way - pointing people to the website of whichever sponsor was hosting that half hour.

The timeless value of the Grand Ole Opry is not that things have stayed exactly the same for 85 years - it is that for 85 years they have kept the vision of entertaining audiences and selling radio commercials in exactly the center of what they do. They will add and take away whatever is not working to keep that vision from dying which has meant that the Opry remains as alive as ever throughout the massive changes in society and our world.

These are the very things I was thinking about sitting in that hallowed hall in Nashville on Friday night. In truth, I could not get my mind off the church and God's great desires for it. You see, I believe we are also called to cling tightly to what is most important, while adding and subtracting the other parts that are intended only to enhance and not detract. What is most important? We are making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Life is a Test

2011-02-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

Most of the persons submitting their paperwork last month, if asked, would admit that they spent seven or more months working on it. Last week, it took the printer in my office about three hours to get through printing all of these same pages. It will take me the equivalent of a few days to read all of it. Along the way I will be making comments and writing some questions in the margins. What is it that so has consumed so much time, you ask? Theology.

Not from the pen of any famous author, nor available in the local bookstores. Instead, I've started poring over the answers to theology and doctrine questions posed to the candidates that are scheduled to appear before our South Georgia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry next month in Macon. These are persons seeking to be admitted as ministers within our church.

The questions are deep and broad; it takes 35-50 pages to answer them completely. They cover essential terminology (repentance, Kingdom of God, resurrection, eternal life, etc.) and expansive ideas (what is the mission of the church, what role do pastors play, what can be said of humanity's need for divine grace, etc.). They also ask specific questions about the candidates personal life, their call to ministry, their ambitions, their strengths and weaknesses, and their willingness to submit to the highest ideals that are truly asked of every person called 'pastor' by any church. In addition to the questions, they also submit sermons, bible studies, and go through a battery of various checks and histories as a part of the larger scope of the Board's work in examining them.

It was not many years ago that I was going through it myself, as I sought to be affirmed and set apart by the church for the ministry of leading the church, and serving God's Kingdom purposes. But to now sit on the other side and read through answers that show evidence of deep reflection and conviction is humbling, to say the least. These women and men will serve churches across our conference, and serve God around the world. They will be asked questions and put into positions of great responsibility, and a solid theology of God's grace and Jesus' salvation will sometimes be to only thing of which they can be sure.

The same is true for us. We are tested. We are asked about what we believe and upon what foundation are our values built. However, only rarely do the questions asked of us appear on paper. Instead, we find our lives examined by the world that wonders, 'Do we live out what we believe?'

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

The Critical Connection

2011-02-08T23:10:00.000-05:00

How you start a thing depends a lot on how you want it to end. Or, what direction you want it to go. How you start is critical. I have seen that again in these first days of our 30 Day Gospel Challenge.

   I have, for years, been very interested in how Mark's Gospel gets started. It is different than the others - Matthew with a genealogy, wise men, an evil King and Luke with the angels, mothers and babies. Mark, though, starts with John the Baptist preaching repentance to crowds who have traveled out into the wilderness seeking something significant. No Christmas story here. Instead, the story starts with crowds of tired, restless, men and women searching for something they have not yet found. What are they looking for? What would bring them out there, en masse?
   What brings any of us out of our comfort zone? What moves us out from where we are? I believe one powerful motivator is the need for connection. I believe connection with others is the critical piece. We all want to feel connected. I believe those crowds going out to see John the Baptist wanted to be connected to something larger than themselves. John's emergence was about the larger story of God's redemption of the world.
   I believe what we do every Sunday is like this. I believe everyone of us gathers for worship wanting to find a connection with the larger story of God's redemption of the world. I mean that. I believe that is what Sundays are about at Epworth.
   I also believe that guests who joins us are looking for the same thing: connection.
   We introduced something new this past Sunday that is geared directly to this reality. Connection Cards that replace pew pads are intended to be a more effective way of connecting our church with our own members and the guests who gather with us. I know it is different - so was color television, once. I also know it works, based on the experience of other United Methodist Churches that use them. One of them wrote this:

"What a wonderful opportunity to connect people with other people, new ministries, service opportunities as well as learn what’s on people’s minds! They provide a wonderful way to share prayer concerns of our congregation with our prayer chain. We keep addresses, emails, phone numbers updated through this media.... By having our regular attendees continue to complete their cards each Sunday, it serves as an encouragement to guests to complete one. Therefore, we have the names of our guests along with their contact information."

I love this church. I believe our future is as bright as ever. And I believe it is brighter every time we welcome a guest through our doors, helping them connect with the amazing, redeeming God of the universe.

Grace and Peace, Scott

The Souper Bowl is Huge

2011-02-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

"Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful

of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat."

That prayer was offered by Brad Smith, at the time a seminary intern serving at a local Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. He was praying to start a meal, but a movement was birthed, as well. Brad and others had an idea, 'Why not use Super Bowl weekend, a time when people come together for football and fun, to also unify the nation for a higher good: collecting dollars and canned food for the needy?' Youth could collect donations at their schools and churches in soup pots, and then send every dollar DIRECTLY to a local charity of THEIR choice.

