Silence at Christmas

"Christmas! Never was there such a word! Poets have dreamed, writers have composed, artists have had their raptures, but none has been comparable to the thoughts that the word Christmas inspires. Christmas makes heaven and earth so akin. Jesus! O marvelous Babe, O Babe Divine!"

- Father Judge, 1928

The Holy Night, by Carlo Maratta (1625-1713)

   O how true! Songs have been written - great ones at that - and stories have been told that attempt to capture the glory of that night. Yet, no single song, prayer, story, event, or ritual fully lays hold of all that happened in that moment in history. Christmas. Think about it; people continue to write new songs and we continue to listen. We never grow tired of hearing about the story, possibly because there is always more to the story than words or art or actions can grasp.
   Then I come across this sliver of scripture assigned in my devotion this morning:

"Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all. We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later..."

- Psalm 65:1-2, The Message

It is difficult to admit and even more difficult to do; sometimes we run out of words. Trust me, I know the irony of a preacher, paid to speak, uttering these very lines. It is true, though. Christmas, in the end, is beyond our ability to describe. God loved us so much, he came down here. God's plans to save us are so incredible and important, he sent his only son. 

   Silence. May our silence in the coming days be acceptable to you, O God, as our worship of your majesty and your love. 

   Grace and Peace, Scott 

Nine Days in Bonaire

   What we do says a lot about who we are, right? I was walking across the street to go to work one morning, still basking in the glow of a great event at the church the day before, when I realized how many of those we are experiencing these days. Let's take stock of what we are in the midst of:

Mission Marketplace – saw hundreds of people from around the community visit our building, greeted by our people, and leave with untold treasures and gifts to give. And, we raised over $3000 towards missions in the process!

Ladies Night - brought together over ___ men and women for a great meal and the joy of singing along to tunes of the season and years gone by. Thanks to great work by our Men, it was just simple fun. 

December Food Pantry and Clothing Closet - on Friday will provide warm clothes and nourishing food to our neighbors in need of something to help makes ends meet. It includes prayer, hard work, and lots of grace. It is scriptural, it is an act of generosity, and it is beautiful. 

Belize Mission Trip Meeting - we're committed to growing a relationship with a village in Central America in order to care for the bodies and souls of our neighbors there. Interested people start making plans this Sunday at 2 PM.

The Christmas Cantata - offers the eager anticipation of Christmas through the songs of Russell Mauldin's Bethlehem Morning. Members from both the 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM choirs and a host of other volunteers will make it happen, then everyone is invited to stay for refreshments, afterwards, hosted by our Methodist Men.

All of this is happening in the short span of nine days at Bonaire Church. Add to this list worship with traditional and modern songs, children learning and singing and playing, young people growing in their faith, and adults all over the campus in Sunday School, as well. Nor does this list include the countless prayers being offered in homes, at work, in hospital rooms, and all places in between by our people for each other and the world.
   What does this say about our church, the body of Christ living in our community? We sing. We give. We go. We pray. We serve and we are served. God is calling you to be a part; where will you plug in?
   Grace and peace, Scott

The Season of (Waiting, Preparing, Anticipating) 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.” In other words, this is the season that 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 in history when Jesus did come and about the time in the future when He will come, again.  We celebrate the two comings of Christ.
   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 these weeks 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 Advent expectantly preparing for His arrival.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

The Effort of (Actively) Waiting

How do we wait for God? We wait with patience. But patience does not mean passivity. Waiting patiently is not like waiting for the bus to come, the rain to stop, or the sun to rise. It is an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.

The word patience comes from the Latin verb patior which means "to suffer." Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the full, and letting the seeds that are sown in the ground on which we stand grow into strong plants. Waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God's glorious coming.

- Henri Nouwen

   We spent Thanksgiving in Statesboro this year. It was the first time in a while, as my parents moved back there this summer after living in Macon for over a decade. It was good to have a few days to travel down old roads, visit places I remembered from years ago, and even do some things we did as a kids. One of those Hagan traditions, that we lived out this weekend, was Georgia Southern football at Paulson Stadium. 

   The boys and I stood alongside the field this past Saturday, in the final ten minutes before the game would start, watching both teams. I was reminded of a truth of Advent and the Christian life watching the players as they waited: they exert a great deal of energy before the game had even started. For an athlete, waiting for game-time is an active event. Stretching, running, clapping, listening and talking, none of this is done sitting down or resting.
   Like Nouwen says in this devotion, waiting on the return of Christ, which is the other half of Advent, is not intended to be entirely passive. It often requires effort. It takes effort to pay attention to our spirit and attitude. Forgiving others and ourselves is strenuous. Planting seeds through encouragement takes time and energy. 
   This is my prayer: May every single one of us spend these days of waiting and anticipating the Coming of Christ at Christmas actively engaged in the work of God: loving, forgiving, praying, listening, stretching our minds, and welcoming God's Spirit to move. Lord, let it be. Amen.

The Mother of Thanksgiving and a model of Perseverance

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

- Signed by President Abraham Lincoln, on October 3, 1863

This is the last section of a proclamation written by William Seward, then Secretary of State, and signed by President Lincoln. With the nation embroiled in a bloody Civil War, they set aside the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanks. But, much of the credit for the proclamation should probably go to a woman named Sarah Hale. She had grown up celebrating Thanksgiving in her home state of New Hampshire, but back then not every state marked the day and those that did were not unified as to the date.
   Hale was not the first to organize a unified day of gratitude, though. Following the American Revolution, a newly inaugurated George Washington called for a national day of thanks to celebrate both the end of the war and the recent ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Other Presidents followed suit, but that stopped with Thomas Jefferson, who sought what he called a "wall of separation between Church and State." Decades later, Sarah Hale came along and made this one of her life goals. She apparently wrote to every President before Lincoln for fifteen years before he took office. But, this time it worked. Within a week of receiving her request, Seward had drafted Lincoln’s official proclamation fixing the national observation of Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November, a move the two men hoped would help “heal the wounds of the nation.”
   It is a lesson in perseverance. Gratitude is worth spreading, and repeating, and sharing with others. Grace and peace, Scott

Money: the (bad and the) good side

   Have you followed the story from the campus of the University of Missouri? It started back in August with racial slurs, inappropriate actions, some really disgusting stuff, and finally a failure at the top of the University's leadership to respond, all brought about protests calling for action and justice. Before it was over, it seemed like everyone was protesting:

• the Student Body president
• ad-hoc student groups frustrated over racial tensions
• a coalition of on-campus Jewish groups
• nine faculty Deans of various schools/departments on campus
• the University Faculty Senate
• people speaking on behalf of the Republican party
• people speaking on behalf of the Democratic party
• on November 2, one student went on a hunger strike
• elected members of the Missouri State Legislature

But, nothing really happened. Until the threat of the school losing money entered the conversation.

