Ponder It A Bit Longer

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.

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

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

   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

   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

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

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

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

A win happens every time a person is lead into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and then sent out to bring about 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

   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

   It was the American architect Louis Sullivan who coined the phrase in his article The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered in 1896. Later one of his students, Frank Lloyd Wright, would revise it to say, "form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union." I remember the quote first entering into my academic life as a sophomore enrolled in an industrial design class in college. I recall names like Herman Miller, Charles Eames, and the Bauhaus movement. My appreciation for great furniture, spectacular gadgets, and soaring architecture grew. The Eames Lounge Chair captures the concept of form following function perfectly. From shape to materials and even to the process by which it is manufactured, the function of the object determines so very much about the form that it takes. 

   I have been struck how much this concept drives the way I think about the church, or my ecclesiology. I very often find myself turning to fundamental ideas about why we do a thing when I am asked about how we 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 the New 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 church and the forms they should take. 

   Are their areas and forms in your life that no longer serve their purpose or function? Have you audited your forms lately to see that they 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

   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

   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

   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

   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

   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

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

   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

   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

   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

   "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?

   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...

 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

   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.