In 1990, just one year later, twenty-two local churches participated, reporting their results so a total could be determined, and then sending all $5,700 they had raised to area non-profits. Since then, ordinary young people have generated an extraordinary $70 million for soup kitchens, food banks and other charities in communities across the country. In addition, hundreds of thousands of youth have experienced for themselves the joy and satisfaction of giving and serving, inspiring people of all ages to follow their generous example. Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush serve as National Advocates, along with owners of 6 NFL teams. And to think it all started in youth one night! You can read more at souperbowl.org.

Sam Matthews, the senior pastor I served under in Fayetteville, used to say the best ideas for ministry come from the pews and not the pulpit. He was right, and this is a classic example. We have a chance this weekend to continue the great story started just a few years ago.

Our youth will be standing at the exits of our worship services this Sunday with Soup Pots, ready to accept donations to go directly to Open Door Community House, one of our key partners in serving our neighbors in Columbus. Consider giving $1, or more, to a great cause. This is one of the ways we are living lives of significance out in the world.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Scarcity Is A Lie - God Is Still Adding To The Universe

2011-01-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

We've talked before about the size of God's creation. It is overwhelming in its scope. I suggest that is it a lie for any of us to focus on scarcity, when God has created so very much and wants to provide for us. Yet, that is the very fear everyone of us faces.

Genesis 1:17 says, "God also made the stars." I believe that. Men and women have spent thousands of years gazing upward trying to learn and understand that kind of power. The 1920's saw significant contributions to our understanding of the universe and the galaxies beyond our own. It was in 1929 that Edwin Hubble released his findings of something new and amazing: all of the galaxies in Creation are moving away from us, and the furthest galaxies are actually moving away fastest. His findings were based on a new discovery known today as Red Shift. As the light source, in this case distant stars, moves away and the light-waves increase and get longer, the color shifts towards the red end of the spectrum. With this discovery it was proven that the universe is still expanding! God is still creating.

For me, these ideas and discoveries speak directly to so much of what I believe about God's work in the world. Our fears of scarcity and our worries about running out of what we need are misguided. God's agenda has always been for our care and our growth, and here I see science supporting the claim that God is still active in the world working on God's agenda. God is not done. God is still at work.

I can think of no time more critical than now for our world, our nation, our church, and our own lives to hear this word. God is at work. Let us seek to align all of the 'stars' in our lives that we might be all working together for God's Kingdom agenda. Let us be those committed to growth, to healing, to restoration, and to excellence.

Grace and Peace, Scott

Scarcity is a Lie - Just Look Up

2011-01-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

   I have a point I want to make, so I went to an expert. I pulled out Stephen Hawking's, A Briefer History of Time. It is an update to one of the all-time science classics. Many of us know Hawking, the English theoretical physicist as something of an academic celebrity. Others know him for the courage he uses to live with significance despite having ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Here goes my point...
   We can see about five thousand stars in the sky with our own eyes. However, these account for only about .0001% of the actual stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. But the Milky Way is itself is but one of more than a hundred billion galaxies that can be seen using modern telescopes, and each one of them contains some one hundred billion stars. These numbers are staggering. We all could stand to read them, again, just to try to get our minds around all that our eyes cannot see.
   Which is the stuff of faith, isn't? Allowing our minds, and our hearts, to reach out and take hold of that which our eyes cannot see. Hebrews puts it this way,

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen....By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. Hebrews 11:1,3

   The challenge for us in the church is to believe that there is more out there. Not when it comes to stars, or the planets, mind you. But that there is enough out there to supply our needs. Will new people come? Will they stay? Will we have enough money? Enough volunteers? Will we be able to do what we need to with what we have? The challenge is to allow ourselves to trust that which we cannot see with our eyes: there is more out there.
   All of this can be summarized by saying we must continually dispel the lie of scarcity that says there will not be enough, and instead embrace the truth that God provides abundantly. this is as true i your life, in my life, and in our shared lives within God's Kingdom as ever.
   Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Our Shared Teaching Ministry

2011-01-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

Lou McCauley was a woman of great talent and lived with joy. Her passing last week, just a few days from her 94th birthday, brought sadness along with a deep appreciation by her family of the abundant life that she lived. I listened to her children and grandchildren share great stories and remembrances. At one point her son, Ken, spoke about how she was a lifelong-learner, studying French in her 70's and taking up line-dancing in her 80's.

The truth is, Lou McCauley was also a lifelong teacher to her family. They talked at length about how she taught them hospitality, acceptance, faith, humor, all by her example. At the funeral, celebrating her life and the God, I talked about how this mindset was so crucial to Old Testament theology. God instructed the parents, and in turn leaders of the people, to be ready when the children and others who would come along later would ask why (see the four instances). Why are these stones important? Why is this meal important? Why do we believe and do this? Our core theology is that we are lifelong-learners and lifelong-teachers. God calls us to be ready to answer when we are asked.