   On Saturday, November 7, thirty football players announced they were boycotting team events (practice, games, etc) until a resolution was delivered. The next day, November 8, the entire team made it clear that they stand united: no football until people resign. So, after more than two months of trouble and protests, which included literally tens of thousands of people, the President and Chancellor both resigned within hours. It is unfortunate that it is widely-held that two people losing their jobs and status was what right looked like. I am glad that the right thing was done. I am not glad that it took the potential loss of millions of dollars of football revenue to finally prompt it. It is clear that money held sway in bringing about a resolution. Sports is powerful, but what does it say when it takes the threat of cancelling a football game before the right thing is done? Money has power, because we let it. [I don't blame the football team - they used the money they generate for good. I worry that we would not see the role we have in propping up an industry that wields such power through profit.]
   The scriptures are clear, it is not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money (see 1 Timothy 6:10).
   How do you use money? For good? Do you invest in others? Do you give money away as a sign of your belief in God's ongoing abundance? Do you save money as an antidote against the deadly illness of over-consumption? Do you have a healthy relationship with money, or does it control you in ways that are not healthy? Money is neutral - it is the place that we give it in our life and the ways that we use it that cause it to be good or bad. The Ten Commandments start with, "You shall have no other gods before me."
   Grace and peace, Scott

Am I Talking To You?

   The spiritual life is not a life before, after, or beyond our everyday existence. No, the spiritual life can only be real when it is lived in the midst of the pains and joys of the here and now. Therefore we need to begin with a careful look at the way we think, speak, feel, and act from hour to hour, day to day, week to week, and year to year, in order to become more fully aware of our hunger for the Spirit. As long as we have only a vague inner feeling of discontent with our present way of living, and only an indefinite desire for "things spiritual," our lives will continue to stagnate in a generalized melancholy. We often say, "I am not very happy. I am not content with the way my life is going. I am not really joyful or peaceful, but I just don't know how things can be different, and I guess I have to be realistic and accept my life as it is." It is this mood of resignation that prevents us from actively searching for the life of the Spirit. 

   Our first task is to dispel the vague, murky feeling of discontent and to look critically at how we are living our lives. This requires honesty, courage, and trust. We must honestly unmask and courageously confront the many self-deceptive games. We must trust that are honesty and courage will lead us not to despair, but to a new heaven and a new earth.

   - Henri Nouwen, from Making All Things New

   Our first task is to look critically at how we are living our lives. We must stop deceiving ourselves. We must be honest with ourselves. If we follow truth it will lead us to heaven. Sounds good, but....
 None of this easy. 

   First, many people who read all the way through the article to this very point are not even aware that these words or warning could apply to them. I don't talk like this often (maybe I should more), but the ruler of this world (Jesus says that is Satan in John 12) is working against us at the most basic levels. The world does not want us to think deeply. It wants us to never ask ourselves about our own motivations. The bad guys would be happy if we never thought about our attitudes and certainly if we never learned that we have the final say over our approach to God, neighbor and self.
   There is good news: there is a power available to everyone that overcomes, short-circuits, and crushes the spiritual forces of wickedness that would keep us dumb to our own self-defeating tendencies and drag us into the lowest depths imaginable. The power for good has been written into our software: the Holy Spirit is within us, if we would turn it on through repentance and commit to the Way of Jesus.
   Am I talking to you? Maybe. Grace and Peace, Scott

Thanksgiving for the harvest is more than child's play

   With November soon upon us, the theme turns thanksgiving. Children will grab crayons to color turkeys and puritans and glue corn onto construction paper in order to hold onto the history of our country. Of course, the first thanksgiving was a celebration of the harvest that enabled their survival. We are nourished by the work of farmers who, in turn, are enabled by the great gift of growth from small seeds planted in the ground.
   The Apostle Paul picks up the language of harvest in his letter to the church in Corinth when he says, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).  Ironically, he used the image of growth in love and grace to address a particular conflict that had arisen in the church!
   What elements bring about the growth in our hearts? Have we given through to the changes needed in our souls? George MacDonald writes in Life Essential,

The words of the Lord are the seed sown by the sower. Into our hearts they must fall that they may grow. Meditation and prayer must water them, and obedience keep them in the sunlight. Thus will they bear fruit for the Lord's gathering.

Are you regularly allowing the seeds (the Word of God) to take root in your soil (your heart and soul) in order that it may grow (in grace, peace and love)? What is stopping you? You're busy? Too busy to attend to the things that matter? Too busy to invest in the very substance that remains when everything else is gone?
   Find your way to worship on Sundays. Open your bible every morning. Offer a prayer asking God to orient your day around his best desires for you. God loves you.
   Grace and peace, Scott

Back to the Future...But What Has Changed?

   The Associated Press includes this snippet in the news today (Wednesday, October 21):

"The future is today - if "Back to the Future" is to be believed. The celebration of the so-called "Back to the Future" Day on Wednesday marks the date - Oct. 21, 2015 - that the characters Marty McFly, Emmett "Doc" Brown and Jennifer Parker famously journeyed from 1985 to 2015 in the sci-fi film trilogy's second installment in 1989. "Back to the Future Part II" envisioned a colorful 2015 with flying cars, hoverboards and self-tying shoelaces. While those doodads are hardly prevalent today, the film did accurately tease the rise of such technology as flat-screen televisions, biometric scanning and hands-free gaming."

As the article points out, some things have changed in the past twenty-six years, while some hoped-for discoveries or creations haven't yet been achieved. Of course, there is more news for today:

• REP. RYAN SEEKS UNITY FROM HOUSE GOP TO RUN FOR SPEAKER
• SYRIA'S ASSAD BOLSTERED WITH VISIT TO ALLY IN MOSCOW
• ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU HEADS TO BERLIN TO MEET KERRY
• BIDEN'S DECISION EXPECTED AT ANY TIME

While each of these headlines is news to a journalist, I am struck by how none of this is new. Each of these stories, and countless others that will be reported on today, all have a similar theme: people grasping for power in the same-old ways. Ryan would accept power but wants promises. Assad is hoping power can be restored through might and offense. Netanyahu wields power but is like a pendulum always swinging with external forces. And, Biden is hoping that looking like he doesn't want power as much as others will win him the day. Today might be the future, but not much has changed. 

