Money and Possessions: I Often Do Not Do What I Know To Do

   “O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I am impressed by my own spiritual insights. I probably know more about prayer, meditation and contemplation than most Christians do. I have read many books about the Christian life, and have even written a few myself. Still, as impressed as I am, I am more impressed by the enormous abyss between my insights and my life. 
   It seems as if I am standing on one side of a huge canyon and see how I should grow toward you, live in your presence and serve you, but cannot reach the other side of the canyon where you are. I can speak and write, preach and argue about the beauty and goodness of the life I see on the other side, but how, O Lord, can I get there? Sometimes I even have the painful feeling that the clearer the vision, the more aware I am of the depth of the canyon. 
   Am I doomed to die on the wrong side of the abyss? .... Come, Lord Jesus, come. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.”

Henri Nouwen - A Cry for Mercy

   One of the great modern writers in the field of humanity and Christian devotion, Nouwen is bearing his soul to us. What he reveals is the human condition. Note the emphasis I added above - there is an enormous abyss between what we know and what we do. The Apostle Paul said as much in Romans 7:15,19:

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate....For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 

   If Nouwen and Paul were broadly applying this to behaviors in their own lives, then certainly such truths apply to our behaviors. For many of us, no area is captured so well by these frustrating admissions than that of money and finances. We know what is right, but we often do the opposite. Or, we want to do what is right but don’t know what is right for each instance.
   We begin a series of teachings this weekend, lasting five brief weeks, that delve deeply into financial problems and wise solutions. This will be Practical Teaching and Inspiring Challenges. I pray every person will make his/her way to worship (or listen online if you’re out of town). 
   Grace and Peace, Scott

History Repeats Itself

   "In the year of our Lord, 1901, in the old car barn on Second Avenue, now the Home Theatre, there was a prayer meeting started on Sunday afternoon which continued to hold its meetings for about a year. On the First Sunday of November 1902, the prayer meeting was organized into a church.... This was done about two weeks before the South Georgia Conference." So goes the best early history of the church started in Bibb City over a century ago, as recorded by C. Rush in 1930. 
  Given the name North Highland, the church was grouped with the Pearce Chapel congregation to make up a two point circuit. Just a few short months later, a move was made to build a church. A "Lot Committee" was formed to investigate the best location within the newly surveyed section of North Highland, and they settled on two lots on the corner of Third Avenue and Thirty-First Street because they figured it would be at the center of the industrial community that was in the works. Soon after they acquired the used tabernacle structure that St. Luke Methodist no longer needed, and in 1906 the people built the first church building. In the 1909 Conference, the Rev. Hamp Stevens was sent to serve the now stand-alone church in the growing section of Columbus. He served for four years and "was a man that every one loved." He was moved for two years [at this point in Methodist history serving a church for any length over one year was rare and considered a very long appointment] but was returned in 1915 and served another seven. After moving to serve Richland for a year, he retired in 1923 and died in 1924. But, during the eleven years he served, the mutual love between he and the church, and the growth that happened, prompted the church in 1926, at the dedication of the newest Sanctuary building, to rename itself in honor of its most beloved pastor. 

Hamp Stevens UMC

   This early history of the Hamp Stevens Memorial Methodist Church seems ancient when compared to our lives. Only names and dates remain from the real stories of the Spirit's inspiration and vision that was caught to serve a new neighborhood and the families that would soon call it home. But, the history of Hamp Stevens has become the history of Epworth, and interestingly they are similar in many ways. Columbus was growing and a new neighborhood was being built. Local church leaders, men and women, felt led to build a place that would become a spiritual home to worship, fellowship, and grow in. Whether it was 1902 or 1960, our stories are very similar. 

Epworth UMC

   We gather on Homecoming to celebrate the same Spirit that continues to inspire us to worship and grow. We are given power to change our community and shape the lives of young and old, alike. May the simple act of remembering give us a renewed sense of what it means to be church together. Grace and Peace, Scott

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity

      Stress. Anxiety. Fear. These words capture well the state of mind of many of us. We have witnessed the market move down and up, the collapse of the world’s largest insurance company, and more bankruptcies and mergers than we can remember. Practically every story in the news is now, somehow, connected to economic uncertainty. But it is deeper than the news. One survey found that over three in four Americans are stressed about their personal finances and the economy. Half were worried about providing for their family’s basic needs. Over half of respondents reported feeling angry and irritable, and reported that is affected their ability to sleep. The report concludes that, “The declining state of the nation’s economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on people nationwide.”

We can live better. So, we are inviting you to join us in worship starting on September 29 for a sermon series entitled Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. Increasing consumer debt, declines in savings, lower income growth, and a volatile stock market are all a part of our economic insecurity. But there is more to it. We live in a society that tells us “you deserve it now,” whether or not we can afford it or really even need it.

All of us have struggled with these issues at one time or another. They are important issues that we cannot ignore. This is why we will feel compelled to offer this emphasis in worship.Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity is adapted from a book by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a UM pastor in Kansas City. We will explore what the Bible teaches us about financial management. We’ll hear expert advice and stories about what others have learned by working through financial challenges. Each week we will provide you with some practical tools you can use to assess your financial situation and develop a financial plan with a biblical foundation.

At the conclusion of the emphasis and practical wisdom, we will have the opportunity to make personal commitments of our offerings to God through our church in the coming year. We will consecrate these commitments in the worship services on Sunday, November 3. I hope you will join us in the coming weeks as we look at how we can manage our financial resources and truly experience simplicity, generosity, and joy. Here is the schedule for worship, starting the week after Homecoming:

Sept 29     Faith in the Midst of Financial Crisis

Oct 6         When Dreams Become Nightmares

Oct 13       Wisdom and Finance

Oct 20       Cultivating Contentment

Oct 27       Defined by Generosity

Nov 3         Consecration Sunday

Let us pray...

   Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” It speaks to the need for leaders to envision the future and connects dreaming and visioning with life. Yet, local church leaders face challenges and obstacles to dreaming. 
   I believe that many leaders struggle to dream about the future in a hopeful manner when the prevailing narrative surrounding the life of the modern church is one of decline and despair. But the obstacles don’t stop there. Despite being convinced that Epworth’s next, best step is for a small group of leaders and representatives to embark on a vision-seeking journey...I have been slowed by questions of who, how and when. 
   We call Pentecost the birth day of the church. But, before this day of visions and bold declarations could happen, significant factors in the personal lives and communal life of the disciples came together. The disciples overcame fear, came together in prayer, spent time patiently waiting for God’s direction and studied the Scriptures. A way forward opened up after leaders prayed.
   So, last week I asked our Church Council to begin praying. Adapting two different little prayers from the United Methodist Book of Worship, I offered this prayer as a guide for our combined efforts. I am asking you to join us. 
   On September 25, 1960, 49 people gathered in a little home in the newly-built Winchester neighborhood to start a new church.  It did not happen without prayers and pulling together. I believe our next 53 years depend, in part, on the vision we capture for the coming season of ministry together. Let us pray.... 
   Grace and Peace, Scott