This is what Epworth needs. This is the mindset we must adopt. We must be able to answer the key questions. Why do we do this thing? Why are these traditions important? Why do we belief this? We must then act in ways that are true to our beliefs. We must clarify and then embody a vision of ministry in this community that is able to orient us.

Like Mrs. Lou's life, I don't think this happens overnight. I believe it must happen, though. We'll talk about it this coming week at our first Church Council meeting of the new year. Every leader in the church is being encouraged to attend, as we learn and teach about vision before splitting up into our various teams and planning for the year.

Grace and Peace, Scott

Everyone Should Try It For 21 days

2011-01-04T16:32:00.001-05:00

Experience is the greatest teacher.

Thomas Taylor in the year 1617,

quoting an ancient Latin saying

   We know this to be true. We learn best by doing. We can grasp the nuances, and get a hold of the concepts better when we are a part of the action. Books are amazing tools, and conversations with wise persons are priceless gifts - but there is something unparalleled about the lessons learned from actually experiencing something.
   Earlier this week, I listed to a friend share with me their opinions on the 'state of the world', and heard their take on how things had changed in the past two decades. My friend is more than a generation my elder, but we saw things almost exactly the same way. Society is changing, and every fabric of our lives is affected. Work, family, travel, communication, entertainment, values...and friendship. Some of it for the good - some not so good. But the change is undeniable.
   As we start the new year, we'll be listening in to ancient ideas and truths, found in our Holy Scriptures, about friendship and relationships. But in order for us to get the nuances of how friendship looks in 2011, I am proposing everyone try something together for three weeks: Facebook.

   I want everyone to join Facebook. It costs nothing, requires basically that you have an email address, and takes just minutes to get started. Then for those who start this coming week, or for those who are already on Facebook, I want everyone to log on once a day for 21 days. Why you ask? Because Facebook is the single most influential force on relationships in the world today, and every person, of every generation, could stand to learn some things about how Facebook is shaping our children, our neighbors, our coworkers, and even our parents! You can easily deactivate your account when you are done, but for now I'd like everyone who reads this to join the other 500 Million people who are 'connecting'. or so they say, on Facebook. Simply go to www.facebook.com to get started.
   I believe if we are going to convince the world that Jesus' way of living is the best possible way to live - if we stand by our claim that our lives are radically better because of the truths we believe - then we also have to speak and know the language of the world. More and more that language is spoken on Facebook.
   See you on Sunday, Scott

What is Next After This?

2010-12-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Leslie Morris, our church's Lay Leader, spoke for just a moment on Sunday afternoon at the close of our Church Council meeting to hear and act on two very important purposes. The first of had been accomplished when Steve Sawyer and the Council voted approval to a very solid, balanced Ministry Budget for 2011. The budget included a great record of estimated offerings through pledges and contributions, which then allowed our church to allocate our proposed expenses across great ministries. It is a great thing to start the year with the confidence of such actions. The second dealt with nominations for leadership, and was only for information purposes.

Leslie's comments took only a minute. She passed out the list of Church Leadership for the upcoming year while noting the three remaining blanks that we are working on filling. We have since received one Yes, and are hopeful for two others who have been asked. But she made a statement that has left me thinking. She said, 'the pace of things in the church has picked up, and every leader needs to be ready for even more in the future.'

How true! After six months of good work by our leaders in getting our 'house' in order, the real work is just getting started. After weeks of number crunching, decision-making, and vote-taking by our leaders in Finance, the real work of a balanced budget starts on January 1 when we try to live into it. For all of the tireless work done by our Staff-Parish Relations committee around shaping our staff for great ministry, the next task is to not stop. Leadership in the church is on-going. Leaders do not stop. They rest, for sure. They seek sabbath, and recharge, but they get going again.

I think of Mary and Joseph in the days leading up to and just after the birth of a son in Bethlehem. For all of the effort it took to get to that place, the work had just begun. Getting to Christmas is eternally important - but it is not the end of the story, is it?

My desire for our church is to take some time, in these holidays, for rest and renewal. May our celebrations be grand, may our generosity be extravagant, may our worship be great. Then may we be ready for even more as we move forward. Grace and Peace, Scott

A Date That Will Live On...

2010-12-07T10:07:00.000-05:00

"Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, December 8, 1941

It is one of those generational dates in history. The kind of date marking an event that everyone who was alive can remember where they were [Listen to FDR's speech at wikipedia]. Roosevelt's speech stands along with the announcement of the assassination of President Kennedy, the first images and sounds of Astronaut Neil Armstrong taking that giant leap onto the surface of the moon. Since then, we have had the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, and the attacks of September 11.

Three of these are tragic, one cause for celebration. All of these have the common characteristic and trait of having occurred after the advent of modern communication. Radio, then television, and now the internet allow millions of people to witness events in real-time. This has helped, I believe, to spread more quickly the news and the commentary on events that soon become history.