   Contrast today's headlines with some of the teachings of Jesus. He tells Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." He teaches the disciples, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth..." and later, "For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” And who can forget when he said, "If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don't withhold your shirt either."

   The world spins but the news seems to stay the same. Humanity grasps at power while the teachings of the greatest (and most powerful) person to ever live say we should let go and give away. I believe we are confronted with a great choice; what we choose will shape our futures. Grace and Peace, Scott

Two negatives make a positive...only in math, though.

   Most of us remember some of the facts taught us when we went through mathematics classes as teenagers. Still, others of us have relearned these facts as parents whose children are in school. One of these basics of arithmetic states that two negatives make a positive; subtracting a negative number is the same as adding it. 

   However, that's in the world of math. In the rest of the world, it's not always true that doubling up negatives adds to the bottom line. When it comes to attitude and choices, negatives always take away. There are several common things we do to make a big negative impact on our lives. 

   All of this was on my mind when I came across this list of nine examples of negatives that are negative:

1. Blame everyone else for how your life is turning out.
2. Choose to believe people do not like you.
3. Get angry when your plans (even the little one) get interrupted.
4. Hold offenses close to your heart.
5. Refuse to share or give generously.
6. Be suspicious of people's motives, even if they are treating you well. After all, you never know.
7. Keep an eye out for signs that the people around you have more advantages than you.
8. Get mad at God when bad things happen to you.
9. Watch a lot of violent TV and movies.

These are offered by Marilyn Elliott in a list she titles, Nine Ways to Deform Your Soul. In case you skipped straight to the list, let me be clear - don't do these things! 

   May we choose life. May we choose to add value: to our own souls and into the hearts of our loved ones. May we live as bearers of light in a darkened world. Grace and peace, Scott

Where did it all start?

   Where did it all start? The bible offers a couple of different stories that each describe where it all started. Genesis 1 proclaims the world got its start when a word was spoken in the midst of chaos: the word brought order and goodness. Genesis 2 offers a complimentary version, one that describes a partnership between God and man and then one between man and woman, and describes the start of the world as happening in a garden.
   In worship on Sunday, we heard from our church's own history that our congregation got it's start in a pastor who had a vision and another congregation in the Sandy Run area that gave him permission. It was 121 years ago this week that the permission and vision of those two miles up the road were combined with the passion and perseverance of families here in Bonaire to form one church with a purpose.
   My own story starts in a chemistry class on the campus of Georgia Southern College back in 1966, when a young co-ed searched for a friendly face to partner with in lab in order to improve her chances of passing the class. Her eyes landed on a young guy from Screven County and here I am today. I must say, like my mom, I love math and physics a lot more than chemistry.
   What about your story, where did it start?
   Who was there at the beginning?
   Who had a vision for what needed to happen?
   Who were the permission-givers?
   What partnerships were formed that made the difference?
   Let us be thankful to God for the mighty acts of God that have brought us to this place. Let us not stop with thanksgiving for the past, though. Let us be counted as those who are helping to write new history. Let us be among those with vision and commitment and a sense of purpose. Paul, writing to the church in Corinth (2 Cor 5:17), said, "So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!" I believe God is calling us to help people "get started" all over again. I think that looks like one-one discipleship, or teaching children in Sunday School, or praying with people every other Friday in our food pantry and clothing closet, or growing in our giving, or starting a morning devotional routine.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Runs like new again

"If an ax is dull and one doesn't sharpen it first, then one must exert more force. 
It's profitable to be skillful and wise." - Ecclesiastes 10:10

   While this was not one of the verses I lifted up in this past weekend's sermon that attempted to summarize the entire book of Ecclesiastes, it is a great example of the straightforward wisdom found within those pages. Solomon was talking about axes, but he could just have easily made his point talking about lawnmowers, that is, if they'd been invented at the time. A lot of things can go wrong with a lawnmower, but even if everything else is just right, it does not accomplish its purpose well with dull blades. 

   This was my life until earlier this week. I'd come to realize that the blades on the Troy-Bilt Zero Turn 42" mower were more than just dull - some of them were missing. Over time, the ends of the blades had chipped off and were gone. It was most noticeable when the two blades, spinning side by side, would leave a 4" streak of tall grass, like a mohawk haircut, on every pass around the yard. So, Larry and I set out to replace the blades. After finding the right YouTube video, buying a $2 cheater bar to loosen the hexnuts underneath, and about two hours of work, we accomplished the task. It felt glorious. 

   This story offers more lessons and applications for my life than I can count. The one speaking the most clearly to me is this: it feels good to get things back to right, again. We get dulled and dinged by life. Some of have 'proverbial' parts missing, having been knocked off by some conflict with others or even a self-inflicted hurt. While we cannot go to the parts store on North Davis and find one to match our individual model numbers, there is a method for being restored 'like new,' again.    
   As Mark tells the story, Jesus enters the scene preaching a message that went like this, "Now is the time! Here comes God's kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!" We don't need to go looking anywhere else for the replacement parts; God's power can change us from within. God can sharpen our minds and care for our souls, if we would just trust this good news. 
   Pray this with me: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Grace and Peace, Scott

It all starts with volunteers

   Football players, cheerleaders, kids in the Band, parents in the stands, and even folks behind the counter at the concession stands: everyone knows that football season is upon us. High Schools and Middle Schools have been playing for a couple of weeks now and college teams start in full force this weekend. All of it to the delight of a hundred million fans watching from the bleachers, in their living rooms, or even on some tablet with their toes in the sand.

   To think that it all started with a volunteer somewhere: recreation sports coaches, a mom or a dad in the backyard, or even an older sibling or family member. Whatever passion a young person puts on display, it almost always finds its genesis with the encouragement and supervision of someone who wasn't paid.

   Our church is blessed by children of all ages who run through our halls, sit in our classrooms, and travel with our groups. But, none of it happens without the adults who show up to encourage and supervise. 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 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.

