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.

BigStuf

   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...

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

   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