That was not the case with arguably the most significant announcement of history: the advent of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea. Despite the help of a host of angels, the news spread slowly about what had happened. The commentary about the significance of Jesus' birth took even longer to develop. Only a handful knew, most notably Mary. Yet, here we are celebrating the entrance into history the One who changed everything. It is more than a date to be remembered, or a figure to be studied. He is one to be worshiped.

See you in worship, Scott

all things new

2010-11-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

A loud voice from the throne says "See, I am making all things new."

Revelation 21:5

I stood gazing out the window towards my favorite tree, a Japanese maple that anchors our front yard, and as I stare a single crimson leaf falls to the ground. It catches my eye. Then, as if on cue, another leaf is loosed and heads to the earth. No more than a few seconds pass, when yet a third leaf falls. All of them added to the chaos of leaves beneath the tree, which are connected the leaves in the driveway, which appear to spill into the street. Suddenly I notice they run on from yard to yard, as if they all of the world right now is covered in leaves and straw. It is a mess. To top it off, the temperature outside declares it is winter weeks before our calendars make it official.

Truth be told, all of this has nothing and everything to do with what is actually happening in the world, doesn't it? Leaves are trivial. The state of my front yard means nothing when compared to the state of the affairs in the world. We watch closely as nations engage in gunboat diplomacy over issues of nuclear weapons, while others turn a blind eye to horrendous human rights violations. Children are being taken, jobs are being lost, confidential briefs are being leaked, and tornadoes are knocking buildings and people around. To mention nothing of cancer, consumerism and the holidays, or any of the other concerns that warrant our prayers. What part of all of this looks like 'God making all things new'?

Yet nevertheless, the scriptures throughout proclaim that God's singular agenda in the world is restoration. God is about re-creation. God is about redemption. Jesus refers to the fact it will happen with certainty (Matthew 19). He then says, later, that it is not for us to know the times or the seasons (Acts 1).

So, we are left to wait. With leaves falling and the world seemingly falling, as well, we wait. But it is not an idle waiting. It is one busy with anticipation. What will God's redemption look like? How will it come, and will we notice at first? This is the essence of worship in Advent.

I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday, Scott

One Way to Get to Thankful

2010-11-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

“In a time when many people only want to talk about themselves, my grandmother, who is 89, had the least to say when I asked her about herself. Instead, she wanted to share stories about her community, her friends, and her children.”

Amanda, from Tennessee

This week we slow down a little more, eat a little more, and hopefully do a little less. Holidays can help remind us of our place: we are created to work and to rest, and leave the 'savior of the world' role for One who can handle it. This is the essence of the Commandment to observe the sabbath: we are not God and the world does not stop when we take time to rest (Exodus 20). My prayer for you this Thanksgiving holiday is that you are thankful and that you find rest and peace, in the company of loved ones.

But how does one arrive at an attitude of thanksgiving? I've recently heard about one way to get there. Listening. What better way to grow in our awareness of a deep sense of thanksgiving, than to listen and celebrate God's work through the lives of another?

The National Day of Listening is a new national holiday started by StoryCorps in 2008. On the day after Thanksgiving, StoryCorps asks all Americans to take an hour to record an interview with a loved one, using recording equipment that is readily available in most homes, such as computers, iPhones, and tape recorders. Read more at nationaldayoflistening.org.

I think this is a beautiful way to steer our spirits toward a deep thanksgiving. On a day when family and friends are often already together, we should spend some time listening. May God pour out blessings this week, and every week, upon you that create thankful hearts.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

A Celebration of Consecration Sunday

2010-11-16T22:02:00.002-05:00

Sunday was great. We had a great congregation in worship with us. The music was awesome. The Rev. David Haygood’s message was inspiring, funny and right on. Finally, we had a great meal, offering the powerful encouragement that comes when sisters and brothers fellowship together around a table. Just a few days out from Thanksgiving, we would all agree we have much for which to give thanks.

The Bible talks at length about giving and offerings. It says that every person is to give back to God. As I see it, giving is commanded by God while written commitments are desired by the church. Commitments help the church to make plans for ministry and be good stewards. Commitments can also help a person to set goals and be personally accountable. The question before us is, “How is God leading you to respond to what God is doing in your life?” In my life, making a pledge is an important, holy moment.

Rev. Haygood was so right in making it clear that what is right for one family does not apply for everyone. Some individuals are just starting the regular habit of giving to God’s Ministries – we were there not many years ago – while other persons and families have considered ways to move beyond the tithe. I know for a fact that age or income level has no bearing on where a family might be in this practice. It is of little importance what has gone on in the past. What matters to God is the effort you make in the present. The Apostle Paul affirms this in Scripture,

“Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

A Note Saying Thank You

2010-11-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

I read a while back about a fellow in Nemo, Texas, who decided to thank some people around him. He chose garbage workers and the crews who help us keep our homes, yards, and streets clean. He took a picture of his 20-year-old garbage can and mailed it, along with a letter of thanks, to the head of the sanitation department in Dallas. A few days later he got a letter in response, thanking him for his letter but admitting it had caused a problem in the office. Though they had been in operation for decades, his was the first thank-you letter they have ever received and they had no place to file it!