   Every church says they believe in children. Every church proclaims that children are our future. The idea is not original to us: think about the place Jesus gave them in Mark 10:14. I love the church who puts their words into actions. Bonaire does that. We're offering two different opportunities for committed adults to receive training in one of the linchpin parts of how we protect children and youth and provide great places for them to learn and grow. Youth parents and volunteers are invited on Sunday, September 13 at 5:30 PM to a Youth Parent's Night that will feature a look ahead to great stuff being planned. Parents and volunteers with children are invited to the Celebrate and Update Event on Sunday, September 20 at 5:00 PM. Both events will include a component of training around the best methods for protecting children and our church.

   We are blessed to have children show up. It is a stewardship of the most important degree. I am thankful to every adult who is willing to be present with them in these early years in order to shape their later years for the good. Grace and Peace, Scott

A lesson from broken glass

We are created with an inner drive and necessity, that sends all of looking for our true self, whether we know it or not. This journey is a spiral and never a straight-line. We are created with an inner restlessness and call that urges us on to the risks and promises of a second half to our life. There is a God-sized hole, in all of us, waiting to be filled. God creates the very dissatisfaction that only grace and finally divine love can satisfy. We dare not try to fill our souls and minds with numbing addictions, diversionary tactics or mindless distractions. The shape of evil is much more superficiality and blindness than the usual listed 'hot sins.' God hides and is found precisely in the depths of everything. Even, and maybe especially, in the deep fathoming of our fallings and failures. Sin is the stay on the surface of even holy things, like Bible, Sacrament or church. If we go to the depths of anything, we will begin to knock on something substantial, real and with a timeles quality to it. We will move from the starter kit of belief to an actual, inner, knowing. 

- Richard Rohr in Falling Upward, published in 2011

   I am a little more than halfway through Richard Rohr's book and it is quickly climbing up my list of all-time favorites. This quote particularly struck me, as I've been wrestling with the challenging truths that the Sundays teachings have revealed about time. When he talks about God hiding in the depths of things and that sin is what happens when we just stay on the surface, I realize that is precisely what happens when we pile on too many rocks. Busyness, even with good things, leads us away from the great things that the abundant life God offers has in store for us. In fact, Jesus said that when we find that abundant life we have found him (see John 14:6). But, we instead opt for the average or mundane, which is all we can fit in to our containers because we are otherwise...too busy.
   I think going deeper is more about doing less than working harder. As if I needed an extra lesson for my own life about what happens when you pile on too much, the glass jar of my illustration broke in the first service on Sunday, at 8:30 AM in the Chapel. For those who missed it, it happened when I starting placing the small rocks on top. The extra force of the trivial, little opportunities was enough to break the container. I snapped a photo of it before I cleaned up the cart and prepared to try again at 9:00 and 11:00. Maybe the memory of that will stay with me in the moments I am tempted to pile on the trivial instead of first placing the God rock in properly.
   I love serving as the pastor of this church and being a part of this community and am humbled that you join me in breaking glass, stacking rocks, and going deeper in the great love of God. Grace and peace to you, Scott

Prayer for This Day

O God, our Father, we remember at this time…

How the eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We thank you that Jesus took our human body upon him, so that we can never again dare to despise or neglect or misuse the body, since you made it your dwelling-place.

We thank you that Jesus did a day’s work like any working-man, that he knew the problem of living together in a family, that he knew the frustration and irritation of serving the public, that he had to earn a living, and to face all the wearing routine of everyday work and life and living, and so clothed each common task with glory.

We thank you that he shared in all happy social occasions, that he was at home at weddings and dinners and at festivals in the homes of simple ordinary people like ourselves. Grant that we may ever remember that in his unseen risen presence he is a guest in every home.

We thank you that he knew what friendship means, that he had his own circle of men whom he wanted to be with him, that he knew too what it means to be let down, to suffer from disloyalty and from the failure of love.

We thank you that he too had to bear unfair criticism, prejudiced opposition, malicious and deliberate misunderstanding.

We thank you that whatever happens to us, he has been there before, and that, because he himself has gone through things, he is able to help those who are going through them.

Help us never to forget that he knows life, because he lived life, and that he is with us at all times to enable us to live victoriously.

This we ask for your love’s sake.  Amen.

- from Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay

The Myth of Control and the Truth of the Present

It’s strange how the mind works. The mind would rather fret about the future or pine over the past so the mind can cling to its own illusion of control. But the current moment? It cannot be controlled. And what a mind can’t control, it tends to discount. Brush past … over. It’s the battle plan of the enemy of the soul to keep us blind to this current moment, the one we can’t control, to keep us blind to Him, the One who controls everything. 

- Ann Voskamp, from One Thousand Gifts Devotional

   One of the greatest drains on our time is the persistent worry that pushes into our thoughts. Of course, Jesus spoke to this when he said in Matthew 6, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

   I appreciate the stark way that Ann Voskamp addresses one of the reasons that so many of us turn to worry: we want to believe we are in control. Instead, the limits of our control stop at the edge of our minds, our hearts, our words, and our actions. Regardless of how close or how influential we think we are to others or to a situation, we are not in control of much.
   God's call on our lives is to let go. I think this is what Reinhold Niebuhr was getting at when he penned the Serenity Prayer a century ago. He wrote: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

   Instead of letting go of the myth of our power in the moment, we cling to moments that are not present. This is precisely the work of the one who is working against our lives. Jesus came that we might have abundant life, but there are forces working directly against us. One of the best things that hell ever accomplished was to trick us into picturing a silly, red-costumed little person with horns and pitchfork when anyone mentions the devil. This way of thinking reduces our concern and prompts us to let down our defenses. Instead, we must remain vigilant in our watch for the real faces of evil that would lead us to destruction: worry, laziness, anger, arrogance, greed, or an unforgiving heart.
   God loves you and loves me. Could it be that we are at our best loving God back when we let go of trying to control others or let go of the past or future and instead live fully in the present? There is a word for this kind of living: faith.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Out in the World and back in Church

   They say you cannot be in two places at once. 

   On Wednesday afternoon, Julie and I, along with hundreds of others, found our places on the bleachers of Joseph Sumrall Stadium at Bonaire Middle School to watch the first football scrimmage of the season. Sitting there along the 50 yard line, as boys played on both ends of the field the coaches had divided in half, gave us plenty to see. But, the stands were just as entertaining. There were kids walking around for attention, siblings wishing to go home, and parents enduring the heat in order to get some glimpse of future gridiron glory. 

    Before the game had ended I was out of the heat and in the very comfortable confines of our church building. It was the first night of Wednesdays@Bonaire and the meal before me was delicious. There was a good crowd gathered, as well. Dee Dee is a great cook and you cannot beat the value provided for $6 for adults and $4 for kids. After having our bodies nourished, opportunities to provide for our hearts and souls abounded. Matt and Courtney were excellent talking about their most recent trip to Belize, while tables groups and choirs were also getting started. Children sang and learned before later playing in the hallways. 

   Of course, not every week will be about firsts. But, I think every week for everyone of us should follow a similar pattern. I believe we are called to be out in the world and also back in church. While Paul said we are not to be conformed to the world (Romans 12), he did not say we are to avoid the world altogether. The call on Christians is rarely to separate from the world. Instead, we are to engage the world. How else can we be the salt and light Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5? Yet, he is also clear to say that salt can lose its flavor and light can lose its power. I believe this is true for us, too. We need the community to recharge us. We need the Word to revive us. 

   I hope you would consider your own pattern of being out in the world and back in church. This is a perfect time to commit, again, to worship every Sunday morning. And, I would also ask that you consider how Wednesday Supper might be a nice connector midway through the week. Again, the meal is delicious and easy. We have room for 100 people or more and the chance to hear a 30 minute program (we promise to be done by 6:30 every week) is a plus. I would love for you to join me, starting this coming week, as we begin a series of lessons on ancient and modern Israel, a land called holy, weaving images, history and the Scriptures together.

   I hope to see you out in the world and back in church, soon. Grace and Peace, Scott

Where Can A Christian Boast or Glory?

   College Football Preseason rankings are coming out and fans everywhere are boasting of their team's place. Politicians are now taking the stage in debates - in front of the few people willing to watch this early - boasting of what they have done and making promises about what they will do.
   What is a Christian to boast of? Our faith? The size of our churches? The reach of our missions around the world? Surely none of these. Instead, consider the words of Francis:

   "I did not come to be served but to serve (see Matthew 10:28), says the Lord. Those who are placed over others should glory in such an office only as much as they would were they assigned the task of washing the feet of the brothers. And the more they are upset about their office being taken from them than they would be over the loss of the office of washing feet, so much the more do they store up treasures to the peril of their souls (see John 12:6).
   Be conscious, O man (and woman), of the wondrous state in which the Lord God has placed you, for he created you and formed you to the image of his beloved Son according to the body, and to his likeness according to the spirit (see Genesis 1:26). And yet, all the creatures under heaven, each according to its nature, serve, know, and obey their Creator better than you. Even the demons did not crucify him, but you together with them have crucified him and crucify him even now by delighting in vices and sins.
   In what then can you glory (or boast)? For if you were so subtle and wise that you had all knowledge (see 1 Corinthians 13:2) and knew how to interpret all tongues (see 1 Corinthians 12:28) and minutely investigate the course of the heavenly bodies, in all these things you could not glory, for one demon knew more about the things of earth than all men together, even if there may have been someone who received from the Lord a special knowledge of the highest wisdom. Likewise, even if you were more handsome and richer than everyone else and even if you performed wonders such as driving out demons, all these things would be an obstacle to you and none of them would belong to you nor could you glory in any of these things. But in this we can glory: in our infirmities (see 2 Corinthians 12:5) and bearing daily the holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 14:27)."

- Francis of Assisi, also known as Saint Francis, was an early church leader who wrote short words of instruction to those who would follow him as he followed Jesus. This brief section of the longer Admonitions was written around 1200 CE.

What does that Cross mean?

   We are United Methodist, the largest denomination or branch within the group of Wesleyan churches within Christianity. There are approximately 75 million Wesleyans in the world today: United Methodist, Free Methodist, Salvation Army, African Methodist Episcopal, Nazarenes, AME Zion, CME, etc. Each traces their roots back to the Rev. John Wesley, a priest in England who formed the movement that would later bear his name.
   One of the distinctive characteristics to being a Methodist or Wesleyan is that we (or we are supposed to) build our lives and our church upon a specific foundation of truths. Another way of saying it would be that what we do, what we say, and how we pattern our lives is based on four critical sources: Scripture, the tradition of the church, reason, and our experience. We believe the primary source by which God uses for our direction is that of God's Word, contained in the Holy Bible, and the other three support it. All of this leads up to answer the valid question, "Why does a Cross hang in our Sanctuary?"
   Scripture - All four Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus explicitly mention the Roman execution device upon which Jesus died. Jesus used the cross as a symbol of what it means to follow him when he said, ""If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." The Apostle Paul would later write that the cross was evidence of Jesus' humility and obedience and was the very method that we receive reconciliation back to God, and that upon the cross we were to nail our self-centered desires (Galatians 5:24).
   Church Tradition - From the earliest times, the church adopted the cross as a symbol to remember the sacrifice of Jesus. History shows that one early church Bishop, Clement of Alexandria, who lived in the second century, regularly used the phrase the Lord's sign to mean the cross. In the third century, one leader believed she found remnants of the very cross that Jesus died upon; pieces of it soon traveled Europe to be included in sanctuaries there.
   Human Reason -  Symbols are important ways that we draw meaning and are reminded of matters of importance; the cross is no different.
   Our Experience - The cross, mounted in front of us, reminds us of sacrifice and the grace of God. For me and many others, it carries a deep and abiding sense of God's overwhelming love for all of us. It is both a thing of the past and a call to live faithfully into future.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Bring your soul before the Lord

I read this passage over the weekend in a devotional book written for the Christian year. It is from the writings on prayer of Theophan the Recluse, who lived from 1815 to 1894 in Russia before the rise of Marx and Lenin. He was ordained a priest, became a monk then a Bishop, and was deemed a saint in part because of his writings on the spiritual life and on passing down the faith to your people. It is my pray you will find it helpful to you, as well.

   "How should you order yourself inwardly so as to enjoy peace of soul? Secure for yourself inner solitude. But such solitude is not a mere vacuum nor can it be gained simply by creating complete emptiness in oneself. When you retreat into yourself, you should stand before the Lord, and remain in His presence, not letting the eyes of the mind run away from the Lord. This state of standing before the Lord is something that supports and maintains itself. To be with the Lord is the aim of our existence, and when we are with Him we cannot fail to experience a feeling of well-being; this feeling naturally attracts our attention to itself, and through this, to the Lord from Whom the feeling comes.