We talk about saying thanks in the church all the time. It often sounds churchy, too. Of course, we say thanks to God, who is the giver of all good things. We are to be thankful for life and the abundance of blessings we have and continue to receive from God. But could it be that the concept of giving thanks might be expanded?

There are some people around us who deserve to hear 'Thanks' from time to time. I can think of teachers, public safety workers, nurses, and custodians. The list is extensive. Most of us think about those whose contributions, now, make a difference, now, in our lives. But what about saying thanks to those who served before?

I want to say thanks to our nation's Veterans. For those whose service, and sacrifice, made a difference then. I hope we are all aware that their service continues to make a difference now. For those who serve now, and for those with loved ones serving, thank you. Truth be told, if we all wrote a letter for every moment, every instance, every milestone that we were able to experience because of the freedom given us by the Veterans of our nation's military, there would not be a building large enough to file them all.
May we be those counted as thankful. Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Campaign to Change The World: One New Marriage At A Time

2010-11-02T11:40:00.002-04:00

As I type this, polls are open across our country. People are voting here in of Epworth, as we host our neighborhood Polling Precinct, for the first time. But we know elections are larger than one day, with monies and months spent gaining support, getting out the vote, garnering endorsements, and even a little time spent going over the issues. State records show that as of today, contributions of $174,125 were made to campaigns from within the bounds of our local Zip Code, 31904, alone.

People give money and give time to campaigns because they believe their efforts will mean something. What if we approach other aspects of life with the same passion as political campaigns?

Our church, as of last month, has joined the ranks of 100 other local churches to campaign for a cause as important and critical as any in our country: healthy marriages. More specifically, we want marriages to get started in intentional ways that lead to sustainable, great, relationships. Because we know that the home is the very fabric of who we are.

We have joined a local, grassroots collaborative known as Right From the Start. In 2008, concerned community leaders came together to launch a community wide initiative designed to strengthen marriages and families in the Columbus Region. It is based on a highly successful model from Chattanooga, TN. In the end, Right From the Start seeks to increase, to a substantial degree, the percentage of children being raised by their moms and dads in healthy families. If we are successful in achieving this objective, fewer children will be at risk and our communities will be safer and better places to live and work.

Our church is committed to this sort of campaign. We are want couples engaged to be married to go through premarital counseling, in addition to the 2-3 sessions I expect of every couple marry, in order that they get started right. We want to offer classes, education, and inspiration to couples of all stages of marriage to continue to do the hard work of staying in a relationship. We do this because the scriptures tell us it is the very stuff of our souls. Jesus reminds us from Genesis that in marriage "two become one," (Matthew 19). Whether in singleness or marriage, we want every person to life abundantly. We believe this is a partnership that can better help that happen.

Grace and Peace to you, Scott

When a Thing is Right

2010-10-26T17:14:00.054-04:00

How do we respond when a thing seems right? I read in the Scriptures of people rejoicing and being affirmed. When the disciples are returning and celebrating the chance to do great ministry out in the community, Jesus speaks of the eternal significance of what they are doing (Luke 10). Later, Jesus talked about how heaven rejoices when lost things are found (Luke 15). The Apostle Paul, throughout his letters to churches and leaders, affirms people when they are acting right and thinking right. He encourages others to follow the people doing right, and strongly speaks against following the advice of people who get things wrong too often (Philippians 2-3). We are to rejoice with, and to affirm people when they get things right. Consider it holy encouragement.

Rejoicing and encouraging are certainly my reactions to the work of our Church Council last week. One, among many, of the key initiatives our leaders voted on is the start of partnership with the Pastoral Institute called the Congregational Assistance Program. We know the Pastoral Institute for its excellence in providing care, teaching leadership, and supporting ministry. I’m thrilled that Epworth is entering into a partnership that allows our congregation to tap into these resources even more intimately.

The CAP program is a ministry that provides counseling services, life enrichment education and professional development opportunities for members of congregations and pastors through a contractual relationship with the Pastoral Institute. Our people will now have access to Christian counseling at greatly reduced rates, and priority given when calling to make appointments. The goal is to see congregation members within two days or even sooner. Our church leadership saw the overwhelming asset this offers. This is a new layer of care we have access to. While I love listening and sharing with people, conversations will arise that call for a level of wisdom and expertise that I don’t have. It makes sense in so many ways.

We have great people – our church is literally filled with the great saints of God. But even saints have trouble. This program increases access to care. In addition, our fee is waived for first eighteen months, through a grant the PI received to help churches get on board. Now, that is what I call something right!

I want to rejoice with our church, and affirm our leadership, for consistently seeking the care for our members and live into Jesus’ vision for ministry. This is just one of the ways we are positioning ourselves for the future. Well done, church.