   It is good to withdraw from distractions under the protection of four walls, but it is even better to withdraw into solitude within oneself. The first without the second is nothing, whereas the last is of the utmost value even without the first.    It is an excellent thing to go to church, but if you can accustom yourself to pray at home as if in church, such prayer at home is equally valuable.
   Just as a man sees another face to face, try thus to stand before the Lord, so that your soul is face to face with him. This is something so natural that there should have been no need to mention it specially, for by its very nature the soul should strive always towards God. And the Lord is always near. There is no need to arrange an introduction between them, for they are old acquaintances."

A humble beginning

   I spent the day with our two boys and Julie's father in the heat of a South Georgia summer day going about an important task. Some people would call it playing a round, and they'd be right. Some people would call it crazy, because of the heat, and they'd surely be correct.
   When I was about 14 years old and my brother was 11, our Grandfather Carlton carried us out to a golf course, gathered up some used clubs for us to call our own, and proceeded to begin teaching us about golf. He was a saint. If you've ever helped someone else learn a hobby or take on a new challenge as difficult as hitting a golf ball, you know what a burden of love it is. His son, my uncle, would pick up his love of golf and turn it into a career; my Uncle Wade is a member of the PGA and operates a great golf course down in Brunswick. I would guess that close to half of all the rounds of golf I've played in my life were with my grandfather.
   I was thinking about my grandfather today, who passed away in 2006, when I was driving out to the course and talking through some of the basics of the game with the boys. I bet I uttered 1000 of the same things he said to us probably 100,000 times over the years. It brought back memories. I was humbled to take on the mantle of teaching golf the right way, like I had been taught at the same age.
   I texted my uncle as we got started and sent him a note about what we were doing. We were an hour in when he responded. The heat was getting to us and nerves were getting thin. The boys were getting tired of listening, but also frustrated that it was taking longer to master it than they thought it should. That is when my uncle replied to my text. He said, "Make sure they enjoy themselves. I hope everyone is smiling when you are having ice cream upon finishing." I stopped in my tracks. I was humbled again. His words rang so true. I was losing sight of the main objective of the day: it should not be that the boys would perfectly apply the rules of golf, or that Jack would grip the club right, or that Sam would keep his head still on his backswing. My goal for the day should be that they enjoyed it enough to want to go play again. I changed my tone and changed my focus from that very moment, and it stayed that way through the ice cream I bought for everyone when we were done!
   I think we can lose sight of the main thing sometimes in our lives away from the golf course, too. We get so focused on the people around us doing the right thing that we forget we want people to feel the right way, too. People need to feel like they are loved. There will be time to teach rules and make corrections. But, if they are turned off the first time they meet us, we might never get a second chance. That goes for life, and especially goes for how we treat our families, right?
   May you be ever aware of what the highest goals are each day and may you always know you are loved. Grace and peace, Scott

Your Four Life Legends

Four Living Legends: Bench, Aaron, Koufax, Mays (l-r)

   Known as the Midsummer Classic, the game between the best of the National League and the best of the American League dates back to its inauguration in 1933. The greatest of all time have made up the rosters since. This week's game was  no different in that regard, but did feature something additional. In the moments before the ump yelled "Play ball" at Tuesday's All-Star game, the past met the present at midfield in a special moment of recognition. After twenty-five million votes were cast, the four greatest living players were introduced to the fans gathered in Cincinnati. Titled the Four Living Legends, the list included the pitcher Sandy Koufax, catcher Johnny Bench, and outfielders Willie Mays and Hank Aaron - the true Home Run King.  Now, if you have ever been a fan of baseball in your life, you can appreciate how difficult compiling such a list would be. But, I have to say that they probably got it right. Mays and Aaron are shoe-ins, and Bench and Koufax played the game right and at a high-level for years.
   The thought of narrowing down legendary performers into a small list started me thinking about some of the people who have performed at high levels in my life. Who are the four people to have had the greatest impact on who I am? Which prompts the next question; what are the measures or qualities I value the most in my relationships?
   What about for you? Who are the four or five or six legends in your life? Maybe it comes back around to grace and peace. Who are the  people who have offered you grace and peace most consistently? Who are the people who have told you - with words and acts - that you are valued, accepted, and a joy in the eyes of God? Who have helped you embrace the peace in the right now that God offers?
   The truth is, my life has been made of up of a truly All-Star roster of family, friends, mentors and teachers who have offered me grace and peace. May we all draw closer to those who are still living, and cherish those who have passed on. Grace and Peace to you, Scott

The quiet way of God

   I love trains. My dad's father was a depot operator for the Savannah to Atlanta Line nearly a century ago. My grandmother grew up with those tracks in her front yard. I have grown to have a deep appreciation for what they mean to our nation's history and how they continue to serve our country's economy. They are pretty impressive. Lately, we've been most impressed with how loud their horns can sound from a mile away. And, I am impressed with how cautious the drivers engineers are when approaching a crossing. Of course, we live a few hundred yards from two crossings, so we are often alerted to their presence in our community. Which is, at least, three times around midnight every night! Despite my sarcastic tone, I really do want them to blow their horns loud every time, so drivers can hear and take heed. 

   There have been many times in my life that I wish God was more like a locomotive engineer: you know, more deliberate at getting my attention. That is rarely God's way. The Bible includes a few instances of God taking the loud approach - Noah and the flood, Pharaoh and the plagues, Daniel walking from the lion's den, or Paul on the Damascus road. Generally speaking, hearing from God is more like the experience of Elijah in the wilderness. The story from 1 Kings 19 begins with Elijah fleeing for his life from the evil Jezebel. He ends up on a mountain and is told to listen for God speaking. It says:

"Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him..."

The voice was in the silence. This is how God often speaks to us, still today: when we turn down the noise of the world and are silent ourselves. 

   I want to hear from God, not just as a pastor, but also as a husband, parent, and friend. Sometimes it is because the train is bearing down and I'm in harm's way. Mostly, it is because God's voice reminds me of who I am: a child of the King. 

   Join me this week in taking an extra ten minutes every morning to sit quietly in order that God might speak. Grace and peace, Scott

I grow better in light than darkness

   I walked by some flowers earlier this week that caught my eye. I snapped a photo of them that you might appreciate their beauty, as well. God's creative ability is amazing. I regularly marvel at the colors that are found within nature. Just think of the million different hues and tints of colors that can be found on flowers alone, each created by a slightly different reaction to water, soil, nutrients and their own unique chemistry. Just the science of how flowers are adorned causes me to worship the greatness of God. Jesus used flowers to teach against worrying when he said in Matthew 6, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these." He saw what we see; flowers are evidence of God's handiwork. 

   But, the flowers I saw caught my eye for something else. I couldn't help but notice the direction they were facing: they were bending toward the sunlight. The very thought of that captured my heart; oh, that it would be that easy for me.   Instead of bending my life perfectly toward the light that nourishes, I so often choose to twist and contort toward the shadows and darkness. When I gossip, worry, fail to forgive, hold a grudge, fixate on money, or get too busy to pray, it is like a flower choosing to bury it's head in the shadows and turn away from the very thing that gives life. 

   We were made for better. I think this is exactly what 1 Peter 2 was talking about when it encourages:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

   May we grow in grace by turning into the light that shines brighter than any other: the love and grace of God offered to us though Jesus Christ. Amen!

   Scott

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."

- Isaiah 52:7

   The prophet Isaiah captures the raw emotions known to any who have waited to hear Good News. The baby is fine. Your loved one is okay. The contract went through. You've go the job. Your football team finally beat their rivals! (OK, this last one is not as important as the others, but I was trying to include everyone)!

   Despite that much of the specific history of Isaiah's context has been lost over the centuries since these words were first uttered, it is clear that he once stood among God's people waiting for news to arrive. Obviously, waiting back then took longer: no cell phone towers, electronic mail, or even the pony express. Runners would risk their lives to carry back word of victories or impending attacks. In every way, technology has radically changed the meaning and methods of communications. Yet, the importance of communicating has not been altered one bit (or byte).

   I propose this is as true for the Bonaire Church now as in the days after those first Sunday services were held here in 1894. People need to stay in touch and be informed. It might be even more important now, considering the overwhelming amount of information and content that flows our way. We are inundated with communication, so we all need to hear things on more than one occasion in order to process it correctly. 

   We are updating some of our methods in small, but meaningful ways. We are now sending more each week in our emails. We are considering plans to begin sending a monthly piece out by regular mail. Here is what we would ask of you:

   1) Help us by providing and keeping current your email address and phone number with the Church Office. Send it to bonaireumc@bonairechurch.com or call Kristina at (478) 733-1806. 

   2) Call the church when you are having surgery or have experienced some need of pastoral care.

   3) Read your bulletin and transfer dates to your calendars.

   4) Pray that we continue to be a place where the Good News is proclaimed, and every visitor would walk away knowing that Our God reigns.

   Grace and Peace, Scott

   

The New Guy(s)

   We all know, it's not always easy being the new guy or girl in a new place. I remember walking into elementary school, after we moved to Statesboro the day before the start of First Grade, clutching a shiny new pen because it was the only friend I had in the building! Of course, Mrs. Marks was gracious to point out that in her class we'd be writing with pencils.

   You probably have similar remembrances of those moments you've walked into a place unsure of who you'd sit with, what would happen, how you'd be treated, and if would you be accepted. Those are often moments of anxiety and even fear. Yet, when we look back on some of those same moments we realize that they were often the beginnings of new and exciting chapters in our lives: new careers, new relationships, new opportunities, new directions, or new moments of learning. 

   Matt Martin has reminded me, on more than one occasion, that he's a new guy, too. Often, that happens when I whisper a question about the name of someone standing across the hallway. We're both wanting our 'newness' to work as permission to get more time to meet and get to know everyone. 

   All of us came to Bonaire as the new person, at one point or another. Despite Mrs. Kay's insistence that she's been here all her life - which is true - even she arrived (as an infant) not knowing what to expect. It's a good reminder for all of us that every Sunday (or any day, really) brings new people who walk through our doors unsure of what to expect. So, our own experiences of being the new person are guides to the simple acts of greeting people, introducing yourself, and extending a hand. Every moment we can treat someone as we ourselves have wanted to be treated we are living out Jesus' commandments:  

Matthew 7:12 -  "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. 

Matthew 22:39 - "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 

   Speaking for Matt and myself, you've welcomed our families with such grace. Thank you. May we welcome the next family, and the next, and the next, in the same manner! 

   Grace and peace, Scott

Hugs, Help Moving Boxes, Hospitality and a Humble Word of Appreciation

   We are humbled. The welcome we have received, from the very first phone call from Claire Chapman to the very last dessert brought to our door, has been a blessing. The list of tangible ways that this congregation has extended hospitality to our family is lengthy: hugs, helping move boxes, bringing food, balloons on the mailbox, helping move furniture, kind notes, beautiful flowers, helping move boxes, words of welcome by email, prayers that are written and spoken, helping move furniture, smiles, handshakes, helping move boxes, and offers to do even more in the days ahead. I am sure that I left some things
out, but did I mention how much we appreciate the help with moving boxes and furniture? That was awesome. I am unable to list every person who has already helped, but I must mention Linda Dykes for her exceptional work in this transition. She walked us through a truly magnificent home on Wednesday upon our arrival that was the product of the consistent effort of a host of people.
   We have met a few dozen people already, but please continue the grace-filled kindness of reminding us of your names for at least a month or so. We need the help! We will begin reviewing the Church Directory on Sunday evening to connect names with faces we've met so far, but it is a slow process, as you all know.
   Let me say a word of appreciation to Jay and Cathy, Mary Catherine and Ross, for the amazing ministry they have helped to steward for these eight years. Bonaire is not the same since they arrived here in 2007. I have long had a lengthy list of reasons to admire them and various points of connection and friendship, but their grace in this transition has been tremendous. They are good people, in the best sense of the term.
   I hope to meet you in worship and see you again soon - possibly as a volunteer at VBS this coming week!
   Grace and peace to you, Scott

A Word from Julie Hagan

God of mercy, sweet love of mine. I have surrendered to your design. May this offering stretch across the sky. And these hallelujahs be multiplied. 

As I stood and listened to Andy and the band sing these lyrics to one of my favorite songs last week, I closed my eyes so that I could hear more clearly. It sounds strange, but we all have been taught that when one sense is omitted, our other senses are enhanced. With my eyes closed, I could hear the intracacies of the guitar, the voices, the drums, and the piano, but I could also hear  my prayers for Epworth being lifted throughout the singing of that song. 