An Ancient Craft: Mentoring

2010-10-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

One of the great, epic stories from ancient Greece tells the story of Odysseus, trying to return home from battle but on the way faced near-impossible challenges of morals, strength, emotion, and wits. Before left behind a wife, Penelope, and a son, Telemachus. But before he left, he asked a friend to take the lead in helping his son grow and mature. That friends name was Mentor. Around the same time our own scriptures tell how Moses, in the wilderness, receives wise counsel from Jethro in a role we would all agree today was that of mentor to learner (Exodus 18).

Fast-forward over 2500 years to 1699, when a French novelist, François Fénelon, writes a story with the intent it could be used to help raise princes and sons. The lead character in the novel is called Mentor. The book was very popular for over 150 years, and it is from here that the character of Mentor is transformed into the act and concept of mentoring.

One of the great blessings I have is serving as a mentor to six United Methodist Ministers in our South Georgia Conference. Along with one other mentor, I help to encourage, correct, inspire, and travel along with some of the finest ministers our Conference has. It is a process we call the Residents in Ministry (RIM). After three years of meeting one day a month, these men and women will go before the Board of Ordained Ministry in March to be examined for ordination with our Church. In addition, I now oversee all of the RIM groups in the conference, which means I'm the one to recruit new mentors. One day a month, for three years, may sound like a significant commitment to serve outside of the churches we are appointed to; but don't we know the most significant things in life call for the deepest commitments? Isn't it true, that the best things take time? Haven't we found that the strongest relationships, and with them the greatest influence, don't happen over night?

I think this concept of mentoring is at the core of Paul's understanding of the Gospel. He writes about how this looks in ministry, when he instructs Timothy and others in the church:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses

entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:2

The concept of mentoring has been around forever, and finds its way into our literature and our lives. In what ways is God calling you to teach and lead others? May we be the place where this ancient practice is found alive and well.

Staying on Mission

2010-10-05T17:13:00.001-04:00

I have to be careful. I have seen my friends and even mentors in the ministry try to make a point of something they have seen out in the world, only to be misunderstood in their efforts. But I was so dumbfounded by what I saw the other day that I feel it is worth the risk.

I was standing in line in the busy lobby of a local business. The line was moving quickly, and there were a dozen of us waiting in line. It was one of those moments when everyone in the place could hear every conversation spoken because of the close quarters. Up ahead, the gentleman who was finishing his transaction asked to purchase one more item, worth less than a couple of quarters, and presented a $20 bill for tender.

“No.” The clerk told him no. I was dumbfounded. She tried to get him to use a smaller bill, but he did not have one. He walked away, perfectly polite, never offering a word of protest. But I did. From my place in line, I asked her if that was even legal. I remembered some old rule from Citizenship class specifically stating that U.S. currency must be accepted for the payment of debts (I later looked it up and it is The Coinage Act of 1965). But beyond that, she went on to admit that she had the change, just not much left, and she was not about to give it all to him when he could go to a bank to get change and come back! Again, I was dumbfounded.

What added to my confusion and later dismay was that I was standing in a United States Post Office. Most of us know the USPS is struggling to regain profitability, long since gone with the arrival of leaner competition and the advent of email. Their own Vision 2013 statement, in an effort to turn things around, says their first priority is to “Focus on what matters most to customers.”

What happens when a company or organization forgets its mission? When it forgets its purpose? I believe in the USPS, and have faith that their restructuring efforts will soon right the ship. But the attitude that a customer wanting to buy a stamp is an inconvenience will not help them get that done. Imagine if the church acted the same way? None of us would be welcome, because the truth is all of us come wanting and needing.

May we never forget our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world! Grace and Peace, Scott

Busy

2010-09-30T22:23:00.000-04:00

Some weeks just get busy. We held our our annual Charge Conference, last Tuesday, where we connect to the larger Connection of the United Methodist Church. This meeting called for 30 pages of forms, over 100 letters to be mailed out, and dozens of signatures. to be obtained. At the end of the week, hundreds gathered to connect with our history, as we celebrated Homecoming and our 50th Anniversary. The speakers were awesome and inspiring, and the meal was amazing. Preparing for the celebration meant we had audio contractors in the sanctuary, work done on our sign on the street, landscaping happening out front, furniture moving up and down the halls, and thirty or more volunteering on Saturday to spruce things up. In between these two events our church stopped to celebrate the lives of two beautiful women, who have been a connected to our church for years. We also created and mailed bulletins, paid the bills, met with visitors, visited the hospitals, returned phone calls, and all of the other routine tasks of the church. Some days and weeks just get busy.

It is all good stuff, all worthwhile, but sometimes the amount just increases with no end in sight. We know what that is like, when needs begin to press in so close, that stress rises and feelings of inadequacy mount. What are our options? At one point, early in Jesus' ministry, similar busyness started to pile up. The word spread, and people started lining up to be healed, to be taught, and to be discipled. As followers of Christ, aren't we called to meet everyone's needs? To get it all done? To not let anyone down?

Mark 1 tells the story well. Jesus has been bombarded with needs. One witness suggests that everyone in town came to ask something of Jesus. How did he handle it? When the moment had passed, and the day was over, he went off got quiet and he prayed. Jesus never let the crush of needs of one day take him away from the larger need to find balance and stay grounded in his larger purpose. We cannot be ready for the next thing if we never slow down to rest from the previous. I want all of the great servant leaders within our community to hear this - don't be fooled into thinking that high-gear is acceptable all of the time. Rest. Slow down. Pray.

Busyness happens. What do you do when it passes?

May you know the grace and peace of Sabbath. Scott

Built to Last

2010-09-23T10:59:00.000-04:00

   Henry Ford is famous for founding of the Ford Motor Company and for developing the assembly line process of mass-production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. Ford is counted as one of the great visionary companies of all time, and is widely studied for its longevity and legacy.
   Did you know that Henry Ford did not start the company because he thought the Model T was a great idea? In fact, he did not develop that model until 1908 - five year after the company was started. First he rolled out Models A, B, C, F and K. Ford Motor Company was actually one of 502 companies started between 1900 and 1908 to build automobiles!
   Jim Collins, best-selling author of great business and leadership books, has found that some of the most enduring companies were founded long before they figured out what their 'great idea' would be. The great ideas often come later.
   None of us know exactly what was going through the minds of those few dozen who gathered on Rosemont Drive on September 25, 1960. We have no records of grand visions, or elaborate strategies. Probably because there were none. They simply intended to start something that would help them, and help others. They set out to start a Methodist church in this neighborhood, because that is how they were led. I'm glad they did. For this church has touched the lives of thousands, through our worship, our study, our service, and our presence.
   Despite the great 50 years we celebrate this week, I believe we are an example of an enduring organization that has not yet figured it all out yet. We are impacting lives and doing great ministry, but we remain a work in progress. I love that about this church. We are willing to move forward, without all of the answers.
   Happy Birthday Epworth United Methodist Church. May we all continue growing in God's grace.

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in

2010-09-16T18:09:00.000-04:00

Robert Frost once wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” While Frost was referring to a fictional character, returning to a familiar place to spend his last hours, I believe the same truth applies to us in the real world for the whole of our lives.

   The home I'm thinking of is not a place bound by geography. Home is larger in scope and significance. Home, for many, is more defined by a feeling. The word I use is peace. Home should be where peace is found. For many of us, home is also defined by people. For example, both sides of our family gather on any number of occasions throughout the year at any number of places. When we get together, the location is not nearly as important as the people. Home is not about a place or an address. Home is bigger than that.
   What is interesting is how silent the Hebrew Scriptures are concerning the idea of home. Of course, they refer to homes, and folks have homes, but it is never a central theme. Once into the New Testament, home does play a role in Jesus' life, but ironically its significance is more about the fact that Jesus did not have a home. Throughout the Gospels, people are trying to figure out where Jesus is from? (John 9:30) And at one point, Jesus says that he does not have a place to lay his head (Luke 9:58). Before it is all over though, we are told what sort of eternal significance home will have. We get some clarity on home. In Revelation 21:3 a voice from the throne declares, "the home of God is among mortals."
   How often, in our songs, our stories, and even our teaching, have we professed that our eternal home is some place else? Yet here, the final word seems to indicate that heaven comes crashing into earth. God's Kingdom, finally come, will be here on earth. The eternal reign of God, where peace and mercy and justice and love prevail, will be here, with us, where we have always been.
   As we approach Homecoming, with the thought that God's home will one day again be here on earth, what sort of preparations should I be taking now? If Revelation tells of God's Homecoming to earth, and God's peace will reign, should I begin living in ways compatible with that? I believe that is the message of this church. Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Our History is More than What and When

2010-09-07T14:53:00.000-04:00

   Standing before those gathered, he starts by referring to the past. He begins to retrace history, talking about the whens and the whats of the past. But anyone with ears to hear, listens as more than just dates are being given. The leader weaves into this history some of the whys that go with whens and whats. Each turn in history, east twist of fate, is offered with a unique perspective of why that event is significant today. And before he is through, the past has been brought to the present, and the present is made important because of the impact it plays on the future.
   This well could describe the speech given by any corporate leader standing before shareholders, presenting the company's latest plans for expansion. It could easily be the military general, addressing the gathered troops on the eve of their campaign. It could be the patriarch and oldest of the generations of family, sitting around the table after the meal, holding forth for all who will hear. Or, it could be the prophet from ancient scriptures, bringing back the people to their destiny. I'm thinking about Moses or Joshua standing before the people about to enter the Promised Land (read in Deuteronomy 27).
   Doesn't it also resemble the words spoken by the preacher on Sundays where Holy Communion is celebrated? The liturgy of the church recalls not just God's saving acts throughout history, but also makes clear the reason why God has acted with such power and might: His great love for us.
   But this specific instance actually happened this past weekend at a baptism. I was privileged to stand before a congregation in Statesboro and hold my niece, Wesley Diane Hagan, and talk about how God's grace in the past will change her future, for good. That very moment brought full circle events that had happened in that very place over 70 years before. Our God is amazing.
   This is the very essence of why our church gathers every week for worship, and even every year for Homecoming. To hear again our history, more than What and When, but also the Why. We are here to change lives, make disciples of Jesus Christ, all for the transformation of the world.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Getting the Answers Right