Epworth is a special place, full of special people.  People who share a common vision for what God's call is in their lives, as well as what His call is for the church.  The manner in which the people of Epworth have ministered to the least of these in Columbus is such a testament to what it means to be Epworth as well as to be the kingdom of God. This giving and service to others is simply part of the fabric of Epworth. 

I am so thankful to have been a part of this church for the past five years.  For five years you have welcomed my family, loved and cared for my children, and even laughed at whatever crazy prop Scott brought into worship that week. It has been a blessing and a privilege to serve alongside you. You have shown me and my family what it really means to be the people of Epworth and the people of God. For every prayer that I have prayed for you, you have prayed the same for me. I have felt it, and I know that those will continue even now that our time serving together is ending. That is just how you are built. This home that we have known will always have a special place in my heart. It is for all these things that I am thankful. 

May your lives continue to be blessings, and may all of your hallelujahs be multiplied.

Grace and peace,

Julie

Honoring Lives Lived Well

   I was sitting quietly on Memorial Day thinking about friends I have made over four decades who leave home to serve our country. Service in our military is a sacrifice, and exposes the men and women of our nation's Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard, to risks that include death. I was thinking, too, about the families they left behind every time they deployed. Millions of times families have stood at airports, on bases, or on front porches and watched their precious person pass around the corner, not knowing the next time they'd see them.
   It is humbling to think about such devotion to our country, a nation built on a little phrase that Jefferson penned three centuries ago...

We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness; ...

I am thankful for every person who has given life and limb to uphold these truths.

   Epworth is also a place where people have given themselves to service over self. Including the story of the Hamp Stevens UMC, this congregation has been shaped for decades by the generosity of men and women who have lived out their lives as faithful followers of Jesus Christ through ministry here.

   The Tree of Life Memorial, displayed for the first time this past weekend, gives people an opportunity to remember and honor those who have gone on before us but whose lives remain an important part of who we are. Initiated by the Friendship Class, the idea, from its very start, has been carried through to completion by Marjean and James Waters. The design was beautifully created by Buddy Dunn, and the woodworking itself was created by Archie Smith, whose ties to these congregations run deep. We are indebted to all of these for offering us such an opportunity to celebrate our loved ones.
   You can honor any loved one, who was a member of either of these two congregations, with a donation in their memory to Epworth UMC. Call the church office, visit our website, or find an insert in the bulletin.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Moving: Between Fear in rejection and Faith that God loves us

   “Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, ‘Prove that you are a good person.’ Another voice says, ‘You’d better be ashamed of yourself.’ There also is a voice that says, ‘Nobody really cares about you,’ and one that says, ‘Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.’ But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, ‘You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you.’ That’s the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen.
   That’s what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us ‘my Beloved.'”
    - Henri Nouwen

   This passage is from Henri Nouwen's The Still, Small Voice of Love.  Lately, I have been reading a lot of Nouwen, in part, for my final 120-page project at Columbia, which first requires that I read 12-15 books on the subject I am studying. But more than just something required from the exterior, I find that I am drawn to Nouwen from some interior prompting. I need to hear his message that I am God's Beloved, now, more than ever.
   Moving is hard. Moving from a place that you love so dearly, is very hard. With just a couple of weeks before the last box is headed east on Highway 96, the thought of leaving Epworth, our friends, this home, and the myriad of familiar places around town is looming larger. When June comes, the task is made only more difficult; in the midst of grieving, we are also going. We are going to a new place, with new people, and new expectations.
   As is my nature - human and frail - the thought of what to expect has turned into what to fear in the weeks since our move was set. Of course, fear is the opposite of faith. I also think it is rooted in a poor sense of identity. Let me explain. When I allow fear to dictate my thoughts about the future - what people will think, or do, or say - because I want to be liked, or admired, or relied upon, then I am turning away from my true identity and, instead, leaning on other's opinions of me to be the foundation for who I am.
   As Houwen writes so eloquently above, God speaks the truth to me in a still, small voice. It is the voice of love. I am God's Beloved. Not because I am right, or smart, or dependable, but because I am God's. The other characteristics come and go, but God's love for me remains.
   Pray for the Hagans in the transition. Pray that we don't stray far from this true sense of who and whose we are. And, pray for the Crosbys, as well. They are surely leaving Alma to arrive at Epworth with some of the very same emotions. I know that when they do arrive, they will be welcomed by a congregation who believes we are all God's Beloved.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

There is Crying in Worship

   In A League of Their Own, a movie released in 1992, Tom Hanks played a washed-up, former baseball player turned manager of the all-women’s baseball league formed during the Second World War when the men were overseas in combat. His character, named Jimmy Dugan, struggles with alcoholism, anger, and being nice. At one point in the story, he yells at one of his players,

Jimmy Dugan: “Are you crying? Are you crying? Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!”

I will not speak to that, having seen plenty of crying in little league, but the quote came to my mind on Sunday morning during worship. On more than one occasion my gaze rested on another set of teary eyes out in the pews. During one of the songs, I reflected on how appropriate it is to cry in worship.

   The Mother’s Day inserts, especially the two pages dedicated to Memorials, were filled with names of our cherished loved ones. Names of those who’ve passed in the past year especially brought emotions, as we remembered their physical presence among us just a short time ago and then the UMW recognition of Jean and Matilda, both gone too soon. I believe that worship, and the congregation of the faithful, is exactly where tears should be found. I believe there is supposed to be crying in worship. I think the Bible upholds this, too. Of course, we know Jesus wept at the death of his friend, Lazarus, but there are promises about God’s response to our mourning, too.  

Psalm 34:17 - When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues 

                       them from all their troubles.

Psalm 3:4 - I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.

   I am not suggesting that we should cry every week, but it is okay to cry. It is probably necessary, sometimes. Life is hard. It is hard to lose someone we care about. Loss is hard. We also come to learn that gaining something is hard, as well. The ups and downs of life, the blessings and curses, all of it calls for vulnerability, submission, and faith in God’s ultimate goodness for us. Life is heavenly and hard, and worship is a place where these truths are proclaimed. 

   Later in the movie, having grown some himself, Tom Hanks’ character offers this wisdom to one of the girls who is thinking about quitting: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.” Grace and Peace, Scott