2010-09-02T08:33:00.000-04:00

   Jay Leno, who debuted for a second time as host of the Tonight Show, has again made popular the concept of a roving sidewalk-reporter. His 'Jaywalking' sketches feature easy questions that draw crazy responses from the average gal or guy on the street. On the few occasions that I'm still up that late, I find these hilarious. But despite the humor, we know that we are not best measured by words, are we? For as funny or serious, or right or wrong, our words can be, we know actions to be much truer indicators of who we are.
   Every congregation will make statements about their love for children, and the value they place on having children involved. Think about the place Jesus gave them in Mark 10:14. What about our actions? One of the great blessings our church is in the midst of experiencing is the growing presence of children every Sunday morning. Their energy, and the hope that accompanies them, are great encouragement for us all. How do we give the right answer, beyond mere words, when asked about how we value children?
   We teach them right from wrong, and show them the love of Jesus. We listen to their silly stories, knowing that they are watching how we live out our own life-stories. We have fun with them in play, and give them room to be serious, too. Each of those moments happens best when adults, in groups of two, are working with small groups of children. This very formula helped create a great week of Vacation Bible School.
   Committed adults stepped forward this week for training in new ministries that will allow these very things to happen. Volunteers are also trained and abide by our Safe Sanctuaries protocol, because we will do whatever it takes to protect our children and our leaders. These are leaders willing to use gifts to teach, serve, and play with kids.
   Every time a leader stoops over to be present in the life of a child, they are giving answers that speak volumes - sometimes without ever saying a word. That is how right belief leads to right action. Grace and Peace, Scott

I Loved It So Much...

2010-08-24T21:45:00.001-04:00

Do you remember Victor Kiam's famous phrase, "I loved it so much I bought the company"? He was referring to his first Remington electric shaver, which his wife bought for him years before. This was the tag-line in commercials throughout the 80's. He liked the product so much, he literally bought the company. That is what I call taking ownership!

That is the thought I had earlier this week as I looked out the door of my office to see Susan Snider, our church's administrative assistant, pushing a dust mop down the hall. Nowhere in her job description is housekeeping mentioned, but she thought the floors at the entrance needed a little attention right before the funeral in our church that same afternoon. That is what I call taking ownership!

I've seen it before from Susan, in these first couple of months since I arrived. She goes the extra mile, communicates with everyone who needs to know, checks after things that need checking, and does the little things that go to the heart of what it means to think like an owner, not just an employee. I had countless folks tell me upon my arrival that Susan is one of the best assets our church has, and I've now seen it firsthand.

Of course, the church is not something to be owned. With Jesus as her leader, the church is larger than any person, be they listed on staff or in ministry from the pews. The church stands across the centuries, and partners with God into the future. Yet, there is something to be said for folks who see their role as more than filling a spot, or punching a clock. In his best-selling leadership book, The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge says leaders within great organizations are “connected and bound together by a common aspiration.” This is one of the wonderful truths about this church: people are connected through a sense of ownership about how things go, and how we dream they can go. It is ownership, in the best form of the word. Susan Snider gets that, along with countless others within this great church. Well done church.

I Was Wrong

2010-08-16T17:10:00.001-04:00

   A few weeks back, I opened the teaching in worship with an illustration about an over-priced mansion in Door County, Wisconsin. I said that it would be a tough sell anywhere in this housing market, but the fact that the $23 million estate was located in Wisconsin made it doubly hard, despite the pet mausoleum that came with the property! I went on to suggest that this was anything but a destination for celebrities, vacations or retirement.
   I was wrong. My friend Katherine, who sat there quietly that morning and listened, dropped some information on my desk later that week about any number of resorts there, a great community for the arts, and some of the other reasons that make Door County the ‘Cape Cod of the Midwest.’ Who knew! I want to apologize to everyone from the Door County Chamber of Tourism… But seriously, this vacation destination suffers from what many worthy groups already know – if people do not know about you then they will most likely never visit. It is all about visibility.
   The same is true for the church, but with a twist. Tens of thousands in this community know things about Epworth – they just don’t know you are a part of Epworth. They know you attend church, and practice living your faith in your daily walk, but not that your faith is being shaped constantly here in worship, study and service. They know you, but don’t know you are Epworth. I love it when folks within the church introduce me as their pastor – but I hope people are talking about their church just as much or more when their pastor is not around.
   Our location here in the tall trees of this great neighborhood makes visibility for our church a challenge. It is a challenge that our leadership talk about regularly. But our best assets – not buildings or property – are visible every hour of every day in front of the most important people in the world – our neighbors. You are our best asset. You are worth coming to see.
   Grace and Peace, Scott